My Advice to the Graduating Class pt. 2

Now, when it comes to the fourth year high school students, which has a different situation to college, I would offer a different advice. Again, I would like to remind the reader that all of this stuff is just in the realm of imagination; I am really not giving any speeches. I am no highly successful individual I am just an ordinary man.

When I was thinking about this, a lot of things came to mind which also means a lot of advices came to mind as well. One was that I could tell my students that they learn to appreciate art and support the local art and music scene. In a way, this was important but when it comes to talking about life, this was truly not a good advice. It was only applicable to art and not applicable to the many things they would encounter during college and after college.

Next was that, I also could tell them that they should live a creative life. But again, this could be misinterpreted because much of them will not be taking any art related course. Yes, I know creativity as we have said is not related to art but it could be misinterpreted and the advice could also be limited. I think if I would give this advice, I would make it sound this way, “Always be creative in solving your problems.”

But again, the same problem to the previous advices may arise because such an advice can be misinterpreted. This is because they might in a way try to solve their problems by creatively escaping it because I do believe problems are supposed to be faced head on and you just look for new strategies to solve it and not escape it.

Solving problems does not mean escaping it, blaming someone for it or not solving it and wait for it to go away which usually does not happen.

So in the end, I scrapped the idea of giving that advice.

So what is my advice then to the graduating class?

Due to the constraints of time and space, I will tell you all about it tomorrow.

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You Give Drawing a Bad Name

One of the things that I was very excited about to teach in high school was teaching kids about drawing. This was because I really believed that every high school kid wanted to learn how to draw. As I found out then and found out in a hard way, a lot of kids do not like to learn how to draw. I was wrong about it and a lot of them were scared to learn because of how grown-ups, adults or parents saw drawing.

The thing is, a lot of adults think learning how to draw is very difficult. They think that the skill of drawing is acquired through genetics. So if the parent thinks that he or she is bad at drawing, he or she concludes that her or his child will also be bad at it.

They also think that drawing is something magical. That only few can handle it. Artists or people who are skilled at drawing are something rare. For them learning how to play the guitar is more difficult than drawing. They place too much value; they place drawing on such a high pedestal or an ivory tower that when it comes to teaching it, these parents are not at all helpful; they give drawing a bad name.

The thing is, these old misconceptions about drawing have already been debunked long time ago due to the efforts of Betty Edwards and her theories about drawing from the right side of the brain. In this book, Betty Edwards shares that drawing is not about genetics or magic at all. Drawing can be learned by seeing things with the right side of the brain. Drawing like any skill can be learned and like everything else, anyone can be good at it with hard work and consistent practice. With such a breakthrough understanding of drawing, Betty Edwards revolutionized how we see drawing.

The lesson here is that any person, young or old can learn how to draw. He or she just needs to have the correct lessons and works hard for it.

The lesson here is that we must stop spreading such misconceptions that drawing is difficult to learn because it discourages kids to learn and be open to new ideas.

The lesson here is that if you do not know anything about drawing and share old opinions about it, you should shut up because clearly you are ignorant of the topic; you lack research which only means you have no right to share your opinions about drawing.

Stop giving it a bad name, will ya?

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Donaire vs. Pacquaio

If in the future, Manny Pacquaio remains at number 1 in the rankings for the boxing pound for pound and Nonito Donaire becomes number 2, would it be great to see these two fight against each other in the ring to determine who truly is the greatest among them?

As much as that scenario is very tempting to all boxing fans, as a Filipino I would not want it. For the simple reason that it is bad for the country to have two Filipinos battle it out. The reason might be corny but the bigger picture is we as Filipinos do not need it.

Yes, we all know, as of now that Pacquaio is the better fighter. Manny has the punch, the speed, the experience and the belts to prove that to us. But Manny is also getting older and may retire one day.
Donaire is good and can even be better. Donaire is still young and has enormous potential to be the best. But if he loses his focus, potential can just be easily wasted one day.

If in the future, these two fighters do meet, Donaire would be at his peak while Manny would be at his twilight. That fight would be unfair to Manny. So it should not happen.

If Donaire wants to be better than Manny Pacquiao, if Donaire in the future will be haunted by that question if who is better than the two, then he can beat Pacquaio by not beating him in the ring. He can do that in another way. He can do this by beating Manny’s record of having eight title belts in different divisions.

Yes, that is the only way he can prove to us that he is better than Manny. Donaire has the speed, the height at 5’7”, the power punch and the motivation to do that. If he gets eight to nine titles, then he proves to us that he is better than Manny.

If he does do that in the future, then it will be good for the morale of our country. It will unite us again just like Manny is doing now.

Seeing two Filipino fighters fight in one ring, it might sound good but to see it actually happen, but I don’t think it is a good idea. We should by all means avoid that.

