Memories of Our Vacation to San Juan, Puerto Rico and Vicinity

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Will FaceBook Stocks be a Good Long Term Investments?

I am not a professional stock broker and my knowledge of the stock investment business is almost nil. But I believe it will not be a good investment long term. But short term and speculative investment, perhaps. The price started at $38 the other day. Today it increased to about 41 dollars, an increased of $3 just for one day. So, if you were able to purchase 1000 stock shares yesterday, you earned 3,000 dollars profit just for one day. Fantastic! The reason why I feel FB stocks will not be a good long term investment is because FB is just a social media site and not a diversified company. FB is just a fad and in the long term this fad will no longer be a fad especially if it start to charge it members a fee to join or used the site. I have a feeling that in the near future using FB will no longer be free. If this happens, people will lost interest. Allow me to cite some of the comments about FB in today's news. 3:02 p.m. AN HOUR TO GO :Facebook stock is trading at $39.02, up a little more than a buck. Volume just passed 450 million shares. It's another bleak day for the rest of the market, by the way. The Dow Jones industrial average appears headed for its 12th loss in the past 13 trading days. The Nasdaq composite, representing Facebook's stock exchange, is down 1 percent. 2:54 p.m. BUT SERIOUSLY, FOLKS: Twitter users are joking about the Facebook IPO. From Conan O'Brien: "Today, Facebook went public, just as MySpace's last user went private." And from the Twitter feed of the website Someecards: "My favorite Facebook public offerings are still your beach photos." _ Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer 2:29 p.m. WE ARE THE ONE-QUARTER PERCENT: Conversations about the Facebook IPO accounted for 0.25 percent of all online discussion during the first part of the workday, according to NM Incite, a company that tracks social media traffic. That may sound small, but it's an increase of 5,000 percent compared with the buzz about the Facebook IPO a month ago. It is also four times greater than the chatter for the LinkedIn IPO and 10 times greater than the Groupon IPO. _ Scott Mayerowitz, AP Business Writer 2:18 p.m. POP CULTURE: Francis Gaskins, president of IPOdesktop, a market research company, said that it wasn't a bad thing that Facebook didn't get a "pop" on its first day, similar to what happened during the 1990s dot-com frenzy. He said that most tech companies going public want a big rise in their debut to show they're "strong, dynamic companies standing out in the crowd" but that Facebook already has that image, and so may not care. Gaskins said that the banks taking Facebook public have learned from the IPOs of social media companies in the past year and are better able to gauge demand and supply for a new stock. He said a rise of 5 percent to 8 percent in this "tough market" is a success. Facebook stock is up 5.5 percent as volume approaches 400 million shares. _ Bernard Condon, AP Business Writer 2:13 p.m. ZUCK ON WHAT TODAY MEANS: CEO Mark Zuckerberg, speaking before he symbolically rang the opening bell for the Nasdaq from Menlo Park, Calif.: "Right now this all seems like a big deal. Going public is an important milestone in our history. But here's the thing: Our mission isn't to be a public company. Our mission is to make the world more open and connected. In the past eight years, all of you out there have built the largest community in the history of the world. You've done amazing things that we never would have dreamed of, and I can't wait to see what you guys all do going forward." 2:05 p.m. VITAL SIGNS: With two hours to go in the trading day, Facebook is at $40.50, or $2.50 higher than its offering price. Volume has just passed 380 million shares. By comparison, Bank of America, frequently the most active stock in the Standard & Poor's 500 index, has traded only 155 million shares today. The next most active stock in the S&P, JPMorgan Chase, is at 59 million. 1:47 p.m. UPDATE ON SOCIAL MEDIA STOCKS: Facebook stock is trading at about $41.25, a healthy gain of more than $3, but the gain is not translating to other social media companies, especially those with ties to Facebook. LinkedIn is down 3.3 percent, Groupon is down 6 percent, and Zynga, which is trading again, is down more than 8 percent. Bree Fowler, AP Business Writer 1:16 p.m. EXPERIENCING THE FACEBOOK IPO ON FACEBOOK: Facebook's IPO has Wall Street abuzz. But what about Facebook's 900 million users? Some were debating whether they should get in on the buying frenzy. Others were guessing the closing price. Several were lamenting that they hadn't thought to invent the social media site themselves. A few treated even the company like a person, congratulating it on the public offering as they might a friend on the birth of a child. "Hey Facebook! Have a good first day on the stock market," a swimming pool maintenance and repairman from Petaluma, Calif., wrote from a mobile device. Within two hours, eight other Facebook users had "liked" the post. Not all Facebook users were obsessed with the company's entrance to the stock market. The went along with their everyday lives, posting photos of drunken debauchery that they might one day regret, weighting in on the presidential election, celebrating Haitian flag day or just welcoming the start of the weekend. _ Scott Mayerowitz, AP Business Writer 1:05 p.m. NASDAQ ON THE DELAY: Seconds before noon, with demand for Facebook stock overwhelming, Nasdaq issued a message on one of its websites saying that it was "investigating an issue in delivering trade execution messages" from the Facebook IPO. Nasdaq initially planned the first trades of Facebook stock for 11 a.m., then 11:05 a.m. The stock opened at about 11:30. Facebook is trading at about $41, or $3 higher than its offering price. Volume is approaching 320 million shares traded. _ Tali Arbel, AP Business Writer A FUND MANAGER WEIGHS IN: Chris Brown, manager of the Pax World Balanced mutual fund, made a roughly $14 million investment when his $1.9 billion fund acquired private shares of Facebook on a secondary market before the IPO. As shares traded publicly for around $40 at midday Friday, Brown said the rise from the stock's $38 opening price was unsurprising. "Going into the IPO, there has been a lot of skepticism from investors, in particular institutional investors, questioning anything from whether the price of the stock is fair, to whether Facebook can successfully monetize and sell ads," he said. "We're long-term investors. It's nice to have the stock up for one day, but it's only one day. It's hard to extrapolate much as to the future of the company." In coming days, Brown expects plenty of ups and downs for the stock, as investors assess a company whose prospects are hard to pin down because of its evolving business model. "You're going to see obviously an extreme amount of volatility over the next week as people evaluate the stock," Brown said. _ Mark Jewell, AP Personal Finance Writer So, my dear readers, this is just my personal opinion. Buying stocks is just like gambling. Good luck to you. I hope you the best in your investment plans. As for me, I will wait until the buying frenzy is over. Perhaps, I will buy a small share as a short term investment so I can say I owned a piece of FB.

