Two Songs

Nothing much to write about at the moment, but I thought I'd share two songs which I came across that have meaning for me.

The first is a little-known song sung by popular Filipino balladeer Nonoy Zuniga, but I'm not sure about who actually wrote it. Entitled "Some Other Way (for Dad)", it's about choosing one's direction in life, and about how, sometimes, one just has to carve out his own path.

SOME OTHER WAY (For Dad)
sung by: Nonoy Zuniga

I can't escape this feeling,
Of wanting to live my life again.
There's every reason to try for a start,
I can feel it deep in my heart.

So many roads I have taken
Leading to nowhere,
Losing much time.
Can't live on mem'ries
Nor change what I've done,
I can only start once again.

(Refrain)
When the road bends,
And takes you astray,
And the game of life,
Becomes too hard to play,
Then I've got to find me
Some other way.
(Got to find me, find me some other way)
(I will surely, find the some other way)

Whether or not I'm mistaken
Surely these words will come to you.
One day you'll notice that life has become
A result of things left undone.

(Repeat Refrain)

(Coda):
It's an old story,
I've heard it before.
Now that I'm guided
I feel so secure.
Knowing what life is, there's no guarantee
But this way I know is sure.

Late as it seems there's no question
That life's been a game
And you were the pawn.
Constantly trying to better yourself
Is the only story to tell.

(Repeat Refrain)

The other is the song "Next in Line" by the band After Image. It's a message to the next generation to figure out the answers to life, and to seize the day (I think).

Next in Line
After Image

What has life to offer me 
When I grow old?
What's there to look forward to
beyond the biting cold?
Coz they say it's difficult,
Yes stereotypical.
You gotta be conventional,
You can't be so radical.

CHORUS
So I sing this song to all of my age
For these are the questions 
We've got to face
For in this cycle that we call life
We are the ones who are next in line.

Repeat 1st stanza
Repeat chorus

We are next in line (2x)
And we gotta work, we gotta feel
let's open our eyes
and do whatever it takes (2x)

Free Online Gaming

Ever since massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) hit the Internet scene, people have been logging on to games such as Ragnarok, RAN, and DotA, in order to create characters which will traverse a wide land, gaining powers, experience and treasure as they travel.

However, since these games require a great amount of time, and sometimes money, it’s not possible for me personally to try them out. Still, there are a number of online games available on the net, that don’t require too much time, and don’t require a sizeable budget in order to play. These are some of the few which I’ve tried out:

Archmage – I first learned about this in InQuest Gamer magazine. Basing itself on Magic the Gathering, you first choose a color to represent your mage, and slowly build up your territory and troops. Of course, you’re going to have to fend off attacks and raids from rival mages.

Archmage is turn-based, and the number of turns you get is based on the speed of the server where you signed up; in Blitz, you get a turn every 5 minutes, while in the Ager server, a turn comes around every 15 minutes, so you have to plan your moves very carefully.

Unfortunately, the company which owned Archmage went bankrupt, which closed down the game. Recently, however, I learned that the game been cloned, and is active once more, this time, appropriately, as The Reincarnation. I probably won’t be signing up, though, as I’m doing too many things as it is.

Monster Game – If you liked the movie Underworld, with the war between the vampires and werewolves, you may like Monster Game. Here, you may choose to join either the clan of vampires, or the clan of werewolves, and begin building up your character.

In the game, one can raid cities to gain loot and experience, or work at the local cemetery to gain gold.

If I have a beef about the game, progression is very slow. I’ve been playing since November, and my character is only level 7 at this moment. Maybe I need to find another way to gain experience aside from through raids.

If you plan to join, sign up in World 4, and look for Simon San Pedro. Let me know if there’s anybody who wants to take over my character, because it’s getting a little frustrating.

Travian – If you liked the world of Asterix the Gaul, you’ll probably like this Civ-like game, wherein you found a village, and slowly build it up, and either stage attacks on other villages, or establish working trade routes with the other villages. You can choose between the Romans, the Gauls, and the Teutons; each have their own special traits and drawbacks.

Build-up is a little slow, but not as slow as Monster Game. As soon as you improve your resource areas, things will probably move a little faster.

