The actual site of TriNoma used to be the location of "Divisoria sa EDSA", a flea market built by Mayor Brigido Simon as a livelihood project for the informal settlers of Quezon City. Due to unbalanced competition from a mall nearby, Ayala Land started constructing the mall on June 2005 under the project name "North Triangle Mall".
The mall was named "TriNoma" inspired by the redevelopment of industrial district TriBeCa.
TriNoma was officially launched in a private ceremony in April 24, 2007. It was inaugurated by officials of Ayala Land, its developer, and authorities of Quezon City, led by Mayor Feliciano Belmonte. Members of the media were also present but were restricted from releasing certain footages and photos, as not to spoil consumer excitement.
The physical structure of the mall literally resembles a triangle. This unique design gives the illusion that one would easily get lost in wanderlust while inside the premises. Another notable architectural feature is that at its core, the Activity Center forms a circle where all three main corridors of the mall are interconnected.
The mall also has a Rooftop Garden, the first of its kind among shopping centers in the Philippines. The mall has a total of seven water features, including a reverse waterfall.
Trinoma also boasts one of the largest indoor carousels in the nation, rivaled only by that of the now outdoors Fiesta Carnival. The flagship branch of Time Zone here also happens to be the largest Philippine location.
Hosting over 500 retail establishments and two major department stores (Crossings and The Landmark), 90% of the total available area are already occupied by about 600 tenants.
Currently, plans of an overpass connecting TriNoma with SM North Edsa are being disputed and negotiated over by both camps.
A Church with No Bell
By Lealeny Mani
San Agustin Church is a significant monument to the Spanish colonization of the Philippines being the first religious structure. The design of the church was derived from other churches that were built by the Augustinians in Mexico. The Augustinians who came from Spain and those born in Mexico had a great opportunity to observe and study the South American monastic architecture which they later used in the Philippines. They took into consideration the quality of the local stone and the weather condition which required them to sacrifice aesthetic requirement for durability.
With this architecture, its static appearance and dark adobe stone lack grace and charm. If I will compare it today with those churches recently built the structure is quite different. The color is plain and bright and welcoming. It has open space and round-shaped. The San Agustin church has a triangular form and blackish color and flanked by two towers one of which has no bells. The physical structure has no extraordinary design maybe because it is a colonial church. But the interior design is quite different because with a barren, plain surface, they managed to sculpt and gave life to the ceiling with their paint brushes. Every space was animated with wonderful floral motifs, geometric patterns, classic architectural themes, coffers and religious images. The super-imposed columns which divide each side chapel are echoed above by covered bands that traverse across the barrel vault. Even the faux coffers are organized along the length of the ceiling to suggest depth, movement, balance and proportion to the nave below.
The playful effect of chiaroscuro-light and shadows and perspective restrained only by the limited palette of a few earthly colors is a visual spectacle. The facade follows the style of High Renaissance. The symmetrical composition is prefixed by pairs of Tuscan columns that flank the main door of the two-tiered façade. The vertical movement of the paired columns is adapted at the second level by equally paired Corinthian columns.
The facade has a touch of Baroque by the ornately carved wooden doors that depict floras and religious images. Baroque is also evident in the carved niches that quietly reside between the paired lower columns.
The Beauty of Parthenon
By Lealeny Mani
The Parthenon is a Doric peripteral temple, which means that it consists of a rectangular floor plan with a series of low steps on every side and a colonnade of Doric columns extending around the periphery of the entire structure. The architects are Iktinos and Kallikrates and the sculptor is Pheidias.
The three main types of columns used in Greek temples and other public buildings are Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. The Doric capital has the simplest design, the Ionic has the curlicues called volutes and the Corinthian has the acanthus leaves. The Doric order is characterized by the series of triglyphs and metopes on the entablature. Each metope was occupied by a panel of relief structure. The Parthenon combines elements of the Doric and Ionic orders.
The metopes of the Parthenon all represented various instances of the struggle between the forces of order and justice, on the one hand and criminal chaos on the other.
The Parthenon is a kind of great architecture not only because it is ancient but the structure itself and its history that makes the building still alive in the eyes of the beholder. What makes it different among others is the image of simplicity yet has the power to conquer the attraction of the viewer not just to look at the outside but there is a kind of magnet to come in and discover the mystery inside the temple.
Theater in its simplest form is the combination of actors presenting another person on stage. It has evolved into a performance that includes speech, gesture, music, dance, and spectacle; a form of art which tells a story or interprets an idea or a phenomenon. Theatric arts is in an immediate immersion in a notion that it promotes realism, but is wrong in some aspects for theater can most likely create fantasy in many forms. It is not only used to entertain. Theatric arts can also be a device of expression of political beliefs; thus, political theater which encourages social awareness and social change.
In Hamlet’s case, it can be categorized as a drama being that it carries a drama’s characteristics. It should persuade the audience and touch emotions with the use of dialogues. Hamlet is one of the most famous tragedies of William Shakespeare. Last February, Repertory Philippines added Hamlet as one of its amazing plays as it raved positive reviews.
Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Gibbs Cadiz commented Niccolo Manahan’s rendition as lacking the “sort of manic, tragic streak that would render his Hamlet a truly melancholy Dane.” Although all in all, he said the play was worth watching.
A very significant part of the play was providing the set and Hamlet’s set designer Denis Lagdameo narrated a story just in the set itself and the effects added nostalgia invited nostalgia into the place. Reviews contained praise on the whole cast’s acting lead by Cris Villonco whom critics described as someone who will not let you fall asleep although the language used was still old English and a Shakesperean play will most likely spell “dragging”, they made the whole experience exciting and fun.
Speech was most likely the greatest challenge in the play as Director Manahan decided to use Old English as dialogue. The music and score chosen resembles the ‘feel’ of a Shakesperean play although some of the music in the play was enhanced. The actors portrayed the characters classically but gave them a little twist, which perked up their performances. The battle scene was original and entertaining and engages the audience’s emotions.
Filipinos have done a lot of English play renditions and it is indeed a challenge that they live up to the original, but with our natural talent and love for the arts, expectations will be half as easy to meet.
Hell in Sartre's Point of View
By Melanie Datu
I think this particular theatre show of No Exit seems to be comedic in contrast to the very serious text of Sartre. The actors in this play made use of a lot of props to symbolize each of the character. They could have just portrayed the three main characters as they are but they chose to make use of those things to probably break the seriousness of Sartre. The major theme of this play is man’s cruelty to his fellow man: Garcin was cruel to his wife, cheating on her even though she loved him dearly. Estelle married an older man for his wealth and then had an affair with a young lover. When Estelle had his baby, she merciless killed the poor baby, throwing it in the lake. Inez, as a lesbian, was cruel because she used her female lovers for her own selfish desires and purposes that she controlled and sucked the life out of them. All three continued to be cruel with one another in hell. Inez wanted a relationship with Estelle but Estelle rejected her and spat on her face. Estelle wanted Garcin that she seduced him. Inez stood in the way of Estelle and Garcin because she knew that Garcin couldn’t be intimate when her eyes are upon him. Garcin toyed with Estelle’s emotions, telling her to instead find solace with Inez. Inez then taunted Estelle telling her that her hair and lipstick are a mess and that she has a pimple on her face. Inez also refused to comfort Garcin, constantly reminding him of being a coward.
