The President's Chief Justice Appointment

With President Aquino's appointment of Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, expect the pundits to weigh in on the President's choice.

Expect the critics to lambast the decision, comparing it to former President Gloria Arroyo's midnight appointment of impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona. The one big difference here is that CJ Sereno's appointment, albeit a home court decision by President Aquino, is no midnight appointment. It went through the proper process, as the Judiciary and Bar Council (JBC) included Sereno in its shortlist of possible appointees. The appointment was made within the 90-day period in which the President must select a new Chief Justice.

Already, some have expressed fears that CJ Sereno will overturn the Hacienda Luisita decision, which awarded much of that land to the farmers tilling the soil. Another possibility is to have the value of the land recomputed.; CJ Sereno had expressed that the valuation of Luisita should be at current market prices, which would have given the Cojuangcos billions of pesos in compensation.

Former Chief Justice Renato Corona simply said, "The appointment speaks for itself," which could be read to mean just about anything.

On the other side of the coin, expect supporters of Aquino, such as his allies in Congress, to laud the decision as a true step towards judicial reform. House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. called on people to support the new chief justice, saying, "She has a good reputation for competence and independence."


Perhaps the best thing to do for now is, as Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes has said, to continue to be vigilant over how the new Chief Justice will act. It remains to be seen if CJ Sereno will simply be a puppet of the Aquino administration, or a true visionary, capable of instituting reforms in what Senators Francis Pangilinan and Franklin Drilon term as a "moribund and antiquated justice system of the country."

Requiem, Secretary Jess

It seems like we lose the good people too early.

The body of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, whose plane crashed off the shores of Masbate Saturday afternoon, was finally located by British technical diver Matt Reed, and brought to the surface. The wreckage of the cockpit, according to news reports, was found at 180 feet deep, around 800 meters from Masbate.

Busy Week in the Philippines

It's been a busy week in news. So many events happened last week.

Update on the Sotto Plagiarism

This just in: according to ABS-CBN News, Senator Tito Sotto's chief of staff, Atty. Hector Villacorta admitted that the senator's staff had lifted portions of blogger Sarah Pope's post on Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. However, it should be noted that Villacorta's so-called apology to Pope had a bit of sarcasm, as Villacorta purportedly asked Pope, "Did you want us to tell him to admit what he did not do? Who would you like to crucify for this oversight?"

That part probably did not sit well with Pope, who apparently was not mollified by Villacorta's message. 

It should also be noted that Pope responded that the senator was responsible for his staff; he did, after all, deliver the speech, so he is responsible for what he had said. At the same time, Pope claims that Sotto "twisted the message" of her blog in order to support his claims on contraception.  

It should be interesting to see what Senator Sotto will say tomorrow.

Post # 1,200: OF Blogging and Plagiarism

It's interesting to note that my 1,200th post should revolve around the subject of blogging, particularly of whether those of us who do use this form of expression should be taken seriously.

The reason for this revolves around Senator Tito Sotto's speech aimed against the passage of the reproductive health (RH) bill. Apparently, in his speech, the good senator committed plagiarism, taking portions of his speech from not one, but five sources, without giving credit to the source.

Road Rage Gone Wrong

In this day and age of social networking, one must be conscious of his or her behavior more than ever. Any foible, any strong show of emotion, any negative action can become fodder for social netizens, and become viral in an instant.

Sometimes, all that is needed is one stupid action, and one becomes an instant celebrity, whether he or she likes it or not. Christopher Lao went through this last year, when his driving into flooded waters and his subsequent rant was captured on camera for all to see.

Choosing the Next Chief Justice: JBC Independence

At least, the Judiciary and Bar Council (JBC) didn't cave in to the President on this one.

In a show of independence, the JBC disqualified Justice Secretary Leila de Lima from consideration on the shortlist of candidates for the position of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The JBC, however, didn't disqualify Solicitor General Francis Jardeliza from consideration, despite the fact that Jardeliza also has a pending case.

