Hardcore Velma and Scooby

illustration by Travis Pitts

Happy Halloween.

White people like:

Wayfarer sunglasses:

"These sunglasses are so popular now that you cannot swing a canvas bag at a farmers market without hitting a pair. In fact, at outdoor gatherings you should count the number of Wayfarers so you can determine exactly how white the event is. If you see no Wayfarers you are either at Country music concert or you are indoors."

Apple products:

When you ask white people about Mac’s they will say “oh, it’s so much better than Windows,” “it’s just easier to use,” “they are so cutting edge,” and so forth. What’s amazing is that white people NEED to meet people who use Windows to justify themselves spending an extra $500 for a pretty looking machine.
...
Apple products also come with stickers. Some people put them on their computer, some people put them on windows, but to take it to the pinnacle of whiteness, you need to put the Apple sticker in the rear window of your Prius, Jetta, BMW, Subaru 4WD Station Wagon or Audi. You then need to drive to a local coffee shop (Starbucks will do in a pinch) and set up your apple for the world to see. Thankfully, the Apple logo on the back will light up! So even in a dark place, people can see how unique and creative you (and the five other people doing the exact same thing) truly are!

-CLander, www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com

This guy is hilarious.

Blank-minded euphoria

 “There was a period last fall when every time I began to write, I went into a perfect blank-minded euphoria, where I stared out the window and felt a love for and oneness with everything. I sat in this state, sometimes for the whole time I had planned to write. I thought to myself, “Lo and behold, I am becoming enlightened! This is much more important than writing, and besides this is where all writing leads.” After this had gone on for quite a while, I asked Katagiri Roshi about it. He said, “Oh, it’s just laziness. Get to work.”

Natalie Goldberg

(I found this over at dorkydancer.tumblr.com.)

Drawing Mohammed

A few months ago, an American cartoonist by the name of Molly Norris decided to make a Facebook page dubbed "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" on the 20th of May 2010.  This was reportedly in response to a certain South Park episode containing comic depictions of the prophet- which was later pulled due to the death threats received by its creators.

The Facebook page ultimately attracted thousands of Facebook users opposed to censorship of any kind (including a few nuts as well), and, at the same time, caught the eyes of Islamic extremists who would later threaten to find and execute the Facebook page's creator.  In the peak of its popularity and to the dismay of staunch supporters of the campaign, Norris disowns the page after seeing that it was widely received as anti-Islamic, when in truth it was originally intended to support free speech.  Not long after, she received a serious death threat from Al-Qaeda linked extremists, claiming she is on a priority list for those to be executed for blasphemy, further sending her into hiding.

To read more about the subject, go to its Wikipedia page.

I initially found the campaign offensive and unnecessary, but as the death threats increased, I really began to feel the prevalence of terrorism in our society as a whole.  That said, I am in full support of free speech.  Anyone can say whatever they want- say, draw a funny picture of a prominent religious figure.  You may very well receive some kind of backlash for it, but death threats?  That's just insane. A person deserves nothing more than criticism for calling Jesus Christ a "dirty son of a bitch", however stupidly far-fetched or untrue that may be, but that same person certainly DOES NOT deserve to be executed.

It seems we are all looking for someone to take a firm stand regardless of all the death-threats. I can't blame Norris for backing out, it seems that's what I would do too. Admittedly, I'm neither a hero nor heroic in any sense. I guess terror is as affective to me as it is to her, and that saddens me. Is it the same for you? Still, I dream of seeing someone stand up to these terrorists.

Either way- if a person decides to take a stand or back out, this new development (as previously mentioned) definitely raises more eyebrows, and hopefully arms, to fight for free speech. And it really helps that this whole thing is widely publicized and that alot of people are really starting to talk about it. I haven't kept tabs on everything these 'loony muslims' have said in retaliation to the drawings, so I honestly don't know if our reactions were too little, too late. I do believe though that all people should be made aware of this.

Before I'll wrap up this post let me show you the once upon a time dilemma between Salman Rushdie, Free Speech, and militant Muslims:

The issue divided "Muslim from Westerners along the fault line of culture,"pitting the core Western value of freedom of expression– that no one "should be killed, or face a serious threat of being killed, for what they say or write" –against the core belief of many Muslims–that no one should be free to "insult and malign Muslims" by disparaging the "honour of the Prophet" Muhammad.

It's not that hard to figure out who's in the wrong.

Kick Ass Kicks Ass!

I just watched it and all I've got to say is.... DAMN.
 
