Super Sawsaw

Citizen Journalism : You Can't Handle The Truth!

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:24:00 +0000

Just last month, we were talking about responsible blogging and some of its not-so-good effect of social media to our lives. As we all know, various social media channels allow us to fullfil the desire to become famous or well-known person. It can also fulfill the dreams of becoming a journalists even for a short time. However, as in anything that we do, we need to be responsible of what we say and do or else social media will do more harm than good. There's more to being journalists that we actually thought. There might be something in there that we might not be able to handle....like truth. Just as Jack Nickolson asked Tom Cruise, "Can you handle the truth?" More often than not, we can't because we only like to see the juicy part of a story.

And just as you think that irresponsible citizen journalism is indigenous in the Philippines, something the same actually happened over the weekend in the US. A certain Tearah Moore is tweeting what she is seeing inside the sprawling military camp when a military doctor went berserk and killed 13 people at Fort Hood. While people are scambling to save the soldiers killed and wounded in the shooting, this lady is busy tweeting raw information she gets on the ground.

It sounds 'cute' but in reality, it isn't. It's sickening, actually. And I have to agree with what Paul Carr of TechCrunch has said.

And so it was at Fort Hood. For all the sound and fury, citizen journalism once again did nothing but spread misinformation at a time when thousands people with family at the base would have been freaking out already, and breach the privacy of those who had been killed or wounded. We learned not a single new fact, nor was a single life saved.

Here's his long post about it. After Fort Hood, another example of how ‘citizen journalists’ can’t handle the truth

Here's the tweet of Ms. Moore (NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

[T]hey just brought a CART full of boxes w/transplant parts in them. Not good not good. #fthood

Ok we just saw a soldier on a stretcher w/2 armed guards walking by He didnt look like he was in great condition.

Maj Malik A Hassan. He shouldn’t have died. He should be in the worst suffering of his life. It’s too fair for him to just die. Bastard!

A FUCKING MAJOR? Are you kidding me? A MAJ! For those of ut hat don’t know, Army MAJ have pretty serious rank. Dick

Someone just started shooting in Commanche 4 which is on post housing. What are these people thinking?!?

The poor guy that got shot in the balls http://twitpic.com/oejh5

Just as in the case of Blog Ni Ella, Tearah actively encouraged retweeting so that her friends (and friends of friends of friends) may pass her phone number to the press so she could tell them the truth rather than the bullshit that comes out of the regular media organizations. And she actually got what she want because the twitpic she posted was picked up by newswires. In the end Tearah protected her tweet just as Blog Ni Ella went to oblivion.

Again, many people will say that there's nothing wrong about it. It's just some kind of Citizen Journalism and it's like suppressing the freedom of expression. You may not know it but you may be hurting people with your posts. And as I have said on my earlier post, we become the person/organization that we criticize. In this case, what's coming from Tearah that fateful day is also full of bullshit.

As a closing note, Paul Carr has a take on it on another TechCrunch post.

Advocates of the real-time web argue that this is simply a branch of citizen journalism – a desire by those holding the cameras and laptops to ensure that the world knows that something dramatic is happening. In truth the desire is far more cynical: to ensure that the world knows that we were there when something dramatic happened. I was on the scene, I was somewhere you weren’t – and I have the photos and tweets and videos to prove it. Check out my YouTube account; follow me on Twitter. LOOK AT ME, LOOKING AT THIS.

Sad, very sad. So if the authorities tries to regulate social media in the near future(it's already regulated in a number of countries), don't be surprised.

Facebook ScamVille

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:54:00 +0000

Since my last post was about Facebook, I might as well share to my very few readers the ongoing Virtual Goods Controversy that Michael Carrington of TechCrunch brought to the floor of the Virtual Goods Summit.

He has also posted an article about it at TechCrunch and just to quote,

A typical scam: users are offered in game currency in exchange for filling out an IQ survey. Four simple questions are asked. The answers are irrelevant. When the user gets to the last question they are told their results will be text messaged to them. They are asked to enter in their mobile phone number, and are texted a pin code to enter on the quiz. Once they’ve done that, they’ve just subscribed to a $9.99/month subscription. Tatto Media is the company at the very end of the line on most mobile scams, and they flow it up through Offerpal, SuperRewards and others to the game developers.

More of it at Scamville: The Social Gaming Ecosystem of Hell.

My First Hand Experience

My wife(an addict to Pet Society, FarmVille, FarmTown, Restaurant City and Cafe World) wanted to get some items for her pet but the price of the items are astronomically high that a normal player would take months to earn. After numerous attempts in getting more coins in various tasks(she always end up short), she decided to take a survey and earn some coins. I already told her to use my paypal to buy coins but she thinks that's already another level of addiction which she is trying to resist. And a few "FREE" play cash would be enough for her. Anyway, it's "FREE".

And so she took the survey. Just as Carrington said, it asked for a phone number and she put mine. A text message arrived and viola, I was charged with $6 for weekly ringtone! And the text message said I'll get charged for it every month until I cancel it. And so I asked her to immediately call the service provider to cancel it. I was already billed for the first month, though.

So why did it become a scam? Well, simply because it was misleading. When my wife took the survey, she was informed that she'll get the coins for free. And though no credit card is needed, she was not informed that she will be billed on the service she doesn't need. No credit card needed but still billed. So what's free there? Just imagine if your kids or your little brother or sister took that survey and then gave your number and you don't check your bills? Scary, right?

