-- Pinoy-Korean Atheist --

Jon Stewart's interview with Arthur Brooks

2010-06-04T20:57:00.000+09:00

Jon Stewart's intellect amazes me. He can talk to anyone about anything and he can be very funny yet still makes the most sense in every conversation.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Exclusive - Arthur Brooks Unedited Interview Pt. 1

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Exclusive - Arthur Brooks Unedited Interview Pt. 2

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

Stephen Fry: What I wish I'd known when I was 18

2010-05-28T02:01:00.000+09:00

STEPHEN FRY: WHAT I WISH I'D KNOWN WHEN I WAS 18 from Peter Samuelson on Vimeo.

White House Correspondent's Dinner

2010-05-04T01:15:00.001+09:00

How cool is it to have a gorgeous, intelligent and funny guy as President? Love him!

Scienceblogs

2010-05-03T01:27:00.000+09:00

I've long been a ScienceBlogs reader.

My favorites include Pharyngula and ERV.

Recently, I had the pleasure of reading The Frontal Cortex. I love the blog name. I am so curious about the brain that when I see anything related to it, I just had to go ahead and read it.

Almost a month ago at work, I read his piece on Gay Animals. My favorite lines are:

In fact, Roughgarden even argues that homosexuality is a defining feature of advanced animal communities, which require communal bonds in order to function. "The more complex and sophisticated a social system is," she writes, "the more likely it is to have homosexuality intermixed with heterosexuality."

Read the comments and you'd also agree with them. Like this one:

I think one reason for 'gay' animals might be that animals are horny and stupid.
A bored dog will have a bash at humping a cat*. A dog humping another male dog is not that much different. I've seen a few human-leg-osexual dogs in my time too.
Sorry for lowering the tone :o)
*check youtube if you dont believe me.

Interesting, eh? Yeah, thought so too.

Skeptics Trump Cards

2010-05-02T01:29:00.001+09:00

I've seen this at Pharyngula a few days or maybe weeks ago.

Here are some of my faves:

Love that line: "general mind fuck"... lol..

What can I say? I'm a fan. I'm a Pharyngulite. :D

...wishing I'm his spawn...

My all-time favorite Badass!!!!

Check out the rest of the cards here.

Atheist Barbie

2010-04-10T14:43:00.001+09:00

This should be in the market soon!

"No pants to be ready for surprise orgies"... LOL!!!

From Catholic to Atheist

2010-04-07T02:29:00.001+09:00

I grew up in a Catholic household. I was raised to memorize and do the rosary every night with my grandmother. Church attendance is a must. Most of my relatives work or volunteer in church. I even won in a bible quiz when I was in elementary. (My memorization skills were very good then so I was able to put enough info from the bible into my brain). I went to retreats, camps, healings etc. I went on volunteer works with others (the trip was the catch for me).

I was told I would burn in hell, I would suffer if I don't follow the rules. We recited prayers for the souls of our loved ones. I never got that but I did my part. (Maybe the prayers for the dead are more for the living so they won't have to live with the thought that their loved ones are somewhere in hell or in-between...) I was rebelling inside but I still followed. I was questioning things already but the answers were not there for me.

The last time I was in church was 1995. I don't know why I stopped going. I just did. It was after reading The God Delusion that I finally realized and accepted I never really believed. There was always that nagging feeling that things aren't what they seem.

THE END OF FAITH: by Sam Harris made more sense to me than the Bible did. Every other thing that religion offered I found an explanation in Science books and others. When I was talking about religion with a very devout Christian, he asked me why I left the church, why I lost my faith. I said because I never got the answer to my question. His reply was that maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough. I was and I did and I found the answers. In science.

"So what's your life's purpose? What about your soul?" was the question he left me with.

My answer? To live life fully because it's the only one I've got. I like to read this one from time to time...

Evolution of Religion

I've never been more comfortable and at peace with myself ever. Isn't that what it's supposed to be about?

Pedophile Priests

2010-04-07T01:58:00.000+09:00

Katha Pollit'st article on the Chicago Tribune
Brandan Kiley's article on The Stranger

The two links above talk about pedophilia and priesthood. I don't think the issue is gonna stop anytime soon. The more noise it generates, the more people or victims come out to talk about their horrible experience. And of course, the "victim" in all of these, the Catholic Church is being bullied. They are once again being vilified for something that also happens in other places or institutions. Well, yeah. But they get punished and brought to justice, not hidden and put in other places only to be encouraged to molest more.

Isn't it arrogant of a person or an institution if they think everyone else is just out to get them? Like, yeah, they did something wrong, but it's between them and their god? So what about the real victims? What about the real atrocities, the real sufferings of the real individuals who were put through hell just because of a doctrine those bastards can't keep?

How many times does the Church need to be told that the cover-up is worse than the crime itself? Doing nothing and protecting the perpetrators instead of the flock is insulting and disheartening.

When one priest or bishop called the rape, pedophilia and the cover-up petty gossip, it kinda makes you think how long this has been going on for them to be so immune to this kind of "gossip".

Evil in Us

2010-04-07T00:45:00.001+09:00

I saw this link in Pharyngula, a science blog that is always included in my daily readings. A co-teacher who sat next to me noticed it so I played the video (without sound - I was at work)...

I don't know how it feels like to be a soldier in a war but this is just wrong! They said AK-47's and RPG's which I don't see. I saw cameras and tiny faces in the van. There were children! OMFG!

Lost Symbol and Dan Brown

2010-04-05T04:25:00.000+09:00

(written 2009)

I just finished reading the new book “The Lost Symbol” and watching the movie “Angels and Demons”. Major Dan Brown overload huh? Yeah.

Let’s begin with the book; it starts off slow, like any other Brown books. It then picks up speed and excitement in the mid part and suddenly you cant put the book down. Then when you get to the ending you’ll wonder why you even bothered to read at all.

So I’ll start with the things I liked first. Brown’s style of shifting from the lead to the villain then to the-one-you-think-is-the-villain then back to the lead will keep you hooked. You’ll want to read fast but slow enough to understand what was going on. He has the gift of storytelling.

For the in-between; the part I liked and hated at the same time. I knew right away who Malak’h, the villain in the story is. You get it sooner than you wish you would. It kinda takes away the suspense in the climax. I was still moved by the confrontation scene they had, especially when he asked the same question that was bugging me throughout my reading.

Now, to the parts I did not like. Where should I start? If you have read about Freemasons and watched Nicholas Cage’s “National Treasure”, Brown’s lecturing style would be a bore. Freemasonry wasn’t a topic that aroused my interest.

The other topic in the book, Noetic sciences, caught my eye. I wasn’t aware of the term and I had to google it; only to be disappointed yet again. Quackwatch considers noetic science as pseudoscience. It’s basically all about the power of the mind and meditation etc. It isn’t considered part of mainstream science. I mean if you’re gonna use science against religion or whatever, at least make the science you’re using believable in the first place. More on that later.

Dan Brown’s running theme in his Robert Langdon series is that science and religion can be compatible. In the Da Vinci Code, you get a taste of that near the end of the book. In this book, you could read right away that that is his theme. In an interview he did with James Kaplan for Parade, he mentioned he isn’t religious and that he gravitated away from religion. He then finished off with saying that the farther he goes into science, the more he sees the spiritual side of it. Say what again?? Yeah, that’s confusing even for me, kinda like the themes in his series. He keeps saying or preaching that science and religion need not fight, that the two can be compatible. Tell that to scientists.

