I Suggest You As A Friend

Rl Nepomuceno and Cheyenne Sison are now friends. You suggested this friendship. You can suggest more people that Cheyenne may know by following this link:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?profile.php&id=721812830&suggestfriends

Thanks,
The Facebook Team

Facebook annoys me. First they want me to "Make Babies" with some random guy, and now they say I'm a friendmaker.

scenario: (LPEP day 1)
Mic: hey, you're Nepo right?
Nepo: Yeah. You?
Mic: Mic. I'm Mic. Oh, btw, have you met Yeng?
Nepo: Yeah, I met her earlier, the rocker chick right?
Mic: yeah, yeah. I don't know you guys that well, but you should be friends.
Nepo: What?
Mic: You and Yeng should be friends. I suggest your friendship.

Do you guys get the semantic annoyance? Facebook sucks.

3rd Year- 2nd Sem

Most of my subjects are for Seniors, and since the Seniors enlisted a day ahead of me.... *crap*

So far, I'm only sure of 3 out of 6 subjects...

Psy108 (Social Psychology) MWF 830-930 (TBA, hoping it's Dr. Intal)

Bi149 (Cell and Molecular Biology) MWF 1130-1230 (Sir Julian! :D)

Hi165 (Rizal and the Emergence of the Filipino People) TH 3-430 (Fr. De Castro S.J.)

so...

Psy115 (Current Issues)

Ch11 (Genereal Chemistry 4! :p)

Th141/151 (Liberation Theology/Catholic Synthesis)

are still unlisted for me :(...

I'm hoping to get either Fr. Bulatao S.J. for Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy or Fr. Nampet S.J. for Educational Psychology for Current Issues...

I'm hoping they buffer me into the Dr. Gross Ch11 class...

I hope they buffer me in for Liberatore's Th141. I am THE Liberatore FAN! I've wanted to be in his class forever :(

3rd Year- 2nd Sem

Most of my subjects are for Seniors, and since the Seniors enlisted a day ahead of me.... *crap*

So far, I'm only sure of 3 out of 6 subjects...

Psy108 (Social Psychology) MWF 830-930 (TBA, hoping it's Dr. Intal)

Bi149 (Cell and Molecular Biology) MWF 1130-1230 (Sir Julian! :D)

Hi165 (Rizal and the Emergence of the Filipino People) TH 3-430 (Fr. De Castro S.J.)

so...

Psy115 (Current Issues)

Ch11 (Genereal Chemistry 4! :p)

Th141/151 (Liberation Theology/Catholic Synthesis)

are still unlisted for me :(...

I'm hoping to get either Fr. Bulatao S.J. for Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy or Fr. Nampet S.J. for Educational Psychology for Current Issues...

I'm hoping they buffer me into the Dr. Gross Ch11 class...

I hope they buffer me in for Liberatore's Th141. I am THE Liberatore FAN! I've wanted to be in his class forever :(

3rd Year- 2nd Sem

Most of my subjects are for Seniors, and since the Seniors enlisted a day ahead of me.... *crap*

So far, I'm only sure of 3 out of 6 subjects...

Psy108 (Social Psychology) MWF 830-930 (TBA, hoping it's Dr. Intal)

Bi149 (Cell and Molecular Biology) MWF 1130-1230 (Sir Julian! :D)

Hi165 (Rizal and the Emergence of the Filipino People) TH 3-430 (Fr. De Castro S.J.)

so...

Psy115 (Current Issues)

Ch11 (Genereal Chemistry 4! :p)

Th141/151 (Liberation Theology/Catholic Synthesis)

are still unlisted for me :(...

I'm hoping to get either Fr. Bulatao S.J. for Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy or Fr. Nampet S.J. for Educational Psychology for Current Issues...

I'm hoping they buffer me into the Dr. Gross Ch11 class...

I hope they buffer me in for Liberatore's Th141. I am THE Liberatore FAN! I've wanted to be in his class forever :(

Opression, Sex, and Life

Note: If you don't read this, you care too little about this hell hole you call home. This is all about the reproductive health bill (appendixed) and the Oct 15 statement by 14 of Ateneo's faculty regarding the said bill (appendixed). Please take the time to read both articles, and of course, try to familliarize yourselves with the different viewpoints in order to come to the proper conclusions. I would add the CBCP stand (as in the theologically thought out, much like the faculty stand) but I can't seem to find it. If anyone has a copy, please send me a copy :) email: mic.cabauatan@yahoo.com

Dear friends,

Greetings of peace.

Please find attached the position paper entitled "Catholics Can
Support the RH Bill in Good Conscience" by 14 individual faculty of
the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), on the Reproductive Health
Bill (HB 5043). The authors of this paper come from six different
departments of the ADMU: Economics, Interdisiplinary Studies,
Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology-Anthropology, and Theology.

We would like to stress that the views of the 14 faculty, as expressed
in the position paper, are solely theirs and do not necessarily
reflect the views of their respective departments nor other Ateneo
faculty. Neither do they represent the official position of the Ateneo
de Manila University nor the Society of Jesus.

A brief summary of the entire position paper, as well as the stand of
the authors on the RH Bill, can be found in the final section of the
main paper, entitled "A Call of Conscience: Catholics in Support of
the RH Bill." We hope, however, that you will be able to read the
entire paper, as it provides research-based empirical evidence, upon
which we built our position on this issue.

Thank you very much, and we hope that you can help us disseminate to
the public our paper's findings and our stand on the RH Bill.

