missingpoints

Hells yes

2010-04-20T22:59:00.003+08:00

Dulaang UP will re-stage Orosman at Zafira and we will be there every weekend watching. It. Is. That. Awesome.

That is all.

Plagiarism

2010-04-06T22:51:00.004+08:00

Right now even the New York Times knows that a couple of ghost writers lifted parts of Oprah's, JK Rowling's, and Coco's graduation speeches and incorporated it into Manny Pangilinan's. Savvy businessman that he is, he handled the situation perfectly: appearing contrite, offering to resign, and still keeping the identities of the plagiarizers secret.

Five years ago I was teaching a literature class and had the students review a novel for their final project. I remember allowing them to search online reviews and discussions if they needed additional insights. What I got was a significant number of students submitting cut-and-paste reviews.

I found out because a lot of them were written in near-perfect English (a facility that the plagiarizers didn't have) and because a couple included the book prices and availability information from Amazon. I went ballistic on the school's yahoogroup (it was, and still is, a small school) and failed every plagiarizer on sight.

I still automatically fail anyone who submits cut-and-pasted work.

I also wrote this.

What designers really charge for

2010-03-09T14:31:00.005+08:00

Designer Paula Scher complains about blogs and design sites claiming that some new logos could've been better designed by students. While that may be true in theory (that is, when judging formal elements), actual practice disproves it. In short, logos become great when taken in context.

Logos become iconic over time, through their use and in combination with an overall perception of a brand. They shouldn’t be judged purely as form and out of context, as they are on design blogs, because it takes a period of time for a logo to establish itself in the marketplace, just as it takes a magazine a year or so to establish its personality.

She talks about the Nike logo, which would've failed a formal critique but is one of the best known marks because of an aggressive campaign. Scher, who designed the new Citibank logo, also has this to say about professional graphic designers' huge fees.

I never knew a designer that got hundreds of thousands of dollars to design a logo. Mostly, designers get paid to negotiate the difficult terrain of individual egos, expectations, tastes, and aspirations of various individuals in an organization or corporation, against business needs, and constraints of the marketplace. This is a process that can take a year or more. Getting a large, diverse group of people to agree on a single new methodology for all of their corporate communications means the designer has to be a strategist, psychiatrist, diplomat, showman, and even a Svengali. The complicated process is worth money. That’s what clients pay for. The process, usually a series of endless presentations and refinements, persuasions and proofs, results, hopefully, in an accepted identity design.

Hear, hear. The actual design is easy. It's the convincing and cajoling and negotiating and presenting that costs time and money.

(Article found via Design Observer)

They've done it again

2010-03-03T13:02:00.006+08:00

OK Go's Damian Kulash says their record label EMI had YouTube disable the embedding feature for their treadmill video, which resulted in a 90% drop in viewership. Back when videos were just expensive commercials for albums, Kulash says the record labels couldn't care less. But now that there's (potentially) money to be made online, they've started to clamp down. Which misses the point. In an Op-Ed piece for the New York Times he writes:

In these tight times, it’s no surprise that EMI is trying to wring revenue out of everything we make, including our videos. But it needs to recognize the basic mechanics of the Internet. Curbing the viral spread of videos isn’t benefiting the company’s bottom line, or the music it’s there to support. The sooner record companies realize this, the better — though I fear it may already be too late.

Published mid-Feb, the article may have helped. Their latest video -- involving a two-storey Rube Goldberg contraption -- is below.

A good reason to believe

2010-02-16T13:31:00.006+08:00

Anyone actually believe that the "Morong 43" are *only* community health workers? I hate to sound like Mon Tulfo but based on how the CPP operates (and other sources) there really is a good reason to believe that the training being done in that compound is not just for some innocuous NGO. Like the military spokesman said they're the equivalent of the "DOH of the NPA."

But "a good reason to believe" isn't the same as a reason to raid, capture, detain, and torture those people.

"A good reason to believe" is a signal to intensify intelligence gathering. And by "intelligence gathering" I mean actually spying and getting useful information; maybe even infiltrating the organization. Capturing the NPA's "DOH" may present a short-term tactical advantage but it doesn't help the greater cause. You could win a battle by cutting off medical help, but no one wins wars that way -- especially in the age of media.

Right now the military has lost the public mainly because they botched this job grandly. Notice that no one calls the detainees "suspected NPAs" or "rebels?" They're all "health workers" even if there are only 4 doctors in the bunch. They've won the first round and gathered more sympathy than is probably warranted.

People online are missing the point: the problem is not that the military mistakenly, in an act of paranoia, raided a seminar of "health workers," the problem is with the way these people were captured, detained, and treated. Whether NPA combatants or not, they should've been treated humanely and with full respect for the rights guaranteed every citizen.

The problem is with the way the NPA problem is being handled by the military. Treating it as a "war" just leads to atrocities and to thinking in terms of tactical advantages (if not just plain "hurting them devils"). Treating it as a crime forces one to follow the law, gather evidence, and build a case against the criminals while respecting their rights.

What the military (and by extension the government) needs to do is show that they're better, that they're humane, that they can help people out of poverty so that instead of being driven to overthrow the government, potential rebels can start working to actually help their families and neighbors. I've a good reason to believe that just might work. Sure beats the hell out of beating the hell out of "health workers."

Defensive Driving (re-post)

2010-02-03T16:15:00.000+08:00

Wrote this back in 2005, re-posted it in 2008, and am publishing it again because the Reproductive Health bill is again dead.

* * * * *

Defensive Driving
19 March 2005

The problem with the debate over population control, especially concerning Edcel Lagman's reproductive health bill, is that either side will be arguing based on different premises. According to the bishops, who were challenged to a public debate, they would argue based on Scripture and Church doctrine while the bill's proponents would talk economics and practicality. Nothing would be settled.

I agree. I automatically skip over any supposed argument against family planning that starts to quote the Bible or includes the words "natural law." It's bunk for people like me who don't believe any of it. What I now find interesting are the arguments of Bernie Villegas (of Opus Dei) and some liberation theologists (imagine that) saying that there is no overpopulation and that the real problem is inequitable distribution of wealth. Poverty, they say, is not due to the lack of resources to be shared by all, it is because most of the resources are hoarded by the rich.

I believe them.

I see all these rich people (congressmen included) who drive around in gas-guzzling American SUVs and think that for every five kilometers they travel they're spending the equivalent of a simple meal for a poor household. I see people buying foreign-made signature clothes and imagine the number of people that money can clothe. I see ads for "The Children's Hour" and stop to consider the fact that what I earn in an hour is more than what some people earn in a day.

I also agree with them when they say that having many children is not a crime; that families should not come with restrictions or quotas; and that an aging population or the Chinese phenomenon of "little princes" is a cause for worry.

However, I still support family planning efforts (and the reproductive health bill) despite their arguments because I am a firm believer in defensive driving.

Defensive driving – taught in all driving schools, except the ones
where jeepney drivers learn – is not so much a technique as it is a philosophy. It's a way of driving that emphasizes safety and caution over speed and right of way. It's a philosophy that says "I don't really care if those other drivers are wrong, what's important is I get to where I'm going in one piece."

And most of the time it makes sense. It's stupid to assert one's right of way when an 18-wheeler truck with a driver on shabu comes barreling down the highway. Sure you'll win the lawsuit and claim insurance but your car, if not you and your passengers, will have already been totaled. While a green light does mean "go," it helps to slow down at an empty intersection just to see if some drunk driver or pedestrian is crossing.

The idea is to protect oneself first before asserting one's rights.

The bishops can complain all they want about inequity and general unfairness of a capitalist system but that doesn't help these poor folks with eight kids who live on less than 50 pesos a day. They can shout bloody revolution all they want (although somehow I don't think Villegas and his ilk would approve) but unless it really happens (which I seriously doubt, the CPP has been trying in vain for over 30 years), we'll be stuck with couples who can barely feed their large
brood.

The logic is simple. A janitor who lives on minimum wage can probably afford to have only two children (and even that is pushing it). One needs a higher monthly income in order to provide adequate (and this is key) support. Of course the guy can believe Bernie Villegas and the bishops and say that he has the right to have more kids and that he deserves a bigger salary because his employers are not sharing the wealth enough but in the end he still gets run over by the raging truck.

Right of way is irrelevant if it puts you in harm's way.

Access to family planning methods, both natural and artificial, coupled with proper education, will help people like my janitor make sure he only has the right number of children he can adequately support. The problem of inequitable distribution of wealth will still be present, just like drunk and reckless drivers, but at least people will stand a better chance of living more decent lives within their current incomes.

Abusing Surveys

2010-01-28T10:53:00.006+08:00

The very least they can do is be consistent. Every political mouthpiece in this country who mentions a survey in the media is either for or against the results. Those who approve will praise the professionalism and neutrality of the survey institution. Those who find the results unfavorable will imply bias and question the integrity of the survey organization.

Among the slurs hurled at survey takers is that someone "paid" for said survey. Which is entirely true: someone does pay for the survey. But that doesn't mean that they dictate what results will come out. It doesn't matter if Villar or Zamora or the Liberal Party commissioned the survey (or, more accurately, subscribed to the results), what SWS or PulseAsia presents are what the respondents answered, tabulated and processed.

What the opinionated barbershop tambay (who, in terms of quality of analysis, is at par with a lot of the partisan attack dogs) needs to keep in mind is that paying P400K for the survey results isn't the same as buying first place. What the subscriber gets is a detailed report and usually a couple of rider questions he can ask. That's all.

The tambays need to remember that these organizations don't just appear every three years. They conduct surveys all the time; it's how they make a living. And they can't make a living if their reputation is tarnished by allegations of selling results. For surveys to work, the surveyors need to follow protocol and be honest with what they find out.

Now, assuming the tambay knows this, there's still that other line of attack that calls into question the methods employed, most especially sampling. "Bakit 500 lang ang respondents?" someone would ask. Well if they paid attention to statistics in college they'd understand. Sadly, few people do.

Of course surveys work. They're never 100% accurate, but they work well enough for a lot of businesses, for example, to base decisions on. There are large organizations that make a decent living off doing surveys and studying various markets / audiences. The savvy political organization knows what the results mean and how to use that knowledge to their advantage. Sadly, a lot of them think that bandying their lead is the only use of surveys.

Surveys are tools that the public and politicians misunderstand and misuse all the time. To paraphrase David Ogilvy they use it the way a drunk uses a lamppost: for support instead of illumination.

"The floods are not an act of god...

2009-10-02T11:33:00.005+08:00

... they were caused by man's inaction."

And with those lines Arch. Jun Palafox stole the show at the executive briefing on the environment headlined by former congressman and current senatoriable Dr. Neric Acosta, author of the Clean Air Act. Before Ondoy hit, the briefing was supposed to highlight ecolabeling and the "Green Choice" seal but given the situation, the people's interests were piqued by what the urban planner had to say. And while the speakers and reactors generally kept to the topic, the issue du jour was Ondoy and global warming.

Acosta showed simulations of areas that will be flooded should the ice caps melt and the sea level rise by 12 meters, quipping "what the opposition cannot do, global warming will." In his computer simulations Malacanang will be buried underwater. "Unfortunately, congress is on high ground" [rimshot].

But on to Palafox's presentation, which wasn't part of the program (he spoke during the open forum) but shut a roomful of CEOs and government officials up because it was really very interesting.

In the 70s, he said, when they were planning Metro Manila, the geological surveys suggested the creation of several floodways that are supposed to divert water runoff to larger bodies of water. Manggahan floodway leads all the water to Laguna Lake, while the proposed Paranaque spillway was supposed to run to Manila Bay. Palafox did not elaborate why but the spillway was never built, hence the water has little recourse but to spill over to the streets, which, being parallel to the waterways, served as alternate channels.

But then the conversation turned to carbon credits and greenwashing and other topics. Which was only fair. But given what most of us learned that morning, I'm sure everyone would spare another morning listening to what Palafox has to say further.

* * * * *

EDIT: To add this link to the Inquirer interview.

If he were to redesign Metro Manila, Palafox said he would take a “big eraser” and wipe out parts of Metro Manila in the east, north and south, where development did not conform to standards, particularly the construction of housing below the flood lines. “Government knows what the flood lines are. Why did developers of subdivisions allow construction of housing projects below the flood lines?” he asked.

If Neil Gaiman takes me prisoner...

2009-09-06T17:56:00.004+08:00

Gaiman's home library. (Image ripped from Shelfari)

...then I'd want to be incarcerated in his basement. Because he'd need no restraints to keep me in here for a year or so. Check out the high-res photos Shelfari took (yes, you can read the titles and compare).

But we have always been at war with Oceania

2009-09-01T17:42:00.002+08:00

The NCCA does a little more dagdag-bawas. This time with the guidelines for nominations. Butch Dalisay has screencaps of the rules on the site before it was changed. haven't they learned anything from Katrina Halili? Once it's out there, it's out there.

Oh really now...

2009-08-19T22:55:00.002+08:00

Akbayan endorses dancing surfboard and wannabe pedicab driver Mar Roxas for president, tries to justify decision. Short version: we're not whores, we're just people who take money for sex. Mahiya nga kayo.