I find the game enjoyable, because I can log on, set some task for my village to do, and come back to it later in the day. As part of my tryout, my troops have been doing raids on what are likely to be inactive villages. Of course, not wanting to be raided myself, I stay away from the larger villages.

I’m currently in server 2; if you sign up, look up Armorica. That's my village (soon to be the start of an empire, BWHAHAHAHAH! Oops. Sorry.)

Neopets – Probably one of the oldest, and most successful online games around, Neopets is loosely based on the Japanese Pokemon. Unlike Pokemon, a player can choose from a number of pets, and, instead of training them for battle (although that’s an option), one can do almost anything with their pets: groom them, keep them happy through feeding them and playing with them, and, yes, you can battle with them, either against some of the set denizens of the world Neopia, or find a friend or another player willing to battle against your pet. You can have up to four pets at a time.

The currency of Neopets is the Neopoint, which one can acquire through a number of ways. One can buy items from the various shops, and set up a shop in order to sell the items at a profit; early in the game, I made money this way by constantly visiting the bookshop. Another way is to auction your rarer items, and gain from the bids.

The fun way is to play the myriad Flash games that Neopets offers, which can be anything from arcade clones of PacMan or Space Invaders, to puzzles which are similar to Tetris or Mahjongg. The ratio of points gained in the game to Neopoints varies from game to game; you can play for a long time, and still not earn a lot of Neopoints. The maximum number of Neopoints you can gain at a time is 1000NP, with a maximum of 3 games played per game. The exception is the Game of the Day, wherein you can play to earn up to 2000NP, which will then be doubled; the 3-game play limit still holds, though.

All in all, Neopets has a lot to offer, and you can invest as much or as little time in it, as you see fit.

There are other free online games out there; some of the ad banners in Monster Game offers, among others, a corporate setting and a hero setting. It’s just a matter of looking for your favorite genre, and trying them out. Enjoy!

Local Races

Sorry for the lag in posts, but it was a hectic week last week.

The Senate race is under way, and, for now, the focus shifts towards the local races, wherein the deadline for filing is the end of March.

Some interesting places:

Quezon City – Incumbent Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte looks like he will run virtually unopposed to win his third and last term as mayor of Quezon City. No one can begrudge him this, considering that he has worked hard to improve the city’s status. Slowly but surely, Quezon City is shaping up to be better-looking and more efficient.

I vote in the second district, whose congressional representative is real estate magnate Annie Susano. Since Susano was staunchly behind the aborted Con-Ass move, and was a little arrogant about it (Inquirer columnist Neal Cruz noted that she’s supposed to have boasted about donating P4 million to the church to stop their anti-Con-Ass protests), I’m not inclined to vote for her again, although I have no idea who’ll be running in the district. If former congressman Dante Liban decides to run again, maybe I’ll support his bid. It’ll have to be anybody except Susano and Chuck Mathay.

Manila – Incumbent Lito Atienza is in his last term as mayor, which means it’ll be a free-for-all battle for this city. Originally, Senator “Ping” Lacson was planning to run, which prompted his main accuser, “Rosebud” to also state that she would run. However, Lacson, due to a possible residency lack, has decided that he will just try to get himself reelected to the Senate, which leaves the field open to the likes of Ali Atienza, the mayor’s son, Senator Alfredo Lim, who was mayor before Atienza, former congressman Mark Jimenez, and, maybe, former First Lady Imelda Marcos. Who will emerge? Your guess is as good as mine, but I think I’d put my money on Lim.

Makati – The bastion of opposition leader Jejomar Binay, Makati will probably be a two-way race, between Binay and Senator Lito Lapid, who likely has the backing of Malacanang. Lapid, though, will be the underdog, because I don’t think he has the popularity or the wherewithal to unseat Binay, who has firmly entrenched himself in Makati.

Batangas – Movie star Vilma Santos, the current mayor of Lipa, Batangas, was all set to run as governor of the province, until her brother-in-law, Vice-Governor Ricky Recto cried foul, as he has also set his eyes on the governor’s post. To ensure family unity, Santos has apparently withdrawn from the race, although her husband, reelectionist Senator Ralph Recto had a parting shot for his brother, saying that Ricky Recto will probably lose to incumbent Armando Sanchez.

