Roy Tang

Programmer, engineer, scientist, critic, gamer, dreamer, and kid-at-heart.

Blog Notes Photos Links Archives About

Notes: Microblog-like status updates. You can subscribe to an RSS feed of this list.

May 2019

  • If you had told me six years ago that Nancy Binay would be the best one among the incumbents in 2019, I’d have laughed your face off

    Quoted roytang's tweet:
    How do senatoriables with stronger track records justify running in the same slate as Nancy? Can’t remember any rushing to defend her. #fb
    Posted by under notes at #fb
    Also on: twitter / 0
  • Reply to '[Discussion] My season teir list (why do you agree/disagree)' on /r/Arrowverse:

    If you’re like me and aren’t really familiar with the season posters, and have trouble remembering which season is which, here’s a guide:

    ​

    S - Arrow2 (Slade), Arrow5 (Prometheus), Flash2 (Zoom), Legends3 (Mallus)

    ​

    A - Arrow1 (Malcolm Merlyn), Flash1 (Reverse Flash), Legends2 (Legion of Doom), Legends4 (Neron), Supergirl4 (Lex Luthor)

    ​

    B - Arrow6 (Diaz), Arrow7 (Emiko), Flash4 (Thinker)

    ​

    C - Flash3 (Savitar), Flash5 (Cicada), Supergirl3 (Reign)

    ​

    D - Arrow3 (Ra’s al-Ghul), Legends1 (Vandal Savage), Supergirl2 (Daxamites)

    ​

    E - Supergirl1 (Astra/Non/Indigo)

    ​

    F - Arrow4 (Damien Dahrk)

    Posted by under notes at #Arrowverse
    Also on: reddit / 0
  • Reply to a comment by dandans0y on 'Are there real admin supporters here on r/ph?' on /r/Philippines:

    Let’s not forget who controls the police and military back then.. wasn’t it Fidel Marcos and JPE?

    Actually, Fabian Ver was in charge of the military. From wikipedia: " As Marcos disregarded the authority of then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile in the 1980s, he changed the military chain of command. Under the new chain of command, the authority would evolve from Marcos as president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces up to Ver, the chief of staff of the armed forces. "

    ​

    Re: Marcoses, do you mean that you don’t think they are corrupt? You don’t think that Imee Marcos had Archimedes Trajano killed for speaking up against her? (There is already a court judgment on this)

    ​

    > People get fired and cases were filed iirc. Do you have anyone in mind? I have some means to get information.

    Yung example ko above were the Tulfos? Is there any case against them now? I think the former sec of justice was also removed for some shenanigans, I forget his name, yung may wig? Ano nangyari sa kanya? Yan lang mga examples. Meron pa mga iba na tatanggalin nya for issues supposedly tapos irerecycle lang sa ibang position, like Faeldon or La Vina.

    ​

    > They don’t offer alternative solution. And if they did, I didn’t hear about it.

    Si Chel Diokno primarily judicial reform ang focus nya, since he is a lawyer. It is easy to search for it, here’s the first article I found: https://www.bworldonline.com/why-everyone-should-vote-for-chel-diokno/

    ​

    “From his diagnostics, Chel has offered a coherent set of policy and institutional reforms. The reforms he champions include the following:

    • The insulation of justices, judges, and prosecutors from partisan politics;

    • The filling up of vacancies in the trial courts and prosecution agency by recruiting the most competent lawyers who possess integrity;

    • The simplification of the rules on evidence and procedure;

    • The reorientation of performance standard for the police and prosecution toward achieving high conviction rates;

    • The creation of transparent information and monitoring system to track cases and convictions;

    • The transfer of police’s disciplinary jurisdiction to the Civil Service Commission;

    • The expansion of the Ombudsman’s scope to investigate justices and judges;

    • The strengthening of the law on witness protection by allowing the perpetuation of testimonies of whistleblowers.”

    I largely agree with this because I believe problems with the judicial system are one of the primary systemic problems in the country, facilitating corruption and delaying or outright denying justice especially to those with fewer resources. My impression is that this admin has shown little interest in improving judicial processes at all (despite the President being a former prosecutor who supposedly knows all the problems in the processes). Imagine if the so-called “intelligence fund” and/or political will was applied not just to identifying supposed drug users but instead to identifying corrupt judges, prosecutors, law enforcers, etc.

    First, I would suggest that you watch the full speech for all the instances the president expressed support for all the topics listed above. Again, half truths are the best lies.

    Pinapanood ko naman lahat. Are you saying hindi naman yun sinasabi nung president? Also, I’m not clear whether you are saying the media is engaged in half truths/lies or the president is?

    Don’t trust the media too much.

    In the same vein, I think we should not trust any politician too much, whether we supported them or not. Discernment should apply to all sources, and even in cases where you trust someone, “Trust, but verify” should apply.

