Notions of the Young

On one occasion,

Kay: Do you think Lozada is a hero?

Me: No. Do you think he is?

Kay: No. Though I must admit that we should not take for granted what he did for the country.

On another occasion,

Me: Do you think it’s enough reason to say that a person is bad or of low morals if he or she did not have a successful marriage?

Kay: Of course not.

Daryl: That’s being judgmental. There are people who stay in a marriage because they do not want to ruin the family though they suffer.

Kay: People sometimes have limited reasoning.

On yet another occasion,

Kay: Natabunan na ang issue kay Lozada (Lozada’s issue has been buried.)

Me: Oo nga, e (Yes, it’s true.) Natabunan na ng issue sa kakulangan ng bigas (Covered by the rice shortage issue).

Again, another occasion,

Kay: Why are people judged as bad if they are agnostic?

Me: (Silent, busy listening to other issues discussed in the dining table. Contemplated on the question a little later but did not respond.)

Last night,

Daryl: You have to give me P300.

Me: What for?

Daryl: For my graduation pics. That old woman photographer was harassing the students. No student should reject a copy. Though you don’t like a shot, you still have to pay for it. Isn’t this an old story in our alma mater, ate?

Kay: Stupid folks. You had graduated already and you are still forced to pay for all the pics.

Daryl: It’s the system. She has connections in the school. I was told she’s a relative of one of the officials in the school.

Kay: Dapat yan inirereklamo na (There must be someone who must complain.)

Me: Nobody complains?

Daryl: Naku, no one. Perhaps because of that idea na malakas siya.

Notions of the Young

On one occasion,

Kay: Do you think Lozada is a hero?

Me: No. Do you think he is?

Kay: No. Though I must admit that we should not take for granted what he did for the country.

On another occasion,

Me: Do you think it’s enough reason to say that a person is bad or of low morals if he or she did not have a successful marriage?

Kay: Of course not.

Daryl: That’s being judgmental. There are people who stay in a marriage because they do not want to ruin the family though they suffer.

Kay: People sometimes have limited reasoning.

On yet another occasion,

Kay: Natabunan na ang issue kay Lozada (Lozada’s issue has been buried.)

Me: Oo nga, e (Yes, it’s true.) Natabunan na ng issue sa kakulangan ng bigas (Covered by the rice shortage issue).

Again, another occasion,

Kay: Why are people judged as bad if they are agnostic?

Me: (Silent, busy listening to other issues discussed in the dining table. Contemplated on the question a little later but did not respond.)

Last night,

Daryl: You have to give me P300.

Me: What for?

Daryl: For my graduation pics. That old woman photographer was harassing the students. No student should reject a copy. Though you don’t like a shot, you still have to pay for it. Isn’t this an old story in our alma mater, ate?

Kay: Stupid folks. You had graduated already and you are still forced to pay for all the pics.

Daryl: It’s the system. She has connections in the school. I was told she’s a relative of one of the officials in the school.

Kay: Dapat yan inirereklamo na (There must be someone who must complain.)

Me: Nobody complains?

Daryl: Naku, no one. Perhaps because of that idea na malakas siya.

Distorting the facts as much as I please…

Why is it time to replace my car?

It’s a second hand car, you know. And as time goes by, the bugs appear and are becoming often than expected.

Why do I seldom look at the content label?

For me, it’s more a waste of time. When I go to the grocery store, I wanted it done very fast because the thoughts of other chores in the house lingers. Plus the fact that it makes me tired getting around inside the grocery stores for a long time.

Why do I prefer bottled water than tap water?

Hmmm… because they are processed. Though living in the Philippines doesn’t mean that ‘processed’ is guaranteed safe. 😀

How could not working something with decisiveness not give you a way to get what you want?

The adage “When there’s a will, there’s a way.” is always true. How could one not believe that?

What is the chance that test tube babies will one day show physical or mental abnormalities?

eMedicineHealth provided this definition of getting a woman pregnant via in vitro fertilization. Though it was successful, my hunch tells me that test tube babies, if not all, will one day show abnormalities. I hope I am very wrong.

