Armchair Arguments

I just finished watching ANC. Naturally, the topic was about the proposed VAT rate hike. Before I begin my own discussion, may I just say that Pinky Webb was made up wonderfully today. ;-)

Anyway, while holding a 'conference' in my bathroom, I am reminded of old stories on how companies got rid of undesirable departments. They are spun off into new companies. Eventually, these new companies fold up with no damage done to the mother company.

So I was thinking, perhaps a similar approach can be made to address the bloated bureaucracy. Why not handpick these corrupt, lazy and useless employees and then ship them off to a new department about a hundred miles away from their original offices. I submit that some of them will tire of these new assignments soon enough and resign. The process will then be repeated until the headcount is effectively slashed by around 20%.

One other benefit from this proposal is that these employees will be cut off from the rest. Thus, you would not expect massive protests unlike when you propose to do all these cuts while in the head office. Divide and conquer.

And that is my after lunch insight.

I am currently listening to...

A Case of You
by
(JONI MITCHELL)

and interpreted by Diana Krall


Just before our love got lost you said
"I am as constant as a northern star"
And I said, "Constant in the darkness
Where's that at?
If you want me I'll be in the bar"

On the back of a cartoon coaster
In the blue TV screen light
I drew a map of Canada
Oh Canada
And I sketched your face on it twice

Oh you are in my blood like holy wine
Oh and you taste so bitter but you taste so sweet
Oh I could drink a case of you
I could drink a case of you darling
Still I'd be on my feet
I'd still be on my feet

Oh I am a lonely painter
I live in a box of paints
I'm frightened by the devil
And I'm drawn to those ones that ain't afraid
I remember that time that you told me, you said
"Love is touching souls"
Surely you touched mine
"Cause part of you pours out of me
In these lines from time to time

Oh you are in my blood like holy wine
And you taste so bitter but you taste so sweet
Oh I could drink a case of you
I could drink a case of you darling
Still I'd be on my feet
I'd still be on my feet

I met a woman
She had a mouth like yours
She knew your life
She knew your devils and your deeds
And she said
Color "Go to him, stay with him if you can
Oh but be prepared to bleed"
Oh but you are in my blood you're my holy wine
Oh and you taste so bitter but you taste so sweet
Oh I could drink a case of you darling
Still I'd be on my feet
Still I'd be on my feet
I'd still be on my feet

Hotmail Rules

I've always been a Yahoo! kinda guy. Back in '98, I remember having both a Yahoo! and a Hotmail account. From that time until now, I must have used my Yahoo! account about a hundred times more.

One of the main differences between the two is that Yahoo! alloted 6 MB for me, while Hotmail just put aside 2 MB.

And then of course came Gmail packing 1 GB under its sleeve. All of a sudden, Yahoo! had 100 MB and Hotmail had 250 MB.

This is where Hotmail becomes useful. Gmail and Yahoo! both use POP while Hotmail uses HTTP. The difference is that you can use Hotmail as an on-line folder, dragging and dropping mails at will from your archive mail folders. With Gmail and Yahoo!, you have to send and receive each time.

For that alone, Hotmail rules.

Come to think of it, that's the only reason Hotmail rules.

Happy New Era

I guess it had to coincide with the new year. Almost.

A couple of days ago, my computer decided that it would not continue to load Windows 98 anymore. I guess it's similar to not wanting to be walked to school by your parents or to be too old to be wearing short pants to school. One day, it just happens.

No amount of cleaning, scanning or reconfiguring could change that. It had to be a clean start. So, at the risk of losing years worth of information, I copied My Documents to another drive then reformatted my current C: drive. In retrospect, I realize that I should have copied my entire Desktop as well. Goodbye passwords list!

In any case, my Windows 98 SE installer (Greenhills edition) won't seem to work. So Windows ME it is. Now that's just new to me since my computer has never tasted any other OS but Windows 98 for the past five years or so.

Just yesterday, I was able to retrieve my five years worth of e-mail messages. OE however, has no rules importing functionality.

Goodbye passwords. Goodbye Windows 98. Goodbye e-mail filters.

Evidently, my work here has just begun.

Sizzling Coffee

There I was, sitting comfortably on a Starbucks couch. Suddenly, there she was wearing a black negligee/blouse and semi-transparent white pants. It was a Pinky Webb moment. I must have stopped talking in mid-sentence all the while drooling on my frap. She seemed newly tanned as I realized for the first time how voluptuous she was. This woman works out.

Finally, I gathered enough wits to reach into my pants (I don't need wits for what you're thinking!) to find a pen. Drat. No pen. No paper.

Thus, I just satisfied myself thinking of something to say should I ever decide to go up and talk to her. "Hi, I just adore the way you talk about reforms that should be made in the BIR. Mind if I lick your arm?"

Just so you'll know, for the next hour and half, a couple of guys friends and I talked about that experience and nothing more.

From Scoreboard to Boreboard

If you've ever taken a u-turn in EDSA near Quezon Ave. in order to go to the southbound lane, you would have noticed the big Bench billboard on your right side. You can't miss it since it catches you while you slow down. This, I think, is an advertiser's dream come true.

Tell me this.

For a couple of months, the board featured Francine Prieto wearing a seductive look, a black bra and possibly an earring.

What I can't understand is why they would switch from that ad to that of Jasmine Trias wearing a cap and an unforgivably wholesome smile.

The girl wearing a cap or the woman wearing cups. It seemed like a no-brainer to me.

Earlier today, as I was pondering this situation, I suddenly thought of the Eraserheads' song that said, "shake your head and walk away."

In my mind, that's exactly what I did.

Vavavoom!

Guess who I saw having coffee???

PINKY WEBB! She was wearing an absolutely gorgeous slightly metallic trench coat. I, of course, had half a mind to pull out a pen and ask for her autograph.

One of these days...