Back then, film was, for a lack of a better word, a scarce commodity. Pressing the shutter button will take you to a point of no return where the image will be permanently “engraved” with no option of do-overs. Every time light is shone at layers of silver halide emulsions on a 35mm strip of acetate, it felt like one was burning money. Back then in order to see your shots, you had to have them processed and printed which pushed the cost further. Suffice to say, it wasn’t cheap, destructive and left a lot of us skimping on pictures.

Sometime in the mid-late 90s, digital cameras were introduced. It enabled everyone to take as much photos as they like without having to go into a second mortgage. Unlike film, if you didn’t like what you see, you can always reach for the delete button.

This will not be an argument on which takes better photos. I believe that both film and digital have their own strengths and weaknesses and it’s all a matter of how one can milk them both for what they’re worth. This, however will be about how most of us deal taking photos with both. I will be straightforward and might offend some people so I apologize in advance. I will also be telling this with a consumer’s point of view, so professionals and advanced amateurs don’t count (as they obviously know what the hell they’re doing anyway).

Back in the film days, like I said, everyone wasn’t about to waste precious shots on film. So they were very conscious about composition, and all that stuff in order to make the most out of the shot. They read manuals, framed shots evenly (I know my folks did) and some even cared about lighting and exposure. You can say that everyone had an eye for photography in one way or another because one just can’t afford to ruin a shot.

Then digital came. People suddenly took as much photos as they like and cover up any screw up with that little thing called a “delete” button. Yes, we can finally take tons of snapshots and chuck the unwanted ones. Photography has become a game of chance. The more you press that shutter button, the more odds of you getting that good shot.

Unfortunately, this caused most people to become n00bs at it. No one cared about the fundamentals of photography anymore(most don’t even have the slightest wee bit of idea on it). The only criteria now in order for one to be called a photographer is being able to hold the camera at eye-level, and knowing how to press the shutter button. You may think that pressing the shutter button is simple enough, but apparently, it’s not. Nobody cared to know that pressing it halfway before taking the shot lets it focus on the subject first. When they see how blurry the shot is, they turn to the camera then blame it for not “having enough megapixels(I actually had someone tell me that).” Everybody’s photographic skills have been dumbed down to your average bowel movement and is going down the drain. (This is what we all get for not reading the friggen manual.)

Digital cameras have undoubtedly got everyone into photography, since it’s much more affordable. It has also been more convenient to view and share images. But, let’s not forget the basics. Do yourself a favor and go the extra mile of at least knowing how your digital camera works and how to take good photos from it. You don’t need an uber ’spensive high end DSLR to take good photos. It’s just a tool. 90% of the time it’s all in the skill.

Cabral, however hit back, saying that the Catholic Church can be “vicious” at times, and she told a local TV station that she intended to continue defying it.

Of course, I am afraid of the Church. They are very powerful and they can sometimes be very vicious. I’m not exactly one who likes to live dangerously.

However, she said that she’d rather live dangerously than do nothing against the very alarming rise in the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the Philippines.

Data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed a total of 4,424 HIV/AIDS cases from 1984 to December 2009. The highest number was recorded in 2009 with a total of 835 cases.

Cabral said:

At the rate we are going, in three years, we are going to have more than 30,000 people with HIV/AIDS in the Philippines.

For her efforts, one of the bishops said she already had one foot in hell for “going against the teachings of the Church”. But Cabral said that the distribution of condoms is actually the DOH’s last resort to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

She commented:

We are not a religious state like Iran. We are a secular state where there is separation of Church and State. While it is very important for us to find out what the Catholic bishops think, to cooperate with them in areas where we can be cooperating, the government is the government and must do what it thinks is right for everybody.

She added that “not everybody in the Philippines belongs to one church,” and that the DOH was “always willing to discuss and negotiate” the matter with Catholic Church officials.

The church has been known to stick its nose where it doesn’t belong. Politically, it has always been either a loud critic or a strong supporter depending on whether you get on their good side or go against it. Unfortunately, ever since God knows when, public officials have always been terrified into submission by the most influential religious institution in the country.

To be honest, it was a relief to finally see someone stand up for what they think is right instead of what some men in white robes do. These bishops think they’re doing the right thing into forcing the government and the people into doing what they think is moral.

I have nothing against the Catholic Church, don’t get me wrong. But these are some things that I just find utterly ridiculous and should not be condoned.