How can I inspire a person (a non-smoker) to join a movement against smokers?

Ha ha I am just kidding. But on second thought, don’t you think passive smokers should stand up against these inconsiderate smokers? They make my day miserable. How could it not be when I feel sickly and like dying every time they exhaled smoke and I then in turn inhale them?

Divorced men to receive alimony? How do I look at this situation?

Ridiculous.

Am I right to say I am fickle-minded at times? Am I right, or am I right? 😀

I must know mine self.

Distorting the facts as much as I please…

Why is it time to replace my car?

It’s a second hand car, you know. And as time goes by, the bugs appear and are becoming often than expected.

Why do I seldom look at the content label?

For me, it’s more a waste of time. When I go to the grocery store, I wanted it done very fast because the thoughts of other chores in the house lingers. Plus the fact that it makes me tired getting around inside the grocery stores for a long time.

Why do I prefer bottled water than tap water?

Hmmm… because they are processed. Though living in the Philippines doesn’t mean that ‘processed’ is guaranteed safe. 😀

Let Us Not Forget About the News

Local News

Do you know that it always makes me unhappy to hear news about the Philippines? Here’s another – even Yahoo Asia News Philippines has this disadvantageous headlines. Only one of them seemed like good news but it’s good news only to a limited fragment of the country.

Philippines to get own Playboy, but no nudes

MANILA (AFP) – The Philippines will get its own edition of Playboy magazine — only without the nudity that made the US version famous, the editor-in-chief of the local edition said Thursday.

The Philippine edition will be launched on April 2 as a “mature lifestyle magazine”, said veteran journalist Beting Laygo Dolor.While the magazine will offer pictorials of beautiful women, it will not include nudity. “It will be tamer than the US edition but not as tame as the Indonesian edition,” Lagyo Dolor said in a television interview. (more…)

How can this one bit of news rectify the damaging truth in the following list of news in the Philippines this week?

Philippines’ Aquino, democracy icon, has cancer

(And her daughter said it like it was more a celebrated issue than a sad news.)

Philippine militant group may be using drug money

(Is there something new? Everything is possible in the Philippines. Or this can be another one of those accusations just to discredit another?)

Singapore court blocks Marcos funds transfer to Philippines

(Maybe they are worried that these will go to the pockets of only a few named crocodiles.)

Imports Rice Amid Shortage

(Talk about appointees and their cohorts.)

Muslim rebels accuse Manila of delaying peace talks

(Do these rebels really need peace talks?)

Philippine ex-general faces corruption charges

(I wonder how many are like him in the military? Depressing, indeed.)

Philippines Deaths Need Scrutiny

(Extra judicial killings are irresolvable. A sad fact but very true.)

International News

This news made me sad, too, in a different level somehow.

`American Idol’ axes another contestant

NEW YORK – Uneasy lies Chikezie, who won’t wear the crown. The one-name singer — who previously worked security at Los Angeles International Airport — was eliminated from as the show narrowed the competition to nine finalists. (more..)

Why Chikezie? Why not Kristie Lee Cook? I had long wished that she will finally be eliminated. Among the group, she is the least when it comes to talent. Some of those who were previously axed are even better.

You can find this photo here.

Let Us Not Forget About the News

Local News

Do you know that it always makes me unhappy to hear news about the Philippines? Here’s another – even Yahoo Asia News Philippines has this disadvantageous headlines. Only one of them seemed like good news but it’s good news only to a limited fragment of the country.

Philippines to get own Playboy, but no nudes

MANILA (AFP) – The Philippines will get its own edition of Playboy magazine — only without the nudity that made the US version famous, the editor-in-chief of the local edition said Thursday.

The Philippine edition will be launched on April 2 as a “mature lifestyle magazine”, said veteran journalist Beting Laygo Dolor.While the magazine will offer pictorials of beautiful women, it will not include nudity. “It will be tamer than the US edition but not as tame as the Indonesian edition,” Lagyo Dolor said in a television interview. (more…)

How can this one bit of news rectify the damaging truth in the following list of news in the Philippines this week?

