Motorcycle Madness/Standing in Trucks All in One Video

You never know what you are going to see when you leave the house. Just when you think you have seen everything something more ridiculous comes along.

Why are they all standing in the back of a moving vehicle?  Why is there a little girl sitting on the motorcycle?  Why do none of these people care about their safety or the safety of the little girl? 

One swerving motorcycle, jeepney, taxi, sugarcane truck, or car causing the driver to slam on the brakes and it's all over for these people. The most shocking thing about driving in the Philippines isn't the complete lack of concern drivers have for safety and the rules of the road but the fact that there aren't more deadly accidents.

Smoky Piles 1

This is the inaugural post of a new series titled: "Smoky Piles."  

The air in the Philippines is not so fresh and breezy and tropical as one might think.  Everywhere you go you see people wearing face masks so they don't have to breathe in the nasty pollution. A big source of this pollution is burning piles of leaves and trash.  Imagine just waking up and throwing open the windows to let in the cool morning air.  All of a sudden you are choking on smoke because someone is burning leaves.

The nasty, acrid smell of smoke can happen at anytime of day. Filipinos are not discriminating about when they choose to burn their leaves and trash. Yes they burn trash here in the Philippines. But enough explanations.  

Here are a few pictures of smoky piles of leaves and trash in the Philippines.

Retards in the Government 14

Previously I wrote that this series would be only headlines with no comments but it's clear that some commentary is necessary. Sometimes you have to read behind the headline and understand the whole gestalt to get the deeper meaning.  Other times you merely have to read the article to get the full story.  The best headlines are those which tell the whole story in one glance.

I will try to keep my comments brief. Not all headlines need commentary.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/939180/breaking-ltfrb-exec-defends-duterte-cursing-jeepney-drivers

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2017/10/19/1750404/no-show-5-years-naga-employee-continues-receive-salary

This government employee has been receiving a salary for five years now and has not been doing any work.  What's the big deal? Sounds like any Senator or bureaucrat.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/10/20/1750645/impeachment-mania-lps-dose-own-medicine

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/939228/chiz-to-duterte-critics-present-govt-just-similar-with-previous-admin-regarding-threats-escudero-duterte-impeachment-threat-politics-senate

The thing Sen. Chiz wants us to know is that Aquino's administration did the same things Duterte is now doing: threatening the ombudsman with impeachment, threatening senators with jail time. See? Not a thing has changed!  It's the same show with a different lead and a few new principals and many old faces in their familiar roles.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/185794-philippines-rejects-european-union-grants-duterte

We're not gonna take it! No! We ain't gonna take it! We ain't gonna take your money anymore!

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/10/19/1750405/palace-hopes-trillanes-giving-correct-information-us-officials

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/10/20/1750639/palace-hoping-trillanes-did-not-spread-lies-us

What is Trillanes doing in the USA?  I don't know and apparently Malacañang doesn't either but distrust runs so deep that they HOPE Triallnes is not disseminating false information about the Philippines or meeting with the CIA to plot a coup.

 No one here trusts anyone else. No wonder the government is broken.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/19/17/alejano-to-duterte-revolutionary-govt-unconstitutional

Duterte said in 2015 he would implement a revolutionary government if he was elected. His goal is federalism. But federalism is "easily" implemented with a change in the constitution. One thing though: Duterte has such a disdain for the constitution why would he use constitutionally provided measures to amend it?

https://www.rappler.com/nation/185825-duterte-dares-west-lead-role-philippines-drug-war

Duterte is a man of extremes. It's either "Kill 'em all!" or "Give up and let them kill us." He simply cannot find his way to a happy medium where the war on drugs is actually a war on DRUGS and not a merciless bloodbath where everyone holding a packet of shabu gets killed and then your best buddy and former running mate covers for you by telling the newspapers that everyone who got killed was a drug dealer.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/185821-cayetano-defends-bloggers-thinking-pinoy-united-nations-speech

When Cayetano visited the UN part of his entourage included PCOO Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson and pro-Duterte blogger R.J. Nieto.  His defence is that these bloggers help get the message out unlike reporters of which none followed him to New York. Also Mocha Uson and R.J. Nieto are government employees. With Mocha Uson he gets a pass since the PCOO does disseminate the current administration's message but R.J. Nieto is only a consultant at the DFA and is not considered a government employee. This issue was brought up in the Senate hearing on fake news and is a matter of public record. He is, however, a very good boy who serves his master well and deserves a treat now and then. Journalists in the Philippines were able to report on Cayetano's speech quite ably since it was broadcast live around the world as it happened. No need to spend thousands on a trip to the UN.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/10/19/1750612/duterte-gives-contradicting-ejk-answers

EJK's in the Philippines?  It all depends on your definition or rather the Philippines' definition. Since the Philippines has it's own definition this means any definition used by the EU, UN, or the USA is an imposition on the sovereignty of the Philippines.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/939304/philippine-news-updates-president-duterte-corruption-department-of-budget-and-management-philippine-chamber-of-commerce-and-industry

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/939346/mandaluyong-gunman-held-but-arrest-questioned

Why is the justice system so ineffective in the Philippines?  For one, the police cannot make an arrest on probable cause. They are forced to wade through a byzantine system of paperwork and bureaucracy. This man has been identified as the gunman in a recent murder and consequently he was arrested. But here come the lawyers: "Dela Cruz said the police should have filed a complaint first against Calumba and asked the court to issue a warrant for his arrest."

