SONA quips

President Noynoy Aquino's SONA elicited different reactions from different people, supporters and non-supporters, the rich and the pauper, the learned and the illiterate, etc., etc.

• A Telenovela - some say it was simply a part of a telenovela, a mere storytelling.  It was not a simple story to me narrated for the pleasure of those who listened but disclosed for all Filipinos to hear what transpired partly during the Arroyo administration.  Only a part was disclosed  but it gave a shock to many Filipinos and was shrugged off by Gloria Arroyo's allies.


• Short of Content and Relevance - some say that the SONA fell short.  A lot of sectors were expecting that their concerns will be mentioned but unfortunately they weren't.  I think this is understandable.  The president stuck to the plan of giving out a SONA that is short and straight to the point.  If all concerns will be covered,  a day is not enough considering that he laid out the line about corruption and anomalies.  If most of the sectors were already afflicted with graft and corruption, then 24 hours are not enough.


• No Concrete Solution - some say that they were waiting for a more solid solution to the issues that were presented but the SONA fell short again with the expectation.  I should say that this is partly true.  There were plans but no specifics were given.  Though I have to give him the benefit of the doubt that this was intentional.

The speech is short.  But it really does not matter to me.  Gloria Arroyo had given long speeches, beautiful promises, concrete plans, etc. but the Philippines that she first got hold of become the Philippines that has the worst condition.  They can have a litany of their projects and achievements but the truth of the pudding is in the eating, and this, by the way, means that those could have been felt by the littlest of the citizenry.  Only those who were near the furnace felt the heat, and this, by the way again, means only a few enjoyed what could have been enjoyed by every Filipino.

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Boring Days are Over

For daughter Kay.

She'll start to work come August.  This year, of course.  :-)  It's not a bummer after all the waiting and trying and getting bored.  The days of feeling pressure from people who seem to spend their time watching over when she's going to land a job are OVER.

Kay knew it. We knew it.  People seem to keep an eye on her.  Especially the league of unemployed housewives that gather around outside their houses whose business is to watch people and talk about them as if they know what was really happening.  And also the league of unemployed tambays who look like they don't care about what is happening around but who truly talk nasty about other people.  Actually, they talk nastier than those jobless housewives.

But we don't care.  She doesn't care. But we are aware.

Now, she can get a cheap insurance for herself!  I am just joking.  :-D  Papsie and I never imposed anything on our children.  We play as parents.  And sensible parents do not impose things on grown up children (like forcing them to pay for the daily expenses and bills).  Only the unemployed, and those who do not have economic power, and those who are cunning and lazy do that. Parents who did nothing good for the welfare of their children do not have the right to demand - do they know that?

Well, it's nice if the children wanted to help.  It feels good that they will extend a helping hand but we will not dictate.  We will be here always for our children to guide and support them in any endeavor they will set their minds to.

Not a Product Review but a Friend Review

One day I am going to have to write reviews but not about products like that of acneticin reviews.  I will have reviews about people, specifically about friends.  And like any product review, this will include what friendship to a particular person holds value.

The review will entail the good and the bad traits a particular friend have.  It will encompass the advantages and disadvantages of befriending these particular friends.  It will describe in detail the effects of the kind of friendship I have with these friends and suggests ways that could have done to improve the relationships.   It will also include the reasons why the friendships flourished, or why they should end.

Seriously,  I will do that one day.  When I have ample time in the future, I will be jotting down memories about friends.  Friends that I chose to cherish, and those I chose to forget.

My earring was snatched!

We had a date last night.  Daryl and I.  It's not actually a date because we had to go to EO to buy nose pads for his eyeglass.  But before reaching SM North, I had a shocking experience.

I decided not to bother Papsie to use the car to bring me to SM North because there was fire along North Avenue near DAR.  He would be stressed with the traffic so I decided to commute.  It was a mistake on my part to decide going via Balintawak route.  I had never gone there alone.

