TEACHERS DAY

Edward Gonzales, Elizabeth Santos and Val Cabañero - college professors who helped me and the whole of my class polish our capabilities and blessed us with the knowledge of the (advertising and public relations) industry in the aim to fully equip us with the soul and substance of a real creative prodigy. (Whoa! What was that again?) Please disregard the graphic fact that April was with each one of them. I regret the idea that I never had the chance to take a pose with these professors. Oh well, there’s always a next time. To my most favored college professors, maraming salamat po! (Thank you very much!)

It is indeed the time to pay our gratitude to our dear mentor as we all commemorate this day made especially for them- “Happy Teachers day” to you if you are a teacher reading this right now. I have to say that the skills I have right now were polished by the institutions that we all know as schools or universities. We all know that it’s such a noble job to be employed as a teacher. In choosing this profession, one has to be inspired by the duty and responsibility because it is not a high profiled field. This makes it more humbling to experience their talent knowing how selfless they are. I feel blessed being educated by my teachers from pre-school to college and I need not drop a tear to express it.

To end this, I would like to thank my elementary mentor in journalism, Ms Helen Flores. Thanks to her, for guiding me through in articulating my thoughts and helping me grow the appreciation for current events and the society. I hope she’s doing well right now.

EXPATRIATES NOT OFW

In an article published yesterday by Philippine Daily Inquirer, our president worded out that we shall tag our fellows working abroad as Expatriates and not Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). This move largely banks on the fact that Filipinos working abroad are in fact skilled workers earning substantial amount of money defined by different currencies which gives them the capability to become the most potent back bone of the Philippine economy mostly because of their dollar remittances.

Dangling across this move is the issue of the BBC show “Harry and Paul” episode wherein a Filipina maid was subliminally characterized as a sex slave. This episode was condemned by many Filipinos and I am joining that list. British government said that the so-called “freedom of expression” in the show is no longer a hand towel touch matter of the government. According to them, Filipinos play large contributions to Britain society highlighting their roles in scientific and service sectors.

TV programs especially comedy skits largely gain viewership because of the entertainment values on it-Entertainment that can be done through witty scripts or simple uncanny human acts. Comedy shows can be a no-brainer boob tube thread at times, and we are all aware about this. Including Filipino race or any other race on a comedy skit to bring in significant stimuli for laughs is clearly and utterly unacceptable. We need not spell out the word respect for this, right?

My father has been working for a foreign land for quite a long time now. I am a proud son of a man who sacrificed his comfort zone just to make greater earnings for his family. I hope people from other lands will acknowledge this kind of scenarios. I also hope that Filipina women can redeem their character in the world because they are by all definitions, more than just a beautiful face.

BANDILA

The premiere 30 minute late night news cast of ABS-CBN re energized its landscape as they launched last October 6 with a new Opening Billboard (OBB).

So far, I have to say that this is by far the most well thought of news format ever seen in Philippine TV. There goes a non-over powering type of delivery and swift pace of news cast. For the new season of Bandila, Ces Drilon is back from a three month suspension incurred in by her most buzzed about captivity by the Abu Sayaf to once again re- energized the powerhouse trio together with Korina Sanchez and Henry Omaga Diaz.

Unlike other news cast which is either too brief or too long, Bandila is intelligently concise. The confident transitions and the full packed news done by field anchors make it impact more. Proving that Bandila stands out among the clutter of slogan-bragging news programs, Bandila is a two time World Emmy nominee.

I Am The Menace

Restructuring took 16 hours. Consultations and desperate HTML helps took 3 or even more headcounts for me to come up with this new blog look. Edit that out, I have to say that this is an entirely new blog. New, because I am to improve on it a lot and put on more worthy reads and information that are as important as the daily Libre tabloid’s unconventional Horoscope. Now, I know that I took some melodramatic exit goodbyes for “Greenfields of My Menace” so please forgive me for that bastard move.

