Air-Conditioned Numb-Nut Thinking

In cab, on way to UP:

Along Commonwealth, while battling the temptation to cut what would surely be yet another boring class, I noted that all of the cabs speeding along the same road (no doubt screwing their innocent passengers with their tampered meters) had “air-con” plastered on their doors.

Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t we 8 years into the new century? Shouldn’t every cab, by now, have aircons? I vaguely remember that when I was a child (in age ha), the air conditioned cab was a hit or miss thing. So you had to make sure you flagged down a cab with an “air con” sign that guaranteed that you wouldn’t spend even a few minutes in a literal hell hole.

But now? Today? In the era of people flying to boracay for two grand? Of watching tv shows in marathons, without commercials?

Could it possibly be that somewhere along the roads, avenues, boulevards, streets, alleys, etc., of Metropolitan Manila, there exists even one cab which plies its route without air conditioning, also known as god’s gift to people who take public transport in the blistering and road-rage inducing heat? A cab which offers no promise of cool air within its confines?

Could it possibly be that I might, one day, in a fit of desperation, as when I find myself stuck somewhere random with somewhere important to go, be trapped into taking such a cab?

Please, for the love of all that’s holy.

Say it ain’t so.

Twenty-Five Years a Lawyer, Twenty-Five Years My Hero

There are very few things that have changed in the twenty-five years since my father last walked the halls of Malcolm. Maybe the color of the hair, maybe the absence of the mustache, maybe the (very few) added wrinkles. Maybe two more daughters since he graduated.

But the same walk, the same wit, the same character. He is still the harassed family man, working and raising a family and always seeking knowledge with whatever time he has. He has forsaken bigger and brighter dreams to raise us, but he has never compromised his principles to have us live easy lives burdened by lies told and scruples lost.

I can say this much, as I have spent all twenty-five years of my life with him. And my sisters can attest to the same too, I dare say.

In the time it has taken for him to grow the gray in his hair, lose the mustache, and etch those (very few) wrinkles, he has raised five daughters, each in her own way a reflection of him.

The first daughter is a lawyer now, a graduate, too, of Malcolm.

The second is a teacher, watching over wonderful little children.

The third is well on her way to finishing law school, also in Malcolm.

The fourth is pursuing a degree in medicine.

The last daughter is a few steps away from her first degree, on her way to (maybe) becoming a lawyer too.

We have all grown up with the knowledge that we are lucky to have been born to a father who shows us how men should be.

Not bound by traditional notions of a head of the household, unfazed by challenges posed by raising a family almost entirely by himself, always willing - never hesitating- to sacrifice for his family, unconditional in his loving, unselfish in his giving.

He was asked to make a write-up for the 25th anniversary of his class, but could not find it in himself to write about himself.

He has never been one to seek the bright and shining lights.

His daughter writes for him now, because there is no better person to write for and of him. After all, we have been his life, and, I suppose, he has always been our life.

pink and blue (multiply blog repost)

I read in the Metro Section of Inquirer (I think, basta I read it somewhere) that the MMDA idiot spokesperson of the week dismissed the criticisms of the many people who ply the Katipunan-to-everywhere-else-that-is-not-QC road regarding the recent not-so-smart-move of the Metro Manila D*&#head Authority with the u-turn slots along the Katipunan area.[1]

It seems as if the MMDA people think that the only people whining about it[2] are the rich people and their spoiled brats who don’t like being inconvenienced and are now defending themselves by saying that that the common folk are actually benefited by this traffic stupid plan.

Uh…stupid much?

When you remove a u-turn slot before making sure that the only alternative you leave to the commuters isn’t blocked by a road fixing project and the many jeepneys who service the so-called common folk, therefore leaving to aforementioned commuters just one (1) lane to u-turn to, you know what happens?

That’s right. People get pissed. And when they do, pretty much EVERYTHING goes to shit.

Cause it’s traffic and people are late going to work or to school or home. And if you leave something at home you wish to God you don’t need it that day cause there’s no way in hell you’re gonna make the trip to purgatory and back just to get whatever it is.

And the people who badly need to go to Mickey D’s to get a Sausage McMuffin pick-me-up can’t do so because the drive-thru exit is clogged by vehicles full of road-rage-ing people, so they just have to start the week cranky and hungry.

And people who’re just hitching rides with the vehicularly-blessed (or unblessed as the case may be) have to contend with the fear that usually mild-mannered people might just give in to the rage and oh, I dunno, throw potted plants or snot-infested tissue or a bucket of water and coke or the like at any moving person in blue carrying a whistle stupid enough or unlucky enough to be there when the proverbial shit hits the fan.

And the common folk you MMDA people keep on saying are benefited by this brainless plan? They’re not benefited. Not at all. Cause it was traffic before, yes. But now you can’t even get a ride to god-damned school because no one wants to pass by Katipunan aka the Hellmouth! Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Speaking as one of the vehicularly-challenged common-folk[3], I would like to say that this particular situation right here is the perfect reason why I’m never ever gonna vote for people who like painting the city faggoty blue and pink and plastering their totally un-gwapo faces all over the already ugly roads.

If I ever register to vote and actually vote, that is. But who knows, I might actually do it (finally) this 2010 theoretical election. And I’ll know who not to vote for. Even if you finally regain whatever common sense you have, don’t think I’ll forget this, Mr. Metro Not At All Gwapo.
[1] Sometime last week the smart guys blocked most of the u-turns which enabled commuters to maintain a healthy level of sanity in spite of the rush hour traffic. They left just the u-turn near rustan’s and the u-turn underneath the overpass thing. *%$#!
[2] The stupid u-turn blocking plan.
[3] Let’s all save the snide comments about the common folk thing. I’m weird. I know.