I was giving off a Maroon 5 vibe, me thinks.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Lazy Sunday
Today's a lazy Sunday at our house. My sister and I spent most of the afternoon watching American TV series.
I was giving off a Maroon 5 vibe, me thinks.
I was giving off a Maroon 5 vibe, me thinks.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
EXCERPT - DIRT - The Not Quite Unreal Finale
[EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT from my next novel, "Dirt: The Not Quite Unreal Finale". DIRT is the third book in a series of novels, and is currently under production. As the final manuscript has yet to be delivered and approved by my publisher, things can still change, scenes can still be deleted and/or rewritten. I'm sharing this particular scene only because I feel like I owe my readers the assurance that the third novel IS definitely coming out anytime soon. All rights belong to me as author. Thanks. Please share your thoughts at the comments section. ]
The elderly doctor side stepped to let the three
other passengers of the elevator out. Odd how they looked to her like they were
in a race, trying to overtake the others. Which they sort of were. Astrud would
want nothing more than to be the first person Mitch would see to enter her
hospital room. She didn’t know why the other two were trying to get there
first, though.
For his part, Orestes had always been Alpha Male. A
well meaning but misplaced sense of protectiveness towards his classmate was
driving him to half run towards the room Michelle Lim was confined in. If his
people were correct, she was still in a coma, really, there was no need for him
to hurry. Never the less, once word that the Lims have started to allow
visitors, Orestes insisted on being one of the first in the room. No one gets
ahead of Orestes in anything, after all, and that was just how things are.
Jason Lastimosa, of course, was running for an
altogether different, more intimate, reason.
His phone rang while he was in the shower.
“It’s your phone,” the woman yelled. “Pick it up.” It
was her house.
Jason Lastimosa grabbed a towel and wrapped it around
his waist. There was no need for modesty, he had just been fucking the woman on
the floor before he went to take a shower. Which was precisely why he needed a shower.
His pants were under her bed. He kneeled to reach for
the ringing phone inside one of the pockets. It was his classmate Astrud.
“Where are you?”
“Home,” he lied. “How is she?”
“They’re letting people in now. Pick me up. Let’s go
together.”
Jason wanted to argue; he didn’t like how bossy
Astrud sounded. He never liked how bossy Astrud always sounded. But he’d been
dying for any news about Mitch, and people would wonder what he’d be doing
there without any of their common friends around.
“Ok, I’ll pick you up. Text me where you are.”
Jason dropped the call. The woman came back, and wrapped
her arms around him. “Who was that?”
“I have to go,” Jason answered.
The woman frowned. She was at that delicate age of
narrowly being able to pull it off and looking ridiculous for pouting. “Stay. I’ll
make dinner.”
“I really can’t, ma’am. My mom’s looking for me,” he
said. He was getting good at lying.
The woman detached herself. She flopped on her bed,
and crossed her slender legs in the way she knew men want. “Half an hour more,
please?”
“I really can’t.” Jason started putting his pants on.
“15 minutes?” she asked. He had his socks on.
May Belle bit her lip seductively, and looked at her
student straight in the eye.
“OK, maybe 10.” Jason unbuttoned his fly.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Siege Malvar went to Dampa sa Libis with Friends from Law School
Last Friday, I met up with my friends Cielly, Jordan, and Cam-b for a movie. But we all came in too late for seats, so we headed out to have dinner instead at Dampa sa Libis.Dampa sa Libis is one of those venues where you go to a nearby wet market to shop for fresh seafood, and then you pay some people to cook it for you. Cielly and Cam-b did all the shopping, and that's how we ended up with roughly 4 kilos of seafood to split between the four of us.
Here's the girls haggling:
Cam-b's calling it the No Judgment Dinner Club. With said judgment being that of gluttony. I pointed out that for a group claiming to have no judgment, the two of them were pretty hard on Jordan regarding how little he eats compared to them. A fact they promptly ignored.
Cam-B and I noticed Cielly and Jordan were both wearing red. Which prompted both of us to look at what we were wearing, hoping to have some commonality. An accent, a button, a loose thread.
