Got this via email and I’ve personally tried it… works…
//
Plate Verification… important when police questions you
Something handy to keep in your phone . . . .
This is information about the REGISTRATION of any of your vehicles, whether it is filed genuinely at any LTO Office or not.
There are CHECKPOINTS nowadays and some unscrupulous policemen will tell you that your CAR REGISTRATION is not duly registered even if you show the OFFICIAL RECEIPT-LTO CAR REGISTRATION. The policeman will tell you that it is either tampered or fake and you have no choice but to deal with the extortion…
On your cellphone text this message:
LTOspaceVEHICLEspaceXXX000
XXX000 stands for your vehicle’s PLATE NUMBER ( Philippines )
i.e. LTO VEHICLE ABC123
SEND to 2600 and wait for auto-generated reply then save to your phone.
(An amount of P2.50 or P2.00 will be charged when you send to 2600)
A reply message from 2600 will inform you the following about the plate number:
Car Plate:
Model:
Year:
Color:
Date of Last Registered:
LTO Apprehension: if any
LTO Alarm: if any
If there is a problem in CHECKPOINTS, just show this text message to the police officer in charge.
This text message from 2600 is also very important when buying an old and very cheap used car.
This will also be useful when you are following a car with a doubtful car plate no.
And lastly, when you register your car at any LTO Office try to check this out whether your car is genuinely registered or a tampered or fake OR was issued to you by an unscrupulous LTO employee or fixer.
PS. Save or print this for your reference… and email this to your friends.
Plagiarism, as defined in the 1995 Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary, is the “use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work.”
I never thought it would happen to me… I’ve been plagiarized!!! Although they say that to be copied is the highest form of flattery, stealing and posting it as your own is crossing the line!
I found out through a friend that there was another video of manta’s spotted at Mainit… but he also mentioned that the video looked very familiar – like our manta experience in Palau…
I went to YouTube to investigate and was shocked… it was quite obvious that portions of my video had been copied and inserted into his… all without permission.
Actually, I was corrected by another friend… my video wasn’t plagiarized, IT WAS STOLEN!!! I couldn’t agree more… I guess I got side-tracked by “representation of them as one’s own original work.” Unfortunately, since the video has been deleted, there’s no way for you to view it… I guess I should have downloaded the video. Fortunately, I was able to make screen captures of both sites side-by-side… below are 3 shots – click on the thumbnails for a bigger view:
Screen Capture 01
Screen Capture 02
Screen Capture 03
Click here to check out the video of the manta’s at Mainit I took earlier this month.
Mainit Point (southernmost point of Calumpan Peninsula) is a 4-star dive site favored by seasoned divers in the Anilao area. Recently, it has been deluged by divers due the presence of Manta Ray’s.
It was a weekend that will surely be remembered for a long time. Needless to say, I am referring to last weekend’s dive. Like all dive weekends, I always look forward to the adventure. There is always something new to see, experience and enjoy. And as it turned out, there was really something new for all of us.
It all started being planned online… a sort of get-together for us friends using Facebook. As the weekend approached, plans were ironed out… schedules adjusted, car pools organized. There was a snag though… one of the friends couldn’t make it. There was a last minute family obligation that had to be addressed. Bummer…
Although an ongoing typhoon in Taiwan was intensifying the southwest monsoon and causing rough seas, this never deterred us… a simple adjustment just had to be made – as always. Simply put, we couldn’t board and disembark our outrigger from the resort. We had to travel an extra 10 minutes by land to Mainit where seas are much calmer during this season.
This also limited our dive site selection since we couldn’t cross the channel nor travel up and down the coast. No worries… there was always Mainit… one of the high-voltage dive sites around the Anilao area… and that was available!
Right off the bat, there was a discussion as to which dive site to tackle first… the top two choices would be Mainit Point or Secret Bay. Since we had “other” divers with us, we chose Mainit. And since those “other” divers were kids, we obviously wouldn’t tackle the “wilder” side of Mainit.
Off we went… a two-minute outrigger ride and we arrive at our destination. Everybody suits up and back-rolls… we assemble at the bottom of the boat… got the kids organized… then proceeded.
Within the first 15 minutes of the dive… Paz signals something that takes everyone by surprise… she signals that there’s a manta out there… we scurry to take a closer look!!! By the time I got to the area, I couldn’t believe my eyes!!! There was not one but two of them!!!
Manta Ray’s are one of the most graceful creatures you can ever watch… the don’t swim through the water… they FLY! They look like modern bombers when gliding – I have read that current bombers have been designed after them…
I have seen Manta’s before… but don’t forget… this IS Anilao. There have been a few reports before of sightings… the last one with video to boot… but this is no longer a story… this is first hand!!! After the Manta’s left, we proceeded with the dive… lo and behold… minutes later… I was shaken by a friend only to be directed to see another sighting… this time there were three of them… WHAT’S HAPPENING?!?!?!
After the dive, we were obviously excited. We wanted to do Mainit again and search for them… and check if this was a fluke. And as luck would have it… we saw them again… and again. This group was different… they were bigger… about 5-6 ft in diameter vs the 3-4 footers we saw on the first dive.
The next day… we did Mainit twice again… and they were still there… at different depths… seemingly all over the place…
Dave and Paz who stayed until Monday reported that when they dove Mainit in the morning, the Manta’s were still there. So, since Saturday, apparently guaranteed sightings of Manta’s at Mainit – this is no small claim.
This is definitely good news to all divers of Anilao… first there were Whale Sharks… now Manta’s… now if only they don’t get harassed by other divers… or fished by the locals… Anilao will definitely get a big boost.
