THE BOURNE LEGACY

Manila Locations

"YOU MAY BE THE ONE"

That's what Steven Tyler says of Jessica Sanchez. (She reminds him of Liv's mouth/lips. LOL.)

Seriously, Jessica should win. But she's got equally serious competition from Phillip (Phillips, whatta name!) and Skylar (kinda unique, too).

Proud that she's Filipino. Jessica Bugay Sanchez from Bataan.

SLEEPLESS IN MANILA

I'm back blogging and so is my insomnia. And all the blame is on me. I would not be "back" blogging if I had not left my entries blank in a very long while. Neither would I have done so had I not been too busy in recent months; busyness spilled out from last year for both personal and professional reasons. The insomnia is an unwanted side effect feeding the cycle.

Watching the latest on PBB (which now breaks the record for being the longest season perhaps owing to "boring" housemates as some pundits would say), having the occasional massage, being OC enough to monitor daily my fledgling stocks (the obsession irritates me but the current robust stock market makes up for it)...These are a few breaks when I'm neither on Facebook nor Blogspot.

There is also a life question that has been bugging me.

This one's from the net but I have been asking myself this for far too long: What would I regret not fully doing, being or having in my life? It is easy to say that we should have no regrets, that what is done is done. However, for me, the sinking feeling always crops up that I could have done better in many a situation and I didn't step up. It takes a lot of introspection and self-motivation for me to counter it.

I do find comfort in these lines from the George Clooney film "Up in the Air:"

How much does your life weigh?

Imagine for a second
that you're carrying a backpack.

I want you to feel the straps
on your shoulders. Feel 'em?

Now I want you to pack it with
all the stuff that you have in your life.

You start with the little things,
the things on shelves and in drawers
the knick-knacks, the collectibles.

Feel the weight as that adds up.

Then you start adding larger stuff -
clothes, table-top appliances, lamps, linens...
your TV...

The backpack should be getting
pretty heavy now. And you go bigger.

Your couch, bed, your kitchen table.
Stuff it all in there.

Your car, get it in there.

Your home, whether it's
a studio apartment or a two bedroom house.

I want you to stuff it all
into that backpack.

Now try to walk.

It's kind of hard, isn't it?

This is what we do to ourselves
on a daily basis.

We weigh ourselves down until we can't
even move. And make no mistake...
moving is living.

Now, I'm gonna set that backpack on fire.
What do you want to take out of it?

Photos?

Photos are for people who can't remember.
Drink some ginkgo and let the photos burn.

In fact, let everything burn
and imagine waking up tomorrow with nothing.

It's kind of exhilarating, isn't it?

WHITNEY

Her death puts me out from blog hibernation. News about her are all over TV today. The circumstances are intriguing and it is expected that there will be extensive coverage in the next few weeks.

Whitney Houston's erratic behavior from years of drug abuse is public knowledge. Ultimately, she had her life choices and was responsible for her own demise --- my opinion, anyway. Hardcore fans will always maintain a certain image of their idols which is almost always positive.

Her life was a cautionary tale.

OSCARS 2012

PBB UNLIMITED

I'm almost ashamed to admit it. Lately I've been riveted by PBB Unlimited, more particularly the 24/7 edition over Channel 73 on cable. Don't worry, it's not really 24 hours seven days a week unless you include some static represented only by the PBB logo.

It's been said a lot of times that it's getting boring with countless editions already. Undoubtedly, it is an effective tool of ABS-CBN to discover and promote new talents. Some of the network's brightest stars came from the reality show: Sam Milby, Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson, to name a few. But it is refreshing to start watching future showbiz personalities on the raw and follow on their stories until they will have achieved showbiz success.

The current "unlimited" PBB housemates will surely have unlimited potential outside. Predictions? These are a few standouts so far on my end:

BIGGEL

TIN

JERICO

JESSICA

It's 3 to 1 High Voltage! And Jessica is nominated and could go out as of this writing.

FAREWELL, DEAR CLASSMATE

Both are surprising, to say the least. Two deaths too many; one too hard to accept.

Christmas time, happy time. If not marred by a single tragedy amid many brought on by Sendong. Like the previous one which happened, of all the days of the year 2011, in our alma mater's foundation week, this one is specially tragic.

I am not a good batchmate in the sense that I attend meetings and what-not religiously. But I have a respect for history and a genuine sense of belonging to a group of people, mostly my age, who passed though High School together. I have a few I hold dear and these include classmates whom I haven't seen for long periods of time. Some we meet along the way as we travel our individual journeys and we do not fail to reminisce those days of struggle to get into transition from immature to mature.

And there are special people in that group that you felt connected to no matter how remote and seemingly inconsequential the past interactions might have been.

