The Environment Vote

Electoral Platform for the Environment

Flora and fauna should not be appropriated by private and foreign corporations through intellectual property conventions such as patents and licenses. Repeal the Philippine Plant Variety Protection Act.

Promote native agricultural varieties and indigenous agricultural practices.

Ban the land-use conversion of agricultural lands and natural ecosystems like mangrove areas.

Promote the conservation of our biodiversity. Enforce the ban on illegal wildlife trade. Stop biopiracy.

Enforce the ban on incinerator plants.

Declare a moratorium on the construction of coal-fired power plants.

Amend the Clean Air Act by instituting mechanisms that will safeguard the livelihood of low-income workers and ban oil companies from passing on the burden of paying for cleaner oil products to consumers.

Repeal the Philippine Water Crisis Act of 1995 that instituted the policy of water privatization.

Stop the construction of large dams.

Rehabilitate and protect watershed areas. Promote community manage forestry.

Immediately rehabilitate biologically dead rivers.

Immediately upgrade, expand and develop a national sewage system.

Promote community manage waste segregation, composting and recycling.

Towards peace based on justice

To stop the collateral damages to the environment, the government must reverse its policy of militarization and support to wars of aggression. The next and succeeding governments should junk unilateral agreements as the Visiting Forces Agreement that continues to pose risks on the people and the environment and the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement that allows the entry of weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear arms into the country. The government should instead pursue the quest for justice of victims of toxic waste contamination at the former US military bases, including the victims of unexploded ordnance left by joint military exercises.

Towards clean governance.

It has often been observed that our country has enough environmental laws; we only need to implement and enforce them. In spite the destruction and pollution that is happening around, there is hardly any environmental case that has been brought to justice. There is a need to finally clean the Department which has been noted to be one of the graft-ridden agencies in the country.

The problem about government corruption can be linked to how easily our natural resources and the national patrimony are bartered away by a leadership that emphasizes foreign exchange earnings over the people s constitutionally guaranteed right for the sole utilization and enjoyment of our natural resources.

As a safeguard measure, all our natural resources should be decreed as inalienable. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources should be reoriented away from brokering business transactions with local and transnational corporations towards genuinely protecting and wisely managing our environment.

These are among our minimum set of goals and demands. For our people and the environment, we vow to pursue them on the coming May elections and beyond.

Members:
Samahan ng Nagtataguyod ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Sambayanan (Agham); Center for Environmental Concerns; Haribon Foundation; Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang; Mamamalakaya sa Pilipinas (Pamalakaya); Religious Missionaries of the Philippines; Kalikasan-People s Network for the Environment; Bangon Kalikasan Movement; Tanggol Kalikasan; Philippine Task Force for Bases Clean-Up; Earth Island Institute (EII); Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan sa Pilipinas (KAMP); Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay); Philippine Federation for Environmental Concerns (PFEC); Southeast Asia Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (SEARICE); Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS); Philippine Society for the Protection of Animals

10-POINT Eco-GUIDELINES FOR POLITICAL PARTIES AND CANDIDATES

Kudos to Ecowaste Coalition for coming up with the guidelines presented below:

10-POINT GUIDELINES FOR POLITICAL PARTIES AND CANDIDATES

TO PREVENT AND REDUCE CAMPAIGN WASTE

1. Designate a lead team in the campaign structure that will be tasked to prevent or reduce campaign waste to zero or darn near in all campaign activities.

2. Target zero tolerance on garbage in all campaign meetings, sorties and related activities.

• Keep the campaign litter-free.
• Shun throwing confetti, exploding firecrackers or releasing balloons in campaign events.
• Refrain from using Styrofoam, plastic bags and other single-use containers for volunteers’ meals and drinks.
• Set up segregated waste bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable discards in campaign assemblies.
• Designate “eco-volunteers” to look after the bins and guide the public in the proper separation of their discards.
• Clean up right after the campaign event.
• Hire a local waste picker to pick up segregated wastes from campaign venue for recycling/ composting.

3. Refrain from using excessive campaign materials such as leaflets, pamphlets, posters, stickers, decals, streamers and other campaign paraphernalia.

