Biblical Perspectives (Alam dapat to ng Katoliko)

We can go on defending our causes and I could go on and post pro-art statements, but I thought I should at least post something that speaks of this issue in a biblical perspective. Even the religious ones complaining about the issue weren't so keen in stating as to how they were violated based on biblical principles.

PROBABLY BECAUSE, AND THIS IS THE FIRST POINT,
it was not a biblical tradition to have statues and posters to represent Christ or God.

The BIBLE should always be referred to in times like this, because what we hold on to as religion may in fact have different teachings that are apart from what God has given or ruled or said. Here's my effort of putting in a biblical perspective.

EXODUS 34:17 "Do not make any idols."
EXODUS 34: 14 "Do not worship any other gods, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a Jealous God."

EXODUS 20: 4-5

"“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."

IN context of these biblical scriptures, the tradition of having idols, santos, Jesus pictures, etc. which I respect can, in black and white, be wrong. Our God is a jealous God. If we pray, depend, and uplift man-made idols--these representations--wouldn't that make God angry?

And if so, once defiled, will the destruction of these idols be of greater worth?

An argument can be made.

"These are our intercessors... Together with the Virgin Mary who will pray for us... and the specific saints that will send our messages to God depending on what we need"----- Catholic Tradition

In the Bible, however,

HEBREWS 7:25 "Therefore he is able to save completely[a] those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."

God intercedes between man and Himself? YES. To clear things up, we should remember the Trinity: Three Persons, One God. It is the Holy Spirit that intercedes for us. In the Bible again,

ROMANS 8:27 "And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God."

So we now know that when we pray and open our hearts to God, it is the Holy Spirit that intercedes... Meaning, it's a direct connection to that One God that we praise and love and adore and respect. Who now needs an intercessor apart from the God we intend to talk to?!

So enough about that. It's clear. Now the issue is, an artist called Mideo Cruz created an ARTWORK, AN INSTALLATION ART, involving wood-carved penises and idols and posters of the so-called "look of Christ". Media sensationalized it, and did not show the other components, like our idols in music or pop culture. There's Britney, there's F4, there's money and piggy banks, there's even pictures of Marcos.

I don't know about Cruz's intention, but from what I actually get from it, it's about our current idols--the things that control us the most.... The message is simple: Amongst all these majors in our lives today, we are still connected by our belief of God, or to some, of a god that reigns somewhere out there... But this is tainted, because humans continued the mistakes of the past and carved an image of God in woods and marbles and what not, and it is of the same material that we carve Penis figures, dirty toy objects, it is the same paper, the paper where we print "HIS FACE", that we print on when we want F4 or Britney or any other stars like Lady Gaga...

So what are the supreme religious sectors crying out for? Disrespecting their tradition?

They disrespected God in the first place. and Our God is a jealous God.
But it does not justify. IN biblical perspectives of respect, Cruz did blatant mistakes.
However, I leave it to the "religious" ones to find scriptures for it.

If they were really rooted in the scriptures, this is what they should have done:

1) Pray and love their enemies.

>>>> Luke 6 : 35 says "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."

>>>>Also, in Matthew 5:43 to 45, "43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

2) They should not have felt disrespected, because it is a blessing to be persecuted for the name of the Lord.

>>>> Matthew 5:10 says "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

>>>> 1st Corinthians 4:12 says "We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it..."

3) They should have corrected with a gentle spirit, not like the so-called religious who posts malicious reactions.

>>>> Apostle Paul had asked, "21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?" in 1 Corinthians 4:21, in correcting the people.

They should have used this not as a grand stage for showing their prowess, power, and might, but they should at least have prayed and let God do the rest. Apparently, with all the rules I've previously stated, our good Lord would have told them "You made idols. You made representations. it is apt to destroy them."

The artist maybe wrong, after all. And he is accountable to God, not to men. Why then should the religious hypocrites pretend that they are fighting a good cause? If it was wrong, He will receive the wrath of God. He is not to be judged. It is the same Christ, the same Christ you and I have, that once saved a woman from being stoned to death by asking someone who did not sin throw the first stone. NO ONE THRE A STONE. We were all sinners, and apart from God’s grace we remain to be.

However, popes and the rest of them hate it. All their traditions would go to waste. Where in the Bible did God say craft out an idol? Have his picture painted? Have Rosary with beads? Talk to a priest when you have sinned? At least art has a rich line of history so you can trace where it all began. New Testament ended without even mentioning Catholicism.

I know that there are wrong things that the Bible wants to correct. RH Bill is a topic that is forever attached to the pro-life stand of the Church. To this we quote the Bible. “Give unto Caesar what is due to Caesar.” It means, that as God has placed a leader, a government amongst us, the government decides. We could only pray that the government will uphold the values of the Bible—NOT of the popes—and continue the righteousness we all should emulate. Then again, art is out of this context. Art is an entirely different conversation: It cannot be repressed by any rules, apart from a Government Code or Law. But as humans we are permitted to speak and express. Even Jesus contradicted Pharisees or HIGH PRIESTS, right?

So tell me. These people who called us artists stupid and immoral---
Were they Christians? Or we’re all in the same tight spot?

Your Stand

I told myself I won't do blogging anymore. I am valuing the work I have and the opportunities that I encounter. My writing can sometimes hurt, and so I chose to keep silent. Your Ranting Hatter has retired.

