Artificial

I cannot understand why the government has still not lifted the EO order freezing prices of petroleum products. It is creating this whole energy crisis. As a response to facilitate recovery and help consumers from the series of typhoons, this should only be a stop-gap measure, a very short-term solution. Prolonging it any moment longer could have drastic consequences.

You cannot expect a business to operate knowingly at a loss. Why would oil companies import oil supplies when expected revenues are way below import costs.

Simple arithmetic really. The government is clearly buying pogi points for keeping prices artificially low, when in reality, as per world prices, it's clearly not. Once the EO is lifted, you can expect oil prices to jack up substantially since the oil companies would want to compensate for their loss when the EO was in place, on top of the high prices that they would be imposing. The government should have allowed the market to bear it in the first place so that the public could have adjusted to the prices gradually early on, rather than a sudden, steep adjustment that only breeds confusion and resentment.

With the campaign period kicking in, plus the onset of the holiday season, oil price increases will likely push inflation upwards, putting pressure on interest rates.

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Why K-Pop Rules

You ever wonder why Korean pop is popular in the country nowadays? A quick channel surf through the music channels reveals why. Korean pop is dominated by boy-and-girl bands of the N'Sync variety, churning out music just a grade higher than nursery tunes, usually with ungrammatical English serving as the refrain. Although K-pop all sound the same, the danceable, upbeat and bouncy numbers as music videos are well thought out: the singers are well-dressed and their dance numbers are carefully choreographed, all these against a backdrop of smart sets and digital what-have-yous.

On the other hand, the Pinoy music scene has long been dominated by schmaltzy, syrupy ballads a la Ogie Alcasid, culminating in diva/divo scream fests courtesy of Charice and Arnel Pineda (when they had a showdown at ASAP, people were quick to declare that the performance was "world class"-- I wanted to puke!). It is but a consolation that April Boy Regino, I call his music 'barnacle-music' because it sticks to your head long after you're supposed to have forgotten them, has since rested his vocal chords, thankfully sparing us the agony of hearing them inside jeepneys and buses.

And of course, the band scene of the Parokya ni Edgar variety that dominates the Pinoy music video industry. Unfortunately, despite the popularity of Eraserheads and its multiple clones, the music and how they are presented leaves a lot to be desired. While K-pop is sleek, very contemporary and generally a visual feast, music videos of Pinoy bands are filmed literally in some band member's garage, in sepia-like quality, and the band members look like they just emerged from an all-night drinking party. It could be argued, however, that the lyrics have more substance, more sense than repeating Nobody Nobody but chu ad infinitum.

Which reminds me of Lisa Simpson. When asked by Mr Burns what she thinks of the current music scene, she replied that it distracts people from more important social concerns. :)

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Like Hell

I'm currently suffering an ear infection, and I'd like to think that this is a proxy for Divine Punishment. Really. Hearing my own pulse or heartbeat thump, thump, thump 24/7 in Maximum Volume already approximates hellish proportions, driving me up the wall. I am unable to sleep properly the past two nights. Imagine a frenzy of construction activities...inside your head. That's how it feels like.

The lady doctor says there's nothing wrong with my eardrums, thank God, it's only swollen and the ear canal is just wet. So it is my colds--and colds allergy-- that is causing the unfortunate condition.

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Fashionista Derivatives

While watching Project Runway Philippines Season Two (2), I noticed that the judges like to agree with and refrain from contradicting each other. Whoever gets to say first usually has the upper-hand, while the rest simply fall in line. Clearly, Rajo Laurel calls the shots, Apples Aberin and that female host never once had a different opinion with Rajo. They would not dare.

Fashion is supposed to be highly subjective, and it should be shaped by different, even opposing opinions and perspectives. To his credit, Rajo can give a credible opinion because he's the only one familiar with the craft of dress-making while the others simply rely on their supposedly heightened sense of high fashion, kasi nga models daw sila dati. Aberin and that lady host couldn't sew even if their lives depended on it, so they make gaya-gaya statements without appearing clueless --they recycle Rajo's comments and project themselves as if they know what they're talking about. Tragic, really.

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Foot Dragging

Chiz Escudero should stop dragging his feet and should make known his plans if he's running for President once and for all because really, people are starting to NOT care.

