STOP VIOLENCE, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Why are there plenty of deranged people who prefer to hold guns and other arms to kill other people? What drives them to go into such kind of inhuman practices?

Is it not a form of being anti-human? Of trying to forget or having forgotten that one is still a human being?

Is it not a form of loss of faith in humanity? 

Who is the first person from whom an individual learns how to be human being?

Who teaches the children that they exist, that there are other people who exist as they are?

Who teaches them how to be kind and good to other people? Or is this ever taught at all?

Maybe the above are not all covered in the home, that place where warmth and love must exist. 

Maybe there are truly dysfunctional families that do not nurture people to be human and humane. 

So parents rely or the government thinks that by putting problem children in schools would solve the problem. Teachers are expected to be surrogate parents who will provide the necessary teachings, or serve or show examples of how to be a human being -- kind and gentle. 

But how come there are still the mass shootings occurring inside schools as the latest, and everywhere else? According to reports, data, the Texas shooting yesterday is the 101st this year. 

Maybe the American women's movement and which should be led by Hillary and all other Hollywood actresses, AS WELL AS female politicians and spouses of politicians with high political consciousness (high profile women) should lead in this endeavor of stopping violence. We need a concerted effort at this. The school youth have already spoken. Let the women follow suit -- with ecumenical solidarity all throughout the nation. 

The United States looks in need of maternal outlook, maternal feelings, maternal caring.   Let us include the men -- paternal outlook, paternal feelings, paternal caring.  

Those who use guns and kill are both men and women, with the former outnumbering the latter. 

" Between 1982 and February 2018, 2 mass shootings were initiated by female shooters, 94 by male shooters. The mass shooting in San Bernardino on December 2nd 2016 was the only instance in which both a male and female were the shooters." (https://www.statista.com/statistics/476445/mass-shootings-in-the-us-by-shooter-s-gender)

HELP WOMEN, HELP! Let our maternal instincts reverberate around the globe and preserve human lives. 

STOP VIOLENCE, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!


















SOME NOTES ON MASS SHOOTINGS:

What distinguishes mass shootings from other incidences of gun crime—mob violence, racial lynchings, et cetera—is not entirely clear. Most commonly, mass shootings are defined as events in which a lone perpetrator or a small group of perpetrators uses firearms to kill three or more victims. School shootings by contrast have no numerical qualifier; a school shooting is any incidence of gun violence occurring at or in the vicinity of an educational institution.

The full scope of gun violence in the U.S. and abroad is immense. In the U.S. alone there were 346 mass shootings in 2017, or about one per day. Despite attempts by nonprofits like the Gun Violence Archive and by government agencies, it is almost impossible to present every mass shooting. Rather, these are modern shootings that garnered particular attention or had a lasting cultural impact. Find the date, location, and a short description of each incident.

https://www.infoplease.com/us/crime/timeline-worldwide-school-and-mass-shootings

Gun control laws included here are: expanding background checks, closing the “Charleston loophole,” improving record reporting, closing the “terror gap,” banning bump stocks, addressing gun trafficking, closing the “boyfriend loophole,” and creating a “red flags” process. A mass shooting involves four or more people injured or killed in a single event at the same time and location. Mass shooting estimates available after Jan. 13, 2013

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/15/opinion/congress-gun-progress.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=small-thumb&module=opinion-c-col-left-region&region=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region

OVERTURN A PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENT?

Is it possible for a Solicitor General to propose to overturn a presidential appointment of the Supreme Court Chief Justice and for that proposal to be approved by a handful of justices? 

So where does power rest now, is it in the president, or the Solicitor General? 

Unfortunately, Folks, the Constitution is very explicit on how to remove a Chief Justice, but will the justices who voted for CJ removal obey that if pressured by the Senate and other sectors of society? 

The way we experience democratic processes now, if they hew closely to how it is defined, will determine our future actions on issues that will have a bearing on our status as a democratic nation.  

PUPPET GOVERNMENT?

It is a very sad period in our world history, that Russians were able to penetrate the electoral system of the United States. That will really go down in history as a pathetic event that had sullied everything American from icons to the White House. 

When will she ever recover from this debacle that has brought divisions in the country in family and political lives?

Pray that it does not happen in our shores, that the Chinese from PRC would invade our country and insure that the official who heads our land would feel beholdened to her.

Folks, did you know that I have met two PRC women, one a beautiful happy even if separated from her husband who works here in an office? The other is a masseuse and she charges a lot for a massage, 1,000. I told her, Dapat libre, but of course she does not understand Pilipino. so she didnt know what i was talking about. 

But did you know that someone had told me, before the Japanese invaded our shores, there had been many Japanese people came to work here, but eventually became soldiers of the Imperial Army?

