He's a guy for crying out loud!

Recent tags really got the message across. So you are quitting now?


Songs that will always remind me of you:

Say It Right (Nelly Furtado)

In the day
In the night
Say it right
Say it all
You either got it
Or you don't
You either stand or you fall
When your will is broken
When it slips from your hand
When there's no time for joking
There's a hole in the plan

Oh you don't mean nothing at all to me
No you don't mean nothing at all to me
But you got what it takes to set me free
Oh you could mean everything to me

I can't say that I'm not lost and at fault
I can't say that I don't love the light and the dark
I can't say that I don't know that I am alive
And all of what I feel I could show
You tonight you tonight

Oh you don't mean nothing at all to me
No you don't mean nothing at all to me
But you got what it takes to set me free
Oh you could mean everything to me

From my hands I could give you
Something that I made
From my mouth I could sing you another brick that I laid
From my body I could show you a place God knows
You should know the space is holy
Do you really want to go?

NEYO's All Because of You
Want to but I can't help it.
I love the way it feels.
This got me stuck between my fantasy and what is real.
I need it when I want it.
I want it when I don't.
Tell myself I'd stop everyday,
Knowing that I won't

[Hook #1]
I've got a problem and I.. (don't know what to do about it)
Even if I did, I don't know if I would quit
But I doubt it. I'm,
Taken by the thought of it..(mmm mm)

And I know this much is true (mmmmm)
Baby, you have become my addiction.
I'm so strung out on you (mmmm)
I can barely move...but I like it,

[Chorus]
And, then it's all because of you (all because of you)
So, then it's all because of you (all because of you)
And it's all because of you (all because of you)
So, then it's all because...
Never get enough,
She's the sweetest drug. (Oowuuu)

[Verse 2]

Think of it every second,
I can't get nothing done.
Only concern is the next time, I'm 'gon get me some.
Know I should stay away from,
Cause it's no good for me.
I try and try but my obsession, won't let me leave.

[Hook #1]
I've got a problem and I (don't know what to do about it)
Even if I did I don't know if I would quit
But I doubt it. I'm taken by the thought of it. (mmmm) (heeyh..)

And I know this much is true, (mmmm)
Baby, you have become my addiction.
I'm so strung out on you, (strung out on you..)
I can barely move...but I like it, (but I like it..)

[Chorus]
And, then it's all because of you (all because of you) (aey!)
So, then it's all because of you (all because of you)
And it's all because of you (all because of you)
So, then it's all because...
Never get enough (Never get enough..)
She's the sweetest drug.

[Hook #2]
Ain't no doubt.... (no doubt heayh)
So strung out. (Strung out heeayh)
Ain't no doubt....
So strung out. (heahheh!)
Over you,
Over you,(yooouuu)
Over you(yooouuu)...

[Harmonics]
(Mmouhh)

(Because of you)
(And it's all because of you)
(mm)
(Never get enough)
(She's the sweetest drug)

And I know this much is true (Truuuuue)
Baby, you (baby yoou you you you) have become my addiction (become my addiction)
I'm so strung out on you,
I can barely move...but I like it (and I like it..yeaheh..)

[Chorus]
And, then it's all because of you (aey!)(all because of you)
So, then it's all because of you (all because of you)
And it's all because of you (all because of you)
So, then it's all because...
Never get enough (Oooh never get enough)
She's the sweetest drug,
She's the sweetest drug...

Who's gonna give a shit?
Who's gonna take the call
Find out that the rule you had
Is painted on the wall
And you turn up to top-volume
You're just sitting there in pause
You fear a little secret
That's scratching at you with its claws
And you're trying hard to figure out
Just exactly how you feel
Before you end up parked, and sobbing
For it on the steering wheel

And who are you now?
And who were you then?
And you've got some
You could just pretend
You could figure it all out
The mathmatics--all regret
It's two beers to remember, now
And five beers to forget
I loved you so what, yeah,
I loved you so what
I loved you so what

Many times undone
One person did
As they're careening through the facade
Of their favorite fantasy
You just close your eyes slowly
Like you're waiting for a kiss
And hope some lowly little powder
Will pull you out of this
But none comes at first
And little comes at all
When inspiration finally hits you
It barely breaks your fall

And who were you then?
And who are you now?
And you can't pretend
That it'll all work out
Subtract out the impact
And the fall is all you get
So here's two beers to remember why
And three more to forget
I loved you so...
I loved you, so what
I loved you, so what

On my way to work after going to mass, I heard this awfully familiar song. At the back of my head, I knew that I have heard it before...the lyrics, at least. But I was also sure it was a different singer. And so I just had to google it. Searched "is it over" and found that it's a song by Jaya. Further googling led me to Ronnie Milsap, a country singer. Sabi ko na nga ba, I heard it before. Anyhow, I like the message of the song.