Sincerely,

Marita Castro Guevara (Department of Interdisciplinary Studies)
Raymond B. Aguas (Department of Theology)
Liane Peña Alampay (Department of Psychology)
Fernando T. Aldaba (Department of Economics)
Remmon E. Barbaza (Department of Philosophy)
Manuel B. Dy, Jr. (Department of Philosophy)
Elizabeth Uy Eviota (Department of Sociology-Anthropology)
Roberto O. Guevara (Department of Theology)
Anne Marie A. Karaos (Department of Sociology-Anthropology)
Michael J. Liberatore (Department of Theology)
Liza L. Lim (Department of Sociology-Anthropology)
Cristina Jayme Montiel (Department of Psychology)
Mary Racelis (Department of Sociology-Anthropology)
Agustin Martin G. Rodriguez (Department of Philosophy)

15 October 2008

Mic is Closed for Renovation

Proof that I do, in fact, perspire by choice.

As part of the whole developmental overhaul of my entirety, I made a snap decision one night to join a gym.

Iris: "I can't go with you guys tommorrow. I'm going to the gym."
Mic: "What? Why?! Anorexic freak!"
Iris: "Sama ka na rin!"
Mic: "Okay."

It's been 4 straight days of running, cycling, tugging, and moving. I payed for a month, so I guess I have to show up daily for at least 20 of the 31 days I had payed for. I worked out my next sem schedule to include at least an hour of manual labor every MWF or THS. I actually payed for a month's worth of pain. A truly ironic purchase. Of course the pesci veggie diet comes with part 1 of Mic Overhaul 2008-2009, so yay! I'm a vegetarian again!

Gyms are funny... in a way it truly is like it's namesake, the Greek Gymnasium... all those people getting physical, showing off, and competing for who has the longest... throw.

I would like to thank my best friends:

Tofu

Gatorade


Coke Light and Coke Zero

Iris

The Mac is a Go!

I can get the
2.4 GHz 160GB HD 2GB IM White MacBook for 54K
250GB HD 2.4 GHz 4GB IM BlackMac Bookfor 62K

all thanks to being an Atenean. Wow. Now THAT is exclusivity and possibly elitism. >.<

The Market of Manila

The Market of Manila

In any city in the world, the one singular area where you can best get a feel of the identity of the city is its market. It is in these clusters of commercial shops that a person gets a proper feel of the realities of the metropolis, and the subjects, fears, and mind sets of the general populace. This is because it is precisely the market that feeds the metropolis’ very needs and desires. Every possible whim of the metropolis is fed by the market. The types of food the populace consumes, the types of clothing they wear, and the technology they use, the very lifestyle of the populace is based on its desires, manifested by virtue of supply and demand in the marketplace. The market isn’t simply a physical picture of consumption, but also a very clear picture of the attitudes and behavior of the populace. It is precisely this very dance of power relations that come into play that makes the market highly interesting. It is the interplay between individual consumers with individual sellers, and the deployment of commercial law upon the entire situation. It is the very mechanisms used by sellers to lure consumers. It is advertising, and fast-talking. It is the methods of the shrewd consumer to ascertain the best bargain possible. It is the capability to haggle, and the intensive scrutiny given in picking products. It is the consumer protection act and the agents of government ministries for industry that maintain price equilibrium and mandatory quality inspections. Even the very architecture of the market plays its role. All these mechanisms are the representation of the populace’s reality, and as will be seen later on, maybe it too moulds the very reality it represents.

The City of Manila has a variety of public markets to explore, but the most prominent of all these markets, dare anyone say the most infamous, would be Divisoria. One of the, if not he densest commercial cluster in the country, Divisoria isn’t a simple market place. A multi complex shopping center consisting of a dry goods area, which is a complicated mix of practically everything anyone needs that isn’t edible. “Not edible” includes fast food. The dry goods area is a surprising mix of clothing stores, basic electronics stores, illegal DVD merchants, general merchandise stores, and the commercial restaurants that come with the Philippine mall culture. All these combined in a cramped space that can barely allow mice to fit between stalls. The wet area is infinitely vaster, and contains the wet market, the sprawling mess of sidewalk vendors selling their wares on the sidewalk, and even in the middle of the street, plus the highly specialized merchants that sold aluminum wares, glassware, Styrofoam products, etc. The roads are basically impassible due to the sidewalk vendors who should be reclassified as road vendors, and although there are regulations against blocking the roadway, certain mechanisms have been employed to ensure their space.

Consumer as Panopticon

Foucault described the architecture of the Panopticon in his work ”Discipline and Punish.” The major architectural framework of the panoptic mechanism was that of a tower, overseeing the populace to be disciplined. It is a space wherein no action of the populace can be hidden, but of course, the populace has no idea it is being monitored. This is to instill a sense of self-policing, where the very individuals, for fear of being caught by the tower and punished, behave in the manner prescribed. As Shumway describes it, “a coercive observation that attains its ends by making the one subjected aware that their actions may be seen.” If we take a closer look at the very structure of most Philippine malls, especially those in Divisoria, (Divisoria Mall and Tutuban Mall) there is an obvious form of the Panopticon at work. A wide central space, wherein one can peer into most of the stalls from a high point in the building can serve as one form of Panopticon. The mall is designed so that from certain points in the architecture, one can see majority of the stalls in the area. Instead of closing off an entire floor, the developers opt to place pillars of space that span the vertical axis of the building, so consumers get a better view of the stores. Another mechanism would be the glass windows. The very fact that most of the stalls use glass windows in a way ensures that the consumer is able to take an unhindered look into the merchandise inside. This ensures that all products, or at least those hat the seller wishes to be seen, are under the direct scrutiny of the consumer. This then in a way ensures the quality and aesthetic pleasantry of the stalls and the products. The sellers now give an effort to lure the consumer. It is also a form of self-policing. It is precisely as Foucault described, the “functional inversion of discipline.” We can say that the sellers become more efficient. They find better ways of luring consumers. They develop methods to best suit the needs of consumers. There is growth, initiated by the very fact that they think hey are being observed. As Thomas Dumm said, “the Panopticon is a function of fictitious relations,” as the relation only truly happens when the consumer takes notice of the product, which in the most case, doesn’t happen. So as was mentioned, the very consumer plays the role of the Panopticon. As in the figure of power in the Panopticon, it can be any random soul. The very fact that there are thousands of consumers there means that sellers try to conform to the needs and pleasures of the thousands that could buy their ware. The very structure of the stall changes or rather modifies the very behavior of the sellers, simply because of the illusion that attention is always on them.

