Dont’ Stop Believing

There’s A Next Year To Make Things Right

A question just occured to me. It is a question that you should also ask yourself.

Is this the lazy, corrupt, inefficient, useless, bumbling, and clueless government you want to run our country next year?

We have forgiven this government for stealing the vote - for stealing our democracy. We have forgiven the government for stealing our money which is up to now just little invisible deductions on our monthly salary. We have forgiven it for lying to us, insulting our intelligence, and “making a mockery of our dreams and ambitions” because that’s just how we are, we grin and bear the shitstorm and move on. How about now though? 

Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their belongings, homes, and loved ones to the terrifying disaster which is Ondoy. It brought out the best in everyone - poor, middle class and privileged alike - to help out each other the best way they can. There is currently a massive mobilization spearheaded by corporations, traditional media outfits, and bloggers/netizens to gather food, water, clothing, and financial donations. Where is the government in the picture though? Have they done something nearly as relevant as what private citizens have done to cope with the recent calamity? The answer is no.

So wake up, everyone. At least 800 million of your money which should have gone to emergencies such as this has been spent on pointless, luxurious foreign trips.The government was not prepared to handle Ondoy because they just started stealing our coffers and prayed that nothing like this would happen while they’re still in power.

Next year we have a chance to change this by voting for the right people, with solid principles and honest intentions. People who care about us, who will help and guide us through disasters like this. Please dont forget September 26, 2009 when you go to the polls to vote for your town’s next baranggay captain, councilors, mayor, governor, senators, and president. 

Make it right. 

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For short-term help though, please donate to Philippine Aid. We’re now at almost $1800! Woohoo!

Donate to Philippine Aid!

Everyone is still reeling from that disaster which is Ondoy. There’s only one word I have for it: grabe. It’s like a really good movie with all the cool special effects and dead bodies but in real life HD, which makes it not good. Not good at all.

Anyway, if you’ve got spare PayPal creds lying around, please donate whatever you can to Philippine Aid. It’s a project put up by fellow bloggers gathering funds to give to the Philippine Red Cross and so far they’ve collected $600! You don’t have to go out of your comfort zone, if that’s your thing. It just takes a few clicks. Go!

Eating Healthy Is A Bitch

Buttered garlic shrimp, asparagus in lemon vinaigrette and romaine lettuce in balsamic vinaigrette. I made this for dinner last night. I like it (I made it duh) but I’ll be honest here and say that this isn’t really my thing. I’m no health buff. I hate exercising and I’m not an asparagus person.

I do like The Coffeebean and Tea Leaf’s salads though. I’ll try to copy that next time.

On Independence

I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve blogged here about wanting independence from my parents. Well, now I live in Makati, I earn my own money - I can do all the shit I want. I don’t, though. The first week of my independence (a.k.a my first salary week) involved a lot of staying indoors, staring at my Mac, sleeping, and sleeping some more. The next few months were pretty much the same. It was rather boring actually. I mean I don’t drink, do drugs, or have hot wild sex with random men. I’m your average square.

Then I realized how hard it is living alone. I got bills to pay, budgets to not exceed, and feeling all weird like a fish out of the water. You know there was this one time, I was doing groceries at Robinson’s Galleria. I cried. I didn’t cry because I couldn’t afford the stuff I wanted - I can - it’s just that I never realized how much groceries cost before. They’re not supposed to cost that much! When I did groceries with my mom, all I had to do was pick the stuff I like from the aisle like apples from a tree and they were mine. But now, sigh, now I know why my mom’s weekly grocery budget was so huge. Mine is, hehe.

This aside, being independent is great. I have a newfound sense of confidence. It’s indescribable. You got to try it.

They say I look smarter in person. Older, too.

Are you the same person offline as you are online? I am. However, it appears that there is a discrepancy between how I appear online and offline. A chance comment from a fellow blogger in an event last night made me pause - she said I looked smarter in person. I can’t blame her, I mean, I’ve been beauty blogging for some time now and sounding like a ditz can’t be avoided. I talk about the importance of eyebrows and the merits of having an evenly powdered face, for crying out loud. Of course I sound like a ditz.

I am, in many ways, a ditz. But I’m a well-educated ditz with something between her ears. I’m glad it shows offline. I’m sad it doesn’t show online.

On other news, what is it with people thinking I’m 26? I’m 21. I even have yet to take a payday loan online . I have yet to be all miserable and negative about the human condition. 

Sniff.

The Lettuce Wars

The other day I had a weird dream. I mean it’s not really weird weird, if you know what I mean. I mean it’s not weird for me, since I get dreams like this all the time.

So. Once upon a time there was a perfect lettuce head. It was a healthy green color and glistened with shiny moisture that reflected beautiful light. Everyone liked the lettuce, because no one has seen a perfect lettuce head before. One day, however, someone stole a leaf from the revered lettuce. It made everyone badshit mad. As these things go, the batshit mad people went to war. They wanted their perfect lettuce back, but how? Nobody knew, so they killed each other.

I think I was a soldier in the war. I was in a wet market looking for a solution to the problem. I was just wandering around, not knowing where to go, when I came by a hidden nook in the enormous market. In the middle of it sat a perfect lettuce head, in a healthy green color, reflecting beautiful light. But wait, what else do I see?

A Cylon was standing near the lettuce, about to touch it. The Caprica Six cylon, to be exact. I knew she was going to steal a lettuce leaf again, so I lunged to stop her.

I woke up.

Outrageously Black

I really don’t like what I’m wearing today. I’ve got a black PVC faux leather jacket on, a black dress underneath it, black tights underneath the dress, and black ankle-length boots on my feet. 

I feel ridiculous and young. Young, in a bad way.

But I was hurrying to work. My clothing choices were severely limited due to the fact that most of my clothes are with the laundry service. Black is my default color when I can’t pick anything to wear - I just throw all the available black pieces and hope to god that it works out.

Well obviously, it didn’t work out today.

I was walking along the street, waiting for a cab. A lot of people were gawking at me. Two grandmas stared then laughed at me, saying something, probably mean things.

So yeah it was quite a bad morning. I really should plan these things ahead.

I mean, I’m not in college anymore. 

Mental Note, Things to Watch

I have to remember to re-watch the following this weekend, when I have time:

1. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. An entertaining 40-minute musical by Joss Whedon about a mad scientist who longs to be evil. However the love of his life, Penny, falls in love with his arch-enemy, Captain Hammer. I love all the songs here, and of course, Neil Patrick Harris!

2. Sita Sings The Blues. Nina Paley’s animation is made of pure win! It’s a faithful retelling of the grand epic, Ramayana, contrasted with a modern, pale love story set in New York and India. There are at least four different animation styles and I love how they all work together. The story centers on responsibility, loyalty, betrayal, chauvinism, and masochism. Annette Hanshaw sings the 1920’s blues - awesome songs. It is a story about the greatest break-up ever told. No kidding.

3. Dan In Real Life. Dan is an advice columnist who doesn’t follow his own advice when the perfect woman comes along. The film is charming, endearing, and most importantly, it has a happy ending! I’m all about happy endings. The soundtrack is by Sondre Lerche, one of my favoritest ever artists.