Into this BLACK PARADE

Article III Section 4 states: “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.” (memorized ko to dati)

I may have forgotten the lessons we had during Sir Viduya’s Press Freedom class, but there is one lesson I will never forget from this old man: ABSOLUTE FREEDOM MAY LEAD TO CHAOS. BUT on the contrary, no freedom at all will bring bigger chaos and despair in a generation that has been mold during the rise of the digital age.

This generation breathes and craves the wonder that is the web. It may have been a bad thing, but that’s beside the point. With the demassification (coined from Sir Bernabe, COC-PUP) of communication, opinions are creeping to be heard. The social media has been a tool to create a wider viewpoint for other people who seem not to care at all. If not for the Facebook blackout, would teens and other uninterested people be interested to even look up what the Cybercrime Law stands for?

 The bloggers, with even little information they may produce, also create an alternative learning grounds for the youth. Little information that breeds and snowballs into greater idea and sensible points that may later on serve us best in the future. We must move forward. Embrace the digital age. Redefine social media as a tool for development. Hindi ganito.

So with this law, does it mean that citizen journalism should be abolished entirely? Let us not forget that during the last election, frauds and misgivings were reported urgently through social media. And seriously, libel? Everyone could be filed with libel, given that the law states that anything you say REAL or IMAGINARY can be used against you.

Whatever happened to being able to express your despair for undeserving politicians or people in power? Whatever happened to what our people fought for during the EDSA Revolution?

 I know that somehow, this law can do something good for the country and I respect that. But it is necessary that they amend it to become more suitable for this generation. Fight for the real “crimes”. Fight for what’s worth fighting for, just like how Ninoy died for something worth dying for. I am not 100% against it. Rules and limitations should be set, that is true. But please set the records straight.

Criticisms are hard. Bullying is unforgivable. But being shutdown is insane. The problem is not the freedom to express opinion; the problem is how you handle the fact thrown in your face. That is your problem. Now you fix that and stay away from us.

I am no expert. I did not even take my Press Freedom class seriously, but given the situation, the lessons that were instilled to us make sense. Journalism or Communication students will sound off because this is the foundation of our education: that we are given the freedom to say what we want to say and create ideas that would express what the society should embrace. It creates a tug in our hearts not to react.

ABSOLUTE FREEDOM MAY LEAD TO CHAOS. True. But our country does not practice absolute freedom would you believe? Because there are still certain rules and ethics given to media. With the surge of social media and citizen journalism, these rules are not followed and that’s what we should all put in consideration. Do not take away our right to agree and disagree on issues, like or unlike, or whatever gives.

Cybercrime Law is forgivable if you know who the real enemy is.

Basta, yan ang stand ko. Nothing follows.

A YEAR AFTER...

A year ago, when Lola Mamay was at her weakest, I remember getting a call from Bicol. Mama has been staying there for almost a week and she was the one who called - she wanted us to bid goodbye to Lola through the phone. I don't remember the exact things that I said, but what did stuck in my head was Andrei's.

He started off saying "Lola Mamay, I love you." but he was fighting his tears so hard. A few moments later, he sobbed and that's when I started crying too. 

It has been a year now, yet I still get teary eyed whenever I hear the song "Kanlungan." It was one of the songs we sang during Lola Mamay's wake. 

Over a year, a lot of things have already changed. We all went on separate ways. Priorities were shifted, yet deep inside, I know that we all know that Auntie Baet's house will never be the same again without Lola Mamay. 

MOGWAI: From mocktails to growing pains.

It was at a far corner in Cubao X with a little signage overhead like that of an old cinema house. The first time I saw it, I was welcomed with warm orange lights and messy interiors. We sat at the far corner with the sofa and a treasure chest as the table. After long, dreadful, hectic weeks, we were officially graduating students. We were just a group of friends, unsure of the future, who wanted to take refuge from the hustle and bustle of the past four years.

I don’t drink and smoke, so I was freakishly scared on what to do at a “bar”. I haven’t even heard of mocktails or semi-beers. But then Paula suggested ordering Infinite for the not-so drinkers. I actually liked it. The alcohol content was a joke and it leaves a ghastly shade of red, blue or orange (or a mixture of those colors, depending on your chosen drink) in your tongue. I swear I feel like a rockstar that time.

