Error 404* Gang Sign

Error 404: The geeks you don’t want to encounter in a dark alley.

*Error 404 is the name of our GeekFight team.

Binary Code Wedding

Judging from the throngs of couples who tied the knot on 07.07.07, 08.08.08 and 09.09.09, I don’t doubt that there’s going to be a mad rush to wed on 10.10.10. But while to most people 10.10.10 is just a cute (or kitschy) wedding date, to me it is 8-bit wedding invitations¹, singing robots and The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.² If that doesn’t make for an awesome geeky wedding I don’t know what does.

Ry and I were talking about wedding dates and I was mostly kidding when I said let’s get married on 10.10.10. But I’ve had some time to think about it and now I seriously want to do it.

You know how weddings are hardly ever about what the couple wants and more about what their parents want? My mom is talking about personally hand-painting wooden refrigerator magnets in the shape of lilies of the valley as our giveaways. Ry and I both have enormous families and between the guest lists of both sets of parents, we’re not going have much room for the people we actually want to invite. And regardless of how Ry and I feel about religion, we have to get married in church, because as far as our Catholic parents are concerned, it’s not a real wedding unless it’s blessed by God.

So. I was thinking. We could have a small civil (binary themed) wedding on 10.10.10 with immediate family only and our close friends. Nothing fancy. Ten minute ceremony then dinner and drinks at our house. Casual, relaxed, fun. Then, to satisfy the parents we could have a “real” wedding in December (or whenever) with all the traditional nonsense. By then I wouldn’t mind having to do the whole song and dance because I’d have already gotten the wedding I really wanted.³

¹ As suggested by Caroline and Rory. And while we’re at it I want 8-bit family computer intro music as I’m walking down the aisle.
² 101010 is binary for 42.
³ To use the analogy of GeekFight quiz master Paolo Cruz, you could think of the 10.10.10 filing as the “raw code” for the wedding, and the December ceremony as the actual interface.

Pinoy 501st Relief Operations: Clean-Up pushing through on Sunday, 4 October

Pinoy 501st: The bad guys who do good.

Reposting Rej’s Facebook note:

Since Typhoon Pepeng seems to have left Metro Manila with relatively little damage, cleanup operations in Provident Village will proceed tomorrow!

Assembly: 9:00 AM
When: Sunday, October 4
Where: Gate of Provident Village, in front of Tammy’s Bake Shop, first corner on the right.

Provident Village is on A. Bonifacio Ave. in Marikina.

The Plan:
We’ll be there before 9, so there’s time to gather the volunteers and brief them.

Since the AFP and MMDA are working on the main road, we will deploy our teams to the side streets, and there are many, many side streets in Provident.

The mud can be shoveled into sacks (as in sacks of rice) to make sandbags, which can be piled to form dikes and keep more mud and water from blocking the drains.

We will also clear debris to make the roads passable. We’ll collect these in buckets and basins, and bring them to the main road so the AFP crews can collect them in their trucks.

What to bring:

• shovels and spades
• garbage bags
• rubber boots
• face mask – The stench is getting really bad there.
• shower cap – To protect your hair, so you don’t have to wash the mud out!
• ponchos – So your clothes don’t get too wet or muddy
• extra clothes – You WILL get dirty!
• rubber gloves – This is more to avoid superficial wounds, which can easily get infected given the debris.
  lots of alcohol
• drinking water – so you don’t get dehydrated!
• sacks – These can be bought at your local palengke, but please choose the thicker ones, not the thin ones, so they don’t tear easily.
• straw or rope – for tying and securing the sacks
• tongs – for picking up stuff from the mud

We will bring some items, but please bring your own.

If you need a ride or want to convoy, Ryan and I are leaving Eastwood at 8:00 AM. Please text Rej at 0917-8163500 or myself at 0917-5288438 if you have any questions.

On Noynoy

Food for thought. Text messages from my mentor and former Department Chair, Clem Camposano (Director of the Institute of Political Economy at the University of Asia and the Pacific):

Anyone who shines on borrowed light should have the common sense not to plunge into the dark and forbidding pit of presidential politics.

Aside from good vs evil, other equally plausible dyads: from the poor vs. from the rich, astute vs. naive, competent vs. incompetent, masipag vs. tamad, talagang may kakayahan vs. may pangalan lang, self-made vs. privileged, his own man vs. a puppet, genuine leader vs. figure head, reality vs. illusion, practical politics vs. emotionalism.

My thoughts on the issue to follow, when I finally get around to finishing the half-written post that’s been sitting in my drafts folder.

