Some Morning news

It's Monday and so very early in the morning. I did not intend to wake up at this hour, but I would just have to force myself to sleep later and make the most out of it.

In the news, our very own President was on a recent trip to the United States. He was in New York. And unlike the former president who had a controversial million-pesos dinner in one of the poshest restaurants in town, President Aquino decided to flip the coin and eat hotdogs that are popularly sold in the streets of New York. I know it wasn't a show to exhibit his modesty. The President is humble and simple to begin with. I know he really wanted to eat hotdogs. But Senator Zubiri also has a simple and shallow point, but nevertheless a point. Though the President's intention is good, he also has to watch eating processed and fatty foods almost everyday as report says. It doesn't take a doctor to realize that hotdogs and hamburgers eaten everyday could damage his health and nobody wants that to happen to the president.

Too much of everything is bad. Being too humble at the expense of your health is pointless. Go ahead Mr. President. You could eat at any respectable restaurants and I won't scrutinize you. You deserve it. You are my president and even I certainly won't catch myself eating hotdogs and burgers every single day. Respectable is quite different from extravagant. We'd rather have you in good shape to fight corruption than be too modest and sick. Go ahead, make that restaurant reservation. I would.


****

I learned a new thing in the world of diplomacy today.

In important meetings like this where the attendees are countries' highest officials and everything is televised, you would imagine certain protocols are strictly observed. I imagine when I was a fresh graduate working for a bank, I was helping my boss prepare the conference room for an important budget meeting with the corporate's officials. Everything was thought of. From food, to materials, to the types of chairs and to the presentation. We made sure that our bank officers were properly recognized and represented.


It seems someone did not do his job right. Diplomacy experts noted that something is wrong in the picture. While the picture seemed to depict like an ordinary peaceful meeting, the message of the Philippine flag seemed to suggest something else. According to experts, the flag which is behind Pres. Aquino was displayed upside down. The blue should have been at the top instead of the red. It should have been attached to the pole in such a way that the blue is on the left side of the representative. Any normal person would've passed by this image, but experts say that the flag's display could have been easily interpreted as our country in a state of war.

US apologizes for the display as it was just an honest mistake. I'm sure it was, from the picture, everything looked peaceful. And at the end of the day what we're really after is the purpose and the substance of the meeting and nothing more.


Pic: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-philippine-flag,0,5867750.story

***

Not that it really matters to me, but Mariel Rodriguez and Robin Padilla finally admitted that they're married.

Thank god they have admitted it because they're all over the place and I am already getting irritated. I thought a simple admission would do. I may not be a direct fan of their match, but it's not like I am the one living with the person and leaving my career behind. My mother who likes Mariel felt a pinch of betrayal when news started to come up. I looked at her briefly and she realized she was just feeling silly. She thought that with Robin Padilla, she would've said yes too.

I honestly think that it's not a crime to fall in love and get married at your own pace. It just so happens that it was a quick and big personal decision made by public personalities that made it a bit explosive. Everyone deserves to be happy and I'd give them that.

So for that I say congratulations.

As people outside of the relationship, we have no right to judge how things will turn out based on the number of days, months they have known each other. We have no capacity to judge their feelings because we weren't there. We weren't there crazy in love. Of course we provide caution based on statistics, but love has encompassed boundaries of science. It's unexplainable. And the length of courtship or intensity of bonding are things best left to those who are really involved. So I say congratulations that as adults they have professed their love and decided to take the leap that most of us are scared or not yet ready to do.



After this if people still keep on chatting about it, it's not out of concern anymore. It's already a product of jealousy of their happiness and that is somehow pathetic.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloSkSR98dtuyc813Rv_FJc0YPS6Gih7k92MiKrppQJHG0YqkkPQDjs0uvwgloHQs49ISu_Ib2bL-JzXMNntRkDGFcbB6ybG7ev4WLcBMpnRZSW0fmxKRx3PnvPcQkewoe1OeMq0i2rx0W/s1600/Robin-Mariel.jpg
***

Facebook has totally outlived all other social networking sites available. It has toppled the life expectancy records of Multiply and Friendster. Whoever planned and developed Facebook should be given an award equivalent to a Nobel Prize. Through Facebook people stay connected and updated with what's happening in life. When I was in the States and I couldn't call my boyfriend, I reach out to him through Facebook. It depends on the mode. I could chat with him, send him a message and read updates with what's going on with his life. And I could comment. For the purpose of friends and community, we organize lunches there, send greetings and most importantly we know we don't have to gossip in person anymore. On a serious note, important social and political messages get spread out fast like fire and of course it's FREE. People have voices and tailored identities in Facebook.

I think the proportion of people getting laptops and updated phones is to be connected to Facebook all the time. I also believe there is a connection of telecommunication companies lowering their fees and creatively looking of ways to go unlimited surfing because people want to stay connected to their emails, to valuable sights and of course to Facebook. Fathers, grandmothers or household helps have Facebook accounts. It's a Facebook world and aliens from outer space must be studying its relation to human lives right now.

God forbid something goes wrong with the site. According to news on Sept. 23, there was an outage and the site was made unavailable to some users. According to company officials, it has been restored and they apologized for the inconvenience. I smelled panic there.

