It Lives!

My last blog entry was in March? Yikes!

So much has happened since then. Since Dee & I are sharing Facebook, I pretty much have no use for this blog. Although, I miss writing and putting my thoughts & opinions on "stuff".

In case you're wondering, life is great! God has blessed me & my family over the last few months. Despite my constant whining about my job, I continue to pray every day & thank God for this blessing. However, I am so ready to move on. I love what I do for a living - meeting key business owners in my area, closing deals, hearing success stories from my clients, etc. But, I hate my company. I've been with the San Francisco Chronicle for almost 10 years and I haven't seen it this bad. No one in management will ever take responsibility for the state of this sinking ship (reminds me of the Bush administration). While the guild members continue to make sacrifices, management has done zero to save the company. It's a shame!

Tomorrow's a big day for our kids. It's their first day of a new school year. They grow up so fast. Anthony is already in middle school, Jenny's turning 16 next month, and Shelby's going to high school next year. I look at our old photos and I'm amazed by how much they've changed (a 2006 photo). It's all good, though. They are great kids and I love them. We have our "insane" moments but that's part of parenthood.

Wow! I will be celebrating my 2-year anniversay in October. That went by fast. Married life, if centered around God, is truly an exciting, rewarding adventure. I'm blessed with a loving, caring wife - what more can a man need?

That's it for now, folks. You can always look me up on Facebook if you want instant updates. Maybe I'll start blogging again - if I lose my job, I'll have plenty of free time ...

Tidbits

Blog Killer
Facebook pretty much killed Blogger ... but I'm not giving up. I'll continue to write entries on this site until they completely shut it down. I don't know about you but I like writing "stuff" rather than inserting little bits of information or updates on social networking sites. Facebook is fun and all but it just lacks substance (the "meat & potatoes"). You really get to know more about people and about yourself through their words - writing. Ok, I admit that much of the content on my blog aren't "thought-provoking" or "cutting-edge" but it still serves as a window to my wonderful life. That's substance, baby!

Top 10 Films of 2008
Yeah, it's way late. I meant to post this the week of the Oscars but who really cares? Anyway, in case you're interested to what I thought were the best movies I saw last year, here it is:
10) Transsiberrian
9) In Bruges
8) Penelope
7) Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
6) Forgetting Sarah Marshall
5) Vantage Point
4) Ghost Town
3) Milk
2) Burn After Reading
1) The Dark Knight

Top 10 in Music of 2008
Same as above ... I'm way late on this. Does anybody really care about my taste in music? Yeah, some of you do. Admit it!
10) We Have Cause to be Uneasy - Wild Sweet Orange
9) "Single Ladies" Music Video by Beyonce
8) One Day As a Lion - Self-titled
7) "Paper Planes" by M.I.A.
6) The Rhumb Line - Ra Ra Riot
5) "Rise" by the Flobots
4) 19 - Adele
3) Juno Soundtrack
2) Vampire Weekend - Self-titled
1) Viva La Vida - Coldplay

U2
Speaking of music ... I guess I'm not a true fan 'cause "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" (get it?). No, seriously, I still haven't purchased the new U2 album. I've heard mixed reviews about the cd. However, there's only one opinion I truly value when it comes to the best band of all time - my cousin Mac's. If he liked it, then it's worth buying. Target, here I come ...

San Francisco Chronic-cle
Will the newspaper close or will someone save it? It's really too bad that this is happening now. I'm having 2 great sales months! It reminds of me Alanis Morisette's first lines in "Ironic".
"An Old Man Turned 98
He Won the Lottery
And Died the Next Day"
Yeah ... bummer!

I Love These Kids!

Dave Recommends:
DVD: Arrested Development Season 1
TV: Lost Season 5
In Theaters: Watchmen
Music: Grand - Matt & Kim
YouTube: "Yea Yeah" by Matt & Kim

Meet the Newest Malabuyo's ... Ryan Kelly & Rebekah Jasmin

CONGRATULATIONS TO DANIEL & LISA!!! Well done ... well done!

Everything's New

Yikes! I didn't realize that my last blog on here was about Christmas. It's a New Year for cyring out loud!

Well, it's 2009. We have a new president, a new cabinet, and hopefully a new outlook in our future. I do want to give a warning to people across our great country. Obama may be a brilliant man & he may ultimately save the economy & stop the war, but he's still not God. It's ok to think positive but let's not put all HOPE in our new president. Ultimately, God is in control ... let's not forget that. Like I told my Sunday school class this past week, "Let's invest & focus our hope in God for in the end we cannot take anyone or any material things with us when Christ returns."

Cheers to a new year & a NEW HOPE (cue the Star Wars theme)!

Our 2008 Video

Christmas 2008

Every Christmas day that passes feels different every year. Eventhough times are tough, the family still find ways to make it special. We've learned to be joyous & content with whatever blessings we receive ... and to tell you the truth, we received plenty this year! We will be always thankful to God for everything He has given us. It's true - we received GREAT gifts this year, but this is perhaps the first Christmas when we really made an effort to keep focused on what's important: remembering Jesus's birth, serving others, giving, and loving everyone. Yeah, everyday should be Christmas in our lives! The "giving" part of Christmas is definitely my favorite, especially with the kids. For the past few years, Christmas morning has become a true, memorable event in our household. It's the one time in the year, when I don't mind waking up at 5:00am.