I never liked the endings in his Robert Langdon series. He always sounds like he’s trying to reconcile with the readers that he might have offended in the process. He always ends up in an apologetic tone. It’s like saying “Sorry I bashed your religion, I can make up with this”.

Now for the movie; It’s way better than “The Da Vinci Code” - that’s for certain. With the lessons learned in the first movie, the makers of the film found a way to incorporate history and lectures effectively into the scenes. It was chaos in TDVC. Tom Hanks looked better too, which kinda helps a lot, I guess. So many years has passed since I’ve read the book but I could still see the difference. I hate it when they change a lot. But then, maybe it was for the better since the book’s ending was really bad, in a sense.

I learned in a writing workshop that however hard you try to distance yourself from the characters you create, you’ll always have “you” in there. Dan Brown’s obvious struggle with the dogma of religion and his so called “spirituality” are spilling all over his work. The more I read, the more I can hear his inner struggles with religion.

Or maybe I’ve just had too much of him today…

Bill Maher (3-26) New Rules

2010-04-04T14:25:00.001+09:00

"The last time a democrat showed balls like that, John Edward's girlfriend was filming it."
'Nuff said....

link

Should've been working

2010-04-04T01:08:00.000+09:00

I have a worksheet (for the writing class I'm supposed to start teaching this month) to finish, a lesson plan to write and a grammar worksheet to prepare and I'm here laughing my ass off watching these...

Guilty Pleasure

2010-04-03T23:19:00.000+09:00

so damn funny!!!!

Joel Mchale and Craig Ferguson on my fave of faves "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson"
laughin' at the sexual connotation of "mayonnaise on your lobster and how to train your dragon"

"you need a robot to find boobs for you? what happened to you man?!"

Keith and the single lady

2010-04-02T13:14:00.000+09:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I'm a big Keith Olbermann fan and I thought he was doing the awkward pause from The Late Late show with Craig Ferguson, then the video..... Hilarious!

Obama in Maine

2010-04-02T12:23:00.000+09:00

sarcasm at its finest...

Hitchens on Real Time

2010-03-29T00:49:00.000+09:00

He always have that unapologetic and arrogant quality about him and that's what makes him hot!. Talking about Hitchens, of course. I love Bill Maher too. ;)

link

FOTC Overload

2010-03-27T21:20:00.002+09:00

OCD'S kicking in and the obssession for the day is obviously...

link

LINK

LINK

LINK

Flight of the Conchords

2010-03-27T20:59:00.000+09:00

Sugar Lumps

The always hilariously funny NZ duo...

I was looking for news on Pinoy politics....

2010-03-26T03:32:00.000+09:00

and this is the headline: Anne Curtis felt disrespected.

First of all, Really??? That's what's in the news now? That's what people are interested to read and find out?

Secondly, are you fucking kidding me? So she had a "wardrobe malfunction", people took photos and it went viral. She's crying on national TV and expecting people to "respect" her privacy? Why dance and shake your ass with just a tiny thingy to cover what you don't want to be seen?

She's saying things like she should have been respected more and people should have not made the photo viral. Here comes the "entitlement" complex most of these people have. "I should have been treated better, they should have not done this to me, blah blah blah..."

Woman, you shouldn't have been dancing with just a bikini!! 'nuff said!!!

WTF again???

2010-03-26T03:05:00.000+09:00

WTF? What the hell is wrong with these people? When's the cover-up gonna stop? When are they gonna accept that celibacy is evolutionary and naturally wrong? They tell the priests that they should not be having sex with a woman but it is ok when those goddammed priests molest children? Woman -bad, kids -not so much??? That is just fucked up.

Quantum State, Parallel Universe

2010-03-26T02:54:00.001+09:00

I finished watching FlashForward and the next day there's this article about quantum state.

In the series, when Dominic Monaghan's character first came out, he was explaining quantum state to a lady (they ended up sleeping together, of course). It reminded me of Michael Crichton's Timeline. I first learned about the topic (Quantum Mechanics, Parallel Universe) there and after reading I did what I always do when I don't understand something -I researched it. For some reason, I was aware of the concept but if you ask me to explain then, I wouldn't be able to.

So now, the quantum state (simply put -to be in two places at the same time) is in the news again. Being in state of "existing" and "not existing".. I'm here and I'm also not here. Mind-boggling, eh? But it really, really sounds so exciting.

FlashForward mentioned something about MWI - Many World Interpretations or Parallel Universe. According to this article in addition to the world we are aware of directly, there are many other similar worlds which exist in parallel at the same space and time. Since every possible outcome of every event defines or exists in its own "history" or "world". In layman's terms, there is a very large—perhaps infinite[9]—number of universes, and everything that could possibly have happened in our past, but didn't, has occurred in the past of some other universe or universes.

It's tempting to say and think that every other decisions we didn't choose to make, we have already taken in some other "worlds" and has now had a different outcome. It's an interesting and a very seductive idea to think about especially if you're having a very crappy day in "this world".

Should we really forget?

2010-03-26T02:03:00.000+09:00

Rounding my usual reading lists, I found this post.

I keep thinking that I've already read about this before, even seen it. After a few google searches to confirm my thought, alas I was wrong. I was thinking about another drug, Propanolol. I remembered it because I was kinda torn about the issue.

Should you forget the bad memories or should you hold on to it to make you stronger?

The article mentioned about traumatic experiences which can impede a person's day-to-day activities. If I've been in a car accident or a rape victim and it had left me emotionally disabled or something, maybe I can consider taking the drug.

I said I'm torn.. I haven't had any traumatic experience- yet. But I've had pain that just won't stop to the point where I considered stopping the pain -physically (why is it so hard for me to say 'suicide'?)... So if the pill can help me forget the experience, hence the pain, why not take it? But in my case there's no particular experience to forget, it's a collection of bad memories (I think).. So I should target those memories and forget? (sounds a bit like "Paycheck")

Then again, I believe we are all but the sum of our experiences. It makes us who we are. So why erase a memory?

I am not making any sense and if I'm trying to convince myself, it's not working...

The Church and its Affairs

2010-03-21T14:50:00.003+09:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Pope issued an "apology" for all the abuse their priests have done. "Truly Sorry" that's the caption MSNBC used. Really?? It's been happening for decades in most parts of the Catholic world and only now do they apologize?

Darkness Visible

2010-02-26T11:54:00.006+09:00

Darkness Visible by William Styron

I just finished reading the book I bought more than a year ago. I started writing about it, then stopped -for some reason that I can't remember now.

The book is about the author's struggle with depression. When I first started reading it, I was a bit skeptical. I wasn't hoping to connect or understand what he was saying. I didn't think I would, but I did.

Maybe I've had the depression longer than I thought, I really wouldn't know. I've never been clinically diagnosed, until I finally realized something was wrong with me. Early 2003, I had days when I really did not want to get up. I would make up excuses so I could stay in bed all day. I didn't want to go out. My migraine got worse partly because of that, which then made the whole ordeal more unbearable. Then one night while I was watching Sandra Bullock's Yaya Sisterhood (or something), I began crying nonstop. It's supposed to be a comedy but something that was said in that movie made me cry and I couldn't stop. Then I started to try cutting myself. I didn't even realize I was doing it until I felt the blade. Silly cuz I realized I have this aversion to it. I stopped then I thought if I really want to kill myself I'd use pills.

