I Resolve That This Time...

... my birthday will be a blast.

I'm done moping around for the past couple of years. No more.

I'll post some other time.

Project 52 (39/52): On DIY (And Why CD-R King Will Someday Rule The World)

.:Project 52 (39/52): On DIY (And Why CD-R King Will Someday Rule The World):.

Let's get this out of the way right away, guys: I am not a DIY kind of guy. I'm rather inept when it comes to that stuff, and I really don't think it's something I'm particularly interested in doing on a regular basis.

That being said, when I bought a television for my place recently, I wanted to get a TV stand to go with it, and given my limited budget, I decided to go for a CD-R King TV Stand.

It went for a trifle 3,990 bucks. Most tables elsewhere start at 9,000.

So after unpacking the two boxes, I sat myself down and got to work. It was a veritable mess of instructions that I didn't really understand, if the very helpful dude at CD-R King didn't actually help me out. I know, I know. They're notorious for being very surly people, but on this particular day, they were extra nice!

Stage 1, done! A portent of things to come!

So I managed to assemble the base of the stand after a couple of tries. It was pretty easy once you figured out the internal logic of the parts: which needed washers, which needed to be screwed on, and all of that. It was pretty fun trying to figure out what goes where, and while going through it, I began to feel more and more confident as things started to... well, fall into place.

It was at that point that I managed to assemble the rack where the TV was going to end up on. Yeah, I know, this post is not as joke-filled as the usual stuff, but there has to be something funny about the fact that they didn't even stick a warranty sticker on my TV stand when I got it...

I know what you're thinking: just wait 'til it collapses, Kel!

Well, from there, I had to bring out the television already. It was a Sony Bravia, and it was pretty lightweight, so I had very little trouble mounting it.

The best part? It came with a metric effton of bubble wrap!

With very few pieces left, it didn't take much to know which went where anymore. This was actually the easiest part of setting up the TV stand, except for one little thing...

And no, I'm not referring to my room.

You see, the problem with the new Sony Bravia (The 32-inch LED one.) is that the geniuses at Sony decided that the HDMI and power slots of their brand new TV go very well right in the same columns as where the slots for wall rack mounting would go. That meant that mounting the TV would mean you outright blocked your HDMI outlet from access. Which I discovered the hard way, really, and it forced me to make some adjustments...

Yes, it's a Justin Bieber song. Don't judge me.

You'd notice that I moved the TV to the side just so I could plug the HDMI port in, but the first port, the one that you can use to connect to your phone? That's actually completely inaccessible because of where they decided to place it. Still, I managed to come out on top with this one, and considering that none of these inconveniences were even remotely CD-R King's fault, I have to admit, this was quite an experience.

Gangnam Style, Tagalog/Capampangan Version Lyrics

.:Won't Be Too Shocked To See Someone Record This Or Something...:.

I know, I know. Everyone and their mother has heard of and done a lip-synch video to Gangnam Style by now. 

What nobody has done, though, is to make a Tagalog version. And that surprises me, considering how someone did it for "Teach Me How To Dougie" and other similarly popular songs. I expect the Christmas Mix this December, but a Tagalog version hasn't even been written yet.

Until now.

Yes, I came up with this, and yes my Capampangan is probably rudimentary at best, but I'm pretty proud of it. If you think the lyrics need work and they don't fit as perfectly with the tune as I hoped they would, feel free to tell me.

But yes, if you'd ever record this, and I'd end up hearing this song on the radio, please don't forget to tip your hat to me, at least. That goes for you too, Tito Sotto. ;)

Pampanga Style
translation by Kel Fabie

hO Pampanga Style!
Pampanga Style!

Ang saya sa Pampanga, lahat ay nalolosyang
Pagkain pa lang, tiyak walang sinabi ang hopya
Daming handa, mula San Fernando hanggang Guagua
Maraming gaya-gaya, ngunit hindi makopya

Mga Cabalen!
Mekeni na’t mangan dito sa amen mga Cabalen!
hAndami naming handa, ang saya-saya Cabalen!
Bata man o matanda, manyaman ang pagkain Cabalen!
Puro Cabalen!

