Radiant View

Rodel Rodis. Myrna Lim. Paul Fong. Otto Lee. Ash Kalra. Kalvin Gill. David Canepa. Hermy Almonte. Noelani Sallings. Ed Balico. Don Kuehne.

Time to rock the vote!!! Truly, every vote counts!

I’ve listed some of these wonderful people who are running for public office in the San Francisco Greater Bay Area! Some of them are my friends who actively sought my support and who I’ve worked with (and I asked them more than 20 questions, of course!) Some are people I have watched and admired through the years. Others are members of the multi-ethnic coalition that helped FilAmSODC at Northside Community Center through thick-and-thin (thanks to Ben Menor’s introduction to the likes of community leaders, Mohinder Mann and Annie Dandavati) in San Jose, CA…

You will see some of them in the KGO’s NextGenPolitics.com’s political coverage videos. Feel feel to browse!

Here they are!

Rodel Rodis, in his re-election bid for Board of Trustees of City College of San Francisco, is largely instrumental in proving that Filipino Americans have made a mark in the development and expansion of one of the top 10 educational institutions in the US. There’s an interesting column that he wrote here: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/mindfeeds/mindfeeds/view/20081022-167811/Boss-Dalys-revenge (check out his blog at http://Rodel50.Blogspot.com).

Myrna Lim (running for Board of Supervisors, District 11, in San Francisco, see http://myrnalim.com/).

Paul Fong , Democrat candidate for California’s 22nd State Assembly District in Santa Clara County; a member of the strongest multi-ethnic coalitions I’ve ever volunteered in (see http://PaulFong.org/).

Otto Lee , current mayor of Sunnyvale who is preparing for a run-off elections for a seat at the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and who is well-known for his astute managerial style and diplomacy. He is one of the multi-ethnic coalition members who I admire and respect. (see http://www.ottolee.org/).

Ash Kalra , running for City Council of San Jose, whose opponent just recently endorsed him; He is one of the first multi-ethnic coalition members I met many years ago — and I am so happy to see him manifesting his intention; (see http://www.ashkalra.com/).

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Filed under: Talk Story (a.k.a. "blog") on October 26th, 2008 | 9,029 Views :: No Comments »

To All Velosos:

You are heartily invited to attend the Veloso Reunion on Saturday, December 13, 2008 at the Hacienda Verde Clubhouse in Tacloban City from 7 A.M. up. Lunch, merienda and dinner will be served.

Kindly inform all Velosos you have contact with. Also, please tell all those who have not received this email to contact me at butchveloso@yahoo.com or to text me at +63 928 520 5150.

See you there!

Best regards,

Butch Veloso
President
Veloso Foundation, Inc.

LORNA’S NOTES:

The following photos and text are taken from http://haciendaverde.com.ph/.

HOW TO GET THERE

FEATURES AND AMENITIES

* Just 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) south of Tacloban City
* Minutes away from Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport and San Juanico Bridge
* Gated Community
* 24-Hour Security
* Swimming pool with wading area and children’s area
* Clubhouse with function room
* Provision for gym and coffee shop
* Outdoor courts for basketball, badminton, volleyball or tennis
* Outdoor patio seating

Filed under: Event Calendar on October 23rd, 2008 | 1,286 Views :: No Comments »

Just so you know… I’m looking for someone to volunteer in helping me update the Filipino Calendar. In the meantime, I’m summarizing the projects and events I’m involved with — as well as my friends’ special offers and invitations. It’s a way of mutually helping each other out through viral marketing and online community relations. You can also check out Events and Projects I’m Working On for more details.

My Diabetes Life Notes blog, which is my personal adversaria on “Living and Eating Well with Diabetes Type 2,” has some new postings. You might want to check out my progress as I include more vegetarian and vegan food choices in my lifestyle.

Calling all Crustacean dining aficionados! I received an e-mail from Chito Desuasido about ALIMANGO Restaurant, that just had its soft opening on Easter Sunday. Here’s my posting about Alimango Restaurant. Let’s check it out.

Get your FREE Chill! Berry frozen yogurt coupon here, courtesy of Manuel Ramirez of Lollicup Tea Zone in San Jose, CA. Good until October 2008.

FilipinaImages.com — an advocacy blog and news portal that I co-founded together with my sister, Noemi Dado, and our friend, Dine Racoma — helped out with the Women’s History Month’s “Filipina Stories” writing contest. wikiPilipinas.org is the primary organizer. The winning entries have been released so check them out here. We invite everyone to join us in this worthy campaign of “Reshaping the Filipina Image Online.”

