Unbounded

"A building is nothing more than a symbol, as is the act of destroying it. Symbols are given power by people. A symbol, in and of itself is powerless, but with enough people behind it, blowing up a building can change the world."

-V

"To absent friends, lost loves, old gods, and the season of mists; and may each and every one of us always give the devil his due."

-Dream
Seasons of Mists

"It's only a thimbleful of a voice, and I have to use it close to the microphone. But it is a kind of oversmoked voice, and it automatically sounds intimate."

-Julie London
Life Magazine, 1957

What on earth is an event when it is not celebrated, mourned, commemorated, nor remembered? The following commentary attempts to ordinate the most significant rivalries of our batch if ranked from ten to one.

Human impulsiveness will lead the common reader to immediately judge the content of the following list. Let them be, for it is only humane for one’s emotion to take hold of his reasoning. But lest they realize its folly, that the aim of this narrative is to shed a humorous but critical perspective at taboo events, the sooner will they appreciate and celebrate the existence of our batch. Read on.

10.) III Nickel vs. Aimee Grutas
(Directed Warfare)

Origin

It all began when this despot made a botched joke about a mental patient. It enraged the class to a point where every student banded together, and decided to make their classroom adviser their common enemy. Mr. Wilson Tang stepped up to be the figurehead of this said class in the later quarters, and lead the series of antagonizing events to oust their adviser.

Length

Organized resistance went on to one full schoolyear. Each student suffered going to class to be made fun of by this tyrant. They crept through each day, each week, and each quarter.

One noble student, Mr. Glenn Kho, once wittily retorted against his adviser when she was routinely exercising her evil influence to the class. This poor martyr was systematically publicly persecuted. He was, is and will be honored for his unselfish attempts to reveal the evil adviser’s folly.

Something had to be done. A new figurehead must step up to bravely face this oppressor.

Climax

In what was to be remembered as the third quarter storm, a blitz of insurgency from the class lead to the downfall of the adviser. One man rose from the ranks and raised the class consciousness, inspired by the satire of Mr. Glenn Kho.

The people’s president, Mr. Wilson Tang bravely exposed her puppet government, literally. No one ever thought that a paper receptacle and a felt tip pen were all it took to oust an autocrat.

It was the longest 50 minutes of their lives. Everyone’s eyes, ears, and hearts were on Mr. Tang. He surprised everyone, including the adviser herself by symbolically chatting with a puppet version of her.

Enraged, and very embarrassed, the adviser’s futile attempt to take control of a collectively conscious class was now inevitable.

Result

Anarchy! Freedom! Everyone rejoiced!

Yellow ribbons were tied along the bars of the classroom windows, to symbolize that 3 Nickel was now free from her vile cruelty. The class hailed Mr. Tang and remembered Mr. Kho for their passion for truth.

Impact

It was then known, not only to the other 2 classrooms, but also to the whole academe that 3 Nickel made a crimson-less revolt against their adviser (no one failed her class).

9.) Rowena Corpuz vs. Patrick Siy
(Asshole vs. Dickhole)

Number nine on the list reminds us that sometimes, we have to favor the unfavorable in a contention, albeit the lesser one. Whether you sided with the teacher or the student, one thing’s for certain, nobody really gave a sniff of fecal matter of attention for this rivalry. This one’s a novelty entry at best. Can you catch my whiff?

8.) Stephanie Dionisio vs. Jonathan Pua
(For the SC Presidency)

Ah, the holy grail for recognition in college admissions – being the student council president of your highschool. Only a handful may be able to claim that they ran for it, only a few chosen individuals may boast that they won it, and only one will be able to declare with pride that that person won the presidential vacancy with absolutely no established party system, platform, general, and specific plans of action.

The voice of the educated populace were put on the hands of these two presidentiables, where one campaigned for responsible toilet flushing through “sprinkle allergy stickers”, vis-à-vis the other, simply considered his candidacy as a fallback for his other application (and vice versa) to an immaculate, non-partisan highschool organ that heralded integrity and excellence.

That yellow sprinkle campaign was apparently effective. Despite a blatant tally fraud, the latter candidate lost by an expected landslide to a ditz. He then naturally assumed an executive editorial position.

In what can only be described as a campaign battle that went to the dogs, what was once a pure regard to that highschool organ became tainted with yellow sprinkles.

7.) Jimson Gow vs. Louis Chingcuangco
(Self-directed Warfare)

6.) Wilson Tang vs. Jefferlito Menguin
(Teacher vs. Apprentice)

Yours truly could not possibly have the heart, courage, nay, grace to post the professional sports entertainment allusions for this number six rivalry, on the account that it’s too lame and too corny to compose. Maybe Wil can elaborate on this (oh yeah, do feel free to elaborate on the other ranks since to comprehensively talk about each and everyone of them would consume too much time).

The gist of this rivalry between Wil and Menguin is that they absolutely hated each other in everything they did together, be it in pool, basketball, early morning line formations, classroom discussions, and even in the newsroom. This only gives more weight to the saying that no jerk likes to have another jerk around.

This rivalry went on for two school years and peaked when Menguin denied Wil of an executive editorial position in the school organ to a ditz and subsequently, denied him as well of a journalism merit award to that very same ditz whose name I would prefer not to mention.

Indeed, it was an epic teacher-apprentice / father-son relationship worthy of Star Wars comparison.

5.) Jericson Co vs. Glenn Kho
(For The Trophy partner)

4.) Stephanie Dionisio vs. Sheryl Uy
(Queen Bees and Wannabes)

3.) Wilson Tang vs. Sabrina Poon
(Chauvinist pig vs. Feminist bitch)

2.) Jelyne Garperio vs. Sherri Yang
(Family matters)

1.) Jokeh vs. Pikachu
(Everything that’s wrong in this world thrown into a barrel of lard and retardation.)

It would be a tremendous task, o God, for me to write this one up without malice if it is without Your watchful eye. The burden of my choice of words will be unbearable if You would not guide my pen. I ask forgiveness in advance, o God, that I may treat one of my batchmate whom we remembered with the most colorful of memories with disrespect.

Your most humble servant will remain steadfast to pray to You five times each morn, until the faithful day that he shall meet You again.

Amen.

-----

Sarcasm and satire are not enough to describe the eternal struggle between the good and the badly educated. Even Mother Nature’s evolutionary process could not rival the severe social ineptness of this fictional hamster’s combatant. Powers clash as bolts of lightning battles against his magic technicolor Gameboy, powered by his imagination.

Yet, with all our condescending perception of his apparently absurd world comes bliss. An appreciation that we could never see without an open mind.

Yes, he did not graduate along with us, but he will be remembered as our special batchmate. Let’s all hope that God or the devil has higher plans for him in this world.

…That poor soul.

“What’s this? You’re looking at a Friendster profile of someone you met for the first time yesterday, someone you hardly know?”

“Well, technically, I’ve acquainted myself with her for quite some time now. I called her up the other day, we’ve met yesterday, and today, I’m knowing stuff about her that’s making me realize that we have a lot more in common than I originally thought we had.”

“Sure. Keeping her resume, contacting her for an interview, peeping on her Friendster account and seeing that you have the same favorite book count as such.”

“If you like to put it that way.”

“I thought you hated your job?”

“Yes, before.

Imagine this, you resent having to wake up at an ungodly hour, and you go to work at least thirty minutes late everyday. You have that heavy feeling inside you, as if there was a looming cloud over you, everywhere you go.

And then, one day, you got to interview someone out of the ordinary, someone who made the pitch of your voice higher than usual; An obvious sign of anxiety.

You tell her that your interview with her will be good for fifteen to twenty minutes. And yet, it took over an hour. She got to talk about the things that she liked, and you listened intently.

She enjoyed the interview, so did you.

She asked for your contact details, and left you with a good feeling inside. A feeling like there was something in what you’re doing that gave meaning, that gave you a sense of appreciation for your crap-ass job.

And, at that moment, you smiled.”

“I see. I know that feeling exactly.”

“I’m sure you do.”

“Go on.”

“As I was returning to the office a while ago, I got a call, saying that I should place her for a position that’s not fit for her. I naturally asserted my principle. I disagreed.

Disagreeing proved futile. Suddenly, she became a victim of injustice; she was stripped of an opportunity that she fought for, fair and square.

I was crushed, literally.

My eyes watered up. My tone got throaty. My nose got itchy.

I couldn’t look at her. I couldn’t tell her straight faced, bluntly, that she won’t get the position.”

“What a terrible situation for her.”

“I sympathize with her.”

“Because?”

“Because I shared the exact same experience as with her before, three months earlier, that I was deprived of the same position, and was considered for the exact other position, a position that’s also not fit for me.

She doesn’t deserve this. She doesn’t deserve not entertaining her other pending applications for the position, only to know that she got screwed. She doesn’t deserve the frustration.

Of all the feelings and exact similar situations that I had to share with someone else in this earth of mankind, why does it have to be this?

I really feel bad for her. I really do.”

“You had to share the same despair.”

“..Go away, conscience.”

For a moment, he was mesmerized, as he was watching the prickly raindrops collecting on the window panes.

He was lost in his thoughts. Thoughts about how his friend was doing, why he couldn’t make the conscious effort of letting her know that he wants to treat her because he lost their bet, and that letting her know also that she should treat him back because she cheated in that same bet.

This never made sense, but hey, everything doesn’t have to.

He then shifted his blank stare from the infinite prism beads to the radiantly warm headlamp, to the two lonely orange chairs below it, and to the lone coffee table that kept them company. It was a charming sight indeed.

The chair seemed to beckon him, to sit on it, like he did before when he had the interview with her friend’s friend (it was a mock interview, you see. She was supposed to be hired in the first place).

It never made sense, but hey, everything doesn’t have to.

Again, he was lost in his thoughts.

The rain. The bet. The Interview.
Hesitation; it all made sense.

And finally, for a moment, he smiled.
He finally understood bliss.

Pathology in the Hundred Acre Wood: a neurodevelopmental perspective on A.A. Milne

Shea, S.E., et al.

Abstract
Somewhere at the top of the Hundred Acre Wood a little boy and his bear play. On the surface it is an innocent world, but on closer examination by our group of experts we find a forest where neurodevelopmental and psychosocial problems go unrecognized and untreated.


