OMG or GMO? Wanna make a movie? Social media, and other dalliances. Stuff. Etcetera

OMG! GMO? Why it is so important to grow your own produce and raise your own pterodactyl? That is, if you have the space and property and time? It's because of the fact that a lot of those so-called organic/non-gmo companies that you have patronized all these years are actually owned by the same giant food corporations that sell consumers those anti-thesis of what you call “healthy” foods. Dig? For one, Trade Joe's is actually owned by the German brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht, who also own Aldi. Our local Greenlife is owned by Whole Foods—and Whole Foods is, okay. I digress. Not really wanting you to suspect that your gluten-free Twinkies is contaminated with, you know. I am not saying but just saying.

          
         Annie's claims to source non-GMO ingredients? General Mills bought the company in 2014. Before that, GM also bought Cascadian Farm (remember budget organic shopping?) in 1999. Earthbound Farms, the largest of all organic produce suppliers in the United States, was purchased by WhiteWave in 2013. Same company also now owns Silk and Horizon. Dagoba Chocolate is a small independent chocolate company that is actually owned by the largest of them all — Hershey’s. Stonyfield Organic Yogurt is owned by the Danone Group of France, makers of Dannon yogurt and Evian water. And so on and so forth. Need I rant about Nabisco and Kraft and all those buy-outs and mergers? Nope.

          Approximately 0.4 percent of the total food sales in the US are non-GMO purchases. Small chunk but it shows hope. Never mind that most of the profit go to the same food companies that you love to hate. They're still gonna do everything that they could to collar the market. That's life you know. One day, your alternative energy source is actually funded by the Koch brothers and your neighbor's little handcrafted vodka cellar comes from Walmart's grant. You know what I'm saying?

         But that shouldn't stop you from supporting your local organic farm and non-GMO product producers until they give them all away. Bottomline is, you are taking of your own body. And don't think too much. And mess up your ramen noodle dinner, okay? Your laptop is produced by the China's Foxconn and you just gassed up at... Uhh yes Amazon bought Whole Foods. Old news. Never mind.

WANNA MAKE a MOVIE? A young man approached me for insights about a movie that he plans to produce (and direct). He just got a few thousands inheritance from Granpa and Granma. I ask, what is your purpose, your objective. Do you want to advocate and help usher some change to society and government or you just want to entertain? Or both. Of course he replied, both. Of course.

         Then you gotta think harder what movie you wanna sink money into but I don't want you to risk all of that hard shit on some movie, just like that. But since you're too hyped up to do so, then try to convince people, the moneyed ones, to invest some as well. These people want something in return, for sure. If it's advocacy, you gotta whiteboard your expectation check, strategize how to get your movie pass the alternative-cinema/young people filmfest circuit to bigger studios and distribution outfits, and committee hearings and stuff or maybe city council deliberations. Wanna entertain as well? And get more market mileage? Write some paperwork and check your Facebook page for some connects and "juice." Rejections in the US, that's okay. You can try Asia or Europe, sell to Netflix and Hulu, go video. Buy you gotta brainstorm more. You wanna make a movie that matters, where a few thousands of dollars aren't wasted to some personal idealistic madness (ie "I am an artist and all things that I do is art" yarn.) That'd be some kind of masturbation with sorry imagination. You'll get drained even before you proceed to the editing room, dude! So make a movie! Go for it. Otherwise, save the money for future rent.

THE Internet (or social media) has evolved from just mere recreational dalliance to a very significant tool of life. Business, politics, religion, family, friendships etc. So much so that people don't go out anymore. The Internet has supplanted their world. Many entrepreneurs face their laptops and cellphones to do business. Families and friends, too, communicate more via Facebook, texts, emails. It can be frustrating but that's how life goes. It has become more widespread than TV or radio.