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Masteral of Fine Arts pt. 1

Taking the Masteral of Fine Arts in Diliman was one of the goals we had when we were in college. We wanted to learn more about art, we wanted to be great artists one day and being a graduate of the Masteral of Fine Arts in U. P .Diliman was one way to reach those goals. Sadly, most of my batch mates did not take this course. It was too expensive for us to go to Diliman and take that course. So that is why, not just from my batch most of us did not pursue the masteral course and went each other’s ways.

These days, the one person I get to talk about the having plans to take the Masteral of Fine Arts is my good friend and band drummer, Intoy Corpin III. And because the both of us have few details about the course, it was one of my plans when I went to Manila to go to U.P. Diliman College of Fine Arts and inquire about the course.

So if you are right now taking the fine arts course and want to take the course in the future, keep on reading because I have some details to share about the Masteral of Fine Arts that might just help you in the long run.

First thing I have discovered about the course is it is not advisable that you take the course right after graduating from college. This is because you need to have two years of experience as a professional artist to get into the course.

Being a professional artist does not mean that you be an art teacher or graphic artist, though that would be an added plus, but as major requirement this does not necessarily count. So being a professional artist would mean that you need to have art exhibits, (solo or group exhibits) being active in art groups and also selling artworks. An added plus would be to win art competitions and be in a high ranking position in some art organization.

But again for the basics, having art exhibits and being in active in art groups is already fine.

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U.P. Diliman

One of the things I was looking forward for my Manila trip was going to U.P. Diliman. As a UPian, I think it is imperative for me to go there in order to pay my respects to the university that started it all. Going there is like a collegiate pilgrimage of some sort and U. P. Diliman is the Mecca for UPians. Also, visiting U.P. Diliman was some of the things I missed out in college.

A lot of my college friends back then even took summer classes at U.P. Diliman so they could have a one month experience on what it is like to be in U.P. Diliman. I missed out on that one.

Although I have already visited Diliman before during semestral breaks and other vacations, I did not get to visit the place during school days where I would get the chance to see U.P. students and their art museums. I also did not get to visit it back then with a camera.

So this time, with my wife and a camera I made sure the visit would truly be worthwhile. So I made sure that we visit the Vargas Museum and the College of Fine Arts, as well as the the U.P. Oblation and the Sunken garden. We also bought some U.P .souvenirs along the way.

I even wanted to stay longer so I could see some football players practicing at the Sunken garden but because of fear of the Manila traffic I cancelled that plan.

Another reason why I wanted to visit U.P. Diliman is because one of my paintings from my first exhibit is hanging on the walls of the office of the U.P. Student Regent. I gave that painting to a friend of mine, Hannah Serrana, who became a U. P. Student Regent and brought it from Cebu to Diliman.

The painting is still there and it was a nice feeling to have my picture taken with it and also for my wife to be able to see one of my paintings in the flesh.

The painting for me was very memorable for it was my first artwork for my exhibit, it was my first artwork coming out from an artist’s block during college, so it was nice to see it again.

So as I end, my trip to U.P. Diliman rekindled a lot of things for me, especially about pursuing a life of a professional artist.

I just hope that I do not waste the experiences from this U.P. Diliman trip and start making Art again.

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The Comic Book Film Genre

The comic book movie genre in 2012 will flood us with a lot of films. As for now the films that are planned to go out in 2012 has this great line up. Such films and their schedule of release are as follows:

February 17, 2012 – GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE

May 4, 2012 – THE AVENGERS

June 29, 2012 – STAR TREK 2

July 3, 2012 – SPIDER-MAN

July 20, 2012 – BATMAN 3

December 2012 – SUPERMAN

Aside from that, there are also news that The Flash, a new Fantastic Four, Wolverine 2 and Judge Dredd starring Karl Urban will also be on their way.

So with all the comic book movies coming out, will there be a time that this fad, will bore us? If that will happen, what could be the next move for the comic book movie genre?

What is great about the comic book movie genre is that it has its foundation of fans, stories and characters already established way back then, in the comic world. So this means that fans and different storylines have already been planned out. So if boredom thus sets in and ends the fad, the comic book movie genre has still a lot to offer us.

Think about it, we are still at the first part of the possibilities of the comic book genre .Most films right now are at the stage of introducing new superheroes. And with the Avengers, we are somewhat going to the second stage, superheroes teaming up in one film. But superheroes going against each other, storylines like Batman Vs. Superman or Wolverine vs. The Hulk still has not come out on the big screen yet. So in the future, this could ultimately happen. Imagine that possibility. Then if all the comic hero versus another comic hero has been exhausted, there is still the next step, Marvel and Dc Comics teaming up for a film. Their team up would mean movies such as Batman vs. The Wolverine or Superman vs. The Hulk. So again, imagine that possibility.

