Christmas consumerism

The 2007 holidays has ended and 2008 is less than 48 hours.
The comics below show the general feeling that I have every christmas.
[click comic to enlarge]
Calvin and Hobbes


Stone Soup

Jumpstart

Frazz

Foxtrot

Is my life at its Best? ۩

I am never religious and never will be, but in times of slumps and depression and pressure, its a good thing that there are email senders that send in some enlightening and conscience-tingling stories like the excerpt below.  Things at the personal level are not what it seems, I think.....

Excerpt from Joel Osteen’s Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential 

[from an email]

A few years back, I woke up one morning and I had a real strong concern and compassion for an old friend of mine. I hadn’t seen him in years, and hadn’t talked to him for at least fifteen years, but he was one of my best friends growing up. We played a lot of sports and spent a lot of time together.

All day long, I kept thinking about him, for no apparent reason. I was just hoping that he was doing okay. It finally dawned on me that maybe God was speaking to me, and I needed to take action. I decided to give my old buddy a call to say hello and see how he was doing. I had no idea how to get in touch with him. But I finally tracked him down and called him.

My friend answered the phone, and I said, “Hey, man, this is Joel Osteen. I’ve been thinking about you all day long. How have you been doing?”

The phone went completely silent. Not a word. I thought, This is very odd. I didn’t know what was going on, but I stayed on the line. After about fifteen or twenty seconds, I noticed that my buddy was all broken up on the other end of the line. I could tell that he was weeping. This fellow was one of the toughest athletes around as we were growing up. I had never seen him shed a tear. But he was now. 

When he finally composed himself, he said, “Joel, my wife just recently left me. And I’ve been so depressed and discouraged.” 

He said, “I’m not a religious person, but I prayed, ‘God, if You’re still out there, if You really love me, if You’re connected at all, just give me some kind of sign.’ And then the phone rang and it was you.”

God knows what He’s doing. He knows who’s hurting. He knows who’s at the end of their rope. If you will follow the flow of love and compassion wherever it leads, you may be the answer to a desperate, lonely person’s prayer. You may not fully realize the impact one brief phone call can have. 

You may not realize the significance of what it means to a hurting, lonely person to hear the words “I’ve been thinking about you. I’ve been concerned about you. I love you. I believe in you. I want to be praying for you. I’m going to stand with you.” You may have forgotten how powerful and life-changing those simple words of hope can be. Let love lead you through life. Don’t ever ignore that feeling of compassion inside you. Learn to follow the flow of God’s divine love. He will direct your paths and show where and how to express it.

ang mga sagot sa mga katanungan sa buhay

[somebody emailed these questions in my egroup; and someone was 'serious' enough to answer them]

1. Pwede bang uminom ng softdrink kapag coffee break?

Pwede ngunit kailangan itong lagyan ng asukal at kopimeyt. Kopimeyt dapat, huwag gatas. (milk in my cereal, kopimeyt in my pepsi.)

2. Pwede bang gamitin ang A.M. (not F.M.) radio pag gabi na?

Maari lamang gamitin ang A.M. radio kapag gabi kung ang iyong pakikinggan ay O.P.M.

3. Ang fire exit ba ay labasan ng apoy?

Ang fire exit ay ginagamit lamang bilang labasan ng apoy kapag may sunog. Ito ang kanilang daan upang sila'y makatakas o ang tinatawag na "fire escape".

4. Ang uod ba pag namatay ay inuuod din?

Ang tao kapag namatay ay hindi tinatao. Malamang ang uod ay hindi rin inuuod. Kung ang tao ay inuuod kapag nalagutan ng hininga, siguro ang uod kapag namatay ay tinatao.

5. Totoo bang ang mga manok na pinatay sa Jollibee ay masasaya kaya sila tinawag na chicken joy?

Oo, sila ay masaya kung kaya't sila'y tinawag na chicken joy. Ngunit hindi kinakailangang sa Jollibee patayin ang manok upang ito ay maging masaya. Ang mga manok ay nagiging masaya kapag sila ay may kasama sa buhay. Kapag ito ay nag-iisa lamang, ito ay hindi chicken joy kundi ....mcchicken singles.

Ang pinakamasayang manok sa lahat ay iyong 6 pc. chicken mcnuggets o tinatawag na "o-r-g-y" sa inggles.

6. Kung ang 7-11 store ay bukas 24 hrs a day , 7 days a week, at 365 days a year, bakit may lock pa ang pinto nila?

Dalawa ang dahilan. Una, may coffee break din naman ang mga nagtatrabaho sa 7-11. Pangalawa, mayroon tayong tinatawag na leap year.

7. Bakit di mataas ang highway?

Dahil kung mataas ang highway, walang paglalagyan ng skyway.

8. Ba't alang lumilipad na sasakyan sa flyover?

Hindi lang natin nakikita ang mga nagliliparang sasakyan sapagkat hindi tayo tumutingala kapag tayo ay nasa flyover.

Ang pagsalin ng dayuhang salita na flyover sa katutubong wika ay "fly"- lipad, "over"- sa ibabaw.

Ibig sabihin ang mga kotse ay hindi lumilipad sa flyover ngunit sa ibabaw ng flyover. Ngayon kung titingala ka naman kapag ikaw ay nasa flyover ang tangi mong makikita ay ang kisame ng iyong sasakyan.

