Noontime shows have always been a staple in the Filipino culture. I have seen noontime shows come and go - some of them I appreciate (especially Lunch Date just because of Randy Santiago) and some of them I wrinkle my nose at (Wowowee). But they exist because there's a market.

Eat Bulaga is an institution in the noontime show niche. They've come a long way from being just a variety show. Although there are times that they leave a bad taste in my mouth (such as the innuendos JDL often gives) I still respect them because of the human stories they try to show the people. They help people who need it without exploiting them. Sometimes, they go a bit over the top with the drama but I understand it completely. After all, it's still television.

Now, although Willing Willie is not in the noontime show category, it does have the same formula as its predecessor did (Wowowee). They have the games, the mini variety show and the money that's being given away. People watch the show in the studio for a chance to get a spot at the games and bring home some money. Again, I understand that. who wouldn't want to bring home at least 5 thousand pesos just by jumping up and down the stage floor while having your 15 seconds of fame? Madaling trabaho nga naman.

You can make fun of them, poke fun at these contestants, have half naked women gyrate to every single drum and bass beat to the simple catchy tunes you play in the background. Hell, you can have your half hour to an hour's worth of tirade and phone calls to erstwhile friends on air - I really don't care. Sabi ko nga, kung sino ang may hawak ng mikropono ay siyang may kapangyarihan. That is, until the audio guy cuts your mike off. Hey, do whatever you want to do in the name of ratings and whatever justification you can conjure up. I just don't like it when you start bringing in kids into the mix.

I read somewhere that we are all judged as a civilization on how we treat the smallest of all creatures. We are judged on how we treat our children and all children for that matter. When you force a child who is CLEARLY uncomfortable with what he/she is doing, then no justification can ever suffice. You just end up looking like a bigger asshole than what you already are. When the production team behind the show allows this to happen to a child on live national television, no explanation can every justify the shameful act. When the network in which the show airs at keeps its silence about the matter and shrug it off as just "showbiz", it's downright criminal. You just taught a child the basics of prostitution - "Do this and you get money to bring home to your parents". Brilliant. absolutely brilliant. (In case you missed it, that was sarcastic)

What is MTRCB doing about this? Will the DSWD say anything? *scoff and sigh* Honga pala, money talks. Sorry, nakalimutan ko.

I'd rather be where I am - a D-list actress who takes taxis, buses and jeepneys; a support actress with no fanbase, but I'm good with myself in knowing that I treat EVERY SINGLE PERSON as a PERSON. Sa iyo na ang pera, endorsements, mansion at yacht mo. Di yan madadala sa afterlife at lalong di yan magiging batayan kung ikaw ba ay papasok sa Utopia.

Update: As of 5:11 PM, I have received this link that shows the full press release of DSWD regarding "Janjan", the 6 year old contestant on Willing Willie.

IMHO, they really should persecute to the full extent of the law - not just Willie but the staff, the producers and the station.

Reputation - n.

1. The general estimation in which a person is held by the public.

2. The state or situation of being held in high esteem.

3. A specific characteristic or trait ascribed to a person or thing: a reputation for courtesy.

 

Character - n.

1. The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another. 

2. A distinguishing feature or attribute, as of an individual, group, or category.

3. Genetics A structure, function, or attribute determined by a gene or group of genes.

4. Moral or ethical strength.

5. A description of a person's attributes, traits, or abilities.

 

***

I've always had a reputation. Actually, I have a lot. But truth be told, I never gave a flying fudge about them because reputations will always change and it's just that - an estimation of my image. People will always have a different opinion about me. Others will say I'm evil incarnate. Others will claim I'm an angel (debatable), a whore, a slut, a know it all, a self-absorbed egotistical megalomaniac and everything else in between.

You know what? I. DON'T. CARE. Say what you want about my reputation because I don't give a rat's ass about it. You want to know what I care about? I care about my character. My character is worth more than my reputation and I don't need anyone else to teach me or show me how to do that. My middle class education and family afforded that for me. My working class life has given that.

