Why Do Medical Interns Procrastinate?

Here are the most common reasons:

1. Perfectionism.
An interns’s standard of performance may be so high for a task that it does not seem possible to meet that standard.
2. Fear of Failure.
Interns’s may lack confidence and fear that he/she will be unable to accomplish a task successfully.

3. Confusion.
Interns may be unsure about how to start a task or how it should be completed.

4. Task Difficulty.
Interns may lack the skills and abilities needed to accomplish a task.
5. Poor Motivation.
Interns may have little or no interest in completing a task because he/she finds the task boring or lacking in relevance.

6. Difficulty Concentrating.
Interns may have too many things around that distract him/her from doing a task.
7. Task Unpleasantness.
Interns may dislike doing what a task requires.

8. Lack of Priorities.
Interns may have little or no sense about which tasks are most important to do.

Ice Cream amd Buwad Marriage

Exactly 10 years ago, December 24, 1996, 12 midnight, we officially became a couple. Tungod siguro sa nindot kaayo nga fireworks display nga malantawan namo sa bintana niadto nga higayon, ug di pa pud kaha sa katugnaw sa panahon sa Pasko, nga nisaad mi sa isig namung usa nga mag-hinigugmaay.

From then on, we were like two peas in a pod, one could never be without the other. We discovered each other as we go along the way. Then our little bundle of joy came along, it was rocky road at first but just like the ice cream, the chocos, peanuts and the mallows settled to become a yummy concoction. A year later, we walk down the aisle with our little Joe.

Marriage was never made to be perfect, it's like cookies and cream, sometimes you get the hard part but sometimes you can have the soft side. Mura pud ni siya ug buwad, kung dugayon ug pa-init, mag kalami bisag daghang langaw nga mag-sige ug alirong. It will test your patience and measure the intensity of your love and devotion. I guess, we must be doing something right for we're still standing together despite of everything and anything.

P.S. His first gift was a bottle of ginamos, followed by a lechon manok bisaya, followed by lots of ice creams and chorizo. Ikaw bay pakan-on pirmi, di baka manambok. The best way to a woman's heart is indeed, truly through her stomach and that's the truth.

Tararat tararat Boom Boom !!!!!!!!!

This is an actual study published in the British Journal Of Medicine, a widely known and very often quoted authority in Medicine. A funny bone from a serious journal, eh ? Why did i not think of this as my topic for research ? Lisud man pud pangita ug subjects diri amo hospital oi .
Daginuton ang gwapo !!!