4. For election propaganda materials: to include a friendly reminder that says “Para sa ating kalusugan at kalikasan, huwag pong ikalat, itambak o sunugin” or its equivalent in local languages.

5.  Avoid the use of specific campaign materials such as tarpaulin and other plastics as their
disposal has been environmentally problematic.  

6. Use post-consumer recycled paper for campaign materials to conserve trees and protect our forests, watersheds, and ecosystems. To make recycling easy, avoid using plastic-coated paper.

7. Stay away from campaign materials that are hardly reused or recycled such as confetti, buntings and balloons. These are often burned or discarded in storm drains, esteros, rivers, seas and dumps.

8. Reject grafitti or vandalism, or the willful or malicious defacing or destruction of property.

9. Harm not the trees: spare the trees of election campaign materials. Use designated common poster areas.

10. Win or lose - remove election campaign materials from all sites immediately after the election day on 14 May 2007.

A Cent's [Sense of] Worth

What good are the politicians if they are buying our votes?

What good is advocacy if the government does not value life?

What good is progressing society if the core values are disintegrating?

What good is teaching if you are unappreciated?

What good is education if too many are illiterate?

What good is qualifications if you are underemployed?

What good is faith if there is so much rife inequality?

What good is medicine if it is unattainable by many?

What good is comfort if 3/4 of the population is not?

What good is creed if you work for hourly wages in a dead-end job?

What value is love if it is unrequited?

Caught red-handed

[click comic to enlarge]

Adam@home

Baldo

funny that these situations are kinda anecdotal....

Smoking aces

A friend once asked if I smoke.
[I was caught off-guard with the question.]
Coincidentally, I also chanced upon a promotional poster (seen above) against second hand smoking in Europe.
In the past, I also was able to see the movie, Thank you for Smoking.
The poster and the movie present a lucid take on smoking.
If ever I am ask (again) such a question, I will probably refer them to the poster above or ask people to see the movie.

Going back to the question, if I based my answer on the poster above, then, almost all of us are smokers.
As to whether I puff....well.

Business Slogans

credit goes to Bert Christensen's Truth & Humour Collection for the very humorous and funny tag lines below. I will try to post here similar slogans found in the Philippines.
Enjoy!


On a Septic Tank Truck in Oregon:
Yesterday's Meals on Wheels

On a Septic Tank Truck sign:
"We're #1 in the #2 business."

Sign over a Gynecologist’s Office:
"Dr. Jones, at your cervix."

At a Proctologist's door
"To expedite your visit please back in."

On a Plumber's truck:
"We repair what your husband fixed."

On a Plumber's truck:
"Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber."

Pizza Shop Slogan:
"7 days without pizza makes one weak."

At a Tire Shop in Milwaukee:
"Invite us to your next blowout."

On a Plastic Surgeon's Office door:
"Hello. Can we pick your nose?"

At a Towing company:
"We don't charge an arm and a leg. We want tows."

On an Electrician's truck:
"Let us remove your shorts."

In a Nonsmoking Area:
"If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate
action."

On a Maternity Room door:
"Push. Push. Push."

At an Optometrist's Office
"If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place."

On a Taxidermist's window:
"We really know our stuff."

In a Podiatrist's office:
"Time wounds all heels."

On a Fence:
"Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive."

At a Car Dealership:
"The best way to get back on your feet - miss a car payment."

Outside a Muffler Shop:
"No appointment necessary. We hear you coming."

In a Veterinarian's waiting room:
"Back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!"

At the Electric Company:
"We would be delighted if you send in your payment. However, if you
don't, you will be."

In a Restaurant window:
"Don't stand there and be hungry, Come on in and get fed up."

In the front yard of a Funeral Home:
"Drive carefully. We'll wait."

At a Propane Filling Station,
"Thank heaven for little grills."

And don't forget the sign at a Chicago Radiator Shop:
"Best place in town to take a leak."

funny comic

funny comic scene from Shortpacked by David Willis
http://www.shortpacked.com/d/20061208.html
click to enlarge.

