Blog Action Day: Honestly, what have you done to Mother Nature lately?

“We know this is going to come but we never expected it to happen this  fast and so soon,” my activist friend wrote me.

And that exactly what it was few weeks ago and it is still what it is right now in Cordillera and parts of Northern Luzon in the Philippines.

In what was previously confined in every environmentalists, activists and experts’ imagination and graphical presentations, the picture perfect scenarios of the things that are forthcoming, happened exactly the way they are presented, GRIM!

Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng efficiently delivered the GRIM message that caught everyone by surprise, right where it mattered the most, inside the houses and communities of many Pinoys.

GRIM is for helplessness, pains, hardships, agonies, tragedies, destruction and deaths. GRIM is a word to describe the effects of Climate Change which, Mother Nature wants us all to know and understand.

Pinoy ka nga!

Sumagot ako sa kausap ko:

Sabi ni René Descartes, “Cogito ergo sum. – I think, therefore I am.”

Ang sabi sa akin ng kausap ko bago ako sumagot:

Pinoy ka nga!

madaling magbago,

madaling makalimot sa gustong pagbabago…..

Obviously,.. obviously not?

I am Just asking.

*** You click, therefore you check Rene Descartes – ito thought ko. ***

Screwing the Screwed!

Here is my son’s take on what to do with our country’s situation.

While studying for history, I am growing more and more to the inclination of the acceptance that this country has been fucked up for such a long time now. It appears in my readings that the country progresses indefinitely.

Why? Well because sometimes it doesn’t. In fact, it appears that the only progress the country had for the longest time was Erap, which actually and really says more about the nation’s social divide, process of thinking, and star preference rather than its growth as a nation-state. What amuses me though is that the basic premise of all these screw up-ness (corruption, etc.) has been long in existence and yet, no change is happening.

Are we that stupid?

But let’s not be all too pessimistic. Maybe there is change happening, some sort of Machiavellian turn on the current system somewhere out there; something the tax was rightfully spent on as opposed to the new status quo of self-serving governance. After all, we managed to screw up this country thus far, maybe we can screw up on screwing this country too. Change has to come from somewhere, and by the looks of it screwing the screwed should not be passed up.

If the country does manage to do that, then let’s “problematize” the obvious moral degradation it will need and cause. But with the way things are, how much moral really is there? But that’s for a different day.

For now, I dare say, let’s focus on screwing up the screwed way of things. Act right. I should probably start with stopping my procrastination right now.

Medyo Related: I am a Filipino! Who am I?

Great Turtle Race II Online

Here is an interesting e-mail from Humane Society International about the journey of the endangered leatherback turtle accross the Pacific Ocean.

Watch the Great Turtle Race II and help save turtles

June 6, 2008

The race is on! Humane Society International is supporting the Great Turtle Race II, a two-week online event highlighting the epic 6,000-mile journey of the endangered leatherback turtle across the Pacific Ocean.

Having survived since the days of the dinosaurs, rare leatherbacks are now endangered. The number of sea turtles caught as bycatch each year — estimated at 250,000 — by boats fishing for swordfish, tuna, and shrimp is staggering. How can you help? Visit the Great Turtle Race website and get involved.

Eleven sponsored turtles have been equipped with satellite tags and are “racing” toward the International Dateline from nesting beaches in Indonesia and feeding areas along the United States’ West Coast. This online event will raise funds to protect leatherback turtle nesting areas in Indonesia and raise awareness about what individuals can do — on both sides of the Pacific Ocean — to help protect sea turtles through our daily actions.

This made me smile somehow

I received an e-mail from an employee of the company that I hate and like, or like and hate depending on the situation I am into.

I like the company because it has given me the means to spend big bucks without having to carry bundles of cash inside my pocket. (As if I have a lot to carry around, LOL)

I hate the company because some people there were cheaters and stupid enough to spend a lot of money to contribute to global warming by wasting glossy papers just to tell all customers and prospective customers that they will bring the lucky one to the edge of the earth, which of course is a BIG LIE, A BIG LIE and THE BIGGEST LIE EVER!

And so, NOBODY won because there wasn’t any at all – A FARCE, a shameful promotional gimmick by a prestigious company!

Well, forget about the BIG LIE of the prestigious company that I like and hate. Let me just share the lines printed at the bottom page of that e-mail that says:

“Please consider your environmental responsibility before printing this e-mail – Save paper.“

I tell you this made me smile today because this simple statement could or would [perhaps] make a difference.

So, let me repeat the statement  with my favorite line added to it.

Please consider your environmental responsibility before printing this e-mail – Save paper. Help Save Mother Earth.

Perhaps some of you would wonder why? I know, I am always like this, magulo. But, don’t mind me please, just continue reading and please consider these:

How many sheets of paper come from a single tree?

Gloria Arroyo: I am not perfect!

“We all know I am not perfect, but I have worked hard everyday to achieve positive and lasting change for the nation,” said Gloria Arroyo.

Okay, fine, whatever. As far as I am concerned, I do not see what you are saying about the positive and lasting change. Perhaps, YES to a lasting change that benefits the few in this nation and a big NOTHING for the common good.

