Alexander

Before I saw the film Alexander I have already been warned that it was a gay movie, overly melodramatic, crappy character development, and battle scenes that were “blech”. I watched it anyway to see for my self.

I’ve never considered my self a movie critic but fictions based on historical events just have a way of annoying me when they deviate from acknowledged historical facts. It is a fact that during those times homosexuality or bisexuality was an accepted norm. The Greek thinkers espoused loving your fellowmen “in virtue”. They however favored reason, logic, and philosophy and did not look kindly upon men’s lower faculties. But hey the movie drove that message across well enough, too much in fact. The insinuations that the movie made is questionable at best, it did not mention the fact that Alexander’s beloved Persian boy was a eunuch nor did the movie show Alexander’s love for women showing only glimpses of distaste and hate. Oh well they must a have something else in mind.

Alexander was great not because of his sexual preference nor because of his psychological issues. He was considered great because of his great achievement in the field of battle and his conquest of the known world. He was considered great because of his military genius. He was not only a great military strategist but also a skilled, bold, courageous, and daring warrior. I don’t think the movie looked at that angle well enough.

If I remember correctly it was King Poros in the battle of Hydaspes who said he wanted to be treated like a king and not a princess of Persia who Alexander asked how he/she would like to be treated. The battle of Hydaspes also included a brilliant river crossing that was as much an achievement as the actual battle, I wish they included that. The battle was also fought in open ground not in a jungle, wherein their cavalry played a major part.

It was after the battle of Hydaspes that Alexander finally relented and decided to turn back but not because of a wound caused by an arrow. By most accounts he relented to his army’s clamor to turn back. He was badly injured by an arrow piercing his chest but that happened after Hydaspes in a battle to take a city, which was along the route back to Babylon.

Oh well…

As they said it’s a work of fiction…

Alexander the Great rides into the Battle of Issus in this Roman mosaic.

"Paint It Black"

Rolling Stones

I see a red door
And I want it painted black
No colors anymore
I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by
Dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head
Until my darkness goes

I see a line of cars
And they're all painted black
With flowers and my love
Both never to come back
I see them turn their heads
Quickly look away
Like a newborn baby
It just happens every day

I look inside my self
See my heart is back
I see my red door
And I want it painted black
Maybe then I'll fade away
And not have to face the facts
It's not easy facing up
When your whole world is black

No more will my green sea
Go turn a deeper blue
I could not foresee
This thing happening to you.
If I look hard enough
Into the setting sun,
My love will laugh with me
Before the morning comes

Convocation

I was mildly pleased to hear that we were to attend a convocation instead of having a class yesterday. Of course I planned to quietly slip out and spend my time in a more leisurely manner (ie. Tambay…).

The guest speaker or lecturer was the UP President, Dr Nemenzo. The topic was “The Philippine Labor Movement; A Clash of Ideas”… Yawn…

President Nemenzo talked about Marx, Lenin, the Soviet model of Communism, the Chinese model, and how the ideas driving Philippine Labor movement from the very beginning were not indigenous and should therefore be viewed from a broader perspective. I actually found the lecture interesting and rekindled a desire within me to re-read or read up on the topics discussed.

I stayed…

During the open forum I became aware of the presence of some representatives from organized labor. It was clear that most of them were not intellectually at par with those present in that convocation except for one. This guy was wearing a black shirt that read: Social Movement Unionism… He was articulte, passionate, and clearly capable of holding his own ground. He did admit at the onset that Labor / trade unions were growing weaker. Their memberships were on a decline and their influence diminishing.

Trade and Labor Unions have been weakened by their inability to adapt to new realities. Labor is no longer dominated by factory workers marching as the proletariat. These days people are employed primarily in the service and the informal sectors. This makes organizing a bit more difficult and the appeal of joining unions is waning. These are the realities of a globalizing world.

The guy made an appeal… He asked that the faculty do more research on the labor situation in the country and that the students keep an open mind and he asked for support. He asked for sympathy when they meet these same students across the bargaining table. It was true most of the students there represented management. Then it dawned on me, I was a part of management. I was a part of the system that aimed to maximize profit for the capitalist owners (ie. Stock holders) of the company.