Research Phenotypic differences between male physicians, surgeons, and film stars: comparative study Antoni Trilla, director of preventive medicine and epidemiology unit, Marta Aymerich , consultant, haemopathology unit, Antonio M Lacy, consultant, general and digestive tract surgery unit, Maria J Bertran, specialist, preventive medicine and epidemiology unit 1 Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain Abstract Objectives To test the hypothesis that, on average, male surgeons are taller and better looking than male physicians, and to compare both sets of doctors with film stars who play doctors on screen. Design Comparative study. Setting Typical university hospital in Spain, located in Barcelona and not in a sleepy backwater. Participants Random sample of 12 surgeons and 12 physicians plus 4 external controls (film stars who play doctors), matched by age (50s) and sex (all male). Interventions An independent committee (all female) evaluated the "good looking score" (range 1-7). Main outcome measures Height (cm) and points on the good looking score. Results Surgeons were significantly taller than physicians (mean height 179.4 v 172.6 cm; P=0.01). Controls had significantly higher good looking scores than surgeons (mean score 5.96 v 4.39; difference between means 1.57, 95% confidence interval 0.69 to 2.45; P=0.013) and physicians (5.96 v 3.65; 2.31, 1.58 to 3.04; P=0.003). Surgeons had significantly higher good looking scores than physicians (4.39 v 3.65; 0.74; 0.25 to 1.23; P=0.010). Conclusions Male surgeons are taller and better looking than physicians, but film stars who play doctors on screen are better looking than both these groups of doctors. Whether these phenotypic differences are genetic or environmental is unclear. Introduction We finished our medical training at the University of Barcelona more than 25 years ago, and have enjoyed our work ever since. At medical school we noted certain differences between male trainees who selected either surgery or medicine as their specialty. The tallest and most handsome male students were more likely to go for surgery, and the shortest (and perhaps not so good looking) ones were more likely to become physicians (including doctors of internal medicine and its subspecialties) . Now, after all these years we hypothesise that, on average, surgeons are taller and better looking than physicians. We conducted a comparative study to test this hypothesis. Methods We selected a random sample of senior staff surgeons and physicians working at the University of Barcelona Hospital Clinic (a 700 bed public hospital), matched by age (52 ±7 years) and sex (all men), from the staff payroll of the surgical and medical departments. We contacted all eligible participants by email. If they agreed to participate, their height (in cm) was recorded and they were asked to submit a digital picture. Age (in years) was registered and checked against that recorded in the payroll database. The external controls were four well known film stars, mostly in their 50s-Harrison Ford as Dr Richard Kimble (a neurosurgeon in the film The Fugitive ), George Clooney as Dr Doug Ross (a paediatrician in the television series ER), Patrick Dempsey as Dr Derek Shepherd (a surgeon in the television series Grey's Anatomy), and Hugh Laurie as Dr Gregory House (a nephrologist and infectious disease specialist in the television series House). We randomly organised the pictures of all surgeons, physicians, and external controls and showed them to an independent group of eight female observers-three doctors and five nurses from our hospital. All observers were in the same age group as the participants (no further checking of this information was attempted). We decided to avoid (for the time being) male observers, because of potential bias. Observers used the "good looking score" to classify each participant. This score measures the degree of handsomeness on a seven point Likert scale (1, ugly; 7, very good looking). We discarded the highest and lowest score (outliers) for each participant and used the six remaining scores for our study Mean scores, differences in means with 95% confidence intervals, and standard deviations were used to compare the three groups. We used the standard t test to compare age and the non-parametric (Mann-Whitney U) test to compare height and mean good looking scores. Results We contacted 14 surgeons and 16 physicians (24 surgeons and 38 physicians were eligible). Only two surgeons and two physicians did not answer the questionnaire or send a picture (their out of office auto reply was switched on). Two additional physicians were dropped from the final analysis because of the poor quality (technical, of course) of their pictures. The final analysis therefore comprised 12 physicians and 12 surgeons plus four external controls. The mean age of physicians was 50.6 years (SD 4.02) and of surgeons 51.1 years (SD 4.11) (P=0.76). The mean height of physicians was 172.6 cm (95% confidence interval 170.2 to 175.4) and of surgeons 179.4 cm (175.1 to 184.0) (P=0.01). Film stars (external controls) had significantly higher good looking scores than surgeons (5.96 v 4.39; difference between means 1.57, 95% confidence interval 0.69 to 2.45; P=0.013) and physicians (5.96 v 3.65; 2.31, 1.58 to 3.04; P=0.003). Surgeons had statistically significantly higher good looking scores than physicians (4.39 v 3.65; 0.74, 0.25 to 1.23; P=0.010). We found small, non-significant differences between film stars who played either surgeons or physicians. Incidentally, we noted a higher proportion of baldness (surrogate marker) among physicians. The figure shows a control, a surgeon, and a physician from our study (the physician and surgeon are by chance authors of this study) to provide a snap shot summary of the main study findings. We