Movie Rant 3: Breaking and Entering

I was able to catch two films during the last day of the special screenings of arthouse films in Greenbelt Cinema 1. The second movie that I watched was Breaking and Entering.

In the movie, Will Francis (Jude Law) is asked by Amira (Juliette Binoche), Are you happy?
To which Will Francis answered, Happy enough.
Like Will Francis' answer, I am 'happy enough' with the film but was never totally engrossed or even thrilled by it. The problem starts during the second half of the film wherein the plot gets too muddled with a lot of things -- pace, character development/relevance, a lot of metaphors, etc. -- that makes the ending rather unconvincing and unrealistic.

However, whatever the shortcomings were, the movie still provides good insights on complex human emotions and relationships ---
how we try to be (unconsciously) looking out for love even if we adamantly reject/deny it;
how we try to protect members of our families;
how we try not to face realities by succumbing to metaphoric bullshit just to mask realities ---
these things can make us contemplate about our own angsts regarding our relations and how we try to deal with it.

So, for those who want to become contemplative and ruminative about your own relationships, go, watch this film either in cinemas or DVD.



For the plot summary, click here.

For casts and credits, click here.

Movie Rant 2: The Last King of Scotland

I was able to catch two films during the last day of the special screenings of arthouse films in Greenbelt Cinema 1. The first movie that I watched was The Last King of Scotland.

Power is really seductive. Just ask Nicholas Gerrigan (James McAvoy), the Scottish doctor who became the personal physician of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker). The film is an actual/fictional biography of the rise to despotism of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin told through the eyes of a young Scottish doctor (Nicholas Gerrigan).

Power is really seductive. One would wonder why Nicholas Gerrigan, amid the horror stories about the dictator, would willingly embrace the charms of Idi Amin without a second thought that it borders naivety (or stupidity?). Or is it just because Idi Amin is very smart, too charming and very persuasive? Whatever the possibility is, the idea of power is too mesmerizing that everyone try to grab it at whatever cost. Just look at the many candidates that the Philippines has for its incoming senatorial and local elections (May 14th). Or read the local dailies and one would read about a politician's assassination (again).

Through the eyes of Nicholas Gerrigan, the film's director, Kevin Macdonald was able to convey the many facets of Idi Amin: charismatic and magnetic but at the same time unpredictable, paranoid and brutal. Through Nicholas Gerrigan, viewers are able to see what Idi Amin is really capable of, and that spelled out fear and terror throughout Uganda between 1971-1979.

The film is engaging enough because you never know how it ends, and the powerful performances of the main protagonists would keep you glued to the screen. Go catch this film either in cinemas or DVD.


For the plot summary, click here.

For casts and credits, click here.

Procrastination

credit goes to http://www.how-to-study.com/procrastination.htm

The article verbatimly posted below is very relevant not only with one's studies but also to other activities an individual is/are currently into. There are instances that we all are seasonally caught with this bug. The article below should lessen if not completely get rid of this (addictive?) habit.

What is Procrastination?

Procrastination is putting off or avoiding doing something that must be done. It is natural to procrastinate occasionally. However, excessive procrastination can result in guilt feelings about not doing a task when it should be done. It can also cause anxiety since the task still needs to be done. Further, excessive procrastination can cause poor performance if the task is completed without sufficient time to do it well. In short, excessive procrastination can interfere with school and personal success.

Why Do Students Procrastinate?

There are many reasons why students procrastinate. Here are the most common reasons:

1. Perfectionism. A student’s standard of performance may be so high for a task that it does not seem possible to meet that standard.
2. Fear of Failure. A student may lack confidence and fear that he/she will be unable to accomplish a task successfully.
3. Confusion. A student may be unsure about how to start a task or how it should be completed.
4. Task Difficulty. A student may lack the skills and abilities needed to accomplish a task.
5. Poor Motivation. A student may have little or no interest in completing a task because he/she finds the task boring or lacking in relevance.
6. Difficulty Concentrating. A student may have too many things around that distract him/her from doing a task.
7. Task Unpleasantness. A student may dislike doing what a task requires.
8. Lack of Priorities. A student may have little or no sense about which tasks are most important to do.