Alam kong wala sa inyong mayroong sasakyan na Miata, Boxster, Kompressor, Z3, Z8 at kung ano-ano pang kotseng pang-mayaman kaya't huwag na kayong magpumilit mamilosopo.. . ako lang ang may karapatan.

Kung idadahilan niyo naman na mayroon kayong sunroof, hanapin ninyo ang inyong tinatawag na "sense of humor". Namamatay ng maaga ang palaging seryoso.


Sana ay nasagot ang ilan sa inyong mga katanungan sa buhay. Kung mayroon pang ibang bagay na bumabagabag sa iyong isipan huwag kayong mag-atubiling ilapit sa mga kina-uukulan o kaya sarilinin nyo na lamang para di kayo pagtawanan.

At lagi rin sana nating tandaan ang dayuhang salawikain na "ask a dumb question and you'll get a dumb answer."

Maraming salamat at walang anuman.

Anatomy ♥

i showed interest.

she showed interest.

constant texting: 

hi/hellos.

bantering.

inspiring.

nagging.

soliciting.

wooing.

asking.asking.asking.asking.asking.asking.asking.asking.asking.

working.busy.working.busy.working.busy.working.busy.working.busy.

pathetic.on my part.fear.commitment.anxiousness.

my fault.

attempting to communicate.reaching out.again.and again.

please.please.please.please.please.please.please.please.please.

empty space.enveloped.

sound of silence.

and all the ideals that i'm standing for.issues....

the cynicism of love.or whatever one calls it.

moved on.

subconsciously.not.

A Proactive Happy World AIDS Day!

Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise - Leadership

The above theme is an appeal to all governments and policy makers of all natons to ensure that they meet the targets they have agreed to in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
According to UNAIDS estimates, there were 37.2 million adults and 2.2 million children living with HIV at the end of 2004, and during the year 4.9 million new people became infected with the virus. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35. 95% of the total number of people with HIV/AIDS live in the developing world. But HIV still remains a threat to people of all ages and nationalities.

For more information about the epidemiology of the disease click here.

For more information what AIDS as a disease is all about click here.

World AIDS Day Themes through the years (1988-2007)

2007 Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise - Leadership
2006 Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise - Accountability
2005 Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise
2004 Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS
2003 Stigma and Discrimination
2002 Stigma and Discrimination
2001 I care. Do you?
2000 AIDS: Men Make a Difference
1999 Listen, Learn, Live: World AIDS Campaign with Children & Young People
1998 Force for Change: World AIDS Campaign With Young People
1997 Children Living in a World with AIDS
1996 One World. One Hope
1995 Shared Rights, Shared Responsibilities
1994 AIDS and the Family
1993 Act
1992 Community Commitment
1991 Sharing the Challenge
1990 Women and AIDS
1989 Youth
1988 Communication