Yes, for the first time I believe you. You are not perfect. Who else is perfect? Even us Pinoys are not perfect. Imagine, allowing you to stay this long committing all those stupid and misguided change you said you want for us.

Yes, we all know that.

We all know that you are not perfect. Physically you have a neck and a shoulder problem. That is according to your classmate and friend (Undersecretary of something with blonde hair) from the Assumption. (I am glad, my Lola did not go along to support you.) Mentally you are imperfect too. You always seemed to have lapses in your judgment.

Who would ever forget your famous “Hello Garci” and later your “I am Sorry” for nothing.

What about the fertilizer fund and the good and bright Joc joc Bolante who wasted his life and soul serving you and your so called government?

What about signing a flawed contract with China for that NBN project? What took you so long to correct your stupidity? Why have you waited for Joey de Venecia, Romulo Neri and Rodolfo Noel Lozada, Jr. to talk? Damn goodness! How many consultants and technocrats have you been paying to make all these mistakes!

What about putting this country on top of the list of the most corrupt governments in the world? What about the human rights violations your government committed and is being committed continuously against our youth and students, the members of the press, your political opponents and most especially to the million Pinoys who are deprived of their basic needs as human beings? Are all these part of your not being perfect and these are results of your effort to put the nation in right direction?

And what else? What other things are there (tightly hidden) under your skirt?

The ongoing propaganda on TV and newspapers where you are always shown as a very kind, religious and prayerful person would do nothing to erase the truth that you are really not perfect. You really are imperfect. And you are as far as Romulo Neri and Joey Saleceda are concerned.

“I am not perfect!” You said it right!

We, the Filipino people have given so much kindness to you, your family, your friends and your allies because we know you are not perfect. This time please give us a break. Please end our suffering, the result of your being not perfect. STEP DOWN and bring with you your friends and corrupt politicians.

I do not think I am asking too much from you. I am just asking you to give back my dignity that I fought hard to keep before, during and after EDSA 1 People power revolution.

Vote for Malaya

The Greenpeace Name-a-whale competition is now on its final round. Out of the 11,000 entries, the names are just down to 30 possible whale names.

One of the entries that landed on the final 30 is Malaya which (we all Pinoys know) means Free in our (Filipino) language.

Malaya as of this writing has one percent (1%) total votes.

The voting ends on the 30th of November 2007 at 17:00 Amsterdam time.

So please vote for Malaya. Who knows, with all the Pinoy votes from all over the world, we might have a chance to call a humpback whale that is travelling on the Great Whale Trail as MALAYA.

Do not miss this chance of a lifetime. Vote for Malaya now and get our kababayans to vote too.

Thank you for voting Malaya.

Hello Liza Masa, please wake up!

Ako ay nayayamot kay Liza Masa, party-list representative mula sa Gabriela. Napanood ko sya sa balita noong nakaraang gabi, isang araw makalipas bombahin ang Philippine House of Representative. Sa kanyang pahayag sa isang reporter ng ABS-CBN Channel 2, meron syang mga insinuations na pilit nyang inuugnay ang House of Congress bombing sa mga taong nasa poder, kesyo yon daw ang gabi na pag dedesisyunan ang Pulido impeachment complaint laban kay arroyo kaya ito daw ay paraan para takutin ang mga Tongressmen, para daw ilihis ang atensyon ng samabayanan at kung ano ano pang ek ek na walang kwenta.

Por dyes por singko naman Liza Masa, anong klaseng mga pananalita at pag-iisip yan? Alam na alam mo naman na bago pa ang okasyon na ito, nag walk out na kayong mga tinatawag na oposisyon at inabandona na ninyo ang inyong responsibilidad isang araw bago maganap ang bombahan. At saka, siguro naman may isip ka at matalino ka rin at alam mo na sa walang kwentang kongreso na kinabibilangan mo, lahat ay numbers game lamang. At kayo, ay walang bilang. In short, kahit na ano pa ang gawin nyo, there is no way that the Pulido impeachment complaint against Gloria will prosper, may bomba man o wala.

The people in your neighborhood

I have been watching a lot of TV shows lately. I must admit that at some point, some were entertaining but honestly, many of them were just like flashes of light that after snoring several times, you can not remember what was it that you have watched.

Fortunately though, there was one (two or three more) that got into my brain cells. And thanks God, my memory is still working. I remember this song .

Oh, who are the people in your neighborhood?
In your neighborhood?
In your neighborhood?
Say, who are the people in your neighborhood?
The people that you meet each day

Well, they’re the people that you meet
When you’re walking down the street
They’re the people that you meet each day.

Who really are the people in our neighborhood? Let me enumerate few of them:

Greenpeace: Name a whale competition

I received a WHALE MAIL from Greenpeace the other day. It was about Name a whale contest. Personally, I believe that coming up with a great whale name is worth your time, effort and creativity.

My entry for this contest is The Green Earth Whale. A fellow Filipino – Rain Cafirma from Ilocos suggested “Nam-nama” which according to her means “hope” in her native dialect.

If you are interested, please check the whale profiles here . To give you an idea of what others have suggested as the name of the whales should be, please click here.

Here is the full text of the Whale Mail: