The 9/11 of the Philippines

The worst terrorist attack in Philippine history occurred on 27 February 2004. 116 Filipinos were killed by a bomb inside a television set planted by Redondo Cain Dellosa (aka Akmad Dellosa) on board the Aboitiz Transport System's SuperFerry 14. The explosion, which occurred as the ferry was sailing to Cagayan de Oro from Manila, is also considered as the world's deadliest terrorist attack on sea.

In concept, the notion that someone or some people deliberately set out to kill 116 Filipino men, women and children is chilling, moreso considering there were actually around 900 people on board SuperFerry 14. Yet the attack barely caused a ripple in Philippine society beyond the victims and their families, the Philippine government and military, and the ship's owners. Schools, stock exchanges and singles nights moved along without pause. Commuters continued to jampack ferries, buses and trains without a dissuading sense of fear that they were targets like their 116 late fellow citizens. The apparent fact that there was a group out there that was willing to kill us simply because we were living Filipinos never really dawned on the national consciousness.

These thoughts cross my mind as I try to figure out why the current Mumbai attacks appear to matter much more, given the history of Indian terrorist attacks with mass casualties. I had blogged earlier that the Mumbai attacks seemed less like a terrorist attack than a terrorist invasion, hence the greater fear and paralysis it has provoked in India. Had the attacks been a matter of one bomb or several bombs going off, as in the past, the same level of outrage and grief as today's will likely still be there. Yet the lasting trauma would have been less deep than that now caused by the prolonged paralysis in Mumbai -- repeated images of pillaged national landmarks bombarding viewers glued to their TV screens, the mounting hours spent by the city's panicked residents trying to account for all of their family and friends, the heightened sense of urgency left by closed schools and businesses and the official admonitions that it simply isn't safe to leave your home. More than the Bali, Madrid or London bombings, the Mumbai attacks are the closest approximation to the 9/11 attacks the world has seen in seven years.

Our 116 murdered is a horrific enough number, but the SuperFerry 14 bombing was, thankfully, ultimately a failure as a meaningful terrorist outrage. Crucially, it was logistically impossible for the SuperFerry 14 attack to cripple the Filipino way of life for even a short period of time. The plan was to blow up a ship out on the open sea, beyond sight of masses of people or TV cameras, and without any flair that would readily distinguish the explosion from that coming from an overheated boiler. As a result, it took months before the investigators would definitively conclude that it was indeed a bomb, and not a mechanical kink, that sunk the SuperFerry 14. By that time, the incident was long past immediacy, long past panic.

We have yet to see our 9/11, and there is no reason to discount that it won't happen to us. It is discomfitting to keep these thoughts, yet they are useful not only for our national security planners tasked with preventing such incidents, but also for us common folk if and when such an attack happens. Volume of casualties is a less effective measure on the lasting impact of a terrorist incident than the degree with which the manner of the attack instills fear in our society. It is through the exploitation of such fear that reactionary forces and ideas take root and radically alter our freedoms, perpetuating the impact sought by the terrorists well beyond their desire. Upon that day, it may be difficult to resist the normal impulse of anger and fear, yet it is essential to keep that sober thought if even, for the moment, at the back of our minds.

Fe Del Mundo Turns 97

Dr. Fe del Mundo, the first woman to enroll at Harvard Medical School, turns 97 today. Arguably the most famous Filipino pediatrician alive, the Magsaysay Awardee and National Scientist is a pioneer in the public health sector, actively engaged in rural health issues. She founded the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines, pioneered in research of infectious diseases such as dengue, and is credited with inventing an incubator made out of bamboo. As of last report, she was still making the daily rounds for her patients, despite her really advanced age. 

During the Japanese Occupation (World War II), Del Mundo held clinic inside the UST campus, where American nationals were interned for the duration of the war. She became known as The Angel of Santo Tomas. Here's a heartwarming article featuring one of those American interns, now in her 80s, who remembers Del Mundo fondly. 

November 27 also happens to be Ninoy's birthday (76 were he still alive), as well as the date my grandpa died eleven years ago. November 27 is likewise being hawked by the SM Malls as Thanksgiving Day in the Philippines, a preposterous notion intended to lure those who do not know better into frivolous shopping. (Though I had tentative plans to have SPAM turkey today)

Mumbai Under Siege

The scenes streaming out of Mumbai are surreal and horrific. This is not your typical hit-and-run terrorist attack. It is playing out like a concerted plan to bring down the Indian socio-political infrastructure. That several high-ranking Indian law enforcement officials have been killed lends to the vibe that this is not just a terrorist attack, but a terrorist invasion. That Western tourists have been especially targeted assures a long-term hit on Indian tourism, and that the terrorists will be playing out their script with the whole world watching. (Already, CNN International has made note that peripheral celebrities such as Elizabeth Hurley and the ex-wife of Prince may have been affected by the attacks. It appears that several European politicians, including the President of Madrid, were at either the Taj or the Oberoi when they were attacked.)

India is the world's largest democracy. It has been the scene of previous large-scale terrorist attacks, but this one somehow feels different. I am not conversant with the state of civil liberties in India (though it has a very liberal judiciary). I do hope that forthcoming anti-terror measures will not lead to the sapping of democracy through the undue curtailment of civil liberties. If the fabric of Indian society is reshaped by fear, then -- to use the hoary cliche -- the terrorists have succeeded.

