On Why I Am Thankful

In light of the tragedy at the Ayala Center yesterday, I wanted to reconsider today's post. It was an email I posted at the ThankYou.ph website but thought it would be inappropriate. Upon careful consideration, I decided to continue. There is no less reason for us to be thankful today. We need to be so now, more than ever.

I AM THANKFUL



For the WIFE

who says it's hotdogs tonight,

because she is home with me,

and not out with someone else.



For the HUSBAND

who is on the sofa

being a couch potato,

because he is home with me

and not out at the bars.



For the TEENAGER

who is complaining about doing dishes

because it means she is at home,

not on the streets.



For the TAXES I PAY

because it means

I am employed.



For the MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY

because it means

I have been surrounded by friends.



For the CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG

because it means

I have enough to eat.



For MY SHADOW that watches me work

because it means

I am out in the sunshine.



For A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING,

WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING,

AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING

because it means

I have a home.



For all the COMPLAINING

I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT

because it means

we have freedom of speech.



For the PARKING SPOT I FIND

AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT

because it means

I am capable of walking

and have been blessed with transportation.



For my HUGE HEATING BILL

because it means

I am warm.



For the LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH

WHO SINGS OFF KEY

because it means

I can hear.



For the PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING

because it means

I have clothes to wear.



For WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES

AT THE END OF THE DAY

because it means

I have been capable of working hard.



For the ALARM THAT GOES OFF

IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS

because it means

I AM ALIVE.



And finally, for TOO MUCH E-MAIL

because it means

I have friends who are thinking of me.



- email from Zoyx

On WD-40 and Duct Tape

I went to the hardware shop today (among other things) and picked up a can of WD-40. The wet and muggy weather has left most of our padlocks and doorknobs in a semi-permanent state of "locked."

I remember my cousin Zoyx' email awhile back extolling the virtue of this product. I'm sharing!

I thought that you might like to know more about this well-known WD-40 product. When you read the "shower door" part, try it. It's the first thing that has cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stovetop... Viola! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed.

The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a "Water Displacement" compound.

They were successful with the Fortieth formulation, thus WD-40

The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect their Atlas missile parts. The workers were so pleased with the product they began smuggling (also known as "shrinkage" or "stealing") it out to use at home.

The executives decided there might be a consumer market for it and put it in aerosol cans. The rest is history. It is a carefully guarded recipe known only to four people. One of them is the "brew master." There are about 2.5 million gallons of the stuff manufactured each year. It gets its distinctive smell from a fragrance that is added to the brew. Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.

Here are a few of the 1000's of uses:

• Protects silver from tarnishing
• Cleans and lubricates guitar strings
• Gets oil spots off concrete driveways
• Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery
• Keeps flies off cows
• Restores and cleans chalkboards
• Removes lipstick stains
• Loosens stubborn zippers
• Untangles jewelry chains
• Removes stains from stainless steel sinks
• Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill
• Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing
• Removes tomato stains from clothing
• Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots
• Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors
• Keeps scissors working smoothly
• Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes
• Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide
• Lubricates gear shift and mower - deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers
• Rids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises
• Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open
• Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close
• Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards and vinyl bumpers
• Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles
• Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans
• Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons and bicycles for easy handling
• Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly
• Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools
• Removes splattered grease on stove
• Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging
• Lubricates prosthetic limbs
• Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell)
• Removes all traces of duct tape
• I have even heard of folks spraying it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
• Florida's favorite use was "cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers
• The favorite use in the state of New York WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
• WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. It's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
• Keeps away chiggers on the kids
• Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately, and stops the itch.
• WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
• Also, if you've discovered that you have washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is gone!
• If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start. (If I knew what a distributor cap was, it might help)
• WD-40, long known for its ability to remove leftover tape smunges (sticky label tape), is also a lovely perfume and air freshener! Sprayed liberally on every hinge in the house, it leaves that distinctive clean fresh scent for up to two days!
• Seriously though, it removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
• Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
  

According to the Urban Legends Reference Pages, they wrote to the manufacturer and showed the original email. The Customer Service Department revised the list, removing uses they don't recommend. See the modified list here. Even the Reader's Digest, in its RD Living Section devoted an article to WD-40 under the heading "Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things."

