Come Hell or High Water
DISCLAIMER: You cannot use this to sue me. I am a minor. ...Oh, shit. I forgot, I'm not a minor anymore. Therefore I amend my former statement - you cannot use this to sue me. I have a right to state my opinion. Meanwhile you can go shove your libel cases up your damned arses.
O, February is an unlucky month,
Hey, nonny, nonny, nay-oh!
Shall we never get through with this rash of misfortunes? I'm starting to think Lemony Snicket just might write a sequel Series...
It's depressing. First that Wowwowwee Stampede at Ultra - 72 dead; then the landslide at Leyte that killed over a thousand people and counting; then, yesterday, yet another coup d'etat attempt, causing GMA to declare her second State of Emergency today.
The other day I saw this A. Lipin cartoon in the PDI, featuring a rallyist carrying a "WARS KILL!" placard. When the Prof, the protagonist, asks him whether he means armed conflict, he replies. "No. Even unarmed conflicts kill. Like the war for ratings - 72 killed!"
How true. And while this may be belated, I still wish to react upon the matter. I have read so many articles, editorials, and what not, citing the "tragedy". But what few people seem to realize is that the true tragedy is that we have evolved into a capitalist society that places more value on money than on human life.
Money is totally overrated. Elementary economics will tell you that most of it is fiat money - useless, valueless, worth only the paper it is printed on and in fact probably less. Each paper bill denotes a debt that the Central Bank will (eventually) pay. But, as we all must realize, we take it for granted that such a debt really will be paid, such that money appears to actually have a value for us, when in fact all we're doing is passing debts around.
What is more, the media (and not just ABS-CBN, although it was their idiotic show that started this whole thing) has been feeding the gullible masses some fairy tale (in the usual incorrect sense of the term - I'm sorry, Ma'am Michelle!) starring them, the Cinderellas, and all these game shows as benevolent Fairy Godmothers going "Bibbidy-bobbidy-boo, here's a million just for you!" They thus propagate the belief that wealth can and should be gotten without work, simply by relying on luck and the open-fistedness of the much richer. It's dangling a string of fishes in front of a hungry man and never teaching him how to fish. And since, with that mindset, they can never learn to help themselves, it is only expected that the ignorant masses will be more and more dependent on dole-outs than on good, honest employment. In other words, our society is slowly metamorphosing into one of lazy, unproductive, useless beggars - and those "in power" are using the fact to manipulate things to their own advantage, instead of trying to rectify the situation. We're being ruled by Mother Courages who are capitalizing on every single small bit of income/power source they can get their hands on... and we're being brainwashed to think that it ought to stay that way.
The people, of course, are also to blame for believing such wishy-washy thoughts of a magic fix and happily-ever-after. Darlings, it just doesn't happen that way, trust me. The world sucks. But we can't just wait around for a miracle. We ought to be doing something. I mean (and this is for those Providence-freaks out there, who might be all "It's God's will" and all that cra- er, jazz) remember that woman who had to drag herself through a crowd just to touch the hem of Jesus's robe? He told her, "Your faith has made you well", but she didn't just sit around believing: she actually went out of her way to touch Him. In effect, she helped to cure herself. That is what we're supposed to be doing. Not lounging around for two hours a day watching some noontime show.
By the way: despite the coup attempt and the rallies at EDSA, Eat Bulaga (Wowwowwee's rival on the same timeslot, in GMA) is on today. Come coup or People Power, to rephrase an old adage... ratings must be kept, money must be made...
People keep sending aid to the landslide victims in Leyte. Not that I'm scrooging but isn't it kind oftheir fault too, for living in such an accident-prone place? I'm joining the house-building teams that CERSA is sure to field, though. Those people have been through enough without my pointing fingers at them.
Not so those yellow-wearing malcontents at EDSA. Honestly! And Cory there as well, still trying to shove her oar into the Administration for all that she's had her turn in power already! You'd think all these former presidents would have had their fill of doing whatever they had wanted to do (or doing nothing) back when they were the head honchos, without wanting to keep on doing it forever. I swear, they're all closet Marcoses. Pretending to want democracy when, in truth, all they want is to watch out for Number One.
