Update:

The elections are over and the people have spoken. With Noynoy Aquino as the country’s President-elect, most people are optimistic of the changes that will take place once we’ve transitioned over to the new Aquino-led government.

It’s about time to put aside pre-election choices regardless of who you voted for during last May 10 elections. It’s time to support a new government. It’s time to start over.

Congratulations to Noynoy!

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I was watching a rerun of Star Trek the other night when I came across the uber-famous Borg catchphrase:

“You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.”

Futility, now that’s a word that’s quite apt for today’s events. An “exercise in futility” is what some people say about the Comelec’s ongoing voter’s registration process.

If the government spent billions of Pesos to computerize the elections, then how much of it was allocated for improving the voter’s registration process? Isn’t this process supposed to be the foundation of a good electoral system?

The Comelec stated that they won’t extend the registration deadline, because they need time to sort out the registration database and come up with the final voter’s list for their regional offices – time, in the above context, is unfortunately measured in months.

It’s quite ironic that they heavily tout the new computerized election system as being capable of tallying all votes and declaring a winner in a span of just a few hours, yet they need a span of several months before the elections so that they can prepare the final voter’s list.

In hindsight, had a ‘proper’ voter’s registration system been in place, then people wouldn’t have procrastinated or put off registering for a later date – most of whom were either turned off by the extremely long queues or slow process, or turned down Comelec staff because they didn’t meet the voter’s cut-off criteria (a combination of cut-off period or number of registrants/application forms per day). Had a ‘proper’ voter’s registration system been in place, then there wouldn’t be a need for such a long preparation “lead time” between the voter’s registration deadline and the actual election date – ensuring a higher voter-to-population percentage turnout.

At any rate, late is late – no excuses and “pasensya na lang po, ‘no?” Let’s just hope that those who were able to register on time will vote wisely come election time.

Have you ever played the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game (RPG)? I remember the good old days when my friends and I “partied” differently. We would sometimes go for a couple of days without sleep, playing extended D&D campaigns.

For D&D fans, here’s an interesting “What if” for you – What happens when Obama, McCain and the rest of today’s US election campaign trail politicians go for a different kind of campaign? One with bugbears, goblins and dragons, that is.

Here’s somehedgehog’s funny take on this - Adventuring Party Politics: The Campaign is Getting Ugly

Here’s an excerpt:

GM:  OK, the bugbear attacks you.  What do you do?

OBAMA: I send one of my 672 henchmen after it.

MCCAIN:  OK, seriously.  Why does he have so many henchmen?  I’m a level 72 ranger and he’s only a level 8 paladin.

Note: You won’t get it unless you’ve played D&D before or know who Gary Gygax, or what a Hand of Vecna is.

Cheers and happy reading! *fireball…*

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Link:
Adventuring Party Politics: The Campaign is Getting Ugly

Our country is now in a state of moral and political crisis. But it is appalling that some people have chosen to remain neutral, silent or indifferent with what’s currently going on.

Here are some quotes on neutrality that I hope might spur some people to action.

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” – (Elie Wiesel – Romanian born American Writer. Nobel Prize for Peace in 1986. b.1928)

“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crises maintain their neutrality” – (Dante Alighieri – Italian Author and Poet. Considered one of the greatest poets in all literature, 1265-1321)

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” – (Bishop Desmond Tutu – African Spiritual leader and Novelist, b.1931)

“People who demand neutrality in any situation are usually not neutral but in favor of the status quo” – (Max Eastman – American Author, Journalist and Writer, 1883-1969)

And so, come on man, take sides!