I was peacefully watching telly this afternoon when I passed by: "Sanhi ng Anal Cancer" (causes of anal cancer) on a local news programme. The guest doctor enumerated the following: blah, blah, blah, blah, sexual preference, blah, blah, blah...
And I was stumped. What bollocks!
The interviewed "doctor" did not go into detail but I hope what he meant was "preference of sexual activities through or using the anus" and not which sex you prefer to have sexual relations with. Simply put, any person with an anus can use it for sexual activity, and people who go solely for one sex and not the other do not necessarily prefer "anal sex".
Doctor, next time, please be accurate. It is part of your job, and we pay good money for it.
No words can accurately describe the amount of euphoria I feel whenever I watch this video. Thank you, Ivan Kupala (the project) for making this possible.
Awaken, native spirit! The earth is not dead, the trees still sing, the people still want to dance with you.
If you wish to sing along, I have the lyrics which I can transliterate from Russian Cyrillic to Roman for you.
Ivan Kupala is a Russian musical group that mixes traditional Russian folk songs with electronic sounds, producing a unique blend of world music called ethnic electronica.
"Kostroma" (the title of this video and song) is another name for Kupalo (literally "to bathe"): a Slavonic god of fertility and the summer season. His festival, also called Kupalo, was originally celebrated on the summer solstice (which was 5 days ago) but is now more commonly celebrated under the *guise* of Ivan Kupala Day or "Snt John the Bather" (ring a bell?).
So bathe in the summer rains! Kupalo reigns!
(PS: Para sa mga Tagalog, huwag kayong bastos, wala iyang koneksyon sa 'kupal'.)
I trust that you don't need me to explain why I'm doing this. It's all over the internet. It's horrifying ... and sad. Imagine something like that in your own country.
Do what you can do. Let the world know what's happening in Iran. Speak for the silenced.
Mighty Ares, you are strength and bravery, impart your spirits to the people of Iran, inspire the good strong to protect the weak, strike down the bad ones.
Golden Aphrodite and Lovely Jesus, you are love, stir in the hearts of the Iranian people a glorious love for country and a tender love for lives.
Wise Athene, you are reason and wisdom, impart your spirits to those involved in this noble battle against evil tyranny, raise their voices to the world, protect democracy and freedom.
Just Father Zeus, you are law and ethics, serve Iran and her people justice and restore right conduct amongst its citizens.
And for our own countries, the same spirits. Amen.
I am not eclectic when it comes to my religion; I like mine "tribal". But looking at the multitude of religious systems, attitudes, practices, and beliefs today, do we really have more to fight about than learn?
From Christianity, I learnt about loving others as one would love oneself. From Islam, I learnt that sometimes you just have to let things go and trust in the bigger picture. From Judaism, I learnt that a small man or a small tribe can stand the test of time, amidst rising and falling civilisations, as long as you know who you are. From Buddhism, I learnt that everything is in flux; things come and go, be prepared to move on. From Hinduism, I learnt that the universe has many arms and many faces that come from a single body. From Taoism, I learnt that opposites need not oppose; harmony is a better option.
From philosophical systems such as Confucianism, I learnt that devotion to family and country can provide peace and order.
From the Stoics, I learnt that there is no fundamental 'evil' - only people who are ignorant of how to do things right.
From established nature religions such as Shinto, I learnt that our surroundings are not gifts; they are our siblings.
From the myriad of tribal religions, I learnt of how small we are in a big world and why it is needed that we realise this fact whenever we feel too arrogant. From the rising number of reconstructionist religions such as Hellenismos and Asatru, I learnt that we have so much to learn from the past, perhaps even more than today. From atheism, I learnt that you do not need to believe in anything to make things work; you just work it. From agnosticism, I learnt of philosophical coolness - that we can never know God or the universe fully, so why go crazy over the unknowable? Take it easy; chill.
And from many others, so many other things.
None of these things are exclusive; all are human attitudes. Pondering on this, I have often told others: maybe there are no religions; only religion in many forms.
In many ancient cultures, it was an honourable way to settle grievances for leaders or government officials to take their own lives in shame for betraying the people's trust; because it was an unforgiveable embarrassment to their rank and their family honour. The principle of losing one's face is still alive in many traditionalist countries such as those in East Asia.
Lately, former South Korean president Ro Moo-Hyun took his own life after being shamed by a large corruption scandal. I am not sure I would ever approve of anyone's death but I think that was an honourable way to go (next to facing the charges, that is).
Yung mga opisyal kaya natin, kailan mahihiya? (When do you think our officials will ever feel this sort of shame?)
“Si Adam Lambert, bading?!?!” That I got from a local news programme. More like tabloid, really.
A few hours ago, I was literally hearing nails on a chalkboard over 24 Oras' GHASTLY presentation of the irrelevant and unsurprising "news" of Adam Lambert's "outing". He's not "bading", you oafs. He clearly said "gay". Colloquially, "gay" denotes homosexual attraction or behaviour (though I prefer the original meaning, thank you very much). "Bading" means something else; the equivalent of "faggot" in American English.
Think about it. A newscaster could be roasted alive for saying that on air! Would it kill to have these media-men learn some civilisation; some responsible journalism? They're on air. They represent "facts". Facts should not be tainted with subjective language, much more offensive ones. Just report, Gods damn it.
Just give me a few minutes to arrange or write something about the positive values of the various "paganisms" around the world (with focus on my own). If not, maybe a few videos or pictures exhibiting ethnic paganism (the type I practise).
As many of you already know, I am Pagan.The word can mean a lot of things, but for me and a lot of people I know, it means "my own", "native", and "original". I consider myself in the religion of nature, of now and the past, of life's many celebrations, of diversity, and of striving for harmony with the rest of the universe. Call it Spinoza's or Einstein's idea, whatever, I think god is nature and nature is god; everything is interconnected, everything deserves some form of respect, and stuff like that. And whilst I'm not too fond of labels, especially a label that's been soaked up in bad publicity through the years, this one feels fine with me. Again, I am Pagan.
In direct relation to this, I found the videos on YouTube through another blogger with similar sentiments. Really, they should take the ads off telly. I do not mind watching rubbish, but what about the kids?
Philosophically, a real man has to be all noble and brave. But a woman can be all that, too. Seriously, a real man is any man with male reproductive organs. That is it.
More bloggers of similar opinions here, and here. (By the way, thank you enrique1982 for uploading the ads. I wish there was an option for cyber tomatoes.)
I feel exactly the same way for the latest series of Colt 45 commercials here in the Philippines. Let us say it again: stupid, sexist and an assault on -- not only our eardrums but more importantly -- our intelligence.
As if we needed more sexism in this world. Do we really need more of the sort that believes wiping one's glass makes you less of a man? (What, lack of hygiene makes you macho?) Or the sort that believes saying sweet things makes you unmanly? Or having an artistic eye and not a pervy one? Or wiping the excess sebum off your face? Fuck, no! No more of those dumb brutes, thank you very much. Besides, women can drink strong beer, too. Have they not been to Germany or Ireland? Machismo is so yester-century.
Eat dirt, Colt 45. I am not going to drink your fucking beer again. May the Beer Gods curse you. Amen.
PS: It seems that I am not the only blogger who thinks this way. See here.
