Livid Over Robertson

I was browsing Michael K's D-Listed September archive for the stuff that I missed over the last couple of weeks when I came across the Pat Robertson's comments on the current crisis happening over at the mainland and homosexuality. And he calls himself a man of God!

I think he should be struck down by lightning coming from the God he so publicly praises. I do not belong to any conventional religion (Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Judeochristian, Hindu etc) but even I know that Jesus' message is to spread love. But what is this man doing? He's spreading nothing but hatred and ignorance.

I have a lot of homosexual friends and I am proud to say that all of them are much more decent and deserving of Pat Robertson's God's love than him.

Superb Dreams and Evil Thoughts

I was on my usual commute routine last Saturday and had a whole lot of ideas rambling about in my head when my thoughts suddlenly shifted to Jay (see post entitled War of Nerves). I'm definitely over him, or at least I think I am, but sometimes I can't help it if my memory goes back to him for no apparent reason. If I could only have the same memory-annihilating treatment that Jim Carrey got in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Anyhoo, I have this theory that the only reason why Jay married his then-girlfriend Abby is because he got her pregnant. I don't know how true this is because I haven't talked to the guy for over 3 years now. I must admit though, that there are times when I take a sneak peak into his friendster site out of curiosity.

FYI, he's still in my friends list after all this time. There were times that I thought about booting him out but I just can't get myself to do it. My reason is that we had a great time together. Also, maybe deep inside, I still have that hope that we'd get back together one way or another. I've already had sex with a guy with a girlfriend (Jay) and a guy who's engaged (Odie, a friend from my old office - you remember him Cathy, right?). The only thing missing on the list is doing a married guy.

Back to my thoughts - what if his wife died in childbirth? Would he ever think of rekindling the flame with me? I know it's such a nasty thought but it just happened to pop in my head. Who never had ill thoughts on another person anyway? It's a direct violation of the Wiccan Rede ("And do what ye will but ye shall harm none" - in thoughts, words and deeds) but I just wanted to release that thought lest it fester my mind.

Sunday morning, I woke up with the biggest smile on my face. I dreamt that I was supposed to attend a lecture/seminar in Ateneo (Jay's alma mater - preschool, grade school, high school and college). I was standing somewhere when Jay came my way and gave me a ride like he always used to do way back when. I get off his car inside the campus and was able to find the venue.

I remember asking the secretary/attendant about the professor that would give the lecture/seminar but she told me that it wouldn't push through because that said professor applied for a leave. I wandered around the hallway for a couple of minutes when I suddenly found myself in a room full of other people watching something. I saw Joey Parker :D (see post Hot Cousin Joey) beside me and his arm is around me.

We were flirting like crazy when he slipped his fingers inside my undies and gave me an amazing hand job. After quite some time, he made me lie down and he got on top of me. I could feel his hands all over me while his mouth gently kissed and agressively sucked my very erect nipples alternately. End of dream

That left me with a really big hang-over. To this day, I'm still hoping for a continuation of that dream. Oh the things I'd do to you Joey! (Evil laugh)

xs: I'm still trying to figure out how to link the title to the specific post so I apologize for the inconvenience.

The Vatican Roulette

It's that time of the month again when I have to pop the first out of my 21-day pill cycle. I've been at it since the beginning of this year and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. I've gotten so much used to the pill popping that I'm at the point of being mechanical. It's one of the disadvantages (the other being the risk of having VD) of having an active sex life.

Anyhoo, we were having our customary (or is it mandatory?) afternoon merienda (snack) break when the topic all of sudden shifted to birth control. I found myself having a mini-lecture on the process of reproduction. Camille, our receptionist/back-up facilitator, is admittedly a little naive on the subject matter. She sheepishly tells us that she just slept her way through class when the teacher was discussing the tale of the birds and the bees.

Cam’s been with her boyfriend Butch for 5 years (and still counting) already but they still haven’t had sex. Nothing wrong with her, just a case of prudishness. She’s a tad bit shy and has had a somewhat sheltered upbringing. But mind you, she does get the dirty jokes being passed around.

