THE MASK'S TOP TEN THINGS ABOUT HIMSELF
1. Born on April 12, 1990.
2. A Filipino since birth. Currently living in Cebu City.
3. A Psych undergrad. Plans to take up Secondary Education, History, and/or Mass Communications.
4. First anime he liked was Akazukin Cha Cha. Age: 6 (It's a pretty funny series, you know?)
5. First anime he loved was Detective Conan. Age: 11
6. Favorite animes (in order) are Detective Conan, Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X, Death Note, Hajime no Ippo, Great Teacher Onizuka
7. Favorite characters are Conan Edogawa, Kenshin Himura, Light Yagami.
8. Political and news junkie eversince 2001.
9. Ron Paul supporter since October 2007. (Go Ron Paul!)
10. TheOtaku Article/Fan Word writer and probably the last King of Humor Articles. (Who's gonna be the King of Humor Fan Words?)
P.S. Trust me when I say that this is not even a summary of the whole me.
First of all, I've submitted a new fanart in theOtaku. It's my Otaku ID, which is my submission for Kami's Contest. Here's a mini version of the work:
Anyway, I gotta say that today, Friday, and of all dates, 13th (yeah, Friday the 13th), brought me some bad news: Ron Paul has officially ended his presidential bid. Actually, he announced it yesterday, which is still sad to me since it was the Independence Day of the Philippines and Ron Paul was a man who believed in liberty and independence (See the connection?). But then again, it's not like it shocked me. We already know that he didn't exactly very well in the primaries, so I guess it wasn't long before he actually decided to back out.
But I was really hoping that a miracle would happen on the Republican National Convention in September. I was really hoping that the combined efforts of the people will make possible what many thought was impossible and make Paul as the Republican bet (and not McCain). But I guess it wasn't meant to be.
Oh well, at least something good came out of the Ron Paul Revolution in my life. Now, I've been more wary of the corporate media (and plan to make a fan manga about it --- if I can). Now, I've been more interested in actually reading books seriously. Now, I've started to truly deviate from what most people call "common sense" and try to see the real deal. Now, I've felt better in my life and I've become much more educated. That's all thanks to Dr. Paul.
There were five characters that I've considered as the greatest inspirations in my life. Three of them are fictional (Conan, Kenshin, Light). One is dead (Raul Roco). And the last is Dr. Paul.
I wish Dr. Paul the best in his new revolution. And although the presidential bid, Dr. Paul can trust me that the revolution will live forever in my heart.
As for who I'll support now, I'm considering either Obama (because he has a big chance of winning) or Barr (because Paul would have wanted him to win). One thing's for sure, it's not going to be pro-war, "100 years in Iraq" McCain. And that's from a Filipino whose country is deeply affected by what the Americans are doing to their country.
- First off, I'd like to apologize if I acted like Dr. House and got a bit cranky back in my previous post. I guess I just wasn't used to the idea of getting one comment for my article within 48 hours. Normally, it's more than that. Still, I apologize. Anyway, if you are interested in reading my article on Death Note songs composed using Beatles hits, please click here.
- I just realized that when I go to my portfolio, my account suddenly logs out. When that happens, no one can subscribe to you, just like what I experienced with Erzengel Weiss' portfolio. Could this be the reason why I can't have new subscribers? Will this problem be fixed by the Bossman? And will Speed Racer finally find out who Racer X really is? ( I just had to put that!)
- So Ron Paul lost in the Pensylvania primaries. Quite sad on my part, since I was really hoping for a win. But the plus side is that he got almost 16% of the vote. Which means . . . if McCain thinks he's got the support of every Republican, he should think again. And trust me, the most dedicated Ron Paul supporters will never support McCain. Why? Because MCCAIN IS SUPPORTING THE IRAQ WAR; RON PAUL DOESN'T! Which leads me to this question: Is groupthink more important than principle?
- I just found out the other day that jomz had made a myOtaku memoir back in 2006, when I was busy with my own memoir, Three Freaking Years. (And I doubt you guys even know about it!). On that memoir, he said that I was his "best Otaku buddy" and that I was the one who got him into the posting habit. You know, for a guy who's 5 years younger than him, that kinda surprised me in a good way. I was quite...well, quite happy. I can't believe my Big Brother in myOtaku (and theOtaku) said that about me. So, thanks jomz! And I hope this friendship will last for a long time. (Here's the link to the memoir.)
- To end this post, here's a video of the song "Precious and Few" by the Climax. It's a '70s song that caught my attention recently. I suggest that you try listening to this song; maybe you were familiar with this (I knew I was before I knew the title.)
