New Members of the Family

Say hello to my two little kittens... Uhm, they don't have names yet, though... So i would like to ask for your help naming them. The orange one is male, the grey one female. Suggestions please... Thanks!

Free Cinema

On all Saturdays of November, the Gay and Lesbian Activist Network for Gender Equality (GALANG) will hold screenings of LGBT-themed films. Admission is free, so come and check it out!

For more information, log on to www.galangnetwork.org.

2008 Manila Pride March promises to be BIG!

Shopping Tip: Avoid the Rush, Go Online

It's the time of the year once again and we went round the metro to witness the early holiday rush. The streets are now lined with Christmas decors and whatnots, customers enjoying the bargains, Christmas carols blaring from various corners. Stores are filled to the brim, shoppers looking for the best bargains trudging crammed alleys and literally climbing hills for cheap stuff.

Filipinos love to shop. But this is the craziest time of the year. Shopping means dealing with the mad crowd, walking from store to store looking for the items you need, long waits on check-out lines, evil taxi drivers and horrible traffic.

You might say, well, 'tis the season...

Wrong!

Shopping over the Internet is now becoming the best alternative. It's easy, it saves you time and lots of money. Contrary to popular belief, it's safe to shop online IF you know where to go. At SHOP.com, for example, every merchant passed their stringent quality review process so you're assured of the quality of the products that you order -- customer satisfaction is a top priority and they guarantee safe shopping.

If you're bargain hunting, you can get more savings with coupons and avail of great promotions, even free shipping offers. Beat the rush and start your holiday shopping online -- check out their wide array of carefully selected stores and brands.

Our friends from SHOP.com are also giving away Hot holiday gifts until December 14 in the Top Holiday Gifts Give Away including flat screen TV, iPod Touch, GPS Navigation System and more.

Shop at the comfort of your homes, avoid the crowds, and enjoy the best bargains. Now who says shopping should be a burden?

America's Victory

My partner and I closely monitored the results of the elections in the US. Since we don't have a cable connection, we just satisfied ourselves looking at various websites as they revealed the numbers, from time to time watching CNN live reports online. This is the first time that I've witnessed such moving event in American politics.

The moment Obama's number went up to 200, we already know. And we felt so moved. For this is not just a victory to be celebrated by Americans but by the whole world.

I know that millions of blog entries will be written expressing their joy as to how Obama made history. I do not wish to go in that direction.

What saddens me is the fact that Filipinos don't care. What's with the apathy? Are we in such hopeless shambles that we can't feel anything anymore? This is a historic event. This is the American Dream realized. Yet, we're indifferent.

Because for Filipinos, this changes nothing. In two months' time, America will be governed by its first black American President, a symbol of hope, a complete turn around from what Bush represents. Back home, politicians continue to preen on TV gathering pogi points and belting out Frank Sinatra on game shows.

Books Galore

Visiting Booksale again.

Got Jean Auel's 'The Shelters of Stone' in hardcover for P30.00. Saw Anne Rice's 'Belinda' but didn't buy; the price is quite steep plus it's not in my list. Was about to buy a paperback edition of 'Dune: House Atreides' but it's kinda expensive.

OrangeinaPod #3: The Coming Out Episode (August 3, 2006)

This is my coming out episode. Well, sort of a semi coming out, because I know my family knew about it before. This is some sort of a confirmation. I had 504 downloads for this one (and still counting), not bad for an infant podcast. Still gives me shivers whenever I listen to this.



Episode 03 - The Coming Out Episode
~ 26min 59sec
Originally posted on August 3, 2006
Total Downloads: 593

I have the virus today, so I'm coughing... hehehe... But thanks to this miraculous Chinese medicine Pei Pa Koa, I'm okay now!

Topics for today:

• Talking to my family and friends
• Being gay in the Philippines
• Support Ang Ladlad

Links to this show:

BearPodcast
Ongline Podcast
Ang Ladlad Website
LAGABLAB (Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network)

OrangeinaPod #2: Of Gay Superheroes and Childhood Memories (July 25, 2006)

Episode 02 - Of Gay Superheroes and Childhood Memories
~ 39min 23sec
Originally posted on July 25, 2006
Total Downloads: 186

Pinoylicious Oliver (thanks to John Ong for this title) is back in the 2nd podcast episode of OrangeinaPod!