She was my classmate and seatmate in First Year High School, Section: Lopez Jaena. That was a detail anyone might not care to remember but I do. She was charming, unassuming, and you would know right away she came from wealth by the way she carried her uniform to the quality of her school paraphernalia...If anyone cares to disagree, these are my impressions and they are as valid as reality, beyond any objections to the contrary.

A memory that I will always cherish was the feeling of satisfaction, a sort of 'pat in the back' from this lovely lady owing to her almost natural tendency to give appreciation to the simplest of things. I remember drawing figures and whatever 'artistic' details on my notebooks. It was like an addiction. I would later have had those notebooks disposed of out of embarrassment because I felt it was not natural to be writing anything on one's notebook other than the notes intended for academic purposes. She had a different perspective. She would have me draw on her notebooks, too. Especially 'border designs' on the edges and 'sketch dividers' on pages. I never received such appreciation for that 'work' from anybody else.

Later on in High School, she was assigned to another section, but quite fittingly, in our last year, we became classmates again. This time, she'd grown into sophistication and had become a campus figure. I would see her from a distance and I was happy for the success she had earned through those four years. We never once discussed or even fleetingly talked about the 'artistic endeavor,' that bond which I always considered special. Yet I have always felt, whenever she was around, that she remembered. It was just not something you talk or rave about; it was a silent affirmation of the innate goodness of select people.

I still think it is unfair. However, if there's anything the past decades have taught me, it is that as we grow older and wiser, we become more accepting of things we cannot change and therefore more courageous in the face of even the most shocking of events.

You will be missed. You were and you will always be a Lovely lady.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Christmas 2011, New Year's Eve 2012.

I won't be going home for these. Instead my mother will come over to Manila and Davao to celebrate Christmas with me and New Year's Eve with my brother in the south.

Traveling is expensive even though Cebu Pacific claims to have year-round promos. I have an unused voucher owing to the airline's marketing strategy not to honor vouchers during peek seasons. What irks me is that ordinary people like us don't normally travel on lean months because that's supposed to be the territory of the rich. (As the majority wiggles in poverty, the few jet-sets; thus the lean travel period.)

My proclaimed intention to fly to Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur is on hold. Manila is not that bad. I reckon there will be less traffic but I'm not too sure. There are good local movies in the upcoming film festival, I have seen quite a few trailers. Hopefully, local cinema keeps on improving. They should take on the responsibility; after all 2011 is when all box-office records are broken with reportedly nearly three quarters of a billion pesos worth of local film tickets sold.

So it will all be about the movies this holiday season for me. Maybe some foreign films crop up, perhaps the latest Mission Impossible and Meryl Streep as Thatcher in The Iron Lady.

Happy holidays!

I DON'T LIKE CRITICS

I don't know how to start this post that is why I started this with this. As always, I would say it's been a long time that I haven't been blogging. Which is just stating the obvious because blog entries have dates when they are written and you have eyes to see them albeit I have no right to judge the way you use them (your eyes) nor do I like judging in general. (I hate it in everyday life when people evaluate you whether at home, in the office, or anywhere.)

Speaking of seeing and judging, let me try to start with the latest film I've seen. In Time. From wikipedia I learned its previous title was Now and Im.mortal which is kinda interesting but which basically reveals its plot. I don't know if the change had affected the box-office or the critics' perception of the movie.

I watched it because Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake look good together on the poster. They do too in the movie and pretty much say the same about themselves as part of the movie's dialogue where they (or maybe just one of them) sort of admires how they looked on a "wanted" poster. I was mildly surprised that the cinema was packed. Again from wikipedia I learned it has not earned that much in the U.S. (I'm beginning to realize I rely on wikipedia too much.)

Bottom line is the film made me think hard of the implications of genetic alterations that would make possible the change of currency from monetary to, well, existential. Right now I can't exactly say I am clear about what I want in terms of the number of years I would like to be alive. It's easy to quote a number like a hundred. But a hundred years, though very much possible, is fearsome (to me, anyway); the way my self-esteem goes, a frail body with a schizophrenic life is not at all appealing. The movie is thus an inspiration. What if it's possible to live hundreds of years to infinity looking the way you look at 25 because the ageing process conveniently stops at that age? It would be fantastic. However, it would be a stretch for myself and others in my age bracket to hope for a retroactive effect; it's probably something for another movie: Back to the Future.

I can't say anything about the acting and the characterization and the emotional depth the story provides because I have long ago stopped to be a critic. I find film critics to be in bad taste. You decide to watch a movie that is not your own and you expect it to be exactly the way you want it made? Let's just respect the work of others and cut short our subjective opinions and come out with the objective ones. After all, we surrender ourselves to what a filmmaker has to offer when we accepted that offer in the first place by paying for the tickets.

I don't know how to end this post either and I have to in a few minutes because an appointment is waiting.