On the surface it is an innocent world: Christopher Robin, living in a beautiful forest surrounded by his loyal animal friends. Generations of readers of A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh stories have enjoyed these seemingly benign tales (Milne, 1926, 1928). However, perspectives change with time, and it is clear to our group of modern neurodevelopmentalists that these are in fact stories of Seriously Troubled Individuals, many of whom meet DSM-IV (APA, 1994).

[link]

We have done an exhaustive review of the works of A.A. Milne and offer our conclusions about the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood in hopes that our observations will help the medical community understand that there is a Dark Underside to this world.

We begin with Pooh. This unfortunate bear embodies the concept of comorbidity. Most striking is his Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), inattentive subtype. As clinicians, we had some debate about whether Pooh might also demonstrate significant impulsivity, as witnessed, for example, by his poorly thought out attempt to get honey by disguising himself as a rain cloud. We concluded, however, that this reflected more on his comorbid cognitive impairment, further aggravated by an obsessive fixation on honey. The latter, of course, has also contributed to his significant obesity. Pooh's perseveration on food and his repetitive counting behaviours raise the diagnostic possibility of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Given his coexisting ADHD and OCD, we question whether Pooh may over time present with Tourette's syndrome. Pooh is also clearly described as having Very Little Brain. We could not confidently diagnose microcephaly, however, as we do not know whether standards exist for the head circumference of the brown bear. The cause of Pooh's poor brain growth may be found in the stories themselves. Early on we see Pooh being dragged downstairs bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head. Could his later cognitive struggles be the result of a type of Shaken Bear Syndrome?

Pooh needs intervention. We feel drugs are in order. We cannot but wonder how much richer Pooh's life might be were he to have a trial of low-dose stimulant medication. With the right supports, including methylphenidate, Pooh might be fitter and more functional and perhaps produce (and remember) more poems.

I take a PILL-tiddley pom It keeps me STILL-tiddley pom, It keeps me STILL-tiddley pom Not fiddling.

And what of little Piglet? Poor, anxious, blushing, flustered little Piglet. He clearly suffers from a Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Had he been appropriately assessed and his condition diagnosed when he was young, he might have been placed on an antipanic agent, such as paroxetine, and been saved from the emotional trauma he experienced while attempting to trap heffalumps.

Pooh and Piglet are at risk for additional self-esteem injury because of the chronic dysthymia of their neighbour, Eeyore. What a sad life that donkey lives. We do not have sufficient history to diagnose this as an inherited, endogenous depression or to know whether some early trauma contributed to his chronic negativism, low energy and anhe(haw)donia. Eeyore would benefit greatly from an antidepressant, perhaps combined with individual therapy. Maybe with a little fluoxetine, Eeyore might see the humour in the whole tail-losing episode. Even if a patch of St. John's wort grew near his thistles, the forest could ring with a braying laugh.

Our neurodevelopmental group agrees about poor Owl: obviously bright, but dyslexic. His poignant attempts to cover up for his phonological deficits are similar to what we see day in and day out in others so afflicted. If only his condition had been identified early and he received more intensive support!

We especially worry about baby Roo. It is not his impulsivity or hyperactivity that concerns us, as we feel that those are probably age appropriate. We worry about the environment in which he is developing. Roo is growing up in a single-parent household, which puts him at high risk for Poorer Outcome. We predict we will someday see a delinquent, jaded, adolescent Roo hanging out late at night at the top of the forest, the ground littered with broken bottles of extract of malt and the butts of smoked thistles. We think that this will be Roo's reality, in part because of a second issue. Roo's closest friend is Tigger, who is not a good Role Model. Peer influences strongly affect outcome.

We acknowledge that Tigger is gregarious and affectionate, but he has a recurrent pattern of risk-taking behaviours. Look, for example, at his impulsive sampling of unknown substances when he first comes to the Hundred Acre Wood. With the mildest of provocation he tries honey, haycorns and even thistles. Tigger has no knowledge of the potential outcome of his experimentation. Later we find him climbing tall trees and acting in a way that can only be described as socially intrusive. He leads Roo into danger. Our clinical group has had its own debate about what the best medication might be for Tigger. Some of us have argued that his behaviours, occurring in a context of obvious hyperactivity and impulsivity, would suggest the need for a stimulant medication. Others have wondered whether clonidine might be helpful, or perhaps a combination of the two. Unfortunately we could not answer the question as scientifically as we would have liked because we could find only human studies in the literature.

Even if we were able to help Tigger, we would still have the problem of Roo's growing up with a single parent. Kanga is noted to be somewhat overprotective. Could her possessiveness of Roo relate to a previous run-in with social services? And where will Kanga be in the future? It is highly likely that she will end up older, blowsier, struggling to look after several joeys conceived in casual relationships with different fathers, stuck at a dead end with inadequate financial resources. But perhaps we are being too gloomy. Kanga may prove to be one of those exceptional single mothers who show a natural resilience — an ability, if we may say so, to bounce back. Maybe Kanga will pass her high school equivalency test, earn a university degree and maybe even get an MBA. Perhaps some day Kanga will buy the Hundred Acre Wood and develop it into a gated community of $500 000 homes. But that is not likely to happen, particularly in a social context that does not appear to value education and provides no strong female leadership.

What leadership there is in the Hundred Acre Wood is simply that offered by one small boy, Christopher Robin. Our group believes that Christopher Robin has not exhibited any diagnosable condition as yet, but we are concerned about several issues. There is the obvious problem of a complete absence of parental supervision, not to mention the fact that this child is spending his time talking to animals. We also noted in the stories early signs of difficulty with academics and felt that E.H. Shepard's illustrations suggest possible future gender identity issues for this child. The more psychoanalytical member in our group indicated that there could be some Freudian meaning to his peculiar naming of his bear as Winnie-the-Pooh.

Finally, we turn to Rabbit. We note his tendency to be extraordinarily self-important and his odd belief system that he has a great many relations (many of other species!) and friends. He seems to have an overriding need to organize others, often against their will, into new groupings, with himself always at the top of the reporting structure. We believe that he has missed his calling, as he clearly belongs in senior-level hospital administration.
Somewhere at the top of the forest a little boy and his bear play. Sadly, the forest is not, in fact, a place of enchantment, but rather one of disenchantment, where neurodevelopmental and psychosocial problems go unrecognized and untreated. It is unfortunate that an Expotition was never Organdized to a Child Development Clinic.

References

Milne, A.A. (1926). Winnie-the-Pooh. London: Methuen.
Milne, A.A. (1928). The House at Pooh Corner. London: Methuen.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington: The Association.

Jesus dies and goes up to Heaven. The first thing he does is look for his father, as he has never met the man before and is curious as to what he looks like, and whether or not Jesus looks like his mother or father, etc. He looks high and low but cannot find him.

He asks St. Peter "Where is my father?" But St. Peter says he doesn't know.

He asks the archangel Gabriel "Where is my father?" But Gabriel doesn't know.

He asks John the Baptist "Where is my father?" But John does not know. So he wanders Heaven, impatiently searching.

Suddenly he sees out of the mist an old man coming toward him. The man is very old, with white hair, stooped over a little. "Stop!" Jesus yells. "Who are you?"

"Oh, please help me, I am an old man in search of my son." Jesus is very curious. Could this be his father? "Tell me of your son, old man."

"Oh, you would know him if you saw him. Holes in his hand where the nails used to be, he was nailed to a cross, you know..."

"Father!!!!!" Screams Jesus.

"Pinocchio!!!!!!!" yells the old man.

After weeks and weeks of wrestling my thoughts on whether I’d buy myself a copy of Levitt and Dubner’s Freakonomics (you see, some people become cheap when they’re flat broke and have no means of income yet. Damnit Ms. Dada, why won’t you call me?), I finally decided to buy myself one (after lingering in Fully Booked for an hour and a half, just staring at it) and I’m having no regrets whatsoever since. It’s both an insightful book and eye opener.

I have yet to read pass the book’s third chapter but already I’m having circling thoughts and personal reflections on various related events. I have also noticed that I haven’t really contributed anything meaningful to this group blog lately, heh.

So with this, I’m planning to write something up related to the psychology (and economics pala no?) of cheating, and information asymmetry, as paralleled in chapters one and two of the book.

1 . Incentives as a motivational factor for cheating among students.

Together with Anteola, Arellano, and Cabaluna, we once wrote this Experimental Psychology research (albeit poorly written then) on the different kinds of incentives that would motivate a student to cheat. I’m planning to expound on this and give my additional insights, heh.

2. Networking pitching process – it’s all about information asymmetry.

Having personally experienced being pitched by a networking agent, and actually being connected to one, I’m planning to give my additional reactions as to why this field leaves me much to be impressed.

Well, so much for introductions. Here’s to being a devil’s advocate.

If you don't give my football back, I'm gonna get my dad on you
I only kicked it over your fence and broke a silly gnome or two”

I was immediately captivated by the Jose +10 ad campaign of Adidas when I first saw it on Sports Plus. Not only was Jim Noir’s Eany Meany delightful (a feel-good jingle that’ll surely evoke nostalgic memories about our good ‘ol days), but the concept behind the commercial series was equally wistful.

Adidas understands as few others have that football is about dreams for over a billion fans worldwide. It gives these ordinary people an outlet for their imagination.

Few of them will ever get to play in a World Cup and even fewer will become legends, but every single one of these boys and girls will be transported from the reality of their lives by the fantasy of the beautiful game.

It shows the power of soccer to transform ([link]).

…Too bad Filipinos have little awareness and appreciation for the sport.

Still, the campaign’s charming. Simply charming.

____

The video: [link]
The press release: [link]
The Impossible team: [link]
Oh, and btw, viva azzurri!

“Mornin. I’m supposed to have a scheduled psychological testing today. Ms. _____ of _____ called me last night and told me that I could have my test anytime within the day, so here I am.”

“Oh. Your name sir?”

“Michael _____

“Ahh. Please sign the logbook and follow me to the other room to take the test…”

Welcome to _____, an HR outsourcing firm somewhere along the busy and congested Boni Avenue, in Mandaluyong City.