Sanikulas ni Borromeo
Tocino (hey!) at Kamaru (hey!)
Sanikulas ni Borromeo
Tocino (hey!) at Kamaru (hey!)
Betute Tugak, Bulanglang, Balu-Balooooo

hO Pampanga Style!
Pampanga Style!

hO Pampanga Style!
Pampanga Style!

Ehhhhhh, Potang benge!
hOp, hOp, hOp, hOp, hOp
hO Pampanga Style!
Ehhhhhh, Potang benge!
hOp, hOp, hOp, hOp, hOp
hO Pampanga Style!

San Luis, Mexico, Angeles pati na Santa Ana
Macabebe, Sasmuan, sama mo na Candaba
Minalin, Mabalacat, hanngang sa Floridablanca
Kuha mo, Masantol? O siya?

Mga Cabalen!
Mekeni mangan tamu dito cabalen
Dacal a anda masaya cami cabalen
Bata man o matand, manyaman ing kanan cabalen
Puro Cabalen!

Sanikulas ni Borromeo
Tocino (hey!) at Kamaru (hey!)
Sanikulas ni Borromeo
Tocino (hey!) at Kamaru (hey!)
Betute Tugak, Bulanglang, Balu-Balooooo

ho Pampanga Style!
Pampanga Style!

ho Pampanga Style!
Pampanga Style!

Ehhhhhh, Potang benge!
hOp, hOp, hOp, hOp, hOp
hO Pampanga Style!
Ehhhhhh, Potang benge!
hOp, hOp, hOp, hOp, hOp
hO Pampanga Style!

Tingnan niyo, sarap maghain ‘to
Baby-baby
Kaya si Gloria tumakbo dito

Tingnan niyo, sarap maghain ‘to
Baby-baby
Kaya si Gloria tumakbo dito

hYou know hwhat hI’m saying!

hO Pampanga Style!

Ehhhhhh, Potang benge!
hOp, hOp, hOp, hOp, hOp
hO Pampanga Style!
Ehhhhhh, Potang benge!
hOp, hOp, hOp, hOp, hOp
hO Pampanga Style

Project 52 (38/52): On False Equivalence (And Why It Gets Tiring Sometimes)

.:Project 52 (38/52): On False Equivalence (And Why It Gets Tiring Sometimes):.

I really wanted to talk about either hosting Best Of Anime last weekend or the brand-spanking new Anti-Cybercrime Bill, but I couldn't bring myself to cover that stuff just now.

So let's do this one instead.

Shortpacked: right again, like always. Click image to enlarge.

I have noticed a pattern.

It seems to me that every single time a discussion about sexism comes up in any of the fandoms I’m a part of, there will always be people who are so quick to dismiss the issue with a simple “I don’t see it as a problem. Ergo, it’s not a problem.” It points back to the whole deal about dismissing issues just because they don’t matter to us that I wrote about a few weeks ago.

When the issue matters to you, though, it becomes incredibly frustrating. And to me, equality does matter. A lot. Having been indoctrinated by safe spaces like Scans Daily, I feel rather uneasy whenever I see instances of sexism because you know what? They aren’t few and far in between. They happen often enough to be cause for alarm. In fact, they happen so often, and their presence in most forms of media is so pervasive, that we are actually surprised when they’re not present.

One of the common defences against sexism in comics or video games is that while yes, we have women with impossibly sexy bodies and much-abused backbones due to all their swaying, men have it “just as bad” because they are all impossibly handsome and well-built muscled hulks, and frequently wear their underwear on the outside.

That’s a nice defense, until you realize that it’s false equivalence: yes, the two are idealized, but the question is: for whom and by whom?

When you see Psylocke posing in a mind-boggling way where her chest and her behind are facing you at the same time, this is a fantasy put into play by the male artist to attract the male reader.

