iknowimablacksheep

Nightfall

2009-10-15T08:06:00.001-07:00

It's hard for me to believe this science fiction short story. I mean, a planet that does not experience nightfall except once in every 2, 049 years? That's incredible! I can't imagine living on that planet. On our planet Earth, there is always a nightfall, which takes place when the sun sets at west. And that's the normal thing for us. We experience it everyday and we could not imagine if there's a sudden change on that routine.
However, in Nightfall, a story written by Isaac Asimov, there is a planet called Lagash which has six suns that keeps the whole planet continuously illuminated and total darkness is unknown. I wonder where that planet is or does it even exist? As far as we know, there is only one planet that is capable of life and that's Earth. However, there is a confusion to it because of the sightings of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) which only means that there is still life living on another planets. Anyways, that is not yet proven. It still remains as a mystery that we are still trying to find out. For now, I would say that the story is pure fiction.
When a group of scientists from Saro University begin to make a series of related discoveries that the planet would soon experience nightfall, they are afraid that the world would be destroyed in a darkness with the appearance of stars that unleash a torrent of fire. Since the people of Lagash has never experienced universal darkness, the scientists conclude that the darkness would result to worldwide panic and people would be traumatized and would go insane from fear and claustrophobia. When the nightfall occurs, the scientists and the rest of the planet are surprised by the sight of previously-invisible stars outside the six-star system filling the sky. And that's how the story ends.
The story also touched the Book of Revelations, in which we can read of how the Earth would end or what we call Armageddon. They are thinking that the nightfall is the way in which God would end the Earth. It is possible, isn't it? Anyways, I find the story interesting. As I was researching about this story, I have learned that this story gained several awards. It was even adapted into a novel and was a major motion picture on 1988. Thus, Isaac Asimov deserves a two-thumbs up for a fantastic story.

S1M0NE (Movie Review)

2009-10-12T01:04:00.000-07:00

People’s minds are really so advance. I have already read and watched several science fiction books and films. I could hardly believe some but I admit that they are fabulous. Like the sci-fi film shown to us in our IT 101 class entitled S1m0ne, I was really hooked by the movie. It is hard for me to believe it but I know soon, through humans’ great capacity of thinking, it could be possible. Technological advancement is continuous, so for now, let us think that everything is possible. As what Simone, the central character in the movie, said: “Never stop believing.”
Let me discuss something about the movie. Simone is Director Viktor Taransky's synthetic actress. She is a computer-generated woman, a feature of a program his friend Hank Aleno gives him. Taransky uses her in his movies and fortunately, she gives a fantastic performance. The whole world is really amazed by her. She becomes so famous and gains a lot of fans across the world. She even wins the Academy Award for Best Actress.
However, the problem comes; the world soon starts to ask if who Simone is. Taransky can’t show her in person, because she is not real. She just appears in interviews in the television but not live. Then, two people challenge him to showcase Simone live. Through a hologram, she appears on the stage, like a real, genuine person. This makes her more popular.
Nevertheless, the time comes that Taransky gets sick of maintaining his lies, gets sick of the attention Simone needs, and thus having to come up with the fake interviews and attend press conferences. So he decides to destroy her. He involves her in a zoophilia film entitled I Am Pig and makes her appear in an interview where she is so messy. But, his plans fail. People continue to love her. So he comes up with the last option: using a computer virus to erase the program.
Having accused that he killed Simone, Taransky is arrested and taken to the police station. There he admits that Simone is just a computer program, that she is not real. But they could hardly believe what he is saying. Fortunately, Taransky’s daughter discovers a virus floppy disk in the computer in his studio and revives Simone. He is then freed. The movie ends showing an interview of Simone with Taransky sitting on a sofa while Simone is holding her baby.
I think this movie would give an idea to the movie industries to make a program like Simulation One. But I think it would be unacceptable. What would happen to the movie actors and actresses? And of course it’s hard to idolize an imaginary person. Although we have favorite cartoon characters, real people are still incomparable.
Overall, this sci-fi film is awesome. I would give two thumbs up to it!

