katie vs. the Philippines

Wuzzup Dawg!

2007-03-10T06:12:00.000+08:00

Watch dog against corruption my ass! Like who was the last senatoriable who did not vow to be a watch dog against corruption? You have candidates from team unity who serve an incumbent corrupt government, and on the opposite side you have candidates who serve a fallen corrupt leader, whom I might add is one of the top tem most corrupt leaders in the world (of all the countries included in that list we are the only country who have 2 leaders on the list whooopeeee!)

As I said in mg sugo essay, this is not a battle between good and evil, this is a battle between evil and evil. Its Freddie %Krueger versus jason, its alien versus predator, whoever wins we loose! Everybody who wants to be somebody in the senate is always claiming to end corruption and promote fair governance. Time up assholes! We are still having corruption left and right, and none of you morons have done jack shit to minimize it. In fact you were so busy fighting like boys with toys in the senate, that when you are done already 40% of every peso has already been stolen.

Expose here, expose there, but have I seen a top government dog who has been convicted for stealing from tax payers contribution? Noooooooooooooo! But everyweek there is all sorts of expose. We can’t even convict the Marcoses of at least one corruption charge among the dozens that have been filed against them. What happened to the Escort service scandal? What happened to the Jose Pidal issue? What happened to the Macapagal Hiway annomaly? What happened on that fertilizer scam? Nothing! Fact is none of you son’s of bitches can come out clean, because you are just as guilty as the people you accuse. Why does a thief hate a fellow theif? Because competition is not good for business. None of you assholes will take those charges to the proper courts so some schmuck can be convicted if it didn’t mean media exposure which you definitely definitely need to kiss the asses of the voting public. Besides who would wanna go trough all that hassles, hiring trial lawyers and all just to sue Mike Arroyo.

To make matters worse you have political whores left and right selling their principles, morals and even souls to the very same people whom they tried to oust a couple of times. Now everybody is saying that we should vote for them because they have a thing called “paninindigan”. Boy oh boy, who ever wins expect more rumble in the jungle. I have heard several on the air debates from both sides, and guess what? No genuine platform on either side! Just two camps throwing muds at each other and accusing the opposite camp of the things they are equally guilty of.

I also got a bone to prick from these militant party list representatives. Can somebody please tell me why are we giving them their pork barrells yet we never get our money’s worth? All these protests and demonstrations and not to mention a seat in congress, the most they can achieve is civil disobidence? So tax payers are giving them millions just so they can do civil disobidience?

Where were the great officials like senate president Jovito Salonga, and Chief Justice Davide when we needed them? Instead what we have are a lot of Dogs! Forget the watch dog against corruption bullshit. All you people are, are dog bitches who do nothing but bark at each other all that time. The only quest on is, who is holding the string attached to your collars. Whaddap Dawg!

***by Ahmad

Manny Pacquiao for President

2007-02-22T06:58:00.000+08:00

Catchy, isn't it? Well, for a game that's ruled by popularity and power, this will definitely deliver.

You see, I've cheered for Manny Pacquiao the last time he won against Morales (although I find the latter cute, by the way.) I'd say he's one of the reasons why we should be proud as Filipinos. He has proven that the Filipino can make it in the limelight in any field that he chooses. For that, he has inspired many, even attempting to follow his footsteps.

But it was clearly a lot of minus points when he went out saying he's running for Congress. It was no surprise, though, since the GMA's corner had already been pushing him to run for any office (even the Senate, though the idea is just simply ridiculous). Like a proud champ that he is, he declared that he can make it even in politics. He could even be using Cesar Montano's defense in some other press conferences, saying they could always take a crash course on law and the constitution if in case they get the position. (Now, how would that make studying law for 5 years look like?) I admire their courage, for politics is such a sick game here in the Philippines. It just shows that no matter how stupid their excuses are, they still go for it, believing that the people would buy it. And you know what? Their plan is working just as how they (or their advisers) have forseen it.

Confidence is backed up. In this case, Mr. Pacquiao's confidence is coming from Malacañang itself. They would say it isn't so. I would imagine that in General Santos City, during one of their meeting-de-avance's, Pacquiao would raise the hands of the Malacañang candidates as their audience approve of his endorsement, exclaiming in delight as they see their idol amongst their rulers. Afterwhich they'd deny claims that they chose Pacquiao over Ms. Custodio, the incumbent, because he IS the right choice. They'd say it's but natural for the likes of Pacquiao to rule the country, as they say we need to be inspired by such people who possess stories of great success. But of course it's all denial and false claims in politics. If they deny, for example, that claim that they joined Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III in Team Unity just because they want votes from Mindanao, not at at all because he can do good in the Senate, then that means they really joined the poor sultan just to gather votes by popularity. It's the same machinism, and it works. The smart bastards behind the scene know to play the game, simply because the bait looks tasty, and fish always go for it, even though it doesn't necessarily mean they're really tasty.

GenSan should be the focus of political and social analysts in the country, for the outcome of the elections in this region would determine how matured (or immature) democracy currently is in the Philippines. A lot will be answered during and after the elections, though answers to them were already answered since Erap's administration. Does popularity, goodwill that lack skills really justify a good vote? Have we really learned from our mistakes?

As for my decision to vote or not- of course, I'll vote. I can't wait to cast my ballot since this responsibility comes only once after a couple of years. I will not be filling up all the ranks, though. I'd draw a straight line of ink for most of them, most likely, just to make sure the blanks would be used for evil means. I'd vote the ones who has consistently stood up to their principles, stood against the traditional evils of politics and the society as a whole, and stood beside the Filipino people even if their popularity itself is at stake.

Most of them could be unknowns to most voters, but I don't care. I won't vote candidates simply because they'll surely win! This is not gamble. This is not a contest where someone would win a 29 inch flatscreen TV after the event. It could be a game, a race. But what's at stake here is what we'd be as a country for the next couple of years. I'm not going to lay those years in the hands of people whose credibility and principles are uncertain.

As for Pacquiao, I wonder what his mother is thinking right now. She should be very much disappointed by now for his son's rashness. Remember that she was the first one to say she's against the whole idea of his son running for office. If I remember it correctly, she said she'd prefer his son going for showbiz instead. Then after that, he could run for politics. Nice gameplan, Mom. Sayang. That would have won his son not only a seat in Congress, but the major seat in Malacañang instead!

Hopeless

2007-02-18T01:53:00.000+08:00

I am starting to loose faith in the exercise of democratic process. Election to be precise. This coming May 14 I may wanna reevaluate if I even wanna put a name on my ballot. I mean seriously, what the hell for?

1.) You either elect and a "way in over his head with no qualification and potentially incompetent" gung ho, or an overeducated bureaucratic pig who likes to manipulate "way in over their heads with no qualification and potentially incompetent" gung hoes. Someone once asked me, if you were to hire someone to take care of your finances would you go for a CPA who steals, or a mere Kahera who is honest. And I say, I am a dumb employer if my choices are stuck with either. Come on! if I'm managing a multimillion company and get a mere kahera to budget my finances, how sure am I that she is not going to miscalculate something, so that in the end millions of hard earned money are unaccounted for, and I end up facing tax evasion cases? Duh!

2.) The senate and congress is where thieves try to bust the balls of fellow thieves. Yep its a dog eat dog world in there. I mean who comes clean now a days? Remember the classic Ping Lacson and his Jose Pidal expose? Oh he got his exposure alright! but years later what happened? Last time I checked Mike Arroyo is still playing golf on a Sunday, because right after Mr. Bang Bang Ping lost the presidential race, no formal complaint was even filed to the proper courts. And now its Mr. Alan Peter Cayetano VS Mike Arroyo. Oh please both of you should just put on boxing gloves and get over with it!

3.) Party List system is just a venue for the Militants, communists, and activists, to milk the same government they try to overthrow. Why don't we have public school teachers, or nurses, or handicapped people (who all badly need representation) take a seat in congress for a change. I had quite enough of the pathetic and utterly useless Ideologies of this militants, that they try so hard to fight for. When instead they should be doing something more tangible, like building classrooms and providing livelihood training for indigenous people. But nooooooooooooo! most of the time they rally about sexist billboards, American imperialism, and the struggle for total democracy. Message to people, write all those Ideologies on toilet papers, and do us all a favor.

4.) Candidates are picked based on loyalty, family, popularity and not really on qualifications and possible contributions. Mr. Zubiri! I ain't thanking you shit for your bio-fuel act! We don't owe you shit for that, we pay are taxes, and your supposed to do what you were mandated to. Same thing goes to Angara, Osmeña, ET AL.

5.) Richard Gomez for senator! Manny Pacquiao for Congressman! Need I say more?

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Katie's Note: This is written by Ahmad Reza Mahazery. Yup! Ahmad is back, too! Yihee! ;-p

Vote the Independents!

2007-02-13T05:34:00.000+08:00

What is the purpose of the political party system in the Philippines? A political party system is supposed to have a distinct stand for certain issues dealt with by the people, to say the least. It is a group composed of people who have common ideals and plans for the country. This is what we always call "plataporma".

"Plataporma". Now I wonder when I last heard this word used in election campaigns. I remember once in 1995 when I watched a debate in the main plaza of Malolos City. It was an intense exchange of words between candidates for mayor and congressman. I could recall clearly how each candidate would boast their plans to certain issues thrown to them. For every question, they have their own answers prepared. Most of them contradicting, of course, but they came prepared and their "plataporma" well furnished before facing the crowd. Their stand were clearly the stand of the political party to which they each belong. They seldom deviate from their party's ideals, thus, making them consistent and really convincing. The people went home that night with very clear choices in their minds, almost ready to vote.

Now you may be asking where these types of political parties are. Nah they're still out there, on the background, while media is busy flashing on your television screens the senseless exchange of blows between the so-called Opposition and... well, the Administration, which is basically composed of Gloria's minions.

What's unfortunate is that these two popular parties don't have a clear stand at all. It's just all about popularity and not about the "plataporma". Oftentimes, in their attempt to get a lead in the popularity game, they perform tricks that are already beginning to seem very lame. Gloria, for instance, in the attempt to bring the crowd to their campaigns, had joined actors Richard Gomez and Cesar Montano in their lineup. (In Mr. Montano's case, the last time I saw him was months ago when he went all public reaching out to old people in a shelter, claiming that nothing about it was political... to which, of course, I reacted, "Shishhh... Yeah right." The next thing I know, his picture already is flashed on TV next to Mike Defensor, who lovingly calls himself 'Tol.)

Good men like Senator Panguilinan, on the other hand, do not seem to like the idea of putting "plataporma" to the trash and going for the popularity game instead. Senator Villar, on the other hand, decided on running as an independent candidate, but still with blessings of Malacañang not because he desires it, but because the Administration side insists. It's a wise move, actually... if they want to give you support without strings attached, why not take it? Anway, these men decided to go out of their leagues amidst invitations from both sides, claiming that they will go for ideals and plans that favor the people, not a few people who have no clear stand anyway. They are kind enough not to say they are already sick of what's going on in their former groups, that they have decided to do it on their own. Somehow, this gives me comfort knowing that still, there are people out there who had principles (although sometimes vague).

Besides, if you really are a man of dignity, who knows how good professional politics is, how could you imagine working with such people who knows nothing or goes against your principles? If it was 1999, thinking about the 2007 elections with Sotto and Oreta running alongside the anti-Eraps would be absurd. Even the thought of Oreta running for office again is absurd. Well, I guess absurdity has a place in this time and age.

The independents surely have a place in my ballot, though. I hope the people would see through the flashy sitcoms these monkey political parties are showing us. It's sickening already, though it's a good thing some people from the political arena itself shares the same feeling.

Funny

2007-02-09T23:36:00.000+08:00

As early as January, I'm already hearing a lot of new things to write about what's happening in the Philippines, specifically on the politics side. Now that I'm home (not for a long time, though since I have to leave next week again), I'm in a good mood today so I'll just be posting here some things that I would categorize as "funny".

Funny how Richard Gomez reacted to Leo Martinez's suggestion for actors, actresses and basketball players not to run for any executive office in the coming elections simply because most of them know absolutely nothing regarding lawmaking. I wasn't able to memorize his exact words, but I believe his text message said "Kilala ko si Leo Martinez dahil nakasama ko sya sa mga projects namin. Sabog lang siguro sya kaya nasabi nya yun." This, coming from someone who's running for senator. Again, funny. Nakakahiya, and funny.

Mr. Gomez also said those who'd want to run for senator wouldn't need the skills and knowledge about the law, that they just need the heart to serve the people. This proves a lot of things really- that it's an unfortunate fact that most Filipinos these days don't realize the worth of education, that we don't move forward with the rest of the world because of our "pwede na" mentality. This is also an obvious reason why most of our elected government officials are incompetent- most of us vote because we think they are simply... nice, and nothing else.

I've nothing against actors and actresses running for political office, as some had proven their worth already in the past. I believe Vilma Santos, for instance, did a great job in bringing Lipa City to it's current pace. Unfortunately, most of them just never left any significant mark in history. Instead, they became popular either because of scandals or by using their position to their selfish claims. Take for example Senator Jinggoy Estrada. Do you know anything about him in the Senate other than using his Privilege Speech tickets for either (or both) defending his family from speculations or (and) some political blahblahs that, most of the time, are never connected to the agenda of their official sessions?

Meanwhile, funny how Senator Lito Lapid, who is now running for mayor, attempted to please the Makati crowd by actually telling incumbent mayor Binay in front of news cameras to let him continue his work. He said, "Ibigay mo na sa 'kin ang Makati, tutal naman napatunayan na natin na pang-lokal lang talaga ang serbisyo ko." Some thoughts rushed in mind after hearing that stupendously foolhardy comment:

1. That he has just proven that he's not supposed to be a senator in the first place.
2. That Binay is much much better than him.
3. The term used is "ibigay", which here means "to turn over",... so Makati is like something that he needs to be turned over, eh?

If we got someone like this in Senate, no wonder why our contry is in such a dump. Binay, perhaps caught unprepared for such a stupid act, just candidly said, "Marami pa akong ipagpapatuloy sa Makati..." I know that smile in his face caught very clearly by the newscameras. I'm sure in his mind was a resounding sidecomment "STUPID IDIOT!"

Later, Lapid was asked what he'd do for Makati if he wins the mayorial slate. He said something like, "Maganda na at napakayaman na ng Makati, pero malungkot." Then, his exact words: "LET MAKATI HAPPY." Again, funny. Nakakahiya and funny.

And of course, there is this 'Tol commercial by Mike Defensor to top all those election (though not confessed) TV ads. Aside from being the most uninspired bland TV ads that I ever saw in my entire life, this 2-minute commercial doesn't prove or say anything at all but "Hi! I am Mike Defensor, and though I'm not actually saying it, I'm running for Senator in May 2007!" If this is his attempt to make himself known to the general public, he just leaves the people scratching their heads saying "Who the hell is that?!" if they're totally oblivious about politics, or "What the hell was that about?!" if they are searching for any meaning or purpose to it. This ad is just like those printed ads we see everyday in the streets. Happy Fiesta from Congressman this. Happy Valentines Day from Councilor that. And they say they're not selling their names to voters yet. And they say they're not violating any COMELEC laws since they're not submitting their candidacy yet. So oh! I'm so happy Congressman this and Councilor took some effort (not to mention our taxes) just to greet us Happy Fiesta or Happy Valentines! Is that it?! Funny.

I just wish the Filipino is already matured enough to vote this time, and that we've already learned from our mistakes in the past. With all these political craziness going around, the only way to make a wise choice is to really look into how these candidates did their job while in office, their REAL contributions to the society, and their credentials to prove their worth in the position they are running for. If only voters would devote more time for this.

The Story of "Us" (Part 3)

2006-11-25T16:42:00.000+08:00

A story is always written for the hero who saves the day. But was there any story ever written about the damsel in distress?

For mine's that kind of a story.

A forsaken love had finally betrayed me. Not that it was the type of love that I thought was everlasting. But it was something that took my attention away from what hurt me. I thought this man would take me away from a curse that I had succumbed myself willingly. At first, he did show me salvation. With his whims and charm, he began to amaze me, and later on control me. Strong that I was and my armor, I had been slave to his will. He showed me his world unknown to me. Amazed at first, I was overwhelmed and laid rest into his arms everyday. But later, I realized all the happiness that he caused was just superficial.

Because my heart still belonged to that sweet curse. And he knew it. And he played by it, until a lasting effect came destroying my defenses. He lured me to a trap that he thought I'd never escape. Must he have loved me for this? It didn't matter anymore. While he grasped me with claws ever causing my shortened breathe, like a bird stolen of it's peace and freedom, I broke free. But almost destroyed.

Away from all the troubles that was brought by a forsaken and deceiptful affair, I went off to where he could not find me. At least temporarily. Back to my homeland, to establish my own fortress of solitude. For it was all the power left that I could put into use at that time.

And with all the power that I had already used up, he found me. The author of my lasting curse. The one who owns my heart all along.

It was June, the month of the wedding bells. A sunny morning unknown to me at first, for the whole night before was one of the darkest in my life, I spent shedding the last of the tears that I had to cry for my recent unfortune.

I was in a hotel which is ironically named as heaven... "Shangri-la". It was the first one I could think of which is nearest to resembling my home. It is where I knew relatives who would keep me safe from the world, and who would keep my existence unknown to all for the meantime. But betrayal never left me- it was still bitter, but also tastes sweet. My presence was made known to the only man who could calm me. The only man who could pull me out of insanity. It is quite ironic- the man who took away my heart for the longest time now stood by the bed where I rest my body weakened by harsh fate, as my savior. And he knew he was the only one with whom I could be with for the next days. He now stood there by the hotel door more as a friend than he had been the enemy of my destiny years before. He has a unique light in his eyes, something that I'd learn to grasp and cherish later on.

He sat by and stared at me the whole morning. It was as if he had created this day only for me, and set aside the rest of his world just to be with me, just as he always did a long time ago. He thought I was deep in slumber but his presence had never failed to keep my senses awake and trembling. He threw a smile upon me the first moment I opened my eyes. "I got something for you..." he said. A white long-stemmed rose. He said he took it from an officemate who happened to have a bunch of them. I took it, felt the softness of it's buds and the sweetness of it's odour against my cheeks. And I thought tears already ran out the dreaded night before.

"Shhh... there now... I heard what happened to you... I'm sorry..."

"No, Elmo... don't be sorry. It's my fault actually. I let it all happen."

"But..."

"No... Elmo... you, here... it's all that I want this very moment."

This is all how it started- my return to life and my last bid to say goodbye to this sweet curse that I willingly accepted in my life. I now understand why, amidst all the hurtings and uncertainties, anyone would still submit one's self to this kind of story. It's better to have loved once like this, than never have loved at all.

(To be continued...)

The Story of "Us" (Part 2)

2006-10-29T00:51:00.000+08:00

Our unique bond started when we went out to Tagaytay years ago. I think I've already mentioned it in this blog, but it was really just a simple story. Boy meets girl. Girl hates boy at first, but after spending time with each other, falls in love with him eventually, in a very teenager-flick kinda way. Girl goes away, though, because career was much more important at that time. Boy gets broken hearted, and eventually was found by another girl who takes care of him and, eventually again, fell in love with him. Main girl, while away, realizes that there's nothing in the world more special that being with this boy. Girl goes home. Girl gets brokenhearted. Girl goes away again. Girl meets boy again later on. They get together, something clicked. You know the rest of the story...

Friends need not worry of our situation, as I think it is very well managed by both of us. You see, although we see (or we've seen) each other a lot lately, we always end up being reminded of where we are and where we stand relative to each other. As for me, I love him, with all my heart- I won't do anything that would hurt him. Even if that means not having him for the rest of my life, and enduring whatever feelings that come with it.

Indeed, ours is a relationship that we need to keep a secret. A big one. He has a family whom he loves so much, even I couldn't get through it. I have a life and a career to take care of, and settling down, specially with him, is not an option.

But why do we stick to each other even as circumstances always keep us apart? What makes us click whenever we are together? What makes the unique friendship last amidst all opposing conditions?

I don't know, actually. What I only know is that fate draws us together whenever we need each other. Indeed, the concept of "soulmates" really is a difficult thing to explain.

Or maybe it's just that I've been all around the world, and I never found a boy who's more affectionate, caring and sincere more than him. This is the type who never plays games. He tells or shows through obvious means what he feels, and never fails to make it felt too deeply. His are the sweetest kisses of which taking advantage is never felt. In his arms is the safest place in the world I could find. Whenever he lays his hands on me, specially to provide comfort in times of despair and depression, his touch never fails to tell that things will be alright, and it usually does. His are the eyes that never tell lies. He can avoid the truth, but never wills it to, specially if it is to hurt somebody. His is a heart that never willed to hurt anyone. Never. I've seen him carry the burdens of others just to alleviate their worries. He will do anything, sacrifice anything, just to make his loved ones happy and safe. And I was fortunate enough to be part of it. And never had I came over it. Memories of him stay inside, even if he's not aware of it. His kindness has affected my life more than anyone could in this world. And he knows this. I told him never to believe that he's never affected anyone in any way, even if others would make him feel like so. These are the reasons why I return to him every once in a while. His fortress of solitude, somehow damaged now- it's what my free soul yearns for whenever I'm hurt by the world, and it never fails to give me strength, to give me peace.

And so I tried to show him this peace, this calm sunrise after the dreaded storm that he somehow lost after the ordeals that was laid upon his life for a couple of months. Failure has beaten this man down to his knees, and as someone who he inspired for so long, it was my greatest happiness to return what is due him. It didn't matter who or what took him down. I was there to save him, in all means possible, even if it requires offering my all to him, even if I knew this bliss wouldn't last long.

I told him to forget about everything whenever we were together. And forgot we always did. I thought it was necessary. To emerge from the world and a life that somehow hurt you, you need to fly away from it sometimes. Although, again, flying away would mean flying back- completely forgetting everything and going away is never solution to our problems. It was a good thing that amidst all the craziness and careless things that we did during those short weekends, we always end up saying goodbye and returning to our lives not regretting anything that has ever happened. I really believe those days gave us the opportunity to make up for all the things that we've missed all these years. The chance to know what we could have been, and walk away from it smiling, keeping memories that were once just dreams, never part of reality.

(To be continued...)

The Story of "Us"

2006-10-21T07:02:00.000+08:00

I have to write this down, because it overwhelms me everytime I recall all the good things that happened to me last month and during the recent days. It was heaven.

I think I've already told everyone I know that I went straight to hell and went back and made it alive in the recent months. If it's possible for someone not to exist the whole month, then that would have been me last July. I was practically nowhere, unconscious in bed, almost not sure if every day would be the day I'd give off my last breath on this earth.

However, it is true that it is during these crucial times that you can prove who among all people you've encountered in your lifetime are the ones who care for you and love you. Well, at least after you've made it through and woke up, that is.

When I woke up, people who I've missed, people who are not most likely to be there on my suppposedly death-bed were there. Both my parents, who were estranged for the longest time, were there holding my hands like we're family once again. Friends and relatives who came all the way from the Philippines were there, too. All the people that I've missed, all these people who, after years of thinking where they've been, were there, waiting and praying for me to wake up. Sarah, Cesar, Uncle Danny, Tita Cyrene... even my long lost friend Cynthia who happened to be in California that time, they were all there praying for me, hoping God would still give me a new life. And when I did wake up, tears of joy are never enough to express what I felt. Yes, when I immersed from hell, it felt heaven.

Later I realized that it's all thanks to one guy who, even if he's not able to make it to where I was, made everything possible so that I'd be waking up in heaven. This guy, who I consider my best friend, who, after all these years of me finding where I would belong, made me feel that there's still a place left somewhere to come home to, worked so hard, even out of his way, just to make sure that people around me, people whom I love but lost for a very long time, would be there when I wake up or during the last days of my life.

Not only that, he had made an impossible thing possible. My dad and my mom are now talking, considering to get together and starting to talk about what life could be for them if they'll be together (since they're already getting old for the games that they've been playing for a very long time)... this guy made me feel something that I've missed since I was a young teenager, a feeling that I seem to have forgotten not until now... the feeling of being a daughter to my Dad and my Mom. And you could only imagine the immense joy that I feel everytime I see them together now. It makes me cry. It makes me remember days when I was still so young- happy innocent days with both of them.

I am so so very touched by the love that I felt that day when I opened my eyes for the first time after fighting death. I'm supposed to be condemned for having my life endangered for such stupid choices that I made before this predicament. I feel that I don't deserve the affection and kindness that I am receiving right now. But as I came out of the dark, there they were. There was I. There was him, smiling on the background, perhaps, and relieved that I was able to make it back. I am so so very grateful to the one who have made it all possible.

As soon as I was cleared by my doctor, I went back to celebrate my birthday with relatives, just so to make sure to them that I'm already fine and well. Actually, that was only an excuse- I really wanted to go home to see this guy, my best friend, and to personally thank him for all the love that he'd made me feel.

You know when you pray, you should ask for only small things. God usually grant small things. That day when I got home, I wished God that he'd grant me just more quality time with him. During my last visits, I only had a couple of hours for a good chat and gimmick with him. This time, I wished for more than that... I wished that we'd be together just as how we were back in college- not caring for anything else in the world but just me and him together.

As soon as I got out of the airplane and met him in the arrival area of the Centennial Airport, I was surprised with what I saw. I heard the usual "Kumusta, Kitkat", but this time it was said by a slightly weary-looking man, thinner than ever, with gloomy eyes that, as if, lost it's usual shine.

What happened to him? What happened to the young man who had always given me light in the midst of life's certainties just by thinking about how bright he sees life? What happened to the heart that I used to consider home?

The gladness that I felt seeing him again after a very long time swiftly shifted to sincere sadness. "What happened to you? What's wrong?" He didn't say a word about it, even after that day and the days after when we got certain chances to be together.

He is never healthier than before. Years ago, he could keep up with me when we tour Manila and places out of town together. This time, he preferred staying, sitting on one place, talking about life itself and how things had been before I went away last time. Socrates gets easily tired. I insisted on letting me know what has weakened my Superman. I thought it was me- while I was hospitalized, I know, by what my father had told me, how busy he got just to arrange all things needed if ever I pass away. I could imagine the emotional stress, not to mention physical, while doing that. How could someone endure that without one's heart being crushed? But it turned out that all the hassles I caused him wasn't part of it. He's not saying anything, but I know him, and I'd say he was keeping a broken heart from me. The loss of self-confidence and sense of hope, being not anymore excited for the next days to come, not anymore looking forward to the future, not anymore appreciating life as it is, just as how he used to be. I came home, and found him there where he fell- destroyed and barely breathing. Who did this to him? How could this person hurt him this much? One of the few strong elites of our hometown, the pride of Bulacan, my living fortress of solitude, my love- torn to pieces and left alone with strength and confidence slowly fading to darkness.

Though reluctant to tell me everything that had happened in the past month, he told me that it'd be much appreciated if I'd stay in the country for a while for he needed someone to lean on to, specially during a crisis that he chooses to keep to himself, no matter how huge it is and damaging it is to his whole being. He still can see himself through the pain he was going through, apparently. I tried my best to be there where I was truly needed, beside him. The prayer became my mission... all these years, he had become my stronghold when everything else fall in defeat and failure. I'd eventually go home no matter where I was, just to watch him go on with his happy life- which never failed to inspire me to go on, as well, no matter how difficult life could be. Now, it's my turn, and it's the least I can do for him whom I've loved and longed for so much for all these years. He needs a shoulder to cry on to- someone outside of his usual daily circle, as his daily life seems to be hurting him. I know he had to return to this life eventually, as this life, too, makes him complete and happy. However, I've learned in my dealings with my own struggles that life, no matter how happy it is, could be quite self-destructive sometimes. It would greatly help if you've got a stranger to come along and rescue you. Though a friend who had almost become a stranger, I'm glad that I've returned to his side with perfect timing.

The next days were filled with honest realizations, sad tears, stolen moments, and recurring deep intimacies that came so naturally. We went to places not new to us, places where our souls can find the most calm of sanctuaries- Baywalk as the sun sets on the horizon, under the shade of an acacia tree in the UP Sunken Garden, inside the Quezon Memorial Circle monument, in the penthouse of the Citiland Pasong Tamo, in the Antipolo church, in the Malolos Basilica, in his car on the road- and just talk about what life had been for me and for him in the past years. We somehow realized that we had a lot of catching up to do, still, even if we've been seeing each other every once in a while since 2005. Somehow, it felt good having him throw a genuine smile again while listening to how I tell about how life had been for me- my adventures and misadventures in Europe, meeting friends, old and new while I travel around the world, the story of how I built Wr@pped in Singapore, how I met my ex-boyfriend/manager who dumped me recently- basically my life while I was away from home. Day by day, we got closer together than we've ever been in the past- learning the fact that it was really better that we got separated from each other years ago, as this had let us grow as better people, though apart. Sharing our stories made us miss the times when we could have been together (as it could have been perfect that way) and appreciate where we've been though a world apart. The conversations deepened from seemingly endless laughing moments to both of us crying in each other's arms.

Oh for years I've thought of this only in dreams! And it made me feel so fulfilled inside... finally, I'm with the man closest to my heart, my soulmate- and although this part of our story would not end the way I want to, I know this is still helping both of us somehow. Somehow. Even though most of my friends say it isn't right. Even though the world never meant these couple of days to be.

We're not meant for each other, though it's as if we're made for each other. Yes- my special someone, my prince, my Superman, my fortress of solitude, is already a married man.

(To be continued...)

Happy Birthday, My Tender Heart!

2006-10-12T22:30:00.000+08:00

I spent my birthday with the most special person I know in the world. This makes me the happiest person alive that day. Our birthdays fall side by side on the October calendar. When we were still college students, we used to go spending this day together, depends on what specific day we'll decide on celebrating it. Some years passed by and we went on separate paths, but this year, I'm so blessed to have this chance of having our ways cross again, even if maybe it'll just be at this point in time.

We had good years together, and this special day seem to have given memories of those years a shine that will never last. I remember spending this day in 1998 with him in Sunken Garden. It was a picnic, so to speak. We had a 'kumot' laid on the grass, some sandwiches and Coke on a picnic basket (yes! He was able to get a vintage basket, so cute!). But what I always go back to are the conversations that we had. Retrospective. Poetic. Prophetic. The type of conversation that you would perhaps hear if you'd talk to a philosopher or a counselor. The topics we tackled are reserved for that day only.

Three years, and only once a year we try to answer one simple question: "Are you happy?"

This year, we were not on a picnic, we were not in UP Diliman's Sunken Garden, we were friends who finally had exclusive time together after so many years of being estranged. We were sitting on a bench in the Baywalk area in Manila, looking and appreciating the beauty of the sun that seemed to be slowly sinking on the horizon. After some time of what they would refer to as "kulitan", I was the one who first blurted out the yearly question.

To which he abruptly paused, laid back, looked at the sunset, and simply replied,

"Yes."

Looking at him staring at the sunset, I noticed a smile on his face but not the usual shine in his eyes. As if he is missing something in his life that he had somehow lost from the years that has gone by while we were away from each other.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh?... Nah. Nothing, Katie. It's just that it's been a long time since someone actually asked me that question."

"And why's that?"

"I don't know. Maybe because as you grow older, you'd notice the world where you once so yourself as great starts to not care if you're happy or not."

"Yah. I guess so. The world becomes jaded as you grow older. But that does not mean you'll have to throw away what makes you feel young, doesn't it?"

"I used to have that drive. I don't know... There's something in the coldness of this city that make people like us so obsolete."

I have been all around the world, in many great cities where realism is the only factor that drives people to go on. Indeed, cities have no hearts- places where real sincerity exist are so rare you'd surely keep it once found. But I've been in these places and was able to survive because on one thing that I have always believed in- that there's someone out there whose heart is so strong it will never be smitten. I may be always away from home, but I've always thought I can always count on and lean on a friend who possesses both a strong will and a pure heart.

So imagine how it broke my heart seeing his eyes without the usual shine. But it made me realize why he looked so worn out since the first time I saw him again.

"I always knew there's something wrong. Tell me. What's been hurting you all this time..."

He looked at me, still with the gloomy eyes and the faint smile, held my hand, and said, as if to desperately attempt to throw my attention away from the topic, "If in case you see Aladdin's lamp floating nearby, what would be the first wish you'd have in mind?"

"Let me think... Maybe I'd wish that days like this would never end. But I'd still wish for that red Porsche car that we saw hours ago in EDSA."

"Nah. I'd wish I could hear other people's thoughts."

"Then there would be no more keeping secrets. Imagine how dull life would be with that kind of power. Playing games, for instance, wouldn't be possible. And you very well know the Truth hurts most of the time."

"Yeah. I guess so. But it's better than be hurt because of lies. You see, that's what make this city so jaded. Most people here are into cruel games- people see being true as a liability. Letting out true feelings, your deepest thoughts, your dreams are seen as weaknesses. This is no place for idealists. Or maybe, I guess... I've always had a weak heart, after all."

"No. But really, those are things that you learn after finishing Philosophy, I assume."

"I now know why you were so hurt when you went out of the limelight, Katie. You thought you'd be able to go through all the mud-slinging and lies just by being true. Then, you decided to just keep quiet. Then, later, you just quit and went out, didn't you?"

"Yes. Somehow, a big part of me was destroyed when I realized John Lennon's world is really not possible once you go out in the real world. But, I always thought you'd be able to live through life without having that heart of yours being stirred and shaken..."

"Well, I guess my sweater isn't thick enough against the cold breeze."

"Let me buy and send you one, then, when I get back in Singapore."

That night when we took separate ways again, I saw a man with a heart healing from the hurt that he had gone through during the last couple of months. I was part of why he had gone weary- he got so worried for me while I was dying a couple of months ago. I know there are lots of other things he's carrying right now and I know there's a deeper cut somewhere that he's keeping from me, maybe something that he'd want to take care of alone, as he'd probably be thinking that's the best way to deal with it. Though I know having him spend so much time alone in the city would be too much for him, I see a stronger heart though at it's weakest state. And I admire the one who possesses it even more today- because at this crucial point in his life, he's still able to inspire me to go on. I hope I've done the same thing for him, too.

Happy Birthday, my dear Tender Heart... I will be away again, but I will be back as soon as I feel from out there that you need me no matter where I am, as you were for me always.

Home

2006-07-08T20:08:00.000+08:00

I sense a great storm coming in from afar...

Wait for me, my dearest Elmo...

I'm coming home.

"Let's Tango."

2006-06-23T20:01:00.000+08:00

Another one of those GRAPHIC DETAIL episodes by the great Mr. Jonas Diego features yours truly as a kick-ass scantily-clad heroine of some sort... Enjoy!

For the rest of Jonas' masterpieces, check out his blog.

To John, my dearest friend...

2006-05-31T08:29:00.000+08:00

Today I woke up in a differently shaded world. I opened my eyes and thoughts were flowing relentlessly. It's been a long time since this happened. A year, to be exact. I realized that it's been a long time since the inspiration to write straight from the heart came to me. Today really is different.

