Oscar Award

Dear Mouse, I am watching the Academy right at this very hour. Another LOTR winner and I am going to collapse. I feel tired watching them went up stage to collect the trophies. I got three favorites who made it though; Tim Robbins, my favorite actor of the Shawshank Redemption won the best supporting actor role in Mystic River; Charlize Theron, best actress and Sean Penn for Best Actor in Mystic River. He should have won in I am SAM. Many Hollywood actors and actresses are highly educated. Sean Penn is one of them with a high IQ to boot. Tommy Lee Jones was a Harvard graduate and so was Elizabeth Shure. Acting for them is not just papogi. The CA t

DA KING AND DA KNIGHTS OF the CROOKED TABLE

Dear Mouse, In the faraway kingdom by the sea, there lived a king who would be king not because of his wisdom but because of people who would like him to be king. 1. His knights of the crooked table whose tasks are to give excuses for his crooked statements. a. Knight Escudero b. Knight Sotto c. Knight Reyes d. Knight Romero 2. The knaves are the has- been- lawmakers who by themselves cannot gather even a motley crowd. They are bright and smart--so smart that they can twist facts and make fictions look real. Their experience and stature should have elevated them to the likes of the Diokno, Salonga and other statesmen who gave the country their best even during the dwindling years of their political career. One such knave had the guts to ask the rivals of his presidential candidate if they too can direct movies. Not suprising for a man who staged a mock assassination just to convince people of the need for martial law. The other one was quick in recommending the queen if the king cannot qualify. 3. the former king who is incarcerated. His only hope is his partner. They both deny to death that they have the covenant to work for his freedom but no amount of the left hand denying the accusation can hide the right hand telltale signs that this is the handiwork of the former King who would like to vindicate himself. a. the presence of Lumbao and his " portable" people power that gave a bad name to the phrase b. the presence of the expensive wily lawyers who for the love of money can incite rebellion just to win a case. c. the snobbery of the leader of a religious cult to the other presidential candidate for fear of being reprimanded by the former king. His media network and his followers were used in EDSA 3. d. the croaking Adopted Son/ex senator who wasted his career by making ungentleman and unethical statements in defense of his favorite PATRON e. the disgruntled people in the media who stopped prophesizing the doom of the "illegitimate government" but is now quick to defend a a constitution that was short in specifying provisions about 'illegitimate". 4. the unemployed movie people hoping that they will make hay if the DA King will become the President. At this point, they are ready to kiss his ass. I like Eddie Garcia but I did not want him wearing the shirt emblazoned with something that declared Poe as Bayaning Bayan ? Bayani ba ang pangalan niya? Sana tamaan din kayo ng virus na tumama sa aol ko. Huwag mong kunin ang laptop (pleads to the laptop owner using another internet server). Sandali lang, three hours pa. pretty please. *sigh*. The CA t

Lost in Translation part 2-Oh brother!

Dear Mouse, The debate on debate and what to debate is still ongoing among the presidential candidates. In the meantime, let us scrutinize the issues that were addressed by the candidates in their short essay of "How to Win the election without really trying to be good debaters". Bro.Eddie Villanueva :What a pitiful country. It has even been said that we have a death wish. Confused-Use says no fish vendor cries rotten fish, no vegetable vendor says spoiled tomatoes. Translation: Once elected, he will make a hard sell in order to promote the country he once demeaned. On corruption: Bro. Eddie: I will lead and live by example. It is the only way that all will be convinced that they, too, must change. Confused-use says an ounce of an example is worth a ton of advice but gifts may have higher price tags. (Layo noh?) Translation: Paano naman kami? Bro. Eddie: It has been proven that credible leadership can provide a solution to insurgency. If poverty and injustice are uprooted and addressed, communism will have no reason to exist. Confused –use says man should work with facts and not opinions. Communism did not solve poverty in China. Not all communist leaders in the Philippines are for peace. With peace, they have no agenda of being in the lucrative alternative government business. They have their own taxation you know. Translation: Ano, aalisin ninyo kami sa eksena? Bro. Eddie: There is no doubt that we should fight terrorism in all its forms because it is an assault on all civilized people. If we had less corruption then we could modernize our Armed Forces, and our soldiers would be treated better and with more respect, and they would have higher morale. Then we would not need the United States to help us fight terrorism. Confused use says that it is not correct to think that we can totally be without enemies. Even with perceived less corruption in the US, terrorism is a major problem to reckon with. The fight in terrorism is global since the struggle for world supremacy is as old as the world itself. Translation: Pag may bida, may kontrabida. Bro.Eddie: Agriculture will be a priority in my administration. Farm-to-market roads will be built, credit will be made available, technology will be provided, middlemen shall be eliminated. Local communities shall be empowered to make the Philippines sufficient unto itself in food. Confused –use says –for sea matters,ask the fishermen, for farm matters, ask the farmers. For marketing, ask the cartel. Translation: Mga hinayupak kayong mga saboteurs. The CA t

Kung Fu Shoes says

Dear Mouse, After the crash course program, Da King came up with his platform. 1. poverty He will address poverty by providing poor people three square meals a day. Action plan: Hire cooks in every congressional districts. Use the pork barrel. Pork has a lot of recipes, among them is adobo. Chicken are prone to bird flu.The barrel can be recycled into water containers. Kung Fu shoes says..hahaha 2. peso depreciation He learned from his mentor that it is not his candidacy that affects the falling of the value of the peso. It is the demand and supply of the currency. Whatever that means. Damn the law of demand and supply. No he will not have the law repealed. Action plan: Look for the author of the law and ask him to amend it or else "Di na siya sisikatan ng araw". Kung Fu Shoes says...hahaha 3. Budget deficit Balance the budget. Why they cannot balance the budget? There are already digital weighing scales. Our government should live within its means. To avert a fiscal crisis, all government departments, bureaus and other agencies will be directed to implement drastic cost-cutting measures on non-essential expenditures such as travel, miscellaneous and intelligence funds. Action plan: We will provide each department heads with scissors to cut on their budget. Only one page budget report will be allowed. The excess page will be cut. No intelligence funds. Only intelligent people. Kung Fu shoes says hahaha 4. Foreign debts Filipinos have colonial mentality. Even debts are foreign. Action plan: Borrow from local banks. Offer amnesty to these foreign debts para maging Filipino. Hindi nga lang natural born. Kung Fu Shoes says hahaha 5. Corruption Pahuhuli ko ang mga corrupt na police. Kagaya sa mga pelikula ko, pahihirapan ko sila. Ipapakulong ko ang mga corrupt na opisyales na hindi pa nakakukulong. (pssst...nakakulong na ang kumpare mo )At palalayain ko ang nakakulong. Kung Fu Shoes says hahaha 6. Kidnapping Pahihinto ko ang kidnapping. Hindi naman mga bata ang kinikidnap nila kung hindi mga matatanda na mayayaman. Tapos sasabihin nila ako ang walang utak. Kung Fu Shoes says hahaha 7. Globalization Globalization is a reality that we cannot ignore. We have to actively participate in international trade. Action plan:I will ask them to annex international in every business name. Hindi lang plataforma ang kaniyang ibinigay kung hindi mga sagot sa mga akusasyon sa kaniya. 1. on not being a natural born Poe: ano sila baliw. Hindi caesarian ang nanay ko. Naghirap siyang iluwal ako sa St. Luke's. 2. on being temperamental Poe: Hindi totoo yan. Reporter; Bakit hindi ho totoo Poe: Bakit ba ang kulit mo? Sinabi kong hindi totoo yan. 3. On being a drunkard worse than Erap Poe: Hindi totoo yan. Binigyanako ng 100 million ni Cojuangco ng San Miguel para ipromote ang kanilang beer. Dapat lang gantihan ko sila. Tagay 'bay. kung Fu Shoes says hahaha The CA t

Lost in Translation-Not theMovie

Dear Mouse, 1. Poe is not joining the debate. His crash course program must have crashed. Translation: The teacher is mum about the rating. Movie playing: Low Waist Gang 2. Poe shrugged off the offer, saying a debate was just "pure talk." "Debates divide (the) people. 'Tsaka puro salita 'yun, wala namang nagagawa (Besides, that is pure talk, and nothing is being accomplished)," he told reporters. Translation: All talk and no action does not make you an action star. Movie Playing: Tough Guy 3."Mabuti sila na magdebate muna (Let the President and Roco debate between themselves first)," Poe initially told reporters Friday during a break in the motorcade and rally at the public plaza.Poe said that he might join the debate, pagdating sa dulo. Translation: Got to wait for teacher to agree to go to the length of explaining that the depreciation of the peso is caused by the demand and supply and not by his candidacy. Movie Playing "Umpisahan Mo, Tatapusin Ko" ( one of his movies) 4.He would only accept the challenge for a presidential debate if it would be held in depressed areas like Payatas in Quezon City where people would be allowed to ask questions. Translation: It helps to be with the adoring fans regardless whether you talk gibberish or you do not talk at all. Movie Playing: Mga Alabok sa Lupa The CA t

K generation

Dear Mouse, After baby boomers, we have the X Generation. For FIlipinos, there is the so-called K generation.--Karaoke generation. Two Saturdays ago, a pint-size 11-year old Filam boy from California wowed the three judges of Star Search including the popular Naoemi Judd. He bested the other two finalists with a perfect score of 15 and another 13 votes from the viewers. He is a very polite kid who always says tenk yu to his fans. Star Search was the singing contest that launched the singing career of Christina Aguillera. Filipina winner “”Banig” who was rated to be a better singer lost her star even before it shone. A week ago, Camille Velasco, a contestant in the Americal Idol was voted the best in the second batch of the semi-finalists. She claimed she is a native of Maui but when asked what she does during her spare time, she said she usually visit her Nanay(Grandma). Another Fil-am is in the fourth batch of the American Idol semi-finalists. Her name is Jasmine Trias. Her dream is to produce an album of a soundtrack for a Filipino soap opera. Win or lose, they are winners. They do not have to be TMPRed in order to believe in themselves. The CA t