FIREWALL (Movie Review)

2009-08-28T01:57:00.000-07:00

I really get emotional everytime I watch a film that is about family. Family, really, is very important to all of us than anybody else. Our family is our first priority, and we will do all the things for it's betterment. We don't want to see any family member suffering. As much as we can, we will help him/her although we will risk our own life. We will conquer all the obstacles. We will endure all the pain. Just for the sake of our family. However, in our family's case, it's really opposite. Why? I will discuss it later.
The film Firewall is about a man whose family is in danger because of a person's greed for money. The protagonist Jack Stanfield use to have a contented life with a good job and a mirthful family. He is living happily with his loving wife Beth, and two children namely Sarah and Andy in a beautiful house. He is the Vice President of Security at Landrock Pacific Bank in downtown Seattle. Thus, he has everything that he could ever wish for.
However, his life changes because of a man named Bill Cox. Jack's family is being held hostage at their home by Cox's men. What Cox wants is to get $10,000 each from the bank's 10,000 largest depositors or $100 million total through Jack's cooperation. Jack's mind is in turmoil that time. He could not afford to do Cox's demand but his family's life is at stake. So, he decides to do what Cox tells him. Fortunately, he is able to get the money and send it to Cox's offshore accounts. When he returns home, Jack finds the house empty except for Liam, one of Cox's men that he then kills. Jack then searches his family through the help of his fired secretary Janet. At the end, he is able to outwit the antagonists and gets his family back.
Stanfield's family is really ideal especially it's head, the father, Jack. In the film, we can see he's tender love for his family. He could not afford to lose them. He does everything to save them although it means risking his own life. He even nearly died because of fighting with the enemies to save his wife and children. But, the good usually wins over evil. At the end, Jack becomes successful in getting his family back. That challenge in their life would make their family stronger. The walls of their home would become more impregnable that no one could ever destroyed it.
The film also reminds us that we should not easily trust a person, especially if he's a stranger. Like Bill Cox, who pretends to be a potential employer, but the truth is, he has a wicked plan for Jack and his family to attain his abominable goal. I really could not imagine why people could do to such evil things to their fellow people. We can choose to live a decorous life, why live that way? If money is the reason then we can get money in lots of right ways. However, this is a bitter reality that is remain unsolved.
After watching the film, I asked myself, “What if my father could watch the film? Would he realize that he has not been a good father to us for all these years? Would he change his self and be a commendable father to us finally?” However, I know, it would never happen. Our family is meant to be broken. The damaged has already been done and although the wounds would heal, the scars would remain forever.

ANTITRUST (Movie Review)

2009-08-04T01:44:00.000-07:00

The world’s technology is continuously improving. Every year, new state-of-the-art devices and gadgets are invented or improved. One example of these is the computer. Computers have changed our lives since they were first introduced. Computers can do lots of things that are very helpful to mankind --- instant communication all over the world, storage of vast amounts of information, processing huge amounts of data, and many more. However, some people do evil things just to attain these technological advancements.
As what I can see in the film ANTITRUST, people tend to be greedy just to achieve their personal interests. Killing innocent people for the code? That’s absurd! However, in the film, that’s what the NURV (Never Underestimate Radical Vision) company is doing. The company is developing a product named Synapse, a worldwide media distribution network. To fully accomplish it, they kill programmers around the world and steal the code they need.
The film’s main character is Milo Hoffman, who is a computer genius. He works with his friends at their software development company which is just located at a garage. They call it Skullbocks. However, when he accepted the deal of NURV’s CEO to work in the company despite his friends’ objection, his life begins to change. He lost a friend and he was trapped in the middle of a conspiracy. The film somewhat imparts that people should not be too ambitious because it could pull us down. We should be contented on the simple things we have in hand. We should not be blind by money, by an ideal working environment, or by great opportunities because we don’t know what‘s really behind those things. We should not also be perceived easily by what we think good-natured people because we don’t know that they are just hiding in a mask. Like what happened to Hoffman in the film, even his girlfriend Alice Poulson is part of the conspiracy. Her real name is Rebecca Paul, an ex-con appointed by the company to maneuver him.
The film has a happy ending. Hoffman and his companions outwitted the NURV. They were able to broadcast to the world the hidden truth of NURV’s operation and the code of the Synapse. Synapse then becomes an open source code. People all over the world could already download it. It’s a very nice thing. People could use the benefits of the Synapse without even a cent to pay. That is the message of the film. It widens the public's awareness and knowledge level of the accessibility of open-source software. Advancements in technology should be shared to the people for free.

