You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March, 2008.
Holy Week
When i was still a kid, i used to really hate Holy Week for so many reasons. One, i was one of the angels for the “salubong” or “sugat.” Being a kid, 5am was really early for me that time. I was up there, with my all white costume and my wings, trying to stay awake while singing the hymns. Then the last thing i remember was i was lying on cold, solid ground. The angel has fallen. And that explains my personality now – a fallen angel. hahaha
But that is not my topic really.
Last holy week, Black Saturday to be exact, i was watching TV and they were showing a special on the life of FPJ.
Listening to all the testimonials from all his friends and family members, i hereby present my theory as to why FPJ died on the 14th of December, never given a chance to serve the country as its president.
“Good people die young.”
Based on the testimonials, the Lord DID NOT allow FPJ to enter the world of politics so that it will not pollute his mind. He did not allow FPJ to commit sins brought by politics and be with people who’s souls are currently being toasted in hell. He did not allow FPJ to be with people who doesn’t understand the meaning of being a public official. He did not allow FPJ to be with people who make politics a way of life, a family business, and a source of income.
From Ricky Carandang’s Blog
http://www.rickycarandang.com/?p=133
Treason
Allow me to expound a little on a story I did for The Correspondents on February 19th.
Seven countries claim ownership of the disputed Spratly Islands, just off of Palawan. China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malsysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and the Philippines all claim to own part or all of the Spratlys. These overlapping claims have been a source of tension over the years since the Spratlys (we Filipinos call them the Kalayaan Islands) are believed to contain significant reserves of oil and natural gas. China was the most aggressive in pursuiung its claim. In 1999, the Philippines–under President Joseph Estrada– led an effort to prevent tensions by getting all the claimants to agree not to take actions to provoke other claimants.
But in 2003, the Philippines–now under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo– rocked the boat that it previously steadied when it signed an agreement with China to jointly undertake seismic studies of the Spratlys and explore for oil and natural gas. Naturally, the other claimants were angry. After getting them to agree not to rock the boat, the Philippines sucker-punched them with the China deal. China’s traditional ally, Vietnam was so angry they it had to be let in to the deal to appease them.
Aside from angering our neighbors and potentially undermining regional stability, Arroyo’s action may also be illegal. Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez–who was then acting justice secretary–told former Senator Frank Drilon, who was then allied with the administration, that she believed that the deal violated the constitution, because while it was a deal between the state owned oil firms (PNOC of the Philippines and CNOOC of China) of the two countries, it implicitly gave China access to our oil reserves. Officers of the Foreign Affairs Department were also upset because the deal effectively strengthened China and Vietnam’s claim to the Spratlys.
What would compel Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to sign a deal that potentially undermines regional stability, possibly grants China parity rights to oil reserves in the Spratlys that we claim to be ours, and likely violates our constitution?
How about $2 billion a year? After the Spratly deal was signed, the Chinese government committed $2 billion in official development assistance a year to the Philippines until 2010, when Arroyo is supposed to step down from office. My sources tell me that the Spratly deal was an explicit precondition to the loans.
A sizable amount to be sure, but for the Arroyo administration the China loans are particularly appealing. Not so much because the interest rates are so low and the repayment terms so lenient, but because Chinese loans do not have the cumbersome requirements that loans from the US, Japan, the EU, and big multilateral lenders have. Requirements for documentation, bidding, transparency and other details that make it very difficult for corrupt public officials to commit graft. In fact, in November of last year, those cumbersome requirements made it impossible for some government officials and private individuals with sticky fingers to avail themselves of the World Bank’s generosity.
It had gotten to the point where a corrupt government could no longer make a dishonest buck. That is until China’s generous offer came along. Given China’s laxity with certain conditions, its no wonder why almost every big ticket government project funded by Chinese ODA has been the subject of allegations of graft and corruption. There’s Northrail, Cyber Education, the Fuhua agricultural projects, Southrail, and of course the ZTE National Broadband project.
Until the ZTE National Broadband scandal, the Chinese government has had little official reaction to any of these allegations. Why should they? The $8 billion is a loan, not a grant. It enhances their influence in the region, strengthens their claim to the Spratlys, and expands their influence in the Philippines. The best part is, regardless of what Philippine officials do with the money–whether they put it to good use or steal it–it still has to be paid back. Its no wonder that anytime some midlevel Chinese official comes to the country, congressmen and adminstration officials literally trip over themselves to roll out the red carpet.
