Badge of Courage

Dear Sage, You're proudly showing off your booster shot here. This was taken a few months ago.

You know what? You actually prefer injections over per orem meds (syrup).

Ayheen's Birthday (August 18)

WE FIT TOGETHER

"I've been waiting for the stars to come out
Dinner it was fine,
but I can't lie 'cause I've been waiting for ya
to come back to mine
I've been, thinking of you 2

4/7, every 365
Now the girl from Impanema
she's here right by my side

I got you now and I just wanna
show you how to play
Goosebumps on your body
guide the way

CHORUS:
I wanna go all night

Ain't no stoppin' 'till the breakin' of the dawn
I wanna go inside every corner
Girl you really turn me on
I wanna go
Knock knock
Our bodies to the beat
And when the morning comes

we're letting the sun shine
We'll stay in bed
You can't separate us
We fit together

I can feel you comin' closer
Dancin' in the dark (dancin' in the dark)
I touch your lips and kiss your shoulders
Send a letter to your heart
I can't explain to which extreme I'm feelin' you (feelin' you)
How many triple x dreams that's be

en starring you

I got you now and I just wanna

show you how to play
Goosebumps on your body
guide the way

CHORUS

I wanna go all night
ain't no stoppin' 'till the breakin' of the dawn (breakin' of the dawn)
I wanna go inside every corner
Girl you really turn me on (I wann

a go I wanna go)
I wanna go knock knock
our bodies to the beat

And when the morning comes (when the morning comes)
We're letting the sun shine
We'll stay in bed (oh baby)
You can't separate us
We fit together

I won't get nothing done of what I oughtta do,
it doesn't really matter to me
I-I-I-I am here with you
I can't explain to what degree I'm feelin' you
How many triple x dreams I've had starring you

But I got you now and i just wanna show you how to play (show you how to play)
Goosebumps on your body
Guide the way

I wanna go all night,

ain't no stoppin' 'till the breakin' of the dawn (breakin' of the dawn)
I wanna go inside every corner (every corner baby)
girl you really turn me on

I wanna go knock knock
our bodies to the beat (knock knock to the beat)
and when the morning comes
we're letting the sun shine
stay in bed,
you cant separate us

we fit together
I wanna go all night
ain't no stoppin' 'till the breakin' of the dawn (there ain't no stopping till the breakin' of the dawn)
I wanna go inside every corner (every corner every corner baby)
girl you really turn me on
I wanna go knock knock
our bodies to the beat
and when the morning comes (w

hen the morning comes)
we're letting the sun shine
stay in bed
you cant separate us
we fit together

all night
I wanna go all night
can I go inside
how about inside
I wanna go all night
can I go all night
what about inside
can I go inside"

Dear Sexy,

Happy Birthday!

--MCGMD

Oratio Imperata Ad Petendam Pluviam

"Minsan pa ulan bumuhos ka't h'wag nang tumigil pa
Hatid mo ma'y bagyo,
DALANGIN ITO NG PUSO KONG SUMASAMO
Pag-ibig ko'y umaapaw,
Damdamin ko'y humihiyaw sa tuwa
Tuwing umuulan at kapiling ka
(Oooohhh)"-- Eraserheads


Dear Sage, the title is the fancy latin phrase imploring the Lord of Creation for rain to stave off the impending water crisis here in the Philippines. A few days ago the situation was becoming desperate; the water levels in the dams were reaching critical thresholds and there was talk of power outtages of biblical proportions (feel free to replace the word "biblical" with "Cory Era") A Filipino Cardinal asked the citizens of the "empire" to pray for rain.

That was last August 3.

Today it's been raining buckets since last night. We were on our way to school when your Mom called me up to tell me that I forgot to bring a paper she wanted faxed ASAP. That was the only excuse I needed to take you back home. The classes were not yet officially suspended when I turned you in (some bureaucrat finally sucked in enough balls to suspend it just now)Well, it's about time. Some streets of Manila are flooded, there's news about a concrete wall that was felled down by heavy downpour somewhere in one of the private subdivisions in the outskirts of the city,

Anyway,

YOU WERE PRACTICALLY KICKING AND SCREAMING AND CRYING WHEN I TOLD YOU THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SCHOOL TODAY.