Maybe it's because of what happened yesterday. Indeed, yesterday is a precious jewel I wouldn't exchange for anything. It's a treasure that is so hard to find these days. In the days to come, if there will come reasons to feel blue or rotten, I would surely let memories of yesterday filled with songs, true friendship and pure sincerity fill the space caused by life's real miseries, I'm sure a smile will find it's way somehow. I'd surely be convinced again that the world is really not that tragic, not that rude, not that ironic. And life will be fine again. That's the magic and gift of yesterday.

I'm not sure if my absence the day after would do anything good or bad for both of us. I think it's an opportune moment, at least for me, to think over and write some things that were left unsaid last night (or this morning) so that tomorrow, when you see me beside you once again, every uncertainty would already be as clear as day, hopefully. Besides, this writer can only open his heart fully through written words.

So what was left unsaid last night? Many things, actually. The trip to your place was not enough to cover thoughts that were running through my head, and probably yours, as well. This will... hmm... more or less cover questions that probably are in your mind right now.

Have I really fallen again? Am I really in denial? I would say no, crossing my heart and hoping to die candidly. Seriously, I don't suppose God lets two people meet for bad reasons, and I know He would not let anything devastating happen for an evil purpose.

Yesterday was like a big wake-up call. There's almost 10 years of history to it. This life has been filled with regrets and goodbyes- I've been and lived in various places, spent so many memorable times with people I learned to love and live life with daily, only to find myself one day that I am alone again, with regrets that I have not affected the ones that I've grown with in quite a short time. There are a few who stayed, but most of them left a wide empty space in me that I always wish I would have filled somehow. Yes, that includes my Elmo. I thought almost a month of bliss with him would answer the greatest riddle in my mind and heart. I never really prepared for goodbye, because I never wanted to. Our story never really ended and you know this. Goodbyes are supposed to happen swiftly. If it kills, it should end life without pain. But it's not supposed to be that way- life is cruel. Yup, our goodbye was a very long one. Painful each day, with no escape. The recent months were proof that it did a bigger hole in my soul, moulded with only a few memories of happiness.

The Katie that you came to know was consumed in and by darkness- someone who was almost convinced that life is but a series of beatings till your soul wears out and withers away. You always tell me to see the happy elements of life, but to a woman who was like drugged with life's poisons, happy elements were just temporary. (Funny, I remember you telling me almost the exact same thing once.) You live the daily routine. You go through life's task and lose a day without minding it at all. The writer's Carpe diem was just meaningless.

The happy yesterday could have been just another drug for the next shadowy days. But like I said, I woke up in a differently shaded world today. It does not feel I've fallen, John. As a matter of fact, it feels like being resuscitated from having been fallen. I find myself writing again, John, filled with ideas that left me a long time ago. Yes, the colors that my Elmo took came back, they're home at last. You just don't know how overwhelming that is to me.

It's such a sweet irony that I met someone who shares almost the same fate in my darkest moments. Two people who can't see in the shadows ought to hold hands and guide each other to light, even if light itself may be too far to reach. I believe this is our purpose. Eversince I came to know you more than anyone else do, I have made a pledge that I will be there the day this man would either break or live through having loved someone whom he can't. Sometimes I see you breaking to tears, and I see myself in you a year ago whenever that happens. I do not want anyone living living through that horrible suffering because I know it's hell. This is why I choose to be close to you whenever it happens- hoping to lighten up the burden even for a bit. Your love for your special someone is divine, and I know throwing that away is as severe as turning your back against faith itself. It almost destroys the foundations of your soul, until you find life wilting, which should not be. Having you in my life is a proof to it's contrary, and I wish you'd find proof for yourself later on- may or may it not be from me.

Someday, you'll wake up in a world complete with colors, John. Come what may :-), I hope to be there when that day comes, at least to see the eternal smile that everyone's searching for.

To the question "Has Katie fallen?" No. Truth is, you found a girl who had already fallen. But I'm learning to stand now. It's all thanks to the wonderful you.

Hugs and kisses.

Our Official Stand: The Filomeno Code

2006-05-22T20:17:00.000+08:00

Let me start this essay by saying the same thing Dr. Jose Rizal said when he was accused of attacking the Catholic faith. I am a catholic, I was raised a Catholic, and I intend to die being a Catholic.

Let me also begin by saying that I am against the proliferation of pornograhy, most specifically in Philippine Cinema. The reason for this has got little to do with the assumption that pornography poisons the mind of an audience (not that it can't), but because I am against the idea of selling lust and exploiting women to make big bucks out of movie tickets.

But let me make it clear that this does not make my mind narrow about the issue of pornography. There are media such as art work, movies, television, radio, and printed materials, that although deal with the paradigms of sex and violence, do not necessarily qualify to be labeled as obscene and more so pornographic. As for me, something becomes pornographic when an author of a certain media intentionally capitalizes and uses sex, but most importantly, lust to sell his work.

However, sometimes, even cause-oriented groups such as the Philippine Alliance of Pornography (PAAP), can go overboard. In a very controversial move to ban the movie "The Da Vinci Code", a lot of curious minds havebeen tickled and now the viewing public is placed on this dilemma. So allow me to scrutinize some arguments presented by the PAAP spokesman (Aldo Filomeno) in a Manila Bulletin and Malaya article.

1.) The Movie adaptation of "The Da Vinci Code" is the most pornographic and blasphemous film in history.

First of all, what qualifies him to judge a movie that he hasn't seen yet? And even if he did, what makes him say that this is the most pornographic film in history? Has he seen every pornographic movie in history? If he has, then I wonder what is he doing being a leader of an anti-pornography group. Surely, Tom Hanks is no porno star, and I will bet my one month salary that we won't even see him ass-naked in this movie (although someone else did, but it didn't look pornographic to me!). On the other hand, Academy award winning director Ron Howard, is surely not a pornographer. We recognized some ofhis early works in "A Beautiful Mind" and "Cinderella Man". Both films were critically acclaimed and award winning.

How many blasphemous articles has he read? Even Dan Brown himself admitted that most elements of his books were in fact based on pure fiction. Maybe some of his beliefs go against the dogma of the Catholic Church, but doesn't ours also go against the dogmas of Judaism? Or the dogmas of other religion for that matter? As a matter of fact, there are some religions that do not acknowledge the divinity of Christ, much more his existence. It is, of course, blasphemous for a Catholic point of view. But in a country that constitutionaly protects freedom of religion, such arguments are biased and often absurd.

2.) This movie aims to destroy Filipino Values, and the foundation of the Catholic faith.

Definitely an out of line argument here. If MTRCB is to ban this movie for that basis, then I will have to ask why have they allowed other lame-brained Filipino movies to be shown in theaters, that in fact never fails to manage to insult the intelligence of the Filipino audience. Why do they air game shows, reality shows and talk shows, that as a matter of fact, have promoted a lot of false values? So I see no reason why everybody is making so much of a fuss over a Hollywood movie?

Lets face it, most who will watch this movie are those people who have read the book and are familiar with Dan Brown's work. Sandara Park fans will stay away from this movie.

Most of all, if the foundation of ones faith is strong, then there is absolutely no work of fiction that can destroy it. Besides, Dan Brown's book often times has been subjected to many rebuttals. There are also many claims, way before Dan Brown's, that have challenged the dogmas of the Catholic church. But for hundreds of years it still remained the most dominant religion in this planet.

4.) Dan Brown is as evil as Adolf Hitler, and wants us to worship his evil empire. All copies of his book must be burned, and the master copy of the movie must be destroyed.

I don't think Dan Brown ever promoted a sect. Even if he did, it would have been a cult. As of today many cults exists, but again have they managed to destroy the most dominant religion on this planet?

I do not know what common denominator Brown and Hitler has. But this I will say, dictating mature people on what they should and should not read, not respecting the right of people to choose what they want to believe and what they don't want to, and prejudism due to ones religious or political beliefs is pretty much Nazism to me. Come to think of it, didn't the Nazis burn printed materials and other media so they can brainwash the citizens of the places they occupied?

Besides if the PAAP decides to burn copies of the book or the movie itself, wouldn't they be breaking the law themselves? There is such a thing called property rights, which unfortunately for them, the constitution protects.

5.) We should boycott PG-13, R-13 and R-18 movies in major theaters in this country to discourage them to show films that depict sex and violence.

Now I'm wondering if Mr. Filomeno understands why or how something gets to be merited as PG or R for that matter. In fact there are some movies that do not contain a single scene of violence or sex, but still merritt for a PG rating. Take for instance the movie adaptation of some of Shakespear's work, they get a PG rating not because of the sex and violence, but because of the complexity of some dialogs that children may have difficulty in understanding.

Second, it is just stupid for a person who takes a 3-minute scene of nudity as the whole point of the entire 2 hour movie. Take for instance Spielberg's Amistad. The director tackled many paradigms in that movie, slavery, freedom, humanity, friendship, and love. It is one of those movies that engages you to be philosophical, but if all you could remember was the scene showing a completely naked slave, then I think you might want to seek therapy for that.

Brokeback Mountain, Hostel, and V for Vendetta. All of them are critically acclaimed and even award winning movies that they also wanted to ban. I have failed to see the previous two, but I enjoyed V for Vendetta. Mr. Filomeno labeled it as violent and it encouraged "satanism". And I was like... "huh?!" I have seen the movie twice, and not an instance in the movie was the word "satan" was used. Although, the film tackled about church hypocrisy, homosexuality, but most of the attempt to rob people of their common sense by controlling what they see on television, what they hear on the radio, and what they read on the newspaper. I think this is the genuine reason why PAAP is pissed off. If I will sum up all the time length of the fight scenes, it wouldn't even sum up to an hour.
I gained a lot of important insights about this movie (my next essay was inspired by that), one of which was that the most powerful weapons that we have are ideas.

6.) That Mr. Aldo Filomeno is the great grandson of Jose P. Rizal, and Jose P. Laurel, and that he is doing the job of his ancestors, protecting the Christian faith.

I think he shot himself in the foot with this one. I mean what kind of a person in a normal intellectual capacity would write to a respected Malaya columnist, and begin his letter with the claim that he is the great grandson of Jose Rizal and Josephine Bracken? Assuming that this is true, does this fact make him infallible about his previous claims?

Has he not read the novels of his great granddaddy? In so many instances Rizal used friars and officials of the Catholic church as antagonists in his novels. They were depicted as corrupt, perverted, and even as sociopaths. For crying out loud maybe he should review history and learn that this was partly the reason why he was accused of a crime worthy of a firing squad in Bagumbayan. But ten bucks and a pizza says that Mr. Filomeno will not allow himself to be shot in Luneta, if it meant banning Ron Howard's movie, and in the process protecting the Catholic faith.

A friend of mine asked me as I was reading that article in Malaya. "Paano kaya nagswiswiming si Boy Blue Filomeno?" "Baka naka-longsleeves jogging pants at medyas." Hey, I wouldn't be surprised.

But one thing I'm surprised is how MTRCB was threatened by a man who introduces as the great grandson of Dr. Jose Rizal..... Then that makes Mariang Makiling his great grandma?

As for me, I've seen the The DaVinci Code for its entertainment value, not for whatever subtle message it has. At the end of the movie, I am confident that nothing about my faith have changed. I believe in Jesus Christ my God, and my Savior. Just as Robert Langdon said- in the end, it still depends on what you believe.

DOJ goes senile.

2006-05-13T07:58:00.000+08:00

Nuff said... but here's more.

"I hope they'll go the mountains. That's where they belong."

So what does Sec. Gonzales of the Department of Justice mean here?

What would our fellow Filipinos from the Cordilleras and Cagayan Valley say about this These are places where geniune Filipino culture was established, and this is were it still lives on. What is it with mountains and trash that got stuck in the rotting minds of people like the DOJ secretary?

Whenever I see this guy on TV, I get reminded of the likes of Miriam Defensor Santiago. They used to be good examples in the system. Why do these people let themselves and their dreams go to waste? Does that prove how strong the hunger for money/power is in this country?

Be warned, young Jedis. The dark side still reigns in the Philippines.

-------------
My dad's comment about Gonzales: "Parang action star kung humirit. Huwag na lang sana s'yang magsalita kung wala syang matino't matinong sasabihin."

Pinoy Big Bother: The Batasan Edition

2006-05-13T07:49:00.000+08:00

80 million audience, 70 days, 5 housemates, 1 house. This is Pinoy Big Bother Batasan Edition. Yes, I mentioned bother, not brother. Because there are times that I simply view these over idealistic militant leaders as nuisances rather than patriots.

I'm sorry at these point you should know that I am not a very big fan of the Batasan 5, Voltes 5, or whatever they would like to call themselves. In fact, I haven't been a big fan of activism lately. But hold up, am I not some schmuck complaining so much about the status quo of this country? So what then makes us different from these people?

Well, for starters, I do not believe that ousting presidents will solve our problems. I do not mobilize mass protests, and cause traffic all over the business district preventing other office employees to make some money. I do not demonstrate in the street and leave tons and tons of mess for the metro aid to clean up afterwards. I do not damage public or private property as a result of mass demonstration and use collateral damage as a convenient escape goat. I do not use my pork barrel to fund mass protests and demonstration against and system that I willingly work for in the first place. And I do believe that at the end of the day, the greatest fight that we have to take to change this country is not outside in the streets, but it is within ourselves and within our offices and classrooms.

You know what pisses me off nowadays? A bunch state university graduates who opt to use their ideologies to actively participate in militant groups. If they believe so much on what they fight for why don't they serve the very people of this country that need them in the first place? Where are all the good teachers? Where are all the good doctors? where are all the good engineers? Because, sure hell, what this country needs more is leadership by walk and not by talk. The youth need to become better leaders themselves by using the knowledge they acquire from school to serve the people of their country. Not by becoming effective demonstrators.

I mean really if Satur Ocampo et. al hated the system so much, why did they opt to become Party List congressmen in the first place? Remember he was one of the people who protested against the pork barrel system. But when he got a seat in Congress he was one of those who refused to sacrifice their pork barrels?

Forgive me for saying this, but for me, the whole fiasco in Batasan is an act of cowardliness. I mean, if the Batasan 5 were so idealistic, then how come they were not prepared to go to jail for what they fought for? Why did they have to hide like rodents inside the premises of Batasan? Yet they would organize press conferences inside Batasan to protest against a government they work for?

And before I forget, who is going to clean up the mess they made in the Batasan in their 70 days stay? Who is going to pay for the overtime dues of the guards that protected them. I work for a state university but I can't even work there past 9 P.M. due to austerity measures. But I will bet my one month salary that the air-conditioning unit was on the whole time they occupied Batasan. So, who's going to pay for the excess water and electric bill. As a matter of fact what resources did they use to fight the government? The government itself! They used the resources of the Phil Government to fight the Phil Government. These people should be ashamed of themselves. Even Ninoy Aquino willingly allowed himself to be jailed to fight for what he believed in.

Teddy Casino claims that they will continue their protests in the streets until the gain the reforms that this country needs. And I'd tell him to use his simple common sense. For 500 years we have been trying to start a revolution, for two decades we have been protesting in the streets. Shouldn't that tell you that the streets will not bring us the reforms that we need? Mass demonstrations have ousted leaders, but have never brought reforms that the country needed. And most of all real idealist have tangible solutions to offer, they do not just create traffic along the major roads of manila, they do not just present useless ideologies. They present tangible, and attainable solutions, and they move their asses so that these tangible solutions make take its effect.

In the far side of this country, in the province of Bukidnon, there exists Bgy. Concepcion. Its way up in the mountains, so high that it is only accessible by a motorcycle called "habal-habal". Its a small community where there is no electricity, no decent water source, and not even everyone can afford a pair of slippers. There is one small classroom there which are handled and managed by volunteer public school teachers, who are overworked, underpaid, and isolated from their families. Yet they realize the need for the people of Bgy. Conception to have a decent education. And because of their commitment to education itself, they take a sacrifice as big as this. They are heroes. This is TRUE IDEALISM.

Somewhere along Commonwealth Ave. 5 party list/militant leaders, locked themselves up inside Batasan complex to avoid jail time for their "courageous conviction" about the Arroyo government. They had press conferences every once in a while to present the drama that was happening inside the batasan complex. They showed the Filipino audience how idealistic they were. Although isolated from thier families, they enjoyed Government/tax payer amenities such as free lodging with air conditioning, telephone, and who knows maybe internet. This is Idealism? Nah.... This is "Pinoy Big Bother; Batasan Edition. Ang Teleserye ng Totoong Politika.

Ahmad. P.S. Happy Vanilla Sky Month

Emails and concerns

2006-05-07T08:25:00.000+08:00

Hello, Katie,

I was looking around and found your site. I read your topics and found them to be interesting. I was born in the Philippines in Pasay but left when I was 3 years old, and was raised in the United States. Needless to say after 24 years I went home for a visit and to my surprise, a lot have changed. The point I’m trying to get across is that I would lend my right hand to my countryman, and yet he wants my whole right arm and at the same time start nibble ling on my other arm. Salamat at tinoruan ako nang pinsan ko mag tagalong, pero bakit ganoon? Is it because I have been away from home for such a long time, that I have forgotten what it’s like to be a Filipino? What are your thoughts on my question? Ms. Torres, if ever you may have, or not have the chance of replying to my question, I would like very much to thank you for your time and please keep up your good work.

::Robert Tailor

------------------------------------

Hi Robert,

Thanks for visiting my blog! :)

You know our countrymen are in the midst of crisis right now due to corruption and poverty. In times like this, both sides of the Filipino shows- the good side that lends a hand whenever he feels it needed, and the bad side that creeps within when suffering gets more intense. It's a good thing you are in the good side, but it takes a lot of effort to be and stay there.

The Filipinos, by heart, are kind-hearted people. We are a people of the Bayanihan, of real faith towards God and good customs. Sadly, things may have been better the last time you've been to this country but indeed, a lot has changed since you left.

It's the system that slowly corrupts our fellow Filipino. But I believe a lot is at stake if we are to reverse it. We need Filipinos to open their eyes to what's happening in the bigger picture, so that they may be made aware that the suffering that they experience now is the suffering that is experienced by most except the evil few. By then, they will know that they need to unite, then focus on the real cause of the national crisis...

In other words, change would start with re-educating the Filipino. Not the type of education that is currently applied on public schools (the three Rs), but much deeper. We need to start planting awareness to our kids and teeners, our next generation, of what's true among the false concepts. I believe I've started it through my blog, but still yields little results. We need to find more blogs that tackle almost the same topics, same awareness. We need to show that that we know what they're doing, and they oughtta change their ways.:)

::Katie

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I've been reading lots of emails like this one, and as much as I want to answer all of them, it's just that I had so little time because of work. I hope you guys understand, but I DO read all of your emails and appreciate every one of them. Thank you for keeping me updated of the real heart of the Filipino these days... I miss the Philippines and I pray everyday that God would lend His hand again like in EDSA I to make things better.

From a non-Filipino point of view (Part II)

2006-05-07T08:12:00.000+08:00

Katie,

Never stop trying, I supervisor 54 of your people here in Qatar and have come to know the Pilipino as a hard worker and have a willingness to do just about any thing to earn money for their families. But, I have also looked at the government and realized that the government is not working to achieve a future for the Pilipino people, but simply find it easier to sell your country’s most important asset to the world as cheap labor.

I have spoken many times to the staff about making changes, that someone must speak out no matter how hard it will be and it will be hard with so many of your people unwilling to speak out. A cultural change will need to be made too.

There has to be a willingness on the part of the Pilipino to work together to achieve the goal of success and not through a network of “favoritism.” Hard work, training and skills will build your nation once more into a nation who can be proud to say made in the Philippines.

Don’t give up; I have grown to love and respect many of my staff and to see a young Philippine woman speaking out when so many just say nothing is heartening to me. You are the future of the Philippines and one day more and more of you countrymen will start speaking out as you.

V/R

Michael

"At the time of day when the light starts to dim and the twilight turns to dark, I remember them all and they all live again."

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Michael is a contractor from Qatar who happened to visit this blog one time. Thanks, Michael, for that touching comment. :) -Katie

From a non-Filipino point of view...

2006-04-02T06:34:00.000+08:00

Hello Ms.Torres,

Firstly let me express how much I enjoy reading your blog even though I'm neither a Filipino nor do I live in the Philippines. My first experience of the Philippines was last year, my post graduation vacation and despite certain presumptions (having grown up in a chinese family and all) I immediately fell in love with the place. A beautiful country with beautiful people that definitely surpassed all my expectations.

When I returned home to Canada, I started reading Philippine oriented blogs to re-live what I thought was paradise. It was then that I learned of the corruption and mass poverty. The more I read, the more I was infuriated, touched, and sympathetic. However, I am optimistic because you and people like you exist and sooner or later one of you will rise to the challenge and pull Philippines out of its rut.

Thank you for thinking, writing, and sharing your thoughts and ideas. You've broadened my horizons and expanded my mind.

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Thanks Ken, and to my new found friends who've been sending me reactions regarding this blog in the past few months. Keep in touch! :)

Wowowee...Why, indeed?

2006-03-19T07:52:00.000+08:00

Got this article from Manila Bulletin. Again, as mentined here, there really is something wrong when we see some people at fault go free as if nothing gravely serious really happened. And it's really annoying to see people still supporting them. Are Filipinos really capable of self-inflicted amnesia? Are we people who never learn from our mistakes? Please read on...

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‘WE WANT WOWOWEE!’
By CARLOS BANAAG

If we are to believe the cheerleaders of ABS-CBN, the network brought back "Wowowee" because the public, or at least the loyal fans of the game show have been clamoring for it.

The reasoning reminds us of an incident on the day of the ULTRA tragedy itself: In a live TV interview with Julius Babao, Willie Revillame said that he ‘’wanted to push through with the anniversary celebration of the program because, in spite of the rising death toll outside, the fans inside the venue wanted the show to go on.’’

The logic left a bad taste in the mouth back then, and it continues to do so today.

Saner, more sensitive minds prevailed at ABS-CBN a month ago and the anniversary bash was cancelled. It was the right thing to do.

Unfortunately, the more asinine and crasser instincts of the network seem to have regained the upper hand and "Wowowee" is back on the air. Why? Because the people want it?

Imagine a world where people were given whatever they want. People would not have to work for a living. Children would be on perpetual summer vacation. Pedestrians would never use overpasses. Everyone would eat fatty food. Men would have sex with all the women in short skirts or tight tops they see. The television landscape of such a world would be filled with senseless soap operas, senseless sitcoms and senseless celebrity reality/game shows . . . without even the smidgen of real news we get now. Obviously, what is popular or easy or clamored for is not always right; and a network that puts a program on the air simply because people want it cannot claim to be a responsible broadcaster.

ABS-CBN might counter that there is nothing inherently wrong with "Wowowee." Not only is it a program that people want, they might add, but it is one that provides society with ‘’something good.’’

Here lies the crux of the matter. The investigations and commentaries on the stampede tended to focus on the culpability of the people who failed to prepare for or who mishandled the huge crowd attracted by the program. There were even craven attempts to shift the blame to the victims and to the economy.

Not enough was said, however, about how the show— "Wowowee" itself—should be held responsible for the deaths. Perhaps the concept of "homicide through reckless programming" is facetious, but we daresay that "Wowowee" deserves to be sentenced to death by cancellation.

Whenever we see Revillame, his co-hosts and dancers strutting and cavorting around the same "Wowowee" set as if nothing happened, we cannot help but feel the dull heartache that comes with seeing yet another lesson not learned. When we watch the very same segments airing on the show just as they did before Feb. 4, it is like watching a convicted killer go scot-free.

In our opinion, "Wowowee" debases and corrupts its game participants by encouraging them to perform in ridiculous ways on the show. It rewards greed and unruly behavior in the studio audience. It’s all about the money and it’s every man for himself. The lack of respect displayed by the production for the people around them seems to be echoed in the lack of concern the fans have for their fellow fans. Under the guise of giving people hope, the program teaches sloth and avarice. That other TV shows do the same is no defense. That over 70 people died should have prompted at least the consideration of guilt. Why is it if someone dies at a rock concert, the essential violence of the music is always held partially to blame? Shouldn’t we think when almost a hundred die trying to join a TV show that the TV show is somehow at fault?

ABS-CBN does other things very well. Which is why it is sad to see the entire network tainted by one show. ABS-CBN does not need "Wowowee." Advertisers don’t need "Wowowee." No matter how many people chant "We want Wowowee" outside the studios. ABSCBN can develop a hundred other game shows, much better ones, if it wants to. Why then is "Wowowee" back on the air?

Parang Sirang Plaka

2006-03-12T07:02:00.000+08:00

There are certain signs that say we Filipinos, as a society, never learn from our mistakes.

We encounter natural disasters in a large scale yearly due to typhoons, landslides and earthquakes, we should have learned how to cope up with it, or at least minimize the loss of properties and lives. I don't know if it's due to overpopulation or poverty. Everytime a typhoon strikes, for instance, people from places we know are hotspots are always affected, whereas these people know that living in those places are quite dangerous. Also, most of us get really stubborn at times, insisting on staying where danger is to protect properties, yet endangering our very own lives. I guess it's due to the fact that losing property nowadays means almost losing everything. However, the government is much as fault here- for not teaching these people how to deal with these natural calamities every year. People will not return from these places, or at least, they will be cautious, if they are aware of the dangers they are facing. Information dissemination seem to be the essential factor in preventing damage caused by natural disasters- a fact that the government never seems to learn.

We endure the same political problems everyday. "Parang sirang plaka", like they say. Daily news wouldn't be complete without news about corruption, mudslinging, tsismis... basically information that people from the lower ranks wouldn't care for since we got our own problems to settle everyday. Whereas the solution is easy, to get away from bad politics, vote wisely- vote for those whom you think would give us at least something new for the next four years. Well, I guess this is one clear explanation why we, Filipinos, never learn from our past mistakes. We vote to higher positions clones of evil elements from the past, like Microsoft Marcos version 2.0, Adobe Erap 1.5, or Corel Imelda (the male version).

Filipinos got this tendency to get fixated to something where nothing good is to be learned. Take for example, gameshows. What do we learn from these crap? No, don't tell me we learn daily trivias that we can use daily. How on earth can we use information such as the first music CD ever made being Billy Joel's in our daily struggles? Filipinos do not learn how to strive through creative means like studying or starting up a good business in game shows. We learn nothing in gameshows but to rely on luck. And oh boy! What a means for most of our poor countrymen to cling on during these difficult times- to the point that they make it their only way of life, their only hope.

Gameshows, as they are, aren't stupid. In the US, they put it in primetime since most people coming from work find this entertaining, thus, boosting ratings for TV networks if you've got good or new concept for intellectual gaming. Put it in noontime slots, and there you got a network money machine that's good not only to boost ratings, but also to give false hopes of getting rich from scratch. Are these shows intellectual? Except "Game Ka Na Ba?", nope. Getting laughs from these shows remind me of getting laughs from a 1990s show "Tropang Trumpo", specifically that segment named "Battle of the Brainless". Let's face it, for these shows, making the contestants look stupid is pure entertainment. Demeaning and insulting, I should say. Too bad the contestants themselves aren't aware of it at that moment, while on TV.

Yesterday, I saw Willie Revillame again dancing and singing on TV. The untalented sack of tasteless ideas is back. I don't know why ABS-CBN insists on making him stay on TV, or what they see in this guy that make them believe that he's a good contribution to the Filipino society. To me, he symbolizes something: that big TV networks like ABS-CBN ignore the responsibility of being essential media for change in the society. Although unlikely and not in itself good, TV seems to be a good vehicle for societal reform- from it Filipinos easily learn and believe things they see on TV, since Filipinos are already boobtube addicts. (Even the poorest family requires a TV at home.) This, sadly, big networks ignore. Instead, they go for ratings. No matter how stupid a show could be, as long as it gets ratings, it gets the good timeslot. So what do you see on TV at noontime, targetting most kids from school and housewives? Wowowee and Eat! Bulaga. How about primetime? Telenovelas and Korean novelas. Where are the good shows? Morning and late night, when most are snoring or doing something else. If you don't have cable, you're doomed to these shows when you get home from work.

The return of Wowowee signifies that we, Filipinos, never learn from our mistakes. When I saw this show go live again yesterday, with people in the audience smiling and prancing around as if 80+ people didn't die for the false hopes that it brings never happened. I pity the families affected by this horrible tragedy- the society where they belong is on it's way to forgetting their loss. We can forgive the people involved in the accident, I believe that they didn't intend to have people suffer from such a tragic fate. But they should have learned from this tragedy that they teach nothing but mendicancy to these people. They should have taken this chance to lead a paradigm shift in Philippine TV- realizing that it is much better to teach people means for livelihood, rather than means to false hopes. Or at least, they should have acknowledged that the loss of these families mean that they can not go back again.

Seeing ABS-CBN talents, or to use their term- kapamilya, build up Wowowee's name also shows something really bad about most Filipino families. To put it in Tagalog: Pagtatakpan natin ang pagkakamali ng isang kapamilya, para sa kapakanan ng mismong pamilya.

Admit it. Seeing Wowowee on TV again makes one feel weird- as if there is something wrong about it. I'd say it's entirely wrong (and retarded, I should say. Teeheehee.) I'd say don't watch this show, but will I be heard? Most likely, the show would go on until another tragedy strikes, knock on wood. Until then, suffer the wrath of Willie Revillame's good for nothing crap.

PROCLAMATION 1017 AND THE DEMISE OF FREE SPEECH

2006-02-28T10:26:00.000+08:00

(Note: This is an essay by Prof. Florin T. Hilbay distributed to UP Law students after Malacañang issued Proclamation 1017 which is further explained below.)

On the very day Filipinos were supposed to commemorate the rebirth of democracy in this country, Gloria Arroyo, apparently the target of “a concerted and systematic conspiracy,” issued Proclamation 1017 declaring a State of National Emergency. Using her Commander-in-Chief powers under Art.VII, §18 of the Constitution, she called out the armed forces to “prevent or suppress all forms of lawless violence as well (sic) any act of insurrection or rebellion and to enforce obedience to all the laws and to all decrees, orders and regulations promulgated by [her] personally or upon [her] direction.”

The following acts were done pursuant to this Proclamation: (1) all scheduled rallies, with or without permit, whether or not related to People Power I or II, were cancelled; (2) some protesters, including UP Professor Randy David, were apprehended for inciting to sedition and violating BP 880, the Public Assembly Act, while many others were violently dispersed; (3) the National Telecommunications Commission called a meeting of the Kapisanan ng Mga Broadcasters sa Pilipinas at which the Commissioners dangled the possibility of revocation of franchise or takeover of media companies that engage in biased reporting or publication of matters affecting national security, such as interviewing dissidents; (4) a 6p.m. curfew was imposed on the press corps of Malacanang; and (5) at least one major newspaper was raided and others surveilled.

What flashes before the eyes is the screaming disparity between the language of the Proclamation and the manner in which the President operationalized her own command. Indeed, while the Proclamation closely tracks the language of the Constitution, the acts performed under its authority are totally at odds with the guarantees of freedom embodied in the fundamental law it recites. The language is betrayed by the deeds that give it flesh.

The text of the Proclamation cannot be interpreted independent of the way it has been carried out. Those who believe that this is mere “notice” or that it is “pointless” to challenge the proclamation dangerously overlook the fact that all these actions rely, for their legitimacy, on the validity of the proclamation itself.

First. The President has no authority to place a blanket prohibition on rallying. The Bill of Rights declares that no law shall be passed abridging “the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the Government for redress of grievances.” Lest the President forget, all authority that she now exercises was derived from the exercise of this right. The right of public assembly is the principle on which the Supreme Court, in Estrada v. Macapagal-Arroyo, grounded the legitimacy of her assumption to power.

The streets constitute a public forum and a marketplace of ideas. To borrow from a court decision, the privilege to use the streets and parks for communication of views on national questions may be regulated in the interest of all; but it must not, in the guise of regulation, be abridged or denied. Proclamation 1017 goes beyond the traditional “time, place, and manner” regulation of public streets by completely denying the right of peaceful assembly.

The core value of free speech is the protection of political dissent. The President does not have the constitutional authority to monopolize speech by prohibiting the peaceful expression by the public of its opinions.

Second. The arrest of Randy David and many other protesters highlights the selective nature of the implementation of a decree that vaguely orders the suppression of lawless violence and obedience to law. Anyone who saw the televised accounts of the rallies would have noticed the arbitrariness involved in enforcing the Proclamation—some were hosed, beaten up, and arrested while others were guarded from a distance. It turns out that this “no rally policy” is really a flexible range of police reactions—from maximum tolerance to intolerance. Thus, the scholar was imprisoned while the religious leader was let loose; the activists were arrested while senators and former President Aquino were tolerated.

The point, of course, is not that everyone who exercised her freedom of speech should have been arrested for the sake of consistency. It is that the decision to arrest people on the streets rests on such a wide discretion that its exercise becomes downright arbitrary. It is this kind of discretionary space that has the maximum chilling effect on our fundamental rights. We lose our freedoms not only when the government denies them but also when we no longer know when the government can deny them.

Third. One would think that the President would be wary about going after the Press, especially with the kind of self-proclaimed freedom that the Fourth Estate enjoys comparatively against many other similar outfits in Asia. But—quite the opposite—the Proclamation refers to the problem of “the claims of [extremist] elements [that] have been recklessly magnified by certain segments of the national media.” If the press does not consider the statements of the NTC before the KBP a threat to its freedom, then we really are in serious trouble.

The threat of takeover or cancellation of license of media entities perceived by the President as providing information inimical to some notion of national interest or security operates simultaneously as a system of prior restraint and subsequent punishment on media. With such threats, the media is compelled to engage in a kind self-censorship that has nothing to do with the search for truth and everything to do with the need to avoid the censor’s wrath. Any publication harmful to the President is a possible source of sanction.

Moreover, the implication of the directive of the NPC is not only to make the media paranoid about striking the “proper balance” between responsible and reckless journalism; it also pushes the media to engage in viewpoint discrimination—news overbalanced in favor of the President is always ok, but news critical of her is now always suspect.
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On September 21, 1972, a Philippine President made a declaration through Proclamation No.1081 the first paragraph of which reads:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines by virtue of the power vested upon me by Article VII, §10, Paragraph (2) of this Constitution, do hereby place the entire Philippines as defined in Article I, §1 of the Constitution under martial law and, in my capacity as their Commander-In-Chief, do hereby command the Armed Forces of the Philippines, to maintain law and order throughout the Philippines, prevent or suppress all forms of lawless violence as well as any act of insurrection or rebellion and to enforce obedience to all the laws and decrees, orders and regulations promulgated by me personally or upon my direction.

Except for the difference in citation of the relevant provision of the Constitution, the ENTIRE italicized portion of Marcos’s infamous proclamation is contained, word for word, in Arroyo’s Proclamation 1017. I invite all citizens to see for themselves and compare both Proclamation 1017 and 1081. They are identical, except for the declaration of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus. Any first-year law student would discern the reason for the distinction—it is because the non-mention of these two items enables the President to evade, at least in theory, the Congress and the Supreme Court.

Under Article VII, §18 of the Constitution the declaration of Martial Law or the suspension of the privilege of the writ puts the President under the obligation of reporting to the Congress. Her proclamation could also be rebuked by Congress or declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. It is therefore in her interest not to openly declare martial law and suspend the privilege of the writ. And yet, despite an absence of the words, the military shadows civilian movements and warrantless arrests have been made.

