Little Things

How they really affect us...

A phone call. A text message. A sticky note.
A high five. A handshake. A gentle punch.
A smile. A furtive glance. A naughty wink. A whisper.
A gaze. A heartache. A sigh. A teardrop.
A “sorry”. A “ok”. A “thank you”.
A gentle touch. A tender kiss. A hug.
A little prayer.

How they really mean a lot...

Dubai-based Filipina Vilified for Calling Typhoon ‘Well-Deserved Punishment’

Khaleej Times Online
By Lily Libo-on
29 September 2009

DUBAI — A Dubai-based Filipina, who called the devastating flash floods in the Philippines “a well-deserved punishment for the sins of the Filipino people”, is facing harassment from her compatriots across the globe through social networking websites “Facebook” and “Starfishbuang.multiply”.

Several hours after the flash floods washed away houses and killed people in Metro Manila and in 25 provinces in eastern Luzon, the woman commented, “Buti n lng am hir in dubai! maybe so many sinners bak der! so yeah deserving wat hapend” referring to what happened back in Manila at the height of Typhoon Ondoy’s onslaught. (Good that I am here in Dubai! Maybe so many sinners back there! So yeah they deserve of what happened).

This comment earned the anger and outburst of Filipinos worldwide who started vilifying her in social networking websites where the blog appeared. Facebook members even claimed in their press statement that they were able to unmask her identity, her workplace, and contact number. They also contacted her employer pushing for her sacking from the company.

An irate blogger started Monday a group website in Facebook titled “JB Be Gone, We Sinners Don’t Want You Here”. Filipino bloggers have flocked to dish out grievances against the said Filipina calling her Facebook blog “so insensitive”.

Another blogger identified her as working in an HR Department of a property firm in Dubai and many others called on her to apologise. However, efforts to reach out for her comments have failed. “You so insensitive! People are dying out there and you say they deserve it!”
Apologise before it’s too late,” one comment reads in Starfishbuang.multiply. Countless comments are posted every minute on Facebook.

Huge comments have left ill-wishing remarks, and hundreds are more rapidly launching online campaigns to bring what they called tasteless and insensitive remarks to the awareness of the masses.

“Heartless! It would have been better if it were you who drowned. You do not know how many people are affected in the disaster!,” a comment stated.

Reads another blog in Tagalog, “If you know that a member of your family died, maybe you will eat your words. And if tsunami hits Dubai, your name will be the first to come out in the dead list. It’s better to be nobody than to be somebody but the entire Philippines is angry at you. Let us see if the Immigration will still allow you to come back.”

Her brother came to her rescue saying that her Facebook and Friendster accounts are hacked, which conveniently lead to the conclusion that the latter may have been a victim of identity fraud all along.

“My sister is educated, a graduate of the University of the Philippines, and does not speak English as crudely as is evident in the infamous Facebook comment. We come from a known political family and my sister would never do anything to tarnish the reputation of the family name,” her brother explained.

A sympathiser to this Filipino also wrote to the Filipino reporters saying she did not conform to the barrage of ill-wishing remarks.

From the Facebook, a lady blogger said, “I totally agree to walwyn, her brain is not sharp enough to compensate the results of her actions. So, let’s just forgive her as much as we can forgive our pets whenever they break something in the house…(and that’s to be serious). I was also irritated last night, but hey, I pity the girl now.”

A Journey To Remember

I have been on a “seclusion” mode during the last few days of Ramadan. No work, no blogs, no night outs, no play, no anything. Only days of fasting, prayers, meditation and spiritual renewal far far away in the beautiful city of Madinah. This trip was a precious gift from a friend who even went to the extent of using his own car and offering himself as the all-enduring driver on our 1,400 kilometer journey heading west.

May Allah bless you my friend for your humble and pure intentions. This pilgrimage will always be one of the strong pillars of our lasting friendship.

9-9-9

One gift
Two cups of ice cream shared with my best friend
At two in the morning
Three slices of cheesecake
Music, laughter, sentiments, stories to tell
Boundless happiness
A warm hug
A new promise
A golden life

A perfect party for two...

Ramadan Kareem!

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become pious."

Thank You Very Much Tita Cory

August 1, 2009

And They Will Become Wings

There is a fable about the way birds first got their wings. The story goes that initially they were made without them. Then God made the wings, set them down before the wingless birds, and said to them, "Take up these burdens and carry them."

The birds had sweet voices for singing, and lovely feathers that glistened in the sunshine, but they could not soar in the air. When asked to pick up the burdens that lay at their feet, they hesitated at first. Yet soon they obeyed, picked up the wings with their beaks, and set them on their shoulders to carry them.