This is what is great about the comic book movie genre, it already has a lot of storylines reserved for us that can be done in movies. This is what is great about the comic book movie genre , it is not tied down to one or two star like action films. So if action film stars such as Stallone or Bruce Willis (of the Rocky and Rambo or Die Hard franchises, respectively) are fading, the film genre also fades with it. With the comic book movie genre, the characters like Spider-man or Wonder Woman are the stars, so all you need to do is just supply the genre with the correct young stars to don the costumes and off we go, another franchise getting a revival.

So if you feel that the comic book movie genre is about to get boring, just be patient because we all know what’s coming up- team ups and the superhero vs. superhero storyline.

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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson vs. Vin Diesel

The new addition to the stars for the Fast and Furious franchise is now Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. And for fans of the action film genre, such a move is big.

Big, because as I have said before in one of my previous articles, Vin Diesel is the next Sylvester Stallone and The Rock is the next Arnold Schwarzenegger. And because the action film genre has been experiencing an all time low these days because of the influx of the comic book movie genre, the action film genre has adjusted by bringing their action stars together in one film.

This has already happened with the The Expendables, and now two of the top stars of the genre will meet on the big screen by way of Fast Five, the fifth film to the Fast and Furious franchise.

Yeah, I know The Expendables was not much of a great film with all its macho clichés and all, but who cares? We just watch the film for its all-star cast and old school action. So the film was a great boost to the action film genre.

We can also include here the team up of Jet Li and Jackie Chan in The Forbidden Kingdom as well as Jason Statham and Jet Li in War.

Now, with The Rock and Vin Diesel meeting on the big screen we also would not care about the story, we just want to see some action.

How I wish this happened before with Stallone and Schwarzenegger. Just imagine at the peak of their careers these two battled it out in the big screen. Just imagine the possibilities, Rambo vs. Commando, Judge Dredd vs. The Terminator or The Demolition Man vs. The Terminator. We could even have another Rocky with Schwarzenegger. But of course, because of all the big money these stars could make they did not need to team up in one film. So for the young fans of the action film genre, they are lucky to see Vin Diesel and The Rock meeting early in their careers.

Young fans now are getting what most of us in the past were just dreaming about. So know the significance of this team-up because this is going to be big.

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Fastfood Chicken can make you Gay

I have heard a lot of old conservative people complaining that there are a lot of homosexuals roaming around these days. It kind of irks them that there are lot of gays and lesbians now and kind of makes them proud that there were few from their generation.

These old conservative people have tried hard to understand such changing of the times, and one of their explanations and I find very weird is this – eating chicken from fast foods can make you gay. Yes, you are reading it right, so if you are reading this with a KFC, McDonalds or Jollibee chicken in your hand, you better stop doing both at the same time.

The explanation about this is that because a lot of fast food chickens are injected of growth hormones (particularly estrogen), the side effects on human beings is that it can make us gay. Now true or not, for this to be the accepted reason is way absurd.

Absurd because, the more realistic explanation why there are more gays now than before because more and more homosexuals are becoming brave and admitting out in the open of their true nature. In the past generation, gays and lesbians were afraid to be known so they would hide their true sexuality. It is different now. Times have changed.

More gays are coming out, more gays are becoming successful at different fields and more gays are fighting for their rights to be respected.

If this is hard to accept for the old generation and they start making up such absurd reasons then by doing this they will never understand the third sex.

Now, I am not writing this because I am pro growth hormones to be injected to chicken. I am not. That is just gross; and unnatural.

I am just writing this because that the more conservative people close their minds to change, the more they will not understand it and it will have the effect of escaping it instead of solving it. That is if homosexuality is indeed a problem for them.

So if they really believe that they need to solve the problem of homosexuality. Start learning to understand it and spare the chicken.

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Pinoy Rock Will Survive

So Bamboo has disbanded. Nu107 is out. And Rico Blanco is an actor. These must be tough times for Philippine rock music. But still it will not be enough to kill it. Yes, I believe such bad news is not enough to kill it. And there are a lot of reasons why I say that.

For one, Rock music, as a form of expression that is the most rebellious, will always find a way to survive. As long as there are kids and grown-ups out there with angst, those who want to rebel at something, Rock music will survive.

Rock music has always been the music of choice of rebels because it is a music that shows the bad side of a lot of things. It talks about depression, anger, insecurities, confusion that the youth need to let out. Rock music has never been radio-friendly. Pop music can never give this to the young, that is why Rock will be there to let it all out for us.

Then another reason why rock music will continue is that for some, it may be bad news to no longer have a Rico Blanco or a Bamboo for the music scene but it also is an opportunity for other rock musicians to fill out the void these bands and rock gods have left. So it is all not bad for us because it is a chance for other bands coming from different places and regions to step up. The old will always be replaced by the new. And now is the time to do it.

Such change has been experienced before when bands such as Eraserheads, Wolfgang, Yano and Razorback disbanded. Their end was a beginning to a lot of bands to get their limelight. Bands such as Urbandub, Itchyworms, Parokya ni Edgar and Slapshock filled that void.

So it can be bad news, yes, but there is always a light at the end of the Pinoy rock tunnel, and that light means opportunity for a lot of aspiring rock bands out there.

