UFO Sighting daw at Zambales (1999)

This clip from YouTube, which the uploader says was filmed in 1999, is advertised as a UFO sighting in Zambales. All I'll say is that the footage does show fleeting appearances of an unusually bright airborne object.

Space. A Mezzo-Soprano Shrieks in Grief...

Star Trek, The Original Series, had a genuinely weird theme "song" which at first I thought was hilariously inapropos. In recent years, I have come to appreciate some merit to its unholy fusion of a furtive swing beat, run-of-the-mill fanfare, and a primary level scales exercise. The ambition of the Trek universe, after all, was to showcase worlds we had never seen before, so it is but proper that its theme music be in a style no one had heard before. Besides, it arguably is as educated an estimation of 23rd century music as the house music of Mos Eisley Cantina is of longtime-ago-in-far-far-away-galaxy music.

It has been reported today that Alexander Courage, the man who composed the Star Trek theme in 1966, had died a few weeks ago. He had a distinguished career in film and television, but it will be for Star Trek that he will be remembered, especially if they continue coming out with reiterations such as this, from the 2005 Emmy Awards:

• Alexander Courage, 'Star Trek' Composer, Dies at 88 -- New York Times

Scott McClellan as Jun Lozada?

From CNN:

Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said Friday he would be willing to comply with a rumored congressional subpoena to discuss the administration’s handling of pre-war intelligence, telling CNN’s Wolf Blitzer he’d be “glad to share my views” if asked to testify...

Former colleagues and top Republicans have been blasting McClellan since his book was released earlier this week. On Friday, Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole – who said he had not read the new book – called McClellan a “miserable creature” in a scathing e-mail that quickly became public.

McClellan told CNN he did not believe he needed to apologize for misleading the public as he now concedes he did. “I have come to terms with it, and realized that some of what I said was badly misguided,” he said Friday. “There's things we did right, and there's things we did wrong. The things that we did wrong overshadowed so much of what we did right. … and I think the American people see through what I have been saying the last few days, that I do regret that I didn't realize some of the things then that I do now.”

• McClellan: 'I'd be glad' to testify about Bush White House   -- CNN

Stonehenge Roastings on an Open Fire

The eternal mystery of what Stonehenge actually was may have just been solved. British scientists today declared that the monoliths were the final repository of cremated human remains beginning 5000 years ago.

[R]adiocarbon analysis of human remains excavated from the site have revealed that it was used as a cemetery from its inception just after 3000BC until well after the largest circle of stones went up in about 2500BC. Previously, archaeologists had believed people were buried at Stonehenge only between 2700 and 2600BC. xxx

The new research provides clues about the original purpose of the monument and shows that its use as a cemetery extended for more than 500 years. The earliest cremation burial dated – a small pile of burnt bones and teeth – came from one of the pits around Stonehenge’s edge known as the Aubrey Holes and dates to 3030-2880 BC, roughly the time when Stonehenge’s ditch-and-bank monument was cut into Salisbury Plain.

But not just for anybody, it seems. They say that Stonehenge may very well have been the world's oldest exclusive club.

Andrew Chamberlain, a specialist in ancient demography at the University of Sheffield, said that the relatively small number of burials in Stonehenge’s earliest phase, becoming larger over the following centuries, was in line with the idea that this might have been the final resting place of a single, growing family.

Professor Parker Pearson added that placement of the graves and artefacts, such as a small stone mace, were evidence that the site was reserved as a “domain of the dead” for the elite.

“I don’t think it was the common people getting buried at Stonehenge, it was clearly a special place at the time,” he said.

Stonehenge as nothing more but a Neolithic restricted cemetery is less interesting than what its age-old mystique may have implied. What may ultimately be more fascinating is Stonehenge as proof of the ancient provenance of elitism.

• Stonehenge may have been the 'domain of the dead' for royals. -- The London Times

Somebody Up There Reads Me

As some of you may know, I've been cross-posting my Multiply blog posts to my dormant blog, The Age of Brillig, which I otherwise been willfully neglecting. So it came as a surprise to me to learn that 10 days ago, this bit about this post appeared at the Today's Blogs section of Slate Magazine.