***

So, have a go at my reputation. Please. My character will always trump my reputation. Every. Single. Time.

Former US President Bill Clinton was in town today to talk to the Filipinos about encouraging their fellowmen to "come back home".

Am I the only one who thinks there's something totally off about that statement? But before I start calling him certain names that I will not print, I read the news article on some more.


“Create a climate where everybody [participates],” Clinton said. “Get more people to come home."


The former president referred to the 8.5 million-11 million overseas Filipino workers and cited the need to “reorient the mindset of its people through education and access to employment that can keep the population from migrating to other places in search of better paying jobs,” GMANews reported.

Okay...first off, we already have an existing problem with education as there aren't enough rooms for school children and let's not get started with the teacher's salaries! Access to employment? Buddy, I don't know if you've heard, but we kinda also have an employment problem here that we're trying to solve too. That's what you're saying but what I'm hearing is that you basically want us to stop working in your country because you want the jobs that we have that your people wouldn't take that you pay way below minimum wage, to go back to your people who do all those things that we've just mentioned previously.

Second, you've come all the way to the Philippines to tell Filipinos to convince other Filipinos to come home? Do you see the beauty in this? You come here to tell us to go home? You go home!

And lastly, and in my opinion, the most beautiful thing about this, you say this because you want to foster a community that participates and blah blah blah. The point is, you're doing this for a "good cause". But you're charging for it. Manila Hotel and TicketWorld will begin ticket sales on Monday, October 4, 2010. Early Booking Promo Ticket Prices: 25k for VIP, 15k for GOLD, 10k for SILVER, 5k for BRONZE, 2k for General Admission. That's quoted for every single internet article about the event. I love how the General Admission is at two thousand pesos. That's priceless, right there. 


You shouldn't have done Monica Lewinsky in the first place anyway.

Photo courtesy of Ellen Tordesillas

This week has been all about different idiotic things. Mislang's tweets (I still think she should've just resigned or she should've been fired. either way, keeping her in office is just bad taste and is obviously a bad decision. There are things that don't deserve second chances)

It makes me wonder what the hell she was thinking when she tweeted all those things. I can't believe she even had the audacity to tag her boss and the boss took it very nonchalantly too. Hello Ricky Carandang! I understand how some people can be crass or tactless at times during a party or a social gathering but this was a state dinner, joskoh. I dunno about Mislang but I was taught at a very early age by my mother to be a grateful and polite guest in ANY party. If you were invited to attend a party, be a gracious guest. If you were invited to review a restaurant and its meals then you can go ahead and criticize everything. You were invited as part of the Philippine delegation, Mislang. Sana umarte ka ng tama, di ba? Sabi nga ni Alessandra De Rossi, "Umarte ayon sa kagandahan. Pag di ka masyadong maganda wag kang maarte." Lumugar ka naman 'teh. Tsaka para sa akin, dapat umarte ka ng ayon sa oiliness ng mukha mo.

Here are her original tweets. (Yes, Mislang. Even if you've deleted your account there's such a thing as syndication where your original tweets have been saved in someone else's server. It has been preserved FOR-EVAH! It will haunt you and your offsprings as a badge of shame forever. I don't think this is one of those "look back at it and laugh" kinda deals.

All photos are courtesy of Ellen Tordesillas

Actor slain on set

Okay, now this one is just totally bizarre. A Filipino actor was killed by a volunteer watchman on the movie set that he was acting on. The scene was a shoot and drive away scene and the actor, Kirk Abella, together with the driver of the motorcycle they were supposed to speed away in were wearing masks and was immediately thought of by Eddie Cuizon, a volunteer watchman in the community as real life robbers. He screamed at them to cease and desist but Kirk and the driver didn't so Cuizon opened fire and killed Abella.

"The 51-year-old later told police he wasn't aware a film was being made and had been told by villagers about gunmen roaming the street.