(I'm beginning to get irritated by my use of "I" in almost every paragraph now.)

Okay, I now know how to end this thinking that I'm beginning to criticize myself. End an essay using the title!

I. do. not. like. critics.

EXHALE

Whew! It's been a hundred years that I haven't been blogging. I feel a personal guilt. Whatever that means.

But no, I won't talk about my recent trip abroad, how wonderful and worthwhile it may have been. Though I must admit that short venture in a foreign land does inspire me to reflect on a few things. And neither would I talk about those reflections here.

So what are we talking about? Essentially nothing. I've learned not to put forward things in one go, in a haste. Because haste makes waste. I want to savor memory by not unloading it. If at all, I'll do it slowly.

Looking back there have been times when I felt so happy then blogged about it or put forth FB to represent the feeling to the world, exhaling every bit of energy the next hour or day. Then the memory fades into nothingness because nature kinda wear things easily if they are ever repeated, overused...

Just like breathing we have to exhale what we inhale. Unlike breathing, our life experiences bottled up in moments tend to linger more within us if kept there and we are left waiting to exhale.

OSCARS 2011

2011

I'm tired of "Merry Christmas," and now "Happy New Year" even if the latter is still appropriate.

That does not stop me from hoping 2011 will bring a whole new attitude, the way I've been conditioning myself in the past year to improve my, well, attitude (or more clearly "outlook in life").

You see I discovered I'm suffering from negativity bias. But I have been doing something about it. 2011 will bare the fruits my labor bears...

Here's one positive thing:

SHAKIRA FRESH

AT RANDOM

I go to this specific place almost without thinking why and how. It can be "place addiction," something I remember blogging about years ago. The reason it's coming back to my attention is that it is coming back to my routine.

This makes me ask: If we are not bound, as in at least a portion of our "personal time," by the social structures of our lives (i.e., our jobs, our family if we have one, our passionate endeavors whatever they may be), what brings us to where we are going? There's little or no motivation at all to be there, yet we find ourselves there.

Since I have been sorta checking out quantum physics (struggling with its complexities), I wonder if the theoretical vibrating strings have somehow something to do with our almost involuntary movements.

Tomorrow, at least, all roads lead to a place via satellite. I will be at The Grand Opera Hotel once again, this time for Pacquiao-Margarito. Here's hoping the billion quarks composing Pacquiao's body outdo the billion quarks of Margarito. That's in Physics. In Finance, Pacquiao already won. Whereas Margarito gets only millions of pesos (3-5 million U.S. dollars), Pacquaio will have more than a billion pesos (30-35 million U.S. dollars) after the fight.

CUECO FAMILY

I did blog about this before and learned to correct a few mistakes along the way as I slowly took interest in Filomeno Cueco's progeny. A little satori prodded me to delve more.

Filomeno, as in Chaos Theory, was an initial condition. Of course our culture dictates the male surname to prevail. That doesn't take away the fact that a certain Marcelina Saba became an indispensable factor. And truly she's half of a couple we are all grateful for.

They have had offspring. One was purportedly a soldier and died a single man. But Filomeno sired a child with another woman. If I'm not mistaken, she's female, her name was Mary, prohibiting as it did the proliferation of the name Cueco in her line as our culture has always been as it is now. Another son of Filomeno, Pedro, seemingly followed on his productive footsteps and had fathered someone named Fely (popularly known to me as "Piling Manghihilot." LOL, mawalang galang na!). Surely, the descendants of these women are our blood relatives. Unfortunately, I have trouble knowing their names much less recognize them face to face.

Their individual personal circumstances --- Filomeno, the soldier son, Pedro --- likely carried down the line, there would be pattern amid the chaos after all.

Such is a fact of life. And if we really want to fully appreciate our consanguinity, it is impossible. Unless we are royalty. The British are famous for that because of an empire that lasted for centuries. Queen Elizabeth II can trace her own descent from antiquity. It is because her ancestors were rulers who were recognized by a proud and grateful nation.

I, with our cousins and distant relatives, can only be proud of Filomeno Cueco. And to remember him a hundred years after his prime is enough tribute because we were never an empire. Yet he is, in my own estimation (but I suspect this observation is scientific), only 1/8 of where I came from. (Okay we have to stop at a certain level unless you start invoking an almost endless list going back to Adam and Eve or way way back to the Big Bang.) What about the other seven parts? Indeed, they deserve remembering too.

However, we are currently onto and into Facebook --- a phenomenon of the modern world. We go by the times. So damn what is fair. As far as I am concerned, my 1/8 Cueco generates more Facebook profiles than the other seven.

No Facebook account, no mention. (For those not yet "discovered," well, soon you will be, hopefully.) Exceptions are in order for Filomeno, Marcelina, Flavia, Sofonias and Pedro; we can't blame them for not having Facebook, can we?

