Crappy Marketing Practices I: Crown Regency Hotel
I was having my typical 13-hour weekend slumber when the phone rang. The phone was just a meter away from me, but my housemate answered it, knowing that I ignored ringing phones and knocks on doors.
The phone was handed over to me, nonetheless, and I was too dreamy-eyed to argue.
The caller was a woman, who informed me that I won a 4-days 3-nights free stay in a Crown Regency Hotel.
I guess by now many of you are familiar with this tactic, or have been victimized. The moment you go to claim your prize, you’ll learn about “the catch”, which usually involves buying or signing up for something that will leave you several thousand pesos poorer.
Just what the hell is wrong with these people? Though technically not a scam (I think), the tactic is idiotic and underhanded. I have no respect for companies who trick people into buying their products or availing their services.
$US3 trillion in abandoned trunk a boon for Arroyo administration?
According to news reports, a seal of the United States was engraved on the trunk. It was also labeled with the words “Federal Reserve Bank, Cleveland, Ohio, series 1934. Total Face Value: three million USA.”
What good luck this could be! If the bonds are found to be authentic, paying for a huge portion of our country’s burgeoning foreign debts would be not much of a problem anymore. So the Arroyo administration can finally heave a sigh on its shoulders despite all the scandals and controversies rocking it?
Understanding democratic electoral process: a story
There was a documentary report about understanding democracy in the elementary school, City of Wuhan, Central China where eight-year old children compete for the position of Class Monitor (Class President). It started with an on the spot question to some children in school on the definition of democracy and the right to vote.
Filipino youth, creativity and poverty alleviation
The Peace and Equity Foundation is enjoining the Filipino Youth to be part of its effort on poverty alleviation through a creative writing and photo essay contest with the theme dubbed as “Mga kulay ng kahirapan, hamon ng kinabukasan.”
Mga Pelikulang Pinoy
Bata pa lang ako ay mahilig na akong manuod ng mga pelikulang pinoy. Naalala ko nuong bata pa ako ang patakas na panunuod ng mga lumang pelikula nang dekada 50’s at 60’s na ginagawa ng LVN productions tuwing tanghali dahil lagi kaming pinapapatulog. Naalala ko ang Waray-Waray na pinagbidahan ni Nestor de Villa at Nida Blanca, Galawgaw ni Jaime de la Rosa at Nida Blanca at Charito, I Love You ni Charito Solis at Leroy Salvador. Sa totoo lang, hindi ko masyadong ninanamnam ang mga sinasabi nila mas nakasentro ang aking atensyon sa mga pagpapatawa at kilos nila.
Imperyalistang Pangkultura sa Pilipinas
ni Jose Maria Sison
Lektyur sa isang klase sa pananaliksik sa ilalim ng American Studies Program ng Unibersidad ng Utrecht, Nobyembre 23, 1994.
Pinoy Blogosphere Weekend Recap (10/14/07)
I’m back! After a whole week of not posting, I now finally have the free time once again to go and spend some time blogging.
As expected, my blog’s traffic and feed subscribers went down because of the absence of posts, bloggers e-mailing me like crazy asking about the Pinoy Blog of the Month Contest, and angry mobs filled the streets in front of Manila City Hall (note to self: make a post soon about blogging hiatus).
Hmm… I wonder what I have been missing this past week… Here is a recap of the latest news about the Pinoy blogosphere that has happened during my absence.
- Flash News: Do you guys know Advertlets? The Malaysian based advertising network will be coming here on the Pinoy blogosphere to take on the ever growing demand for local advertising networks. Don’t know the whole details yet, they just contacted me days ago. Culture Shiok also wrote about it here.
- Wondering what google adsense ad performs best in getting you more munnies? Read about SELaplana’s opinion about this topic here.
- Thinking of building a make money online blog? You may want to reconsider your decision, McBilly tells you why Make Money Online Blogs DON’T make money. Read about it here.
- Dexter from TechatHand landed #1 in the search engine results page for the keyword Manny VS Barrera fight result. Find out how he did it here.
Manila Center For The Arts
An author and freelance writer based in Hawaii, Patricia was crestfallen by what she sees as the obliteration of our nation’s soul — culture, traditions, the arts. So along with a group of artists and writers, she decided to do something about it by envisioning the Manila Center for the Arts.
Its intention is to provide a platform for established and emerging Filipino artists, students, and untapped talents, educators and arts enthusiasts. It will be “a convening venue to serve as a cooperative for Filipino visual and performing artists, musicians and writers whose work is pushing boundaries in content and form, and whose passion involves challenging the status quo.”
How Do Worms Have Sex
Have you ever wondered how do worms have sex? Most people hated worms and do real bad things to them. Oftentimes worms get squashed, cut into pieces, hit by a rock, even burned! Yes, people do that, including me when I was a kid.. Poor slimy little creatures. I did horrible things to lots of worms everytime I saw them doing belly dancing on the ground, without even wondering how do worms have sex.
Actually, worms have sex or reproduce in many different ways. But the ones we always see, the earthworms, are hermaphroditic – meaning they are both male and female at the same time, and each produce both sperm cells and egg cells. When a worm is mature and ready to do the sex thing, it then finds a partner worm.
For the most interesting part, the making love part. First, they line up head to head attaching themselves together at the clitella (the thick light colored band around each mature worm). Then a slimy substance called mucous is then secreted on both heads (Does this mean that worms have sex using their heads?) Yes, it sounds more like it. So, having a french kiss with your bf/gf is having a good sex for worms... Second, the sperm cells are exchanged by the worms through this mucous. After the worms separate, the clitellum on each worm secretes albumin (similar to egg-whites) which hardens to form a cocoon. Third, the worm backs out of the cocoon-sort of like pulling a shirt off over your head. As the cocoon slides over the worm’s head, sperm and eggs that have been stored in that area of the worm’s body are squeezed out from small pores in the worm’s body into the cocoon. And the last part, the cocoon detaches from the worm. The ends close up sealing the eggs and sperm into the cocoon. Fertilization takes place in the cocoon and usually 2-4 baby worms develop in each cocoon. The cocoon may hatch in a month if conditions are good. If it is too dry, or cold, or hot, or whatever, the cocoon will become dormant like a seed and will not hatch until conditions are better.
So that’s how it works if you are a worm. Having sex is not that enjoyable and pleasurable experience. So the next time you see a worm, don’t kill them, because they don’t have that much of happy moments on their entire lifespan.
For more interesting facts, you can visit my blog if you want.
Roman Holiday
This time 5 years ago, I was in Rome for a very memorable trip. Here are 15 travel photos that I’m sharing with you. Enjoy!