Hey, it’s Psylocke in a physically impossible pose! Must be a Tuesday.

When you see Superman as the epitome of masculinity, his well-chiseled face and his Adonis-like physique striking a powerful pose on the cover of a comic, this is a fantasy put into play by the male artist to attract the male reader.

Superman gets so boring sometimes, even the caption is more of the same.

See, therein lies the rub: at no point in either case were the desires of a woman taken into consideration. Do women aspire to be able to show off their chest and their butt at the same time? Probably not, but even if they did, obviously, nobody consulted them about it.

On the other hand, being a man, when someone draws an idealized body of Superman or Batman, then that is a power fantasy and aspirational in nature. Even if some people might find Superman sexy, the intent isn’t to be sexy, but to evoke strength and power.

Not that there’s anything wrong about being sexy, mind you. It just becomes a problem when women in comics and video games statistically become all about being sexy. Why the lack of variety? Contrast that to the range of men who are sexy, men who are powerful, men who are average, and just about everything in between, while women are just all sexy? Are there exceptions? Yes. But they are so few and far in between that one cannot help but ask the awkward question why the representation and the variety is so ridiculously skewed.

So we’ve pretty much established that the kind of objectification and idealization women in comics and video games receive are still every bit as male-centric as the kind that men in comics and video games receive. Both are bad, but to say that the fact that men don’t complain about these things means women shouldn’t either is just being disingenuous. Of course they wouldn’t complain! It doesn’t harm them the way it harms women!

As a matter of fact, when there is true equivalence and men in comics or games are indeed sexualized the exact way women are, these very same men who claim they won’t complain actually do. Case in point:

Whoah! Call the waaangbulance!

Here. Have a closer look.

Obey.

Yep. That noticeable bulge isn’t really a power fantasy anymore, eh? Still, it’s definitely realistic. You wear something as tight as spandex, something’s gotta well, manifest itself, yet more often than not, as Spider-Man can show you, it doesn’t really work that way in comics.

The real reason why Peter and MJ aren’t married in the comics anymore…

So apparently, the men get every bit as outraged when they get “exploited.” They complain about how uncomfortable they feel with the artwork, and project all sorts of homophobic sentiments while they call the art out. Yet when it happens to women, they have the gall to say that “it’s nothing?” And they wonder why comic book and video game nerds get a bad rep.

Speaking of “realism,” that was the excuse people used to handwave the fact that Arkham City’s thugs called Catwoman a “bitch” so many times that it would ring in your ears. Funny how that “realism” isn’t necessary for crotch bulges, but suddenly, it’s integral when using gendered slurs. How utterly convenient. So in a world where people dress up as bats, cats, have freeze guns, can resurrect themselves by being dunked into a mystic pit filled with mysterious liquid, it’s important for hardened criminals to call Catwoman a “bitch”, but you can’t have Batman or Robin have any crotch bulges?

WOW.

The sad part is, only one of two things will happen after I bring this whole thing up again: either people will argue with me and try to shout me down, or it will all fall on deaf ears because “women should be happy they can already vote.”

Sometimes I wonder about this planet, really.

Addendum To The Cosplay Wordmark Brouhaha

.:In Response To The Official Statement:.

Cosplay.ph has released an official statement, as I intimated in yesterday's post. Well, that came faster than I expected it to, based on my conversation with Tanya yesterday.

I'll say this much. Given the nature of legal issues, they were well within their rights to act vigilantly and pre-emptively by wordmarking "cosplay." I'm sure there are a few people worried that cosplay.ph would selectively enforce its trademark against people they don't get along with, but at this point, that will probably result in actual legal action, and that will make or break the trademark in practice.

The argument they are making is a "necessary evil" argument, and to be fair, given what they have explained in their statement, it isn't a very far-fetched thing for them to do.