Kenshin Himura is a fictional Japanese swordsman; Ron Paul is a real-life Texas congressman. Kenshin Himura adheres to the ancient sword practice of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu, while Ron Paul adheres to the Austrian school of economics. Kenshin grew up to become a well-known assassin during the Tokugawa era, while Ron went on to become a physician and flight surgeon during the Vietnam War era. Kenshin later became popular to ladies for his sweet personality, while Ron became popular to ladies for giving birth to 4000 babies. At 28, Kenshin became the polite yet deadly wanderer that anime fans loved; at 72, Ron became the 2008 US Presidential candidate that many Americans supported devotedly all the way.
Two different characters from two different walks of life. How could they possibly be similar with one another? Well, their similarities lie within the words that these two men preach.
Value of Every Human
In Episode 58 of the series, Rurouni Kenshin, Kenshin shows his regard for the value and dignity of every individual by telling Shishio:
"No human in the free society should be considered less valuable than others. The weak are one of those who support the country."
Ron, on the other hand, spoke of a similar message which was more inclined to the issue of racism. On April 16, 2007 in Government and Racism, he said:
"Racism is simply an ugly form of collectivism, the mindset that views humans strictly as members of groups rather than individuals . . . The true antidote to racism is liberty. Liberty means having a limited, constitutional government devoted to the protection of individual rights rather than group claims."
Advocacy of Peace
Throughout the series, Kenshin has openly acknowledged his desire for peace in the world. In Episode 40, while remembering his friend Shatku, he put into words his dream of a peaceful world:
"Someday, people will learn to accept peace. I hope you were still alive to see the realization of my dream."
Meanwhile, Ron has also been an advocate of peace. Although he is in favor of force against the terrorists that threaten peace, he is against any unconstitutional wars initiated by the US which also threaten world peace. For him, peaceful means would be a better way to deal with other nations. In the Republican debate in Des Moines, Iowa last August 5, 2007, he has said:
"We can achieve much more in peace than we can ever achieve in these needless, unconstitutional, undeclared wars."
Opposing the Use of Force
Kenshin has shown his opposition to using violent means to make changes in the world. In Samurai X: The Motion Picture, while Shigure's army were preparing for a rebellion to overthrow the government, Kenshin told Shigure:
"Are you saying that you will build a government by sacrificing the lives of these young men?! I don't agree with you! You don't have to use force to change the existing government. Bloods will be shed and the lives of these young men will be gone for nothing!"
Similarly, Ron is against the use of force by the United States to make changes in other nations and has consistently been against foreign intervention. In the Republican debate at Manchester, New Hampshire last June 5, 2007, he said:
"We have to come to our senses about this issue of war and preemption and go back to traditions and our Constitution and defend our liberties and defend our rights, but not to think that we can change the world by force of arms and to start wars."
Promoting One's Unique Gifts Positively
Kenshin believes that each one us has unique ablities and it is best that these abilities are used not to show one's strength but for the people in his society. In Episode 29, while fighting longtime rival Saito, Kenshin told him:
"I don't need to kill anyone just to prove that I am strong. I use my skills to protect the people I care for. I use my power for positive things, not to destroy."
Ron believes that everyone, particularly Americans, have a lot of wonderful gifts that can help make the world a better place, but also believes that these gifts should be spread to others through non-violent means. In the New Hampshire debate mentioned earlier, he said:
"We have a lot of goodness in this country. And we should promote it, but never through the barrel of a gun. We should do it by setting good standards, motivating people and have them want to emulate us."
Hope For A Better Future
Both believe that despite what happens today, their is still hope for a better future. In the series, Kenshin believed that although Shishio's men chose to follow the wrong path by helping Shishio attempt to overthrow the government, they "have a chance to choose the right path to follow in their lives" as everyone else. Similarly, Ron believes that there is still hope for a better future in the United States, as evident in his slogan "Hope for America".
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Their principles have also been the reason why these qualified men have not held a very important position in the government, at least not yet. For Kenshin, he purposely denied the offer of a key position in the army to repent for his sins and also to adhere with his principles. For Ron, he has denied the offer to be the running mate of aspirants that do not share his beliefs, and continues his quest for the presidency; whatever his fate will be is for the American voters to decide.
But through the principles that they both believe so deeply, both of them were also able to help make the world into a better place to live in. Kenshin Himura did that by defeating Shishio's army; Ron Paul did that by igniting thousands of Americans, particularly the youth, as well as many non-Americans to participate in the issues and work hard to make their nation rise up once again. It is truly amazing how these preachers of the same word have been able to spark a positive change in the world.
I just had to put that!)