Talakayan #Econ2010 POSTPONED

We regret to inform you that Talakayan 20.10 – The Economy scheduled for August 27 has been postponed due to last-minute cancellations made on the evening of August 26 by several candidates. We apologize for the inconvenience.

PhilSTAR.com and MGG Talakayan 20.10 Partnership

On the front page today:

(Click to read full article)

See, I’m a big fan of Facebook/Twitter/the internet in general! Who says I don’t appreciate the power of new media?

On CyberPatriotism

“Don’t want to fight for a feeling… We need a better kinder dreaming… Don’t need another fool, a faker… Be a mover and a shaker.” – Matthew Herbert, The Movers And The Shakers

Facebook responses to my previous post (sans the Ako Mismo drama because that just went on way too long)

CyberPatriot1:

Enough said about SLACKTIVISM…just do what needs to be done…at the right time, CyberPatriots will just rise up to situation when they are most needed…as far as i know, meron pupuntahan ang Filipino CyberPatriots Society!

CyberPatriot2:

@CyberPatriot1.. I am with you.. when the time is ripe… as I can see more hardships for the future generation now… we have to do something even if it will cost our lives!

Me:

“Often enough, if you just lived for country, you need not die for it.” (Conrado de Quiros, True Measure)

Ryan:

I have no doubt that many of us would be willing to put our lives on the line for our country.

However, the time for that is not now. I feel sometimes like the democratic action that took place during the original EDSA has created a nation of “war veterans” that no longer have a war to fight. Like old soldiers, old rallyists still insist on waging a war that no longer exists. Do we live in a corrupt country? Yes. Are we on the verge of collapse due to a violent dictatorship? Hardly.

We exist in a limbo where I honestly believe that the better action to take is to put down your figurative swords and find areas or causes that you want to support with concrete measures. WorldVision, Habitat for Humanity, Gawad Kalinga, Greenpeace, WWF, Haribon, take your pick. There are many ways for you to contribute beyond the pressing of a button to join what is in essence a virtual rally.

Me:

Another example: what students are doing for Project Citizen

CyberPatriot3:

Participating through advocacy groups now normally coursed through various (Facebook is the most popular) social networking sites helps in making people more aware about the issues that matter. You can’t do anything or for that matter fight for anything at all without first having proper and sufficient knowledge about it. I believe actual physical participation say, in rallies or any practical activity for that matter and “slacktivism” (as it is popularly referred to nowadays) are mutually reinforcing. “Slacktivism” (without seeing it as a pejorative term) in fact augments efforts to mobilize people toward a certain direction or goal, whatever it may be. Social networking sites, doubtless, further animates, intensifies, and certainly expands public discourse that leads to the next level of engagement on the part of willing participants. That in itself is a very positive contribution.

CyberPatriot4:

People have commitments not only to this country but to their families as well. People will focus first on their day to day sustenance before they can focus on anything else… If a person can only air their protests on line, then thank God the forum is available for them.

Me:

I don’t have anything against Facebook campaigns or similar activities. I do recognize their value. MGG is on Facebook and Twitter for a reason. And I love public discourse. As I mentioned in my post, “Awareness and information are definitely key to any kind of social transformation…”

My simple point is this: Civic participation shouldn’t end with clicking a button or buying into slick marketing campaigns. It’s a start and I welcome it, but people need to do more.

It’s actually not that hard to do something that has direct social impact. For example, there are people who supposedly care about HIV/AIDS, but the most significant thing they’ve done is attend a benefit concert or join a Facebook cause. But there are concrete things people can do to help prevent the spread of the disease or help make the lives of HIV/AIDS victims a little better. I know people who organize seminars in barangays to provide information on safe practices etc. I know someone who organizes fun activities for HIV/AIDS victims to help make their lives a littler happier. I think it’s small things like that, pooled together, that are going to produce real change.

Ryan:

@CyberPatriot1 I think you need to step back and take a look at what people who use the word slacktivism as a pejorative are frustrated about. They are frustrated because slacktivists’ actions end after the press of a button. All guilt has been assuaged. They have done their part for the greater good, and announce it to the world via Twitter, Facebook, and friendster. “look at me, I are changing d world.”

Awareness is great, but what you decide to do with that awareness is what really matters.

And let’s be clear, there are slacktivists out there. While it may be romantic to think that these people spread awareness of an an idea, let’s be honest and admit that once that button is pressed most people don’t bother thinking about it anymore. And that’s fine. They have responsibilities, as your fellow cyberpatriot said.

However, I personally feel that if that’s the level of commitment someone can give to a cause, then he/she might as well be honest with and admit that he doesn’t care enough.