There are two major problems with the governing system here in the Philippines. First, it's that we have a lack of leaders who are actually looking out for the welfare of the country, and not just a few of its "closer" inhabitants. Most of the people who might serve the country well are in other places, or are in "lowly" stations like teaching, or cloistered in parishes/churches and therefore lacking the right (supposedly) to meddle in state affairs - I'm talking small-time people here, because our system as a way of corrupting anybody who ascends past a certain level, turning them all into dirty politicians. Note that I'm not saying we are TOTALLY devoid of capable leaders. It's just that they are a minority, compared to celebrities and paranoid schizophrenics who think that the little voice in their heads, telling them to run for office, is the voice of God.
The second major problem is that, sadly, we are actually a society that is not ready for democracy. Turning the reins over to the people implies a population of thinking, informed, mature individuals who may be trusted to make logical and far-sighted decisions. As we all know, majority of the Philippine people are a sadly mis- or uneducated masa, who can only judge by appearances and are taken in by the get-rich-quick myths of noontime TV. Proof of our inability to choose wisely is the number of presidents we've put into power and then deposed (or attempted to) again, because we "realized" too late that we had made the wrong choice. And then we get into the mindless mob mentality, swarming all over the streets, clogging our already snail's-pace traffic system and closing down schools for the day. (Not that I'm not happy there aren't any classes, but this is a ridiculous reason for it. It's only the hundred and twelve thousandth time we had a coup attempt.)
Maybe I ought to run for office someday. *laughter*
It's election season once more in CERSA and there is nobody running for Junior Batch Representative for either Cervini or Eliazo. Call us apathetic; I actually think our batch has actually seen the fact that honestly, there would be no point in running because the system sucks. We'll manage our affairs as usual, we've always found ways to handle them, haven't we? Someone will always step up for this or that activity. We're not completely disassociated from the requirements of living here. It's just that... well...
Grace and I were talking about the Miting de Avance yesterday. We were saying how it was too bad that Carl Garcia had not become VPO, because the position was perfect for him. Not that Rofil was unsatisfactory, just that Carl just might have been better suited for the job; not that Carl wasn't a great Treasurer, either, of course. And then we both agreed that it was a pity Joemar Tan had not run for a position. We would have voted for him.
Ever since our OrSem last year, when Joemar had been our OrSem Head, I have wanted to be an active CERSAn (and in fact have seriously considered applying for OrSem Head, myself), to emulate him. When it comes down to it he has been my role model and motivation to become immersed in the functions of the dormitory. Despite his being a constant Dean's Lister and a very active participant in activities like GK, he has never proved himself apathetic to the workings of CERSA. His heart of service has been a constant inspiration. As for Carl, I remember being one of those people fired upon during the heat of this year's OrSem Scandal (no thanks to the Guidon). On the day that particular issue of the Guidon came out, I was sulking in Cervini Lobby - having been Logistics Head and all, I felt it was a personal insult that people should condemn "our" ("my") OrSem, when it was in fact a great success - and he came by fuming about the article as well. He commiserated with me, airing the sentiments I shared with more conviction than I myself could summon, and eventually strode off declaring that "no-one messes with his family". I felt much better knowing that I was not alone, and that we had someone like him in our corner as a back-up.
Those two people: they, more than anyone else, have been the CERSAns I have most wished to become like. That fire, that passion for the right, for discipline; that desire to make the world a better place for everyone. CERSA (and indeed the Philippines) needs more people, more leaders, like them.
Not, for example, like ________ and ________. I won't name names; but I abstained from voting them today. The first has all these good ideas, but is too much of a trapo (my new vocabulary word for the day): that one prefers to answer questions by rephrasing them, demurring, and saying all this vague stuff without ever citing anything concrete. (Kind of like Mar Roxas. Of course, Koi made a point last night that had they let the Miting de Avance become an open forum, I might have quarelled with the candidates like I once did with our Senator. They ought to consider themselves lucky I couldn't play Devil's Advocate. Or that Koi or Migoy couldn't, either. As it was, some of our questions got filtered out by ________, perhaps in defense for a certain blockmate who would probably have less of a chance at victory if he/she failed to address that issue sufficiently? And I thought COMELEC was supposed to be impartial) As for the second... well, that one wasn't very visible this year and in fact apparently foisted off all work onto somebody else. Rumor has it that that person won (and probably will again) because he/she is attractive. Personally, I don't think so. I have heard that person compared to the offspring of an espasol and a siopao. Not a very flattering description, but more than can be said for the work he/she accomplished.
Carole says that if we vote leaders based on attractiveness, as with the abovementioned case, we had better not be allowed near the Philippine elections.