I wonder if our AFP is deep into espionage of foreigners in our shore. We need to know what is really going on and hope not to be surprised later on that we have a puppet government of PRC.

MGA TANONG TUNGKOL SA BARANGAY ELECTIONS

Natapos din sa wakas ang eleksyon para sa barangay. Parang napakalaking bruhaha ang nangyari sa pagboto ng mga susunod na liderato, pati na sa kabataan. Pero ang tanong: bakit masyadong naka focus ang mga tao sa paghahalal ng susunod na mga pinuno, pero pagkatapos ay hindi na binubusisi kung ano ang ginagawa ng mga lider na nahalal?

Alam ba natin kung ano dapat ang matatanggap natin sa Barangay?

Ang Barangay ay isang sentro ng lingkod bayan sa pinakamaliit na sistemang political subali't napakamakapangyarihan. Sa katunayan, kapag mga eleksyong nasyonal, nililigawan ng mga pulitiko ang mga barangay chair para mahikayat ang mga tao sa kanyang lugar na iboto sila. 

Dito natin makikita na ang Comelec ay hindi nagtagumpay sa pagtataas ng edukasyon ng mga tao tungkol sa mas makahulugang bahagi ng pamamahala ng ating gubyerno. Sila ay nalulubog sa paghahanda sa eleksyon, sa pagtingin sa mga kasalanan o pagkakamaling nagawa sa panahon ng eleksyon pero zero sa pagpapaangat ng kamalayan ng mga tao, lalo na ng kaalaman kung anu-ano ang relasyon nila sa mga pinuno. 

Kadalasan ay parang utang na loob pa natin sa mga nakaluklok ang tayo ay pagsilbihan, sa halip na makita nating ito ay kanilang sinumpaang tungkulin at nararapat lang na tayo ay pagsilbihan. 

Anu-ano ang inaasahan natin sa Barangay?

KAPAYAPAAN

Ang Barangay kapag magulo ay maraming patayan, maraming nag-aaway na mga pamilya, at hindi makapaglakad ng mapayapa ang mga tao sa gabi. 

Ang Barangay ay magulo kapag may nagvi-videoke hanggang alas 11 at mahaba pa rito sa gabi, dahil kaarawan daw ng isang pulis o kamag-anak ng isang opisyal ng barangay. 

Ang Barangay ay magulo kapag ang isang kalye ay isasara dahil lamang sa may pagdiriwang ng kaarawan. 

Ang Barangay ay magulo kapag ang mga traysikel ay mayayabang, namimili ng pasahero, mahal magpabayad, at akala mo sila pa ang dapat yukuran ng mga pasahero. 

Samakatuwid, dapat harapin ng Barangay ang maraming bagay na magbibigay na kapayapaan sa lugar. 

SEGURIDAD

Nung nakatira pa ako sa bahay ng Nanay ko, yung katabing bahay namin ay pinagbili sa isang may-ari ng nagbebenta ng household appliances. Yung construction head nito ay nagbungkal ng lupa, na nagdulot ng "cracks" ng aming bahay sa likod. 

Sa halip na humingi ng kapatawaran, ang yabang pang nagsalita itong "head" na ito at nagsabing "Sige idemanda nyo kami at ipapa-condemn namin ang bahay ninyo," sa harap ng Barangay officers. 

Ano ibig sabihin nito, mayabang siya kasi alam kong naglalagay siya. Nung nagharap kami sa QC Hall, nakita kong may inabot siya sa isang officer ng isang departamento, patago, tinakpan ng envelope. 

Samakatuwid, ang seguridad ay hindi maaasahan kung may mga taong ginagamit ang pera para mang-api ng mga kapitbahay. 

At ano pa ang seguridad? Marami akong maikukuwento sa kung ano ang nangyari sa aking mga gamit, na dahil ako ay lumipat na, ay nagsisilitawan. 

Bakit ganun? Kasi may mga taong ginamit kung sino man ang nagha-harass sa akin, na aking mga kamag-anak upang sirain ang buhay ko sa bahay na iyon para mapapayag akong maipagbili ito,  

Yung aking video camera at isang mataas na itim na maleta ng anak kong namatay ay nawawala. Hanggang ngayon hindi masagot ng 8888 at sabi ay kontakin ko ang Camp Karingal na nung tinawagan ko naman, ang sabi ay nasa Channel 2 raw. May nagsoli raw duon. Pero kung tinatawagan ko naman ay bina-block ang calls ko. May jammer sa paligid namin. 

