The Comeback Kid: 'The last rightful president: It's Clinton's Free French to Bush's Vichy'.

You know....I think I'll just kick back, grab my popcorn and coke, and watch the show over the next couple of years. This is gonna be great!

'We need more radicals if we're going to do more thinking.' - Dave Winer.

I was thinking about this quote this morning when Jim sent me an email with this Quote:

Power concedes nothing without a demand.
It never has, and it never will.
If there is no struggle, there is no progress.
Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation are men who
want crops without plowing the ground. They want rain without thunder and
lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its waters.
-- Frederick Douglass --

As someone else has already said - EXACTLY.

We don't have to agree completely (or at all) with the radicals - but where would we be without them?

An experimental, alternate Home Page Site is under development here. Here is my new U.S. itinerary (created at the new site) and I'll keep it updated as things may change.

This is very, very interesting. The existing political machinery was not invovled in placing the Philippines' new President into power. So she has essentially no political debts, except to civil society itself (primarily through non-governmental organizations). So she has an opportunity to build her Cabinet and other government positions with those she feels will best fill those slots. Now, granted, People Power is too disruptive and personnally burdensome and dangerous on the people themselves to be used a normal course of forming governments - but, wow, this is the way a new government should form - guided by demands of civil society.

Wow. It's reported that there are now 500,000 at the EDSA Shrine area.

It's Over It's Friday afternoon in Manila. The military leaders showed up at EDSA in support of the people - starting a domino effect on the rest of the government. Cabinent members are turning their back on Estrada moment by moment. No word from the Presidential Palace - but it's over for Estrada.

Dad, what's a 'rally'? -- That's all it took. Right after dinner Jasper (our 7 year old) and I take off for the EDSA Shrine area. Since I figured parking would be a bear, we walked it - about 10 blocks. He was a bit overwhelmed; there must have been over 20,000 people there with loud speakers blasting speeches interspersed with chants of 'Erap Resign.' He wasn't intimidated (good for him), though a bit disinterested. The purchase of a 25cent glow-in-dark bracelet thingy made his evening, though. At least he now has somewhat of a concept of what a rally is.

Here's what happened last night in Manila relating the on-going impeachment trial of President Estrada. The trial session, which I was watcing live on TV, extended past the normal 7pm suspension time; it was getting past 9pm when the Senate President resigned his position as Senate President who assists in presiding over the hearings along with the Supreme Court Chief Justice. Around midnight, an impromptu rally was held at the EDSA shrine, a few blocks away from where I live, at which Manila Archbishop Cardinal Sin and ex-President Cory Aquino spoke and called for mass indignation ralleys tomorrow. It is reported that the 11 member House panel prosecuting the President will resign en mass this morning at a House Session.

My scanner is working again and in the Family Related stuff under Most Recent Photos I have 3 new pictures up of holiday at Puerto Galera....more later.

By the way, if you take the ferry from Batangas to Puerto Galera and turn left to Sabang, this is what you get for $10 a day; if you turn right to White Beach, this is what you get for $10 a day.

Here is my very very tentative US itinerary for my planned trip in February.

New Year's in the Tropics. Talk about throwing me into the briar patch! I got trapped on the island of Mindoro when heavy seas came up on the morning we were to leave, cancelling all the ferries back to Batangas on Luzon and I had to spend two extra days, including New Year's Eve. Eight consecutive days on White Beach, Puerto Galera, Mindoro. Heaven.

My favorite bungalow by the beach at Summer Connection is still a great get-a-way. But some changes are happening. The road from the pier at Puerto where the ferry lands is now paved to White Beach. Previously, in wet weather we had to hire a pump boat to get up the coast to White Beach. In dry weather it was a 25 minute dusty, motor-cycle side car ride (or if you're lucky, you would find a jeepney running - but they tend to flip over sometime on the windy road). Well, maybe the fact that we get electricity only part of the time will keep people away - but all 8 of the bungalows were taken this holiday week. Fortunately, the managers of the place kept two aside for us (we called them on the cellular - no land lines into White Beach). And prices haven't gone up - about $10 per night - less than we've paid before during Christmas.

Oh, there's been a new cockpit built nearby. Sunday afternoon I kept hearing a small crowd roar and later saw the new facility. Although 'pit' is a strange word for it since this one is an elevated platform - the participants (human ones) clearly stand on the ground around the edge where the action is at eye level surrounded by four foot high plate glass.

I did nothing for eight days...well, I read one book, but that consumed only part of 2-3 days. I was usually up at dawn, about 5:30. Jenny brought the coffee maker and I had Starbuck's to look forward to every morning (when there's electricity). Jen was down to the beach to negotiate with the fishermen for our lunch and dinner - we had fresh fish (or squid) every day - usually charcoal grilled but sometimes pan fried. Cold San Miguel starting about 10:30 am.....sleep, eat, a little reading...that's it. Loved it.

Christmas Day we decided at the last minute to all go down to a local Water Park for the day (kind of like Whitewater in Atlanta). The girls pack picnic lunch and Jasper, Lynn, Roselle, Rosie, Jenny and I all piled into the Toyota and headed down the South Super Highway. Just outside of Manila the car dies on the expressway but somehow we make it to an exit and a service station. It had overheated, they repaired it and on we go. But the Water Park, it turns out, had closed months ago - a casualty of the economy, I guess. So we keep going further south to a local theme park - the Filipino version of Six Flags -- closed! Okay, we're not that far from Laguna, so we proceed on a bit further to a hot springs resort we know of. Finally, 2:30 pm we reach the place, pay our $25 (for the group) and picnic and swim for the afternoon. On the way home, I stop and buy two Buko Pies (Laguna is famous for its buko pies). When I get home, the pies are still hot! Yum! Masarap!

Eight Days at White Beach, Puerto Galera, Mindoro!!! December 27 to January 3. More later.