For those interested in tracking the attacks, here are a few useful links. Many are vouching for the updates from Twitter. Photographs from the scene are now on Flickr. Google Maps features the location of the attacks. Blog updates from Mumbai Metlogs. Local media coverage courtesy of the Mumbai Mirror (which has a timeline), DNA India, and the Times of India.

I Didn't Have To Watch Baz Luhrman's Australia To Go ROTFLMAO

From The New Republic Online:

Top 20 Films of All Time (Cahiers du Cinema 2008 Poll)

Cahiers du Cinema, the iconic high-brow French film journal, has released its 2008 list of the Top 100 films of all time. Citizen Kane (yawn) tops the list. The Top 20 are:

1. Citizen Kane, 1941, Orson Welles

2. (tied) The Night of the Hunter, 1955, Charles Laughton; La Règle de Jeu, 1939, Jean Renoir

4. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, 1927, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau

5. L'Atalante, 1934, Jean Vigo

6. M, 1931, Fritz Lang

7. Singin' in the Rain, 1952, Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen

8. Vertigo, 1958, Alfred Hitchcock

9. (tied) Les Enfants du Paradis, 1945, Marcel Carné; The Searchers, 1956, John Ford; Greed, 1924, Erich von Stroheim

12. (tied) Rio Bravo, 1959, Howard Hawks; To Be or Not to Be, 1942, Ernst Lubitsch

14. Tokyo Story, 1953, Yasujiro Ozu

15. Le Mépris, 1963, Jean-Luc Godard

16. (tied) Tales of Ugetsu, 1953, Kenji Mizoguchi; City Lights, 1931, Charlie Chaplin; The General, 1927, Buster Keaton; Nosferatu the Vampire, 1922, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau; The Music Room, 1958, Satyajit Ray.

Cahiers conducts this survey every ten years or so. Biggest surprise is Night of the Hunter, one of the few on the list I've yet to see. It has had this tremendous cult reputation all these years, but rarely has it cracked the top ten lists.

Citizen Kane (1941) is a technically dazzling film, but one which is not extraordinarily insightful or especially relevant to the vast majority of us who are not megalomaniacal media tycoons. More deserving is La Regle de Jeu (1939), which artfully depicts the viciousness of the human impulse in genteel terms. No film I can think of is more evenhanded in exploring the divisions among the social classes. It has long been among my favorite films, one which I revisit every two years or so with new insights each repeated viewing.

To Be or Not To Be (1942), perversely enough, is the only movie in the list that concerns the evils of the holocaustal Nazis during World War 2. Its Polish refugees seem to be no more in harm's way than the presumably concentration-camp traumatized Victor Laszlo, who seemingly emerged from the tunnels and woods without so much a crumple on his three-piece suit. I like TBNTB, but don't see it as a top 20 film of all time. Probably due to the dearth of American participants in the Cahiers survey, the slapdash, brutally direct 1940s comedies of Preston Sturges were unjustifiably ignored, and I do prefer Sturges's bootleg whiskey to Lubitsch's champagne.

The last most recent silent film on the list is City Lights (1931), which might be Chaplin's best and which has an unarguably great ending, but I've never liked it much. The great silent film in the bunch is Sunrise (1927), a pleasant surprise at #4 (maybe too high). Don't be turned off by its annoying subtitle (or the overacting of Janet Gaynor), it does have a song/poem-like feel to it. The first sighting of The Woman From the City (Margaret Livingston) remains one of the great reveals of all-time, and her frolic in the swamp with The Man is unusually carnal for a 1927 movie (as well as my office desktop picture for quite a while).

As for the others on the list, save for those I have yet to see, I have no objections apart perhaps from a few quibbles in the ranking (Vertigo and Ugetsu too low, M is too high). Once I see an English-language link to the Top 100 films from Cahiers, I'll post it here. Many interesting discussion points from there as well.

Somewhere in Hell, John Lennon Sheds a Tear. Of Joy.

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Vatican media are praising the Beatles' musical legacy and sounding philosophical about John Lennon's boast that the British band was more popular than Jesus. 

Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano recalls that Lennon's comment outraged many when he made it in 1966. But it says in its Saturday edition that the remark can be written off now as the bragging of a young man wrestling with unexpected success.

The newspaper as well as Vatican Radio last week noted the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' ''White Album.''

 It said the album demonstrated how creative the Beatles were, compared with what it called the ''standardized, stereotypical'' songs being produced today.

134 Pinoys Now Hostaged by Dread Somali Pirates

The national reaction so far to 134 of our countrymen being held hostage by pirates in Somalia has been ho-hum. No street rallies or prayer vigils led by the bishops. The Senate and the House are busy with their own intramurals, and the executive branch has not visibly exerted any muscular leadership on this issue. 134 Americans hostages in a foreign land would have been cause for war (at least in a Republican administration). Then again, the Philippine military is not exactly in a position to stage a Raid on Entebbe to free our own hostages. And Somali internal politics are so fucked up it would be virtually impossible to engage in a diplomat-to-diplomat solutions session.

I do wonder. If the 134 Filipino hostages were exchanged for one man, Manny Pacquiao, would it lead to the sort of heightened national outrage that unifies as a nation? Rioting in the streets, chain rosaries along EDSA, 24-7 news coverage by those reliable standbyes in times of crisis -- AM radio? It is for the good that this pirate crisis has not paralyzed us as a nation, yet the relative equanimity with which we are reacting to it is still somewhat chilling.

In the last few days Somali piracy has attained international attention, especially after the Somali pirates captured the Aramco-owned Saudi oil supertanker The Sirius Star. There has been focus on the economic implications of the present increase in piracy "on shipping lanes crucial to the oil supply". Interestingly, Abu Dhabi's The National, quoting analysts, warns that the escalation of Somali piracy "will significantly raise the cost of most crude shipments to Europe and North America", even as the threats to the UAE's own oil exports would be "negligible". Across the globe, the respected American investigative journalist Gerald Posner, writing in Tina Brown's The Daily Beast, announces that:

a classified internal report at the US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has concluded that the pirates are funded by expatriate Somalis and Emiratis based in Dubai. This determination is based, in part, on an independent Interpol probe that managed to identify several moneymen behind the high sea piracy. All live in Dubai.

Understandably, there has been no official confirmation of Mr. Posner's report.

Google Sparks Life To LIFE

Most pleasant news -- LIFE Magazine is making available, through Google's Image Search, millions of images from its archives. (The official announcement from the Official Google Blog is here) Many iconic images of the 20th century were first published in LIFE, which ceased regular publication in 2000 after a steady decline that lasted 5 decades. Most of the newly available photographs have never been published before, which may indicate the banality of most of these shots, but nonetheless they do fill up the treasure trove of the available.

Best of all is this tidbit from the Associated Press:

The photos can be printed out for free as long as they aren't being used as part of an attempt to make money. Time Warner Inc., Life's parent company, hopes to make money by selling high-resolution, framed prints. The orders will be processed through Qoop.com.

What does this mean exactly for us? Leonard Goh at the Crave blog hosted by Cnet Asia notes that:

students and teachers can easily browse, view and retrieve low-res images for education purposes. The firm also isn't too worried about what bloggers may do to the pictures.

I heartily agree. I've normally been very hesitant in posting photographs by others outside of the Creative Commons pool. Even if reposting would be justifiable under "fair use", I just did not want the hassle of stating my defense if called to. The opening of the Life archive gives me vaster resources from where I can post pictures, and quality photographs at that. Though to bolster the fair use claim, it would be prudent to repost these at a lower resolution than what is provided for by Life/Google.

So here goes. Aptly, the first LIFE photograph I shall post is that of the first President of the Philippines, General Emilio Aguinaldo, circa 1949:

And here's a photograph of a U.P. Diliman ceremony from 1960, showing the conferral of an honorary degree to American President Dwight Eisenhower:

This new Life-Google partnership allows millions of quality photographs to be integrated into the vocabulary of the internets. It will be fun while it lasts.

Factoid of the Day (11.20.08)

"Born on the Visayan island of Panay, [Manuel Roxas] traced his forebears back to an eighteenth-century Spanish merchant and landowner who also sired the Ayala, Zobel and Soriano clans -- to this day the cream of Philippine society." -- (S. Karnow, In Our Image: America's Empire in the Philippines, p. 326)

My Favorite Footnote Ever

Footnote # 4, Orbeta v. Sendiong, 463 SCRA 180:

[The spouses Pretzylou Sendiong are also] identified in the records as spouses Benedicto Pajulas. “Pretzylou” also appears in other parts of the record as “Pretzy Lou.” Infra. It is alleged by Pretzylou Sendiong that he (or she) is a child of Luis Sendiong, see Rollo, p. 38, but the Court could not definitively ascertain such fact. Private respondent Paul Sendiong, a son of Luis Sendiong, does not aver before this Court that Pretzylou Sendiong is an issue of Luis. Moreover, there is a genuine mystery as to the identity of Pretzylou Sendiong. It appears from the records that Pretzylou Sendiong is apparently married to Genisa (or Genosa) Sendiong, but petitioners claimed in their complaint that Pretzylou Sendiong is actually “Benedicto Pajulas.” The mystery is further heightened by the unusual names of the spouses Sendiong. In any event, the identity of Pretzylou Sendiong is not material to the resolution of this petition, and this observation is adduced for clarificatory purposes only.

Recommended Reading - The Trust Guru on Supreme Court Appointments

Please read Gerry Geronimo's The Trust Guru column  in today's print edition of the Manila Standard Today (11.19.2008). What it proposes is the most intelligent approach I've seen so far concerning the desired public scrutiny of prospective Supreme Court appointments. It does not appear online thus far, but I'll link to it once it is posted. 

Sarah Palin More Likeable When Objectified

The online edition of Newsweek has published a series of photos of "some of [Sarah] Palin's intimate moments on the trail", which for some reason were embargoed until now. And goshdarnit, she's so rootin' tootin' adorable in them, you'd wonder why the Republican's didn't bother to plaster them around as a folksy counterpoint to the iconic Che Obama. My favorite among the set is the one of her rehearsing for the debate against Joe Biden, she wearing an oversized New York Rangers hockey shirt as she deliberates over the pressing issues of the day. Just like your ordinary hard-working American parent debating issues at the family kitchen table. Can you imagine any of the Obamas, Bidens, McCains, Bushes, Cheneys, Clintons, Gores, Reagans, Nixons, Roosevelts, Lincolns or Washingtons clad in apparel du Joe le Plumber? 

Because Ms. Palin is understandably mute in those photographs, her small-d democratic appeal comes across more palatably. Had those hockey-mom photos come out before the elections, Ms. Palin may have attracted even more schwing voters. 