At ngayong nakalipat na ako ay biglang nawalang isa-isa ang mga pang-haharass sa akin.
Pero may kapitbahay naman sa kabilang building, na kaharap ng building na tinitirhan ko, may mga nakatirang pamilya rin ng pulis, na araw-araw ay nagtatapon ng earbuds, papel ng kendi, at kung anu-ano pa sa aking daraanan. 

Samakatuwid, ang seguridad ko, ang pangangailangan kong magkaroon ng matahimik na pamumuhay ay sinisira ng pamilya na yun. 

Alam kong ginagawa ito sa akin dahil sa ako ay isang kritikal na manunula.  
  
Folks, isang katerba ang nakaantabay kapag ako ay umaalis ng aking unit. Minsan, biglang akong tumakbo upang alamin kung saan nanggagaling yung amoy ng sigarilyo at may nakita akong tumatalilis na lalaki sa loob ng hallway ng building. Samakatuwid, nakapalibot lahat ng mga taong it. 

Ngayon lang ay may lalaking naninigarilyo sa labas ng internet shop na ito at nagbubuga ng usok ng sigarilyo sa loob, at nalalanghap ko dahil nasa tabi ako ng pinto. Nagkamali ako ng napiling upuan . 

So Folks, ang seguridad ay isang napakahirap na tema para pag-usapan talaga para sa isang manunulat na katulad ko. 

Narinig ko nga ang isang Comelec commissioner, sabi, "if you find out that someone cheated in the elections, you should be ready to finish the investigation ang court hearings. You should be ready to die."

Ano, mamamatay siya dahil ang Comelec ay hindi kayang maresolba ang mga pandaraya sa eleksyon? Puwede ba? Ganun na ba kababaw ang maging bayani dito sa ating bayan 
Excuse me, Madame, please check your organization before you require media practitioners to sacrifice their lives for what is really the work of an inept organization as the Comelec. 

Job Security

Minsan nabasa ko sa tarpaulin, nagkaroon pala ng candle-making workshop ang barangay. Pero tapos na. Bakit ganun? Itinaas ang tarpaulin tapos na? Paano yung mga taong kung natuto sana ay nagkaroon ng trabaho?

Anong nais nating sabihin dito? Ang Barangay dapat ay may job center na sisiguraduhing lahat ng tao ay may trabaho at hindi tambay lang. 

Kapag ang tao ay tambay, ang utak ay di gumagana at parating nakafocus sa katawan niya. Pag-uwi ng lalaki sa bahay, kinakama kaagad ang asawa. Ang asawa naman, kung matapos magluto at ibang gawaing bahay, mag to-tong its. Ganun ba? Malusog ba ang barangay na ganyan? 

Hindi siyempre kasi ang utak ay lumiliit, at nawawalan ng malawak na pananaw kung sino siya bilang isang mamamayan hindi lamang sa pamilya, sa barangay kundi hanggang sa malaking lipunan.

Ang job center ay dapat na may listahan ng mga "available jobs" hindi lamang sa loob ng barangay kundi sa ibang lugar din upang mas maraming oportunidad ang makukuha ng mga "constituents," at hindi na sila kailangang mamasahe pa, gumasta sa pananghalian para lamang makapag-aplay sa trabaho. Samakatuwid, dapat may links ang job center na ito sa lahat ng job centers. 

Dapat  ding magkaroon ng mga pagsasanay ang Barangay kung paanong magtatagal sa trabaho ang isang empleyado upang hindi palipat-lipat. Magkaroon din ng mga regular na pagsasanay kung paanong magkaroon ng negosyo hindi minsan sa isang taon lamang. 

Sa aming Barangay, masyadong "polarized" : may mga taong nakahiga sa pera, at mayroon ding isang kahig, isang tuka. Mayroon ding nagkukunwaring mahirap yung pala ay milyonaryo o milyonarya dahil nagpapaupa ng mga kuwarto sa "squatters' areas" kung tawagin. 


PROSPERIDAD 

Ang pagiging malago, o "prosperous" ay hindi lamang sa kapal ng pera sa bulsa. May tinatawag na "prosperous mind." Ano ito? Ang Barangay kung maigi ang pamamalakad ay nakapagbibigay ng pag-asa sa mga "constitutents" para sila ay maging mapanlikha sa paglutas ng mga suliranin sa loob at labas ng kanilang tahanan. 

Ang isang "prosperous mind" din ay pagkakaroon ng kaalaman tungkol sa kung paanong tatanggalin ang isang pinuno ng Barangay kapag hindi kumikilos ng mabuti -- nagpo-protekta ng mga durugista, hinahayaan ang tong-its, marumi ang kapaligiran, etsetera. 