My CWTS Experience

2009-03-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

Reminiscing my CWTS experiences from the start of the first semester until the end of the second semester; I can say that I somehow enjoyed it although I encountered several problems. “If you can’t come on time, be early…” goes the CWTS motto. Since my elementary years, I really had a hard time waking up early in the morning. I know it's abominable but I still haven't overcome that nature of mine until now. I guess, I'm still not a mature person like what my family or my friends tell me. It's as if I'm not taking life seriously and I just take things for granted. In other words, I'm a happy-go-lucky person. Anyways, I'm just sixteen years old. I'm still young to hold the earth in my hands. However, as what my father told me, it's not an excuse. At this early age, I should start disciplining myself. Life is not just a simple game that I could easily win. It is a battle --- I need to sacrifice tears, sweat and blood in order to conquer it.
I was late in attending CWTS sessions only once. It’s better. Although I was just five minutes late, Sir Colaba did not allow me to enter the classroom anymore. I felt bad that time, but I need to accept it. Anyways, it was really my fault. I did not wake up earlier that’s why I was late. Due to this, I and the other late comers were tasked to join the rover scout. Actually, I thought it would add to my burden but I rather enjoyed it! I like being a scout. During my elementary years, I involved myself in scouting because I enjoyed the camping and the games.
As far as I could remember, our rover scout started three in the afternoon and ended six in the morning the other day. It was really energy-consuming. There were lectures conducted by some members of the Boy Scout of the Philippines (BSP). There was a campfire also in which we had a presentation every group about certain topics. Our group’s topic was LUST. Fortunately, we had presented it well although it’s a sensitive topic. The activity that I liked most was the rover scout vigil especially the part when we wrote in a paper our heartaches and bad feelings towards a person. After writing, we were told to forgive that person and forget the past. Then, we burned the paper and we were instructed to keep the ashes as a remembrance. After that activity, I really felt good. I realized that resenting someone is an awful thing because it only makes your life miserable and as long as it is still in your heart, it will little by little consume and destroy you. You need to forgive and forget in order to live your life like the way you want.
During the first semester, what I enjoyed most was the session with the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC). I have learned a lot from the lectures and I also enjoyed the activities that we have done. It is indeed really important to serve our fellow people especially when they need help from us. We must not hesitate to lend helping hands during vulnerable situations to minimize the impact of the disasters. Just like the PNRC, for more or less sixty-two years of its existence, it still intends to help more people and dedicate itself to the service of humanity.
The activity that I liked most was when we were divided into groups and we were tasked to build our future Red Cross office through the materials that can be found in our surroundings. It really tested our creativity and strategy. Due to the lack of materials, our group came up to a rather funny office that our leader had a hard time in explaining. Nevertheless, the Red Cross still appreciated it because the important thing is we had tried our best to make a good office in the absence of reliable materials. We did not loose hope and give up. That’s the lesson behind that activity.
After the classroom sessions, we finally faced the true CWTS. The groups that we had formed since the first semester were assigned barangays where we will do our community service which was to recruit people that could be members of the Red Cross 143 volunteers. The volunteers will be trained by the Red Cross so that during disasters, the impact is not that worst because there are already people who could immediately respond to whoever needs help. It is really a great help to the Barangay San Isidro, the barangay where our group was assigned. When we started our task, we first approached the office of the barangay captain and asked for assistance. Then, we separated and entered houses to gather people for the Red Cross 143 volunteers. It was not easy to convince people but still at the end, we successfully finished our mission. When we came back to the barangay, Red Cross was already there with us. An orientation happened although just few of the people that we recruited are present. Anyways, the barangay captain said that he would inform those people that we recruited to attend the next orientation. After it, they thanked us for our accomplishment. At least, we have done a good thing that is not for ourselves, but for our fellow people.
My CWTS experiences really taught me several important things that could help me in improving myself. I think I lack self-discipline, commitment and determination. I admit that I don’t have self-discipline. I can’t do even just waking up early every morning. Yes, I wake up early sometimes but I can’t maintain it. I really need to improve. I should put in mind that I’m now a college student and my future relies in this stage. If I will not start disciplining myself now, when will I do it? I should start it now before it’s too late. Next, I can say that I lack commitment because in every work that I have, I seem not taking it seriously. I usually end up working on it when the deadline is almost approaching. I badly resort to cramming even if I know that it’s not good. Now, I should change it for the betterment of myself. I should be dedicated and committed in every work that I will do because it is for my own good. The last one is I don’t have determination. I guess it’s because I’m so pessimistic. I’m not determined to work on a thing because I’m thinking that I can’t do it perfectly. But, nothing is perfect, right? So, why am I afraid? Although my work has flaws and errors, what’s important is I have tried my best to do it.
I really hope that I could apply what I learned in CWTS. It is for my own sake. I really need to have changes to myself for me to be a better person. Being a better person will lead me to a better future. And better future will lead me to a better life. That’s how simple it is. Next semester, I will no longer have CWTS but it doesn’t mean that I will just bury in oblivion the things that I have learned from it. I should stamp it in my mind and never forget it for the rest of my life.

