Later, Jason the Argonaut was challenged to sow dragon’s teeth and survive the brawl between the warriors. With the aid of Medea he was able to survive the battle between the Spartoi and claim the prize of the challenge the Golden Fleece.

I am reminded of dragon’s teeth whenever I read about political unrest in different countries like the Islamic Republic of Iran; previously in Venezuela with Hugo Chavez and in our own country - the Philippines.

Protests. Well will remain protests more often than not unless supported by a faction or two of the military establishment. There are exceptions like Mussolini’s march to Rome that led to his ascent to power. And as a reminder that it does not work all the time is Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch - which tragically failed and led to the Nazi Party years later getting control of the government legally. Of course there is Gandhi’s protest and a host of others.

A look at recent events from Venezuela, Philippines and Thailand. Street protests can work but not all the time. The State: The Government in power: the political caste is propped up by the military caste. Unless, support is withdrawn the State and its Political Elite will survive.

Even sanctions and condemnations of other countries will be of minimal help - against a State that has opted to wait out the siege and suppress the protestors.

But if it does so with repression then the dragon’s teeth would have been planted and soon if not later the fierce warriors will spring up to do battle. But they will come.

The problem with getting the list out is (one) you want to appear non-biased and (two) even if it is your friend or even your own blog (gasp) … one should have a very good reason for it to be on the list.

And what is the purpose of submitting this list ? To win ? Maybe but let us take away the winning factor aside for a moment. In its bare essence its recommendation list that a blogger places before you and says,”Friend, read or visit this blog you might find them interesting and worth your time,”.

So here is my partial and initial list of blogs for 2009 that I would like to recommend to you for reading and try to visit them to judge for yourself. In no particular order or preference they are:

1. Happyfoodies.com

Why?

A food blog by Ironwulf and Lagal[og], which is dedicated to food that they stumbled upon. Ferdz and Ogie are well-known in the Philippine Blogging Community as Photo-Travel Bloggers and this food blog is a visual treat of the foodscape they encounter as they travel from Batanes to Bali and elsewhere.

2. VideoChops

Why?

Videochops is a new blog by Cokskiblue and its Chop of everything video one sees on the Net. More accurately I think slices of moving images one sees and searches for. It offers (1) video series ; (2)free downloadable video clips; (3) Events of happenings and news; (4) Opinion both online video and about online video; (5)Pinoy Viral Videos; (6) And videos both in normal and high def format. So it is blog to view entertaining, informative and video resources.

Actually, I had some hesitation in naming this vlog partly because Coy and I set this up. Anyway, as I said the purpose of this list is also to recommend potentially interesting and good blogs or in this case Vlog … and the fact that you might find this interesting is more important.

3. Marikina Life

Why?

If you are from Marikina City. If you are going to Marikina City. If you will be going to Marikina City. And even if you are not going to Marikina City. This is a blog of interest because it chronicles and reports about what is happening in the City of Marikina from the biggest shoes in the world to the interesting statues you will find in this city.

So those are my first three blogs. Seven more to go.

Beijing to hire army of internet censors
Kathrin Hille in Beijing; Richard Waters in San Francisco; and additional reporting by Kerry Ma
Financial Times

And this comes as China would require all computers that would be sold in China be equipped or bundled with the Green Dam/Youth Escort software starting July 1, 2009. The software was developed, by Jinhui Computer System Engineering and Dazheng Language Technology, for the Ministry of Industry and Information. Both firms were awared 41m Rnmb or $6m for the software - which blocks pornographic and other “bad” internet content.

This is one way of regulating Internet content. Bloggers in China have criticized these moves. And one of those moves is the creation of the Green Dam Girl - a female manga cartoon character wearing police cap with crab insignia, which is a pun on the word harmonious - a round-about way of describing a society without controversy, unrest, or opposition: a euphemism.

Keeping things in harmony.

This reminds me of the different ways different governments wants to keep things in harmony or react to the information, data, knowledge, and opinion not in accordance to the State official line.

Direct Methods:

1. Use of monitors and censors to check Internet content.
2. Alleged use of commentators and even bloggers to neutralize negative content
3. Use of legal measures against known net-critics and anti-government writers and bloggers
4. Banning of websites, blogs, forums, social media network and other forms of websites.
5. Official registration of web users.

Indirect Methods
1. Use of ISP providers to patrol the web content and shut down website hosted on their servers.
2. Use of software to filter/block (and maybe even monitor?) content.

During the Marcos years a white paper about Marcos and his cronies began to circulate. No Internet at the time. The white paper was photocopied and distributed. I wonder if there are copies still around?

A never ending game between the writer, reader and the thought police.

A long but interesting film that shows us the adventures and misadventures of Kulas, played by Christopher De Leon as he travels from his town in Laguna to Manila. In the meet and have adventures with a friar, the friar’s son, an Ex-Katipunero, Diding and a revolutionary.

