Bon anniversaire mon chou chou Kimura Takuya

November 13,2000 Friday

木村拓哉 Takuya Kimura

誕生日おめでとうTakuya Kimura Otanjyoubi Omedetou or Happy Birthday in kanji

Otanjyoubi Omedetou Takuya Kimura. Happy 37th birthday to the sexiest man in Japan for 14 consecutive years. Says who? Who says that Takuya is Japan's sexiest man? Only Anan magazine the prestigious widely and wildly circulated magzine that surveys its readers and non - readers both men and women everywhere to find out who among Japan's male idols is the sexiest, most huggable, most wanted to be boyfriend , most popular and every other imaginable catergory.Watch him in this video http://kenshingurl.multiply.com/video/item/10

Takuya must have been first in line when God gave out sex appeal. I love this guy. I love his voice, his face, the way he moves, everything about him. Takuya Kimura was the one who drew me into the blackhole of japanese entertainment  first as an actor and then as a singer with the jpop group SMAP.He is truly the king of japanese drama or jdorama, his dramas getting a high viewership and rating every time they air. He has won countless times as best actor for  drama. His agency, Johnny Jimusho also known as Johnny Entertaiment or JE ran by the formidable Johnny Kitagawa, refused Takuya's nomination for best actor for the movie Love and Honor in 2007. The very first drama I saw of Takuya's was Good Luck about pilots and service crew of an airline in Japan. Takuya in a pilot's uniform with aviator sunglasses is a knock out. His acting was perfect, very natural. This was followed by Engine  where he was paired with the beautiful actress Koyuki of The Last Samurai fame. He was a race car driver with a heart of gold who helped orphans. Meltdown. I have to thank my very young friend and mentor Dra. Kristine Tan who was an intern at that time as she held my hand as I gingerly stepped into this fascinating alternative universe called fandom. My mom and I were confirmed korean drama addicts then, but I temporarily said good-bye to kdrama and hello to jdorama.

Then there was this 2004 HK movie of Wong Kar Wai that premiered at the Cannes filmfest, where Takuya had a double role as the Japanese boyfriend of Faye Wong (another actress I love) and as Tak the passenger on the train to 2046 and back. He hardly had any speaking lines in the movie but his subtle acting mostly with his eyes and those kissing scenes got me hooked. And so I found myself watching as many of his dramas and he has loads and getting into the world of SMAP.

Before he became an actor he was a singer and still is with SMAP, the creation of boy band impressario Johnny Kitagawa. Takuya entered Johnny's Entertainment (Johnny Jimusho) at 12 and last year was the group's 20th anniversary. they celebrated with a concert for six days at Tokyo Dome and concerts at other venues across Japan.

Takuya 's acting and singing and dancing is always intense and passionate. He was a low level samurai in the 2007 movie Love and Honor, one of the 47 loyal ronins or masterless samurai in Chuushingura , a young Oda Nobunaga the 16th century warlord, Japan's youngest Prime Minister in the political romance drama Change. That is one political drama I wish our politicians would watch, it pits the traditional politicians against the idealistic young leaders of Japan. and I love this hosto turned genius role in Mr. Brain where he solved seemingly unsolvable crimes.

Bon anniversaire mon premier chou chou sur l'agence Johnny Entertainment. Vous cette trop smexy et sympa et tres joli. Bonne sante et gros bisoux. Alors, c'est tout et merci bcp.

Stalking Mr. Socrates

Stalking Mr. Socrates

On the summer before my 12^th birthday, we got shipped off to San Jose for our annual summer vacation. That was the summer that Tito Nap passed away and we had to attend his funeral. Right after that, Mama and Papa were off to some conference in Geneva. That was the summer I had the mumps. I walked around the house with some dreadful violet pigmented medicine below my jaw line. All the boys avoided me for two weeks. They told me they wanted to have children when they reach adulthood. I was a complete pariah for a couple of weeks of my 2 month summer vacation. To make matters worst, my hair caught fire from some candle during the funeral procession .

That was also the summer I woke up in the room of my Mamang Jo and Papa Ling, where I slept and saw this horrible headless apparition coming towards me. I screamed but no sound came out and the next day I completely lost my voice. I tried to make Manny, my favorite cousin, and Raffy admit that it was just a trick but to no avail. That was the summer I was on the verge of teen hood. That was the summer I fell in love at first sight with my second cousin Dave.

