(Belated) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
May the next year be less crappy. :)
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Copenhagen Watermelons*
Despite what those ingenious headlines in the Philippine Daily Inquirer say, Copenhagen was a dismal failure as a summit. And it shows.
Glad to see that watermelon pop. Thank God. One world government averted for a while longer.
*Watermelon = green on the outside, red on the inside.
Glad to see that watermelon pop. Thank God. One world government averted for a while longer.
*Watermelon = green on the outside, red on the inside.
A Snapshot of Modern Feminism
What does it say about your movement when your most profound "philosopher" is a fictional caricature of post-modern ennui and neurosis played by Sarah Jessica Parker?
The Face of Feminism is Equine
I think it says more about the pathetic state of modern society than it says about the character, really.
The Face of Feminism is EquineI think it says more about the pathetic state of modern society than it says about the character, really.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
For the Climate Change Enthusiast in Your Life
Here's a long, but fairly simple explanation of the extent of the manipulation the current klack of climate scientists have subjected the climate data to in order to create the current man-made climate change scare.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
My Problem With "Man-Made Climate Change"
It's hard to choose one problem really. That it is a panic produced by fudging and falsely manipulating scientific data is one. That it has become an almost cultish cause, complete with court prophets, is another.
Gore 3:16 says...CARBON FOOTPRINT! WORLD ENDING!
But the biggest problem that I see in all the hype surrounding man-made climate change ("global warming" has lost its charm, what with a great cooling now in play) is that it has become the latest Trojan Horse by which to foster idiotic Malthusian ideas upon the world.
The countries that will inevitably be hit hardest by neo-Malthusian measures that put man as the center of every problematic thing are the poor countries.
From Zenit:
According to Vidal, the trust's calculations show that the 10 metric tons of carbon emitted by a return flight from London to Sydney could be offset by preventing the birth of one child in a country such as Kenya.
The sheer arrogance of these moneyed fools allows them to think that their return flight from London to Sydney is more valuable than one Kenyan child. Not only is this maliciously racist, it reflects that long standing corruption at the heart of the rich: the problem of the world is poor people. Just enough of us in here, but way too much of you.
So, if you can, say no to this climate change fear-mongering. No to neo-Malthusianism!
Hey, if even a moron like John Lennon can see it...
Gore 3:16 says...CARBON FOOTPRINT! WORLD ENDING!But the biggest problem that I see in all the hype surrounding man-made climate change ("global warming" has lost its charm, what with a great cooling now in play) is that it has become the latest Trojan Horse by which to foster idiotic Malthusian ideas upon the world.
The countries that will inevitably be hit hardest by neo-Malthusian measures that put man as the center of every problematic thing are the poor countries.
From Zenit:
According to Vidal, the trust's calculations show that the 10 metric tons of carbon emitted by a return flight from London to Sydney could be offset by preventing the birth of one child in a country such as Kenya.
The sheer arrogance of these moneyed fools allows them to think that their return flight from London to Sydney is more valuable than one Kenyan child. Not only is this maliciously racist, it reflects that long standing corruption at the heart of the rich: the problem of the world is poor people. Just enough of us in here, but way too much of you.
So, if you can, say no to this climate change fear-mongering. No to neo-Malthusianism!
Hey, if even a moron like John Lennon can see it...
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Thoughts on an "Aberration"
I have often read of the claim that the nuclear family (dad, mom and kids) was a modern aberration, because prior to the 19th century most families included extended members such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. (I encounter the argument again in the comments here.) This assertion is often a pretext for the old "its takes a village to raise a child" canard, and shows up in the arguments of people preferring greater government control over how children are raised, such as the arguments of those who wish to ban home-schooling.
The problem with this assertion is that, when you look at the registries of these towns, every child has but one mother and one father, with the rest of the extended family being designated as aunts, or uncles, or what have you. If it were true that there was no nuclear family at this time, then John of Medievalburg would have had five daddies and ten mommies.
What these people fail to see is that the nuclear family is at the center of the extended family. The nuclear family is not an aberration of modernity. What is an aberration of modernity is the nuclear family standing alone.
The problem with this assertion is that, when you look at the registries of these towns, every child has but one mother and one father, with the rest of the extended family being designated as aunts, or uncles, or what have you. If it were true that there was no nuclear family at this time, then John of Medievalburg would have had five daddies and ten mommies.
What these people fail to see is that the nuclear family is at the center of the extended family. The nuclear family is not an aberration of modernity. What is an aberration of modernity is the nuclear family standing alone.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Strasbourg Can Go to Hell
In an effort to show the world how bad an idea pan-nationalism has become, the European Court of Human Rights decided it had the right to alter the culture and history of a European country by ordering the Italian government to remove all crucifixes from public schools in name of (what else?) that much-abused and highly misunderstood concept: religious freedom.
Somehow, this has lit a fire under an increasingly complacent Italian society. The fact that mayors all over Italy are passing resolutions to defy the ruling, and that the Italian government has taken the the Jacksonian approach to stupid court rulings ("You've made your ruling. Now let's see you enforce them."), is an encouraging sign that all is not yet dead in Italy.
The very materials of which the ordinary, everyday crucifix is made are meant to fade into the bacground: not ivory or silver or gold, but dark wood and darker metal. It is just there in the background, so unnoticed that we do not think of it; that we blaspheme, cheat and fight in its presence; that we do not realize it is there - until.
Somehow, this has lit a fire under an increasingly complacent Italian society. The fact that mayors all over Italy are passing resolutions to defy the ruling, and that the Italian government has taken the the Jacksonian approach to stupid court rulings ("You've made your ruling. Now let's see you enforce them."), is an encouraging sign that all is not yet dead in Italy.
The very materials of which the ordinary, everyday crucifix is made are meant to fade into the bacground: not ivory or silver or gold, but dark wood and darker metal. It is just there in the background, so unnoticed that we do not think of it; that we blaspheme, cheat and fight in its presence; that we do not realize it is there - until.
Friday, November 27, 2009
2nd Show
The second show was threatened by more potential headaches. Jonas told me he cannot go on the 5th, which means that my carefully crafted schedule goes right out the window. As it now stands, both of his shows are with Kaye. I forced him to go on tonight instead of Miko. I hope his next show will be seen by his and kaye's blockmates. That would fire them up.
Then, there was Kaye. She has had no more than five rehearsals since coming back from her vacation hiatus. She was still missing lines, and was very nervous about going on with so little preparation.
But those fears were all gone once the show ended. I had worries about the viability of the Jonas - Kaye tandem, since they couldn't stop snickering at each other during rehearsals. But once the stage lights came up, they did their part. It was a bit too fast, but the energy was there and the audience was along for the ride. And Kaye made me remember why I immediately secured her services after her audition. She was believable, and she played the part to an almost perfect T. She even failed to follow some of my instructions, and it still looked good! (Coincidentally, I am revising some of my instructions.)
Oh, and Jonas made it through the seven count without dropping Kaye. Although, it was a bit scary.
Overall, we've proven that the first show was not a fluke. Now to do something about that damn door....
Watch Quandary on these dates:
Dec. 1, 7:30 pm
Dec. 3, 7:30 pm
Dec. 4, 7:30 pm
ALB Dining Hall, University of Asia and the Pacific
Then, there was Kaye. She has had no more than five rehearsals since coming back from her vacation hiatus. She was still missing lines, and was very nervous about going on with so little preparation.
But those fears were all gone once the show ended. I had worries about the viability of the Jonas - Kaye tandem, since they couldn't stop snickering at each other during rehearsals. But once the stage lights came up, they did their part. It was a bit too fast, but the energy was there and the audience was along for the ride. And Kaye made me remember why I immediately secured her services after her audition. She was believable, and she played the part to an almost perfect T. She even failed to follow some of my instructions, and it still looked good! (Coincidentally, I am revising some of my instructions.)
Oh, and Jonas made it through the seven count without dropping Kaye. Although, it was a bit scary.
Overall, we've proven that the first show was not a fluke. Now to do something about that damn door....
Watch Quandary on these dates:
Dec. 1, 7:30 pm
Dec. 3, 7:30 pm
Dec. 4, 7:30 pm
ALB Dining Hall, University of Asia and the Pacific
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The First Show: Vindication
Was my first show perfect?
No. Not yet, anyway.
But what first show doesn't have its mistakes? Furthermore, all the mistakes made were minor and very fixable.
What made this first show special for me was all the crap that happened on the way. The curse on this play, the hastened preparations, the greenhorn production crew and cast, everybody saying we weren't ready... all these faded away tonight.
We were ready. We had that audience. We had them laughing and we had them tensely silent. We had them where we wanted them.
Those mistakes will be corrected. Even then, everything flowed well. Miko and Rachelle were awesome out there tonight. We were all vindicated.
We beat that damn curse. The Flood Play lives!!
Catch Quandary, a Viare Production, on these following dates:
Nov. 27 - 7:30 PM
Dec. 1 - 7:30 PM
Dec. 3 - 7:30 PM
Dec. 4 - 7:30 PM
Venue: ALB Dining Hall, UA&P
See y'all there...
No. Not yet, anyway.
But what first show doesn't have its mistakes? Furthermore, all the mistakes made were minor and very fixable.
What made this first show special for me was all the crap that happened on the way. The curse on this play, the hastened preparations, the greenhorn production crew and cast, everybody saying we weren't ready... all these faded away tonight.
We were ready. We had that audience. We had them laughing and we had them tensely silent. We had them where we wanted them.
Those mistakes will be corrected. Even then, everything flowed well. Miko and Rachelle were awesome out there tonight. We were all vindicated.
We beat that damn curse. The Flood Play lives!!
Catch Quandary, a Viare Production, on these following dates:
Nov. 27 - 7:30 PM
Dec. 1 - 7:30 PM
Dec. 3 - 7:30 PM
Dec. 4 - 7:30 PM
Venue: ALB Dining Hall, UA&P
See y'all there...
Monday, November 23, 2009
Lefties Are Better Children?
Time for more "The UK is Run by the Stupids"...
Actually, the headline here is that some group is asserting that lesbians make better parents than...well...everybody else. But what I find absolutely asinine is the measure by which they say lesbians are "better parents".
His arguments are supported by experts who have found, over years of research, that children brought up by female couples are more aspirational and more confident in championing social justice. They show no more tendencies towards homosexuality than the offspring of heterosexual parents.
Daughters of lesbians are more likely to aspire to professions that were traditionally considered male, such as doctors or lawyers.
Okay....
The implication here is that children raised by lesbos end up becoming lefty statists (the euphemism "championing social justice") and feminists. No shit. Its like these morons just discovered that water is wet.
But, how in the world does breeding mini feminazi communists make these children "better" than normal children everywhere? This article actually reveals more about that group of intellectual retards than it does about anything regarding parenting. Nobody in that herd of independent minds even bothered to ask why the benchmark of the study was so far from objective that it would need air mail just to say hello.
Then, there's this nonsense about showing no more tendency towards homosexuality than kids raised by mom and pop. How in the world do they measure these things?
And these people are going to influence UK policy?
One more step towards the cultural hara kiri that is British society.
Actually, the headline here is that some group is asserting that lesbians make better parents than...well...everybody else. But what I find absolutely asinine is the measure by which they say lesbians are "better parents".
His arguments are supported by experts who have found, over years of research, that children brought up by female couples are more aspirational and more confident in championing social justice. They show no more tendencies towards homosexuality than the offspring of heterosexual parents.
Daughters of lesbians are more likely to aspire to professions that were traditionally considered male, such as doctors or lawyers.
Okay....
The implication here is that children raised by lesbos end up becoming lefty statists (the euphemism "championing social justice") and feminists. No shit. Its like these morons just discovered that water is wet.
But, how in the world does breeding mini feminazi communists make these children "better" than normal children everywhere? This article actually reveals more about that group of intellectual retards than it does about anything regarding parenting. Nobody in that herd of independent minds even bothered to ask why the benchmark of the study was so far from objective that it would need air mail just to say hello.
Then, there's this nonsense about showing no more tendency towards homosexuality than kids raised by mom and pop. How in the world do they measure these things?
And these people are going to influence UK policy?
One more step towards the cultural hara kiri that is British society.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Critics' Night
I don't know how to characterize it, really. The other plays did well enough, but when it came to the one I was directing, all I can say is that it was a learning experience.
I learned that, cursed or not, we can go full steam ahead, damn the torpedoes, defy fate and put on a show.
I also learned that it probably won't be a very good show. Heck, the iPod carrying the rain sounds froze up for no apparent reason. Fate just said "fuck you" and waved her invisible finger.
