Back in the Classical episode of this civilization, the heroes that we looked up to were all pretty idealized. To say that they were pumped up, polished, and over the top would be—as Jake calls it—“a dryness.” Ha.
Like Achilles, the most ‘handsome’ and fleetest of the heroes assembled at Troy. Or Beowulf from Geats, a Germanic tribe from Southern Sweden. He adeptly kills a dragon before his own death.
During the past few years however, heroes have been depicted as ordinary human beings. You got Holden Caulfield, the lanky teenage protagonist who exhibits the very qualities that he abhors seeing on people—flamboyance, phoniness, etc.
Want a dose of pop heroes deconstructed, peeled to expose their rickety interiors? Look at Clark Kent’s adventures in the super series Smallville, where audiences witness him deal with adolescence while he’s exploring superhearing, x-ray vision, his extraterrestrial origin.
And now, there are post-modern heroes, less than ordinary citizens who demonstrate the symptoms of mega diseases that have plagued mankind. A robber, a schizo, a mental patient, a maniac, Borat. Weird thing is, a lot of people are buying this stripped bare vibe.
Wonder what’s in store for our heroes in the upcoming years.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Friday, November 24, 2006
Empire records
I recently read Michael Parenti's new book, The Assassination of Julius Caesar. The point the author makes is that plutocrats who wanted to maintain the status quo killed Caesar. Caesar, they thought, was more of a populist. War, however, suited the rich. It allowed them to amass wealth at the expense of the middle class and poor while enslaving the conquered peoples.
The technique was simple. First tax the middle class and tie them to heavy citizenship obligations. Male Roman citizens owed the government 20 years of military service. As a result, the middles class, craftsmen, and small farmers couldn’t pass their skills or businesses to their heirs who were overseas fighting foreign wars. Over several generations the middle class was squeezed into poverty.
That’s not much different than what happened in the US months ago. The government was using the cost of the Afghani and Iraqi wars to transfer wealth from the middle class to the rich. Over $200 billion had been moved from the civilian sector to military companies. Meanwhile schools across their country closed libraries and cut back arts, music, and sports programs.
Empires use wars to accumulate wealth. The Romans collected resources and captured slaves, which were so cheap a source of labor that owners kept the sexes separated. It was cheaper to buy slaves than to breed them. Rome, or at least its wealthy, grew rich from the country’s foreign adventures.
When Britain invaded using force and diplomacy, it systematically looted the country of its wealth. In fact, just the jewels remove from the Taj Mahal mausoleum paid the costs of running the British government for several years. The Soviet Empire lasted seventy years, until the conquered peoples were drained dry and couldn’t support the Russians. The standard of living dropped precipitously, and the empire imploded.
Empires come and empires go. The Egyptians lived in relative peace for more than 3,000 years. Anthropologists think that there was an early empire in South America that lasted three millennia, too. Their achievements are forgotten and their remains have been covered by jungle. We have seen the death, birth, and death of many empires in the last century. Just a few that you might remember: the six-year reign of the Nazi’s 1000-year empire, the ending of the French, Dutch, and British empires, the Soviets, and now the sole superpower, the US.
My History professor last year told us that he was glad to see America waste its resources on trying to secure Afghanistan and Iraq. He said that these were unwinnable wars because there was no front. There was no demarcation of enemy and friend. Instead, every time you turn your back, someone can be aiming at you. That’s exactly how the Americans fought against the British and their mercenaries, the Hessians, in the 1770s. They didn’t confront the regiments in battle, but picked them off. The rebels had the advantage because it was their home territory, they knew the land and they had the support of much of the population.
This morning in Creative Writing class, the professor told us that the Bush regime may cause the abortion of the nascent American Empire. There is no way for the US to take wealth from either Afghanistan or Iraq. All efforts will be subject to sabotage and will be doomed to failure. This is what pleased my CW prof so much. He views these wars as the exploits of a fool who is using up the nation’s resources. Voila! End of the empire just as it’s digging in its feet.
