Can't wait for 2008!

"Realization" sums up this day

My Music

been browsing in wikipedia for bands and musicians when a thought suddenly came to me: why not make a list of all the albums that I have listened to? Most of these are in my possession -- carefully tucked away in their respective CD racks or cassette tape boxes. Others were lent to me by my friends. (notably Rona and Corazon)While a few I lent, and then subsequently lost...this list is just a sample of those albums I think are "seminal" and "unique" in their own right. The best of the best 'ika nga...

For those of the more recent generation, this list may be a bit perplexing but try googling them and hopefully you'll like some of the artists that I featured in this list...it's a sample of the music that shaped my life. Most of these albums I've got either in CD or in cassette tape (old fashioned gid ah -- gone were the days when cassette tapes were the rage...they only cost 100 to 150 pesos then hehehe nowadays cassette tapes are practically extinct...)

Foreign Artists

1. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness - The Smashing Pumpkins (had the double cassette AND the double CD...that's how much I love these guys...)
2. Watermark - Enya (LOVE!LOVE!LOVE!)
3. Post - Bjork (I remember I used to play "Army of Me" full blast on the stereo whenever I feel pissed off...second year high school pa ako nun hahahaha)
4. Dummy - Portishead (sad, gloomy, and sexy...)
5. The Joshua Tree - U2 (CLASSIC! what more can I say?)
6. Frogstomp - Silverchair (here is what i feel for you...and I want you to know that I WANT YOU DEAD!...talk about catharsis! hahahaha)
7. Throwing Copper - Live (I Live! I walk! I will! I talk! blah blah blah)
8. God Shuffled His Feet - Crash Test Dummies (mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....)
9. Universal Mother - Sinead O'Connor (the rap song "Famine" was required listening in my Imperialism lesson in Third Year World History: "all of the lonely people, where do they all come from? all of the lonely people, where do they all belong?")
10. The Fat of the Land - The Prodigy (scary...)
11. Tiger Lily - Natalie Merchant ("San Andreas Fault" was a beautiful lyric chronicle of an earthquake in San Francisco)
12. White on Black - Texas (a bit POPpish but great)
13. There's No Need to Argue - The Cranberries (Dolores O'Riordan's unique voice catapulted their band to fame in their sophomore album...and to think they brought a sofa to all those places? niiiiice...)
14. White Ladder - David Gray (what got me hooked on him was the music video for "please forgive me" the floating piano and the boy breakdancing -- was he breakdancing? I can't seem to remember...in the rain)
15. Boys for Pele - Tori Amos (one word: WEIRD hahahahaha)
16. Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman (last night I heard the screaming...loud voices behind the wall...galeng! some of the best socially relevant songs she has ever made...all her albums are a must-buy)
17. This Fire - Paula Cole (the word motherf*cker was a classic!)
18. The Cross of Changes - Enigma (chanting, chanting, and more chanting -- wait is that heavy breathing I hear? Music for sex orgies hehehehe)
19. Whaler - Sophie Hawkins (as I lay me down to sleep...)
20. Book of Secrets ( - Loreena McKennitt (the one that was never returned to me! grrrr! new age meets medieval music...plus I love Loreena for making a song about Dante Alighieri -- O, kaya nyo yun?)
21. Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters (reminds me of the Mentos commercials hehehe)
22. X-Files the Movie (Soundtrack) - the best soundtrack album ever...another lost tape...
23. The Craft (Soundtrack) - second-best soundtrack album and must-have for those who wish to get a sample of alternative music during the 90's...one of the songs was used as the opening theme for the TV series "Charmed" -- "I am Human" by Love Spit Love...damu pa di nami nga kanta...
23. City of Angels (Soundtrack) - U2 and Peter Gabriel...whew! grabe!
24. Duncan Sheik - Duncan Sheik (swabeeeeeeh...)
25. Formica Blues - Mono (the song "Life in Mono" is simply haunting; and I think that this album is RARE...I think I'm one of the very few who has this album in their possession in the whole Philippines -- calling all Mono fans out there!)