South Cotabato – The first congressional district of this province will be contested by boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and incumbent congresswoman Darlene Antonino-Custodio, in an apparent attempt to unseat a staunch oppositionist (Custodio). It will be up to the voters to determine who will reign supreme in this matchup.

So far, those are some of the high profile races that have reached the media. Like the Senate race, I’ll be keeping an eye on the local politics, as I’d like to know how the results will affect life after the May elections.

Hodgepodge

The entry of Cesar Montano, who replaces Leyte governor Jericho Petilla in the administration slate, into the senatorial race is an indication that the administration needs a bit of star power in order to draw the votes their way. Montano is probably a decent pick, although if it's true, based on what Philippine STAR editor Anna Marie Pamintuan (probably the best and most objective writer in that broadsheet) wrote, that Montano said that it's too early to judge actors and actresses in politics, then he needs to educate himself in politics, and quickly. Oh well. At least the administration didn't pick Richard Gomez, although I'm still fairly certain that he'll find a berth in either side before the elections come.

* * *

The recent decision of a US-based nursing commission to ban passers of the controversial June 2006 examinations affirms what some have been saying all along: a retake of the exams is necessary to clear the names of those who took the exams. I realize that it's an added expense, considering that the examinees will have to review all over again, but, if it will uphold the integrity of the nursing profession, by and large our largest human resource export, then it must be done.

What's dangerous here is that other countries may follow suit. Because of the government's hemming and hawing on the issue, the fate of the June 2006 passers remains in limbo.

* * *

It's crystal-clear that the administration is bent on suppressing known opposition supporters in the media; it's the only thing that will explain the filing of sedition charges against the publisher and two editors of the Daily Tribune. The move, however, will backfire, as media groups will probably band together against this threat, as they did against the libel charges of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.

I don't see why so much attention needs to be given to a newspaper that isn't largely read anyway. If the Tribune is seditious, then other columnists in other newspapers should similarly be charged; for example, the Inquirer's Conrado de Quiros regularly calls for the ouster of the President in his almost daily columns. The fact that he hasn't been slapped with charges similar to those of the Tribune, I can only conclude that the government is targeting certain media groups and individuals in its current drive against so-called enemies of the state.

Blog Alert: Dessert Comes First

It's my friend Lori's birthday today, and, to celebrate it, she's finally gotten her own domain name. Her wonderful food blog, Dessert Comes First, can now be found here. The current post is the first of two parts, about her trip to Chinatown in Binondo, Manila. As usual, there are the delectably colorful, mouthwatering photos that she's known for, and the well-written commentary about the food she encounters.

I'm proud of my friend, who has come a long way from her beginnings as a news reader at the now-defunct KLite 103.5. More power to you, Lori, on your birthday, and may you continue to provide us bloggers with wonderful posts about your passion, food.

Do visit the site; it'll be worth your while.

People's Champ, or People's Chump?

Manny Pacquiao's entry into the political arena is being looked upon with skepticism, and with good reason. While his motives may be good, in terms of wanting to help his fellow Filipinos, as my dad said, "Good intentions are not enough."

Being in his late 20s, there is still a lot Pacquiao can offer in terms of being a boxer, and a superb one at that. One must wonder how proficient he will be at crafting laws, which is what being a representative is, at its very core.

How will he manage, as he claims, both a boxing and a political career? One way or the other, something's going to give. Considering that boxing takes a toll on one's physical and neurological well-being, what happens if he takes a hard punch to the head? What then will happen to his being a representative?

It's clear, however, that Pacquiao is being led by the nose into the political ring, by allies of the administration. It comes as no surprise that he's decided to contest the congressional seat of South Cotabato, which is currently held by an opposition member, Darlene Antonino-Custodio. It's clear that, like Sen. Lito Lapid's running in for the mayoralty of Makati, Pacquiao's possible candidacy (it's not yet completely sure whether he'll run; I'm really hoping cooler heads will prevail on this one.) is a calculated move by the administration to oust leading opposition members from their roosts.

At the same time, it's disingenuous for opposition members to slam Pacquiao's candidacy by saying that he's taking on the role of a bully, by saying that Antonino-Custodio is just "a girl, and a paperweight at that." (quoted from the Inquirer) Another opposition representative, Paranaque's Roilo Golez describes his fellow oppositionist as "a weak, little girl." It's a false criticism, considering that the Antonino clan, to which Antonino-Custodio belongs, is the current leading dynasty in South Cotabato. So, in truth, it is Pacquiao who is in over his head in this political battle.