Turon kayo d'yan

Dear Mouse, Rhet of karinderia fame was fuming mad over a quartered banana inside a turon. He had every reason to curse the object of his ire. Nakikiayon ako sa kaniya, kaya ako rin pa-curse. Sana ay lumaki ang inyong ilong ng katulad ng banana, quartered nga lang. Sana ay madupilas kayo sa balat ng banana . Sana ay managinip kayo na hinahabol kayo ng mga bananang hubad. Paborito ko rin ang turin ‘noh-- yong may langka sa loob at maraming pulang asukal. Kahit hindi turon, kahit banana cue. Noong huling uwi ko sa Pinas, pumunta pa ako sa paborito kong banana cue stand para lang bumili noong banana cue na medyo over hinog at malambot na, nababalutan ng maraming asukal. Tapos iinom ka ng malamig na malamig na coke. Burp... Tama ang obserbasyon ni rhet. Kumpara sa mga Chinese restaurant, ang Filipino restaurant ay takal ang kanin. Mura naman ang bigas. Sa Peborit kong Chinese restaurant, sangdamukal ang kanin kaya yong isang order na katulad ng Peking Duck over rice, matagal nang nailibing mo yong buto ng duck, may tira pa ring kanin sa refrigerator na naninigas na sa kalumaan. Pero huwag kang magkakamaling umorder ng “flied lice”. Mas marami ang ibibigay saiyo dahil mga second generations yon ng tirang steamed rice, tirang meat with green peas and carrots. Lalagyan lang nila ng kaunting itlog at kaunting oyster sauce--- Voila "FLIED LICE" na. Pero dahil sa bagsak din ang economy ng US of A pati mga restaurant ay naapektuhan.Maraming restaurant ang hindi puwedeng magtaas ng presyo dahil wala nang pupunta sa restaurant nila. Kaya hindi sila sa pricing tumitingin. Sa quantity sila nagfofocus. Cost cutting baga. Bawas ang kanin at ang “over rice” pero di halatado, dahil ang kanilang pinggan ay lumiit din. Ang kanilang “to go’ boxes or styro ay lumiit din. Marami munang beses akong kumain sa restaurant bago ko nahalata. Nauubos ko ang isang order at wala na akong ng “togo”.Hindi naman ako nagiging matakaw. (Sa mga nasa Pinas, ibig sabihin balot ang tira para sa aso. Heheheh)huwag ka hapunan ko na iyon, minsa baon pa sa opit. Dahil sa maliit ang pinggan,hindi mahalata na ang order ay bawas na dahil puno pa rin ang pinggan. Katulad din yang mga practice ng malalaking manufacturing companies na imbes na magtaas ng presyo, nililiitan nalang nila ang packaging. Kagaya ng lata ng gatas ng ebaporada. Dati puwede mong gawing laruang telepono. (binubutasan at pagkatapos pinagkakabit ng tali ang dalawang lata. Tapos mag-uusap ang magkalaro. Hello, hello, Ngayon sa liit nila ay puwede na lang silang cell phone na may tali pa rin. Hello, helllo, can you hear me now? Kahit noong panahon ng mga tingi, marurunong na rin ang mga negosyante sa pamamaraan upang lumaki ang kanilang tubo. Makinig tayo. Inay: O Rosa, nalagyan mo na bang mga batong maliliit ang bigas. Rosa: Opo Inay: Nalagyan mo na ba ng tubig ang suka? Rosa: Opo Inay: Binawasan mo na ba ang palito ng posporo. Rosa: Opo Inay: O halika na at magdasal na tayo. Totoo pong nangyari ito at hindi kathang isip lang. Taghiyawatin man po yong manufacturer ng facial cream ko. Ang mga tinamaan ng kulog, mas malalim pa ang puwetan ng lalagyan ng cream kaysa sa Philippine Deep. Kaya pala ilang pahid ko pa lang, kita ko na yong ilalim. The CA t

Fact or Fiction

Dear Mouse, Nagbakasyon ako noon sa malayong bayan sa Bicol. Hometown noong isa kong opit mate. Nakapanungaw ako sa bintana na nag-iimagine kong paano ba ang hinaharana sa probins, nang biglang may sigawan. Takbo, takbo, naghuhuramentado na naman. Hindi naman Muslim ang mga tao doon pero nakita ko ang isang lalaking hubad maliban sa suot na boxer. May hawak itong gulok at hinahabol ang lahat nang makita.Ngeee. Wala bang pulis? Wala siguro. Kung si Darna lang ako sana ay tumalon na ako sa bintana at binigyan ko siya ng magkakasunod na suntok (ala Fernando Poe) saka ala Matrix akong tatalon pabalik pasamano ng bintana. Wooh. Pero naunahan ako ng matandang lalaking walang takot na lumapit doon sa nagwawalang lasing. Marka demonyo siguro ang nainom. Piningot nito ang isang tenga noong lasing habang nagtutungayaw…sa salitang Bicol. “Pag uminom ning tuba, sa tulak ilalaag bako sa payo. Ang nag-iihi sa pader saka sa poste, ayam. Tatay pala niya. Translation: When you drink tuba(native wine from coconut) put it in your stomach not in your head. Only dogs urinate on walls and posts. I also remember that in one of our retreats in Laguna, we decided to visit the Palace in the Sky.(This was a relic of the Marcos Administration built on top of a mountain). Erap was a still a VP and Ramos was the President. Halfway, I decided to drop from the group negotiating the road uphill going to the palace. My friends bid me goodbye and promised me that they were going to take pics for me. As I traced my way back down the foot of the mountain, a shuttle bus breezed by and stopped. The driver offered me a lift going up. Kapalaran nga naman, I did not hesitate to say yes. We passed by my friends who were puffing as they walked uphill. Hehehe di nila ako nakita. As the other passengers of the shuttle bus got off to go the direction of the palace, I bided my time to wait for my companions. I overheard this conversation: Man 1: Noh pare, kumusta ang pagdadrive. Balita ko driver ka doon sa kasal ni Presidente? Man2: Oo. Pare. Malaki nga ang ibinigay. Mabait pa si Pers Lady Ming. Pinakain muna kami bago ang mga bisita. Baka raw pag nagdatingan na makalimutan kami, Man 3 : Suwerte ka pare, noon yong dating Pers Lady, ni hindi man lang kami matapunan ng buto pag dinadrive naming yong mga bisita niya. Man1: Pero pare, ako kalian man di magdadrive sa ating bise presidente. Man2: sino pare, si Erap Man1: Oo, pare, pag nalalasing yan, tatawagin ka at iihi sa binti mo. Marami pa sanang kuwento pero dumating na ang mga grupo ko. Gulat kung paano ako nakarating na una sa kanila. Sabi ko lumipad ako. Hehehe So if the story about Poe’s peeing on Cabaluna is not an urban legend or a black propaganda from the camp of his political rivals, I should like to add this to the admonition of the father to the son… Aso lang ang umiihi sa pader , sa puno at sa binti ng mga taong hindi makalaban dahil sa takot. Maglipon tells the story, now the stuff of urban legend, about a confrontation between Poe and Franklin Cabaluna, at that time an acerbic but widely read movie columnist. The legend goes that, unhappy with Cabaluna's repeated dissing of his person and movie persona, Poe approached Cabaluna at a showbiz party, beat him up and then peed on him. The reality, as recounted by Cabaluna himself, is that Poe merely took him on a typical drinking peregrination, all the while mouthing off on how Cabaluna had hurt people mentioned in his columns. From time to time while in an open-air beer garden, Poe would stop in his exhortations, approach a tree and pee on it. Which maybe explains the part on his being peed on by Poe, Cabaluna said. But the beating part is also based at least on a nugget of truth. Rushing to his "idol's" defense, a stuntman lackey of Poe's walked up to Cabaluna one day and beat him so badly that the writer had to stay in the hospital for a few days. If show business is rife with gossip, malice and black propaganda, politics is even dirtier and can descend to even lower depths of sleaze. Will Foe be able to handle the potshots and criticisms, the sly innuendo, black operations of political handlers? Can he pee in public these days without this turning into a campaign issue? The CA t

Let us pray

Dear Mouse, Time for prayers. For the poor people awash in the belief that actors lacking skills and experience but were portraying their cause in their movies should become President Patawarin ninyo po at sampalin sila For higher education academicians of note who provide crash programme on economics and governance to an actor, an academic endeavour that graduate schools require students/executives to work full time for more than 12 months to get masteral degree and become half-baked experts in the finance/economics/marketing and management . Patawarin ninyo po sila at tanungin kung sino sa kanila ang aamin na sila ay nanood ng pelikulang Tagalog. For members of academic intelligentsia whose training abroad qualify them more to be armchair analysts and their so-called expertise are promoted via expert opinions on economics travails of a country that they hardly know. I rather talk to a farmer who does not know what economies of scale is but is enthusiastic to join a cooperative in order to avail of cheaper fertililzer and pesticides by bulk purchase. Patawarin ninyo po sila at sabihin doon sa mga nagbibigay ng academic grant na mga theories lang ang kanilang pinagsasabi at hindi nakakabigay ng solusyon sa problema ng bansa. For instant constitutional analsysts and test tube bred baby eagle experts(translation:hindi talaga lawyers)who inundated the newspapers and the web sites with their opinions on Poe's citizenship that they claimed their own but later proven to be the opinions of the real authorities on the said issues that they have talked to. Unahan lang yan sa print media at paramihan. Patawarin ninyo po sila at bigyan ng Tagamet.Kabag lang yan. For a presidential bet who would agree for a debate if he has the poor people as his cheering squad. Patawarin ninyo po siya at pakisabi. DUWAG, DUWAG, DUWAG For the head of a religious denomination who snubbed the President with a flimsy excuse. Patawrin po ninyo at pakisabi, HINDI GANOON ANG NAKASULAT SA BIBLIYANG ITINUTURO NILA. Love your enemies even the political ones. For those whose idea is to launch the candidacy of Poe but did not bother to check his citizenship.The cost includes the lawyers' fees of very expensive lawyers, OPMs of directorship to economic advisers just so they play the game, battery of paid columnists to launch a highly orchestrated emotional appeal of twisting the Constitution written for the security and protection of majority and not by the few and paid busloads of Lumbao's mercenaries. Patawarin ninyo po sila at bigyan ng utak. The CA t

TheThird

Dear Mouse, Kahit sa Estet ay may sinasabing political dynasty; katulad ng mga Adamses, Kennedys, Bushes and Tafts. Dalawa lang ang alam kong mag-ama na naging parehong presidente-- Si John Adams at ang anak niyang si John Quincy Adams at si George H.W. Bush at ang anak niyang si George W. Bush. Ang mga Roosevelts ay hindi mag-ama. Political dynasty nga kina Kennedy pero walang mag-ama o mag lolo na naging Presidente. Kung hindi siguro namatay si John, Jr., baka puwede. Sa Pilipinas ay mas marami. Mas matindi. Nandiyan si Ina, Si Ama, si Anak, Si Tiyong, si Tiyang, Si Hipag. Si bayaw, Si Bilas at kung puwede nga lang patakbuhin pati si Yaya Maria, ay gagawin nila. Ito ay dahil ang kapangyarihan any nakakalasing at ang pagiging popular ay nakakalunod ng puso sa galak na hahanap-hanapin ang pagsamba ng publiko. Kaya ngayon hindi lang yaman ang pinamamana kung hindi ang puwesto. Ang ating mga pangulo at may mga naging anak at kamag-anak na naging pulitiko at nagsilbi sa pamahalaan. 1. Emilio Aguinaldo-wala akong alam na descendant niya ang naging aktibo sa pulitika. Ang kilala ko lang Aguinaldo ay ang Misa Aguinaldo pag pasko at ang aguinaldo sa akin ng aking mga ninong. 2. Manuel Quezon- Dalawa ang maari sanang sumunod sa yapak ng dakilang pangulong Ama ng Wikang Pambansa. Si Nini Avancena at si Manuel Quezon Jr. Nguni’t minarapat ni Manuel, Jr. ang maging tahimik ng pribadong mamamayan . Kung siya man ay nagpakita nang pagmamalasakit sa pag-ugit ng pamahalaan ay dinaan niya ito sa pagsusulat,samantalang ang kaniyang kapatid ay naging abala sa mga pamamahayag sa kalsada. Si Manuel Quezon III ay hindi rin natuksong pumalaot sa pulitika. Ngunit ano man ang maririnig sa pangulo ng bansa ay nanggaling sa kaniyang panitik. Ano kayang isinusulat niya para sa talumpati, Tagalog kaya o English ? Kung si Manuel Quezon ang ama ng Wikang Pambansa, ang anak niya kayang si Manuel, Jr. ang apo, si theTHIRD ba ang apo sa tuhod ? 3. Jose P.Laurel, Sr. Tatlong anak niya ay kilala sa pulitika,si Dating Bise-Presidente Salvador Laurel, Speaker Jose Laurel,Jr. at dating Senador Sotero Laurel. Ngayon yata ang alam kong Laurel na nasa pulitika ay si Ate Vi at ang kaniyang asawang Senador. 4. Sergio Osmena Anak niya si Sergio Osmena, Jr. na nakalaban ni Marcos sa halalang pag- kapangulo, kung kailan ay di ko alam. Apo niya kung ganoon si Sergio Osmena III. Ano niya si Senador John Renner Osmena at si Minnie Osmena, ang nakasabunutan ni Dewi Sukarno ? 4. Manuel Roxas Ang mga anak niya ay si Gerardo Roxas na naging Senador at si Ruby Roxas na kilala sa alta sosyedad. Kung may theThird, mayroong Junior ? 5. Elpidio Quirino Nag-iisang anak ang nabuhay pagkatapos ng digmaan. Si Vicki Quirino Hidalgo. 6. Ramon Magsaysay Paborito ng aking mader dahil pinadalhan siya ng retrato ng pamilya nang siya ay sumulat sa Malacanan.Noong bata pa siya,mahilig siyangmagsusulat. Di niya akalaing papansinin ang kaniyang sulat.Pinagmalaki niya sa mga kapitbahay. Umiyak daw siya nang namatay si Pangulong Magsaysay. Si Ramon Magsaysay Jr. ay Senador na. Pero wala akong alam na Ramon Magsaysay the 3rd dahil ang mga anak niya ay walang may pangalang Ramon. 7.Diosdado MacapagaL Hindi ang Junior niya ang naging Pangulo kung hindi ang kaniyang anak na babae. Si Gloria. Ang isa niyang anak na si Cielo ay naging Gobernador ng Pampanga. Ang kaniyang apo na si Mikee ay hindi lang artista kung hindi pulitiko rin. 8.Ferdinand Marcos Si Imee ay Senador at si Jr.ay Gobernador ba o Congressman ? Hindi na kailangan ang botohan. Kanila naman ang Ilocos. Pero si Imelda,umiyak man siya ay hindi siya magiging Presidente. 9. Joseph Estrada Si Jinggoy ay tatakbong Senador. Manalo kaya ? Ayaw na kasi ni JV bitiwan yong pagkamayor ng San Juan. Away ng magkapatid sa Ama. Si Loi, senadora.Buti na lang hindi lumaban si Guia o kaya si Laarni o kaya si ___ At si ____ at si _______ at si_________. Si Guy nga lumaban sa Bicol. Talo naman. Pag manalo kaya si Poe, may the Third kaya ? Bakit ko sinulat itongtungkol sa mga henerasyon? Dahil nasa link ko Si Manuel Quezon the Third. Magandang basahin. May mapupulot kayo. Ako gusto ko ring mamulot. Pera nga lang. The CA t

