Brain in a Nutshell

Dubai opens world’s tallest tower; it won’t be fullest

Business Mirror | The World | January 5, 2010, Tuesday

DUBAI‘S Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum opens the world’s tallest tower on Monday. It won’t be the world’s fullest.

The occupancy rate at Burj Dubai may reach 75 percent this year, with office leasing proving the biggest challenge for investors, said Roy Cherry, an analyst at Shuaa Capital PSC. While mainly residential, the 160-story tower will include 37 floors of office and retail space.

“Those who bought with the intention of leasing will face a difficult time, because few companies today can justify paying premiums for luxury,” Cherry said.

In the five years it’s taken to build the $1.1- billion tower, the shiekdom’s debt-fueled property market has gone from the world’s best performing to the worst, forcing officials to renegotiate loans and seek bailouts from neighboring Abu Dhabi.

Apartment prices in the tower, which soared as high as 10,000 dirhams ($2,700) a square foot at the 2008 peak, have dropped to less than half of that.

“It may still run at a premium to the rest of the market, but I’d be surprised if there were no defaults and if vacancy rates didn’t creep up” since a large proportion of the developer’s sales were financed through mortgages, said Saud Masud, a Dubai-based analyst at UBS AG. “This is a symbol of the economic momentum that Dubai had and an ironic reminder of its property bubble.”

Read the rest of this entry »

My family and I went to CSI San Fernando last December 28, 2009 to buy groceries. For those who do not know about CSI,  this is actually a mall that originated in Dagupan City, Philippines. It’s a typical mall with boutiques and Cinema, though, their main business is their hypermarket, sure its wide!

Anyway, to continue what I was talking about, we went to CSI to buy some supplies. We got a gift certificate from one company  to avail of their products and have it exchanged in the hypermarket. This includes the Ham, Cooking oil, milk, hot dogs and others. We went to the verification area to screen and to have validations on the Gift certificates. Out of 10 GC’s, only 5 are allowed to be exchanged and it took us 3 min. to have it verified. So we went in and took the items. Here is the problem, because of the holiday and 3  days left before the celebration of new year, all the counters are having long queues, as expected. Considering that we only have less than 15 items, we went to the express lane which states. ” this lane for employees and for 15 items and below.” We waited for 15 mins. for the line and when we are finally at the counter, the cashier told us that the GC’s are not allowed on that lane and they have a lane for Gift Certificates which is incorporated on the cash basis and Credit card lanes. My eyes went bigger and Im starting to get pissed because the line was really long about 10 people  with a full cart!!! So I said, why can’t we have it here? she said its not allowed and they will be scolded by their supervisors if they entertain the GC’s we have! So we put the items back in our basket to give way to the person on our back and went straight to the supervisor and I asked, can we have the GC’s be exchanged in this counter and she said yes you can!! Now Im really pissed off and told her why did the cashier refused the GC’s, then she utterly said that ” we have a lane for the GC’s, it’s right on the other lane” and she is pointing at the farthest lane! Damn! I told her, don’t tell me I’m going to wait for another or maybe more than 15 minutes just to exchange this items considering that this is only below 15 items!?? She went to the lane where we first placed our items and told the cashier that she could accept the gift certificates but we need to be at the end of the line again!!! DAMN!

The person who verified the GC’s should have informed us that there is only a lane for us to be able to exchange the GC’s! Don’t they have an initiative??? The person who verified the GC’s is named Ms. Irma Ferrer. Well, this person doesn’t even know how to smile, greet and even look at us in the face and she even do not talk! that was when we have the GC’s be verified! She just verified the GC’s and gave the GC’s back, thats all! No thank you??? Wow! Congratulations CSI!

I am very pissed off and I am not really satisfied with your services! we are customers!! and please research the words ” Customer Service”.

Sorry for writing this but this is not the first time we experienced dissatisfaction on your services. Can you please take a look on these??

