Massive Mistakes: Top 10 Most Tragic Accidents in History

Accidents happen. Whether it’s just a young girl choking on her hotdog sandwich to a major unintentional nuclear explosion, accidents have a way of sneaking up on people when we least expect them.

All over the planet, countless accidents happen every minute. In fact, next to diseases and other health problems, it is the second leading cause of death throughout the world. Some accidents occur on the individual level like a simple tripping on your toe. Others are so huge that they claim thousands of lives and create significant impact on the society.

This is a list of the world’s most tragic accidents in history. Bear in mind that the items here are not sorted by death toll. Ultimately, these devastating moments in history affected the world and changed how we see and deal with our lives. Note that this list does not include events that were caused by deliberate violence or natural disasters.

10. THE BIHAR TRAIN DISASTER

Bihar, India, 1981
268 dead, 300 missing

June 6, 1981 is an unforgettable day for the people of Bihar, India. On this day, a passenger train carrying more than 500 passengers and travelling between Saharsa and Mansi derailed and plunged into the Bagmati river. It is considered India’s most tragic railway disaster. The real cause of the accident is still uncertain but many believe that it was one of the three: a cyclone, flash flooding and, believe it or not, brake failure while avoiding to hit a water buffalo. Yes, a kalabaw.

Many people believe that the worst train tragedy in recorded history is the “Queen of the Sea” disaster in Sri Lanka. But since it was caused by a tsunami, which is a force of nature, it is intentionally excluded from the list.

9. THE TENERIFE COLLISION

Canary Islands, Spain, 1977
583 dead

Traveling by plane is often considered the safest. The death toll caused by plane crashes has barely reached 14,000 in the last century. Still, others argue that if we compare the ratio of air accidents to the total number of flights, the figures are still disturbing.

The Tenerife collision is the worst plane accident since plane was invented. March 27, 1977: two Boeing 747 airliners (Pan American World Airways Flight 1763 and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Flight 4805) collided at Los Rodeos on the island of Tenerife, killing 583 people. KLM 4805 was taking off on the airport’s only runway when it crashed into Pan Am 1736, taxiing on the same runway. A massive explosion happened, followed by a huge ball of fire. The sound was heard throughout the island.

8. THE SINKING OF THE USS INDIANAPOLIS

Philippine Sea, 1945
579+ dead

A few weeks before the end of World War II, the USS Indianapolis, a US Navy Portland-class heavy cruiser carrying 1196 men, was en route to Leyte in the Philippines from Guam. They never made it to the Philippines. The cruiser sank completely 12 minutes after a torpedo from a Japanese submarine hit it.

You might be thinking that this should not be included in this list because war is definitely an act of deliberate violence; however, it is not the sinking per se. Only around 300 people were trapped on it. A total of 896 men were able to leave the ship. In fact, they were able to call for rescue a number of times but it was denied because it was thought to be sent by a Japanese submarine setting them up for a trap.

The poor sailors stayed floating in the middle of the ocean for more than four days. Without any food and water, some were tempted to drink seawater which sentenced them to dehydration. Many perished because of this.

What was more terrifying was that it was shark-infested. For four days, they were floating in the open sea and every three to four hours, sharks would attack and prey on them. For four days, they were waiting to be rescued while silk sharks, blue sharks and oceanic whitetip sharks in groups of 120 to 150 would have a feast. Of the 896 who survived the sinking of the ship, only 317 were alive when they were finally rescued.

Although sharks played a significant part in this incredibly traumatic tragedy, it wouldn’t have happened had they not ignored the distress calls. It still boils down to human error, making it one of the most tragic accidents in Naval history.

Continue reading »

Inside the Previous Room

The other night, I had a strong urge to text someone. Kuya Ethan (name changed to protect our friendship, haha). He’s my 23-year old friend who had been my roommate since my early days in college until we parted ways middle of this year.

Although extreme opposites, we got along really well. He doesn’t like my political stand but I’m not a fan of his Republican ways, either. His sense of humour is very different from mine. He smirks at my favourite films and songs. He doesn’t like me being gay although he understands and respects me completely. He’s very reserved and serious while I’m very vocal and opinionated. He’s more of the logical type (a Law student) while I’m more creative (a Film graduate). He doesn’t like some of my other friends but he is totally aware that most of my friends have a huge crush on him. (He’s cute, btw.) He’s a light sleeper. I’m a late sleeper.

