Life's a journey...and these are my postcards

School shooting in Rio

2011-04-07T23:07:00.001-07:00

WTF?!?!

Just read an article on the BBC about how another school shooting has taken place. This time in Rio de Janeiro.

What the hell is wrong with people nowadays??? What the hell is shooting innocent children going to do??? Help them get noticed?

They'll get noticed alright...for all the wrong reasons.

If they think society at large wronged them or if they think they were divinely screwed and they want to strike back, why don't they just invite television crews over someplace where they can shoot themselves on TV. That would make a statement to society. Without injuring others. Without hurting innocent children.

May all of those heartless demons who prey on innocent children burn in hell.

This particular Brazilian madman left a letter that said "nothing impure should touch my blood..."

Too late, @$$wipe, your blood itself is tainted. Why worry about what will touch it now?
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But how do you dig yourself out of a hole?

2011-04-06T02:51:00.001-07:00

If you get yourself in a deep enough hole, how do you get out?

This, in a nutshell, is what a foreign colleague asked me about the Philippines. And, frankly, I didn't know how to answer him.

I mean, we could have discussed vague and abstract concepts like hope, synergy, and dreams of a better tomorrow.

But are those vague concepts really improving the lot of the majority of Filipinos?

------------------------------------------------------------

The discussion started with a curious observation: Filipinos who go to Europe, the US, or Japan, seem to have no trouble observing traffic rules, obeying signs, getting on and off designated bus stops, in short, basically acting like obedient, well-meaning "citizens".

However, those same "obedient and well-meaning" Filipinos cannot seem to observe the same traffic rules, obey the same signs, and get on and off designated bus stops when they go back to the Philippines. Heck, an airplane has barely enough time to touch the tarmac before it becomes obvious that Filipinos just can't follow rules. For example, passengers are always requested to refrain from turning on their mobile phones until the plane has safely landed and parked so that passengers may disembark. BUT, you will never fail to hear mobile phones going off before the plane has even touched the ground. It's amazing that those same obedient people transformed even before the plane has touched Philippine soil!!! What gives?!?

What's the logic? I have to follow rules and regulations in a country where I'm a second-class citizen but in my country, I do NOT have to follow rules. I willingly and actively contribute to peace and order in countries I visit, but I am too big and important to bother with such in my home country?

That's when my friend posed the question: If you get to that state where people have lost their values, how do you bring it back? For example, it's easier for them to get on and off wherever they please as opposed to using designated bus stops. The MMDA under Bayani Fernando repeatedly tried to implement several initiatives directed towards greater discipline in the roads. However, buses still stop wherever they please...even if it means taking up three to four lanes along the main thoroughfare.

There are people who will argue that there are worse countries than the Philippines. And that makes the prevailing behavior okay?

Then there are those who say all that is required is faith and prayer and that we just have to believe. Don't get me wrong. I'm a believer, but I also believe that God helps those who help themselves. There's nothing inherently wrong with believing. But there's something to be said about actually doing something. I'm not sure that just believing is going to bring about change...
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Three dead Filipino drug mules later...

2011-03-30T23:13:00.001-07:00

It's the day after three Filipinos were executed over at mainland China. All three were found guilty of carrying drugs. Many people question if all three of them knew they were carrying drugs or if some (maybe one?) were just unwitting victims used by unscrupulous individuals.

It would really be tragic if just one of them didn't know that they were bringing heroin into China. Forget the fact that each of them carried in excess of 4 kilos of heroin. Hard to overlook that kind of weight. (If they didn't know what they were carrying, what did they think it was?) Unfortunately, whether or not they knew didn't really seem to matter. The fact is that Chinese law called for them to be punished by virtue of execution.

Hopefully, the issue doesn't end there. (This might be a tall order given the short memory of Filipinos...)

A representative of a human rights group hit the nail right on the head. The reason that there are Filipinos who end up becoming drug mules is because of the lack of opportunities for gainful employment in the Philippines.

