brain salad

Linking back and related entries

tabulas

For patron accounts, I've added one new feature: linkbacks. Any time a Tabulas user posts an entry that links to a particular entry of yours, you'll see it appear in the comment view of a page. This will help you discover who's talking about your entries on Tabulas, and it is a way to encourage you to link to other's posts as well!

I've also started processing Tabulas entries for the "Related" entries feature - for those of you who don't know, this is a magical feature which will try to find "related" entries that you've written. Sometimes it's accurate, sometimes it's not. But it's fun to see what entries will show up

Related entries are processed nightly, so you may have to wait a bit to get related entries. All patron account should have had their entries processed, though.

Posted by tabulas at 12:07 AM in General News | 4 ang pumalag

Paratang

kikomontesena

Nagtext ang ka-Lirang si Phillip Kimpo Jr. upang humingi ng tulong na ipakalat ang sipi mula sa artikulong lumabas sa phil star tungkol sa isang maling paratang sa kaniyang ama. Nasa baba ang isang bahagi ng kaniyang liham sa pahayagan at sa sumulat. Walang ibang nakakikilala sa pinanggalingang dugo kundi ang dugo niya mismo. Isang kahanga-hangang pagtatanggol ng anak sa ama:

For the record: my father NEVER received any bribe money for the "Alabang Boys" case. In fact, he has NEVER received any bribe money in his entire career. If he did, we would now be wallowing in wealth instead of driving an old car and renting an apartment unit. Kahit tingnan pa nila ang laman ng mga bank account namin, wala silang makikita. We have nothing to hide. Even my dad's fellow public servants at the DOJ know of his incorruptible character. While we haven't exactly lived a hand-to-mouth existence, we have followed a modest life all these years. It is very heart-wrenching to see all our sacrifices tarnished by false allegations. I never imagined that one day, I would be a writing a letter such as this. At the risk of getting soppy, there was a time in my childhood days when our apartment unit was the only one along the street that was lit by candles. (Unpaid electricity bills.) There was a time when we had to settle for Maggi-and-egg dinners, on loan from the nearby sari-sari store. Nililista lang, walang pambayad e. There was a time when my only entertainment were books and radyo-nobelas, because we had no money to fix or replace our broken TV. (Of course, these problems do not compare to the poverty experienced by millions of Filipinos, but these are problems you wouldn't expect to find in the homes of people of high position.) If my dad wanted to give me a more comfortable life through unethical deeds, he would've already done it back then. But he stuck to his principles, principles I dearly believe in and espouse through my literary works. Our financial situation only took a turn for the better when I became a scholar in the Philippine Science High School, which was followed by UP Diliman. The free tuition took a lot of the burden off the shoulders of my father. Even in UP, I worked as a Student Assistant, carrying computers despite my asthma, so I can chip in my meager Php 2,500 monthly salary to our finances. I am currently working at home as a freelance Internet writer while finishing my first book. Now, because I'm able to help with the bills, the belts around our waists aren't as tight as before...which is another reason why my father does not need extra money obtained deeply against his values. Who needs millions when you can have a peaceful, guilt-free life? We rent an apartment unit in Galas, Quezon City, and this is the only home I've known in my whole life. Our car is an old, dented, second-hand Mitsubishi Lancer whose headlights are nearly falling off their sockets and whose paint is cracked and flaking. We have stuck with this car because we don't have the luxury to buy a new one, and also because why would we? It's not a necessity to have a great car. Our old Lancer, while a tad embarrassing to ride in, suits our needs just fine. We don't feel the pressure to have a shiny model to park side by side with other government officials' more grandiose cars. (If you have doubts about this tale of mine, I will gladly meet you so I can 'tour' you around our apartment unit and show you our car. My contact details are at this letter's end. My main website is also there; my life is kind of an open book in my online journals.) To be honest, I am not expecting a response from you -- after all, who am I to elicit a reply from one of the country's top columnists? Still, I am hoping that my letter will somehow urge you to take a second look at your views upon the matter, and that you will share this with your many readers. Yes, people, there are honest prosecutors in the Philippines. Hopefully, your column will be a medium with which to spread that message. Sir, you too are a son like me, so you understand my pain and my personal intentions. As a journalist, you have championed the truth for years probably longer than my young lifetime. We are both writers. I was a campus journalist. I also believe in the truth, and I pray that it will come out soon so that my dad and I can go back to living a simple -- and quiet -- life. Thank you very much for your time. May God bless you.