Inday chronicles

as sent in an email....really funny


for your indulgence


"I am solitary. I find it hard to succumb to slumber, though the downpour of rain should've made it easy. This exuberant emotional glue I have for you cannot be simply washed away. The multiplicity of what I feel for you is inevitable. This isn't platonic. It's real, true romance."
— Inday, nag-e-emote sa may bintana habang iniisip si Dodong, ang boyfriend niyang driver ng kapitbahay
* * *
"One grows distant from another not because of hatred, not because of indifference, but because of fear. There's the fear that the hurt gets greater as one gets closer, a recognition of the tendecy to fall deeply and consequently drown in a quicksand of stupid irrationalities. Sometimes, what drives one away is not the absence of emotion, but the overwhelming presence of it."
— Inday, sa nararamdaman niya kay Dodong
* * *
"There are tulips in the street. There are tulips in the park, but nothing compares to our two lips meeting in the dark...."
— Pamatay lines ni Dodong kay Inday
* * *
"The statute restricts me to love you but you have the provocation. The way you smile is the proximate cause why I love you. We have some rules to think of. We have no vested rights to love each other because the upper household dismissed my petition!"
— Ganito nakipag-break si Inday kay Dodong
* * *
"I appreciate your courage, but... placating will just give false hopes. Your flowers are nothing but fancy. I ain't worth an ordinary weed cutter. Find yourself another lover."
— Inday, nang binasted si Estong
* * *
"I stay awake in the coldness of the darkened sky contemplating why, for some reason, my emptiness has made itself manifest, extending to that niche where I was given life and growth, that because of austerity I was separated from…."
— Inday, hindi makatulog dahil na-ho-homesick
* * *
"La vida no es una broma actualmente. El dinero es tan duro de pasar. Puede usted bajar el precio parci mi? Soy ya su compradora avido diario por favor?
— Inday, tumatawad sa merkado nang isinama siya ng amo sa España
* * *
1) Drunken shrimp and blue lobster meat with caviar served with milagrosa rice (red variety) and apricot sauce
2 Vegetables in balsamic vinegar splashed with extra virgin olive oil
3) Lychee and peach salad with sour cream cheese topped with lemon zests
— Baon ni Junior sa daycare na inihanda ni Inday
* * *
"Bloody hell!!! What the f*ck did just land on my cutie top? I mean, I've spent all day just to make myself look fabulous. I think I'll have this eewy thing removed in a whip wham of time!"
— Reaction ni Inday nung natalsikan siya ng mantika habang nagluluto ng tilapia
* * *
"Ipomea aquatica has become the constant ingredient in this Filipino delicacy which is very helpful in the digestion during the peristaltic process of the food we intake. Due to the continuous rains and floods, the harvest of the said vegetable has lessened the production in the market."
— B anat ni Inday kung bakit walang kangkong sa nilutong sinigang
* * *
"Heavy fire exerted by the stimulus affect the best conductor of heat which is the steel, causing the 'oriza sativa,' the scientific name of rice, to change its state of color, smell, as well as the taste."
— Sagot ni Inday nang tanungin siya ng amo kung bakit nasunog ang sinaing
* * *
"Potatoes, when consumed in their raw state, are rapidly converted to glucose that raise insulin levels because of its simple sugar. When cooked in high temperatures like french fries, they produce large amounts of free radicals in the body, causing aging, clotting, inflamation, cancer, weight gain.... One french fry is worse than one cigarette."
— Inday, sagot sa amo nung tanungin siya kung bakit hindi siya nagluto ng french fries
* * *
"Off you go! Under no circumstances will this house relent to such unabashed display of vagrant destitution!"
— Si Inday, pinapaalis ang makulit na pulubi sa gate
* * *
Ederlyn: Hi, Inday!
Inday: I'm sorry, who the hell are you?! Back off, loser!
* * *
"A change in the weather patterns might have occurred, causing havoc to affected surroundings. The way debris are scattered indicates that the gust of wind is going northeast, causing damage to the path it is going."
— Sagot ni Inday sa amo nung tinanong siya kung bakit nagkalat ang basura sa likod ng bahay
* * *
"Allergens trigger the immune response. Eosinophilic migration occurs to the reaction site and release of chemotactic and anaphylotoxin, including histamine and prostaglandins. These substances result in increased circulation to the site promoting redness."
— Sagot ni Inday nang tanungin ni Sir kung bakit may rashes si Junior
* * *
"Much as I want to indulge in the proliferation of such indecent and malicious information, I want to lift the stigma and alleviate society's perception of blindness."
— Pinagalitan ni Inday si Junior sa sobrang lapit manood ng TV
* * *
Amo: Day! Bakit may bukol si Junior?!
Inday: Compromising safety with useless aesthetics, the not-so-well engineered architectural design of our kitchen lavatory affected the boy's cranium with a slight boil at the left temple near the auditory organ.
Amo: (Di naka-react)
* * *
Amo: Bakit tuwing pag-uwi ko, nadadatnan kitang nanonood ng TV?!
Inday: Because I don't want you to see me doing absolutely nothing!
* * *
Amo: Inday, di ba nanood ka ng The Buzz kahapon? Bakit daw umalis si Angel Locsin sa GMA 7?
Inday: Sometimes, people choose to leave not because of selfish reasons but because they just know that things will get worse if they stay. Leaving can be a tough act and it's harder when people can't understand you for doing so.
* * *
Dear Sir/Madam:
Attached herewith is a list of proposed acquisition in line with my proposal to upgrade your household facilities. I have already made an initial survey of current market prices. Note, however, that prices can vary depending on the prevailing exchange rate and aggregate supply and demand, which we also monitor on an hourly basis.
— Si Inday, nagpapaalam mamalengke
* * *
"Guess what? The not-so-stunning guys keep on staring at my newly-manicured nails, while the copycat freaks envy my stylishly-cut mane. Unfortunately, after a great day at the spa, I have to step on this muddy and stinking place just to purchase some veggies!"
— Inday, nakikipagchikahan sa tindera sa palengke
* * *
"Higher stock index and low flow of investments triggered inflation prices, thus, the peso is weak."
— Dahilan ni Inday kung bakit kulang ang sukli
* * *
Amo: Inday, bumili ka nga ng mga isda... O o nga pala, Inglisera ka…. Would you please purchase many fishes for this week's meals?
Inday: Judging from your statement, I believe you meant a variety of fish. The term "fishes," although rarely and even erroneously used, connotes a plethora or an array of different kinds of the aforementioned gilled creatures. But the more pressing questions before I traverse the road to the wet market would be: What certain type of fish? Fillet or not? Frozen or just right smack the day's catch? (Pauses) Aaah… by manner of careful extrapolation, given the meager budget in this household's quasi-peasant middle class taste, I assume then that will source the staple "galewng-gowng" . Am I correct?
Amo: Leche!
Inday: You meant the freshwater milkfish? Then the "ba-ngooz" is it!
* * *
"Physical stress and excessive work may result in serious damage to one's body. It is, therefore, essential that once in a while, we take a break from our usual routine to replenish the lost energy we once had."
— Sabi ni Inday sa amo nu'ng humingi siya ng day-off
* * *
"Don't limit my capacity in the four corners of this luxurious abode. Expose me to the real challenges of the outside world. I want to grow as an individual with dynamic experience."
— Inday, nagrereklamo dahil ayaw isama sa Enchanted Kingdom
* * *
Amo: Inday, bakit mo binenta yung sirang silya?
Inday: I have computed the chair's fair value less cost to sell and the value in use using projections for five years and a pre-tax discount rate. Accordingly, the value in use is lower, so I decided to sell the chair. This is in accordance with PAS18 on Revenue, PAS16 on Property, Plant, and Equipment, and PAS36 on Impairment of Assets!
Amo: Adik ka talaga, Inday!
* * *
Dear Mom,
Had it not been for the smelling salt, I must have collapsed moments ago. Junior has become a little monster to me! Remember the head accident he had? As if it wasn't enough, he was summoned by the principal of his shabbily-run academe. Oh, such an erudite bunch of baboons! I never thought being a governess can be such a strenuous employ.
Your daughter,
Inday
Dear Inday,
Walanghiya ka! Magpadala ka nga ng pera! Nasa ospital ang nanay mo; dumugo ang ilong kababasa ng pesteng sulat mo!
Tatay
* * *
"It's not that I'm trying to compete with professionals and I'm totally not avoiding speaking in the vernacular. It's just that circumstances necessitate me to speak English because I won't fully accomplish my job without doing so."
— Explanation ni Inday sa pag-e-English niya
* * *
Amo 1: Inday, ano gamit mo sa katawan mo? Ang kinis mo kasi, eh.
Amo 2: Siguro gumagamit ka ng papaya....
Amo 1: Baka naman kalamansi?
Inday: NO! Only Belo touches my skin! Who touches yours?

