preMEDitated » event

I Support the Iranian Opposition!

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:52:09 +0000

Considering the tensions in Tehran, it is surprising to note that foreign media are unusually silent on the issue. They may report about it halfheartedly, but it seems like they are playing under the government’s strings. They seem to be downplaying the protests as minor.
Fortunately for the Iranian people, the world has Twitter. Gone are the days when people waited for media to deliver news. Now they can have it in real time. Here are some Twitter links from Iran and her supporters. Btw, the government is blocking some of these channels. Just keep updated. You’d soon get a link to another channel if you’re following.
#iran9
#iranelection
#Tehran

Here are some videos of the protests. I must admit that they practically changed my apathetic status to one of support. Now I know Iranians want freedom!

So I have this message for the Iranian people!

RISE UP, PERSIANS! TAKE BACK WHAT WAS STOLEN FROM YOU. RETURN FREEDOM TO YOUR LAND!

Pacquiao Wins! Hatton Loses, duhh.

admin — Sun, 03 May 2009 05:08:16 +0000

In what must be a bittersweet day for Pay Per View customers, Pacquiao knocks out Hatton during the second round of the anticipated Battle of East and West.
The quick fight caused many a subscriber to gulp as they remember the money they invested for an anticipated exciting fight. Their wails, however, were drowned out as the cheers of onlookers rumbled across the entire country, or at least in places where Pay Per View is available. Not surprisingly, these same onlookers grabbed their cell phones and excitedly spoiled the fun for everyone else who were unfortunate enough not to afford/be invited/unashamedly gate crash Pay Per View venues.
Nevertheless, the distress of Non Pay Per View viewers did not end with being spoiled of the fun of an unknown outcome. They had to endure minutes of advertisements just to watch the fight. They may have complained a little, but the thrill of seeing Manny the Champion is worth more than a few hours of redundant ads.
For in every Filipino mind whether rich, poor, or in between; the victory of Pacquiao is also the victory of the Filipino.

Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo Wedding

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:56:02 +0000

Congratulations to the newlyweds Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo.
After years of being in a relationship with each other, the two have finally tied the knot on April 28, 2009.
For such a high profile couple, the wedding was surprising in that the details were kept secret. Most of the 80 to 100 guests were even informed only about 2 days before the event. With the couple’s invitation kit containing half a pair of slippers, a map, and a note with instructions; they went early in the morning to witness the event at the San Juan Nepomuceno Church in San Juan, Batangas.

Photos of the event can be seen at the ABS-CBN site.

Btw, I have never been a fan of Judy Ann or “Juday”, as she is known by her fans, nor of Ryan Agoncillo. I didn’t care either way about their relationship, and I had condescending thoughts of their fans. Yet I must admit that I felt very happy while watching news coverage of their wedding.
I didn’t go howling, giggling, and screaming like a fangirl. I just had a few butterflies in my stomach. They looked authentically in love with each other that it would be impossible not to be affected by the event.
Nevertheless, the wedding did not convert me into one of their loyal groupies. My opinions about their capabilities remain the same. I do, however, offer them my deepest congratulations, and wish them a Happy Ever After!
CONGRATULATIONS MR. AND MRS. RYAN AGONCILLO!

No, I Don’t Want that Filariasis in Me!

admin — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:19:56 +0000

Filariasis, specifically lymphatic filariasis, causes the dreaded illness called elephantiasis. Due to the SAFE FOR WORK nature of this blog, no images of elephantiasis would be shown on this site. For the curious and the masochistic among my readers, I suggest you google for pics.
Suffice it to say that I’ve just been given the standard treatment for the prevention of elephantiasis: 5 tablets of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) and 1 tablet of Albendazole. I have yet to actually drink the stuff, but they’re now in my possession.
Call me a little paranoid, but I had been bitten by mosquitoes in a filariasis-endemic-community about 3 days ago. For those not in the know, filariasis is transmitted from the bite of a mosquito carrying filarial worms, taken from biting an infected patient. The government recommends endemic areas to hold mass medication drives to stop the chain of infection.

I don’t care if:

1. I was bitten at full noon when filariasis-carrier-mosquitoes (Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and Brugia timori) usually bite at night.
2. the last positive case confirmed by nocturnal blood testing happened years ago.
3. that that case was in a community several kilometers away from were I was bitten.
4. that side effects of the antiparasitic drug DEC include drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and a host of other rare symptoms.
5. that even some midwives who handle health centers in filariasis-endemic-areas don’t even take the regimen!

I just want to be sure I’m free even from risk. Heck! I don’t even care if elephantiasis does not show up in its irreversible, maiming, and disfiguring glory until 5 to 10 years after exposure.
I’m taking the drugs now. Yes, I’m already unsealing them from their precious containers. Pretty soon, I’ll be gulping them and they’ll do their work against the tiny worms, real or imagined, in my body.