But NO, I found out I did not. Day by day, as I sat on my office chair, I can hear the sounds of my thoughts rummaging the canals of my brain... like yells crying out for escape, like they were actually being kept for inside for slaughter. I pity my thoughts, for they are very immature and inexperienced. I pity my thoughts because they keep on changing. I pity them because I have not given them liberty by keeping myself in silence. Now, the gates are open. Today, let the thoughts of the Ranting Hatter surface again.


I could have made a blog about how pissed I am in PLANKING. I could also insult Former First Gentleman Mikey Arroyo for his PIG looks and SWINE behavior. I could have hit on Amanda Coling and her big mouth. However, recognizing that I write at the verge of emotions (I do this because it is the only way that my writing can strike out structure and just focus on the overflow of thoughts) and at this point my stomach is churning because of an issue I can't afford to turn a blind eye to.

Case at point: BLASPHEMY IN ART. Sacrilegious pieces. Religion in ART, or absence of it.

The Middle Ages witnessed how these artists who brought in drugs and alcohol in their system managed to create art pieces that destroyed the very conservative nature of religion--or Catholicism (and Christianity, as they often associate Catholicism to Christianity).

It continued, and we have seen many stories of oppression. Both parties claim to be blocked off their rights, and no one could ever really mend the gap between the conservative and the liberal thinkers.




Today, way past Andres Serrano's Immersion (Piss Christ) Hearing, we witness the same issue in the country. The Philippines claimed to be the only Christian Country in the Southeast Asia, and one of a very few number in Asia. Christianity in the Philippines, however, traces itself back to a history of friars and priests who destroyed the face of the country by enriching their funds and making the poor poorer.

It has changed, over the years, in fears that they might lose members. It adapted to change, and adapted to many other options. However, the values to which it was built remains, and so they react in issues concerning the moral standards that their religion was able to set.

the question is... ARE WE ALL CATHOLICS???

When Muslims can taint Christianity in the many opportune instances, did we hold them accountable?
When Christians defile Muslims' belief, did we settle it by Law?
When Iglesia Ni Cristo celebrates, did the Catholics file protests?

We are not driven by faith. We know who to believe, who to trust, and who to worship. BUT THIS COUNTRY IS NOT DRIVEN BY A UNILATERAL, FIXATED FAITH. Therefore no one can dictate, coming from any religion, what moral standards are set. Humanae Vitae was recently hit by Senator Miriam Santiago.

Even Pope John Paul, who we should call Blessed now because he's on the way to sainthood when in fact in the Bible all believers are called SAINTS, said, and this is not in verbatim, that the overpowering rule is the state of one's consicence when it comes to moral issues.

WE ARE DIVERSE. THE COUNTRY IN ITSELF IS A DIVERSE NATION. And diversity need not focus on which group is the largest. For all we know, Catholics today are very much differenct from Catholics before. Some remain very faithful to the conservative church, and we have the Opus Dei devotees around at this time. But more and more Catholics in the country behave in such a way that the priests don't have power anymore on their decisions.

When the Church say it opposes premarital sex, how many of our young people today proved that their forbiddance is understood?

When the church opposes contraceptives, how many Catholic doctors would approve of artificial family planning methods?

The Church, not the faith, is falling down. It was not rooted on the one thing the Bible says it should be, and it continued the tradition of the Pharisees to make Laws and Decrees and make perfect people out of sinners.

Not that I am against Christianity, for I am a Christian myself.
However, true light must shine. Veritas, as they would say. We want the true veritas.

Which brings me to this case:



I AM AN ARTIST, even if I had only been an artist because I took multimedia arts for college course. I am an artist and I create and converse and prove and react and create again and again and again.

To me, Kulo has been a reaction. A protest. An art convention of something that faced religion head on. Controversial were the pieces of Mideo Cruz, which involved images and statues of Christ and Mary mixed with the many objects of the world today.

The church reacted, based on this news...

FROM CBCP NEWS

Catholics mull charges vs CCP exhibit

MANILA, August 2, 2011- Various lay Catholic groups are now considering the filing of charges against those behind the "sacrilegious and blasphemous" art exhibit at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

The complainants already sent a demand letter to the CCP and the artists who claimed to be from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) to stop the exhibit in 48 hours or face the legal consequences.

Pro-life Philippines president Eric Manalang said the demand letter was already sent to the CCP yesterday but their ultimatum starts today.

"By Thursday afternoon, we will file a case if they do not stop the exhibit and if they do not also make amends because stopping is not enough. The damage has been done," Manalang said.

He said they are currently looking into the possibility of filing charges against CCP officials and artists of the exhibit dubbed as "Kulo."

The exhibit features images of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary adorned with objects not related to Christianity. One even showed a crucifix with a condom.

One Christ the King figurine had rabbit ears.

Laywer Jo Imbong, executive director of the St. Thomas More Society Inc., said as a public agency, the CCP should not have allowed such exhibit for it contradicts its legal mandate.

"It was created by law and funded by our taxes for the purpose of awakening the consciousness of our people to our cultural heritage," Imbong said.

"Is it our cultural heritage to mock and insult religious personages and icons? Is it aesthetic to vandalize a venerated representation of objects of worship and reverence? Is vulgarity and blasphemy a Filipino value? What Filipino pride can emerge for such works? Is this our national identity? And CCP promotes it?" she asked.

Imbong said those responsible for the exhibit also violated Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code on Immoral Exhibitions.

"Those responsible for the public exhibit…the artist…they have a liability because they offended the religious belief of a country that is 85 percent Christian," she added.