How Do I Know if I Procrastinate Excessively?

You procrastinate excessively if you agree with five or more of the following statements:

1. I often put off starting a task I find difficult
2. I often give up on a task as soon as I start to find it difficult.
3. I often wonder why I should be doing a task.
4. I often have difficulty getting started on a task.
5. I often try to do so many tasks at once that I cannot do any of them.
6. I often put off a task in which I have little or no interest.
7. I often try to come up with reasons to do something other than a task I have to do.
8. I often ignore a task when I am not certain about how to start it or complete it.
9. I often start a task but stop before completing it.
10. I often find myself thinking that if I ignore a task, it will go away.
11. I often cannot decide which of a number of tasks I should complete first.
12. I often find my mind wandering to things other that the task on which I am trying to work.

What Can I Do About Excessive Procrastination?

Here are some things you can do to control excessive procrastination.

1. Motivate yourself to work on a task with thoughts such as “There is no time like the present,” or “Nobody’s perfect.”
2. Prioritize the tasks you have to do.
3. Commit yourself to completing a task once started.
4. Reward yourself whenever you complete a task.
5. Work on tasks at the times you work best.
6. Break large tasks into small manageable parts.
7. Work on tasks as part of a study group.
8. Get help from teachers and other students when you find a task difficult.
9. Make a schedule of the tasks you have to do and stick to it.
10. Eliminate distractions that interfere with working on tasks.
11. Set reasonable standards that you can meet for a task.
12. Take breaks when working on a task so that you do not wear down.
13. Work on difficult and/or unpleasant tasks first.
14. Work on a task you find easier after you complete a difficult task.
15. Find a good place to work on tasks.

Above all, think positively and get going. Once you are into a task, you will probably find that it is more interesting than you thought it would be and not as difficult as you feared. You will feel increasingly relieved as you work toward its accomplishment and will come to look forward to the feeling of satisfaction you will experience when you have completed the task.

Movie Rant 1: Letters from Iwo Jima

Greenbelt Cinema 1 is currently showing some arthouse films this week (April 9-15). So for those who missed out some good films during the latter part of 2006 and the first two months of 2007, now is the good time to catch those movies.

I was able to catch the screening of Letters from Iwo Jima (with English subtitles) directed by Clint Eastwood. This is the Japanese perspective of the Iwo Jima battle, one of the bloodiest battles during WW II. The other film made was from an American perspective, Flags of Our Fathers, also made by Eastwood (I was not able to watch the American perspective).

Though the film talks about the horrors of the war, it is more or less tamed down. The primary focus of the film revolves around the psyche of the main protagonists. Clearly, the film is about strength, honor and courage, and trying to break away from rigid traditional Japanese culture as expressed by the main protagonists. The nature of the film may be depressing, but towards its end, it more or less offers hope. There are a lot of snippets worth remembering in the film, since most of them are true, and thus can serve as reflections with our realities. For these alone, the film is worth one's time and money. Go catch this film either in cinemas or DVD.



Plot Summary: Letters From Iwo Jima is a recreation of the events that transpired during the American invasion of Iwo Jima during World War II, as told from the Japanese perspective. The island of Iwo Jima stands between the American military force and the home islands of Japan. Therefore, the Imperial Japanese Army is desperate to prevent it from falling into American hands and providing a launching point for an invasion of Japan. In February of 1945, some 22,000 Japanese troops defended the island against the overwhelming American forces that overwhelmingly outnumbered them. Like a memoir, the film follows the personal story of a young soldier, Saigo, a poor baker in civilian life, strives with his friends to survive the harsh regime of the Japanese army itself, as they fight for survival throughout the battles and are forced to watch helplessly as their closest comrades succumb to unavoidable deaths. The story also revolves around real-life Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, who was given command of the forces on the island and sets out to prepare for the imminent attack. General Kuribayashi continued to defend the island with his forces even as the fighting drew close to its inevitable conclusion.

For casts and credits, click here.

