Hey Rob!

LOL – you just found one of the most passionate discussions here about free speech

Unfortunately, some of our friends in the blogging world don’t really know the meaning of democracy. It was ironic that this FV commenter Joe America was criticizing AP for creating another blogsite that rivalled FV when in fact; AP was created out of the frustration of the authors here because they were either routinely moderated or totally banned from commenting on that site.

The way I see it, it’s the readers who decide which site they want to live or die. Sites need to evolve with the changing market. People are bombarded with lots of information nowadays. Everyone is trying to compete for your attention. With anything, it takes diligence and hard work to maintain the status quo. Not everyone realises this. AP is doing better than FV now but things can change if AP writers suddenly fall into the same trap as FV. Hopefully our readers will tell us what they want to see and read and help us stay on course.

Now is the right time to go back to writing your political blog again. You need to share what you know for everyone’s benefit

Thanks for the compliment.

From what I know, part of what makes democracy work and wonderful is that it is a marketplace of ideas. So long as you are not offensive – and even in the US, their one restriction to Freedom of Expression / Speech is the “Fighting Words” doctrine, if I remember correctly – you can say your mind.

Because true democracy thrives in that meeting of minds. If you let people speak, free and without fear, even that invention of modern media called the “chilling effect” or the “spiral of silence”, you’ll be surprised at what can come out.

At the very least, people will be informed. And as a liberal democrat, choices made if you’re informed are almost always the best.

If there indeed is “competition” between AP and the other commentary sites out there… well and good, in my opinion. Competition is good, because if it is handled well, it can make you – and this case, your ideas – stronger. Its like the dialectic: thesis + antithesis = synthesis.

By the way, ilda, nice article once again. I’ve been called a paid hack, too, more than once. Or that my ideas reflected my being an “Admin supporter.” Sad, that..

Deym, but you guys are making me want to write in my political blog again. I stopped doing so because it felt like no one was listening. You don’t have to go to Ellen’s blog to feel the heat.

P.S.: I find it funny they’re banning you guys from speaking out in FV. And those are the same people who are angry when media gets suppressed?

Exactly susie24!

What have they done for the country? It seems they have reduce the entire nation into a soap opera.

Cheers!

I have always believed that Noynoy is not apt to be a president of the Philippines. People should wake up and open their eyes.

What have the Aquinos really done for the country?

I’d love to stay and debate with you Crazy Old Man but:

1. Life is too short.
2. I’m going out tonight.
3. When I get back home, I’ve got a box set of The Wire to watch.
4. I’ve already accepted that Old Crazy men don’t like me.

Ciao

PS. Good luck with your music career.

Ilda,

I bear the truth and since all you Antipinoys don’t get it, I must try-and-try-until-you-die to shove it down your throats. If someone is drowning in the river, are we not obligated to save them? That is what is happening here. You are all drowning in falsehood. It is my duty to save you all.

Game Set and Match. No need to apologize. I have forgiven you already.

P.S. Who is the other one on the list? Noynoy?

Song Title: The Ballad of A Crazy Old Man
by: A Crazy Old Man

Chords: Four fingered G, Four fingered Cadd9, D, Bm

Strumming Pattern: Four beats per measure, UP UP DOWN UP switch-DOWN, switching chords on the last DOWN strum to loop the pattern

Vocal Style: Folksy Ballad

G Cadd9
I am a lolo

D
Who climbed Mount Apo

Bm
Then swam to Jolo

G Cadd9 D Bm G
And there is Jet

Cadd9
Jet listen to me

D
I will set you free

Bm
Jet wag makulet

G Cadd9 D Bm G
I don’t give a shet

Cadd9
I’m into Cocoy

D
He’s such a good boy

Bm
Devout and honest

G Cadd9 D Bm G
And there is Jet

Cadd9
Jet listen to me

D
I will set you free

Bm
Jet wag makulet

G Cadd9 D Bm G
I don’t give a shet

Chorus:

Chords: G, Em
Strumming Pattern: DOWN DOWN UP DOWN
Baseline: Hip-Hop beat
Vocal Tyle: Angry White Rapper (think Eminem)

G
Hear me now you

Em
Antipinoy

G
Don’t hate Abe ’cause

Em
he’s smarter, wiser

G
You think I’m old

Em
But I’ll pwn ya’ll

G
I’ve got the truth

Em
And I’ll shove it

G
Down your throat dawg

Em
Yeah c’mon bring it fool!

(full stop, silence)

(Scream): “Have you been to the Great Barrier Reef?”

(Return to folksy ballad style)

G Cadd9 D Bm G

Cadd9
I’m into Cocoy

D
He’s such a good boy

Bm
Devout and honest

G Cadd9 D Bm G
And there is Jet

Cadd9
Jet listen to me

D
I will set you free

Bm
Jet wag makulet

G Cadd9 D Bm G
I don’t give a shet

Cadd9 D Bm G…(fade)

Jet,

You asked for it. Now let me deliver my killer blow.

I wrote a song to crush your soul. Enjoy.

You’re still at it Joe?

1. In the forum of OPINIONS nobody really cares whether you are McGyver, James Bond or Batman in real life. They won’t even bother the Casanova or the Rasputin stories of women scratching your ego. CHARACTER doesn’t count… it’s your imagination.

2. Whether you fart, snore and spit… or argue about your humanity… doesn’t excuse you from being scrutinized on the opinion that you’ve posted. Whatever form it maybe… you should thank buddah… no matter how fncktard he is… he’s read your post… ergo… he’s human too.

2.b. Sense of humor is subjective. It lies on the mental capacity of the recipient.

3. Your argument on censorship and edits… NOT MY ARGUMENT… . I AGREE on the right of an admin and moderator to censor post for technical reason that it is their site. They can censor and delete any post that does not conform with their biases. Why I am calling nick the kcirp is his posted statement that FV is a NON-BIAS blog-forum. I just call a spade a spade… PURE AND SIMPLE HYPOCRITICAL STATEMENT. If you can’t agree with that… that is your problem.

3.b You don’t need to lecture me on EDITING because FV does not practice that. Editing is correcting either with an eraser or typing in another sheet of paper. They simply censor…. because they have their biases protected and coated according to their standard… your standard.

4. Your DECENCY definition is flawed. There is an argument between FORM and SUBSTANCE somewhere here… If the THE BIAS does not conform with the SUBSTANCE it is deemed TO BE CENSORED… no matter how decent the FORM is.

5. My reference of being a Filipino on replying to a post is A RACIST COMMENT… this is the third time you’ve done that. If I would start this discourse… you wouldn’t like it.

6. When a person factors into the argument his experiences, bank account number, and the number of women fncked that are in no way connected to the subject matter… the argument already has a twisted logic.

7. DIE ANOTHER DAY… OR LIVE ANOTHER DAY… don’t you think this is enough?

If you say so Crazy Old Man.

There’s really no point in arguing with someone named CRAZY, is there?

I’m just going to include you in the list of irrational people. Now there are two people on that list.

Enjoy your life

Rego,

Everyone in FV are very honest and nice people. They will not tolerate rude comments and those are the ones that are being blocked. As to the others like TheRealDeal, Filo, etc, being blocked, that’s untrue. So those people complaining about their messages disappearing are just imagining things and they should stop smoking Conyo’s drugs.