That makes perfect sense. After all, why would anyone want to risk life and liberty in a foreign land (communist China, no less) when they could find a decent source of income at home? Granted there are (sadly) those who might still do it, but you have to question their intent. If there were decent jobs available, only those with a get-rich-quick mentality would agree to becoming drug mules.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to poverty and the lack of social services. And that is due to the massive corruption here in the Philippines.

President P-Noy won on a platform of change. "Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap!" -- If there were no corruption, there would be no poverty.

Now, if only that slogan could be implemented into concrete action plans all over the country for it to become a reality.
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F1 2010 : I hope Webber wins and gets the hell out of Red Bull

2010-10-26T22:36:00.001-07:00

First, a disclaimer. I am NOT a die-hard Webber fan. I actually wouldn't mind if Alonso wins it all for Ferrari. In fact, I would get a lot of satisfaction if Alonso wins. Again, not because I'm a die-hard Alonso fan, but more because I'd like to see Alonso shove it to Lewis Hamilton.

Anyway, going back to Webber, the only thing missing is a huge sign on the Red Bull pit that says, "We prefer Seb!".

When Red Bull transferred the one functional new-at-the-time nose cone from Webber's car to Vettel's, they said if they found themselves in a situation wherein they had to choose, they'd support whomever was leading the championship.

Prior to the 2010 Korean GP, Webber WAS leading the championship with three races to go. Consider:

If the finishing order were Vettel-Webber-Alonso in the last three races of the season, Alonso would STILL win the driver's championship despite Vettel winning the last three races. However, if the finishing order were reversed for Red Bull (i.e., Webber-Vettel-Alonso), Webber would win the championship. Wouldn't it have made more sense to favor Webber?

Granted, Vettel would still have a chance of winning the championship especially if Alonso would have problems finishing on the podium in the last three races. (Unfortunately for Red Bull, Alonso went on to win the Korean GP.)

Were Red Bull really hoping that Alonso would screw up at the new Korean track, and again in Interlagos and/or in Abu Dhabi? Or were they not-so-secretly still harboring a desire that Vettel would be the one to emerge victorious at the end of the season?

Vettel fans would argue that Vettel is the future of Red Bull while Webber is close to retirement. That might be true. But what is Red Bull afraid of? That Vettel would leave for a different team? Is it because Red Bull is running out of cash? Unlikely, judging from the fact that there are effectively TWO Red Bull teams on the grid. Are they scared that Vettel would prefer an all-German team and go to Mercedes? That's not so bad if they can get Nico Rosberg in exchange.

Or maybe, at the end of the day, they just flat out want Seb to be the Red Bull poster boy. Just like Lewis is McLaren's.

Which is why if Webber can't win it, I wouldn't mind if Alonso gets it. I can hear Fernando now saying in his Spanish-accented voice..."Ferrari is the BEST team!"
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TARA 4 and the philippine teams

2010-10-26T20:10:00.001-07:00

I like watching The Amazing Race. Something about travelling and "seeing" other cultures really tickles my fancy. Many of my friends and I would talk about how it would be fun to be part of the race, and how lucky those Americans were that their passports enabled them to participate in a race that could take them practically anywhere in the world.

Enter: The Amazing Race Asia. The first time we heard of it, we were wondering if they would be confined to the Asian region. And, even if they were, would there actually be any Philippine teams given the penchant of Filipinos to "extend their vacation" (in a manner of speaking).

Well, if TARA 4 is any indication, it doesn't seem like ordinary Filipinos would get a chance to participate. There are two teams in the fourth installment--one, two Fil-Am guys; and the other is composed of two girls, one of which is not even Filipina, while the other, despite having a Filipino-sounding name, sounds nothing like a Filipino.

I have nothing against either of these teams. I wouldn't mind if they win. It's just strange. Since I don't know them personally, one would think that Filipinos would want either of the two to win just because they were Filipinos. But the thought of cheering for them is about as easy as cheering for any other team...

It's a good thing that Lani is cute.... =)

If only for that, Go Jess and Lani!
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