Minutes ago, Atom was saying that America’s the world’s most dangerous country: The real evil empire. He would be glad to see it implode or fade into the dustbin of history, and sooner rather than later. The longer the US tries to impose itself on the world, the more the world will suffer for it. Bush’s invasion is a great failure and will use up the country’s wealth. It will be a boon to the world if it hastens the fall of this empire.
I thought back to my quick study of Portuguese history last summer. In the early 15th century Prince Henry the Navigator, started a navigation school in Portugal. It was the rocket science center of the time. The Portuguese started exploring the coast of Africa and began the slave trade in 1434, selling them in Europe. At the same time they invaded Morocco on a religious crusade. They were defeated so badly that they were only allowed to retreat when the Portuguese king’s younger bro was left as a hostage. (He was never ransomed.) In 1947 Portugal went through another depression, when it chased out the Jews, who comprised a great proportion of the artisans, traders, and intellectual class. They immigrated to Holland and helped it become a great trading nation.
Portugal recovered. During the next century it grew richer with foreign trade and conquest. Since the navigation school had made them so rich, you’d think they’d have devoted more money to science, tech, and education. That would be my thought, too.
A century passed and another especially fanatical king decided that it wasn’t trade and colonizing that made them so blessed, it was God. Therefore they should finish the job and invade North Africa. In 1578 his band of 18,000 ill-prepared men, boys, and nobles invaded. The men boiled in their metal armor under the African sun. The wagon wheels were caught in the sand. There were no provisions. Almost all were killed, lost, or enslaved. The one silver lining was that Sebastian the Regrettable died in the fiasco.
Bush is following in Sebastian’s footsteps. He de-funded the Hubble Space Station, blinding our eye on the universe and letting cosmological science fade away. He has cut back spending on education, higher ed, basic science and civilian technological research. These are the aspects of their industry that keep US society dynamic. Without cultural and scientific innovation, the true Am Empire, based on tech, will shrivel.
The Egyptians, Chinese, Portuguese, and many after them had the most vital, advanced civilizations with high tech that surpassed others. Times changed and the hotspot shifted. The US Empire may turn out to be one of the shortest. It really doesn’t matter. After all, who will know that we existed in one thousand years?
Next millennium, humans probably won’t even look the same. In a few years the keys to genetic engineering will be available to the rich and the middle class. Order up your kid: A girl, five foot eight, greenish blue eyes, outgoing, medium large busted who has modified risk orientation, enjoys music with a beat, … order ‘em up and we’ll modify your little baby to make it just the way you want it.
If these changes include the reproductive organs, each generation will modify permanently. Humans will evolve faster than ever. A thousand years, forty generations of directed genetic modification, will certainly result in a different form of human in ways that might now all be anticipated. Not only will year 3000 English be undecipherable to a 21st century dude, but the creatures will be the product of intentional evolution. Something new under the sun.
I usually make an entry like this private, but whatever it would be funny to read all of it again tomorrow morning when I’m back to the usual.
The technique was simple. First tax the middle class and tie them to heavy citizenship obligations. Male Roman citizens owed the government 20 years of military service. As a result, the middles class, craftsmen, and small farmers couldn’t pass their skills or businesses to their heirs who were overseas fighting foreign wars. Over several generations the middle class was squeezed into poverty.
That’s not much different than what happened in the US months ago. The government was using the cost of the Afghani and Iraqi wars to transfer wealth from the middle class to the rich. Over $200 billion had been moved from the civilian sector to military companies. Meanwhile schools across their country closed libraries and cut back arts, music, and sports programs.
Empires use wars to accumulate wealth. The Romans collected resources and captured slaves, which were so cheap a source of labor that owners kept the sexes separated. It was cheaper to buy slaves than to breed them. Rome, or at least its wealthy, grew rich from the country’s foreign adventures.
