Da Vinci Code
There’s been a lot of buzz lately about the opening of the Da Vinci Code. People are making such a big fuss over it that I began thinking if there was something wrong with me for being so nonchalant. I’ve read the book a couple of years ago and I enjoyed it, though not as much as the author’s previous book, Angels and Demons. I’ve always been partial to conspiracy theories and the possibility that Jesus could have a descendant was intriguing, although the possibility that there was a love angle between Mary Magdalene and Jesus was nothing new (remember The Last Temptation of Christ?). The fact that the book never claimed to be based on fact and didn’t back up its claims with the necessary references adds to my confusion about all the fuss over it.
Am I that bad a Catholic that I’m willing to entertain the possibility that Jesus could have been more human than we’re allowed to believe? Would having a child make Jesus less of what He is?
Several groups here in the Philippines are petitioning to stop the showing this movie. Censorship – the bane of the individual’s freedom of choice. When will these people stop trying to think for the majority? Do they really believe that they know what’s good for us? Are they that perfect that they have the moral ascendancy to judge what’s right or what’s not? I don’t claim to be free of bias against certain movies and music (definitely), but I don’t tell people what to watch, or, in this case, not to watch. When will these people let the Filipino think and choose for themselves? I’d like to think that I’m not the only one with this view.
I thought I was digressing when my post shifted towards censorship, but I guess my flow of thinking was on track. A lot of people with disagree with me on this, and a whole lot more will hate me for this, but I just have to say it. Could it be possible that the Bible as we know it has been “edited” by people who thought they knew what was best for us? How else could you explain the fact that the contents of the Dead Sea Scrolls were never made public? I don’t claim to be an expert on this topic but you can’t discount the possibility that certain segments inconsistent with what the Church prescribes could have been edited out. I don’t claim to have any proof of this. All I’m asking is that we keep our minds open lest we turn into the book burning mob we abhor so much.
Awakenings
On the way to work this morning, I heard Sandwich’s Sugod on the radio. It wasn’t my usual station but one of those pop stations who try to outwit each other with their catchphrases. Alam nyo na yun. I wasn’t a bit surprised to hear it on that particular station and it got me thinking about the recent resurgence of the Pinoy rock scene.
The Pinoy rock scene has never died, it was always on the edge of the mainstream and was just waiting for the right time, or the right catalyst, to strike. I may be wrong but I think it was Kitchie Nadal that broke through the barrier covering the conservative ears of the majority. With the success of her album, record companies remembered that rock also has a following and could be a lucrative investment. Kitchie’s album isn’t that groundbreaking, but it got the message across that Pinoy rock is alive and kicking and ultimately great to sing along to (we’ve got “Lovers in Paris” to thank for that).
With Kitchie’s mainstream success it wasn’t too long for Pinoy rock to rule the airwaves once again. Hale and Orange and Lemons lorded over the deep, sensitive faction while the more aggressive Sponge Cola and 6 CycleMind ruled with the teenagers boiling over with angst. Kamikazee’s Narda is now the national anthem of everybody from 3 year olds to congressmen wanting to impress their nubile mistresses with their eclectic taste in music.
For someone like me with 90% of my audio CD collection from the local rock scene, the recent interest in Pinoy rock has been both exciting and amusing. It’s been a running joke between my wife and I to let people listen to Kamikazee’s Tsinelas right after listening to the acoustic version of Narda. It’s a good thing I lost my earlier attitude towards people who listen to Pinoy rock without getting what it was all about; the people who don’t give a flying fish about the evolution of this music and only want to hear what was new and “cool”. Respect their influences man! Ooops… looks like something of that attitude remains.
What excites me is that these bands who have been around for years are finally getting the audience and the acclaim they deserve. Sandwich has been my favorite local band since I heard Butterfly Carnival almost a decade ago. Surprisingly, if my memory serves me right, Sugod is their first crossover hit. The funny thing is they got this hit when they went indie.
