Cats, Dogs and Harmony

I am reposting here what I posted in my political blog last year
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To attain more harmony among men, sometimes we have to look at nature, and more specifically, at our pets. Like cats and dogs.

While the general notion, at least in the past, is that dogs and cats are "natural enemies" since they live in the same house of their masters and would tend to compete on several things like food, space, and their masters' attention. Or dogs tend to make fun of cats since the latter are smaller.

Here are photos -- all from the web, not one from my camera -- of dogs and cats harmony, or at least at the moment these photos were taken. The scenes are cute, or funny.

(I actually revised these photos, instead of individual photos, I mixed 3-4 in one frame to save space as I got more photos.)

Cat in the upper right photo seems to be in a non-playing mood but the dog isn't belligerent. I find the lower left photo funny, I'm smiling. :-)

Caption on the lower left photo is funny, one cat ponders, "I think there's a spy among us", hahaha. Lower right, the dog cannot complain, the master is right beside them.

Ok, enough of dog-cats. Below are just about dogs, their funny poses, again, all from the web. Here they go.

Hope you enjoyed them.

UPSE Reunion, September 3, 2011, UP Diliman

Hey fellow alumni of the UP School of Economics -- undergrad, MA, PhD, PDE -- let's meet again this coming Saturday, September 3, 4pm at the SE auditorium, UP Diliman. Each reunion is hosted by the graduates of the school 25 years ago. So for this year, it will be batch 86 (ie, they graduated in 1986) that is the main host.

The theme of the reunion is "Rebel Yellow". Why? My guess is that it was in 1986 that Marcos was toppled after 20 years in power (1965 to 1985) during the first Edsa People Power Revolution. Yellow, the symbolic color of the peaceful uprising. Yeah, the 1986 graduates, cool!

I have a number of friends from Batch 86 -- like Mino Encarnacion (then UPSE Student Council chairman), Jojo Chan, Camille Sevilla. Mino is now based in Singapore, Jojo in NJ-NYC, Camille in Manila. She's the chief of staff of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago. I hope to see the 3 of them next week.

Bacolod-Silay Airport

I am from Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, in central Philippines. I was born there, took my elementary and high school there. My parents and two siblings are still there, so I still go back to my province at least once a year. Bacolod City is the provincial capital.

It is good that a new and modern airport has been constructed. It's the typical glass and steel structure, though at a smaller scale compared to many big international airports in Asia and other countries. The old airport is literally really old and it was small. The new airport is also nearer to Cadiz but far from Bacolod. It's not in Bacolod actually, it's in Silay City, about 15 kms. away from Bacolod City proper.

Check in area. Airlines going there are PAL, Cebu Pacific, and Air Philippines. They have a combined flight of probably 18 to 20 a day coming from Manila alone. There are also flights to and from Cebu City. Not sure if there are flights now going to Davao.

Departure lounge. Negros Occidental is a big province in population size. Close to 2 million people now I think. So the volume of passengers is really big.

I hope that this airport will soon have limited international flights, say Bacolod-HK, Singapore, Seoul. There are many Koreans in Bacolod now. Then it is time to construct another terminal. The place is surrounded by sugarcane plantations. Thus, it's easier to acquire new lands for the buildings and a longer runway.

Mr. Silay and Mt. Kanlaon are clearly seen at the airport. These are big mountains. Kanlaon is an active volcano, but not as active as Mayon or Taal.

I just hope that ugly politics in the province and its cities will be minimized and hence, the corruption associated with such practices. I wish to see my province -- and all other provinces in the country -- to develop economically.

Taga-UP Diliman Ka Kung...

There is a new facebook group called "Taga UP Diliman ka kung..." (You are from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, if you...") that is so hot. It was created only about 10 days ago by an alumni Cleve JD Mallari and it attracted 32,100+ members. The posting are so frequent and witty.

I am reposting this here so that other friends and readers who are not from UPD and hence, are not members of the group and cannot read the postings, can see them. I created one thread in the group, below, copy-pasted the significant comments and additions. Smileys and hahaha are removed here as all of these comments are for fun or wittily true. Pictures here are all taken from the group by other group members. Here we go!
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A girl was caught by UPD police making love to the Oblation.
Q1: Was a crime committed? Yes, statutory rape.
Q2: Can she be convicted? Yes, there is concrete evidence.

Victoria: And you know a Nonoy Oplas joke when you see one.

Jopay: noy... very hard evidence yan ah!

