Perhaps the world would grit its teeth on a person who calls himself a Republican. Today, never has the Republican Party been so unpopular. Almost all the people I know, even Evangelical Christians here in the Philippines, insist that Obama is the best thing that happened to America. Some friends have also been estranged to me because of my stand in American politics, because I’m what they call “anti-Obama”. Gosh, Obama-mania is just too much. Ang babaw kaya. And isn’t that strange that majority of people feel so strongly attracted to the man? Various leaders who became great also greatly polarized people in the nations they led. I just find this overwhelming optimism for Obama very strange. While I’m a Filipino, I believe that commenting on this topic is very much relevant because this Obama-mania even in our own country is just too disturbing.

While I would take a completely opposite stance on the matter of Obama being the better choice as the American president, I think it would help to explain my position by looking back into history itself. If you’re pro-Obama, and want to bash out this post, please bear with me because this post is the longest post I’ve ever posted on this blog.

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For some time and just recently, many politicians and some “cause-oriented groups” blamed the Lopez Group’s MERALCO and its IPPs for the so called “sweet heart deal” as the root of this high price of electricity. This triggered politicians and regulators to pressure MERALCO to source more chunk of its energy requirement from NPC because they, -the politicians, think that the cost of electricity from NPC is cheaper than from MERALCO IPPs.

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Congressman Tony Cuenco is a typical traditional politician or trapo. He likes to open his mouth even if he doesn’t have anything substantive to say. Worse, he casts suspicion on others without substantiating his statements. Read about it here…

Actually it’s the writing on the wall of a flyover by Congressman Raul del Mar. It’s traditional politics or trapo in action. Read about it here …

Disgraced former president Joseph Estrada has announced the possibility that he may run for the office of president again come the 2010 elections.

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Somebody should congratulate US President George W. Bush for his quick reflexes in ducking two shoes hurled at him during a press conference in Iraq.

The assailant, an Iraqi TV reporter named Muntadhar al-Zeidi, tried to hit Bush with his shoes, but missed on both occassions. Nobody was quite sure what triggered al-Zeidi (not to be confused with al-Qaeda), but reports said that disdain over the US occupation of Iraq prompted the journalist to fire the leather missiles.

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Sakura District starts predictably enough:

“Once in a while we come across a company whose idea and products just make sense. Ncomputing is such a company and it may take some time until you will hear more about its products, but we do believe that the firm has what it takes to popularize cloud computing for the masses and become Intel’s biggest threat yet. We are talking about the ability to split one PC into possibly dozens of sub 5-watt computers with a cost of less than $100 each. To us, it is the first convincing cloud computing idea that has the potential to reach more users than any other computing product before.”

but then it turns insightful when it reminisces on an office that they visited NINE YEARS AGO:

“It was your average over-the-top Internet start-up environment, but this company had a fresh idea how to make information on the Internet available to users and its idea how to monetize that idea was called crazy at the time. But once I had seen the technology in action and had met the minds behind it, I told my editor-in-chief that this company would replace Yahoo and our Internet publication should change its advertising model.

The company today has more than 16,000 employees, the president was Sergey Brin and the company was Google.

Ncomputing feels just like it. It operates under the radar of the big boys, but makes visible progress in a high-growth area that needs innovation. To me, Ncomputing can be, with determination and luck, the next Google. Here is why.”

“If you think about Intel’s strategy to sell more chips every year and compare it to Ncomputing’s strategy, it appears that Ncomputing works entirely against Intel’s model. Splitting one PC into seven computing devices means that a processor manufacturer will lose a revenue opportunity of six network computers. As a side note, Dukker said that Ncomputing is working with AMD to deploy host PCs. He told us that AMD concluded that there is no possible to market a PC with a profit for low-cost markets and apparently decided to go with a access terminal solution to expand its reach.”

“Ncomputing’s cloud computing model is a no-brainer in third-world countries and could make a lot of sense for average American and European household as well. Popularizing cloud computing in traditional computer markets will be difficult, since people are used to own their software and store files locally. However, users who are new to computers will not need to be convinced of the benefits of cloud computing – especially if a traditional PC is out of their reach. Dukker may have found a formula how to create a product that is affordable for people in emerging and third-world countries and still make money on it. With a production cost of $11 per seat, he has enough room to adjust his pricing model in different markets and different environments.”

Sa matagal na panahong pananakop ng mga kastila, sila ay nag-iwan ng mga bakas na hanggang sa ngayon ay marka parin ng ating bayan. Paano tayo naging malayang kung gayong may mga bakas parin ng ating pagkaalipin katulad ng pangalan ng ating bansa na malinaw na nagsasabing tayo ay pag-aari parin ni Haring Felipe II?

