Your Daily Dose of Useful Stuff

Biko is one of the most common delicacies Filipinos prepare at any occasion.  We prepare "biko" during birthdays, baptism, Holy Week, fiestas, Noche Buena (that midnight feast on Christmas Eve).   When I was younger, I found making 'biko' really tedious.  So I never really attempted to make "biko"  by myself.  Sometimes, I would just order ready-cooked biko or get them from tiangge or food fairs.  It is less hassle and easy to serve.  There is no need for me to go to the market and buy ingredients like glutinous rice, brown sugar, and coconut.     Biko can be really difficult to prepare if done in the traditional way.  First, you need  to buy coconut and grate it so that you can squeeze the coconut milk .  It can be messy to do.  However, if you are not the lazy type and have time to really prepare it the traditional way, you can do it traditionally.   It will make the experience really very  genuine for you.  The advantages of doing it tradition

People Magazine has released its traditional yearly choice of  'The Sexiest Man Alive."  This year's choice is the epitome of hunkness, a perfect blending of looks and brawn.  Not only is he sexy physically, but he possess that manly appeal, just like the former winners' Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Johny Depp, etc.  I couldn't agree more that Chris Hemsworth deserves the title.  I am just wondering why People Magazine doesn't use the title  "The Sexiest Gentleman Alive"?  We need to hear more the word 'gentleman' because it is  now an endangered species.  Famous people like Chris Hemsworth and other members of his species should help advocate the importance of being a 'gentleman.' In doing so, they can be instrumental in reviving the age old practice of chivalry.     Many men nowadays don't know how to respect and be courteous to women.  If they are, they are selective.  It is very seldom that doors are opened by men for

Which is just as well.  Personally, I think getting pregnant is something we can expect of a young, beautiful and desireable lady like her and pregnancy is not something to be hidden from the curious public.  The public would appreciate you more if you are honest with them.  So for that gesture alone, I commend Christine.  She did not try to divert attention away from her by resorting to gimmickry or creating issues to escape scrutiny.  She did become quiet a while, heaven only knows what kind of soul-searching she did during the months that she went on hiatus.   Cristine's entry to local tinsel town was not as laborious as other hopefuls had experienced.  Her passage was relatively less agonizing because her older sister, Ara Mina, had paved the path for her easy access to Philippine moviedom.  The first time I became aware of Cristine Reyes was during her participation in the talent search "Starstruck."  She did not emerge as the winner of the search, but she left

We woke up again to a sad and shocking news in October 11, 2014.  Jeffrey Laude, a transgender, was found dead in Celzone Lodge in Olongapo City.  Jeffrey's lifeless body was found by the toilet bowl just minutes after he and his male companion arrived.  His male companion, who later became the suspect, was identified as PFC Joseph Scott Pemberton.  He was positively identified by eyewitnesses as the last person seen with Jeffrey.  During the initial investigations, Joseph Scott Pemberton said, 'I did something wrong."  He immediately sought counsel from a lawyer after that.  

The first time I saw Valerie Weigmann, she was tagging along with Jose Manalo and Paolo Ballesteros during Eat Bulaga's "Juan for All, and All for Juan" segment.  And she struck me as a "cool and down-to-earth person." with a knack for comedy because she had difficulty in delivering some jokes which ultimately made the joke more hilarious.   She is cool because she doesn't mind poking fun at herself and being laughed at at her funny deliveries.  In fact, she is what you see.   Now, I heard that she bagged the crown to represent the Philippines in the next Ms. World Pageant, kind of the successor of Megan Young, who is doing a great job representing the Philippines and in doing the Ms. World rounds.   Physically,  Valerie has got what it takes to compete with the fairest of candidates who will be coming from different countries.  She is tall and fit, thanks to her regular gym visits.  And most of all, she has such a very relaxed composure.  For som

