the honest liar

Eyes wide shut, I ran out in to the open air
Breathing in so the fresh air of lit cigerettes
Taking in the deafening silence of traffic
I bow down to see the the bright skies of burnt dark clouds
Open my eyes tight and bore what I can not bare
I burn myself on how ever cold this world gets
Chocking on the nothingness that makes this world sick
The world is winning on the basis of no grounds
Find myself in paradise of some painful stare
Of, undoubtably, untamable, curious pets
Shaking their fists in love of some dead politic
Who said he would build mountains and ended up with mounds
Where am I drifting to, where have I been sleeping
How has it been for you, is irony leaking

Greatly, I admire the dead, for they are certain
Certain of their every whim and every movement
As for me I am not sure how my life proceedes
Is it left, right or is it somewwhere in between
Am I part of this society's unspoken
Unspoken for out of every moment
Because, inside me, life already planted seeds
That tells me to fade into the background and grin
Anything getting through in this senseless ranting
Are remains of your soul still alive and kicking

-Orville "chubby" Basas

If life gives you lemons...

The times are rough. I could actually say it blows. It blows so hard that it sucks. It's getting harder to get by. Not to mention that humanity is deteriorating. It is the time I call "THE GREED AGE." Greed has taken over. Enough is never enough. If life gives you lemons, you make lemonade and sell it by the glass. If life gives you weed, you cut it and sell it by the bag. Everyone sees everything as profits.. Everyone is replacing the conventional pronouns with ones that is needed by their greedy principles. "He," "she," and "it" are replaced with "asset," "liability" and "profit". For big companies and corporations, the "Christmas season" as a time of giving is seen as an opportunity to promote public relations for more patrons and more profit. Everyone today is looking out for number one. It's all work for my needs. Sweat to provide for family. Toil for success. Do everything with everything life has given to be the best. People think that what life has given them is for them to be great. If life gives you lemons, right? A certain someone told me a slightly modified motto. "If life gives you lemons, add vodka, salt and chill." It's kind of funny but would be better for humanity. Let us drop the "make lemonade" part and just ring everybody up for a house party.

We could be heroes.

Our heroes must be turning in their graves. The principles that they fought and died for, the same principles that became the foundation of this republic is now just a thought. An insignificant speck in the minds of today's generation. The eyes that Jose Rizal's work has opened are now wide shut. Ears that reverberated with the cry of Pugad Lawin are hearing without listening. This once proud people built on activism is now passive, blind, deaf and dumb. Rizal gave his life for equality. He fought for the Filipino to be known as equals by any other nation. now the Philippines is one of the most corrupt countries. The Filipinos ignore this fact and moves on thinking that if they are not bleeding they would not fight back. Little do they know that we are being milked by an illegitimate president reducing our stature just like Spain has done long ago. Bonifacio fought for freedom, for democracy. But what is happening now? An illegitimate president is destroying our democracy, spitting in the face of this once proud nation. And we just smile and not mind it. The Philippines has a new oppressor replacing the Japanese, the Spaniards and the Marcos rule. She goes by the name of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. She looks and talks like us. Maybe that is why we become passive. But I tell you, my fellow Filipinos, Race is not the enemy, it is the principle of the person and the persons personal agenda. The idea that she is a Filipino is but an idea. The Fact that she is a vessel of tyranny is a fact. Our veins flow with the blood of activism. Our history is paved by it. Our whole becoming is because our ancestors stood up and fought against terrorism. They died fighting for liberty, justice and peace. This country, our country, became a republic because we fought for independence, democracy and humanity. This whole nation was because of great individuals, heroes, who would not ignore injustice and corruption. The Filipino is Filipino because we would not take oppression lying down. Look at our history. EDSA revolution, propaganda movement, HUKBALAHAP, kataastaasang, kagalanggalangang katipunan ng mga anak ng bayan, magdalo and many others have fought for what is right and what is for the Filipino nation. We should be fighting for these same things regardless of who or what the tyrant seems to be. I am not calling out for a revolution, (though it is badly needed) but I am calling for consciousness. Filipinos! Open your eyes! You are being cheated out of your rights and your motherland. I am not pointing out that we should be taking to the streets,(though it is not such a bad idea) but I am pointing out the lack of wanting to. What bothers me most is the principles of heroes are being studied in school, colleges and universities but somehow, the seeds are not growing in the minds. These oppressions have happened before, Why are we not screaming at the top of our lungs in Pugad Lawin? We are mocking the Lives, Works and Death of our immortal heroes.