Nakakapagtakang nakalaya na tayo’t lahat ay mukhang nakalimutan ng ating mga naunang lider o bayani na palitan ang pangalan ng ating bansa? Hindi naman siguro lingid sa kanilang kaalaman noon na ang pangalang Pilipinas ay ipinagkaloob ni Villalobos sa ating bansa sa ngalang ni haring Felipe.

Nakalimutan nga kaya nilang palitan, sinadyang kalimutan o wala sa isip nilang palitan ang pangalang Pilipinas.

For the Philippines who rely hugely on overseas remittances, what is happening to the world around it most especially to the United States is utterly disconcerting. Last year, the 11 million strong overseas workers (that’s about 11% of the Philippine population!) sent $14 billion to pump the economy. There are 4 million expatriates from the US alone and about 2 million from the Middle East sending remittances, buying properties and creating businesses (=jobs) in the Philippines. This year while it is expected to remain the same, it is already forecasting a decline in 2009. Who knows how many of these 11 million overseas workers will be sent back home or will lose their jobs in the coming months?

While the US dependency on foreign oil is believed to be the major culprit of its economic fall, the Philippines’ major dependency on its biggest export- its human resources doesn’t seem to be a cause for concern at all for the government. In fact they even brag to the whole world that the overseas Filipino workers (OFW) are the lifeblood of the economy pumping those dollars to support the country’s stability and economy.

In short, thanking the overseas workers for NOT having have to lift a hand, for NOT having have to do their own laundry or wash their own dishes, for NOT getting their hands dirty, for NOT having have to sweat blood and tears because the overseas workers are doing it for them!

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On November 7, there will be a groundbreaking of the President Carlos P. Garcia Pilipino Muna monument to be erected at the Carlos P. Garcia Avenue, formerly known as C5.

The Governor of Bohol, Erico Aumentado, and the three members of the House of Representatives of the province, together with MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando and Mayor Freddie Tinga of Taguig, will officiate the groundbreaking.

Read more at Bol-anon.

I used to reserve countdowns to occasions that mean a lot of eating and pigging out, but the US Presidential Elections is such an important event that it deserves its own hallowed place in my countdown list. I don’t give a damn about the global financial crisis because all my bank accounts add up to a grand total of 39.27 Philippine Pesos. Oh, I forgot to mention that I have only one bank account.

The Lehman Brothers, Freddie Mac, Freddie Mae and all those odd-sounding financial institutions may collapse like a deck of cards, yet I will be the least affected by this scenario. What is more relevant than the panicking traders in Wall Street is the US Presidential Elections on November 8, 2008. Two presidential candidates going by the names of Barack Obama and John McCain (in no particular order) as well as a slew of meaningless, obscure nuisances (is Ralph Nader in the mix?) vie for the much maligned position of American President in a world that has become more and more anti-American by the minute.

Yeah, good old Dubya will have to bid farewell early next year. Good riddance, Mr. Bush. We hope that your decision to send troops to Godforsaken places like Iraq and Afghanistan will bode well for America’s future and result in Osama Bin Laden’s foot soldiers getting a good a-whipping. We hope that your recent $700 billion bailout plan will help the world economy back on its shaky feet. You deserve a pat on the back for your earnest efforts. Only history will judge your performance as US President, but for the meantime, let’s place judgment on the two major presidential candidates who are looking for a 4-year lease on White House.

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My article on HB5043 or the Reproductive Health and Population Development Proposed Bill is now posted at AlterNation101. I invite everyone to read/comment.

Who are the 3 most respectable Filipinos today? Send in your answers to lead(dot)philippines(at)yahoo.com or visit the Lead Philippines blog.

Ha ha ha! This is interesting.

After squandering public funds, taking advantage of “sanctuary funds,” and enjoying Senate “security funds,” now this guy is turning to the man thrown out of office for gambling “slush funds!”

Ha ha ha!

This guy is not only after fortune and fame. He wants to dip his fingers in Mindanao too! And goes to the president who waged a “total war” in Mindanao.

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The new LEAD PHILIPPINES blog is now launched. Please visit to get updates on the LEAD PHILIPPINES initiative.

LEAD PHILIPPINES
www.leadphil.blogspot.com

In the midst of finger-pointing and the blame game, it’s back to square one for Team Philippines as the debacle in Beijing takes center stage at next week’s sports summit of sports leaders.

I strongly suggest that the country, aka GRP (to align with GB, host of the 2012 Games), concentrate in the following events where I am certain our sports leaders can easily take podium positions:

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Kosovo declared its independence early this year with the backing of the EU and the US to the objection and consternation of Serbia and Russia.

Yesterday, Russia supported the independence of not one but two breakaway regions of Georgia – Abkhazia and South Ossetia – to the objection and condemnation of the EU and US.

Russia had its tits for EU’s and US’s tat.

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