Are You Ready?

I am actually not a lover of gambling though I know the basics. Teach me and I can even beat you. I do not have difficulty learning this feat, if you can call it that. I am not an enthusiast but I know how to play mah jong, pusoy, pusoy 2, tong-its, to name a few. It (the addiction) just didn’t get into my system.Thank God. 🙂

Because I believe in my self-assessment when it comes to learning without that much difficulty, I know that online casino games will not be hard to learn at all. I find it amusing that this particular site even offers online gambling tips. To wrap it up, here they are:

1. Do not simply jump in and play at every casino you like the look of.
2. Do not take the bait of just simply depositing hiuge amounts of money. Use their demo games and welcome bonus to get the most out of your time.
3. Learn when to stop, win or loose, and take a breather.
4. Learn when you’re beat.
5. Start on low bet games only.
6. Play only online games that you know very well.

Here is my own version of gambling tips:

1. Accord only enough money when you play. This means only bring with you money that you can afford to loose.
2. Pee when you feel like. Eat when you feel like. This will help you assess if you are still willing to go and bet, and think if you can afford to loose much.
3. Think of your wife, your kids, and the family expenses. That will help you draw the line.
4. Think about that new sneakers, or watch, or game accessory, or state-of-the-art accouterments, you have been meaning to buy one day.
5. And last but not the least, think about tomorrow and how you will start a day without a penny in your pocket.

That’s all folks! 😀.

Are You Ready?

I am actually not a lover of gambling though I know the basics. Teach me and I can even beat you. I do not have difficulty learning this feat, if you can call it that. I am not an enthusiast but I know how to play mah jong, pusoy, pusoy 2, tong-its, to name a few. It (the addiction) just didn’t get into my system.Thank God. 🙂

Because I believe in my self-assessment when it comes to learning without that much difficulty, I know that online casino games will not be hard to learn at all. I find it amusing that this particular site even offers online gambling tips. To wrap it up, here they are:

1. Do not simply jump in and play at every casino you like the look of.
2. Do not take the bait of just simply depositing hiuge amounts of money. Use their demo games and welcome bonus to get the most out of your time.
3. Learn when to stop, win or loose, and take a breather.
4. Learn when you’re beat.
5. Start on low bet games only.
6. Play only online games that you know very well.

Where Else Is It Safe?

With the gripping news about the bombing of Batasang Pambansa, my brain waves transmitted a question – Where else is it safe?

It is ambiguous that a building supposedly protected by a more (if not the most) sophisticated and tight security measure can be blown up just like that. Well, the government and some personalities can always throw warnings against speculations but can we blame anybody who wonders? Why are these bombings happening?

I am still filled with shock seeing those people who died and were hurt in the incident. Whoever did these merciless and vindictive acts are unforgivable. No reason is reason enough to bomb a building where innocent victims could be hurt or could die. It will require calloused hearts to plan and even execute those acts of terror.

Just like most everybody else, we cannot help but feel fear. We cannot help entertain thoughts of possibilities. Are these bombings mere coincidences? Or are these deliberate heinous acts of covering up issues? Or are these sadistic acts of terrorism? Opinions, I believe, based on incomplete information and evidence are inessential until proven but they should not be ruled out.

The death of Rep. Akbar is a tragic one and is pivotal. Media interviews imply that he has been a target of the military because of his previous connections to the MILF. A friend of his contends that he is a good man and a competent congressman. There are speculations that the military is getting back at him. While these are happening, the Abu Sayyaf group denied involvement to the incident because they have no reason to exterminate the congressman. And just this evening, there was a text message from someone who claims the bombing and that he is an ASG member. We are again left with a question – who is telling the truth?

I remember Gary Valenciano in an interview long ago, when his kids were still very young, that he is afraid not for himself alone but for his kids. I feel this exact feeling of anxiety these days where you always think about the safety of your kids.

