The last time I did this was August 2008.
QUOTES FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER
Since I haven't done this in two years, I'm gonna start light. Also, I haven't gotten back into the habit of listening just yet.
nov11: "Magpahanap ka." - Bobby Guev
nov12: "Maturity is the lowering of expectations." - Miroy Jovino ... Thank you. Just the thing I needed to hear on my birthday.
nov23: "Maybe it's worth reading." - a substitute teacher named Martin
nov30: "What were the aspects of college life you feel were beneficial?" - Marvin ... This generic line is included in the list by merit of it having completely stumped me. Aside from the considerable pause at this question though, I guess I really enjoyed my last guidance interview. Does this make me weird?
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Something I wrote. It didn't quite make it but ah well :)
My thoughts on the lottery...
If I won the lottery, I’d build a company that would produce films no one else wanted to produce. Also, I ‘d buy apartments in Paris, New York, and maybe Morocco. It isn’t a hard thought exercise. I’m comfortable toying with dreams and the prospect of disappointment because, rationally, I know it’s absurd. 741.2 million pesos sounds like a joke. Well, except to the person who wins it, of course. For that lucky person, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, life is now a million times easier (pun intended). If he was poor, he’s now rich. If he was rich, he’s now filthy rich. To the Filipino bourgeoisie, please welcome your new member. (Yes, it’s going to be that kind of article.)
So, maybe it’s predictable to drudge up Marx in all this lotto fever, but, it’s also predictable to want the money for yourself, so I guess no one can blame me for being unsurprising. His premise is that society is black and white, and there are only two kinds of people: 1) the proletariat - those who toil and toil and live to toil another day, and 2) the bourgeoisie - those who live a charmed life off the daily toiling. The protagonists in this story, the proletariat, like all good heroes are supposed to fight and make the man suck it. However, no sucking is to ensue. The operative word in that sentence was “supposed” because, the bourgeoisie, in control of culture and media and the catchy jingles we all love to hate, they say what’s important and what’s not. And if they say, “everything is fine the way it is,” everything is fine the way it is. “Try buying a lotto ticket, it’s the only way out,” try buying a lotto ticket, it’s the only way out.
But, that’s a tired story. Who wants to think they’re easy prey? We’re Filipinos for crying out loud, we’re not dumb. Besides, communism failed right? My teacher told me so. He said, communism failed because it failed to understand people at their most basic. At our most basic, we need our personal choices. We live in a collective, but we live for our free will. Marx, come on.
Now, if I’m guessing right, there’s a 30% chance or so that your next thought is, “Yeah, we do.” Or maybe, “Marx, come on.” My next thought is, “Yeah, we do. But do we?” (Also, “Marx, come on.”)
Buy a lotto ticket. Pick a number. Hope. Lose. Buy a lotto ticket. Pick new numbers. Hope. Lose again. It sort of sounds like: Join a game show. Play by their rules. Hope. Lose. Join another game show. Make the host like you. Hope. Lose again. The formula, I think, goes something like: Hope. Steadfastly keep hopes up. Wait. Lose.
Are we our own bourgeoisie? By adding the word “blind” to our definition of hope, do we really create choices for ourselves? This isn’t a generalization and I’m young and I don’t know anything. But I see it happen.
We are sometimes contradictory. We like to think we’re smart enough not to be fooled by bells and whistles. But other times, not our shining moments, we look at ourselves and see “victim.” The question is, who’s the oppressor to our victim? People can wear many hats and I don’t think it would be too challenging to wear two at the same time. Is this a place and time where we’re skilled enough to wear two and not know it? Are you skilled enough to wear two? Do you know it if you are?
But, we’re getting too serious. (I was going for light reading here.) In the end, what we want is change, a break in our reality, and we’re probably all the same in that. Since I’m in the habit of posing questions and hypothetical situations I don’t know the ending to, I’m now running through the ways my life will change if tomorrow I was suddenly 741.2 million pesos richer. Maybe it’s cause I’m boring but it’s basically the same cycles of hope and hoping all over again. So I guess I better check up on the quality of my hope, after all, I’ll be doing it for a while.