In the end, the JBC formed a shortlist of eight possible candidates:

1. Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio
2. Supreme Court Associate Justice Roberto Abad
3. Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno
4. Supreme Court Associate Justice Arthuro Brion
5. Solicitor General Francis Jardeliza
6. Former San Juan Representative Ronaldo Zamora
7. Supreme Court Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro
8. Former Ateneo Law Dean Cesar Villanueva

Justice Carpio garnered 7 out of 8 votes, while Justices Abad, Sereno, and Brion, as well as Zamora and Jardeliza, got 6 votes. Justice de Castro and former Dean Villanueva got 5 votes.

 True to form, Secretary de Lima raised the question of why she appeared to be singled out. She must be truly arrogant to be blind to the reasons. Whether she likes it or not, there are pending cases against her, and, before she can be considered by the JBC, she has to hurdle them first.

Now, the President has until the end of August to make a decision. Let's hope he makes the right one.

Feeding My Mind: "Brave"

 Before the torrential rains hit, my family and I were able to catch Pixar's newest animated feature, "Brave". Like the other Pixar movies before it, "Brave" didn't disappoint. It had an interesting storyline, and, as with any Pixar movie, the animation was top notch. The movie also had a first for Pixar: its first female lead character, in the form of the Princess Merida.

(Image taken from Wikipeda)


SPOILER ALERT!




Merida is another welcome addition to the long line of Disney princesses. Like many of her predecessors, she's beautiful, brave (as per the title), and outspoken. Like her predecessors, she is also stuck in a difficult situation. In Merida's case, it is the fact that she feels controlled by her mother, Queen Elinor, although, in reality, her mother wishes only what's best for her daughter. It's actually a oft-played tune, one which I'm sure my daughters could relate to.

In Merida's case, she is being made to choose a suitor from the sons of the lords of the kingdom. However, she decides to take matters into her own hands, angering her mother and the other lords.The resulting quarrel with Merida's mother opens up long-buried resentments, making Merida wish for a different situation.

I'll not give away the rest of the story, but, needless to say, it all turns out all right in the end.

As always, Pixar's storytellers are able to weave a tale which amuses, tugs at the heartstrings, and inspires at the same time. The tournament wherein Merida's suitors compete for her hand is hilarious, as each of the lords and their sons are imbued with humorous characteristics. The problems between Merida and her mother are no different from any parent dealing with a daughter. And the ending promises to draw tears from the hardiest soul.

"Brave" continues the tradition of Pixar excellence. It's best that you try to catch it before it leaves the theaters.

If I have one

The JBC Deliberations: The Justice Secretary's Arrogance

(Image from Latest News Philippines) 
One has to wonder to what lengths the President and his justice secretary will do in order to get her appointed to the highest position in the highest court in the country.


If I didn't know better, the President's allies in the Judiciary and Bar Council (JBC)seem to be deliberately postponing their voting on the shortlist of the candidates for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas, Jr., apparently feeling his oats after having succeeded (through no effort on his part) in getting the former Chief Justice Renato Corona convicted by the Senate, wants the rule on disqualifying candidates to be relaxed.

The rule, which was set way back in 2001, goes as follows:

“SECTION 5. Disqualification. The following are disqualified from being nominated for appointment to any judicial post or as Ombudsman or Deputy Ombudsman:

“1. Those with pending criminal or regular administrative cases;

“2. Those with pending criminal cases in foreign courts or tribunals; and

“ 3. Those who have been convicted in any criminal case; or in an administrative case, where the penalty imposed is at least a fine of more than P10,000, unless he has been granted judicial clemency.”

 The problem is that Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, who appears to be the President's favorite in terms of being appointed, has two disbarment cases against her, one for publicly bashing the now-ousted Corona, a gross sign of disrespect for a lawyer, and the other for her ignoring of the Supreme Court's temporary restraining order (TRO) that would have allowed former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to leave the country.

While I'm not aware of the details of either case, I am aware of de Lima's actions in each. In the first, De Lima apparently called the former Chief Justice a "lawless tyrant" last February. Whether the justice secretary likes it or not, at the time, Corona was the Chief Justice, and, even if the man himself was not deserving of respect, De Lima should have showed respect for the position. Her expression of contempt for the head of the judiciary arm of the government, especially with her being a lawyer, cannot be easily dismissed.