It seems unfortunate that we have a perfectly plausible situation that forces a necessary evil, especially since no matter how much good will there may be for cosplay.ph, no consensus-building was reached to give them this responsibility. Value judgments aside, the political process, as unsavory as it is, was still bypassed and the responsibility was assumed by cosplay.ph on their own accord.

Now, whether this is a case of Messianic complex or simply a matter of course is all a matter of opinion. I can assume all the goodness I want about cosplay.ph, but I'm just one person. I can't speak for everyone else, which is exactly what the critics of this move are worried cosplay.ph is now capable of, by default.

Sure, they have not enforced their trademark, but they are not legally obliged not to. That is enough cause for concern because on legal matters, "take my word for it" means absolutely nothing, and if you don't know who cosplay.ph, or if you don't get along with them, then of course you'd be worried.

Sure, they enjoy the trust of a lot of people, but what people don't realize is that this sets a precedent. They protected their brand. Well and good. What if, say, Best Of Anime decided to protect theirs by registering "anime," hypothetically? How about "otaku?" The worries of people may seem like fear-mongering, but when something big like this happens this secretively and it took a year for it to come to light, could you blame them?

So for now, there is no practical problem, even if a legal snag undeniably does exist. There are valid reasons for cosplay.ph to want and to hold onto the wordmark at this point, but the fact that we know the people behind cosplay.ph and we personally like them should not be one of those reasons. When it comes to matters like these, personal feelings on parties involved should be put aside, and people have to stick to the issues alone.

I believe doing anything else would be a huge disservice to everyone concerned.

On Trademarking The Word "Cosplay" And Double Standards

.:On Trademarking The Word "Cosplay" And Double Standards:.

And here comes this issue just after I do my Project 52 for the week. And it's not like I can hold off on writing about this until next week, considering how much discussion the issue has engendered. I see that Gameops has written about this already, but what the hey. May as well get my two cents in.

But first, let me show you what I'm talking about.

The legalese had me going for a while, too. Click to enlarge.

In the interest of disclosure, if I actually had a horse in this battle (And I don't.), it would actually be the one who filed for the trademark, Tanya Bairan. I have had nothing but pleasant experiences with her through my dealings with cosplay.ph, and if somebody had to own the trademark of the word "cosplay," then I wouldn't mind it at all if it were them.

Buuuut I don't really know if anyone has to own the word "cosplay," in the first place. At least, not on a legal basis.

This isn't an ethical or moral issue, so the fact that it was Mike Abundo who brought this "issue" (Notice the air quotes, because I personally don't think it is one. Yet.) to light isn't exactly the favorite person of the cosplay community is irrelevant. Nobody is beyond scrutiny, after all, regardless of how much we like or dislike the person in question. This is a purely legal matter, and since I'm not a lawyer, the implications of the trademark, as well as its merits, completely escape me.

I have seen similar efforts happen before. A few years back, someone tried to form a National Bloggers' Association without consulting bloggers nationally. What a novel concept! A group that seeks to represent bloggers completely ignores the very people it represents?

What next? Will the CBCP trademark the word "Catholic" now? Oh, wait.

It's okay, Abante fell for it, too.

That being said, I categorically don't approve of assuming the worst of cosplay.ph and their intentions, because whatever the case may be, her side deserves to be heard before we even try to cast judgment on this issue.

Yes, the timing of the issue cropping up is suspect: Cosplaymania is coming up on September 29, yet the trademark was filed in 2011. Why now? Is it an attempt to stir up controversy to discredit the event? Well, I can't assume anything about Mike's intentions, either. I think it's unfair of me to do so since I haven't spoken to him about it yet.

Furthermore, if that were really the intent, well, expect it to backfire, because if anything, this kind of "issue" would only spur more people to attend Cosplaymania. As you should. The event has a pretty good track record in the past few years it's been running.

It's tempting to sneak in a plug about the cosplay event I'm hosting this weekend right here, but I will resist the urge to tell you that Best Of Anime is happening this weekend in SMX. I'm above shameless self-promotion like that.