OPM (I apologize, but my OPM music sense has been fairly limited since then...when it comes to music my nationalism falls short hehe

1. Circus - The Eraserheads (liked the song "sembreak" hahahaha)
2. Rivermaya - Rivermaya (long hair pa si bamboo)
3. Oracle - Sugar Hiccup (use the word "flambeaux" in a song...)
4. plus a smattering of songs from Yano, The Teeth, The Dawn, Grin Department, etc.

Silent Night (Gaelic) by Enya

Let's forget about politics for a while...

I'm posting the song and the lyrics to Enya's rendition of "Silent Night" sung in her native Gaelic tongue. I bought all of enya's albums but I still have to get the album that features this song...think the title was "Oriel Window"...

So if you please dear reader, enjoy the angelic voice of the one and only Enya. Have a Blessed Season...



Oíche Chiún [Silent Night]

Oíche chiúin, oíche Mhic Dé, [Silent night, night of God's son.]
Cách 'na suan dís araon, [Soundly in slumber, the pair together]
Dís is dílse 'faire le spéis [The pair and love, watching with affection]
Naoín beag gnaoigheal [The small bright beautiful child,]
ceananntais caomh [darling little one.]

Críost, 'na chodhladh go séimh. [Christ, calmly asleep.]
Críost, 'na chodhladh go séimh. [Christ, calmly asleep.]

Oíche chiúin, oíche Mhic Dé, [Silent night, night of God's son.]
Aoirí ar dtús chuala 'n scéal; [Shepherds first heard the tale]
Allelúia aingeal ag glaoch. [The angels crying out Alleluia.]
Cantain suairc i ngar is i gcéin [Lovely chanting near and far.]

Críost an Slánaitheoir Féin [Christ, the saviour himself.]
Críost an Slánaitheoir Féin [Christ, the saviour himself.]

Oíche chiúin, oíche Mhic Dé, [Silent night, night of God's son.]
Cách 'na suan dís araon, [Soundly in slumber, the pair together]
Dís is dílse 'faire le spéis [The pair and love, watching with affection]
Naoín beag gnaoigheal [The small bright beautiful child,]
ceananntais caomh [darling little one.]

Críost, 'na chodhladh go séimh. [Christ, calmly asleep.]
Críost, 'na chodhladh go séimh. [Christ, calmly asleep.]


I Love Enya 1.02

Raping Justice

Hearing of the news of Jalosjos' release from prison (and the subsequent scandal that ensued) was the last straw for me.

I have consciously avoided posting commentaries on current issues on my blog as I considered it separate from the intended "reality" that I currently chronicle here. But events have pointed out that to render oneself half-blind to what is happening around you would onyl result to a rude awakening.

Today's editorial on the inquirer website (www.inquirer.net) articulates my sentiments on the issue. If I were to put my feelings into words, it would read like an Eminem song -- full of expletives and the fire and brimstone of discontent and anger.

Now, if only I had a Death Note...

The Inquirer Editorial:

Convicted rapist Romeo Jalosjos is said to be ready to leave prison a free man; his victim, who is now in her 20s but was 11 years old at the time of the crime, has been reduced to sending an angry e-mail to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. “She’s very upset. She can’t believe it’s happening,” the victim’s former counsel said.

But this is the Philippines in the year 2007, under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and rapists and plunderers and assassins get preferential treatment. On Jan. 1, in an editorial entitled “Rapist’s justice,” we wrote about the Arroyo administration’s assault on the rule of law, after its agents transferred convicted rapist Daniel Smith—in the middle of the night, despite the lack of a court order—to the US Embassy. The illegal transfer was obviously an attempt to please the United States. But the “same spirit of expediency animates other initiatives that will forever be associated with this administration ... They are all marked by the same attitude to law: What is legal is what we can get away with.”

Rather like rape itself, actually: an act of violence that seeks to intimidate victims into submission, and thus allow criminals to get away with the crime.