(hey, click here if you wanna know how much she likes school. Read this similar post I wrote a year ago)

Speaking of latin, Tito Andy Wong sent me an email about the Tridentine Mass. I told him I have reservations about it (Frankly, I'd rather learn French than Latin... Because French chicks are way hotter than those in that Latin speaking city state called Vatican)

But the Lord of Natural Science argued for Tito Andy: When the nation prayed in latin for Rain, Divine Providence listened very hard.

So Tito, regarding our "discussion" about the Tridentine mass of bishop lefebvre, all I can say is...

Touche!

"...Pagmasdan ang ulan,
Unti-unting tumitila

Ikaw ri'y magpapaalam na,

Maari bang minsan pa,
mahagkan ka't maiduyan pa
Sakbibi ka't ulan lamang ang saksi"

-- Tuwing Umuulan At Kapiling Ka
by Eraserheads

Ayheen

Treinte Juillet

Was it just last night?
has it been that long?
I can never tell.
Maybe because
The more I have you
The more I need you
Like a caged beast
crazed by hunger,
craving flesh

I LOVE...
I WANT...
I LUST...

Not even you can end
What even I can't stop.

--MCGMD

To My Girlfriend,

Happy Anniversary...

I know you have internet access there...

I know you can read this...


"Better Than Me"

I think you can do much better than me
After all the lies that I made you believe
Guilt kicks in and I start to see
The edge of the bed
Where your nightgown used to be
I told myself I won't miss you
But I remember
What it feels like beside you



I really miss your hair in my face

And the way your innocence tastes

And I think you should know this

You deserve much better than me



While looking through your old box of notes
I found those pictures I took
That you were looking for
If there's one memory I don't want to lose
That time at the mall
You and me in the dressing room
I told myself I won't miss you
But I remember
What it feels like beside you
I really miss your hair in my face
And the way your innocence tastes
And I think you should know this
You deserve much better than me
The bed I'm lying in is getting colder
Wish I never would've said it's over

And I can't pretend...

I won't think about you when I'm older

Cause we never really had our closure

This can't be the end
I really miss your hair in my face
And the way your innocence tastes
And I think you should know this
You deserve much better than me
I really miss your hair in my face
And the way your innocence tastes
And I think you should know this
You deserve much better than me
(And I think you should know this)
(You deserve much better than me)


I'm Sorry Ayheen...

Junior Inquirer, Sunday Edition, July 22, 2007

Dear Sage,

Yesterday you received a phonecall from the Inquirer informing you that your interview with their paper has been published. I tried in vain to download the part where your picture is from the Inq7 website. In the end we were able to see the Newspaper when we went to the Inquirer office in Mega mall right after we parked the car on the fourth floor to get our grocery. The guy at the front desk was kind enough not to give me an odd look when I asked for a copy of the sunday edition of their broadsheet when it was already 7:30 in the evening. He even gave us the newspaper for free when he learned that people from his office called you up about the picture/interview.

Salamat Vince!

Here's what you said in your first interview with the print media:

"I'm a pet lover so I like "My Little Pony" (book) I pretend that the pony in the book is mine because in real life I only have a guinea pig"

Actually, you told us that that wasn't a verbatim quote. The part where you supposedly said that you wish the pony's yours is editorialized. Thank God! San ako kukuha ng kabayo kung nagkataon?

Masanay ka na sa Media, Anaki. Freedom of the Press is Freedom of Speech. Just remember when you grow up that abuse of speech to hurt innocent people isn't Freedom-- It's simply chismis. Sana'y maging Brodkaster kayo at hindi chismosa.

Grade 1, Grade 2

Sabine Ayn

Dear Sabine, you dressed up your stuffed toy this morning and named it "little Mimzy". I think you were inspired by the video you watched with Ate Sage last week with the same title. You're so proud of it you immediately showed it to me and your Mom.



















