Conrado de Quiros Summons the Fellowship of the Rings

I once like Conrado de Quiros as a writer. He is a principled man, a very good writer, but when he started summoning the fellowship of the rings, when he started calling out and asking for the powers and miracles that the heaven can permit, I started to hate him, at the very least. No, hate is not the term, but I started not to like him anymore.

It felt like he is about to do a rain dance in public anytime soon with the hope that with the rain falling, Noynoy’s ratings will go up again. He became so… wordy… unnecessarily wordy. (Even wordier than Chiz here!). Take the case of the quotation below from his article today.

Challenged to keep the campaign high, the campaign responded by making it low. Challenged to make the campaign lofty, the campaign responded my making it dull. Challenged to make the choice sublime, the campaign responded by making it paralytic.

But like I said yesterday, it’s not the end of the line, it’s just the beginning of things. It’s just a question of going back to roots, of knowing where you came from so that you can get to where you’re going.

It’s just a question of the Aquino campaign seeing not with the smugness of still attainable victory but with the shock of remembrance that this is not a battle to win the presidency, this is a struggle to liberate the country. It’s just a question of the Aquino campaign realizing not with the fear of a rival closing in but with the ardor of a heart inflamed that this is not a battle to reverse the tides of fortune, it is a war to change the earthly lot of the Filipino from the hell that is to the heaven it can be. It’s just a question of the Aquino campaign rediscovering not with the eyes of the exalted but with the grace of the humble that in the end, it is not just bearing on its shoulders like Atlas the legacy of Cory, it is carrying on its shoulders like Aeneas the trust and faith and mandate of a people.

It’s just a question of showing the trusted can be trusted.

http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20100209-252090/Trust

I can rephrase it in a sentence: Noynoy’s campaign strategists didn’t do their job well, but there is still some hope.

Di ba? What’s wrong with the guy?

http://wp.me/pp039-3r

Are Filipinos Really That Stupid?

When the Election Automation law was enacted, everybody was so optimistic that this will revolutionize the democracy here in the Philippines. And theoretically, indeed it will. As I see it, the following are the clear benefits of the election automation:

1. It will avoid cheating as everything will be done electronically.
2. It will make the counting and canvassing of votes really fast. It will significantly cut down the period of counting and canvassing.

But those who do nothing but complain are now saying the automation law is not a good idea after all. Why?

1. Election automation is going to automate cheating.
2. The people are not properly informed by the COMELEC regarding the new system.

The issue on automated cheating is already addressed by the law itself – the source code will be validated by an internationally accredited IT company and the same will be open to public (or whoever is interested) for their scrutiny. If the source code is bugged with an automated cheater code (or something like that), it will be exposed to the public, if that was not spotted by the accrediting company in the first place. And once validated, the code cannot go wrong because it is run by logic – the typical IF-THEN blah-blah, right? Some “concerned individuals” are saying, how can we be so sure that the source code that they will install is the one validated? Hayyzzzz… And to them I say, are you really sure you are the son or daughter of your mother or father? How can you be so sure that the hospital’s staff didn’t switch you and another baby when you were born?

As for the information campaign regarding the new system, concerned individuals are attacking the COMELEC for not doing its part. They are saying that there might be a failure of election because people are not aware of the new system. What? Are they saying a voter cannot shade the circle opposite the candidate’s name if he or she will not be informed properly of what to do, i.e., to “shade the circle opposite the candidate’s name” of his or her choice? Do this really people think the voters are that stupid? That information campaign can even be done on the election day itself! COMELEC can just put a sign in the precinct’s entrance like this:

A pre-school child can follow instructions like “trace the name of the animal that you like most” or shade the picture of the animal that do not belong to the group. ANYONE WHO CANNOT FOLLOW THE SIMPLE INSTRUCTION ABOVE DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE!

