Manila

[MrHombre]

I strongly advise you or anyone else not to specifically mention or call out any political person, clan or member of the economic elite if you live in the Philippines or you plan on visiting again. Doing so will bring your identity to the attention of the person you are slandering. A simple call to the NBI cyber crimes unit will place your name on a list of potential problems and that will get you at the very least a rubber love-glove inspection at BOI. If you continue to be outspoken you can be blacklisted from entry to the Philippines.

FYI, the clan you named currently holds a seat in the congress and continues to have alot of friends in very high places. Keep up your public tirade and you might end up dancing in an orange jumpsuit.

We are guests in that country, after all. Their system is what it is. We ought to be polite guests, and also avoid the personal problems you describe from attracting attention.

[Stroker Ace88]

Just making the transition from a dicktatorship to a corrupt democracy is a slight reduction in corruption since at least the thieves in power have a time limit on their time to steal from the gov't purse / abuse their power to extort bribes. It also reduces the fear of people exposing the corruption. Journalists are still killed but perhaps not as bad as when dictators were in power.

I strongly advise you or anyone else not to specifically mention or call out any political person, clan or member of the economic elite if you live in the Philippines or you plan on visiting again. Doing so will bring your identity to the attention of the person you are slandering. A simple call to the NBI cyber crimes unit will place your name on a list of potential problems and that will get you at the very least a rubber love-glove inspection at BOI. If you continue to be outspoken you can be blacklisted from entry to the Philippines.

FYI, the clan you named currently holds a seat in the congress and continues to have alot of friends in very high places. Keep up your public tirade and you might end up dancing in an orange jumpsuit.

[Soapy Smith]

In my experience, Filipinos have the most unhealthy eating habits that I have ever encountered in any nationality except perhaps the Scottish (it's sadly true about the deep fried Mars bars).

Please remind me how it is that fish and chips are prepared. And when you're done eating them, what's that stuff coating the paper towel or napkin placed under them?

[Soapy Smith]

Just like Chicago only more open and obvious corruption.

I agree. The difference is that the corruption is better concealed in Chicago. So which version is more dangerous?

[Soapy Smith]

Yes, he lost his office, forfeited nothing and was not criminally charged with anything.

I'm aware of your long running frustration, and many others of us share the same concerns. But you said nobody had been "tried, convicted, penalized or jailed." I believe impeachment is a trial.

You believe conditions are qualitatively different in the states. I'm not so sure. Check out a new literature beginning to appear under the name "State Crimes Against Democracy," with studies set in both the states and Australia. Or check out Glenn Greenwald's recent book, *Liberty and Justice for Some*. You can check out the basics at Amazon without having to buy the book.

[Slippery]

Yes, he lost his office, forfeited nothing and was not criminally charged with anything.

Didn't he just walk out a day early? He was dizzy or something? Absolutely no consequences for that man and he will probably still collect his pension for life. No consequences for GMA either. And Joe? Hahahahahaha. He might be the next president. Ummmm, what about Villar? It just goes on and on and on and on all the way down to the barangay level. Aren't there sub-barangay levels of politics too? Just like Chicago only more open and obvious corruption.

[GoodEnough]

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was impeached.

Yes, he lost his office, forfeited nothing and was not criminally charged with anything.

[Member #4379]

Just making the transition from a dicktatorship to a corrupt democracy is a slight reduction in corruption since at least the thieves in power have a time limit on their time to steal from the gov't purse / abuse their power to extort bribes. It also reduces the fear of people exposing the corruption. Journalists are still killed but perhaps not as bad as when dictators were in power.

[Cunning Stunt]

I agree that Filipinos develop tastes for the oddest of concoctions as you and X describe. They don't really need any help from the French or the Dutch: just consider what goes into halo-halo. But maybe we shouldn't be in a hurry for them to accommodate the healthier tastes of what passes for food in Western countries.

In my experience, Filipinos have the most unhealthy eating habits that I have ever encountered in any nationality except perhaps the Scottish (it's sadly true about the deep fried Mars bars). This might account for the abnormally high incidence of high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease in The Philippines. The number of times that I have stood behind women doing their weekly shop in SM or Pure Gold and watched them unload packets of instant noodles, canned processed meats or sardines and biscuits with nary a vegetable in sight. Fatty pork is by far the most popular meat and popular dishes such as adobo, sisig and kare kare give me chest pains just looking at them. And they probably eat more crisps (chips) than the Americans including chicharons which are deep fried pork skins. Delicious and like British pork scratchings on steroids, they are instant artery cloggers.

And then of course there is Jollibee's and other fast food outlets.

