Everybody Comes to Hollywood: Legalizing Marijuana

America is a land of democracy. People there whether or not citizens have this obsession of freedom. Now, this obsession turns into source of heist and excuse to violate public order and safety. Country like Philippines has so much to look up to America as history brought Democracy to this archipelago and birthed the popular EDSA PEOPLE POWER that toppled the authoritarian regime of GREAT former President Ferdinand Marcos- America is ICON.

Another remarkable event of 2017 welcomed Americans when famous HOLLYWOOD sign in Los Angeles California was altered to read HOLLYWEED. Pot-loving people even outside US took this as more than just a joke but as advanced form of action to voice out legalization of cannabis in their respective country. But did you know that it was not the first time? It was actually a repeat of alteration made in January 1, 1976 by a prankster named Danny Finegood.

Image source: Los Angeles Times

Marijuana “USE” initiatives/propositions in California  underwent several amendments. On November 8, 2016 the act known as ADULT USE OF MARIJUANA garnered winning number of votes to legalize the RECREATIONAL USE OF MARIJUANA for 21 years and above under other terms and provisions regarding cultivation, sales and taxation. Currently, there are about 27 states in America having laws for marijuana use. Take note that RECREATIONAL and MEDICAL are NOT the same dispensing to usage.

In Philippines, marijuana use and possession remain illegal. It is classified as prohibited drugs along with methamphetamine,cocaine,morphine, heroin and among others including PARTY DRUGS. The first paragraph of Section 11 in RA 9165 states specifically, "The penalty of life imprisonment to death and a fine ranging from Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) to Ten million pesos (P10,000,000.00) shall be imposed upon any person, who, unless authorized by law, shall possess any dangerous drug in the following quantities, regardless of the degree of purity thereof:" The specific amounts that incur this penalty are then detailed. If the quantity is less, the second half of the section details the appropriate penalty.

Philippines being one of the remaining countries in the world with stricter law regarding illegal drugs is lagging behind in terms of relaxation and decriminalization of marijuana use. There have been active fora of debate and discussion regarding it especially now that it has been proven to be effective as cheaper but effective alternative of commercial medical treatments for other diseases. It is said to treat epilepsy, psychological disorder and Alzheimer's. My neighbor before who was at his senior age was using marijuana, he said it makes him feel better when his asthma strikes.

President Duterte who is known for his tough approach on illegal drugs expressed his openness to legalize MEDICAL marijuana. Legalizing its use is very ambitious for Philippines right now. The government must make an effort first in curbing the problem with tobacco use among minors. Tobacco is legal but it is known to be fatal with no therapeutic benefits to users compared to cannabis.

I have no problem with cannabis. I am not hypocrite. I tried it many years ago out of curiosity. But my awareness of the law in the later years was enough not to use it again. No matter how good the reputation cannabis gets now, still, ILLEGAL is illegal.

Once it is legalized, depending on the scope of the law that will govern its usage, I WILL NOT USE CIGARETTE ANYMORE AND WILL HAVE IT AS REPLACEMENT. After all, ADDICTION is also a problem to be treated. High dependency on anything can cause many problems, so we might suffer the same fate as with cigarettes and prescription drugs. Regulation is important especially when it will be use (which is impossible based on filed bill) for recreational purposes.

The good news for those who wish to access marijuana for medical purpose is that legislative action has been taken in the house of representatives. The bill called “ PHILIPPINE COMPASSIONATE MEDICAL CANNABIS ACT” by Rep. Rodolfo T. Albano of first district of Isabella. The bill seeks to legalize and expand research and development of marijuana into medical applications. The use of marijuana as medicine dated back between 2,500 to 10,000 years in traditional Indian and Chinese medical history.

For the mean time while our lawmakers are set to debate on legalizing marijuana let us try to observe the existing law. For those who use it for whatever purpose and benefits it serves and gives, TRY to respect others in the same breath we consider those who don't smoke cigarettes in public. Cross your fingers that multi billion tobacco industry will not get in the way to impede the passage of the bill. As Madonna said in her song Everybody comes to Hollywood/They wanna make it in the neighborhood/They like the smell of it in Hollywood/How could it hurt you when it looks so good.

Miss Universe Bits: Philippines in Beauty Pageants

The hype and drama brought by transition of a new year have now subsided. Allow me to turn the switch on again for good with another beautiful and exciting update of what's new. Speaking of beauty, Philippines will once again host the most prestigious and one of the  longest running beauty pageants on earth. Miss Universe organization will pick the most CONFIDENTLY BEAUTIFUL with a HEART from more or less one hundred women around the globe.

