2012 Musings

Hello, World! I've been too busy to be all lame about it. I've gone back to school in November. As to why I did that, I don't recall anymore but no regrets. Looking back to 2012, what say I?

Well, I was right about saying Pacquiao to quit boxing after the Bradley loss. An opinion over an opinion, of course.

This year has also proven to the skeptics that I was right about trusting Noynoy the presidency. To those who say that all the good news about the rise of Philippine economy are just press releases from the government, you probably don't go to supermarkets to notice that the prices of goods have gone down over the holidays. It is one good indicator that at least the middle class is feeling the effects of good governance. I'm positive that in no time, those in the lower class will feel the effects too.

Lastly, I hope Henry Sy will be more grateful to the Filipino people who have made him a billionaire, by paying his endo employees better, and eventually giving them regularization papers. And not sending them to jail when they are caught eating P23-potato chips while on duty.

Ti Amo, Talking Italian

For close to a month now, I have been working on my Italian as an ambitious attempt to surprise my professor when I present my report on Contrastive Analysis between Tagalog and Italian. To date, I can only read Italian, and speak some generic greetings and expressions.

As part of the learning process, I have downloaded Italian pop and classic songs to replace Bruno Mars music in my BB that also serves as my music box. (For the time being.)

And lo! A song stood out and captivated me the first time I listened to it. I fell in love. It has been playing on repeat in my ears for days now.

Here it is: Umberto Tozzi's "Ti Amo," a huge European hit in the late 70s which was recorded in English by Laura Brannigan which was also truly lame. Whoever translated it into English didn't get the right emotional nuisances of the song and its music. By the way, Umberto Tozzi was also the original artist in the song Gloria which Brannigan also translated to English which finally became a worldwide hit.



Arrivederci!

Good Luck, USA!

So, it's Obama for four more years. Surely, there are Americans who still ask if they did the right thing: re-electing a president who promised hope and delivered just that - hope. Perhaps, the next four years, he will deliver the promise of concretizing it. He promised to support the middle class, to give everyone "willing to work hard" equal opportunities: "black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight." Now, we know why he won. Had he included mammal or reptile, amphibian or invertebrate - dogs, cats, snakes, crocks and flies - would have also voted for him. :)

As for me, I gave This Guy six years to do his job, to work on what he's promised, and two years later, he's done what Obama could only hope he had achieved in his first term as President. My Guy won in a landslide election without promising to support divorce, legal use of drugs, abortion and same sex marriage.

Now, more than ever, I believe in the power of choosing right. 

Good luck to the United States of America!

Young Girls

By Bruno Mars

(I'm being oh so shameless here. I love, love this new song so much! )

I spend all my money on a big ol' fancy car

For these bright eyed honeys

Oh yeah you know who you are

Keep me up till the sun is high

Till the birds start calling my name

I'm addicted and I don't know why

Guess I've always been this way

All these roads still weave on

But I still drive them all night long
All night long

All you young wild girls

You make a mess of me

Yeah you young wild girls

You'll be the deàth of me
The deàth of me

All you young wild girls

No matter what you do

Yeah you young wild girls

I'll always come back to you
Come back to you

I get lost under these lights

I get lost in the words I say

Start believing my own lies

Like everything will be okay

Oh I still dream of a simple life

Boy meets girl makes her his wife

But love don't exist when you live like this
That much I know, yes I know

All these roads steer me wrong

But I still drive them all night long
All night long 

All you young wild girls

You make a mess of me

Yeah you young wild girls

You'll be the deàth of me
The deàth of me

All you young wild girls

No matter what you do

Yeah you young wild girls

I'll always come back to you
Come back to you

You you you
You you you

Yeah you you you

You you you

All you young wild girls

You make a mess of me

Yeah you young wild girls

You'll be the deàth of me
The deàth of me

All you young wild girls

No matter what you do

Yeah you young wild girls

I'll always come back to you
Come back to you

Source: http://www.eliterics.com/2012/10/young-wild-girls-lyrics-bruno-mars.html#ixzz2AEIF9xpk

Noynoying, Really?

What do I say? Pnoy's administration is full of activities and drama. And here's the President mocked for "Noynoying"!

A year ago in November, we saw how GMA was trumped from leaving the country despite Supreme Court's order allowing her to seek medical treatment abroad. DOJ Secretary Leila De Lima just wouldn't be taken for a fool, disbarment or not.

A few days before Christmas last year, Renato Corona, the 23rd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, was impeached.

And more debates delivered grandstanding senators on the Reproductive Health Bill. We saw one cry. The same was caught plagiarizing twice.

Then just recently, the passing of the Anti-Cybercrime Law. All twitter-verse broke loose, blog-dom came down, FB and the vast Internet raised arms! Bill author and supporters turned the coat and pleaded amendments. Shortly, Supreme Court issued TRO for 120 days.

Then about a week ago, Senator Ralph Recto got the boot for watering down the Sin Tax bill that would have delivered 60B in revenues aimed to support health services for those afflicted by smoking and drinking related diseases. Senator Franklin Drilon took over.

This year, global creditors, financial and business analysts and institutions gave the Philippines thumbs-ups, taps on the back, positive ratings, and rave reviews. Of course, our dear OFWs are always quick to take the credit. Oooppss! Hey! Anti-Cybercrime Law TRO is in effect!

Then there's E.O. 79 institutionalizing and implementing reforms in mining in the Philippines.

A couple of months ago, the 24th Chief Justice of the Philippines was named. A female who has been widely criticized for her audacity to display her faith during official functions.

Gloria Arroyo on hospital arrest. This lady gets sick on special occasions: Pnoy's SONA, Corona impeachment trial, arraignments, etc. But when lull time, you get to see her enjoying the spa in Tagaytay! This is one sick joke. PDI editorial hits the bulls eye today, "But if Arroyo is truly ill, why is she running for Congress the second time?"

On its second reading, K to 12 has just been approved by Congress as of this writing.

And of course, there's China Crisis. Political Dynasties reload. Local Elections. Grace Padaca in COMELEC. Bam Aquino, Pnoy's nephew and Noynoy Aquino look-alike is running for senator. THERE IS NO WAY IN THE WORLD I AM GOING TO VOTE FOR THIS ONE. Manny Pangilinan throwing tantrums...


Well, what...it's been two years?