He wants to run alright, that's obvious enough, except that he's not getting the party nod and he's having problems with funding his candidacy. Danding, the party founder, is hard pressed to choose who between his nephews, Teodoro and Noynoy, he should support, leaving the presumed NPC standard bearer, Escudero out cold. Obviously, blood is thicker than water.

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Get Together Tonight

For the first time ever, I'm posting a bouncy, pop song by Adam Kling. A teammate once called me the Renaissance Man, so this is really a first. Heard this over Star World and I took to it instantly because it contains the lines,

"Give me one reason if you've got one reason,
except that there ain't no reason that
we shouldn't get together tonight."

and

"I'm sending you an invitation, respondez-vous, s'il vous plait."

Kewl.

adam kling get together tonight mp3 | lyrics

free music downloads | music videos | pictures

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Disrupted

ULTRA and Marikina Sports Park remain closed. So my swimming and jogging routines have been disrupted. That's why my Body Mass Index recently reached the overweight territory (convenient excuse).

I might have to run tomorrow, from the CCP all the way to MOA, hopefully it won't rain early in the morning. I'm registered for the Adidas half-marathon this Sunday and I'm ill-prepared due to the lack of practice venues.

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Of Disasters and Heists

Some builders are now suggesting that houses built in low-lying areas situated in the Marikina Valley should be multi-storied, obviously a provision for the possibility of flooding.

It's just that the Marikina fault line also runs along the valley, which does not really bode well for tall structures.

Or if houses are built way up, in the hills, away from the river banks, they are also in danger of landslides.

Life in these islands.

Anyway, a group of armed men dressed like special police forces (bomb squadron) attempted a violent heist through a blitzkrieg on a Rolex shop inside Glorietta 5 earlier today.

It is easy to presume that robberies and bank heists become all-too-common as the campaign season kicks in, and that so many people nowadays are becoming desperate because of the typhoons that ravaged the country. I don't know. No place seems ever safe anymore.

As for the first QC International Marathon that created a monstrous traffic jam along the QC Circle, better job next time.

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Reminiscences

Reminds me very much of high school and my hometown of Camp Phillips in Bukidnon. I convinced my teacher, Mrs. Barola to make Rodgers & Hammerstein's Climb Ev'ry Mountain our final graduation song. I accompanied the entire graduating class on the piano in singing this final farewell to our alma mater.

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Dancing Inmates

The Cebu Dancing Inmates are it again, this time they're shimmying to the beat of Nobody, Nobody but chuuu...

OK, they're a highly talented and disciplined bunch, do you even think this could ever happen in a high-security prison in the US? Hmmmm only in the Philippines.

Tourists are lapping it up, and the inmates seem to be enjoying themselves. And that's a good thing.

Except that the viewing experience is starting to feel like you're inside a torture chamber.

Since the Korean pop song is a smash hit in these islands, even KFC's Chuck and Jollibee engage each other in a dance showdown in the middle of the street. So funny!

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Calling a Spade a Spade

I stand 5 ft. 8 inches tall, and last time I weighed myself, I was 165 lbs which alarmed me, it may have gone down a bit because prior to the onslaught of Ondoy, I jogged and swam in Marikina. True enough, my calculated body mass index (BMI) is 25.1. (Check out any BMI Calculator on the web).

A normal BMI is 18.5-24.9, overweight is 25-29.9 while obese is >30.

It's official. I am overweight. Ngek! That's why I'm joining the Adidas half marathon on the last week of this month.

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Visiting Marikina

I went to Marikina earlier today, just to see for myself how the shoe capital of the Philippines is coping up with the tragedy that submerged the city under water two (2) weeks ago.

The water has long receded and the sun's out, so what remains are piles of dried-up mud and garbage waiting to be collected. Dust motes are everywhere, it gets under your skin, especially in Provident Village. I dropped by the Sports Complex where I do my regular early evening jogs and weekly swim. Predictably, it's closed. There's mud in the oval and it has been made a temporary area where stalled cars are brought. The lobby is filled up with boxes and boxes of Lucky Me Noodles, mineral water and sardines.

The Thai restaurant is thankfully open, the bakeshop across the street is again doing business briskly, and so is the public market. Mercury Drug, Red Ribbon and other establishments near the City Hall remain closed- staff are still busy cleaning up and doing the necessary repairs.

I couldn't believe that the waters affected Blue Wave and Robinson's, the ground level tenants like Starbucks and KFC remain closed. The mall and the supermarket are located quite far from the river. The hospital seems operational already, which according to news reports, the water reached the second floor during the height of the typhoon.

I feel bad for Marikina. I may not be a resident, but I go there several times a week. I haven't been to other parts of the city. And I have no idea how residents of San Mateo, Montalban, Cainta and Taytay are coping. But the city is up and about. The clean up is almost done so I'm pretty sure, I'll be back soon in Marikina.

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Scherzo from A Misummer Night's Dream

Yevgeny Kissin breezing through the Scherzo section of Rachmaninoff's transcription of Felix Mendelssohn's From A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Very light-footed and crystal clear, you'd think that you're hearing the rain beating against the windowpanes.

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Pachydermal

While Sta. Maria in Laguna, Talim island and Cardona in Rizal remained in dire need of relief goods, President Arroyo chose to distribute these in --good grief!--her hometown of Lubao in Pampanga, which when compared to the devastation suffered by these towns, is relatively unscathed by Ondoy.

She's been visiting Lubao quite frequently, which clearly means she's using this tragedy to position herself as their potential Congresswoman once she's no longer President.

To quote Miriam, she really has a "pachydermal" face.

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There's Always a First Time

Sa loob ng pampaseherong jeep kaninang hapon lamang, isang ale na siguro ay singkwenta anyos na, ang muntik ko nang itulak at ihulog sa daan habang ang jeep na aming sinasakyan ay tumatakbo at binabaybay ang daan papuntang Cubao.

"Ma-ma, pakiabot naman ng bayad," sabi niya sa akin, dahil ang puwesto ko nga naman ay nasa unahan malapit sa tsuper.

Sa pinakaunang pagkakataon sa buong buhay ko ay mayroong tumawag sa akin na Ma-ma, at lubos ko itong kinainisan at kinabahala dahil ito ay hindi katanggap-tanggap.

Tiningnan ko siya ng malalim, at sabay sabi, "Lola, sandali lang po ha?" bago ko inabot sa tsuper ang kanyang pamasahe.

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Relief Efforts, Feline Version

In the aftermath of Ondoy and Peping ravaging the country, one morning I woke up to a scratching sound on my front door. I knew it was just my next door neighbor's cat, Kuribod, using my door as his scratching post.

But when I opened the door an hour later, there it was, on the doorstep, a plastic bag containing leftovers. He obviously dragged it from a garbage pail.

Which got me thinking: I learned from Jessica Zafra's blog that cats normally leave dead roaches, rats, or any object on your doorstep as a gift, or as a token of goodwill. Which makes a lot of sense, because I would have expected him to consume the contents of the bag, which in this case, remained full.

Usually, when I open the front door, I just leave him to step in and inspect any nook and cranny in the house. And it must have occurred to him that the mess on the floor (books, DVDs, newspapers) means that I am a typhoon victim, well, sort of. And thus, to commiserate and to add to the relief efforts, he gave me leftovers he found from the garbage.

UPDATE (10/05/09) True enough, I found a medium sized, dead rat on my doorstep this morning. I really must clean up, so that he'd stop treating me like a refugee.

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Practical

The airwaves is full of suggestions and survival tips during times of "Acts of God" emergencies. Practical suggestions such as stocking up on batteries, light clothing and other essential items that can fit in a small bag, as well as home remedies to treat athlete's foot and other fungal infections due to prolonged exposure to flood waters are extremely welcome.

There are some, however, who seem to be ignorant of the word "practical." One group showed a TV reporter their items to stock up for emergencies: a block of food resembling hopia that could last five (5) years (that's right, years not months) and some aluminum sheet blanket which not only keeps the body warm, but can be used as a reflector to catch the attention of rescuers. The catch is that these items have to be imported from the US, the aluminum blanket in particular, is reportedly made of "space-age technology" material.

Unless we're actually dealing with a disaster on the scale of Nagasaki and Hiroshima or a volcanic eruption like Mt. Toba's, and since we're neither members of the French legion nor soldiers in Afghanistan, we can simply subsist on biscuits, or granola bars, or dried fruit to tide us over. We don't need any high-protein five-year hopia which nobody knows where to buy anyway.