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/939244/breaking-trillanes-gordon-formal-filing-ethics-complaint-senate-customs-hearing

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/939308/philippine-news-updates-marawi-siege-piracy-terrorism-president-duterte-association-of-southeast-asia-nations

First of all the war has not been finished.  Second of all Duterte says so much crazy stuff it might be this is not just a slip of the tongue. Duterte is dangerously close to G.W. Bush territory each time he opens his mouth. He claims he was not trained in rhetoric but rhetoric would be an indispensable part of training in law. Who wants to hire a lawyer who can't persuade the court?

https://www.rappler.com/business/185824-philippine-peso-weakens-new-11-year-low-us-dollar

A steady drop since Duterte took office.  Coincidence???  It's a destabilisation plot!

https://www.rappler.com/business/185814-dbm-diokno-funding-infrastructure-tax-reform

Of course he's not worried. Dutertenomics means 83% of the funding for these projects will be from foreign loans and not tax reform.

A Television in Every Jail Cell

Duterte is concerned.  He is concerned about prisoners and their lack of entertainment.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/185716-duterte-television-sets-camp-bagong-diwa-jail-cells

Speaking to personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in the camp on Wednesday, October 18, Duterte promised he would foot the bill for installing televisions in each cell. 

"We would want to give them everything but I told them, each and every cell would have a TV by the end of the month. That's what I can give you for now," he said in a mix of English and Filipino. 

The President said he pitied the prisoners because they had nothing to help them while away the long hours in jail. 

"Nakakaawa naman 'yung mga preso, walang libangan (The prisoners are pitiful, they have no form of entertainment)," he said.

Oh my. Nothing to do but rot in your cell all day?  No form of entertainment? Better spend thousands of pesos on television sets for each jail cell.  Nothing says "tough on crime" like giving every prisoner his very on television set courtesy of the Filipino taxpayer.

What happened to this Duterte:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/691527/dutertes-secret-in-keeping-davao-city-phs-safest-kill-criminals

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/03/02/1677427/duterte-killing-criminals-not-crime-against-humanity

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/world/asia/duterte-philippines-drug-crackdown.html

Has he gone soft?  Kill all criminals but if they make it alive to trial and then to prison, give them a television so they won't get bored.

What if these prisoners are watching their favourite show and all of a sudden the power goes out? What then?

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/903424/power-outage-in-camp-bagong-diwa-leads-to-gang-war-death-of-2-inmates

It was reported earlier that the power outage inside detention facility has been going on for about a week now. Electricity was said to be cut off due to the district jail’s unpaid bill worth millions of pesos.

Millions of pesos in unpaid electric bills?  And Duterte wants to give them all televisions which will mean even more electricity use which they can't pay already?  How ridiculous!

How about Duterte gives each of these prisoners a Bible.  That is the standard form of entertainment for prisoners.  They don't need to be watching television. Certainly each cell does not need it's own tv set.  Watching TV all day will rot their brain and cause them to learn nothing.

Reading the Bible might actually turn their lives around.

Retards in the Government 13

Lucky 13 here we are!  In this issue Duterte promises a television in every jail cell while the Senate continues to waste everyone's time investigating a homicide which is a police matter.  If the Seante can subpoena 14 people related to the UST hazing death then surely they can subpoena everyone involved in the Marawi cover-up. Why do they refuse to investigate the most significant terror attack in SEA in 15 years? Also the PCOO gets another Duterte supporter. More fake news to come?

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/629881/duterte-to-cops-yang-smuggling-smuggling-ok-na-sana-yan-sa-kin-wag-lang-droga/story/

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/938762/lacson-to-hazing-suspect-trangia-attend-hearing-or-face-arrest

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/629794/senate-panel-subpoenas-14-people-tagged-in-atio-castillo-death/story/

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/938806/no-destabilization-threat-to-duterte-administration-says-afp

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/939082/rodrigo-duterte-war-on-corruption

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/10/19/1750315/despite-teeming-jails-duterte-happy-philippine-prisons

https://www.rappler.com/nation/185716-duterte-television-sets-camp-bagong-diwa-jail-cells

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/939037/olongapo-police-rape-maltreatment-detainee-prisoner-jail

https://www.rappler.com/nation/185721-negros-oriental-governor-roel-degamo-suspended

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/18/17/duterte-says-he-insults-foreign-critics-on-purpose

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/19/17/duterte-doubts-pdea-in-drug-war

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/19/17/duterte-says-cia-wants-him-out-of-government

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/19/17/duterte-says-poor-people-are-subsidizing-illegal-drugs

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/10/19/1750328/trillanes-us-stop-trump-visit-philippines

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/939131/another-duterte-defender-to-join-mocha-in-palace

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/160964/duterte-ph-will-reject-eu-aid

Motorcycle Madness 1

In the Philippines it seems as if everyone has a motorcycle.  The motorcycle is definitely a preferred way of transportation for many.  One can easily sneak through all the traffic jams on a motorcycle. But with all these motorcycles comes the inevitable flouting of any and all safety measures.

No helmets, no boots, no eye protection, children riding, more then two riding, ladies riding sidesaddle, etc, etc.  Just stand on a busy street and start counting all the violations of common sense safety measures and soon you will run out of numbers.

This will be the beginning of a series of posts dedicated to all the motorcycle madness in the Philippines.