There were drizzles of rain as I went off the jeep to board a bus from EDSA.  When I stepped on the bus, I felt a slight tap on my head on the right side and a seemingly twist on my left ear.  Funny that I even thought a friend was at my back doing such a gesture.  But I couldn't turn my head at once because my foot is already on the first step and when my other foot was on the bus, I turned my head and saw a man running away as fast as he could.  I wished I had a small laser gun that looks like the barcode scanner below.  Ha ha.  He will not make it far I bet!

As I sat on the bus, I touched both my ear and discovered that the left earring was gone.  The snatcher is an expert.  His touch was very light.  I felt actually amazed at the expertize.  He felt short of estimation for my right ear though.  The light tap on the right side of my head is probably for the right ear.

It was not what I got afraid of.   Though the earring is valuable to me.  It was a 18 carat Saudi gold pair of earrings and an heirloom.  But I was more scared of the possibility that it was my bag that the snatcher will choose.

Still, I did not feel anger.  I felt pity.  But promised myself not to go that route alone anymore.

The Thought of Being Disabled

In the middle of the night, I was awakened by a jolting pain in the right side of my body near the groin. It made me afraid but was able to find composure by praying to God that the pain will go away. It was gone after about ten minutes and was back again like a short and crisp pain. It was not that painful but it made me uneasy. It did not even stay for long to cause panic. But it left me wide awake.

I thought of many things. As much as I wanted to avoid thinking about morbid things (because a friend says the mind is powerful), I was not able to. I do not have disability insurance, I thought. I do not even have a life insurance. I was about to sign those papers but for varied reasons, I forgot all about it. I told myself, you have to look for that paper again and sign and start paying.

Life is unpredictable, I realized. This is probably why some people adhere to even doing the evil things to acquire money, fame, and power. They must be thinking that it could save them from unexpected times of severe illness and disability, or even from death.

I comforted myself with God's loving words,

“And we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” Apostle John’s statement in 1John 4:16

Then also thought of the differences of dangerous men from the rest,

“All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.” T.E. Lawrence

God always reminds me to be faithful and to put the values I learned from Him to use. Sometimes, we all forget that it is not success that truly defines a man.

“Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.” Albert Einstein

Jogging Once Again

More of the pictures yesterday can be found here.

We went jogging and walking again at the UP oval yesterday. As I am writing this, I am crossing my fingers that we could be able to do this again next Sunday and every Sunday.

And oh, boy, I felt stiff after a few minutes.  I thought I needed spring plungers to catapult myself to the next turn.  :-D  Really, this should be done regularly.  The absence of exercise had made my body seem heavy and not truly cooperating.  I felt that my joints have no lubricant anymore to help me run easily and comfortably.

Focus, Bing.

What Symbol Do You Stand For?

It's not simply the Symbol LS2208 that I wanted to talk about because this is merely a simple one for the inanimate. I wanted to talk about what distinctive mark or symbol do you want to be remembered of.  Do you want people to remember you as a traitor?  Do you want people to wince at the mere mention of your name? Or do you want to be a symbol of true hope? Or a blessing?

I discovered something and it broke my heart.  It concerns someone I know.  My intuition did not go wrong.  One way or the other, I thought before, there must be something about the unexpected gifts.  Somewhere between chats or connections, I felt uneasy with the demeanor.  This person did not truly care.  For whatever motive I was given the unexpected gifts, I am still giving thanks.

As I read the details in the pieces of information, I squirmed.  The respect I gave diminished.  It is not a small matter that a person betrays another, much more a lot of people.  Double-crossing or double-dealing is very dirty, a treachery that deserves not only a cold shoulder but punishment.

It would truly be easier for me when a person admits he's gay or lesbian.  At least, most of these people work their butts out to earn a living in much cleaner ways.

I remember God

Yesterday, I remember God.

As my world sinks to seeming depths, God reminds me that He is in control.  God is always there but I am not always there to give praises and thanks, and even allot time for him everyday.  I assumed He had forgotten me because He seemed to have allowed me to suffer amounts of sorrow.