Despite all our differences, I found an older brother in him. And yes, I miss him.

Days after we decided to live separately, he was always telling me that there was no chance he would miss me. And I would just laugh it off, most of the time. Not sharing the room with him required tectonic adjustments at first. But eventually, I got used to it. A week after we separated, I received a text message from him.

Ethan: Hey, where are you?
Yoshke: Home. Why?
Ethan: Aaah.
Yoshke: Why?
Ethan: Nothing.
Yoshke: Why? Why? Why?
Ethan: It’s just that I’m in Trinoma and I was wondering if you were around the area. Maybe we could grab dinner.
Yoshke: Wahahaha. Someone’s missing me!

Kuya doesn’t like showing emotions. He doesn’t like mushy things. But back then, a number of times, we always found ourselves in rare mushy friendship talks. One time, I came home late. He asked me where I had gone and I told him I was with my friends. Kuya is always cynical when it comes to human relationships.

Continue reading »

Top 25 Local TV Shows I Miss:
(Part 3) Drama Series

Heto na ang last part ng list na ‘to. If you missed the first two parts, click here and here.

9. BITUIN

This may be the first music-oriented teleserye on Pinoy TV. It stars Nora Aunor, Cherie Gil, Desiree del Valle and the girl I miss soooo much Carol Banawa.

Naalala ko pa nun, yung buong pamilya namin inaabangan yung showdown ni Melody and Bernadette at na mabuking si Bernadette na ninakaw nya ang boses ni Melody. Hihi. Medyo naging dragging lang nung patapos na yung series.

Haaay. Nakakamiss si Carol Banawa. Kung kelan sya sumikat ng todo, tsaka niya binitawan ang showbiz.

8. IKAW ANG LAHAT SA AKIN

Oo na. Malabo ang video. Sorry lang, Yan lang ang meron, wag nang choosy. Haha.

Wahaha. This show was supposed to put an end to the fantasy craze during the height of Darna‘s popularity. Sadly, it failed. Nonetheless, the series proved to be one of ABS-CBN’s most entertaining. Powerhouse cast ito, led by Claudine Barretto. The treatment was somewhat Korean. John Lloyd and Bea here were hilarious. Pero yung finale, medyo lame. Hehe.

7. LOBO

Waaaaaah. Arguably the best fantasy series in Philippine TV history. The keyword there is “arguably.” Haha. (Eh kasi, hindi ko nasimulan ang Encantadia pero feeling ko angganda nun.)

First project ni Angel Locsin as a kapamilya. Nakakatuwa yung show dahil umikot ang istorya ng konti lang ang cast. Tsaka maganda naman talaga ang story at ang pagkakagawa. At halatang andaming workshops ang pinagdaanan ni Angel para dito. Haha.

Nakaka-miss lang ang mga puti at itim. At nakakamiss din si Dimples Romana. Haha.

Continue reading »

Ruining Relationships. Worldwide.

I was just about to post the third part of the Top 25 Local TV Shows I Miss when I noticed a Facebook message from my former boss based in Victoria, Canada. The mail contained a link to one of the lists I produced while working with her — Top 10 Signs that Your Boyfriend is Gay. This post was cross-posted to Crunkish.com, where it received a couple of comments that somewhat challenge my morals. Haha. They go:

Honestly, I just don’t know what to say to them. I feel sorry but I think I have made it clear in that entry’s introduction that these signs are not absolute.

…You have to remember, however, that these signs are a bit stereotypical. These are not absolute. If you see these signs on your boyfriend, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he is gay or bisexual. Not seeing these signs doesn’t mean that he is not, either. Again, playing detective is a tricky business….

I’m still trying to come up with a polite, apologetic reply. I think that’s proper.

But there’s another comment that made me LOL.

That made me feel a bit better!

Gaaah. Anyway, before my conscience finally convinces me to believe that I am a bad person, I should go back to writing the rest of the Top 25 Pinoy defunct TV programmes that I miss. Or perhaps I should start announcing Yoshke.com’s BLOGS OF THE YEAR.

image courtesy of bantamapparel.com

EDSA

It could have been a horrible Saturday.

I was in the passenger seat. It was a bit raining.