For a short time the load seemed heavy and difficult to bear, but soon, as they continued to carry the burden and to fold the wings over their hearts, the wings grew attached to their little bodies. They quickly discovered how to use them and were lifted by the wings high into the air. The weights had become wings.

This is a parable for us. We are the wingless birds, and our duties and tasks are the wings God uses to lift us up and carry us heavenward. We look at our burdens and heavy loads, and try to run from them, but if we will carry them and tie them to our hearts, they will become wings. And on them we can then rise and soar toward God.

There is no burden so heavy that when lifted cheerfully with love in our hearts will not become a blessing to us. God intends for our tasks to be our helpers; to refuse to bend our shoulders to carry a load is to miss the new opportunity for growth.

No matter how overwhelming, any burden God has lovingly placed with His own hands on our shoulders is a blessing.

FriendsReflections

Shared by Joe Gatuslao

Bacolod City, Philippines

jgat777@gmail.com

The Season To Be Merry

Up close, they look like bloated, buck-toothed, doe-eyed miniature dolphins. Known to be very lethal, ingesting a drop of its neurotoxin assures anyone a rapid, violent death. Yet, this unattractive, life-threatening fish is available for non-toxic consumption during certain time of the year. Call it a game of Russian Roulette or reality TV Fear Factor. Taking a bite of this exotic food will make you come back begging for more.

Enter puffer fish, globefish or blowfish – buriring in local Visayan dialect in the Philippines. Its fishing season is now officially open!

Unlike most other species of fish that are readily available in the market all year round, buriring possesses a pattern of uncanny survival behavior. It is strictly seasonal. At times, it is so elusive it does not show up for years. Owing to this unique character, buriring commands a high price in the wet market. A kilo costs Php250.00 ($5.00) but if supply runs short and demand rises, it could run as high as Php300.00 ($6.00).

The adult fish like its equally deadly cousin butete normally does not forage in groups. During its mating and breeding season from December to June, buriring is at its deadliest. Eating the fish would mean flirtation with death. However, when the eggs hatch and rapidly mature in July to September, the young adults surprisingly group to school alongside other edible fishes at the bottom of the sea, thereby caught during the process by commercial fishing boats with the rest of the harvest. During this season, it loses its toxicity. When and how it becomes a sought after gastronomic delicacy is shrouded in history. Maybe it started as a prank. But after discovering its delicate chicken-like flavor, people start clamoring for more.

Fresh Catch
The best and freshest batch of the catch usually turns up in the wet market at the break of dawn. Spread over the long white tiled concrete stall, these wiggling, tiny fishes with big puffed up white bellies is a remarkable sight. As soon as the price is fixed, the buying frenzy begins. Trading lasts only for a few minutes. Latecomers will have to wait for the next delivery on the later part of the morning although this is no longer as fresh as the first and regarded as helada (iced).

Epicurean Delight
Buriring is best eaten when cooked ala paksiw style. Not like the ordinary paksiw though where we put the fish in the pan and just haphazardly dump in all the spices and ingredients together. Paksiw Nga Buriring is cooked with élan. Before anything else, the fish is rubbed with salt and young serguwelas leaves and washed until it is squeaky clean. This rinses off the slippery mucoid film covering the skin.

Preparation takes time using the best and right amount of spices and ingredients. A “bedding” of libas leaves is placed at the bottom of the pot and buriring is placed over it in layers of butter, red onions, ripe tomatoes, libas and cubes of peeled, semi-ripe santol fruit – the most favored souring agent. The entire mixture is then drizzled with soy sauce and cooked alangay (low simmering heat) to perfection without stirring to avoid squashing the delicate meat. It is already done when the skin of the fish starts to peel and crack, and the meat tender and white along with that distinct spicy, sweet mouth watering aroma that begins to hang in the air, firing up your feeding frenzy.

One On One
Paksiw Nga Buriring is eaten hot, sans trimmings, add-ons and embellishments except for a plate of heaping hot jasmine rice, a large sized bottle of your favorite drink and sheer guts that after the meal, you are going to live to tell the tale.

Bon appétit!

Michael Jackson 1958 - 2009

"This is it, this is really it, this is the final curtain call."

Michael Jackson

Cheers!

Non-Macho Things Men Hate To Do

They maybe simple creatures. But never simple minded.

Downsizing
Size matters. He knows it is the only way to economize on gas. But giving up the big bike or trading in the ego boosting 4x4 for a cost-effective car is a matter of life and death. Unless it is a sleek, compact sports car.

