Do Pedophiles Have A Right To Have Sex with Children?

For some people, that is a two way question. But for me, its a big and honest – NO. I got this article submission over Digg which discusses pedophiles who see themselves as activists – fighting the right to have sex with children. Over New York Times (the source of the Digg submission), it discusses that pedophiles are to such extent, would like to rally their rights to have sex with children.

Crazy. WTF. This is absolutely disgusting. You can watch all the porn you want – but hell no in having sex with children. I kinda notice that there the internet has been used as an avenue to have programs for pedophiles – from online chats, child porn sites and webcams. I dont think that pedophiles have a right to have sex with children. It is insane. It is an abomination. Dont call me a bible fundy because I am not. But I am a person that still regards the safety of children and their proper development.

The submitter of the Digg (username: davidmesaaz) article said this comment:

The reason why I submitted this is because of the prop 8 debate. I have constantly heard that gay marriage is the next civil rights battle and that we should not police what goes on in other peoples bedrooms. But lets not take this ideology too far..

Okay, the guy has a point. But I commented further on:

I agree with that too but pedophilia is a different one. It is an adult misbehavior. I mean, seriously, they cant think right for themselves and they always seek ways to justify their ill behavior.

Gay marriage, on the other hand, is a different talk. And so is polygamy. You need to have different set of rules for each case. Its a case to case basis.

Honestly, in my own point, pedophiles should have the right to be REHABILITATED. Not to have sex with children. I understand that some of these pedophiles have broken childhoods, some of them may have been abused during their childhood. They need help. They do not need to have sex with children. I agree with one part of the NY Times article stating that pedophiles are looking for ways to justify their behaviors. I agree with them for a fact that these guys are not in the right state of minds.

Seriously, pedophiles should be rehabilitated. Governments are planning to censor the internet – well, they can censor child pornography sites to stop the cycle of pedophile and their vicious behaviors. Children are not sex objects. They are the young ones who looked up to adults for their role models. They should be given the right education, the proper upbringing so that their generation will be able to make a progress to this world. If we will tolerate the pedophiles and their misbehaviors – what will happen to our children? If pedophiles will have a right to have sex with our children – consider this society to be corrupted and barbaric.

For full New York Times article, click here.

An Update on Twilight Philippine Serial Remake

I received a news that ABS CBN denied the rumors about the Philippine version of Twilight. According to one of their representatives, the rumors circulating the blogosphere and the internet are not true and the poster (like the one I posted in my previous blog entry) is only made by a fan.

ABS, I know that poster is photoshopped by some unknown Twilight fanatic. But it does not mean that same guy would love the idea of having a Philippine serial remake of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight. And please, dont claim its a rick roll of some sort. It only shows how troll-stupid you’re idea is and will only harm the reputation of the Filipinos. Entertaining such bat-shit idea will label Filipinos as copycats and remake lovers. Please its a pretty retarded idea so start abandoning the ship.

Anyways, I visited the news link that I have referenced in my earlier post and found out it’s been removed or call it access denied. Well, ABS, learn the lesson from the internet. Make a wrong move such as this and you’ll end up bashed by the online communities. That is how strong the internet communities are so pay your respects. Dont make ideas like this again and stop thinking like a troll who would love to make a remake of what is already done.

Again, my emphasis here is to give credit to whom it is due. I am emphasizing the respect for the author of the novel. Although, I am not a fan of the novel, but I know she deserves respect. Writing a novel that has become a New York Time’s best seller is a dream for most of the aspiring authors there. And it requires hard work and perseverance to make one. So pay respect for her work, Ok?

Enough of this bat-shit craziness. My coffee again, please.

A Serial Remake of Twilight in the Philippines? Hell NO!

I got this email from a Filipino friend of mine and who is also a huge fan of Stephanie Meyer’s novel, Twilight. As I scour through the email, I’ve read that a Philippine network called ABS-CBN is planning to make a series based on the novel. I may not be a Twilight fan but as a movie / literary critic, I found this ABSOLUTELY hilarious. Not to undermine the Filipino’s capacity to make good films and other art works but imitating or perhaps making a serial based on the movie, which is based on a novel is pretty retarded idea.

Honestly, this could hurt the reputation of the author and the network as well as some of the fans might find this unamusing. In the email sent by my friend, I found a link to the care2 petition site which pleads against the idea of having the Meyer novel to be recreated as a series.

Here is what the petition says:

Say no to Takipsilim, The Filipino Version of Twilight. For me, as a Twilight SAGA lover. I got hurt when I heard about this idea. Read more about the PRESS RELEASE of Takipsilim at http://twilightsaga.multiply.com/journal/item/1168/OME_This_is_a_PRESS_RELEASE_for_TWILIGHT_Pinoy_Version.