I learned that I have the best assisstant director / stage manager / everywoman in the world. Or at least, in school. Kara is awesome. Battling a cold, stage fright and having to memorize lines and physical nuances at the last minute before stepping into the bright lights, she pulled off a decent performance. If she weren't so against acting, she'd be amazing.
I also learned that, for all your planning and calibration in casting, character counts just as much as talent. It is bitterly ironic that my most talented cast member was "character not included". "I don't feel well" did not fly as an excuse during Pygmalion, especially where a show was on the line. It does not fly tonight, moreso when you inform everyone 30 minutes before show time. Kara did not feel well. She kicked ass.
I realized that everybody deserves a second chance. I still want my most talented cast member to redeem herself. To paraphrase Mr. Brando's character in "On the Waterfront", she could have been a contender. I refuse to believe that she is a bust. My great disappointment is due to the fact that I have come to respect her potential. If she redeems herself, redemption would be sweet indeed.
I also realized that I am not alone. Struggling though it may be, the organization that hosts me is a good one.
I learned that my directing style can be ruinous. Being too nice and accomodating creates the impression that there is no urgency. Hence, some people begin to think that their presence in the production is not so much a blessing, but a chore that breeds feelings of false entitlement. On this regard, I may be just as much to blame for the character lapse of my best actress as she is. Her redemption is my redemption as well.
Nice guys finish last, after all. And here I was thinking that my being an asshat did not have its uses.
All in all, we took on the curse and came out of the other side, battered, yet unbowed, with nothing so bad that few tweaks won't fix. This show is going to kick so much ass.
See y'all on Nov. 25.
I learned that, cursed or not, we can go full steam ahead, damn the torpedoes, defy fate and put on a show.
I also learned that it probably won't be a very good show. Heck, the iPod carrying the rain sounds froze up for no apparent reason. Fate just said "fuck you" and waved her invisible finger.
I learned that I have the best assisstant director / stage manager / everywoman in the world. Or at least, in school. Kara is awesome. Battling a cold, stage fright and having to memorize lines and physical nuances at the last minute before stepping into the bright lights, she pulled off a decent performance. If she weren't so against acting, she'd be amazing.
I also learned that, for all your planning and calibration in casting, character counts just as much as talent. It is bitterly ironic that my most talented cast member was "character not included". "I don't feel well" did not fly as an excuse during Pygmalion, especially where a show was on the line. It does not fly tonight, moreso when you inform everyone 30 minutes before show time. Kara did not feel well. She kicked ass.
I realized that everybody deserves a second chance. I still want my most talented cast member to redeem herself. To paraphrase Mr. Brando's character in "On the Waterfront", she could have been a contender. I refuse to believe that she is a bust. My great disappointment is due to the fact that I have come to respect her potential. If she redeems herself, redemption would be sweet indeed.
I also realized that I am not alone. Struggling though it may be, the organization that hosts me is a good one.
I learned that my directing style can be ruinous. Being too nice and accomodating creates the impression that there is no urgency. Hence, some people begin to think that their presence in the production is not so much a blessing, but a chore that breeds feelings of false entitlement. On this regard, I may be just as much to blame for the character lapse of my best actress as she is. Her redemption is my redemption as well.
Nice guys finish last, after all. And here I was thinking that my being an asshat did not have its uses.
All in all, we took on the curse and came out of the other side, battered, yet unbowed, with nothing so bad that few tweaks won't fix. This show is going to kick so much ass.
See y'all on Nov. 25.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Modern Warfare 2's Best Lesson: Great Expectations = Massive Disappointment
When you port a console game onto the PC expect maximum suckage.
So much for the "most anitcipated game of the year". Can't even play fucking LAN anymore. MW 2 is like a cool gun with no bullets. You might as well be wielding an expensive club.
Note: Check out the articles' comments.
More like LOL of Duty.
So much for the "most anitcipated game of the year". Can't even play fucking LAN anymore. MW 2 is like a cool gun with no bullets. You might as well be wielding an expensive club.
Note: Check out the articles' comments.
More like LOL of Duty.
Michael Bay Signs $50M Deal to F*** Up Thundercats
I know its from the Onion, but the best parodies are the ones that make you think that such an absurdity can happen. In this case, it may well happen.
"I couldn't be more excited to completely fuck this up," said Bay, who plans to begin production on destroying the live-action adaptation next month. "ThunderCats has a great story, endearing characters, action, adventure, space-travel, and fantasy. It will be an honor to run it into the ground."
"I'll use every directorial tool I have to suck the very life and charm out of this beloved cartoon," added Bay, claiming that the film could turn out to be the most colossal piece of shit he's ever worked on. "I won't rest until I get every last scene exactly wrong."
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Art Imitates Life (Again)
Some guy in Big Hollywood remembers a Cheers episode wherein country bumpkin Woody Boyd wins an election, as part of a Dr. Frasier Crane social experiment, while doing nothing but spouting vague cliches and worn banalities like "hope", "change" and whatnot.
There is no need for that social experiment. Just look at Philippine politics. Nary a substantial thing to say. In fact, the only guy who even talks policy is running dead last along major candidates in the next Philippine presidential elections.
Good Lord, just hear Noynoy Aquino III talk out of his ass. There's a walking motherhood statement / cliche / banality for you. Villar is trying his best to catch up though. Good thing Loren "Al Gore Wannabe" Legarda is nowhere in sight, or Noynoy just might have to up the bullshit.
There is no need for that social experiment. Just look at Philippine politics. Nary a substantial thing to say. In fact, the only guy who even talks policy is running dead last along major candidates in the next Philippine presidential elections.
Good Lord, just hear Noynoy Aquino III talk out of his ass. There's a walking motherhood statement / cliche / banality for you. Villar is trying his best to catch up though. Good thing Loren "Al Gore Wannabe" Legarda is nowhere in sight, or Noynoy just might have to up the bullshit.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
C-Fam Needs 1 Million Sigs
C-Fam is attempting to bring a petition before the United Nations asking that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights' provision for the right to life be interpreted to include unborn children. Considering the vast entrenched evil that permeates UN bureaucracy, this may be a Quixotic venture, but that does not make it any less worthwhile.
I already signed it. I like noble Quixotic gestures.
I already signed it. I like noble Quixotic gestures.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Maybe It Wasn't All That Far-Fetched
A few weeks ago, I was laughing at the notion that Nature would send ripples back through time to stop the re-creation of the God particle by the Large Hadron Collider.
Then, this happens.
Come on! A bird dropping a baguette can shut down this doomsday device? Who designed this thing? Dr. Evil?
Events like this are what the term "epic fail" was invented for.
The theory is beginning to sound more and more plausible...
Then, this happens.
Come on! A bird dropping a baguette can shut down this doomsday device? Who designed this thing? Dr. Evil?
Events like this are what the term "epic fail" was invented for.
The theory is beginning to sound more and more plausible...
Friday, November 6, 2009
Random Thoughts on the Week At Large 07.11.09
A week with no internet...brrr.... My antenna got knocked down by the last storm. It won't be fixed til Sunday. Right now, I'm mooching off of kindly neighbors. Just because they don't know about it doesn't mean I'll appreciate the non-existent sentiment any less.
***
Dissent in Hollywood has a price. That awesome show I once mentioned here premiered to record-breaking ratings for a sci-fi show. However, the show garnered some harsh critics from the literati, who were disturbed from their daily Obama fellatio by what they see as frightening parallels to the tinpot messiah's presidency. The show's producer has already been replaced by the network. The irony is, the producer in question, Scott Peters (also responsible for "4400") is a raving Obama fanboy who expedited his US citizenship application in order to vote for him.
Nice to see somebody prick the Obama bubble once in a while. I'm sure, with all these fits of swooning by media types, the show will end up descending into banal moral relativism ala Battlestar Galactica.
Still, viva la resistance.
***
Way too much COD 4 this week. This game makes me realize how old I am. Younger players with better reaction times regularly turn me into a bullet cushion.
***
Being without Internet for the week has made me realize how nice it is to be able to read. Just went through Lord of the Rings again. And Silmarillon.
***
One thing I remember hating about the LOTR movies...it was Meriadoc who undid the spell that held the Witch King together when he used the Westernesse blade from the Barrow Downs on him, not Eowyn Warrior fucking Princess. "I am no man" my ass. Neither was Merry.
***
Finally got to rehearse with a functioning cast (and some sounds) today. Rachelle finally came around, and Miko took his accent from Melbourne to the East End of London. Miko still does his Batman voice due to illness, but at least this won't be much of a problem down the line. Rachelle looks prettier without make-up. Maybe its because she seems more cooperative without make-up on. Maybe I should ban make-up.
Whatever else I may say, I love this crew I'm working with. Even if we do seem cursed.
***
The funny thing about that movie "Jennifer's Body" is that, apparently, you don't get to see all that much of it. (And no, I'm not willing to waste money verifying this.)
***
A kundiman band is wasted on "Nobody But You". That song is awful. Just saying.
***
According to the boys, that girl in a picture in the UA&P brochure (standing beside Steph Sol) looks like Maria Ozawa. I don't see the resemblance. But, I do understand the sentiment behind such an assertion. After all, I once had a student I thought looked like Olivia Wilde. In retrospect, she doesn't. Not even close. Olivia Wilde is hawt.
***
Did I just spell it h a w t?
***
Dissent in Hollywood has a price. That awesome show I once mentioned here premiered to record-breaking ratings for a sci-fi show. However, the show garnered some harsh critics from the literati, who were disturbed from their daily Obama fellatio by what they see as frightening parallels to the tinpot messiah's presidency. The show's producer has already been replaced by the network. The irony is, the producer in question, Scott Peters (also responsible for "4400") is a raving Obama fanboy who expedited his US citizenship application in order to vote for him.
Nice to see somebody prick the Obama bubble once in a while. I'm sure, with all these fits of swooning by media types, the show will end up descending into banal moral relativism ala Battlestar Galactica.
Still, viva la resistance.
***
Way too much COD 4 this week. This game makes me realize how old I am. Younger players with better reaction times regularly turn me into a bullet cushion.
***
Being without Internet for the week has made me realize how nice it is to be able to read. Just went through Lord of the Rings again. And Silmarillon.
***
One thing I remember hating about the LOTR movies...it was Meriadoc who undid the spell that held the Witch King together when he used the Westernesse blade from the Barrow Downs on him, not Eowyn Warrior fucking Princess. "I am no man" my ass. Neither was Merry.
***
Finally got to rehearse with a functioning cast (and some sounds) today. Rachelle finally came around, and Miko took his accent from Melbourne to the East End of London. Miko still does his Batman voice due to illness, but at least this won't be much of a problem down the line. Rachelle looks prettier without make-up. Maybe its because she seems more cooperative without make-up on. Maybe I should ban make-up.
Whatever else I may say, I love this crew I'm working with. Even if we do seem cursed.
***
The funny thing about that movie "Jennifer's Body" is that, apparently, you don't get to see all that much of it. (And no, I'm not willing to waste money verifying this.)
***
A kundiman band is wasted on "Nobody But You". That song is awful. Just saying.
***
According to the boys, that girl in a picture in the UA&P brochure (standing beside Steph Sol) looks like Maria Ozawa. I don't see the resemblance. But, I do understand the sentiment behind such an assertion. After all, I once had a student I thought looked like Olivia Wilde. In retrospect, she doesn't. Not even close. Olivia Wilde is hawt.
***
Did I just spell it h a w t?
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Remembering the Light Brigade
Today, October 25, is the anniversary of that ill-fated charge conducted by the 13th and 14th Light Dragoons, the 17th Lancers, and the 8th and 11th Hussars under the Earl of Cardigan during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War.
The event is immortalized in stirring verse by Lord Alfred Tennyson:
The Charge of the Light Brigade
Half a league half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred:
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns' he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd ?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die,
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd & thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.
Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack & Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke,
Shatter'd & sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse & hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
The event had all the classic symptoms of a gigantic clusterfuck. Over-eager officers, hierarchical rivalries, poor intelligence and simple general stupidity all contributed to that charge into "the Valley of Death". In short, it has the makings of all that is wrong in even the most just of wars. And yet, in all this wrongness shines still that valor in men all too often cloaked except in times of war. War may be hell, but there are few events in the life of man and the convulsions of nature that more effectively bring out that hidden nobility in the human spirit than war. War brings out not just the worst in man, but the best as well.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
The event is immortalized in stirring verse by Lord Alfred Tennyson:
The Charge of the Light Brigade
Half a league half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred:
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns' he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd ?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die,
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd & thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.
Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack & Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke,
Shatter'd & sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse & hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
The event had all the classic symptoms of a gigantic clusterfuck. Over-eager officers, hierarchical rivalries, poor intelligence and simple general stupidity all contributed to that charge into "the Valley of Death". In short, it has the makings of all that is wrong in even the most just of wars. And yet, in all this wrongness shines still that valor in men all too often cloaked except in times of war. War may be hell, but there are few events in the life of man and the convulsions of nature that more effectively bring out that hidden nobility in the human spirit than war. War brings out not just the worst in man, but the best as well.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!
This Is Embarrassing...
I've been using Multiply for nigh over a year now, and it is only now that I've discovered how to preserve my favorite web journal posts in list form.
So now, like any over-the-hill band, I can release my "greatest hits" album whenever I want! :D
So now, like any over-the-hill band, I can release my "greatest hits" album whenever I want! :D
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Back to the Future
Due to the curse-like string of bad luck surrounding the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), two leading physicists have come up with a rather strange theory: that something in the future always comes back to sabotage the replication of the Higgs boson, a hidden particle that would supposedly explain the origins of matter. One of the physicists likens it to a man traveling back in time to kill his own grandfather. As the headline to the article suggests, God may not want us nosing around the Higgs boson.
Considering all the fun stuff people come up with regarding LHC disaster theories, this one's a hoot. Kinda like a terminator being sent to the past to kill off the terminators by killing the very first one. Looks like the LHC is a world killer after all. And, its trying to warn us. lol!!
Considering all the fun stuff people come up with regarding LHC disaster theories, this one's a hoot. Kinda like a terminator being sent to the past to kill off the terminators by killing the very first one. Looks like the LHC is a world killer after all. And, its trying to warn us. lol!!
Doc: Marty,you have to destroy that Higgs boson!
Marty: Higgs what?
Marty: Higgs what?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Benedict XVI Outflanks Rowan Williams
Years after Catholic - Anglican dialogue ground to a halt over the issue of female ordination, the Pope finally maneuvers around the Archbishop of Canterbury to be able to reach the Anglicans he can talk to.
How did he do such a feat?
Bulling past all obstacles, from a conflicted Archbishop of Canterbury (who has all the leadership effectiveness of a floppy fish) to his own professional ecumenists who recoil at the prospect of actually trying to gain converts, the Pope has authorized an Apostolic Constitution that would allow entire Anglican factions to come over to Rome, retaining their liturgy and, on a case-by-case basis, their married clergy.
By going through the CDF (the former Inquisition) instead of the ecumenical arm of the Church in order to make this happen, the Pope has shown that he is not afraid to sacrifice some shallow "good will" in order to slake the spiritual hunger of a suffering minority.
Plus, the Pope has shown that waffling pantywaist of an archbishop of Canterbury what spiritual leadership looks like. If you spend more time harping on global warming that speaking of Christ, the Christians under you will find someone willing to do otherwise.
Dude, where's my congregation?
In the interest of fairness, the Church can just send over those disaffected liberal Catholics who thought Christ died for your right to remain a perpetual adolescent. That should cover it.
How did he do such a feat?
Bulling past all obstacles, from a conflicted Archbishop of Canterbury (who has all the leadership effectiveness of a floppy fish) to his own professional ecumenists who recoil at the prospect of actually trying to gain converts, the Pope has authorized an Apostolic Constitution that would allow entire Anglican factions to come over to Rome, retaining their liturgy and, on a case-by-case basis, their married clergy.
By going through the CDF (the former Inquisition) instead of the ecumenical arm of the Church in order to make this happen, the Pope has shown that he is not afraid to sacrifice some shallow "good will" in order to slake the spiritual hunger of a suffering minority.
Plus, the Pope has shown that waffling pantywaist of an archbishop of Canterbury what spiritual leadership looks like. If you spend more time harping on global warming that speaking of Christ, the Christians under you will find someone willing to do otherwise.
Dude, where's my congregation?In the interest of fairness, the Church can just send over those disaffected liberal Catholics who thought Christ died for your right to remain a perpetual adolescent. That should cover it.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
NDR
A couple of nights ago, I got to watch North Diversion Road again, This time, in full.
A lot of things were different from the first time I watched. For one thing, the place was packed, which meant that the off-beat easy-going ambiance was gone. But, front-of-house was friendlier this time (and far more attractive and engaging), and there were souvenir programs that looked like road maps. I'm not sure if those were there the first time around.
The play itself was a well-executed emotional roller coaster. There were a few technical glitches. the passenger side microphone seemed to be fluctuating, as there were occasions wherein I, sitting at front row, could barely make out what the actress was saying. There was an occasion wherein, after the actor motioned to turn on the radio, nothing happened; though, that could have been deliberate. However, other than the few odd nit-picks, there was no real technical problem.
From a perspective in the seats, the play left few audience members emotionally untouched. The guy next to me could barely speak Tagalog (the play's lingua franca), and even he was deep in thought throughout most of the play.
(Spoiler warning)
The play contains ten scenes, all revolving around the singular premise of possible reactions to the discovery by a wife that her husband is cheating on her. The first eight scenes contained plays on emotion suitable for an open road analogy; straightforward and unyielding.
The first scene had the wife icily confronting the husband, rattling out what an ideal marriage ought to be, then grimly accepting the facts with a determination to carry on. The scene was almost positively Victorian, right down to the stiff upper lip of the emotionally restrained wife. One gets the feeling that underneath the shackles of denial lay a volcanic rage barely acknowledged.
The second scene was a stereotypical cry-fest, with a distraught wife and a whipped husband exchanging tear-filled accusations and overwrought remorse. If one did not get the sense that this was deliberate, it would have come across as over-acted, all the way down to the eclectic accents. The hand-wringing and tear-jerking end on a rather positive note, with the wife pausing mid-diatribe to ask her husband if the apologies were really meant. Fortunately, the play cuts off to the next scene before any answer is given.
The third and fourth scenes were variations on anger. The third scene was a prolonged shouting match, wherein the audience are treated to the rare occurrence of the male actually out-talking the female. The fourth scene is almost all silence, but to the credit of the actor and the actress, it came across as no less angry and far more subtle than the previous scene.
The fifth scene was an interesting scenario. Husband and wife, after the secret comes out that hubby was nailing tail on the side, decide on a suicide pact. That both are portrayed as pragmatic, clear-eyed intellectuals adds to the delicious irony; here are two would-be Einsteins who literally think themselves to death. The last few moments of the scene, wherein husband and wife kiss for the last time, comes off as rather comic. Yes, when nerds kiss, its like losing that damned virginity all over again.
The sixth scene involved a rather absurdly happy couple. The wife reveals that she knows of the husband's affair, and doesn't break stride when she informs him that she plans to return the infidelity in turn. The husband's facade of happy cracks just enough to tell the audience that the situation, for all intents and purposes, is a mindfuck in a handbag.
The seventh scene, the most emotionally poignant of the first eight, has a husband barreling down the expressway with his wife just fresh out of a mental institution. He talks to his wife sporadically, acknowledging the indiscretions that caused her mental break down. In between abject contrition and blank stares, he seeks sympathy by talking to people over a ham radio, due to his inability to have a decent conversation with his drugged up wife. It is far more emotionally-wrenching than the maudlin second scene, and is a showcase for the range and ability of the two actors onstage.
The eight was just the wife executing the husband with a Glock. While the gun shot sound effect drew some gasps from the crowd, it is the weakest scene of the first eight. It even comes off as rather cliched. Although, it is but one three-minute cliche in two hours' worth of play.
The first eight scenes serve as prelude to the last two scenes. The straightforward emotionality of the these scenes, and their subsequent arrangement, somehow brings to mind the Kubler-Ross model of dealing with grief. The first eight scenes roughly correlate into five stages of grief: the first two scenes with denial, the third and fourth with anger, the fifth and sixth with bargaining, the seventh with depression, and the eight as some form of bitter and darkly humorous acceptance.
The last two scenes are the heart and soul of the entire play. In the first of the last two, a newly-married songwriter drives down the expressway with the woman he commissions to sing his compositions. The scene is sprinkled with reminders of the first eight scenes, seamlessly integrated into the narrative. The two people in the car eventually end up confessing to each other, the man his romantic and metaphysical predilections and the woman her secret desire for him. When the woman says she might be in love with him, he replies cryptically, "baka maligaw ka sa lawak ng pag-ibig ko". (Roughly, "you might get lost in the vastness of my affections.")
In the final scene, the same man is driving down the same road, but this time with his wife and not his would-be mistress. They are headed to the mountain provinces, hoping to find a faith healer for the cancer-stricken wife. The man whose vast fields of affection now finds himself with an affection magnified into complete devotion and the wide fields reduced to the vastness of a singular flower. As his wife wonders at the sanity of their endeavor, the man slowly breaks down and admits his infidelity with the woman from the previous scene. The wife looks at him, almost serenely, and in a course of action not considered through eight scenes worth of conventional reactions to infidelity, forgives him completely and utterly. There is no trace of resentment, no hidden geyser of anger comparable to the couple of the first scene. She even suggests that, once she dies, the man marry his mistress. Forgiveness proves to be both a light and heavy burden, lighter than the paltry gains of bargaining and heavier than the thrashes of rage. Forgiveness unnerves and emotionally strips the husband bare, sharpening the vast field into a singular ray of devotion to but one subject; his wife. It is the strength and subtlety of this final scene that transform the entire play from one about infidelity into one ultimately about love itself. All the emotions of the earlier scenes are purged in a flood of cathartic release, and for one desperate moment, all seems right in the world.
I cannot overstate the strength of the performances of both actors here. Martin de la Paz and Frankie Pascua outdo themselves, surpassing the superlative, if incomplete, performance from the first time around. Credit must also go to Mr. Vallez for bringing all the elements together as director. However, the greatest credit of all is reserved for the playwright, Tony Perez, whose work simply demands that it be performed well, or not at all.
When I came out of the place, the night felt just right.
North Diversion Road returns on January. For details, head here.
***
PS
So, X, how was that? Are we good?
A lot of things were different from the first time I watched. For one thing, the place was packed, which meant that the off-beat easy-going ambiance was gone. But, front-of-house was friendlier this time (and far more attractive and engaging), and there were souvenir programs that looked like road maps. I'm not sure if those were there the first time around.
The play itself was a well-executed emotional roller coaster. There were a few technical glitches. the passenger side microphone seemed to be fluctuating, as there were occasions wherein I, sitting at front row, could barely make out what the actress was saying. There was an occasion wherein, after the actor motioned to turn on the radio, nothing happened; though, that could have been deliberate. However, other than the few odd nit-picks, there was no real technical problem.
From a perspective in the seats, the play left few audience members emotionally untouched. The guy next to me could barely speak Tagalog (the play's lingua franca), and even he was deep in thought throughout most of the play.
(Spoiler warning)
The play contains ten scenes, all revolving around the singular premise of possible reactions to the discovery by a wife that her husband is cheating on her. The first eight scenes contained plays on emotion suitable for an open road analogy; straightforward and unyielding.
The first scene had the wife icily confronting the husband, rattling out what an ideal marriage ought to be, then grimly accepting the facts with a determination to carry on. The scene was almost positively Victorian, right down to the stiff upper lip of the emotionally restrained wife. One gets the feeling that underneath the shackles of denial lay a volcanic rage barely acknowledged.
The second scene was a stereotypical cry-fest, with a distraught wife and a whipped husband exchanging tear-filled accusations and overwrought remorse. If one did not get the sense that this was deliberate, it would have come across as over-acted, all the way down to the eclectic accents. The hand-wringing and tear-jerking end on a rather positive note, with the wife pausing mid-diatribe to ask her husband if the apologies were really meant. Fortunately, the play cuts off to the next scene before any answer is given.
The third and fourth scenes were variations on anger. The third scene was a prolonged shouting match, wherein the audience are treated to the rare occurrence of the male actually out-talking the female. The fourth scene is almost all silence, but to the credit of the actor and the actress, it came across as no less angry and far more subtle than the previous scene.
The fifth scene was an interesting scenario. Husband and wife, after the secret comes out that hubby was nailing tail on the side, decide on a suicide pact. That both are portrayed as pragmatic, clear-eyed intellectuals adds to the delicious irony; here are two would-be Einsteins who literally think themselves to death. The last few moments of the scene, wherein husband and wife kiss for the last time, comes off as rather comic. Yes, when nerds kiss, its like losing that damned virginity all over again.
The sixth scene involved a rather absurdly happy couple. The wife reveals that she knows of the husband's affair, and doesn't break stride when she informs him that she plans to return the infidelity in turn. The husband's facade of happy cracks just enough to tell the audience that the situation, for all intents and purposes, is a mindfuck in a handbag.