The legal realist Karl Llewelyn wrote, “the working Constitution is amended whenever the basic ways of government are changed.” What I think he was trying to say is that we should not rely too much on the text of the Constitution or the language of any authoritative text as a source of security, and that the kind of democracy we signed up for may be altered through interpretation by those who hold public power. Thus, we should scrutinize not only what the Constitution says, but what the President says it means; that we should rely not simply on what the President says, but on what she actually does. If we fail to heed this advice, we might find ourselves holding the same Constitution, but with an entirely different meaning.

Pinoy Big Brother: Fort Bonifacio Edition

2006-02-27T09:37:00.000+08:00

The government gained a lot of minus points once again yesterday. News broke out around three or four in the afternoon yesterday that a small Marines group headed by Colonel Ariel Querubin marched out of their barracks, to Fort Bonifacio to protest the relief of Major General Renato Miranda as Marines commandant. We saw familiar scenes as major networks covered the events- tanks rolling, heavily armed soldiers marching, military leaders standing their ground in their selected territories and politicians being bugged with curious questions by reporters.

The standoff (from all over the place) took place until almost midnight, where Allega, their new commandant, announced that everything is finally under control. It would have seemed really troublesome and chaotic for the whole country. But back in a remote Marines HQ in Lanao del Sur, the commander there said everything's fine and normal there, which, to me, was really hilarious.

(Oh, there's another scene that's really funny. In what seems to be the main office building of Fort Bonifacio, men of Querubin standing below what seems to be a sign that says "Karangalan", and Allega's men standing below what says "Katungkulan".)

Anyway, the minus ratings points did not come from this slightly disturbing mayhem. It's how the government reacted to this threat that had already been there for a looong long time in the first place.

As initial response to the threat, Secretary Mike Defensor, chief of staff of Malacañang, ordered (requested, he said) mediamen to stop covering the events, as this, he said, would just "worsen the situation, that would cause further problems to the country". What does this tell us, ladies and gentlemen? That Malacañang has adopted the practise of news blackout as a measure for preventing further damage? So it's already an accepted fact in Presiden't Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's office that concealing the truth from the public is standard operating procedure in times when the already damaged society is compromised.

As I heard this comment coming from the once honorable ex-congressman, I cannot help but think how the Spaniards kept the Filipino under 300+ years of slavery by means of keeping them ignorant of the big picture in the society. Keep them hungry, keep them fools to maintain power.

We were once proud of him as he stood with us in EDSA DOS against Erap. Now I'm ashamed of him. I say, to contain the damage, he should just keep his blabbermouth shut.

As Mike Defensor led the people to further distrust towards the government in his attempt to save the names of the ones he serve in Malacañang, Churches nationwide had been reading a Pastoral Letter during the sermons of the Holy Mass, urging people for restoration of moral values. You can seen the whole transcript in the website of the Catholic Bishop's Conference of the Philippines by clicking on this link here. But let me just quote one statement that truly captures the events that happened yesterday.

"We [CBCP] recommend that the search for truth be relentlessly pursued through structures and processes mandated by law and our Constitution, such as the Ombudsman, the Commission on Human Rights, the Sandiganbayan, and Congress itself as well as other citizens groups. This requires that such bodies be led and run by credible people, persons of integrity and probity."

To be maintain in position, Malacañang has shut it's doors to moral values. Certainly, Malacañang and the Senate is not anymore considered credible at this point, as these two institutions have been taking part in public exhibitions of humiliating and dishonorable acts that the Masses led by the Church has seemingly considered hopeless cases. Change has to start to how they are assigned or elected in the first place. This just means this batch is already written as characters in one of the worst parts of Philippine history that we, the new generation of Filipino leaders, just have to condemn and forget if we are to move on to a different path to progress.

The unfortunate events that transpired yesterday just reiterates another of the obvious symptoms of the cancer of our society today. Aside from leading people to false beliefs, this government saves its ass through desperate compromises where the people, not their interests, are always sacrificed. It is obvious that close-door negotiations between Querubin and Allega (and who knows, people from the government, as well), that resulted to a "peaceful" end, may most likely be a result of a compromise that has to be kept secret from speculative minds of the few (including me, obviously. Teehee.) And oh boy, what conclusions did they make: They have convinced Querubin that Miranda was not relived, he RESIGNED! Are they telling us:

1. That Miranda is a retard? Who would resign from military office specially if he's already months from retirement? We all know the military has fat rewards to it's people who have devoted many fruitful years in service. Why retire now?

2. That proper allocation in the Armed Forces of the Philippines is ridiculously faulty? This, of course, is a big no-no. I've learned in highschool COCC that information allocation is one of the foundations of the success of a military institution. Imagine receiving "We won" in war instead of "Be alert". Obviously, if this is true, Querubin has received and readily supported a false claim, which, again, is a big no-no to a marine-man like him. Which brings us to...

3. That Querubin is a retard? Leading soldiers and tanks to Fort Bonifacio without any clear intentions and plans and claims to back it up. It's unbecoming for a soldier of his status, considering the quality of service that he has shown in the recent years.

4. That they're all bored so they stage this dud coup de 'etat all just for a short weekend entertainment. Of course, there's just little truth to this one. But it's for my own weekend entertainment, for sure.

For now, what's official and clear is that Querubin's men went all back to their posts, saying they are loyal to the constitution (but not necessarily to the government). What becomes of Querubin? Some say he's a jerk, others say he's a good man but he is just one of those soldiers who just can't do anything to change the system. What becomes of Allega, Mike Defensor, Gloria, Mike Arroyo, JV Ejercito (who the government points as the mastermind), Erap, Niño Mulach, Cory Aquino, the CBCP, etc.? They go back to their respective normal routines, good or bad. What becomes of the people? Still clueless of what really happened the day ago.

All things are back to normal today, Monday, they say. Oh well. If another one of these crappy news break out again, at least we now know the pattern and what to expect: Angry soldiers march away from their barracks, their leader make a public statement (or grumblings, as what happened yesterday), the government disclaims the accusations, negotiations happen, both parties go out with another public statement saying it's over, clueless soldiers go back to their barracks, then wait for another opportunity to have a few days vacation with the media later. Maybe news programs should do forecasts on these events, aside from weather and business forecasts. We always have the signs, and we're visited like how typhoons do almost every season anyway. Imagine Mike Enriquez.... "Narito po si Pia Guanio sa kanyang Coup Chikaminute!"

It's a cycle really, and the people are learning to either be passive towards it, or be angrier against the system. Yup. If you see through it on any angle, no good results come out of it. It just makes people look dumber.

Note: If the government will order my arrest because they think this actually incites sedition, then they are even dumber than I thought.

True heroism remembered

2006-02-24T21:00:00.000+08:00

Here I am again, shedding sad tears. But not because of a lost love or I'm missing friends from home, although it's typical for me specially if my Elmo would know about it. He knows that watching or remembering something about EDSA 1986 is a sobbing moment for me.

It's not because I was part of the event. I was just 6 then, and actual memories of me actually being there are somewhat blurred now already. What's clear to me was my father's face when he finally went home in the evening of February 27, 1986, with great news that it was finally over, that "at last, we're finally free!" My dad was part of the crewmen who almost got blasted in Radio Veritas Malolos in the eve of the revolution. My mom and I were really worried at that time. After the sabotage, they went straight to EDSA right after hearing news in Radyo Bandido (Remember their opening song "Mambo Magsaysay"? I used to sing that when I was a kid.) that people were really getting big by the number- which was a big sign that the people are restless. Sabi nga, "Tama na! Sobra na!..."

Come to think of it, it's because I was not part of that event, or I didn't feel "it" since I was just so young then. I missed the only event in this generation's history where people showed real and undeniable heroism. I missed that part of history where people became instruments of God's miracle, and with the whole world witnessing it. I am crying because the only history na naabutan ko would be that one which I wouldn't boast to my future children.

Everything's just screwed up in our country today. False beliefs becoming basis for justification, money and power over truth, dignity and honor, selfishness over sacrifice, oligarchy, corruption... these are what defines our politics and our times. And I'm ashamed of it.

I left the country many months ago still with hopes that everything would still turn out fine. The economy was somewhat showing good signs of progress amidst the painful truth that the foundations are still established by dirty, sometimes seemingly unlawful means, deceiving people that all means are for the better, whereas the better only reaches the few, particularly just the rich few. In the long run hopefully, I once convinced myself, good results would be felt by the poor.

But the poor are already restless. And this is the kind of restlessness where there are no feeling of hope left, not unlike in EDSA 1986 that, due to a clear goal to terminate dictatorship in the country, people still had something to look forward to. There was Cardinal Sin, Mrs. Cory Aquino, the spirit of Ninoy backing them up. Today, the only thing that drives them to the streets are empty stomachs and ignored but seeping anger against the government that betrays them eversince EDSA 2001.

Gloria should have known that Filipinos get angrier when provoked. Declaring the state of emergency, barricading the Malacañang grounds and boasting that her galamays are still loyal to her wherever TV channel you switch to just tells people that she's been up to something, she's getting paranoid, and she's doing everything to keep herself on her seat. By prohibiting the freedom of speech and expression on the streets right during the 20th celebration of the EDSA 1986 revolution just proves that we in EDSA 2001 made a big mistake in letting her declare herself as president. (I still vividly recall that we in the frontlines of the crowd booed Gloria, specially his pig husband Mike who then was smiling like a sponsor who just won the lotto, on the last day, when she took oath as president of the Philippines. Of course, that wasn't heard on TV. We were cheering for Davide for a transitional government first, aside from jailing Erap... but that's another story.) Anyway, looking at her face while declaring the state of emergency on TV, I couldn't help it but to see the same face when she said "I'M... SORRY." Although she seems to be in a limbo thinking that people might have forgotten about it, maybe she should consider quitting TV appearances and just shift to radio. (Of course, she should not start her statements with "hello,..." there.)

CNN covered a hint of this event during it's afternoon news program. This gave somewhat a perspective of Philippine history from 1986 till now from people outside the country. A Hongkong political analyst says nothing much has changed since the 1986 revolution, which contradicts the word "revolution" itself because it simply means a drastic change in the system. In summary, the report said people are still poor, dreams are still dreams and bad elements of the society (oligarchy, corruption, dirty politics, poverty, etc) that should have been eradicated are still there. Of course, people would say "heh... what do they know about our country?" But why does it feel that there's a big, although not whole, truth to it?

I turned to another Pinoy channel after that, which was then featuring a historical (and touching) review of the 1986 EDSA revolution. Upon seeing those pictures of people, rich or poor, religious and politicians, young and old with hopefull eyes and strong sense of patriotism in them, tears just rolled out from my eyes again. Where's this undaunted, unblemished love of country now? In the midst of daily struggle, it seems that the people have already almost forgotten what it truly means. But it's a good thing that there are still a very few who has this fire within their hearts. I pray for their safety and for their fire to keep burning till the day comes when everyone, poor and selfish, get what we deserve.

Mabuhay and EDSA 1986! Mabuhay ang EDSA DOS!

Bad Luck and Mendicancy

2006-02-05T13:12:00.000+08:00

Feb. 4 of this year turns out to be really sad. Around 80+ people died outside Ultra while waiting for their chance to win more than a million in a famous gameshow. This IS tragedy to the heighest degree in the world of Philippine showbiz. And you see sad faces and tears on TV after this.

Accidents happen, and no one is to blame. But there are many ways to prevent accidents from happening. And those who ignored a possibility of accidents to happen in the most likely place and time deserve something.

"If you predict that there's going to be a huge crowd, you should be ready with ambulances and communications," Gordon said, blaming poor organization of the event as the cause of the Wowowee frenzy. He is right. The local government of that city (Pasig, I believe) where Ultra is should have sent more police, ambulances and first aid people to the scene where people are starting to grow in number.

But there is something deeper to all of these.

Most people who came to see Wowowee had great hopes and dreams to win a prize that would alleviate their lives to a better status. This, even if the chance is up to a million to one. This how poor most of our contrymen are today. They will kill (by shouting "bomba" in a very crowded place), or be killed, for luck. They think luck IS the only hope for a better life to the Filipino, and for years, they have learned to embrace this roundabout principle. To almost 20,000 people who went there, and met this horrible tragedy resulting to their death, it seems that it is. It's not only culture. It has become a way of life.

Although ABS-CBN claims that all they desire is to give hope and entertainment to the "kapamilya", gameshows such as Wowowee, Eat Bulaga's Laban o Bawi, among many others, infuses mendicancy in the way of life of the poor. Instead of teaching to strive for success and focusing attention to worth-while and productive tasks, the Filipino sticks to the culture of betting and relying on luck.

(Ah, anyway, no matter how hard you try, there will still be evil factors who remain happy stealing your money from your wallets legally by imposing laws such as the extended VAT... but obviously, that's another story.)

See how these people line up three days before the show, just to have a better chance of winning the jackpot. At the time of the tragedy, they were tired, hungry, did not have enough sleep, but fed more with a burning desire to win. Some of them must have already given up working their frail bodies for minimum daily salaries. In their minds- it's better to be here for a bleak luck, striving for rewards that they deserve is just not possible in this country.

Three days will be worth the wait for them in the streets beside the Broadway Centrum or ABSCBN studios than three-days worth of a real job, if not finding a real means to earn a living.

It is but natural to hear throwing of blames from all sides after the mourning subsides in the next days. But I believe the blame goes to the system who continuously teaches the Masses that there is no hope for a better life in this country but to go out and forget about the country itself, or to bet your life on a televised commercialized gameshow.

The Filipino poor is hurting everyday, and it is but immensely unfortunate for them to die while waiting for what they belive would give them the last chance... no, the only means to a better life, even if it's false hope. Even if it's a one-in-a-million chance.

It's a wake up call for a complete change. Time to change this crooked way of thinking and false belief. Isn't it time for media to use all resources to teach the people the truth about what IS in this country? Isn't it time for big media companies to realize what power they have over the masses? If they TRULY feel for the poor, they would lead the people to what really provides a better life- to know the truth, to defy what is wrong, and to strive for success through productive means.

So ABSCBN spent all day for public service. Please. If they are to spend the whole Saturday (Feb. 4) for public service, why not devote everything for public service from now on? Or is it just public service just ain't enough for ratings?

To the families who are greatly affected by this commercialized craze turned tragic frenzy, my sincere prayers for justice and peace.

Ahmad's Say on Exodus

2005-12-28T05:48:00.000+08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I really missed writing for probably a million years already. Well a lot of things came up these past few months. I had a new job, I stopped watching the news because I was fed up with the same sick sad story of Philippine Politics, but the one that really got to me was the condition of my mother’s health. She had been showing a lot of symptoms of digestive disorder, and these past few months we feared that it was serious. These past few months I have spent every time I could, praying that its not cancer. And a few days ago I received the greatest Christmas gift any son in my shoes would want more than anything. The doctors confirmed that there was no tumor or anything like it. She was just not getting any younger anymore, which is why she has to watch her diet. So with this regard let me say that GOD is great! And I pray that she does not make anymore trips in the hospital for the next 30 years.

Anyway, please bear with me, I’m still struggling with a little bit of writer’s block, so lets see how this works.

There are only two kinds of personalities that I hate in this country. First are the politicians, for a bunch of pretty obvious reaso is, and the second would of course be the showbiz people. DISCLAIMER: Those were general statements. Just because I hate showbiz personalities in general, it really does not follow that if Mr. X is an actor I hate him. But if Mr. X happens to be an action-star-turned-senator, then that makes my generalization a bit narrower. If Mr. X’s name happens to be Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. a.k.a “Alyas Pogi”, then that makes my statement specific. If Mr. X, despite of being a public official on the national level, is still active in TV and movies just as any regular showbiz people are, then that makes my statement very specific. In which case you can therefore very much conclude that I hate his guts. I mean, lets face it this guy is seen on TV more than any action star in this country is. Not only that, somehow he always manages to have a movie entry to almost every annual film festival there is. Produced by himself, and starring himself of course. So what then makes him different from any other regular showbiz people? Come on I bet not Vilma Santos, nowadays, manage to make appearances as much as Sen. Revilla does. Anything wrong with that? Uhm….. let me see… you happen to be a public official at the national level…… there are certain codes of ethics, decorum, and proper behavior that a public official should follow. And most of all public office is a full-time job, most especially on the national level. Which, gets me thinking how exactly did this guy prepare for this full time job? Is he even aware of what he is doing?

A couple of months ago, his buddy Rudy Fernandez, and Alma Moreno got deported from Japan. For those of you who travel, you should know how strict are immigration laws, in first world country. But due to an irregularity in their travel documents, the immigration officers of Japan opted to deport both of them. Was that a little bit of a harsh decision? Its their country, and they want to keep it safe, after all you have the right to deny a guest from entering your own house if you don’t trust them. But note, that these two were deported not because Japanese people were racial. So back these two came, and what does Rudy Fernandez bitch about? That he does not intend to set foot in Japan….. and that Japanese officials were so rude to him, as if it was “Panahon ng mga Hapon”. Well first of all Mr. Rudy “daboy” Fernandez, who the hell are you threatening? If you didn’t like Japan, why waste your time applying for a visa anyways? You think they are going to miss a lot, just because you decided never again to set foot in the soil of Japan? Dude they do not exactly give red carpet treatment to “daboy” of Philippine cinema. And second of all, its always “Panahon ng mga Hapon” every minute that you are in Japan Duh! Boy I am I starting to believe the stereotype about action stars (That their sense of Machismo is inversely proportional with their IQs). In short Rudy “daboy” Fernandez, has no other issue but his injured bloated action star ego. Which also means that most probably Alma Moreno is pissed of that the Japanese people did not acknowledge the “Tannga Queen” of Philippine showbiz. But not to worry Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. to the rescue tantanaaaaaaaaan! (Sing) Here he comes to save the daaaaaaaaaaaay! Apparently he wanted to involve the senate in an investigation over the incident. Oh come on! The issue was not even racial, they were not deported for being Filipinos. They were deported because of a faulty travel document that resulted from a bad misunderstanding, between their travel agent and the Japanese consulate office. But where is Sen. Revilla’s involvement on our hardworking OFWS, who don’t get their due wages and benefits? For those ordinary Filipinos who get discriminated in various country merely for being Filipinos? For those who are unlawfully arrested, and can’t even be given legal aids by our embassies all over the world? What does he care? But when it comes to saving the shattered action star ego of his “kumpare”, he is even willing to go as far as using the resources of the senate to file a diplomatic protest against the Japanese government? Oh I got an Idea, why don’t he dress up in a brown leather jacket and a cowboy hat, then in front of the media he can go “Junichiro Koizumi! Anak ka ng Teteng!”? That oughta scare the Japanese prime minister off his boots.

A DepED officer in the Bicol Region, released a lecture primer for elementary and high school students regarding the very important responsibility of voting. In that Primer, it was stated, that these students should promise NEVER TO VOTE FOR ACTORS/ BASKETBALL PLAYERS OR THE LIKES THEREOF WHO DO NOT KNOW THEIR JOBS. Now I will give ten bucks and a pizza to that someone who can convince me that there is something wrong with what she said. I mean the truth hurts that the only reason that people vote for the likes of Alyas Pogi, is not necessarily because the people think that he they know their job, but merely because they are popular. And what happens then? The quality of our legislature degrades. In a response to this problem, This DepED leader is doing what every teacher should do, educate their student’s to become wise voters. As a result of this, do they get commendation? No Apparently Sen. Jingoy Estrada, and Sen. Revilla used their privilege speeches to bully this DepED officer in front of national TV. But why am I not surprised? After all both senators are protecting their investments. And the nerve of this Sen. Revilla to read the provisions of the constitution to justify his existence in the senate. The MINIMUM requirement to be a CANDIDATE is for someone to be of right age, Filipino citizen, and able to read and write. But the requirement for someone to hold a seat in the senate (in other words to be elected as a senator) is decided by the voting public, and that requirement should ideally extend beyond able to read and write. Did somebody explain this to him anyway?

But what really cooks my goose nowadays is seeing Sen. Ramon Revilla, dressing up like Conan the Barbarian, so he can parade his ass all over manila, to get the people to watch his pathetic excuse for a premature campaign for re-election. Why does this guy have a movie entry in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival? Not just any movie, a high production movie. Ok so maybe Senators, get a break in between Congresses, but shouldn’t he spend it preparing for the next one? Doesn’t the Job of a public official extend beyond the session halls? Doesn’t he have other responsibilities to attend to aside form being present in every congress? Surely, this job of his is hectic, given that there is much work to be done to pull this country out of the gutter, how does he have the stamina to not only appear in the taping of his sitcom, but make movies as well? Man I wanna get the multivitamin that he is using! I’m asking all this questions as a tax-paying citizen. Does he actually think that being a senator is just a role that he plays, so when he is out of the session halls of the senate he also ceases to be a public official? I know that Senator Revilla once said that the pay of a senator is not that much. But if he will be allowed to do his television show, he gets to support his family? How much does a senatorial candidate spend in a national election? 30 maybe 70 million? If there is any truth to that statement of his, then how come he still manages to produce multimillion movies in Dolby digital? Why did the senate president attend the premiere night of his movie, in the first place? Does he encourage this kind of behavior amongst his colleagues? Think about it, do you think Tony Blair would get the respect he is enjoys right now, if he made a cameo appearance in “The Matrix Trilogy”, or even Star wars? For a tax paying citizen, this behavior of those that I count on, to protect and defend the constitution and uphold the legislature, is very disturbing. Lets face it, nobody can serve two masters at the same time. Oh well at least we know now what Sen. Revilla does beyond congress, and bet your ass its not exactly public service….. Unless you consider giving away free movie passes to the tax paying citizens, an act of public service.

Mr. Revilla, obviously you love the movie making business so much, you are willing to compromise the reputation of the Philippine senate for it. We don’t intend to take that love away from you. But please spare the senate. There are many ways to help this country without running for public office. Build foundations to put street children to schools. Encourage your brothers in the industry to pay proper taxes. Most of all please Exodus the Revilla clan out of Philippine politics…. Especially on the national level. Because quite frankly, we already had enough of the Revilla Syndrome. -Ahmad

Joke

2005-12-12T05:42:00.000+08:00

Lies, lies, lies. It's quite annoying to think that some people would still go for lies for attention's sake, even if it sounds ridiculous, even if it would make one look ridiculous. It's even more annoying to think that these people do get the attention that they want.

I'm talking about Garci, of course.

His name will be written as one of the dirtiest names in Philippine history, but it seems he doesn't care. I pity his children and grandchildren, as their grandpa's will be considered as a big glitch, their surname as a big joke. The joke's not even funny anymore. It's simply irritating. He should have kept himself in exile, since the truth about the issue in which he is involved is nowhere to be found nowadays anyway.

But the joke keeps going on and on, and is getting very irritating as days go by. The joke got worse, too- the latest is that he's denying that it's his voice on the Garci tapes. If it's common for Philippine politicians to think Filipinos would believe in such crap, then he's already overdoing it. What a jerk.

What's more aggravating is that this ridiculous lie technique still captures attention. Come to think of it, Garci the political slut should be behind bars now. The evidence is obvious. There might be slight inconsistencies (very slight) on the claims regarding the female voice in the Garci tapes, but was there anyone who thought it's not Garci's voice on the other end? "Hello Garci..." It's already a given, for crying out loud!

But look at him, sitting in Congress, backed up by pro-government congressmen, and who knows, he's now having a great time in some first class hotel in Makati. I wonder if I would also get that privilege if I side with the government? Nah, it's not worth it.

Ah well, I've got a joke better than Garci here.

If his name is Dash, and he is one of the Incredibles, would that mean his name is Dash Incredible?

The joke's really funny the first time I heard it. But oh well, forgive me if the delivery is THAT bad. Teeheehee...

I missed the big concert!!! AaAuUgGhHh!!!!

2005-11-30T12:29:00.000+08:00

Grr. I swore I'd never miss a big concert except the first one!!! Anyway, here's an entry from the Eraserheads Yahoogroups by Nielsen Oliva on what happened that night in the UP Theatre:

Ang Ultraelectromagnetic Jam Album Launch (ayon sa aking memory):

Matagal ang hinintay namin bago mag-umpisa ang concert. MGa 10 na yata nagsimula.

Namatay ang mga ilaw at pinalabas ang video ng With A Smile sa widescreen. Pagkatigil ng video, kinanta na ng South Border ang rendition nila.

Si Kitchie nakalimutan ata yung lyrics ng Ligaya kasi inulit nya yung line na "Ilang isaw pa ba ang kakainin". Iba na yung banda nya.

Namatay ang ilaw at lumabas ang mukha ni Raimund. Ginaya nila yung style ng Beatles Anthology at may kanya-kanyang input yung bawat member ng Eraserheads tungkol sa beginnings nila.

Raimund: "sabi nila sa min, HINDI KAMI GWAPO. pagkasabing-pagkasabi nun, nag-disband na kami. hindi pala music lang dito sa Pilipinas..."

Nakakatawa kasi pagkasabi ng tungkol sa pagka-GWAPO at PACKAGING, tumugtog ang Cueshe. Nagkalat ang bandang ito. Objective ako nito ha. Hindi nila alam ang lyrics ng Hard To Believe at parang nagma-mumble na lang sila ng words. Marami akong narinig na "BOOO". After ng performance nila, walang pumalakpak. As in wala.

Nagkwento si Yael ng Sponge Cola "lagi naming kinakanta yung mga kanta ng eraserheads tuwing field trip namin nung grade school pa kami". Kinanta nila yung Pare Ko. Kulang yung performance nila kasi naaalala ko pag concert ng Eraserheads, malaki yung part ng crowd sa pagkanta nito, lalo na sa part na "DI BA, T%#@ INA!!"

Tumugtog ang Isha ng Torpedo. Kumakanta na lahat ng tao nito. Namatay ulit ang mga ilaw tapos may interview kay Isha. "Ang mga kanta ng eraserheads ang soundtrack ng buhay ko nung college".

Napaka-ultraelectromagnetic ng performance ng 6 cycle mind. Tuluyang nagbago na ang tingin ko sa bandang ito. Nagwawala na ang mga tao kakakanta ng Alapaap. Nakikita na naming nagse-setup si Paolo Santos at iniisip namin kung paano nya susundan yung ganung katinding performance.

(Now this is the best part -Katie) Paolo Santos: "oo nga pala, may bago akong friend... si Marcus Adoro ng Eraserheads". Parang sabungan yung UP theater sa sigaw. Standing ovation para kay Surfernando. Kinanta ni Paolo yung Magasin. Nag-guitar solo si Marcus nung huli. Ang lupet. Napaka-lupet. Kaso ayoko na ulit tumapat sa mga speaker pag may dalawang sliding guitar. hehe

Tumugtog ang MYMP ng Huwag Mo Nang Itanong. Tumahimik lahat. Parang nagdadasal. Napaka-captivating ng boses ni Juris. Yung nga lang, nasira yung amp nila at nababoy ang guitar solo sa huli.

Nagkwento ang mga members ng eraserheads tungkol sa Overdrive. Sabi ni Raimund, "nagsimula ka sa wala nun tapos biglang dami ng pera mo. anong gagawin namin sa pera? pare bili tayo ng kotse (tawa ng tawa)... e si buddy pala, hindi pa marunong mag-drive"

Interview naman kay Barbie: "napaka-visual ng mga kanta ng eraserheads. alam mong kahit mabababaw ang lyrics nila, they are smart people." Kinanta ni Barbie yung Overdrive. Ang kyuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut.

Tumugtog ang Imago. Para akong nahi-hypnotize sa performance ni Aia. Kung iko-compare ko yung performance ng mga female vocalists, sa Imago yung pinakamagandang performance.

Right after ng Imago, kumanta si Ebe ng Sugarfree ng excerpt from "Lightyears". Ginawa nilang intro yun ng Tikman. Habang nasa instrumental, sumigaw si Ebe ng "MABUHAY ANG ERASERHEEEEEEAADSSS!!!"

Sumunod ang Radioactive Sago. May hawak si Lourd na bote ng alak at tingin ko nandun yung lyrics nya ng Alkohol. Sa galing ng performance nila, sumisigaw na yung mga tao ng "AL-KO-HOL!!!AL-KO-HOL!!!AL-KO-HOL!!!" na parang nagrarally sa EDSA.

Interview sa Orange and Lemons: "sinusundan namin ang Eraserheads dati kahit saan pa sila mag-perform...maraming salamat sa Eraserheads dahil they paved the way for bands like us. kung wala ang eraserheads, hindi nabigyan ng break ang mga alternative bands sa mainstream" (or something like that).

Last performance ang Orange & Lemons. Wala si Rico J Puno, Brownman Revival, tsaka si Francism. After ng show, wala pang tumatayo at lahat e tumitingin sa likod at nag-aabang ng surprise. Sa kasawiang palad, nagsalita na ang voice-over ng "that's all for tonight folks" at obvious na bitin na bitin lahat ng mga tao.

Overall, nice show. Parang concert na rin ng Eheads yung napuntahan ko sa tindi ng energy. Hintayin nyo baka ipalabas to sa TV kasi may mga interviews ng GMA7 tapos baka lumabas din to sa VCD or DVD. Sulit ang bayad ko. Actually hindi lang sulit. Parang may utang pa ako sa producers.

---------------
Oh my God! Markus is still alive! Yiheeee! Again. I missed the big concert. AaAuUgGhHh!!!! Nuff said. (bow.) -Katie

EEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

2005-11-30T11:46:00.000+08:00

Like a big sassy fangirl that I am, I went "EEEEE!" the moment I got hold of my new ULTRAELECTROMACNETIC JAM album. It's a collection of old songs by most favorite band in the world, the Eraserheads, performed by hottest bands in towns today. Here's a lineup of what songs to expect in this fabulous package (What an amazing offah!!!!)...

With A Smile - South Border
Ligaya - Kitchie Nadal
Overdrive - Barbie Almalbis
Huwag Mo Nang Itanong - MYMP
Magasin - Paolo Santos
Alcohol - Radio Active Sago Project
Torpedo - Isha
Spoliarium - Imago
Hard To Believe - Cueshe
Maling Akala - Brownman Revival
Superproxy - Francis Magalona
Alapaap - 6Cyclemind
Pare ko - Sponge Cola
Ang Huling El Bimbo - Rico J. Puno
Tikman Ang Langit - Sugarfree
Huwag Kang Matakot - Orange and Lemons
Para Sa Masa - All Star

Although I don't really like Orange and Lemons because of their gasgas song "Pinoy Ako", I love their rendition of "Huwag Kang Matakot" here. I first heard this song in Baguio and reminds me of this special place always.

I also like the new "Superproxy". Aside from Francism's genius, you'd here Ely Buendia in here, too. Goodness, it's been a long time since I last heard his voice over my earphones. (I didn't buy his solo album and that other album with his new band... not that catchy for me.)

"Tikman ang Langit" proves that Sugarfree is the new Eraserheads, the similarities in the style and sounds are undeniable. I heard Ebe's one big E-heads fan, as well. I should say he's doing a great job as a fan- memories keep flowing in whenever his voice airs on my radio- Ah those Quezon Avenue Burger Machine days! LOL!

The Radioactive Sago Project is the best band to play the song "Alcohol". Both witty and funny, even if the song's more than a decade old already.

I'd say the album is a five-star all thumbs up highly recommended collector's item to buy for E-heads geeks like me. I'm glad my Elmo was just on time to catch one of the five last copies in Odyssey. I heard the CDs are selling like pancakes. Shish. That's much like when I bought Cutterpillow. Imagine, they got a platinum three days after the album launch! Too bad, this time, only the company that sells the stuff gets all the revenues. Ely, Raymund, Buddy and Marcus should get back together to get all the credits... again.

Oh my God! Only Markus went to the tribute concert? Bummer. I'm still wishing they would still get together for a one-time deal concert. With all differences set aside, just for the fun of it. One-time lang, that's all this big E-heads fan asks. And after that, I can return to heaven. And they all can get rich again. :)

On Leave

2005-11-12T06:17:00.000+08:00

HatePhilippines is going to rest for a while for the meantime, mainly because I'll be busy with real-time work and writing for our next big project- Wicked Fate. Don't worry, guys. After doing the kickoff, HatePhilippines will be back in business. Meanwhile, I'll be collecting all good ideas in mind for my next entry here. To my avid readers, you can still email me at cutiekatietorres@yahoo.com.

But before I take a long vacation, here are my thoughts for the latest issues in the Philippines today:

1. EVAT. Yes, it's a solution. But a bad one. They say it's good for the economy, and the results are getting obvious as days pass by. The question still is: Who's economy are they talking about? I'd say it's a solution, yes, but a bad one. There are better solutions out there which the government obviously ought not to choose because of certain limitations set by the corrupted system. It's like it's better to take money from the little people than to jeopardize the truces that they have already made with the big ones. The best solution in the list would be to really enhance the collection of taxes, but can they really go against the interest of these big people who, in the first place, had financed their victory in the last elections? The answer is obvious.

If it's a solution, how come the common Filipinos can only afford two meals a day now? How come small businesses are closing amidst claims that they are exempted from the added taxes? How come middle class people who needs transportation for daily trips to work are forced to deal with the stress of public transport now? How come most employees of factories prefer not to take miryendas but just wait for them to get home with empty stomachs? Yes, they promise that this solution will manifest good result in years to come, but we're all fed up with empty promises. Besides, if all has to take part in the sacrifice, how come they don't take part in it? Oh look at Mr. Arroyo feeding his cute cute grandchild. I bet that's a hundred thousand bucks a spoonful!

2. The presidency was once a job of honor, dignity and credibility. Every child would want to be the president of the country decades ago. If you'd base it on the Bible, it would mean that it's a tough job, as the highest of the leaders should be the lowest and most dedicated of the servants. Does it apply here now? Nope. Prestige may come with the position, but credibility? Nah. Would you want to run for the position because of pure intentions of just wanting to serve the country? Nah. The position has been blemished with too much corruption, no one who lives by principles would want it. If you want to get rich, yes, go ahead and run for president. It's the best way to spend money, go around the world, talk to famous people, eat expensive food, provide economic growth for your kamag-anaks, give way for political ambitions of your children and grandchildren, go surfing in Boracay without really taking away cash from your own pocket. It's service, yes. High quality self-service.

But what happens after the term, or after the people have decided that they're already fed up with how imbecile the current presidency is? They are left with nothing but their excessive earnings. The name is totally ruined, the only choice they have for their next days here is to let them be judged by the people, or get out of the country and spend the rest of their lives there. In the case of Gloria, is there honor and dignity left for them after her term? I think this is the reason why she's almost begging the Congress to have the parliamentary government idea push through. After her term, what? No more peace of mind because, for sure, accusations of corruption and bad leadership will come from all sides. Fatass husband and son has no where to go but outside the country, even now as the mother's term has not yet ended. Where will they be after the regime? In the Bahamas, laughing out loud at as.