Last night, your Mom, Lola Letty and I went out to watch a movie. but while waiting for it to start we goofed around with the Simpsons (that's me, bTw, on the other end of the sofa)


Oh, and you are finally going to school now, at three years old. Your Lola Letty, Mommy,  and Ate Sage take turns in teaching you your academics.












You look great in your Nursery Uniform

Justin Patrick

Welcome to the Salcedo-Galvez Clan of NY! To the proud parents, Rose and Jerome, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

(Special THANKS to JC for sending this pic to us)

Okay, let's get down to work. You know we really should get them babies of the next generation started really, really early...

My Child,

You may not know Me, but I know everything about you Psalm 139:1. I know when you sit down and when you rise up Psalm 139:2. I am familiar with all your ways …Psalm 139:3. Even the very hairs on your head are numbered Matthew 10:29-31. For you were made in My image Genesis 1:27. In me you live and move and have your being Acts 17:28. For you are my offspring Acts 17:28. I knew you even before you were conceived Jeremiah 1:4-5.

I chose you when I planned creation Ephesians 1:11-12. You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book Psalm 139:15-16. I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live Acts 17:26. You are fearfully and wonderfully made Psalm 139:14. I knit you together in your mother's womb Psalm 139:13. And brought you forth on the day you were born Psalm 71:6.

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me John 8:41-44. I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love 1 John 4:16. And it is my desire to lavish my love on you 1 John 3:1. Simply because you are my child and I am your Father…1 John 3:1. I offer you more than your earthly father ever could Matthew 7:11. For I am the perfect father Matthew 5:48.

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand…James 1:17. For I am your provider and I meet all your needs Matthew 6:31-33. My plan for your future has always been filled with hope Jeremiah 29:11. Because I love you with an everlasting love Jeremiah 31:3. My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore .Psalms 139:17-18. And I rejoice over you with singing Zephaniah 3:17.

I will never stop doing good to you Jeremiah 32:40. For you are my treasured possession Exodus 19:5. I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul Jeremiah 32:41. And I want to show you great and marvelous things Jeremiah 33:3.

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me Deuteronomy 4:29. Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart Psalm 37:4. For it is I who gave you those desires Philippians 2:13. I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine Ephesians 3:20. For I am your greatest encourager 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 .

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you Psalm 34:18. As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart Isaiah 40:11. One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes Revelation 21:3-4. And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth Revelation 21:3-4.

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus John 17:23. For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed …John 17:26. He is the exact representation of my being Hebrews 1:3 He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you Romans 8:31. . And to tell you that I am not counting your sins 2 Corinthians 5:18-19. Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled 2 Corinthians 5:18-19. His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you 1 John 4:10.

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love Romans 8:31-32. If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me 1 John 2:23. And nothing will ever separate you from my love again Romans 8:38-39. Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen Luke15:7. I have always been Father, and will always be Father Ephesians 3:14-15. My question is; Will you be my child? John 1:12-13. I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32.

Love,

Your Dad, Almighty God

(Tito Andy Wong, Salamat sa pag forward sa amin ng letter na ito!)

Marc Robert Philippe Young

Marc is the firstborn son of Dr. and Mrs. Robert Young.
He is such a good looking kid. Buti nalang maganda asawa mo, Robert. HEHEHE!

Seriously, congrats to you and Jenn! He will surely be a bon vivante like his old man.

By the way, now that you are a Dad, Robert, better say au revoir to your night life.

7.4.7

To our Relatives and Friends in the land of Jefferson, Adams, Lincoln and Kennedy:

Long Live the American Way of Life!!!

Please take America back from those who are against it:

From the neoconservatives who believe that ACLU should be decimated by members of the NRA...

From Fox News Network who believes that geraldo is a broadcast journalist...

From the people of the Religious Right (American Talibans) who are scared of Harry Potter and Rock n' Roll Music.

From people like McCarthy, Nixon, Chenny and W. bush.

Make America the land of liberty again.