"We're so competive, it's not funny anymore." I told her. Which was also the reason why we were totally on Where's My Water? mode all the way from Greenbelt to Libis.
Not to brag about it, but I'm gonna brag about it. I finished the game in one sitting. And Cam-b thought I wouldn't get past the "Higher and Higher" stage. Thanks to a really competitive spirit, and determination, and a lot of cursing.
"Boo, yah! Take that you m*therfucking crocodile," I screamed at the iPad.
"You can't get near Cob-b," she said. Cob-b is her nephew who she absolutely adores.
I agreed. "Yeah, I better not be around you guys when the kid's here."
Kids scare me. I think I never saw myself enough of a grown up to be entrusted with the care of one. My 9 year old brother is bound to outgrow me in a couple of years. I have the maturity of a 3 year old, give or take. I would make a horrible dad. I should never be allowed to inflict my genes on anyone, unless the infliction is on their faces. I think by reproduction, I would cause humanity great harm. I'm scared of my future, hypothetical offsprings. They'd be the baddest mofos around, and I don't want to be responsible for the world where my kids would rule kings.
It was too much to think of over dinner. Unprompted too. So I went back to devouring the rest of the seafood feast they ordered. I wanted to get liempo and steaks, but Cam-B and Ciels reminded me it was a Friday, and being good Catholics, we were observing Lent, though with the feast before us, you would think otherwise.
Jeje Couture
Jejemons arrived at the same style Givenchy did isolated from the fashion scene of Europe.
Meanwhile, people quick to ridicule the originality of the Jejemons have this crazy notion that the height of fashion and style is buying whatever Bench and Folded and Hung have on sale. Also, they do this while enjoying their Magnums. Just, coz, you know, everyone's overnight favorite ice cream is Magnum.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Siege Malvar is using Old Spice
[DISCLAIMER: I am NOT being paid or otherwise compensated for this blog post. I am not in any way involved in the marketing / promotions of the Old Spice and its brands. This is an independent review from a satisfied consumer.]
I was afraid of trying Old Spice. It has this middle aged men vibe that I used to associate with older gentlemen who would trail me around on the street. Maybe I was molested by someone wearing Old Spice in my childhood, and it's my subconscious raising the red flags.
However, I ran out of deodorant stick one day, and I didn't have the time to go to the drugstore to get one. So I went to the convenience store nearby, bought the only deodorant they have on stock; it was an Old Spice High Endurance Dry Cream.
I'm an explorative consumer. I try new brands before I declare my loyalty to one. Before Old Spice, I used Gilette Clear Gel deodorant. I looove the smell of it, and how it goes on clear. But, after trying Old Spice High Endurance Dry Cream, I think I'm converting.
Old Spice High Endurance Dry Cream WORKS. It's as simple as that. It goes smooth as a dry cream, no lumps or gross build ups. It has a spicy scent, which I still find disconcerting, but the more I smell it, the more comfortable I am with it. I'm starting to like it. But the real selling point for me of the product is that it FUCKING WORKS!
All of these happened to me in one, single day, and Old Spice High Endurance Dry Cream was there for me to keep me fresh and odor free:
I must have sweated 5 gallons that day. OK, maybe that's an exaggeration. But it was a really hectic day for me, and Old Spice High Endurance Dry Cream didn't fail. One of its active ingredient must be concentrated essence of Epic Win.
Thanks, Old Spice. You helped me conquer all my challenges. I think with you under my arms, I can be the man I should be.
I was afraid of trying Old Spice. It has this middle aged men vibe that I used to associate with older gentlemen who would trail me around on the street. Maybe I was molested by someone wearing Old Spice in my childhood, and it's my subconscious raising the red flags.
However, I ran out of deodorant stick one day, and I didn't have the time to go to the drugstore to get one. So I went to the convenience store nearby, bought the only deodorant they have on stock; it was an Old Spice High Endurance Dry Cream.