The assaults on the rule of law have continued. The absolute pardon granted to deposed President Joseph Estrada remains a divisive issue because it was obviously undertaken for political expediency, and because Estrada refuses to acknowledge any shortcoming or offer any restitution. The conditional pardon granted to former sergeant Pablo Martinez, who was convicted for his role in the assassination of opposition leader Ninoy Aquino, is similarly controversial—it brings us farther away from, rather than closer to, a resolution of the mystery surrounding the assassination, a true turning point in our history.

And now, this: the much-reported granting of parole to Jalosjos, the wealthy ex-politician who is a political ally of the President’s. His early release, after some 14 years in prison, is possible because of good behavior, some officials have taken pains to point out. But that’s like saying that a box of matches in the hands of an arsonist is the real cause of a given fire. The true cause of Jalosjos’ early release, when it comes, is the President’s decision to commute his sentence last April, from two life (40-year) terms to only 16 years. That decision was like putting lit matches in the hands of a known pyromaniac.

No question about it: The Arroyo administration has prepared the groundwork for the once and future politician’s Christmas release. No amount of dissembling from Malacañang officials can disguise that essential fact.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita either deliberately misrepresented the situation or is shockingly ignorant of it. He said there was no recommendation from the Board of Pardons and Parole for Jalosjos’ early release. “There are no papers, no documents,” he said. And then the clincher: Ermita said Jalosjos was not eligible for pardon because he wasn’t 70 years old yet. True, but you don’t need to be 70 to be paroled.

No one disputes the President’s prerogative to grant executive clemency; in legal language borrowed from theology, the exercise of that prerogative is an “act of grace.” But the President is given those awesome powers to rectify the sometimes inevitable errors of justice, not to violate the rule of law. The exercise of that fateful prerogative is meant to uphold what lawyers call the majesty of the law, not to soil the administration of justice with the dirt rags of politics.

What does a rapist like Jalosjos learn from President Arroyo’s act of grace? That this President will take care of her own. If that means launching a fresh attack on the rule of law, then so be it: She will commute a rapist’s life sentence to repay a political favor, pardon an assassin to spite political opponents, undo a conviction to ensure her political survival, transfer a convicted US Marine without a court order to curry US support, feign inutility in extraditing a key campaign financier, issue an immoral executive order to protect her secretaries and generals from a Senate investigation, condone the incendiary policy of a favorite general.

Caught in the web of the law, a rapist like Jalosjos will say: I’m a friend of the President’s. It’s only a matter of time.


My Thoughts:

*hinga ng malalim...*

Putang Ina mo Gloria! Magsama kayo ni Jalosjos sa Impyerno! Salot!

Heroes Season 2 Marathon

Finally!!!! My long wait has ended!

VERY BIG THANKS TO RONA FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE. Ma-ano na lang ko kung wala ka? hehehe

Oblation Run

my thoughts on the recent oblation run sung to the tune of "I've seen it all" by Bjork

(It's not a faithful rendition of the original but just follow the tune of the first stanza all throughout this piece hehe I posted the original song so you can sing along...)

I've seen it all I have seen their t***s
Their naked bodies causing quite a scene
I have seen young ladies gawk and shriek and point
At the naked bodies running through the halls
I have seen how it was and I'm not that shocked you see
I have seen them all there is no more to see...

With their placards and roses and their masks all adorned
'cept for those they were naked as the day they were born
There were people shouting, making catcalls in glee
Others were protesting what's that got to do with me?

Up at front were the ladies so eager to see
With their cellphones and cameras to capture as they please
There were men from the media so anxious to see
And record naked bodies for the nightly news on TV

Now we've seen how it was, now we've seen what it is...
Those with cellphones are lucky they can replay the scenes
of this march of the naked, carried out through the years
Now we've seen it all, until then we'll wait and see...


Stand Alone 1.31

LUST...

Drool...hehehe I saw a car exactly like the one pictured above pass by in front of Palma Hall and my head almost did a full 360 degree turn. Hanep ng kulay! Now off I go to take driving lessons hahaha

UP Prof meets "Honorable" Congressman (circa 1961)

here's a sample of my notes regarding the stuff I'm researching in the archives of the house of representatives.