As for the other case, while I applaud De Lima's actions, which would have allowed former President Arroyo to escape the various charges against her, my understanding of a Supreme Court TRO is that it is in force the moment it is issued. While De Lima may have done the right thing, she still ignored a lawful order, and should face the consequences of her actions.

I agree with Inquirer columnist Solita Collas-Monsod that including De Lima in the JBC shortlist would be the wrong thing to do, since there is enough precedent to warrant De Lima's exclusion. Forcing the issue would make the President and the JBC no better than what happened with Corona, who was appointed to the Chief Justice position via a midnight appointment (albeit abetted and approved by an Arroyo appointee-dominated Supreme Court). And should the President appoint De Lima in this manner, De Lima's credibility will always be in question. Not only that, but it would show that the President's so-called "matuwid na daan" (straight road) is a bare-faced lie.

 De Lima has not helped her case by acting as if the position was already preordained for her, issuing statements that "it would 'very difficult' for her to accept if the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) disqualifies her as nominee for the next chief justice." Perhaps she should swallow her pride and wait for the cases against her to be either dismissed or finished. Otherwise, she will open herself up to criticisms as bad as, if not worse than, those that were helped on Corona.

To Epal or Not to Epal

It's a vicious cycle, being a politician.

If a politician wants to be elected, he or she has to be recognized for whatever work he or she has accomplished. What better way than to put up a tarpaulin or sign announcing one's accomplishments? Unfortunately, this in itself is a double-edged sword: while it will get people to notice that the politician is doing something, people will wonder whether taxpayers' money went into the creation of such signs. At the same time, the politician is really only doing what he or she was elected to do, so should the politician announce his or her accomplishments to the public?


For example, a photo that has become viral the past few days is that of a truck with a tarp emblazoned with the faces of two politicians. The truck was apparently helping ferry those affected by the devastating floods. A number of people, including myself, castigated the politician for exploiting the situation. It probably went viral enough that the politician was affected enough to post his response to all the criticism.

Here's what he posted, in full:

it's sad that some people post without knowing anything. in times of calamities. they rather sit behind a screen and keyboard and be internet tough guys and smart alecs and try to look fault in other people and try too hard just to sell a conversation instead of trying to help their brothers and sisters in need.

We decided to use OUR military truck used for selling rice to our indigent constituents (commercial rice not repacked NFA rice as those people are trying to imply) coz it was one of the few vehicles in the city that could actually ferry people given the high level of flooding from barangay to barangay. we used it to help people all day. so are these people saying we should have not helped out na lang?

It's not like we decorated the truck before deciding to use it to help. It was already that way even before the floods. Help was needed right away. It would have been more stupid to spend time removing the tarps than helping those stranded in their homes right away.

I am proud to say that I was able to help a lot of our brothers and sisters yesterday. I was inside the truck roving and helping out our stranded, sick and hungry constituents during the strong rains and the deep floods. I wonder how many these people who spread the falsities helped along the way yesterday?

Admittedly, his point was echoed by a friend of mine who said the same thing about needing the truck right away. Fine, then. The truck was already decorated, and was needed immediately, so it couldn't be removed.

That then begs the question as to why the truck was decorated at all. It still means that the politician was using it to further his own agenda, possibly using taxpayers' money in doing so.

 And, seriously, how long is it going to take to remove the tarp, anyway? Judging from the picture, I'd say all one needs is a sturdy pair of scissors or shears, and, voila, no more tarp.

What saddens me is that, even their apparent youth, these politicians have already learned the wrong lessons from their elders. 

I can imagine that these politicians would be the first to vote nay to Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago's proposed bill against self-aggrandizement at the expense of the taxpayers. As it is, I'm not sure if such a bill will prosper in the House, given the fact that the Representatives themselves engage in this shameless behavior. Still, in this day and age wherein the wrong step can make one a viral phenomenon, hopefully, we can continue to work on changing this behavior. Of course, if the politician is already thick-skinned, this may be a losing cause.

More Rainy Musings

After several days of continuous rains and massive flooding, the sun finally makes its appearance in the sky, bringing hope to a Filipino people devastated by the calamities. Over the past few days, those of us with electricity and/or Internet connections scrolled through interminable reports of flooding across Metro Manila and various provinces, a mind-numbing litany of weather reports and flood warnings, and dozens of pictures of people and places affected by the torrential rains.

