"splitting the atom" ++

from the college of fine arts, the CONDEMNED exhibit is now at hardin ng mga diwata of the college of arts and letters. if things go well, a print edition of our komix "Die Philosophen" (a slightly different version from the one that appeared in highchair 18: poetry comics issue) shall be available at BLTX VI (makiki-squat ata ako sa may bandang Cabinet). following* "Nang Mag-agaw-dilim ang mga Kabataang Mangangaso sa Majayjay" of Factsheet 6, is my contribution to Fact Sheet 7 / Down the Drain: The Wasted State of Human Rights under the Aquino Regime, "Splitting the Atom," which is about the illegal detention case of physicist, environmentalist, activist, professor Kim Gargar:

let us brace ourselves for Hagupit and bear with the crap that is the Aquino regime, so we have enough strength for vigilance and for mass action. taas kamaong solidarity sa panawagan para sa climate justice at para sa karapatang pantao!

factsheet6, siklab, rights3, bltxxx, qbccc3, zines

this is a nostalgia-tripping, looking-back, noting-to-self-what-i-have-been-doing post, so please bear w me. first things first, because tomorrow, we march to commemorate the international human rights day. way back 2010, we made a stop-motion vid to show the human rights situation in the philippines:

stickerbomb disobedience

and now, let me share the exchanges i liked from the film adaptation i did not like much because sorcerer alan moore says so and because the intensity of the original version is many times more intense than-- hey, i am not here to rave about the comics and rant about its film adaptation but to share stickers that may be used as bombs and to reminisce that scene and thank imdb for their quotes page:

factsheet artvocacy++

martial law commemoration draws near. to young Filipinos who never knew martial law and dictatorship, they may opt to read up.* today, cronies take seemingly other yet similar shapes. vencer crisostomo asks what malacañang's fave desert is. he answers: maka-puno. as human rights violations take seemingly other yet similar shapes until today, we raise our fists. through different forms. among these forms? art. after the cut are posters and invites lifted from the ARTvocacy page. below this paragraph is my entry to the factsheet #6 visual arts exhibit in UPLB. title: "Nang Mag-agaw-dilim ang mga Kabataang Mangangaso sa Majayjay;" medium: print on tarpaulin (?); fact sheet: extrajudicial and frustrated killing. there shall be a Rights screening. not sure if "Pissed Off," my collaborative work w mikel, is included. but, go, attack, watch, participate, in any way, in one or all of the activities.

himagsik + protesta

[lahat ng naririto ay kinuha mula sa pahina ng KARAPATAN]

"Isang memorabilia exhibit ng mga bagay na may kinalaman sa panahon ng Batas Militar na pagmamay-ari ng isang dating aktibista noong Martial Law, isang personalidad o icon, o replika ng naturang gamit. Kaakibat ng bawat piyesa ay artikulo/sanaysay o likhang sining tungkol sa memorabilia item o sa taong itinatampok na gawa ng ang isang bagong henerasyong aktibista o kabataan.
Magbubukas ang exhibit sa ika-14 ng Setyembre, 2012 (Biyernes) ng alas-4:00 ng hapon sa Basement lobby ng UP Diliman Main Library. Iniimbitahan po ang lahat na dumalo at gunitain ang protesta at himagsik noong Martial Law at muling sariwain ang mga buhay at sakripisyo, mga aral, kabiguan at tagumpay ng kilusan ng mamamayan na humubog sa kasaysayan ng bansa.
TULOY ANG LABAN! NEVER AGAIN TO MARTIAL LAW!"

Mga Anak ng Ating Panahon

tulad ng unang nabanggit, parang gusto kong isalin nang isalin si szymborska hanggang lahat ng piyesa niya ay maisafilipino (o tagalog, okay), bagamat may ilan na rin, tiyak, na gumagawa na nito. sa ngayon, hindi naman malaking isyu ang pagsasalin tulad ng nangyayari sa mga obrang pampanitikang kalebel ng mga akda ni dostoyevsky. sa mga ganyang antas, nagkakaroon na ng "translation wars." nakapagbahagi ng insight si ser D. hindi naman kasi talaga maiiwasang sumingit ang biases at sensibilities ng tagasalin. minsan tuloy naiisip ko, kung paano kaya kung may sablay na salin halimbawa sa mga sinulat halimbawa nina lenin, o ni mao zedong na death anniversary kahapon na ginawan ng comics ng kung sinuman na binahagi sa akin ni ser R ang link;

