Zamboanga conflict: The real story

Everyone is cursing the MILF, Nur Misuari, and praising the military for the conflict in Zamboanga. The media is also covering the conflict on both sides and also recording images of helpless civilians who are affected by this war. Yes it is a war - a war of misleading proportions.

First, it has mislead us from the true criminals, the Philippine politicians. Who are continuously stealing from the Filipinos hard earned money. Just imagine, before they get hold of their full salary, there are some deductions already. And those deductions are as below:

SSS - you will get this money if you retire or turned 60, but if your dead before you reach that age, the money where does it go? to them of course.

Philhealth - this is also misleading as hospitals still charge you for something, so much for affordable healthcare. And we are mature enough not to get sick always right?

BIR / Taxes - you want to know where your salary goes? to the squatters who dont have homes, and the government built them a home from your goddamn money that you earned from your blood, sweat, and tears! Maybe we should become a squatter too, so that we can get free housing. Ask those staff or employees from Makati if they have their own houses. A lot of them are just renting or staying with relatives! Isn't it unfair? And the bad thing, the taxes goes to public officials, who are lazy, incompetent, or just downright sleazy and criminals who steal money.

And what does my salary have to do with Zamboanga conflict? it is because your salary is also funding the war! This is just to remove our attention to the pork barrel scam. And to make both sides richer by getting publicity. All are just coordinated entertainment.

People from Zamboanga are the real victims here. Not just from the war, but in many years to come. It has been known that the government is trying to encroach on them, stealing their homes and livelihood. Zamboanga and other parts of Mindanao is well known as the food basket of the Philippines. And everybody wants a piece of it. Small tribes are really against it, and some hard-line Muslim clerics.
That is why they curse the politicians, who are mostly Christians, who came from well off educated families, who does not have any decency, humanity, or respect always goes to Mindanao making businesses, therefore ruining farms and livelihood.

Now, who is the real criminal? Who is the real cause of the conflict?

I think I have to blame myself for this, as I let it happen anyway.

Philippine traffic problem cannot be solved

I really hate to be such a critic, but let us be realistic. The traffic problem in the Philippines has been a nightmare since the late 1970's, how come the government didn't see it coming in the first place? Or, should we blame the government in the first place? What can we do about it? To avoid complications, especially on my health, I learned to accept that the problem with Philippine traffic cannot be solved in any means possible. Below are some of the reasons why:

1. There is no political will. Politicians are good in 'politcking' and not solving problems. Just good in talking without doing anything. All comfortable inside their SUV's without breaking a sweat while commuting. Worse, they use hired motorcycle riders that blurt out loud sirens.

2. Rich Filipinos (as well as other Asian people) are financially wealthy but lack intelligence and sense of compassion. To beat the odd-even vehicular reduction scheme by the MMDA, they buy 3-4 cars just to drive a car in every day of the week. We all know the logic why there is bad traffic, it is because there are lots of vehicles on the road.

Whatever happened to carpooling? A rich person who drives a large SUV does not give a ride to a mother with a newborn child who is waiting for a ride on a rainy day is certainly mind boggling (maybe they are afraid of the car-napping syndicates) Money seem to change the person throwing out morality and compassion down the drain.

3. There are no more innovators who are willing to spend time, money, or even professional advice to the traffic situation in the Philippines. Why would they bother anyway? What's in it for them? And if they really want to help, it goes back to number 1 where politicians don't have any political will to do it. Same old same old thing.

4. The Filipino driver also is to blame. They do not follow traffic rules and regulations, and the sad part of this, majority of these people are professional drivers, who always use the roads to their benefit. And some private drivers are just crazy on the wheel, worse, some of them are drunk while driving.

5. Pedestrians are also to blame. Some of them just walk like they are on the moon. Worse, they do not walk on prescribed pedestrian lanes, overpasses, underpasses, and sidewalks. And if they were hit, the driver is at fault. Why?