Love amid the rubble: Wang Zhijun and Li Wanzhi spent 28 hours in the remains of their crumbled six-story dormitory in Shifang, China, taking turns breathing and speaking of the need to survive for their 14-year-old daughter. xxx 

At Lazy Geisha, Japanese-American Nina Aoki praises the article for humanizing the tragedy. "Most of us know what it feels like when we lose one person we care about, but very few, if any of us, have any frame of context or reference to grasp death on that kind of catastrophic scale – which is why sometimes it takes a single human story to come out of such a tragedy to help put things into perspective, and to put a face on such massive human loss." At the Age of Brillig, the Manila-based blogger is touched by the pair's tale. "This story is the sort of gold mine demanded by newspaper editors -- the triumph of human love in the face of unspeakable tragedy."

Er...I wouldn't say I was "touched", that sentence having been written with tongue subtly but firmly in cheek. I had (and still do) some suspicions on the authenticity of the story, which seemed exceedingly apt (and the New York Times, which reported the story has had a recent unfortunate history of being snookered by fabricated but emotionally-charged tales).  Ultimately, I decided to be oblique about my doubts -- too oblique it appears. 

Still, Slate Magazine has long been a daily necessity for me (though its great film critic David Edelstein has since migrated over to New York Magazine), and that little shout-out did make me giddy. 

• In Rubble, Couple Clung to Each Other, and to Life -- New York Times
• True Love Shelters -- The Age of Brillig
• Today's Blogs (19 May 2008) -- Slate Magazine

Romeo Brawner of COMELEC Dies

Don't know if this will reach Mariel, but condolences on the sudden death of her boss, COMELEC Commissioner Romeo Brawner. I do remember when Brawner was Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals, the in-court newsletter published a photograph of him at some function, performing an Igorot dance while dressed in the ethnic-appropriate attire. I had not heard anything negative about him, which is a creditable thing for someone who had served a good deal of his life in public service.

• Comelec's Brawner dies of heart attack -- Philippine Daily Inquirer

Quickie: Indiana Jones and the Crystal in his Skull

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). Directed by Steven Spielberg. Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Shia LaBeouf. I'm struggling with the possibility that both National Treasure movies, lowbrow as they were, may just be better than this latest Indiana Jones outing (which unfortunately rips off both endings of the National Treasure movies). The first half was quite pallid -- maybe 1950s McCarthy America is just an inherently grim with its depressing conformity, even as compared to the 1930s with Nazis squirreling around the globe. And crossing over the respective universes of Indiana Jones and Fox Mulder is a thematic mistake that neuters the distinct charms of either milieu. But as soon as the movie shifts into timeless pre-Incan Peru and meets up with Karen Allen (returned from the dead, Margot Kidder should be next), it picks up pace. Still, an Indiana Jones film whose highlight is a swordfight between Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett (channeling Frau Farbissina) must count as a disappointment. Kudos to John Hurt for accepting what just may be the worst-written role in a Steven Spielberg movie that is not Hook. 

(I wonder how Sean Connery, a mere 12 years older than Harrison Ford, must feel over this new movie's several gratuitous, and presumably backhanded references to his Professor Henry Jones having passed on)

On the Winner of American Idol

Let's face it. American Idol is glorified big-bucks karaoke, Simon's disavowals notwithstanding. It is enjoyable to some degree, although the pandering to right-wing America this season has been especially egregious.

David Cook is a more talented performer than David Archuleta. Whenever society can lavish greater pecuniary benefits to the more talented than the less talented, I think it is a good thing -- the triumph of meritocracy. So good for David Cook. But I'm not too sure that winning Idol is a good thing for his career in the long run, since his target demographic seems one which is not too embracing of the concept of American Idol.

One of the TV critics (can't remember who right now), had a great post wondering whether AI's producers were secretly rooting for Cook, and intentionally had the judges disproportionately favor Archuleta in order to create a backlash in favor of their manok.

How Efficient. How Convenient.

Justice served on the RCBC-Cabuyao massacrerers. Maybe. 

MANILA, Philippines—Three suspects in the RCBC bank robbery-slay in Cabuyao, Laguna were killed in an encounter with police in Tanauan City, Batangas, early Thursday, according to a radio report...Police said the suspects were killed in their hideout in Barangay Pagaspas after a brief firefight with elements of the Batangas and Calabarzon police, the report said.

• 3 RCBC Massacre Suspects Killed in Tanauan City -- Philippine Daily Inquirer

When Your Descendants Outnumber Your Friends

There might be no weirder, rawer and more awkward display of emotion in public life than this clip from earlier today, featuring 91-year old incumbent U.S. Senator Robert Byrd (known to aficionados of The Daily Show as one of the two old coots of the U.S. Senate), just losing his shit on the Senate floor following the news that Sen. Teddy Kennedy had been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.The drama begins around 1:00 into the clip and heightens at around 3:05, though it becomes suddenly amusing towards the end (around 3:56 onward).