It's the same in other parts of the country, as the voting public has no real choice, because the major players running in the various congressional districts are equally incompetent. I cannot help but feel worried about the state of the legislative arm of the government after this elections.

Handicapping the Senate Race, Part Three

With the deadline for filing one’s certificate of candidacy for the national elections less than an hour away, the opposing forces of the administration (aka “Team Unity”) and the opposition (aka “Grand Coalition”) have completed their respective senatorial lineups, and both are hodgepodge affairs, without any real differences between them, as each side attempted to complete a lineup that would attract a wide range of voters.

The past two posts I’ve been commenting on the two major sides. Here, I’ll comment on those who were chosen by the opposition, in the wake of major defections on their side of the fence. We’ll also take a look at one very determined actor.

Manny Villar – The Senate President, a member of the so-called “Wednesday Group” which includes re-electionists Francis Pangilinan, Joker Arroyo and Ralph Recto, has decided to throw his lot in with the opposition. This is a little strange, considering that Villar was instrumental in transmitting the impeachment complaint against now-opposition patriarch Joseph Estrada. Apparently, all has been forgiven, and Villar will now run with the Grand Coalition formed by the opposition. He’ll probably win, due to the name recall he commands, and he’ll be maneuvering to claim the presidency in 2010.

Kiko Pangilinan – If Villar’s acceptance of the opposition draft was strange, Pangilinan’s inclusion in the opposition lineup is even stranger. There was probably no congressman more hated and vilified by the opposition than Pangilinan, who earned the moniker, “Mr. Noted” for having repeated that word over and over in response to opposition protests during the 2004 official canvass of votes; back then, of course, Pangilinan was foursquare behind the administration. With the breakup of the Liberal Party into two factions, Pangilinan aligned himself with former Senate President Franklin Drilon’s faction, which called for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. With that, I suppose, Pangilinan has vindicated himself in the eyes of the opposition.

Having his superstar wife Sharon Cuneta campaigning for him will once more catapult him back to the Senate, although I’d like to see him win without her, to see if he has any drawing power at all.

Nikki Coseteng – Coseteng has always been behind Estrada, and hopes that she will once more walk the halls of the Senate. I’m not sure about her chances this time around; there are just too many familiar names in the Senate race, and she’s been out of the political limelight ever since 2001, when she was one of the eleven Senators who set off a wave of anger that culminated in EDSA II. Will she make it? It’ll probably be iffy at best.

Sonia Roco – The widow of the late Senator Raul Roco was drafted by the opposition when San Juan mayor JV Ejercito backed out of the Senate race upon the orders of his father. Having had the widow of another politician spectacularly demonstrate her lack of experience and training as a politician, I’m wary of Roco, considering that, politically, she’s been a nonentity; Susan Roces would be more recognizable, although Roces has wisely stayed out of the race. Will Roco succeed her husband in the Senate? Her chances are also iffy, considering her lack of political exposure, although friends tell me that personally, she’s pretty intelligent and witty. For her sake, she’ll have to rely on that to become more familiar to the voting public.

Richard Gomez – It says a lot when your fellow actors come out speaking against actors and actresses who dabble in politics, especially in the legislative area. Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) president Leo Martinez and Jun Urbano, I think, didn’t mention Gomez by name, but it seems clear that the plea not to run was directed towards him. In spite of this, Gomez ignored the plea, and has filed his COC to run under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC). However, neither the Grand Coalition nor Team Unity drafted him into their slates, which means that Gomez will have to run as an independent candidate.

I don’t think that will last for long, as there are enough weak spots in both slates that either side may draft Gomez later on in the campaign. Will he win? I’m hoping against hope, although I fear the public, the masa, will embrace him the way they did Erap. If that’s the case, things will be looking up for Gomez.

And that’s most of the field for now. To think that this is just the Senate race we’re seeing. In March, the local officials, the mayors, the representatives, the councilors, etc., will be filing their COCs, and it’ll be just as heated as the race to the Senate.

