Chiaroscuro... from YOUNGBLOOD of INQ7.net

YOUNGBLOOD
Chiaroscuro
By Mark Anthony P. Canios
Inquirer
Last updated 01:22am (Mla time) 11/16/2006

Published on Page A10 of the November 16, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

CHIAROSCURO is derived from the Italian words for clear or light ("chiaro") and for obscure or dark ("oscuro"). And this artsy term aptly describes my experience with a Manila choir. The word came to me as I struggled to put together a two- to three-sentence testimonial that each choir member had to produce for the souvenir program of a series of farewell concerts. The interplay of light and shadow stayed with me for some time and eventually brought me back to where I had started with the group.

I was a wide-eyed, naïve chorister from the province, a neophyte, when I decided to enter the Manila choral scene. What pulled me toward the choir was a deep, spiritual experience I had during one of the group's concerts a couple of years ago. The melodious strains and uplifting lyrics of Twila Paris' "How Beautiful" had a great effect on me. I can still remember feeling the warm flow of tears down my cheeks. The music and the words touched me to the core. And after the concert, I told myself I had to be part of the choir.

When I learned that auditions were being conducted for tenors and basses, I mustered all the strength to show up. I sang "Madaling Araw" as my audition piece.

It was my first meeting with the maestro himself. He was encouraging, I should say. When I had a hard time reaching the high notes, he taught me a technique that has helped me to this day.

When I passed the auditions, I was very happy. Yet I knew that it was just the beginning. Passing the auditions was one thing, staying in the choir was another thing. I had a "loving struggle" with the musical, choral texts set by different composers. A poor sight-reader, I could hardly sing. I would listen wide-eyed as the other choir members attacked the notes and hit them right.

After rehearsals, I would try to play various parts, to no avail. Still I couldn't quit. It was only the start, I assured myself.

The challenge of being part of a chorale, as my experience proved, goes beyond creating music. Soon after joining the choir, I started feeling other members' nastiness. But I told myself that I should not let their unkind comments weigh my spirit down, but instead I should learn to take their criticism in a positive light. Still, I couldn't help but be affected by their words sometimes.

There were times when the tension seemed so unbearable that I thought of quitting. Then I had to drag myself to the rehearsals. Fear of being caught unprepared would sometimes make me consider not showing up at all. Finding alibis seemed quite easy, but I chose to carry on.

It was only when I came to terms with my limitations as a musician and doing something about them that things started to clear up. Little by little, I emerged from the darkness but there were other things I had to overcome. I had to push myself to learn, study the pieces and master the art of listening, really listening, not only to myself but to the group as well. I had to deal with comments constructively and value them.

As I dealt with my limitations as a musician, the more I opened myself to others. In the past, I would feel some anxiety whenever I had to talk to other members of the group. And I would immediately go home after the rehearsals, thus missing the chance to interact with the other members. And I felt quite isolated. In my frame of mind, music was my only motivation for staying and nothing else. I couldn't imagine myself knowing the other members of our choir and getting close to them.

But when I opened myself to the others, I started to see each member in a different light. I found out each one's quirks, but it did not keep me from getting to know him better and letting him know who I was.

It wasn't easy. I had to take a leap of courage. I had to struggle to be free from the limitedness of my music and the insecurities that I had built like walls around me.

Right now, the choir that I am proud to be part of is on a European Tour. For the first time, our choir will compete in Tolosa, Spain.

It is also my first time to be on a musical tour. And the pressure has been building quickly.

Although this is my own personal account, I know that many members of the choir have a similar story. I know I am not alone because I share the Light with them and it is this Light that binds us together. It is through that Light, I believe, that the group was formed. It is the same Light that binds my music and my spirituality with those of the rest of our group. And our spirituality has been shaped by the Light through music.

Mark Anthony P. Canios, 24, teaches philosophy and theology at Miriam College.

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Some Thoughts

A great note for all to read. It will take just 37 seconds to read
this and change your thinking.
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One
man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to
help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's
only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his
back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and
families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military
service, where they had been on vacation. Every afternoon when the
man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by
describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the
window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods
where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity
and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a
lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children
sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst
flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be
seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail,
the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and
imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the
window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't
hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman
by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring
water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by
the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened
and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as
it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next
to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after
making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly,
painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look
at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the
window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse
what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described
such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that
the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps
he just wanted to encourage you."
Epilogue: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy,
despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but
happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just
count all the things you have that money can't buy.
"Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present."
The origin of this letter is unknown, but it brings good luck to
everyone who passes it on. Do not keep this letter. Do not send
money. Just forward it to your friends to whom you wish good luck.
You will see that something good happens to you four days from today.
People will forget what you said...
People would forget what you did...
But people will never forget how you made them
feel...