I so agree.
I would appreciate it if people would react to this, by the way. But no flamers. I know you're out there!
O, February is an unlucky month,
Hey, nonny, nonny, nay-oh!
Shall we never get through with this rash of misfortunes? I'm starting to think Lemony Snicket just might write a sequel Series...
It's depressing. First that Wowwowwee Stampede at Ultra - 72 dead; then the landslide at Leyte that killed over a thousand people and counting; then, yesterday, yet another coup d'etat attempt, causing GMA to declare her second State of Emergency today.
The other day I saw this A. Lipin cartoon in the PDI, featuring a rallyist carrying a "WARS KILL!" placard. When the Prof, the protagonist, asks him whether he means armed conflict, he replies. "No. Even unarmed conflicts kill. Like the war for ratings - 72 killed!"
How true. And while this may be belated, I still wish to react upon the matter. I have read so many articles, editorials, and what not, citing the "tragedy". But what few people seem to realize is that the true tragedy is that we have evolved into a capitalist society that places more value on money than on human life.
Money is totally overrated. Elementary economics will tell you that most of it is fiat money - useless, valueless, worth only the paper it is printed on and in fact probably less. Each paper bill denotes a debt that the Central Bank will (eventually) pay. But, as we all must realize, we take it for granted that such a debt really will be paid, such that money appears to actually have a value for us, when in fact all we're doing is passing debts around.
What is more, the media (and not just ABS-CBN, although it was their idiotic show that started this whole thing) has been feeding the gullible masses some fairy tale (in the usual incorrect sense of the term - I'm sorry, Ma'am Michelle!) starring them, the Cinderellas, and all these game shows as benevolent Fairy Godmothers going "Bibbidy-bobbidy-boo, here's a million just for you!" They thus propagate the belief that wealth can and should be gotten without work, simply by relying on luck and the open-fistedness of the much richer. It's dangling a string of fishes in front of a hungry man and never teaching him how to fish. And since, with that mindset, they can never learn to help themselves, it is only expected that the ignorant masses will be more and more dependent on dole-outs than on good, honest employment. In other words, our society is slowly metamorphosing into one of lazy, unproductive, useless beggars - and those "in power" are using the fact to manipulate things to their own advantage, instead of trying to rectify the situation. We're being ruled by Mother Courages who are capitalizing on every single small bit of income/power source they can get their hands on... and we're being brainwashed to think that it ought to stay that way.
The people, of course, are also to blame for believing such wishy-washy thoughts of a magic fix and happily-ever-after. Darlings, it just doesn't happen that way, trust me. The world sucks. But we can't just wait around for a miracle. We ought to be doing something. I mean (and this is for those Providence-freaks out there, who might be all "It's God's will" and all that cra- er, jazz) remember that woman who had to drag herself through a crowd just to touch the hem of Jesus's robe? He told her, "Your faith has made you well", but she didn't just sit around believing: she actually went out of her way to touch Him. In effect, she helped to cure herself. That is what we're supposed to be doing. Not lounging around for two hours a day watching some noontime show.
By the way: despite the coup attempt and the rallies at EDSA, Eat Bulaga (Wowwowwee's rival on the same timeslot, in GMA) is on today. Come coup or People Power, to rephrase an old adage... ratings must be kept, money must be made...
People keep sending aid to the landslide victims in Leyte. Not that I'm scrooging but isn't it kind oftheir fault too, for living in such an accident-prone place? I'm joining the house-building teams that CERSA is sure to field, though. Those people have been through enough without my pointing fingers at them.
Not so those yellow-wearing malcontents at EDSA. Honestly! And Cory there as well, still trying to shove her oar into the Administration for all that she's had her turn in power already! You'd think all these former presidents would have had their fill of doing whatever they had wanted to do (or doing nothing) back when they were the head honchos, without wanting to keep on doing it forever. I swear, they're all closet Marcoses. Pretending to want democracy when, in truth, all they want is to watch out for Number One.
There are two major problems with the governing system here in the Philippines. First, it's that we have a lack of leaders who are actually looking out for the welfare of the country, and not just a few of its "closer" inhabitants. Most of the people who might serve the country well are in other places, or are in "lowly" stations like teaching, or cloistered in parishes/churches and therefore lacking the right (supposedly) to meddle in state affairs - I'm talking small-time people here, because our system as a way of corrupting anybody who ascends past a certain level, turning them all into dirty politicians. Note that I'm not saying we are TOTALLY devoid of capable leaders. It's just that they are a minority, compared to celebrities and paranoid schizophrenics who think that the little voice in their heads, telling them to run for office, is the voice of God.