Handicapping the Senate Race, Part Two

Last week, I commented on the senatorial lineup of the so-called United Opposition (UNO). Now, let’s take a look at the current administration senatorial lineup. Administration pundit Alex Magno once described the forces of the administration in one of his columns as “awesome.” All I can say that, unless he’s referring to the administration’s clout at the local level, there’s little that is awesome about the administration’s lineup. To accept opposition members into the lineup means that the administration is running the risk that these people will turn coat if elected, and work towards the toppling of the GMA administration. Some major horse trading and concessions must have been promised to ensure their loyalties; that would make sense, considering GMA’s capacity to do so.

Anyway, let’s take a look at the individuals in the administration ticket:

Tito Sotto and Tessie Aquino-Oreta – I’ve lumped these two together because there’s not much differentiating them, at least from my view. Sotto and Aquino-Oreta were instrumental in triggering the public anger that became EDSA II; it was Aquino-Oreta’s victory jig over the prevention of the opening of the “smoking gun” envelope (now shown to be meaningless) that fueled the anger of the public. The two are probably banking on the almost-nonexistent Filipino historical memory to get back to the Senate.

It’s likely that Sotto will make it in (dang), but Aquino-Oreta will have to deal with some legalities, considering that her nephew, “Noynoy” Aquino, is also running, albeit on the opposition side. Both aunt and nephew will be engaged in a tussle over who will get the “Aquino” name, which will play a big role in name recall; whoever gets to run under “Aquino” will have a stronger name recall, which is crucial in the Senatorial election.

Luis “Chavit” Singson – The Ilocos Sur governor was the linchpin in getting Estrada impeached, although it’s quite clear that Singson isn’t clean, either. It was just a matter of throwing Estrada to the wolves in order to save his own corrupt hide.

If he gets in, it will make for entertaining sparks between him and Senator Jinggoy Estrada. A month or two ago, the younger Estrada delivered a privilege speech lambasting Singson. As a result, Singson, along with his bodyguards, stormed the Senate in search of Estrada.

It’s this sort of goonish attitude that worries me about Singson. I hope he doesn’t get in, but he may be able to rely on administration machinery to cheat, er, seat him.

Edgardo Angara – If anything, he’s a veteran Senator, on his second tour of duty. He’s fairly intelligent, and articulate. But his butterfly moves, like Sen. Loren Legarda, make me question his loyalties. Will he get in? I’m not sure, because the field is getting more and more crowded. Somehow, I doubt it.

Michael Defensor – I saw Defensor in action when I was in college; he was running for the student council under the leftist party SAMASA. Even back then, I felt that he was a tad on the sleazy side; more than a decade later, I’ve not seen any substantial change in his character. His adoption of the nickname, “’Tol,” or “brother,” is so patently false that it’s a wonder that he’s able to explain how he got it. Why does he only have that nickname now? If he was sincerely for the Filipino people, he should have earned that nick before this year.

I doubt that he has the wherewithal to get elected, but, like Singson, perhaps he’ll rely on the administration machinery to see him through.

Prospero Pichay – The Surigao del Sur congressman was instrumental in pushing for Charter Change through any means, even if it meant violating basic rules. Still, he’s been consistent in his stand, so let’s give him that. He did speak out against the inclusion of Sotto and Aquino-Oreta in the administration ticket, calling them possible “Trojan horses” of the opposition. However, he seems to have gotten over this, considering that he’s already filed his certificate of candidacy. I wonder that concession was promised him if he won?

I’m not sure if he’ll win, though. Being a congressman, his sphere of influence is limited to his constituency; he may have to work hard in order to make his name recognizable to the voting public.

Juan Miguel Zubiri – The congressman from Bukidnon, one of the original “Spice Boys,” has the same problem of Pichay, being limited in scope. However, since he’s younger than Pichay, he may draw in the Filipino voters who vote mainly on the looks of the candidate (sadly, there are a lot of these). My wife doesn’t see what his appeal is, and, neither can I. I’d give him an outside chance of making it, though.