An instance wherein the machine will invalidate a ballot is when a ballot has more votes casted on a certain position than what is required. For example, if a voter shaded two circles in the presidential level, I believe the machine will invalidate the ballot. So what? Any voter who thinks he can vote two presidents at any given election does not have the right to vote in the first place. And anyone who would defend this stupidity does not have the right to be a citizen.

But then again, these are unlikely scenarios. Those who want to sabotage the election, as well as this very significant improvement in our election, are making scenarios that are far-fetched! We are on our way to another level of democracy and yet, some people are trying to reverse the process. And this is probably why we are lagging in development compared to our neighbors. I just hate this.

Short link: http://wp.me/pp039-3o

Oopss! Noy Did It Again

Arrogance + Ignorance (+/- Power) = Dangerous!

Proof A

Noynoy Aquino on the Chief Justice Succession Issue
Sen. Benigno S. Aquino III on the Chief Justice Succession Issue

If elected president, I will not recognize a Chief Justice appointed by the outgoing President, contrary to the constitutional ban on appointments during the wee hours of her presidency, and contrary to propriety and delicadeza and long-standing precedence of prohibition against appointments two months before the outgoing president’s term expires.

Let me forewarn any member of the Supreme Court who shall accept to be Chief Justice by appointment of the outgoing President, that not only shall he not be recognized, but he risks even his presence in the Court as an associate member.

http://www.noynoy.ph/blog/2010/01/14/noynoy-aquino-on-the-chief-justice-succession-issue/

Proofs B and C: Here and here.

No, I am not about to argue that GMA is constitutionally mandated to make an appointment–that I leave to the experts. I just want to say how stupid and arrogant it is for Noynoy to make such stupid statements. How can you issue those statements purely based on a hypothetical scenario? He’s politicking!

Working on the hypothetical scenario he has just presented, I can only assume of course that the JBC deemed it necessary for them to make a recommendation. And with that recommendation comes the need for the President’s appointment. So, should you attack the president or the JBC?

—

PS: Kris Aquino (Noynoy’s sister in case you don’t know) walked out temporarily, I think, of her relationship with James Yap because of a domestic/personal problem. If Noynoy can do nothing about that, what can you expect from him when he gets elected and the whole Philippines becomes his family? Maybe Noynoy will just walkout of Malacanang if he cannot solve the problem of increasing sugar and oil prices…

Efren Penaflorida at The Bottomline (Hosted by Boy Abunda)

I have just watched Boy Abunda’s The Bottomline where CNN’s 2009 Hero of the year Efren “Kuya F” Penaflorida was a guest. (A friend of mine, who hides under the nickname Denna, ‘accidentally’ called my number when she was about to sleep… nanggisinging lang, di naman ako kinausap! Hehehe. Peace!) At a few minutes after midnight, I am now wide awake, trying to write something about the segment.

Efren was also awarded with 125,000 USD… How will it be spent by Efren? According to him, the original plan was to allocate the amount as follows: 90% to the advocacy of the Dynamic Teen Company (DTC) and 10% to a blessed church. But some recent ‘developments’ happened: it appears that he can only give 60% to DTC because he was informed by CNN that 30% of the amount will go to the government in the form of a tax. Yes, that is what he said, 30% of the amount will be cut off and paid to the government as tax… It’s Christmas season and I won’t dwell much on this… I don’t want to curse. (Pause. Smile.)

It’s just amazing how someone like Efren who has the moral ascendancy to be judgmental (as far as politicians are concerned) did not actually judge the politicians. Don’t get me wrong guys. So many people in this country have that one-stop solution (or something like that) on how to help our fellow Filipinos. Some politicians and celebrities even got to publicize their little contribution or at least their plans to the greater public. But here comes Efren and his team, who wanted to help other people, and actually got out of their comfort zone to really execute their plans. I mean, he is an idealist who did not criticize anyone but instead, just stepped out and acted. When he was asked whether he is a pro- or anti-GMA, when he was asked what he thinks about politicians who promise they are going to do this and that, that they are going to help the poor, Efren has all the right and the moral ascendancy to say:

I hate GMA. She has brought nothing but shame in this country. I hate these politicians who are trying to pretend that they are pro-poor and that they are going to do something about poverty and education but in reality, are selfish bastards who just want to win in the elections to get more money from the people.