at nakakita rin ako sa aking feed ng link (si mam J ata ang nag-post) sa isang piyesa tungkol sa isang rebolusyonaryong binibining dating jing-jing lang sa kanyang kaibigan at ngayo'y pangalan na ng isang gerilyang yunit, isang command sa katunayan, ng bagong hukbong bayan. naririyan ang larawan niya sa ibaba, at kasunod nito (matapos ang cut) ay ang salin ng inyong lingkod ng tula ni szymborska na alay sa isang tinitingalang aktibistang kakaluwal lamang ng isang anak. ayaw ko siyang pangalanan kahit hindi naman itinatago ang kanyang pagkakaroon ng sanggol, at bahala na ang sinumang makababasa nito kung papaano aangkinin ang tula at ilalapat sa kanyang karanasan. tulad ng anumang tekstong isinalin, ang tama at maling interpretasyon, marahil, e masusukat sa kasalukuyang pangangailangan ng mambabasa. andami kong shit.

[larawan mula sa bantayog.org]

Mga Anak ng Ating Panahon
malayang salin ni Tilde Acuña ng salin ni
Joanna Trzeciak ng tula ni Wislawa Szymborska

At Hindi Mangingibabaw ang Kamatayan (Dylan Thomas)

bago ang lahat, isang paalala:

"Isang mapayapang pagbati po sa lahat! Ngayong gabi natin gaganapin ang isang luksang-parangal para kay Arman at Darwin na pangungunahan ng BAYAN.

4pm - pagpaparangal ng mga mamamayan ng Timog Katagalugan
7pm - pagpaparangal ng BAYAN national office

Ibigay natin ang ganang makakaya natin upang ipakita sa estado at sa mga berdugong militar na higit pa sa pagluluksa ang araw na ito. Ito ay ang araw na ganap nating idinedeklara ang kabayanihan nila Arman at Darwin, gayundin ang ating ganap na pagtataas ng antas ng ating pakikibaka upang puspusang ilantad at labanan ang maka-dayuhan, pasista at pyudal na rehimeng US-Aquino. Ipagpatuloy ang pakikibaka para sa pambansang kalayaan at demokrasya!"


[artikulo ni kenneth guda mula sa pinoyweekly]

***

naririto ang munting handog:

At Hindi Mangingibabaw ang Kamatayan
hinalaw ni Tilde Acuña sa tula ni Dylan Thomas

Mga Kandila (halaw kay Sylvia Plath, alay sa mga lumisan)

muli akong humiram ng tula upang makiramay at magdalamhati para sa mga nagbalik ng hiniram nilang buhay. nitong nakaraang weekend, dalawa ang pumanaw. noong biyernes, si Lola Mameng, nanay ng nanay ko, at inilibing na siya kahapon. hindi ito gaanong naging mabigat (tulad ng ibang pagtawid sa kabilang buhay ng mga idolo sa sining at panitikan na nakapamuhay at nakapag-ambag nang sapat sa sangkatauhan at sa mga mahal nila sa buhay) dahil mas mainam ang kamatayan upang maibsan na ang hirap na pinagdaraanan niya. noong sabado, si Arman Albarillo naman, mass leader noon sa timog katagalugan habang nagsisimula pa lamang akong mag-aral ng lipunan, ang namatay sa engkwentro bilang gerilya ng bagong hukbong bayan. bago ang halaw na piyesa, naririto ang isang silip sa buhay ni Ka Arman, mula sa pahinang nagdiriwang ng kanyang kabayanihan:

"Kung Laya’y bihag ng Iilan, at ang Hustisya’y lukob ng Dilim, Paglaban ay Makatarungan! [mula sa Arman Albarillo: Bayani ng Sambayanan]

Si Arman Albarillo ay mula sa isang pamilyang magbubukid sa isla ng Mindoro Oriental. May asawa at mga anak, pangalawa sa kanilang 8 magkakapatid. Ang kanyang mga magulang na sina Expidito at Manuela Albarillo ay pinaslang noong Abril 8, 2002 sa San Teodoro Mindoro Oriental ng pinaghihinalaang mga militar sa pamumuno ni Ret Gen Jovito Palparan Jr. ng Philippine Army.