After a few days, I had an appointment with a neurologist for my migraine. He seemed confused with the severity of it, he asked me if I was depressed. I said maybe. With that he gave me an anti-depressant. I couldn't remember the name of the drug because I stopped taking it after two days. I got worse. My lows got really really low to the point where I was thinking of different ways of how to kill myself. So I stopped taking it and started writing. It kinda helped so I continued doing it.

I still have days where for some reason I just feel really really down. When I read about that part in the book, it was kind of an eye-opener. Like, there really are days like that and it's not because of something I did or doing. When he said " the pain of severe depression is unimaginable to those who have not suffered it, and it kills in many instances because its anguish can no longer be borne", I was nodding my head. I've been trying to say that for so long and people would just say that I'm being overly dramatic, that whatever I was feeling I can just make it go away by not thinking about it.

It doesn't work that way. I don't want to feel depressed or sad. I want that feeling to go away because you cannot imagine how hard it is. It's better to feel physical pain than suffer from that. Which is, I think, how my body sometimes handles it. I'd be sick for no apparent reason. Bleeding, severe migraine, abdominal pain ~ all of which the doctors here could not find a reason for. There are physical signs yet all other diagnoses doesn't fit.

All in all, It was an interesting read. It was good to know about someone else's experience. I just hope it gave me an insight on how to deal with mine when the time comes...

Facebook Status

2010-02-26T11:52:00.002+09:00

Ever had someone who views your profile or status everyday and thinks that everything is about them?
Damn annoying!!!

Keith Olbermann

2010-02-26T11:40:00.003+09:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Direct to the point, right from the beginning. There's always gonna be people who like to tell everybody else how to live and do their lives. This reminded me of someone who commented of how helping the poor is not really helping and that they should be left to find resources for themselves otherwise they will always wait for help and not fend for themselves. My reaction was quick and only this- If you've never been poor, never been hungry, never been desperate enough to sell even your soul for there is no other way, then you cannot and should not be allowed to say something about it.

Planet Earth

2010-01-12T22:26:00.004+09:00

Link

Narrated by David Attenborough. Awesome voice!

A Big Think Interview With Stephen Fry

2009-12-28T23:50:00.001+09:00

BigThink.com

The Cultured Ape

2009-11-03T22:53:00.002+09:00

Link

'Design vs. Chance' by PZ Myers, AAI 2009

2009-10-24T17:13:00.000+09:00

'Design vs. Chance' by PZ Myers, AAI 2009

Link

"A Universe from Nothing"

2009-10-24T17:08:00.002+09:00

"A Universe from Nothing" by Lawrence Krauss AAI 2009

by Atheist Media Blog

Link

hypocrites

2009-01-22T23:13:00.002+09:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 2

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

2009-01-22T22:57:00.001+09:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Changefest '09 - Obama's Inauguration

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

dont you just love jon stewart?

link

Out Campaign

2009-01-22T22:44:00.002+09:00

From : RichardDawkins.net

2008-10-30T23:06:00.000+09:00

link

Richard Dawkins on Harun Yahya’s Atlas of Creation

2008-10-25T00:00:00.000+09:00

link

Turek vs. Hitchens Debate: Does God Exist?

2008-10-24T23:53:00.001+09:00

Turek vs. Hitchens Debate: Does God Exist? from Andrew on Vimeo.

link

2008-09-16T23:05:00.000+09:00

lol!!!! ask a question and wait for his answers... geessh, i'm pathetic...:(

the ghost in your genes

2008-08-21T21:43:00.002+09:00

Whether this can be proven to be true or not, the idea is mind blowing! makes you think first every time you do something cuz it would ultimately affect your offsprings and theirs..

Link
From Atheist Media Blog:
Aired in 2005
Biology stands on the brink of a shift in the understanding of inheritance. The discovery of epigenetics – hidden influences upon the genes – could affect every aspect of our lives.
At the heart of this new field is a simple but contentious idea – that genes have a 'memory'. That the lives of your grandparents – the air they breathed, the food they ate, even the things they saw – can directly affect you, decades later, despite your never experiencing these things yourself. And that what you do in your lifetime could in turn affect your grandchildren.
This work is at the forefront of a paradigm shift in scientific thinking. It will change the way the causes of disease are viewed, as well as the importance of lifestyles and family relationships. What people do no longer just affects themselves, but can determine the health of their children and grandchildren in decades to come. "We are," as Marcus Pembrey says, "all guardians of our genome."

the lost gospels

2008-08-19T00:58:00.002+09:00

I've read about this or watched this somewhere. I just cant seem to remember when or where (as usual). This video has more details and really interesting.

Link

The Genius of Charles Darwin

2008-08-07T22:20:00.001+09:00

link

Gun, Germs and Steel

2008-07-28T11:38:00.002+09:00

I always forget stuff so I'm embedding this here so I dont have to look around.

Link

Atheist Blogroll

2008-07-19T23:08:00.002+09:00

It's been so long since my last post. I've been busy with lesson plans since the head of the academy wanted me to change the methods of the previous instructor. It was when I received an email saying I'm in the Atheist Blogroll. Yey!!!..

So sorry I was late in posting this. I'll soon be posting from work so hopefully I could update often.

Off for now...

this should have been started a long time ago

2008-06-25T23:58:00.004+09:00

World Youth Day condom protest against Pope

Condoms will be handed out to pilgrims en route to a papal Mass at Randwick Racecourse on World Youth Day as part of a protest against the Catholic Church's attitude to homosexuality, contraception and abortion.
A coalition of religious, atheist, gay and lesbian groups will stage the rally in Taylor Square from midday on Saturday July 19 before marching to the main event of the week-long World Youth Day celebrations.
Protest organisers are expecting thousands to gather on Oxford Street and Anzac Parade to rally against the church's attitude.

Full article here

I thought I've heard it all

2008-06-25T23:37:00.003+09:00

Saudi Marriage Officiant : 'It Is Allowed To Marry A Girl At The Age Of One': by Live Leak

This is just sick!! I'm amazed (not in a good way) at how much crap people can believe in.

Here's the transcript:

Aired on LBC TV (Lebanon) - June 19, 2008 - 00:03:08 :
Dr. Ahmad Al-Mub'i, a Saudi Marriage Officiant: It Is Allowed to Marry a Girl at the Age of One, If Sex Is postponed. The Prophet Muhammad, Whose Model We Follow, Married 'Aisha When She Was Six and Had Sex with Her When She Was Nine :
Following are excerpts from an interview with Dr. Ahmad Al-Mu'bi, a Saudi marriage officiant, which aired on LBC TV on June 19, 2008:

Dr. Ahmad Al-Mu'bi: Marriage is actually two things: First we are talking about the marriage contract itself. This is one thing, while consummating the marriage – having sex with the wife for the first time – is another thing. There is no minimal age for entering marriage. You can have a marriage contract even with a one-year-old girl, not to mention a girl of nine, seven, or eight. This is merely a contract [indicating] consent. The guardian in such a case must be the father, because the father's opinion is obligatory. Thus, the girl becomes a wife... But is the girl ready for sex or not? What is the appropriate age for having sex for the first time? This varies according to environment and traditions. In Yemen, girls are married off at nine, ten, eleven, eight, or thirteen, while in other countries, they are married off at 16. Some countries have legislated laws forbidding having sex before the girl is eighteen.

[...]

The Prophet Muhammad is the model we follow. He took 'Aisha to be his wife when she was six, but he had sex with her only when she was nine.

Interviewer: When she was six...