Here's the sample "Offer" to get Farm Cash. There's none in there that says that you'll gonna pay or charged on something, right?

By the way, here's the discussion by Carrington and Anu Shukla from Offerpal Media at the Virtual Goods Summit.

To put everything in context, the problem is not with Facebook. It is not even with the Facebook apps. The problem is with the way Facebook Apps developers like Zynga and PlayFish are making money specifically on the use of OfferPal and TrialPay. It is just too scammy.

So guys, I know a lot of Filipinos are addicted to Facebook apps. Be warned. If you are receiving unsolicited text messages and gets billed on it or charged on your load/top-up (just like what happened to Senator Enrile), you better check it with your service provider.

UPDATE

Mark Pincus of Zynga has already pulled out Tatto Media Offers according to his blogpost

At the same time, Michael Carrington of TechCrunch has acknowledged this by making this post

Still, be careful.

Facebook Account Temporarily Unavailable

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:40:00 +0000

For some of you, the image below must be very familiar. There's a lot of people complaining about it. It may seem to last for just a few hours but after checking back after office hours, the account is still under maintenance. You went home just to find out that it's still not fixed. You hit the sack and woke up to the same error. You were able to get in only to find out that your friends and feed are missing and when you click on something, Facebook will ask you to log in again. You did, and got the error again. It's the cycle for the day. The third day, it's still the same. Frustration sets in. So, how ha? (in Singlish accent)

According to Facebook help, you can do the following to fix the problem.
1.)Clearing your cache and cookies
Sometimes your Internet browser may be the cause of the problems you experience on Facebook. To fix your problem, you may need to clear your browser’s cache and cookies. Please follow the instructions below.

2.) Upgrading your Browser
To optimize your Facebook experience, please download the most up-to-date version of your Internet browser. Just follow the links below.

The whole instruction is here http://www.facebook.com/help.php/?page=742

Of course, you already followed the instructions to no avail. You already used IE8, FireFox, Chrome, Safari and Opera. You'll even reformat your PC/Mac if the instructions asks for it. You no longer know what to do. You emailed info@facebook.com. You received a standard reply which is to follow the instructions.

It's becoming a big headache already. I know some people who are already having withdrawal symptoms. And oh, maybe this is also the reason why my wife is easily irritated. Come on, Facebook! Help the people who are already heavily addicted to MafiaWars, FarmVille, FarmTown, Scrabble and other games.

I also need to post my latest juicy scoop that I got when I volunteered in Sagip Kapamilya. I'll also need to tell my friends that I donated my paycheck to Ondoy Victims! Facebook!!!!!!

Ondoy and Pepeng Bloggers on Hot Seats

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:51:00 +0000

Blog ni Ella is currently on the hot seat after her post regarding the supposed incompetence of the DSWD with regards to the distribution of goods to those affected by the calamities. The secretary of the DSWD has already posted a response about it. And the online community is feasting on the issue and the surge in traffic brought the blog down.

That reminds me of another blogger who seemed to misunderstood Tina Monson-Palma when she said that the donated funds they received will be "kept for future use". He insinuated that Sagip Kapamilya is hoarding the donated cash. That's already evident at the title and when you read the post, it becomes even clearer. Of course, we all know that "future" in this context mean "not today" but could be tomorrow, next week or next month but for sure, the funds are used to help the victims. So I find that post malicious and irresponsible.

I haven't run any relief organization but in the limited experience I had as an SK, I know that distribution of relief requires careful planning. We had it when our province was also hit by flash flood in mid-90s. You can't simply throw the goods to those in need and be left with nothing the next morning. And since ABS-CBN Foundation has decades of experience behind them, I am sure that they already know what they are doing. The same is true for Kapuso Foundation, Philippine Red Cross and yes, even DSWD and NDCC. They know how to run it and surely knows what works best.

Actually, at the time of the post, Monson-Palma was even pleading the donors not to bring the goods yet to the Sagip Kapamilya warehouse because it was already full. They only have 250 volunteers and couldn't clear the warehouse as fast as the donations are coming. And then this is aggravated by the fact that some of the relief goods that they were receiving are those that are NOT urgently needed in the affected areas. Case in point are the countless boxes of noodles that kept on coming despite the fact that an Indonesian company has already donated a million pack of instant noodles.

Sadly, whatever we say shows the level of thinking we have. The might have said it to create a buzz and gather more visitors to his site but if that was his intention, it was done at the cost of the ABS-CBN Foundation. The blogger has already closed the comments on his post but I think that is not enough. He must hide the post from public view or might as well delete altogether.

As for the case of Blog ni Ella, the DSWD is already looking for legal actions that they can take. But what I like with her post is that she actually gave suggestions to DSWD. She did not just accused/insinuate but gave unsolicited advices. And there's some truth on what she said. But then again, the post will definitely have effect on the donations that will be sent through DSWD. So let's see what will happen. To be clear, I do not agree with Ella's post. It was disrespectful to Dr Cabral and the DSWD in general. Again, I find the post irresponsible.

By the way, the surge in traffic to Blog ni Ella brought her server down. Now, that's traffic! See, things like this really generates traffic. But her blog is already up right now. See it for yourself. So no, it is not brought down by the DSWD. hehehe. :D

The Ninth Ray of the Sun

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:28:00 +0000

I couldn't agree more to the Inquirer Editorial yesterday, Sep 27, 2009. Aside from creating further division, it also dignifies the uber large egos of the rebels. I can't even say the Moros because not all of them want that kind of representation anyways. Most of them know that the flag itself, regardless of how many the rays there are in that flag. They are Filipinos and regardless if they were represented in the flag created more than a hundred years ago no longer matters. The issue is that we must accept them as one of us. And who says not? The rebel leaders and politicians?

