Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Thoughts on Election 3.

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When will it ever end?

Not to worry, I can promise you this is the third and final installment of this series. Don't blame me, presidential elections only come ever so often and this one's particularly important because it's the one where my generation gets to start voting and be part of the country's history.

Christopher Nolan's The Joker once said to one of the mob bosses, "All you care about is money. This city deserves a better class of criminal, and I'm gonna give it to them." and that may have been the most sensible thing he has ever said in the film. Even The Joker sticks to his criminal code. I've thought about it a lot and I realized that Gotham City pre-Batman intervention isn't very different from our country. Too bad mob bosses translate to politicians and terrorists in our context, and it would be exceptionally difficult to go all vigilante and beat some sense into and the money-grubbing out of these candidates. Another thing about The Joker's statement, is if you replace the word 'criminal' with 'leader', then it obviously becomes something positive. The statement becomes a code to live by, a beacon of hope for others, and a sliver of hope to those who long for better governance. Just saying, yet again. I'm actually getting tired of caring about the grown-up stuff so, what I will do now is list down the things I came up with when I played "If I were President, I would..." game with myself (I know. Lame.).

• Declare that the second and fourth quarters of the year be tax-free. We should all give ourselves a break during summer and Christmas, and not be stingy about it. We deserve it.
• Deduct those tax cuts evenly from every government official's pork barrel. They'd be delighted to hear that, won't they? I think I will have to hire every assassin in the country first before they do. Then employ every security agency, perhaps?
• Make a way to sever ties with ADB, WB, UN and other seemingly important organizations which only made politicians the worst gamblers in the history of gambling, and made dreamers and artists look bad with their fantasies and imagination.
• Deport all foreigners working in the country when our very own talent could be employed. That would definitely reduce unemployment rate. Or not. At least I know I really patronize my country's own. Filipino pride, baby.
• Declare that political ads be a crime, with a sentence consisting of jail time and community service involving the sanitation of either the Manila Bay or the Pasig River, depending on how much money has been spent. I believe we already have enough bullshit to deal with on our own, and we don't need to see and/or hear someone broadcasting theirs.
• Declare that "reality tv shows" (which is a contradiction by the way, and a friend can attest to that) be banned from broadcasting on all local channels. If anyone wanted an actual reality tv show, they should get a video camera, and record all of the events happening to their lives and watch it. I'm serious. Never been more serious.
• Donate all government vehicles to provincial public schools as school bus service for the benefit of the children who live great distances away, and have to walk barefoot because they have no choice. I've seen a lot of government vehicles in my life as a driver, a commuter and as a passenger in my dad's cars. Alarmingly, with the use of simple deduction one can conclude that most of the people entrusted with their vehicles so there will be convenience in the matters of transportation, aren't doing anything even remotely close for the welfare of the people. Recently, I saw one particular white Innova with a red plate carrying a family in Baguio. I don't see any valid arguments for the plaintiff's defense. Case is closed.
• Deal with the insecurities of the Southerners waging war on their fellow countrymen when they should be bombing the hell out of the corporations who enjoy exploiting third-world countries and flaunting their "success". *cough*Microsoft*cough*
• Make it clear to every other non-free port country out there that nothing is special with their country, and we're not missing out; they are. Therefore, with that statement I will declare that every other non-free port country will have to get visas first before having the right to set foot in THE COUNTRY. With that thought, all shares of foreigners in domestic corporations will be seized under the notion of trespass. In your face, white boys. You just got served. And by the way, I am speaking in your tongue so you can fathom my contempt for your people right now. That's right, I'm racist like that. Don't worry, it'll pass. With a couple of drinks or so.