The CCP exhibit which opened last June 17 and will run until August 21, has received flak from various groups, including the Catholic Church, for the unconventional use of religious figures in the art pieces. [CBCPNews]

The art community begs to disagree. But at the same time, they knew this was coming. Anyone can take a stand, and the debate could go on for so long. I believe, however, that this cannot be solved properly within our Catholic Country. Surely, Cruz may have gone too far, but is going too far a crime, when in fact he was on the sole grounds of enjoying his freedom of expression?

ARTICLE THREE, our BILL OF RIGHTS, SECTION FIVE OF OUR CONSTITUTION clearly states that:

Section 5. No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.

If the blasphemous reaction to Catholicism is a religion for these artists, and by religion we mean "A BELIEF SYSTEM", then surely it is just fair to also give due consideration to the artists' platform of expression. Similarly, freedom finds another ally in the international bill which has a provision that:

“Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinion without interference and to seek, receive and impart information ideas through any media and regardless of frontier.”

Article 29.

(1) x x x

(2) In the exercise of his right and freedom everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedom of others and of the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society. ”

Then again, I remember an article by a former professor that freedom in its most basic sense is not existing, for in freedom we find restrictions. As many of the cynics would soon resort to this duly-founded truth, we may veer away from the issue that is expression.

Ano ba naman ang exhibit after niyan? Artists will take the pieces down, and then it all ends there. Ano ba naman ang "kung ayaw mo pumunta sa exhibit edi wag ka na pumunta para hindi ka mabadtrip" notion rule over the conservatives?

We don't know where this could take us. We don't know if this is another era in art, modern art, in the Philippines.

ART has kept on changing, and it survives, from the start of time, because of diversity, of courage, of creativity.

The church, on the other hand, continues to struggle for change... It had to adapt, but it's having difficulties because with all the laws it has created for itself, it shun off the true essence of Christianity--that which Jesus himself has taught. Nahihirapan na sila, because rules keep on changing, and people start to notice that rules always benefit the religion.

As ED WEST of THE TELEGRAPH puts it,

Blasphemy is a crime against God, and by extension, the social order and state. So England’s blasphemy law, until it was recently repealed, protected only Anglicanism, because a blasphemy law that protects two religions is nonsensical, since two religions can’t both be right. Instead Europe, where the vast majority of people are not actively religious, is now being saddled with laws that make it an offence to criticise any religion. Why?

Because like female genital mutilation, honour killings and religious terrorism in Europe, these blasphemy laws are not a product of religion (or at least Christianity) as of multiculturalism, and its toxic cocktail of high immigration and moral neutrality. These were all barbaric practices, incidentally, that Christian officials suppressed across the British Empire, but which have returned with a vengeance in multicultural Europe.

The New Atheist movement, for various reasons, seems unable to accept that multiculturalism, not Christianity, is the major threat to personal liberty. In reality there is only one religion that threatens freedom in Europe, and that is Islam, which is why the people behind this exhibition (quite understandably, because I wouldn’t) do not mock its founder.

Attacking Christianity is not going to change this threat. In fact, and to paraphrase Napoleon, a non-believer who understood society’s need for faith, a nation that does not respect its own religion will soon learn to respect someone else’s.

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I would have applauded if the Catholic Church reacts by showing love. If it's true Christianity, then surely they would understand what it means to love the enemy, and to love one another, just as Jesus loved us. If it's true biblical belief, they would have gone to accepting the fact that statues are idols, and idols are forbidden, for God is a jealous God. If it's truly a religion of Christ, then it should have taught us to pray directly to Jesus, as it was clear that no mediator stands between Christ and God for He and the Father is ONE.

I would, hopefully not forever, await the time when the Church shows mercy, as it teaches and begs for it in every prayer.
And I continue to hold steadfastly on my faith, without having to compromise it for the other belief that I stand for.
There's a better way to understand this,
but in the end,

you always have to make a stand.

So what's YOURS?

WHY A JEEPride TO UP IS DREADING.

sorry hindi ko nirotate... para mahirapan kayo... :))

Hear me out. It's not that I hate going to the UP Area. Sooner or later, when I get enough funds, I'd like to take some units there... Art History or Art Studies maybe... kasi I want to get an MBA from Ateneo eh... :)

Yeah, and I have friends in UP... :)

But I've always dreaded riding that UP jeep that could take me to PHILCOA. I see a lot of UP students and they are all cultures within themselves. I see cool dudes, I see girls in shorts and they look tomboyish... I see nerds... I see careless people who just looked like they were buying something from a store, an errand perhaps...

yesterday was a nerve-wracking experience.

I sat beside this guy, whose name I remember as SAM Manuel...
(I saw it. he is wearing his ID)



At first I thought everything was normal. Everything was okay...

And then suddenly, this Manuel murmured...
then he gestured...
then he reasoned out with himself...

I noticed he is actually memorizing something... For a defense or a recitation perhaps... And I admire him for really studying very well... it kept on until I had to go down at PHILCOA because I was going to a print shop that time...

