Tragedies

I guess I didn't know Lorenz that much.

From what I can remember, he was just as enthusiastic as my other cousins when we played games at our Tita Shobe's place during family reunions. And we all got along just fine as normal kids would. We'd run around tita's house until we were out of breath playing hide and seek and variations of tag. For a time, we were all close and we genuinely had fun.

It so happened that Lorenz and I went to the same school. Although, I'm not quite sure how we became choir mates under the direction of my very own mother in the Ateneo Boy's Choir back in elementary. I was in it for the Manila Hotel performances during Christmas season. As for my cousin, was it because Tito or Tita suggested that he was better off being under my mum's watchful eye? I don't know. I guess it doesn't matter now.

As we grew older, he became more and more reserved and I saw less and less of him and my other cousins. All the while, I thought I was the one who changed and sought different company or rather none.

When we graduated from high school, I remember my so-called father comparing how empty my toga was of awards and medals next to Lorenz's. It sucked, but regardless of that I was just glad high school was over. Looking back, I guess that was the least I was able to do for him in his short 25 years of existence--make him look good compared to me. Now I have no regrets on that graduation day.

As for university, I couldn't remember seeing him during the time when we were in the same school for the last couple of years. I never heard anything about him; about his being a teaching assistant at the Philosophy Department or what--until today.

I guess I didn't know Lorenz that much. Now it seems that mainstream media knows more about him than I do.

Sorry, pinsan.


***





Perwisyo Lines at Endosul-fate.

Nilunod na nga, nilason pa.

At hanggang sisihan na lang ba ulit? Kailan ba talaga tayo matututo? Wala na sigurong pagsusuri na mas aangkop pa maliban sa nabanggit ng aking kaibigan na si Capt. G. sa aming flightsim forum (Oo na, dalubhasa kaming mga piloto sa lahat ng bagay.):

[But] I just know how this is going to end up. The marine inquiry will blame the captain, blame the shipping company and relieve Coast Guard officials who allowed the ship to leave. Then they'll issue a list of recommendations that will be filed away and forgotten. Long before that, the media will have since gone back to its usual vapid staple of senate inquiries, impeachment complaints and showbiz scandals. Then we all sit back and wait for the next tragedy, and the whole zarzuela starts again.



In the meantime, the traveling public will have to make do with a perpetually underfunded meteorological agency, woefully inadequate search-and-rescue capability that will stay that way due to a corrupt purchasing system, an antiquated maritime distress communications network and ill-equipped inter-island vessels among others.

(How much you want to bet the GMDSS system will remain pickled in some Coast Guard storage room despite publicity surrounding its anomalous purchase?)

So let's blame the captain. Blame Sulpicio. Prima-facie evidence of culpability is strong. But then leaving it at that is a cop-out that does a grand disservice to the victims of this tragedy. If we really want to save lives in the future, we'll have to do better than that.




Mula sa: http://www.philskies.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11310&start=20

Closer?

For the first time in nearly a year, Mitch and I are within 2-hours difference from each other in time zones. She's on layover somewhere near Manhattan while I'm still stuck here in Houston. Still...

So near yet so far.

I guess the Lord's a bit too early for me in New York City. I pray for more patience.

Turn, Turn, Turn

To everything
There is a season
And a time to every purpose,
Under heaven


A time to build up...

















A time to break down...

















A time to dance...
















A time to mourn...


















To everything
There is a season
And a time to every purpose,
Under heaven.

Untitled

I strongly thought about breaking my unwritten one-post-per-month rule this time around for reasons that are, well, good enough for a TV drama. But there's no time to waste as life goes on, and it's too short as it is.

Tomorrow, mum and Serge start their journey back home to a fate that's more uncertain than ever. In the past, I've written about how the winds blow clouds across my own path home. Right now, I'm somewhat relieved that the decision has been made for me with regard to staying here in the US or heading home. If it weren't, I honestly would not know how to go about it.

All I can say is that I love my mother immensely--immensely. There are a lot of great men in the world. But all of them combined could never equal one great woman. And in my book, all great women combined could never equal my mother.

I pray that the proverbial winds would brush away the clouds of uncertainty for her and my brother. They need it more than I do--at least for now.

Post-Flight

After dinner at home I excused myself from the presence of my aunt and uncle to go back to the airport for my cellphone which I had left in the plane. That's what I had told them; that I'd left my mobile. But I guess the real reason why I wanted to go back was so I could cover my plane's pitot-tubes when I'd forgotten the tennis ball covers in the baggage compartment earlier. There was so much to think about today since I had just gotten a new endorsement on this new type of airplane, that I simply forgot about our post-flight routine of replacing the pitot covers.