    Thank you for responding!

    Posted by under notes at #Philippines
    Also on: reddit / 0
  • Reply to a comment by Vagrxnt on 'Are there real admin supporters here on r/ph?' on /r/Philippines:

    Hello! Thank you for responding!

    ​

    Re: China, I don’t think there are only two options where it is either war or bilateral relations. We can maintain bilateral relations while at the same time asserting our rights. I believe Indonesia has blown up Chinese fishing boats they have caught illegally fishing in their claimed territories, yet there is no talk of war being declared there. China will not go into a war with us over the WPS, this is an unfounded fear; they have not even started any hostilities over Taiwan despite decades of saber-rattling. I think the main reason this admin is afraid to piss off China is that their programs have become dependent on Chinese loans since Duterte dislikes loans from western countries that come with silly conditions like needing to abide by human rights etc

    ​

    Re: Rappler, I agree they have a particular style of journalism, but I think this is more of the nature of people online being more attracted to clickbait-y articles than any actual bias against Duterte specifically. Even during the time of PNoy, they would have various articles criticizing him. It is the nature of the press to highlight problems and scandals, since this acts as a check on power. I think also the admin supporters have some level of selective bias as well in that they only see or remember those articles critical of the administration. The top article on the Rappler.com frontpage right now is “Philippines recalls envoys after Canada misses deadline for garbage shipment” which is surely positive for the admin. I think you would also agree that compared to the past admin, the current admin also tends to say more controversial things/statements which are more likely to make the news cycle, which furthers the sense of ‘bias’.

    ​

    Thank you again for the discussion. What I generally see is that there is some sort of divide over idealistic/morally-driven views vs more pragmatic/“we need to get things done” views. Ultima

    Posted by under notes at #Philippines
    Also on: reddit / 0
  • Reply to a comment by la_yker on 'Are there real admin supporters here on r/ph?' on /r/Philippines:

    How do you feel about the liberal party? If you hate them, why? I personally feel they are no more worse than other poltical parties like the NPC, Lakas-CMD, PDP-LABAN etc

    In what timeline of the liberal party’s existence are you referring to?

    Sorry, I missed this one. I mean more like moving forward. Would you automatically reject any candidate backed by the liberal party or something like that? Is it mainly because of what you perceive as involvement with “the Reds” as you say

    Posted by under notes at #Philippines
    Also on: reddit / 0
  • Reply to a comment by la_yker on 'Are there real admin supporters here on r/ph?' on /r/Philippines:

    Thank you for replying! Some follow-ups, if I may:

    ​

    Three words. Geopolitical Power Play

    Should I take this to mean you are okay with his tolerance of China’s taking over our islands?

    ​

    Why the hell would I convince you to support him? I can only present from my own perspective and that’s about it. It’s you who should decide whether you support him or not.

    I’m not expecting you to be able to convince me. For me, the purpose of this exercise is to foster more understanding across divides; maybe you have something you can say that would be able to convince the skeptics to support the president or at least improve their appreciation of him. It’s okay if you don’t have any such statement. But would you not think it’s important for Filipinos to have a better understanding of where our fellow citizens are coming from? Or convincing other people to understand your perspective better is not a priority for you? This part is not a criticism - you have certainly been generous with your replies; but I have observed that few people are willing to reach out to those they tag as “dilawan” etc to explain their POV, so I wonder if people just don’t care about that kind of thing.

    ​

    > What would be a dealbreaker for you

    Would you have a response for this part?

    ​

    > Ugh. As I said. Everyone is in cahoots for political favors. It always has been.

    Given this and some other things in your response, my main takeaway is that you believe that Duterte is just being honest with how things are in reality, and that the issues people have with him are issues that would be true regardless of whoever is in power. Would this be accurate?

    ​

    If the above is accurate, do you think we (as a country) deserve better? Would it be better to have leadership that does not use rhetoric to glorify the bad things about our reality?

    Posted by under notes at #Philippines
    Also on: reddit / 0
  • Reply to a comment by dandans0y on 'Are there real admin supporters here on r/ph?' on /r/Philippines:

    Thanks for indulging us. May I ask (pasensya na, medyo madami, thanks in advance if you choose to respond!):

    ​

    - how do you feel about the way the admin is handling our relationship with China?

    - how do you feel about the alliances with known or perceived corrupt politicos/families like the Marcoses or GMA?

    - how do you feel about the way the president plays fast and loose with the facts, pulls out allegations out of nowhere without explanation, attacks the press, the church, etc

    - how do you feel about the death of Kian? do you think such abuses by the cops are common or rare?

    - " I hope a REAL opposition will be formed in the senate roster for check and balance. Not the 8D type of opposition. " What does this mean? What makes 8D not “REAL opposition”?

