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The Origin of Planking

So where exactly did it start?

A lot of people are actually beginning to ask where the fad of “planking” (otherwise known as “the lying down game”) actually started. It’s a game where someone lies down flat on a certain surface… like in a table or even on a streetlight, and having their picture taken like they’re some sort of human Halloween decorations.

So, where exactly did it start? And who the heck started it? A lot of people says it started around the 2000, but actually started way longer than that.

Planking was actually “created” by the American prankster, Tom Green, way back in 1994, as an experiment to see who would actually “help” him to see if he was injured.

Support AThinLine.org, Stop Cyberbullying

This… was pretty much some part of my life in high school, except for the fact that FaceBook or networking sites were still non-existent then. We had to take insults like this right into our faces, and in my case, etched in the boy’s bathroom. ~_~

Still continuing on to the cyberbullying issue, I came across this video while I was looking to compare life insurance. It’s about A Thin Line.Org, which is a website and a program by MTV that deals with cyberbullying, sexting, and other abuses that occurs in schools nowadays.

It’s actually a really, really great program, that I wish would be implemented in schools, colleges and even workplaces here in the Philippines. Being the texting capital in Asia, cyberbullying is pretty much just as prevalent here as it is in the US.  Probably just as worse, since I see articles of suicides by teenagers in the newspapers.

It’s scary to think that us, the older generation, are letting these things happen. There are still no laws against all forms of bullying, and there are a lot of schools, particularly here in the Philippines, that do not have anti-bullying policies. Things like the ones happening in this video should never happen to anyone in real life. ~_~

Anyway, calling to politicians, mind you that we need laws against cyberbullying and other forms of abuse through digital means, because believe it or not, THIS *points to video* is happening here too. ~_~

Zenkx Against Cyberbullying

Man, the internet today is both an awesome and annoying thing, specially when it comes to things like bullying. ~_~

Just recently, I saw an episode of “If You Really Knew Me”, which addresses the modern concerns of High School students in the US, specially when it comes to “stereotyping”, where in students are seemingly grouped according to what the school society thinks them to be. They can be jocks, cheerleaders, nerds, outcasts, etc.

One of the thing that hit me during that show was about cyberbullying, or abusing someone’s well-being through digital means like texting, or through posts in FaceBook, MySpace or in their own personal blogs.

I find it really interesting and … disturbing, to think that these teenagers are practically ruining someone’s life by the words they say through the use of the InterNet and cellphones.

There was once a time when I was bullied in high school… way before texting was a fad. My friends were what they called nerds or outcasts, but I loved them, not because they are strange or anything, but because they were genuinely fun and really cool. My best friend, Joyce has been my friend since high school. And we had went through a lot of shit together from the bullies. We had chairs and books thrown at us. Joyce, particularly, being the smartest, was always pressured into doing someone else’s homework. She was called thin, and I was called weirdo. I had the biggest breasts in class, and they often picked at me because of it. Some went too far as to date me just to touch my breast for a bet.

I had… a bad time in high school, but it was Joyce, and my other friends, Beth, Juddee, Mary Jane, Joseph Ickx and Ericco who made me strong enough to not let a blade touch my wrist, because it would make them sad. When we were bullied, Beth would defend us, being a black belter in karate, and when we got so angry we would go out and hang at the mall, or sometimes in my house, where we would talk about things. It… made me really appreciate them and love them.

But now… it’s just scary. You don’t need physical contact just to be bullied by someone. Heck, you could be in the same school but not know each other until someone posts something awful about you.

I’ve heard about news of teenagers killing themselves because someone made an awful rumor about them… like them being gay, or fat, or weird, or being falsely accused of being something that they are not. As one who went through that ordeal and was able to not do it, I just wish that this kind of thing would stop happening. Life is too fun, and great and awesome, to be tainted by such false accusations. I wish kids who went through the same, and probably worse, scenario like mine would have the strength to stand up, and know that just because they called you something, doesn’t mean you have to be.