According to Manila Bulletin, these were the 9 biggest showbiz scandal of the year, and for 4 years running, I have found myself on that list.  And it’s never good. (click here for the full article) [Manila Bulletin]

Hayden Kho-Katrina Halili sex video scandal

The beleaguered ex-doctor and ex-beau of Dra. Vicki Belo was a struggling celebrity before his sex video with sexy actress Katrina Halili leaked on cyberspace earlier this year, on to the hard drives of curious individuals, and on to the congested stalls of Quiapo. Katrina, who felt violated and exploited, took her case to the authorities, particularly the courts and the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC), that eventually revoked Hayden’s license last November. Names such as Maricar Reyes, Bea Alonzo, Rufa Mae Quinto and KC Concepcion all got dragged into the issue as well.

Manny-Jinkee-Krista ‘love’ triangle

As Manny Pacquiao is the king of the boxing ring, so is he of the showbiz ring. Linked with several women in the past other than his wife Jinkee, no one stirred as much buzz, however, as the one with sexy starlet Krista Ranillo. She was but a “Wapakman” co-star to the boxing champ until items and paparazzi photos of their “meetings” surfaced. Manny initially refused to comment, but manned up in the end to plead the public to focus on his achievements instead. He apologized to the Ranillos, too. Mrs. Pacquiao’s strong disposition to keep her family together earned her her own fan base (Team Jinkee).

Lloydfa’s ‘rendezvous’ caught on cam

Ruffa Gutierrez was rumored to be the third party that broke John Lloyd Cruz’s long-time relationship with fashion editor and stylist Liz Uy. Lloydy and Ruffa have both dispelled such claims albeit they were constantly seen together. However, photos of the two shopping and entering a hotel in Los Angeles made it to press, which only reinforced the speculations. Add to that the tricky remark of Ruffa’s mom, Annabelle: “Dong, napakatapang mo ligawan mo si Ruffa, diyan ako bilib sa’yo.  Maski ayaw ko sa iyo ang kulit-kulit mo kay Ruffa, okay na rin ako sa‘yo Dong.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Another clean shot… So clear and sharp.. Another Random Picture.

.

I love this Shot! so clear and sharp..

This is a drop of milk hitting a small amount of additional milk colored with food coloring. The surface is a piece of plexiglass over a piece black foamcore. There are two bare flashes just out side the frame on either side of the splash, one an sb-800 and one an sb-28.

I love the outcome of this, the colors do compliments each other

So Calm and relaxing…

This is a message circulating in emails and i want to share them with you…

Stay away from the beaches as much as possible…

Tsunami - Predicted to HIT on 22nd July, 2009
28 04 2009
I just wanted 2 let you know that please stay away from the beaches all
around in the month of July.. There is a prediction that there will be
another tsunami or earthquake hitting on July 22nd. It is also when there
will be sun eclipse. Predicted that it is going 2 be really bad and
countries like Malaysia (Sabah & Sarawak), Singapore, Maldives,
Australia, Mauritius, Si Lanka, India, Indonesia , Philippines are going
2 be badly hit. Please try and stay away from the beaches in July. Better
2 be safe than sorry. Please pass the word around. Please also pray for
all beings.
(Embedded image moved to file: pic04444.jpg) Photo released by NASA

Read the rest of this entry »

Source: Yahoo Philippines

MEXICO CITY (AFP) - - Airlines and tour operators suspended flights to Mexico on Tuesday as new cases of a deadly strain of swine flu were confirmed across the globe and officials warned of more fatalities.

The United States cautioned it may soon see its first deaths from the virus , which thus far has proved fatal only in Mexico, where more than 150 people are believed to have died from the flu.

US health authorities on Tuesday raised sharply the number of confirmed US cases to at least 65, and California declared a state of emergency.