Samakatuwid, dapat siguraduhin ng Comelec at ng Department of Interior and Local Government na ang mga mamamayan ng Barangay ay may armas  na kaalaman upang patalsikin ang isang pinuno kung hindi nito ginagawa ang mga tungkulin, kung nagtatangi {discriminatory} at kung umasta akala mo ay pag-aari niya ang Barangay office -- na hindi man lamang mapahiram ang kompyuter, kahit na ang sulat na isusulat ay para sa Kapitana. 

Yung Prosperidad ay tungkol sa bulsa. Dapat palawakin ng National Economic Devt authority ang big sabihin ng "development" kasama na ang economic development ng mga mapanlikhang taumbayan. 

Anong mga mapanlikhang gawain: gumagawa ng mga kakanin, nagkukumpuni ng mga sirang gamit sa kusina, at iba pang lugar, gumagawa ng mga paintings, sculpture, nagbi-beadworks, etc. 

Samakatuwid, arts and crafts ay dapat papagyamanin sa barangay, at dapat magkaroon ng mga Festival of Handicrafts, o katulad nito kung saan maipagmamalaki ng taumbayan ang kani;amg sariling likhang kamay at dapat na maipagmalaki dahil marangal ito. 

Ang hirap kasi sa ating bansa ay tinutukoy lang parati ay mga imported good, hindi ang sariling likha ng ating mga kababayan. 

Dapat baguhin natin ang ating isipan tungkol sa Prosperidad. 

PANINIWALA SA DIYOS 

Kapag napatimo natin sa taumbayan ang paniniwala sa Diyos, mawawala ang mga gangsters, ang mga armadong grupo, ang mga durugista, at iba pang masasamang elemento sa aitng lipunan. 

Paanong gagawin ito ng Barangay? Magkaroon ng Ecumenical Centers sa bawat Barangay kung saan ang iba't ibang relihyon ay maaaring magmisa rito. Dapat hikayatin natin ang "religious tolerance" -- na tayo ay hindi lamang Kristiyano, Katoliko, Sabadista, Metodista, Muslim, atbp. Na ginagalang natin ang paniniwala ng bawa;t isa.

LIBRENG SAKAY  

Dapat  magpatupad ng libreng sakay ang gubyerno para ang mga "settlers" dito sa Maynila na kapos, ay magkaroon ng byahe minsan sa dalawang taon ang bawa't mamamayan, at  makakauwi sila sa probinsiya nila at makakaramdam ng pagkalinga ng kanilang mga kababayan. Baka gustuhin na rin nilang manirahan duon, pagkatapos kung kayat dapat ay bigyan ng pagkakataon ang lahat na makabalik, o makabisita sa kanilang pinanggalingan. 

Lahat tayo ay naglalakbay dito sa mundo natin. Bigyan natin ng pagkakataon ang lahat na makapaglakbay ng mapayapa, matiwasay at alamin kung ano ang tunay nila talagang gusto sa buhay. 

Ang pagkilala ng iba ay tinatawag na intelihensiya; ang pagkilala ng sarili ay tunay na karunungan. Ang pagsupil ng iba ay kalakasan; ang pagsupil ng sarili ang tunay na kapangyarihan. Lao Tzu

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”

ON SAVING THE ECONOMY

"Contractualisation refers to the practice of hiring employees who would render their services for a finite amount of time, usually, for a few months only. This is a system that has been practiced and used by many companies, including large corporations."

The issue of Contractualisation is hurting our economy. It is resorted to by many companies due to the benefits they get from it like -- avoiding to give employees and workers their tenure-- after 6 months, an employee is supposed to be made permanent already in the old Labor Code; their not paying the 13th month bonus of every employee, not signing up with SSS and Pag-ibig, etc. 

In other words, what normally should be a nurturing relationship between the management and labor becomes a highly oppressive, prostituting connection that could lead labor to :
physically unhealthy situation: inability to put up a healthy family; accepting any order of management even if unacceptable; inability to dream big; and being sunk into limbo -- whether to give their all to their work or not and if they do, who knows, they could possibly earn the attention of the management who could make them permanent. 

That is the nightmare of our labor force in the country today. 

Now, I don't know why the legislators are dragging their feet in solving this iniquity in the field of employement. They enjoy the perks -- get their salaries every 15th and 30th; have all the benefits; earn the limelight everyday from media; and yet they are very very slow like turtles to act on what is a glaring whiplash on the bodies of our laboring sector. 

Is it a case of too many issues to tackle? Of having other priorities? Or of being bribed into ignoring the issue of Contractualisation so the heydays of the business sector would go on and on?

Actually, if we will examine Contractualisation, it is an issue between the capitalist and the worker. The capitalists own the tools of production, while the worker only has his/her physical and mental (shall we include emotions as well?) body to operate the tools and be paid for it. 


