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Friday, July 15, 2005
Meet at D's place in Campsie.
Posted at 10:00 pm by starsi
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One of the hidden histories of Australia includes the story of what is now known as "The Stolen Generation," where White Australia forcibly removed Aboriginal children from their families until 1970, in the professed goal to improve their race. Up till today, many Aboriginals suffer from this destruction of their identity and culture.
A good movie about this is "Rabbit-Proof Fence." It's the story of three children who escaped a resettlement camp for "half-castes." It is the story of tenacity and determination, as the children avoided even the most skillful trackers on their 2000-mile journey home.
Posted at 11:43 am by starsi
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Friday, July 08, 2005
The terrorist bombings in London have taken their toll on about 700 injured people and at least 13 confirmed killed, along with the families of the direct victims. The bombs exploded at rush hour when lots of workers and tourists were rushing through. People who bear no responsibility for the actions of their government were made to pay in this criminal endeavour.
In the midst of the tragedy, Londoners are unbowed. They have been advised to go on with their lives, and that is what they're doing.
Prime Minister Tony Blair only slightly acknowledged the victims then proceeded to say that the G8 meeting will continue.
US president George Bush on his part speaks Orwellian, in an attempt to distinguish what he claimed to be the evil of the terrorists from the righteousness of the G8 leaders. He said: “The contrast couldn’t be clearer between the intentions and the hearts of those of us who care deeply about human rights and human liberty and those who kill, those who have such evil in their heart that they will take the lives of innocent folks.” Then he proceeded to declare: “The war on terror goes on.” I'm sure he wasn't trying to suppress a laugh.
A website put up by a group called the "The Secret Organisation of Al Qaeda in Europe" has claimed responsibility for the attacks, though experts are questioning its authenticity.
But it's more than probable that the bombings are connected to militant Islamism. Which is why it's funny how media commentary claims that this has nothing to do with the war in Iraq, even as they claim that it's connected to terrorists, who are incidentally Muslim. Nevertheless, this is precisely one of the reasons that about a million people in London protested the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Violence begets violence.
A funny thing that could happen at this moment is if someone asked these same people to protest Al-Qaeda, at a time when the US and British governments are now using this as another pretext for the policy of war and the assault on civil liberties and other democratic rights. After September 11, the wave of sympathy for and the anguish of the victims were exploited to wage a never-ending war without borders. And keep in mind that the Al-Qaeda aren't accountable to anyone, as demonstrated by their acts. Yet people can help in minimizing violence in today's world by holding officials and institutions accountable to them - theoretically - though in practice limitedly so.
I remember 2003, we had an idea that reprisals could happen; Manila was especially vulnerable for its support of the war. And it was attacked, several times, yet it didn't get such media coverage as much as London has.
But the thing is, concern for the proliferation of terrorism wasn't the priority. One justification after another was concocted to pursue the war in Iraq as a "petri-dish," a demonstration of the 2002 US National Security Strategy, a blueprint for "empire," according to US foreign policy journals.
Intelligence analysts predicted before the war that Iraq would be a converging point for terrorists if the occupation was pursued. They claim there was no connection between the Al-Qaeda type groups and Saddam prior to the war. But now it's a "terrorist haven," a rallying point for Islamists on the extreme end.
Moreover, the US has never confessed political responsibility for the creation of Al-Qaeda, when the CIA, along with Pakistani intelligence allies, covertly armed, financed and facilitated jihadi groups in their war against Russia in Afhanistan from 1979 to the late 80s. These mujahideen that evolved into what is now called Al-Qaeda turned on the US in the early 90s after it set up bases in Saudi Arabia, a place where Islamic holy shrines are located, and supported purportedly "undemocratic" regimes in the Middle East.
A straightforward solution does not privilege war. Thorough police work to catch the perpetrators should be conducted. But more importantly, the grievances that are expressed - and exploited by terrorists - should be addressed. Otherwise, non-state terrorists and those waging the war against terror, understood to be an unending terrorist war, only help each other justify their reciprocating violence. It's the ordinary citizen victims that pay.
***
A place where media coverage of terrorism - at least the doctrinally acceptable one - is skewed is in Iraq. It's been exposed lately - not by "embedded journalists" - that US marines were engaged in collective punishment, assaulting Fallujah hospitals' staff and stopping the wounded from entering. It's reported that US snipers shot at doors and windows and emergency blood and medicines were prevented from reaching hospitals. Children were shot in front of their families.
Estimated Iraqi civilian casualties exceed a hundred thousand killed. That's five zeroes after the one. That's hundreds of times those killed in London.
It seems classifying what's terrorism is selective for the mainstream media.
Posted at 09:42 pm by starsi
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Thursday, July 07, 2005
Breaking news: At least four explosions occurred in London's Bus and subway train network. The bomb attacks were launched in the midst of the G8 meeting and just a day after London won the Olympic bid to host the 2012 Olympics. The London transport network is temporarily stopped.