But my... what a dreadful ride...
Not for me...
For him!

it seemed like he had forgotten it was a public transportation (well, it's filled with UP peeps naman so okay lang... hahaha) and he was reasoning out with himself with matching intonations and gestures! Waaaahhh! and the fact that UP is getting nearer and nearer, it's nerve-wracking FOR HIM! What if the exam or defense would determine if he's passing or not? nakakabaliw yun.... I wanted to speak to him and say... Kuya relax lang kaya mo yan, but I don't want to be taken as pakialamero or something. :))

What if... Gusto lang niya talagang mag-aral maigi? diba? Pwede naman siguro yun. :)

Someday, he will be like these excellent SUMMAS in UP. :)

UP'S PRIDE 2011

Well, dear UP student, do good in there... :)
And save this country after you graduate. :)
Ikaw ang pag-asa ng bayan. Keep it up! :)

ON RH BILL and Lea Salonga

HEEEEEEEELLLLLLOOOOOOOO EVERYONE I'M BACK!!!!!
IT's just a short break from the stressing week I have right now. :)

here's my story... :)

She has been very visible, lately. Ms. Lea Salonga is a real person, ladies and gentlemen. Not only did she voice Ariel's song in The Little Mermaid by Walt Disney, she is and will forever be a BROADWAY Star.

Recently, her name has been dragged to a disheartening issue involving Willie Revillame, who starred in about 3 posts in this blog site. Lea Salonga had to twit via twitter about her reactions, and apparently, she was not "in the position" to actually "judge" Willie Revillame. The latter said that he would sue the artists who twitted about him---and his counsel agreed.

What Happened... What Ever Happened... to freedom of expression?!
It has now become Freedom: Repression.

Well, Lea Salonga is in the news again, this time, because of Condoms being "prescribed" at a village in Alabang... Well, as the ordinance would say, no one could buy it unless it's prescribed. I don't know if elder married people could buy it... But for thos einterested, they should buy with a prescription note...

AS IF CONDOM IS TAKEN AS A DEADLY MEDICATION.

Lea Salonga makes waves in yellow costumes, specially in this news, where she was caught by cameras while participating on a mass protest.

image from whynotcoconut.com

LEA SALONGA PROTESTS BY YAHOO NEWS

Now... I won't say that I know everything about the RH Bill. I saw one post from UST where the RH Bill was carefully studied and that the conclusion is that it's not right for us...



YADA YADA...
BLAH BLAH BLAH...


People. Filipinos.
Why does it have to be something like this? I mean. Now the church is ranting. now the students are joining. And now, Lea Salonga is protesting? There's only one reason for this and the reason is, WE CAN'T GENERALIZE EVERYONE.

So if the RH Bill, whose main proponents and supporters have already released TV ads starring Risa Hontiveros Baraquel, would be approved and would be a law in itself, in the end, people will still and should still have their freedom of choice.

I'm sorry about this, but the Ranting hatter wants to be honest.

If the Catholic Church would say that promoting contraceptives would mean promoting premarital sex and a lot of other "sinful" things, well, I wish they could look at the many Catholics in the country who:

1) Wants RH Bill Approved
2) Commits sex in a lot of ways (there are people who belong with them that actually does premarital sex, right?)
3) Do not want to show a strong support over their cause...
4) Husbands and Wives who uses contraceptives and other family planning methods

If the Church is so worried about the YOUTH or the PEOPLE being led to do these sins, then the LAW did not fail. It is them who failed to establish the main reasons why SEX is valid only for MARRIAGE, under its rules and paradigms. If their people start to buy condoms and the rest is history, then who failed? They should start checking before branding the community, before dictating what to do.

What I see here is this. The Church is afraid, and by far it's just right to fight for the morality and the righteousness that the Bible teaches... but they also do not know how to communicate their causes properly. What happens is that, they bring this to one big conclusion, and enforce a "solution" to the problem only to aggravate the situation. (Miriam Santiago tone) Again, this is my opinion. :)

If the RH Bill is approved, the Church should strengthen its way of communicating things. Biblically. And stop sounding like a Government within a Government. I respect them. I do. But some people up there don't know what real transformation is all about... How could they set examples? how could they teach the right things? Oh my. the list will just be long... I have a lot to say, but out of respect, I won't. Yeah, I'm not a Catholic. :)

And so, Ranting Hatter gives Lea Salonga a HAT'S OFF for a wonderful wonderful job of making a STAND for her opinion. Not only did she prove she is a modern woman, she is also proving to us that not all SENIOR moment singers commit petty mistakes and petty issues to cling on to the hangers of fame. (Hello, Ms. Sharon. hahahaha!!!!!)

Insider News: Willing Willie

From very reliable sources:

1) As of now, Jollibee (Mang Inasal), P&G, and Del Monte have pulled out their ads from Willing-Willie....

2) PANA, AdBoard, and various agencies are working as well-- all on pressing pressure on the TV Show... And TV5... More companies will pull out soon...

3) MVP didn't really like Willie. He did not. And if this puts an effect, he could let go of Willie in a breeze...

4) SADLY, ratings of Willing-Willie go higher...

But then, our advertisers follow Conscience.
At least, there's good in Advertising.


Insider alert only from your Ranting Hatter. :)

Why Ellen Tordesillas Rocks (And why Willie doesn't)

By now, it's a social network site issue. It blotted Rebecca Black out of the trend. Worse, it put Willie Revillame into the limelight.

Hello everyone, Ranting Hatter is back to react.
To rant.
And re-emphasize. :)



Today's issue at hand:
WILLING-WILLIE TO FACE SANCTIONS

Yes... You've read it right, from the article of the great Ellen Tordesillas (whose interview with the late Angelo Reyes was beyond truth--it was reality.)

The March 12 episode of Willing-Willie was the trending topic because of what we call the Jan-jan incident. I myself did not dare watch the video, for I can't imagine watching a kid cry while dancing like a macho dancer when all the audience in the studio would laugh like sneering hyenas. I was hesitant to make this move, of showing my support to those against it--because of the fact that it could only bring more light to the incident.