After the usual 7-mile drive, I pulled the van beside the Arrow and got the sliced tennis ball covers and set them in the tubes. Having done so would prevent foreign object blockage of our airspeed and gear indicating systems, to make things simple.

I went back in the van and stared at the Arrow's silhouette against the yellowish lights of our trailer classrooms out in the field. She was simply beeeautiful. Perhaps not as beautiful as my girlfriend Michelle (Grin), but still I couldn't take my eyes off her. A passenger jet flew low overhead. I remembered my days as an intern for the airlines back home. I remembered some of the best times with my friends in the flightsim forum. I remembered myself as a kid staring at dad's models safely locked from dangers of my curious hands. Then I remembered my flight earlier today. And that's when it hit me--thank God I still love flying. I'm perpetually afraid of days when I would almost think I've had enough of it, and that it's just going to get more routine flying locally most of the time. I am afraid, for this was a love that I had nurtured ever since I was in diapers, on horseback on top of an inflatable Saudia 747 that was as big as I was back then (Where mum and dad got it, I really never knew.). If by some reason I were to lose this love for flying, I know for sure that I would lose more than mere pride in a noble career. I would lose what little I have left of my childhood.

Now I think I know that it's here to stay.

Reaching for the Sky (And Getting to the Moon by Accident)

These past two months after getting my instrument certificate, I've gone to places that I never thought I'd get to see at this point in my life. And I never dreamed I'd get to those places in the manner which I did, to be completely honest about it. Flying in the Philippines was (And still is) a simple pipe dream. Hoping to experience the complex and even challenging airspace system in the birthplace of the airplane was just lunacy. In fact, I vividly remember how one of our flightsim forum members complained about how complicated the Visual Flight Rules are in this country. And with how I always looked for an easy way around--well--everything, I just sat back and said to myself then, "Why should I even care? If ever I get off the ground (Which was hard enough to imagine to begin with), I'd never get to train in America anyway."

It's funny how life plays out in the most unpredictable manner sometimes. Looking at my logbook, to date I have flown across 5 different states in nearly every possible weather condition one can get into that's within the capabilities of the planes we fly. And I must mention that so far, the highlight of my flying here has been the trip to the Florida Keys--yes, all the way from Houston (28.4 Flight hours round trip with diversions). Although I believe that's one story that is best told in person.

Anyway, that is why I think it's even funnier that after all this wandering across the vast expanse of the United States of America, I still haven't gone on, what seems to be, a pilgrimage to what most people in the field of Aviation would consider as the Mecca of human flight. To think that it's practically in our backyard here in Houston! Hence, last Friday, I finally went by Capt. T's suggestion that I visit one of the most exciting places for those who have dreamed of soaring into the heavens--and beyond.

Allow me to present...

Photographs from... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Johnson Space Center

Having arrived at the facility on a brilliant Friday morning, four flags were flying at the main administration building's flagpoles as seen from the tour tram. From left to right those were the state flag of Texas, the humbling or repulsive (Depends on where you're from) Star Spangled banner, the NASA flag and 10 points if you can guess what the last one below it is.

I'm a fixed wing flier by heart, so by default what else should come first but a visit to the cockpit of the biggest, most advanced flying brick (Okay, "glider") in the world: the Orbiter--or Space Shuttle to the unwashed.

Not bad for seventies technology, huh?

Here, Carmela--a visiting friend from California--tries to get through the protective clear plastic panel so she could try sending out a text message with 70's technology.


Nice architecture here. Though it looks just like any other regular building complex. However...

...History was made in here.

"All right, Aquarius, this is Houston.
Uh, do you have a flight plan up there?"

"Affirmative, Andy. Uh, Jack's got one right here."

"Okay, we have a, uh, an unusual
procedure for you here..."


"Aquarius,uh, please
advise on CO2 status."

"Uh, yeah, Houston.
We're takin' a look at those numbers right now."


God blessed 13...



God bless Apollo 1...

Have you already guessed the flag underneath NASA's? Well, here's another hint.

Here in the FFT (Full Fuselage Trainer) complex, things seemed pretty slow during that day--and for good reason. The Shuttle Endeavour crew had just finished training and as of this moment, they have just undocked from the ISS (Int'l Space Station) 214 statute miles up in earth orbit after completing their mission (STS-123).

You could actually monitor real time data on their position here: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/tracking/

And knowing beforehand the most piss-in-your-pants-excitement inducing attraction at the hallowed grounds of the JSC, I just had to top my visit off by saving this portion for last...