Bling Bling
A diamond ear stud, a pair of cufflinks and a wedding band is more than enough.

Dancing
Ask him and he immediately turns into solid block of wood. The brain and body coordination suddenly goes awry and the logic of left and right ceases to exist.

Waxing
The trendsetting metro sexual grooming market is hitting sales up to the millions. But male grooming for him is a good bath, nice smooth shaven face and a splash of musky aftershave cologne. He leaves the plucking and the waxing to the opposite sex.

Crying
Only if someone kicks him on the balls.

Self Indulgence
Letting him sit for hours in a spa wrapped in a pink fluffy bathrobe while having his feet and hands done, is tantamount to torture. All he needs is a pocketknife!

Colorful World
He may have style but has a wardrobe only a colorblind would love. Black suits, white shirts, black stripes, gray trousers, black tees, charcoal socks, and the ubiquitous blue jeans. Crimson necktie, lilac shirts, printed colored underwear, shimmers and glitters are absolutely way out of his fashion comfort zone.

Going To Church
The hugging, holding hands and sitting in circles discussing each other's feelings drive him insane.

Shopping
Ever wonder why the men’s wear section is always on the ground floor just a few meters away from the entrance?

Dark Horse

Filipino Director Crowned The Best At Cannes

By Dino Maragay

MANILA, Philippines – Brillante Mendoza, director of the graphic crime shocker “Kinatay,” annexed the Best Director Award at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival.
“Kinatay” is the Philippines’ entry to the annual film festival.

A report from The Associated Press earlier described the Filipino film as something that “takes viewers on a nerve-rattling road trip from the bustling streets of Manila to an isolated house of horrors.”

"This is not just entertainment, these kinds of stories are real," Mendoza said of his film.

The Palme d'Or Award, the festival's top prize, went to Austrian film "The White Ribbon" by Michael Hanek.

-----------------------------------------------

Film Review: Kinatay (Slaughtered)

By Maggie Lee, May 17, 2009 10:39 ET

Bottom Line: A prurient and excruciating viewing experience that makes the audience partners in crimes of inhumanity.

CANNES -- Festival darling Brillante Mendoza's "Kinatay" is a long night's journey into the Philippine underworld of casual corruption and nauseating cruelty, seen through the eyes of a greenhorn police cadet. Featuring shooting violence, rape and mutilation extensively in real time, from camera angles that make the audience feel like they are watching a snuff film, this full-on experience of forced voyeurism is certain to incite strong (most probably offended) responses.

The deliberately rough-hewn art direction adds to the blunt force of Mendoza's moral outrage, but it won't help "Kinatay" (which means 'slaughter' in Tagalog) make a killing in theatrical business. Unlike such other Mendoza works as "Foster Child" or "Serbis," which capture with warmth or exotic social phenomena distinctive to the Philippines, "Kinatay's" sketchy slice of crime world nastiness can be found anywhere. This makes it a hard sell even to art houses, as their target audience often looks for stronger cultural flavor.

Newly married Peping, who attends the police academy, receives an offer via text message to make a fast buck with a shady friend. By nightfall, he is in a van with a group of vicious gangsters who have kidnapped a bar hostess to demand a loan repayment under orders from an elusive general. From then on, Mendoza switches from the 35mm used for daytime scenes to HD, wrapping all the action in a deliberately ugly, sooty hood of near darkness.

The real time pacing, feels like being stuck in a traffic jam, but the dramatic thrust is relentless as one hears through the muffled darkness, the woman being gagged and beaten mercilessly. The horror escalates to rape, murder and dismemberment. None of this is left to the imagination, with the men's verbal sexism being equally distasteful.

With the artistic choices he has made, Mendoza achieves a singularity of purpose in hammering home his message, and the experience compels one to watch even as one wishes to turn away. He deplores this human treachery with almost Old School, religious morality. He preaches it unequivocally -- at the climax of the slaughter, the subtitles "If you lose your integrity once, you lose it forever" appear.

Laying on the Christian symbolism, the woman is called Madonna, while the camera occasionally cuts away to a picture of Jesus on the wall. She keeps screaming she has a child, which new father Peping is supposed to sympathize with.

The irony that Peping has a vocation in law-enforcement cannot be missed.

The camera regularly pauses on some sideway or other odd-angled closeup of his anguished, conscience-stricken face, accompanied by a twangy score that sounds common to horror flicks, implying that these are turning points where he could have stood up to them, or at least walked away. Images of him standing in an empty carpark, brooding inside a public toilet or stranded in screeching traffic symbolize he is at a moral crossroads or labyrinth.