So how do we end the deadlock in the discussions on Contractualisation? How do we save our economy? 

We have to dilute capitalism. And the answer is cooperativism. Capitalism in our country has existed for so long but it has rarely been helpful to the labor force. Instead, it has become an ambitious dream for many people to become capitalists, especially the young people and to use governmental methods of assisting that sector to be scuccessful at the expense of the labor force. 

If the workers or the labor force could be made a partner by the capitalist and be given a share in the stocks of income, then Contractualisation would not be a problem at all. 

Successful people are generous with their wealth, said a thinker.

“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. 
Unsuccessful people are always asking, "What's in it for me?”
― Brian Tracy

MANY FACES

When I was in high school, my ambition was to be an ambassador of our country. I liked the idea of talking to people from other cultures in their own languages like French, German, English and so many more. I even took up lessons in the first two because I harbored the idea of seeing the best of dramatic cultures in them. 

I also like the idea of representing our country and showcasing to the world our own Philippine culture. In fact, I collected a lot of Philippine books which I could bring with me to the foreign lands so that the foreigners would be able to read books that are written intelligently by Filipino writers. 

However, Marcos changed all that. I despised the idea of representing his dictatorial regime to the other countryfolks. In fact, when I was in Europe in the 80's, I was telling my friends, i am here only because I like the idea of openness, whereby I could read any book I want, including Marxist books, and be with different strangers who have radical principles coming from Nicaragua (which had just liberated herself from a dictator then), El Salvador, Chile (under Pinochet then) and even Africa. In other words, I experienced the melting pot of different political colors all advocating for emancipation of their countryfolks from tyrants and  despots. 

And so, the idea of representing our country was sidetracked in favor of helping to find out how to restore democracy in our country. 

And so, when I read that Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Emmanuel Macron of France were going to meet with the illegitimate president of the United States, I was aghast. I could not imagine them seeing a person who could overturn the electoral rights of the American people through the help of the Russian President Vladimir Putin without any feelings of remorse.

How would they look at him without showing him that they know what he had done, that what he had done was contrary to the principles of democracy?

A, compromise, that's part of diplomacy is it not? The tariff game of the US questionable president, makes them see beyond his democratic transgressions and rather view the needs of their constituents. 

But is it really true, that the various countries would fall should they lose the American market? Tit-for-tat is it not? They could also put up barriers in the trading with the United States. 

But that does not seem to be the case. 

Now the more I see that to be a diplomat requires having many kinds of methods of dealing with the intricacies of politics. 

Question: how long will these entanglements last?

I really admire the capability of the American people to tolerate their situation now. 

Worse of worst, the sitting president aims to join the next elections again for a second term. 

Everyday that passes by for me if I would live in the United States, is like a stab in an open wound. That was like the same experience when we had Marcos and the fake president. 

It is really difficult to be in politics.It is meant for people with great stamina for not looking beyond the physical situation at hand.

Despotism

The term despotism refers to a system of governance where a single entity rules with absolute power at its disposal. This single entity may be an individual like autocracy or a group of people as oligarchy. Despot, originally Greek word means a person with absolute power. The term has been used to describe different kinds of rulers in history, from local chieftain, tribal leader to king or emperor. In despotism, despot has all the powers to rule over others who are considered inferior or subsidiary. Despotism is best described by early statehood, like Pharaohs of Egypt.

Tyranny

According Plato and Aristotle tyranny refers to a system where the tyrant ruled without any law to fulfil his own interest without any concern for the subjects and used unethical and cruel tactics to torture the subjects and used foreign mercenaries as soldiers. In ancient Greece tyrants came to power supported by peasants and growing middle class. Although they had no legal right to rule but they were preferred to aristocracy.

http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/politics/what-is-the-difference-between-tyranny-and-despotism/

LIONESS DIRECTOR

What could still be said about the PLAY, THE LION KING?

Since 1997  it has been onstage and today in many many countries performances are made even in different languages.

Anyway it is a must see for the Filipino people because of its beauty, the lessons it imparts to artists of all genres, and being a truly aesthetically educational yet entertaining play.

1.Who should say what is beautiful and what is not? Is beauty relative? Not really. If the Lion King were to be presented by a Filipino, would it be less beautiful than what Disney has made? Beauty here would have specificities. For example, we don’t have hyenas nor giraffes, except those in the zoo. Neither do we have tigers or lions, but our zoos have.  Ergo, the beauty of animals which play major roles in the play, will undergo redefinitions.

2.There are commonalities, though between our experiences and those to be found in he play.

For example, sidekicks, those who act as valets or servants of the king, can be found in  our milieu.

