Pinilakang Tabing

Travelling across the Philippines, I've noticed that most people make the sign of the cross a lot of times. They do while passing by a church, before a competition (Pacquiao does), or before embarking on some significant task like an exam.

Thing is, how does one really make the sign of the cross, does it start with all fingers open or the little finger and thumb crossed or do you do it just with the forefinger and middlefinger? Also, I know it starts with the forehead but then when you get to the part "and of the Son", do you touch your stomach or your chest?

Like what are its origins? Ever been a "sagala"? How old were you then? Do you still see those things around?

First there was Honasan, then there's Trillanes. I may not question there interior motives, patriotism and zeal. But isn't voting for them in the coming elections tantamount to saying it's ok to stage a coup and then run for public office?

STEP BY PAINFUL STEP

by Jesus Estanislao (Manila Bulletin April 26, 2007)

NEVER blind to problems, but never immobilized by them: This is the proper attitude of responsible citizens.

By "practicing cheerful charity" towards everyone we deal with each day. A smile, kind treatment to those working for us, a warm greeting to those we meet: All these are small and seemingly insignificant, but they can become the building blocks for nation-building. Like small drops of water falling on the sides of a mountain. The waters will cut through the mountains and shall overcome those obstacles.

This is what is expected of us everyday, to take the many small steps our ordinary duties impose upon us. We are asked to do them well, one step at a time. Sometimes, it may pain us to take the next one and more so if we have to take a few more further down the road.

By ourselves, we can do very little. This is true, but with God it is very possible.

What do you think?

After that long Holy Week weekend, (went to a stay-in retreat with street children at San Carlos Seminary at Guadalupe then off to Holiday Inn Mimosa in Clark) there was some catching up to do. I noticed that I've been in this question and answer thing for a month now and have asked myself if I'm just wasting time here.

Seemingly not! Although majority of the questions and answers are really not worth reading, the few good ones still offset the bad. Some are so darn witty it keeps me laughing the whole day as I recall it. Others are eye-openers too. Plus I get to meet some interesting contacts, one of which gave me a nice price for Holiday Inn. There couldn't be any more tangible benefit as that....lol.

So how about you? How's your experience?

Bishop Tagle, the energetic bishop of Cavite, was talking last night about an incident that happened during a recent trip to Europe. Learning that he was bishop from the Philippines, some well-to-do people he met there invited him to a photo exhibit. There he saw glossy digital photographs of people in the Philippine slum area and how they live. The bishop asked where they got those photos. He was informed some organizations in the Philippines send them over together with their request for donations. He asked for the list with names that somehow sounds unfamiliar. Once he got back, he decided to check on the progress of the donations and as expected the groups turned out to be spurious.

Obviously, the legitimate poor cannot have access to these contacts, so it has to be some people who knew these abused donors to pull out such sinister trick. Some may even find it to be funny.

Should the poor who are already suffering be subject to such form of mockery?

If your answer is from the Bible, please quote the text.

When you click on Top 10 Answerers, it takes you to Top Answerers in Philippines (http://ph.answers.yahoo.com/dir/stars?sid=39654549... ) which gives a list based on the number of Best Answers in the category, with total disregard to level, percentage of Best Answers and most of all relevance.

Then when you click on View Leaderboard ( the one across the Total Points in the Activity Summary of your Profile), it takes you to Philippines Overall Leaderboard (http://ph.answers.yahoo.com/rank_total;_ylt=ApfLjf... ) which leaves me clueless to whatever it is that makes them leaders.

Anybody knows?

When you click on Top 10 Answerers, it takes you to Top Answerers in Philippines (http://ph.answers.yahoo.com/dir/stars?sid=39654549... ) which gives a list based on the number of Best Answers in the category, with total disregard to level, percentage of Best Answers and most of all relevance.

Then when you click on View Leaderboard ( the one across the Total Points in the Activity Summary of your Profile), it takes you to Philippines Overall Leaderboard (http://ph.answers.yahoo.com/rank_total;_ylt=ApfLjf... ) which leaves me clueless to whatever it is that makes them leaders.

Anybody knows?

Like c'mon, there's a spelling check in Yahoo! Mail and it isn't this bad. If one has to wait forever for a spellcheck, might as well go to Preview right away. And when that happens, what's the use of having a Check Spelling thing in the first place?