On Calling For an Ambulance In Metro Manila

Last night, I saw two men lying injured in the middle of Ortigas, and one of them did not appear to be moving. Just moments earlier, the men had been aboard a speeding motorcycle that slammed into the passenger side of a Toyota Fortuner. Several other motorcyclists -- many of them working fastfood delivery shifts -- had milled around the injured but maintaining minimal contact, probably because they were untrained in emergency medical skills. 

This was 2-3 minutes into the accident, and I asked if anyone had called for an ambulance or the police. No one had yet, so I dialled for the emergency room of that hospital named for the first Filipino Roman Catholic cardinal. When I alerted the hospital that an ambulance was needed less than a kilometer away, they told me that they had outsourced their ambulance services to a private outfit and I should call them instead. I was not a stranger to that fact. A few years earlier, my dad had a heart attack and we had no choice but to rely on that private outfit to transport him from the emergency room to another, less expensive hospital.

So I called the number of the private ambulance service and reported that an ambulance was urgently needed -- one of them does not appear to be moving. They asked for my name and I replied why? They asked what relation I had to the injured and I said none, I was a stranger, and look, I don't know their names. They then said they needed my name so they would know to whom they would send the bill afterwards. I looked over at the injured, and the one who had been lying still was now starting to move a little. I turned off my phone. 

In the meantime, someone else had called the police. In a few minutes (within 10 minutes from the accident), barangay tanods had arrived at the scene, and five minutes thereafter, so did the police accompanied by persons trained in first aid. The ambulance courtesy of the San Juan City government arrived a few minutes later and transported the injured in the direction towards San Juan Medical Center. In all, from the time of the accident, a response time of around 20 minutes. Not bad at all, and the San Juan City police and city government deserve praise for their effectivity.

Efficient emergency medical services in the Philippines is virtually unheard of, and this experience taught me that the private sector is unreliable in that regard, especially from the perspective of a would-be Good Samaritan. I'll not read anything bigger as to last night other than a concrete example that sometimes, government can work and do good even without a pay-as-you-go mentality. No illusions though -- San Juan City is relatively small, and relatively prosperous (check out the "Segway"/scooter patrol). Other local governments, even in Metro Manila, may not be as desirably responsive. 

President Arroyo Enrolls in MILO Best Clinic

Feeding the international Obamania fad, the New York Times has a senseless article on how President Obama might play sport with other athletic heads of state -- jogging with French President Sarkozy, football with Bolivia's Evo Morales, table tennis with Chinese President Hu Jintao, skeet shooting with Japanese PM Taro Aso. These schoolyard intramurals never really happen in real life, but it's a crackerjack idea which the U.N. should sponsor as an alternative to international dispute resolution. Just like that Grade 5 story I read featuring two warring tribes tired of warring who send their respective fiercest elephant to butt heads and perpetually settle their feud. One tribe sent a baby elephant with a sharp horn tied atop its head, and the baby ripped the other elephant's stomach as it tried to nurse off the other's teats. Master the horns, and the Mongolians may again rule the world.

According to the Times, our own bon petit President does not make the cut. In fairness, none of the other female heads of state are listed among Obama's future playmates. No female world leader has had athletic distinction since the late Israeli PM Golda Meir (then of the United States) was the bulwark of the U.S. Tug-of-War team in the 1920 Paris Olympics. The U.K.'s Princess Anne was an Olympian (1976, Equestrian), but it would take a plane crashing into Buckingham Palace on Christmas day for her to be considered a head of state.

It would be interesting to see Mr. Obama and Russian PM Vladimir Putin, star of Let's Learn Judo with Vladimir Putin!, square off on the judo mat. Once the President of the United States is struggling under a chokehold by the Russian PM, is the U.S. Secret Service under obligation to draw and fire, as they apparently are with hookers who roughsex the President?

(Photograph by Callie Shell made available via a Creative Commons license)

On Bayani Fernando 2010, Briefly

If he were serious, he'd have his enforcers stop accosting drivers who clearly committed no traffic violation.

If my main concern were for an orderly society where everyone moved in unison like in the Go West video, I'd be on the bandwagon. But it is not. 

Former Amazing Race Contestant Dies

A few weeks ago, Margaretta Groark passed away from cancer and pulmonary fibrosis at the age of 67. Season 1 of The Amazing Race remains my favorite season, and Margaretta and her husband Dave (Dave & Margaretta) were among my favorite racers then. The oldest team in the race, they were the fourth to be eliminated, outlasting younger teams and evincing quiet grace and fortitude. Each season of TAR features a token old team, of which Dave and Margaretta were the first, and many of the succeeding "old persons" team have been annoying (i.e., Meredith and Gretchen, Fran and Barry, also old person Ron of Ron & Christina). Dave and Margaretta remain still the most likeable of the senior citizens teams. 

The episode where Dave and Margaretta were eliminated (in Tunisia) was the very first Amazing Race episode I saw (on AXN), and I was immediately hooked. For years, it remained my favorite reality competition show, surpassed only recently by Top Chef. In the following clip featuring their elimination, notice that the other racers are shown lingering and saluting Dave and Margaretta as they are sent off. No other eliminated team then or since has been shown being bid farewell by the other competing teams, which is indicative of the affection felt towards the team (as well as a shift in editing come succeeding seasons). 

