Thursday, March 9, 2006

Gone Trekking


21 comments:

Dave Llorito said...

DJB: after weeks of frenetic blogging, now you are embarking on a trek! you have a blessed life djb. enjoy.

Unknown said...

DJB,

Good on you, DJB - how fabulous!

Family would've liked to go to a beach resort in western Philippines at Easter but no travel agency is offering a package to RP - considerend no man's land by lots of western countries because of govt travel advisories, well, on account of what is happening in RP.

When a travel advisory is issued against a nation, no insurance co. would underwrite your travel there unless you pay a bomb; when you have a family with young kids or teen-age kids, you really want a comprehensive travel insurance but when that is not forthcoming, you feel vulnerable so there goes our Philippine travel plans. (Mebbe, it's all for the best coz Gloria's police or pseudo police will have tagged me already and I don't particularly relish being arrested/spending a night in one of 'em pinoy jails - hehehe!)

Anyway, am going to watch 2 rugby matches this weekend: On Saturday, the All Royal Navy Rugby Team (UK) v All French Navy Rugby team at Colombe and on Sunday, Europe's 6-nation Rugby Cup Championship in Parc des Princes, Paris pitting France v England.

(European rugby is different from American football - European players don't wear exterior protections at all and there's more of scrum and tries.)

It's the family's all rugby weekend (my 3 boys are keen rugby players and completely mad about rugby).

Have fun trekking DJB!

Anonymous said...

DJB,

If you were 18 on 1972, then you are 17 years my senior....Wow to think at my age I think I am too tired to go on trekking!

Enjoy DJB,
If you go away for a week like Ellen...cguro aabot nga ng 200 ang posts dito..

wala namang sana na nuissance post tulad ng mga dinelete nya doon.

john marzan said...

sino yan? si indiana jones?

Unknown said...

Hi BFR,

You know, come to think of it...when you said that the internet, the blogosphere and other media of communicating have allowed people to let off steam - you pointed to probably the main reason why there's less physical "agitations" in the street against Gloria.

People protest through the blogosphere instead of going to the streets.

The new, accessible media have made people "a bit lazier". Unlike during the time of Marcos, Cory, even during Erap's time when people trooped easily to the streets to voice dissent.

People don't even write letters by hand anymore. Gone are the times when we used to draft letters in our best handwriting; gone are the days when we would send greeting cards by mail.

I suspect the electronic mail is making us all a bit laid-back. The young don't even have to make the effort to write their essays by hand or edit them singlehandedly.

The net has made truly things easier for people to communicate because of the speed element. But is the desired effect as effective particularly in these trying and volatile times in the Philippines? I don't know...

Unknown said...

DJB,

Hope you had a good trek. Am off on my rugby watch weekend with the three boys (4 including Daddy).

Menwhile, when you come back, do check the writings of Plaridel C Garcia, Commodore AFP (Ret) courtesy of Karl.

“A corrupt society has no place for a military with honor. A military without honor is only good as bouncers of a corrupted power over the political economy.” - Plaridel “Garec” C Garcia, PMA Class of ‘59

http://garciakarl.blogspot.com/
Monday, March 06, 2006
ROMANCING MILITARY HONOR
Plaridel C. Garcia ‘59

john marzan said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
john marzan said...

You know, come to think of it...when you said that the internet, the blogosphere and other media of communicating have allowed people to let off steam - you pointed to probably the main reason why there's less physical "agitations" in the street against Gloria.

People protest through the blogosphere instead of going to the streets.

The new, accessible media have made people "a bit lazier". Unlike during the time of Marcos, Cory, even during Erap's time when people trooped easily to the streets to voice dissent.


it's tough to know if people now are a "bit lazier"... maybe Arroyo's aggressive effort to disperse rallies via CPR may have something to do with that.

I believe this admin is implementing the same violent policy the Middle East dictatorships have in dispersing rallies, that's why these dictatorships and theocracies were able to last this long... tignan nyo yung ginagawa ng Iranian gov't sa mga Iranian student protesters nila, bugbog sarado... and most of the iranian population are anti-Mullahs and against it's current gov't, pero hindi sila makapalag...

john marzan said...

Sabi ni Hillblogger:

You know, come to think of it...when you said that the internet, the blogosphere and other media of communicating have allowed people to let off steam - you pointed to probably the main reason why there's less physical "agitations" in the street against Gloria.

People protest through the blogosphere instead of going to the streets.

The new, accessible media have made people "a bit lazier". Unlike during the time of Marcos, Cory, even during Erap's time when people trooped easily to the streets to voice dissent.

it's tough to know if people now are a "bit lazier"... maybe Arroyo's aggressive effort to disperse rallies via CPR may have something to do with that.

I believe this admin is implementing the same violent policy the Middle East dictatorships have in dispersing rallies, that's why these dictatorships and theocracies were able to last this long... tignan nyo yung ginagawa ng Iranian gov't sa mga Iranian student protesters nila, bugbog sarado... and most of the iranian population are anti-Mullahs and against it's current gov't, pero hindi sila makapalag...

but you know what hillblogger, even our ability to protest on the net and expose this admin illegitimacy and corruption may change soon with the introduction of Internet Censorship in the Philippines.