The seventh scene, the most emotionally poignant of the first eight, has a husband barreling down the expressway with his wife just fresh out of a mental institution. He talks to his wife sporadically, acknowledging the indiscretions that caused her mental break down. In between abject contrition and blank stares, he seeks sympathy by talking to people over a ham radio, due to his inability to have a decent conversation with his drugged up wife. It is far more emotionally-wrenching than the maudlin second scene, and is a showcase for the range and ability of the two actors onstage.
The eight was just the wife executing the husband with a Glock. While the gun shot sound effect drew some gasps from the crowd, it is the weakest scene of the first eight. It even comes off as rather cliched. Although, it is but one three-minute cliche in two hours' worth of play.
The first eight scenes serve as prelude to the last two scenes. The straightforward emotionality of the these scenes, and their subsequent arrangement, somehow brings to mind the Kubler-Ross model of dealing with grief. The first eight scenes roughly correlate into five stages of grief: the first two scenes with denial, the third and fourth with anger, the fifth and sixth with bargaining, the seventh with depression, and the eight as some form of bitter and darkly humorous acceptance.
The last two scenes are the heart and soul of the entire play. In the first of the last two, a newly-married songwriter drives down the expressway with the woman he commissions to sing his compositions. The scene is sprinkled with reminders of the first eight scenes, seamlessly integrated into the narrative. The two people in the car eventually end up confessing to each other, the man his romantic and metaphysical predilections and the woman her secret desire for him. When the woman says she might be in love with him, he replies cryptically, "baka maligaw ka sa lawak ng pag-ibig ko". (Roughly, "you might get lost in the vastness of my affections.")
In the final scene, the same man is driving down the same road, but this time with his wife and not his would-be mistress. They are headed to the mountain provinces, hoping to find a faith healer for the cancer-stricken wife. The man whose vast fields of affection now finds himself with an affection magnified into complete devotion and the wide fields reduced to the vastness of a singular flower. As his wife wonders at the sanity of their endeavor, the man slowly breaks down and admits his infidelity with the woman from the previous scene. The wife looks at him, almost serenely, and in a course of action not considered through eight scenes worth of conventional reactions to infidelity, forgives him completely and utterly. There is no trace of resentment, no hidden geyser of anger comparable to the couple of the first scene. She even suggests that, once she dies, the man marry his mistress. Forgiveness proves to be both a light and heavy burden, lighter than the paltry gains of bargaining and heavier than the thrashes of rage. Forgiveness unnerves and emotionally strips the husband bare, sharpening the vast field into a singular ray of devotion to but one subject; his wife. It is the strength and subtlety of this final scene that transform the entire play from one about infidelity into one ultimately about love itself. All the emotions of the earlier scenes are purged in a flood of cathartic release, and for one desperate moment, all seems right in the world.
I cannot overstate the strength of the performances of both actors here. Martin de la Paz and Frankie Pascua outdo themselves, surpassing the superlative, if incomplete, performance from the first time around. Credit must also go to Mr. Vallez for bringing all the elements together as director. However, the greatest credit of all is reserved for the playwright, Tony Perez, whose work simply demands that it be performed well, or not at all.
When I came out of the place, the night felt just right.
North Diversion Road returns on January. For details, head here.
***
PS
So, X, how was that? Are we good?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
It Has a Theme Song!
A big bear's basketful of kudos to Joao for an excellent song!
Whatever else it may be, the Flood Play (cursed plays must not have their real names mentioned... i.e. "The Scottish Play"...) now has a catchy theme song.
Overall, I feel much better about the play now than when I was ranting about the play's near-death experience last night. Hope springs eternal.
Whatever else it may be, the Flood Play (cursed plays must not have their real names mentioned... i.e. "The Scottish Play"...) now has a catchy theme song.
Overall, I feel much better about the play now than when I was ranting about the play's near-death experience last night. Hope springs eternal.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Cursed?
Once more, "Newspaper Dance" the Flood Play hangs like string upon a knife's edge. Whereas before, the play could not go on for lack of a venue, it is now threatened by a potential lack of actresses.
Kaye, a victim of the recent typhoon, has to catch up on a lot of school work before she leaves for the States on the 24th. The overwhelming amount of requirement shuffling has threatened her participation in the play.
Rachelle is caught up in a similar (but less dramatic) dilemma. She is part of "Serapio", as a marketing-type person, and that takes some of her time. The fact that "Serapio" is now going to show practically alongside our production (an altogether different nightmare on its own) due to the postponement by Ondoy, will eat into her participation in"Newspaper Dance" the Flood Play. Plus, her dad wants her to concentrate on tennis and violin lessons over the sem break, which is a critical time for our rehearsals.
Both ladies told me today that they were quitting.
And it took whatever personal charisma I had left (and trust me, there's not much to begin with) to keep them both on board.
Its too late to find alternates. Either we hold together, orNewspaper Dance the Flood Play becomes Brokeback Bench starring Miko and Jonas.
I don't know who is cursed, me or the play. It's a hair's breadth from going tits up.
To all VIARE folk out there, pray that Kaye and Rachelle can remain on board for the duration. Otherwise, the production will be very short and you'll miss out on the rule of threes.
Fucking typhoon messed everything up.
PS
If I become hard to contact, blame my phone. I don't know what's wrong with it. First, the stick gets stuck. Then everything's hypersensitive. Earlier, while resting in my breast pocket, it started calling Rachelle on its own. Thrice.
My phone is in love with my actress.
Betcha never thought you'd ever read that sentence in English, ever, didn't you?
Or, I could be wrong, and it's just in love with Rachelle's iPhone. It's out of your league, fucker.
Kaye, a victim of the recent typhoon, has to catch up on a lot of school work before she leaves for the States on the 24th. The overwhelming amount of requirement shuffling has threatened her participation in the play.
Rachelle is caught up in a similar (but less dramatic) dilemma. She is part of "Serapio", as a marketing-type person, and that takes some of her time. The fact that "Serapio" is now going to show practically alongside our production (an altogether different nightmare on its own) due to the postponement by Ondoy, will eat into her participation in
Both ladies told me today that they were quitting.
And it took whatever personal charisma I had left (and trust me, there's not much to begin with) to keep them both on board.
Its too late to find alternates. Either we hold together, or
I don't know who is cursed, me or the play. It's a hair's breadth from going tits up.
To all VIARE folk out there, pray that Kaye and Rachelle can remain on board for the duration. Otherwise, the production will be very short and you'll miss out on the rule of threes.
Fucking typhoon messed everything up.
PS
If I become hard to contact, blame my phone. I don't know what's wrong with it. First, the stick gets stuck. Then everything's hypersensitive. Earlier, while resting in my breast pocket, it started calling Rachelle on its own. Thrice.
My phone is in love with my actress.
Betcha never thought you'd ever read that sentence in English, ever, didn't you?
Or, I could be wrong, and it's just in love with Rachelle's iPhone. It's out of your league, fucker.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Random Thoughts on the Week at Large 10.11.09
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. So, if you have to have cancer, make it breast cancer. If you have prostate cancer, you are outside our awareness.
***
I know Breast Cancer Awareness month is the product of a feminist Tupperware party, but I get the feeling that the only reason men have gone along with it for so long is that the word "breast" is in it.
I mean, of all the other cancers that are far deadlier and kill more people in the world, why breast cancer? The answer, I believe, is in advertising.
***
Jeremy Clarkson is right about the dumbing down of Britain. Jeremy Clarkson is the Man. If I ever get the local equivalent of professorial tenure, I'd like to be Jeremy Clarkson. It doesn't make sense, but the world would be more awesome with more Jeremy Clarkson in it.
***
Obama, Nobel Peace Prize winner? Hey, if even Hitler could get nominated, why not? Sure, it's preposterous, but you won't be laughing once Obama gets an Oscar for Best Screenplay for some scribbles he wrote on a napkin.
***
Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize does have a positive aspect. (And no, I'm not kidding.) After all, in 1973, the US Supreme Court decided in Roe v. Wade that "potential" did not have the right to life. Now, we're giving peace prizes to "potential". So, it's progress, I suppose. (OK, so I am kidding.)
***
I'm not George W. Bush too. I can potentially be a force for peace, too. Where's my Nobel, Mr. Jagland?
***
In the online version of National Review, Mark Steyn does a number on Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize. I note this, however, mainly because of this line on el Presidente's domestic and foreign problems:
Why squander your presidency on trying to turn an economically moribund feudal backwater into a functioning nation state when you can turn a functioning nation state into an economically moribund feudal backwater?
***
Steyn also calls attention to a woman (obviously an academic) who defends Obama's prize by saying:
“I’m afraid I’ve registered into a very conversative [sic], fear-based world here but I’d like to suggest the incredible notion we all create our worlds in our conversations. What are you building by maligning rather than creating discourses for workability? Bravo to Obama and others working for people, however it appears to cynics.”
What the fuck does "creating discourses for workability" even mean? Sadly, the academe is filled with people who seem to have only heard of planet Earth from a poorly-made vacation brochure. I've encountered enough of them (not that many in UA&P, thank goodness) to know to just say "Live long and prosper" and just get the hell out of the way.
***
In an Inquirer (print) article, some talking (writing?) head wrote an article about an exchange between four Philippine presidential candidates and representatives of local government units. The guy billed it as a "big government vs. small government" forum, a la the US Presidential Debates. However, judging from the questions the writer reported, it was less "big government vs. small government", and more "big pork vs. small pork". I'm a "small government" guy myself, and saw none of the issues in such a debate tackled, at least, as far as the reporter goes. This goes to show you how careless Inquirer reporters are when they play with big words.
***
The same writer said that Noynoy differentiated himself from Villar, Gibo and Escudero by standing up instead of sitting down when answering questions.
Quick! Somebody get Noynoy a Nobel!
***
Conrado de Quiros has jumped the shark. Humped it too.
***
Last night, we drank to life. I thought it was cute.
I was waiting for us to sing "Tradition!", but "Fiddler on the Roof" was too snotty for such a manly night.
***
But then again, how did "Hands Down" qualify? Oh yeah, Bok.
***
I know Breast Cancer Awareness month is the product of a feminist Tupperware party, but I get the feeling that the only reason men have gone along with it for so long is that the word "breast" is in it.
I mean, of all the other cancers that are far deadlier and kill more people in the world, why breast cancer? The answer, I believe, is in advertising.
***
Jeremy Clarkson is right about the dumbing down of Britain. Jeremy Clarkson is the Man. If I ever get the local equivalent of professorial tenure, I'd like to be Jeremy Clarkson. It doesn't make sense, but the world would be more awesome with more Jeremy Clarkson in it.
***
Obama, Nobel Peace Prize winner? Hey, if even Hitler could get nominated, why not? Sure, it's preposterous, but you won't be laughing once Obama gets an Oscar for Best Screenplay for some scribbles he wrote on a napkin.
***
Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize does have a positive aspect. (And no, I'm not kidding.) After all, in 1973, the US Supreme Court decided in Roe v. Wade that "potential" did not have the right to life. Now, we're giving peace prizes to "potential". So, it's progress, I suppose. (OK, so I am kidding.)
***
I'm not George W. Bush too. I can potentially be a force for peace, too. Where's my Nobel, Mr. Jagland?
***
In the online version of National Review, Mark Steyn does a number on Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize. I note this, however, mainly because of this line on el Presidente's domestic and foreign problems:
Why squander your presidency on trying to turn an economically moribund feudal backwater into a functioning nation state when you can turn a functioning nation state into an economically moribund feudal backwater?
***
Steyn also calls attention to a woman (obviously an academic) who defends Obama's prize by saying:
“I’m afraid I’ve registered into a very conversative [sic], fear-based world here but I’d like to suggest the incredible notion we all create our worlds in our conversations. What are you building by maligning rather than creating discourses for workability? Bravo to Obama and others working for people, however it appears to cynics.”
What the fuck does "creating discourses for workability" even mean? Sadly, the academe is filled with people who seem to have only heard of planet Earth from a poorly-made vacation brochure. I've encountered enough of them (not that many in UA&P, thank goodness) to know to just say "Live long and prosper" and just get the hell out of the way.
***
In an Inquirer (print) article, some talking (writing?) head wrote an article about an exchange between four Philippine presidential candidates and representatives of local government units. The guy billed it as a "big government vs. small government" forum, a la the US Presidential Debates. However, judging from the questions the writer reported, it was less "big government vs. small government", and more "big pork vs. small pork". I'm a "small government" guy myself, and saw none of the issues in such a debate tackled, at least, as far as the reporter goes. This goes to show you how careless Inquirer reporters are when they play with big words.