Joker Arroyo and Ralph Recto – The two reelectionists, members of the so-called “Wednesday Group,” have decided to throw their lot in with the administration, while the two other members of the group, Senate President Manny Villar and Senate Majority Leader Kiko Pangilinan, have decided to run under the opposition ticket. Arroyo is one person I’ll definitely vote for this coming May; he’s more or less principled, and has not shown any corrupt actions that I’m aware of. Will he be reelected? Probably, as his track record, and name recognition, will speak for himself.

Recto, like Pangilinan, will once more rely on the star power of his wife, Lipa Mayor and actress Vilma Santos. He’ll probably win, although I’m pretty certain that I won’t be voting for him; I’d like to see him campaign without his wife, just to see if he has what it takes to be reelected without his wife’s aura behind him.

Govs. Vic Magsaysay and Jericho Petilla – These two, I think, will be weak links for the administration; they’ve not been in the news, so their achievements remain nebulous, and, thus, they are not likely to get in, although Magsaysay might make a good showing, given name recognition.

Next, and last: The remaining few

Update: The administration has announced the final member of its "Team Unity" senatorial ticket, giving the twelfth slot to Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, who is the heir to the royal sultanate of Sulu. All I can say is, "who?" Even though choosing Kiram will make the administration ticket more diverse in regional and political color, there are too many candidates who are limited in national scope, and the Senate race is a national election. At least Pichay, Zubiri, and Singson have all made names for themselves in the national scene, albeit not always in a positive manner. Kiram, Petilla and Magsaysay are going to have to work doubly hard to make their names recognizable to the voting public.

Handicapping the Senate Race, Part One

I'll post this in three parts, as it'll be too long if I post it all in one go.

The deadline for the filing of senatorial certificates of candidacy (COC) is February 13, 2007 next week, and already, various big names have come out to throw their hats into the ring. The administration and the opposition have yet to finalize their respective rosters for the Senate; there's probably still some horsetrading going around. Let's take a quick look at some of the candidates who are running, and do some initial prognosticating:

Oliver Lozano, Mel Chavez (Kilusan ng Bagong Lipunan (KBL)) - Lozano and Chavez are like many of the ones who've tried out for "American Idol"; they're delusional if they think they even have a snowball's chance in hell of winning. Not only are they running under a party that was the very symbol of Martial Law, they're also without any machinery to speak of, and, in a national race, such as the one for the Senate, that will be a fatal flaw. Unless there are enough Marcos loyalists out there willing to support their candidacies, Lozano and Chavez have no chance whatsoever.

Antonio Trillanes IV (currently independent): the public face and one of the leaders of the failed July 2003 Oakwood mutiny, Trillanes, who is still facing charges for his role in the mutiny, and is currently detained, apparently thinks he can parlay his youthful good looks into a Senate seat, a la Gringo Honasan. It may be that he and his fellow mutineers had legitimate concerns, but mutinying was probably not the way to go about getting these concerns heard. It's going to be difficult for him to campaign, considering he's still a detainee facing serious charges, but, if he manages to hook up with the opposition, he may be able to put up a decent effort, but probably not enough to get into the Senate.

John Osmena (UNO) - This political dinosaur is attempting to make a comeback, although I think the Senate would be better off without him. Because of him, the revised UP Charter was not passed by the Senate, mainly due to Osmena's feuding with UP President Francisco Nemenzo. Because of his pettiness, UP is prevented from moving forward into the new millenium better equipped to deal with the challenges it faces.

Alan Peter Cayetano (UNO) - I know the recent survey places him at around 3rd or 4th in terms of possible showing in the May elections, but this Taguig Representative is, as Macbeth puts it, "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." His largely unfounded accusations against the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo call into question his ability to back up his words with evidence. If he had any proof against Arroyo, he should have filed a criminal case against the FG, and presented whatever evidence he has in court. However, he has not done so, and continues to try to convict the FG in the court of public opinion. While he'll probably be a thorn in the side of the administration, his inability to make founded accusations will render him inconsequential should he make it to the Senate.

Loren Legarda (UNO) - One of the more intelligent candidates, the only gripe I have against Legarda is her being a political butterfly, having abandoned the administration for the opposition in the 2004 elections, and all because she was not offered the vice-presidential slot in GMA's ticket. That meant, however, that she sided with ousted President Joseph Estrada, whose ouster she had a hand in during Estrada's impeachment trial. Of course, the Filipino historical memory being what it is, all of this is forgotten, and voters in general will believe that she is articulate and intelligent, not to mention good-looking, all of which will get her the Senate seat hands down.

