Dollar redesigned

One of the featured topics on yahoo today is about reinventing the US Dollar. Well, I thought that the dollar was going to get a real major overhaul, but it's actually still a concept/project from a non-government site run by Richard Smith called the Dollar ReDe$ign project. I'm not sure if it has gained enough steam for it to reach Pennsylvania Avenue but it has gained a pretty hefty following. Basically the site lets anybody submit their modern interpretation of the US dollar, and the entry with the most number of online votes cast wins a....limited edition t-shirt? Richard Smith could do better. But it's not as if the stakes are so high, so I guess a cool tshirt will do.

The designs range from fresh and modern, to humorous to downright stupid. And I have some samples here, taken from the site of course...


this is my favorite among the designs. it's clean, fresh streamlined and easy on the eyes. plus the vertical orientation makes it unconventional.


old and new coming together in this design also makes it a standout



BUT this next design has to take the cake for its humor value...



homey, ya betta have my dolla. hahahahaha!

and I have no idea why this next one is even included in the first place...


We have to give props the brains behind this whole scheme. What a way to rouse America from its gritty recession slumber.

Now if the Philippine peso would jump on the bandwagon, that would be interesting...

flimsy

our lives are built on flimsy strands.

i am unsure, stoic, hanging on by a thread with no reason either to hold on and to let go. i am hardly there. i am silent, unobstrusive, and a minute impasse in life's grand construction.

*****
Don't get me wrong, I'm not morose. Just doing something out of character for once. Let's pretend it's just the string talking. lol. i took this shot at the back of our house, which is still under construction. I can't wait for the big move this October - November!

Gooood lumpia

I confess, I'm a lumpia freak. Throw away that bag of potato chips, give me fried lumpia and I'm all good. These tender morsels of finely ground pork (or beef) are wrapped in a thin flour wrapper and deep fried, best served with a thick homemade sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and cornstarch. But bottled sweet and sour sauce will do. Here in Zamboanga, there are a few note worthy food joints that serve really tasty lumpiang shanghai. And out of the blue (and because I just ate lumpia a few hours ago), I decided to name my top 3



1. Lejan's Ice Cream House - they're not really known for their ice cream though. I love their fried lumpia and I think that's what keeps their business alive. Juicy meat-y heaven served with sweet and sour sauce.

2. Aristocrat Luncheonette - I just ate their lumpia over lunch with friends. The taste is similar to the Lejan's variety, but the latter just holds a place at the top.

3. My aunt's homemade variety - The word 'extremely ground' meat is the best way to describe my aunt's lumpia. She makes this for us during fiestas and birthdays and most of the time it's through an order basis. The homemade sauce works best with this one. Plus she adds shredded carrots to the filling!

So what makes a "good lumpia"? Well it's pretty simple. The wrapper shouldn't take up 80% of the lumpia. When you bite into it, you should really taste the well-seasoned meat, not the wrapper. The filling has to make a lasting impression. Lejan's takes the top spot for me because even if I haven't eaten there in a while, I could vividly remember how juicy and tasty the meat filling was. Hence, balancing the natural flavor of the meat with salt, pepper (and other stuff) is key.

forever yearbook-ed

remember my previous post where I poured out my heart and soul about my hopes and dreams for a good yearbook photo yada yada? Pffttt....well....



I have no idea what the hell I was doing in this shot but like my philosophy essays, I still hope for the best! :))

The shots were taken using my camera. I think it's pretty clear that a guy with a sound mind will never ever think of using this for his yearbook shot. It was good that the photographer was cool with us taking photos of ourselves while the shoot was ongoing, as long as we didn't steal his thunder by using the flash.

And I liked the college yearbook shoots way way waaaay more than my high school disaster shoot. There was professional equipment and everything. Thank god there's chance my high school yearbook won't get published, even after 5 years of waiting. haha