         But Facebook, just like primetime TV or talk radio, is a direct offshoot or continuum of the world inside and outside. It is reality. Hence impatience and intolerance sometimes get the better of us. People get pissed with just a 3-second wait on a traffic light. A missed parking spot. A slow store cashier. A barking dog. A noisy person in a bank queue. But we can't just “turn them off” or the world outside like how we delete a post or unfriend a “friend” or totally click out FB. The outside world aggravates us more or equally upsets us than what's in the Internet. But that's the world that we live in. There is an election in November. There was a shooting in Orlando. People talk and argue to get to the bottom of societal ills and maybe course some solutions. The world is talking but due to the gravity of the subject matter, we don't expect nice words all the time. People are scared and hurt and upset. Meantime, in our personal lives, there are unpaid bills and a sick and depressed relative. These are facts of life that we can't just turn off otherwise we may just implode. If we don't explode out there.

         But then like TV, like radio, like books—and like the world outside—why can't we instead put more attention to the good things? Good and educational TV shows and good music and good books. And trees and birds and pets and nice and friendly people? Or we can infect those positive vibes than get infected by negative vibes. Angry rants online should be equalled by happy posts. Put more happy videos of cats than deaths in the streets. Balance. We know what reality is but we should also know how to cushion the pain, or protect ourselves. Knowing what's going—evil and good—is always “good” than not knowing what's going on.

SO much anger. It makes you want to retire to your shell yet it also doubles your resolve to go out there and try to help calm down the tempest in the human heart. It is not easy. We are surrounded by anger. Online, people are angry over stuff. Offline, people get upset with a mere 3-second wait on a traffic light. My attempts at drowning my own anger is provoked to howl some more. Love is muted by anger—despite our nonstop pronouncements of One Love. We say it from inside our shell and then it blows away with the wind, gone. It is so easy to anger us. Yet when we look around, we see and feel many things that should make us happy. Well, we just have to figure it out within ourselves. Still, I want to touch anger so I can ease its fury by touching and feeling it before it unleashes itself. But it isn't as easy like it was. We are all in a box that blinks. Anger isn't let go and freely allowed to crash on the glade. Anger is bottled up. So when it explodes, it is deadly as death. Then we mourn and try to heal as one. Once again.

MANY things divide us these days. More than ever. Politics. Religion. Even food choice. My friend Mimi's post echo such sad truth: “I would find myself lately, immediately trying to understand and bridge gaps that come up between me and my friends in the course of our day to day or once in a while interactions, even in cases where I felt much offended. Before, I would use to automatically assert my position all the time, and the principles on which each was based. Sign of aging?” My response: Sign of wisdom--that comes with aging. Yet some age without gaining wisdom (or maturity) by their own choosing. Bridging gaps is a sublime effort but it requires a lot of emotional/mental energy which we may not have anymore. Maybe if it doesn't work after several attempts (to bridge gaps) is to let go. Like waves these friends/relations will go back to the heart of the sea, in turbulence and tempest. But them, like us, will all gravitate back to the sand and merge with the calm sweep of earth. That's the natural progression of life. We should take care of ourselves when we grow older and spend more time with family and friends--those who love us despite our imperfections. Everybody realizes faults and flaws, they will—and then, we will all redeem and rest in transcendent peace.

FAITH is a form of governance that instills a belief system in community and society. The "god/goddess" image is the physical anchor of such a belief. That belief gathers people to agree on a singular system of workflow or output-pursuit. My basic question to non-god believers is--if indeed they don't believe at all in a god, what do they believe in? They may say atheism or paganism? Those are belief systems too and history says even those people kill or commit evil (just like any human being whose reason is clouded by a number of things). However, non-believing makes one gravitates deep down to the "I-me-mine."

All faiths I believe propagate goodness (including the Mayans and the pagans). It is how we interpret those beliefs that spells the difference between good and bad. So it is not a "fairytale" to those who believe in their God and then do good. They simply translate goodness in a very physical form. Just because some people kill people we automatically connect them with their religion or culture yet the truth is EVERYBODY is connected to some kind of faith or culture. We got something to blame people's wrongdoings and evil to--confederate flag, Christianity, even Che Guevara or Mao or the Beatles.

         People kill, that is a fact. But there is a way to peace if we STOP criticizing people's faith as against individual acts of evil because it makes those who are religious and sacrifice even their own lives for peace look so bad. If we want an end to hatred--it's simple quit indicting people based on their skin, religion, culture or ideology. That is also a form of hatred, albeit "silent."