Posted at 07:35 pm by starsi
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Wednesday, July 06, 2005
London wins the bid to host the 2012 Olympics. Inside information claims that the London and Madrid attitude was "anything but Paris."
Posted at 07:38 pm by starsi
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So this is what democracy is like
Protests mar G8 meeting as police resort to violence in Scotland. Protesters chanting: "So this is what democracy is like."
Posted at 12:16 am by starsi
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Tuesday, July 05, 2005
I have to constantly update the blog, or else it'd be hard to access blogdrive, coz the thing hangs and I have to go through the trouble of re-starting the computer. So I usually just post "a," signifying nothing, as a substitute.
Anyway, just to make it different, breaking a guideline to limit a view of my personal correspondences, I'll post a message taken from my friendster account. JJ is a bubbly and beautiful Dutch woman. The first J is short for Jorien. The friendship is platonic, ok, so don't get any wrong ideas. I don't know, the farewell is typically girlish. Imagine if I responded with *Big Hugs.* Too easy. Here it is...
Message: Hey Ceasar!
How are you?!?! I'm good, back in Holland and
working again. Had a lovely time in Sydney, hope
to get back there some day.
So what are you studying en where are you living
at the moment?
Great to hear from you,
Big kiss,
J.J.
Posted at 04:30 pm by starsi
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Monday, July 04, 2005
Previously celebrated as Philippine "Independence" Day, today is Filipino-American "Friendship" Day, built on the bones of about 600,000 Filipino revolutionaries who died when America treacherously invaded the Philippines in 1898. Filipinos then under General Aguinaldo thought the "great and benevolent" nation would be their ally. How surprised they were when their supposed allies attacked them. The invasion was a product of the professed hallucination of then US president McKinley, who heard God bless the mission to "uplift and Christianize" the "niggers" (referring to the Indios), despite 300 years of Catholicism under Spain. This was the so-called "benevolent assimilation" to take care of our "little brown brothers." Thus liberty would be introduced by the massacre of at least a sixth of the population of the Philippines then. The US has never apologized for it. And despite - or perhaps because of - the genuine friendship that the Philippines has offered the US, its imperial pride will not allow it to do so. It's been an undiscussed thorn in the two countries' relationship.
So until today, the historical lessons are being learned. Some of them: Freedom by occupation; democracy by imposing your will on a subservient state and preserving the rule of the rapacious elite - themes continued throughout the century by US policies.
Thus it's not surprising that America is the most hated and feared country in the world today, judging from world opinion polls, especially after the policies acted upon by the US government after Sept 11.
A few exceptions, of course, like in the Philippines, where you can actually see some people adulating the "American Way." Not everyone, of course. But in most countries, there's just such animosity towards US policies, translated sometimes as "Anti-Americanism." Like in Australia, where they may treat the US as allies, but have an active dislike of Americans. This reflects, for example, when an ad that runs "More refreshing than a quiet American" is actually seen as funny.
Of course, it should come with crystal clarity that ordinary Americans of the present generation should never be held accountable for historical atrocities. Sometimes I empathize with them, because ordinary citizens are blamed when they shouldn't be conflated with the foreign policies of the US government and the practices of corporations, though of course every citizen of a country has complicity with the actions of his/her government. But in truth, more and more Americans are waking up to this reality, and are acting to stop detrimental policies done in their name. To be fair, the rallies in Seattle and Washington provided an inspiration to justice movements across the globe. The recent Iraq invasion was protested even before it started, a growing sensibility to imperial policies that contradict US domestic opinion.
For the record, I myself would defend any American if they're treated badly based on such opinions. One has to discriminate between those who implement and those not totally responsible. The US has contributed much to the wealth of the world, though how it mostly does so is a topic not for the squirmish. But if we are to build a better world, understanding and clearing away of destructive acts should be firstly addressed.
Posted at 05:37 pm by starsi
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Sunday, July 03, 2005
I seldom specify people in this blog, but anyhow, in line with advocacies in politics, freedom to travel, world affairs and other non-profound stuff, I include science education as a very noble pursuit.
A very good friend, pretty lady and brain extraordinaire is coming. RG is one of the most beautiful minds in UP at the moment, lecturing Biology at the Institute of Biology. I remember her as this very bubbly gal whom I met at a certain environmental organisation. She's up for a poster presentation in Brisbane, in the Sunshine State. I wanted her travel to be sulit, so I invited her to come here for a few days. I'd ask her to stay longer, but as I told her before, the Philippines needs its mga paham sa agham (scientists). One mind has already exited that stage, more specifically the field of theoretical physics, so it'd be selfish to ask her to consider working here, wouldn't it? So anyway I'm thinking of places to tour her. Would also be nice to be updated a bit on the wonders of science.