For corrupt Adminstration officials and their cronies, $8 billion represents unprecedented opportunities for graft on a scale that would shock ordinary Filipinos.
And at the end of the day, that $8 billion is going to be paid back. Not by the grafters in and out of government; not by the Chinese citizens; but by the millions of ordinary middle class Filipinos who go to work everyday, pay their taxes, struggle and to keep their small and medium businesses afloat. The price will also be paid indirectly by tens of millions of poor Filipinos who will not have access to health care, quality education, and a functioning court system because those resources are not going where they should be going.
There’s a word for that. Its called Treason.
ten most memorable commercial singles ayun sa “ANG PINAKA” show sa Q TV
- seiko wallet (seiko, seiko wallet, ang wallet na maswerte, balat nito ay genuine, international pa ang mga design, ang wallet na maswerte, seiko, seiko wallet) di ko alam ito. sorry.
- sunny orange (sunny orange i love you, lemon, grape, and strawberry.sunny orange tasty drink, sunny orange super quality) read: ZENNY ORANGE… hahaha di ko rin alam ito. ibig sabihin, di ko panahon ito.
- caronia (caronia, caronia there’s every reason to sing and dance, the secret of beauty is in your hands..) yan lang ang naintindihan ko.
- mr. clean (spoken: follow the leader. labadami, labango, new mr. clean,power plus 2 labadang mas malinis, ngayon ay labadami,labango. mr clean mahal ka namin, dulot mo’y labadami, labango.)
- coke (i am the future of the world, i am the hope of my nation, i am tomorrow’s people, i am a new inspiration.and we got a song to sing to you. we got a message to sing for you.) di ko alam ito. yun lang. bakit kaya nasa top 5 ito. masyadong EMO!!!
- milo (i’m getting ready, get ready, oh boy what a day its gotta be got to feel right, gotta get going, i need my energy, olympic energy i need my milo today, thats what i need to last a day…a milo a day, milo, milo everyday!)
- electrolux (i’m gonna knock on your door, ring on your bell, tap on your window too, so come and open your door so i can show you more…)
- jollibee (isang tulog na lang, jollibee na naman.ang araw lulubog, bukas mabubusog, sa chickenjoy manok at yumburger bilog..i love you sabado, pati na rin linggo, hintay ka lang jollibee nandyan na ako…at home sa jollibee!)
- san miguel beer (shhhh-bum, shhhh-bum…yadadadadadada)
- knorr real chinese soup (just add one egg!)
iilan lang dyan ang naalala ko at naabutan ko. pero ito talaga ang tumatak sa isipan ko magpahanggang ngayon.
01. united american tiki-tiki plus for baby
02. malutong, masarap jollibee crisscut, malutong, masarap jollibee crisscut
summary
august rush is a story of a boy who never knew his parents not until the end of the movie. he is the son of a famous cellist and a lead vocalist of a band.
the child star
the movie starred Freddie Highmore, the amazing child actor in finding neverland, arthur and the minimoys, spiderwick chronicles, tim burton’s charlie and the chocolate factory, and will soon lend his voice to astro boy. if not for him and the OST, i would not recommend this movie.
the critique
if you’ve noticed, i only have 2 sentences to summarize the movie because there is nothing to summarize. it is like a contemporary version of oliver twist. although their was a recent version of oliver released not so long ago.
why so?
- august and oliver are very much alike. oliver lost his parents. august hoped that his parents would soon find him. they both live in an orphanage and they were being bullied by someone older than them.
- august left the orphanage, oliver was sold.
- out of their comfort zones, they met a boy. august met arthur, oliver met the artful dodger. then they were brought to a leader of a “gang.” august met wizard while oliver met fagin.
- their HQ: an old, abandoned theater.
- in the end, arthur found his parents and oliver found himself in the care of a foster father.
the difference
- oliver (1968) is a musical. august rush is not. although august rush talked about music and how we can use it to communicate.
- oliver never went to Juilliard. hahaha
the reasons why you should watch this film
- raise me up, one of the songs in the OST of the film was nominated in the oscars and it won.
- wonderful musical scoring
- cute OST
- August’s Rhapsody is wonderful
- Freddie Highmore is the lead
my visitors