Friday, February 29, 2008

Hotel Death Star

It's not a Question of She Sleeping Soundly but Us Having Nightmares


Tula mula kay National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera

Bayang Filipinong ayaw nang pagago
Sa mga pakana ng gobyernong Arroyo,
Sa a-beinte-nueve (29) ng buwang Pebrero,
Dumalo sa rally at lalaban tayo.

Sobrang-sobra na ang ating tiisin,
Ang pangungurakot, pagsisinungaling,
Sagad hanggang buto, dapat nang matigil,
Di tayo aatras sa Pangulong Evil

Cebu Inmates Do Soulja Boy

American Idol: Malubay is Malumanay. But at least she's not Malubha


The voting public cut loose Alaina Whitaker, Jason Yeager, Robbie Carrico and Alexandrea Lushington, trimming the number of contestants to 16 Thursday night. Lushington sang "If You Leave Me Now" kaya siya tuloy iniwan. The chart from Vulture.

Things You Don't Need to Know


Barbie Tarot
Pi Music


10 The Wheel of Fortune Fantasy Goddess of Africa from the Bob Mackie Series
Representing both the cycle of an individual's life and the prosperity or downfall of entire cultures, the Wheel is concerned with destiny, fate and the inevitability of change. This Barbie stands against lush greenery at what appears to be the peak of the fertile season, wearing a beautifully beaded, embroidered gown that suggests prosperity, yet her blazing headpiece and the red soil in which she stands put me in mind of the inevitable extremes of the cycles of the seasons.

Bookshelvish

Four of the thirty bookshelves in this link


Thursday, February 28, 2008

American Idol Update (The Age Old Question)

American Idol Updates

David Cook's comb-over isn't the weirdly disgusting but endearing (for Andy Z) thing this season of American Idol. Also, Robbie Carrico's hair is really a wig!, announced Vulture.

I Didn't Say It, But If It's Good for My Reputation...

From Fortean Times:

“Let them eat cake” was being attributed to various out-of-touch fat cats long before Marie Antoinette was born.

“That government is best which governs least” wasn’t Thomas Jefferson’s; nor even Thoreau’s, presumably, since the latter used it in quotation marks.

Patrick Henry didn’t say “Give me liberty or give me death,” nor did James Otis coin “Taxation without representation is tyranny.”

Hermann Goering was not responsible for “Whenever I hear the word culture, I reach for my gun,” which excellent line comes from a 1933 play by Hanns Johst.

Edmund Burke’s “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing” was voted the world’s favourite quotation in 2004 – but has never been found in Burke’s writing, and is unrecorded before 1968.

Is Downloading Stealing: The Semantics of File Sharing

L.A. Times came out with an interesting opinion about file sharing a/o stealing.
I need this clarification otherwise I am no different to Ben Abalos when I download a book from gutenberg.org, for example. "There's a fundamental difference between intellectual property (copyrights, patents, trademarks) and real property (houses, cars, plasma TVs): The latter is tangible and limited in supply, the former is not."

What Tortured You Last Week?

Conscience in Time of PGMA

"Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?'
Expediency asks the question,'Is it politics?'
Vanity asks the question,'Is it popular?'
But, conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?'
And there comes a time when one must take
a position that is neither safe, nor politic,
nor popular but one must take it
because one's conscience tells one that it is right."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

We Are All Listening

A Hundred Years of Solicitude

If this is the cover of your "Hundred Years of Solitude" then you get to collect from $500 to $2,000. If you never owned a copy of this book at any point of your life, you may be happy but your life is uninteresting.

Funny Geeks Against Arroyo

Bakit babagsak si GMA sa Physics?
Dahil ang RELATIVITY sa kanya ay ilagay si FG at kamaganak sa pwesto para
makapagnegosyo.

Why will GMA fail in chemistry?
Because she does not know any SOLUTION, only a lot of corruption.

Why will GMA fail in mining engineering?
Because she has underMINED the people's trust.

Why will GMA fail in mechanical engineering?
Because we will not allow her to SCREW us forever.

