Aguilar Tone Hammer

By

-

November 30, 2009

One of my teachers let me borrow this pedal and now I can’t let it go…more like I didn’t want to let it go but he needed it for a gig. He was telling me how this box made the mids sound better. I didn’t believe it until I heard it. I plugged my Ibanez SR-505 (with Bartolini pickups) and it turn my mediocre amp and cabinet into something twice its size.

I was totally blown away. You can’t go wrong with this pedal. Buy this pedal f you want a bigger, brighter sound coming from your bass (especially if you don’t want to buy another bass). I found it at Guitar Center for $199.

I used it recently and someone came up to me and said my skills were getting better. I had to flash the Tone Hammer box for further clarification.

Here are the specifics from the Aguilar website:

This preamp/direct box is so strong and powerful it could only be called the “Tone Hammer”! Based on the respected OBP-3 preamp, the Tone Hammer features fully sweepable midrange frequencies in addition to bass and treble controls. With the Tone Hammer’s pristine D.I. you are set for the studio or the stage.

To give this tone shaping unit the ultimate flexibility we are introducing our proprietary Adaptive Gain Shaping circuitry (AGS). AGS allows the player to kick in an additional gain structure and EQ with the “stomp” of a button. You can now go from modern slap sounds to vintage or overdriven.

18 volt operation gives the Tone Hammer plenty of headroom to reproduce the most dynamic playing style. Separate “Gain” and “Master” controls allow you to dial in just the right gain structure for any instrument.

The Tone Hammer is the essential preamp/direct box for every bassist’s tool box.

Features:

Pre/Post DI
Unbalanced output can drive a power amp
AGS circuitry
Cut and boost of treble, mid and bass frequencies
Fully sweepable midrange frequencies
Powered by two nine volt batteries, phantom power or optional universal power supply
Ground lift switch
Heavy Duty steel construction

Specs:

Inputs: One 1/4″ jack

Outputs: One 1/4″ jack, One XLR (nominal output – 14 dBu balanced)

EQ:
Bass +/- 18 dB @ 40 Hz
Mid +/- 17 dB @ 180 Hz to 1 kHz
Treble +/- 18 dB @ 4 kHz

Controls:
Ground lift switch
Pre/Post DI switch
Engage switch
AGS switch

Oh, the AGS switch…that’s the button that boosts you up a notch when you want to go for those cool bass grooves. Enjoy!

References:
http://www.aguilaramp.com/products_preamps_tonehammer.htm

This Beacon Shines from Guam to Boston

By

Edel Alon

-

November 29, 2009

0

Many collegiate athletes reach the pinnacle of their sporting careers towards the end of their four-year college experience. With each new season, these athletes show more and more growth both on and off the field until they’ve reached their full athletic potential. For UMass Boston’s Men’s Soccer player Reyn Johnson (Mangilao, Guam), that high point started before he was even a teenager and he isn’t planning on coming down any time soon.

Johnson, a native of Guam, first displayed his athletic prowess at the ripe age of 11 when he helped lead his Little League baseball team to the Guam national title in 2001 and 2002. These victories equated to consecutive trips to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.

“The Little League World Series was an unbelievable experience for me,” said Johnson who pitched and played outfield during the championships. “The people there made the entire group of young athletes feel like we were professionals. We were given bats, really cool uniforms and access to the rec. and gaming rooms. It was pretty awesome.”

This was the first time Johnson stepped foot into the athletic spotlight, but was certainly not the last.

At 14 years old, Johnson was once again representing his country as the newest member of the Guam National Youth Soccer team. He was also invited to play for the Guam National Club Volleyball team, but because of his commitment to playing soccer, had to refuse the offer. The midfielder was on the pitch when Guam’s youth team captured its first win in the programs history, a victory over Mongolia in 2005.

“I can’t even remember the score, but I do know that it was a great match, very close all the way through. Everyone was so excited to be a part of that first win, it was the first time we knew that we had the chance to help build the program into something special,” said Johnson.

Over the next four years, Johnson was able to compete for the national team and travel around the globe. He’s been able to compete in over 10 countries including Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei. One of the nice benefits about playing for the team is that all of his travels are completely funded through the GFA (Guam Football Association).

One trip that was not covered took place during Johnson’s senior year of high school when he and several classmates traveled to the United States on a college tour along the East Coast.