That is the beauty of the disciplinary system, and the type of Panopticon within Philippine malls.

Functional Spaces

It being a market, Divisoria is almost always a place of a thousand people milling around the gigantic area. As was mentioned earlier, what’s so remarkable about Divisoria is that basically anything the metropolitan inhabitant would need or want can be found there. In the vast intertwining roads and turns of Divisoria though, how can one find what they are looking for? Imagine the chaos of looking for a singular object in a vast area. It truly a needle in a haystack situation. Or is it? Foucault describes distribution of bodies into spaces as one of the fundamentals of disciplinarity. This is precisely seen in the context of Divisoria as well. Foucault initially mentioned enclosures as the first point of distribution. As was mentioned earlier, there are enclosures wherein stores are meant to be put up. In the dry area, the very enclosure is the mall itself, whereas in the wet area, there are designated spaces for stalls, although in reality, many stalls go beyond the allowed limited area. Then there is partitioning. The fact that individualized stalls exist for each selling group or individual exists means that a form of partitioning is existent. Even in the wet area, individualized stalls exist for individualized sellers, although the sheer mass of them side by side makes a space as if continuous. The third point Foucault brought up was that of functional spaces. This is where the complications of Divisoria kick in.

Functional spaces, according to Foucault, not only serve an administrative purpose, to ensure the organization of the market, but also to ensure the productivity of the area. This simply means that theoretically in a market system, those with similar goods are grouped together in a similar area. In Divisoria, it’s a bit more complex than a simple grouping. Let us first take a closer look at the dry area, especially the Divisoria and Tutuban Malls. Although at first glance it all seems entirely chaotic, with masses of random stalls littered all over the place, and the only group of stalls that seem to have been clustered together is he restaurants. Of course even in the stalls themselves some have a set theme to their merchandise such as clothes, or curtains, but most try to sell everything from clothes, to bags, to shoes, and electronics. We have to take into consideration though the fact that most of what they sell in the dry area of the mall is what most of the metropolis would deem disposable needs and wants, such as clothes, toys, videos, footwear, etc. Take also into consideration that the point of Divisoria sellers is to make money. Also, remember that since people tend to look for what they need, then later on for what they want, the earlier you see the object, the more inclined you are to buy it from the first store you see that offers it. Taking all these into account, we see a complex picture that this disorganization may actually be a mechanism against the very system of competition that exists in a market. At closer scrutiny, owners don’t simply have a single stall that sells a singular product. Some of them have two or three stalls at different locations in the mall. The basic picture is that a consumer enters the mall looking precisely for the thing they need. They immediately go to the first stall that offers it. Usually many buyers are compulsive so they buy the object at the first store. Then the consumer looks for other things he might need or want. Since most stores carry basically everything, they buy from there as well. This may be due to some sort of “suki” system, or maybe by impulse as well, the fact remains that this system of multiproduct stalls is a mechanism for maximizing profit. Owners have multiple stalls so that they cover more than a single area. This is why usually; the stores at the front of the main aisle, especially near the entrances are those with general merchandise. While those in the inner areas are more specialized, usually clothes, bags, shoes, and DVDs. This is because the prior mentioned products are highly aesthetic in value. You don’t just buy them for function, but also as an aesthetic device. People like variety to be able to make a proper choice, and that’s why the inner stalls sell only these products. As DVDs are concerned, the more specialized stalls have a wider range of titles, so for the movie fanatic or TV show fanatic that’s looking for a rare title, only these inner specialized shops have them. The system therefore is not crude, but rather, it as Foucault said, has a hidden meaning, a “practice that remains silent, that opens up to a new field of rationality.” We see that although seemingly a mess, functional spaces do exist, but in a way that undermines the very competitive system that defines a market, of course this deviance to the stereotypical market system creates its own organized unspoken social rules, and the discourse and interplay of power still continues.

Outside the malls though, we see a clearer picture of theoretical functional spaces. The wet market outside is divided into three general areas, that of highly specialized merchants, that of the non-produce merchants and that of the produce. The produce area is the most theoretically organized area, although the general waste problem creates a rotting, stinking mass of an area where decay and freshness fuse in an ironic, cramped area. The fresh market starts in the basement of the Divisoria Mall and outward into the main road. It is separated into the fish, meat, and produce sections, as is usually the case with most markets. The functional spaces are more distinct here, because each area has specialized architectural mechanisms to fit each area. The fish and seafood section has a water drainage system that allows water used to wet the seafood, and water dripping from the ice used in keeping the seafood fresh to simply flow off into drainage areas. Also, the stalls are made of tile, as to facilitate the water flow. The meat section has high bars in its stalls and hooks where butchers can hang their meats. Unlike the seafood area, the meat section’s stalls are concrete, and no such drainage system exists. For the most part, vegetable vendors are found outside the basement market, as to air their goods. The stalls are usually wooden, and they place the vegetables on nipa baskets as to facilitate airflow through the vegetables, again to ensure the freshness of the produce.

The highly specialized stores are a different matter. The demand for these goods is less since it is usually co merchants who use heir products like Styrofoam plates, aluminum materials, etc. These types of stores usually have only a singular stall, or rather an office type stall at the ground floor of buildings adjacent to Divisoria mall, facing the main roads. Since people don’t frequent these stores, they have no actual need to advertise as much as normal goods stores. The people who need their products usually come to them automatically. There is not much competition between these types of stores since most have monopolies of the product, or at least very few competitors, so they survive on little effort.