Margaretta is the first Amazing Race contestant to pass away. There must be a strange dynamic to being a Racer -- they underwent a unique experience shared in by millions of viewers, but then again, its just a game show. I do hope that Margaretta is included in next year's In Memoriam reel at the Emmy's, as she has every right to be there as any actor who graced the small screen in a featured television role. But knowing the Emmy's general antipathy towards reality television, probably not. 

Ex-Idol Contestant Found Dead Near Abdul's Home, A Probable Suicide

I never could stomach the preliminary auditions in American Idol, particularly those untalented and often deluded kids given a platform to be humiliated in front of millions of viewers. One might say they had legally consented to appear on the show so they very well deserve what they get. Yet I think a good majority of those kids are clearly not altogether there in the head, and the show exploits their neuroses for a cheap and transient laugh. (There are two categories perhaps -- those who are genuinely deluded in thinking they have the chops for the show even though they are evidently untalented, and those who know they are horrible singers but couldn't resist those fleeting fifteen minutes. The degree of psychoses may vary, yet it is psychoses nonetheless.)

Matters are made worse by the fact that the Idol producers actively seek out those strange contestants. It is obvious that not all of the stadium crowd ends up meeting Paula, Randy and Simon. Most auditioneers are cut without ever hearing "yo dawg", and those who do make it on air are a mixture of the talented and the unwell. They who are unwell, no doubt, are led on by praises by the behind-the-scenes producers (we're not joking, you're really good, Simon would especially love to hear you sing), and it ends up a jarring shock for them when Simon says you sound like Erykah Badu's grandmother with a mouthful of stuffed tissues. 

Paula Goodspeed died today, apparently by her own hand, her body found near the home of Paula Abdul. Her first crack at the fifteen minutes in 2005 went this way:

 

Idol is not wholly, or even primarily to blame for Ms. Goodspeed's death. Clearly, there are a whole lot of other issues involved, even if her rejection from American Idol hit her hard. At the same time, in 2005, the producers of American Idol had the choice to treat Ms. Goodspeed in a humane and decent manner and not to treat her as the source of a cheap laugh. They did not do the right thing. 

Mike D'Antoni: New York's Obama

A recent NYT article on Steve Nash's thoughts on the US elections and the current New York Knicks subtly compares new Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni to Barack Obama. The analogy may ultimately be laughably strained, but it gives pause for thought. D'Antoni inherited a Knicks team devalued and depressed by the utter incompetence and profligacy of the Isaiah Thomas era. D'Antoni himself spent many formative years overseas, and is the proponent of a highly radical basketball philosophy -- the Seven Seconds or Less offense -- which critics mocked yet which has also inspired many to appreciate basketball once more. 

Starbury even meshes into the picture - an expensive and divisive albatross undertaken with false promises of success. 

This season, the pundits have marked the Knicks as a non-playoff team -- rebuilding from too much damage -- yet they have surprised so far with an above .500 record. Might that bode well for the first hundred days of Obama's administration?

Amando Doronila: Obama Is Not Our Friend

Because Mr. Obama has yet to return the call of Mrs. Arroyo, Amando Doronila of the Philippine Daily Inquirer concludes that "Obama is not our friend" and the Philippines should accordingly rearrange its priorities.

Mr. Doronila notes, as has been reported elsewhere, that since his election last week, Mr. Obama has phoned the leaders of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Great Britain, China, Russia, Poland and Spain. But not the Philippines.

Among the other world leaders whom Mr. Obama has unconscionably demurred from calling are President de Kirchner of Argentina, Prime Minister Leterme of Belgium, President Lula da Silva of Brazil, President Bachelet of Chile, President Uribe of Colombia, President Klaus of the Czech Republic, Prime Minister Rasmussen of Denmark, President Mubarak of Egypt, President Halonen of Finaland, President Saakashvili of Georgia, President Papoulias of Greece, President Colom of Guatemala, President Preval of Haiti, President Gyurcsany of Hungary, President Grimsson of Iceland, Prime Minister Singh of India, President Yudhoyono of Indonesia, President Talabani of Iraq, Taoiseach Cowen of Ireland, King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Kibaki of Kenya, the Emir of Kuawit, Prime Minister Siniora of Lebanon, President Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, Prime Minister Balkenende of The Netherlands, President Yar'Adua of Nigeria, Prime Minister Stoltenberg of Norway, President Zardari of Pakistan, President Garcia of Peru, Prime Minister Socrates of Portugal, President Tadic of Serbia, Prime Minister Lee of Singapore, Prime Minister Fico of Slovakia, President Motlanthe of South Africa, Prime Minister Wickremanayake of Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Reinfeldt of Sweden, President Couchepin of Switzerland, Prime Minister Wongsawat of Thailand, Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey, President Museveni of Uganda, President Yuschenko of Ukraine, President Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, President Vazquez of Uruguay, Prime Minister Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, and President Triet of Vietnam.

Not to mention Pope Benedict XVI of Vatican City.

Yes, Mr. Obama should have been presumptuous enough to spend the last few weeks before the elections mobilizing his Democratic staff from the torpor of eight years of exile from government, having them break into the State Department and calling up ambassadors around the world to gather the latest intelligence, the current official diplomatic stances, so he could devote his first days as President-elect chatting away with the leaders of the world without fear of faux pas. For shame Mr. Obama, for shame!

Note to the above-cited world leaders: Barack Obama is not your friend. Quick, let's form a new Axis Powers.