did not make individual results public. However, widespread rumours, discussions, polls, and illegal bets arose throughout the institution as a by-product of our study. If they requested, participants were privately told about their personal score compared with the average score of the relevant group. Discussion Our study shows that, on average, senior male surgeons are significantly taller and better looking than senior male physicians. It also shows that film stars who play doctors are significantly better looking than real surgeons and physicians. Differences between surgeons and physicians Perhaps because of their training, surgeons have a different attitude and approach to the practice of medicine compared with physicians. The surgeon's image is that of competence, trust, expertise, and compassion.1 Surgeons are the only doctors who practise what has been called "confidence based medicine," which is based on boldness. 2 They are often practical and fast acting, and they exert tight control on their natural turf-the operating theatre. Being taller and better looking has several evolutionary advantages for surgeons. Their extra height makes them more likely to be masters and commanders, and gives them a better view of the operating room, including the patient lying on the table. Also, as the senior male surgeon is normally surrounded by junior surgical staff, training fellows, nurses, anaesthetists, and the like, his height and appearance make him easily identifiable as their leader. How do surgeons become taller and better looking than physicians? There are several potential explanations for the phenotypic changes between surgeons and physicians. Firstly, surgeons spend a lot of time in operating rooms, which are cleaner, cooler, and have a higher oxygen content than the average medical ward, where physicians spend most of their time. Furthermore, surgeons protect (but not always properly) their faces with surgical masks, a barrier to facial microtrauma, and perhaps an effective anti-ageing device (which deserves further testing). They often wear clog-type shoes, a confounding factor that adds 2-3 cm to their perceived height. The incidental finding that fewer surgeons are bald might be related to these environmental conditions and to the use of surgical caps. In contrast, senior physicians are surrounded by fewer people in their habitat (the patient's bedside and the office), and they therefore have less need to be easily identified or spotted by families and nurses in the middle of a swarm. Physicians tend to hang heavy stethoscopes around their necks, which bows their heads forward and reduces their perceived height. They also complain of a (clearly abnormal) need to endlessly update their knowledge in accordance with the current evidence based approach to medicine by reading and studying heaps of medical journals; this overload of information further grinds them down. Although a prospective study found that doctor's white coats decrease in weight with increasing seniority, no significant difference was found between the mean weight of physicians' coats and surgeons' coats (1.4 v 1.5 kg). 3 Limitations and future studies Firstly, we did not independently assess the height of the study subjects. However, we trust in their honesty and believe that any potential bias would always point in the same direction, as people tend to overestimate rather than underestimate their height. Secondly, we did not check if the submitted photographs had been improved using the latest technology. The members of the evaluating committee know all the study subjects well, and would easily have spotted any gross attempt at cheating (such as submitting photographs taken when the subject was younger or photographs of another person). Thirdly, the evaluation process of the good looking score is subjective, but we have no reliable alternative The best known alternative published in the literature (asking a mirror, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?") works only for queens, a notable shortcoming of this test. 4 Although it is widely known that the mirror always spoke the truth, at present we do not have access to this device (not currently supplied by the Spanish national health system). Further studies are needed to assess whether our findings also apply to junior male surgeons and physicians, as well as to senior and junior female staff. Currently the number of female surgeons in their 50s at our institution is small, and we cannot enrol enough study subjects, a situation that will change no doubt over the next five to 10 years. We believe also that a non-crossover design deserves further testing (good looking score of men evaluated by men and a similar system for women). Conclusions Male surgeons are taller and better looking than physicians, but whether these differences are genetic or environmental is unclear. However, most surgeons and physicians are pleased with their career choices and even with their looks (personal communications) . Thanks to all participants in our study who provided a breath of fresh air and a touch of humour. Thanks also to the members of the evaluating committee for taking the risk and having some fun together. Finally, thanks to Sarah Lafuente and Beatriz Serrano for help in the statistical analysis. Contributors: All authors designed the study. MA and MJB designed the good looking score. AT and AML are guarantors. Funding: None Competing interests: AT is a physician and AML is a surgeon. AT and MA have been happily married for 25 years. MA's good looking score for AT was not requested to avoid any problems at home for Christmas. Ethical approval: Submitted to the institutional review board (IRB) but transferred for approval by the institutional beauty review (IBR), an ad hoc subcommittee of our institution.