Is it over, are you really over her
Is it over, or will you take her back again
If it's over you can let her memory in
Come on over, we'll let our love begin.

You say you can't count the times that she's hurt you
And she's hurt you for the last time
Now you say I'm the one that you're needing
But is the need in your heart or just in your mind.

Is it over, are you really over her
Is it over, or will you take her back again
If it's over you can let her memory in
Come on over,we'll let our love begin.

You know that I'm yours for the asking
If you're really asking, for true love
Words can't express how I want you
Oh, how I want to believe you're giving her up.

But is it over are you really over her
Is it over or will you take her back again
If it's over you can let her memory in
Come on over we'll let our love begin.

Is it over,come on over let our love begin.
Is it over..

So it's been a "I'm back on my feet!" day for me. Bente, who finds songs she thinks matches my life found this for me. We even had a conversation on its meaning.

Bente: So, if you made it
Just be glad that you did and stay there
If you ever feel loved or needed
Remember that you're one of the lucky ones
And if it's over
Just remember what I told you
It was bound to happen
So, just keep moving on
There's no perfect endings
Me: ano ito?
Bente: it's taken from a song...thought i'd share it with you :)
Me: what song?
Bente: Perfect Ending - Straylight run
Me: do you really believe there is no perfect ending?
Bente: what the song is telling you, that when things end, take whatever's beautiful from it and move on

i second the motion :)

After the recent Boracay trip, I was asked to write Manila survival tips. I am limited to just 10 points. This is what i came up with. This should go handy to anyone visiting Manila:)

10 SURVIVAL TIPS

1. Before getting into a taxi, ask if the driver knows how to get to where you are going. If he doesn’t, flag another one. Riding the MRT is the fastest way to get to most places. Just be sure to know what ride to take next to bring you to your destination.
2. Traffic is not just a noun but a situation (it means vehicular flow is very bad). While some English words take on new meaning here— “cute” can apply to anything, “cutex” is nailpolish, “Colgate” is toothpaste, “Frigidaire” refers to refrigerators—American English is widely used.
3. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Most of the people understand and speak English. So when in doubt, ask. When you are trying to find your way, ask for directions from security guards.
4. Always have smaller bills. Carry just enough cash, in pesos of course. When paying at a restaurant, check the bill if a Service Charge has already been added to it. If there is, you need not leave extra cash for tip. It is not a sin though not to tip especially if you don’t have smaller bills.
5. When riding public buses or the MRT, keep your bag infront of you. Refrain from taking out your mobile phones. Be aware.
6. There is such a thing as Filipino Time (an hour late). While there are people who do not observe this, it is still important to insist that the appointment you set is the real time you meant.
7. There are many street kids and beggars who will approach you. If you give one cash or coins, more will follow. Politely saying “wala” is safer. When they tap on your cab’s window, tap back. There may even be people dressed decently who will tell you that they lost their wallet and would need money to get home. But don’t. It’s a scam. You can suggest though that they go to the nearest police station to get help.
8. Specially at night, traffic signs are just “suggestions” so do be careful when crossing a one-way street, crossing an intersection or making a turn.
9. Dress for the typical weather which is hot and humid. Opt for cotton tops and shirts. If you can, bring a change of clothes. Wear sunscreen. And do bring an umbrella.
10. Be patient. Be patient. While Filipinos are known for their hospitality, but outside their homes, they can seem rude. There will be people who will not answer a call but only answer a text (texting is cheaper here so they might be concerned you will be spending more if they answer your call). So have an open heart. And did I say be patient?

This is for my american friend, who got bugged by parents of students he was looking after. this is my piece on the incident.

