Scent of a Woman

     If there's a movie that I can watch many times over is Scent of a Woman. In fact, there are two movies that I can keep watching, this and Dead Poet Society. These critically-acclaimed films I can watch over and over again. 

Exploiting the Poor

     Politicians in the Philippines are exploiting the poor. They use them, they feign fighting for them come election time but once in power, they forget everything. The poor people are unknowingly victims of the structure. During election time, the politicians buy their votes, they give them money and both are unaware they are exploiting the situation I think. Or the poor are unaware, the politicians are aware but they continue to do so because they need to stay in power maintaining the status quo. Both think it's the natural order, it's how things are supposed to be. 

I Find This Very Funny

     I find this very funny and I can't help but post it in my blog. The masses should be wary of politicians like them if they want to think of their future. The future of the country, of the poor Filipinos, lies on who they will pick come election time.

Aren't the description very fit?

Ambition Drives Him

     He, Isko Moreno, became Mayor of Manila defeating Joseph Estrada in 2019. Now he is gunning for President in next year's election. He thinks serving in the local government for three years is enough for him to be the country's top executive. He thinks he is experienced enough to be the top leader, just like Pacquiao. What an ambitious freak!

He feels he can lead the country forward

The Damage Has Been Done

     His pronouncement long before was etched in everyone's memory and he can't erase that no matter how sorry he is now. I hope the LGBTQ+ community doesn't forget that.

He has become a political toy

     Many opposition are courting him with the hope he can unseat Duterte or anyone of his annointed successor. Everything he said in the past haunts him and may cost him dearly in his political quest.

Oh My God!

       Disgusting! This is enough to make one of sound mind to vomit. The kind of skill he tries to peddle is experienced by million poor Filipinos, only that they didn't become a successful boxer. What he does not realize is his experience is felt by many of us, poor Filipinos. If we get to believe in what he says, then we are selling our future to a guy who only thinks of fame and wealth for himself, nothing more. Yes, true it's you deserve to be where you are now, you worked and achieved them but please, spare the lives of us poor Filipinos.

Sunflower

     I am excited perhaps, the seeds I have planted are flowering now, sunflowers. The seeds were given to me by my close friend from the Department of Agriculture, together with some other vegetables seeds. 

Sunflowers are flowering

     Around May, graduation of UP Diliman, would grow them for graduates to take photo after the ceremonies. I used to go there to enjoy them passing by after church. It was sheer joy to see them grow in our own backyard after few months of waiting, 2 - 3 months if my memory serves right.

Not Surprised but Am I?

     Manny Pacquiao is running for President, it's not surprising but infuriating, a great insult to humanity.

He accepts the nomination....

     He is a good boxer, world-class but being President is not what he is meant for. He doesn't deserve to be the next President. People may vote for his popularity but I hope they realize he is not the Presidential material needed by the country. He has been senator for years and what has he done to merit him running for a higher office? His political party is using his popularity without due consideration if he can do the job. If he wins, something is very wrong with the country's political system.

The GOAT not yet

     I thought the finals would be a walk in the park. I am not a Medvedev fan as I didn't really think he has the fortitude to rule the tennis world. I thought the GOAT was cooking in the pot. I am wrong. Now I feel Djokovic was drained in the five-setter semifinals.

Djokovic fighting to stay in the fight

     In the semifinals, he survived a 5-setter anti-climactic match against Alexander Zverev. For a brief moment, I thought he was going to lose. But the vintage Djokovic, proved he deserves to be the GOAT.

They had one game which lasted 53 shots

     The quarterfinal initially I thought would be tight but in the end, it was Djokovic. He captured the last three games as Berretini's challenge seemed to have fizzled out.

Quarterfinal  versus Berretini

Too Much Politics

     In the Philippines, there is too much politics disenfranchising the interest of the masses, the poor masses, just too much compared to Malaysia and Singapore, I feel. In the same way, there is so much Tiktoking and showbusiness, and this is unproductive really for the country, and nobody cares. The establishment wants to keep the status quo, the rich including the politicians remain rich and powerful while the poor continue to be poor and at the mercy of them, the wealthy oligarch.

     As early as now, politicians are scrambling for media mileage, and they do just anything to be on the headline. In Malaysia and Singapore, both better developed than the Philippines, they only have few days to campaign, I think the longest I remember is eleven days before election. Very unlike here in the Philippines where as early as now, some eight months before election, there is so much politicking of the powers that be as can be seen on TV. Totally bad for the economy, very unproductive and the masses are not aware about it, they are part of the system uninformed and unaware.

     I feel like come May 2022, I may submit a blank ballot, maybe for lack of choices that will truly make the difference. Whatever I will do in 2022, I definitely won't vote these following trapos(traditional politicians).

PPE Brouhaha

     Elections will only take place next year but the political brouhaha has started with potential candidates trying to get into the headlines. Some pay TV commercials just about anything to get into the people's minds and watching them can cause me to vomit. I expect it will be more "festive" as we go nearer to May 2022.

     In order to get into the headlines, the opposition senators investigate the Department of Health(DOH) purchase of PPE claiming they were overpriced. What they forget to mention is that the DOH purchased them in 2020 when the pandemic was not full blown therefore there was no demand for PPEs then thus their prices could be higher than today. Simple law of supply and demand, any marketing guy knows this.

     Today, at the height of the pandemic, there is abundant supply thus their prices can be so low. You can easily get them by the roadside driving their prices to go down. This is what the opposition senators fail to explain to the masses, all they harp on is the high purchase price then.

     They also never mentioned that during non-pandemic times, such as during Pinoy's term, they were even more expensive primarily supply was limited and demand was not there. That is what the opposition is not explaining to the masses.

     This explains further why the need to look beyond the headlines, and don't get swayed by mainstream media.

Free Radical Reaction

     I lost access to my blog when I changed phone, I don't know how and my present condition doesn't allow me to dig deep further. When I changed phone, I managed to access an old blog of mine which have been dormant for years. I decided to utilize it to exercise my brain cells so here I am. Anyway, it's my means to thinking and exercising my mental faculties which used to be active when I was still working prior to my stroke. I pray I can maintain this blog for now.

My old blog which have been dormant for years

Certified Plantito

     I am now a certified plantito here in my rural village. Trapped here for more than two years, the onset of Covid has stopped us from returning to Manila. Instead stay put here in the village far from the center of the pandemic perhaps until it has died down or herd immunity has been achieved. By the way, I have been vaccinated with the one-dose Jansen vaccine by Johnson & Johnson.

     As such, I am planting vegetables just beside the house to keep me busy, as I have nothing else to do but read, write or walk. My friend from the Department of Agriculture gave me seeds to plant.

Bitter gourd growing up the vines

String beans climbing up my makeshift trellis

Young okra, easiest to grow

     I also have cucumbers, pechay as well as sunflower. A cousin gave me young blue ternate.

Rural Life

     Yesterday when I woke up early morning, I measured the temperature and found out to be the lowest I have experienced since being here in November 2019.

     It was actually very nice and I can switch off the fan. The worst comes at noontime when it becomes very hot with high humidity. It is uncomfortable when the sun is out. When it's cloudy, it is actually nice.