I'm an explorative consumer. I try new brands before I declare my loyalty to one. Before Old Spice, I used Gilette Clear Gel deodorant. I looove the smell of it, and how it goes on clear. But, after trying Old Spice High Endurance Dry Cream, I think I'm converting.
Old Spice High Endurance Dry Cream WORKS. It's as simple as that. It goes smooth as a dry cream, no lumps or gross build ups. It has a spicy scent, which I still find disconcerting, but the more I smell it, the more comfortable I am with it. I'm starting to like it. But the real selling point for me of the product is that it FUCKING WORKS!
All of these happened to me in one, single day, and Old Spice High Endurance Dry Cream was there for me to keep me fresh and odor free:- I went to the gym, and sweated a lot.
- Ran to the office. Got into several meetings.
- Commuted to the Visprint office to return some swatches I borrowed.
- Commuted via MRT to Ortigas to meet my boss for a presentation.
- Got late for presentation, so I ran to Emerald ave to meet my boss there.
- Presented a pitch to client.
- Went back to the office for more meetings.
- Went back to the gym to do some cardio exercises before going home.
- Had dinner with friends.
- Went home. Walked all the way from the main road.
I must have sweated 5 gallons that day. OK, maybe that's an exaggeration. But it was a really hectic day for me, and Old Spice High Endurance Dry Cream didn't fail. One of its active ingredient must be concentrated essence of Epic Win.
Thanks, Old Spice. You helped me conquer all my challenges. I think with you under my arms, I can be the man I should be.
Ok, so maybe that... or I have turned into the molester I used to be afraid of, so now I'm really into Old Spice. The preferred deo stick of choice of sweaty rapists.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Before the meeting...
The person we were presenting to was caught up with something. The wide floor to ceiling mirror was too tempting. Holla. I was with ms tatum and josser.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Siege Malvar's life according to foursquare.
So, apparently, all i do is go to work, go to the gym, and go home. And on the fifth spot: the hole in the wall across the street where people from the office get lunch.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Siege Malvar is bored with the Walking Dead 2nd Season
Is it just me, or are you guys getting bored with this season of Walking Dead too?
The series has become a metaphor for its own genre. It's a dead story that wouldn't stay down. There's something seriously, seriously wrong going on with the people running the show. They're stretching a simple storyline across several episodes with NOTHING happening, no character development at all. It's the most disappointing sophomore season of any show I've ever seen, and to think I suffered through 8 seasons of Desperate Housewives.
It's painful to see The Walking Dead trying so hard to become Lost 2.0. It's trying to get that low key, "character" moments where the characters just talk and talk. And talk. The difference is with Lost, the writing is so electrifying that those moments are still charged with quiet intensity. With The Walking Dead... it's just two people talking.
The writers must really bring their game up in the succeeding episodes. I'm all in for a zombie story that runs with depth, but, man, you don't have to bore us undead. There's nothing going on, there's no plot highlights. They're just a bunch of survivors yakking about in a farm. No one has a plan, all the secrets are out in the open, and they're starting to have the luxury of worrying about their love affairs.
Come on, writers of the series. Step up! Don't lose focus; keep in mind what the series is all about: humanity being tested by an impossible scenario. The dead are walking, the living are running. Your story is crawling along getting trampled.
Siege Malvar Wants You to Challenge Everything
A few days after the new campaign slogan of the Department of Tourism came out ("It's More Fun in the Philippines"), an old man wrote a Facebook note that somehow made its way to my radar. I forget the details, must have been shared by one of my Facebook contacts. Since it was getting some attention (based on the number of likes and agreeing comments), I decided to read it.
Was I really surprised that the old man's note reflected antiquarian values? No.
But what really appalled me was the message of the note: That people should stop hating the new campaign slogan, shut up, and give it a chance.
Call me provocative, but I think that old man--who I will not name-- should be ashamed of himself. How a man could have lived through martial law and not appreciate the value of questioning the status quo is beyond my comprehension. My problem with this kind of thinking is it's spirit of giving up, of accepting what is given because fighting is too much of a chore. We've criticized the past too much that we should just lay back and enjoy getting screwed.