On Naming Your Newborn Child "Barack"

Barack Francisco. Barack Morato. Barack Paolo Zialcita. Barack Anne Legarda.

It is self-evident that "Barack" is the suave hip name to bestow on your newborn baby. There is a noble precedent of Filipino couples naming their children after U.S. presidents. (The Nix's in your life? Mostly Nixons.) The election of Barack Obama, groundbreaking as it was, poses some difficulties for those insistent on carrying out that proud tradition. Here are a few tips devoted to smoothing the path towards guaranteeing your child a name that lives for the ages.

1. Convincing your spouse or significant other. You must have heard about that average Joe-the-Plumber type who tried to name his daughter after Sarah Palin without telling his wife. Stupid Joe the Plumber (what a fun set of words to write) ended up with marital relations chillier than Wasilla, Alaska. An important element to any cohabitative relationship is obtaining marital consent on what to name your offspring.

There are several possible reasons why your spouse or significant other may object to naming your child Barack. Too of-the-moment. Too weird. Too ethnic or black. Too unpronounceable (applies if your partner has a speech impediment and says "irja" instead of "earjack"). Confront your partner in an open and honest manner why her/his objections are superlatively dumb. Explain that "Barack" is Swahili for "x", x = your partner's favorite thing in the world. Argue that "Barack" is inherently sexy like jazz, the fruit of inexplicable but passion-laden love. Prove this by having sex to the strains of will.i.am's viral hit. For nothing is more affirming in bed than hearing Scarlett Johansson exclaim "Yes we can!".

2. Convincing the child's grandparents. Among the more virulent objectors to Baby Barack would be your own quasi-racist parents. The protestations would be especially potent if this were to be their first grandchild, the one they have fantasized for decades cradling in their arms. "I did not wait all these years to cradle a Barack!", they may wail. If you are descended from hacienderos, expect disinheritance in grandiloquent fashion. 

"It's my child and I'll name him/her any damn way I please!", you can righteously huff and puff back with approval from the great logicians Lord Russell and Wittgenstein. But as President Barack would say, why not use that obviously uncomfortable situation to provide for a "teaching moment". Use the opportunity to discuss with your parents in a frank and open manner the state of your relationship, particularly the racial tensions that have too long remained beneath the surface. Teach them that they should not judge you by the color of your skin but as to the content of your character, and explain to them, using colorful charts, the "Out of Africa" thesis which has gained widespread acceptance among scientists. 

3. Convincing your parish priest. Catholic parents may find special difficulties in having their baby christened "Barack" due to opposition from the christening officer (aka "the parish priest"). After all, Barack Hussein Obama come on! The objections may come subtly, like when just before the holy water drops, the priest goes "Are your sure? Are you really sure? Are you really really sure? Are you really really sure sure sure?" Or the priest can just say "no fucking way!" then drain the baptismal fountain.

If your parish priest is quite old and slightly deaf, you can try explaining that your baby is being named after Saint Barack, one of the many many holy people canonized by the great Pope John Paul II in his revolutionary expansion of the litany of saints, and don't tell me Father you don't know who your saints are. But if your priest is one of those young Dead Poet Society types (as many right-wingers are), then consider doing a Dagohoy. It will take 85 years and nobody will know when you died, but hey you'll be listed in the history books as a hero!

4. Comforting your child. The euphoria that surrounded the election of President Obama may soon turn to dust if he turns out to be another Jimmy Carter or Franklin Pierce. Years later, after a session of knowledgeable playground shunning or a classroom bashing by an arrogant economics professor, your child may come running to you in tears exclaiming "Mommy! Daddy! Why did you have to name me Barack!"

Under Philippine law, your are legally prohibited from changing your name at will, unless your name is so obviously obnoxious such as Mosquito Anghininga Basura. Explain to your child that while the law may be harsh, it is the law. Teach your child to see all the ridicule and hurt as a character-building opportunity. Introduce him/her to the Johnny Cash classic, A Boy Named Sue and bond with your child as you discuss the moral of the song. 

Michael Crichton

Whatever you may have thought about his books or politics, the sense of loss of his fans and family upon his death could not be denied. However, any assessment of the full measure of the man simply cannot ignore this.

At least Godzilla did not eat Mayor Ebert.

(so far, Mr. Crowley, who blogs over at The New Republic, has so far prudently maintained his silence.)

BBC: Obama Raised In the Philippines

Just a few minutes ago, the BBC World News aired a biographical sketch about Mr. Obama that claimed that the President-elect "grew up in Hawaii and the Philippines". Flattering to us Pinoys, and I guess we should now go dancing in the streets. But of course that tidbit is incorrect -- Obama grew up in Indonesia, not the Philippines. Curious that so authoritative a voice as the BBC would get that fact wrong. Do us Malays really all look alike?

What It All Means For The Philippines

1. Chiz Escudero will settle for nothing less than the presidency in 2010. And he may win.
2. The significant role played by American unions in the election of Mr. Obama will ensure, in the short-term, more difficulty for American businesses to outsource to countries like the Philippines.
3. U.S. troops in Mindanao likely a bye-bye.
4. A more liberal United States Supreme Court may, in the long run, influence a more liberal constitutional law jurisprudence in the Philippines.
5. "Ibagsak ang rehimeng Obama-Arroyo!" a much harder sell than "Ibagsak ang rehimeng Bush-Arroyo!"
6. Revival of comedic careers of Whitney Tyson and Wilma Doesn't put on hold.
7. At least one shout out to Obama in the next Parokya ni Edgar album. (shudder)
8. Pride in the first American president to have showered with a Filipino.
   