Normally, EDSA gets on my nerves. That’s why I thank God for the MRT. I may have had more than my share of almost-raped mornings while on it but it’s fast and my flat and office are a stone’s throw from train stations. I abhor travelling across the metropolis if not on the train. Like that night.

That Saturday night, the traffic was more terrible than usual. I don’t drive but I know that EDSA is so not a driver’s paradise road. Wrong waiting lanes. Misplaced U-turn slots. Yellow lanes. Stupid pink barricades. Uncivilised people crossing the road when and where they’re not supposed to. Air pollution. Water pollution (Pasig River). Noise pollution. Bayani Fernando Metro-Gwapo posters pollution. Disgusting urinals. And buses. Fucking buses. Fucking, fucking buses. Fucking, fucking, fucking buses.

Fucking buses.

And it’s always dark. My Geology professors said that Manila is one of the darkest cities in the world. Aaaaah, I just hate EDSA. I hate it, hate it, hate it.

I hate it.

That Saturday night, bumpy EDSA was being its usual self. We spent almost an hour stuck somewhere between Santolan and Cubao.

But he was holding my hand the entire time.

And he kissed me.

Then he looked around and then turned his gaze to me. And he smiled. Looked away. Kept his eyes straight ahead. “EDSA is unusually beautiful tonight,” he said.

It could have been a horrible Saturday. But he made all the difference.

image courtesy of jaydigital of Flickr.com

Taste My Wiener

“A highbrow is the kind of person who looks at a sausage and thinks of Picasso”

That was according to Sir Alan Patrick Herbert (1890-1971), a respected English journalist and writer. If we follow that definition, then to prove that you are indeed a highbrow — a person who possesses a high degree of culture and learning — the first thing you need is to have, well, uhrm, sausages. Lots of it. Wahahaha. So you could think of Picasso all the time!

It is on this note that I want to introduce to you all the most delicious, tastebud-stimulating, orgasm-inducing locally-made sausages in town… SANKT ANTON Swiss Delicatessen.

It’s my superfriend’s business. So yes, I’m plugging. Haha. (Forgive me for twisting and deliberately misinterpreting Herbert’s quote above. We need profits. Haha.) But I AM SOOO TELLING YOU. If you’ve never been to heaven then maybe all you need is one long juicy sausage. No, not that sausage you pervert. I’m talking about yummy sausages that you can actually eat. And chew! I’m talking about these:

Hungry for more pictures? Visit our Multiply site! Click here!

For orders and inquiries, e-mail us at
sanktantonswissdeli@gmail.com
or call/text us at 0906-572-3142.

We have scheduled delivery for free in areas which include: UP Diliman, UP Manila, Ateneo de Manila, De La Salle University, Ortigas Center, Ayala Center, Araneta Center, Manila, Pasay City, Makati City, Parañaque City.

We also deliver outside these areas but a minimum order worth P1500 is required.

For Retail prices, click here. Wholesale prices are also available.

We do free gift-packaging of hams & sausages for Christmas giveaways/gifts.

Let’s move higher to another level of sophistication. The world needs highbrows — cultured intellectuals. Sausages are the foundation of humanity! And as Sir AP Herbert said, let’s all look at sausages, better yet eat lots of ‘em, and think of Picasso. And who knows? We might just make this world a better place to live in.

Please, please order from us! (Hey, it’s two please’s. I don’t usually beg but I am begging you to try it for your sake. You don’t know what you’re missing if you ignore this post. Haha. Seriously.) PLEASE?

Love,
Yoshkeboy

Continue reading »

Words of Wisdom from Dohna Sarmiento

Trinoma, Quezon City. September 2008.

I don’t eat beef.

Don’t ask why not. I don’t know either. I just don’t.

But of course, I know how it tastes like. Last month, I was at FoodEx Trinoma to taste beef for the first time. (It was the first of the three times I ate beef in my life.) Mimay, JT and Dohna were all there to witness the momentous event. Mimay had it recorded. Video uploaded to Facebook.

I ordered T-Bone steak. They were all crying “Oh my God” repeatedly in anticipation. Because you know, one day, I’ll be so famous and I’ll be a great historical figure and people will go back to that moment as the first time I ate beef. They’ll be erecting a monument in the middle of that mall captioned “This was where The Great Yoshke Dimen had his first beef.” And it will become a popular tourist destination besting New York’s Statue of Liberty, Rio’s Jesus Christ the Redeemer and the then most visited Manila’s Yoshke The Full-of-Himself Tower.