Let me be clear: THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE DOT SLOGAN. This is ABOUT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ASK QUESTIONS.
Challenge Everything. It's not just our right, it's our responsibility. In the age where everything can be manufactured, it is our duty to look for autenticity. How can we know that something is resilient, is durable, is strong enough, if we don't challenge it?
Challenge Everything. Even the Word of God is challenged. Jesus welcomed challenges because he was confident enough of the truth in his teachings.
Challenge Everything. Ask why. Ask why not. Ask what for. The pursuit of knowledge doesn't end with answers, but with more questions. The day we stop asking questions is the day we all should just die.
Challenge Everything.
Was I really surprised that the old man's note reflected antiquarian values? No.
But what really appalled me was the message of the note: That people should stop hating the new campaign slogan, shut up, and give it a chance.
Call me provocative, but I think that old man--who I will not name-- should be ashamed of himself. How a man could have lived through martial law and not appreciate the value of questioning the status quo is beyond my comprehension. My problem with this kind of thinking is it's spirit of giving up, of accepting what is given because fighting is too much of a chore. We've criticized the past too much that we should just lay back and enjoy getting screwed.
Let me be clear: THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE DOT SLOGAN. This is ABOUT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ASK QUESTIONS.
Challenge Everything. It's not just our right, it's our responsibility. In the age where everything can be manufactured, it is our duty to look for autenticity. How can we know that something is resilient, is durable, is strong enough, if we don't challenge it?
Challenge Everything. Even the Word of God is challenged. Jesus welcomed challenges because he was confident enough of the truth in his teachings.
Challenge Everything. Ask why. Ask why not. Ask what for. The pursuit of knowledge doesn't end with answers, but with more questions. The day we stop asking questions is the day we all should just die.
Challenge Everything.
Siege Malvar Wants to Be Forever Alone
I was hanging out with a friend the other day when he decided to pop the question: At your age, when are you planning to settle down?
It's not exactly the question one asks one's self. My first reply was: "What do you mean 'at my age'?"
Friend: Oh, you know. Your age.
Me: I'm 28. And only because there's a biding certificate my mom and my dad signed 28 years ago that says I was born that year. What does that have anything to do with settling down? And, also: What the fuck?
Friend: I mean, aren't you supposed to be in a stable relationship now? Like, you already have a good job. And that's like what's missing in your life.
Me: Missing?
Friend: Yeah! Don't you feel like...
Me: ....hitting you right now? Yes.
Friend: ...you need an inspiration or something?
Me: I'm pretty much inspired, thank you very much.
Friend: So, is there, like, someone that's inspiring you?
Me: I'm inspired by my ambition.
Friend: That's sad.
Me: No. Not really. What's sad is you thinking you need someone else to be inspired. I, on the other hand, am inspired to be great, every single day, because I'm ambitious. I'm not content with what I have. I have dreams to pursue. I have awards to win. I want to be so fucking rich someday, I go on a yacht to write my novels.
Friend: But don't you think like you'll be so much more if you have somebody to share your life with?
Me: I already have what I need in life to succeed. I have talent, I have ambition. I won't get anymore talented than I am now just because I enter a relationship. I'm actually less productive when I'm in a relationship. Right now, I have all the time in the world to work on my projects, to go to the gym and work out. I get to spend a lot of time improving my skills without worrying about anyone else. Being in a relationship just takes too much from me. Takes too much of my time, takes too much of my money. Time going on a date or spending it as "quality time" with a partner is time I'm wasting; I could be reading a good book, or working on a new novel, or pumping iron at the gym.
Friend: But you're incomplete.
Me: Look at us. You say life's incomplete without someone to share it with so you'll be looking for that person your whole life until you find one. You'll be meeting people, you'll be betting on them to be "The One". You might find The One, or you might just stick with one who'll stick around long enough until one of you dies. When your plan doesn't push through, you'll look for Another One. NOW, look at ME. I don't need anyone to make me feel like a person. I can buy the things I need, I can do the things I want to do at my own time. I pursue my dreams with relentless passion, I don't depend on anyone to make me feel inspired and creative. Now look at you again. Now look at me again. Who's incomplete now?
