I love you Tidus...

Finally, back to my old blog!

Yes, yes... a lot of bad stuff are happening nowadays. Gloria seems to be revealing the true color of her reptile skin, Mr. Angelo being home finally, the government being an eager slave to the media, US having LQ with RP, and so on and so forth. But before I dig into those things, I would like to open up this month of August with good things. You know... for good vibes.

It's been one very busy week. I got a new job and just got my first payslip. It's quite a high-paying job, actually- enough for me to avail of a Plan 800 from Globe Telecom (for that Nokia 6600 that I've been drooling to have since it came out of the market) without worrying about my monthly budget. I also got a new place there in Makati, and I won't tell everyone for security purposes, of course. Let's just say it's a good neighborhood, with a lot of easy access to the happenin' places. Yes, I am throwing into the trashcan my old project of putting up a house in Bulacan. Instead, I got me a small condo in Makati, that is, after selling and saying farewell to my red car (*sniff*)... it's ok, though. It seemed that the car poses as a big liability if you live in the city. Also, I don't need it since I'm always out of the country for my modelling projects.

I just finished playing Final Fantasy X-2. It sounds easy right? Not unless you actually play this game. You see, "finishing" the story means getting through all the hidden missions, getting all the required stuff, meeting all the people in Spira and dealing with their "issues", and basically following a 100%-completed story walkthrough. After about six months of playing the game like reading a long novel, I finally gained the ultimate ending in the 100%-completed story. Yuna falls in Tidus's arms at last. I almost fell into tears.

If you want to see the ending of the Final Fantasy X story, you can click on the link here. or click on the FFX-2 Image above.

Philippine Reality

Fast facts about the Philippines! I got this from my friendster "Norman". I don't know if all of you would agree to all of these. Anyway, you can react by posting a comment.

50. where the most happening places is not where the party is. Instead it's where the gang wars happen, where women strip and where the people overthrow a president.

49. where even doctors, lawyers and engineers are unemployed

48. where everyone has his personal ghost story.

47. where mountains like Makiling and Banahaw are considered as holy places.

46. where everything can be forged.

45. where the school is considered the second home and the mall considered as third.

44. where Starbucks coffee is more expensive than gas.

43. where every street has a basketball court and every town only has one public school.

42. where all kinds of animals are edible.

41. where people speak all kinds of languages, and still call it Tagalog.

40. where students pay more money than they will earn afterwards.

39. where call center employees earn more money than teachers and nurses.

38. where driving 4kms can take as much as 4hours.

37. where flyovers bring you from the freeway to the side streets.

36. where the tourist spots is where Filipinos do not (or cannot afford to) go.

35. where the personal computer is mainly used for games, chatting and Friendster.

34. where nearly all 13 year olds are alcoholic.

33. where colonial mentality is dishonestly denied!

32. where 4am is not even considered bed time yet.

31. where people can pay to defy the law.

30. where everything is spoofed.

29. where even the poverty-stricken get to wear Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger.

28. where honking of car horns is a way of life.

27. where being called a bum is never offensive.

26. where flood waters take up more than 90 percent of the streets during the rainy season.

25. where everyone has a relative abroad who keeps them alive.

24. where crossing the street involves running for your dear life.

23. where wearing your national colors make you "baduy".

22. where billiards is a sport, and darts is a bar game.

21. where even the poverty-stricken have the latest cell phones.

20. where insurance does not work.

19. where water can only be classified as tap and dirty... clean water is for sale (35pesos/gallon).

18. where the church governs the people and where the government makes the people pray for miracles. (AMEN TO THAT!)

17. where University of the Philippines is where all the weird people go. Ateneo is where all the nerds go. La Salle is where all the Chinese go. College of Saint Benilde is where all the stupid Chinese go,and University of Asia and the Pacific is where all the irrelevantly rich people go.

16. where fastfood is a diet meal.

15. where traffic signs are merely suggestions not regulations.

14. where all the trees in the city are below 6 ft.

13. where being held up is normal. It happens to everyone.

12. where kids dream of becoming pilots, doctors and basketball players.

11. where rodents is a normal house pet.

10. where the definition of traffic is the 'non-movement' of vehicles.