-- from Us who practice the ideals of the age of enlightment outside the American shores.

Breast Milk

Still best for babies...

New Avatars, New Paint, New Home, etc.

This picture will be our new avatar (Thanks for reminding me that I have to change it, Atticus)

Sage, painting her room last month. It was summertime and it was very hot inside that room but you insisted on helping Tito Jong.










Dear Sabine, Yesterday (June 18, 2007) was your first day of school! I wasn't there but your Mom told me that when she dropped you off, you went straight to the classroom and said "Hi" to everyone.

Blovers

Blogger/Lovers. This is a new phenomenon. People meet online, schedule an eyeball, and fall in love. and then write about it in their blogs. No. I'm not one of them. I have yet to meet Katie Holmes online. Ayheen always rolls her eyes in exasperation everytime I say the line " Nak ng tinapa, papatol din pala sya sa matanda e di sakin nalang sana" to this she retorts "sabagay, bansot din naman si Tom, di ba?"

Smartass.

BTW, I'll write about how we should value our privacy, later on, Sage. And how blogging as a whole threatens our civil liberties.

But right now, I'll pretend I'm a romantic. And I'll wish them well. They know who they are.

We meet again Poseidon.

"...It's kind of a special feeling
When you're out on the sea alone
Staring at the full moon like a lover
Time for
a cool change
I know that it's time
for a cool change
Now that my life is so prearranged
I know that it's time
for a cool change"


Dear Sage, There's really something so very special about the Sea.

Last weekend we went to La Luz Resort in Batangas. The water was crystal clear, so was the sky. and that night, it was a full moon...

itutuloy.

Miss Universe

"Out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror cracked form side to side;
"The curse is come upon me," cried
The Lady of Shallot."-- Tennyson







Real beauty, Sage, lies within.
Don't let douche bags like donald trump, the sleazeball bankrolling the cattle show... este... pageant, tell you otherwise.

Stockholm Syndrome

“I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute -- where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be a Catholic) how to act and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote… where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope…or any other ecclesiastical source -- where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials -- and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all… where all men and all churches are treated as equal -- where every man has the same right to attend or not to attend the church of his choice -- where there is no Catholic vote, no anti-Catholic vote, no bloc voting of any kind --” --JFK

A few weeks back a man and his confederate, armed with explosives and assault weapons, hijacked a busload of defenseless schoolchildren for a whole day. He threatened to kill everyone on board if the authorities did not give in to his demand – Free education for those children.

What is tragic about this whole affair is that at the end of the day, the PARENTS of the same school children put in harm’s way by that deranged man cheered and applauded what he did to their own flesh and blood. Those same parents hailed him as a HERO.

That is how poor the Philippines is. Our countrymen are willing to make a Hero out of a Sociopath who held a gun pointed at the heads of our own children. The hijacker, they reasoned, only had the noblest intentions for them and their children.

If you think about it, the pathetic sociopath is just like our traditional politicians who proclaim themselves as the long awaited solutions to the Philippines' problems. When they are out of power they all pray that the market will go into recession, that the purchasing power of the local currency will become a joke, and that there will be blood and gore in the streets and hills so that the populace will clamor for change—not for substantial changes in the economic system but changes in those holding the political power. Some politicians literally put a gun into our collective heads by launching power grabs by FORCE which result in instant political and economic downturn described above. (I am an equal opportunity basher here. Both the administration and opposition have been accused of attempting to launch coup d’etats in one way or another)

And when they succeed in grabbing power, they do everything to hold onto it by enriching themselves, their heirs and, by giving a pittance to a few, key supporters in the form of petty cash and transient jobs as employees in the city hall, congress, and Malacanang Palace (the seat of power) which are usually co-terminus with the Politicians they supported during the elections. That’s why they are hailed as Heroes by these supporters. When we see these same supporters interviewed in the tri media, we get the impression that their Idols really are selfless, generous SuperHuman Beings. They give the impression that these hijackers… errr…. Politicians only have the noblest intentions for the country.