[Wicked Roger]

This is a country in which talking about doing something is considered synonymous with actually doing it, which is why it's so easy to pontificate triumphally about pyrrhic milestones of progress. We talk about eliminating corruption, and we don't let the fact that since the new president has been in office, no one has been tried, convicted, penalized or jailed; no stolen funds have been recovered and it's pretty much business as usual-but as long as "no more corruption" is repeated often enough, it will be accepted as true. Likewise with infrastructure "progress," dramatic improvements of the justice system, flood control, law enforcement and so on. This is a country remember, in which the perpetrators of a massacre of 58 people, which happened 3 years ago, haven't even come close to a trial.

GE

GE makes a good point, there is lots of "wind and water" but no substance. The article below made me smile as it has a lot of credence to it IMHO.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/312071/...s-not-educated

As for massace, someone must have been reading ISG GE as the below link seems to say the same thing.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/312067/...danao-massacre
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/312069/3-govts-remind-ph-do-not-forget

Can you imagine if the country ever passed the Freedom of Information and the Political Dynasty Acts. Both are dying a slow death. As GE says lots fo talk about things but nothing to show for it no substance

PS CS and WC1 - I am not facing the same issue about reply with quotes you are...maybe is the location?

[Soapy Smith]

I've tried four times unsuccessfully to do a "reply with quote," but the quote does not show up when I hit the "upload" button. So we'll try another work-around when the system doesn't work:

Quote from CS: Yup, I can confirm it. Those horrible red plastic covered cheeses, looking like oversized cricket balls, are enormously popular with Filipinos at Christmas. God knows why! Only more popular are disgusting, highly processed hams and a sickly sweet concoction made of condensed milk, macaroni and tinned fruit.

Reply from Skip:

LOL; however:

On the other hand, when you eat chicken and other Philippine-raised meat, I suspect you're getting much less growth hormone and other cacinogenic additives. I remember my first experiences with chicken in the fast food places and in sit-down places like Max's and Kenny Rogers. At first I chuckled to myself and imagined Filipinos chasing down free range birds that yielded the scrawny little drumsticks and other chicken pieces on offer in Philippine eateries. Some day, I imagined, they'd learn the superior practices that yield the plump, juicy chicken breasts offered in Western countries.

Then I started to learn about how Western growers achieve those huge chicken breasts and fryers: feed saturated with growth hormones leading to big-breasted birds that get so heavy that they sometimes fall to the floor of the raising pens, unable to get up, and then get trampled or pecked to death by the thousands of chickens in the hugely overcrowded rearing pens. Armed with that knowledge, it becomes much easier to push away from the table of a Philippine eatery feeling a little disappointed by the size of chicken portions or the chewiness of Philippine "steak."

I agree that Filipinos develop tastes for the oddest of concoctions as you and X describe. They don't really need any help from the French or the Dutch: just consider what goes into halo-halo. But maybe we shouldn't be in a hurry for them to accommodate the healthier tastes of what passes for food in Western countries.

[Soapy Smith]

since the new president has been in office, no one has been tried, convicted, penalized or jailed; GE

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was impeached.

[D Cups]

Try Rothman on Adriatico or its sister hotel behind it through agoda dot com. I have stayed there several times. It about three short blocks from MBC and right upstreet from the mall.

Well, I'm thinking I need to stay somewhere around / in Makati and Ermita. Would like to be a short cab ride away from both places. I plan to hit a MBC some and also hit up some of the clubs in Makati. So I want my base to be around those two areas.

I also will want to go check out Quezon City, Taguig (The Fort) , and Pasay. How long would it take me to get to those locations is I stayed around Ermita / Makati?

Looking for GF hotels in the 30-40 range.

[GoodEnough]

I think back to my first visit to Manila in '87. I arrived shortly after a long spell in Bangkok and it was like paradise after hell. Bangkok was horribly traffic clogged and murder to get around, with even the shortest journey taking forever. Manila, by comparison, was a breeze. I was impressed by how good and uncrowded the road infrastructure was and loved the overhead LRT with its near empty carriages. Now look at both cities?

And, honestly, I am talking about only 1987 and not 1887!

I remember Bangkok well during that time as I worked there on and off and it was hell to get anywhere. Twenty-five years later-some vision on the part of the Thais-and look what's happened now. Bangkok's no worse than New York as far as traffic goes, and it all moves fairly efficiently, while Manila and the rest of the country slides ever further behind with each passing year. And so it goes, and so it goes.

GE

[Mc Don]

Well, I'm thinking I need to stay somewhere around / in Makati and Ermita. Would like to be a short cab ride away from both places. I plan to hit a MBC some and also hit up some of the clubs in Makati. So I want my base to be around those two areas.

I also will want to go check out Quezon City, Taguig (The Fort) , and Pasay. How long would it take me to get to those locations is I stayed around Ermita / Makati?

Looking for GF hotels in the 30-40 range.

If I were you I would split my stay between 3 different places. I would stay in Makati to begin with and explore makati first. Then move to Malate, make it a base for Malate, Ermita and Passay. Finally QC for few nights. Check out AC as well, from QC its a lot closer.