People are always asking what I call my "religion". The simplest truth is that it does not have a name, nor should it be expected to have one. Cults have names (Cult of Christ); so do movements (Christianity) and institutions (Roman Catholic Church). But religion in its raw form shall always be nameless like a god. Perhaps it can be called many names for the sake of comfort or articulation, but never just one. One cannot separate it and name it like fruit. It is spiritual culture; spiritual art. It cannot be contained in a box.
Mine is a religion of many names - reminding us that we can never confine it. It is a religion of blood and land, tied to ancestry and geography – where origin and future are a continuous line. A religion of here and there, past and present, experience, raw passion and cultivated philosophy, identity and consciousness, free thinking, logic and emotion, and conscience. It would probably take me a full day to describe it in words. But Nana is a good name for my religion. It means mother or parent. It appeals to my sensibilities. It means origin, binding force, sustenance, birth, death, and so much more. Perhaps in casual speech, I can call it that.
It is a disappointing world we live in today. “Is Enchong Dee Gay?” was the topic raised in one blog I passed by this morning. There were almost 50 comments, all talking about whether the poor, unsuspecting kid was "a closeted gay" [sic]. I have seen them do that to Victor Basa, Piolo Pascual, Sam Milby, Brent Javier, and Apollo-knows-who-else in the past.
Ayusin niyo muna ang mga buhay niyo. We have bigger problems in the world and our country, you sad fucks. But even if we had none of them, you should still be minding your own useless lives. To think that you know nothing about what you are talking about!
Brainless crustaceans. If intelligent conversation was hot water, they would be krill - they would all curl up and die immediately.
“Yabang! 'Kala mo kung sino kang gwapo!” (Prick! It's not like you're handsome!)
A commonly used phrase in the Philippines. And a very stupid one.
Although being mayabang is not too much of a good thing, I don't think being guwapo would ever excuse someone from being such an arrogant arse. Que ikaw pa ang pinakamagandang lalaki sa balat ng lupa, ang mayabang ay mayabang, at ang mayabang ay pangit. (Whether you're the most handsome man on earth, an arrogant prick is an arrogant prick, and arrogant pricks are ugly.)
Somewhere, some page in the world wide web I get to read people talking about who's gay, how gay they are, and how they articulately thought about it the whole time. A lot of these very busy people like throwing various gay phrases every now and then too. Oh he's gay! Is he gay? That is so gay! And yet they hardly know what they're talking about. It's stupid and it makes me want to puke. If you're going to use a word, you ought to know what it means. Otherwise you'll just look like an idiot. You wouldn't like that, would you?
I guess what I'm trying to say is: Get a fuckin' life, you airheads.
Do humans come from monkeys?
The answer is no. Humans did not evolve from monkeys. Humans are more closely related to modern apes than to monkeys, but we didn't evolve from apes, either. Humans share a common ancestor with modern African apes, like gorillas and chimpanzees. Scientists believe this common ancestor existed 5 to 8 million years ago. Shortly thereafter, the species diverged into two separate lineages. One of these lineages ultimately evolved into gorillas and chimps, and the other evolved into early human ancestors called hominids.
Which came first: the chicken or the egg?
I have choked on that question a million times.
Species change over time in the process of evolution. Since DNA can only be modified before birth, a mutation must have taken place within an egg such that a non-chicken mother laid the first chicken egg.
The modern chicken was believed to have descended from another closely related species of birds, the red junglefowl, but recently discovered genetic evidence suggests that the modern domestic chicken is a hybrid descendant of both the red junglefowl and the grey junglefowl. Assuming the evidence bears out, a hybrid is a compelling scenario that the egg came before the chicken.
I hope this settles it. And I hope someday the local textbooks will finally get updated. That, or our money back for all the taxes we have paid for the education system. The collection of books they call the Bible is no authority on science; I do not understand why Creationists insist on some old Hebrew myth to explain their lives. Silly if not stupid.
The Gods gave us brains. Heck, we should use them!
In addition to its original and continuing senses of "merry, lively" and "bright or showy," gay has had various senses dealing with sexual conduct since the 17th century. A gay woman was a prostitute, a gay man a womanizer, a gay house a brothel. This sexual world included 'homosexually-inclined' men too, as their willingness to disregard conventional or respectable sexual mores were "carefree and uninhibited" (i.e. "gay"). [1]
With such confusion and psychological turmoil attached to the word, I'm glad I never moved from gay = happy.
It's not homophobia to be grumpy at the co-opting of a formerly perfectly useful word. (Suzanne Thackston)
The dictionary is very clear on its definitions. The etymology [babae ang akala] is also clear. The mental images one evokes upon hearing the word ("Girl, mukha kang bakla diyan sa suot mo.") are likewise clear. That is why I am still perturbed why some people would readily equate 'homosexual' with effeminate/hermaphroditic/androgynous.
I understand that words evolve. This one hasn't yet obviously.
The truth is: Tagalog has no native word for 'homosexual'. Nor does it need one.
On the first night of the lunar new year, both Main Man and I wore a changshan (Cantonese: chèuhngsàam, Fukien: chongsan) jacket to work. He wore blue; I wore black. Then we swapped. It was cute.
Apparently, many people thought the whole changshan theme was 'for show'. I choked. I like showing off my heritage. I'm proud I have one. But I did not wear that darn Manchu shirt to entertain your eyes. If my grandfather hadn't been Chinese, I wouldn't have worn the thing. It's not me to wear something just because other people are wearing it to be cool.I just want to get my point across that I am what I wear. I wear my culture, my philosophy. My fashion isn't about what's cool or what's in - it's about who I am. In this age of global uniformity, it is a treasure to be who you are.