Then another way that may insure the survivality of Rock music is through old timers forming new bands. Examples of these are Bamboo Manalac forming Bamboo and Ely Buendia forming Pupil. Other bands similar to these are Sandwich and 6 Cycle Mind. So again, death nay come but there is also birth. So there really is no need to worry.

Rock music survived Martial Law, it survived the 80s, a time when The Dawn was the only popular band. It survived the break-up of the Eraserheads, Yano, Wolfgang, Razorback and many more 90s bands. Rest assured it can survive this.

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The Sto. Nino and Cebu

I heard an explanation once during typhoon Ondoy, the explanation was about why the other regions like Manila or Leyte experience great floods or great typhoons while Cebu did not.

It goes that Cebu is blessed to have all the good weather because our province and city is protected by the Senyor Sto. Nino. We are the ones who worship Sto. Nino and celebrate Sinulog, and this is why we are blessed with the fine weather.

As much as it sounds real awesome to be protected by the Sto. Nino, it also sounds pretty bad because it would appear that other people suffer because they do not have the Sto. Nino. And secondly, it would appear as if other saints are lame because their devotees get the ire of a super typhoon?

If the explanation or the whole story is true, then the best way then would be to get the entire nation to celebrate Sinulog (instead of just Cebu alone); so every region can get protection from Sto. Nino, right? Other regions celebrating fiestas or other devotions no longer need to have the Black Nazarene or the Ati-atihan, the whole country can all have the Sinulog! If we do that, we would all have good weather, no more typhoons, right?

So why are the other regions not doing this then? Don’t they want protection from the bad weather?
There are lot of questions and possibilities if this explanation is really true to all of us. Would we as Cebuanos share the Sinulog to other regions thus the celebration would no longer be exclusive to us? This would mean that tourists would no longer have a reason to come visit us during third Sundays of January, are we alright with that? If this happens, Cebu will no longer be unique. No more bragging about the mother of all festivals that is the Sinulog.

Do we want to share the Sinulog (thus giving up the rights to its exclusivity) so everyone would have the protection that the Sto. Nino gives? Or are we not ready for this?

And if we are not ready to give up the Sinulog then, is it fine, then, that we stop spreading such kind of explanation and give a more rational, realistic explanation instead? I mean no disrespect to the power of a festival like Sinulog and certainly, I mean no disrespect to the Sto. Nino and of its devotees. I chose this particular topic because I want to point out how people can sometimes come up with the craziest explanations for events and certain phenomena; how people seemingly omit rationality.

We can begin with grounded explanations such as: “typhoons and bad weather now are caused by Global warming and bad sewage planning”. Or the explanation that “Cebu is at the middle of Leyte, Bohol and Negros which means that we are do not feel the whole power of typhoons coming from the Pacific and other oceans”. Can we do this instead, so we won’t sound selfish to other regions? So we, as Cebuanos, will not be put in a bad light.

So as we celebrate the Sinulog, think about it.

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Going to the Dentist

I’m planning to go the dentist one of these days to get my teeth cleaned. I think it has been a long time since I went to the dentist, so I should take this seriously before my teeth start dropping off on me.
So while I was thinking about it which dentist to go to I had also found out in the process that I know a lot of dentist friends. There is my high school batch mate Gunther Seroy. There is also a sister of one of my players from U.P. Cebu before, Pam Fernandez. There is also a grade school batch mate of mine from USJ-R, Jill Sarvida and lastly a teammate of mine from the Fine Arts team that after graduating the Fine Arts course proceeded to take dentistry, this would be Ian Pehzman.

So with all the dentist friends that I have, which one should I go to? To be frank about it, I wouldn’t go to any of their clinics. You wonder why? Well, let me explain it to you.

The thing is I find it weird to open my mouth and have my teeth poked around by someone I know. I compare such a situation to confessing my sins to a friend that has become a priest now. Or to let my wife go to an OB-gyne doctor who is also a friend of mine. It is just weird.

Two reasons why it makes it weird, one is that it is just uncomfortable to have someone know something about you and you don’t know something about him or her, especially when it involves secrets like having bad and dirty teeth.

Having bad or dirty teeth is something personal, it’s like letting people in to your personal space. And showing it to friends just makes me uncomfortable.

But of course, since I have a lot of dentist friends I also would like to be one of their customers and support them in way at their jobs. So in the future, when I have kids I would let my friends be their dentists. That would be fine by me as it involves no invasion of my personal space. Yeah I know I’m sensitive but that is just me.

By the way, it was last year that I had thought of this topic while I was talking to my batch mate Gerald Ortiz in one of our reunions. We both agreed that we won’t let our friend dentists to check our teeth.

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Another Kris Aquino article

History repeats itself.

