Sunday, May 11, 2008

UN to Burma: Open up now!

I miss blogging here.  Anyway, let me repost this report from channelnewsasia.com.

UN says, million cyclone survivors still without aid




BANGKOK : At least one million survivors remain without aid more than a week after a deadly cyclone ripped through Myanmar, the UN said Saturday, with emergency supply shipments still held up by the country.



Aid officials say time is running out for thousands of people in the southwest delta who are desperately waiting for food, drinking water and medicine, and that the government is not acting quickly enough.



Fast Facts

High-energy biscuits that could feed 95,000 people are stuck in Yangon airport, while few visas have been given to increasingly frustrated aid workers, said Richard Horsey, spokesman for the UN's emergency relief arm.



"Approaching half a million beneficiaries have been reached (by UN agencies), but that's of between 1.5 to 2.0 million we've now estimated as severely affected," he said.



"At this stage we've only reached a quarter of people with any form of relief goods," he said, calling that "clearly way too slow".



State media said 60,000 people were killed or left missing when Cyclone Nargis ripped through the country's southwest last weekend, while foreign officials estimate the death toll at closer to 100,000.



UN officials have said they fear that toll could climb if the people in need of help are not reached soon, especially with more bad weather approaching.



"With major rainfall predicted, starting over the weekend, this is a very grave concern," said Horsey. "It's a race against time."



The World Food Programme (WFP) said Saturday that two planeloads of emergency food remained impounded by customs at Yangon airport, nearly 36 hours after the biscuits arrived in Yangon.



"My understanding is that it has not yet been released into our hands, but we are working around the clock to get access," said Marcus Prior, a Bangkok-based spokesman for WFP.



The junta has said they will accept money and aid, but want to distribute all the aid themselves, despite the country's woeful infrastructure.



Prior said that two more relief flights coordinated by WFP were due to land in Yangon on Saturday, and they were still negotiating with the government to ensure they could monitor the distribution of food, shelter and medicine.



"It is frustrating but that doesn't mean we're going to throw up our hands and give up. To the contrary, we're going to work harder," Prior said.



The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR sent a convoy of aid trucks over the Thai-Myanmar border Saturday, which is expected to reach Yangon in two days, where it will be handed over to the government.



"We're hoping that the authorities will keep their word and give us access to monitor the distribution of these materials," Vivian Tan, a UNHCR spokeswoman, told AFP in the border town of Mae Sot.



UN children's agency UNICEF had three million water purification tablets arrive on a Thai Airways flight on Friday, but it was unclear if this much-needed supply had yet left Yangon airport.



Shantha Bloemen, UNICEF spokeswoman in Bangkok, said only that the supplies were going through "normal channels".



"I think it usually takes a day or two ... The government has not changed their procedures," she said.



"We need to get this working like a normal relief operation."



A charter plane carrying food, shelter and medicine for medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) was also due to land Saturday.



"We have permission from them (the government) to land. Then we need to see what will happen," said MSF spokeswoman Veronique Terrasse.



MSF also has about 25 staff on stand-by around the world to help the relief effort in Myanmar, with no indication yet on whether visas would be granted -- a common situation for most aid agencies, Horsey said.



"We're dealing with lots of bureaucracy, we're dealing with a lot of red tape, and possibly we're dealing with an environment where the authorities aren't fully open to a relief effort of this kind," Horsey told AFP.



"That's very frustrating -- it's hampering the relief effort."

 

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

see my latest baby


since world domination is still one of my end goals, i've put up another blog site.

as i am still trying to figure out how to use wordpress (anyone who can give me the book wordpress for dummies gets a kiss), don't expect the blogsite to be as fab as BB's. but i will get there, just give me time.

for now, i'm taking baby steps.

check out:

tales of an incurable mall rat lost in the cutthroat world of the urban jungle

and let me know what you think.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Thursday, March 27, 2008

art imitating life

i just finished the second draft of that blasted paper on public procurement. yes, yes, my nose bled trying to explain why despite the GPRA, procurement philippine style, remains dysfunctional aside from being supply driven.



i've got one more paper to check, then i'm off to computing the grades, accomplishing the gazillion blank forms (i never thought i'd do admin work as faculty in charge) and finally-- updating my public policy knowledge.



shocks, my life is boring me out of wits.



i went through my desk drawer at lunch time and found my latest murakami purchase. not louis vuitton murakami-- please! i'm talking of haruki murakami.



i've only gotten as far as the 1st chapter after i bought it at the national bookstore sale last month. i've got five more books from that sale. all remain unread. geez...




