7/25/2009
7/21/2009
I've been writing
It's like an idea. I had to put on paper. I wish had more time. More peace. To write. As it is, I'm too stressed out. Too jumpy. The nerves creeping even in my sleep. I hope I could see the end to this one.
7/18/2009
You Walk Away Cold and Empty
And quite annoyed and furious with the filmmakers for this crap. I was expecting to join in a cacophony of applause at the end of the film, but everyone just sort of fled from the cinema fast and without even staying a bit to savor the lingering after taste of a film well done, you know, just staring blankly at the raining credits. Oh, I really, really wanted to like this film, convince myself to believe in the good reviews, the nice aspects about it, the cinematography, the what-not, yet....
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, despite raving reviews, truly and utterly disappoints. Forget about separating it from the book crap, it shouldn't be. We understand the limitations of film, more so than its capabilities, but they butchered the book really. Whereas the book was very engrossing, the movie certainly dragged on as long as it should be on unimportant side bits and completely dropped the very essential elements that held the story together. I mean, that's okay for those who read the book, we know the story, and what's behind the story, but still so much more was expected. Ain't that what's movie-going is for? I agree with someone who said that this installment deserves a do-over. Seriously. And they better better not mess-up Deathly Hallows, to think it's gonna be the same director and all. What a weekend-wrecker.
One more sad thing: the sight of toddlers being brought along in the cinema. WTF were the parents thinking? And it was a 10pm showing, too. Geez. Bahrain is weird.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, despite raving reviews, truly and utterly disappoints. Forget about separating it from the book crap, it shouldn't be. We understand the limitations of film, more so than its capabilities, but they butchered the book really. Whereas the book was very engrossing, the movie certainly dragged on as long as it should be on unimportant side bits and completely dropped the very essential elements that held the story together. I mean, that's okay for those who read the book, we know the story, and what's behind the story, but still so much more was expected. Ain't that what's movie-going is for? I agree with someone who said that this installment deserves a do-over. Seriously. And they better better not mess-up Deathly Hallows, to think it's gonna be the same director and all. What a weekend-wrecker.
One more sad thing: the sight of toddlers being brought along in the cinema. WTF were the parents thinking? And it was a 10pm showing, too. Geez. Bahrain is weird.
7/07/2009
Just Had To
Told myself to refrain from buying books here in Bahrain because once I start doing so, it'll be a buying frenzy thereon. I could live with that actually. The thing is I don't want to have a container-van-full of books once I get out off of this beige patch of land. But then again life is too short to deprive myself from real books. I've been reading alot actually but via cost-free pdf's. Also I like to make notes while reading, underline great quotes and cool phrases, and say 'tsk!' and 'wtf' to some. The thing is, books are quite steep here, so there, that's stopping me there from buying (unlike China which has like ridiculously cheap books) being the spendthrift (really) that I am. For now, I'd just like to enjoy this read (and hopefully not be trapped in the misery that this book might contain.)
7/05/2009
A Life Minimal - MySpace Out
Yep. I finally deleted my MySpace account. It's pretty much unused. And I seldom browse MySpace also, contented with YouTube and Facebook. I'm thinking of Friendster next but I got friends there that I'd like to reconnect with from time to time. Multiply is pretty much redundant for me now, too. But we'll see. For now, I'm just glad I finally had my MySpace deactivated. (Reminder to self: change email sig and other sites to remove MySpace link.)
6/30/2009
Pop-the-Cherry Birthday Party
So everyone was asked to have body art to be admitted to the party. Not forcibly. But one does not disappoint the birthday girl. Not on her birthday. And not on her party. While imaginations ran wild and amok on the tattoos everyone would be flashing during the party, we were blinded by Cherry's ginormous marker tattoo: a centimeter sized smiley face on her left hand. Hah! Happy birthday, indeed! But that was all forgiven the moment the feast of the most delish food was spread on the buffet counter. And the open bar Red Horse Beer. (There's Red Horse Beer to be had in Bahrain? Apparently.) Karaoke as usual. I mean, yes, karaoke! And of course the shimmering pool that beckoned us all. That's the way to celebrate one's birthday in a faraway land with strangers that are friends and friends that are strangers and then some, stranger strangers.
(P.S. Those locals are rather pesky. Can we not just make that a one-nighter? Kalas. Finito. Remind me to revert to my aloof self when around people like them. Geez.)
(P.S. Those locals are rather pesky. Can we not just make that a one-nighter? Kalas. Finito. Remind me to revert to my aloof self when around people like them. Geez.)
6/28/2009
Rant of the Month
*Deleted*
And shutting it with certain subjects. (Self-censure, damn straight.)
Because I still want to live. Somehow.
And shutting it with certain subjects. (Self-censure, damn straight.)
Because I still want to live. Somehow.
6/15/2009
A Diana to Spice Up the Holga - Dalek Romance
Acquiring a new Lomo camera was entirely unplanned. It just happened. Whaaa?
And there it is Diana F+ and the whole nine yards (De Luxe). Feels like assembling ammos when I tinker with them (not that I've assembled ammos before) . I wish there was a Mr. Pink available though or even that Tokyo Snow one. But I'm loving the Diana accessories. I could use some in my Holga, too. And the flash comes in handy for lo-fi colorsplash effects with my cheapo digital camera.
6/11/2009
6/09/2009
Fight Fire with Fire
6/04/2009
Stop Gloria Forever Moves! Kick ConAss!
From the Akbayan Executive Committee
June 3, 2009
There are many uncertainties about the legal meaning of the passage of House Resolution 1109. What is crystal clear is that Gloria has not given up on remaining in power after 2010. Despite its patent illegality, despite divisions in the ranks of the GMA forces in the House, despite the withdrawal of HR1109’s main sponsor, Cong. Villafuerte, GMA’s people forced HR1109’s passage.
