http://www.marketmanila.com A food blog that talks about food, produce, recipes, ingredients, restaurants and markets here in the Philippines and around the globe. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:41:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/the-jerk-magnet-strikes-again http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/the-jerk-magnet-strikes-again#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:32:22 +0000 Marketman http://www.marketmanila.com/?p=9529 The Intellectual Property Gods are at it again. Egging Marketman on, in yet another "jerk magnet" moment (a phrase coined by reader "Toping") of nearly incomprehensible coincidences. I arrived in Cebu a few hours ago and got to the office. After an hour or two, a call to the Zubuchon phone line is answered, and a lady from the Marriott Hotel in Cebu asks if we would be interested in participating in an organic weekend market in December. She is told to fax details. The fax arrives. And the event is sponsored by the "Ayala Business Club of Cebu" together with the Marriott Hotel. Pretty established names, I thought. And the market is called "simply organic weekend market." BUT wait a moment, look at their logo! Doesn't it look familiar? Are they kidding me? Shall I have lunch first before I give them a call and ask who designed their market logo? Yes, lunch first so I am less likely to bite someone's head off...]]> http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/the-jerk-magnet-strikes-again/feed 58 http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/125000-in-tips-for-a-six-day-trip http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/125000-in-tips-for-a-six-day-trip#comments Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:29:06 +0000 Marketman http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/125000-in-tips-for-a-six-day-trip And this is INDEED OUR tax money, as part of the OFFICIAL declared expenses of the recent GMA trip to Washington and New York. Apparently, according to data submitted to GMA News by Ms. Susanna Vargas, Malacanang's Deputy Executive Secretary for Administration and Finance, which was quoted in two GMAnews articles here and here, the Presidential Party spent a total of some $760,000+ for six days, and of that amount a whopping $125,000 was for tips, the expense of which is mostly or entirely not documented nor receipted. And now we know who was along for the ride. Allegedly, the "official party" included the President and husband, Senators Santiago and Lapid and House Speaker Nograles. Two palace officials and FIFTY, yes FIFTY support staff from the palace! And this DOES NOT include the 28 congressmen/women who probably found out after the fact that they better pay for their own expenses, as it was not something Malacanang was going to cover this time around... And no mention of the prominent businessmen who tagged along as they always do, presumably having paid their own way.]]> http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/125000-in-tips-for-a-six-day-trip/feed 70 http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/thank-you-power-mac http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/thank-you-power-mac#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:22:06 +0000 Marketman http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/thank-you-power-mac post. In fact, you have confirmed to me verbally and in a written email that my narration of the events was factually correct. In the same manner that staff from Apple's own call center likewise did after they spoke to staff of Power Mac. For those of you following this issue. I wrote a post about a service experience at Power Mac last week. At the time of writing the post, I had spoken with one member of Power Mac's staff (and had requested that I speak to her supervisor but was never patched through to him/her) and two members of Apple's "Singapore" call center. Shortly after I published the post, after a few readers had apparently passed the post to Power Mac management, a call from Power Mac's Technical Services Director was received at my home. I was out and by the time I had returned it was after office hours, thus I did not return the call. After checking my email, I received this:]]> http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/thank-you-power-mac/feed 54 http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/bobby-vans-le-cirque-wolfgangs-bouley http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/bobby-vans-le-cirque-wolfgangs-bouley#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:09:23 +0000 Marketman http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/bobby-vans-le-cirque-wolfgangs-bouley First there was the dinner on July 30, Thursday at Bobby Van's in Washington DC for 60-65 persons reportedly paid for by a large woman but which Congressman Suarez claimed he ultimately paid for. Then there was apparently a dinner at Le Cirque in New York for 20-30 people on July 31, 2009 Friday, paid for by Congressman Romualdez or his brother, depending on which report you read. Then on August 2 Sunday, after mass at St. Patrick's, some of the Presidential party had lunch at Wolfgang's on Park Avenue (reportedly confirmed by Ms. Villarosa according to television reports), with as yet unidentified person picking up the tab. Then again, another anniversary dinner on August 2, Sunday for roughly 40 persons (according to Congressman Mandanas) at Bouley in New York that lasted from 8pm to roughly 12 midnight. I have not heard any reports as to who paid the bill at Bouley.]]> http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/bobby-vans-le-cirque-wolfgangs-bouley/feed 46 http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/dont-send-me-ridiculous-emails http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/dont-send-me-ridiculous-emails#comments Sun, 16 Aug 2009 09:13:30 +0000 Marketman http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/dont-send-me-ridiculous-emails http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/dont-send-me-ridiculous-emails/feed 176