Rants and Ramblings

Every year, it floods somewhere in the Metro Manila. We have no control over the weather. But we do have control of how it affects us.  There are low lying areas that will flood at the slightest rainfall. And a few days ago it rained so hard it flooded areas that have never flooded before.

Garbage is the number one cause of this flooding. Garbage has blocked the drainages, rivers and streams. It is compounded by the lack of proper disposal methods, overcrowding in urban areas, and a lack of public education about garbage and trash management.

 Solve these three things and we will have fewer floods.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. A headline in the newspaper has Erap dismissing Noynoy as the candidate of the rich. While that may be true, such divisive statements perpetuate the poor's mentality of them vs. the rich. And so does Erap sell himself as their savior? He was president for three years, I did not see him ever attempting to improve the lives of the poor Filipinos. He may have some short term programs that alleviate their pains. But they sure keep them there in that poor state.

We should avoid divisive statements. Rich and poor, we must work together for change.  

Yes, the Philippine president and her entourage should not have eaten at Le Cirque. Considering that most of the country are living in poverty, they could have eaten in some other New York restaurant that is not as expensive. I appreciate their reasoning was to eat in an appropriate place befitting a head of state, but hey, some prudence should be exercised. It is just right that the expenses be scrutinized. In comparison, if a CEO of a company that is struggling to make money spends that much, the board will be all over him to justify the expenses. Now the president and her representatives say that these trips are beneficial, and that these benefits outweigh the expense. I'd like them to demonstrate that. They should show that in black and white. What did the country gain? And it cannot be intangible.

The office of the president also gave the excuse that a congressional member paid for it. He must be very rich. He must also be investigated. Aren't congressional members subject to lifestyle checks? Aren't they supposed to submit statements of net worth? His pork barrel spending is also being investigated.

I was at a public park that had a pond with ducks and turtles. There is a fairly visible sign that said "Do not feed the animals". It also has some numbers which I assume pertains to an ordinance number or something similar. One lady and three kids with her were feeding the animals with bread.

I couldn't help myself. "Just so you know," I began, "there's a sign here that says 'Do not feed the animals.'".  She replied with, "Yes, I know. But we feed them from time to time. It's good for the kids."

I thought to myself, if that kind of thinking is correct, then I can steal milk and yogurt for my daughter because it's good for her. Doesn't this teach the kids that it's ok to break the law if it's good for them? If more people thought like this then this world is going to hell. Kids will grow up with no good sense of right and wrong, and that it's ok to break the law for self gratification.

She continued, "We feed them organic bread. It's not going to harm them. The reason why they don't want people to feed them is because...

In this article I talked about the effect of TV physical activity. What I failed to mention is that TV also contributed to the reduction in reading. I was an avid reader until I graduated from high school. Then it went downhill from there. I used to read one to two books a week. Then it went down to one book a month at University. It was at the same time that I discovered the movies.

Growing up in a relatively small town, the movie theaters there were not as good as the ones in the metropolis. And the movies that they show cater to a different crowd. Apart from that, they were late by about two weeks. So I filled my time reading fiction.

But in the busy life of Metro Manila there was plenty to do. While I do not regret the experiences, I have regrettably lost the habit of reading to entertain. Reading became a chore - at school, and then at work. I have lost the urge to read for pleasure. There were other things to do. And watching movies and TV were two of them. I still picked up the latest Sidney Sheldon book, and...

After a while I thought about adding to my knife collection. I heard good things about Benchmade knives. At the same time my wife wanted a new Santoku knife for the kitchen. So I bought two knives, and updated my page here.

 Enjoy!

Virtually the entire news hour was filled with bits in and around this Katrina Halili sex video. Meanwhile, the country is still at war, half the people are below the poverty line, and politicians are still lining their pockets with state funds quietly.

Is this a diversion? Is the media intentionally focusing on what is otherwise a private matter to avoid discussing the serious issues facing the Philippines today?

Why is the Philippine public so fascinated with this case?  

The news reports today that the city of San Francisco is taxing drinks with high fructose corn syrup to pay for research on diabetes and other sugar/fructose-related diseases.

While the intent is good - more research - the means is questionable. It is unfairly targetting what is otherwise legal. Softdrinks may indeed contribute to diabetes.  The unsaid intent of this new tax is for people to reduce or even avoid softdrinks because they cause diabetes.

I love Coca Cola. But I don't drink everyday. My grandparents were both diagnosed with diabetes. What happened to personal responsibility? What happened to self-control?

Do we have to depend on the law to control our sugar intake? 

When Paris Hilton's sex tape went public, we didn't hear a thing from US lawmakers. Why is it that the Philippine senators are wasting time talking about and holding hearings for a private matter?

I am calling on all senators: Please focus on the important issues! There are people starving, people with no jobs, or even dead end jobs, kids who can't go to school, kids who have no decent healthcare.

It seems you are just jumping on the next big news item and grandstanding, until it dies down, and then you jump on the next one.

 Please! Focus!

A few months ago we celebrated Capt Chesley Sullenberger's heroism. Now we have another hero - Captain Richard Phillips, who traded himself for his crew to save them from Somalian pirates.

These people are modern day heroes. In what was probably the most difficult moments in their lives, they did the right thing.