Cuties galore - a look at a viral post

I remember when i saw Beastmaster starring Marc Singer in the title role
my favorite guys were the little ferrets

so take a look at these ferrets

Read about the House Bill on new Philippine ID? What about the UMID ID?

New Philippine ID? i say what? again, please.
Wasnt all the fuss about the Unfied Multi-IDentification id?  the UMID id, remember?

Didnt everyone go through all the fuss of lining up again, some even looking a bit haggard but following directives ...... and orders, and complying.

here we go again, is that it?
or perhaps producing ids are a lucrative business......

PENSIONERS: Your pension account must contain only your pension

Some pensioners keep tons of money in their pension account.
First of all, i would like to suggest that your pension account be an ATM account, the easier to withdraw if you, as a pensioner, become incapacitated - for whatever reason.

make sure whoever you entrust your atm card with is a person of integrity. something that is in short supply these days.

did you know that SSS can get the monies in your pension account?
well, the institution can, so be alert.

better to keep a separate account where you accumulate your funds.
Just a suggestion.

Need smiles in this crazy world? take a look at some of these Viral post pics

cutsies  ---click here

grumpy cutsies --->  click here as well

more cutsies ------>  click


.............. made me smile .....

Here is a directed post to make you smile

i cannot help but smile when i see this cat ....... prancing
he is just the cutest cat ever .... see that reference horse - a photo in the olympics

click here to see the cat and to put a smile on your face

More on the SSS-PESO Fund --- here's the brochure

 Read about the SSS Provident Fund.
SSS calls it SPF, not to be confused with SPA.

.. as for me, i'm going for the Pag-ibig fund. why, there are less restrictions
to be frank with you, readers - the return is supposed to be greater under the SPF than Pag-ibig 2

SSS Media Advisory - passing it on to my readers ... a Help Desk

Museo Orlina at Tagaytay, Sunday - 17 May

Alice had been telling me about Museo Orlina located in Tagaytay for some time now.

And Reality came last Sunday, 17 May when we set off to finally take our look-see

A champagne "flute", designed by Orlina, owned by Lagdameo

at the lobby, other art works - Orlina in the video

lovebirds - Alice and Manny

Manny, in the lower grounds, admiring the Pilita art

Jhong

at Starbucks

King One Hot Pot - Saturday, 16 May 2015

I availed of one of these promo thingamabobs and bought 3 vouchers.

The place is on the second floor - right opposite chili's (a place i know very well as i love their fajitas), nice, relatively new and the staff are polite and courteous, and not just that, but eager to serve.  It was equipped with an elevator, which was a plus for me since i am disabled.  stairs can be difficult for me, particularly narrow, steep ones.

The winner in the appetizer section was the fresh ampalaya.  It had a dash of salt and garlic, some acetic acid (vinegar, that is).  The adobo eggs were alright but some were a tad burnt.  The tofu was fine, but my bro's fried tofu is much better.

We had a choice of soup, so we got the split version - but neither one satisfied me the way Luk Foo's soup did.  The viands were fine - the shrimps (my nephew who is allergic to shrimps was not with us) were small, but was okay.  The meats were not as interesting.

They were billed as the best hotpot.  not quite, not for me.
but it wasnt bad.

i'd have to vote Luk Foo still.
i must remember to eat at David's Tea House. I think i already forgot the taste - that is, if it is better than Luk Foo's or not.

An SSS information post - being passed to my readers for your edification

Bradley's Bulalo at Tagaytay, near the Rotonda

well, so we had bulalo at Bradley's.

so we had Bulalo.  which is really nothing but bone marrow, beef and some veggies
since bulalo soup normally cooks all day, it is usually ready when one does order
always good with patis, red sili (crushed for the spice), and the tartness of calamansi

we had 2 salads - ensaladang ampalaya -- which had too much water, and tamed the taste too much
the mango salad - which almost had the same ingredients - tomatoes, onions, and bagoong, of course

then for an ender - we had inihaw na pusit, not as good as Muang Thai's but it was ok

then we had a lively debate about the real-or-fake-sunflowers that served as decor
since they were very far, we werent quite sure.

i was sure i had seen real sunflowers even bigger than those
but was not quite sure if what was on display was on real

finally, we asked someone to go over and look

.... shhhhh. it was fake

May 10 - Mother's Day

We spent Mother's Day with Mama Orencia, the mother of our Sakonit friend and Sayans batchmate, Paeng Orencia.  She had just turned 99 last May 6 but their celebration was on the Sunday.

She was sitting in bed, having lunch when i arrived, my cake - i chose Chocolate Mousse from Red Ribbon because she wanted something soft, not so sweet - and that was the Mousse for me.