If this trend continues, maybe we’ll finally see the end of those singers whose only talent is singing somebody else’s songs. Let me stop this post before I get started. I’m saving all my angst for another post.
Thoughts about religion
I’ve been fooling around with those blog polls and I thought it might be fun to try it out for myself. The topic might seem a little deep or trivial depending on how you look at it but it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time (I know… I know… I’ve really got to stop thinking about these things).
The way I see it religion by itself is not a bad thing. It’s one of the things that make us human. It’s when your religion promotes discrimination against non-believers that problems start. I don’t want to generalize, but you’ve got to admit that conflicts arising from religious differences are not that rare. Being a Catholic, the Crusades and the Inquisition are events that I’d gladly forget. Granted, not all conflicts are the product of religious differences. Most are caused by regional or racial disputes. But these are things that we can’t do anything about. You can’t choose to be born a certain race in a certain place can you? Religion, on the other hand, is supposed to be a choice. I use the word suppose because, in the majority of cases, religion isn’t a choice, it’s something you inherit. What I’m thinking of is that not a few conflicts can be avoided if we are to be without religion.
Religion is a lot of things to a lot of people and would be next to impossible to do without. I admit that I would have a hard time giving up my faith since it is something that gives me strength and hope. But it would be nice to live in John Lennon’s world: “Imagine all those people, living life in peace…”
It's been a long time
It's been almost a month since my last post. Things have been pretty hectic at work and I spend all my free time at home playing The Sims. Actually, I don't have the slightest idea of what I want to write about. Just typing to pass the time and relax. Stream of consciousness stuff. I guess most people write this way but this is the first time I'm actually trying it out. I guess I'm kinda scared of how this post will turn out since my train of thought isn't exactly what you'd call a train, more like a roller coaster.
This is what I was afraid of... this post is going nowhere real fast. I'm just wasting precious time I could have spent working. And yet, I'm still going. What could be driving me to do this? Is something deep in my subconscious mind trying to voice out my innermost thoughts? Is a 7th century monk chanelling through me to contact his descendants to finally give light to all the fracas about the Da Vinci Code?
Aaargh... this uncertainty is driving me nuts! I have to stop writing. NOW!
Still... writing... Can't..... stop....
What will happen next? Will myklvncnt finally succumb to the temptation of blogging during office hours? Will he crack like a ripe watermelon? Will he write yet another book challenging the Da Vinci Code? Find out in the next post.
What now MTV?
The marketing power of MTV can’t be dismissed. It has the power to make or break an aspiring artist. In the years before music videos, all a musician had to have was a great song and a little luck to make it big. Now, you can’t get an audience without having a nifty music video played in heavy rotation on MTV. Sometimes it feels like having great looks and a great video is given more importance than being able to sing well.
Reality check! Let’s rephrase that sentence: “Looks are more important than talent, period.”
Let’s face it, if you’re watching a music video you want a visual feast, not someone who looks like an extra in a B-movie about zombies. But since when has great songwriting been about looks? Isn’t it all about melodies that grab you and lyrics that touch you? The problem is; the music industry has become so intertwined with MTV that it’s hard for a musician to make it without having a music video.
The music video is an excellent medium for expression; aural and visual stimulation at it’s best. But taking advantage of this medium for mass consumer appeal has got to stop. If we are to support an artist, let it be because of talent and not looks. If it’s looks you have, then be a model. I feel saddened by the fact that the next Beatles could already be out there but unable to get a contract because they’re not photogenic; or the next Elvis Presley rejected by a record company because he lives a boring life. Marketing musicians as if they were products have to stop.
“The new and improved Britney, now with larger boobs and an even more interesting social life”!
At the rate things are going, this is the new status quo. I can only hope that the next big thing looks better than they sound.