• Superman Returns, Lex Luthor Rocks!
• Top 10 Pinoy Superheroes
• Our local superheroes are played by either politicians or comedians.
• Zsa-Zsa Zaturnnah, the first ever gay Pinoy superhero who’s about to hit the big screen this Holiday season.
• Learn some Filipino words.

Aaarrggghh!!! Sowweee!!! I was shivering while doing the recording because it’s soooo cold in my room… Brrrr!

OrangeinaPod #1: The Crappy Intro (July 12, 2006)

This is my very first podcast episode and it's really crappy, but that's how I got started in podcasting. I was able to dig through the Internet Archive (www.archive.org) and found out that the files are still alive. This was from 2 years ago, can't help but laugh and cry at the same time.



Episode 01 - The Crappy Intro
~ 16min 08sec
Originally posted on July 12, 2006
Total Downloads: 112

Show Notes

My very first episode... Just a jumble of stuff, sort of introduction to my podcast show.
A bit about Baguio (just a bit!)
About podcasts for first time listeners
John Ong's OnglinePodcast
Jessica Zafra is alive and blogging
The Internet is not just Friendster or porn

A Sucker for Anne Rice

It's very difficult to complete my Anne Rice collection. It was a challenge because I think I have a competition in book sales here in Baguio City, add to the fact that you would rarely find Anne Rice hardcovers on sale.

This one is the First edition of 'Lasher' (pub. 1993), which I got for a measly P75.00 from Booksale about a month ago.

Yesterday I was ecstatic to find hardcover editions of 'Merrick' and 'The Vampire Armand' on Booksale in SM at P275.oo each. So now I only need the following books to complete the collection.

• 'Blood Canticle' (The Vampire Chronicles)
  
• 'Vittorio the Vampire' (New Tales of the Vampire series)
• 'Feast of All Saints' (saw a paperback edition on sale near UB)
• 'Servant of the Bones'
• 'Christ the Lord: Road to Cana' (Anne Rice's latest book)

These books go directly to my Christmas Wishlist. If you know where I could find them, send me a message. Thank you.

Remembrance of Things Past 1

I remember this favorite snack from my childhood days. It's still around and now comes in JUMBO pack with jumbo chips inside! Yum! My niece seems to enjoy it.

India: Call Centers, Now the Moon

The call center industry may not be enough for the Indians. After dominating the BPO industry in the recent years, India would like a piece of the moon (or some of the business opportunities there).

Yesterday, October 22, India launched its first unmanned spacecraft, Chandrayaan-1, to orbit the moon to demonstrate their technological capacity and to potentially yield commercial gains for the country's space program. Scheduled to last two years, the mission intends to prepare a 3D atlas of the moon and scout for natural resources in the lunar surface. More importantly the voyage carries the Mini-SAR, a device that will look for ice deposits in the moon's polar regions.

Soon they'll be sending contact center agents up on the moon where they will receive 1-800 calls from Mars and the nearby planetary systems.

Photo: The launching of Chandrayaan-1 comes about a year after China’s first moon mission. (NY Times) Courtesy of Dibyangshu Sarkar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Pusakal

Found this stray cat looking for food in the terrace. Got her some pieces of white bread which she ate heartily. Now whenever she's hungry, she would appear in our front door. We named her Mao.

She would visit from time to time and would walk in the house for a grub. A week later Mao would come with 2 more pusakals. They don't usually stay long. I don't think Mao and the rest of the gang would like to move in the house, they're just there for the food. Although they would rub their bodies on the door jamb marking it with their scent. (Mao would rub his head on my legs and toes claiming me in her name.)

After their meals, they would immediately go downstairs. They're probably afraid because there are 3 scruffy dogs roaming around most of the time. It may take time for them to feel really at home in the vicinity, unless of course someone owns these pusakals.

Pusakal - n. Tagalog slang, 'PUSAng KALye' (street cat, stray cat)

Blast from the Past: Ongline #170

I remember this podcast by John Ong (www.onglinepodcast.com) where I promoted OrangeinaPod way back 2006. John was the one who encouraged me to come up with my own podcast and has been very supportive about it. I miss his quirkiness on the show.

Listen to the podcast episode - Ongline #170 Peacefully Unplugged Oliver’s Orange.

I will probably be re-uploading the 3 episodes of OrangeinaPod here for those who are curious about them. In the meantime listen to John Ong's quips while I mull over my 4th episode.

