Where to go this May 15

Current mood: Clueless

For next Saturday, I have to choose between two great car shows.I see both of them are good events but I have to choose only one.

This

Or This

I wish I could split myself into two. XD

12 Reasons Why I Won't Vote NOYNOY For President ...

I just got this from this site. I have nothing against Sen Aquino III since I will NOT VOTE in this coming election anyway. XD

Here it goes...

NOYNOY IS CLUELESS ABOUT MANY IMPORTANT THINGS!

1st reason why Noynoy is clueless: he thinks that if there is no corruption there will be no poverty.

Reality check:

Corruption certainly contributes to poverty, but corruption is everywhere, even in the greatest democracy and the richest country in the world, the USA. President Obama has surrounded himself with many senior appointees who have been proven to be tax evaders. Large US MNCs give out bribes as a regular way of doing business. Corruption is a way of life in the USA, but it is a very rich nation. While reducing corruption certainly is important, economic progress comes when those at the helm of government know what they are doing and have political will, like Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore.

Noynoy has no experience and will be quickly overwhelmed by the complexity of governance.

 

2nd reason why Noynoy is clueless: he thinks that since he is not corrupt, then there will be no corruption.

Reality check:

Corruption is unfortunately deeply ingrained in the Philippine political system. That is not to say that we should not do something about it. But it is to recognize that it is not only the President but those around him/her who matter. Cory was quite saintly, but Kamaganak Inc. rampaged through her Presidency. Frank Drilon, the President of the Liberal Party, is himself known as corrupt.

Noynoy has no governance experience, whether in business or politics, and those close to him can easily run circles around him.(Please check on the Comparative Chart below)

3rd reason why Noynoy is clueless: he believes that poverty would be eliminated if only there is clean governance.

Reality check:

There is widespread poverty in the Philippines not because of corruption, but because of social injustice. That is, the rich grow richer, and so the poor grow poorer. There are enough resources in the nation for everyone to have a decent life. But the rich elite, a very small part of the population, has taken a very large and disproportionate share of the nation’s wealth.

How do we eliminate poverty? By sharing. This is what the first Christians did. The rich shared their wealth with the poor, and the result was that there was no one in need (Acts 4:34). This is not just about giving handouts. Part of sharing is sharing the opportunities to make money, giving just compensation to employees, giving land to the landless.

The social injustice is perpetrated by the entrenched elite economic and political families, such as the Cojuangcos, Roxases, Aranetas, Madrigals, etc. A prime example is the case of Hacienda Luisita, where the farmers have been deprived of what is rightfully theirs. In fact, they have been killed for asking for what is due them.

Noynoy is part of this social and economic elite, and cannot be expected to stand against them in favor of the poor. He has already shown this in the case of Hacienda Luisita.

4th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he does not understand the poor.

Reality check:

The poor make up the overwhelming majority of our people. They make up the greater part of a President’s national constituency. Thus care for the poor should be a primary concern of any President.

Perhaps we cannot judge Noynoy harshly, because he has not experienced deep material poverty. If you have not been poor, you cannot truly empathize with the poor. That is why social workers at times live with the poor, to somehow become one of them, to experience what they experience.. He does not understand how the poor care for their relatives, even to the point of going into debt, or perhaps, even stealing. He does not understand the nobility of the poor. As with many who are rich and elite, perhaps he looks on the poor with disdain, considering them lazy, dirty, of no good to society. This might be unfair to Noynoy, but did he not in fact show no concern for the farmers of Hacienda Luisita? He even accused them of being communists when they rallied for their rights.

The most urgent need for our nation is the eradication of poverty. Noynoy cannot accomplish this because his heart is not with the poor. In fact, in desiring to eliminate corruption, would that not benefit the rich businessmen most? Then they will only grow richer, and the poor poorer.

5th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he does not understand that reproductive health means abortion.

Reality check:

Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, said it again quite clearly: “You cannot have maternal health without reproductive health. And reproductive health includes contraception and family planning and access to legal, safe abortion.” It is the goal of the US government, together with powerful forces such as the European Union, elements of the United Nations, billionaire philanthropists, liberal media, homosexualist forces, to force abortion on the whole world as a human right.

