and the survey says ...

Hi there! It’s Friday the thirteenth. In case you read my column yesterday, the line about the doomsayers was on what they have to say about candidates campaigning on this day. Anyway, we are all too aware of some candidates who are into the supernatural when it comes to determining or seeking guidance for their fate (in politics). It’s odd there seem to be no feng shui experts and fortune tellers who went on TV to make some predictions (both dire and good) with regards to the forthcoming polls. It seems that they are sensible enough not to compete with the surveys. Time and again, survey results have always been controversial. As reported, some officials were fuming at the latest SWS figures. Well, if the result is not in one’s favor it will always be infuriating. But on the other hand, I (or the simpleton in me) think(s) that the result should have served as a reminder to do something with the campaign strategy and what have you. We must remember, (my apologies) Marcos took seriously the surveys in the late 60s where the results showed his eroding popularity and that of his wife. And the rest is, well, history. So what about the surveys? It’s complicated, though imperfect, they can be accurate. And the survey says …!

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Some priests of the Diocese of Calbayog gathered in the city last Tuesday. They were in town for a simple celebration led by Bishop Isableo Abarquez. That celebration commemorated the 97th anniversary of the erection of the Diocese. Just in case you would be interested, it was Pope Pius X, now a saint (his image occupies a niche in the retablo of the Sts Peter and Paul Cathedral) who created the Diocese through a papal bull on April 10, 1910.

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Let me continue my feature on the world’s happiest countries (the first part came out during the April 4 issue):

To produce the "Happy Map," White dug deep. He analyzed data from a variety of sources including UNESCO, the CIA, The New Economics Foundation, and the World Health Organization. He then examined the responses of 80,000 people surveyed worldwide.MONEY STILL COUNTS. Good health may be the key to happiness, but money helps open the door. Wealthier countries, such as Switzerland (2) and Luxembourg (10) scored high on the index. Not surprisingly, most African countries, which have little of either; scored poorly. Zimbabwe, which has an AIDS rate of 25%, an average life expectancy of 39, and an 80% poverty rate, ranked near the bottom at 177. Meanwhile, the conflict between the Hutus and Tutsis gave fellow Africans in Burundi, ranked 178, even less to smile about, despite their having a slightly lower poverty rate of 68%.

Capitalism, meanwhile, fared quite well. Free-market systems are sometimes blamed for producing unhappiness due to insecurity and competition, but the U.S. was No. 23 and all the top-ranking European countries are firmly capitalist—albeit of a social-democratic flavor.White says the only real surprise in his findings was how low many Asian countries scored. China is 82, Japan 90, and India an unhappy 125. "These are countries that are thought as having a strong sense of collective identity, which other researchers have associated with well-being," he says.

ARE WE HAPPY YET? White admits that happiness is subjective. But he defends his research on the grounds that his study focused on life satisfaction rather than brief emotional states. "The frustrations of modern life, and the anxieties of the age, seem to be much less significant compared to the health, financial, and educational needs in other parts of the world."

One of the study's intentions was to see how Britain, given media preoccupation with well-being, fared compared to other parts of the globe. His conclusion: "The current concern with happiness levels in the U.K. may well be a case of the 'worried well.'"

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I got that article from http://www.businessweek.com/. Now a question: how many times was the Philippines mentioned in that article?

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Now for the other Election tradition I mentioned in this column a few weeks back. A day or two before the election (depending upon the distance of their work area), before they report to their respective areas, in pairs, trios or small batches, these election servers (I’ll use that term, otherwise if I mention their positions or line of work, I’m dead – literally and figuratively – even if I’m not running for office) knock, not on heaven’s doors (to pray for peaceful polls?) but on the gates of the candidates’ (from both opposing camps) abodes. What for? Well, not to wish them good luck, but to ask for their allowance - not in kind, but in cash. Proof to tell: I know one person who has been in politics for quite sometime. And it happens every election. And his case is only one of the many.

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Let me leave you with something to smile about this week, Kids in the church: A little boy was attending his first wedding. After the service, his cousin asked him, "How many women can a man marry?" "Sixteen," the boy responded. His cousin was amazed that he had an answer so quickly."How do you know that?""Easy," the little boy said. "All you have to do is add it up, like the Bishop said, 4 better, 4 worse, 4 richer, 4 poorer."
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After a church service on Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother, "Mom, I've decided to become a minister when I grow up.""That's okay with us, but what made you decide that?""Well," said the little boy, "I have to go to church on Sunday anyway, and I figure it will be more fun to stand up and yell, than to sit and listen."
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A 6-year-old was overheard reciting the Lord's Prayer at a church service, "And forgive us our trash passes, as we forgive those who passed trash against us."
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A boy was watching his father, a pastor, write a sermon. "How do you know what to say?" He asked. "Why, God tells me.""Oh, then why do you keep crossing things out?"
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A little girl became restless as the preacher's sermon dragged on and on. Finally, she leaned over to her mother and whispered, "Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?"

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Have a nice week everyone! Ciao!