Here it goes:

I WANT!

If nobody can give me this book for free or I can't find it leaked somewhere in the blogosphere, I'll definitely buy it by Christmas when it must already be available in Manila.

The media is in a tizzy over Stephen Hawking’s new book, The Grand Design, in which he argues that God did not create the universe.

“Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing … It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going,” writes Hawking.

Hawking’s new theories about the origins of the universe have grabbed headlines all over the world. The media frenzy was led by the London Times (subscription only) last week with the front page headline “Hawking: God did not create universe.”

Of course, all the publicity surrounding Stephen Hawking has boosted sales of his book. The Grand Design is currently the number one top seller on Amazon, beating other hot books like Mockingjay, Freedom, and Tony Blair’s memoir.

Here’s more information about The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow (Available September 7, 2010):

THE FIRST MAJOR WORK IN NEARLY A DECADE BY ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT THINKERS—A MARVELOUSLY CONCISE BOOK WITH NEW ANSWERS TO THE ULTIMATE QUESTIONS OF LIFE

When and how did the universe begin? Why are we here? Why is there something rather than nothing? What is the nature of reality? Why are the laws of nature so finely tuned as to allow for the existence of beings like ourselves? And, finally, is the apparent “grand design” of our universe evidence of a benevolent creator who set things in motion—or does science offer another explanation?

The most fundamental questions about the origins of the universe and of life itself, once the province of philosophy, now occupy the territory where scientists, philosophers, and theologians meet—if only to disagree. In their new book, Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow present the most recent scientific thinking about the mysteries of the universe, in nontechnical language marked by both brilliance and simplicity.

In The Grand Design they explain that according to quantum theory, the cosmos does not have just a single existence or history, but rather that every possible history of the universe exists simultaneously. When applied to the universe as a whole, this idea calls into question the very notion of cause and effect. But the “top-down” approach to cosmology that Hawking and Mlodinow describe would say that the fact that the past takes no definite form means that we create history by observing it, rather than that history creates us. The authors further explain that we ourselves are the product of quantum fluctuations in the very early universe, and show how quantum theory predicts the “multiverse”—the idea that ours is just one of many universes that appeared spontaneously out of nothing, each with different laws of nature.

Along the way Hawking and Mlodinow question the conventional concept of reality, posing a “model-dependent” theory of reality as the best we can hope to find. And they conclude with a riveting assessment of M-theory, an explanation of the laws governing us and our universe that is currently the only viable candidate for a complete “theory of everything.” If confirmed, they write, it will be the unified theory that Einstein was looking for, and the ultimate triumph of human reason.

A succinct, startling, and lavishly illustrated guide to discoveries that are altering our understanding and threatening some of our most cherished belief systems, The Grand Design is a book that will inform—and provoke—like no other.
SOURCE: The Guardian via Daemonbooks.

DEFENDING THE INDEFENSIBLE

Two events happened in two successive days. Everyone is talking about them. These are my summed up thoughts in defense of the indefensible:

1. Rolando Mendoza had raised a good family. A son is also police officer, a daughter graduated with honors from university. (A brother who is also with the police force is embroiled with controversy for his participation in the hostage negotiation. But that's another story.) That he had gone amok showed how twisted his mind had become. He may have really deeply felt injustice. Dismissed from the service, he would still have a family to cling on to. That he admitted his life was "wasted" anyway therefore he was willing to risk losing it showed what he thought was the injustice done to him far outweighed the possibility of starting life anew with support from his family. I am now fully intrigued if the Christian Kalaw story was truthful.

2. The question was lame, lousy and corny. One cannot be blamed for any answer. But isn't that how questions are crafted in beauty pageants? That was circumstancial. The failures and successes of Venus Raz were and will be due to circumstances beyond her control. Besides, it was not entirely a failure. She's 4th Runner-Up, not exactly a loser.

3. Hong Kong nationals who are angry at Filipinos because they generalize an isolated incident should take it from Jackie Chan. The actor who is very popular here in the Philippines twitted to the effect that what happened was a "sala sa init, sala sa lamig" situation. If the hostage-taker was shot beforehand, human rights groups would have claimed overkill. Obviously, criticisms are bound to show up regardless of the handling. Unless the French Elite Force was involved.

4. Venus Raz should not be blamed for her answer. She could have delivered the most spectacular response but the fact remains that Miss Mexico is very beautiful, indeed the most beautiful among them all. The universe is unfolding as it should.

