whew. i’m glad the election with all its attendant hassles and headaches is over (let’s all hope this trend continues for the next one). maybe now we can concentrate on finally getting our act together.

the recent election (and our obsessive preoccupation with everything involved in it) should at least highlight the fact for us, that we shouldn’t just pin our hopes on the government and politicians (who will more than likely disillusion and disappoint us once more).

i have always thought that any real, meaningful change should come largely from the private sector — how we live our lives, how we interact with our neighbors, how we implement (more important than just ENACT) and follow our laws, and other things in between. all things considered, though,funding is probably one of the biggest challenges for any private sector-oriented initiative to take root. one way to address that is through fundraising efforts and making sure that your target group is aware of the underlying reasons for such actions (e.g., magazine fundraisers; ad spots; high-profile projects that focus on basic problems such as hunger, education, health-related issues, etc.).

as you grapple with various issues on how to make money for such worthy endeavors, it’s also best to remember that sometimes the most effective way to win people over is to incorporate creative and playful ideas that highlight your contributors’ preferences without losing sight of your ultimate goal. there are actually websites that offer helpful tips on this. good luck.

there’s nothing like an economic downturn to make you aware just how much more you need to do and/or accomplish before calling it a day. this is not to imply that things have been running on a giddy note before all this happened, of course, but it does give you a “slight nudge” — a reminder, if you will, that there are things to watch out/prepare for.

i don’t know why i’m getting more gloomy than usual these days. maybe it’s the highlighted deluge of natural calamities (earthquakes, tornadoes, mine collapse, etc.) that have been hogging the headlines lately. many experts say that the number of calamities that have struck in various locations worldwide is just about the same (statistically speaking, that is) as in the past few years. the only difference is that these disasters have been occurring in densely populated areas, hence the huge number of property damage and loss of lives.

times like these make you appreciate whatever savings you’ve managed to make as well as plans you’ve set in motion as a cushion against unanticipated events. you gotta take off your hats to those folks who build storm shelters, stock up on emergency rations and medicine, or purchase insurance for their livelihood, business, etc., people who actually pore through business insurance quotes and make their choice. i guess this makes practical sense especially if you live in California (earthquakes, hey), which should explain why California business insurance is basically a must, as the California Department of Insurance would most likely assure you.

i just hope we don’t get visited by a big one soon *knocks on wood*

as irrational and cranky as it sounds, i think i’m beginning to hate 2009 (it’s our annus horribilis, if you ask me). and i can’t wait until it’s over.

apart from the spate of deaths of high-profile figures both in and out of the country, we were basically battered by ondoy just when we thought we were starting to recover from the effects of global recession. and we had just barely gotten our breath back when — boom! — we got clobbered again, this time by pepeng.

it’s enough to make you wonder if there’s another one coming along (*knock on wood*). i know resilience is one of our strong points, but at this rate i wonder if we will have enough strength to survive another natural disaster of this scale…

on a more personal level, three of my office mates (who happen to be close friends,) have lost a parent this year due to illness. *sigh* hopefully, things will turn around soon.

just when you think this year’s MTV’s Video Music Awards is gonna end up relatively tepid for a change, hip-hop star kanye west, ups and drops in a bomb of his own. and this time, the hapless target of his ever-wagging, corrosive tongue is 19-year-old country singer taylor swift.

ms. swift was in the middle of her acceptance speech (Best Female Video for “You Belong with Me“), when kanye west unceremoniously barged in and made a holy mess of things… (see below).

naturally, a lot of people — for various reasons — wouldn’t let an occasion like this go to waste. aside from the usual outraged reactions from various quarters, this infamous tirade also brought in some hilarous spoofs (heheheh). here’s a sample:

at any rate, when beyonce later went onstage to receive her Video of the Year award later, she graciously asked taylor swift to join her so she could finish her speech. kanye west, who seemed to have taken one drink too many, was reportedly escorted off from the show, and even managed to apologize (in full CAPs, mind) to ms. swift in his blog.