When Britain invaded using force and diplomacy, it systematically looted the country of its wealth. In fact, just the jewels remove from the Taj Mahal mausoleum paid the costs of running the British government for several years. The Soviet Empire lasted seventy years, until the conquered peoples were drained dry and couldn’t support the Russians. The standard of living dropped precipitously, and the empire imploded.
Empires come and empires go. The Egyptians lived in relative peace for more than 3,000 years. Anthropologists think that there was an early empire in South America that lasted three millennia, too. Their achievements are forgotten and their remains have been covered by jungle. We have seen the death, birth, and death of many empires in the last century. Just a few that you might remember: the six-year reign of the Nazi’s 1000-year empire, the ending of the French, Dutch, and British empires, the Soviets, and now the sole superpower, the US.
My History professor last year told us that he was glad to see America waste its resources on trying to secure Afghanistan and Iraq. He said that these were unwinnable wars because there was no front. There was no demarcation of enemy and friend. Instead, every time you turn your back, someone can be aiming at you. That’s exactly how the Americans fought against the British and their mercenaries, the Hessians, in the 1770s. They didn’t confront the regiments in battle, but picked them off. The rebels had the advantage because it was their home territory, they knew the land and they had the support of much of the population.
This morning in Creative Writing class, the professor told us that the Bush regime may cause the abortion of the nascent American Empire. There is no way for the US to take wealth from either Afghanistan or Iraq. All efforts will be subject to sabotage and will be doomed to failure. This is what pleased my CW prof so much. He views these wars as the exploits of a fool who is using up the nation’s resources. Voila! End of the empire just as it’s digging in its feet.
Minutes ago, Atom was saying that America’s the world’s most dangerous country: The real evil empire. He would be glad to see it implode or fade into the dustbin of history, and sooner rather than later. The longer the US tries to impose itself on the world, the more the world will suffer for it. Bush’s invasion is a great failure and will use up the country’s wealth. It will be a boon to the world if it hastens the fall of this empire.
I thought back to my quick study of Portuguese history last summer. In the early 15th century Prince Henry the Navigator, started a navigation school in Portugal. It was the rocket science center of the time. The Portuguese started exploring the coast of Africa and began the slave trade in 1434, selling them in Europe. At the same time they invaded Morocco on a religious crusade. They were defeated so badly that they were only allowed to retreat when the Portuguese king’s younger bro was left as a hostage. (He was never ransomed.) In 1947 Portugal went through another depression, when it chased out the Jews, who comprised a great proportion of the artisans, traders, and intellectual class. They immigrated to Holland and helped it become a great trading nation.
Portugal recovered. During the next century it grew richer with foreign trade and conquest. Since the navigation school had made them so rich, you’d think they’d have devoted more money to science, tech, and education. That would be my thought, too.
A century passed and another especially fanatical king decided that it wasn’t trade and colonizing that made them so blessed, it was God. Therefore they should finish the job and invade North Africa. In 1578 his band of 18,000 ill-prepared men, boys, and nobles invaded. The men boiled in their metal armor under the African sun. The wagon wheels were caught in the sand. There were no provisions. Almost all were killed, lost, or enslaved. The one silver lining was that Sebastian the Regrettable died in the fiasco.
Bush is following in Sebastian’s footsteps. He de-funded the Hubble Space Station, blinding our eye on the universe and letting cosmological science fade away. He has cut back spending on education, higher ed, basic science and civilian technological research. These are the aspects of their industry that keep US society dynamic. Without cultural and scientific innovation, the true Am Empire, based on tech, will shrivel.
The Egyptians, Chinese, Portuguese, and many after them had the most vital, advanced civilizations with high tech that surpassed others. Times changed and the hotspot shifted. The US Empire may turn out to be one of the shortest. It really doesn’t matter. After all, who will know that we existed in one thousand years?