If Only..

2009-01-30T00:11:00.000-08:00

I really get emotional when I read love poems. As I was reading How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, sadness enveloped me. It doesn't mean that I don't like her poem, in fact, I appreciate it. I like the way she loves --- unmeasurable, passionate, eternal. If all people in this world would love that way, then there will be no broken homes. We can't see a man or a woman weeping because they failed in love. And... I can't see my mother crying. I feel pain deep within me everytime I see her crying. That is because I love her, like the way she loves me. I should not forget in my entire life that this woman is the reason why I'm here in this world. She gave birth to me considering it's a painful process. She's taking care of me when I was young until now. She's doing everything just to send me to school and provide all my needs. It's a sacrifice.
That is why, I really resent someone for making her cry and that is my father. My one and only father. I don't know why in the world he betrayed our family. He became unfaithful. He formed this family and now he is the one ruining it. What kind of a man is he? He is definitely not strong because he was not able to fight the temptations! I know it is bad to hate. God said that we should not hate someone. However, a hatred for my father is now formng in my heart. It is his fault! He is the one who plant it in my heart. And now, I can't stop it. It keeps on growing and growing and growing. I don't like it because it is painful. It consumes and destroys my whole being.
It makes me cry everytime I remember my childhood days. That time, our family was living in hapiness, contentment and full of love. Both of my parents were ideal to me. I adored my mother for doing her responsibilities at home. I also adored my father for being a responsible policeman in our community. That's the kind of family that I ever wanted in my life. I didn't think that one day, our home would crack. It's disheartening, but now I eventually accept it. I guess it's God's will for the betterment of each one of us. That event made me stronger although my views in life were changed.
I now view life as unpredictable, complicated and rude. Unpredictable because no one expected that our family would be like this. When I was young, I believed that our family would end like a fairy tale, that we will live happily ever after. But, it didn't happen. I know that we will get over this soon but still, the scars are there. I view life as complicated because it is full of ups and downs, but to my case, it is more on down. Our family only lived six happy and glorious years considering that I lived in this world for sixteen years now. And rude because it pulls me down and makes me weak. Can't life just let me live happily?
If only my father loves my mother the way Elizabeth Barrett Browning loves her husband, we would not suffer this way. If only...