Dante:

I saw that a lot back in UP, when I was a student and later an instructor. Certain people have this peculiar compulsion to be ‘part of something important’ yet not actually do enough of the mental or physical legwork. And it would really be a cause du jour situation for them because they’d just cause-hop constantly, like following fashion trends. It’s less about the cause than it is about defining your identity.

On Slacktivism

(above image taken from Fcuk Earth Hour)

“I think that one of the greatest fallacies of our time — and one of the greatest leaps in logic that is made again and again by people who involve themselves in the worthwhile struggle to bring equality to all people — is the notion that awareness equals involvement. ” – Joshua Ellis, The Kitty Genovese Model

Excerpts from an exchange I had on Twitter that progressed onto e-mail:

Me:

I think Filipinos need to go beyond mere expressions of outrage/concern and actually do concrete things to contribute to society.

Jed:

Good point. But action begins somewhere. If they’re not willing to speak, how can we expect them to act?

Me:

If these aren’t followed by action, talk is cheap. I’m just annoyed by slacktivism.

Jed:

Before the word “slacktivism” was invented, there was a similar term used by those in The Movement to refer to the comrades or kasama who were averse to the more traditional modes of pagkikilos (e.g., rallies, organizing, immersions), and preferred more “intellectual” forms of activism like writing and educational discussions. These kasama were disparagingly called “Armchair Activists,” and it was also used by many in the Left to put down left-leaning “moderate” activists who did not interact with the masses and instead chose to fight for their advocacies from the comfortable, airconditioned rooms of their houses.

…Your views on slacktivism are shared by many, especially those like yourself who are really DOING SOMETHING to make the world a better place. To a certain extent, your opinion of people who engage in (to quote from the Wikipedia entry) “feel-good measures, in support of an issue or social cause, that have little or no practical effect other than to make the person doing it feel satisfaction” like “signing internet petitions, the wearing of wristbands (“awareness bracelets”) with political messages, putting a ribbon magnet on a vehicle, joining a Facebook group, posting issue-oriented YouTube videos, altering one’s personal data or avatar on social network services, or taking part in short-term boycotts such as Buy Nothing Day or Earth Hour” is justified. Again, to a certain extent.

However, I’ve always subscribed to the belief that ANYTHING is better than outright apathy… Let’s keep in mind that no matter how disparaging the term “slacktivism” is, the word “act” can still be found in it––you just have to knock out a couple of letters to get it.

As inconsequential as these “feel-good measures” are, one has to give credit to the people doing these because at least they care enough to do something to assuage the guilt they feel from doing nothing at all. Kung tibak ka noon sa UP, magandang sign na yan. Freshmen students who wore issue-related pins (Ibasura ang TFI!) and attended EDs were considered ripe for organizing; writers who showed some concern for the marginalized in their essays in the school paper were potential recruits. If I were organizing today, I would look at my FB contacts who consistently join FB causes and post “issue-oriented YouTube videos” and invite them to an ED. Then I would invite them to another meeting. And another. Then I would ask them to do some small task––say, maybe, distribute flyers at a particular college––then another, until before you know it, sobrang involved na ang tao na sya na mismo gagalaw ng kusa.

I agree that people aren’t DOING enough, and that talk is CHEAP. But to get people involved enough to convince them to cross the huge divide that separates sentiment from concrete action, one has to take advantage of the means available to sow the seeds of true ACTivism. Kung ang rally o mobilasyon ngayon ay nakikitang laos na porma ng pakikibaka, dapat handa ang mga organiser na magbago ng stratehiya upang mapaunawa sa masa ang isyu at mapakilos ito. Kung tingin ng iba na ang social networking sites ay pwedeng gamitin para mapalahok ang kabataan, di gamitin natin.

Me:

I’ve got nothing against “intellectual” forms of activism. In fact, a lot of my activities would fall under that category… I spend a LOT of time talking about democracy and civic duty and social responsibility and volunteerism etc…

No argument between us on the importance of public discourse. You can’t care about things you don’t understand. Awareness and information are definitely key to any kind of social transformation. The more people who understand an issue, the greater their capacity to care about it. (Of course, it doesn’t necessarily follow that if one understands an issue one will have an emotional response and be moved to action, but understanding is a necessary pre-condition for meaningful participation.)

It’s not so much the “feel-good measures” themselves that annoy me. It’s the over-blown sense of self-importance of some of the people who engage in them. Go ahead and wear your IAmNinoy shirt or AkoMismo dog tag or who create a Facebook page for the cause du jour but don’t delude yourself that you’re making some huge contribution to society. Those “feel-good measures” have their place but let’s keep things in perspective. In the greater scheme of things, they mean very little…

I agree that caring a little is better than not caring at all. And that these token expressions of concern are opportunities to engage “slacktivists” in more substantial activities. I’m just petty and irate.

