Black Widow on the prowl

WE'VE been told the our favorite Black Widow is at it again, preying on hapless old gents with a couple of them doddily escorting her in several recent social events. After a generous "inheritance" from her old banker beau who had passed away just last year (and supposedly where she asked for yet more goodies while he lay at his deathbed in a posh hospital south of Manila), she certainly looks as if she has moved on. (Not a few friends of this gentleman banker have remarked that he must have sadly realized, so close to his death, that the woman he loved was indeed, just after his money. Tsk, tsk.)

The latest gents seen leading Black Widow by the arm is a former court judge and a publicist with a column in a major daily. Uh-oh. How's your health, Lolo?

* * *
IT's confirmed. A company which had wanted this wanna-be socialite/event manager/publicist to be its celebrity endorser has held off its plans after the said "celebrity" (and yes we have to put that in quotes) got caught up in a scandal involving his client as well as allegations of substance abuse and drug pushing.

We don't care much for what endorsements he will soon lose. We just want him arrested for his bad hair days and hideous fashion sense.

* * *
OOF! Not only is the wife of this still-in-the-closet gay banker a lush and a fan of blue magic, we hear their son has picked up the nasty snorting habit as well. Can anyone fix this family please? Hoy lola, magpakatotoo ka na kasi!

If it's you they're talking about

Something Like Life
April 18, 2008

HOW many of us have been the subject of nasty rumors or malicious gossip? And how many of us knew what to do about it?

I must admit, I’ve been the subject of a few distasteful stories in my lifetime, touching on my personal life or my work, though none of them in the epic DJ Montano proportions. But then I don’t have a high-flying fast life which can open me and my actions to public scrutiny. Also, I don’t pretend to be something I’m not. (Like, I’m not above riding the MRT to Makati, but I will not shirk at an offer of a chauffeured ride home in a properly air-conditioned, luxuriously outfitted, leather-seated car.)

So what happens when you become the flavor of the month—or months—of your office or the society circle you move around in? Some of you may have been accused of sleeping your way to the top position of your company (or, worse, filching office supplies...how cheap naman!), or maybe having an affair with a married co-employee, or getting a job because of your familial connections?

Among your circle of friends, you suddenly hear that you’re supposedly a drug addict, an alcoholic, a sex pervert, are gay, or—worse—deep in debt! People begin talking about how much of a freeloader you are and how you attend events just to get hold of the goodie bag! Then your own so-called BFFs start turning on you. What to do?! What to do?!

In my own experience, I’ve realized that a lot of the gossip at work is primarily due to jealousy. Some people have a puffed-up opinion of themselves and basically think that they are better than you. And when they don’t get the promotion they’ve been secretly desiring and which was given to you instead, these losers can or will start rumors about you, or stir up critical talk about you.

Everything about you will be called into question. Nothing is safe. These inggiteros will discuss every single little detail of your life and joke about petty stuff, like the way you wear your pantyhose or that hideous dress you supposedly wore to the company cocktails last night.

But, seriously, the only way to quelch rumors of this nature is to basically shut up and continue doing your work well. True, it’s uncomfortable to be amid such unpleasantness day in and day out, especially when you’re trying to focus on doing a good job. But I am a stern believer that actions will always speak louder than words. And in the end, you will be vindicated.

The best thing to do is to play office politics. Try to get these losers on your side by involving them in projects. When they manage a good job or your projects are a success, recognize their efforts and watch them change their opinion about you. They will soon realize why the boss chose you and not them for that promotion.

I always tell my friends who are in such a bind that they are “celebrities,” and their underachieving colleagues at work will always envy them. I joke that it is a bane of their so-called celebrity status to be the subject of gossip all the time. The best thing to do is ignore the talk and just do the work.

But whether the negative issues about you are at work or touches your personal life, the best defense is really the truth. If you haven’t been seen stuffing your face with drugs or regularly beating up helpless people, then people won’t talk about it.

I remember one celebrity who was rumored to have made a punching bag of relatively unknown and basically defenseless kids, and had his friends gang up on them. I had firsthand knowledge of one of his victims as this kid was close to my friend’s daughter. My friend’s daughter told me the victim had already been beaten up by this neanderthal and his gang at school once before. And to think the goon had actually wanted to run for mayor! Ang kapal! So in his case, where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

(Funny, though, how rumors about the idiocies and odious habits of several celebrities and high-society flunkies center around just one club at The Fort. Hmmm...it must be the water.)

Now what if the gossip about you is actually true? What do you do?