If you read peoples reactions at http://twilightsaga.multiply.com/journal/item/1168/OME_This_is_a_PRESS_RELEASE_for_TWILIGHT_Pinoy_Version you will find out how they don’t like it too. Let’s show ABS-CBN that this is a very bad idea. It’s like ruining the real Twilight.

Here is the link to the petition site,in case you are curious with the case: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/say-no-to-twilight-filipino-version

I thought at first, this is some sort of stupid rumor circulating in the blogosphere and e-mail. But I found a news article, proving that this horror is not a rumor, but a nightmare for the Twilight fans. Here is the news link that I have found: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/12/24/08/abs-cbn-bags-rights-local-twilight-remake

Again, I am not against or downplaying the Filipino’s capacity for creating good works of art but I want to emphasize the originality here. C’mon, havent they learned the lesson from Hollywood? Look at the remakes that they have made – all of them are complete crap and a few of them have left unscathed. I may not be a fan but as a literary critic, this project / idea is going way overboard and has the interpretation of jumping into the Twilight bandwagon. And secondly, I dont believe that Stephanie Meyer would only ask for 1 million dollars. I dont believe that with the success of Meyer’s novel, she would only ask for only 1 million dollars.

I am pointing here that saturating the plot, I mean converting it into various forms could eventually suck for the audience. The audience may not appreciate it. And please, ABS-CBN, please respect other people’s work. You can make serials that arent based on this novel. You just have to tap into your own creativity – you may add a serial based on the genre but not on the book or concept itself. Please have more originality, rather than copying other people’s work and turning it into a laughing stock-of-a-crap in the boob tube.

Oh my, I gonna need coffee again. If in case you are wondering how this project will look like, check this leaked image:

Takipsilim, Filipino version of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight

OMFG, that is freaking more HORRIBLE than the movie version. That is why I love the books more.

The Year It Has Been

Supposedly, every December, I should be looking back to the year that it has been. Especially in the last few remaining days of the year, 2008. It has been one heck of a year. It has been a rollercoaster year for all of us – from the cacauses, the historic presidential campaign, the big “financial” bomb that the Lehman Brothers and AIG dropped, Tina Fey’s very impressive impersonation of Sarah Palin, the Sarah Palin media blunders and ultimately, Barack Obama’s stunning win in the concluded US presidential elections. There are a lot of things that have happened to us and for the rest of the world.

Year 2008 has been marked with success and failures – just like any other year that it has been. But it is indeed, I can say, that every year turns out to be colorful than the last. Honestly, with all the bad news that have happened in the last quarter of this year, I seemed to be hopeful for the next year, although with  a mix of dim realism too. I am hopeful and somehow quite scared of what will lie ahead for all of us.

It is not right to be fatalistic though. I am emphasizing that we should be getting to the “get real” moment of our lives. This is the lesson that we should learn from this year – that we should be realistic and practical as much as possible.

This year, have been marked by major movements in the financial climate that affected almost every country in the world – and that’s somehow equivalent to climate change. When Lehman Brothers and AIG collapsed this year, along with the simmering problem of the house crisis and credit crunch, everybody seemed to have painted a picture of global doom on their heads – and that included me too. But I learned quickly, not to be submerged in my own brand of apocalypse – I still clinged on the hope that there will be always a light at the end of a dark tunnel.

In my country, I can say that most of the people here have lived in their simplest means because of the poor conditions. Most citizens here in my country are poor and belonging to the working class. My country have been under foreign occupation and suffered much during the World War II and the local wars with the insurgents from the southern regions. But what I noticed, the people, despite of the dire conditions, still believed in the light at the end of the tunnel – that is, afterall – HOPE.

This year also taught me that what matters most is not money. Its not all about money and luxury. It is all about living simply and work your way towards your own personal development. I mean, not all things are can be bought by money. Sometimes, the best things in life are either simple and free.

I have my sympathies for the people who have lost their homes to foreclosure, are in deep debts because of their credit cards, having problems with their health care insurance, and have lost their jobs recently. I know the pain of the hard times. But the pain should not stop you from moving on and forward with your life. Its not the end of the world and your life – it is just you are now looking for  a new chance for yourself. And dont quit. Quitting is the ugliest option that you will have.

2008 is a year that has been. We all have our own ups and downs – and yeah, the world also shares it own hiccups to us. Doesnt matter what will happen next, what matters most is how you will face the next year – either with a heart full of hope or drowning yourself in despair.