Is it not strange that in order for an Aquino to win the presidency, one family member has to die?
This is what happened with Cory Aquino back then. She had no plans to run for the presidency because it was suppose to be Ninoy Aquino doing that. But when Ninoy was assassinated, Cory had to replace Ninoy. And as they say, the rest is history. This was the year 1984.

Now –the year 2010– the same scenario unfolds. Cory Aquino died, and thus propelled the people to clamour for her son Noynoy Aquino to run for president. Noynoy won and, again as they say, the rest is history.

So what does this all mean to all of us? Here’s a theory:

In the future, history will repeat itself again.

I believe in the future, Kris Aquino and James Yap’s son Baby James will run for the presidency. This is why in the first stages of their divorce, Kris Aquino demanded Baby James’ family name to be changed. In all the issues about their relationships, it was the changing of the family name that Kris Aquino was after.

True or not, somewhere over the horizon, Kris Aquino is already planning for her son’s presidency; something Kris Aquino could not do, that is why her son has the burden to do it for her.

And you know how this will happen? If history will repeat itself again, if we follow the same script, this is what is going to happen.

In order for Bay James Aquino to win the presidency in the future, one family member from the Aquino’s has to die. And you know who will die? Yes, as sad as it is to hear to all of us, in order for Baby James Aquino to be president, her mother Kris Aquino has to die.

This is Kris Aquino’s ultimate sacrifice, that for her son to be successful she has to die. She has to die so that the Filipino people will clamour for another Aquino to run for presidency. The same script has to be acted upon again. History has to repeat itself again.

But of course we all know that Kris Aquino is not Cory nor is she Ninoy, so this can all be wrong. It is Noynoy that may equal Cory and Ninoy in political weight.

So in order for this to be correct, it is Noynoy Aquino future’s son that has the assurance that if Noynoy dies, it will be his name that people will clamour for the presidency. But as long as Noynoy Aquino does not produce an heir, it will be Kris Aquino’s son Baby James to follow the script.

Kris Aquino will die. The masses will clamour for Baby James Aquino to run for the presidency and Baby James Aquino will win.

If this all true, in a way we are all safe, because most of us will probably be dead by that time. Our children, and our children’s children will not be that lucky though. So start preparing your kids for what is coming. They need to know.

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New Motto for Life

When I was young, I used to hear this positive notion that I should give my best all the time. It was really good advice, especially when you are young because at that time it was easy, I was full of hope and nothing could discourage you. Also, when you are young, you think that all people are good. So it was easy trying to give your best all the time.

But as one grows up, there comes a time that giving your best becomes tiring. This is because you learn that no one can consistently give their best all the time. You can’t put your best foot forward all the time because you also need to rest. You just want to relax sometimes.

The question also comes to mind that if you do your best all the time, the people surrounding you like you for your best. So what if you fail, will they still like you?

The thought also comes to mind that if you do your best all the time, people will always expect that from you and nothing less. So there is pressure, there is stress to always fulfil their expectations. You need to exceed your past achievements to do that. That is not a very relaxed life.

There is also the possibility, that when you do your best all the time, people will always depend on you and let you do all the work.

There is also the possibility, that because you are dependable, always giving your best all the time, you might get exploited for it.

What seems a good intention for you, people may use it for their personal selfish advantages.

With all of this being said, I have decided to not give my best foot every time. This means that I will choose when I will do my best and when to just sit back.

I am doing this in order to lessen the pressures in my life. I just want to relax and take it easy. If I do give my best, it means I truly want to do it and enjoy doing it. I must be properly motivated and very happy if I do decide to give my best to something.

People can give all their best if they want to, that is their decision and it is admirable that they can do that. I applaud them for that.

But for me, here is my new motto: I will not give my best every time. I will choose when and where I will give my best.

I just want to relax. Watch a movie.

I used to be a Leader

I used to be a leader; “used to be” because I am not leading anything these days and I have no plans to lead anything in the future. I have said this before; I really got my chance at leading when I was in college. It was a great fun, learning experience for me; but it also had its bad side.

One of the bad sides about leading is that people expect you to lead every time, which is just impossible. That is why when, even when there were times we had groups in my minor subjects, my classmates expected me to be a leader still. This was tiring because there was no rest. People expect their leaders to be at their best every time. And at that time, I just wanted to rest. Be a normal person.

This is one of the things I hate about leading, people expect you to be the best, and people expect you to succeed. That kind of pressure is just nerve-wracking. Leading is good, people recognize your efforts but it also sucks up a lot of your spirit. That is not good.

Then another bad thing about leading is that people expect their leaders to do all the work. Yes, I know about delegation and all, but some people when they know that their leader is good, they don’t do anything anymore and just expect for things to be given to them by their leaders. Some members just want the dregs of the work to be given to them, no more hard work.

I have seen a lot of people in my day just arriving only during the good times and are the ones gone during the bad times. Then this kind of people, the ones who do nothing are the noisy ones, the ones who always complain but are doing nothing. This kind of experience makes one think that he or she is just being used by people. This kind of experience results in the leaders getting tired and being discouraged.