the book is south of the border, west of the sun.







i bought this book right away when i read the back cover:


growing up in the suburbs in post war japan, it seemed to hajime that everyone but him had brothers and sisters. his sole companion was shimamoto, also an only child. together they spent long afternoons listening to her father's record collection. but when his family moved away, the two lost touch. now hajime is in his 30s. after a decade of drifting he has found happiness with his loving wife and two daughters, and success running a jazz bar. then shimamoto reappears. she is beautiful, intense and enveloped in mytery. hajime is catapulted into the past, putting at risk all he has in the present.



it sounded good. now that i read the back over again, i am reminded of love in a time of cholera also by my one of my favorite authors, gabriel garcia marquez.


a synopsis i found summarized the book as follows:

In the late 1800s, in a Caribbean port city, a young telegraph operator named Florentino Ariza falls deliriously in love with Fermina Daza, a beautiful student. She is so sheltered that they carry on their romance secretly, through letters and telegrams. When Fermina Daza's father finds out about her suitor, he sends her on a trip intended to make her forget the affair. Lorenza Daza has much higher ambitions for his daughter than the humble Florentino. Her grief at being torn away from her lover is profound, but when she returns she breaks off the relationship, calling everything that has happened between them an illusion.

Instead, she marries the elegant, cultured, and successful Dr. Juvenal Urbino. As his wife, she will think of herself as "the happiest woman in the world." Though devastated by her rejection, Florentino Ariza is not one to be deterred. He has declared his eternal love for Fermina, and determines to gain the fame and fortune he needs to win her back. When Fermina's husband at last dies, 51 years, 9 months, and 4 days later, Florentino Ariza approaches Fermina again at her husband's funeral. There have been hundreds of other affairs, but none of these women have captured his heart as Fermina did. "He is ugly and sad," says one of his lovers, "but he is all love."

In this magnificent story of a romance, Garcia Marquez beautifully and unflinchingly explores the nature of love in all its guises, small and large, passionate and serene. Love can emerge like a disease in these characters, but it can also outlast bleak
decades of war and cholera, and the effects of time itself.



ah, the fiction, the story plots that i choose. just what do they say about me?

now if only i'll finish reading them.


Tuesday, March 25, 2008

off the top of my head

considering that i was on the verge of running amuck since the start of the month, err year, i should've blogged my guts out over the easter holiday. you see, writing, like shopping is very therapeutic.
instead, i went on penitensya and got down and dirty checking my students' final papers. some papers were very good-- but sadly, there were some which seemed like the kind of paper janina san miguel would submit.

i've got seven more papers of my students to check, and then i'm off to vacation holiday.

err... not quite. i have to update what i know about public policy. read, read, read. revise my course guide. my reading list. think of new ways to make teaching and learning public policy via distance mode "fun."

now if only being an academic would come easy for me. the way spinning is. or shopping is. or being a pain in the a** is.

i can't believe i'm coming up with a whine post after easter.
the news in the past few days are disturbing me big time. number one on the list of what's bothering me is the rice shortage. (it worries me because i love eating rice and i get groucy if i don't eat rice in a day.)
as usual, GMA and her men are quick to deny that there is actually a rice shortage, saying that the price will increase slightly, but there will be enough supply.
long story short, the shortage is confined only to those who won't be able to afford the high cost. sad naman. i was reading police reports the other day and was a bit bothered (again) by an incident wherein a 47 year old man was mauled to death by his fellow scavenger after the latter got irked when the victim tried to get his leftover rice.
next to losing, i think hunger is the worst human experience.
second thing, former president cory aquino's colon cancer. my lolo died of colon cancer. it's sad, it's scary and it leaves me wondering why the brightest minds have not discovered something-- like a vaccine that can be administered to kids so they'll be cancer proof when they grow up.
here's the inquirer today.



let's pray for some good news.


Thursday, March 13, 2008

client 9--- OUT!

scandals seem to be in vogue these days. gaad-- life has become so boring-- we resort to politics and scandals for enterntainment.