As always, the weather reports were accompanied by those politicians who would exploit the situation, for, as they handed out relief goods, these goods were plastered with the names and faces of those politicians. The social networks made short work of these 'epals', condemning their actions, and, hopefully, shaming them from further exploiting the misery of their constituents.

Somehow, the debate over the reproductive health (RH) bill would rear its ugly head, when it was least needed, with anti-RH bill proponents attributing the flukey weather to God's anger over the possible passage of the bill, and pro-RH bill proponents taking the antis to task for statements that the pros deemed either illogical or hysterical.

At the same time, it was inspiring to see our people pull together in time of trouble, and pitch in to help those in need, whether it be to participate in rescue missions or donate goods for relief operations. It was good to see that, for a good part, our government learned some lessons from the ravages of typhoon "Ondoy", and managed to respond quickly to succor those in need. Still, as some critics have pointed out, there is still much to be done to make sure this sort of flooding doesn't happen again.

Like many issues in our country, it will take a great deal of political will, as well as efforts on the people's part, to solve this problem. Politicians will have to bite the bullet, and attempt to convince their constituents to move out of flood-prone areas and into safer places, which are, unfortunately, not in the politicians' bailiwicks. The government will have to budget for infrastructure that will help prevent the occurrence of flooding. Those involved in real estate will have to be more aware of the folly of development in flood-prone areas. We ourselves will have to be more conscious of various things, such as waste management, the lack of which is a major cause for floods. If these things do not happen, then, calamities such as the one that beset us this past week are likely to happen again.

Rainy Musings

Well, the rains have momentarily subsided, but much of the city is under water to varying degrees. Some areas remain impassable to vehicles, except boats. Thousands of Filipinos spent the day in evacuation centers due to the floods, while others huddled on rooftops waiting for rescuers.

Despite the misery that the rains have brought to the city, it's inspiring to see how the Filipino spirit remains indomitable in the face of disaster. Many groups have come out and issued the call for relief goods to help those affected by the floods. On television, we could see the heroic efforts of the rescue teams to succor those in need.

It's also good to know that, to some extent, our government has learned from the tragedy that was "Ondoy". As Philippine Star editor-in-chief Anna Marie Pamintuan notes,

At around 9 p.m. Monday, one of our editors was informed that her family, living in San Pedro, Laguna, had been told by local authorities to evacuate as the waters of Laguna de Bay rose.
There was little hesitation; the family prepared to comply. And so did other residents in the communities around the lake. By dawn, the covered court in the barangay was crowded with evacuees.

That was one lesson learned from typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” in late September and early October 2009 in the lakeshore areas. Never mind concerns about burglars; when there’s a flood evacuation alert, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

That 2009 cataclysm left some indelible lessons. People in flood-prone communities, for example, have become better prepared for afflictions such as skin diseases and leptospirosis that can develop when wading in floods.

At the ground level of the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, there were only a few vehicles trapped in the flood yesterday. It was the scene of chaos during Ondoy when rampaging floodwaters washed away vehicles parked in the compound.

Since Ondoy, rescue and disaster relief agencies have acquired additional rubber boats and other equipment to assist people in flooded areas.

However, Pamintuan also notes the lack of proper evacuation facilities, which make people, not knowing what awaits them at the evacuation centers, hesitant to leave their houses. It's something for the government to look into once the floods subside. (And, as I write, the rains have started yet again. Sigh.)

One has to wonder what's up with the weather, considering that there was no typhoon in the country's area of responsibility, yet the rains that fell on Metro Manila apparently exceeded the rainfall of typhoon "Ondoy". Some will question the government's flood prevention infrastructure, while others will point to climate change as the culprit. Yet others will say that the rains are the sign of God's displeasure over the House of Representatives' vote on the reproductive health bill.

Whatever the reason, it's good to see that our countrymen and our government appear to be better prepared to deal with this situation.

Nature's Fury: Incessant Rains Cause Flooding

The last time the rain got this bad was during the fury of "Ondoy" almost three years ago. Already, the government has called off classes in all levels, as well as work in government offices (except those involved in rescue and relief work) in various provinces and the NCR. To think that there is no current storm in the country; the rains are brought about by the monsoon. However, since the rains have been going on non-stop for the past week or so, flooding is inevitable.