The Filipino and Filipino-Fusion Dining Guide: You can send me your food reviews and recommendations. Gratis et amore!

KabariNews.com is growing in leaps and bounds as THE leading Indonesian-owned print and digital publication (in Bahasa and English) — with a goal of strengthening the connections among Indonesians in America with Indonesian-based Indonesians. If you want to reach out to these Indonesians, please contact me at LornaDietz@gmail.com.

Mark your calendars for the Veloso Clan Reunion, organized by the Veloso Foundation of the Philippines, on Saturday, December 13, 2008 in Tacloban City, Philippines at the Hacienda Verde Clubhouse from 7 A.M. up. Lunch, merienda and dinner will be served. Contact Butch Veloso at butchveloso@yahoo.com or to text him at +63 928 520 5150. If you are from the United States and you would like to avail of the cheapest internet airfares for this reunion, go to Book Your Travel Online at RadiantView.com. Follow the instructions! Otherwise, email me at RadiantView@gmail.com.

Mark your calendars for the 2009 University of the Philippines in America (UPAAA) Grand Reunion and Convention, “Building Bridges to the Future. Uniting Alumni for Excellence & Service,” on Sept. 4 to Sept. 6, 2009 Washington DC, venue to be announced. Get your updates at the UPAA website. For more information about corporate sponsorships and exhibitors, contact Dr. Francis S. Sy, UPAA President, at SYF@mail.nih.gov. Jubilarians are urged to register early and contact the Jubilarian Committee for special instructions. Please contact Emmy Ceguerra at Ceguerra@comcast.net /Terri Magdongon at tmagdongon@aol.com.

Let’s keep the UP Spirit alive! Join us in this grand reunion organized every two years. Meet fellow alumni from all UP campuses and colleges. Enjoy three days of camaraderie, fun, and sharing interdisciplinary perspectives on various important topics. Dr. Emerlinda Roman, UP President, will be the keynote speaker.

Jubilarians to be honored: Graduates of 1984-1985 (Silver), 1979-1980 (Pearl), 1974-1975 (Coral), 1969-1970 (Ruby), 1964-1965 (Sapphire), 1959-1960 (Gold), 1954-1955 (Emerald), 1949-1950 and earlier classes (Diamond).

Filed under: Event Calendar, Marketing & Public Relations on October 22nd, 2008 | 679 Views :: No Comments »

Hi, I’m Lorna Dietz, a Filipina American. You can now BOOK YOUR TRAVEL ONLINE here at my blog-website, www.RadiantView.com. Possibly the cheapest internet airfares to the Philippines and Beyond Asia! View Lorna Lardizabal Dietz’s profile
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Filed under: Business Connections on October 22nd, 2008 | 1,336 Views :: No Comments »

My heavy travel schedule is such that I have learned how to pack everything inside my Samsonite laptop bag and a duffel bag good for a week or two. Here are some videos I collected that gives practical packing tips for travellers. I follow some of these tips, believe it or not. Here’s the best tip I got from a book: To prevent static from your clothes, bring some of your clothes dryer sheets like Bounce with Febreze. Rub them lightly over your clothes when you are dressing up! Oila, no more static clinging to your body!

If you plan to travel to the US, always check TSA.gov for carry-on luggage packing tips. That 1 quart ziploc bag comes in handy even if you travel to other countries.

For the Blackberry 8830 World Edition users, being able to use your phone as a modem so you don’t have to rely on WIFI — this is the way to go! I used this during my travel to the Netherlands and I was the envy of international travelers at Schiphol Airport.

How to Pack for Vacation : How to Pack a Carry-On Bag From Expert Village. Embedding isn’t allowed so just click on the video.

How To Pack Everything For Your Vacation Into a Carry-on

Girls Gone Styled Ep. 6: How To Pack Like A Fashionista

From PackingLight.com

Think You Know How To Pack A Suitcase?

Ginny McGrath is challenged by a hotel concierge who’s an expert on travelling light.

Virtual Valet - How to Pack a Bag from Esquire Magazine

Filed under: Travel Blog on October 22nd, 2008 | 542 Views :: No Comments »

A couple of months ago, my nephew (the son of my late brother, Reuben Lardizabal), Jose Daniel (or Dan), and I were chatting via yahoo messenger about Timothy Ferriss. Dan was quite enthused about “The 4-Hour WorkWeek” by Timothy Ferriss, explaining to me about some of the principles that he learned from the book. I finally got the chance to buy my own book last Saturday while waiting for my plane at the San Francisco International Airport. What I didn’t expect was this book would become my “sanity companion” during the more-than-24-hours I waited for my plane.

