Friday, May 31, 2013

1970 grill

1970 grill was the destination yesterday. while would have wanted this dinner with high school friends to have been somewhere near BGC, the free ride provided by mark made up for it. morato was the place since it's nearer novaliches. 1970 grill yakiniku food was ok. the miso soup was particularly nice. the service could have been better. all in all, it was a good dinner because of the kuwentuhan and tawanan.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

common mistakes

since i'm in the business of writing (or at least i pretend!), i just had to post this useful article. read on. 

20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes



I’ve edited a monthly magazine for more than six years, and it’s a job that’s come with more frustration than reward. If there’s one thing I am grateful for — and it sure isn’t the pay — it’s that my work has allowed endless time to hone my craft to Louis Skolnick levels of grammar geekery.

As someone who slings red ink for a living, let me tell you: grammar is an ultra-micro component in the larger picture; it lies somewhere in the final steps of the editing trail; and as such it’s an overrated quasi-irrelevancy in the creative process, perpetuated into importance primarily by bitter nerds who accumulate tweed jackets and crippling inferiority complexes. But experience has also taught me that readers, for better or worse, will approach your work with a jaundiced eye and an itch to judge. While your grammar shouldn’t be a reflection of your creative powers or writing abilities, let’s face it — it usually is.

Below are 20 common grammar mistakes I see routinely, not only in editorial queries and submissions, but in print: in HR manuals, blogs, magazines, newspapers, trade journals, and even best selling novels. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve made each of these mistakes a hundred times, and I know some of the best authors in history have lived to see these very toadstools appear in print. Let's hope you can learn from some of their more famous mistakes.

Who and Whom

This one opens a big can of worms. “Who” is a subjective — or nominative — pronoun, along with "he," "she," "it," "we," and "they." It’s used when the pronoun acts as the subject of a clause. “Whom” is an objective pronoun, along with "him," "her," "it", "us," and "them." It’s used when the pronoun acts as the object of a clause. Using “who” or “whom” depends on whether you’re referring to the subject or object of a sentence. When in doubt, substitute “who” with the subjective pronouns “he” or “she,” e.g., Who loves you? cf., He loves me. Similarly, you can also substitute “whom” with the objective pronouns “him” or “her.” e.g., I consulted an attorney whom I met in New York. cf., I consulted him.
 

Which and That

This is one of the most common mistakes out there, and understandably so. “That” is a restrictive pronoun. It’s vital to the noun to which it’s referring.  e.g., I don’t trust fruits and vegetables that aren’t organic. Here, I’m referring to all non-organic fruits or vegetables. In other words, I only trust fruits and vegetables that are organic. “Which” introduces a relative clause. It allows qualifiers that may not be essential. e.g., I recommend you eat only organic fruits and vegetables, which are available in area grocery stores. In this case, you don’t have to go to a specific grocery store to obtain organic fruits and vegetables. “Which” qualifies, “that” restricts. “Which” is more ambiguous however, and by virtue of its meaning is flexible enough to be used in many restrictive clauses. e.g., The house, which is burning, is mine. e.g., The house that is burning is mine.
 

Lay and Lie

This is the crown jewel of all grammatical errors. “Lay” is a transitive verb. It requires a direct subject and one or more objects. Its present tense is “lay” (e.g., I lay the pencil on the table) and its past tense is “laid” (e.g., Yesterday I laid the pencil on the table). “Lie” is an intransitive verb. It needs no object. Its present tense is “lie” (e.g., The Andes mountains lie between Chile and Argentina) and its past tense is “lay” (e.g., The man lay waiting for an ambulance). The most common mistake occurs when the writer uses the past tense of the transitive “lay” (e.g., I laid on the bed) when he/she actually means the intransitive past tense of “lie" (e.g., I lay on the bed). 

Moot

Contrary to common misuse, “moot” doesn’t imply something is superfluous. It means a subject is disputable or open to discussion. e.g., The idea that commercial zoning should be allowed in the residential neighborhood was a moot point for the council.
 

Continual and Continuous

They’re similar, but there’s a difference. “Continual” means something that's always occurring, with obvious lapses in time. “Continuous” means something continues without any stops or gaps in between. e.g., The continual music next door made it the worst night of studying ever. e.g., Her continuous talking prevented him from concentrating.
 

