Did I just see a smile there?

Remember Haymitch's line in the Hunger Games about Katniss having as much charm as a dead slug? Well, some people make the same comment about Andy Murray. While Andy may not be as lively or vivacious as Jennifer Lawrence,  he's equally as adorable. I just love his Scottish sense of humor. To prove my point, I humbly present to you the following videos. They're marked as Exhibits A and B.

Exhibit A: Andy reveals that Roger Federer is not picky. He also says that he doesn't know if both Roger and Rafa (Nadal) read books. LOL. Priceless.

Exhibit B: It's nice to know that tennis players are talented enough to also have a career outside tennis when they finally get tired of it. Doubles players Jean-Julien Rojer and Colin Fleming could definitely give the hosts of E!'s Fashion Police a run for their money. It's pretty hilarious when they rib on Andy for the effort that he exerted in dressing up for the Indian Wells Players' Party. I also love it when they ask him about his tan (or lack thereof) and when they start giving him fashion advice. Oh and Andy, please. No more excuses on that pasty skin. Also, tie your shoes.

The "Must" List: Words of wisdom

*Kinda bummed that there's no mention of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation in this video.

*It's becoming really hilarious now how often I see pictures of Roger Federer crying. Come on, guys.

*Jennifer Lawrence, hands down, is the biggest winner of the recently concluded Academy Awards.  After this, this, this, this and this, really, how can people not fall in love with her? (Even the IR guy that I follow on Twitter wants her to run for Congress.) Funny, down-to-earth and extremely charming, JLaw definitely won herself a lot of fans during Oscar night. Her ability to poke fun at herself is indeed very disarming. I do wish that some media outlets would stop calling her a "starlet" nowadays. Duh. She has several awards under her belt now, is the lead star of the Hunger Games franchise (which contributed to archery's massive popularity during the Olympics on US cable tv) and is the face of Miss Dior. JLaw has earned every right to be called a "star". Anyway, it's really great when someone who you started following because you found her hilarious in one interview almost two years ago hits the big time.

*From the video vault of awesomeness: Michelle Obama and Jimmy Fallon doing the "mom dance".

*Who knew that the way to Kim Jong Un's heart was Dennis Rodman? I'm still not giving up on my peace plan.

*Words of wisdom from Ben Affleck: "...you have to work harder than you think you possibly can. You can't hold grudges. It's hard but you can't hold grudges. It doesn't matter how you get knocked down in life, cause that's gonna happen. All that matters is that you gotta get up."

*Words of wisdom from Ted:

Shit happens. I mean, look at your face.
— TED (@Laughbook) March 3, 2013

Don't assume my tweets are about you. But if you’re affected by them, then that obviously means you’re guilty of something.
— TED (@Laughbook) March 1, 2013

Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman. Then be Batman.
— TED (@Laughbook) February 28, 2013

A bad episode of "Maalaala Mo Kaya"

Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona finally took the witness stand this afternoon in his own impeachment trial. What eventually happened at the Senate session hall was like a plot taken from a Filipino or Latin American telenovela: a badly written script, family drama, sex (CJ Corona said that there's one senator who wants to, uhm, "strip him naked"), a not absolute waiver, a walk out, confusion, a Senate lockdown to prevent *someone* from escaping and a questionable medical emergency.

All of these almost never happened after a heated discussion between lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas and private prosecutor Mario Bautista threatened to overshadow CJ Corona's testimony. When it was finally his turn, the embattled Chief Justice began with a super long opening statement, which almost bored me to tears since he didn't really answer the allegations against him but instead appealed for public sympathy. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile had to interrupt him several times to ask how long his opening statement is going to last and to ask when he is precisely going to start addressing the issues against him. CJ Corona tells everyone that he has done nothing wrong, that he is being persecuted wrongly and that he, in fact, lives a "simple life" (I'll just ask Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie to define "simple"). He even says that they don't have a maid and that they don't even use an aircon (very important information, thanks for sharing). He then goes on the attack against the Basa family members (his wife Cristina Corona's relatives) who were present during the trial, President Noynoy Aquino, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, Senator judge Franklin Drilon and the 188 congressmen who signed the impeachment complaint against him.

CJ Corona laundered dirty family linen for everyone to see by narrating the infighting over his wife's family-owned Basa-Guidote Enterprises Inc. (BGEI). He calls his wife's deceased uncle, Jose Maria Basa III, a jobless "spoiled brat" and blames him for the entire family drama that spilled over to his impeachment trial. However, Jose Maria Basa III isn't the one on trial here so this was just a pointles exercise. The Honorable Chief Justice also did not explain how the Php 34-M check (issued by the Manila City government) from the sale of a BGEI property in Sampaloc, Manila ended up in his bank account and undeclared in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth or SALN.

