MEComposing

Education matters. Or intelligence. Or the strength of your err... connections. Or one's tenacity.

Erap was not a smart President. Some would even say he was a bumbling idiot who spent his Presidency days gambling and womanizing with fellow gamblers and womanizers. Yes, he was not exactly the most competent President to have been elected and his biggest flaw was that he was living in sin.

Our current President was well-educated and is well-connected. I guess one can say she also had a good career to be deemed competent. But whispers of corruption has been her career's twin, in the person of her husband. And now, push has come to shove so she sold out her cronies and is currently using some Executive Right (that experts say is no longer acknowledged) to keep quiet.

But she is intelligent. They say she (or her term) was massively corrupt in the past years in preparation for her stepping down in the 2010 elections, and that these remaining years will be spent on cover-ups and tidying up. Unfotunately, she had to be greedy one last time... with the ZTE deal.

As a fellow woman, she does not make me proud. As a woman, the only very womanly thing she's really done is to establish walls of exaggerated security around her. She's scared, for sure, so she keeps sending troops wherever in the merest hint of a rally.

But now, the people are finally awake... and there's real people power in the streets. Even different Churches have come together.

It was so easy to oust Erap because he was a puppet by so many people in power with vested interests. But I don't think it would be that easy to oust GMA, who willfully worked to be in power. After all, she has paid her dues well in the military (Marcos was only deposed when the military changed loyalties, right? But that's not to undermine the REAL People Power displayed then).

nd I cannot help but feel disappointment for my fellowmen, who were offended by Erap's womanizing and gambling but not by GMA's corruption. At least, it wasn't the people's money that made Erap richer. No one is forced to gamble anyway. But a lot of people are forced to pay taxes. And a lot of government projects didn't bring any good to the intended, and only made a few pockets heavier.

I admit to much ambivalence and detachment from this whole circus. But I am hoping, at least, that whatever happens will be another step towards the brighter future we Filipinos are all dreaming of.

Friends in London hve recently bought a new home two hours from the city because my friend's job is nearer there and her husband works from home anyway. To finance the purchase, they dipped into their savings and put a mortgage on their old home, which they are now having rented by college students.

UK mortgages are now a tricky deal, with lenders not only looking at one's gross salary but also looking into one's bank statements, credit card billings (to check spending habits?) and personal loans.

She says that if people are wise about money, mortgages can even be their friend. It can help send kids to school or finance major investments such as a new home and it will provide the necessary challenge to keep a tight and careful hold on the fmily budget. It should provide all the incentive to spend money wisely and the reward of being able to afford really wonderful things, like an education or a family business.

If you're looking for a waste of TV slot, watch 'The Sweet Life' hosted by Lucy Torres-Gomez and Wilma Doesn't.

Both can't host for sh!t. Both have problems reading from the prompter. Lucy's eyes also distract sometimes. And she's still as tuod as ever.

She is beautiful and classy, no question about that. I am also sure she really is smart and caring and a wonderful wife and mother. But again, she can't host for sh!t. She's boring, sad, totally not stimulating, I sometimes even don't get her humor. She usually reminds you of a babbling corpse. It's also evident how pampered and sheltered a life she lived.

Wilma is slightly better, at least she seems alive. But she also seems like a clown hired to make Lucy more luminous. I know that the network probably aimed for just this juxtaposition of black and white, bred and crass, married and not (unless Wilma is, I really don't know), princess and slave.

And I really don't get why they'd invite supposed authorities but just talk to that guest for one segment of the show. And I also don't know where they got the writers of the show, to come up with really pointless, boring questions.

I mean, there's nothing wrong with their topics... but always, the execution of each episode is sad. And a waste of TV time.

If am so disappointed by this no-good show, how come I seem to be watching it? I blame it on Destiny Cable which doesn't have Star World so we have to watch American Idol on QTV... and AI is always sandwiched between The Sweet Life and Moms (another equally bad show, but maybe it's GMA's way of making their stars feel important and busy).

In cash emergencies, what do you do?

Do you borrow money from a co-worker? Or your boss? Do you appeal to your friends' kindness or knock on your neighbor's door? Do you dip in your savings or cut back on groceries and utilities?

But have you ever thought of applying for a payday loan?