If all you can say in defense is that this decision is "a result of a long internal process and consultation with its local membership, national leaders, and allied mass movements," then there's something wrong with that. A process that results in a progressive party endorsing a trapo like Mar Roxas is a shitty process.

Carlo J? No way!

2009-08-07T15:59:00.008+08:00

Here's how the two National Artist singits responded to their critics. I respond in kind.

Alvarez:
“Before you make a judgment, read my achievements first as an artist. Was I an idiot before I became a National Artist?”

No, but you're an idiot now for accepting it while chairing the very organization that recommends recipients.

Caparas:
“I don’t understand why people are making a big fuss about this. It’s sad that they have to resort to this tactic. It’s because it’s the first time for a National Artist to have such a long title."

No, you idiot, the only reason the title is so long is because you haven't really had any achievement in the regular fields so they had to make one up just to accommodate you. And even then you still aren't worthy.

Caparas:
"The past winners are not well-known. ’Di nila mapalutang ang award na ito. Ngayon lang ulit napapag-usapan (They can’t make this award shine. It’s only now that it’s being talked about again),”

Your capacity for idiocy is bottomless.

Caparas:
“I ask this question of other National Artists: Have you helped anyone in your work? I think this is not about the National Artist award anymore. It’s a personal attack on me.”

It doesn't matter, moron. It's not an award for humanitarian effort.

Caparas (on F. Sionil Jose):
"“He writes for a school. Not everyone knows about his work. Does that mean people not familiar with the things he does should also protest his being a National Artist?”

Two things: (1) F. Sionil Jose doesn't just write "for a school." If that's all you know about him then you're really an idiot. (2) we're protesting your nomination because we ARE familiar with what you've done.

Caparas (still on Jose):
“He said he walked out on my movies. But while he was walking out, millions were arriving to watch ‘The Maggie de la Riva Story.’ Who has the problem—the only one who walked out or the millions of viewers who came to watch my film?”

Uhhh, Philippine cinema?

Caparas:
“The population of Metro Manila at that time was 10 million. Four million people came to watch my film. Ask the film’s producer, Viva Productions, if you think I’m lying to you.”

And those four million are stupider because of that. Your films kill brain cells. Oh, and we believe you're telling the truth. Which is sad because you think the fact that your films are popular qualifies you to be a National Artist.

Take that, Ledger.

2009-07-10T11:26:00.003+08:00

Science Fiction blog io9 has just discovered Joey de Leon's "Alyas Batman en Robin" (one of my demented personal favorites). Anyway, scroll down to the comments. The pinoy there is right: Rene Requiestas is the first Joker tragedy.

Oh, and Bat-Milk isn't the dirtiest drink he offered. Tagalog speakers know it's the Bat-Tea.

The Hodg-man further on nerds v. jocks

2009-07-05T11:10:00.001+08:00

Hodgman elaborates on his speech in front of Obama.

End credit art

2009-07-04T13:05:00.005+08:00

Landscape with the Axiom spaceship done Seurat style.

Here's something interesting: an interview with the creators of the end credits in "Wall-E." I loved that piece, a perfect blend of the history of Earth 2.0 and the history of art, culminating in 8-bit graphics to signal the start of a new computer era. Just like the "Watchmen" opening credits, the "Wall-E" ending is something I can watch over and over.

Well I, for one...

2009-07-03T23:12:00.000+08:00

welcome our new ant overlords.

"Lost" in Space

2009-07-01T11:04:00.007+08:00

The crew in conference. Yes, they're in a spaceship.

The "Virtuality" pilot (for now just a TV movie, unless a network picks it up) does what good a pilot should do: it sets the premise up, shows us the characters and setting, and gives us an idea of the potential stories of the various characters and devices.

The premise is ok enough, it's 2050, 12 people are manning Earth's first starship, which will take 10 years to reach the nearest star potentially capable of sustaining life. But that won't be enough to sustain modern audiences (much less SF enthusiasts) so they add a twist -- the astronauts' day to day lives are filmed and shown on earth as a reality show -- and a literal plot device -- personal virtual reality modules (think realistically portrayed Star Trek holodecks) that help while away the time AND serve as the ship's interface.

Each character has his/her issues that are illuminated through the "confessional" shots for the reality series and their VR worlds. From civil war reenactments to anime-inspired fantasies, each scenario is an episode in itself and a chance for the actors and writers to play around.

Oh, and there's a guy going around the VR worlds killing their VR selves.

Download it from your riendly neighborhood torrent site and support the call for a full series. We need more shows like this.

Oh, and yay, the ship uses an Orion drive.

Remembering Michael Jackson...

2009-06-27T09:15:00.001+08:00

... can never be complete for me without viewing the best video ever. His legacy of weirdness lives on.

Revenge of the Nerds

2009-06-21T12:54:00.002+08:00

John Hodgman is just brilliant. "You are addicted to that brand name smartphone that I cannot name for contractual reasons." :)) Oh, and for the record (no dunepedia or anything):

1. Shai-Hulud

2. Thumper

3. Water of Life

Declaration of Asses

2009-06-08T21:10:00.001+08:00

Via Ricky Carandang's blog. The list of Congresscritters who approved the Con-Ass resolution.

The worst

2009-06-04T11:10:00.001+08:00

The worst Congress in the annals of history. No comments, just shaking my head in disbelief the past few days.

But we can't really blame him...

2009-06-04T10:48:00.004+08:00

... it's part of his job as Bong Revilla's PR guy. F. Robert Moraleda, colossally misses the point of Patricia Evangelista's column.

He says:

Because supposedly very educated people fail to distinguish between the roles he plays onscreen and the real Bong Revilla off-camera, I am now convinced that he is a better actor than he had been credited for.

He implies that Evangelista conflates Revilla's screen roles with his real one as a public servant. But had he tried to understand the content of her column he would've noticed that she says:

This is Bong Revilla, whose contribution to culture is in large part the image of the Filipino macho man in a country where film and television offer the public the most accessible set of social standards.

His films reinforce the macho stereotype. She doesn't think that he is the roles he plays, she is saying that the roles he plays contribute to the macho culture that started this in the first place. The irony, which Moraleda fails to appreciate, is that Revilla and his father helped create the monster that he's trying to slay so loudly and so publicly.

But more importantly, where is it in Bong Revilla's job description as a senator that says he needs to hold senate hearings to "pursue justice?" His job is to craft legislation, not to air other people's dirty laundry.

Ah but Moraleda may be right after all, unlike the roles that he plays onscreen, the real Bong Revilla isn't really a hero.

Is this really in aid of legislation?

2009-05-29T11:15:00.003+08:00

The problem with Philippine senate inquiries is that they're used mainly as opportunities for grandstanding by senators who have nothing better to do than hog the limelight. Instead of asking intelligent questions that can aid in crafting legislation, they opt for the ones that the cameras will carry.

In the Kho affair, the senators failed to do basic research (please correct me if I'm wrong). Instead of asking about drugs (against which Philippine laws are adequate) they should've been more concerned about the mechanics and motivations of videotaping sexual encounters.

A psychologist and an anthropologist should be there to give testimony as to the whether this behavior is normal. Given the number of cellphone cam pics circulating online and in social networking sites, one would think that, in urban areas at least and among the younger set, this isn't as weird as some lawmakers think it is.

Then they should invite internet security consultants to give everyone an idea how digital videos are taken and how laptop security can be compromised. This is to establish the line where culpability should be drawn in the proposed law. (i.e. when can someone claim that his computer was "hacked?")

A good senator interested in this case would've read up on the interesting civil rights issues regarding cyberporn in the US. Like the grandma who was charged with child porn for taking pics of her grandkid in the bathtub. Or the 14 year old girl charged with distributing underage porn when she posted a topless pic on her MySpace. The arguments and opinions from constitutionalists would help craft a better cyberporn law.

But no, they wanted Hayden and Katrina and Vicki Belo there, interrogated in front of TV cameras.

Who's the voyeur now?

Do not delay

2009-05-27T22:36:00.006+08:00

I saw a sedan last night at Glorietta with a sign inside the windshield saying "NHA Project, Do Not Delay."

Which got me thinking, Is there a housing crisis somewhere that, at 9:00 pm on a Wednesday, needs the National Housing Authority's presence? And how terrible is this crisis that the guy in the sedan needs to pick someone up from the mall (who cannot be delayed) to face it? It seems that there is more to housing than meets the eye.

I used to assume that anyone who can't be delayed can request a police escort. Heck, even the lowliest konsehal can have one. It seems that it isn't the case. Underfunded agencies like the National Housing Authority, can only afford a laminated sign that says "NHA Project, Do Not Delay."

In fact, the NHA is so poor that they can't even afford to write a separate vision statement. Imagine that, their mission is the same as their vision. Which is understandable. After all, you need an entire weekend (at least) out of town on a corporate retreat/planning seminar in order to write a sentence saying what your agency does. Maybe that's what's so urgent that can't be delayed.

I hope they solve that crisis soon. I have high hopes though: the "Do Not Delay" sign is a step in the right direction.

You were told it was recorded

2009-05-26T09:06:00.003+08:00

What part of "this interview is being recorded" is so difficult to understand that GSIS has to throw the anti-wiretapping law against Cheche Lazaro to save face? Holy crap, she called the director and told her she was recording the conversation. If the director didn't want to be taped then she should've PUT THE FUCKING PHONE DOWN.

But what's sadder is the presence of idiots defending the GSIS via letters to the editor.

Yes, even that one

2009-05-25T13:01:00.007+08:00

Years ago, probably during the Erap administration, Richard Gomez was supposed to be appointed to a presidential adviser position. His credentials were, of course, questioned and one of the issues brought up was that he didn't read books. Gomez countered by saying that he reads magazines naman.

Naman, indeed.

Thank goodness he didn't mention which magazines because if Reader's Digest* was among those I'd have been a few thousand pesos short thanks to a new TV screen.

You can get current information from a magazine, along with digested facts and opinions. Some, like New Republic and McSweeney's and Wired, even border on brilliant. But you need to read books in order to consider yourself learned.

And it's not just the content. The act of reading itself is a sign of intellectual maturity. The ability to spend over an hour of focused concentration on a single matter is a prerequisite for higher education.** An ability that isn't developed while poring over "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" or Richard Feynman's lectures.

You practice while reading novels and stories and popular accounts of historical events. You read pop philosophy and pop science while preparing yourself for higher-level stuff. Heck, it isn't even preparation at all. The practice itself is fun.

Books, even insipid pulp fiction, help develop a habit that leads to better learners and thinkers. In that sense all books are educational.

Yes, even" Twilight."

==========

*I loved Reader's Digest when I was eight; back when I was stretching my reading muscles, the year before that summer when I read the entire Collier's encyclopedia.

** Of course, spending over an hour on a magazine article doesn't count. Unless it's Playboy, and it's not actually an article. In which case, congratulations, sir, your wife must be a very happy woman. ;)

Get over it

2009-05-21T09:50:00.003+08:00

So even Malacanang weighs in.

Since when is having sex part of a doctor's profession? Or a "grave abuse of human rights?"

Hayden Kho -- doctor, model, and Vicki Belo's erstwhile boytoy -- may be a douchebag. He may engage in behavior that some people might call immoral or perverted. But did he do anything to cast aspersions on the medical profession? Enough to warrant calling for his license?

If he secretly videotaped, say, a breast exam in his clinic and distributed it online, then he's doing something that betrays doctor-patient confidentiality. If he anaesthesized patients and had sex with them (videotaped or not), then that's rape.

But making a sex tape isn't illegal. Distributing it, perhaps, but then again someone has to prove that it wasn't stolen from the guy's computer. So why all the fuss?

The video was done with both parties consenting. It wasn't a hidden camera thing. The couple did it for kicks. It's unfortunate that it got distributed publicly, but hey, that's a danger inherent in a digital, connected world.

Oh, and Bong Revilla, before you start calling Kho a pervert and threaten to bring down your brand of moral justice on the guy, can you again give us a head count how many half-brothers and sisters you have? Ang lagay eh, masama lang ba yun pag kinunan na ng camera?

Get over it.

Science Centrum blogger tour this Saturday

2009-05-13T09:57:00.003+08:00

There are still slots for the Bloggers @ PSC event this Saturday, May 16th at the Science Centrum in Riverbanks, Marikina. Email bloggers@pfst.org if you want to register. Here are some reminders:

1. Registration is from 2pm-3pm.

2. The guided tour will start by 3pm. It will run for about an hour.
3. There will be a Q&A after the guided tour.
4. If you are going directly to PSC, here are your options:

Public Transport
Go to Gateway Mall Cubao. At the Aurora Blvd exit you will see FX shuttles. Take the one going to "SSS" and ask to be dropped off at Riverbanks. There are jeepneys plying the same route. (The PSC can provide transportation from Cubao, please email us to coordinate)

Private Vehicle
From Cubao take Aurora boulevard. After crossing Katipunan, take the flyover and follow the road until you see Riverbanks Center to your right. Park somewhere near the back.