Christmas 2008 Highlights:
- Christmas Candlelight Service - a yearly tradition at New Harbor Church
- Having morning coffee while watching the kids open their presents
- Garmin & iPod Touch - awesome gifts from my loving wife
- Two words: Sonic Firestorm
- Recieving a large box of Ferrero Rocher from Cat
- Lunch with the in-laws - always a pleasure
- Getting compliments for my garlic fried rice and pesto bread
- The Dark Knight
- Anthony's reaction in receiving a Wii as a gift
- Uncle Boyti's spicy, baked mussels
- Baby Tyler
- Receiving Christmas cards from family & friends
- Playing Santa for the very first time
- Being blessed with a wonderful wife & kids

Other New Photos:
- SF International Auto Show
- Christmas 2008: Part I
- Christmas 2008: Part II

Tidbits

Holidays
I wish everyone a very blessed & safe Christmas season. I hope that your days are not consumed with shopping and waiting in long lines at Best Buy or Target. I did my fair share of Christmas shopping over the past 2 weeks and I’m so glad it’s almost over. The strangest thing I saw during this season’s shopping experience was a lady purchasing $500 worth of gift cards at our local Safeway store – and, she paid cash. That’s a lot of gift cards! The saddest shopping story this year was hearing how a Walmart employee was trampled to death in New York on Black Friday. This was both sad & upsetting at the same time. I was so upset that I included this in my lesson during our middle school church discussion. That incident was so wrong on so many levels.

Lost in Lost & Loving It
Love it or hate it but Lost is one of the best, well-written TV shows ever! Yep, I’m saying it & declaring it. Except for The Office, it’s hard for me to be captivated and to keep watching a show week after week. Gone are the days of “must-see TV”. However, Lost just kept me wanting for more and more. Each season has gotten better and better. We are now starting Season 4 on DVD and we can’t wait to see what transpires. The whole family is hooked. We talk about the characters as if they were real people who are directly involved in our lives. It’s an awesome show! Get hooked on it. You won't regret it.

Same Old, Same Old
When did the Bay Area become such an embarrassment when it comes to our local sports teams? If it weren’t for the Sharks, we’d surely be in sports h*ll! What the heck happened? The Raiders are expected to suck every year … that’s a given, but the Warriors and the Niners? Yeah, these franchises have struggled in the past few years but this was supposed to be a year for improvements and promise. And don’t even get me started with the A’s & Giants! If the Tampa Bay Rays got to the World Series, why can’t our bigger franchises bring a winning team to the Bay Area – a top 5 market in the country? Unbelievable!

Dave Recommends:
DVD: Leatherheads, Sicko, Lost (Season 3)
CD: The Rhumb Line – Ra Ra Riot
YouTube: Grizzly Ride on November 2, 2008
Online Video: SNL’s “Lazy Sunday”

Post-Election Thoughts

This past election was the biggest political event I’ve ever been a part of. I was too young to partake in the Philippines’ People’s Power Revolution back in 1986 but I remember seeing on t.v. the joy and the elation when normal, everyday citizens took the government back by overthrowing a ruthless dictator. Obama’s victory last Tuesday reminded me of that moment. It felt like the whole country won that night! I cannot recall such jubilation all across the country through a political victory.

It’s no surprise why Obama won. In these times of economic turmoil & war, Americans needed hope and a Kennedy-like spirit that would uplift the country. Obama was that guy. While I stand by what I said that either McCain or Obama would have been a vast improvement from Bush, I always believed in my heart that Obama was the better candidate of the two. He has a better economic plan, a more positive outlook on education & the war, and he believes in universal healthcare.

Obama will not perform any miracles. Nope. He won’t turn water in to wine or part the waters of Lake Tahoe or walk on water. He’s not Christ … sorry to disappoint the loyal Obmanists. Rebuilding the country will take more than 1 term or even more than 2. The economy has peaks and valleys and America has dug itself in to a giant crater deep within that valley. The president-elect will have a tough uphill climb during the next 4 years. What can we do to help? Act, spend, and think more wisely. We can point fingers at everybody with what happened with the economy – taking loans we couldn’t possibly afford. We all need to take responsibility for the war in Iraq – for believing whatever our government told us & not questioning their motives. We all need to look in the mirror when it came to frivolous spending – buying overpriced, named-brand products made from overseas while American manufacturers go bankrupt (not to mention supporting companies that ship jobs overseas). We should have demanded for affordable healthcare a long time ago – aren’t we commanded to help those who have the least among us? Have we forgotten the story of the Good Samaritan? Americans need to be smarter and actually do some research before we elect our public officials – corruption & sex scandals should not be a part of the political mainstream or for any mainstream for that matter. We need to start taking care of our environment and start investing on energy-efficient vehicles, and stop buying ridiculously large, gas-guzzling S.U.V.’s.

Barrack Obama cannot resurrect this country on his own. We all need to work together. Partisanship needs to end. Whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, it doesn’t matter. May these last 8 years of dysfunction, disunity, and ignorance be a reminder of “what not to do”. Let’s pray for all our leaders and let’s embrace hope, not in Obama or any political party, but in God.