As you may have noticed, HR firms have come a long way from small, never heard Psychometric distribution offices, to Global HR consultancy and business process outsourcing companies. From what I understand, these third-party industries cater to a wide spectrum of services including headhunting, consultancy, assessment, recruitment, placement, and to compensations and benefits. I’m even seriously thinking of setting up one of these with a couple of associates in the near future when I get the chance, heh.

It’s nice to see that companies like these are growing like wild mushroom sprouts, but (there’s always a ‘but’) I was able to notice a number of glaring issues (at least, from the point of view of a tester) in my most recent foray into testing, that seriously needs to be addressed.

And just in case you’re asking, no, I’m not going to sugar coat my thoughts and opinions just because I’m a psychology graduate.

It is with my firmest conviction to say that most third party HR firms here in the country have abysmal testing conditions (‘shitty’ and ‘terrible’ are acceptable adjectives), which could in turn, affect a tester’s performance.

Let’s take _____ as a case in point.

When you realize that you’re taking your SRA’s, RAVEN’s, SCT’s, essays, IPAT’s, or whatever, in a testing room converted from a kitchen (that’s a room away from the reception area, with no doors dividing the two whatsoever), complete with pots, pans, and the kitchen sink; in a testing room where car exhaust and ambient noise can easily seep through the glass door; in a testing room where smucks linger in the room discussing what nots (two staff members were talking about financial matters the whole time that I was taking my test. One even handed checks to the other), as if they have the room to their own; and finally, in a testing room where you have a receptionist/facilitator handing to you photocopies of the battery with no instructions explained whether written or verbatim, you’re simply screwed. These unfettered testing conditions can easily throw you off.

Ideally, applicants would come in, take their tests, and end at the same time. But understandably, it’s simply not possible since HR firms like say, _____ have lots of clients, and each needs different batteries of tests to administer, even for the same position between companies.

Also, testing rooms should be quiet, well lit, good ventilation, and staggered seating arrangements.

Yet despite everything, HR firms like ____ simply neglected these most fundamental regulations. As far as I’m concerned, testing conditions in _____ leave little to be pleased.

I do hope that the PAP, or whatever, as long as some organization with an authority over this can look and regulate these test conditions.

When you have the biggest FMCG companies like _____ or _____ relying their sourcing on third party head hunting companies like _____ for the sole reason of downsizing and cost cutting, I will seriously doubt the test score validity and their assessment.

I’m planning to write a letter to the sourcing firm, and one to PAP.

Acosta, K. A., Kho, M. G., & Rosales, M. S. (2004). Jologs Perception Scale. Psychological Measurement Laboratory 1. De La Salle University.

[Appendix A: Questionnaire]

Edad:
Kasarian:

Sa mga sumusunod na bilang, bilugan ang inyong sagot na naayon sa inyong pananaw tungkol sa pagkajologs ng lalaki. Ang iskala ay makakatulong sa inyong pagtugon ng mas naangkop na kasagutan.

LS – Lubos na Sumasang-ayon
S – Sumasang-ayon
N – Neutral
DS – Di - Sumasang-ayon
LD – Lubos na Di – Sumasang-ayon

A. Panlabas na anyo

Ang lalaki ay jologs kapag…

LS S N DS LD 1. May buhok na sobrang makintab at matigas dahil sa hair gel.
LS S N DS LD 2. Naka-hair dye o naka-highlights ang buhok
LS S N DS LD 3. May istik ng sigarilyo sa ibabaw ng tenga.
LS S N DS LD 4. Maraming piercings sa katawan.
LS S N DS LD 5. Maraming burloloy o “accessories” sa katawan tulad ng kwintas at sing-sing.
LS S N DS LD 6. May nakakabit na tanikala o chain sa bulsa.
LS S N DS LD 7. Maraming tattoo sa katawan.
LS S N DS LD 8. Nakamaong na pants na butas – butas.
LS S N DS LD 9. Nakafitted na shirt kahit na sobrang payat.
LS S N DS LD 10. Hip-hop ang porma na tipong kita na ang underwear.
LS S N DS LD 11. Nagsusuot ng malalaking pants tulad ng elephant pants.
LS S N DS LD 12. Nakasando lang kapag lumalabas ng bahay.
LS S N DS LD 13. Nagsusuot ng malalaki o barkong sapatos.
LS S N DS LD 14. Pumoporma ng wala sa panahon tulad ng pagsusuot ng shades kahit malilim.
LS S N DS LD 15. Naka-porontong o “baggy shorts”.
LS S N DS LD 16. Nagsusuot ng mga t-shirt na matitingkad ang kulay tulad ng neon.
LS S N DS LD 17. Dinesenyo ang buhok sa pamamagitan ng pag-aahit nito.
LS S N DS LD 18. May nakapalupot na bimpo sa leeg.
LS S N DS LD 19. Nagsusuot ng mga t-shirts na sadyang ginupit.
LS S N DS LD 20. Naglalagay ng barya sa loob ng tenga.

B. Pag-uugali

Ang lalaki ay jologs kapag…

LS S N DS LD 1. Ngumingiti na parang manyakis sa mga babaeng hindi naman nila kilala.
LS S N DS LD 2. Nanghihipo ng pasimple sa mga babaeng hindi nila kilala.
LS S N DS LD 3. Sinisipulan ang mga babaeng dumadaan.
LS S N DS LD 4. Kumikindat sa mga babaeng hindi nila kilala.
LS S N DS LD 5. Pilit na nakikipagkilala sa mga babae sa mga hindi naaayon na lugar.
LS S N DS LD 6. Papansin at matagal tumitig sa mga babaeng hindi nila kilala.
LS S N DS LD 7. Siga kung kumilos at magsalita sa harap ng maraming tao.
LS S N DS LD 8. Sunod ng sunod sa mga babaeng hindi nila kilala kahit ayaw naman ng mga babae
LS S N DS LD 9. Bastos kung magsalita sa mga pampublikong lugar
LS S N DS LD 10. Umiihi kahit saan kahit alam namang bawal.
LS S N DS LD 11. Dumudura sa kung saang – saang lugar tulad ng kalye.
LS S N DS LD 12. Idinidikit ang bubble gum sa dingding o ilalim ng mesa.
LS S N DS LD 13. Isinusulat ang kanyang numero ng telepono sa likod ng upuan ng bus.
LS S N DS LD 14. Nagsusulat sa pader.
LS S N DS LD 15. Nagkokomento ng malakas sa sinehan.
LS S N DS LD 16. Nagkakamot ng mga bahaging hindi dapat kamutin sa pampublikong lugar.
LS S N DS LD 17. Sumisinga ng malakas sa pampublikong lugar.
LS S N DS LD 18. Nagtatanggal ng dumi sa ilong sa harap ng publiko.
LS S N DS LD 19. Nagtatanggal ng pang-taas na saplot sa pampublikong lugar.
LS S N DS LD 20. Bahagyang nagtatanggal ng sapatos sa pampublikong lugar.

Hello again boys and girls.

Remember our pee-wee days when we all had our own little share of hardass math teachers who petrified us stiff by their complete lack of empathy and humor?

Well, back in the days where wringing a misguided student’s collar was still an acceptable behavioral correction tool (Damn, I should’ve sued when one of my crone teachers did that to me), they would remind us that “Oh little children, you see, mathematics can be useful. It’s practical. You’d get to use it in real life”. Yup, I’m sure you’ve heard of it, and no doubt threw those words of wisdom out the window.

I’m here to tell you that it’s all true. Math really can save your life, and here’s a short story to tell you why.

About a year or two ago, my friends and I convened to celebrate fermented barley. It was one of those nights where we lived like the Romans (minus the gluttony, lead poisoning, and orgy. It was a night of good clean ethanol consumption). In an illustration of how boys can be boys, one friend of mine chugged half a bottle of bubblegum lambanog (fermented coconut wine with a bubblegum flavor) and half a bottle of Absolut Blackcurrant. Needless to say, the bloke was knocked out cold for the night, and we had to nurse him because he was shivering uncontrollably, with the occasional unconscious vomiting...

Let’s pause for a moment to talk about blood alcohol content.

When a person has about one to three drinks, his blood alcohol content would be about 0.02 - 0.03%. This equates to noticeable cognitive changes, and euphoria. With about five drinks, your BAC would be around 0.15% - 0.20%. By that much, you’d be in a state of stupor. With twelve drinks, your BAC would spike to about 0.30% - 0.40%. This equates to loss of consciousness to comatose. And finally, with twenty-four drinks in one hour, your BAC would be around 0.50%... You’d be dead by now.

Now back to my friend. Bubblegum lambanog and Vodka are both 80 proof, and one shot would be equivalent to one “drink”. He consumed about a liter of 40% alcohol combined. My guess is that his blood alcohol content was definitely in between 0.30% 0.35%.

My friend woke up the following day with a terrible hangover, and was completely puzzled why he wasn’t wearing his shirt and why the heck did he slept at the bathtub.

So boys and girls, if you are able to meticulously count the calories in your chocolate decadent cake, I’m sure you’d be able to compute your possible blood alcohol content before you take a shot of Jose Cuervo. It can save your life.

"I want to tell you a story. I'm going to ask you all to close your eyes while I tell you the story. I want you to listen to me. I want you to listen to yourselves. Go ahead. Close your eyes, please...

This is a story about a little girl walking home from the grocery store one sunny afternoon. I want you to picture this little girl. Suddenly a truck races up. Two men jump out and grab her. They drag her into a nearby field and they tie her up and they rip her clothes from her body. Now they climb on. First one, then the other, raping her, shattering everything innocent and pure with a vicious thrust in a fog of drunken breath and sweat. And when they're done, after they've killed her tiny womb, murdered any chance for her to have children, to have life beyond her own, they decide to use her for target practice.

They start throwing full beer cans at her. They throw them so hard that it tears the flesh all the way to her bones. Then they urinate on her.

Now comes the hanging. They have a rope. They tie a noose. Imagine the noose going tight around her neck and with a sudden blinding jerk she's pulled into the air and her feet and legs go kicking. They don't find the ground. The hanging branch isn't strong enough. It snaps and she falls back to the earth. So they pick her up, throw her in the back of the truck and drive out to Foggy Creek Bridge. Pitch her over the edge. And she drops some thirty feet down to the creek bottom below. Can you see her? Her raped, beaten, broken body soaked in their urine, soaked in their semen, soaked in her blood, left to die. Can you see her? I want you to picture that little girl.