There are just some days when something amazing happens. When its one of those days, I just can’t help but be simply thrilled. This is one of those days.
It all started last week… no more than 5 days ago. I noticed that our main landline was noisy… full of static. It would be so terrible at times that you couldn’t hear the other party. I tried to troubleshoot the problem but to no avail.
In the meantime, my DSL line was acting up. I would get disconnected often. It would re-connect after 1-2 minutes but it was getting irritating. After all, I didn’t pay for intermitent service… I paid for 24/7 unlimited service… something they seem to take for granted.
So yesterday (22Jul), I reported both problems – with 2 phone calls mind you. Anybody who has had to call PLDT will attest that you wait at least 15 minutes on hold if you get to connect at all. THIS IS A TELCO and you can’t even call-in to report a problem… sheesh.
But yesterday was a real treat… I connected really quick on both accounts. I didn’t even get to hear their ad that endlessly loops while you wait. I spoke to a customer service representative immediately… hmmm, something’s amiss here… but I wasn’t complaining.
I knew that the static landline will receive immediate response… after all, that’s a “physical” problem, so they will send a lineman ASAP. It was the DSL line I was concerned about. Like I said, I was still able to connect but would drop off for 1-2 minutes every so often. In the past, it would take weeks of constant “follow-ups” before anything got resolved.
Not this time… the gods must have been in my favor… the day after I reported both problems, 2… yes that’s TWO repairmen came to the house. One to repair the static… the other to resolve my constant disconnection.
Happy to report that both were resolved in about 90 minutes… the static was gone in the main line and after replacing my month old modem, the constant disconnection was gone…
Recently, the family embarked on a trip to the US. The trip was a “gift” of sorts for Ira… who had turned 18 and graduated from high school. Compared to the 2002 trip, this one was going to be high-tech. We were bringing my netbook to keep in touch with family – through email and facebook. We were going to rent a GPS, as an option to our rentals – so Len and I wouldn’t have to deal/argue about maps and directions.
The following are essential tools to enhance any trip abroad:
a) a laptop / netbook (with wifi capabilities)
b) wifi connectivity
c) a gps – essential for driving around
d) a small compact camera (that also takes video)
Let me explain.
Maybe keeping in touch with family is not a priority – but researching for places to go, sights to visit, restaurants to eat in, making reservations, etc. IS. In 2002, I had so many print outs, that I must have brought a whole tree with me. Facebook kept us in touch with family and friends… we received suggestions through which enhanced the trip.
There were countless times when we had just “ran out of ideas.” Having the netbook around “saved” the day. Of course, having wifi was required. In hotels that didn’t offer free connectivity, I often purchased “pay as you go” plans that gave us that connectivity. This kept the trip from going “stale” and wasting the day away. We always had things to do, places to explore, restaurants to try. Of course, you could always visit an internet cafe (which would achieve the same end). Having the netbook though definitely saved us some time.
A GPS afforded us to be independent… free to change destinations at a moments notice… kept us on track even if we had missed a turn or took the wrong exit (so easy to do) – something that would have rattled us back in 2002… something that would have started an argument at the very least – now, no more. So, for those driving… unless you’re really familiar with the ins and outs, I strongly suggest that you rent a GPS or at least borrow one.
Who goes on a trip without a camera? Not me. Whenever I travel with the family, a camera is always handy. The problem is, my camera is a DSLR… its big, bulky and heavy. Sure, I’d be able to take wonderful shots with it… but my shoulder would have complained to no end. With the compact camera we brought along, it was with us ALL the time PLUS any of us could use it… and it took videos too I might add.
Top of The Rock – NYC
I truly had fun on this trip… so did Len and Ira… thanks to these essential tools…
The manta ray (Manta birostris), is the largest of the rays, with the largest known specimen having been more than 7.6 m (about 25 ft) across, with a weight of about 2,300 kg (about 5,000 lb). It ranges throughout tropical waters of the world, typically around coral reefs.
Mantas have been given a variety of common names, including Atlantic manta, Pacific manta, devilfish, and just manta. Recent studies have suggested that what is called manta ray are at least two different species, one smaller local and one much larger and migratory
Manta rays may have evolved from bottom-feeders, and then adapted to become filter feeders in the open ocean. This allowed them to grow larger than other ray species. Due to being plankton feeders, some of the ancestral characteristics have degenerated. For example, all that is left of their oral teeth is a small band of vestigial teeth on the lower jaw, almost hidden by the skin. Their dermal denticles are also greatly reduced in number and size but are still present. They have a much thicker body mucus coating than other rays. Their spiracles have become small and non-functional, as all water is taken in through their mouth instead.
Mantas are filter feeders: they feed on plankton, fish larvae and the like, passively filtered from the water passing through their gills as they swim. Small prey organisms are caught on flat horizontal plates of russet-coloured spongy tissue spanning spaces between the manta's gill bars.
Mantas frequent reef-side cleaning stations where small fish such as wrasses and angelfish swim in the manta's gills and over its skin to feed, in the process cleaning it of parasites and removing dead skin.
The predators of the Manta ray are mainly large sharks, however in some circumstances orcas have also been observed preying on them.
Mantas are extremely curious around humans, and are fond of swimming with scuba divers. Although they may approach humans, if touched, their mucus membrane is removed, causing lesions and infections on their skin. They often surface to investigate boats without engines running. They have the largest brain-to-body ratio of the sharks and rays.
Mantas are known to breach the water into the air.
Photo taken by Alberto at German Channel in Palau - 08Apr2008
Recent Comments