Next millennium, humans probably won’t even look the same. In a few years the keys to genetic engineering will be available to the rich and the middle class. Order up your kid: A girl, five foot eight, greenish blue eyes, outgoing, medium large busted who has modified risk orientation, enjoys music with a beat, … order ‘em up and we’ll modify your little baby to make it just the way you want it.
If these changes include the reproductive organs, each generation will modify permanently. Humans will evolve faster than ever. A thousand years, forty generations of directed genetic modification, will certainly result in a different form of human in ways that might now all be anticipated. Not only will year 3000 English be undecipherable to a 21st century dude, but the creatures will be the product of intentional evolution. Something new under the sun.
I usually make an entry like this private, but whatever it would be funny to read all of it again tomorrow morning when I’m back to the usual.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Flaky
Shot some prints with Frank and Wacky today for a new magazine, including ack! a self-portrait.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Whimsyland, thank you for all the things you have taught me, I love you
Do you guys remember Whimsyland? I used to hang out there every Sunday when I was a kid. Batang tambay ako dun, spendin hours, goin crazy over the most awesome yet extremely chezy games.
Whatever happened to Whimsyland? I've been wondering about this ever since Shang kicked it out of its prop.
I found out yesterday afternoon, on my way home.
And I hate to talk about it because it's just sad.
But I have to. Release. RELEASE!!
When I saw those arcade machines, I told myself that there's something eerily familiar with them. After a few seconds, I gasped, “Potek Whimsy!”
And true enough. The minute I stepped inside the area, I knew I was back inside the incredible place that served as a second home—no, sanctuary—to gazillions of kids all over town.
Whimsyland, the place that captured my heart, is now located inside the mall connected to the Araneta Cubao MRT station, the one that you have to pass by going to Gateway.
It's in the 3rd floor, isolated from the rest of the stores. Whimsyland, a childhood cornerstone, is at the third floor of a poorly kept mall, sufferin from bad lighting, stinky walls and floors, and amazingly sucky prizes.
I remember winning cool stuff like remote control cars, giant action figures, and walkie talkies from the old Whimsy. Now the top prize is a teddy bear, accented with medyo cheapo eyeballs and shaggy fur, and a suspicious grin reminiscent of Tinky-Winky of Teletubz.
I played a few games, and I felt like wow, I can't explain it, ibang klase. It was like I was back to childhood days. Me, alone, at Whimsyland, playin the exact same machines I played with a decade ago.
I won 57 tickets, and I got a Ninja Turtles pencil, and an eraser with an image of a cow, and the word MOO! on it.
Puwede.
My PE this sem is Wrestling. Grabe, ang saya. Seryoso, the best.
Immediately after Wrestling, I run to Spanish class.
I dunno why I wrote that.
Whatever happened to Whimsyland? I've been wondering about this ever since Shang kicked it out of its prop.
I found out yesterday afternoon, on my way home.
And I hate to talk about it because it's just sad.
But I have to. Release. RELEASE!!
When I saw those arcade machines, I told myself that there's something eerily familiar with them. After a few seconds, I gasped, “Potek Whimsy!”
And true enough. The minute I stepped inside the area, I knew I was back inside the incredible place that served as a second home—no, sanctuary—to gazillions of kids all over town.
Whimsyland, the place that captured my heart, is now located inside the mall connected to the Araneta Cubao MRT station, the one that you have to pass by going to Gateway.
It's in the 3rd floor, isolated from the rest of the stores. Whimsyland, a childhood cornerstone, is at the third floor of a poorly kept mall, sufferin from bad lighting, stinky walls and floors, and amazingly sucky prizes.
I remember winning cool stuff like remote control cars, giant action figures, and walkie talkies from the old Whimsy. Now the top prize is a teddy bear, accented with medyo cheapo eyeballs and shaggy fur, and a suspicious grin reminiscent of Tinky-Winky of Teletubz.
I played a few games, and I felt like wow, I can't explain it, ibang klase. It was like I was back to childhood days. Me, alone, at Whimsyland, playin the exact same machines I played with a decade ago.