Many assassinations of political figures take place by masked killers who use a motorbike for a fast getaway."

I have a few questions here, being one that works with films and television. First off, where was crowd control? Where were the security people that were supposed to take care of the set? If it were truly a film, the locations should be cordoned off. Since it's also a "drive away" scene, I would assume that the cameras are on either ends of the set or at least a crane for a top shot, these cameras should at least be visible. How the heck did Cuizon not see them?

Let's say that the cameras were well hidden, I get that. However, where was crowd control or at least the assistant director when Cuizon entered the set and screamed for Abella and company to stop? A ruined shot should have been cause of a great uproar. The cameraman would've already said "Dammit! A weirdo is on the set and ruined the shot! Cut! Cut!" I know of directors who would've screamed bloody murder because the boom microphone was peeping in the scene. (Actually, I know one who screams bloody murder when a particular blade of grass blows in the wrong direction) Where were they?! 

So Cuizon did the right thing and surrendered himself to the police on the account that he did have a gun that he wasn't supposed to. Yes, I agree and I think what he did was right, but come on! Not everything is his fault here! The film company (who's a British film company, BTW) should also be held responsible for this fiasco. 

The Film's British director, Alan Lyddiard refuses to comment. Read the article here. (On a personal note, I think Alan Lyddiard SHOULD comment and MUST be held responsible as well)

Death of Rock Radio

NU107 has played its last song and has bid all of its fans adieu and raised the horns for the final time.  

It's kind of depressing to think that such a legend like NU107 has rocked its last song. who's going to be the authority now in rock music? 

I remember watching the NU107 Rock Awards with Mona back in college and now I'm filled with nostalgia and sadness that we will never have that again anytime soon.

It scares me to think that the only radio authority now is iFM or StarFM. Holy crap. If Tito Potato or Nicole-hiyala were to host a rock awards, I'm pretty sure only Mystica or Blakdyak would be nominated.

I'm not one to judge but you make it so easy

Kris Aquino actually stated this on air, in reference to estranged husband's lawyer's attack on her "parenting skills" (or lack thereof). She said that no one has the right to tell her how to raise her kids and how to parent them. Oh Kris...you make it so easy for us to criticize you anyway. 

Let's take Josh for example. For years, you've denied that he had a problem. You have stated over and over again that he has ADHD or that he's just being a "boy" and threw out "boys will be boys" statements all over. Then there was that CEz Drilon dressing room and make up incident. Yikes. Your son practically trashed another person's dressing room and make up kit to which your son's yaya was left helpless to control the kid. Apologies were given, make up sets were replaced and it was left at that. Hey, even I understand Josh. He can't control himself. That's not his fault. If I were in Cez's shoes, I would've been upset but I would've just hugged Josh and sat him down and explained to him that he should always ask permission first and not touch what's not his. Even mentally challenged kids can be trained to be polite and courteous. I think you're doing just fine with this child. Granted, he still needs a bit of work and training to get rid of his unhealthy dependency on you and be self-sufficient but at the end of the day, we'll forgive him and love him because of his state.

But Baby James? Wow...You really screwed this one up BIG TIME! First of all, Bimby is not a respectable nickname nor is it a respectable substitute to his known monicker "Baby James". This kid has no excuse for being rude. Remember the "Villar!" incident during the Presidential campaign? That wasn't cute. It was very cringe worthy. And then there's this latest "I don't like Dingdong!" fiasco is a confirmation of how you really are as a parent. What's his excuse? Nothing. He's just a plain old spoiled and rude brat. He knows he can get away with bloody murder if he wants to. You're not helping him grow up to be a productive member of society. Methinks you're raising him to be a jerk or worse, an asshole. 