As for the aluminum blanket, isn't that dangerous? That still conducts electricity. Any blanket will do, thank you very much. We do not need space-age mumbo jumbo for tragedies that are essentially earth-bound. The term "emergency" requires that the items be ideally inexpensive and commonly available in your local grocery store, meaning you need not order from a NASA supplier.

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Vomit Queen

In an unforgettable interview with Larry King on CNN, Tyra Banks taught Larry how to "smiyes," that is, to "smile with your eyes".

She's really amazing, isn't she? She has this unique talent for making people throw up in their mouth. Watching America's Next Top Model and the Tyra Banks Show on the ETC Channel is like taking a bus ride from Manila to Banawe listening to the music of ABBA for six hours- it's too much, you'd want to fling yourself outside the window and onto the ravine below.

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Bursting the Bubble

OK people, we just had a depressing experience and we need every bit of kind words to lift our spirits up.

However, there are exceptions, pompous, pretentious cliches like "tomorrow is another day" or "after the storm, the rainbow comes out (or something)" and the worst, that there is "a silver lining in the dark cloud of despair" make us want to dive right back into the murky canal water.

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Aftermath

Although nobody expected typhoon Ondoy would pour out so much torrential rain and inundate the metropolis, once the waters have receded, it will be easy to take the government to task for what happened.

Last Saturday afternoon right after Ondoy blew its top, the main street near my neighborhood turned into a river and people were left to fend for themselves wading waist-deep in the water. I mean, where the hell were the barangay officials when we needed them most.

Sure, this may probably be the worst typhoon to hit Metro Manila in 40 years, but what does this say about the Flood Control program of the government? Is it really effective? Are local government units at the barangay level even prepared to respond to crisis situations like this? Why were there still people trapped in rooftops for 2 days? There weren't enough rubber boats, how come? Where were the helicopters? Rescue came for those trapped only when it was nearly over. For many, there was none at all.

As Secretary of National Defense tasked to lead disaster management efforts -and the obvious fact that he's running for President next year- this was supposed to be Gilbert Teodoro's shining moment. He disappointed big time.

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Flooded!

Probably the heaviest rainfall in recent memory. I was sleeping soundly when I realized the sound of falling rain was eerily nearby, and literally I jumped when I realized my bedroom was already flooded.

Outside, my neighborhood street turned into an instant riverside.

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Friends

Both Erap and Lacson are trading accusations over the murder of Bobby Dacer; they could very well be digging their own political graves. With the return of Cesar Mancao from the States, the police officer clearly implicated the Senator and former police chief as the mastermind of the murder, causing Lacson to shelve his Presidential aspirations.

And if he's going down, Lacson thinks that it's quite unfair if he goes down alone, so he might as well drag along his former boss, Erap who clearly benefited from the disappearance of Dacer.

This reminds me of an excellent Spanish idiom: "No hay peor cuña que la del mismo palo." It means "The worst enemy is he who was once a friend."

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Shooting for the Moon

And so Gilbert Teodoro is the anointed candidate of Gloria's party. This, after Noli showed no interest in running under the banner of the administration.

His chances of winning are pretty slim, despite the ruling party's machinery. Remember de Venecia's bid, where he lost to Erap? His situation is a throwback to that period.

Despite his impressive credentials as a bar topnotcher and having gone to Harvard for his masters, these things tend to get lost on people's minds because Gloria's negative trust ratings means whoever she endorses will be highly mistrusted as well. Noli's smart enough to realize this.

Proof of this is the less than 1% rating for Teodoro in recent surveys. This early, it is apparent that Gloria's and her party's endorsement for Teodoro spell doom for his candidacy.

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Crossroads

When you stop going along with the crowd and start heading your own way, you realize that there are things about yourself you hardly noticed before and may not like at present.

You become insecure and often wonder where you will be in one year, two years, five years,but the mere thought scares you because you barely know where you are now.

You ponder your current status, your job for instance. It is not even close to what you’ve imagined yourself to be as a kid.

You have become more critical and judgemental than ever. You begin to draw certain boundaries in your life and come up with a set of criteria detailing what is acceptable or not.

One minute you’re insecure and paranoid and the next, you are cheerful and optimistic. You feel lonely, scared and confused.

You try to resist change and consider it the enemy, holding on stubbornly to the past for dear life, unable to let go, until you realize that it’s either you stay put and shrink like a prune or move forward and bloom like a bud in spring.