Friend: I don't know. I guess I just don't want to be alone. Aren't you thinking of your future?
Me: You're stressing yourself about finding someone to spend your future with. I, on the other hand, am enjoying the present. Both of us can die tomorrow. The difference is I got to spend my last day on Earth enjoying the moment, while you were too busy looking for someone to complete you.
Friend: I hate you. You'll be all alone in a home for the elderly. You'll have no one to take care of you when you're old.
Me: You think those people don't have families? Newsflash: people who are in homes for the elderly have families too. Once in their lives they found "The One", they had kids. Guess who's paying for their monthly dues? That's right. The kids they raised together so they wouldn't be alone when they grow old. Too much for planning, huh?
Friend: Whatever. I still believe that there's someone meant for us.
Me: Do you know how many people there are in the world? Do you know that what you just said is the dumbest thing ever spoken by anyone, and the fact that people keep saying it all over the world is just so dumb? There are billions of humans on this planet, and to say you were meant to be with someone goes against the fact that there are an infinite number of possible pairing up. That's just a dumb hope people cling to because they're afraid of being called whores. You think someone's meant for you when they pass YOUR standards. That's not destiny, that's just YOU conditioning yourself to think that you are with someone that the universe has created for you. That's called conceit, my friend. If there's destiny, if there's pre-determined pairing, then you shouldn't find anyone more acceptable than others. Whether that person is a Bombay slumdog, a Chinese heiress, an Afghan rebel, the Sultan of Bruneii, a newborn kid.
Me: Being with someone shouldn't be a matter of requirement or necessity, but of choice. If I want to settle down with someone, I will. Not because I have to, not because I need to. But because I want at that particular time. I don't want forever with someone, that would be too boring. I just want 'for some time'. Yeah, that's good enough.
Me: And there shouldn't be an 'age' for deciding that. You know, I was 21 once, I'm 28 now, and I'll be 35 in a couple of years. I know things that 21 yo me didn't, and I haven't learned all the things that 35 yo me would know. Who's to say which version of me knows what he wants? I think 35 year old me is better suited for settling down and getting into a relationship. Should I wait until then?
Me: I really think you're dumb. About all these things you're worried about.
It's not exactly the question one asks one's self. My first reply was: "What do you mean 'at my age'?"
Friend: Oh, you know. Your age.
Me: I'm 28. And only because there's a biding certificate my mom and my dad signed 28 years ago that says I was born that year. What does that have anything to do with settling down? And, also: What the fuck?
Friend: I mean, aren't you supposed to be in a stable relationship now? Like, you already have a good job. And that's like what's missing in your life.
Me: Missing?
Friend: Yeah! Don't you feel like...
Me: ....hitting you right now? Yes.
Friend: ...you need an inspiration or something?
Me: I'm pretty much inspired, thank you very much.
Friend: So, is there, like, someone that's inspiring you?
Me: I'm inspired by my ambition.
Friend: That's sad.
Me: No. Not really. What's sad is you thinking you need someone else to be inspired. I, on the other hand, am inspired to be great, every single day, because I'm ambitious. I'm not content with what I have. I have dreams to pursue. I have awards to win. I want to be so fucking rich someday, I go on a yacht to write my novels.
Friend: But don't you think like you'll be so much more if you have somebody to share your life with?
Me: I already have what I need in life to succeed. I have talent, I have ambition. I won't get anymore talented than I am now just because I enter a relationship. I'm actually less productive when I'm in a relationship. Right now, I have all the time in the world to work on my projects, to go to the gym and work out. I get to spend a lot of time improving my skills without worrying about anyone else. Being in a relationship just takes too much from me. Takes too much of my time, takes too much of my money. Time going on a date or spending it as "quality time" with a partner is time I'm wasting; I could be reading a good book, or working on a new novel, or pumping iron at the gym.
Friend: But you're incomplete.
