Breaking news said there was an early morning earthquake in Manila, so I texted and IM’d family and friends asking if they were okay. Everyone had slept through it, except for Ganns, who told me he had been doing aerobics at 3:10 AM, the time of the tremor, so it was probably his fault.
Tim and Times
I’m not too concerned about RaTHergate and the Bush memos, since I’m more focused on the presidential candidates’ current positions and platforms rather than the indiscretions of their youth, but I still can’t resist linking to this authoritative analysis from Tim at By Farther Steps. The man was in the Air Force, and he knows his memos.
Also check out this page, with samples from a real IBM Selectric typewriter. Update: Pretty comprehensive typesetter’s analysis.
And find out just how deep the conspiracy runs. Hint: it’s not just Karl Rove’s work!
Amazing Kabastusan
I’m supposed to be in bed, but I caught Amazing Race on TV, and they were in the Philippines. The only thing more amazing than the race itself is the amazing kabastusan (Tagalog for “rudeness”) with which some of these contestants treated their Filipino drivers, quite fulfilling the stereotype of the obnoxious ex-colonizer.
To be fair, of course, they were racing for a million dollars, and reality TV producers do cast aggressive people in these roles, so it’s expected that etiquette will fall by the wayside. But still, Christie telling the jeepney driver to just run over pedestrians because they were in the way was quite over the top. That’s the same girl who, later, when her boyfriend Colin is plowing a paddy, is too prissy to get her feet dirty, thus leaving him to plow with an unguided carabao in the mud. Eh, tuloy, last place sila.
Okay, enough of that. Stupid reality shows.
DC Primary 2004
Today was the DC Primary, where registered members of the political parties vote for their representatives to the November General Election, and for various party and local council positions. I had to select a candidate for a Delegate to the House, a candidate for “Shadow” Representative, (both non-voting positions, since DC sadly remains unrepresented), an At-Large Member of the City Council, and for various Democratic party positions populated by coalitions with names like “RUNNING AGAINST BUSH” and “Victory 2004.” (Democratic Howard Dean supporters and mayorally beholden incumbents respectively, according to Washington City Paper’s “Loose Lips”.)
This week has been quite an instructional exercise in local politics, considering I didn’t even know what a primary was as of two days ago. And it is an experience like no other, to emerge fresh from voting at a precinct just two blocks from the Capitol, turn around, and see that big old Dome with the light on under the statue of Freedom.
DC Primary Election results here. Good to see Kwame Brown leading the Democratic race for At-Large Council Member, as he’s one of Smokefree DC’s preferred choices on our voter guide. Not so good that busted crackhead ex-mayor Marion Barry has won the Ward 8 Council Seat, because of people who vote for their “one-of-us” celebrities just like how Filipinos voted for Joseph Estrada in 1998. More from DCist.
Marcos’ Birthday
From Sassy Lawyer, a tidbit I hadn’t been aware of: September 11th was the birthday of Ferdinand Marcos. How apt. Read on for a nice capsule summary of Marcos’ life and tyranny.
Ne’er Re’isited
It only occurred to me last night, as I was reading the original words to Greensleeves, that perhaps the reason old hymns tended to pronounce words such as “ever” and “heaven” as single-syllables with silent v’s was because the archaic form used u’s rather than v’s in the middle of words, and was therefore pronounced as such. That may also explain why Chekov says “nuclear wessels.”
Photos from Last Christmas
It took me nine months to get down to it, but I’ve finally uploaded and captioned the photo albums for my trip to the Philippines last Christmas: Christmas in Manila — photos of me with family and friends through the holidays — and Santa Cruz Y Majayjay — a couple of days in Laguna to check on a business and visit my family’s ancestral house.
Ateneo de Manila alumni may also be interested in these shots (1, 2, 3) I took of the Church of the Gesu, built on the highest hill on campus.
Baby Bunny
One more NJ photo I forgot to post: this little baby bunny that hangs around Amy’s yard. He’s about the size of my fist, and can often be seen hopping about the front lawn or resting under one of the chairs in the backyard. Fidgety, but also rather brave, he let me get in this close before dashing into the bushes.
Photo taken with an Aiptek Mini Pencam 1.3MP SD.
Empire State Building
Early Monday morning, Amy and I visited the Empire State Building. We arrived there about 11am, and got to the 86th Floor observation deck in less than an hour. Tourist volume, while heavy, was far lighter than what we expected for a summer holiday. It was a perfect day to go up there: bright, warm, and clear, and we could see for miles around! Pictures and tour here.
Scenes from a Suburb
I was up in the Garden State with Amy through Labor Day weekend, and I’m always amused at how quintessentially suburban so much of the state is (with the possible exception of Trenton and Newark). Some sights from the quiet, sleepy towns of NJ:
A butterfly on a bush in Cranford, where Amy and I went to watch Ying Xiong (or “Hero,” as it’s known here).
A valley between the towering warehouse shelves of Costco.
Amy’s church in Union. Several Filipinos in the town also attend at this church for afternoon services.
At Amy’s grandma’s place, deer graze on the lawn. Great fun to see them the first few times, then it becomes a chore to chase them out of the bushes everyday.
Photos taken with a Sony Ericsson Communicam attachment (on T300 phone).