So where else is it safe? If an institution like the Batasang Pambansa can be penetrated by vicious elements, how can we feel safe? I could speculate all the more but I don’t want to further overstretch the issues connected with this bombing. But I cannot help thinking about people who are possibly blinded by power and could design such evil schemes notwithstanding the dangers they could inflict on innocent victims. Gruesome.

Where Else Is It Safe?

With the gripping news about the bombing of Batasang Pambansa, my brain waves transmitted a question – Where else is it safe?

It is ambiguous that a building supposedly protected by a more (if not the most) sophisticated and tight security measure can be blown up just like that. Well, the government and some personalities can always throw warnings against speculations but can we blame anybody who wonders? Why are these bombings happening?

I am still filled with shock seeing those people who died and were hurt in the incident. Whoever did these merciless and vindictive acts are unforgivable. No reason is reason enough to bomb a building where innocent victims could be hurt or could die. It will require calloused hearts to plan and even execute those acts of terror.

Just like most everybody else, we cannot help but feel fear. We cannot help entertain thoughts of possibilities. Are these bombings mere coincidences? Or are these deliberate heinous acts of covering up issues? Or are these sadistic acts of terrorism? Opinions, I believe, based on incomplete information and evidence are inessential until proven but they should not be ruled out.

The death of Rep. Akbar is a tragic one and is pivotal. Media interviews imply that he has been a target of the military because of his previous connections to the MILF. A friend of his contends that he is a good man and a competent congressman. There are speculations that the military is getting back at him. While these are happening, the Abu Sayyaf group denied involvement in the incident because they have no reason to exterminate the congressman. And just this evening, there was a text message from someone who claims the bombing and that he is an ASG member. We are again left with a question – who is telling the truth?

I remember Gary Valenciano in an interview long ago, when his kids were still very young, that he is afraid not for himself alone that for his kids. I feel this exact feeling of anxiety these days where you always think about the safety of your kids.

So where else is it safe? If an institution like the Batasang Pambansa can be penetrated by vicious elements, how can we feel safe? I could speculate all the more but I don’t want to further overstretch the issues connected with this bombing. But I cannot help thinking about people who are possibly blinded by power and could design such evil schemes notwithstanding the dangers they could inflict on innocent victims. Gruesome.

The Deal

Took some interesting notes from the papers (The Philippine Star) about the latest hullabaloo – The ZTE Broadband Deal:

The ZTE Deal (Broadband Setup)

Cost of the Project – 330 million dollars (16 billion pesos) which the Filipinos have to pay for 20 years.

The project is deemed useless by experts.

Did it go through the right procedures?

The deal at least breaks 8 laws:

1.  Build-Operate-Transfer Law

• Amsterdam Holdings, Inc. filed a proposal last December 2006 to build a broadband system on it own but DOTC did not initiate a study and sat on its papers beyond the 60-day deadline.
• Arescom Incorporated of California had filed an earlier offer a year before.
  

 2.  1995 Telecoms Development Act – ordered the government to move out of the telecom industry  and privatize its networks.

• ZTE will return the government to the telecom business in unfair competition with private firms.

3.  Procurement Reform Act – requires all public contracts go through open bidding for the best price and quality.

• Department of Justice declared the ZTE deal as a government-to-government deal that requires no bidding.

4.  Omnibus Election Code – bans government from awarding any supply or service contract during the election period in case a political party or candidate be unduly favored.

• ZTE was signed April 21, 2007 during the congressional campaign.

5.  The Anti Graft and Corrupt Practice Act – forbids government officials from receiving gifts of value (more so, if the gift is from a person or a company trying to bag a government contract).

• Comelec Chief Benjamin Abalos admitted traveling to Shenzhen four times last year.

6.  The constitutional rule of transparency in all public transactions.

• DOTC officials have refused to  give out a copy of the contract, at first saying nothing, and then claiming supposed theft of ‘only two copies’, and finally alleging confidentiality of proprietary information.

7.  The Anti-Red Tape Act – requires government agencies to produce within 10 days documents needed by taxpayers.

• For months, DOTC officials have not bothered to even reply to requests for copies of reconstituted contracts.