…I feel that if people just do what they can, in the place that they are, in the time that they have, collectively we can do great things.

Talakayan 20.10 Leadership Forum on Education July 1, 2009

This forum aims to provide a constructive exchange between the candidates and the audience about the candidates’ position on education reform and what they intend to do to upgrade the educational system of the country. Read more about the Talakayan 20.10 series

Entrance to the event is free and all concerned citizens are invited to attend.

The Talakayan 20.10 Team is extending a special invitation to Pinoy bloggers who would like to live blog during the event. Internet access will be provided.

For further information, please send an e-mail to wedeservebetter.ph@gmail.com or a text message to 0920-9061148.

Confirm your attendance on Facebook!

The Movement for Good Governance is an independent movement seeking to bring about change by encouraging reform-minded citizens to register and vote for reform-minded candidates in the 2010 elections. Through various partnerships and through its volunteers, the MGG’s programs and thrusts include Voter Registration, Electoral Reforms, Selection Criteria and Candidate Identification, and Leadership Forums and Debates designed to engage candidates in policy discussions for national reform and to help voters pick the best candidates for leadership in the country.

TindigNation: A Concert Rally Against Con-Ass

Multi-sectoral groups wave their banners in protest

I haven’t joined a rally since Edsa II. I was in college then, and I’ve since come to realize that there are more productive ways to expend time and energy if you really want to contribute to positive social change. Which is not to say that I don’t see the value in protest actions, because I do. It’s just that in the Philippines it seems like we’re marching onto the streets every other day and somehow the frequency lessens the impact.

But anyway, I was at the anti-con-ass rally on Ayala last June 10 because I felt strongly about the cause. I will not stand for a charter change that does not reflect the will of the people, for term extensions, for no elections in 2010 and for further abuses in government. I wanted to take part in an opportunity to raise awareness about the implications of con-ass.

It started out okay. I particularly liked the skit of Paq Yu (Gabe Mercado) and Juana Change (Mae Paner); I thought they summed up the issues nicely. It started going downhill for me when the politicians started talking. I would have much preferred it if the organizers had invited on stage more representatives of the various groups present, or even just ordinary citizens from different walks of life.

Political rivals sharing the stage: a show of solidarity for a common cause or just another campaign opportunity?

Chiz Escudero, Mar Roxas, Loren Legarda, Among Ed Panlilio among others addressed the crowd. Kiko Aquino Dy read a letter from his grandmother. (I’m sorry Tita Cory, but you lost credibility with me when you started hanging out with the shadier members of the opposition. I thank you for your service to and sacrifice for the country, but you are not the moral compass of the Philippines.) JV Ejercito relayed a message from Erap. (Your father was convicted of plunder and you have the gall to get up there and pontificate?) JV was the last straw for me. I left shortly after.

A banner with the faces of the representatives who supposedly voted for HR 1109

HR 1109 was approved through a viva voce vote. The ayes won simply because they were louder than the nays. There is no official record of who voted what, so we’re not sure if the lists floating around on the internet are accurate. Our best bet is the list of those who signed as co-authors of HR 1109. Obviously (with the exemption of Rep. Luis Villafuerte, who withdrew his signature), legislators will not vote against the measure they authored. I feel that propagating a list that has not been verified is unfair to the congressmen who may not have supported the resolution.

It seemed to me that people at the rally spent more time bashing PGMA and the con-ass congressmen than talking about con-ass itself. I wasn’t expecting a scholarly debate, but is it too much to ask that we focus a little more on issues and a little less on personalities? The backdrop of the stage read “Stop Gloria’s Con-Ass” as did many of the signs and banners people were carrying. I personally am against not just Gloria’s con-ass, but I’m against any attempt to violate our democratic institutions. It’s not just about the people involved in these shenanigans, it’s about what they represent. I don’t want to see just a change in political leadership, I want to see change in our entire political culture.

This will be my last rally for a while, unless something of Edsa I proportions happens.

On a lighter note, I thought this “Amazing Map of the Philippines” was really funny, though I’m not sure why someone was carrying it around at the rally:

“SHAPE LOOK LIKE ALIEN”

Earlier that day, at an MGG meeting in the Ayala Foundation conference room:

The view of Ayala at around 4:00 PM from 10th floor of the BPI building
Me, Paeng and Quintin with the crowd growing on Paseo de Roxas in the background,
Posing with Mae in her full Juana Change glory before the rally

View the full set of photos on Flickr.