JessicaRulestheUniverse.com

The Cabinet of Dr Caligari

Holy hypnotists, Batman, are we in the middle of a crime wave?

We know there are criminals afoot in our clammy city—pickpockets, bag-slashers, muggers, carjackers, the “small-time” (although they are said to belong to crime syndicates) criminals as opposed to the large-scale operators who need to get elected into office first. The problem is not unique to Metro Manila—it’s supposed to be worse in other big cities—but we live here.

So we take precautions. In restaurants we never hang our bag on the back of a chair so a thief can casually walk out with it. It sits next to us where we can keep a constant eye on it, or hangs from a hook under the table. When walking outside we make sure our bags are zipped, not left open for a thief to pluck out our wallets. In certain areas we wear our knapsacks in front. When going home late at night, we ask our friends to take down the license numbers of the taxi. We adapt.

But what if the problem evolves?

Continue reading in the Philippine Star.

Self-hypnosis kit

While everyone is writing solemn essays on whether the Reyes suicide is an act of courage or cowardice or the result of extreme depression, the difficulty of being good in a system shot through with corruption, and whether anyone involved in the ongoing investigation into corruption in the military has the moral authority to conduct such an inquiry, we can ask a few questions that would occur to anyone who’s seen an episode of Law and Order or C.S.I.

1. Is there a suicide note? What does it say?
2. In these cases there is usually a note. Are we sure there is no suicide note?
3. The timing is too interesting. The man made sure he would never speak again. Who benefits from his silence?

* * * * *

THE FINAL WORDS OF ANGELO T. REYES
A warrior comes clean in last battle for honor
BY MALOU MANGAHAS

We met the next day and he bared his purpose: Angelo ‘Angie’ T. Reyes, the former Armed Forces chief of staff and Defense secretary, wanted to see me so he could tell his story to “an independent journalist” – would I want to interview him? The source happened to be a senior trusted associate of Angie for the last decade or so. . .

Read A warrior comes clean in last battle for honor. Thanks to reader vanilla for the alert.

Former Sec. Angelo Reyes commits Suicide
Ex-Energy Chief shoots self in front of mother’s grave, dies at Quirino Hospital
By MANILA BULLETIN ONLINE
February 8, 2011, 9:03am
MANILA, Philippines – Former Energy Chief Angelo Reyes was reportedly shot in the chest. Reyes was rushed to the Quirino Hospital in Quezon City and reports have it that he died at around 8:30 a.m. He was 66. He is survived by his wife and 5 children.

As per the Quirino Hospital sources, they tried to revive Reyes for 45 minutes before declaring him as expired.

* * * * *

Without restitution this gesture, though huge and appealing to the romantic sense, is empty.

If the ongoing Senate investigation into the “alleged misuse of military funds” is not graphic enough for you, revisit this 2009 interview with the high-living son of former military comptroller Carlos Garcia.

Marc by Marc Jacobs publicist Tim Garcia, under house arrest because of a criminal investigation, spent the night in a Gucci jacket and YSL boots.

Timothy Mark Depakakibo Garcia, a 25-year-old publicist for Marc by Marc Jacobs, has a court-ordered Fashion Week curfew. Perched on a sleek white Armani Casa chair in his apartment in the modern, gilded Trump Plaza at 502 Park Avenue, Garcia is decked in head-to-toe designer: a supple caramel leather Alessandro dell’Acqua jacket, Alexander McQueen jeans, a thin white LnA tee shirt and YSL boots. His wrists are adorned with a big Cartier gold and silver Tank watch, a Cartier Love bracelet, a white enamel Hermes bangle and a $1000 dollar large gold plated spiked Hermes cuff called the Collier de Chien.

The ankle bracelet limits Garcia’s fashion choices. “I can’t even wear my knee high croc boots by Sergio Rossi for the fall,” he laments. . .

Continue reading Fashion’s Night In in The Daily Beast. You may need one of these.

“We are third generation despots in the Philippines,” he says. So that’s where you got the money! Sorry I didn’t know you were in the tyranny business, I thought it was just stealing.

If your blood pressure is a little low this should send it zooming upwards. How to wear that electronic monitor: Use a Chanel ankle pouch! Ooh, clever!

Thanks to Budjette and Chus for the reminders.

* * * * *

These pieces ran in the US, but is the local media any different? People are lionized for what they own (materially) rather than what they’ve done. This is not a recent development, but now that everyone is his own media center we seem to hear of nothing else.

Got a text from Tina.

The name of the driver whose bus was bombed on Edsa this afternoon is MAXIMO PELIGRO.

Seriously.


Photo: James Franco’s old cat.

A tale of hysterical wealth, incest, reputation-scrubbing and general scumbagginess. Featuring an onscreen cameo by Mel Gibson, who is absolutely sane and well-behaved next to these people.

That article by Tony Ortega in the Village Voice.