I won 57 tickets, and I got a Ninja Turtles pencil, and an eraser with an image of a cow, and the word MOO! on it.
Puwede.
My PE this sem is Wrestling. Grabe, ang saya. Seryoso, the best.
Immediately after Wrestling, I run to Spanish class.
I dunno why I wrote that.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
WINNAR
After waiting in line for more than four hours, I was given a slot in Math 2. IN THE SCHEDULE THAT I WANTED.
Walking out of the enlistment room, I glanced towards the long queue outside, where the populace looked at me with a blend of exasperation and umbrage. Cry children.
Naunahan ko pa si Wacky at Miko, na medyo naging maangas due to the hours of waiting.
Wacky: Grabe pare, we just hit the three-hour mark.
Miko: Bad trip.
Girl seated in front of us: Um, three hours lang?
Wacky and Miko: ??!
Girl seated in front of us: 6 am pa kami nandito, no!?
Wacky: Ok.
Miko: Good for you.
You should've seen the girl's reaction. Near spastic fit na.
Iba talaga pag competitive.
Walking out of the enlistment room, I glanced towards the long queue outside, where the populace looked at me with a blend of exasperation and umbrage. Cry children.
Naunahan ko pa si Wacky at Miko, na medyo naging maangas due to the hours of waiting.
Wacky: Grabe pare, we just hit the three-hour mark.
Miko: Bad trip.
Girl seated in front of us: Um, three hours lang?
Wacky and Miko: ??!
Girl seated in front of us: 6 am pa kami nandito, no!?
Wacky: Ok.
Miko: Good for you.
You should've seen the girl's reaction. Near spastic fit na.
Iba talaga pag competitive.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Unibersidad ng Pila
Today's the start of reg at my school.
It's hell time once again, kids!
Turns out am taking CW 180 - Comicbook Writing, instead of the Fiction class with Sir Butch Dalisay. Sayang! Pero oh well, mukhang fun ang 180.
I'm using a temporary number for my phone. Please e-mail me your numbers. Thanks!
Great weekend. Friday, went to Tagaytay with friends. Went home Saturday night. The next morning, went to Los Banos for a family reunion. Good times.
Mga vandal sa school. Sent to me by a classmate.
Fine Arts Wall:
"nobody cares"
somebody answered:
"not even the carebares?"
then another:
"not even kier?"
then:
"not even zoren?"
lastly:
"not even zorro?"
all written by different people.
AS (Arts and Sciences Hall):
AS chairs:
"push button to eject seatmate"
"push button to eject urself"
"push button to kill teacher."
"push button to eject teacher"
...reply: "it's jammed! We're doomed!"
AS chair :
"you know bobo? bobo is you!"
AS 1st floor CR:
"if you forget the past, then you porget the purious.."
AS 1st floor CR uli:
"I'm a simple gay "
tapos may sumagot:
"sira! Dapat 'Im simple and gay!' Taga peyups ka ba? duh! "
tapos me sumagot ulit (with matching arrow pa na nakaturo dun sa reply)
"sira ka rin! yung simple is used as an adjective tapos yung gay is used as a noun. kaya ok lang yung simple gay nya!"
CHEM:
Chem chair:
"push button to spray acid on prof's face."
Another chem chair:
"You Boron!!!"
BIO:
Bio chair:
"Push cadaver to haunt teacher."
FO Santos:
"SA MGA NAGTATAPON NG BASURA DITO... bawal."
ENG'G:
Sa Men's CR, facing the urinal:
"Hawak ko saking mga kamay ang kinabukasan ng bayan!"
Reply:
"the future you are holding is very small."
MATH:
sa cr sa may math building:
"SUMAPI SA NPA! "
may sumagot:
"PAANO? "
may sumagot pa:
"MAGFILL UP NG COUPON AT IHULOG SA PINAKAMALAPIT NA DROP BOX SA SUKING TINDAHAN!"
sa math 3rd floor, sa isang upuan uli.