There are actually different schools of thoughts. In a country where the motto seems to be "the end justifies the means," any side can claim to be right. On one side, people say "So what's a litlle stealing here, a few rub-outs there, and a few suicides? we filipinos have such short memories, and anyway, the economy is sound and the peso is at it's strongest in years. and at this point it's always about survival so pretend not to see. principles? can you eat that? can your family live on that. On the other extreme (which by the way is the supposed position of those who seiged the Manila Pen), people are encouraged to look at the festering dissatisfaction, frustration and loss of faith in a government in power that seeks to protect its own selfish interests at all costs. even to the point of denying the all-pervasive corruption, the killings, the patronage politics, the poverty.

But then look at the inconvenience that it brought to thousands of commuters, the effect it could have on stocks and the economy,the possible retaliatiatory reactions of the government and the long term effects on the dwindling job prospects here?

Anyway, discussing politics is hard. Being one of the working class, I'm reposting a column that didnt see print. I can so totally relate with the author that after going through his draft, I asked his permission to post it. RJ Ledesma posted this:

Dear all,Greetings! Just to keep you to speed,I currently write a humor column forthe Philstar every Wed called 'Pogifrom a Parallel Universe'. However,for some reason or another, my Dec 5column will not see print. Thus, I amusing other avenues to share thiscolumn with people. Thanks.

CIRCUS CIRCUS
“In my country, everything has changed and nothing is different.”- Rio Gonzaga, The Dogeaters.

Last November 29, 2007 was anotherreason that accelerated my hair loss.

And for those of us who get ourtimecards punched in Makati, we found out about the big hullabaloo in the midst of a traffic jam. You know, the type of traffic jam where you grip the steering wheel and wait impatiently while fungus forms in between your toes. Then as the traffic ends up moving slower than geological time, a flock of police officers finally emerge in the middle of the gridlock and start flapping their armsfuriously. Apparently, these traffic enforcers think that by making aseries of repetitive hand gesturesthat they can eventually persuade our cars to stand upright and amble off the road. You mutter something derogatory and unprintable under yourb reath at the futility of their hand signals while searching for answers to this urban gnarl over the AM radio.‘What is it again?’ you asky ourself, ‘Is it another ragtag team of civic cum religious cum political cum showbiz leaders calling on GMA to resign? Is it a group of protesterswho have irrigated the streets full of nails to call attention to their bid for the Philippines to become another US state? Is it another two giant robots battling it out for the fate of the universe in the middle of Ayala Avenue?’Amidst the radio static the newsreporter barks, “Senator Trillanes and Brigadier General Danilo Lim have bolted the Makati Regional Trial Court. And when you hear the words ‘Trillanes’ and ‘bolt’ in one sentence, your mind is suddenly enveloped in a furry haze. “Along with other Magdalo soldiers, they are making their way down Paseo deRoxas.” The reporter continues tob ark more updates but it all soundslike gibberish as far as you’reconcerned. You roll your eyes as yourhead plops against the steeringwheel. ‘Oh *&^%’ you grumble. And no,this time you’re no longer worried about the economic repercussions this unauthorized field trip will have on our economy. And you’re not worried whether or not bullets will be zippingp ast your vital organs in the next several minutes. Instead, what you are really worried about is how much longer the freaking traffic is going to be.It’s really hard not to be manhid* when there’s another uprising going on. Especially when an uprising has regurgitated itself for the umpteenth &*$%ing time. Excuse me if I sound rather jaded.But how can I not be jaded? I grew up in the eighties. We are the That’s Entertainment* generation. We are the poster children for jaded. And I’ll tell you something more: We are freaking survivors, baby. We are not only a hardy bunch, we are a fool-hardy bunch. We grew up against the backdrop of the Aquino assassination.The snap elections. The Mendiola massacre. The power outages. TheMetro Manila filmfest fiasco. And the showbiz career of Kris Aquno. We’ve survived an earthquake. The Mt.Pinatubo Volcanic eruption. Waist-deep floods. Dengue outbreaks. Three days of darkness. And the showbiz career of Kris Aquino. But our true badge of jadedness stemsfrom our being witnesses to the gameo f political musical chairs that has been played since before we started growing pubic hair: the February 1986 EDSA revolution, the July 1986 Arturo Tolentino takeover of Manila Hotel (which set the gears turning in the mind of a fifteen-year-old Tony Trillanes who told himself ‘I wannatake over a hotel someday. Maybe even two.’), the August 1987 Honasan-fueled insurrection, the bloody December 1989 return of the comeback, the January 2001 EDSA II revolution, the May 2001 EDSA III revolution (some sequels justdon’t live up to the originals), the July 2003 Oakwood mutiny, the February 2006 State of Emergency, and now the November 2007 Manila Pen mutiny.We’ve had more false alarms than a woman with an irregular menstrual cycle.And you know what? My That’sEntertainment brethren and I were probably not the only who has grown jaded. All this political grandstanding generated was a news blip in CNN, a slight hiccup in the stock market, and an aborted wedding reception in the Manila Peninsula. Fact is, the incident is what the stock market would probably write offas an idiosyncratic risk. Idiot-syncratic risk indeed. Sigh. These are the type of incidentsthat make you want to forget a while about your yaya, your three female readers and your neighborhood DOMs. When another ‘concerned’ political group plays chess with our lives, all you can think about is ‘I’ve beenpaying my taxes even if I’m not too sure where it went, I’ve voted in the last several elections even when I wasn’t sure if my vote was counted, and I am regularly extorted by the MMDA even when I didn’t swerve lanes,what more do they expect me to do?’ ‘Join me in my attempt to overthrow the government and establish a caretaker president!’ they cry. ‘Sige, no problem bro.’ I answer. ‘Basta you sign off on my paycheck at the end of the day, ha?’Despite our lukewarm reception towards the Manila Pen occupation, I think that there are still some very important lessons that we can learnabout this siege mutiny stand-off,coup, pissing contest, stage production number, repeat performance, game show. And please take note that many of these lessons spring forth as a result of this administration’stenacity to cling on to power like a tapeworm to our intestines.