From C5 take the Marikina shortcut after Libis area. You'll exit somewhere near Riverbanks

When you get to Riverbanks, Walk through two buildings until you see a Mang Inasal and a Figaro. Turn right. After ICT you'll see the PSC entrance to your right.

5. If you'd like to ride with us (pick-up point is Gateway Cubao), please email us on or before 4pm of Thursday (May 14). Kindly indicate your mobile number. The PSC is providing transportation.
6. You are free to take pictures or cam-cord the tour.
7. Free Wi-Fi access shall be provided if you wish to live-blog the event or post immediately afterwards
8. Bringing your kid/s to the event is allowed provided that you let us know by Thursday.

Stupid is as stupid does

2009-05-11T11:38:00.004+08:00

LBC has a commercial featuring Edu Manzano as a spelling bee master.

The idea is cute. Not exactly original*, but cute.

Now some idiots want the ad pulled out because it "corrupts minors."

Board Member Shirley Araojo-Abundo also supported the move, saying the alarming LBC spot was similar to a powdered laundry soap ad in which a mother said that one was greater than two.

“Hindi po ito maiintindihan ng mga bata [Children will not understand this],” she said.

I'm sorry but if your kids are too stupid to understand that "remittance" isn't actually spelled L-B-C, then a commercial is the least of your problems.

==========

*Everybody now: B-E-A-M means smile, smile kami pag Beam.

Star Trek is dead. Long live Star Trek

2009-05-10T11:33:00.008+08:00

The Good:

-- Karl Urban. Eomer gets his turn as Bones and is as crotchetty as DeForest Kelley.

-- The redshirt dies

-- "I'm giving it all she's got."

-- Tribbles

-- Lens flares. The future's so bright.

-- 300 years from now, the Beastie Boys are still cool. (But then again we already knew that from Futurama.)

The Bad:

-- Miniskirts. I love how they justified it (school uniforms), but still, they need to crawl up Jeffries tubes sometimes.

-- Kobayashi Maru. I love how Kirk reprogrammed the computer in the (edit) Julia Ecklar novel (my first Star Trek book). More creative and more in character.

-- "Live long and prosper." Pilit.

-- Supernovas don't work that way.

-- EDIT TO ADD: The big ball of red matter is a frakking Rambaldi device! I thought it was a shout out to Arthur Clarke's Asymptotic Drive. Heck, man, Slusho and Grunberg I can take... but this?

The Ugly:

-- So a foreman of a Romulan space mining operation gets pissed off that Spock failed to save his planet so he follows Spock's ship to the past and then, instead of warning his people that their sun will go nova, decides to destroy Federation planets.

-- Meanwhile, Kirk, on academic suspension, gets smuggled by Bones onto the Enterprise, commits insubordination, then gets promoted to full Captain (of the flagship!) even before graduation.

Ako Mismo?

2009-05-07T16:04:00.005+08:00

Marcos: Ano ba'ng pinakamalaking problema ng Pilipinas? Komunismo? Pasismo?

Common Tao: Hinde. Ikaw mismo. Pati misis mo.

* * * * *

The about us page of the "Ako Mismo" campaign contains some of the most idiotic drivel I've read online. Everything that is wrong with "advocacy campaigns" is present there.

DDB's newest advocacy campaign has been getting a lot of attention to the agency's amazement. This has in fact given them more conviction to stand behind their cause and continue their crusade for positive change.

Then the folks at DDB are easily amazed. Only an idiot would take out ads on primetime, people it with big stars, pimp a web address, and then be surprised that people turn up. "Feeling grassroots" is what they are, expressing amazement that a campaign executed by a top ad agency gets attention. Spare me.

But what really gets my goat* is that the campaign is basically NOTHING. Nothing in that site tells me what I am supposed to do or how that will help make my country better. Is typing in a "committment" supposed to change the world? Is signing up for a fucking dog tag supposed to change my country?

This "advocacy" is an insult to real people out there lobbying for laws, reporting on atrocities, organizing communities. To somehow think that a bunch of ad men with a faux viral campaign will change the world simultaneously scales the heights of naivete and plumbs the depths of cynicism.

Now here's a better organization. And while they may not have the reach of Ako Mismo, I can personally vouch for (most of) the people who comprise the MGG. Heck, I love Ely and Arnel and Angel as much as the next guy, but give me Juana Change anytime.

========

*Please, I have so few goats left.

Prudential

2009-04-29T17:05:00.000+08:00

Prudence is a virtue that isn’t prized too highly these days. After the 60’s it’s all been about “daring” and “risk-taking” and “out of the box” and “radical” and “cool.” But prudence is still prized in industries where lots of money is taken and spent. And with what happened recently in Wall Street, I’m pretty sure prudence and fiscal conservatism is winning over a lot of people again. “High-risk high-return” isn’t as appealing as “steady and stable.”

“Prudential” is a term that isn’t used a lot in casual conversation, having been co-opted by dozens of insurance firms. In the Philippines alone there are at least three players with “prudential” in their trade names. Any book on entrepreneurship will advise you to find a name that is unique, but what can you do if your choice of acceptable adjectives is limited?

Philippine Prudential Life is a Filipino insurance company that has been around since 1963. Prudentialife Plans is a pre-need company that was established in 1978. While technically they are in different industries,* to the ordinary person they are companies that take your money regularly and give you something in return when something happens (like an accident, or college).

Filipinos, who are used to “brand extension” companies owned by the same people entering a different business, would assume that the two companies with “prudential” in their names are connected -- Philam Life and Philam Plans come to mind.

Which is fine until something bad happens to one of the companies.

The Legacy mess affected Prudentialife Plans and, because of the name, hit Philippine Prudential too. Now the latter is fielding calls and taking out ads and talking to the media reassuring everyone that they have absolutely nothing to do with the former.

Which could have been avoided had both companies dealt with the branding issue from the start. Given that the name of the pre-need had already been approved, Philippine Prudential should have taken steps to differentiate their brand.

It would’ve been the prudent thing to do.

==============
*“Pre-need” is a weird animal invented here that isn’t supervised by the Insurance Commission. They actually sell securities.

Free Science Centrum Tour Again

2009-04-28T11:33:00.007+08:00

You see those funnel-like things at SM malls and wonder what they're for. Or better yet, you know exactly what it is and are looking for the small signboard that explains Kepler's laws of planetary motion. Well, SM seems to miss the point, thinking that (like most of the stuff they do) it's just another way of getting you to part with your money.

Anyway, here's the sciencey explanation for that, taken from the exhibit at the Philippine Science Centrum.

I first encountered that exhibit at the Philippine Science Centrum back at their old Padre Faura location. The place has since moved to better digs in Marikina and we've conducted a free tour for bloggers and internet writers there last year.

This summer we're doing it again.

May 16th, Saturday, 3pm at the Science Centrum in Riverbanks Mall Marikina. Will post details later. Email bloggers@pfst.org (that's the Philippine Foundation for Science and Technology) for inquiries or reservations.

Dictating copy over the phone...

2009-04-27T10:34:00.004+08:00

... bad idea.

What's wrong with the passive voice?

2009-04-26T09:22:00.004+08:00

“Strunk and White said so” is not a sure-fire defense in a style argument.

SaysGrammar Girl in a piece for the NYTimes on the anniversary of Strunk and White's "Elements of Style." I used to do that back in high school when I first began to use it but I've mellowed down since. I still read it from time to time, like most of the other people in the NYT special, but tend to use my own style in writing.

I think Strunk and White's value is in erasing almost all traces of style, leaving one with an almost-blank state to begin with. As long as one remembers that language and the rules of grammar aren't set in stone (and even stone crumbles and weathers after a while), using the book is fine.

Just don't quote it like a (or worse, THE) bible of writing style.

J.G. Ballard 1930-2009

2009-04-20T17:30:00.004+08:00

There is no other writer but J.G. Ballard, and Michael Moorcock is his prophet.

Ballard ushered in the "New Wave" of science fiction. From the antiseptic fiction of the big three (Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke) came a new kind of speculation that dealt with the not so lofty goals. Not quite cyberpunk but getting there, the british "New Wave," like the French one happening at around the same time in cinema, brought things down to pavement level.

My favorite Ballard story is not one of the dark ones but a lovely gem called "The Garden of Time." Enjoy until someone tells me to take it down.

Kalamansi

2009-04-05T17:19:00.002+08:00

I've yet to eat in a restaurant with a decent kalamansi policy.

Anywhere in Manila you order a sisig or a pancit or anything that requires kalamansi, the cooks / waiters always plop the thing right in the middle of the food. Picking it up greases your fingers or, in case of sisig) burns it. I usually resort to using a napkin to pick it up, else I fish it out with a fork and then wipe it with a napkin before squeezing.

Why can't they just serve the kalamansi separately?

Answer 4!

2009-04-01T13:02:00.002+08:00

Science Fiction blog io9 has a poll regarding the term "nerd." A glitch in the software put up the following choices:

You’re dead wrong man, keep the faith! Cool stuff is still happening! Nerd4Life!
You’re way late guy; it was all over by The Phantom Menace, or maybe that Hackers film with Angelina Jolie.
Let’s keep it alive anyway for what’s still valuable. Future generations of misfits will thank us.
Answer 4
Answer 5

"Answer 5" is winning (especially with the extra pharyngulation), with the "Answer 4" people putting up a good fight.

Which kinda settles the issue. Nerds it is, then.

After Watchmen...

2009-03-23T13:21:00.003+08:00

... what's next.

DC Comics has compiled a list of books to check out if you liked "Watchmen."

I personally recommend Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series, most of Alan Moore's opus, and and "Transmetropolitan." "Planetary" is wonderful in itself but is absolutely brilliant only if you're a big comic book geek.

Frakking Awesome!

2009-03-19T18:07:00.005+08:00

So say we all. Bill Frakking Adama in the house.

Edward James Olmos has always been badass.

But his turn as the admiral in the new Battlestar Galactica has raised it to new heights. From giving "the look" to drinking with Tigh to executing the "Adama maneuver" to smoking weed and getting busy with the president of the colonies, there is nothing that EJO/Adama does that isn't cool.

As the series is about to end the producers and cast visit the UN to talk about human rights.

And while that may seem slightly Sean Penn-ish to some, the fact that EJO stays in frakking character most of the time more than makes up for that. He addresses everyone there AS BILL ADAMA and ends his speech with "so say we all."

And the audience responds in kind. Frakking awesome.

DeathSponge

2009-03-12T16:46:00.002+08:00

The most awesome dub ever.

Why watch

2009-03-07T22:49:00.010+08:00

Here's what I don't get about the MTRCB: you can allow graphic violence like the Comedian's murder and Dan and Laurie beating the crap out of a street gang but you have to cut a sex scene to reduce the rating? One of the most awesome things about "Watchmen" is the soundtrack and in the quest to get in down to R13 the distributors manage to butcher what could've been the best music video of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."

Seriously, is there any better lyric for a washed up superhero with erectile dysfunction, pre-Viagra, to make love to?

There was a time you let me know
Whats real and going on below
But now you never show it to me do ya?
I remember when I moved in you
The holy ghost was moving too
And every breath we drew was hallelujah

The NYTimes' AO Scott is calling for a moratorium on the song (it was used in "Shrek" of all places) but, hey, here it works.

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World," as Veidt was addressing the businessmen is obvious; what's less so is Nena's "99 Luftbaloons." And while it seemed jarring to hear that a tad too loud during Dan and Laurie's dinner, the lyrics were more than apt. I never paid attention to it before but apparently in the song they release 99 red balloons and start a war.

99 red balloons.
floating in the summer sky.
Panic bells, it's red alert.
There's something here from somewhere else.
The war machine springs to life.
Opens up one eager eye.
Focusing it on the sky.
Where 99 red balloons go by.

Foreshadowing for those who remember the english translation of the song.

But what really blew me away was the opening credits. "Watchmen" is probably the only superhero film that you can set to Bob Dylan without sounding cheesy or "pilit."

[Edit: Aw crap, they took the video down. Guess you better watch it again.]

* * * * *

I like the new ending. Without a lengthy exposition involving psionics and genetic engineers and Veidt's extra-spatial studies institute the giant squid would've been weird. Instead we get a 9/11 vibe with Dr. Manhattan as the boogeyman.

And it works in the film. The giant monster from outer space is a staple in superhero comics but won't really work in a film era full of Dark Knights and Iron Men. So a blue explosion it is. More bodies perhaps, but I'm fine with what we have.

* * * * *

And Rorschach. Oh yeah. Best. Line. Ever.

Philip Jose Farmer 1918-2009

2009-03-01T22:54:00.004+08:00

May you wake up near a grailstone next to Alice Lidell.

My first encounter with Philip Jose Farmer was through his crappy "Dungeon" series, which, while never among his top works, still was enough to blow the mind of a 12 year old. The image of Clive Foliot battling a gelatinous blob with the head of his brother was simultaneously creepy and fascinating.

As is most of his work.

