Archive for October, 2007
Citizen Joseph Ejercito Estrada
The life of Mr. Joseph Ejercito Estrada is full of surprises and the whole Philippines witnessed the ups and downs he went through in life. From being the famous action star, he entered the world of politics, which made him and broke him, at the same time. I, personally, pity the plight that he had to go through. Many believe that Estrada is, indeed, a good man but was too kind and gullible, thus, was swayed easily by people surrounding him.
He was born in April 19, 1937. His birthplace, Tondo, is one of the poorest parts of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Took up Engineering at Ateneo de Manila. He was expelled. His family was displeased with his dropping out of college and his involvement in a street gang that they forbade him from using his family name, thus, he adopted the surname “Estrada” (Spanish for ‘road’) as a last name.
He used to work as an ambulance driver before trying his hand on acting. When he entered the showbizness, he often played heroes of the downtrodden classes, which gained him the admiration of a lot of the nation’s many unschooled and impoverished citizens. This later proved advantageous to his political career. He was the first actor to be inducted in the FAMAS Best Actor Hall of Fame of the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences in 1982. He also became a Hall of Fame awardee as a producer. A double feat that no one has ever achieved such so far. He played the lead role in more than 100 movies, and was producer of over 70 films.
Estrada entered politics in 1967 by running for mayor of San Juan. He came to be known as the ‘Man of the Mass’. He had a heart for the poor and the downtrodded loved him, making him win as the President of the Philippines in 1998. As a President, he faced a lot of criticisms. A lot of people questioned his capabilities to run the country, some even attacked his personal capacity and background, but one thing is for sure, he did really won the 1998 election with the mass support he got. Later in 2001, he was accused for corrupt practices with his involvement in some jueteng money and was imprisoned for six years until his final verdict, which affirmed his conviction last Sept. 12, 2007.
Sandiganbayan declared him not guilty on the count of perjury but was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt on his plunder case and was sentenced to reclusion perpetua (or imprisonment of 20 to 40 years, carrying with it the accessory penalty of civil interdiction for life or during the period of the sentence as the case may be, and that of perpetual absolute disqualification which the offender shall suffer even though pardoned as to the principal penalty, unless the same shall have been expressly remitted in the pardon ~ Art. 41 of RPC)
Upon the imposition of the final verdict against the former president, Estrada even told the AFP that he was resigned for the latest drama in his presidency, the last and best performance of all. While the prosecution’s lead counsel Dennis Villa-Ignacio (by beloved professor in Criminal Law 1 at the Ateneo Law School, Rockwell) proudly asserted: “It shows that our judicial system really works.This is the last chance for the state to show that we can do it, that we can charge, prosecute and convict a public official regardless of his stature.”
However, another episode arose from the supposed ending of Mr. Estrada’s story. He was recently granted pardon by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and again many people criticized the grant given to him. From the standpoint of SP Villa-Ignacio, he told us once, in class, that he has no problem with the grant of pardon if ever, it is up to the President. For them, they have proven that there is still justice and that what’s most important is that the money that Estrada got from illegal transactions be recovered and be given back to the the sovereign, where it truly belongs. After all things said and done, the end is yet to be uncovered. We all have to be part of this ending, not by doing protests and creating noise that put no end to controversies, but by starting peace within ourselves. If the real players in the battle can forgive and time can heal, who are we to play the judge. I am no Estrada fan nor a supporter. I was one among the first who condemned and hated him from the day he stepped his foot at Malacañang. But nothing has happened, and nothing will happen if we’ll all stay in one corner and gnashed our teeth in dismay for the government or for the people in the government. We’ll have to step up and take our own roles as part of this State. Mind you, but we all have a role to play (or at least a role not to play). Everyone simply wants peace and order for the nation.
Oppositions may play an important role at times but too much oppositions brings out nothing. Our government is being crippled by too much criticisms that it is no longer able to do its job, which the people elected are well capable of doing, but they can’t because of too much politicking, publicity, criticisms, etc. The People Power we had, indeed proved a lot about the sovereign’s capacity to oust an unwanted or improper official. But even that power, when put into abuse as a threat to all officials, becomes evin in itself. We scare away good servants. We drive away sincere public service. And worst of all, we throw justice away to the pit of greed and self-interest. I am not saying that we should all forgive Estrada and put behind the wrong things he has done to the country. But it might be helpful to look forward than backwards, and help each other to move on and sail the country back on its way. IT IS TIME TO GO! As the former Pres. Estrada has gone away from his jail. It is time for the Philippines to head on from the bad memories of the past. We must all take our role and take the lead…on our own little way.
Add comment October 30th, 2007
Sex Myths
I have read recently in Men’s Health a very interesting article that I want to share here…it’s about the top 10 myths on sex life, and whether they are true or not.. Here it is…
1) Uncircumcised men have better sex.
FALSE: Researchers studied men who underwent circumcision as adults had no significant difference in sex drive, erection, ejaculation, or overall satisfaction. So it doesn’t matter whether you’re cut or not…it’s the sex that counts!
2) Some women can orgasm through nipple stimulation alone.
TRUE: Every woman is different, but one study shows that the upper portion of the breast, from 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock, is ultrasensitive enough to provide orgasm. So girls…be extra careful in bumping those boobies….might have some spontaneous orgasm…watch Grey’s anatomy to see how bad that illness could be.
3) The average erection measures 8 inches.
FALSE: In a recent study, 63 percent of men complained of having inferior hardware — but none of them was smaller than normal! Normal is between 5.5 and 6.2 inches long when erect and 4.7 to 5.1 inches around. So don’t worry too much…you’re fairly within the limit.
4) Oysters make you horny.
