Late last year, a global economic crisis was felt. Many countries were affected by the impact of the situation. Even 1st-world countries was not an exception. In US, many businesses closed down because of increasing losses and the continuing financial instability. Until now the effects are still seen. Not even businesses were affected, even the labor forces. Up until now, unemployment rate rises dramatically over the world.


As quoted from the bizjournal.com's - article:

For the first time in more than a generation, every state in the union saw its unemployment rate rise last month. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor and Statistics, all 50 states and the District of Columbia recorded unemployment rate increases compared with the previous month and the prior year.

December marked the first time every state recorded a rise in monthly unemployment since the bureau began keeping such records in 1976.

In Texas, the unemployment rate was at 4.2 percent in December of 2007, 5.7 percent in November of 2008 and 6 percent last month.

Michigan and Rhode Island once again led the nation with the highest jobless rates at 10.6 percent and 10 percent respectively. Rhode Island’s rate is the highest in more than three decades. Arizona dropped 12,400 jobs in December and saw its unemployment rate rise to 6.9 percent.

The national unemployment rate rose to 7.2 percent in December, up from 6.8 percent the previous month and from 4.9 percent a year earlier.

I want to share this wonderful read made by my shobe Shii. A very splendid work indeed. Made me realize the worth of the message it is sharing. ^_^

LOVE ON THE PIT STOP

by Shiriel Magalong

I am a woman, created to love a man.

People would usually ask me,
"Why don't you have a boyfriend?"
My answer varies, though concludes to one point,
One point into which the world barely understands.

This answer i would always point out,
"I want to become the best woman i could be...
Before i would finally meet 'him'..."
A confused face they'd always reply.

"Why don't you try? You're at the right age."
But they don't understand my point,
It's not about the age, but the maturity of the heart.
Age can never pass for maturity.

"Why don't you try dating? To know some guys."
They always think of the 'dating game'
But i don't want to be a busy bee,
that goes from one flower to another.

"I think you're just scared."
I'm just preserving my purity,
To give to the one, giving the best of me,
For I want my very first to be my last.

"Just get some experience."
And what? Fall for the devils trap?
No way man! I'm not into games,
Love is a serious thing, i consider as a sacred gift.

"You're Just paranoid, you're TOO careful, you're just weak."
Paranoid I am not, but weak I am,
but so what? At least I'm not the one in tears.
I know my limits, my weakness is my shield.

"I can't wait for you that long, why can't it be now?"
If you can't wait for me for just several years
What more if we are together forever?
I am not some toy that could be easily exchanged.

"What if you find another guy better than I?"
Then be the best man you could ever be,
while i do the same, and if i choose someone else,
At least you became a better man.

"Can I wait for you?"
Easy to say, but hard to do.
Waiting is not an easy task,
but if you can do it, what more could i ask?:)

"What do you look for a guy?"
Sincerity is all i need,
Trust is a must in every promise,
but mostly a heart that puts God first before me.

...

My pit stop ends here,
time to get back on track,
and leave these questions and thoughts behind,
moving forward and never looking back.

For i am still on the journey,
Of being the best woman i can be,
For the man who deserves my love,
For all eternity.

:)

You can check more of the works of shobe Shii - My Own Interview, Mary or Martha? and many more. Check more here

Just started a new blog - Reviews in my Head. I intend to put my movie and anime reviews and updates in that blog. To start with I posted a welcome message and a review on the movie I watched this morning.

Hopefully I would be able to keep up with having two blogs now. I was a little bit lazy updating my blog last year so this will be a great challenge for me to be updating two blogs. Though I am not new in blogging, I am still new in blogging community, increasing traffics, technorati, blog catalog, mybloglog, and other new stuffs that emerges and change blogging. I hope I could learn those things so that I can improve my blog. Of course, any criticisms and comments will be appreciated and will be looked into for points for improvements. So much to learn, and as the saying goes, there's alwasy room for improvements.

Happy Chinese New Year to my Chinese and non-Chinese friends!!!

Let us all together welcome the Year of the Ox. I hope that whatever is in store for us this year, good or bad sad or happy we will all together pass them all through. Let us all hope that we will have a prosperous, abundant and joyous year this year.

To all my Chinese friends, thank you for the 'Tikoy'. We don't know how to cook or eat it so I guess I'll have to ask you later for juicy advices. Until here.

Happy New Year everyone! Kong Hei Fat Choy!

I just made up my mind. I'm giving paid blogging a shot. I was inspired by a friend to write and while writing, is earning. Isn't that cool? She even earned much by just blogging and I am so envious of her.

I never write when my mind does not have anything to talk about to. Even if there is - Sports, Music, Movies, Literature, or Personal, it will not matter unless there's this urgency and need to write something or voice something out. I always had my own views in each information I came across to but I don't know if it is worth putting in my blog. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

Writing is not new to me anymore. I used to write poems and short stories in my early days. I even got a notebook or two filled with short poems and scribbled short stories. I even collected quotes. Hahaha... those were the days.

