The Fat Man Today

Nina will hate me for this, but I really don't like Starbucks coffee - the flavor's too acidic. As a matter of fact, the reason I take drip or pressed coffee black without cream or sugar is the fact that I don't get to taste the flavour otherwise. It's just sharp, bitter water. This excludes, of course, the Christmas blend. That selection is so strong, it feels like a horse punched you in the head. The way I like my coffee. (Starbucks pales in comparison to Nina's own coffee - which is strong and bitter, the way coffee, decaf or not, is supposed to be). But the reason I go for Starbucks coffee is the fact that it's so easy to get lost in the chaos. There's the anonymity of being in a place that retains a territorial boundary of sorts despite the fact that it's always full of people. Jericho said something about kids who go to Starbucks because it's cool, something like a fad, but I think this is necessary for the formative teen. You need to waste ...

Mufflednoise posted something really nice and thought-provoking earlier, and that got me thinking a bit. Today was a pretty decent day, despite the fact that the upstairs bathrooms were clogged beyond belief yet again. A nice, if short, morning conversation with Nina; then there was Amari's first birthday party; mass with Jon at St. Andrew's Church in Kalayaan; then a couple of beers with Abbey, Obi and Jon afterwards at WG Diner. Throughout the day, there were subtle hints thrown at each of us that many, many things were changing. First was that odd conversation I had with Abbey and Obi during the birthday party at Bubba Gump: that in ten years' time, this was going to be us holding birthdays for our own kids. Obi rolled his eyes on this one (something of a private joke between us friends), but if things keep on going the way they are for all of us, that's probably how it's going to be. Probably being the operative word, but possibilities are powerful things....

The simplest things can make you smile. Nins already took care of making sure I grinned for most of the day. The following photo made sure that I will be going to bed laughing: A kid after my own heart Hell yeah!

Independent contractors are an endangered species. No matter what creative endeavor you enter - writing, music or even writing code - you run the risk of being left behind without so much as a thank you by your client. Intellectual theft made easy, especially when you live in a country which offers very little protection against similar acts of stealing. But when a big corporation decides to go and cut costs by pulling a fast one on the little man, what does that say about how our own industry bigwigs and leaders view the wealth of skill and expertise our solo entrepreneurs have to offer? Gary Granada spells it out rather well in this short audio clip. Please do take the time to listen to it and see just how blatantly the manggagawa can be exploited in the Philippines. Gary Granada vs GMA Kapuso - Gary Granada It's rather sad when an act of good faith gets corrupted by executives who are always looking for ways to cut costs. It's always the little guy who gets th...