Lesson number 1: The media should never cover an event where they can get hurt. Or else the government will be the ones to hurt them. Next time around, the government should not merely pump our journalists full oft ear gas, have them crawl out through broken glass, bind their hands with plastic cable ties, herd them into abus and arrest, este, detain, este,process, este, question them in their exquisite Camp Crame interrogation rooms, they should also have them hogtied, tarred and feathered,branded, inoculated, brazilian waxed and pierced with tracking devices on their private parts. That should teach the media to cover news-worthy events. Next time around, the media should even avoid covering Senate investigations because I hear some ofthese senators might go ballistic. And, for reasons of personal health,they should also abstain from covering the President’s ribbon-cutting ceremonies where she rattles off alist of this administration’s achievements over two hours, unless they want to keel over from boredom.

Lesson number 2: For the administration, there is no such thing as overkill. Forget Sen. Trillanes.Forget Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim. Forget the other Magdalo soldiers. We need someone to take down ex-Vice Pres.Teofisto Guingona! And why do we need to negotiate with the mutineers when we can send off a volley of shots at Manila Peninsula that will sow panic among women, little children and yayas who live in the nearby apartments?And why do we need to send heavily armed and well-trained troops into the hotel when an Armored Personnel Carrier can do the job just as well? After all, nothing sends home a message of how serious this government is about mutiny like a tank squatting in the five-star hotel lobby. But why stop there? The next time someone jaywalks on the highway, he should be strung up by one of those mesh wire barriers that colorum buses indiscriminately bump into along EDSA. The next time somebody misses his aim in an MMDA urinal, he should be electrocuted in his privates until he learns how to improve his aim. The next time somebody says an untoward word against the First Gentleman, we will ask the First Gentleman to sit on him. Remember also that if things go from bad to overkill, the government is more than willing to bring back martial law, este, a state of emergency, este, a curfew, a curfew! So forget about your midnight gimmicks! Forget about satisfyingyour late night munchies! Forget about visiting your favorite girlie bars! You’re going to party like it's 1972. And what’s next after the curfew? A government mandated return to sideburns and flare pants with plaid prints!? The horror.

