The truth hurts but it shall set you free

I don't know why there is much anguish from Duterte supporters over the political advertisement paid for by Sen. Trillanes. Their camp hates the ad so much that they got a TRO against its showing. They say kids were used in the ads, that kids have nothing to do with politics, that the use of children in the ad is unethical and immoral.

The Taguig RTC may TRO local TV but there is no TROing Youtube. Find it there before they ask Youtube to take it down too.

Wtf? Duterte might ask. There is also an ad by Pride ACS that uses kids and it continues to run to this day. And no one gives a hoot. It is kind of unethical and immoral too, using the criteria given by Duterturds.


Duterte appears in the Trillanes ad. So it is exposure for him. Trillanes is even paying for Duterte's exposure on TV. What ingrates?!@#$%.

The kids in the ad were not exploited. Hindi naman sila pinalangoy sa dagat ng basura. They were made to ask valid questions. After all, the elections are for their sake most of all.

Are the Duterte acts in the video surreptitiously taken? No! There is no violation of privacy here.

Are the Duterte deeds in the video spliced to take it out of context? Spliced for brevity, maybe. Taken out of context, no! If the full videos are shown, even more of the same context will be known.

Did Duterte apologize for the deeds/things he said in the video? No! He is even proud of them.

So why the fuss? Why stop the ad?

The truth is the truth hurts. The truth embarrasses them. Their idol is an embarrassment.  

First the Duterturds deny that their idol is not presidential. Then they got angry at non-Duterturds and the ad. Soon they will be bargaining and depressed before they accept it. 

We may have to speak slowly or spell it to them, but we have to try. We have to set them free.

 

Get the big picture stupid!

Bill Clinton beat me to "Its the economy stupid!". So I will just say "Get the big picture stupid!".

An expert is defined as a person who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area. It is election time once again in the Philippines. This is the time when everyone suddenly becomes an expert in everything.

Supporters of one naughty, self-confessed murderer/philanderer candidate authoritatively concluded that one candidate's late husband was murdered because he has uncovered corruption in his office. His plane crash was not an accident, these experts say. These experts also authoritatively claim that the widow is not fit for the job she is running for.

Supporters of the same candidate are suddenly DNA and history experts,  too. They say another candidate is the daughter of a past president and that she is a sister of a vice presidential candidate. These supporters are now also experts in determining the sincerity and fitness for office of a candidate just by his clothing and appearance. All these despite his unpresidential demeanor.

I have to give it to them. These experts are really experts in fomenting hate towards a candidate whose biggest fault to them is his 'lack' of charisma, his marriage to a broadcaster, and his being left out in the planning/implementation of the country's biggest military/police debacle. He is not faulted for reneging his citizenship, his penchant for cursing, for his illness, nor for his plunder.

To these experts, there are no conspiracy theories anymore. They have all been proven true.

Why the rabid hate on anyone who supports other candidates. Are they that committed or are they that 'kumitid ang utak'?

These experts refuse to see the bigger picture by forming conclusions from a large array of seemingly unrelated sources.

But to them, borrowing from Bill Clinton, I say this. It's the bigger picture stupid!.

It's easy to be frustrated with an aspect or two of our everyday lives. Traffic, for instance. When we get stuck in traffic for 4-5 hours each day, we are naturally frustrated. This frustration, by transference, is redirected to the candidate of the present administration.

Why is there so much traffic? There are too many cars. 

Why? Many can afford a car now. Many can afford to ride Uber despite the surge pricing. 

Where do they go? They go to high-end malls, gorge up in buffets, splurge on sales. 

Why? Unemployement is low, disposable income is high, business is doing well.

Why? Investment confidence is high, plunderers are in jail.

When Yolanda struck in 2013, it was the strongest typhoon in the world then. It is easy to get frustrated with the recovery efforts, because you somehow believe more could be done. But even ADB believes that Yolanda recovery efforts are faster than the Aceh recovery from the 2004 tsunami which left over 120,000 dead.