Btw, if you live in a filariasis endemic area, I suggest you take the drugs. They are given free if you only but ask in your respective health center…

JC Candare: Cat Murderer in UP!

admin — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:51:52 +0000

Some psycho killed a cat in UP.
Let me correct that statement, psychopaths supposedly don’t know the difference between right or wrong. His blog post of the event (now made private but is thankfully saved in its original form here) shows that he does know the difference between right and wrong.
The murderer is identified as Joseph Carlo Candare, also known as JC. He is studying for a degree in BS Applied Physics at UP Diliman. Some people actually vouch for his “niceness”, but the truth is that he has a very dark side to his nature. In his own words, he describes the process of his crime:

I pulled it on its tail and threw it. Then like some pro wrestler I jumped on it and my feet landed on it’s torso. Slam! Felt good! But the cat didn’t die, well not yet. It ran for it’s life and just as I was about to catch up on it somebody yelled: “Pwede bang pabayaan mo yung pusa?!”
Won’t you leave the cat alone!

The bravado of his post just sickens me. I won’t be posting anymore flak about his crime. Googling his name would show that the Internet is currently abuzz about him. He is now facing murder, bomb, kidnap, and gay rape threats among others. As for me, I just hope disciplinary action would deal justice on him. Here’s his half-cooked apology that still sounds, hmmm, arogant?:

So there you go I’m sorry. And I wont be striking another one for maybe about a month. It feels good when your beating it(a cat) up but you suddenly feel something strange when it turns off permanently. That’s how I feel right now. And maybe for the next days. Dang, am I a cat serial killer?

Apparently, this boy has some deep psychiatric issues. He seems to be budding a serial killer tendency. He has an urge, a sick urge, that could only be satisfied by cat murder. Heck! This guy is dangerous. Better lock him up fast, and rehabilitate him.

PS I’m sure the cat is now at peace, but as to his safety and reputation — he’ll have Hell to face with in the following days.

A Little Hiatus

admin — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:43:14 +0000

I would be going to Cebu tomorrow.
I may be back to my PC in about April 17. So I’d be on hiatus mode for a while (Yep, even in Tribal Wars*). I would, however, occasionally post should I have time to lay my hands on a computer with Internet connection.
So I bid a adieu for a while…

*A tribe member is currently sitting on my account.

Jollibee Saleslady Blunder

admin — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:29:04 +0000

I’m not saying that all Jollibee salesladies are slow in the mind. In fact, I admire how many of them balance studies with work. It’s just that I’ve come to encounter one slow saleslady earlier today.
At first I didn’t notice anything wrong with her. I ordered my recent favorite (Beefsteak 39er) and a new dessert item (Mango Caramel Ice Craze). She said the ice craze was unavailable. I was about to order another dessert when the manager came.
Now the manager looked familiar. I knew that I knew here before. I just couldn’t recall who she was. She knew me, and she calls me by my first name. I, however, couldn’t recall her name. The name posted on her name tag did not ring a bell. We even speak like old friends every time we see each other when I order. I pretend to know her, and wait hopefully that I might remember who she was. Unfortunately, the memory always eluded me.
So we were talking again, and the conversation shifted to higher education. She mentioned a name that sounded familiar. I recalled that the guy she mentioned was taking up Law, and was about to finish this semester. That gave me a clue. We must have went to the same high school.
Yet my jabs at recollection were interrupted by the annoying voice of the saleslady. She kept asking if I would order something else. I ignored her, and continued to speak to the manager. After the fourth same question if I would order something else, I was getting annoyed at her. I looked at her with the side of my eyes and muttered, “No.” She was dense. Apparently, she needed some discipline regarding interrupting her manager’s conversations. Just then the manager went off to see an issue with some of the other staff.
I was left alone with the saleslady. I decided to take advantage of this by asking her what the full name of her manager was. Her answer gave me another proof of her slowness. She told me the manager’s nickname, or the name plastered on the manager’s name tag. Then seeing the manager return, I cut the conversation loose and pretend to order another item.
Unfortunately, the not-so-smart-saleslady blurted, “Ma’am, unsa daw imong full name?”
Ma’am, he’s asking for your full name?
I froze. I gave the saleslady the slightest hint of the evil eye and imagined stabbing her in the arm with their complementary plastic fork. The manager sounded offended as she told me her real first name.
Then the memories flooded in my mind. I pretended to have always known who the manager was. I even mentioned her full name. I then made some lame remark on why I asked her full name.
Then I quickly made my exit, muttering about the mental capacity of some salesladies. Some salesladies are just too slow to be entrusted or trusted…

Who Watches the Watchmen?

admin — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:57:58 +0000

Q: Who watches the watchmen?
A: ME!!