One Ray for Each Province

Zambales already asked for it just before the centennial celebration. So it's not far fetched if say La Union will ask for their own ray. Then maybe Palawan may want to be represented in that rays, too. Maybe Davao wants a piece of it also. And how about Rizal province which does not exists by that time yet? And maybe the Moros wouldn't just want one ray for them. There are, after all, quite a handful of provinces there. And so before you know it, there are 80 rays in it representing all the provinces of the archipelago.

It's Not a U.S. Flag

Unlike the flag of the United States where each state is represented, ours represents something else. According to wikipedia,

According to official sources, the white triangle stands for equality and fraternity; the blue field for peace, truth and justice; and the red field for patriotism and valor. The eight primary rays of the sun represent the eight provinces which declared themselves in a state of war as soon as the first revolt was initiated (Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna, and Batangas}. that sought independence from Spain and were placed under martial law by the Spaniards at the start of the Philippine Revolution in 1896. The three stars represent the three major geographical divisions of the country: Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

Though the 1898 Proclamation of Philippine Independence differs from this, at least that's the official declaration. If your province is not among the eight, I'm pretty sure that yours belong to one of the star. But really, do you care?

Peculiar Effect

This may sound funny but imagine if you are in grade school and you are asked to draw the flag of the country. Instead of just drawing a cross and another cross rotated 45 degrees on top of the first one, you'll be required to add one. Now, where would you place that? It won't look good if you put it in between of any two adjacent rays. Instead, our grade schoolers will be required to draw lines 40 degrees away from each other. In that sense, we'll have equal spacing for the nine rays. If the rays become 80 in all, good luck to the pupils.

Father Thomas Lim : Where's the Pilot?

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:30:00 +0000

I'm not sure if the priest, Father Thomas Lim, is trying to crack a joke or he's just plain insensitive. But here's what I got from the email. To the credit of Father John Sim of Church of the Risen Christ, they offered their apologies.

This is already circling in the Filipino IT communities but I think it was first posted at SG Forums

Subject: Re: ayun me umalma sa sermon ng pari sa toa payoh.

This is a copy of open letter sent to Father John Sim of Church of the Risen Christ, Toa Payoh Central;

I am sad as a Filipino because instead of a sermon of compassionate for all the filipinos affected by the floods, Father Thomas Lim was complaining about his 10 hrs delay from Manila to Singapore.

AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS REVEREND, FATHER JOHN SIM (Church of the Risen Christ, Toa Payoh Central)

Dear Father Sim,

It may not be common for a Filipino to write to your good office to provide feedback. However, because of what transpired during the Children's Day celebration 1130am mass, I couldn't possibly ignore it.

I will try to discuss the issue with objectivity and humility. So allow me to discuss it in this letter point by point.

Saturday, 27 September 2009 - Philippines

Residents of both the posh villages and common residences bravely evacuated the heavily-flooded portion of Ortigas Avenue, Quezon City and Makati City desperately to find a safer place for their family.

PLEASE WATCH THIS HEART WRENCHING VIDEO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=923IKL9Lij4

Filipinos around the world were frantic because back in their country, they were unsure if their love ones were safe. Having heard from the news that there was no electricity and communication lines were cut.

In Singapore, we couldn't sleep well worrying about our families, relatives, and friends. I have friends who were crying because their elderly parents where trapped inside the house and frightened with rising water. I was also informed that there ere families who were sick and had to climb on the roof top and stay there helplessly until Sunday,
shivering in cold, frightened with the darkness, hungry for food. All of
these, we had to cry off being away from our families and unable to
provide help.

Sunday, 28 September 2009 - Singapore

Full of hope that things will get better, we all woke up earlier than
usual to hear mass. I was anticipating that a short prayer for the
Filipino people who are still suffering the effect of Typhoon Ondoy.

Then Father Thomas Lim started the homily with his unfortunate
experience in the Philippines.

He said, and I quote in the best way that I can remember

"There was a typhoon in the Philippines...."
"I checked in at around 11am ....then we were informed that there was a delay"
"I prayed very hard because I have to reach Singapore for the Sunday mass"
"At 430 pm, everyone is moving.....but we were informed that crew is not around yet!"
People in the church, including the children were all laughing.
".... Then we were informed that the pilot is not around yet!"

People started to growl, sharing the priest disappointment. The children were laughing and overheard the kid in front of me saying "That is stupid! Then what? The co-pilot is missing?" and laughed so loud.

I really can not comprehend why a catholic priest, who is supposed to fulfill the role as a mediator between us and God and should teach the ways of God and His Church, can deliver a homily intended for the children with such negativity and selfishness.

If he wasn't able to see the big picture or simply be sensitive about what happened, then for me and in my opinion, he was the biggest disappointment of all.

Allow me to visually and literally explain why I felt this way.

While Fr. Thomas was safe, dry and with unlimited source of food inside the airport terminal, thousands of Filipino people outside the terminal were suffering and some may even be dying.

When the crew and the pilot arrived late, I was hoping that he will say, "I thank these people's effort because in spite of the heavy rains, they were brave enough to leave their family who might also be in danger, and courageously make it thru the 5ft deep flood outside just to fulfill their obligations. (Remember, the time this incident happened, it was during the time when our country was dumped with the heaviest rainfall in 4 decades.)

