Stricken with Obama fever

Panlilio run worries two Catholic bishops

Blame it on Obama. Now everyone with "clean hands" and gift of rhetoric claims he or she can be Malacañan's messiah.

I have nothing personal against priests or Among Ed in particular, but I simply don't see him capable enough to lead the country towards "Change" as what Obama promises to do in the US. In fact, I see him as someone who can bring so much more divide in our already tormented political and social environment. The fact that he failed to sway the "hostile" Mayors in his province into his fold is enough evidence of his weak leadership. It just goes to show that being good alone does not make a fit leader. It's a combination of many things; no particular formula but just the right mix of skills, personality, and intellect.

Most importantly, great leaders do not seek office; it is the office that seeks them. Among Ed may have all the good intentions in making known his great political ambition, but it just ain't right and he simply ain't fit.

This I confess.

Raped (she was) / Rapped (we were)

'Nicole' leaves for US, settles for P100,000

After all the drama, it all boiled down to zero - or zeros actually.

Nicole rattled two nations, caused a media circus, and fueled feminist passion. She was the modern Mary Magdalene who people sympathize with and fight for. Until she recanted her cries of rape and abandoned the quest for justice. By doing so, she did not only shame herself, but shred the Filipina pride to pieces beyond compare. There's no doubt she was influenced and "bribed." She now even possesses an American visa and is trying to seek new life in a country where a million Smiths live. How ironic can that be? It's a smack on the face of every Filipina.

I can't wait to see Jay Leno and David Letterman pick this up in their show's opening salvo. The joke was on us, and the Americans have the last laugh.

Here Today, Where Tomorrow

Austrian newspaper cites resilience of RP economy

Yes indeed. Our economy seems strong enough to survive the crisis that plagued the United States and Europe and other strong economies in Asia. Some say the tidal wave of that economic recession has yet to reach the Philippines and may be felt only later this year or in 2010. Me thinks that gives us time to prepare for a possible crisis and minimize its impact if ever it finally hits us, unlike during the 1997 Asian financial crisis when our economy was caught by surprise and hence suffered.

What keeps our economy afloat is the people's willingness to spend. Even if most Filipinos have limited capacity for earnings, we still spend so much because it is not in our culture to sacrifice present needs and wants for future stability. We don't mind if we spend our last centavo for a party today even if there is no guaranteed meal for the next day. We don't mind borrowing money to spend on a luxury now even if we pay for it dearly in the future. While this does not make good economic sense, at least we do not sleep on our money. This attitude is most favorable to business.

While we can brag about the state of our economy right now, still we can't compare our economy with that of our rich and better neighbors. Japan or Singapore deep in recession is probably a version of the Philippines with average economic growth. Our economy may not be suffering, but it's not gaining much either. It is mediocre, to say the least. Of course we know why our economy cannot really take off - poor governance, political and social instability, lack of discipline, backward mentality, etc.

Our attitude reflects what kind of future we will have. We are happy to survive today. We'll just keep our fingers crossed for what tomorrow will bring.

Dogged

I was awakened by the blaring siren of fire trucks around 3 am today. Alarmed but not panicking, I got up, observed the neighborhood, and judging from where the fire trucks were heading, surmised that fire probably struck the slum area several blocks away from where I live. Not sensing any potential danger, I went back to bed and tried to sleep again but was frustrated by the loud sirens that broke out every so often.

So I decided to just let the time pass by watching a movie in bed from a portable player. What movies do I have? Ahh, Slumdog Millionaire – the recent Oscar Best Picture. I wanted to see this film before it even won an award. Of course, everyone knows what the film’s story is all about. It is one thing, however, to read it from the newspapers or the internet, and another to actually see the film. The latter is obviously more captivating.

In summary, Slumdog Millionaire is real life becoming reel because of the sudden fame and fortune the young slumdog amassed after answering correctly the questions in a television game show, deriving clues from his life experiences. The depictions of every clue are comically and cleverly presented and are used to gradually build up the film plot. Among the funny and memorable scenes are the young Jamal diving into a puddle of human excrement just to get an autograph of his movie idol and Jamal and Salim escaping the syndicate but leaving behind young lass Latika.

Throughout the movie, though, the slumdog didn’t seem to care much about what he can achieve and achieved eventually, but only longed for the love that was written by destiny - humanizing an otherwise incredulous story.

Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy did a splendid job weaving the story originally written by Vikas Swarup into a film material. Director Danny Boyle was beyond impressive in turning the story into an artistic, cunning, and emotional imagery, truly worthy of an Oscar. Boyle avoided the sacrilegious yet treaded dangerously by inserting the typical Bollywood song-and-dance sequence before the credits, but it escaped as charming anyway.

I was so engrossed in the movie from start to finish that I forgot to give the slightest care what happened in the incident that kept me awake in the first place. If the fire hit the slum area, indeed, a lot of families would have been affected and probably some lives were lost. Then I realized… it was the place of slumdogs. It is possible that a Jamal could be living there. A Jamal whose hopes of survival cling to a thin thread. A Jamal trying hard to be good amid all the evils. A Jamal who patiently perseveres for love.

I hope not. I fervently hope not.

We need a winner.

Dying Young

Rapper Francis Magalona passes away

We can't help but feel deeply sad every time someone who is young and so full of life suddenly dies. It reminds us how fragile life can be and that we should be grateful for every day that we live healthy and out of danger.

It also stresses the need for us to be more conscious of our body as we grow older. We may appear to be fit, but we don't really know what's going on inside our body. With regard our health, it is always safer to be concerned than to just assume we are okay.

Death is certain to happen, but we owe it to those people who love and depend on us for whatever reason to make sure it does not come to us at the time least expected.

Legal Gobbledygook

I am a student of law.

I actually first studied law in 2001 for just a year and continued only in 2008. Now I felt like a freshman all over again, though not the type who is taking studies too seriously. Not to say that I find studying law quite easy that I do not see the need to be serious in my studies. In fact, I find it really hard. It's just that studying frustrates me a bit because law books are so difficult to read and digest.

Mind you I love reading. It's my most favorite past-time next to writing and singing (hehe). I read newspapers, magazine, novels, non-fiction, trivia bits, even product labels and billboard signs. But law books, I have to force myself to read them. I usually feel the urge only when I'm due for recitation or it's near the exam period.

I tried to find a good reason why I am not very much interested in reading law books. They are too text-heavy. They are voluminous. They are monotonous. These reasons simply won't stand as arguments in the classroom, much more in court.

Then I realized what makes reading law books unappealing for me is the syntax - particularly on sentence structure. The law has its own language and it is not plain English. Strunk & White surely will have a hell of a time editing codal provisions, jurisprudence, and legal textbooks if they try to make them as reader-friendly as any mainstream publications. Legal speak ignores rules on the use of a comma or simple sentence construction or sometimes grammar. That is also why it is open to so many interpretations.

Should I blame the authors then if I mess up during recitation or if I fail my exams? Or should I call for a reform in the way legal resources are written. (Maybe a good proposition.)

Nah, am just trying to justify my laziness here. I should know I'm in for difficult times when I decided to enrol in law school.

Excuses denied.