CLICKS and LIKES. I understand why some people ask or wonder. Why oh why I don't get 505 likes like the others? Do I still have friends? Here are some examples. "Maybe no one cares about what dafuq I'm posting here. No one! I just shared you guys details why I call my ex schizophrenicloolyfuckedupbipolarnutcasedumb ass! Beware he's just out there lurking in the shadows, maybe munching his dumbstoopidnarcissistic beef jerky! Or didn't you see how funny my dog was when he assaulted the bear in the backyard with the pick-axe? But then I thought you wanted some deep political thoughts. So I did call out Trump's foul one-liners and stuff. You need Dawn Ultra SuperMaxPremiumPlus for your mouth, Donald! And Hillary, too. You are a centrist boogie lady. You will sell our souls to ETs in Wyoming! But still, I just got 5 likes, sometimes 4 or if I get lucky I get 12 for my gluten free dinakdakan dish post."

         Oh well. Seriously. Why would it matter? Right? I am old-school writer because I am old. We writers write and then it's out there. Sometimes our story and byline ended on front page, sometimes on page 32 on pitiful 6 points font, the 745-word article mangled to 85 words. Only mom read my news report. Dad didn't even bother to pick the paper up! No problem. Better luck next deadline. Do you know how many books are there at Malaprop's? Named authors and classics and bestsellers--and then I get at least one or two sales of my book each month! I just outsold Stephen King!!!

         Many times, I ask when people click and like do they really read or do they really LIKE what they read or saw? I am more into having people read me, talk to me, engage me, ask me, share me some--just like a sweet conversation in a cafe or Greyhound station before a trip or while waiting for your delayed flight at JFK Airport. Or some funny joke. I don't mind politically-incorrect stuff. Redneck jokes. Blonde jokes. Pinoy jokes. But then you must know what is overboard or insensitive and you know, not all people on Facebook are our baristas and bartenders and favorite dude in the `hood. But talks with substance makes Facebooking worthy, right? Doesn't have to be so-called intelligent or smart. Just some talk with sense. Google stuff. If words like nincompoops sound like donut flavor or a bad word, not sure? Who the hell is Taylor Swift? Google. Or you don't have to like or you can like as well, dig? Those are your fingers, not mine.
         All that I am saying is, likes or no likes--you are still my friend. And I won't unfriend you just because you did not "like" me. Notice I put quote marks on like--because even though you didn't "like" me I know you like me. I am that kind of narcissistic. Uh huh. 

ALL about writing, activism, and where do we go from here

I AM a writer. And writers write based on their personal experiences and those that they encounter. Novelists and film writers, for example, most often write composites of people to "accentuate" message or they break down a specific reference subject's persona to several characters to augment conflict or structure. 

          On Facebook, we straddle that imaginary line between "personal drama" and objective "opinionating," literary outburst and harmless quip, straight news or info sharing and stupid trolling. Hence, social media becomes a crisscrossing interplay of a literary device, subjective/private rumination and random banter. I get in and out of such door, as you do. Like, I may write a strongly-worded rant about failed relationships but it could be my own failed valentine. I could write a beautiful love poem but maybe I write it for a beloved cat or someone else's need or bliss that I read on my Homepage. Many times I write about my views and takes on parenting and family, but it could be a pooled observation of 15 families plus mine.

          So if anyone sees themselves in what I write and feel good about it, I feel good as well. Thank you. That is one of the major pleasures or objectives of a writer. Pursuit of mutual fulfillment (in writing/reading), albeit a moment's sweet shudder. Many times though, some people see themselves in those words or prose and feel somehow offended. I apologize--although my past mentors (as a writing student many years ago) always reminded me never to justify or rationalize my work. I am sorry, anyhow. My work isn't meant to hit at any individual person unless I mention a specific name. Or my rants and ramblings aren't meant to glorify a person unless I mention Mother Teresa etc. All the love poems that I wrote could be written for someone I love/d or someone that was loved by someone else, or those words were inspired/motivated by something that I read or saw--and I said above, it could be about a pet animal. But a writer is not writing for just one person or 15 or 500. He is writing for 5,000 Facebook friends and 5 or 50 million out there in internet universe, or anyone of the 7 million walking on the street and may enter a bookstore and see my book and buy it. I don't believe a writer targets one specific individual as his/her audience, although it may seem that way in some instances.