Most everyone's favorite (mine too) is the Riverworld series, where everyone who has lived from the dawn of history to the early 1980s is resurrected on the banks of a million-mile long river in perfect health and youth. Skip the crappy Sci-Fi movie and get the books. Start with "To Your Scattered Bodies Go" and work your way up.

You will be missed.

Reply to this

2009-02-26T16:38:00.004+08:00

The proposed "Right of Reply" law steps on the right of news media to publish what is fair and fitting by the industry's standards. By giving “aggrieved parties” the right to demand equal time and space on newspapers and television shows, the law effectively arrogates unto the “aggrieved parties” the right to mess around with a newspaper’s or TV show’s editorial policies.

So here's my suggestion to major media groups in case the bill, in its current incarnation, passes.

Day 1:
All major newspapers should carry the headline: "Nene Pimentel accused of beating up wife, abusing child." Somewhere below the headline is something about Monico Puentebella’s homosexual exploits in Sweden.

Of course these allegations are all false (as far as we know) so these blowhards invoke their right to reply law.

Day 2:
All the newspapers carry different headlines. Something like: Mike Arroyo is a big fat slob. The blowhards will not have enough time to craft a response to Day 1.

Day 3:
All the newspapers publish the response of the blowhards in their front pages. The headlines read something like: "I did not beat up my wife – Pimentel" and "I am not gay (not that there's anything wrong with that) – Puentebella."

But here’s the cool part. At the top of the page in heavy font, all the newspapers will announce: “For actual news that’s fit to print, see pages 2 and 3. Repeal the right to reply law.”

If they want to reply, let’s give them something to reply to.

DNDI Dies

2009-02-25T10:46:00.001+08:00

Holy crap! The Philippines' best bassist's ticker just ticked out. Now how about a retrospective? If anyone deserves a tribute, it's this guy.

Best pig in the world

2009-02-22T16:33:00.004+08:00

Anthony Bourdain on pork sisig:

If you've never had this divine mosaic of pig parts, chopped and served sizzling and crisp on one side on a screaming hot platter, then you've yet to have one of the world's best beer drinking dishes.

from his blog post on his Philippine episode, which ranks Cebu lechon as the #1 pork in the world. This is from a guy who loves pork. Pity he didn't get to sample bagnet, which in Noel Vera's words, is the Incredible Hulk to chicharon's Bruce Banner, or the other dishes in the other islands he didn't get to visit.

Anyhoo, here's what he ate in Cebu via Marketman. Dang I'm getting hungry.

Hands-on design

2009-02-19T15:54:00.003+08:00

Michael Bierut recalls his days as a graphic designer in the 80s, when personal computers (much less Macs) were unheard of and the job was still literally hands-on.

If you worked in a design studio in 1980, you were surrounded by colored paper, rubber cement, X-Acto knives and cans of aerosol spray glue. Our work, whether an annual report or a poster, was done by hand.

Today most kids who do graphic design don't even know what X-Acto knives are and aerosol glue is something the older art directors use to stick printed studies to foam boards for client presentations. Everything is done on computers which, we have to admit, made things faster but took away some of the craftsmanship in graphic design.

What's ironic in Bierut's story is the fact that they were the ones who created the packaging for IBM's personal computers.

All of us assumed that these machines were just fancy hybrids of typewriters and calculators. We did all the artwork with rubber cement, colored paper and paint. We had no idea, but we were looking at the beginning of the end, and the end came quickly.

Not that there's anything wrong with using computers. A good designer is a good designer regardless of the tools he uses. Bierut uses a computer now, as do most designers his age who are still active. What's deplorable is the idea that owning a pirated copy of Adobe Illustrator is enough qualification for anyone to design.

This leads to abominations like CrowdSpring, which hold contests among "designers" in an attempt to corral cheap labor. According to the site's founder:

"The beauty of our site is that it doesn't matter if you have a degree from the Rhode Island School of Design or if you're a grandma in Tennessee with a bunch of free time and Adobe Illustrator," says Samson. "If the client likes the grandma's work better, then she's going to get the job."

Of course he fails to mention that a logo or an ad campaign is more that just pretty pictures painted on pixels by bored grandmas and struggling students. Besides, what the client likes isn't always what he needs.

At least during Bierut's youth he can show a client around their workspace and give the impression that what they're doing is something the client can't. But clicking on a mouse? Grandma can do that, too.

Instant Starbucks

2009-02-18T17:41:00.004+08:00

Here's how you know the US economy is down. Starbucks, the company that trained the world to accept 2 dollar coffees, will start selling instant.

Starbucks started as a purveyor of specialty beans. Content with educating people on fine coffee, the owners never planned to enter the coffeeshop business. Current CEO Howard Schultz, who used to run marketing for the old Starbucks, quit the company to put up Il Giornale, a chain of coffeeshops that eventually turned into the Starbucks we know now. (They bought the old company and appropriated the brand).

His 1997 book "Pour Your Heart Into It" chronicled the growth of Starbucks. While reading it I can't help noticing that the company's growth is a series of compromises with the mass market. From developing the frappuccino (their "high-quality" answer to granitas) to offering coffee in supermarkets to streamlining the construction of new outlets, the company's development is the story of how vision gets blurry when you're millions in debt and have stockholders to answer to.

So Starbucks instant isn't that big a surprise, tanking economy or not.

This dystopia wins

2009-02-07T15:47:00.006+08:00

George Orwell’s “1984” and Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” gave us two slightly different dystopias. While “1984” showed a totalitarian state that rewrites history to suit its needs, BNW posits a society that is too concerned with trivia to really care about “what’s going on.”

And while “1984” is the one that is in the pop culture radar (see Apple’s groundbreaking super bowl ad), Huxley’s oeuvre is the one that is proving to be prescient. Like Frank Herbert’s “Dune,” – which foresaw various oil crises and the dangers of monotheistic, violent religions espoused by desert people – “Brave New World” correctly predicted that pleasure, not fear, will reduce us into unthinking imbeciles.

It's easier when you have a "big brother" to fight. Being suppressed and silenced for your radical views isn't as frustrating as drowning in a sea of mediocrity.

Is CafeSci for kids?

2009-02-01T23:00:00.003+08:00

The last Cafe Scientifique I attended had a brain surgeon talk about the phenomenon of memory. Which was what I expected based on the other CafeScis I've read about online. This latest one had physics prof Ivan Culaba demonstrating how clouds are formed and how sunlight gets refracted to make the sky blue.

Which is all fine and dandy if, like 40% of the audience last Saturday, you were a kid.

But it's old hat for people like me who read science books and magazines and watch the Discovery channel for things other than big bikes. I was expecting something on stars and black holes. I wanted to ask an astrophysicist (or the closest thing we have) about dark matter and current theories in cosmology.

What I got was a series of (I admit, cool) demos that would've been great in physics class, but not for an afternoon soiree over coffee. Here's to hoping they get someone to talk about string theory next time.

Cafe Scientifique this Saturday

2009-01-26T14:36:00.003+08:00

Gah it's been weeks since I posted something. Anyhoo, check out this month's Cafe Scientifique at Hobbes High Street. RSVP at cafescimanila(at)gmail.

Doctor Who?

2009-01-04T12:45:00.003+08:00

I was rooting for Patterson Joseph or perhaps James Nesbitt but this new guy seems ok. Eccleston was the Gen X angsty Doctor while Tennant is the happy-go-lucky Gen Y incarnation. Which is why Matt Smith (Smith!) is perhaps the correct choice for Emo!Doctor.

Nah, he's gonna lose the hair before 2010.

Sex Ed

2009-01-02T09:17:00.003+08:00

Patricia Evangelista devotes a column to a store selling sex toys and, like clockwork, some guy complains, calling it "crass." It hardly is. In fact it was written pretty tastefully as far as columns go. The guy says the article belongs in a cheap tabloid but as a guy who reads everything I'm pretty sure it doesn't (he should take a look at what's in tabloids). Evangelista knows what she is doing.

Two things befuddle me whenever some social conservative writes a letter to the editor complaining about something "immoral."

First is the assumption that the Inquirer, or any other newspaper, is supposed to follow "Christian teachings." They are not. Nowhere does it say in the paper that they espouse any brand of Christianity and it is extremely presumptuous for anyone to believe so.

Second is the obsession about sex. Why does writing about any aspect of sex automatically render an article "crass?" The letter writer even demonstrates his ignorance by saying "Rapists and pedophiles may now rest assured that what they do is merely living out their healthy sexual lifestyle," lumping together patrons of the store with criminals. The article mentions nothing of rapists and pedophiles, just a woman who owns a sex shop.

Then he wonders why the paper saw fit to print such a column. It's to educate people like you, buddy.

Sir Pterry!

2009-01-01T14:54:00.002+08:00

Terry Pratchett -- author, humanist, satirist, and all around great guy -- has been knighted. Diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's, he has donated a huge sum to research on the disease and is still churning out two books a year for those of us who can't get enough of the Discworld.

Really?

2008-12-30T01:00:00.004+08:00

It doesn't matter if the elder De La Paz did start the fight or if the 14 year old kid joined in. The fact is that the armed bodyguards of a public official beat up an old man and his teenage kid while the daughter watched.

Of course the Pangandamans's belated account of the incident fails to hold water. The old guy hit you with an umbrella, really? The mother, in her duster, attacked a grown man with a posse of bodyguards with an icepick, really? She allegedly showed up after being called to action by her husband.

Really? All those high-powered weapons and none of you thought of brandishing them to give the attackers pause? You're dealing with golfers, not huramentados. Are we supposed to believe that your huge bodyguards needed to beat a guy and his kid up to neutralize them?

Any trained military type could probably disarm and immobilize an old man and a kid with minimal harm. In fact, that's what real bodyguards are supposed to be trained to do. The only reason for them to beat the De La Pazes up is if they wanted to vent their anger or "teach them a lesson." And while that tactic may work in their turf, the city is another place altogether.

Here, people (especially the middle class) still cling to the belief that might doesn't necessarily make right. As MLQ3 puts it:

So we have here a clear clash of civilizations: between the entitlement and warlord culture of the provinces, which compels obedience by force, and which doesn’t hesitate to use that force to compel submission by anyone who isn’t part of the ruling clan’s pecking order of enforcers; and the national capital culture which expects self-control of officialdom, which doesn’t think twice about standing up to official bullying; which, even if beaten to a pulp thinks it’s possible to rally support from like-minded people who actually believe in justice and notions of equality -because there are more decent people than the bad.

Commenters in the various blogs wonder about the sudden outrage. There are several reasons, not the least of which is it's the holiday break and most of us are spending a great part of our days online doing, well, stuff. We will jump on anything that sounds mildly interesting.

But the bigger reason is that the incident itself scares cityfolk like me. Urbanites who are aware of, but have never experienced, the impunity with which people like Nasser Pangandaman flaunt their wealth and power in their territories.

The fact that it happened in a golf course makes it scarier. The De La Pazes were not activists organizing peasants or journalists picking fights; they were playing golf, railing against a breach of etiquette and got beat up for it because they failed to show the "proper deference" to a person they didn't recognize (Oo, hindi ka nila kilala).

And for that the armed bodyguards of a public official beat up an old man and his teenage kid while the daughter watched. Really.

Thunder!...

2008-12-26T10:28:00.001+08:00

This fan-made video splicing scenes from various films and TV shows gives us a glimpse of what a live-action, high-budget "Thundercats" movie might look like. He got Brad Pitt(Lion-O) footage from "Troy," Vin Diesel's (Panthro) from "Pitch Black" and "Riddick," Hugh Jackman's (Tygra) from the X-Men films, and Gigi Edgley's (Cheetara) from "Farscape." The Spy Kids are Wilykit and Wilykat while the guardian from Indy 3 plays Jaga. Oh, and Garfield is Snarf.

The sword in the first scene is from the Dolph Lundgren He-Man movie, while the Thundertank looks like the Nolan Batmobile (it's a bit dark). According to websites the "make up" was Photoshopped per frame.

Anyway, good luck producing something like this. I doubt if they could sign Pitt or Jackman, and while Edgley was picked for the white make up and the "Farscape" fight scenes, I'm kinda warming up to the idea.

A birthday to celebrate

2008-12-24T18:38:00.006+08:00

On December 25th a great man was born. A man whose revolutionary ideas and their applications showed a new truth that, almost overnight, took the world by storm, making us question deeply-held assumptions and answering questions that have bothered thinkers for ages.

It's only fitting that we celebrate the man who formulated classical physics, invented the calculus, and inproved the telescope, among other achievements. Scientists claim to be standing on the shoulders of giants when credited with feats of ingenuity. This man is one of those giants.

Happy birthday, Sir Isaac Newton.

A threat stops being a threat...

2008-12-20T09:59:00.003+08:00

...when you carry it out.

Yesterday night was taxi heaven in Makati. The last Friday before Christmas is when offices usually hold their parties so you have inebriated office joes carrying gift baskets fighting for cabs at 12am. It was not pretty for someone like me who is used to beating rush hour.

What's more irritating are the taxi drivers who insist on "additional" or expect you to pay a flat rate instead of letting the meter run (kasi po traffic). And then they wonder why no one supports a price increase for them.

