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Religion freaks me out, plain and simple. Actually, let me be more specific…ORGANIZED religion freaks me out. Contrary to my actions (and words) I am actually not a heathen. I believe in God, and as the Doobie Brothers said, “Jesus is just alright with me.” That being said, I think that organized religion is the biggest sham to hit this Earth. I seriously doubt God said, “Worship me according to these values… and if you disagree with some of those values, go ahead and start up a NEW religion and incorporate what you think is right!”

Who's your buddy?

I think the most infuriating part of it all was the “missions” that the Spaniards went on back in the days. As some of you know, the Philippines was a Spanish Colony for about 350 years, before America stepped in during the Spanish-American wars. Let me tell you, like most places the conquered, they did a NUMBER on this country. Roman Catholicism is the religion of choice by a landslide (approx 83% of the population) and it is followed blindly. Hell (no pun intended), the Church and the Government are VERY closely tied, and I can almost 100% assure you right now that if the Church were to declare that the President of the Philippines needed to resign, the population would see that it was carried out.

Actually, it’s funny. While I was writing this, I hit up Yahoo to make sure that I got some facts straight on certain things I was fuzzy on. I typed in “Holy Week” in the search field, and one of the top related searches was “Holy Week in the Philippines”. Really I couldn’t believe what it produced and didn’t realize it was quite as big as to make it’s own individual search suggestion from Yahoo. The weird part is that I have actually SEEN these rituals in person, and to be quite honest they are sickening. Some of you may think them “stupid” or “silly” but I can assure you that when you are watching some guy whip the hell out of his back to the point of making it resemble raw hamburger, the humor is quickly lost.

This write-up isn’t about my personal views on religion though, as I quite frankly hate to discuss this topic since some nuts tend to go to extremes in forcing their viewpoint. Hell in my family alone we have Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, Roman Catholics and Protestants; I follow no specific Denomination. No my friends, this article is about blind faith, specifically in the Philippines. Jung over at Asian Escapades did a great article just the other day about a conversation he had with (what I assumed was) his girlfriend and her refusal to eat meat. She couldn’t give a specific reason, only that the “TV People” told her not to and she “needed to do her part”. Coincidently, one of my old friends popped up on Yahoo Messenger and wanted to talk with me. She brought up Holy Week, and below was the conversation that transpired:

+Trance+: joking with you
+Trance+: but ur very serious right now
Filipina: i am alway serious
+Trance+: y?
Filipina: its holly week thats why
+Trance+: oh please
+Trance+: you know what, im glad jesus died
Filipina: you're so bad
+Trance+: I am? why?
Filipina: you dont have god?
+Trance+: of course
+Trance+: you arent glad that jesus died?
Filipina: no
+Trance+: oh really? Then why do you celebrate for a week his death?
+Trance+: thats what holy week is
Filipina: where not celaabrating
+Trance+: no? then what are you doing?
+Trance+: you aren't glad that jesus died for your sins?
Filipina: where just remembering
+Trance+: it happened 2006 years ago
+Trance+: wait, thats not right
Filipina: what
+Trance+: something like 1,974 years ago
+Trance+: he died about 1,975 years ago...you didnt know that?
Filipina: no
+Trance+: interesting...
+Trance+: You werent aware that holy week was a celebration of his death?
+Trance+: you should read this: http://www.cresourcei.org/cyholyweek.html
+Trance+: hello?
Filipina has signed out. (4/14/2006 1:23 AM)

Apparently she didn’t like that conversation, but I find it ironic that they would be so religious (again, no pun intended) about following a ceremony without realizing what it’s for! I baited her, I admit it, when I said, “I’m glad Jesus died” because the answer from her was so predictable. I also knew she wouldn’t say she was “celebrating”, even though if you go to Dictionary.com the definition is extremely accurate, Holy Week is indeed a celebration. Until this country learns to separate Church and State, I feel that it is destined to fail. Sure, we CLAIM not to in the U.S., but what do you think George W. Bush’s response would be if the Pope told him to resign?

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OK, I admit...I watched it last night. Ya, ya, ya...it's a "faggot" film, but truth be told, gay people don't bother me as long as they are not acting strange around me. For instance: I know someone's gay but he's carrying on like any other normal person...cool with me. Situation 2: Someone is gay but totally "flaming" around me and trying to act as the opposite sex... annoying!

Brokeback Mountain was one of those, "OK, he's gay, but acting normal" type of movies.

That being said, I simply can't understand what all the hype was about. I did watch it from start to finish and I did so with an open mind. That aside, the tent scene was simply too overbearing for me. For those of you that don't know what I am talking about, Ennis (Heath) and Jack (Jake) end up in the same tent because it's too cold outside. Jack invited Ennis in and then they fell asleep. In the middle of the night, Jack grabs Ennis's arm and puts it around him (think: snuggle). Ennis, realizing what Jack just did wakes up and get a little "rough" with Jack, which apparently only turns Jack on to the point of unbuckling his pants, turning around and putting his ass in the air. Now, the scene actually goes as far as showing Ennis spit on his knob so he can put it in Jack's ass.

That part...I simply couldn't handle. I am starting to think that perhaps if that scene did NOT exist, it wouldn't have gotten the Academy Award nominations that it did. It was simply too "powerful" of a scene for my stomach and I'm thinking the critics might have given it ALOT of brownie points for that. Oh, in the scene thereafter, Ennis and Jack get over the "weirdness" of the situation and then have a make-out session...again a little too much for me.

Truth be told overall, the movie was crap in my opinion. Again, I went into it with an open mind, but it was your typical "love story". Two destined "lovers" meet and then part ways before their relationship can mature. Each of them thinking on that "one night" (or season in this case) and finally when they meet again years later they are acting like rabbits in
heat.

For me, the best part of the movie was seeing Anne Hathaway's titties (Princess Diaries), which met my expectations, and she is STILL one fine little hottie. I additionally enjoyed the makeup in that they did a great job of making 3 fairly young actors (Heath, Jake, Anne) appear realistically older.

This movie is definitely a rental only. I think the critics were off their collective ROCKER to give it as much credit as it deserves. Again, had the storyline involved boy & girl, it would have flopped. Because it was guy/guy, it got a lot of attention and other films that were, in my opinion, better got the shaft (no pun intended!)

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