Anniversary

Dear Mouse, It is our anniversary today. I have our pictures taken for posterity. Here The CA t

Prayers for you

Dear Mouse, My mom was a very religious woman. She would bring me to different churches as she prayed for different intentions. One such church was Quiapo Church, now a basilica. Inside the church were women who offered to pray for your intentions. Naïve as I was, I thought it was for free so I thought that it was very pious for them to pray for other people. Then I learned later that they were charging for a fee for prayers. Thoughts that came to my mind were: mas malakas ba sila sa Diyos? May commission ba si God sa kanila..(sounds of thunder and lightning) bibiro lang SIR. * sigh * of relief. Walang bang time magdasal ang mga nagpapadasal? Magkano kaya ang kita ? When our propesor in Entrepreneurship required our class to form a small group and come up with a small business for one semester, applying the theories that we will be learning from the class and earning at the same time , I thought of the PRAYERS For YOU business. hehehe BTW, the propesor did not look like a professor because of his dangling camera in his shoulder all the time. In our first meeting, I thought he was the official photogprapher of the university. After our first meeting, he asked us to pose with the wall fence as the background for an id picture-actually four pictures for one pose. One pic went to our class card, the other one went to the seat plan. For easy recall of the faces, he said. Good business. He was a good entrepreneurship professor indeed.The rest of the pics were for our own disposal. The Prayers for you business was rejected outright by my group mates. First, they were not the prayerful types and second, we cannot decide whether we would give a money-back-guarantee- if the prayers were not answered. As elected COO, I concurred with the members. At that time, I did not have any plan to confront my CREATOR with issues other than mine. Why the prayers as subject of my blog? Because the pawns in the Poe chess game decided to invoke the help from Someone UP there thru prayers. Very CORY. Awwww. "Bukas 10 a.m. lumabas ka sa kalsada magdasal ng 1 minuto para sa paglilinaw ng isip ng SC justices sa FPJ citizenship issue (At 10 a.m. tomorrow, go out in the streets and for a minute, pray that the Supreme Court justices will be enlightened in deliberating over Poe’s citizenship)," one of the text messages being circulated stated. Anti-riot policemen have been ordered deployed around the Supreme Court where deliberations are scheduled today over the petitions seeking to disqualify Poe to run for president in the May 10 polls. The CBCP also urged the Filipino people to pray for peaceful resolution of the disqualification case of Poe. Sino kaya ang pakikinggan ni BOSS sa ITAAS? Lumbao promised 10,000 followers for the human chain while Nino Muhlach boasted for his 50, 000 fans. Wow , if I had put up that business and these people joining the rally were my customers for my prayers for you--- for a peyso, that would give me 60,000 peysos or more than a thousand dollars. (THUNDER AND LIGHTNING) Sabi namang nagbibiro lang eh. Seryoso naman ninyo BOSS. Did I mention what business, we went into? Halls candies and worksheet pads courtesy of the offices of our siblings, friends and parents. Project daw. Kawawang mga opisinang mahina ang internal control sa office supplies. Mataas ang grade naming grupo. Libre kasi ng Halls yong prop namin every meeting. Kung hindi mo makuha sa santong dasalan ang propesor, daanin mo sa librehan ng Halls candy (kayo diyan). The CA t

Game of cheese,ermm I mean Chess

Dear Mouse, I prefer watching tennis than chess. In tennis, all I have to do is to move my face to the left, to the right, to the left and to the right. These exercise my facial and neck muscles. In the game of chess, I do not move while watching the players. The game was not on a tournament level. It was just a game between my braders to decide who would be the next week's dishwasher. The older brader usually won not because he was a good strategist but because he was a great detractor. Before you even make a countermove, he shouted sige check ka diyan. Aha aha aha kain ka. Tagal naman ang moves, anong buwan na ba ngayon or gisingin mo na lang ako pag tapos ka na ha. On the issue of Poe’s citizenship, the oppositions are just like my elder brader. They preempt moves and countermoves. Their threats are civil disobedience, revolution, riot and even anarchy. Ow, I forgot to mention that my other brader had a habit of drinking soda in a bottle. When he was fed up with my older brader’s antics, as if on cue, the bottle simply dropped on the chess board. Game was usually declared over without a winner. The dish remained unwashed until my pader brought the dog inside and threatened the two, that the retriever was going to lick all the dishes. In politics, just like in the chess, between the DA KING and the Queen, the latter is more powerful. It can check the DA King but not vice versa. If the pawns of the DA KING will continue the threat of not playing the rules of the games, the Queen can simply declare, there is no game. The CA t

Confused-use thinks

Dear Mouse, Confused-use thinks for a response to M. Viloria’s question. Confused-use was with a friend when a grim-looking guy got by. Confuse asked the friend, bakit maasim ang mukha niya? The friend responded,”baka maasim ang gatas na pinainom sa kaniya noong bata pa siya. Nakababad kasi sa phone ang baby sitter. Ah ah ah. Confused-use said, o eto ang dolar, maghanap ka nang makakausap. Cathy however sees that the spoiled milk is the stuff that the young man has to put up with to make his dream come true. It is not the May–December relationship that sucks but the promise of instant popularity dangled like a carrot to induce loyalty, forced love and undivided attention by the predator to the willing victim. The lure of the celluloid world transforms young ambitious people to dog-begs/dog/sits and dog/barks in exchange for a few minutes of exhilarated appearance in the TV that could lead to their discovery. When the young man sang for his geriatric lover/fiance in Sharon's program, nakataas ang kilay ko pero natatakpan ng bangs ko. Bakit yong paborito ko pang Basil Valdez song ang kinanta? Hindi na ako mukhang si Cleopatra. Ginupit ko na ang bangs ko. Peksman. The CA t

Falling Stars

Dear Mouse, Have you ever wondered where ageing idle movie stars went before they found politics as a good option ? The following stories were what I gathered from a couple of senior retirees who are a delight to talk to. The lady was looking for a room because her daughter-in-law declined to take her in when she she got evicted from her apartment. Sabi niya kahit garahe lang. But that is another story. She has been here in the States for 40 years and even in her pre-senior years, she was already a regular attendee in Filipino community gathering. She took interest in the article I downloaded and printed about Aga Muhlach threatening to leave for the US when political and economic conditions in the Philippines would not improve. She commented that “I did not know he is dumb”. Doesn’t he know that the US economy has still to recover from a crisis? "These movie stars",she continued, " they came here several years ago in droves thinking that their looks were enough to get them high paying jobs. As you can see, mamera lang dito ang guwapo. Hahaha" Story 1 There was this has-been-movie idol who came to the US but who never got employed. He had no other option but to join the movie stars peddling the cooking pots and pans that were not meant for use but just for display. A Filipino-American household that owned this set of cooking pans was regarded to have “ARRIVED”. hahaha .He did not make good in the selling. He was an action star and therefore had few words..(hahaha). His territory manager was a young woman who must also have been star struck. He married her. She was proud to have a former movie star as a husband. So what if he was a has-been? The actor’s son was so devastated that he became a bad boy both in reel and real life. Story 2 This actor was not a has been yet when he came to the US. He was a big star in the Philippines, adored by many and worshipped by women. In fact he married three times.. One was a Filam that he married to get a green card when his career suffered a slump. He left her when he met a mega star, whom he married in a very elaborate wedding in a cathedral. The third was just a live-in but he got a daughter by her. When he was being rumored to be reconciling with the long suffering wife, he suddenly jumped to marriage to a beautiful model. Haah. One scandal led to another and a case that could have brought him to prison made him fly to the US. Where is he now? He is still in the States, rumored to have married a moneyed lady who is a lot older than him. There was a press release that he was studying in some prestigious university. People in the islands should know that universities here have always extension classes for short term courses that do not make them bona fide degree students. hahaha Story 3 The brothers were both actors who had beautiful and popular actresses as their girl friends. Both the actresses were doing good in the box office but the two were not. The whole family went (not migrated) to the US. Without documentations, the only jobs that they can get were being valets on a per diem basis. Coming back to the Phils years later, they claimed that it is their business. One brother eloped with the daughter of a former movie queen who was originally known as Taray Queen. He sealed their fates. Rumor was that the ma-in-law collected some thousands for tipping off some illegals. Sabi nila tsismis. Pag tsismis, you cannot trace the origin. hahaha Story 4 He was a has been heart throb, married and separated from a movie queen. He came to the US because his star was not only shining but his pockets also dripped. There were new handsomer young actors invading the moviedom. They said that in the US, he worked as a gas boy. Press release showed him in an old expensive car to belie the story. Once, I had this picture taken infont of a parked Porsche. I showed them to my friends in the Philippines. Sabi nila. Wow kotse mo. I raise my left brow. Back to the falling star. He came home to the Philippines. The storyteller said that it might be some paper problems. He got involved with a popular actress and a rumor that a video was taken during their intimate moments--for their eyes only. The storyteller thought that he must have made some money from it. He went back to the States and married a moneyed old woman, according to the rumor. hahaha Story 5 He was an action star. There were no more action films for him. At least he was honest to tell his friends when he came back to the country that he worked as a taxi driver. hahaha Story 6 He was a popular basketball player. He worked as janitor in the US. He married a basketballstarstruck fan who knew him during his hoop days.hahaha Story 7 He was a movie pop idol when he was young. Together with his wife, they fled to the US when the wife was sued for estafa. He became a top sales agent of the cooking pots and pans because of his good looks. They came back to the Philippines and the beautiful daughter became a star. She was rumored to have a rich prince as a fallback when her stars started to fade. A scandal in award winning ceremony pulled her popularity down. Not even all the kings horses in a beauty contest made her star glow again, so off she went back to the US. Her press releases claimed that she was in Hollywood and was making it big in program hosting. Sometimes, her parents also come to the US. The mother sells jewelries that she claimed are her daughter’s.She was also the lady who claimed that the result of the scan of her baby from a rich businessman shows that the unformed fetus exactly looked like the mother. (Arrgh).hahaha Now these ageing and falling stars have a new fallback. Politics. When asked if this is just a chismis, the storyteller from Olongapo who is a natural-born citizen since her mother was an American quipped, Oy iha, kung tsismis lang yan, kung may pera sana ako, may -asawa na rin akong dating artista. Some people would accuse me of harboring dislike for movie stars because I am not a star material. While it takes some to write an article as a reaction to annoy people; it will take me just one word…SO ? The CA t

