Unconventional Knowledge

23 Aug

History lesson. The United States of America had a massive crime drop back in the 1990s. And one of the biggest contributor to the decline is not effective policing techniques, harsher incarceration policies, or a stabilizing economy. It might come as a surprise but the answer is a rather simple but logical one; a young woman named Norma McCorvey wanted an abortion.  The court ruled in favor of McCorvey, on January 22, 1973, allowing abortion to be legalized throughout the US. This case triggered a series of events that would completely alter the face of the nation 20 years later.

Economist Steven Levitt wrote; “Decades of studies have shown that a child born into an adverse family environment is far more likely than other children to become criminal. And the millions of women most likely to have an abortion in the wake of [the McCorvey case] – poor, unmarried, and teenage mothers for whom illegal abortions had been too expensive or too hard to get – were often models of adversity. They were the very women whose children, if born, would have been much more likely than average to become criminals. But because of [the McCorvey case], these children weren’t being born.”

I’m not saying we should legalize abortion; that is probably the most stupid decision our country will make (as if we haven’t made myriads of them). All I’m saying is that, it’s about time for us to look at the economy-population correlation in a different perspective. A lot of children are suffering because they were brought up into the world by parents incapable of feeding themselves, let alone raising up a kid. You don’t need to a diploma in Economics or Political Science to solve a very simple equation; lack of finances = suffering = desperation = crime = more suffering. And we don’t even have to kill the unborn children to stop this vicious cycle. Prevention is the answer.

Oh and one more thing, to the religious leaders oppossing the RH Bill, please pay your taxes. Mahigit 5000 ang binabawas sa suweldo namin every month, maki share naman kayo. Pare pareho naman tayong nakatira sa iisang bahay eh. Peace out! (“,)

Gamespot’s Game of the Year

30 Dec

The results are in. Find out the games that got nominated and the game that won the coveted title. I would have to say the results were a little bit disappointing. There were a lot of good games that weren’t included in the top 10, particularly my personal favorite “Alan Wake”,  because of lackluster fan support.

Feel Alive

30 Dec

Modern society makes it hard for people to feel like something in their life actually makes sense. Our lifestyle today has become so tedious, we barely have enough time to sit down and reflect on the events that transpired within the last 24 hours. We drag our bones to work, only to find the same set of responsibilities, same repetitive and mundane tasks, and the same set of people we’d like to call office mates or what-not, who would simply go through the motions wishing for the day to end. It’s infectious!

For some people, their lifestyles are almost practically the same as that of an AI’s; operate under the conditions set by the ones who programmed the system. I’m not an exception. I also partake in this uninteresting corporate thing, simply because of the financial rewards. As a matter of fact some days I feel like I’m part of a hive mind.

Then, I figured out that the reason for all of these is that the corporate, and our social structure as a whole barely gives us enough clearance to be diverse, creative and child like. For some reason, the “people who are in charge”, not just the government, but those whom we consider our bosses, wanted us to conform to the norms and do things like everyone does, or at least what they wanted everyone to do. And in the end the repetitive responsibilities and tasks that we need to meet zap our vitality and enthusiasm to an almost lethal level. The sad part is that most of us are stuck with it, because there is no immediate way out. I then realized that the most logical thing to do in case you don’t like what you’re seeing/feeling but it’s beyond your power to reshape things the way you see it fit, is to change your perception.

Now, the question is how will I keep myself interested in the things that I’m supposed to do at work or at school everyday…? Answer is, you don’t have to. What you can do is to make yourself feel alive each and every time you come in and out of the workplace/school, and back to the comfort of your home.

Within the next few days, I’ll post some suggestions and tips on how you can shake off that monotonous feel out of your system and see life through a different perspective. Feel alive!

Farewell Alice Act II: Persistence

2 Jan

I took the blue pill, and it was a bitter one to swallow. Somehow, thoughts of me taking in the red pill still lingers like skid marks on a racetrack.

I’ll learn the truth at my own pace. It’s about time I start dictating the influx of experiences that would shape the rest of my life. But I made up my mind; I’m not giving up on the red. I have cheated Eros when I snagged the red pill off his hand right after I swallowed the blue. I can’t deny the fact that I’m as stubborn and as resilient as a locust horde. I’ll keep the red until I’m ready, or maybe just burn it in the flames of procrastination. Time will tell.

Destiny is the perfect excuse for people who are afraid to go out and pave their own path. I’m not fond of making excuses. But it is imperative that I go back to my Wonderland, dream, wait for the perfect time to jump out of the rabbit hole and go after Alice, and hope that she has left enough bread crumbs for me to find my way.

Until then, I’ll have to augment myself and ascend, hoping she’ll find me worthy.

Farewell Alice Act I: Impulse

1 Jan

A man should know when to let things go and call it quits. He can’t simply live in Wonderland hoping some Alice would come out from the other side and make his world a bit more colorful.

I was given a choice; I reached out for the red pill out of inquisitiveness. I figured out I can gamble my life for a reality I have never experienced. For a moment I thought, it was the right thing to do. I felt that what I have inside me is real and that I have to fight for it, let her know about it. I peered into the unknown only to be disappointed that the truth I’m seeking for is all a lie. I would never jump into the rabbit hole, I now know how deep it is. I got burned in the process. I can never continue an existence which denies me of the most sensible things in life. An existence which depends solely on her afterimage. An illusion conjured out of bliss. A negated insinuation of her warm acceptance and hopes that the hands of fate are at work.