There is also a Facebook movie coming up which is a lose version on how Facebook came about. The movie centers on the 26 year old socially awkward Harvard student who thought of a way to get his peers more connected. Apparently the real life Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook who happens to be a billionaire and ranked with the likes of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and entrepreneurial giants, didn't approve of the movie's depiction. His younger film version apparently created Facebook to meet girls and not to improve the world's connectivity, which is essentially the reason why he built the site.

There is no denying that Facebook became a household name and it hatched a movie about its beginnings and the lives of people who were behind its creation. It's unstoppable. It's part of the daily grind and people get more hooked. I believe if the site crashed for some reason, people would get devastated and communication will get impaired. Just to note that I have a Facebook account, my dog has one too. I think nowadays, that's normal.

Explosion at the Bar Exams

My Facebook wall yesterday had full of posts from friends who were actually present in the bomb incident in the last Bar Exams in De La Salle University. Thankfully, none of my friends who were there were injured. But most of them witnessed the gore and heard the explosion. According to the the news, it happened at around 5:05 pm just as they were cheering the examinees as they left the DLSU campus. The crowd initially thought the blast was part of the program.

Police are looking at every angle. It could be a frat driven incident or a loose-minded person who just wanted to stir things around. Whatever the case is, I hope the police close this case fast. Have the attorneys of San Beda, who were the most heavily injured, prosecute the alleged criminal. That would be very interesting and a quick match-off.

The expected backlash

Another Filipino worker, Julie, said her 60-year-old employer, for whom she has worked for 14 years, did not speak to her after the hostage crisis.

“She watched news on TV about the hijacking. She did not talk to me and did not give me dinner on Wednesday,” she said. *(PDI)

Reading about this breaks my heart, but I knew at some point this would happen. I just hope his is an isolated case.

It seems no matter how we try to emphasize how sorry we are for the hostage crisis and how embarrassed and shocked we are on how our own police force dealt with it, it would never be enough. It would take time for the Chinese community to forgive and understand where we're coming from. Though we don't force them to totally heal in the near future, I do hope they do not retaliate by harming the well being of the Filipino people in their territories. Hurting people won't help anything, they should know.

May the Philippine government take necessary steps to ensure the lives and well being of their citizens are secure. May they be proactive, visible and sincere.

I don't know how the Department of Tourism could remedy this, but they'd better be creative and execute fast.

I don't know how the Philippine Police Force could redeem themselves, but they'd better try harder and seek consultants and experts, please.

Recession's over

I promised myself that once I get enough money, I'll pay off my credit card debts even if I have to struggle for the remaining days until the next pay day. I was so determined that I went too conservative with my expectations and I was ready to sweat it off for a couple of weeks until a certain miracle from God arrived. I went to an ATM machine last Friday to get my expected money, when my eyes nearly dropped upon seeing a relatively generous amount. I got a friend over to confirm the numbers and indeed it was true. I thought I would be paying my debts in installment basis, but a certain miracle from God, something that I didn't expect at all, arrived. With the money I received, I would be able to pay off all my credit card debts, shop for new office attires, treat my friends and family and buy myself a new set of books, things that I thought I would only do one payday at a time.

So, first things first. I withdrew the large chunk to clear my credit card debts. I also used some and had one whole day of retail therapy. I treated my family and some friends to dinner and I just recently went to a bookstore and bought all the books that I wanted, the same books that I wasn't able to buy due to my most recent personal recession.

For others they already think I will put all the money straight to the bank, but little did they know I already spent 3/4 of it. It's not out of recklessness, impulse and frustration this time. 3/4 of that money went to paying debts. And I tell you, being debt-free is priceless for me. A chunk of it also went to meaningful sharing and some of it was used to buy me new clothes and supplies. I still have something left of it, but quite paltry compared to the original amount I got last Friday. I didn't feel bad, in fact I feel happy that all the money I spent this weekend was put to good use. Besides I got more than what I expected that instead of feeling disheartened, I am still very thankful.

I'm happy that I've sorted out my finances somehow. I'm proud that I did the right thing and I'm very thankful that I now have the means to do it. I'm now on my roads to recovery while being totally debt-free at that. I couldn't have done it on my own. I have so many reasons to thank God, you can't imagine. I've waited and sacrificed so much that the term: "God provides" has become an understatement.

This is the new me. Debt-free, from recession to recovery.

La Nina

I don't know about you, but I'm so loving the weather for the past few days. Especially for me who has to sleep during the day, I appreciate the gloom and the slight improvement in temperature. El Nino was such a drag. Seriously. Some might think I'm biased because I'm really not a fan of summer ever since I was born, but I doubt if the summer-beach fanatics could also genuinely love the heat we've experienced for the past four months.

Forget about El Nino guys because it's official, La Nina's taking over the country.

Rainy season has lots of advantages and disadvantages just like summer, but it still works for me. It really depends on the person. For me, I like the rainy season and seeing everything in gray because it calms me completely. I happen to like my disposition when it's gloomy and cold because I'd get to think and be more productive. Unlike during summer, I'm just hopeless. I'm cranky and the heat affects how I work. It's true that rains may be a bit of a hassle in long commutes and trips, but as long as you are prepared and the infrastructures are ready, it shouldn't be that bad.

For those who like summer, well, your time's over. The rain will reign. In fact, 2 tropical cyclones (aka: Storm) are coming this month.