Festival de Cannes -- Competition

Sales: The Match Factory

Production company: Swift Prods.

Cast: Coco Martin, Julio Diaz, Maria Isabel Lopez, Mercedes Cabral

Director: Brillante Mendoza

Screenwriter: Armando Lao

Producer: Rodel Nacianesco

Executive producer: Didier Costet

Director of photography: Odyssey Flores

Production designer: Dante Mendoza

Music: Teresa Barrozo

Editor: Kats Serraon

No rating, 116 minutes

Butts Up!

I quit...

TAMBUKIKOY: Chicken Inasal At Its Best

Only an Ilonggo knows how an authentic chicken inasal should taste. This is what Treena Cueva-Tecson, a genuine Ilongga, born and raised in Bacolod, carries with her when she openned her Tambokikoy restaurant which sells authentic chicken inasal – cooked and prepared the way a genuine inasal should be. “The inasal in Manila are sweet, dry and not cooked well, I know how inasal should taste like. Ilonggos would really know the authentic taste of inasal,” said Treena, who has a full-time marketing and PR career before giving it up to be a full time wife and mom two years ago. “And the inasal places in Manila sell inasal by the stick. No one is selling whole chicken inasal.” Being a marketing and PR woman, Treena applied blue ocean strategy in his business by offering something that the saturated market does not have yet; a whole chicken with an authentic inasal taste. Treena started her Tambokikoy just last September, armed only with P250,000 in capital, her mom’s recipe and her husband’s full support. Tambokikoy, which means chubby in Ilonggo, is envisioned by Treena as a take-out place that will sell authentic-tasting whole chicken inasal.

With a very ideal location, which is just right across the Mandaluyong City Hall on Maysilo Circle, market response has been very good. Office people and families have been dropping by to order take out, starting at lunch time until dinner. They open at 11 a.m. up to 11 p.m., Monday to Sunday.

Treena cooked her chicken inasal rotisserie-style over charcoal and not on electric grill. By chopping it two minutes after it is cooked, she said the juice goes back and it does not dry out. Treena is expecting to recoup her investments by December. This early, inquiries of franchising have already been received by Treena, although she said she is not yet ready for franchising.

For Mama

She said my son I beg of you

I have a wish that must come true

The last thing you can do

For mama

Please promise me that you will stay

And take my place while I'm away

And give the children love each day

I had to smile what could I say?

How hard I tried to find the words

I prayed she would not see me cry

So much to say that should be heard

But only time to say goodbye to mama

Now soon there'll be another spring

And I will start remembering

The way she loved to hear us sing

Her favorite song 'Ave Maria'

Ave Maria

The children all have grown up now

I kept my promise to mama

I cannot guide them anymore

I've done my best all for mama

Ave Maria

Still this seems so very small

For all

She did for me

Secrets Of The Codex Gigas

It was one of the most talked about discoveries after the Shroud of Turin. However, unlike the Shroud, considered by experts as a genuine relic, the Codex Gigas (Latin for Giant Book) somewhat bordered on the opposite end of the “religious” spectrum. The medieval manuscript written around 13th century by a monk condemned to be brick-walled alive for violating his vows asked the help of the Devil to complete the entire book in just one night, in exchange for his soul. In gratitude, he dedicated a full page of the book vividly illustrating his mentor’s image. Thus, the Codex Gigas was otherwise known as the “Devil’s Bible”.

Paradox
The Devil’s Bible contained old Latin demonic spells, rites of exorcism and incantations against evil spirits and some other historical works. Surprisingly, the book featured the complete Vulgate version of the Bible. The first chapter started with “In principio…” obviously a phrase from Genesis – “In the beginning…” How someone could wrote the holy verses of the Old and New Testaments alongside violent incantations was one question that needed elucidation.

Certainly, somewhere among the cursed, haunting texts that sprang from the writings of a doomed monk, answers lurked.

Read more:

http://www.kb.se/codex-gigas/eng/

Happy Easter!

Trials...

A meeting of nine of the richest men in the world at that time took place at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago in 1923. Among those who attended this meeting were the President of the world's largest independent steel company, President of the largest gas firm, President of the New York Stock Exchange, and a member of the President's Cabinet. Twenty-five years later, three of them had become bankrupt before they died, one became insane, two were in prison, and three of them had committed suicide.

Many people think of fame and fortune when they measure success. However, at some point in life, most people come to realize that inner peace and satisfaction of the soul come not from fame and fortune, but having lived a life of righteousness.