*damn it, I promised no more grown-up stuff! oh well...*


Declare that the last Friday of January be "National Children's Day" (LONG WEEKEND BABY!). We love the line "Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan" so much it's so overused but we don't celebrate them. And we forget that we all were children once, so here's to us all. It will be mandated that acting all grown-up is a felony on this day. No scolding, no butt-spanking whatsoever. All grounding punishments handed out will be lifted temporarily and resume the following week.
• Declare that the Republic of the Philippines celebrate Mardi Gras or "Fat Tuesday" if you will, nationwide (well, at least the Roman Catholics of the country). I fail to see why we brag about being "the only Southeast Asian country with majority of the population being Christians" and not include this in our festivities, as well as St. Patrick's Day (which by the way if I might add, would be a very nice addition SINCE WE ALSO HAVE RAINBOWS IN OUR COUNTRY? We all know that there's a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow, and with that pot of gold is a leprechaun waiting to vanish to another dimension.. and we all know that leprechauns are Irish, right? RIGHT?).
• Declare that April 16 be April Skeptic's/Thinker's Day (I haven't really decided what to go with yet). It's only fair that the intellectuals get their day too, you know. I must warn the good citizens however, "Heads up, I can't imagine how this day can actually be fun right now. Applaud the brilliant minds who attempt and manage to do so though.".
• Declare that Labor Day be henceforth known as Non-Labor Day (when did we all get confused about celebrating a day of work by not working?).
• Declare that... oh wait, we already have a holiday for June... uh let's see... Oh what do you know, August 5 is International Beer Day! I'm not saying that we don't need Oktoberfest; we do. We just need to keep up with the concept of Globalization, and this has nothing to do with pointless merry-making whatsoever. And besides, Oktoberfest is biased with a single corporation; now every company who brews beer can have a fair chance of getting the world drunk—I mean, uh.. Drink moderately guys. Thanks. We don't want August 6 to be International Vomit Cleaning Day. Or maybe we do.
• Declare that it be mandatory to observe International Talk Like A Pirate Day (that's on September 19). And while we're at it, we might as well walk, sing, dance, laugh, think, act like a pirate. Rum is optional, but highly recommended. Marines are exempted from this ordeal, as well as any benefits and promotions, and are mandated to be in full uniform on duty and on the highest alert on this important day. Defecting to piracy may be an option for marines upon taking oath on the pirate code but they will be under the strictest probationary rules, such as but not limited to being subject to "the captain's orders".
• Declare that on World Food Day which falls on October 16, everyone is tasked to make sure at least everyone in the country has had a bite to eat, under the pain of death. A social death, that is. Epic guilt-tripping to no end.
• Declare the floor open to suggestions for other important holidays. These will be scrutinized thoroughly and impartially. Please take note that the office will only be accepting holidays for jubilation, not those that will be subject to ridicule and mockery such as "Bury a pet day" or "No underpants day" or "Brainfreeze day" or pray not... "JEJEMON DAY" which will otherwise be simply known forever by my office as "Armageddon".

Thank you. My multi-personality administration was and will always be happy to serve you.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

First Post Ever - Old School Story

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Sorry guys! It took me so long to post! I finally got the hang of this again so yeah!
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I'm too tired to check how the other guys started writing here, and if there are introductions made. Anyway, I'm Lawrence Lorico and I am an Utak Merienda writer. Haha. For my first post ever, I'd like to share one of the weirdest things that happened to me in DLSU. This story is extremely memorable as it was one for the TIB blog that I never got to posting.

This was way back during 3rd year college I think. I stayed late in school because I had to do something org or academic related, I forget. As usual, I go out of north gate and wait for my ever trusty bensan bus to take me home to Las Pinas. I sit comfortably in my seat by the middle (of the three seater part), thinking "I'm going hoooome, to the place where I beloooong". Then this huge guy enters the bus a few minutes later. For the purposes of this story let's call him chico-man. Beside me was the last seat available and chico-man did not notice. He stood one to two seats away, and me thinking I was being nice, moved over and let him sit beside me.

BIG MISTAKE.

Apparently, chico-man was drunk as hell. Probably had a tuesday club session with whoever he's drinking with. Damn shit smelled bad, his hair was sweaty and greasy, and fuckin dude was a big guy and took much of the seat. I had one hour plus on this bus! So fine he's sitting there, I try to sleep to shrug it off. Then I guess he was thinking the same so he tries to sleep also.

He sleeps just like this:



I try to shrug him off. He moves. Then after 5 minutes:



Again. and Again. and Again. (Yes, I took pictures. Chico-man was too dead to notice)

Worse, he was motioning like he was going to vomit. No way you vomiting on me dude. I'm wearing corporate. This is an expensive polo! And I shrug him off a little more aggressively. He sleeps off my shoulder, FINALLY. But we were near SM Southmall already by then.

I went down, and he was left there in the bus (until the station I assume.)

So, moral lesson: Don't share seats. It's bad for you, especially at 11pm onwards.
To all the people in the world, please don't commute when you're drunk. It's bad for you and everyone around you. Really. I've done it before and bad results. Okay? Yeah? No more drunk commuting? Great!

XOXO
Mwahugz

tenk u p0whz ahjejejejeje

LTM

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Thoughts on Election 2.