    - you mentioned opposing corruption, what about his appointees who had stolen from the public and have never been punished, like the Tulfos? I am not aware of any significant anticorruption successes by this administration (which means prosecution, cases filed etc), forgive my ignorance. I know he has removed some officials for corruption, but have they been prosecuted?

    ​

    - In spite of all the negatives you mentioned, you still feel like this admin is a net positive?

    ​

    - My top 3 issues with Duterte are: (a) encouragement of a culture of violence; and (b) support for GMA and the Marcoses; (c) apparent willingness to submit to the Chinese govt. For me the vast number of killings (including those done by vigilantes and those of cops trying to fill quotas, imagined or otherwise, and those of innocents) is completely unacceptable. Is there something you can tell me to convince me to support him?

    ​

    - Have there been instances that made you doubt your support for the administration?

    ​

    - What would be a dealbreaker for you, i.e. something this administration would do that would end your support? In my opinion, the president has personally expressed support and/or

    Posted by under notes at #Philippines
    Also on: reddit / 0
  • Reply to a comment by la_yker on 'Are there real admin supporters here on r/ph?' on /r/Philippines:

    Thanks for indulging us. May I ask (pasensya na, medyo madami, thanks in advance if you choose to respond!):

    ​

    - how do you feel about the way the admin is handling our relationship with China?

    - how do you feel about the alliances with known or perceived corrupt politicos/families like the Marcoses or GMA?

    - how do you feel about the way the president plays fast and loose with the facts, pulls out allegations out of nowhere without explanation, attacks the press, the church, etc

    - how do you feel about the death of Kian? do you think such abuses by the cops are common or rare?

    - do you think the senate should remain independent? do you think it will?

    ​

    - My top 3 issues with Duterte are: (a) encouragement of a culture of violence; and (b) support for GMA and the Marcoses; (c) apparent willingness to submit to the Chinese govt. For me the vast number of killings (including those done by vigilantes and those of cops trying to fill quotas, imagined or otherwise, and those of innocents) is completely unacceptable. Is there something you can tell me to convince me to support him?

    ​

    - How do you feel about the liberal party? If you hate them, why? I personally feel they are no more worse than other poltical parties like the NPC, Lakas-CMD, PDP-LABAN etc

    ​

    - do you feel like the opposition candidates were not qualified to be senators?

    ​

    - Have there been instances that made you doubt your support for the administration?

    ​

    - What would be a dealbreaker for you, i.e. something this administration would do that would end your support? In my opinion, the president has personally expressed support and/or tolerance for murder, lying, planting evidence, suppressing the press, political dynasties, vote-buying, making allegations without proof, and so on, so I find it difficult to imagine what could be worse than all of these.

    Posted by under notes at #Philippines
    Also on: reddit / 0

  • We keep thinking that we as a nation deserve better, but maybe until we are able find a way to reach and educate and liberate our fellow citizens from ignorance and/or patronage, who is to say that we really deserve better?

    Posted by under notes at
    Also on: twitter / 0
  • Repost from gideonlasco:

    To the honest poll workers doing their jobs today,

    To the independent candidates who still ran despite the odds,

    To the millions of Filipinos who did NOT vote for the likes of Bato and Bong Go:

    Thank you. You all give me hope that the Philippines will outlive its plunderers.

    Posted by under notes at
    Also on: twitter / 0

  • JV picks fights with netizens, but he still gets to claim he’s “the good one” because look who he’s competing against

    Quoted momblogger's tweet:
    Manila-based reporters walked out of an impromptu press conference in utter disgust over administration senatorial candidate Jinggoy Estrada’s failure to heed the smoking ban in Davao https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/05/10/journalists-walk-out-on-jinggoy-estrada-for-smoking-in-media-tent/
    Posted by under notes at
    Also on: twitter / 0

  • Jameson would pay a lot for these photos

    Quoted MeilinOneSports's tweet:
    “Spiderman” refused to talk, he didn’t even answer questions from the police. He’s here at QCPD Station 7 @spinph
    Jameson would pay a lot for these photos Quoted MeilinOneSports's tweet: “Spiderman” refused to talk, he didn’t even answer questions from the police. He’s here at QCPD Station 7 @spinph
    Posted by under notes at
    Also on: twitter / 0
  • Repost from vicegandako:

    Matalino, magaling at MATINO si CHEL DIOKNO. Iboboto ko sya para sa lahat ng Madlang People na naghahangad ng bansang may hustisya. Sana maisama nyo rin sya sa iboboto nyong 12.

    Posted by under notes at
    Also on: twitter / 0

  • This first thing I can imagine when seeing people use this feature in public is shouting at them “SEND MY CREDIT CARD DETAILS TO EVILHACKER AT GMAIL DOT COM”

    Quoted ow's tweet:

    this demo from Google I/O is literal dark magic holy shit

    Posted by under notes at
    Also on: twitter / 0
On This Site
Things I Write About
Elsewhere
Subscribe