From the transcript of the March 9,1961 hearing of the Committee on Anti-Filipino Activities, the congressional "watch-dog" against communism:

A former UP professor was giving testimony regarding the alleged communist infiltration of the University of the Philippines. Prof was discussing about the concept of communism and she happened to mention communism in russia, when this "honorable" congressman butted in:

Congressman: So you say that there is communism in Russia?

Prof: Yes.

Congressman: Have you ever been to Russia?

Prof: No.

Congressman: Then how could you know that there's communism in Russia?

I'm assuming that there was a very long, and veeeery uncomfortable pause before Prof could reply

Prof: Mr. Congressman, I do hope you're joking...

reading this my mind went *TOINK!* I can't believe that people could be so retarded hahahaha

Then this "honorable" congressman's antics continued on for several more pages. The other congressmen were quick to pounce on their comrade while another expressed dismay that a committee investigating communism had to argue about the definition of communism. hahahahaha

This is what I like about studying philippine history -- you find humor in the most unexpected of places...

Stand Alone 1.30

Back at Batasan

its been two days since i've been shuttling back and forth from Peyups and the Philipppine Congress. Don't worry wala ko plano mang-bomba or ma-rally. Research ni aton ya ah...

In a previous post (First...) I described my initial Congress experience as that of irritation and disappointment. PT&T. putanginang taragis na Congress. hehehe

well the past few days have more than made up for the bad first impression.

My usual destinations inside Congress are the Legislative Archives and the HOR Library (why not call it the "Library of Congress" para astig? hehe) First, I have to say that whatever the budget allocations of Congress are, they sure don't scrimp on airconditioning expenses. Daw mall sa katugnaw ang offices.

staying for 4 hours inside the library poring over voluminous congressional records, directories, indices, and whatever is enough to turn me into a human popsicle. It may be a blessing in disguise that the photocopier is located at another building -- the long walk carrying a document that weighs about 4 pounds, basking in the warm afternoon sun was sufficient to defrost my insides. The long wait as I watch a hapless attendant take about 5 minutes to photocopy one page from the Congressional Records was not enjoyable though *sigh*

Kag nami ila elevator...pang-hotel hehehehe

And it was quite a pleasant surprise that I found an overwhelming majority of the people at the Congress POLITE and PLEASANT. and we're talking about a government establishment here, folks. The library and archive personnel have all been accomodating; even the guards at the entrance gates were mild-mannered and not masungit. Yung mga masungit yung mga bisita hehehe

So since I'm in Congress...who have I bumped into? Sad to say daw wala pa gid ko "celebrity/politician moment." Though one time I was coming out from the archives and I saw a glimpse of Kiko Pangilinan's back. haha likod lang pero siya gid to ah. I saw a few "typical" (read: TRAPO) congressmen but they all look alike to me -- old and reeking of corruption. (haha)

Got a kick out of listening to the privilege speeches though. Sometimes the speeches in the session hall are broadcasted over the PA system. Mostly rhetorical bullshit though...will let you know if I really bump into one of the "honorables" in one of my trips back to Batasan.


Stand Alone 1.29

Enya Brennan and Clannad

for fans of Enya only...hehehehe




I Love Enya 1.01

VERBAL ABUSE (?)

read a comment from a former student on my friendster account which made me laugh until my stomach hurt, I'm reproducing it here:

"elo sir!musta na?heheheh!miss na miss na namun ang mga singgit mu sir!,,permi q guid gaka dumduman ang gin hmbal mu nga "ndi q bulag, ndi q bungol kag ndi q gago"hehehehe!take care olweiz and god bless u sir,hope to see u soOn!"

hahahaha seems that they had one aspect of my personality permanently seared into their brain...truth be told, I really exude an intimidating aura in my class most especially during the first few months of classes. If you're handling first year kids barely out of grade school, you really need to put them in their place once in a while. Unfortunately (for my students) I seem to be an expert at manipulating my vocal cords which enables me to throw my voice (a few decibels higher) at them like a fully-packed nuclear tipped ICBM whenever the need arises. A few instances where my "ability" comes in handy:

1. kanami sang discussion mo sang philippine revolution, may ga-revolution nga mga estudyante sa likod sang klase