Dr. Ahmad Al-Mu'bi: He married her at the age of six, and he consummated the marriage, by having sex with her for the first time, when she was nine. We consider the Prophet Muhammad to be our model.

Interviewer: My question to you is whether the marriage of a 12-year-old boy with an 11-year-old girl is a logical marriage, which is permitted by Islamic law.

Dr. Ahmad Al-Mu'bi: If the guardian is the father... There are two different types of guardianship. If the guardian is the father, and he marries his daughter off to a man of appropriate standing, the marriage is obviously valid.

[...]

People find themselves in all kinds of circumstances. Take, for example, a man who has two, three, or four daughters. He does not have any wives, but he needs to go on a trip. Isn't it better to marry his daughter to a man, who will protect and sustain her, and when she reaches the proper age, he will have sex with her? Who says all men are ferocious wolves?

The Rise of Atheism

2008-06-23T21:23:00.003+09:00

Now, ain't that a good news!
(Sorry, I know the video is a bit old, added March 29, but I was busy with other stuff then..)

Hitchens : Why Women Aren't Funny

2008-06-23T21:02:00.002+09:00

This article came out a year and a half ago (January 2007) and unfortunately for me, I was able to read just today. I suggest you read the entirety of the article. It may sound sexist, but actually, no. Well, at least I don't find it that way. Basic idea is women do not need to be funny whilst men need to have that ability in order to be in the evolutionary contest.

Hitchens : Why Women Aren't Funny

April 2008, Alessandra Stanley had a counter article. In this article, what Stanley basically says is that women are and can be funny.

Who Says Women Aren’t Funny?

So what does Hitchens do? Make a rebuttal video!

Ayaan Hirsi Ali interview

2008-06-23T13:36:00.001+09:00

Ayaan Hirsi Ali interview - Washington post.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali speaks out about being circumcised, Islam being anti-freedom, becoming an atheist, and the "satan" within her.(RD.net)

Obama on Religion

2008-06-23T12:49:00.002+09:00

I never liked American Politics. I think all politicians are dull, until Obama came along. I even bought a copy of his book (The Audacity of Hope), skimmed through it but never had the time to read it decently.
No one can deny his charismatic appeal. This video deserves more views.

Richard Dawkins' Public Lecture - Liverpool

2008-06-23T12:40:00.003+09:00

University of Liverpool "The God Delusion"
If you haven't read it, buy or download audio book (recorded by Dawkins himself) then judge for yourself.

savage love

2008-06-20T23:20:00.004+09:00

It was an accident that I found Savage Love (see the link on the left). **I'm writing it now so I wont forget as I always do**
I happen to be watching Real Time with Bill Maher (Hitchens as guest) on youtube. Dan Savage was also a guest. I think he's cute, so what did I do? Googled him. And there it is! Savage Love at the Stranger.
I just began reading through it and I'm enjoying it.
Here's the video, just for kicks. ;)

few more reasons to love bill maher

2008-06-20T22:32:00.003+09:00

This one needs no introduction: Bill Maher is unapologetic in his views about any religion.

and this: Richard Dawkins / Bill Maher

slap in the face

2008-06-20T20:20:00.002+09:00

"Two gay clergymen marry in UK"- that's the caption that caught my attention. I saw it yesterday and now I can't remember where. I searched for the video, I know it wasn't on Youtube but still I tried my luck. And what do you know, it was there!!.. The really stupid fact, you ask?.. It was on my account. I apparently uploaded it.. Crazy cuz I forgot I did..I really should worry about Alzheimer's in the years to come..

The Christian community is so not happy with this..

governor of sulu, really??

2008-06-20T17:46:00.002+09:00

Just now, ABS-CBN's TV Patrol featured an interview of the Sulu Governor (I never got his name, didn't seem worth remembering). The funny cuz it's stupid remark made concerned the kidnapping of Ces Drilon (ABS reporter). He questions why journalists need to go to Sulu and interview criminals (terrorists). If they weren't there in the first place, there would be no kidnapping incident, according to him. He said they're ruining the good image of the province by mentioning terrorism there. What??? Really???

Later in the interview it appeared that he's just sour graping cuz he wasn't part of the negotiating team.

I cringe every time people who's supposed to govern say the most stupid things.

craig overload

2008-06-20T15:32:00.003+09:00

I must be depressed (needing a fix) or I'm just crazy (crazier than before) about Craig Ferguson right now. I blame it on the absence of downloadable (oops) and watchable shows around.

I even found this Newsweek article entitled " Late Bloomer". It's great actually, especially if you're a Craig fan yourself.

Who can resist Craig and Dr. House :-)

I wonder why nobody uploads the Late Late Show (torrent) or is it just that I can't find it?

What can we do?

2008-06-19T22:24:00.002+09:00

When I read the news article with the title: Rape a way of life for Darfur's women it sickens me to think that this is happening to anyone out there.

Children as young as four - four! damn it!..who does that? The most irritating fact in this article is the denial of the Sudanese government and their insistence that it isn't happening in the country.

Another sad part in the women's saga are the abandonment of babies conceived through rape. With the stigma and everything else, how can those women and babies survive?

What can be done to help these women and children? What is being done by the international community? What can we do?

TESL (Teaching English as Second Language)

2008-06-19T12:24:00.003+09:00

I got my certification last May 30. After that, I uploaded my resume at jobteach where most schools and hagwons (cram school) find teachers. I tried another site at first, the ones for foreigners, since technically I am still considered one although I have a Korean Citizenship. Anyways, I didn't get any response from that site. They basically told me that under immigration laws they cant issue a teaching visa to a Filipino national. I had to tell them repeatedly that I live here and I am now a Korean Citizen. It was futile to say the least. So I went to the Korean job teaching site and a few hours after posting, I got calls from prospective employers. I went to three interviews, kept my options open and finally made my choice.

The reason I was hired was so they can present me as a native speaker without the hassles of visa sponsorships. There is a discrepancy (discrimination?) between Korean English teachers and native English teachers. No matter how good the Korean teachers are, preference is still given to native speakers. I can understand that but I don't agree. English is English. Trying to sound like an American doesn't appeal to me. It's like trying to lose your identity. Korean English shouldn't sound like a forced trying-to-sound-like-American accent. It's in contrast with the trait Koreans are best known for (homogeneous society)... Which English is the correct English btw? With American, British, and Australian (etc) which English should students follow?

English is really a big deal here. Parents spend tons of money so their children can learn or speak fluently. Some start really,really young. (According to studies, children learn language better that way because their brain has the ability to absorb and retain information cuz it (brain) is still developing). My problem with that is, all the studying (school and after-school) make the children very tired. I hear complaints all the time about how tired they are. Parents send them to hagwons for their own peace of mind. Studying rather than staying at the house playing gives them comfort. Plus with most women opting to work to support the family, nobody is left to watch after the kids. So beginning July I'd be one of those who will have to convince parents that their children can learn English fast and easily (now, wont that be a lie??).

With all the crap I just said, now I have to go teach in an American or whatever accent that comes out but better not be Asian, that's what my boss said.. Korea still has a long way to go.

As for me, I will do what I'm told. For now....

late night comedy

2008-06-19T12:03:00.003+09:00

I've been watching The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and I'm sorry to say I'm enjoying every minute of it. I've discovered that every time I'm in a kind of a down mood or depressed about something, he's the one I look up online to fix me up.. Meaning I get a bit crazy so I look for the crazier person to make me laugh.. ;-)

I like his accent and the way he laughs at himself esp during his monologue. It's his connection with his audience and viewers that makes him stand out, I would say.