Aside from cruelty, hypocrisy and falsehood can also be seen in the story. Garcin on a pretense said that he was kind, brave and noble, but truth be told, he cheated on his wife and deserted the battle when it became very dangerous. Similarly, Estelle tried to pretend that she was refined, thoughtful, and respectable but in truth, she married a man three times her age just for money, took a young lover, and killed her child. It is only through Inez’s pushing that they learned to face the truth. Inez hypocrisy showed when she stated that she would not miss Florence, her last lover, when it’s obvious that she would. She also said that her life was in order, which is quite questionable, considering how she lived. If there’s one of them who suffered greatly from hypocrisy, it would be Garci. He wanted to be a brave man, a man who would stick to his principles, but couldn’t do it when faced with danger. He’s ashamed of his cowardice and hated that the people on earth are talking about his weakness. He tried to deceive himself in hell when he said that he would only be saved if Inez would believe that he’s not a coward. When Inez told him that he is a coward, he didn’t listen and instead continued to believe that his desertion was just an irregularity in his personality. He lived in falsehood as he tried to convince himself he’s brave.
“What else should I tell? I've nothing to hide. I lost my parents when I was a kid, and I had my young brother to bring up. We were terribly poor and when an old friend of my people asked me to marry him I said yes. He was very well off, and quite nice. My brother was a very delicate child and needed all sorts of attention, so really that was the right thing for me to do, don't you agree? My husband was old enough to be my father, but for six years we had a happy married life. Then two years ago I met the man I was fated to love. We knew it the moment we set eyes on each other. He asked me to run away with him, and I refused. Then I got pneumonia and it finished me. That's the whole story. No doubt, by certain standards, I did wrong to sacrifice my youth to a man nearly three times my age. Do you think that could be called a sin?”- Estelle
“Certainly not. And now, tell me, do you think it's a crime to stand by one's principles?”- Garcin
The beauty of this play is that its message can be interpreted in many ways. It’s not entirely clear what Jean Paul Sartre is trying to say about human nature here but one point of view to simplify things a bit would be that the company of other people can be a form of hell. If anything, Sartre might be trying to say that hell is a self-fulfilling prophecy - that these people, realizing that they were in hell, created among themselves a set of circumstances that was hellish. The logical converse of that idea would therefore be that by exercising their free will, they could have chosen otherwise. Then there is also the interesting question of why these people are in hell in the first place. Here Sartre makes a strong argument that people have a moral responsibility to act in the best interest of humanity as a whole - something that none of these characters can claim to have done (Krichman, 2004). Sartre's philosophical tenets in Being and Nothingness (L'Etre et le Néant), are beautifully interwoven into the fabric of No Exit. Through dialogue and action, Sartre transforms his philosophical assertions into dialectic form, pitting Inez against both Garcin and Estelle in an eternal battle of ideologies. The characters come to embody Sartre's tenets, and as they interact, the author's ideas come to life. The tenuous balance the characters face between needing the others to define themselves, and the desire to preserve their own freedom is developed throughout the play, but is never resolved (Contemporary Authors Online, 1999). Personally, contrary to some opinions, it's not that it would be unpleasant to be stuck in a room with a couple of obnoxious people; it's that we make our own hell by seeing other people only in terms of our own desires. From my perspective the existentialist hell of Sartre is more acute than Dante’s. Sartre’s hell provokes countless intellectual inquiry, forcing me to think deeper and deeper. Dante’s hell triggered my playful imagination and not really the seeker in me.
Legally Blonde is based on the Amanda Brown novel and the 2001 film of the same name. Music and lyrics in the play was completed by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin. It had its pre-Broadway tryout at the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco after some changes to the score and minor adjustments to the book.
The Broadway production, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, opened on April 29, 2007 at the Palace Theatre. It had pretty good reviews then and consequently achieved a milestone, joining the millionaires’ club for the weekly Broadway grosses. The production was even nominated for seven Tony Awards but did not win any of them.
The story is a proto-feminist tale of blond ambition who responds to a breakup rebuff by reinventing herself and entering Harvard to study Law.
The musical was fun and had an upbeat production. So full of energy that one cannot help but feel good about it. Laura Bell Bundy, who played the role of Elle woods, the lead character, sang and danced flawlessly. All throughout the play, she portrayed her character effortlessly and the other cast as well. The production had all the right moves and has a good feel for both fun and wit.
The stage usually had a pink-dominated color scheme. Although a bit too flashy, it did help make the play nothing near deadweight. It was dance-driven which made everything else look lively apart from all the actors’ energy. It also made use of an entertaining chorus, who sang songs about Elle’s plight.
The version on the video is the popular Kuratsa Binisaya from Tacloban, Leyte.
The Kuratsa is a highly favorable dance for the Visayan people especially the Waray of the Eastern Visayan region in the Philippines.
It is believed to be a Mexican import although the Mexican counterpart of the Kuratsa is very different in terms of the execution.
Philippine dance researchers, however, point either to the "Kigal" and the "Bikal" as the 'ascendant' of the Kuratsa. The Kigal is a sort battle-of-sexes couple dance that imitates mating birds. Its dance step called 'sabay' is in fact very similar to the Kuratsa dance step called 'dagit' or when more daring the 'sagparak'. Dagit means swoop while sagparak is descriptive of a heated 'bulang' (cockfight).
Popular versions of this dance exist in Samar classified as the Kuratsa Menor (the usual favorite) and the many versions of the daring Kuratsa Mayor.
The couple moves in a very graceful way, their hands moving freely. The element of centering in kuratsa is very evident. You can see their arms and legs working from the same central point in the back. One has to learn how to organize oneself in order to execute Kuratsa appropriately.
Good posture is a key element one has to have in dancing Kuratsa. The posture has something to do with the portrayal of the dancers’ feelings. And Kuratsa is one dance that requires feelings and emotions from the dancers.
Also, in order to communicate these feelings to the audience, one has to master the gestures made especially for the dance. As for the hands, they are often raised and/or free flowing, always moving in different directions and never staying still. The hips of the girls are often shaken, to probably put more grace and style to the dance. The partners are often dancing apart from each other. They do full turns quite a lot as well. And from time to time, they bow. In addition, the partners dance in a way that they look like they’re chasing each other.
Memorizing the rhythm of the dance is also crucial in Kuratsa. Dancers always have to make sure they’re on the right beat.
As for the movement in space, dancers have to consider the space they are moving through because Kuratsa requires rather a wide space so the dancers can go about their routine very well. To achieve harmony with the body, once must gauge and be aware of the space he/she will use.