"Over the course of my public life I have insisted people take responsibility for their conduct. I can and will ask no less of myself. For this reason I am resigning as governor," said nueva york governor Eliot Spitzer who will step down on Monday to "atone for his private failings."





client 9-- eliot spitzer





the 1st term democrat governor who gained national prominence relentlessly pursuing Wall Street anomalies resigned amid allegations that he used an exclusive prostitution ring at least eight times in eight months.


now i wonder-- how come it's easier for politicians in other countries to resign--even before they were proven guilty? no need for rallies, no picketing in front of their houses, no all out media war that leaves spectators sick.


i also wonder how wives of shamed politicians can actually stand behind them amidst all the scandal. i hate to be in mrs. spitzer's shoes (yes, even if it's a pair of prada).




gov. and mrs. spitzer


Wednesday, March 12, 2008

ooops! she did it again! malu fernandez redux

uh-oh. who let the (fill in the blank) _______________ out again?


so after her major faux pas last year, the pierce and phavulous (as janina san miguel would say it) malu fernandez is sooo back on the blogging radar. (well actually, with her size and "acerbic wit," [harhar] she's hard to miss.)




malu, malu, malu.


just when we (the blogging and OFW community) thought we've put you out of business-- you managed to crawl back from the muddy pen and into the papers with your-- what should we call that-- pathetic excuse for a column(?) writing(?) preaching (?) acerbic wit (?).


do yourself a favor.
write na lang about the night life in afghanistan. the fashion week in darfur. wining and dining in somalia. weekend shopping in mogadishu.
we just MIGHT start to like you if you do.


(ps: i blog because writing is therapeutic. and no, i am not hiding under anonimity.)

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

speechless-- wasabi har.har.

my life is boring myself to tears.





my ADHD is in full throttle.





and i've been stuffing myself silly with





coffee...





coke zero...





and wasabi flavored potato chips.


i'm addicted to wasabi. argh.

need to focus.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

go pinay american idol!

after what happened to marc and rovilson at the 2nd season of the amazing race asia, i'm not sure if i should still do this.

baka ma jinx.

but then, whatever.

so please, tune in to american idol and vote for ramielle malubay.

she's pinay and she's fab.

really.

landslide

how do you spell vindicated?

easy.

c-l-e-a-n. s-w-e-e-p




good job convenors, members and slate.

swerte ng NCPAG, may PALS.

go NCPAG SC 2008-2009! make us proud.


Tuesday, March 4, 2008

summer

it's getting hot in here.....


so i went shopping over the weekend.

after seven weeks of shopping moratorium, i finally, finally went to the mall and spent hard earned moolah.

i got a coupla books from national bookstore, some undies, sandals and a coupla blouses.

the books-- to entertain me while waiting for my flight to my chosen summer destination. (bali, bali, bali, baby)

the undies-- hello? do i have to rationalize this?

the sandals-- i have yet to have a light colored pair

the blouses-- because i'm not wearing my dark shirts and blouses in the next coupla weeks.

gaaad... it is summer. my favorite season, next to christmas.

and i'm gonna get a lot of sunshine...

sunshine can you bright and shiny.

happy summer everyone.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

sawasdee


"Pa picture tayo kasama sina sam milby at anne curtis," my mom said while we were having our greasy, carbo loaded dinner at a resto in alabang town center a few days before new year.


"Mom, kung kay thaksin nga hindi ako nakipag picture-an nung nasa hongkong, kina sam milby at anne curtis pa kaya?" i answered, a bit annoyed.

now that i think of it, i should've approached him at the peninsula in hongkong and had my picture taken.

oh well, i guess i would have to go to peninsula in bangkok or at vanilla brasserie to get my photo taken with the thai billionaire businessman and owner of the manchester city.

yes folks, 17 months after being deposed in a military coup, thaksin sinawatra is back in bangkok.



kissing the thai soil.

with his family and supporters at suvarnabhumi


According to reports, Thai authorities rapidly detained the 58-year-old billionaire politician and took him to a court appearance. There he was ordered him to post $267,000 in bail pending a hearing on March 12.

Thaksin and his wife, Pojaman, face corruption and conflict of interest charges in connection with her purchase of prime Bangkok real estate from a state agency in 2003, while he was prime minister. Pojaman returned to Thailand in January and was released on bail pending trial.

Would the thai court convict him? Would the newly elected PM, who is from Thaksin's party grant him pardon (like you know who)?

When asked if he would be pulling the political strings in Thailand, Mr Thaksin told the BBC that he had retired from politics.

"I think in my life I have devoted a lot to my country and I think I have done a lot politically. No more politics," he said.


Sounds like somebody back here, right?


***

Here at my backyard circus, aside from walking and stumbling and fumbling, a lot of people have been.. ummm.. praying...




what could she be praying for?


back-up divine intervention

There will be an interfaith rally at ayala tomorrow.

Erap will be at the rally.

Am i going? My answer: NO.

I've got better things to do than go to the circus.