I suggest doing this next time: get into the cab and then tell him your destination. If he asks for additional payment or a flat rate just look at him through his rear view mirror and say "Eh kung saksakin kaya kita?"

Why is it...

2008-12-14T17:56:00.002+08:00

...that whenever you read a letter to the editor defending Miriam Defensor-Santiago, it's always from her media staff? I don't recall any "ordinary" person defending Miriam's statements or actions against her detractors (de Quiros, usually).

Insulting

2008-12-07T17:42:00.004+08:00

The very first missingpoints posts (even before the mailing list) were about "blaming victims" and "punishing the innocent." I absolutely hate it when cops blame a rape victim's boyfriend (for not accompanying her home) or her manner of dressing instead of the actual perpetrator. I hate it when city councils pass curfew ordinances to "prevent criminality." The latter, in particular, assumes preemptively that the youth they want to keep at home will commit crimes.

Yesterday at Glorietta 1 I encountered a policy that infuriated me. I was accused of being a movie pirate because I had a digital camera. Below is the letter of complaint I wrote to Ayala Cinemas.

I write to express my disappointment at a policy enforced in your cinemas regarding the possession of digital cameras.

A companion and I were supposed to watch the 5:50pm screening of “Four Christmases” at Glorietta 1 last Saturday, 6 December 2008. As our bags were being inspected at the entrance the usher noticed my digital video camera, which was in my companion’s backpack. The usher asked if it was a digicam and we told her yes. We were then informed that it was Ayala Cinema’s policy to disallow digicams and that we had to leave it at the Customer Service counter if we wanted to enter the theater.

I went to the Customer Service counter and told the staffer present that I wasn’t a movie pirate. I had no intention of filming or taking pictures of any part of the film or the theater. I just had the camera with me because I needed it for a prior event. Besides, I didn’t want to leave a relatively expensive gadget with them. The Customer Service representative replied that it was the theater’s policy. I told them I wouldn’t stand for it and asked for a refund instead.

A few minutes later, I texted ________ of your Marketing Department (whom I personally know). She informed me that this is not a new policy and that it is a preventive measure being done in cooperation with the film distributors. I told her that the policy was insulting to your patrons since it preemptively accuses them of being video pirates.

I am aware that taking pictures or videos inside the cinema is prohibited. Your policy assumes that I am too stupid to understand that or that I would willingly flaunt the rules in order to obtain a copy of the film being shown, hence the need to sequester my possessions. I understand that this is a preventive measure on your part but unlike frisking and bag searches at mall entrances (which are inconveniences, too), leaving my camera at your Customer Service counter has NO ACTUAL BENEFIT TO ME. A bag search assures me that everyone else in the mall isn’t carrying a gun or explosives. A “no digicam” policy assures me of nothing.

You are simply passing your film distributors’ problems on to your customers.

In fact you are punishing the very people who are supporting films by watching them in theaters. Instead of treating us with courtesy and respect, your policy automatically ASSUMES WE ARE UP TO NO GOOD by mere possession of a camera.

I would like to suggest that a less insulting policy be adopted. Continue with the bag searches but, upon finding cameras, just have the ushers remind patrons that taking pictures or videos is prohibited. Post signs that the cinema staff has the right to ask anyone caught to leave. This, I believe, is a happy mean that respects the wishes of film distributors while acknowledging that your patrons are law-abiding citizens (unless proven otherwise).

Until such a policy is adopted, I will not patronize Ayala Cinemas and will encourage everyone else I know to do the same.

Anybody else encounter something similar at any other movie theater? I think it's about time we let them know that we should not be treated like potential criminals.

Holy crap that's creepy!

2008-12-06T09:52:00.005+08:00

I still can't decide if it's good-creepy or just plain disturbing.

Check out Chris Scarborough's site for real photographs digitally manipulated to look like real-life manga. Found via the wonderful Cabinet of Wonders.

Manufactured rebellion marketed under a brand

2008-12-04T19:43:00.004+08:00

I wince at any mention of “lomography” or “lomographers” that implies they practice a distinct form of art. They're people taking photographs (bad ones) and spending more for various types of cheap cameras and film than your run-of-the-mill bad photographer. And while they do produce something worth viewing once in a while, it only happens (a) once in a while and (b) without being aware of basic photographic principles.

Photography is a skill. No matter how expensive your equipment is, you can't be called a real photographer if you don't know how to focus or set your exposure correctly. You need to master a lot of technical stuff, and even then, if your composition sucks, you’re still not a good one, much less an artist. It takes an innate eye, a developed skill, and years of practice to be considered halfway good.

Lomography espouses the exact opposite. Armed with a credo of spontaneity, “lomographers” take to the streets armed with cheap cameras, pointing and clicking without thought or preparation. Requiring no skill except pressing a button, “lomo” is just one step removed from looking.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. Cheap cameras that mess with film (producing random effects) coupled with “shooting from the hip” can result in spectacular shots. Like a Jackson Pollock action painting, the focus could be in the process itself, with the end result being a record of the experiment instead of a planned final product. As a technique for producing art, that's right up there with abstract expressionism and jazz improvisation.

But how many lomographers are aware of abstract expressionism?

In my literature classes students sometimes ask about “artistic license.” I tell them that it's ok to break the rules if you know what you're breaking and why. There's a difference between someone who messes with grammar for effect and someone who doesn't know how to construct a proper sentence. Joss Whedon is aware that he's turning adjectives into nouns while Prince has been using “text” spelling conventions 20 years ago (remember “Nothing Compares 2U?”). Unlike those kids who populate those TV text message boards though, Whedon knows how to write and Prince (we assume) knows how to spell.

Do lomographers know how to take proper photographs?

Some of them do, especially the professionals and hobbyists who keep a lomo cam or two to experiment on. Those who ignore the “don’t think, just shoot” mentality can and do come up with amazing stuff; they’re real photographers using different tools. But the pseudo hipsters who are into it because it’s cool or (worse) because it’s expensive… they’re the ones being marketed to.

And it really is just marketing. It’s not so much an artistic movement as it is a campaign to sell overpriced defective Russian cameras. The reason Pollock’s squiggles command millions is due to history and American pride more than it is about the actual quality of the work. The guys who started lomography deserve to be hailed, not as pioneers of a modern art form or the reinventors of photography, but as brilliant marketers.

But who are we to deny these deluded kids their pretensions at rebellion / art? Go ahead, take your expensive cheap camera and point and shoot. I’ll just point and laugh.

Above: This costs PhP15,000?

Making money on field trips

2008-11-27T22:35:00.005+08:00

Above: The Rube Goldberg-like Digestive System Exhibit at the PSC

The problem with “educational” field trips is that they’ve become excuses for the students and teachers (mostly teachers) to go sightseeing. What is supposed to be an enhancement of the educational process becomes an excursion, a break from the monotony of the classroom. And while that, indeed, is a perk, a lot of them forget that they need to teach the kids first before they hie off to watch “Eat Bulaga.”

With this “pasyal” mentality what suffers is the time allotted per leg of the tour. The school focuses on the number of places they can hit in a single day more than the quality of the visits to those places. Instead of visiting, say, a zoo in the morning and the Science Centrum after lunch, the tours end up passing through two museums, a zoo, a park, and a TV show. The kids barely experience, much less learn, anything.

This checklist mentality has a lot to do with how these tours are organized. Unlike the good old days when the teachers themselves would plan the outings, field trips today are organized by tour operators who handle everything, from reservations to transportation.

This means the more they cram into the tour, the more they can charge. The teachers, in turn, get larger commissions from the tour organizer while the parents are under the impression that they are getting their money’s worth because the buses are air-conditioned and their kids get to see so many places in one day.

Everyone ends up kidding themselves and compromising the kids’ education.

During our Science Centrum tour, Executive Director May Pagsinohin lamented that their facility’s PhP90 entrance fee, instead of encouraging visits, becomes a turn-off for tour operators, who receive only a PhP20 rebate. Odd but true.

But even for those who do get to visit the Science Centrum, rushing them through the exhibits misses the point. The science museum was designed to be interactive, meaning the kids have to fool around with the exhibits to get something out of them. Being told what the paired parabolic dishes do won’t stick in their heads as much as actually conversing with someone on the other side while the Rube Goldberg digestive system demo won’t be worth much if there are no teachers around to explain the process*.

Ideally an educational field trip should allow enough time for teachers to process the information for the kids. A tour guide (if one is present) imparts only the information that the facility’s planners intend. The teacher should be around to relate what the guide is saying to their actual lesson.

This means visiting only two, at most three, places, with enough time at each stop for the classes to sit down and discuss what they saw.

The problem is not with the tour operators; they’re only doing their jobs. The problem is with the teachers and school administrators who authorize these trips without evaluating their worth.

===============
* Kids (like my 29 year old brother) might conclude “eating metal balls = not good,” which is valid, but misses the point of the contraption.

Hairspray this Saturday; don't get lost

2008-11-27T11:00:00.000+08:00

For everyone watching Hairspray this Saturday, please note that the Star Theater is different from the Aliw Theater, although they're both at the Star City complex. Star Theater is the one inside. You pass through the parking lot and walk to the end where the people are lining up.

Here's the map from the Ticketworld website and their instructions for getting there. Try to come early to be on the safe side (parking might be difficult) and call or text me if you do get lost.

A whole new level of geometric superiority

2008-11-26T14:37:00.003+08:00

It's not a cynical way of re-packaging an old product. Heck, you can't even compare it to the textbook Arm & Hammer baking-soda-marketed-as-refrigerator-deodorant campaign. The "Diamond Shreddies" campaign exists just to get people talking about the product. Even the article about it is written tongue-in-cheek.

And that's too many hyphens for a post.

Holy childhood memories, Batman!

2008-11-23T17:45:00.004+08:00

After the, well, dark "The Dark Knight" film comes a Batman version that harks closer to Dick Sprang and the "Superfriends" cartoon. "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" features the DC Universe's lesser-known heroes and teams them up with the Caped Crusader (this is no dark knight detective). The writing is tight and the action is so over the top that anyone who remembers "Saturday Fun Machine" on channel 9 Saturday mornings will have a grin plastered on his face for half an hour.

In the first episode Batman pulls a sword out of his utility belt! A few scenes later he talks the Blue Beetle (the new, hispanic Guyver-ish one, not Ted Kord) into accompanying him on a mission. Beetle flies off and Bats presses a button on his belt to turn his cape into a jetpack(!), reaching escape velocity while still in his blue and gray underoos.

Diedrich Bader (Oswald from "The Drew Carey Show") is an unlikely choice but his voice works as a well-adjusted Batman. Will Friedle (Terry McGinnis, "Batman Beyond") does Beetle while Tom Kenny (Spongebob Squarepants) is Plastic Man. Future guest heroes include Firestorm, Guy Gardner and Hal Jordan, Katana, Metamorpho, and other guys we rarely see animated.

I'm not sure when they'll show this locally but try to get your hands on episodes soon. This is kids animation done right.

The problem with a presidential debate

2008-11-21T16:04:00.001+08:00

A COMELEC commissioner wants compulsory debates for candidates. I’m with him. I want one. But I’m not sure it’ll do what he or I hope it’ll do.

We wanted one last 2004 but GMA didn’t want anyone questioning her achievements, FPJ didn’t want anyone questioning his credentials, and Lacson only wanted to debate with either of the top two in surveys (refusing to be lumped with the “laggards”), leaving only Roco and Villanueva – a debate which would have settled the question: kaninong pagkatalo tayo mas manghihinayang? and little else.

But will it help people make better choices?

The sad truth is people don’t make decisions based on questions of policy, preferring instead to side with those candidates that they “feel” for. (A study in 2004 used the term napupusuan.) Erap Estrada, who was neither mabait nor matalino (nor part of the masa for that matter) managed to capture the hearts of the poor despite a distinct lack of eloquence. People want someone they can relate to instead of someone smarter than they are.

A debate might only fuel the anti-intellectualism that manifests whenever someone smart verbally beats an idiot. Nevermind if they’re actually supposed to be educated, we feel for the poor idiot almost every time.

Ernie Maceda once wiped the Senate floor with Ramon Revilla when he asked him about the rankings of government officials.* And while my father and I applauded Maceda then (perhaps the only time we did), the general consensus was one of pity (awa) for Revilla Sr.

In a sane society we would’ve been outraged at Revilla’s ignorance of something taught at the grade school level. But no.

The problem with debate is that it’s appreciated mostly by people who use good reasoning and rhetoric and are proud to be associated with smart people. Idiots who can barely speak much less explain themselves will identify more with the one getting trounced, unless he’s mayabang, in which case they’ll say buti nga.

A presidential debate in the Philippines in this post-modern age means none of us know what the ultimate goal is.

Is it to “win” the debate, meaning be the best speaker and present the most logical arguments? Or is it to score sympathy points with the audiences, which doesn’t necessarily mean coming off smart, just adorable (the Palin strategy)? Or maybe it’s just to look good on TV?

My fear is that it might affect some of the better candidates’ chances. But that shouldn’t be too big a problem. If they’re good enough they can find time to prepare. Else let’s get ready to let the pretty idiots keep this country.