Anyways, few clips are worth checking:

Here's Craig at the White House Corr. Dinner:

and here's his late show episode after that gig:

random thoughts 4-28-08

2008-04-28T22:52:00.003+09:00

I emailed (dunno who else did) PZ the Cebu scandal story. He wrote a fine piece on that one. ERV's down, deleted by Blogger. Apparently cuz she pissed people off. Probably Behe or Dembski, or those dimwits at Expelled. That prompted me to find out how I can back up my blog. As if someone's reading huh...anyweis...

I'm on my 4th week at my TESOL class at Times Media. Another 4 more to go. I have been procrastinating.. Delaying the inevitable that I have to make another essay for this week. Darn, I have to keep movin'...
My instructor at TESOL gives hand-outs (reading materials) from time to time. The first time he did, I complained the next day cuz I found the same material online. I found his recent hand-outs again online (2 articles, I don't want to bother checking the rest of it). Darn, I'm good!..He'll be pissed (or laugh about it again) when I tell him I found the materials he said he wrote on the world wide web...

I was at the sauna again last week. I've written about how Koreans are at saunas. This time, an old lady who had her back at me suddenly bent down and started to exercise or massage her feet or whatever..Remember this is Korea so saunas meant naked, no clothes or towels whatsoever. OMFG! C'mon, flashing your behind and every other part visible is NOT cool!!.. I don't think I'll recover from the sight of that.

cebu scandal on ScienceBlogs

2008-04-28T10:17:00.006+09:00

The world now knows about the Cebu scandal. They now know what incompetent twats those medical personnels were. And most importantly, the world now knows how stupid it is for the priest who blamed the victim for being gay.
It isn't a great day for the Philippines but if we do not make a stand on this issue, there is no hope for all of us.

mainstream expelled review

2008-04-22T18:48:00.003+09:00

An Expelled Review on MSNBC
Here is a part of that review:

What the heck is Intelligent Design anyway?
What is especially startling and monumentally deceptive is that the movie never bothers to tell us what Intelligent Design actually is. We hear cries of persecution but we don’t know why.
What is it that devotees of intelligent design believe that gets their colleagues in such a rage? Do they just want to invoke god as the starting point of the universe? Do they see god's hand in the design of every creature? Are they asking us to see the gods of every faith and tradition — those posited in Catholicism, Hinduism, Mormonism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Rastafarianism, etc. — in our DNA? Do they believe that competitive accounts of creation based on the Bible need to be in every American classroom? Do they see empirical proof of god in every molecule, plant, animal, rock, vegetable and fungus? "Expelled" never really tells us.

laughter that brings laughter

2008-04-22T17:52:00.003+09:00

This had made me smile the first time I saw it.. Found it again at Slate

Ben Stein sucks!

2008-04-21T14:57:00.004+09:00

Open Letter to a victim of Ben Stein's lying propaganda by Richard Dawkins
The atheist community have been all over Ben Stein's ass for his Expelled movie which is full of lies, I heard. I have no plans to see it, even for research purposes I wont see it. Anyways, the link above has more info about the movie's lies. Click and find out.

and they said i was alone

2008-04-21T14:50:00.001+09:00

Religion is ‘the new social evil’

Robert Watts

A CHARITY set up by an ardent Christian to fight slavery and the opium trade has identified a new social evil of the 21st century - religion.

A poll by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation uncovered a widespread belief that faith - not just in its extreme form - was intolerant, irrational and used to justify persecution.

Pollsters asked 3,500 people what they considered to be the worst blights on modern society, updating a list drawn up by Rowntree, a Quaker, 104 years ago.

The responses may well have dismayed him. The researchers found that the “dominant opinion” was that religion was a “social evil”.

Many participants said religion divided society, fuelled intolerance and spawned “irrational” educational and other policies.

One said: “Faith in supernatural phenomena inspires hatred and prejudice throughout the world, and is commonly used as justification for persecution of women, gays and people who do not have faith.”

Many respondents called for state funding of church schools to be ended.

The findings contrast with Rowntree’s “scourges of humanity”, which included poverty, war, slavery, intemperance, the opium trade, impurity and gambling.

Poverty and drugs remain, but are joined by issues such as family breakdown, young people’s behaviour and fears over immigration.

Tom Butler, the Bishop of Southwark, rejected the indictment of faith. He said: “People meeting together, week after week, for worship, support and education in church, synagogue, temple, gurdwara and mosque can not only help people build local community but can teach children to become good citizens.”

However, Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said he was “extremely pleased”.

“Britain has had it with religion,” he said.

are they crazy? stupid theists...

2008-04-21T14:31:00.004+09:00

Church of Oprah?.. Agent of Satan?... Damn!! So what does that make me?? .. C'mon!

Evoulution 24 Myths and Conceptions from The New Scientist

2008-04-18T23:36:00.004+09:00

Read more from NewScientist.com

So here is New Scientist's guide to some of the most common myths and misconceptions about evolution.
There are already several good and comprehensive guides out there. But there can't be too many.

Shared misconceptions:

Everything is an adaptation produced by natural selection
Natural selection is the only means of evolution
Natural selection leads to ever-greater complexity
Evolution produces creatures perfectly adapted to their environment
Evolution always promotes the survival of species
It doesn't matter if people do not understand evolution
"Survival of the fittest" justifies "everyone for themselves"
Evolution is limitlessly creative
Evolution cannot explain traits such as homosexuality
Creationism provides a coherent alternative to evolution

Creationist myths:

Evolution must be wrong because the Bible is inerrant
Accepting evolution undermines morality
Evolutionary theory leads to racism and genocide
Religion and evolution are incompatible
Half a wing is no use to anyone
Evolutionary science is not predictive
Evolution cannot be disproved so is not science
Evolution is just so unlikely to produce complex life forms
Evolution is an entirely random process
Mutations can only destroy information, not create it
Darwin is the ultimate authority on evolution
The bacterial flagellum is irreducibly complex
Yet more creationist misconceptions
Evolution violates the second law of thermodynamics

Sauna Funnies and Annoyances

2008-04-17T20:53:00.003+09:00

I go to saunas frequently, at least two or three times a week. That's my therapy right there. I've been to big, crowded saunas with full amenities like a gym, pool, karaoke and even a restaurant inside. I hate those! I don't go there to socialize so I don't need all those. There are a couple of chang-su (little)saunas near my place. That's where I go. Here in Korea, when you enter a sauna you go strip naked. Cant have any clothes on inside except for the common room (where the other amenities are). So anyways, inside there's a spa (with hot, medium, and cold water)and a sauna (steam room). Koreans are typically very loud people so I usually go there in the morning where there are fewer women inside. I'm always annoyed at how they keep on talking loudly and never think of the other people there. I don't mind when they stare. I'm more pissed at the noise.

Recently I had this funny(or weird) experience at the sauna near my pad. A woman came up to me when I was in the spa (hot water). She said " Hi. I like your teeth, Is it yours?". I didn't know whether I should just laugh or if I should answer her. I wanted to say "Nah, I just borrowed it." I mean c'mon! It's a stupid question!
Yesterday I was at the sauna again and there was a granny who came came same time as I did. I smiled, she smiled, she's cool, and very quiet. I was minding my own at the spa when I turned and looked at the sauna (steam room with no steam so it's just basically a very hot glass room) and there she was lying on the floor with her legs up and spread wide open in the air! I could not help but smile and I thought maybe she was just cold "down there". She smiled when she saw me looking at her.