Hey, I have kids too, three under the age of 8 and one who's a teenager. I'm raising them single-handedly too (with the help of my mom and David...okay). In as much as I would love to be with them every waking hour and minute of the day, I know it's not healthy to have them around the set all the time. First off, it's not comfortable. All that waiting will drive the kids insane! Second, it's just unprofessional. Companies do not allow children in the premises for good reason - they're a distraction and decreases productivity. Even if you can technically get away with it, you really shouldn't. I think you just want adulation through your children, which is just terrible. And lastly, having a horde of nannies for your kids isn't parenting; having a lot of vacations with your kids (with the nannies and your entourage of groupies and hangers-on) isn't parenting. Granted, I don't know what goes on behind closed doors and in the privacy of your home but how your kids are outside of the house is an indication of how you raise them inside the house. I'm not telling you how to parent your kids but I'm telling you that clearly, you're doing something very very wrong.

With all these things happening, I don't want to see what's going to happen for the next week. *shudder*

Am I the only one who doesn't see the beauty of this? Carlos Celdran, tour guide/operator and performance artist showed up at the Manila Cathedral while Mayor Alfredo Lim and several members of the CBCP were hearing mass. He was donned in traditional Colonial Spanish attire and held up a sign that said "Damaso" (who was the protagonist in Rizal's novel Noli me Tangere)

Stroke of genius. *Stands up and applauds*

Celdran has long been a supporter of the Reproductive Health bill. I, for one, am on his side. The priests don't seem to see and understand that this bill will help our country and more importantly, its people. I mean, doesn't Jesus and/or God want that? Didn't Jesus teach that we should care for our brothers and sisters? *cough, hypocrite, cough.*

If the church is going to quote the 1986 People Power revolution as a time when they dipped their fingers into politics I'm going to roll my eyes and say "So what?" Yes, you did your part and yes, it was awesome of you to help out but think about it - we were all in the same boat at that time. The oppression we experienced then encompassed social statuses and religious beliefs. Your contribution was just at the same level as our Muslim, Protestant and Agnostic brothers and sisters so please, shut it.

Do you know how many women give birth everyday? Do these priests know how many women die from childbirth? Do they know how many families are suffering from poverty because of too many kids? Whatever happened to charity, benevolence and chastity for that matter?! Again, the question is WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS TO HELP THESE FAMILIES THAT HAVE TOO MANY CHILDREN BECAUSE YOU SAID GO FORTH AND MULTIPLY?

While we're asking questions, can you answer these too? How many homosexual priests are there? How many of the convicted priest child molesters are registered in the sex offenders registry? How much did the pope and the Vatican know about these child molesters? How many priests have biological children while within their vow of chastity? How much money does the church have and what is the allocation for this? How much is being allocated to the welfare of their respective parishioners who are in dire need? Does the Pope really need Prada sandals?

 

Anyone who knows me knows that I have issues with religion and the organization of any religious groups. I'm not against Jesus or God. In fact, I think Jesus was a great man and a great leader. He preached about charity, love, brotherhood, paying it forward and loving every one regardless of race, age, sexuality and beliefs. I think Jesus and God would be might pissed if they came back down on earth and saw how their Catholic churches have been treating the people.

First off, the church and the state should be separate. The church has long been meddling in the state's affairs and honestly, it's evil. It's purely manipulation and it's shameful. "We'll give you our support and tell our church-goers to support you but you have to do something for us, such as maybe delaying or stopping the distribution and campaign on contraceptives" Why are you so concentrated on the contraceptives and family planning bill? Surely you understand why. Reading this article right hear just sickens me. How dare you even use the memory of Cory for your insipid and short sighted campaign.

Here's a question for you: Why do you keep your church doors closed at night when you know very well that there are tens of hundreds of families on the streets, just outside your church doors that are hungry and cold and are sleeping on the streets? You decorate your walls with pure silver and gold and yet still ask your parishioners for donations because you don't have enough money to fix your roof but you state that you can't help everyone because you don't have enough funds. Do you think Jesus or God would be pleased when they see that their "house" is all pimped out but his people are dying of hunger and cold? Yeah...good values you're teaching our kids.

