This has been bugging me for quite sometime. I always ask myself why does the Catholic church oppose the proposed RH-Bill. According to Catholic church, the bill would promote abortion. From what I have gathered, the RH bill doesn't promote nor does it consider abortion legal.

I did my research and found an  article titled "Is contraception abortion?" written by Bishop Teodore Bacani. According to the article using birth control pills are considered abortion. Doesn't make any sense right? Reading the article has somehow enlighten me on what the church consider as abortion. This is what I know. Abortion is considered when there is a fetus or human embryo in a human womb. So if there is no conception, no abortion is done.

Birth control pills has three functions. First pills inhibit ovulation but there are cases where pills are not effective and ovulation still occurs. Second, birth pills prevents the sperm from fertilizing the ovum. This doesn't work 100% of the time as well. The third purpose is that it prevents fertilized ovum from nesting in the womb. When the fertilized ovum is dislodged the womb, they will not be considered as contraceptive but instead they will be considered as abortifacients. 


It makes sense. I know that some contraceptives are not 100% effective in preventing pregnancy but I know that birth control pills are. I didn't know about the three functions of the pill. I might need to find other studies regarding that. I have heard that using birth pills has side effects. But there are too many myths and too many misinformation about it.

But I still believe that this bill must be pass. I am anti-contraceptive but I am pro RH-bill. The main purpose of the bill is to educate people on family planning. Even if people are educated, it still comes down to the choice that they will make. 

Scotty Mccreery

I am not a big fan of American Idol but I have to admit that there are talented people who join the competition. Unfortunately the less deserving and more popular contestant end up winning the Idol title. For the last three season, my pick always end up not winning. First it was Adam Lambert and then Siobhan Magnus and this season James Durbin.

Siobhan Magnus

Chris Allen manage to win the title against Adam Lambert in the 8th season. In the 9th Season Lee Dweyze ended up winning and this year Scotty McCreery won. What is going on? Why don't the deserving win the title. It's a popularity contest and not a talent show. American Idol has failed to produce quality artist in the last few seasons.

Adam Lambert

How could Scotty win if he just sang songs from a single genre. If Simon Cowell was still a judge in American Idol, I don't think he would have won easily. Maybe that's the reason why he left in the first place. Maybe he felt that the recognition should have been given to the deserving.

This year when James Durbin was eliminated, I lost interest in watching American Idol. I completely stop watching when Haley Reinhart was voted out. Haley against runner up Lauren Alaina, I think they made a mistake in choosing the later.  I didn't even bother watching the season finale and just waited for the news on the net.

James Durbin

I somehow knew that Scotty would win even before Haley was eliminated. History is a proof of that. Voters would always favor looks over talent. A very good example is Chris Allen. Another good example is David Cook winning against David Archuleta. It's pretty obvious who has more talent among those two. Even the judges voted for Archuleta during their finally showdown.

I think American Idol should reconsider the way they pick their winners. It shouldn't be a popularity contest. It should be based on talent. The deserving should win. They should start choosing Idols that would stay popular longer.

Since I just got back from my work off, I needed a day to get my work mode on. So I volunteered for a task that I know that would take up so much of my time. Sometimes you get caught up with work that you forget how much time you have already spent in the office. I already spent four hours sitting and not even pausing for a coffee break. My stomach was growling. So I ask my colleagues if they wanted. Good thing they were hungry as well. Food doesn't taste good if you're eating it alone.

So started the normal 3 minute debate on where to eat. We didn't want to eat what I call "Recycle Food". The fried chicken today would be part of a different dish tomorrow. We haven't eaten in KFC in a while. We don't normally eat there because it's so far away and we would be hungry by the time reached the office. But we still decided to eat there.

So we ordered, got our food, and sat down at a table next to the entrance of the KFC. I was about to take my first bite and then Bam! The glass door was so squeaky clean that a guy didn't notice it. He really tried to stop. His hand print was testament to that and not to mention what seems to be a print of his cheeks. The squeaky clean glass door is now filled with smudges.

So I turned away as fast that I can and at one synchronize motion everybody bowed their heads. I think I was the last one to raise my head since I could really stop myself from laughing. A full minute or more has passed and I decided to raise head. What happened next was a surprise.

Normally a person would simple laugh and walk away. But this dude is something else. He was standing in front of us. It seems like he was waiting for someone but he was definitely staring at the glass door. I wondered if he was asking himself why he didn't see the glass door.

The next 10 minutes of eating was brutal. He was just standing there. It seems like he is waiting for someone to laugh. I was asking myself why I am the one embarrassed. I am not the one who hit the door. But after an agonizing attempt of not laughing or even smiling, he finally left.