The non-produce merchants are those that sell eating utensils, shirts, slippers, and other things you find inside the mall, except they are in the wet market area. The quality of the products here are usually of lower quality than the products within the mall, but for those again who would rather not enter the mall because it is a distance from the periphery of the wet market, these types of stalls do exist. It is seen then that the device employed by these non-produce vendors are the same as with the general goods vendors within the mall. It is to cater to the needs of the people, without having them look around for where to buy it, as to make use of the compulsiveness of certain buyers. All in all, we see that although a theoretical framework of organization is not visible in the mall as in the case of the non produce vendors in the outside of the malls. This doesn’t mean though that these are not functional sites. The organization may be different as to fit a scheme that minimizes competition, but the fact that the products were laid that way, in that variety is a sort of function in itself. It is precisely as Foucault expressed, and reiterated by Racevskis, that “the connections that link a discourse to bodies results from the discourse’s capacity to produce and to convey power.” It is power that is derived from the social architecture of the Divisoria market. It is about the hidden exercise of power that merchants play out to gain customers and its interplay with customers who sometimes fail to rise against the lure of the buy, so they can continue looking for a better bargain.

Interplay of Power

There are smaller examples of the interplay of power in the market. Although Foucault seems to see things from a macro perspective, talking merely of the importance of the micro, it is precisely in his discussion of the importance of the micro that the discussion on the micro interplay of power in the market system has to be discussed. An example of such micro interplay of power is in the act of haggling. Power is an omnipresence that derives from the interplay of architecture and individuals pressing their wills against other individuals. The haggle is a more visible form of this power interplay between a consumer and a seller. It’s interplay between the consumer, who is trying to get a lower price, or a greater number of products, and the seller trying to widen his margin of profit. It is this simple action of haggling that displays the very subtlety of the mechanisms of power in the market system. Another would be the “suki” system. Sellers call you their “suki” as to establish a form of familiarity and loyalty for their stall. This is a form of personalitic arrangement, a sort of fictitious kinship As Foucault said, “Power wouldn’t be as effective unless part of it’s mechanism was hidden.” It seems like a simple friendly conversation, but the hidden aspect of this power is that it binds you in a way to the store. You become familiar, and the mid set is that you stick to the familiar. It seems as if routine, but really it is a hidden mechanism. This just goes to show that the simplest actions are the very mechanisms wherein disciplinarity operates. It is the interplay of these small actions that display the micro level of power relations.

Deviance and the Physical Market

There is no doubt whatsoever that the Divisoria market is overcrowded. As was mentioned earlier, in the main road itself, stores litter the entire length of it, basically closing it to incoming traffic. The same is true with the many side roads and even alleys of the area. This gigantic mass of merchants, and buyers ten times the number of merchants, is the general population density of the market area. These whole masses of people though are for the most part, not natives of the metropolis. Most are people from the provinces, who have come to Manila in search for job opportunities. Neferti Tadiar, in her essay “Metropolitan Dreams” explains to a certain extent the reason for the great influx of people from the provinces into the metropolis. The article discusses that since the metropolis is the symbol of economic growth of the country, it flourishes, while the provinces, wherein the very produce that sustains the country’s economic growth, steeps deeper into poverty. Seeing the growth of the metropolises, those of the province descend upon the metropolis so that they may share in its growth. The problem is though that the social inequality of the metropolis discriminates against the growing, mostly uneducated labor force that came from the provinces. From this point of view, the social density of the area becomes clear. What is not as clear though is how this very system can feed the very problem it manifests. First observe the cramped structure of the market. Selling wares in the middle of national roads is highly illegal, but it is a reality in Divisoria. Why is this so? As Foucault said in discipline and punish, deviance and crime derive precisely from the very disciplinary society that holds the populace. Deviance is the “escape clause” of the disciplinary society that only shows itself when an aspect of the disciplinary society goes awry. When the system is unmanageable, or when a mechanism becomes too unbearable for the populace, crime and deviance form. Deviance is the very example by which we see that the disciplinary society is not as fatalistic as most people interpret it to be. The very fact that deviance is allowed to a certain degree in a society means that the society in itself acknowledges that it has faults and is willing to see other alternatives to the status quo. The law, which is the representation of the sovereign power in its modern form as government dictates that major roads are to be kept open and passable at all times. Vendors though, disregard this rule, as to be able to occupy a certain space to sell their wares. This tells us that the need for space is greater than the actual space allotted. The deviance serves the purpose of portraying facts of life. The fact that there is a lack of proper functional space, manifested in street vendors, and the fact that the rotting produce is simply thrown to the ground because of lack of a waste mechanism. Another aspect we have to take into consideration is the every fact that there is an overcrowded selling area. As was mentioned earlier, the marketplace is basically the “window to the soul” of the very metropolis itself. Its very wants and needs are manifested in the market, and the social trends that define society. What is metropolitan society then but a mass of people that seem to exponentially grow in population. These people need the very structures like Divisoria to survive. They need the cheap products so that they can make do with their minimal salaries. This is also the case with the poorer merchants who have no choice but to sell on the streets because they have no funds to rent a proper market space. Again, how much can a person from the uneducated lower classes make in metropolitan society? While all this goes on in the hustle and bustle of the market, the large conglomerate that owns the mall space and the stall owners enjoy a growing profit. As their consumers grow in number, so will their profit, until finally when people cannot afford even the cheap quality products of the market. The inequality is blatant, and in times of poverty like this, what other way of expressing dissatisfaction with the society than by crime.