Willie Revillame is horrible. He's the Red King, the King of Hearts.
He once existed as a BASTOS host during my childhood days. Watching MTB would mean watching Willie look at Calendar Girls' boobs and justify that the pendant they were wearing were attention-seeking. Willie is the guy who would dance with the dancers like Dindy-licious, and rub his arm to some body parts of the poor female dancer, clad in two-piece apparel on national television.

Willie Revillame was axed.
He was too much, and so MTB had to be removed.
Then he came back with Wowowee... Entertaining, yes, but the success of the show created a new Willie Revillame... A monster. A fame monster.

Yelling on national tv, lambasting Cory Aquino, and reprimanding staff on-air---
these were his characteristics.

And when he moved to TV5, he still felt happy and proud.
His new show, which was a mere carbon copy of the former, just swept the hearts of Pinoys.

Because of FUN? no. Because of MONEY.

Then I remember his alliance with Villar. If Noynoy used his mom and dad, Villar used the mahihiraps----thinking they were dumb enough to follow.

It was a Willie Revillame stint then... Approaching poor people... Showering money and all...

And the great Willie never learned.

Now, he deserves to be thrown away. After this incident, I wonder how he could still face the public with pride, boasting while apologizing. While your show could help, Willie, YOU CAN'T. Your money can, but your heart will never help.

At least we'll see him suspended again. If not now, SOON. :)


this is your Ranting Hatter. I just ranted. :)

A LESSON FROM ANGRY BIRDS

Yesssssss,,,,, the Ranting Hatter is back... And as usual, I go back with a spectacular comeback... Talk about being back. Hahahahahahaha!!!!!

My very very random blog is about the Angry Birds-- nope, not the Apple game (or PC free game download) but about the real angry birds in our society... in our midst... in our very own places in school, office, in MRT, everywhere.

What is an Angry Bird?

An Angry Bird is someone who is bitter because his or her eggs were stolen by so-called pigs. I know of an angry bird who enjoys sourgraping. This bird is MAD. ANGRY. CRAZY.

At this point, let's call this bird Chicken. Then the pic says there are 5 angry birds, so let's call them Twitters. Hahahaha!!!! And let's pretend that for this time-being, chickens are supposed to lay eggs and GIVE THEM TO OTHERS. And since this is RANDOM, Let's use his/her to depict the sexuality as it is important to mention in the flow of storytelling. Unless you're okay with Chicken Chicken Chicken from here til the end. Chicken thinks that by conceiving an egg, success will come his/her way. She/He took care of the egg... But eventually, it was not meant for him/her. Chicken begins to be an Angry Bird.

He/She plots to go to the trajectory path---that upward direction--thinking that up there, everything would be under his or her control. Chicken is scheming and witty and dangerous, and we could call him or her a bitch (or manbitch) for having this black heart and mind. Upon learning that his/her prized possessions were taken, Chicken begins to talk bullshit.

Chicken is annoying. No, it's not your Ranting Hatter's idea... It's everyone else's perception. But Chicken thinks he/she is well-loved by people... Chicken created an illusion, and enjoyed living in that made-up world. He/she is the queen or king of that world, and no one could stop Chicken's beak. Since his/her beak is strong and can knock over woods and stones and ice blocks, he/she uses this advantage to break into other people's businesses.

And so, Chicken moves to the slingshot. In Chicken's mind, this thought plays continuously:

"I did not get what I deserve. I deserve that egg. I conceived that. And if others would benefit from what I deserved to get, then they're not getting anything at all. Before I leave this farm (let's pretend he/she lives in a farm) I will make sure they won't get anything from my egg... I'll bring them down!"

Chicken was supposed to be smart, but his/her ways aren't just.

Chicken climbs on to the slingshot, ready to make his/her debut as a Superhero in Space.

But Chicken's dumbness lie on the fact that he/she made an entirely different illusion--the wit wasn't really there, the talent wasn't there, and the friends---those birds that are also willing to ride the slingshot--all knew their fates...

If Chicken knew what to do, this should have been the case:

with

Mass representing inertia and V representing external forces will enable Chicken to determine what will happen. Add to that the fact that everything is subject to gravity--plus the external forces, in air, like wind, drag, and probably humidity too... And distance and speed and acceleration would also depend on these physical rules...

Bottom line, if Chicken knew what he/she was doing, the end will be seen.

WHAT GOES UP MUST GO DOWN,
the intellectuals say.

And while Chicken enjoys his/her flight up there, ready to break everything apart and show that he/she is the best there is, suddenly he/she will be surprised...

All ANGRY BIRDS----the red, the yellow, the trio blue, the egger, the bomb, the hornbill boomerang--- everything falls down, and...

POP!!!!!!

They vanish.

Chicken should have known better.

He/she deserves the fall.

After backstabbing and attempting to bring a whole house of ice blocks and woods and stones and wheels, all to bury the pigs that are green as snakes, Chicken will see him/herself buried in the same pit. Dead. And Unsuccessful.



--------------- (break line)




I enjoy playing Angry Birds, but not in my Mac OS X. My lil bro downloaded a PC version, there... enjoying it. :))

And yes, while I maintain a blogger identity of Ranting and bringing up Issues in life or in death, I also know that I should be responsible in the blogs that I do. Then again, this is freedom of expression, right? That's why my blog will and can never be an advertisement site--it's just so random and done in no particular time.

What I wanted this post to do is this:

(Aside from, well, posting a true to life story) I wanted everyone to take this simple lesson from Angry Birds. We might think too highly of ourselves that we forget we all fall down and fall short of the real integrity and excellence and therefore, righteousness. We are imperfect people. But let's not add insult to that imperfection. If we have behaviors like Chicken's selfish, dim-witted character, we add insult to the truth.