---

Want to start your own business? Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business.

Google offers personal searches... thanks to BBC.co.uk

A bespoke search engine that can be included on people's websites or
blogs is the latest offering from Google.

Google Custom Search Engine, as the tool is known, allows users to
choose which webpages to search.

Users can also customise the look of results, how web content is
prioritised or add paying adverts to the results.

Groups using the program include climate science site RealClimate.org
that searches a subset of the web it believes is scientifically
credible.

Focused search

"RealClimate.org is a site that tries to give credible expert opinion
on the science of climate change," said Dr Gavin Schmidt, a climate
modeller at the Nasa Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York
and a member of the organisation.

"Unfortunately, since this topical subject has become rather
politicised, the quality of information available on the web is very
variable."

We want to make it easy for anyone to create a search engine about all
of their favourite topics
Marissa Mayer
Google

The custom engine on the organisation's website only searches pages
that have been scrutinised by climate scientists and are deemed to
provide "solid and reliable information".

"Hopefully, it will allow users to get to the good stuff faster,
without some of the confusion that currently occurs," said Dr Schmidt.

Users wanting to make use of the tool log on to a Google "Co-op" page
where they can specify a list of websites to search.

The search engine can be set up to search the entire web but emphasise
the chosen sites, or search only the specified pages.

The custom application can also be used to create a search engine that
just focuses on a person's own site.

Cashing in

Users can also specify whether or not the tool uses the Google AdSense
program to generate advertisements from search terms.

Advertisers pay Google every time someone clicks on these adverts.

In turn, users who choose to use Adsense on their custom search
engines will also receive a "portion" of the amount paid to Google.

Organisations like RealClimate.org for example do not use Adsense.

The search engine does not disclose the exact amount users will
receive. However if an "earned balance" is less than $10 (£5) Google
will not pay up.

Early adopters of the application include dedicated Apple magazine
Macworld and JumpUp.com that provides resources for small businesses.

"We want to make it easy for anyone to create a search engine about
all of their favourite topics," said Marissa Mayer, vice president of
search products and user experience at Google.

Future shock... from YOUNGBLOOD of INQ7.net

By Maria Pauline V. Apilado
Inquirer
Last updated 00:46am (Mla time) 11/11/2006

Published on Page A15 of the November 11, 2006 issue of the Philippine
Daily Inquirer

IT'S three o' clock in the morning, and I suddenly wake up with all
the answers to our country's ills. They're not your typical run-of
the-mill remedies. In fact, they're more like several doses of shock
therapy, so brace yourself for my prescription.

Strolling in the halls of my alma mater a couple of days ago, I
noticed how almost every student seemed to dress like a regular
fashion model -- tops, bottoms, belts, lunch boxes, you name it. Then
it hit me: I had found the solution to the city's "billboard crisis"
in the aftermath of typhoon "Milenyo" as well as the declining quality
of education in the country. Why not have all fashion designers' and
retailers' new merchandise showcased in elementary and high schools
and especially on college campuses? That way, the designers will save
on advertising cost and have their goods displayed in public even as
young people feel the need to actually go to school to see the latest
fashion. Anyway, in most industrialized countries nowadays,
educational institutions have become the new haven of big-name fashion
houses and advertisers.

And where should educators send schoolchildren for their annual field
trip? Oh, that's a no-brainer, I tell you. I was on my first visit to
the largest mall in the country, when I saw pint-sized, primary school
kids being herded into neat, little lines by their teachers, parents
and guardians. How inspired that idea was to adopt counting how many
branches of the same fast-food restaurant can be found inside the
mall, analyzing its design schemes and navigating one's way through
its numerous stores as lessons in mathematics, art and geography. The
people who run our museums or manage our educational and cultural
heritage sites will have to be a little more imaginative and
market-savvy to retain their share of young visitors. Otherwise,
shopping malls are going to be the only places that shape and
challenge the minds of our young people.

How do we solve our unemployment problem? We will have a win-win
situation if we hire unemployed people as traffic aides. With
megaphones and in uniform, they will have the exclusive responsibility
of guiding pedestrians and reminding us of traffic rules and signs we
don't read anyway. The rest we can always employ as street sweepers
and assign to every street in the metropolis. That way, their presence
will be a constant reminder of how lazy we are to just be throwing
candy wrappers, fruit peelings and junk-food bags on the streets
instead of into the nearest trash bin.