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Oh no, not another one.

You all knew this was coming, as implied by the title of the previous post.

Some years ago when I was trying to catch up with the games I missed through a pirate genius' invention called "Emulators", there was this old game entitled 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' based on the novel of the same name that I grew quite fond of playing, mainly because it was a strategy game and I loved strategy games. This game puts you in charge of a definite population, a tribe as populous as our country's cities today, but not entirely a nation yet as that is the game's goal, ultimately unifying all of ancient china under your rule. For a ruler such as yourself, money back then meant only a few things:
• for manufacturing weapons for defense and conquering other tribes,
• for patronizing the farmers and sustaining a stable growth in agriculture as food keeps your army in tip-top, fit-for-fighting shape,
• for building a stronger infrastructure so as to prevent catastrophic damages from floods and earthquakes,
• for having an emergency fund in case there is a drought, a famine or a plague causing distress on your people,
• for bribing and invoking defection among important, high-ranking and influential people in other tribes to aid in your cause (I had a ruler defect to my cause, effectively gaining all of their tribe's land, resources and armies), and
• for rewarding the loyalty of your men, and occasionally treating the masses for their collective efforts in nation-building (could be done by giving the families either food or gold, or by lowering tax rates if the monies are overabundant-yes, this can happen if you know how to be thrifty or you have an immense knack and skill for plunder).

To win the game, you must have the support of the majority of the country. Being selfish and wanting to keep all the money to yourself isn't gonna cut it. Using it to keep the nation happy and as one will.

Did I manage to get my point across and make it stick? No? Well, what I'm trying to say is that if trying to win the hearts of the masses, I won't make the agencies rich by splurging on TV, radio, all-nonsense Internet commercials, print ads and all these trash that would add to my problems later on if I win. Instead, I would spend my campaign fund helping the masses, one province and one city at a time. The campaign period is long, but the "presence ads" hung around longer even before and that didn't come dirt-cheap to these candidates. Presidential candidates in the U.S. traveled to each of the States and held conferences to try and win them over, joined the rallies of minorities and advocacy groups and maybe told less bullshit to the country. What if the candidates with all that money started doing relatively small but great-impact helpfulness to the masses? What if someone could say to those candidates, "While you were shooting that TV commercial, I was building a new Gawad Kalinga community and giving out stock medicines to various baranggays" or "While you were recording those radio plugs, I was busy ordering a construction of a public hospital up north. And buying shoes for children who walk bare-foot to school on oven-baked pavements everyday who believe that what they do will make life better for themselves in the future, but will they have it with YOU around?". These candidates use money to get their faces and their voices recognized throughout the whole archipelago and use lovely words concocted by the ad agencies just to tell the people to vote for them. As someone had jokingly defined what advertising is, said "it is the art of convincing people to buy the things they don't need", it may most likely be the same with all these campaigns. Words are powerful as they can be the catalyst to change, but what if everyone assumed they were all empty in the first place? We're not talking about Jesus Christ here, who refutes "seeing is believing". We're talking about people like us, who are most likely to change given absolutely the most powerful position of the nation. Even I am at qualms with positions of power as I tend to be materialistic sometimes and I am afraid to see myself at my worst. I have a hard time keeping to a code of honor and nobility because I understood a long time ago that life is unfair, and I might relish a macabre moment to deal this unfairness to others. But it goes both ways too, and I know I will choose to make a legacy out of doing the right thing instead of fighting for top rank next to the past evil patriarchs of the world.

In defeat, a villain quoted the 26th verse of the evangelist Matthew's 16th chapter, saying "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?" and acknowledging that he had been wrong and he deserved the consequences of his actions. Afterward, the protagonist left the other protagonists a clear message, stating "Remember, the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.". My weapon is the keyboard, I'm trying to do my part by blogging about it.

Thoughts on Election 1.

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Hitting the sack really has the mind going places. A good friend sent me a text message to watch the senatoriables' debate airing on a prominent local broadcasting channel. My first reaction was, "I didn't register dude 'coz I know it wouldn't matter anyway, and I'm sorry for the complete lack of enthusiasm" so I didn't bother to pick up the remote control lying at an arm's reach. Instead, it got me thinking what that channel would normally air on that time slot if it wasn't voting season. What I deduced from that situation is that the TV station literally cleared up one of their shows just to make room for this which means there are viewers, and when there's an audience, there's money (thank the advertisers for this). I know there's a degree of importance when some people start to make money out of it. Personally, I don't like governance because of the way it twisted the word 'politics' in most countries, which was by the way put into positive light the very first time by my political science professor, but the nearer the election date draws near, the more I can't not think about it.