The downside of being famous is that any issue, gossip, rumor about you,  no matter how small, gets easily magnified.  And it does not help that social media can spread anything like a virus, and anyone who owns a smartphone can become an instant news'stringer.    Admittedly, not everything about the digital age is ugly,  because the digital age, helped people communicate faster  and information  about everything is as quick as a blink of an eye.     One of the people who got dragged into the  showbiz mire is  actor-hunk, Derek Ramsay.  Derek found himself face-to-face with his past when his estranged wife,  Mary Christine Jolly surfaces with a surprise for all Derek Ramsay fans, their son, thus  breaking the heart of many Derek Ramsay fans in the process.   Their image of Derek as a hunky bachelor made a quick 360-degree turn.   Suddenly, he is no longer the beefcake young girls would drool over and daydream about. Mary Christine Jolly is of Filipino-Indian

What happens when you got a rocking athletic body, stunning looks and volleyball prowess?  You are the envy of women and you get to be on the cover of one of the most popular men's magazine.  That's right, volleyball fans, FEU's "Queen Tamaraw" needs no further introduction because she is synonymous to  volleyball in the Philippines.  She is our "Leila Barros,"  Brazil's most popular female volleyball player. Rachel Ann Daquis accepted FHM's invitation to grace their cover and so come October 2014, you can buy FHM from your favorite  magazine stands and get a glimpse of Rachel Ann Daquis's life outside of the court.  If you have been following the volleyball games in the UAAP and the two professional leagues, Shakey's V-league and the Philippine Superliga, you are probably familiar with Rachel Ann and her kind of game.  

Vanessa Hudgens is just one of the many Hollywood celebrities whose naked photos were leaked by hackers online.  Other victims include Rihanna, Gabrielle Union and Johny Depp's fiancee, Amber Heard.  Apparently, this is the third time that this happened to Vanessa.  How can she allow this to happen to her  three times? Maybe she should start getting photos of her with clothes on and just admire her body in her bathroom mirror?  But that is just my humble opinion.  I still believe that no one has the right to steal anyone's private property.  If it ain't yours, then do not touch it.  Unfortunately, people like these hackers get their kicks from getting into the computers of famous people and Vanessa Hudgens was just one of them victimized.  For the information of you, my readers, Vanessa Hudgens, rose to stardom through the  High School Musical Series.   Vanessa Hudgens, played the role of the female lead character, Gabriella Montez.  The movie is about the challeng

Ellen Adarna is one of the faces that I would consider 'angelic.'  This girl seems to have everything one could ask for:  a great body, a beautiful face and lots of money .  Being an heiress to a chain of hotels, she is just one lucky human being.  She was born with all these and now, we can add "fame" to the list.   She is often tagged as the "Paris Hilton of the Philippines," because of the above attributes.  The 'fame' part just sealed her similarities to the Hollywood hotel heiress's. We all know about Paris Hilton's oozing sexual appeal and her luxurious lifestyle and of course, her sexual exploits with equally gorgeous men.  I hope I don't sound like I envy them, OF COURSE NOT!!! NYET!!! but  I would gladly welcome with open arms one-half of their fortune, and I mean, the 'money' part.   Recently, Ellen became a HOT issue (pun intended) again and the object of gossip because her nude photos were leaked online.  Thes

( Jeane Napoles enjoys hanging out with Hollywood's popular young actresses,  oh, well, the things money can do) Like the average Filipino, my knowledge of Jeanne Napoles is limited to what I would overhear over TV or radio. We all know that she is the pretty, socialite daughter of PDAF Queen, Janet Napoles, the PDAF Scammer.  The family activity would not even be \revealed to the public had Ben Hur Luy not exposed the modus operandi of Janet Napoles.  Now, the Filipinos, here and abroad, know almost everything about this family and what they did with the money that they allegedly scammed from the people with the help of our legislators namely:  Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr.   I'm not really going to dwell on the dynamics of the deed, I leave that to the senate fact-finding committee and anyone who is curious about this MO can go to Mr. Google and that info is available anytime, anyplace,. I'm really more interested in Jeane Napo

It's Cinemalaya season again, and it means we can enjoy seeing productions from independent filmmakers. Cinemalaya is a break from the movies with usual popular themes because in Cinemalaya, directors are after of the recognition of their directorial talents and skills.  That means there is no pressure to rake in profits for commercial producers.  So this is the time to really see great and aritistically created productions.  The good thing about Cinemalaya productions is that nowadays, mainstream actors and actresses are also interested in showcasing their talents for directors who want to join the Cinemalaya because it seems that they are taken more seriously if they become a part of a Cinemalaya production.  But that is just my interpretation. It is good to be in the opening day or premiere of participating movies because most lead acts appear in support of the directors or independent producers.  So it is a chance to see your favorite local actors and actresses.       