We almost forgot it since we were trying so hard not to laugh then. We were quietly walking back to the office, when the silence was broken when my colleague started to laugh. It was contagious. We were laughing all the way until we got to the office. I haven't laugh that hard for years!

Here in the Philippines, education for some is a luxury. Each year, the cost of putting a child through college is getting higher and higher. Not all could afford it. Some parents could only afford to put their child in school until high school and thats is by enrolling them to public schools.

When I was in college, my tuition fee would reach up to Php16,000 per semester. Although the unit that I enroll to decreases every semester, the prices does not decrease. Like most Filipino family, I almost didn't finish college because of the tuition. Good thing I was able to acquire an athletic scholarship.

The commission on higher education (CHED) could not regulate the tuition fee increase. Year by year, the tuition fee of private schools increase to a certain percentage. I think every parent like me is wondering how much it would cost to put a child to college 15 years from now. Not to mention that a child would have to go through six years of high school now. Just like CHED, the Department of Education (DEPED) does not seem to have the power to stop the yearly tuition fee increase for private school in high school. The purpose of having additional two year in high school according to DEPED  is so that students would be more equip in their decision making on what course to take in college.

Here's another thing to think about. Having a college degree doesn't gurantee a graduate a good job. It doesn't even gurantee them of getting any job. Competition is stiff and the number of graduating students is high as well. Every year a lot graduate end up being unemployed.

If the tuition fee per semester in college would be around thirty thousand pesos today. It would be possible that it would double or even triple in the next 15 years. You have to also factor the cost of living by that time. Private schools are treating education as a business. I know that are a lot of issues that the government is facing. But shouldn't regulating tuition fee be one?

From the Boxing ring to Congress, Manny Pacquiao  just can't get enough of the spotlight. Just days after winning against Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao has announced his stance regarding one of the most controversial bill that has debated over and over again in the Philippine Congress, the Reproductive health bill.
I admire Pacquiao's determination in giving it all and having a "no quit" attitude. But I think he should sit this one out. If he won't, at least study the bill before jumping in the middle of it.

Pacquaio was in a battle of words against the co-author house bill 4244 or the responsible parenthood and reproductive health (RH) bill, Edsel Lagman. Pacquaio has asked several questions which was answered by Lagman during Rep. Amado Bagatsing's interpolation. At one point, Lagman told Pacquiao that he would know about the latest amendments and answers to certain question if he was properly informed while he was training for his fight against Mosley

On the question of the funds to be utilize if the bill would become a law, Edsel Lagman said that 3 billion is a small price compared to other projects that would be around trillions. And he said that the bill would beneficial to a lot of people compared to other Multi-trillion project.

On the question of 2-child policy, Edsel Lagman said that it was already amended. It is more than a recommendation and not compulsory for every single Filipino.

On the question of Mandatory Sex education, Lagman said that it was amended as well. The parent's of the child would have the final say of their child taking that subject. Sex education would not be a requirement for graduating.

I have been looking for a good internet provider that would provide me with a fast internet connection and unlimited surfing time. I wanted to try to apply for a DSL service from PLDT but it would be a hassle to submit all the requirements. My old DSL provider unfortunately doesn't offer their internet service in San Mateo. So I was left with the broadband service provided by the three telecommunications company in the Philippines.

I tried Globe tattoo prepaid broadband service. But I was really disappointed with the speed and their connection. I always have to reconnect to the service and it was really slow. Plus they have a so called Fair Use Policy which limits a heavy downloader like me to maximize their internet usage. You see I tried several times to register for their Unlimited Surfing service. But when I reached the 800 Mb limit, I get cut off from my internet usage and have to wait the next day. This is not beneficial to me since I work at nights and I am always too sleepy during the day. Hence I don't maximize the P50 worth of unlimited service. I thought it would be different with their postpaid subscription. Unfortunately they have the same policy for the postpaid subscription. I also tried Smartbro but I always get disconnected. They don't have a Fair Use Policy though.

Now I am using the Sun Cellular Broadband and I am very much satisfied with their service. Not only could I use it for downloading files, it it also doesn't get disconnected. Among the three broadband service provider, Sun is far superior than the two. Maybe it is because of the location. A friend of mine is also using the prepaid Sun service but his connection is quite slow. The connection speed depends on the number of subscribers using the service in a particular area.

So far so good. I'll let you know if I encounter any problems. 