Overall, its in the culture. Since the economy of the Philippines is growing little by little, the traffic situation has been left behind. Everyone didn't mind it and don't want to prescribe something new.
Filipinos are not good innovators or inventors, they are know to just copy everything and check if it is right for the Philippine scenario.

The slow flow of traffic is already normal. I accepted that fact as we are a fledgling nation trying to keep up with the big leagues. Similar situation applies to countries who are in the same GDP as ours.

As for me. I already did my part. I sold all my cars and started commuting. I don't get stressed out anymore, I just relax and sleep while going to work. No more parking fees and annoying registration payments. I just ride and get off.

Sometimes simple solutions solve complex problems.

New Pope will reform the Vatican but will take time

As a Catholic myself, I welcome Pope Francis I on being the new Pope for 1.2 Billion Catholics. I do believe in every organization, there must be a good leader, that is wise and will guide everyone to do good too for the benefit of everyone.

I am a proud Catholic, although I admit I don't pray that much often. Times have changed, every second counts, even Sunday is considered a workday for me, a potential income earner. We have 24 hours in a day,  if we segregate it, 8 + 8 + 8. Let's remove the first 8 hours as it is for our sleep. Another 8 hours for our work. So what we'll do for another 8 hours? Time is not enough if we do our present activities. And the Vatican seem not to notice this as they are stuck with their old principles on this 21st century.

So I think, the new pope can reform the Vatican, but it will take time. We can't see any quick changes, but for sure he may start something.

Life is full of promise, everything has a beginning and an end. We may choose to end it too if we want to. And accepting it to end is another thing.

After every ending, there is a new beginning.

Pacquiao's Loss is another one's Gain

Manny Pacquiao was lost, defeated, a loser.

Filipinos were really shocked to see MP, on laid flat on the canvas 'almost slept for 2 minutes' against Juan Manuel Marquez on their 12 round Welterweight non titled fight (whew!) but the knock-out was, as sports commentators and journalists called 'picture perfect.'

Now the rant begins, here are the reasons why Manny Pacquiao lost the fight. From the logical, to the absurd, and outright crazy. Here it is below, and tell me which one it is the true reason why Pacman lost:

1. Pacquiao was overconfident (he said it himself), didn't check the time, and just jabbed all his way inside without thinking the JMM is a counter-puncher (that is someone punches him first then he punches back). As a champion, he must learn to exercise restraint and build up power, after all, he is leading from the last 6 rounds. He forgot to protect his chin also - which is a big no-no.

2. JMM was lucky. He was at the right moment and position. A true sign of a good boxer that every opportunity must be taken quickly. Even boxing analysts and the foreign press thinks the same way. 

3. MP changed religions. He was Catholic before and became a born-again Protestant pastor. This was told by Pacman's mother. Because of continuous bible studies even at night by the pastors of his new religion, his health was not in tip-top shape and lost.

4. MP did not wear the rosary he used to wear on his previous fights. And he did not perform the sign of the cross.

5. JMM stepped on his foot again. Causing Pacquiao to look down and therefore giving the knock out punch.

6. JMM was under the influence of PED (Performance Enhancing Drugs) and JMM's coach has been notorious for this and used it against other athletes.

7. MP concentration with boxing was disrupted because of his other activities. He is also known as a pastor, game show host,  politician,  product endorser, a businessman,  a father, and possibly more. 

So that's what I could think of. If you have more, please post it on the comments below.

On this fight, Pacquaio's loss is another one's gain. Maybe a little bit for JMM, but to the people of the whole world and to the Philippines. Pacquiao did a great job on bringing honor to Filipinos - WIN OR LOSE.

Eric Bristow suggests new Darts Practice Rings

Eric Bristow has been a legend when it comes to darts. We used to play it when I was a young teen. My mom is quite angry because we were very rowdy. There is this new innovation: Darts Practice Rings  and it will surely help on improving your game. These are composed of rings that you put on the dart board. There are big rings, medium, and small ones. These rings are good as it psychologically triggers your aim to put the dart pins inside the ring. The rings are in bright neon colors.