Hinggil sa Itinakdang Destiyero (Bertolt Brecht)

(may CAMPHUNT FOR PALPARAN mamaya sa college of mass communication, university of the philippines, diliman, 8:30 ng umaga. magtutungo ang mga iskolar ng bayan mula sa iba't ibang unit sa pinakamalapit na kampo ng militar sa kanilang kampus, ayon sa opisina ng rehente ng mga estudyante. bagamat magkaiba ang mga na-destiyero sa mga desaparecido, at mas matindi ang huli kaysa sa una, naririto ang munting ambag sa pag-gunita ng ika-anim na taon ng pagkawala nina Karen at She.)

Hinggil sa Itinakdang Destiyero
Salin ni Tilde Acuña sa Tagalog ng salin ni 
Adam Kirsch sa Ingles ng tula ni Brecht sa Aleman

Hindi na kailangang lagusan ng pako ang dingding
Upang makapagsabit ka ng iyong sombrero;
Sa iyong pagdating, ipatong mo lang sa silyang
hindi pa nauupuan ng bisita.

Huwag alalahanin ang pagdidilig ng mga halaman—
Sa katunayan, huwag na silang itanim.
Makakauwi ka naman bago pa sila sumibol,
At sino ang magnanais sa kanila?

Kung masyadong mahirap maging bihasa sa wika,
Maging matiyaga lamang;
Hindi nangangailangan ng salin
Ang telegramang dumaraing ng iyong pagbabalik.

Pakatandaan, kapag nagbalat ang kisame ng sarili
Sa alikaskas ng masilya,
Kasingbilis o mas mabilis pang
Natitibag ang dingding na nagbabawal sa iyong pag-uwi.

horror and honor: shameless asuang plug + comics news

some sort of chaotic turbulence, which is not mere winter, is coming. go, hit me with the best fvcking shot you've got, work load, study load, extracurricular load, etc. all for honor and excellence and related bullshit to engage the system and the self. all for the search. god. rants in 3.. 2.. 1..

besides the support of underground scenes, i think, comics in the western hemisphere of this hellhole are well-accepted and well-respected because of, maybe, the sociopolitical engagement of some, if not most, of comics creators. for instance, alan moore has been vocal in his support for the occupy movement [link]. recently, there's another initiative [link] from 'occupy comics' [link]--which includes art spiegelman of maus and ben templesmith of wormwood gentleman corpse.

[source]

in relation to these anti-establishment artists is another anti-establishment artist--this time, awarded by the establishment [link]: the queen of england "bestowed the honor of Member of the British Empire (MBE) to Grant Morrison for his work as: Comic Book Writer and Playwright. For services to Film and Literature."

i've no news yet how morrison responded, but had there been any protest of some sort, i think it would have been made known. it shall be remembered that john lennon returned the 'honor' of knighthood because of britain's support of america in the vietnam war, among others [link].

so much for honor and excellence and anarchy [link to university of the philippines thread about UP town center]. next stop: horror plug. the asuang issue of paper monster press includes my poem, "Litanya ng Matandang Ulupong." ending this life update slash unsolicited newsy musings w the rest of the list as copypasted from PMP's page:

1st calamba 7 + 104th UP

so, it was the 103rd anniversary of university of the Philippines the day before Mozo, Cadi, Pulis, Ynik, Ruf and two friends from the community were arrested? happy rizal day and calamba seven anniv today. happy 104th to UP yesterday [see UP history]. that is all. and, here's the tanaga i wrote for the seven. its original title was "tanaga 4 x 7," as published at [upissues] and in a [facebook note].

shorts [vi]: che guevara + UP

no, he was not and has never been the vocalist of rage against the machine. go, google Ernesto 'Che' Guevara. you can do it. i, he, we celebrate his birthday today. and to do so, i share, not just googled pictures, but also thoughts on his being a student of medicine and his revolutionary track and so on. below the cut, and camila's image, is an excerpt from my unpublished article unearthed in my gmail account. it was written months ago, and, maybe, someday, somehow, if the article is decent enough, i can put it somewhere, somehow, in another zine, maybe, in the, i dont know, manner of pseudocuments:

[source]

and, here, hope you learn something from it as the sem starts:

musings on the lost, keys, komikon, children's books and k+12

convinced i shall stop, or take a hiatus from writing lengthy quasi-critical takes on seemingly mundane matters. i dont know. found this blog entry too cluttered. wouldn't want to waste anybody's precious time :L read at your own risk.

warning: tl;dr. spontaneous. grammar, spelling nazis, keep out.

i "lost" keys last friday, went to komikon last saturday, read sinister things about k+12 yesterday - a sunday, and thought of my past urge to write a children's storybook today - a monday.

now, these seemingly random things became interconnected today - or, at least, in my imagination, they now make sense as they connect w neon nylon strings, against a dim background, that is, my tinted glasses, which i wear all throughout the weekend, because of the lost keys that caused me to not enter into the house that housed most of my things that i shall tell in detail sooner or later. the tinted glasses does not cause me discomfort, as i could see clearly through it, but people around me may feel a bit weird, thinking me for a lumpen high on something. i am not, fyi. i am not.

kuko ng liwanag. before anything else, let me and the writing and the reading community express condolences to the passing of Edgardo M. Reyes, author of "Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag," which was adapted into the film "Maynila Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag" by another of the greats, Lino Brocka. here's something from Likhaan (link shared by julien): "Singkulay ng Buhay: Panayam kay Edgardo M. Reyes ni Romulo P. Baquiran, Jr." (may kopyang aktwal pala ako nitong journal!)

shorts [ii]: ang dalawang di-bawal na gamot

tulad ng naunang shorts (ang bobong pulitikal), hindi ko matunton ang pinagmulan ng siping ito, pero sinalin ko ito mula sa post ng page na the other 98%. ako na rin ang pumili niyang pamagat. sa isang banda, sumasakto ito sa akin, at maari ring sumakto sa iyo at, malamang na sumakto sa marami sa atin dahil malamang na maraming makaramdam ng "oo nga, no?" dami pang pasubali, eto ang malayang salin ko ng sabi ni bill hicks na idol ni maynard james keenan na idol ko:

"kung nais mong maunawaan ang lipunan, pagmasdan mong mabuti ang ginagamit nitong mga gamot. at anong ipinakikita nito hinggil sa (ating) kultura? tignan mo kung ano ang mga ginagamit nating mga 'gamot.' maliban sa mga lason mula sa botika, dalawang gamot lamang ang hindi bawal at kinukunsinti ng (ating) sibilisasyon. caffeine mula lunes hanggang biyernes para bigyan ka ng sapat na lakas para maging produktibo kang miyembro ng lipunan, at alcohol mula biyernes hanggang lunes para panatilihin kang masyadong tanga para matuklasan ang kalabosong kinaiiralan mo."

selected (mid)may day shots

here is where summer vacation went. a couple of firsts:

may day mob in the city + pahiyas at the province.

Shorts [i]: Ang Bobong Pulitikal

Hindi ko alam kung katulad ito nung quote na diumano e mula kay Bob Marley, yung paano ibigin ang isang binibini shit na di nagtagal, mukhang hindi naman pala mula kay rastaman at kumalat lang sa social media at inattribute sa kanya. Ewan ko kung ganoon din ito, pero, it's the thought that counts naman, e, di ba?

"Ang pinakabobo ay ang bobong pulitikal, hindi siya nakakarinig, hindi nakakaimik, hindi rin dumaranas ng mga karanasang pulitikal. Hindi niya alam na ang halaga ng buhay, ang presyo ng gulay, ng isda, ng bigas, ng upa, ng tsinelas at ng gamot, maging ng langis, ay nakadepende sa mga pagpapasyang pulitikal. Sukdulan ang kahangalan ng bobong pulitikal kaya taas-noo niyang ipagmamalaking ayaw niya ng pulitika. Hindi alam ng hunghang na, mula sa kamangmangan niyang pulitikal isinisilang ang puta, ang ulila, at ang pinakamatindi sa mga kawatan, ang trapo, binulok at inalipin ng mga pambansa at multinasyunal na korporasyon." -sinabi diumano ni Bertolt Brecht, tinangka ko isalin at dagdagan nang kaunti.