And yesterday, God showed me how I fared with my faith.  He blessed me again with a forgiving heart and a restrained tongue.  Funny that as I strive to please the Lord, there are people I see whose actions tempt me to do otherwise.  The world is a vicious world.  But I have my God.

Series of Unfortunate Events by the Roadside

The rainy season is here again.  The highways, the roads, and even the roadsides will be wet again.  During this season, there will be a lot of unfortunate events that is to be expected.  It's not that I wanted them to happen.   They can happen anytime.  It would be good if there is a roadside assistance plan but that is not common in this almost forsaken country of ours.  Frankly, who knows that it exist?

Road assistance plans are common abroad.  They are offered by companies who do service for RV vehicles and family vehicles.  It is not common here in the Philippines but the idea popped out of my mind.  What if a government project that caters to the needs of motorists  that need assistance in remote and far flung areas be funded?  Later on, it could rouse the interests of businessmen and venture in something like this.

Some unfortunate events here in our country include being robbed after asking strangers for help in a remote place, far from the city, or far from where there are many people and establishments.   Some include waiting for hours before help arrives.  Some motorists can even face dangerous situation of being hurt or killed.  With a road assistance available with just a call, then it would be a relief.

It's just wishful thinking... The rain is driving me nuts.  I mean, my fear of the rain.

Urban Clothing Is Not Urbane Dressing

I remember an old friend who alarmingly told her experience on her way home.  While she is about to board a jeepney, a sexagenarian was ahead of her also about to board.  What affected her so much is the way the old woman dressed herself.  She was wearing a thin white capri pants and underneath was a glaring red thong.  My friend was so shocked.  She's ten years younger but could not dare put on something like that.

This is urban clothing - in fashion and sometimes can even be designer clothes.  But urban clothing is not urbane dressing at times.  Some people at times forget to dress in a manner that suits the age and the personality. In the case of the sexagenarian, I have to give her the benefit of the doubt because of senility.  The burden lies on the people that are with the old lady.

This brought to memory one teacher in high school who was also beginning to loose her mental capabilities that time.  One day, she went to class in a yellow see-through (only the upper part) dress and she was wearing a red bra! While the rowdy group of boys and girls made fun of her, I took pity but was not able to do something.  I was in a state of shock.

I hope that when I reach the stage of senility, there would still be people around who would warn me or guide me about things especially about dressing.  I could not imagine myself walking in a see-through dress or wearing thongs under a thin pair of pants.

[caption id="attachment_1919" align="aligncenter" width="312" caption="Will Lady Gaga wear the same outfit when she's 60?"][/caption]

Eternally an Alicia Keys Fan

It was Kay and Daryl who introduced me to Alicia Keys and her songs. This lady has not changed. She is getting prettier every time I see her on the telly. It makes me wonder what weight loss products that work she's using. Look at this pic.

Mesothelioma Will Not Give You a Choice

Because you will die soon.

I don't know but that is how I picture this kind of cancer.   Mesothelioma will not give you a choice.  How could one with malignant mesothelioma be able to do something when one's balance is devastated by the pain caused by the cancer?

How can one do something and choose to be of use when he is exhausted, could not eat, lacks motivation and has pain in the chest area?

This cancer, and maybe all types of painful cancer will render anyone useless.  It will not give you a choice of doing something valuable because you are afflicted with something that would be very unbearable physically and emotionally.

I hope to God that He will spare me this kind of affliction.

Only the Rich Can Afford a Broker

I know someone who had made it big as a broker.  He was an average guy during his younger days. He was not even popular. But he had already acquired properties and had become rich.  He had become successful probably buying and selling properties like that from Outer banks foreclosures being based in the US.

Modern Sofas Without the Cats

I love the modern sofas nowadays.  Even with the pricey tags on, I can't help but admire them and dream that one day I will have a set.  I would not go with the red ones but I will buy gray, lovely sofas!

But first, there is something that I must do.

Get rid of the cats!  How could I allow them to scratch the lovely sofas?  Besides the fact that they are pricey, I couldn't bear the thought that one day the sofas' surface are destroyed.

Lucky cats, they will be with us for long.