02CBB: It's Thursday

Still no official updates on my Unionbank Credit Card application. I sent a follow-up to customer service and got a templated email response saying that I should wait 3 banking days for feedback, but it has already been a week. I also reached out to our company Unionbank rep to see if she can find out what's going on, but I expect the Credit Card team will eventually get back to me before she can get information on her end. I still want to see this application through to the end before I try applying for another card. I don't want to risk multiple approvals at some point and become obligated to handle more credit cards than I'd like. This may be overly optimistic thinking as it seems I'm weirdly struggling to get approved for just one more card.

In other news, drag artist Pura Luka Vega has been arrested again. More religious groups filed cases for the same "offense" that sparked this whole situation in the first place. Those first cases haven't been resolved and now they're getting buried in more cases in different courts around Metro Manila. The bail obligations alone already exceed over a million pesos and that doesn't factor in actual legal fees and related expenses for just facing these charges. The slow pace of the Philippine justice system means that most cases feel more like a trial of attrition. A lot of cases just fizzle away due to lack of funds - and I really hope that doesn't happen to Pura. But they're facing a long legal battle ahead and I can't quite see an end to the madness.

For those who want to support their legal battle, information on where to send donations can be found here.  

Tonight we're going to do an O Bar send-off for a friend who will be flying this weekend. She specifically asked for an O Bar night before she goes and it felt only proper that we oblige her as we're the ones who introduced her to the place to begin with. We rarely go on Thursday nights (despite the desire to do so), and to be responsible Tobie and I have filed leave for tomorrow just so we don't drag ourselves to clock in for work. Realistically, we're both going to get some work done eventually because that's just the way things are. But it is nice to at least go through the motions of being out for the day and seeing how work will get along without you. 

Last reminder: please go watch Shōgun on Disney+ (or Hulu if that's your thing). The first two episodes are out and the show is showing a LOT of promise. I loved the book back in the day and it's kinda surreal to see it brought to life so well. A re-read is definitely in order.