First, the admin uses CPR to prevent us from holding anti-Arroyo rallies in the streets.

then, their next step was to harass and threaten the critical media into submission.

After that, the next logical move for this admin I believe is to control our Internets.

They say they're doing this to censor online porn raw. But I don't trust these admin senators, especially Bong Revilla. Next thing you know, pati yung mga political websites na critical sa ARroyo admin ay bina-ban na rin because they're "inciting to sedition" raw or a "national security risk".

And then next thing you know, we've become China:

Although the campaigns mainly target sites that contain sex and violence, those with sensitive religious and political content are also often banned.

The Chinese government announced revised Internet rules in September that require Internet operators to re-register their news sites and police them for content that can "endanger state security" and "social order."

Any content that "harms national security, reveals state secrets, subverts political power, (and) undermines national unity" is also banned.

The regulations further prohibit posts that "instigate illegal gatherings, formation of associations, marches, demonstrations or disturb social order."

Rebecca McKinnon writes that in China, The Internet is forbidden from inciting illegal protests.

China's latest efforts to control online news are being sold to the Chinese public by the Chinese media as an effort to protect innocent citizens from swindlers, pornographers, and rumor-mongerers. But everybody in China I've been communicating with over the past 12 hours thinks the real reason has to do with fear of the kind of thing depicted in the picture on the above right: smartmobs. This picture was taken by a blogger during the anti-Japanese protests (which occasionally turned into riots) last spring. The protests sprang up in true smartmob-fashion, mobilized by people on internet bulletin boards, mobile phone text messaging (SMS) and e-mail. (Thanks to Chris Myrick of Asiapundit for permission to use the picture.)

In case this interpretation is in any doubt, the expat blogger Danwei points out an interesting factoid:

"Today, The Beijing News dutifully reports on new regulations to control the internet, saying that the incitement of demonstrations on websites will now be banned. Juxtaposed with the story, however, is an admiring photograph depicting the thousands of anti-war protestors gathered in Washington on Sunday. We like to think that the irony was conscious."

Admiring? Or terrified? Clearly the authorities are connecting the need to prevent political protests and spontaneous activism with the need to tighten controls over online information. The headline reads: "The Internet is forbidden from inciting illegal protests."

Chinese news reports make it clear that the regulations include internet bulletin boards (BBS, as they're known in China) and SMS mobile text messaging. Should the regime be nervous about these technologies? You bet. After all, just a short flight away from Beijing in Seoul, South Korea sits a President who was elected thanks to a grassroots youth political movement galvanized by the online citizens' media news site OhMyNews, but which couldn't have been successful without the mobilizing power or chatrooms and SMS text messaging.

Anonymous said...

ako tinanong sa blog ni Ricky
ng someone named Norie...

If you are anti GMA,why do you shy away from rallies and how would you think the situation will be resolved...

me sagot ako pero di ko lang alam kung acceptable sa kanya...
at isa pa...ang di ko paglabas ay di nama nangangahulugan that I am indifferent and apathetic

john marzan said...

BFRonquillo:Will they DARE do it? Or is the right question can it be done?

The Chinese Communist Party has not been able to control the internet perfectly, but well enough...

Will google philippines collaborate with this admin too?


Karl:If you are anti GMA,why do you shy away from rallies and how would you think the situation will be resolved...

me sagot ako pero di ko lang alam kung acceptable sa kanya...
at isa pa...ang di ko paglabas ay di nama nangangahulugan that I am indifferent and apathetic


so why do you shy away from rallies, karl?

Anonymous said...

Mr. Marzan,

Di ko alam kung acceptable din sa iyo ito....

Tayo ay may kanya kanyang role dito..sa tingin ko naman madaming paraan para paalisin si GMA..

Kung ang role ko ay sa blogging maging ang punto ay galing sa akin o sa mga sinulat noon ng aking ama,sa tingin ko tama na muna yon..

pasensya napo Mr. John Marzan kung di nyo nagustuhan ang sagot ko.

pero wag naman sana dumating sa punto na icensor nila ang internet..

sa tingin ko naman di ito makakapasa sa bicam kungsaka sakali.

john marzan said...

Di ko alam kung acceptable din sa iyo ito....

Tayo ay may kanya kanyang role dito..sa tingin ko naman madaming paraan para paalisin si GMA..

Kung ang role ko ay sa blogging maging ang punto ay galing sa akin o sa mga sinulat noon ng aking ama,sa tingin ko tama na muna yon..

pasensya napo Mr. John Marzan kung di nyo nagustuhan ang sagot ko.


why do you assume na hindi ko magugustuhan ang sagot mo, karl? for me, as long as you're asking for GMA to do the right thing and resign instead of calling for us to "move on" na, i'm okay with that.

pero wag naman sana dumating sa punto na icensor nila ang internet..

sa tingin ko naman di ito makakapasa sa bicam kungsaka sakali


maybe "censorship" is a strong word. how about "regulate"?

and who says anything about kailangan pang pumasa yan sa Kongreso? GMA can do whatever she wants, remember? lalo na if she invokes "national security" as the reason for taking this drastic action or label some BBS or blogs as "inciting illegal protests".

tignan nyo yung reasoning ng china for regulating the internet content:

Any content that "harms national security, reveals state secrets, subverts political power, (and) undermines national unity" is also banned...