After 10 seasons, Smallville has finally come to an end. I have to say that it's not good but not a bad ending either. I guess I expected a lot more. I like the part where Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) and Clark (Tom Welling) were talking to each other in the mansion. I think they made a good excuse for his absence in the last three seasons. Besides the Superman Mythology would not be complete without Lex Luthor.


Now let me enumerate what I thought was wrong about the finale. First, Darkseid  was supposed to be a strong opponent. But in the end, Darkseid's demise seems so anticlimactic. The only thing Clark had to do was fly pass through him and he's dead. I am not that familiar how Superman defeated him in the comics, but from my point of view it seems like it was a fairy tale ending for Darkseid. I don't know maybe it' just me. Second, Darkseid's minions was killed pretty easily as well. It took only green arrow to kill them. Maybe it would have been better if they involve the justice league in the finale.

Next disappointment. I think they should have made one more episode before the finale. They could have put all the drama in the Finale part 1 into one separate episode and had a one hour filled with CG and concentrated on how Clark defeated Darkseid. First part of the finale was too much of Clark and Lois. And too much of Jonathan Kent. When the molten planet was about to hit earth, it didn't seem like it was a very hard to task for Clark to push it away.

There wasn't a clear shot of Clark when he finally wore the suit. I think every fan was eagerly anticipating that.  But I was anticipating his flight more. We saw him fly in one the early season of the series but he was Kalel then and it seems like he was somehow possess by Jorel. There was nothing really special about his flight in this episode.

Now that the fight between Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao is over, everyone is eager to know who will the pound for pound king face next. Rumors are circulating that Juan Manuel Marquez is Manny's next opponent.  Everyone off course is hoping that Mayfeather fight Pacquiao but I think that won't happen anytime soon assuming that it will ever happen.

I wonder if Pacquiao would still have a hard time against Marquez if they will fight again. They fought twice. It was a draw in their first match and Pacquiao won the second. But it was not an easy task for Manny since Marquez is a great counter puncher. Manny has won his last 14 match while Marquez is on a 2 bout winning streak. He lost against Mayweather on Sept 19, 2009.

In his last few matches, Pacquiao has faced bigger and stronger opponents. He has a big disadvantage in terms of height and reach but this has not stop Pacquiao from being dominant in the ring. He has fought big names like Oscar De la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley. Pacquiao has definitely improved since Marquez fought him.

Every boxing fan still wants to see the Pacquaio-Mayweather bout. It maybe the most anticipated match in the last few years. But it seems impossible at this moment, Mayweather is contented in retiring for now. But if he decides to fight Pacquiao, it would be a legendary fight. 

The formula in c12 is =concatenate(A12&”:“&B12)

There are many different ways to concatenate cells. This is really useful especially when combine with index and lookup functions which I will discuss in future posts.
The formula in c12 is =concatenate(A12&”:“&B12)

My wife has been sending photos of our child to Pampers Philippines in the hopes that they will choose her to be part of their Mother's day commercial. It has been weeks and we had no response from Pampers Philippines. The last email that we receive from Pampers is a canned message which simply says that the photo entry is valid.

It was around 4pm and we just got back from the supermarket. The TV was tuned into ABS-CBN channel 2. We were home barely 5 minutes when my wife was screaming. I rushed to the living room and she was pointing to TV. It was a Pampers commercial for mother's day and our child was in it. The 4th picture shown in the video was her. We still haven't receive any confirmation from Pampers Philippines . Maybe it's because it is a weekend or maybe they are still trying to reply to all those who send their baby's photos.

It's just a few hours to go before Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley would slug it out to find who is the better fighter. So what's my prediction? Off course I'm rooting for Pacquiao. Why? Because I think that Manny's speed would become a big problem for Mosley especially during the latter rounds. But off course Manny can't relax just yet. He has to be careful. Mosley is known for his strong punches. His match with Mayweather last year is a testament of that. He almost gave Pretty Boy his first defeat but unfortunately he failed to capitalize the opportunity.

Both fighters fought Oscar Dela Joya and Antonio Margarito and won their respective matches. Both fighters also fought Miguel Cotto. But only Pacquiao won his fight against Cotto. Most people think that Mosley is too old (at 39 years of age) to still be competing. And many believe that is the reason why he failed to knock Mayweather out. But yet he could still has a lot of juice in his punches.

The good thing about Shane Mosley is that he is not afraid to slug it out and exchange punches. Pacquiao as we know it love to exchange punches as well. So I expect that this match would be a lot more exciting than Pacquaio's fight with Joshua Clottey. If Pacquiao wins this match, it would be harder for Mayweather to duck Pacquiao's challenge.