And we can all be angry birds in one way or another.

If somebody maligned you when you were young or when you were old or when you were at the mall or whatever-----

If you think things did not go according to what you think they should be---

Without considering reasons, without looking at the mirror, without paying respect, without consideration, with dirty backstabbing and pointing fingers at people who we think are pigs and snakes that took our eggs away---

we will be angry birds.

It's our choice if we'll take that slingshot ride to the trajectory.
And if we do choose to take that temporary flight,
we know what could happen.



disclaimer:
While most of you would say I fight my enemies face to face, I won't. I'm the ranting hatter, I just rant. I let the flow of winds and the wrath and fury of REALITY to strike them down.

TRANSITIONS: REACTION PAPER (HAHAHA)

HELLO WORLD!!!!!!! TEA PARTY?! LEZZ DOOO EETTT!!!!

No, we're not required to write a reaction paper for this... I never really had to react, first and foremost, whatever I have to say in this piece really won't matter at all. Second, I am not in the position to review works for such dignitaries whose accomplishments have been bannered at the entrance of the exhibit hall at LRI, Makati City. I'm just a tiny spec compared to the depth of these empowered women's abilities and achievements.

I'm talking about Cris Dumlao, Bea Lapa, and Rebie Ramoso. (I dropped the formal "Ms." or "Madame" so as to make this sound as if it's coming from someone credible, hahaha!) These are empowered women braving the waves of the art industry. Seldom do we see "womyn" shows and exhibits, but nonetheless we also know that a big part of the feminine set-up is artistic and communicative in their basic senses...

The exhibit, lasting for 2 or 3 days, was really worth catching. I mean, with a small exhibit time, it is best really to invite as much people and welcome as much people as one can. Me and my friends went there at the opening night, braving Makati's legendary traffic on a Friday night, when everybody else feels like partying and getting drunk all night.

We had a secondary purpose: to visit our advisers and consult them regarding our folios, but really, that was kind of a joke. Hahaha! We know the artists will be busy entertaining people and we don't want to steal them from their crowd. Want another joke? We were all tagging each other earlier, saying "Tara na, sumipsip na tayo!"but really we're just excited to see what our professors will be showing in the exhibit.

Arriving there, we were greeted by Curator Elvert Bañares' wall note and descriptions of the artists. What I do usually is to read the wall note first before looking at the artwork... Reading halfway through it, however, it felt like I had to view the works first instead. The wall note was exceptionally written but then again, the mysteries were solved--and I wanted to solve them myself. I wanted to interpret it on my own, not to prove anything... It was always my reason why I frequent art exhibits--I wanted to explore them in my own feeble capabilities, probably to create another interpretation of some sort... hahaha! I just browsed the artists' profile and went along to see the works...

Artworks varied in size and medium--but more than that, they also varied in their individual messages.

details in Ramoso's Do I See You Again

Ramoso's paintings were filled with hidden symbols and arbitrary messages, randomly appearing in the many works that she was able to display. Her individual approach to the theme of transition are best described by spaces in her paintings--the irony of putting in detailed strokes in some parts and leaving the other parts of the canvas blank with pale colors and breathing lines. The semiotic sources and elements are visually stirring in the viewer the modes and notions of inquiries, of longing for something, of waiting for an orgasmic inter-relation. It is not only artificial--neither linguistic nor symbolic, but moreover, it was really a sensation of kindred sensible qualities, that of which could come across relations, reactions, and modal audible silence.

Dumlao's Season-Based Artworks

Dumlao, creating species of artworks that release themselves from the other two branches that existed in the hall, had for herself transitions that were visually narrated to pixel-like artworks of the abstract--proving in it the depth and the secrecy to which her own story-telling depends on. Described by titles and by the curator's words, her works have been trying to visualize seasonal transitions--but one has to look further--deeper, into it. The works were neither breaking apart or being reconnected again; the vast area filled with pixels of various colors to which one could suggest as either established images broken to disrupt the visual strength or disrupted pixels randomly formed together to create a hidden, more so, abstract, reaction and uncovering of emotion. Entering emotions and feelings, her works were probably the most secretive--not because it was abstract, but on top of that she was actually privy in her own transitional secrets. It emphasizes her strength and her weakness, and therefore had proven much honesty as an artist.

Lapa's digital + traditional merging

Lapa was a surprise in her artworks which she would continually explain as merging of the digital and traditional media. The era of art today, as would often the era of art in the other centuries, continue to change, and artists, too, continue to rave and scavenge and suit themselves into the changes. That, in itself, is transition. Lapa's works, especially those where images are juxtaposed with texts of her own notes, completes the notion that art pieces are mirrors of the artists's thoughts. It also completes the claim to which the exhibition stands for, and probably her works were able to show a completed transition. Lapa had always narrated how she was a strong concept maker, backed by her knowledge in psychology and IT. She was actually uneasy with shifting these to art pieces, but her works for this art show proved that to be wrong. We were all surprised, really, with how it managed to show Lapa's image in all the pieces. The artworks were strong because the medium and the concept works together. Lapa didn't have to explain--the art pieces, more so the technique, all constituted to the creativity and the process to which she stood firmly and almost irrevocably.

Paying 100 Pesos for the taxi fare, walking myself home to Mandaluyong Bridge, and getting a break from a whole week of job orders and meetings and facing SM Executives alone (because SoMA Director is sick, I had to fill in), Transitions was a breather. Kudos!