Season's Greetings to all my friends

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
to everyone
who passes by my humble home.

Let's celebrate the season with hope and love.
Dont forget to Count your blessings
as you go your way to other pages !

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
to everyone
who passes by my humble home.

Let's celebrate the season with hope and love.
Dont forget to Count your blessings
as you go your way to other pages !

My Life As Pseudo-Marine Biologist

Last Saturday, I met with my old buddies from my Marine Bio days. Although, were a rare breed (we were only 5 + - 2) in our batch, we manage to keep in touch. It was the first ever formal reunion of the USC-Marine Biology graduates after 30 years ! Yes, 30 years ! karon pa sila naka-hunahuna sa kadugay sa panahon. Most those who attended were from the latest batches of graduates, katong mga init pa ug dugo !.
The new USC Marine Station was quite impressive, gone was the old rickety hut on which we spent sleepless nights and drinking binges galore. There's now a laboratory, classroom and guess what? they now have scuba tanks, wet suits and BCJ's. And all of this are in a new concrete building beside the Maribago Bluewaters in MActan Island, CEBu. And wait, the roads leading to the station are now paved and cemented! before it was full of protruding sharp rocks and thick bushes. Most of the students now are PADI certified divers, whew, very sosyal. Kami intawn sa una nakat-on ug dive tungod sa mga sponsorhip sa Special Forces' Riverine Batallion of the Philippine Army, mas heavy ! mas lisud ! mas primitive !

Added to this, the new graduates are employed as marine biologists in some NGO's and in the academe. Some of them are now in the forefront of marine conservation in Cebu. Compared to us when we graduated, we have to look for jobs other than being marine biologists, there were no jobs available for us. Dungog ray nindot adtong mga panahuna, ti-aw mu ba, MARINE BIOLOGIST imong profession pero walay kay trabaho. Faet jud kaayo. Some work as med reps, and in offices but most become PNB (palaging nasa bahay) employees.

I have to work as pseudo-marine biologist in a big hotel in Mactan. This was the only available marine bio job in Cebu and the other was a pearl farm in a tiny island far from mainland Palawan (it is that hard). All we did in this hotel chain, was clean their false beach with seagrasses and poisonous starfishes. We also built their big sewage pipe underwater, it's like swimming in their own shit and urine, everyday. Imagine, kada adlaw mi mu dive from 9am-4pm. Mura mi ug mga sirena, plus our boss was a pseudo-american oceanographer who was a tyrant and a maniac. My skin hairs were brownie-blond and my hairs were corn husk brown. My skin were charcoal brown, an all choco brown orig island girl. It was in this sorry state that I decided that I dont want my life to be like this forever,
I wanted to have smooth and silky hair, I wanted to have soft skin, I wanted to have a better job. I wanted to become a doctor very very badly.



So here I am now, a dormant marine biologist and a practicing eye doctor but it still the same old hard work but less the salty water and the muddy grimes. Pana-panahon lang siguro ang tanan. Sometimes you hit, sometimes you miss the target! Or I was just not cut out to be a marine biologist. But one thing for sure, I never regretted being one.

To all the Marine Biologist out there, thank you for keeping our seas clean and
making our ocean healthy.

Long Live Leon Kilat!

Pantaleon Villegas of the Negros Islands came to Cebu to help the local insurgents against the Spanish Rule. He was in Carcar when he was poisoned by Carcar's local Spanish elite to quell the local uprising but instead this added fuel to the fire. His statue now guards the entrance of Carcar's Plaza.

The Vigan of South Cebu : Carcar's Old Spanish Houses

The very famous Balay na Tisa of the Valencia Family.

They say that almost all of the antiques and valuables were sold by the previous owner and heir but a rich relative recovered it and brought the house to its original setting.
The house is open to the public, a must for every local tourist who wants to experience something Spanish.
Carcar's Caro of the Cruxifixion is placed in the house.

