Capiz TriAksyon NAGT event set for April 13 and 14
Pasig City, Philippines – January 14, 2019 – The emerging economic and tourism hub of Roxas City in the province of Capiz is all set to host hundreds of triathletes from around the country as the much-awaited Capiz TriAksyon leg of the 2019 National Age-Group Triathlon (NAGT) season fires off on April 13 and 14.
The event has a Standard Distance (1.5 Km swim – 40 Km bike – 10 Km run) course for the seasoned triathletes as well relay participants. There is also a Sprint Distance (750 M swim – 20 Km bike – 5 Km run) course for those who want a lighter challenge and for Junior Elite participants. At the same time there will be Super TriKids (STK) contests for youths aged 6-below (50 M swim – 300 M bike – 100 M run), 7-8 years-old (50 M swim – 500 M bike – 200 M run), 9-10 years-old (100 M swim – 1 Km bike – 500 M run) and 11-12 years-old (150 M swim – 2 Km bike – 1 KM run). Participants aged 13-15 will engage in a Super Sprint race of 400 M swim – 14 Km bike and 3 Km run.
At stake in the event sponsored by the Province of Capiz and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Capiz (PCCI-Capiz) are cash prizes of P20,000, P15,000 and P10,000 for the Standard Category for Male and Female (overall) and the Open Elite Category for Male and Female; P12,000, P7,000 and P5,000 for Top 3 Relay Category winners; P12,000, P7,000 and P5,000 for Top 3 Sprint Male and Female; P10,000, P8,000 and P5,000 for the Top 3 Junior Elite Male and Female; P5,000, P3,000 and P2,000 for the Top 3 Super Sprint Male and Female. There also will be cash prizes for the Top 3 winners in the STK, Standard Distance age-group and Sprint Distance age-group.
Registration for the event sanctioned by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) is ongoing with entry fees set at P3,000 (for Standard and Sprint Distances), P5,000 for Relay, P2,000 for Super Sprint, P2,500 for Junior Elite and P1,500 for STK.
Effective January 19, the entry fees will adjust to P4,000 (Standard and Sprint), P6,000 (Relay), P3,000 (Super Sprint and Junior Elite) and P2,000 for STK.
There is nothing like capturing that one, hard-to-get moment of charm of pets with a camera.
Cats are quite challenging to photograph using a smartphone camera because they often move a lot and the result is often a blurry image. Luckily for me, I captured the above picture with my smartphone at the right moment resulting a clear image that captured the love a kitten has for the mother cat complete with that kiss.
If there is anything I learned as a community newspaper journalist with regards to photography, it’s that I have to time my shots well whether I used a smartphone camera or a standalone camera. It is also important to know how capable the camera is to not only capture the crucial moments but also process digitally the image with a high quality on sharpness, color, etc.
I’ll leave the picture her for your viewing pleasure. See you on my next post.
In this age of social media and smartphones, watching cable TV news feeds is quite toxic to the mind. It’s not about the ultra-heavy mix of information being dumped by corporate media giants that overwhelm the senses of millions of viewers worldwide. Rather it is about corporate media’s slant on political news and world events that add chaos to the already chaotic world we live in.
Look at MSNBC and Fox News on how they cater to the many millions of Americans divided in the political spectrum. For the most part, MSNBC favored the so-called liberals and the political left while Fox News consistently favored the so-called conservatives and political right. If there is such a thing as the military-industrial complex, then there is also the political parties-corporate media complex.
The funny thing about politically slanted corporate media is that they (the news makers) turn journalism into a commodity, select the facts to be presented to the viewers and eventually find ways to manipulate people’s perception. Meanwhile the viewers who have their respective political ideologies or interests tend to pick a favorite corporate media giant for their daily news. Also corporate media giants know fully well that there are many millions of political news junkies who cannot help but be obsessed and addicted to biased political coverage.
Also behind the scenes, it is very likely that top officials of the existing major political parties (Republicans and Democrats) have discreetly communicated with the top executives of the corporate media giants who in turn made deals with their clients (advertisers) to generate money together as they manipulate people into supporting corporate media’s business model.