3. Gloria's telling the media to stop showing bad news, and start concentrating on good news. Mada'am president, there's no good news to tell, so what the heck are you talking about? Think of it this way: 75% of Filipino families have TV sets in their homes. They can spend with their salary enough only for two meals a day and a decent set of clothes. They worry much on how to pay for their electricity and water bills. They worry much on how to budget their small earnings against the rising prices of commodities, they worry much about their safety and security when they go out, and when they do go out, they deal with daily corruption and bad service in their local government agencies and law enforcement bureaus who provide their other basic needs, they see that almost all people that they know deal with the same daily predicaments... then all they will hear in the news is that the Philippine economy is getting better, the country is getting rich, no more crime in the streets, nothing more about corruption and what really happens out there. What? Are we converting daily news to fantaserye, too?

Besides, broadcasting companies in the Philippines have always been focused on politics. It's no-news for them if they focus only on the economy. Do good, tame your husband, and avoid evil influences, Gloria, and you'll get what you wish for. For now, as long as Mr. Bunye's not doing well in denying all your subordinate's misdeeds, you can expect more of those dirty news about Malacañang. :)

4. Pinoy Big Brother. It's a fad that's conquering not only the Philippines, but also the US and Europe. Sosyal, di ba? At least we get in line with these big bullies when it comes to entertainment. But have you seen Pinoy Big Brother in Europe? It's like watching live porn at midnight. Don't get me wrong, people. I don't watch this show. I just heard it from guys who email me, although I'm beginning to think I'd want to try watching one episode as patikim lang. teeheehee...

Thing is, ABS-CBN is a genius when it comes to gathering revenues. It has the ability to turn any fad into a big money machine. Have you thought of how much the company earns everyday just from Pinoy Big Brother's text/download business? Millions, I'd say. It's really easy money once you've caught the Pinoy's taste. And yes, again, ABS-CBN is good at it.

5. Car jacking, cowboy style. I have a friend who became a victim of this mindless crime. You drive in Ortigas at 2pm (yes, in the middle of the day!), men armed with armalites block your way, and the next thing you know, you're on your way walking to the nearest presinct to report the unfortunate event, without your car, without your money. But for my friend, the nightmare was not over. After putting details in the blotter, it seems that the case just went to nothing. After checking on the case, she would go home in tears as she feels nothing is being done to have these carjackers tracked down. Worse is that, the next week, she saw an ad in one of her yahoogroups saying a car with the same specs is for sale for only around 50 thousand bucks. I'd say these people would not have the guts to do it unless they have backup from either the military or from the police. And the latest operation against it that was all shown on TV? Could be another Kuratong-Baleleng case, all for show, and I pity those who were sacrificed just to have the name of the authorities saved from further shame.

That's all for now, folks. Tune in next month for more of my outrageous thoughts on everything that has to do with Philippine politics! Merry Christmas, everyone! *MWAH!*

Katie the pinup girl

2005-10-05T00:25:00.000+08:00

It's always a great thrill to know that a famous artist has featured your very own portrait. Remember "I would like you to draw me like one of your French girls wearing this... only this." It's not about allowing people to draw you... it's about knowing and appreciating how people see you in their own unique way.

Thanks, Jonas, for the very very nice masterpiece. I've just printed and put it in a nice frame. Teehee.

The story unfolds

2005-10-01T08:40:00.000+08:00

Remember this blog's past entries"His Story Begins" and "The story begins"? These are actually chapters from a book that Elmo and I have been working on for the past years.

It's a boy-meets-girl trilogy. The first story is about how a sassy girl met this suicidal boy on the edge of a Mine's View Park cliff. The second story happens thirty years after that, when a Greek Goddess named Future noticed how these two souls are severely intertwined by time, in time. Thus, she decided to challenge the couple's fate through death. The saga ends with the third, where a question common to the two preceding stories is finally answered: Why the two are inseparable, even by fate itself.

All three parts are on the works yet, and we have yet to decide whether or not to come up with a comicbook (ala-Arnold Arre's "After Eden"... I wish!) or just come up with a trilogy novel. It all depends on the budget, the time we have for the project, and the inspiration. At least, for now, I have finally made my concept of the book cover real. :) Next in line: Wicked Fate website.

By the way, click on the book cover to reveal the supposed back cover of the comicbook. teeheeheee.... I hope you like it, cuz I looooove it so much I can't stop staring at it. :))

Vote your Hero

2005-09-30T04:19:00.000+08:00

You can vote for your favorite Asian Hero in Time Asia's website. The candidates are (drums rolling) post-Marcos savior former President Corazon Aquino, boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, and "Battered but Unbowed" Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Battered but Unbowed. Hmm. What words to describe a president who doesn't give a damn about popular opinion, oblivious of the reality of what's happening outside Malacañang, and disowned by majority of her people. We have a president who's both blind and deaf. No wonder she seems unbowed.

By the way, you can submit your votes here. My "+1" vote goes for Manny. If there's a way to submit a "-1" vote for Gloria, please tell me.

A New Beauty Queen

2005-09-27T22:42:00.000+08:00

Lara Precious San Agustin Quigaman
Miss International 2005

So you finally made it to the top! So you finally reached your goal. But I'm telling you, sister, things are to get pretty wonderful from now on. So just keep your head high, stay focused, maintain that healthy daily routine we've been introduced to from way back, and don't lose that sweet personality that people would really admire as they discover you better, and I'm sure people are gonna love you more. I'm so proud of you, Lara. And thank you for the good news that we've been not receiving for the longest time. Congratulations! :)

Thought of the day: It seems good news are coming from outside the country. First was Manny Pacquiao, and now, Lara. Looks like Filipinos can really shine,... individually, that is. Not as a nation till now. If only we're nurtured by a good State and taken care of by a good government. For now, we can get no real good news from our leaders. Just empty blah-blahs and a bad image.

Ahmad vs. GMA7

2005-09-17T08:14:00.000+08:00

Yes, Im stil alive folks! Alive Alert Awake Enthusiatic!

What is it with GMA-7 being way in over thier heads, thinking that they can make duplicates of the classic eye candys like "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Matrix" trilogies? Come on people effects are not everything. The reason why these holywood movies were so damn great, was because there were talented people behind it! I do not know how is it that the local showbiz industry is so pissed off about video piracy, when they themselves do nothing but pirate concepts, characters, storylines, and even scenes for crying out loud! What it ends up becoming is a poor attempt to mimick the original. Folks let us not support piracy in any form. Ergo Boycott this pathetic GMA and ABS-CBN shows. Stick to cable and news documentaries.

On second tought maybe the show "Sugo" is inspired from real events of Philippine Politics. Here's my version of the TV series, bear with me because this is the first essay Im writting in tagalog

Noong unang panahon, merong isang tribo na ang pangalan ay oposisyon. Ito ay pinamumunuan ni Apo Erap Estrada na me kapangyarihang itim. Mortal na kaaway ng mga taga oposisyon ang mga taga administrasyon na pinamumunuan naman ni Sultana Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Noong naglaban ang 2 pinuno, ginamit ni Sultana GMA ang kapangyarihan ng EDSA upang talunin si Apo Estrada, at siya nya ngang nagawa. Natalo at naghirap ang tribo ng oposisyon, ngunit naniniwala sila na sa pamamagitan ng kapangyarihan ng maduming pulitika ay muli nilang mabubuhay si Apo Estrada. Samantala ang reyna ng tribong administrasyon ay inabuso naman ang kapangyarihan ng EDSA at siyang naging ugat ng kanyang kasakiman, at naging sanhi ng paghihirap ng lahat ng kanilang kapanalig. Dahil dito ang ilang mga taga-administrasyon ay nag-aklas laban sa kanilang pinuno. Ngunit sadyang makapangyarihan ang pinuno ng administrasyon upang magapi. Kayat sa kawalan nila ng pag-asa sila ay sumanib sa tribo ng oposisyon upang muling buhayin si Apo Estrada. Mag gawa lamang nilang buhayin si Apo Estrada sa pamamagitan ng isang "Alay". Ang unang inatasan para maging alay ay si Fernando Poe Jr. At dahil ayaw ng pinuno ng tribong administrasyon na mawalan ng kapangyarihan sa oras na mabuhay uli si Apo Estrada, inatasan niya ang "Sugo" para tugisin ang alay, lipulin ang mga taga-oposisyon, at ipagtangol ang kanilang tribo. At natugis nga ang alay ng matalo si FPJ noong nakaraang eleksyon, kayat ang sumunod na alay naman ay walang iba kundi si Susan Roces. Inatasan ng mga taga-oposisyon ang isang tagapagtangol ng alay upang ito ay hindi magapi ng isang sugo. At ito ay walang iba kundi si Francis Chiz Escuderro. Ngunit hindi naman tumutigil ang sugo para gapiin ang alay ng oposisyon, at ang sugo ay walang iba kundi si Sec. Mike Defensor!

Tantanaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!

Unfortunately this is not the battle between good and evil. This is a battle between Evil Vs. Evil. Its Freddy Vs. Jason, Alien Vs Predator. But in since I'm not feeling colonial lately, its sugo vs. tagapagtangol. Who needs to watch the pathetic acting skills of Richard Guttierez? Who needs to watch sugo or encantadia? Just watch the real deal! Watch the six o'clock news. -Ahmad

Naruto craze

2005-09-16T07:26:00.000+08:00

Naruto is the latest worldwide anime craze after Dragonball, and currently most loved by those who have lived half of their lives watching anime. I've always liked watching anime eversince I first saw Daimos. Wait, is Daimos considered anime? ;-p

I just love Naruto. It's way better than Dragonball, and a bit better than my all-time favorite Hajime no Ippo (better known as "Knockout" in the Philippines). Good character building, good plot, and animation is really smooth. For those who know this series, watch that episode after the death of the 3rd Hokage, where Naruto and Sasuke unleash their true nature in battle. I think it's in the second season, as ABSCBN would refer calling it.

I just love the comedy, too! I also read the manga, but only after I watch the corresponding episode. Indeed, there are a lot of fillers in the anime series that branch out from the manga storyline. This is disapproved by lots of Naruto fans out there. But I so love this series that I even like the fillers. There's just something about the whole story, the apprentice-master and friendship element specifically, that amazes me.

My favorite character here is Tsunade, also known as the 5th. She's got the best character story so far: the path she took to becoming a Sannin to Konoha leader is simply fascinating. One of the famous Sannins, the woman got strength almost comparable to The Hulk. She's also short-tempered, a smartass, loves gambling, bored at work, and considers Japanese-style body spa the ultimate means of relaxation. Another special power that she possesses is the ability to heal. Ah, I wish I live that life. She's over 40, though, according to Jaraiya. Oh, I love Jaraiya second. He's an old pervert who can call big frogs. Teeheehee...

Spoiler alert! Currently, Naruto is being shown on ABSCBN everyday, 5:30pm. It's currently on that part where the Hokage dies. I think Cartoon Network also got the license to feature it, and it has already started with the first two episodes last week. It airs every Saturday, 9:30pm on cable tv.

I'm currently on the 151st episode, and I'm getting the episodes from the Naruto-Kun website (http://www.naruto-kun.com). This is one of the many reasons I love Wednesdays- they upload the newest episodes from Japan every week! You can also download the series soundtrack and manga comics from this site. Try "Go!!!", the fourth intro theme of the series. One of the best! Hurrah for online blessings! How I wish Filipino animation could be THIS good.

Sorry my @ss

2005-09-14T00:08:00.000+08:00

Gloria's famous "I am sorry" thing is turning out to be the most irritating craze nowadays. It's Imee's turn this time. Apparently, the young Marcos did an unexpected absence during that Congress session when the pro-impeachment party needed help most. "I'm sorry," she said- referring to her decision to leave her post that night as her mother, the shoe addict Imelda, told her to do so. It is said that the government had asked the Marcos family to withdraw their support to the pro-impeachment group in exchange to allowing the remains of former President Ferdinand Marcos to be buried in the infamous Libingan ng mga Bayani.

What kind of excuse is that? And where's the honor in that? If she really believes in the ideals of the party to which she entrusted her signature, she would fight alongside her colleagues until the end, wouldn't she? But no. One favor from her mother and poof. The promise is gone, dignity set aside. And she has the guts to say "lahat ng pangako ng presidente, napapako." (Not that she's not telling the truth, though.)

She said "minsan lang naman na napagbigyan ko ang aking ina, so sana'y pagpasensyahan nyo na". What does she mean by this? I thought being a leader means living as a public servant- and leaving all kinds of biases behind for the sake of the people whom you serve? This includes family. Or is it me and the few remaining idealists who believe that such leaders still exist in this country?

Yes yes... no one's perfect to resist the small favors of a family member. But to justify that for one's misdeed is just... annoying. And yet, that's family over service. This is the type of thinking politicians promise to shed off during electoral campaigns, yet embrace like pillows during a good night sleep. It's never OK to suffer the interest of the people for one's own goals, specially if you are a public servant... most specially if you took oath as representative of the people. And I thought Imee was one young congresswoman who, eventhough raised in the wrong side of politics, would live up to the promise of a new generation of leadership in this country. Looks like we do still have to wait for several more generations of young leaders before we could realize the real worth of our votes.

The name's Katrina

2005-09-10T07:42:00.000+08:00

Last week, we witnessed how weak Man is in the face of nature's wrath. We also saw how frail a country could be in the aftermath of a natural disaster, no matter how influential or powerful this country could be. Hurricane Katrina, which is said to have left the most costly damage in U.S. history, is a wake up call- Man has been addicted to wealth, oil and power, that taking these things away could mean a considerable amount of loss.

What'a hard to bear is how other people take other's misery to their advantage. Looting and crime that swarmed New Orleans after the disaster was just proof that, indeed, the innate evil in Man comes out in most desperate times. It even becomes more horrible when these people justifies their wrong deeds: they do this to survive. This seem to be an excuse that has gained universal status: every nation suffers from this dilemma everytime natural disaster strikes, not just in the United States. Does this prove that some of us still haven't learned from the grim history of humanity? If this happens in a nation that claims prestige and power over other nations, does this mean we still have a long way to go before Man realizes that the only way to a better life is not to be selfish?

Today, I've seen the last episode of the Star Trek: Enterprise series. A swift retrospect of the three Enterprise starships played before the credits rolled, as the famous "Space... the final frontier. These are the voyages..." spiel was delivered by captains Picard, Kirk, and Archer. It's sad to realize that not all good shows do not last forever. (This episode is such a tearjerker.) But it's much more sad to think that we really have a long way to go before we could reach that level of humanity.

Here are some more things to think about regarding the unfortunate events that followed during the recent weeks:

1. The hurricane season is just starting in the U.S. Let's pray Katrina's the first and the last one in queue.

2. The United States government was so fast in reacting to the 9-11 terrorist attack, but it took them a week before the first wave of aid came to New Orleans residents who were affected by Katrina. I call this selective preparedness, if not ample proof for a much more controversial claim... you know what I mean. Farenheit 9/11. Wink. Wink.

3. We have a real energy crisis now, something that the world still seems to deny. The world's addiction to oil is like addiction to coffee. You don't immediately notice that you are addicted, until somebody else notices it. But the addict denies this fact, as it slowly affects his daily routine. It's obvious that we need alternative sources of energy, yet the world ignores this growing necessity. It's obvious that there ARE alternative sources of energy, like biodiesel, solar energy, and things like electric cars and hydrogen extracted from water. But the world seems to be caught still in the illusion that we don't need them, we don't want them, we still have enough supply of oil for everyone. Makes you think about oil cartels and the power of corporate evils over the State. Makes you think how fragile against selfish agenda the "system" is.

4. The habit of throwing the blame to someone else in the aftermath of a natural disaster is not at all an inert quality of Filipino leaders. It happens anywhere. The fact is, everyone is to be blamed for this. I was watching the news while Katrina was just collecting it's strength in the Mexican Gulf, and people seemed to be easy about it. They were really caught unprepared.

5. Imagine losing your home, your family, everything that's almost worth your life... all in a day or two. Imagine returning to where your house used to stand. Imagine returning to a place that you almost can't recognize anymore. Imagine taking away everything but the clothes that you now wear. You know their government can't act as quickly as they need to. These people need all the help that they could get, fast.

Shoutbox Chicks 3

2005-08-27T09:04:00.000+08:00

Just when I was about to finish the second episode of Shoutbox Chicks, here comes my master Adel who came up with his own version of my comicbook series. Nice. Now I have to keep up with how the art develops. Waaah!

Anyway, I know you'll love this one. It's me and Adel on one of those bus rides to Baguio that I enjoyed so much. Circa 2000. Still fresh from college graduation, still living the dream. Notice my former white G4 iBook there... I miss my old machine. Sigh...

Just click on the image above to see the bigger version. I don't want to shrink it since it's ruining the text, you know. By the way, I was the one who labeled it "#3"!! :)

TAGheuer

2005-08-24T03:31:00.000+08:00

I've been tagged! But in a nice way, because I love answering these types of questions. Here it goes...

1. What are the things you enjoy doing even when there's no one around you?

Window shopping in malls I haven't been yet. Next stop: Singapore's Takashimaya! Oh boy... I'm gonna spend a whole day there tomorrow. Work+Play! I just love my job.

2. What lowers your stress/ blood pressure/ anxiety level?

Gym!... writing blog entries, writing emails to friends and relatives, reading emails from friends and relatives, drawing, watching my old DVDs... and ah! sleeping, of course. :)

3. Tag five friends and ask them to post it in theirs.

Andrea
Adel
Cholo
Geedot
AnP

Shoutbox Chicks 1

2005-08-19T08:11:00.000+08:00

Now I know why my Elmo liked drawing Jac. I have seen her once, a year ago during a SciFi Convention in Rockwell, Makati, and that's how, more or less, I remember her... with additional accessories, of course. Too bad, we weren't able to really meet that day. Anyway, she's such a nice subject for doing digital art. :D

I hope you guys like this one. I've been doing some sketches for a long time now, but I never really got serious to it, until now. I have to thank Jac somehow, I told myself. So I found myself in front of Photoshop again, although it's quite difficult to draw with a mouse and not with a Wacom pen. *sigh* Anyway, thanks to my Elmo also, with whom I shared sketchbooks for the longest time.

Yup! This is the first Shoutbox Chicks comicstrip. I'll be making another one if inspiration comes again soon... unless someone tells me to quit it. As you can see, inspiration still comes in small dosages these days. It's obvious if you look at the last panel. Cut-and-paste galore! Teeheehee....

And oh... Jac, it looks amateurish, but I hope you like it. :) I should get a Wacom pen soon!

I'm in the 18th!

2005-08-17T22:35:00.000+08:00

By nature, yours truly is a real loner. I hold only a few people close to my heart, but they're far from my reach most of the time. That's due to the fact that my job requires me to "be everywhere". Going home has become occasional, not usual. (And hearing bad news from "home" has always been quite frustrating.)

It's fun having friends online, but it's overwhelming joy when you gain real friends and sistahs from all over. Rarely does one find someone with whom you can relate to, or with whom you share same interests, common sentiments. I'm just thankful one of those who are given these rare chances.

There's this one small circle of friends that I've been fond of for a long time now. They are friends whom I share emails with, or whose messages on tagboard/shoutboxes I'm always looking forward to read everyday. They are my blog friends, and people are beginning to notice how this good mix of people from different walks of life, from all over the world, could really get other people's attention. They are starting to notice how we shine. You know who you are, guys. And I appreciate sharing with you this unique kind of sheer online bliss, specially in times of unsought isolation.

Anyway, thanks so much, Jac, for Pilya 18. I just love the blouse! Must.. come up... with... a real one... wheeeeee! :)

Kukurukuku

2005-08-16T22:30:00.000+08:00

My friend, Marcuz, sent me an email about one experience that is worthy of being featured here in my blog (because we almost have the same sentiments about some points that he mentioned). Read on...

------------------------------------

I went to the barbershop for my monthly haircut. Just right across this place is a sari-sari store that also sells pirated VCDs and music CDs. And, of course, to catch the attention of potential customers, it loudly plays music that usually sells in the streets. "Kantang kanto", says my barber, who's quite annoyed by the fact that they can't do the usual barber shop talk that day, just like any other day of their week, because of the loud racket outside.

It would have been ok if they played good music. But my goodness! During my one hour session with my barber, all I heard was a bunch of crappy noise- particularly this tasteless song that was played over and over again...

"May tatlong dear sa loob ng munting kubo,
Si mommy dear, si daddy dear, si baby dear.
Si mommy dear ay marikit,
Si daddy dear ay makisig,
Si baby dear ay napakalikot,
Masdan nyo, masdan nyo,
Ang kyu-kyut nila...."

(This is one song that really stays in your head for the longest time. The worst "last song syndrome" ever.)

Katie, I should tell you- a man's haircut session is supposed to be one guy "holy" thing, but that was the most grueling 30-minute haircut that I had in my entire life!

Honestly, this is the reason why I hate contemporary Filipino music- most of the composers are in just for the money, not for the art, or at least, for making it better. All you can hear on FM radio, if not DJs laughing or talking nonsense or making annoying mimics, or if not revivals of old songs, are songs that depict subconscious malice. I mean, it's a country of amateur bland music!

I don't have an iPod to get away from the "kantang kanto" as my barber puts it. I can't afford it. So everyday, I have to endure whatever it is that you usually hear on jeepneys or on FX taxis. Rarely do I find public utility vehicles playing music from radio stations with professional DJs and good music. Usually, you hear 93.9 DJs blurting out their senseless mwahahas and teeheehees and lousy jokes. No wonder people learn nothing from radio but... ah. Simply nothing.

Anyway, the song goes on and on, with girls sounding like sluts and a lead singer who sings and raps like Bondying (from the days of Jimmy Santos fame). As if steam were to burst out of my nose out of severe aggravation, as soon as haircut's done, I went out of the barber shop, went straigt to the CD store, bought the very same CD that was playing on their stereo, dropped it on the ground in front of the store owner and smashed the CD to pieces.

Luckily, the owner didn't care since he already had my thirty bucks. But seeing all those people on the barber shop just across the street, and the relief that I would never have to listen to that song again are all worth the trouble.

------------------------------

I hear you, Marcuz. I just hope you didn't take a jeepney on your way home. Kelangan pa bang i-memorize yan?!

Hope Fades

2005-08-05T22:01:00.000+08:00

Where is the sense of professionalism in the Senate when we need it the most? Where is the sense of honor and dignity that every leader should have when we need it the most? And where are the good statesmen when we need them the most? Today another statesman passed away and it is really a big loss to this already dying republic.

Given a choice between an actor politician who is a darling of the masses but a clown of the Senate and a professional politician whom the masses can't relate to but is knowledgeable about running the country, I'd choose the latter. We don't want a superstar in the Senate! We don't need them at all. I'm so sick with this pathetic excuses for statesmen, who claim that they are the messiah of the masses. This people think that by winning the heart of the masses they automatically become good statesmen. I must have heard this bull crap a bajillion times, and as much as it is pleasing to the ears, it remains nothing but a cheap bull crap used to deceive us. I'd still prefer professional politicians, who care little about their public image, but care more about getting the job done. This is what's wrong with our politics today. Its so full of populist bureaucrats who spends more time finding an opportunity for them to make the headlines, rather than work their indolent asses off.

The late Sen. Raul Roco was one of these professional politicians. If it was a competition of public image (which our presidential elections are all about), he would surely loose. But if it was a competition of achievements and performance (which our presidential elections are never about), I tell you he deserved to be the president of this country more than any presidentiables. The reason why I gave him my vote, was not because he made headlines during the Impeachment trial, not because he made a Jose-Pidal expose, not even because of the promise that he brought, but ultimately because of his sense of professionalism. A highly decorated senator who spent most of his time passing important laws on education, feminist rights, and benefits for our public school teachers. During his tenure as the secretary of education, more textbooks were given national high schools, more benefits were given to our public school teachers, and I know some friends and relatives who can attest to this. Of course, he was also once accused of corruption, but he had the courage to do what no other public officials would have. And that is to resign to preserve his honor and the credibility of the institution he worked for, even though the truth of these accusations was never really established. This is the kind of leader that we need. Most of our public officials nowadays cling like leaches to their positions cover their asses, at the expense of the integrity of the institution they represents. Sa Tagalog, mga lehitimong Walanghiya!

To this day no formal charges are filed against him. But I still believe that you can never put a good man down like Raul Roco. I do not now about you people but I will surely feel the consequences of this loss. In a time where good statesmen are endangered species, this is truly a big loss. Lets be realistic here, the sword of a Panday will not save us. The cheesey speeches of Susan Roces will not save us anymore than it will get a famas award. The attempt of our president to kiss the asses of every congressmen will not make this country rise again. This country will rise trough the invaluable contributions of every statesman politician or otherwise. But today we have lost one.

"Now, more than ever, we will miss the qualities of a leader that the country needs," said Herminio Aquino, the late stateman's former running mate. "He is the ideal leader that the country needs right now."

Indeed, guts, intelligence and dignity define the statesmanship of thie soft-spoken man. Although he did participate in the mudslinging that makes up what Philippine politics is today, he seemed to have done it in a manner that does not give any shade of shame in his personality, nor in any institution that he worked for. Perhaps, his name would not be written in bold letters in history books, but the example that he established clearly shows that we, Filipinos, have the potential to be good leaders of our own land, if only we could choose our own leaders wisely.

To the masses he is just a fat guy in a red Hawaiian, sometimes flowery shirt. To the Bicolanos like Ahmad, though, he is a kababayan we are truly proud of. To his colleagues he was one of the best senators the legislature had. To the whole country he was truly a statesman.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, who ran under Roco’s Aksyon Demokratiko party, mentioned Roco was "one politician who in many ways was ‘unpolitical’ because he disdained partisan compromises, did not engage in patronizing gimmickry, avoided petty talk and did not subdue his intellect simply to appear common or popular." This is true. I don't believe most of our politicians are plainly stupid, as most of them have acquired education from highly-acclaimed institutions in the Philippines, and even in the U.S. and Europe. But listen to them whenever they are interviewed on TV. Take for instance Imee Marcos, who said "Ewan ko... hindi magandang pakinggan sa pangalan pa lang," when asked about what she thinks of Con As.

Lagman adds,"Roco was primed for the presidency but was not favored by destiny."

Farewell to you Sen. Raul Roco. Perhaps, it was never your time to be leader of this corrupted state. But at least, you've given this generation a hint of what a true leader should be, or would be, if that day when all becomes better comes.

-Ahmad and Katie

His story begins

2005-08-05T08:52:00.000+08:00

He sits on the railings of the cliff as he focused his attention on where the sun is rising. He left Manila as early as his sleepy eye could endure, so as to let no one know of his sudden departure. In search of soltitude, he just got a ride on the first bus that we would come across that morning in EDSA. As a small hint of sunlight touched his face, tears glared from his cheek. This is, indeed, not the best time to be alone for the first time in his entire life.

They say, in the Bible's Old Testament, God resides in high places. Moses made contact with God in Mount Sinai. This is also where he saw the promised land before he faded from this world.

This is, perhaps, the reason why Phil is in Baguio right now. Months ago, he just finished an academic course that he had no intersest on in the first place, thus ending his fifteen straight years of learning nothing but life basics and complex theories. His girl-friend, long-time fling actually, has just left him for another guy, just three days before the big graduation day. His Dad, who basically has predetermined his life for his unico ijo, died of cancer months before the graduation, thus disabling him to pursue any real course that would define a real life ahead of him. Mom's out there somewhere, but he never knew where since he was still very young. He's been alone eversince he stood into college, but never did he feel the real consequences of being alone until now. With just a thousand bucks left in his pockets, and the cloud-capped mountains adorning the scene that is Mines View Park, he is swept away to a place where he could finally find Him to blame for this life that He seems to have forsaken. Here, he asks the question asked by philosophers that he once adored: "Where to from here?"

He felt shivers, but not because it's January, the coldest month of the year. As people come and go, taking pictures of the green mountains and white fog, it's as if time is just passing by for this poor motionless creature. As if to move an inch would just add more reason to believe that he has definitely lost his direction, as it felt like drifting in space with no clue where he's heading. They say it's extremely dark and cold out there in space. This is probably the chill that he sees his future right now. Dark and cold.

People smile as they come and go. But then it started to rain. Like ants immediately sensing impending danger, tourists retreated to the nearby souvenirs market for shelter. But Phil stayed. There's no danger for a man who feels he has nothing to look forward to anymore. Anyway, it's one nice way to conceal his tears.

He shifted his focus to where he is right now: on the edge of a abyssal cliff. Time slows down as he leaned forward and lifted his leg to go beyond the wooden railings. As he see things now, the only message that he has received from God is rain falling to the deepest edges of the cliff. There's no definite direction now but to fall down.

As he closed his eyes upon establishing this disclosure, and as he hangs his body as his final attempt to cling into life and reason, he felt a swift pull coming from the collar of his shirt. His feet slipped, robbing him from his balance and allowing him to fall, not off the cliff but where it's safe once again. Although it's not that entirely safe, as he knocked his head on a rock as he tumbles to the ground.

He taught he died already, as it was a blurred image of an angel as rain continues to douse his eyes, before consciousness totally left him. "Oops," she said, with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Somebody call a doctor!"

The Long Goodbye

2005-07-27T23:01:00.000+08:00

I know they say if you love somebody
You should set them free (so they say)
But it sure is hard to do
Yeah, it sure is hard to do
And I know they say if they don’t come back again
Then it’s meant to be ( so they say)
But those words don’t pull me through
Cos I’m still in love with you
I spend each day here waiting for a miracle
But it’s just you and me going through the mill
(climbin’ up a hill)

This is the long goodbye
Somebody tell me why
Two lovers in love can’t make it
Just what kind of love keeps breaking a heart?
No matter how hard we try
You’re gonna make me cry
Come on, baby, it’s over.. let’s face it
All that’s happening here is a long goodbye

Sometimes I ask my heart did we really
Give our love a chance ( just one more chance)
And I know without a doubt
It’s turning me inside out
And if we walked away
Would make more sense ( only self defense)
But it tears me up inside
Just to think we still could try
How long must we keep riding on a carousel
Going round and round and never getting anywhere?
(on a wing and prayer)

This is the long goodbye
Somebody tell me why
Two lovers in love can’t make it
Just what kind of love keeps breaking a heart?
No matter how hard we try
You’re gonna make me cry
Come on, baby, it’s over.. let’s face it
All that’s happening here is the long...long goodbye

Are you ever coming back again
I guess I’m coming back again

-----------------------------------------
Written by Paul Brady / Ronan Keating

There's a bitter truth in this song. Saying goodbye is easy. Getting over it may take forever.

Piece of cake

2005-07-26T02:46:00.000+08:00

This is no ordinary piece of cake.

This piece of chocolate chips cake means forever.

This cake means a lot more than just dessert. Every bite means more than just sweet sensation.

This cake wakes me up every morning. It says you've once had a beautiful breakfast with him. And it's enough to make my day shine.

This cake reminds me of how we talked about our dreams. It reminds me about how he reacted with my attempts to make him laugh. It's an endless memory of the words we've shared, even for just a couple of minutes together on the coffee table.

This is where I shared with you my frustrations, and you told me what exactly to do to appreciate it, to accept that it's really how life is. This place is where I saw the world through your eyes, and it felt nice. Then I realized hey! I turned out quite fine.

This coffee table started a whole new color in how I saw life. I started to appreciate everything... from the coffee that somehow lacks the taste, to the mistakes that I regret most. Then, I saw how wonderful you are. I'm having breakfast with a real wonder boy.

That coffee table means forever.

It reminds me of a place that could have been if only I have the power to twist fate. It's one small part of a whole different universe that exists only whenever I find my nightly soltitude with only the stars to listen to my woes. And I found heaven in this small place... something that I'll surely cherish till my last moment here.

And even as I die, I'd probably think about this piece of cake, this little coffee table where we shared small talks, laughed, felt gloomy, felt nice, together, once. And I'd be a happy soul if heaven is just composed of this small coffee table. As long as you'll be there to smile back at me, giggle for me once again.

Because I've always wanted to go back to our coffee table. To have coffee and share this piece of cake with you again. Because this coffee table, this little place of ours, is where I began to be. This piece of cake is forever. This coffee table is forever.

The story begins

2005-07-23T07:56:00.000+08:00

Phil just can't believe what he just saw. He was just on his way to her house, with a bundled dozen of orange roses on the passenger's seat. It was raining heavy that night, but his wide smile could clearly be seen on the car's drenched windshield.

He got a chance to say the three words, at last. And this time, he's really planned it to the littlest detail. No damn storm could stop him now. No, not now when he finally have gotten over all obstacles to reach this point. So many chances have been wasted, there's no way he could lose this one now.

Perhaps not even a quick flash of lightning directly striking a tree that instantly bursts into flames and falls into where his car rushes through.

Rain pours heavily on his face as he keeps his bundle of orange roses safe in his arms. He just can't believe even this storm seems to be stopping him from reaching her tonight. "Geez, I will have to walk, then," he whispers in dismay. Yet, he seems not to mind how wrecked his car has become, or how soaked and unfit he is now to accomplish his plans. "No, I this day won't be ruined by anything at all!"

Smoke can be barely seen from afar, but now it seems the world has turned into but a rain-drenched stage for two extremes. On the left is a long path towards where she is. To the right, where everything seems to be drifting away.

But the gentle soul seems to have found focus now. "I have to hurry... she's waiting for me." So he went on to the brighter part of the "stage", filling his heart with tingly excitement in every step on his way.

It was like walking through dark corridors, and he suddenly sees himself in front of her beloved's door. It's a wonder how focus could make everything else in the world disappear in an instant. He was to ring the doorbell when another strike of lightning revealed a silhouette of a woman crying behind the curtains.

Then he realized where he really was that moment.

"Phil..." the girl cried. She runs to the door, somehow hoping that she could make it to where he is right now, hoping she could outrun time to save their story from it's sudden end.

On the gate, she found only a bundle of orange roses soaked in a puddle, a note simply saying "I love you", and smoke and flame coming from afar.

One last strike of lightning but it unusually never felt frightening for her. A white shadow of his face, his smile, his wonderful eyes flashes before her in a split second. It felt like being in Gene's arms once again.

"I love you, too, Phil..."

Her name is Celine. And this is her story.

2005-07-21T03:57:00.000+08:00

Art by Ariel Atienza. I'm a big fan of his work. :)

I wish I have Doc Emmett Brown's DeLorean. You'd probably see this entry in Philippine history books: Right after saying this famous line, someone from the audience shouted these equally famous words (using David Letterman's tone)... "WHAT??!!! ARE YOU NUTS?!!!"

Here's the big irony: Pres. Quezon died of tuberculosis. In New York.

Yeahhhh....

Pseudo-Democracy

2005-07-20T21:49:00.000+08:00

It took me a lot of contemplation to complete this one. So far with the way things are going I'm just so disappointed in everything. I'm disappointed for Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who had so many chances to prove that she was way better than Erap (being well educated, and coming from a prominent family), but instead she ended up being no better than the backstabbing bastards of the opposition. I'm disappointed because all the principles and convictions I fought for during the second EDSA revolution. But most of all I'm so disappointed in all of us, for failing to have a sense of political maturity.