Cam is only one of the millions of Filipinos in the dark about reproduction. According to a recent survey from the Department of about 30% of couples in the Philippine population is not aware of the link between having sex and having kids. The majority of these “unenlightened” people live in rural areas where access to information and health care is very remote. Being in the countryside with nothing much to do after their day toiling in the fields is over, sex as a form of relaxation is pretty much in order.

Add to this the strong grip that the Catholic Church has on them and you’ve got a crisis on population control. These people view children as a gift from God, which they are, but nothing more than that.

In line with this is the common thinking among Filipinos that the more children you have, the more people who would support you as you advance in age. It is not uncommon to hear about people having a dozen or so kids. My mom has 7 siblings; my dad has 5.

Back to the Church, the Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country with over 80% of its population in its fold. It is, undoubtedly, the institution that has the strongest presence anywhere in the country (well, most of the country anyway). The Philippine Catholic Church is a very reactionary lot – it opposes all forms of contraception except for the Natural/Rhythm method, also known as the Vatican Roulette.

In fact, they raised quite a ruckus a couple of years back when the Department of Health went full blast with their Contraception Campaign. I remember our parish priest having a very passionate sermon about it – that was the time that I was still going to mass. They were very adamant in trying to stop the Department of Health employees from having to disseminate condoms to people and give lectures on all the available birth control methods.

The Vatican Roulette is simply ineffective because a woman’s body changes its reproductive cycle to the days when she’s having sex. The body does that eventually because it’s been programmed that way. This dates back to the days of the cavemen to ensure the propagation of the human specie.

Happy Camper

Everything's just a-ok as of today. I'm quite amused that I was able to get away with paying my jeepney fare as a student instead of the regular rate :D I'm wearing casual clothes to work today - the half and half skirt from Havoc, an orange racerback tank top, my hot pink Red Tred sneakers and my reliable Esprit back pack that's been with me for the last 5 years or so. I ran out of coins for my fare, I didn't have any small bills and the only bills I have are Php100's and a Php500. I'm quite chuffed that I was able to get away with my little white fib.

I'm an even happy camper today now that Cathy's able to fix the setting of my blog to include her blog and as well as Jewel's, Joey Madison's, Michael K's and Marga's respective blogs on my links. Although I am ashamed to say it, I am an ignoramus when it comes to the technical details of blogs. I made a resolve, though, to learn as much as I can about the language used in this blog service provider.

Anyways, the big news in the office is still focused on Alan, out IT Head, and the hullabaloo he's in. Early Sunday morning, as he and Frank (another of our IT guy assigned to the newspaper that my boss' family owns) was on their way home from a gimik in Timog when they had a traffic altercation with a high ranking official from the MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority - a government agency in charge of managing the traffic situation, well mostly though). He had a gun with him and he fired a shot. Thank goodness that nobody was hurt and that the shot he fired only hit Alan's car.

Alan's already received phone calls from our boss and our boss' dad. Boss' dad (aka Mr.-Cabinet-Secretary-that-has-the-ears-of-the-President) has instructed the Editorial board of the newspaper that they should never stop writing about the incident until Alan gets a formal apology (I'm not quite sure if it's a public or a private apology). They're also in the process of mobilizing one of their army of lawyers to handle the case should it lead to a courtroom battle.

Yesterday morning, he got interviewed by Arnold Clavio in his morning radio show. Also interviewed in Arnold's show was the perp - Executive Director Angelito0 Vergel de Dios. He initially denied Alan's claim that he had fired his gun during the traffic altercation (as expected) but several minutes later, Arnold pulled a fast one on him and he incriminated himself via nationwide broadcast that Alan really was telling the truth.

Later that afternoon, a news crew from GMA 7 came to the office to do an interview with Alan. The reporter told him that they'd try to do their best to include the story for the 6:30 pm news. Everybody from our building and as well as our company's other building was tuned in but it the report on Alan didn't quite make it. Everybody was disappointed, of course, but we're crossing our fingers that it'd make the news by tomorrow (which is today).

I don't know exactly what'll happen to Alan's case but I do wish it'll turn out for the best.

Reflections

I've been very busy all week what with my conducting the finals for my four classes and my Icebreaker speech for the Executive Toastmasters Club. The trip to Caliraya on Friday afternoon was a fitting ending to my one helluva week!

