My boss trails me by three

Nearly everyone in this paper's opinion pages has greeted our boss Sir Dodong Gullas on his birthday yesterday. Now let me have my turn. Happy birthdays, Sir!

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Sir Dodong turned 75 yesterday. This is one instance where I got my boss trailing me, though by a slim margin to borrow the words of basketball writers, 75-78.

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Acting Mayor Mike Rama has been reported to have launched an anti-corruption drive in City Hall. Commented an observer: "O, c'mon, there's corruption in City Hall?"

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In the news story, it looks like the center of Mike's drive is the Office of Building Official known more popularly as OBO. Why the OBO? Your guess is probably also my guess.

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Is it true that in dealing with the OBO one has to cough it up to get the transaction moving and getting eventually done?

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"Let us pray that our country will survive this global financial crisis," say a former President. A good friend of mine says he's praying. "I'm praying that I could get a US visa," he says.

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Break-a-minute. Got this text message that says "Condom no. Oral contraception is more effective in family control." The oral contraception refers to the pill. Not the oral that's in your mind.

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Another good friend Leonardo "Daido" Ramos Angel is frustrated. As a Cebuano resident in Manila he has been promoting Cebu tourism. But he gets a virtual slap on the face from some Manilans who tell him there are many turn-offs in Cebu's tourism effort. Among them, the Manilans point to the bad and dirty roads.

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Daido says many Manilans have not heard of Cebu's Sinulog festival. "Grabe," he said. "Di tingali kamao mobasag diaryo. Kamaayong ilubong sa 270 tons nga Sinulog trash."

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Many jokes have cropped up about President Barack O and Ate Glo. The latest came to me via text (from where else?) courtesy of a friend in Manila. Here ...

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 Pres. Obama finally called up Malacañang ... OBAMA: Hello, could I please speak to that small Filipina who is the idol of all Filipinos ... GMA: Speaking ... OBAMA: Congratulations, Charice! Please sing again in the White House for the diplomatic corps ... GMA: I'm sorry, Mr. President but this is President Arroyo. OBAMA: Wrong number.

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E-mail from Loo Franco of Talisay City: "Why can't Mayor-on-leave Tomas Osmeña leave Acting Mayor Mike Rama alone? Give Rama the chance to lead the city of Cebu, Tom O. Don't tell him what to do, for all you know he's got better ideas than you have ... The way things appear to the people is you're running Cebu City by remote control."

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