If you're so against this, why don't we do it like this? PNoy (Though I don't really like him) will stop pushing the Reproductive Health bill and the distribution of contraceptives if you promise to care of the children that will be the fruits of unsafe sex. You will pay for their pre-natal care, their hospital bills when they're born, you will support the parents and give them jobs to help sustain this life in accordance to the child protection laws and you will make sure that this child gets educated, fed, clothed and sheltered. It seems that it's an equal and good enough trade, don't you think? After all, you truly believe that a child is a gift and should be given an opportunity to love. Surely you don't want that child to live a life of suffering and hunger, right?

For the love of god, stop acting like dicks and start doing your real job! HELP PEOPLE! Stop poking your fingers and noses in other people's business and do your god's business instead. I hardly think God went to you in a dream and said "expose the jueteng lords!", "Talk about Kris Aquino!" or "Stop the government from distributing condoms!" Trust me, they're not going to go to your church if they've got 5 mouths to feed. They'd rather work than listen to a boring and self-patronizing sermon.

Can we get a priest or a bishop to answer this?

I found this post on the internet and it got me thinking and researching. Most of the posts would state that Vivian is dead but she is in fact, still alive.

The known facts are these:

On August 19, 2005, Emmanuel "Bong" Madrigal, a Manila-based Filipino executive of the multinational Shell, was visiting Beijing on vacation with his wife Vivian, his daugher Regina Mia, and two younger daughters. That day, they rode a tourist bus to Tiananmen Square, the heart of the capitol.

Upon arriving at the square, Emmanuel Madrigal was the first to descend from the bus, followed by Vivian and Regina Mia. A Chinese man wielding a scythe--in some reports it was described as a sword--suddenly appeared out of nowhere and hacked Emmanuel across his torso. He died on the spot. The man also attacked and seriously wounded Vivian. He then slashed at and killed Regina Mia. By this time, bystanders were trying to subdue the man, and Vivian shouted to her two other daughters to get away and save themselves. Somehow the girls made their way back to the hotel. Vivian was brought to a Beijing hospital, but survived.

An Associated Press report still circulating on the internet states that the killer was Wang Gongzuo, 25, a farmer from eastern China's Jiangsu province. He was sentenced to death for the murder of the Madrigals and executed a few weeks later, in September. The AP report states: 'Wang's motive for killing the two is unclear. After the incident occurred the Beijing Morning Post reported that he had wanted to 'affect society using extreme actions,' but didn't elaborate."

Reflect on the parallels. A family of vacationers on a tourist bus: the Leungs and the Madrigals. A killer out to "affect society using extreme actions": Mendoza and Wang. A massacre in a public place of symbolic significance: The Quirino grandstand, where the presidential inauguration had been held just weeks before, and site of the civil society protests against the Marcos regime; and Tiananmen Square, since ancient times the symbol of the centralized power of the Chinese state, and site of the 1991 civil protests against the government.

In both incidents, the state failed miserably in protecting innocent tourists.

And there the parallels end.

President Aquino has apologized to the families of Mendoza’s victims and conveyed his sorrow to the people of Hongkong, Chief Executive Donald Tsang, and Ambassador Lin Jian Chao. The Philippine National Police acknowledge that they botched matters beyond comprehension. Philippine legislators, ahead of their Hongkong counterparts, called for a full investigation. Philippine media organizations are looking to their own culpability in the affair. And masses of ordinary Filipinos, on TV, radio, print, and the Internet, are expressing collective horror, remorse and pity over the terrible fate of the innocent tourists, and bow their heads in shame before the Hong Kong people's sorrow and anger.

That is how it should be, that is only right. But.

To this day, five years after it happened, there is no public record of any Chinese official acknowledging the tourist killings in Tiananmen Square and apologizing to the Madrigals, much less the Filipino people, for the murder of Emmanuel, Regina Mia and Vivian. Not a single expression of regret that the Chinese police failed in their duty to protect the lives of innocent tourists in the very heart of Beijing, in the symbolic center of a state that prides itself most of all for its ability to control and contain disorder. There was a total blackout on the part of the Chinese press, and, according to another news report, government censors quickly blocked many internet sites where Chinese users had begun to post comments about the killing. So we will likely never know what ordinary Chinese citizens had to say about about the incident. Maybe some of them were actually sorry for what happened.