This proves that it takes so little to be hailed a Hero in this country. And Politicians hailed as heroes are worshipped. Their faults glossed over and their followers will do their bidding because they believe that any order given by their Idol will benefit the country—even if it means shedding blood (usually their political opponent’s, frequently including innocent blood, and rarely their own)

This is a symptom of the Stockholm Syndrome. The Kidnap Victim starts to identify with the cause of the Kidnapper and eventually, the cause becomes his own.

In a country suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, it is not inconceivable that Religious leaders posturing as God’s appointed mortal shepherds could succeed in using their hold onto their flock to lead them to salvation—especially if salvation is defined as getting elected as a public official.

If a parent could lustily applaud the hijacking of his own child by a man with history of mental imbalance because of the promise of FREE EDUCATION, just imagine what he would do for somebody whom he believes to be Jesus Christ himself, or atleast, his sole representative here on Earth promising ETERNAL SALVATION FOR HIS AND HIS CHILDREN’S IMMORTAL SOUL.

If he could do the most degrading and immoral thing for a Mortal Idol who promised him 6 years of employment at the city hall, Imagine what he will do for a man he believes to be God’s exclusive prophet on earth who promised him Riches not just on Earth but in Paradise too.

This is the reason why I hope, why I pray, that Father Ed Panlilio will be the LAST, the ONLY Religious leader who will DEFECT to the dark side of the FORCE.

But with his imminent election as Governor, a precedent has been made. A taboo broken. And the Most sacred tenet in a democracy has been violated: The separation between church and state has been rent asunder.

IT is not Father Ed Panlilio that I fear would bring about the clash of civilizations and religious strife in the Philippines, but the likes of Ruben Ecleo, Apollo Quiboloy and other religious leaders with fringe beliefs and questionable mental stability.

Father Ed Panlilio is the innocent Pandora who opened the gates to political power to the likes of Ruben Ecleo and Apollo Quiboloy.

I really wish that the circumstances that made him run never existed.

May God Help Us!

WOMEN

All my life I've lived by a code and the code is simple: honor the gods, love your woman and defend your country. Troy is mother to us all. Fight for her! -- Hector of "TROY" (the movie)

Dear Women,

I don't have a son. Maybe someday I will have one, or two. or Maybe not. But every morning when I wake up I thank the Lord For the woman lying in the crook of my arm and the Three daughters she gave me who are growing up to be an equal to any man or woman. Three daughters who will love our country and will fight for her; who will honor the Lord; who will become Mothers themselves someday...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! TO ALL WOMEN!!!


From your Number One Fan,

MCGMD

MD

Dear Sage, before I left the house today, your Mom told me that we will be giving Sadie her PENTAXIM shot tonight (a vaccine for 5 common infections). I guess our brief conversation woke you up. I saw you stir and called out to you if you'd like to help out since you usually comfort kids being vaccinated by either holding their hands, or saying "that's okay baby... That's okay" While you were lazily clearing the morning sparkles in the edges of your eyelids you dreamily asked if you could give the vaccine to Sadie yourself.

That question floored me and your Mommy. Ofcourse we said "No" though.

You need to go through Medical School first Anaki.

By Spartan Law...

Dear Sabine, hanggang ngayon, ang iyong laging bukang bibig ay "Sabine is going to school now".

Well, last week we went to Tagkawayan, your Lola Letty's and Mom's hometown and visited the High school where your Mommy graduated from: Our Lady of Lourdes Academy (OLLA). We went there to pay our respects to Ninong Ed Villaseñor. To your Mom and I he was "Ninong Ed" because he stood as one of the sponsors of our wedding. But to several generations of OLLA students he mentored, he was known by his knightly title of "Sir Ed".

At the most important juncture of her life, Sir Ed was one of those who inspired your Mom to continue her pursuit to earn a medical degree. This despite of the daunting odds and the personal loss she and your Lola suffered that year. They lost your Tita Adhey and Lolo Lony in a span of 40 days.

It was such an impossible dream at that time. But with God's help and with the help of inspiring mentors like Ninong Ed, she moved on to fulfill her dreams.