• The Crypt: Byrd offers weeping tribute to Kennedy -- Politico

Punk Rock Loses its Muse

Res ipsa loquitur.

Fil-Am rock group mourns Beltran’s death 

By Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines -- A US-based Filipino punk rock band extended their condolences on Tuesday to the family of the late Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) Representative Crispin Beltran.

In an e-mail sent to INQUIRER.net, Kadena (Chain), which bills itself on its MySpace page as “an anti-fascist, anti-imperialist, anti-racist, all-Filipino political street punk rock band based in Brooklyn,” New York, said they were “mourning the passing away of one of the greatest Filipino labor leader, unionist and working-class fighter, Beltran.” ...

Kadena said Beltran was their inspiration when composing left-leaning and pro-labor music.

• Fil-Am Rock Group Mourns Beltran's Death -- Philippine Daily Inquirer

Crispin Beltran Brain Dead After a Fall

Sad news. Congressman Crispin Beltran fell 14 feet from the roof of house while he was making some repairs. He is reported as brain dead.

True Love Shelters

Nothing rekindles a stagnant relationship like having tons of rubble dangling over your faces. From Shifang, China, courtesy of the New York Times, the tale of Wang Zhijun and his wife, Li Wanzhi:

Their tale of survival is also one of a rekindled love, of two people who might have died had they been trapped alone.

They whispered to each other. They talked of their 14-year-old daughter — who would take care of her? They recalled their life together, the shape of it before and the shape of it to come, all the changes they would make if they ever got out alive...

Mr. Wang, 40, had just returned home two days earlier, after traveling around the country for half a year and trying his hand at small businesses. He had lost a lot of money. He and his wife rarely spoke. He spent the Chinese New Year in the city of Guangzhou by himself, skipping China’s most important family holiday.

Its a heart-warming story, one of few that has emerged out of that terrible tragedy in China, though there appears to be no prior account about them from sources other than the Times, even though they were rescued several days before the Times published its story. This story is the sort of gold mine demanded by newspaper editors -- the triumph of human love in the face of unspeakable tragedy.

• In Rubble, Couple Clung to Each Other, and to Life -- New York Times

Anton Chigurh Lurks in Laguna

(credit to Ms. M. Tan for the analogy referenced in the title)

Another massacre in Laguna, this time in Calamba. Almost certainly coincidental, but still, the Provincial Tourism Board is most certainly displeased.

• 8 Dead, 6 Hurt in Another Laguna Shooting Incident -- GMA News

Emphysema Beware -- The Government is Here!!

Tim Harford over at Slate has a crackerjack article on why smokers will welcome higher cigarette taxes. 

So, do high cigarette prices make smokers happier? If smokers are rational, they don't. But if smokers are wracked by temptation and are trying unsuccessfully to quit, then higher prices might make them happier by encouraging them to smoke less or even to stop entirely.

This turns out to be a controversial point for economists, surely members of the only profession that could argue about whether smoking is rational. The "rational addiction" theory was put forward by the celebrated pair Kevin Murphy and Nobel laureate Gary Becker. They argue that people weigh the health risks of smoking, the possible social and psychological benefits, and the fact that it is habit-forming before deciding whether to light up.

Weak-willed as I am, I will totally agree with this thesis.

• The $20 Pack: Why Smokers Are Happier When Cigarettes Cost More -- Slate

Quickie: Harold and Kumar, The Escapades Edition

Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay (2008). Directed by Jon Hurwitz, 

Hay Schlossberg. Starring: Kal Penn, John Cho, Paula Garcés, Rob Corddry, Neil Patrick Harris. -- 

Word of the Day: bowdlerize [bohd-luh-rahyz, boud-] To remove material that is considered offensive or objectionable from (a book, for example). [After Thomas Bowdler (1754-1825), who published an expurgated edition of Shakespeare in 1818.]

You are best served avoiding Harold and Kumar at your neighborhood Philippine cinema and await the DVD release (official, of course). The cuts sacrificed in order to obtain an R-13 rating are so extensive as to render some passages incomprehensible (not that comprehensibility is the film's strong point). Of course our MTRCB deserves the fair share of blame, although I find it equally dubious that the local distributors, unlike the American producers, actually believed that H&K was appropriate for the 13-18 set. One may suppose that the R-18 cut would have left a more intact film. Still, my personal belief (which I will not bother to elaborate on), movie classification is censorship which is unconstitutional following the free expression guarantee of the Constitution.