The closest thing to expressed regret was in fact the final reported action of the killer Wang, who waived his right to appeal the sentence of execution, and got a bullet in the back of his head.

To add to the horror, it would appear that the Arroyo administration was complicit in the silence. No public statement was ever made by the Philippine government regarding the incident. Unlike in Hongkong, no flags were flown at half-mast in Manila, and no three-minute silence was observed to mark the deaths of the innocent Filipino tourists. No demand has ever been made by any Filipino official for an apology, and for an accounting.

A full investigation of the Quirino Grandstand killing is ongoing. But what of that other killing, also in August, five years ago in Tiananmen Square?

For those who have lived in just one place all their life, it's quite difficult to understand how racism really works and how it really is.

Everyone has some sort of beef with Asians and Filipinos. Filipinos are so and so, Filipinos take away jobs from hard working people in their country, Filipinos are apparently everything in between.

First off, we don't take jobs away from hard working people. Hard working people get to keep their jobs. The ones that won't work and just expect a handout from the government are the ones who are complaining. I mean, if you ask them when was the last time they held a job, they'd come up with so much excuses that you'd wonder why you even bother.

Filipinos don't want dole outs. We just want to work. We want to have the dignity of paying for our own bills and providing for our family. Filipinos don't want to take anything away from anyone - it's not in our nature. Our nature and instincts actually tell us to give, even to the point of too much. So, we find it quite unfair to be labeled as someone who takes jobs away. And we're not picky with jobs either. A job is a job is a job for us. That's why we have doctors that choose to be nurses in the US and Europe. That's why we have teachers who chose to be domestic helpers in Hong Kong - because we don't care much for titles. We care more about our families and how we can provide a good future for them.

Filipinos can be faulted for trying to please everyone. We want everyone to be happy - we want harmony. Trust us, we have been beating ourselves over with this whole hostage situation thing far worse than any critic can ever do. We are shamed by it and we admit our faults and we berate ourselves for not doing what we thought we should've been doing. We understand that you have your own opinion and we completely respect that.

But it angers me to see comments like these on social networking sites:

fucking bastard
filipinos are so stupid and naive, even their presidents
the problem is they can not rescue hostages, because they are useless such us trash. They are ironically teasing our people, allowing everyone to open those dead ppl coffin to take many pics. Thats freaking brutal, cruel and selfish. more important is that their special forces used really really foolish and childish method to rescue those hostages. i feel really disappointed with the Philippine
o btw, i am a racism, thats none of your business, fucking idiot

Dude, we aren't stupid, naive maybe but not stupid. Admittedly, we did have a president that was less than ideal in terms of intelligence (Yes, Erap, I'm looking at you) but to generalize us to be stupid is just mean. Especially when your grammar is simply atrocious.

Our SWAT and PNP team did what they could under the circumstances and though we had casualties, we had survivors as well. Survivors - with an s. Plural. In other hostage situations, everyone would be dead. Until you've had experience dealing with a situation like that, you have no right to judge. "To truly understand a man, you must first walk a mile in his shoes, whether they fit or not" The problem here, sir, is that you were on the sidelines watching them. You weren't there. I'm guessing that if you were, you'd be crapping in your pants.

We've had worse things happen to us before. We've always come out on top and we're better people because of it. We've had bloodless revolutions. We've survived natural disasters and man made ones. One thing you have to give to Filipinos is that when we come together as one team, one race - we achieve pretty much any goal we set ourselves up for. We will set aside our own personal differences for the greater good.

