I think every senior (in the Ateneo at least) would probably be having the same sentiments. We all thought that junior year was hell and we’re all glad that it’s gone , or so we thought.

Senior year is definitely not less stress as junior, it’s probably more stressful if not the same. We’re all doing the same amount of academic workload (though less units but for some reason it feels like the same amount) while worrying about our resumes, future jobs and grad photoshoots.

In my case for example my group for Organizational behavior is still having a hard time finding a company to do an organizational study on while I’m cramming Cross Cultural communication study presentations on the side and going to my first Job interview tomorrow morning!

Again whoever said senior year was less stress, should really run a shotgun up his ass.

Here’s a sample of my desk today/tonight because I’m cramming for Theo orals

The Dark Crystal (1982)

The Dark Crystal Movie Poster

First film is Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal (1982). Before CGI and 3d, puppets and anamotronics we’re used to create creatures and the special effects we see in every hollywood blockbuster. Master puppeteer Jim Henson, and his colleagues created at the the time first full-feature fantasy film with no human beings.

Every character in The Dark Crystal are puppets created by Henson. They are so skillfully animated, to me they move even more naturally on film than any CGI character (take that Na’avi).

The film looks at the nature of good and evil but in a very different fashion as most child-oriented films at the time. It does not portray a good overcoming evil but of harmony of both dark and light.

The film wasn’t as much a success as its competition at the time (ET: Extraterrestrial) but it receive critical success by winning BAFTA and Saturn awards.

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (戦場のメリークリスマス)

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence original japanese poster

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983) is bilingual English-Japanese film based on Lauren van der Post’s The Seed and the Sower (1963) and The Night of the New Moon (1970).

The setting is a Japanese prison camp in Indonesia, Ryuichi Sakamoto plays young stern captain of the camp Yonoi who becomes fixated on the new rebellious prisoner Major Jack Celliers (played by rockstar David Bowie). In the same camp, Lt. Colonel John Lawrence (Tom Conti) is a japanese speaking british soldier who has become well trusted by both Yonoi and Sgt. Hara (played by Takeshi Kitano of Battle Royale fame).

The film is an interesting look at cross-cultural communication as the japanese and british constantly butt-heads on different cultural habits (such as Gyo and Christmas).

The users as well as the usage of the internet has evolved within the past decade (2000-2010). Through web 2.0 technology, social media, css based design, not only have the aesthetics of webdesign but the users as well.

Back in high school the only heavy users of the internets we’re the tech geeks who liked fiddling with code, fanboyed over their video games, created websites and shrines and then blogged by hard coding html. The net was being used by people who actually took time to understand the net, how pages are made, the time it took to get something online, in all senses geeks. We’d blog and blog and its was all in good fun.

The problem with the internet now a days is that social media has made the internet a past time for more people than before and it has become so easy everyone thinks their a genius at it. It’s not just the tech geeks anymore, it includes journalists, mothers, fathers, grandparents, vanity-obsessed-shopping-everything-and-eveything-I-do-is-interesting-air-head girls… you name it there’s a clique in the internet for it.

This is not to say that I’m a networking genius but I simply just miss the days when we had a little less idiocy on the net

I don’t really have a lot to say for this blog except I started my semester with this:

Thats Me and Aila, Tara and Migna, Say and Mea dancing during orsem

Morpheus or Dream

I decided to start re-reading Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. The first time I read it was back in high school when a classmate lent me a copy of Seasons of Mist.

Amazing piece of literature isn’t it? Even more amazing is how I was able to understand it even if I started reading from volume 7.

For those who don’t really know the series. The Sandman was a graphic novel/ comic series written by Neil Gaiman during the 1990s under DC’s Vertigo imprint. I’d categorize it under the adult, dark themed comics since it does contain gore and nudity but its definitely not pornographic material.

The main and titular character is Dream also known as The Sandman and Morpheus. He is the personification of the abstract idea of dreams. The comic follows his story as he goes through the modern world which has forgotten the old Gods and rituals as well keeping up after being imprisoned for most of the 20th century.

A very interesting piece of work from a master story teller and the art from each book is inspiring . I think I’ll go back to drawing fanart after a few more reads

My Last first semester

I got every single class that I wanted but im still hesitant about my choice of philosophy.

Also im trying out wordpress for iphone app!

This was the toughest and at the same time most eye-opening summer term I’ve had since my freshman year of college. I will bow down to Ma’am Rallonza (my political Science professor) and Ma’am Hofilena (my Philippine History professor) for opening my eyes and making it worthwhile to attend classes in this heat.

It wasn’t an easy time to have classes, and the classes we’re not easy at all. Right now I will thank the various things that made it bearable.

Risa Hontiveros – Again, the RH bill, we need that law passed. I feel it really should be top priority, even if the whole Carper thing puts her on shakey ground

Franklin Drilon – The big man is a powerful writer and excellent debater.

Alex Lacson – I rarely am supportive of politicians who don’t have an actual track record or platform to put into action but he does have a focus on specifics each time he speaks.

Well thats the most I can think of when it comes to senators.

Now what everyone has been waiting for.

President

I am and have always been a strong Gibo Teodoro supporter. To tell you the truth, I find there really isn’t a bad candidate if you take out Villar and Erap (seriously people? a womanizing ignoramus?) but Gibo has the most realistic platform I have seen out of all the presidentiables (filipinos like inventing terms don’t they). He has an actual step by step plan for the implementation of his platform and I like that he doesn’t promise the eradication of corruption or poverty cause seriously you’ll never be able to do that in one term. I like how he sees the Agrarian reform project as only a start and wants help develop and equip these farmers so they can actually use the land (and not sell it to Villar to turn into some real estate subdivision).