RD's new video

2008-04-17T20:47:00.003+09:00

Here are the new videos of the Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss Public Discussion at Stanford University.
Reposted from RichardDawkins.net

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Enjoy and be Enlightened! :)

expelled exposed

2008-04-15T20:54:00.006+09:00

If you havent heard already, the expelled movie is a junk, full of lies movie.. or so i heard... from what i can gather, i have no interest to see the movie (even in you tube)..

more from this:

Expelled Exposed

An Atheist Prayer from the Book of Bon Jovi

2008-04-14T22:22:00.004+09:00

What's not to like in this one? You have atheism (rationalism) and Bon Jovi!!

REPOSTED FROM : TheRecord.Com

An atheist's prayer?
Kevin Cogliano
Re: Prayer Is For Everyone -- April 8
Guy Tschirhart's letter to the editor issued a challenge to the readers of the Waterloo Region Record a to come up with a "better pledge, entreaty or what have you that will see us through our daily business" than the Lord's Prayer.
I've never been one to back away from a challenge, so I humbly submit these words of irrefutable wisdom:

I walk these streets, a loaded six string on my back,

I play for keeps, 'cause I might not make it back.

I've been everywhere, still I'm standing tall,

I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all.

And if you think a recitation from the Book Of Bon Jovi (Wanted Dead or Alive) seems trivial, stupid or meaningless, congratulations. Now you know how we atheists feel about the Lord's Prayer.
Kevin Cogliano
Waterloo

here's the video, just for kicks!

Sick! and another news :)

2008-04-08T22:51:00.005+09:00

This is just nasty!
Japanese machine-washed Filipina's body parts: reports

Everybody's got a piece on Brian's controversial blog.
Blogs, the Internety, and Anonymity - Danton Remoto

in fairness

2008-04-08T22:36:00.004+09:00

Just to be fair (im an atheist but), I also read Jonny's blog. I love the work that's being done (GK). Helping ease poverty should be on everybody's list. (or is it -not being on the "poverty list" that we pinoys should worry about?). Anyways, enjoy reading his blog. He writes from a christian perspective. One of the few christian views I still care to read.

More about Pat Condell

2008-04-08T22:17:00.006+09:00

I found this article about Pat Condell by The Freethinker

Laughing religion off the planet - an interview with Pat Condell

This is my favorite part of that piece:
I find it hard not to smile at religion’s conceit that we’re superior to animals on the basis that we have souls and they don’t, when five minutes in a slaughterhouse would convince anyone that, if anything, it’s animals who have the souls and human beings who don’t.

So here's another video by Pat Condell.
Reposted from:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=atTSwau9fwM

Random

2008-04-04T22:54:00.008+09:00

Watching this: ERV

and reading this:

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/569791?UserKey=0

and wondering about:

who the hell wrote the korean translation for the "bones" series shown here?.. I have seen all the episodes before. But everytime it's on, I have to watch it. Call it an addiction. I make it more interesting by reading the korean subtitles. But no, no, I get all worked up everytime. Translators have made so many mistakes in numbers and texts (not just with bones, seen it with csi and others too). Lost in translation really happens. I find that the funny words/scenes when translated isnt funny.. What's that all about?? Darn translators!

power to irritate

2008-04-03T15:13:00.012+09:00

I'm all fired up!..

With so much rave focused on Brian's blog, I found related articles on the treatment of the issue. One was the article by Nereo Lujan which I think is interesting and respectable. The other is this article (which is the topic of debate at pinoy atheist at yahoo groups) by Malu Fernandez which a lot of people find offensive and racist.

It seems that Miss Malu F. who worked (or still works) for the Manila Standard Today has irked a lot of OFW with the article published last June 2007 (People Asia Magazine). The article titled "From Boracay to Greece" angered a lot of people. Can't blame them. I too, had to step away from my laptop for while before I decided to start writing this. Her article elicited such negative emotions that I had to control myself from the negativity. (Meaning, I want to kick her ass for belittling OFW's..wooohh, glad I got that out of my system)..
that link included her "apology"...apology my ass!!

In another article, you'll notice the name-dropping. "My good-friend here, my cool-buddy there, my favorite-nephew, my good buddy here and there".. What she did in that article was insert herself with the names of "elites".
Most people found her article on OFWs as racist and demeaning. (Elitista sila, poor lang ang the rest of us!) If you read her other articles, you'll see that there's always her effort to separate herself from the rest of the Pinoy majority. She's saying she's better than most of us so deal with it. She can say what she wants because she can.

In this one (her reaction to the Brian-blog controversy):
this one irritated me the most:

But blogging, aside from Perez Hilton and the other big time bloggers (you know who you are) is for me a slacker job or a medium and pastime for lonely people to connect.Unless you’re in bloody Siberia or in a Gulag prison, try stepping outside your comfort zone and turn off the laptop or pc, you just might find some real live people to talk to instead of typing away in cyber space.

Slacker job?? past time for lonely people to connect????

And she's saying her comments there had nothing to do with the people's negative reaction to her OFW-bashing article.. Pleaseeee!!! If she's really one of the elites, what's with all the name-dropping? What, is she trying to convince her audience (which doesn't include us 'hiraps) that she one of them?

Just a thought to ponder on... Maybe I should start an anonymous blog and really let go... but then again I don’t want to be responsible for World War Three and I would sleep much better being brutally honest in your face than hide behind an anonymous name. Wouldn’t it be hilarious if I started a blog just to shake things up and got a ton of money in advertising? If I do decide to do that I thank you all in advance for inspiring me… I’m always a glass half full kinda girl anyway...

Glass half-full ka dyan!! Jeezz..I need to take a pill or something after this one...

There is this thing called freedom of speech. We could say or write what we want. I'm all for that. So when someone like MF starts to belittle "us poors", let's hope she's thick-skinned enough to shield her from her notoriety.

Bones

2008-04-02T21:32:00.000+09:00

I so love these two together.. Corny but I'm a fan... hehehe..

pat condell's "religion of fear"

2008-04-02T21:22:00.005+09:00

Condell's reaction to "Fitna" video

More of Pat Condell's youtube videos here:

http://www.youtube.com/patcondell

Pat, why is your site unavailable? I hope the extremists didnt get to you.