Move Your Body
By Anne Kristine Coleman
As Michael Eric Dyson, a professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill states; “Hip-hop music—or rap, as it has come to be known—has faced various obstacles, it was viewed as a passing fad, a playful and ephemeral black cultural form that steamed off the musical energies of urban black teens. As it became obvious that it [hip-hop/rap] is here to stay, the reactions changed from dismissal to denigration.”
And a lot of people agreed there is more to Hip-hop than a passing fad. As it proliferated to state to countries to cities and other continents, Hip-hop carried out the outmost function of music—to express oneself. Hip-hop’s culture emerged from the revolutionary verse of Gil Scott-Heron and the Last Poets, to Pigmeat Markham’s “Here come de Judge”. It can be traced back from mild melodies accompanied by strong, rhythmic lyrics which evolved technically through instrumentation, drum machines, and “sampling” existing records. And the existing records being those sung by Black African-Americans, the genre had a quite unwritten and understood ownership to the Black African-Americans as well.
As Rap/Hip-hop tremendously began to popularize in the streets, it tackled and analyzed social, economic, and political factors that led to its enhancement as a combination of social protest, musical creation and cultural expression. It became a banner of Black African-Americans to inform the world that they are proud to be who they are. Dancing Hip-hop became a phenomenon; as it was danced as a ritual street after street which in itself grew into “battles” and exhibitions.
One of the great reasons why Hip-hop became a good form of self-expression and outlet of emotions is its movements. Hip-hop steps and moves can grow from a soft flow to rugged and alive, although the energy never ceases, Hip-hop lets out even the last creative juice left in a dancer’s system as it yanks every body part and muscle. The tempo or timing of the dance varies. This is probably because this particular dance originated from the streets; it is creative and innovative, in other words, anything goes. The body movements mostly incorporate coordination of the upper and lower extremities. The dance’s consummation of space is great in general for the dance movements are better executed in a flushed formation. There are subtle and gentle movements but the dancer’s body is never relaxed for it needs to exert the same level of energy as in the beginning of the dance.
This type of dance like any other, tells a story. Not just because it was born in the streets doesn’t mean it is dangerous or violent. Every whisk of the arms and the legs has a meaning and it projects the dancer’s heart.
Doing the Popping with TINIKLING
By Lovely Anicete
Of the many Filipino dances, Tinikling or the “bamboo dance” is one of the famous. Everyone can dance it specially those inn the rural places. The dance is not that simple though, practice makes perfect is the phrase for this kind of dance that uses two bamboo poles held just above the ground and struck together in time to music and off the dancer goes with the hopping.
Where it All Started
The dance Tinikling started from the Visayan Islands specifically in the Leyte Province, this dance is in fact a mimic movement of the tikling birds which are hopping over trees, grass stems or over bamboo traps set by farmers. Those who do the dance cannot just hop like they are playing, instead, they are to dance it with grace while speed hopping between the bamboo poles. Although there are lots of stories on where tinikling originated, some may not be all true. It’s just like the myths. Some say it got started by the people who worked on the fields and paddies in the Philippines and since the Spaniards who invaded the Philippine Island brought the natives to be slaves on the haciendas, the natives couldn’t much cope up with the oppressors orders and as punishment before, they were to stand between two bamboo poles cut from the grove and when the sticks would be broken , they would be used to snap the hell out of the feet of our natives. They would then go home bruised with the marks of the bamboo sticks that would have thorns sometimes. And so, the old people tried escaping the beating of the bamboo sticks by hopping and hopping until they formed the dance as from of entertainment which are now performed in some Sundays and the sticks no longer have thorns but are smooth and silky instead.
What You Need to Do the Hopping
Dancing this type of a folk dance isn’t that expensive and some materials could even be gathered up from one’s backyard. Some materials include the following:
· Wooden closet dowels from the local lumber yard (this could be 8-18 feet but it ddepends on how may dancers there are)
· Pieces of free 2x4 scrap or inexpensively bought 2x4's may be cut as blocks (30 inches or longer)
· carpeting samples which are helpful in preventing the sticks from trembling when hitting the grounds.
· Tape marks which are like markers to know the width of separating the poles (14-18 inches apart, still depends on the dancers)
Kinds of Steps
The steps in a Tinikling dance are mostly of a combinations of only three basic 4/4 steps which can be singles, doubles, and hops.
The terms singles and doubles are pertaining to the times wherein the feet of the dancers would touch the floor. While when we say ”hops” – this one refers to a specific category of singles steps, although mostly it’s a leap since the weight on the other foot is transferred to the other.
Popularity Wise
The tinikling dance is mostly performed in the elementary schools around the Philippines and children get to like it too since it involves skills similar to jumping rope. It's now a new, fun form of aerobic exercise that also improves spatial awareness, rhythm, foot and leg speed, agility, and coordination. Some people have this dance mistaken for the international folk dance because of its popularity.
Modernization through dance
Since the dance requires grace while hopping and changing foot stands, some of the creative dancers have played a little spunk in it by adding pop, hip-hop, r&b, and rock music into the tinikling performance.
A Filipino artist Sitti Navarro made it possible to create her own craft of bossa nova in the country, singing like a real Brazilian. Bossa nova originated in Brazil in the late 1950s. It has been the music admired by the middle and upper classes. These members of both classes were the once who composed the music and lyrics. A relaxed and trouble-free life of most Brazilians was shown which vaguely resembled the majority of which belonged to the working class. It was widely criticized for this reason.
Bossa nova’s rhythm is based mainly on samba. Samba originated in the African slave communities and has the elements of European march music. It is emphasized on the first beat with a degree noted to be in 2/4 time. The rhythm isn’t swinging like in jazz but rather, it is swaying.
The “popular music style” bossa nova and its use of seventh and extended chords shows its close relation to jazz music when harmonic structure is considered. The length of a song usually lasts from two to four minutes. It differs from rock music’s standard in Europe and America that has a format of two verses with a bridge, and a closing verse. Many bossa songs often lack a bridge and have no more than two verses.
Emo Rock: Angry No More
By: Maria Espie Vidal
Thick eye-liner, heavy bangs, everything black from head to toe and always aloof—yup, I know what comes up in your mind. This is a typical description of an “emo”. By the way, what is emo?
The definition of the “e” word remains debatable. Some say it is an acronym which stands for Emotionally and Mentally Overload (EMO) while others claim it to be an abbreviated version of the adjective “emotional”. Emo it became a fad amongst teenagers today.
These characters are popularly known to be dramatic, sentimental and depressed. This is disturbing to most because grave depression may lead to them being suicidal. They have a sort off “distorted” outlook in life which, oftentimes, highlights hopelessness and despair.
However, this so-called “depression” of emos is most likely related with love and relationship. Therefore, it could be said that emos are hopeless romantics.
On the bright side, this hopeless romantic-ness of emos gave them their deep attachment to poetry and music.
Birth of Filipino Emo Rock
Not so long ago, when alternative bands started to rule the airwaves, musicians were experimenting and mixing several genres with the standard rock and roll. There was pop rock, alternative rock, punk rock, rap rock and the all time favorite “tunog-kalye” (alternative sound with a mainstream-tune-type twist).