I was already a budding stalker at 11. Early in the morning I would take the tricycle to Tito Angeling’s house and they would feed me breakfast or give me some powdered orange juice to drink. I would leaf through Dave’s yearbook , look at his medals for academic excellence or just hang on to every word my uncle and aunt would tell me about what a great son and student he was. Sometimes, Boy his younger brother who was about my age would take pity on me and actually come out and talk to me. I would go through some of Dave's more erudite term papers with high scores in red that his parents kept. There was a thesis on Socrates which I devoured in its entirety when deep in side me I asked who the heck is Mr.Socrates.

In the meantime, Dave would take his time waking up and grooming, after all it was summer vacation. When he finally emerged from his room, there was only enough time for him to practically gobble up his breakfast, and wave a good bye as he headed off to the plaza to meet his barkada. I didn’t know any better I was still a child after all and I was more than thrilled when he just said hello to me. I didn’t know then that love was returned by the object of one’s affection.

I would then go off to the beach with my cousins , ate halo halo with ube ice cream and corn flakes at Cindy’s or just hang around the gasoline station or ice plant that various aunts and uncles owned. In the afternoon, I would pester Manang Cora to take me to the basketball court near the church to watch the older boys including Dave show off their dexterity shooting hoops to the delight of girls their age. I would take Gani my youngest brother and Jay my cousin who were toddlers and the same age. They were so cute that the girls would come to us and actually pinch their cheeks. I was such a pest I had to admit. And Dave completely ignored my existence. Well not really, when Manang Cora was around he would sort of wave his hand to acknowledge our presence.

Summer ended and we went back to Manila, sunburned and brown from days spent at the beach, chubbier from all the good food served by indulgent relatives and filled with happy childhood memories. And I thought, so much for unrequited love, although I didn’t know then it was that.

Years later when I was about to enter college, Manang Cora and I went to Quiapo on an errand and I saw Dave. He looked very bohemian, like any college student activist of his age and time,with longish wavy hair . He was even more handsome than I remembered. We exchanged shy greetings and all I could do was sigh. By then, I already knew that love was more often than not returned by the object of one’s affection. And I already read up on Mr. Socrates who told his chelas centuries ago, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

Good Evening Mr. Samurai

KONBANWA SAMURAI SAN (GOOD EVENING MR. SAMURAI)

I saw it the moment I entered the living room, proudly displayed where you can’t miss it, above the western style sofa which was oddly out of place in the Japanese setting. Nicely framed, its lavish hilt reflecting the light, was a katana, a magnificent samurai sword, in its scabbard. I dared touch it. I felt it was calling my name.

No one minded as I gazed at it imagining swordfights in the moon light. I imagined talented actor Hiroyuki Sanada in Twilight Samurai as Sebei Iguchi preparing his short sword for his task to kill a fellow samurai who refused to commit seppuku. The western sofa, the samurai sword, the Japanese décor gave the room a surrealistic atmosphere. “Ikea meets Takashimaya”, I said to myself.

It was my first night at my Japanese foster family’s home in Moka City. I left my dusty shoes in the getabako, the shoe cupboard at the entrance neatly aligned facing inwards. Entering a Japanese home, I learned was literally like stepping up and leaving the shoes was symbolic of casting off the worries and troubles.

“Douzo kudasai” I was ushered in. My otosan (father) and okaasan (mother) introduced me to an assortment of relatives and neighbors who waited for us to finish our orientation at the community gymnasium.

”Minna san kon banwa”- Good evening everyone. “Ogenki desu ka?” How are you? “Hajimemashite” –Nice to meet you, I managed in Japanese. I’ve picked up the tradition of bowing in greeting and Ioved it.

Already my foster mother was pointing out to all and sundry how long my legs were compared to my torso. I could hear tsk tsking and mmm,mmming all around and saw nodding of the heads. I heard kirei desu – very pretty, and fancied it was me they were talking about. Then they were gone.