Me: Look at us. You say life's incomplete without someone to share it with so you'll be looking for that person your whole life until you find one. You'll be meeting people, you'll be betting on them to be "The One". You might find The One, or you might just stick with one who'll stick around long enough until one of you dies. When your plan doesn't push through, you'll look for Another One. NOW, look at ME. I don't need anyone to make me feel like a person. I can buy the things I need, I can do the things I want to do at my own time. I pursue my dreams with relentless passion, I don't depend on anyone to make me feel inspired and creative. Now look at you again. Now look at me again. Who's incomplete now?
Friend: I don't know. I guess I just don't want to be alone. Aren't you thinking of your future?
Me: You're stressing yourself about finding someone to spend your future with. I, on the other hand, am enjoying the present. Both of us can die tomorrow. The difference is I got to spend my last day on Earth enjoying the moment, while you were too busy looking for someone to complete you.
Friend: I hate you. You'll be all alone in a home for the elderly. You'll have no one to take care of you when you're old.
Me: You think those people don't have families? Newsflash: people who are in homes for the elderly have families too. Once in their lives they found "The One", they had kids. Guess who's paying for their monthly dues? That's right. The kids they raised together so they wouldn't be alone when they grow old. Too much for planning, huh?
Friend: Whatever. I still believe that there's someone meant for us.
Me: Do you know how many people there are in the world? Do you know that what you just said is the dumbest thing ever spoken by anyone, and the fact that people keep saying it all over the world is just so dumb? There are billions of humans on this planet, and to say you were meant to be with someone goes against the fact that there are an infinite number of possible pairing up. That's just a dumb hope people cling to because they're afraid of being called whores. You think someone's meant for you when they pass YOUR standards. That's not destiny, that's just YOU conditioning yourself to think that you are with someone that the universe has created for you. That's called conceit, my friend. If there's destiny, if there's pre-determined pairing, then you shouldn't find anyone more acceptable than others. Whether that person is a Bombay slumdog, a Chinese heiress, an Afghan rebel, the Sultan of Bruneii, a newborn kid.
Me: Being with someone shouldn't be a matter of requirement or necessity, but of choice. If I want to settle down with someone, I will. Not because I have to, not because I need to. But because I want at that particular time. I don't want forever with someone, that would be too boring. I just want 'for some time'. Yeah, that's good enough.
Me: And there shouldn't be an 'age' for deciding that. You know, I was 21 once, I'm 28 now, and I'll be 35 in a couple of years. I know things that 21 yo me didn't, and I haven't learned all the things that 35 yo me would know. Who's to say which version of me knows what he wants? I think 35 year old me is better suited for settling down and getting into a relationship. Should I wait until then?
Me: I really think you're dumb. About all these things you're worried about.
Friday, March 9, 2012
The Devil Inside is the worst movie ever
I will not even dignify it with a review. It's the worst movie I have ever seen, and i cant remember seeing anything worse.
The only thing good that came out that night was that I got to hang out with some of my office mates.
The only thing good that came out that night was that I got to hang out with some of my office mates.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
SUPPLIES PARTY
There was a surprise party for Melissa, one of the managers in the office. This is a bunch of us hiding in the pantry while her team sets things up.
I think my officemate is very pretty for a boy.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Bela Padilla - Racist or Racy FHM Cover?
Unfortunately, this is one of those issues that we can't look at as either black or white.
Here is the controversial BELA PADILLA FHM COVER:
Pop Culture has never been a stranger to depictions of a fair skinned woman set against the backdrop of darker skinned people. Too close for comfort is DEV's Dancing in the Dark video where the same concept was used.
And here is Dev's Dancing in the Dark video:
Ok, so let's take a moment here and appreciate both ladies. At first glance, I can grasp the concern about using the striking contrast of skin colors together with the copy "stepping out of the shadow". I can see how using people of other ethnic background can be seen as racist, considering how little interaction there was shown between the subject (Bela Padilla) and the humans she used as props (atmospheric models). This is very suggestive of the subject treating the rest of the elements around her as objects.
But then again, didn't Gwen Stefani used the same technique of using other ethnic backgrounds as gimmik?