The food were served a bit late, but were a fun treat which sealed the deal. The mash potatoes where just so good and the potato chips were pretty decent enough to eat.

That night was EPIC. The pictures we took stood the test of time and through the painful years after college, we knew we can always go back to each others hugs and warmth. On certain days, it’s also a collection of “we-used-to-be-this-carefree” photos.

After that night, I knew that I was leaving college. That momentous first drop of “mocktail” in my mouth seemed surreal. I felt like a grown up.

The next time we were there was on the day after graduation. We were a smaller group, unlike the last time. I can’t even remember what went there. All I remember is that we were all dead tired from our graduation parties. That day was our gunshot to race for employment, maturity and growing pains.

Just a couple of months from our graduation, we saw each other again and gathered at the same place with new stories of struggles, complaints and achievements. It was my birthday and was later on the last time I set foot in Mogwai. That night was EPIC too. It was an emotional night, atleast for me. Growing pains.

We weren’t just dealing with professors but bosses, classmates to officemates, peer pressures to parental pressures. We were grown ups, or so we thought.

We weren’t just gushing on crushes, but also cherishing relationships and nursing broken hearts. That night, amidst those orange bright lights and shots of tequila, we tried to outgrow each other. And painfully so, it broke us apart…for some time.

And now that we’re all ok and ready to visit back Mogwai, Mogwai gave up on us. It’s like telling me to “Grow up now! I’ve seen enough.”

I admit.

I have only been to Mogwai thrice. That’s not really much to those who literally spent their days (mostly nights) to the goddamn spot in Cubao X, but those three occasions have been very special to me.

Three important days of my life shared with bright orange lights and messy chairs and “mocktails”.

Three important lessons of growing up, realizing the future and maturity.

Cheers Mogwai!

For what it’s worth, thanks for listening to our woes and corny jokes and childish antics.

We will miss you.

We will always be your Mogwai babies.

The perfect birthday gift

 

Please?

VAMPIRES

I admit, I'm not a fan of the Twilight Saga (or series, or whatever you wanna call it), but that does not give me any reason to despise it. In fact, I bought a copy of the first book and read it. It was just not my cup of tea. I read fantasy and romantic novels at times, but I just can't seem to fathom the mood or the aura it gives me. It's too romantic for me.

By the time the book and the movie franchise of the Twi series was being commercialized heavily through media, I was not one who immediately joined the bandwagon. I watched the movie first and found it promising, but not that interesting. It took me a few months before I actually got hold of the book. Unfortunately, I wasn't interested in reading the other books. I did watch the second movie, New Moon and that was it.

I am a huge Harry Potter series fan and I've read all the books a hundred times over I think. I've also watched the movies and has found the interest to check out Pottermore (but I still have to make time for that). Given that I know the books by heart, I have not let this to interfere with reality. I mean, I don't go around with a wand at hand and scream a jinx or a spell to random people, not even my friends. I've fantasized going to Hogwarts, but I never grew desperate of the idea. It was a fantasy, so as the books.

And that's why I could not imagine how someone would do this.

The arrest of an American man who broke into a woman's house and tried to suck her blood over the weekend has sparked discussion about the impact of vampire books and movies on youth culture.

Whether pop culture played a role in the attack remains to be seen, as 19-year-old Lyle Monroe Bensley awaits a psychiatric evaluation in jail on burglary charges in Galveston, Texas.

Found growling and hissing in a parking lot and wearing only boxer shorts, the pierced and tattooed Bensley claimed he was a 500-year-old vampire who needed to "feed," Galveston Police Capt. Jeff Heyse said.

 OK, maybe I'm being a bit too harsh on the whole "vampire" thing. I may not be a fan of Twilight, True Blood or the Vampire Diaries, even one of Anne Rice's vampire series, but there's one story on vampires that I appreciate, Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian.

I'm just clueless on how one person can be affected or infected with such notion of acting or being a vampire?

I guess they have to separate fiction from reality. These novels, movies and TV programs are all fragments of man's imagination, they are all fictitious accounts of these creatures. There's a reason why they're called fantasy novels, fiction stories and TV drama.

There's nothing wrong with patronizing vampire novels and the likes, but I just hope that we should know the difference between the truth from fantasy.