129/365 - The Bacon Bomb

The Bacon Bombs

Cooked the bacon bombs today. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. Overall I learned a lot from the experience. Here are some tips I got:

• More seasoning. The bombs were relatively bland. If it wasn't for the gravy my mother-in-law came up with, I doubt it would have tasted very good.
• Hotter oven, longer cooking time. Apparently I read the thermometer wrong, thinking it was in Centigrade, but it was actually in Fahrenheit. My bad, so the oven wasn't as hot as I wanted. Plus I should have baked this for at least an hour, so I had to re-bake them at the in-laws.
• Use plain bacon. I used honeycured bacon, and it sorta messed up the taste.
• Use a wet rub before baking. I tried this brown sugar dry rub before baking but I don't think this needed to be sweeter than usual.

Out.

Updated Top Five Family Cars

Here's the list from my previous entry: 1. Toyota Innova 2. Kia Sportage 3. Subaru XV 4. Land Rover Defender 90 5. Toyota Avanza.

C! Magazine's August 2013 (I think, not sure about the month) had an article comparing some SUVs. Long story shot, the Kia Sportage scored lowest, and the only high point it had was the looks. Fuel efficiency, space, handling, sports performance were all pretty low. I was very disappointed with this result. So I decided to update my list. Here's the newest list.

1. Toyota Innova (Diesel, A/T) - Still at number 1. Practicality still takes top spot. The Innova has decent height, space, and size. It can seat more than five. It has decent safety features. And it also looks pretty decent.
2. Subaru XV (Gasoline, A/T) - This one jumps up to number 2, until I read a review about it. Yes it has small space, but it looks great and it is a Subaru. Bonus points for the semi-crossover ability.
3. Kia Carens (Diesel, A/T) - The Carens takes the place of the Sportage. Because this seems more practical than the Sportage, and it is cheaper also. This also reminds me of a soccer mom's ride, in a good way.
4. Land Rover Defender 90 (Diesel, M/T) - This still lingers on in this list just because I still like the Defender. I've been reading articles that the Defender may be phased out due to lack of modern safety tech, but I hope not.
5. Toyota Avanza (Gasoline, A/T) - I managed to ride inside an older model Avanza. While they may claim it can seat about seven people, it is a bit cramped inside for a man of my size. Still, if you are looking for a cheaper and slightly smaller alternative to an Innova, this is it. The new model looks good too.

There you have it. An updated list, and the biggest omission, the Kia Sportage, got removed because of a car review. And yes, I do put a lot of weight on car reviews. Mostly because I am not able to try each ride by myself.

Out.

127, 128/365 - Cleaning Up

My Metal Gear Gashapon

Building an Ikea Box.

My personal stuff still needs a lot of cleaning and organizing. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

I just realized there are still boxes of toys still unaccounted for, and that I need to find them so I can re-organize them and hopefully lessen the clutter at home.

Out.

124, 125, 126/365 - Christmas is in the Air

Belens - Filipino Christmas Tradition

Hamburger Curry for Dinner

Our Christmas decors are now littered on a coffee table.

Since Martina was born we've started putting up our Christmas decorations earlier than usual. We just need some new Christmas lights for the tree...

Out.

122, 123/365 - Earthbag Homes and The Philippines

Sleeping Nero.

High School IDs. Days with the Lord on the left, Summer Enrichment Program on the right.

Note: My post has no connection with the pics above. These are my ramblings regarding earthbag homes and why I totally believe in the concept.

The recent super typhoon Yolanda (aka Haiyan internationally) that hit the Philippines, along with the earthquake that hit Bohol a few weeks before, made me think about earthbag homes. I had read about earthbag homes years before via the internet, and I thought it would be a cheaper, earthquake and weather-resistant alternative for housing here.

Even if they weren't built as permanent housing, these earthbag homes could still be used as temporary shelter against the elements for the thousands of Filipinos who have lost their homes to either Typhoon Yolanda or the earthquake.

I read an article that gave me hope. Apparently Mr. Illac Diaz, more known for his solar bottle bulb, had built an earthbag home somewhere in the Philippines before. Based on the article, only one house was built and is now in a state of disrepair.

I thought it was a shame that the earthbag home did not take off. The domed design would allow strong winds to flow around the design instead of buffeting it. The sturdy earthbag construction would make it more earthquake resistant. Plus the unique look makes it, personally, more of a home and less of a house.

Unfortunately I read from another article that, "A leak could soften the soil and cause the dome to collapse, so the fill soil has to be stabilized, which adds to the labor and expense." So building earthbag homes isn't as simple as I thought, since you still needed to weather-proof the bags of earth. I'm guessing it would still be a safer alternative to some of the homes some of my countrymen live in.

However, I do think that with proper research and funding earthbag homes can be adapted for use in the Philippines. I just hope someone can revive this idea and push it nationally. Let's hope that whoever does it doesn't get caught up in corruption and red tape.

Mr. Illac Diaz, I hope you can revive your earthbag home idea. If you need help, drop me a line. I'm just an ordinary Filipino citizen,  but I sincerely believe in this earthbag home concept. And I will help you any way I can.

Out.