Monday, June 27, 2005

Gloria Does It Again
..if she lied to us about that what other things could she have lied about?
- Vince Vaugn in Mr. & Mrs. Smith

My goodness! Does our President's imcompetency know no bound? After fabricating so many lies (Hello, Garci?), she makes yet another stupid move that would inevitably leave her cornered.


FINALLY breaking her silence, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has admitted it is her voice on allegedly wiretapped recordings that that her opponents believe show she rigged the 2004 elections.

In a statement aired live over radio and television, she also apologized for calling a Commission on Election official in the period immediately following the polls.
[via INQ7.net]

Whether her statements have a scintilla of truth in them, I don't know and I no longer care. This move of hers is definitely a WRONG political move. Instead of applying the tried and tested showbiz-way of concealing - the no-comment and deny tactic - she had to ruin evertything by admitting that she did commit a blunder. She may not have admitted cheating but such revelations leave us, the ever underestimated public, thinking (and hoping) that she DID cheat and she DID instruct Garcilliano to do the "dirty work".


Haaayyy Gloria! Kawawa ka naman.. Wala ka nang takas sa kuko ng iyong mga kaaway na pawang mga buwaya ring lalamon sa aming lahat..


May isang GMA na dumapo sa sanga
Umamin kanina
Ang tanga-tanga...

GMA GMA tatanga-tanga
GMA GMA tatanga-tanga


But wait! Here's more!

Go on! Bask in the stench of Philippine politics!

Flight of the Chicakdee
May isang chickadee na dumapo sa sanga
dumating ang isa, dal'wa na sila.

Chickadee, chickadee, lilipad-lipad.
Chickadee, chickadee, lilipad-lipad.

...

May sampung chickadee na dumapo sa sanga
umalis ang isa, si-yam na sila.

Chickadee, chickadee, lilipad-lipad.
Chickadee, chickadee, lilipad-lipad.

...

Ito, kasama ang mga tulad ng Father Abraham (has many children) at It's I (it's I) Who Builds the Community ang kadalasan naming ice breaker noong elementary. Minsan, kapag trip o kapag trip naming pagtripan ang titser, ang mga pampabiyak yelong ito ang instant hit sa amin.


Simple pa ang buhay noon. Walang integration, walang free-body diagrams, walang problem-solution papers, at wala pang "social constructs". Basal at payak pa ang pamumuhay ko noon - walang inaalala kundi ang tiyang madalas ay kumukulo.


Hindi na maibabalik ang mga panahong malayang nakakapag-thumbs up - knees bend - turnaround - tongues out pa ako. Ngunit ilang taon man ang lumipas nang ako'y tawagin pang Om-om, hindi pa rin mawawala ang galak na naidudulot sa akin ng pagkanta ng mga kantang tulad ng Chickadee.


Bakit nga ba isa-isang nagsiliparan ang mga chickadee? Isa yan sa mga misteryong 'ni kailanman'y 'di nating inabalang isipin sapagkat (1) 'di natin sigurado kung mayroon nga ba talagang mga chickadee o kathang isip lamang sila ng titser natin, maya lamang kasi ang nakikita natin, (2) marahil may malaking leon na nakakita sila, at (3) wala lang talaga tayong paki-alam kasi sapat nang matuwa tayo sa katabi nating pinapalo ang mga braso sa hangin dahil ang chickadee'y lumilipad-lipad.


Gusto mo bang malaman kung bakit nagsiliparan ang mga chickadee? I-click ito!!!!.



May isang chickadee na dumapo sa sanga,
umalis ang isa, wala na sila

*Katahimikan*

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Post Sickness Silliness Post

Haaaay salamat nawala rin ang iniinda kong karamdaman. Matapos ang isang araw ng pagliban sa klase at dalawang araw ng 'di matiyak na kalagayan, masasabi ko nang "sniff sniff sniff ubo ubo ubo EEEHHEEMM!!!". Ang hirap talagang magkasakit. Kaya kayo mga bata, huwag niyong pababayaan mga katawan niyo... Kapag naiinitan, maligo sa ulan.. Kapag nagugutom, huwag tipirin ang sarili - bumili ng pishbol, qwekqwek, scramble diyan sa tabi-tabi.. Kapag nauuhaw, huwag tiisin, naririyan ang gripong tuloy-tuloy ang agos.. Kapag 'di makatulog, magbasa ng libro, ngunit dahil mahal ang kuryente, dapat nakapatay lahat ng ilaw.. Kapag uuwi galing paaralan, maglakad na lamang sa tabi ng isang pampublikong kalsadang mausok at puno ng mga kote - iwas trapik..