Envy and Jealousy

The word “envy” implies a longing for someone else’s good fortunes. “Jealousy” is far more nefarious. It’s a fear of rivalry, often present in sexual situations. “Envy” is when you covet your friend’s good looks. “Jealousy” is what happens when your significant other swoons over your good-looking friend.

Nor

“Nor” expresses a negative condition. It literally means "and not." You’re obligated to use the “nor” form if your sentence expresses a negative and follows it with another negative condition. “Neither the men nor the women were drunk” is a correct sentence because “nor” expresses that the women held the same negative condition as the men. The old rule is that “nor” typically follows “neither,” and “or” follows “either.” However, if neither “either” nor “neither” is used in a sentence, you should use “nor” to express a second negative, as long as the second negative is a verb. If the second negative is a noun, adjective, or adverb, you would use “or,” because the initial negative transfers to all conditions. e.g., He won’t eat broccoli or asparagus. The negative condition expressing the first noun (broccoli) is also used for the second (asparagus).

May and Might

“May” implies a possibility. “Might” implies far more uncertainty. “You may get drunk if you have two shots in ten minutes” implies a real possibility of drunkenness. “You might get a ticket if you operate a tug boat while drunk” implies a possibility that is far more remote. Someone who says “I may have more wine” could mean he/she doesn't want more wine right now, or that he/she “might” not want any at all. Given the speaker’s indecision on the matter, “might” would be correct.

Whether and If 

Many writers seem to assume that “whether” is interchangeable with “if." It isn’t. “Whether” expresses a condition where there are two or more alternatives. “If” expresses a condition where there are no alternatives. e.g., I don’t know whether I’ll get drunk tonight. e.g., I can get drunk tonight if I have money for booze.
 

Fewer and Less

“Less” is reserved for hypothetical quantities. “Few” and “fewer” are for things you can quantify. e.g., The firm has fewer than ten employees. e.g., The firm is less successful now that we have only ten employees.
 

Farther and Further

The word “farther” implies a measurable distance. “Further” should be reserved for abstract lengths you can't always measure. e.g., I threw the ball ten feet farther than Bill. e.g., The financial crisis caused further implications.
 

Since and Because

“Since” refers to time. “Because” refers to causation. e.g., Since I quit drinking I’ve married and had two children. e.g., Because I quit drinking I no longer wake up in my own vomit.
 

Disinterested and Uninterested

Contrary to popular usage, these words aren’t synonymous. A “disinterested” person is someone who’s impartial. For example, a hedge fund manager might take interest in a headline regarding the performance of a popular stock, even if he's never invested in it. He’s “disinterested,” i.e., he doesn’t seek to gain financially from the transaction he’s witnessed. Judges and referees are supposed to be "disinterested." If the sentence you’re using implies someone who couldn't care less, chances are you’ll want to use “uninterested.”

Anxious

Unless you’re frightened of them, you shouldn’t say you’re “anxious to see your friends.” You’re actually “eager,” or "excited." To be “anxious” implies a looming fear, dread or anxiety. It doesn’t mean you’re looking forward to something.

Different Than and Different From

This is a tough one. Words like “rather” and “faster” are comparative adjectives, and are used to show comparison with the preposition “than,” (e.g., greater than, less than, faster than, rather than). The adjective “different” is used to draw distinction. So, when “different” is followed by a  preposition, it should be “from,” similar to “separate from,” “distinct from,” or “away from.” e.g., My living situation in New York was different from home. There are rare cases where “different than” is appropriate, if “than” operates as a conjunction. e.g., Development is different in New York than in Los Angeles. When in doubt, use “different from.”

Bring and Take

In order to employ proper usage of “bring” or “take,” the writer must know whether the object is being moved toward or away from the subject. If it is toward, use “bring.” If it is away, use “take.” Your spouse may tell you to “take your clothes to the cleaners.” The owner of the dry cleaners would say “bring your clothes to the cleaners.”

Impactful

It isn't a word. "Impact" can be used as a noun (e.g., The impact of the crash was severe) or a transitive verb (e.g., The crash impacted my ability to walk or hold a job). "Impactful" is a made-up buzzword, colligated by the modern marketing industry in their endless attempts to decode the innumerable nuances of human behavior into a string of mindless metrics. Seriously, stop saying this.