Tinangka kong hanapin yung naispatang quote sa facebook feed, pero hindi ko natunton kung saan galing ang nasabing sipi. Maliban pa sa The Cabinet, nakita ko itong painting na kasama ang orig na naispatang quote sa isa pang cabinet:

“The worst illiterate is the political illiterate, he doesn’t hear, doesn’t speak, nor participates in the political events. He doesn’t know the cost of life, the price of the bean, of the fish, of the flour, of the rent, of the shoes and of the medicine, all depends on political decisions. The political illiterate is so stupid that he is proud and swells his chest saying that he hates politics. The imbecile doesn’t know that, from his political ignorance is born the prostitute, the abandoned child, and the worst thieves of all, the bad politician, corrupted and flunky of the national and multinational companies.”

Okay, tama nang #Noynoying. Hindi ako makapokus dahil *some text missing* May shameless plug pala ako, bukas ko na ipaplug kasi wala pa yung, say, rekisito. Nga pala, natutunan ko ngayong araw na ito na bagamat walang gitling ang walanghiya, mayroon at maari nitong pagkabitin ang walang-hanggan. Naispatan ko lang ang link ni Makoy: "Gabay sa Tungkol sa Ispeling, Bokabularyo at Balarilang Pilipino."

Quontextag [ii]: #Noynoying

#Noynoying?! The new planking?! It is not even effective. The Palace is actually ignoring it. So what if it garnered a thousand likes in, say, three days? The Palace is not affected at all. Of course, the President is not pissed. The President would rather do his job than commenting on the issue. The public would not buy such mudslinging that tarnishes the reputation of the government that gives people the power to go malling! Such propaganda would not sell to the public, as Lamyerda said. Never ever! No, you're wrong, the Palace does not care about all the fuzz. No, please, stop, *cries* Here's more proof that the Palace is ignoring Anakbayan's retort to Aquino's devil-may-care attitude towards the crises that kills the people, however instant or gradual.

[screencap from gmanew.tv and, no, lalala, the Palace is not listening]

Sarcasm aside, you know what kills the joy? What's so lame that the Palace, up to this very moment, ignores whole-heartedly? Noy-ngaling. How lame. Try harder, Partidong Manggagawa. Your attempt at being a smartass is as ineffective as your labor campaigns. Thank me later for being too generous to give publicity to your failed attempt at witty wordplay. Pansinin n'yo naman ito, Palasyo, Noyngaling, so witty and fun. NOT!

[from anakbayan.org]

At the risk of further killing humour, let me explain how witty #Noynoying is. You see, "Noynoy" becomes a verb with the -ing, defined as doing nothing when you should have been doing something. Notice that #Noynoying is self-reflexive, and it seems like the Palace has fallen for it for days. You see, #Noynoying mocks the President. Mocking #Noynoying mocks the President. Not #Noynoying is, still, #Noynoying. See how meta it is? *update* See how even the Wall Street Journal digs #Noynoying? *update* And, oh, another grumpy annoying apologist, annoyed.

Scratches and Sketches: On Academic Responsibilities and Student Leadership

(Er, I am not really sure whether I shall be meddling with student issues, but I will since I feel the agitating urge to do so, as the UPLB situation gets worse as we speak. No, no comments yet on criminal activities. I would rather focus on issues concerning student institutions. Here is Terry Ridon's take on the issue. This is a working draft, publicized without much shame.)

So, there's an open letter from MOVE UP suggesting measures to the Central Electoral Board of UPLB, so that what they call crises in student representation may be prevented, despite the perversion of the process being committed by the Board itself. Let me focus on their first, er, "point," suggesting the "inclusion of academic requirement, a residency requirement, and a load requirement," citing the cases of the former USC Chairperson and former Student Regent way back in 2009 as examples why such requirements are necessary. Well, it is either naivete or stupidity, if not arrogance or both or all, (maybe, add deliberate show of ignorance to appear innocent) to conclude that the two aforementioned cases of student leaders "disenfranchised" thousands of UP students; and to exclude that the ferocity of the then-Velasco administration serves as a factor in pushing student leaders against the wall, to work, maybe, beyond double time just to execute education campaigns in both the national and the local level.

