Sometimes saying sorry will never be enough

What do you do when it seems like there’s no way to make amends?  When the person you want to reach out to is convinced that you were in the wrong?  I’m not angry, I know that sometimes people, myself included, twist the truth to suit their own needs.  Sometimes its a matter of self preservation, so who am I to deny them that?  Still, it’s a sad thing.  I’ve learned over the course of 25 years that anger is a heavy thing to be carrying around all the time, and that it’s so much easier to just let things go.

surfers

a dolphin and a shark

Mermaids

Space marines

Unfinished space marine concept art.

documentation

Why (some) Filipinos embarass me despite Manny’s win

First off, the goddamn motherfucking advertising.  Motolite is splashed on Manny’s ass, with a complementary coffee brand and some other logo on the front.  The ads are so large I felt it would have been more accurate if Michael Buffer had announced “and in this corner, in red shorts with…ads, Mannnnnny “Pacman” Packiyaw!”  I mean seriously now, aside from the fact that it’s incredibly tacky, is there REALLY a significant benefit to advertising on Manny’s shorts?  And it’s not like they were done creatively like Manny’s old NO FEAR shorts.  The ads looked like they were sown on at the last minute!

Second, the only thing I hate more than Filipinos abroad that sneer at local Pinoys is misguided patriotism.  Case in point, Quinito Henson.  After the bout, it is traditional for boxer to raise their hands in victory, or have their trainers lift them up regardless of the eventual outcome.  After Manny’s celebratory ride in Buboy Fernandez’s arms, he knelt in a corner to pray.  Hensos immediately jumped upon this and commented that Manny always had time to pray after a fight.  Then when Barrera was lifted into the air, the biased motherfucker had the audacity to chide Barrera for not having the time time to pray after a fight and parading himself as if he’d won.  Subjectivity is fine.  We’re all rooting for Manny anyway right?  But give the other guy a fair shake and keep misguided comments like that to yourself.

On the Desperate Wives racial slur brouhaha

So apparently the writers of desperate housewives made snide remarks about doctors who graduated in the Philippines.  And Filipinos around the world, including my dad, are raising an uproar.  What is it about derogatory remarks aimed at the Philippines that trips our fragile collective ego?  And do these people really think they’ve achieved anything by making a fuss about it?

Let’s say the producers and writers of the show apologize?  What then?  Will the memories of people who watched that show suddenly disappear?  Will bigotry and racism suddenly be erased?  Fuck no.  Anyone watching that particular episode has already made up his mind about the Philippines.  The show or an apology afterwards won’t change their minds.  To them we’re still monkeys living in jungles and the only way to change that is to collectively show the world that we are much, much more than that.  That’ll only happen once the ratio of successful Filipino doctors outnumbers Filipino domestic helpers, and that won’t be anytime soon.

The United States’ foolproof Visa application

• Do you seek to enter the United States to engage in export control violations, subversive or terrorist activities, or any other unlawful purpose? Are you a member or representative of a terrorist organization as currently designated by the U.S. Secretary of State? Have you ever participated in persecutions directed by the Nazi government of Germany; or have you ever participated in genocide?

I’m tempted to answer “yes” just to see what happens.  Just kidding. an FBI spook might be snooping around the intarwebs.