You see, Katie and I had an earlier disagreement about Jose Rizal's philosophy. I have said it before that I'm not a fan of him, and I think P.I. 100 in U.P. should be dissolved. But lately I'm begining to see it her way. Now Im begining to understand why Jse Rizal never fought for Philippine independence. Somehow he must have predicted that this would happen to us. Independence has served us no purpose but to become a catalyst that would lead to our deterioration as a nation. Not many of you agree with me on this one. I don't know, maybe during the time of Pres. Magsaysay et al. , was this country practicing genuine independence. Now Cory Aquino is all over TV again, bragging about our so-called legacy of "democracy". But as I see it democracy to us is just waiting for every chance that we get to oust presidents in the streets of EDSA.

Just what is democracy to all of us? Democracy in the Philippine scenario is like a 5 year old toddler with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), given a detonator to an active nuclear bomb! What Im driving at is that we never have been responsible about it. We never have been responsible in making sure that Trapos don't win the elections, but hey for a bag of grocery items or even a ham and cheese sandwich we sell our votes. We can't even be responsible enough to follow simple traffic rules everyday. All we do is that we wait for the first chance/excuse that we get so we can rally and blame presidents.

The way I see it, another 300 years will pass and we will still be blaming Ferdinand Marcos for our misery. Come to think of it, is this time better than his? We have press freedom, but the law enforcers can't even protect those who uphold the truth in media. There is freedom to vote, but we either vote for incompetent corrupt public officials, or we even help them cheat.Human rights are respected, but not the right of every accused to have a speedy trial. There is no more curfew and we can go wherever we want whenever we want, but we probably won't do that because the streets are not safe. We don't practice military discipline among pedestrians anymore, but this has been used as an excuse for people to violate even the simplest traffic law. There are no more incidents of military abuses, but people in rebel infested areas always suffer between the cross fire, and also regular citizens abuse their authority nowadays. A corrupt but brilliant dictator was ousted in Edsa 1, only to be replaced by another corrupt and incompetent leader.

Come on people, let us not be hypocrites here. This isnot a Mel Gibson movie add that goes "life without freedom is no life at all". Life that is not free from suffering is no freedom at all. I'm not saying that I wan't another dictatorial regime or a communist one. I'm saying that democracy will not serve its purpose when we don't use it with responsibility. Is this our destiny as a nation? To keep waiting for the chance to oust a president? -Ahmad

Blue Eyes Blue

2005-07-13T06:34:00.000+08:00

by Eric Clapton

I thought that you’d be loving me.
I thought you were the one who’d stay forever.
But now forever’s come and gone
And I’m still here alone.

’cause you were only playing,
You were only playing with my heart.
I was never waiting,
I was never waiting for the tears to start.

It was you who put the clouds around me.
It was you who made the tears fall down.
It was you who broke my heart in pieces.
It was you, it was you who made my blue eyes blue.
Oh, I never should have trusted you.

I thought that I’d be all you need.
In your eyes I thought I saw my heaven.
And now my heaven’s gone away
And I’m out in the cold.

’cause you had me believing,
You had me believing in a lie.
Guess I couldn’t see it,
I guess I couldn’t see it till I saw goodbye.

Chorus

’cause you were only playing,
You were only playing with my heart.
I was never waiting,
I was never waiting for the tears to start.

It was you who put the clouds around me.
It was you.

Chorus

Oh, I never should have trusted you.
Oh, I never should have trusted you.
Oh, I never should have trusted you.

-----------------------

Some songs are just meant to make people cry... *sniff*

Hopelessness

2005-07-11T22:27:00.000+08:00

The recent weeks had been rather monotonous. We hear news that would have been avoided in the first place if we, as a nation, have learned from our mistakes from the past. Now, everyone's got a share of the consequences, even those who doesn't deserve it.

With the recent developments that besiege the country, I can't help but agree with 90% of this mail I received, especially in the context that "qualified voters in this country should have been the 'paying' taxpayers' themselves", not the noisy ones who never helped made this country alive.

Also, this guy and I have the same fear for this country: someday, out of hopelessness, all people who have a real sense of dignity would just leave this country. No one would be left here but those who have caused this system to rot since the very beginning.

Anyway, here it is: Please read this in its entirety, the author has a point!

Galing sa isang ordinaryong manggawa sa Pilipinas
-------------------------------------------------

WALANG KWENTA ANG PILIPINAS
By: jawbreaker. (isang ordinaryong office worker na ayaw nang magbayad ng tax...ever!)

Walang katapusang corruption, walang kamatayang pangbabatikos, pagbabatuhan ng tae at pagpapa-taasan ng ihi ng mga pulitiko sa bawatisa, walang tigil na imbestigasyon ng kung ano-anong isyu pero wala namang matinong resolusyon, walang puknat na pag-aagawan ng kapangyarihan sa pagitan ng mga partido, patuloy na pagdami ng tamad at tangang Pilipino, SILANG patuloy naakikipaglaban ng ideolohiyang wala namang silbi.

SINONG "SILA"? EH DI MGA CORRUPT NA GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND WORKERS, MGA TAMBAY NA PILIPINO NA ANG LALAKI NG KATAWAN PERO HINDI NAMAN NAGTRATRABAHO AT HINDI NAGBABAYAD NG TAX, MGA MAYAYAMAN AT ARTISTANG TAX EVADERS, PATI MGA AKTIBISTA, NPA AT IBA PANG IDEOLOGICAL GROUPS NA HINDI NAGBABAYAD NG TAX PERO PANG-GULO!!!

Lagi na lang sinasabi ng mga pulitiko: Ipaglaban ang masa! Tulungan ang masa! Mahalin ang masa!

MASA LANG BA ANG TAO SA PILIPINAS?

SINO BA TALAGA ANG BUMUBUHAY SA BANSANG TO?
SAAN BA GALING ANG PANGPAGAWA NG MGA TULAY AT KALYE? SAAN BA GALING ANG PORK BARREL? SAAN BA GALING ANG PERANG KINUKURAKOT NILA?

KAMI NA MGA MANGGAGAWA AT MIDDLE CLASS NA BAGO PA MAKUHA ANG SWELDO BAWAS NA - KAMI ANG BUMUBUHAY SA BANSA NA 'TO!!!!!!!!!

BAKIT YANG BANG MGA MASANG YAN NA LAGI NA LANG SENTRO NG PLATAPORMA NG MGA PULITIKO EH NAGBABAYAD BA NG TAX cla???!!!!

KAHIT ISA SA MGA NAG-RA-RALLYING MGA SQUATTER NA YAN, KAHIT SINGKO HINDI NAG-RE-REMIT YAN SA BIR!

PERO PINAPAKINGGAN BA KAMI NG GOBYERNO?

LAGI NA LANG OPINYON NG MASA ANG INI-INTINDI NG GOBYERNO.

KUNG SINO ANG NAG-RA-RALLY, SA EDSA, SILA ANG NASUSUNOD.

KUNG SINO ANG MAS MALAKAS SUMIGAW PERO WALA NAMANG ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION, SILA LAGI ANG FOCUS PAG MAY PROBLEMA.

SILA LAGI ANG BIDA.

KAMING MGA ORDINARYONG OFFICE WORKERS, OFW'S, LABORERS AT IBA PANG NAG-TRA-TRABAHO AT NAGBABAYAD NG TAX - KAMI ANG NAGPAPAKAHIRAP PARA BUHAYIN ANG PILIPINAS. KAMI ANG MGA TUNAY NA BAYANI NG BANSA!!!

Tuwing nakikita ko ang payslip ko, nag-iinit ang ulo ko at gusto kong maiyak sa inis. Napakalaki ng tax na binabawas sa akin pero ginagamit lang sa walang kwentang bagay ang perang pinaghirapan ko.

Lahat ng pagtitipid ginagawa ko para suportahan ang sarili ko, pamilya ko at ang bansang to. Ni hindi ako makabili ng chicken and spaghetti meal sa Jollibee kahit gutom na gutom na ko. Nag-tya-tyaga ako sa waffle na tig-P10, o kaya pag may konting pera, junior bola-bola siopao sa Mini-Stop sa halangang P20.

Eh kung yung pera ko na pinapangbabayad sa tax sa kin na lang napunta, eh di sana nakakapanood pa ko ng sine at least 2 beses sa isang buwan. Nakabili na sana ako ng bagong rubber shoes. Nakapagpagawa na sana ako ng sarili kong bahay.

Yung tax na binabayad ko, karamihan nun derecho sa bulsa ng mga corrupt na mga government officials at workers. Habang hirap na hirap akong i-budget ang pera ko, sila naman nagpapakasarap sa mga mansyon. SUV's at luxury cars pa ang dina-drive nila, samantalang ako sa pedicab lang sumasakay!

PERA KO YANG PINAPAGPAPASASAAN NYO!!!!!

Yung tax na binabayad ko, pinapangsuporta sa mga mahihirap. Saan ba galing ang pera pangpagawa ng housing at pagtulong sa mga mahihirap, di ba sa mga manggagawa na nagbabayad ng buwis! Pero karamihan ng mahihirap, kung umasta kala mo inaapi sila ng sobra.

SA TOTOO LANG NO, KAYA ANG MGA MAHIHIRAP LALONG NAGHIHIRAP KASI MGA TAMAD!

Ang daming mga tambay sa kalye na walang trabaho pero ang laki ng katawan. Eh kung sila ba nagkargador sa pier eh di sana may pera sila.

TAPOS WALA NA NGANG PERA, ANAK PA NG ANAK!

LALO NYO LANG PINAPADAMI ANG TAMAD AT TANGA SA MUNDO!!!!!

Naaawa ako sa mga batang pakalat-kalat sa kalye at namamalimos. Imbes na nag-aaral, dumadagdag lang sila sa bilang ng mga future criminals sa Pinas. Hindi ako magtataka na yung batang nakita kong namamalimos sa Cubao, pagkatapos ng ilang taon cellphone snatcher na.

YUNG MGA MAGULANG NAMAN DYAN, COMMON SENSE LANG! HIRAP NA HIRAP NA NGA KAYO SA BUHAY, MANGDADAMAY PA KAYO NG IBA?! PAPARAMIHAN NYO PA LAHI NYO!

Palibhasa walang mga trabaho at walang pinagkaka-abalahan, kaya nagkakalabitan at nagsusundutan na lang maghapon, magdamag. Sa totoo lang, nakakabilib. Kasi kahit sa ilalim ng tulay o sa kariton lang, nakakabuo pa rin ng bata! Ibig sabihin, maabilidad ang mga Pinoy. Kung gugustuhin, gagawan ng paraan. Kahit sa makipot, mabaho at maduming lugar - SOLVE!

Isa pang mga grupo ng tao na nakakainis, yung mga aktibista, NPA at kung ano-ano pang ideological political groups. Sabi nila, mahal na mahal nila ang Pilipinas kaya pinagpalalaban nila ang kanilang mga adhikain.

EH HINDI RIN KAYO NAGBABAYAD NG TAX! ANG KAKAPAL RIN NG MGA MUKHA NYO!

MGA HIPOKRITO! MAHAL DAW ANG PILIPINAS AYAW NAMAN MAGBAYAD NG BUWIS!

WALA DIN NAMAN KAYONG MGA TRABAHO! KUNG MAY TRABAHO TALAGA KAYO, HINDI KAYO MAG-RA-RALLY DAHIL SAYANG ANG SWELDO NYO PAG ABSENT KAYO!

PAANO NYO MAIPAPAKITA ANG PAGMAMAHAL NYO SA PILIPINAS KUNG WALA NA KAYONG GAWANG MATINO KUNDI MAG-RALLY AT MAMUNDOK??!!!

ISA PA YANG MGA MAYAYAMAN NA ARTISTA, NA NANGDADAYA AT HINDI NAGBABAYAD NG BUWIS. ANG KAKAPAL NG MUKHA NYO! ANG DAMI NYO NA NGANG PERA NANGDADAYA PA KAYO SA TAX!!!! HINDI NYO NAMAN MADADALA SA IMPIERNO YANG MGA KAYAMAN NYO. MASUSUNOG LANG DUN YAN.

KAYA LALONG BUMABAGSAK ANG NEGOSYO DITO SA PILIPINAS, KASI MGA NEGOSYANTE MANDARAYA. PATI SHOWBIZ INDUSTRY, BAGSAK NA DIN. KARMA ANG TAWAG DYAN. MGA BALASUBAS KASI.

Sana magkaron ng POLITICAL AND NATIONAL CLEANSING.

Alisin ang lahat ng pulitiko at political families sa puwesto. Tibagin ang lahat ng mapanirang organizations at grupo. Itapon sa malayong isla o kaya i-pwersa ng hard labor ang mga sobrang tamad na mga Pilipino. Ihiwalay ang mga bata sa kanilang mga tamad at tangang magulang upang makapag-aral sila at maturuan na maging mabuting tao at mamamayan. Magkaron ng bagong lider na walang political ties at utang na loob sa kahit sino.

At higit sa lahat, dapat tax payers lang ang pwedeng bumoto!

Kung kinakailangang magka-giyera para magtino ang mga Pilipino, ayos lang. Masyado na kasing matigas ang ulo ng mga tao dito. Gusto ng kalayaan, pero hindi naman handang panagutan ang responsibilidad ng pagiging malaya. Meron daw pinaglalaban na prinsipyo at adhikain pero takot namang mamatay para dito.

Hangga't hindi nagkakaron ng radical change, patuloy na walang kwenta ang Pilipinas at patuloy na magiging tanga ang majority ng mga Pilipino.

Sa dami ng nag-mi-migrate na Pilipino sa ibang bansa, dadating ang panahon na minority na lang ng population sa Pilipinas ang may utak. Yung mga magagaling na Pilipino, malamang maubos na. Sobra na kasi silang na-fru-frustrate at na-de-depress sa mga nakikita nila.

Ilang taon pa at aalis na rin ako sa Pilipinas. Wala kong balak na magkaron ng pamilya sa isang bansa na hindi pinapahalagahan ang kontribusyon ng mga taong tunay na bumubuhay dito. Kawawa naman ang magiging anak ko kung dito sya mabubuhay.

Sa totoo lang, broken hearted ako. Minahal ko din ang bansang ito. Pilit kong pinagtatanggol kahit bulok. Nakarating na ko ng ibang bansa, pero pinili kong bumalik. Pero ngayon, ayoko na. Suko na ko. Sayang lang ako sa bansang to. Simple lang naman ang hiling ko. Gusto ko lang mabuhay ng tahimik at maayos.Gusto ko na kahit paano eh maipagmalaki ang Pilipinas. Pero wala eh. Doomed to be jologs ang bansang to.

Alam ko marami pa ang umaasa at naniniwala sa pagbabago. Good luck and God bless! Sana tama kayo at mali ako.

Who let the dogs out?

2005-07-01T03:24:00.000+08:00

Honestly, I was to go out with a statement last week that Gloria need not tell the people that she is the voice behind the Gloriagate tapes, as doing so would just mean more tribulations for the country, the poor specially. It's a known fact-of-life anyway that cheating is part of the game. I guess I'm speaking too late now. Damage has been done, and further damage is expected in the days to come.

I saw the president apologize on TV last June 27. It's like watching a pivotal scene in a telenovela. I miss the days when all you can see on TV is a president, a plain blue background and the presindent's seal at the back when the highest authority on the land declares or announces something. Now, announcements made by the president needs real preparations: from the mood established by the makeup down to the pictures of grandchildren behind her. I heard a movie director has influenced this setup used for the public apology. Subliminal message is the essential key to affecting weakminded, and it seems Malacañang is well aware of this power convince (or to deceive?).

As the camera focuses on Gloria's sad face while making a personal appeal for forgiveness, I could not help but wonder: How are people taking this? This is a president asking for forgiveness on TV, for her so-called "lapse in judgement". Obviously, the real message is not to reveal, not to admit, not to explain. The real intent is to bring more questions to the already confused Filipino mind. Did she really admit a specific mistake in this public apology? "I'm sorry." For what? If she is pertainig to her lapse in judgement, then she admits that she's incompetence. Her incompetence to perform her tasks as president, even before being actually elected to the position, is the only thing established here. The Gloriagate scandal? Hueteng issue? Nah. For Gloria's minions, focusing a sad face on screen and the words "I'm sorry" is enough to melt your heart away. "I'm sorry" leads to immediate forgiveness, and forgiveness eventually leads to forgetting- that's what's expected. Anyway, forgive and forget is the only logical explanation why Philippine history gets screwed up repeatedly. I think iodized salt has an effect that is opposite to what is advertised.

I think I got her style now. Apologize, then brag about the accomplishments that she's done. Notice how she laid out (again) her so-called accomplishments since 2004 while the focus is removed from her face. Now, she's talking as president again. Now, it's like watching the EVAT commercial again. She's saying she's worth our forgiveness, as she did great for the country in the last few years. But question is: Does the Filipino feel any good in what she has done so far? She claims we got better economy now. The big question is- "NASAAN?!??!" She says we're getting rich, but is she pertaining to all of us?

Next step would be to put her family to exile. And they call this "sacrifice". She would sadly give up family life so that she could perform her duties well from now on. I call this CRAP:

1. Her husband, and probably his son Mikee, is going to the States. This, during the height of accusations against them regarding the Jueteng scandal. Instead of answering accusations, or facing the consequences of their actions, they decide to not to show their shameful faces here for a long time. And they call this sacrifice?! I call it bad eskapo. One that should be added to the list of misdeeds by the Macapagal-Arroyo clan.

2. Her husband, and probably his son Mikee, is going to the States. Going to the United States of America, for the common people, is like going to heaven. This is not sacrifice. This is vacation. (News broke out that Mr. Arroyo even did a stopover first in HongKong before heading straight to the US. Oh I see him and the rest of the family suffering in HongKong malls now! Whee.

3. Her husband, and probably his son Mikee, is going to the States so that she can perform her duties well. Huh?! What kind of reasoning is this? Does this tell us that all along, the family is to blame for her mistakes? Even so, does having a family on your back mean the inability to perform one's duties well? Again, I'd say her (or her adviser's) reasoning sucks.

4. Her husband is leaving for the benefit of the country. This, she said, after all the good things that he had done for public health, sports, etc. BAH! The scent of these petty achievements are outweighed by the stench that oozes out from his dirty past.

I just don't know how they let their family's name to rot either by false accusations, or real misdeeds that are probably shadows of the recent past. Or has power really corrupted their minds absolutely, that they don't even care how their names would be written in history books from now on?

Now, they say the next step would be to do a cabinet revamp. In the eyes of the people, I don't think that won't do any good anymore, if they're trying to gain the people's trust. Credibility has already been ruined. The only options now are: to show a REAL IMMEDIATE SOLUTIONS to REAL ISSUES faced by the masses now, or resign and give others a chance to prove themselves since they're at it.

Although Mrs. Poe's public display of... uhm... anger is unnecessary, I don't blame her for going public recently. The FPJ side is the first victim of this "lapse of judgement". Having just survived the death of her husband, who must have brought the grudge to his grave, it's but natural for a wife to express her feelings in every way possible. And, oh boy, Casino Filipino is a good choice for the venue, and the Filipino's frustration a good choice for company.

She is correct, though, in many of her points. One: Before you gain the trust of foreign investors, you should gain the trust of your constituents first. Two: By admitting "lapse in judgement", this sounds like she did stole the presidency. Third: She's right in saying that the Filipino doesn't trust her anymore. She is nothing but empty promises and selfish lies in the eyes of the common Tao now.

I smell deep trouble in the coming days. E-VAT takes effect today, and as the Filipino is threatened further by poverty and more overwhelmed by dismay and lack of trust in the government, it's probably like Gloria had just signed her resignation letter. Everything will come naturally. Like Cory Aquino, I will not support another EDSA Revolution, specially now that we have no clear choice for her replacement and the opposition is divided by differing solutions to the issue. But we're talking about people's betrayal here. Although there's no impeachment trial to happen this time, I think the Force will always find a way to balance itself.

These days, we will truly miss Cardinal Sin. Although I know it's not that good a Filipino trait since religion should always be considered separate from the State, we always rely on what the Church would say regarding all these ruckus. It's somehow our way to search for answers from those who has access to conscience. Obviously, we've got lots of questions now, lots of answers, too. We need guidance, and since no clear answer is visible, we can only pray for our country for now, until someone really good stands up for what REALLY is right.

Classic

2005-06-25T06:37:00.000+08:00

This is Cool Cat Studio. Click on the comic to learn more about this other masterpiece from the creators of Penny and Aggie.

I wasn't able to get my pay last 15th, so I got mine last month in full. I thought It'd be great since now, I'd have lotsa cash to spend for my pamangkins and my parents. I thought, finally, I could treat them to Enchanted Kingdom or something like that. Horrified and shocked was I when I received my payslip... all I could readily utter was, "What?!?! I paid nine thousand bucks for taxes?!?!?!"

The next morning, my pay slip was the main course of discussion over breakfast. We contemplated on some stuff. Again.

For instance, the classic question: Where does this big chunk of our monthly sweat and blood go? Of course, what could you expect but classic answers: We pay for senate hearings on unnecessary issues. We pay for State visits and international shopping spree on the side. We pay for a big part of the paint job of this politician's mansion. We pay for debts bestowed unwillingly to our grandparents to generations to come. We'd surely pay for campaign projects of these corrupt bastards for the 2007 elections. And we'd probably pay more after they win the next elections. No, we don't pay for government projects. Public works and highways? Are you kidding me? We pay 75 bucks everyday to corporate NLEX from Balintawak to Malolos City, and it's not even government property anymore.

Taxes are soaring high, and they even have the guts to approve additional taxes, e.g. VAT. Ah. I forgot. We pay for those "Oh di ba, may resulta!" commercials that we see on TV nowadays. What "resulta"? Have we felt any long term results ever since the May 2004 elections? Where are those promises? Where are those dreams laid out in long boring speeches?

The only things felt by Filipinos from the government nowadays are those that make your eyes and ears sore already. Yet we know there are more bad things happening in the background. Do we also pay for assasination plots of those who oppose the government, or those who pose as threat to the government? We probably pay for gunmen, goons and the likes of James Aquino, who still gets 15 minutes of fame even though his credibility is more filthy than the Pasig River in the 90s.

Speaking of James Aquino- here's one classic example of why filthiness and evil in the government reigns. Ninoy Aquino, who said "The Filipino is worth dying for" should be ashamed of him being a Filipino, for selling his dignity and credibility for, perhaps, just a few thousand bucks. And boy, that was a really LAME and STUPID stunt: imagine not being able to recognize the one whom you are accusing as your rapist, your molester, your worst enemy. He should be banished from this country, if shredding his tongue to pieces and feeding 'em to the crocodiles is considered inhuman.

Back to taxes. Imagine how much revenue the government collects every month, and how much money are wasted for selfish deeds of graft and corruption. This is one reason why most professionals (nurses, doctors, lawyers, engineers... every profession a child would dream of in the late 80s) nowadays choose leaving this country as the best option for a better life. Life here is not rewarding. You pay your taxes, yet you don't feel it's worth. It feels like throwing away a big part of your monthly sweat and blood to nothing but bad news on TV everyday.

Can we blame those people who dream of living life abroad? Let me ask you. If everything stays the same in the years to come, would you prefer growing old in this country?

Addicted to webcomics

2005-06-24T06:24:00.000+08:00

Awww... I just hate and love it at the same time, when I find somebody else has already made my wildest ideas come true.

I'm currently addicted to Penny and Aggie. No, they're not the latest versions of Skittles. They're two girls who live reality as how I'd live it.

See? I can totally relate to both... uh... Aggie most of the time. A natural poet who writes based on unpredictable mood, yet always mistakened as a Filipina dumb-blonde prototype. Fashionista, at times. Yet, expresses anger to the world most of the time through mastery of the wardrobe. And most of all, they're both dying to meet their knight-in-shining armor, yet are willing to do the most death-defying stunts to conceal this female weakness. A smart webcomic about being clueless. Girl power!! Teehee...

Godspeed

2005-06-23T06:42:00.000+08:00

This is how good men die. They take refuge in silence. People miss them. Some people ask where they are, some just remember what good things they have done for us, for the country. Then, one day, we hear news that he had already passed away. Peacefully. Then, people miss them more. Their names become a solid part of history. They never fade away.

Farewell, Cardinal Sin. Surely, aside from your name being very memorable, you will be missed by this generation. And your meaningful life will surely be remembered by generations to come...

I love you, too, Dad.

2005-06-20T22:41:00.000+08:00

I bought a "The Day After Tomorrow" DVD for my dad. We celebrated Father's Day just as how he'd always want it to be... in a couch with two of her beautiful daughters and three bags filled with popcorn, watching a good movie. As simple as it was, it was perfect. I never thought it'd be a perfect movie for the day 'til I've seen the movie the second time.

"Dad, will you go all the way to New York to rescue me, even if a whole lotta wind, water and hale gets in your way?"

"Are you kidding? We, Filipinos, are capable of facing the wrath of nature. I'll be there for you in no time, iha."

"So what predicament would have you decide that I need rescuing? And will you rescue me when that day comes?"

"If some guy just dumped you and you feel like the whole world has turned you down, I'll come to the rescue even if you're in the most remote side of Siberia."

Oh if you only knew. Happy Father's day, Dad! :)

that crazy spam

2005-06-20T22:07:00.000+08:00

I just got this from my mailbox. Some general from Nigeria is looking for a place to throw his money away for "investing" purposes. I know these types of email's are fraud, but this one really made me laugh.

----------------------

V.Islands.

Hello friend,
How are you this weekend.
I am General Shehu Dagash (retired).
I am in Victoria Islands, Nigeria, Africa Continent.
I am seventy five years old.
After a careful study of your economy, I have chosen to
make substantial investments for my children in your
country, if you are willing to guide or represent my
interest in your country. I look forward to communicate
further with you.

My phone nr.: +234 805 361 3290
My email address: g5brass@yahoo.com

Have a nice day.

Gen. Shehu Dagash (Rtd)

----------------------

"After a careful study of your economy, I have chosen to make substantial investments for my children in your country..." Oh boy. Someone give this man a real analyst before he throws away his money. Mr. Shehu, if you're real, and in the spirit of Father's day, please have mercy on your children.

Politics, Lies and Audio Tapes

2005-06-20T22:05:00.000+08:00

You know what? I'm just having a little epiphany. That Garci audio tape sure sells the same way those sleazy Ethel Booba and Piolo Pascual sex videos, being sold in the back alleys of Avenida. Just a week ago a student activist was trying to sell me a copy of that GMA audio tape for 20 bucks. Oh boy! What a way to make a fund racing gimmick! twenty bucks oughta earn me an LRT from recto to santolan station.

But Katie is absolutely right. Do we really need the tape to prove that GMA cheated? Come on the mere obvious fact that she used the resources of the government for her campaign last presidential election says enough! Is she then a corrupt president? How do we define corruption in the first place? In Singapore taking a coffee or lunch break a minute longer than allotted is already considered corruption. Obviously someones covering her ass. I can see the reason why she won't answer the allegations. After all its one question she would rather not dignify with an answer. That was something "Fat Bastard" Erap did not do, and guess where he is now. But I can go on and on the real point here is she cheated! regardless whether the content of the tape is authentic or not.

Does this call for another EDSA revolution? Oh come on people, lets have a little sense of maturity! Part of the reason why her cheating was so damn successful and believable was the fact that many voters supported her because of the so-called "Win ability factor". Which means people voted for the person most likely to win. When in fact, people should win because they get voted not the other way around. Its like this, if the tabulation revealed that Eddie Gil won by over 10 million votes against FPJ or GMA, you wouldn't have second thoughts about election frauds. When I went to EDSA 2, I was under the premise that it was a last resort, and we revolted, so we won't have to revolt again in the future. At a certain point people must have a sense of maturity, vigilance, and eventually be an intellectual voters so we would save ourselves all these fiasco.

But make no mistake about it! I will never tolerate corrupt leadership. Just the other weekend, I saw one of those militant leaders yelling "Si GMA ang puno't dulo ng kahirapang ito!" But in reality the problem did not start with her, and definitely will not end with her. It began and will end with us. So make no mistake about it, maybe on my next essay I maybe supporting a call for resignation.

But here is the story that pisses me off. Mr. Jingoy claiming that the source of that tape is irrelevant, what only mattered was its content. Oh yeah? Lets see. The president is one of the most secured difficult people to access. But apparently they were able to wire tap her phone conversation. That took resources, skills, technology, and a hell of a motive to execute. Answer me this question, why would someone go trough all that trouble to wire tap the most secured person in this country? What motivated him? The quest to find the truth about election fraud? I definitly don't think so! Why? Because this wire tap conversationcould have been presented during the tabulation of votes, when it really mattered the most! But it was revealed in perfect timing when GMA's popularity ratings were down, and we are at our worst economic turmoil. This is like sprinkling gas on a raging fire. So there is now a question of the intentions of this person who executed the plan. What did he intend to do with the information in that conversation? Moreover who did he do it for?

So now, the main benefactor of all this is the political opposition. They clamor for GMA's resignation from office, due to corruption. Oh please! Don't you serve an equally corrupt master? Probably one of the most morally and intellectually incapacitated leader all over Asia. Fact is regardless if there is any truth on that tape or none, they would surely use it to make GMA look like an idiot. And what reeeeeaaaallllllly cooks my goose is Rep. Francis Escudero, asking the EDSA 2 people to apologize to the Estradas and the opposition. Oh wait a minute? So if GMA is proven guilty does tha automatically the innocence of Erap? If GMA is corrupt does that make Erap a less corrupt leader? If GMA stole 20 million and Erap stole 10 million, does that mean that he is less corrupt? If GMA is a bad president does that mean Erap was a good president? Oh kiss my ass opposition leaders! They are obviously using the issue to politically avange a fallen leader who feels like his d.... ba..... pen..... manhood was stolen from him the day he was removed from office pathetic! Id like to see GMA and Erap share the same prison cell someday if possible.

All this is folks is like the Alien Vs. Predator movie, "Whoever wins, we loose". Ang magnanakaw, galit sa kapwa magnanakaw. Just because they love to bring down a corrupt leader it does not mean that they arenow heroes. Not Erap! not Sandra cam! not even Atty.Ong and Agent Doble!

Ahmad

Hello, Garci

2005-06-18T00:18:00.000+08:00

No need to buy newspaper in the coming days, guys. We basically have the same news since Monday, until who knows when.

In a cafe with friends, I saw Jinggoy Estrada being interviewed by Ted Failon on TV. The gist of the interview:

"uhh... wala po kaming kinalaman sa paglabas ng mga tapes na yan...

...pero Ted, may gusto lang sana akong sabihin: Hindi issue kung sino ang nagpalabas ng mga tapes na yan. Ang gustong malaman ng tao ay ang kung ano ang nilalaman ng mga tapes na yan.

uhh... wala po kaming kinalaman sa paglabas ng mga tapes na yan..."

Some points that we've discussed after being disgusted by Jinggoy's face on TV once again (never fails in making this effect on us...):

A formula just crossed our minds, spanning two terms of presidency in the Philippines.

Joseph/Jinggoy = Mike/Mikey

Conclusion: Malacañang always has been run by filthy pigs, who, unfortunately knows how to play around with people's minds and politics.

What next? Lito/Mark = Joseph/Jinggoy = Mike/Mikey?

This is one way to prove that history repeats itself. It's so pathetic, though. Retard.

Buti na lang, Kris is not equal to Cory.

Get your Hello, Garci! ringtones through TextPower!!

Up next, Hello Garci! dolls. (Hello Kitty dolls with Garcillano's face on it.)

Thanks, Mercy and Tanya, for that fabulous miryenda. Teeheehee.

2005-06-16T22:47:00.000+08:00

This is a Jonas Diego masterpiece. This is for all the women who weep in the dark. Just click on the title and read on. :)

cheating

2005-06-15T05:55:00.000+08:00

Nah. I think all these buzz about Gloriagate is just a bunch of crap. I mean, isn't it already a fact of life that Gloria cheated during the 2004 elections?

We don't need wiretaps and tapes to prove that our president's a fake. Obvious signs of her sinister plans have already been with us the day she stood as the second lady president of this God-forsaken country! It's just that... ah well. I think Filipinos are now suffering mass amnesia as side effect of synthetic pancit canton we've been eating for years- Filipinos just easily forget.

Have people forgotten that she even cheated herself by breaking her promise prior to the elections? She promised she'd not run for re-election, didn't she?

Have people forgotten that Arroyo-henchman Garcillano had already retired from government service before being assigned again in the COMELEC, A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THE ELECTION? If people still consider logic not as an ancient way of life, that's already a give-away that CHEATING would happen during those times, wouldn't it? I mean, as President who'd desperately want to win an election, she would assign a head-over-heals follower as mediator, right? That's what happened, but no one seems to remember.

Isn't it that during the election campaign, the streets were almost covered with signs saying Gloria's project this, Gloria's project that?! It's obvious that WE paid for those campaign ads, no matter what Gloria's side say to refute this claim. And hell, THEY WERE NOT GOVERNMENT PROJECT ADS. THEY WERE GLORIA'S CAMPAIGN ADS! Don't tell me that it was just that the government wanted to say they were doing their job, and putting these signboards should tell the people that it is so. Where are those billboards now?! Why not spend now on these "Gloria cares" signages, huh?! Imagine the money spent on this so-called government ads. It's like we paid taxes just to let her use our money to post her shameful name everywhere that time. By using government funds for campaign purposes, isn't that right-on-the-face CHEATING?

And lastly, isn't it that CHEATING is really part of the game here in the Philippines? It's either you're too famous, or you're too dirty you'd win the elections. Or both. In the case of Gloria during the May 2004 elections, she was just too (to borrow the Filipino term) "tuso" to bring it on and still manage to win against a real contender clamoured by the masses. Come to think of it, if Gloria played a clean game, would she win the May 2004 elections? Without the mud-slinging and just clean campaigning, would she win the fight then? we would still be mourning for a president who expired due to a heart attack if that was so.

So, see? CHEATING is a legacy that the Arroyos give to Filipino history. From the Iggy boy's claim to save Mike Arroyo's ass, to this wiretapped recordings that completely confirms her real personality, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, is indeed, the queen of all cheaters. Ang cheating being part of our politics, cheating being a way of staying in power in the Philippines, hindi ba bagay na bagay sya sa kanyang position ngayon? :)

Don't tell us you'd just ignore these accusations, keep silent, and try focusing on real issues? This is the real issue, and has been regardless if it's forgotten by almost all your people or not. You think the country would still move on with these dirt lying around your crib?

Seems like we need a total overhaul- from the way politics work here, to the ones who would participate. Gloria's kung-fu is like Crumpy Choco spread that I left on my office desk: It's expired, and it stinks.

Stranger from now on

2005-06-14T00:52:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow, my Elmo would fly away to somewhere he chooses not to let me know. He's flying away from me. I know the world is such a small place, and I can always find him if I'd want to. But it's not the way it is now. It's like in such a small place, he had established a whole universe between us. And I'm here somewhere where I can't even feel his presence.

Finally, he had left, many says. It's karma, his friends say. I know. So this is how it feels to be left behind. Empty. Everything just turns to black and white. Everything turns cold and lifeless. Although moving on is the only choice I have, seems like there's no easy way to get through it.

So this is how it feels when it's proven that dreams would just be dreams forever. Love songs become meaningless. Songs that speak of the woes of a broken heart turn out to be catalysts of hurting. Songs that used to make you smile now makes you cry.