The food was good, as usual - but there was lechon this time, and maki. i liked the 2, and the shanghai.  The shanghai was thin but delicious. Nice for pika-pika.

I missed Tita Cherry, Tito Billy Abueva's wife.  She and Mama Orencia are best buds, but she wasnt there this time.  I figured Amihan was out of town.  Apparently Butch didnt have a driver for the today so he was home-locked, and i dont know where Jerry and Liza were.  Manny and Alice had just deplaned from Canada so i thought they wouldnt be able to make it.

So twas me, Joey Dumandan, and Dale Villamor who joined Paeng .........

Kickstarter's a SOLAR PUFF Lantern

It folds - and wow, solar powered

i love kickstarter projects.  if you have funds to burn, instead of just spending it all on recreational drugs or good times, spare a little for projects such as these.... and thus imagine dark places in the world lit with light, with your help - as you sit there enjoying your martini or your champagne and your canapes with Russian caviar


take a look at this WOW project by Kickstarter

SSS Advisory to Pensioners

Just keeping you abreast of news in the Social Security System

SSS Peso-Fund has started

Just wanted give a heads-up to members

The Peso-fund has started yesterday for some branches.  ASK TODAY.
Same rules.

HERE IS A COPY OF THE NEWS RELEASE;  with slight editing for readability purposes only

SSS voluntary provident fund opens enrollment

6 May 2015

SSS is now accepting enrollment applications for the Personal Equity and Savings Option (SSS-PESO) Fund program, a provident-fund scheme that aims to increase savings among SSS members, particularly for building their retirement fund.

The program is open to all members who are 54 years old and below, and have at least six consecutive contributions under the SSS regular program within the last 12 months prior to enrollment. The member’s effective date of membership commences at the month a contribution is first made to the SSS-PESO fund. “They can participate for an initial contribution of P1,000 with succeeding contributions of at least P1,000, in multiples of P100. An SSS-PESO member can contribute up to a maximum P100,000 per year,” SSS Vice President for Benefits Administration Division Agnes San Jose said. For the pilot implementation of the SSS-PESO Fund, interested members may apply at the following branches in the National Capital Region: Diliman, Cubao, San Francisco Del Monte, Pasig-Shaw, Mandaluyong, Taguig, Makati-Gil Puyat, Alabang, Legarda, Pasay-Roxas Boulevard. Members are required to personally appear before an SSS authorized representative to sign the accomplished forms for confirmation. “This procedure allows us to verify the authenticity of the document and the identity of the applicant,” San Jose explained. By September 2015, all SSS branches nationwide will accept applications to the SSS-PESO Fund. Eventually, enrollment may be done online through the My.SSS portal. The program’s guidelines which came out recently, stated that employed members, regardless of the amount of their current monthly contributions, could join the SSS-PESO Fund while self-employed, voluntary and OFW members should be paying the maximum SSS contribution to be able to contribute in the SSS-PESO Fund. The guidelines further explained that there has to be a corresponding SSS contribution on the month the member will make contributions to the SSS-PESO Fund account. Refunds, withdrawals or benefit claims will be credited to the member’s single savings or current account with an SSS depository bank. Early termination of membership is not allowed. In a previous statement, the SSS said members can enjoy higher return on their savings under the tax-free fund, which offers guaranteed earnings that are based on rates higher than those offered in a savings account or bank deposit. According to San Jose, SSS-PESO Fund contributions are invested in government securities to ensure safety and liquidity and are guaranteed to earn based on prevailing Treasury bill rates. SSS-PESO Fund savings are allocated to three accounts namely, retirement, medical, and general purpose, which covers education, housing, livelihood, and unemployment. Only the portions allotted for medical and general purpose can be withdrawn before the member’s date of retirement. A corresponding management fee will be charged for each SSS-PESO account while penalties will be charged for any withdrawals made before the fifth year of membership in the SSS-PESO Fund. SSS-PESO Fund members may also receive additional earnings depending on the actual income of the fund at the end of each year.

A Goodreads quote on Books, one of my favorite things!

Do you remember the movie, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

I remember that Elizabeth Taylor starred in that movie with Richard Burton, and i think she was nominated for an Oscar there (i have to google to know for sure) but if she was, indeed, she didnt win because i remember she got the Oscar for Butterfield 8, where she played a lady of the night.

Virginia Woolf is of course, an author.  And i liked this particular verse ...

Books are the mirrors of the soul. 

Virginia Woolf

May 4, 1928: On this day, Virginia Woolf declared she found her fame "vulgar and a nuisance."