Bulletproofvest

See, now, we're on a roll. Manolo Quezon does 10 questions with Bulletproofvest. I was going to ask him if he was going to run for office, but I'm afraid to know what his campaign slogan would be. Here are his, er, explanations.

1. How'd you get to become The Explainer on cable? (And, who's that ladyfriend you have co-hosting?)

The "Explainees" keep changing. It started with my guesting on ANC shows to explain stuff -and some of the management saying, I should do more of it. And a lot of lobbying on my part over a period of two years.

2. I know your grandfather was the President, and I know he had some really nice cars, but what is it that you'd want 3rd graders in school to learn about him the most?

He never thought the Filipino the inferior of anyone, anywhere, at any time.

3. Follow-up: have you ever pulled out the 20-peso note to show someone a "family picture"? How'd that go?

No. People pull the note on me. And it's the worst damned picture of MLQ ever made.

4. Five events that changed the course of Philippine history.

1. Publication of Noli Me Tangere
2. The Battle of Manila Bay
3. The Invasion of the Philippines by Japan
4. Ramon Magsaysay's death
5. Martial Law

My note: what about the Ginebra-Shell game where Bobby Parks choked and Dante Gonzalgo hit the winning three to come back from 6 points down in 9 seconds?

5. And, three that might or should happen that will.

1. GMA's liver/heart/brain suddenly fails
2. Joseph Estrada keels over
3. Everyone suddenly decides to really vote wisely

My note: Or, pay their taxes.

6. My wife has a question: are you a historian, pundit, scholar, political analyst? (I need a real answer to this, because I have to defend bloggers anywhere I can.)

I'm a writer, an essayist who happens to concentrate on history and politics. Because of that, others consider me a historian and even a scholar, a political analyst and a pundit (since I do talking head stuff). Someone went as far as calling me a public intellectual which I don't quite understand (what's that?).

My note: a "public intellectual" is someone who thinks outside his/her shower.

7. If you could interview anyone, dead or alive, on your show, who'd you have? What questions would you ask?

Apolinario Mabini. Everything.

My note: Mabini, the ultimate insider, sounds like a thinking man's national hero, huh?

8. Can you beat me at anything? Beer pong? Battleship?

Trivial Pursuit, perhaps?

My note: Oh, yeah?

9. What should we, the voting middle class, be most afraid of this coming election? Lito Atienza's shirts? Or Noli de Castro?

It (the middle class) should fear itself, and its increasingly reactionary instincts because of how marginalized it's become.

10. So, the fearless forecast: who will be our next President?

I think we're set to have GMA as president-for-life. I'm still operating from that assumption.

11. Bonus question: shirt and tie or barong?

I have a fetish for bowties but they say I look better in a barong.