9. where the fighter planes of the 1940's are used for military engagements, and the new fighter planes are displayed in museums.

8. where being an hour late is still considered as punctual.

7. where cigarettes and alcohol are a necessity, and where the lottery is a commodity.

6. where soap operas tell the realities of life and where the news provides the drama.

5. where actors make the rules and where politicians provide the entertainment. (kung gusto mo mapikon, watch the news)

4. where finding a deer on the road will be a phenomenon. (may deer dito? seryoso kayo?)

3. where people can get away with stealing trillions of pesos, but not for a thousand.

2. where Nora Aunor is an acclaimed actress and Boy Abunda is the best talk show host.

1. where everybody wants to leave! (ang saya-saya)

HONORABLE MENTION: where TV networks such as GMA7 and ABSCBN slowly corrupt and control our minds while gaining unimaginable amounts of profit.

critics

Have you seen this blog about Fernando Poe Jr.? If you put humor to Kate Vs. The Philippines, then that would exactly be it. :) I've had a very good time reading the entries. You might want to check this one out. (I'm also adding it as one of my favorite links later). And I quote:

"At sa lahat sa mga mamamayang nag tiwala at bumoto sa akin, ipinapangako ko na ibubuhos ko lahat ng galing ko sa pag arte bilang ika-labing limang Pangulo ng Pilipinas." -FPJ's Supposed Inaugural Speech

Anyway, here's Ahmad for his weekly editorials.

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"One question that I have been trying to answer for the past months, after reading some comments of your so-called "critics" (who have called the likes of us as monsters, facists, and most of all eletists), is Are we really a bunch of whiners who just wants to find someth ing to complain about all the time? In view of the events that happened in the past few days, I have an answer.

Before I go to the details of the events, I just would like to comment on what our new (but old) president said. That she will wake up every morning and work hard and we have to do the same that she also does her job right. On that she can bet that we will be. Because if there is any truth to the Jose Pidal expose to be brought out, or should I say any spills to be tallied, someones head is going to roll. I know, I know, this is probably what most of people today are thinking, now that it is "official" GMA won. Ergo what this counrty needs is a good critic. And I would like to say that we are not whiners, in fact we are not really complaining we are merely criticizing!

So what then is the difference between a critic and a whiner (as how some of our crtics puts it)? I for one never supported student activism that much in my days here in UP. Because I belived that the best way that a student can help his country is to stay inside the classroom learn a lot of things, and when he is ready he should contribute his knowledge gained to change the system. I guess if activism was an olympic sport the Philippines would get a gold medal for it. Not that I don't believe in what activists are fighting for, nor they should be heard. But lets face it SOME activist groups (I wont mention them but I think you know damn well who Im talking about), define their existence by complaining to someone especially to the president. And when they start to be rowdy and the anti-riot police begins to disperse them, they start looking for someone to call fascist. PROBLEM: Oil price increase SOLUTION: Blame it on the president. PROBLEM: Peso is devaluated SOLUTION: Blame it on the president. PROBLEM: garbage collection is delayed in my village SOLUTION: Blame it on the president. I can go on and on, but it all comes down to one thing. people always look for someone to blame why this country is so misserable. Hell! JV Bautisita even wants to blame George Bush for why this country is so misserable. I did not want to like George Bush myself, so what did I do when he delivered a speech in congress? I changed my channel. But what did he do? he attended the event only to let people know that he is gonna walk out! Pathetic. The thing is no matter what kind of prophet rules this country some of us will still be complaining and looking for someone to blame.

On the other hand, we critic. We dont blame people per se, but we address the issue here. For instance we don't just attack FPJ as an actor who is unqualified to become president, we attack the real issue here that he is being used by some selfish people for their own political interest, and some people passively accepts fallacious idealism that are being said. We also attack the passivity of some people who has the capability of scratching the surface of every issue down to its core and realize some fallacious arguments that are presented, but most of the time chooses not to. We believe that changing people is not the solution, its changing attitudes and culture. The bottom line is, the problem is the system, not really the people! Some of us live by the
like-this-country-the-way-it-is-or-find-another-one principle.