Someone like me just cannot leave without giving the shuttle simulators a go! Rolling out from the 90-degree point on the HAC or Heading Alignment Cylinder (Flying the damn brick's hard enough with winds so I wasn't able to take a photo of the turn segment) I was able to line myself up on final at Edwards AFB.

Pre-Flare phase as indicated on the lower left corner of the HUD (Heads Up Display)

Aaand touchdown of Shuttle Discovery!

I also tried landing in severe wind conditions at KSC (Kennedy Space Center [There's just so many abbreviations in Aerospace, huh?])). I was able to get her on the ground after some good arm-wrestling but there really was no room to shoot a photo after this one. As you can see on the photo above, the guidance diamond was to the right of the "bird"--which stood for my flightpath--indicating that I was to the left of the approach centerline--which didn't seem like it really.

I was a bit slow on touchdown (Hey, I wanted to grease it as with any pilot!) and my co-pilot didn't deploy the drag chute fast enough (Hehe Excuses!). But not bad for weather conditions that would normally push NASA to delay a re-entry for a better day!

And last but not the least, this photo represents the highlight for my non-Aerospace affiliated friends who were with me. 10 points if you could find the NASA Astro-Pet.

Just to conclude, if ever you find yourself visiting the JSC, the first and last impressions that you get when you begin and end the tour at the visitor's facility may be a bit misleading. For something as serious as spaceflight and the dangers humans encounter in this endeavor, one might think that NASA should have presented a more serious image than with what you have from a simple moment of silence on the tram once you arrive at the astronaut memorial.








Instead, you're taken back to where they have play-places for kids and wholesome, family-oriented attractions besides the spaceflight-related items (They had an amazon jungle exhibit too).



But If you think about it, who wouldn't want kids to run around the place and grow wide-eyed at the magnificence of the Space Center away from the grim realities of the program? Forget it if they don't understand the significance of building 30N or the sacrifice of the Apollo 1 crew. One day, when those kids look back at their youthful moments at JSC, a handful would see further than the play-place, the kiddie exhibits and even the flight simulators (grin). They would see a dream. From that handful, some would cower away upon realising the great perils of the endeavor. But there will be those who would remain despite a very real fear and they will fulfill all our hopes and probably even our destiny in space. And thinking about it, I guess that's just what NASA and the rest of the human race needs from what is sowed in the minds of the next generations that visit the JSC: dreams and courage in those who would take us farther into the heavens--and beyond.

*sigh* And if only I'd done better at Math... :)

Learn to Swim the Murky Waters of Philippine Politics with Jun Lozada

He's just an ordinary fellow with extraordinary talents who fell into a very deep rabbit hole.

He could be your next door neighbor, he could be your uncle. He could be your brother, he could be your dad. He was a guy who got into politics simply because he wanted to repay a guy for resolving the issue of death threats to his family when he tried to seek justice for his brother who was killed out of "mistaken identity" by the police. He offered his talents as a skilled engineer and an expert in information systems and naturally, such brilliance is never left unrecognized by people in high places. He didn't get into government because of political pedigree, "pagpapalakas" or "pagiging sipsip". He's just an ordinary fellow with extraordinary talents who fell into a rabbit hole, learned how evil the queen could be and almost had his head chopped off. Now, he's still treading in his own tears, trying to swim through the crocodile-infested, murky waters of Philippine politics--still trying to redeem himself and go out with dignity.

Maybe it's due to the fact that I've found out how real this guy is through the involvement of my mother's family with him personally. Being a native of Ligao himself, he actually used to visit our house in Albay--actually, I believe it was my mother's sister, Tita Alen (The Tita I'm staying with here in Houston), whom he saw in particular. And apparently, one of his brothers graduated from our school in Bicol. Maybe it's how he narrated his past to the Philippine Senate; about how his father came to this country as a poor Chinese man from the mainland and made some fortune to raise him along with his 13 other siblings. Maybe I'm reminded of my grandfather who pretty much came to the Philippines in the same way as Jun Lozada's father. Then again, maybe it shouldn't take all of this for me to realize how we need more people like him to come out. For them to tell the truth in the most raw and unprocessed manner that it shakes the very foundation of a rotten leadership that extends from the muddy banks of the Pasig river to all the corners of the earth. To everywhere where there is a Filipino expat driven by the loss of hope for the motherland.

Some people would obviously take his testimony about the explosive ZTE Broadband deal, and how he "moderated the greed" of those involved, with a grain of salt. This, I believe, is part of our subsequently developed reflex as citizens who have seemingly heard it all and are tired of all the bullshit the government and self-righteous, false heroes who have come out before has fed us. Of course, this "reflex" is good only if we allow it to take hold of our thoughts in the proper amount. However, it seems as if we've grown so numb to the moral breakdown in our government institutions, to all the lies, deceit and everything bad that you could think of, that we do not recognize anymore the existence of truth and goodness when it flashes right before our eyes. This reflex has served as our blindfold and it's during times like these that we must learn to burn it off to see how we can pull ourselves away from the grip of corrupt Malacanang.