How can we drastically reduce traffic in our key cities? One, city
folk can work on rotating shifts, like the workers in our call centers
do. Two, our lawmakers should pass legislation outlawing those bulky
SUVs and luxury vehicles and encouraging the use of that ubiquitous
Italian mode of transportation: the lithe and compact two-wheeled
Vespa. Small wheels fit small streets nicely, don't you think?

Oh, and the authorities should look into the possibility of
permanently assigning bus and cab drivers to drive the Metro Rail
Transit trains. Then these drivers from hell might learn not to cut
into another lane suddenly, not to pass other vehicles on the right
lane, not to make sudden stops and turns as an added bonanza to the
privilege of driving the fastest hot rod in Metro Manila.

Finally, what do we do with our government? Simple: Let life imitate
art. Reality TV shows are the way to go. Since everyone wants to have
his 15 minutes of fame, actor-wannabes should be in government so they
can have all the interviews, debates, sound bites and scandals they
want. The thing is, since we take pride in our country being a
democracy, we dutiful Filipino citizens will have to boot out of
office those who don't do their jobs well. We've had a lot of practice
before, anyway.

"A personal perception of too much change in too short a period of
time" is how sociologist and futurologist Alan Toffler describes
"future shock" in his controversial 1970 book of the same title. Isn't
that better than not getting anything done because of our so-called
"mañana habit" of delaying action until the very last minute?

For me, crazy times call for crazy measures. Now, let me go back to sleep.

Maria Pauline V. Apilado, 28, is a freelance writer.

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

DOJ: Atong Ang is talking... thanks to INQ7.net

Disclosures may reopen Kuratong, Bentain cases

By Leila Salaverria, Volt Contreras, Margaux Ortiz
Inquirer
Last updated 02:19am (Mla time) 11/11/2006

Published on page A1 of the November 11, 2006 issue of the Philippine
Daily Inquirer

BEYOND the reach of Philippine law for nearly six years, deposed
President Joseph Estrada's gambling buddy, Charlie "Atong" Ang, came
home yesterday to a security welcome rarely, if ever, accorded a
returning fugitive.

Ang is a co-accused in the P4-billion plunder case against ousted
President Joseph Estrada.

Flying business class but ostensibly in handcuffs, Ang was met at the
airport by about 50 heavily armed agents of the National Bureau of
Investigation and whisked off in a convoy of 12 numbered and tinted
cars. His vehicle—a bulletproof white Nissan Patrol—was sandwiched
between two other cars supposedly to ward off attacks on him.

The unusual security cover Ang received stirred speculation that the
Arroyo administration had entered into a deal with him to pin down
some politicians but this was promptly squelched by Justice Secretary
Raul Gonzalez.

Gonzalez said Ang had disclosed information on the Bentain
disappearance and the Kuratong Baleleng rubout cases, and that he
mentioned the names of incumbent politicians in the process.

He said this might lead to the reopening of the two sensational
cases—dealing with the alleged killing in 1995 of 11 captured members
of the Kuratong Baleleng crime gang and the 1999 disappearance of
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) camera operator Edgar
Bentain.

Validation of Ang's statements could lead to the two cases being
reopened, Gonzalez said.

Bulletproof vests

Given what Ang supposedly knows, the death threats against him could
be considered "serious," he said.

Gonzalez said the possibility of Ang turning state witness in the
Estrada plunder case was unlikely given that the prosecution and the
defense in Estrada's case had already rested.

"There is no deal with him ... no trade-off whatsoever," Gonzalez told
the Inquirer, when asked if Ang's willingness to talk was in exchange
for light treatment on his plunder case.

Gonzalez met with Ang at the Department of Justice. Ang was presented
to the media but chose not to speak.

Like some of the agents who secured him on his arrival, Ang wore a
bulletproof vest. At least, he was made to wear one the moment he
stepped into the passenger corridor at the airport.

"He was even smiling. He didn't look worried at all," said retired
Gen. Angel Atutubo, assistant general manager at the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport and one of the ranking officials who saw Ang
emerge from the cabin of Philippine Airlines Flight 103.

Gambling consultant

Ang, who was not accompanied by any family member, was the most highly
publicized fugitive to be extradited by the United States to the
Philippines since the two countries signed an extradition treaty in
1994. An NBI official said "many others" had been extradited before
Ang, including those wanted here for murder.

Ang mainly figured in the controversies that led to Estrada's downfall
when Estrada appointed him "consultant" on state-sponsored gambling.

Following Estrada's ouster in January 2001, Ang was charged as one of
Estrada's alleged coconspirators in running a payola racket from the
illegal numbers game "jueteng" and in laundering for Estrada P130
million from tobacco excise taxes.