Lorenzo: so... will oble be imprisoned? or the girl? :)

Jopay: Depende... mukhang may consent naman

Nonoy: Some Diliman dorm jokes:
Narra -- dorm ng surot na tinatao
Kamia -- female version ng Narra (mga female na surot?)
Sanggumay - dorm ng mga manang
Ipil - dorm ng mga manong
Ilang-Ilang - dorm ng mga nai-ilang sa academic oval
Kalayaan (boys wing) -- silipan ng mga boys sa girls wing ng Yakal dorm

Some AS/CSSP male CR graffiti:
- The population of the world depends on what you are holding now.
- Pag inabot (ng ihi) mo ito (marker about 1 1/2 foot from your pototoy), astig ka.

Sa Narra dati, may issue re cats with 1 eye removed, 1 or 2 sq. inch of skin peeled, under observations pala ng mga Vet-Med students, the cats were roaming around. Narra dorm council created a graffiti wall, "What to do with the cats?" Some comments in the wall:
* itapon sa Kamia residence hall
* What to do with the vet meds?
* pusang-ina oh!
* nga pusakal kayo.

Jopay: Teka, noy, paano kung na-injured si oble? Ano ang crime?

Nonoy: Pag na-injure si Oble, the crime is statutory injury.

Some dorm male CR graffiti:
Sa Molave: "Here I sit all broken hearted,
tried to shit but only farted."
Sa Narra: "Here I sit on my puwet,
my asshole opens up a bit
out comes something like velvet
No, its my brownish shit."

Meanings of TBA in UP:
Ordinary enrollment -- (teacher) To Be Announced
Martial Law days -- (Teacher & student leaders) To Be Arrested
Applicants sa mga frats -- To Be Arbored (at idaan sa hazing).

Some graffiti at the back of main library dati:
-- Aanhin pa ang damo, kung tulog na ang addict.
-- Ako ay may naaamoy, parang mabangong kahoy,
O damo, damo, pagkain ng kabayo.
-- Ako ay may syota, malaki ang dyoga
dyoga, dyoga, nakapanlalata.

Jopay: Noy, malicious mischief ang crime pag na-injure si oble! baka maitanong yan sa bar!

Nonoy: 2 bus lines plying UPD in early 80s. JD bus line and MMTC, air-con or double decker. Ang JD, lawanit lang dingding, so in case of emergency, pwede na tadyakan ang dingding. Sa MMTC double decker, madami takot sumakay sa itaas kasi walang drayber :-)

Pag tingin mo mababa score mo or babagsak ka sa exam, ganito ang palusot: "Don't let your academics get in the way of your education." Halata ano ha.

UP noon vs ngayon:
-- dati pag nagrar-rally, sa plackard lang. ngayon nasa ipad na
-- dati UP IKOT lang, ngayon may TOKI na
-- dati pasok lang walang ID, ngayon may signs na NO ID, NO ENTRY or WEAR ID AT ALL TIMES
-- dati unli rice lang sa Area 2 at walang Via Mare, ngayon coño na...
‎-- dati kasabay mo nag-aantay ng jeep sa Edsa/Q.Ave mga kapwa estudyante, ngayon hatid-sundo ng mga drivers nila.
-- dati mga freshmen na uhugin, ngayon mga de-kotse na, loaded pa
-- dati, madaming mga dugyutin, amoy pawis na klasmeyts na mababangis sumagot sa recitation, ngayon mapoporma at mayayamang klasmeyts na walang muang sa mundo
-- dati mura tuition, ngayon mahal na...

The administrator of this group, Cleve JD Mallari posted that they will disable posting from Sat 7am to Sun 11pm but people can still read the various threads. Riot ang mga response, like these:
- yes! makakapag pahinga mga mata ko!
- Makakasubo ng konti at makakajingle.
- An tagal !! ... May gamot ba kayo pang detox bago mag 11 pm ng Sunday?
- ayos, para di na umusok yung computer ko
- ayan pwede nako maligo!
- Para may family time naman! :)
- i see symptoms of withdrawal....
- we will come to realize na "there's life beyond UPD group/site pala"..
- Withdrawal yan. Patay ang mga addict.
- So if I start getting the shakes and shivers this weekend, I'll know the reason why.
- puede na ako mag groceries, mag car wash at matulog!
- That's enough time to check in na into a rehab center.
- Ok, kaunting break. Galit na asawa ko dahil mukha ko nasa computer na lang at naka ngiting mag-isa
- Pucha, yung pinatanggal ko na eyebags at inalagaan ng tatlong taon, nawala in three days...

Weena: may ID na, may Via Mare pa??!! homaygulay~!!!