Instead, what we heard from him was, and I quote again with the best of my ability to remember "Philippines and Singapore are 2 different world! Tsk tsk tsk.... Can not compare"

Father Sim, whatever happened to the teaching that says, "We are all one
in Christ?"

Am sorry but I wanted to ask him these questions, Father Thomas, you were very proud of having travelled to different Asian countries. During your visits, were you able to touch the lives of the unfortunate people or were you just busy thinking about the difference between Singapore and the 3rd world countries in Asia? What about the culture? Did you even find time to learn and understand the culture in order for
you to appreciate and grateful (not boastful) of your life in Singapore more?

For you to question why you felt disappointed that Filipino people calls you Father Thomas and not just Thomas? Didn't you know that Filipino people were instilled to respect people in the church, the elders, government officials and what have you? You should have been grateful! I bet my life that you were welcomed warmly and well taken cared of during your stay in the Philippines. I am sure that his most Reverend Fr. Gaudencio Rosales, did his best to give you the most comfortable accommodation only to criticise Filipinos in your sermon for respecting you by calling you Father?

I would have walked out and called on other Filipinos to walk out during the mass and lobby against you. But I said to myself, if Father Thomas can not be mature and sensitive enough to human feelings, it doesn't mean that I have to be like him. So I just prayed for His intercession and asked the Lord that if He wanted me to relay what we felt, He would arrange ways for me to talk to Father Sim.

In the mass for children, Father Thomas could've just capped his unfortunate experience in the Philippines with the following virtues which we all hope that our children will be instilled with:

GRATITUDE
1.Thank the crew and the pilot for being brave enough to fulfill their duties even if it means that they have to survive the 5ft deep flood and leave their families amidst the calamity.
2.Thank God because Singapore does not have to suffer the effect of heavy rainfall which they said was the effect of climate change (This is the first time that posh villages whose got good drainage system and elevated lands were fully submerged. The highest recorded rainfall in Metro Manila since about 40 years ago).

COMPASSION
1.Offer sympathy and kindness to those who were affected by the calamity (As of Sunday night, the National Disaster Coordinating Council reported 240 persons killed and nearly 470,000 families displaced due to floods caused by tropical storm Ondoy) 2.Show consideration and sensitivity amidst conflict and chaos. Isn't he, as a priest, supposed to demonstrate this virtue?

POWER OF PRAYER
1.Let the children understand that prayers can move mountains. Isn't that in spite of the heavy rainfall, Father Thomas was able to arrive in Singapore safe and sound? Yes, there was a huge delay, but there was a huge reason behind that. Did he fail to look into the other side of the story?
2.Ask the children to offer a short prayer for those who are still suffering... hungry... drying and sick...drenched overnight because their homes were submerged into the ocean like flood.
Father Sim, it was just 3 simple virtues that the children were supposed to hear during the mass. Highlighting the inefficiency of Philippines and comparing it to Singapore is UNCALLED FOR! We may have a lot of flaws. I am not stopping Fr. Thomas to talk about his disappointments with our country and our flaws. He can share this to his friends for all I care. However, in front of the children? Did he really think that the church was the appropriate venue? Not to mention that it was during the Children's Day? He failed to exercise respect.

My heart, together with the rest of the Filipinos who were present during the 27 September Children's ,1130 morning mass, sunk. We were physically battered by the typhoon and Fr. Thomas made it even more painful for us.

MY PERSONAL REQUEST:

I originally intended to demand Father Thomas to give a public apology. However, all were said and done. There is nothing else we can do. I just want to request from you Father Sim, if we can offer the 1130am mass on 4th of October 2009 for all those who were affected. I hope that you can also show this video to the church goers so that they know what happened in our country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bCW7IkICKA&feature=related

Father Sim, I know that you want to promote compassion and unity. We believe in you as our parish priest. I hope that you will not take this for granted. Just please relay my opinion about this matter to Father Thomas.

29 Sep `09, 3:17PM Now its OK, Father John already replied to me :)

Dear Zaq,

Thank you for your feedback regarding Fr. Thomas's sermon last
weekend. You can be assured that I share with all of you your concerns
and worries over the present catastrophe that is happening now in your
country. On behalf of Fr. Thomas, I offer my apologies for the
insensitive remarks that he made.

Perhaps you may wish to know, primary in our agenda for this weekend,
our church is making an appeal to the parishioners of this church to
make a donation of kind to help victims of the recent natural calamity.

At this point in time, together with my fellow priests and our
parishioners, we join in earnest prayers for the Lord's abundant graces,
mercy and strength to weather the storm.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John Sim
Parish Priest
Church of the risen Christ.

It's Official : Erap will run in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:10:00 +0000

So what's new?

We all knew about it all along. Regardless if the expose of his former friend, Ping Lacson, has anything to with it, the fact remains that he wanted to run again for president. The prospect of uniting the opposition will not happen from the very start. He knows it and yet he said that if they don't unite, he'll run for presidency. That's as if saying he'll run for the presidency regardless of what would his minions will decide. Whether that is against the Constitution or not is something for the courts to decide. Now it really shows the characters of the opposition. Everybody has that messiah complex, eh.

However, it is said that Congressman Teddy Locsin in his slate. That's bad news for me but I really hope he does not go with Erap's party. Regardless, I'll vote for Teddy if he runs for the Senate. He's done a terrific job in the congress and it's just sad that he can't run again as representative of Makati.