Well, all you have to do is grin and bear it. Nothing will ever remain a secret in this society. People in these parts treat gossip as part and parcel of entertainment. Any rumor about someone popular and his secret life uncovered is much better than the whole of Marimar.

So whatever indecent acts you’ve been practicing, or whatever odious behavior you subscribe to, you will be found out. After all, we live in a small world where the next person ready to hear some juicy stories about you is just a text or e-mail away.

And if you don’t want to be talked about in a scandalous fashion, then behave. Keep a low profile. Stop acting so foolishly and calling attention to yourself. It’s really your fault for living so large and loudly.

I recall a friend being asked by a victim of some malicious gossip, advice about what to do to handle the nasty talk about him. One of the distasteful rumors being circulated about the victim was apparently the size of his, uhm, appendage. His text to my friend went something like, “By the way, the rumors are not true. I’m a medium.” To which my friend texted back, “But (guy's name), I told everyone you’re large!” Stop being defensive!

Okay, so what if the rumor about you is totally untrue and already destroying your reputation? Then go to the source of the gossip—if you know who it is—and talk to him or her about it. Find out why he or she started this rumor about you and see how you can settle things. Don’t be confrontational or threaten to sue every bone in his/her body.

You cannot underestimate the power of communication. Sometimes all it takes is an open channel between two people and a sincere effort to settle differences. Be honest, fortright and reconciliatory.

The best way to handle gossip of course, is to avoid it. Keep your nose clean and your feet firmly planted on the ground.

The intelligence aspects of the ZTE broadband deal

Not intelligent though to realize her foundation isn't pantay. Calling Joan Zapanta! Pls. get the Presidentita a new makeup artist.

(IN an email, net activist Gerry Kaimo asks pointed questions about the intelligence aspects of the ZTE broadband deal. While I doubt that the Chinese government is interested in us at all considering the bumbling stupidity of our government leaders and amateurish techniques of corruption in this country they surely will not learn be able to learn from, his musings are nonetheless valid.)

Gerry writes:

Can we get someone to explain to the forum the intelligence aspect of the deal? China can and will tap all those lines and it's like a spy's dream of Christmas come early. If they install it, they will obviously arrange it so that firewalls will have enough "holes" in them to manage to tap into the entire system. So instead of sending a slew of spies, they just have to switch on their PHILIPPINE CONNECTION Computer and have a couple of hundred geeks monitoring the Philippines. I can't get over how with all the military people in GMA's junta, so blinded are they by other aspects of this deal that basic rules of intelligence gathering are about to be initiated by China and used for whatever devious plans they have. Military intelligence, economic information, data from one barangay to another all the way to DILG (Department of Interior and Local Governments) to Malacañang will fall into China's hands. Considering their Big Picture plans on Asia, it still hasn't dawned on them [GMA and company] that no other country in ASEAN has gotten into a deal with China, be it ZTE or whatever other lead-based company is involved. It just doesn't make sense."


Yes folks, Gerry is an Atenean. Thankfully, he's one of the good guys...unlike you-know-who's husband.

Has Neda gone nada?

(Alecks Pabico of PCIJ writes about the Neda of the past and of today and it isn't a pretty picture...thanks to Romy Neri. I don't think the agency will fare any better under Tito Santos who may be a Neda veteran but as we have read in the news lately, apparently lacks the same backbone as his predecessor.)

HE IS known by many Filipinos as the author of that economics textbook with the blue cover, but once upon a time Gerardo P. Sicat was the head of a powerful government agency that took care of preparing and coordinating the country’s socioeconomic and development plans. In fact, back then, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) was very powerful, particularly given its oversight function with respect to the plans of government agencies. Though by protocol, the NEDA director general was not a member of the Cabinet, the position was of Cabinet rank and the NEDA chief was even regarded as a primus inter pares (first among equals).

NEDA was created by then President Ferdinand Marcos in 1972 by merging the Presidential Economic Staff (PES) and the National Economic Council (NEC). Sicat, who was appointed by Marcos as NEC chairperson in 1970, served as the newly organized NEDA's first director general. Recalled Benjamin Turiano, who joined NEDA at about the same time as Sicat and is now a director there: “That was the time when NEDA really had so much clout, when it was looked up to by the Cabinet.”

Read the rest at PCIJ

Arroyo decides 'not to continue' with ZTE deal — Bunye

From the Inquirer, Oct. 2, 2007

SHANGHAI (VIA PLDT)—(UPDATE 2)President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has decided "not to continue" with the controversial $329-million contract for the National Broadband Network (NBN) project.

At a closed-door bilateral meeting, Arroyo took it upon herself to “explain” her decision to Chinese President Hu Jintao, her spokesman said.