UPDATE:
AS of today 04/03, Pat Condell's site has been disabled.
ANOTHER UPDATE:
Pat Condell's site will be moved to another host so says in his youtube page.

faith and ignorance

2008-04-02T21:06:00.001+09:00

this is what happens when religion rules the lives of the ignorant.

reposted from Dan Glaister/The Guardian:

Faith healing church parents charged over toddler's death

Two followers of a fundamentalist Christian church that favours faith healing over conventional medicine are to be prosecuted for manslaughter after their daughter died of a treatable infection.
Carl and Raylene Worthington were indicted by a grand jury in Oregon's Clackamas county following the death of their 15-month-old daughter Ava in March.
The toddler died of bronchial pneumonia and a blood infection, according to the state medical examiner's office - both conditions that could have been treated with antibiotics.
The parents, who surrendered to police on Friday, are members of the Followers of Christ, a fundamentalist church in Oregon with about 1,500 members. They were released on $250,000 (£126,000) bail.
The church was at the centre of controversy in the 1990s after the deaths of several children attracted the attention of the authorities. It led to the passage of legislation in Oregon that repealed the right to a religious beliefs defence in cases of manslaughter, homicide and child abuse.
Since the passage of the law in 1999, according to authorities in Oregon, there have been no incidents of child neglect involving the church. The Worthingtons are the first members of the church to face criminal charges for failing to seek medical attention for a gravely ill child. If convicted they could serve six years in prison for manslaughter and up to a year for criminal mistreatment.
The couple's son died in August 2001. A police investigation into the death was closed after family members said the child had been stillborn and was three months premature.
Despite the passage of the law and the tight-knit nature of the congregation, there are some indications of high infant mortality among the group. The church has a private cemetery south of Oregon City. There, markers indicate that more than half a dozen children have died of unspecified causes since the passage of the legislation nine years ago.
The Followers of Christ has its origins in the Pentecostal movement of the late 19th century.

darn the socialite gossip

2008-03-31T14:27:00.004+09:00

I was doing fine earlier this morning reading my daily routine of perezhilton, pharyngula, RD and lastly the news (got my priorities straight huh?..:-) ..
Anyways, I was at abs-cbn news when i read this article about a blogger who's saying some nasty stuff at some socialites.. so naturally, like any gossip-loving-creature that I am would do, I googled and found Brian (wouldn't it be easier if they'd just linked to your site?).
I have already spent 3 hours reading about every nasty details in there (I had to forgo my hair appointment for this.. sucks huh... :)
One question remains for me; why are these people still not in jail? As this column pointed out, with the drug bust going on almost everyday in the Philippines (so they say), why are the rich folks not included? because of power? because of money?
They're like every self-indulgent "rich" kids who think they own the world and everything else revolve around them. Sorry, I do not like people who think they are "entitled" just because they have money. Now, I do hope you get your money back Brian..

=========================================================

this is from my friendster blog. just thought i'd include it here. same topic.

THE MOB

The internet is abuzz about the controversy surrounding Brian Gorrell / DJ Montano and the now infamous Gucci Gang ( not a positive thing for them though).
Here is Brian's blog if you haven't heard of it (I wonder how that's possible)..
http://delfindjmontano.blogspot.com/

The culprits involved are what make the whole thing controversial. It even made the prime time news:

People are fascinated, angered, intrigued etc. about this whole thing because Brian exposes the society that we normal people rarely see. In an article by Nereo Lujan, he asked the things I would have: If the drug allegations are true, are they so untouchable that they're not being investigated? We all know how corrupt the Philippines is, but do these elites really have no respect, no fear of the law? Here's Lujan's articles in the Iloilo Review:

http://www.iloiloviews.com/the-gucci-gang.html

http://www.iloiloviews.com/an-anarchy-of-families.html

http://www.iloiloviews.com/of-libel-and-honor.html

According to information in Brian's blog, the GG members are hiding. Out of the country. Yeah, cuz they have money, they can just run and hide until the whole thing is over. But with the effect of the internet, instead of the controversy dying down, it has now reached millions of readers and growing. People want to see results, we want justice. We have made up our mind that Brian cannot get justice from the Philippine courts and thus the empathy.

Thus a mob will be born. In the US the suicide of Megan Meier and the subsequent harassment of Lori Drew by the "cybermob" (as one newspaper called it) led to her moving into another state. She's even included in the 'people you'll see in hell' list.

I'd assume the GG members must be feeling cornered right now. It's a small world and theirs is closing in on them. That's the power of a single blog.

It's scary sometimes.

No safe place

2008-03-15T12:50:00.001+09:00

Just when I finished posting something about the rarity of heinous crimes here in Korea, I found this, and this.
I thought I live in a safe place. It maybe my naivete but my thought process on these things comes from what I've experienced so far. I have lived here for almost 9 years now and I am just now realizing the extent of evil here.

I've always complained about the unfair treatment of women, not just here but around the world. I knew some women who came here the same way as the Vietnamese girl in the news. They (more than one girl) met them in a hotel as arranged by the matchmaker. The man picks his type based on his preference. Like picking an apple on a fruit stand. Girls line up, man OKs, it's all set after that. Most women I've met just wanted to leave the Philippines hoping they'll find something better here. They thought since the men pay the agency to be with them, they must be special. Korean men's thought process is different ( as reported by a women's group here in Seoul), they're paying for a commodity so they can do whatever they want. It's just a pity when something like this ends with death.

There are lots of missing children here. You see photos of them everywhere. It was always thought that when a child goes missing here, especially if they're too young, they're placed at adoption homes. These homes don't report the name or where they found the child in order to receive more funds from the government. Next thing you know they're adopted by couples abroad. Google adoption and Korea and you'll find 336,000 articles about it.
Anyways, back to the missing child. Her death is a tragedy and the way she died was just barbaric. A kidnapper/murderer out on the street is just frightening.
I have kids and seeing this news makes me worry about my children more every time I send them alone to school.

atheist in korea

2008-03-14T14:43:00.000+09:00

I've been updating my blog and I have wanted to post a link to RD's site and Pharyngula. It took time for me to figure out how to do that plus the fact that I stopped writing for a long period of time.

I recently lost a friend to leukemia and it made me think of the theist belief of the after life. Before my friend died, he promised to let me know if and when it happened. He did, under weird circumstances which are too personal to detail. Not talking about anything spiritual here. He also promised to visit me from the other side. I was actually hoping he would show me any sign that there is something out there. Alas, there's none.

Anyways, I'm here in Seoul and I've been trying to find like-minded atheist. I just joined Pinoy Atheist but they're based in 'Pinas.

I've had a lot of experience with theists here. There's a group of Christians, from Church of God i think, who wouldn't stop coming to my place. There's a Jehovah's witness lady who lives near my place who gives me pamphlets every time she sees me. I toss them away as soon as she's out of sight. Dealing with these kind of people takes patience. At first I tried to be polite. Even told them I'd visit the church when I have the time just so they'd leave me alone. These days, I don't do that anymore. I tell them flat out that I'm an atheist. I get the same reaction every time. Like, "What? Why? God have mercy on you!" .. For some reason their reaction always makes me laugh inside.

Half Justice

2008-03-14T14:23:00.001+09:00

Twelve years for murder? The guy should be jailed for life. He treated the woman as his commodity just because he paid money to the matchmaking company. This occurrence happens alot, just under-reported mainly because they happen in rural areas and in most cases, because of the language barrier.
There was once a Filipina in my area who jumped from an apartment building and died. The report said it was suicide. Her body showed signs of physical abuse. Apparently she suffered from domestic violence for a long period of time. The police couldnt do anything about it because it was a "family matter".

Murder Suicide

2008-03-14T14:22:00.000+09:00

The recent murder/suicide involving a once famous baseball player here is on every news channel. Heinous crimes are rare here in Korea. I've read some recently like the one involving the disappearance of women; considered heinous because the killer/suspect has not been apprehended yet despite years of police work.
Anyways, back to the first topic.. there's a lot of speculations on why the crime took place. Most news channels are investigating the financial side of it. What's interesting to me is the reaction of the Korean people as a whole.
A comparison would be helpful to understand what I'm saying here:
I watch TV Patrol on the web everyday. And I am amazed at the contents. People killing people for no apparent reason, deaths caused by accidents and the never-ending idiocy in the Philippine government. Korean news consists mostly of government issues mostly bribery scandals. Then there's weather, traffic/accident, more economic issues, education; like what programs would be more beneficial etc. I've often asked why there are no crimes (even petty ones) reported. The answer given was that even if there were crimes committed, most never make it to the evening news. It's like crimes are just petty and thus filtered or just that people are more interested in the nations economy.
So when a once famous baseball player killed 4 women (mother and 3 daughters) and then commit suicide later when the police identified him as the suspect, the news/documentary channels are on their third day trying to analyze what went wrong. Most reactions I saw/heard were more of shock than disgust. One reaction that I heard more than once was "he killed for money?" implying that 170 million won (roughly 150 thousand dollars) isn't a reason for murder.
Pinoys see murder/death on the news and they shrug it off. Happens everyday, that is. We're still disgusted by most of it but unlike Koreans (shock and disgust) our reactions are that of someone who are predisposed to seeing it on the news everyday.