In my opinion, it has never been right both from a legal and a biblical standpoint. The 1987 constitution of the Philippines which I believe is loosely based on the US constitution states that:

The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable. (Article II, Section 6), and, No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights. (Article III, Section 5).

It is implied that any form of religious institution cannot interfere with public affairs and vice versa. As citizens, these bishops do have a right to their own opinions. However, it is unlawful to use the church as a mean to push their agenda. From a biblical standpoint, God has given us a gift that even his angels do not have; free will. We as the people can pretty much do anything as we please provided that we are subject to any consequence that may arise from it.

I can’t help but notice a lot of ludicrous statements that these bishops have given. Here are some to name a few:

“It is immoral for a government official to support contraceptives such as condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases”

Really? It’s kinda funny since I haven’t seen a verse in the bible stating just that.

“She already had one foot in hell for ‘going against the teachings of the Church’.”

I find this one disturbing. No person has the right to, and cannot judge whether someone is going heaven or hell. Only God can pass that judgment on anyone.

The church promotes abstinence as a solution to this so called epidemic. But let’s be realistic. You can’t just expect people to mend their ways when you tell them to. One should go for the next best solution; protection.

What are your thoughts on this? Feel free to leave a comment below

I called up Smart, my ISP and I was scheduled to get a visit from the tech at 2pm on Friday.  Surprisingly, they did come albeit being an hour late. Finally I get to have my Internet back! Not quite. They came over to my house to replace the power adapter but the thing is, they didn’t bring the goddamn part! Seriously, how the hell can you possibly forget to bring something when it’s the ONLY reason as to why you’re coming over to my house in the first place? IDIOTS!

Moving on, they took the busted adapter with them and scheduled for a second visit at 9am the next day to finally replace it with a new one. So I reluctantly gave them some consideration and agreed for a second visit. I said to myself; “After this rather embarrassing situation, I think they’d do everything to set things right. Right?” Wrong. They never came and I had to call up Smart (Which by now I strongly believe is getting a bit tad ironic) only to realize they had it scheduled to January 18^th without me knowing it. To make the long story short, I still don’t have my Internet back as I’m writing this little rant of mine and I’m also starting to get broke by being on 3G.

Fortunately, it turns out that my contract will end on February 3^rd when I asked the guy on the line. Now, I’m not going to have any second thoughts of terminating my subscription and switching to another ISP. Thanks for relieving me of that dilemma Smart Bro!

But I don’t wanna look like a snobbish selfish prick so I believe I should be careful with what I say here.
First of all, I like getting gifts. No doubt about that. And as much as I would like to give back, I don’t have the money nor the resources to do so. Neither do I have the talent/skill/inspiration to make artsy/crafty crap that people make in lieu of something with market value.

Every Christmas, I’ve been asked by people what I want. But social protocol dictates that you let the giver choose the gift, while you cross your fingers that he/she will get you something that you will really really like or really really need. Unfortunately it doesn’t always work that way.

So without further ado, here is my top-10 wish list for C-Mas ‘09.

1. A new pair of Sony headphones – my current one’s has been broken and patched up which i don’t think will last much longer.
2. CDs – I know most people nowadays are getting songs from iTunes and other online music stores, or erm… the dark side, I still prefer it if I had a tangible copy of every music I own which I like to collect. I’m currently eying either Daughtry’s new album (just because it was mixed by my fave mixing engineer; Chris Lord Alge), Paramore’s new album or Flyleaf’s Memento Mori (same mixer).
3. New 3G USB Modem - I know it sucks having to pay for internet on the go when I can get wifi for free, but wifi coverage around here is spotty. Plus, you can’t really automatically switch from hot spot to hot spot as you would normally do with cellular networks, so wifi ain’t an option in a speeding car.
4. 30 Rock Seasons 1 & 2 box set DVDs - I just love that show. It’s probably the best comedy show that doesn’t have a laugh track like sitcoms.
5. A Turntable – VINYL ROCKS!!! ’nuff said.
6. Vinyls – something I can use with my turntable. preferably by Coldplay or Anberlin.
7. Useless knick knacks that I can use as bedroom ornaments – or better called as Novelty items.
8. Books – Novels worth reading. like Dan Brown’s new “The Lost Symbol” or some other best sellers. I like thriller and mystery books. Don’t even dare to get me Twilight crap or I KEEL U!!
9. Cargo Shorts - gotta have the extra pockets!
10. Cash – to save you the trouble of falling in line doing christmas shopping and it’s also something I can feed my piggy bank with.