I myself am a small press journalist who went around the many BF Homes communities and the cities of Muntinlupa, Las Pinas and Paranaque. I pay close attention to the behaviors of corporate media journalists. Learning from them, I certainly do not want to turn journalism into a commodity nor do I want to report news about useless causes like Catholic parish fiestas. I certainly don’t like ignorance to be the driving factor of news reporting. To be ignorant about what’s going on, who is who, where is where and how things happened is just wrong. Be warned that from the small press to the giant media, there are even news editors who are ignorant and work without really knowing what to do which makes published news reports less journalistic and even misleading for the public. Look at your local community newspaper, the regional paper, the national paper and tell me if you see any headline story that does not deserve the headline.
Don’t forget that there are still other publications other there that serve as propaganda machines whose organizers believe that people are too stupid or too ignorant to see through their manipulation and misinformation tactics.
Anyway since I already mentioned political news bias of corporate media giants, it’s time we take a close look at a particular scene in UltraForce #2 published in 1994 by Malibu Comics under the Ultraverse line.
UltraForce #2
The comic book opened with UltraForce (Hardcase, Prime, Prototype, Contrary, Pixx, Ghoul and Topaz) in the Oval Office meeting with fictional portrayals of United States President Bill Clinton, Senator Bob Dole, UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali and the representative of the press.
Hardcase negotiates with Clinton over a number of matters. UltraForce will help deal with the ongoing conflict overseas with the world “backing up” for them. Contrary says that their team wants to have access to the federal government’s gathered information on ultras (their term describing super humans in the Ultraverse) which irked Bob Dole to express his opposition and tells Clinton that he will “skin” him alive in the media if he agrees to UltraForce’s proposal.
As the difficult agreement came close to being finalized, Hardcase made clear that his team needs the media to reshape public perception of them (and ultras in general) from negative to positive. Unsurprisingly the media representative objected to Hardcase’s idea as it is tantamount to propaganda (or biased media coverage).
Hardcase answered back mentioning that he is an actor in Hollywood and he already knows what it takes to make people feel good or bad about something by means of being selective of the facts for public consumption. He insists that people should start feeling good about them.
The media representative stated that a bipartisan consensus was all it takes for journalists to accept it.
Then Bill Clinton and Bob Dole shake hands which is ironic because in real life history, both men were nominated by their respective political parties for the US Presidency in 1996. Clinton got re-elected then.
My analysis
The scene, even though it is outlandish in concept, shows clearly that political forces and the giant media have what it takes to manipulate public perception by working together. Of course what reality shows us is that in America, Republicans have Fox News and Democrats have MSNBC to rely on to execute their information manipulation strategies to gain supporters for their own causes.
In the case of UltraForce, it’s about a team of superheroes who need a lot of support from governments and the media in order to be able to resolve the overseas conflict in the story. Their enemy was simply too powerful and too resourceful to defeat so UltraForce played hard-ball with the government and the media.
With regards to biased media coverage in support of UltraForce and ultras that exist in the world of the Ultraverse, it shows that superpowers alone cannot help those who wield it. Without the government and media support, UltraForce will only be perceived by the public as a group of troublemakers (or maybe even as terrorists) even though they fight an obviously evil force that’s been destabilizing the world.
As such, the biased media coverage for UltraForce is what I would call as a morally questionable form of support. On face value, it looks sensible because UltraForce is composed of supposed good guys while their enemies are so destructive and disruptive they are easily perceived as evil. But behind the scenes, supportive biased media coverage for UltraForce kills the spirit of balanced journalism and is pretty much a form of propaganda no matter how good the intentions are.
Could you imagine a special forces team fabricate a situation which would result a tragedy followed by intense coverage by the corporate media which in turn will outrage members of the public and give the administration of the national government the justification to launch a war with superheroes leading the way? Such a situation could lead to even more chaos in this world we live in.
Also Hardcase said it best: Look, I’m an actor in Hollywood. I know this game. I know how you can pick and choose facts to make people feel good or bad about something.
Author’s Note: This article was originally published at my old Geeks and Villagers blog. What you read on this website was an updated and expanded version. In other words, this newest version you just read is the most definitive version.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenoris still available in paperback and e-book format. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
I really love listening to the song Happy Day which has the holiness of our Eternal Savior Jesus Christ in its lyrics.