(Reposted)

Life...

Happiness = Inner Peace

It took me 40 years (and five painful ones) to completely realize that formula.

He Calls It Satire... I Call It Malign

At War At Home

27 March 2009

Published in HK Magazine

The Russians sank a Hong Kong freighter last month, killing the seven Chinese seamen on board. We can live with that—Lenin and Stalin were once the ideological mentors of all Chinese people. The Japanese planted a flag on Diàoyú Island. That’s no big problem—we Hong Kong Chinese love Japanese cartoons, Hello Kitty, and shopping in Shinjuku, let alone our round-the-clock obsession with karaoke.

But hold on—even the Filipinos? Manila has just claimed sovereignty over the scattered rocks in the South China Sea called the Spratly Islands, complete with a blatant threat from its congress to send gunboats to the South China Sea to defend the islands from China if necessary. This is beyond reproach. The reason: there are more than 130,000 Filipina maids working as $3,580-a-month cheap labor in Hong Kong. As a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter.

As a patriotic Chinese man, the news has made my blood boil. I summoned Louisa, my domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, hung a map on the wall, and gave her a harsh lecture. I sternly warned her that if she wants her wages increased next year, she had better tell every one of her compatriots in Statue Square on Sunday that the entirety of the Spratly Islands belongs to China.

Grimly, I told her that if war breaks out between the Philippines and China, I would have to end her employment and send her straight home, because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day. With that money, she would pay taxes to her government, and they would fund a navy to invade our motherland and deeply hurt my feelings.

Oh yes. The government of the Philippines would certainly be wrong if they think we Chinese are prepared to swallow their insult and sit back and lose a Falkland Islands War in the Far East. They may have Barack Obama and the hawkish American military behind them, but we have a hostage in each of our homes in the Mid-Levels or higher.

Some of my friends told me they have already declared a state of emergency at home. Their maids have been made to shout “China, Madam/Sir” loudly whenever they hear the word “Spratly.” They say the indoctrination is working as wonderfully as when we used to shout, “Long live Chairman Mao!” at the sight of a portrait of our Great Leader during the Cultural Revolution. I’m not sure if that’s going a bit too far, at least for the time being.

---------------------------------------------------

Wikipedia

To Kit (born August 17, 1958) is the pseudonym of Chip Tsao, a Hong Kong-based columnist-broadcaster and published books author. As a broadcaster, he is famous for his wry sense of humor and sarcasm. His writings abound with metaphors, and his best works are notable for their poetical quality.

Earth Hour

On Saturday, March 28, 8-9pm, Shifting Sands will join millions of people worlwide in flicking the switch, turning appliances off stand-by and enjoying an hour of quiet darkness. Earth Hour shows that, together, our small actions can make a difference to global warming.

Driver: "It's Just A Bird, Anyway..."

Here his wife is injured and the condition is very appalling. She got hit by a car as she swooped low across the road.

Here he brings her food and attends her with love and compassion.

He brings her food again but finds her dead. He tries to move her... a rarely-seen effort for swallows!

Aware that his sweetheart is dead and will never come back to him again, he cries with adoring love.

He stands beside her and screams, saddened by her death.

Finally, aware that she would never return to him, he stands beside her body with sadness and sorrow.


And most of us think animals don't have feelings...

Francis Magalona, 44

Rapper-TV host Francis Magalona died Friday at the Medical City in Pasig City, his co-hosts at the GMA Network’s noontime show “Eat Bulaga” said. He was 44.

Magalona succumbed to multiple organ failure “secondary to severe sepsis and secondary to pneumonia,” according to a hospital source. He passed away at 12 noon, said Philippine Daily Inquirer sources.

In his final blog entry written on January 14, 2009, he addressed fans and requested their prayers.

“I look forward to the pain as I know my journey is on full speed ahead. I will not be bold to say that without asking a favor from you all. PLEASE PRAY for me as I undergo treatment. Your prayers, as always, have sustained me. And am sure the Lord will listen to all our prayers. To His will I submit myself.”

An Ilonggo
As a biography, Francis Magalona was born on October 4, 1964. His birth name was Francis Michael Durango Magalona and he was one of nine siblings. His parents, Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran, were both Philippine movie screen legends and his grandfather was Senator Enrique Magalona.

Random Things About Me

I have been tagged by Odette, (A View From Above) and I promised her to make up a list of random things about me. So here they are:

1. Random Habit: I bite my lower lip. I usually do this when I am nervous or thinking deeply about something I am trying to figure out or listening keenly to somebody talking to me. Strangers mistakenly confuse it as a “turn on” or "flirting" lip language thing… whatever that is. Well, I have to start pouting then, and let them figure out what that means.