          Meantime, a writer writes to breathe life in and out--in the form of love and joy. It may not sound like that for some, but I believe writers write to heal their wounds as well as humanity's pain, infect an optimistic vibe to the universe, or just simply try to contribute to a day's pursuit of happiness.

I REMEMBER the days. During my most virulent political activism. Me and my bandmates didn't even talk about politics that much unless it is a funny conjecture. Except me perhaps, my band friends were basically apolitical or Born Again. In between practice, we talked and shared corny jokes. Lots of laughter. I wrote all the words in all our songs and most hint political undertones--some even ideological. Yet we never argued about those songs--they all came out good, I am sure. I never had a problem with people or friends who got different or even clashing political and religious (or non-religious) beliefs. 

          But I have a huge problem with people who dismiss those who disagree with them as dumb or idiots. Political discussion is good--I grew up listening to them and I spent my college years bantering political theory and politics of the day. I learned a lot in group soirees and weekly workshops. What changed through the years? It isn't the subject/s of discussion. It's all the same--new characters. What changed is how people discuss these days. It lacks respect and understanding of the other opinion. We don't have to accept a thinking other than ours. We just have to realize that truth isn't an absolute shape based on our own personal design. It is molded as per individual reality and choice. A very basic human right.

COME TOGETHER. As editor of Filipino/Asian-American newspapers in New York City and San Francisco, I was asked in a TV show in Los Angeles why is it the Filipino community seems fragmented or divided. Tough one. I only had a few minutes to respond to an obviously huge subject that requires a panel discussion so I simply cited a fact that exists as traditional truth among my people in America.

          First, the Philippines is an archipelago of 7,641 islands—inhabited by a people with multi-ethnic backgrounds (apart from Chinese, Spanish and American lineage) with dozens of languages and dialects. In the US or in other countries where we move and work, Filipinos gather as per provincial/regional roots. Ilocanos and others from the north, Visayans from the south etc etcetera. So it is logical that they form get-togethers like Ilocano Association of New Jersey or Cebuano Association of New Orleans. Sadly though when some disagreements surface in those groupings, they create splinter groups like La Union Ilocano Association of or Cebuano Protestants Association of. Do the math. So instead of coming out as one to, for example, support Congress lobbying in regards a law that benefits the community as a collective whole, nothing is actually resolved beyond committee hearings. Bloat that equation to national (American society) level. Humanity hasn't been fragmented and divided as today's schism or polarity is. It is not just a traditional political party philosophy that unites a certain sector of American society—although all of us confront the same socioeconomic ills or realities out there. The current election accentuates such a blurring of lines. Donald Trump apparently shakes the Republican hierarchy and the primary battle between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders screamed out the fact that the Democratic Party supporters are two intensely warring groups.

          But let me leave politics for a bit—and zoom in on society at large, beyond politics. Obviously we are not just divided by our party allegiances or religious/non-religious leanings--but even on daily-life preferences. Food choices. Sexual orientation. Man/woman politics. Political correctness. The correctness of language. Fashion sense. Religious and “new-religious.” There are also old hippies and neo hippies and new ager hippies. Yuppies and yippies. Freegans and Vegans. Etc etcetera. There are so many ways to say no than to say yes—to hang out and discuss stuff and things. More reasons to dislike people than reasons to like them. Meantime, Social Media easily and conveniently exhibit our pieces of mind in here and in here, we are sweepingly judged as this and that—so a few hours of meeting a person is simply a device to validate or confim what we suspect about a certain individual. We got us all figured out via Facebook. When long time ago people take time to know people. We don't create and build and sustain friendships in one day of chats or one-week of dancing in a drum circle or prayer rally.

          The question is—where do we go from here? No, we are not going anywhere. We just have to hope that we will overcome the cracks and then come together again. Like, when I say—I can cook Paella for anyone? That'd mean, seafood or meat/seashells or organic vegetables or gluten free or whatever you want. I can compromise and we can negotiate. And when I say, I'd like to meet you in person after I wrote you a poem—but that don't mean I'd like to have a girlfriend tomorrow. I just want to share some corny jokes and hey I can perhaps help you write your memoir.