Through-out the movie amidst the humur and tragedy that often walks hand-in-hand Kulas inadvertanly tackles what and who is a Filipino.

The Friar claims that his son is Filipino.
The once-Katipunero claims that he is.
The lawyer of the Friar claims it is the intellectuals who are the Filipinos.
The Chinese trader who befriends Kulas ask is he Filipino?

A question Kulas is unable to answer confidently until the last part of the film during the Fil-American war when a group of children ask him as he seems to be on his way out of Manila.

At present looking at the present circle of family, friends and contacts we are indeed a mixed lot. During our family reunions you can see the genetic characteristic of those who went before us - Chinese, Spanish, Aetas, and even Japanese. Talks of Friar-sired kin, Japanese Gardener-sired kin, and of course Chinese-sired kin. And among our circle of friends we converse and break bread with faces at home here or in Madrid or in Beijing or in Cubao. Some of us have adopted names from a list of Spanish nouns, Spanish ancestors, Spanished Chinese names, and names from nobles during the Pre-Spanish time or from areas not conquered by the Sword and the Cross.

Yes we are the sum total of those who have come before. A result of the crossing and the mixing of civilizations and powers that were and be. The sum total of Malayan imigration; Chinese and Arabian trades; three hundred years living under the Spanish Church bells; fifty or so years learning the 3 Rs under the American and cultivating a predilection to things Americana - Hollywood, basketball and Tamany Hall Politics.

To be Filipino is to be many things at once. A bit of good and bad but I guess on the whole good.

We are Filipinos by birth, by right and some by spirit.

To be Filipino

Anyway one of the nice things about movies is sometimes it can crystallize the meaning of a thing in a short but powerful moment captured in celluloid. To say the least it is interesting. And maybe this is why we often refer to films a lot.

In the Bride of Frankenstein. The monster discovers an unlikely but brief friendship with a Blind Hermit. And the monster’s epiphany is well familiar. And it eventually found its way in several movies - one of which is About the Boy.

Bride of Frankenstein

Jump a few decades after Bride of Frankenstein and we see Mel Brook’s Parody Young Frankenstein. And here the same scene - parodied ironically strikes a certain ring of truth. There are times when friendship and sometimes friends do take a stressful and yet comical turn.

Young Frankenstein

How familiar

Like the Frankenstein played by Peter Boyle in extreme cases one just feels like to run away. Such is life.

Still … when you do find a friend one is extremely lucky I think. And despite the ups and downs it still is worth it. And what more perfect end to this hodpodge of a post on friendship with the final scene from Casablanca.

Casablanca: The End

No I will not defend this Constitution that is so ambiguous
That it has been justified in almost all extra-constiutional enterprise
That it has been interpreted by individuals and groups to further their own gain.

No this Constitution is as effective as a Wooden Father
A Wooden Father sitting in the corner
No I wont defend this Constitution

But I will defend the option to criticize and even protest
To fiscalize the actions of both majority and minority
By voicing
By voting
By any other means the law allows
As imperfect and wanting as it may be
And that I will fight and defend for that right
If it is indeed called or even considered a right
Well it should be if its not yet

Animal Farm:

Full movie can be viewed here.

House Resolution No. 1109

In other words Congress just approved a bill that would grant the whole Congress - both lower and upper house - the right to change the constitution. If one checked the messages going to and fro there is a general feeling of disgust at what has happened.

Not however, as vitriolic or loud as to the reaction that was seen with the circus show at the Upper House/Senate with its investigation in aid of legislation - the alleged sex scandal involving local celebrities.

What next?

1. There will be rallies and demonstrations today? Unfortunately, it might even hurt the cause of the oppositors of the bill if there is a lack of support or a show of numbers. This is further complicated by the weather - monsoon rains and typhoons are party poopers and might prove to be a fatal one for this party planned.

2. It will be challenged in the Supreme Court. Where it will be locked in a legal battle. And depending on the mood of the public and what is seen by the SC Justices will determine its outcome. If approve then this gives the Lower House the opportunity with no need of the Senate - not the whole Senate anyway. If not then back to the drawing board.

3. It also exposes the strength of the different political parties at present. It will show how strong or weak the alliances are in the Opposition. And more importantly it will and has shown within the Administration forces who are loyal and who are not. A Sitzkrieg for the 2010 elections. Last night and the succeeding days will show who among them will be on the list to be supported.

4. The event also shows or will show how much change or actions can be done by the present administration. A sort of testing of the public and the opposition. Who are the one’s protesting? Who are the one’s acting on it? Or are the players hesitating? Will it all be talk and no action.

Questions and Thoughts

Will the Opposition still be the Mice Council? Or will there emerge a sound and new strategy. And more important will this be followed?