Anyway, just when the first morsel touched the tip of my tongue, Dohna asked me “How was it?”

It took me several seconds before I could finally answer. I had to chew and swallow, you know.

“Yummy. A bit gummy,” was my answer. “Not as bad as I expected but not as good as people say it is.”

They were all delighted with my response. It meant “I liked it.” I was just sorta in denial but I liked it.

“You see? You liked it, right? Beef is very good,” Dohna said as-a-matter-of-fact-ly. “Beef is our friend.”

“If beef is our friend, why do we have to eat it?” I replied.

“Well…” Dohna paused and then uttered confidently, “Because sometimes we have to eat our friends! In  order to live.”

Wahaha.

Mimay added “And because they eat us, too. Unto unto others, unto unto you!”

Ad Congress. Subic Bay. November 2007.

After the Neil Gaiman event, Ayn, Astrid, Dohna and I decided to kill time at the Subic Bay Christmas Carnival. We hadn’t been at a “perya” in a long time. Enchanted Kingdom not counted. When I say “perya,” I mean those horrible yet fun places where you feel like the Ferris Wheel will come crashing down any minute and whenever you brush your hand with the grimy metal railings, you feel like a bottle of Green Cross alcohol won’t be enough and you won’t touch food in the next 72 hours. And whenever you hear a scream, you assume it’s not of excitement but of agony and you picture a little girl free falling from that Ferris Wheel you thought was made of rust. Haha. But peryas are fun. Haha.

After almost an hour of deciding what rides to take, we ended up not taking any. Haha. So we just agreed to wait for Lei and hitch a ride back to Manila — the only ride we were gonna take that day.

We were staying near a puto-bumbong stall — all tired, sleepy and waiting. All quiet. No one was saying anything. Until Dohna broke the silence with a song. Out loud, she started singing “Burn” by Tina Arena.

“Do you wanna be a fo…” And then she stopped singing so suddenly. She realised she might have mispronounced something. Might have. Haha.

Ayn, being herself, smirked and asked “What? A FFFoet? Do you wanna be a FFFoet?”

Ah sarcasm. Sarcastic bickering. My favourite hobby.

“I was gonna say ‘FOREST!’” said Dohna, thinking she could fool us.

I butted in, “Why on earth would you want to be a forest? Why would anyone want to be a forest?!?”

We all laughed. Dohna was silent.

“Err… Coz they want to… burn? ” was her answer. Clever.

Continue reading »

Break Free from Singularity:
Top 11 Ways to Find Your True Love

It’s nice being single. You don’t have to worry about coming home late. You don’t need to remember a lot of important dates. You don’t need to be conscious about how you look. You don’t have someone to share popcorns with when watching a movie. You don’t have someone to tell you that it’s all gonna be okay when you have a problem. You have no one to grow old with. Yes, it’s nice being single. It’s sooo nice that all the miseries in the world are attributed to being alone. It may be nice but remember that you can only take too much niceness.

Sarcasm aside, being single may have its advantages but the truth remains the same: no one wants to be alone. That’s why we all strive to search the world for our one true love. If you’re single and you are miserably tired of it, it’s time to stop pitying yourself and start your worldwide search for the right person for you. The right person has always been out there. It’s just a matter of finding them. Here are 11 of the easiest ways to find your true lurv.

11. “Can I buy you a drink?”

If you are really serious about finding the person of your dreams, go out and look for him or her. One of the easiest ways to find your your Mr. or Ms. Perfect is to hang out in a bar. You will never find your would-be significant other inside your kitchen cupboard. Go out, have fun and meet people. There are many reasons why this is effective. First, this is where guys and girls who love to have fun go and if you’re that type, you just might find someone meant for you here. Second, alcohol gives you enough courage and confidence to introduce yourself. Some of the greatest love stories do not even get a chance to start because they are both afraid to make a move. What a shame.

Why you should do it: Even if you didn’t meet anyone, you still had your booze. Nothing to lose.

10. “Hi. ASL?”