This move should be opposed in the strongest possible terms, using all means available for people to express their opposition – in the courts, in the Congress, most importantly in the streets. A broad coalition of civil society groups, political parties, religious groups, youth formations have already begun. Opposition has to be organized outside Manila . We encourage party units to take the lead in mobilizing opposition in the provinces.
What is HR1109?
HR1109 calls on Congress to convene as a Constituent Assembly. It specifically says that the House, without the Senate, can propose amendments to the constitution. It says that if the House can secure three fourths of all the members of the House and the Senate, 225 votes in all, it will fulfill the requirements under Article XVII of the Constitution.
By itself, HR1109 will have little effect except to declare to the Senate and to the public that the House is interested in convening a ConAss for the purpose of proposing amendments/revisions to the Constitution. It does not propose any specific amendments/revisions yet.
There are disagreements on the legal implications of HR1109. Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia, an HR1109 proponent, characterizes it as a mere “call to convene”, and an invitation to the Senate to join the House in convening a ConAss. If the Senate does not “accept the invitation” – does not pass a resolution convening a ConAss – there is no legal basis for a ConAss.
But the immediate purpose of the hurried passage of HR1109 is only to create a semblance of a justiciable issue that may be raised before the Supreme Court. Gloria and her operators believe that they have enough people in the Court who can secure a decision accepting the voting formula contained in HR1109.
It is clear that GMA has not managed to secure the 225 votes needed to pull off the charade of fulfilling the Constitutional requirement of a three fourth’s vote of the members of both the House and the Senate. Their hope is that if the Supreme Court says ConAss without the Senate does not violate the Constitution, they will be able to secure the remaining votes.
Legal Obstacles
Lawyers in the opposition say that the passage of HR1109, by itself, does not create a “justiciable issue”. The expression of an intention to convene a ConAss without the Senate is not illegal. If the Senate rejects it, or chooses not to address it at all, then the entire move to convene a ConAss will remain in limbo.
There are indications that to force the issue, GMA’s people will go ahead and convene a ConAss, elect officers, and propose amendments. But without the 225 votes, the process will not even fulfill the requirements of HR1109 itself which calls for a three fourths vote. They won’t even have an argument to make to the Supreme Court.
Political Means
Under conditions of legality, if the Supreme Court does what it is supposed to do, it should be easy to stop HR1109. Because Gloria has a long record of illegal moves, in the end, Gloria’s chacha can only be stopped politically.
§ We should tell Gloria’s people in the House that we will mobilize against them in the 2010 elections,
§ We should let Supreme Court justices know that they cannot violate the Constitution with impunity,
§ We should express our anger in our schools, in the halls of Congress, most importantly in the streets (maski na umuulan.
June 3, 2009
There are many uncertainties about the legal meaning of the passage of House Resolution 1109. What is crystal clear is that Gloria has not given up on remaining in power after 2010. Despite its patent illegality, despite divisions in the ranks of the GMA forces in the House, despite the withdrawal of HR1109’s main sponsor, Cong. Villafuerte, GMA’s people forced HR1109’s passage.
This move should be opposed in the strongest possible terms, using all means available for people to express their opposition – in the courts, in the Congress, most importantly in the streets. A broad coalition of civil society groups, political parties, religious groups, youth formations have already begun. Opposition has to be organized outside Manila . We encourage party units to take the lead in mobilizing opposition in the provinces.
What is HR1109?
HR1109 calls on Congress to convene as a Constituent Assembly. It specifically says that the House, without the Senate, can propose amendments to the constitution. It says that if the House can secure three fourths of all the members of the House and the Senate, 225 votes in all, it will fulfill the requirements under Article XVII of the Constitution.
By itself, HR1109 will have little effect except to declare to the Senate and to the public that the House is interested in convening a ConAss for the purpose of proposing amendments/revisions to the Constitution. It does not propose any specific amendments/revisions yet.
There are disagreements on the legal implications of HR1109. Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia, an HR1109 proponent, characterizes it as a mere “call to convene”, and an invitation to the Senate to join the House in convening a ConAss. If the Senate does not “accept the invitation” – does not pass a resolution convening a ConAss – there is no legal basis for a ConAss.
But the immediate purpose of the hurried passage of HR1109 is only to create a semblance of a justiciable issue that may be raised before the Supreme Court. Gloria and her operators believe that they have enough people in the Court who can secure a decision accepting the voting formula contained in HR1109.
It is clear that GMA has not managed to secure the 225 votes needed to pull off the charade of fulfilling the Constitutional requirement of a three fourth’s vote of the members of both the House and the Senate. Their hope is that if the Supreme Court says ConAss without the Senate does not violate the Constitution, they will be able to secure the remaining votes.
Legal Obstacles
Lawyers in the opposition say that the passage of HR1109, by itself, does not create a “justiciable issue”. The expression of an intention to convene a ConAss without the Senate is not illegal. If the Senate rejects it, or chooses not to address it at all, then the entire move to convene a ConAss will remain in limbo.
There are indications that to force the issue, GMA’s people will go ahead and convene a ConAss, elect officers, and propose amendments. But without the 225 votes, the process will not even fulfill the requirements of HR1109 itself which calls for a three fourths vote. They won’t even have an argument to make to the Supreme Court.
Political Means
Under conditions of legality, if the Supreme Court does what it is supposed to do, it should be easy to stop HR1109. Because Gloria has a long record of illegal moves, in the end, Gloria’s chacha can only be stopped politically.
§ We should tell Gloria’s people in the House that we will mobilize against them in the 2010 elections,
§ We should let Supreme Court justices know that they cannot violate the Constitution with impunity,
§ We should express our anger in our schools, in the halls of Congress, most importantly in the streets (maski na umuulan.
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