I've slept almost all the time during these weekends. Falling asleep still feels like slow death. Waking up feels even worse. Funny, I thought I'd suffer from dehydration since I didn't take in anything since Friday. No, I'm not submitting myself to self-inflicted punishment. I just have no drive to go on, though I know I must in the days that will come. Oh I wish the sun would just stay stuck on the horizon at sunset. Crying seems to be the only option to all the questions that destiny has brought this little life of mine. Because there are no answers to why I suffer so much these days.

And it's even much difficult now that I'm alone with this feeling. I can't tell anyone about it, much more can't I show it. It seems that my room's the only witness to my very own lonely silence. No one to wipe my tears away but my pillows and my blankets...

I'm not entirely left with nothing, though. I'm left with memories that sadly will remain memories forever. He also left me a story to finish. Come to think of it, my story has just ended when another story is just to begin. I'm still looking forward to it's realization. I'm still excited to share it with the world- the only story that will render my love for him endless. For now, let me just dwell in the sadness that I deserve, as hurting is the only part that I have in this part of the story. For now.

"If you knew how happy you were making me, I never thought that I'd love anyone so much..."

I love you, my Elmo. I'll never look forward to seeing you anymore, just as how you'd want it to be. You can go on with life now, away from me. You can now be happy with the one whom you have chosen to be happy with. I'll forever think of you, but I will not hope that we meet again. I'll just let destiny do it's part now, just as how destiny had led me closer to you in these past years. If we're truly meant to meet one day, I only wish it'd rain that day, just as that day when I first held your hands and realized that I love you. I'd still sing your songs, read your poems, cherish our memories together. Please let me do so, as this is the only way I could go on for now. Take these away, and you have left me with nothing.

I never said goodbye, for you'll always be here with me anyway. "Feels like home to me... Feels like I'm always back where I belong..."

Tell Me Where It Hurts

2005-06-13T22:16:00.000+08:00

Just tell me where it hurts now baby,
And I'll love you with a love so tender
And if you let me stay I'll love all the hurt away
Why is that sad look in you eyes
Why are you crying
Tell me now tell me now
Tell me why you're feeling this way
I hate to see you so down
Oh baby is it your heart
Ooh Breakin' all in pieces
Makin' you cry
Makin' you feel blue
Is there anything I can do
Why don't you tell me where it hurts now baby
And I'll do my best to make it better
I'll do my best to make the tears all go away
Just tell me where it hurts now tell me
And I'll love you with a love so tender
And if you let me stay I'll love all the hurt away
Girl tell me, where are all those tears coming from
Why are they fallin'
Did somebody somebody leave your heart in the cold
You just need somebody to hold give me a chance to put back all the pieces
Take your broken heart
Make it just like new
There's so many things that I can do
Why don't you tell me where it hurts now baby
And I'll do my best to make it better
I'll do my best to make the tears all go away
Just tell me where it hurts now tell me
And I'll love you with a love so tender
And if you let me stay I'll love all the hurt away
Baby, If you'd only tell me where it hurts I know I can make it better.
If I could wrap my arms around your heart
I'd would hold you tight, and let you know everything is gonna be allright.
So take a chance with me baby. I dont wanna see you cry.
Is it your heart Ooh that's breakin' all in pieces
Makin' you cry Makin' you feel blue
Is there anything I can do
Tell me where it hurts now baby
And I'll do my best to make it better
I'll do my best to make the tears all go away Just tell me where
it hurts now tell me
And I'll love you with a love so tender
And if you let me stay I'll love all the hurt away

Words & Music by Diane Warren
Remake by MYMP

Hurrah for Independence

2005-06-09T08:50:00.000+08:00

This are factors in Philippine politics that remain constant eversince independence was first declared in this forsaken land.

The people are inspired by false hopes. The Filipinos are educated in such a way that heroes are like angels from the heavens- they live to give us salvation from sufferings. The fact is that main characters of our historical novela are, themselves, the protagonists who go against unpopular true heroes. Take for instance Aguinaldo. Yes, the first president of the Philippines who allegedly stood against the Spaniards by declaring freedom from the centuries old Spanish problem. Ever thought how Aguinaldo gained the top position during his time? Review history: He had his rival Bonifacio assasinated. Antonio Luna, as well- stabbed on the back while his mother laughs like crazy on their azotea. He declared independence amidst strong disapproval from his wisest adviser Apolinario Mabini, who claimed it wasn't time for that because he somehow smelled something fishy with the Americans roaming around that time in the Pacific. (Not knowing his boss has already been influenced by their dark side...) Oh how amazing how history repeats itself in the Philippines. It's amazing we take the death of liberty from the past, and democracy in the present- through waving Philippine flags and thunderous applause.

Lies. Denying is art here. Works like magic in politics. In the Philippines, if you lie as a career, you'd most likely get the highest ranks. The likes of Miriam Defensor-Santiago (I lied! Hahaha!), Wilde Almeda (I'd kill myself if Estrada wins), Lolit Solis (from the Metro Manila Film Awards controversy), Gloria Arroyo (I will not run for reelection. I did not use goverment funds for my electoral campaign, I got not even a single centavo from jueteng), and now, Eduardo Bunye (you've got to learn to deny if you're Gloria's press secretary, you know...), are but obvious examples. Yet lies still sell, specially when mixed with too much palabok. Combine controversies, lies, crying faces on TV, and Senate hearings: You've come up with both a perfect coverup for a real issue that is happening on the background, or a good way to build up yourself for the next elections! It happened when Aguinaldo declared independence when he knows the Americans were almost to invade us. It's still happening now.

Fall guys. Bonifacio is a great example. Poor guy. He would have been the first good Erap in Philippine history. The one who stands up as Gary (of the controversial audio CD) today is another example. Poor guy... he probably has a great utang-na-loob for Mike Arroyo to have his name and life at stake, just to save the pig's ass.

Controversy. Philippine culture would not be complete without it. It seems like Filipinos have learned to live by it. Probaby due to the fact that most politicians already came from showbiz roots. Or most politicians go for showbiz fame just to gain popularity. Controversies and false stories come with the package. How about professionalism? How about truly focusing on the real issue? If you're Gloria, you could probably tell that to your people while you do the dirty fixes behind the scenes.

Nepotism. Never leave the family behind when blessings that come with power arrive. The returns of fame and authority should be distributed not to those who deserve it, but to those with whom you have blood relations. Filipino muna? Filipino first? Nooo... Utang na loob muna. Friends muna. Asawa muna. Anak muna. Hell... ako muna! Since they bought their votes anyway, it's time to reap the fruits of the campaign labor. Politics is business here. Preparations begin not by building up your name through honest, honorable deeds; but building up your bank accounts for pre-election purposes.

There's no reason to celebrate Independence day, since we've been dealing with the same bastards and dirt since days of the Spanish regime. Independence day is for those who think we're now free from those who took our ancestors as slaves. Where's Europe now? Where's the United States now? How about Japan? Do they suffer because of their misdoings in the past? Compare their lives with ours now. Who suffers the most? When they left, we're left with more problems than Jose Rizal had anticipated in his last days in Fort Santiago. Rizal could be laughing at us now. Fools! You read my novels, yet you never learn from it. My message is obvious, yet you never have noticed it. Never learning from your simplest and most obvious mistakes only means one thing: You're all a bunch of retards! I'd kick Rizal myself (again) off from heaven if I hear him say that.

Let's all wear black on June 12... and have a great time. Yipee.

Sadness reigns

2005-06-08T22:49:00.000+08:00

It's true that finding out your dreams have come to an end even before it's realization means only one thing- endless hurting.

From now on, my unconditional affection for him is considered a sin, an act that will not be allowed in the eyes of God and men. The thought that even God would now disapprove of something that I have been holding on for the longest time haunts and hurts to the deepest reaches of my soul.

That's how it feels when you learn that you've dedicated more than everything that you are and you will be to someone with whom you are not really destined to be with after all. The future becomes uncertain. It's like tomorrow is just pitch black. The drive to live is somehow severely weakened. You can't go out, you can't move. You cease to hear or see anything, because you don't want to- everywhere you see blurred memories of being loved and happy. Then, as these memories fade, you feel helplessly alone.

Elmo is going away. For good. Although this is the end that I knew would come even before we first separated, I never noticed that it would be so soon. Perhaps I was hoping that this end wouldn't come at all, although inevitable. Perhaps this is how fools are. Hoping for the inevitable's opposite. I am a fool, and perhaps I will be in the next years to come. I knew time would come that I would have to move on. Move on without him. Move on by letting go of him. Move on knowing that we traverse separated paths now. The hurting is tearing me apart as days go by.

Forget about him and move on. This is what most of my friends would say. I understand how easy for them to tell me that: They don't know much about Elmo and I. Fact is, only a handful of people knows about us being "us". It was a love story that never really started, and never really ended until recently.

He was just a close friend singing on stage with his band/barkada one fun night in 1997 in UP's Narra dorm. I was just a fan (and the band's only groupie) cheering for him on his first attempt to perform in front of a live audience. Holding his lyrics sheets, I was lypsynching the lines for him, as he looks down to me from the stage, worried that he might forget his line, but confident since he knew I was there as his living cue card.

"Will it ever be alright
To ask you where you spent last night
And can it be polite
The way we never write,
Of course I don't have the time,
And anyway I'm fine
If I should tell a lie
I'll cross my heart and hope to die..."

It would have lasted as a great love story. It would have ended happily.

The memory of those teasing eyes staring at me continues to clutch my hurting soul in moments of stolen silence till now, and for the rest of my life.

It's quite ironic that Elmo's going away for good on the 11th of June... the next day would be Independence Day... unwanted freedom.

Anime me.

2005-06-06T23:15:00.000+08:00

Ok you are a romantic anime girl and you love and
care for a lot of people.There is no evil in
you soul or your heart.Though sometimes people
don't feel the same way as you do you keep on
trying to change their mind.You love to help
people out and you are always happy.Keep on
trying to make the whole world smile because
you know smiles are contagious ^_^.Oh and if it
seems like there is nobody who could love you
as much as you could love them it doesn't
matter the thing is that the only thing that
matters is that he cares and loves you and it
doesn't matter how much well maybe it does but
don't set you standards to high cuz then you'll
find nobody

If You Were An Anime Character What Would You Look Like?(Girls Only)
brought to you by Quizilla

Ahmad on Action Star Syndrome

2005-06-02T21:10:00.000+08:00

Is there such a syndrome called "action star complex?" There is a Peter Pan Complex, there is a Soap Opera syndrome. But I think there also should be an action
star syndrome.

In Philippine action movies, the hero is handsome, he is cunning, he is bold, and oozing with testosterone. He can kill a thousand enemies with limited ammunition. He can fist fight with six goons who are bigger than pro wrestlers. He always defends the oppressed from the aristocrats. He always gets the women at the end of the day. And when the movie ends, he becomes a senator or maybe even a president.

Here are some FAQs about action stars

1.) Why on earth would they always wear thick leather jackets in a scorching hot climate?

2.) Why do they pick leading ladies that are young enough to be their daughters and grand daughters?

3.) How come they always end up in a brawl when they enter beer houses?

4.) How can they annihilate a battalion full of enemies by themselves with limited ammunition?

5.) How come they always accurately hit their enemies without even aiming?

(Note: If our police officers and soldiers can do numbers 4 & 5, imagine how much the Philippine government would be saving from weapon and ammunition expenditures?)

6.) How come they always have to chit chat and drop those cheesey one liners with the bad guy before they finally start killing each other?

7.) Why do cops always come at the end of the climax to clean up the mess?

8.) And how come these action stars think that they can be as victorious in Politics.

Forgive me for saying these. But so far, all action star politicians we had at the national level created more disgrace to the institution, than gave valuable contributions.

I can understand why they get elected. The hero is an underdog who triumphs against all odds. The masses loves that. And because of this movie producers have relied on this formula to keep selling movie tickets. Enter the factor that our pathetic social structure values too little the benefits of educating people, since aristocrats thought people are of more use to them if they remain ignorant. Enter poverty, wherein it comes to the point people will believe the fairytales about action heros, if it gives them some sort of hope in a system where all of it is lost. And finally, enter these action stars who think they can use politics as a pathetic excuse to extend thier celebrity status.

Forgive mois for saying that at the status quo, these people do not have the right nor the qualification to hold public office at the national leve;. I think they take the "able-to-read-and-right-minimum requirement" waaaay too seriously. And by saying these, I just placed myself in the stereotype of the "kontra-bida". Oh yeah! pinuno na ni Ahmad ang salop dapat na siyang kalusin! Sheeesh like I give a rats ass anyway. Guess what? in real life kontra-bidas win!

Here my top 5 worst action star- turned- politicians. Due to the respect I have for FPJ, and the fact that he never held public office, I did not include him.

5.) Jingoy Estrada (a.k.a Wilson Sorronda/ Asiong Salonga Jr.)- If the sanete is an action movie, it should be entitled to anak ni "Asiong Salonga". Truly daddy should be so proud of him. He is such a great actor, he can even fake a heart attack or ailment. Why didn't he act dead while he was at it anyways? Oh I know, May namamatay bang bida sa pelikula? The senate tasked him to investigate on the escort service controversy, and again his acting prowess was displayed here. But come on! if he didn't care about his father's own illicit affairs at the expense of tax payers money, what makes you think he cares about his other fellow politicians. Investigation is over, but what has it achieved anyway? nothing! none were even reprimanded for conduct unbecoming. How I wished the senate just told the public that they don't want to do a damn thing about the escort issue. That would have been easier to swallow.

4.) Ramon Revilla Jr. (a.k.a Alyas Pogi)- What the hell is this guy doing in a sitcom? He claims that he needs to feed his family? Oh yeah right! The how was he able to support his candidacy? What has he been up to lately? Asking SM cinemas not to ban sexy films, and passing important laws to improve the pathetic movie industry. Hey! with all these problems we are facing we could use a little bit of entertainment.... right?

3.) Ramon Revilla Sr. (a.k.a Nardong Putik)- The so-called agimat ng masa. His agimat is so powerful that he managed to earn two consecutive terms in the senate despite of the fact that he had the most number of absences during sessions, and the least number of passed bills. Translation? arguably one of the most inept and incompetent senators in senate history. Damn, I wonder if he passed that agimat to Junior.

2.) Joseph Estrada (a.k.a Erap/ Asiong Salonga)- Who could ever forget "Huwag nyo akong subukan"? Even timemagazine claimed that this guy thinks his presidency is an action movie wherein he is the hero. Wait a minute, he claims that it is. Remember how he said he would survive Edsa 2? That must have shattered his ego, things didn't go well according to script. This guy started it all, an inspiration to a lot of senator wannabes. And now that he is detained, he has the lifestyle that Snoop Dogg would envy. His estate/prison was even featured in a magazine, like it was the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Truly a legend.

Drum Roll

1.) Lito Lapid (a.k.a Leon Guerrero)- When the press came to his mansion to interview him regarding his plans for the senate, he put up a fist-fight exhibition with his stunt men instead. When asked about his take on the escort controversy he said "basta nagkabayaran hindi na dapat ungkatin". How does he intend to stop illegal loggers? he would make an infomercial with him wearing a black cowboy outfit, and riding a horse. How would he recognize the heroismof legendary Huk leader Luis Taruc? by making a movie about him. With Lapid in the lead role of course. Why did he get angry with the other senators? because they did not give him a copy of their privilege speech, so that he could have had time to translate it in tagalog. Please enlighten me here. How does an official, who swears under oath, to defend and protect the constitution of this republic, when he himself admits he does not understand it? In fact how does a person whose main job is supposedly to make laws for this country, can afford not to bother studying the most important law of all? I don't memorize the constitution, but I have the general knowledge of whats in it. It is my duty as a citizen to know it. He claims that he does not learn anything from senate debate. Oh gee great! so now the other senators has this obligation to educate him. You know what? This guy will surpass Erap someday.

Welcome to the action star republic!

Congratulations, graduates!

2005-05-27T05:00:00.000+08:00

I've had a really nice breakfast chat with my a friend who happens to be a professor in the University of the Philippines. He teaches history and an avid visitor of my Blog. His name is Victor. Hi Victor! *kaway* teehee...

We were classmates way back in college. He studied AB History, as a pre-course to Law. He's studying Law in the same university while doing teaching stints on the side, for extra-gimmick income, he says. Good for him he still finds time to spend the night out, considering how difficult training for his future career is.

While sharing cups of simple instant coffee in CASAA, our conversation shifted to a "nationalistic" mood, so to speak. It's not very surprising for a Katie and a History prof to touch topics such as what we discuss here in my blog, but I do want to emphasize one point that I'd like you guys to know.

Part of the curriculum he's currently using in teaching Kasaysayan 1 is Nationalism. It used to be a very interesting subject among UP students, specially during the Martial Law days. But Victor feel very left out nowadays, as the spirit seemed to have died out as time went by.

Nationalism, by simple definition, is love of country. He starts the lesson by defining what love is- a very interesting subject for youngsters these days. When I say I love you, what does it really mean? Giving your all without expecting in return. Or perhaps the concept of being selfless is another way to put it.

The best kinds of marriages is the one where two couples grow old together- two people holding on to happiness while it lasts, while facing challenges as a couple, while they go through everything by minding not only one's self, but most importantly the other. It's two different people living one life. What binds the two is that universal love that we always know.

Love of country- nationalism- works this way, too. Citizens take care of the land they have considered their only home since they were born, and the nation takes care of it's people to survive. People go on with life knowing that the state is always there to provide them protection, and to somehow make living sufficient. Love of country grows while a child grows up. From being taught how to stand up straight while raising the Philippine flag, to being good and responsible citizens of the country, these are simple expressions of love that we've learned to live with. The most significant kind of love are the ones expresses unnoticed.

Unconditional love. Love without conditions. You give yourself with only one expectation- that it will cause only good things to the one to whom this feeling is expressed. Selfless. True. Divine.

Nationalism like love between a mother and a child. The love of a mother to her child doesn't end after risking her life while giving birth. It could even not end at all. She will raise the child, feed him when he's hungry, stay up until the child falls asleep, risk her life again for his safety, do everything to keep him in school. As the child grows up, so does unconditional love grows in him, too. Both gets hurt when the other one is hurt also. Love involves geniune trust, so if the child goes away, the mother is confident that he will always go back to where his home is- or at least make the mother feel that he still thinks of him. The child would feel that way because of gratitude and love. He loves her mother as he won't be there without the love and guidance that he felt since the days he was just learning how to stand.

The lesson concludes with this question: Do you love your country this way? Do you feel that you are loved by the country as a mother loves her precious child? It never fails to make the whole class silent for a couple of minutes before Victor finds an answer. And as time goes by, the sadder his Kasaysayan 1 gets at this point.

I went to see my Elmo's brother graduate in UP Manila last week. He finished Medicine school. Their guest speaker was Senator Manny Villar, who, I think, is the current Senate secretary for the Finance Committee. He addressed the graduates just as how a politician would always address his audience- political blah blahs. But he did stressed one point that took my attention: Instead of imploring the doctors to stay and serve the country, never mind if they stay poor and miserable because of the present economic conditions. He said these future doctors should decide where they want to practice their chosen careers. He's right: Who in the right mind would think of slowly dying here, if they know there really is hope somewhere else? (Besides, when you live in the U.S., for instance, thinking that you don't love the country anymore is such an absurd claim.) He said he's in no position to tell them to stay in this country. The doctors should choose where they think their lives would be better- just don't forget to, at least, return to the country once in a while to help their fellow Filipinos in need. Even a Senator seems to have given up hope and trust towards the government he is now serving. Sad.

More and more doctors and nurses leave the country every year, despite the worsening health condition of our countrymen and service of our health sector. Can we blame them? Can we blame these people if they feel that they're left out, that life could be better abroad? Do we receive what we really strive for here? Even if we say love is not like that, isn't it that consider love that is blind as hipocritical?

The government seeks for blind love, blind nationalism. Conserve everything for the country's sake, when most of us receive less energy than we rightfully should receive. They want us to pay our taxes, yet we don't see where our taxes go. They promised us unconditional love through service, then they make us regret why we voted for them, while gnashing out teeth in misery and dismay while we see them living in limbo on TV. The law is supposed to protect us, yet in these times, the law is being twisted and used against our interests. People are even deprived of basic needs like shelter, food, water and education. A mother would quiver in fear and sorrow seeing her child live a day in hunger.

Most of us don't feel this, as we are easily convinced by news about life becoming a bit better due to improvements in numbers pertaining to the economy. But whose economy are these numbers pertaining to? Whose lives are getting better? Does their economy speak of everyone's economy? In a classroom filled with students coming from low walks of life, Victor can barely expect a happy response to his simple question nowadays. The streets are humming in people's misery, and even though some of us can hear now it, people up there still haven't. It's as if they're still waiting until the small humms grow into loud cries of angry starving children.

Sith Happens.

2005-05-21T06:58:00.000+08:00

It's a tragedy that took 6 years in the making. Now the circle is complete, and has left people heartbroken and emotionally stirred. George Lucas is absolutely correct when he said the movie's going to be emotional- The later parts of the movie would make any Star Wars fan want to cry. A very few cried, actually. Me? Just almost.

But it's a wonder how Lucas managed to kill off almost every character that we've already loved since Episode 1, the most disturbing being the concluding part of the Duel of the Fates, and the Jedi massacre. In the first, we witness hope being torn to pieces in every clash of the ex-brothers' lightsabers. In the second, the betrayal to beings we've acknowledged as righteous. Remember Mace Windu's death? This, after having confused the audience of who the righteous party really is... "The Sith and the Jedi are much alike, young Jedi..." During the struggle between Windu's saber and the dark lord's force bolts, a questions came into mind: "Windu wishes death to this enemy. Isn't that against the Jedi Order, as Anakin claims?" This is Deconstructing the Jedi Order 101.

I guess time bends when you're caught in a tight spot. They say the last bout lasted 17 minutes, but I didn't notice. While the two were exchanging superfast blows, my mind was into what the two are feeling at that moment. For Obi Wan, he was once his mentor, but now, he's his executor. For Anakin, no matter what happens, even if he'd kill his mentor, his brother, his only friend, he'd do it for the only one purpose- absolute power. This scene, superimposed by the clash of two symbols of their reality (Yoda in the light and Sidius in the dark), has surpassed my expectations as a movie lover. Adrenalin rush was what I felt when I witnessed Neo battle against a hundred Agent Smiths in The Matrix Reloaded. This time, it was a mix of adrenalin rush and heartache- a weird combination. Never had I been stuck on my chair for thirty more minutes after the movie credits because of awe and disbelief.

Remember Anakin when he first appeared in The Phantom Menace? Remember Anakin falling in love for the first time with Padme? Remember Anakin when he first saw Qui-gon Jin's lightsaber before he decided to join the pod race? Remember the funny elevator scenes with Obi-Wan? Remember the camaraderie? All these memories rushed into my head I saw Anakin's body eaten by volcanic fire, and his heart totally consumed by his pure hate towards his brother as he cried, "I hate you!" The air was filled with sorrow and hopelessness. "You WERE the chosen one."

My aunt, a super fan of the old Star Wars trilogy, considers this movie "historical". She thanks God she was able to make it to the last parcel of the whole story alive. She's 60, by the way, and she's happy. So many questions have finally been answered- questions that seemed to be ignored since The Phantom Menace. She plans on going to the New Worlds III convention on Monday to celebrate with her fellow woids. From then on, she can live in peace. (Oh please don't tell her about Dark Horse comicbooks, please!!!)

To those who have seen it, let me ask you these questions: Did you see George Lucas in the movie? Did you hear JarJar Binks say anything? (As one critic say, Jar-Jar Binks appears only for a moment and is gone before he has time to be annoying.) Did you see a Millenium Falcon in the background during the Coruscant War? Oooh. More reasons to watch the movie again, eh?

I miss Han Solo. I'd probably submit to Lucas's sinister plans of getting wealthier everyday since March 19 this weekend, by watching the old trilogy again. Picture this: You've come up with a potentially great story- one that will redefine pop culture. How are you going to maximize profit from it? Start telling the story in the middle. You know the rest.

------------
Three years ago, I've dealt with the dilemma of what happens after completing the series of epic flicks Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. The future was bleak during those times, but so we enjoyed the era while my friends and I can. Now that Star Wars Episode III is done, it's deja vu. What next?

Batman Begins, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Universe, Spiderman 3, War of the Worlds, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Fantastic Four, Superman Returns, Final Fantasy: Advent Children, Katie's Sassy Movie... God bless the cinemas.

Star Wars Prerequisites

2005-05-20T08:51:00.000+08:00

Before you go to the cinema to watch the last Star Wars movie of George Lucas, you should watch these first! (And we're so lucky they're all available on the internet...)

1. George Lucas in Love (http://www.milkandcookies.com/links/30395/)

I love watching parodies, specially this one. Just when I'm in the mood to write an epic movie about love... *sigh* Anyway, description says "A young George Lucas fights writer's block while trying to complete his final screenplay for USC Film School. This satire of Star Wars and Shakespeare in Love has Lucas searching for the true origins of the Star Wars saga."

2. The Clone Wars Microseries (http://www.starwars.com/clonewars)

Anakin is already a Jedi Knight in "Revenge of the Sith"? But how?!?! Know more about the story in between Episodes II and III here. Powerful in Episode 23 Yoda is... hrmmmm....

3. Star Wars Episode II (Attack of the Clones) and Star Wars Episode I (The Phantom Menace)

Who's Qui-gon Jin? Who's Princess Padme? What's a Coruscant? Duuuuh...

4. Star Wars Fan Films (http://www.atomfilms.com/af/spotlight/collections/starwars/)

They make fun of Star Wars, whereas Star Wars is their life. Ahh... life is a comedy, indeed.

5. Star Wars: Jedi Academy, Star Wars: Outcast, Star Wars: Battlefront, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I and II...

And you just can't get enough of Star Wars. It's not enough that you've watched the flicks... now you want to play with the Force. I feel much fear in you... tee hee hee...

6. New Worlds Episode III (http://www.newworlds.ph)

Yeees... you don't want to be alone in the universe. Meet your fellow woids in the New Worlds convention that's gonna happen on Monday in Makati. Lurk in the shadows there, I will. ;-p

Test

2005-05-11T23:39:00.000+08:00

This is just a test entry. For a while there, I thought someone had erased this blog from existence. All I see is white space in Internet Explorer when I go visit this place... shiish. :)

Star Trek: Enterprise

2005-04-28T07:37:00.000+08:00

I got this from the New York Times website...
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/26/opinion/26tue4.html

--------------------------------------------
An End to the Enterprise

By the middle of May, the "Star Trek" franchise will be no more, having died a death as long and lingering as -- well, insert your favorite Trekkie long-and-lingering-death simile here. UPN has decided to bring "Star Trek: Enterprise" - the latest version of the saga - to an end and to give the whole idea of "Star Trek" a creative rest. The producers of the show have rejected a hopeless last-ditch effort to raise funds directly from fans to continue production.

The original "Star Trek" series proved what a little imagination, a little patience and a lot of plywood and foam core could do for televised science fiction. It ran for only three seasons on NBC in the late 1960's but attracted a devoted following that seems, somehow, to have replicated itself by cloning. It also inspired four additional series, 10 "Star Trek" movies and a delightful parody called "Galaxy Quest," starring Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver, which flirted momentarily with the nihilistic possibility that a television show about space might merely be a television show about space.

For "Star Trek" fans, a future with no "Star Trek" at all must seem as empty as one of those great space voids the ever-endangered starship Enterprise kept getting sucked into. But somewhere, a TV executive is undoubtedly repeating the slogan about going where no one has gone before - and wondering how to make that idea about direct fan-financing work.

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company

---------------------------------------------

I'm not really a Trekkie. I just like Star Trek: Enterprise because the plot is really amazing: How mankind would possibly face the first steps in making our existence known to the universe. ST:Enterprise is different from the other Star Trek series, or with, at least, ST: The Next Generation, most episodes of which I've seen already. This is because you can feel the mankind's struggle in every episode, based on how the characters deal with the issues involving travelling REALLY AWAY from home. And if you get stuck with the 4 seasons of this show, you'll notice that you remember the episodes not because the characters are cute, but because you remember the essence of the story. (Then you'll want to see how humanity does in the next couple of centuries- thus wanting you to buy DVDs of other series as well- The Next Generation, Voyager, the original series, Deep Space Nine... do you see a new Trekkie being born here? teeheehee...)

How would mankind react when attacked for the first time by alien species? What would a starship captain do in a situation wherein he should choose to save between one member, or the rest of his crewmates? What would someone do if offered with knowledge never seen by man, in exchange from never going home again? what would possibly be mankind's role in the unification of planets? what are mankind's benefits in a given situation, against those of Vulcans, whose logic outweighs emotions? Aside from the joy of seeing starships traveling in warp speeds, these questions would really tickle your minds to think: What if?

I'd say cancelling Enterprise is very bad idea. There are just a few TV shows that depicts the ability of mankind to dream the not so near future, with a very intellectual, oftentimes philosophical approach. And these TV shows are being cancelled and put to extinction in exchange for mostly reality TV, which doesn't really makes sense to me at all. Is this because shows that make us dream, hope and think doesn't sell anymore? Have we lost our drive to dream?

Who are you?

2005-04-28T03:56:00.000+08:00

Who is this woman who tells us to live through the severe crisis for the nation's sake, while enjoying the leisurely white sands of Boracay? Who are you to still flash a grinning face for broadsheet frontpages, while people who pass by the street can only frown as they struggle through their daily routines?

Who are you to ask everyone to endure the nation's crisis, when you know your subordinates, even some members of your family, indulges life reaping off hard-earned income from people's pockets? It's like taking away from the poor the ability to dream, to just survive for the next couple of years, just to pay for your expensive lives. Who are you to allow these selfish creatures to eat up our lives slowly?

Who are you to make your people feel that they are abandoned by their leader who had pledged better lives during your term? You have made the people feel abandoned by their government whenever oil companies race for higher prices, as if no law to manage them exists. You have made the people feel helpless when you turned over the NLEX to a private company, services that should be owned and subsidized by the government. Little by little, you take away chances for better living by supporting imposing additional taxes in the time of crisis. It just seems that you don't care, yet your street posters say that you do care. Who are you to deceive our uneducated masses?

Who are you? I remember all your promises, but have never known you as the one who fulfills them. Isn't that you whom I heard and seen on TV before the May 2004 elections saying that our electricity bills would go down while you are president of this country? That more jobs will be available to the unemployed? That trees will fill the mountains again after 2004? That there will be more room for improvements, most specially for the poor whom you requested for their support like a sinner who pleaded for reconciliation? That the value of the peso would be strong once again (yet it's even much worse that how it was during EDSA II)? That the economy would be strong again (strong for the favored few, it seems)? Who are you to deceive the people, whom you know will be easy to deceive because of ignorance to the political games you all are playing, and where we all are victims.

Who are you to make us pay for the faults and mistakes of former leaders of this country? We do not deserve to bear the rotten fruits of their selfish labors. We did not deserve leaders like them in the first place, much more the results of their shortcomings. We would have accepted the task to carry the load for our country's sake if your people had set an example. But no. Your people adds to the burden. Who are you to allow this to happen?

Reconciliation seems to be the only thing you have accomplished so far, as one can hear people's small cries in the streets, once divided by clashing political faces, now united by one claim: that they don't like you anymore.

Even most of those who had faith in you are showing signs of disgust now for having supported you back then when, when you were asking for our votes like a child who begged for a candy.

Who are you to say that the people's suffering is quite normal, and everyone should not complain for the country's sake, when in fact you have the power and all the means to, at least, alleviate our misery?

Who are you to ask more power in your hands, when in fact you have that power all along? Who are you to give us this impression that ballots casted by most of us had just gone to waste?

Oh yes. I DO know who you are, Gloria. YOU ARE NOT MY PRESIDENT.

Shadow Hearts: Covenant

2005-04-27T02:43:00.000+08:00

Karin

Age:25
Birthplace: Germany
Attribute: Fire
Special Ability: Swordplay
Game: Shadow Hearts Covenant

Profile: Defeated in the Domremy battle and the sole survivor of the German Imperial Army, Karin falls in love with Yuri. Her destiny is revealed, however, through a childhood photo of him.

Katie Says: Currently my favorite game character. I only wish players get to dress her up just like in Final Fantasy X-2. But her moves are simply awesome! Finally, a game that is worth my time while waiting of the next Final Fantasy sequel. Oh I just love my PS2!

Theatrics

2005-04-26T07:52:00.000+08:00

Theatrics. This is one word that is best associated with the drama of Philippine politics. Its always about cr ating protagonists, antagonists, and a scenario for the viewing public to enjoy. Its a little bit of action, drama, and a little bit of fiasco. All these to appeal to our emotions. Time and Again this mode of arguing has been used in this blog to spite myself and Katie. For one thing, I hate appeals to emotion, and it should never be included in any objective and unbiased discussion.

It is not surprising why in every election, politicians always capitalize on what makes us angry, sad, and happy. Its not really about the issues that are given to them. Same thing goes with our elected officials. Folks its not about how we feel about the issue, its about our conviction towards it. Its not really about what we believe, but it should be more on what we can prove. Anyway here are some examples.

Imelda Marcos should get an acting award for her several unforgettable performances during court hearings. She attempted to many times to look pathetic, so that she will gain the pity of the judges and the public who should weigh the evidences against her.

Richard Gomez is being charged with tax evasion. And how does he answer? "The administration is harassing me, being part of the opposition". Ah the arrogant bastard, who thinks he is the Man among the men. Dude! What they are simply saying is you didn't pay due taxes! What you have to do is prove them wrong by providing concrete and tangible evidences. Not make yourself appear like the underdog, because of your political ideals. I'll bet ten bucks and a pizza, Goma would not be missed by opposition leaders if he was jailed. Not too long ago Goma took what Sen. Recto said as offensive. He quote "Hindi kami mga aso, at wala siyang karapatang tawagin kaming aso!" What Sen. Recto actually said is "They are barking at the wrong tree"! Watch out there is a hype that Goma will run for senator.

Lately, Susan Roces made some harsh remarks on the supreme court. OK I understand Ms. Roces' position, she lost a husband, and she is grieving. She and the opposition claims that the supreme court is trying to suppress the truth by junking her appeal to replace her husband as the complainant for the electoral protest....... But wait a second....... What did the supreme court say? They simply said that she is not qualified to take her husband's place as a complainant! That's all! They did not affirm that GMA won that election! And it all really makes sense because FPJ's candidacy did not have anything to do with her, other than the fact that she is the spouse. The supreme court made it clear that the only ones who were qualified to file the protest was FPJ's party mate Ping Lacson, or better yet his running mate Loren Legarda, whom as we all know had her initial victory with her own electoral protest. So is the Supreme court biased?