But his image as the most favored Estrada crony was reinforced before
the latter won the presidency in 1998: During the campaign season, a
security video footage surfaced in the press showing the two men
gambling at a local hotel casino.

Confirmation needed

Ang flew to the United States in 2001 after Estrada's ouster, but was
arrested in Nevada after the Philippines filed a plunder case against
him and sought his extradition.

Gonzalez said he asked Ang about the unsolved murder cases because of
the latter's ties to the Estrada administration.

"Considering his personality, considering his relationships in the
past administration, it is relevant to ask him what he knows about
certain things," he said.

He said the information Ang gave could be important if confirmed,
although it might not necessarily be the key to solving the Bentain
and Kuratong Baleleng cases.

He also said Ang was willing to give an affidavit regarding the two cases.

Bentain went missing in 1999 after being tagged as the source of a
videotape that showed Ang and Estrada gambling, and has not been found
up to now.

The Kuratong Baleleng case involved the killing of gang members after
police took custody of them.

"I don't think (Ang is) necessarily the key, but certainly in order to
have a breakthrough of the case, whatever his knowledge will be, if
corroborated by people whom he claims he knows, that would be very
valuable," Gonzalez told reporters.

He said Ang mentioned the names of incumbent politicians but Gonzalez
would not say who they were.

Asked in what context the politicians' names came up, Gonzalez said:
"I don't want to mention that. Let's wait for further developments."

"I am still analyzing his statements on those cases. We have to
analyze it because if they are not authenticated, we might burn
ourselves. If they are validated, we have to act accordingly,"
Gonzalez said.

No effect on plunder case

Gonzalez would not comment when asked if Estrada or Sen. Panfilo
Lacson were mentioned by Ang regarding the Bentain and Kuratong
Baleleng cases.

Lacson was initially implicated in the Kuratong Baleleng members'
killings, which happened when he headed the Task Force Habagat of the
Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, but he was cleared by a Quezon
City court.

Estrada headed the PACC then.

Lacson was also dragged into the Bentain disappearance by Angelo
"Ador" Mawanay, who claimed Lacson ordered the Pagcor employee
liquidated for releasing the videotape of Ang and Estrada. Mawanay
later retracted his statement.

"The fact that it came from Gonzalez makes it worthless to comment
on," Lacson said in a text message last night, reacting to the justice
secretary's remarks to media. "I will appreciate it better if Gonzalez
would state what he is up to."

Gonzalez also said that Ang's statement on the two murder cases would
not affect his plunder case, which will continue.

He said the government was not open to a compromise on the plunder
case in exchange for information on the two other cases, and Ang did
not ask for it, either.

He said Ang's testimony on plunder could be used if Estrada's case was
reopened and if his testimony could be considered "newly discovered
evidence."

Detained at NBI

Ang prefers to be detained at the NBI, Gonzalez said.

"I think they (the death threats on Ang) are serious considering the
circumstances of all the information he has been giving on other
matters, not necessarily on the issue of the plunder case but on other
cases that are still sleeping here," he said.

Ang received stringent security measures on his arrival at about 5:55
a.m. His NBI escorts at the DOJ were all heavily armed, some carrying
M-16 rifles and wearing bullet-proof vests.

The agents were at the airport as early as 4 a.m.

Aside from agents wearing NBI T-shirts, the bureau also deployed a
plainclothes agent who posed as a reporter and mingled with members of
the media at the airport. This was to protect Ang from those who
wanted to harm him who might be posing as members of the media,
according to a source.

Black jacket

On his arrival, agents covered with a black jacket what was assumed to
be his handcuffed wrists.

Even an extradited person like Ang is still "free" to choose any
airline seat he could afford, Atutubo said when asked if Ang's
business class seating was part of some arrangement with the NBI.

The first to exit the aircraft, Ang was whisked out of the Naia's
Centennial Terminal 2 about 15 minutes after his plane touched down.

With a report from TJ Burgonio

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Lost and found... from YOUNGBLOOD of INQ7.net

YOUNGBLOOD
Lost and found
By Jesse R. Santos
Inquirer
Last updated 01:12am (Mla time) 11/09/2006

Published on Page A11 of the November 9, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

I MET a good man today.

It looked like the beginning of another busy day. I was on my way to work in the Makati business district in a Tamaraw FX taxi van for the nth time. And once again I was unlucky to be seated in the most uncomfortable place, the middle seat and wedged between two other passengers to my left and another to my right. Where FX taxi drivers got the idea that they could squeeze any set of four people into that space still remains a mystery to me. But luckily this time, there was no wide-bodied passenger to share the spare with us.