Affect and Effect

Here’s a trick to help you remember: “Affect” is almost always a verb (e.g., Facebook affects people’s attention spans), and “effect” is almost always a noun (e.g., Facebook's effects can also be positive). “Affect” means to influence or produce an impression — to cause hence, an effect. “Effect” is the thing produced by the affecting agent; it describes the result or outcome. There are some exceptions. “Effect” may be used as a transitive verb, which means to bring about or make happen. e.g., My new computer effected a much-needed transition from magazines to Web porn. There are similarly rare examples where “affect” can be a noun. e.g., His lack of affect made him seem like a shallow person.
 

Irony and Coincidence

Too many people claim something is the former when they actually mean the latter. For example, it’s not “ironic” that “Barbara moved from California to New York, where she ended up meeting and falling in love with a fellow Californian.” The fact that they’re both from California is a "coincidence." "Irony" is the incongruity in a series of events between the expected results and the actual results. "Coincidence" is a series of events that appear planned when they’re actually accidental. So, it would be "ironic" if “Barbara moved from California to New York to escape California men, but the first man she ended up meeting and falling in love with was a fellow Californian.”

Nauseous

Undoubtedly the most common mistake I encounter. Contrary to almost ubiquitous misuse, to be “nauseous” doesn’t mean you’ve been sickened: it actually means you possess the ability to produce nausea in others. e.g., That week-old hot dog is nauseous. When you find yourself disgusted or made ill by a nauseating agent, you are actually “nauseated.” e.g., I was nauseated after falling into that dumpster behind the Planned Parenthood. Stop embarrassing yourself.


If you’re looking for a practical, quick guide to proper grammar, I suggest the tried-and-true classic The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White. A few of these examples are listed in the book, and there are plenty more. Good luck!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

gahasa


“ang hirap nga lang kung si jessica soho ang magbo-bold. kailangan gang rape lagi. sasabihin  ng rapist, ‘ipasa ang lechon.’ sasabihin naman ni jessica, ‘eh nasaan ang apple?!’” - vice ganda.


napakaramingbumatikos. napakaraming opinyon ang ikinalat ng mga netizen. lalo pang naging mas malaking usapin nang umariba at makisawsaw ang mga taong umupinyon tulad ng mga reporter ng gma 7. 

oo nga’t di dapat gawing katatawanan ang panggagahasa dahil ito ay seryosong usapin, ang tanong pa rin dito ay kung di kaya si jessica soho ang ginawang sentral na karakter ng patawang ito ay makakakukuha ng reaksyon sa mga taong ito. malamang hindi. pero dahil sa pinagpipitaganan ang pangalan, mabilis pa sa alas-4 na nagsipagkumento ang mga mamamahayag na nabanggit at gumawa ng malaking brouhaha. isama mo pa ang matinding kumpetisyon sa pagitan ng abs-cbn at gma kaya lalong naging sensasyunal ang paksa. halata rin na di pinanood ng gaya ni arnold clavio ang kabuuan ng clip kaya kung anu-anong walang kabuluhan ang komento nito na kesyo bakit hindi mga taga-abs ang inasar ni vice ganda, gayong kasama naman sa skit ang mga pangalan nina kris aquino, boy abunda at gus abelgas. dapat din itong tingnan ng may tamang perspektibo dahil ang buong skit ay may kinalaman sa paggawa ng pelikulang seks ang tema. alam ng lahat na ang panggagahasa ay isang matagal nang paksa sa mga pelikulang ito at hindi tunay na buhay kumbaga ang pinag-uusapan. 

bahagi na ng pang-araw-araw na asaran ang pintasan sa kaanyuan. pinoy na pinoy na kulitan kumbaga kaya di dapat gawing isyu ni arnold clavio ang mga jokes tungkol sa hitsura ng tao. wala pa nga kasi tayo sa lebel na may intelektwal na tawanan sa pangmadlang libangan. katatawanan at pawang walang kapararakan ang mga pinaggagawa ni vice ganda. di siya ang indibidwal na sineseryoso kahit pa nga pilit niyang hinahaluan ng intelektwal na mga linya ang iba niyang binibitiwang mga salita. kung ang kanyang tinatarget na masa ay natatawa sa mga ganitong hirit, hayaan natin sila. hayaan nating ang higit na kalakhan ng taumbayan ang humusga kung nakakatawa nga ba o hindi si vice ganda. maging mapanuri at hanapin ang tamang konteksto bago makibirada sa daloy ng madla. ‘wag masyadong balat-sibuyas.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

roma

what a performance! 7th rome title in 9 years, 24th masters shield and 56th career title. on to roland garros! vamos, rafa!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

kaibigan


sa dami nga ng taong maaari mong makilala sa paglalakbay-buhay, masuwerte ang sinumang makatagpo ng mga tunay at panghabambuhay na mga kaibigan. ito ‘yung mga kaibigang inilaan ng panginoon at ng tadhana na makilala mo sa tamang panahon, pinahinog ng panahon ang inyong malalim na ugnayan at kahit hindi kayo magkita nang madalas, kapag nagkita ay tila palaging kakakita n’yo lang noong isang araw. ito ang mga taong nakakilalala sa iyo ng lubusan, tumanggap sa iyong bawat kwirk at walang anumang bahid ng panghuhusga.