The realities of my world may not be as dire as Marx would put it, but it still forces me to confront the reality of my situation. Am I doing what I want to do? Am I just another corporate slave cracking my whip to get other corporate slaves to perform according to the requirements of our masters. I cannot deny it, I am but a minion if the Evil Empire…

11/11/1976

November 11, 1976. That’s my birthday. I spent the whole day in bed… No you pervert! I was sick! I think that being on a perpetual graveyard shift has wreaked havoc on my immune system. It started Monday and became worse by Tuesday. I went to the office clinic to ask for some lozenges and some Paracetamol because I thought it was just an ordinary cough. Instead the Doctor prescribed a strong antibiotic which costs 163 pesos each along with two other kinds of medicine. My medicines ran out by Saturday and they really didn’t seem to be of much help so I saw another doctor who stuck wooden cotton buds down my nose and then gave me a new set of medicine to take, doubling the dosage of the antibiotics. He also told to me rest for at least 3 days, but I will be coming back to work tonight because I’m running out of sick leaves.

I’m not that eager to go back because I still gasp for air whenever I walk a short distance or lift something heavy, but I feel that I really need to go back today, lest I drown in the work that is surely piling up.

On a different note, Faye’s story has been proven false. In case you have been hiding in a cave somewhere or you don’t have email or read newspapers, this is the story of a kid who supposedly won an international academic competition in Australia despite having no support at all. It was a typical sob story that turned out to be all lies. Well, this just goes to show that when it sounds too good to be true it probably is… This should all teach us that we should always verify information and not swallow things, hook, line, and sinker. More importantly, I think we should all stop looking for heroes. As the saying goes, if you want to believe in someone, believe in your self. This reminds me of that line in that old Mariah Carrey song, Hero. The last line goes: “The hero lies in you”…

Fools!

How would you feel if someone put a gun to your head and asked you to proclaim love for and/or believe in something?

I read another one of these forwarded emails it was called “A Procrastinator's Story” and it told the story of a person who died and went to the gates of heaven and was not admitted because he did not “accept Jesus Christ” and he was condemned to Hell.

The last three paragraphs went….

With that in an instant,
Day turned into night.
I never knew such torture could be,
Now too late, I know the Bible is right.

If I can tell you anything,
Hell has no age.
It is a place of torture,
Separated from God and full of rage.

You know, I thought it was funny - a joke,
But this one thing is true.
If you never accept Jesus Christ,

HELL IS WAITING FOR YOU!

I replied…

How Medieval…

How Sad…

It’s sad that a lot of people would have to resort to such means to try and convince other people to believe in their religion. I hate the fact that threats are used to play on people’s inherent and deep-seated fears. I thought that Jesus Christ preached love, compassion, and forgiveness. I am not a practicing Catholic but I don’t think its right to scare people into believing or complying with your dogma, yes it may be effective specially for people who don’t have the intellectual capacity and critical mind to analyze the information being shoved down their throats.

The very description of hell is so medieval. The idea of hell as a city of fire and brimstone came from Dante but ancient Hebrew text and old Judeo Christian tradition tells us that Hell simply means death. I don’t think it would be just if someone was to suffer eternal damnation and torment for acts committed within a lifetime. I think the punishment should be commensurate to the sin, I think God would not want that.

As Puck said to Oberon… Oh Lord what fools these mortals be!!! (Mid Summers Nights Dream)

And so it is with us mortals…

Rush...

Finally found the time to update this blog. It seems like the days within the past few weeks have been all too short. I barely felt that I had a sem break since work has eaten up most of my time. My nights have been spent trying to catch up with all the work I had to do. I know I would eventually get into to the groove and learn everything I need to know and things will become more routine and generally easier. But until that time I would just have to rush.

All the cramming and hard work last semester did pay off. I got a 1.25 and a 1.5 in my subjects. I should now be eligible for the Diploma in Industrial Relations and just need to complete 15 more units and of course pass the comprehensive exam to get my Masters degree.

Now I just need to find a way to juggle all the things I need to do, work, school, and other things that make life worthwhile.