HATTER'S VIEW: INTENSITY

I have always been fascinated with Dean Koontz' books. He's my favorite--he probably was the influencer why I was able to do a novel that is a mix of Stephenie Meyer and JK Rowling but definitely mature and more considerate in the whole hullabaloo.

(Hahaha! Lifted my own bench right there)

Dean Koontz swept me away for the very first time on a book whose title I forgot. Then, I was eleven or twelve years old. He was writing suspense stories--and that first book was a sci-fi suspense piece. I remembered his name forever--but was not able to buy books...

Until I was in fourth year College. Yes, MJ and I bought around ten of his books, all on sale, and I had fun reading them...

Intensity is, by far, the best I've read so far. I finished it in less than 20 hours--reading it while in a jeepney ride to school, while being stressed by job orders at the office, and while helping my baby with her project. :)

Intensity was written very realistically--no elements of sci-fi, full of suspense, and terribly anger-generating.

It was about Chyna Shepherd, a survivor in life who was caught in a very remarkable 24 hours of threatening...

She accompanied her friend, Laura, to their mansion of some sort. Apparently, the mansion has been watched by a stranger, who, at that night, massacred brutally all the people inside--but he miraculously did not see Chyna. Chyna was then obliged to run after the man--the strange man who seemed to be a psycopath--and by following him she learned that the man really enjoyed brutal killings.

She wanted vengeance, or most probably justice-- and so she kept up with the whole experience... Until she overheard the man say something about a sixteen year-old girl locked under his house and he was waiting for the girl to ripen...

And Chyna felt like she had to do something--save the child, untouched and alive.

To make the long story short, Chyna reached the killer's house but the killer caught her--and it was a chase not only between them, but also a chase between life and death, between hope and giving up, between sexes, between Dobermans.

It was a sensational book--something that could give you the thrill and the facts about synthesia and what not--but most of all, it's a story of hope and survival. When I reached the last page, it felt awesome--like it was redemption at its finest, though it was not a happily ever after.

The Ranting Hatter just had 20 hours of break from all the stresses and baeipohjbionbdviobvnogehuinjh systems in which he was tasked to stand and endure with for the rest of the contract.

And, uhm, just now, I've discovered--it was actually made into a series... I want to watch!!! Or please, let's download a full version over pirate bay or something. hahahahahaha!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9qxiM9piZw

Read on! (Or watch on) hahahaha! Dean Koontz is brilliant. :)

HATTER'S VIEW: 127 HOURS (2HOURS)

Helloooooowwwwww!!!!!

Reporting to you the produce of a day-off: My girlfriend and I went shopping, preparing for our graduation picture taking tomorrow... And we finished a bit too early, that's why we decided to...

WATCH A MOVIE!!!!!!

Among the choices: Burlesque, Rite, 127 hours, and... I forgot the other one...

We opted to watch 127 Hours in Shangri-la because the movie house is cozy and fun and "sosi" for a cheaper price (not sure.) 127 Hours, apparently, is a true story and it's... well, it's nothing but rocks and James Franco---when you look at the poster. It's kinda interesting though because it's from Slumdog's director, Danny Boyle.

So I decided that it's the right movie... And hell, I'm right!!!!

There's something you have to know about how I do my reviews... I type in randomly, not caring about grammar or flow or anything--I just want to be casual about it... 127 Hours deserve a technical review, with its use of superb cinematography (and in case you've been too boxed, cinematography isn't just rule of thirds and what not... it's using lights and visuals so effectively that you feel the video is running inside your body, making you feel you're in it.)

The film begins (ironically) in rule of thirds... Hahahaha! watch it so you'll know what I'm talking about... The music sets you up in the mood, like it's inviting you to take an adventure of a lifetime--and that's what Aron Ralstone is up to (James Franco). Very casually the film went through his preparations, not minding the camera's positions and the lights and whatever--but everything went to the right places.

Aron embarks on a journey to the Blue Canyons and he enjoyed his own sweet time--until he falls down a pit and---well, I don't want to spoil it. Bottomline, he's trapped and he has nowhere to go...

it might be a little too boring, but no. Boyle and his team had something very good under their sleeves that made me and my girlfriend twitch and scream and feel bad and smile and---wow, it's an adventure, really.

Here we go....

James Franco changed my perception about him--I always thought he was... well, nothing but a dude who wants to masturbate 5 times a day, especially without his girlfriend. I don't know, but it's not really a nice thing to admit to the public, but he got a little bit of honor right there for honesty... With this film, I honor him 100 percent, for acting and humor...

Do we remember him in Whatever It Takes? I bet the girls and gays would do, especially with these pics...

But he's more than just *err* a biggie. Or a bigmouth... He's a cool dude, right? and the character he portrayed--man, it's a dream role! So deep in character, so rich background, and so much soul... and then I thought, I found a new Heath Ledger--or probably, a new JOKER...

But more than anything, the film really made me think...

WHY AM I TOO CONCERNED ABOUT SCHOOL? OR GRADES? OR MY PORTFOLIO?

(I have a dream eh! hahahaha!!!!)

Suddenly I thought everything was a big lie--and the teachers were big liars... and the bosses are fat asses... and the not-so-important people in my life deserves to be kicked out of my life...

(that's rude)

Life is not about... doing it alone, or making an effort to be on top, or getting so much units to graduate with flying colors, or facing panelists or whatever-----

life is about facing yourself, your biggest fears, and your "you-ness" when you're out there alone.