Overpopulation-Philippines Number 1 Problem in the next Decade

Last January, while doing our snowbirding sojourn in Marinduque, I was struck by the numerous children running in the streets both in town and in the rural areas during the weekends when there are no classes. I observed specially that there are more children in the rural areas than in the town proper. I commented to my wife that Filipinos main business is making children and if this continue, there will a time when the Philippines can not feed its population, resulting in discontent and malnutrition. I realize that birth control is not encourage by the Catholic Church and I believe this is the main reason for the problem. My observation was confirmed by a recent article published last April 25 on Financial Times in the Philippines titled “ South-east Asia Llama breaks into a Trot.” Here's a summary of the article. Since 2004, remittances have grown from $7bn-$8bn to $20bn, nearly 10 per cent of GDP. The fact that so many people need to work abroad is a sign of the economy’s inability to generate enough jobs. But remittances are serving a purpose and have held up well since the financial crisis. The Philippines is emerging as a solution to the labor shortages of mature economies the world over. First of all, the increased remittances by our overseas workers is a direct reflection of our country’s inability to employ its own people, which inexorably continues to worsen as an inevitable consequence of our population’s rapid growth. It is increasingly likely that overseas employment will dry up as a consequence of Peak Oil and the worsening global economy. Philippine call centers have grown exponentially, trumping those in India. Revenues from back office businesses have quintupled over six years from $2bn to $11bn.” What this really means is that Indian wages have improved to the point that we are now the world's cheapest English-speaking labor. The CIA World Fact Book (www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world -factbook/geos/rp.html) estimates that our population will be close to 104 million by July of this year. Our National Statistics Coordination Board (www.nscb.gov.ph/secstat/d_popnProj.asp) estimates our 2040 population at about 141,670,000. So over the next 28 years, we will have to generate food, clothing, employment and housing for another 37 million people. With regards to housing: Natural catastrophes are increasing in frequency for one simple reason: all the safe places for housing are already occupied, forcing our people to build in hazardous areas. Quoting a 2006 paper by Ando Siringan and Kevin Rodolfo: “The Philippine population, mostly residing on coastal plains, is squeezed, figuratively, between the two jaws of a vice: its own rapid growth, and the subsidence and flooding generated by its own use of groundwater...Subsidence and aggravated flooding from groundwater overuse share the root cause of many other Philippine problems. Along with increasing deforestation, soil erosion and lethal landslides, garbage, over-crowded classrooms, joblessness and, to the detriment of the Filipino family, the country’s increasing economic reliance on overseas workers, it stems from rapid population growth, with no consistent governmental policy to moderate it since 1969 (Acoseba, 2003a). From 1995–2000, the national population grew annually by 2.36% (National Statistics Commission, 2000). A formal Population Management Program,created by the government’s Commission on Population to develop measures for decreasing this growth, reported in a press release published in three parts (Acoseba, 2003a; 2003b; 2003c) that its recommendations were embodied in a Reproductive Health Care congressional bill. Largely because of concerns about abortion and contraception, that bill languished in committee for two years. It was supposed to be the prelude to a proposed Population and Development Act, but the president threatened to veto it in 2003 and offered no alternative means for managing population growth.” Do you agree with my assessment that overpopulation will be the Philippines number 1 problem in the next decade?