Political conspirators also abound.

One thing we don’t have is the aristocratic setup, wherein families rule, except the ought-to-be-maligned dynastic rules which legitimize their existence through electoral manipulation.  Lion King is thru and thru a play about royalties, ascension into power and  descension into disempowerment.

Another commonality is the presence of communities which stand together through thick and thin. Lion King presents to us the kingdom of Simba’s father which is tightly-knit, but crumbles under the vicious intrusion of his power-hungry uncle.

Incidentally this reminds me of Hamlet, whose father is killed by his uncle who then grabs  power. And Hamlet returns to unravel the conspiracy.

Still another is our belief that the departed still exercise influence on the lives of those left behind. Hence, Simba’s father reminds him of his duties as the leader of the lion tribe. But lateron, Simba exhibits a different kind of attitude. He sings: “I can’t wait to be king” thereby showing a primary and different view of kingship or leadership, not as a tool for service to the people. It sounds more like a hankering for sheer power, fame, and strength. Here are the major lyrics of the song:

I Just Can't Wait to Be King

by Rowan Atkinson, Jason Weaver, ...

I'm gonna be a mighty king

So enemies beware

I'm gonna be the main event

Like no king was before

I'm brushing up on looking down

I'm working on my roar                                                                                                                    

Oh, I just can't wait to be king

No one saying, "do this"

No one saying, "be there"

No one saying, "stop that"

No one saying, "see here"

Free to run around all day

Well, that's definitely out

Free to do it all my way

This inheritance of leadership within the family is not only African but also very Asian and that older generations of leaders still exercise power over their descendants. This belief could be found among the Indian, Chinese, Korean, Indonesian and many other Asiatic cultures like our tribes. We like to embrace the idea that our lives do not end on earth but go on to the next world. Spiritually we are connected not only here but beyond.

f. The multiple colors that are used in the creation of the puppets are definitely African and Asian as well. We imbibe the colors of our surroundings and project them in our visual products.

But the special artistic mark is there when the shapes and lines of the puppets are defined by the artist herself, the woman director, puppet maker and colyricist of Elton John and Tim Rice,  Julie Taymour. The shapes of the animals are stylized, not naturalistic. Also the artistic designs made use of many geometric shapes which are trademarks of African art.

g. The music though is a hodgepodge of African chants, rock, jazz, ethnic and ballad. They are very captivating. Also the use of African language in writing lyrics is very unique and surprising for me much as I am used to hearing Broadway plays in English all or most of the time.

Then the African speaker of English with local accent is well done; the director had chosen  an actor withput a very western accent. I think that is a recognition of the different individual rearings of English speakers. We may speak English but use our own local accents. However, Simba and his father have opposite accents. I wonder why. Haha.

3.Unique Artistry a. In terms of artistry, I take my hat off to the execution of the animal  puppets and their use of the puppeteers who manipulated them very professionally. That seems to be based on the Japanese puppetry Bunraku which have puppeteers dressed in all black and their faces covered with veil while they hold the puppets in colorful attire and make them the center of attention. In Lion King, the puppeteer’s presence is very much marked. They intrude into the story of the play, unlike Japanese puppet play productions.

b. Spectacle Actually, the presentation had many  spectacular techniques that appealed to the curiosity of the young audience and mine. It  had geysers that spurt vapor here and there without any warnings. At most of the openings of the scenes, the puppets were shadows crossing the stage and then later  the full lights  would reveal all their colors. Then the presentation also made use of pinhole lighting inside of which revealed animals crossing across a black curtain. That was really ingenious.

A stage box had a staircase which could stand for the throne, or the highest peak of the  mountain where the whole lion’s kingdom could be viewed. It was also the last setting            where the grown Simba and his uncle would finally square off.

The shape of the curtain is not square or rectangle but inverted 45 degree triangle with  jagged hems.

Slip ups:

Here are some problems which somehow were disturbing for the audience found 100 feet  above – in the balcony. That’s what I can afford, Folks.

1.When the actors spoke it took us a bit of time to find out who was speaking. The sound  was thrown to the whole theatre and so our eyes had to wander from actor to actor trying  to discover who is talking.

2.Simba the child, has too much western accent which did not match that of his father’s as  I have said before.

3. Also, the colors of the costumes of the major actors blended too well with those of the  other actors. They did not have that feature which made them float above the sea of colors. Hence, again, sifting through the number of people onstage became quite difficult.

4.Then the voice of the adult Simba sounded too weak vis-à-vis his uncle’s. Hence it didn’t seem credible for him to be able to defeat him. Actually, I think that the uncle’s voice should have been aged since many years have passed since he  had talked to Simba.