“At this point, the President explained ‘the difficult decision’ not to continue with the NBN contract,” said Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, recalling Arroyo’s words during the 50-minute meeting with the Chinese leader.

IT'S like we're all still waiting for the punchline..."not to continue"...for now?/just yet?/in the meantime? you fill in the blanks. Take note, the quote "not to continue" did not actually come from the Presidentita but from Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye. The verbatim quote from the terrifying little one was only the phrase "the difficult decision," in her talk with President Hu of China.

Bunye, a former journalist (which should make him an excellent communicator), was even too afraid to speculate what "not to continue" meant, lest he misconstrues his Presidentita's real intentions. How can the Presidentita quell the political noise she keeps complaining about when she can't even be clear about her policies? Aba, does she need a dictionary or thesaurus to make a serious and important announcement on an issue that is tearing her administration apart? All she has to say is "CANCEL" right? That is, if that's what she meant exactly.

But you and I know that's not what she really wants to happen, di ba? After all, the bribes have all been paid and probably spent (or deposited in Switzerland), so she is just leaving herself some legroom to squeeze in the controversial China deal at the last moment, just when everyone least expects it, when no one is looking. I wouldn't put it past her.

****

BUTI nalang me good news. Our own Superstar Nora Aunor is free! Yehey! After doing a Lindsay, her lawyers said Ate Guy no longer has a criminal record. Another little one...but super talented. "My brother is not a piiiiiiiiiiiig!" (Bow!)

Read on at Ate Guy forevah!

Haba ng hair ng lolah ko! Ate Guy leaves the LA court with her lawyer Sherwin Edelberg and aunt Belen Villamayor. (Photo from the Inquirer)

KSP theory...and the deal between the Pacman and Ara Mina

MY throat hurts and I'm feeling fluish again. So blame the analgesics I'm taking for this wild theory on why Romy Neri doesn't want to tell all. Perhaps he's actually enjoying all this attention? After all, when has a certified geek ever been noticed?

After finishing high school at the Ateneo (uuuuy...pareho sila ng school ni FG Mike Arroyo!), he was class valedictorian and graduated magna cum laude from UP. But so what? Did he get any of the adulation he apparently had been craving for while doing the numbers of private companies or as a teacher? Neri actually gained popularity only when he headed the Congressional Planning and Budget Office because it churned out studies that the media lapped up on slow days, when nothing was happening in Congress.

Even when he was NEDA Director-General, he never stood out because he allowed the agency's oversight functions to be emasculated by his Presidentita. (It used to be that heading up NEDA was a prestigious and well-respected government position. I remember a time when its DG would even lecture the IMF team on money supply growth during review missions of the country's programs. Pahiya ang IMF, walang alam sa economics.)

Then he tried his hand at golf, but couldn't even pay to play unless invited by members of other golf clubs. Actually, our friends who are avid golfers say that's how smart Neri is. He would use other people's golf memberships to play – the reason he was at Wack-Wack in the first place where the alleged bribe attempt of Comelec chairman Benhamin Abalos took place. Juice me! Ka-cheapan! Ayan, nadale ka tuloy sa ZTE.

So maybe Neri's really just stringing all of us along, basking in the attention he would never have gotten nor deserved in all his life. It's like the guy who people force to sing karaoke in front of an audience and kunyari hesitates, but 'yun pala, me dalang minus one! Neri is loving every minute of all this drama with the senators who try to force him to disclose his conversation on the ZTE deal with his Presidentita. E kelan pa sya sisikat ulit anoh? KSP (Kulang Sa Pansin) lang talaga siya! Chus.

In the meantime, did you guys know there was this rumor which went around last month about an affair between boxer Manny Pacquiao and Ara Mina? Well, I didn't know until I read the denial today of Pacquiao's wife, Jinky (maganda sya, in fairview), that she and her husband were fighting about Ara. How kalowka is that?!

Bakit ganito kapatid?

THERE'S this really fascinating story in GMANews.TV about how former NEDA Director-General Romy Neri is supposedly sore at the media for trying to drive a wedge between him and his Presidentita. He supposedly lamented about this situation to Secretary Cerge Remonde, director-general of the Presidential Management Staff.

The story is so hilarious because it is so elaborately-constructed, with matching bakla dialogue ("Bakit ganito kapatid?" was how Remonde says Neri put it), and with angst dripping all over the place. It is so utterly unbelievable considering that Neri isn't really close to anyone in the Cabinet to confide his feelings to...well, except maybe for Finance chief Gary Teves, who became an unwitting accomplice in the Abalos-ZTE bribery fiasco.