***
The same writer said that Noynoy differentiated himself from Villar, Gibo and Escudero by standing up instead of sitting down when answering questions.
Quick! Somebody get Noynoy a Nobel!
***
Conrado de Quiros has jumped the shark. Humped it too.
***
Last night, we drank to life. I thought it was cute.
I was waiting for us to sing "Tradition!", but "Fiddler on the Roof" was too snotty for such a manly night.
***
But then again, how did "Hands Down" qualify? Oh yeah, Bok.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Nobel Peace Prize: Making the Case for Irrelevance
Much like the year they awarded the prize to Yasser Arafat over John Paul II, or when they awarded the prize to an African fruitcake who proclaimed that the CIA invented AIDS to kill black people, or when they gave their by-now shitty prize to Al Gore over a Holocaust heroine, the Nobel committee once more made a big push for their continued obsolescence and irrelevance.
They decided to give it up for Mr. "Charisma", Barack Obama.
Yep, they gave a peace prize to the guy who may turn the Middle East into an Iranian nuke hole and give Afghanistan back to the Taliban.
The tin-pot messiah is about as relevant to peace in our time as Neville Chamberlain was to peace in his time. But then again, I wonder who's left in the world who still believes that sense comes out of Scandinavia.
Morons. Norway should stick to exporting brainless blondes.
Thorbjoen Jagland, Head of the Nobel peace prize Committee, says Obama is "dreamy".
They decided to give it up for Mr. "Charisma", Barack Obama.
Yep, they gave a peace prize to the guy who may turn the Middle East into an Iranian nuke hole and give Afghanistan back to the Taliban.
The tin-pot messiah is about as relevant to peace in our time as Neville Chamberlain was to peace in his time. But then again, I wonder who's left in the world who still believes that sense comes out of Scandinavia.
Morons. Norway should stick to exporting brainless blondes.
Thorbjoen Jagland, Head of the Nobel peace prize Committee, says Obama is "dreamy". Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Master's Theses Come In All Shapes
Apparently, pop culture is a respectable field of academic inquiry.
Here's a thesis on Joss Whedon, Firefly and Faith, written for an MA in a divinity school in the US.
With this in mind, I do not see how Neil Gaiman's Sandman falls outside academic respectability. Just because it's a comic book (if you say "graphic novel", I will kick your pretentious ass) does not make it an illegitimate field of academic inquiry. If divinity school can do Firefly, Literature can do Sandman.
There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio*, than what is contained in your philosophy.
* And by Horatio, I mean...yeah, Bok and X would know what I mean.
Here's a thesis on Joss Whedon, Firefly and Faith, written for an MA in a divinity school in the US.
With this in mind, I do not see how Neil Gaiman's Sandman falls outside academic respectability. Just because it's a comic book (if you say "graphic novel", I will kick your pretentious ass) does not make it an illegitimate field of academic inquiry. If divinity school can do Firefly, Literature can do Sandman.
There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio*, than what is contained in your philosophy.
* And by Horatio, I mean...yeah, Bok and X would know what I mean.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Because the Dear Leader Needs Hymns
The cult of Obama has little children singing his praises.
Check out the hymn to the Dear Leader:
Who in the world do they think this guy is? George Washington in blackface?
A narcissist whose waning charms fail to bring the Olympics to his home town, gets bullied around by Russia and Iran, and silences generals who disagree with what passes for his war "strategy" does not deserve such patently cultish treatment. Heck, not even a GOOD president deserves as much, at least, until he gains the immortality of history. Obama is the farthest thing from a good American president. Oh, Heaven help us if we ever have our kids singing panegyrics to GMA, or whoever nutjob gets the post after the elections.
Hey, teacher! Leave those kids alone!!
(Wow, I'm actually agreeing with Pink Floyd lyrics. Yes we can!)
PS
Wasn't Clinton the first "black" US President?
Check out the hymn to the Dear Leader:
Obama,What the fuck...
President Obama,
President Obama,
President Obama,
President Obama--He says
Yes we can!
President Obama--We say
Yes we can!
President Obama--I say
Yes I can!
President Obama--He says
Yes we can!
Barack Obama--Oh yes he rates,
The first Black President in the United States!
He's smart and he's--so so good!
He'll lead this country as he should!
He wants us all to work together,
To make this country even better!
Prez' Obama says--"Yes We Can!"
Make the US better--hand in hand!
Obama,
President Obama,
President Obama,
President Obama
President!
Who in the world do they think this guy is? George Washington in blackface?
A narcissist whose waning charms fail to bring the Olympics to his home town, gets bullied around by Russia and Iran, and silences generals who disagree with what passes for his war "strategy" does not deserve such patently cultish treatment. Heck, not even a GOOD president deserves as much, at least, until he gains the immortality of history. Obama is the farthest thing from a good American president. Oh, Heaven help us if we ever have our kids singing panegyrics to GMA, or whoever nutjob gets the post after the elections.
Hey, teacher! Leave those kids alone!!
(Wow, I'm actually agreeing with Pink Floyd lyrics. Yes we can!)
PS
Wasn't Clinton the first "black" US President?
Friday, October 2, 2009
We Are Not Born of Apes!
A discovery in Ethiopia just turned several decades of indoctrinated conventional wisdom on its head. Man did not descend from chimps, or any sort of great ape for that matter.
Rather, man and ape branched off from a common ancestor, and whatever is unique in human beings evolved separately from the great apes, who have evolved in their own line.
The skeleton of an early human who lived 4.4 million years ago shows that humans did not evolve from chimpanzee-like ancestors, researchers reported on Thursday.
Instead, the missing link -- the common ancestor of both humans and modern apes -- was different from both, and apes have evolved just as much as humans have from that common ancestor, they said.
This discovery puts to rest the notion that, through dumb evolutionary luck (or "random natural selection", if you're a jargon-chewing neo-Darwinist), some chimp grew up to be Mozart.
retards parliamentarians (and I apologize to retards for the odious comparison) who foolishly gave "rights" to primates on a whim of philosophical and moral stupidity must all get egg baths in the morning.
So, stand proud, and know that God never intended any of your ancestors to develop the lovely habit of throwing shit at passersby for lulz.
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Gen. 2: 7)
Human exceptionalism rides again! Oh, and another thing...
**** you! You're not my father!
Rather, man and ape branched off from a common ancestor, and whatever is unique in human beings evolved separately from the great apes, who have evolved in their own line.
The skeleton of an early human who lived 4.4 million years ago shows that humans did not evolve from chimpanzee-like ancestors, researchers reported on Thursday.
Instead, the missing link -- the common ancestor of both humans and modern apes -- was different from both, and apes have evolved just as much as humans have from that common ancestor, they said.
This discovery puts to rest the notion that, through dumb evolutionary luck (or "random natural selection", if you're a jargon-chewing neo-Darwinist), some chimp grew up to be Mozart.
"Ardi" is clearly a human ancestor and her descendants did not grow up to be chimpanzees or other apes, the researchers report in the journal Science.
She had an ape-like head and opposable toes that allowed her to climb trees easily, but her hands, wrists and pelvis show she strode like a modern human and did not knuckle-walk like a chimp or a gorilla.
"People have sort of assumed that modern chimpanzees haven't evolved very much, that the last common ancestor was more or less like a chimpanzee and that it's been ... the human lineage ... that's done all the evolving," White said.
But "Ardi" is "even more primitive than a chimpanzee," White said.
So, whatever man is, he is a creation unique in all the world, clearly distinct from the great apes or any other creature. The ape is not, and never will be, our equal. The implications of this discovery are tremendous, not least of which is that it puts to rest this absurd notion of apes being our "forefathers" and deserving of equal rights. Those SpanishSo, stand proud, and know that God never intended any of your ancestors to develop the lovely habit of throwing shit at passersby for lulz.
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Gen. 2: 7)Human exceptionalism rides again! Oh, and another thing...
**** you! You're not my father! This is A Brain on Acid
Harvey Weinstein says Hollywood has "the best moral compass", after emerging backlash for his and most of Hollywood's support of child rapist Roman Polanski.
Ladies and Gentlemen... Pope Harvey of the Church of Hollywood
Kids, don't do drugs. Or you'll be talking out of your ass too.
Ladies and Gentlemen... Pope Harvey of the Church of HollywoodKids, don't do drugs. Or you'll be talking out of your ass too.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Another Black Saturday
These are days of Job for us. Looks like another typhoon, this one much stronger than the last, is heading our way. Estimated wind speeds are, as of now, expected to reach 210 kph with gusts up to 230 kph.
This typhoon will hit the extreme north of the island of Luzon, which means that we in Manila will feel the fringes of the storm. However, the vulnerable state the capital is in right now may make things worse, even if the eye of the storm misses us entirely.
I hope we're prepared this time. If I lived by a river, I'd be inquiring as to where the sandbag brigades are.
This typhoon will hit the extreme north of the island of Luzon, which means that we in Manila will feel the fringes of the storm. However, the vulnerable state the capital is in right now may make things worse, even if the eye of the storm misses us entirely.
I hope we're prepared this time. If I lived by a river, I'd be inquiring as to where the sandbag brigades are.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
In Hollywood, Child Rape is OK
As long as you've made "classic" films like "The Pianist".
Because, you know, everybody loves little girls.
Apparently, when the Church was hit with the gay / pedophile priest scandal some years back, the proper solution was to give the few offending priests some film training and set them loose on the indie circuit.
Hell, practically everybody in Hollywood says its OK to rape children. Why can't you? (Woody Allen? Seriously?)
Disgusting. There's a reason "artists" are not taken seriously anymore. Even notorious celebrity worshipers like the French are getting a clue.
Not that Philippine cinema is any better. We have our own Polanski wannabes.* Except that, its not exactly little girls that they're after. More of little...you know what I mean. As if that makes it any better.
Art will not change the world. Not with artists like these.
*Yeah, I know the link is a "blind" item. But it doesn't take much to figure out who it is. And it's hardly unbelievable either.
Because, you know, everybody loves little girls.
Apparently, when the Church was hit with the gay / pedophile priest scandal some years back, the proper solution was to give the few offending priests some film training and set them loose on the indie circuit.
Hell, practically everybody in Hollywood says its OK to rape children. Why can't you? (Woody Allen? Seriously?)
Disgusting. There's a reason "artists" are not taken seriously anymore. Even notorious celebrity worshipers like the French are getting a clue.
Not that Philippine cinema is any better. We have our own Polanski wannabes.* Except that, its not exactly little girls that they're after. More of little...you know what I mean. As if that makes it any better.
Art will not change the world. Not with artists like these.
*Yeah, I know the link is a "blind" item. But it doesn't take much to figure out who it is. And it's hardly unbelievable either.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Underestimating a Storm
I remember thinking, in the midst of blackout frustrations and general disconnection from the rest of the world, that this storm Ondyong wasn't so bad. Sure, there was a lot of rain, but we don't measure the strength of a storm on rain; rather, we measure the strength of the wind.
This storm had few winds. Nothing was blowing about, no trees looked to be uprooted. I could honestly say then that I had seen worse storms. I was even able to walk to Robinson's Pioneer with no gear more storm-worthy than an umbrella. I had no idea it was this bad.
My first clue was the fact that the blackout was so long. Even during the last super typhoon, power was restored to us a mere five hours after the lights went out. Last Saturday, even the mall was closing down early because, I suspect, they could not keep the entire mall running on generators for long. Even the cinemas closed at 5 pm. We only got power back at midnight, much to my frustration.
Then, the next day, for the first time that I can recall, I had people texting me asking if I was okay. This has never happened before, not even during those stronger storms. I found it odd that people were so worried considering that the storm was relatively weak save for rain volume. I looked out, and the streets did not have the tell-tale signs of a bad storm; no debris strewn all over the streets, no trees on the roads, no broken power cables. So, I didn't join in the general texting frenzy.
Then, I saw the news. The rain volume was damaging in other ways. Apparently, so many places got flooded, especially along river banks. Some of my friends had houses and furniture swept away. We haven't heard so far from AG and TJ, who both live in flash-flooded Cainta. No wonder there was a feeling of panic. I cannot help but think that this is cruel irony...more trouble generated by a weak storm than by monster hurricanes with blasting wind speeds.
I get the feeling that somehow, we the people are to blame for this. It was more a prolonged rain storm than a hurricane, and yet we were caught so unprepared. I hope to God we can bounce back from this. We bounced back from the super typhoon. We can bounce back from this, and the other two storms on her heels.
To all you out there dispossessed and distraught by the unexpected terror of the storm, Godspeed and may the angels in Heaven hear your cry. We are all lamenting now.