Having said all that, and instead of peppering this post with pictures of the double whammy (bus and gowns galore), I would like to refer you to the Tagalog version of Desiderata:

D E S I D E R A T A

HUMAYO kang mapayapa sa gitna ng ingay at pagmamadali, at alalahanin mo kung anong kapayapaan mayroon sa katahimikan. Hangga’t maaari, ng walang pagsuko, maging mabuti ang pakikitungo mo sa lahat ng tao. Ipahayag mo ang iyong katotohanan ng tahimik at buong linaw; at makinig ka sa iba, maging sa mga kabagot-bagot at mangmang; sila man ay mayroon ding sariling salaysay.

IWASAN mo ang maiingay at mapupusok na tao; sila ay mga pang-inis sa isip. Kung ihahambing mo ang iyong sarili sa iba, maaari kang maging palalo o may sama ng loob, sapagka’t lagi na’y mayroong mas nakahihigit at mas nakabababang mga tao kaysa sa iyo.

MASIYAHAN ka sa iyong mga nakamtan gayundin sa iyong mga balakin. Manatili kang interesado sa iyong sariling hanapbuhay, gaano man kababa; Ito’y isang tunay na pag-aari sa pabago-bagong kapalaran ng panahon.

GAWIN mo nag pag-iingat sa iyong mga gawaing pangkalakal, sapagka’t ang daigdig ay tigib ng panlilinlang. Subali’t huwag mo itong bayaang bumulag sa iyo sa kung anong kabutihan ang mayroon dito; maraming tao ang nagpupunyagi tungo sa matataas na hangarin, at kahit saan ang buhay ay puno ng kabayanihan.

IKAW ay maging ikaw. Lalo’t higit ay huwag mong dayain ang pagmamahal. O ‘di kaya’y maging mapag-alinlangan ka tungkol sa pag-ibig; sapagka’t sa harap ng lahat ng kahugkagan at pagkasuklam, ito’y kasing-tatag ng mga damo.

Tanggapin mo ng may kagandahang loob ang payo ng mga taon, buong kagitingang isinusuko ang mga bagay ng kabataan. Alagaan mo ang lakas ng pag-iisip upang ipananggalang laban sa madidilim na kaisipan. Marami sa mga pangamba ay hatid ng pagod at kalungkutan. Sa kabila ng isang mabuting disiplina, maging mahinahon ka.

IKAW ay anak ng sanlibutan, hindi hamak kaysa mga puno at mga bituin; may karapatan kang maparito. At maging ito man ay malinaw o hindi sa iyo, walang alinlangan na ang sanlibutan ay umiinog gaya ng nararapat nitong gawin. Kung gayon, maging mapayapa ka sa piling ng Diyos, anuman ang iyong pananaw tungkol sa Kanya. At anuman ang iyong mga pagpapagal at mithiin, sa maingay na kalituhan ng buhay, pamalagiin mo ang kapayapaan sa iyong kaluluwa.

SA KABILA ng kanyang mga pagkukunwari, pagkaalipin at gumuhong mga pangarap, ito’y isa pa ring magandang daigdig. Maging maingat ka. Pagsumikapan mong maging maligaya.

WATER EFFECT

Remembering Ondoy. (And my most-watched YouTube video ever with 37,000+ views and counting...)

MORE OUT OF LIFE

It's almost a month now that I haven't been blogging. Familiarity breeds contempt? Maybe. But I have been busy with other things, perhaps more exciting and real.

Slowly I'm back browsing my own site. I make little changes here and there. This post proves my interest is somehow rekindled. It's true what they say about leaving and coming back again; one appreciates the freshness of revisiting, the vigor of the revisited.

There's more to life than _________. The blank could be blogging, could be anything you thought worthwhile that you further thought you couldn't live without. I have proven that. At least to myself. Remembering the past I could not believe I have done what I singularly did, much less survive the intricacies of the deed. (For my privacy, the deed shall remain unnamed. Just think of your own worst life experience that was self-induced. If you don't have any, well, congratulations! You're a near perfect human being!)

And now I am channeling this renewed thinking into my newfound resolve to lose some weight. For the past two weeks I have been into what is called Intermittent Fasting (IF). It's Eat-Stop-Eat, 24 hours apart. It means I eat normally (or hold a personal feast if I want to) today and completely stop eating tomorrow (taking in only water) and then back to eating the next day. As simple as that.

I am feeling the positive effects already. I feel stronger than I used to. Yes, in the beginning, it can be very difficult. The hunger is the devil. But research about IF on the net and you'll get all the encouragement you need. You'll be surprised how eating habits stop our body's natural tendency for self-repair.

For me, for now anyway, there's more to life than food!

LSS

CAN ANYBODY EXPLAIN THIS?