This old house is the lone witness of the ownership feud of the various family who at one time or another resides in this house. Presently, the Marcial Family is living here.

Regis Surgical Clinic now occupies the ground floor.

This is the Old Sato Residence converted into a commercial building, it used to housed the local LTO office and a coffee shop. The coffee shop is now a memory, the LTO transferred far from the center of the town.
Now, this remnant of what used to be a beautiful house is home to two appliance stores and a veterinary clinic.

An abandon old Tisa house owned by a branch of the Valencia Family. It's old wooden planks and posts were ransacked by thieves and everything was stolen .

It now stands as ghost of the past, only the vines are keeping it company.

The Lucero family's old relatives still lives in this house but as Carcar progresses, the first floor is now an office arcade from a pharmacy, photoshop and to some boutiques.
The architectural detail is still evident in the windows and balusters.

The home of Carcar's old banking family, the Cui-Marfori. They managed and owned the oldest rural bank in Carcar. The lady of the house, Tita Pilar bakes the meanest cakes and pastries this side of town.











This is the home of the once powerful Noel Clan, in which a member was accused of killing Leon Kilat to pacify the Spaniards in that time.
Apparent neglect of the fragile coral stone walls and the delicate capiz shells of the windows are like screams of the old house to please FIX ME UP!

But if the stomach is also crying for help, ears are deaf to anything else.

Whenever I passby this house, I can hear the laughter of Kapitan Tiago's party in Rizal's Noli Me Tangere, imagining that Padre Damaso, Maria Clara and Crisostomo Ibarra would come out any time.

This old home is owned by Senyorita Anon Noel, a known frugal spinster. Her descendants are trying to restore the house but the blue screen to protect their orchids are way off.

NASTY LITTLE BROWN AMERICAN

The Philippines is a nation of star struck ignoramuses
by Don Pedero
Philippine Star

Last July 23, I wrote about Nasty (short for Anastacio), a balikbayan from Los Angeles, who, while vacationing in Manila, had nothing to say but negative comments about the Philippines and the Filipinos. The article elicited a deluge of comments from our readers. Though some agreed with his curt observations, most were enraged at the repulsive way he acted and whined.

For me, he was the classic epitome of the "crow perched on a carabao," thinking and acting nauseatingly superior just because he has become an American citizen, inequitably comparing everything here to how they are in the first world. I was particularly irked by his repulsive "know it all" attitude and peeved no end by his irritating Waray-American twang.

Those who have not read that article may access philstar.com and click archives, then select July 23 and click Lifestyle. The article is entitled "Little Brown Americans." As a backgrounder, here is an excerpt:

The next day, I took them on a little city tour and accompanied them to do extra shopping at the duty-free shop. They were to leave two days later for their respective provinces (Randy is from Pampanga, Nasty, from Samar).

"God, ang dilem-dilem naman ditow (it is so dark
here)!" screamed Nasty in his characteristic Taglish slang, "At ang
inet-inet pa (and so warm)!

* * *

All throughout the day, Nasty complained about everything. He griped that all Filipinos he encountered were dense and inefficient (I hope that didn't include me!); that the traffic was horrendous and drivers "drove like they were late for their funerals"; that the pollution from the smoke-belching vehicles was irritating his dainty, surgically-pinched nose.

He was disgusted that water closets didn't work; horrified that there
was no toilet paper in public toilets ("God, how do you people do
it?" he bewailed); petrified by street children begging while soaking
wet in the rain ("Where are the parents of these kids?" he nagged).

He moaned about the proliferation of slums, people crossing the
superhighways ("There should be underground or overhead walkways for
pedestrians! " he demanded), the potholes on the streets, the
disgusting garbage and filth all over the city, and the annoying
floods! And all these he observed in just one day!