The real problem here is that our leaders try to treat us like we are dumb citizens who will just say Amen to what they say even if it is fallacious. This happens because we allow it. And when we realize that everything is screwed up we start looking for someone to blame. Living in a country is not the same as living in a rotten apartment, that if everything does not go well, you just pack up your bags and look for another one. We have to start living by this principle and stop being so passive. We can whine about it and complain to people in the streets all the time, or we can critic the real issue. That I shall leave up to you. " --Ahmad

10-point fantasy

I'm taking a very close look at the events that's happening after the May 2004 elections. Without fail, my theory has been proven: GMA used all resources and power to deceive us. Fortunately, I didn't vote for her. Unfortunately to the majority who made her win, they have to regret having her as their bet now that things are getting clearer now.

Notice how things went to where everything was before the elections after May 11? Oh, correction: It's even worse! After a week, prices of oil products went up. This was followed by transport fare hike, commodities price hike... even pandesal prices are going up, says the news, from a peso to two pesos a piece! The "transitional" president really did a great job stopping or covering up these things from happening before her so-called victory. I wonder what pre-election under-the-table discussions she made with these very few yet influential people who control this poor country's economy for their selfish benefits. Read my lips: GLORIA IS ANTI-POOR.

June 30 came, and I am proud to say that after watching Spiderman 2, I went straight home and slept till next day came. I can not endure any more gibberish coming from this deceiver's mouth. I've been almost deceived before when she went up on the stage and took an oath in front of us, participants of the EDSA 4 revolution, on the day Erap went down and started his way home to his almost-Malacañang cave prison-mansion. After hearing her denounce her previous claim that she would not run for re-election, that was the last straw. I have had it, I'm never gonna listen to this biatch again.

But then this caught my attention just recently: GMA's 10-point Agenda. Another proof that GMA's just another trapo in the making. She claims she's into performance, not blah-blahs, but what's this? Another New Term Resolutions list?! If the title itself isn't convincing enough, wait till you actually read what it's about:

1. The creation of six million jobs in six years via more opportunities given to entrepreneurs, tripling of the amount of loans for lending to small and medium enterprises and the development of one to two million hectares of land for agricultural business.
Oh yah, I've heard this one a long long time ago. Is it just me or is it that politicians nowadays are becoming more of a bunch of "sirang plaka"?

2. The construction of new buildings, classrooms, provision of desks and chairs and books for students and scholarships to poor families,
Again, "sirang plaka".

3. The balancing of the budget,
Geez, and how is she gonna do that? Allowing the MRT to raise it's fare? Raising taxes to the most unimaginable level? Oh boy, I see angry people.

4. The "decentralization" of progress around the nation through the use of transportation networks like the roll-on, roll-off and the digital infrastructure,
Oh boy. More Gloria-at-work billboards coming up.

5. The provision of electricity and water supply to barangays nationwide,
When asked about how Gloria is going to deal with her promise to the people during her presidential campaign that she's going to make Meralco bills go down to help the poor, she said something like this... "I can't do that. It's up to Meralco." Wow. Talk about betrayal of the public's trust.

6. The decongestion of Metro Manila by forming new cores of government and housing centers in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,
She could have done this when she took Erap's place years ago. She could have done everything in this list the first day she sat on her big chair in Malacañang, in the first place. How is she going to "decongest" Manila? Open new industries in the provinces? That's one effective solution which is almost as aged as my 75-year old grandpa. How is she going to do just that? Borrow some more money from international banks? I think a debt of P44,000.00 per Filipino is enough already.

7. The development of Clark and Subic as the best international service and logistic centers in the region,
Fidel Ramos should be proud of this president. Where's the originality in that? And oh, if she's really into this stuff, expect some noise coming from the anti-imperialism side of the gruntling public.

8. The automation of the electoral process,
Wow. Just now? I thought they were to automate the electoral process last May? Of course it has to be after May. How else would she win the past election if everything's automated?

9. A just end to the peace process, and
I guess having a concert of Black Eyed Peas in Mindanao or Sierra Madre would do the trick. Where is the love?...

10. A fair closure to the divisiveness among the Edsa 1, 2 and 3 forces.
If this happens, everyone can say goodbye to "katie vs. the philippines". My job's already finished, my dream has finally come true.