Regulation of the Internet

This is a touchy issue. I have a nagging feeling that because the Philippines is currently working to pass an Anti Cybercrime Act, more supposed incidents of "cybercrime" will begin to emerge over the next few weeks and months. People tend to react to issues like this through a semblance of "participation through association". If one John Doe says that Jane Doe has been saying "bad things" about him on Twitter or Facebook, and if he says that Jane Doe's doing so in "bad taste" or in a "libelous manner" (based on his personal opinion), the thus begins the cycle of "thinking you've got an understanding of an issue when in fact you only think so because you managed to thrust yourself into a situation that minutely resembles defamation". You get what I mean. Everything is relative on the internet. You go on Wikipedia, and you look up, say, the biography of Martin Luther King, and you see dates, places, names of people- those are facts. But when you consider the flow of the article, the cadence at which certain statements have been positioned- that can be subject to a million and one types of interpretation. You go on Facebook, and you see posts about people, places, topics of interest, issues. Every post on there is subject to interpretation. How the posts are written out, what the posts contain, etc., can be made to be points of contention, or even, blatant offense. Given the speed at which the information circulates through the internet, it wouldn't be surprising to eventually see an all in all minor piece of feedback grow into a grotesque monument to destructive social thought. It's frightening. It's downright absurb how many can affected by this pathway of thought. This is why we need regulations for the internet, BUT such caveats need to be made in such a way that no one is disenfranchised, abused, or rendered powerless. Let's leave it to brilliant legal minds to figure out the ins and outs of this process. At the same time, let's not forget the consumer, often woebegone in the face of what stands to be the onset of implausible censorship, or, freedom of speech which is set to be his/her own undoing. Maybe those in power could begin with more obvious forms of internet media, such as child pornography and ultra violent for-the-heck-of-it websites. That would help set a precedent for "competent" censorship. If they target more complex arenas such as Twitter and Facebook first, then, they may be in for a tough battle which muddles details and works towards the gist of the fight being lost in the shuffle. See, Apple's script for product launches. It's never too late for change. How to make such change feasible, and significant, is another story. MC

Thoughts on My Recent Trips

I've been travelling a lot as of late. I feel blessed that I've been able to see the world like I have thanks to the kindness of others. Further to this, I feel blessed to have been able to visit family in the United States over the past 2 months, family whom I have not seen for some time. I was in Las Vegas weeks ago, and, my initial impressions of the place (lights, kitchy elements, insomnia, etc.), were validated. Honestly, Vegas isn't really my type of place per se, as I am more into historical/cultural sites, but then, the experience allowed me to take in a different side of the United States in particular. I have also gotten to go to Cedar Rapids and to California over the past 60 days. Cedar Rapids is a rustic place, bucolic, a constant clashing of natural, and urban. California, on the other hand, is a clashing of green and brown. The desert and greenery going head to head. Then there are places where the sea meets land. La Jolla. Mission Bay. Fantastic stuff. My recent trips have provided a respite from the often too hectic pace of Manila, and food for thought too. Can I actually transplant my life here in the Philippines to another place such as California? I wonder.

To kids, the even the simplest things in the world are of infinite fascination.

I Am Happy, But...

Honestly, I am happy about how my career has gone in the past year. Things have gone on well. God has been good to me overall.

I hope, though, that with a great career, does not come a total dulling of my creative self.

MC

I Think I Need To!

Can't find home?
Look in your heart.
Write.
Feel.
Be.

Take the Power Back

Allow me to say that it too is possible to put the flicker back in extinguished lanterns in life.

One.

By.

One.

Two Towers

Life's challenges are like two skyscrapers that dominate a skyline.

Daunting.

Majestic.

Begging to be climbed.

Begging to be surmounted.

I Can't Explain.

Sometimes, when you see remnants of your past written on cave walls, written in faint chalk on concrete, and etched in stone, there comes a moment when it hits you, and I mean it just hits you...

"Could it be that the I left something behind that I should have dumped in my suitcase in transit for the future?"

It isn't that I don't like the present, it's just that, it is almost part of human nature to always long for something that tends to be even slightly faded and gone.

MC

In Many Ways

In a lot of ways, I ought to take my writing more seriously again.

MC

RIP Dolphy

He touched the hearts of many not only through humor, but also through kindness.

Thank you, Dolphy.

Here's a classic clip.

Meet My Gramps.

Meet my grandpa.

I love you, Lols.

Must We?

Must we hurt all the time? Even when we don't deserve it?

Actually, we do deserve the crap sometimes, but that's beside the point.

The Problem Is...

The real problem with this world is that those you tend to rely on fail you over and over again-and often, for no good reason.

Drown.

Hidden in the darkness of the city is a path neither sullen nor joyous, brave, nor of cowardice. It is but a path which cannot be revealed to those who do not believe in the eventual bliss that awaits us all.