Divisoria is known not just for its cheap products, but also for its infamous reputation for being a thief’s haven. The hustle and bustle and high population density make for perfect scenarios of pick pocketing and snatching. Crime is rampant in Divisoria’s spaces, and the mechanisms of sovereign power can only do so much. The best way to disciplinarity is to employ power so people will self police. The problem is that at the lowest level of human capacity, and due to the fact that it is virtually impossible to monitor such as vast overcrowded area, the panoptic form cannot take hold. It becomes a jungle where it’s every man for himself.

The wet market and it’s stall covered streets have other mechanisms of escaping sovereign power. They take into account the inefficiency of the police system, and formulate ways to hide their enterprise from plain sight when the police decide to apprehend them. There is a watcher, usually a vendor that observes if there are incoming policemen. They are strategically placed at a street corner, He sees policemen arriving, and he shouts a key word, which will automatically send the street vendors packing up their goods and fleeing, or at least seeking sanctuary inside the actual market building. This is just a drastic method for those instances where in case they don’t have enough money to pay off the policemen to leave them alone. These mechanisms of running and hiding when the authorities come have been there for thousands of years, and the street vendors have been using that strategy for as long as most can remember. It would seem that only the policemen then know nothing about it? We can also say though that it is precisely this power play that has supported the vendors all these years, the fact that the police, who represent sovereign power, which is supposedly the panoptic eye of the people, is willing to keep an eye shut if the price is right. The power play is more than just individuals and architecture, but also the very system that runs as the main artery of he market system: currency. Currency wields a type of disciplinary power as well.

Corruption and Sovereign Power

The policemen dragged them into the processing area in handcuffs. There were about 20 of them; all of them illegal vendors caught selling whatever goods they had on the streets of Divisoria. Their names were taken down, and their belongings were confiscated from them. Then they were put in detention cells for further processing. Their belongings as per law are supposed to be handed over to the precinct, to be processed, and may be returned to the owners, or may be auctioned off. As this batch of illegal merchants were concerned though, the policemen who caught then decided to give the confiscated items away to his neighbors and family members. That is of course blatant corruption, but if we look at the situation, who will accuse the policeman of corruption? The jailed illegal merchants who are treated like nobodies, simply excess humans in an overpopulated neighborhood? The very strength of the disciplinary power of the state is that there is a checks and balance system. The problem is that no such mechanism exists in the market. The mindset of the people is that currency out powers sovereign power. The very system that has merchants paying off policemen to allow them to sell in illegal areas, or to sell without the proper taxes and licenses, leads us to the belief that currency really does overpower the sovereign. It modifies our beliefs, and ultimately our behavior towards bribery and corruption. It’s normalization in a corrupt sense. We are made to believe corruption is a way of life, so we do it as well as if it were a natural thing. In a place of course where the very mechanisms supposed to hinder you from corruption are either themselves corrupt or are inadequate, one is doomed to be lost in the interplay of a majority normalized to corruption versus a singular voice of virtue. It’s ironic that the structures of sovereign power: the palace, police stations etc. use see through fences and glass windows as to give a sense of transparency to the operation. The very point of glass doors and windows is so the people within act like there is nothing to hide, but even the power derived from normalization due to architecture seems to be overshadowed by another type of power. The very institution that supposedly serves as social Panopticon not only blinds itself by refusing to see his jurisdiction, but it also deprives to some sense the systems of checks and balances in place. In summary, sovereign power seems to be helpless, and law becomes merely words, as the very operatives of disciplinarity have deviated from it.

Manila’s Market as Disciplinary Mechanism

In Manila’s market place, there is no doubt that power truly interplays between individuals. There is the push and pull of consumer and seller, where one tried to exercise their power over the other ultimately to serve economy. There is the panoptic viewpoint of the consumer, where they give a sense of close scrutiny to the sellers, which forces the sellers to form mechanisms of luring the consumers to their stall. There are the small interplays of power in the way of haggling, and the suki system. The point helps us to understand that power is best used when a part of it is unseen. Then the realization that the intricate workings of systems of functional spaces. We see how the functional spaces affect the very behavior of the individuals. We also see the harsh reality that the high population density of Divisoria is an effect of inequality. Also how inequality figures in the whole system of power relations. There is the will to survive, and deviance as a call to a change of the status quo. We see how sovereign power related with the market system, and why the seeming chaos of the market system is the effect of the sovereign’s lack of control over the very panoptic agents it had employed, namely the police force. In this sense we can say that we have truly beheaded the king, unfortunately, the disequilibria of potential power is unsafe.

All in all, can we say that Manila’s market system is a disciplinary society? In some ways it is, as it employs many strategies employed by disciplinary societies. There is the use of functional sites, partitioning, and the need for a space. The point of distribution of bodies exists, although the population density makes it difficult. It is obvious though that the checks and balance between sovereign and individual are jeopardized by the very sovereign power and its view of the populace as excess humans. Also obvious is the irony of the architecture of transparency, versus its use as blatant corruption. The point of currency and how people are normalized to start believing that it can rise above the power of the very sovereign is also established. It may be flawed in these senses, but the operatives of disciplinarity are there, and it is obvious that the interplay of power is there. The whole thing may not be a completely disciplinary mechanism by definition, but it is still a marvelous sight to behold, with all the mechanisms it had developed to cope with the population density, the inability of sovereign power to control them, and their high regard for the power of currency.

A Succint Moral Theology of Sin

These 8 pages will rock your moral world.

The first of our Theo 4.0 papers. We're damn proud, so hell, I'm posting it!

A Succinct Moral Theology of Sin

by

Mic Cabauatan

Ley Capili

Charls delos Reyes

Chan delos Santos

Kesy Pormento

based on the lectures of Fr. Adolfo Dacanay SJ J.C.D.