You go through the same emotions and questions over and over again, and talk to your friends about the same subjects because you’ve hit a brick wall, paralyzed by indecision.

The future is worrying you- making a life for yourself. While beating the odds and securing a better life is the reward for finishing the race, right now, all you really want is just to be a part of it, and everything will play itself out, for better or for worse.

*You may emote now.*

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Clingy

And so Juan Martin del Potro, at just 20 years old, defeated Federer for the US Open crown. Good. Never liked Federer.

Anyway, Vogue editor Anna Wintour (many thinks she's actually the Meryl Streep character in the Devil Wears Prada) was spotted sitting within the reserved box for Federer's family and friends along with other celebrities during the match.

Use "Like" in a sentence: Why do people like her like to attach themselves like leeches to personalities like Federer who have genuine talent and abilities. She was also spotted hanging out with Micheal Phelps after the latter's record-shattering performance at the Beijing Olympics. What's up with her? People like Wintour and Paris Hilton and Tyra Banks (*vomits!*) who have nothing to offer but their closet should stop flinging themselves at people who achieved success through sheer hard work. I'm sorry, but fashionistas and athletes are not on the same level.

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Mooncake Season

I think this is the time of year when the Moon Festival season takes place.

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My Two Cents' Worth

I think the coming elections will be a Noynoy-Villar fight. Let me explain.

I am convinced Noynoy will likely get the middle-to-upper income vote. His family hails from this income group. He is quiet, unassuming and Jesuit-educated. His reputation remains untarnished with neither corruption allegations nor cheating scandals. The Church likes that. The moralists like that, too. Big business groups sympathetic to Cory (think the Lopezes, the Ayalas, the Cojuangcos) will likely support his candidacy. So-called cause-oriented groups sick of Gloria, her family and her minions will throw in their support, too. Thing is, as of this point, all these groups are still talking among themselves and have not really engaged the broader electorate yet into the support bandwagon.

You see, it is the C-D-E classes that dominate this country, the masses. For Noynoy to take crack at the Presidency, he has to employ massive resources to appeal directly and effectively to these income groups. And he has a good chance, if the remaining crop of Presidential hopefuls insist on running.

Consider this: Villar (the frontrunner), Erap, Noli, Loren, Teodoro, Jamby and Bayani. That's seven candidates splitting the remaining pie. We can safely remove Jamby from the list because she is really just a nuisance candidate. Teodoro and Bayani may both be courting Gloria's anointment, but they should realize that her endorsement is a Kiss of Death--they should avoid her like the plague. The public had had enough of her. These two are goners, Teodoro is still totally unknown to most, and Bayani is only popular in Metro Manila. Jamby, Teodoro and Bayani's candidacies hardly cause a ripple.

So that really leaves us with four people running against Noynoy. Noli and Loren will not likely settle for the Veep position, having crossed swords for that position last time. Noli seems hesitant to take Gloria's endorsement. He correctly assumes that any association with Gloria will only jeopardize his chances. And Loren still has lots of energy for kidnapping and NPA peace deal photo ops as well as for attending enviroment-and-climate related international conferences to raise her Presidential profile. Nah, I think she will not make it this time. Too image and "stage effect" conscious.

Which leaves us with three vying for the masa vote. Erap, Villar and Noli. The key here is Erap. I think Erap is not really serious in running, or if he is, will be persuaded later on to give way to either Villar or Noynoy. He looks too infirm to run for public office (his best friend FPJ already died, yes?) and needs to just enjoy his retirement and spend his twilight years away from prison. He may simply be trying to stir the entire field. Whomever he will throw in his support later on, will likely be the President. Yes, I'm assuming this is going to be a Noynoy-Villar fight and Noli's gonna be relegated to the sidelines.

Villar: he has built a grassroots support early on. His self-made, rags-to-riches success story resonates with the C-D-E masa (he grew up in a shanty in Tondo). He has further consolidated his support base via the OFW vote. One out of every ten Filipinos after all, has a relative working abroad. That's significant. But the fact that, assuming he got Erap's endorsement, he still has to split the masa vote with Noli, Villar does have a lot of work to do.

Noynoy: He has the support of the Church, big business, cause-oriented groups- essentially middle class. But he also has Kris Aquino for a sister (and drags along with her, Boy Abunda, Mother Lily, Korina Sanchez and the entire ABS-CBN. By the way, she convinced Pangilinan to be her brother's official spokesperson, which means Sharon Cuneta is now in their bandwagon as well).