"you'll NEVER find what you're looking for"
May nag-reply:
"find x."
3rd floor math cr:
"kaibigan, pagkapatos mong umihi, paki PLUS mo naman, hehehe."
VINZONS:
Wall ng vinzons
"Do not steal. The government hates competition"
men's cr sa Vinzon's:
"remember: the hands that clean this toilet are the same hands that cook your food."
men's cr waaaay above the urinal:
"if you can reach this, the fire department wants you!"
MAIN LIB
Sa isang lamesa ng main lib, filipiniana section:
"UP STUDENTS HAS BECOME PATETHIC"
tapos may sumagot...
"mali pang grammar at spelling mo, halatang di ka taga UP"
KALAI: (short for Kalayaan)
nietzsche-"god is dead"
God- "Nietzsche is dead!"
It's hell time once again, kids!
Turns out am taking CW 180 - Comicbook Writing, instead of the Fiction class with Sir Butch Dalisay. Sayang! Pero oh well, mukhang fun ang 180.
I'm using a temporary number for my phone. Please e-mail me your numbers. Thanks!
Great weekend. Friday, went to Tagaytay with friends. Went home Saturday night. The next morning, went to Los Banos for a family reunion. Good times.
Mga vandal sa school. Sent to me by a classmate.
Fine Arts Wall:
"nobody cares"
somebody answered:
"not even the carebares?"
then another:
"not even kier?"
then:
"not even zoren?"
lastly:
"not even zorro?"
all written by different people.
AS (Arts and Sciences Hall):
AS chairs:
"push button to eject seatmate"
"push button to eject urself"
"push button to kill teacher."
"push button to eject teacher"
...reply: "it's jammed! We're doomed!"
AS chair :
"you know bobo? bobo is you!"
AS 1st floor CR:
"if you forget the past, then you porget the purious.."
AS 1st floor CR uli:
"I'm a simple gay "
tapos may sumagot:
"sira! Dapat 'Im simple and gay!' Taga peyups ka ba? duh! "
tapos me sumagot ulit (with matching arrow pa na nakaturo dun sa reply)
"sira ka rin! yung simple is used as an adjective tapos yung gay is used as a noun. kaya ok lang yung simple gay nya!"
CHEM:
Chem chair:
"push button to spray acid on prof's face."
Another chem chair:
"You Boron!!!"
BIO:
Bio chair:
"Push cadaver to haunt teacher."
FO Santos:
"SA MGA NAGTATAPON NG BASURA DITO... bawal."
ENG'G:
Sa Men's CR, facing the urinal:
"Hawak ko saking mga kamay ang kinabukasan ng bayan!"
Reply:
"the future you are holding is very small."
MATH:
sa cr sa may math building:
"SUMAPI SA NPA! "
may sumagot:
"PAANO? "
may sumagot pa:
"MAGFILL UP NG COUPON AT IHULOG SA PINAKAMALAPIT NA DROP BOX SA SUKING TINDAHAN!"
sa math 3rd floor, sa isang upuan uli.
"you'll NEVER find what you're looking for"
May nag-reply:
"find x."
3rd floor math cr:
"kaibigan, pagkapatos mong umihi, paki PLUS mo naman, hehehe."
VINZONS:
Wall ng vinzons
"Do not steal. The government hates competition"
men's cr sa Vinzon's:
"remember: the hands that clean this toilet are the same hands that cook your food."
men's cr waaaay above the urinal:
"if you can reach this, the fire department wants you!"
MAIN LIB
Sa isang lamesa ng main lib, filipiniana section:
"UP STUDENTS HAS BECOME PATETHIC"
tapos may sumagot...
"mali pang grammar at spelling mo, halatang di ka taga UP"
KALAI: (short for Kalayaan)
nietzsche-"god is dead"
God- "Nietzsche is dead!"
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