This storm had few winds. Nothing was blowing about, no trees looked to be uprooted. I could honestly say then that I had seen worse storms. I was even able to walk to Robinson's Pioneer with no gear more storm-worthy than an umbrella. I had no idea it was this bad.
My first clue was the fact that the blackout was so long. Even during the last super typhoon, power was restored to us a mere five hours after the lights went out. Last Saturday, even the mall was closing down early because, I suspect, they could not keep the entire mall running on generators for long. Even the cinemas closed at 5 pm. We only got power back at midnight, much to my frustration.
Then, the next day, for the first time that I can recall, I had people texting me asking if I was okay. This has never happened before, not even during those stronger storms. I found it odd that people were so worried considering that the storm was relatively weak save for rain volume. I looked out, and the streets did not have the tell-tale signs of a bad storm; no debris strewn all over the streets, no trees on the roads, no broken power cables. So, I didn't join in the general texting frenzy.
Then, I saw the news. The rain volume was damaging in other ways. Apparently, so many places got flooded, especially along river banks. Some of my friends had houses and furniture swept away. We haven't heard so far from AG and TJ, who both live in flash-flooded Cainta. No wonder there was a feeling of panic. I cannot help but think that this is cruel irony...more trouble generated by a weak storm than by monster hurricanes with blasting wind speeds.
I get the feeling that somehow, we the people are to blame for this. It was more a prolonged rain storm than a hurricane, and yet we were caught so unprepared. I hope to God we can bounce back from this. We bounced back from the super typhoon. We can bounce back from this, and the other two storms on her heels.
To all you out there dispossessed and distraught by the unexpected terror of the storm, Godspeed and may the angels in Heaven hear your cry. We are all lamenting now.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Standing Up to the Post-Colonial Narrative
A breath of fresh air! Finally, someone to publicly claim that Montezuma, far from the mewling peacenik unicorn created by the fevered imaginations of post-colonial revisionists, was a bloodthirsty monster who ruled Central Mexico with an iron fist.
There was a reason Cortez managed to get so many natives to join him, and why, despite both meager numbers and reputed brutality, the Spaniards managed to stay in Mexico for almost 300 years. The Spaniards did not just bring small pox and brutality. They brought a lot of things that improved the lot in life of many tribesmen, not least of which is the liberation from the rule of an empire of blood.
There was a reason Cortez managed to get so many natives to join him, and why, despite both meager numbers and reputed brutality, the Spaniards managed to stay in Mexico for almost 300 years. The Spaniards did not just bring small pox and brutality. They brought a lot of things that improved the lot in life of many tribesmen, not least of which is the liberation from the rule of an empire of blood.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Abstaining Voter # 2
So, what have we learned from this week's edition of the Philippine electoral circus?
The current administration's best bets are opposition candidates. In this case, Villar and Escudero.
Of course, they'll still field two lifeless dummies in Gibo and Puno (sounds like a comedy troupe), just for the sake of fielding anybody. Of course, only an abject moron expects the two stooges to put up a fight, much less win. They're like Bambi in the award-winning "Godzilla vs. Bambi".
All this means is that the administration has likely already secured the loyalties of Villar and Escudero, with poor Gibo acting as as a smokescreen.
In essence, all candidates in this mess are "opposition". Gibo is no more a candidate than a show pony is a race horse.
Looks like the Inquirer's wet dream. A one party system composed of nothing but opposition. It's like if China decided to lose its mind.
***
Of course, the media hype machine is in full celebration of thegay wedding political teaming of Noynoy "Mama's Boy" Aquino and Mar "Pedicab" Roxas II. (Nothing reveals pretensions to entitlement more than the use of "II". It also sounds like a sequel. Mar Roxas II: This Time, It's Personal...)
But what I'd like to focus on is the funny notion, fielded by number 2 above, that this next election is about "good" and "evil". What makes it even funnier is that Roxas believes that his side is the one that is "good"! Oh, Mar, you joker, you! But then again, he may be serious. This sort of comic book logic, in the nuthouse environment of Philippine politics, may symbolize the apotheosis of Mar Roxas' reasoning skills.
What makes all this a big joke?
First, since when is any party in this clusterfuck of an election "good"?
Second, what does he mean by "good"?
One gets the sense that he mostly means "anybody on our side" is good. But even that is unspecific.
Does he mean, only Liberal Party members are good?
Evil baby! Where's your Liberal Party membership card?
Or, does he mean that those who don't vote for opposition candidates are evil?
He was opposition too. So he must be okay.
Maybe "good" is a question of "good governance"? "Efficiency"?
Kept the trains running on time. Never took a bribe. Perfect.
Or does he simply mean that the "good" are those that are not corrupt, like a certain outgoing President...
Umm...where are these "good guys" again? Oh, it's just an empty void...
You see, there seems to be a screw loose in the understanding of "good" and "evil" held by the good Senator.
Let me demonstrate via comparison:
Churchill calling the war between the Allies and the Nazis "good vs. evil"? Yes.
Roxas calling an election contested by sleazy, posturing oligarchs "good vs. evil"? No.
Look, Senator, just because your future wife's "hot" (I guess...) does not make you Han Solo. Just ask Anakin Skywalker.
Nobody's clean here. Not even you.
The current administration's best bets are opposition candidates. In this case, Villar and Escudero.
Of course, they'll still field two lifeless dummies in Gibo and Puno (sounds like a comedy troupe), just for the sake of fielding anybody. Of course, only an abject moron expects the two stooges to put up a fight, much less win. They're like Bambi in the award-winning "Godzilla vs. Bambi".
All this means is that the administration has likely already secured the loyalties of Villar and Escudero, with poor Gibo acting as as a smokescreen.
In essence, all candidates in this mess are "opposition". Gibo is no more a candidate than a show pony is a race horse.
Looks like the Inquirer's wet dream. A one party system composed of nothing but opposition. It's like if China decided to lose its mind.
***
Of course, the media hype machine is in full celebration of the
But what I'd like to focus on is the funny notion, fielded by number 2 above, that this next election is about "good" and "evil". What makes it even funnier is that Roxas believes that his side is the one that is "good"! Oh, Mar, you joker, you! But then again, he may be serious. This sort of comic book logic, in the nuthouse environment of Philippine politics, may symbolize the apotheosis of Mar Roxas' reasoning skills.
What makes all this a big joke?
First, since when is any party in this clusterfuck of an election "good"?
Second, what does he mean by "good"?
One gets the sense that he mostly means "anybody on our side" is good. But even that is unspecific.
Does he mean, only Liberal Party members are good?
Evil baby! Where's your Liberal Party membership card? Or, does he mean that those who don't vote for opposition candidates are evil?
He was opposition too. So he must be okay.Maybe "good" is a question of "good governance"? "Efficiency"?
Kept the trains running on time. Never took a bribe. Perfect. Or does he simply mean that the "good" are those that are not corrupt, like a certain outgoing President...
Umm...where are these "good guys" again? Oh, it's just an empty void...You see, there seems to be a screw loose in the understanding of "good" and "evil" held by the good Senator.
Let me demonstrate via comparison:
Churchill calling the war between the Allies and the Nazis "good vs. evil"? Yes.
Roxas calling an election contested by sleazy, posturing oligarchs "good vs. evil"? No.
Look, Senator, just because your future wife's "hot" (I guess...) does not make you Han Solo. Just ask Anakin Skywalker.
Nobody's clean here. Not even you.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Random Thoughts on the Week at Large 9.20.09
Got to watch a really good play this week. OK, half a good play. And for free too. I get to watch the full show for free too in exchange for a longer review. If only I could make a living out of it. Or a reasonable sideline.
***
Apparently, Mar Roxas thinks he and Noynoy are in a "good vs. evil" fight in the upcoming elections. So, will he an Noynoy assemble (form feet and legs! form arms and body!) into a clunky robot to fight Gloriazilla? Tsk tsk, looks like somebody was absent during his theology class. "Good" and "evil" are morally heavy terms that cannot be bandied lightly, especially by specious politicians whose records do not belie any insightful knowledge that would justify their usage. Nobody has the right to use these terms in Philippine politics. Not this lot of mediocrities. Of course, Randy David takes Mar to task, but his approach is that of a woolly agnostic. (Surprise, surprise...) Talk about taking out a fire by collapsing a building on it.
***
This "anybody not in the Liberal Party is evil" approach by Mar Roxas may be one big joke. But if the electorate believes it, then it gets to be really funny. Because by then, the big joke is all of us. "Abstaining Voter" returns on Monday.
***
MSI's service center ought to really rethink their inefficient protocols. If their damn protocols were anywhere near reasonable, I wouldn't have had to wait four days to find out that my laptop had "no problems". (Not...)
***
I love baptismal receptions. I also love drinking at baptismal receptions.
***
When does a "Foodarama" graduate to "Strip Mall"?
***
Bok went on a successful date. Tomorrow, I await the Four Horsemen, and Olivia Wilde's response to my wildly inappropriate marriage proposal. Because at this point, anything can happen.
***
Speaking of the Supreme Ruler of Jonathan's Happy Land, Olivia Wilde just completed a photo shoot for GQ. Consider my mind officially blown and my pants officially wet. There is a God.
Uh, hi...my name is...name....is...fuck....*twitches*
***
I know this is old news, but I do wonder what qualifies Ellen Degeneres as an American Idol judge. Its not because she's funny, because she isn't. She certainly can't dance, as she amply demonstrates whenever possible. Sing? Instrument? No? Is it because she likes girls? I like girls too. Where's my invite?
***
Saw an episode of "True Blood". Fucking Anne Rice-esque hype job. Androgynous pervy vampires were cutting edge about 20 years ago. The only thing to keep me watching is the prospect of Anna Paquin skin. But, that's what Tivo and Youtube are for.
***
Who in their right mind names their child "Sookie"? Were they expecting a puppy to pop out of that womb?
***
Can't wait for Modern Warfare 2. I need another game to suck the living substance off of my social life.
***
Apparently, Mar Roxas thinks he and Noynoy are in a "good vs. evil" fight in the upcoming elections. So, will he an Noynoy assemble (form feet and legs! form arms and body!) into a clunky robot to fight Gloriazilla? Tsk tsk, looks like somebody was absent during his theology class. "Good" and "evil" are morally heavy terms that cannot be bandied lightly, especially by specious politicians whose records do not belie any insightful knowledge that would justify their usage. Nobody has the right to use these terms in Philippine politics. Not this lot of mediocrities. Of course, Randy David takes Mar to task, but his approach is that of a woolly agnostic. (Surprise, surprise...) Talk about taking out a fire by collapsing a building on it.
***
This "anybody not in the Liberal Party is evil" approach by Mar Roxas may be one big joke. But if the electorate believes it, then it gets to be really funny. Because by then, the big joke is all of us. "Abstaining Voter" returns on Monday.
***
MSI's service center ought to really rethink their inefficient protocols. If their damn protocols were anywhere near reasonable, I wouldn't have had to wait four days to find out that my laptop had "no problems". (Not...)
***
I love baptismal receptions. I also love drinking at baptismal receptions.
***
When does a "Foodarama" graduate to "Strip Mall"?
***
Bok went on a successful date. Tomorrow, I await the Four Horsemen, and Olivia Wilde's response to my wildly inappropriate marriage proposal. Because at this point, anything can happen.
***
Speaking of the Supreme Ruler of Jonathan's Happy Land, Olivia Wilde just completed a photo shoot for GQ. Consider my mind officially blown and my pants officially wet. There is a God.
Uh, hi...my name is...name....is...fuck....*twitches****
I know this is old news, but I do wonder what qualifies Ellen Degeneres as an American Idol judge. Its not because she's funny, because she isn't. She certainly can't dance, as she amply demonstrates whenever possible. Sing? Instrument? No? Is it because she likes girls? I like girls too. Where's my invite?
***
Saw an episode of "True Blood". Fucking Anne Rice-esque hype job. Androgynous pervy vampires were cutting edge about 20 years ago. The only thing to keep me watching is the prospect of Anna Paquin skin. But, that's what Tivo and Youtube are for.
***
Who in their right mind names their child "Sookie"? Were they expecting a puppy to pop out of that womb?
***
Can't wait for Modern Warfare 2. I need another game to suck the living substance off of my social life.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
A Small World
With globalization, the notion that the world has become smaller has reached the level of tired cliche.
But, what does a small world really look like?