“Tabemashou”, Let’s eat! We sat down on tatami lined floor facing a low table for a typical Japanese dinner. “Itadakimasu”, we said to ourselves before eating. My foster mother served me first, then her husband and kids before she ate. It was pleasant. Conversation was a lot of one syllable Japanese words mostly oiishi desu (delicious), arigato gosaimasu (thank you), hai (yes), iiee (no), nani desu ka (what) and aa sou desu ka? (Is that right?) on my side and bowing of heads.

Thank goodness I had the foresight to go all the way to JICA, the Japan Information and Cultural Agency to attend Japanese language classes for a semester. Of course, it helped that Japanese exchange students from Sophia University frequented our college and the university across the creek.

Moka City was in a rural prefecture outside of Tokyo, far from the Keio, Waseda, Sophia and Tokyo University crowd we have been hanging out with for the past three weeks. Our group of exchange students took the Shinkasen Super Express, a bullet train with a maximum speed of 285 km/hr.early in the morning. At the city’s gymnasium earlier that day, we laughed when someone asked if we lived in trees back home. Toshi-chan, Maryjoy’s totemo kawaii (a real cutie) foster brother said the chap was just kidding and asked the question for some laughs.

Terri told me later that my 8 year old foster sister spoke like a yakuza. Maybe she meant it wasn’t polite language but yakuza seemed more exotic. Hahaha. I am still wondering how she figured that out. Was it because the little girl said baka baka ne (stupid or fool) repeatedly?

Anyway, after dinner my foster mother led me to the bathroom and gave me a good scrubbing then told me to soak myself in the wooden hot tub. I obliged, soaking away the tiredness of the day. Tomorrow, we were going to go strawberry picking at a nearby farm. I immersed myself in the hot tub, not knowing that I had the privilege of first dip. The rest of the family will soak in the tub later when I had finished.

My mind drifted off to the events of a week ago when Marissa and I were at the ryokan, a typical Japanese inn near Kyoto. We decided for the heck of it, to do what the natives did. Adventures in the Japanese bath, we called it. We went to the communal hot tub, but no one was there. There were loads of people in Tokyo when we decided to soak in the hot tub at Nihon Shinpan.

We washed ourselves very well then soaked in the tub, watching a few pubic hair floating in the murky water. We laughed knowing the high temperature killed any germs around. We heard the rustling of leaves outside the room. Through the open window we glimpsed the shocked face of a Japanese guest in a yukata, peeping with great curiosity into the room. He hurries away. We relaxed. Then,we went back to our room where everyone else was either playing mahjong or sitting together for warmth keeping out the nippy spring night air. Soothed by the warm bath, Marissa and I drifted off to sleep earlier than everyone else.

But now I’m in Moka City in Tochigi Prefecture, the cotton gin of Japan. I entered my room which was sparsely decorated with a futon and a thick coverlet which I embraced like a love sick lover and swiftly dozed off. I lost track of time until I woke up with a start. I sensed a presence, an undeniable energy lurking in the dark room.

I looked around me and saw in one corner of the room directly across me someone sitting quietly staring at me. I thought I saw the devil, the chap had horns! I closed my eyes again and felt myself starting to hyperventilate, I was trembling. “Oh my God”, I prayed ,”please make this vision that of Shinichi Tsutsumi is one of my favorite Japanese actors, otoko mae ( handsome man) to the max, intense, award winning, brilliant and a serial dater of young women.

I took another peek and this time, I could make out a man in a shadowy costume with what looked liked a scaly armor and something on his head resembling horns. “Ok God”, I bargained “I will make do with an apparition of actor Joe Odagiri and his quirky hair styles in his various films. No, make that Satoshi Tsumabuki, the cho kakkoii (handsome) Jdorama and film actor and one of the handsomest men in my universe.” OMG, did this vision have long hair too? Then, I clearly heard the vision telling me…”Why did you touch my sword?” And pouf, he was gone.

“Was he ninja or samurai? Mmmm,” I thought,” ninjas were cool and supernatural to boot, especially if they look like Joe Odagiri sporting a modified mohawk hairdo as Gennosuke in the movie Shinobi.” But this one looked definitely like a samurai warrior. I drifted back to sleep, safe in my alternate universe, dreaming of Satoshi –kun and oddly enough of angels in kimonos. Next morning I was in the strawberry field picking the largest most luscious strawberries I will ever see in my life.