On second thought, you can still look for the person of your dreams without leaving your house. All you need is a good Internet connection. The cyberspace has become an active social world for romance-seekers all over the planet. People who are looking for love sometimes find themselves surfing the net, logging into some networking sites or entering chat rooms, hoping to find the person of their dreams.

Although it is regarded as absurd by most people, we cannot deny the fact that there have been successful love stories that started through the Internet. In cyberspace, you’ll find all sorts of people; it is impossible you cannot find someone who matches your taste. What is harder to accomplish is finding a person that suits you AND who are serious about meeting people in the web.

Yes, the Internet bridges people from all over the world and allows them to find true love in an instant. You have to remember, however, that the cyberspace is not the safest place in the world to meet the person of your dreams. Without proper discretion and carefulness, your dream romance can turn into a nightmare. You have to explore the cyberspace carefully.

Why you should do it: Who cares? Everyone does it anyway.

9. “Peace be with you.”

Religious differences are sometimes blamed for unsuccessful relationships. If you want to be sure that you will be spiritually compatible with the person you want to meet, go to a church or a synagogue or a temple or whatever name your religion gives for your place of worship. It gives you a couple of advantages. First, religious difference would not be an issue. Second, you are sure that the person is spiritually healthy and responsible.

If you feel guilty doing this, don’t be. It is not like you are doing a blasphemous act. You are just practicing your religion. While you are at it, why not do some multi-tasking? You want to find the person of your dreams? Praying might be a big help. Just don’t hike your skirt a little higher.

Why you should do it: Hey, God said, “Be fruitful and multiply.” You’re just being obedient.

Continue reading »

Top 25 Local TV Shows I Miss:
(Part 2) Comedy Shows

Heto na ang second part ng list na ‘to. If you missed the first part, click here.

15. ANG TV

4:30 NAAAA! ANG TV NAAAAAA! Doo waa didi didi dum didi dumm…

Ang sabi ng mentor ko, who happens to be WikiPedia (hahaha), “Ang TV was the first kids’ gag-variety show in the Philippines. Prior to 1992, Director Johnny Manahan enlisted a group of multi-talented kids (& pre-teens) to create the first ever gag-variety show for youngsters in the Philippines.

Most of the country’s current stars can point their humble beginnings to Ang TV. Popular celebrities like Claudine Barretto, Jolina Magdangal, Rica Peralejo, John Prats, Camille Prats, Paolo Contis, Angelica Panganiban, Patrick Garcia, Kaye Abad, Roselle Nava, Angelu De Leon – to name a few – all jump-started their careers as mainstays of the variety show…”

Esmyuskee, si Sarah Geronimo din pala ay dito rin nagstart. Akalain mo. At pati ang magkakapatid na sina Gio, Luigi at Guila Alvarez.

At grabe marami pa kong paborito dito na nami-miss ko nang bonggang bongga. Hmmm. Lailani Navarro. Lindsay Custodio. Jan Marini Alano. Marnie Arcilla. Sarji Ruiz. Jason San Pedro. Haaaaaaaaay.

14. VICTIM!

Oo na, nakakairita si Carlos Agassi na minsan parang trying-hard maging Ashton Kutcher pero pinapanood ko pa rin ‘to dati. It was first a segment on ASAP Mania but was later developed into a new primetime show to replace “Buttercup.”

Naaalala ko pa yung ibang pranks like yung pinasabog nila yung bahay na malapit sa set ng Lukso ng Dugo at syempre kabadong-kabado si Bernadette Sembrano. Pati yung pinabitin nila sa kawayan a la lechon si Alma Moreno para sa isang dance number.

Sige na, second-rate Punk’d pero what the heck. Sana ibalik nila ‘to. Palitan na lang nila yung host.

13. WHATTAMEN

Sabi nga ng professor ko sa Comm 100 dati, ito na yata ang pinakamaingay na show. (But then again, wala pang Wowowee nun na kahit na naka-mic na eh sigawan pa rin nang sigawan ang hosts.) Grabe, si Ai-Ai delas Alas dito, talak na lang nang talak. (MAAAATTTIIIII!!!!) Nakakatuwa rin si Marvin Agustin dito bilang tatanga-tangang probinsyano, hehe. At saka si Melanie Marquez na mortal na kaaway ni Ai-ai!

Pero I liked the show. Or maybe twas just Rico Yan. Haha.

Continue reading »