Confused-use is confusing

Dear Mouse, My Confused-use blog elicited a reaction from one reader. She said that she cannot make out the messages in my words of wisdom. Even my translations are far off. But that is the exactly the message of the blog. Not all those who seem to be talking in riddles have the mind of a philosopher. There is really a thin line between genius and insanity. Along this line, there is a break ; for some,it is a bubble. Not all those who have few words are action people, it is just that they really have nothing to say.Not all those who talk much have a lot of air in their heads. Sometimes the air is below the diapraghm. So if Confused-use is confusing you---then you got the message. Labo pa rin. :-) The CA t

Confused-use

Dear Mouse, Mousey, I am now a great philosopher. Call me Confused-use. According to Edicio de la Torre, convenor of the "Pinoy si FPJ" Movement, a decision by the SC disqualifying Poe from running could provide some of his supporters the needed excuse to mount a wave of violent protests. "It's hard to speak conclusively. We don't want trouble but they (Malacañang) are provoking us. This is a highly-charged case and the Supreme Court should decide objectively. There is something worse than rebellion and that is anarchy," he added. Confused-use says THE GREAT CATASTROPHIES IN LIFE ARE THOSE (narrated by desperate people and emotional blackmailers)THAT HAVE NOT HAPPENED YET. Translation:Nalunod na bago pa naligo sa dagat. Pimentel said that while it is the right of Poe’s followers to protest, the scenario of civil strife breaking out is far-fetched There is neither any basis for the report that the opposition will disobey Supreme Court ruling on the issue, Pimentel added. Confused-use says,Some people are not in the same page but has the same url.Give them bookmarks please. Translation: Ilabas ang beer. Newest spokesman Francis Escudero, two leaders of the FPJ Movement and several movie stars intoned that Poe will never call for violence. But they quickly added, as if on script, that he will not be able to stop contrary plans of other fans. They in effect were saying he has no ability to control his men. Sadly they nicked the image of the man they tout to unite the fractured nation. Confused-use says . The worst day of your life is when you have not laughed. Translation: Hindi naman komedyante nagpapatawa. Archie-(Archie who ?)the twenty year old fiancee of Madam Auring (Madam Auring who?..the 60ish former-beautician-turned-celebrity-fortuneteller) said when asked on his first impression of his girl friend older than his mother-Akala ko po noong una siya yong type na-easy-to-get.Yon pala hindi. Programhost: Anopala siya ? Archie=Totoong tao pala siya. Confused-use says some believe that love is blind.I beg to differ. This young man is not blindly in love. He isn't blind not to see that her plastic surgeries did not turn her into a wax/mannequin. Translation:Walang maasim na gatas sa uhaw na bata. hehehe. The CA t Happybelatedtomybraderlast Feb.12.

Kuwentong love story ko-Happy Valentine's day

Dear Mouse, Hindi naman siya guwapo. Sa totoo lang makapal ang kaniyang mga labi na pagtiningnan mo siya nang nakatagilid saiyo ay makikita mong pantay ang kaniyang nguso sa tungki ng kaniyang ilong. Makapal din ang kaniyang salamin sa mata. Malaking bentahe ito sa mga babaeng hindi makinis ang kutis, kahit magsiksikan pa ang mga taghiyawat sa mukha, hindi niya mapapansin. Ito siguro ang dahilan kung bakit hindi niya nakita ang mga paa ng uwak (crow feet)sa gilid ng mata ng aking propesor. Hindi ko siya kaklase, pero palagi kaming nagtatagpo kasi peborit pareho kami ni Ma’am. Istudyent siya ni Ma’am sa kabilang ibayo. Siya ang taga tsek ng papel samantalang ako hindi lang taga tsek, hingahan pa ng sama ng loob ni Maam sa kaniyang bwisit na asawa. Dakilang Tseker ako mula pa noong ako’y pumasol sa iskul. Siguro kung naningil ako bawat pirasong papel na tsinekan ko nakabili na rin ako ng house on a hill sa Antipolo. Nambabae daw si Mister. Istudyent niya dati sa isang kolehiyo sa malayong probins at batang di hamak sa kaniya. Naging iskandalo ito sa maliit na siyudad na halos lahat ng tao ay magkakilala dahil sa kanilang mga bansag . Si Temyong Talakitok, Si Maryang Tangige. Si Huwang Apahap. Malapit kasi ito sa dalampasigan at ang mga tao ay may mga baklad. (fish pens). Lumayo sila at pumunta sa Menila. Nagpakasal. At dahil hindi tapos si Mister, ay pumasok siyang ahente ng sigarilyo habang si Ma’am ay nag-aaply ng pagtuturo sa kolehiyo at universidad. Mali yata. Love story ko ito. Peksman. Mabaho ang pangalan ng lalaking mahaba ang nguso. The Third siya kaya wala siyang magawa sa pangalan niya kaya tawagin natin siyang Teri. Mayaman sila. Ang tatay niya ay isang consultant sa isang international firm at ang nanay niya ay isang business woman. Unico hijo at may isang kapatid. Babae siyempre. May palaisdaan sila sa Batangas. Hindi siya seryosong mag-aral. Ikatlong unibersidad na yata yong pinag-aaralan niya. Gusto lang niyang may dahilan para hindi siya pagtrabahuhin. Ligaw insik ang gawa niya. May dala siyang hopyang ube galling sa Binondo. Pumupunta siya iskul ko ng tanghali at yayain akong kumain. Hooooooooooo, sabi ng aking mga kaklase at barkada. Dumi isip.Libre pati sila. Minsan niyaya niya kaming mga barkada sa Batangas. Kasama si Ma’am. Wow sarap maligo at manghuli ng isda. Si Ma'am nakabathing suit at panay ang pulupot kay Teri. Panay siya sigaw ng malulunod eh isang dangkal lang naman ang tubig na nilalanguyan niya. Hindi ko binigyan ng malisya yon pero ang suspetsoso kong kaklase ang nagsabi na para bang nagfiflirt si Maam. Ow? Valentine. Tumawag siya na susunduin ako. Kakain kami sa isang steak house. Kailangan, late afternoon o early evening. Pasikatan ang mga asawa at boyfriends ng araw na iyon kaya puno ang kainan. Puno rin maghapon ang mga biglang liko lalo na sa mga bawal na pag-ibig. Dumating siya. Kasama si Ma'am. Nakita raw siya at gustong magpahatid. Nalamang kakain kami. Sumama.. Hindi makakibo si Teri. Sinulyapan ako. Tinaas ko ang aking dalawang kilay. Tahimik kami ni Teri. Madaldal si Maam. May kasama pang mga hikbi na madalang na ang uwi ni Mister kaya siya ay nalulungkot umuwi ng bahay. Siyanga pala, total mas nauna ang bahay ko, ihahatid na lang nila ako ng una. Gumalaw ang isa kong kilay. Minsan ay dinala ako ni Teri sa kanilang unibersidad para hintayin siya, tapos ay kakain kami sa isang Japanese restaurant. Nabore ako sa kotse kaya pumunta ako sa faculty room. May mga propesor na babaeng nag-uumpukan. Magkakalapit ang kanilang mga ulo habang ang isang babaeng istudyent ay nagkukuwento. Talaga ? Lakihan ang mga mata nila. Sabi ko na. Nagtikwasan ang kanilang mga labi. Hindi na siya nahiya…nagtaasan ang mga kilay at nagsalubong sa bandang huli. Alam ko ang pinag-uusapan. Sila. Si Teri at si Maam. Sa mga sumunod na araw ay masaya si Ma'am. Nanood daw sila ng sine ni Teri. Pumunta sila sa mall ni Teri. Pupunta sila sa Batangas ni Teri. Hindi ako mahilig sa konprontasyon. Kung ayaw mo sa akin, ayaw ko rin saiyo. Sa sarili ko lang yon sinasabi. Sa tao, ignore lang siya sa akin. Parang ah may tao ba? Parang may nagsasalita. Kinuha niya ang isang maliit na box. May lamang singsing na may nakaukit ng I LOVE YOU. 18 karats kaya? Tiningnan ko yong number sa loob. 18 nga. Tinaggap ko. Hindi kakati ang aking daliri. Hangang 14 lang ang puwede kong suotin na hindi ako allergic. :) Sabado susunduin daw niya kami ni Deb. Pupunta kami sa Batangas. Naliligo na kami nang may dumating. Kapatid ni Teri at si Ma'am. May mahalaga raw kailangan si Ma'am kay Teri. Iniwanan siya ni Mister at kailangan niyang lumipat ng tirahan. Kumunot ang noo ko. Kunti lang. Turo ng aking mader na huwag akong kukunot. Madaling magpatanda. Nakita niya ang aing singsing. Kumunot din ang kilay niya. Di bale matanda na naman siya. Kinabukasan nagpaalam si Teri na aasikasuhin niya ang paglipat ni Maam tapos pupunta siya sa bahay. Di siya sumipot. Walang ni ha ni ho. Walang tawag. Lunes, wala si Ma'am. Wala rin si Teri. Isang Linggo. Ako ang taong hindi mahilig magdrama. Ayaw ko rin ako ay sinasaktan. Hindi na sila bumalik. Balita ko nagtuturo si Ma'am sa Batangas. Hindi rin nakipagkita si Teri sa akin mula noon. Sabi ng kapatid, sobra raw hiya. Hindi ko rin ibinalik ang singsing. Sayang. ;) The CA t

Say it with Fish

Dear Mouse, Today, is Friday the 13th. A special day for black cats that have to do list among others,running infront a human being suffering from Triskaidekaphobia.(fear for Friday the 13th). But I would not talk about it. I like to talk about the celebration and un-celebration of Valentine's Day. This is the day when the cost of flowers shoots astronomically. In the morning program of the newly-wed Julius and Tin tin, I saw that a bouquet of a dozen of red roses costs about 2,700 peysos. Wow. Sandali, my abacus is converting it to dollars. Almost 50 dollars. hmmmm. My former opit mate used to order a bouquet for herself and have it delivered during office hours. Tapos,nakangiti siyang magsasideglance sa mga beatified candidates for singleblessedness, complete with facial expression of surprise--- Oh flowers for me,I wonder who's my secret admirer. Hi hi hi. Gusto kong ihambalos yong plastic na rose sa aking vase. Kung hindi ko pa alam. One time kasi,she ordered the roses from our vendor flower company. Okay lang sa opit yon as long as you reimburse the company. The AP girl was tracking what department to charge for the expense when she saw her order on the 13th of february to be delivered on the 14th with the wording. To My Love - S . S as in Self. hehehe For the Manilenos , they are saying it with kisses. Not the choc candies but kisses to their spouses in public. Outrageous? No. Read about it here. Manila Mayor Lito Atienza and his wife will lead a Valentine's Day attempt by the Philippines to break the world record for the most number of couples simultaneously kissing in public. Atienza, 62, said he would close off a two-kilometer (1.6-mile) stretch of one of the city's busiest streets for "Lovapalooza", an attempt at midnight (1600 GMT) by at least 5,000 couples to kiss for 10 seconds while forming a single line. The old record was set by 4,500 couples in the Chilean capital Santiago last year, Atienza told reporters. While the US popular greeting cards company has a cute pair of kissing bears,the Chinese prefer the pair of kissing fish.Chinese lovers say it with fish. Young couples in China have now taken to exchanging tropical fish instead of giving each other roses on Valentine's Day. Kissing fish are the most popular Valentine's gifts with angel fish not far behind, reports the Xinhua news agency. Xu Jinlun, owner of the Jiangyin Flower and Bird Market in Shanghai, said: "Thanks to the holiday, sales are booming. We sell 30 pairs of kissing fish per day." Gong Jin, a customs official, who is contemplating buying a pair of the fish for his girlfriend, said: "They are so lovely and meaningful for that special day." And another customer, Bi Youmin, said: "Whenever my girlfriend sees the fish, she will think of me. (mukha kaya siyang siyang talakitok o sapsap..biwo wang)And it will probably last longer than a flower.(Hanggang siya ay magutom at ipaksiw niya ang isda." For those who were dumped before Valentine's day, here is your chance to get even. Choose from the ff: 1.blackheartsparty.com features "Insult Gifts," reviews restaurants as suitable sites for dumping someone and posts profane poetry. 2.www.meish.org/vd/, homemade anti-Valentine's Day cards depict Cupid as "Fat. Naked. Dangerous" or proclaim "I'm so LONELY." 3.www.despair.com), a cynics' novelty retailer of candies shaped like the ubiquitous chalky "I Love You" hearts. These candies are inscribed with slogans like "Do My Dishes" and "Pre-Nup Okay?" 4. (www.americangreetings.com)with a "Strike Back at Cupid" electronic card , including a game to shoot the cherub with his own arrows 5. Ebay- CD-ROMs that generate imaginary girlfriends and boyfriends are on auction at eBay. The online auctioneer last month banned real people from offering such services. Now let me see, I willl try to remember what I did with that geeky-Mensa member date of mine.Parang pinakulam ko. Buwang na iyon...may asawa pala. The CA t