The second major problem is that, sadly, we are actually a society that is not ready for democracy. Turning the reins over to the people implies a population of thinking, informed, mature individuals who may be trusted to make logical and far-sighted decisions. As we all know, majority of the Philippine people are a sadly mis- or uneducated masa, who can only judge by appearances and are taken in by the get-rich-quick myths of noontime TV. Proof of our inability to choose wisely is the number of presidents we've put into power and then deposed (or attempted to) again, because we "realized" too late that we had made the wrong choice. And then we get into the mindless mob mentality, swarming all over the streets, clogging our already snail's-pace traffic system and closing down schools for the day. (Not that I'm not happy there aren't any classes, but this is a ridiculous reason for it. It's only the hundred and twelve thousandth time we had a coup attempt.)
Maybe I ought to run for office someday. *laughter*
It's election season once more in CERSA and there is nobody running for Junior Batch Representative for either Cervini or Eliazo. Call us apathetic; I actually think our batch has actually seen the fact that honestly, there would be no point in running because the system sucks. We'll manage our affairs as usual, we've always found ways to handle them, haven't we? Someone will always step up for this or that activity. We're not completely disassociated from the requirements of living here. It's just that... well...
Grace and I were talking about the Miting de Avance yesterday. We were saying how it was too bad that Carl Garcia had not become VPO, because the position was perfect for him. Not that Rofil was unsatisfactory, just that Carl just might have been better suited for the job; not that Carl wasn't a great Treasurer, either, of course. And then we both agreed that it was a pity Joemar Tan had not run for a position. We would have voted for him.
Ever since our OrSem last year, when Joemar had been our OrSem Head, I have wanted to be an active CERSAn (and in fact have seriously considered applying for OrSem Head, myself), to emulate him. When it comes down to it he has been my role model and motivation to become immersed in the functions of the dormitory. Despite his being a constant Dean's Lister and a very active participant in activities like GK, he has never proved himself apathetic to the workings of CERSA. His heart of service has been a constant inspiration. As for Carl, I remember being one of those people fired upon during the heat of this year's OrSem Scandal (no thanks to the Guidon). On the day that particular issue of the Guidon came out, I was sulking in Cervini Lobby - having been Logistics Head and all, I felt it was a personal insult that people should condemn "our" ("my") OrSem, when it was in fact a great success - and he came by fuming about the article as well. He commiserated with me, airing the sentiments I shared with more conviction than I myself could summon, and eventually strode off declaring that "no-one messes with his family". I felt much better knowing that I was not alone, and that we had someone like him in our corner as a back-up.
Those two people: they, more than anyone else, have been the CERSAns I have most wished to become like. That fire, that passion for the right, for discipline; that desire to make the world a better place for everyone. CERSA (and indeed the Philippines) needs more people, more leaders, like them.
Not, for example, like ________ and ________. I won't name names; but I abstained from voting them today. The first has all these good ideas, but is too much of a trapo (my new vocabulary word for the day): that one prefers to answer questions by rephrasing them, demurring, and saying all this vague stuff without ever citing anything concrete. (Kind of like Mar Roxas. Of course, Koi made a point last night that had they let the Miting de Avance become an open forum, I might have quarelled with the candidates like I once did with our Senator. They ought to consider themselves lucky I couldn't play Devil's Advocate. Or that Koi or Migoy couldn't, either. As it was, some of our questions got filtered out by ________, perhaps in defense for a certain blockmate who would probably have less of a chance at victory if he/she failed to address that issue sufficiently? And I thought COMELEC was supposed to be impartial) As for the second... well, that one wasn't very visible this year and in fact apparently foisted off all work onto somebody else. Rumor has it that that person won (and probably will again) because he/she is attractive. Personally, I don't think so. I have heard that person compared to the offspring of an espasol and a siopao. Not a very flattering description, but more than can be said for the work he/she accomplished.
Carole says that if we vote leaders based on attractiveness, as with the abovementioned case, we had better not be allowed near the Philippine elections.
I so agree.
I would appreciate it if people would react to this, by the way. But no flamers. I know you're out there!