There is never a day that is too long and too awash in confusion to end in a shimmering display of truth.

Mc

We Built This City

Songs are better than romantic relationships. Why? Because there are times, one of a kind moments, when you run into a song, and find yourself so entranced by its meaning, beat, lyrics, etc that you never ever want to let that song stop playing in your head

Free

To be free is to be captive to the death of an autocracy, a dictatorship, or colloquy rooted in the non-sensical murdering of ideas, and originality/ingenuity.

Suuuuuuweeet

There are few things more beautiful than a girl's smile.

Believe it.

Rental Schmental

I find it amusing that so many people are going Gaga over the upcoming Lady Gaga concert. I use the word "funny" because it is amusing how one little bit of liberalism flung one's way, and a flurry of moralistic platitudes are unleashed.

Hypocritical? In a sense, yes. Some of those whom I have heard complain about the staging of the concert have not said a word about so many other "evils"- sex on tv, rampant pornography online, graft and corruption, etc.

The oft-eccentric stage maven Lady Gaga comes along and suddenly, voila, the sky is falling.

On the other hand, Lady Gaga should know that the Philippines is a conservative country. A VERY conservative country. So, she must adjust accordingly. The nation need to adjust to her.

It's "funny", and ironic, that no matter how much fruit is tossed every which way, nobody really wins, here. Sponsors will get their money but be maligned by the right wing conservatives for being "socially and morally inept". The conservatives will let their voices be heard, but the concert will go on, mind you.Lady Gaga will still sing about Alejandro, Bad Romances, and how she holds Poker Faces through all the brouhaha.

This is all one big case of circumstances "renting" the general public's consciousness for a couple of days. It'll all fizzle out eventually, and people will return to malling, being fixated with soap operas, worshipping Willie Revillame, and rooting for Jessica Sanchez (yehey!).

Only in the Philippines? Not really.

Only action the idiosyncracies of the human mind and heart can provide?

Now that's more like it.

MC
(Via Mobile)

Talk Talk.

Overheard somewhere:

Guy1: How was your date last night?
Guy2: Ho hum, kind of boring, but my goodness, did my date have the biggest ______!
Guy1: Wow. You had a good time then, in the end?
Guy2: Yeah.

Make sure no one hears you next time you talk about boobs, yeah?

MC
(Via Mobile)

I can't quite remember what the world was like sans WIFI. It was slower. It was less connected. It was, in a word, unrelentingly un-voyeur (a good thing). Thank the Lord for WIFI. It's made things interesting. MC

Liberte

Maybe it is about time I did something in favor of my freedom.

What Can I Do?

What does one do when he/she has to do something he initially thought was worthwhile, but has suddenly, become the death of all passion?

MC
(Via Mobile)

Sundae

Life is like a nicely plated Sundae.

Brimming with the promise of sweetness.

Once you get how much you've got to pay for prosperity, then you wonder.

Was all that worth what I had to give up to get it?

MC

To the Moon- 1

To the moon, I go, and to the sun, I find my curiosity bubbling up growing, to and fro.

MC

On the Road Again- Happy Easter Dinner

Happy Easter, everyone!

Dinner time at Lagoa cafe. Had to stop my gymming to have dinner(to get seats). I have a busy week ahead, but I would rather not think about that first.

I will just attempt to enjoy the rest of my stay here.

MC
(Via Mobile)

On the Road Again- Day 2-2

When a child falls down for the first time, he/she looks to his/her parents for validation that everything is going to be alright. The child's parents then rush to the scene and console the child.

Jesus Christ has not only consoled us amidst our forlorn state. He, too, has saved us from sin, from eternal suffering.

Before the day ends, don't forget to say a little prayer of thanks to the Lord who gave His only son for us who are undeserving of salvation because of our natural propensity to sin.

MC

On the Road Again- Day 2-1

The silence is beginning to crush my mind.

I am with people critical of every move I make. I do not like being cross examined.

Hey, who said a little conflict was bad for a trip? Just a little.

MC

On the Road Again- Day 2

So yesterday, there was the gym- followed by a whole lot of eating.

Talk about knocking things out of the park. My mom cooks outstandingly. What's a hungry kid to do?

The temperature today must be around 35 celsius. The heat sticks to you like velcro and a bad Spice Girls song.

At least we get to have salmon for lunch. Back to the gym I go later.

For the meantime, I think I'll take in the picturesque scenery here while asking myself why the hell I have to finish up work on a holiday in the first place.

This sort of work is murder on the soul, sometimes.

MC (via mobile)

On the Road Again- Near the End of Night 1

It's near the end of night one in Batangas. Just came from the gym with the family. Nice bonding time, and one heck of a way to destress for me. Good times, not to mention, great looking gym.

I am in the club library now and have not had dinner. I am trying to work, but failing miserably, as my mind has gone off the train tracks and into a chasm where only vacationers exist.