Striking Reality

2008-12-04T05:52:00.000-08:00

Some people are really evil in nature. Imagine, over 4000 women in US-Mexican border town have gone missing, and over 400 have been found dead in just a few years. Yes, it is true. I know it is quite unbelievable but if you could just watch the film BORDERTOWN, then you will definitely believe it. The film is inspired by a true story --- a reality about squalid evil human exploitation that has been happening in Juárez, Mexico for the past decade. It is ridiculous, isn’t it? I really can’t imagine that people could do such imprudent things to their fellow people. I mean raping and killing women, can it give them satisfaction? Can it give them the merriment that they ever wanted? Absolutely, no. That is why as I was watching the film, I was so dispirited by the striking reality. People now became blind due to worldly pleasures, without knowing that what they are doing is unquestionably wrong.
All people should watch the film so that they will be enlightened. The film features an impassioned American journalist for the Chicago Sentinel --- Lauren Adrian, played by Jennifer Lopez. She was assigned by her editor to investigate a series of slayings involving young maquiladora factory women in a Mexican border town. Worker Eva Jimenez, played by Maya Zapata, took a bus to go back to her shanty-town after work. After a while, she was the last passenger still in the bus. The driver asked her if it is okay that he will go to the gas station to fill up, and Eva agreed. However, he took her to a quiet place and assaulted and raped her together with another man, who then tried to strangle her. The two men, believing she’s dead, buried her alive. With the little energy she has left, Eva escaped. Lauren headed to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, on the US-Mexico border to investigate the murders. In Juárez, she met up with Alfonso Diaz, played by Antonio Banderas, who she had been working with six years ago, and who was the editor for the local newspaper El Sol de Juárez. She also met Eva. The three tried to find the two killers and have them prosecuted. For this purpose, Lauren disguised herself as a Mexican worker to identify and trap the rapists. She took the same bus Eva rode the night she was raped. The driver tried to assault her in the same way as Eva, while the police assistance was arranged at the wrong place. She managed to escape her attacker and the driver was arrested by the police. Then, only days before Eva was to testify against the rapist, Lauren was forced to leave Juárez to try to have her story published. With Lauren gone, Eva tried to flee to the United States but was caught by the border police and sent back to Juárez. Meanwhile, Alfonso became a victim of a drive-by shooting and, by the time Lauren returned to Juárez, he has died. Lauren went looking for Eva, but encountered the rapist instead, and he attacked her. At the end, Lauren resigned in Chicago Sentinel and became the editor for El Sol de Juárez.
The film is really nice. Jennifer Lopez has handled her role well. But what I like most in the film is the impact it gives to the viewers. It portrays a gender issue that all people must care about. I know that women are really affected by this issue. We all know that in the contemporary world, women are really abused. There are cases of sexual harassment, gender discrimination or stereotyping, maltreatment, prostitution and violence. And all of them are against women. I can’t imagine if those things will happen to my mother and sister. I can’t accept it. I love them so much like the way they love me. Women are not born to be abused and harassed, they are born to be loved, cared and respected.

It's Not Bad to be an EMO

2008-11-24T22:49:00.001-08:00

Many say that I'm EMO. I guess it's because of my hairstyle and the way I dress up sometimes. My hair covers my eyes and I usually wear black t-shirt and pants. However, is it really the essence of being an emo? And, am I really an emo?
Being an emo doesn't mean that you should wear what emo bands wear. It doesn't mean that you should do what emo girls and boys do. EMO is short term for EMOTIONAL. Thus, it is more on internals than externals. What I mean is, you can't determine an emo person by merely looking at his outside looks, you should dig deeper and know that person's inside.
I don't know why I'm like this. No one can understand me. Even my friends said that I'm different sometimes. It's as if I'm in another world.
"Don't be so emo," one of my friends told me.
Can I change myself? Why don't they spend time with me when I needed them so that they will know why I'm like this? I have lots of problems. God knows that. There is a possibility that our family will be broken.
Do you want to know why?
It's because of our father's infidelity to our mother and to us, his children. He fooled us! That's why, I really can't prevent my tears everytime it wants to escape my eyes. It is the only way to lessen the pain I'm feeling right now. I hope it would ease soon.
No wonder why I like black. Black means sorrow, grief, sadness, misery... Because everytime I cry, I feel like I'm a new person. A new Adoreland Basilan. I guess it's because tears wash away all the pains, heartaches and bad feelings.
It's not bad to be an emo, right? T_T