On the 17th year, from the time the first Miss Universe beauty pageant was inaugurated, Philippines made its debut as country to beat in terms of placements and titles. Gloria Diaz won the most coveted crown in 1969. She was followed by Maria Margarita Moran who earned the crown in 1973 with her simple yet touching “ HOUSE and LOT” answer for the question “ IF YOU HAD ONE MILLION DOLLARS WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH IT?”

Since then,  the Philippines has cemented its position as one of the prime movers in the said pageant. But prior to 1969 winning the country's representatives managed to earn top spots and a runner up position in 1954,1965,1966 and 1963 respectively. Thirteen representatives more over the course of the pageant years have made their way closed to wearing the crown.

Miss Finland Armi Kuusela. Image courtesy of
wikiwand.com

The first REVISED Miss Universe pageant was held in 1952 at Long Beach California USA. Miss Finland became the first to win but only to relinquish the crown when she chose to marry a Filipino businessman. Philippines is not just known in the world of pageantry but also as home of men who won the hearts of many beauty queens.

Philippines is the first country in Asia to host the Miss Universe pageant. In 1974 the second Filipina to win the title crowned her successor from Spain Amparo Muñoz at the historic Cultural Center Of the Philippines Manila. Twenty years later the country hosted again for the 43rd edition which was held at Philippine International Convention Center.

Miss Universe 1994 Sushmita Sen. Image courtesy
of indianexpress.com

The 1994 Miss Universe beauty pageant was the glorious year for Indian beauties. Sushmita Sen of New Delhi became her country's first Miss Universe. She was crowned by a Puerto Rican beauty with angelic face Dayanara Torres who became a famous celebrity in the Philippines.

Miss Universe 1993  from Puerto Rico Dayanara Torres.
Photo credit to CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER
Alan Mercer

Beauty pageant is one of the MAJOR MAJOR highlights during fiestas and festivals in Philippines. Local pageants serve as screening or qualifying rounds for those who aspire to represent the country in any international pageants. Binibining Pilipinas Charity Incorporated which is currently chaired by Stella Marquez Araneta ( winner of the first ever Miss International from Colombia) holds the national franchise of MUO.

BPCI through its annual pageant selects deserving Filipinas to represent in selected International pageants. Its latest product is none other than Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach from Cagayan de Oro City. Maxine Medina will make a history as she will be vying back to back victory for Philippines in the upcoming 65th edition of MU in Mall of Asia Arena come January 30.

To walk the talk of writing just about anything puts myself in unnecessary tests. Some friends from India and UK requested me to write about foods and more about fitness. But seriously what I really want to do is feature people who are behind the spotlight of people's query eyes. I'm sure they have so much to tell for others to learn from.



DISCLAIMER:
Videos in this post are directly linked to their source. SOURCE as ownership of the videos  is concerned can't be determined as the ORIGINALS.
The same applies to IMAGES.

Popular New Year's Resolution

Image courtesy of www.ambientegallerie.com

Instead of just  sharing in the social media what our self-wishes are for 2017 why not try to compile those that have ended others shooting for the proverbial moon just for the sake of little entertainment. I will try to list herein the popular and yet the best resolutions that everyone can make ANYTIME of the year.

DIETING

Holiday season is party season. This is the season when dieting comes as the toughest challenge especially when you promised to lose weight for a healthier you in the years beyond. Life is good and life is food. DIETING doesn't mean depriving yourself of what you can indulge into once in a while. The key is BALANCE and TIMING. But when you kick the year munching on burgers and sugary desserts in newly opened cafes that is when dieting reads DIE-EATING. Know when to CHEAT!

GOING TO GYM

We don't just select what to eat for the acceptable BODY MASS INDEX. It has to work hand in hand with physical activities that may only be possible when we consider going to gym . Working people find it hard to insert weight lifting in their schedule .BUT if you think of its benefits as per contra to loathing in front of monitor watching movies to kill time then most likely than not you will have the best REST DAY OPTION.

QUIT SMOKING

Nicotine addiction is personally my biggest challenge in terms of getting myself clean and healthy. I am proud  that somehow  I have managed to cut my cravings for this deadly vice down to 75% this year. Do I have to thank my declining strength in lifting for this or shall I say BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO DIE YOUNG? Don't wait nicotine to find its way on your spine. Addiction is not an easy battle to get away with. It has to start with a resolute spirit to live life longer. START NOW!