Anyway, the sophies had their finals last Friday and I'm just so ecstatic about one of my students, Jase. The mechanics for finals was this - they'd have to find a speech that they'd have to deliver in front of the class as I'm handling a speech class. Thursday afternoon, while waiting for my students to give me a copy of their speech via e-mail, I came across Jase's message. I was surprised to find him volunteering a piece that he himself wrote. This guy did magnificent work in my book because he went through the trouble of goint the extra mile when the others simply took shortcuts.

Aside from that fact, his piece somehow felt as if it's talking to me. Thanks Jase for giving me the permission to post it in my blog!

Everyone has a dream of having their own family; you, me, the guy outside and especially ma’am Childa (one of their other professors). But dreams have the nasty habit of ending up as nightmares when you’re not looking. Nightmares that haunt us every single day.

You sacrifice & compromise, but in the end you realize that things between you and your partner can’t work out. Not because you failed to give it your all, but because you simply refuse to believe that you two are meant to be. Something that we may never understand but have to accept.

Girls cry, boys deny while the lonely dies. Some simply move on, the others get depressed while the rest get even. But in the end, we all lose a part of ourselves. Most of us wonder why these nightmares occur, but does anyone ever ask why do dreams come true when they do?

Do you ever thank Him when your dreams come true? Maybe you do, maybe you don’t. But isn’t it that we tend to forget about Him when we’re happy and come running back to Him when we’re down?

Have you ever thought about blaming yourself for letting things get out of hand instead of passing the buck? Ever tried taking responsibility for your actions instead of coming up with an excuse every single time?

Everything that we experience happens for a reason and we should learn from what He is throwing at us. We must realize that we are never given dreams without having the power to make them come true.

But always bear in mind that what we can’t all have what we want. Imagine if everyone had what they wanted. Every guy would have Jessica, Lindsay and or Jenna Jameson as their wives, a 12-inch dick with a muscular body and a mansion in their privately owned secluded island with a garage full of exotic cars while the women would get Brad, Tom or Peter North as their husbands, their own Macy’s, a 36, 24, 36 body and a pussy as tight as a virgin so their hubbies would not get bored with them.

And let’s not forget everyone’s favorite, MONEY! Wouldn’t life be boring if everyone had what they wanted? Try watching the Stepford Wives! That is why He made life adventurous, wild & unexpected, so that we wouldn’t get bored.

Now you may ask, how does one get to be happy when their dreams don’t come true? That’s easy! The happiest of people doesn’t necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

Dianetics Schmianetics

Last Sunday, my best friend from high school, D, managed to get me out of the house despite my having planned that day to be dedicated to my laundry. I got a call from her around 11:30 am and informed me of the Dianetics seminar that they'll be having over at the Traders Hotel in Roxas Boulevard in about one and a half hours. I told her that I have domestic duty calling but was able to win me over when she said that our other friends Cher and Zarah will be attending the seminar as well. I got excited as I haven't seen them in ages and I wanted to talk to them as well for a birthday bash/despidada that I have in mind for our friend Lea who's about to leave for the States and would probably stay there for good.

By the time 1 pm came, I was already dressed and took a cab to take me to the venue. I live nearby so it was no surprise that I got to the Traders Hotel before anyone else in my high school group. I brought with me the Dianetics book that I borrowed from D but never managed to read it in the almost 2 months that the book was in my possession :D Anyhoo, that proved to be an auspicious decision as the book served as my free ticket to the seminar because otherwise, I would've had to shell out Php500 for the entrance fee. I went to the registration table and proceeded to save seats for my friends.

Cher and Zarah arrived around 2 pm because of the long travel time (both of them came from Marikina) and wait time (I forgot who arrived late in their rendezvous point). They didn't really miss much because what transpired during the first hour was the introduction of Dianetics.

I came in with an open mind as I was curious about what Scientology and Dianetics is all about. At first, what the Australian speaker was saying was acceptable, at least in my belief system. He tells us about painful (physical, mental, emotional) and traumatic events having a very negative impact on a person's psyche. I agree with that because it is but natural for the body to come up with a defense mechanism against future instances of whatever that painful or traumatic event is. He then proceeded to tell us about the power of suggestion via words. I agree with that concept as well because words, in themselves contain energy. Shortly afterwards, he explained to us the dichotomy of the Analytical and the Reactive mind and its relationship to psychosomatic disorders. Okay, I think I believe in that somewhat.

