Accepting Consequences

Hayden should accept the consequences of his actions. He should say, "I f__cked up really bad, I accept the punishments due my crime. I can go to jail, I accept the revocation of my doctor's license." If only to preserve what little dignity left of his family name.

Taking video without the consent of his sexual partners is WRONG. I don't know the specific law he violated but taking advantage of his partner's trust, in a devious way, should be enough to condemn him to eternal damnation and shame. Saying that Hayden is mentally sick is an understatement. Deranged would not even come close.

Now the question: who dispersed the videos for all the world to see? That is clearly the crime here. Because, if the vids didn't come out, Katrina's lips would still be sealed. Yes, sealed forever with the most powerful Epoxy.

Katrina shouldn't say, "binaboy nya ako". Lol. I saw the vid. (on a tv doc, hehehe) In no way was she forced to do anything. She willingly, lustfully went up and down on her own. She committed a grave blunder in having illicit encounters (note: encounterSsss) with a man, whom she -- and, apparently, the whole universe -- know is in a long-standing relationship with Belo. With or without the video, that is wrong. And that mistake has severe consequences, as well.

The police are serious again in cleaning the streets against the proliferation of sexual videos, not just of Katrina's; and, whatever their agendas, fiery talks of privacy and pornography resound once more in the sacred halls of our Congress. Now that is not a bad thing for our country.

Light and Shade

I was basking in the glow of the setting sun at the top of DBP Building. I took this shot of the San Pedro Church Cross as the sun began to disappear over the horizon.

As I turned to leave, I came face to face with this shadowy figure.

Survivor

Still you survived. You are all over. How do I control your growth?

Blake

Blake remained still, long enough for me to take this shot.

The dark horse wins

The dark horse, the underdog wins.

Although Kris has always been safe in the voting for American Idol, I always thought Adam will win. It's a bit of a shocker, for me, at least; Simon did not even stand when the camera zoomed in on the judges when the result was announced. Throughout the season, Adam made great performances, one after another, while Kris seesawed from good to exceptional. Kris last performance was ludicrous considering he is a finalist of a song competition where thousands auditioned for. It exposed the weakness and limits of his voice.

Last night, despite Adam's phenomenal performance, Gem sensed that Adam will be in trouble; especially after Kris's teary-eyed Mom and Dad narrated the free song coupon that Kris, as a child, gave to his mom. I think, Gem was silently hoping -- even pleading with the American voters -- that they had cast more votes for Adam than for Kris.

I texted Gem as soon as the result was announced. She immediately called and asked if the difference in the number of votes was announced, too; the sound of despair evident in her voice. I said no.

Earlier in the season, there were talks of a Christian vote going strongly for Kris and Danny, both very active in their respective churches. Talks of the Christian votes began after photos of Adam, like this below, and a gay porno video, with him as an active participant, started circulating around the net. Kris said he hoped the outcome wouldn't be decided by "having the christian vote."

I think this is why Simon consistently remarked that this is a singing competition and that the better singer should win.

“After the third one leaves, you wonder where do the votes go from that third contestant,” Paula Abdul said after Tuesday's showdown. Evidently, Paula, you have your answer.

It's amazing how a reality TV show can evoke a feeling of loss or triumph not just from my Gem but from a lot of people, as well. The time and effort invested in following the progress of each contestant week after week, perhaps, created a special bond by viewers toward the competitors. And the hopes and despairs, the joy and elation of the contestants are shared, too, by their loyal followers.

Wilderness Time

I'm halfway into finishing "Living in Wilderness Time" by Melissa Walker.

Someday I will experience some of the excitement, the peace, the calm, the clarity of purpose she experienced in her months of solitude in the wilderness of America.

I was reading blissfully at the coffee shop at Caltex until around 9 Am when some lawyer (I think) sat down, opened his laptop and started talking loudly on his phone.

I moved to another coffee shop.

About the book: Soon after her fiftieth birthday, Melissa Walker set out on a journey that many women of her generation have mapped only in their dreams. Having spent her adult life raising children and climbing the academic ladder, Walker decided to put some of the environmental theories she'd taught into practice. Leaving her suburban life, she ventured into the wilderness.

Treky once more

That's it. After watching J.J. Abram's Star Trek, I'm a treky fanatic once more. I never expected the movie to be great. I thought a pre-kirk-the-captain story will be boring. Totally not. Even Gem couldn't stop talking about it through most of our late dinner.

Easily one of the best Star Trek movie ever. The story on how its famous crew came to USS Enterprise was fresh, original, thrilling, even exhilarating. It captivated me from start to finish with almost no lull in the pacing. Hell, even those who know NOTHING about the world of Star Trek will find this enjoyable. This reinvigorated the Star Trek characters and its universe.

This is not the same Enterprise crew that I have grown to love -- being on an alternate reality, with the Vulcan world destroyed and two Spocks coexisting -- but I'm craving for another adventure with these guys.

Main Door

Repair or replace? $$$ Darn.

I need you

One of our all time favorite songs.