9. Fierce discomfitting debates as Pinoys grapple with long-held ideals in considering whether Michelle Obama is pretty.
   
10. At least one small-scale religious cult dedicated to Obama the Messiah.
    
11. Retellings of that "Lionel Ritchie in the elevator" joke.
    
12. Obama Mami!
    
13. A very special episode of ASAP dedicated to President Obama.
    
14. Special refresher seminars for Philippine government interpreters. ("itim", huwag "negro"!)
    
15. Colonial mentality more chic with a black American president.
    
16. Intensified local media interest in the political views of PBA imports.
    
17. Greater political influence of the Catholic Church with the election of Joe Biden, America's first Catholic vice-president. Or maybe not.
    
18. Philippine political career for apl.de.ap now viable, leading to will.i.am's viral hit video, "Kaya Natin 'To!"
    
19. Ratification of the Rome Statute, following the lead of the United States.
    

That's it for now. Maybe more later, but President-elect Obama is about to speak.

No Coloreds Allowed

CNN About To Unveil Human Hologram Technology

(10:52 am) As epochal as the discovery of penicillin:

For unknown reasons, CNN has yet to repeat the "feat" in the last hour or so.

(11:55 pm) A tease just let loose by Michael Holmes over at CNN International: tonight's CNN election coverage will feature hologram reports beamed into the CNN studios and our homes from various sites of interest. So, let's say Wolf Blitzer in Atlanta wants to interview to Sarah Palin, who'll be in Phoenix, Ms. Palin's hologram will flash in front of Wolf Blitzer so they can pretend-talk face-to-face. No word yet on how tall Ms. Palin will appear onscreen.

It's all so 1977.

Ferris Bueller Endorses Obama, Truancy

His Economics Professor though is for McCain, however reluctantly.

The Next Obama?

The Atlantic has a feature on former Phoenix Suns star point guard Kevin Johnson, currently a credible candidate for election as mayor of Sacramento, the capital of California. He joins the ranks of former NBA stars such as Bill Bradley and Tom McMillen seeking election to public office as liberal Democrats. Like Bradley, KJ appears to be a real policy nerd. A former pol sci major at Berkeley, he spend long plane rides during his playing career downing books and policy papers. No word if these included the classic of that genre Swedish Land-Use Planning. (And what's the deal with Phoenix Suns point guards and their political paperback reading?)

KJ has apparent bi-partisan appeal -- both the Republicans and the Democrats have tried recruiting him to run for governor of Arizona. He has likewise demonstrated that one trait of Obama's that has steadily increased in value -- unflappability. Josh Green's The Atlantic article recounts a reception for KJ hosted by Hmongs, an ethnic group from Laos that has a sizeable presence in the United States and which has certain shamanistic cultural practices. The candidate was asked: 

...What was his position on animal sacrifice?

Johnson froze. The room was silent. He seemed to be wondering whether this was a joke, before deciding that, no, it probably was not a joke, and he had better not laugh. Then Johnson, still quick on his feet, spotted the play and flashed a high-wattage smile. “I’m here tonight to learn what I can do for you,” he said, “and this is exactly the type of issue that I’ll address as mayor, which is why I would like, right now, for volunteers to raise their hands if they’ll agree to be my liaison to the Hmong community.” Soon, five candidates had declared themselves to uproarious applause. Johnson brought them all, giggling and snapping pictures, to the front of the room. Game over.

KJ will face a runoff election this month against the incumbent Sacramento mayor. If he wins and governs with some success, he may be soon tagged as a potential statewide candidate, maybe even as governor of America's largest state. A bright political future seems in line for KJ, except maybe for this. 

Gervais! Vidal! Hitchens! McInerney! The Best Political Team on TV!

I'm too much of a numbers nerd, so I'll end up on Wednesday morning (MLA time) mesmerized by CNN's Amazing Technicolor Wall. But if you have any wit or soul, please please tune in instead to BBC's coverage of the U.S. election results. Their slated lineup of commentators is simply stunning. From the official BBC press release:

Among those appearing on the program will be Ricky Gervais, Christopher Hitchens, Larry Sabato, Karen Hughes, Terry Nelson, Jay McInerney, Richard Schiff, Bill Bradley, John Bolton and Gore Vidal. 

It's too bad that William F. Buckley is recently deceased, though Gore Vidal can easily reprise his infamous 1968 outburst by calling ex-U.N. Ambassador John Bolton a "crypto-Nazi". Anyway, any excuse is worth dragging out to bring this clip of the Vidal/Buckley brouhaha, one of the all-time great moments in American live television.

Staunch Iraq war defender (and reluctant Obama supporter) Christopher Hitchens can match up against the rather sanctimonious liberal Democrat Senator Bill Bradley (a former member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes). Expect Hitch to be his usual witty self, but no doubt the comedy honors belong to the great Mr. Gervais who, rumor has it, might host the Oscars next year.

I'm not sure what Jay McInerney will bring into the mix, though expect questions thrown his way about America's first openly formerly cocaine-snorting president. (Mr. Bush never admitted in public to his cokehead days) Earlier tonight, Toni Morrison was on BBC, and she had some interesting things to say about an Obama presidency.