Tinatamad na akong magdagdag. Totoo lahat 'yan. True to life. Hindi kathang-isip. Hindi kabarberuhan. Hindi joketime. SA katunayan, may kilala akong ganyan na ganyan. Nagkasakit nga siya noong Linggo lang e. Ungas kasi. Ga-bano..


I think I'm in love..

Sunday, June 19, 2005

bioFlu mode
Ang bano ko.. May sakit ako.. Pahingi ng bioFlu.. Ayokong mag-cut.. Ang bano ko..

Saturday, June 18, 2005

Happy Father's Day!!! (tomorrow)

My first vexel art... Phew...

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Welkam to da Janggel!

Sa lipunang nagmimistulang gubat na sa kahayupan at kabangisan, ano nga bang laban nating mga maliliit na talangkang nagnanais lamang ang isakatuparan ang mga adhikaing itinanim sa ating mga kokote noong tayo'y maliliit pa lamang?


Sa libro ni Bob Ong na Alamat ng Gubat, binigyan niya ng kulay (at mga pangil) ang lipunang natalmsikan na ng putik at dumi, nang ating muling makira kung ano nga ba ang lipunang ating kinapapapalooban. Maikli man ang nasabing libro (nabasa ko ito sa loob ng 30 minuto sa loob ng isang parausan), siksik ito tuya at komentaryo sa ating bansa - mula sa walang kamatayang mga buwaya hanggang sa mga asong kumakain ng suka, naririto ang buong pamilya (ng mandarambong, maninikil, magnanakaw, mandaraya, man...).


Oo, marami na talagang mga librong naglalayong imulat ang mga mata natin sa kadiliman ng ating lipunan. Ilang pahina na rin ang inilaan sa mga garapalang mga pandaraya. Oo, minsan talagang nakakasawa na. Gasgas na ang pamumuhay sa idealismo. Pagod na ang mga tao. Ito nga marahil ang siyang dahilan kung bakit ako naakit sa librong ito. Dinerecho ni Bob Ong at 'di niya binigyang ng paligoy-ligoy pa ang idealismong sana'y sinusulong natin ngayon. Akala ko, tulad ng maraming librong nailathala na, ipagpipilitan pa rin ni Bob Ong na isulong ang mga ideang alam nating unti-unti nang nawawalan ng puwang sa lipunang nais na nating lahat takasan. Ngunit sa bandang huli, isang kabalintunaan lamang ang iniiwan sa mga mambabasa...


Isang tanong ang naiiwang nakibitin sa ere - kakainin mo ba ang puso ng saging?

Monday, June 06, 2005

Reasons to Hate a Reg Day (LSAT style)

  1. I have to get up early in the morning since the LSAT's call time is at 7:30 am.
  2. Students get grumpy when they don't get the classes / professors / timeslots that they want.
  3. We never know when would the system (AISIS) be down.
  4. It's always noisy.
  5. Some students do nto prepare a list of classes, thus, they have to pick on-the-spot.
  6. Lunch break is not always at 12 noon.
  7. Reg always resumes at 1:00 pm regardless of the time lunch started.
  8. We have to wait for all the straglers (a.k.a. latecomers who missed their random numbers).
  9. Stragglers arrive one at a time, thus, the afternoons become boring.
  10. We are underpaid (hehehehehe) and under appreciated.

Nonetheless, I'll never give up being a Loyola Schools Assessment Team member.

