From Egypt to 9/11

The Middle East is now in the midst of the Twitter and Facebook inspired revolutions that started in Africa. The first to go down was Tunisia’s Ben Ali in January 14, 2011 and followed by Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak less than a month after. Soon to follow is Libya’s Colonel Muamar Gadhafi. In between the three governments, there is the turmoil in Sudan, Bahrain and Yemen.

Going to Egypt, Vice President Hosni Mubarak became the President after his predecessor Anwar Sadat was assassinated by terrorists. Sadat was a prime mover of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel and that infuriated the Jew hating Arab world. In fact, during Sadat’s funeral, only 3 out of 24 states sent representatives.

What surprises me about is something that not many people know. Sadat was assassinated after a Fatwa approving it was issued by a cleric named Omar Abdel-Rahman The cleric was acquitted of conspiracy charges related to the assassination.

I am not aware about the facts behind the trial but Abdel-Rahman was probably not convicted because a Fatwa can be argued as nothing more than any individual's interpretation of an Islamic law, just like any lawyer’s legal opinion.

The thing is, Abdel-Rahman was given a US Visa despite his inclusion in the terrorists watch list. Taking comfort in the fact that Arabic is largely foreign to Americans, he issued Fatwas calling for the destruction of the US.

“He traveled widely in the United States and Canada. Despite the U.S. support for the mujahideen in Afghanistan, Abdel-Rahman was deeply anti-American and spoke out against it, safe in the knowledge that he was speaking Arabic and unmonitored by any law enforcement agency. He issued a fatwa in America that declared lawful the robbing of banks and killing of Jews in America. His sermons condemned Americans as the "descendants of apes and pigs who have been feeding from the dining tables of the Zionists, Communists, and colonialists". He called on Muslims to assail the West, "cut the transportation of their countries, tear it apart, destroy their economy, burn their companies, eliminate their interests, sink their ships, shoot down their planes, kill them on the sea, air, or land.”

The end result is what we all know as a tragedy called 9/11. Abdel Rahman is now more popularly called the blind Sheik.

Watch Your Thoughts

In light of the major Twitter blunder committed by President Aquino's speechwriter during the state visit to Vietnam, may I humbly quote the following:

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character: it becomes your destiny.

Something similar was written by Mahatma Gandhi;

“Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.”

101010 Run

On the 10th of October 2010, approximately 120,000 people will participate in the 101010 Run. It is a fund raising event for the benefit of the rehabilitation of the Pasig River, the biggest river running across Metro Manila. The event also aims to get a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most widely participated running event in the world.

My best wishes to the participants and the organizers. I hope that they will be able to get everything that they aim for. But I also hope that the environmental cause will not turn into an environmental disaster.

In some similar events, I noticed that plastic water cups used by runners remained in the road 12 hours after the event. Imagine at least 120,000 plastic cups in the road after the run. That's probably a Guinness material as well.

Disaster Management 101

I read somewhere and quite sometime ago, something like; "

When you try to apologize, comfort or make amends with the people you have offended or harmed, make sure that the act is genuine."

I have forgotten where I read those lessons but it is what came to my mind in the aftermath of the hostage crisis.

Kris Aquino went to see the survivors of the tragedy and quietly took the curses thrown to her face by one of the ladies. The media and critics drowned such act for it wasn't helpful to the critics' cause or very newsworthy for the media compared to the other things that were happening that day.

In contrast, the management of a shipping company was said to have given insurance benefits to survivors of a ship's sinking -- in exchange for the signing of a document that frees the firm from any liability.

In the news today, a US based company immediately made available $100 Million dollars in cash as emergency assistance to the residents affected by a gas pipe explosion. That, they did while guaranteeing that those who avail of the money may still sue them for the damages caused by the explosion. Read the news here.

Compare and contrast the three examples that I wrote about and tell us what damaging party will go out being less damaged by what happened.

Ciara Sotto Pole Dances

Here's a Youtube video of Filipina singer-actress Ciara Sotto performing a pole dance routine in a TV show. She did it very tastefully and so full of grace. All I can say is.. Wow!

Those who steal for me..

Will steal from me!

All bosses, never forget this.

Never even think of shortchanging your suppliers, contractors or anybody else. The people who does this for you, will do it to you.

And it will be a lot sooner than you think.

Walang Wangwang, Walang Blinker: My Suggestions

In regard to President Noynoy’s (P-NOY) directive to strictly enforce the “No Siren, No Blinker” (WALANG WANGWANG, WALANG BLINKER) policy, except for those covered by exemptions like ambulances and police vehicles responding to emergency situations, I have the unfortunate situation of seeing an SUV with its blinkers on. I am sure that the SUV had no exception and I am almost sure that it did not have as its passenger the President, Vice President or Speaker of the house. I am also very sure that the SUV was not a marked emergency vehicle and neither was it responding to an emergency. My problem is that I did not have a camera to gather evidence that I can post here.

My suggestion is for the government to come up with text, email and phone hotlines that will handle reports. There is already the Dial 166 emergency hotline which I think is very good. However, with the increase in emergency calls, the government should add more operators and dedicated phone lines. As for the mobile text component, all cellular phone companies should dedicate one number (166?) as its emergency text number and another one (661?) to process non emergency reports. In the text hotline (661), the general public may report their corrupt barangay captains and local officials and similar complaints to include the illegal blinkers and sirens.

The authorities may then write summons to the registered owners of the vehicles or, they may conduct spot inspections. The action reports may then be loaded into a website for the general public to know that something is being done. This kind of timely action and feedback system is very important in keeping the public’s trust in the government.

A similar hotline may be done through the email system and for sure, P-NOY’s term will be seen positively by most people.