Now imagine she's white."

-Jake Brigance
A Time to Kill

[link]

For sale: Brick from Jubilee Wall.

Have you ever thought to yourself how great it would be if one had a piece of history like let's say, a section of the Berlin Wall, or a slab from the Great Wall of China? Wouldn't that be just dandy? A perfect conversation piece, right?

But I assure you, you would not be able to get one of those even after a hundred years. Might as well wait for fifty and have your own tombstone.

Well here's the next best thing.

Presenting, an authentic red brick taken (stolen) from the facade of Jubilee Christian Academy.

Stolen months ago from the facade along 3rd street and Dona Hemady, the brick measures 6 inches(l) by 3 inches(w) by 2.5 inches(h). It weighs a couple of pounds, no more than two dead chickens. 100% oven baked to achieve the crimson hue, that red bricks are known for. Ideal for cabinet display, and equally useful as a paperweight or as a bludgeoning weapon. Comes without packaging when purchased.

Perfect gift for that die hard Jubilean or to your pesky mother-in-law.

"Yup, it's the real deal alright!" -assures Mang Tony, the magtataho who saw the pilfering.

"100% authentic!" -exclaims Mang Ramon, the fishball vendor at the other corner of the street who also saw the pilfering.

If you call now, we'll even include the authentic dirt and mold from the brick. See the dead little critters from the brick crevices!

So what are you waiting for? Treat yourself to this one of a kind treasure right now!

My my, this is turning out to be colorful discussion, no?

Everything started when Jim wrote this to the groups:

hey! what this? a non-forwarded message??? what is the world coming to???

Remember the days when posting a yahoo groups message was the norm? I might have had beeper 150 too, but I don't remember as much

Anyway anyway anyway, what brings me here is to announce our plans to have a bookdrive.

I know.
I know what you're thinking.

You're thinking "who are you?"

well, i'm jim, your high school batchmate!

Now you're thinking "what the hell do you want, mr someone who hasnt kept in touch with me"

Well, because it has been brought to my attention that jubilee's library has no books (well they have, just not enough to be actually called a library), we decided to have a bookdrive in order to raise books so that our younger brothers can have something to read aside from the old crappy encyclopedias we used to read before.

But before we suggest this fantabulous idea to the jubilee admin office, we felt that its important to get support from you guys first because we want to make it a batch thing.

That's right, we're all batchmates... ahhhh i can see you're all starting to remember now, a minute from now we'll all be singing "thank you, friend"

well, reply one and all and let me knw if this cause is important enough for you guys so i can decide if i want to go home or not (yes, im actually not in the philippines right now).

Or talk to Glenn and Wilson or go to the 13 blog, where laughter and
happiness abound.

if you want to get in touch with me... my email and ym is true_love5484@yahoo.com .... say hello, flirt with me a little if you want..

anyway, thats it for me...

y'all take care... i miss you all

except for you stevenson, i dont miss you at all hee

Chika responded positively, so did Jirbie, although we suspect that her affirmation was about the flirting thing.

Erwin then retorted with this profound statement:

No offense to anyone... but i came to realize the evils of Jubilee...

And posted another one which went:

I realized that what I said a while ago is not Ok... so here is an alternate and in my point of view better and a more helpful and beneficial suggestion to your idea, Jim. .

I think that Jubilee has more than enough and they can support themselves IF they WANT to. I think the more worthy to give help to are the public schools. Try going to any public school, look at the poor kids. I think it would be more helpful if we help these people. They are the ones who really need our help. I'm sure they will
appreciate whatever we can give, even old text books and encyclopedia will definitely and surely help them.

What do you think?

Mariane also voiced her opinion:

Hey peeps. Bigla ako napareply....

Anyways, as much as I think the earlier suggestion was really cool,
I would have to agree with Erwin that if Jubilee really wanted to upgrade
the library, it could, and that if we would really want to help,
that public schools might have a greater need. Hehehe, just a thought.
Anyways, it's a fabulous idea to do this to help other people

And as expected, Jim responded with:

Oh no! my evil plan to corrupt young minds with the gift of better literature has been foiled!

Everyone got surprised when Eug posted his sound arguments (kudos!):

might as well reply hehe...

As much as i like erwin's alternative suggestion..i would want to stick with the
idea of further enhacing JCA's library..for the following reasons:

1.) If we are to start this bookdrive..let's not be too ambitious in trying to start it off on a school that we totally have no influence on..at least sa Jubilee..kahit konti naman cguro meron tayo d b?

2.) It's true that JCA may have the capability to support itself..but having been there we should know that they lack the initiative to do something about the problems of the library..maybe our actions would be something that would appeal to the senses of the admin to do something about its problems

3.) Lastly, a lot of us will be very busy after some time..some because of work..others because of something else..(by the way congrats to those who just graduated last march) so why don't we just spare ourselves a little less time in looking for other school's problems when we have one right in front of us.

That's all for now, take care everyone and God bless

Now comes Necisto's reply. Classy. It went:

better give to unfortunate people. Most of the jubilee people are well of anyways. Come to think of it, how many Jubilee students go there to do research? I'll
just support the poor kids cramping into a small classroom.

Sab followed with an obscure reply:

The Center for Peace Education in Miriam College just posted a message that Students from Patikur, Sulu are in need of reference materials. Well, from my view point, it would really be "better" if we could help public schools instead.
I believe that raising funds for the library of Jubilee is the responsibility of the School and the JCAPA.

Sabb

From Stip:

is stibog a member of this yahoo group? hehe di ata... baka walang
nakaalala mag invite... buti nga si jim naalala nya eh... hehehehe
naalala lang nya... pero d nya naalala iiinvite... hehe or baka
nainvite den... d ko alam.. hehehe

Jim finally got fed up with all the irrational alternatives:

okay, this is just silly now. If you think that public schools need books, no one's disagreeing. if you prefer giving to public schools, then thats fine too.
however y'all are missing this

we're talking about our alma mater. this isnt just a case of choosing whether to give to a middle class kid or to a really poor kid, because in that line of thought, then jubilee would never get anything.. ever. someone will always need more than jubileans will, but that doesnt mean we cant give back to our school. i hear that's what people who graduated there do.

so if you want to do something charitable, then cool, lets do that too.. but what i was saying was to do something for our school... but then again, im not even in the freakin country, so what the hell do i know

I then started to explain our initiatives. I chose not to be too vocal about it first:

Hello.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted something, seeing as being candidly vocal about telling the truth equates to public persecution. Nevertheless…

My friend, my friend, please explain to us the idea behind the necessity of doing this proposed bookdrive project instead for the poor, because a paragraph of word salad wouldn’t be enough of an argument to justify a batch-wide project. Be reminded that we are talking about making a batch project that will be specific, practical, and sustainable.

Providing those deprived kids the learning resources is such a novel idea, I really do think so. I really do. But it’s too broad of a project for the batch to manage. Why not address a need that we could easily reach? So I agree with Eug and Jim. We never really appreciated our library because we never had good books to begin with.

Now what about the thing on responsibility? It’s as much of a responsibility for the school and to the parents association as for concerned alumni. I’m afraid that sounds utilitarian, devoid of human empathy. I wouldn’t just leave jubilee behind after she cared for me for oh so long.

We are consulting the different sectors of the school community, like the students, the teachers, the head honchos, the parents, and of course, us.

-Glenn

And the mother of all replies, and from a business managment savant no less:

"planning is key babe, planning is key..."

Jeco replied, in three parts, taking the matter to the preparation phase:

kunin na muna natin yung mga required books nila, i'm sure people will back this project up if we give them something more specific i.e. quantities, and categories of books that they need. Can somebody over in Manila do this? si Ms. Singan naman madali lang kausapin e. Then we can offer this up to our batchmates and our contacts and just post the list of requirements para may pang-check tayo.

Anson Tan, the alumni association president (for the past X number of years) is here in Canada, kasama ko sa simbahan (WHAT THE FUCK???!!! SI JECO NAGSISIMBA???!!!!) anyway i'll talk to him on Sunday about this para mas legitimate and mas marami tayong maitutulong.

-----

The thing with jubilee now isn't indigenous to our school alone, it's the lack of money and the lack of teachers because of the low salary, they really have bad teachers ngayon hehehe. The whole CE department left including pastor Sia hehehe. Si Paul lang naiwan, that's a sign of something bad na e no? Christian Education teachers leaving a Christian school and society to look for work in Muslim country hehehehe. Religion doesn't pay unless it's coupled with violence hahahaha.

Anyway I do encourage fresh grads to try teaching there kasi kailangan nila ng decent na teachers (ang dali sabihin e no?) When i get back yun yung una kong balak gawin, although governemnt policy disallows part-time teachers, i heard na the case can be altered when it comes to jubilee with a little negotiation (godfather style sana para mas masaya).

-----

sorry ang daming messages na, as for helping the poor, honestly guys, those acts of benevolence might be better if we really could commit to the project, otherwise masasayang lang. If we really "REALLY" want to help then let's warm-up with something we can plan, execute, monitor, and evaluate with ease before we undertake some other altruistic act. So i think the Jubilee thing works well as a good first step. let's get the list muna ng kailangan na books then let's see how we perform, after such then tingnan natin kung kaya ba natin tong gawing sustainable.

So game? we really need somebody to go to jubilee and get an initial needs analysis muna.

Cha followed with her affirmation:

All of us know that the number of times we entered the Jubilee library can be counted with our fingers and for the diligent ones, their toes included... and we CANNOT deny the fact that there IS a scarcity of books in the library due to well, probably the non-need of the high school students to look into books since well, there was the internet to turn to every time we cram our research papers...

But 4 years in college has taught me (all of us, i must assume) that the need to look into books as references for papers and projects just so the professor can take it as legitimate... A book drive for jubilee could actually be beneficial as even if the new building boasts of new facilities like speech labs and science labs (that they actually use) the library oh, the educational resource center pala... remains small and bare. I agree that the people in our school don't read much but this book drive might give the students a push towards the right direction. Going to college before discovering that libraries really exist isn't something that we can be proud of.. so why don't we start helping them now? by providing the students with more books and more options for their readings, we might actually grow a number of readers...