It is easy to get frustrated when you know of drug problems within your neighborhood, when basic traffic discipline is but a dream. When you think of it, the things that the expert supporters want are characteristics of a good local government official. These are what their candidate has as evidenced in his audience with a large business club yesterday.

The bigger picture is that we're better off now than six years ago. We must continue and sustain that. Their candidate is good for the local government, but we must doubt his grasp of the bigger picture.

Sining Saysay - Our nation's history through art

The University of the Philippines and the UP Alumni Association together with the Araneta Center, collaborate in an art exhibit that shows Philippine history through a series of paintings by Filipino artists. UP ties. The 6' by 12' paintings' themes are arranged chronologically from early Philippines to the present.

The exhibit is at the Gateway Gallery, 5th Level of the Gateway Tower in Araneta Center. It is open everyday from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Here are some of the paintings:

Do they think we are stupid enough not to notice the lies?

This impeachment case brings us enough material for different genres of TV series. In the previous weeks we had comedy, drama, and now, fodder for Dr. Cal Lightman (Lie to Me) and Dr. House (House,MD). Lies. Everybody lies.

Of course, it started when the Chief Justice was impeached for lying in his SALN among other things. Now they want to perpetuate the lies by presenting a witness whose age is enough reason for Ninoy killers to get executive clemency. Perhaps they thought that the system will not incarcerate a 70 year old for perjury. Or perhaps they know we cannot retrieve checks paid out more than 20 years ago.

Senator Vilma Santos revealed how he would vote when he said the witness was credible. We know how Miriam would vote too when she swooned over the anime-hairdo of another witness. Wah?!

The septuagenarian who claims to have bought CJ’s properties is the kind of witness that the de campanillas like Cuevas would shred. This witness could have brought out the best in Cuevas during a cross. Sayang they are on the same side.

What appalls me is the defense’s lie (or false confidence) in claiming that the witness stood out as a very credible witness. Together with Senator Vilma Santos, they say that it is usual for Filipinos not to immediately transfer a title to their names. They cite cases of grandfathers selling their land to grandsons and the ‘buyers’ taking their time in transferring the titles to their names. But they fail to say (and the prosecutors again failed to counter) that these people, despite the on-transfer of title, still keep the land in the family. That’s why they don’t bother at all. In the buyer of CJ’s land, his failure raises suspicion of a simulated sale. It is as if the lots are still in CJ’s family.

Conspiracy theories about a simulated sale, with the CJ not fully confident that the buyer-poseur will not transfer the title that’s why the sale effectively remains un-notarized, are easier to swallow. This time, Occam’s razor does not favor the defense.

It's more fun in the Philippines! - 2

It's more fun in the Philippines!

As soon as they released the new tourism slogan "It's more fun in the Philippines", doubters of our fellow Pinoys' originality immediately scoured the web for hints of what inspired it. Thanks to Google, critics are quickly led to vintage tourism posters from Switzerland.

And again accusations of plagiarism flew. But unlike in the Pilipinas Kay Ganda/Polska travel ad fiasco, I think this one is forgivable. Visually, it is not even close to the original posters, although admittedly, the same concept is used. Besides, the old Swiss posters are over 60 years old. If you search farther back, you will find an older (circa 1926) Swiss ad poster that says "In the Alps". Our tourism office could have channeled that into "In the Apo".

Definitely, the tourism officials/consultants could have been more creative. "It's More Fun in the Philippines", or IMF-Philippines. Could it be a Freudian slip or a subliminal message that the IMF controls the Philippines. Many will not disagree.

To the economists it could mean the International Monetary Fund. Movie buffs could mean the Impossible Mission Force.

The kidnap victims wish they'd be rescued by the IMF, while the IMF wish they could rescue the country.

The hostage thinks "I M F*cked in the Philippines".

The tourism department could also use the campaign "Come, there are MILF in the Philippines!" and I'm sure many will come.

But wait, we can still salvage the IMF franchise. We can refurbish it to say "Come, IMF^* in the Philippines!" and I'm sure many will come.