Nonoy: Some dorm stories, from other threads in this group:
- Nasubukan mong ma-harana sa sampaguita...
- naririnig mo yung malakas na tilaok ng mga manok ni mrs cantuba sa sampa
- nakaramdam ka ng multo sa Sampa
- Sampa, Napagkamalan akong multo sa CR kc maputla ako, naka-nightgown, bagong kulot biuhok
- pag weekend, nagtitis ka ulamin ang lucky me pansit canton kasi sawa ka na sa aristocart at nagtitipid ka
- 730am ang class mo at going late ka na kaya suot mo ang pantulog mo pagpasok ng klase!
- tanghali na gumising. maaga ka pa sa class...

Rache: Noon walang kalaman-laman ang mga parking area especially sa AS park lot pero ngayon kulang na kulang na sa parking palaging puno kaya minsan nasa side streets na and it will cause traffic. Inside UP, traffic!!!

Nonoy: More dorm stories, about the (10pm curfew), from other threads in this group. Thanks for these stories, naalala ko dorm life ko in the 80s (Molave, Yakal, Narra):
- bibili kayo ng "bribe" na pagkain para kay manang guardya para di ma-record na curfew ka
- dahil sa curfew, mas pinipili mo na lang na matulog sa labas kaysa madagdagan violations mo sa dorm..
- Yakal, yung bomb threat doon e gawa gawa lang yata ng isang dormer na inabutan ng curfew at gusto pa ding makapasok ng dorm. Me media coverage pa ha!
- Narra, isang minuto lang tinatagal ng curfew. 10PM ang start pag 10:01 open na uli ang gate....

Kwento or alaskahan sa College of Engineering:
EE - eng na eng
CE - conting eng
ME - medyo eng
IE - indi eng

Florence; e yung GE? ;)

Nonoy: grabeng eng? hehe. Mga taga-EE nagpa-uso ng jokes na yon.

Florence: malamang sinabi nila "gagong eng'g"

Nonoy: Yon MetE (Metallurgical Eng'g), ano itatawag nila don, "metopak eng"?

Someone posted, "UPD ka kung magaling kang gumamit ng pythagorean theorem. 'The sum of 2 sides is alway greater than the hypotenuse.' Then showed a picture of a curve but paved walkway near Vinzons Hall, and an unpaved but straight pathway. Heto ilang comments:
- the shortest distance between two points is a straight line
- Noon yun! Ngayon "The shortest distance between two points depends on where you're going!"
- There is no such thing as a straight line. What you conceive as straight is just a line segment of a curve.
- depende yan sa weather..pag umuulan at maputik ang hypotenuse, dun ka sa longer distance dadaan(paved e)

Iloilo Airport

My wife is from Iloilo, and we go there to visit my in laws once or twice a year. The new airport is about 20 kms. away from Iloilo City proper, passing by 2 or 3 municipalities. The far distance is compensated by a good and modern airport, glass and steel structure. There is also a big space for future expansion like building a new terminal or extending the runway. I believe that this airport will soon become international, flying passengers to and from Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul and other Asian cities with big volume of trade and tourism with the Philippines.

This is the old Iloilo Airport in the city. I took this picture two years ago. So it must be dilapidated by now, if not yet demolished. Beside this old airport is a big SM mall, and many houses around it. There is little space for expansion.

The entrance/exit area. On the right side are for greeters and senders.

It is also well-lighted at night time. There is also a big parking space in front, but the parking rates are higher than what the big and modern malls in Manila would charge.

The passenger departure lounge. A few food shops on the left, boarding gates on the right. Sometimes (or often?) the toilet is dirty though. It's something that the airport administration should always remember, to have clean toilets. Passengers pay P200 as "terminal fee", similar to the fee in domestic terminals in Manila, even if they just stay at the departure lounge for just an hour or less. To have a clean, non-foul-smelling toilet is a must.

Pinoy Jokes, Part 4

Some good jokes from a friend from UP, Raoul Abreau.

"I just wanna be an angel, flying around you, risking all I have just to kiss you, even if it can cost my life." -- Lamok, nag-e-english, hehe

A man was throwing knives at his wife's picture, and all were missing target. Suddenly he received a call from his wife who asked him what he was doing. He replied, "Just missing you."

Guy 1: My wife is an angel.
Guy 2: You're lucky. Mine is still alive.

Husband: Hello, what are you doing, my darling?
Wife: I'm dying.
H: (jumping with joy) How can I live without you?
W: You idiot! I'm dying my hair!