Read the rest of this entry »

CUTUD, Philippines, April 10, 2009 (AFP) - An Australian and 29 Filipinos were crucified in different parts of the Philippines in gory annual Good Friday rituals imitating the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

John Michael, a 33-year-old from Melbourne, joined three local men and one woman in being nailed to a wooden cross in Kapitangan town, just outside Manila. Another 25 men were crucified in Cutud town, north of the capital.

Such practices, although not formally endorsed by the Roman Catholic church, are carried out as part of religious vows in return for favours granted or in penance for sins.

Michael, who was half-naked and wearing a long-haired wig with an improvised crown of thorns, joined the Filipinos in a procession carrying a huge wooden cross to a crucifixion site, flanked by men in Roman centurion costumes.

Read the rest of this entry »

Source : Yahoo Philippines

1. Measure your hair’s health
Healthy hair is shiny, supple and silky. If none of these adjectives applies to your locks, take a strand test to identify what could be doing the damage: Pull a wet strand from your scalp and stretch it out. Hair should stretch one-fifth of its length without breaking and bounce back. If it breaks, it’s lacking moisture.

If the hair keeps stretching, it’s lacking protein, probably due to chemical treatments that have weakened the bonds in each strand––like color processes, straightening or perms. The right conditioning treatments can help in both cases.
Read the rest of this entry »

Source: Yahoo Philippines

MELBOURNE - Caught Twittering or on Facebook at work? It’ll make you a better employee, according to an Australian study that shows surfing the Internet for fun during office hours increases productivity.

The University of Melbourne study showed that people who use the Internet for personal reasons at work are about 9 percent more productive that those who do not.

Study author Brent Coker, from the department of management and marketing, said “workplace Internet leisure browsing,” or WILB, helped to sharpened workers’ concentration.

Read the rest of this entry »

Source : Malaya Newpaper

EVEN before Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton could touch gloves for their May 2 fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, their coming fight is already being billed as the “fight of the decade” by Golden Boy Promotions chief executive officer Richard Schaefer.

“It’s going to be the fight of the decade,” Schaefer said on Tuesday. “We have two great fighters who are willing to give their lives in the ring.”

Asked to compare this fight to others that he had promoted, such as Oscar de la Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Schaefer said: “Well, De la Hoya-Mayweather Event was a big fight. But we have Ricky Hatton who fought last year in front of over 58,000 people in England. And we have Manny Pacquiao who is unarguably bigger than the president of the Philippines. So, these two are clearly the most popular fighters in the world today. They deserve the red carpet right here on Hollywood Boulevard.”

During the press conference hyping the fight, Hatton said: “I will give Manny Pacquiao the hell of a fight; I am the stronger and the bigger man.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Malaya | Shipping | March 10, 2009, Tuesday

ASIAN Terminals Inc. (ATI) yesterday forecasted a positive development in Asia this year, as it sees a shift of trade towards Asia amid the bleak global economic situation.

Ernst T.A. Schulze, ATI executive vice president said: “(There’s) a shift of trade towards Asia from United States and Europe. Share of Asia in global cargo will further increase over the long-term.”

Based on a study, Asia will take 58 percent, the largest share in global cargo, followed by Europe with only 18 percent. North America and South America will get 13 percent and 6 percent, respectively of the chunk. Australia New Zealand (ANZ) /Pacific will get only 2 percent while Africa will have 3 percent.

Read the rest of this entry »

Daily Tribune | Business | March 9, 2009, Monday

Local businesses will continue hiring more people and provide skills retraining especially to displaced workers to help keep unemployment levels at a minimum despite the impact of the global economic crunch.

At the sideline of the Employment Summit 2009, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) president Edgardo Lacson said that except for electronics, other businesses are not that much affected by the economic meltdown.

“This is because 80 percent of our GDP (gross domestic product) is driven by local consumption which makes us little different from other economies and the presence of our informal economy —the SMEs, OFWs —these are peculiar advantages of the country,” he noted.

Read the rest of this entry »

Manila Times | Business | March 9, 2009, Monday

THE Philippine economy will be hit hard by the global financial crisis during the first quarter, as remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), which feeds private consumption, would decline this year, according Barclays Capital.