The Chief Justice then attacked PNoy for "orchestrating" his impeachment trial since the President wasn't happy with his Hacienda Luisita ruling. I know that CJ Corona got a lot of political brownie points for ruling in favor of the farmers but the President (and his Cojuangco side of the family), again, is not the one on trial here. Dear CJ, please just answer the allegations that are being thrown against you.

Next on his target list was Ombudman Carpio-Morales. He presents a rebuttal PowerPoint presentation (using pie charts) to counter the Ombudswoman's "power presentation", which he previously called a "lantern of lies". He says that many of the accounts had already been closed and admits that he only has 4 dollar accounts (out of the alleged 82) and 3 peso accounts as of December 2011. If I understood his testimony correctly, I think he meant that he no longer has 82 accounts, which means that these may have probably existed in the past but are already closed now. He even takes a dig against the Ombudswoman, questioning how clear her conscience is and if she is able to sleep soundly at night. Our dear CJ however did not testify on the "circuitous fund movements" in his bank accounts that the Ombudswoman raised and the "suspicious" bank transactions that were allegedly made during "suspicious" dates.

I was about to give CJ Corona props when he goes on to sign a waiver on the bank secrecy of his dollar deposits and to authorize various government agencies to disclose information on his (and his wife's) assets, liabilities, business interests and finances. This was, however, not absolute and came with a condition. His waiver would only be released if Senator Drilon and the 188 congressmen who signed the impeachment complaint submits a similar waiver themselves. CJ Corona argues that they are all on trial here, hence the signing waivers. Tsk, tsk. This is not a game of chicken or touch move (besides, having you all compete in the future in a Hunger Games type competition would be much more exciting). Memo to CJ Corona: YOU ARE THE ONE ON TRIAL HERE, not Senator Drilon and the 188 congressmen. What you did was a cop out.

After a testimony that lasted for about 3 hours, CJ Corona decides to end his statement with the following words: “Now the Chief Justice of the Republic of the Philippines wishes to be excused”. Without being discharged by the impeachment court and without opening himself up for cross-examination, our dear CJ walks out of the Senate session hall, surprising everyone, including lead defense counsel Cuevas. (I'm actually more worried about this guy's health. I hope somebody checked his blood pressure.)

A visibly outraged Senate President Enrile, who felt that the impeachment court was disrespected by the walk out, then orders a lockdown to prevent CJ Corona from escaping. The defense later on comes out with a statement saying that the CJ's blood sugar went down and that he had to go to the clinic to take his medicine. (A video from ANC shows that he was in fact trying to go to the basement via the elevator before he was stopped by 7 members of the Senate.) He then returns in a wheelchair (looking like this minus the neck brace). Senator Enrile (who gained a lot of pogi points for his effective handling of the walk out incident) angrily tells CJ Corona and his defense team that his entire testimony would be disregarded if he doesn't return the following day for cross-examination. Don't know if this is still happening since he has just been taken to The Medical City. Perhaps he's going to take a page from disgraced Egyptian former President Hosni Mubarak for maximum "paawa" effect.

All in all, what happened this afternoon was a publicity stunt gone wrong. CJ Corona's opening statement was written  in such a way as to elicit as much sympathy as possible. However, he throws every little gain that he's made with a stupid act of arrogance. The Basas must be asking who the real spoiled brat is right now. Whoever his image consultant is should be fired immediately. I bet National Artist Carlo J. Caparas would have probably done a much better job.

UPDATED: Why Jennifer Lawrence is awesome.

I know. I know. I've been recently hit by The Hunger Games phenomenon and I can't stop talking about it yet. I've also become a big fan of the movie's lead actress, Jennifer Lawrence and have spent quite a lot of minutes watching her interviews (I must admit that I first started following her after seeing her last year on the Late Show with David Letterman). Trust me, girlfriend's not a boring interviewee. Here are a couple of reasons why J.Law is on a different level of awesomeness, at least in my book:

1) I found it amazing how she managed to make the interviewer laugh in just eight seconds. That's a rare talent. She also says later in the video that she's not down-to-earth, she's just dumb. Here's another red carpet interview for E! wherein she leaves the interviewers in stitches.

                     

2) She's funnier than talk show hosts David Letterman and Chelsea Handler. I also love how insecure she is and how effortlessly she pokes fun at herself (she even calls herself a "troll"). Self-deprecating humor FTW. Too bad her Jimmy Fallon interview is no longer available on Youtube. She actually believes that people still go crazy over Hulk Hogan. Bless her.

3) Only J.Law can liven up a dull interview done by the younger Kardashian sisters. She even calls them out for not reading. Priceless.

4) She also gave me an idea as to how to MTV Punk'd my friends (@ 2:55). So how do you do it a la J.Law? You use a Hanson song which rhymes with a Korean food and make a family member or a close friend feel guilty for not remembering an endearing story that you just invented.

5) In one of her more serious interviews (probably because she wants to share the limelight with her other costars), J.Law answers a question about becoming a role model (@ 2:15). Awww. She's the real deal, people.