Gaaad... I'm starting to get annoyed by all philippine politics.

Lengthier explanation on my next post.



Thursday, February 21, 2008

celebutant


“Hi. Do you already have a wedding coordinator?” asked the nice lady in blue.

“Umm… I don’t have a wedding coordinator yet.” I answered, trying to pull an Abalos-Atienza-Defensor-Razon stunt at the bridal fair.

“Oh. So when is your wedding?”

“Err… what services fall in your package? I mean, I don’t have the time and energy and patience to compare menus, look for photographers—all that hoopla. I would just want to walk down that aisle, exchange I do’s, get that kiss from my groom and live happily ever after.”

“I see. You may want to avail of our full coordination package. It starts from a year or six months before your wedding. We will be the one to search for suppliers, provide you concepts for your wedding—color motif, theme—and coordinate everything—schedules for shoots, pre wedding parties.”

“How much would that cost?”

“It ranges from 60,000 to 100,000.”

“Okay, I will avail of that package. Actually, my parents and siblings are willing to shell out 500 grand for wedding coordination services.”

“500 grand? Really?” asked the surprised nice lady in blue.

“I’m not kidding. But aside from the caterer, florist, photographer, stylist, couturier and musicians, you would also have to find my groom. He’s still somewhere out there. ”

Maniacal laughter.

“Why are you laughing?” asked Sarah.

Mitch, the wedding coordinator and Sarah were done discussing. I snapped out of my Murakami-Pahlaniuk universe and got back to my role as bride’s maid on duty.

“Wala lang. I just thought of something really funny,” I explained, half embarrassed, half apologetic for spacing out in the middle of the discussions with the wedding coordinator.
"I'll be passing on this wedding folio to you," Sarah said. A bit excitedly. Oh, she is in love all right-- and people who are in love are optimistic. And happy.
I smiled sheepishly and thought of my dating relationship. Err... my lack of a meaningful, promising dating relationship.
Three rounds of the venue and several fliers, brochures and business cards after, I’m no longer surprised at why getting married in this country has become a multi-million peso industry.

By the time we got out of the bridal fair venue, Megamall had a gazillion people. I found it hard to
breathe.
Tintin joined us and we transferred to Shang rila for coffee and to think through some options.
As we walked from Mega to Shang, my thoughts, like the buses in Edsa, were racing with abandon in my head. When will I get married? Where will I get married? Who will I marry and why is he taking sooooo looooong to find me?
I remembered the story of Lynette Lewis. You see, she wanted to get married at 22, but didn't end up getting married until she was 42. So while all her friends were getting married and having kids-- she remained single for 20 more years-- confined to being a bridesmaid/ maid of honor and to just having godchildren.
God taught Lynette so many things in that long-- very long period of waiting. One-- that life has its seasons. Two-- that each of life's season has its gifts. Three-- that we should celebrate whatever season we are in. Four-- that God knows the desires of our hearts and that He is faithful.
When I was 22, I planned to get married by the time I was 26. If I got married in 2006, would I have remained married by 2008?
I am not too sure. Things happen for a reason. God is also teaching me a coupla things.
I will be on bride's maid duty for eight more months. Sarah and Sundy's big day is on October.
As we settled in our booth at the Dome cafe, I looked at the bride-to-be, my good friend and thought, well, God is faithful-- I will celebrate my season and Sarah's season.


team bride: bride's maids: me and tintin. bride to be: sarah (in green)

pow-lee-teehks


forty nine years after overthrowing fulgencio batista in 1959, Fidel Castro finally turned over the control of Cuba to his brother and defense minister, Raul early this week. (feb 19 i think).
he survived several attempts of the US to get him out of power-- and thus, outlasted nine american presidents.
my friends who had seen Fidel Castro said he is a sight to behold, even at his old age.

when fidel was younger


i wouldn't mind having a dictator-- as long as he is tall and good looking. castro stands 6'3".