And there's Richard Schiff, aka disgraced White House Press Secretary Toby Ziegler of the Bartlett administration. We'll have his thoughts on the eerie prescience of The West Wing's final season, and how smug Jimmy Smits must feel right now. Joe Biden better watch his heart the next 48 hours. 

Dunder-Mifflin Votes '08: Obama v. McCain

Pennsylvania is the swinger of swing states this American election season, and Scranton PA is at the purple heart of the state. Moreso than most sitcoms, NBC's The Office is integrally wedded to its fictional hometown, with frequent references to Scranton landmarks (e.g., Poor Richard's) and even a successful convention at Scranton earlier this year. It would be interesting to speculate who (or whom?) would the employees of the Scranton branch of Dunder-Mifflin vote for this forthcoming election.

Michael Scott (Steve Carell): Strong Obama (in public, but will vote for McCain). Obama is the transformational and inspirational figure Michael Scott aspires to be. No doubt that Barack's picture is plastered on the wall in many a staff meeting at Dunder-Mifflin Scranton. However, Michael has too often proved a captive of his irrational fears, and all the looming doubts about Obama reside at the back of his mind will probably compel him to vote McCain without telling another soul.

Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson): Strong McCain. Probably has a Vietcong POW fetish (capped with a Ramboesque revenge ending). But apart from that, McCain's military record and conservative persona appeals to Dwight's rugged individualist core, and Obama's uncertain position on gun control frightens Scranton's resident hunter and locavore. And Dwight will be returning the favor to Mr. McCain, who once expressed his desire for a McCain/Schrute ticket in '08.

Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer): Strong Obama. Belongs to Obama's target demographic, and moreover, very into the arts. Women's health and reproductive issues likely vital to her. Charter membership in The Finer Things Club, the closest thing in Scranton to a Maoist cell.

Jim Halpert (John Krasinski): Lean Obama. No compelling reasons for him to vote for McCain, but otherwise rather apathetic. Pam's Obamamania likely to drive him to Obama as well, but might not feel the urge to vote at all unless she dragged him into the voting booth. X-Factor: if any of Jim's close friends are serving over at Iraq and the war is a big issue for him, that may sway him to Obama (or less likely, McCain).

Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak): Lean Obama. Corporate wunderkind would have been Strong McCain up until his arrest for embezzlement. With his subsequent conviction and installment as Dunder-Mifflin's new receptionist, now more sympathetic to traditional Democratic positions on crime and the economy. X-factor: his attraction to women of color may somehow translate to the ballot box.

Andy Bernard (Ed Helms): Strong Obama. The upper-income white Ivy League set leans strongly to Obama, even if many of them stand to see their Bush-era tax cuts revoked. Besides, whither goest Cornell, goest Andy.

Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey): Strong McCain. Is there any doubt? Was Lean McCain until the Palin pick, though his record of marital infidelity did not bother her as much as fellow her Christian conservative women. Abortion likely deal-breaker.

Jan Levinson-Gould (Melora Hardin): Undecided. Previous Republican sympathies torn asunder when her corporate career collapsed into itself like a dying star. Pending discrimination lawsuit leaves her sympathetic to Democratic positions on tort reform, but as a current small business owner, is skeptical about Democrat tax policy. Her fond memories hanging out with Hunter and his band just might push her over to Obama.

Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker): Lean Obama. Intensely mistrustful of Obama's youth, slick speech, and Hopey McChangeypants message. But in the end, knows he cannot pass up on the historic nature of voting for the first ever black American president.

Phyllis Lapin Vance (Phyllis Smith): Strong McCain. Republican-leaning but nonetheless sympathetic to the Clintons, Obama's ultimate crushing of Hillary leaves her resolutely for McCain. Support for McCain solidified by the influence of husband Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration. As a victim of crime, favors Republican positions on law and order. As a star of her high school basketball team, was excited by the Sarah Barracuda pick.

Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling): Strong Obama. Thinks Obama is Denzel-hot, and Malia and Sasha as Rudy Huxta-dorable.

Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez): Strong Obama. Perhaps the most liberal of the Dunder-Mifflin crew. Abhors Palin for her Christian right views, anti-gay stances, and general tackiness. A charter member of The Finer Things club (see Pam).

Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner): Strong McCain. First in line for Who's Nailin' Paylin. Finds kinship with fellow gambling devotee McCain.

Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery): Lean McCain. PUMA. An avid Hillary supporter and admirer of New York Senator's fortitude for vodka, was incensed with Obama's primary victory. Turned off by Barack's goody-two shoes image, more excited by McCain's reckless and "maverick" persona.

Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson): Strong Obama. His previous efforts to unionize the Dunder Mifflin warehouse employees were cruelly thwarted, hopes an Obama presidency would be more labor friendly. Card check an important issue for him.

Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein): Strong Obama. Sees his life story embodied in the Democrat's political success of the last 30 years (with Jimmy Carter particularly as a defining role model). A charter member of The Finer Things Club (see Pam and Oscar). His absentee ballot will most likely get lost in the mail.

Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton): Strong Moore. Thought Palin was "some chick [he] nailed in the sixties, but back then, she was known as Zarathusa". In any event, always votes Socialist, the party most sympathetic to the plight of the homeless such as himself.

(Photograph above created by tomdobb and republished under a Creative Commons 3.0 license)