2. after one whole week of discussion, you ask one student to recap the lesson and all you get is a blank stare...even worse, palagpat na ang answer, mahirihi pa na ang animal...(This actually happened in a fourth year class I handled, the unfortunate being that caught my ire went pale as a sheet of high quality laser print bondpaper but survived nonetheless. Then their adviser told me that the student-whom-i-chewed-up had a nervous habit whenever faced with anxiety-inducing situations (such as being asked to recite in class): uncontrollable giggling. Oooops... :P)

3. I am giving a 40 item test in my class and the the students in the classroom beside the one I'm in are going at it full blast kay absent ang ila dakilang teacher. If they were my students, one look ala yamato of naruto shippuuden would suffice. Pero kung wala pa sila ka-experience sa akon then the fireworks will start after three GENTLE (repeat gentle ha) reminders (in-english pa na ang reminders...and singgit teh mix na na sang ininggles kag ilonggo para may igo gid) -- i remember I once evicted two classes from their rooms for this sin...I was standing in the hallway barking at them to hurry and get out of my sight!)

4. whenever I am a proctor during exams and MY INSTRUCTIONS AREN'T FOLLOWED PROMPTLY AND TO THE LETTER. I turn into a real a**hole when that happens...

But despite my "bad habit" of screaming. I have never verbally abused a student. Although that unfortunate senior student was the catalyst for my high-decibel harangue, I first asked him to sit down before I began the fireworks. I have never used obscenities against a student. (though a well-placed "LINTI!" often does the job of a hundred-word essay of pangakig)

The "screamfest" is my last weapon -- kung sa voltes five pa kung indi makuha sa rocket, latigo kag electromagnetic top, ipagwa ang LASEEER SWOOOOOOORD!If after several (okay -- two) gentle reminders, the THIRD ONES gonna be a whopper.

And as a rule I keep my pangakigs short. I consider it a diservice to the rest of my students if I waste an entire period just to address the transgressions of one unfortunate soul. (who usually won't last until august in my subject *insert evil laugh here*)

My kids eventually figure out my pattern so after a few months, the whole class will immediately be quiet if even one syllable in my speech goes above my usual volume level. Usually after august, everything is fine and that's when I reveal my "lovable side" baw! hahahahahaha

miss gid ko nila kay daw naghipus na ang high school...or basi wala na may gasaway sa mga katuntuhan nila? (may ara ah, galing mas buot siya compared sa akon hehe)

to my kids: I miss you all, good luck sa studies, tuon mayo....

oh, by the way...

andaman niyo lang makabati ko sang katuntuhan niyo kay MALINTI-AN GID KAMO SAKON!!!!!!!

First, First and First (basta damo Firsts ah!)

these past few days were a bit of an adventure for me. things will begin to become more hectic now that the deadline for our research proposal is approaching (next week na...hala...) and my search for primary sources continues -- which leads me to today's blog post...

FIRST FIRST....Sonofaditch and the Search for Batasan
(hehehe daw epic trilogy ang gwa sang title bah...)

yesterday I braved the vastness of Quezon city and ventured alone and unaided to look for the Batasan Complex (the building that houses our BELOVED Congress) since my research requires some archival materials from their library. So of i went to philcoa to scout for jeepneys to take me there...

siyempre dapat gamitin natin yung powers of interrogation and observation natin (PT&T: Patanong-tanong) So i was asking around which jeepney would take me to batasan and one manong told me to ride a Fairview jeep for it would surely pass by Batasan. (turned out to be half-true)

I was amazed at the sheer size of Quezon city. Indeed, on the map its huge but I didn't really get its vastness until I was sitting for about 20 mins in the jeepney thinking to myself (kung ara lang ko sa negros, lab-ot na ko ni San Enrique...)looking around for any familiar landmark (PT&T: Patingin-tingin) and marking it down on my "mental map."

The Fairview Jeep only passes by the entrance to Brgy Batasan Hills (not the actual Batasan) and manong driver forgot to drop me off, thus I missed my stop by about half a kilometer. Therefore I had to climb up an overpass that seemed to have been erected during the time of Marcos to get to the other side, ride another jeepney so that I could get off near Batasan Hills, climb another looooong overpass and then I walked about a kilometer before I got to Congress. Why I didn't bother to ride a tricycle I don't know...wala lang...