It's All First Time

2008-09-16T01:02:00.000-07:00

When we were still in the bus, excitement already filled my heart. It would be my first time to step in the land of Samar --- Brgy. Guinob-an, Lawaan, Eastern Samar specifically. I was excited to see the place, the people, and the environment. It's very shameful to say, but it was also my first time to take a look and pass through the well-known San Juanico Bridge. It's picturesque. I couldn't help but shout in glee.
Upon reaching the place, I noticed that it is just simple. You can't see tall buildings, lots of vehicles, business establishments, etc. I said, it is just simple. But, I really love it. It's like Tabing, my hometown. I could see the beauty of nature --- not artificial, not man-made. That's why I really love places like this.
Amandaraga falls --- it's a beautiful spot in Brgy. Guinob-an. It's a pristine waterfall that cascades in the midst of a jungle. It’s four kilometers away from the barangay. Of course, we went there. We were assisted by some residents of Brgy. Guinob-an. They were very nice, so hospitable. We walked through the muddy path, up and down in a mountain. It's tiresome, but I enjoyed it. We also crossed a river. It's excitng. When we finally reached the Amandaraga falls, I don't know what I felt that time. The scenery is breath-taking. I really love it. Actually, it's my first time to see a waterfall.
When I immersed into the water, it's very cold. I don't know how to swim so I just stayed near the rocks. I enjoyed myself watching the environment. God is really so creative. We must thank Him for creating such place. It's a perfect place for recreation. I would love to spend my vacation there, of course with my family. It feels great to be with nature, you will be absolutely relaxed.
When the time came for us to go back to the barangay, I felt sad because I will miss the place. I packed my things and then started hiking with my companions. I’m looking forward to go back to this place, or if not in this place, perhaps in a place similar to this. We also did boat sailing in the Brgy. Guinob-an’s fish sanctuary. It’s a very nice experience. The water is so clean and we can even see the corals. Some fishes jumped in the air that made us yell in amusement. Again, it’s my first time.
After all that wonderful experience, we embarked in the bus because we will be going back to the mischievous world of Tacloban. We will be in the concrete jungle again. I felt unhappy. Now, I realized how important it is to preserve the beauty of nature. I’m glad knowing that there are still beautiful places in Earth despite the rapid modernization. I hope that these places will not be obliterated in the near future. Man-made can never get the better of God-made. We must always think of that limitation. As what the writer Stephen Fry said, “If we look around us, anything ugly that we see will have been created by human hands”.

One Night With Stars

2008-09-12T00:16:00.001-07:00

One frosty night, I went outside our house,
As rapid as a little petty mouse,
I laid down on the bed of verdant grass,
Departing the world of rudeness and brass.

The wind embraced me as I gazed beyond,
Watching the stars dispersed like seashore-sand,
They twinkled brightly as I looked at them,
Giving light to the sky so dark and dim.

How would the sky resemble at nightfall,
If no stars exist even a single?
Perhaps, it would be lifeless and somber,
Similar to a gold without luster.

Abruptly, I have heard a lullaby,
It tickled my ears as it elapsed by,
Then, my world restrained turning for a while,
And my exhausted mind drifted a mile.

(I composed this out of boredom when I was still in fourth year high school.)

Pag-ibig Sa Wika, Pag-ibig Sa Tinubuang Lupa

2008-09-12T00:03:00.000-07:00

Ang kapuluan ng Pilipinas sa kasalukuyan,
Ay sadyang umiindayog sa saliw ng kaguluhan,
Wala na ang kinang na noo'y nakabatubalani,
Bagkus, karupukan at polusyon ang namamayani.

Pati sariling wika ay unti-unti ng naglalaho,
Hinahayaang bulukin ng sangkatirbang mikrobyo,
Dapuan ng langaw o 'di kaya'y kutkutin ng anay,
Hanggang sa manghina, malanta at makitil ang buhay.

Bilang 'sang Pilipino, puso ko'y puno ng siphayo,
'Di ko maatim ang nakakahimbal na tagpong ito,
Ating pagkatao, para na rin nating niyurakan,
Sa hindi pagtangkilik sa sariling wika at yaman.

Kung tayong lahat ay totoong may pagpapahalaga,
Bumuo ng magandang adhikain at magkaisa,
Kailangan natin na maisulong ang kaunlaran,
Kaya tayong lahat ay dapat makipagsapalaran.

Sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng sariling wika,
Na wala ni kunting pag-iimbot at may pagkukusa,
Tayo ay magkakaroon ng pagkakaunawaan,
Sa lahat ng mithiin para sa lupang tinubuan.

(This poem of mine has won 1st place in the "pagsulat ng tula" competition held at Tabango National High School on 2006.)