On Manny Pacquiao: The “Pacman” of Boxing

I kind’a skip from the usual stint here – a bit of refreshing news aside from the heavy political news. I find this particular fighter, exciting – Manny Pacquaio from the Philippines – hailed as the world’s number 1 pound for pound fighter. Manny Pacquiao has brought an electrifying win over the Golden Boy “Oscar Dela Hoya” last December 6th. And it was a historical fight – a fight that has been deemed to be a mismatch, a fight that is like more of a David vs. Goliath, a fight that has predicted the taller guy, Oscar Dela Hoya would  win. But Manny, fighting with textbook perfection, the precision of a hitman, the devastating punch of a heavyweight coupled with lightning fast attacks which made Manny looked here, there, and everywhere Dela Hoya turns.

Manny Pacquiao connects to the face of Oscar Dela Hoya / Photo by Yahoo Sports

I have been a fan of both fighters. I have followed their careers way back in my high school days. I knew both fighters are extremely good and capable of damaging each other. When I first heard that Manny will be taking on Dela Hoya, a few months after Manny’s fight with David Diaz, I thought Manny has gone nuts. I can say that the matchup is quite insane, and yes, it is so damn historical. I never thought a Filipino fighter, such as Manny Pacquiao will be facing the Golden Boy, Dela Hoya.

I held my qualms to this match until I saw the fight over the internet and local televisions. I have rest my fears of Manny getting pulped by Dela Hoya – and indeed, the fight is really electrifying. It is capable of sending shockwaves of victory across the pacific – to Manny’s homeland, the Philippines. People over there have stopped in everything that they do, gathered around their televisions to watch their national pride’s fight. And when Manny scored a TKO in the 8th round and his victory announced, 70 million Filipinos went rejoicing for the victory of their own man.

Manny Pacquiao, I can say, has the heart and humility of a true champion, not only in the boxing ring, but for his country as well. It felt like as Manny’s punch are coupled with the prayers and aspirations of his countrymen. Philippines is one of the developing nations struggling to fight poverty and provide better welfare to their people. His countrymen have endured the toughest of the tough times and yet – they are still as resilient and strong as Manny Pacquiao. Honestly, I also have my roots to the Philippines, and it makes me proud to see someone, like Manny Pacquiao, fought like a true Filipino champion – which stirred up the Filipino blood inside of me.

Here is a video that I have got from Youtube which shows the 8th round of this historical fight:

Manny Pacquiao’s victory is well deserved. The guy trained hard for this one. I knew Manny has the tendency to overtrain himself but I am glad that the great Freddie Roach is there to supervise him and teach him properly. I felt nostalgic when I saw Manny’s first fights which has been shown that time in a local television program,”Blow by Blow”. The Manny Pacquaio that time is a slugger, has not developed his own style yet he has the gift of handspeed. When Freddie teamed up with him in 2001, Manny evolved into a thinking fighter. Not only that he has his devastating left punch but he trained his right to become damaging too – he became a dangerous, relentless, and quick ambidextrous fighter. And now, he has also developed his lightning fast footspeed. Speed has become Manny’s greatest asset and Oscar Dela Hoya cant seem to figure out where Manny will punch him – it was just his speed is so overwhelming and Manny is here, there and damn everywhere.

Manny’s namesake is true after all – he has been called “Pac-man”. Not only this namesake meant Manny Pacquiao in reverse (just work out the words eh), but it also meant a dominating fighter – ready to gobble up anyone in his path. (and I liked this one better than the “Mexicutioner” namesake)

And oh boy, I cant wait to see his fight with the other two great names in boxing, Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Spreading Cheers and $100 Bills: The Secret Santas

I just want to share this a bit of news that I have came across over at Yahoo.com. In Kansas City, a legacy is being relived – Two secret santas are giving out $100 bills to the needy people – without second thoughts – but on the condition that the person given will spread the kindness to others. Here is a snippet of the article from Yahoo.com:

At a suburban Goodwill store on Friday, Theresa Settles selected a large, black comforter to warm her family until she can raise the money to turn the gas heat back on. A petite woman approached, her face obscured by dark sunglasses and a wrapped winter scarf, and handed Settles two $100 bills stamped with the words “secret Santa.” “The only condition,” she said, “is that you do something nice for someone. Pass it on.”

“I will,” Settles said, the only words she could get out of her mouth.

The secret Santa was a protege of Kansas City’s undercover gift giver, Larry Stewart, who died of cancer nearly two years ago. Stewart roamed city streets each December doling out $100 bills to anyone who looked like they might need a lift.

For full Yahoo.com article about the secret santas in Kansas City, click here.