Watching all this… it is making me regret that I didn’t look into counselor careers or get a master degree in psychology. I just wish there was something I could do to make teenagers and people learn something about cyberbullying, and how it’s affecting people not just in schools, but even outside of it like in workplaces. ~_~

The Jeepney Rant (By An Everyday Commuter)

So okay, I’ve been working for 2 years now, I’ve finished four years of college, and I finished high school as well, all the while commuting my way to get to point A to point B, and I’ve noticed a lot of things while riding the Filipino transport, the Jeepney.

Yes, the Jeepney… the noble Army vehicle that sounds like a honda mower that became the national transport of the Philippines. No Filipino in this country is going to say they’ve never ridden a jeepney, because at some point in their lives, they did. Perhaps the only Filipinos who can say they’ve never ridden one are Foreign-born Filipinos and really, really rich people. O_o

But because I’ve been commuting for, like, half my life, there are some things that pisses me off when riding a jeepney. Like, real annoying stuff that happens when inside the jeepney. It’s not really the jeepney’s fault, more like the passengers/drivers. Here are some of them:

1. For the love of God, if you are a jeepney passenger, and someone wants to pass along the money from you to the driver, DO YOUR PART! Make sure that you pass along the money. Some people are just too lazy when they do this. It happens to me all the time! They have their back turned on me, and I’d reach out and say “Manong, bayad po (Mister, here’s the payment)”, and this jerk-off won’t even turn around since he’s the one closest to where I was reaching.  Geeze, as if it takes too much energy taking money and reaching out arm’s length to give it to the driver. ~_~

2. In connection with number 2, if someone hands out the “bayad (payment)” to you, don’t be a jerk and try to steal at least a peso from it (happened to me once). Are you that poor to be taking a peso from someone else’s payment? ~_~

3. For drivers out there, yes, Jeepneys are naturally crowded, it’s designed to be so. However, if you can see that there is at least 1 person who can’t sit anymore, do not try to pick up anymore passengers. We are not sardines. We are human beings. And yes we come in different sizes… like me. I’m chubby. But just because your seats can accommodate up to ten people, don’t think that approximately ten people can fit there if someone of my build would sit there, because they won’t. (And DON’T argue with me about losing weight and trying to be thin… you would just lose XD)

4. Again for the drivers, and possibly conductors, STOP WITH THE LOUD SOUND SYSTEM ALREADY!!! This… this is the part I hate the most about some jeepneys. There are some jeepneys with really, really loud music… like, you can just feel the bass thumping from underneath your seat. It’s annoying… and dumb! What are these guys, thinking they’re drag racers on “Fast and the Furious” to have really loud music. What if I need to hand out my bayad, or if I have to get off? You want me to SCREAM out what I need? Meh. I don’t do shouting. And what if there are children or infants on board your jeepney? You going to damage their fragile inner ears? There are a lot of health hazards concerning listening to loud music. Read them. Study them. Take them to heart. Because I die of a headache from busting out my eardrum, I will go “The Grudge” on you. >:(

5. Ah here, we go… passengers. Ha! One of the things that annoy me the most about them is that when it’s really, really cramped, you can just SMELL them all around you. Not kidding. It’s fine if you smell good and all (like this cute guy who once sat beside me who smelled of Hugo Boss [drool]), but if you know you got a little stench on you, do yourself a favor and clean up a bit. Put on a clean shirt. Put on deodorant. Put on some cologne. Whatever. Just don’t come aboard a jeepney (or any public transportation for that matter) smelling of funk. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be encased in a funk sandwich? Not pleasant, AT ALL. >_<

6. And for the women, as much as I like having my hair down once in a while, if you really have long hair, please, pull it up in a pony tail before riding the jeep. It’s not my fault if I accidentally pull it. It’s flying all over my face when I’m sitting behind you! Of course, I’m going to try and get rid of it. It’s like being strangled by a hairy Kraren. ~_~

Geez, there’s only 6 of these… but once I collect my thoughts, I’ll be sure to put in more. Actually, maybe I should blog about the type of people there are in jeepneys as well… hmm… I’ll think about that. XD

Rest In Peace, Ryan Dunn

How ironic is this? Just this Saturday, I was laughing my butt off because of this man’s gimmicks in “Jackass 3D”, and now he’s gone.