(our homeland dictator only measures 4'10." worse, sans the power, she can be fugly. i'll give oreo cookies to whoever could guess who she is.)
***
at the land of the free and the home of the brave, billary clinton's commanding lead in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination has vaporized since the Super Tuesday contests two weeks ago, and now, not only is Obama out in front, he's also chipping away at her base.



obama rama in full throttle



***


back at the home front.

people have been walking.....

solidarity... err...

unity walk

first they called it solidarity walk. then they changed solitary to unity. porjosporsanto. (thanks to quezon.ph for the photos.)

atienza looked groovy in his pair of aviators. (he could be hiding his lack of sleep? shame? guilt? behind the tinted lenses).

and la presidente-- looked very cruela deville in her red outfit.

so while some were walking, other were stumbling. the cruela deville label is passe. according to joey salceda-- it's should be bitch.

i love all these name calling. probinsiyanong intsik, big boy, president evil and now-- luckiest bitch.

in the vernacular, i say, may sademonyo si GMA.

i just hope she runs out of luck really soon.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

coke whore



finally, finally.

coke zero has landed on Philippine shores. first time i drank this was in hongkong last year.






got a liter bottle from the grocery last sunday and drowned myself in it.

i still prefer coke light with lemon though. the alumni of alcoholics anonymous would understand why.



i love coca cola. i refer to it as my sanity drink. when i'm on the brink of something, i get my coke fix. never fails to keep me from going amuck.

i wish they'll have coke cherry zero here next.



try it!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

not going gently into the night



okay, okay. so i gobbled up my cynicism and guess where i found myself yesterday afternoon?

somewhere here:



feb 15 rally: sobra na, tama na, kumilos na!


i really didn't have any plans of going.

i mean, i stayed out really late on valentine's night (yihee!) and i got a gazillion things to do-- like check my students' papers, finish my lecture notes, come up with a critique for a project, start reading g.g. marquez's "love in a time of cholera" which i got last christmas, and perhaps, get some sleep.

but hearing adel tamano got me out of bed and into the streets.

well, there weren't too much people. most of my acquaintances from civil society organizations were there though.

jazzy and i stationed ourselves somewhere near the enterprise tower.

as i stood there listening to the speeches and the chants, i can't help but get a sense of dejavu.

anyway, it was the first time i heard the song which goes: "don't go gently into the night, rage into the dying light." chikoy pura of the jerks performed it so well, i want an Mp3 of it.

there would be more mass actions they say, till mrs. arroyo falls off her high chair in the palace.

God save this country.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

rage against the (arroyo) machine


"if broken hearts were commercials, we'll all be on TV."-- one obscure comedian
it's valentine's day and i am talking of broken hearts.

when you swim with sharks everyday for a living, it can be surprising how you are still able to feel something aside from cold and numbness.

over cups of coffee and tea, some friends and i had been doing a lot of analyzing lately. making sense of the mess that has been rocking this republic. trying to convince ourselves that we made the right decision to stay in the country.


i replied: "not going. i'm swamped. got a gazillion things to do."

friend: "be careful. you might already be on the dark side."

me: "haha. the admin is flawed, the opposition is as flawed. all sides are gray. always, there is more than meets the eye."

i wonder how many people will go tomorrow.

yes, i am upset, disgusted, angry at how things turned out in this administration.

but just like in love, after your first few failed relationships, you become cautious. you become skeptical. sometimes, a bit too cautious, you stop taking risks. at its worse, you become numb. cold. deadened.

when i look at the opposition-- which includes those we kicked out seven years ago in edsa dos, and think that these guys will be replacing the current administration-- i can't help but hold back a bit.
they look nice now as oppostion--you know, raging against the excesses of the arroyos, calling for transparency yaddi yaddi. how they will handle power is anyone's guess.
in relationships, i've been told that you would only know what a person is truly like when you get into a relationship with him/her. but other than that, it's difficult to know the real deal.
question would be: are you willing to take risk? is there still room for error?
arrgh... tacky melodrama. let's just play pictionary shall we?



some of the posters/ stickers that you'll see tomorrow




God have mercy on this country.

it never ends...



"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever."
- Thomas Jefferson

i wanted to stay away from this. i wanted to just sleep it out-- in the hope of waking up to a better day.

but sleep had been elusive the past week. in the times i get to sleep, i dream of being taken by unidentified men from the airplane's tube, being escorted to an altis and driven around the south of manila without explanations, without getting any logical answers from my escorts.

each time i'm jolted out of slumber, i go through my files and review my service contracts to make sure i was never tasked to moderate greed. i wring my three braincells dry to remember details of projects that i've been involved in the past two years and pray that the projects are clean and won't merit a senate investigation.

ah, senate investigations-- pinoy style. i understand why jun lozada wanted to run as fast as his made-in-china leather shoes can carry him when he received the subpeona from the senate. (the made in china shoes is an assumption. i mean, he is chinese after all and he just flew in from hongkong.)

being caught in a mess such as the NBN deal is, i think, the worst thing that could happen to any professional who just wants to make a living using his brain. there are more chances of surviving in a nuclear cross fire between north korea and pakistan than in this.

