Stupid 2010 Elections Installment No. 6 - ANOTHER REASON TO HATE BUSES

Going through Metro Manila in a car is oftentimes a harrowing experience, and buses have a lot to do with it. Their drivers' erratic driving is tolerated in public roads by public 'servants,' and this has always been the case.

Now we have something new to bitch about these buses. Passing the area around Cubao and East Avenue, I encountered several buses, with the shameless smiles of these crooks in office.

The first had Gilberto Teodoro - 'Galing at Talino.'

STUPID 2010 ELECTIONS Installment No. 5 - Rich platforms

After going through Noynoy's website, I figured it would be great to revel in the brilliance of his platform. It is pure genius the way his writers put the present administration's supposed platform in a bad light, and then speak of the opposite of this and call this Noynoy's platform.

But first, you have to love the 'look' of his website. The Ninoy-like image of Noynoy, as he poses with hand under chin. This from a guy whose greatest achievement is surviving an ambush by that bastard Gringo

NOTHING COMPARES TO FREE MARKET ENVIRONMENTALISM

It's been seven hours and fifteen days, or there about, since Climategate spread over the internet. This is largely an internet phenomenon. I have yet to encounter any serious effort by any newspapers here to tackle the issue. To think that Earth Hour makes the headlines for weeks at a time. As bad as the international media have been in getting the word out, the Philippine media are completely oblivious.

Why the lack of response? I would initially think that the concept of global warming not being real is of such preposterous proportions that anything contrary to Al Gore's utterances is practically deflected by most people's brains without their realizing it.

A second reason would be that the implications would run counter to what editors have publicly stood for, to the point of embarrassment. Just look at the snobby manner in which the Inquirer wrote on the matter:

GANGSTER KILLINGS

The killing of a politician's wife, journalists and dozens of other people who were simply unfortunate to have been in the vicinity, is bound to bring about a call for tougher enforcement of peace and order. Whether this call will result in concrete measures is another thing. Whether these measures will be for the good of society is yet another thing.

But another all too important aspect that is missed in all this is what made such a political killing possible. What happened was no different from what Joey Zaza did in the third Godfather film.

ECONOMICS SOMETIMES APPLIES TO REAL LIFE

Who would have thought? Economic principles may sometimes apply to actual living.

I'm talking about Gloria's stupid Executive Order 839 imposing price controls on gasoline. Supposedly, price controls result in shortages or substandard quality of goods.

I admit, even with such knowledge, I didn't really expect the shortages to manifest themselves. Perhaps supply would be reduced much faster, or the oil companies would not earn that much. But this did not necessarily mean a shortage.

You could imagine my utter surprise

WE WUZ ROBBED

Hi evereh badeh!

Just a quick note to point out how I got robbed twice in the past two weeks.

Last week, it was at the LTO. Got my car registered for P3,900-ish, including a tip to the smoke emission dude helping me out (not a fixer - I would have gotten a fixer if I knew where to find them).

A couple of days ago, I was at the San Juan post office to claim a package I had ordered on the 'net. The Customs guy who was there was being 'charitable' to me, saying he wouldn't charge me an excise tax of 30% on my item. Instead, he'd only charge me P5,559,

WE NEED A NEW TITLE FOR THESE BLOG ENTRIES, A.K.A. STUPID FLOODS

We have heard some pretty idiotic stuff as a result of this so-called flood crisis. I hope that at the very least, this problem which continues five days after the rains, gives people insight as to how inept government is, and how wrong it is to rely on government for anything, what more our lives.

A particularly rich conclusion drawn by the floods is how climate change and global warming caused it. In particular, Jess Abrera made a fascinating editorial cartoon

STUPID SUPREME COURT

I've had such an easy time with titles this past year. Either I place 'stupid' before the stupid thing that I am writing on, or jest about how 'we need a clean' so and so. So creative!

Why am I so mean as to insult this 'highest' tribunal in the land? Just look at how they put a stop to the awarding by Malacañang of National Artists for 2009. Why would these 15 bozos

THE CONSPIRACY OF NATIONAL HOLIDAYS AND PUBLIC POSTAL SERVICE

I recently moved, to Quezon City, and unwittingly am now a victim of the horribly slow Quezon City Central Postal Office. I found it necessary to find the guy who delivers notices to my address, and get his number to follow up on packages I'm awaiting. If you live in Quezon City, and have received a package recently, check the envelope for two dates stamped separately. Chances are, there's a two-week gap, meaning, you only get a notice about your package's arrival two weeks after the QC post office gets it. And THEN you have to go and get it.

WE NEED CLEAN FILIPINO SINGERS

Yeah, it's kinda late, but what the hell, I just heard of this last Saturday, the first of August. Anyways, Freddie Aguilar was criticizing successful Filipino singers for allegedly being Western copycats. They should have been singing Filipino stuff as a way of showing the world what Pinoys are all about.

This laughable nationalism is exactly what brought Hitler, or any other dictator for that matter, to power.

TITA CORY

Tita Cory's passing at this time is quite unfortunate, not because she was a president per se but because it's always upsetting to hear of the demise of a figure who's been in our consciousness for such a long time, in my case, for most of my conscious life. Who would've thought that during the "Lagot siya sa akin" days of not much more than two years ago, that we'd be mourning her two years later?

STUPID 2009 SONA

Why did I even bother to listen to the State of the Nation Address? And it's not like I only happened to tune in to it. I even went back for it on Youtube late at night. There is really nothing binding in such an address, but what the hell, I heard it, and now my notes.

First of all, the applause. I don't remember President Gloria Arroyo waiting for applause in past SONAs quite the way she did this time. It was really sad to hear Congress, her Cabinet and a bunch of other sorry imbeciles clapping at every sentence.