Wish me luck, but then again, wish me well instead (for finally relaxing).

MC

On the Road Again-3

I have arrived in Batangas. The weather is especially humid as we are near the sea. I have never been the biggest fan of the beach, or the ocean, but, the scenery here is beautiful.

I suppose 5 days of solace should do me good.

I do have some "homework" to do, but, I will take time to enjoy with kin, eat heartily, and gym mightily. This weekend is set to be a memorable one.

Cheers to an idyllic life!

MC

On the Road Again-2

I am currently on SLEX, nearing Binan exit. The roads are surprisingly free of any major jams today.

I remember Holy Weeks past wherein our family would go to Pangasinan to participate in processions in Alaminos. Our family's had a carosa for the Sorrowful Christ which has been with my mother's kin for 3 generations. I used to help pull the carosa every good Friday with my cousins Dino and Darby.

Being a kid, by the end of the procession, all I would want would be to chomp on an ice cream Sunday and play NES Games.

Little did I know that year after year, I was participating in a little bit of history- in general and in writing out my family's story. My family is deep in Spanish ancestry, and I am thankful that my kin's taught me to have a deep appreciation for my heritage.

Enter being in church in the province a lot as a kid for novenas, mass, etc.

My great grandpa was the mayor of the city of Alaminos in the 30s etc., ergo, my grandmothers (6 of them) always bore in mind that they needed to be prim and proper in everything they did.
My grandmother's, those who have passed and those still with us, have always been class acts, never afraid to share stories, good laughs, and words of inspiration.I love them with all my heart.

Just some thoughts from the road on this Maundy Thursday morning.

MC (Via Mobile)

On The Road Again

I am on my way to Batangas now. Long road trip ahead. We are buying Star Apples now on the side of the road.

Thank goodness for mobile hotspots. Who would have thought that technology would be invented that could allow for internet on the go like this?

I'm not the biggest fan of the beach at this point in time, but, travelling is always fun.

Here's to a nice ride down South.

MC

Perfect

I cannot have a life that is perfect.

I am meant to be so much more than that.

Enchanted.

I am of the belief that many tidbits of enchantment come along every day of our lives. We may often encounter mundane snippets of living when we take the train to work, or rush financial statements for the gods of the corporate world, but at the core of the human person, lies one thing- a yearning for the "more" defined by the death of superficiality.

Ask yourself- how many sparkles of deeper brilliance have touched you today?

Life often seduces us to give into murder our inner artifices of hope, of art, of love, of peace, but such is a truth we need to fight. While picturesque, the dividends for the heart far outweigh and are totally undeterred by the machinations of reality of the world "uncoothe".

MC

Surprise, Surprise.

There are many assumptions we make in life. We tend to think sometimes that love is guaranteed, success is a right, and arguments and toxicity is a part of living.

These things aren't always set in stone.

That goodness for relativity.

Cheers to the manipulation of destiny.

MC

Music.

I was at McDonalds Commonwealth, QC earlier tonight.
While gulping down a Coke and eating surprisingly delicious McSpaghetti, a bunch of ably dressed teenagers came in- one with a guitar, one with a beatbox, and one with a violin.
They sat down in one corner and began to play "Breathless" by the now-defunct Irish band the Corrs.
As expected, the outlet's manager walked over to the group's "handler" (this lady in a blazer), and asked for a permit.

The lady was not able to produce any.
Ergo, the group was escorted off the premises.

I've been to the US and there are street performers all over the place.
You can't blame the staff at McDonald's. They were just doing their job.
I'm guessing the kids needed to raise money for something- hopefully something worthwhile.
While surprising, and legally off tangent, such can be considered to be better than those people who just walk up to you at food courts and ask for money while holding out some sort of a business card.

Just thought I'd share some of the sights and sounds of my evening.

Underpass

My circadian rhythm's been all over the place.

Fire. Ice. Grace.

Another round of this

This daily grind

To some

A daily malaise

Going Out

Go out to Katipunan Avenue at night and observe the students milling about.

Why do all of them look the same?

Wide eyed, dreamers, haggard from their last bout with reality, with academic ogres with sabers?

Am I glad I have graduated from that, to this?

Not really.

Sometimes I wish I were once again a wide-eyed dreamer with more guts than brains.

Those days, at least, possessed more zim than today's humdrum number-infested cycles of 24.

The Death of Reason

I don't get it. I just don't get it.

Why does life keep repeating itself?

I've got a gig, yeah, but it is not the most stable thing, says the man.

The car's being driven by madness on stilts, yeah.

Here I am with a pot belly, a whole lot of things-doing and the death of clues and rhyming time.

Here's some chicken on a plate.

Hate.

So much hate.

Embraced.

What's a man to do but become unhinged?

And wonder.

Why wait?