When I got to the entrance of Batasan it was already 4:30 in the afternoon, there was a slight drizzle and dark clouds were looming overhead, I left my umbrella (ella-ella, eh,eh,eh) at the main lib (another loooooong story, which I will not tell here), and there was a loooooooooooooooong line of people at the entrance gate being frisked. My chance of making it into the Congress library and archives (of whose location inside Batasan I had no idea) on time was dismal.

PT&T

P-T---- ---! T------ na Congress na 'to!

So with a sigh, I decided to try my luck on Thursday, vowing to arrive after lunch so that I would have the time to make PT&T and locate my source materials this time.


SECOND FIRST Sonofaditch and the Twin Towers
(buildings gle ah)

If yesterday's trip was long, this morning's jeepney ride was LONGER! For this morning's trip from Quezon to Manila Ate Angie (fellow MA student and classmate in 199.2) and I got on a Kalaw jeep at Philcoa at around 7:30 AM. our destination so early in the morning was the National Library and the National Archives in Manila. After what seemed like an eternity of traffic, dust, non-top Pinoy Rap on the jeepney stereo and the early morning pollution we finally reached our destination -- at around 8:40 AM!

But the experience inside the National Library and the Archives was worth the torture of public transportation. I even bumped into a former student, Lelis Palmares at the National Library. At the National Archives we were treated to a showcase of primary documents and manuscripts dating all the way back to the Spanish Period. History was literally everywhere -- we can even smell it in the air. (it's mostly the smell of mold, dust and centuries old parchment -- not good for the lungs, we were told) The most exciting part was when we watched the restoration of old documents by the staff. To restore a document which was literally falling apart into itsy-bitsy pieces is indeed a difficult endeavor...kag saludo ako sa mga restorers who, even with only the most basic training in the process of restoration, still manage to salvage scraps of our history from the ravages of time. they are indeed the unsung, and hidden, heroes of philippine history.

Touring the facilities of the National Library and National Archives also made me realize how woefully inadequate our library and archival facilities are. A number of restoration and archiving projects in the National Archives are funded by the Spanish Government. (how ironic that the nation that nearly succeeded in wiping out our precolonial history is now helping us preserve our historical heritage) But it seems that funds from our own government could only cover the basic upkeep of the buildings and not subsidize additional improvements in facilities and equipment. But despite these depressing thoughts, I was glad that we were given a chance to explore additional venues that would help us in our research.

Plus...we got our hands on a copy of the Catalogo de Apellidos...I searched for my family name but no "ditchella" was on the list, only "ditching"...WTF?!!! hehehe


THIRD FIRST...Libre!!!!!!!
(Yehey! Ginlibre kami ni Ma'am Diokno panyaga! hahahaha)

A number of us went with Ma'am to eat lunch in this chinese restaurant near the National Library. The food's a bit expensive but it tastes quite good. And we were surprised when Ma'am offered to pay the bill for all our meals.

Ma'am said we now owe her...had we known she would treat us, we would've ordered more...sarap pa naman ng sotanghon guisado at siopao sa peter lee's restaurant. Pero libre yung buchi courtesy of ma'am. hehe Thanks Ma'am!

FOURTH FIRST

without any further ado...



amo ni ang epekto sang two days of "adventure" (plus several months of boycotting the barbershop hahahaha)


Stand Alone 1.28

Mahirap talaga kung History Major Ka...

overheard at a bargain book sale somewhere in Trinoma...

child: (points to a man's picture on the cover of a thick book)sino yan mommy?

mom: ay...si Mahatma Gandhi yan.

child: sino po yun?

mom: isa siyang leader sa India...

At this point I was nodding my head in quiet assent...Go Mommy....

mom: (continues)...atsaka anak niya si Indira Gandhi...

To that I went "Huh?!" (silently of course)

Trying his darn best to suppress a snicker...Ditch slithers away...


Stand Alone 1.27