What an Eat-Fest

Summer is already here in the Philippines. One indicator of how hot this part of the the country is, would be the increased demand of halo halo. Halo Halo is actually a traditional summer cooler in the country made of sweet beans and mongo beans, a blend of fruits (for homemade ones, the combination can be limitless), evaporated milk, shaved ice and a scoop of ice cream. I actually had one at Chowking one really hot Monday (sans the ice cream). It was a refreshing treat!



A few hours later, I and a friend went to Chocolate Kiss Cafe in UP Diliman. I ordered a chocolate chip cheesecake (described in the cafe's menu as a New York-style cheesecake with semi-sweet real chocolate chip morsels) and of course cappuccino (combo of espresso, hot milk and milk foam). The combination of cheesecake and cappuccino is surely a match to beat foodwise. With the ambiance of the place and a good conversation to boot, it surely was a good way to end the day.

And I think I will be doing this often this summer.

Britons waste online time 'wilfing': study

AFP - Tuesday, April 10

LONDON (AFP) - British Internet users spend an average of two days a month surfing the web aimlessly, or "wilfing" as the activity has been dubbed, according to a study released on Tuesday.

More than two thirds of Britons admit to wilfing -- short for what was I looking for? -- while a quarter say they spend 30 percent or more of their time on the Internet surfing without any purpose.

Men are bigger wilfers than women, with shopping website the biggest distractions, according to the study by price comparison website moneysupermarket.com.

"The Internet was designed to make it easier for people to access the information they need quickly and conveniently," said Jason Lloyd, head of broadband at the website.

"However, our study shows that although people log on with a purpose, they are now being offered so much choice and online distraction that many forget what they are there for, and spend hours aimlessly wilfing instead."

A third of all men admitted that wilfing has harmed their relationship -- perhaps because almost one in five confess they are "distracted" from work or study by adult entertainment websites.

"These days there are all manner of websites gunning for our attention," said British television "lifestyle coach" Pete Cohen.

"Not allowing ourselves to wilf takes a mixture of planning and willpower."

The research was compiled by the YouGov polling body based on questioning of 2,412 adults.

Here’s to the crazy ones

From an Apple ad entitled Think Different, is a good accompanying poem presented below. There is also an article exploring the success of the ad in promoting Apple. To read the full-length article, click here. The ad is also featured after the poem below.

I know, most of us can, one way or another, directly or indirectly, can relate to the poem.

Here’s to the crazy ones.

The misfits.

The rebels.

The troublemakers.

The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently.

They’re not fond of rules.

And they have no respect for the status quo.

You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them,

disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.

Because they change things.

They invent. They imagine. They heal.

They explore. They create. They inspire.

They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.

How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art?
Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written?
Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

We make tools for these kinds of people.

While some see them as the crazy ones,
we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think
they can change the world, are the ones who do.

A love story in 4 pictures

funny pictory from an email from AGHAM (an NGO based in the Philippines):

Blogvertise

In the exponential rise of of pay for review sites, Blogvertise is very much active in the market.

From their Blogger FAQ, I verbatimly lift and post here two important questions among those interested:

How Much Will I Make?

You will make money for each task assigned to you that you have completed and submitted back for approval. The current payout rate for new accounts is $4 - $25 per entry. Most will fall into the $5-15 range. So if you are assigned 10 writing tasks and complete them and are approved you will earn $50-150 dollars. Note: Payout Rates will vary and are frequently based on popularity/traffic of blog as measured by independent third parties.

Can you Pay me More?

Yes. We will consider increasing the payout rate to accounts based on the quality of the blog, the performance of assigned tasks and how long you have had an account with us. All payout increases are done on a case by case basis.


This sounds enticingly enough.

Johnnie Walker Red Label whiskey and Miller Lite beer gay/lesbian ads

Iphone lust

iphone lust
i so want one

fun-tisement

this is a really good fun-tisement

Nature Photographs

kudos to this site, http://www.portfolionatural.com and its photographer, Rafael Ferrando. its so far the best photography website of nature that i have encountered. below are some of his photographs

Happy Easter!

somebody sent this photograph to me and it best summarizes my state of mind this week after the christian holy week -- new beginning.
we may all have a fruitful and positively eventful things to come in any of our endeavors: be it at work, love, life in general.
Happy easter!