5 words women use:
1. FINE -- when they want to end an argument, think they're right and want you to shut up.
2. 5 MINUTES -- if she's getting dressed, this means half an hour.
3. NOTHING -- the calm before the storm. Arguments that begin with Nothing usually end in Fine.
4. GO AHEAD -- this is a dare, not permission. Don't do it.
5. THAT'S OK -- means she wants to think long and hard before deciding when you will pay for your past mistakes.

--> Send this to men to warn them, and to women to give them a good laugh because they know it's true.

Great person, ikaw yan.
Great father, ikaw ulit yan.
Great looks, aba, sayo talaga yan.
Great husband, sayo pa rin yan.
Great taste, Sobra na, kape na yan eh.

Mga katotohanan:
Hindi lahat ng kinakalabit, gitara.
Hindi lahat ng binobomba, poso.
Hindi lahat ng pinapasukan, eskwelahan.
Hindi lahat ng nilalabasan, exit.
Hindi lahat ng sinusubo, pagkain.
Hindi lahat ng pinipisil, pisngi.
Hindi lahat ng pisngi, nasa mukha.
Hindi lahat ng binibiyak, prutas.
Hindi lahat ng tumatayo, may paa.
Pero lahat ng may ulo, tumatayo.
Lahat ng BERDE ISIP, ngingiti.

Erap: "Walang kumpare, walang kamag-anak."
PNoy: "Walang kamag-anak, puro kaklase at kabarilan lang."

Di nila ma-justify yong 7 Pajero na binigay sa mga obispo. Dapat kasi ang binigay nila ay SAFARI, madali i-justify. Para SA FARI.
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Filipino Store Signs

* A parlor in San Juan: 'Cut & Face'
* A Bakery: 'Bread Pit'
* A tailor shop: 'James Tayloring'
* Another tailoring shop: 'Elizabeth Tayloring'
* A drugstore: 'Pharmacia with love'
* A Petshop: 'Petness First'
* A Taxicab: 'Income Taxi'
* A balut wholesaler in Batangas: 'Starduck'
* A laundry shop in Manila: 'Summa cum Laundry'
* A petshop in Ortigas selling cats and dogs: 'Pussies and Bitches'

* A beerhouse in Cavite, 'Chickpoint'
* A laundromat in Sikatuna: 'Star Wash: Attack of the Clothes'
* A salon somewhere, 'Curl Up And Dye'
* A store selling chicken feeds along Sucat road: 'Robocock'
* A shoe repair shop: 'SHOEPERMAN: we will HEEL you, save your SOLE, and even DYE for you'
* A 2nd hand watch store: '2nd Time Around'
* An aquatic pet store in Malolos: 'Fish Be With You'
* A Laundry: 'Wash Your Problems Here'
* A beauty salon: 'Saudia Hair lines'
* A neighborhood pizza store: 'Pizza Hot'

* A mobile massage slogan: 'Asian Mobile Massage Service: Massage only, God is watching'
* A shrimp store: 'Hipon Coming Back'
* A ceiling installer: 'Kisame Street'
* A car repair shop: 'Bangga ka 'day!'
* A bakery in a village: 'Anak Ng Tinapay'
* Ice cream parlor: 'Dila Lang Ang Katapat'
* Chicharon store: 'Chicha Hut'
* A barbershop in Cagayan de Oro: 'Pinoy Big Barber'
* A party needs business: 'Balloon-Balloonan'
* A goto resto: 'Goto Ko Pa!'

* A flower shop: 'Susan's Roses'
* A pet shop in Kamuning: 'Pakita Mo Pet Mo'
* A Resto in Baclaran: 'The Last Supper'
* A small internet cafe opened among squatters named itself, 'Cafe Pindot'
* A restaurant in Pampanga, 'Mekeni Rogers'
* A restaurant in Pasig, 'Johnny's Fried Chicken: The 'Fried' of Marikina'
* A tombstone maker in Antipolo: 'Lito Lapida'
* A copy center in Sikatuna Village, 'Pakopya ni Edgar'
* A carinderia: 'Aling Karing Deria'
* Name of a kambingan, 'Sa Goat Kita'

* Shoe repair in Marikina : 'Dr. Shoe-Bago'
* A water refilling station in Dapitan, 'Wa-Thirst'
* A squid stall in a wet market: 'Pusit to the Limit'
* A bank in Alabang: 'Alabank'
* A gotohan, 'Goto Haven'
* A sign on a stall selling chicken, "Dina Fresh"
* A 24 hour eatery: "Doris Day and Night"
* A home cooking resto: "Ang Cooking ng Ina Mo"
* A competitor beside it: "Ang Cooking ng Ina Mo Rin"
* A boxing gym in Taguig: 'Blow Jab'

