One of my guilty pleasures is watching “American Idol” (and before that the first season of Philippine Idol). I know. Its shallow, cruel and victimizes the clueless and deluded contestants who make utter fools of themselves and are degraded by the judges in front of millions. That’s exactly why I can’t turn away. This is reality T.V. at its most vicious.

To be sure, after the elimination rounds, the talent level and quality of performance increases dramatically. It then morphs into a real talent contest, which can produce genuine diamonds-in-the-rough. Witness Jennifer Hudson of “Dreamgirls” fame, an Idol alum who did not even win the top spot.

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Representative Francis “Chiz” Escudero, House minority floor leader and opposition mouthpiece, has officially filed his candidacy for senator under the United Opposition (UNO).

Accompanied by actress Susan Roces, widow of 2004 presidential candidate Fernando Poe, Jr., Chiz Escudero filed his certificate of candidacy today at the Commission on Elections main office in Intramuros, Manila. In doing so, he jumped the gun on other opposition luminaries who are still squabbling over their inclusion in the UNO senatorial slate.

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Today is the feast day of the Sto. Nino, the image of the Child Jesus venerated in many parts of the Philippines. The Sto. Nino has various meanings for various people. To some entrepreneurs, it is a patron of good luck in business, placed on the same pedestal as the Chinese God of Prosperity. Many Catholic parents pray to the Sto. Nino for the safety and well-being of their young children.

I’m not a great fan of the Sto. Nino myself. Nevertheless, I have time and again turned to the Child Jesus for solace in trying times, reminding myself that a trusting, child-like attitude is necessary when beseeching a sometimes distant God.

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