FALSE: Its YOU who make you horny. “There is no scientific evidence that oysters increase libido,” says Jon L. Pryor, M.D., a professor of urologic surgery at the University of Minnesota. So don’t blame it to the oysters ok!
5) Green M&Ms make you horny.
FALSE: It’s the green in you that makes you horny and not the M&Ms ok…
6) Semen is low-carb.
FALSE: Semen is mostly fruit sugar (fructose) and enzymes — not low-carb. So don’t even think of using it for your diet…
7) Cutting out broccoli will make your semen taste better.
TRUE: Semen is naturally bitter, and eating broccoli and drinking coffee can make it worse. A ray of hope for the Oral Sex Diet!
8 ) Men think about sex every 7 seconds.
FALSE: The truth is that only 23 percent of men claim to fantasize frequently. But maybe the rest are just too distracted to check the clock.
9) Some women can orgasm just from working out.
TRUE: A lot of women require a buildup of tension in their legs to achieve orgasm, so when they combine this with exercise (like a hanging knee rais) and the release of endorphins and dopamine, it can cause the clitoral stimulation that is needed. Oopss…take care when going to the gym…you wouldn’t want to do it there…unless…hmm…
10) Having sex in water (swimming pool, hot tub, shower) will kill sperm.
TRUE: Though a hot tub can overheat your testicles and kill sperm, there should be plenty left for the egg hunt. Some of your swimmers may die, but it isn’t an effective method of birth control.
(diclaimer: the above-text is an edited copy of the list from Men’s health with some personal comments)
Add comment October 30th, 2007
It ain’t over ’til it’s over…
Finals is almost done…except for one paper and defense left for thurs…but ‘exams’ is generally over…but i don’t know what exactly to feel about the recent series of exams…maybe i am still stunned with what happened. Things happened so fast and i don’t know if it was ‘fast good’ or ‘fast bad’. heheh…
I’m slowly getting the hang of law school…the world of uncertainty…im coming to realize that law school is indeed a perfect example of the application of everything in philosophy that Loyola school taught its students.
In philosophy, i learned about ‘MERON’, which means plain existence.
‘Ang pagmemeron ng tao na basta na lamang nandyan…pero ano ang meron? Meron bang wala sa meron? Meron bang wala? O maging ang wala ay meron?’ This is where the first discussion on philosophy classes normally revolve…’ANO ANG MERON?’
At the end of it all, after a very thoughtful and almost crazy thinking, it would turn out that the question is simply wrong…because we cannot quantify nor qualify mere existence with the question ‘what’ or ‘ANO?’. That’s how crazy law school is, as it turns out to me…we are made to think things not just out of the box or the books…but even out of this world…but i guess that is what truly makes a good lawyer…being able to anticipate all kinds of attacks. But im telling you, its no joke! We are made to read a pile of readings reaching to one’s waist…to be asked one question regarding an exact phrase from among all those readings…what the heck right? imagine, from all those readings…teachers expect us to remember one single phrase, ‘verbatim’. Duh! But that’s life of law…we have no choice but to strive harder and try to grab all knowledge we can, hoping that the next question would be covered with up to where our studying managed to cover.
This may seem like an exaggeration but this is exactly what we, or at least I, experienced. One sentiment I have is that it is ok for me to read such pile of readings if the question to be asked is at least within the readings. But the sad part is that, sometimes, even though you were successful in reading all the required documents, the question would still not be found there. Or it still needs processing before you can get to the answer…law school requires not only knowledge, but wisdom and understanding… of ALL the matters required…meaning everything in the world. hahaha!
Learning doesn’t stop inside the classroom or the law school. It is only the beginning and is without end…just like ‘MERON’ in philosophy. One must grab all opportunities to learn something new, may it be about things not necessarily connected with law, since law school is about the study of life and living. How people evolve, how they (must) relate to each other, and everything else related to life or living. At the end of it all, the recent finals is not yet final but just the first among the unending series of tests which a law student must take to become a lawyer and will continue until forever, while we are still sane.
I realize that the path I chose to take is no joke…and I am willing to take up the extra-mile, if God permits me…
Add comment October 25th, 2007
LAWYER STORY OF THE YEAR, DECADE AND PROBABLY THE CENTURY.
Charlotte , North Carolina .
A lawyer purchased a box of very rare and
expensive cigars, then insured them against, among
other things, fire.
Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile
of these great cigars and without yet having made
even his first premium payment on the policy the
lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company.
In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were
lost “in a series of small fires.”
The insurance company refused to pay, citing the
obvious reason, that the man had consumed the cigars
in the normal fashion.
The lawyer sued and WON!
(Stay with me.)
Delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the
insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The
judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer held a
policy from the company, which it had warranted that
the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would
insure them against fire, without defining what is
considered to be unacceptable “fire” and was
obligated to pay the claim.
Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeal
process, the insurance company accepted the ruling
and paid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the
cigars lost in the “fires”.
NOW FOR THE BEST PART..
After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance
company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!!
With his own insurance claim and testimony from
the previous case being used against him, the lawyer
was convicted of intentionally burning his insured
property and was sentenced to 24 months in jail and
a $24,000 fine.
This is a true story and was the First Place
winner in the recent Criminal Lawyers Award Contest.
Add comment October 24th, 2007
Shih Tzu Puppies For Sale
1 boy and 1 girl left
- good champ-line (15 red marks)
- tricolor (white, black, gold/dark brown)
- princess type
- complete with vaccines and papers
Contact Christine: 09174216701
visit shobeceo.multiply.com for more pictures
Add comment October 22nd, 2007
11th Commandment…Don’t be ugly!
May it be artificial, alternative, traditional, or whatsoever means, the important thing is you are always radiant inside out…^_^
Add comment October 6th, 2007
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