I would propose that the "small world" everybody talks about, the one wherein cultures on separate ends of various spectra come together, cannot be found in what our funny elites call "multiculturalism". Watching this phenomenon in the West, one gets the feeling that "multiculturalism" is just a shallow manifestation of this new smallness of the world. There is no authentic mingling of cultures when ethnic-specific parades come marching down Manhattan every month. There is nothing genuinely unifying about the artificial celebrations of, say, Philippine Independence Day in Toronto. If any, these occasions of ethnic and ideological chest-thumping illustrate the opposite irony of the "small world"; here you have an ethnic or ideological group living within a cultural melting pot erecting gaping barriers of ethnic or ideological culture and identity between them and the rest of the world around them. They make small blocks of living space seem continents apart.
A more genuine example of this new smallness of the world is the recent celebration of the feast day of Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia in the Bicol region (among other places) of the Philippines. Here, we have a holy icon discovered by a Frenchman in Spain, one which a later devotee brought to the Philippines, where it is now one of the most venerated icons in the country. This is not some multicultural posturing handed down by over-eager social engineers, but a genuine co-mingling of different cultures. The fact that people on either end of the world can sincerely venerate the same icon (the same juxtaposition can be made with the Guadalupe icon) is a testament to a universality that has, indeed, made the miles between both ends seem meaningless.
Those who worship at the farcical altar of multiculturalism would denounce this phenomenon as "colonialism", the willful imposition of one cultural artifact over an unwilling foreign culture. However, take one look at the celebration. There is neither the equivalent of a hallowed recital of "White Man's Burden", nor a yearly smashing of symbols the Left seems so fond of (flag-burning, anyone?). These people take their worship seriously. One can also look at history and see that the banishment of all things Spanish Imperial does not coincide with a banishing of these icons. Our Lady belongs as much to the people of Bicol as She does to the people of Caceres. Such an understanding is rooted in a deeper meaning, one that resonates in a heart, whether it be Basque or Bicolano, Aztec or Castillan. As such, the distance becomes meaningless when the hearts of people on either end of the spectra resonate to the same music in the soul.
Now that is a small world.
But, what does a small world really look like?
I would propose that the "small world" everybody talks about, the one wherein cultures on separate ends of various spectra come together, cannot be found in what our funny elites call "multiculturalism". Watching this phenomenon in the West, one gets the feeling that "multiculturalism" is just a shallow manifestation of this new smallness of the world. There is no authentic mingling of cultures when ethnic-specific parades come marching down Manhattan every month. There is nothing genuinely unifying about the artificial celebrations of, say, Philippine Independence Day in Toronto. If any, these occasions of ethnic and ideological chest-thumping illustrate the opposite irony of the "small world"; here you have an ethnic or ideological group living within a cultural melting pot erecting gaping barriers of ethnic or ideological culture and identity between them and the rest of the world around them. They make small blocks of living space seem continents apart.
A more genuine example of this new smallness of the world is the recent celebration of the feast day of Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia in the Bicol region (among other places) of the Philippines. Here, we have a holy icon discovered by a Frenchman in Spain, one which a later devotee brought to the Philippines, where it is now one of the most venerated icons in the country. This is not some multicultural posturing handed down by over-eager social engineers, but a genuine co-mingling of different cultures. The fact that people on either end of the world can sincerely venerate the same icon (the same juxtaposition can be made with the Guadalupe icon) is a testament to a universality that has, indeed, made the miles between both ends seem meaningless.
Those who worship at the farcical altar of multiculturalism would denounce this phenomenon as "colonialism", the willful imposition of one cultural artifact over an unwilling foreign culture. However, take one look at the celebration. There is neither the equivalent of a hallowed recital of "White Man's Burden", nor a yearly smashing of symbols the Left seems so fond of (flag-burning, anyone?). These people take their worship seriously. One can also look at history and see that the banishment of all things Spanish Imperial does not coincide with a banishing of these icons. Our Lady belongs as much to the people of Bicol as She does to the people of Caceres. Such an understanding is rooted in a deeper meaning, one that resonates in a heart, whether it be Basque or Bicolano, Aztec or Castillan. As such, the distance becomes meaningless when the hearts of people on either end of the spectra resonate to the same music in the soul.
Now that is a small world.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Road Rules
Got invited last night to a technical run of ACASIA production "North Diversion Road", written by Tony Perez, at 6 Underground.
The run got cut short, which means that I missed the part that ties all the vignettes together. Which sucks, because I was looking forward to it. A waste of excellent performances thus far, but what can you do when the scheduling gods go against you.
I hope all you guys watch it. I want somebody to tell me how it ends because my inopportunely unyielding bank account won't allow me to see another showing.
Show dates are: September 18, 19, 23, 25, 26 and 30, and October 7, 9, 10, 14, 16 and 17. And if you can allow a hungry writer to bum a ticket, I'd be mighty obliged.
The run got cut short, which means that I missed the part that ties all the vignettes together. Which sucks, because I was looking forward to it. A waste of excellent performances thus far, but what can you do when the scheduling gods go against you.
I hope all you guys watch it. I want somebody to tell me how it ends because my inopportunely unyielding bank account won't allow me to see another showing.
Show dates are: September 18, 19, 23, 25, 26 and 30, and October 7, 9, 10, 14, 16 and 17. And if you can allow a hungry writer to bum a ticket, I'd be mighty obliged.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Never Speak Ill of The Crew
Megan Fox learns the hard way. But then again, I suspect all learning for that woman is via "the hard way".
Grammar in the letter's somewhat off, but then again, they're not exactly responding to Einstein, are they?
Grammar in the letter's somewhat off, but then again, they're not exactly responding to Einstein, are they?
Random Thoughts on the Week at Large
Saw "Gamer" today, because my sister has this weird crush on Gerard Butler. Potentially good story, extremely weak ending, and the shaky-cam must. simply. die. Too many shots of creepy fat gay guy playing future Sims. Dexter makes a nice villain.
***
Another week, another agonizing moan for the Republic. Noynoy talks to dead people and they tell him to run. Administration's best bets are "opposition" candidates. (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge) At least, "abstaining voter" is gonna be fun.
***
You know how the dying Roman Republic was replaced by the Roman Empire? If only we would be so fortunate once our own Republic dies. "Emperor" Noynoy just does not have the same ring as Augustus.
***
Rehearsals for "Newspaper Dance" are proceeding according to plan. Well, "plan" broadly defined, at least. A good thing too. My A team will be absent on two different months.
***
Oh, and cats do bring their prey home to serve a social function, either because they see their owners as head of their social groups and the dead mouse is some sort of tribute, or because they're teaching their dumb owners to hunt, or as part of their own parenting process (with the owner seen as an inept kitten or older cat, since there is no "parental separation" between a cat and the owner). I was right. I was not the one anthropomorphizing cats. Cats see the dead mice and birds as things good in themselves, my ass. (Yes, foundations classmates, I am a petty asshole.) Yeah, its Wikipedia, but the relevant part is sourced.
***
Speaking of Foundations class, the Disputatio was a pleasant and welcome surprise.
***
Band of Brothers remains the best war movie / tv show / anything to come out of Hollywood in the last 20 years. No pushy dove screeching, just straight up story-telling about the horrors and heroism of war.
***
Speaking of screeching doves, "liberal" is still a dirty word. "Reagan" is still awesome.
***
Guns or God? Another Newsweek moron wants to know, because she says you can't have both. Unfortunately for her, God doesn't agree. Praise the Lord, pass the ammunition, indeed.
***
Never act like a credit card newbie in front of a cute bank teller. I fucking hate credit cards. I like cute bank tellers who giggle girlishly when Richard Cheese plays on the radio.
***
Are we supposed to suspend classes whenever famous people die? I would feel kinda stupid if we have a holiday when Kris Aquino kicks the bucket. But then again, I'd like a nice, happy drink on that day.
***
I'd like to stop being a moron when confronted with pretty women. But then again, I'd still like to be straight as well. Ah, the price we have to pay.
***
Another week, another agonizing moan for the Republic. Noynoy talks to dead people and they tell him to run. Administration's best bets are "opposition" candidates. (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge) At least, "abstaining voter" is gonna be fun.
***
You know how the dying Roman Republic was replaced by the Roman Empire? If only we would be so fortunate once our own Republic dies. "Emperor" Noynoy just does not have the same ring as Augustus.
***
Rehearsals for "Newspaper Dance" are proceeding according to plan. Well, "plan" broadly defined, at least. A good thing too. My A team will be absent on two different months.
***
Oh, and cats do bring their prey home to serve a social function, either because they see their owners as head of their social groups and the dead mouse is some sort of tribute, or because they're teaching their dumb owners to hunt, or as part of their own parenting process (with the owner seen as an inept kitten or older cat, since there is no "parental separation" between a cat and the owner). I was right. I was not the one anthropomorphizing cats. Cats see the dead mice and birds as things good in themselves, my ass. (Yes, foundations classmates, I am a petty asshole.) Yeah, its Wikipedia, but the relevant part is sourced.
***
Speaking of Foundations class, the Disputatio was a pleasant and welcome surprise.
***
Band of Brothers remains the best war movie / tv show / anything to come out of Hollywood in the last 20 years. No pushy dove screeching, just straight up story-telling about the horrors and heroism of war.
***
Speaking of screeching doves, "liberal" is still a dirty word. "Reagan" is still awesome.
***
Guns or God? Another Newsweek moron wants to know, because she says you can't have both. Unfortunately for her, God doesn't agree. Praise the Lord, pass the ammunition, indeed.
***
Never act like a credit card newbie in front of a cute bank teller. I fucking hate credit cards. I like cute bank tellers who giggle girlishly when Richard Cheese plays on the radio.
***
Are we supposed to suspend classes whenever famous people die? I would feel kinda stupid if we have a holiday when Kris Aquino kicks the bucket. But then again, I'd like a nice, happy drink on that day.
***
I'd like to stop being a moron when confronted with pretty women. But then again, I'd still like to be straight as well. Ah, the price we have to pay.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
A Follow-Up 9/11 Post
In the spirit of never forgetting, let us not forget that, in the course of the life of the malicious Jihad, Christendom knew how to fight back.
September 11, 1565 - The Knights Hospitaller, badly outnumbered and outgunned, repulse the Turks from Malta, the last home of the Order. The last epic battle of Crusader Knights results in the first great defeat of the greatest Islamic empire in history.
This is Malta!!!!
September 11, 1683 - King Jan III Sobieski of Poland leads a relief force that crushes a massive Turkish army at the gates of Vienna, capital of the Hapsburg empire, utilizing the largest cavalry charge in recorded history. The defeat marks the last time the Turks would seriously threaten Western Europe.
Ride for ruin, and the world's ending....
The Islamic Jihad is not invincible.
September 11, 1565 - The Knights Hospitaller, badly outnumbered and outgunned, repulse the Turks from Malta, the last home of the Order. The last epic battle of Crusader Knights results in the first great defeat of the greatest Islamic empire in history.
This is Malta!!!!September 11, 1683 - King Jan III Sobieski of Poland leads a relief force that crushes a massive Turkish army at the gates of Vienna, capital of the Hapsburg empire, utilizing the largest cavalry charge in recorded history. The defeat marks the last time the Turks would seriously threaten Western Europe.
Ride for ruin, and the world's ending....The Islamic Jihad is not invincible.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Belated 9/11 post
The US is one of the last few places in the West wherein you see something like this:
Slowly, as the West recedes into the horizon, we will come to appreciate the dwindling instances of hope (and I mean real Hope, not the snake oil peddled by the American black dude-in-chief) raised over the dark plains of mourning.
A cross raised over a field of tragedy.
Slowly, as the West recedes into the horizon, we will come to appreciate the dwindling instances of hope (and I mean real Hope, not the snake oil peddled by the American black dude-in-chief) raised over the dark plains of mourning.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
More Conventional Wisdom
According to this New York Times economist / columnist / professional moron, Chinese "democracy" is simply the best kind of democracy.
Oooo, look at China, about to overtake America in everything from electronic cars to dumpling production.
Ignore the slave labor and humans rights violations behind the curtain. They just get in the way of "efficiency". Even then, China's draconian population control has not made it all that "efficient". But, who's counting when it means that your guys would have all the power?
Another over-educated prick.
Oooo, look at China, about to overtake America in everything from electronic cars to dumpling production.
Ignore the slave labor and humans rights violations behind the curtain. They just get in the way of "efficiency". Even then, China's draconian population control has not made it all that "efficient". But, who's counting when it means that your guys would have all the power?
Another over-educated prick.
Abstaining Voter # 1
This is the inaugural post "Abstaining Voter", my special series of election blog posts. Why "Abstaining Voter"? Because I do not plan on settling for this bag of putrid mediocrity we call our "presidential candidates". So, I plan to register my dissatisfaction by voting with a strike-through on the ballot (or whatever else will be its equivalent once voting goes electronic).