Why will Gloria fail in civil engineering?
Because her heart is really in EVIL engineering.

Bakit babagsak si GMA sa geodetic engineering?
Dahil sa umpisa pa lang, mali na ang kanyang BEARING


Why will GMA fail in electrical engineering?
Because she SHORT CIRCUITS the people's interest.

Why will GMA fail in mathematics?
Because all she does is do a 1+1+1+1+1+1. ... a non-terminating SERIES of
stealing, lying and killing.

Why will GMA fail in materials engineering?
Because all the MATERIAL evidence point to her guilt.

Why will GMA fail in chemical engineering?
Because all she knows is CONCOCTING lies.

Why will GMA fail in industrial engineering?
Because all she knows is OPTIMIZING and making SYSTEMIC the stealing, lying
and killing.

Why will GMA fail in computer science?
Because her programs are full of bugs and will crash

From your S&T group for the ouster of Arroyo

Torture Songs

Mother Jones brought out the Torture List, which is the list of songs played in US military prisons to induce sleep deprivation and drown out screams. Ironic that Bruce Springsteen and Rage Against the Machine are included in the Torture List. And including Barney the Dinosaur is cruel.

Beatles Song Pie Graph

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

The Logic of Zigzag Road

Scientists at Udab (University of Washington, he he he) is now saying that zigzagging is the easiest way to go up and down a slope. "There is a point, or critical slope, where it becomes metabolically too costly to go straight ahead, so people move at an angle, cutting into the slope. Eventually they need to go back toward the direction they were originally headed and this creates zigzags. The steeper the slope, the more important it is that you tackle it at the right angle," one of the study authors said.

Why Do You Write?


Why Do You Write? Gina Barreca answers:

It has nothing to do with emotion recollected in tranquility, I’m afraid.

The working writers I know — and I know a lot of them — sit and produce pages because it’s their vocation. You have to write because if you don’t then somebody eventually asks you where the stuff is, and then you feel terrible. That “somebody” who asks you where your work is, by the way, can be yourself (back to a need for the third person, I guess?)

You write not to feel terrible.

You write for the same reason you pay bills or go to a shrink or sleep: to keep the wolves from the door. Emotional, spiritual, financial wolves: All of them can go for your neck. All of them can kill you. You ignore them at your peril.

This is probably the place to say that most writers have some other kind of job. They might write catalog copy for L.L. Bean. They might write press releases for a not-for-profit group, or write in-house newsletters for a corporation, or do small pieces for a local newspaper, or they might work at a bookstore and do their p.r. materials. Unless you have a private income, it’s virtually impossible to live on what you can make selling words, even when you’re good at.

Day jobs are an excellent thing. They also stop you from taking yourself too seriously

.

On The Economics of Assassination and Extortion

In “Hit or Miss? The Effect of Assassinations on Institutions and War,” Olken and Jones looked at the effects of political assassination, using a strict empirical methodology that takes into account economic conditions at the time of the killing and what Olken calls a “novel data set” of assas­sination attempts, successful and unsuccessful, between 1875 and 2004.

Olken and Jones discovered that a country was “more likely to see democratization follow­ing the assassination of an autocratic leader,” but found no substantial “effect following assassinations—or assassination attempts—on democratic leaders.” They concluded that “on average, successful assassinations of autocrats produce sustained moves toward democracy.” The researchers also found that assassinations have no effect on the inauguration of wars, a result that “suggests that World War I might have begun regardless of whether or not the attempt on the life of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 had succeeded or failed.” Read more

Monday, February 25, 2008

No Country for Old Men





Quote of the Day

"Does this town need a hug? What happened? 'No Country For Old Men?' 'Sweeney Todd?' 'There Will Be Blood?' All I can say is, thank God for teen pregnancy. I think the country agrees"
Jon Stewart, host of 80th Academy Awards

What country? The Philippines, of course, with one of the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the world. Thanks to PGMA and the Almighty priests

The Initial List of People Calling for Resignation of Arroyo

People Who Already Called for PGMA to Step Down:

  1. Joe De Venecia

  2. 10,000 students and teachers of the University of St. La Salle, St. John's Institute, University of Negros Occidental-Recoleto s, Colegio de San Agustin, St. Rose of Lima, West Negros University, and Riverside College in Negros

  3. UP Academic Employees Union

  4. NDF Northeastern Front

  5. AGHAM

  6. Ateneo de Manila's economists

  7. United Negrenses Yearning for Truth

  8. ASAR

  9. UP Aware

  10. “Sundalo”

  11. Boy Saycon

  12. Akbayan

  13. BMP

  14. Black & White

  15. Bayan

  16. Corazon Aquino

  17. Krusada Para sa Katotohanan Asin Katanosan of Legazpi City

  18. Environmental and Natural Resource Advocates for GMA's Expulsion (ENRAGED!)

  19. Migrante

  20. UP Joggers


Weekend in New Orleans: WHY NOT NOW RESORT


On my way up, A, a respected journalist, texted me that Mike Defensor tried to talk to Noli de Castro about the transition. Noli reportedly refused Mike's conditions.
Sourcing is anonymous.
Anyway, she later texted a similar text this time from a party-list rep.
Another text said that Ronnie Puno and Buboy M were also negotiating with Erap at the same time that Mike D was doing his thing.
At about 5 am, A also texted that Cory and FVR talked to PGMA about stepping down and the president said no.
Pretend these texts never happened. There were attempts but no actions were taken.
PGMA was able to get her quota of seven hours sleep, I presumed. And I was still listless, thinking about what could have been and what now?

WHY NOT NOW RESORT: a resort spotted outside Tagbilaran City in Bohol.

Weekend in New Orleans


I went to Manila to escape the Panagbenga crowd. And when I was there I suddenly missed Baguio. Things didn't work out as planned and the EDSA thing seemed not to be that spectacular. Decided instead to buy CDs. My stash? Frank by Amy Winehouse. Introducing Joss Stone (2nd time after T. stole the 1st), U2's Golden Unplugged, Wyclef Jean's Carnival II and Blues for Bayou. The last two are about New Orleans. Listening to Amy sing through "Moody's Mood"in less than three minutes and U2 doing "All I Want is You" in one minute made me think that you can do good things in moments. So Gloria, alis na. 2010 is too long.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

RAM

GMA and Sleep

Well, she said that she sleeps seven hours a day. That implicitly meant that she ahd a clear conscience. Do you agree. Shakespeare did, at least with Macbeth.
But then the real question shoudl be: Does PGMA dream? Psychopaths, I heard, don't have dreams and have more so-called low level sleep not REM.

But let's give her that benefit of the doubt. Here's Elvis Costello's "Sleep of the Just"

The soldier asked my name and did I come here very often
Well I thought that he was asking me to dance
In my holy coat and hat and him in his red bonnet
We'd have made a lovely couple but we never had the chance


And now you say that you've got to go
Well if you must you must
I suppose that you need the sleep of the just

Well it was a powerful day and there were black crows in the road
And I kept my strong opinions to my chest
I suppose I should have told them that I was on fire for you
When the bus burst into flames outside some place, 'The Poet's Rest

Is PGMA just because she sleeps well? Or maybe she is just sleeping?

Leaving and Returning

"To leave is romantic, to return is baroque." -Anton LaVey

It's so dramatic to make an exit. Slam the door. Burn your bridge. Announce your sabbatical. People would run after you. Write their elegies in their minds. And then, eventually, they will forget. Returning is the harder thing. You should outweigh the drama of your leaving. Dying at the airport had been done. Returning as a body is simply tragic, albeit heroic. Baroque is such an apt word. The word came from the Portuguese word, barroco, which is a pearl that went beyond round and is now grotesque or elaborate. To go beyond sheer drama, you have to return elaborately. The OFWs are expected to have baroque returns. This is Odysseus bearing gifts. Baroque connotes money. That's why many Filipinos decide to be romantic and not return.