Two wrongs may make a trend, but that doesn't make it right. Thus, we have to ask ourselves, were Dev and Gwen being racist in the same vein that Bela Padilla's cover was?
Let's look at the issue here and lay down some definitions. Racist is when one disparages an individual based on his or her ethnic background. Does racism still exist in this day and age? Unfortunately, yes. Especially with old people. My grandparents, bless them, are horrible racists. I have tried time and again to correct their impression about all individual members of the human race, but sadly, you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
So, it's when we can no longer rectify the sins of our past do we move forward and avoid those trespasses. I have been fortunate enough to know people from all walks of life, and my experience living abroad and being briefly on tour in the UK made me appreciate people of different stories. Sadly, not everyone has experienced as much as I have.
Racism is when my friend Kalinga was not allowed to enter a club because he was Sri Lankan. It's not racist when I pose with Korean chicks I met in a ballgame.
Because we have to look at the intent here:
Was there malice in the creation of Bela Padilla's cover?
And shouldn't we ask:
Is there malice in calling the cover racist?
Racism is a serious issue. It's not a card we should play out just because we can. Some pots are black, and calling them so doesn't make it less of a pot. It's when people use 'colors' negatively do we miss the point; that light is made up of all colors, each wonderful, each beautiful, each true.
Here is the controversial BELA PADILLA FHM COVER:
Pop Culture has never been a stranger to depictions of a fair skinned woman set against the backdrop of darker skinned people. Too close for comfort is DEV's Dancing in the Dark video where the same concept was used.
And here is Dev's Dancing in the Dark video:
Ok, so let's take a moment here and appreciate both ladies. At first glance, I can grasp the concern about using the striking contrast of skin colors together with the copy "stepping out of the shadow". I can see how using people of other ethnic background can be seen as racist, considering how little interaction there was shown between the subject (Bela Padilla) and the humans she used as props (atmospheric models). This is very suggestive of the subject treating the rest of the elements around her as objects.
But then again, didn't Gwen Stefani used the same technique of using other ethnic backgrounds as gimmik?
Two wrongs may make a trend, but that doesn't make it right. Thus, we have to ask ourselves, were Dev and Gwen being racist in the same vein that Bela Padilla's cover was?
Let's look at the issue here and lay down some definitions. Racist is when one disparages an individual based on his or her ethnic background. Does racism still exist in this day and age? Unfortunately, yes. Especially with old people. My grandparents, bless them, are horrible racists. I have tried time and again to correct their impression about all individual members of the human race, but sadly, you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
So, it's when we can no longer rectify the sins of our past do we move forward and avoid those trespasses. I have been fortunate enough to know people from all walks of life, and my experience living abroad and being briefly on tour in the UK made me appreciate people of different stories. Sadly, not everyone has experienced as much as I have.
Racism is when my friend Kalinga was not allowed to enter a club because he was Sri Lankan. It's not racist when I pose with Korean chicks I met in a ballgame.
Was there malice in the creation of Bela Padilla's cover?
And shouldn't we ask:
Is there malice in calling the cover racist?
Racism is a serious issue. It's not a card we should play out just because we can. Some pots are black, and calling them so doesn't make it less of a pot. It's when people use 'colors' negatively do we miss the point; that light is made up of all colors, each wonderful, each beautiful, each true.
I Deleted My Twitter
I've had it with Twitter.
When it first came out, the idea of "microblogging" was an innovation. When everyone was blogging (pro blogging), Twitter came out and provided a service that allowed people to fracture their thoughts, paving the way for an online sharing closer to how humans experience streams of consciousness. Thoughts were shared as they happened. There was no need to organize thoughts, process them into arguments. Tweet as you want, tweet as you are.
Then, it exploded. People signed up, tweetered. Justin Bieber reigned king, jokes were rehashed over and over. Nowadays, shows regularly flash promoted #hashtags. Millions access Twitter through their phones, and computers on a daily basis. Twitter is now more than a website one "logs in" to access; it has become an app we constantly bear wherever we go.
