Hopeless PAG-ASA

When typhoon "Emong" hit land early this month, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (PAG-ASA) chief weather forecaster said, “Let us be prepared, It is the start of the storm season in the Philippines.” The welcome rains came but not in torrential downpour to quench the scorched earth. So a day after, he made another statement - “The rains may be here, but it’s too early to say goodbye to summer.” Wtf!!@#$%^&*.

But less than a week later, PAG-ASA said six more storms are expected to hit the country between now (May 12) and July. The following day it declares that the rainy season is officially here. But the summer heat persisted with a devilish vengeance, but PAG-ASA claims that heat during rainy season is normal. Wtf!@#$%^&* again.

The end of May nears, it's now two and a half weeks into the rainy season and we have not had a drop of rain. For the six-storms-before-July prediction to be true, PAG-ASA must now be doing the rain dance and singing their lungs out offkey, praying for six storms in June. I remember the joke about the predicted storm that did not come because "masama ang panahon". Now PAG-ASA can claim the the storms thid not come because they did not like the hot Manila weather.

Correct weather forecasts are important in a country where 40% of the national product comes from agriculture. Farmers need to know when they can start to plant, to take advantage of the rains. I know weather forecasting is difficult, but the PAG-ASA versions are way off. Amanda Pineda (PAG-ASA-A, the Tessie Tomas character in Champoy) gave more accurate forecasts. And the real PAG-ASA's forecasts are funnier.

White Hair Chronicles I

I have more than my fair share of white hairs thus I look older than my actual age. Here are instances when people thought I am much older.

I used to accompany my son on field trips. I noticed that all other parents were in their late 20s or early 30s. These other parents always had a respectful 'po' and 'opo' when talking to me. They keep on addressing me as 'sir'. It does not help that my son is the youngest son in his batch and could actually be my grandson IF I had a child at 16, AND that child had his own by 16.

So I tried to mingle with parents who looked to be in the same age demographics as I am. There was this man who had the same gray like mine. Aha, Ok, I thought to myself, this man is around my age. Then he said, "My daughter is ill. So I had to take the boy this trip. Apo ko na yan. (He's my grandson) pointing to a boy playing with my son. "Ikaw, pang-ilang apo mo na yan?", he asked me, thinking my son is my grandson. Argh, I am now a member of the grandfathers' row? But I was only 40 then, he was 57. Either I looked 57 at 40, or he was 40-looking 57.

Swine flu victims, or how Pinoys manage to find humor in sex scandals

Trust the Pinoy to find humor in everything. Psychologists say that it is one of our coping mechanism. So in the current talk of the nation, we expect jokes, puns , and play on words, to surface over the hurricane of a scandal that hit Katrina. Some of the ones I heard lately:

1. The videos were taken by a hayden kho-mera (hidden camera). 
2. The female star will change her name to Katina Halinghing.
3. One episode's apt title is "Ang Aircon", because the camera focused on the aircon and not on the lovers.
4. The first Pinoy victims of the swine flu are Katrina and Maricar, kasi binaboy sila.
5. The Vicky episode features a Belo-job.
6. If Maricar loses acting jobs because of the scandal, she can always be a racehorse jockey, she rides well, magaling mangabayo.

Still gung-ho on a Cavs-Nuggets finals!

People and the NBA seem to favor a Cavs-Lakers finals. Since I am anti-Kobe and not really a Cavs fan, I'd like to see a Cavs-Nuggets setto. I believe the Lakers got lucky in Game 1. They managed to "steal one" at home. I also think Kobe cannot dominate on a nightly basis anymore. The only kink on the Nuggets is Karl's jinx. He almost always is good early in the season only to crumble in the playoffs. He had that chance in the 90's with Kemp/Payton with Jordan's fling with baseball. But he cannot rise up further come the playoffs.

But now, the Nuggets did what I expected of them, to win one in LA. In doing so, I believe, Karl is over the hump in the finals. The win makes the Nuggets a mentally tougher team. Moreover, the Lakers miss Tex Winter.

On the other hand, the Cavs may have lost one at home. But I think it was a fluke. The Cavs will win game two and dominate the Magic from now on. I believe it is not yet Superman's time. It is still the King James show.

There can only be one.

Katrina Halili - camel toe sighting

Amidst the present controversy over her sex video with a confessed troubled cosmetic surgeon, this picture reminds us why she is one of the hottest Pinays. She is shown here in a photo-shoot with Travis Kraft, of the adowbowng manakk fame.
 
To those who want the videos, let me say I don't have them, I don't keep them. But here's a link to the full torrent download of the hayden kho-mera videos.

While many Filipinos have enjoyed the videos, all of us join the victims (yes, Katrina, Maricar, and the Brazilian) in their fight against the sick doctor. Theirs videos are very much unlike those of Paris', Kim's, and Pamela's. First they were taken without their consent (thus with deceit) and then released without their approval (thus with malice).

Hayden's reported counselling does not mitigate his actions. Even if the videos were uploaded by his friend without his consent, the fact that he shot it surreptitiously shows bad intentions on his part.

Bigtime FAIL!!!