1. Explain the 3 reasons for asserting the notion of person

It is often said that a man is only as good as his actions. This in a certain sense is an undeniable truth. The human person is both with and of his actions. It can be said that it is precisely his humanity that gives him his will to act, and therefore by transitivity, and through the fact that actions are not merely manifestations of will but rather the will itself, the actions show the reality of a person. What we tend to forget though is the continuity of human experience. Humanity cannot be defined simply by how it acts, it is not simply of its actions. It is with its actions as well. There must be a dividing line that separates the action from the person. If this line is forgotten, humanity is objectified. It is precisely the ‘person’ of a human that gives importance to the actions they do. This simply points out that experience is personal. All acts are done by the person in relation to itself or to other persons. It is precisely the personality of experience that ensures that action which is a response to experience is just as personal.

The person is then seen gain responsibility for his actions. Human action is human will, which is personal, and relates to itself and to others. We must also remember though the continuity of human experience. We are not simply freeze frames in time, but entities constantly undergoing formation, which can only be brought about by action. We can never truly say that we are not the same person as yesterday because of human continuity. We must also remember that responsibility for our actions must be taken, as our actions are of our person. It is the reality that we are both of and with our actions, and that our actions are personal, deliberate acts of will, that allows us to understand human continuity, and the accountability and responsibility that are tied to human actions.

2. Show me that you understand the distinction between the human being as agent and human being as person

The basic difference between human as agent and human as person is in how one looks at the actor. Human as agent sees the actor merely as a doer of the action. Emphasis is given on the action, and not the human person. A thief is merely the act of thievery, as a person enrolled in university is merely a student. In this sense, the actor is seen as an object, or maybe the person is said to be a circumstance of the action. He is merely the actor, who is an observable empirical object. This is then contrasted by the paradigm of human as person. The paradigm looks at the actor precisely as ‘person.’ Person gives the objectified actor his humanity. The actor is then seen as more than his action but as a being whose actions affect him as human person. In this paradigm we see not merely the act of thievery, but also the fact that the act is consequential to the human person. We see the circumstances behind the act, and how this singular distinct act, affects the reality and outlook of the actor. The person’s actions are not merely physical manifestations of the person’s will but it is the will. It is said that a person is both one and separate from his actions. This basic philosophical concept is the foundation of human as agent. If a person’s will is his actions, then can we not say that his actions are what matter? The problem with this though is that it forgets that although actions are objectifiable, the human person, and his changeable nature is not. Man’s nature as person transcends objectivity.

3. Distinguish between categorical freedom and transcendental freedom

Man’s answer to the superabundance of reality is precisely organization. The human mind works as a machine that organizes and categorizes all incoming data into usable packets and classifications. The same is true for decisions. Decisions are basically the product of a choice between alternative possibilities for action. This is categorical freedom: the freedom of choice which is derived precisely from man’s innate nature of categorization. Categorical freedom though is bound by its very namesake, categories. Although humans are a species of categories, they can only truly categorize when there is an observable, empirical, objectified ‘truth.’ Categorization and decisions in actions are bound by the physical capability of action, as colors are categorized by what we have defined, and by what we see. Objectification is a precursor to categorization. What then of the truth that is person hood? The human person cannot truly be objectified, by virtue of the fact that one cannot objectify itself. This then provides evidence that categorization can only go so far. The human person then is faced with the superabundant reality that a reality exists. When then we are faced with the entire idea of reality, we are faced with the question, “do I choose to accept this reality?” These existential questions that lay beyond the realm of categorization are precisely what we call transcendental freedom. In this case there is only a single answer to be made, “yes” or “no.” Categorical freedom understands that choices can be made, and alternatives are there to suit the choice. Transcendental freedom understands that at the very foundation of everything, the initial question is that of reality.

4. Concerning this human identity, explain:

i) that it did not always exist

Human identity is something that is formed. It is a life long process. It is not something that is automatically there when we are born, but it is a characteristic that all humans will develop.. When we are children, we lack fundamental stance and because of this, our identity and actions are easily swayed and influenced by external factors like our family, friends and society in general. We have not, as of then, yet chosen a certain path by which we will live our lives.

ii) how was it formed

There are certain characteristics that we cannot change like our gender, race, and physical attributes. More importantly though, there are characteristics that are self-determined, which constitutes a significant portion of who we are. Therefore, we actively participate in this process of building ourselves until we assume a certain stance. That instant, that defining stance is what we refer to as fundamental option. We can say that as we make categorical decisions as we go on with life, it defines us and we find that we are turning into a certain kind of person and that is the fundamental stance.

5. Clarify the three observations of O’Connell concerning the fundamental option.

The first observation of O’Connell about fundamental option states that, “we approach the concept in this rather circuitous way.” The main focus remains in the fundamental stance because this is the identity of the person. His chosen stance defines what kind of an individual he is becoming. Fundamental option is that instance that the person realizes his fundamental stance. Therefore, when we talk about fundamental option, we also, ultimately, are concerned about the fundamental stance.

Another observation is that the fundamental option does not exist all by itself. We cannot separate fundamental option from categorical freedom that has helped shaped the identity of the human being. In other words, we cannot separate fundamental option from other decisions and actions in our lives because our identity is reflected on the things that we usually do or the kind of decisions we habitually make.

Third, fundamental option is not a once-and-for-all reality. It is important to understand that fundamental option is dynamic; it can change and may even be reversed. It is also possible that it may be heightened. What is important is that we recognize that the fundamental option may be temporary and the individual might find the need to change himself as he realized that he no longer wants to be that person he has become.

6. What is the fourth dimension and what is its relevance in our understanding of the human person?

Time is considered to be the fourth dimension. Its relevance to our understanding of the human person is that to fully understand the human person, a certain amount of effort in time must be undertaken. Another relevance of this to understanding the human person is that growth, especially in the moral sense is seen only through the passage of time. Since we are all subject to change and seek out answers as to our identity and so on, all this can only be done in the context of time. Human beings live a life that is progressive, continuous, and in time.