But of course, everything in good quantities. I also don't want a repeat of Ondoy.

Let Willie resign

I was a fan of Willie because he was an underdog who pulled himself to primetime stardom. He got himself into trouble, usually marital, in public as far as I could remember. He was never the leading man type. He's not a box office actor and he's not exactly what you would call credible. Yet he makes people happy and that's something hard to achieve.

But he has charisma and a great one. Probably he exudes connection with different kinds of people so well because he has candid honesty. He shares what he wants and he doesn't pretend what he's not. But he just overdid it.

He may be a powerful money source for a network. He built Wowowee from scratch and it's now a household noontime show. It was fun until he got tired and frustrated with things. Though he is a public figure, not all frustrations and threats should be made on air. He may be the hot thing right now, but he's not god. I believe there is a proper venue for everything. Threatening your work, your co-workers and your management on air recently was just one of his strings of misstep that sprang from sheer arrogance and power that have gone way too far. Worse, this is not the first time it happened.

What Wowowee did to him is build his self confidence. The once underdog can now demand for work because he has proven himself profitable. Maybe he's just tired and hurt. But if he threatens that he would resign, maybe it's for the good. He really needs to watch replays and reflect.

Let him resign if he wants. Frankly, the last thing I need to see on TV is a power-tripping airhead. He needs to get a one way ticket back to earth badly.

Forget about NBA HA!

I really really really should get back into tennis.

Once upon a time I was a tennis fanatic. I was a great fan of Sebastien Grosjean and Gustavo Kuerten. I was such a die hard fan that I made a necklace that spelled Guga and ate bananas all day. I would watch French Open on cable for hours. Other matches, I automatically record in VHS. I don't just watch them just because male tennis players are naturally well-built, handsome, a balance of lean and muscular, hardworking runners and has powerful arm power. *I swoon* I watch them because I appreciate tennis as a sport. Ha-ha.

I've played tennis when I was a little girl. My dad enrolled me one summer and I learned the basics. After that I began playing with friends. Now I desperately want to go back. Next to swimming, tennis is my next favorite sport. I've tried badminton and it bored me. Tennis is more challenging. In tennis, you have to really work out on your endurance and body strength. You have to cover a lot of space in tennis so you have to be prepared to run. Also, the reaction time needed when the ball returns to your court is as fast as hell. You can't just hit the ball and stand. You hit the ball across the court and you observe, you strategize while already moving to your next position. There's more strategy, consistency and power needed in Tennis. It's a very difficult sport.

In the season of Gustavo Kuerten I have been exposed to Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal when they were still starting to get famous. And look at them now. Top seed. Tennis elites. The prime rivalry. Two of the most powerful and strategic players. Both handsome and in good form. A Swiss and a Spaniard. Athletic supremo. Devils in the court.

Forget about NBA, this is the real deal!


I have a colleague who is more knowledgeable in the world of tennis right now. He has observed and watched these two players religiously. He is for Roger Federer play-wise and because he gets annoyed at how Nadal always wears sleeveless shirts while constantly flexing his amazing biceps everytime he scores or loses a point. Most of his shots are captured with the infamous fist closed pose. Well in defense, I am for Rafa Nadal. He runs fast, hits hard and values every point even if it's nearly impossible. Plus, I always win when I use him at Virtual Tennis. It must tell something. And for the record, I love his biceps. It's a simple case that if you got it, then flaunt it.

More of the match: PARIS: Roger Federer insists he can’t wait to confront a rejuvenated Rafael Nadal, written off as an injury-cursed, spent-force earlier this year, at the French Open, which starts on Sunday. World No. 1 Federer, the holder of a record 16 majors, completed a career grand slam at Roland Garros in 2009 with a first Paris title. (manilatimes)

Finally, I've voted.

After baking under the sun and tasting my own sweat, I've finally voted after 2 hours of hell.

Just like everyone else, I had to endure people bitching because of the heat and long lines. That came with the human-heat smell and the overall standing discomfort. As a bonus, I was also exposed to misinformed and ungracious individuals who were criticizing and biting people's heads off. In any normal day, I would've been on a rampage, but this is not any other normal day. This is the glorious election day. It's important, it's a privilege and a choice I took for my nation. One day of discomfort over the nation's future is a small price to pay.

Hence there are no benefits in being consumed with negativity. Vigilance is not the same as being Pessimistic. Before we unleash our criticisms, we must get useful information. True it was a terrible snake-like line for some, as most of the voters know, there were many individual precincts to accommodate a selected group of voters before. In this elections, voters of 4-5 precincts are "clustered" into one. This results to one pcos machine per cluster, which explains the long queues. But we must appreciate this chance to change our voting system. We have to try at least. I don't know about other people's experiences but the name verification and the actual voting (shading) were the main contributors to the line and not the pcos machine. Inserting the ballots in the machines, where scanning is included, did not last more than 10 seconds.

Let's all wait for more information. Watch the news and hear both sides. We're all tired and god knows the analysts, teachers and canvass volunteers are still out there managing and transmitting our votes, and in some areas, revisiting the manual process. Let's just pray and be patient. Again, bitching around would not help.

I think I'll sleep early. I've been tired and up the whole day. I'll share my votes and sentiments on tomorrow's post.