there are so many things that i want to post here. but i'm being very cautious lately. someone powerful could be reading this and is arranging for my pick up at the tube. more importantly, i know that there is more than meets the eye in this scenario.

so let's just play pictionary shall we?


nbn-zte deal: mischief, mayhem, greed.


jun lozada in the company of nuns and la salle brothers, the closest thing to divine protection.

in the presence of his enemies. jun lozada with GMA's men

ever heard of fashion police? call them quick!


tol is back. (was he ever gone?)

remind me to never to get into donor funded government projects.

and to pack my bags soon.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

on my sleeve


i hold tj responsible for my restlessness the past few nights. he wrote:



Living in that solitude which is so painful in youth but so wonderful in maturity has fueled my thoughts of the profound much to my emotional chagrin. I wonder if I have reached that age when I desire constant companionship from someone who can bear my unbearable existence with me. But I may never find someone like that. Not in this country at least.


what i thought can't be put to words, he did.

what i feel can't be anymore real than this.





what is it with models and heads of states these days?



meet france's new first lady: carla bruni.








i didn't know they already got married. when pres. sarkozy was sworn in as president early last year, he was still married to cecile. and then the divorce. and then carla happened. and three months after, they got hitched. ah, love. surprising.


and looks like some other model is getting friendly with another head of state, and might become another model-turned-nation's-first-lady.



naomi campbell with venezuelan president hugo chavez



the latinas better watch out for flying gadgets thrown at them if sparks indeed fly between rage-a-holic and chavez.

hmm... i should've been a supermawdel.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

of this government and other demons


my thoughts are still a tornado in my head. can't think. can't write.

malacanang and congress have turned into modern day sodom and gomorrah.

for those who do not know the Bible, let's put it this way: Philippine politics has gone really very bad. as in Britney bad.

i read the papers and chanced upon manuel quezon III's column on PDI this morning. it's not necessarily the good news that i wanted (like-- the first family being wiped out from the face of the planet)-- but a very good read nevertheless.

here's the piece:

Live from the Bastusang Pambansa
By Manuel L. Quezon III


Speaker: “We will now proceed with nominal voting. Call the roll.”

Clerk: “Aquin, Lahat.”

Aquin: “Mr. Presiding Officer Creature, may I explain my bribe?”

S: “The undistinguished gentleman has three congressional minutes.”

A: “Mr. Speaker, I come here with a heavy heart but a heavier wallet, and for that reason, much as it pains me, in the name of my district, may I manifest my gratitude to the President for this opportunity to prove my loyalty. I vote yes, for change! Not loose change, Mr. Speaker, but the kind of change that stood us in good stead, when we were last in Macao at government expense. Truly, it is a privilege to serve the President’s sons, who are, after all, people, too, and so by serving them, we all serve… the people. I vote YES.”

C: “Garapal, Medio.”

Garapal: “Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Presiding Officer Creature.”

S: “What is the parliamentary inquiry by the undistinguished gentleman?”

G: “May I know if our proceedings are being monitored by Madam?”

S: “The Majority Floor Leader Creature will answer.”

MFL: “Yes, well, ah, the independence of this noble chamber is unquestionable, but yes, I understand that we are being monitored on TV, radio, and of course you, uh, all know the Baranggay Bansot Legislative Liaison Office… they are there, behind the uh, peephole…”

G: “In that case, may I explain my bribe?”

S: “The undistinguished gentleman has three congressional minutes.”

G: “Thank you, Madam, for these thy blessings, which we are about to receive, through Your Excellency’s husband, Our Lord, and the Department of Budget and Management, Amen.”

C: “Rucut, Mando.”

Rucut: “Mr. Presiding Officer Creature, may I explain my bribe?”

S: “Yes. Go ahead.”

R: “My name is Congressman Mando Rucut. R-U-C-U-T. Got it? That is my name, and here is my vote. I vote YES. Let me repeat: YES. YES, YES, YES. That’s me, Mando Rucut. R-U-C-U-T, who voted YES. Thank you. Do I get more since I voted five times?”

S: “Unfortunately, this is the House, not the Comelec, you only get one vote here.”

C: “Saamin, Siempre.”

Saamin: “Point of information, Mr. Speaker, before I explain my bribe.”

S: “What is the point of information?”

Sa: “I would like to know, on behalf of the ten thousand patriotic, able-bodied, spiritually-advanced members of my district, where our uh, err, shall we say, development assistance…”

S: “The undistinguished gentleman is directed to the South Lounge to collect his Success Fee.”