People or members of organizations need to understand that for a group to succeed, it needs the effort of both leaders and it members.

That is why right now, because of this understanding that even if I don’t want to lead organizations anymore, I understand and respect people who want to lead. So in this light, I want to try to be a good member.

Because again, it takes a lot of a person’s time, patience, and sacrifice to be a good leader. The job is stressful, and knowing that, I do not want to add any more stress to what these leaders already have.
But being a good member does not mean that I will blindly follow my leaders now. Though some people think that to follow blindly is the right thing for a member to do, I don’t think that is a characteristic of being a good member.

Being a good member means you move, you follow because you understand. Being a good member means not being used.

If I see that my leaders somehow do not give credit where credit is due, then that is not acceptable. If I see that my leaders only do things for their own good; that they all get the spotlight and forget their members, then that is not acceptable.

I will only be a good member to a good leader. If my leaders are mediocre, then you get a mediocre member out of me.

Why the Mindworks should be on September pt. 2

Now, for the second part of my topic, why should Mindworks be on September?

It’s because as a major activity, Mindworks is the first test for the Fine Arts Organization to know if it is strong or not.

And it’s precisely because every organization’s goal is to be strong; to be united. An organization that plans and is able to execute such plans is a strong organization. If the organization has no plans to be strong or united, then why did they organize themselves in the first place? If an organization does not aspire to be strong or united, then it is better that they discard dreams of organizing and just go their own separate ways.

Then, the summer art workshop cannot qualify as the first test of strength for the FASO because not all of its members are present in that activity. The FASO acquaintance party also does not qualify because it is treated as a minor activity. The cook-out, does not qualify either, because it is an activity of the whole school where the FASO only plays a minor part, then lastly, the Intramurals is also an activity where FASO plays a minor part.

Activities such as the summer art workshop, the acquaintance party, the cook-out, and the intramurals; even though they do not involve all FASO members, are still important. They can be used as “build-up” for the two major activities that are coming.

These minor activities can be viewed as preparations where the new FASO officers can gauge their organizing skills and be able to experience first-hand what the capability of its new team of officers can do. They are minor but they are still important; they are the first steps for something bigger.

Though the intramurals can be seen as a major test of unity, this test of unity is shown in sports. Now, the FASO is not a sports organization; it is an art organization. So its first test of unity should be along the lines of art. That is why, Mindworks provides that venue.

Now, because FASO needs to know as early as the first semester if it is strong or not, it has to place the Mindworks at September.

September also makes the Mindworks a venue for showing the accumulation the successes or failures achieved and learned from the summer art workshop, acquaintance party, cook-out and intramurals, to add it all up and apply it to the Mindworks to make it successful.

The Mindworks with its overnights and workshops in August are a venue for the members to bond more deeply, know more the history and set its goals for the new school year.

The Mindworks, if successful or a failure, if placed on September also provides ample time for the next major activity to be prepared, which is the Joya Awards. The Joya Awards is on February, so the October to January period, four months of preparation is enough to organize the awards.

Think about it, what if the Mindworks was placed on January, the Joya Awards on February or March. It is just too tight. Now what if the Mindworks was a failure, it would still be fresh on the organization and would harbour a bad mood for the next activity. Putting Mindworks in September, Joya in February is enough for preparations and failures to be assessed and regroup.

So again, as an art organization, FASO needs to know if it is strong or not. The Mindworks as the first test of unity will answer the questions the art organization has. That answer has to be known early, that is why the Mindworks has to be placed on September.

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Kapamilya, Kapuso or Kapatid? Pt. 3

If push comes to shove, if I am forced to select one channel only then I would choose TV5. I would choose to be a Kapatid. This is because TV5’ programming is focused on comedy. With all the drama and hardships our real lives have, we all need a break. We all need a laugh here and there. So I would choose TV5 because it has a lot of comedy shows.

However, I would not be a fanatic about it. I can still choose to turn off the television and just watch pirated movies or go surf the internet.

Between reading a good book or just spending time with my dogs and watching television, I would choose to turn off the TV and walk my dogs.

So if I say it simply, if I am not choosing any television channels, then what is my point here?

My point is this: the goal of these television channels is to control and dictate us. They want us to side with them and follow their every word. They want us to accept what they give us without question. They want us to dictate what we should look like, what our ideas about things should be about and also what our attitudes should be. This is what they want. They do not want us to question things. They do not want us to be critical.

Now, this is very dangerous because television is very influential. A lot of our ideas and attitudes come from watching television. A lot of our beliefs about what is right and wrong come from television and if we are not careful, we could adapt a false sense of morality.

This is why a lot of parents do not let their kids watch television on school days because it is a distraction to learning. This is why a lot of parents do not let their toddlers watch television at all because bad attitudes about eating and how babies act can be picked up by children like an open book.

