Apparently, Michael Jackson is Goliath, and he will win, says the Palace. And when that happens, the world will mourn like it mourned Kennedy. A prediction from Nostradamus? Just another atrocious PDI front page, though this one is the stuff of legends.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Live-Tweeting the 1986 People Power Revolution
I was 9 years old during the 1986 People Power Revolution in the Philippines, but my memories of those four days are still quite vivid (it helps that I was even then, such a nerd). Here's how I would have tweeted the event. To the best of my memory.
February 22
Papa left for Isabela w/ his bros/sis for a funeral. 12 hour drive. Hope they stay safe
BREAKING - ENRILE RAMOS RESIGN!!!
Ninong A. just called the house. ENRILE RAMOS RESIGN!!! They've taken over Camps Crame and Aguinaldo.
Lolo just called. ENRILE RAMOS RESIGN!!!
Nothing yet on TV. Damned MSM (Marcos State Media)!
Weird that Ramos too is part of this, the Inquirer said today that Marcos might fire Enrile. #marcos
Finally. Presscon now on Radio Veritas. #marcos
Enrile says Marcos cheated in Cagayan. #marcos
Enrile: we are prepared to die!! #marcos
Mama now panicking, has no way to contact Papa. If they can invent Twitter, why can't they invent a portable telephone?
BREAKING - Postmaster General Golez RESIGNS! #marcos
BREAKING - Supreme Court Justice Alampay RESIGNS! #marcos
Only President Reagan can save us now. #marcos
Marcos on TV, says that Enrile/Ramos part of foiled assassination plot. Liar! #marcos
RT @socvillegas Cardinal Sin says everyone to Camp Crame.
BREAKING - Jaime Cardinal Sin calls people to go to Camp Crame & Aguinaldo to protect Enrile and Ramos. #marcos
Cardinal Sin has balls. If he survives this, he'll surely be Pope someday. #marcos
Wonder whether people will actually go to Crame tonight, its late na. #marcos #philippines
Where is Cory? #marcos #philippines
February 23
Papa back home, they turned back as soon as they heard the news that Enrile and Ramos resigned.
RT @junekeithley: Goons attacked Radio Veritas transmitters last night, Veritas now on backup power. #marcos #philippines
RT @gregcendana: The situation is under control, FM urges calm. #marcos #philippines
Only Veritas is carrying the news. If Veritas goes, this may be over. #marcos #philippines
Waiting for Cory and President Reagan. Cory in Cebu they say. #marcos #philippines
Wanted to go swimming, but Manang Rose says we can't, they might need the water in case of emergency.
Why would they need swimming pool water? Stupid Manang Rose.
BREAKING - Thousands of people now guarding the gates of Camp Crame and Aguinaldo. #Philippines
HUMAN BARRICADE FTW!!! #Philippines
Good thing there are no elevated ramps near Crame/Aguinaldo where snipers could take aim. #Philippines
Show support for democracy in the Philippines add yellow overlay to your Twitter avatar with 1-click - http://helpphilippineselection.com/ #Philippines
I feel uneasy watching cartoons now on Channel 9. At a time like this? #philippines
BREAKING - Pro-Marcos tanks on their way to Crame!! | Oh no!! #philippines
RT @lolacorista: The tanks are coming! I'm going to die! Tell my little Pupung I love him dearly! #philippines
This will be a massacre. #philippines
RT @tibak72: We stopped the tanks!! #philippines
RT @flowpow69: I gave yellow roses to the soldiers in the tanks. Even kissed one of them! #philippines
Oh wow. The human barricade stopped the tanks! HUMAN BARRICADE FTW! #philippines
RT @frreuter: The tanks were blocked by people knelt in prayer. Please please pray the rosary. #philippines
RT @MamaMary: It was I who stopped the tanks. You will build a 20-foot statue of me to honor my miracle, but it will be an ugly statue. #philippines
RT @seminarista50: A miracle that Mama Mary saved the life of General Ramos, a Protestant.