May the results be transmitted well and may Philippines welcome the rightful candidates soon.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

The BIG Day

Today is the most anticipated election day in the Philippines. It's a big deal since we would be voting for the highest officials in this country who could have the best chance of ending corruption, paving the way for prosperity and representing the country globally. Also, today's not just an ordinary election day because this would be the very first time this country would adopt an automated system of counting. No longer do we have to write the names of our candidates. We just have to shade and directly let the machine scan and record our votes. It should be liberating.

Negativism should be out the window. Politicians should just shut their mouths, reflect and stay calm enough not trace everything to cheating. Activists should be vigilant, but not exaggerated. That goes for media too. People today should be more positive and hopeful that change is being done. This is our tiny effort to make things right so let's take it seriously.

And with that I would be expecting...


1. Long queue in lines. I hate waiting especially in this heat, but this is for my mother country. That is the sacrifice I might have to take. I pray for God to give me strength so that I won't hyperventilate and get cranky. This is the best day to exercise self-restraint.

2. Trashed votes. That's a bummer, but let's be realistic because this could be mine. I am expecting a couple of ballots being rejected. It might either be a machine or a voter error. I hope people have educated themselves on how to vote. The information is everywhere. It's in the newspapers, internet and even word of mouth. People should've read up and depended on themselves to know the instructions. I hope my machine doesn't jack up. This would be very frustrating indeed, but I'll do my best for my country.

3. Missed chances. This is our chance to elect someone we believe could best change our country. We know our is suffering from too much political, economic and social issues. We need someone who has a strong vision, has good work ethics and could be influential enough to get things done in his watch. We have seen their advocacy and we have heard their platforms, I hope as citizens we discern their capabilities and be honest with ourselves. Let's not vote due to popularity. Let's not vote just because we feel like it. We should be responsible enough to assess things. Let's not miss this chance to make things right.

4. Exaggeration. Media is very efficient in providing feedbacks in any national event. Media here has a very powerful reach and influence. I do hope the news don't get too exaggerated. Politicians and other activists should not feed the fire. We are capable human beings and we can make things work. If there are problems, need not glamorize it. We need media for truth, not for drama.

A lot of my friends now are updating their statuses in Facebook. It's good to know that despite minor blips like heat and long lines, they had successful experiences in voting. I hope mine would be too. I'm positive. I'm hopeful and I'm excited! I can't help but feel nationalistic.

Last night I was completing my list of senators, vice president and president. I've completed them all and I woke up this morning with strong affirmation on my chosen candidates. I'll post my choices as soon as I have voted.

This is it, Philippines! God bless us all!

Dying Love

I heard of the craze about the 500 Days of Summer Movie. It was a promising movie from the start. I have always been a fan of Zooey Deschanel as a singer and actress. I love her beauty, characters and style. Joseph Gordon Levitt is someone I find true and handsome. I've always loved him in Juror. As much as I wanted to watch the movie when it first came out, I didn't just didn't have the time. Maybe it wasn't the right time for me to appreciate it. I had missed the screen dates or I had always other movies to watch. Despite the wonderful reviews from Facebook and friends, I still had not made an effort to watch it until yesterday, and I would say that it was just the perfect timing.

A week ago... A girl friend called me one dull Sunday night looking for her boyfriend. She was croaking as if a dam was about to explode and I knew tears would soon come after. As carefully as I put it, I had no idea where her boyfriend was. If there was a person who knows where her boyfriend is, it should be her. Feeling helpless, she began to cry. She then told me that they've broken up. She was sobbing half of the words I couldn't understand while I was hearing screeching cars in the background. My mind has always been dramatic and exaggerated as I imagined all the worst possible cases. Out of the blue I asked her where she was and where she intended to go. I was hoping she would say that she was on her way home, but from her answer, she had no idea as well. She wanted to talk.

I paused and reassesed myself. I'm not really the perfect person in a crisis like this. I'm not emotional. I have low EQ and by any standards I'm no expert in love. I don't think I'll ever be one. I don't have a consoling tongue and I don't have a nurturing personality. But it's not always about me is it? Sometimes there is a reason behind why a person might need someone like me even if at first it doesn't really make any sense.

So I took up the courage and friendship duty to meet up with her and to know what really happened. The breakup was a shock to all of us. My boyfriend and another male friend of ours accompanied me. Not really the ideal team to console her, but my boyfriend and male friend are more knowledgeable and experienced in relationships. Besides, her boyfriend is childhood friend of theirs. IF anyone could help more, it would be these guys. But honestly, I also had no choice.

From south to north, we met the devastated girl. Her hair was unruly, her eyes were swollen and she kept on looking at the ground. The once sunny, assertive and charming girl was clearly broken. We went to a restaurant to talk. She said she couldn't hold back the tears anymore. With the tears, she told her story. Her boyfriend wanted space. The guy said goodbye after seeing her having a filial dinner with her ex-boyfriend. Before the dinner that shouldn't have happened, the girl was expecting her boyfriend the whole day. The boyfriend who came from a family thing in Tagaytay didn't have enough strength to visit her all the way in Pasig and asked to reschedule. The girl feeling neglected was overwhelmed with anger and pride that she invited her ex-boyfriend to catch up. At the back of her head she knew it would appear like such a wrong choice, but she knew she wasn't and would not do anything wrong.