Sweet grapes for Sassy

Dear Mouse, I have read several blogs about how people express their emotions specifically anger or extreme hatred. In the world of blogs, the word arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, ahhhhhhhh are often used to describe anger or disillusionment . When it is extreme hatred, the blogger cannot help but to mouth expletives in order to flush the black aura of the situation that is not acceptable to them. One of the defenses that is confused with sourgraping is the reaction where hatred is focused to a group or to some who are believed to have contributed to the unpleasant feelings. This is not sourgraping because according to the origin of the meaning of the phrase, the fox declared that the grapes were sour because it could not reach them. So when a lackluster personality like me say that I do not want to become a super star because I hate crowds, then I am sourgraping. But if I were a fallen super star and I put down all people who I believed to have caused my downfall, then I am expressing bitterness. I am for the expression of emotion. Good for the mental health. So if you chance to get by near my house and a whole sofa flies out of my open window, do not worry, I am just releasing my anger. I warn you, the weight and the size of the objects that go tumbling out of abode depend on the levels of anger I have to release. If the neighbors react by shouting or nagging me or even going to the extent of calling the police, do not worry, they are just reacting. This is precisely what this defense is all about. A reaction to solicit another reaction. A kind of anger projection to manipulate another person’s emotion resulting into forced apology, a feeling of guilt or simply a reaction that may incite word wars. So the safest reaction is no reaction at all. This is the most responsible way of handling resentment. When people recognize the reality that their right to change includes only to himself and not other people, then there will be respect to each others’ tenets and principles. So I salute you Sassy for non-reaction to an item written about bloggers who differ with someone's opinion. We may differ in our political leanings, ideologies and writing styles, but the truth remain the same, we are bloggers. ^.^ babaw ng conclusion ano? The CA t

When sour grapes are really sweet

Dear Mouse, I hate sour grapes. Maasim. I am not only referring to the small green or purple fruit but also to the phrase that is always misused to express resentment or bitterness. Sourgraping is a defense mechanism to diminish pain or guilt. In short it is rationalization or coming up with a logical reason for a failure. I have always dreamed to be a singer. I do not have to subject myself to the horror of joining contests to realize that I am not a star material. I am no numbskull not to know that the baby of my friend did not stop crying to appreciate my song. She knew that my vocal chords cannot even produce a nursery song that would lull baby to sleep. I cannot bear to see her face with that stunned look...with her hands folded on her breast..eyes wide open...discerning what kind of an animal was making that kind of discord. I have invested several hundreds of dollars to DVD karaoke, receiver, amplifier and all those machines that can make your croaking voice sound like Beyonce. My latest buy is the magic mike that rates your singing. Traidor na mike. It rates my friends higher than my 60 percent. I only found out lately that to score high, you must be able to sing loud and follow the highlighted words. You can even score 100 per cent by merely reciting the words. Dumb and damn machine I am blaming my family’s DNA for lacking the factor that should have catapulted me to fame like this girl. Rising star Lalaine, although only seventeen, looks to be well on her way to realizing every bit of that potential. Currently seen on the Disney Channel/ABC hit show Lizzy McGuire, Lalaine is quickly becoming a name to be remembered. She has been involved in the entertainment industry since the age of ten, and has found success on the stage, in front of the camera, and behind a microphone. Lalaine was raised both in the Philippines and in Burbank, Calif. As a child she spent time with her father in Manila, Cebu, and other spots in the Philippines. She’s still able to speak Tagalog and Bicol when the need arises. It’s when she returned to the States that performing bug that had been with her since the age of two began prodding her forward. With an older sister performing in Ms. Saigon, it seems that the urge might have been genetic. It was, in fact, her sister Cristina, that was her inspiration and biggest cheerleader. “My mom didn’t actually want me to take singing lessons,” she says. ‘My sister’s the one who persuaded her.” So it is not only genetic. She was at the right place at the right time. Am I sounding like I am sourgraping? But this guy who did not meet any of the four criteria of being a pop idol, good looks, good voice, good dancer and luck proved that sourgraping is not necessarily sour. UC's accidental pop star 'American Idol' reject is hot item on campus -- and far beyond Demian Bulwa, Chronicle Staff Writer Wednesday, February 11, 2004 ©2004 San Francisco Chronicle | Feedback | FAQ Rejection on TV's "American Idol" turned William Hung into a most unusual American celebrity. He's hot at UC Berkeley, where he studies engineering -- but he's scorching in Singapore, according to his unofficial publicist. "If he went there, women would rip his clothes off in the streets," said Don Chin, a real estate agent in McKinleyville (Humboldt County) who started the fan site www.williamhung.net after watching Hung get bounced off the show two weeks ago. The Berkeley junior has become as big as the gold backpack he hauls to his civil engineering classes. When he's not studying, the 21-year-old signs autographs, fields online love queries and grapples with whether he is a performer or a clown. Hung -- who is ambitious, sincere and achingly naive -- doesn't want to be a clown. He wants to be a pop star. "I see this as a learning experience of how to succeed if I was to become an American pop star someday," Hung, pausing to choose his words carefully, said over coffee this week in San Francisco's Japantown, where he was returning a rented CD. Hung said he knows he has a lot of work to do as a vocalist. His spirited, Chinese-accented rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" was aired Jan. 27 by producers who clearly coveted Hung's entertainment value -- not his pipes. Simon Cowell, the show's bad cop, interrupted Hung and told him, "You can't sing, you can't dance, so what do you want me to say?" "I already gave my best," the Hong Kong-born Hung responded, "and I have no regrets at all." America guffawed and gulped, taken with Hung's grace as much as his unique hip shimmies. Fans responded immediately: The man who is now known as the "Hong Kong Ricky Martin" received 150 e-mails that night. Chin's fan site has been visited nearly 8 million times, while an online petition to get Hung back on the show claimed 30,000 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, Hung said he has been invited to perform at events from a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game to the MTV Asia Awards in Singapore, and he has appeared on several television shows. "I hope I've shown everyone in the world that regardless of success or failure, just keep trying. Never give up," Hung said. "Because only then can you say to yourself that you tried your best and had no regrets." The CA t

Windows

Dear Mouse, I just had my hair cut. When I was still a student, my former Eco professor made fun of my hair when I failed to esssplain the meaning of some economic terms that were "french"to us.(it' s a code that we used to describe her whenever we cannot understand what she was saying. Talking French na naman siya sabi namin...ganon).Mahilig kasi siyang magsuot ng beret. Feeling niya nasa France siya. husme ang init naman sa Pinas. Pumunta lang siya sa France ng isang buwan, naging ngungo na siya at ang hello niya ay allo. Back to hair cut. I just had my hair cut that day. Pinawax ko pa at talagang pati ang insekto na magkamaling dumapo ay madudulas sa kintab. Tagal ko rin pinag-ipunan yon. Tapos, para akong model ng hair shampoo na pumasok sa klase with bouncing hair. Lahat napapalingon, ikanga--pati professor ko na mahilig sa recitation. Kaya tumbok ako. Tayo ang drama ko habang hinihintay ang tanong niya. Miss Cath, what has inflation to do with closing the rediscounting Window of Bank Sentral. Uh uh. Nabasa ko yon. Rewind, rewind. Pero kung saan page di ko maalala. I am not a person who is good in memorization but I have porno errrrm photographic memory---that is I try to remember things, I saw and read by association. Like windows, bintana...discounting...yong hinihingi ko sa binibilhan ko..tawad ....Kasi naman maganda ang palabas noong nakaraang gabi, kasi naman si ..so I was wallowing in guilt for not being able to study my lesson when the professor mockingly announced to the class---- It seems that we have a Samson in the class, When she had her cut, a part of the brain went with the cut hair too. Mas masakit pakinggan sa Tagalog...Siguro nasa dulo ng buhok mo ang iyong iq. Pinaputol mo, o ayan sumama. Justify, justify...galit lang siya sa akin dahil minsan pinagtaguan namin siya. Sinara namin ang ilaw at ang pinto as if walang tao sa loob. Tapos, hindi kami humihinga nang kumatok siya. Sa kapipigil ng hagikgik, muntik nang mapaihi ang isa sa aming kakalse.Lintek namang janitor yon. Binuking kami. hehehe. So when Poe made a covenant to the people (take note, not promise but covenant)..that he is going to use foreign aid to finance low interest credit windows for farmers and fishermen halos mawasak ang puso ko sa panghihinayang. Sana presidential candidate na siya noon para naeesplain niya sa akin yong Windows na yan. Si Sassy, Windows 98 and preferred niya. Sa akin naman Windows ME pero palaging nagfefreeze kahit summer. Naintindihan kaya ni Poe and windows ? Back to my professor, sagot ko, sorry Madam, I do not do windows....hikhikhik The CA t

Tsee

Dear Mouse, The because why we should vote for Poe. Raw. Sandali, aray, aray, di ko sinabing ako ‘noh. "We are for him because we always see him in movies. He is my idol," said hot dog vendor Alan Avila, wearing an FPJ sticker as he sang along to a song hailing the movie star as the great hope for a new dawn in the Philippines." Tsee Dolphy, a long-time friend of Poe considered the country's top comedian, called on Filipinos to vote for Poe because he was a man of integrity. He added: "This is the first time that we would have a such a handsome president. I am beginning to turn gay." Malaking tsee. Ang pangit niyang bakla. Outside the stadium, fans arrived by the busload, snarling traffic on Manila's Roxas Boulevard. Schoolgirls in uniforms lined the sidewalk waving small FPJ flags and screamed every time they caught a glimpse of their idol. Tsee. I did not know that his fans are young students. "kala ko ba mga lalaking-lalaki? Hakot, hakot, hakot. "Many ask us, why should we vote for FPJ. Our only answer to that is, when your brother is running in the elections, will you not vote for him, too?" De Leon said. Hindi. Not until he promises to make me a Cabinet member. Tsee. The CA t