Today, The Beijing News dutifully reports on new regulations to control the internet, saying that the incitement of demonstrations on websites will now be banned...


She can always issue Executive Orders, Proclamations and decrees to bypass the senate...

but if the admin is smart, it will wait for a few more months for the furor over proc 1017 to die down before sen. revilla and villar unveils it's internet regulation bill...

john marzan said...

Rather, I believe that they have not gone out to the streets because they cannot accept the people making the call. You see, it should be someone who they can consider one of them and who can catch their imagination, someone the poor would be willing to die for

one thing i know for sure is that we're not going to attract much support from the masses by doing gimmicks like "people power lunches" with them. LOL.

Anonymous said...

Hello Mr. Marzan,

Thanks for your feed back and sorry for assuming anything...

john marzan said...

question karl, anong sa opinyon mo ang mas tamang gawin ng mga military dissenters?

resign first, so that they will be free to question the legitimacy of the arroyo admin?

or don't resign, but go to the senate and testify against electoral fraud, even if they risk a court martial for disobeying EO 464.

Anonymous said...

Mahaba ito....
I am not speaking for all military brats here....so if there is any other brat there kindly speak up too...

Kung kabuahyan ang pinag usapan napaka hirap na tanung yan....

I used to live in BNS and at times me nakakausap akong bagong recruit ng marines dahil maaring nakasabay ko ito sa pag pagupit ng buhok o sa pagturo ng direction papunta sa Marines....me mga natanong ako kung di sila takot sa Basilan dahil nga nung panahon na yon kakatapos lang ng Basialn massacre..

Karamihan sa kanila ang sagot bahala na po ang iniisip nila yung ngayon at hindi bukas....kailangan ng pamilya nila ng pera at kesa mag ibang bansa daw sila dito na lang...
Sa PMA ganyan din..mas maraming mahirap ngayon kesa let us say 40 years ago....sa UP baliktad mas maraming mayaman ngayon kesa noon...Pag retiro ng marami kong kilalang retiradong heneral wala
silang matirhan kaya dun na lang sa quarters nila..pano tuloy ang mga mas bata....
OO meron ding heneral na retirado na tatlo tatlo bahay pero di lahat ganun..

Mahirap yang sinasabi ni DJB na resign en masse pag inisip nila kung ano mangyari pagtapos nuon...

Alam pa din nila kung bakit sila nag sundalo kahit na maari silang maamtay sa MIndanao o kung saan man..

Di ganun kasimple ang sagot sa simpleng tanong mo MR. Marzan

madami pang iisipin.ngayon,bukas at kung ano pa..di lang ang patalsikin ang gloria na yan...

pano pag napatalsik na ano na ngayon..papareinstate ba sila
hindi pwede..

EO464..sagot ..Gudani relieved with just weeks before retirement...risked retirement benefits
Balutan...hindi sya nag resign

john marzan said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
john marzan said...

Mahirap yang sinasabi ni DJB na resign en masse pag inisip nila kung ano mangyari pagtapos nuon...

I don't agree with DJB too about his suggestion na mag resign en masse ang mga military dissenters. They don't need to. Gudani, Balutan and Capt. Mendoza have already done their part in exposing GLORIAGATE.

All it takes is one more honest soldier at this point, to come out and spill it all.

And he will symbolize the voice of dissent of the soldiers over how the 2004 elections was rigged. He will be the guy who risked it all to tell the truth. He will symbolize integrity, courage and truthtelling... and help clean up the tarnished image of the military for it's role in the 2004 GLORIAGATE scandal. He'd be like the Cindy Sheehan for the GMA resign movement.

I know what you're talking about, karl. Ito ang pinost ko sa blog ko:

The criticism that i've read from some about "the resignation idea" for the whistleblower is that bakit raw sila ang magre-resign, eh wala naman silang ginawang mali. Dapat raw si Arroyo ang mag-resign. Good point yan.

I know there are many honest officers in the military, and they worked hard to get where they are. It is true na isang sacrifice ang ginagawa nila when they resign for something na wala naman silang kasalanan.

Pero in my opinion, all it takes is one really at this point, to come out and spill it all. Gudani, Balutan and Mendoza have already done their part.

At kung may resignation na mangyayari from the military over GLORIAGATE, let the media know about it. Pag-usapan nyo kung sino ang magre-resign. I prefer to see somebody who is highly decorated, and well respected in the AFP, para mas mahirap siraan ng arroyo admin sila.

john marzan said...

testing

Unknown said...

If we could just find 10 honorable officers and men from each AFP major service command to comply with their oath and the AFP Code of Ethics, there is no doubt that the Philippine Republic will be saved from utter desolation and unecessary destruction.