Sword in the moon and

Samurai warriors dancing.

In my dream,

Angels in kimonos prancing.

Zooming Down Victoria Peak:A Hongkong Kiss Story

 

Kissing

Zooming Down Victoria Peak:A Hongkong Kiss Story

Victoria Peak on HongKong Island on an Indian summer, a party of expats, and a hot young banker equal excitement on overdrive. I was in the Crown colony for a project presentation with other executives of the company I was working with. I was getting stir crazy. Being the youngest, I made all the power point visuals and had to watch more of the same.

I sneaked a quick call to Anngelica from my handy during a break in the session after reading an sms she sent. “Wei- Hello”, she answered in a nasal voice , “Nee hao? How are you?”
There will be a party tonight at the flat she shared with Stephan her Danish fiancée somewhere in Mid-levels of Victoria Peak. The guest list was a mix of expatriates and Pinoy residents of HongKong, mostly bankers since Anngelica worked with a German bank, hoteliers, investment bankers, and stockbrokers.

“What, no locals in the party list?”, I wondered but only for a mere second. I freshened up and made some excuse to my boss about meeting a cousin. Since it was early, I took the Star Ferry from Kowloon across Victoria Harbour to Central on HongKong island. I was tempted to take the 800 meters long moving escalator going up to Mid-levels from the Central Business District just for the heck of it. But, I grabbed a cab instead for the 20 minute ride to Algae and Stephan’s little aerie on a high rise building on Po Shan Road, at the edge of a forest.

The panoramic view of HongKong at night from Mid-levels was fantastic. Inside the luxurious flat ,it was a scene right out of a Johnnie To film. The guests were an odd mixture of men in nifty Italian suits and women in elegant designer dresses which showed off every curve of their bodies. “So what!”, I told myself, “I was in an Escada suit I got at a 75% discount from a designer’s outlet in Tsim Sha Tsui on my first day in HongKong.” I did a double take when I saw a pair who I swear looked like celebrity couple Nicholas Tse and Cecilia Cheung.

Suddenly, there was a slight commotion at the entrance. Whoever he was, stood out from the rest in his skinny faded vintage Versace jeans and lightly starched white shirt. “Who’s the blonde dude in the casual get up air kissing the hot babes.” I asked my best friend Algae while taking a sip from my bottle of Evian. “Ian Holllister, he’s an investment banker. You met him at my engagement party in Manila, remember? He was in ripped jeans and a tuxedo.”, was Anngelica’s retort.

I tried to whistle. He looked different , much hotter. The hair tied up in a pony tail ala Steven Segal was gone. Ian was now sporting a short military buzz , so becoming and manly looking. Oh, and the black rimmed glasses were gone, that’s why I didn’t recognize him. And best of all, there was no girlfriend on his arm. I checked him out, no earrings, that’s a good sign. I edged a little closer and sniffed. O la la, it’s a masculine scent, citrus with a hint of wood. Hmmm, maybe this will prove to be an interesting evening after all.

“So Diana, what brings you to Hongkong this time of the year?, Ian asked as I tried to blend in with the rest of the party crowd after smelling him. “ I had a business meeting, with a client.”, I lied, flattered he remembered my name. Blah, blah, blah, I circulated, met old friends, made new ones, ate a lot from the sumptuous cocktail buffet.

Algae and Stephan tried to convince me to join them at The Whisky Priest after the party. “Hey the action at Lan Kwai Fong is just about to start.”,Stephan said. “I have to go soon.” I mumbled. “I have an early morning meeting with another client tomorrow then I’m off to Manila on the last Cathay Pacific flight. Remember, I just sneaked out. Can you call me a cab for the ride back to the Marriot Hotel?”
“What’s up here, eh?” Ian asked. “Diana has to go back to the Marriot and I’m calling a cab.”, Stephan replied. “No problem “,Ian said, “I’ll take her back , let’s say in forty –five minutes.”
I gulped. That would be way past midnight and I was up since 6 this morning. I was afraid l was going to turn into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight. Algae and Stephan exchanged weird looks and that was that.