Riot ng Palibhasa lalaki

Dear Mouse Isn’t it sweet. The entertainment people are going to stage a riot in case and if…according to Richard Gomez. Richard Gomez who? Isn’t he the movie star who lost in the last election and made the threat that he was going to pursue his protest “‘till the end of time”. Let me blurt out... Are these people a bunch of thugs dressed in expensive overpromoted shirts with egos as big as their mouths. The crumbs of Mac Donald must have been lodged in the brain cresses of Richard Gomez when he was still a server in this multinational fastfood. I like to theorize that the wealth courtesy of his adoring fans and some rumored rich patrons did not do any good in his iq and eq departments. I should have believed my sister when she told me how arrogant this movie star was when she met him at UP taking a non-credit seminar type short term course. Gusto lang masabing may pinag-aralan siya sa UP. I wonder how they are going to stage a riot? Camera trick ba o tatakbo sila sa street with shaved heads and armed with bolos? Talaga naman. Kabagan ka sana. Actors warn of riots if FPJ disqualified Posted:10:38 PM (Manila Time) | Feb. 08, 2004 By Marinel C. Cruz Inquirer News Service MALACAÑANG is employing crude tactics in discrediting presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. and might drive his supporters into staging civil actions. This is how movie director Carlito Siguion-Reyna described the present scenario in connection with moves to prevent Poe from running for the presidency, including a petition filed against the action star questioning his citizenship. Siguion-Reyna is a member of "Artista para kay FPJ," which is composed of actors, directors, stunt men, crew members, cameramen, legmen, and other members of the entertainment industry, supporting the candidacy of Poe, who is popularly known as FPJ. The director said it is possible that the Supreme Court would rule in favor of lawyer Andresito Fornier, who alleged that Poe is not a natural-born Filipino and is ineligible to run for President. "If that happens, the people would riot," said actor Richard Gomez, chairman of "Artista para kay FPJ. "It is possible that FPJ supporters would go out to the streets again. We don't want to create chaos." Since Poe is an illegitimate son, his citizenship, based on past court decisions, should be American, Fornier had said. The lawyer had also argued that Poe's father was a Spanish citizen since Poe's grandparents were Spaniards. "People might protest. The government would not want to deal with civil action like that. It's dangerous. We don't want trouble," warned Gomez. But actor Eddie Garcia is confident that Poe would not allow his supporters to resort to violence. "There will be no one going out to the streets. FPJ won't allow that," he stressed. "The Comelec has already decided in favor of FPJ. I'm sure the Supreme Court would look at (the issue) in the same light." Tinamaan kayo ng kulog. The CA t

Filipino channel and Madam Auring

Dear mouse, I have my Filipino Channel. At last. Again. I had a Filipino channel three years ago but I had it disconnected after that Velarde trial of the century. Three attempts and a bp of 180 it was installed back and now I am pissing off myself watching talk shows, old movies and quiz shows. Call me a masochist. I have been ordering, cancelling, ordering nd cancelling this channel for the last few months due to super inefficiency of the cable company. Must be because they do not have competition in the area. Hey, I would prefer a Filipino technician sent to me than a heavily accented arrogant European who cannot give me a clear instruction on how to browse over the channels using the new remote because he cannot understand the instruction himself. Ang Filipino, friendly , may pagka tsismoso lang. May asawa ka ba ? Kailan ka pa dito ? Okay lang. Tsismosa rin ako. Ikaw ilan ang girl friend mo ermm anak pala? If it were not because of my friend from New Jersey who regularly updates me with what she watches about politics back home, (nang-iinggit) I could have cancelled again the service order when a technie failed to show up at the appointed time. I called the cable company and I was informed that the installation had been successfully done. WHAAAAAAAAAAT ?Was he sure? If I can prove them that it is not so, will they give me a one year free subscription ? In this time of efficient modern communications technology--- when you can reach field people by merely calling them in the walkie talkie or company-paid cell phone, it took them damn twenty minutes to verify if the technician really did his job. The installation hardly took five minutes. Sinungaling na Ruso. Anong akala niya sa Pinoy,hindi marunong tumawag at magreklamo ? Back to regular programming, I watched Kontrobersiyal. It was actually a political endorsement of the candidacy of movie actress Pilar Pilapil in the thin disguise of a biography of an actress who found her religious calling when she married a pastor and her candidacy for Senator had been confirmed to her by Someone UP there in one of their prayer meetings. *sigh * She did not name the politician who fathered her love child out of respect for grieving family but the daughter mentioned her full name including the last name of the politician. Haay buhay. To avoid the controversy of being accused of early politicking, the program’s producers also tackled another controversial personality, Madam Auring and her marriage to a young man all of 23 years old. I am not shock. Joan Collins, a seventyish novelist married a man half of her age. Others who had BOYS in their lives were Liza Minelli, Cher, Elizabeth Taylor,carol Burnett. Tina Turner and now Demi Moore. What I was shock about is her face. She is becoming more like Michael Jackson's mother. She even sports bangs that may hide her cosmetic surgery stiches but not her age . Damn those bangs. Got to get rid of my bangs too. The CA t

Kuwentong kuwento

Dear Mouse, Nabasa ko yong comment ng isang blogger nawala raw kakuwenta-kuwenta ang mga karamihang blogs. Reaksyon ko? Humph. Eto pa ang walang kakuwenta kuwenta. Kabagan ka sana. Mahirap ang maging boss at maging tagasunod. Ang boss ay may responsibilidad sa mga bagay-bagay na kung ay may personalidad na worrier, madaling puputi ang buhok o kaya mamatay sa alta presyon. Pag tagasunod ka lang, kawawa ka naman sa boss lalo kung ang boss ay palaging may sumpong o kaya lalaking under (may teoriya kasi na ang ander de saya daw ay mahilig magpamacho sa opit)o pag babae naman ang boss mo, ilang araw sa isang buwan ay mayroon iton sumpong. Mahirap din ang maging pusa. Elbo wrote: Bullying a subordinate I was in a bad mood last week after a heated argument with my boss that I consequently bawled out a subordinate in front of his colleagues. I felt bad after that. Really, it was an unfounded and unjustified outburst on my part. I thought it was uncalled for. How could I prevent such thing from happening again? -- Silver Nipper, Makati City The only way to get the best out of an argument is to avoid it. Admittedly, it's not easy as it appears. Sometimes, we get to feel that it's one of those lucid intervals that we get to experience from time to time, particularly when we can't help but to "bite the cat," so to speak. "Bite the cat" goes like this: A mean husband yells at his wife, who, in turn, yells at the oldest child, who slaps the youngest child, who kicks the dog, who then goes and bites the poor cat. Kita ninyo, di mahirap ang pusa. Isa sa mga naging boss ko ay yong propesor na may consultancy, mayroong negosyo pero nagpipilit sa academe. Sabi niya sa akin ang isang titulo na magkakaroon ka lang ng respeto ay ang propesor, hindi ang pagiging manager, CEO o director. Ang isang titulo na panghabang buhay mong magamit sa pangalan ay ang DEAN. Yong talagang naging Dean ng isang academic unit sa isang unibersidad at hindi pangalang ibininyag lamang. Per diem ako sa kaniya dahil per project lang ako, pero kung tratuhin niya ako ay para bang Assistant ba ninyo ako? Madalas kong papel sa kaniya ay SUBSTITUTE. Alam niyang retainer lang ako sa mga nabola kong mga kliyente. Padalaw-dalaw, paaudit-audit.Ayaw ko ng 9-5. Pag mayroon siyang travel o commitment sa labas ng bansa, ako ang kaniyang hahanapin para gampanan ang papel niya. Isa sa mga papel na iyon ay hawakan ang kaniyang teaching commitment sa ibang unibersidad. May kalakaran ang Department of Education na ang mga faculty dapat ay may mga masteral. Sa accreditation ng mga unibersidad, isa sa mga tinitingnan ang backround ng faculty line up. Mas impressive ang line-up ng faculty, mas madaling aprubahan ang mga curricular offerings o application nito mula college to university. Sa taong iyon, ay may ebalwasyon ang kolehiyong yaon na eklusibo sa mga kababaihan lamang. Kailangan ang kaniyang pangalan na may doctorate. Ilang Linggo pa lang nagbukas ang klase, kailangan na niyang lumipad sa Estet para sa isang kumperensiya at sa Korea para sa isang speaking engagement. Sabi niya, hawakan ko ang klase, huwag raw akong tatanggi dahil susumpain niya ko.Ibinigay sa akin ang syllabus, classcards at ang mga assignment. Marketing subject. Sabi ko sir naman, hindi ako namamalengke, binibili ko lang kay aling Gare ang aking dinner. Pero talagang bilib siya sa akin, di lang siguro mahina ang pandinig niya, malabo din ang kaniyng mata. O kaya mabisa ang pagkanaw ko ng kaniyang kape ng aking daliri kung wala kong makitang kutsara. Kaya mo yan sabi niyang nakangiti kung ngiti nga yon. Okedoke. Unang araw, walang mga istudyante sa loob ng klase. May sisilip, aalis, sisilip, aalis. Hinahanap yata yong Boss ko na hindi marunong ngumiti. Dalawampung minuto na ang nakaraan, wala pa ring estudyante. Kung may daga lang doon nasipa ko na.(Siyempre ako ang pusa di daga naman ang pagdidiskitahan ko). Treinta minutos, wala pa rin. Minarkahan ko ng absent lahat, pagkatapos pumunta ako sa opisina ng assistant dean. Oy lalaki. Bata pa at guwapo pero mayroon na yatang girl friend Mayroong nakaupo sa opisina na tila ba sinasabing kwedaw kayo, akin siya. . Sinabi ko ang problema. Sabi niya nakita raw niya na nasa campus ang mga istudyante .(ang mga bruha, nagtatawanan). Sabi ko , next meeting, pag wala sila sa klase ko. Absent ulit sila at the third time na wala pa sila. Drop sila lahat sa klase, hindi sila gagaraduate. Hmph. Substitute lang ako niyan. Ikalawang meeting, di sila umakyat sa classroom, lahat sila nasa labas ng opit ng assistant dean. May demonstrasyon yata. Minarkahan ko ng absent lahat at saka pumunta ako sa faculty room. Yong mga matatandang mga propesor ay nakatingin sa kin. May mga sipsip na istuyent na nagsumbong na. Siyempre ako ang kontrabida. May isang lalaking Law professor na lumapit sa akin. Kinukwestiyon kung bakit yong peborit istudyent niya ay minarkahan ko ng absent eh nasa klase naman daw siya at ako ang wala. In fact nasa klase niya at perfect ang attendance. Ow. Anong oras? 7:30. Ow, klase niya sa akin alas otso. Paano nangyari yon. Overlap ang kaniyang sked. Paano niya nagagawang mag-attend ng dalawang klase ? Namutla si Propesor. Ahaaaa. Ikatlong meeting ay nasa loob na sila ng klase.Ang hahaba ng nguso. Puwedeng lagyan ng sabitan ng kiluhan ng baboy. Okay, simula ang lecture, dakdak, tanong, dakdak, tanong. Walang reaksiyon.. Kung hindi nagtsitsimisan, naghahagikhikan, nag-aayos ng kilay ay nakatanaw sa kawalan. Spoiled brats. Sabi ng aking kaibigan, anak-mayaman daw ang mga iyon na ang pag-aaral ay para lang pagbigyan ang mga magulang na madalas ay wala sa bansa o kaya ay abala si Mama sa mga amiga. Hindi ko mabitiwan, wala si boss. Minsan naman sila ang pinagreport ko, susme, parang mga parrot na minemorize ang chapter ng libro. Parang ang iq nila ay naiwan pa sa kanilang mga higaan. Pinatawag ako ng Madre. May schedule daw ang kalse ko na magsisit-in ang mga ebalwaytors. Baka ten minutes o kaya buong duration ng kalse. Ngeeee, yong klaseng yon ang ipapakita nila sa mga ebalwaytors? OO daw kasi ang inexpect nila si boss ang hahawak ng klase. Substitute nga lang ako. Kailangan bang pinagdiinan nila ang obvious. Kakatayin ko si bossing. Next meeting. Wala akong dalang libro. Mabigat kasi si Kotler. Hindi ko chineck ang attendance. Bandang huli yon. May mga masasamang gawi itong mga bruha na magpapacheck lang ng attendance pagkatapos ay mag-iiwan lang papel o kaya ay libro sa upuan at eeskapo oras na makatalikod ka. Alang hiya, sana nalaman ko noong istudyent ako, di nagawa ko rin sana doon sa Natural Science subject ko. Walang recitation. Nagbigay ako ng mga papel. Okay, magkakaroon sila ng project. Think of a product. Gagawin o ipoprodyus nila ang product na maibebenta rin nila. Kailangan ko ang marketing plan. By group. Tuwing meeting, wala kaming lecture, mayroong brainstorming. Yon bang babagyuhin ko ang utak nila sa productong gagawin nila Marami naman silang pera. Gastusin. Pero ayaw ko ng ipapagawa. Sila mismo ang gagawa. Marketing Ps, Product, Promotion, Price, Place . Ipepresent ang marketing plan pagdalaw ng mga ebalweytors. Abaaa, tahimk ang mga bruha sa kani-kanilang sulok, pero sila ay may ginagawa. Sikretuhan sila para walang agawan ng ideya. Bisperas ng presentasyon at ebalwasyon. Naisip ko ang sinabi ng aking gurong ina. Pag may mga bossing/observers daw sa klase nila, nirerehearse nila ang mga bata. Kanan ang taas ng kamay pag alam ang sagot. Kaliwa pag hindi sigurado. Hehehe. Hindi nila kailangan ang magsuot ng boring nilang uniporme. Mga executives sila kuno. Nakamyek-up sila at nakapamburol. Yong iba nagpa hairstyle pa. Okay. Dumating ang mga ebalweytors. Unang producto. Oversized tote bag na yari sa telang makukulay at may mga logo. Galing. Binigyan pa nila ng sample ang mga ebalweytors. Sipsip. Nakangisi ang mga ebalweytors. Sunod ay lotion na nakalagay sa plastic na bote na nakalagay sa isang pouch. Isa pala sa mga istudyent ay anak ng may-ari ng isang chemical importing firm, kasama dito ang mga essence. Kahit pinatimpla nila sa chemist ang formula, sila ang ang idea ng pangalan at ng packaging. Malaking gastos pero sabi nila pero itutuloy nila ang prdukto paggraduate nila. Tuwa din ang daddy niya, business minded din daw pala ang anak niya. Akala niya hanggang hingi lang ng pera. May mga producktong target mga istudyent. Nai-oofer na raw nila sa isang malaking bookstore. Puwede na silang magdisplay on consignment. Pimalakpakan sila ng assistant dean. Pinatawag sila ng madre. Siguradong gagraduate sila. Dumating si boss. Unang bati. Buhay ka. Paano ka nagsusurvive sa mga spoiled brats na iyon. Hehehe. Binigyan ko siya ng tote bag at lotion. Sabi niyagusto raw noong madre, magturo ako next semester, regular na at hindi substitute. Thank you na lang sir. Ayaw kong pumuti ang buhok ko. The CA t