If Noynoy claims to be against abortion but for the RH bill, then he is either being naive or deceptive. Reproductive health promotes condoms, condoms fail and result in unwanted pregnancies, then women procure abortions. That is how it has happened in the US and elsewhere. It is a clever step-by-step process that the anti-life forces promote. If we accept the RH bill, abortion will not be far behind.

6th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he believes that EDSA is his birthright.

Reality check:

EDSA was a miracle of God. It belongs to all of us. It was a work of the Spirit that resulted in the dismantling of the Marcos dictatorship. God used Ninoy and Cory, but the glory belongs to God and the honor to the whole Filipino nation.

But Noynoy has appropriated the EDSA spirit for himself and his campaign. He is using the Laban sign, the color yellow (this is not the color of the Liberal Party), the songs, the slogans, even what his parents had done. What a blatant theft of what belongs to us! Now many Filipinos are distancing themselves from EDSA symbols simply because they are automatically looked on as pro-Noynoy. What a shame! What a disservice to the nation. Noynoy is destroying that most loved Filipino treasure that is EDSA.

Further, Noynoy is clueless in thinking that because his parents are revered, he now deserves to be President.

7th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he thinks his good intentions are enough to govern the country.

Reality check:

To be an effective President, one needs experience, political will, intelligence. One cannot just have good intentions. One cannot just be uncorrupt. One must be prepared, with a working platform of governance. One must hit the ground running on Day One, and not have to learn the ropes while in office. One must not just rely on subordinates and hangers on, but must have a clear vision and know what to do.

Noynoy has no executive experience. His legislative experience includes not passing any bill at all. He has no performance to speak of. As Congressman and Senator, he has not made any positive impact on behalf of his constituencies or the nation. Simply put, he is a non-performer.

8th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he does not understand that to be effective as President, he has to work with other powers-that- be, and so he should show respect.

Reality check:

The Presidency does not exist by itself in the political system. In fact, the legislature and the judiciary are equal partners in governance. Then there are other economic and social forces.

Noynoy belittled the Church when Cardinal Vidal took him to task for being pro-RH bill. He threatened the Supreme Court justices with impeachment if they accepted the appointment of a Chief Justice. He attacks President Arroyo even if she is not a candidate for President (and blatantly claims that he is the only real opposition). He maligns his main political opponent, making wild and unfounded claims, with half-truths and outright lies. He ridiculed a political pollster when the findings showed Villar closing in on him. He accuses the Comelec of imagined irregularities. He stokes conflict between the chiefs of the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police. He makes it his priority to prosecute GMA.

Noynoy is a divisive person. He attacks and maligns, often without good basis. He creates enemies instead of trying to win them over. He is disrespectful, of good people and important institutions. In a political system as we have in the Philippines, that is a sure way to division and disunity.

9th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he still has the EDSA hangover and has no qualms about not following the rule of law.

Reality check:

The rule of law, flawed as it might be at times, is crucial to a democracy. EDSA is an extraordinary experience, perhaps never to be repeated again.

Noynoy has no qualms about not following the rule of law. In his disagreement with the appointment by GMA of a Chief Justice, he has resorted to threats and demonstrations, instigating his followers in the latter. He has threatened the justices with impeachment. In contrast, the Nationalista Party, also disagreeing with GMA’s potential action, took the issue to the Supreme Court as an appeal to its decision.

Noynoy does not see that an extraordinary extra-judicial move is not a first option, but the last. When we discard the rule of law, we are well on our way to chaos.

10th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he does not know what is good for the economy or the nation.

Reality check:

Taxes are the lifeblood of the nation. Without adequate taxes, there would be no resources with which to run government and serve the people.

Noynoy immediately announced that he would not raise taxes (he later backtracked) . He was either playing up to the businessmen and the people, or he was totally naive. After GMA, the coffers would be empty. He would first enforce collection, and cut down on tax evasion and corruption. But if these were not enough, he would have to raise taxes. Now that is being open, sincere and wise.

Noynoy either does not know how to run the government, or is impulsive and does not think issues through well enough, or practices the old politics of making promises that cannot be kept. In any way, he is not fit to be President.