So, you're one racist. That's your thing and we can't really fault you for that. We just hope that soon, you'll finally take your head out of your rectum and be mature about this. Because the next time a Hong Kong national tortures a Filipina maid, or rapes them, we just might snap and go on strike.

I personally want to hear what you have to say. The media has painted this picture of you being so open and trusting. Can we hear about what you have to say about it and let your sister to shut up? She's making this all about her again, which is really annoying because she just is. Well, if you want to be totally technical about it - she has the depth of a puddle and the understanding of a gnat. She actually had the audacity to say that "It takes a lot of courage to face the victims ha?" Nobody asked you, Kris. If you got screamed at by one of the victim's family members, I'd say it was a natural reaction and that you should've just gone and apologized and expressed your sympathy and shut the hell up. But noooo.... you had to talk about it on TV, thus making it all about you again. If I roll my eyes any harder, it would make a sound.

P.Noy, come on. You actually have a communications group composed of several people. Why are they keeping mum? It's been one blunder after another. The botched rescue, death and now a humiliating scandal with the hostage taker's family and the Philippine flag. Anobeh?! I'm facepalming too much that it's starting to really hurt.

You said the people are your bosses. Well, time to give a report to the bosses because so far, they ain't happy with what you're doing. If we're really your bosses, then I've got half the mind to fire you.

I had a conversation with a friend about six months back about how homosexuals here in the Philippines will never be given the right to marry. He says that there are too many hindrances and roadblocks for this. I find it so hypocritical of us Filipinos to say this and I also find it pathetic for us to believe this. Religion, he says, is the biggest of all the roadblocks and it will always be the baseline to anything that would negate any other demands homosexuals would require from Philippine society. "Buti nga tanggap na namin ang mga bakla eh. Mas mahirap ang kalagayan ng tomboy, mas di sila tanggap." (Be thankful that we've accepted the gays. It's worse for lesbians as we still cannot tolerate them)

Right...Here's my immense gratitude for you. *insert your preferred visual here*

Just now, Brew gave me this link for me to seethe over. Okay, I have two things to say about this.

1. Homosexuality does not equate to immorality. I do not say this because I want to defend myself for being bisexual - I say this because as far as I'm concerned, my sexual orientation and preference is none of your damn business. It is religion that dictates and defines morality. Now, religion, is something that man created. It is an interpretation of their chosen deities' teachings. Didn't your god say that it's immoral for you to judge people? (Those of you who has not sin shall cast the first stone...) Didn't your god teach tolerance and love for ALL of his creations? Didn't your god create us as well? Ano kami? Kabuteng umusbong na lang sa sanga ng kahoy? So, until the Powers That Be come to me and speak to me directly (without the help of any chemicals), I cannot accept your opinion and judgement on how immoral we are.

2. Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transgendered, Transsexuals and the like, I say this to all of us. We have brought this upon ourselves as well. I mean, you expect these people to take us seriously when you have an online newspaper that has the name "Bulatlat". Yes, it's creative and it has a wonderful double meaning, and you can argue with me until you turn blue in the face but the fact of the matter is, we're painting targets on our asses with this kind of immature action. If you want to be taken seriously, you better get their attention on a level they'd understand. Think of it this way: If you want a 3 year old's attention, you don't talk to them like you're talking to an adult. Level with them. Play their game first, play by their rules then change the rules. Soon enough, they're now programmed to play by your rules. No violence, no resistance with optimized results! Ano ba? Basic psych war rules!

***

Change will happen. It's inevitable. The sooner we all accept that, the better we will all be.

It's getting more and more frustrating to live in this world and in this society. More and more people are starting to be jaded, cynical and cruel. More and more people are starting to lose their sense of humor, or just lose sight of humor in general. And still, more and more people are becoming mentally unstable. Is this the kind of life, the kind of society and the kind of world we want our children to grow up in?

I happened upon this blog, Shakesville and read this article. It left me shaking in anger and frustration.

Rape is not a compliment. It's not something you can joke about either. It's not a topic to be taken lightly and fuck you if you think otherwise.