For me, blogging is just an outlet. I voice out my opinion on something in blogging but not that often. Hopefully I can practice my writing by this decision I made. Money does not really matter but earning while doing what you like - your hobby is not a bad thing either.

As of now, I'm planning to write blogs that involved in Movie & Anime Reviews, IT related news and tutorials, and Point of Views (Personal and Public) in certain topics. I hope I can do it.

Yesterday while I was strolling on the grounds of Victoria Plaza while waiting for a friend to arrive, a young 'yagit' (kung tawagin pa nila) girl surprised me. I was about to make her go away when she hesitatingly said and at the same time pushing her hands in front of me:

Grabbed from Dirk's blog.

Nag enjoy akong bumasa neto. Tama nga sila, dumaan nga ako sa pagiging bata. Haha. Ang kulit!


• Masaya ka kapag naglalaro ka ng Tex at Pog. Kadalasan ang design dito ay yung mga palabas sa TV, mga drama o kaya anime, may dialogue pa. lol.

• May comics pa ang bazooka. Kahit di mo maintindihan yung Fortune Cookie sa huli ay collection mo pa rin yun.

• Uso pa yung tirador, yung gawa talaga sa sanga ng puno.

• Ang mga babae naglalaro ng paper dolls na tigpipiso bawat isang set sa sari-sari store.

• Kung lalake ka, siguradong may pellet gun ka.

I've been thinking about making a online directory of my movies as a projet. It's for the convenience of people who always asks me if I have downloaded new movies. It would be easy for them to check out those movies I had.

Another reason for this is to start practicing my programming skills. Lately, I have been learning new things from work and I wanted to preserve it into something I can see. That led me into thinking of making a simple but useful website.

If I wanted to pursue this, I have to plan things out first. I have to rekindle my designing skills again (I don't dream of making a techie and glamorous/flashy website though). Hope I can start this project soon.

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. Copy this list, go to your own facebook account or blog or website, paste this as a note. Then, mark X's next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom. Have fun.

() Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x ) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
(x ) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
() Blazing Saddles
( ) Airplane
Total: 6

( ) The Princess Bride
( ) Anchorman
(x ) Napoleon Dynamite
(x ) Labyrinth
(x) Saw
( x) Saw II
( ) White Noise
() White Oleander
(x ) Anger Management
(x) 50 First Dates
(x) The Princess Diaries
(x ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 14

(x) Scream
(x) Scream 2
(x) Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie
(x ) Scary Movie 2
(x) Scary Movie 3
(x) Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
(x American Pie 2
(x ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 24

(x) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
(x ) Resident Evil 1
( x) Resident Evil 2
(x ) The Wedding Singer
() Little Black Book
(x) The Village
( ) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far:32

() Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
() Signs
() The Grinch
(x) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( x) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( x) White Chicks
( x) Butterfly Effect
( ) 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
( x) Robots
Total so far: 38

(x ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( x) Universal Soldier
(x ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(x ) Along Came Polly
(x) Deep Impact
() KingPin
(x ) Never Been Kissed
(x ) Meet The Parents
( x) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
(x ) KING KONG
Total so far: 47

(x ) A Cinderella Story
(x) The Terminal
( x) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
() Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
(x) Final Destination
(x) Final Destination 2
(x) Final Destination 3
() Halloween
(x) The Ring
() The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
(x ) Flubber
Total so far: 55

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
( ) Practical Magic
( ) Chicago
(x) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
(x ) Hellboy
(x) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
(x ) The Whole Nine Yards
(x ) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 60

(x) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play
(x) Seed of Chucky
(x) Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
(x) Just Married
(x) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
( ) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
(x) Coach Carter
(x) The Grudge
(x) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
(x) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 71

(x ) Bad Boys
(x) Bad Boys 2
(x) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Slevin
(x) Ocean's Eleven

(x) Ocean’s Thirteen
(x) Ocean's Twelve
(x ) Bourne Identity
(x ) Bourne Supremecy

(x) Bourne Ultimatum
( ) Lone Star
( x) Bedazzled
(x ) Predator I
(x) Predator II
(x) The Fog
(x) Ice Age
(x) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
() Curious George
Total so far: 86

(x) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
() Christine
(x) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
(x) War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
(x) Rush Hour 2

(x) Rush Hour 3

(x) Rush Hour 4
Total so far: 94

( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She's All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x ) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
(x ) Big Trouble in Little China
(x ) The Terminator
( x) The Terminator 2
(x ) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 104

(x ) X-Men
(x ) X-2
(x ) X-3
(x ) Spider-Man
(x ) Spider-Man 2

(x) Spider-Man 3
(x) Sky High
(x) Jeepers Creepers
(x) Jeepers Creepers 2
() Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
(x ) Freaky Friday

(x) Jason Goes To Hell
(x) Reign of Fire
(x) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
(x) Cruel Intentions 2
(x) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2