8.  The constitutional rule of prior Monetary Board consent to borrow for any government project.

• Only now (by Mendoza’s own admission) are they working for Board approval of a loan they signed in August covering the contract signed in April.

Bondoc, Jarius.  She came and went like ‘a thief in the night’,  

The Philippine Star,  September 17, 2007, p.15 

Need I say more?

The Deal

Took some interesting notes from the papers (The Philippine Star) about the latest hullabaloo – The ZTE Broadband Deal:

The ZTE Deal (Broadband Setup)

Cost of the Project – 330 million dollars (16 billion pesos) which the Filipinos have to pay for 20 years.

The project is deemed useless by experts.

Did it go through the right procedures?

The deal at least breaks 8 laws:

1.  Build-Operate-Transfer Law

• Amsterdam Holdings, Inc. filed a proposal last December 2006 to build a broadband system on it own but DOTC did not initiate a study and sat on its papers beyond the 60-day deadline.
• Arescom Incorporated of California had filed an earlier offer a year before.
  

 2.  1995 Telecoms Development Act – ordered the government to move out of the telecom industry  and privatize its networks.

• ZTE will return the government to the telecom business in unfair competition with private firms.

3.  Procurement Reform Act – requires all public contracts go through open bidding for the best price and quality.

• Department of Justice declared the ZTE deal as a government-to-government deal that requires no bidding.

4.  Omnibus Election Code – bans government from awarding any supply or service contract during the election period in case a political party or candidate be unduly favored.

• ZTE was signed April 21, 2007 during the congressional campaign.

5.  The Anti Graft and Corrupt Practice Act – forbids government officials from receiving gifts of value (more so, if the gift is from a person or a company trying to bag a government contract).

• Comelec Chief Benjamin Abalos admitted traveling to Shenzhen four times last year.

6.  The constitutional rule of transparency in all public transactions.

• DOTC officials have refused to  give out a copy of the contract, at first saying nothing, and then claiming supposed theft of ‘only two copies’, and finally alleging confidentiality of proprietary information.

7.  The Anti-Red Tape Act – requires government agencies to produce within 10 days documents needed by taxpayers.

• For months, DOTC officials have not bothered to even reply to requests for copies of reconstituted contracts.

8.  The constitutional rule of prior Monetary Board consent to borrow for any government project.

• Only now (by Mendoza’s own admission) are they working for Board approval of a loan they signed in August covering the contract signed in April.

Bondoc, Jarius.  She came and went like ‘a thief in the night’,  

The Philippine Star,  September 17, 2007, p.15 

Need I say more?

Morbid Thoughts

Image from here.

I have a friend who told me once that she thinks about morbid thoughts almost all the time when she rides a bus or a jeepney. When she is in a bus, for example, the thought of the bus slamming into another vehicle suddenly emerges. Grisly vision of her and her daughter will play – their limbs contorted or severed.

Morbid thoughts persist especially in times when accidents and crimes are rampant. I bet not a single soul is exempt. Of course, being a paranoid is another story. But the entire populace of the world surely had experienced bouts of uneasiness because of these morbid thoughts.

One time, I woke up in the middle of the night crying because of a bad dream. The instantaneous feeling of anxiety, fear, uncertainty and gloom overwhelmed me. After a few minutes of getting back into the real world, I got up to drink water. I was at the kitchen when suddenly I heard something from outside the living room door.

I thought of the possibility of someone trying to break in the house. The fear almost paralyzed me but common sense dictated that there was still no reason to be alarmed. I braced myself and courageously open the jalousies of the last window panel farthest from the door. No one was there but a cat that meowed upon seeing me.

That was silly of me, I know. It was probably the bad dream. But it did not stop me from thinking further what if there really was someone lurking outside the house. What if the incidence when a thief had successfully forced the lock of our mini sari-sari store before (that son of a gun took away some money and eved glugged a bottle of softdrinks @#*) happened again and that time into the house? What would I do? Honestly, I don’t know. It so easy to say what to do best but when overcome with fear, the mind, at times, does not perform very well especially during panic.