Quickie (Backtracking)

Oliver started a weekly podcast here at OrangeinaPod on July 2006 and has produced 3 episodes. The show stirred curiosity and soon attracted listeners from all over the world, the first ever Philippine podcast to talk openly about Filipino gay culture. It was groundbreaking, downloads reached over 100 a day -- a pretty high stat for a newborn podcast from a country where podcasting was still in its infancy.

One of the highlights of the show was his 'coming out' on the 3rd episode. Downloads reached to a high of 280 and messages of support came pouring in. Unfortunately, listeners never heard of him since. His long absence puzzled his listeners, the blog was never updated and eventually disappeared.

After two long years, Oliver is back. And he has a lot of explaining to do...

Support OrangeinaPod via PayPal

Thank you for choosing to support OrangeinaPod. Your contribution will be a great help in maintaining the production of the podcast episodes.

The Cheaper Pringles Tastes Like UGH! Yuck!

Have you seen the new Pringles in the supermarket? It’s cheaper and the can is smaller because it contains less chips, 120g to be exact compared to the old Pringles which is 163g.

This new Pringles is being produced and packed in a factory in Johor, Malaysia and it tastes like sh*t compared to the Pringles made in the USA. It has lost its taste. I like the American-made Pringles, because it’s thin and crunchy. The Malaysian version is thicker and mealy and it tastes like flour (like the Mr. Potato brand). I had 3 chips and I didn’t touch the damn thing again.

Apparently, Procter & Gamble officially entered the Malaysia market via the acquisition of Richardson Vicks. So expect cheaper but low-quality Olay, Rejoice, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, even Downy and Pampers products in the market soon.

Supermarkets are currently replacing their stocks of American Pringles with the yucky Malaysian ones. I suggest you don’t buy them. They’re not cheap. It seems like it, but you’re actually paying for lesser weight, lesser flavor, and low-grade potato chips. The American Pringles is more expensive by 18pesos. BUT they taste better. I’d rather pay extra 18pesos and enjoy my Pringles than pay for garbage.

Calling Procter and Gamble Philippines, please stop importing the Malaysian Pringles, we hate it.

(This article is by Oliver Twist of 96.7 K-Lite FM Baguio)

My Christmas Wishlist

Where to send the gifts? Email me at orangeinapod@gmail.com or send a meebo message, leave your contact no., let's meet and have coffee, my treat! :-)

The Worst Last Minute Christmas Gifts

It's always a stressful time hunting for Christmas gifts to give to friends and co-workers. Yeah, everyone wants to give cool gifts, but most of the time we're a little strapped for cash. And you know how malls are packed with people - crazy, hot-headed people, that is... Add to that the pressure of getting a gift that will make its recepient say "Wow! What a great present!" Even if we don't have the time to shop or we don't have enough money for that "WOW!" gift we can still find good bargains around.

But please, AVOID giving the following gifts for Christmas:

1. Scented candles - Unless your friend is a new age junkie and digs weird wicca stuff, scented candles are way UN-cool!
2. Bars of soap - we're not elementary students anymore doing the "exchange gift".
3. Exercise Videos or Diet Books - even if the package is cute and you mean well, it is impossible to give a gift of this kind without offending the receiver.
4. Ceramic Figurine - see #2
5. Face Towel - see #2
6. Cartoon Character Ties - what are you stuck in the 90s? Whoever still wears cartoon character ties should be shot... on the spot!
7. Photo Album - this is probably the worst of all... and that includes a photo frame. Burn whoever gives you a lousy photo album (or photo frame) this Christmas.
8. Socks - most people are happy to buy their own socks and would rather do so than receive them as a present.
9. Punch Bowl - who would use a punch bowl these days?
10. Ugly hand bags - why are they even made in the first place?

They all say, it's not about the gift, it's the thought that counts, right? WRONG! If you're giving horrible, tacky, and tasteless gifts for Christmas, that equates to THOUGHTLESSNESS on your part.

Oliver Twist on Radio!

I'm now on radio! Tune in on 96.7 K-Lite, the No. 1 Hit Music Station in Baguio City. I'm gonna be a semi-regular co-host of Dana Grey on Heart to Heart, weeknights, 7 to 9 in the evening. AND catch me on K-Lite Interactive with Hanna Grace, every Saturday 7 to 10 in the morning. AND I'm gonna be playing the Top 25 songs on The Weekend Countdown, right after K-Lite Interactive until 1 in the afternoon.

So, keep it right here on 96.7 K-Lite... the Official Radio Station of the Yuletide Season!