Would you like to plurk instead of twit or pownce or jaiku?

A blogger friend told me about another "free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send updates (otherwise known as plurks) through short messages or links". Messages "can be up to 140 text characters in length".

Accordingly, wikipedia says that plurk "updates are then shown on the user's home page using a time line which lists all the updates received in chronological order, and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them. Users can respond to other users' updates from their timeline through the Plurk.com website, by instant messaging", or by SMS messaging.

Furthermore, wiki says, PLURK stands for:

P eace
L ove
U nity
R espect
K arma

Here's more from wikipedia:

"Plurk was developed by and envisioned as a communication medium meant to form a balance between blogs and social networks, and between e-mail messaging and instant messaging. After months of development, Plurk was launched on May 2008".

The etymology of the name was explained by the developers as:

* abbreviation of 'people' and 'lurk'
* portmanteau of 'play' and 'work'
* acronym of peace, love, unity, respect, and karma
* verb neologism, similar to how Google was eventually used as a verb

I am inclined to try plurk.

My Valentines Day movie

I watched 'Body of Lies' as my Valentine Day movie. And I enjoyed it. Not only because it stars Leonardo Di Caprio, one of my favorite cinema artists but the story is so 'spy-sie' and yet relevantly true, vis-a-vis American political conduct in the Middle East. I also liked watching Persian born actress Golshifteh Farahani with Leonardo. There was chemistry between them, considering there were just a few scenes of them together. I also liked the fact that she reminds me of someoneI like very much as a person.

Body of Lies "is a 2008 American spy film based on the novel of the same name by David Ignatius about a CIA operative who goes to Jordan to track a high-ranking terrorist. The film is directed by Ridley Scott, director of American Gangster and Black Hawk Down, written by William Monahan, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Vince Colosimo, and Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani. Production took place in Washington D.C. and Morocco".

Somehow targetted to catch the attention of student viewers in the U.S., 'Body of Lies' was "pre-screened on September 30, 2008 at Michigan Technological University, and October 2, 2008 at the Duke University, New York Film Academy, University of Maryland and University of Virginia. It was also pre-screened on October 3rd, at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, at Michigan State University, at the University of Michigan, the University of Kansas, East Carolina University, and the University of Chicago on October 7th, and at Carnegie Mellon University, Cornell University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, The University at Buffalo, Columbia University, James Madison University, Syracuse University, the University of Colorado, the University of Washington, and Georgia Southern University on October 9th.

Thanks to this site for the photos.

Is Valentines Day actually a commercial crap invention?

Some hints of truth here. But don't get me wrong, I still am all for romance but it takes more than flowers, chocolates and material things to make a relationship work meaningfully.

Your Valentine's Day Personality is Practical

As far as you're concerned, Valentine's Day is simply a commercial holiday. You don't place any real meaning on it. You don't think it deserves too much celebration. For you, Valentine's Day is just the day you avoid restaurants and candy stores. If you love someone, you already show it. You don't need to go all out for a silly holiday to prove your love.

What's Your Valentine's Day Personality?

Something to reflect on

Something to think about:

"Depression is rage directed inwards." Words from Lorraine Bracco's character in the hit TV series, The Sopranos. Makes me think: Rage? Me? Could it be that I have an enormous amount of rage in my mind?

By the way, The Sopranos is a TV series that "revolves around mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads". The show is noted for TV writing that's "heavily symbolic and had large number of psychological, philosophical, social and political themes and motifs".

"Frequently criticized for allegedly perpetuating negative stereotypes about Italian Americans. In 2000, Essex County officials denied producers permission to film on county-owned property, arguing that the show depicts Italian Americans in a "less than favorable light.""The Sopranos is the most financially successful cable series in the history of television and has frequently been described by critics as one of the greatest television series of all time. The show has been credited for bringing a greater level of artistry to the television medium and paving the way for many successful drama series that followed. It has also won numerous awards, including twenty-one Emmys and five Golden Globes".

The Fool on the Hill

This post is dedicated to one of the best, if not the best entrecard dropper, ever for this blog.

Windmill on the Hill or Windmill, as he is also known is the man behind the "thousand voices talking perfectly loud". He thinks , "nobody ever hears him". On the contrary, it looks like he has gained so many blogging friends along the way. That sure includes me.

Thanks so much Windy.

My sincere appreciation Windmill on the hill!!!





I must not also forget to apologize for failing to return Windmill's daily drops. As previously mentioned somewhere in this blog, access to our computer has been deadly tough lately. Aside from that, it was nearly impossible to do ec dropping on this blog. Some technical issues I had with my ibanag in the city ec account got in the way. But since all these seem to have been resolved lately, I hope I will do better from now on.