Back to Erap, he still have that illusion that the Filipino people still loves him. Maybe there are still people madly in love with him, there surely more people who decided to open their eyes.

SingaporeGP and the CrashGate

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:10:00 +0000

The current scandal surrounding F1 has brought shame not only to Renault and F1 but also in the country where it happened -- Singapore. Expectedly, the media is almost silent about the scandal. Yes, there has been coverage on the investigation but they are silent about the host itself. Well, it's not really about the host track, anyways. But whatever they will say, it is still in Singapore where it happened and I'm sure the authorities are mad as hell. But what can they do?

There are several reasons why Singapore must be fuming right now. First and foremost, the city-state takes pride of the event. It is the only night race of the season. Aside from that, it's the only Formula One street circuit in Asia. They spent hundreds of millions of dollars to promote it(naturally together with the country) and yet on its inaugural race last year, it has become the scene of the crime. Another thing is that Singapore has a reputation of being squeaky clean and hard corruption and cheating. That image is already tarnished by the scandal and whatever they do, it already happened and the sad part of it is that they can't do anything about it. The sport is governed by FIA, not them.
And the scandal is not the only issue that came to light. During the race last year, the drivers complained that the track is so bumpy and Red Bull and Toro Rosso had to retire after they supposedly trip the gearbox when an underground train passed. Though the authorities has since replaced the asphalt on parts of the track, the idea that the track is bumpy remains in the minds of the drivers. The issue on the gearbox tripping has also been rebuffed. But regardless, the sister teams Toro Rosso and Red Bull has prepared for that kind of eventuality.

So if you add these all up, it would be kinda hard to swallow. The Singaporeans wanted to make the event perfect and flawless. It's a good chance to promote and showcase this city-state. They almost did. But almost may not be enough. Whatever the impact of the CrashGate to the next year's turnout of fans remains to be seen. Tickets for this year is 90% sold out. But that doesn't mean that it's because of the circuit or the scandal. People will argue that it's because of the trying times these days. They may be right.

On related issue, I would have to agree with Nico Rosberg that the FIA should have also banned Nelson Piquet, Jr. because he agreed and executed the fixing in the first place. At the very least, it is him, Flavio Briatore and chief engineer Pat Symonds that must be penalized. Briatore is already banned for life and the both him and Symonds has since left/sacked from the Renault team. On the otherhand, Piquet Jr got immunity for his cooperation.

At any rate, Friday's first practice session is scheduled from 7pm singapore time meaning they will start in daylight and end after dark, although the lighting system will be on throughout. I don't have a ticket so I'll watch it in the news.

MVP, SMART and CPP-NPA

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:06:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered why the New People's Army (NPA) seems to enjoy burning Globe cellsites? Take note, only Globe because they spare Smart. This thing must be running in the minds of some of you, if not all of you. Does Smart pay for the protection of their properties?

With the recent events at the Senate, I would like to believe that Smart and the PLDT Group under MVP pays the 'terrorist tax'. And when Ping Lacson revealed that Estrada had a hand on the deal with between the Yuchengcos and Pangilinan(which was corroborated of Ambassador Yuchengco himself), I think it shows that MVP will do everything in order to take control of PLDT. And in the name of profits, they are capable of paying the NPA to spare their equipment just like what they did when with Estrada and company.

The communists are a real pain in our province during their heydays. I mean, they are real SALOT! In one instance, the family of my friend had to give up their business because they are already losing money because aside from the sacks of rice for the rebels/terrorists, they still need to provide PHP10,000 monthly(c1990s). Eventually, they were forced to move to Manila and never returned to our province (he's in the U.S. now). Even up to now, in the remote places of our province, the NPAs still extort money from the people they bowed to protect and defend. Would-be investors are wary of the harassment that NPAs will inflict with them and so they rather invest elsewhere.

But the sad thing here is that SMART, if they pay the 'revolutionary tax'(be it in kind or in cash), is supporting the cause of the communists. And since I don't hear any attacks on Sun Cellular cell sites, maybe they pay the extortion fees, too. In that sense, directly or indirectly, they are supporting the cause and operation of the communists. They are part of those who inflict sufferings to the people where the NPA operates.

So despite the poor service of Globe, I commend them for standing to their values and not giving in to the extortion by the communists. They showed that what's important is the welfare of the country and its people before anything else.

By the way, the NPA sometimes call their extortion fees as revolutionary tax or sometimes protection money. That's protection from NPA themselves, otherwise they will attack the facilities. It's plain extortion, nothing else. Sadly though, Globe did not bother to add new cell sites in our province. Globe limited their cellsites at town centers(poblacion) while those who live in remote baranggays can only wish that the signal reach them. But hopefully, Smart will service them later. Besides, they are already exempted from the terrorist attacks.

Audrey Is No Longer Virgin

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:34:00 +0000

After three weddings, Audrey lost her virginity with JayR. I'm not sure if Dave scored on Audrey but I highly doubt it. The bed scene between JayR and Audrey is lame, though. I wish they made it a little hotter.

Why Do People Change Faith?

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:50:00 +0000

I just found out that one of my friends working in the Middle East has just converted to Islam. I feel sad because she changed her religion. She's not really a devout Christian (Roman Catholic) but she does go to church regularly. I know that she may only feel obligated to do so but I am aware that she has connection God. She has that personal communication to the Lord and does not just recite a prayer from the books. Of course, I don't know what happened after high school but I heard she went into some problems. Maybe that's the reason why she tried to find another connection to God and Islam showed her the way. Can I say “good for her”?