Mama and Papa are leaving for Crame. I want to come along, but they won't let me.
Veritas signal is almost dead. Where will I get the news? #philippines
RT @junekeithley: Follow us at Radyo Bandido (DZRJ 780AM) #philippines
Papa & Mama back from Crame. They had to park the car at Unimart and walk the rest of the way. #philippines
February 23
BREAKING - Marcos Air Force planes on their way to bomb Crame!! #philippines
Too bad there could be no human barricade in the Sky. #philippines
BREAKING - AIR FORCE DEFECTS! PLANES SENT TO BOMB RALLYISTS LAND INSIDE AGUINALDO! #fb
This is huge. #philippines
Air Force General Sotelo: I could not in good conscience attack my fellow countrymen. #philippines
This General Sotelo will be the HERO of this revolution. They'll build statues and sing songs in his memory. #philippines
Radyo Bandido starts playing Mambo Magsaysay. Manang Rose dances along, alone. #philippines
Mambo Magsaysay - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uzEQkojDJc
I want to go to Crame. Want to go want to go want to go. Mama Mary will protect me. #philippines
BREAKING - Cory Aquino back in Metro Manila, to go to Crame today.
RT @doylaurelfanatic: Surely a million people at EDSA right now, from Cubao up to Ortigas. #philippines
BREAKING - Cory to take oath of office as President tomorrow, Marcos to do the same. #philippines
Mama and Papa say we can all go to EDSA this afternoon, but we have to prepare to walk.
"People Power Revolution" sounds awkward and ungrammatical. Why not "The Philippine Revolution of 1986". #philippines
Mama calls me to the bedroom, where the TV is turned on to Channel 4. "The new Channel 4!", she proclaims. But the new anchors are ugly. #philippines
RT @subasherrero: We have taken over Channel 4. Channel 4, now in the service of the Filipino people. #philippines
Watching new Channel 4. Seeing for the first time pictures of what has been going on at Crame. Unbelievable! #philippines.
Am starting to think we don't need the Americans to oust Marcos. WE CAN DO THIS OURSELVES, PEOPLE!!! #philippines
Oh, two people died in the fight for Channel 4. First deaths I've heard during The Philippine Revolution of 1986. #1986philippinerevolution
Preparing to leave for Crame. It will be a long walk. Good thing I'm in charge of the radio #1986philippinerevolution
Long long walk from Annapolis to EDSA. Lots of people, all kinds. #1986philippinerevolution
The number of people is incredible. People power indeed. #1986philippinerevolution
They say Cory is here. Couldn't see her. But I see Butz Aquino (I think). #peoplepower
Good thing my Ninoy t-shirt still fits me. #peoplepower
BREAKING - Cendana RESIGNS! #peoplepower
BREAKING - Gen. Olivas DEFECTS! #peoplepower
Papa bought us Twin Popsies, despite the Magnolia boycott. Now on our way home, before it gets dark. #peoplepower
Now back home, watching Channel 4. Happy that it's now on our side, but man, poor production values. #peoplepower
Marcos arguing with General Ver on TV. Ver wants to fire on protestors, Marcos says no. Moro-moro? #peoplepower
I really don't like the APO Hiking Society. I'm sure 20 years from now, I'll still hate them.
February 25
BREAKING - Soldiers fire on civilians near Libis, people down. Those fuckers must pay!!! #peoplepower
Who is this Gringo Honasan? #peoplepower
BREAKING - Gunfire at Channel 9. #peoplepower
RT @colsantiago: We need people to go to Channel 4 and 9, Marcos troops on their way to retake the stations. We need blood, lots of it. #peoplepower
I want to go to Club Filipino for Cory's oathtaking, but they won't let me. #peoplepower
Cory's oathtaking on Channel 4. Doy first takes oath as VP, sworn in by Justice Abad Santos. #peoplepower
BREAKING - Cory Aquino sworn in as President of the Philippines!