When my mother shipped me alone by plane for my first out-of-town Christmas vacation when I was 10, our neighbors were aghast by her audacity.  It was almost a mortal sin if parents let their children out of their sight at that time.  If child abuse was a buzz word at that period, my mother would have faced a child abuse case from the Department of Social Welfare.  My mother was that kind of person.  She was ahead of her time.  She wanted her children to experience the things she did not experience having  married at the age of 18.  Love of traveling is actually one of the things I learned from my mother. I caught the travel bug instantly and I fell in love with riding planes.  I could still remember today what the cloud formation was as if it were just yesterday.   I could remember the empty space beside me because the flight attendant would constantly check on me.  She was probably thinking I would dash anywhere inside the airplane if she does not watch me even if I was already

It seems that I am the only person who does not know about this new herbal medicine that has made it to the list as among the must-try natural/herbal medicines.  My father even started his own Ashitaba garden at our backyard and plans to sell them, well, what can I say, at 74, he is still active, fortunately. Thanks to good genes and a healthy lifestyle.    I did a research as to why Ashitaba should be part of our daily routine being natural and healthy and here are the things that it is known to be effective at: If you are suffering from any of the following ailments or illnesses, you can try making the ashitaba tea or juice as alternative medicine.  Who knows, it might be good for your system and it will give you the natural remedy that you want instead of the synthetic medicines that are often prescribed by our regular physicians.

For the first time in my life, I learned to truly appreciate the job of a financial advisor as well as that of an insurance underwriter.  I have just listened to a lecture about the basics of life insurance, probably I would call it Life Insurance 101.  It was a three-day seminar, kind of an orientation to what being an insurance underwriter or  a financial advisor is. It was a great discussion for those who are not very familiar about the concept of life insurance and boy, it made me want to learn more about this industry.   First of all, somebody who gives sound and knowledgeable advise regarding how one manages his/her finances is called a financial advisor, an insurance underwriter on the other hand assesses whether a person or a project deserves receiving an insurance.   An underwriter minimizes risk by conducting an evaluation of the person or the project applying for insurance coverage.   Each company has its own guidelines or regulations on how underwriting should be done.

I do not know if security error is the right word to use for the error in my credit card account with East West Bank .  As I have written a few months  ago, I discovered that there was a wrong entry in my account of a sizeable amount.  Supposedly, this  was used in an Asean country, which at that time, I have not even visited yet.  So, imagine the shock that I felt upon seeing that item in the list and worse, I have to wait for 45 days for it to be rectified.  Fortunately, East West Bank was able to straighten that matter out and so I was reimbursed for the payment that I made for that error.  I just hope that it will not happen again.   Here are a few things that I have learned during the entire process. 1) Always check the entries in your bill.  Sometimes, we overlook many things in our bills so there is a tendency that we might be paying expenditures that we did not make. 2) If this happens to you or anyone you know, you can actually call the bank and demand that you don't

Wellness is a concept that is gaining popularity lately all over the globe.  We see people around us turning into natural living and getting into the healthy lifestyle by practicing healthy activities such as eating naturally grown products and cooking more naturally, avoiding  toxic materials and ingredients.  There are many healthy alternatives to many food products that we used to enjoy.    One of the plants that is also gaining respect and recognition in terms of its healthy qualities and benefits is the lemongrass.  It is a plant that is grown widely in Asia, particularly in South east asia. Thais and Filipinos use it as additional flavoring as well as freshener in their dishes.  The lemongrass is effective in removing fishy and strong taste from fish or chicken especially when the dish is a soup.   It is used as a substitute for ginger because it is not overwhelming and also it is not as expensive as the lemon fruit.  