Fortunately, since we went through the horror of "Ondoy", I would like to think that our government, as well as ourselves, are better prepared to deal with this current onslaught.

I extend prayers to those affected by the state of the weather, and hope that we make it through this safely.

Stay safe, everyone.


For pictures of the flooding going on around Metro Manila, go here.

Feeding My Mind: "The Dark Knight Rises"

(Image taken from Wikipedia)
As a number of people know, I'm an avid Batman fan, even if I don't follow the current "new 52" version of the iconic hero. And, yes, I thoroughly enjoyed the third installment of Christopher Nolan's and Christian Bale's take on the Dark Knight. For the non-fan, the story was fairly coherent enough to follow without needing to read up on decades of the comic, and, for fanboys such as myself, there was enough connections to the comic for me to sit back and be satisfied.


SPOILER ALERT!




I'm not going to give a synopsis of the movie; you'll just have to watch it for yourselves. What I did like were the following (in no particular order):

• The movie pays homage to Frank Miller's seminal work "The Dark Knight Returns", in the sense that the movie starts with Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) now retired as the Batman, but is forced to don the mantle of the bat when his city is threatened by Bane (Tom Hardy). There's a sequence that's almost directly taken from the graphic novel when a pair of policemen, a grizzled veteran and a youngster, see Batman's reappear and the veteran tells the rookie that he's "in for a show".
• Bane wasn't exactly how I pictured him, but actor Tom Hardy made him truly menacing and terrifying. Now, if only he didn't have to speak through that contraption on his face ...
• Anne Hathaway was sultry and sexy as Selina Kyle. The form-fitting body suit helped.
• I liked the homage to the following memorable Batman storylines: "Knightfall", "No Man's Land", and, to a small extent, "Son of the Demon". Marion Cotillard was great in her role as Talia, daughter of Ra's Al Ghul (Liam Neeson).
• Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman were excellent in their reprising the the roles of Alfred Pennyworth, Lucius Fox, and Commissioner Gordon, respectively.
• I didn't realize how old Matthew Modine ("Full Metal Jacket") was, until I saw him as Foley, one of Gordon's lieutenants.
• The Bat-Cycle was freaking awesome in its design.
• I also liked Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Blake, one of the few members of the police who still believed in Batman.

I'm sure I've forgotten some of the other parts which I liked, which means I'll have to try to catch the movie again, somehow.

If I had one quibble, it was something one of my friends pointed out, and I agree with his criticism of the charge of the Gotham City Police Department in the penultimate showdown between Gotham's protectors and Bane's underlings. As my friend observed, it was too "Gangs of New York". Besides, charging men armed with automatic weapons in a frontal assault isn't what I call smart tactics. It may have worked in the American Civil War, but not here.

Another problem is the hoarse, raspy voice of Batman, more because I wound up watching a YouTube parody of how Batman got his voice. After watching that, I couldn't take the Bat-voice seriously, probably ever again.

All things considered, "The Dark Knight Rises" is a fitting end to a magnificent trilogy about the Dark Knight of Gotham. I'm hoping to watch it again, and follow the movie more closely this time to look for more eye candy.

The Continuing Debate on RH

Ever since and even before the Catholic Church-sponsored rally last Saturday, Facebook, my default social network, has been abuzz over the reproductive health (RH) bill pending in Congress. Admittedly, based on my news feed, there has been more support than condemnation on the bill, although the Church is dead-set against the bill's passage. Today alone, a number of columnists have weighed in on the issue:

• Conrado de Quiros, as usual, has obfuscated the issue by connecting it to the issue of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and opines that Arroyo's support would be the impetus for the passage of the bill;
• Amado Doronilla also writes about the issue, but uses it to render criticism of President Noynoy Aquino;
• the Philippine Daily Inquirer's editorial castigates the Church for a "fudging of the facts and of logic so extreme it may be appropriate to call it diabolical";
• in the Philippine Star, lawyer Jess Sison gives supporting evidence as to why the bill should not be passed;
• Star editor-in-chief Anna Marie Pamintuan takes the Church to task for its inflexibility on the issue; and
• Columnist Jarius Bondoc notes the problems in the Church's stance by providing data in support of the bill;

For me, the most objective view appears to be that of Fr. Joaquin Bernas, S.J., who summarizes points he made "a little over a year ago". He argues that the bill should not be rejected wholesale, since it still contains beneficial provisions; his final line, "In other words, let us not burn the house just to roast a pig," is a colorful way of asking the Church to engage the bill's authors in constructive dialogue, instead of outright condemning the bill.