The project within jubilee may seems small and irrelevant after all, as some may say and point out, the JCAPA has the money and the means to expand it. The problem here is that it's not their priority. And we might as well make it ours...

For the alternative suggestion that we should just do the book drive for a public school, its not a bad idea. But I agree with the people who say that this is something quite large and for the meantime unmanageable for us. Let's take a look at it this way, if we donate our books to them, we cannot even make sure if the people actually have the capacity to read and make use of the things that we are going to donate. Not to go against the public school system, but there are a lot of students there who do not know how to read even if they are in high school, the books then we are going to donate will simply go to waste...

Maybe someday, if we have more means we can create a learn-to-read program for them instead of just giving them books in the hope that they might learn to read and get a job at the nearby call center...

-Cha-

Also Karaine:

hey..!! nabuhay si karaine! heheeh

anywys. it has come to my senses..i have been out of our batch's circle for a million years now.. haha

nice to hear from all of you.. and replying to jim's suggestion..! its a brilliant idea! it really is.. well, i have noticed that problem when i visited jubilee for the past few years na umuuwi ako sa christmas time.. the library is just bare(haha! yes, i went into the library when i visited!).. well, it needed some books.. really.. so i think what you guys are planning is excellent.. as much as i want to help, im overseas.. but maybe i can.. and id be happy to!

kayalang, food for thought, medyo broad nga ung project na to! and i think its not so much the idea of having more books in the library..its actually getting the students used to the fact that research is needed in doing assignments and referencing and stuff.. (unlike how i did it before.. literally print stuff from online encyclopedias..!!) so we hav to not only donate books but kind of hav to work with teachers in the school.. i mean, this may also improve skills of students specially in english and all.. coz i got news.. legit source.. that jubilee had a high
percentage of first year ateneo students not passing the college english level..

thats my thought..hehe update me on whats happening.. miss you all!!! looking forward to reunion!heheh

karaine

As of post time, the last thread ended with Wil's summary:

Well said Charissa. When Glenn and I first thought of doing something for the library after visiting Jubilee (the Dona Hemady branch), we never saw it as a charity case. As much as I would like to help the needy, its also about time that put our acts together and do something for our school (This coming from somebody who has a
massive messianic complex). Thats when we talked to the other members of the 13 about it namely Jimson, Jeco and Eugene. We saw it as an opportunity to correct a deficiency in our alma mater's system, not as something to just plainly do while bored and get as many books as we can and dump it to jubilee. Ginawa naman natin basurahan ang jubilee kapag ganon. Also, its so pathetic for us to do nothing to
correct a deficiency, especially now that we have the power and resources to actually do it.

While many of you showed doubts on to why jubilee can't produce a better educational resource center (doubts aren't necessarily a bad thing though), how many of us know the real score about Jubilee's finances? Or better yet, how many of us know how much Jubilee's tuition is this coming school year without asking your shobe/shoti/mommy that are still connected to Jubilee? I'm sure Dr. Coyukiat and Ms. Singian aren't blind to the situation of the library. There must be a reason.

Now many of you also ask, why the library? As said earlier by Glenn, Jeco and Cha, its a feasible idea. Plain and simple. Better than suggestions from other people that we interact with jubilee kids. Also, as all of you may know now, learning doesn't stop in the four corners of our classroom. There's a wealth of knowledge hidden
beyond classrooom discussions and textbook reading. This is what a good library can afford to its visitors. It is also our dream that this be the start of a culture of reading and critical scholarship amongst our young brothers and sisters in jubilee. Only a fool would deny children the opportunity to read a good book. We are inviting
you to be part of this dream.

Isn't it also a great idea that the first thing the batch did after getting their degrees from reputable universities is to create a bookdrive? How many batches can claim they did that for their alma mater? Btw, it would make a perfect gift for Jubilee since it is her 40th birthday. Now that is a good plan, "babe" heeeeheee.

Wil and I decided to revisit Jubilee today after my unproductive morning of waiting incessantly for nothing in Fully Booked, Gateway. So much for manipulative serendipity.

As we arrived, we noticed that security got tighter. We had to have a purpose of visiting just to enter the campus, so we told the officer in charge (whatever happened to Georgette?) that we came to see Mrs. Yan. The OIC however directed us to Mrs. De Guzman. WTF.

Anyway, we took the opportunity to chat with the teachers and the staff. Some, we looked forward talking to, and some, ummm.. let’s just say that we enjoyed the company nonetheless.

Mrs. Raymundo, our grade one Filipino teacher, now holds an executive position. I reminded her of the time when she used to punish me every day at lunch by letting me squat. This wasn’t an exaggeration.

Ms. Ordinario, whom Jim, Dodong and I met again in February, is still the same. Again I teased her about wanting to teach Statistics (she taught us Geometry and Stat in our sophomore and junior year), and Wilson reminded her that “didn’t _______ used to have a massive crush on you?”. Nice retort.

I miss Mrs. Solinap. You remember her. She’s our petite and perky AP teacher who used to carry her maiden name Pajarito before she got married. I can fondly remember the time when I used an itty bitty notepad as the notebook for her subject just to spite her. I later went home that day with a sore right ear (by the way, did you know that Pajarita in Spanish means little bird?).

Heh. Moving on, we also got to chat with Mrs. Sofia Chua (Lin Lao Shi). She’s thinking about stopping teaching in two years because her daughter’s nearing highschool.

Mrs. Nancy Clemena also passed by, and we got to chat with her too.

Oh, you may think that it’s a picturesque moment, no? Yes, but not quite. When everyone in the room realized that I was a Psychology graduate, I suddenly became the darling of the discussion as they were desperately looking for a school guidance counselor pala. Damnit.

As if the moment was not awkward enough, Mrs. Sally Coyukiat (our Executive Directress, the head honcho for you non-Jubileans reading this) peeped in the office and joined the discussion. Everyone then told her that I was a Psychology major and she candidly persuaded me to apply too.

…!#$ Save me Mrs. Yan!

Mrs. De Guzman and pretty much everyone else didn’t allow us to explore the campus at first (apparently because of security issues), but have they forgotten that we were the golden batch? That we were the LAW? So when Mrs. Coyukiat came into the administrative office and personally suggested that we should take a look around the campus, I wasn’t able to hide my smirk. We then explored the campus like little boys in a toy store.

I felt like I was back in time. Back in the time where we had healthy class section rivalries, where Pollux would dominate the freshmen year, Hibiscus in the sophomore year (however they cheated to win so the prestige really belongs to Mimosa), Nickel for the junior year, and Galileo for our senior year, with Pascal trailing not far behind.

Who could forget those inspiring teachers? I’m sure everyone could still remember the science mantras that the late Mrs. Ramos taught to us.

Not a lot of people know this, but Wilson and I have a deep respect for the late Donia Gonzales. Not many of you know her. She was a secretary. We used to chat with her whenever we needed documents to Xerox, and connived with her everytime I was late to arrive in school.

Jubilee also had its share of uninspiring teachers.

Enter Mr. Ramos. Our third year math teacher who only cared about Friday madness and the first row of students.

Wil, Stip, Lea, Bev and I were seated at the very back at that time and we got so pissed by his selective attention. We then tried this one experiment where we’d raise our hands for the remainder of the class and point our bad fingers at him just to see if he would notice us. He didn’t. He was too busy letting ____ kiss his scrawny ass.

Finally, who could ever forget the puppy loves? The crushes, the heartaches, the sexual tensions in a love triangle, and your eye sparkling moments? C’mon, we all had at least one.

We then found Mrs.Yan and got to chat with her. She’s still the same Mrs. Yan that I know, still witty, still articulate, still my idol.

Wil and I also snuck around the closed chapel and its cloisters. The renovations that they made to the chapel are breathtaking.

But what got our attention was the deteriorating state of our library. The Charlie Brown kiddie encyclopedias that we used as references, circa early nineties were still there! Not to mention the complete 1992 edition of Collier’s Encyclopedia. Numerous other TEXTBOOKS were on the shelves.

We never appreciated the library because we never had good books to begin with. Wouldn't it be nice if we'd initiate a batch-wide bookdrive to address the problem?

So much has changed since we graduated highschool four years ago. Some teachers moved on, some passed on. Some structures were raised, some razed. But even after all the changes, one thing still remains and still remains true, that our roots belong to jubilee.

Always remember that every red colored grade, every SDR record, every peck on the cheek, and every moment of joy that we experienced in highschool is a mark. It will whisper and we will then hear the laughs that we had in our memories. We will remember that, at the end of our every endeavor is a celebration of our making. Our roots.

I personally consider my little visit today as a little gift for myself, to remind me of living.

My patience for insolent assholes ran out on June 2, 2006, when Wilson and I went to the ADMU gym to watch the Shakey’s V-League semi-final match between DLSU and SSC.

In what was supposed to be just a routine clash between the two schools (where La Salle would dominate the opposing team in the end), something else happened, something that the TV cameras could not and would not be able to capture: The rude heckling fans.

Here’s a blow by blow gonzo account of what happened.

Wilson and I sat at the upperbox, at the very front that day, so near to the courtside seats that we could literally jump down to get ourselves better seats of the match (in truth, of the volleybelles). We then waited for the first game to end – the first semi-final match between AdU and Lyceum. Adamson won, three sets to one, I think.

Then came La Salle. The team whose pristine win-loss record serves as the league benchmark. What kind loyal alumni supporter would I be if I did not cheer for my team? So cheered we did, calling the players by their first name as if we were friends.

The game started. San Sebastian drew first and second blood by embarrassing LaSalle, 2 sets to none. We cheered harder.

Wil and I then noticed (actually Wil noticed it) that there’s this one particular ill bred gay fan (Yes, it’s the same guy who made a fiasco in the PBA when he made a scene with Kris Aquino, and it’s the very same guy who always buys patron seats in UAAP games, and would then wave his AdU jersey, banner, or umbrella) who keeps on trash talking and bad fingering the players. He even had the nerve to turn to us and made boorish remarks every time San Sebastian scored. Oh, so now you’re provoking us eh?