Before Sunset

Lost, yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered for they are gone forever.
-- Horace Mann

The [d]evolution of man

[click image to enlarge]

need I say more?

societies and its people are now figuratively and literally hungry for more of all the things around them that it has led to a complete change of man.

Boon or bane?

To be young and idiotic again?

[click comic to enlarge]

Making sweet music with coffee

Life is like a cup of coffee.
You sit by the window, lift the cup and take a sip only to realize that sombody forgot to put the sugar.
Too lazy to rise and get the sugar, you somehow struggle through an unsweetened cup;
Till you discover undissolved sugar crystals sitting at the bottom.

That's how life is;

We sometimes forget to make an effort to value what is around us.
Look around, maybe the sweetness you are looking for is closer than you think.
Start your day right.
Flash a smile.
Have your coffee.
Make it sweet.

They said so...

[click image to enlarge]

Life is beautiful

Always look over the little details of your life:

Like a child's laughter;

A friend's hug;

Or a stranger's smile.

Enjoy them.....

They may be small, but when you look back in your life, you realize that those are the things that made your life complete.

(as sent in an sms from a friend)

What goes around comes around

Imagine, cigarette butts are already overtaken by plastic water bottles as the most abundant waste that pollutes the environment. The price of convenience indeed.

[click comic to enlarge]

Never Giving Up

In life, the greatest handicap is fear;

The hardest thing to do is begin;

The most useless asset is pride;

The most scary thing to make is change; 

And the greatest mistake is giving up.

(as sent in an sms from a friend)

visceral aimlessness

one may not talk what the lyrics of this music from Cibo Matto wants to convey but the Sugar Water video is simply good and brilliant.

having work suspended because of the rains had me aimlessly wandering in the virtual world. productivity is at a halt and I want it to keep that way for the time being.

reality will come back right after the supertyphoon but for now, enjoying the video above plus all the things that is the 'net is the priority.

The Better Side of the Philippines

Below is an email received, source unknown. Its a good read.

The following was written by INTEL General Manager Robin Martin about the Philippines:

Filipinos (including the press, business people and myself) tend to dwell too much on the negative side, and this affects the perception of foreigners, even the ones who have lived here for a while. The negative perception of the Philippines is way disproportionate to reality when compared to countries like Columbia, Egypt , Middle East, Africa , etc. Let us all help our country by balancing the negative with the positive especially when we talk toforeigners, whether based here or abroad. Looking back and comparing the Philippines today and 1995 (the year I came back), I was struck by how much our country has progressed physically.

Consider the following:

1. The great telecom infrastructure that we have now did not exist in 1995. 1995 was the year the telecom industry was deregulated. Since then billions of dollars have been invested in both fixed line and cellular networks producing a system with over 5,000 kms of fiber optic backbone at a world competitive cost. From a fixed line capacity of about 900,000 in 1995 we now have over 7 million. Cellular phones practically did not exist in 1995; now we have over 11 million line capacity.

2. The MRT, many of the EDSA flyovers (including the Ayala Avenue flyover), the SKYWAY, Rockwell and Glorietta 4, the Fort, NAIA terminal 2 and most of the new skyscrapers were not yet built in 1995.

3. If you drive to the provinces, you will notice that national roads are now of good quality (international quality asphalt roads). I just went to Iba, Zambales last week and I was impressed that even a not so frequently travelled road was of very good quality.

4. Philippine exports have increased by 600% over the past eight years. There are many, many more examples of progress over the last eight years. Philippine mangoes are now exported to the US and Europe.

Additional tidbits to make our people prouder:

1. INTEL has been in the Philippines for 28 years. The Philippines plant is where Intel's most advanced products are launched, including the Pentium IV. By the end of 2002, Philippine operations became Intel's biggest assembly and testing operations worldwide.

2. TEXAS INSTRUMENTS has been operating in Baguio for over 20 years. The Baguio plant is the largest producer of DSP chips in the world. DSP chips are the brains behind cellphones. TI's Baguio plant produces the chip that powers 100% of all NOKIA cellphones and 80% of Erickson cellphones in the world.

3. TOSHIBA laptops are produced in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

4. If you drive a BENZ, BMW, or a VOLVO, there is a good chance that the ABS system in your car was made in the Philippines.

5. TREND-MICRO, makers of one of the top anti virus software PC-Cillin (I may have mispelled this), develops its "cures" for viruses right here in Eastwood Libis, Quezon City . When a virus breaks in any computer system in the world, they try to find a solution within 45 minutes of finding the virus.

6. Today a majority of the top ten U.S. Call Center firms in the U.S. have set up operations in thePhilippines. This is one area in which I believe we are the best in the world in terms of value for money.