New York Times on McCain's Affair

While the NYT has certainly had and has many, many Pravda moments, it's not wont to surrender to the scurrilousness of yellow journalism, which is why the story of a possible affair between Senator McCain and Vikki Iseman seems to have incensed readers and the media alike (regardless of the two anonymous, former aides that seem to corroborate the story). Certainly, the innuendo of an affair in a story about influence peddling was clearly a lightning rod. The NYT editorial board on the reaction to the story. From Three Quarks Daily
But then, their debate page is impressive.
And here's the accompanying cartoon from
Times of London care of Nash

Banana

WWII Theaters of War: Philippines








This is a US Navy film on the Philippines. Above are some of the strips:

The Last Handwritten Newspaper


The Musalman is the only handwritten newspaper in Asia and has been operational since 1927. Premjit Ramashandran directed a movie about The Musalman of Madras.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Present During the Creation

I wasn't around during the Panagbenga parade. I need to leave so we can balance out the pH of the city, meaning the Panagbenga Hysteria. Well, JPE was there. Villar's people had been calling me for a long, long time about his presscon. Hedcor also pestered me about their presscon. sec. Yap had to postpone his trip to Benguet because he needed 20 media and who in his right mind would join him? John Hay brought its own media people to hype John Hay, firstly, and the Panagbenga as a second thought. I'm glad my neighborhood school, Magsaysay Elementary School, finally won in the elementary division after having been disqualified one time. Well, the telcom war is back. But I still believe the Panagbenga four years ago was the best. Because that was when Kidlat T was at the helm and the no to telcom war was the creed. I felt the urgency for the Panagbenga then because the city was reeling over the meningo crisis. There was a need to bring people together. That was the last time Baguio residents watched (at first, they don't want to group together for fear of meningo) because now, they only watch on TV. It is the non-Baguio people who watch the show now which is good because we need visitors. Yay! Gma7 even reported about 300 tourists fighting Victory Liner in Cubao for not accomodating them on their trip to Baguio. There were cursing and shoving.
I remembered 12 years ago when Panagbenga was still starting. We were walking with Nonette and Willi when we heard the band coming. Ay, Panagbenga na pala and so we took our seat by the pavement and watched them. You can't do that now unless you are there three hours before the parade.
Then ten years ago, the hype began to start and I have to watch it at Laperal Bldg where I used to work. Now windows were booked two days before. Payment reached P100 per pane. And if it is a restaurant, P2,000 minimum per panel.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Movies to Watch Next Week

Roland T sent me these movie posters:


Let Unholyhours Help You with Your Lenten Shopping



We have a roll up gum for your children with the famous quotation from Luke 6:38
to remind you that everything you do is measured. Don't use this though in Confucianist Singapore because you will be flogged. And then how about the Footprints shoes which leaves "Jesus" imprint on the right shoe and "Loves You" on the left shoe. It will remind you of "Footprints in the Sand." Then you have the "Grapes of Galilee" wine series with the choice of sauvignon, merlot and chardonnay. Remember these used to be water. Then finally the Action Jesus series. Watch Jesus with a crown doing the bicycle kick, quarterbucking, riding the bull and riding a Harley.

Luckiest Bi-atch

The guv sd it here
And then while waiting for it to upload, size yourself with your favorite celebrity. You'll be surprised. PGMA is as tall as Gary Coleman and as hot-headed.

Children's Books...Not




Cracked came out with children's books that didn't just make it.

Ceramic Cameras



After bringing to you a cat which takes pictures, we give you these ceramic pinhole cameras. When you're done taking pictures, you can use them to serve tea. SteveIrwin made these.

Freddie Mercury is Back!

What if the Queen's queen returns as a cockatoo with a mohawk?

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Guess Who Else Were Called "Luckiest Bitch"?

Panagbenga as PGMA's Secret Weapon

It will be a long weekend with Feb. 25 made a nonworking holiday. Good for the opposition who would be holding their PGMA rally but most Manila people have other ideas: they will be in Baguio for the Panagbenga. Unless PGMA decides to join the Panagbenga.

J-Lo and Ike Lozada


Lozada sang at the Senate. Ike Lozada Sang about Guy and Pip
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