* A fishball cart: 'Eat My Balls'
* A bait and tackle shop in Boracay: 'The Master Baiter'
* A Hair Salon in Makati : 'Hair We Go Again'
* A Japanese resto: 'Murakami'
* A grillhouse: 'It Doesn`t Matter Inihaw'

Houston Hobby Airport, Texas

Last May 2010, I first set foot in Texas, in Houston, to visit two former officemates when I was still working in Philippine Congress in the 90s. It was the last leg of my US trip then (Chicago-Detroit-Houston), the last 2 cities were tours after my conference in Chicago. I have Filipino friends in those cities who would pick me up from the airport and bring me back there, host in their house and tour in their cities for free, why not grab the opportunity.

Houston from the air is wide and expansive. It has two airports, I landed at Hobby airport.

Houston is the home of NASA's space program then, I think until now. Thus, the airport terminal has exhibits and decorations of rocket ships, space shuttles, astronauts, and related stuff.

Like this one, photo exhibit of the international space station. I don't know if such exhibit is permanent or being changed from time to time.

This looks like the "feet" of those space shuttles landing in the moon or something. Sorry, I didn't ask around what it was.

This airport's arrival and departure areas are mixed on the same floor. I think it's the same for many other airports in the US. So people enter or exit on those gates. Unlike in many big Asian airports, all arrivals are on the ground or lower floor, and all departures are on the 2nd or higher floor.

Departure lounge. Passengers waiting for their flight out of the airport.

Nothing so important here. It just caught my attention, DVD rentals for $1 each, a mobile phone charging station for a fee. Cute.

Tokyo-Narita Airport

Last May 26, 2010 or more than a year ago, I set foot on Tokyo-Narita Airport Terminal 2 for the first time. I've been to Terminal 1 (mostly US airlines) since 2004, I even thought that the Narita airport was "small" then. Not until I set foot on terminal 2, mostly for Asian airlines.

The reason why I came here was that my original flight, Tokyo-Manila (Delta Air, from the US) the day before, was given to passengers whose flight the day before was cancelled. Delta was forced to bring us to a hotel in Chiba, near the airport, the previous night, and booked us to Philippine Airlines (PAL) the next day as the Delta flight to Manila that day was also fully booked.

I was fascinated by its hugeness and modernity, glass and steel structure. There were so many passengers, mostly fellow Asians.

This huge billboard tells departing passengers all the scheduled flights within the next six hours or more, including their status (on time, delayed, cancelled). The info are posted in Japanese then English and vice versa.

After the airline check in area, passengers go to the various shops or the immigration area, then to their boarding gates. Very clean and modern airport indeed.

It is impossible to get lost as there are proper directions to all boarding gates. There are more than a hundred gates there, am not sure if gates for domestic travel are already included here.

Walkalator to some far gates. The main duty free area are behind this area. Only a few small food shops are posted in these areas.

Finally, the departure lounge at the gate where passengers will take their plane. Spacious, natural lighting. That's one beauty of glass and steel structures. There is ample sunlight to come in, reducing electricity consumption.
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May 10, 2010, I wrote this:

This coming Saturday, I will go back to the US again. I will go to Chicago to attend the 4th International Conference on Climate Change (4th ICCC), May 16 to 18, sponsored by the Heartland Institute. I will talk about the conference in another note. And since I am accumulating air mileage, I will take again Delta Airlines. I started getting mileage with Northwest airlines before, now merged with Delta.

A Delta air flight to the US always stops at Narita-Tokyo International Airport, whether going to California or the Mid-west. Since I’m going to Chicago, I can choose to land either in Detroit or Minneapolis international airports, Delta’s 2 big hubs close to Chicago.

 Narita airport is not really big if compared to other Asian international airports, say those in Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. It is sort of circular in shape, the walkalators are not very long. But it is very modern, typical glass and steel structure.

The escalators are very quite and produce very little noise when moving. This walkalator is cool: short but with live “twig” like flowers on both sides.


The duty free shops are not that plenty, but they are very neat.


The toilets are also very clean, like this one.


Some art works on glass in one of the several passengers waiting areas.


And if people bring along their kids, there is a small and well-padded children’s play area.


I haven’t gotten out of this airport though. I always pass by here only as a transit passenger. Delta Air cleans, re-fuels and re-supply with passenger food and drinks all airplanes going to the US. Normally about 12 to 13 hours from Narita to Minneapolis or Detroit.

I hope to visit Tokyo someday so I can get out of Narita airport too.