“It was on the college tour that I decided I wanted to be in Boston. It was just such an amazing city and after I visited UMass Amherst and learned that there was also a UMass Boston, I knew it was going to be the place for me,” said Johnson. “I knew that playing college soccer was also going to play a big part in my decision, so the pieces just sort of fit together when I found out that UMass Boston had a competitive soccer program.”

Johnson joined the Beacons this fall as one of its 20 new members and quickly established himself as one of the top newcomers. His passion for the game shows in every 50/50 challenge ball, many of which he wins. The midfielder, standing at only 5’10”, has an amazing air attack and leaps far above anyone he’d played against thus far. It’s no surprise the freshman’s style of play is filled with intensity, it’s how he was taught to play.

“Back in Guam it’s all business on the field,” Johnson said. “If you make a mistake, as your teammate, I’m going to let you know about it so that it makes you work harder the next time. This attitude comes right from our head coach, Norio Taskitate. He was all about discipline, which is a good thing. A practice consisted of nothing but hard work and intense drills, there is absolutely no talking and you aren’t even allowed to yawn. That’s just how it is, and I’m trying to bring some of these things over to this team at UMass Boston.”

Through eight games, Johnson leads the Beacons and the Little East Conference with four assists. He recently made the move to the backfield to help solidify the team’s defense and it appears to be working. UMass Boston registered its third shutout of the season with Johnson on the backline when the team picked up a 4-0 victory over Becker College on Wednesday September 30.

The Beacons are halfway through the 2009 season and are already only one win away from matching their 2008 win total. Through eight games last season, the Beacons had netted only eight goals as compared to the 20 they’ve already tallied during the `09 campaign.

Johnson admits that it’s different playing in the U.S. as compared to Guam, but is excited for the future of the UMass Boston Men’s Soccer program.

“There are so many young and talented players on our roster that it’s hard not to be excited for the program’s future. I’m one of 11 freshman on the roster, so just think about the team’s potential two or three years from now. I know that I am planning to stick around all four years, if everyone else is going to stay too, things are going to be a lot of fun around here.”

Since Johnson is no stranger to success, let the fun begin!

References:
http://www.umb.edu/news/thepoint_issue/this_beacon_shines_from_guam_to_boston/

Delgados Buy Shell Guam

By

Edel Alon

-

November 29, 2009

0

IP&E Holdings LLC, a company wholly-owned by the Delgado family of the Philippines, has acquired the downstream marketing businesses of Royal Dutch Shell Plc in North Pacific Islands for an undisclosed amount.

The agreement covers the sale of the retail, commercial and aviation businesses in Guam, Saipan and Palau from Shell Guam Inc. and Shell Pacific Inc.

IP&E Holdings said in a statement that its purchase of Shell’s downstream marketing business in the North Pacific region added to the group’s portfolio of investments in the region.

“Upon the completion of this transaction, the family would have invested approximately $150 million in the region from the time it acquired Verizon Communication’s fixed and wireless assets in 2005,” the company said.

The Delgados also own IT&E Overseas Inc., the leading telecommunications provider in the North Pacific islands.

The deal, which is subject to regulatory approvals and consents, follows a review by Shell of its downstream marketing businesses in the region. The Shell group, instead, will concentrate on larger markets.

The retail network will remain Shell-branded through several trademark licensing agreements, while aviation will be serviced through a technical service agreement.

Under separate agreements, IP&E Holdings will be appointed as distributor of Shell-branded lubricants and serve Shell marine product customers for the Guam, Saipan and Palau markets.

“The decision by Shell to move to a distributor model supports its portfolio focus drive and follows a number of similar deals in other countries,” said Shell.

Royal Dutch Shell is a global leader in the downstream business. The company has a a daily refining capacity of approximately four million barrels of crude oil. It is the world’s largest single-branded fuel retailer with some 46,000 service stations worldwide and operations in some 90 countries and territories around the world.

Shell Guam has provided high quality fuels and professional services in the North Pacific region for 21 years. Incorporated in Guam on Dec. 1, 1987, Shell purchased the assets of the Guam Oil & Refining Co. on Nov. 30, 1988, now known as the Agat Terminal.

Shell Guam has grown into a diversified business serving government agencies and consumers with petroleum storage and the sale of commercial and retail products and services.

IP&E Holdings is a subsidiary of Prospector Investments Ltd., a member of the Delgado group of companies that includes Citadel Holdings in the Philippines.