STOP DRINKING

We can't stop drinking unless you dehydrate yourself to death. What I am talking about here is obviously INTOXICATING DRINKS. There are published studies about the benefits of alcohol consumption. Just like anything else, too much can kill you but I want to believe that you won't die either if you remove alcoholic drinks from your system.

SAVING MONEY

With soaring prices of commodities and trickling desire to buy new sets of gadgets, saving money could perhaps the one we are mostly challenged. I think the best way to do this is to identify the NEEDS from WANTS or PRIORITIES over short-lived memories. This is the biggest lesson I learned over the years. To date, I have outstanding FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS that need to be settled. Paying overdue debts can help a lot to bank roll on saving money for the future.

TRAVELING

Why not! If we refrain from impulsive buying, cook and eat healthy foods instead of going out for your trans fat laced pizza and sugar laden pastries in your favorite food house we can allot budget for traveling. Traveling makes our soul richer. It will open opportunities to see the world in different ways thus directing us to a new foray where we can be the best that we are ought to be.

TO BE KIND

My struggles from the time I decided to start living outside the comfort of my family/guardians at early age have exposed me to a world where kindness is also a challenge to win over from others and most of all from OURSELVES. We can't aim for self perfection. To be kind means being tolerant no matter how different the differences are to you. Some people will always choose to hurt you no matter how hard you try to be kind . Some are ungrateful and some will only be there when your basket is full. I have hurt others intentionally and unintentionally along the way. Trying to be kind in words and in actions can create a positive effect in accelerating you to a new version of yourself. Kindness is not a work to be done overnight. It needs many attempts and persistence that should last a LIFETIME.

The "P" Word: Media plus Politics

Image courtesy of  propheticvoicetoday.org

Politics can be the most sensitive topic to talk about. It makes friends go awry and even reduced relatives to distant. Funny though but we can't avoid discussion that somehow matters our perspective and position in the society. My friend who is in United States advised me to as much as possible try to be neutral in my political opinion because I may likely breed new enemies than create a new field of friendly environment for intelligent discourse. Unfortunately, I don't write to please anybody because whether or not your intention is good you can always stir the devil in everyone's mind.

With Philippines as setting, the word “PRESSTITUTE” caught my curiosity recently. From the way it sounds I got an instant idea of what it is all about. PRESS+PROSTITUTE=PRESSTITUTE. A new word added to the lexicon of socio- politics. Not so sure, I dug the web for its meaning.

Using several long (insert #oxford) and short tail keywords, the web provided me in first page of Google the one from www.urbandictionary.com. “A term coined by Gerald Celente and often used by independent journalists and writers in the alternative media in reference to journalists and talking heads in the mainstream media who give biased and predetermined views in favor of the government and corporations, thus neglecting their fundamental duty of reporting news impartially.” Interesting and familiar, isn't it? Like a corporation who bribed media to poison the minds of patronizing people by falsified and half-truths press releases. Personally, If you are driven to throw away opinion without the benefits of KNOWING first  and (most especially) paid to do so, then independent or not you can be considered as PRESSTITUTE.

How can we stop them? First thing first we have to realize that media is  business. They stimulate the market and drive consumerism at the expense of what is happening around that they can update us on real-time. It is a commercial reality that we have to deal with. We need media for entertainment,learning and for making us cognizant of events that may affect us as individuals or even your (mind you!) own business and prospects.

Do I sound like a #presstitute now? For me, the most VULNERABLE people to become agents of lies are those who are swayed by impulse and fanaticism. They are those who sacrificed their earned EDUCATION to being less CRITICAL about everything they READ and WATCH in any media outlets. They are those who underestimate the VALUE of knowing just to sound COOL but CLICHÉ. Those who write in the editorial section of the broadsheet newspapers have their own opinions based on certain,if not personal political standpoints, are you aware that you can have yours too?

Media can manipulate the minds of their (let's say) televiewers to become receptive of their feeds. We (I included myself) FUELED presstitution by acting like PIMPS. We are too obvious as being AFFECTED without knowing we GLORIFY them to gain. They trick us with their INTENTIONAL mistakes because they know that we tend to react quickly on issues that need further investigation and correspondence. I am not a whining parrot to act as shield for SOME unscrupulous media personalities because I believe that CORRUPTION happens ANYWHERE even in the house of GODS.