Ian and I talked some more, he was trying to convince me to go clubbing, dropping names like Bar George, C Club and Indochine 1929 which were hang outs for expatriates and chic locals at Lan Kwai Fong, the entertainment district on Central. “I had lunch the other day at Yung Kee at Lan Kwai Fong .”, I mentioned, “ and we went to Sugar at night after our meetings.” Ian promised to meet me his next visit to Manila. “Ok one more wine spritzer then we’re off.”, Ian said. “I’m driving so I can’t drink too much.”

Finally, Ian and I headed out the door and towards the parking area. The air was cool and fresh at this section of the city. “One of the perks of living on Mid-Levels is the quality of air here which is better than the rest of the city. “, Ian said.
“Mmmm I know. ”, I said inhaling, “My lungs are so happy to be away from the haze in the harbour.”

I was looking for his car, maybe a Ferrari, an X-8 beamer or even a Honda will do. What do young investment bankers in their early twenties drive anyway? Suddenly, we stopped in front of a glistening red and black motorcycle, a Ducati Monster 620 and he handed me a top of the line Shoei helmet. No wonder Anngelica and Stephan exchanged that weird look. It was so Ian, his mode of transportation, so unpredictable.

“So, do you always carry a spare helmet with you?”, I cheekily inquired. “Yes, a big bike is a chick magnet. It’s a great way to pick up women and I’m always lucky.”, he coolly replied with a wink and laughed. “Put this on and make sure you lock your arms around me real tight, eh.”, were his instructions as he helped me up as my skirt was really tight.

Then, we zoomed off and I was in for the ride of my life. I felt like I entered the eye of a storm where everything was at a standstill but the world around me was in constant motion. I could feel the wind and the cool air and nothingness. “This beats the hot air balloon ride I took with that German company at Clark Field in Angeles, Pampanga two months ago, the fringe benefits of my job.”, I smiled as I remembered.

So how did I feel zooming down Victoria Peak at 100 km per hr astride a Ducati big bike, helmet on, plastered to the backside of a Canadian hunk named Ian? It was exhilarating and I felt light headed from the adrenalin rush. When we hit the flat roads of Central near Lan Kwai Fong, I could make out in a blur the shock faces of people in the cars watching us.

My Prada shoes got scuffed, there was a tear in my expensive Falk stockings, my Escada skirt was hiked up mid –thigh and I lost a fake earring. I must have looked quiet a sight! When I took off my helmet, my hair looked like I just got out of bed, and I probably had a glazed look in my eyes. Was it the adrenalin rush, the sensuality of the ride, cheating death or whatever? When we finally reached Marriot Hotel and dismounted, my legs were wobbly and I could still feel the throbbing of the engines.

Then, in the heat of the moment, Ian grabbed me and we locked lips in a passionate kiss that left both of us dizzy. With great effort, I tore myself away from his embrace. After murmuring a thank you, I disappeared into the hotel. Kisses like that are dangerous and bound to get me into trouble. It was just too much for my senses. I glanced at the mirror in the lobby. I had this look of bliss on my face and a smile one couldn’t erase. I was wide awake at the edge of the world. End of my Hongkong kiss story.

Well, there you have it another short kiss story. I would have wanted Chanel shoes but that's pushing it a bit too far and i don't own a pair. Thanks for reading my work.

Nicanor Perlas-New Politics by Irritation

Nick Perlas is on the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer today- New Politics by Irritation according to Perlas. 

You can also watch Nick on GMANews webcast Examine here:

http://blogs.gmanews.tv/yourvox/nicanor-perlas-on-examine/

Here is the link to the online version http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091101-233350/New-politics-by-irritation-according-to-Perlas 

New politics by ‘irritation,’ according to Perlas 


By Edson C. Tandoc Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:45:00 11/01/2009

Close this A NUMBER OF PRESIDENTIAL ASPIrants with a mind-set on reforms and new politics are now backing Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III—but Nicanor Perlas is not one of them.

His campaign slogan, composed by his supporters, is a play on his surname: “Perlas Tayong Lahat (We are all pearls).”

“Perlas” is the Filipino word for “pearl,” which is formed when a shell gets irritated, the man observed. Thus, his slogan represents “the millions of Filipinos getting irritated” by current problems.

It also speaks of the Philippines’ ongoing “inner process of transformation” to be able to “rise up again amidst the challenges,” he said.