We have heard the story of the foreclosure angel, Marilyn Mock, who bought the house of Tracy Orr in an Austin, Texas auction and surprisingly gave it back to her. Now we are hearing these secret santas roaming around Kansas City – gicing $100 bills plus warm hugs to the needy people. Whoever those secret santas are, they should be applauded for their kind works.

I also encourage you, my dear readers to check their site:  http://secretsantaworld.net/

According to the site, here are the characteristics of a secret santa:

ecret Santas share the following characteristics and values:

• Anonymity: They do not draw attention to themselves and strive to protect their personal identity and those of other Secret Santas.

• Leadership: They lead by example.

• Humility: Through belief in the human spirit, they share their wealth in a humble, selfless way.

• Compassion: Through random acts of kindness, they tap into the human spirit and try to create in the recipient hope and a belief that they are worthy of unconditional love.

• Humor: They would rather lose every dime they ever made than lose their sense of humor.

• Friendship: They value their association with people of like mind and character; they are each a true Elf

I hope everyone will follow their lead too. In these times of crisis, a little dose of kindness can make us feel a lot better.

America in Recession

You have heard in the news previously that America, along with other nations such as Singapore, Taiwan, Germany, Japan and a whole lot more – have finally declared that they are in a recession. The National Bureau of Economic Research have declared that America is in recession since December 2007 – which means, that America has been suffering a recession for almost a year.

The major indications of a recession is the significant loss of jobs  and the weakening of the stock markets. Indeed, this is another doom and gloom business news for all of us. Honestly, I am looking forward to a bleak 2009 as not only America that will suffer from this recession but the other countries and their economies too. But dont lose hope – its not yet the end of the world. Recession, in my opinion, are economic circumstances that lead us to rethink of what we have been doing lately in our lives – how we spend money and how that impacts our financial health.

Here are some of  the article snippets that I have read over at CNN:

In the midst of a recession, huge job losses are expected to continue for at least several more months. But what really worries economists is that the job market could be slow to recover even when the economy begins to improve.

In the recession that began in December 2007, the economy has shed more than 1.1 million jobs. Economists expect the Labor Department’s monthly employment report to show another 325,000 job losses for November when it is released Friday.

November’s job losses would represent the largest monthly drop in non-farm employment in seven years, if the report meets estimates. A larger decline could represent the biggest monthly drop in more than 26 years.

The unemployment rate is expected to reach 6.8%, which would be the highest since February 1993.

All indications suggest there’s little stopping jobs from continuing to plummet. ADP’s monthly employment reportreport showed private sector payrolls fell in November by 250,000 jobs from the previous month. And according to a by outsourcing agency Challenger, Gray & Christmas, planned job cut announcements by U.S. employers soared to 181,671 last month, the second-highest total on record.

For full CNN article, click here.

Here is another snippet of the other article that I have read about America’s recession:

The National Bureau of Economic Research said Monday that the U.S. has been in a recession since December 2007, making official what most Americans have already believed about the state of the economy .

The NBER is a private group of leading economists charged with dating the start and end of economic downturns. It typically takes a long time after the start of a recession to declare its start because of the need to look at final readings of various economic measures.

The NBER said that the deterioration in the labor market throughout 2008 was one key reason why it decided to state that the recession began last year.

Employers have trimmed payrolls by 1.2 million jobs in the first 10 months of this year. On Friday, economists are predicting the government will report a loss of another 325,000 jobs for November.

The NBER also looks at real personal income, industrial production as well as wholesale and retail sales. All those measures reached a peak between November 2007 and June 2008, the NBER said.

In addition, the NBER also considers the gross domestic product, which is the reading most typically associated with a recession in the general public.

Many people erroneously believe that a recession is defined by two consecutive quarters of economic activity declining. That has yet to take place during this recession.

For full CNN article, click here.

As I have said, recessions are economic circumstances that lead us to rethink about our financial health and how we spend. You have to be conscious in your spending and monitor your expenses. From what I have seen during the times of the credit crunch, the housing mortgage crisis, the huge job cuts and now, the news about recession; the only thing that can help us to survive in this dire times – is the virtue of thriftiness. Dont spend more than you can afford. And dont go for the credit cards too. Credit is still credit – even if it’s in the card.

A significant change in financial lifestyle will definitely help some of the people to recover. Although we keep on hearing about the recession and the doom gloom of the global financial market, dont lose hope. A recession is not forever though, it is a part of an economic cycle – it will not last forever. For now, let us keep optimistic despite this dire times and start living on the virtues of thriftiness and wise money spending. Its not too late to rethink our lives and start making changes gradually.