Postscript on the Women's Month 2009

Dear Tristan, it was your baptism yesterday (we celebrated it AND Ate Sage's Birthday) welcome to the Christian World. I really hope you do grow up to be a real gentleman like what your Ninang Dhes mentioned in her blog. Gentleman na medyo bastos.

I really don't know how to make you one but I can help you learn how to treat women properly so that you won't be a sexually inept/insecure individual like CONVICTED RAPIST DAN SMITH who found it necessary to prove his sexual orientation to his army buddies by raping a woman inside their van (maybe his army buddies had adequate reason to suspect that CONVICTED RAPIST DAN SMITH was a beneficiary of the army's "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL POLICY". He's so good looking like George Michael and Rustom Padilla in their prime.)

I found this online. Pls. take time to read it:


A lot has been said about how to prevent rape. Women should learn self-defense. Women should lock themselves in their houses after dark. Women shouldn't have long hair and women shouldn't wear short skirts. Women shouldn't leave drinks unattended. Fuck, they shouldn't dare to get drunk at all.

Instead of that bullshit, how about:

If a woman is drunk, don't rape her.
If a woman is walking alone at night, don't rape her.
If a women is drugged and unconscious, don't rape her.
If a woman is wearing a short skirt, don't rape her.
If a woman is jogging in a park at 5AM, don't rape her.
If a woman looks like your ex-girlfriend you're still hung up on, don't rape her.
If a woman is asleep in her bed, don't rape her.
If a woman is asleep in your bed, don't rape her.
If a woman is doing her laundry, don't rape her.
If a woman is in a coma, don't rape her.
If a woman changes her mind in the middle of or about a particular activity, don't rape her.
If a woman has repeatedly refused a certain activity, don't rape her.
If a woman is not yet a woman, but a child, don't rape her.
If your girlfriend or wife is not in the mood, don't rape her.
If your step-daughter is watching TV, don't rape her.

If you break into a house and find a woman there, don't rape her.
If your friend thinks it's okay to rape someone, tell him it's not, and that he's not your friend.
If your "friend" tells you he raped someone, report him to the police.
If your frat-brother or another guy at the party tells you there's an unconscious woman upstairs and it's your turn, don't rape her, call the police and report him as a rapist.

Tell your sons, god-sons, nephews, grandsons, and sons of friends that it's not okay to rape someone.

Don't just tell your women friends how to be safe and avoid rape.
Don't imply that she could have avoided it if she'd only done/not done x, y, or z.
Don't imply that it's in any way her fault.
Don't let silence imply agreement when someone tells you he "got some" with the drunk girl. Don't perpetuate a culture that tells you that you have no control over or responsibility for your actions.

You can too help yourself.

Rape is not about sex, it's about control and power, and what kind of power comes from taking advantage of others?

The kind of god-like power Ted Bundy had over the women he raped and murdered;

The kind of absolute Power Fritzl, that incestuous product of Hitler's Master Race, had over his daughter when he raped her for 30 years. Starting when she was an 11 year old child;

The kind of impotent power CONVICTED RAPIST DAN SMITH had over his victim as he struggled to rape her in the backseat of the van, aided and abetted by his Marine Comrades who have been trained in the art of mortal combat- but have absolutely no idea how to pleasure a woman.

If you agree, repost it. It's important.





I was moved to repost this after reading Pat Evangelista's INQUIRER column this morning.

By Patricia Evangelista
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:22:00 03/29/2009

You know the story, about the girl who goes for a night out, who is carried off, drunk and helpless, to be raped in a waiting van. You know what happens after, and where she is found: along a pier, disoriented, her pants down around her feet. You know where the story takes a different turn, because the girl, unlike the woman who is raped every hour in this country, goes to court and testifies that she was raped on the night of Nov. 1, 2005. This is what she said in a July 2006 hearing: “They took away my dignity … Smith raped me and his companions even encouraged him. They were enjoying it as if they were watching a private show. Then they just unloaded me [from the van] like a pig.” ... to read the rest of her article, click here

Sabine Accelerated

I just learned from your Mom that your teacher Bessie recommended that you enroll next school year as a First Grader instead of as a kindergarten pupil.

But I still have to clarify with your teacher if they require those accelerated pupils from prep school to take summer classes before entering First Grade. If they will require you to spend your summer inside the classroom baka hindi ako pumayag even if it means forfeiting this opportunity to get accelerated.

We want you to enjoy summer with your sisters and Tristan.

MARCH 21, 2009 Spring Equinox

"He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring
And said, marry me Juliet
You'll never have to be alone"-- Taylor Swift


Dear Kids, it was March 21, 2009 yesterday. Since we are ahead by one day, yesterday was also March 20 in the US and European countries. It's the first day of Spring. People around the world, especially in western countries, look forward to this day.

It is a very special day.

My best wishes to Pseudo & Mini Byte.

And Congratulations to Mr. Byte!
(If you break her heart, we break your balls. Capisce?)





Interestingly, this is what I wrote last Spring Equinox 2008 Click HERE

To Nicole, the victim of US MARINES' violence

"And when you look into her eyes, you won’t believe
The way she’s always payin,
For a debt she never owes..."-- Wildflower

I am not going to recount in my daughters' and son's blog the ordeal you went through in the hands of US MARINE's Lance Corporal DAN SMITH and his other US MARINE buddies a couple of years ago.

I just want you to hear something which I know you've heard before; But mostly from other women like yourself, maybe some of them are victims too like you.

I want you to hear these words coming from a MAN:

You do not deserve to be raped.
No woman does.

You do not deserve to be treated
the way those US MARINES treat women.
No woman does.