On a related issue, there's a report by ABS-CBN that around 200 converts to Islam every month and many of them are OFWs. I don't see any problem with that but when I read one of the reasons why they are converting, I was appalled.
To quote the news, here's one of the answers:

When I was a Christian maybe I come to church 5 or 3 times a year, but in Islam I know prayer is 5 times a day, I make prayer thank God. So that is why I go to Islam, that is why I need to feel the heart of Islam and a Muslim to make good things to Allah," he said.

I appreciate that these people now pray 5 times a day but what if the Christian church(not necessarily Roman Catholic) impose that praying be done five times a day, would they go back to their old faith? Just to be clear, I have no issue if people change their religion. This is especially true for Christians converting to Judaism or Islam since these three Abrahamic religions basically worships one and only God. You may call it Allah, Yahweh, Shalom or whatever but it is the same God -- the God of Abraham. You may call Abraham as Ibrahim but it doesn't change the fact that Abraham and Ibrahim is one and the same person.

I just feel sad that people change faith because of lame reasons. I know a person who moved from being Catholic to become a Born-Again Christian because "she now goes to their church regularly and if she fails to do so, their pastor comes to their house (to collect the tithing?)For me, if you decide to change faith, do it the right way and with eyes wide open. You must have an open mind and not just follow what other people say or just because your friends are doing the same.

You don't have to change religion to find God. He's right there beside us always. It is how we communicate to Him, good deeds and faith that are important.

DISCLAIMER:
I know that some of the points are non politically correct. So if you plan to comment, put it into the context. But actually, I don't give a damn.

Mar Roxas Takes a Bitter Pill

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:01:00 +0000

In a fateful twist of events, one more from my short listed candidates dropped the race for the highest post of the land. Mar Roxas announced yesterday that he is dropping his bid for the presidency in favor of Noynoy Aquino. In this country where election is like a popularity contest, Noynoy suddenly found himself as a possible front runner for Liberal Party at the cost of Roxas ambition. Thanks for the death of her mother, President Corazon Aquino.

But it's not only Mar who shall suffer from this. The Mega Senator, Kiko Pangilinan, is also affected as he is eyeing the vice presidency which is now the supposed target by Mar. Some people called what Mar did as 'statesman-like' although we know he just gave in due to the pressure mounting on his party. Other candidates with messiah-complex may also be forced to give way (they don't stand a chance, anyway!)

Mar is the second of my bets to drop the race. The other one is Panfilo Lacson. I don't think Mar and Lacson has the political baggage that comes with the TraPos. I also see that they can initiate a genuine reform in the government. As Conrado de Quiros already said, "He(Mar) has no taint of corruption or patronage." I must agree.

Now, I might have to go with someone who is not even decided if he will run for the presidency or not. Someone who does not have the necessary preparations.... but someone who is immensely popular. Someone who is WINNABLE.....

Tsk! Noynoy is not even on my list!

is Registered for Overseas Voters Regisration

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:28:00 +0000

The title of my post is the exact status message of one of my friends in facebook the other week. And it hit me, it's the last month of registration for the Overseas Voters Registration. Thanks to him, I almost forgot about it. And so I went to the embassy this morning (it's only open on Sunday during weekends, they are closed on Singapore Holidays, Philippine holidays, Friday and Saturday).

Now, I'm a registered voter. I now have that one vote that has the potential to change everything. I feel like Agent Seymour Simmons("One man, abandoned by the country he loves").

Now, may I ask. Have you registered yet?

P.S.
I want to thank and appreciate the volunteers at the Philippine Embassy in Singapore. As we all know, the embassy here is undermanned. You can easily notice that when you come to the embassy for whatever purpose. There's only a few windows serving our fellow OFWs. And this voter registration activities would definitely hamper their operations. Thanks to the volunteers, they were ushers guiding our fellows.

They are a big help. Kudos to them!

Pamela Bianca Manalo on Ms Universe 2009

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:43:00 +0000

I can't find time to write so feast your eyes on our bet for the Miss Universe.

Airsoft Used in Training Extremists?

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 06:56:00 +0000

Back in the Philippines, I'm an avid airsoft player. It's a childhood game I never outgrown. Of course, we have no airsoft then. Growing up, we had toy guns made out of scrap woods or backbone of a banana leaf. We go to the woods and around neighborhood firing (ok, shouting) at each other. It was fun but imagine how happy I was when airsoft became popular in the Philippines. We went all over metro manila and at times, in neighboring provinces just to play airsoft. It's an effective detox from the daily hustle and bustle (yeah, rat race you call it).

Aside from being a great team building activity, it's also a good hobby to take a taste of being a soldier. Even the Philippine Army trainees plays (using DE-M83 against the more powerful JG) with the airsoft enthusiasts back then. But what would you feel if you find out that the person next to you is not just playing but training for a terrorist attack. And if the Army can train through airsoft, then maybe the terrorists can do too. And that's just what research analysts at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies found out one of the online extremist forums they are monitoring. Below is the account is part of the AFP report.

In one of the exhanges, participants tried to organise arms training but some said they did not have money to buy AK-47 assault rifles, Nur Azlin said.

A group called "Indonesian Airsoft Mujahideen" stepped in and offered to facilitate their training using air rifles and paintball machines, which are widely used for play sessions at corporate training seminars in Asia.