Sir Ed passed away unexpectedly. The whole town mourned his passing.

He was an institution. He was larger than life. In the end he was buried in the same school that saw him share the best years of his life with the youth that he mentored to adulthood. I think it was a fitting tribute to the man who lead a heroic life.

Why?

Because a school is a battleground for the hearts and minds of the young. And Sir Ed was one of its most gallant warriors. It was only right that his mortal remains be buried in the ground made hallow by his struggle to mold the minds of many generations with the Promethean fire.

There is a battleground in Greece called "Thermophyle" where a band of noble warriors were buried on the same ground where they made a stand against the forces of superstition, tyranny and ignorance. In doing so, they were able to preserve the most precious legacy of that ancient civilization: Freedom of Thought.

Their epitaph reads:

"Tell the Spartans, passerby...
That here, by Spartan Law, we lie."

I'm Proud of YOU, Sexy!

The email says:

"14th Congress of the International Pediatric Nephrology Association
31 August - 4 September, 2007
Budapest, Hungary



Budapest, 11 April, 2007





Dear Dr. Arleen Decena-Galvez,


On behalf of the Scientific Committee I have the pleasure to inform you that your abstract N° 18 with the title 'FREQUENCY OF RECURRENT URINARY TRACT INFECTION AND SIDE EFFECTS OF OM-89 AND NITROFURANTOIN IN CHILDREN WITH URINARY TRACT ABNORMALITIES IN A RANDOMIZED TRIAL: A PILOT STUDY' was accepted for POSTER presentation.

You will get a note about the date and place of your presentation by the end of April.

The poster exhibition is a very important part of the congress program which includes oral poster presentations as well as poster tours.
Posters with a clearly presented heading including the title of the presentation, names of authors and their affiliation must fit the size of the poster board: 90 cm wide and 120 cm high. The letters used should be large enough to be read from a distance of 1,5 m .

Please inform the Scientific Committee until the 30th April, the latest, in case you are not able to come to the Congress and present your poster: reusz@gyer1.sote.hu

Please note that the condition to have your presentation at the programme and your abstract published in the Abstract Book is the registration of the presenting author at the Congress. Therefore we invite you to register not later than 30 April, 2007 at the following website: www.ipna2007.com

For any queries as to registration please contact Blaguss Congress Bureau: ipna2007@blaguss-congress.hu

See you in Budapest !


With kind regards

George Reusz Tivadar Tulassay
Congress Secretary Congress President

Powell Doctrine

"...when a nation is engaging in war, every resource and tool should be used to achieve overwhelming force against the enemy, minimizing US casualties and ending the conflict quickly by forcing the weaker force to capitulate." -- The Powell Doctrine

Today we mark the anniversary of the Fall of Bataan. It’s like the battle of thermophyle in the movie "300" that we just watched over the holy week-- or atleast that’s what the local folklore and history would like us to believe.

An overwhelming force was used by the empire of Japan to over run the defenders of Bataan and the Rock fortress of Corregidor. It resulted in Japan's conquest of the Philippines.

Back in the first gulf war, Powell applied his doctrine of overwhelming force to secure victory for the United States. It resulted in the renaissance of of American Conservative Movement that was supposedly dealt a deathblow by the quagmire called "Vietnam" a generation ago.

Now, America, thanks to the Bush administration, has come full circle. It has a new VIETNAM.

A few days from now, the world will mark the 4th anniversary of the American Invasion of IRAQ. Some say that the invasion was a debacle because a self-proclaimed potentate of the pentagon named Rumsfeld decided to experiment with the United States Military Personell and Iraqi People by applying his own vision for the US military which seeks to "increase force readiness and decrease the amount of supply required to maintain forces, by reducing the number in a theater."

He probably figured that after years of bombing, the Iraqi Forces are so weak that using overwhelming force against it will be viewed by history as an unsportsmanlike conduct. It makes me wonder if the real reason why the defenders of thermophyle lasted longer than expected was because Xerxes wanted to show the world that his army was a match to any insurgent force, man-to-man, pound-for-pound. Maybe that's why he sent his men to the gates of Thermophyle in a piecemeal fashion.