It’s scary and saddening. T_T

Anyway, for those who don’t know, Ryan Dunn, who is one of the regular stuntmen in Jackass and Viva La Bam, died in a car crash along with his passenger who is now identified as Zachary Hartwell, one of the production assistants of Jackass 2, and a stunt driver.

Now the irony gets worse… a stunt driver who died in a car crash even though he wasn’t in a movie and he’s not driving. ~_~

A lot of people are mourning Ryan Dunn, me included. He was one of the people who didn’t have to shave or buy testoripped to be fun and awesome (yes, humor is awesome, people). However, in the reports, it was said was Dunn was drunk at the time of the accident, having tweeted an image of him drinking with friends a few hours before the accident (the image has since been deleted). Critics and fans alike are debating left and right about what happened to Dunn, and although I’d like say my thoughts on this, I think I’ll keep it for myself for now, out of respect for those people who are affected by this tragedy.

Aw, man… I wonder how Bam Margera is doing… he’s one of my favorite skateboarder/Jackass, and he’s the one closest to Dunn. The dude must be crushed. Hang in there, Bam!

Anyway, my thoughts, prayers and condolences to Ryan Dunn’s family and friends. He was an awesome dude, and will always be remembered by all Jackass fans.

No More Pets For Me

Yeah… I’m thinking that I shouldn’t have pets anymore. It breaks my heart too much when they die. ~_~

My brother’s dog, Mafia, used to have five puppies… the reason I said “used to” is because now she only has three… T_T

Her two pups, Rosie Cotton and “Phil” died, while the other two were given away, and one was puppy-napped by her neighbors (meaning they took it without asking ~_~).

I don’t think I have the heart to have another pet. After the death of my German Shep, Roval, I don’t think my heart (or my pocket) can take it. Roval was or family dog for almost 4 years… it was just a shame that the thing that killed it was a barbed wire and blood poisoning. So no, after losing an awesome dog like that, I don’t think I’d be able to get another one.

Anyway, Mafia is currently staying here with us for a while, since whatever killed her pup Phil almost got to her too. She’s much better now, though. But I won’t get anymore dogs after her. I don’t think I can take it. T_T

RWAR!!!

I was at a friend’s birthday when I came across a stray cat. It was so cute that I took a picture of it….

Only thing is, it must’ve hated getting it’s picture taken, because it came out looking like this:

Hahaha! Poor kitty is sleepy. XD

Bin Laden is Dead.

*Photo by Getty Images*

Unless you have been hiding in a hole somewhere, I’m pretty sure you’ve all heard that the terrorist and No.1 enemy of America (and probably the world), Osama Bin Laden is dead.

According to reports, the US intelligence (known as the CIA) is to thank for their discovery of Bin Laden’s villa/ hide out in Abbottabad, a few kilometers north of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad . They then sent out helicopters and troops from US SEALs (Team Six) to carry out the raid on the morning of May 1, 2011. They also said that Bin Laden put up a fight but was unarmed during the raid, and only 4 people aside from Bin Laden were killed. None of the US Military were shot or harmed during the fight.

Bin Laden’s body was said to have been shot in the eye and in the chest, and that facial recognition and DNA testing were performed in the body. The reports also said that when these tests were done, they buried the body in the Arabian Sea.

This was, according to President Barack Obama, one of the greatest victories of the US. I’m pretty sure that this would also be a great addition to the history of Obama’s reign as President.

However, there are some “conspiracy theorist” who do not find this believable. It seems that they want proof, by publishing photos and videos of Bin Laden’s body during the tests done on his cadaver. In fact, there is already a spam message circulating around FaceBook about his body (though I’m pretty sure that these are all fake, and was just placed there for some stupid profile count or virus spreading. FB users beware ok? Do NOT believe these images. I’d rather see the pictures from Yahoo! News or some local newspapers than in FaceBook >_<). Apparently, they are urging the White House to publish these photos as proof to the world that the man is already dead.

As for me, I have mixed reactions about this issue. First of all, I am happy that Bin Laden is dead, since he has killed many people during his reign of terror. I’m pretty sure that a lot of people are happy, too. His attacks during September 11, 2001 was not limited to the killing of US citizens. There were a a lot of people of mixed cultures that died during these attacks, my Filipino countrymen included.