Children influenced by television do not question what they see, they just follow and that’s it.
Am I saying we should ban television? No. I am saying that instead of these channel stations wanting to control us, we should control them. We should be able to choose what truly is entertaining for us regardless of channel station. We should be able to choose what is right and wrong for us?
We should be able to know what crap is and what real talent is.

This is a bad thing to do, and talking about what is right or wrong will take more time. But for starters do this, if you do not want to see some drama tonight, then feel free to watch some comedy without being guilty that you have offended a television channel and broken your loyalty.

You own the television, not them. So be entertained without feeling any guilt. Go ahead, channel surf.
Now, about peer pressure, if your friends are mad about you because you are not updated about local showbiz then screw them. It is not end of the world; our lives do not revolve around these people. Who cares if so and so is getting a divorce or pregnant, celebrities being pregnant or having a divorce is no big deal, it will truly not affect your lives.

Politicians stealing our taxes, politicians breaking the rules affects our lives not these celebrities. If your friends think otherwise then get new friends, do not be afraid to do so.

Celebrities are people that we should not idolize; they are people that we get entertainment from. They are people we can laugh at. But we don’t follow the way they live their lives especially when they do this to get our attention.

So to conclude, do not be afraid if you are not a Kapamilya, a Kapuso, or a Kapatid. You own your television. Take control.

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Kapamilya, Kapuso or Kapatid? Pt. 2

Why am I not a Kapuso?

From my previous article, I have already shown why I dislike Abs-Cbn. It is already clear that I am not a Kapamilya. But not being a Kapamilya does not simply conclude that I am a Kapuso.

Before I used to choose GMA-7 over ABS-CBN, and there are many reasons why I did so.

First of all, Gma-7 has more variety. In their prime time shows they have a combination of shows that feature fantasy, comedy, action and drama. Shows such as Darna, Captain Barbel and Mulawin were all good signs of variety.

Also their news and current events shows are more credible than Abs-Cbn. I am not saying that Gma-7 has no biases, I do not even believe that they truly do not side with no one. But between choosing two evils, Gma-7 is the lesser evil.

My choice of liking Gma-7 more than Abs-Cbn started to wane , when they started accepting people who had no talent but because they were grandchildren or sons of some celebrity. Then they were given primetime shows. I am talking about the talentless Carla Abellana here; I am talking about the talentless Geoff Eigenmann as examples here.

I even find it ironic that Carla Abellana was chosen as host to a talent search. Something she can’t relate to, something she never went through: a talent search.

Such celebrities were given breaks over people who had true talent; ABS-CBN does this, now Gma-7 does this too. There is no difference between the two, they are all the same. So my respect for the channel started to wane.

Add to that fact is that a lot of their storylines were copies of American stories. Captain Barbell was like the local version of Smallville. I was just thinking, is this Filipino creativity? Can’t we just make our own stories that reflect the lives and struggles of the Filipino and not the Western standards we all are programmed to adhere to?

Now, the only reason why I watch Gma-7 is because of Michael V. and Bubble Gang. Again, Michael V is a talent that Gma-7 should never let go of. The guy is a comedic genius. He has no counterpart in this generation.

So I am not a Kapamilya and also not a Kapuso, where do we go from here? Does this mean I am a Kapatid? Let’s see…

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Kapamilya, Kapuso or Kapatid? Pt. 1

These days, Filipinos are now confronted to answer a question that can dictate their social lives. This question is about what television channel he or she is fanatically watching.

This question can dictate their social lives because by watching a certain television channel shows, Filipinos can be updated about what is going on in showbiz. And if you are not updated, then you will be out of the loop; you will be unable to understand the latest television craze or keep up with telenovela updates. Television has now been a tool for peer pressure.

So like it or not, as a Filipino, you need to answer, are you a Kapamilya, Kapuso or Kapatid?
As a Filipino, I am neither of the three. Why? This is why.
First of all, I am not a Kapamilya because I do not like Abs-Cbn because of its boring shows that always center on dramas.

Dramas, or soaps, that always have the same storylines but just the different actors. Abs-Cbn is always about drama, they like to see people cry, they want to play with our emotions. Even in Wowowee before, they wanted their contestants to cry or dish out some teary story. That is why, Abs-Cbn loves Kris Aquino, because Kris always wants the drama of her life to be broadcasted and talked about by everyone. With Kris Aquino, Abs-Cbn has surpassed their teleseryes, because Kris is the real thing – a real drama queen, that is.

I also do not like Abs-Cbn because of the way they trick us by making Bea Alonzo, Toni Gonzaga, KC Concepcion and other stars and portraying them as full-fledged singers. They do this by putting them on a level parallel to real talents like Jed Madela, Christian Bautista, and Rachel Ann Go.

These stars sell a lot of albums even when they do not have real talent to back it up. These stars sell a lot of albums while talented bands and singers from the provinces do not get their due recognition.