All these seemingly directionless efforts of writing an open letter brandishing a facade of good will despite UPLB's call to proclaim Ynik Ante as the rightful USC chairperson. These efforts seem directed at deviating from the real issue of the admin's intervention. Notice that the letter started with Good day, which foretells the rest of the content: total, er, pardon the french, bullcrap. Why? Well, the day is far from good when the supposed Editor in Chief of the official student publication of UPLB students would rather spend time writing for another publication, instead of informing, if not mobilizing, the students to help, if not fight for, UPLB Perspective. Worse, the article that used the recent murder to advance political agenda implied something re: the USC issue, distorting data and citing Joyce Divino, the second-placer, as the USC chairperson-elect instead of Ynik Ante. Worse, the names listed as members of the Executive Committee of MOVE UP seem like, more or less, the same names that appeared on the editorial box of UPLB Perspective AY 2011-2012 (with Calayag as "Contributor"), in one of their very very rare releases. Worse, the article and the letter are both silent on the pressing issue, i.e., the CEB's deprivation of the students' right to determine the students they deem as leaders.

Now, I do not know how exactly [P] really is, but it is clear that these people have neither moral ascendancy nor leadership credibility to suggest what needs to be done as they themselves failed to live up to their mandates as leaders, as supposed vanguards of the flagship campus publication in Southern Tagalog. By the way, do feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I am speaking from an outsider's point of view. And, I may have speculations or ideas as regards how [P] is, but I do not think I am in the position to speak for the current editorial board, but I am hoping that the UPLB students be informed soon of how their student publication is. This hope, which I assume is also the hope of thousands of UPLB students have fallen on deaf ears for a year already. I hope the next editorial board conducts some sort of investigation.

If the case of UPLB Perspective 2011-2012 is not disenfranchising enough, if the case of Mr. Ernest Francis Calagayag's negligence, his term's not returning of bond fees among other delinquencies [read about the alleged criminal case of bribery filed by the Office of the Student Regent against Bukluran, an 'informal' alliance of UP political parties of which Calayag of MOVE UP is a member?] not as an enrolled student but as a student leader is not disenfranchising enough, I do not know what it is. Assuming but not conceding that the two aforementioned cases of "delinquency" that MOVE UP brought up are committed out of neglecting academic responsibilities, what more of the negligence of Mr. Samuel Pasia (EIC of Perspective) and Mr. Calayag, both who, as it seems, have been delinquent in their respective roles as student leaders of the publication and of the council? If memory serves me right, there was one Council of Student Leaders meeting when February Fair matters should have been discussed and Mr. Calayag was too busy with his academics to pay his constituents a visit. Would we want "student leaders" who would rather put their constituents' interests at stake just to, er, gain the units for their enrolled subjects? or, for whatever their reasons or excuses for not performing their respective roles are.

Speaking of subjects and numerical grades, it has been pointed out a number of times that grades are subjective. I myself have been in conflict with a professor, not because I am delinquent, but because we come from differing, if not opposing, frameworks. And such shall, of course, to some extent affect numerical grades. Now, if a professor happens to be an administrator too, then matters become more complicated, as you know, cases of power tripping are not, really, rare. Breeding student leaders who would rather be more concerned and conscious of their grades than of social praxis would inevitably be faced, in one in/direct way or another, with conflicts of interests, and upon facing such conflicts, these grade conscious students would, I believe, rather betray the objective interests of the education sector, rather than getting in trouble with the powers-that-be since these authorities give them the, say, privilege of being students eligible for a position that would decorate their curriculum vitae with more rainbows.

Grades, passing, exemplary or failing is not really all that matters. Quoting Freire at length, "It is only when the oppressed find the oppressor out and become involved in the organized struggle for their liberation that the oppressed begin to believe in themselves. This discovery cannot be purely intellectual but must involve action; nor can it be limited to mere activism, but must include serious reflection: only then will it be a praxis." I do not know what MOVE UP's multiperspective activism is all about, but putting premium on numerical grades, something determined by how you abide by the "rules" seems more of giving in to the system they claim to change rather than overhauling it.

As regards the brand of student leadership they and their kin seem to advocate, it seems to put emphasis on the purely intellectual, though any claim to being intellectual may, of course, be contested. Simply put, assuming that parroting the Professor's standpoint verges on the intellectual, upon being faced with a decision when one has to choose whether to sacrifice one's status as a student for the sake of serving the people or to retain a good working relationship with the bureaucracy to serve personal interests of graduating at the soonest time possible with the highest academic honors possible, the "student leader" with numerical grades as priority would have second thoughts, faced with a decision-making dilemma where one has to choose between the stakeholders and the colors of intellectual capital and related investments; the "student leader" shall take academic incentives, as if a bribe, to compromise student interests. Yes, their suggestion, since time immemorial, is just a "minimum grade requirement," but, again, consider the subjectivity of attributing a number to gauge academic performance. One can even get a failing mark just because, and there are, even, tenured professors who have the reputation of using a dart board to determine academic performance.