(x) Shrek 3
Total so far: 124

( ) Swimfan
( ) Miracle on 34th street
( ) Old School
(x) The Notebook
(x) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
(x) A Walk to Remember
(x) Ice Castles
(x) Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old Virgin
Total so far: 130

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
(x) Indiana Jones and The Crystal Skull
Total so far: 137

(x) Baseketball
(x) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
( ) Elf
(x ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
() American History X
( ) Three
Total so Far: 140

( ) The Jacket
(x ) Kung Fu Hustle
(x ) Shaolin Soccer
(x) Night Watch
(x ) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
( ) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
(x ) Willard
Total so far: 146

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
(x) Hulk
(x) The Incredible Hulk
(x ) Dawn Of the Dead
(x ) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(x) Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
(x) 28 days later
(x) 28 Weeks Later
( ) Orgazmo
(x) Phantasm
(x) Waterworld
Total so far: 156

(x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x) Kill Bill vol 2
(x) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
(x) Kingdom of Heaven
(x) Kung Fu Panda
(x) The Express
(x) Igor
(x) Toy Story 1
(x) Toy Story 2
(x) Dumbo
(x) Peter Pan
(x) Power Rangers: The Movie
(x) the Hills Have Eyes
(x ) City of Embers
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
(x) Army of Darkness
Total so far: 171

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
(x) Star Wars: The Clone Wars
(x) The Game Plan
(x) The Holiday
(x) The Dark Knight
(x) Batman Forever
(x) Batman Begins
(x) Batman and Robin
(x) Batman
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
(x) The Mummy
(x) The Mummy Returns
(x) The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
(x) Wall-e
(x)Wanted
(x) Virgin Territory
(x) Untraceable
(x) Transformers
(x) The Kingdom
Total so far: 195

(x ) The Matrix
(x ) The Matrix Revolutions
(x) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
() Evil Dead 2
() Team America: World Police
(x) Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
(x) Hannibal
Total so far: 201



Well… This list isn’t complete. There’s a lot of movies I saw since my birth lol. I don’t think this survey is true. I had watched movies beyond 85 – or more that 85 (maybe 2x or 3x this number) and I had a great life. Never had a dull moment. :D

I came across this examples online when I am looking for a solution in selecting data from database that starts with numbers only.

SQL Subselect

 Select Film_Title
   From Thespian_Film_Table
  Where Thespian_Last_Name  = "Ford"
    and Thespian_First_Name = "Harrison"
    and Film_Title in
         (Select Film_Title
            From Film_Table
            Where Film_Year equals "1984");

 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

 Select Film_Title
   From Thespian_Film_Table
  Where Thespian_Last_Name  = "Ford"
    and Thespian_First_Name = "Harrison"
    and Film_Title not in
         (Select Film_Title
            From Film_Table
           Where Film_Year equals "1984");

 Air Force One
 American Graffiti
 Apocalypse Now
 Blade Runner
 Clear and Present Danger
 Frantic
 Hanover Street
 Heroes
 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
 Patriot Games
 Presumed Innocent
 Raiders of the Lost Ark
 Regarding Henry
 Return of the Jedi
 Six Days Seven Nights
 Star Wars
 The Empire Strikes Back
 The Frisco Kid
 The Fugitive
 The Mosquito Coast
 Working Girl

 Select Thespian_Film_Table.Film_Title
   From Thespian_Film_Table
  Where Thespian_Last_Name  = "Ford"
    and Thespian_First_Name = "Harrison"
    and exists
         (Select *
            From Director_Film_Table
           Where Director_Last_Name  = "Lucas"
             and Director_First_Name = "George"
             and Director_Film_Table.Film_Title 
               = Thespian_Film_Table.Film_Title);

 American Graffiti
 Star Wars

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband.

He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts.

Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up? Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her.

Finally, she could stand it no longer. She causally mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?

"Look at it." He said. "Read what it says."

She read the words "United States of America."

"No, not that; read further."

"One cent?"

"No, keep reading."

"In God we Trust?"

"Yes!"

"And?"

"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message. It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful!

And, God is patient...

Have a blessed day!!

The best mathematical equation I have ever seen:

1 cross + 3 nails -------- 4 given

Have you ever been into a split decisions that you are afraid to make but have no choice but to do so? Or have you ever been into a situation where all is left but to regret the decision we have made after all ?

Lately, I have pushed myself into many situations. Situations that could thwart me hard into thinking or leave me nothing but to make a hasty but unpondered decisions. Those decisions that I don't want to chose yet I have to. Decisions that if left unmade could be troublesome sooner or later.

I don't think I have made the right decisions in my life either. Some of them I have regrets some of them I don't. Regrets that I have for all those mistakes I have made in my past. After all, mistakes don't leave trails of emptiness and sadness in our life all the time. It also leave a lesson or two that we could ponder on. Lessons that must be instilled not only in our very consciousness but also within our hearts.

Maybe, when the next repeating situations pass by, I can make a good choice. As what they say, Experience is a good teacher.