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The Upper Blog: The best version of yourself

http://upperblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-best-version-of-yourself.html

The best version of yourself. The throng was busy dropping their stubs into buckets that pop up from nowhere, before trying to reach up, or crouch down, or snag whatever they can snag. Off the side, standing by one of the tables, were Rainy and I, trying to look into the action. I implored to a crowd that's obviously not listening. "Get that. It was open museum day at the Ayala Museum. The collage workshop with Reese. Knives. She's figuring out how to cut those small dancers from Juilliard. She asked me ...

upperblog.blogspot.com

The Upper Blog: This world is cruel to those who zag

http://upperblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/this-world-is-cruel-to-those-who-zag.html

This world is cruel to those who zag. I knew scenes of kids nursing dejection after being told that they have run out of Minion toys, only to see an adult attempt frenzied selfies with all twelve of them, would happen again. It was the middle of June. I was at an exhibit at the Marriott. The only sensible place to have a company-paid meal was at the McDonald's. Nearby; the rest was too posh and, well, too far on foot. While waiting for my chicken nuggets - chicken nuggets paid for by your employers!

upperblog.blogspot.com

The Upper Blog: Clear as day

http://upperblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/clear-as-day.html

I'm disappointed in Noynoy Aquino's final State of the Nation Address. I also expected him to not mention some things. He did not mention the Mamasapano encounter. That killed 44 elite policemen, not even while discussing giving better pay to government forces. He did not mention, again, the Freedom of Information bill. Obviously another conscious decision to portray himself as different from his predecessor, that gecko to power, that bitch, blah blah. And that is the nature of the State of the Natio...

upperblog.blogspot.com

The Upper Blog: National days of anger

http://upperblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/national-days-of-anger.html

National days of anger. I don't know if it's just me and the people I follow, but for the past three days, there's been a lot of anger directed at Noynoy Aquino. In Laguna. (New-ish, because it's the facility that Ford recently vacated.) This is about how he was late at the necrological service at Camp Bagong Diwa this morning, forcing the event's postponement midway through until he arrived. That definitely tugs at the Filipino's predilection for the melodramatic,. The tendency to polarize between heroe...

upperblog.blogspot.com

The Upper Blog: Empty holidays

http://upperblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/empty-holidays.html

Yesterday, the House Committee on Public Information approved a proposal to declare November 23 as "Press Freedom Day", marking the day when 58 people, 34 of them journalists, were brutally murdered in the town of Ampatuan, Maguindanao three years ago. There are still a few measures, they say, before government can really be transparent and accountable. One of the important methods is the passing of a freedom of information law. Proponents have said that the passing of the FOI bill would help Aquino's ai...

upperblog.blogspot.com

The Upper Blog: An everlasting education

http://upperblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/an-everlasting-education.html

Gusto ko 'yung panahon na may nakikita akong naka-camiso de chino tapos. Basketball shorts sa SDA. And not being ironic," Anna. Tells me. " Nakaganun siyang. His laptop was Alienware. One year tuition ang. Too bad," I answer. "Those days are over.". Glad I'm not a student anymore, then.". But we're all being schooled by these kids on how to live.". And then I stopped myself, because I knew it was something I could write about. Saan mo gustong mag-. Fishball na lang sa tabi-tabi,. Extra controller na 'yun.

upperblog.blogspot.com

The Upper Blog: PNoy, arogante? Charot!

http://upperblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/pnoy-arogante-charot.html

For proof that the Noynoy Aquino administration has gotten politically cocky, look no further than the words its most prominent members have uttered in the past couple of weeks. First up, the president himself, in his last State of the Nation Address. Aquino said. " Para naman sa kabataan, iba na raw po ang tugon nila sa ganoong pahayag. Iba na daw po ang uso ngayon eh: 'eh di wow.'. To a crowd of supporters and students - whether the later attended voluntarily or otherwise will be a trivial point of pol...