To pass away idle time, I tried to take a nap and add a few more minutes to the short sleep I got the previous night. When I couldn't manage a wink, I read again some old text messages and answered some new ones. Then I looked at the trees felled by Typhoon "Milenyo" and the billboards it had thankfully removed from view to unveil the scenery. Every so often, I shifted my legs to relieve the tension and tried to stretch whatever parts
of my body the space allowed. After several minutes of trying to sleep, text messaging, sightseeing, stretching, looking at the time and whatever else I could do, I finally reached my destination.

I followed the lady to my right who was also getting off the taxi. I had not taken more than 20 steps when I heard somebody calling after me. The man was the last to get off the taxi van and he had my wallet. I thanked him profusely and then we were off again to our respective offices.

As I was going down one of Ayala Avenue's busy underpasses, I pondered over what had just happened. Any man who found himself in the same situation could have easily walked away with modest loot. I imagine that a typical "Makati yuppie" would have in his wallet anywhere between P500 and P5,000 in cash, an ATM card and a credit card. Given the lead-time, he could make at least one purchase and charge it to the credit card, and that is, assuming that the owner of the card was quick to report the loss instead of wasting time wondering if he had left his wallet at home or somewhere else.

After contemplating what could have been the finder's catch, I thought about what my predicament would have been had the gentleman not bothered to give me back my wallet. It's not that I haven't lost any wallet during my entire 28 years of existence. But while I have not been able to keep track of how many wallets I have lost, I can easily recall the number of cellular phones I have lost and at present, the count stands at 10.

However, the most expensive cell phone is not as indispensable as a wallet, I think. When one loses a phone, his biggest problem is not so much where to get the money to buy a replacement as getting again the phone numbers of your relatives, friends, associates and contacts. But when you drop your wallet, you lose all your identification cards -- office ID, driver's license, insurance cards, ATM and credit card – and the number of cards you have multiplies the time and money you will have to employ to get back everything. Aside from the unique problems and challenges each card poses, you could be forced to deal with some inconvenient surprises. Until now, for example, I am using a temporary paper driver's license issued by the Land Transportation Office, because to this day, they cannot find the plastic card that was supposed to have been available last April. You take a half-day off from work, travel under the scorching heat of the afternoon sun and then you get nothing for all your efforts.

Realizing that someone has saved me from going through all these mind-blowing ordeals gave me the idea of writing about the incident. This is my way of thanking him and to all the others who have acted in the same honest and helpful way. I know that what the kind gentleman did hardly compares with the act of someone who returns millions of pesos to the rightful owner, which is quickly picked up by the media. But I believe that small and simple acts of kindness and honesty should be hailed and made known to the public as well. Being righteous especially when nobody notices it is righteousness in its purest form, right?

Perhaps it is time we began to highlight stories that show people's real character and moral values. Even as our country gets to be constantly tagged as one of the world's most corrupt nations, we should hail as heroes those who, in their own simple ways, prove that the virtue of honesty is not dead.

Jesse Santos, 28, is a graduate of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, and works in a government corporation.

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Blogosphere sees healthy growth... thanks to BBC.co.uk

Blogosphere sees healthy growth

Chinese is third most popular language in blogosphere

The web's love affair with blogging shows no signs of abating according to the latest report from blog tracking firm Technorati.

Every day 100,000 new blogs are created and 1.3 million posts are made, it found during its quarterly survey.

Postings intensify around significant events such as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in the summer.

There has also been an increase in the number of blogs being written in the Farsi language.

Farsi - a Persian language spoken in Iran and Afghanistan - has moved into the top ten languages of the blogosphere for the first time.

The impact of these bloggers on our cultures and democracies is increasingly dramatic David Sifry Quick guide: blogging

"It indicates that blogging continues to play a critical role in debates about the important issues of our time" said David Sifry, the founder of Technorati.

Technorati is now tracking more than 57 million blogs, of which it believes around 55% are 'active' - updated at least every three months.

While the daily figure of 100,000 new weblogs is down on the 160,000 total from June 2006 it does not indicate a slowdown in growth rates.

It just means that more spamblogs or splogs - fake blogs used for promotion of affiliated websites - are being filtered out of the index.

Technorati ranks blogs depending on how many sites link to it. The blogging elite - weblogs which have more than 500 other blogs linking to them - number about 4,000.

Many of these blogs have been in existence for several years and tend to have new posts at least twice a day.

"Some of these are fully-fledged professional enterprises that post many, many times per day and behave increasingly like our friends in the mainstream media. The impact of these bloggers on our cultures and democracies is increasingly dramatic," said Mr Sifry.

English and Japanese remain the two most popular languages in the blogosphere. Despite problems for bloggers in China, Chinese remains at number three.