;)

Aside from "cosplay," the phrase "cosplay Philippines" and the website plus logo for cosplay.ph were also trademarked.

I am willing to go by the doctrine of charity and assume the best of intentions and the lack of any ill will in what cosplay.ph has done, but I am alarmed by the double standards some have employed to blindly defend them from being so much as questioned about this. True, cosplay.ph has a good reputation established over the years. True, I think highly of them. But if, after careful consideration, it is established that nobody should own the trademark to the word "cosplay" (Which has yet to happen, might I say.), then we can't look the other way just because we like the people involved. Nobody is beyond reproach or question. Especially not when we criticize PNoy for supposedly doing just that with Rico Puno.

This hypocrisy alarms me, because some of my closest friends have been subjected to these double standards, not to mention the rampant slut-shaming I see prevalent in the cosplay community whenever a pretty cosplayer gains some measure of popularity. No, wearing skimpy clothing doesn't make her a "slut," nor does accepting money for being a cosplayer/model at an event make her a "whore." Especially if we turn around and praise people we happen to like for doing the exact same thing, when given the chance.

And yes, I'm talking about people like Alodia or Chienna or Myrtle (Who I don't even personally know.). It seems like to certain people, these people can do nothing right, no matter what costume they wear, or whatever they say or do. Always something wrong with the costume. Always clamoring for attention. Always getting the character wrong. Always misrepresenting cosplay. Huh.

Some people would even go as far as to say they're not cosplayers because cosplay should never be about money (Which clearly contradicts the trademark, based on the text.), because the word "play" is in the term.

Yet the NBA is home to some of the highest-paid basketball players in the world, and nobody bats an eyelash at that "injustice?" For shame!

To some people, the overall message is that because these cosplayers are now actresses or models or whatever else, they no longer "deserve" to be called "cosplayers."

Why not?

Who sets these standards?

Who elected these people to set these standards?

What checks and balances are in place to assure that these standards are fair and properly observed?

I ask, because if these so-called defenders of the "purity" of the "art form" merely appointed themselves, then such a practice is specious at best, and downright discriminatory at worst.

I also ask, because the exact same reasoning was given by someone who defended the trademarking of the term "cosplay": to protect the word from misuse by douchebags. If we were to listen to the people speaking for Tanya and the rest of the cosplay.ph, you'd think that these actions are to "save" cosplay from the evil clutches of the "dastardly" Mike Abundo. A little overdramatic now, aren't we? Besides, what is up with that Messianic complex?

Nearly the same questions apply.

How is the word misused by douchebags?

Who are these douchebags?

Who determines when something is misused? Who determines who are douchebags? Are these going to be the same people?

Who elected these people to set these standards?

What checks and balances are in place to assure that these standards are fair and properly observed?

Yet again, that's merely someone speaking ahead of Tanya's turn, so for all we know, that reasoning may not even be applicable at all.

That being said, I refuse to talk about whether or not she has any merit to the trademark claim until she has aired her side, and as of my call to her earlier this afternoon, she promised that she will issue an official statement soon enough. I believe she is due the respect and accord to air her side, so for that, I will hold my piece, especially since my stake in this matter is limited at best.

Aside from the whole hoopla over the trademark itself, I really wanted to write this to decry the double standards being demonstrated by certain people within the community. It's been getting to me for years already, because even some of the people I'm closest to seem to just have a logic block when it comes to these standards. To a guy like me, who's mainly outside looking in, it feels petty and vindictive to apply one set of standards to an Alodia Gosiengfiao and to apply a completely different set of standards to a Jin Joson, solely because they like one and hate the other. These are people, too, and they deserve to be treated as such. They are not whores. They are not sluts. They are not your property. And they certainly do not exist for your amusement alone.

For now, I am vouching for Tanya's integrity, and eagerly await the official announcement, because it will definitely clear up a lot of things. As useless as it may seem, this fence-sitter hopes both sides won't resort to mudslinging and rumor-mongering at this point, because it's a disservice to a community that has grown by the leaps and bounds that cosplay has in the past few years.