==========
* Alin ang mas mataas, Governor or Congressman? To which Revilla answered something like: Napapapunta ng Governor ang Congressman sa opisina niya kaya sa palagay ko mas mataas ang Governor.

Science Centrum tour this Saturday

2008-11-19T09:13:00.001+08:00

The Science Centrum blogger tour is a go.

If you still want to participate in this Saturday’s free tour you can email me at cognitioncreative(at) gmail (dot) com or text 0917-3590459; there are still slots left. Registration will be at the Science Centrum lobby at 2:00 pm. The tour starts right after.

Oh, and I’ll be hanging out at the Figaro near the centrum around 1:00pm in case any of you come in early and have nothing better to do. :)

See you Saturday.

Hairspray Manila review

2008-11-15T18:05:00.004+08:00

“Hairspray” is one of those musicals that you can take anyone to. Unlike, say, “Kiss of the Spiderwoman” or Sondheim's stuff, this show has a relatively light story and accessible songs with pop sensibilities. Exactly the kind of musical that Filipino theater performers will excel at. And excel they do.

Great pop songs

Notable performances from Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Velma Von Tussle, Dulce as Motormouth Maybelle, and Nyoy Volante as Seaweed J. Stubbs (man, the guy can dance). But naturally the most impressive turn is Madel Ching's Tracy Turnblad, who is in all but two scenes. And while she can't dance as well as Nikki Blonsky does in the movie remake, her voice and comic timing (not to mention her energy) more than make up for it.

Show-stopping numbers

The songs lend themselves to a lot of embellishments, and birit is something any Pinoy can appreciate. Watch out for Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo's “Miss Baltimore Crabs” and Dulce's “I Know Where I've Been” for impressive vocal acrobatics while “Mama I'm a Big Girl Now” and “I Can Hear The Bells” are great concepts. My personal favorite is a lovely duet between Leo Rialp and Michael de Mesa as Mr and Mrs Turnblad (“You're Timeless to Me”). Two mustachioed veteran actors sharing an “awwww” moment on stage is odd but fits entirely with the show's tone.

Just enough cheese

Director Bobby Garcia squeezes enough cheese from the performers to give a little extra wink to the audience. Noel Rayos as Corny Collins plays him like a hipper Kuya Germs and the chorus dances and sings with a healthy dose of overacting to remind us that this isn't a 60s musical but really a hip 21st century show nearer in tone to “Avenue Q” than “West Side Story.”

Upbeat and Fun

It's a “starter musical,” a great introduction to theater for kids and adults who aren't used to seeing people sing while acting onstage. The Manila production is a fun romp showcasing some of the best voice talents in the local theater scene.

* * * * *

For tickets to the November 29 (Saturday) 8:00 pm performance, email me at apsalamat (at) yahoo (dot) com or text 0917-3590459. The show runs from November 14 to December 7 at the Star Theater (at Star City) CCP complex, Pasay City. Tickets at 1200, 1000, 800, and 600.

Time is on our side

2008-11-09T08:50:00.004+08:00

Manolo Quezon predicts that the Reproductive Health Bill will not pass, or, failing that, be watered down so much as to be insignificant. Nick at the Filipino Voices blog says that the RH Bill is redundant and serves only to spark discussions on population management, contraception, and the separation of church and state – an opinion that MLQ3 agrees with. I am cautiously optimistic but I think they may be right.

It doesn't really matter.

I don't care about the nitty gritty of the bill at all (I've had more than my fair share of helping craft IRRs* for newly-passed laws) or its chances of passing; what concerns me is what people take home from the debates. A bigger war is being waged and this RH debate is just the latest battlefront. Losing this one will be fine as long as kids in high school and college have been subjected to (I hope) sound arguments from both sides.

Of course the RH side IS winning the debate; the question of the bill's passage is more a matter of politics than reason. All the anti-reproductive health advocates can do is spout off nonsense about demographic winters, claim that a bigger population leads to more productivity (just look at China**), and generally lie. Oh, and they claim that it's wrong because “God said so” without considering that the state (not to mention other people) does not subscribe to their particular concept of god (ehem, Kit Tatad, ehem).

I'm hopeful because as one commenter on MLQ3's site said: time is on our side. Which brings to mind a quote from Max Planck on innovation:

“An important scientific innovation rarely makes its way by gradually winning over and converting its opponents: it rarely happens that Saul becomes Paul. What does happen is that its opponents gradually die out and that the growing generation is familiar with the idea from the beginning.”

We can wait for Kit Tatad and Bernie Villegas to die.

==========
* Implementing Rules and Regulations
** The irony, of course, escapes them.

An invitation to bloggers

2008-11-07T10:04:00.003+08:00

Some of you may remember the Philippine Science Centrum, the first interactive science museum in the country. We went there when I was in high school back when it was still at Padre Faura. I remember a big number of us buying their ready-to-assemble physics experiments to pass as science projects. (Yes, it was cheating. We were lazy. I'm atoning for my sin against science eduation now.)

The Science Centrum has since moved to bigger digs at Riverbanks Mall in Marikina and while this is a much better set-up, with more exhibits and wider space, it still needs a bit more promotion. Which is why we're organizing a free tour for bloggers.

Anyone who writes a regular blog (sige na nga, kahit hindi regular) may join us for a free tour on November 22, Saturday at 2:00 pm. There will be a question and answer session afterwards with the people in charge of the centrum. Bloggers who write about places to visit, science, parenting, and education will be most welcome.

Please send an email expressing your interest to cognitioncreative (at) gmail (dot) com with a link to your blog/s to get on the guest list or text/email me if you know me personally. I'll confirm with an email containing details.

Please don't hesitate to pass the information along or post in your blogs.

Fly

2008-11-01T17:49:00.006+08:00

"Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King can walk. Martin walked so Obama can run. Obama is running so we can all fly." -- Jay-Z

You can argue all you want about foreign relations, economic policies, and adminsitrative experience but presidential elections often boil down to who you want representing you more -- the face, if you will, of your country. The reason I chose Raul Roco in, '98 and '04 for Philippine president was not just because he was generally clean and had a good platform, but also because I wanted a smart, articulate dreamer representing my country. He can address the United Nations and meet with heads of state and I'd be confident that he won't commit any major faux pas and maybe even end up impressing them.

I was old enough to be thrilled seeing footage of Cory Aquino addressing the UN, the same thrill going up my spine when (yes, mababaw ako) two years ago Rivermaya sang at the MTV Asia awards. That feeling that people from other countries actually in awe of your representative never gets old.

I guess that's the reason Barack Obama is leading in the polls. America, heck the whole world, wants someone they can look up to.

Wild Turkey surprise?!?

2008-10-29T19:01:00.006+08:00

I've been seeing shirts with Tweety Bird saying "I taw, I taw a puddy tat!" Please, if you're going to quote a cartoon character, get it right. It's "I tawt I taw a putty tat," followed by "I did! I did taw a putty tat!"

We are the generation who grew up watching Looney Tunes as filler on channel 13 (together with mini-documentaries on "Japan Today"), take my word for it; we know those spiels by heart.

Diva

2008-10-26T19:22:00.008+08:00

I've always had the impression that Cherie Gil was a diva.

I remember a performance of "The Vagina Monologues" (a V-Day celebration, I think) where, during the curtain call, she looked and acted that way. I got the impression that she was basking in the applause and felt that she deserved every little bit. Which struck me as diva-ish since there were other actresses involved in the production.

Perhaps it's the combination of her physical features – the eyes, the height, that nose – and her numerous turns as contrabida in whatever movie she's in. The mestiza is one of only two things: the bimbo or the oppressor, and Cherie Gil (See, you can never refer to her using her first or last name only, she's always Cherie Gil) is best when she's playing the former, throwing water on Sharon Cuneta uttering that famous line.

But Maria Callas wasn't an oppressor (at least not according to the play) and Cherie Gil plays this perfectly. No cattiness, just professionalism colored by a little bit of narcissism.

Terence McNally's “Master Class”is set wherever the play is being performed, with Maria Callas addressing the audience as students. Even before the house lights dim the guy playing the pianist Manny is already cleaning up and tinkering with the baby grand on stage.

Then La Divina enters, captures everyone's attention, and tells the audience not to take pictures.

What follows is a lot of witty repartee and a discussion on what it means to be a performer and an artist. Callas proceeds to explain and demonstrate how singing is more than just technique. From the pretty girl with short skirt and a happy disposition to the capable but insecure soprano singing Medea to opera stud Tony "Tightpants” Candelino, Callas demolishes her students, admonishes them, and leaves them a little bit better than they were before.

But this isn't the story of three students who learned from the best; the show is about Maria Callas, the world's greatest diva. Apart from the permeable fourth wall the play's other conceit is flashback monologues. As her students sing she recalls herself singing those parts and reminisces her past performances segueing into her personal life. We catch glimpses of a hard, troubled past and a life dedicated to art and we understand why she is the way she is.

She reminisces because other people don't matter. She's given all of herself as an artist and a person that she feels she deserves all the adulation she receives (or demands). And just as we're getting to know her the music ends and the class is finished.

And we all stand up as she takes a long, long bow. She has given her all and (for now, at least) the divine Cherie Gil deserves all the adulation she gets.

Failing to capture the spirit

2008-10-24T14:56:00.005+08:00

If you've watched a movie recently you may have seen the trailer for Frank Miller's take on Will Eisner's "The Spirit." Anyone who hasn't read the original Spirit (or even the Darwyn Cooke remake) may come away with the impression that it's another Miller-esque misogynist bloodfest set in a dark city with hardboiled (almost stereotypical) characters saying pulp-y lines like "My city screams."

Miller completely misses the point and Io9's Graeme Mcmillan explains why.

Ultimately, Miller's movie Spirit could, on its own terms, be wonderful. Despite the unpromising trailers and teases that we've seen, it may be the stylish, sexy, exciting action movie that it so clearly wants to be. That would be great. But there is nothing that I've seen, either in the pre-release material for the movie or in any of Miller's earlier work that shows that he has it in him to translate what was so special about the newspaper strip - the real The Spirit - onto the screen, or even that he has any real inclination to try.

Which is the sad part. Instead of trying -- like his "300" collaborator Zack Snyder -- to capture the feel of the series, Miller just uses the characters and transports them into his own cynical universe.

Oh well, at least we still have "Watchmen" to look forward to.

Reactions

2008-10-23T18:39:00.004+08:00

I love watching audiences react to films. As anyone who has watched in different cinemas with different audiences knows, the viewing experience also varies depending on the people you're with. A Makati office weeknight audience at Glorietta laughs at different scenes from a Sunday afternoon family crowd.

When showing films to my various classes I watch them and note their reactions. It helps me tailor my subsequent lecture to their level of understanding.

Filipino film critic Noel Vera showed the Lino Brocka classic "Insiang" to American students and writes about their reactions. Interesting questions, especially the one about Filipinos eating with their hands.

And you thought WoW was addictive

2008-10-22T16:56:00.006+08:00

We're used to playing "Warcraft" and "Command and Conquer" and various other multi-player games on the PC. For me it began with "Dune 2000," the first real-time strategy game set in one of my favorite universes. Now you have kids who barely know how to read logging on to online games.

But the first real multi-player game is "Spacewar" created in 1962 to display something interesting in the CRT monitor. Here's the text of a 1971 Rolling Stone article about the groups of computer guys playing the "first intergalactic spacewar olympics." There's also great info on the development of computer graphics, hacker culture, and the internet.

Side Effect

2008-10-19T06:55:00.001+08:00

I've noticed the proliferation of schools that aren't so much places of higher learning as they are factories for future white collar workers. I'm not talking about diploma mills that require only tuition and attendance (and are not even strict with the latter) to graduate. I mean schools that offer computer and business degrees that are little more than a series of seminars conducted over eight semesters.

Advertising themselves like deodorant, these schools take TV spots and use popular endorsers (who aren't even alumni) to attract the young and gullible. Some have even gone all-out on the sales promo, offering discounts and other perks to early enrollees, which, for me, casts aspersions on the quality of their service.

But I digress.

These schools generally offer programs that focus on learning how to operate software or write a barely recognizable (much less feasible) business plan. And there's really nothing wrong with that except they're NOT college degrees.

Being inducted into the ranks of the learned means knowing certain things and having certain skills that go beyond (or are basic to) whatever it is you need to know to land a job. A bachelor's degree that teaches you skills that anyone else can get from a series of weekend seminars or self-help books isn't exactly higher learning. There should be a difference between a degree-holder in business and an entrepreneur who graduated from the school of hard knocks.

College is, or needs to be, more than just a ticket to employment. While a degree will definitely increase one's chances of landing a job, it really isn't the point. Desirability in the job market is a side effect, not the ultimate goal, of being highly educated.

Clearing more than one passage

2008-10-18T10:51:00.002+08:00

The title of the study says it all: "Ejaculation as a potential treatment of nasal congestion in mature males." Neurotopia comments.

It just might work...