As a Born Again Christian living in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, I regularly attend Sunday family worship with the Joseph Kack Ministries International (JKMI) community at the World Prayer Center (WPC) in BF Homes, Paranaque City. Ever since I became Born Again saved by my dearest friend under the guidance of the Lord, I felt the Holy Spirit return into my life. Specifically Jesus Christ occupies and lives in my heart. In fact, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit a lot more as a Born Again than compared to the last 22 years and 11 months of my old life as a Catholic (including the 9 years I stopped believing in the Lord).
Listening to the holiness and beauty of the song Happy Day adds a lot of depth to my worship of the Lord as a Born Again.
I remember attending Sunday worship service at WPC on June 24, 2018 with the JKMI spiritual family and that particular service had holy communion prepared for us. Happy Day was one of the early songs played with a fast-paced Christian rock by the church’s very talented musicians creating a whole lot of energy for all of us. As the music rocked and energized me, I paid close attention to the lyrics displayed and instantly those lyrics brought back memories of my becoming Born Again and becoming a saved soul now part of the Kingdom of Light under God.
Some time later during the service, holy communion was served and a slightly slower but more sentimental version of Happy Day was played. As I stood in line for holy communion, I listened to the song and it brought me into tears because the song’s holiness from the Lord touched me deeply as I recalled my becoming Born Again (moving from the dark age of my life – started April 7, 1995 – into the Kingdom of Light – happened on March 4, 2018 – becoming Born Again).
During the July 29, 2018 Sunday worship service at our church, Happy Day was played again and this time it was played thrice. The first was upbeat Christian rock, the next was slower and sentimental, and the final time was instrumental. Like what happened on June 24, I was moved into tears by Happy Day during the holy communion rite.
I should mention that JKMI’s musicians did a GREAT job playing Happy Day. They should be praised! Their great talent is no surprise as they were very blessed by the Lord!
There truly is a lot of holiness in the lyrics of Happy Day. Let’s take a look at this portion of the lyrics.
The greatest day in history Death is beaten, You have rescued me Sing it out, Jesus is alive
That early segment of the lyrics made clear its expression about the saving of souls performed by Jesus Christ and His followers. God created all humans and because the world we live in is so chaotic, a lot of people lose direction in their lives and many also end up being spiritually lost to the point that they lost their focus on God and His Son Jesus. Living in the flesh is indeed a hard struggle but for as long as we strongly honor, praise, serve and follow God, we can make it into His Kingdom. Jesus Christ is present even though we mortals cannot see Him. Jesus is with us, He lives in our hearts, He always guiding us and always keeps on caring for us. It is very true that Jesus is indeed alive.
Oh, happy day, happy day You washed my sin away Oh, happy day, happy day I’ll never be the same Forever I am changed
This is chorus of the song. I very strongly relate with it as a Born Again. My old life as a Catholic was difficult, painful, disorienting and lacked the presence of the Holy Spirit. I really felt like a prisoner as my old life had these restrictions connected with many Catholic rites and being pushed to follow the figures of the Catholic hierarchy (including joining the wrong groups of people) hindered me from truly connecting with the Lord. I grew frustrated and got lost. Speaking of the word change in the lyrics, becoming Born Again is the single greatest form of change to ever happen in my life and I ever since I’ve been making moves to improving myself and no less than my mother noticed this. In fact my mother accepted me being Born Again and she thanked God for my conversion. I should also mention I reconciled with my mother on the day (March 31, 2018) I revealed to her and my father that I became Born Again.
Going back to the lyrics, the words “I’ll never be the same.” and “Forever I am changed.” strongly resonates with me. I became Born Again on March 4, 2018 (I made a decision some days prior to that happy day) and that was truly a very happy day for me as my faith in God and Jesus was not only restored but also greatly reinvigorated. I found a new purpose in my life that same day. Truly a day I will never ever forget and definitely I’ll never be the same.
Oh, what a glorious day What a glorious way That You have saved me And oh, what a glorious day What a glorious name Jesus!
That part of the lyrics is truly powerful. So powerful it is deeply moving and can move anyone into tears. Let us remember that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save all of humanity from sin. Lost souls that end up being saved (and permanently changed) to enter the Kingdom of Light is clearly in accordance to Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice in saving humanity. It takes faith and personal renewal to believe in God and His son Jesus. Jesus’ saving of lost souls is undeniably glorious and His love for us cannot be denied.
In return, we dedicate ourselves in honoring, following and serving the Lord. What lies ahead in the Kingdom of Light are peace, love, tranquility and Kingdom Wealth.