References:
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideBusiness.htm?f=2009/november/27/business1.isx&d=/2009/november/27

Guam Attracts Filipino Property Investors

By

Edel Alon

-

November 29, 2009

0

MANILA, Philippines – Bel Land Development Corp.,,the newest real estate developer in Guam, is expected to lure more investors
to the US-administered western Pacific island, particularly Filipino businessmen who intend to expand their businesses in step with its growing economy.

As part of this thrust, the company recently unveiled its Tumon Bel-Air project located in the central business district in the upscale Tumon Lane in the Tamuning district. The project site is situated along a quiet street, fronting a golf driving range, with some of its units having a view of the mountains. The location is also a ten-minute drive from Palo San Vitores road — Guam’s equivalent of Makati City’s Ayala Avenue.

The fully-completed project will hold a community of 26 townhouses, 20 of which are now ready for occupancy. Each unit has a floor area of 871 square feet on the ground floor, while an additional 915 square feet is available on the second floor.

With the project nearing completion, there remains no uncertainty of it being left unfinished — a risk commonly found in other real estate developments. In fact, Bel Land has already sold 50 percent of its units.

An inner unit costs $438,000, while corner units go for $448,000 each. Gross sales are expected to hit $11 million for the entire development.

“The 20 units can be delivered today to the buyer and he can rent it out and earn from it tomorrow. There is no risk of speculation as the units are finished and can be delivered anytime,” according to Alessandra Lani Beltran, Bel Land vice president. She adds that from the time the project was constructed in 2007, the value of the property had already risen by 11 percent.

Should the buyer decide not to immediately occupy the unit, it could be rented out at $2,400 a month, giving him a rate of return of 6.57 percent, on the back of a $438,000 acquisition cost.

“Rental alone for each unit will give the owner 6 percent APR return on his investment. You earn this much while waiting for the value of the property to go up,” Beltran added.

On top of this value, Tumon Bel Air is also the only finished townhouse project in the area where buyers can actually own the units through the “Fee Simple” ownership system. This gives Bel Land a unique advantage over other developments in Tumon, where many properties are held on leasehold, which restricts buyers to owning the property for only for a limited period.

Beltran said the company is upbeat on the sales of the project given Guam’s growing economy. The island was the least affected by the financial crisis that crippled the US mainland, as business activity linked to the $16-billion funding for the relocation of the biggest US military base in the Asia-Pacific, from Okinawa to Guam, kept the economy afloat.

This, Beltran added, will prop up Guam’s economy and real estate market due to the massive infrastructure that is already being put in place to accommodate the influx of new Guam residents.

“Guam’s economy and real estate is set to grow over the next five years with the decision of both the US and Japan governments to infuse $16 billion and the decision to move the US base in Guam. This will be the major factor that will motivate investors to come to Guam,” Beltran pointed out.

Guam will initially receive more than $734 million, which is four times more than the amount appropriated for the Department of Defense for military construction this year, to bankroll the infrastructure build up. Construction of facilities is slated next year while the relocation of the US military base should be completed by 2014.

References:
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=527070&publicationSubCategoryId=76

CNN Hero of the Year 2009

By

Edel Alon

-

November 28, 2009

0

Congratulations Efreb Penaflorida on being the CNN Hero of the Year!

Sexy Pilgrim

By

Edel Alon

-

November 25, 2009

0

Interesting video. I kinda like it even though I haven’t tried Muscle Milk yet.

Thanksgiving 2009

By

Edel Alon

-

November 22, 2009

2

Planning helps, right?

I wanted this last part of this series to be about what to do with leftovers but I decided to write about what happened this Thanksgiving.

My brother brought the challenge of making a turducken this year and I accepted. This slightly changed my game plan, but I think things worked out in the end. I had to start a little earlier making this Frankenstein bird. Along with the turkey, I bought a duck and a chicken. Wednesday night I deboned the birds. This was the first time to debone a turkey (I deboned a chicken and a Cornish hen once before). I must say that birds are birds, and their bone structures are relatively the same. After deboning, I threw all the meat into the brine.

I had to research how to make this thing. There are a lot of pictures and instructions on the net about what this thing is but are no real instructions on how to do it. I finally found this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w09F1Kt0U4Q. These guys looked like they know what they were doing, plus I liked the fact that they didn’t stuff a raw bird in a raw bird in a raw bird. However, they don’t tell you how long to cook the birds.