Ms. Roces claims that the supreme court suppressed the truth, when they based thier judgment on technicality. Duh! of course! Legal Appeals are based on technical arguments, not on raw emotions. But more importantly, who was the genius who suggested that Roces should fill in FPJ's shoes anyway? Why her? Because movies,wherein the hero dies, and the wife continues the saga, makes a good blockbuster. Surely the audience will enjoy this kind of drama. Which is why instead ofexplaining to Ms. Roces all these legalities, opposition leaders would rather pour poison in her ears and turn this whole thing into a good script. Which is also why opposition leaders never educated their supporters. They would rather ask them to chant "Puno na ang Salop!" Because when FPJ said this in one of his movies, his adversary pissed in his pant's. Moreover, they make the audience feel that they are part of the script. Which makes me ask a question, what if FPJ died as an official president? Would they ask Susan Roces to take over the responsibilities of the president rather than vice-president.... Hmmm... Sounds like a box office drama to me!

I can go all week explaining. So with this regard allow me to make a modest proposal to resolve this. Since politics has become more about theatrics especially during the elections. Why don't we turn the next presidential election into a reality show. Its gonna be like a crossover between The Apprentice, American Idol, and Survivor, Here's how it will work;

Since even the poverty stricken Filipinos have cellphones, votation will be done trough calling and texting. But of course they have to register their phones and numbers to the COMELEC to avoid flying voters.

Every candidate will be interviewed by COMELEC officials, and it will be live on TV. From then, thequalified candidates will move on to the contest proper.

Then a jury of three who will critic every candidate, will be selected. One should have an extensive knowledge of the three branches of our republic (executive, legislative, judiciary), The second should be an expert in economics, and finally an average citizen. But depending on the theme of the episode, they may invite guest judges from the various sectors of our government i.e. military, education, agriculture etc.

The qualified candidates, will be assigned to their own secluded islands, in which they will not be allowed to communicate with other people outside of their jurisdiction. So if there is some explaining of platform of government to do! the candidates should do it themselves and not their campaign managers. They will also not be allowed to bring money when they go in seclusion. In that Island, they will have their constituents and limited resources, that they will use to build a government. Cameras will follow them allover. Each week they will be asked to do different tasks i.e. attract foreign investments, propose laws, build infrastructure etc.

At the end of their tasks, the jurors will assess their performance, and definitely no holds barred. So if they screw up, they can't use their advisers to cover their asses. Oh how I would love to give wiseass comments like, "Lito Lapid, you swore under oath to defend the constitution of this country, but yet you don't understand a word of it? " GMA, I notice that you spoil your cabinet officials with too much financial benefits, do you realize that your tax-paying constituents have barely anything to eat"?

After that, the lines will be open for votation, but only for a certain period of time. Then on the next day, the votes will be tallied and the one with the lowest number of votes goes home. "Eddie Gil, your country has spoken! You have just been deposed!

Ooookey... Cheesey. I know. But come on guys it could work. Imagine:

1) Showbiz people use politics as a pathetic excuse to extend their celebrity status, and politicians use showbiz for the same purpose, so here is their chance.
It will end the debate on whether actors are better leaders or not, because every candidate gets to perform regardless if they have showbiz background or none.

2) No need to campaign, and everybody gets an equal shot at TV exposure.

3) No need for the COMELEC to spend too much, and votation will be simpler and less complicated. Besides if this reality show gets the ratings it might also
get sponsorship.

4) We get to see what our candidates can do, before we elect them. This is beneficial for candidates who chicken out on debates.

5) We get to be entertained. This is television at its finest! Can you feel the drama?

6) Who knows maybe Eddie Gil was misunderstood.

So what? Do I pick-up the phone and call Mark Burnett (producer of Survivor and The Apprentice series).

Kababata ba kita?

2005-04-16T05:35:00.000+08:00

Noong ikaw ay bata pa, nagawa mo ba ang mga sumusunod?...

*kumakain ka ba ng aratilis?

*nagpipitpit ng gumamela para gawing soapy bubbles na hihipan mo sa binilog na tangkay ng walis tingting?

*pinipilit ka ba matulog ng nanay mo pag hapon at di ka papayagan maglaro pag di ka natulog?

*marunong ka magpatintero, saksak puso, langit-lupa, teleber-teleber, luksong tinik?

*malupit ka pag meron kang atari, family computer or nes?

*alam mo ang silbi ng up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, a, b, a, b, start?

*may mga damit ka na U.S.E.D., Boy London, Cross Colors, Esprit, Blowing Bubbles at pag nakakakita ka ng Bench na damit eh naalala mo si Richard Gomez?

*addict ka sa rainbow brite, carebears, my little pony, thundercats, bioman, voltes v, mazinger z, daimos, he-man at marami pang cartoons na hindi pa translated sa tagalog?

*nanonood ka ng shaider kasi nabobosohan mo si annie at type na type mo ang puting panty nya?

*marunong ka mag wordstar at nakahawak ka na talaga ng 5.25 na floppy disk?

*inaabangan mo lagi ang batibot at akala mo magkakatuluyan si kuya bodgie at ate sienna... nung high school ka inaabangan mo lagi beverly hills 90210?

*gumagamit ka ng AQUANET para pataasin ang bangs mo?

*meron kang blouse na may padding kung babae ka at meron kang sapatos na mighty kid kung lalake ka?

*nangongolekta ka ng paper stationaries at mahilig ka magpapirma sa slumbook mo para lang malaman mo kung sino ang crush ng type mo?

*kilala mo si manang bola at ang sitsiritsit girls?e si luning-ning at luging-ging?

*alam mo ibig sabihin ng time space warp at di mo makakalimutan ang time space warp chant?

*idol mo si McGyver at nanonood kang Perfect Strangers?

*eto malupet... six digits! lang ba ang phone number nyo dati?

*nakakatawag ka pa sa pay phone ng 3 bente singko lang ang dala?

*cute pa si aiza seguerra sa eat bulaga at alam mo ang song na "eh kasi bata"?

*inabutan mo ba na ang Magnolia Chocolait eh nasa glass bottle pa na ginagawang lalagyan ng tubig ng nanay mo sa ref?

*meron kang pencil case na maraming compartments na pinagyayabang mo sa mga kaklase mo?

*noon mo pa hinahanap kung saan ang Goya Fun Factory?

*alam mo lyrics ng "tinapang bangus" at "alagang-alaga namin si puti"?

*alam mo ang kantang "gloria labandera".. lumusong sha sa tubig ang paa ay nabasa at ang "1, 2, 3, asawa ni marie"?

*sosyal ka pag may play-doh ka at Lego... at nag-iipon ka ng G.I. Joe action figures at iba pa ang mukha ni barbie noon?

*inabutan mo pa yung singkong korteng bulaklak at yung diyes na square?

*lumaki kang bobo dahil ang akala mo nangangagat talaga ang alimango sa kantang tong-tong-tong... di ba naninipit yun?

*alam mo yung kwento ng pari na binigyan ng pera yung batang umakyat ng puno para bumili ng panty... and shempre, alam mo rin ba kung ano binigay nya sa nanay nung umakyat ng puno?

*meron kang kabisadong kanta ni Andrew E na alam mo hanggang ngayon.. aminin?

*laging lampin ang sinasapin sa likod mo pag pinapawisan ka?

*bumibili ka ng tarzan, texas at bazooka bubble gum... tira-tira, at yung kending bilog na sinawsaw sa asukal?

*kinukupit mo pa at nanonood ka ng mga porno tapes ng tatay mo na nasa BETAMAX format pa... at sanay ka tawagin ang porn as BOLD?

*takot ka dumating ang year 2000 dahil sabi nila magugunaw daw ang mundo?

*naaalala mo pa na mas masarap ang mellow yellow kaysa mountain dew?

*75 cents pa ang pamasahe n'un?

If so, then you must be 25-30 years old by now. Hahaha! Love to remember the good old times. *SIGH!*

About conspiracies, free will, God, and what the truth really is.

2005-04-11T21:51:00.000+08:00

Define "whining". When I post my comments about the country, am I "whining"? Whether or not I'm doing it, is "whining" a bad thing? I don't really see it proper to list in my blogs all good things that I do for my country and my fellow Filipinos, but why does it feel that I am obliged to do so everytime I receive reactions like "why don't you just shut up and do something for the country" and "you complain yet you do nothing"? Why is it that some people assume that I'm entirely all words and no action? Do I have to brag about the things that I've done in this blog just to prove something? Do I have to tell everyone that I've done this and I've done that just to show that I don't just "whine", I do something about it?

If I do "Whine", a thought that still needs evaluating, I "whine" not to force those people I'm "whining" for to do what is right. Who am I anyway to coerce them what they ought to do, when they should already know what obligations they are entitled to do (unless they're acting numb or something)? I "whine" to share with others what I think about how their actions affect me, affect the people whom I love, and how I think their actions affect the country and the world in general. Again, "whining" is a word that needs further evaluating. What irritates me is why I need to reiterate this almost every 2-3 months.

Isn't claiming "I know the Truth. Follow me/Study with me if you want salvation..." also acting like god/a prophet?

I spend a couple of wars reading interesting articles on the net, just to feed my mind with something during boring work hours. This includes conspiracies, local or global. Movies like "Deep Impact" or "The Day After Tomorrow" ARE interesting films. They tap and stir the imagination of people, making them think "beyond" what is readily acceptable. Yet when you go out of the theatre, you don't run around shrieking "The end of the world is near!!!!", do you?

I mean, people entertain explanations to all things they find questionable, and people will find answers, even most imaginative ones, just to go away from the uncertain. I find it interesting, even amusing sometimes. But I definitely DON'T BELIEVE ALL OF THEM. I welcome these ideas, and consider them as possibilities. But I don't deem them immediately as THE TRUTH, or even if I find some truth in some of these conspiracies, I don't actually gatecrash some venue, boast that I have possessed yet another great discovery, and claim that everyone who oppose it are condemed to hell. This is the reason why Mankind can't seem to gain peace- we all brag about what we believe and dismiss others as enemies. Yet, being imperfect beings that we are, we forget that we can't really attain absolute truth as individuals. We need to understand the context of each other's arguments, share the little clues of reality, admit that we have each and our own interpretation of everything that we should, can, and will know, and respect each other based on this individuality. This is how God has created us- He gave us free will not as punishment, but as a means for us to attain His perfection in all unique ways possible. We choose our own beliefs, yet being human, we should acknowledge that we all are different. Thus beliefs need not be deemed as absolute Truth.

This is what I believe in: We are all different, and in different ways does God manifests Himself in us. Is there a way to know God absolutely? It's like men thinking that the world is flat, only to realize that it's actually oblate spheroid when viewed from outer space. We have the Bible, we have traditions, we have rules, we have people telling who really is God, when all we can know are just clues of his existence. To absolutely know God is to be one with God. So do we really need to die, have our souls drift to a higher level of existence to prove that? Maybe. Gauttama Buddha claims it's possible to attain Nirvana in this life. Some claims it's possible if you actually cheat death. Who knows? Does this mean there's little hope in this? It depends on how you interpret it. I interpret it as a challenge- we know only clues, yet as humans, we are capable of exploring. Perhaps, God has given us this thirst for knowledge so that even though we look like hopeless beings desperately looking for Him, we have instincts to know what means leads to wisdom (no matter how many these means are), and freewill to choose a path away or towards him. And I choose a path towards him. And the most wonderful thing about it is because I write about it not to FORCE anyone to follow it, but just because I want to share it, to contribute to the library of different ways to reach a common goal.

Do I believe that I already have the absolute truth? No. Does it bother me if everybody refuses to believe what I believe in? No. But I would really appreciate it if people would still respect me for what I believe in. I don't want everyone to believe what I believe in... I just want people to be aware of it, and appreciate it if they like it.

I think we really cannot know what absolute Truth is because of our limited faculties. But it would really help us all if we share the bits of truth that we can gain in life (again, another reason we have blogs). Call me agnostic, but the point is- it is human to believe and live by our own beliefs, but is most inhuman thing to force everyone to believe, think, feel, decide, live the same way.

Now let's sing altogether "Imagine" by John Lennon. :)

We love you, Father.

2005-04-08T08:10:00.000+08:00

I attended a Requiem Mass for Pope John Paul II last night. I just felt I had to pay my last respects and say farewell to one of a few people left in this world who has a true pure heart. I never thought going to Mass would make me recall memories of the long forgotten past, and saying goodbye to them.

The Malolos Basilica was crowded with the faithful at nine in the evening- a sign that, indeed, the great Pope's death has a deep impact on Filipinos. I was quite surprised that, even if it's that late already, students in their uniforms had a chance to partake in this last rites for the former Church leader. I would have dismissed it as a fact that teachers might have required them to go to Mass, if not for a more valid fact that these kids are with their families, praying together.

The scenes that I saw in the Basilica were so touching. Memories of the World Youth Days (1995) returned to me in an instant. I remembered asking permission from my parents to participate in the vigils, the pilgrimages, the activities of the said event. I really wanted to be part of it since that was the only chance I could join the World Youth Day choir of our own diocese. It was a chance of a lifetime. Being young and quite ignorant of many things outside the household, I struggled my way to being independent, even if it would be just a week. It was difficult for many of us, but no one remembers that. All that is remembered is that we were "holy" and yet we had fun!

I remember the night vigils, the first week when sleep were scarce, yet no one was complaining. I remember sleeping in a tent beside one of the buildings that surround Luneta. I remember boys hitting on girls, even if everybody hadn't taken a bath yet. I remember the signing. Oh yes, the singing. Those were the days when it felt God is everywhere. It felt good remembering those days. I miss those days.

Indeed, little did I know that it was more than just joining the choir. The World Youth Days gave me the first taste of how it is to belong to an ideal that is very significant- to exist is to be part of a bigger picture. Later on, I learned that this, indeed, is part of Karol Wojtyla's Philosophy of Participation. For life to be meaningful, the acting individual should be part of the whole. Intersubjectivity.

This is the meaning that I felt when I walked the streets of Manila with the rest of my fellow youngsters that year. This is the meaning that I felt when I stood there in EDSA while Erap's rule crumbled to pieces years after.

As the theme song of the World Youth Days filled the Basilica, I couldn't help but cry. I wasn't ashamed- all my tears won't match the sincerity, concern, and love of Pope John Paul II to this country. Like Christ to his flock, I felt his passion to take care of us, saying "Hello" every now and then. I saw it, I felt it as I saw him pass by us in 1995. He waved his hands, and I felt the peace felt by many of whom I were with last night. A nun admitted that when she saw the Pope that day, she promised God that she will devote her remaining days on Earth to serve him- and so she did. A mother whom I met in front of John Paul II's portrait claimed that her husband turned his back from adultery the moment he had a split-second eye contact with the Pope in the Popemobile. Even veterans claimed that a white dove landed on the Pope's shoulder while he was addressing the war survivors when the Pope visited in Bataan. His greatness and holiness manifests even in the physical realm. Even his death affects humanity deeply.

I also shed tears as it felt like saying goodbye to my youth. The death of this great man signifies that humanity has to move on, as I have to move on in life also. Goodbye to the days of my innocence, when feelings and life itself was just pure and simple.

Written in the logbook where people people left their condolences:

"Dear Father, now that you are next to God, please continue praying for us and our country. Love, Katie..."

A Matter Simple Common Sense, Economics, Math, and Euphemism

2005-04-06T05:34:00.000+08:00

Its been a while since I've written my last "angas" essay regarding Philippine Politics and pretty much about the Filipino way of living. Well, Thesis has been a pain in the ass, but if there is one good thing that bad news did for me, it would be the push in the right directions. I'm serious! Instead of pissing myself of watching the 11 P.M. news, or that stupid pro-vat infomercial, I'd rather work my ass off on that thesis. Hmmm should I include that in my acknowledgement? What do you think? OK so here is whats going on in my little dark and twisted mind. I don't know, somebody answer this for me? Why is it that this country likes to do everything backwards. Don't they have a thing called common sense? From the Executive to the legislative even to those guys who repair the pimpled roads of Metro Manila, its all the same. Are we really living up of being a mediocre republic? ugh!

1) I don't get it why our boys from the DPWH et al. start digging up these pimpled roads that we have during the rainy season( June to August). Although its nice to see that they are doing some public service, but come on I'm no engineer but its really all a matter of simple common sense. You dig a hole on the rainy season, rain water fills it, and you won't be able to work there until water subsides! Job takes longer to complete! Moreover the month of June is actually the start of classes, therefore more cars on the street, thereby causing traffic. Why don't they start working on it during the summer season? what's the matter? afraid of sunburn?

2) I don't get it how the government is attempting to save its resources at the expense of public service. 4 day work week? Are they serious? Again its all a matter of common sense! Even if you add two hours to the remaining 4 days to make up for the lost day, its still more productive to have one whole working day than a fraction of it. If regular a regular working schedule for one day is 8 hours, and its takes about 8 hours to complete one task, then one day is really all you need. But if you divide 8 hours into four days, then you would need about 4 days to complete the same task. You do the math! Lets face it, nobody goes to office at 7 A.M., come on! Even schools are having difficulties with such schedule. Besides, surely private offices will not be doing the same this summer, especially banks. If they are really sincere about this "austerity policy", then they should stop issuing expensive SUVs to public officials, Shut down government agencies that are idle, and put a ceiling to the salaries of GOCC presidents.

3)I don't get it why they keep on insisting that the only ones that will be affected by the VAT law are the ones who are capable of paying, and not the minimum wage earners. Sabi pa nila "bato bato sa langit ang tamaan sana ay yung hindi nagbabayad ng buwis." First of all tax evaders are right under this administrations nose! It does not have the political will to go after them. A study shows that if all this evaded taxes are collected, then we will already have enough to fill most of our budget deficit. It won't affect minimum wage earners? Its a simple law of economics, any expense that the producers have to shoulder to create a product, will in one way or the other surely be passed on to the consumers. For example. 1 kilo of Tilapia has no VAT, but if you fry it with cooking oil, its no longer VAT exempted because the Tin can is not. Noodles will not have VAT unless you pack them in plastics..... Do I really need to elaborate more. I also don't get it how this will solve our deficit. Its a cause and effect relationship, we got into this mess because of mas live corruption, misallocation of the national budget, and letting tax evaders loose. If we give them more taxes without solving those causes, then we will be right back where we started. In fact this government does not deserve more taxes, they should prove first that they are capable of handling people's money. Lets put this in another analogy, a bank's main source of income are its depositors. The deposited money are then used as investments in other businesses and loans. But if the management of this bank will not handle its business properly, then it will only be a matter of time before they file for bankruptcy, regardless of how much money they have accumulated from their depositors. So if that be the case, will you entrust your hard money to this kind of bank?

4) I absolutely don't understand why GMA is in soooooo much denial about the true condition of her country? Here she is posing in front of the cameras, bragging that there is still promise for this country. Meanwhile we were just ranked as the second most corrupt government in Asia. Guess what? There are other similar studies that support these, HOOOYAAA! maybe next year we will be first. I also do not get why her administration is taking this sitting down. Let me guess? its Erap and McCoy's fault again. Ugh! If this was Germany, then I think they'd be pointing fingers to Hitler. Moreover, these is a big insult to her presidency, and therefore must never be taken sitting down. Maybe I should put it in language that GMA is most likely to understand. Your country is in Deep Sh!t! Your administration sucks ass big time! so all in all you are seriously F*CKED! There! Do I makemy point clear?!

As you can see its all a matter of simple common sense, math, economics, and euphemism. -Ahmad

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BITCH!

2005-04-06T05:30:00.000+08:00

Happy birthday to the most imbecile president ever to serve the Philippines... if that's how you call "serving". And what better place to celebrate her birthday than in Lubao, Pampanga- her town, her province, Gloria's kingdom. She has a point, though. It's her birthday. You'd definitely want to hear nothing but praises on the most special day for the president, right? I mean, it doesn't matter if you're scheduled to go to Rome and be the representative for the only Roman Catholic country in Asia, to take part in a great Pope's burial rites, right? It's her birthday, for crying out loud! Everybody would want a vacation when celebrating birthdays, right? No need to think the rest of the country, she has to go to Pampanga and celebrate! Forget the starving country, forget the disintegrating foundations of the nation- she needs to celebrate with her pig husband, right? Right?

Most of those who voted for the great Gloria should be nibbling their nails out of immense dismay by now. Look at the "glorious" things her administration has brought to her beloved country by now. She had come up with "reforms" most insignificant to the present needs of the country. (Four days of work?!?!) She has sold almost all services to the private sector, and is planning to sell more in the months to come. She has allowed the commercial fuel giants to dictate the economy according to how it pleases themselves, thus rendering any regulations and laws ineffective and useless, and thus, adding loads of burden week by week for the poor Filipinos.

She has allowed a silent war to reign in the south, and poverty to reign all but a few from whom she owes her status (whereas she seem to disregard the fact that she owes not the rich few, but the many who voted for her, and were foolish enough to trust her words). She has done no significant actions against corruption in the government- a social factor that is the root of all evil in this country, and a promise broken again and again yet leaves the president unaffected. Unaffected, also, is this stout woman after being hailed as the leader of the second most corrupt government in the world! Numb, even, is Gloria, after several attempts by the common tao to communicate with her their woes and regrets after her pre-electoral covenant with the people had been deliberately ignored and/or broken. She has lied to her people, not only once, but many times, even prior to being elected as president.

Based on my observations on how Filipinos think about the condition of the country nowadays, every aspect of this society is basis enough to conclude that we are nearing civil war. Heard from a usual conversation in an internet cafe (by students not more than 18 years old), if Fernando Poe Jr. would have had the fatal heart attack while he was on a rally with the masses, or in a court appealing for Gloria's resignation, a revolution would have resulted immediately after his death. Ninoy's death triggered anger amongst Filipinos angry of the Marcos system, but it happened years after the tarmac tragedy. God forbid, if anyone who has the people's affection dies in the streets, another revolution would surely follow. And without the support of the military spoon-fed by the government nowadays, the only people capable of helping are those in the lower ranks- those who follow the footsteps of the REAL soldiers who led the washed out Oakwood mutiny.

I know she knows about all these- but does she care? It's quite obvious whom she cares about these days- those people whom she promised utmost support when she gets elected to her desired position- and I'm not talking about the people who voted for her. And she still has the face to celebrate her birthday with the people. Anyway, her people.

As a gift to Gloria who I loathe most (next to Jinggoy Estrada and Mike Arroyo), the most special gift to offer would be a come-back article written by our very own Ahmad. He's been out for a while, but thank God! He had made his presence felt lately, and is now ready for action. The Katie-Ahmad team-up is complete once again.

Go Jac!

2005-04-02T00:37:00.000+08:00

This is my drop-down gorgeous friend, Jac. Just looking at this pic, isn't she a winner already? :) But aside from being the epitome of Asian beauty (says my Elmo... grrr...), she's one lass with lots of talents hidden in her... uh... bikini. LOL.

We have to let SLIMMER'S WORLD know how much she deserves to be the Slimmer's World Bikini Bodies 2005 champ. So what are you waiting for?! Get your cellphones and thumbs ready, and text away! Wheee!

The FX Taxi Ride (Part I)

2005-03-26T03:37:00.000+08:00

They think the comman man knows nothing. Nope. A weird experience while we were on the road from vacation proves that the common Filipino knows a lot, and the government's attempts to hide their dark motives is a total failure.

Who would have though an ordinary ride on a for-hire FX taxi would reveal much information about how the people feel about certain trivial things nowadays. This is "kwentong-barbero" to the next level.

It was already kinda late when we left from Baguio. So we arrived around 10pm in Caloocan, where we took an FX taxi going to Malolos. People are a bit tired already, and most people going home have already spent the rest of the day dealing with pressure. It's quite expected that people would just spend the extra hour to sleep, chat or relax on the way.

There were three guys on the middle seat, the driver, me and Elmo at the back. The guys (who looked mid30ish) were talking about the usual stuff: women, gadgets, and powertripping at work. Their voices were raised to a level as if they were the only ones in the FX, but we didn't mind since I was listening to my iPod then, and Elmo's enjoying listening to the three. The driver seemed not to mind also.

Things got a bit interesting,though, as the taxi began to move from the terminal. Randy (See? I remember the name of the guy!) opened up the topic about the seige that happened in Bicutan seige. Seems like the phrase "Ano sa palagay mo, pare...?" is one of the most interesting Filipino phrases ever made- it never fails to ignite an intense debate session. Too bad there's no beer that time to really heat things up.

"Sa palagay ko, pare, cover up ang nangyari. Biruin mo, lahat ng mga de-kalibreng lider ng Abu Sayyaf, naipon sa isang lugar, at napatay lahat sa isang lusuban lang..."

"Oo nga, pre. At saka sino ba namang tanga ang maghahamon ng gulo sa gobyerno kung ang hawak mo lang na armas eh paltik at alam mong ang susugod sa yo eh di basta-bastang mga pulis lang?"

This is when I turned off my iPod since Elmo gave me a signal that I might want to engage my attention to this developing discussion.

Elmo butts in. "Ganyan talaga ang gobyerno. Sa bawa't magandang ipinapakita nila, me maaamoy ka laging lansa..." Nice one. "Hindi naman natin maiwasan. Kasi nga, dati nang malalansa ang mga involved sa kaso."

"At dati nang may lansa sa sistema," Paul replied. "Kahit anong pabango ang ilagay mo dyan, malansa pa rin," said Randy.

"Ang akala kasi ng mga nasa itaas, porke't hinahainan tayo ng magaganda sa balita, eh tatanggapin na lang natin agad-agad. Yung karamihan siguro- oo. 'Madaling utuin ang mga yan! Ipakita mong nag-amok sila sa Bicutan, tapos tapusin silang lahat!' Sino'ng panalo kahit saan mo tingnan? Gobyerno, di ba?"

Mr. Driver enters the scene. "Oo nga. Panalo sila. Patayin ba naman ang lahat ng mga talagang maraming alam sa corruption behind-the-scenes na nangyari nung panahong uso pa ang kidnapping at maraming negotiations na pinag-usapan. Bakit nga naman bibigyan pa sila ng pagkakataong kumanta?"

I see these people as ordinary Filipino folks. They don't even seem to belong to the middle-class. (Later, we discovered Randy had just quit his job as a security guard in Caloocan bank, and was, then, looking for another job.) Yet, they seem to be able to "read between the lines". They are the present-day Filipinos: aware and frustrated by the system. I was thinking... "My God! Are they reading my blog?!" Teeheehee... This was the point when I grabbed Elmo's cellphone and desperately tried to get notes by composing a text message that can be saved later... We have not reached the NLEX Balintawak exit yet. I predicted there will be no sleeping in the FX taxi during the whole travel home.

To be continued...

very nice artwork

2005-03-26T03:31:00.000+08:00

A "kababata" sent me this artwork... said this is inspired by me, although in this version, I'm blonde. Ok. I take it as a complement. :)

My Sassy Month

2005-03-04T09:18:00.000+08:00

There's just something about the movie's story that sticks and lingers in the heart of anyone who had seen it. If you're a guy, you'll most probably be thinking about the sassy girl for days (and suffer naming her names since the girl remained nameless in the movie). If you're a girl, you'll most probably dream of Gyun-woo. Like me. Sigh again.

The plot seems to be simple at first viewing: Boy meets sad girl in a subway. Boy swears to take care of girl. Girl eventually becomes happy. Boy falls in love in the process. Boy can't let go of girl as a result. They get separated, and the story ends with both being together again.

It must be in it's simplicity where the movie's beauty lies. The actors handle their roles with verve and energy and, dare I say it, sass, and the writer/director must take some credit, for producing the snappy pace and quirky situations. The initial sketching of the characters is done in very broad strokes, and gives us a hero and heroine who are interesting and clearly at odds. The hero, likeable but perhaps a tad shallow in his preference for quiet, pretty girly girls, doesn't look like a suitable match for anyone with any depth, and we're caught early on thinking this might be a predictable adventure.

Not so, once we meet the heroine: we find her on the train, pissed as a newt (a marvellous phrase from my youth that I'm determined to resurrect), and not exactly presenting at her best. She's even less appealing when she throws up and calls our hero "Honey" before passing out, since this leads to the passengers assuming he is her boyfriend, and demanding that he clean up. Ick. Double ick. But we soon see another side to both characters as a result: he cleans up and carries her about town rather than abandon her, and she shows a hint of the sadness that drives her to be such a pain. He even takes her to a love hotel, and stays with her, but doesn't attempt to molest her in her sleep (luckily, or I'd have stopped watching right there).

After that, the rest of the film consists mostly of our hero being dragged around Seoul, abused, misused, and humiliated, but ever more determined to delve to the heart of this perplexing girl. From a female point of view, and a fairly fractious female at that, it's nice to see the girl getting to call the shots. I particularly liked seeing her make the hero wear her high-heel shoes all the way home when her feet hurt: instead of letting him carry her, she makes him realise just how uncomfortable heels can be. It takes the wind out of the whole "rescuing hero" image, where the strong man helps the fragile girly without actually having to empathise.

There are many scenes that you'd probably consider Filipino stereotypes, but there are a number which are bizarre yet unbelievably moving. The scene in the subway train where Gyun-woo and the sassy girl did a red-line contest is the funniest, but clearly shows a great deal about the two character's personality: one's a control freak, the other's a subservient hopeless-romantic chap. He snapped, he laughed, she freaks out, she slapped and she slapped many times until he cried. Sweet and funny, the scene would make you wish "sana ganyan din kami ni..."

The soundtrack? Well, I can't complain about it. I realized that Koreans lay sounds in comedy and romantic scenes the same as how Filipinos do it. You would even hear the song "I Believe" and the piano piece Canon D repeated on several signifant scenes of the film. But you won't notice it anyway, as you become engrossed by bot Gyun-woo and the sassy girl.

It's a good thing I've seen My Sassy Girl with it's original dubbing. I bought a VCD version just so I can watch the movie on my laptop as I work, and the audio is divided to Korean on my left ear, and Japanese on the right. And the Japanese track isn't that good.

The only thing that I'd like to note, though, is that "I Believe" is that type of a song that would remain playing at the back of your end even as days pass by. And you'll never get tired of it, specially when you recall what transpired in Gyun-woo's tree.

All in all, if you like romantic comedies, this is an absolute stunner, and if you don't, it's still an absolute stunner. Some may call it "My Sappy Film", but I'd still say it's brilliant. See it for the laughs, see it for the love, or see it for the turning upside down of gender stereotypes, but just see it. I'm sure: You'll want your own tree. You'll want someone to share it with. You'll always look forward to the next day's MRT ride. You'll have a craving to go to a disco pub wearing your highschool uniform, and start an annual event doing it. You'll never look at a piano the same way again. Ever.

I give My Sassy Girl a five thumbs up! (Uhh... that's possible if you're from Mars. Teeheehee...) Now the debate (if "Windstruck" is the sequel of My Sassy Girl) goes on...

10 rules to take care of your sassy girl

2005-03-03T08:44:00.000+08:00

1. Don’t ask her to be feminine.
2. Don’t let her drink over three glasses. She’ll beat someone.
3. At a cafe, don't drink coke or juice. Drink coffee.
4. If she hits you, act like it hurts. If it hurts, act like it doesn’t.
5. On your 100th day together give her a rose during her class. She’ll like it lot.
6. Make sure you learn fencing and squash.
7. Also be prepared to go to prison sometimes.
8. If she says she’ll kill you, don’t take it lightly. You’ll feel better.
9. If her feet hurts, exchange shoes with her.
10. She likes to write, encourage her.

I walk this earth at the moment with only one song in mind- My Sassy Girl's themesong "I Believe". My God! The last time I felt like this was when I saw Notting Hill for the first time... and it never lasted this long. I've never seen a movie that's both simple and beautiful, and touches the heart so dearly from start till end.

I laughed. I cried. I smiled and shed silent tears in the end. I watched it all over again, and it's always like watching it for the first time. I'm going to rave about this movie till I get tired of it... which is definitely not to happen sometime soon. I'll just wait for my Gyun-woo to come... maybe he's also waiting in the MRT station. Sigh. Big sigh. Gyun-woo...

Feb25

2005-02-28T06:20:00.001+08:00

Is it almost March already? Has February 25 already passed? I thought that day's supposed to be a big day for this nation?

What happened last Friday? All I heard is that everyone's been scared about bomb threats scattered all around Metro Manila... for some reason. Some reason, I heard someone say. Tsk.

I took a ride at MRT at 8 o'clock in the morning, thinking that everyone should be out already, partying in front of Robinsons Galleria. But to my surprise (and disappointment), MRT was a ride as easy as November 1. I even got to sit alone on my bench. For the first time.

Have people already learned to ignore February 25? I mean, it's the day Filipinos got hold of the democracy they're enjoying now- Freedom that was taken away from them for a very long time. Or is it that they're not enjoying the democracy they've fought for nine years ago?

I heard in the news that the commemoration of the first EDSA Revolution, the real EDSA Revolution, has gone bland this year. Nasayang lang daw ang pag-declare ng holiday that day, a government official says. Ladies and gentlemen, next year, a decade after 1986, February 25 will just be just an ordinary day.

I'm not surprised, though. Living has gone really bad in this country, all because of the revolution that promised them good life years ago. People thought, after Marcos, the Philippines would finally have a chance to grow as a nation, with a new kind of government whom they fought for. We thought the "utang-na-loob" system would still work- fight for someone who shows promise in governing the country, and he/she'll definitely return the favor by really serving the people. Too bad the people had to learn the difficult way. "Utang-na-loob" in politics does not work for the people's benefit.

Come to think of it, where had all those Feb25 celebrities gone? Cardinal Sin has retired from service. Although he tries to remain the always-ignored conscience of the government, his failing health seems to push him out of the spotlight these days. As we are still in search of the country's next Sin, Cory Aquino's name has been slowly blemished by her daughter's misdeeds and the Cojuanco's political ambitions, but, regardless, remains a loving mother and an icon of a once-lively hope. Fidel Ramos have maintained an image of being "a president who has resigned from usual work", but seems to still be working in the background as the administration's no.1 supporter. Gringo Honasan's been going in and out of the opposition, but remains a covert rebel, nevertheless. Juan Ponce Enrile,... well... I don't know if he's been an ass eversince (since I was just a kid in 1986)... but I just don't know how he became associated with such a divine event. People change. All in all, they've left a mark in history, but that mark seems like a castle in the beachsand. Their memory has not enough power like Ninoy Aquino or Marcos to last that long. Specially when their presence can't be felt in the midst of the people's current sufferings.

Is really that the spirit of EDSA 1986 has faded already? I think so. Seems that the freedom that our elders had fought for is just another Aesop story. The excitement and enthusiasm to fight for an idealism has gone, specially now that people can't even afford to fight idealism even for a day. That's how the system works now... and it was no wonder why, even as Feb 25 was declared as holiday, construction sites still operate, the markets were still as busy as a beehive, and Juan de la Cruz still chose to go to work instead of thinking of celebrating what's already is an elite party. Makati and Ortigas can still afford to celebrate, however. That's why MRT wasn't crowded that day. Has the spirit of EDSA 1986 faded completely? I hope not. What's the worth of this blog if that is so?

I mean, it's such a big waste. I hear a lot of good stories about the EDSA 1986 from my old folks- stories that would really uplift your spirit, and make you teary-eyed sometimes. I've heard one story where some folks would even last two to three days without sleep, just sitting on the ground which is now the Galleria, waiting for the results of their plight while not mindful of what things to come... they were one because of one divine goal- they want change- and that's it. No politicians or celebrity to take advantage of the said event in sight- those were the only days when good politics ever existed in this country- when the common people and the elite, young and old, regardless of ethnicity and religion, became one. Those were the days when people overcame hunger, uncertainties and fear. Those were the days when the Philippines became really united by a single goal. Those were the days when I wish I was already old enough to be with them. Big sigh.