2008-10-16T12:05:00.002+08:00

I'm a TNG Trekkie. When the series premiered on channel 9 back in the late 80s I was worried that the party my family was going to would prevent me from watching. Luckily my brother and I found a room in my aunt's house with a black and white TV and no usiseros. "Encounter at Farpoint" was a solid episode and the Enterprise's saucer section separation sequence was eye-poppingly great for an 11 year-old.

Since then I've watched almost all of the Treks (except the execrable "Enterprise") and was worried at how JJ Abrams would approach his reboot. It looks good, though. I'd watch if only for the eye candy and to hear how they explain the miniskirts and baby tees for Uhura.

You're so vain...

2008-10-10T15:07:00.005+08:00

... you think that this song's about you.

--Carly Simon

* * * * *

Nerds did not complain when "Coupling" depicted Jeff (and later Oliver) as socially inept, old cops did not complain when "Life on Mars" depicted Gene Hunt as a barumbado chief inspector, and rich guys took it in stride when "Fry and Laurie" played them as clueless and effete. So why are Filipinos complaining when "Harry and Paul" shows a "Filipina maid" character giving an old bloke a lapdance?

Playing up stereotypes has always been a part of comedy and the stereotype being played up here is that of the white man being aroused by the household help (the exotic, Asian household help). It's a form or arrogance to assume that the point of the bit was us and not them.

No one here would've complained if it were a Keeley Hazell-type sexy model, or a hoodied chav, or a generic Asian maid. But since "Filipino" was mentioned we automatically assumed that the show was making a statement about how low some of our countrymen have sunk.

Bad Thinking I

2008-10-06T08:10:00.003+08:00

Some unscrupulous Chinese manufacturers spike their milk products with melamine to meet government protein requirements. Those products, which have already killed babies in China, have found their way here so the BFAD and DOH are testing products and conducting information campaigns.

Simple enough? Not if you're a cab driver.

A DOH representative was discussing the idea on the radio so the cab driver asks me "bakit ba nila nilalagyan ng melamine yung gatas?" I answer something along the lines of faking protein content and compared it to "kalburo."

The standard reaction would be to say "Ah, ok." and continue driving; the guy on the radio said as much anyway so there's really no reason to doubt me. But cab driver did and that's fine, the problem was his alternative theory

My cab driver thinks that the Chinese have devised a new cure/therapy for kidneys and are using melamine to increase the number of kidney problems. A plot worthy of Blofeld / Luthor, which he admitted he thought of while watching cartoons.

The problem is that there are no new Chinese kidney therapies and no indication at all of a connection between milk manufacturers and the hospitals that developed these new medicines. Occam's Razor gives us a simple explanation that works with the information at hand.

But simple isn't my cab driver's style.

Madness

2008-10-02T00:48:00.007+08:00

I'm not sure if it was from “The Phantom of the Opera” (the novel) or its Discworld parody “Maskerade” but I remember opera being described as “controlled madness.” You have divas and dancers and directors and conductors with their egos and idiosyncrasies trying to put together a show that involves singing and dancing and acting and music. During rehearsals you'd think that the thing will never fly but it miraculously does, come opening night

Yesterday we had the privilege of watching a rehearsal of Puccini's "La Boheme" at the CCP. I'm used to seeing “dress rehearsals” and press nights before a musical's run so a real one -- where the director or conductor stops the show to give notes -- was refreshing. As our host The Bachelor Girl mentioned, we caught a glimpse of one of the more vulnerable parts of the creative process, where things aren't quite right yet and the final product might still end up looking different.

Witnessing the “madness” (as Leroux or Pratchett put it) was amazing and I was half wondering if, two days before opening night, they would be able to pull it off. The backgrounds weren't quite right yet and the set changes still take forever. However you can see the concept behind the production and visualize how the actual show might turn out.

Real People

A highlight for me was seeing opera singers act like real people.

We have an image of Maria Callas and Luciano Pavarotti and think that all opera singers are like them. With the exception of Nolyn Cabahug (who, in my head, is still is the Dequadin guy), Fides Cuyugan-Asencio, and Sylvia La Torre, the Filipino public (even theatergoers like me) have little to no idea how opera singers really look like.

I was delighted to see Gary del Rosario and Lawrence Jatayna (Rodolfo and Marcello) high-fiving each other after the last scene and Jennifer Uy (Mimi) and Gary making faces while conductor Helen Quach was giving notes to the orchestra. Instead of stuffy leads and divas we had amazing singers having fun on stage.

Real Professionals

The interview with director Floy Quintos after the rehearsals was fun and funny (ask a gay theater/showbiz guy to explain something and you'll be treated to something akin to a stand-up routine) and added to my respect for Filipino opera singers. They were perfectly fine preparing for four months to play (at most) two shows and would fret at not hitting a single note during a performance, something Quintos says straight theater people would just wing.

“It was so humbling,” says Quintos on working with opera people. For someone who is used to straight theater actors demanding more stage time and pop singers being too demanding in general, the gung-ho, professional attitude of local opera singers is simply heartening.

Mehodical Madness

And then it hit me. They're real people who do something well and love what they're doing so much so that they're willing to work under less-than-ideal conditions just to make it work. The egos are really just manifestations of their perfectionism and will match eventually because there is a method to opera's madness.

Opera works not in spite but because of it.

Elite

2008-10-01T10:14:00.003+08:00

Some time after the invasion of Iraq (IIRC) Dennis Miller came out on the "Tonight Show" and made a joke saying the president of the United States isn't the guy on the "West Wing." I guess the idea was that people who think that an agressive stance is wrong aren't really connected to reality. But what I immediately thought was "You got that right, the guy from the 'West Wing' was smart; Bush is an idiot."

So what would the smartest president (he won the Nobel prize) say to the current Democratic candidate? The NY Times' Maureen Dowd called "West Wing" creator Aaron Sorkin, to get an idea what Bartlet might say to Obama. He laments the fact that "elite" is treated like it's a bad thing.

Because the idea of American exceptionalism doesn’t extend to Americans being exceptional. If you excelled academically and are able to casually use 690 SAT words then you might as well have the press shoot video of you giving the finger to the Statue of Liberty while the Dixie Chicks sing the University of the Taliban fight song. The people who want English to be the official language of the United States are uncomfortable with their leaders being fluent in it.

Which is why Sarah Palin's popularity is disturbing. Her recent interview with Katie Couric was so stupid that Tina Fey just needed to quote it almost verbatim to get laughs.

The better alternative comes from another intelligent show. Monty Python's Michael Palin might make a better vice-president. Say n'more!

Bad Writing IV

2008-09-30T11:45:00.004+08:00

From a Survivor Philippines outdoor ad: "Here, the fiercest battle is not a war."

Of course it isn't, "war" doesn't fall under the category of "battle." There is no battle that can be considered a "war," just battles that are part of a larger war. Anyway, the rest of the ad says that your worst enemy could come from your tribe so the proper headline should be something like: "Here, the fiercest battle is not with your enemies."

La Boheme

2008-09-29T10:29:00.005+08:00

We're seeing "La Boheme" courtesy of The Bachelor Girl, who convinced the Philippine Opera Company to open its dress rehearsal to bloggers willing to write a review. The peg is the comparison to "Rent," which is the incarnation most popular among theatergoers of my generation.

I still don't know what angle to take but since this'll be the first real opera I'll be seeing live, that'll be worth a few paragraphs, at least. I'll be bringing a videocamera just in case I can't write anything.

If it isn't on Wikipedia

2008-09-23T20:50:00.006+08:00

Wikipedia doesn't contain everything, despite its inclusiveness it still deletes information considered too trivial, like the "list of films with monkeys in them" or an in-depth look at the weapons of Warhammer 40,000. But don't worry, there's a site that collects all of these.

Deletionpedia, when you absolutely need to know who the minor bounty hunters in Star Wars are.

Really bad writing

2008-09-22T21:19:00.004+08:00

"It was a dark and stormy night," found in Peanuts strips whenever Snoopy gets bit by the writing bug, is generally considered the worst opening line in literary history. It comes from "Paul Clifford" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton and is commemorated yearly at the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, which invites writers to submit the worst opening lines for imaginary novels.

It isn't just bad writing per se, it's supposed to be monumentally bad, as in earnestly attempting to be literary but failing massively. Just check out the winner for the "Purple Prose" category:

The mongrel dog began to lick her cheek voraciously with his sopping wet tongue, so wide and flat and soft, a miniature pink fleshy cape soaked through and oozing with liquid salivary gratitude; after all, she had rescued him from the clutches of Bernard, the curmudgeonly one-eyed dogcatcher, whose own tongue -- she remembered vividly the tongues of all her lovers -- was coarse and lethargic, like a slug in a sandpaper trenchcoat.

Or the overall champion:

Theirs was a New York love, a checkered taxi ride burning rubber, and like the city their passion was open 24/7, steam rising from their bodies like slick streets exhaling warm, moist, white breath through manhole covers stamped "Forged by DeLaney Bros., Piscataway, N.J."

Check out the other winners here.

Promotions

2008-09-20T11:40:00.000+08:00

missingpoints classic: Promotions
07 January 2003

The Inquirer's Nestor Torre ran an article commenting on recent commercials that were deemed by readers as offensive, improper, or just plain stupid. One such commercial (promoting a shampoo) had a guy who was about to leave for abroad. He proposed to his girlfriend after feeling her soft shiny hair. Talk about your non-sequiturs.

The same brand (I think) ran the ad where the girl was able to land a newscasting job because of beautiful hair. Like a joke that is half-meant, it may give us some insight as to the state of newscasting in Philippine television, but it fails to give viewers a compelling reason to buy the product.

Commercial spots used to expound the qualities of a product and focused on Rosser Reeves' USP (Unique Selling Proposition). Newer ads sought to convey an image (based on the positioning strategy) through appropriate scenes, situations and music. Now it seems they do neither.

Over dinner my father lamented that people do not learn anything from commercials nowadays, unlike (according to him) back in the 70s. Thankfully, this did not unleash (as it often does) a nostalgia trip for my parents but instead led to a discussion of the nostalgia trip they call promotions for the Dekada 70 movie.

We all agreed that it was terrible.

Which was not what we expected from the supposedly intelligent people of ABS-CBN whose motto is "karangalan namin ang maglingkod sa inyo." If they're proud of what they're doing, then I guess their standards are pretty low. (Perhaps because they got their jobs on account of their soft, shiny hair?)

The promo was pretty standard, with the people involved in the production being given guest spots in most ABS-CBN programs. What was irritating was the lack of coherence, nay intelligence in the promo. While the film was touted to be the most "socially relevant" of the lot, this was not evident in the interviews given by the leads.

In "Morning Girls," for example, the actors were asked to describe life in the 70s. While this was alright for Vilma Santos and Boyet de Leon, the kids were clueless. Marvin Agustin (born in the early 80s) was even asked how students were back then (he probably has no idea how students are today). While I've absolutely no respect for the interviewing talents of the morning girls, I was expecting a better question from the promoters who presumably feed them lines.

What happened was instead of promoting the picture as a great piece of literature turned into a supposedly great film, Star Cinema ended up promoting the 70s as an era in Philippine history. And not an important era at that.

The entire Martial Law / Activism / Uncertainty groove that permeated the film was trivialized by 70s dances and fashion featured on MTB. Even their exhibit at the Galleria cinemas was all about nostalgia (Ate Vi posters, jukeboxes, old records, etc.).

Of course the film won awards and made money. Which was what the producers expected. Like the shampoo, it was able to sell a fairly decent product. However, that still doesn't make the promotion any less ridiculuous.

Gotcha

2008-09-15T09:28:00.003+08:00

The problem with local traffic cops -- police, MMDA, MAPSA -- is that they think their job is to catch people. It is not. A traffic enforcer is supposed to ease the flow of traffic and traffic rules are there to help facilitate this. The power to issue tickets is only the stick used to enforce the rules that are supposed to help unclog the streets.

Lying in wait, like a trapdoor spider, while a motorist confused by ever-changing rules and obfuscated signs misses the point entirely.

Of course their goals are different from society's. While we are willing to submit to inconvenient policies (like Makati's loading/unloading areas) for a faster commute, the traffic cops seem to think that the rules are there so that they can catch more people.

What they should do is warn us. Stop motorists if they're making illegal turns. Have some guy wave his arms to show that the yellow lane is for buses only. Don't look the other way and then converge on me if I make a mistake: I will argue with you and we will end up blocking the road for a longer time, defeating the purpose of those rules.

You don't wait for the guy to shoot so you can charge him with murder.

Switching models

2008-09-11T14:43:00.001+08:00

A few months ago I wrote about how the Asus EeePC changed the laptop game. By offering a cheap ultraportable they were effectively creating a new market. Instead of catering only to professionals who can afford a tiny $2,000 laptop they targeted kids and homemakers and everyone else who would be willing to spend less than $500 on a bare bones machine with a tiny footprint running Linux on a flash drive. The millions of EeePCs sold proved them right.

But their success goes beyond that. In what will probably be cited as an example in future “Blue Ocean” books, Asus created a new commercial market. What was supposed to be the domain of the OLPC project became a viable product category.