Lesson number 3: Sen. Trillanes will never be able to check into a five-star hotel. Ever. Again. Whenever the Senator comes within proximity of the Makati area, the general managersof most hotels lose bladder control.However, given the length of time that both of his mutinies lasted, he is probably better off conducting his next mutiny at Victoria Court. In the meantime, while they are processing Sen. Trillanes’ Victoria Court privilege card, he is temporarily checked in at the five-star Camp Crame maximum security detention facilities. At this point, it might be rather difficult for the good Senator to check out, but it has been managed several times by Pentagon kidnap leader Faisal Marohombsar, convicted Jemaah Islamiyah Indonesian bomber Fathur Al-Ghozi and two AbuSayyaf militants. And I hear thatVictoria Court has some great crispy pata.

Lesson number 4: There is money to be made in would-be mutinies. If the Department of Tourism can cobble up atour selling the barren wastelands ofPinatubo, then why can’t they put together a tour showcasing the country’s most memorable coup sites?And we do have several sites to choose from. And in these tours, you can have both a coup site and a hotel package at the same time! Imagine the kind of business we can generate from tourists hailing from the more mature democracies who will never come close to these types of political fiestas?What with their social security, their unemployment checks and their healthcare, what these foreigners need in their lives is a little more color,a little more uncertainty and a little more police brutality. I can hear the tour guide’s spiel in my head: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, this is the room where the late Sen. Tolentino holed himself up and declared himself the acting president because Marcos was inexile!’ or ‘This is the room where thePresident was supposedly hiding under her bed while rebel aircrafts strafed Malacanang Palace.’ or ‘This is thes treet corner where an ABS-CBN OB-van was torched and looted during the oh-so-exciting May riots.’ And after that, they can make a quick stop over Camp Crame’s maximum security facilities, visit their world-famous detainees, get an autograph and maybe even a seditious statement or two. ‘And don’t forget to come back next year,’ the tour guide reminds our guests. ‘As we plan to add more coup attempt sites on our list based on the latest military intelligence reports! The Philippines, where banana republic is not just a clothing label, but away of life.’I think they are already planning to put up a Trillanes conference room in the Peninsula once the General Manager recovers from his nervous breakdown.

And, finally lesson number 4: Would-be mutineers never tire of sequels. With Capt. Nicanor Faeldon still onthe loose there could possibly be as many mutinous attempts as there will be Police Academy sequels. And hopefully these other attempts will be just as successful as the Police Academy sequels.You had us at Oakwood, SenatorTrillanes. We got your punchline, but excuse us if we didn’t laugh. We don’tneed any more of these jokes. This administration has provided us with enough humorous material to last us upto the next Ice Age: the “Hello Garci”scandal, the multimillion peso fertilizer scandal, the IMPSA bribery scandal, the “Jose Pidal” scandal, the jueteng scandal, the Northrail projectscandal, the Venable contract scandal,the NBN-ZTE scandal, the bribery at Malacanang scandal, the extra judicial killings scandal - there are more scandals in this administration than there are in a bootleg sex video DVD. Sometimes all we nine-to-five slavesto our office cubicles can really do about this larger-than-life chessmatch is simply to make light of things. And how can we not make lightof things when we all feel like the politics in this country has touched our lives like a pedophile? How can we not make light of things when wea ll feel like we’re trapped in a poorly-written sitcom starring bad actors with poor makeup in a show that is in a perpetual state of re-runs? Back in 2005, when the country was already laughing hard enough to have an aneurysm, Tita Cory kindly askedt he President to humor us all and stepdown from that pedestal that we weren’t really sure she should be standing on in the first place. But no, the President insisted, I still got a few more chuckles left inside me. And, yes she absolutely did keep us laughing so hard that we’ve chokedon our spittle.‘Don’t worry,’ she winks, ‘I’ve got only got three more years to go’ shep romises us with the same intensity of conviction that she displayed when she first declared that she would no longer run for president. ‘Only three more years left,’ we shiver. ‘Only three more years,’ we pray. Three more years, dear Lord. Nothing more please because I don’t think we havea ny laugh left in us. And if it anyless, please spare us from any more monstrous traffic jams, unpaid hotel bills and armored personnel carriers in our front yards. But in the meantime, all we can do is roll oureyes, plop our head against the steering wheel, then pray that the next traffic jam is because of two giant robots battling it out for the fate of the universe in the middle of Ayala Avenue.

“The beautiful thing about our culture is that we can always find ways to laugh things off.”- Sen. Domingo Avila, The Dogeaters

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