127 Hours is a film of life, a mirroring of truth, a challenge, a question, a fact.

(and I did not even speak about how artistically it was done--imagine, visuals representing hallucinations and drinking pee and attempting to masturbate? Gosh, those were good visuals!)

watch it. Or else I'll cut your arm off.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Spoiler!

Yours truly,

RANTING HATTER!

HATTER'S VIEW: BLACK SWAN

Opening this season's rants and views will be Black Swan, a film I watched because everyone else is talking about it. And yes, I believe in the fake identity of being too moral to not show any sexual scenes in movies here in the Philippines, so I opted to be a criminal at this point, watching it by downloading it... ( i did not, somebody else did. hehehe)

Mind you. When I watch films, I don't sit there and tell myself that I'm a critic. That's "hypocritic". What I do is I open my eyes and heart and mind to enjoy the film, whatever it is. So please, spare me those technical stuff used for reviewing films--if you're so knitty-gritty concerned about the films you watch then go make your own. :)

So... where do I start?

Let's start with Black Swan's story. (I won't spoil it. The story was repeated so many times, staged in many variations, and even had a Barbie Version...)

No. I'm not talking about the Nutcracker. I'm talking about Swan Lake. Makes sense, right?

Black Swan is a psychological thriller/suspense/(and some say it's horror) film.
Call it whatever you wish to call it. You could even call it Bold. Soft Porn. Anything.

The movie is well-crafted. Aside from Natalie Portman, no one else carried the Hollywood Fame... Well, Vincent Cassel is known, but they're kind of a different level in comparison. Portman can be remembered in many Hollywood Films, and Cassel, well, Cassel's a French Actor-director (He's cast as a villain most of the time) and he's the husband of Monica Bellucci.

However, everyone in the film stood by their characters so well. I have a thing with acting, as I am an actor myself. While most of them sees how the lighting was set-up and how the editing was done (and some would even count the frames per second, or if they are very geeky, they'll count the revolutions per second of the ballerinas...), I see acting. I see souls, I see performances...

And so I'll start with that.

I acted in Lubid at Tanikala (Best Director, PWU IFG FILM FESTIVAL) and directed myself together with my co-director Rev Zuniga. My character had to be good and bad, and if you would see it, it's kinda scary. I myself got scared doing the devilish dude. Somehow, I could feel a different power rushing through my veins... and while acting in front of the camera, I must tell myself not to succumb to the personality that's eating me...

And so with that, I applaud Portman. She gave justice to the character--the fear, the angst, it's brilliant... And she did not get herself killed--a lot of good actors who become so engrossed in their characters usually end up dead because they forget that one thing that separates them from their characters--their souls.

Cassel is, as always, astounding. He was not supposed to be a villain, but towards the progression of the film you would suddenly feel that you're actually either getting Portman's good or bad view on things, and realize you too are puzzled with its psychological mystery.

Mila Kunis (Lily) was seductive, seductive enough to make the audience believe that her character was real... It seeps through the flesh, the character makes your teeth gnash in both pleasure and disgust, and eventually you too gets confused because she switches from a b*tch to a smiling, supportive friend...

Surprises: Wanna see Winona Ryder? Wait for Beth's character. :)

The real deal however, is the fact that this film presents the story in a seemingly unique kind of way, although you would know from the very start how it was going to end. Somehow, the use of dark and bright lights, classical music, and ballet ensemble altogether brings the chills. Add to that some pinches of gore and porn and fetish.

Another thing--if you're not really the guy who enjoys lesbo scenes, then... it isn't exactly as "sexy" as they say it is. It's sexy and seductive but I always see that as a form of art--because sexual scenes with a man and a woman sends me a different message, and therefore a different effect. It is no match to Chloe. Believe me. Hahaha!

I was telling my friend that the best part of it was when Portman's character (She's Nina, by the way) turned to the Black Swan. It was heartfelt, and no words were able to make her portray the character. Just body movements, eyes, and a visual effects trick on putting feathers on her--she was right all along--

I FELT IT. IT WAS PERFECT. PERFECT.

and there you go, our first blog. :)

catch ya' soon!

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!

I've been to London, to look at the Queen...
And apparently she's not there...
So I came back here...
And began a tea party,
It's a SURE WIN!!!!

Hellooooo everyone! You surprised me. (Actually, the stats did.)
So, you still want to read some rants...
And more than that, you want to know what happened to your RANTING HATTER.

Your Ranting Hatter has been very busy...
I finished writing a novel for my girlfriend... :)
I finished internship...
And now, your Ranting Hatter is busy being The Concept Machine.

Aaarrggghhhh... So many names, so singular identity...

And a lot has happened since then, mates!

We've overthrown Gloria Macapagal Arroyo...
We've placed Benigno Simeon Aquino III...
We've sent Willie Revillame to TV5...
and yes, Ricky Martin is still gay.

But you know, the world is full of misery and (awkwardly) it is also full of stupendous joys that we could altogether enjoy... So why don't we start the ball rolling then?

We could start with... uhm... Well... (i'm thinking)

We could do an Angelo Reyes, a Tangled, a Black Swan,
a LoveBlog, or maybe....
RANTS about School and how it's becoming to be darker and darker?

Bwahahahahahaha!

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Ranting Hatter... IS BACK with VENGEANCE. :)

WELCOME THE RANTS. IT'S BACK.

YES.
RANTING HATTER is DEFINITELY
ULTIMATELY
Scrappendouzjiggerishinggibberishingly
BACK!