Tsk tsk, such poor behavior. I’m afraid that wouldn’t do. He had to be taught a lesson.

Wilson and I decided that we had to make a fool out of him. To instigate a scene. So, swallowing our pride to prove our point, we started trading trash talks with him.

“But in a moment of unity between Ateneans and La Sallians, other DLSU fans were encouraged by our trash-talking and would later make sure that fag ass would be made fun of every time DLSU scored a point. Dozens of La Sallians, including us of course, pointed their fingers at the fag-ass and screamed the worst curse words the toddlers watching along with their parents must have ever heard. Scores of children instantly losing their innocence over a senseless game” (I’m quoting a paragraph from Wil’s post on the same incident).

Before the final set started, one La Sallian fan got fed up so much that he actually went to confront him. Trash talks were traded and of course, the coup de gras, the La Sallian threw a haymaker to the heckler square on the jaw. Sweet.

I personally volunteered to video and here’s the link [link] (stored in Wil’s multiply account).

When it was almost imminent that DLSU would win the match, the heckler stood beside the league security guards (they’re not going to help you) and he eventually left the gym before the final spike was counted in. It was for his own good as waiting for the game to end would equate to suicide for everyone had the unifying urge to beat him up.

They say that it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye. He lost his dignity that night.

There is a lesson to be learned from all of this. When push comes to shove, you have to be able to put where your mouth is. Let this be a testament for all you hecklers out there. When you’re rude, have the volleyballs to back it up.

BUTI NGA!

So let us raise our glasses and toast this crowning moment of human evolution: the decadent dance of moral immorality and the inability to exist in any form of harmony. We took our crystal chalice and beat ourselves to a bloody pulp in a gem-encrusted brawl. Sure, it was stupid, but we all had fun, right? All in the name of poetic justice.

In the end, who really won? Was it Wilson and me for instigating the mess? Was it DLSU who managed a come from behind victory, and a convincing one no less? All the other fans who cheered with us? The guy who punched him?

No. Me. Because I finally saw ADMU volleybelle Bello (she dons jersey # 6) in personal. Teeheehee.

[originally from our group blog at [link] ]

My my. To think that all this time, we have been consuming our holy grail improperly. For shame, for shame.

I found a couple of articles on the net on the proper way of serving the drink ("So that's why a friend of mine was shocked when I told her that we were consuming it straight off"). Anyway, let's give the 'ol 89.9%(179.8 proof!) a touch of class and a sense of appreciation the next time we give it a go, okay?

How to Serve Absinthe (Some parts taken from absinthex.com):

There are two popular methods for serving absinthe, both require the use of an absinthe spoon (a large spoon with open slots in it, allowing liquid to pass through), ...although a large fork can work just as well.

Method One: Louching

Step 1: Pour a measure of absinthe into a tall vessel (heheh vander).
Step 2: Place a slotted absinthe spoon (or fork) over the glass and place a sugar cube on it (the lozenge-shaped French cubes work best).
Step 3: Slowly pour 4 to 5 parts of iced water over the sugar and let it drip into the glass. The absinthe will turn from emerald green to a milky white.
Step 4: Sip slowly and imagine yourself in a Belle Epoque Parisian cafe.

Method Two: Flame method

Step 1: Take a reasonably sized spoonful of sugar, or sugar cube and briefly dunk it in your glass of absinthe.
Step 2: Light absinthe laced sugar on fire and hold over glass, the burning alcohol will melt the sugar into the glass.
Step 3: When the fire gets low, stir the remaining sugar into the absinthe and drink.
Step 4: Enjoy!

Korsakoff's Syndrome and liver cirrhosis, here we come!

"Bad food is made without pride, by cooks who have no pride, and no love. Bad food is made by chefs who are indifferent, or who are trying to be everything to everybody, who are trying to please everyone ... Bad food is fake food ... food that shows fear and lack of confidence in people’s ability to discern or to make decisions about their lives. Food that’s too safe, too pasteurised, too healthy – it’s bad! There should be some risk, like unpasteurised cheese. Food is about rot, and decay, and fermentation….as much as it is also about freshness."

-Anthony Bourdain, [link]

What if you knew a secret that could shake the very foundations of an organized institution, would you keep the secret for yourself, or would you expose it, and change history forever?

This is a novella of one such secret.

All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret messages in this novel are somewhat accurate.

-----
Prologue
Early February, 2006

Renowned commercial model Jean Cammhall II stopped at the corner of Yale and Harvard Street as he was trying to catch his breath. A robed figure behind the mist of the foggy night was not far behind and is slowly closing in on him.

As he started to run around the street corner, trying to quicken his pace, his foot was caught on a stray rock and he tripped. He lay for a moment, gasped for breath and stared at the sky with the yellow crescent prominently glowing behind the clouds. I am still alive. He tried to crawl and stood up when he heard the grating footsteps of the man against the concrete road that had just caught up with him.

A voice spoke, chillingly close. “Do not move.”

On his hands and knees, the model rose, turning his head slowly.

About five feet away, behind the blinding streetlights, the silhouette of the attacker stared right back at him. He wasn’t that tall of a man but had a firm stature. His skin was darkly tanned and he had a prominent unibrow.

The man drew a pistol from his coat and aimed the barrel directly at Jean, right between the eyes.

“You should not have run.” The man’s voice was really low and his accent, not easy to place. “Now, tell me who else you have told it to.”

“I told you guys already!” answered Jean nervously, now kneeling on his knees. “I have told no one else!”

“You are lying.” The man stared at him, immobile, as if he’s contemplating on what to do with the helpless model. His beady eyes looked at him with intensity as he spoke. “Tonight, the rightful guardians will be restored. Admit to me everything and you will survive.” The model could not breathe.

The cloaked man tilted his head and peered down the barrel of his gun. “When you are gone from the Priory of Thirteen, we will be the only ones who know the truth.”

Jean closed his eyes, with swirling thoughts of fear and regret.

The click of an empty chamber resounded through the empty streets.

The man then glanced down at his weapon, looking almost amused. He thought about pulling the trigger and contemplated on popping a few more bullets through Jean just to make sure, but then seemed to reconsider, and smirked at him. “My work here is done.”

-----

As I was trying to sober myself up this morning when we (Stip, Dodong, Eug, and I) were still literally drinking the night away in a minimart (with the gayest cash register guy that one could ever come across, and drinking until the morning sun greets you and reminds you that liver cirrhosis is not your friend still didn't help to tone his fagness down), I remembered Eug’s story about his two Atenean friends who got their sorry asses kicked for no apparent reason.

I had a number of similar silly experiences in college too to some extent, and here are some of them. So gather around, little boys and girls, Uncle Glenn’s going to tell you about a little story.

Once upon a time some jerk named Michael (no, not Jan) treated his college friends to TGI Friday’s because he wants to show off his new discount card. So they went there one Wednesday afternoon and he told his friends to spend like the sky’s the limit, pero P4,000 lang. That cheap-ass.

Then as they were enjoying their buffalo wings, and on their fourth or fifth San Mig Light at that, Michael felt his cellphone vibrate. Another college friend texted him from school and told him that there was going to be a softball pitching and catching exam later in the afternoon (Michael and his friends intended to cut this PE class just to try the discount card and get drunk). So they finished their food, chugged all the remaining drinks, hurriedly returned to school, just in time for the test.

Now drunk, Michael couldn’t feel his hands in the catching glove even if he stuck needles through it (“oh, fucking no!”). His hand eye coordination was so poor that a lobotomized capuchin monkey could weild a bat and could hit an incoming ball better than him (well, the monkey’s bat would be itty-bitty. Cute). He failed both the pitching exam and the catching exam.

That night, as Michael was gathering his thoughts before ending the night, he learned his lesson. He cursed himself for letting himself be duped to buying that TGIF discount card, along with all the coupons, and vowed never to listen to any sales agent.

The end.

If the church is clamoring about something that's against the teachings of the Bible, why aren't they condemning the self-flagellating and self-crucifying people in the province? C'mon, think about it. The government's even promoting that annual quaresmal event as a tourism racket.

I'm talking about the movie verion of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. The Philippine Church wants to ban it because it's blasphemous; the organization against Pornography here in the Philippines sees it as pornographic; local politicians are against it because it's against some revised penal code or something; and SM cinemas chose not to show the movie. WTF.

.. !@$# It's only a ‘friggin movie for God's sake.

But in contrast, what got me rolling on the floor laughing was when the national albino association got into the act and aired out their sentements on Silas' portrayal as being negative to the albino population (he's the albino dude in the story). It’s nice to see that albinos now have their moment in the sun.

Anyway, in retrospect, they should’ve banned the Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe for featuring a talking Aslan, or Toy Story for depicting the alien plush toys worshipping the claw, if their line of thinking is like that. That’s how absurd it is.

Again, !@$# It's only a ‘friggin movie for God's sake.

ps. (postscript, not princess sophie. hehe) In case you're wondering, no, I'm not one of the haters, in fact, I really would like to see the movie adaptation. I just hate all the negative thinking that's surrounding the flick. I'll make a new post about it as soon as I've seen it.

[Just one of my favorites. For the nth time, this has made me to discern about the prevailing prejudice and struggle in my country. Not as extreme as in the novel, but it nods to it in some degree and extends it to poverty, elitism, and the like. See our exchange on benevolenve in our group blog.]


"We're going to lose this case, Carl lee. There are no more points of law to argue here. I want to cope a plea, maybe Buckley will cop us a second degree murder and we can get you just life in prison."

"Jake, I can't do no life in prison. You got to get me off. Now if it was you on trial..."

"It's not me, we're not the same, Carl Lee. The jury has to identify with the defendant. They see you, they see a yardworker; they see me, they see an attorney. I live in town, you live in the hill."

"Well, you are white and I'm black. See Jake, you think just like them, that's why I picked you; you are one of them , don't you see? Oh, you think you ain't because you eat in Claude's and you are out there trying to get me off on TV talking about black and white, but the fact is you are just like all the rest of them. When you look at me, you don't see a man, you see a black man."

"Carl Lee, I'm your friend."

"We ain't no friends, Jake. We are on different sides of the line, I ain't never seen you in my part of town. I bet you don't even know where I live. Our daughters, Jake; they ain't never gonna play together."