7. Why is all sin a form of idolatry?

All sins are to be, almost if not all, a form of idolatry for a number of reasons. We know that the given definition of sin is defiance to God, and also doing wrong to other people. Given this, we consider sin a form of idolatry precisely because we disobey God and all the responsibilities he has given us. We put another thing, whether act or object above God. Something then becomes important enough to surpass God’s will. Sin is also considered a form of idolatry because of our pride in the sense that we try to outclass Him and refuse whatever His plans are for us. The issue of self-sufficiency could be one also because our dependency to God lessens and we try to have it all. This means that we do not depend on God anymore and seek to be independent through our own effort especially on the moral and spiritual aspect

8. What is the social dimension of sin; why is sin against neighbor ultimately a sin against God too?

We consider a sin to our neighbors a sin against God as well for a number of reasons. One is that pride makes us believe that whatever wrong actions done could be done by other people by imitating the act that can spread throughout that particular society. Another thing why we consider this as such is because we in effect have failed in our commitment to God by not loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. Also, we refuse to follow, either intentionally or unintentionally, God and whatever He plans us to do. Lastly, since we are created in His image and likeness, we can say that God is present among all of us and when transgress against others, we could say that we have sinned against God. A possible proof to further support this is a verse from Matthew 25:40 wherein “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” We are called to splagchnizomai. Denying others our love and respect directly disobeys our God given mission. We in this sense transitively deny God the love and respect he deserves.

9. Regarding original sin:

i. How is it understood popularly among Catholics?

The popular belief among Catholics is that original sin originated because of an act done by Adam and Eve. They sinned by acting against God’s will and therefore made us sinners as well. Adam and Eve committed actual sin that is sin is an act that defies the covenant made with God. We can look at actual sin as the moment of rejecting the Lord so because Adam and Eve had gone against God’s wishes they had committed actual sin. Because of this their act, the sin is passed on to the next generation. That is to say that original sin is like actual sin only that it is the sin we did not commit. Original sin is a result of the sin committed by your ancestors and even though you yourself did not commit the act you are guilty of it. Due to this common understanding most Catholics are confused or embarrassed about it. In connection to the belief of original sin, Catholics believe forgiveness can only be attained through Baptism, where we are forgiven for original sin.

ii. Especially, in what sense is actual sin paradigmatic, and original sin derived from actual sin?

Based on the traditional vision, the root understanding of sin is that it is an act. Actual sin is paradigmatic because it became the basis for our definition of sin. Even if there are three definitions people concentrated on the definition of sin as just an act and did not go beyond it. In doing so they also associated this definition (of sin as an act) with the other definitions of sin that is to say original sin is understood in the way of actual sin because it is the paradigm of understanding. Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and therefore acted against God’s will. It was something they did that was sinful; their action was sin. This understanding of sin could be termed ‘actual sin’. Because original sin is a result of an act of sin, it might be right to say that original sin is derived from actual sin. Original sin can only be understood in the context of actual sin, because original sin is a variation of the paradigm of actual sin. If there were no act that is to say no actual sin from Adam and Eve then there would also be no original sin.

iii. Why is this explanation/understanding unsatisfactory?

This traditional view of sin is unsatisfactory mainly because it focuses on actions alone. To define sin as an act is not enough. It is thought to be a mere violation against God’s will, there is no consideration for the depth of the person. The explanation of sin is shallow in a sense that it does not explore the different aspects of a person; they do not explore his or her intention or the circumstances or even moral law. The understanding of sin is clearly shown as an act and nothing beyond that. A better explanation should include what sin can do to you. It should include how sin can affect the decisions you make.

10. Convince me that you understand the relationship between sin as FACT, ACT, and DIRECTION as proposed by O’Connell, and why is this a more satisfactory explanation.

Sin is fact, because our experience of sin started with knowing of sin’s existence. When we were growing up we had this notion of wanting to be better, to be as much as possible perfect. We wanted happiness and excitement and ultimately we wanted to be in heaven. However, there is something that is holding us back. That is sin. We express a knowledge of “wrong.” Sin is an act because it is through the doing of evil, and even the not doing of the good, we fail to obey God’s vocation for us to be in His image, the image of being good. Therefore, we sin whenever we fail to meet what we think God has called us to do. Sin is a direction because sin can affect our decisions in life. We stand on a crossroad, a decision to choose between sinning, the path of evil, or living a Christ-like life, the path of good. It is a lifelong spiritual battle between doing the good and doing the evil. It becomes the rudder of our life.

To understand the relationship between sin as Fact, Act and Direction is a more satisfactory explanation mainly because it does not show us a paradigm, that is, it is not limited to one explanation or understanding of sin because it goes beyond mere actions. It explains that sin is present and delves into the state of a person, how sin affects him. It has a broader view on the definition of sin because of the this broader viewpoint people are not restricted to thinking of human being as an agent but more importantly, human being as a person.

Mic is Gay. (For a Day)

watch out for this one. i went to a gay bar, and my masculinity survived. I'm to tired to update this now. Laterz bitches!

Scandalous Part 2... THES-QS 2008 is out.

Okay... so THES-QS 2008 is out
At least it seems Philippine universities have made an effort to improve.
So... kudos to Philippine universities... and yun... basta... There are methodology problems, and no one really believes this.


UP- 274
DLSU- 415
UST- 470

and

AdMU- 254
This is not right. UP is UP. It is UP.

Eyes Bleeding

I have been watching too many independent films. It's always been a hobby of mine, going to free movie sites, video stores on sale, art film showings... all for those addictive indies...
Poverty.
Sex.
Opression.

