Pinoy Horror Movies

I don't get Pinoy horror movies.

Why do they show their monsters, their aswangs, in the teaser itself?

You can liken that to someone who blurts out a secret before anyone even bothers to ask. The tactic doesn't build anticipation and doesn't create suspense.

Definitely, it won't be luring me to a cinema anytime soon.

Comedy Bar

I didn't know there were comedy bars in Davao. I thought previously that the only comedians we had where the ones who came from Manila to hold their tours here. Hence, I was a little surprised when, after Rommel's farewell party in the office, we headed out to Zigudo Resto Bar to watch a comedy gig. 

Well, what do you know? We waited for over an hour amidst the blaring disco music for the show to begin. Then, five drag queens came on stage to launch their opening salvos. After that, the jokes came out non-stop as the five actors (or actresses) battled it out on stage for the best lines.

One observation I had about the spectacle was that gay comedians were definitely better at dishing out comedy (although I bet Ellen Degeneres would have something to say about this). Most often, the jokes they talked about were green in nature, something which will obviously not work out if the comedians were, say, straight or lesbian. I'm probably giving a speculative judgment on something which I don't have any authority to speak (given my experience, or non-experience, about live comedy shows) but there you go.

Still, I had a good time (and a good laugh. My ribs were aching after). Till the next comedy show, I think.

Paolo The Baggage Counter

Just experienced being a baggage counter attendant in the recently concluded Hour Run. Pretty much manual work but it was a new experience just the same. 

You know what I want to do? I want to do what Mike Rowe does for a living. In his show, he tries out other people's jobs for a day or two. Then he moves on to the next job. 

Now that would be a luxury I will really enjoy. Why a luxury? That's because if I get to do this (job-hopping would be a more appropriate term), that would mean one thing: I'm well off enough to even think about leaving a job, then another job, then another one...

Cool, isn't it?

Family Run

Taken from this site

This was my first ever family run. That's because almost all of us joined in the event: Mama, Papa, Ate Bating, and Rayray (Not present were my three other siblings who were sucked in by the gravitational pull of their respective beds). The secret was utterly simple: Mama had paid all our registration fees so we only had to run for free. Immediately, all of us were up to the challenge. 

Afterwards, we had breakfast at Lisa's in Times Beach and enjoyed a succulent date with their tasty fried catfish dishes. Not a bad morning.

Setting The Bar Higher

This is an interesting link from one of the blogs I follow. Below is an excerpt from the linked post:

Earlier this month, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration issued a mandate requiring so-called “comprehensive” sex education for all middle and high school students in NYC public schools.

 

In response, Dr. Anne Nolte, a family practice physician in Manhattan, wrote last week that the city’s new requirement reminded her of the saying, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.”

She then goes on to make some bold observations:

"If we had the courage to look honestly at teen pregnancy, we wouldn’t be satisfied with a mandate that does the equivalent of placing a tiny band-aid on a gushing artery. If we had the courage to admit that we don’t have a solution, we’d be unwilling to spend more money on an old model that has pretty much failed. 

If we had the courage, we’d challenge our preconceived ideas about teenage behavior and sexuality and would go back to the drawing board.

Could it be that teens really are capable of self-control, moral decision-making and goal-directed behavior? That teens would adopt healthier behaviors if they got a consistent message from parents, teachers, doctors and the media that risk-avoidance, rather than simply risk-reduction, is possible and would maximize their happiness? Could it be that we — the adults who discount their potential for acting with integrity and maturity — are part of the problem?

 In every other public-health intervention, an ideal is promoted: no-smoking campaigns, no-soda-drinking campaigns. Why not in the area of teen sexuality?

This reminded me of a certain episode in Y Speak where, if I remember right, the guest speakers were debating whether it was right for teens to be allowed to buy and bring contraceptives. 

Alarmingly, such a debate is becoming commonplace here in the Philippines.Unwanted pregnancies, particularly teen pregnancies, are becoming an issue, not only in the US, but also in the Philippine society. I should know because I lived through college watching my female classmates get pregnant one at a time, always out of wedlock. 

So there is an issue and it has been acknowledged. What matters now is how we respond and the quality of that response. And at this juncture, I go back to what Dr. Nolte had to say about Bloomberg's plan for 'comprehensive' sex education. Whereas, the plan by Bloomberg involved mitigating the risk of rampant premarital sex among teens by promoting rigorous instruction in contraceptive methods, Dr. Nolte calls for a more realistic solution, grounded on the philosophy that teens are more than capable of sound judgment and abstinence if given a consistent message by all of society's sectors.

I side with Dr. Nolte on this one. Yes, teens are capable of saying no to premarital sex, just as most of them are capable of saying no to drugs, to alcohol, to peer pressure, to smoking. And it would be tantamount to belittling the youth if adults are content with simply providing them easier access to condoms and abortion clinics.