–but not until next week–

Bad Day for Jollibee

Engr. Dr. — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:50:12 +0000

A few days ago I went to the city branch of Jollibee in Iligan.
Since I just came from the community, I went to the lavatory to have my hands washed. Unfortunately, there was no water. I went queuing with dirty hands, and decided to order something that didn’t involve finger foods like french fries.
Miss, pa order kog Chicken and Spaghetti ug one rice, I told the saleslady.
Miss, I want the Chicken and Spaghetti plus one cup of rice.
Unsay drinks, sir? she answered.
What drink would you want with that?
Coke, I told her.
Sorry, wala na mi Coke karon. Pineapple ug Iced Tea lang among available.
Sorry, we don’t have Coke. We only have pineapple juice and iced tea.
After a few seconds of trying to decide, I said. Kanang Pineapple lang.
Give me the pineapple juice.
Mag-add ra ba ug P12 ani, she said hesitantly.
You have to add P12 for that.
Ngano man? I aked her while my blood was heating up.
Why?
Dapat i-upsize man pag mag add ug pineaplle juice
You have to upsize your drink if you want to order pineapple juice., she said.
Now that statement almost made my blood boil. I answered her in a sarcastically polite voice.
So if I don’t order pineapple juice, I won’t be having any drinks? What happens to the money I’d paid for a regular sized Coke?
What kind of policy is this? You make us pay for something we’re not having, or you let us pay extra for something we should have gotten from the value of our payment.
Sorry, sir. Ipunch mangyod namo ang pineapple
I’m sorry, sir. We are required to have the pineapple juice purchase credited.
I took a good look at her. She looked tensed. She was jittery, and was obviously wishing she was in another place. I could easily pounce on her and, pummel her with arguments against their bureaucratic policy. I was about to call the manager on her, but she reminded me of someone who used to work as a phone technical support agent: me.
I used to sometimes bear the brunt of customer dissatisfaction. I was one of the many ears and mouthpieces of the company who had to face irate customers, whether with legitimate or non-legitimate concerns. People from America called me for help with their computers.
Some of them complained about the company. In such cases, I had to resist the urge to tell them that I’m only the disembodied voice of help. Yet I was tasked and paid to represent the company. I was part of the company, and that meant I had to own all its policies and faults.
The girl in Jollibee was clearly waiting for another backlash; but I changed my mind. I let her off the hook. It was not her fault that Jollibee Iligan lost its water supply. It was not her fault that the same branch lost its supply of Coke. She was merely there to accept orders from her superiors and from her customers. I knew exactly what she was feeling. I didn’t want her to be forced to defend something that she herself was annoyed at.
So I paid the extra cash, went to my table, and ate; because I was already very hungry. In the middle of my delicious meal, I forgave Jollibee Iligan: main branch for not supplying running water, and for lousy service and policies — that’s how
good their food is for me.

Piece of Zit!

admin — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:08:26 +0000

While I was waiting for my phones to be loaded, a friend’s son sat beside me. He was only about 3 or 4 years old, but he was already knowledgeable with current local nighttime TV shows. He described scenes from Luna Mystica and Gagambino. He pointed to a poster and correctly said the name of the model: Dingdong Dantes. I asked him what show he was featured in. He said Marimar.
Tigtanaw ka ana na mga salida, I condescendingly asked.
You watch those shows?
O, he said enthusiastically.
Yes.
Unfortunately, kids his age could not pick up sarcasm yet. Whereas older people would justify themselves saying there were no other available shows, he got more excited about the story. Not wanting to hear anymore about Tagalog shows, I steered the conversation away.
Tigtanaw kag cartoons, I asked.
Do you watch cartoons?
Unsa na?, he answered.
What’s that?
I was about to say its equivalent Cebuano word, but he had another question.
Unsa na, he asked as he pointed his finger on my nose.
Silently thinking of ways to steer the conversation away from my giant zit on the side of my nose, I asked him to clarify his question.
He repeated the same question, but this time he pointed to the side of his nose. Then he asked, Nganong naa man kay inana?
Why do you have that?
Now I used to have dozens of pimples, but they’ve cleared up. A few recalcitrant ones pop out every now and then. This zit the kid was curious about was particularly large. I couldn’t control myself. I had it popped. It had slightly scabbed over but was otherwise still inflamed, during our conversation.
Knowing that a lecture about comedone types, inflammation reactions, and facial hygiene would be lost on him. I answered him with a simple word.
Germs.
Unsa na?
What’s that?
I told him the Cebuano equivalent.
Kagaw.
Unsa na, he asked again.
So I used the loosest translation I could think of.
Hugaw.
Dirt.
Then I studied his face carefully. He had smooth, fair skin, with very fine pores; the type that would retain its quality without the use of dermatologist-prescribed-medication. He would be growing up without any pimple problems. Hence, I could not scare him with promises that he’ll soon get a lot of pimples.
Fortunately, his mother returned and saved me from my predicament.
Kids just say the darndest things.