Before I became Born Again, I was a frustrated Catholic who drifted away from the Lord in 2009. My dearest friend, who has long been Born Again, saved my soul under the guidance of the Lord. Afterwards my faith in God and Jesus got restored and reinvigorated and I became Born Again ever since. Jesus (through my dearest friend) saved me in a glorious way (Jesus living in my heart) on a glorious day! Let me state that I made the decision to be Born Again which completed the process of being saved.
Whenever I listen to Happy Day, I don’t think of amusement at all. I think of the Lord and how He saved me through His instrument (my dearest friend) and changed me forever. Happy Day also reminds me of the blessings God made for us all. On July 1 as I was driving fast along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) coming from Subic Bay going home to Metro Manila, I listened to Happy Day on my smartphone with auto-replay set.
There was a segment of the fast drive in which a beautiful, scenic view of the land and the mountain on my left appeared as Happy Day played on. That moment easily reminded me of God’s creations and blessings for humanity.
In closing this article, I posted below the lyrics of Happy Day plus a few YouTube videos of the song in Christian Rock and in slower, sentimental performance (at an American church). I love Happy Day and you will if you believe in God and His son Jesus. For deep inspiration, read John 3: 3 in the Holy Bible. Open your heart to the Lord!
Happy Day
The greatest day in history Death is beaten, You have rescued me Sing it out, Jesus is alive The empty cross, the empty grave Life eternal, You have won the day Shout it out, Jesus is alive He’s alive
Oh, happy day, happy day You washed my sin away Oh, happy day, happy day I’ll never be the same Forever I am changed
When I stand in that place Free at last, meeting face to face I am yours, Jesus, You are mine Endless joy, perfect peace Earthly pain finally will cease Celebrate, Jesus is alive He’s alive
And oh, happy day, happy day You washed my sin away Oh, happy day, happy day I’ll never be the same Oh no, forever I am changed
Oh, what a glorious day What a glorious way That You have saved me And oh, what a glorious day What a glorious name Jesus
Hey, and oh, happy day, happy day You washed my sin away Oh, happy day, happy day I’ll never be the same Oh no, forever I am changed What a glorious, glorious day I’ll never be the same
Thank you for reading. If you find this news article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenoris still available in paperback and e-book format. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrascoand follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
Author’s Note: This article was originally published at my old Geeks and Villagers blog. What you read on this website was an updated and expanded version. In other words, this newest version you just read is the most definitive version.
Superman is more than just a comic book character. He is an American icon as well as a pop culture icon with global appeal. He is arguably the reason why we have superheroes to enjoy through varied media forms like comic books, video games, movies and television.
Co-created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman debuted in comics way back in 1938. The icon became even more iconic around the world in 1978 with the success of the Superman live-action movie that starred Christopher Reeve. To this day, Christopher Reeve is still beloved and millions of people around the world still hang on to him as their preferred cinematic Superman.
Then in 2013, Warner Bros. released Man of Steel starring Henry Cavill and directed by Zack Snyder. While it grossed $668 million globally, the movie was divisive among fans and movie critics due to its dark and gritty presentation.
In 2016, the hyped Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice movie was released featuring DC Comics’ two famous icons (plus Wonder Woman). It was darker, grittier and simply was not entertaining enough for the many moviegoers who seek fun with superhero movies. It did not help that Superman was secondary to Batman in the film.
In 2017, Justice League (directed by Zack Snyder but Joss Whedon finished the film) was released and brought back Superman who was portrayed by Cavill to be more optimistic and somewhat inspiring much like Christopher Reeve. The movie ended up as a disappointment which prompted Warner Bros. to adjust again their executives handling the DC Comics movie production.
The good news is that Aquaman (released December 2018) gave the DC Comics movie franchise a new lease on life as its optimistic tone (laced with humor and even romantic comedy), intense action scenes, memorable performances and immersive presentation of the aquatic world from the comics made it succeed big time. Like the Wonder Woman movie of 2017, Aquaman was made to be fun with thrills (none of the darkness and grit) while at the same time paid close attention on presenting Aquaman/Arthur Curry as an inspiring cinematic superhero.
This brings me to my main point – it is high time for Warner Bros. to bring back Superman on the big screen big time with a Man of Steel sequel with optimism, fun and straightforward heroism in mind.