Cory sworn in by Justice Teehankee, Dona Aurora held the Bible. #peoplepower
BREAKING - President Cory Aquino appoints Enrile as Defense Minister, General Ramos as Chief of Staff. #peoplepower
God, Cory's salute is EPIC FAIL. #peoplepower
Cory's oathtaking ends with them all singing Bayan Ko while doing the Laban sign. Even Enrile and Ramos are singing along. #peoplepower
Now switching to Channel 9 for Marcos oathtaking. #peoplepower
Hah! Channel 9 went off the air just as Marcos oathtaking about to begin! #peoplepower
BREAKING - Rebels take over Channel 9! #peoplepower
Channel 4 is strangely addicting. I think this is my new favorite channel.
I hope this goes on for days, don't want to go back to school. #peoplepower
February 26
OMG its all over, and I slept through it all! #peoplepower
MARCOS FLEES!! Last night! Yehey! #peoplepower
Shit, talaga, shit, I was asleep when it happened. #peoplepower
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
How Twitter Can Help Guarantee a Clean 2010 Elections
No great stretch of the imagination here, just some primitive Rube Goldberg thinkering. The NAMFREL (or whatever independent group) arms its precinct watchers with 3G cellphones, trains them how to access Twitter via mobile and create Twitter accounts using standardized names based on the barangay/municipality/city/province and precinct number (e.g., 239GhillsSJMM). Immediately after their assigned precinct completes the count at the precinct level, the volunteers tweet the tallies of the top 4 presidential and vice-presidential candidates, as well as the top 15 senatorial candidates from their respective precincts. The tweets should be composed via a pre-arranged standard format. Once the tweets have been sent, NAMFREL, as well as the press and the budding Nate Silvers of the Philippines can work out for themselves a tally derived from the most accurate source (the precinct level) that is fairly transparent and can later be compared to the official tally.
I could also see how the individual campaigns can design a similar system in order to protect the votes of their candidates.
No system is perfect. The drawback would come from those localities where there is no working cell signal. Still, I'd be shocked if such areas would comprise more than 20% of the country, and an accurate count from 80% of the country may prove good enough.
This all assumes of course that there will be elections in 2010.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
An Utterly Unimportant Moment
I was 10, and the clan had spent the night at a distinctly mediocre beach resort in Cavite -- the sort with dark grey sand. The luggage had been loaded into the cars, and the drivers were waiting for the kids to return from their last minute pees. I stared at a bamboo pole by the steps of the shack where I had slept. For no discernible reason, I reached out, touched the pole, and said to myself, For the rest of my life, I will remember having touched this pole.
Freaky thing happened on my way to age 33 -- the prophecy came true. Probably not a month has gone by in my life without that memory crashing through my idle thoughts. I can't explain what triggers the episode with the bamboo pole. It arrives at odd moments, such as while lined up at a buffet table, or looking at crude facsimiles of KISS painted on a jeepney siding. Mind you, there was absolutely nothing memorable about that sojourn to a Cavite beach. This all ensued simply because when I was 10, I was foolish enough to will my brain into assigning eternal significance to my having palm-pressed that bamboo pole. It feels like having wasted the genie's first wish on a pair of Beachwalk slippers.
What is especially irritating is the prospect that this memory will forever intrude in my brain as a significant episode of my life. The deathbed scenario is especially troubling. I fear that when upon my hour, the important memories will start flooding in (as some say they do), I will have to endure my 10-year old self touching that bamboo pole sticking out of the dark grey sands of Cavite, If that were my last thought on this Earth, I'd be quite pissed indeed.
(Note: Exchange your money for a copy of this June's issue of the revamped UNO Magazine. I've a column at UNO, "Sureshot", beginning its run this month. Despite that fact, the June is a way too splendid issue.)
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