He could have said that and we know we won’t say “look who’s talking?!” Di ba? But he did not do that. He did not say that. Instead, he merely said it’s not about being pro or antigovernment. He said he and the DTC are doing what they think they can do to help. And he believes that GMA has had done something to our country. And maybe, he says, the politicians who are making these (pro-poor) propaganda should not be ‘rejected’ immediately — maybe they really intend to do them (the promises).

The truth is, I wouldn’t mind Efren criticizing the government and being skeptic about politicians. Again, he has the moral ascendancy and the right to do that. But he didn’t! He should be canonized or something!

http://wp.me/pp039-3j

An Open Letter to Congress and the Next President

An Open Letter to Congress and the Next President:

SOLVE POVERTY AND FOOD SECURITY BY “NEUTRALIZING” HOMELESS BEGGARS AND STREET CHILDREN AMONG OTHERS

I have had enough of empty promises and fang-less laws. I was eating a while ago at a fast food restaurant and a beggar approached me… three beggars in fact. They were asking for alms and it took me some time to convince them to leave me alone. After that, they crossed the street without even looking at the traffic lights causing minimal traffic mess in that part of the road.

Don’t you just hate it? These people do not have any tangible or intangible contribution (perhaps with the exception of being a topic for academic discourse) in the society and they are even causing problems and discomfort to many of us. I am being taxed for almost a third of my salary and a hefty portion of this is dedicated to poverty alleviation. Hell, the government even provides for housing projects to illegal settlers! I HATE IT! I HATE IT! I HATE IT! For me to have a house, I needed to apply for a loan and save for the down payment. I will be paying my loan in decades. But for some lucky homeless illegal settlers, they can probably have their houses for free courtesy of public taxes… and I am a tax payer. Is that fair?

Even jailed criminals get some portion of our taxes. I really cannot understand why we have to spend on them. Reformation? BS. Statistics show that many had-core criminals are actually second-time offenders. Why allow them to make the second chance to commit a crime? Spending millions of pesos from our taxes (jails, personnel, maintenance, etc) just to make sure the convicted criminals are treated properly is just absurd.

So, what do I suggest to eradicate these problems? I can only think of two things: Either eradicate these parasites (by killing/gassing them or something) or simply making them slaves or government properties.

One – kill the parasites. My first question is: What have we got to lose? They don’t contribute to the society. If we are to lose anything at all, it’s probably criminality and ’social burdens’. Don’t you just hate beggars walking in the busy streets of the metro knocking on your car’s window and asking for alms? or when you are eating in a restaurant and they are bugging you? What will be the loss of the society if we kill all these parasites?

Let’s include the convicted criminals. Are we losing anything socially significant if we just gas or burn the inmates in city jails? I mean, these people have violated the laws of the land and are even potentially capable of committing them again if we let them free (and that’s according to statistics). Imagine, we spend for their health care, food, electricity, and salaries of those managing the penal systems. And for what? So we can be “humane” to criminals?

Two – if #1 is too harsh, then, let’s make all these insignificant people government properties. Let’s make them government slaves. The government can use them to mine oil, natural gas, gold, etc for free. Hell we can even make an electric company powered by these government slaves.

My point is simple: zero-out these liabilities (option 1 above) or turn them into something productive or useful (option 2). In doing so, the government can even divert the budget allocation from poverty alleviation and related social services to something more significant (as far as the taxpayers are concerned) — more roads connecting farms to market or cities to other rural areas; efficient waste management procedures; environment friendly ways of generating cheaper electricity, etc.

(We can even address food security if we push option #1 a step further…)

http://wp.me/pp039-3g