Radical change for the Philippines

"if the good bishops sincerely want radical change, if they really want to uproot corruption, why are they barking up a single leader?"

-Pompeyo S. Pedroche

"The day we feel about the theft of P728 million, which comes from our blood, sweat, and tears, the way we feel about the theft of our wallets and cell phones is the day we start rewarding the just and punishing the wicked. The day we wake up to the fact that the theft of 105,000 euros is related to a child not being able to go to school as cause is to effect is the day we stop having Senate hearings on corruption and malfeasance.
Stop and smell the roses? Stop and smell the gutter!"

- Conrado de Quiros

These are painful truth. Radical change is impossible for one person. Although a person could attribute to change the world. But we have to see the grand design of this tapestry. Each of us is just a single thread. If one is to change, the change would be unnoticeable.

This country has changed presidents a few times already and it seems that they never could never sing in the right key. Now why is that? Maybe it's because we're not playing the right notes. We complain and protest about these "traditional politicians" but have we ever stopped to protest our selfish and dumb outlook?

The truth is, If GMA would step down, (though I doubt that power hungry impostor would) we will still end up with our same selves Looking out for number one. And after GMA is out of the picture, what next? Another politician is going to take her place and we're gonna end up finding another reason not to like him/her.

Most people nowadays are like this, "as long as it doesn't hit me directly, I could live with that." Really? This is our government. The point is this is OURS. We are directly affected because it governs our country, nation and all that. And it is yours.

To change the way we are governed, we should first be changed ourselves. If we are sick and tired of the oppression, lies and corruption, why do we think it's only by the government? Do you not lie to get yourself out of trouble? Do you not sneak an extra minute in your cigarette brake? Do you not keep the extra pesos that the jeepney driver gave you by mistake? Do you try and look for the person who drops their 20-peso bill? Do you not leave your food wrapper lying around after eating in a fast food joint? Do you not download mp3 through the Internet for free? Do you not refuse to give up your seat on the LRT/MRT for another? Do you say you are a student to avail the jeepney fare discount even though yo are not? Have you never cheated in an exam or game in your whole life?

If you answered no to all of these,(be honest) maybe you should be the president then.

I'm not saying that the president is a good person. Fuck it, she's a monster. But if we want change and get rid of corruption, then let it begin with us. Let's not be selfish. Let's not be ignorant of the laws and actually abide by them. Let's not be corrupt. Let's be honest as we want the government to be. That means to stand and be accountable for all the wrongs you have done and not be sore if we are not recognized y the good we have done. But be content with the fact that you are doing the right things, for the right cause in the right ways. So unless we get rid of the traditional Filipino attitude, our hopes to get rid of the "trapo" will remain a fleeing illusion to be pursued but never attain. And the hopes of the Philippines that is free from oppression, corruption and war will be a dream that cannot come true.

-Orville "chubby" Basas

greed

Greed. the leading cause of crime.
it is not poverty as most people perceive. if you look at it deeper, greed actually caused most of the criminal activities. Pure, raw human greed. the aspirations to be something more, to have more and control more.
greed has caused the rich to want more. after the rich have achieved the highest, they would not want to let it go. thus the rich will proudly step on each other so no one will be higher than them. and they will aspire more to be higher that nobody could reach them. and how else would they do that but by destroying all who are below them. take all the wealth of those too weak to oppose them. thus the rich gets richer and the poor are left hungry and dying.
now driven bu the will to survive, the poor finds a way to satisfy their hunger. they work, they strive and greed comes in. they want more. thus the poor finds more ways to live easier. they do everything humanly possible regardless of the law of man and God. and where else would they steal the wealth but from the people who trampled them.
the rich Stael through politics and loopholes within the law. the poor pillages with blades within the streets. but what chance does the poor have against the towering might of corruption, destructive corporations and influential power?

as Noli de Castro so well put it, "human greed... the race to go beyond previous in come records to the point of overextending capabilities of human institutions cased the near-meltdown of the major financial markets in the world."
but as I see it, it already collapsed the foundation of human living to the point that it is a necessity if one wishes to survive.