Sa: “Thank you. Without further ado, I vote YES! This country needs change! Lots of it! And now, Mr. Speaker, I must excuse myself to answer a call of nature.”

S: “The undistinguished gentleman need not enlighten the House on the state of his bladder-”

Sa: “Objection, Mr. Speaker! Not that kind of a call of nature!”

S: “In which case you are not required to manifest your intention to go to the South Lounge.”

C: “Son, Second.”

S2: “Hey, you. I will now explain-explain, ha? I expect as much time as I want. Because I like. Mmmkay?”

S: “The distinguished, charming, handsome gentleman from the district in which he was not born, but who has, by the Grace of God, come down from the clouds to demean himself by serving the people, has, of course, unlimited time, in consideration of his esteemed blood ties to our glorious-”

S2: “Shaddap. All of you. I’m not here, ha, as her son but I’m here, ha, as well… I’m here. Got it? So, let me say… WE WIN! THEY LOSE! WE ALWAYS WIN! HAHA! I vote Yes. Because.”

MFL: “Mr. Speaker, may I make a motion to have the immoral, I mean, immortal, words we just heard, framed and distributed to every barangay in this country?”

S: “Any objections? Does anybody dare? Hearing none, so ordered.”

C: “Mesa, Onder D.”

Mesa: “Mr. Speaker, in voting Yes, let me explain my bribe by saying, the only thing permanent in this world is change. We change underwear. We change clothes. We change in appearance. We are always changing, because change is good, the more we change, the better we become, because, in truth, and I say this in all sincerity, with utter conviction, the only time we do not change is when we die. And, Mr. Speaker, to quote the great President Marcos, I do not intend to die!”

S: “The motion is carried. Yoda is deposed. The new speaker, Jar-Jar Binks, will now give his inaugural address.”

Speaker Jar-Jar: “Monsters out there, leaking in here. Weesa all sinking and no power. Whena yousa thinking we are in trouble? Better dead here than deader in the Core. Ye gods, whatta meesa sayin’? Gungans no giben up witout a fight. Wesa warriors! Wesa got a gwand army. Dats why yousa no liken us, I tink.”

(Applause. Meanwhile, Yoda tells the media, “Around the survivors, a perimeter create.”)


eyeluvit!

and here's a blog post from Butch Dalisay that made me laugh some more:

F&J69: Restoring the Damage
Flotsam & Jetsam

I’M NO great fan of Joe de Venecia, but I could feel for him as I watched the live telecast of the vote to oust him from the Speakership, on the floor of the very same Congress he had ruled for longer than any of his predecessors. “Et tu, Brute?” must have gone through his mind dozens of times as one former ally after another took the mike to cast a vote against him. Earlier, he gave an impassioned one-hour speech denouncing corruption in government and calling himself a “sinner”—but a few years too late.

Not only JDV took a beating tonight. So did the English language, which these congressmen seem so hell-bent on improving (or is that uncharacteristic self-awareness?).

Herewith some choice gems of oratory, verbatim, from their “humble representations.” Check the transcript—you’ll find them there:

“We should vote to restore the damage which has been badly tarnished as far as the image of this house is concerned.”

“The fruits of our sacrifice is bearing fruit.”

“We will bring you back the ongoings at the House of Representatives.” (from a TV commentator)

“This will result to a tectonic eruption!”

“Longetivity in power is no reason to stay in power.”

“It is eminent that he will not be speaker in a few hour.”

“Event has its own time, and time has its own events.”

“I cannot afford to punish a statesman, a political leader this country ever had.”

"As the Speaker so eloquently put it in his frivolous, er, privilege speech..."

And just to remind us that there are worse things than bad grammar, give a listen to:

“Congressman Nograles is my cousin, but the Speaker is the father-in-law of my brother... so I abstain.”

“I must rise to defend my cabalen—the President!”