I know that as of this writing there is uncertainty about Henry Cavill reprising DC Comics’ famous icon. Still I really want to see the British actor return on the big screen and his legacy on playing Superman can be improved while giving moviegoers a lot of fun.
Here are some things I want to see in a Man of Steel sequel:
Henry Cavill playing a more optimistic and inspiring Superman – What this means is not necessarily Cavill copying the way Christopher Reeve memorably portrayed the caped icon in the 1978 movie. Rather it’s more about the British actor making Superman his own but without the darkness, without the grit and without the depressing stuff of Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. With the right script and right direction, I believe Cavill can make Superman inspiring and believable for moviegoers similar to how Gal Gadot and Jason Momoa produced results with Wonder Woman and Aquaman respectively. When it comes to delivering humor, I prefer to see members of the supporting cast to do it and let Cavill play the superhero straight.
Maintain the brutal action (but no neck-breaking) – This one requires having the right director and creative team. While Man of Steel’s cinematic tone was not ideal for most moviegoers, I still loved that film’s brutal action involving Superman and there is nothing like watching invulnerable characters hit each other, crash through walls and causing collateral damage. In a sequel, I’d like to see brutal action again but with key limits: toning down somewhat the collateral damage (way excessive in Man of Steel) and no neck-breaking. However the filmmakers will plan the action scenes, they should pay close attention to what has been presented in the comic books of the past twenty-five years.
Bring back Doomsday – OK. This one could be divisive. A lot of geeks I encountered felt that the filmmakers brought Doomsday to the big screen way too early in the current DC Comics cinematic universe as he appeared in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Doomsday’s appearance in one of the movie trailers already generated a lot of speculation that Superman would be killed on the big screen given the literary history that the monster did just that in Superman #75 in the 1990s. For the Man of Steel sequel, I feel that Doomsday can be used to give the caped icon a major physical challenge. I can imagine that Superman, remembering what Doomsday did to him in the 2016 movie, will be more cautious on fighting the monster while at the same time ensure that civilians won’t be harmed along the way. That being said, I don’t think Doomsday needs to be the main antagonist which brings me to my next point…
Have Lex Luthor and Brainiac as the main villains – These two villains I would love to see on the big screen working on a scheme to overwhelm Superman and the people of Metropolis. This is also an opportunity for actor Jesse Eisenberg to play Luthor in a more focused way that would resemble how the villain really thinks and acts in the comics. As for Brainiac, I can imagine him in his classic green-skinned human form laced with cybernetics and he can use technology to not only hurt Superman but also cause chaos on the world. With Luthor and Brainiac as the top schemers backed with Doomsday as their muscle, Superman will surely have his hands full and he will need the help of some allies from Metropolis.
James Wan should be the director – Considering the success and impressive presentation of the Aquaman movie, I feel that James Wan should be hired for the Man of Steel sequel. I know this might sound like a rushed idea but in my experience watching Aquaman twice in the cinemas, Wan and his team delivered the big-time spectacle (lots of thrills and action), handled the large cast who delivered solid performances and told the story with a moderate-to-fast pace (not a single boring moment). Remember the interactions between Aquaman and Mera? There was really nice chemistry between Jason Momoa and Amber Heard. As such, I believe Wan has what it takes to make Henry Cavill and Amy Adam click more positively (and with romantic comedy) on the big screen as Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane.
Colorful visuals – As the DC Comics cinematic universe is moving forward under the watch of Walter Hamada, it is obvious that moviegoers have a preference for colorful visuals when it comes to superhero movies. Look at the movie Aquaman. Its visuals are very lively with colors combined with fantastic art by the filmmakers. Look at the Themyscira scenes in the Wonder Woman movie of 2017. They literally are so wonderful to the eyes. Going back to Superman, a new movie for the icon must be in full color. No more color desaturation (decoloring)!
Those are my ideas about what I’d like to see in a future Man of Steel sequel. The DC Comics cinematic universe we have right now is moving forward and clearly the Wonder Woman and Aquaman movies respectively have the correct formulas to succeed with movie critics and moviegoers. Considering his iconic status, Superman deserves much better and so do the fans and all other people who are willing to pay good movie to watch him in the cinemas and have fun. I am appealing to the executives of Warner Bros. to make the best and most optimistic Superman movie they can with Henry Cavill.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to post your comments below and please consider sharing this to others whom you think would be interested.