So, Jennifer Lawrence, Academy Award nominee, Hollywood's belle de jour and America's Kick-Ass Sweetheart, thinks she's a troll, calls herself dumb and is as insecure as the rest of us are. Seriously, how can you not love her?

UPDATED
6) J.Law can also kill the world with adorableness. That's a nifty secret weapon to have.

An IR student's reading of The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games, a movie based on the first book of Suzanne Collins' popular trilogy, is set in post-apocalyptic, dystopian North Korea America. Borrowing themes from Greek and Roman epics, the Depression, the Holocaust and society's current fascination with reality television, the tale is able to powerfully show a lot of themes that could resonate with a variety of viewers, including international relations (IR) students, professors and practitioners alike. 

In The Hunger Games, we see what it's like when unbridled greed, useless war mongering and stupid reality show gimmicks are allowed to run unrestrained in a society. The rich class of the Capitol employ tactics of fear and hope (think of Antonio Gramsci's definition of hegemony as a combination of coercion and consent) to control the citizens of the outlying twelve districts who live a poor, nasty and brutish life. In this twisted society, the rich wear overly garish clothes and big and colorful wigs, seem too obsessed with plastic surgery and speak in affected accents. Think of a more pompous Gadhafi family (if that's possible), Kim Jong Il's clan in drag or a sinister looking European royal family. 


The rich class have become too amoral and desensitized that in lieu of another brutal civil war, the Capitol organizes an annual Hunger Games where each district (through an unequal, but legitimate, peace treaty) is forced to send one boy and one girl (aged 12 - 18) as their "tributes" to fight in a televised, gladiator-like battle royal where only one out of 24 representatives will come out alive. Through the Hunger Games, the Capitol is able to impose order and manipulate the twelve districts to show them who's boss. President Snow (Donald Sutherland) captures this succinctly by telling game master Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley) that hope is the only thing stronger than fear. To prevent another uprising and to maintain their lifestyle of plundering the resources (e.g. farming, fishing, coal mining) generated by the twelve districts, the Capitol showcases the Hunger Games on national television to scare the working class and at the same time give them their very own protagonists to cheer for and to hope for. 

The winner gets to come home alive, bring a rich bounty for his/her district and become a popular reality tv star. The fallen ones will be immortalized as "heroes" who sacrificed their lives to maintain the unstable peace in their country. It's like the US calling their fallen soldiers as heroes but, why were they sent to Iraq in the first place anyway? They were sent on a false premise of preventing Saddam Hussein from supposedly using his weapons of mass destruction against the US (no WMDs were actually found). I sincerely hope that the leaders of North Korea, Syria and even China don't get ideas while watching this movie. They would probably think that, oh, isn't it more fun to organize a Hunger Games-type of competition featuring telegenic rebels and pitting them against each other in a fight to the death instead of cracking down on them violently all the time a la Tiananmen Square 1989? Imagine the possible bidding war for Mark Burnett and the creators of all those tacky reality shows. They could even get sponsors for it.

The most poignant scene for me would probably be the Reaping where kids are raffled off to know which ones would be offered as tributes. The scene reminded me of the Holocaust where kids and adults alike were sorted, marked and fed propaganda only to be led unknowingly to their possible destruction. In an act of absolute selflessness, the story's heroine, Katniss Everdeen (played beautifully by Academy Award nominee Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers to take her younger sister's place as tribute. Katniss, a resourceful and street-smart resident of District 12 who fends off for her widowed mother and sister, and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), a baker's son who harbors secret feelings for her, are sent off in style to the Capitol to be prepped and trained for the biggest event of the year. They and all the other tributes are made over like stars and given media training  to make the sponsors and audience fall in love with them.

While the absurdity of it all is not lost on Katniss, she is rational enough to understand that she has to play along to survive and return to her family. Unknowingly though, any action on her part will be viewed with suspicion by the Capitol since any act of defiance could inspire the masses to fight back and start a rebellion. In a controlled arena (part Big Brother and Survivor), the 24 tributes are pitted against each other, the elements and imaginary animals until only one of them remains. This plays out on national television where every plot angle and emotion is milked just for the drama of it all. How I wish that Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Jersey Shore and other reality shows of their ilk were as relevant.

The Globe and Mail is right in calling The Hunger Games a "modern allegory that illuminates what it appears to imitate, throwing our light/bright culture into darker relief". I believe that IR practitioners, state leaders, foreign policy think tanks and those in the media could learn a lot from the themes of this movie (capitalist greed, thirst for power, love for the dramatics, useless war marketing). I hope that this movie scares the wits out of  everyone in such a way as to not allow ourselves to live in a world ruled by a ruthless leader in drag who is a hybrid version of Gadhafi, Kim Jong-Il and George W. Bush. Heck, I don't know if I would be able to defend myself with a bow and arrow or a sword. I'd probably rely on my good ol' tennis racket and smash serves and forehand winners against other competitors (*wishful thinking*).