Cheers!

And I really thought he was the real deal

In 2006, when my daughter was based in Jakarta, Indonesia, she spent her free time reading books that "helped her get educated in personal finances". I didn't know that she was reading Robert Kiyosaki, of the Rich Dad Poor Dad series. In fact, at about the same time a former colleague of mine, an IT expert, first mentioned it to me. That friend was all praises for Kiyosaki for all his practical advice on entrepreneurship. That was that.

Before proceeding to Singapore, where she is now based, my daughter decided to send back home her extra baggage. From the large pile of books, I found in her possession many, many books by Kiyosaki and loads of reading materials on 'financial freedom'. To make this story short, I read the Kiyosaki books until I was almost convinced. I thought about posting some of the more interesting information I got along my reading journey. As a final step, I decided to google Robert Kiyosaki. But, that's when my castles all got washed away by the waves, so to speak.

From Wikipedia, I found this about Kiyosaki.

Essentially, it said that "Robert Toru Kiyosaki (born April 8, 1947) is an investor, businessman, self-help author and motivational speaker. Kiyosaki is best known for his Rich Dad, Poor Dad series of motivational books and other material. He has written 15 books which combined have sold over 26 million copies. Although beginning as a self-publisher, he was subsequently published by Warner Books, a division of Hachette Book Group USA, currently his new books appear under the Rich Dad Press imprint. Three of his books, Rich Dad Poor Dad, Rich Dad's CASHFLOW Quadrant, and Rich Dad's Guide to Investing, have been on the top 10 best-seller lists simultaneously on The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and the New York Times. The book Rich Kid Smart Kid was published in 2001, with the intent to help parents teach their children financial concepts. He has created three "Cashflow" board and software games for adults and children and has a series of "Rich Dad" audio cassettes and disks".

Furthermore, he is a " fourth-generation Japanese American, was born in India and raised in Hawaii . He is the son of the late educator Ralph H. Kiyosaki (1919-1991). After graduating from Hilo High School, he attended the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in New York, graduating with the class of 1969 as a deck officer. He later served in the Marine Corps as a helicopter gunship pilot during the Vietnam War, where he was awarded the Air Medal. Kiyosaki left the Marine Corps in 1974 and got a job selling copy machines for the Xerox Corporation. In 1977, Kiyosaki started a company that brought to market the first nylon and Velcro "surfer" wallets. The company was moderately successful at first but eventually went bankrupt. In the early 1980s, Kiyosaki started a business that licensed T-shirts for Heavy metal rock bands. Around 1996–1997 he launched Cashflow Technologies, Inc. which operates and owns the Rich Dad (and Cashflow) brand".

Up to that point I was still okey, but Lo and Behold:

"Kiyosaki's books and teachings have been criticized for focusing on anecdotes and containing little in the way of concrete advice on how readers should proceed. Kiyosaki responds that his material is meant to be more of a motivational tool to get readers thinking about money, rather than a step by step guide to wealth. He also says the books are supposed to be "interesting" to people, which precludes involving a lot of technical material.

There is also disagreement over how blurred the line is between fiction and anecdote in many of his works. Critics believe that Rich Dad is fictional and that Kiyosaki created him as an author surrogate (a literary device). In the past, Kiyosaki has maintained that Rich Dad actually existed, but that he died decades before the book was first published. However, he has never revealed his name or any other identifying information. Attempts by outsiders to determine Rich Dad's identity have not revealed a conclusive candidate, despite the prominence such a wealthy individual would likely have had in Hawaii in the 1950s. However, in Why We Want You to Be Rich, the book he co-authored with Donald Trump, Kiyosaki positively asserts that Rich Dad really existed".

Oh well, these allegations perhaps are the reasons why my friend never brought up Kiyosaki's name to me again and why daughter never mentioned Kiyosaki as an author she read. AArrgghh!

Now, who will I read next for financial literacy advice?

The Youth Factor

Some of us are helping get this book called The Y Factor in the hands of as many individuals as possible. For those who may be interested in understanding the Filipino youth - why they act the way they do or why they seem to be so hooked on themselves first and look at others later, this book can serve as a road map to guide the way. If a son, a daughter, or a relative in your life is kind of acting differently at this time, wait no more, The Youth Factor may just help solve the puzzle.

Proceeds from all book sales will benefit the youth activities and programs of the Salesian Society of St John Bosco.

For sales inquiries, please email: youthfactorbooksales@gmail.com

Thank you.