And even if the conversation did take place, Bakit ganito kapatid? because kapatid you were stupid not to have told the truth! That's why. Gads since when did the PMS chief become an administration mouthpiece? Di ba tiga-ayos lang 'yan ng papeles ni Presidentita sus?

The lengths to which this administration goes to just to spin this scandal in their favor continues to amaze me. It is almost terrifying to have these many amateurs working on the Presidentita's team, you constantly wonder about the future of this country. It's so nakakatawa na nakakainis!.

Romy Neri the wimp

(Romy Neri with his Presidentita...BFF! Photo from The Philippine Star)

ATENEo/UP technocrat Romulo "Romy" Neri will go down in Philippine history as the man who could have, but didn't. He could have stopped all this moro-moro, put an end to the shenanigans in this corrupt government of his Presidentita GMA, could have saved taxpayers a lot of money by ending the Senate hearings, etc., but alas, didn't.

He shirked away from his patriotic duty and lost his balls possibly while he had the runs last week. Oh sorry, did someone say his balls are well taken cared of? Oh excuse me...that's probably why he wouldn't talk...the Presidentita knows all about it.

Well, as I said earlier, Romy Neri should never have been given the post of NEDA director-general in the first place. He has no backbone to speak of unlike his predecessors Winnie Monsod, Ciel Habito, and Dante Canlas. Those guys were honest to the core (okay forget about Habito and the voice of God stint) and would not be swayed by any of Malacañang's exertions. They never lied about the true state of the economy, unlike this guy Neri who has led all the government agencies in charge of economic policy and statistics to massage the country's growth figures. We journalists have a term for a similar kind of reporting...SS (go ask your media friends what it means). With Neri's personal background, we're not at all surprised. (Gads, wasn't it super annoying how he kept on turning to his alalays for each and every question asked of him? Ano ba?! How the hell did you become a Cabinet Secretary?!)

Okay give the guy a medal anyway for confirming that Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos did offer him a bribe of P200 (pesos? thousand? million? billion? pesos or dollars?). But by claiming executive privilege on the other parts of the conversation he had with his Presidentita after he made sumbong about Abalos' bribe try, he was merely protecting her dastardly deeds (how could she not know what was going on with a big effing deal costing $340 million?).

By running away from the truth, Neri has singlehandedly destroyed the credibility of NEDA, a government agency tasked to assess all major government projects and monitor the implementation and use of overseas development assistance. He even allowed his Presidentita to take over its oversight functions. (A text message from a former DG: "Deliberate 'yan: Destroy NEDA's oversight function so the plunder agenda would meet no resistance.") I can imagine the frustration of all the hardworking good people over there.

Unlike Joey de Venecia who stood up to his father with the immortal words, "Pop, do you really want me to stand aside while the Filipino people are robbed of $200 million?” (as quoted by Boo Chanco), Neri stood by his Presidentita and allowed her and her minions to get away with murder. Maybe Neri just stayed too long at the Congressional Planning Budget Office, he probably got infected by the slimy ways of the congressmen. May you be cursed with the runs for the rest of your life, you wimp!

Meanwhile, it really frustrates me to listen to our supposedly esteemed senators rant about the proposed National Broadband Network and the ZTE deal when they can't even tell the difference between broadband, bandwith, IP, Voip! Pwede ba, mag-research naman kayo before attending the hearings? Can't you just google the goddamned terms? Or better yet, consult real IT experts. How dare you people go to your hearings unprepared against someone like DOTC Asec. Lorenzo Formoso. Grabeh, you guys sound like idiots! Grrr! (A basta, idol ko si Kap! K.)

And this is why La Salle will win the game today versus Ateneo. Animo La Salle! (pwede ba pagbigyan nyo na ko, blog ko 'to noh?)

Alternative realities

I was jolted out of my reverie during my two-week vacation (yes, folks, the reason I haven't updated my blog 'til today) by a friend who was ranting about the supposed insulting piece by yet another society columnist wanna-be, Malu Fernandez, on overseas Filipino workers. Malu Fernandez? Wasn't she a columnist of the Manila Standard Today? I have read her once or twice in the past, forgettable columns, or so I thought, until my friend brought up the society gal's take on OFWs. She said Ms. Fernandez's derogatory column appeared in the June edition of People Asia.

