Chopsticks

A walk through my neighborhood at 3 am in the morning is an eye opener. Who would believe that this neighborhood can be capable of being quiet and serene. So quiet that I can hear the slight drizzle's individual drops, like a random audio bed playing for me as i flip flopped my way to the main thoroughfare. The sound of vehicles, rising and falling as they came and went past me provided a rhythmic addition to my audio bed. A tricycle stopped and the sound of its engines broke through my reverie.

"Ateneo? double ride?"

A nod from the driver and im on my way to my school. The rhythmic sound of the drizzle is gone now, the pulsating throb of the engine took its place. but the rise and fall of passing vehicles stayed. lights from lamp posts lazily danced before my thousand mile stare. ten minutes later im standing before the gates of Ateneo. A sleepy eyed guard opened the gate. Walking towards the left side of the school the gates closing behind me clanged, signalling the start of a stillness so deep that it brought me to a pensive reflection on how i could take over the world with a pair of chopsticks. I opened to the radio station and turned on the transmitter, airconditioners, monitors, mixers, amplifiers, computers, prepared a playlist and waited for the clock ticks to tell me that it is time to broadcast. While waiting for the right time i asked the question once again, is it possible to conquer the world with a pair of chopsticks? I wasn't able to answer the question though.

Delusion

In her blog, Dr. Digna Alba relates that "People cannot do anything about this. The media can. But the demand for the circus is so great that all media can do right now is to give in to this demand. Media can be gullible...gullibly strong at times. So, everyone gets a free ticket to carnival chaos!"(1) I beg to disagree when it comes to Philippine setting. Here is why...

Filipino communicators is one of the best in the world, coupled with idealism it is almost a perfect mix. Why a almost perfect? Simply because the idealists can complain and gripe all they want but they lack the power to do anything about it. Information is controlled by power blocs. These blocs are either those in power or those trying to bring those in power down, so they could takeover.

The supposedly "Gatekeepers of information" controls the information distribution here in Philippines, in theory that is, but in practice it is those media giants that control it. If you will watch, listen, and read closely you will be able to surmise a network or paper's side in an issue. This is subtly done, but one will understand what I'm trying to say, if they try doing what I will propose.

Try this as thought experiment. ABS-CBN's clock is ahead around five minutes with GMA's clock, thus TV Patrol is shown first than SAKSI. Anyway pay attention to the words used by TV Patrol and contrast those from what SAKSI used. Remember though that this is applicable only on controversial issues, because crimes and the like is pretty straightforward to be manipulated. This is also happening on Newspapers and it is done in a more blatant way. Simply compare their headlines, one will not put the issue as headline the other will, if they have the same headline, compare the words used in the headline and it will be clearer but if both has same sounding headlines, check the article itself. The radio networks follows almost an identical pattern with what is being done in TV.

It is not the media which is gullible it is the audience because they keep on taking what the media is giving to them, the media is deluded rather than gullible, because they firmly believe and think that they are serving truth, but the truth is that they are serving their own interests. Please do take note that I can say this only on the Philippine setting.

1. Digna Alba. Pointblank: free ticket to a carnival named chaos.
www.digna38.blogspot.com. 2005

Gutom

My world begun spin and tumble like an F-16 stalling on a high speed dog fight. Colors of red, green, and yellow began to fade out and the color black with varying sized spots of white started to overwhelm the swirl of colors. It is a wild ride willingly gone unto that went wrong. Panic begun to seep into my consciousness. A fear stemming from my baser instincts is continually sending signals to the rational part of my brain. rationality and instinct, at war, pulling me towards panic and positive action at the same time.

A loud pop followed with a sharp jolt of pain on behind my head pulled me back out of the spin, the kaleidoscope of colors ceased. Panic flew out of the room faster than the speed of sound, maybe even light. Everything is back to normal. It was my head hitting the wall behind that brought me back to real world. I really had to stop this crash diet, this will kill me sooner or later and by the going of things it will be soon. See you around I have to take a bite...

Plastic

A smile that could melt ice, a beauty that could turn heads, and an intelligence that could not be labelled as pushover. Caution should be exercised by those she meet. Because beneath the beautiful exterior a ruthless and cunning mind continuously plots to bring the end of her perceived enemies.

Everything is a facade nowadays, even the westerners erect facades. Erecting a facade is an asian practice of sorts, wherein the individual is subject to the whims and the wants of the group, unlike on western practice, the individual is given importance. A simple distinction that led to wars.

Anyway I'm straying from what i'm trying to say. I simply want to say that i hate facades down to my bones. Maybe because i seldom erect facades.

Sign ON

4:57 AM, the hum of the airconditioner served as an accompaniment to my disorganized train of thoughts. lifelike images of nothingness swirled inside my head like an expensive picasso painting. the pebbled wall that im staring at, is constantly being refreshed by the heads of people walking past from time to time.

7:00 AM, stingers and station ids blared out of the speakers as i turned it up. then the grating voice of news anchors came on and drowned out the hum of the airconditioner, the relative quiet is now broken by the usual morning sounds that one hears on the radio. Then my replacement is knocking on the door bringing with her a new kind of mood. i signed out and went out to a bright new sunshiny day...