The boyfriend knew the dinner after checking up on her and he became alarmed. Supposed to be resting, he drove to the restaurant and waited for her to come out. The girl was mad for feeling neglected and the pride finally strongly took over. The boyfriend made her girlfriend choose, but the girlfriend chose to cling to her pride. After a few minutes, the boyfriend drove away and the girlfriend felt weak because she knew she just made a mistake.

After a few days, they tried to patch things up, but the guy wasn't that enthusiastic anymore. They knew they had a problem, but neither one of them wanted to speak up. The girl could not take the indifference anymore and inquired. The guy drew up the courage to be honest and told her that the relationship wasn't working anymore. The restaurant incident was the last straw. The girlfriend didn't understand. She wasn't unfaithful. She never has been. But the guy held things in the last four years. In the relationship he was always the considerate one. He is the quiet type and would always ignore his girlfriend's harsh words. He had been thinking about it for months until he just felt nothing. It was as if the seal of their partnership deteriorated through time and he was just realizing it now. He had to be honest with himself and he summed up the courage to request space. He finally said goodbye to the relationship.

The girlfriend, always had the upper hand in things, didn't expect the break up. The boyfriend never told her anything and she knew she was always in control. She depended on too much love and understanding her boyfriend had given her for the past four years that he remained a fixture in her life. She never thought he was hurting all along and she never thought he would have the balls to leave her. While her boyfriend is enjoying the peace and coming to terms with his decision, she was left shocked, confused and very much hurt. The girlfriend realized his value, wanted him back. But they both find themsevles saying their goodbyes and the guy is now savoring the space she so willingly gave. But she thought the space he needed was definite. She had not realized that the space could be in months, years or even forever. She broke down after a week and began neglecting herself and feeling sorry for herself by doing so many different things to bring him back. Her friends had noticed and were starting to be bothered. Some even initiated to talk to the boyfriend on her behalf. But it didn't help. The boyfriend had already decided and no amount of crying, texting and calling would bring him back.

That whole week of space destroyed the girlfriend. She couldn't eat, couldn't sleep and began to cling on to drastic measures. She couldn't focus with work and she couldn't understand why her boyfriend left her. She veered towards the love-hate justification, which is a known defense mechanism. She felt depressed and lonely. All that really mattered was to get him back.

Within that week, she invited me for lunch. She felt worst and in the end asked me for help. She wanted me to help her inspire the boyfriend to get back together with her. She wanted me to help him realize that he had made a mistake. She wanted validation that she was the wronged one and she was abandoned. She wanted me to say the words that she wanted to hear. She thought my silence would mean a mutual agreement, but I had to be honest. I had to brutal.

I told her that there was nothing I could do. Love may bind people together, but relationships are made up by individuals, individuals that change, that was hurt and that have the power to let go. To know what was going on in her boyfriend's head on why he couldn't find the effort and the patience to make the relationship work will never be answered. How can you ever properly explain why a person falls out of love? How can you properly gauge when the person has had enough heartaches in the relationship? How can you save the relationship when the other person doesn't want to fight for it anymore? The truths hurt her and she knew she had to move on and forget. I told her to let go of the illusions of the bright future they once held. Hanging on to that hope is an illusion that would eventually destroy her. By moving on, she will have to focus on herself and emphasize on other blessings and endless possibilities in her life. She has to preoccupy herself and learn how to nurture the whatever love she has. We all agreed that the road to recovery would be painful, but it took time for her to realize that it must be done. She accepted her dying love for a man and said goodbye to me. That was a week ago.

Yesterday I watched 500 Days of Summer and couldn't be more drawn to the story. While the other lover cling on to the possibility of rebuilding the failed relationship, the other one has moved on. The one that was left behind had to endure the whole period of neglecting oneself. He had to go through the love-hate relationship. In the end, the heartbroken modified his views on love. He now knows that it's not always about the birds and bees. Love is freely given and not forced. It may not last forever, but it's still love and it's always a decision to continuously accept it in different forms. Any kind of love could mend a broken heart if the person would let it. That takes time, courage, maturity to understand. It's not easy. It's never going to be easy, but the important thing is that it's doable. The world, despite its murk, has so many love to give. I say, don't let a heartache trash it.

Anne Curtis' Slip

My boyfriend told me that Anne Curtis' boobs were exposed as soon as he picked me up last Monday night. As if that particular news would affect the state of the nation and that I had to be aware of it at that moment. I was so sick and my head throbbed with unimaginable pain that I didn't even get to react. I just wanted to go home.

A couple of days later, tonight, I had dinner with my friends in Alabang. And just passing in conversation, one of my friends who just gave birth and enjoying her free time surfing and watching TV, told me that she saw Anne Curtis' boob slip from a forwarded link in a social networking site. Since my friend is a woman, and has amazingly full breasts of her own, the news really didn't excite her. It was just stated as a matter of fact. My other friend, who happens to be a guy, just smiled and added that boobs exposure or no boobs exposure, it doesn't change the fact that Anne Curtis is hot. We all agree.

As soon as I went home, I browsed through online newsites and a philippine entertainment portal and saw a picture of Anne Curtis apparently dancing with a blurred patch on her right breast. Frankly, I don't understand what the fuss is all about.