This is a play that should be watched by everyone in any kind of governance. Surely, they  would be able to pick which animal exhibits the character of his boss or underling. Hence, I  told some Barangay employees in Pasay City to write the secretary of DILG to give them  free tickets to the show or write the pay producers to give them discounted tickets so that  they could watch it and thereby raise their cultural consciousness on political conflicts in  governance.

Also, they could learn a lot in terms of the accomplishments of the director of the play, Julie Taymour, whom I would call the lioness director.

Ay but here’s the rub –getting out of Solaire is a great tribulation. The taxi drivers there do not pick up passengers who are not Chinese or Chinese-looking. “Kasi naloloko nila,” a guard had told me. They are able to pay a huge sum for the transport. Finally the guard was able to get one for me after I had told him to tell the driver  where I was going – to Makati Medical Center.

Quoted: Julie Taymor (born December 15, 1952) is an American director of theater, opera and film. She is best known for directing the stage musical The Lion King, for which she became the first woman to win the Tony Award for directing a musical, in addition to a Tony Award for Original Costume Design.

She has also received the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design, an Emmy Award, and an Academy Award nomination for Original Song. She also received the 2012 Director Award for Vision and Courage from the Athena Film Festival at Barnard College in New York City.[1] She was the director of the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and an off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

P.S. By the way, the Lion King first came out in 1997. In 2008, or eleven years after, a half-African ascended into Presidential power in the United States. So, was the play a prophetic sign of his election?

LIONESS DIRECTOR 11

What could still be said about the PLAY, THE LION KING?

Since 1997  it has been onstage and today in many many countries performances are made even in different languages. 

Anyway it is a must see for the Filipino people because of its beauty, the lessons it imparts  to artists of all genres, and being a truly aesthetically educational yet entertaining play.

1.Who should say what is beautiful and what is not? Is beauty relative? Not really. If the    Lion King were to be presented by a Filipino, would it be less beautiful than what Disney  has made? Beauty here would have specificities. For example,  we don’t have hyenas nor  giraffes, except those in the zoo. Neither do we have tigers or lions, but our zoos have.  Ergo, the beauty of animals which play major roles in the play, will undergo redefinitions. 

                                                                                                                                    2.There are commonalities, though  between our experiences and those to be found in he play. 

a.For example, sidekicks, those who act as valets or servants of the king, can be found in  our milieu. 

b.Political conspirators also abound.

c.  One thing we don’t have is the aristocratic setup, wherein families rule, except the ought-to-be-maligned dynastic rules which legitimize their existence through electoral manipulation.  Lion King is thru and thru a play about royalties, ascension into power and  descension into disempowerment. 

d.  Another commonality is the presence of communities which stand together through thick and thin. Lion King presents to us the kingdom of Simba’s father which is tightly-knit, but crumbles under the vicious intrusion of his power-hungry uncle.

Incidentally this reminds me of Hamlet, whose father is killed by his uncle who then grabs  power. And Hamlet returns to unravel the conspiracy.

e. Still another is our belief that the departed still exercise influence on the lives of those left behind. Hence, Simba’s father reminds him of his duties as the leader of the lion tribe. But  later on, Simba exhibits a different kind of attitude. He sings: “I can’t wait to be king” thereby showing a primary and different view of kingship or leadership, not as a tool for service to  the people. It sounds more like a hankering for sheer power, fame, and strength. Here are  the major lyrics of the song:   

                                                                                                                           I Just Can't Wait to Be King                                                                                                               by Rowan Atkinson, Jason Weaver, ...                                                                                                        I'm gonna be a mighty king

So enemies beware

I'm gonna be the main event

Like no king was before

I'm brushing up on looking down

I'm working on my roar                                                                                                                                            Oh, I just can't wait to be king

No one saying, "do this"

No one saying, "be there"

No one saying, "stop that"

No one saying, "see here"

Free to run around all day

Well, that's definitely out

Free to do it all my way             

                                                                                  

This inheritance of leadership within the family is not only African but also very Asian and  that older generations of leaders still exercise power over their descendants. This belief  could be found among the Indian, Chinese, Korean, Indonesian and many other Asiatic  cultures like our tribes. We like to embrace the idea that our lives do not end on earth but go on to the next world. Spiritually we are connected not only here but beyond.     

                                                                         f. The multiple colors that are used in the creation of the puppets are definitely African and Asian as well. We imbibe the colors of our surroundings and project them in our visual  products.           

                                                                                                                                                                          But the special artistic mark is there when the shapes and lines of the  puppets are defined by the artist herself, the woman director, puppet maker and co-lyricist of Elton John and Tim Rice,  Julie Taymour. The shapes of the animals are stylized,  not naturalistic. Also the artistic designs made use of many geometric shapes which are  trademarks of African art.    