Hence, for those who missed it, I have somewhat transcribed one of his most powerful statements in the Senate ZTE hearing. If you read this and after which you still find it hard to see through that blindfold, just keep on listening to this man who has put himself and his family in great personal risk just to tell us that our country, our people is still worth fighting for. The truth is right there in his words.

The following is part of Sen. Honasan's and Mr. Lozada's question and answer portion during the Senate hearing of Mr. Lozada's ZTE testimony:

Sen. Honasan: Tinanong ko yan, Jun, dahil the risk you have been put through is totally unnecessary kung nag-function yung institution (NEDA).

Jun: Yes, in fact Mr. Senator, kung meron lang mapagsusumbungan na katiwa-tiwala, matagal ko nang sinumbong to. Kaso pati yung pagsusumbungan, kanila eh...
so ang ano ko po sana, sino naman po ang gustong malagay sa kalagayan kong 'to...
I feel sad for good people in government most of them are leaving, dapat baliktad, ang umaalis sa gubyerno yung masasama hindi yung mabubuti
can you allow me to share me some experiences po sa gubyerno?
what's happening po sa bureaucracy ngayon...
there are people who have invested half of their lives in the service of government. practically po half of their adult life...
they dedicate to government. but ang problema po, political favors are now assigned to sit on top of them.. and these are people who have not spent a single day of their lives in these political institutions...
and they become the bosses...
and so, they do not know the function of the institutions and just because they're rich or their father or relative is politically connected...
they become the bosses...
and woe to the career officers who have invested most of their lives in government, they simply become political mendicants
sisipsip dun sa mga bagong pulitiko na nilagay...
eto kamag-anak nito, yung iba pa nga, wala pang ka-ekspiryensya sa negosyo, ilalagay ng head ng GOCC...
this is what's happening to our bureaucracy... nakakawawa yung mga mabubuting tao diyan sa gubyerno. i can really sympathize with them. i can say that because i was one of them once...
so para ho to sa mga mabubuting tao sa gubyerno, sana tibayan niyo rin po loob niyo. kung may alam kayo...
makigaya na rin po kayo sakin. (Malapit na si Pareng Jun mag-break down at this point)

Sen. Honasan: bakit mo ba talaga ginagawa ito? I cannot be your judge because i don't know if what you're doing is a selfish act of personal survival, or an outright act of heroism...

Jun: Number one po...
Im the least likely hero. I've never imagined myself to become the hero, Mr. Senator...
uh...

Meron pa nga kong permissible zone eh di po ba? Di po ako pwedeng hero...
(Jun's Moral Philosophy before, consisting of a Permissible Zone: Pag-amin niya na may pinalusot siyang katwalian noon. And Non-permissible zone: Labis na katiwalian sa ZTE Broadband deal at sa iba pang government projects, i.e. Southrail na kung saan siya consultant at 'di na niya matanggap ang labis na ganid.)

Survival, yes. I'm afraid for my life naturally...

I know, but i cannot go on with the lies also...
Just like what I told Sec. Atienza, i cannot turn back 45 years of my life...
and just change it now.
I've been raised in... ang father ko po is a poor immigrant from China
and i'm the junior among 13 siblings, among 7 boys, i'm the junior...
and he always told me "ikaw, sa lahat ng anak ko ang may patutunguhan..."
and until as far as i can remember...
he has always told me to love this country or pay this country back for all the good that it has done for him and his family
ang hirap-hirap daw po nila sa china noon...
Nung pumunta siya rito umasenso nang husto buhay niya...
napalaki nga niya kaming 3 magkakapatid eh
in our walk sa probinsya po sa Ligao sa albay...
I dunno kasi, it's part of my system that he has told me na...

PAY THIS COUNTRY BACK...

IN WHATEVER FORM.

I think by working in government, by putting up businesses, I'm helping this country back...
so if you're asking me... (Dito siya nag-breakdown)

I guess I'm just giving honor to my father.

I'm paying this country back.

***

Valentine's day is almost here again. Seeing how explosive this ZTE Broadband scandal has become, it might be wise to be very wary of other things that could explode.

There are reports of numerous text messages circulating around the country about another bombing that might be done to divert the public's attention from, yet again, another scandal Malacanang is involved with.

Some say that this is just another one of those pranks. But it actually might be good to be reminded that, as we used to comically say back in our Filipino school magazine, "Half jokes are meant."