First of all, it was a downright accident. Shit happens and most especially in the circumstance of wearing skimpy clothing. Plus it was a dance number, there were lots of flexible movements and I'm sure the placement of the bikini top was at danger with constant contact. It even happens to those who are not that mobile. It happened to me when I was frolicking in the beach, much more if it was in a dance number with lifting and contact involved. Anne Curtis wasn't teasing. She was working. I don't think the situation calls for fantasizing unless the person is such a sexually deluded stalker fan.

Second, it's just a breast. Why do we all have to fuss for a breast? Yes, it might be from a popular person, but it's just a breast no matter how you look at it. I mean, sorry but there isn't anything new with that picture. It's a normal part of human anatomy. Anne Curtis is sexy as it is and people would want to destroy that sense of mystery just because of a breast exposure that we know half of the population has? I really don't get it.

I hope people don't start glamorizing this sort of accident because there is really nothing to it. I may not really be an outright fan of Anne Curtis but I admire her courage and coolness. She, of all people, knows that we are not born yesterday and with technology, these things get passed around around as sick entertainment. But it is upsetting especially for the person involved. We have to give Anne Curtis the right to feel upset, to be hurt. She should spread the guilt around for those malicious people to step back. But I admire her being level-headed to also understand the fact that some people are just born shallow and pathetic. She knows that she is a public figure and things like this cannot be avoided sometimes. What she should do is to swallow the experience, learn from it and turn the tables around. She has nothing to be ashamed of and this is a learning experience for all of us.

Yes, I saw the link and I saw the picture. But then I didn't get what the fuss was all about. I watched Anne's interview in ANC instead and I hope that's the one that gets spread around. I didn't find the link to the video anymore and seriously I didn't try to look for it. What for? It's just a waste of time.

Scary: Possible Tsunami

Scary.

A powerful earthquake in Chile happened early Saturday with an 8.8 magnitude. According to reports Santiago, the country's capital, was very much affected. Chile, being directly connected to the Pacific Ocean, prompted neighboring country officials to prepare and observe possible signs of tsunami. There are no specific evacuation orders yet, however governments are closely monitoring the situation and prepares the public for the worst case possibility.

According to Manila Times, in May 1960 Chile was ravaged known as Valdivia (Great Chilean Earthquake) which was rated 9.5 on the magnitude scale. The tsunami affected Hawaii, Japan, Philippines and New Zealand. Hopefully this will not happen again.

We might have El Nino and it's hot and dry outside, but we do not need Tsunamis now.

Political thoughts

With barely three months left, Philippines would be electing a new president who by all idealistic means should rear the country into sustainable and skyrocketing development. Frankly, it's been long overdue. We have already heard promises from politicians ranked from the lowest of the low to the highest, but still nothing materializes. Profound achievements are mentioned here and there, but Philippines is still in the same spot. We think we're developing, but we're only coping lest we crumble completely. Sometimes you think if there's a point to these elections.

Boyfriend thinks there's no use. He's not registered by choice because he feels his vote wouldn't make a difference. Whoever wins, there would still be corruption and it's the same banana. My sister and most of my friends share the same sentiment. They would go on with their lives hoping the best for the country, but don't expect them to vote. For them, it's a waste of time.

I can't help but just keep quiet whenever they say remarks like these. In this certain argument, it's best left to respect than counteract like I always do. I see in their faces that they've resigned from the electoral process. There is no room to react and to persuade them; and honestly personal decisions aren't debatable. They've simply given up. And I admit there were times when I felt that I'm slowly sharing their sentiments too. But no. I've decided that I will vote.

Frankly at 26 I've reached a point where I feel tired and frustrated with our system. Sometimes I just want to give up and join my friends who don't care at all. I could ignore the elections, bribe my way through everything, corrupt individuals and not hope for the betterment of this country, but the truth is I love the Philippines. I recognize my race and I recognize our strengths and I know we could make this work. I've lived here all my life to know that our situation's depressing, but could be cured. I may have traveled to some Asian countries and got slammed by their infrastructures and social systems. I've been ashamed of our country more than once, that is true. And as much as I hate stupid officers and corrupt officials that run this land, I realize that I would still love the Philippines no matter what happens. This is the only country I can call my own. My love for this country keeps me hoping. My love will take my ass to the precinct to vote. I'm not voting for the sake of citizen obligation. I'm doing this for the love of my country.

***

Once upon a time, I was shocked to know that the basic requirements of becoming a President of the Philippines are simply below:

1. Filipino Citizen of a certain age.
2. Sane or Normal
3. Can read and write

There are no tests. Anybody could apply. Of course COMELEC would screen the capabilities of these presidentiable wannabees. For one, the candidates should have enough resources to carry out campaigns or else they would be doomed to failure. The Electoral body would take out nuisance candidates based on technical requirements, but if you have the money and the right brand of sanity, you could have an equal chance to claim this position.

Sometimes I ask, what for? Of course, being a President is highly prestigious and coveted because it requires great amount of respect and honor from the local to international scene. Nothing beats the power of the highest official in the land. Even tycoons would bend on his/her orders. Yet living the president's life is not a glamorous one. The pay is horrible with the amount of stress and scrutiny he or she receives. It cracks even the most confident souls. It's the ultimate profession that practically eliminates personal life. And aside from the occasional death threats and public displeasure, this profession would be the end test to his/her psychological strength and faith.