In a report, the foreign financial institution said the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) would fall 0.8 percent in the first quarter this year. A proxy for economic output, GDP is the amount of goods and services produced locally.

Despite the contraction in the first three months this year, Barclays said the domestic economy would grow to a high of 7.4 percent in the second quarter, before easing to 6.4 percent and 5.2 percent in the third and fourth quarters.

Read the rest of this entry »

Manila Times | Business | March 9, 2009, Monday

TOP management resignations loom at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) as “powerful entities” are said to be “meddling,” if not “trying to control” the Exchange, market sources told The Manila Times.

The problems come at a time when worldwide risk aversion has infected the Philippine stock market, bringing down with it the Exchange’s fortunes. The PSE’s profit in the third quarter last year plunged on lower trading volume and as companies up for listing backed out from conducting maiden share offerings. The Exchange is scheduled to release its full-year results next month.

Sources familiar with the matter said some members of the PSE management are at odds with a group said to be “running the show,” resulting in “inconsistencies” in decisions rendered by the Exchange.

An executive has tendered his resignation due to alleged frustration over the “inconsistencies” in the implementation of PSE rules and regulations, the same sources said. The tension hit a high note when the Exchange decided to extend San Miguel Corp. (SMC), a key shareholder, some leeway after the conglomerate’s attention was called to the lack of information about its transactions.

The resignation was turned down, with the official requested to stay on until the Exchange finds a replacement.

Flip-flopping at the Exchange

On January 15, the Exchange recalled its show-cause order for possible violations of disclosure rules against Southeast Asia’s largest food and beverage conglomerate. The recall came after the Exchange’s board decided to field specific questions on SMC’s option agreement with SEA Refinery Holdings B.V. The option agreement gives SMC the right to buy SEA Refinery’s controlling stake in the Philippines’ largest oil refiner, Petron Corp., another listed firm.

With the board decision, the show-cause order was rendered null and void. Francis Lim, PSE president and chief executive, however, said the board is also extending this leeway to other listed companies that request the same.

Prior to that, the PSE disclosure department requested SMC to explain why the Exchange should not impose the appropriate penalties and sanctions when it asked the company to provide additional information regarding its option agreement with SEA Refinery.

SMC told the Exchange that “the parties are bound by [a] confidentiality agreement” and that SEA Refinery is a private firm and “has no relationship or disclosure obligation to the PSE, thus not obliging it to disclose the agreement.

The Exchange, however, cited SMC’s listing agreement, which stated that it is bound to “comply with laws, statutes, rules, regulations, policies and procedures applicable to issuers.”

‘Conflicting’ decisions

Then on February 11, the PSE again gave in to SMC’s appeal to reconsider its monetary penalty against the company for failing to disclose the details of the conglomerate’s purchase of state-run Government Service Insurance System’s (GSIS) 27-percent stake in Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) announced in October.

Read the rest of this entry »

Inquirer | Business | March 9, 2009, Monday

THE ABOITIZ GROUP expects to complete the sale of its ferry business next month to a Kuwaiti-led firm.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) president and chief executive officer Erramon I. Aboitiz said in a telephone interview that the sale of 49 percent of Aboitiz Transport Systems Corp. (ATSC) to Kuwaiti joint venture KGLINM Holdings Inc. may be sealed by April 30. ATSC is the operator of passenger shipping brand Superferry. “There are no changes in the timetable. It’s still the same. So far the indications are the deal will push through,” Aboitiz said.

KGLI-NM Holdings, a joint venture between local firm Negros Holdings and Management Corp. and KGL Investment of logistics group Kuwait and Gulf Link is buying 42 percent from the Aboitiz group and the public’s 7 percent via a tender offer at a later time. Aboitiz said KGLINM has the option to purchase the balance of 51 percent in ATSC by Sept. 30 after completing the first’ tranche of 49 percent.