Since I haven't done this in two years, I'm gonna start light. Also, I haven't gotten back into the habit of listening just yet.
nov11: "Magpahanap ka." - Bobby Guev
nov12: "Maturity is the lowering of expectations." - Miroy Jovino ... Thank you. Just the thing I needed to hear on my birthday.
nov23: "Maybe it's worth reading." - a substitute teacher named Martin
nov30: "What were the aspects of college life you feel were beneficial?" - Marvin ... This generic line is included in the list by merit of it having completely stumped me. Aside from the considerable pause at this question though, I guess I really enjoyed my last guidance interview. Does this make me weird?
&&&&&&&&&&&
Something I wrote. It didn't quite make it but ah well :)
My thoughts on the lottery...
If I won the lottery, I’d build a company that would produce films no one else wanted to produce. Also, I ‘d buy apartments in Paris, New York, and maybe Morocco. It isn’t a hard thought exercise. I’m comfortable toying with dreams and the prospect of disappointment because, rationally, I know it’s absurd. 741.2 million pesos sounds like a joke. Well, except to the person who wins it, of course. For that lucky person, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, life is now a million times easier (pun intended). If he was poor, he’s now rich. If he was rich, he’s now filthy rich. To the Filipino bourgeoisie, please welcome your new member. (Yes, it’s going to be that kind of article.)
So, maybe it’s predictable to drudge up Marx in all this lotto fever, but, it’s also predictable to want the money for yourself, so I guess no one can blame me for being unsurprising. His premise is that society is black and white, and there are only two kinds of people: 1) the proletariat - those who toil and toil and live to toil another day, and 2) the bourgeoisie - those who live a charmed life off the daily toiling. The protagonists in this story, the proletariat, like all good heroes are supposed to fight and make the man suck it. However, no sucking is to ensue. The operative word in that sentence was “supposed” because, the bourgeoisie, in control of culture and media and the catchy jingles we all love to hate, they say what’s important and what’s not. And if they say, “everything is fine the way it is,” everything is fine the way it is. “Try buying a lotto ticket, it’s the only way out,” try buying a lotto ticket, it’s the only way out.
But, that’s a tired story. Who wants to think they’re easy prey? We’re Filipinos for crying out loud, we’re not dumb. Besides, communism failed right? My teacher told me so. He said, communism failed because it failed to understand people at their most basic. At our most basic, we need our personal choices. We live in a collective, but we live for our free will. Marx, come on.
Now, if I’m guessing right, there’s a 30% chance or so that your next thought is, “Yeah, we do.” Or maybe, “Marx, come on.” My next thought is, “Yeah, we do. But do we?” (Also, “Marx, come on.”)
Buy a lotto ticket. Pick a number. Hope. Lose. Buy a lotto ticket. Pick new numbers. Hope. Lose again. It sort of sounds like: Join a game show. Play by their rules. Hope. Lose. Join another game show. Make the host like you. Hope. Lose again. The formula, I think, goes something like: Hope. Steadfastly keep hopes up. Wait. Lose.
Are we our own bourgeoisie? By adding the word “blind” to our definition of hope, do we really create choices for ourselves? This isn’t a generalization and I’m young and I don’t know anything. But I see it happen.
We are sometimes contradictory. We like to think we’re smart enough not to be fooled by bells and whistles. But other times, not our shining moments, we look at ourselves and see “victim.” The question is, who’s the oppressor to our victim? People can wear many hats and I don’t think it would be too challenging to wear two at the same time. Is this a place and time where we’re skilled enough to wear two and not know it? Are you skilled enough to wear two? Do you know it if you are?
But, we’re getting too serious. (I was going for light reading here.) In the end, what we want is change, a break in our reality, and we’re probably all the same in that. Since I’m in the habit of posing questions and hypothetical situations I don’t know the ending to, I’m now running through the ways my life will change if tomorrow I was suddenly 741.2 million pesos richer. Maybe it’s cause I’m boring but it’s basically the same cycles of hope and hoping all over again. So I guess I better check up on the quality of my hope, after all, I’ll be doing it for a while.