Anyway, H&K will be sufficiently enough lauded by merely saying I laughed out loud a lot, in many bits where few other audience members were laughing, and many more were frowning. Its alternative meta-reality (featuring, among others, the most shocking assassination in the U.S. since John Lennon in 1980), and ethos ("You don't have to trust your government, all you need is to trust your country") is daring enough. However, its subversive cred is severely damaged by a cringe-inducing sequence in the end that acquits George W. Bush only of venial sins and daddy-issues. 

(sidebar: at one point, Kumar offers a gratuitous dig at the 2004 opus Eurotrip. Granted that Eurotrip was not, shall we say, a very good movie, it did have one joke centering around the death of a certain head of state that was extremely clumsy in construction as well as tasteless, yet unexpected and audacious that it deserves some faint applause for effort)

The Last Kennedy

Teddy Kennedy, 76, has apparently suffered a serious stroke. 

Worst Bank Robbery in Philippine History

I was at two neighborhood banks this morning, being friendly and all with the familiar tellers, so this nasty bit of news had particular resonance:

Eight bank employees and a security guard were lined up and shot dead in the head Friday in one of the bloodiest bank robberies in the Philippines, police said. One employee was in critical condition in a hospital.

The victims were found sprawled on the floor of a branch of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. in Cabuyao town in Laguna province, south of Manila, after the bank failed to open as scheduled at 9 a.m. and suspicious customers alerted authorities, Chief Superintendent Ricardo Padilla said.

"This is the handiwork of the devil and we will not let this pass," Padilla said. "They were killed in a gangland-style execution. Each of the victims shot in the head while lined up." ... Bank robberies are common but rarely as bloody. Rojas said this was the worst in the country's history.

Rarely do bank robbers bother to hurt bystanders other than the security guards armed with means to repel them. Nor do bank employees under threat employ extra efforts to resist the robbers since the insurance would normally cover the loss anyway. So this one seems to have been personal.

• 9 killed in Laguna bank robbery, all shot in the head. -- GMA News

Is the Oldest Person Alive a Pinoy?

Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) vice president for legal and corporate affairs Estrella Elamparo told The STAR yesterday that it would continue to pay 117-year-old Bienvenido P. Cancero his P2,208.57 monthly pension, after he proved he was alive by appearing at the GSIS office to have his photo and fingerprints taken....Data at the GSIS computer center shows that Cancero was born on Jan. 31, 1890, which makes him three years older than the officially recognized oldest woman in the world – Elena Parker of the US – who was born on April 20, 1893.

I'd be skeptical. From the rudiments of the story that appeared on the Philippine Star, it does not appear that the GSIS had a means to absolutely verify that the man who came into their office to submit his photographs and fingerprints was the Mr. Cancero who was born in 1890. But if this were true, then hurrah. Verified Filipino centenarians are few and far between, much less longevity record-holders. Though many Pinoys have anecdotal evidence of relatives who lived past 110 or 120.

• GSIS Pensioner Oldest at 117? -- Philippine Star

Throw Out the Baby with the Bath Water and Eat it Too

It's appropriately illegal to use video-recording devices inside movie houses. But this?

A party-list lawmaker on Thursday proposed to ban mobile phones from movie houses to fight video piracy. Buhay party-list Rep. Irwin Tieng filed a bill criminalizing the use of video-capable mobile phones to record movies inside cinemas...

Lamenting that video piracy is killing the movie industry, Tieng said his bill would also require "all exhibition facilities, cinemas or theaters" to post "notices or signages warning against the bringing" into theaters recording devices like video-capable mobile phones and PDA’s, digital cameras and handheld camcorders.

Theater operators would take custody of the video and audio recording devices and return it to the owners when they leave the theater or exhibition halls. Movie theater owners who fail to do so would be fined P50,000.

The bill will empower "authorized persons" to enter theaters and exhibition halls "without warrant and without payment of any admission fee" to safeguard movie theaters and exhibition halls against unauthorized recording.

Never mind that video recording is integral to many cellphones now and most phones of the future -- the better to capture fleeting sight of the Popemobile or the fiery end of Kramer. If this bill passes (never underestimate the power of the Kuya Germs lobby), we'll be forced to deposit our phones with the guard who'll surely browse over the intimates you foolishly chose to store into your cell. Or leave it home and casting you beyond the drift of the family emergency you surely must learn about immediately. 

More likely, we'll just say to hell with actually going to the movies, and wait instead for the film to come out on pirated DVD. 

• Lawmaker wants cell phones banned in movie houses - GMA News