Payday loans and cash advances are loans you apply for using your future paycheck as collateral. It is intended to cover unforeseen events like emergencies which can run the gamut of accidents, mall sales, sudden repairs required, hospitalization, an expected payment that didn't make it, or a sale that did not push through.

Theperfectcashadvance.com has tapped onto the growing market for this type of loans as a preferred method of payment. Since it is easy to apply for, if you have a steady job and at least 18 years old (and a bank account that's direct-deposit enabled), a lot of people find payday loans very convenient to tide them over. In Theperfectcashadvance.com, you just basically go online, properly fill up the cash form, wait for the approval and if it is, withdraw the funds the following business day.

It is that easy. And you can be assured that all transactions in the site are safe. And you can breathe more easily now knowing that there is help when you need it.

Both were born via C-section. Pyro was breech with one foot and hand up, so my SIL's labor did not progress. Yakee was not breech but he didn't get in position, my cervix remained closed and I was not even having contractions at 40 weeks.

I didn't see Py born. I delivered Yakee and got to kiss him within minutes.

I first saw Py through the window of the nursery and was chagrined that he looked like my father. A lot.

Yakee was the spitting image of his father when he was born.

I didn't see Py again till they moved in with us... he's around 1-2 months old then. Yakee was sleeping with me from day 1 because we roomed him in.

Py seldom cried and didn't seem to get hungry. Yakee was colic for a while and nursed every 2 hours. Both had strong bones though, evidenced by their early neck control and ability to sit and stand (with support). Both 'talked' early too, vocalizing and whining and shrieking, you'd think they were girls.

Both had smiles that could melt even the coldest of hearts.

Both are great loves of my life.

But Py had always been thin, while Yakee is the picture of health from the beginning. Sometimes, I can't help but feel an irrational guilt that my son is healthy while others, like Py, are not.

Maybe because Yakee is purely breastfed and Py was not.

Py was very intelligent, however, and I hope Yakee will be too.

Py grew up with me documenting his development using my camera. Yakee is growing up under the glare of at least two digicams, three cam phones and one videocam.

I bought Py's yellow comforter but I couldn't find an equally-nice one for Yakee.

I only changed Py's diaper once while I am as familiar with Yakee's tush as I am with my hands. I think I also only fed Py once. Our household then didn't trust me alone with him. But I am totally, naturally, in-charge of Yakee.

When my son was still an infant and preferred sleeping prone, I lay awake those nights just watching him breathe, because I was scared of SIDS. But with Py, there was only that one night when I didn't dare sleep, scared that he'd get another allergic reaction from his chemotherapy drug.

I miss Py. I think i'm missing him more now because my son is interacting more now. And always, there is that faraway cloud hovering over my son's future inside me, scared that he might get sick like his cousin. And then there is sadness, that soon, Yakee will be doing more than Py ever did... enjoying more than Py got to.

I once said here that I loved Py first. But he's not anymore the only one I love best.

And I know that it's okay.

I just really wish I can love them together... but maybe it's enough that I love them forever.

Digiscrapping has led me to get digital pictures printed. I am especially obssessed with printing and digiscrapping pictures now because of my son! Sometimes, i'd get professional photo developers to print the pictures for me, especially if am printing tons of them. See, I also have this bad habit (on my side, because it costs me) of making copies for my nieces and nephews, for my in-laws, for my parents... but seldom any for us.

Sometimes, i'd also print the pictures at home. After all, we have a wonderful Canon printer and photo paper isn't that expensive anymore. But ink... this is the expensive one. Good thing there are shops offering toner cartridges for less. Printing pictures at home require high-quality ink so your printer won't suffer and the pictures will turn out as good as the ones printed in photo centers.

It's not just pictures too. I also print cards because I now make them myself. My pregnancy announcement cards were all printed by me using my card stock collection and new ink cartridges bought by hubs.

My friends abroad get their inkjet cartridges from inkers.biz because delivery is sure to happen within 2-3 days from ordering and it offers guarantees against defect for one full year. They also offer a thirty-day no questions asked return policy which I really wish for the ink shops here to also offer.

I wonder too if there are already ink shops here which I can order from online and offers free shipping within the city. Hmmm...

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