Are you Aging Gracefully?

I received this e-mail today. I do not know the author, but has been circulating in the Web. I can identify with the sentiments of this article. If you are retired this is a must read for you. If not passed it on to your older friends and relatives. An encouraging suggestion.....to share. Many people feel unhappy, health-wise and security-wise, after 60 years of age. Or 70! Or 75! Or whatever is your age now! Life can begin now, it is all in your hands! Many people feel unhappy, health-wise and security-wise, owing to the diminishing importance given to them and their opinions. But, it need not be so, if only we understand the basic principles of life and follow them. Here are ten encouraging thoughts to age gracefully and make life after retirement pleasant. 1. Never say I am ‘aged': There are three ages, chronological, biological, and psychological. The first is calculated based on our date of birth; the second is determined by the health conditions; the third is how old we feel we are. While we don't have control over the first, we can take care of our health with good diet, exercise and a cheerful attitude. A positive attitude and optimistic thinking can reverse the third age. 2. Health is wealth: If you really love your kith and kin, taking care of your health should be your priority. Thus, you will not be a burden to them. Have an annual health check-up and take the prescribed medicines regularly. Do take health insurance coverage. 3. Money is important: Money is essential for meeting the basic necessities of life, keeping good health and earning family respect and security. Don't spend beyond your means even for your children. You have lived for them all through. If your children are grateful and they will take care of you, you are blessed. But, never take it for granted. 4. Relaxation and recreation: The most relaxing and recreating forces are a healthy religious attitude, good sleep, music and laughter. Have faith in God, learn to sleep well, love good music and see the funny side of life. 5. Time is precious: It is almost like holding a horses' reins. When they are in your hands, you can control them. Imagine that every day you are born again. Yesterday is a cancelled check. Tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is ready cash - use it profitably. Live this moment; live it fully, now, in the present time. 6. Change is the only permanent thing: We should accept change - it is inevitable. The only way to make sense out of change is to join in the dance. Change has brought about many pleasant things. We should be happy that our children are blessed. 7. Enlightened selfishness: All of us are basically selfish. Whatever we do, we expect something in return. We should definitely be grateful to those who stood by us. But, our focus should be on the internal satisfaction and the happiness we derive by doing good for others, without expecting anything in return. Perform a random act of kindness daily. 8. Forget and forgive: Don't be bothered too much about others' mistakes. We are not spiritual enough to show our other cheek when we are slapped in one. But for the sake of our own health and happiness, let us forgive and forget them. Otherwise, we will be only increasing our blood pressure. 9. Everything has a purpose: Take life as it comes. Accept yourself as you are and also accept others for what they are. Everybody is unique and is right in his own way. 10. Overcome the fear of death: We all know that one day we have to leave this world. Still we are afraid of death. We think that our spouse and children will be unable to withstand our loss. But the truth is that your life on earth is not eternal, earth is not your home perpetually. Your love ones will miss you but the memories live on, you can be an example for them to carry on! Last but most important, you have a God who loves and cares for you! You have a future and a hope in Him....you have a choice...life can begin NOW..... So, are you aging gracefully or miserably?