You do not owe us, or the "U.S.," any explanation
or debt.

But those U.S. MARINES do.

Even though those US MARINES have no idea
what human dignity means, You Still Deserve
to be treated with respect.

You Deserve Better...

Godspeed.

41 on 14

THANK YOU GOD, FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS. DESPITE OF MY DEFIANCE, DESPITE OF EVERYTHING I'VE DONE.

THANK YOU FOR EVERY GOOD AND WONDERFUL THING IN MY LIFE. ALL GRACE, ALL UNDESERVED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH DEAR GOD!

Oscar Wilde

"Drama is reality with the boring parts cut out" --Oscar Wilde

Dear Kids, I AM NOT AN ABS-CBN APOLOGIST. I don't really like that network but last week they featured a DRAMA special that became controversial because it seemed to malign the alumni of a certain university. Below is their official letter protest, I mean, Official Statement articulated by Prof. Ma. Stella Tirol, Office of Public Relations Director of UP Los Baños.

"Our attention has been called by constituents and alumni to an episode featured in Maala-ala Mo Kaya entitled "Blusa," which was aired on ABS-CBN on Feb. 28 and on TFC recently. Our constituents and alumni were concerned whether the episode was based on truth.

The story was of a woman who allegedly graduated BS AgriBusiness, summa cum laude, from the University of the Philippines Los Baños or UPLB, who could not find a job, and ended up a stripper. We tried to find out who the subject was by tracking all 27 of our summa cum laude graduates from the time the University was established in 1909. We could not find anyone matching the subject as portrayed in "Blusa."

Whether or not the subject was a UPLB graduate, we deeply sympathize with her and her family. However, in the interest of maintaining its reputation as a truthful storyteller, the MMK should have a mechanism to validate claims by letter senders especially those that require a stretch of imagination as to be believed.

While indeed touching and a perfect example of a human-interest story, "Blusa" regrettably affected the reputation of UPLB as an educational institution and its constituents and alumni. We therefore request ABS-CBN to set the record straight and correct the wrong impression that it created among its viewers. We also make an appeal to producers of similar programs to be more prudent in reporting stories with claims that would affect the reputation not only of a school but also of its alumni in the Philippines and abroad."

At press time, PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) is still waiting for the feedback of ABS-CBN corporate communications department regarding this matter."

Just a question. Who in his right mind would have wanted to watch Angel Locsin while wearing a BLUSA (the title)? Had the title been "BIKINI" or “BIRTHDAY SUIT” or “BOOBS” or "BOTTOMLESS" I would have watched it too with my mother-in-law.

Anyway.

My two cents' worth? Correct me if I'm wrong, but that letter above is a carefully crafted attempt to draw an apology from the writers of the TV network. And I think calling on ABS CBN to apologize for an obviously fictitious story featured in a DRAMA special is uncalled for.

The only ones dense enough to believe the fairy tale that a UP student who graduated with the highest honors ended up like Angel Locsin’s character are the same ones who still believe in Santa Claus. It’s the same group of people who believe that Harry Potter can actually fly and Edward Cullen is real flesh and blood.

For lack of a better word, or phrase, the only ones who believe every detail presented in any TV DRAMA as being faithful to real life... are the ones who need to get a life. In short, they are the ones who need to GROW UP!

Because ALL ADULTS know that DRAMA is not just "reality" with the boring parts cut out-- it is also "reality" where the vital parts are sexed up so that the advertisers can get off while fantasizing about the ratings. When I overheard somebody dropping UPLB's name as the alleged alma mater of Angel Locsin's character, I just sneered and thought to myself "who in his right mind would believe this crap?" Writers of that DRAMA series should have chosen a school with less prestige to make their fiction atleast plausible.

That's why I was at first shocked when I heard about this response from UP. Then I became really, really pissed when I realized the timing of their response:

We are in the middle of the fight against the Right to Reply Bill.

I don't think the prestigious university, and its alumni, realize that the proponents of the Right to Reply Bill (the politicians who are the targets of their protest rallies) can use their inappropriate response to argue for the signing of that abomination into law.

UPLB, in its haste to safeguard its image, can be used as a tool by its own sworn enemies to legitimize the argument FOR the Right to Reply Bill, a bill that curtails Free Speech and by extension, Artistic Freedom, one of our most basic RIGHTS.

Yes. The same RIGHT that Protects Artistic license as practiced by ABS CBN is also the same RIGHT that UP Students have DIED for in the streets and in the hills.

I can overlook the fact that UP has forgotten about Oscar Wilde. I can also forgive UP for forgetting about Armando Liwanag (he's a prick anyway) but how can that University forget about Lean Alejandro and the man from Atimonan, Melito Glor?

Nakalimutan nyo na ba si Ditto Sarmiento?

Wala na bang magtatanggol sa karapatan ng malayang pamamahayag?

Dahil kung hindi Kayo,

sino?


to be continued...

Sunday, another gospel of Rock.

I saw this Photo Exhibit yesterday just before I picked up Ayheen at PCMC. It was taken by Professional Photographers who accompanied SACH Israeli surgeons on medical missions around the world, which includes pediatric patients in their neighboring states West Bank and Gaza.

I think the last picture above is about a woman crying in gratitude to Allah, thanking him for using an Israeli surgeon in healing her son. The only picture that can top this is that of an Israeli Mother crying to Jehovah, thanking him for using a Palestinian surgeon in healing her child. The only limitation to how high the human spirit can soar is the weight of our prejudice. So lose that baggage. COME ON, GET HIGHER.

This is a celebration of life. God bless the Palestinians and Israelis! and while we're at it, GOD BLESS THE FILIPINOS.