Weeks after the publication of the article, I took Nasty's silence to
mean that of contempt and anger. I must admit that I didn't care
because I was really turned off by his arrogance. The good news is,
Nasty has finally decided to break his silence and
give us his side, loaded with a big piece of his mind. The bad news is,
he hits more sensitive chords and it stings.


Nasty's E-Mail

Dear Dero,

My Zen master says, "Never fight fire with fire." So,
I sat in a lotus position, imbibed the ethereal qualities of cool
mountain water and stoically resisted the temptation of answering
back to defend myself in rebuttal of your article. I kept quiet while
you and your readers had a charlatan holiday, dissecting and
fanning sarcasm on my every comment about your country and your people.

I am not mad at you for writing that piece. I was never upset at any
point, even after your readers from all over the world e-mailed
in their two-cents' worth. In fact, I found it rather amusing and
carnival-like.

I even felt happy that people still came to the defense of your
Philippines! If you noticed, I now refer to the Philippines and
Filipinos as your country and your people. Every time I went back there
for vacation, my Filipino-ness always took the better of me (blame
those damn green mangoes smothered with bagoong!) and made me forget
that I am, in all reality, what you aptly called a "Little Brown
American." I have come to terms with my own identity- I am, after all, an
American citizen carrying an American passport!

What precipitated my quick decision to sever my ties with your
country (aside from your ***** of an article) were the Abu Sayyaf
abductions (que barbaridad!) , the Payatas-like downslide of the peso
(eat your hearts out, I earn sweet American dollars!), the "devoid of
conscience" graft and corruption in your government (this has gone on
for the longest time-how shameful!), and lately, the stupid "Juetengate" and juicy but enraging "Boracay" mansion gossips.


With all these, who would be proud to be a Filipino? Besides, to tell
you frankly, those Erap jokes are no longer funny- they are pass?and
leave a bad taste in the mouth and heart. No Apology If I sounded brash and insensitive with the way I threw my comments, well, I cannot do any-thing about that because that is the way I am, and I offer no apology. Here, in America,
you have to tell it like it is or you'll never be taken seriously. I have learned to
drop my "Pinoy sugarcoating" because out here, you get nothing done if
you are meek and sweet and pa-api. Hindi puwede mag-Anita Linda dito!

When I commented about your pollution, street children mendicants,
slums,potholes, toilets that don't work, garbage, floods, and most of
all, the Pinoys' chronic lack of discipline, I was merely putting into words what I saw. I can't blame your being blind about your country's situation.

My Zen master says, "One cannot easily see the dirt in one's eye." I am sure though that you are aware of those sordid details, but have grown accustomed to them (like most Manile?s have). All the complaints I aired may have hurt your pride but what I wanted you to realize is this: The things I pointed out are all
symptoms of a failing, falling nation!

Suffering A National Karma?

Could yours be a country cursed with a huge national karmic debt? It could be payback time, you know. Look back into your history, look deep inside your hearts-what could you have done as a nation to deserve this fiasco you are in today?

What you are faced with didn't just happen overnight-it developed and grew into a monster in the course of time. Deeply imbedded in the psyche of the Filipino is the amalgamation of the characters and events that have impacted your lives - Dona Victorina, Dona Concepcion, poor Sisa as well the other hilarious and tragic
characters of Dr. Jose Rizal... Stonehill... the notorious gangsters immortalized by your Filipino movies like Asiong Salonga (hmmm!), et al...the killers in your (I hought they'd never end!) massacre movies...those cheap, appalling titles of your
movies...those staged "religious miracles" that your naive masses believed...family
men with pushy queridas (mistresses) ...your crooked politicians, undependable police officers and greedy customs collectors.. .your bribe-hungry court judges...Imeldific, gloriously smiling and crying at the same time, bejeweled. (How very Fellini!)