P.S. I'm glad I'm hosting Best Of Anime this weekend, and not Best Of Cosplay. Wala lang.

For the addendum post made after the official statement came out, please go here.

Project 52 (37/52): On Passive-Aggressiveness (And Why I'm Doing It A Lot Lately)

.:Project 52 (37/52): On Passive-Aggressiveness (And Why I'm Doing It A Lot Lately):.

You're so vain, you probably think this post is about you...

Woo-hoo! Passive-aggressiveness! I think I've gotten better (Or worse, if you've been on the receiving end.) of this whole thing over the years, mostly because I've tired of confronting people who never learn.

I will freely admit it's not the healthiest thing ever, because with passive-aggressiveness, not only do you learn to sass in a way that seemingly casts a wide net which is in reality meant for only one target most of the time, it actually requires some measure of being able to keep a grudge, since you can't have it out the way you normally would if you were more confrontative.

But why the need for being snarky in plain view but not directly? I guess it's because while the issue is too much to just let go of, it's also not big enough to make a huge stink about it the way a confrontation would. And maybe that's not the way to go about it. It probably isn't the way to go about it. Unfortunately, sometimes, there's just no more room, no more will, no more motivation to even argue about it. The water has run dry, and all you could do is remember you're irked at someone, but maybe not even remember anymore why.

If I were a better human being, I wouldn't be doing this at all. I would forgive and forget and let all slights against me just slide and roll off my back. But I am not a better human being, especially not lately. So much has happened, so much has broken my faith that I no longer see any reason to just let it all happen to me and continue being someone people could walk all over. And yes, when I was more confrontative, ironically, people found it easier to walk all over me, because I definitely reserved confrontation as a last resort, but it takes a lot less to get me passive-aggressive over something or someone.

I'm especially approaching the point where except for a few exceptions, I simply do not find any reason to apologize to anyone when I know it wasn't even my fault to begin with. Not anymore. If it means sacrificing a "friendship" because I was too prideful to drop it, then it only goes to show I wasn't the only one, since the other party didn't extend that same courtesy, either.

More so when the other person's at fault, and it's not just a simple muck-up that was nobody's fault. Why should I be obliged to apologize back to someone who decided to lack empathy and sensitivity? Why should I be obliged to even accept a non-apology that is riddled with its own brand of passive-aggressiveness on someone's Twitter account afterwards?

I can be stupid and look the other way for some people, yes. Despite that, no, I'm not keen on doing that for just everybody. If it weren't for this one friend who constantly has shown me that she believes in the best of me, I doubt I would even be able to do this, to begin with.

Then again, maybe if I really cared for someone enough. Someone who filled every waking moment of mine with thoughts of her, and filled every moment in slumber with dreams of her.

Maybe that someone would be the one person who could make me lower my pride to a point I didn't even think possible for me. Someone Beloved to me, perhaps.

It's crazy, really, and again, it's not healthy. But let's face it: passive-aggressiveness is the only way I can cope with the daily insanity I have to put up with that gets in the way of me doing my job. I'm a professional, first and foremost, and when a person decides to be an immature and petulant douche towards you, you can only snark at them, but still give them the professional courtesy of not outing them for the immature and petulant douche they actually are, despite the fact that they outed you themselves already.

You're so vain, you probably think this post is about you.

And screw you, it is. We don't have to stay friends, let's pretend to be enemies.

So... What Are You Waiting For? An Open Letter To Anti-RH Lawmakers

.:So... What Are You Waiting For? An Open Letter To Anti-RH Lawmakers:.

Dear Anti-RH Lawmakers (I heard there's so many of you guys, so I can't really name you all, but you know who you are.),

We get it, we really do. There is no point in debating issues with you because any attempts to respond to your points have been either ignored or outright rejected. You don't want to find out how wrong you are, and your colleagues in the Senate are decent enough people to not take pleasure in making fools out of you. That's kind of surprising since Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago is in your roster, but it is what it is.