That's why the new president should be ideally as follows:

1. INTELLIGENT

He or she should be smart enough to know the situation of this country and how to handle it. Advisers are there to present options and attend to detailed affairs, but the President is the end all of all suggestions and proposals. The president should be smart enough to develop mature opinions and decisions about national matters. A smart president cannot rely on hearsay and advisers. His or her mind should be mature enough to get the information, dissect it and understand it to come up with a sound solution.

2. INFLUENTIAL

The President should lead the nation as one. He or she could not lead a nation by simply being smart and action-oriented. He/she should exude confidence and charm to project and inspire people to follow his government. He/she could be the smartest and promising politician there is, but if his reputation isn't built, it would all go down to waste. A good leader is not supposed to be a brainiac. A good leader isn't supposed to be simply aggressive. A leader should primarily be influential to get people believing his side.

3. INTEGRITY GUY/GAL

Shall I still expound on this? God knows we need humble and honest politicians. We've had enough of corruption and stupidity. If the would-be president loves the country so much to spend thousands of money to campaign himself for the highest position, he/she should not be corrupted by temptations and forget his oath of putting the country's welfare first than his/her own. For whatever mistakes he/she makes, he or she should be accountable for it and be transparent enough to offer his services to his constituents. A leader may not be popular, but I'd pick him any day as long as he understand and lives with integrity.

4. IN LOVE

He should be in love with his work and the country. He is doing this not for the pay or just the prestige or the free travels and recognitions. He should be doing this for love. If he loves his country so much, the passion to do better will always be there.

5. IMPERFECT

Sadly nobody is perfect and for a person who is put on a heated spotlight, under pressure 24/7 with insurmountable stress at the first sight of dawn, the would-be president is bound to tumble once in a while. That is okay to some extent. How he would handle the situation would determine if he is a truly a winner. He must be realistic enough to realize that he would make mistakes because great that he is, he's still not perfect. Accepting that simple fact would make it easier for him to recognize which mistakes he should avoid and which bad traits he should be working on.

***

Truth is, I don't know who to vote yet for May 2010. I'm still in the process of weighing things out. As a voter and a citizen who loves this country, I should study this further. I should understand how I would want to choose the next president of this country. Do I like?

CHARM over ACTIONS
HERITAGE over TRACK RECORD
SIMPLE BACKGROUND over a WEALTHY ONE
INTELLIGENCE over PASSION
POPULARITY over CONFIDENCE

Frankly I'm not a fan of Noynoy except for his constant assurance that he is not corrupt and that he would not corrupt the land his famous parents fought for.

I was a fan of Manny Villar and how he was able to better himself from rags. His experience and capabilities of running an empire says a lot, yet I'm quite disappointed on how he handles his issues in the Senate by simply not handling it at all. I don't want a president that evades and I don't want a President that is arrogant of what he had achieved.

I believe I am a fan of Gibo Teodoro. He is an intelligent guy who knows what he wants and knows how to achieve it. He could best represent the Philippines even though he lacks exposure. But he has this invisible line that connects him to the most hated President now. Endless possibilities of changing the type of government is more crucial with him on the seat.

Shall I still comment about ERAP? I don't even understand why he wanted to run in the first place. The presidency is not a profession for redemption. He could just have been an adviser if he really wants to serve, but to be President? You've got to kidding.

Gordon and Madrigal are smart powerhouse on the block. They are experienced and aggressive, but sadly lag behind the race. It affects my strategies.

But then again, I still haven't decided.

***

I've just recently watched the interview of Ara Mina in Mo Twister's show. It's been re-posted in Facebook a couple of times. Now I can say that I am embarrassed for her. Clearly the woman doesn't know what she's talking about. She's running for councilor in QC and she answers questions with big question marks. Need I reiterate the basic requirements?

Allow me to put the things that I noticed in that interview alone.

1. She is not articulate enough to voice out her opinions. How could she efficiently represent her constituents?
2. She obviously contradicts herself in some issues. Anti Pornography Bill - against or for?
3. She doesn't know what she's talking about.


If her goal is to humiliate herself, then she did a very great job. If her goal was to act like a dumb politician wannabe, then she lives the part. If her goal was to prove herself in government just because she has the time and passion to serve, I wish she would just work for an NGO and let a superior guide her to the right path. She doesn't need to be seated in office to prove herself that she's caring and smart. Well, in MO Twister's show, she had already proved what she needed to prove anyways. It stops there...hopefully.

http://jellicleblog.vox.com/library/video/6a00fa96a4a3cd00020123de0bbd72860d.html

Maybe You're Really Crazy

I cannot help but cringe every time I see Marlene Aguilar on TV. I can just imagine that as a mother she might be crazy enough to protect her son at all cost even if it's not right. She could be crazy enough to toy with the legal system and play around with the dangling hope of the victims' families eager to see justice served. To concoct possibilities, contradict witness' claims and findings that her son, the super brilliant US military soldier that she thinks he is, was framed by their British bodyguard. But I cringe because she is a classic combination of crazy and arrogantly egotistic.