What you are is the sum total of your history, your heritage and culture,your education, the crap that your press sensationalizes, the bad icons that your movies glorify, the artificial values your advertising extols, the bad examples your leaders and role models project. What you feed your country's mind is what it becomes.
You have become the ugly monster that you've created. You are now crying
all the tears your sickeningly sentimental movies wailed out for years and years!



Your Biggest Fault If there is one thing that comes to mind, I think your biggest fault would be your individual greed. "Ako muna!" seems to be the national mantra.
The trouble is, very few people think for the common good in a deplorable "to each his own kurakot" festival. Coupled by your crab mentality of pushing down others, this can be fatal. You think barangay, not national. Hello, everybody else around the world is thinking global!



Europe is unshackling her national boundaries while you are building fences
around your nipa huts.

Do yourselves a favor and look at your nation as a ship. All of you
are in it and it is sinking! Realize your oneness-what hurts your brother hurts you, too. Think about the future of your children and the succeeding generations, and do something about it quick before your poor little banca plunges forever into the
irretrievable depths of despair.

Star-Struck Nation

You are a nation of star-struck ignoramuses. You are easily awed by your movie stars who are usually nothing but uneducated, aquiline- nosed and light-skinned ******** picked up from some gutter somewhere. I have seen what these artistas
illusionadas can get away with. They just flash their capped-tooth smiles and
policemen let them get away with traffic violations; they bat their false eyelashes
and customs officers impose no duty on their suspicious balikbayan boxes.

Worst of all, with the Filipino movie industry taking a nosedive, hordes of actors and show personalities went into politics. It is, as they say, the next best "racket"-there is more money to be made in the politicking business than in show business! (And what is this I hear that in the coming elections, more are jumping into the arena? Mag-hara-kiri na kayo!) How can you expect these comedians and actors, who only know how to take directions from their directors, to direct your nation? For them,politics will just be an "act". No big surprise here, for they are mere actors with no original scripts to speak, no original visions to share. So what can you expect but a government that is a comedy of errors. Serves you and
your star-struck nation right!

My Zen master says, "Give unto Caesar what is due to Caesar, but keep
Charlie Chaplin on the silver screen to make us laugh." To survive, you must teach your citizenry to say no to three things - no to
drugs, no to stealing and graft and corruption, and no to artistas in politics. I hope you've learned your lesson by now. (Yours is the only country where Mexican soap stars are received like royalty in the presidential palace. How shoddy! God
forbid-Fernando Carrillo might end up being your next president. At least he has great abs and doesn't wobble like a penguin when he walks!)

For those artistas who honestly believe that they can make a positive difference in the Filipino masses' life, they must first study law, business and public administration, and immerse themselves in the life and passion of Mother Teresa. Politics is not an art for dilettante artistas to dabble in. It is called "Political cience,"
hello?!

Educate Your Masses

Educate the masses - especially your electorate. What you need is an
intelligent vote aside from, of course, intelligent candidates. The
University of San Carlos in Cebu City, founded in 1595, and the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, established in 1611, are the oldest universities in Asia, and are even older than Harvard. But the standard of Pinoy education has deteriorated so much that the Philippines ranks among the poorest in the educational hierarchy of Asia.

Education, education, education-that' s what you need in this age of information, information, information.

If all your social, religious and political sectors don't sit down now and decide to take the Right Way, the Philippines and your children's children will be grand losers in the worldwide rush to the future. Education is one sure way to salvation. Teach what is right, good, beautiful and beneficial.

Downplay all negativity if you cannot eliminate it altogether. The Ideal President I've got news for you. (As if you didn't already know.) No matter whom you put up there as your leader or president, it will be the same banana. Even a holy man can turn into another J. E. (Judas Escariot) for a few pieces of silver. Kumpares,

alalays, relatives and cronies will encrust like flies and maggots on his cordon
sanitaire. And it will be the same despicable "Sa amin na 'to!" hullabaloo all over again.