Strategies: Noynoy has to expand his support base from the middle class to the masa. This is where his sister comes in and the logistics and financial support of his rich backers. In fact, it works to his advantage if there are many candidates because this will only dilute the chances of his opponents.

Villar on the other hand, has to prevent Noynoy from encroaching on his masa support base. At this point, you can say he's really running against Kris Aquino. He also has to work hard to convince Erap to support him instead, considering that he has to split the masa vote with several other lesser candidates.

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Gomez: Ave Maria

¡Feliz cumpleaños Mamá María, madre de Dios!

Una interpretación preciosa, en un español perfecto de mezzo soprano Elina Garanča.

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Cunning...Fox?

Everybody's talking about it, so might as well join in the fray.

Why would Mar Roxas decide to shelve his Presidential aspirations and endorse Noynoy Aquino when the latter hasn't even decided whether he will run or not for President? Methinks Mar the strategist has his thinking cap on. It could work either way:

(1) Mar is really giving way to Noynoy out of the goodness of his heart, or for the "sake of the country" because Noynoy is really a formidable candidate to reckon with and the best candidate to beat the crap out of Gloria and her minions;

What this only means is that Mar has assessed his chances and decided that he's better off as the Veep of Noynoy because he's not exactly topping the surveys for President. Running side-by-side with an Aquino can definitely boost his chances for the Veep position.

(2) Should Noynoy decide NOT to run for President, Mar would still have earned patriotic points for his actions, presumably gain a lot of respect, and as the front runner for the Liberal Party, still run for President.

In either case, whether he will run for either Veep or President, this goody-two-shoes stunt will be a public relations master stroke.

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Yes, Ma'm

How would you react if you found out your English teacher in high school in the Bukidnon highlands is on Facebook?

We're not "friends" yet, I just saw her comment on a post made by a classmate. I think it's pretty cool, it means that I'm not that old after all because I still have teachers who do not seem to have an affinity with the Jurassic Period.

The drawback is that I feel I have to be extra careful with my posts, lest I embarrass her with my grammar, syntax and sentence construction :)

Why is it that our teachers still look exactly the same as we remember them?

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Liszt: Gounod's Waltz from Faust

Earl Wild's fantastic rendition of Franz Liszt's piano transcription of Charles Gounod's Faust Waltz.

Clean and crisp execution and just the right dynamics and tempo. Bravo!

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In Search of the Tom Yummiest

The best tom yum goong in Manila can be found in, according to preference:

(1) Krung Thai (Marikina) - serves the milder variety, very homey, located at the back of the Marikina Public Market; I was brought here by Hiep, a Vietnamese friend, and he swears by its authenticity.

2) Som's (Makati, near Rockwell) - cheapest, you dine al fresco in the neighborhood street; Tony and I just dropped by one evening and the soup exceeded our initial expectations. I wish it were a lot creamier though, the taste is almost there;

(3) Sukhothai (defunct) - have since disappeared, but the tom yum goong tasted similar to Som's but was creamier;

(4) Cafe Juanita (Pasig) - has a hint of bagoong (not the shrimp), OK but not very memorable; serves a "Filipinized" tom yum;

(5) Jajutak (Mall of Asia) - the spiciest goong, it explodes at the back of your throat; Judging from the intensity of the flavor, probably the most authentic one compared to the rest;

(6) People's Palace (Greenbelt 3) - the most expensive, and the most overrated; They serve the milder variety.

Didn't try those located inside hotels (i.e., Benjarong inside Dusit Hotel) as there is no way I can afford to eat there :(

Have yet to try Thai Pad along Pasong Tamo, they reportedly serve pretty good tom yum as well.

I wonder what happened to the Thai "carinderia" inside the UP International Center many, many years ago. My roommate Paul and I would sweat buckets with all the spicy food and the soup was all so good.

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Equatorial

Ron steps out of the shower, feeling refreshed and smelling fragrant. He lingers in front of the mirror.

Big mistake.

"Hey Ron," his Safeguard konsensya slash doppelganger slash alter-ego calls out.

"Your waist size is approaching the circumference of the Equator, large enough for ships to circumnavigate the globe."

tsk tsk tsk

*Ron shakes his head, with a matching sigh*

How's that for starting the day!