Then in the year 2007, a band called Typecast broke the “happy” and shallow-lyric theme of then mainstream rock sounds with their hit song Will You Ever Learn?. Then and there, new genre called “emo rock” was born.
Deep, passionate and, as expected, desperate words mixed with the heavy and metallic sound of rock, this new genre became a certified hit for Filipinos. Will You Ever Learn stayed on top of music hit charts for weeks and even months.
This song is about a couple who’re in the stage of being nearly separated. The speaker is talking to his partner about their dying relationship which the girl refuses to fix. However, he’s starting to get impatient with his partner as she stubbornly resists changing her ways. He’s caught up in a dilemma of whether or not he’ll leave her or understand her.
“So what’s the point in all of this
When you will never change?
The days have past
The weather’s changed
Should I be sorry?”
A year has gone and though Typecast went back to the underground scene, emo rock continues to rule the airwaves. Bands like Chicosci and Urbandub has switch from their normal genres to a more emotional tone. Emo rock is a sure fired it amongst Filipinos.
Filipinos are Emos
Whatever spell emo rock has, it is sure infectious. Though definitely not a first (I’m sure emo sounds has been around for quite a long time), it has dared to change the stereotype people has with rock songs.
Oftentimes, we associate rock with hate and evil messages incorporated with a growling vocal. With this, many believe that lyrics in this genre do not require creativity for a fact that nobody can understand them anyway.
With emo rock, lyrics matter. For the fact that they are a sentimental character, it is obvious that these lyrics must be creatively dramatic to encapsulate their feelings. Emo is so much about the feelings.
But, this dramatic encapsulation of human emotions has its pros and cons. Though it can help release heart aches and pains by making one cry this can also, if one is not capable of handling and manipulating his emotions, lead to depression, wrist cutting and even suicide. In this case, it is up to the listeners’ psychological management of their emotions.
Nevertheless, emo rock is predicted to rise for years to come simply because Filipinos are hopeless romantics as well. We are known for our deep connection with our romantic sides and the artistic expression of that feeling. And as long as Juan de la Cruz continues to love, songs of this theme—emo or not—will sure be a hit.
Exodus,Movement of Jah People
By Melanie Datu
In the present time where almost everywhere is war and injustice, a music genre, distinct for its passion for peace and advocacies, stands out.
Although strongly influenced both by traditional African and Caribbean music and by American rhythm and blues, Reggae owes its direct origins to the progressive development of “ska and rocksteady” in 1960s Jamaica.
According to Bob Marley, Reggae is Spanish in origin, meaning "the king’s music" but according to veteran musicians the word is a description of the beat itself. Hux Brown of the Skatalites and lead guitarist on Paul Simon’s 1972 hit "Mother and Child Reunion" says that it is "just a funny word which means ragged rhythm and the body feeling."
Reggae is the music of Rastafarianism. Rastafari movement spreads throughout the world largely because of the interest Reggae generates. The lyrics of reggae deal with issues of humanity: Faith, love, relationships, poverty, injustice and other social issues.
Dont worry about a thing, cause every little thing gonna be all right. Singin: dont worry about a thing, cause every little thing gonna be all right!
Rise up this mornin, Smiled with the risin sun, Three little birds Pitch by my doorstep Singin sweet songs Of melodies pure and true, Sayin, (this is my message to you-ou-ou:)
Singin: dont worry bout a thing, cause every little thing gonna be all right. Singin: dont worry (dont worry) bout a thing, cause every little thing gonna be all right!
Rise up this mornin, Smiled with the risin sun, Three little birds Pitch by my doorstep Singin sweet songs Of melodies pure and true, Sayin, this is my message to you-ou-ou:
Singin: dont worry about a thing, worry about a thing, oh! Every little thing gonna be all right. dont worry! Singin: dont worry about a thing - I wont worry! cause every little thing gonna be all right.
Singin: dont worry about a thing, cause every little thing gonna be all right - I wont worry! Singin: dont worry about a thing, cause every little thing gonna be all right. Singin: dont worry about a thing, oh no! cause every little thing gonna be all right.
Just recently, this song by Bob Marley became ever more popular because of Will Smith’s I am Legend. Ironically, Will Smith also sings the song in Shark Tale. However, the song appears in strikingly contrasting contexts. In Shark Tale, Smith sings the song in a light-hearted, feel-good manner, while in I am Legend, the song has bittersweet undertones, as Smith's character sings the song in an attempt to stave off intense loneliness. But no matter, what does Three Little Birds really mean? Simple: Everything’s gonna be alright no matter how hopeless humans can be.
This painting was by Jenna Genio, a 19-year-old artist who besides painting and drawing loves photography as well. Jenna did not name this painting but according to some people, who really look up to the talent of this young lady, the painting is about the castle in the sky. According to her blog, Jenna finds inspiration in her everyday life frustrations. She then channel her frustrations to a drawing spree that can turn into beautiful works of art.
Analyzing this painting, the unity and variety of the painting is somehow hard to grasp at first, because as you look at the painting, you will be distracted by different sorts of idea or representations like the skull, dragon and the girl sitting in what seems to be grass. However, as you study the painting closely you will notice that there is oneness in it. And for me that oneness would be the fantasy of the girl sitting in the painting is trying to arrive at. There is also variety in the painting because of the different colors that were used. The thickness and thinness of lines also prove that there is variation in this painting.
With regards to Balance, the painting feels heavy when you look at it because of the violet, orange, and red color mixture. The implied center of gravity or imaginary line is vague because the sky and the ground seem to be fighting each other for more space.
Moving on to emphasis and subordination, Jenna first and foremost wanted to emphasize the girl sitting on grass doing some form of meditation or thinking. She also emphasized the number of heads/faces in the sky and what seems to be an angel tied to a vine of fantasy. If Jenna wanted to emphasize certain parts of her painting, she also wanted to make certain parts of her painting less interesting. An example of this would be the unnoticeable two trees in the right side of the painting which she intentionally made lighter. The scale of the painting was vague because the size of the angel was too small for the standard size of the sitting girl. Other than that, the heads above and the vineyard carried by the angel are already proportional to some of the designs in the painting. The rhythm I recognized here is how Jenna mixed different colors and repeated a pattern to be able to produce a glum sky.
Using the hermeneutics approach, I think the painting means opening oneself into the world of the unknown or to the world of fantasy. This interpretation can be seen through the girl’s sitting position- seems like she is meditating- and the world that is projected in front of her. Concerning aesthetics, Jenna’s painting is beautiful in such a way that everytime you look at the picture, you will always see something new. Not only were the colors and artistic figures are beautiful but also the mystery or fantasy she placed into it. I have no idea what ideals Jenna live up to but when it comes to her paintings I noticed that the ideology of fantasy trying to mix in with reality is very consistent. Further, the illustration of the ground, sky, and fictional creatures in this painting are so powerful that it gives a hegemonic influence all over the painting.
