mikeside

I don’t think I’ve essentially veered away from this theme since I started posting on this blog.  I try to make it a point that every time I post something, it has to have real value of some kind.  Like when I wrote about the traffic cameras, the message I was driving at then was for people to realize how their bad driving habits can someday cause some serious problems to them or to others.

Imagine for awhile what it would be liked if someone decided to quit learning all together.  The consequences could be unpredictable, hilarious, unfavorable, disastrous or even fatal.  If I didn’t take the time to learn how to create a blog or if you didn’t bother to learn how to use a computer, this blog would not even exist.  On your part, I don’t think you’d even bother buy a computer!

You learn something new everyday, right?  So, what have you learned today?

Aru abe!  That’s one of my father’s fave expressions, which I think is quite common among Pampanguenos.  In English, it means, “wow my friend”.   In memory of him, I am posting a simple write-up which was first published several years back in a company newsletter where my wife used to work.  It’s not the original copy, some revisions were made but the essence of the message remains the same.  This is dedicated to you, Happy Father’s Day.

He was kind, gentle and always with a smile.

He was slow to anger and patient . . . traits that no one can belie.

His compassion to those who had less always had a special place in his heart because he knew what it was like to be hungry, deprived and oppressed.

He was a hard-working man, struggling to provide the best.

He loved life and cherished it till his last breath.

Yes, he had passed on to a new life,

Still, I recall, he seemed to stand out from the rest.

Moving has always been a tiring experience.  I must have moved at least to 4 different cities in and outside of Orange county.  The process was always physically exhausting.  Similarly, moving my first blog to a new domain was no different.  The experience did not exactly involve any heavy lifting but more of clicking & dragging the mouse, switching from one html page to another, copying & pasting, uploading and saving files, posting, publishing & other related tasks in order to create the new virtual home as cozy & comfortable.

My blogging experience is in its infancy stage - it’s a new territory that I started to explore just weeks ago.  I know blogging has been around for quite awhile but having realized the impact & the positive gains one derives from it, I wasted no time to teach myself how to get my own blog up & running.  Initially, I’ve looked around for easy-to-use software.  I tried WordPress & TypePad but had problems with maneuverability as far as tweaking the design or visual appearance.  I said to myself, there’s got to be an easy & quicker way to come up with a blog.  Then I found Blog.com.  The learning process was quick, maybe because of my two previous learning experiences from using WordPress & TypePad.  But honestly, I think their site is very much user friendly, even an idiot can do it!

I have posed this question to friends, family members & people I worked with.  As expected, the responses were mixed but confined within the following 2 choices.  Either they stay here in the US till they drop dead or go back home to motherland, wherever that may be.  Those who prefer to retire here in the US outnumber those who would want to go back to the country of their birth.  The main reason for their decision to stay is more of economics.  Secondly, they can not stand the thought of giving up the conveniences of what a world-class country has to offer.  For those who prefer to go back home to their roots, the underlying reason is strong family ties.  Usually, these are individuals who have been transported to foreign lands by virtue of their marriage to an immigrant or citizen.  So, where would you want to be when you’re 64 or older? 

Read more >>  Retire in the Philippines - Guide to living, traveling and everything you need to know about the Philippines.

BBC report reads . . .
“The study concludes that humans are creatures of habit, mostly visiting the same few spots time and time again.”

This explains why drunks keep going back to bars and why crooks keep going back behind bars.

Read more >> Howlin’ Dave, Filipino Rock Icon, dies at 52

This is a bird’s eye view of Harbor Blvd. & Orangethorpe in Fullerton , where those prying traffic cams on all four corners of the intersection await you.  I have seen other “red-light districts” around the neighborhood but nothing as eerie as this one.  This corner is teeming with still cameras; videocams, strobe lights & lots of actions, making you feel like you’re in the middle of a Hollywood movie set.

California Roll - a new term for Rolling Stop or California Stop
Over the years, many Californians have developed a mastery of doing the rolling stop or California stop quite pervasively. It has become somewhat second nature. Well, doing the California Roll within the perimeters of these traffic cams will someday catch up on you & teach you an expensive lesson.  To this date many California Rollers have already received citations in the mail, so don’t be surprised if one of these days you’d find one in your mailbox.  This citation could cause you some sleepless nights & cost you an arm and a leg as well.  It could very well be one of the most expensive right turns you’d ever make!

But are these traffic cams really serving the purpose of keeping the drivers in tow or helping minimize traffic collisions?  Here are some facts and figures from Rich Connell of LA Times.