RAIGE-O-LOGY

I hadn't intended to watch 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.' For starters, I hadn't seen Part 1, which disrupts the continuity. Additionally, I had already read the book. From past experiences, I knew that disappointment usually follows when you read the book before watching the film adaptation. Your imagination simply cannot be surpassed by any director or special effects team. Not to mention the inevitable omission of numerous scenes from the book. Lastly, I wanted to avoid getting caught up in the hype. I didn't want to be one of those people marveling at an ending that readers had known for a couple of years already. I hadn't planned to watch 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.' But life has a way of derailing our plans. In short, I found myself seated in a cinema, with a can of potato chips in one hand and a soda in the other, watching the trailers (including a teaser for a new Sherlock Holmes movie set to be released next yea...

Is a clergyman, who sustains themselves by taking advantage of people blinded by the illusion of eternal bliss, morally superior to a sex worker providing for their family with dignity? On what grounds can we justify an enraged mob violently assaulting a thief who was denied employment due to a lack of education? Does having tattoos and body piercings automatically brand someone as a drug addict or a criminal? Would you condemn a mother who relinquishes her child due to an inability to provide, or a pedophile who adopts vulnerable children to exploit them? Is a soldier who kills out of duty more morally upright than a terrorist who kills out of conviction? What defines what is right and what is wrong? Does another person's beliefs become inherently wrong if they conflict with your own? And if right and wrong are subjective to each individual's beliefs, should the concepts of right and wrong even exist?

I want to dedicate this post to the victims of the recent devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the very land that gave "tsunami" its name. The destruction caused by this disaster has left me truly overwhelmed, but equally amazed at how the Japanese people are handling the situation. Without making comparisons, it's evident that the response differs greatly from what we witnessed during the earthquake in Haiti. It led me to wonder if there might be another version of "We Are the World" in the works to aid our Japanese neighbors. Maybe they'll replace the "ha-ha-haiti-haiti" line with something like "a-a-a-arigato gozai mas." But joking aside, it is our duty to do whatever we can to assist them. It's the least we can do for a nation that has given us innovations like hentai and PlayStation. I also have a message for our local news programs. Can we please consider adjusting our reporting formats? Every time a disast...

Remember those school days when teachers assigned personal journal projects? Well, this book takes that concept and turns it upside down in the most intriguing way. I have to give major props to Bob Ong for crafting such a unique piece. At its core, the book is presented as a journal, but with a twist. You step into the shoes of someone who is reading another person's diary. Bob Ong's trademark humor and conversational style are present, but this time, there's a subtle hint of darkness. It's a different kind of darkness from what he explored in "MacArthur," which delved into real-life struggles. Here, it takes on a more supernatural tone. The story follows a young man who initially started the journal as a school project but decided to continue it even after graduating because he found solace in expressing his thoughts on its pages. Ong masterfully weaves in a creepy plotline when the young man begins documenting a recurring dream, or rather, nightmare, th...

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to catch an episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on TLC (formerly Discovery Travel & Living). The show revolved around Jamie's mission to promote healthy eating habits among the residents of West Virginia, a state known for having one of the highest rates of obesity in the US. During the episode, Jamie conducted an intriguing experiment involving local children. He believed that this experiment would have a profound impact on their food choices. Jamie's plan was to reveal how commercially-produced chicken nuggets were made, with the goal of making the children reluctant to consume them any longer. To begin, Jamie showed the children a whole chicken, excluding the head, feet, and feathers, of course. He removed the commonly sold parts such as the legs, thighs, wings, and breasts. What remained were some bones, excess skin, and a few internal organs and blood. Jamie processed these ingredients in a blender until they formed a sog...

My thumb twitched involuntarily, a result of nerve spasms or whatever medical jargon they assign to it. I casually flicked off the ash from my lit cigarette, observing as it floated away into the air. With each inhale, the second-hand smoke created ephemeral images of angels gracefully dancing among the clouds. I watched them intently until they dissolved into the chilly night air. In this fleeting moment, a sense of tranquility washed over me. The coldness outside was piercing, even more so than the temperature artificially maintained indoors. The atmosphere felt distinct within the confines of this former US Air Base, perhaps due to the expansive open fields surrounding it. The instant coffee in my disposable cup failed to provide the warmth I sought. Mental note: Always remember to bring a jacket. Nevertheless, I found solace in sitting on the benches outside the office. My colleagues and I would gather, engaging in lighthearted conversations, sharing genuinely funny jokes, apprec...

  I've been on the lookout for a buyer for the motorcycle I have sitting at home. Ever since I purchased a car, the motorcycle has been collecting dust. Besides, last year I witnessed not one, not two, but THREE motorcycle accidents. Let me recount those incidents for you: Accident #1: It was a rainy day, and I was on my way to work. As I sat near the door of the jeepney I was riding (I hadn't gotten my car yet, and I avoided taking the motorcycle in the rain), a guy on a motorcycle attempted to overtake the jeepney. Unfortunately, due to the slippery road, he skidded and landed face-first on the asphalt. Thankfully, the car behind him managed to brake in time, preventing a potentially fatal outcome. The rider sustained minor scratches and was able to stand up afterward. Accident #2: This one was far more severe. I was walking home with a colleague after work (notice the pattern?). Roughly twenty meters away from us, a motorcycle and a tricycle (a motorcycle with a sidecar) col...

Picture yourself relaxing in your favorite chair, engrossed in your favorite tabloid. Naturally, you decide to flip to the horoscope section to discover the general events that await you today, the lucky color that will bring you good fortune, and the numbers you should consider for the lottery. This has been your routine ever since you discovered the world of horoscopes. But then, a shocking revelation hits you while watching TV: there are actually 13 Zodiac signs, not 12! Oh my goodness! Could it be that your current sign isn't your true sign? The horror! Just think of all the missed opportunities for good luck when you wore green instead of red, chose different lottery numbers, or went on a date with that girl who smelled like a foot... According to Wikipedia, Ophiuchus, dubbed "the 13th Zodiac sign" by the media, is a large constellation situated along the celestial equator. Its name, derived from Greek, means "serpent-bearer." Ophiuchus is represented by a...

Hospitals are not my favorite place to be. Yet here I am, currently inside one, looking after my half-sibling from my father's side who has been hospitalized for the past two days. Since then, I've been by their side, making the most of the Wi-Fi connection and air-conditioning available. This act of staying with patients is a distinctive characteristic of Filipinos. Whenever a relative or loved one is admitted to the hospital, it is customary for someone to accompany and stay with the patient. In many Hollywood films, you often see patients left alone with only the nurses attending to them. While visitors are allowed, they must adhere to strict visiting hours. However, here in the Philippines, it is standard operating procedure for a family member or friend to provide constant company for the patient. This practice reflects the deep-rooted value Filipinos place on close family ties. I'm not implying that other cultures do not value their families, but they may have differe...

This marks my first post of the year, and in fact, my first post since September. I've been absent for the past three months, caught up in a mix of laziness, work exhaustion, lack of inspiration, excessive TV watching, and the trivialities of social media updates. Perhaps it's all just excuses, but one thing I know for certain is that I genuinely missed writing here on my blog, even if it's just for my one and only reader (yes, I'm aware of your loyal presence). Let's leave behind the melodramatic BS that I indulged in last year; I don't want to set a trend. Instead, allow me to share an update with you (yes, you, my faithful reader who may or may not have been deterred by that first paragraph) about what's been happening in my life so far. The previous year proved to be quite fruitful for me. I managed to purchase a not-so-new Harley Davidson knock-off, which unfortunately broke down after a mere three months. I lacked the know-how to fix it, so now it serv...