This painting is so intriguing that it can be a subject of discourse. Many things can be discussed here including the implied belief of the artist, reality, and what the girl in the painting is trying to achieve or do. I don’t know but since the girl in the painting has red hair, and Jenna herself has red hair as well, maybe it’s safe to say that the girl she painted is a representation of herself and the world projected in the painting is the world she wants to arrive at.
If there is anything this painting is trying to defy, I think it is dialectics or the power of logic because apparently the world projected in this painting is not the world we are living in. However, if one defines dialectic to be the interplay of contradictory principles or opposing forces, then I think the dialectic of this painting is the presence of the sky and the ground battling each other for more space. With reference to other paintings of Jenna, her style always revolve around the creation of mysterious places and individuals. Rarely will you see in her paintings the actual reality being portrayed. I am not sure if one can write an extensive historiography of Jenna’s paintings because, as I mentioned earlier, Jenna does not dwell on reality but on fantasy. Historiography is still possible though if the writer will focus on the evolution of her Jenna’s fantasy world.
Humanities deal with culture and self expression. Apparently, this painting is not merely a work of art but also the extension of Jenna’s personality. Jenna outpours her innermost feelings through a painting and drawing spree. In this way, she not only releases her negative energies but she also feels prolific and productive.
Going back to this painting, one can consider it to be iconographic because of its metaphorical nature. For one, the castle in the sky can be a symbolism of a home and then the dragon for anger. This painting is clearly not what it seems, you have to look deeper to decipher its very essence. I think this painting intensified when Jenna incorporated a girl’s presence in the painting and how Jenna used red and black to divert the attention of her viewers from the projected fantasy to the girl’s reality. If Jenna didn’t play with these elements, this painting will be bland to the point of being almost boring.
It goes without saying that this painting contradicts almost every aspect of reality through Jenna’s use of dragon and fairy. Though this painting contradicts reality, I am not sure if it is trying to politicize something or if it can be in any way political at all. If this painting is not political then I think there is no way I can relate it to our economy because first of all, this painting is not about reality. Rather, it is about expressed fantasy.
This painting can be pedagogic in such a way that it will remind its audience to always make the practice or habit of taking a second look before doing any assumptions because clearly, this painting is not what it seems to be.
I chose this painting because it is open to so many subjective interpretations already that it doesn’t need to be accompanied by text anymore. Every time I look at this painting, I discover something new about the artist and myself as well.
Langit, Lupa, Impiyerno Josef Luciano Dans
Article By Monica Eunice Santiago
In a church in Paete, Laguna are the two distinguished paintings of Josef Luciano Dans, one of the first painters in the Philippines. Entitled “Langit, Lupa, Impiyerno”, the painting can be found on the sacred walls of the church. It was said to be completed at around 1850, and since then, it has become a masterpiece of Dans.
Langit, Lupa, Impiyerno is a three-level painting illustrating Virgin Mary, the Holy Trinity, saints, the Seven Sacraments, and finally, a disturbing depiction of Hell. The thing about this painting is that it was not only done on a huge wall, but also in a church where there are priests who preach and people who want to hear something or feel something holy.
Despite the occurrence that the painting is not on the usual canvas, its sense of oneness is still very evident. The particular side of the wall on which it was placed just appears to be a big canvas provoking fear and motivation to do heavenly things. The two different scenarios were carefully differentiated. There was a certain element that distinguishes the Heaven painting and Hell painting. Obviously, Heaven was placed on the upper part and Hell was on the lower part, continuing to show the traditional belief that Heaven is beyond the skies.
In terms of weight, it is heavy, and its large and textured form makes it even heavier. The colors were antique-looking showing classicalness. There was a strong emphasis on the image in the middle, which can be assumed as Adam and Eve and basically, humanity. There was also an emphasis on the upper part: the serenity in heaven (stronger tones were used on this part). On the other hand, the lower part looks lighter and more blurred compared to the upper part. It was obviously made less catchy; however, it may still look very interesting since the images are alarming. The size is definitely not the standard; as mentioned, the work occupies the entire part of a wall inside the church. There is also an interesting proportion in the work of art. A horizontal division in the middle was made but the works on either side are of the same size. Finally, the pattern creates the imagery that there are many illustrated subjects in the painting. The artist also used the same style in painting the humans that some looked almost the same.
Proceeding to a more meaningful analysis of the painting, we go through the hermeneutical criticism of Langit, Lupa, Impiyerno. First of all, in the aesthetic level, the painting can absolutely catch attention with its classic color, peculiar form, and the images composing it. Its unique beauty and over-all look makes it a doubtless masterpiece.
In terms of Hegemony, there is no known state domination in the issue that was involved in the painting. However, there had been a Spaniard colonization and this was how the religion Catholicism emerged in the Philippines. Since then, the belief of Heaven and Hell has been an ideology of the Filipinos.
Evidently, the image portrays multiple scenarios in the believed heaven and hell. The sanctity of heaven was carefully exhibited on the upper part, while the horrors of hell were morbidly on the bottom. The opposition between these two conflicting forces was successfully shown on the work. The church-goers are the target audience, and it could be with this painting that heaven and hell may be clear to them.
Artist Josef Luciano Dans have most probably made the painting’s audience shiver subsequently with the impact and passion the painting exudes. Langit, Lupa, Impiyerno has a distinct style, including the excellent installation of his idea (inside the Catholic Church) and the “classic” tones used.
The symbols used were traditional: the huge monster, fires of hell, decapitating machines, crowded boats, man and woman, the cross, the praying people, clouds, and the Supreme beings. All of these are depictions of the exact hearsays and also practices on earth.
A single way to judge the painting is not decent, for it is comprised of various symbolisms and levels of appreciation and interpretation. Personally, among the sacred art that I’ve laid my eyes on, Langit, Lupa, Impiyerno created the biggest impact on me with its inexplicable way of intervening with people’s faith. Josef Luciano Dans made the church in Paete, Laguna complete with this outstanding mirror of our beliefs.
Guernica Pablo Picasso
Article By Bernadette Faustine C. Balao
People might not be familiar with the term “Guernica”, but the painting certainly is one of the best known images of the 20th century.
There is an instant apprehension to the painting since it portrays images that are not considered aesthetically pleasing in any way, but the brutality, madness and sorrow depicted in this painting make it very interesting.
On April 27, 1937, a Spanish town called Guernica was awakened by explosions. Unbeknownst to the citizens of this small town, Guernica was chosen as the bombing practice site for Hitler’s forces.
Over a thousand civilians were wounded and killed.
When Pablo Picasso heard of the news, he had been struggling to find something to inspire him to paint the Spanish Pavilion Mural which he had been commissioned to do.
The brutality of the Guernica incident evoked both rage and passion in Picasso. The result: a strange-looking but highly symbolical painting.
The painting looks like a giant puzzle with mismatched pieces, a fact that can be attributed to Picasso’s cubist style.
The characters’ faces, all showing either shock or grief, are emphasized while the lower parts of their bodies are mostly subordinated.
The light shades are sharply contrasted by the darkness of the background.