"What are you talking about?"

"America is a wall and you are on the other side. How's a black man ever going to get a fair trial with the enemy on the bench and in the jury box?. My life in white hands? You Jake, that's how. You are my secret weapon because you are one of the bad guys. You don't mean to be but you are. It's how you was raised. Nigger, negro, black, African-american, no matter how you see me, you see me different, you see me like that jury sees me, you are them. Now throw out your points of law Jake. If you was on that jury, what would it take to convince you to set me free?

That's how you save my ass. That's how you save us both. "

"In his mind a poem was unfolding. The sky was still dark, and her glass panes were so clear, were it not for the thin frames running accross her face, he would have thought she was trying to dive into the soup of mud in the gutters. When he finally looked up to the woman's face, he saw her eyes as black as her hair, blades staring back at him."

While Jim’s games are Poker and Foosball, Trivia when it comes to Wil, PS2 for Stip, Eug in Basketball, and Jeco in Monopoly, my turf’s in Pool and in Charades.

Back when we were in sophomore high, Wil, Pierre and I used to spend our after schools in a tawdry pool hall named after a Greek alpahabet near our school. Quite an innappropriate place for such educated and refined enthusiasts such as us if you ask me, but it was the time when the Godsent Poolhouse hasn't sprouted into existence yet. And besides, it was dead cheap.

David Copperfield, who was an avid pool player once practiced on a petrified pool table. We were merely following his footsteps.

..Good God it was terrible! But good times.

Oh yeah, and charades? I got the reputation for being unbeatable in charades because the opposing team would never notice us cheat. heheh.

..Include the Foxtrot, Boogie, Swing, Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Reggae, and the Salsa to the list (no paso doble for me). But my strongest suit is the Argentinean Tango.

I had a short affair with ballroom dancing once and suffice to say it was really fun (and equally embarassing). It was Tahnee’s debut [link] . I was one of her roses and she decided that each rose would dance a different dance. It was no simple feat for us, let alone for her which was eighteen times harder. kudos to her for that. Our piece then was to the tune of Por Una Cabeza.

I could still vividly remember all the dips, snaps, and the legs kicks like I’m dancing it with her right now. All the practice with the instructor and especially with Auntie Annie and her ambiguous dance partner.

Ballroom dancing’s something that I would not forget so soon and I’m secretly dreaming of dancing it all again with someone. Heh.

[..And it's not fruity. Only the gay dancers make them look like so.]

If you are not enlightened, life is maya. So what you consider as truth, is only a conventional category of perception.

Here's a contemporary koan that I have received from a good friend of mine. I just thought I'd share this with everyone.

"Who should be blamed when the leaf fell from the tree?
Is it the wind that blew it away?
Or the tree that let it go?
Or is it the leaf itself which never held tight?"

How badly he wanted to live the days again where he could see nothing but goodness in everything and in everyone.

He dreamt of the days where he would greet the morning sun with a smile. He would then stare up at sky and admire each cloud formation.

He dreamt of the days where he would fold up his pants and play in the afternoon rain. He would then stretch his arms and feel its every pat.

He dreamt of the days where he would end the evening with a chapter of a good book. He would then tuck the book snugly under his pillow.

..For now, he tries to enjoy the caramel syrup on top of his vanilla ice cream.

“Let me get pass the usual. We are democratic and as such we permit ourselves to be in a system of thought that allows the populace to choose how we are to be governed, am I not right? And as such, I am interested in hearing your political platform so that I, as a responsible voter would be able to discern whether our political aspirants are worthy to hold office. "

"(freshman candidate stutters) Ummm.. ssige po.. Pproactive sstudent involvement..."

"...No, sir, I am not interested in hearing a rehearsed speech that you have perfected in your party. I would like to think that one candidate aligns himself to the aspirations of a political party because he sees the same light, but I would not like to think that this very same candidate would not be able to think for himself, would loose his identity, and instead, be a pawn of the mechanisms of your colors, assure me that."

"(freshman candidate now sweats profusely) ..oop.."

"That assured, let me hear your personal convictions as to why you stand by your platforms."

"(freshman candidate pauses for a time) Umm ano, ang plan ko, pag nanalo ako.."

"..Oh yeah, have I told you na graduate na ako?.."

Olha, que coisa mais linda,
Mais cheia de graça,
É ela, menina, que vem e que passa,
Num doce balanço, a caminho do mar.
Moça do corpo dourado,
Do sol de Ipanema,
O seu balançado
É mais que um poema
É a coisa mais linda
Que eu já vi passar

Ah, por que estou tão sozinho?
Ah, por que tudo é tão triste?
Ah, a beleza que existe
A beleza que não é só minha,
Que também passa sozinha.

Ah, se ela soubesse
Que quando ela passa,
O mundo inteirinho
Se enche de graça
E fica mais lindo
Por causa do amor.

Having read Lincoln's The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail a year before the Dan Brown novel craze emerged, the phenomena then has left me unimpressed. I was naturally skeptic.

Anyway, I went to your local friendly fake DVD stall today with the sole intention of buying a copy of the Da Vinci Code movie adaptation (I was also trying my luck trying to find a copy of Mirrormask, but to no avail), since my mom's nagging me for weeks now to obtain a copy, and that the recent issue of the Philippine Roman Catholic Church banning its film showing has oh so lured me.

"Da Vinci Code". Well the cover says so, Tom Hanks is even on the visual montage. You can't go wrong with that.

After only two minutes of watching the DVD over dinner with my mom and my aunt, I realized that something wasn't right. We were watching documentary film about Rennes le Chateau with a Da Vinci code cover. I cannot believe that I got ripped by a fake DVD of a FAKE DVD. No return policy. Ack.

Pissed, I watched Scary Movie 4 instead.

Damnit, I want my friggin' 40 pesos back.

[As I was rummaging the blogs of my friends, I stumbled upon one particular entry from my buddy Jim's blog (which I copied this without asking for his permission. So sorry about that) about us, Dodong, and Wil having some nonsensical fun. If you cannot understand Filipino, and would'nt want to loose 5 IQ points, I suggest you go to National Geographic instead. I think we should reprise this again sometime heh. read on.]

Sunday, April 10, 2005

The Ultimate Debate

You ever wonder who'd win in a fight, Tyson or Ali? Well we've taken nonsense debates and took it a whole new level. This is an edited transcript of a chat conference between four of the leading experts in all things nothing. First, there's dongtpc. He's my buddy Dodong. When he's not progamming as a computer science major, he's usually screaming profanities at me when I tell him what happens in the TV show Lost before he sees it. Then there's lykwyss, that's my buddy Glenn. When he's not researching on boobies as a psych project, he's usually found online talking about boobies. Then there's wilsongtang_ph, who is also my buddy Wilson. When he's not protesting about the state of the world, he's usually found online surfing about the most random things you can think of. Then finally, there's true_love5484.. yes, that's me. I came up with that when I was 14. So yes, it's cheesy as crap.

Anyway, in this chat, we talk about the most important nonsense there is. Who'd win in a match between Mario and the adventure island boy? Who'd win between the snake from the cellphone game "snake" and the rubber ball from the cellphone game "bounce"? and the debate to end all debates, a triple threat match to the death between the rock, the paper and the scissors. So fasten your seatbelt and hold on tight, cause you're about to lose 5 IQ points after reading this. Enjoy!


true_love5484: okay debate: super mario vs adventure island boy
wilsontang_ph: super mario
lykwyss: ganda un
wilsontang_ph: mario is legend
true_love5484: si adventure island boy may sakay na dinosaur
lykwyss: super mario!!
wilsontang_ph: super mario may apoy eh
wilsontang_ph: na bola
wilsontang_ph: kayang lumipad
lykwyss: wala namang fireball tska raccoon tail ung adventure island guy
wilsontang_ph: tsaka may mariokart pa
lykwyss: tska growth mushroom
wilsontang_ph: pa si mario
lykwyss: skateboard lang tska throwing axe meron ng adventure island guy
dongtpc: hahaha
lykwyss: insult kay mario yan kinompare mo ung adventure island guy sa kanya!!true_love5484: hahahahhahaha
true_love5484: putik nag take offense a
lykwyss: hahahaa
wilsontang_ph: closest na siguro kay supermario donkeykong
dongtpc: hahaha
lykwyss: parehong nintendo un e
lykwyss: actually jim dapat mario or sonic
wilsontang_ph: far third siguro si sonic
dongtpc: haha
dongtpc: kupa or robotnik!dongtpc: lol!
wilsontang_ph: supermario revolutionized the gaming industry
wilsontang_ph: king koopa, daming niyang buhay eh
wilsontang_ph: every stage siya kalaban mo
wilsontang_ph: si robotnik sa last stage lang
true_love5484: Ultimate debate: The snake in "snake" or the rubber ball in "bounce"?
dongtpc: hahaha
true_love5484: yan ang debate!!!
lykwyss: hehe
dongtpc: hahahha shit!
wilsontang_ph: anong snake at rubber ball?
lykwyss: ahahahahaha!!!
lykwyss: tangina mo wil di mo lam un?
true_love5484: yung sa snake and bounce...
dongtpc: sa cellphone!
true_love5484: cellphone!!!
lykwyss: ung sa games sa cellphone hehe
dongtpc: loser!!
wilsontang_ph: ahhhhhh
lykwyss: ako bounce ako
lykwyss: rubberball
wilsontang_ph: snake ako
lykwyss: kahit luma na ung snake
dongtpc: snake ako!!
wilsontang_ph: mas madali snake haha
dongtpc: lol!
true_love5484: yeah im going with the rubber ball kasi at least kaya nung ball bumungo sa wall...
lykwyss: mas maraming pwedeng gawin ung rubberball
dongtpc: baka sakaling ung kinakain ng snake dun sa game is ung rubberball hahahhaahaa shit
true_love5484: yung rubber ball kaya bumungo sa wall.. yung snake d kaya
true_love5484: hahahahahahahhahaha
lykwyss: hahahahah tangina pinaglaban!!! hahahahahahaha
wilsontang_ph: kaya ng snake bumungo ng wall
true_love5484: d kaya
lykwyss: ung rubber ball may lives ung snake isa lang
lykwyss: yucck
true_love5484: patay kaya pag bumungo sa wall
wilsontang_ph: snake 2 kaya na
dongtpc: laftrip putangina!
dongtpc: di ko na kaya!
wilsontang_ph: seee, ang snake nageevolve
true_love5484: ha? d kaya.. kaya nammamtay pag nabunggo
dongtpc: lol!
lykwyss: lobotomized ung snake e hindi marunong umiwas
wilsontang_ph: hindi kaya namamatay ang snake sa snake 2
dongtpc: lol!
lykwyss: buti pa ung rubber ball nagbobounce pag high ung fall
true_love5484: okay ready na kayo sa ultimate of ultimate debate?
lykwyss: hehehe
true_love5484: triple threat match: rock vs paper vs scissors
true_love5484: who wins ?
true_love5484: hhhahahahhahahahahahaha
wilsontang_ph: hahahahahahahhahahahahahahaaha
lykwyss: hahahahahaha
lykwyss: hmm
dongtpc: shit lang sense yan!! hahaha
wilsontang_ph: i'd go with the rock
true_love5484: im going with rock here... i never believed the paper could hold it in the first place
lykwyss: lol
dongtpc: hahahaahahhahaahahahahaa
lykwyss: rock ako
lykwyss: hehe

So who won? well whenyou're really fighting for something dumb, I would say no one wins.