Ano raw?

Dear Mouse, Kahit na tawagin niya akong pangit, hindi ako sasang-ayon sa sinulat ng nasa ibaba. (sorry wala akong link). Fil-Ams Propose Stopgap Solutions to Exodus of Philippine Doctors By Dionesio C. Grava It has been a festering wound, a steady nibbling of the innards of our nation, which, even if the government were to gather the moral courage to do so, would be unable to plug. The people are supposedly a country's priceless legacy and in a family-centered culture like ours, departing from the comforts of home and familiarity is a prospect countrymen normally abhor. Ang nakakatawa dito mga Filams pa ang magpapahinto at sasabihin na ang mga tao ay mahalagang legasiya. Bakit sila nandito sa ' Merika?. Imbes na pahintuin nila ang paglipad ng mga doctor at mga narses ay dapat isuggest nila ang pag-saayos ng mga pag-iibang bansa katulad ng ginagawa ng pamahalaan ng China, Brazil, India at Mexico. Matagal nang sinasabi nilang mawawalan tayo ng doctor, ng narses, mga teachers pero halos tuwing gradwasyon ay libo- libo ang mga bagong mukha na pumapalit. Maraming nagsasabing wala tayong doctor sa baryo pero husme naman sino naman ang gumastos ng daan daang libo para lang lamukin sa bundok at sa baryo. Aminin natin na practical na ang mga tao ngayon. Patay na si Rizal at ibang mga bayani. Ang mga bayani ngayon ay nagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa at nagpapadala ng pera para makapag-aral ang kanilang miyembo ng pamilya. Kahit na tawagin pa akong bobo, di rin ako mapapaniwala dito. Time to go?By Cathy Rose A. Garcia, Senior Reporter Frustration over economic and political uncertainties gives no choice but to pack up and leave for a better life. May katotohanan man ito pero ang pag-alis ay hindi dahil lang doon. Kahit na ba anong hirap ng buhay sa Pilipinas kung wala namang oportunidad, hindi rin sila makakaalis. Kailangan ng mga trabahador sa Japan dahil halos ang mamamayan nila ay matatanda na. May mga bata man ay hindi na katulad ng kanilang mga ninunong magtatrabaho ng kahit ano. Kailangan ang mga nars sa Estados Unidos dahil sa noong panahon na maganda pa ang ekonomiya nito ay walang gustong mag-aral mga Merkano sa kolehiyo. Tama na sa kanila ang high school at vocational o associate in arts degree. O e ano ngayon kung ang doctor ay mag-aral ng narsing para makarating sa Estados Unidos. Marami talagang hindi practical. Sasabihin nakakahiya. Ano ang nakakahiya sa pagtutulong sa maysakit ano man ang titulo mo.Masuwerte nga ang ospital na mayroong nars at doctor pa, mas magaling. Marami ring di nakakaalam na kung kumuha ng masteral ang nurse dito ay magiging nursing practitioner na. Tila ito doctor na makukunsultahan sa sakit. At kahit na anong sabihin pa nila sa mga remittances na padala ng Pilipino, naniniwala ako sa sinabi ni Dilip Ratha. Economic effects of remittances Remittances augment the recipient individuals’ incomes and increase the recipient country’s foreign exchange reserves. If remittances are invested, they contribute to output growth, and if they are consumed, then also they generate positive multiplier effects. May nabasa din ako na may isang seminaryo(Tagalog sa seminar di ba?) sa isang hotel sa Makati na nagtuturo sa mga gustong magtayo ng negosyo sa mga maliliit ang puhunan namga OCW. Iyong ang hindi ako aprubado dahil sigurado ako hindi ito maappreciate ng mga kamag-anak ng OCW na may balak magtayo ng negosyo. Mayroon akong kuwento diyan. O Efren, huwag nang malikot. Propesor ko siya. Nang una kaming magkita ay ininterview niya ako para magturo. Kapapasa ko lang nang isang licensure exam para payagan akong magbilang ng munggo. Sabi kasi sa akin puwede raw akong magturo dahil equivalent daw yon Masteral. Hindi ako natanggap kasi mahina raw ang boses ko. Hindi raw aggressive ang personality ko. Baka raw gawing playground lang ng mga istudyante ang classroom dahil baka mas matatangkad pa sila sa akin at mukhang matatanda. Baby-face daw ako. Baby ng urangutan.hehehe May kasabay akong nag-apply. Marketing siya at talagang namamalengke siya dahil ander-de saya(yon ang tsismis nang kami ay matagal ng magkakilala). Pinagtulungan nila akong dalawang alaskahin. Sabi ni Marketing, ipasok daw ako sa MBA program para raw maimprove ko ang aking personalidad. Maliit nga ako pero wala naman akong taghiyawat. Beeh. Sabi ni propesor, paiiyakin lang daw ako sa klase, lalo’t mga executives ang mga nakaenroll. Kahit saling pusa hindi raw ako pwede. Makulit si Marketing. Sabi niya, mabuti raw yon para mayroon silang manikang paglalaruan. Kung hindi ko alam na pabling siya. Paimpress. Hanep talaga ang pagkamarketing niya. Pati akong hindi puwedeng bilhin sa palengke, naibenta niya doon sa propesor at namamahala rin ng graduate program. Presentasyon ng una kong kaso. Nakangisi na ang mga walang hiya. Nakabantay na sa aking sasabihin. Bise presidente ng isang pharmaceutical company ang aming propesor. Ang mga pasaring niya ay thank you for your kindergarten analysis and now the panel may start the water torture. (pagpapawisan kasi hindi sa hirap ng mga tanong, kung hindi sa mga walang kakuwenta kuwentang tanong, makapagtanong lang). Pag ninerbiyos ako, malakas pala ang boses ko.Mas malakas abot hanggang Mt. Banahaw pag inis. Sabi ni Marketing, hindi raw pala ko pusa kung hindi tigre. Elementary analysis daw ang presentasyon ko, sabi ng Bise-presidente-propesor. At least elementary, si Marketing, nursery. Hehehe. Biglang sumilip si unang propesor. Narining niya ang pagtatalo. Malakas daw pala ang boses. Parang dumadagundong. Hindi na kailangan ang microphone. Hindi rin niya ako kinuhang magturo. Pero kinuha niya akong maglecture sa mga seminaryo. Hindi ito para sa mga businessmen. Hindi ako magiging kapapaniwala. Sasabihin nila isang sipunin, magtuturo sa kanila. Haaah malaking insulto. Ang aking propesor.. na iyon ay kunektado sa isang foundation na namamahala ng mga grant sa mga mahihirap. OO, Virgina, may mga tao sa Pilipinas na hindi lang ngawa ng ngawa sa harap ng kamera at sulat ng sulat sa pahayagan para insultuhin ang mga kababayan nilang kalaban nila sa pulitika. Maraming taong nagtarabaho para matulungan ang mga mahihirap sa malalayong porbinsiya para makaahon sa kahirapan. Para sila ay mabigyan ng mga pautang, kailangan nila ang isang maliit na negosyo na ang foundation ang magbibigay ng kapital. Hindi kinakailangang malaki at sopistikada, yong abot ng kanilang nalalaman at malaki ang tsansa para lumago. Para siguradong inilalagay sa dapat pagkalagyanan ang pera, gumagastos pa rin ang mga foundation na ito para sila ay maturuan ng pagpili ng negosyo, pagtayo, pamamahala ng pananalapi at ang pagbigyan ng ebalwasyon kung ano ang nangyari sa negosyo, kung kumita ba ito o hindi. Unang araw ng 5-araw na seminaryo. Yabang ko, dala-dala ko ang mga lecture modules ko tungkol sa feasibility, viability, profitability, payback, discounted cash flow, roi, IRR. Ang gara rin ng suot kong business suit. Libo ang bili ko sa Rustan. Muntik na akong matapilok sa taas ng takong ng aking sapatos. Hindi hotel ang venue kaya walang carpet. Muntik na rin akong tapilukin ng isa ko pang propesor na taga Bangko Sentral. Isa rin siyang spoker. Sabi niya, bata, saang children party ka pupunta ? Kung hindi lang siya guwapo, sana ay inirapan ko na siya. Ngumisi siya ng ngising nakakainis. Peborit kita bata, makipagkita ka sa akin pagkatapos ng aking lecture para mabigyan kita ng mga tip kahit hindi ka waitress. Hahaha. Tapos na ang unang spoker. Nagising na ang "odyens". Ingles ang kaniyang "spits." Magaling. Dala pa niya ang accent niyang galing sa Estet. Sunod ang taga Bangko Sentral. Hindi niya ginamit ang podium. Naupo lang siya sa gilid ng elevated platform. Nakamaong siya at walang medias. Akala ko bibira ng Ingles na Good morning pero hindi. Sabi niya Gising mga KABARANGAY. Huwag ninyo akong tutulugan dahil pag ginawa ninyo sa akin yan, papasok ako sa inyong panaginip. Para akong si Kruger (Nightmare at Elm Street) na kayo ay hahabulin kahit saan kayo magsuot. AT pag sinabi kong tumpak ba. Sasagot kayo ng malakas ng OO o hindi. Pag oo ang sagot, lakasan. Pag hindi kayo sang-ayon, mahina lang at huwag ipaparinig sa mga magbabayad sa amin sa pagdayo naming dito sa malayong sulok ng Pilipinas. Yong sisigaw ng hindi, makipagkita sa akin pagkatapos ng aking "spits". Mag-paalam na kayo sainyong mahal sa buhay. Halakhakan. Lintek, gising ang 'odyens" hanggang makatapos siya. Simple lang ang kaniyang lecture. Naintidihan ng mga taong walang muwang sa negosyo. Nakipagkita nga ako sa kaniya. Bata pa siya. Nasa liyebo 30 lang pero libot na sa maraming sulok ng Pilipinas at daigdig. Kaya lang may-asawa na. Uminom kami ng buko. Tinanong niya ako kung may casual akong damit kagaya ng pantalon ng khaki, maong o kaya ay simpleng itim na pantalon. Itapon ko raw ang business suit. Mukha kang trying hard sabi niya . Aray. Simpleng tao ang mga ito. Pakikinggan ka nila kung ang tingin nila saiyo ay naiintidihan mo sila. Patuloy niya. Wala yong snobbish image. At huwag kang gagamit ng mga technical terms. Hindi nila maiintindihan. Mag-isip ka ng salitang maiintidihan nila. Kagaya ng Bottomline o profit, sabihin mo tubo. Hindi ka author ng libro na gumagamit ng mga salitang banyaga at magandang pakinggan para lang masabing magaling author. Hindi ka rin kolumnista na ang gagaling magsulat sa salitang banyaga pero nagtataaka bakit hindi sila pinapakinggan ng masa. Kasi hindi sila talaga naiintindihan. Kung ano togtog, yon ang iyong sayawan. Sige, sulong, magpahinga ka at marami kang gagawin diyan sa mga dala mo. Hindi tayo nandito para mag-impress kung hindi magturo ng ating nalalaman na hindi nila alam at malaman din ang hindi natin alam. Hindi tayo nagpunta rito para palakpakan kung hindi kulitin. Kagaya ng turo sa akin. Nagsuot lang ako ng maong at kamisetang makapal. Nakaupo na ang odyens. Binigyan ko ang bawa’t grupo ng papel para isulat ang negosyong gusto nilang pasukan tapos ibigay sa akin kung ano ang napagkasunduhan nila. Natapos ang iba. "Psst, ineng ito ang papel." Tinawag akong ineng. Darating na ba ang spoker? Aray, napagkamalan akong ewan ko kung ano. Papatayin ko yong taga Bangko Sentral. Pakana niya ito. Lumabas ako sandali. Tapos pumasok ako ulit. Sabi ko darating na ang spoker pero ako muna ang mag-aasikaso sa kanila. Sinimulan ko ang babuyan. Ilang baboy ba ang maalagaan nila. Magkano ang biik. (Production cost), magkano ang mauubos na feeds hanggang maipagbili(production cost)gamot?. At iba-iba pang magagastos pagpapalaki ng isang biik. Magkano ang maipagbibili (sales) pagkatapos ng ilang buwan. Ilan kaya ang mabubuhay at ilang ang mamamatay ? Magkano ang magagastos para magtayo ng bahay ng baboy.blah blah. Ilang buwan ba o taon mababawi ang puhunan. (payback)Kwuenta, kuwenta…tuwang tuwa sila. Dalawampung taon. Tinanong ko kung ilang taon na sila. Limampu. Sitenta sila bago mabawi ang puhunan ? Magtinda na lang kaya kami ng taho. Kuwenta ulit. Dalawapung buwan. Tuwang tuwa sila.Kikita sila ng mga mahigit 20 porsiyento sa kanilang ilalagay ba pera.(ROI) Okay na kaysa naman magpafive-six.Okay tuloy ang proyekto. Sunod ay ang pagbili ng bankang may motor para mangisda. Limang libo raw ang kataasang makukuha nila sa huli sa isang gabi at araw. Labas na rito ang mga libreng isda sa pamilya at ang mga di kalakihang isdang mahuhuli. Kailangan ng capital (capital investment) para sa bangka at motor at gasolina. Natapos naming ang dapat gawin. Tinanong nila kung hindi na darating ang spoker. Sana raw hindi na. Okay naman daw ako. Biruan at tawanan. Ang nakakatulog nilalagyan ng uling sa mukha. Ineng pa rin ang tawag sa akin. Kinunsensiya ako sa kasinungalingan ko. Hindi ako magiging presidente, dahil hindi ako honest.Nagpaaalaman. Babalik ako para makita kung ano ang kinahinatnan ng mga proyekto.... Nakamaong ulit ako. The CA t