11th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he does not know what the Presidency entails, how awesome a task it is.

Reality check:

Being President is an awesome responsibility. While many are legally qualified to run for President, only a few can really do well as President. Part of being qualified is the actual experience of governance, preferably from the bottom up.

Let us look at Hacienda Luisita. It is a large piece of land, it has economic activity, it has poor people working (or out of work), it has a social system, it has the entrenched elite (the owners), it has management-labor problems. It could be a microcosm of the Philippines. Now what good has Noynoy done, as one of the owners and as the scion of the Cojuangco clan? He claims he owns only 1%, but that is evading the moral responsibility that would be expected of someone who aspires to be President of the Philippines. And in fact, was he not head of their security agency when there was the killing of farmers? Did he not malign and fault the farmers as being communists? Did he not oppose the granting of land to the farmers as was the original agreement of the Cojuangcos with the government?

Now he says that if elected President, he would look to distributing the land. What? Elect you first before you act? Why not do it now? This is just another empty promise, playing up to the gallery, just like the vow not to raise taxes.

Noynoy looks to his own and his family/clan’s well-being, not to that of the poor farmers. He looks to the interest of the small minority rather than the greater majority. He cannot be trusted to be able to run the nation, or to do justice to its poor.

12th reason why Noynoy is clueless: he does not realize that in resorting to half-truths and lies in his effort to malign his major political opponent, he is acting in a very unchristian way.

Reality check:

The Philippines is a Christian nation. Noynoy professes to be a Christian Catholic. As Christians we are all children of God, and should look at everyone as a child of God. It is wrong to say that anything goes when it comes to politics. That is what makes politics dirty, which it should not be.

Noynoy’s other political opponents has kept the high ground in this campaign. They stick to issues, not malicious attacks. They just patiently and calmly explain their platform of government. It can be done! Even in debates, there should always be respect.

We need a true Christian as President of the Philippines, one who has integrity and is a peacemaker. Noynoy unfortunately does not fit the bill.

Tips for Shopping in Hidalgo

I got this from PiPho Thread courtesy of Mr John Chua.

Sure, Photography is a nice hobby... also expensive at that... thats why most of us go to R Hidalgo to buy our equipment with our hard earned money.

There are a few tips I would like to share with you to make it pleasant way of parting your money

1. Most of the owners in R Hidalgo are friendly and customer oriented. But as you know Quiapo is such a notorius place where pick pocketers, snatchers and questionable characters roam freely in the area. The owners have been dealing with these elements for a long time and have learned a few hard lessons to deal with this situations. During the time I was drumming up their support for the R Hidalgo project, they have shared with me, their problems of Extortions, syndicates victimizing them, and Salisi gangs. They too have to deal with these problems.

2. For the newbies, hobbyists do your research on the equipment that you want before you go to R Hidalgo and canvass the best price.

3. If you are not sure of what you want or wants to do window shopping, choose a day or time when there are less people in the shop, so the owners or sales people can entertain you better. Friday is a bad day to go R Hidalgo - its Quiapo Church Day... many people attending the mass and passing thru Hidalgo.

4. As usual in any Asian country... Never be the first customer to go in When they open up their shop in the morning. Unless you have intention to buy something. It is a belief held by many business man, Buenas... Buena Mano... The first customer of the day will be the sign if the shop will have a good sale on that day... The owner will do anything (giving the best discount or best item... just to have the first sale of the day... Now, if you keep on asking for prices on this and that and finally leave the place... They don't feel good about it... Busit...) so if you are just window shopping... do it mid morning or late afternoon...

5. When you are just new in this hobby, be friendly to the owner... sure you may canvass the price of the item that you are interested to buy. They understand that. But the important factor here is deciding where to buy the item. Are you more comfortable in doing business with Wilson (Avenue) maybe because he takes time to explain how the item works or Going to Mayer's Ramon because he gives the best price... there are many reasons why you buy the item with this shop. BUT remember dont haggle too much... everyone get the item from their supplier at different prices too. You must leave a margin of profit for them, because kung babaratin mo ng husto. they might give in to you But they dont gain much profit from dealing with you. Remember the competition in Hidalgo is strong, thats leaves little profit na... volume na lang kikita sila.