Friday, June 03, 2005

What’s your Punctuation Personality?
Since we are currently living in the age of blogging where millions and millions have their own rant hole tucked in the deepest recesses of the World Wide Web, writing (and reading) has become a layman's everyday chore. Plowing through numerous weblogs by different bloggers, we see different content ranging from hobbies to news, to love problems. Consequently, the form and style vary from one ranter to another. Here is one good article written by Judy Wolfman.

As writers, we're tuned in to everything mechanical—sentence and paragraph structure, capitalization, grammar, and punctuation.


In fact, I think that, unknowingly, we assume punctuation personalities to match our own. This theory is not scientific, or even substantiated. Can you find yourself below?


Period Person [ . ] -- The frequent use of periods indicates that you are direct to the point. You are a "no nonsense" person. You tell it like it is. You prefer short statements, often without detail and embellishment, and find satisfaction in using abbreviations that require periods. Your statements are usually fact-filled, and often not at all expressive. In some cases, your writing could be considered "flat," although it's easy to read and comprehend. In relating a scene that involves spilling coffee, the Period Person might write it like this: "Whoops. I just spilled my coffee. Now I have a spot on my shirt and another on the rug. I'll have to clean them up."


Question Mark Person [ ? ] -- As a writer, you are an enigma? Inquisitive and full of question? Do you seek answers, but not always provide them? Is your mind frequently running on "What ifs…" ? Do you consider a thousand possible answers, which, in turn, trigger more questions with no specific answers, and so forth? Might you write the spill scene like this: "What did I do? How could I have been so careless? What am I going to do about these coffee stains?"


Exclamation Mark Person [ ! ] -- You are an emotional individual who enthusiastically express every detail and feeling. You are active, rather than passive. Sometimes a strong feeling or attitude may lead to verbal aggression, and the use of the exclamation mark helps emphasize a command or strong point of view. While you may use the exclamation mark to convey sarcasm, irony, or amusement in your writing, you're a sensitive individual at heart. Here's how an Exclamation Mark Person might write the spill scene: "Oh my! Look what just happened! I spilled coffee on my shirt and on the rug! I can't believe I did that!"


Comma Person [ , ] -- You run on and on when you speak, and may be often called a chatterbox. The comma provides you with an easy way to express many thoughts and keep talking with little or no concern for stopping. But, commas do recognize the need to separate thoughts so that they don't bump into each other and cause a mental traffic jam. Here's how a Comma Person, eager to provide detail, might write the spill scene: "I was walking into the room, carrying my cup of coffee, minding my own business, when suddenly the coffee spilled all over my shirt, and on the rug, making a terrible mess."


Semicolon person [ ; ] -- If you have a lot to say, but pause often to let your points sink in, you could be a semicolon Person. In many ways, you're like the Comma Person, offering a laundry list of items or thoughts. However, you're able to separate your ideas without using an abundant number of words. Fewer words and a more direct approach allow the Semicolon Person to eliminate the need to join thoughts or ideas with conjunctions to form compound sentences. So our scene could read like this: "I've spilled coffee on my shirt and rug. Now I must get rid of the cup of coffee; work on the shirt stain and clean up the rug stain."


Colon Person [ : ] -- Are you one that writes for technical magazines, presents data, or makes reports? Do you prefer simple explanatory statements, rather than lengthy, involved examples? IF you prefer short lists or descriptions, then you might be a Colon Person. Colons are effective for quickly disseminating information and make reading lists easier. The Colon Person isn't concerned with complete sentences formation or joining sentences together. In many respects, the Colon Person and the Semicolon person are similar. Once again, the spill scene: "The coffee spilled because: (1) I walked too fast and (2) didn't look where I was going. Now I need to: (1) remove the stain from my shirt, then (2) work on the rug. Next time I must remember to: (1) be more careful and (2) slow down."


Dash Person [ - ] -- Frequent use of dashes may indicate indecisiveness, or a lack of confidence in yourself and the territory over which you're traveling. You may be reaching out in an attempt to find your way and explain yourself. If you have flair for drama—or for sudden breaks in thought—you may be a Dash Person. Dashes add a bit of drama to writing, too. And, of course, the dash is an excellent way to emphasize or define a part of a sentence, as well as to make an "aside." The Dash Person might handle the spill scene in this way: "Now I've done it—gone and spilled coffee on my shirt and rug. Only one thing to do—clean it up—but how? I know—I could use a towel—if I can find one—or maybe a mop."