"They would rent the place much like a team-building activity," Nur Azlin said. "They used this training in the meantime that they don't have their AK-47s."

For the complete article, go to http://tech.yahoo.com/news/afp/20090816/tc_afp/singaporesecuritytechnologyinternet

I'm not sure if the authorities are aware of this but it do sound scary, right? So there must really be some kind of regulations on airsoft, after all. None is currently in place in the Philippines yet but I think a group called United Airsoft Alliance of the Philippines is doing something to regulate this lucrative hobby. Let's see what they'll achieve.

Maui Taylor - Brian Revilla Scandal

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 08:27:00 +0000

In my previous post, we saw the screenshot of Jamby Madrigal's campaign website showing the silicon induced boobs and pink nipples of Maui Taylor. And yes folks, it's part of the sex photos and videos of the new scandal -- Maui Taylor and Brian Revilla Scandal. Apparently, it has find its way to the internet. I've "verified" a number of the photos already but I haven't got hold of the video.

Back when she was still part of the Forbidden Questions, Maui admitted that she and Brian had a sex video. She's pretty confident that Brian won't show it to others, though. I heard it before because when I was still in the Philippines, I listen to radio show on my way to the office every morning. And yes, I'm a fan of Good Times with Mo and Forbidden Questions even though I don't like Maui there(she doesn't speak much but she undressed in the studio and freaked out Mojo). Heck, I even wait for its ending in the carpark before I head to the office.

And back to the scandal, I DEMAND A SENATE INVESTIGATION ON THIS! And since I first saw it in Jamby Madrigal's website, she must be summoned by her colleagues especially by Bong Revilla. She may have been the source of all these. Hehehe.

Let's see what will the honorable senators will do.

Maui Taylor Nude Pics at Jamby's Website

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:05:00 +0000

As I have said in one of the comments, I like to dig anything about Jamby. She brands herself as a champion of women and together with Bong Revilla, opened an investigation on Hayden Kho-Katrina Halili fiasco. A lot of us will argue that it's just a cheap attempt to get free media mileage. And where is that investigation now? We don't know.

But that's not the point of my post now. For a senator supposedly championing women's rights, you won't expect to see nude pics of celebrities on her campaign site, right? We'll, Jamby has proven us wrong again. The pink nipples of Maui Taylor is currently saying "hello to everybody" in Jamby's campaign website. Yes, my dear friends. There's a nude picture in Jamby's campaign website.

Here's the link (copy and paste)
http://jamby2010.blogspot.com/2009/08/dj-mo-twister-to-face-senate-inquiry.html

The post is alleging that Mo Twister is the person who is distributing the pictures. It is claimed that distributing the photos is Mo's way of getting back at Maui for not submitting to his sexual advances. The photos are taken with Maui's former beau, Brian Revilla.

As a proof, she gave some samples. Want to see?

I think something is terribly not right. We might need another Senate investigation for this. Whatchathink?

Here's a screenshot of Jamby's website.

Noynoy Aquino Girlfriend

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 03:53:00 +0000

With Kris' eulogy last Aug 5 on President Aquino's funeral, the whole country is puzzled when she said that she is fine with whoever Noynoy decides to marry. That's odd since the media is not aware of the current girlfriend of the senator and yet Kris is now talking about marriage. Sure enough, major papers ran a story about it and the Philippine blogosphere is abuzz with the latest 'love team'. It was revealed that the woman is Ms Shalani Soledad.

Apparently, she's also in politics being a councilor in Valenzuela City. It was also said that the lady councilor is a Dela Salle-St. Benilde alumnus. In fairness, she looks hot! Hehehe. At 29 years old, she's 10 years younger than the balding senator. But as they say, age doesn't matter. By the way, you have to credit Ms Shalani for keeping a low profile throughout the wake of Mrs. Aquino.

Just like Mar Roxas, Noynoy may benefit from this romance when he seeks a higher office just as what Mar and Korina is currently doing. In this tele-novela crazy country, a loveteam in politics and showbiz is always a hit. And since both of them are in politics, their romance will benefit them both.

Goodluck to them.

OFWs are Failure?

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:29:00 +0000

There's a heated discussion in PMT(PinoyMoneyTalk) Forum on whether OFW and Filipino immigrants are failures. Here's one of the posts that started fiery discussions.

Why do filipinos want to migrate to other countries when in fact they can do well in their profession and can retire comfortably also in the Philippines? Only stupid people who aren’t succesful in life find ways and excuses to migrate in another country. They keep on blaming the governent, the country, when in fact they are the ones who are a failure.

As an OFW myself, I guess that comment comes from a person who is out of touch of reality. I would think that the person came from a well-off family and is probably a product of "respected" universities in Manila. In short, that person was born with gold and silver spoon to feed him. However, I also think that the person has benefited at one point by money coming from one of his relative/family working(or has worked abroad). The sad part there is that they don't consider themselves as OFWs because they are professionals so they are not the 'lowly OFWs'(I have another post regarding that issue. And yes, if you may ask, that's one of the drafts waiting to be finished since February. hehehehe). Does that make him also a failure? I don't think the person will agree.