Try it and buy so that you will be good like Eric Bristow!

Greed is the weakness of the Filipino (History of Pyramid scam)

You have seen the news already that a lot of people were scammed by Aman Futures. P12 billion pesos worth of money were all taken by a single or group of persons. These people, who are just mere janitors or drivers have duped educated people of their hard earned money.

How did pyramiding start anyway?

Okay now I will explain this in my own words. I did not consult Wikipedia here, just based on my own words and personal experience.

It maybe started during the early days of Christianity, and the inception of taxes. Just imagine, things that we have for free like land, housing, water, food, just living your life, you must pay to someone. And who is that you might ask? - The Government. That government can be a King, a religious sect (priests, bishops), your dictator, whatever. You are paying them to be accepted in a society. And that money is supposed to be 'helping' everyone around you. Build infrastructures, improving security, blah blah.

But it is not accomplished properly. There are still crime, there is still food shortage, bridges are not built quickly, where is the money that you have paid for? There seems to be no auditing. No transparency where have your money has gone.

The only time that your taxes work for you is through wars. Where the government builds military equipment.

After the war, there were a lot of poor people who were affected by it. And some bastard (he or she is also poor) thought of an idea on how to get rich easily, and that will succeed with the help of an investor. That person is a good speaker, where he or she can entice people to invest on whatever they have, clothes, jewelry, farm animals, and they will replace it with something less. I don't know, it can be a small portion of special bread, or just entry to a foreign land (which is not sure if they would reach it). This has continued until the person who enticed the people and its investor leaves in the blink of an eye taking the hard earned money or assets of the poor hapless people.

Now same thing goes on, and this time using money. Money is given and you're expecting to get something big in return.

Call it greediness - yes. But this happens when there is poor people around. And since 70% of citizens in the Philippines are poor, they succumb to this scams proliferated by greedy people as well.

If everyone has been informed and been well off - good career with good pay, secure environment, less stress on the environment, who will be able to invest on this kind of scam? That is why majority of the victims are from Visayas and Mindanao, I will be frank here, these areas in the Philippines are forgotten by the government. Only powerful bureaucrats and tribes are taking charge. Only few people are victimized in Luzon.

I was a victim also. And sadly, the person can your trusted colleague, a friend, or a classmate (relatives are excluded, as it is your relative anyway). Anyone right now can be a scammer or will you dupe you of your hard earned money.

So that is it. Let us charge this to experience and move on. Failures like this can bring success afterwards.


 

Why do we have to work?

So that we can have money, to spend and give to your family...
So that we can have a good career...
So that we can be respected...

Whatever your answer is, you still have to work. It has become human kind's main source of acceptance in society. If you have work, you are well received.

Or is it?

In the early days, man used to hunt. They used everything to catch animals from the forest and took care of livestock. That's it. They did not worry about the things in the future, they just prepared for it. You know when summer and winter is coming, just prepare for it and that's it.

Nowadays it has become more complex, and then our society became quite useless.

Before you do something, you got to get the consensus of your parents, people, and even the government. What is wrong in letting you prepare for the future? Following are some examples:

1. Instead of buying gas, why don't you buy other alternatives? the question is, why is it expensive and the government is not doing its best to lower gas prices and support new innovations?

2. Crime is still there, is there something that you can prevent it? Some take guns, or stun guns, or even get additional insurance, but how come it is hard to get these? We cannot rely on the government always right?

3. We always buy our food from the market. Isn't it time that we grow our own food? We always complain on the rising food prices, but have we heard the farmers and livestock breeders, shepherds, complain on their work? Yes. And if they stopped working, we will stop eating.

These are some of my wild card points. I am sure there are some out there. Why the present society has continued to alienate us from the real problems at hand.

I think we must follow the simple rule of every living organism as below:

Get some food, do not become food, reproduce...