Take an advice from Aling Epang: "Pumili ng matanda, mayaman, mabait, at madaling mamatay." Get a president who is old - so that he is full of wisdom, rich - so he won't need to steal more money, goodhearted -so he will render heartfelt service to his people, and is in the sunset of his life - so that he will think of nothing
but gaining good points to present when he meets his Creator. And may I add: At
iisa lang ang pamilya! This is, of course, asking for the moon. Just pray fervently for an intelligent leader with a pure heart who genuinely loves the common tao!

Magpakatotoo Kayo! Wake up and look at the real you. Enough with
looking at your reflection in glorious, self-embellishing mirrors.The tropical sun can play tricks, you know. Do not wait for darkness to fall before you take that much-needed long, hard look at your real situation. Magpakatotoo kayo, ano? This isn't a wake-up call-it is the final alarm!

Save the ship while you still can. Don't wait till your people have no more dreams left to hang on to, no more hope to sustain their broken spirits. I came home, spent my penny-pinched savings so that even in the minutest way I could help your bruised economy. Your politicians sit on their fat,farting butts and get balatos kuno!) in the millions. Receivers are as guilty as the givers.Now, tell me, who is really nasty?

I Have Made My Decision; So Should You.

My Zen master says, "Life is all about decisions, not choices." I
have made a decision which I know will be very hard for me to keep-
You will never hear from me again (not in this vein) and I will not
even think of visiting or buwisiting your Manila ever. This is my way
of letting you know that I have given up on you. Bahala na kayo! Only
you can help yourselves because at the stage you are in, nobody would
want to help you.



My Zen master says, "You have to fall to learn to rise again." How much lower do you want to go?

Anyway, regarding the Philippines as a tourist destination, you have a lot of cleaning up and face-lifting to do before foreigners would dare go to your islands again. The Abu Sayyaf episode has done your tourism industry more damage than you could ever imagine, and it will take a long time before the world forgets. (By the way, your tourism projects are lusterless and have no global impact. If you want real business, spruce up your infrastructure and do aggressive marketing
on the World Wide Web!)

Of course, I would gladly reverse my decision if someone offered me exclusive lordship over lotto, bingo, jueteng, pintakasi and the jai alai.Think about it: this will be to your advantage because I never give tong or blood commission to anyone! (If only your president used the millions he received from those gambling lords to build homes for the masses, you wouldn't have any more squatters.


Huling hirit:
defrost those Marcos billions, pay off some debt, place the rest in high-yield investments, feed your hungry, and spread bounty and joy to every Filipino! Are you stupid or what? - That's your money sucked from the blood of your people!)

I have made my decision, now make yours. I would hate for the day to
come when I'd have to say, "I told you so!" Good luck! (You need it.)

An ex-Filipino,

J. Anastasio

"Nasty"

P. S. My Zen master says, "Vox populi is not always the voice of God."

P. P. S. Come over to L.A and I'll show you a great time!

P. P. P. S. Our friend Randy says hello! We will be going to Vancouver to feast our eyes on the colors of autumn. Wish you could join us.

P. P. P. P. S. The new Miss America, Angela Perez Baraquio, is of Filipino ancestry. Dero, her parents hail from Pangasinan just like you! But keep in mind that she is an American (in case some wise fools over there claim her to be Filipino like they always do whenever someone becomes successful).

Wait for the girl to say it- don't put words in her mouth!

P. P. P. P. P. S. Mabuhay kayo (SANA)!

P. P. P. P. P. P. S. Sa totoo lang, MAGDUSA KAYONG
LAHAT! (Don't you just love my Waray-Kano accent?) He-he-he!

- Same

* * *
My Short Reply

Dear Nasty,

Thanks for your e-mail. I swear you sort of stole the
words from right under my tongue. Now, I am utterly speechless.

Send my regards to Randy. Wishing you the best.

(first saw this article in bisaya bloggers, nindot nga i-share para sa tanan.)