7. America Online (AOL) has 1,000 people in Clark answering 90% of AOL's global e-mail inquiries.

8. PROCTOR & GAMBLE has over 400 people right here in Makati (average age 23 years) doing back-up office work to their Asian operations including finance, accounting, Human Resources and payments processing.

9. Among many other things it does for its regional operations network in the Asia-Pacific region here in Manila , CITIBANK also does its global ATM programming locally.

10. This is the first year ever that the Philippines will be exporting cars in quantity courtesy of FORD Philippines. (I have an idea this article was written between 2001- 2002, so this operation should have been on-going for the last 3 years or so. CYN)

11. The government is shedding off graft and corruption slowly but surely. This is the first time in our history that a former president is in jail and facing charges of plunder. Despite all odds, we are still pursuing the ill-gotten wealth of Marcos now enjoyed by his unrepentant heirs.

Next time you travel abroad and meet business associates tell them the good news. A big part of our problem is perception and one of the biggest battles can be won simply by believing and by making others believe. This message is shared by good citizens of the Philippines who persevere to hope and work for our country.56,000,000 Filipinos speak, read and write in English even if we have our own national language. Speaking a second language takes a certain kind of unique intelligence.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO OTHER FILIPINOS!!!

The Hell of Things

[click above comic to enlarge]

The benefits of not smoking

[click image to enlarge]
http://www.healthbolt.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/smoking_timeline_2070x1530.gif

To Rain or not to rain

[click comic to enlarge]

Too much coffee man

The point exactly for most politicians.

Unless they see something physical that would significantly affect their interests.

A Filipino's Independence for What its Worth

Pilipino

Sabi MO , ang gobyerno natin ay palpak.
Sabi MO , ang mga batas natin ay sinauna.
Sabi MO , ang lokal na pamahalaan natin ay hindi
maganda ang pagkolekta ng basura at ang paglilinis ng mga lugar.
Sabi MO , hindi gumagana ang mga telepono, katatawanan
ang kalagayan ng trapiko, at hindi nakakarating sa
paroroonan ang mga sulat.
Sabi MO , parang nasadlak sa basura ang ating buong bansa.
Sabi Mo , sabi MO, sabi MO.

E ano'ng ginagawa mo tungkol dito?

Kumuha ka ng isang taong papunta sa Singapore . Bigyan
mo sya ng pangalan, yung sa IYO. Bigyan MO sya ng
mukha, yung sa IYO. Lumabas KA sa airport nang
pinakamatino mong sarili na maipagmamalaki sa mundo..

Sa Singapore Hindi KA nagtatapon ng upos ng sigarilyo
sa kalye. Ipinagmamalaki MO ang magaganda nilang
underpass. Nagbabayad KA ng mga 60 pesos para
makapagmaneho sa Orchard Road (parang EDSA) mula alas
5 hanggang alas 8 ng gabi. Bumalik KA sa parking lot
para bayaran ang parking tiket mo kung napasobra ka ng
oras sa shopping o sa pagkain sa isang restaurant. Sa
Singapore , wala KAng sinasabi, meron ba?

Hindi MO susubukang kumain sa lantad kapag Ramadan sa
Dubai .
Hindi MO susubukang lumabas ng bahay na walang takip
ang mukha sa Jeddah.
Hindi MO susubukang lagyan ang isang empleyado ng
kumpanya ng telepono sa London para mapunta sa ibang
tao ang mga long distance na tawag mo.

Hindi MO susubukang lumampas ng 90 kilometers per hour
sa Washington, at saka sasabihin sa pulis "Alam mo
kung sino ako?"

Bakit di MO subukang dumura o magtapon ng upos ng
sigarilyo o balat ng kendi sa mga kalye sa Tokyo ?

Bakit hindi MO subukang bumili ng pekeng mga papeles
sa Boston tulad ng ginagawa sa Recto?

Pinag-uusapan pa rin natin IKAW.

IKAW na gumagalang at sumusunod sa patakarang banyaga
sa ibang bansa pero hindi makasunod sa sarili mong
lugar.

IKAW na tapon ng tapon sa kalye pagtuntong mo pa lang
sa lupa.

Kung IKAW ay nakikisalamuha at pumupuri ng systema sa
bansang banyaga, bakit hindi KA maging ganyan sa
Pilipinas?

Minsan sa isang panayam, ang dating Subic
Administrator na si Gordon ay may katwiran ng sinabi
nyang "Ang mga aso ng mayayaman ay pinalalakad at
pinadudumi ng may-ari sa kalye, tapos sila mismo ang
pumupuna sa may katungkulan sa kapalpakan sa
paglilinis ng mga kalye. Ano ang gusto nilang gawin ng
mga may katungkulan? Magwalis tuwing makakaramdam ng
hindi maganda sa tiyan ang kanilang alaga?"

Sa America , bawat may-ari ng alaga ay dapat maglinis
matapos ang pagdumi ng aso. Ganuon din sa Japan ...

Gagawin ba ng mga Pilipino yun dito? Tama sya.

Pumupunta tayo sa botohan para pumili ng gobyerno at
pagkatapos nuon ay tinatanggal na natin sa sarili ang
responsibilidad. Uupo tayo sa isang tabi at
paghihintay ng pagkalinga at umaasa na gagawin ng
gobyerno ang lahat habang wala tayong iniaalay.