Crazy people for her are intelligent people like herself. She missed a simple feature though. Craziness are celebrated and tolerated when it's not harmful to others, not fatal. Not all crazy people are meant to be geniuses. Crazy people who continuously hurt and fail to see the damages done to others should be locked up and treated. Unfortunately arrogantly crazy people are worse.

Jason Ivler was involved in two car accidents that resulted to the deaths of two men. His weapons of crime, his demeanor, his conduct and most especially witness' claims point to him alone. Yet he didn't give himself in to properly defend himself. He didn't even try to collect efforts to prove that he might even be framed. He inconvenienced people and toyed with the system on top of his alleged cold murders. What did he do? He hid in his mother's 1,000 square foot home and engaged in open fire with the NBI resulting to injuries on both parties. A lot of people want justice served and want his head on the platter. This is not something society could condone, even society with "crazy" people like myself.

And here comes the mother of all arrogance protecting her son and cooly answering interviews on TV. People call her crazy for doing what she did, for protecting and branding her son inappropriately, for projecting that he has done nothing wrong and he is an angel from the heavens. Crazy talk. But I think she has a rebuttal. Apparently she is an author of internationally acclaimed novels that brought prestige to the country. She believes she achieved far more than what people could do in their lifetime. She couldn't be crazy because she believes she is so intelligent. And if by being intelligent is a crime then she would surrender. Err...if she's just that intelligent, I guess someone should tell her that she missed the point and explain what intelligent really means.

She might be an author of those books, but that is not the subject. She is being looked down upon by society for protecting her son from the law. She is being looked down upon by society for concocting stories against evidence and because she doesn't hold any remorse or hold any moral obligations. People brand her as crazy, fitting description of a mother that loves her son at all cost, but to stress that she couldn't be crazy because she wrote those fantastically acclaimed books is somewhat elementary.

QUOTES BY MARLENE AGUILAR:

"We are genius[es], borderline insanity. My intelligence is way above most people. Does that make me insane?" - Marlene Aguilar

“Maybe that is why ordinary people can’t understand us because our level of intelligence is way above compared to other people.”

“My house is 1,000 square meters. I cannot possibly see every square footage of my residence in 24 hours. Jason was a member of the special operations command of the US army,”

“Jason doesn’t regret anything about his life. Jason is not like any human being… Jason has gone to Iraq. He has taken the most dangerous positions while in Iraq. So many times he could have died and so many times I have accepted his death and he is still alive… I mean I saw Jason walking toward the guns. I saw him charging forward. He accepted his death and he is still alive. That is the will of God.”

“I’m calling for the US Ambassador… Jason is one of your soldiers who fought in Iraq. He fought bravely. This is how they’ve treated your soldier. Defend him and protect him, please.”

"Aguilar also boasted about her son’s sudden popularity boost, citing that Jason’s Facebook fan club had gained a thousand members in a span of days."
(http://www.spot.ph/2010/01/22/marlene-aguilar-wont-apologize-to-the-ebarles/)
(http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/01/23/10/marlene-aguilar-im-not-crazy)

Err? I think you missed the point, dear. Nakakaloka ka. And now she's friends with Ampatuan Jr. The world has gone crazy indeed. Truth is we're all crazy at some point, but crazy enough to be locked up? I don't think so, only a few like Marlene Aguilar.

To the Jail: Jason Ivler and Co.

After my afternoon hang-out, I went home and was able to see the footage of the bloody Jason Ivler, the suspected murderer of a couple of motorists due to road rage.

I just want to say that no person with a right mind would kill and harass people because of road traffic. No person in their right, moral and just mind would make fun of the law and act as a coward. And no person in the right mind would try to engage in a bloody fight to keep his freedom he does not deserve. Jason Ivler and Co. are not OBVIOUSLY IN THEIR RIGHT MINDS.

I cannot help but feel relief and hatred when he was caught. I want him alive, that's one, and good thing the media's there for all of us to see the action. Without the media, I believe it would be complete chaos and further bloodbath. I want him alive for him to be aware and possibly regret what he did. I want him to repent even privately and burn his own thoughts knowing that he killed people and toyed with the nation. I want justice to be rightfully served with his eyes wide open. I want him to painful suffer withdrawal from drugs and his effects of craziness. I want him to correct his overly corrupted mind.

The mother is not any better. At some point I would understand the maternal protection every mother inherits for their inconvenienced and attacked children, but not at this extent. Not to the point of hiding their child and condoning the very same immoral choices that they should be correcting. His mother is not in the right mind to act as if she's innocent, crying on national TV begging for her son to go home, when she knows he is hiding in their house basement. We've proven that and sad to say she is not playing an Oscar Part. The only place that would acknowledge her acting prowess is in jail. Let Mother and Son reunite.

I am ashamed of these people. I'm utterly disappointed of their heinous acts. We are not perfect, but we must not be law offenders and murderers. They are not in their right minds to deserve freedom. I hope Jason and Co. will get the sentence they so rightful deserve.

Mt. Mayon quiets down

Mount Mayon is quieting down. Thank God.

It would be unfortunate to have a massive natural calamity at the start of the year...or ever for that matter!

No ash explosion was observed over the past 24 hours and rumblings have lessened significantly, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Friday. (PDI)

Pix Source:
http://www.emoodicon.com/relieved-1.png