What's good is that the competitors will produce other, perhaps better versions of the concept. So from the ultra crappy Everex Cloudbook to that Neo Explore model that looks like a (*nostalgia alert*) “Speak n Spell,” you have a myriad of choices. Anyone who wants a cheap laptop to throw into a book bag or bring around the house or lend the kids can afford one.

So while I really loved my EeePc 4G, my half year romance with it had to end. It was great but ultimately proved incapable of handling my needs. I wanted to get the new Eees but there were two factors hindering me: price and that damn shift key.

The tiny keyboard I can live with, it's the tiny right-hand shift key that bothers me. As a touch typist I end up pressing the “up” button every time I wanted capital letters. And while the new EeePc 1000 has a bigger footprint, they still didn't fix the shift key: it was still as tiny as the one on the smaller models.

I also found another brand that offered similar specs, a better looking case, and a full-sized shift key for P2000 less. My weapon of choice now is the Acer Aspire One.

At least until the next model comes along.

Morons writing to newspapers II

2008-09-06T02:07:00.003+08:00

Arnel was right, this is the gift that just keeps giving. Partida, Inquirer pa lang ito.

So this lady writes about her opposition to condoms and the reproductive health bill.

The use of condoms will not stop the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Health Undersecretary Mario Villaverde himself said that condoms have a 95 percent protection rate. In other words, the use of condoms does not guarantee that it will prevent, 100 percent, the spread of AIDS from one person to another.

Of course it doesn't. It guarantees 95 percent, which is way better (95% better!) than o%. I don;t know where she got the idea that 95% = 0.

The microscopic holes in condoms are large enough for the AIDS virus to pass through. That’s why there has been no decline in the number of people contracting AIDS in countries promoting the use of condoms. On the contrary, there is a growing number of people with AIDS in those countries.

Wrong. If the microscopic holes are large enough then it will prevent transmission, oh, 0% of the time. The rest she's just making up. As for Lagman's bill:

It will mandate sex education for young people, which means they will be taught how to have “safe sex” by using contraceptives. The youth need education in chastity and true love. If we really want to avoid teenage pregnancies and prevent the spread of STDs, the best and safest way is to teach them self-control, abstinence and the value of keeping sex within marriage.

Again, wrong. the best and safest way would be to ENSURE that they have self-control, abstinence, and keep sex within marriage (both of them). But since it's impossible to do that (I'd give it a less than 95% chance), teaching them safe sex (kahit 95% lang) is way better.

Statistics show an increase in the incidence of teenage pregnancies and STDs in the United States where American youth receive extensive sex education in school.

Again something out of her ass. The Bush administration has received a lot of flak for their "abstinence-only" sex ed classes (the kind the letter-writer is advocating).

* * * * *

My question is does the editor publish stuff like this to amuse people like me? Or is it a fair representation of the letters they get?

Morons writing to newspapers I*

2008-09-03T09:36:00.004+08:00

Next to coffee, the thing that never fails to wake me up every morning is reading the newspaper, especially when there are idiots like Philip Francis Sy who write letters to the editor. The guy tries to get away with barbershop logic. He makes statements like this:

China may have cracked down on rioters and secessionists, but look at where it’s going. If the number of gold medals it garnered is any indication, the world’s biggest communist country and others like Vietnam have far surpassed us.

No, you moron, the number of gold medals it garnered is an indication only of the effectiveness of its sports program. And did China really need to crack down on rioters to get the Olympic gold? This is, at best, a poorly constructed sentence. More probably it's a sign of bad thinking.

Oh, and China progressed economically only after rejecting the basic tenets of communism. It retained the totalitarian bent while using its cheap labor to smother western markets. It's as capitalist as hell.

But what really got my goat is this:

So much for human rights, democracy (American style) and all the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s freedom bulls**t. At the end of the day, what’s more important are: putting food on the table, a roof over our heads and clothing on our backs. “Aanhin ang demokrasya kung patay-gutom ang mga tao?” [Of what use is democracy when people are starving?]

I don't get the hate for democracy. Why are people like this idiot complaining about the US or the Inquirer asking China to "stop being creepy?"

More importantly, though, he commits the barbershop mistake of "either/or." The mistaken assumption is that we need to stop respecting human rights and democracy in order to put food on our tables. I don't know where he got the idea that democracy and progress are incompatible.

===========
* I can feel this turning into a series

Military "Intelligence"

2008-08-30T10:02:00.005+08:00

I like spy shows. I like them with a dash of fantasy or whimsy, portraying the secret agent as a superhero of sorts who can outwit anyone and plays a dangerous chess game with the guys on the opposite side. (see "Alias") I also like it when they focus on the process (see "Spooks" or "Burn Notice"), showing spies as people with jobs using specialized techniques and equipment just like any of us (just marginally cooler).

The truth is actually less glamorous. And while the latter examples are nearer to the truth, they're still TV shows that need to inject a hearty dose of excitement to tell a decent story. Real spy work is tedious and consists mostly of gathering information and taking pictures. Unlike journalism, though, spying needs to be more clandestine.

Which is why this news report, which I caught on yesterday's primetime news, confirmed the joke that "military intelligence" is an oxymoron (at least in the Philippines).

Why would you send people in their late 30s, who act like burly military/police types (I saw the suspects on TV) to spy on student activists? Send a young-ish looking man posing as a journalist (campus or otherwise) to take pictures. Or hack the picture folders of the campus newspaper's computer to get copies.

Whoever ran this operation needs to be sacked simply for lacking common sense. Don't these guys watch spy movies? Did they honestly think that the students they were spying on won't notice four old guys taking pictures? They're either really, really stupid or really, really arrogant.

Either way they deserve to be lynched.

There's no way...

2008-08-29T08:43:00.005+08:00

... I came from an ape. O rly? Click on the pic to read the text properly.

Ripped from Gawker via Scienceblogs.

I'm willing to bet the editor chose that picture precisely for the irony (hoping that some guy on the intertubes gets it). The other thing that came to mind is: that gorilla is a sophomore?

Names

2008-08-25T09:23:00.005+08:00

Pennie Azarcon-Dela Cruz writes about the downside of being a "Josefina Dela Cruz", specifically long lines at embassies and having various criminals as namesakes.

I'm tempted to say that having an uncommon surname isn't all that either.

You end up repeating yourself several times to people unfamiliar with "Salamat" as a family name (Yes, as in "thank you") and, once they get it, be forced to listen to a pun they made up on the spot. What's worse is they expect you to laugh as if it were the most clever joke ever.

Please, I'm a 31 year old who studied in all-boys schools. I've heard it all.

But then again I can do a google search and I'm pretty sure that everything that turns up pertains to me (after weeding out all the blogs thanking their friend "Patrick"). Which is the point of names: to set you apart.

Ban Comic Sans

2008-08-24T11:50:00.006+08:00

My "hate" for Comic Sans is a running joke in all my classes. Once a student uses the damnable font in a PowerPoint slide (or worse, a written report) I end up spending the remainder of the class dissing their taste in typefaces.

Of course this dislike is not without basis. A couple of graphic designers have been running the Ban Comic Sans campaign for some time now, featuring "propaganda" such as stickers, shirts, and web graphics. Their tongue-in-cheek advocacy is to stop all use of Comic Sans not because it's a bad font per se* but because it has become the default font for anything "whimsical" or "kiddie." According to the Combs:

While we recognize that the font may be appropriate in a few instances, our position is that the only effective means of ending this epidemic of abuse is to completely ban Comic Sans.

They're right, or course. It works, as originally intended, inside comicbook balloons at 12pts or smaller. Using it to set headlines on huge tarpaulin banners on the other hand just smacks of abuse.

==========
* But there are a lot of better ones like Anime Ace, available at the bancomicsans site

Critic

2008-08-18T09:31:00.006+08:00

If you check out discussion boards or comment areas of websites that feature film reviews, you will inevitably find a thread that has people lashing out at the critics. Sometimes the backlash is justified: the critic may be too harsh or biased in his review. Most of the time it's just people missing the point of criticism entirely.

There are various types of anti-critic posts but the one that irritates me the most is the variant of "well, it's just YOUR opinion." It reduces the critics' piece to the level of the fanboy posting to defend their favorite actors or franchises. Which is unfair.

When a critic posts his thoughts he isn't just "saying what's on his mind," he is actually giving an evaluation of the film based on certain criteria. It's not just an opinion, it's an informed one. It is a collection of thoughts from a mind primed to evaluate such matters. Consciously or not, the critic compares what he just saw from the hundreds he has seen before. He sets the object of criticism against certain standards and judges it as objectively as he can.

If he does appear biased -- and who doesn't? taste is subjective -- then we respect his bias as something developed out of years of evaluating books or films.

But what's more irritating is when the same line is used by those defending the critics. Saying that the critic is just "voicing his opinion" is, ironically, saying that he is no more important than the average guy who posts comments on websites.

Intimations of mortality

2008-08-13T09:11:00.003+08:00

It has something to do with the weather. Late July / early August is when summer gives way to typhoons, giving us weird temperature changes and swings in humidity and dust. It makes someone with allergic rhinitis and a sensitive respiratory system automatically sick.

It also coincides with, or is near enough, my birthday to serve as a reminder of mortality. Nothing better to suggest a fragile biology than a raging sore throat, fits of coughing, and a weakened constitution.

But then I get better after a couple of days and I binge drink. See you on Saturday.

Painting the wrong picture

2008-08-11T07:50:00.003+08:00

So the heat forces me to wake up early and I got to catch the news portion of ABS-CBN's morning show. Joey de Leon is again in trouble for opening his mouth and this time the offended party is the National Press Club.

De Leon currently has a problem with "Balita" entertainment editor Dindo Balares over the performance of a recent "Eat Bulaga" show abroad. Not covered in the linked article but mentioned in the news report is the fact that De Leon made a joke about his lola killing journalists. Which got the Press Club started as they're pretty sensitive* on the topic of dead journalists, the Philippines being the top spot to find one.

De Leon apologized and, in a sane place, that should've been that.

But no. The NPC (with help from ABS-CBN, I guess) is dragging this out. And I would've ignored it if not for a statement De Leon allegedly made that the NPC rep referred to.

Joey said there was a difference between journalists and press people.

I agree. The people De Leon deals with write for newspapers but have the journalistic skill and ethics of your neighborhood tsismosa. They are referred to as "journalists" only as a matter of courtesy (or convenience) and have none of the training or the dedication associated with, say, the PCIJ.

That, too, goes for some of the journalists who have been killed.

Whenever the "scores of dead journalists" factoid is mentioned in international reports we have this romanticized image of the guy in the moro hinterlands risking his life to bring us a story. The dead journalist we admire is the small-town radio commentator who goes up against the corrupt governor and is gunned down by goons.

But for every hero like this there is the columnist who asks money for positive write-ups, or the investigative journalist who gets paid to shut up, or the editor whose paper spouts pure propaganda. They don't deserve to be summarily executed, but neither do they deserve the title of "journalist" that the NPC seems too eager to confer.

==========
* I'm half-hoping they do take legal action against Joey. My irony meter needs calibration.

missingpoints

Hells yes

Plagiarism

What designers really charge for

They've done it again

A good reason to believe

Defensive Driving (re-post)

Abusing Surveys

"The floods are not an act of god...

If Neil Gaiman takes me prisoner...

But we have always been at war with Oceania

Oh really now...

Carlo J? No way!

Take that, Ledger.

The Hodg-man further on nerds v. jocks

End credit art

Well I, for one...

"Lost" in Space

Remembering Michael Jackson...

Revenge of the Nerds

Declaration of Asses

The worst

But we can't really blame him...

Is this *really* in aid of legislation?

Do not delay

You were told it was recorded

Yes, even that one

Get over it

Science Centrum blogger tour this Saturday

Stupid is as stupid does

Star Trek is dead. Long live Star Trek

Ako Mismo?

Prudential

Free Science Centrum Tour Again

Dictating copy over the phone...

What's wrong with the passive voice?

J.G. Ballard 1930-2009

Kalamansi

Answer 4!

After Watchmen...

Frakking Awesome!

DeathSponge

Why watch

Philip Jose Farmer 1918-2009

Reply to this

DNDI Dies

Best pig in the world

Hands-on design

Instant Starbucks

This dystopia wins

Is CafeSci for kids?

Cafe Scientifique this Saturday

Doctor Who?

Sex Ed

Sir Pterry!

Really?

Thunder!...

A birthday to celebrate

A threat stops being a threat...

Why is it...

Insulting

Holy crap that's creepy!

Manufactured rebellion marketed under a brand

Making money on field trips

Hairspray this Saturday; don't get lost

A whole new level of geometric superiority

Holy childhood memories, Batman!

The problem with a presidential debate

Science Centrum tour this Saturday

Hairspray Manila review

Time is on our side

An invitation to bloggers

Fly

Wild Turkey surprise?!?

Diva

Failing to capture the spirit

Reactions

And you thought WoW was addictive

Side Effect

Clearing more than one passage

Is this really in aid of legislation?