Ping Lacson (UNO) - One of martial law's products, Lacson has more or less left behind his past; most have forgotten his role during martial law, or his complicity in the Kuratong Baleleng massacre. Aside from that, he has remained fairly straightforward, not to mention fairly articulate, which voters can admire. This means that he'll probably get reelected, although I'm sure of not voting for him.

Aquilino "Coco" Pimentel III (UNO) - The only thing I know about him is that: one, he's the son of current Senator Aquilino Pimentel, and two, he failed in his mayoralty bid, about twice, I think. Otherwise, he seems to be riding his father's coattails into the Senate; name recognition, of course, is a strong factor in getting elected.

Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III (UNO) - I wonder how the late Senator and national hero "Ninoy" Aquino, would feel about the fact that his son apparently is running alongside individuals who were part of the mechanism that caused his incarceration during martial law, as well as his eventual assassination on August 21, 1983. I myself am not sure about where Noynoy's ideals lie at the moment, but they seem to lie along the lines of expediency, falling in with a group that will hopefully deliver him to the Senate.

JV Ejercito (UNO) - The son of former President Joseph Estrada, and actress Guia Gomez, Ejercito has been at the forefront of the forces working to topple the GMA administration. His role in the failed EDSA III, and his subsequent demagoguery (i.e. ranting), for me, disqualifies him as a Senate candidate. The fact that he'll be joining his half-brother, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, if he wins, is another reason why he shouldn't be elected; we already have enough idiots in the Senate as it is.

Francis "Chiz" Escudero III (UNO) - The public face of the opposition, Escudero has taken pains to package himself as an intelligent, articulate individual, in order to secure a Senate seat. I think he'll get in, but, since he's aligned himself with Estrada's camp, his values are what I question, and I'll probably not be voting for him.

Next up: The administration candidates

Update: JV Ejercito has backed out of the Senate race, upon the orders of his father. In his place, the former President has picked Sonia Roco, the wife of the late Senator Raul Roco. It's a good move; adding Roco to the ranks of the opposition will make the senatorial slate appear more credible, as Roco comes off as intelligent and fairly charismatic. Whether she'll accept the slot remains to be seen.

Short Angry Freuds - I Sing the Body Electric

"The Life and Times of Juniper Lee" was a cartoon by Judd Winick that appeared on Cartoon Network. It hasn't returned to the lineup, although June shows up from time to time on the segue shorts on the network. Pity, because it's such a great cartoon, much better than "Jake Long, the American Dragon."

LLC singing Isang Dugo, Isang Lahi, Isang Musika

I finally got around to registering my blog with YouTube. So, without much further ado, here's a live choir rendition of "Isang Dugo, Isang Lahi, Isang Musika".

Death of Principles

Winnability is the thing, values and principles be damned.

This appears to be the common theme running through both the opposition and administration camps in the formation of their senatorial slates. For the opposition, the formation of political dynasties doesn't matter, with the inclusion of three individuals who already have relatives in the Senate: San Juan mayor JV Ejercito, Taguig Rep. Allan Peter Cayetano, and Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III. To the opposition, these three are viable, winnable candidates. Never mind the fact that they're already dodging brickbats this early into the electoral season because of this issue.

Of course, there is no law that prohibits political dynasties; how could there, with a good number of the Congress, the body that must pass the law, composed of members of such dynasties? Pimentel has it wrong when he says that filing his certificate of candidacy is both legal and moral; it's only the latter, because political dynasties have been the bane of any electoral progress in our country.

Pimentel tries to curry favor with the electorate by saying that, if elected, he will file a bill banning dynasties, but only at the Presidential level where, he says, there is "tremendous power." True, but the dynasties, with their provincial fiefdoms, have a say in whoever makes it to the Presidency; it's the dynasties' favor a presidential candidate has to secure in order to deliver a province.

With the administration, it's even worse, as it seems not to care about what ideology its candidates espouse. What's important is that they possess the "winnability" factor, so we will be deluged with the likes of Richard Gomez, Cesar Montano, Tito Sotto and Tessie Aquino-Oreta as possible Senatorial candidates. Never mind the fact that, for three of these individuals, toppling the present administration was first and foremost in their minds. Unfortunately, the administration looks as if they're banking on the notoriously short Filipino historical memory, to be able to deodorize these individuals so that their past misdeeds will be forgotten.