Although the middle of the painting can be considered its “heaviest” part, the viewer’s eyes almost automatically turn to the left since all the figures are looking towards this direction. The weight seems to shift from the middle to the left and the left side also appears to be heavier than the right since there are more figures, and larger ones at that, on the painting’s left side. But this is countered by the dark tone employed on the right side.
The cubist features of the painting make it appear united and varied both at the same time.
The distorted forms provide unity and consistency to the painting, but the “mismatching” of the forms give the painting a sense of variety.
The “madness” gives the painting a semblance of oneness but at the same time, this madness also gives it an impression of diversity.
Many say that the Guernica is nothing but a “madman’s dream”, a madman’s view of the world.
Undecipherable. Illogical. Weird.
But in reality, it is simply a reflection of the madness, the horror and the cruelty of war. The madness shown in Guernica is real.
And it took one man’s “madness” to show us just that.
The king of all the animals was very tired one evening and wanted to rest. But he could not sleep because he kept hearing the high-pitched, croaking laughter of his frog guards outside his chamber. Enraged, he summoned his guards and ordered them put to death in front of him.
“But sire,” protested the frogs, “it was only because we saw the snail crawling by, carrying its house on its back. It was a very funny sight, so we could not help laughing.”
The king thought this seemed reasonable, so he allowed the frogs to live. He then summoned the snail and ordered it put to death before him.
“But sire,” protested the snail, “it was only because the firefly was flying around with its lamp lit. I was afraid it might set fire to my house, so I carried my house with me to keep safe.”
The king thought this seemed reasonable, so he allowed the snail to live. He then summoned the firefly and ordered it put to death before him.
“But sire,” protested the firefly, “it was only because the mosquito was out hunting, and I couldn’t see it in the dark. I was afraid it would bite me, so I kept my lamp lit to watch out for it."
The king thought this seemed reasonable, so he allowed the firefly to live. He then summoned the mosquito and ordered it put to death before him.
“But sire,” protested the firefly, “it was only because I must hunt in order to eat, as the firefly must light its lamp in order to see, the snail must have its house in order to hide, and the frogs must croak in order to communicate. Surely you will not kill me for following my nature?”
The king thought that this, too, seemed reasonable. He therefore summoned all the animals involved and told them, “Mosquito, from now on you must hum as you hunt, so that the firefly will not have to keep its lamp lit all the time. Firefly, you must light your lamp only when you truly need to see, so that the snail will not be frightened. Snail, you must carry your house all the time, so that everyone will become accustomed to the sight and will no longer be amused. And frogs, if you must laugh, you must do so only in low and melodious tones, so that I may sleep.”
So no one was put to death, and each of the animals survived and thrived according to its nature and the dictates of the king. And this is why frogs have low and musical voices; why snails carry their houses on their backs; why fireflies blink on and off all night; and why mosquitoes hum when they hunt.
Flash Fiction
By Anne Kristine Coleman
Filipinos are known for oral literature back in the ages. As Filipinos lean towards written scriptures, several writers begin to enhance the old techniques and styles in writing and inventing new ones. Non-conformists broke rules set up by the Philippine board of literature and surprised critics; some even wowed them. Because of the constant development of Filipino writer’s styles, new forms of literature are born and some cannot even be categorized because of unfamiliarity.
In a usual short story, certain elements are found such as the theme or the main essence of the whole story line, the characters who make up the movement of the story (usually there is a protagonist and an antagonist, major and minor characters), a plot which are the incidents or sequence, a cause and effect, foreshadowing of events, suspense, conflict, exposition, crisis, climax and resolution; there are also some other key ingredients namely the setting of course, the story’s point of view, irony, imagery and symbolism.
But Filipino writers ingeniously came up with a technique to make a short story “shorter” but still contain all the elements of the former. Filipino writers figured out that a literary form called Flash Fiction could do the job; telling a story completely but finding shorter words in the Filipino vocabulary to take the place of long, descriptive words, but the shorter words will have the same imagery, same symbolism and same descriptions for the story to take place just the same.
A Flash Fiction also has a plot, characters, setting, etc., but the literary work lets the words do the talking. The words describe the events as they happen, which creates a picture in the mind of the reader. The only difference is, in a flash fiction, the story should take place in just one day and the words should not be more than 400.
This particular Flash fiction was originally a Visayan Folklore, it was adapted to experiment how it would result when put into the form of flash fiction. The result; the same story, different structure; only fewer words and immediate turning of events.
Bawal Basahin ang Nakasulat Dito Bob Ong
"WHAT'S THE PROBLEM???" ang tanong ng bago kong boss sa isang kasamahan.
Kasama ako sa sasakyan na hindi makaalis-alis dahil sa red tape. Mukhang naghihintay pa ng pampadulas ang mga kinauukulan. Kuripot ang amo kong banyaga. Hindi nagbitiw kahit singkong duling. Makakalabas daw kami sa gate nang hindi nagbabayad ng kung ano-ano dahil yun daw ang ligal. Ma-prinsipyo. Bilib ako.
"That's why the Philippines remains so poor!" sabi nya. Mainit, pagod kami, at medyo buwisit. Doon nag-umpisa ang buwisit na kwentuhan. Na-culture shock daw siya sa Pilipinas pagtapak niya dito anim na taon na ang nakalipas. Laganap daw ang lagayan... at hindi sa pamamaraang patago. Hindi nya maintindihan kung bakit pumapatol daw tayong mga Pilipino sa ganito, gayong tayo rin ang nahihirapan. Kaya may mga nangongotong, dahil may nagpapakotong.
Tinahak namin ang Navotas papuntang pier. Akmang-akma ang lugar para lalo akong balahurain ng employer ko.
"Manila (Metro Manila) is one of the dirtiest cities in the world" sabi nya. Parang musika sa tenga ko ang sinabi nya. Muntik ko na nga syang ilaglag sa sasakyan. Pero mas malakas ang sipa ng katotohanan. Madumi nga yung lugar na yon. "And it stinks, too!" dagdag nya.
"Filipinos hate Manila the way Americans hate New York", sabi ko. "Who loves busy, polluted cities, anyway?" Tumango sya at sinabing alam niyang marami namang magandang lugar ang Pilipinas, pero hindi nya pa napupuntahan. Aha! Claire Danes syndrome, hinusgahan nya ang buong bansa ganong kili-kili pa lang nito ang nakikita nya!
Pero maganda nga ang tanawin sa aming paglalakbay. Mga batang walang panty at nilalangaw ang mukha. Mga kalalakihang walang t-shirt at bagsak ang katawan sa shabu. Mga babaeng... mga babaeng... wala kaming gaanong nakitang babae, dahil natatakpan sila ng sampung anak nila na abala sa pagsuso. Ayos din ang mga tenement. Sa malayo mukhang mga parihabang "smokey mountain". Sa malapit mukhang bangungot.
Yan ang view sa kaliwa namin. Gusto ko sanang tukuran ang mukha ng boss ko para huwag nang makalingat sa kanan kung saan mas maraming tigyawat ang Pilipinas, pero nakita nya pa rin: mga basura, bahay, at bata na hindi mo malaman kung ano ang alin dahil sa kapal ng itim na usok ng mga sasakyan.