Fraternity Hazing: Another Senseless Death

Yet another senseless death at the hands of the frats.

Marc Andrei Marcos, a law student at San Beda, died on July 28, 2012, from injuries alleged to have been caused by hazing at the initiation rites of Lex Leonum. This comes just months after another San Beda law student, Marvin Reglos, also died of similar injuries, and from a similar source, this time the Lambda Rho fraternity. One has to wonder what's happening at San Beda, that two deaths have occurred in the span of months.

To date, the principal suspect, Gian Angelo Velus (or is it Veluz?), remains in hiding, either because he's too cowardly to be accountable for his actions, or because he and his friends are still busy concocting the proper cover story to protect themselves. Even the househelp who were present at the initiation have conveniently disappeared. At any rate, it makes one wonder what values the fraternities actually impart to their members; it's certainly not courage to face the consequences.

It's not surprising why people join fraternities. If one is new to the school, being part of a group will help one fit in more quickly, and, of course, fraternities are known for their penchant to help and protect their 'brods'. Also, the fact that one can rely on the fraternity network for work when one graduates is another enticing reason to join a frat.

Unfortunately, those benefits can come at a dear price, as Andrei Marcos, Martin Reglos, and, two decades ago, Lenny Villa, came to discover.

The Friday editorial of the Philippine Daily Inquirer takes to task the culture of impunity that is responsible for little or no action being taken in both the Marcos and Reglos cases. The editorial calls for a review of Republic Act (R.A.) 8049, or the anti-hazing law, as it appears, according to the editorial, that the law "continues to be honored more in the breach."

At the same time, the editorial notes that the problem may not be in the law itself, since it raises the question, "what penalty can be graver than life imprisonment?" The problem, which seems to be endemic in the Philippines, is that the enforcement of laws is either inconsistent or non-existent. Fraternities such as Lex Leonum, and Lambda Rho are able to escape sanctions because law enforcers may not be serious about enforcing the law. Also, since fraternity alumni are firmly entrenched in positions of power, as the Inquirer observes,

"It will not be surprising if the heads of the San Beda law fraternities are faculty and bar members themselves. It is the old-boy network, the elitism and culture of entitlement, that they foster that has provided a thriving ground for reckless violators of RA 8049. It’s as if legal aspirants—and members of the bar who are, after all, the alumni officers of fraternities—are training their knowledge of the law on undermining the law and getting around it. Law school fraternities may have provided the bloody foundation for the wider culture of impunity prevailing now." (Inquirer, August 3, 2012)

Given the current state of affairs, I can't really say that I'm confident that the relatives and friends of Marcos and Reglos will receive the justice they so crave. Unless some alternative can be provided that makes joining frats less attractive, it's more likely that we will see more senseless deaths in the name of brotherhood in the future.

Feeding My Mind: "The Amazing Spider-Man"

(Image from Wikipedia) 

The summer movie review continues with "The Amazing Spider-Man".




SPOILER ALERT!






To be truthful, I was a fan of Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire's take on Marvel's main hero, although, admittedly, the best of the trilogy was the second one, wherein Alfred Molina did a magnificent take on the villain Dr. Octopus. This was probably why I wasn't too keen on watching what is essentially a reboot of the franchise, since the last "Spider-Man" movie was only five years ago. Still, some of my friends were very positive about their reviews on the new movie, with actor Andrew Garfield essaying the main role, so I decided to give the movie a try.

I wasn't disappointed.