Partial Unofficial Tally as of 2010-05-12 11:06:11 88.60% of ERs

Presidentiables
1 AQUINO, Benigno Simeon III C. 13,593,033
2 ESTRADA EJERCITO, Joseph M. 8,616,269
3 VILLAR, Manuel Jr B. 4,919,410
4 TEODORO, Gilberto Jr. C. 3,624,924
5 VILLANUEVA, Eduardo C. 1,010,778
6 GORDON, Richard J. 462,009
7 ACOSTA, Vetellano S. 161,305
8 PERLAS, Jesus Nicanor P. 48,343
9 MADRIGAL, Jamby A. 41,522
10 DE LOS REYES, John Carlos G. 39,522
--------------
32,517,115
--------------
Vice Presidentiables
1 BINAY, Jejomar C. 13,265,338
2 ROXAS, Manuel A. 12,473,666
3 LEGARDA, Loren B. 3,726,043
4 FERNANDO, Bayani F. 926,018
5 MANZANO, Eduardo B. 696,169
6 YASAY, Perfecto R. 326,540
7 SONZA, Jose Y. 56,866
8 CHIPECO, Dominador Jr F. 46,748
--------------
31,517,388
--------------

DIFFERENCE 999,727
===============

SOURCE: gmanews.tv/eleksyon2010

Note that the data already represent 88.60% of Election Returns. Why the difference of almost a million? I voted for Roxas and remain his supporter so to those who are rejoicing over Binay's victory using the above data, you better wait for more data.

From a mathematical point of view, it's puzzling that the published results indicated above do not seem to tally. If we were shading only one bilog na itlog each for the presidential and vice-presidential positions, the total number of votes for each position must be approximately the same at any given percentage of the counting. How come the discrepancy is a staggering 999,727 votes at this stage of the counting (88.60% of Election Returns)? It would not be 100% the same (that's why it must just approximate) because some might vote/shade for their president and leave blank/unshaded the vice-president bilog na itlog. But that difference IMO is certainly suspect! And it's more or less the lead of Binay over Roxas using the above data.

Can anybody neutral explain this?

IN MY PRECINCT

That's a snapshot of the official results of the specific precinct where I voted as transmitted to the COMELEC server in Manila. You see I'm 100% sure the one vote for Perlas came from none other than moi!

SHAKIRA'S BACK!

Did I say she's a favorite music artist? After what seemed like a long hiatus, she's back. For the World Cup 2010 in South Africa.

Speaking of music artists, you might want to check this out. Charice has a new album made in the U.S.A. We must be proud of her.

FASCINATING

I just have the urge to post this. CNN reports about a new documentary on the Discovery Channel about Stephen Hawking's prediction of a "fearsome" extraterrestrial existence.

F. A. S. C. I. N. A. T. I. N. G.

And, for me, the best comments (among hundreds) on that post, are:

"I have great admiration for Professor Hawking, but I think he's quite wrong on this point.

Any species that could travel between stars would likely have solved its resource problems long ago. (Put differently, solving resource issues is likely much easier than the very difficult prospect of traveling between stars.)

Also, any such species would likely have overcome its inclination toward war and violence: otherwise it would have destroyed itself long before reaching such an advanced stage.

Dangerous aliens are good for science fiction stories, but the likelihood is that any species so advanced beyond our level of technology would also be advanced beyond our level of ethical development." [by: David Brett]

"Any race that has the ability to warp the fabric of space and time in order to cross the infinite cosmos and visit us would have no problem wiping us out of the universe. I think Half-Life 2's "7-Hour War" is being generous to the humans.

But would they attack? Who's to say. It depends on how the collective culture of that race has developed over the eons. Humans came from a race of territorial monkeys that guarded what precious little they had with their lives – hence our penchant for blood. But, what if we had evolved from the tiny organisms that make up a man-o-war? Our very nature would be one that we need one another to survive and thrive – in which case we would try to assimilate anyone else we came across into our own culture.

They will have been conditioned by countless events in a past that we know nothing about. Not even the great Steven Hawking can guess this answer." [by: JG]

I live for this stuff!

ELECTIONS 2010

It's exactly two weeks before the national elections. Four days earlier than that, the British people will choose a Prime Minister. We, on the other hand, will be electing virtually all positions of government a democratic set-up can have.

Trouble could be brewing. We will have an automated elections. What percentage of our voting populace knows about "shading" ballots? I took my licensure exams way way back by shading the appropriate spots garnering a passing rate. That's all the experience I have. And I already had lots of misgivings then.

Add to the pot the political peculiarity anywhere that there are no losers, only protesters. Our country is well known for that.

And now, days before the actual voting, groups petition the Comelec to have a parallel manual count. WTF! Nag-automation pa, spending billions of pesos in the process! One can only imagine the post-election speculations that will inevitable come out whether the request is granted or not.

Sala sa init, sala sa lamig ang mangyayari.

But of course, there's the possibility, no matter how slim, that it turns out well. Still, Villar conceding after spending his supposed hard-earned billions? Or Noynoy accepting defeat after the supposed credible surveys hailed his victory? Highly unlikely.