These stars sell a lot of albums, even if they can’t sing. Actors that they are, they are just acting; only this time, it’s with a microphone. They are not singing; they are just trying to make us believe that they can sing. It is all an act, and they are very good at that.

There are still a lot of things I hate about Abs-Cbn from their biased news and all, for me, their only saving grace is Sarah Geronimo. That girl really has a talent, she can sing, dance act and be charming at the same time.

That is why Abs-Cbn, needs to hold on to her because that girl is one of the things that make Abs-CBN credible. Sarah Geronimo is their proof that they are a TV station with real talents. They should never let her go away.

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Coaching Women pt. 2

The second and important thing in coaching women is that a coach needs to respect women.
This means that male coaches who want to try coaching women should not see women as sexual objects, but instead to see them as human beings. A male coach should not be coaching a woman’s team because he wants to get a girlfriend out of it. Or even worse so he can get laid.
A male coach should stop looking at who is beautiful and who is not. He must focus on the skill level and on developing teamwork.
Now, I know that for guys, it must be really awesome to be coaching women and get an exponential increase in the number of female friends you have. Yes, this is good. But if a male coach thinks he can get more than friendship and makes “hooking up” as a primary objective in coaching, then his team will never respect him; they will never believe him. He may even get kicked out for his hidden agendas.
Then again, there are exemptions, because even if a male coach did not plan it, love can always blossom. This is always possible because there are a lot of beautiful and intelligent football players out there. So what must a male coach do in such a situation?
The male coach, because he respects the team, must talk about it to some of his players. He must ask the team if it is okay for them if the coach courts one of their teammates. And if it comes to that, the coach and his players must also discuss the adjustments needed if the coach gets busted or gets a “yes” from the girl.
If this is okay for the team – that their coach to court a player, then good. But if it is not okay, then a coach can either court that player after she graduates, or when that player is no longer on the team. A coach can also forget about his feelings or quit as a coach and decide if the girl-player is worth pursuing over the team. These are his options if indeed the male coach is “in love”.
And if the coach is truly in love, he really needs to be sure about his feelings and his intentions because, again, every wrong move he makes will affect his standing as coach. So he really needs to be sure. Is it love, or is it only just infatuation?
So these are my insights about coaching women. If a male coach truly is serious about coaching women, then he needs to treat women as equals; he needs to believe and respect them. If he can’t do all of that, then he can forget about his coaching career.

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What Happens to Impersonators?

Impersonators are comedians who copy politicians, celebrities or any famous person for a living. Impersonators are living caricatures of politicians and celebrities, they are funny and give us this awesome feeling of laughing at politicians or celebrities without the feeling of disrespecting them, because we are not laughing at the real thing.

Impersonators are really hilarious and by delivering their brand of entertainment and comedy have also attained fame just like the famous people they impersonate.

There is Pooh who became famous for impersonating Manny Pacquiao, there is Ate Glow impersonating Gloria Arroyo, Jon Santos for Vilma Santos, and Pokwang who impersonates Mommy Dionesia.

But the bad side of impersonators is that there jobs also depend on the fame of the celebrities and politicians they copy, this especially true for impersonators who can only copy one celebrity.

That is why, if Gloria Arroyo would not have won as a congressman and retire, this would take her out of the limelight. Which means impersonating her would no longer be relevant , so her impersonator Ate Glow would also be irrelevant and would have no job right now.

If we forget, Gloria Arroyo, we would also forget her impersonator Ate Glow. This is the bad side of impersonating, it is a temporary gig. So they better make the most of the fame right now before it’s gone.
This is also true of the many impersonators of Manny Pacquiao and coach Freddie Roach. When the time comes that Manny will retire, they will also lose their fame as impersonators.

This bad side of impersonating is even true to the greatest impersonator our country has, Willie Nepumoceno. Willie Nep is one of the best as he can copy a lot of politicians and celebrities.

The long list of people he has caricatured include former presidents Marcos, Ramos and Estrada. Willie Nep has also copied Freddie Aguilar and Fernando Poe Jr. Then just during elections, he has copied political aspirants Manny Villar, Gibo Teodoro, Dick Gordon and Noynoy Aquino.

But because Willie Nep has been very famous in copying Philippine presidents, he has also lost his gigs when Gloria Arroyo became president. Because this time even though he could impersonate a lot of people, he could not impersonate women. This was his weakness.

It all goes to show that even with a talent like Willie Nep, he is still affected about the fact about impersonating- their jobs are attached to the famous people they copy.

So what happens to impersonators? They lose their jobs. Impersonators achieve fame when the people they copy achieve fame. Impersonators also lose that fame when the people they copy lose that fame as well.
Though I hate to say this, for Willie Nep’s sake, thank God a man won the Philippine presidency. So that Willie Nep can be back doing his political comments on how this country is being run .Willie Nep is back to give us this excuse again to laugh at our presidents without being guilty about it. Because again, we are not laughing at the real thing, we are laughing at impersonators like Willie Nep.

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