So that's it. Thanks again to my other three "experts".

As to why I am going to great lengths in articulating my every thought is up to your own interpretations. Actually, this is what I typically do when I'm depressed. I write.

My thanks to Wil who should deserve credit on this.

The current trend in Philippine historical research points to the influence of political families in the various regions of the Philippines to the overall economic development of our country. It has been an almost consistent finding that our country’s rich resources are being benefited only by these select political elites. Let us remember the tobacco holdings of the Singsons in Ilocos Sur, the sugarcane fields of the Cojuangcos in Tarlac and the Romualdezes of Ilocos Norte. That despite decades, and in some cases more than a century of governance by these political families certain regions remain relatively poor. In essence, these places are still governed through the feudal system even though we live in a capitalistic world. The landlords support the barest living necessities and the wedding, death, and other expenses that a family may incur in exchange for their loyalty to the political family. Even in cosmopolitan Manila, certain families control their vested interest vital to the economy by seeking support in the government in various forms such as donation during campaign season, intermarriage with the politician’s family, or even running for government positions.

We should fully exercise our right to vote for the people who will govern our country. Filipino citizens should be responsible and knowledgeable voters. Lack of foresight and aiming for quick fixes is not the answer. Filipinos should not be blinded by the sweet promise of easy employment, but without health benefits. Because in the end, when poor government officials rule our country poorly, we cannot blame the officials, we only have ourselves to blame. We voted for them.

There she was. An epitome of a lady that one could only have the blessing to meet, politely greeting everyone on every table, thanking them for attending her night on a cold December eve.

The thought of one having met a woman with just the right amount of wit, quirk, and the warmest of smiles would melt you right there, right on the spot. But all that I could do then was to wish the debutante all the best and celebrate the night with her, with all the others. This was after all, her night. I paid my courtesy, and sat down with my friends.

It felt like it was one of those nights when I wished that I should’ve hid inside my shell and sulked though the night away instead. If only I wasn’t so deluded to take ill advice from someone that I need not mention, things would’ve unfolded more naturally. No, don’t get me wrong, nothing bad happened, it’s just that I gave my trust to someone even more deluded than me. Hah. Am I the only one who’s not enjoying the night?

Just when I was dancing my despairs away, someone approached me.

"Would you care to dance with me?" she asked.

I hesitated. I wasn’t intending to slowdance with anyone, let alone be caught sharing my woes with her. But one look and you could tell that she’s not a little girl anymore. She had troubles too. I surprised myself by saying, “okay”.

She placed both her hands around my shoulders and I placed my palms on her waist. We danced and we talked. She told me all her troubles and I told her all my dreams, like I did in my sleep. We danced again and we talked. We danced and we laughed, and talked about the silliest things.

Personally, it didn’t matter that we danced for hours, and that everyone else stared at us. We closed our eyes and became blind. We just listened to each other.

It was the night where two hours seemed like just a dance.

What meaning is there to exist when the poor has no one to look up to and for the rich to look down to? When all dreams are real and when all efforts come in vain?

How can joy exist without sorrow? It's unrealistic and absurd to hope for a perpetually happy world for after a while, it would cease to be happy; it would be awfully boring.

Contrasts and limitations are thus necessary for anything to be considered valuable.

[from my reply to wilson's post here [link]

No, not Gawad Kalinga. Glenn Kho.

What I am discontented about Gawad Kalinga is that they are aggressively marketing it as a nationwide community building project yet it deemphasizes the importance of educating the community. I know that they have livelihood programs but it is treated as a supplement rather than a complement. I firmly believe that education is just as important and it deserves the equal amount of right as voluntary carpentry.

We (our Psychology org) realized their shortcoming and took our own initiative. We made our own long-term sustainable education project through building a small library in Baseco, Tondo (DLSU's adopted GK community) and go there weekly to teach the young minds of tomorrow. I'm glad to say that it's been going well since.

Thank you by the way for expanding our insights on attaining the higher needs of an individiual. Yup I've been meaning to talk about that but the topic then was mainly about sustinence. Yes, I also agree that giving out small pledges and even solidarity meals can make significant contributions. It's a good strategy to try out.

Hmm. My final thought: do make your every decision in life an opportunity for personal & social growth, not merely on covering up in your deficits.

Wow. An optimistic Glenn.

[I've just finished F. Sionil Jose's The Pretenders, whilst our group blog's topic is on poverty. Put two and two together, and here I am writing about Jose's fourth Rosales novel.
-----
Good God, how boring could this be??! upon rereading this entry, it convinced me that a documentary on worm racing is far more interesting. Never realized that one could write a blog entry that's so stoic.]

I.

It is but without doubt that there is an importance in studying the Filipino Psyche in the HUKBALAHAP era. Francisco Sionil Jose’s My Brother, My Executioner (Manila, 1988), is an impeccable example. Fourth of the five Rosales Novels that spanned one hundred years of Filipino existence, not only is this literary piece of art an appraisal worthy of its epic achievements (many would like to consider Jose to be Asia’s hope to finally bag the Nobel for literature, and a South East Asian at that. This writer disagrees. Toer of Indonesia, mainly known for his version – the Buru Quartet, is just as a prime candidate for the prize as Jose), but it also serves as a valuable source of data that tells about the lifestyle and way of thinking of the typical Filipino in the 50’s.

What is important in terms of Psychology, is that why did the Filipinos, whether marginalized or financially endowed, still had a positive outlook in life and lived as if nothing was wrong, despite the fact that the country at that time was enveloped in national turmoil, more so in the suburbs?

II.

Deconstruction, developed by what people arguably recognize as the best literary critic of the twentieth century, Jaque Derrida, is a strategy for analysis that has been applied primarily to Linguistics, Literature, and Philosophy. Its purpose is to expand the conceptual limits of the meaning of a text from its syntax, and to explore its innumerable interpretation. It has four levels of analysis, namely the literal level, the symbolic level, the social-political level, and the deconstructive level. Despite the criticisms that it receives, it is still being widely used because of its ease and effectiveness.

Finding the true, deeper, and therefore hidden message of a particular manifest content of a literature begins with identifying its literal meaning, or simply, what the text literally talks about. From there, the second, symbolic level of meaning is derived from the literal content. These two levels of meaning have social and/or political implications that reflects society and is also identified, and thus emerges the third level of meaning, that is, the socio-political level. Finally, from all of these, the deconstructive level of meaning is derived that refutes all of the other three other levels.

III.

Chapter eighteen is particularly significant due to its pre-climactic conflict. This was the part where the two protagonist blood siblings, Luis and Victor, met each other for the last time. The hero and antihero conversed and finally understood each other and themselves respectively. This particular conversation that transpired somehow depicts the totality of the psyche of the rich and the poor in the 1950’s.

Victor’s concern for his brother’s safety is symbolically seen as a kind of “oneness”, that although both of them lived in dichotyny (where one enjoyed luxury while the other half-brother struggled through poverty), they still had a gut feeling of connection to one another; a “oneness” if you will. Collectively speaking, this oneness, and that they both recognized one mother symbolizes for the countrymen and his country.

Now seeing this from a social/political aspect, it is impossible for the impoverished and the excess to exist alone. This is a fine operational example from an acclaimed European writer who is quoted saying “contrasts and limitations are necessary for anything to be considered valuable”. Also coincidentally, communist idealism thrived during this era, and this marked the time where the country faced literal (speaking in terms of infrastructure and economy) and symbolic (referring to the esteem and morale of the people) rebuilding.

What [then] meaning is there to exist when the poor has no one to look up to and for the rich to look down to? When all dreams are real and when all efforts come in vain?

Be as it may that the aforementioned social classes (who in reality) look for the welfare for each other, the fact that unconscious utilitarianism still remains. The “resiliency” and optimism is nowhere to be found when you take away something forcibly, imperiling the welfare of another party. In the novel’s case, Victor is without a doubt prepared to kill Luis if he does not heed his warning (that is to leave the hacienda as a HUKBALAHAP attack to claim the land that they so “rightfully owned” is imminent). The Huks would probably take the land no matter what, and that is not the resiliency nor the optimism and hope of the people at the time that we see. Undeniably, it’s an example of finding the easy way out.

Filipinos are resilient; there is no doubt about it. A national conference on Filipino Work Psychology was held in 2004 in De La Salle University – Dasmariňas, and in one forum, the speaker compared the Filipino to the carabao. This animal was described as the embodiment of the Filipino – industrious and persistent.

While true, that parallelism is also only half of the truth because it is also true that Filipinos will take the shorter course of action if it would gain personal benefit, and they would not think of the welfare of others at that.

This literary analysis is far from being comprehensive. With enough time and effort, a better analysis can be made, and its findings can even contribute to Filipino Psychology, either as a concept, or as a movement, and ultimately to change the notion of mainstream Psychology, which at the moment, is mostly western.

xxx