THE MICE summoned a council to decide how they might best devise means of warning themselves of the approach of their great enemy the Cat. Among the many plans suggested, the one that found most favor was the proposal to tie a bell to the neck of the Cat, so that the Mice, being warned by the sound of the tinkling, might run away and hide themselves in their holes at his approach. But when the Mice further debated who among them should thus “bell the Cat,” there was no one found to do it.
-Aesop

Will the passage HR 1109 crystallize into the outrage displayed when the Batasan Pambansa declared Marcos the winner of the Snap Election? Will HR 1109 catalyze people into going out to the street the same way the Senate voted not to open the letter during the Estrada Impeachment hearing?

It is not a matter of duping the public. The public: The individuals that make up the public are aware of what is happening. Does this act move their hearts to go against it? Does HR 1109 commit them into action?

It is a question of motivation and commitment.

Do the citizens of the Philippines view this as something important?

Or

Do the citizens of the Philippines view this as just a squabble, a battle in a long drawn war between politicians and political groups - a number of whom belong to a political class that has ruled or co-ruled the Philippines from the colonial period past the Marcos years and up to the present?

And its not the only building or structure that has been laid to waste.

The Philippines is located in what is known as the circle of fire. Where we build and how we build our houses has been dictated by the environment. This is the reason why we have the bahay na bato with its club feet foundation, the bahay kubo, and the all-steel San Sebastian church.

Even then every year we still see a number of people homeless. After a typhoon lashes out or when an Earthquake strikes.

The United Nation’s is declaring this year the Year of Climate Change and tonight there is going to be the Philippine launch of an initiative or project to design and further on construct disaster resistant architecture: disaster resistant houses for the less- fortunate rural communities in the Philippines.

This is a multi-sectoral venture ( private sector and a number of government agencies in the Philippines) that will work together to make this happen. Groups that included Philippine Climate Change Imperative, Gawad Kalinga, and MyShelter Foundation were able to host and sponsor a worldwide competition for sustainable and tropical climate resistant classroom structures. This year, 2009, the same multi-sectoral group intends to hold a competition for the best climate-proof communities for the rural areas, the top three layouts will be built as models or template of disaster resistant architecture.

Given that we live in the ring of fire this is an interesting project and also a worthy cause.

More after the launch later.

Censored web critic wins Chinese court case
By Kathrin Hille in Beijing
Published: May 25 2009 19:12 | Last updated: May 25 2009 19:12
FT.com

Well it is:

Economics professor Hu Xingdou was sent enail by ISP Beijing Xin Net informating that because his site’s content were illegal and because of this it his was shot down. According to the court, Beijing Net failed to present evidence to its claim and futhermore the company failed to present proof that it informed the Hu was asked to change the content before closing the account - This was the contract.

The company was fined $201.00 . They (Beijing.net) could appeal the case in a few days - 15 days from May 20.

But:

Mr Hu was said to be happy with the verdict and it paves the way Internet in China is regulated having a set of clear rules and less with arbitrary, opaque decisions. Mr Hu does not seem interested in filing a case against the Internet Surveillance Authorities citing it might just be dismissed.

The interesting point here is that in certain countries Internet regulation is implemented through the ISPs. It is rare for a blog or website to be shutdown by the government. This is done by the vendors - acting through orders or via self-censorship.

It seems to be a very effective way of muzzling on-line media.

It is a kaleidoscope world indeed or is this the future? Will we see this happen here?

Meanwhile:

San Miguel has opened two new websites for San Miguel Beer fans and aficionados at San Miguel Beer and Red Horse Beer. And they are running a number of online contests.

Anyway, I like viewing this commercials, They are funny and very good stress relievers.

What is your favorite?

Ah to understand this phenomenon one must wind back the clock and go back a few weeks when the private sex videos of a local celebrities and company - varied and many came out. A video scandal came to be around five to forty videos viewed and up for view for those interested.

And there seems to be a lot of people interested:

1. From the politicians wanting to investigate, make legislation and defend the oppressed sometimes all in one go.

2. From some appalled individuals apalled and disgusted with the video but are very familiar with the video. A somewhat ironic and humorous predicament.

3. From those who condemn people who delve into the issue, but in the process are actually delving into it. A non-participating participation.

4. From those who download it because of curiosity and for academic reasons. And for those who download it for … other reasons.

And the interest is nearly universal. Sons and Daughters are somewhat shocked that their Mothers and Fathers asked, “Have you downloaded yet the video?”

To meeting and sessions suspended to see and investigate the video.

To jokes like:

Question: What do you call a camera used to record sex scandals?
Answer: A Hayden (Kho)mera

And even debates have began with friends and colleagues about it.

Sociologists, anthropologists and all kinds of academic -gists are going to have a field day with this. And who knows ironically this might find itself being adapted into a telemovie or even a movie. The Senate has not even started the formal investigations.

Its interesting how a scandal can generate an interesting national story and at the same time provide a mirror image of our society and us.

As the late Raul Julia said in a movie, “But for me… it was Tuesday.”