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Showbiz

On the same day that Jen's mom was buried, Jun launched his showbiz career.

Last Saturday, I watched the production of Starvebucks, a variety show produced by Jun's evangelical church. (He co-wrote, co-directed, co-everything-ed the show). It was a concoction of wit and high spirits, and judging from the enthusiastic response from the audience, a huge success. Comedy skits, a diva singing showdown, dancing and more dancing (this time interpretative) complemented by a smart video set-up that combined seamlessly with what's going on on stage, made for a highly entertaining treat. Did I mention that free coffee and pasta were also served?

The show opened with a really unbelievable Battle of the Brains showdown, a scoreless draw, between Harry Potter- yes, with the magic wand and a fake British accent- and uhm, Slumdog Millionaire. It was almost like a tribute to Tropang Trumpo.

But it was his monologue that showcased his thespic skills, giving life to three characters, about a ridiculous and twisted tale of a provinciano, Juancho, his lover Guada and a matron named Dona Purificacion, a love story taking place while collecting civet cat droppings to be made and brewed as alamid coffee. The fact that the story went off tangent most of the time, had no clear direction a la Seinfeld and delivered in get this, archaic, Balagtasan-quality Tagalog made it even more hilarious. I couldn't keep my jaw from dropping and hitting the floor upon hearing the words "irog," "karimlan," and "tarheta."

So we'll expect an even funnier production next year. Cheers!

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Tiesa or Tisa

Jen's mom was finally laid to rest over the weekend. Jun and I visited the wake last week and last friday, I accompanied Señorita Valerie and bumped into La Capitana pequeña who was waiting for La Capitana nueva to take her to the wake. On the way back inside La Capitana nueva's car, we passed by the Bahay ng Tisa (or Casa de la Kastila, House of the Spaniard).

"Tisa?" exclaimed pequeña, this triggered a series of explanations regarding its origins from nueva and her dad who drove us from their house to Jen's.

Unfortunately, I opened my mouth, "You're probably thinking of "tiesa," I chided pequeña.

Yes, tiesa, the fruit, which had Eve offered it to Adam instead of apple, could have prevented the Fall of Man.

"Tiesa, the Bisaya of Tisa", contributed Señorita.

Before the conversation could descend into a complete nonsense and break into hysterical laughter, pequeña said it never occurred to her, not even once, that the house we just passed by could have been made of tiesa.

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I Won the Lotto!

I did it! I hit the jackpot and dug pay dirt! I won the lotto!

Now that I have your attention, Why on earth would I win the lotto, it is like shooting for the moon. Are you kidding me? Last time I won anything was a raffle in grade school...a net bag full of string beans, squash, tomatoes, laundry soap. My foot's tapping to the beat of the Korean pop Nobody Nobody but chuuuu!

Before you mentally hit me with a metal object, what I'm really saying is that after living under a rock for quite some time, I have decided to join civilization. I have a facebook account. Add me up. Search for my name in Russian. Рональд Долотина.

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An Afternoon at the Manila Ocean Park

First time I stepped inside the Manila Ocean Park. The place was packed on a week-end, very noisy as it was filled with screaming kids. The park is very similar to the Ocean Park in Singapore. It was OK, complete with mermaids and that shrimp-like fish that feeds on dead skin cells from your feet. I hope they bring in bigger and bigger fish, like barracudas. The sight of sting rays and what appears to be baby shark swimming overhead in the glass-encased oceanarium is dizzying.

Outside the Ocean Park, the sea water where the MOP is located is unfortunately, littered with garbage. It made for a stunning contrast. Also, the place is starting to resemble like a mall.

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Can of Worms

Hatching a lie is easy. But making it sound and look credible is, as Gloria knows too well, the hard part.

When the NY Post gossip section came out with the item that Gloria and her large entourage spent US$20,000 at an expensive restaurant in New York, her Press Secretary tried to downplay the issue by claiming that the restaurant is "not really that posh," and that they only ordered a "set meal," and that it was a "working dinner." Problem is, the menu they ordered made the rounds in blogosphere, which included caviar, foie gras and US$500 wines (champagne). So you'd understand why Remonde's not very happy that he looks well, pretty damn stupid!