My old blog served as my playground to see if blogging is really for me. I have tried mix and match of colors, change of templates every now and then, not to mention the gazillion times that I changed my blog host. Well, thank Good Lordy for Blogspot- user friendly just like a Nokia phone. Coming with the experiences in blogging are friends who have come to be my great confidantes and online pals. To all of you guys, thank you for the genuine friendship and the day to day temper in acknowledging my small questions about blogging.

October 22, 2008 will date the second year of my blogging life. And yes, I certainly call it life because this has been one of my significant learning. I have to say that blogging made me feel like a journalist who takes a great deal in every post I have to make. In this note, I would like to thank my two hands-counted readers and ahem, followers. May this new blog engage you more into how I see this earthly land? And yeah, I’m trying to be funny.

So, please let me hear those claps and cheers? Okay I won’t force you, but just like what the goddie boy Dale Bacar told me in his text last night, I should not let some jerks ruin my daily happiness that is in blogging. Thanks man for the kind words.

So, here we go. This is The Menace, simply reloading!

Stories on a Weekend

Because it was a Holiday last Wednesday, I thought of taking a leave on a Thursday in time to accompany my mom in the hospital for her annual general check-up. It’s been quite a while since I last went to a hospital and it was quite a nostalgic scene for new-born babies. Why so? The last two episodes of my hospital were when Santino (my nephew and God son) was born November of last year’s, and when Francesca (my God daughter) was born last August. So, I guess, for as long as I am never confined with all the strings and dextrose, hospitals will always remind me of new born humans!

So it turned out that my mom is super healthy. I’m so glad to know. Except from some pain meds prescribed, mother Lucia is at the pink of her health. I think her diet works. So the
check-up happened last Thursday right? Tuesday night was spent in a sleep over at April’s place. We were supposed to just have a dinner but then she convinced me to snooze out in her house. I was quite skeptical knowing that she and her sister are on this no-speaking state as of the moment because my best friend did something sooo girly again. It actually involved lying, yet again. I was involved in the orchestration of her not so true story/cover up, so her siter confirmed her story to me that night. I don’t want to substantiate the story, but it was really one of my nervous moments.

I was really planning to take a good sleep during my two-day vacation but activities went on my way so I reported at work yesterday sluggish and a little unwell. Some unpleasant emails also greeted me in the morning, so it was all in all a slow and blue day yesterday. Thank you very much to all the bastards in the world.

Lucky by Jason Mraz Ft. Colby Caillat

Here I go again sharing with you my favorite song of the moment. This is lucky by Jason Mraz and Colby Caillat. Yes, this contains another feel good melody and I am now a hand down Jason Mraz fan. The lyrics are definitive. It will strike you with lots of thought. This is another song that I will dedicate to my “That One person”. So many songs now for that one person but we still haven’t met. Ahahah. No more drama please.

An Open Letter to Mr. Taylor

Dear Mr. Taylor,

I know that it’s my entire fault. That Saturday, I was really not paying attention to my surroundings. I know that you were trying to signal a bad sight fast approaching, but I simply ignored you. Then there was this soft thingie that I stepped into. It looks yellowish with some gray fibers and smells damn horrific. I am sorry Mr. Taylor. It is part fault of that dog who dropped his poofy in the middle of the sidewalks. I immediately showered you with alcohol but I know you’ve been covered with enough shame already.

That doesn’t end there. Monday morning while walking towards the bus stop, I stepped (yet again) to this slimy thingie on the floor. When I looked down, I saw the most hideous thing I saw in my life so far. A dead cat which I assume died a few minutes before Mr. Taylor sank his all on it. I saw blood and bones and what have you. Ayayay.

Then there was this topic in Chico and Delamar show on RX Monster Radio 93.1- Top Ten Definitions of Pain. The entry is about this student who fell on the ground then with his bone coming out of his elbow. This thought keep on flashing in my mind and I can’t help but cringe. My imagination is so intense with hurtful accident; I can feel it happening to me. With this incident, I kept on jumping up and down just to forget the scene. I know this have hurt you like hell Mr. Taylor.

Mr. Taylor, forgive me. I’ll be careful next time.