This time, Peter Parker was visibly younger and clearly in high school. His love interest wasn't Mary Jane Watson, but Gwen Stacy, played by Emma Stone. Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field) had to raise Peter after his parents (played by Campbell Scott and Embeth Davidtz) left him with them when Peter was very young. It was this search for his parents that brought Peter in contact with an old friend of his parents, Dr. Curtis Connors.

To non-Spider-Man fans, Connors (ably played by Rhys Ifans), who was one-armed, attempted to use lizard DNA to regrow his arm. While he succeeded, it also transformed him into the vicious Lizard.

A lot of the origin elements were still present: Peter is still bitten by an irriadiated spider, Uncle Ben still dies, and Peter, devastated by the loss he could've prevented, realizes the lesson of great responsibility coming with great power.

I liked Garfield's take on the hero, as he managed to inject the snappy patter that Spider-Man was known for in the comics. He also managed to project the difficulties of growing up experienced by an adolescent such as Parker.

Ifans' role as Connor was a pleasant surprise for me, since, previously, I remember him playing half-drunk slobs in "Notting Hill" and "The Replacements". He, too, was able to nail his role perfectly.

I can imagine that this movie will be the start of another trilogy. If the creators of the film can continue what they've done here, I predict that it will be a memorable trilogy.

Feeding My Mind: "Ice Age 4: Continental Drift"

(Image from Wikipedia)
Over the past few weeks, I managed to catch a number of the U.S. summer season movies. The next few posts will deal with each of them, starting with "Ice Age 4: Continental Drift".


SPOILER ALERT!








I missed this year's sequel of "Madagascar", since I wasn't too overly fond of that franchise, but we made sure to watch "Ice Age 4", since the kids and I were big fans of the first three movies.

We weren't disappointed. The movie kept the comic turns of the previous three, and most of the characters continued to grow as they dealt with the threat of the continental shelves moving against each other. Sid (John Leguizamo) was reunited (briefly) with his family, and had to deal with his kooky grandmother, Manny (Ray Romano) and Ellie (Queen Latifah) had to deal with the fact with their daughter, Peaches (Keke Palmer), was growing up, and Diego (Denis Leary) found a love interest in the form of Shira (Jennifer Lopez), a female tiger pirate.

The main story, of course, was punctuated by the never-ending efforts of Scrat and his quest for acorns. One sequence found him plummeting to the center of the earth, where his attempts to nab the acorn apparently led to the continents breaking up.

The excellent voice cast was made richer by the presence of Peter Dinklage, who played the main villain, Captain Gutt, while "The Big Bang Theory"'s Kunal Nayyar, and "Firefly"'s Alan Tudyk, played two of the pirates under Gutt. Also, look for Patrick Stewart in a small but hilarious role.

I'm not sure if there will be another sequel to the franchise, but, if there isn't, "Ice Age 4" is a pleasant way to end what has been an enjoyable ride.

UAAP Men's Basketball: Ateneo Drubs UE

The UE Red Warriors obviously have a problem with finishing strong.

After keeping the game close through two quarters, the Warriors fell to their fourth straight loss, 68-51, to the Ateneo Blue Eagles. Despite keeping the score close and ending the first half just down by 2, the Warriors fell apart in the third quarter, being outscored 17-5.

By the fourth quarter, Ateneo coach Norman Black pulled out his starters, and gave his bench the chance to gain some well-needed experience. Key players Kiefer Ravena, Greg Slaughter, and Nico Salva, if I'm not mistaken, didn't have any need to return to the game, as the second squad, composed of Nico Elorde, Ryan Buenafe, J.P. Erram, Frank Golla and Tonino Gonzaga ably kept the Warriors from ever coming close. By the last few minutes, both benches had apparently been emptied, and Ateneo rookies and sophomores continued with the mop-up operations. One of my former students and national youth squad standout Von Pessumal even had a driving lay-up that showed the promise of a bright future on the team.

On the UE side, starters Chris Javier and Roy Sumang had good stats, but were not backed up by their teammates, which was one of the reasons that led to their loss.

The long season continues for UE, as its players and coach struggle to figure out a way to win. Given the tough field in the UAAP competition, that may be a difficult task.

With the win, Ateneo moves into solo first, and will face the FEU Tamaraws to close out the first half of the tournament. Given the way both teams have been playing, it looks to be an exciting match-up.