2. Random Fact: I am a sleepyhead. Inside a moving bus, car, airplane, terminals, park bench, a friend’s shoulder, etc. Give me a nice place to lean my head on… and I will just doze off.

3. Random Fact: I hate garlic. The smell really makes me sick! Hey! I think my family tree needs a little pruning. I could be the mutant Transylvanian variety.

4. Random Fact: I love cigarettes. They keep me company when I am alone, after every meal, while doing write-ups or catching up a work deadline.

5. Random Fact: I am a fitness freak. I had a set of dumbbells and a bench when I was in college. I was a member of a swimming team too. Now that I can afford to pay gym membership, I keep up a regular workout program for my “baby” and me. It is really fun!

6. Random Dream: To be so damn wealthy and be a philanthropist! Beat that Bill and Melinda Gates!

7. Random Wish: To die for a good cause. It is a strange feeling. But dying to save somebody’s life seems to be the greatest of all deeds to me. Or dying to save humanity perhaps would be my own way of paying back God for the life He has given me. I heard stories of dying people donating their insides for the sick and brave men going to war leaving their families behind to serve God and country. I admire them. I admire brave people.

8. Random Fact: I am a hopeless romantic or at least, I am getting there. Do I need to explain that?

9. Random Fact: I am (sort of) ambidextrous. Writes with my right, cuts with my left, paints with my left, punches with both, swings both ways, etc., whew! Love it!

10. Random Fact: I had my first accident when I was six years old. I saw my nanny going out of our main gate to buy something at a store across the street. I ran after her but got hit by a speeding jeep when I was about to cross the street. I woke up in the hospital a few days later. The driver ran away never to be seen again. My nanny is still working with us up to now – as our cook.

11. Random Fact: This tagging thing is driving me nuts! Can I just settle for eleven instead of twenty Odette!

The Age of Responsibility

Growing up was fun especially during our teenage years. To parents, this was the dreaded period of peril as they sleeplessly and nervously watched their children grew up becoming young adults. Their demands for more freedom and breathing space to express their individuality piled on rapidly within the next seven years or so. However, to a teenager, the party was just about to begin. And by that, I meant beer, booze and brandy.

During my teenage years, my country (Philippines) was under Martial Law. Minors below the age of twenty-one caught under the influence of alcohol faced long-term imprisonment and hard labor. So my cohorts and I considered ourselves “late bloomers” as the dreadful situation during our time put our adrenalin “shots” within a certain threshold. We never felt the kind of rush like the new wave kids are going through right now. Nevertheless, it was not something to feel sorry.

The topic of the talk show I was watching last night wrapped around the legal drinking age. Lately, a petition was filed in the US requesting the drinking age be lowered to 18. The issue triggered an outpouring of emotions from parents, as they have to deal with another problem in addition to the mounting case of premarital sex, teenage pregnancy and drugs.

The legal drinking age around the world ranged between zero to twenty-one. The US National Minimum Drinking Act in 1984 dictated twenty-one as the legal age for its citizen to consume alcohol. And for that, United States uniquely was the highest in the world, closely followed by Japan and South Korea. Countries with no MDA (Minimum Drinking Age) like China, Thailand and Vietnam ranked bottom.

Why the unusual high drinking age? Advocates of the current law believed the earlier the teenager started drinking alcohol the more likely he became alcoholic later in life. Another reason was, the law does not want teenagers to obtain their driver’s license the same time they were allowed to drink alcohol. They thought the newly found freedoms do not mix. There may be a grain of truth to this. But that did not explain the high rate of alcohol related misdemeanor American teenagers committed before they reached twelfth grade. Was it because teenagers were not allowed to legally drink, that is why they did it in secret? If Americans were worried about alcohol related accidents then which should come first? Driving age or drinking age?

From this perspective, it seemed the Drinking Act sowed more harm than good in the last two decades. Setting the legal age to 21 made criminals out of the overwhelming majority and enforcing the law until everyone gave in was pointless. Lowering the age to 18 will not even do wonders either.

It is time for a new approach, a new line of attack. I think it should start with a new attitude towards drinking alcohol. If teenagers are allowed to drink, they should do it with adult supervision to avoid excess. Just like teaching them how to drive a car before giving them a license. European teenagers’ first encounter with a glass of wine is at the dinner table under the watchful eye of their parents, not at a binge drink - promoting frat party. Responsibility is one of the key aspects in successfully implementing the law.