The mind is a battle field indeed. Either you give in to these morbid thoughts or stand your ground to stay cool and relax.  Or either you end up spent or renewed.  God help me.

Morbid Thoughts

Image from here.

I have a friend who told me once that she thinks about morbid thoughts almost all the time when she rides a bus or a jeepney. When she is in a bus, for example, the thought of the bus slamming into another vehicle suddenly emerges. Grisly vision of her and her daughter will play – their limbs contorted or severed.

Morbid thoughts persist especially in times when accidents and crimes are rampant. I bet not a single soul is exempt. Of course, being a paranoid is another story. But the entire populace of the world surely had experienced bouts of uneasiness because of these morbid thoughts.

One time, I woke up in the middle of the night crying because of a bad dream. The instantaneous feeling of anxiety, fear, uncertainty and gloom overwhelmed me. After a few minutes of getting back into the real world, I got up to drink water. I was at the kitchen when suddenly I heard something from outside the living room door.

I thought of the possibility of someone trying to break in the house. The fear almost paralyzed me but common sense dictated that there was still no reason to be alarmed. I braced myself and courageously open the jalousies of the last window panel farthest from the door. No one was there but a cat that meowed upon seeing me.

That was silly of me, I know. It was probably the bad dream. But it did not stop me from thinking further what if there really was someone lurking outside the house. What if the incidence when a thief had successfully forced the lock of our mini sari-sari store before (that son of a gun took away some money and eved glugged a bottle of softdrinks @#*) happened again and that time into the house? What would I do? Honestly, I don’t know. It so easy to say what to do best but when overcome with fear, the mind, at times, does not perform very well especially during panic.

The mind is a battle field indeed. Either you give in to these morbid thoughts or stand your ground to stay cool and relax.  Or either you end up spent or renewed.  God help me.

Ingratitude

Why are some people ungrateful boors?

Here is a story.

There is an old widow who has five kids. She lives with a son who is an invalid for a long time. The son and his family do not have a choice but to live with the old widow and her usual fret and frenzy. Because of his condition, he and his family have to live up with the situation and try to recompense (in whatever way possible) the goodness and the goodwill (according to the old widow’s sense of these words) that is being accorded to them, and bear all the insults deliberately hurled at them.

None of the other siblings really cared. It seems with how things are going that they are just trying to conceal the envy or the bitterness they feel towards their brother. In some events though, their hidden resentments show by displaying their childish rage over petty things and by treating him unjustly most of the time. The younger brother deals with all these silently. In some instances, one of the brothers would demand deviously but purposely his share of the food, and some food items, that are available in the old widow’s house. The other two sisters demand the same, with the older sister being more demanding.

But it is the older sister that is being favored most among the siblings. With no apparent reason (because the boorish sister is not even pretty nor sensible), the old widow takes always the older sister’s side and most of the time has a reason for the ill manners of this older sister. Many times, the older sister would go to the house of the old widow and ransack the fridge (no holds barred) without thinking if the others who dwell in the house had eaten already.

Many times, the boorish sister and her brood of equally insecure brats would visit the house to eat then leave their morsels, and the table unkempt. The son and his wife would often laugh at the matter as a case of eat-and-run.

Such is life for the son; and for the old widow who takes joy in the occasional visit of her precious child because of the tidbits she gathers from her. Then one day, the old widow was shocked to hear that her favorite demands that her share of her inheritance be given to her. The old widow refuses and told her that they would not get it until she dies and that was the agreement for everybody. The effort becomes futile as the ungrateful daughter insists that she has a right.

This made the old widow very depressed to the point of getting sick. She thought of the possibilities that they are already waiting for her to die, or that they would throw her out of the house if her favorite daughter was the one who lives with her. The son who lives with the old widow got very mad upon learning the account. He could only vent his anger while relating the story to his wife.

*******

Back to the question, Why are some people ungrateful boors?

To which Papsie answered:

– Because they think differently.

– Because they think there is nothing to be grateful for, and they owe nobody nothing.

– Because they do not know how to be a human being.

And I answered ‘because their skin is so thick you can actually feel it while talking to them at a distance.‘ 😀