P.S. Perlas-Roxas must be destined. Otherwise, provocateurs will be lording over.

ROAD MAP

The road map to anything can be stressful. From the simple to the complex, the choices we make can be very difficult. Yet we have to do them in order to move on. This is especially true for the discerning person. Or, rather, to describe myself, for the meticulous person.

Thinking about this makes me lean more on the concept that our decisions are governed by cosmic forces, if you will, and not by any conscious undertaking by our brains. A nanosecond is all it takes to shift direction while absent-mindedly walking. And even if we do have planning sessions that could take months, there are too many factors already taken in to substantially influence the final outcome that it could not have been 100% choice.

Anyway, I came upon these thoughts while browsing through academic reviews on the famous poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. It's straightforward at first glance but there are actually quite a number of interpretations. Some see either pessimism or optimism. I won't dwell anymore on what I read. Suffice it is to say that I do have my own interpretation which I believe can stand scrutiny. Not that I'd share it with anybody for scrutiny. Applying it to my own life experience, I'm satisfied that the poem hit the bull's eye.

So how do you interpret this?

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

RECENT PAST

Waiting for my flight at T3.

Take-off, hovering above Metro Manila.

At 35,000 feet.

On board, excited.

"Stolen" photo, taken no less by Ganda.

Ganda finally cozies up to Uncle.

Birthday girl. (It's Merxelle's b-day, too, in Singapore! Happy B-day!)

Double sip.

"Stolen" shot of Lola.

Isle's and King2's serious play.

Naughty girl with Lola.

Good Friday mood.

ONE HIT WONDER

Have you heard of a band named Trademark? I haven't until I got 'infected' with LSS by their single "Only Love."

It's almost always true (at least for me) that the greatest songs do not come from the most popular music artists.

RIGHT TO VOTE

I just confirmed it. I can vote this May 10! Can you?

Go to http://www.comelec.gov.ph now and check your status!

WE HAVE A CHOICE

****FOR PRESIDENT****NICANOR PERLAS

NICANOR JESUS PINEDA PERLAS, III


***FOR VICE-PRESIDENT***MAR ROXAS

MANUEL ARANETA ROXAS, II

There you have it Che, my choice. Please read their linked wiki pages. From the limited information alone, you can see why they are what our country needs. It's great that we don't have the U.S. system of "tandem voting" where one votes for a set of Presidential and Vice-Presidential bets. We can mix them up for better results.

PERLAS-ROXAS. Sounds nice. Must be wise.

HAHAHAHA!!!

MAMA'S BIRTHDAY CONCERT

Well, not exactly her birthday concert. It was five days before her 70th birthday alright and I brought her to a concert at the Music Museum. I could see she enjoyed it so much and we hope to do it again in the future.

It's a curse that I always seem to forget my camera/video player whenever there's absolutely a need for it. My mother's cellphone came to the rescue but the quality is something else. But at least we had proof we were there, hehe.

The performers were Ronnie Liang, Sheryn Regis and Laarni Lozada. They do not ring a bell yet to the mainstream music scene but they are talented enough to quite possibly make it to the big time. The venue was jampacked but not the kind where stampedes could happen as when superstars hold their concerts. Just what I was looking for --- I wouldn't want to fight out a seat especially with my mother in tow. And we were in for a treat because we got premium seats, on the second row, literally in front of the stage where you can make out even the smallest scars on the performers.

Since I could not upload the footage I took using my mother's cellphone, I tried searching the net a bit. Wow! I found a set of YouTube videos by casper0125's Channel of the concert!

My mother will be thrilled to see that at some point in one of the videos her unmistakable mane with protruding glasses is silhouetted against the bright light from the stage. Figure out from the videos below. (Okay, to cut to the chase, see the first autoplayed video with Sheryn Regis performing, to the left.)

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

Sooner or later our eyes will play tricks with us. It is as sure as getting older by the day. Yet most people, especially the younger ones, take vision for granted. This is because humans are blessed with "resilient" eyes. Also, technology has taken brilliant steps to protect this all too important organ. However, costs can be prohibitive. But not to the conscientious consumer. The internet is a treasure-trove of product information and great buys for the eyes!

The #1 online Rx glasses store

That website explains everything plus a blogger has some interesting observations:

Eric's Review of Zenni Optical

If you are looking for quality glasses at affordable prices, the Lowest Price Progressive Glasses are for you.



While it is true that the internet is also home to shams and trickery, it can also be a venue for spreading what is truthful and real. These glasses are offered cheap because they come straight from factories. And the sellers avoid expensive advertisement through the use of word-of-mouth, or more accurately, "roll-of-eyes" in a positive sense reading webpages like this helping promote a deserving product.