The Palace was quick to defend Arroyo, claiming the dinner was paid for by Imelda's nephew, Rep. Martin Romualdez, in celebration of the First Couple's wedding anniversary! Really! Was Rep. Romualdez's wife with him on the trip? If she were, what was she doing there and who paid for her trip? I shudder at the thought. There were more than sixty (60) of them in this junket. So the cost of the plane, plus hotel, allowances....God deliver us from evil!

Hard pressed to cover up his master, her lawyer Macalintal was spewing gibberish, pinning the blame on media for blowing the issue out of proportion. That's right, blame the messenger. Except that the Washington Post also came out with the story on the US$15,000 dinner Arroyo and her entourage had at a Washington D.C. steakhouse, dining on lobster, steaks and fine wines. I wonder who among the Congressmen had an anniversary this time. Macalintal, shut up lest you'd be embarassing yourself, more than your President. (UPDATE: Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez admitted that he paid for the steakhouse dinner. Except that earlier in an interview before the news broke out, he said he invited the Arroyos for a dinner but claimed they declined because they already have a previous engagement. Now he claims that dinner went through. Problem is, the same news item reports that a "lady" paid for the dinner from her bag containing wads of dollar bills.)

The saddest part is that her visit generated nary an interest in the US and the international media. Except for the dinner.

I think Gloria's lying habit is in her veins. Her Statement of Assets and Liabilities as reported by the PCIJ is littered with holes. Her lawyer tries to explain that she dabbles in stocks, which he claims, explains why her wealth suddently shot through the roof and onto the stratosphere. Through her lawyer, Arroyo did not provide the details of her stock portfolio, thinking that would be sufficient enough.

Problem is, they're again assuming that Filipinos are dumb. People like me have worked long enough in the stock market to know that she's again lying through her teeth. There's just no way she could have made all that wealth investing solely in the stock market (whether here or abroad) because, hello, the equities market has been free-falling for quite some time on account of the global economic downturn. A simple comparison with any professionally-managed money market fund will easily demonstrate this point. That's the reason why she won't disclose the details of her portfolio, because it will only open a can of worms and expose her truly for what she is, a liar.

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An Appeal to Judy Ann Santos

For the love of this country and its future, I call on you to please do NOT endorse Jamby Madrigal for President next year. The only reason she made it to the Senate is because you, yes you Judy Ann, the next Vilma Santos, the Star of the Galaxy, the Celestial Artista, the Darling of the Masa (I know next to nothing about glowing adjectives attached to local artistas)...you get the drift!...campaigned for her.

I'm neither a member of your fans' club nor have I ever watched any of your movies, but that ma-amo face of yours resonates a lot with the masa (your movie premieres have plenty of screaming fans saying the same things over and over again,"Nakakakilig!" "The best talaga!" "Pang best actress"). It is this face that can launch, not only a thousand products, but millions of votes as well, which might propel a totally undeserving, immature socialite to the highest office in the country.

Do you really want this tantrum-prone, Senate brat to be our head of State? Even a half-wit can easily figure out that this damn, phony Senator is again seeking your endorsement.

Do this country a favor and say NO to her. She deserves Oblivion.

During Cory's funeral, street vendors selling yellow umbrellas reportedly handed out free yellow beaded bracelets....except that it contains a tag name and picture of Jamby Madrigal. The nerve! Campaigning during a funeral is the height of insensitivity. Jamby, you've just shot yourself in the foot. The earth's axis will have to shift first before you can ever become President!

(Picture filched from some blog, the blog owner grabbed it from facebook)

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Back to Regular Programming

The waterworks are over, so it's time to get back to our humdrum existence. Meanwhile, other news items that got sidetracked the past few days include:

-that Lady Gaga is a hermaphrodite. (REALLY? Oo daw, she describes herself as "multiple gendered." You do the searching on google.) Did you know that Anderson Cooper reportedly said that he likes (Lady?) Gaga;

-Willie Revillame has been hacked to pieces yet again by netizens when he expressed dismay over the simultaneous live feed of Cory's funeral while he was trying to goad scantily-clad girls to shake their booty in his noon-time show; To make amends, he asked Rachell Anne Go to sing Magkaisa in his show dressed in yellow;

-Paula Abdul won't be judging the next American Idol. (Old news, I know.) That Kara di whatever is also annoying ("That's arteeestreeeh!", yeah, and you're corneeeeh).

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