Then I had to dream I was IN Shortbus.
OMG.
Never again. Damn you misterhubs.

The Great Laptop Hunt

It's that time in life where your parents decide your computer is too slow, and your software is too outdated. So, they decide to get you a new laptop. :) I've narrowed down the choices to 2 models... and all you have to do is help me decide... Give your feedback.

The 1st is the ASUS F9E:

CPU Type	Intel Core 2 Duo
CPU Speed	1.86 GHz
Internal Memory	2 GB
Hard Drive Size	160 GB

12'' screen 4.2 lbs.

It of course runs on Vista

The 2nd is a Mac Book:

CPU Type	Intel Core 2 Duo
CPU Speed	2.1 GHz
Internal Memory	1 GB or 2 GB
Hard Drive Size	120 GB

13'' screen 5 lbs.

Runs on OX Leopard

Both are wifi capable and have a webcam and microphone. The ASUS has thumbmark identification and facial recognition software. The Mac is virus free for life. It's gonna be hard finding Mac software though... example... I need SPSS for my thesis. Can I find SPSS for Macs? I highly doubt that. :( Input is needed while I research :D.

Whistling Works

First, allow me to congratulate my honorable, proficient, and diligent friends from De La Salle University ID105 who have recently graduated. To my beloved, LR45ers, you all share a special place in my heart. You are true friends, and truly wonderful people. Godspeed in your future endeavors.

Secondly, the following essay was meant to be written last Friday, and as to maintain the level of emotion I had originally planned for this essay, I will do a pseudo Kronos and turn back time.

I lost four friends yesterday.
It's one of those things that you know happen to people, but you rely on the statistical fact that it can almost never happen to you. Of course, Murphy's law has a nasty back bite. I had 2 term papers to write for school. One was a 12 page paper for my Ethics class, and the other was my cognitive research project. I was done with both, except for finishing touches on my cognitive research project, so I volunteered to edit, print, and submit the compiled ethics paper of my group. I'm just nice like that. My ethics class was at 10:30 in the morning. I had planned the whole day carefully. I would wake up at 6, start up my laptop, and start editing the compiled paper. I would be done by 7:30. I would have the paper printed at the net cafe nearby, then leave the neighborhood by 8. I would reach school at 9:30, and all would be well. Unfortunately, things went wrong.

-I woke up at 6, and checked my email. None of my group mates had uploaded their work.
-I waited until 7. At 7:15 I discovered that they had uploaded their papers, but had chosen not to send the "new file uploaded" email. I began editing the paper.
-None of them followed the specified format, so I had to format everything.
-My MS Word broke down, so I had to relocate to the internet cafe at 7:45. They only had Open Office (scourge of all students).
-I finished editing the paper at 8. I had it printed.
-The printer printed at a rate of one page a minute. The paper was 82 pages long.
-When the printing reached page 60, they discovered that they ran out of ink, and pages 40-60 were cut in places, and were unreadable.
-I panicked and called my group mates at 9:10. No one picked up.
-At 9:20 I got to contact a group mate, and I told her to print pages 60-82. Right after that conversation, the cafe worker informed me that they fast drafted pages 40-60. They could have done that earlier, but they chose to have me wait an eternity.
-I left the neighborhood at 9:25. I asked my mom to bring me to school, since it takes an hour to get from the house to Ateneo in a car.
-There was a vehicular accident in Quirino. Traffic.
-There was a vehicular accident in EDSA-Guadalupe. Traffic.
-We had to reroute through Pasig.
-Fr. David gives automatic Fs to late papers.
-This paper was 30% of our final grade.
-I was late for class.

They wouldn't even look at me. No one asked what happened, and no one answered me when I asked them what I had missed. It was my fault, sure, as I should have edited it earlier, and true enough, the final avoidable instance lay with me. Legally it is my fault. I don't deny it. What hurts though is that whatever friendship I had with them, formed through the infinite number of shared activities we had to endure under Fr. David's instruction, was destroyed by a singular instance. We had inside jokes that only we understood. We had shared insights that were formed by hours of philosophical reflection. We had our memories of touring the City of Manila together. We were each others consolation. We supported each other through the whole of what was a seemingly unbearable class. Fr. David forced us together, and we somehow made do with the coerced cluster. We became genuine friends. I broke that friendship. I guess friendships, much like elements don't form true bonds under artificial circumstances.
What then can one do about broken friendships? I would try to apologize, but really, in such a situation, even I couldn't forgive myself. Would anyone take a rushed apology seriously? Apologizing right after a disheartening act would seem artificial, almost routine. What people fail to understand is that I am not one of those who simply know their pain. Their grades are now shot. It's entirely my fault. My grade is affected as well. I don't care though. I feel their pain. It's more than guilt. It's anguish. Their anguish is my anguish. It's funny, looking back at the car ride to school. I was literally bawling my eyes out, pulling my hair and scratching my face. A bit melodramatic I know, but how best to express anguish than by self mutilation and emotional outrage. Empathy is a curse, not a virtue.
What then can I do but sit stoic ly in my chair, humming "Young Folk" by Peter Bjorn and John. I can't whistle, but the melody would be the Trans-Pop equivalent of All American Rejects' "Move Along." Really, what can anyone do in such a situation but take it in stride. So there I was, twiddling my thumbs, and humming like an idiot. Chillax was the word of the day. When the bell rang, they approached Fr. David, asking if he would still accept the paper. He did. They returned to their seats around mine, gathered their things, and left me sitting alone. I guess I did deserve it, but it doesn't hide the fact that the entire experience hurt. It's Murphy's way of saying, "told you so."
So, friends were lost, and I took the day in stride. The day never improved, and I ended up tearing up on the commute way to my Mom's office. That's how it works. Who am I to complain?