what's goin on

the international front

myanmar cyclone - recent reports put the death toll of this catastrophe at 120,000. ang nakaka-dismaya pa, aid is hampered by political tricks of the government who is so adamant in allowing foreign aid workers inside the country to do their thing. may mga report pa na yong mga bigas na pinamimigay from the few aid workers na naka-pasok na, nire-repack pa ng gobyerno para lagyan ng marka na galing yon sa kanila. nakaka-panlumo. people are dying and yet this government chooses to prioritize their political maneuvering over saving people's lives. i pity and pray for the people of this opressed country. hindi rin ako magtataka kung one day maisipan ng mga taga-roon na gayahin ang people power natin.

china quake - another disaster claiming lives of more than 10,000 people. seeing dead bodies, wailing mothers, lost children and faces grimacing from pain breaks my heart. nakaka-iyak makita yong mga mukhang nakalabas while half of their bodies are trapped under a slab of concrete. i couldn't help but close my eyes and just pray for these poor souls. at sana naman, wag nang tumama sa pinas ang mga ganitong disasters. sana.

justin’s retirement - with just 11 days to roland garros, it came as a shock in the sporting world to have someone who's currently ranked no 1 announce her quitting. for goodness sake, halos 2,000 points ang lamang nya kay sharapova na no 2. i was personally disappointed. i've long been a fan of this diminutive champ. along with roger federer, sila ang mga reason kung bakit nanonood ako ng grandslams. mga genuine talents kasi sila. coz in these days of highly glamorized tennis where media hype creates superstars out of mediocre players, justin is the real deal with her killer forehand and equally lethal backhand. sana naman temporary lang ito and she'll soon come back to give back the tennis circuit some excitement and credibility.

smart car - with a length of just over 8 ft - you can park two of them in a space for one lincoln town car - hindi maiwasan na pagdudahan ang safety nito. however, it grabbed headlines again today after getting high marks on crash tests finally putting those skepticism to rest. hindi naman kasi basta-basta ang gumawa - daimler benz lang naman. with it's sleek design, high fuel efficiency (45 miles per gallon), reasonable price (starts at $11,500) and an assurance that you wouldn't easily get crushed, i'd buy one if i have the money. may isang problema lang ako - sobrang liit nya at hindi kakasya ang isang batalyon na laging kakabit ko pag may lakad. darn!

local scene naman

the meralco debacle - so the philippine government is pointing an accusing finger at the lopez family porke ninakawan daw nila ang mga pilipino with their high rates and inexplicable charges. sabi pa, yong kuryente raw ng mga meralco offices eh sa publiko din naka-charge. with that, the government is asking the filipino people to file charges against meralco. if this isn't stupidity, i don't know what to call it. kung talagang nangulimbat ang meralco sa mga tao, bakit hindi ang gobyerno ang kumastigo? bakit mag-aantay pa sila ng class action suit? besides, bakit ngayon lang sila umaalma? nasaan sila at ano ang ginagawa nila for the last twenty, thirty years na taas ng taas ang singil ng kuryente? natutulog sa pancitan?

however i look at it, maniubra na naman ito ng arroyo government. maraming pwedeng dahilan. isa na ang diversionary tactic - to turn the attention of the masses away from the very many corruption charges being hurled at them. pwede ring naghahanap sila ng isang lucrative milking cow para pondohan ang kung ano mang proyekto nila - whether for the public or for their own interests. o baka naman wala nang pera ang gsis at hindi na makabili si winston garcia ng mga mamahaling paintings. hindi ako pro-meralco. i've known all along that this monster has been unjust to their consumers for the longest time. pero kung ang meralco ay dapat bitayin sa kasalanan nila sa mga pinoy, ang mga nasa gobyerno ay dapat i-firing squad dahil sa walang patid na graft and corruption scandals na naka-kulapol sa kanila. meralco is just one small fry.

umento? nasan? - the arroyo government beamingly announced that the minimum wage of the poor filipino workers has just been increased. yeheyyy... sabi dapat ng mga manggagawa. pero parang awa mo na gloria - 20 pesos??? ipagmamalaki mo na ba yon? do you honestly think your poor juan de la cruz will be ecstatic with that? saan aabot ang twenty pesos na dagdag sahod mo when everything from food to transport fare has increased a thousand fold compared to that salary adjustment? kawawang manggagawa. kawawang pinoy. pero walang awang gobyerno.