In essence, "Abstaining Voter" will be about having fun with that putrid bag of mediocrity. It ought to be fun mocking these soulless individuals who believe they can lead us.
Now, I am not a follower of conventional wisdom. For example, I have been against Obama when being against Obama meant that people viewed you as some sort of cave troll. As such, my bias tends to skew against those candidates whom the greatest purveyors of conventional wisdom (the mainstream media) believe the people ought to vote for. Picking on the guy everybody in the newspapers hate is just way too easy. I refuse to be the Inquirer's lemming.
To celebrate the first post of this series, let me get the party started with a political ad.
No credentials...
No qualifications...
No achievements...
No skills...
No problem...
Vote forCorazon... Ninoy... Noynoy Aquino, 2010
In essence, "Abstaining Voter" will be about having fun with that putrid bag of mediocrity. It ought to be fun mocking these soulless individuals who believe they can lead us.
Now, I am not a follower of conventional wisdom. For example, I have been against Obama when being against Obama meant that people viewed you as some sort of cave troll. As such, my bias tends to skew against those candidates whom the greatest purveyors of conventional wisdom (the mainstream media) believe the people ought to vote for. Picking on the guy everybody in the newspapers hate is just way too easy. I refuse to be the Inquirer's lemming.
To celebrate the first post of this series, let me get the party started with a political ad.
No credentials...
No qualifications...
No achievements...
No skills...
No problem...
Vote for
Monday, September 7, 2009
Year One
| Rating: | ★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Comedy |
So, yeah, I actually watched this movie. District 9 would have made me late for Sunday Mass, so yeah...
History of the World Volume... I mean... Year One is a crappy movie. Art direction? Cinematography? Screenwriting? These guys were absent when those were taught.
I only watched it for two reasons: Olivia Wilde and juvenile laughs.
The movie gets one star because Olivia Wilde was particularly fetching. (Such is my blind bias that I would utter the same sentence if she were dressed in a barrel and/or potato sack.) If that was her natural accent, then rrrooooowwwr. The movie gets an extra half star because there was potty humor all up to wazoo, but it got old about halfway in. There's only so much shit one can take from Jack Black, and Michael Cera should just go back and thank Arrested Development he still gets work these days.
As for the substance, you'd have better luck asking a crab-ridden whore her opinions on Shakespeare.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
What Heroism Looks Like
Thanks to movies, TV, and pop culture in general, we have this vague notion of "hero" that, funnily enough, requires little heroism and more being "larger than life". (How else do you explain our lionizing of such inconsequential men?)
But heroism is not always larger than life, not always won on the battlefields one sees on CNN or ANC. Heroism begins in the heart, and manifests itself even in the smallest of places. My case in point is this story, about a couple in Texas who realize that their firstborn son had a rare genetic disorder called Trisomy 13. In the US, as in any industrialized Western country, the most common option for any unborn child born with genetic disorders is instant termination. But this couple, in true heroic fashion, was having none of it.
"Thomas was a miracle from the moment he was conceived," she told the congregation. "We are better because Thomas existed."
"The only thing he will know of this world is love."
I am reminded of all of those babies one sees in the local news channels. You know, the ones with enlarged heads or other birth defects, that have their mothers on screen asking for help. One tends to see them as victims of a cruel fate, but one must also realize the element of human will here. These parents are not just victims. They are also heroes. In a world that looks upon their children as "incompatible with life" (just ask the sponsors of that birth control bill), they took upon themselves to carry that heavy burden and ensure that all that their children will know of this world, though their lives be short, is love. And love stands at the very core of heroism, be it in the battlefield or in the home. Celebrity and being "larger than life" have nothing to do with it.
But heroism is not always larger than life, not always won on the battlefields one sees on CNN or ANC. Heroism begins in the heart, and manifests itself even in the smallest of places. My case in point is this story, about a couple in Texas who realize that their firstborn son had a rare genetic disorder called Trisomy 13. In the US, as in any industrialized Western country, the most common option for any unborn child born with genetic disorders is instant termination. But this couple, in true heroic fashion, was having none of it.
"Thomas was a miracle from the moment he was conceived," she told the congregation. "We are better because Thomas existed."
"The only thing he will know of this world is love."
I am reminded of all of those babies one sees in the local news channels. You know, the ones with enlarged heads or other birth defects, that have their mothers on screen asking for help. One tends to see them as victims of a cruel fate, but one must also realize the element of human will here. These parents are not just victims. They are also heroes. In a world that looks upon their children as "incompatible with life" (just ask the sponsors of that birth control bill), they took upon themselves to carry that heavy burden and ensure that all that their children will know of this world, though their lives be short, is love. And love stands at the very core of heroism, be it in the battlefield or in the home. Celebrity and being "larger than life" have nothing to do with it.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Proof that College Education Does Not Make You Smart
Harvard-educated multimillionaire Natalie Portman, she of franchise-ruining first trilogy of Star Wars fame, has declared, with queenly air, that the current economic recession is an "exciting time". Why, you ask? First, don't question the movie star! She knows more than you, pleb. And second, because:
I mean, everyone is cutting back. It's happening in every industry - including our own. All of a sudden, people are doing jobs that they hate and they're not making as much money as they thought they would or they've lost their jobs entirely. I've started to see people looking more toward their own passions and what really excites them.
Right. So, what does Marie Antionett-err... I mean, Natalie Portman do in this "exciting time"?
(My apologies to the late French queen.)
She buys a fucking castle worth $3 million. How's that recession working out for you, my lady?
I don't know. Maybe its the movie industry. Maybe its because she's so liberal she makes Ted Kennedy look like Ted Olson. But for some reason, that college education didn't seem to do her much good. So much for Harvard.
What Ms. Portman cannot see past her stupid-induced rose-colored goggles is that what these people are feeling is not passion. Its desperation. You will take one the most horrid jobs not because you are excited, but because you don't know where your next meal is coming from. If this fuels any sort of creativity, its the kind of creativity of which you would see, say, homeless people employ in order to snatch the other guy's stuff. It's the kind of creativity that allows people to think that bringing guns to health care demonstrations is the only means by which they will get a deaf-and-dumb president to listen to them.
Only a thick dunce won't be able to see that.
More proof that college education won't guarantee intelligence. What a waste of tuition. Damn movie stars....
Good luck with that, Natalie. Beauty pageant contestants have been trying for decades now.
I mean, everyone is cutting back. It's happening in every industry - including our own. All of a sudden, people are doing jobs that they hate and they're not making as much money as they thought they would or they've lost their jobs entirely. I've started to see people looking more toward their own passions and what really excites them.
Right. So, what does Marie Antionett-err... I mean, Natalie Portman do in this "exciting time"?
(My apologies to the late French queen.)
She buys a fucking castle worth $3 million. How's that recession working out for you, my lady?
I don't know. Maybe its the movie industry. Maybe its because she's so liberal she makes Ted Kennedy look like Ted Olson. But for some reason, that college education didn't seem to do her much good. So much for Harvard.
What Ms. Portman cannot see past her stupid-induced rose-colored goggles is that what these people are feeling is not passion. Its desperation. You will take one the most horrid jobs not because you are excited, but because you don't know where your next meal is coming from. If this fuels any sort of creativity, its the kind of creativity of which you would see, say, homeless people employ in order to snatch the other guy's stuff. It's the kind of creativity that allows people to think that bringing guns to health care demonstrations is the only means by which they will get a deaf-and-dumb president to listen to them.
Only a thick dunce won't be able to see that.
More proof that college education won't guarantee intelligence. What a waste of tuition. Damn movie stars....
Good luck with that, Natalie. Beauty pageant contestants have been trying for decades now.Tuesday, September 1, 2009
RIP Alexis Tioseco
You will be missed. Badly.
A dying industry will feel your loss.
Recquiscat in Pace, buddy.
A dying industry will feel your loss.
Recquiscat in Pace, buddy.
One More Reason to Love Classical Music
It can be used to deter crime.
Apparently, classical music drives away hordes of would-be vandals and petty criminals, whose impoverished hearing palate can only handle simplistic drivel created by "artists" with names like "Flo Rida" (isn't that just Florida?), "Lil Wayne" (what happened to Big Wayne?), "Soulja Boy" (As in "Sister Souljah"?) and "Akon" (wtf?).
Maybe police choppers could play "Flight of the Valkyries" during car chases.
PS
What is with hip hop people and the inability to spell? Is American public education that bad? Why can't they all be like Kanye "Gay Fish" West?
Apparently, classical music drives away hordes of would-be vandals and petty criminals, whose impoverished hearing palate can only handle simplistic drivel created by "artists" with names like "Flo Rida" (isn't that just Florida?), "Lil Wayne" (what happened to Big Wayne?), "Soulja Boy" (As in "Sister Souljah"?) and "Akon" (wtf?).
Maybe police choppers could play "Flight of the Valkyries" during car chases.
PS
What is with hip hop people and the inability to spell? Is American public education that bad? Why can't they all be like Kanye "Gay Fish" West?
Barack Obama Will Not Save the Philippines
Oops, I mean, Noynoy Aquino will not save the Philippines.
This guy is Barack Obama without the advantageous skin pigmentation. Like America's current idiot-in-chief, Noynoy Aquino is very personable. He's got "charisma". He's got "temperament". He's (blech) "eloquent". And best of all, you have a national mainstream media willing to lick his balls and wipe them clean with the tattered remnants of its integrity at the drop of a dime. This is what qualifies as a "uniter" for our chattering classes, which goes to show how ill-educated our degreed chattering classes are.
Like Barack Hussein Obama, Noynoy Aquino lacks substance. He has little policy experience under his belt. He has little intellectual clout to wield. Worst of all, that thing which gives him widespread appeal is something utterly external to him. For BHO, it was his skin color. For Noynoy, it is the mere fact that he is the son of a beloved, recently-departed icon.
Aquino will not save us, simply because he cannot.
A man cannot give what he does not have.
What we need is a leader who is strong, yet flexible. We need someone who has both intellectual and technical clout, as well as the empathy to feel the wide-ranging impact of his decisions. We need someone with the strength of character to wield power and not be wielded by it.
Noynoy Aquino, a neophyte senator who was elected on the strength of his family name, has none of these traits.
Sure, you can argue that his mother, a modern-day Cincinnatus, did not have much experience. However, you must recall first, that character is not hereditary (even Cincinnatus' son paled in comparison to his father), and second, that by all standards, Corazon Aquino was a sub-par president. You must also take into account the fact that we are not fresh from revolution. We are trying to grow as a country. At this point, we do not need another Cincinnatus, but another Cicero.
If we hail Noynoy as our Messiah now the way a sizable chunk of American idiots made Obama theirs, we will experience a wide societal hang-over that may take decades to correct. Are we really going to follow this lightweight into the abyss?
One thing is for sure; if Noynoy is elected president, I will try to start a website called iamsorryivotedfornoynoy dot com.
This guy is Barack Obama without the advantageous skin pigmentation. Like America's current idiot-in-chief, Noynoy Aquino is very personable. He's got "charisma". He's got "temperament". He's (blech) "eloquent". And best of all, you have a national mainstream media willing to lick his balls and wipe them clean with the tattered remnants of its integrity at the drop of a dime. This is what qualifies as a "uniter" for our chattering classes, which goes to show how ill-educated our degreed chattering classes are.
Like Barack Hussein Obama, Noynoy Aquino lacks substance. He has little policy experience under his belt. He has little intellectual clout to wield. Worst of all, that thing which gives him widespread appeal is something utterly external to him. For BHO, it was his skin color. For Noynoy, it is the mere fact that he is the son of a beloved, recently-departed icon.
Aquino will not save us, simply because he cannot.
A man cannot give what he does not have.
What we need is a leader who is strong, yet flexible. We need someone who has both intellectual and technical clout, as well as the empathy to feel the wide-ranging impact of his decisions. We need someone with the strength of character to wield power and not be wielded by it.
Noynoy Aquino, a neophyte senator who was elected on the strength of his family name, has none of these traits.
Sure, you can argue that his mother, a modern-day Cincinnatus, did not have much experience. However, you must recall first, that character is not hereditary (even Cincinnatus' son paled in comparison to his father), and second, that by all standards, Corazon Aquino was a sub-par president. You must also take into account the fact that we are not fresh from revolution. We are trying to grow as a country. At this point, we do not need another Cincinnatus, but another Cicero.
If we hail Noynoy as our Messiah now the way a sizable chunk of American idiots made Obama theirs, we will experience a wide societal hang-over that may take decades to correct. Are we really going to follow this lightweight into the abyss?
One thing is for sure; if Noynoy is elected president, I will try to start a website called iamsorryivotedfornoynoy dot com.
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