                                   

 g. The music though is a hodgepodge of African chants, rock, jazz, ethnic and ballad. They are very captivating. Also the use of African language in writing lyrics is very unique and surprising for me much as I am used to hearing Broadway  plays in English all or most of the time.      

                                                                          Then the African speaker of English with local accent is well done; the director had chosen  an actor withput a very western accent. I think that is a recognition of the different individual rearings of English speakers. We may speak English but use our own local accents. However, Simba and his father have opposite accents. I wonder why. Haha.

3.Unique Artistry a. In terms of artistry, I take my hat off to the execution of the animal  puppets and their use of the puppeteers who manipulated them very professionally. That  seems to be based on the Japanese puppetry Bunraku which have puppeteers dressed in  all black and their faces covered with veil while they hold the puppets in colorful attire and  make them the center of attention. In Lion King, the puppeteers presence is very much  marked. They intrude into the story of the play, unlike Japanese puppet play productions.  

b. Spectacle                                                           Actually, the presentation had many  spectacular techniques that appealed to the curiosity of the young audience and mine. It  had geysers that spurt vapor here and there without any warnings. At most of the openings of the scenes, the puppets were shadows crossing the stage and then later  the full lights  would reveal all their colors. Then the presentation also made use of pinhole lighting inside of which revealed animals crossing across a black curtain. That was really ingenious.

A stage box had a staircase which could stand for the throne, or the highest peak of the  mountain where the whole lion’s kingdom could be viewed. It was also the last setting where the grown Simba and his uncle would finally square off.

The shape of the curtain is not square or rectangle but inverted 45 degree triangle with  jagged hems. 

Slip ups:

Here are some problems which somehow were disturbing for the audience found 100 feet  above – in the balcony. That’s what I can afford, Folks. 

1.When the actors spoke it took us a bit of time to find out who was speaking. The sound  was thrown to the whole theatre and so our eyes had to wander from actor to actor trying  to discover who is talking. 

2.Simba the child, has too much western accent which did not match that of his father’s as I have said before. 

3. Also, the colors of the costumes of the major actors blended too well with those of the  other actors. They did not have that feature which made them float above the sea of colors. Hence, again, sifting through the number of people onstage became quite difficult.

4.Then the voice of the adult Simba sounded too weak vis-à-vis his uncle’s. Hence it didn’t seem credible for him to be able to defeat him. Actually, I think that the uncle’s voice should have been aged since many years have passed since he  had talked to Simba. 

This is a play that should be watched by everyone in any kind of governance. Surely, they  would be able to pick which animal exhibits the character of his boss or underling. Hence, I  told some Barangay employees in Pasay City to write the secretary of DILG to give them  free tickets to the show or write the pay producers to give them discounted tickets so that  they could watch it and thereby raise their cultural consciousness on political conflicts in  governance.


Also, they could learn a lot in terms of the accomplishments of the director of the play, Julie Taymour, whom I would call the lioness director.

Ay but here’s the rub –getting out of Solaire is a great tribulation. The taxi drivers there do not pick up passengers who are not Chinese or Chinese-looking. 

“Kasi naloloko nila,” a guard had told me. They are able to pay a huge sum for the transport.After some time, the guard was able to get one for me after I had told him to tell the driver  where I was going – to Makati Medical Center.  

Quoted: Julie Taymor (born December 15, 1952) is an American director of theater, opera and film. She is best known for directing the stage musical The Lion King, for which she became the first woman to win the Tony Award for directing a musical, in addition to a Tony Award for Original Costume Design.

She has also received the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design, an Emmy Award, and an Academy Award nomination for Original Song. She also received the 2012 Director Award for Vision and Courage from the Athena Film Festival at Barnard College in New York City.^[1] She was the director of the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and an off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

P.S. By the way, the Lion King first came out in 1997. In 2008, or eleven years after, a half-African ascended into Presidential power in the United States. So, was the play a prophetic sign of his election? 

John August Swanson     HAND-PRINTED SERIGRAPHS

Daniel

John August Swanson's serigraph Daniel portrays the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den from Daniel 6. Daniel is sentenced to a terrifying death, yet he stands quietly in the midst of the wild lions. John reflects that, "This story still inspires us by its hopeful message. It connects us to those who confront the powers in our world that keep people oppressed, the people who "speak truth to power." It is an optimistic story where good wins and hope is kept alive. Despite seemingly impossible situations, by keeping our faith alive we can survive our "lion's den"."

https://www.eyekons.com/john_swanson_serigraphs/john_swanson_daniel_s