Maybe he was the first one to apply the Rumfeld doctrine with disastrous results.

It is a flawed doctrine in the Art of War. The Rumsfeld doctrine forgot the military adage that the gods of war are always in favor of the army who comes into battle with the most number of men (and with the most number of digital buttons to push). Rumsfeld also forgot the first rule of hand to hand combat which is to NEVER UNDERESTIMATE YOUR OPPONENT.

Powell was the only Republican I admired before he became the fall guy of the Bush administration. Who can forget his failed attempt at being the next Adlai Stevenson of the Security council? Who can forget that he was the one who made the case for the Iraqi Invasion because of imagined "material breach" of UN Resolutions, coupled by claims of even more imaginary Iraqi possesion of Weapons of Mass Destruction? Who can forget....

I take it back... The world has forgotten.

Now it's Barak Obama who could become the first Black President of the US.

Sayang talaga.

Saint John Paul

Dear Sage, I just heard from the news that JP2 is on the fast track to sainthood.

That's why he is being hyped as a heroic figure in the media. well, Saint or not, he was human. and he died of a very human affliction.

Physicians treat patients with Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) everyday. Most of the time, advising the patient to drink extra glasses of water and giving him regular doses of a very common antibiotic (Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole) does the trick.

So how could this have brought down the Pope?

Two reasons: first, UTI was not the only health problem he had; Second, the infection did not just stay in his urinary tract- it found its way into his bloodstream. When the lining of the urinary tract gets infected, usually by a bacteria, it stays there because our body has inherent defenses that stops the INVADING BACTERIA and prevents it from spreading elsewhere in the body. IT’s as if the body was designed to do what erwin rommel could not do on D-DAY—Stop the invasion right at the beaches before it spreads out of control.

Even if the infection gets confined only in the Urinary tract, it becomes INFLAMMED. That’s why its most common symptoms are Fever and Pain when urinating (Dysuria). To understand it more, imagine your forearm’s skin with sunburn (a form of acute inflammation) try to put it under running water and you’ll feel the sting of pain. Ofcourse there are times when the patient does not even have any symptoms. And yet their Urinalysis shows that they have UTI. This is the reason why some people cannot accept the news that the holy father died of something practically as trivial as UTI.

To start with, the Pope was already 84 years old. He had Parkinson’s disease and was prone to have a host of infections. He was immunocompromised. His body can not contain the “INVASION” only in the urinary tract. It “leaked” into his cardiovascular system of arteries and veins which we commonly call the “bloodstream.” (Actually we can think of it not just as a “Stream” but as the body’s HIGHWAY that leads to the kidney, liver, lungs, heart, brain and every conceivable place within) Once there, the bacteria will start new colonies until those vital organs fail to function properly.

To make matters worse, the bloodstream incursion of the bacteria (which we call “Sepsis”) affects the body’s blood pressure. How? The arteries and veins of the blood stream are not like solid pipes that do not yield to the pressure of the liquid blood that flow through it. The sturdiness of these “pipes” depend on its walls which are made up of muscles (smooth muscles to be exact, I’ll explain their difference from Schwarzenneger’s muscles next time) When bacteria leaks into the blood stream, these smooth muscles inadvertently relaxes (which causes the drop in blood pressure), some say entire lengths of veins get stretched like small cylindrical balloons as they yield to the pressure of the liquid blood that they contain. These condition is what we call “Shock”, Veins are supposed to be the “highways” that will bring the blood back to the heart so that the heart can pump it back to the lungs. If the walls of these veins lose their sturdiness and become relaxed (like what happens in a state of Shock) lesser amount of blood will go back to the heart and lungs.

Since the blood carries the oxygen we breath to different parts of the body, If there will be less blood that goes to the lungs, there will be less oxygen that will go the other parts of the body too. The most vital organs (The brain, Heart and Kidneys) will fail shortly thereafter.