Though I also believe (and has actually proven to myself) that we can reach our dreams by staying in the Philippines, the road to financial freedom is long, winding and particularly hard. Yes, you can make it to the top and be a manager of some sort in a company but financially, it would not as rewarding if you work abroad. If you play your cards right outside the country, you can buy your dream house and car in a few years time. That's part of the motivation of working or migrating abroad. Aside from the monetary issues, there are a lot more Filipinos who seek job elsewhere are leaving for some sort of challenge. Some of them believe that the opportunities in Manila is too limited for their growth plans. In both cases, the intention is usually there to return after a period of time thereby bringing in valuable knowledge and experience back into the country. And with the money earned and saved, create new opportunities.

To make it short, not all OFWs leave Philippines because they have already given up on our beloved country. I know, I don't! So I think the person is too narrow minded to give such a remark. Though I admit that one of the reasons why I left Philippines is to earn more money in a shorter period of time when compared to my previous job in Makati, that doesn't mean I gave on my beloved country. For most of us, OFWs, our jobs here are just transient. Some of us have clear plans of going back to the Philippines after a certain period of time.

Do I sound bitter? I think I do. I think this kind of issues strike a nerve on me. Ok, enough for my rant.

Hehehe. Peace out!

Freddie Talangka Aguilar in WikiPedia

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:03:00 +0000

The antics of Freddie Aguilar earned him a well deserved update on his entry in WikiPedia. Someone must have been so upset with his interview that the WikiPedia article about him was modified. Before the entry was corrected, here's how it looks.

Click on the Image to Enlarge. Here's the link for the "edited" version

Just before this post, his origin is still set to "Bundok ng Sierra Madre" and instrument(s) as "Ukulele". I'm not sure if that's correct. But if it's not, then maybe the person who corrected the entry missed that part.

I'm ROTFL. I hope Ka Freddie has learned his lessons. Otherwise, he'll be remembered as the Freddie "The Talangka" Aguilar and no longer from his song "Anak ng Talangka"... este... "Anak".

The Wedding Dancers and Copycats

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:11:00 +0000

After the phenomenal hit of Jill and Kevin's wedding entrance that attracted 15million hits (and counting!) and numerous television interviews, indigoproductions presents the Divorce Dance Entrance.

Unlike the original, this Divorce Dance has not made much traction yet. Nevertheless, the video is still awesome that comes with real dancers. And oh, here's one of the guestings by the wedding dancers. This one is with the Today's Show at NBC.

Lani Mercado joins San Miguel Board

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 16:33:00 +0000

This is the perk of being "close" to the President or at least somebody in power. The wife of the "Honorable" Senator Ramon "Chickboy Bong" Revilla, Ms. Lani Mercado, has been elected to the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) board of directors. She replaces former board director Silvestre Bello III. I think that's a bad news for the stockholders of San Miguel.

Well, sitting in the board of the biggest food and beverage company in South East Asia is no easy feat. As a board member, you are required to make business decisions. That involves thorough thought process and naturally requires experience. For a company as big as San Miguel, you'll need qualified people with related or direct experience. At least, it should be somebody who has learned the ropes. Filling the shoes of a respected and highly educated person like Silvestre Bello III is another challenge. We have to remember that Mr John Gokongwei, Sr. had to fight his way to get a seat in San Miguel.

But in this imperfect world, there are times that unqualified housewife of an arse-licking senator gets the job. Has the Philippines lost all its talented people? And she doesn't even have the delicadeza to decline the offer.

p.s.
There are cases where board seats are given/assigned to dummies in order to control the whole board. So maybe, it's not that really bad if Lani takes that seat because she'll just end as a puppet there. But then again, I don't think she deserves it. Yes, even as a puppet!

Cory Aquino Dies at 76

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:37:00 +0000

The nation mourns as former President Corazon Aquino died this morning of colon cancer. Her son Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III confirmed that she died of cardio respiratory arrest at exactly 3:18 a.m. Saturday at the Makati Medical Center.

May she rest in peace.

Jamby will run for President in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:35:00 +0000

I thought it was just a prank when somebody commented on my Senate Bratanella post. I thought maybe it was just one of Senator Madrigal's paid cohorts who created the blogspot campaign site --> http://www.jamby2010.blogspot.com/. AND I WAS WRONG!

This afternoon, Jamby Madrigal announced that she will run for presidency in 2010. Her term in the Philippine Senate ends next year and she sure knows that she will not make it again. She then decided that it's better to run for the highest post in the land. Heck, I don't even think she'll get included in the senatorial list of major parties. And even that is not a problem to her as she launched the MAKABAYAN Party. According to her website, her party is the largest grassroots based political party. I don't know about you but I never heard of that political party before.

Now, the question is will Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo support her beloved senator next year? Another question is, is this the reason why she is fighting tooth and nail with her relatives on the estate of her late Madrigal matriarch? To fund her campaign? All these things will remain to be seen.

Lapid's Wish Not Granted

noreply@blogger.com (nonsensical) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:08:00 +0000

Apparently, President Arroyo still make sound decisions. She did not include "Honorable" Senator Manuel "Lito - Leon Guerrero" Lapid in her entourage who visited the White House to meet President Obama. That made Leon Guerrero's wishes not granted. It must be remembered that earlier, Lapid blurted out "I hope I’d be lucky enough to be chosen among the five that would be allowed to accompany the President when she meets Obama."

I can't even believe my eyes when I read it in Inquirer.net that he spoke english. But kidding aside, I didn't know he was included in the Washington junket. I'm not sure what Lapid can contribute there. What value can the Filipino people get from him on this occasion?

On a related note, it was Heherson Alvarez who got the coveted slot. I won't be surprised if this trapo will run for senator again in the next election.