It is 2008 — and Timothy Ferriss is only 31 years old and living the life of the New Rich (or RH, as he calls it). I have finished half of the book and I am convinced that he has given my right brain some of the answers I have been looking for.

For instance, I am a slave to my e-mails, responding to them promptly. Nothing wrong with that except that by 5:00 p.m., I realize that I haven’t finished my priorities of the day because I was so involved and dedicated in answering my e-mails. I also check my blackberry once every few minutes. With some of Tim’s sage advice, I have resolved to free up my time so I can work on the more productive activities in my life that provide abundance. This means that I’ve resolved to dedicate two time slots, one in the morning, and one in the late afternoon, to answering all my e-mails. So, if you hear me saying “No!” more often when I would normally say “yes,” please don’t take it personally. I want to be able to be of service to many people who deserve my talents and skills BUT I have to take better care of myself first.

I’m still finishing this book — which really speaks a language I understand. I’m more forgiving now since I haven’t beaten myself up for all the unproductive mistakes I’ve made in my life. “Focus on the critical few,” Timothy Ferriss says.

Here are some videos I found about Timothy Ferriss. I can really see that he is truly living the life of “The New Rich.” We can then compare notes when you read his book and apply some of the principles he believes in.

From masterlock77 at YouTube.com, showing the highlights of The 4-Hour WorkWeek program:

From masterlock77 at Youtube.com, at a press meeting:

From masterlock77 at YouTube.com, from a TV interview:

Tim Ferriss and a sample of his lifestyle: Surviving a Physical Attack: Chokes

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Filed under: Talk Story (a.k.a. "blog") on October 20th, 2008 | 606 Views :: No Comments »

Thank you for the prayers! What a roller-coaster ride it has been these past five years — with many lessons learned and true friendships cherished… Greg B. Macabenta, veteran journalist and publisher/editor-in-chief of Ang Panahon and Filipinas Magazine, who witnessed Ben Menor’s September 18 sentencing, wrote this special news article. To contact Greg, email him at GregMacabenta@hotmail.com.

The much-awaited verdict on the three cases filed against San Jose, California community leader, Ben Menor, which was to have been handed down on September 18, was moved back to October 9, following an agreement between the District Attorney’s Office and Menor’s counsel, Charles Hendrickson of the Public Defender’s Office, before Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Ray E. Cunningham, that Menor would plead No Contest to one charge, while the two other cases would be dismissed.

The postponement was because the Department of Probation was not prepared to present the necessary documents that would have facilitated the immediate resolution of the cases.

According to Hendrickson, in a briefing to media after the proceedings, the dismissal of two of the three cases against Menor had earlier been offered by the DA’s office on condition of payment of restitution of $46,862 and of Menor pleading No Contest to the charge of making a false statement on a financial report.

At the September 18 court appearance, Menor’s counsel informed Judge Cunningham that a payment of $51,000 had already been made to Santa Clara County by Menor, thus satisfying the first condition. Other fees and charges account for the excess payment.

Hendrickson further explained to the media that the No Contest plea would result in the charge being reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, with no jail term, and in its being immediately expunged. Based on the provisions of Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code, that would amount to a dismissal of the case.

“In effect,” said Hendrickson, “it would be as if the case were just being initiated and the defendant were to enter a plea of not guilty.”

The cases against Menor were filed by the City of San Jose based on allegations that Menor, as President and CEO of the Filipino-American Senior Opportunities Development Council and Executive Director of the Jacinto Tony Siquig Northside Community Center, had used funds and facilities of the City and of the center for unauthorized and illegal purposes, and that he had submitted false financial reports concerning payment of services rendered by the center.

One of the charges was for grand theft, allegedly because Menor had used City and center funds for the August 2002 national conference of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), a national organization of which Menor is a member. The other charge, also for grand theft, alleged that Menor had arranged for services that benefited his parents at the expense of the center.

Based on the evidence at hand, the District Attorney’s office offered to have the two grand theft cases dismissed, provided that Menor paid restitution amounting to around $14,000 for the case involving NaFFAA and around $32,000 for the case involving his parents, or a total of $46,862.

The other condition was for Menor to plead No Contest to the third case, which alleged that Menor had unlawfully over-charged the city for services rendered to the center’s clients. An uncertain reading and interpretation of the rules on charging for services may have been the reason for the agreement to reduce the charges from a felony to a misdemeanor and its immediate expunging from the court records.