Another email from Zoyx had another interesting reference to this wonder product.

Sometimes, we need to remember what the rules of life really are. You only need two tools: WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

On The Barong Tagalog

Source: farm1.static.flickr.com

I feel so bitin that I wasn't able to make a commentary/summation at the end of my last post. But as my brain won't cooperate, I'll post an email from my cousin "Zoyx the Great" instead. Although it touches on Filipino dress, it has a message that can be applied in these contemporary times. However, I don't know what the message is yet:) Go figure:

During the Spanish occupation of the Philippines (over 300 years from 1561-1889) the barong tagalog was required by the Spanish government for Filipinos (Indios) to be worn at most times to show the difference between the rich and the poor. The poor who serve the rich must always be in uniform.

Source: www.filipinoheritage.com

Take their chauffeurs, maids, and employees as examples. They are in uniform to immediately distinguish them from the employers. When the Spaniards colonized the Filipinos, they had to make it abundantly clear who the boss was through the imposition of a dress code. Men were not allowed to tuck their shirttails in. That was the mark of his inferior status.

Second, the cloth material should be transparent so that he could not conceal any weapon that could be used against the masters. Third, as a precaution on thievery, pockets are not allowed on the shirt.

By the turn of the century a new middle class began to emerge among the Filipinos. These were known as the principalia. They have mastered Spanish laws and were able to obtain title to lands. They became successful in business and agriculture and sent their sons to be educated abroad. They were privileged to build their houses in the poblacion around the plaza near the seats of power.

Only a member of the principalia could be addressed by the title DON, and only they were allowed to vote. They had all the trappings of power and status, but for one undeniable fact: they still had to wear their shirttails out, if only to remind them that they were still Indios.

What the Spanish authorities did not smother out was the Filipino's will power and determination to psychologically conquer their colonial masters, through improvisation and reinterpretation. The Filipino's stylistic bongga (flashy dresser) was a reaction against the overt discrimination and insensitive oppression of the Spaniards.

For example, Filipinos were forbidden to use imported silk and fabrics for their Barong, so they ingeniously used pineapple leaves to weave the piña and jusi cloth of the barong, turning the outfit into such delicate material, of luminous silky rich mixture much finer than silk. And to add insult to injury, they hand-embroidered the front with such exquisite abandon: Calado and hand-work all over. Palgrave, the ethnographer noted, "The Capitan's shirt was the native barong, of fine and delicate fiber, embroidered and frilled; it was light and cool and not tucked in the trousers". (Corpuz, 74)

The Barong Tagalog gained its power, prestige, and status when President Quezon, the first Filipino president, declared it the National dress. The status of the lowly inferior Barong thus became another symbol of Filipinos' resistance to colonization.

Source: www.mybarong2.com

After World War II, Philippine presidents began wearing the Barong Tagalog at their installation into office and on every formal state occasion. In contemporary times, the Barong Tagalog is the power dress.

As an abogado de campanilla, you cannot afford not to wear the Barong Tagalog when arguing a case in Philippine courts.

Source: pmindia.nic.in

Today, every visitor and foreign dignitary invited to a Malacañang Palace state function must, by necessity, and dictated by protocol, be dressed to the nines in a Barong Tagalog. The invitations specifically say come in "Barong" instead of the traditional "Coat and Tie". Thus, every one invited to dinner at the Presidential Palace and in many Filipino homes will unknowingly and unwittingly have to experience directly, what it feels to have to wear his shirttails out, to suffer the indignity of having the material of his barong transparent so that he can not conceal any weapon; and horrors, to be accused directly of incipient thievery by having no pockets in his barong to put the silver.

So, when El Señor Spanish Ambassador is invited to a state dinner, you can say, "Ah, what sweet revenge!" It makes you a little bit more proud of your self and your heritage while wearing it.

Blogger's Note: Source of the article above is unknown. I have used minimum, mainly typographic editing.