Onli in da Pilipins! Ahh, that could have been the better campaign slogan.
------------------------------
^*In My Face

Change your name, change your life?

Image by jimmywayne via Flickr

An Internet site espouses a philosophy that gives a new insight into the "powerful influence names have through the mathematical principle." The website says hidden forces are revealed in a philosophy that combines the idealism of the east with the practicality of the west. They believe the energies in your names create your life, your personality, your likes and dislikes, your ideals, and the conditions and experiences you will attract. The Kabalarian Philosophy offer services and educational resources to understand their meaning, harness their power, and help you fulfill your life's calling.

So, what does 'Perfecto' mean? According to their quick on-line analysis:

The name of Perfecto gives you a clever, quick, analytical mind, but you suffer with a great deal of self-consciousness, lack of confidence, and much aloneness because of misunderstandings.
Your idealistic and sensitive nature gives you a deep appreciation for the finer things of life and a strong desire to be of service to humanity.
There are times when you experience inner turbulence at your inability to say what you mean.
It is far easier for you to express your deeper thoughts and feelings through writing than verbally.
You find pleasure in literature, in poetry, and in your ideals and will turn to them when you feel you have been misunderstood.
Although the name Perfecto creates an interest in the deeper aspects of life, we emphasize that it limits self-expression and friendly congeniality with a moody disposition.
This name, when combined with the last name, can frustrate happiness, contentment, and success, as well as cause health weaknesses in the heart, lungs and bronchial area.

Cool! Though I'd say around 75% correct. What does 'Perry' mean?

The name of Perry makes you dynamic, restless, independent, ready to accept challenges, and outspoken.
You enjoy change, travel, and new experiences.
Reacting against injustice, you go out of your way to assist in creating fairness.
You are very creative and promotional, and work intensely to carry out your plans.
Though you have limitless enthusiasm for new ventures, you lose interest quickly once things become routine, as you dislike being forced to attend to detail and do monotonous work.
Although the name Perry creates an active mind and a restless urge to explore new ideas, we emphasize that it causes a blunt expression that alienates others.
This name, when combined with the last name, can frustrate happiness, contentment, and success, as well as cause health weaknesses in the solar plexus, and tension or accidents to the head.

Whoa! Spot on. So if I'm blunt and I alienate others, is my name to blame? Nah! A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

Happy New Year!

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White hair chronicles LXVII - Acronyms pa rin!

The nostalgia brought by UPCAT and school acronyms lingers. I remember acronyms shared over inuman sessions then. As those drinking sessions were ever smoke-filled, drinkers thought of what the cigarette brands really mean. And here are the cheesy acronyms:

• CAMEL - Can A Man Ever Love?
• CHESTERFIELD - Come Home Every Saturday To Eat Ripe Fruit In Every Lonely Day
• HOPE - Hold Onto Prayer Everyday
• MARLBORO - Man Always Remembers Love Because of Romance Only

After a few bottles, the cheesy, romantic acronym discussions will turn to foreign places:

• BURMA - Between Us, Remember Me Always.
• CANADA - Cute And Naughty Action that Develops into Attraction
• CHINA - Come Here I Need Affection
• EGYPT - Everything's Great, You Pretty Thing!
• FRANCE - Friendships Remain And Never Can End
• INDIA - I Nearly Died In Adoration.
• ITALY - I Trust And Love You
• JAPAN - Just Always Pray At Night
• HOLLAND - Hope Our Love Lasts And Never Dies
• KENYA - Keep Everything Nice Yet Arousing
• KOREA - Keep Optimistic Regardless of Every Adversity
• LIBYA - Love Is Beautiful, You Also
• RUSSIA - Romance Under the Sky & Stars is Intimate Always
• YEMEN - 'Yugyugan' Every Morning, Every Night

Of course, local spots are just acronyms, too:

• BALIWAG - Beauty And Love I Will Always Give
• CEBU - Change Everything But Us
• IMUS - I Miss U Sweetheart
• MALABON - May A Lasting Affair Be Ours Now
• MANILA - May All Nights Inspire Love Always
• PARANAQUE - Please Always Remain Adorable, Nice And Quiet Under Ecstacy
• PASAY - Pretty And Sexy Are You
• PASIG - Please Always Say I'm Gorgeous
• TONDO - Tonight's Our Night Dearest One

And it will get hotter:

• PHILIPPINES - Pump Hard. I Love It! Please! Please! I Need Erotic Stimulation

A few more bottles and the talks will turn naughty. Here's a supposed coded message of OFWs returning home. The husband will just say PLDT in the voice tape. And it means:

• PLDT - P*ki Linis Dating T*ti

The joke continues - the wife in turn, will telegraph just one coded word, BPI, which means:

• BPI - Bilis, P*ki Inip

Then the discussions will focus on the print on the amber bottle.

• SAN MIGUEL PALE PILSEN BOTTLED BY - Sa Aming Nayon May Isang Gago Uminom, Eh Lasing. Pati Ako Lasing Eh, Pati Ikaw Lashing, So Eng Nangyari Bawat Order, Trouble Trouble Lashing Eh! Di Ba? Yahhh! 

Of course, the word acronym is just another acronym:

• ACRONYM - A Coded Reduction Of Names, Yielding Meanings

White hair chronicles LXIV - Jose Rizal@150

The younger kids now know who Jose Rizal is but it stops at that. My generation is replete with stories of Rizal's genius and love for country. We remember the tale of Rizal throwing his remaining slipper to the water after losing the other half in the currents. There are also the tales of the moth and the lamplight, how he made champorado from left-over rice, how he operated on his mother's eyes, how he excelled in fencing, the arts, and in writing, and how he dramatically faced the muskets when he was executed.

Many stories maybe are apocryphal. That's the stuff that makes heroes, anyway. But notwithstanding Veneration Without Understanding, Rizal is our hero. And in this age, we need heroes that transcend time, politics, and personal desires. The fact that the Americans sponsored Rizal's ascendance to the exalted throne of National Hero does does not diminish his achievements and heroism. Nor it does not make him undeserving to be called such.

Rizal's being born from society's upper class does not preclude him from being the national hero. His martyrdom alone continues to inspire. Such ability to inspire has no class prerequisite.

So to remind my family, especially my two sons, aged 14 and 8, of who Rizal is, we trooped to the Luneta last Sunday. My young sons personal heroes range from Rafael Nadal to John Lennon to Ozzy Osbourne. We were surprised that despite the inclement weather, throngs of student were also there. I told my sons, that when Rizal turns 200, a bigger celebration will be organized. Perhaps they will also be at Luneta with their grandchildren and they should tell them that here lies a man whose heroism is truly profound. He did what he did despite the grim consequences, not for revenge or personal ambition, but because it was the right thing.

Truly the most gullible people in the world

The mosquitopress.net is obviously a parody blog site. In its own little way it manages to give a big stinging bite. The short, light-hearted posts (it's a tumblr site, a microblog platform) merit a long thought and hit their target heavily.

One of its posts claims that a Harvard study ranks the Philippines first among the world’s most gullible races.

Now, do we really need a study to verify that? Undoubtedly not.

Proof positive that we indeed are the most gullible race is Ms. Carmen Pedrosa, a Philippine Star opinion column writer. She picked up the mosquitopress post and opined that "...we better take it seriously. ...We are gullible because we are not able or do not question information. We prefer to believe what other persons tell us."

Congrats, mosquitopress.net. Hahaha.

Puerto Princesa, Palawan, December 2010

Some pictures from Puerto Princesa, Palawan, December 2010. The rest of the album is here.

Crazy. Karma is a b****.. Gets you every time. Its not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!

No one is on Lebron James side in the way he handled his split with the Cavaliers. That is until they started winning and the Cavs owner and fans became cry babies.