The Jacinto Tony Siquig Northside Community Center, on North 6th Street in San Jose, is a 16,500 square ft. facility consisting of the center itself and an apartment for senior housing. It serves all ethnicities, although up to 80 percent of beneficiaries are of Filipino descent.

Menor led the efforts to raise the money - totaling $8 million for the center and $17 million for the senior housing - from grants from the City of San Jose, Santa Clara County, the state of California and other sources, including funds made possible by the Community Reinvestment Act. Construction of the facility began in 2001. It was inaugurated in 2003.

Menor had been connected with the Filipino-American Senior Opportunities Development Council since 1993. He left in 2006 when the charges against him were filed.

-30-

Filed under: Communications, Non-Profit Connections on September 19th, 2008 | 7,245 Views :: No Comments »

Thank you, Robbie Fabian, for introducing me to Sanny Leviste. He has truly been like a slightly-older brother who keeps me on my toes with his intellectually-stimulating activities and sense of humor (he’s become my favorite pun-ologist, someone who likes to pun). From being a champion of the fisher-folk and environmental concerns to dabbling in politics (yeah, Mario Leviste did run for the Philippine Senate, and at that time, he was the youngest to do so), Sanny doesn’t miss a beat working both his left and right brains in his purpose-driven life. La Salle and Ateneo found a brother who chose not to engage in traditional college rivalry. Although he focuses on programs at Heartbridge International Foundation, Sanny finds the time to appreciate nature through his photography. I have many of his nature shots on file, with permission to use them whenever I need them. Recently, he used infrared photography to record his journey to Yosemite Valley. So, here it is.

Filed under: Talk Story (a.k.a. "blog"), Travel Blog on September 18th, 2008 | 137 Views :: No Comments »

The staff members at the Philippine Consul General’s Office in San Francisco are very good in making sure that the Filipino American media is updated with consulate-supported events and activities. Consul General Marciano Paynor (an adopted son of Cebu) wanted to be sure I would be at one of the latest media briefings but I am so sorry, Amba, I was stuck somewhere in San Jose, wilting under the Indian Summer’s rays of the sun, yet engaged in an interesting conversation with Jasjeet Singh of World Sikh News and Amritsar Times… Surely, as a community publicist (ok, a volunteer community publicist who takes the time to promote non-profit projects that make the Filipino community proud, yehey!), I would keep hearing about really awesome undertakings that we have been waiting for in the past three years — or so.

Yesterday, I received an email from an old friend.

Hi Lorna!!

How have you been?? Hope all is well with you and your family. Im writing you from Manila. You must have heard about the soon-to-open new California Academy of Science at the Golden Gate Park featuring the Philippine Coral Reef as its permanent exhibit. Malou Babilonia heads the Filam Focus Group which supports it and Im in the Steering Committee with Tita M, Voltaire Guingab, Susan Po- Rufino, Nenuca Ortigas and others. Would you please help us spread the word about this great Philippine pride by forwarding these articles to your million and one Filam contacts and the movers and shakers from the East Coast to the West? Let me know of your great help so I can update Malou and the Focus group about your valued assistance which will surely make a lot of difference. Will forward you succeeding press releases as well. Can I count on you, my dear Lorna?
Thanks and best regards!! Celia

Celia C. Cuasay

So, Celia, here it is… Let’s start with a press release that you sent me. I can’t wait to see the wonderful photos!

SAN FRANCISCO — The world’s deepest living coral reef exhibit opens at the new California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park on September 27, 2008. The Philippine Coral Reef Exhibit, in a 212,000-gallon aquarium tank, will be home to a variety of soft and hard corals, black-tipped reef sharks, rays, and more than 4,000 reef fishes that are native to the Philippines. Visitors will be able to view the reef and its inhabitants from the surface as well as from five different underwater windows.

The Academy chose to feature a Philippine coral reef because the reef systems in the Philippines are among the most diverse in the world. Despite their global importance, most people on the planet have never seen a living reef. With the opening of the new Academy building, over a million visitors a year will be able to experience the splendor of a living Philippine coral reef and learn what they can do to help save coral reefs around the world.

With a 40-year history of research in the Philippines, resulting in the discovery of dozens of new animal species and publication of a comprehensive guidebook to Indo-Pacific invertebrates, the Academy is partnering with local education and conservation groups, such as Pusod, a non-governmental organization based in the Philippines and Berkeley, whose mission is to preserve and enhance the ecosystems of the Philippines and show their significance to the world.

