Of Transport Strikes and Oil Price Hikes

Most of the time, our better judgments fail us. We reach a conclusion from a half-baked science experiment and blame others for the fault. We try to foretell trepidation yet we always deal with the trivial matters.

Oil price hikes are getting unstoppable. We toil to keep up with its pace. Major oil players inundate us with the 'Middle East liberation from pseudo-feudalism' reason. A quarter of a peso rollback is matched with two half-a-peso hikes: Filipinos have reached a fairly literate status to understand these burgeons. Capitalists are taking advantage of the situation.

From a researcher's point of view, there is no direct effect between oil trading schemes and the pricing, for the merchantry is protected by the United Nations so the distribution of a primary natural resource such as oil is not, by any means, more tax imposed nor have heightened tariffs.

Earlier today, a transport strike was staged by the Pinag-Isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide (Piston) aimed to debilitate the commuting community as to express abhorrence on the continuous oil price advancements. As of this evening, MMDA reported that the strike was unsuccessful.

On personal experience, what I saw carrying out the strike and rally are activists from several schools, most apparently (without judgment) the reformist legs in the University of the Philippines. I turned my back on these students, not because I am not one with their ideals, but there's just a correct avenue for showing these hostilities. I do not agree of their methods.

This is just another half-baked science experiment. Have they really achieved what they wanted? Have the oil keepers changed their prices yet? Most of them companies laughed at the idea of the failed attempt. Others even shrugged. Most of the drivers and operators, who are supposed to be the beneficiaries of this movement, boycotted the cause which is for their good. The futile pursuit ended and it appeared to have been placed in vain.

If we wanted these price hikes to stop, then we should focus on its root, and not on the effect. What these roots are, it might be more intelligible than a mosquito sucking blood from our necks to be known.

We Are Lucky

On today's Message, our Sunday school teacher quoted a very controversial verse in the Bible, and I'm just happy to be enlightened by His word that I share it in this blog.

     Romans 7: 17
     Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

This verse is often misinterpreted by people who transgress. I would like to share that it is not applicable to everyone, but only to those people who fully believe in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. The reason is because most of the time, we are urged to compromise with worldliness, that we permissively choose to do these sins.

Our great Lord then gives us something to be happy about! When we sin, he will pretend not to see our sins, but treat it like it was the sin that did it, not us. Therefore, making us clean in His presence. Our God is really really great to forgive, right?

I hope that I have enlightened you too, with this Message. We must not abuse this privilege though, because If we continue to do our wrong acts then we might go to hell with us being too reliant on this Bible verse. We must ask God for forgiveness, and we must be SINCERE in saying that we will not repeat our wrong deeds.

God bless us all, have a good Sunday afternoon. :)

Opisyal Na

Hmm.

This time, I really won't procrastinate. Hindi ko na pababayaan ang blog na ito...

Just to make maikling kwento, this blog has been here for almost three years now and when I back-read on my posts, naiisip ko na masyado pala akong bata dati.. Marami akong hindi alam, marami akong gustong tuklasin.

Pero narealize ko na mahirap pala kapag walang driving force sa pagsulat. Aaminin ko, minsan may moments na tamaran na lang, tinatamad akong mag-post dahil bakit nga ba ako magpo-post?

Lately lang, etong last semester ko sa college ko naisip na kailangan ko rin pala ng outlet. Hindi naman sa emo ako pero first love ko talaga ang pagsusulat before ko pa i-take ang Engineering na course. Ayoko lang pabayaan, gusto ko kahit papaano eh mabuhay man lang si EngineerJosh. Kaya eto, opisyal ko na siyang bubuksan muli..

I hope this time I will be able to find friends in the cyberspace, I hope to know more people, to widen my perspectives at para na rin dumami ang kakilala. I hope na sana ito na nga talaga, na this is it.

Have a great day!

The Great Storekeeper

Howdy lads and lasses!

Yesterday, I took half of my day to manage the computer shop which became a part of my investment, the savings from my call boy job (kiddin').

Actually, this is the very first time that I'll be managing something. Even way back at high school or on my first three college years, I was never really assigned to perform the team/group leader most of the time. Often, I'm the assistant to the team leader or the best member, which eventually turns out to do most of the job than the leader itself.

However, in managing something, you have to take the whole responsibility and make your mind work all the time. Mind plus body plus sanity: everything puts up the formula to working it out greatly. I must admit that doing it the first time nearly made me give up on it. There were a lot of factors and a lot of detractors, not to mention the rule-breakers, gatecrashers, et cetera.

Now, I'm back here to do the job again. Until I enroll for the summer classes. I really miss school, my blockmates, the stuff we do, the experiments, the field work, the resistors, capacitors, integrated circuits, the wires, the diodes, transistors, everything! I hope to make the time faster but at the same time, make the time remaining a worthwhile one.

Good afternoon. Its hot outside.

Avatar Movie

From last week's Friday, the bar and coffee (same as last week's) day, I'd like to skip on a talk with my today.

I have been much of a couch potato since Sunday. There were supposed to be a lot of things which could hit my imagination up but I'm just too lazy to work on it! Stretching my muscles wouldn't really do the great job.

Late this afternoon, I started watching Avatar, the film by James Cameron. Movies always do a great deal after bringing up a trustworthy connection, I mean to say, my torrent leeches are always up and going and I've been receiving the best of download speeds so far.

Going back to the movie, it kind of stretched my scientific mind a little bit. It was this whole lot sci-fi with a portion of interracial love story, but man I have to commend the writer/director for the great movie and concept.

I don't know how to put up a praise for him, but the only thing I know is that there is only one living planet and that is Earth, and Cameron wanted the message simple and straight: Save Earth before nature is gone.

The graphics were clean and cool. Pandora looked like more of a super-undiscovered-tropical-rainforest if it were on Earth. The blue-colored natives called Na'vi were also a good part of the story. I admire the way they appreciate their own planet's riches like making a connection to trees and nature and having this belief that all living beings comes from and goes back to nature after serving its lifespan (more of life's purpose).

When I was younger, I remember being so close to nature as my hands appear to like plants. In the story, I found a relatively sanguine bond with the scientist Grace (Sigourney Weaver) who discovered the ways, means, flora, fauna, language, culture of the Na'vis in Pandora. There were a few cuts there which showed the concern her avatar-Na'vi had for the native children in the Omatacaya clan.

What I loved with this movie is the connection it made to me, and it was not hard for the movie maker to make that connection to reach my senses.

The most touching part for me was when the clan shaman tried to merge the injured physical body and the avatar-Na'vi body of Grace at one of their sacred trees but it failed. Grace had one last moment to say, "I'm with her (Eywa, the deity of the Na'vis) Jake."

I wish it has a sequel but I hope the story can maintain the strength and sense.

I can't believe I'm having to face Earth again. Time to do some work. :)