Here’s what I did to prep the birds:

1.Debone the birds

2.Brine the birds over night

3.Remove skin from duck

4.Remove skin from chicken

5.Lay the duck skin and place the chicken parts in it

6.I threw in pork sausage meat (to give it a kick)

7.Roll the duck skin containing the chicken and sausage

8.Tie it using cooking twine

9.Pan sear the roll until brown on all sides (duck skin tastes good when crunchy)

10.Set aside

11.Lay the turkey and spread bread stuffing

12.Lay duck parts on the stuffing

13.Put the chicken roll in the middle

14.Roll the turkey

15.Sew the turkey with cooking twine

Here’s how I cooked it:

1.Preheat the oven to 500°F

2.Add carrots, onions, celery, and apples to the roasting pan

3.Put the turducken on top of the veggies

4.Cooked the turducken for 30 minutes at 500°F

5.Reduced the temperature to 325°F

6.Basted every 30 minutes

7.Total cook time was 3.5 hours for a turducken that weighed about 15 pounds

Whenever I roast anything I plug in my thermometer in it.

According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, turkeys should have a minimum internal temperature of 165°F.

Here are some pictures of the process:

Duck skin, chicken, and sausage meat

Chicken up and tied

Stuffing on turkey

Chicken roll on duck on stuffing on turkey

Roasting pan: onion, carrots, and celery

Turducken in pan

3.5 hours later (165°F later)

Cross section of turducken

As part of the change in my game plan, I didn’t make my red bell pepper soup this year. With the bones I got from the birds I made a soup stock, and made a turkey soup with onions, carrots, celery, sage, rosemary, turkey meat, and squash (pretty much, I chopped everything up, sautéed them and poured the stock). I didn’t make the pork shoulder since I made the turducken.

Everything else worked out just as planned. I put other people in charge of dessert and drinks this year too.I’m in

I’m in

I’m in a panic on what to make for Thanksgiving this year. All I can think of is what happened last year. Here’s a recap.

My brother brought the challenge of making a turducken this year and I accepted. This slightly changed my game plan, but I think things worked out in the end. I had to start a little earlier making this Frankenstein bird. Along with the turkey, I bought a duck and a chicken. Wednesday night I deboned the birds. This was the first time to debone a turkey (I deboned a chicken and a Cornish hen once before). I must say that birds are birds, and their bone structures are relatively the same. After deboning, I threw all the meat into the brine.

Continue

Ocean View PTA Fundraiser – November 21, 2009

By

Edel Alon

-

November 21, 2009

0

Help support my kids’ school. Go to Barnes and Noble and ask the cashier to use this code during checkout: 10042349

All proceeds go to Ocean View PTA who helps Ocean View School in Albany, CA.

Today only!

Korean Air to Run Narita-Guam flights

By

Edel Alon

-

September 19, 2009

0

Korean Air, the nation’s leading carrier, will make charter flights from Narita, Japan, to Guam, during Japan’s silver holiday week, which starts today, the company said yesterday.

It is the nation’s first carrier to fly passenger planes to and from a non-Korean land.

The agreement allowing a chartered plane to fly from either Korea or Japan to a third country was made between the two countries in June during a bilateral aviation summit in Tokyo.

Korean Air’s Airbus A300-600 airplane with 276 seats is slated to make three round trips – today, Sunday and Tuesday.

“This is an opportunity for us to increase demand,” said a Korean Air official.

Asiana Airlines will also make charter flights from Narita to Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands on the same dates as Korean Air.

References:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2910211

Burning Man 2009

By

Edel Alon

-

September 19, 2009

1

One of my friends went to Burning Man and her friend took this video.

After talking with other people who’ve been to Burning Man, this video has a pretty accurate depiction of what happens there. I really like the music but also the creative angle of the video.

This year’s theme was Evolution. Which then leads to the question: What are we as human beings, where have we come from, and how may we adapt to meet an ever-changing world?

I’m checking around to see if I can bring a group of friends.

References:
Burning Man

Aguilar Tone Hammer

This Beacon Shines from Guam to Boston

Delgados Buy Shell Guam

Guam Attracts Filipino Property Investors

CNN Hero of the Year 2009

Sexy Pilgrim

Thanksgiving 2009

Ocean View PTA Fundraiser – November 21, 2009

Korean Air to Run Narita-Guam flights

Burning Man 2009

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