Umaasa tayo sa pamahalaan na maglinis, ngunit hindi
naman tayo titigil sa pagtatapon ng basura sa kung
saan-saan, at ni hindi tayo pupulot ng anumang piraso
ng papel para itapon sa basurahan.

Pagdating sa mga panlipunang talakayin tulad nang
hindi pagiging tapat sa kasal, sa mga dalagang ina, sa
pagtatalik ng walang basbas ng kasal, at iba pa,
maingay tayong nagpoprotesta ngunit patuloy naman
nating ginagawa ang mga ito.

Sa sandaling tayo ay mangulila kapag nasa labas tayo
ng bansa, naghahanap tayo ng aliw sa iba, kadalasan sa
kapwa rin natin Pilipino, na hindi natin iniisip ang
ating katungkulan na ating sinumpaan sa ating pamilya
nuong narito pa tayo.

Tapos sinisisi natin ang pamahalaan kapag nakikita
natin ang karahasan sa kabataan, pagkagumon sa bawal
na gamot, at iba pa, samantalang sinimulan natin
ito sa hindi pagpansin sa pangangailangan ng ating mga
anak ng tunay na pag-gabay at responsibilidad ng isang
magulang.

Ang sabi natin, "Ang buong sistema ang kailangang
magbago. Ano ang magagawa kung ako lang ang
magpapabago sa aking pamilya?"

E sino ang magbabago ng sistema?

Ano ba ang mga sankap ng sistema? Napakaginhawa sa
atin na ang sistema ay binubuo ng ating mga
kapitbahay, mga ibang tahanan, ibang syudad, ibang
komunidad, at ang pamahalaan. Pero hindi kasama IKAW
at AKO. Pagdating sa ating pagkakaroon ng positibong
handog sa sistema, ikinakandado natin ang sarili, pati
na ang ating pamilya sa loob ng isang ligtas na pugad
at tumatanaw na lang tayo sa malayong mga lugar at
bansa at naghihintay ng isang Mr. Clean na dumating at
maghatid na mga himala.

O lumilikas tayo. Parang mga tamad na duwag na hindi
pinatatahimik ng ating mga takot, tumatakbo tayo sa
Amerika upang makisalo sa kanilang luwalhati at
purihin sa kanilang sistema. Pero pag naging
masalimuot sa New York tatakbo tayo sa Japan o
Hongkong. Pag nagkahirapan ang paghanap ng trabaho sa
Hongkong, sakay agad tayo sa susunod na eroplano
patungong Gitnang Silangan. Pag may digmaan sa Gulf,
inaasahan nating masagip at mapauwi ng Gobyernong
Pilipino.

Lahat ay handang umabuso at gumahasa sa bansa. Walang
nag-iisip na handugan ang sistema. Ang konsyensya
natin ay nakasanla sa pera. Mga mahal kong kababayan,
ang sulating ito ay matinding nakakakislot ng isipan,
nangangailangan ng maraming pagmumuni-muni, at
tumutusok din sa konsyensya. Medyo inuulit ko lang
ayon sa ating salita ang mga salita ni John
..F.Kennedy sa kanyang kabansa upang maitugma sa ating
mga Pilipino:

"Itanong natin kung ano ang magagawa natin sa ating
bansang Pilipinas at gawin ang nararapat upang ang
Pilipinas ay maging tulad ng Amerika at ibang
kanlurang bansa ngayon."

(the above was an email sent by a friend, link/source not indicated)

And our country's independence and democratic freedom resulted in politically-related killings of advocates.

The poster below best represents this stigma we have in the international community.

[click poster to enlarge].


And how the Arroyo admininstration, like most politicians around the world, made use of vague plans and platforms to sectors that need the most attention, resulting in empty promises similar to the comic below.

[click comic to enlarge].

Too Much Coffee Man

The reality of things

In a day, vacation will come to a close and it will become "normal" again...

...the daily grind of work -- interacting with people you thought were real but unfortunately are dissemblers; confiding to them things that were supposed to be off the record but will be used against you; trusting your judgement that your officemates are your friends but you realize they are not...

The hazards of coming to work...

And the end goal? It all boils down to the currency being accepted in order to survive -- money.

Too much coffee man

The vicious cycle of endlessness

Complaints, complaints....

...thats what most of us are usually doing;
to the point that we become so warmed up talking and talking.

But what will we do about it?

And silence becomes deafening.

Go, ask a politician, s/he's so good at this.

[click comic to enlarge]

Too Much Coffee Man

Movie Rant: Shrek

Shrek is at least being environmental.

The movie is good at recycling things....

...from the first two movies.

Funny moments are relatively far in between.

The trailer is much better at delivering those funny moments. But the movie, it is (approx.) 90 minutes too long.

Hopefully, this really would be the end of the series.


For the plot summary, click here.

For casts and credits, click here.

Movie Rant: 28 Weeks Later

Frailty of the human mind and how man views himself in the company of others and of danger is very lucid in this movie...

The movie hypnotically draws out the 'what ifs' situations, the moral choices that should be made in conditions where preservation of the human species is the issue;

Is life really worth saving at all costs in the planet...

Hence there are no qualms in giving enough mayhem and body count, both infected and uninfected individuals, that in the end, one feels exhausted and drained and shortchanged....

For leaving the viewer to question his own existence and moral decisions if such thing would happen (and at the extreme, probably relate it to what is currently happening in Iraq)...

For those who want to be entertained and at the same time talks of existentialism, this movie is worth watching. Go catch this film either in cinemas or DVD. It is also better to catch its predecessor, 28 Days Later.