6. By having a good relationship with the shop owner, they will help you keep that relationship throughout the years. They will tell you if certain products are defective, they will inform you when they expect the prices to drop, they will help you look for the things you need but they dont have them.

7. Sometimes, they might not be able to give you big discount on certain items. the reason behind it would probably their acquisition price is higher. Nevertheless if the price difference is small... still get it from them. it will even out in the long run...

Remember, once you bought something from his shop, he will remember you or else you are just one of hundreds of people entering his shop everyday...

WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU HAVE ESTABLISHED A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SHOP OWNER.

1. Trust - he will help and advise you when you are in doubt about certain items.

2. He will protect you and your investment... if you have any problem with any of the items you bought from him.. he will find a way to help you by... replacing it, getting the right party to fix it. at NO Cost..

3. You will been given a credit line... installment plan with zero interest... maybe trial for new equipment... if there are promo items... he will inform you right away

4. He will help you grow as a successful photographer in turn more business for him.

On Working Night Shifts

Current Mood: Awake but feeling Sleepy. XD

I'm currently at the office all alone as I jot down this entry. Though my eyes feel drowsy, I just cant close it and go to dreamland since my shift is from 10pm-7am. I have to be alert since there might be someone calling us from overseas asking for help with their system.

The last time I worked with this shift was probably 2-3 years ago when I was with the Call Center Industry back then. Work load there was definitely not light even during weekends. And I even remember reporting to work back then with only 2 hours of sleep. That made me very sleepy during my shift. When I was with the QA team, though we can sleep once we were finished with our tasks, its still not enough. I mean, having at least 6-7 hours of sleep at night is much better than having it during the day.

Right now, I'm hoping this would be my last night shift for the moment since I still need to adjust my body after being being away from work for the last 8 months.

The Week that was (April 25 - May 1)

It was a tiring week...

Sunday: Got up early again but I wasn't able to edit photos that day because I went online (bad). Though I still feel sleepy, I went to SM Megamall again to attend the 19th Transport Show again but this time, it would be the models' turn to face my camera XD.

Monday: I really feel sluggish the minute I woke up together with a terrible headache. Work was a bit slow until almost 12pm where the action comes in (more work). Then, the day went slow again as I wait for 6:00pm to go home and recharge my body. Went online for a while before going home. I wasn't able to go to bed early since I watched WWE's Extreme Rules.

Tuesday: Got up early again but this time I felt really drained from yesterday. Work was quite OK since I was able to take-in two calls. I was sleepy the whole day and I'm looking forward to go to bed early. But I slept at around 11:30am (not bad)

Wednesday: Got up early again (same routine). I'm lazy to type. XD

Thursday: Celebrated my 1st month at Greif together with my first pay (after 8 months XD). Work was quite OK though I find the day slow. I made a price-matrix for some camera parts that I'm planning to buy in the future and compare it with other branches. Went home despite the rain. Had my Burger-craving at Wendy's before going online for another hour.

Friday: Got up early since I have to meet my mom at Harrison Plaza to give some soiled clothes. Ate breakfast at Jollibee before work. That was the second time I didn't went out for lunch. The day was a bit slow again except for a moment that I have to fix another issue since my team mate is working on hers. Its not yet TGIF since I have to work for two more days but its alright. Had another Burger craving but this time I ate at Mc Donald's before going home. 

Saturday: I got up a bit late (7am) to edit some photos. I was able to practice on how to sharpen my pictures as well as how to reduce noise. Then I went to Hidalgo to buy my second lens (Separate Blog to be posted soon). Traffic was horrible since There was a rally at Mendiola (Labor Day). My transaction was pretty quick and I went back home after. I tried to sleep even for a few hours but I wasn't able to go to sleep since its very hot. I just left home early to go to SM MOA to attend the Cardiology Carshow but I was disappointed with what I saw. I just purchased 4 magazines to keep me company during my shift.

I've been sleeping for less than 7 hours for the past 15 days or so. I need some sleep once I get home. XD