Both love nature. Both love beauty. Both love family and relatives. Both are telegenic. Both are media stars.

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1 SARAH Palin is fast becoming a favorite subject in this space just as she remains a favorite in both mass and social media here in the U.S. Our purpose is to tell (needless?) our readers that Mrs. Palin is not equipped to lead this country just because she is popular, Tea lover and could kill a caribou from a distance after five shots using two different rifles. I don t know if the former Alaska governor loves shoes, but have you noticed some major similarities between Mrs. Imelda Marcos during her heyday and Mrs. Sarah Palin today? Both love nature. Both love beauty. Both love family and relatives. Both are telegenic. Both are media stars. Occasionally, both have the propensity to sound cerebral. 1 / 6

2 And both engage in national politics but lack political credentials. Sunday night, I found out why Mrs. Barbara Bush said what she said in a recent television interview. I watched Mrs. Palin s documentary about her life and activities in beautiful Alaska on TLC. After watching the program, I cannot agree more with Mrs. Bush. Sarah Palin is a beautiful person and she seems to be enjoying her home state very much. Therefore, she should just stay in Alaska. We have lesson in Tagalog words. Bro. Mike Velarde of El Shaddai has new terminologies in his native tongue. According to him, a man in an unmarried relationship whose partner dies is called lalaking naging malaya. (That s a long civil status.) Its literal English translation is man who became free. 2 / 6

3 On the other hand, a man in a married relationship whose wife dies is called biyudo or widower in English. Bro. Mike referred to a woman in an unmarried relationship whose partner dies as babaeng naging malaya or woman who became free. A biyuda or widow, as we know, refers to a wife in a married relationship whose husband dies. I m glad I was married to my late wife. Otherwise, my status would have been Lalaking naging malaya. At muling naging binata. At naghahanap ng babaeng naging malaya. Seriously, no matter what the emerging social trend is, I am still an advocate of marriage. Speaking of the not yet married, it is becoming apparent that President Noynoy Aquino s love or loveless life will always be part of the sought after news in the native country. At least, P-Noy will always have a diversionary story when his presidency gets boring. The latest about the bachelor President is that he blames media for his having blue Christmas this year (malamig na Pasko because he won t have someone to cuddle). 3 / 6

4 He says media discourages his prospects because it publishes or reports their names even before his first date with a prospect takes place. The President admitted earlier he was dating his stylist, who is 22 years his junior (only eight years short of another generation). Not anymore. (Apparently, one of them realized that age difference matters in a relationship. Or that entering into a relationship with a person who is in a different generation may turn out to be shaky and boring.) Busted lang yata; bakit blame the media? The President s spokeswoman explained her boss was not busted. She said he was just too busy to pursue the woman. Do you believe the explanation? I don t. 4 / 6

5 Read this good news from Manila. The Contract Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) said the native country had become the call center of the world, with around 350,000 Filipinos working in call centers compared to India s 330,000 work force. Revenues from the PH s call center industry are also expected to reach $5.7 billion this year, higher than India s $5.5 billion, the CCAP said. The call center industry, which provides voice services like customer support and sales, is part of the BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) industry. Call centers make up 70 percent of the BPO industry in the Philippines. Currently, there are 600,000 Filipinos employed in the country s BPO industry, according to the Business Processing Association of the Philippines. Now we know where the jobs in America go and went and why it is difficult for jobless Americans, including many Filipino-Americans, to find jobs. In fact, jobless rate in the U.S. jumped to 9.8 percent from 9.6 percent as of last week. In the old days, the cry in the East was Go West. Has the cry become Go East? 5 / 6

6 We are experiencing the cyclical nature of history. Both mass and social media (social media refers to the latest means people communicate with one another through the use of web and Internet technology, like text, , google, facebook, twitter, etc.) are awash with a story about two opposing billboards that could be seen nowadays before entering the Lincoln Tunnel when leaving New York City for New Jersey. One billboard put up by a group of atheists says: You Know it s a Myth. This Season, celebrate Reason. According to its leader, the atheists reportedly spent $20,000 to put up the sign. A smart and quick thinking Catholic group put up a counter billboard across the street which says: You Know it s Real. This Season, celebrate Jesus. Of course, we know and we believe Christmas is real and that Jesus is the reason for the Season. Only in America! I can t imagine someone putting up the atheists billboard along EDSA in Quezon City. It would turn to ashes in less than 24 hours. mcaball241@aol.com 6 / 6