White hair chronicles XXXII - the latest in fashion, the pekpek shorts

My generation has been around long enough to have witnessed the rise in hemlines to the plunge of the necklines to the baring of the midriff to the exposure of the back to the haltering at the top. All these invariably meant more skin uncovered. The lesser fabric used was a bonanza to skin whiteners and lotion product makers.

The latest fashion trend I noticed, skimpy as it is, does not necessarily expose more epidermis. Formerly often seen just in women's tennis and volleyball, it has transcended beyond the courts onto regular Filipina fashion. It divulges the bulges and gives men the urge to pedicure camels. The crotch, er, the crux of the matter I am talking about is pekpek shorts.

Known elsewhere as skinny shorts, the even shorter versions are aptly renamed as pekpek shorts around here in Manila. Vulgar as it may sound, people unabashedly and frequently use the term. It will be in the mainstream in no time at all, if it isn't there yet.

There is a Facebook fan page for it. There is an urbandictionary.com definition for it. Google returns a whole lot of pictures about it. Here are some.

Tuguegarao via Airphilexpress

I've never been to Tuguegarao so I eagerly welcomed the opportunity to travel there last week. I read last summer that the highest recorded temperature in the Philippines was observed in that city. I anticipated hot days ahead despite the rains in Manila. After all the place's name could have from two words in a local dialect, "tugui" or hot and "aggao" or day, meaning  hot day. It could also be from "tugui" (hot) and "araw" or sun or day.

I took the Airphilexpress turboprob Bombardier Q400. The plane's exterior was freshly painted but its interior particularly the upholstery needs a makeover. The airlines quick turnaround time leaves no time or ground crew to clean the cabin between flights. The plane does not smell fresh inside. I wish I took the Cebu Pacific Airbus flight instead.

Tricycles are the most common means of public transport here. The tricycle driver told me that the fare is P20 but I have to pay for all five passengers that his tricycle could carry if I am in a hurry. And my office is a bit far so I have to add a little more. I took the bait and paid P150. His impish smile upon taking my money told me that I had been had. Later, office security guards told me that the fare is only P50.

The city surely has the most numbers of tricycles per capita in the the country. There are so many of them that they implement a color coding scheme, just like the number coding in Manila. And they call the tricycles "try-xi" to make it sound like taxi.

Although I've never been to Tuguegarao before, the progress is palpable. I could feel the bustling energy. The plane had some Asian tourists. I wonder what interesting places the city has to offer. I later learned that there's a casino somewhere in the export processing zone. Ah, that's why.

I remember the Youtube video of 2 Americans who speak perfect Tagalog driving a taxi in the Philippines. They drive a taxi but they use it like a jeepney with one acting as the 'kundoktor'. Their route is supposed to be Isabela to Tuguegarao. No, I did not see them in Tuguegarao but here's that video.

Airphilexpress is no express at all

I'm bound for Tuguegarao via Airphilexpress. I'm kind of excited because the plane they use for that route is a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop. It's been quite a while since I've taken a turboprob. I used to take the DC-3 on flights to Mindoro. DC-3s are the commercial version of the trusty C-47, that reliable WWII vintage airplane. I'm also used to the Islander planes that PAL used in the short haul flights from Cebu. I've also ridden in a 5-seater Cessna plane. I love turboprops because of their short takeoffs. You're up in the air in no time at all.

But this Airphilexpress flight to Tuguegarao was scheduled to leave at 7:20am. They announced it will be 8:00am instead, and another announcenment was made saying we'll leave at 10am.

The thrill of the plane's short takeoffs is negated by this long wait. Airphilexpress used to have a quick turnaround time. PAL has rubbed its old ways on his sister company.

SWAT: Silang Walang Alam sa Tactics ; Sugod, Wait, Atras, Takbo (Tayo'y Takot)

It could have been Manila's chance to prove it's world class. Instead, we broadcast live to the world our laughable SWAT - Silang Walang Alam sa Tactics who went Sugod, Wait, Atras, Takbo Tayo'y Takot.