For the plot summary, click here.

For casts and credits, click here.

Movie Rant: Wild Hogs

What have I done in my life so far?

This seems to be the question being posed by the main protagonists (Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy) in the movie, Wild Hogs...

A buddy movie about four middle-aged individuals who ride their motocycles around their area but eventually starting a road trip. And that soon starts their (mis)adventure.

The movie may be formulaic in terms of slapstick and some gay humor, but it also offers a charismatic and effortless cast, with occasional bit of wit, that deliver the laughs; just make sure that brain cells are best left for studying.

For those who wanna have a hell of a ride without demanding too much from the brain, Wild Hogs is a good lounge movie. Go catch this film in DVD.

For the plot summary, click here.

For casts and credits, click here.

The Origin of Man

[click image to enlarge]

So where did we come from?

Were we really created in the likeness of a supreme being as claimed by the bible written by humans said to be inspired by this supreme being?

What about Charles Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection which served as basis for evolution? This more or less is misrepresented in the wall painting above....

George Carlin bluntly put it this way: Catholic — which I was until I reached the age of reason

And so we all need to take life seriously...

...will just have a movie marathon over the weekend at my end.

Safer weekend for everybody.

And the point of going through this is?

Coming across a game called flyguy inadvertently led to thinking of the point of going over the things you do in your day to day activities.

Why are we doing this? What is the purpose for the mundane things that we do?

Why do we have to wake up each day and go through the rundown of commuting, reporting for work, aimlessly wondering what's for lunch, looking obsessively at the time over and over, up until its time to go out of the office and then go home. Unless you take a detour and do something else to unwind.

My current state of mind provides no answer. If only it is as easy as saying 42.....

For those who want to just play the game, just click the image.
Controls are the arrow keys.

You may find yourself just drifting around and [might] encounter random items. You may not even get the point of the game....

and I think that is the point.

Melancholic ups and bottomless downs

Hurting and despairing seem to be the new trend today...

One can personally feel how much it hurts, knowing that [maybe] you want this [someone/something]....

...but [unfortunately] you can not have that.

This is similar to what the Me and Mrs. Jones lyrics/music below conveys...

It talks of longing and wanting and yearning for that unbridled moment that one can connect to that someone/something...

...but soon realizes that its not really going to happen.

That person just heaves a sigh and futilely...

...mope.

Me and Mrs. Jones

Billy Paul (a #1 hit in 1972)
written by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and Cary Gilbert

Me and Mrs. Jones, we got a thing going on,
We both know that it's wrong
But it's much too strong to let it cool down now.

We meet ev'ry day at the same cafe,
Six-thirty I know she'll be there,
Holding hands, making all kinds of plans
While the jukebox plays our favorite song.

Me and Mrs., Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones,
Mrs. Jones got a thing going on,
We both know that it's wrong,
But it's much too strong to let it cool down now.

We gotta be extra careful
that we don't build our hopes too high
Cause she's got her own obligations and so do I.

Me, me and Mrs., Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones,
Mrs. Jones got a thing going on,
We both know that it's wrong,
But it's much too strong to let it cool down now.

Well, it's time for us to be leaving,
It hurts so much, it hurts so much inside,
Now she'll go her way and I'll go mine,
But tomorrow we'll meet the same place, the same time.

Me and Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones.

Ultimate Forbidden

We all have ultimate fantasies about things around us...

Things that would make us look good...

Things that would make us comfortable...

Things that would make us live happily ever after...

Things that would make our lives better.

Unfortunately, it does not happen. That is why it is called a fantasy.

Reality really [sometimes] sucks.

[click comic to enlarge]

guest artist Meghan Murphy for multiplexcomic

Pointless existence?

What have I done in my life thus far?

This might be the question that might come to mind if someone is reflecting on the things that he had (or had not) done up until such moment of reflection.

Would this be applicable to animals perhaps?

Take for example the mouse below.

Does the mouse know that it has been bred in captivity?

Does the mouse know what to become of him as days pass by?

Fed to the upper members of the food chain perhaps?

Or may be killed for the sake of experimentation?


And so, the mouse will ultimately end like the one below in the interest of science.

Is the mouse's existence pointless?

Scientists using it in the laboratories may not think so.

But we can not ask the mouse about that.

Is life worth living only to end up this way?

So depressing.

Reality Bites: Coming Full Circle

And so, discordant as it may seems, reality has a way of tying loose ends of what might a person wants.

And at the end of the day, we still try our best to antagonize and deviate from the path that we tend to follow...

Reflections of things that can not be undone but rectified (probably) in the future...

Or things that one is so trying hard to control according to his bidding that probably will do good for his future...

Or things that are beyond his control but can still have a significant role in his future.

Safer weekend for all people.

[Click comic to enlarge]

[disclaimer: comic not my own. will acknowledge the website once i recall where i got it]

The birds and the bees

This would be the situation if children/teenagers (without being exposed to sex education) become parents with children. See related post below or click here for the origin of this rant.

People/sectors are sometimes too shallow and narrow-minded that its such a waste of time and space for arguments and reasons they would never understand.....

[Click comic to enlarge]

Cyanide and Happiness

Morally upright (?)

From ABA-AKO partylist poster, claiming that they would be the savior of the Filipino nuclear family....

What the.....

Think 75 per cent of the 90 million Filipinos living below poverty because of ignorance and lack of access to basic reproductive health services....