Memories of Our Vacation to Aruba

On November 17 to 24, 2001, Macrine and I spent one week of fun, sun and casino gambling in the tropical island of Aruba. Again, this was through our International Interval Vacation Exchange Program. We stayed at the La Cabana Beach and Racquet Club in Oranjestad, Aruba. A casino was just about two blocks from our resort. Complimentary bus service to the Casino was available 24 hours at 30 minutes interval. Macrine and I had fun in the Casino playing the slot machines.

Oranjestad is the capital city of the island. Our son David III went with us, since we had a 2-bedroom suite. We drove around the island stopping at all the tourist attractions, seeing cactus and desert vegetations, windmills, lighthouses, rugged coastlines, natural rock bridges and an old chapel(Alta Vista). Another interesting
facts about Aruba are the presence of several modern Desalination Water Plants which convert salt water from the ocean to fresh water for drinking and household use.
Oranjestad, Capital City of Aruba

Aruba (pronounced /əˈruːbə/ ə-ROO-bə) is a 33km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27km north of the coast of Venezuela. Together with Bonaire and Curaçao, it forms a group referred to as the ABC islands of the Leeward Antilles, the southern island chain of the Lesser Antilles.

Aruba, which has no administrative subdivisions, is one of the four constituent countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands, together with the Netherlands, Curaçao, and Saint Maarten. Aruban citizens hold Dutch passports. Unlike much of the Caribbean region, Aruba has a dry climate and an arid, cactus-strewn landscape. This climate has helped tourism as visitors to the island can reliably expect warm, sunny weather. It has a land area of 193 square kilometres (75 sq mi) and is densely populated with its estimated 103,000 people. It lies outside the hurricane belt.



The last couple of years tourism has declined in Aruba due to the publicity of the murder /disappearance of Natalee Holloway, an American teenager visiting the island in 2005. The suspect, Joran Van Der Sloot, is presently in jail in Peru for the murder of a young Peruvian woman. The body of Natalie had never been recovered. In a recent news (11/1/10),the mother of missing American teenager Natalee Holloway spoke out for the first time about an alleged extortion attempt by Joran Van Der Sloot, the lead suspect in her daughter's disappearance, in which he offered to "bring Natalee" in exchange for $250,000.

"He was ready to tell the truth and lead me to the truth and lead me to Natalee's remains," Beth Twitty told Dutch reporter Peter De Vries in a new Dutch documentary.

Today, I have no desire to revisit Aruba for the above reason(safety of tourists).

The Next Survivor Season is now being Filmed in the Philippines

CBS Survivor TV show is one of my favorite TV reality show*. The latest Season Of Survivor ( One World) just concluded last week. The final five contestants were all women and of course the winner was a woman named Kim. I am looking forward for the next season this coming September which is now being film in the Philippines. Here's the official preview of Season 25 from You Tube. The exact location where Survivor is filmed in the Philippines is in Caramoan, Camarines Sur. IT is the Bicol region Of the Philippines and the nearest biggest city is Legaspi in Albay and nearest tourist attraction is the Mayon Volcano. Although I was born in the Philippines, I really do not know the Caramona vicinity so I did some web search and here is what I learned. Caramoan has been a favorite site for international franchises of Survivor. The place has hosted the Serbian version in two consecutive seasons. It has also hosted the Israel version of Survivor for two previous seasons. Israel has also planned to film their fifth season in Caramoan in 2011. Bulgarian Survivor also filmed their fourth season there in May to July 2009. Robinson 2010, the twelfth season of the Swedish version of the franchise, was also filmed in Caramoan from May to June 2010. The 8th season of Koh-Lanta (French edition of Survivor), was also shot entirely in Caramoan. TV director Corinne Vaillant, stated that "the powdery sand, the coconuts on Gota beach and the neighboring islets are a 'dream' for the French people. We chose Caramoan because it’s really wild. It’s necessary that contestants don’t see anything other than nature for them to believe that they’re really lost in the wilds.” The 25th and 26th seasons of the American version of Survivor is currently being filmed in 2012. * My other TV favorite shows are: Dancing with the Stars So you think You can Dance Amazing Race American Idol The Voice Desperate Housewives Revenge Celebrity Apprentice American Horror Story Glee Can you share with me your favorite TV show?