In defense of Dan Brown

I haven't actually read Dan Brown's new book Inferno, but Metropolitan Manila Development Authority's Francis Tolentino may have overreacted to Brown depicting Manila as such a horrible place in his latest novel. Whether the portrayal was accurate or not, it's a work of fiction, and Brown can write whatever he wants.

Mr. Tolentino may have reacted because Dan Brown's description of Manila might be dead on, or just really close to reality. But is it appropriate to react that way if that is really the case? Is it also appropriate to react if the depiction was clearly the opposite of what is real (which is what Mr. Tolentino alleges)? Suppose that Dan Brown created a character called Francis Tolentino, or Frank Tolentino, or Fred Tolentino, or something similar, who is a government official but is actually the Devil in disguise but hit his head somewhere and had amnesia, and so he doesn't know he's the Devil. Should Mr. Tolentino cry foul?

I am not saying that Mr. Tolentino and the MMDA need not react over Manila's role in Inferno. They should do a lot of things about it, but sending fan mail to Dan Brown is not one of them. Manila may not be the literal gate to the Christian hell, but it surely is a kind of hell, with the traffic jams, poor sanitation, pollution, high crime rates, and poverty. It's not what the MMDA and the rest of the Philippines wants the world to see, but that's what it is. Go see for yourself - take a train ride from Baclaran to Monumento, or drive along EDSA from North Avenue to Taft. Enjoy the view. And the smog. And the smell. And enjoy getting your wallet snatched away by an expert pickpocket if you let your guard down even for a minute. Perhaps it is a good thing that Dan Brown drew attention to these things that ail the city - so the people responsible, namely its citizens and residents, are reminded that there is a lot of work to be done.

Who wants to go to Mars?

The idea of a trip to Mars appeals to me because no earthling has ever done it before, and whether it's a one-way trip or a two-way trip, someone's got to it - even if the only reason for it is just because we can. It might not be urgent, but who wouldn't want to know what it's like up there?

To be the first Homo sapiens sapiens to set foot on the red planet, and to explore the terrain and collect samples firsthand on behalf of the rest of humanity, would be such a great honor. I am pretty sure that NASA has people who are more than qualified to do this and deserve the honor more than anybody else. Which is why I don't think it is a good idea to turn this into a reality television show and have a popular vote decide who makes it to Mars. I may be young but I've seen enough democratic elections to observe that popularity is not a measure of skill or character.

But if Mars One's plan is final, everyone might as well compete to become one of the first Earth-born Martians, and cross our fingers that whoever wins will indeed be up for the job.

Everyone knows what it's like to be dead

Everyone knows what it's like to be dead
'cause everyone knows what's in like when in bed,
when not even dreams come between you and rest,
when each conscious thought is an unwelcome guest.

We've opened our eyes after countless eons
thanks to the stars that fill skies by the billions
and also our forebears who have sown their seeds
and passed on to us all the fruits of their deeds.

Our time may be short, the day may be fleeting
- it need not be forever to have meaning.
And going to sleep isn't something to dread
for everyone knows what it's like to be dead.

Reflecting on the brevity of life and the frivolousness of nature. Apparently, we have spent and will continue to spend billions of years being dead.

*Also posted in my DeviantArt account.