If only life was this easy
I've been playing The Sims 2 with my wife for the last couple of days and it's pretty obvious that we're completely addicted to it. It even got to the point that we talk about our Sims as if they were real people, planning out their daily lives and giving each other high fives when they get promoted or do something extraordinary. There is something inordinately satisfying about having your Sims live out their dreams; to have a baby, to get an A+, to get married. Even such mundane things such as having cereal for breakfast or being kissed creates an impact on your Sim that is gratifying. You get to connect with your Sim in ways not usually found in games. You feel their emotions.
Another aspect of the game my wife and I loved was building the house and buying all sorts of furniture and appliances for it. Play this game and believe me; the interior designer and architect in you will claw it's way out and take over for the duration of the game. The inevitable question will ultimately pop up and grab you by the throat: "Will pink curtains clash with the green carpet?"
The prospect of living another life seems to be the driving force behind this game; a life that, while not perfect, could be considered an approximation of the life we want. Life as a Sim is as close to real life as can be; you need to eat, to sleep, to take baths. One of the things I like most is having to take a bath after working out. Forget to take a bath and a stinking green vapor follows you around, and nobody else wants to get near you.
While this game is uncomfortably akin to real life it's also miles apart from the life we live in other aspects. There is a well defined rule in your Sim's life: "Hard work pays off". You have to spend time and effort working on your skills in order to advance well in the game. But, unlike in real life, all your hard work will pay off as you get promoted based on your skills.
If only life was this easy.
Seeds of dissent
I just got back from renewing my driver's license at the local LTO. Saying it was tiring would be a gross understatement. I spent the better part of my day sweating and swearing at anyone who seems to be in a position of authority. The system was outdated and inefficient, typical government agency, which got me thinking; is there something wrong about expecting better service from government agencies? Most Filipinos have grown to expect, if not accept, lousy and slow service from agencies like these. They might not like it, but they are resigned to the fact that expecting fast and efficient service is like asking for Madame Auring to tell the media her true age.
Still not called. Dammit! I've been sitting here for more than an hour! How could these people around me stay so calm? Am I the only one with better things to do than sit, sweat and be angry? Maybe this was the high point of their day? With these thoughts running through my head, I began to harbor thoughts best voiced out over shots of lambanog with insurgents. Every single delay added a few more persons to my personal hit list. The thought of Madame Auring almost caused me to snap.
Thankfully, my name was called just before I lost it. Too bad... It would have been a blast to run around shouting "Kill Madame Auring, Kill! Kill!" while waving my hands over my head. The media hype would have been tremendous. I went over to the window and finally got my drivers license. I glanced at it and wasn't the bit surprised at the way I looked. My face reflected all the hassles I went through that day. I certainly looked like someone who would run around shouting "Kill Madame Auring, Kill! Kill!".
A sudden jolt of enlightenment hit me...
This is the reason why nobody looks good in their drivers licenses...
On the way home I started thinking again. Maybe it was heatstroke or dehydration; but I had the feeling that seeds of dissent are planted not while discussing politics with somebody whose name starts with "Ka", but while caught in the bureaucratic web of red tape that threatens to strangle you each and every time you had to deal with the government. It is while waiting in line for a loan that comes out of your own pocket, it is while being treated like you had the IQ of a 5 year old by someone whose salary you pay for with taxes, it is the farmer going hungry when he is shortchanged by the agency whose job is to protect his interests, it is while caught in traffic caused by a grandstanding politician's program that these seeds of dissent are planted and take root in your heart and mind.
Ideals won't put food on your table. Machiavelli and Marx might as well be Pugo and Pugak to most Filipinos. It is not their ideas that push Filipinos to question the government. It is the frontliners of government agencies that give face to the inneficiency, the callousness, the total apathy of the government to it's constituents. The same constituents who exercised their right to suffrage to put these same people in power. Yet, the blame can not be put on these frontliners, they are also victims of the system. Grossly underpaid and overworked, they probably share the sentiments of the suffering majority. They are merely symptoms of the cancer that is crippling our nation.
I don't have a clear idea of how to remedy this situation. But, someone, please find a cure...