I've never heard of the comics before and going into it I expected a little family movie a-la Spy Kids just to waste my time with, and boy was I so wrong. Seriously, this has to be one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. The movie is just terribly INSANE, and the director's got really huge balls to film the movie the way he did. I give it a 9/10.

 My new favorite superhero!

Elections 2010

I'm feeling really political as of late. The Philippine presidential elections will be in two weeks, and I'm sort of 'finalizing' who to vote for.

Ever since the campaigns began, my eyes were fixated on Gibo Teodoro. But last night I came upon some videos of another presidential aspirant, Dick Gordon, on Youtube. I haven't really researched much about him since there wasn't much talk or hype surrounding his candidacy, so I just sort of (unjustly) ignored him.

Anyway, I particularly watched this certain interview conducted by two ABS-CBN newscasters. And oh boy, this guy's really going to town. Sharp tongue, incredibly frank, reminds me of Cebu Mayor Tomas Osmena. His track record is not that bad too. I can see some temper-related problems in his future administration if ever elected, but on the other hand, why should I care about courtesy? And in Philippine politics? As we know it, it's a god-awful mess as it is. For all I care, someone needs to scream at all the incompetent and corrupt officials from the legislative to the judiciary bodies of the gov't.

I'm still for Gibo, but Gordon has become a really close second. We'll see.

I'm signing in

More and more people (Filipinos) are signing up on Facebook. Yes. And with each random person trying to add me as a "facebook friend", a voice tells me that I should leave my Friendster blog. It is doomed, like the main site was doomed ages back when Myspace was sizzling to become, though only temporary, the most popular. Likewise, I'm wondering when and how Facebook will crumble and follow in its ancestors' footsteps, and why Filipinos chose not to drop Friendster and move to Myspace. Why now? Why Facebook?

Anyway, blah blah blah. I am finally compelled to use this space, and I am somewhat thankful and relieved, for the most part after finding out Blogger is under the watchful eyes of Google. And there's nothing like finally being able to name the friendster blog "an old friend", a ghost and a skeleton in the closet, a colorful past that I'm glad to hang on my wall- appreciating and examining it in all its ugliness, immaturity, uber-cheesiness, and, of course, beauty.

Welcome me Blogspot.

please give me what i want [part2]

...and then i sink in one of those comfy chairs. Aaah... relaxation. I draw two breathes when the child comes out of nowhere, running toward me. This time he's bringing an orange toy plastic hammer, and while he's running at his own pace, he's raised the hammer as if prepping to hit me with it. I felt playful, and got ready to feign bullshit.

POW.

One hit to the head, and the next thing i know, blood is dripping on the floor. A glance down at my shirt revealed blood gliding along my skin all the way to my toes. BUT NO--- the child was not finished yet. Several more hits came in a blur.

...I am down on the floor now, lying on my own pool of blood. I felt the excruciating pain of the bruises and torn flesh left by the hits.................... and I was enjoying it. I was enjoying myself for some reason..... Confetti started to fall all around me once again, and some strange rays of light touched my skin.

While i was busy delighting myself, i became aware that the child was nowhere to be found--- and i find the toy hammer on my feet. Confused, i just lay there and waited for the confetti to stop falling... and then SILENCE. A voice of a child started to speak---

"You're REALLY a big idiot."

Medium

I have grown a fondness in things like garbage cans, stones, the dirt-strewn floor, and anything often overlooked and taken for granted. I believe everything is just as meaningful as the next thing. It's fascinating how most things remain while the rest have to "die"... and it's just as interesting that given the shortest span in this virtually infinite straw of time that constantly spins in this world, "life" remains just as important now as it was a few billion years back. We understand that... for we are "blessed" to have experienced it first-hand.

But can we relate to things "devoid" of it? I bet if these constantly overlooked things were given mouths to speak the medium of life, they'd have more stories to tell than any one of us......... This consistently remains alien. It would be culture shock at its finest.... or pure insanity.

It is the living that continually sucks the meaning out of these things... Life, itself, devours what LIFE was left in, say, a pebble. We have invented the word "superficial" and labeled pebbles with it.

Please give me what I want

The child is nagging me at the knees... pulling... begging me to give him something I could not give. He's asking for the little toy up on the shelf just across the room, but for some insane reason, I could not move and get it for him. After a few hours of constant annoyance, the child gives up, takes a chair from the dining room and uses it to reach the oh-so precious toy himself.

...seeing this, I notice that a silly smile took over my face. Relief overwhelms my body. Lights shine and friggin confetti falls all around me. I close my eyes and feel heaven.

While I was busy taking in the moment, this little kid returns the toy and the chair from where it was before, came back to me and stared at me blankly--- he then blurted,

"You're a big idiot."