I got so impressed with the production of the movie that's why I'm writing a good review of it even if I have not read the book itself. THE BOOK THIEF  (2013) Cast: Sophie Nelisse, Geoffrey Rush, Rudy Steiner, Ben  Schnetzer Director: Brian Percival  Synopsis: The Book Thief revolves around the life of Liesel who was adopted by a childless German couple at the break of World War II.   The tough situations she had to suffer made her turn into reading books and created that desire in her to share them with others and eventually, even sharing her own stories of despair and triumphs with others.  Review:   The movie has a unique format because the story unfolds from the perspective of Death. In the story, Death is relating how he chooses his victims, so to speak, however, since it was the World War 2 era, Death was very relevant and everywhere. His first victim was Liesel's brother and the story becomes complicated after that.   This is probably one of the war

... sue all immigration officers who suspect tourists of not returning back or to be guilty of trafficking drugs or what-have-you ... have no qualms of suing a fellow lawyer who would deliberately create circumstances that would delay trial or invent excuses that would cause for a trial to get delayed.   ... sue a judge who ruled in favor of the wrong-doer.   ... not accept any high-profile, risky case. ... sue any judge, politician, friend, relative who accepts money in exchange for favors in short, those that engage in bribery. ... give my services for free to victims of child abuse, rape, murder,  domestic abuse and other victims of injustice.   ... double my retainers and fees to my politician clients to offset my pro-bono work.. ...I would sue all tax-evaders and make them pay till the last centavo that they owe the government. ...push for divorce in the legislation (so that wives will all get half of their husbands' assets) . ...always defend with co

I normally avoid writing any complains or rants because I am a firm believer that when things get resolved in the end, it will be difficult to recant hurtful statements that have been thrown or written about someone but I am going to make an exception now.  I just can't take this sitting down anymore.  East-West Bank has totally turned a deaf ear on a complaint that I have sent them almost a month already.  If you are a holder of an East-West Bank Credit Card, don't use that as you might be a victim of a security error. To summarize my issues, please read: I almost fainted when I discovered, upon receipt of my cc statement, that my credit card was used in a foreign country and I was charged P6000 for such an item.  I was shocked because I have not been in that part of the world yet (although I was going to take a trip there a few days later).  Upon receipt of my statement, I immediately filed a report through their customer service and gave all the necessary details regarding

I have just read two articles all pertaining to the "big mouth' of Kris Aquino and Kris's pronouncements as to why blessings have been coming her way.   The first one talked about what positive things happened to the country when Kris, supposedly, stopped doing the big S, not shabu, mind you.  Of course, it was a satire with a big S too.  Poor Kris,  again, she succeeded in getting the ire of her haters.  It is just so like her to ignite the wick of the candle of hate.  Kris, as always, likes to test if her news-worthiness and her magic touch is still working.  Guys, what did you expect, she is the queen of all media, the local Oprah, after all.  And having a "big mouth" goes with the package, a really big one to accomodate a foot too.   People react differently to the antics of Ms. Aquino, and I say, you all bit the bait.  I have a feeling that Kris is an expert in mind-reading and a really, manipulative, sneaky diva.  LOL.  She can't stand not seeing

Happy New Year friends!!!  How did you celebrate New Year's Day?  I'm sure, like me, you prepared a lot for the New Year.  You prepared your favorite dish, desert, drink; wore your New Year's Day polka-dot blouse or red blouse, and other traditional practices that you have done during New Year's Day celebration.  The euphoria is over.  It's 2014.   And like the previous years, we made grand plans for the year to be right and perfect.    What do you plan to do for 2014?   I have made a list, and I made my objectives and goals here very specific because one of the things that I have learned in making objectives and goals is  to make them: S - specific M- measureable A-  attainable R - realistic T - timely So I made my new year's resolution really, really s-m-a-r-t and also wrote them in a more positive way.  Here goes: 1.  Buy only the things that I will use. ( I did not say to save, because to save is very       general.) 2.  Eat more fruits. (E