Due to corruption, there came poverty. Due to poverty, there came ignorance. And with ignorance came blind submission. Then will eventually come loss of self-worth. Juan dela Cruz is slowly becoming a zombie. I still won't be surprised if, one day, even Christmas won't be remembered in this country. Dear Mother Mary of the EDSA Shrine, I pray for another REAL revolution before that happens.

SPAM!

2005-02-25T23:17:00.000+08:00

Look who's been receiving good spam lately...

1. Ever seen the latest trailer of Star Wars Episode III?

2. Ever seen new movie stills of THAT same movie?

3. Ever seen the latest news from Iraq?

4. How about the latest trailer from Fantastic Four?

Ooooh seldom do I get satisfied by these kinda spam. Teeheehee...

Moo.

2005-02-22T22:43:00.000+08:00

Thanks Philip! This spam definitely made me giggling this morning...

------------------------------------------------------

TRADITIONAL ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies and the economy grows.
You retire on the income.

CHINESE ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You have 300 people milking them.
You claim full employment, high bovine productivity and arrest anyone
reporting the actual numbers.

INDIAN ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You worship them.

PAKISTAN ECONOMICS
You don't have any cows.
You claim that the Indian cows belong to you.
You ask the US for financial aid, China for military aid, Britain for
warplanes, Italy for machines, Germany for technology, France for
submarines, Switzerland for loans, Russia for drugs and Japan for
equipment.
You buy the cows with all this and claim exploitation by the world.

AMERICAN ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You sell one and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
You profess surprise when the cow drops dead.
You put the blame on some nation with cows & naturally that nation will
be a danger to mankind.
You wage war to save the world and grab the cows.

FRENCH ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You go on strike because you want three cows.

GERMAN ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You reengineer them so that they live for 100 years, eat once a month
and milk themselves.

BRITISH ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
They are both mad.

ITALIAN ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You don't know where they are.
You break for lunch.

SWISS ECONOMICS
You have 5000 cows, none of which belong to you.
You charge others for storing them.

JAPANESE ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You redesign them so that they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary
cow
and produce twenty times the milk.
You then create cute cartoon cow images called COWKIMON and market them
worldwide.

RUSSIAN ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
You count them again and learn you have 17 cows.
You give up counting and open another bottle of vodka.

MALAYSIAN ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You slaughter one for Hari Raya Puasa and the other for Hari Raya Haji.
Just before that, both the cows were wandering along the PLUS Highways.

PHILIPPINE ECONOMICS
You have only one cow.
So the government claims there is a shortage of cows.
The government ask grants from other countries so the country can
produce more cows.
The other countries oblige.
The government divides the grants among themselves, and blames the
opposition of corruption.
The people stage People Power 42.
The government is overthrown.
Then its back to the single cow.

Word of the day

2005-02-11T23:43:00.000+08:00

imbecile

::adjective; Synonyms RETARDED, backward, dim-witted, dull, feebleminded, half-witted, moronic, simpleminded, slow, slow-witted.

Now, children, give me a sentence that uses the word "imbecile". Anyone? ;-p

About "VAT 2"

2005-02-08T22:57:00.000+08:00

Nahh I'm not suggesting anarchism here... I just wish we could just get rid of those politicians once we've felt these people aren't doing their jobs well anymore. Like we don't have to wait for four years before we could try and kick 'em out of their seats. Have a legitimate and fool-proof survey running every month on how people perceive our leaders- if they suck, then they're out (or send them to exile if they reaaaaally really suck). Of course, these surveys should be administered and decided on by people who really think and are aware of the country's situation- for instance, carefully selected students from universities and colleges in the country. (But then again, there's another question: who selects the students? Hay naku... it's not "who", but "how" we select them. Think about it.)

Why not let the common people decide? Because I do think the common people needs to be educated first. We, in general, still lack national consciousness. The common people still needs to be educated. It's like doing business, the harvest may not come today, but it's still a very good investment if our goal is a nicely governed and stable country. But where's the budget for education?

But I still believe there will come a time when we'll all have a great country. Education for all is a good start. In the first place, we won't end up with bad governance and being the 1st in the list of the most corrupt countries in the world if the people knows how to vote wisely. That's why I do think it's a viscious cycle- the corrupt needs to maintain the people's ignorance, for ignorance is a great tool for manipulation. So for them, why educate the people? Keep em stupid.

Value Added Terror 2

2005-02-08T09:36:00.000+08:00

So many things were in my mind recently, things that I just have to blurt out. Although I may be keeping those personal thoughts in mind for the meantime (since my Elmo is still away for a nice cozy chat), I'd just spill some of those thoughts here, before they rot... (notice the angry tone of words...)

1. The recent additional VAT heralded by the most kind Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo proves only one thing: That the president is a real enemy of the people. News reports tell us about a president who constantly contacts lawmakers who oppose this dreaded plague by phone. Although Malacañang claims that this isn’t true, as the Filipino saying goes: “Pag may usok, may apoy.” I do believe Gloria has a lot to do with this. Picture this: President Gloria calling congressmen and senators using her expensive cellphone, urging them to pass the bill that would approve VAT. It’s just too much to take.

This is a desperate move to solve the fiscal crisis of the country, passing the burden to the poor, who, as history tells us, will not budge even to the worst form of tyrannical abuse.

We strongly oppose this increase in value-added tax. In fact, we condemn it. It defies the notion that the government works for the people. It just makes it obvious that, indeed, Gloria’s government works AGAINST the people. This is not an urgent solution to the problem, as it is obvious that there are many better alternatives. Again, it’s been a decades-old notion by Jose Rizal that the only solution for a nation’s fiscal dilemma is to improve the collection of taxes and make sure that revenues are spent justly, down to the very last cent. This is the first solution, not the last one! But it seems that Gloria has many things in mind, leaving this very efficient and just solution as the last in the list.

Increased VAT as the “solution” is unfair anyway you look at it. First and foremost, what about improving the way the tax agency collects taxes? How about just being fair and get billions worth of taxes from the operations of the wealthy and powerful? I bet there’s a big percentage of debt to be paid if lawmakers and enforcers would just have the guts (and the conscience) to face this mob that owes our country a lot.

How about making sure that every cent of Juan de la Cruz’s money goes to essential projects, like public works, education, health, etc.? How about beheading these people who take away these valuable resources for personal gain?

But no! The government thinks the best way to pay our country’s debts is to pull the money out directly from the people’s pockets. The men whom we voted because we thought they’ll think of our future and our children’s future is now drawing blood out of our already tired veins, urging us to do extra work amidst our everyday struggle and low quality of life. These same people whom we trusted will be true to their promises think the poor doesn’t deserve even a little taste of leisure, so aside from adding value-added tax on the little things that the poverty-stricken can afford, they’d decide putting more dues to small pleasures like cellphone text messaging. These people think that we don’t deserve driving cheap cars, or buying fancy clothes and fastfood once a week- so they’d add taxes since they think we can’t afford them. These people think of us like carabaos- we will work as long as we eat something similar or close to grass at the end of the day. Who can imagine these people can think of the brilliant evil plans, depriving us of our small heaven?

2. Enter the major players in the fuel industry. Even as the worth of dollar decreases as weeks go buy, these people still want a one to three peso climb in their products’ prices. And they even have the guts to warn us- to scare us- that they’d increase prices every week, amidst signs contradicting their claims of the need for a weekly price hike.

These people behave as though they rule the country! (I think they do run the country… the president would almost lick their toes just to have their likes abide by her political favors.)

There are a lot of evil forces working 24/7 in this country recently. The poor isn’t enthralled by it, but they have no power to go against it. We are still weak-willed as a people, and it breaks my heart that those who keep us down on the mud are the ones whom we voted and trusted with the power that they enjoy right now. The selfish should be executed.

3. About the NLEX rehabilitation. Here’s what’s bugging me ever since the remodeling of the North Luzon Expressway started last year: Isn’t the administration supposed to be the one overseeing this? Aren’t public works and services like the North Luzon Expressway supposed to be provided by the government? So what happened? Did the government just sell their rights to the highway to some old Lopez guy? If something that big is sold, there’s got to be big money involved… where’s the money now? Why are we still in the middle of a financial crisis after selling almost all BASIC SERVICES that the government should be providing the nation?

This leads us to further questions: If the government has sold almost all the reasons why we should pay our taxes- why, then, should we still pay our taxes? We’ll be paying the Lopezes once the refurnished NLEX opens, we’re paying private companies who now run power plants and water systems, we’re paying exclusive for the food that we eat, for the clothes that we wear, for education, etc.- why, then, should we still pay the inutile leadership? They’re not helping anymore, so why should we keep them there on the pedestal? Pull them out of their chairs and throw them in some isolated island in the Antartic, let them create their own country and leave us in peace!

Value Added Terror

2005-02-07T22:53:00.000+08:00

It’s true what they say now days if you want to piss yourself off go right ahead and watch the news. The news is becoming now a days another form of sadistic torture to the citizens of this country. I try as much as I can to appreciate our 6.1% GDP growth and the rise once more of our Philippine peso. But man oh man! Does this administration manage to always cook my goose or what? 12% VAT bill won't directly hit the consumers? And get this! They promise to make it ineffective after 3 years (didn't I hear the same bullsh!t during the Ramos administration?)! But it does not stop there! they are also planning to tax professionals such as doctors and lawyers (Boy do I see more doctors taking up nursing courses to get out of this god forsaken countries)!

Let’s recall history here. During the Ramos Administration the VAT laws were seen as the primary solution to the problem of our foreign debts. They also said that they would make the law ineffective the moment they see that there was no longer a need for such. But the VAT laws became the EVAT (Expanded Value added tax). 10 years later, not only is the VAT law still effective, it did not even reduce the amount of foreign debt that we have to pay. In fact it even increased to unimaginable heights. Fact of the matter is, 80% of our foreign debts were not even used to benefit the common people. Yet our unborn great great great great grandsons will have to pay for it. The prices of basic commodities and services made a painFULL increase just last year. Wow! Talk about perfect timing for the 12% VAT bill! And according to our "noble" congressmen we all should do our part to solve the growing budget deficit problem. All I have to say to that is... "Oh Yeah?! You first knuckle head!"

But there is simply one question here that they haven't satisfactorily answered. Why did we have a budget deficit in the first place? Doesn't the government have enough source of revenue? If they ask more taxes from its people does that necessarily mean that we will already solve our problem with budget deficit. My answer in one word is NO! in two words Hell No! Another 10 years will pass and we will still be right back where we started. It’s a simple cause and effect relationship. misallocation of the budget, government overspending, inefficient tax collection measures, and of course massive government corruption (which by the way has already become a culture Horaay! Horaay!) are some of the reasons why we have this deficit. Say for example the source of revenues, is awater flow, which is collected by a basin, and which in turn is the national treasury/budget. Then water collected from this basin is used for various government necessities. Unfortunately the basin has several holes underneath it, but the problem becomes worse because right beneath the holes is a huge vacuum that sucks all the water to where it is not supposed to be. Need I explain what the vacuum and holes represent? Ok so moving on, we can't therefore simply solve the problem by increasing the water flow. We have to fix the basin first or better yet get a new one.

So much was spent by the president herself to spoil her Generals, her Cabinet members, and even GOCC Presidents. They get High salaries, healthy benefits, luxury cars which are bought and fuelled by tax payers money, and not to mention government positions and contracts. All to assure the she has their loyalty. The one thing that scares her right now is loosing her precious political allies, otherwise she’s a sitting duck to the opposition. She did not even have the decency to reprimand GSIS president Winston Garcia for using its funds so he can make a salary loan to buy a new shiny Volvo. While there are hundreds of government employees who can't even file a salary loan so that their children can go to school? tsk tsk tsk!

Which reminds me of another thing? What happened to her austerity program? was that some sort of a suggestion or a policy? I think that was more of a publicity gimmick. As we all can see, her administration does not have the political will to implement that policy. How dare does congress ask for more taxes when they themselves manage to unliquidate 200 million pesos. And most of them are not even willing to sacrifice even a portion of their pork barrels? Yet here they are bitching us for more taxes.According also to the data of SEC and BIR, there is an estimate of about 50 billion peso worth of taxes uncollected annually. Yet tax evaders manage to shake hands with the president herself during social functions? Not to mention the 200 million worth of uncollected VAT. So tell me? Shoudn't they address this problems first before they ask us for more? Can't these people get a clue that the poor has nothing more to give?

I think the best solution for this problem is for GMA to stop being such a spineless coward and start implementing her policies with firm conviction. But of course if she does that her list of allies will grow thin, she might even have to go up against her ownhusband for the Jose Pidal issue. It’s not an easy job but someone has to do it. This is the problem of our politics, every time politicians want to do the right thing, they want the public to kiss their asses. Fact is you have to declare war if you want to reform this country, and at times you have to act like a one-man army to fight it. If tax collections are done properly and are allocated properly then I think there wouldn't be any need for a 12% VAT. And it should be made sure that tax laws in this country will be taken seriously. We should also be able declare war against corruption, and it should start by imprisoning Erap to send a strong message that no one is above the law. Ok so maybe you think I’m being overly idealistic here. But in the end, it is all a matter of political will, P-O-L-I-T-C-A-L W-I-L-L, something that progressive countries have. And oh yeah maybe GMA should take lessons from Francisco Colayco about austerity. --Ahmad

T'was a big party...

2005-01-31T06:03:00.000+08:00

Four years ago, 11 monkeys tried to suppress the truth and save Erap's ass from being ousted. One of them even made that victory dance. They taunted the intelligent people of this country saying that we can have our street party in EDSA, and when all is said and done, we will be coming back to them with our tails between our legs. They thought that an EDSA 2 would never succeed. Erap will never resign. He even told his supporters that he is like in one of his movies, in the end he will always wins....... NOT!! Oh how wrong did we prove them! How Erap retreated with his tail between his legs, and how the ever arrogant JV Ejercito cried like a little sissy school girl! Damn do I enjoy recalling those moments! Couple of months later they made an attempt with the so-called EDSA 3. But they failed!

Four years after though, alliances have been changed, the country was still in ruins, and slowly but surely Erap begins to beat and make a mockery out of the justice system. To tell you the truth, I'm quite disappointed. But don't get me wrong, if I could travel back four years ago, I still would have went to EDSA the night when the Chief Justice uttered "The No votes have it!" I'm disappointed because the attitude of our politics never changed, I'm disappointed because the bureaucrats never exploited the opportunity to heal the nation, and most of all because Erap is turning the justices of sandigan bayan his puppets without strings. Sometimes I do feel that EDSA 2 was a wasted effort.

One thing I can't understand is that why is it GMA is so obsessed in reconciling with Erap? She can reconcile with the masses, but never with Erap. Until now his ego is still bruised by the fact that we stole his presidency which equates... uhm.... should I say.... his manhood. He can't stand the Idea that a woman half his size replaced him. Do you see the Aquinos and Marcoses reconciling? She even admitted that she is willing to give him a presidential pardon if he admits. Oh good luck! The smartest thing she could do is to consider that somehow someway rap is a threat to the "strong republic" she is trying to build. And every time he is given privileges he continuously grows to become a threat. Guess what? He is even cocky enough to threaten the Philippine Daily Inquirer. I guess old hatreds don't disappear just like that. Moreover in several of his media appearances, he has encouraged a mass revolution in a subtle way, which is becoming more and more obvious every time

Come to think of it, what is not to be cocky about? Lets see who is on his team. The best lawyers tax payer's money could buy, who will defend even Satan himself if the price is right. Ed Angara, the ever loyal henchman who staged several senate coup attempt to gain the majority. Digs Dilanggalen, the faithful ass kisser of Erap who gagged witnesses against his master during the congress investigation and among other things. Jingoy, Daddy's boy, who never fails to make him proud. Rep. Escudero, the young and ever ambitious bureaucrat. And how can I forget Ronald Lumbao... What can I call him?...... Ah the "Che Guevara" wannabe! I can go on and on (I didn't even begin to talk his showbiz allies that manage to amass crowd every rally), and it will take me all day.

The masses of course has always been a means to all this end. How dare do they say that there was an EDSA 3? there was never such! That was a mob riot staged by the henchmen of Erap. But even these opposition leaders did not have the balls to to fight with the masses side by side. When they ordered them to charge where were they? When some were imprisoned, did they even offer any form of help? Not even Ronald Lumbao could have the balls to stand by his people in the front line. How about a Jeepney driver who was arrested during that May 1 attack, he could not go to work for about 3 days at least, how will his family survive if he as imprisoned. Did their leaders care for this? absolutely not! how could they, they were busy hiding their asses. Let's face it folks, the masses are used and abused, but they never understood what they were fighting for or why did they need to fight. I remember one guy asking Chief Justice Davide to resign quoting "Sobra na ang Kanyang Pangbababoy sa saligang batas!" That was such a strong statement said with conviction and authority. But I will bet my one month paycheck he was not even familiar with the preamble which is on the first pages of the constitution. He went there because he was told to, not because he understood how the constitution was violated. They don't understand because the leaders that they follow always mislead them. They are not stupid, "mababaw" but certainly not stupid.

On the other hand, I'm still optimistic about some things. The middle class has played a significant role in every Philippine revolution that dates way back three hundred years ago. Without us EDSA 2 would never become successful. Yes the elitists like the Ayalas and Conceptions participated, but we the middle class were the blood that gave life to EDSA 2. And we are the ones who breathe life in this country. Time and again Erap and his henchmen underestimated, demoralized and insulted us. They brand us as the tyrants of the masses. Well maybe some of us did nothing to help the masses, but at least we never used them for our selfish ambition. In fact we did not even fight for GMA, we will kick her ass if we have to! But I only have this to say... "Don't ever mess with us!, if it wasn't for the precious income tax returns that we file regularly, if it wasn't for the remittances of our relatives who work abroad, if it wasn't for the skills that we have, the education that we have, and the knowledge that we have, this country would have gone straight to hell! I repeat do not mess with the middle class. Leaders have risen and fallen because of us! We may be few in numbers but not in strength. Because truth and justice will always be our strength! So Angarra et al. treat us with some respect!"

A couple of days back, Jingoy was asking Gen. Aglipay to resign, for what? for hanging up on him? Damn! parliamentary immunity is a wonderful thing. He also adds that it is an honorable thing to do. Tell me Jingoy, what does your family know about honor anyway? Your father didn't resign, he did not have the balls to do that! He was fired! Get the difference? In fact if Prime Minister Koizumi was in your fathers shoes, he would have committed harakiri infront of national TV to preserve his honor. And he would have done it way sooner when people started to learn about his midnight cabinet. But get this! Erap can be acquitted in every charge, but he will never gain his honor back, not even in a million years!. You don't believe me? Check out the elementary text books and see how the intelligent people remembered his administration. Besides take a lesson from the Marcoses!

Happy EDSA 2 anniversary! -Ahmad

80s girl

2005-01-31T05:53:00.000+08:00

I am basically an 80s girl. I am guilty of wearing long yellow socks and polka-dots miniskirts and singing Debbie Gibson songs. Those were the days Philip Landangan is talking about in this email that he sent me.

---------------------------------

Ito ang mga huling taon ng dekada '80 at ang mga unang taon ng dekada '90. Ito ang panahong uso pa ang makiuso. Kung ginagaya mo ang style ng mga artista, hindi katatawaging jologs. Ito ang panahong tapos na ang martial law, pero malayo pa ang new millennium. Hindi pa high-tech pero di naman old fashioned. Saktong-sakto lang!

Ito ang panahon natin. Pero pano mo malalaman kung kabilang ka sa henerasyong ito? Narito ang listahan na makapagpapatunay if you're one of us. R U?

1. Paborito mong panoorin ang Shaider, Bio-man, Maskman, Mask Rider Black, Machine Man at kung ano-anong TV sitcom ng Japan na isinalin sa Tagalog. Break muna sa mga laro kapag alas singko na ng hapon tuwing Sabado dahil panahon na para sa superhero marathon.

2. Alam mo ang jingle ng Nano-Nano. (isang kending lasang champoy)

3. Nanood ka ng Takeshi's Castle at naniwala kang si Anjo Yllana talaga si Takeshi at si Smokey Manaloto ang kanyang alalay. (Pinagiisipan mo - pano sila lumalaban sa final challenge na parang nakasakay sila sa isang bumpcar at nagbabarilan sila gamit ang water gun gayong sa Japan ginagawa yun eh taga Pilipinas sila?)

4. Alam mo ang pa-contest ng Kool 106 na uulit-ulitin mong bigkasin ang "Kool 106, Kool 106" hanggang maubusan ka ng hininga.

5. Naglaro ka ng Shake-Shake Shampoo, Monkey-Monkey-Annabelle,
prikidam 123, Langit-Lupa-Impyerno, Syato, Luksong-Tinik, Luksong-Baka, 10-20 at kung ano-ano pang larong nakakapagod.

6. Pumunta ang mga taga-MILO sa skul niyo at namigay sila ng
samples na nakalagay sa plastic cup na kasing laki nung sa maliit na ice cream. (at nagtaka ka, bakit hindi ganito ang lasa ng MILO kapag tinitimpla ko sa bahay namin?)

7. May malaking away ang mga METAL (mga punks na naka itim) at mga HIPHOP (mga taong naka maluwang na puruntong na kahit Makita na ang dalawang bundok.)Nag-aabangan sa mall na may dalang baseball bat at kung anu-ano pang mga sandata. Sikat ang kasabihang "PUNKS NOT DEAD!" pero kung gusto mong mag play
safe, pwede mong tawagin ang sarili mong HIPTAL.

8. Alam mo ang universal uwian song na "Uwian na!" na kinakanta sa tono na parang doon sa kinakasal.

9. Nagpauto ka sa Batibot pero hindi sa ATBP. [hahahaha!! totoo yan!!]

10. Nakipag-away ka para makapaglaro ng brick game. (hi-tech na yun noon) [meron ata akon niyan--yung 1000 in 1!! ]

11. Ang "text" noon ay mga 1"x1.5" na karton na may mga drawing ng pelikulang pinoy. (at may dialog pa!)

12. Dalawa lang ang todong sumikat na wrestler, si Hulk Hogan at si Ultimate Warrior. Naniwala ka rin na namatay si Ultimate Warrior nang buhatin niya si Andre d' Giant dahil pumutok ang mga ugat niya sa muscle.

13. Nagsayaw ka ng running man at kung anu-anong dance steps na
nakapagpamukha sa'yong tanga sa saliw na kantang Ice Ice Baby,
Wiggle It, Pray at Can't Touch This.

14. Hindi ka gaanong mahilig sa That's Entertainment at pinapanood mo lang ito tuwing Sabado kung saan nagpapagandahan ng production numbers ang Monday hanggang Friday group. (at badtrip ka sa Wednesday group dahil pinakabaduy lagi ang performance nila!)

15. Napaligaya ka ng maraming pinoy bands tulad ng Yano, Rivermaya, Grin Department, Tropical Depression, The Teeth, The Youth, After Image,Orient Pearl, The Dawn, Alamid, Wolfgang, at ang sikat na sikat na Eraserheads. (at aminin mong nakinig ka ng Siakol!)

16. Kilala mo ang Smokey Mountain, (first and second generation)

17. Hindi pa uso noon ang sapatos na may gulong. Noon, astig ka kapag umiilaw ang swelas ng sapatos mo tuwing ia-apak mo ito. Tinawag rin itong "Mighty Kid"

18. Kung lalaki ka, sikat na sikat sa'yo ang mga larong text, jolens, dampa (mga unang anyo ng pustahan), saranggola at ang dakilang manika niyo ay si GI-JOE with alipores.

19. Kung babae ka naman, ang mga laro mo with you're girlfriends ay luto-lutuan, bahay-bahayan, doktor-doktoran, at kung anu-ano pang pagkukunwari . ang dakilang manika mo ay si Barbie. (Sikat ka kung meron kang bahay, kotse at kabaong ni Barbie.)[meron ako nung mansion ni barbie!!]

20. Naniwala kang original ang isang cap kapag may walong tahi sa visor nito.

21. Swerte ka kapag panghapon ka dahil masusubaybayan mo ang mga kapanapanabik na kaganapan sa mga paborito mong cartoon shows tuwing umaga tulad ng Cedie, Sarah, at Dog of Flanders a.k.a. Nelo. (Hindi ka ba nagtataka na sa lahat ng mga bida sa cartoons na ito, si Nelo lang ang di yumaman at namatay pa ng maaga)

22. Alam mo ang ibig sabihin ng "TIME FIRST!"

Bakit kaya ganon? Kahit sang lupalop ka ng Pilipinas naroon, eh nakaka-relate ka sa mga pinagsasasabi ko. Siguro'y dahil wala pang cable at kakaunti lang ang pagpipiliang channels kaya parepareho tayo ng pinapanood. Maaaring wala pang playstation kaya kung anu-ano na lang ang naiimbentong laro na pwedeng gawin sa kalsada o sa isang bakanteng lote. Pero kung ano man ang dahilan sa pagkaparepareho natin ng karanasan, masaya na rin akong naging bata ako sapanahong ito. Masarap alalahanin at balik-balikan. Di ba?

--------------------------

Monkey-monkey Anabelle... teeheehee...

Fat Bastard!!!

2005-01-20T06:40:00.000+08:00

Oh this is just one sad scene. Bhuu huu huu.

Jinggoy, the fat bastard strikes again. Now, he's putting up a fight with PNP General Aglipay. Why? For not letting his father's cohorts visit him in his luxurious cell. Every night, his yucky face is featured on news briefs, yapping about how General Aglipay allegedly showed disrespect to the pig. I even caught him saying, "Ang kapal ng mukha nya (Aglipay)... to lobby for a second term." (Obviously grabbing English words desperately to express this boastful claim, like how his father had been doing).

That was not disrespect. You know what's disrespectful? Does he think disobeying the rules, bullying at officials whose ranks are lower than his, and spending a privileged speech in the Senate about this puny incident instead of focusing on more significant matters adds dignity to a Senator's persona? STUPID!!!! Who voted this guy anyway? Had he been noted for doing his job eversince he assumed his role as a senator? Had he fulfilled any of the promises he made to his clueless followers? No. The only news-worthy issue he's been involved since 2004 are issues about his father, his family, himself. Now, he's claiming respect from people?! He's a certified JERK!

I'd say good for Aglipay for standing firmly for what's right. Indeed, he needed to assert orders from the Sandigang Bayan : No visitors at the end of the day. I mean, these are rules to be obeyed by everyone, even high-ranking political officials. (Law makers should not be law breakers themselves... they must set an example.) Finally, someone from the PNP ranks have the guts to stand up for what is right.

This makes me wonder- what if only a simple policeman is assigned to the General's post, would he be doing the same thing also?

Anyway, like I said, I would have commended the General. I would have, if only he had not come out the next day with apologies extended to the pig. Why should you be sorry if you did something right?!?!?

Then in came Enrile, demanding the quick resignation of the poor general for showing disregard to Senator Loi's position. He reports that General Aglipay had the "poor" senator walk her way to Erap's whereabouts during one of her visits, because vehicles are not allowed in the compound. Why, Mr. Enrile? Can't senators walk these days?! Just so she won't toast her feet due to the day's heat, is General Aglipay supposed to bend the rules?

Again... who voted for these jerks anyway?! These people make my blood really boil. Aargh!

"nagoyo"

2005-01-16T08:41:00.000+08:00

I've just learned a new Tagalog word today. The word is "nagoyo." Yes, nagoyo. From the root word "goyo", it means "to make fool of." It also means to trick, to deceive, or to bamboozle ala-April Fools Day. Also synonymous to the word "naloko".

For instance, "Nagoyo na naman ni Erap ang Sandigang Bayan." Meaning- Erap has made fools out of the staff of the Sandigang Bayan again.

To further illustrate this is quite simple. Erap's wise lawyers filed a request in Sandigang Bayan. Says he's going to Hongkong to have his knees surgically treated. Sure. Sandigang Bayan gave the permit. Erap went to Hongkong. Invited mediamen to cover his several days of stay in a hospital, and to make it known that he is apparently sick. Then, when coast was clear, went out of the hospital and had dinner with his cohorts. (Erap, by the way, has a number of definitions for the word "dinner".) Back in the Philippines, news of this "dinner" came out. Sandigang Bayan just stands there, like stupid monkeys scratching their heads with their mouths open. Altogether now... "Nagoyo na naman ni Erap ang Sandigang Bayan."

April Fools Day comes once in a year only. Seems like in Sandigang Bayan, it happens almost every day. Teeheehee...

Big 2005

2005-01-11T09:21:00.000+08:00

Filipinos are starving, but look at her as she celebrates. Whoopee.

Happy New Year, folks. In spite of all the problems that we had last year, let us be thankful that we still had the luxury of celebrating Christmas and New Year. Let us pray for the poor souls of over 150,000 who died because of that tsunami attack. Yes 2004 was quite a ride, so buckle up for another one this coming year.

OK. So now lets get down to business! Here are some controversies or yet-to-be-controversies that started the year 2005.

1.) "Economy is expected to boost this coming year"-GMA

Ahmad: Didn't she say that last year? Yet she later on declared a fiscal crisis (which was ongoing in the first place before her declaration). But after a few months she took it back, saying that it was no more. Now, I'm happy that the peso is initially increasing its value, and the stock market seems to be breathing life again, and I can only pray that this changes will be stable for the months to come. But here's an idea for GMA, she can write a book entitled "The Complete Idiots Guide to Solving a Fiscal Crisis in Less than Three Months", that oughta be in the best sellers list for fictions.... Need I say more?

Katie: Oh yes she mentioned something about that last year. She also promised that our electricity bills will go way down last year, before May 2004. Oh yes, she did.

2.) Tax, increase in government services, and more taxes.

Some of you might already cussing every public official you can, when you found out that toll way fees will be increasing above a hundred percent this year. And if your car breaks down in the middle of the south super highway, you are still gonna be paying for the towing of your vehicle. Isn't that supposed to be included in the toll fees that we are paying? Only in the Philippines, ladies and gentlemen... Only in the Philippines.

And of course, the Senate wants to conduct a special session to pass the "Sin Tax Bill". Why not? The Government could use a little more revenue. The question is.... What happens if that does not solve your deficit, because they don't allocate the budget the way its supposed to? Tax us some more of course. Well, folks, there goes our governments austerity measures.

Katie: This goes to show that our so-called leeaadurrs has a lot of twisted plans in store for us this year... brace yourselves.

3.) Willie Revillame coming back in ABS-CBN?

OK I know some of you couldn't care less about this issue, but I just have to let it all out. WHO THE HELL DOES WILLIE REVILLAME HAVE TO SLEEP WITH TO KEEP COMING TO ABS-CBN!!!!? Not only are they planning to give him two shows, but they are also planning to reformat MTB, in order to put him in the spotlight. Meanwhile, the other hosts that bust their @sses off to come up with a show (I can't say a good one), might need to find another Job. For what? to boost ratings? Come on, ABS-CBN, you will still get your precious ratings without Willie. What is it with him? He ain't handsome, maybe he knows how to host, but he is not exexactlyreat at it. Can someone explain this to me please? Hasn't he been suspended quite a few times already because of his foul jokes, and attitude problem? Isn't it that even his co-hosts had problems with putting up with him? Really... Please explain to me why we have to put up with his arrogant attitude, offensive jokes, and his nanarcissismAnd please don't give that "he-helps-poor-aspirants-to-have-something-in-life-crap". He gets paid to do all that. He makes fun of the contestants in his game shows, and even ethnic people in his program "Willingly Yours". Hell! We can even argue that this guy is a racist. Is this ABS-CBN's way of telling us that the Filipino audience is
their itch? hmmmm.

Katie: Willie Revillame will be back in Philippine television? This goes to show that there's no real hope for Philippine entertainment.

4.) Parole for former Congressman Romeo Jalosjos.

Just when I thought I couldn't be more disgusted with congress..... comes another issue. A group of congressman are trying to pass a resolution to set free the convicted child rapist. Jalosjos isn't exactlyome punk who stole a can of beer from a local 7-11 outlet... He raped an 11 yeyear oldirl for Christ's sake! He has to serve two life sentences. He used every trick in the book to beat the law, he tried to escape, run for congress, and now get a stroke for people to pitty him. Do these congressmen, have daughter maybe even mothers? And oh yeah! where in the world will you find a convicted child rapist serving in congress making laws and earning salary from the national treasury?

But why do I act surprised anyway? Couple of months ago the lelegislativeody survived the escort controversy. Sure they conducted an investigation, but as we all know, it served the interests of the politicians involved rather the concerned public. Guess who they put in charge of the investigation? Jinggoy Estrada (why him of all people?). OK so may be I'm doing Ad Hominem here. But come to think of it, if he tolerated the illicit affairs of his own father, what makes you think he gives a rats @ss about the other politician's illicit affairs? They might as well said that they wont do a damn thing about the expose. It was like asking a monkey well... "Ape" according to Katie) to guard a banana plantation. Remember when Jinggoy said "Dad I won't fail you"? And boy didn't he? Daddy must be so proud of you, Jinggoy!

Katie: A lot of people deserve to get this privilege. Surely, there are lots of prisoners in Muntinglupa wrongly accused of their crimes. But does Gloria want us to believe that Jalosjos is a saint among all these innocent people? I'd gladly pay my taxes, if it'd be for Gloria's psychiatrist.

But then, if Erap can play the Sandigang Bayan with his fingers, why not Jalosjos as well?

5.) Erap finally getting a house arrest.

I'm sorry for saying this but here it goes WHHHHYYY DON'T YOU JUST DIE ERAP!!! YOU FAT BASTARD!! WHY DON'T YOU JUST F**KING DIE!! DIE BASTARD!!! DIE!!!!! DIE!!! Erap probably is giving us Edsa 2 people the finger. He has been complaining with this all sorts of ailments that he is suffering. Then why don't he just die and end his mmiseryincluding ours. Not only does he get the best hospital treatment but he also gets to leave the country. The Sandigan Bayan did not even bother to ask a second opinion, if his knee surgery could be done in this country, no! no!. In fact they may even allow him to stay in his house in green hills when comes back (assuming he does not escape). Slowly but surely he beats the justice system. He even mocks us by saying he will come back to lead a revolution against corruption and tyranny. Oh what was the reason why you were ousted again erap? He even used the necrological service of his dear friend to get back at the "elitist that stole his presidency. For a change Erap, why don't you fight with your true enemies, you are the one who supported the eelitists(Danding, Jaime de Chavez et al.), and they are the ones helping you buy your freedom. Why don't you face the the tax payers, the Filipino students, the middle class, whom you were not able to fool, for a change. Fat bastard!

Katie: Oooh... did you see that picture of Erap and Imelda Marcos embracing during the wake of FPJ? That one's a classic.

Also, if Jinggoy can fake a heart attack (remember that time he was rushed to a hospital on a wheelchair, wearing that face, as if he's really sick and all? Another classic.

Anyways, Happy New year and I wish the best for all of us (err.. maybe not for all of us). Remember if we don't think we have a future as a country we won't have one. Cheers!