Is Andre Blatche Still Good For Gilas?

After watching yesterday's game of Gilas vs Chinese Taipei, I began to wonder whether or not Andre Blatche is still a good fit for Gilas Pilipinas. Sure, the Philippines won, but it was not an easy win. And if you compare the way Australia erected a near 40 point lead over Chinese Taipei, you'ld have to wonder if the Philippines has a chance by February next year.

The Philippines would have lost yesterday if Chinese Taipei didn't get into foul trouble. And the Philippines had a lot of turnovers made mostly by Blatche. I would attribute it to old age, and perhaps with unfamiliarity with the new batch of Gilas Players.

There were many times when Andre would make an errant pass. He also settled for threes and I don't remember him making any. But what really made my blood boil was how a lanky Chinese Taipei import who was smaller than Blatche was able to get through his defense most of the time in the 1st Quarter, allowing Chinese Taipei to erect a 10 point lead.

Blatche scored six points in that game. Six points for an import? I don't know if that will be enough to beat Australia. He needs to get in shape if the country even wants a slim chance at beating the Aussies.

Visiting Mang Larry's Isaw 2017

Mang Larry's Isaw was featured recently on an article of Entrepreneur. According to the article, what started out as a simple barbecue grill meant to augment a janitor's income in order to send his kids to school has grown into a business with six outlets.

I actually remember eating at Mang Larry's when I was a student in the nineties. They used to be a small food cart. And they only carried a few simple barbecue skewers with them - products that are all too familiar to students on a budget. But they had a huge following. And I think the secret was in their vinegar dip. It was delicious. So, no matter what type of skewer you purchased, once you dipped it in that "secret dip formula", what you were eating turned from ordinary to extraordinary. And during that time, all they carried was buko juice for drinks. So, a student who is trying to keep his costs down could easily eat a lot if his allowance was 20 pesos. So, it was no wonder that there were probably about 50 students flocking around that stall. And that was amazing, considering there were other fish ball vendors in the area who probably enjoyed having 5 customers.

When I visited a branch of Mang Larry's this year, It was very different. They now have a permanent branch. They now have outdoor chairs and tables under umbrellas. They now have freezers to store varied cold beverages, and fryers to cook any order on the spot. They now have a staff of about four people and a building to house their operations. They still have the different types of skewers, but a more elaborate menu - with meals that would rival a typical restaurant. But there were only about 10 customers this time - not 50. And I spent around 85 pesos to enjoy roughly the same amount of food I ate when I was a student. Each skewer was now priced at 5 pesos. And the branded beverages will also eat a huge chunk of your budget.

What changed? I think one major turn-off are the flies. There were plenty of flies in the area, you would think you were near a garbage dump. Next would be the vinegar dip. I think the flavor has changed compared to the nineties. It's like having a winning Coca-Cola formula and turning its flavor into Coke Zero. And finally, the pricing has changed. Having a menu displaying all the high-priced items could be a turn-off to students on a budget.

Has Mang Larry lost focus? Sometimes, that's what happens when your small nimble venture turns into big business. You try to be all things to all people, forgetting what made you successful in the first place. The good news is that Mang Larry's can re-adjust (if the margins require re-adjustment, only the ones doing the books can really say). Does he cater to a mass market on a budget, or to a mid-level market with varied pricing? If the bottom line is healthy, then don't mess with your business formula. But if it is suffering, refocus on your strengths and deal with your weaknesses.

Car Batter Test

Our car's battery was completely discharged yesterday. As a result, the car refused to start. It was a good thing the car had a manual transmission. After pushing the car so that it could gain some momentum, it was able to start. If I understand it correctly, every time the car moves, the alternator charges the car battery. This allowed the battery to regain some energy, enough for the electrical systems to function and enable it to start.

Still, the family was worried that the car battery was failing after more than two years since we acquired the car. To put everyone's mind at ease, we brought the car to an automotive service center. Here, they tested the battery. Below is an image of the results.

I'm just thankful that the battery still passed. Paying for a new battery would have set us back around $200. Hopefully, the battery will last the usual average lifespan of 3 to 5 years. Again, am just thankful to the Lord.

Addendum:
The next day, the car had problems starting again. So we brought the car to the service center once again. They re-tested the battery and found that it had gone bad. The symptoms were difficulty starting and the radio clock always getting reset to January 2007. When the new battery was installed, we tested the ignition several times. This time, the car started fine each time. Am still thankful that the Lord allowed the car to be fixed. Praise Him in all things.

Triada Virus

My Android phone got hit with the Triada Virus. Updating Kaspersky Antivirus does not work. The virus has protected itself from detection. Malwarebytes does not work. It detects the item, but cannot remove it. Had to resort to a factory reset and will have to reinstall apps one by one. Mental note, always start with your antivirus when installing apps on a new phone.