Second, I am kind of scared. With the death of their leader, the al-Qaeda will be sure to retaliate.  As for when and where they will attack, we do not know. I just hope that all countries would stay alert. It’s not over with the al-Qaeda, that’s for sure. ~_~

And third, I am, to some degree, a little disappointed. It took them almost 10 years to capture or kill this man. The 9/11 attacks happened way back in 2001, and it is only until now that they found him. It’s a tad disappointing that with all the technology and intelligence of the nations hunting for this man, it took them this much time to find him. I’m pretty sure that the families of the 9/11 victims would be sure to agree with me on this one. ~_~

Anyway, I’m pretty sure that countries all over the world are celebrating (there was even a celebration at New York’s Time Square, outside the White House, and even at Ground Zero – the World Trade Center), but still, we have to stay on the alert. Bin Laden may be dead, but there are still some pretty mad people out there. ~_~

The Fat Buddha “Insult”

Before I post stories about my Marinduque Holy Week, I came across a little epiphany while watching a movie while I was processing my bank account to get money for the trip (kinda makes me wish I had check city cash advances… the line was so long at that time ~_~). The movie was called “Necessary Roughness”, and it starred Scott Bakula and Sinbad way back in 1991.

Anyway, even though I wasn’t really paying attention to the movie, but I do remember one part where they insulted one guy as a “Fat Buddha”. Being a chubby person myself, it kind of made me think a little.

Is being called a “Fat Buddha” really an insult?

The way I see it, it’s not.

Look at it this way. The person calling you a “fat buddha” is, for one thing, stupid and foolish. If they had studied religion and philosophy, they would know that the “fat buddha” is not actually the real Buddha. The real Buddha was named Siddharta Gautama, a young man from India who attained enlightenment by meditation, and the founder of Buddhism. His religious icon is that of a young man, sitting in a Lotus Pose (yeah, I know my Yoga XD). Buddha is also given to several other people, because the name itself means “enlightened one”.

Second, the “fat buddha” term is mistaken… it’s called a Budai. It’s Chinese diety. Buddha is, of course, the founder of Buddism, while Budai, is one of the deities of the Chinese Zen. He is also included in the Buddist teachings, but he is more known as “The Laughing Buddha” rather than just “Buddha”.

And finally, Budai, even though his appearance is that of a bald, short and fat man, is often times called the representation of contentment and enlightenment. He did not care if the world made fun of his belly or his looks. He is laughing because he is content of his life. He helped the poor and the destitute, and he understood the ways of the world. Society’s view of physical appearances didn’t matter to him. He’s laughing because he is content and happy with life and his life’s work. He is enlightened and happy… hence the name “Laughing Buddha”.

So yeah, the next time someone calls you a “Fat Buddha”, don’t be afraid to say, “Hey! Thank you!”. Why? Because it means you are enlightened. That you are happy and content with what you are, and with what you do, and what you look like. Consider it as a compliment. That ought to throw your enemy in loop. They’d go, “Why the heck is this guy thanking me when I insulted him?”. And you, having read and learned this, would just smile, knowing that the person who insulted you had just called you a happy and content “Enlightened One”. ^_^

Bloggers Fest 2011

Yep, I’m in the Bloggers Fest right now! *hmm… is that they call a Live Feed…? I have no idea. XD*

It’s actually pretty cool to be here, it’s been a while since I have been to a Blogger’s event, and it’s my first time to attend a Bloggers Fest.

I’m with my friends from PnSers.com… Chief Raredog is here, so are our members clutch and Franz.

It’s great to be here… it’s almost like being in school again…. like, blogging school. Harharhar! It made me realize I still have a long way to go before I could consider myself a true blogger. More studying for me. XD

Anyway, thanks to Azrael Coladilla for coordinating this awesome event (all hail the Pinoy Blogging guru! XD) and thanks to all the speakers and people here. I hope this happens again and way more often. It’s a great stepping stone for new bloggers coming into the blogging scene. XD