As my friend recounted what Ms. Fernandez had written supposedly about how our Bagong Bayanis smelled, especially after being cooped up in an airplane on a long flight from Dubai to Manila, I recalled having read a similar piece by the same columnist in her home paper. I remember the piece about favorite scents of some people breathing the same rarefied air as Ms. Fernandez, but she had taken off from the same dig at OFWs. (Read it here)

Now I didn't think too much of Ms. Fernandez's column then. I thought it was another feeble attempt at wit by yet another untalented hack. And I thought it was sad that for all the chi-chi-ness she tried to project, she flew economy on an international airline...ay pobrecita! I didn't know she had reprised that same train of thought on OFWs in her People Asia column until a few days ago. So I proceeded to read the piece over the weekend. This time around, the insult was more pointed and obscene. She said she was trying to be funny, but obviously she had failed miserably, not due to the lack of sense of humor on the reader's part, but her obvious lack of writing talent. Her piece had bombed, and she was now reaping the consequences of her poor choice of words and her, well, unfunniness (yes, folks there is such a word). She was blogged to death...the OFW community unleashing their vengeance like a tidal wave, calling for a boycott of both People Asia and MST. I can only say, ang tindi talaga ng Filipino bloggers! Wow!

Last I heard, Ms. Fernandez had submitted her resignation to both People Asia and MST editors. I don't know if this has been accepted. I suppose, in their aim for a wider readership, the editors thought the presence of Ms. Fernandez could help bring class to their publications. Too bad, all they got was poor taste. Well, we all make mistakes. Perhaps the editors of these publications can consider the feelings of our OFWs and let her go.

Ms. Fernandez has apologized (rather belatedly after trying to stand her ground during the first backlash), and as fellow human beings, we can only accept and forgive. Let's stop all this name calling and insulting comments about fat people and pigs, etc. because it's unproductive and you are being just as bigoted as Ms. Fernandez. Don't stoop to her level. Her weight is not the issue, it's her insensitivity and dull writing. (Oops!) Okay, tama na 'yan...let's get on with our lives.

Peace people!

P.S. Stay tuned for my vacation photos, guys!

Email manners

The thing I detest the most since the invention of the email is the explosion of spam and forwarded mails. While spam can often be controlled in webmail clients by adjusting your email settings, it is almost a hopeless situation when it comes to forwarded mail.

Not a day goes by when my inboxes in my various webmail clients don't contain some forwarded mail. If it comes from a relative or friend, syempre I can't categorize their email address as spam unless I'm willing to risk missing the chance that they will actually send me a real personal note containing their own thoughts, expressions, feelings and ideas, right? (Asa pa ako.)

What I don't like about forwarded mail (aside from them being usually idiotic jokes, boring anecdotes of other people, or chain letters which say you will receive some good news the minute you forward the same email to other people!) is how the sender usually exposes your email addresses to other recipients. Parang, kilala ko ba 'yang ibang tao na pinagsi-CC mo? Don't these frequent forwarders see the BCC feature on their email composer?

To those who still don't know what it is, BCC means Blind Carbon Copy. It is a means to send email to multiple recipients without exposing their email addresses especially to people who don't know them. It's a privacy issue, okay? Think about it, do you want me to send your cellphone number to 20 other people without asking your permission? It's the same thing.

So I gently remind these frequent forwarders that I appreciate their email but to please use the BCC feature on their email next time. Some will email back that they promise to do so, but lo and behold! another one will again send her forwarded mail with all the recipients listed and exposed! Ang tigas ng ulo da vah?

Syempre I don't want to be rude naman. But for those who really don't get it, I send this link Thanks.No which has helped reduce my number of frequent forwarders. When all else fails, I just categorize the nutheads' email address as SPAM so whatever they send me will end up in spam/junk folder. Or I automatically delete the mail. Sorry nalang kayo, ang kukulit nyo e! (Believe it or not, one person actually asked me why I wasn't responding to her forwarded mail. Hello? Hilo ka ba?)

Personally I think people who keep forwarding mail just have too much time on their hands. (I know one who does this about three times a week!) They're probably bored with their own insignificant lives that they have to forward mail to make them feel like they're doing something worthwhile in the world. Why don't you just volunteer to build a home for the poor kaya? Or save the whales! Maybe help stop climate change?

But if they think it's a way for them to keep in touch with their friends and relatives, then they're dead wrong. It's an annoying habit that should be done away with. I mean, why don't they just write a real personal note telling the recipients how they're doing, da vah? I'd rather read an email from my buddy who tells me about the recent restaurant he's visited, or an email from a friend who makes kwento about her latest boyfriend conquests. At least even if we don't see or talk to each other everyday, we're still updated about each others lives. That's keeping in touch!

So read my lips kids...forwarded email is JUNK! Stop mailbox pollution!