So no, I'm not here to debate the points of the RH Bill with you. That achieves nothing at this point, since you clearly refuse to listen to reason, and your mind is made up. In fact, my stand on the RH Bill at this point is rather irrelevant to what I, as a taxpaying citizen, expect you to do, all things considered.

The bill has been met with so many delays that instead of addressing the pros and cons of the bill, people are now discussing how to stop filibustering on the issue.

For the pro-RH, filibustering means a rejection of the bill, by default. For the conscientious anti-RH, filibustering is a denial of the democratic process: the very numbers game that makes them think that because the Philippines is composed of 80 percent Catholics, then their values must be the Filipino's values. If the RH Bill is to be rejected, it must be because the people who voted on it clearly did not want it, not because time ran out on the bill.

You will notice that at no point are the pro-RH trying to delay the proceedings, for obvious reasons. They want the bill to pass, and for them, dealing with Sotto's woes on plagiarism is a very real opportunity cost: doing that, as Sotto himself has proven, will be yet another opportunity to stall progress with the bill. It has become a race against time.

Senator Enrile believes they have the numbers. Tito Sotto obviously wants the RH Bill "out of his hair." And even if they clearly aren't supposed to be dictating public policy since we are not a theocratic country, you don't need a link to know that the CBCP believes that God is on their side, and He will not allow something as dastardly as the RH Bill to ruin the Philippines the way it has "ruined" Italy (Where the Vatican is located.), Spain (Who introduced Catholicism to us.), Israel (Where Christ was born.), and America (Because screw America, I guess? I don't really know why they even have to be part of this.).

How lucky then, that the Philippines is the last standing bastion of morality! We're currently the only country where divorce is illegal! Are we the new chosen people or something? Surely, our high rate of teenage pregnancy must be some weird aberration: our cause is pure, right?

At this point, we've established four things:

1. The anti-RH camp believes their cause is just.
2. The anti-RH camp wants to lay this matter to rest.
3. The anti-RH camp is convinced that its arguments have been strong and irrefutable.
4. The anti-RH camp is confident it has the numbers to once and for all reject this bill.

So... what the Hades are you waiting for?!? Why is the RH Bill on the backburner yet again? Why are you interpellating yourselves when you can't trollbait the pro-RH into getting into long, protracted arguments with you? Or are we actually looking at the Rapture, come to take the rest of the Senate while you rambled on?

Pictured: A riveting debate between two men over what to do with a woman's body. 
Of course, they would be the ones to know best about this, right?*

Even the CBCP is open to putting the RH Bill to a plebiscite. After all, former President GMA is on their side, and she knows a thing or two about putting things to a vote. If you truly don't have time, why not leave it in the hands of the people, who clearly are the ones who will be affected by this bill the most?

You have everything going for you, as far as you're concerned, dear anti-RH lawmakers. So what the Hades are you waiting for? It's not like you had problems getting things done in a timely manner before. Just ask former Chief Justice Corona: he'd tell you.

Do not deny us the right to see this democratic process completed. Whether the RH Bill is accepted or junked, we aren't paying you our hard-earned money to have you merely stall this process out. If it's such a thorn in your side, then strike it down by putting it to a vote!

It has been way too long, and too many lives have already been sacrificed as you stall this law, hoping that the 2013 elections will make it all go away. Where is your confidence that your cause is just? Where is your belief that you are in the right? If you truly believe that you have the numbers, then you should get through the amendments with little incident, then proceed to voting on the bill upon third reading.

Surely, you're not afraid that the numbers aren't in your favor, right? You believe God is on your side. What more can you ask for? Are you questioning His divine power to validate your beliefs through a vote?