Unfortunately, it has expanded too much for me. I can only tolerate so much twittering. It's populated with discussions I don't care for, it's noisy, it's polluted. More than a global discourse, it has become a noisy marketplace: buy this! support that! watch me! look at what I ate for lunch! notice me! notice me! notice me!
As a thinking person of quite an education, I absolutely REFUSE to accept the fact that the most relevant topic (as per "trending topic") in the world I live in is how some kid with a webcam has a virus, or that a certain annoying private individual is now a lawyer. It's ridiculous. I don't want to live in that world where the majority is concerned with who was on what show last night.
So I will live in denial. I deleted my Twitter account because I REFUSE to accept the fact that millions of Filipinos are dumb as f*ck. I would like to believe that Filipinos are still smart, that we still think, that we still hold conversations of substance, that we care about matters that have long lasting impact.
As Immortal Technique said, "Going platinum has nothin to do with luck, it just means a million people's dumb as f*ck"." Truer words have never been spoken. Trending Topics is one way of Twitter documenting how low our civilization has fallen. Whereas we should have been pursuing intellectual evolution, we've degraded ourselves to birds on a branch.
You can only wake up to so many birds twittering outside your window before you take out your shotgun.
When it first came out, the idea of "microblogging" was an innovation. When everyone was blogging (pro blogging), Twitter came out and provided a service that allowed people to fracture their thoughts, paving the way for an online sharing closer to how humans experience streams of consciousness. Thoughts were shared as they happened. There was no need to organize thoughts, process them into arguments. Tweet as you want, tweet as you are.
Then, it exploded. People signed up, tweetered. Justin Bieber reigned king, jokes were rehashed over and over. Nowadays, shows regularly flash promoted #hashtags. Millions access Twitter through their phones, and computers on a daily basis. Twitter is now more than a website one "logs in" to access; it has become an app we constantly bear wherever we go.
Unfortunately, it has expanded too much for me. I can only tolerate so much twittering. It's populated with discussions I don't care for, it's noisy, it's polluted. More than a global discourse, it has become a noisy marketplace: buy this! support that! watch me! look at what I ate for lunch! notice me! notice me! notice me!
As a thinking person of quite an education, I absolutely REFUSE to accept the fact that the most relevant topic (as per "trending topic") in the world I live in is how some kid with a webcam has a virus, or that a certain annoying private individual is now a lawyer. It's ridiculous. I don't want to live in that world where the majority is concerned with who was on what show last night.
So I will live in denial. I deleted my Twitter account because I REFUSE to accept the fact that millions of Filipinos are dumb as f*ck. I would like to believe that Filipinos are still smart, that we still think, that we still hold conversations of substance, that we care about matters that have long lasting impact.
As Immortal Technique said, "Going platinum has nothin to do with luck, it just means a million people's dumb as f*ck"." Truer words have never been spoken. Trending Topics is one way of Twitter documenting how low our civilization has fallen. Whereas we should have been pursuing intellectual evolution, we've degraded ourselves to birds on a branch.
You can only wake up to so many birds twittering outside your window before you take out your shotgun.
Blackberry Dare to Do More
Hey, check out the "BLACKBERRY: DARE TO DO MORE" booths in a mall near you. Get to EXPERIENCE for yourself the more to love features of the BBM (BlackBerry Messenger).
BlackBerry Dares YOU to Do More with BBM through its features such as unlimited messaging (unlimited characters for sending here and abroad!), unlimited photo sharing (along with other files!), and unlimited group chats!
Add me up on BBM! PIN: 21B3A58C
[DISCLAIMER: This post is not BlackBerry sponsored / commissioned. I am not a BlackBerry user exclusively. I am directly involved in this activation as creative champion. ]
BlackBerry Dares YOU to Do More with BBM through its features such as unlimited messaging (unlimited characters for sending here and abroad!), unlimited photo sharing (along with other files!), and unlimited group chats!
Add me up on BBM! PIN: 21B3A58C
[DISCLAIMER: This post is not BlackBerry sponsored / commissioned. I am not a BlackBerry user exclusively. I am directly involved in this activation as creative champion. ]
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