Marami syang komento, sinabi ko na lang, "Well, what do you expect from a third world country?" Talo na ko. Tama na ang yabang.
Pinag-usapan namin ang tungkol sa negosyo niya... na nauwi na naman sa gobyerno natin. Sandamukal daw ang mga buwaya, red tape, graft, at corruption dito. Tinanong ko kung baka dahil lang sa kulay ng balat niya kaya siya ginagatasan. Ang sagot niya: "No, Filipinos do it even to other Filipinos!" Kitang-kita ko ang pagbagsak ng bandera ng Pilipinas sa sinabi nya, naramdaman ko pa ang pagtama ng flag pole sa ulo ko! Nagdugo.
Maiintindihan niya raw kung mahihirap ang magnanakaw. Pero sa bansa natin, mga mayayaman ang malilikot ang kamay...mga edukado, titulado, at nasa gobyerno. No, Filipinos do it even to other Filipinos. No, Filipinos do it even to other Filipinos. No, Filipinos do it even to other Filipinos. Patuloy ang pagtugtog nito sa isipan ko.
Ikinuwento niya rin ang ginawa sa kanya ng isa niyang empleyadong Filipina. Pinagbalakan syang pikutin nito. Oo nga naman, instant fortune 'yon kung saka-sakali. Mahahango sa hirap ang pinay na iyon at ang kanyang pamilya.
Aba, andami na nating success stories na ganyan. Kahit ang leader ng bansa, ganyan ang konsepto ng pag-unlad.
Napag-usapan ang kultura, ang sex. Mababa rin ang tingin nya sa mga Filipina. Sabi ko e marriage before sex ang kultura sa Pilipinas. Umiling sya, Pinoy daw mismo ang nagsabi sa kanyang pakawala ang mga babae dito at mag-e-enjoy sya. Sabi ko, "Those are b~tches and the guy who told you that is a pervert." Professional at kakilala ko pa pala ang nagkuwento sa kanya. @ssh*le.
Totoo ang mga kuwento ng boss ko. Nakakangilo sa ngipin, pero totoo. At bagama't nakakapikon siya minsan e mabait at mabuti syang tao. Sa bayan nila, hinihikayat ang mga tao na umunlad. Dito raw sa atin, pag umuunlad ang tao, hinihila pababa. Nakakatakot mag-negosyo kasi yari ka sa mga "tauhan" ng gobyerno. Pag nakitang namumunga ka, babatuhin ka nang babatuhin hanggang sa malaglag ang mga prutas mo. Walang pinagkaiba kung ligal o iligal ang negosyo mo... maglalagay at maglalagay ka rin sa mga kinauukulan. Bakit ka pa magli-ligal???
Hindi ko na babanggitin ang negosyo at bayan ng amo ko. Hindi pinag-uusapan dito kung "racist" siya o mas maraming kapintasan ang bansa nila. Ang issue dito ay TAYO. Hindi ako naiinis sa mga sinabi nya. Naiinis ako dahil TOTOO ang mga sinabi nya.
Sa pag-uwi ko sa bahay naisip ko: Bakit ang Hong Kong at Singapore, hindi naman gaanong nabiyayaan ng likas na yaman pero maunlad? Bakit ang mga Hapon, b*bo mag-English pero mayaman? Sa Pilipinas kahit bawal magtinda sa sidewalk, may nagtitinda. Kahit bawal magtapon ng basura kung saan-saan, meron pa ring tapon nang tapon. Paano pa kaya uunlad ang bansa natin nyan?
Disiplina lang kaya talaga ang problema sa atin? Sigurado akong kahit sa mga sandaling ito, may isang Pilipino na bumabasa ng isinulat ko dito kahit na sinabi ko nang bawal ito basahin. Tigas talaga ng ulo!
Rise of a New Form of Literature
By: Maria Espie Vidal
“BAWAL BASAHIN ANG NAKASULAT DITO!”
This is the title of Bob Ong’s foreword in his second book titled Bakit Baliktad Magbasa ang mga Pilipino. Despite the warning, many (and I admit to be one) went on reading what he has written under it. And also I admit that it is painful facing the truth about our race—of how corrupted our society is and how other race may have perceived us.
Ironically in spite of his anonymity, Bob Ong has reached a success in a short length of time that no scholarly writer has ever attained (well maybe not). His works had influenced a wide range of readers from students to scholars. He has reached more people than any intellectually stimulating books on the shelf of National Bookstore.
However, Bob Ong’s style remained unacceptable in the academe. His choice of language and vulgar approach raised the eyebrows of intellectuals and scholars who belittle Ong’s philosophy.
Most of his works are a collection of “memories” and “observations” of our culture’s flaws which he comically illustrates. He uses humor as an approach to depict the already rotten system in our society.
Old School Refurnished
In a forum in UST last February, Mr. Eros Atalia, a UST professor (who by the way is compared to Mr. Ong), has left a challenge to future writers.
Since literature has been around long enough to cater to different kinds of ideas and themes, it is obvious that in today’s time these are of a cliché. This is where Mr. Atalia’s challenge lies: “gawing bago ang lumang kwento (to make an old story sound new)”.
Many writers have long been exposing the corrupted and rotten side of our society way back to Spanish Era. Activists have unfailingly rally on the streets and spreading the injustice of our government through propagandas. Perhaps, this is the reason why people have grown tired of listening, watching and reading news. They already know that story. They have already mastered that scene. There’s nothing new.
Bob Ong and many others, though they are of the same ideologies and concern with other intellectuals, have used a different approach to indicate same points.
Ong narrowed down our societal problems into the littlest defects of Juan de la Cruz in an environment we are normally in. His injection of humor serves as a tactics to sort off soften up the punch in the punch line.
At the end of his stories, we can notice a sudden change of mood from comic to serious. From that zoomed-in focus, he again widens the lens and places the context from that simple defect to the whole society.
That certain Juan de la Cruz can represent the whole society simply because he is a part of that whole and what is reflected by the whole is seen (though maybe partially) in its parts.
At the end of the day, Ong and his colleagues still has narrated a story that has been told for years already but in a different angle. This is perhaps the reason why Ong has been successful. He made a boring old fact sound new and also less mind-numbing.
Nevertheless, classification of Bob Ong’s work remains an argument whether or not it is non-fiction. His books are of a mixture of fictitious stories, autobiographical and editorial.
And like what Mr. Atalia said in is forum, there will come a time that this new form of literature that Ong as popularized will be accepted by the academe—a reflection of creativity of our race.
Like the Flowing River: Thoughts and Reflections
By Jessica Bajet
Paulo Coelho, the author of the best-selling novel The Alchemist has successfully published another masterpiece, a breathtaking collection of his life experiences compiled into one book, Like the Flowing Rivers.
Surprisingly, Paulo touches us with his first hand experiences which he retold, indirectly encouraging us to a journey similar to his. Each short story written in the book gives us conflicts and lessons which we may experience in our daily lives too. The texts are so easy to ready since Paulo was able to play with the simplicity of words without exaggerating his thoughts. The book is comprised of 102 short stories having a total of 299 pages.