Thus, in the event that academics and leadership compete for attention, such a "student leader," who claims to be a student first before being a leader, will, needless to say, predictably put academic requirements on top priority, which actually, obviously, shows a vacillating commitment to one's responsibilities as servant leader. The rhetoric of being a student first before being a leader, being an iskolar para sa bayan (the laughable and identity-crisis-ridden iskolar ng bayan para sa bayan, included) justifies future delinquency, by, say, garnering excessive absences in USC meetings as in Lamentillo's case, for instance; by, say, working in silence as if the underdog to settle the case of missing bond fees as in Calayag's case, for another instance. Simply because they are students first, who have this and that schedule of a group meeting or other whatever-their-meetings-that-are-more-important-than-their-sworn-duty-to-serve-their-constituents-from-whom-their-mandate-came-from.

In general, student leaders who are students first before being leaders would perform their responsibilities as leaders during their free time, during breaks when they are most comfortable, so that they remain law-abiding citizens, where law means as superficial as not overstaying as a student, subscribing even to authorities who intervene with student institutions, subscribing to anyone who would bless them with "academic" incentives which are sometimes incentives gained if one agrees with the system at all times and attacks anyone who begs to differ.

In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Freire already showed how "education suffers from narration sickness," with his banking definition of education and the object-subject relationship in the classroom setting where students are mere repositories of knowledge. As Prof. Lanuza, in "Demythologizing the Fetish of Academic Excellence," has already criticized and discussed these effects of neoliberal education to this perverted thinking of so-called "student leaders" whose mantra is, as repeated in this entry, student-first-leader-next," such fetish for grades, trains these budding "student leaders" to be trapos and gradually turns them into potential reactionaries against anything that promises however radical a change.

I'll end by quoting what I believe is the heart of Lanuza's essay: "This naiveté leads to the creation of what Giroux aptly calls as the “pedagogy of the depressed” in which students are subtly programed to believe that getting better grades and mastering the skills are the be-all and end-all of education, and where teachers are reduced to mere bodies without organs of the teaching–war machines diligently preparing students to live the in nucleus of Christopher Lasch’s “heartless world”."

And let me add his recent status update: "Getting a grade of 1.0 makes you intelligent but not Intellectual. Intelligence works within the framework of limited but clearly stated goals, and may be quick to shear away questions of thought that do not seem to help in reaching them. An intellectual, on the other hand, is critical and creative. Whereas intelligent students seek to grasp, manipulate, re-order, adjust, intellectuals examine, ponder, wonders, theorize, criticize, imagine. Intellectuals usually get DQs, MRR, and LOA. Intelligent students get the awards during graduation. They are docile slaves of the system that gives plentiful rewards to the grade-droolers." Let me point out that Lanuza has never been my professor, thus, this, erm, "parroting" does not really have anything to do with incentives of some sort, like those minus point two fives for perfect attendance. Just as linking Chomsky's take on the purpose of education and suggesting that student leaders against student delinquency stop their delinquency as student leaders (indeed a delinquency resembling "noynoying while in office)" would not bless me with any grade incentive. How sad. Anyway, it has been a lengthy entry that has been revised a couple of times today and it is perhaps my turn to say: Good day.

PS Making the day better is UP and Ateneo's fall from the world's list of top universities. [news]

Repeat until fade [iii] / International Women's Day

[source]

"To be aware of a threat is to reply to it." I cannot remember whether this line was from Neil Gaiman's Sandman or from Mike Carey's Lucifer but I am, somehow, certain that this line came from Mazikeen. Happinternational Women's Day! (I have thought of Arya Stark, but she has already been quoted in a [previous entry].)

[Can you guess who the inspiration / model is? If you cannot, then don't! error was published in the February 2012 issue of the UP Newsletter, with the article for Prof. Dennis Andrew Aguinaldo's lecture, "The Literary Appropriation of Science: Barthelme's Postmodern Fiction as a Possible Resource for UPLB."