Therefore, it is very difficult at this moment to craft a definite action against so called TRUTH BENDERS. But the good thing is we can suppress them by being FIRM about the importance of CRITICAL ANALYSIS. I wouldn't TRADE my COMMON SENSE by flooding my friend’s newsfeed with write-ups I picked from somewhere else in the web just to appear SMART. Now, THAT IS THE ART/STYLE of weaving friendly opinion. It is all up to you to take this against yours and label me as PRESSTITUTE.

The Promise of a New Year

Another year is about to end. While others will say goodbye to a year that is full of good memories and blessings, some will simply forget the sustained pains and keep the lessons learned therefrom. I know life is not the same so when you ask some people how the year would have been to them they will say  GOOD and I AM GRATEFUL. Yes! Good or bad there is so much to be thankful for the essence the TIME brings in fulfilling its PROMISES.

New year's resolution is more of a joke nowadays than a self inflicted frustrations we set to delve ourselves into. It is supposed to be creating a better result from the things we want to change and achieve. It is not just words written in a piece of paper or something in our wish list. The PROMISE itself is the best gift that dawning of a new year gives to all, this will not change or provide us instantly within twelve months. Another year means more time for making dreams come true. The year 2016 taught me a lot of things especially on my way of making sound decisions regarding career. TIME IS OPPORTUNITY!

Punta Engaño Lapu-Lapu City Cebu Philippines

I don't really program things, I enjoy the randomness of events but keeping in mind how certain event would affect my chances of getting to where I need to be. This is not a “ COME WHAT MAY” sort of thinking. Thomas S. Monson stated that WE CAN’T DIRECT THE WIND, BUT WE CAN ADJUST THE SAILS. When we defy force of the wind we will shatter the vessel that the wind propels to our supposed destination. We may be drowned in frustrations and in worst case scenario lost our chance to sail again.

Notwithstanding my failures, I decided to keep on going patiently to the extent of asking myself if I have become mediocre in what I can do best. But not really, the road is not well paved for my car to run smoothly. I realized that it was an OFF-ROAD challenge. To get there, I must be needing FOCUS and BALANCE. The source of speed does not come from the fuel but from the driver. I thanked God for this lesson that I can use as part of my wise strategies to win myself (instead of competing with others) for another year to come.

Let us end this year with a heart full of GRATITUDE. Pains come but the good thing is they leave us lessons as they go for another time. Keep your heads up and let us celebrate New Year with a spirit full of HOPE. I humbly thank my readers for rekindling my passion in writing through my blog. To my new batch of friends both in real life and in facebook and to the ONE who is my greatest DISCOVERY this year, HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A Picture of Priceless Encounter

Punta Engaño Lapu- Lapu City Cebu

My Christmas Greetings

Photos credit: Alan Mercer

In few days time the entire Catholic world will celebrate this one important religious occasion of the year. It is the best time to make amends, share love and most of all to be grateful for the life we are experiencing.

When the child was born in Bethlehem, the humanity has been saved by the grace. MARY the virgin mother and JOSEPH the carpenter rejoiced when the prophesied saviour came to earth  with them as chosen blessed parents - THE HOLY FAMILY.

Like all of us, he has encountered challenges up until he took the cross as his THRONE. He was not perfect as a growing person and yet became the epitome of LOVE and COMPASSION.

He was betrayed but he chose to FORGIVE. The pain he received was too much for the little love that everyone is capable to GIVE.

Jesus Christ either being a person or God is more than just a character in the Bible. He was one of the greatest teachers the world ever have.

Materialism has eventually changed the true meaning of Christmas. Let us all remember that Jesus was born in the MANGER.

He redeemed the world through his mercy. He was powerful but humbled by our sins.

LOVE is an all-year round and lifetime celebration. It is our HOPE as individuals regardless of beliefs to achieve WORLD PEACE by emanating the good deeds of JESUS CHRIST.

Let us be reminded that as we celebrate this season, the other side of the world is grieving from loss of innocent lives due to war. Let us remember the people of SYRIA by including them in our PRAYERS.

To my friends, relatives and ALL , and on behalf of those who try to break the boundaries of humanity through RESPECT and UNDERSTANDING allow me to reach your hearts with my greetings. MERRY CHRISTMAS and have meaningful days ahead.