Is The BIR's Tax Schedule For Employees Fair?

I came across this BIR Income Tax Calculator and decided to give it a try. I wanted to know if the tax rate remained the same regardless of income.

For this experiment, my assumptions are that I'm a single employee with no dependents and I earn a monthly salary. The results, using the calculator, is:

I leave it to you, dear reader, to draw your own conclusions.

Hue Cafe

First, I'm not a connoisseur or an expert in this field. But I'm going to give a quick review of the Hue Cafe. 

For those who are not familiar, the Hue Cafe is located in the Ateneo de Davao University Jacinto Campus. It serves coffee and other drinks to patrons, most of whom are Ateneans. From what I heard, it's managed by the student body though it is capitalized initially by the school (To digress, I am currently writing this post inside the cafe since I'm going to mass later in the University chapel).  

Honestly, my interest was piqued a long time ago every time I pass by the cafe on my way to work. I've always wanted to try it out and see if it could match the service and ambiance of the other coffee shops in the city.

I couldn't order coffee anymore in the afternoon because I'd be awake the rest of the night. But the strawberry cream blended drink was at par and the spaghetti was not bad either. The prices were similar to what you can expect from mall-based coffee shops. 

For the ambiance,  the lighting and the music were okay. The tables though sported water rings and chipped paint. The chair cushions were also dirty with stains all over. The restroom didn't come with toilet paper or a hand dryer.

The Wifi was crappy, slow, and kept resetting. The air-conditioning was non-existent on some areas especially at the back. Finally, the cashier didn't give me an official receipt.

Overall, the cafe is really a work in progress. The menu can be expanded some more. The service can be improved. 

To be honest, I'm not likely to be going back anytime soon. 

The Poor Guy's Guide To Eating Out

There have been countless times when I've wept over my wallet. 

Those times were unavoidable but all of them were very instructive. Those instances have helped me formulate a set of rules which I live by especially when I'm cash-strapped. 

Most are no-brainers but I'm sharing these rules anyway for the sake of humanity.

1.) Love the karinderya (eatery) and the mobile food cart

2.) Drink plenty of water

3.) Be a suki (loyal customer) to get more freebies (e.g. bigger portions, free soup etc.)

4.) Become a vegetarian

5.) Avail of free meals whenever and wherever possible

 

Payat

Check out this photo:

Let me explain. This was taken when I was riding a jeep in Davao City. The placard with the sign "Payat" ("Thin" if translated into English) is meant to be used during rush hour, when many passengers are waiting on jeeps. During rush hour, drivers perform triage against "healthy" or "big-boned" people by placing this placard on their windshields. That way, passengers are notified that the jeep only has seat room for persons with small butts. 

Wacky Pose

"Walang basagan ng trip." 

I fully expect you to utter this phrase after you finish reading this post. But I still firmly believe that the wacky pose has lived its life. Now, it's time to discard it and look back at those wacky pictures with nostalgia.

Why? Well, the wacky pose was fun to begin with because it was "new". With digital cameras and unlimited takes, many found the freedom to explore more ideas and, ultimately, to find new ways to capture moments. One of these ideas involved taking pictures of ourselves featuring contorted facial expressions and convoluted emotions.

At first, the wacky pose was fun, cute, and novel. Many people thought so too and began imitating wacky poses from other friends and so on. Ultimately, the popularity of the wacky pose tugged at its appeal. The sheer ubiquity of the wacky pose in our photos and our friends' photos transformed it from a unique way to pose to a mandatory drill in any photo shoot.

It's interesting how something which has become so common loses its attraction in the process. The same goes with the wacky pose. When everyone is doing it, doesn't that make the wacky pose the new 'normal'? If it is, where's the fun now in that?

The Reinvention Of Senator Miriam Santiago

Recently, Senator Miriam Santiago announced that she has cancer.

Based on the comments in the news articles about her condition, many are sympathetic at her plight. Many are expressing their support, fully siding with the feisty senator's fight against cancer.

Though the reaction is understandable, still, this is surprising considering how polarizing the senator is in recent years. She has butted heads with several key people in the administration, including her beleaguered colleagues in the Senate who have a lot of masa supporters in tow.

Still, Miriam Santiago has come out as the darling of the crowd and this is a testament to her PR guys who've made her, should I say, "likeable" despite the odds.

One thing that has endeared her to the masses, especially the youth, is her newly found sense of humor evidenced by her extensive use of pick-up lines in her speeches. These comedic stunts have served to both project an image of an approachable and fun senator and to belittle and berate her enemies at the same time.

Another is her obvious aura of high-brow intelligence and wisdom. This is perhaps the most important reason why many are rallying behind her, not because she has the brains but because, in a Senate humiliatingly low in IQ and intellectual discourse, she is a rarity and a fragile link to the Senate of old dominated by Recto, Salonga, and other heavyweights.

Despite what the senator is going through right now, rest assured she has won over more people than she ever had in the past decade. Playing the role of the underdog this time around only serves to boost her popularity and mythical status. 

Trypophobia

I encountered this term when Papa posted this picture (briefly) on his Facebook feed:

Yuck.

This picture gave me goosebumps. After a few minutes of internet sleuthing, I traced this picture to an article on Trypophobia which is loosely defined as an irrational fear of holes. Interesting, right?

Okay. Stare at the picture again.

Community

The Big Bang Theory.

How I Met Your Mother.

Community.

Yes. I'm late when it comes to binge-watching TV shows but I'm catching up. Right now, I'm finishing Season 1 of Community, a US TV comedy which was recently resurrected for its sixth season by Yahoo!

Honestly, based on what I've watched already, it's funnier than TBBT and HIMYM. I've got a mild infatuation with Alison Brie (who doesn't?). And the show is very addictive. 

I'll update you once I finish my marathon. But, so far, I've enjoyed every bit of this weird show.