I have also used a detail of error as one of the panels for the "Fragments: In Which We Are," a collaborative work written by Alyza and adapted / visually interpreted into comics form by yours truly and published by the Quarterly Bathroom Companion Comics Compendium peeps in the second volume.

To people who had the chance of reading our contribution, I hope you noticed some sort of semblance of the women in it to, you know, real existing women? But if you didn't, it is, of course fine. Drawing faces of women I admire is already a pleasure, anyway. And, I hasten to add that admiration does not really mean mere physical attraction, though that aspect, of course, counts. I think strength, as seen in Mazikeen and Arya, are among those which matter the most.

[google's logo tribute thing]

Salamat, at muli, Maligayang Pandaigdigang Araw ng mga Kababaihan!]

***

[PAHABOL!!! At the risk of preempting and shit, I plan to write at length about this issue. Sana, magawa before the week ends. Sana, actually, makapagdraft tonight! Central Electoral Board's Mark Lester Chico, by the way, is an alumnus of BUKLOD UPLB. Yung prinoklama nilang USC chairperson na si Joyce Divino (na natalo ni Ynik Ante) ay from BUKLOD UPLB. There, connect the dots. Plus, this [article], written by the Editor in Chief of the current UPLB Perspective that failed to live up to its supposed mandate as the flagship student publication of Southern Tagalog, stinks of propaganda, propaganda being derogatory in this sense! Yan, may glimpse na ng kung anong binabalak kong isulat na kahit hindi ko ata masulat e may ideya na ang ilan kung anong lalamanin nito. Agitating. Hanggang dito na lang muna. Magdiwang muna kayo / tayo, sa kabila ng mga kashitan.]

**international women's day in solidarity w chile update - march 9 **

[source]

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**i thought this fangurling ended already. it should've ended**

What bloodless revolution?

[update | this artwork was published at the monsters and the monstrous journal, may, 2012]

This is Queen Inang Yellow, which existed on paper last year. This is among the many somethings that I am hesitant to release, but what the hell, now is the appropriate time and, thinking of it, it kinda reeks of Oedipal complex, as I look back at King Inang Yellow. This is how I see the so-called EDSA Revolution, which is not really to discredit the boost in morale that resulted into a show of force, a powerful force, by the Filipino people. This is also not a deliberate attempt to burst the bubble of those who see Corazon as a mother, a saint, or whatever reverence or fetish you have for that, er, madonna of the landed class, or mariang edsa. It's just that, this "power," this "yellow power" attributed to the yellow dynasty and what the heir to the yellow dynasty capitalizes on and utilizes, this "bloodless revolution" that his minions wanted to reenact tomorrow as testament to his revolt, or whatever the fvck he wants to call his crusade of saving the world despite his impotency, this delusion of "people power" seems overrated. Try asking yourselves, had there been any significant change? Those who nod are under the power of the image I present herein, a nightmare born of a dream, a symbol of "unfulfilled hopes*," a matriarch, so motherly you wouldn't feel her fatherly attributes, her tentacles. Oh, a song:

Again, this artwork is not new. Save for the first profit of doom, I have no new drawings yet, but I am determined to plan everything tonight so I can fulfill an intrapersonal promise. BTW, I have a sort of independent komiks slice of life journal entry thing [here]. (Memory does not just not serve me right, it is not serving me at all. Not sure whether I have posted this ikon somewhere. And, yes, I never run out of typographical errors. I've corrected a couple minutes ago. Andami kong shit. #endOfEntry)

(#startOfUpdate) Here's something posted by Cabring Cabrera of Datu's Tribe:

"People Power Picked a Pack of Pakshet People

A Pack of Pakshet People People Power Picked

If People Power Picked a Pack of Pakshet People,

Where's the Pack of Pakshet People People Power Picked?

Still in Power, People. (Pakshet.)\m/@@\m/"

Okay, trapik daw mamaya. Muli silang sasayaw sa bubog, at maglalakad ng tulog at muling mauuntog, ano, Chickoy Pura at The Jerks? Goodluck sa ating lahat.

*Pahabol: This does not, of course, mean I am for Marcos. I am simply reiterating that EDSA was made possible by the people, not by this political clan who stole the supposed victory and betrayed this supposed victory by, well, go watch Orapronobis or revisit history.