Parentheses Person [ () ] -- The user of parenthetical phrases is one who likes to add just one more thing, or explain/define what was just said. This is another way, too, of saying "oh, by the way," or making an "aside." A Parentheses Person probably has a good sense of humor and is quick with a comeback. Let's look at the scene through the Parentheses Person's eyes: "Oh no! I spilled the coffee (and it's not the first time—or the last.) Got a spot on my shirt (but maybe it won't be noticeable) and another (bigger one) on the rug. (That will be noticeable.) Time to get to work (not exactly my favorite thing to do).


Quotation Mark Person [ ""] -- An individual who seeks authority and wants to make sure that what he or she says is accurate will turn to quoting others. Using another person's exact words can lend credibility to writing. Citing examples is another ploy used by the person who finds it necessary to have an authority. The Quotation Person will also use these marks to call attention to a specific term or phrase. Our scene, once again: "As my mother used to say, `Haste makes waste.' Walking too fast and not looking where I was going made me spill my coffee. This was a disaster waiting to happen. (I don't know who said that, but I've heard it so many times.) No choice but to clean it up. As the saying goes, "A woman's work is never done.""


Obviously. Writers need to use all of the above punctuation marks at one time or another within a manuscript. However, do you use one type of mark excessively? If so, this might be an indication of what sort of a person you are!

Thursday, June 02, 2005

Who Killed Lana?
killed lana

The Rule of Four: Da Vinci Code-ish and More

At first The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason seemed like another one of those Da Vinci Code rip-offs that features ancient mysteries being unraveled piece by piece revealing deadly secrets. The book, in a nutshell, is like that which may well be the only reason why people would buy the book. But comparing to Da Vinci Code, it's not as explosive and fails to deliver that bam-bam-bam-bam effect that the former strongly relied upon. But instead of seeing this as a weakness, by the end of the book, I realized that for that reason, this book stands out. That was the reason why I didn't give up on the book (unlike Da Vinci Code).


The other point of deviance from the DVC Model of Fictional Hooplah is the novel's strong human touch. The plot centers around four college friends who are about to graduate from Princeton. The story was never about the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. Rather, it was how these for friends worked through a whole weekend of mystery and life-changing revelations. By saying revelations, I not only refer to the secrets locked inside the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili but also that of the life of the main character, Tom. The book succeeds to elevate all the code cracking and mystery solving to a level that makes these elements coincide with their own lives.


Good characterization and the tried-and-tested DVC Model of Fictional Hooplah proved to be a potent combo. If you have absolutely nothing to do or if you just want to take a break from a Dark Tower marathon, this book is for you. But if you're just one of those countless people out there who are still not yet over with the whole DVC pandemonium, I think you'll be mightily dissapointed with this one.

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Thought Train

  • I am now an ADSA Student Deputy.
  • I'm hesitating to pursue my sophomore year goal of joining a theater org because of the above said statement.
  • If I pursue joining a theater org, I still can't decide which - Tanghalang Ateneo or Entablado.
  • Registration days are around the corner, time to put my encoding skills back to work.
  • I didn't get the privilege of early registration because I'm stupid enough to not know my schedule.
  • I still have an INTACT faci interview later.
  • There's no such thing as a summer vacation.
  • I'm still as confused as I was a year ago.
  • I miss Oppen Building.
  • I've decided to renew my membership in Gabay but I shall remain as an inactive member.
  • I find Rule of Four corny and it looks like I have to drag myself to finish the last 1/4 of the book.
  • I'm still half-way through Dark Tower 4: Wizard and Glass.
  • I want to read Umberto Eco's books.
  • I want a new pair of Chucks - the flaming blue and white.
  • Working mothers more often than not, make dinner out of necessity and not out of love. The produt of this is a sloppy, tasteless dish. But I can't blame them.
  • I want a Coca-cola Russell yoyo.
  • Choo! Choo!
  • Chuga chuga chuga chug!
  • Choo! Choo!
  • Tsshhhhhhh...