Huge List of Full-Length Cartoons

Here is an impressive list of full length YouTube cartoons gathered for your viewing pleasure.

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Peta BULLSHIT!

I noticed that PETA seems to be gaining adherents here. Those attracted to this organizations reputation should watch this video from Penn and Teller. Penn and Tellers show BULLSHIT! covers the two faced foundation PETA.

Throwing my eggs in

I first heard of the egg throwing incident from a column by Alex Magno (furl copy). I was not surprised. Baiting the military to try and get a reaction from them is a favorite pastime with the LFS and their allied organizations. This is akin to militant rallyist trying to provoke the PNP into dispersing them (although admittedly, it seems the police need very little provocation at this junction). It's a win-win situation for them, they can show how militant they are and if they do get a reaction, produce martyrs for the cause.

What I found amusing is the fact that Alex could have called the students any number of things but he chose to call them fascists. It's funny because fascists is the favorite term leftists like to call people in government and people supporting government, these same students will probably brand Alex Magno as a fascist for his support of the Arroyo government.

Another thing I found amusing from his column was his description of the students "whooping madly as someone on a megaphone announced that they had received a few hundred thousand from the pork barrel of Bayan Muna." I find this funny because I remember quite distinctly in my younger years that the people most critical of the pork barrel of the trapos were the left organizations. Yet, they had no qualms utilizing their share of pork when they were elected into Congress. Of course they may argue that what they were criticizing were the corruption that accompanies the pork of the trapos. But that is a hollow argument, if you want to end the corruption from pork, the best way is to end pork barrel not wallow in it.

It MLQ3's latest post that got me into this harangue. He quotes an interesting though fairly long e-mail from R. Jitana. I will only quote one sentence from it

"One of the greatest things I learned at UP was that the middle stance as the correct stance, is well…a funny assertion. A blind man’s perspective. A joker’s. “Middle” denotes balance and equality. Can the Right ever be equal with the Left? Only in mathematical equations. Never in social reality. The Right has arms and might, while the Left derives its might only from being on the democratic side. “Middle” is only for referees in a boxing fight."

I think he read the statement of the Association of Political Science Majors (APSM) which is why he reacted this way. I received a copy of the statement, the one I linked to above from the UP Samahan sa Agham Pampulitika (UP SAPUL*) e-group. The APSM proudly proclaims that their organization is a non-partisan organization with the slogan "where both ends of the political spectrum meets".

I agree with Mr. Jitana that taking a non-partisan or middle stance is self delusion. You are only deluding yourself that you are non-partisan, when you are in fact defending the status quo. As Political Science and as UP students, the APSM should know better. And their teachers should remind them of it.

But I must demur from Mr. Jitana's simplistic dichotomy of left and right where he equates the democratic struggle with the left. Yes, historically, the left has been in the thick of the democratic struggle in the Philippines but at the historic moment of EDSA, the majority of the left was nowhere to be found (naiwang natutulog sa pansitan). And in the last several months we have seen the left call for a revolutionary transition government, ally themselves with the Estradas, ally themselves with military coup plotters. These are not democratic endeavors.

Yes, we need to work for more democratic space, for a more transparent government, for more accountability in our public institutions, but these are not necessarily the exclusive domain of the left. These causes are the causes of all Filipinos.

_____________________________
*The UP Samahan sa Agham Pampulitika (UP Sapul) is the oldest (and best) Political Science organization in the University of the Philippines. It was established in the 1930's as the Political Science Club and changed its name to its present one in the 70's. We have no official slogan although the closest we have come to is a phrase directly lifted from our constitution

"tungo sa pinakamataas na uri ng paglilingkod"

which can be roughly translated as towards the highest form of service.

Civilization Anonymous

In a previous post, i have linked to a site that helps people overcome their addiction to Civilization. Here are real people narrating their experiences with this game.



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Anniversary

At left is the design of my shirt circa 1990's when I was active in the campaign against the ratification of the treaty that would have retained the United States' control over certain Philippine territories.

There were a lot of warning from pro-US bases advocate at that time that the Philippines or at least the communities around the US bases will suffer economic dislocation if the US forces withdrew from their bases in the Philippines.

These warnings did not happen partly through the efforts of the communities themselves who worked hard to overcome the loss of the American presence in their midst.

I would like to again thank the 12 senators who voted against the bases treaty.

1. Jovito Salonga
2. Wigberto Tanada
3. Teofisto Guingona
4. Rene Saguisag
5. Victor Ziga
6. Sotero Laurel
7. Ernesto Maceda
8. Agapito Aquino
9. Juan Ponce Enrile
10. Joseph Estrada
11. Orlando Mercado
12. Aquilino Pimentel
    

The power of the Senate

According to an inq7.net report,

"THE HEAD of the Presidential Commission on Good Government was arrested Tuesday on orders of the Senate for repeatedly snubbing summons for a hearing, according to reports culled by INQ7.net.

PCGG Chairman Camilo Sabio was picked up in his office by the Senate’s security personnel at 10:45 a.m. and brought to the upper House for detention, Inquirer reporter Alcuin Papa told INQ7.net."

This is an act that the Senate should have done a while ago. That is insisting on their right to question members of the executive in aid of legislation. Their going to the Supreme court to declare EO 464 as unconstitutional was a passive reponse that gave all the initiative to the Executive.

This time around, it is the Senate that has the initiative and the Executive that has to petition the Supreme Court for habeas corpus.

Chess Tutorial

I was channel surfing when I came across Eugene Torre, Asia and the Philippines' first chess grandmaster re-creating one of his games and giving out pointers as he did so. I don't know if this is a regular show or if this is a one time deal but at the end he said that in the future, he will re-create his games with Karpov, Kasparov and Tal.

So Filipino chess fans should watch out every Saturday, about 6:30 pm at SBN channel 21.

Update:

Googled SBN 21 and found out that the show is titled "Barangay Uniting thru Chess" and airs every Saturday 6:00 - 6:30 pm.

Nerd Wannabee

What does this mean? Your nerdiness is:

Not nerdy, but definitely not hip.

I should really get a life. :)

Subtly Simpsons: In-Depth Explanations to The Simpson's Wittiest References

When Sideshow Bob is in jail, his prisoner number is: 24601. This is also Jean Valjean's number in Les Miserables. Episode: 8F20, The Return of Sideshow Bob.

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Excommunication

From the Guardian via Pharyngula

"A Vatican official has said the Catholic church will excommunicate a medical team who performed Colombia's first legal abortion on an 11-year-old girl, who was eight weeks pregnant after being raped by her stepfather.

Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, the president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Family, said in addition to the doctors and nurses, the measure could apply to "relatives, politicians and lawmakers" whom he called "protagonists in this abominable crime".

Update

Cardinal Trujillo, the one quoted above has denied having said such a thing.

"A Roman Catholic cardinal has denied reports that he said the Vatican would excommunicate doctors who performed Colombia's first legal abortion on an 11-year-old girl allegedly raped by her stepfather.

"I have not said that, nor has the Holy See, nor have I thought it," said Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, president of the Vatican's pontifical council for the family, on Caracol Radio on Wednesday."