Read the rest of this entry »

Malaya | Shipping | March 9, 2009, Monday

THE country’s top two port operators, International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) and Asian Terminals, Inc. (ATI), justified their plan for tariff increase saying this will ensure funding for future expansions.

ICTSI and ATI, operators of the Manila International Container Terminal (MILT) and the Manila South Harbor respectively, claimed their investment initiatives are expected to take full effect over the coming years. At present, they wanted to increase cargo-related rates or arrastre fee of up to 16 percent. The last hike of 22 percent was in 2004.

Shippers wanted the deferment of cargo-handling increase sought by ICTSI and ATI, as crisis is expected to bottom out in the next two years.

Ernst T.A. Schulze, ATI executive vice president, said: ” In the container and stevedoring business that we are in right now, investments that we make are not for tomorrow… investments that we make are for the future.” He expects the crisis to be temporary but they need the increase in tariff as they have to make the investment now for the anticipated swell in volume in the future.

Read the rest of this entry »

Francis Durango Magalona (October 4, 1964 - March 6, 2009), also known as FrancisM, Master Rapper, and The Man From Manila, was was a rapper, songwriter, producer, actor, director, and photographer. He is credited as being the first Filipino rapper in the Philippines to successfully crossover to the mainstream. He was also popularly known as the “King of Pinoy Rap” and was one of the most idolized, celebrated and influential rappers within the genre.

Personal life

Married to Pia Arroyo, they have eight children: Unna, Nicolo, Francis Jr., Elmo, Arkin, Clara, and actresses Maxene and Saab. He also joined the fraternity namely Alpha kappa rho in the 1980s.

Health

Magalona, 43, was diagnosed in August, 2008, with leukemia at the Medical City Hospital, Mandaluyong. He appealed for privacy: “I don’t want a media circus. I want privacy with my family. What I’d rather talk about is how we can solicit blood donations to replace the supply that I have consumed in the hospital.” Francis’ wife, Pia Arroyo-Magalona, said: “It was very gradual, hindi siya biglaang lumabas. We don’t want to use the word ‘curable,’ but the doctors say it’s treatable. ”

Read the rest of this entry »

This is a commentary from one of the customers of Union Motors…

_______________________________________________

Guys,

We got our Advie GLX from Unions Motors thru an agent named Rhainne Gervacio. It was released last Nov 13 2008 thru BPI car loan. Cash out namin is 92k all in with a monthly amortization of 22k+ then 3 yrs to pay. Basically it’s like 20% downpayment.

Suddenly after one week na nasa amin na yung unit may nag CI pa so inisip ng misis ko ay late CI’s from the other banks. Di nya to masyado inintindi at sinabihan nya pa yung nagsi CI na nasa amin yung unit. After few days mayron na naman so ang ginawa ni misis tinawagan yung agent at tinanong ba’t may nangungulit pang mga bangko. Dun namin nalaman na sabi nag back out daw yung BPI ksi yung approval daw eh 30%. Nagkamali lang daw yung Union Motors kaya 20% lang nahingi sa amin na downpayment. Sabi ng agent hwag daw kami mag-alala at ililipat na lang daw nila sa ibang bangko yung loan.

Read the rest of this entry »

You might be eagerly looking for Rohan Bots this early, knowing that the Clodes beta is nearly reaching its end. We always wanted to be as high leveled player as possible and be the boss in the game!

HACKS

Is there really a possibility that we could hack Rohan? knowing that key loggers are already not effective due to its built in keyboard. Tampering of Rohan programs could be one way but risky in the sense that it might affect the over all performance of the game.

BOTS

Almost all MMORPG has their corresponding Bots available online! For Rohan, it has been said that programmers are now making Bots for Philippine accounts. They are trying to edit BOT programs released in US, Korea and other places with ROHAN games. They are trying all possibilities and the Best BOTS that could support the Philippine Version.

So stay tuned! I will be placing the Program here or the possible links