Perhaps, Paulo entitled it Like the Flowing Rivers because just like the flowing river are our experiences which we can be drawn to any circumstances which we do not expect, more likely putting our feet is his shoes. Just like his other books, Paulo works on what it really means to be alive- that gives his readers a certain connection with himself like most writers do.
Here are some lines I personally picked from the book to you a better comprehension on what is this book all about.
* sometimes, we are so attached to our way of life that we turn down a wonderful opportunity simply because we don’t know what to do with it. * Even when a friend does something you do not like, he continues to be your friend * Any action committed in anger is an action doomed to failure * The fool who loves giving advice on our garden never tends his own plants at all * You cannot argue with force
The radio has gone a long way since its invention.
From its most basic function of transmitting airwaves for communication of simple messages, the radio has evolved into both an informative and entertaining medium.
The radio, aside from being a medium through which music (FM frequency) and news (AM frequency) are broadcasted, has now taken on a new face: the radio tabloid.
The radio tabloid emerged when the basic broadcasting function of the radio was merged with the functions and features of the tabloid.
The regular tabloid is characterized as containing a hodge-podge of information, especially regarding the entertainment business, that is presented in a light, sometimes bordering on the vulgar, tone.
The radio programs that can be put under the radio tabloid category are programs that combine music, entertainment news, trivia, games and “unprofessional counseling services”.
Among the local radio shows that fulfill the above-mentioned criteria, The Boys’ Night Out is arguably the most popular. The program airs from Mondays to Thursdays from 9pm to 12am on Magic 89.9.
Aside from playing the latest music, the show also features games, amusing news and a segment that is playfully named Confession Sessions.
The news presented on the show are not really serious in nature and the hosts jokingly call their featured news items as “News That Did Not Quite Make The Headlines”.
These news items are usually stories that feature ironic or strange situations that the audiences might find amusing.
The show also features games where listeners stand to win movie or concert tickets or other special packages.
The Boys’ Night Out features a segment that is called Confession Sessions. In this segment, listeners’ emails, some of which are very sexually explicit, are read on air.
The radio tabloid format is a rising trend among modern radio programs.
Some might regard the radio tabloid format as a distortion of radio broadcasting while some might regard it as a welcome development. But its prevalence is a testament to its popularity among the population, so we probably would hear a lot more of the radio tabloid in the years to come.
(Press to listen live)
Lite Rock Music in the City
By Jessica Bajet
We often get pissed off and stressed out in the everyday hustle-bustle routine in our life but aren’t we lucky enough to have plenty of choices on how can we unwind at the end of the day or right after a stressful situation at the office or at school. I’m talking about making the right choices. You don’t have to spend money or put on a fancy dress to look out for things that will help you unwind; just set aside your workloads, get a cup of your favorite hot choco, turn on the radio and sit back and relax on your comfy sofa. But make sure to select the right radio station for your oh-so-busy, oh-so-stressful mood- 96.3 Wrock.
96.3 WRock has for their slogan “The Heart of Lite Rock.” Many music genres have flourished over the years in the Philippine culture yet ACWS - United Broadcasting Network, Inc., owner of 96.3 Wrock fm station was able to come up with a reinventing genre that was successfully accepted by the public.
Their fun and sophisticated jocks play different lite rock music of both the international and local music artists. Lite rock represents mellow rock music that has a touch of both slow jazz and alternative music which is perfect for relaxing, entertaining, emoting and what not- even to kill time but still be able to have fun and not be bored.
Wrock has 12 program features: celebrity minutes, Friday classics, Lite classic favorites, Lire rock by request, Lite rock exclusives, Lite rock favorites of the week, Lite rock the rare cuts, Nite rock, Past dance, Sunday lite rock in love, Three-of-a-kind and Wednesday best. Each program best suit any particular personality and mood of anyone listening to the radio station.
As an avid listener of the Wrock, I recommend Lite Rock favorite of the week hosted by the cutest tandem Paul and Cher. Lite Rock favorite of the week airs on Saturday at 12-1 in the afternoon. You see, wrock is not juct plainly music and song, they also give credit for the participation of their listeners where they can react to one another by addressing certain issues and topics in return advices and reactions are well encouraged and entertained by the hosts.
Lite Rock isn’t just about music but interestingly touching their listener’s hearts to relax their soul and mind with personal touch of those people circling the heart of lite rock.
People might be tired of the usual talk shows that talk about couples, politics, movies,sex and violence and at some point, yeah, they might just need to look around the web and listen to some shows that talk away from the ordinary -- enter the Web Talk Radio with Rob and Dana Greenlee.
A lot of people might be stuck with tthe idea that they could only hear radio shows on their radio and mp3 players and somw might wonder, what is a web talk show? Well, it's pretty much like a regular radio show since everyone can have internet and click on their Windows Media Player and click on the radio button on their WMA skin and poof! comes their selection of radio stations being aired via the internet except that it has this thing called podcast that allows a listener to click on previous discussions although some show from the literal radio and the television can also have a podcast, this show can only be viewed or aired mainly on the internet specifically on webtalkradio.com
RADIO SET UP
Paving away from the usual shows of the past centuries and with coming of the new age, the Web Talk Radio with Rob and Dana Greenlee caters to an audience that is hungry for new information specially since the technology is advancing. The show mostly talks about the stuff coming fom the internet -- on and off the web. One of the samples of their show is the show two years ago (July 14,2006) with guest Mitch Ratcliffe of the ZDNet Rational Rants Blog. The speakers first introduce themselves and the guest of course then says hi to each and from then on talks about stuff regarding the technology that arises. The speakers are a bit aloof though since they are now talking on studio rather than what used to be working at home and nonetheless should we say that yes, they are a couple leading the show.
TOPICS TAKEN
Since the show talks more about the internet and technological things, some of the topics involved are the internet issues, new trends on the net and the things alike but for this specific talk show aired on July 14, 2006 tackled on the meaning of podcast and podcasting which pertains to noun and a verb; also the growing competition on different browsers like internet explorer and all and also the new types of podcast that were launched. Although it’s about the technology, the guest and speakers also comment on things happening around them like the government issues and making lots more comments about Canada and some governmental weakness such as what the candidates in the American election should do. Blogging also took place in the conversation since it also involves a bit of advertising and where podcasts can be located.
MOOD FOR THE SHOW
The speakers are plainly straight forward to what they want to say. The show which is much like a whole hour show or specifically 45 minutes and 28 seconds gradually goes down to the specific topics and the tone of their voices are much like an ordinary radio show where ther is laughter, jokes played, and sincerity in the last parts of conversations specially the thank yous on the guests.
SENSE OF THE SHOW
The show is simple, it talka about the new trends and what's happening on the internet. For today's show, it takcled on the new era where podcast is being introduced and back then, podcasts were that rare so to make it a topic was that interesting for them unlike now wherein podcasts are pretty common that you could even download it to your ipod's and mp3's.