The speaker's next statement raised a red flag in my mind when he claimed that ulcer, arthritis and asthma are psychosomatic disorders that auditing can cure. 'Is this guy on crack or something?' I thought. Okay, sure, it maybe true for some people with hyperactive imagination but what about people who habitually skips their meals which in turn causes the stomach's hydrochloric acid to eat away the stomach's lining? What about the people who got heriditary diseases? My dad's side of the family is notorious for gout being prevalent in their male members, my dad included having witnessed him go through the pain of gout twice or thrice in the last couple of years. My cousins got their ashtma from their mom. No wonder Tom Cruise is just whack!

For the last part of the seminar, they taught all the participants how to do a procedure that they call 'Auditing.' It's basically going through traumatic and painful incidents in your life while you're fully conscious (albeit with your eyes closed) to "reduce" the situation so that the negative engram (the side effect of having that painful/traumatic experience) would be obliterated. In the process, you become like a CSI going through everything, examining all the minute details of what your senses tell you. They have this assumption that even if you're knocked unconscious, your other senses such as hearing and touch becomes greater in the temporary absence of vision.

Watching the video of an auditing was amazing, at the time I was viewing it. When it came to putting into practice the theory. it did not work for me. I had a hard time recalling the sequence of events of a traumatic experience that happened when I was in high school some 10 years ago let alone recalling the minute details that the auditor is asking for. It was so ineffective that I got my friend and my auditor Cher to collode into pretending that we were still doing the damn exercise when in fact we were already chatting.

When we were done, members of the Church of Scientology kept on asking me to write a success story. When I told them that it didn't work, they asked me to do the auditing process a second time. Didn't work either. Al (D's friend) came to where I and Cher were seated. When he asked me how it was, I told him the truth and that made him propagandiza at lenght. What he did annoyed me to the point that I finally snapped at D's close friend, the man responsible for bringing the Church of Scientology to the country.

I took a cab with Zarah and Cher on our way home. I explained to them my side of the story. First point - I have the right to say no (with regards to the success story) and they can't make me do anything that I don't want to do. Second point - I hate hypocrites. I would rather come out as bitchy or in their case, someone with a reactive mind as big as Jupiter than to play along with what they wanted to hear from me. Third point - I've already made up my mind about Auditing not working for me. The mind is such a powerful thing that what whatever you think would happen. Since my thoughts are focused on the fact that Auditing just doesn't work for me, there is no amount of energy in the world that would change the outcome. Al, of all people, should know that!

Newbie's First Day

Last night is my first night as a newbie to the Executive Toastmasters Club and it was such a blast. I was somewhat nervous as I didn't really know anybody and Cathy texted me about a couple of hours earlier that she wouldn't be able to make it in time for the meeting due to her being swamped at work. I made it a point to be in the venue early as I still have to find the specific room where the meeting is going to be held and I had to settle as well my membership fees. I arrived at the Manila Peninsula Hotel around a little past 6:20 and found Crytabel, the incumbent president, at the front of house while Gina and her guest's already seated inside the Recto Function Room.

A couple of minutes later, more and more people started to arrive and we introduced ourselves to each other - there was Rexy, Conrad, Sukhoman (aka Pinky), Irene, Majeed, Khris, Owen, Patrick, Cathy the accountant and a couple of guests from Proctor and Gamble who were shopping around for clubs that could join. Last night's line-up was still missing a couple of people and Pinky asked me if I could be the Ah Counter. I immediately said yes without any hessitation which coincided with that night's theme of "Taking the Plunge."

Things went very smoothly for me from the start to the end of the program. Dinner was wonderful as well although it was kind of pricey - Php 680 for Chicken with Risotto and Vegetables with Seafood Bisque. Overall, I was happy and relieved at the same time because I apparently did a good job with my first task. During the introduction of the club members to each other and to the guests, I was able to commit myself into doing the Icebreaker (Speech project number 1) in the next meeting which is about a forthnight from last night. I've been thinking about what my icebreaker would be since the first time I went to the Executive Toastmasters Club meeting about a month ago and I now have a fairly good idea of my topic and my structure so I better get started if I want to deliver a magnificent performance two weeks from now..