The RH bill, 12/12/12, the Rocket, and the Askals

RH Bill finally passes 2nd Voting! 

Wow!

Just when you think it will never come…

So many delays and suddenly just before Christmas... It’s finally here!

I got home and (strangely) felt so sleepy that I passed out while downloading apps for my new android phone with the Congress “debates” in the background (if you can call it that). I woke up a couple of times in a daze and heard random religious babbling and other twisted family stories on why so and so congress person wanted to vote against the RH bill, most of their reasons though can categorically be described as ridiculous, silly, and utterly hilarious.

I mean, it is unbelievable that we’ve voted in such clowns in congress. Or, actually, it’s very believable but it’s quite sad nonetheless.  These oddball statements and arguments that come out of their mouths, come on!?! Case in point: Manny Paquiao even using his knockout loss as a reason to value life more and therefore be more against the RH bill - Did you connect that?!

I woke up at around 2am and to my surprise the congress session still wasn’t over. Suddenly it was time to tally the votes and for a while there I heard so many no votes (in between my dreams) that I actually thought that the RH bill wouldn't pass. Well, I wouldn’t be that surprised as the bill has been deliberately delayed and have been rejected before.

But, alas… it was the "yes" side that won! Historic.

I am a Catholic and I believe in my faith but I definitely do not like the Church’s incessant grappling for power and control these days (or since time and memorial, actually). We are no longer in the dark ages or the Spanish colonial times. Let’s please move with the times and actually pretend to care about the people, women’s rights, women’s health, the sad plight of teenage mothers, Filipino's quality of family life, the growing rate STD statistics, growing rate of abortion stats, etc.

Twitter is abuzz about defeating the prayles and about how Rizal and his gang are probably dancing on their graves right now. I was quite good with Noli and Fili when I was in high school. So, yes, in the spirit of Rizal, I want to say: Take that, you prayles!

12-12-12

What is up with people buzzing about this date and the so called end of the world or time.
The Mayans said Dec. 21, 2012.

And, as expected, I saw some people over facebook who got married on this fated day. What is up with this? There’s no more 13/13/13 to look forward to though. Wonder what the next brilliant number dates scheme people can think of next for their wedding dates.

Oh, hey, I actually have a wedding to go to this 1/13/13. Hmm, close enough.

North Korean Rocket Launch

WTF?! A rocket lands near us?!

I opened the news on TV and saw a press briefing on Pablo survivors where they were talking about looking for fishermen who were lost at sea. Then I saw a lead in about this rocket that landed in the Pacific ocean that landed near us.

For a while there, I got confused and thought that the rocket landed somewhere near the lost fishermen.

North Koreans, I don't care if you want to isolate yourselves, starve your people, play weird things on your state TV, do in sync dancing steps during your government celebrations... But please, launch your rockets towards some other projectile direction. Why aim at us? What did we ever do to you?!

The Askals

To be honest, I find soccer a slow game. I mean, I know they run around fast and energetically but kicking the ball towards the goal multiply times only to have the ball blocked most of the time just frustrates me.

With basketball or tennis or the other usual sports, most of your moves are scored. Your efforts are counted with points and you accumulate them.This makes the game more competitive and more dynamic, at least for me, that is.

This being said, I do have some country spirit in me. I will definitely root for our soccer team in any game. Just as I will root for Manny Pacquiao in his matches even if I am skeptical about his new found religious Bible touting ways, his politics or the friends he keeps (Chavit, et al). The way I see it, I can respect his sports ability as an athlete. I just block out the other aspects of him from the equation from I root for him in his matches.

And so, Philippine soccer has definitely made the leap. Wasn't it just a few years ago that nobody here really cared about the sport? Our team never won anything. (Or did we?! Did we have a team then?!)

And, look at us now...

The Askals as semi-finalist in this Suzuki cup, well, why not?!

We’ll take it. And, we will be quite happy about it.

The RUNDOWN or Not + the Holidays

I still do have some more things to say about the recent happens of life, only I have been off for like so long, so many things have happened and I don’t think I even have the energy to be angst, analytic and rational about all of it.

But in the spirit of catching up, I will lamely do this:

The whole Sotto – Kennedy debacle: Oh please Sotto, if you followed my first advice and just shut up, now where would you be? Forgotten, which is like so much better than being you right now.

Quite impressed by Michael Syjuco being able to urge Kennedy’s daughter to write about Sotto and still unbelievably shocked that Sotto had the audacity to blotch his apology / non-apology to Kennedy’s daughter.

AND as for Enrile: Mocking plagiarism, siding with Sotto (come on!?!) and then turning his statement around. Writing an autobiography with some creative embellishments - senile, crafty, or just unbelievably thick skinned? Stating that he is against the RH bill because the OFWs are our biggest export like the country should just be a manufacturing mill for humans, come on?!? Shame!

Then again, it’s as if any of them are actually capable of an ounce of shame.

To Sotto and Enrile, I say to you guys: A Big Fat WHATEVER!

On early campaign ads: Roll My Eyes. But hey, I'm sure there will be people who will be convinced by these ads. The are not called the masses for nothing. They matter in campaign times and pander them every politician will.

AND, oh please... on the lame endorsements of lame unknown brands just so these policians can put their faces on billboards and the back of taxis. I should maybe tap a politician or two for some products I sell, maybe I'll hit it big via their willing endorsements. Maybe, I can get some of them for free. Hmm?

Party Lists: It's just a given, the system has been abused. Willie Revillame attempts to headline for a partylist, enough said.

Get a catchy acronym y'all, that's all it takes to get voted in, unfortunately.

Israel and Palestine – at war again, and then they were not, and then Palestine gets UN statehood. AND, the Philippines voted for this decision. Interesting.

Egypt – I truly pity the revolutionary people of Egypt. It’s been a year. I distinctly remember that day when they thought they've won and have truly overthrown Mubarak from power. Mubarak might not be the president of Egypt right now but the country’s current state is far from the idealistic democracy they people had aimed to achieve. The country under Morsi right now is shady at best and all this maneuvering for more control, smells and feels as shady as our very own cybercrime bill. Poor people of Egypt, its either Morsi’s people or the old regime’s loyalists, and it seems neither option is actually an acceptable one.

The other day the Supreme Court judges put their judgment on the whole constitution issue on hold. Now Morsi’s advisers have just resigned (just saw this on tv).

So let’s see: The Arab Spring experiment in theory is a victory for idealistic freedom. In actuality, it has left the people in tatters and in chaos as various factions with competing interests dive in to struggle for control in the midst of the power vacuum.  The US is once again in this “fiscal cliff”. The EU is still in financial chaos as more and more countries struggle, as people rally against austerity measures, as Germany hangs on, and the Greeks demand for debt write offs. The Euro is declared a failed experiment. The USD exchange rate against the Peso plunges further.

Wonder what’s going to happen next?

Meanwhile: The PH’s GDP goes up higher than predicted (7.1%) and the stock market is still predicted to trend upwards (6000s by end of the year). Hmm?

The Maguindanao massacre victims are still not given due justice. The FOI bill and the RH bill still haven’t been passed. The cybercrime bill is currently under TRO.

And, another end of the year massive typhoon hits Mindanao killing hundreds. So, the world’s climate is indeed going further into chaos as well.

So Christmas: Am I feeling it? I must admit, I am not.

This being said, I am basking in the inevitable lack of productiveness of the season and the inevitable overload of social gatherings. And, hey, I will roll with it.

So, 2012: I've read a couple of books on it. I am hoping that all the cleansing happens already and we start 2013 all on our way up, please!