Suicide, Depression and Cyber Bullies

2008-03-14T14:20:00.000+09:00

In less than a month, two well-known young actress and singer committed suicide. Articles about the causes leading to their deaths abound. The two most striking articles for me were the ones that discussed depression and cyber bullying.
In the Feb. 13 article on the Korea Times by Kim Sue-yong, he (or she) wrote about the growing trend of cyber bullies. Pop singer Yuni killed herself less than a month ago. Her agency said that she got depressed due to pressures from the upcoming album and the apparent abundance of younger, sexier singers these days. Anti-fans (yeah, they have those people here, equivalent to celebrity stalkers abroad) posted negative comments about her sexy clothes, called her artificial lady (in reference to her plastic surgery). After her death, meaner comments surfaced such as “I am so happy that she is dead, now I don’t have to see her on TV anymore”.
In light of the recent events and growing complaints from affected citizens (families of actors/singers), the government plans to introduce an identification system that would require netizens to reveal their real names if they want to post comments. In actuality, most Korean sites already have that in place. In order to be a member or to post anything on the web, netizens are required to submit their name and ID number. Korea has an enforced ID checker where your number and name must match. Some are not too thrilled about the whole thing. They worry that this would increase identity theft. Others worry about their right to free speech.
The suicide of another young actress (Jeong Da-bin) just a few days ago was surrounded by mystery at first. She was found hanging in the boyfriend’s house. Her family didn’t accept the suicide story told by the bf (he said she tried to kill herself before) since they said there is no reason for her to be depressed. Reports said that her depression was due to a slump in her career. She used to star in various TV and movie drama but in recent months (or year), she couldn’t land a job. She also suffered negative comments on some websites same as Yuni.
According to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), South Korea has the highest suicide rate among its member nations. This now growing epidemic, which I think the government is still ignoring, needs to be addressed quickly. In order to do so, depression and mental illness’ stigma needs to go away. People who suffer from depression should be able to get the help they need without them being labeled as underclass and hopeless. The government is doing nothing (I think) to erase or at least ease the strain on this issue. But then again, just like all the other issues here in this land, society needs to change so there can be a chance of changing the government and their policies.

Korea’s Obsession with Beauty

2008-03-14T14:18:00.000+09:00

Korean women always fascinated me. Their extreme attention to beauty is just over the top. As far as I have seen, they won’t leave the house without make-up. Another alarming trend going on now especially with college girls is anorexia. Statistics showed that the reported clinical anorexics are on the rise. The now accepted or considered ok for most women is size 44 (extra small or size 0). Health clubs, beauty clinics, dieting salons are abundant. It is even propagated by the entertainment media where most young singers and actresses are of that size.
There was also a recent article (Korea Times) about women job applicants, who spend some years before their actual application, recovering from surgery and making sure that they look good for that day. Beauty is considered one of the qualifications for a job. The writer asked the government to abolish the said discrimination and move beyond the looks aspect. Apparently most companies base their hiring on that. If they look good in person, they can get a second interview.
But looks are not the only reason for cosmetic surgery. Marriage, getting a husband is also a factor in a woman’s decision to go under the knife. It’s been said that a woman needs to be acceptable to her future husband (physically), while a man needs only to be financially ready.
CNN even had a feature on cosmetic surgery here in Seoul. Almost a third of the women population go under the knife to have eyelid surgery so their eyes would look bigger. Second most popular is rhinoplasty. I think their natural nose is beautiful enough but they go for perfection. The nose had to be in perfect size and shape.
Try going to a sauna here and you’ll see them without make-up. I have met few women who live in my neighborhood but failed to recognize them because they looked so different without the make-up.
Another thing I noticed here are the ads on TV. Most of the ads feature beautiful, skinny Korean women. Be it a car, insurance, appliances, or anything. One time when I was bored, I tried counting how many of the TV ads consisted of women. It was women after women so I just gave up (realized it was a waste of time... hehehe...).
I might never understand their obsession with beauty and for sure I will not agree with them. I guess all I can do is watch from a distance the society I belong to now.

Ko-Sian

2006-12-05T13:57:00.001+09:00

The term is slang for Korean-Asian. Children who are born with Korean (usually father) and Asian (mother) union. Top on the Asian list are Chinese followed by Vietnamese, Thai and Philippines. These are women who marry Korean guys after they applied or recruited at a dating service agency in their native country.
Discrimination against foreigners has long been happening in this country. With the now growing number of children born in inter-marriages, Koreans suddenly, in my opinion, don’t know how to react. Should they continue with the discrimination or be more open about it?
There are banners here where I can see every time we drive by on our way to the discount store. It advertises “Vietnamese bride here, get your own”. They’re being peddled as objects not as humans. It sickens me to see that banner every time and I always wonder why the government allows it.
There are, of course, those kind-hearted Koreans who open their views on this issue. When it comes to children, the issue becomes sensitive. I have a daughter who was teased and treated differently at first because of her skin color. My son gets teased when his friends saw me with him. They’ll say, “Hey, you have a foreign mom” with a tone that says it’s not normal. (My son came up with a cute way to answer them saying, “at least my mom’s the prettiest”).
There is documentary program/show that airs weekly on TV that focuses on this. It shows the inter-unions and their daily lives. That’s where you’ll get insight of how children feel about being half-and-half. It also tells the struggle we foreigners have to face in our daily lives here in Korea.
There are also good situations that come from it. In one farming community in the outskirts of Seoul, a Vietnamese woman becomes the head of the village when she was elected unanimously by the people there. They’re almost all old people and the idea of a younger generation leading them regardless of race seems good to them. There are also those who become famous because they’re of a different race. In my opinion though, the bad still outnumbers the good events.
The government can’t be chastised for doing nothing because they just recently launched a program for us. There are now hot lines where you can call and speak your native language if you do not know how to speak Korean (happens a lot). There are also support groups you can attend where you can meet others. They also offer free consultations, free counseling and others.
Still, how can they help anyone who needs the most help, those women who were recruited to be married and work in farms? They replace the Korean women who won’t do the manual labor in farms and rather be working in the city. Most of these foreign wives are physically and emotionally drained. Waking up very early in the morning, working hard labor in fields with their mother-in-law constantly talking to them in language they do not know. There are kids studying while being teased in a school where they’re color is an issue.
In another TV program here dealing with abuse, there are several cases of wife calling for help and nobody could understand her. It goes on until one neighbor can’t tolerate the noise and called the program. That’s when they realized what was happening.
What is really happening here is understated. I do think the Korean government should do more especially to the women in the farming villages.
Koreans need to be more tolerant and be sensitive to the children and their foreigner parent. But then again, Koreans are a stubborn nation and needs more than a blog for them to hear what needs to be done.