After the lifting of Martial Law, the Philippines saw a new beginning. Finally, patience paid off. It called for a celebration. It was then that I had my first mug of icy cold draft beer at Shakey’s – at 20 years old.

Sandstorm

It is now the second day and the severe sandstorm is not showing any signs of letting up. Just to give you an idea how does it look like here in Al Jubail, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.

The photos were taken yesterday at 7:00 in the morning on my way to the office.

Again And Again

Is there a limit to saying, “It is okay…” to somebody who repeatedly keeps on doing the same mistake, and in the end would just say, “I am sorry…” and expects a gentle tap on the shoulder and just call everything quits?

I am so glad I do not have this kind of friends!

Drawing In The Dark

It is been awhile since I posted. Work is hectic and grabbing most of my time. By the time I reach home from work, I am either brain dead or already close to comatose. Well, that is what I am paid for. Therefore, I had better stop complaining

January is the busiest month of the year. It is the month of surprises where everything happens at the same time: re-org, yearend reports, new boss, location transfers, hiring, firing, etc. It reminds me a lot of the Big Brother reality show. You live in a house with a bunch of people you hardly know, work out the given house chore and wait for Eviction Day. At the end, there is always this promise of “a new beginning”. Well, whatever that is, it is up for the contestants to find out.

I reviewed my digital photography kit last weekend over breakfast of cigarette and coffee and tried some of the techniques the lecturer Jose de Luna (www.pbase.com/josedeluna) taught me. One of which was doing photography in the dark using moving specks of light. I love challenges when it comes to photography and I would love to try this one.

After a few hits and misses, these were the ones that came out:

Shutter Speed: 25"
ISO: 200
Aperture: F/8
Camera: Nikon D60 (tripod)
Settings: Manual

Shutter Speed: 25 seconds
ISO: 200
Aperture: F/8
Camera: Nikon D60 (tripod)
Settings: Manual

Shutter Speed: 25 seconds
ISO: 200
Aperture: F/8
Camera: Nikon D60 (tripod)
Settings: Manual

Sidelights: Road Trip

AL MAMLAKA

(The Kingdom Tower)

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Simply grand...

http://www.icsc.org/srch/education/awards/AlMamlaka.pdf

Saudi Executioner: Proud To Do God's Work

(An interview with the Saudi Arabian chief executioner)

When he got started in his unusual line of work back in 1998, Muhammad Saad al-Beshi suffered from "stage fright" because so many people were watching him. But the nervousness soon left him, just like his victim's head.

"The criminal was tied and blindfolded. With one stroke of the sword I severed his head. It rolled meters away," said al-Beshi, Saudi Arabia's top executioner, according to a story in the Saudi daily Arab News.

And how does al-Beshi feel about killing people for a living? In the interview, reported also by the BBC, al-Beshi said he's "very proud to do God's work." Conceding that he has executed numerous women, as well as men, he hastened to add: "Despite the fact that I hate violence against women, when it comes to God's will, I have to carry it out."

Al-Beshi expressed indifference about the number of beheadings he was required to carry out.
"It doesn't matter to me," he said in the interview. "Two, four, ten – as long as I'm doing God's will, it doesn't matter how many people I execute."

The death penalty can be prescribed for many offences in the Saudi kingdom, which is under strict Islamic or Shari'a law. Not only murder and rape, but armed robbery, drug trafficking and repeated drug use – and even apostasy – are capital offenses.

What about the methods of execution? Sometimes, said Al-Beshi, he shoots convicted women to death. "It depends what they ask me to use. Sometimes they ask me to use a sword and sometimes a gun. But most of the time I use the sword," he said, according to the Arab News interview.

"There are many people who faint when they witness an execution. I don't know why they come and watch if they don't have the stomach for it," he said. "No one is afraid of me. I have a lot of relatives, and many friends at the mosque, and I live a normal life like everyone else."

Of his prized sword, a "gift" from the Saudi government, al-Beshi notes, "People are amazed how fast it can separate the head from the body."

But, once the order is given, he instructs the prisoner to recite an affirmation of Muslim faith, or "Shahada." "When they get to the execution square, their strength drains away. Then I read the execution order, and at a signal I cut the prisoner's head off," he said.

Al-Beshi says his unusual occupation causes "no drawbacks for my social life." In fact, the "contented" father of seven even trains the next generation of executioners. He is especially proud that his son is walking in his father's footsteps.

In addition to executions, al-Beshi also specializes in amputations of hands or legs.

