Oh brother.

Hey you! (...yes YOU!) You must be wondering.. what the &%$#@ am I doing here?

That's the way I approach life.

I mean think about it. Life's too short to take it seriously anyway.
And if you live life like you're afraid to die then when you die,
you'll realize you haven't live at all or something like that.
(I'm trying to sound smart so bear with me.)

Or by the time you're through, you'll just look like an old hag.
Seriously. You don't wanna live life looking like that.

This is err, a place I call home. My comfort zone.
A place where I can do stuff without anyone nagging me about it.
Here in a loosey-goosey environment, I write. I listen. I speak. I draw.
I curse. I play. I flirt. I dance. I party. I try to entertain. I...

just do. 'Coz I want to. And you can't do anything about it.

Well, what are you doing here? Believe it or not, destiny have brought you here little one..(and serendipity perhaps?)
Everything happens for a reason. At this very moment. YOU should be here. "COINCIDENCE happens."

Since you are here just the same, please take the time to look around. I'm sure you'll find something interesting to read or look at. This thing you are reading right now won't tell you what I'm all about. See the pictures below?! (..those are navigational things and have some purpose)
So use your mouse to accomplish something..

And, oh yeah..
Make the most out of your stay

Welcome.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Stampede

I guess that after a while it kinda starts to sink in what sorry state our country is in when an event like this happens. Just the hope given to the masses that they might win stuff at a game show (...from what I heard some tricycles, jeepneys, and cash) led to a stampede that caused the death of more than 70+ people (...although I dunno what the final count is 'coz obviously they don't want us to know).

What actually kept me glued to the tube aside from the fact that I wanna know who the scapegoat will be is what damage control ABS-CBN will do to get themselves out of this mess. Of course there's a lot to learn from this and I want to know what to do in case I mess up which happens to me most of the time (...but I have a knack of getting out of it, Hah!)

Here's what they did according to what I observed.

1. Issue statements of regret. Willie went on air first to express his regret. Next, Charo Santos also went on air. Also a bunch of big name stars also went on air -- Sharon Cuneta is an example. This move I guess was just to let people know that they were sad that this happened and that they will answer for medical and funeral bills of all those affected. But here's the big diff -- they never did once claimed responsibility for what happened. They just said that nobody wanted this to happen and shouldn't point fingers.

2. Call for back-up. If you didn't notice, they have political connections. So after what happened Noli De Castro was the first to arrive to the scene to "restore order." But I guess even Kabayan was not prepared to save ABS-CBN's ass. When a reporter asked him what help should the victims expect from the government, he said that they should ask ABS-CBN for help and not the government.

3. Dispatch their talents to help. To show that they were sincere in helping the victims, ABS-CBN dispatched some of their stars to hospitals to give stuff. Of course some of them went on their own but what the heck, I'm just guessing here.

4. Shut up. Notice that after what happened they limit the info related to the incident. There were no specials reports. There were snippets of news here and there but nothing really substantial. Sure there was news coverage on the day itself. But after that, what happened? I just caught a news special on QTV which is owned by GMA7 on a feature they did on two people who were lost when the tragedy struck. One was able to reunite with her family while the other is still searching for his. Sad isn't it? You don't see that being reported by ABS-CBN.

So here are some of my thoughts about it:

I just wish our government officials caught that special report done by GMA to know what the poor people are going through. I cringe everytime I see the tab on my bill when I go out for dinner. Sometimes the tax is even more expensive that what I ordered. I think it isn't enough that you give them money 'coz after a while they'll be coming back for more. Giving them a brand new tricycle won't solve their problems. I still think education is the key.

ABS-CBN's cry is that "nobody wanted this to happen." This reminded me to the time when I flunk a test back in college. Well, I'm pretty sure I didn't want that to happen. But you know what? I thought that it MIGHT 'coz I DIDN'T STUDY. That's what it is. Yeah, nobody wanted this tragedy. But you know what? With that many people, something's BOUND TO HAPPEN!

But it all wasn't ABS-CBN's fault. Let's be honest about it. We're not the most disciplined people in the world. You can see that in the way we drive. Knowing that we're not THAT disciplined and a little bit selfish, they should've imagined that something like this was gonna happen. It's like giving me a bagful of money and I walk up to a crowded and poor area in Manila, let's say Tondo, and then start throwing money in the air. I'm just guessing here but I think something MIGHT happen.

So while politicians and ABS-CBN conduct their so-called "investigations" to know who's responsible and what's to be done, the victims try to pick up the pieces. They move on -- that's what usually happens. These "investigations" tend to drag on until they're completely forgotten. Remember the Ozone tragedy? Whatever happened to the owners of the disco? Have you heard anything about Garci lately?

I flipped on the switch to the tube to watch the news and instead of seeing people trying to help out the victims, I see politicians bickering on how much out of the national budget their department should get. I guess we have to make do with this hellhole we're living in.

badly drawn boy was stoked at 3:39 PM :: ::

Look out! Smart-ass coming through!

Mr. Poe is a paradox. He is young yet he is old. That is from his age and his responsibilities.
He has a day job and what does he do at night? Nobody knows yet.
Whether he is a Casanova, a dead ringer for a celebrity, or a ninja, only a few people will know.
Sometimes he can be generally boring or a walking time bomb. Spontaneous.
Some sources thinks he is like a riddle and he to likes being mysterious with that poker face of his.
And he likes it that way.
If he is inspired or compelled by necessity, he likes to and writes forgettable pieces of poetry and songs or draw undecipherable works of garbage err.. arts.
Otherwise, the rest of his time is consumed by web design, painting, and sports.
Apathy. That's what he feels most of the time but wants to go to heaven. Still Optimistic.
He still believes he is a prodigy and secretly hopes he has traces of the Godfather, Beatles, and Da Vinci in his soul.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions on this website may not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Mr Poe.
It is those of that stupid monkey behind the keyboard. Don't worry. He's trained and domesticated.
If you happen to disagree with some of the views and opinions in this website, don't worry.
I maybe wrong but I doubt it.

Warning: Although Mr. Poe has taken reasonable precautions to ensure no irresponsible pages, inappropriate language, or indecent behavior are present in this website,
Mr. Poe cannot accept responsibility for any loss in knowledge or damage to the brain arising from the use of this website.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Stampede

badly drawn boy was stoked at 3:39 PM :: postCount('113938468917618403'); ::

badly drawn boy was stoked at 3:39 PM :: ::