The heart tries to beat faster in an attempt to save itself from impending doom—the faster it beats, more blood gets to travel the length of the diseased veins back to the heart, and it gets to pump out more blood into the brain and vital organs. Alas, it can do this only for a limited period of time before giving up. And while doing so, it sacrifices efficiency, hence this creates a vicious cycle that leads to it own failure.

His illness followed a textbook pattern: a battered immune system, infection, sepsis, shock, finally, Multiorgan failure.

He had been ill for years. He survived an assassin’s bullet, Gallantly struggled with Parkinson’s and out duelled Colon cancer. Then He had a bout of pulmonary infection that made breathing difficult. He had to undergo “tracheostomy” where Surgeons created a separate hole in his throat for him to breath. He recovered, was discharged from the hospital. But the weakness of his body’s defenses made him prone to a very ordinary infection, specifically UTI. The infection breached his bloodstream, hence sepsis set in. His blood pressure dropped and went into shock. His most vital organs started to malfunction. Then they failed to function at all. So to set the record straight, It was a Multi Organ Failure.

For somebody who stood up against the Proto, Neo and Paleo Conservatives in the remaining world superpower, who faced down the lackeys of Stalinism like Jaruzelski, who had the guts to forgive his would be assassin and actually apologized for the Church’s unjust treatment of Galileo Galilei, I just couldn’t bear the thought that history will record that he died of something as ordinary as UTI.

Make no mistake about it, the armageddon that his body had to go through before he passed away was worthy of an epic-- Even though it pales in comparison to the life and achievements of this extraordinary man.

Sage and Ayheen's Party

Dear Sage, Just before your party started, your Lola Letty suggested that you write the opening prayer. You immediately looked for a paper and grabbed the first working felt tipped pen you could get your hands on and wrote a letter to God. Then, you surprised us by leading the prayer yourself.

We’re so proud.

And then, just before the start of the magic show, you asked the magician/emcee to give you the microphone so that you could sing for your cousins, classmates and friends. The first one was “Yesterday’s Dream”. A couple of your classmates in the audience acted out the lyrics of the song while you performed on stage. The second was “Sing.” You even invited Sabine to go onstage with you to sing her favorite song, “Life is a Highway” from the movie “Cars.”

This was unrehearsed. Although we had an inkling that you were psyching yourself up to sing on your birthday.

Anyway.

Your party served as a double celebration for you and Mommy. Just a day before it she passed the Oral and Written exams for the Board of Nephrology given by the Philippine Society of Nephrologists-- despite of all the distractions from being a Wife, Mother, Homemaker, Physician.

She’s really amazing.

That’s why I tell everyone,

“Yang asawa ko talaga, hindi lang pang kama.”

;->




Dear Ayheen, This song’s for you, Sexy….

… One mile to every inch
your skin like porcelain
one pair of candy lips
and your bubble gum tongue.

And if you want love
We’ll make it.
Swimming a deep sea of blankets
Take all your big plans
And Break ‘em
This is bound to be a while.

Your Body is a Wonderland
Your Body is a Wonder
(I’ll use my hands)
Your Body is a Wonderland

Something ‘bout the
Way your hair falls in your face
I love the shape you take
when crawling towards the pillowcase
You tell me where to go
And though I might leave to find it
I’ll never let your head
Hit the bed
without my hand behind it…

…Damn baby
You frustrate me
I know you’re mine
all mine, ALL MINE
But you look so good it hurts
Sometimes…

Your Body is a WONDERLAND

Happy Birthday!

Dear Sage, each pixel of your image was lovingly cropped to make it appear like you really are one of the members of The WinxClub.

Merci!


March 29, 2007

Dear Sage, yesterday was your birthday. I bought you a cake. I'm so clueless about your taste that I thought you'd like the one I bought. I was so disappointed when you barely tasted it before you ate something else instead. I left the table and you followed me upstairs and told me "Dad, it's okay. It's just a birthday cake."

Oo nga 'no...

You are wise beyond your years anaki. Buti mana ka sa Nanay mo:)