OFF-THE-AIR

Former Pangasinan Gov. Oscar Orbos today laughed off reports that he had asked Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Generoso Senga to withdraw his support from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as part of the effort to stage a coup attempt last month.

“Allegedly, I talked to General Senga. Then, maybe they should ask General Senga. I have not talked to any general or to any active member so maybe, they should ask him, not me,” said Orbos, who was in Dagupan City as guest speaker of the E-Best Economic Forum.

An Inquirer report yesterday (March 12) quoted a former Arroyo official as saying Orbos and former Executive Secretary Renato De Villa “talked” to Senga about withdrawing support from Ms. Arroyo.

“I have not talked to any general or to any active member so maybe, they should ask him, not me. I have not talked to General Senga,” Orbos said.

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It was Simon who invited me to BlogMad. And it was a good thing I accepted the invitation because through BlogMad, I was introduced to different blogs, whose owners have signed up to the blogging community.

Aside, of course, from accumulating credits by surfing other blogs, member bloggers who are doing the same get to see your blog, registering a unique hit and increasing your traffic in the process.

But more than just surfing to be surfed in return, the added benefits one gets by surfing are the valuable information in the other blogs. For instance, I never knew that the much-talked about Origami is a Microsoft product, which is actually a small PC. I have often mistook it for the medicinal plant oregano. They almost sound the same, don’t they?

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After three months, the Pangasinan provincial government is finally taking a decisive action against the owner of the barge that spilled some 300 metric tons of coal in the waters off the coastal village of Macaboboni in Agno town.

Last Friday, provincial administrator Virgilio Solis has given the Malabon-based Asian Shipping Lines ten days to remove its 900-foot landing craft transport Aisner from the area or face legal action.

The barge was on its way to the Philippine National Oil Company in San Fernando City, La Union from Semirara, Antique to deliver 4,500 metric tons of coal when strong waves forced it to a coralline area of the Agno Bay and got stuck there.

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Someone e-mailed me the following article and I find it cute and entertaining, I hope you will enjoy reading it, too.

If your name begins with A

You are not particularly romantic, but you are interested in action.You mean business. With you, what you se e is what you get.You have no patience for flirting and can’t be bothered with someone who is trying to be coy, cute, demure, and subtly enticing. You are an up-front person. You ofte n don’t get hints & you ever pass any. Brains turn you on. You must feel that your partner is intellectually stimulating, otherwise you will find it difficult to sustain the relationship. You require loving, cuddling, wining, and dining to know that you’re being appreciated. Your mate’s physical attractiveness is important for you. You tend to be very Practical, & not very emotional Your choices are very good & can only lead to trouble. You are very self satisfied & egoistic.

If your name begins with B

You give off vibes of lazy sensuality. You enjoy being romanced, wined, and dined. You are very happy to receive gifts as an expression of the affection of your lover. You want to be pampered and know how to pamper your mate. You are private in your expression of endearments, and particular when it comes to love. You will hold off until everything meets with your approval. You can control your appetite & feelings. You require new sensations and experiences. You are willing to experiment.

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The first time I applied for a journalist visa, I wasn’t able to get one — although I was given a B1/B2 visa, the one we often call now as tourist visa.

Since what was given me was a three-month single entry visa, I had to apply for another one when I had to go back to Seattle the following year for another coverage. Again, despite telling the consul at that time that I was going to the US for a press coverage, I was issued a B1/B2, but this time, it was one-year multiple entry visa.

I really didn’t care whether what I got was a B1/B2 or journalist visa, as long as I would be allowed entry into the US. When I arreived at the Seattle-Tacoma airport, the immigration officer there asked me the usual what’s-the-purpose-of-your-trip question. And when I answered I was there for a press coverage, he gave me a hard look and at the visa stamp in my passport. Then he asked me, “Did you tell that when you applied for your visa?”

He let me in.

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Will Speaker Jose de Venecia survive his political battle next year against another Big Brother in Pangasinan’s fourth district?

This is the most asked question in Pangasinan now as Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim continues to position himself as De Venecia’s opponent in the congressional race next year.

Lim, himself a fourth district congressman from 1998 to 2001, has called himself as “your Big Brother” in a radio plug for this year’s Bangus Festival. De Venecia was also identified as Big Brother to his five Left-leaning “housemates” by allowing them to take refuge at the Speaker’s Office at the House of Representatives building to avoid arrest.

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Remember the day Gov. Victor Agbayani’s head was substituted with that of Mayor Nani Braganza’s in a newspaper photo? Well, the story has not ended yet. Apparently, Nani Braganza was the last to know about it after some of his staff in Alaminos City hall informed him about it. Furious and obviously embarrassed, he immediately ordered that the newspaper clipping posted in a bulletin board near his office be removed.

I have also been informed that Malacanang have come to know about it. The first thing the people there did was to review all the video and photos taken during the PRISAA opening in Lingayen and they did not find any footage or still photograph where Nani Braganza was seated beside the President. It will be very interesting to know what Malacanang will do next.

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A friend gave me a copy of the following prayer, which has been circulated among the Catholic faithfuls belonging to the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese headed by Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz.

Oh God, bless this nation in crisis.
Heal our country’s wounds.
Unite the Silent Majority who long for truth, justice, and peace.
Grant us the power and wisdom to fight for the common welfare.
Help us seal the door where evil dwells.
May light, love and grace restore God’s plan for us.
Amen.

Did you know that the 12th most popular blog in the world as ranked by Technorati is owned by a Pinay? Yes, it’s owned by Michelle Malkin. As of this posting Technorati has listed 42,345 links to Michelle’s blog from 6,852 sites.

According to Wikipedia, an online free encyclopedia, Michelle was born Michelle Maglalang to Filipino-American parents Dr. Apolo and Rafaela Maglalang in Philadelphia.

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I haven’t seen Kanor for a long time. No, not even now that he’s dead. I’m too weak and sad to see him lying in his coffin.

I first got to know Kanor as one of the good players of his basketball team, The Juggernauts. He was quite chubby then, but he moved fast and swift. He was a natural team player, without realizing then perhaps that winning a game depends so much on how it is played; on how each team member works together to win.

He did not know me then because as a teener of his age at that time, I was just at the sidelines, watching. But our paths would cross years later when both of us would be involved in a national campaign against the Marcos dictatorship. He was in Manila; I was in Baguio. We met in Villasis when at the height of the campaign, we organized the Villasis Youth Circle, together with other progressive young Villasinians.

In the years that followed our friendship grew stronger, bound by a common cause and ideology for the common good; for the people’s liberation from poverty and political repression.

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