Fury aside, I greet you all a blessed slip into another spring. 新年快樂!
I just want all of you to know that I have taken two of my silent "activisms" into open practice. I hereby announce my open boycott of anything produced by a large Japanese company or anything attached to the uterus of their government.
If it's Japanese, I'm not buying it. (Thank goodness I'm not into animē.)
This shall be my protest until the Japanese Government and the Chrysanthemum Throne confirm their errors to the world and make up for them. (I shall give no history lecture; all of you should know very well of their unresolved atrocities.) Perhaps if we stop feeding their corporations with our hard-earned money, they could have some real Nihonjin humility and finally apologise?
Idealistic? Certainly. Impossible? Close. Pointless? Maybe. But this is my stand. 'Tis not a case of an unforgiving heart. Should they seek forgiveness, I can bestow it. But no one from their party has ever sought it...sincerely.
I would hate to forget about eating at Japanese restaurants, but I must do this. I want to think Bushidō, Kokoro, and The Last Samurai. But alas, I cannot forget that period in history when they raped half of the globe when they promised to liberate it.
I am not calling for hate. I am calling for resolution. They should compensate. (No, cars and porn will not do.)
--
On a similar level, I have also stopped patronising anything that devotes itself to globalist consumerism, its poster boy being McDonald's. If your company is told that your practices harm the environment; that your company inflicts suffering on animals, feeds unhealthy substances to unsuspecting children, and serves fries containing meat though they were claimed to be vegetarian - you should listen, stop, and do something. Unless one is deaf to morality or is solely interested in profit. (I suspect both for they have been repeatedly told to little effect.)
Got these links from my friend keanoidd. It would be needlessly cruel not to share them.
First one is something that I think is undeniably full of love (you're supposed to click it). I am no fan of the music played but I cannot help but smile and admire the beautiful couple.
Second one is something that did not stop me from laughing. In keanoidd's words: Like Super Mario, only impossible. (Darn right!)
[Aldrin talking about the country and degenerating civilisation.]Some shmuck: "Ayan ka nanaman Aldrin. Ang weird mo talaga." (There you are again, Aldrin. You are so weird.)
[Aldrin with his ears a bit red but still very British.]
"I've come to terms with my being weird. At least I'm not like everybody else. Who would want to be so ordinary?"
Nonetheless, I can't seem to figure out what was so weird with talking about civilisation!
Grey-eyed God, wise one and warrior, artisan and philosopher, help us to cultivate wisdom, reason, and purity. Remind us that ignorance is inexcusable and a stagnant mind is an abomination. Remind us to learn new things whenever possible and to never fear new knowledge. And to philosophise, yes that is good. We would rather die as wrinkled wise men rather than beautiful idiots. Khaire Athene.
I had a view of this and hell does it look promising. At least in my taste.
You should see the elves. They look a bit like Haldir clones but with extra darkness. Works for me.
It's not Nazis, machines and mad scientists but the old gods and characters who have been kind of shoved out of our world. I kind of equate it to the whole American Indian situation. The Indians were shoved onto reservations. You had your old, wise Indians who said, "You know, this is the way it is. We can't fight anymore. We just have to accept our fate." You then have your Geronimo character saying, "Or we could just kill the White Man." That's kind of the situation we have in the film. We have our elf characters resigning to the way things are and then there's one saying, "Or we could take the world back." The main difference is - what if the Indians had a nuclear warhead? The elves have their equivalent of the weapon that is too terrible to use. What if this guy decided to use it?
I haven't finished my resolutions. Inspiration drives me to pray instead. (Some lines inspired from various poetry by Hearthstone, Ceisiwr Serith, Sannion, and Brynhyld.)
Hail to you day, hail to you day's sons; hail to you night and daughters of night. I look to you with glad eyes, may you be witness to my prayers.I pray to the wide and all-seeing heavens who look over the earth and her children; whose anger is the storm and whose mercy is the rain. To the ancient one before us all, may you secure our people and our property; keep us safe from typhoon, meteor shower, and cancer-causing UV. We know you are unbiased but you are also merciful. I've always campaigned against smoke-belchers; I have never burnt plastic nor patronised chlorofluorocarbons. For another year, old father, protect us. So that we may give you praise forever and look upon your sapphire-painted face with smiles.
I pray to the broad and all-feeding earth who is both gentle and terrible; whose anger is the quake and whose mercy is the richness of soil. To the mother of all that grows; on whom we walk, from whom we come, across whom we go on our life-long journey. May your compassion never tire to forgive us when we wrong you; may you preserve our existence and our happiness as we feed from your all-nourishing bosom. For another year, oldest of mothers, sustain us.
I pray to the all-reaching waters who are both under and above us; in deep crevices under your sister earth and above her the mighty seas. From you all life has sprung and continues to thrive. Continue to provide us with water to drink and blood in our veins to exist. We know you are slow to anger; may our lives be so lucky to never see you in fury. For another year, live with us, live in us.
For another year, may we remember that by loving you we are loving ourselves. Your current state of being is our survival. Oh eldest of gods, hear us another year.
New Year's resolutions can sometimes be over-rated. People should inspire themselves to change for the better whenever need calls for it. But we must admit that new beginnings have their effect. It still makes sense to make them [annual resolutions]. I believe in the cosmic significance of rituals. Like Sannion, I promise to:1. To refrain from saying witty, unkind things, unless they are really witty and irreparably damaging.
2. To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.
[From James Agate, London Sunday Times drama critic from 1923 to 1947.]
I greet you all a joyous, bountiful, and safe new year!two thousand and eight | MMVIII | 2008