Both organizations are committed to scientific, educational, and outreach efforts regarding the coral reefs of the Philippines. These efforts will be targeted toward the Filipino community in the Bay Area and abroad, fostering their appreciation for and personal connection to one of the world’s critical biodiversity hotspots.

According to Dr. Terry Gosliner, Senior Curator at the Academy, “Our goal to reach a broad and diverse audience is the reason we have this wonderful evolution of interaction with Pusod and the Filipino community.”

The Academy and Pusod have organized a group of San Francisco Bay Area Filipino Americans to generate interest and excitement about the exhibit, and to get the Filipino community involved. The group, Reaching out through Environmental Education to Filipinos (REEF), has a marketing team that has been aggressively promoting the exhibit to different sectors of the Filipino community. Recently, it participated in the Pistahan parade in San Francisco with a marine-themed float.

Dr. Meg Burke, the Academy’s Director of Education, comments that it is wonderful how the Filipino community has been so cooperative and excited about the Philippine Coral Reef Exhibit. She says she is overwhelmed by how much support the Academy has received from the Filipino community in making the exhibit a spectacular possibility.

“Because the Philippines has more marine biodiversity than anywhere else in the world,” says Malou Babilonia, Pusod Founder and Trustee, “the Filipino community needs to take action in any way to protect, preserve and enhance our marine environments. It is so important that Filipinos everywhere immerse themselves in the Philippine Coral Reef Exhibit at the Academy.”

For information: www.pusod.org/reef
Send inquiries to: reef.project@yahoo.com

Filed under: Event Calendar, Non-Profit Connections on September 9th, 2008 | 223 Views :: No Comments »

July 25, 2008

Introduction:

I have kept quiet for so long because I believe that the “sacred scales of justice” will allow truth to prevail in the cases against Ben Menor and the Filipino American Senior Opportunities Development Council Inc.’s Board of Directors (a.k.a. FilAmSODC).

As a former staff member and consultant of FilAmSODC, Inc./JTS Northside Community Center, I was there when the storm (that eventually resulted in the Ben Menor and FilAmSODC legal cases) started actively brewing and I was there when the Friends of JTS Northside Community Center, led by Mohinder Mann and Annie Dandavati, supported the fight to retain its deserving Filipino management in 2005-2006. Since FilAmSODC had been serving Filipino and Indo-American communities — with plans to serve other ethnic groups in San Jose — the multi-ethnic coalition (that I love and support) headed by these Friends was a constant inspiration to the senior citizens, the youth, and other stakeholders served by the center. Recently, I came across the myspace.com website of the Mabuhay Cultural Club of Independence High School, wherein the young members honor Ben Menor as one of their heroes. Rodel Rodis wrote about these Filipino CRABS in 2004 (who started it all!) — which, of course, the latter used to spin and brand themselves “The Silicon Valley CRABS.”

What I am writing here today is a continuation of my PERSONAL INSIGHTS AND THOUGHTS which started with the Flames of Consciousness and A Perspective on Filipino Consciousness at the NaFFAA Y2K2 Empowerment Conference in 2002. I had also celebrated my employment with a story in my column at Manila Bulletin USA in August of 2003, “Filipino Consciousness at Work.”

The Stimulant:

Yesterday, I checked in by phone with Ben Menor since I wanted to know what happened to his “sentencing” date in court on July 24, 2008. The judge gave him an extension of 30 days to come up with the balance of the required restitution. Ben told me that he had raised over 50% of the required restitution. That was good news.

Later on last night, I found out that Joseph Lariosa, a supposedly credible Filipino American journalist based in Chicago, had written an article about Ben Menor’s day in court. Ben shared with me that Joseph had indeed asked him for his comments or Ben’s lawyers’ comments BUT before the lawyers could respond, Joseph e-mailed him with his published news story and wrote Ben, “Please let me know if you have problem accessing it. Please let me know also if there is any correction to be made.”

The Response:

Duh, what would my fellow media practitioners say about this?

Here’s what I’m thinking. “Really, Mr. Lariosa! How interesting it is that you couldn’t wait for any corrections (or fact checking) BEFORE sending your supposed credible article for publication. You are just as bad as Bobby Reyes of MabuhayRadio.com, who I do not support and who I have publicly denounced as a NON-journalist.”

Joseph Lariosa’s article about Ben Menor’s case today is INCORRECT, MISLEADING, AND DECEIVING.
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Filed under: Writings and Musings on July 25th, 2008 | 771 Views :: No Comments »