ito ‘yung mga taong laging magpapaalala sa iyo ng mga panahong di ka pa masyadong sigurado sa katayuan at sariling karakter. ito rin ang mga taong kasama mo sa mga gimik at lamyerda at karamay sa mga araw na abot langit ang kailangang isumite. iginawa pa nga ako ni pops ng framework para sa aking thesis habang nginarag ko naman si jake na mag-type ng mabilis para matapos ko na ang analisis at kongklusyon nito.
  

naging iba man ang mga tinahak na karera o umiba na ng estado sa buhay, may nakilala na ngang iba’t ibang grupo ng mga kaibigan at di na nga ganoon kadalas magsipagkita, alam kong may lagi kaming babalikan – ang aming pinagsamahan at ‘yung unang klik o lukso ng aming pagkakaibigan.

may kung anong galak sa aking puso ang dulot ng aking mga “bestest friends”. salamat po sa biyaya ng tunay na pagkakaibigan.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

laziness

“Efficiency is intelligent laziness.”
― David Dunham 


Monday, May 13, 2013

up in the air

BGC from up in the air! This was taken on my way to Bangkok in April... I almost missed the flight, waking up at 8:05 AM when the flight leaves at 9:30 AM. Got in the airport just in time and to my surprise, I was bumped to the business class! Thanks, PAL.

halalan 2013

more than anything, i wanted to avoid that experience i had in 2010 national elections. during that time, i had to fall in line for more than 2 hours before getting my official ballot and vote. there was also a bit of drizzle this morning so i opted to leave at 6:30 am and head to bangkal elementary school in malvar street. the school was still closed when i got there but there were about 60+ early voters in there already.

at 6:45 am, we were allowed to enter the school premises and i immediately went up to third floor to look for the clustered precint of 92A - 96A. what was good in our precint is that there were 2 election officers assisting all voters to look for our names. they then wrote it in a piece of paper, which will then be showed to the chairman. i was actually the voter number 1 in this cluster precint. at exactly 7 am, i was given my ballot and started to vote. in no time, i was done and the PCOS machine accepted my ballot.

my supreme duty to my country is done. i hope that from this exercise, real change happens. god bless the philippines.

Madrid

Rafa won his 55th title in Madrid! This is his 23rd Masters shield as well as his 40th claycourt title. For 2013, Madrid was his fourth title, this after his more than 7 month layoff. On to Rome and I hope that he wins in Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Vamos Rafa!




Luneta

huling punta ko sa luneta ay noong nasa UP pa ako siguro. di ko na maalala kung para saan ang pamamasyal ko sa liwasang ito pero matagal na nga ito. isang linggo sa buwan ng abril ng taong ito, nagkaroon ako ng pagkakataong pumuntang muli sa luneta. kung hindi pa yata nagpa-jollibee sina kuya dondi at ate chel sa luneta ay di pa ako makapupuntang muli rito. nag-iba na kasi ang imahe ng luneta sa pagdaan ng panahon. nitong nagdaang dalawang dekada yata, 'pag sinabi mong luneta, lugar ito ng mga pulubi, taong-grasa, mga iskwater o mga taong dumi ng lipunan tulad ng mga isnatser, mandurukot, manggagantso at mga babae sa prostitusyon. tila pinabayaan na ito ng mga kinauukulan at hinayaang madungisan ang imahe ng makasaysayang pook na ito.