One of the many things I learned from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy is that you must take it very seriously, dead-serious even when you are destined to rule over a race, because you are thrust with the power to lead a nation to flourish or to its peril. History is literally in your hands. There is a saying I happened upon on the Recess cartoon (a long time ago) that goes, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" and Sauron's character is the very personification of that, doing anything and everything to stay on top, selfish and unmindful of others, treating them all as "expendable". Aragorn on the other hand, is very much aware of the sins of his ancestors and is terrified of the possibility that the innate greed that runs deep in his blood might catch him off guard and spring forth, fueling time and again the perpetuation of evil, so he shuns away from the temptation of power and longs for the peace that was snatched from the races that fought and died for it. Even though he was insecure about it, there were others who believed in him because he possessed king-like attributes, namely:
• Nobility - He understands the word 'Honor' and lives by it. In these deceitful and chaotic times, pity those who cannot fathom it.
• Kindness/Compassionate - He cares for even the smallest race, the hobbits and respects their purpose, even though it would be easier to bully and make fun of them.
• Temperance - He let a steward take over the kingdom of Gondor and chose to be a ranger instead of being the rightful heir. He declined the ring from Frodo when he was offered it (Boromir failed that test).
• Charisma - He easily gains the respect of his fellow men (living and dead) as well as other races, maybe because of the discipline and strength he showed when he chose exile instead of the kingdom.
• Humility - He does not unnecessarily and boastfully lord over his comrades and for this, his words and instructions are accepted and respected.
• Fidelity/Faithfulness - He knows love has bound him to Arwen, and he does not give in to rebound easily (Eowyn) even when he thought the elf has gone for good, and fortunately for him, he thought wrong.
• Impartial/Considerate - He does not let anger and bitterness guide his actions. He does not pass judgment onto others even when he can strike them dead (Wormtongue, Saruman's henchman in Rohan). He gives credit where credit is due (Acknowledging the hobbit's efforts to quell evil).
• Courageous - He does not give in to despair. He gives confidence and inspiration to others even when there seems no reason to be (Battle at Helm's Deep).

Mind you (and I don't get tired of putting emphasis on this), being the descendant of the previous kings did not persuade even himself that he is fit to rule over his fellow men, it is by these qualities that he has shown (therefore, don't think that I am secretly rooting for someone). When was the last time we have ever seen anyone close to this? Some might think that I wasn't acting responsibly when I chose not to register and therefore didn't intend to vote, but I have my reasons and one of them is this. All these candidates may have the money for the campaign, but no good businessman will let an investment, especially a large one go bad. A good leader however, has the "command responsibility" mindset and for the sake of accountability, "takes one for the team", which by the way is Team Philippines. Yes, that is all of us, and when the time comes that someone realizes that campaign money is just money, and will actually take the opportunity to break the vicious cycle and make the country not even the slightest bit ashamed that their allegiance is with the Philippine Flag, only then will I make time to be a part of the voting population.

Thoughts on Summer.

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Not-so breaking news: I still haven't got a job and making some money is all I can think of right now when suddenly this idea pops in my head: what if we can harvest all this nerve-wracking, blazing heat-that-can-cause-someone-to-die-spontaneously from equatorial countries and "sell it by the pound" to northerners who would gladly have it such as Russia, Canada and other countries in the arctic circle?

I came across the thought while thinking about the oversupply of all this heat we have in our country, and when I see the word 'supply', word associations come into play and 'economics' pops in my head next, and then the names "Largoza", "Dakila" and "Javier". Now, the most obvious method for this heat-selling is of course, harvesting by solar panels, which of course is the most feasible right now. In fact, solar-energy has the thumbs-up for a sustainable future, alongside nanotechnology in Discovery Channel, and they've made progress in making the panel made out of silicon collector more efficient and affordable so everyone can live greener. But thinking outside the box, out-of-Earth and into space - as far as Star Trek's Enterprise can take you, what if there is a device that can suck a definite troposphere (the layer of atmosphere closest to the ground) at a particular time and location, then generate it somewhere else? If there was, not only will there be an acceptable summer heat in our country, we'd also be colonizing other planets and other systems if some authoritarian heard about this and thought about the implications on the macro-level and territorial tendencies take over.

So much for too much imagination. Don't you wish I had a job already? Till next time. :)
 
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