This looks to be an election of the lesser evil, wherein we voters will be forced to choose candidates who do not possess the intellectual or the professional caliber needed by the legislative arm of the government, but are popular and, as administration pundit Alex Magno puts it, look good on TV. It looks like we're doomed to another three years of mediocrity from our Congress, and the electorate has no one to blame but themselves.

Idol Musings

It was only last season when I started closely following "American Idol," and I enjoyed every minute of it.

This season, which started a week or two ago, looks like it's more of the same, where thousands of aspiring wannabe singers try their luck to gain the judges' nod, and win the golden ticket that will send them to Hollywood, for even more strenuous tryouts, until the field is pared down to the magic 24.

It's a bit masochistic to watch the initial auditions, as it's clear that a lot simply don't have what it takes to sing. There are some who can sing, but not well enough for the main competition. Others obviously have breath control, by the way they can blast out the song; unfortunately, they can't keep in tune. And, of course, there are the outright delusional, without any musical talent whatsoever, although it would be impossible to tell them that.

So far, this season, we've been treated to the spectacle of a 50-year old passing herself off as a 26-year old, and the usual cast of tone-deaf wannabes. There also seems to be a search by the producers for an outspoken rejectee, whom they will give his or her 15 minutes of fame by letting him or her rant and rave about how wrong the judges were, how he or she deserved to go to Hollywood, and so on, so forth. They got one last night, when the last auditioner was flatly rejected by Simon and Randy (sans Paula, more on that later), and she continued to rant about how the judges not recognizing talent when they saw it. Even after she left the audition area, she was still given air time by letting her blow off steam at the end of the show.

What I'd like to know is, what was Paula Abdul on? During the first half of the show, which covered the judges' first day in Birmingham, Alabama, Paula was acting too perky and gesticulating too wildly to be considered normal. The next day, she was conspicuously absent, without any explanation from either of the judges. Maybe she was recovering from whatever binge sent her over the edge the day before?

Anyway, some of the interesting quarterfinalists include a girl who left Ohio to try out in New York, against her father's wishes. After she was given her golden ticket, host Ryan Seacrest facilitated calling her father, who took the news matter-of-factly. Another was a guy who missed his second daughter's birth in order to audition; I wonder how his wife really felt about his not being there. Other interesting contestants who made it include a Fidel Castro lookalike, a girl with a squeaky kid's voice, and a chubby, nerdy guy with long frizzy hair. I wonder which of these will be around at the end.

Later this evening, the judges head for Hollywood, and I'm wondering what whackos will crawl out of the woodwork in order to try out. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

IDILIM

When I was a member of the UP Student Catholic Action (UPSCA), I was active in the org's choir, Himig Delaney. One of the songs I loved singing was "Isang Dugo, Isang Lahi, Isang Musika," a composition by Dodjie Simon; in Himig, we called it IDILIM, for short. I'm not too sure anymore about the origins of the song; I think it was an entry for a eucharistic year song contest, which was won by "Isang Pagkain, Isang Katawan, Isang Bayan." I'm not sure why the latter won; I think IDILIM had a more triumphant ring to it.

I sang the bass line for Himig; since it was rather low, I wound up singing as if I was scraping the bottom of my throat to get the lowest tones. Still, IDILIM remains one of the songs I love to hear and sing.

Below are the lyrics, at least the way I remember them:

Isang himig, ang aking narinig.
Minsa’y nanaginip ating bansa’y umaawit.
Isang himig, pag-ibig ang hatid.
Ang musika’y batid sa bawat puso at isip

Chorus:
Ikaw at ako, tayo ay Pilipino
Isang bansa, ba’t di magkaisa?
Isang dugo, isang lahi, at musika,
Ang pangarap ko’y bansang mapayapa.

Isang himig, pag-ibig ang hatid,
At musika’y batid sa bawat puso at isip.
Isang awit ang aking dalangin,
Kristiyano at Muslim, (some use: Kahit sino pa man din)
Magkaisa sa awitin.

Repeat Chorus 3x