I will instead take the blue pill not because I didn’t want to know what if, but because I wish to seek the potential truth in a less mind jarring set of circumstances. Where she can never haunt me, where my senses would stop craving for her presence. I’d go back to my journey and continue seeking what I have lost; the will to feel alive. At last I can free myself from her lethal grip; a sudden but overwhelming hold. At last I can be more than just a shadow of the North Star. In my own time, I’ll have the chance to shine brighter than the Sun.

My contemporaries made me realize there’s more to life than picking up the scraps in the wake of Alice. She was an inspiration, a muse that I’m grateful to have had. Now it’s time to move on, time to build my legacy, and I’m going to share it with the people who have always been there for me, observing silently from the shadows, waiting for my return.

Someday the tables will turn, and I’ll be there when it happens.

Avatar Weekend

27 Dec

Watched James Cameron’s Avatar the other day, two thumbs up, I’d raise more if I have ‘em. We’re done with aliens invading Earth, this time tables have turned; humans are doing all the oppression and tyranny. If you want to know more about the plot and all, visit this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_%282009_film%29.

At first I was skeptical whether or not the film would live up to its hype; normally these movies would either be epic success or epic failure. But I’m glad we bought those tickets. It’s an audio-visual treat. The 2D release is awesome enough, the 3D version of the film – freaking awesome! James Cameron has outdone himself. It’s clearly a more socially relevant movie than Titanic. The quality of the CGI, the film used, and the artistic value, is way off the scale. At 3D the movie even emulates human sight, which is frighteningly surreal.

The movie bites you hard and won’t let go ’till you get the big picture. Avatar clearly reflects the society we’re living in now, the morality of our civilization; consume the planet’s resources, strip it bare, then obtain new means of sustaining the self proclaimed development through coercion or brute force. If you’ve been living under a rock, or simply buried your head in the sand, you won’t appreciate too much of the film’s audacity. But if you immerse yourself in the cleverness and the complexities of Avatar’s subliminal messaging, you’ll realize that the bitter truth is that we, humans, have the tendency to be more barbaric, irrational, and uncivilized than animals.

There were also moments in the film when one would feel that the history of American colonization was being retold in an entirely different viewpoint; Na’vis were like Indians while the invading humans represented the colonizing Americans. The comparisons between the two opposing forces are also apparent; Na’vis lead a seemingly primitive looking lifestyle but upon careful examination, they actually utilize a highly advanced means of merging with the ecosystem to get them through their daily lives, while the humans, completely devoid of any consideration for the balance of things, goes in hard with their weaponry and ego to destroy everything. This is the bitter pill we have to swallow everyday, our race is bent towards destruction and we’re not even aware of it. We have completely forgotten the Green.

In the end, the film teaches us that there are myriads of ways on how we can catapult the advancement of human technology and our civilization as a whole to greater heights without harming the planet – sustainable development. The question is, are we willing to leave our ways behind and begin embracing the intricate web of nature?

We’ve seen numerous projects being rejected by the government simply because it’s not profitable for them; cars that run on water-based fuel through hydrolysis, alternative sources of energy like solar and wind as primary means of producing electricity, and a whole lot more. Our dependency towards fossil fuel is so great that we are willing to wage wars and exterminate a whole country just to dip our hands into this precious commodity.

We are belittling our ingenuity; we can do a whole lot more without endangering the health of our planet. We can be one with the environment and still create marvels beyond our imagination. We’re only using a fraction of our brain’s potential, we have to learn to live forever and live to learn forever. So probably right after the crap fest we call Metro Manila Film Festival, you’ll find time to check out the movie and open up your mind to what James Cameron has to say.

Global Warming Virtual March

23 Nov
I signed up to join the Stop Global Warming Virtual March and I encourage you to add your voice as well. Global warming is the most urgent issue of our time and since we are all contributors to global warming pollution we must all be part of the solution. Joining the Virtual March is a first step to joining the movement to demand solutions now. You can join by visiting: http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/countmein.asp
StopGlobalWarming.org’s mission is to use the strength of numbers to urge our government to address global warming, and urge businesses to start a new industrial revolution of clean energy that reduces our dependence on oil and helps stop global warming. Together we can make a difference.

World Without Humans

1 Feb
“Why are we here?” What purpose do we serve in this grand design? I mean, Earth has a very intricate ecological system, a self sustaining system that can work just fine without us. Plants absorb energy from the nearest source – the sun – and lays the foundation of the food chain. They also produce oxygen – a byproduct of photosynthesis – which is essential for animal survival. In return animals eat plants, give off carbon dioxide and manure to fertilize the soil making it suitable for plant growth, everything comes back full circle. Now before we get any geekier, let’s look at a brief history of what we’ve done so far.

For the longest time, we’ve done nothing to maintain the intricate ecological balance. The earliest group of humans were nomadic. They move from one place to another consuming all resources available. When the resources are finally depleted, they look for “greener pastures” leaving a trail of empty landscape. They rarely give anything back to help Earth start over. And after two millennia of conflicts and wars what we’ve proven so far is that we’re nothing more than a virus – as what Agent Smith from the Matrix said – a disease to this planet.

But somehow, we’re still here. And it makes perfect sense. We’re relatively weak and puny compared to other mighty beasts. Our flesh is susceptible to various weather conditions compared to other species who seemed to have adapted extremely well to their surroundings. Yet we have intelligence, and an opposable thumb that lets us utilize tools. Somehow, we have a sense of morality; knowing what is right and what is wrong. And if it’s still not clear to you, then let me spell it out; Among all the living creatures dwelling on Earth, we are the only ones capable of protecting all the other species on this planet. Question is, what are you gonna’ do with that power?

You see it’s not a question of capability, it’s a question of morality. “What have you done to make this planet a better place to live in?”