The police mishandled all aspects of the case from the hostage taker's gripes to the televised carnage and it's aftermath. There were comic relief moments in the tense assault. They took a long time to smash the bus windows. Either the windows were the toughest plexiglass or they used the softest sledgehammers. Naghiraman pa sila kasi parang iisa ang maso nila. Then twice, cops lost their grip on the sledgehammer, hurtling it into the bus. Parang comedy. I think I heard them laughing on TV.

The excuse they gave PNoy was untenable. PNoy said the the police had to do a hasty assault since the unit that had the capability was not close to the bus. Whoever fed PNoy that line did him a disservice. They had the whole day to bring in the unit that had the capability. They bungled it. Period.

Execs should earn their pay

In the wake of PNoy's challenge to the MWSS board to resign over their excessive pay, Congress will investigate the salaries and allowances of other executives of government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs). Pnoy himself has gone easy on the highly paid execs since his Sona, but the Inquirer picked up a COA report, prompting the Senate/Congress to start the circus of investigations.

I think PNoy has no beef against the seemingly high pay. It's just that he cannot put his trusted men into  high-paying government jobs. His predecessor has stuffed them with her appointees. That is PNoy's concern. How can he run his program of government if he can't trust the men in those agencies?

Can the execs get away with their pay? There's no problem with their pay, they earned it. The problem lies if they're midnight appointees without the requisite qualifications for the job; and if their agency does not contribute at all to the government coffers.

	MWSS	Central Bank
function	regulates Metro Manila water concessionnaires Maynilad and Manila Water	the nation's central monetary authority, provides policy directions in the areas of money, banking and credit; supervises operations of banks and financial institutions
board members	an unqualified GMA midnight appointee; a brother of a former witness against Mike Arroyo; other friends of GMA	respected people in the financial circles, qualified career service executives
what could be PNoy's beef	he cannot put his trusted men in	-
can PNoy still put his trusted men in the board?	not until they resign or their term expires	PNoy has appointed 1 (DoF Sec. Purisima)
declared dividends to the government	P53M in 2002; P65M in 2003; P131 M in 2006 (anywhere from 5%-50% of net income)	P4.5 Billion in July 2010; P60 Billion since 1993

Now, why are GSIS officials not in the COA report? I suspect COA has not completed its audit of the GSIS, hence they don't appear anywhere in the report. But it is well known that GSIS officials are the highest paid execs. It's chairman is rumored to command close to P10M in salaries alone. COA was booted out of its office space in the GSIS when they called for the Ombudsman to probe irregularities in the agency.

Things Pinoy in Hollywood movies

I watched some DVDs over the weekend and I found some curious references to Filipino things. In the movie Kick-Ass, a character named Hitgirl brandished a balisong. She deftly played with it like a Pinoy thug in those FPJ movies. Her father in the movie, played by Nicholas Cage, gave it to her as a present. She said "it's a... Filipino..."

In the movie Grownups, Rob Schneider, a part Filipino in real life, played a character with long brushed up hair ala the Fonz. His friends call him a "Filipino midget Fonzie".

And in the Denzel Washington starrer Book of Eli, the fight scenes looked very much like arnis fighting with blades/swords (eskrimahan). Word is out that a Filipino trained Denzel in the art of kali fighting.

White hair chronicles XVIII - queuing at senior citizen's lane and discounted jeepney fare

Two weeks ago, a cashier at Shopwise grocery store across my office asked for my Senior Citizen's ID. This sent my officemates to a laughing fit and the cashier to an embarrassed smile when told that "kasing tanda lang namin yan!"

Yesterday at breakfast, I lined up at Jollibee counter with the shortest queue. It turned out to be the senior citizen only lane. The crew didn't ask for my ID this time but served me just the same (though no discount was given). An officemate snapped the photo at left.

Jeepney drivers now also start to give me discount without being asked. I give it back saying "sobra sukli mo". Hmm, I'm beginning to see the white hair advantage.