Posted at 01:12 am by starsi
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Thursday, June 30, 2005
Three hundred years after the death of Christ, his followers had multiplied exponentially. The pagan Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, in order to consolidate his power, decided to adopt Christianity as the official religion of the empire. Subsequently, pagan rituals and symbols were transmogrified into the official religion. Egyptian sun disks became the saints' halos. Pictograms of Isis nursing her miraculously conceived son Horus became the blueprint for the Virgin Mary nursing baby Jesus. Other modern Christian practices like the mass at the altar on Sundays (a tribute to the sun god), communion, the act of "God-eating" derive from pagan rituals. Christ, who lived a magnificent life teaching love for mankind, was elevated as a teacher to a divine personality. Subsequently, only a few gospels remained from about eighty gospels that told the story of Christ, were left to preach the new testament, even excluding the "Q" gospels which is believed to be Christ's gospel.
Constantine held the Council of Nicea to vote upon, among other things, doctrine and the divinity of Christ. Up until that moment, Jesus was treated by his followers as a great and powerful man, but nevertheless mortal. In the Council of Nicea, he was voted as "The Son Of God" - very narrowly. Establishing the divinity of Christ was crucial in the unification of the Roman empire and the new Vatican power base.
"By officially endorsing Jesus as the son of God, Constantine turned Jesus into a deity who existed beyond the scope of the human world, an entity whose power was unchallengeable. This not only precluded further pagan challenges to Christianity, but now the followers of Christ were able to redeem themselves only via the established sacred channel - the Roman Catholic Church."
It was all about power, the Church stole Christ from his own followers, according to author Dan Brown. The Bible is a product of man, not given from heaven. Constantine supposedly commissioned the Bible to omit the human aspects of Christ. One of those human traits was his marriage to Mary Magdalene, to whom he entrusted the building of the church. Subsequently the sexist Church launched a campaign to eradicate the sacred feminine, demonizing pagan rituals as satanic, nature-worshippers as witches, in order to establish the domination of the Church. The bloodline of Christ supposedly still exists till today, a product of his siring with Mary Magdalene.
This is the premise of Dan Brown's best-selling novel, The Da Vinci Code.
Brown contends that the Grail is actually a person - Mary Magdalene - and the search for the Holy Grail has been a search for the sacred feminine, continuously eradicated by the Church.
The Church is purportedly trying to prevent prophecy. Astrologically, the last two thousand years was the Age of Pisces --- the fish, also a symbol of Jesus Christ. As we are entering the Age of Aquarius - the water bearer, the ruling ideals claim that man will learn the truth and be able to think for himself. Such an ideological shift is supposedly of great concern to the established church.
In the story, Harvard professor Robert Langford and French cryptographer Sophie Neveu are searching for the Grail while trying to avoid the police, after Langdon was implicated in the murder of Neveu's grandfather. Finding clues in paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci, they unravel a mystery that goes through the heart of Christianity.
****
The mysterious smile of Da Vinci's Mona Lisa is supposedly because of an inside joke. When Da Vinci painted Mona Lisa, he made the left horizon behind Mona Lisa slightly lower, which he wasn't prone to do. This made the left side look larger than the right. Historically, the left side was assigned the female role. Da Vinci was known to be in tune with the balance between male and female, that the human soul can be enlightened by accessing both its male and female aspects.
Da Vinci was also known to be homosexual. The Mona Lisa may also be a portrait of Da Vinci as female. Computer analyses show common points of congruency between Da Vinci's self-portraits and the famous painting.
So the painting may be an androgynous portrait of a human that has both male and female elements. Another clue to this androgynity derives from the painting's name, Mona Lisa. Egyptian God of masculine fertility, Amon, is usually depicted as a man with a ram's head, and his promiscuity and curved horns relate to the modern sexual slang "horny." His female counterpart was Isis, whose ancient pictogram was once called L'isa. Combine the two, you have AMON L'ISA --> MONA LISA
****
I'm proud to say that I figured out some of the clues early on. For example, on page 396, a strange text was debated on whether it was some form of ancient script. I looked at the text and it looked like inverted lettering, and so I checked it out in the mirror, making it legible.
Then another clue they had to find out was the final five-letter word to open the cryptex. When I saw that the clue lay at Sir Isaac Newton's tomb and there was an inscription on the Principia Mathematica and the riddle being "rosy flesh and seeded womb," it seemed natural that the five-letter answer would be "apple". The apple was an apocryphal catalyst for Newton's theory of gravity. It was a symbol of knowledge.
Also it was obvious who the Teacher was after a while.
****
From the book: Scotoma - the condition where preconditioned notions are so powerfully ingrained that the mind blocks out seen incongruity and overrides the eyes. Example:one of the disciples in the painting "The Last Supper"is the female Mary Magdalene. No one sees this until pointed out because we're so used to the idea that the painting is of Jesus and twelve male disciples. A cursory look would show otherwise.#
Posted at 09:03 pm by starsi
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