I Need You

I wanna drink that shot of whiskey
I wanna smoke that cigarette
I wanna smell that sweet addiction on my breathe
I wanna ride across W Virginia in the back seat of a Cadillac
You know some cowboys like me go out like that
So I need you

Like a needle needs a vein
Like my uncle Joe in Oklahoma needs a rain
And I need you
Like a lighthouse on a coast
Like the father and the son need the Holy Ghost
I need you

I wanna get lost in some corner booth, Cantina Mexico
I wanna dance to the static of an AM radio
I wanna wrap the moon around us, lay beside you skin on skin
Make love til the sun comes up, til the sun goes down again
Cause I need you

Like a needle needs a vein
Like my uncle Joe in Oklahoma needs a rain
I need you
Like a lighthouse on a coast
Like the father and the son need the Holy Ghost
I need you, OOH I need you

I wanna drink that shot of whiskey
I wanna smoke that cigarette
You know some cowboys like me go out like that
So I need you, wohh I need you
I need you I need you I need you, I nee-ed you

Multiplicity

For a long time, I have been planning to create a multiply account. Well, I finally did it. http://manuelcartagena.multiply.com/

Blogger is uncomplicated, easy going, and smooth while Multiply is elaborate in its attention to details and organizes lots of things I want to see in a webpage. My multiply account can be programmed to update blogs every time I have new entries or changes in my blogger account. Amazing. It has links too with my flickr and youtube accounts. But if I can an make auto updates on these accounts too -- I still don't know.

I think I'll maintain both Blogger and Multiply accounts for now. But journalling (open journal, that is) will still be done in blogger.

Leading With His Chin

Reading "Leading with My Chin" by Jay Leno

I was laughing most the time when I read this book, which prompted a waiter to ask what the book was about. Jay Leno always sees the funny side of life. Because of his job as a comic, he'd been turned down and ridiculed many times that it's just amazing he didn't give up early on. His love for his parents, his humorous childhood escapades, his hard life on the road, all his odd jobs are some of the funniest -- and inspiring -- stories of his life.

As I go through this pivotal moment in my life, Leno's life is, somewhat, an inspiration. I realize that with his persistence and his hard work, there was really no way he could have failed. A lot of people, too, helped him along the way, come to think of it, even those who tried to bring him down gave him the tenacity to persevere with his trade. I remember this quote: when you walk with purpose and perseverance, the world will step aside and let you pass. This is so true. People who have no goals and just drift through life will give way and, even, help someone who moves with purpose and determination.

Leno is very persistent:

"To audition in places like Catch a Rising Star and The Improv, we would start lining up outside the clubs at two in the afternoon with hopes of getting onstage sometime after eleven that night. You'd spend your whole day sitting in the curb, waiting and waiting. Inevitably, somebody in front of you would say, "This sucks!" and walk away. I always enjoyed that. All of a sudden, I had moved up! Without doing a thing, my standing had just improved! That process seemed to encompass my philosophy in life."

"The point is, any idiot can have a life. If you're breathing you've got a life. I've never been better at anything than anybody else. Which meant that I would always just have to work a little harder to keep up or maybe even pull ahead. Like the turtle who raced the hare, I plowed forward, slow and steady. Even if it meant sitting on curbs all day or sleeping on the back steps of comedy clubs all night."

I guess, this story summed up how I felt when I decided to make the crucial change in my life, too. From the book:

"One comic I knew just left for California and, within a few months, POW!, he was booked on The Tonight Show."

"That night, I was back in my Boston apartment, watching the Tonight Show. The comic did okay, nothing special, but there he was --- performing ten feet away from Johnny Carson's desk. I thought, "Geez, I often did much better that this guy when we played clubs together." And I couldn't shake the thought. Now my gut was burning and I knew it."

"I'd already quit my job at Foreign Motors to focus on comedy. Now it was time to make the next big decision. If I stayed in Boston, I would want to have a nicer apartment or a better car --- and suddenly I'd be stuck there, married to these possessions. In such pivotal moments, you either stay or you go. I imagined there'd been a fire in my apartment -- which wasn't far from the reality of what a dump it had become! What would have I really lost? A refrigerator? A christmas tree?"

"Sometimes before The Tonight Show ended that night, I just said, "That's it. Let me call the airlines and book the next flight to California."

"Which is what I did. I told the neighbors that they could take anything of mine that they wanted. I packed up whatever else I needed and just walked out of the door. And that was that."

It took him more than a decade before he eventually became the host of The Tonight Show.
.

Moon Lighting

It's cloudy and rainy tonight. But, for a brief moment, the moon shines through illuminating my part of the world, casting this soft, gentle light over our home.

8:30 PM / Shutter 15 sec / Aperture 7.1 / ISO 200

Hang to dry

Red pajama.
White dots.
Hang to dry.

Nailed down

Nailed to a dead tree.
For what purpose?
I don't know.

reminder: ask Aunt Baby about this nail

Her Nursery

Make it as comfy, as snugly, as cozy my friend.
Your kids will live here for some time.

Courtesy of the early worm

Oh if you’re a bird, be an early bird
And catch the worm for your breakfast plate.
If you’re a bird, be an early early bird
But if you’re a worm, sleep late.

--Shel Silverstein
Where the Sidewalk Ends

Be still

Be patient.
Be still.
The wait maybe long.
The future unclear.
But hang on.
And be tough.
Be strong.
Be true.
Soon your time will come.
Soon you will bloom in perfect splendor.
You'll see.

Vet for a day

Became a vet again today. I vaccinated Aunt Baby's new puppies against common dog diseases.

These are difficult times. The 5 in 1 vaccine just cost P150; a vet charges around P400. With four dogs and counting, big savings for me.

Aunt Baby's new puppy: Kobe

Lighter Side

I love to see sunlight pass through the glass windows and settles on the floor tiles. It lights up the house; and starts another great day.

One of Gem's steel musicians plays on the floor

Morning readings

After a rush of morning chores, settling down with a good book makes for a perfect morning -- one of the benefits of my early retirement from work. Reading, at least, one book a week these days. And loving it.

mornings at home

Turning 60

The best thing on turning 60, Mama says, is the 20% senior citizen's discounts! Plus free movies on any theater every Tuesdays.

She is thankful and surprised of the two dozen red roses we gave her. We invited them for a simple dinner at home.

What is left of her cake.