B.A.I.A.S. RECOMMENDS: UP IN THE AIR

No movie has ever riveted me as much since The Silence of the Lambs. I think the movies are an extention of our real lives. A favorite aunt once told me she always puts herself on the shoes of the lead character (or any role you fancy) when watching a film. Because that's what you're supposed to do to fully get the medium's message and entertainment value. I have done so many times but there were very few characters that I genuinely liked in recent and past movies. In this one I appreciate so much the lessons it has imparted to me and the overall spirit of what the film is about.

All the lead actors were Oscar-nominated for their portrayals in the movie (Best Actor for George Clooney, Best Supporting Actress nods for Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick) but it's the philosophical truths and theories that really draw in the accolades.

Two points most important to me that are expounded:

1. Relationship and commitment. I completely agree with the George Clooney character's arguments set forth in the first half of the film. Though I do understand the counter-arguments that seem to shatter his solid grip on the lifestyle he is leading in the latter part. In the end, I think he stood up for his principles. No to marriage. No to commitment but tempered by an appreciation of the possible happiness and contentment that other people do experience with settling down and having a family. Let's face it. No status guarantees a happier existence.

2. Emotional baggage that things and people bear on us. We are sharks, not swans. That's a thought-provoking idea that really got across. Indeed sharks swim freely and fast. Swans are slow; as if they are carrying something heavy even though they look lithe. People need not carry unnecessary burdens. Yes we are prone to worry. We are overly concerned of our relatives and loved ones. At times I even worry about the fates of the beggar, the street children, the poverty-stricken. I certainly worry about my finances. Heck I'm the worst worrier truth be told. But I always have this nagging suspicion that somehow I'll get reprieve somewhere. An affirmation that I am not the only worrier in the world and that I can get over it. Watching this movie has given me that. So I'm glad I did.

PACQUIAO-CLOTTEY

Three straight fights in a row I watched the events at the Manila Grand Opera Hotel. The first two fights, bringing of food inside the venue was not an issue. This time around I got forced to eat my baon outside. Corkage is the issue. Crass commercialism or not, I thought the little discomfort would be compensated by the entertainment value of any Pacquiao fight. I was proven wrong.

The undercard and exhibitions before the main event were satisfactory. In fact, they are a sort of bonus because what you intended to watch is Pacquiao. The estimated 51,000 people inside the Cowboys Stadium made sure that message is clear by seemingly disregarding at times the featured bouts whenever the big screens up on the ceiling flashes Pacquiao.

And then here comes Clottey. This is my opinion and I came up to it vividly by watching Clottey's dismal performance. He sold out. He pretended to fight for the audience to not notice what he knew all along: Pacquiao must win this one. For the future of the sport. For the glory denied him when he was "defeated" by Cotto because why should he now not give in to the system when the first time around the system robbed him. Better connive than get conned again.

Why is the future of the sport involved? It's Mayweather-Pacquiao, stupid.

HUMAN NATURE

I tried inserting my ATM card to a terminal owned by a bank which is not my card issuer. A minimal fee of usually P10 can be expected for any withdrawal. Alas, just as the machine started to process the transaction it conked out. My card promptly ejected from the slit but not completely. I attempted to fish it out with my fingers (I have no decent fingernails from years of nail-biting "enthusiasm," mind you) to no avail. Someone next in line offered help. But before I could give my consent, he already pushed my card with his own thereby helping the machine (instead of helping me) capture the card entirely. Talk of a good Samaritan gone bad. Well, some people are like that. They may have all the good intentions in the world but because they are who they are, definitely not who I am, they bring further damage. I would never have done what he did. I am not as aggressive by nature.

But what am I in this kind of situation? I can truly say I am a disappointment too. What I did before the unsolicited help came was to get my set of keys from my pocket and used one to sorta pull the card. Hindsight is 20/20. What I should have done, like what a succeeding victim I observed had done, was to get any two other ATM or ID cards and kinda grip the trapped card on both sides and then pull.

It was awesome looking at the smart woman who successfully got her card out without help from anybody. To make matters worse, morally speaking, I didn't warn her. It was a few minutes after the machine restored its normal functioning when she tried it. I wanted to see the reaction of other victims and was blinded by my selfishness. So I experimented at her expense. And she came out on top. Shame on me! I felt so guilty I vowed to blog about this and expose myself.

To unburden me from my bruised "sense of justice," I staked out for a while near the terror ATM machine. An old lady came followed by two teenagers. As she was about to insert her card, I warned her. She looked at me and said Thank You quite profusely. The others did not attempt as well. I heaved a sigh of relief. I have paid my dues kahit konti.

I needed to file a complaint and call the bank's hotline. What a waste of time; I have to go back the next banking day to retrieve my ATM card.

This is why I admire smooth operators and street-smart people. I can only learn from this experience and hope to have presence of mind in the future.