Posted by kikomontesena at 07:30 PM | cge ikaw naman!!

Hit logging

One of the bigger complaints I've gotten about the control panel redesign is the lack of accurate hit logging. To that end, I've added back one of the more popular features for patron accounts: viewing your recent visitor traffic logs.

Because of server limitations, you can only view your last 72 hours worth of data, but the data it provides should give you a better idea of where your traffic is coming from.

Check it out in your control panel.

Posted by tabulas at 01:35 AM in General News | 3 ang pumalag

Dahil pasko naman

kikomontesena

Natividad
Ni Francisco Montesena



Umpisa ng paglalakbay,
Ginagalugad ang pook
kung saan ang katok
ay pagbubuksan.
Hinahanap, naghahanap
ng mapagpalang kandili,
ng kusang-loob na pagbibigay.

Hindi ito panghihingi,
Hindi pamamalimos.

Sa pamamaybay,
ilang pinto kaya
ang kusang magbubukas
kahit walang kumakatok?
O sadyang marami
ang nagpipinid ng sarili
sa dumarating na panauhin?

Hindi nakikilala
ang anyo ng bisita
sa tinis ng tinig at pagtawag.

Bigo man ang katugunan
Sa maraming pagkatok,
Sadyang mayroong mga humahawak
Sa butil na pag-asang
may nakalaang lunan
sa lahat ng paghahanap,
kahit pa sa munting sabsaban.

Posted by kikomontesena at 03:22 AM | cge ikaw naman!!

New gallery management in control panel

Hey everybody,

I've put the finishing touches on an update to the gallery in your control panel - I always felt the new gallery was more confusing than the old one.

This new one should be a lot simpler to use - and it will allow you to manage your images more efficiently (without having to edit each image individually!)

Please let me know if there are any problems.

I hope all of you are having a fantastic holidays.

- Roy

Posted by tabulas at 02:03 AM in General News | cge ikaw naman!!

Kagabi sa CCP

kikomontesena

isang masayang programa kagabi ang naidaos ng CCP sa launching ng Ani34. Maayos ko ring naitawid ang aking performance. Di kami nakakain ni Makoy dahil kami na ang susunod na magpeperform ng iaannounce ang break. Natutuwa akong nakita muli ang mga kaibigang sina Xam, Rhodge, Kris Berse, Sonny Sendon, Noahlyn Maranan, Gina Verdolaga at mga bagong kakilala.

kung nais makita ang ibang pic, punta lamang po sa blogsite ng kaibigang si rhodge sa -

http://ghv2.tabulas.com/

Posted by kikomontesena at 09:57 PM | cge ikaw naman!!

May tula

kikomontesena

Ang Ulyanin

Ni Francisco Arias Monteseña, 11/26/08

Marahil nais mo lamang makatiyak

Na matututo kami sa iyong mga yapak.

Kaming usbong ng iyong punla

ay walang layaw sa ugat.

Kaya’t paano hindi magbubunga

ng sugat ang mga butil na nagsanga

sa dulo ng iyong sinturon,

lumabay sa bigat ng iyong palad.

Sabi mo Itay, ang tagal mong naghintay

sa pagdating ng ani, at ngayong nangungulubot

na ang iyong balat, naghahangad ka

ng maringal na handa mula sa mga tanim.

Marahil kasama ng iyong pagiging ulyanin

ang katotohanang matagal nang nabulok

ang mga naitanim bago pa man

maitanghal ang iyong mga tagubilin.

Hindi tuluyang naibaon

ang iyong mga yapak,

kaya’t bula itong nasundan

ng mga ugat na walang nakapitang lupa.

Ilang kabilugan pa muli

bago ang ani at patuloy kang aasa

na may magbabalik

sa kung anumang iyong naihasik.

Sayang, dahil tuluyang nalilimot

ang anumang nilulumot.

Posted by kikomontesena at 08:16 PM | cge ikaw naman!!