"I use a special sharp knife, not a sword. When I cut off a hand, I cut it from the joint. If it is a leg the authorities specify where it is to be taken off, so I follow that."

Since forgiveness on the part of the victim's family can result in a reprieve for the condemned criminal, al-Beshi actually visits the victim's family before executing the convict, in hopes the victim's kin will forgive the perpetrator.

"I always have that hope, until the very last minute, and I pray to God to give the criminal a new lease of life," he said, according to the BBC account.

Ready, Aim...

(Casual conversation with Zaki)

Me: (While getting inside the car) “Salam! How’s things?”

Zaki: “You are two minutes late! You know how hard it is to find parking around here. My rear nearly got bumped while waiting for you in the middle of the road.”

Me: “What’s the big deal, you got car insurance.”

Zaki: “What’s with the jacket?”

Me: “It’s cold, my bones are hurting.”

Zaki: (Laughs) “Old people!”

Me: (Ironic) “Kids…”

Zaki: “Hey, my pic is up for bid on Facebook®.”

Me: (Laughs) “Finally you got face value.”

Zaki: “Do you remember the one you took a couple of months back?”

Me: “Got hundreds of them. Which one?”

Zaki: “The one you turned upside down!”

Me: “You mean ‘rotated’, dummy.”

Zaki: (Annoyed) ”Whatever. It’s worth three-hundred thousand dollars now.”

Me: (Stunned) “What?! That’s a lot of money for one lousy pic!”

Zaki: (Feeling gorgeous) “Excuse me! It’s me in the pic!”

Me: “Hello, I was the one who took it. I got the copyright. Ok, fifty-fifty.”

Zaki: (Laughs) “We can’t get the money, wacko! It’s just a popularity bid. Somebody put it up for auction. And there it goes…”

Me: “Well, why don’t we start doing something for real?”

Zaki: “Like what?”

Me: “Like swapping it for a loaf of bread instead?”

Zaki: “*!*##@#**!!*#!!”

To The 9's

Recently, a friend sent me a funny email that said something about my horoscope:

"The Sun and Moon form a beautiful aspect for you, so the best thing you can do is simply go with the flow! Your best side will come forward, as your mind and your emotions are boosted by the cosmic energies. Romantic signals will come your way and might even meet your own excellent standards. Excellent colors are golden topaz and moonstone. Lucky numbers are 5 and 9."

Reading horoscopes, charting the stars and planets are just part of the fun in greeting the New Year. I was born on the 9th day of the 9th month and got two 9’s in my birth year. And with 2009 smacked right between my ears, I got the lucky 5 and the 9’s I needed for the above prediction to come true.

There is always this breathtaking feeling within us in trying to unlock the mystery that lies ahead. The readings reveal events that are going to happen about love, life, career and money. We drift into hopeful thoughts as we read our Zodiac “forecasts” and take note of the crucial things that come with it: lucky color, lucky number, lucky day, lucky stone and so on, and so forth.

For those who are dead serious and do not want to gamble their future on unreliable predictions and interpretations of fuzzy celestial pictures, hanging charms and crystals over their necks are definitely their best solution to do the job.

If there is such a thing as Pandora syndrome, this might be it.

All around the world, sales of charms, amulets and other mystical curios rocketed sky high. Top on the list are the Chinese knick-knacks of all shapes and sizes: lucky toad, jade coins, feng shui chart, fu symbol and the venerable smiling Buddha. Good luck will be yours if you wear them as a pendant, bracelet, hang it in your rear view mirror or attach one to your handbag or briefcase. But here is one catch: the charm will only work if given to you as a gift by a friend. How is that for a counter spell?

Not to be outdone are the mysterious African and Middle Eastern talismans with their cryptic mumbo-jumbo. They come in the form of custom-made rings, intricate bracelets and elaborate pendants, said to be more effective than their Chinese cousins. There is the al ain, hamsa, ankh, scarab and the Eye of Horus. Arabs and Africans believe it protects the wearer against the woe of all woes - the evil eye.

Lately, this superstitious pastime has taken a new serious twist. The appalling domino effect of the present economic mess has left everyone desperate for something to hold on. Everyone is hanging their hopes to the mystic and the magical, believing it will stand by them to get through hell and back.

What is happening? Are we losing our faith in God? Where is the proven and tested power of prayer? Our twisted moral values are precariously putting our belief in our Creator to a test.

The world is full of commercialism and trickery. We are swayed by promises of false hopes, and in return, trade our principles for a few pieces of silver.

And the five 9’s? Nah! That is inane bullstuff!