Speaking with Inquirer editors last week, the 59-year-old activist-environmentalist said that as he had declared in June, he would seek the highest elective post in the country and nothing else.

And no, Perlas said, he was not considering running for a lower post, such as senator. He pointed out that the Philippines already had good laws, and that the challenge was to implement them properly.

Malacañang is the problem

“The disease of our system is in the presidential level. The executive branch is the source of all our problems,” he said.

Perlas also said that while he was not as well-known or as moneyed as the other presidential aspirants, he was not quitting the race.

He said the “yellow fever” triggered by the death on Aug. 1 of former President Corazon Aquino and now centered on her only son was ignoring “the discernment process that is needed at this time.”

Perlas said that while he had worked closely with then President Aquino, he met her son only once, and recently: It was Noynoy who, in a ceremony in August, handed to him the Manuel L. Quezon award for Exemplary Governance for his environment work.

New politics

Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio, who declared he would run for president a week before Perlas’ own declaration in June, has expressed support for Noynoy Aquino.

Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca, who was being pushed by her supporters to also seek the presidency, is now also backing Aquino, being a member of the Liberal Party.

But Perlas said: “It is not clear where Noynoy will lead us. There is no discussion of any platform.”

In reiterating his intention to run for president, he said there was a need for “new politics” to replace the “personality-driven” traditional system.

“The most popular person may not always be the best,” he said.
Perlas does not count among the presidential aspirants ranking impressively in the surveys, like Aquino. But the presidential election is still six months away and “a lot of things can happen,” he pointed out.

“If people will hear me personally, I believe support will be overwhelming,” Perlas said.

He said voters should study his platform, which is based on six pillars—eradicating poverty, minimizing corruption and promoting moral governance, stopping environmental destruction, introducing participatory governance, promoting creative education, and encouraging innovation and other good practices.

Green candidacy

Perlas’ presidential campaign color will be green. But it will be a broader vision of a “green candidacy,” he said, adding:

“Green is not just about the environment. It is also about economic, political, societal, human and spiritual issues. Climate change is a green issue, but preparing for disaster is also important.”

Perlas’ name may not be familiar to most Filipinos, but he has extensive experience in government service, as well as involvement in the peace process in Mindanao.

He was active in the opposition to the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant that was built through fraudulent means during the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos. His stance earned him death threats that forced him to flee to the United States and stay there for about a decade.
Perlas returned to the Philippines after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship and served as consultant of the Presidential Committee on the Philippine Nuclear Power Plant and of the Philippine Council of Sustainable Development under Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos, respectively.

He was also part of the umbrella groups that helped oust President Joseph Estrada in 2001 and that called for the resignation of President Macapagal-Arroyo at the height of the “Hello Garci” election fraud scandal in 2005.

Internet power

But for all his accomplishments, Perlas is not keen on airing advertisements of himself on television.

“I don’t believe in infomercials,” he declared.
While infomercials may be legal, “these violate the spirit of the law,” and those who have been spending on TV ads “display their propensity to bend the law,” he said.

Instead, Perlas is banking on the reach of the Internet.
He maintains a website, www.nicanorperlas.com, where his articles, credentials and updated write-ups on current issues are posted. He is also on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Fighting corruption

Perlas said that although he comes from a well-to-do family, he chose to study agriculture at the Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro because he wanted to work closely with the poor.

His father, Jesus Perlas, was general manager of the National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority (Nawasa) during the Marcos regime.
Marcos tried to corrupt his father, and when the latter resisted, the dictator slapped him with a trumped-up corruption case, according to Perlas.

It “radicalized” him and introduced him to student activism, he said, adding that it was also why fighting corruption would be one of his priorities if he gets elected as president.

Perlas said he would make the Office of the President as transparent as possible in terms of budget and expenses. He said he would also appoint an anticorruption czar.

The advocacy will begin in his presidential campaign: He will only shell out a maximum of P2 million from his own pocket for his campaign.
The bulk of the funds will come from people who believe in him and in his platform.

Big businesses are welcome to support him financially, but they will be reminded that they will be supporting “not an individual, but a vision.”

Perlas made it clear: “If I am elected, there will be no favors.”