Alan who ?

Dear Mouse, For some people who think that bar graphs are silhouettes of a metropolitan city’s skyline and pie charts are slices of pizzas minus the toppings, they will never understand that the highs and lows of currency and stocks can be affected by a mere smile or by simply a nod of some personalities that are believed to have an impact on the economy of a nation, struggling or otherwise. Alan Greenspan can drive the stocks bounce up and down by announcing a change in the interest rate, a rose-colored view about the economy and a protectionist trade policy accommodation. Like stocks and future commodities, currency is being traded in the market. Yes, economic principle of law of demand and supply is very well applicable to the valuation of the currency, so is EQ (emotional quotient). When the businessmen panic, their dollar accounts are safely transferred to offshore banks leaving the nation's banking system wanting from dollars to make the balance of payments balanced. Dollars will not be available for some groups of businessmen who need imported materials for their operations. To get these precious dollars, more pesos will be needed for the currency trading. Either the Central Bank intervene or let the market forces determine the foreign exchange value of the pesos. Let us also admit the fact that our lives are forever at the mercy of the business community being economic animals that we are. Poe is no Greenspan but he can make the pesos cascade to the bottom with his moronic responses to the questions asked in order to get a picture of latform of government. To give the reason of honesty as a sole qualification to become the President of the 80 million Filipinos is not only simplistic but idiotic as well. Honesty does not equate to being incorruptible. He may be honest in admitting he has fathered a child but this does not translate to any economic gain in terms of growth. Will he be honest enough to tell the public what happened to his FPJ, D’Lanor and Rosas Productions? They are inactive and have not produced any movies. Rental of movie equipment does not require sound business strategy except for the independent movie producers who do not have to buy movie equipment for one production. Will he be honest enough to admit why he has hawi boys? Even with the economic team, the President should understand a basic economic principle. When he responded work, work to solve the economic problem, what work is he talking about ? Is he going to work and if he will,what kind of work will he do. Attend meetings which agenda, he has no clue what it is all about ? A leader is a thinker not a worker. He thinks and makes people and ideas work. This Alan is definitely a greenhorn but not a Greenspan in the making. The CA t

911

Dear Mouse, I would like to give my share of recognizing a heroic act of one brave lady by presenting her story here. Jt, that was a very brave and noble thing to do. I sincerely salute you for a job well done. It's not only in war that we get our medals. Our everyday life is a constant war for survival, and helping another human being to survive deserves a medal.- LMYE You are the modern day Good Samaritan, that's what it was Jay. While there are more of you out there, you are definitely one. -W Bless you, Jay. No, what you did may not be called heroic by some.. but in fact should be a thing that ANYONE would do under the circumstances. Sadly, you know the contrary to be true. I'm so thankful for the "Jay's" of this world... and hope that if called upon that I would stand up to that name as well. What a wonderful gift you gave...... a chance, and then... life. - And in giving that gift you have received one in return. Scared or not, you gave proof of your own inner strength and will. I'm proud to know you- jude These are accolades to a young lady who definitely does not share my Legolas character. If I were in her shoes, I could have screamed for help and that¡¦s it. Shame on me but I will not be able to get rid of the Greanleaf character in my persona. This is her story. How do I begin to tell this one? First of all, the whole thing feels surreal to me. I was on my way to work on wednesday the 28th of January. I stopped at the store to get my morning Starbucks...and yes I am an unrepentant American consumer/capitalist! It was about 8:30 am. As I opened my door I saw what appeared to be a middle aged unkempt man lying a few feet off to my left. He was moving somewhat, more like twitching than moving and I suddenly realized he had fallen over a planting curb, and hit his head on a parking bumper. I called out to him..."SIR?! SIR?!" while I put my coffee down. As I approached I saw his lips and his tongue(it was protruding and swollen) were an awful shade of blue. Now I am in a grocery store parking lot in a large city with a Starbucks and several other stores in the same plaza...there are several people coming and going...I yelled at a passerby to get help and called 911 on my cell...time does that very weird stretched out slowed down thing it always does in emergencies and I have time to observe about 50 separate things while I am shouting into my phone. People pause when you yell for help, but are not easily moved to help quickly.Their own fear response or sense of incompetence confuses them and they hesitate. Some people just don't give a crap if the person needing help appears to be unkempt or indigent or older. Some people like to watch things unfold from a safe distance wavering between helping and appearing to help while they actually do nothing. 911 dispatchers are amazingly calm and helpful people while being shouted at by distraught callers "Stay on the line please" is a very stupid thing to say to someone who is watching another person slowly stop breathing or even struggling to breathe. CPR training is one of those things you don't ever REALLY believe you will use. 5 minutes is a very LOOOOOOONG time. Grocery store managers who dawdle while retrieving a protective breathing device should be shot. Of course the reason these men and women ARE grocery store managers is because their resentful/supercillious nature renders them unfit for anything resembling real success or decent human interaction. Giving mouth to mouth resuscitation is actually quite GROSS! Overcoming the physical reaction to having a perfect strangers' saliva in and on my mouth is one of those bizarre..."I wish they'd told me about this" moments. I felt a deep stab of shame at my revulsion and had to reprimand myself severely to continue breathing for this man while I waited for the aid cars and the dstore manager to retrieve a breathing barrier from their industrial first aid kit in the store. I tend to take over in emergencies...I am directing other people while doing chest compressions...and squeezing while trying to get an effective airway open so I can blow more air past fluids and tongue... The woman who stopped to help was not strong enough to do proper compressions...and would not breathe for this man without a barrier...she kept telling me to wait...don't do it without a barrier...I remember saying that this man doesnt have the time to wait. And then breathing for him while my insides jumped and my head said things like "Eeeeewwww...oh god breathe breathe....please breathe..." So I yelled to one of the store employeees who had come out to go get their breather from their first aid kit ...they RAN....but I swear I wanted to take the life of the manager who WALKED it out... Those breathing barriers are WAY better for moving air than mouth to mouth!!! Not only do you NOT squeeze about the body fluids but you DONT struggle to get an air tight seal so when you DO breathe it goes IN their lungs instead of out around your cheeks. Never hesitate to rip open a shirt when performing CPR. Never worry about how someones pants ended up around their knees when they cant breathe. It is far worse to be dead than embarrassed by ones arse hanging out. The woman who donated her coat to cover this mans privates was truly helpful in preserving his dignity and trying to keep him warm. If someone can't breathe...they really do turn blue...and it is amazing how few breathes it takes to make that color go away. Pinkish lips and tongue are FAR -FAR more comforting colors on human faces than blue... The sound of sirens coming nearer does NOT mean its ok to quit helping or LEAVE!! Adrenaline keeps the scream of sirens less than 10 feet away from deafening you. Adrenaline also makes it very hard to stand up without leaning on something for a bit after help arrives. Having a van to lean on is a good thing, it gets you out of the way of the paramedics and it holds you up when you're shaking. Going to work after a start to the day like this is very unproductive. Getting a call from the medics several hours later to tell you the man is still alive is a relief. There is no such FEELING as heroic...there is the feeling of SHOCK to witness the face of death.. and what you can do to stop it. I was SCARED. JT The CA t