Sunday, October 28, 2007
Week Past 10/22-10/28/07
We proceeded to Cal's afterwards and bought a concrete garden seat and a planter that are now being sold at 50% discount. The seat was heavy that I huffed and puffed transferring it from our car to the garden at the back of the house. That really woke me up. Then I noticed how scarlet red the leaves of the Red Japanese Maple has become that I took its pic (shown above). After a day or two the leaves were all gone. It was its last blaze of glory before dying or hibernating for the winter.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
"Week Past 10/15-10/21/07"
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Week Past 10/08-10/14/07
Its been a rainy week creating conditions ideal for fungi to fluorish. So Wed 10/10 as I was about to do my mowing I see these mushrooms thriving in our lawn. Edible? That would be incredible. Finally the mystery car that I wrote about last week is gone. I didn't notice the exact date when it was taken, hauled or towed. I just happened to look at that specific spot and voila something's missing...the car is gone.
Footnote...the housing slump is far from over. One observer said that there's still no light at the end of the tunnel. What is interesting is I read an article at TIME Magazine (I would like to thank my brother Jo for gifting me a 1-year? subscription) that from 1890 to 1990, with inflation factored in, housing prices hasn't change that much. It was pretty much on the same level. It was in 2000 to 2006 that there was a sudden increase. The middle income cannot cope with the price hence mortgage companies with the aid of investors offered sweet deals like no downpayment, interest only payment and what have you. All these in the impression that prices would continue to go up and buyers can sell for profit or refinance. It did not happen. Foreclosures became like an epidemic. The rich will just get richer. They are the ones with money to spare to take advantage of the glut and low prices in housing and properties. Buy now and sell later.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Week Past 10/01-10/07/07
Wed 10/03 woke up early. It's my day off so I can sleep over but I can't. So I took my camera and took an early walk by the lake. It was a nippy morning and the ducks were taking their early dip. After four straight days of overcast skies and intermittent rains the sun decided to show itself. Fall is here. Leaves are turning yellow, red, brown and falling. Very soon Haas Lake would be visible again from our living room. 
Walking back to the front of our house the car that's been parked in front of the vacant lot beside us for almost three weeks caught my attention. Since I had my camera I took its picture for whatever purpose. I call it the mystery car. No license plate front and back. I know that police cars patrol our neighborhood. I don't know if they took note of this dark blue Toyota Corolla.
This week
Sun, 10/07 W gave a treat to her staff from Arkansas who drove all the way to visit their co-workers and friends here in MN and join in the Saturday's pay-per view Pacquio fight party. So we had brunch at the clubhouse after mass. It's nice to know that Jerome and Tetch (4th and 5th from left) are expecting their first baby.
Sat 10/06 W and I were not able to attend the pay-per view Manny Pacquio's fight at the Custodio's in Rosemount. I did something dumb. I locked my car keys inside the trunk as I was about to go home. I told myself to unlock the car doors first but I was in a hurry to load the paper towel and bath tissue so I opened the trunk by remote. When I was done loading and shut the trunk lid I groped for the car keys in my pocket. Nada. All I could do was look at the closed trunk thinking of slamming my head into it. My plan of getting home quick to catch the 5:00 pm anticipated mass then proceed to George and Miki's house for the Pacquiao fight did not materialize. W brought my spare keys after trying that trick of using your other remote by phone to unlock the door. Since we're at Bloomington and will be a long drive going to Rosemount we decided to have dinner in the area. Finally I was able to try out the
Sun 09/30 W was watching the premier season episode of Desperate Housewives. She called my attention and said that the show took a potshot on our (Philippine) doctors. I don't have to elaborate what its all about since the article below that I copied and paste will tell all.
Malacañang, together with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Medical Association (PMA), yesterday expressed strong protest over an episode of the American TV series “Desperate Housewives” wherein one of the lead characters insulted Filipino doctors.
In a scene in the show’s Season 4 premier episode, actress Teri Hatcher’s character Susan Mayer said as she was being examined by a doctor: “Can I see those diplomas ‘coz I just want to make sure that they’re not from some med school in the Philippines.”
Malacañang said it will ask for an apology from the show’s producers for the “racial slur.”
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the TV show belittled the abilities of Filipino doctors and sent a message that Philippine medical schools produced “substandard, inferior” medical practitioners.
The demand for an apology was coursed through Philippine Consul General to Los Angeles Mary Jo Aragon, who wrote to the show’s producer, ABC Studios.
Aragon expressed in her letter the government’s displeasure over Hatcher’s remarks that “only served to create racial stereotypes.”
DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III and PMA spokesperson Dr. Bu Castro also found the dialogue highly deplorable.
“I find it very offensive especially after I watched it personally. It’s patently objectionable and derogatory. That’s really unacceptable for us,” Duque said.
He said he would immediately write the producer and director of the American show to manifest the country’s protest.
“They should apologize for a seemingly blanket statement that we all find very offensive. And I’d like to register that protest in behalf of all our Filipino doctors, not just in America but all over the world. There’s really no basis (for that dialogue),” he said.
Duque added that the show’s researchers are not good, as they did not know that “Filipino doctors are among the best in the world.”
“We’re one of the best and in fact we’re probably the second largest doctor-professionals in the US and many Americans have acknowledged in countless ways that our doctors are really very professional, competent and with excellent bedside manners and good rapport with patients and patients’ relatives,” he said.
Asked if such impression was a product of the leakage scandal that rocked the country’s nursing profession last year, Duque said, “That should not be the case because we’re talking here about doctors and not nurses.
“That comment came from ‘Desperate Housewives’ and as far as I’m concerned, Filipino doctors are not desperate doctors,” Duque said.
For Castro, the dialogue was “outrageous and offensive to the character and dignity of Filipino doctors.
“There are American citizens who are among our graduates. I don’t think they are trying to say that they are trash. That (comment) is totally misplaced,” Castro said.
Castro said he would write a letter of complaint not only to the producer and director of the show but also to the US agency regulating movie and television shows.
US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney, meanwhile, expressed “great respect” for Filipino doctors, nurses and other medical practitioners, contrary to the statement made in the US television series.
Kenney said she has not watched “Desperate Housewives” and could not give any comment about Hatcher’s dialogue.
“We all have great respect for Philippine health care, known throughout the world for their dedication and compassion,” said Kenney during her visit to Camp Crame in Quezon City.
When asked to elaborate, Kenney insisted that she has not seen the television show because she has been glued to Filipino channels since she was assigned here.
“You got much more information than I do, I watch Filipino TV. I haven’t heard the story. I don’t watch US TV here,” she said.
“Desperate Housewives” is an American television comedy-drama series produced by ABC Studios – the Walt Disney Company’s main television studio, and Cherry Productions.
Since its premiere in October 2004, the show has been well received by viewers as well as critics.
In April this year, “Desperate Housewives” was reported to be the most popular show in its demographic worldwide, with an estimated 115 to 119 million viewers. – With Michael Punongbayan, Cecille Suerte Felipe