This partylist should not talk about moral issues as their platform...

Its hypocrisy...

They should talk of other alternative programs if they want to be altruistic and all....

How pointless...

[Click poster to enlarge]

Movie Rant: Pan's Labyrinth

How unfortunate that this film, heralded as among the best of 2006 is belatedly shown here in the Philippines. I was really curious as to what the film is really about.

After watching the film, my only reaction is -- WOW.

That is how I was really blown away by this magnificent film. To think that it draws some parallelism about what our country has gotten into in terms of what we really want and how we want things to unfold.

A superb review is found in Rebel Without A Clue, a weekly column by Patricia Evangelista appearing in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Click here to view her full article.

For those who want to watch an intellectually and visually stimulating movie, go, watch this film either in cinemas or DVD.



Overview courtesy of imdb.com:

In 1944 fascist Spain, a girl, fascinated with fairy-tales, is sent along with her pregnant mother to live with her new stepfather, a ruthless captain of the Spanish army. During the night, she meets a fairy who takes her to an old faun in the center of the labyrinth. He tells her she's a princess, but must prove her royalty by surviving three gruesome tasks. If she fails, she will never prove herself to be the the true princess and will never see her real father, the king, again. Written by Tim

This is the story about a young girl... and the fantasy world she created, to survive the harsh reality... This movie teaches us how children survive the real world, which they are not prepared for, and how adults forgotten this ability, disregard it as nothing, missing its "power"... Written by John

"Pan's Labyrinth" is the story of a young girl who travels with her pregnant mother to live with her mother's new husband in a rural area up North in Spain, 1944, after Franco's victory. The girl lives in an imaginary world of her own creation and faces the real world with much chagrin. Fascist repression during the first years of Franco's dictatorship is at its height in rural Spain and the girl must come to terms with that through a fable of her own. Written by Ben McIntosh

For casts and credits, click here.

State of my mind

Barely having some sound sleep, this would be the state of my mind.
Have a memorable and safe weekend!


Click here for a previous related post.

Political Abduction -- Jayjay Burgos

From the column of Ellen Tordesillas:

Pray for Jayjay

What struck me in that Pieta-like picture of Edith Burgos holding the picture of her missing son was the close resemblance of Jonas Joseph (Jayjay) to his father Joe Burgos, press freedom crusader and founder of We Forum and Malaya.

A witness to the abduction of Jayjay surfaced the other night at ABS-CBN after he saw Edith appealing for help to find her son.

The witness who hid under the name “Randy” said he saw Jayjay eating alone at the Hapag-Kainan restaurant at the Ever Gotesco Mall on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City about 1 p.m. when four “bodyguard-looking” men approached him. At first, Randy said, one of guys put his hand on Jayjay shoulders. “Hinihimas-himas,” was Randy’s description. I can imagine that it was a hard massage that the bodyguard-looking guy was applying on Jayjay.

Randy related that all of a sudden the burly men pulled Jayjay from his seat and forcefully brought him out of the mall. Jayjay was shouting, “Tulungan nyo ako! Dinudukot ako! Aktibista ako!” (Help me! I’m being abducted! I’m an activist!)

Randy said nobody dared help Jayjay. “Then everything went back to normal in the mall,” he said.

What Jayjay did, shouting and asking for help, is one of the tips in “staying alive” for journalists and activists in these dangerous times.

A former colleague in Malaya last night texted me they have information that it was elements of ISAFP (Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines) that abducted Jayjay. “Please pray,” she said.

I’m praying that Jayjay, married and a father to a one-year old baby, be given the strength to survive what he is going through. I’m also praying that God touch the conscience of his abductors and stop their malevolent operation.

An agriculture graduate of Benguet State University, Jayjay is a member of Alyansa ng Magbubukid, a chapter of militant peasant organization Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), which is in the watchlist of the military.

The morning before he was abducted Jayjay conducted a seminar on organic farming.

It’s easy to imagine where Jayjay got his interest in agriculture and concern for the plight of the disadvantaged. After retiring from journalism, Joe Burgos took up farming in Bulacan.

I can’t remember particularly Jayjay when he was much younger. He is 36 years old now so he must have been 13 years old when he and his brothers and sister would do summer work in Malaya as copy boys or proofreaders while we were pushing the limits of press freedom under a dictatorship.

He must have been 11 years old when his father, grandfather, uncle, and friends of his father who were columnists of We Forum, Malaya’s sister-publication, were arrested and jailed in December 1982 for publishing stories critical of Ferdinand Marcos, especially about his fake war medals which US publications picked up three years later.

Jayjay was just six years old when his father decided that he would not allow martial law to curtail his right to inform the public about the truth. We Forum’s first issue came out on May 1, 1977. That marked the birth of the alternative press.

Tapping 18 campus editors as correspondents, Joe gave the Filipino public stories that would not see print in the mainstream newspapers. On the day the first copies of We Forum hit the streets, the Metrocom (Metropolitan Command of the Philippine Constabulary) arrested three of the student editors covering the Labor Day rally.

That was exactly 30 years ago. Today, the life of the son of a man who helped regain our freedom is in peril under the custody of unidentified elements of repression. It’s as if nothing has changed.

From where he is now, Joe Burgos must be in grief.

Saying I Love You

[click comic to enlarge]

Too Much Coffee Man

What does saying I love you really cost us?
What does this term of endearment really mean?
Are we talking about an act of benignity? Or an act of love's love?