kaya ganoon na lamang siguro ang aking galak nang makita kong buhay na muli ang luneta. pasyalan na itong muli ng mga pamilyang nagpi-piknik. sangkatutak ang mga grupo ng kabataan sa liwasang ito, nagsisipaglakad at nag-eenjoy sa simoy ng hangin mula sa manila bay. may perya rin sa likod ng national museum. at higit sa lahat ay ang concert at the park tuwing wikend. sa linggong ito, ang muntinlupa dance society ang nagpamalas ng husay sa katutubong sayaw. mula sa sayaw ng mga igorot, muslim at mga tagalog, sunud-sunod ang palabas. kumpleto ang panggabing ilaw at malinaw ang musika kahit na nga nasa isang bukas na liwasan ang palabas. ang buong akala ko ay di papansinin ang palabas kasi nga folk dance ang palabas. pero ang nakatutuwa rito, nagsiupo ang mga manonood at tinapos ang buong pagtatanghal. di bababa sa 8 sayaw ang ipinalabas ng grupo at kumpleto ang kanilang mga props sa bawat sayaw.

ang libreng pagtatanghal ng mga sayaw ng ating lahi sa mga ganitong pagkakataon ay unang hakbang upang tumimo sa mga kabataan ang kultural na yaman at dangal ng pilipinas. sana'y manatili't dumami pa ang mga ganitong pagtatanghal sa buong bansa. bukod dito, sana'y maisaayos din ang mga liwasan sa kamaynilaan upang magkaroon ng mga lokasyon para sa mga kultural na tanghalan.





Sunday, May 12, 2013

Nagkaisang Nayon

it's always nice to give back and be given the chance to do so. there's this fulfilling feeling within you when you see people that you do not know having a good time during a little program, especially young kids. their smiles were priceless and the way they extended heartfelt thanks made me feel really good.

in early march of this year, our batch gave the 2013 graduating class of nagkaisang nayon elementary school (my alma mater) a graduation treat. food was very simple, spaghetti and barbecue + zesto. joan, our chairwoman, drew lotsa laugh during the short program. there was a gangnam style dance battle, which of course made all grade 6 students stood up. it actually felt as if we were in a showtime-like program. we gave cash prizes to the much deserving honor students. this activity allowed me to get in touch with my elementary school classmates and see and chat with my former teachers.  

my school days in NNES prepped me for the entire schooling journey. i learned all the basics and my stock knowledge from this institution. most especially, during my time in NNES, i learned to believe and depend in myself. times ahead may be tough but if you have faith in your skills, you'd go a long way. i owe a lot to my former teachers. not all former teachers were good and dedicated but i can say that majority of my NNES teachers were outstanding and really have the heart for teaching. my list of outstanding NNES teachers include lucia paras, rosa gutierrez, lolita ventura, priscilla cancino, elena dianzaon, margarita vinarao, helenritta miranda, gliceria alvano, aurora bernal, teresita ferguson, aida dela cruz, carmelita dela cruz, erlinda naoe, ceferina pomer, marilou ramirez, heidi alejo, corazon paracha, alicia batol, thelma sedigo and haydee basug. as my second parents, they instilled the value of education, drove us to study seriously and take this chance to make the most of this "privilege" given to us.








it was all worth it... the small amount of cash, the effort of traveling all the way to novaliches on an early weekday morning, the pre-event meetings. kudos to shiela cancino, who spearheaded this giving back program. till next time, batch 1992.

Ploenchit

Beloved Bangkok, after Songkran festivities this year.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

gardens

KL, April 2013.
Destination: Gardens Hotel Mid Valley.
Plus points: good location (situated within a mall area, 10-minute taxi ride to our office); accommodating staff (no such problem during checkin and checkout and the entire 5 night stay); wider choices for breakfast (japanese, american, chinese); comfortable room; good wifi connection.
Minus points: nothing really.
Will stay here again: Yes.




Friday, May 10, 2013

wag kalimutan

ito lang pala ang magpapabalik sa akin sa pagsusulat dito! haha!

oo, matagal-tagal na ring walang bago rito. wala nga ng buong abril. pero mukhang kailangan kong kumbinsihin ang aking sarili na pahabain pa aking pisi, ngumiti at 'wag hayaang totalmenteng mainis.

may mga bagay nga siguro na natatabunan sa pagdaan ng panahon. alam mong nandoon yun pero tila nabubura kasi hindi na napag-uusapan o di na breyking balita. maaari rin naman kasing may ibang bagong balita na mas mainit at kapana-panabik.

ngunit di pala talaga dapat lumimot. dapat na alalahanin ang bawat kwirk ng mga ganitong tao... na sa anumang oras ay maaari kang mahulog sa patibong ng lamyos ng dila nito at maging bagong biktima ng arte.

distansya amigo. distansya muli. 'wag masyadong klows.