Tuesday, January 29, 2008

annoyed

i haven't written anything since the day after my birthday. forgive me. i am hillary clinton after the Iowa and North Carolina primaries. i am the US economy -- sliding into recession, the global stock market-- in a meltdown. i am a new orleans resident in the midst of hurricane katrina.
aaargh... my train of thought is obviously more derailed than it has ever been.
but for the sake of just posting something-- anything-- here's a survey that i got on my friendster bulletin--which i am answering here.
narcissitic, yes. pathetic, yes.
  • In three words, explain today:- blah. blah. blah. (hurricane katrina swirls around me)
  • What made you smile today?- hmm... i'm thinking... stories
  • What were u doing this morning at 8?- was on the treadmill (yey, treadmill)
  • What were u doing 15 minutes ago?- eating oatmeal
  • Something that happened to you in1986?- i turned 6! i was in kinder two
  • Last thing someone said to you?- "saan ba yung party?"
  • What was your answer?- "i dunno. some condo at the fort."
  • Worst thing currently on television:- ruffa gutierrez and the other gutierrezes
  • What was in your e-mail today?- haven't checked
  • How many different beverages haveyou drank today?- figaro coffee (addicting, i love it), tea
  • Your current To-do list?- pray, read, chillax
  • What color is your toothbrush?- white with green streaks, both on the bristles and handle
  • What are you wearing right now?- my all time favorite black slacks, green bouse and naturalizer pumps
  • Any plans for Friday night?- watch american gangster, work, shop!
  • Least favorite place to shop.- divisoria
  • Things you bought today?- lunch. oheya chips.
  • Last gift you received?- free lunch with my bestfriend, love in a time of cholera by GG Marquez
  • Who is the last person you talkedto on the phone?- a likely ally for 2010
  • what is your favorite song as of now?- it's this old mariah song-- breakdown
  • Who was the last person to call youbaby?- anton calls me baby all the time
  • Has anyone ever sang to you?- oh gaad... and it's horrible.
  • If you were abandoned in thewilderness, would you survive?- with books, a burning bush and a map
  • Why did your last relationship end?- it wasn't suppose to have started
  • Which do you prefer, to eat or sleep?- sleep
  • Can you speak any other language besides English?- a little french, a little thai
  • Do you wear your seatbelt in the car?- all the time =)
  • Are you scared of flying?- i love flying
  • Is your hair curly or straight?- rebellious :p
  • Do you like funny people or serious people?- decent, intelligent people yes
  • What jewelry do you wear all the time?- pearl earrings. they're lovely.
  • Any message to someone you hate?- karma is so going to kick your eyes. i hope to be get front seats when that happens because u so deserve it.
  • Any message to someone you love?- umm.... call me.
  • Have you dated someone thrice?- yep.
  • How do you feel right now?- have this homicidal passion going on

Saturday, January 12, 2008

let's vote for team mark and rovilson!

i rarely do this.

but because they make watching TV so enjoyable that i am able to curb my chronic incessant- channel-flipping habit even for just an hour, i ask you guys to please vote for mark nelson and rovilson fernandez for favorite and most likely team to win the second season of amazing race asia.







watch amazing race asia every thursday at 2100. and see what i'm raving about.

then vote for this lovable, witty duo. it's so easy. just sign up
here.

welcome to big league

(the world of pretend again-- for now. thanks to harper's bazaar feb.2008.)


What do you know, it's only the second week of 2008-- barely a year after the mid term elections and more than two years before juan dela cruz's children aged 18 and above troop back to the polling precincts-- and I am already choking on motherhood statements, grandstanding and mudslinging-- courtesy of the several malacanang wannabes-- err... hopefuls.


So who's tired of third world archipelago politics? I am.

So off to Estados Unidos I went for my birthday. Which explains the absence of a year-ender and a birthday post.

What did I do in US of A? Nothing much. I just stalked some people and took pictures.

So let's play pictionary shall we?




with Senator John Mc Cain


This was a coupla minutes after his victory at the GOP caucus at New Hampshire. Notice the look on his face. I boxed out some of his security detail to get his photo taken and he was pleasantly surprised when i told him that if i were a US citizen, I would go for a republican despite Dubya and that republican would be him.




I used to wonder what the obama mania was all about. Till Iowa. Now I'm caught up in obama rama. Love his name, love his color, love what he is able to achieve, love oprah's endorsement of him.




I would readily vote for Hillary because 1) she is a woman and 2) because she is uber galing having survived cut throat washington politics and monica lewinsky.

***

post script:
my short exposure to big league politics made me think. perhaps, I should give DC try. =)

Monday, January 7, 2008

UP kong pinakamamahal

things i love about my school:


  • the naked man.



  • brilliant students.


  • liberal culture.


the annual oblation run.


  • notorious professors

  • lifelong pride.


i wear my UP shirt when i travel. this one is taken somewhere in siam square, bangkok.



my smile on graduation says it all. i'm proud to be from UP.




  • hell weeks.

  • nose bleed lessons and exams.

  • never-ending cramming.

  • die hard friendships.


People call it University of the Philippines.

We call it LIFE.

happy U.P. Centennial!