I will quote Celeni here. “I don’t understand why you have to margninalize public opinion when apparently, it’s their votes that has been bastardized.” You cannot force people to wait for Congress to tell them how to perceive the things they’ve heard and seen. Hindi tayo tanga. Shame on people who easily judged a popularly elected leader like Estrada and yet are so stringent on condemning a graver offense by such an unpopular “economist” like Arroyo. Double standards. Class bias. Despite The Daily Tribune’s obvious leanings for Estrada, I would have to agree with them on this one. Another blogger has similar sentiments.

Everyone is invited to take a look at and participate at the discussion/debate/bickering we’ve been having at the Pulitika LJ community. I insist, what is wrong is wrong. No amount of personal judgements and biases should allow its tolerance. The wrongdoer must face consequences.

Thank you, Ms. Susan Roces for speaking up and voicing out the same frustrations. You have inspired me. Gloria resign!

DATE: October 16, 2004
Org sem-ender outing with UP CAST in Albay. We were at the Cagsawa Ruins late that afternoon. The sun was setting and the view of Mayon Volcano with a glamorously illuminated sky at dusk was breathtaking. [Rate this picture]

Nasaan Ka Man. To begin with, the set-up of two spinster sisters raising three adopted and biologically unrelated children (a girl and two boys) is already unusual. But for a while, things looked quite well with their family. On the outside at least. In reality, two of the children, Pilar and Joven, have been planning to get married. The other son, Ito, was also secretly in love with Pilar. Things started to get even more complicated when Pilar and Joven reveal their romance and plans to their family. The two sisters were shaken and Ito was outraged. Before I start revealing anything more, I’ll end it there.

I was browsing through the user reviews in ClickTheCity.com, and I find it odd when people cry foul when Filipino movies use free and general concepts which they claim have been borrowed from Hollywood “originals”. There is no such thing as a truly original concept anymore. Sixth Sense or The Others weren’t “originals” in the first place. The concept used in the said movies have been thought of long before. They do not hold exclusive rights to it. It’s a free idea for sciptwriters to use and re-engineer to make it more unique. And Nasaan Ka Man was able to do that. And it was beautiful.

The story, being a re-engineered concept, was all right. The sharpness and freshness of the cinematography was considerably more aesthetically pleasing than the stereotype Filipino commerical film. In addition, the overall performance of the actors were generally exemplary and commendable.

My rating: 7.25/10

DATE: November 2, 2004.
Some Chinese school children on a field trip waving to foreigners/visitors and making faces. Taken while we were walking along the Long Gallery inside the Summer Palace imperial garden in Beijing, China. [Rate this picture].

Huh? P’wede na palang daan-daanin sa sorry ang pandaraya sa eleksyon? Bullshit talaga. Ano gusto nya, kalimutan natin yung tape for the sake of “moving on”. Paano yung mga ibang nakasaad sa tape?! Balikan nga natin. Eh malinaw na, kahit hindi sya ang nagsalita, yung mga taong nasa paligid nya ang nag-orchestrate ng pandaraya. Just because everyone cheats, kukunsintihin natin to? Yes, by all means lets go on with our lives, forgive her if you want, pero ‘wag nating pabayaan at kalimutan ‘to. She said it herself, she will “take full responsibility for her actions”.

DATE: November 2, 2004.
Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China. A stolen shot of a little Chinese girl posing for her parents (not in frame), in front of the Gate of Heavenly Peace, where Mao Zedong’s giant portrait is hung. More photos here.