Then, and only then, can you truly prove that you are anti-RH, once you have taken this matter to a vote. Then, and only then, do you prove that you are not a public official who just doesn't want to do their job, instead malingering over the RH Bill issue so as to look busy while not actually accomplishing anything.

TL;DR. Let democracy prevail: whether in Congress, the Senate, or a plebiscite, quit stalling and put the RH Bill to a vote. We, the people, whether we are pro, anti, or undecided on the RH Bill, deserve that much. We are not paying our taxes to see you waste our time again and again on this issue.

Sincerely yours, it's true! It's true!
Kel Fabie

*Image from Kenneth Keng.

Project 52 (36/52): On Being Used (And Then Promptly Discarded Afterwards)

.:Project 52 (36/52): On Being Used (And Then Promptly Discarded Afterwards:.

We've all been through this, and I guess the past few weeks, I've been thinking about it a lot, as it kept happening to me.

For as long as I could remember, since I started with radio, I've had people crawl out of the woodwork and remember me just so I could announce something for them on the air, despite never having spoken two words to me prior to that. Then, as soon as I give them that much, they disappear again, never to be heard from once more.

I've had someone who once said she'd love me forever ask me to do her friends a favor. The very same friends who judged me and looked down on me.

I've seen someone run to me because she lost her smile, then run right back to the one who hurt her the minute she found her smile again.

I've been friends with someone who wouldn't give me the time of day, yet expected me to be at her beck and call every single time she needed help writing a letter of resignation or something.

You can't help but find out who your friends really are when you are going through the worst of times, and they're still right there, putting up with you. You realize very quickly who the fair-weathered friends are: the ones who don't give two s#!ts about you while you're going through Hades.

They're simply nowhere to be found after they get what they wanted from you.

I guess I just feel drained from all of this. It's also why I can't quite think straight as I try to write about this, yet in the end, here I am, dealing with the fact that I've allowed myself to be a doormat to people in general for so long that it makes me feel guilty when the thought of being used like this angers me, despite the fact that it well should.

And so, this week is spent in quiet contemplation.

Pictured: quiet contemplation.

Where do we go from here, really? Bridges have been burned, and tables have been turned, but I take no pleasure in seeing them turn to me and say "you were right, and you told me so."

All I wanted was them to come up to me, say "I'm sorry," and all would be well again. Apparently, that's too much to ask.

If you feel used and abused by your so-called friends, it's time to ask yourself if you're giving when you have nothing to give. While generosity is nice, if all you could fill yourself with afterwards are hurtful, self-destructive thoughts, maybe your generosity comes at too high a price at that point.

Where do we go from here, really?

So... Something Put Me In A Lighter Mood Today...

.:Random Goodbyes Were Never This Cute!:.

Say it with me right now: awwwwww!!!

It was a rough week last week. Lost a friend, on the cusp of losing another one as I write this, and, well, a whole host of other things.

Yet some bright spots remained, chief among them the fact that I feel a lot more corporately desirable than I ever have in my entire career.

And when I got to my spot this morning, I actually found a letter. Someone apologized to me. It still wasn't in person, but it was far better than what felt like a non-apology the first time around.

I left it at "we're cool," and that's the end of it. I doubt I'm going to regain any of the friendships I lost recently, nor do I even feel like I want to. Let it be my emotional spring cleaning of the year, especially since, like I said, I expected no less than a face to face apology here.

But whatever. I've felt so used and abused just this past week, giving people the support they need, then having myself discarded to the side when it becomes clear that I have outlived my usefulness. I'm tired and I'm disheartened, and I'm getting to a point where I'm beginning to be wary of really investing in friendships beyond the ones I already have. The new ones have almost unilaterally proved to be horrible missteps, and on a statistical level, we're looking at maybe one good friend after five to seven horrid ones.

Or maybe it's really me who's the problem. Either way, staying the eff away seems like the smartest thing to do.

But still, bad rash of run-ins aside, that video up there? It keeps this day from being a wash. That's just how great it is.

Oh, I just realized. It's September. Never a good month for me.