An old story that begins and ends with a washing machine
Posted on April 3, 2009 · 15 Comments
The washing machine’s busted, Speedy’s called a technician to look at it but we’re not really sure if it can be salvaged. It’s eight years old, worked to death, so there’s always that possibility that we may have to buy a new one. Major expense (that won’t translate to profits) in a global recession. These ... (more)
Do you know how much money your spouse makes?
Posted on January 31, 2009 · 29 Comments
It’s a question that was raised during a dinner get-together with girl friends from school. When I was asked I said, “Yes, of course,” but I should have qualified that. Of course, I know how much Speedy makes but not to the last centavo. Does he know how much I make? Yes, but not to ... (more)
The amero and the North American Union
Posted on November 13, 2008 · 4 Comments
(Today’s column) For about three weeks now, an e-mail about the collapse of the US economy before the summer of 2009 has been circulating. The text of the e-mail is a verbatim reproduction of a Web log entry by one Hal Turner who, until July of 2008, ran a donations-dependent Webcast show from his home ... (more)
So, how are you coping with the global financial crisis?
Posted on November 10, 2008 · 23 Comments
There was a time when domestic economic woes did not bother the chunk of the population that relies on dollar remittances from family members and relatives working abroad. Their only woes revolved around exchange rates, expired contracts and not much else. With the global financial crisis, relatives of overseas Filipino workers can no longer be ... (more)
Investing during an economic slump
Posted on October 13, 2008 · 30 Comments
I was reading an article by Alex Berenson titled “Those With a Sense of History May Find It’s Time to Invest” and it felt like déjà vu. We were on our way to Dapitan yesterday and we passed by an unfinished condominium project in San Juan. Huge project but it appeared abandoned. Speedy’s familiar with ... (more)
If you’re very hungry
Posted on October 9, 2008 · 14 Comments
EVEN if you’re very hungry… say, you haven’t eaten in two days… or say that, for medical reasons, you were prohibited from eating red meat for years and you’re just craving… Or, let’s just say you have a huge appetite… Can you finish a sandwich this big?
The photo above was an attachment in an e-mail sent by my brother-in-law, Sonny. It’s real, I tell you. It’s called the Quadruple Bypass Burger and you’ll find it in the menu of a restaurant in Chandler, Arizona, a hospital-themed joint where the waitresses are dressed like nurses. Well, kinda…
Buy Filipino
Posted on October 8, 2008 · 22 Comments
(Yesterday’s column. The photos do not appear on the print and online versions of Manila Standard Today.) Last Sunday, we visited the popular Market at the Hills along Temple Drive in Quezon City. Most of the stalls sold food but there was one, Bambuza, selling products made from bamboo and banana fiber. There were beautiful ... (more)
Fixation with milk
Posted on October 3, 2008 · 9 Comments
(Yesterday’s column) I found it strange that officials of the Health Department started checking if babies confined in hospitals with kidney ailments could be victims of the contaminated Sanlu milk from China. Sanlu milk was not exported to the Philippines. The accompanying statement of health officials clarified the issue with the admission that Sanlu milk ... (more)
Investment lessons
Posted on September 25, 2008 · 20 Comments
In the wake of the Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and AIG crises, when my brother-in-law, Buddy, and his girlfriend, Laura, came over for dinner last week, after-dinner conversation inevitably included issues about personal financial security. Most people find it strange that my husband and I never found it necessary to invest in those private health ... (more)
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