Summer '07

Three months later and I'm back to blogging. Here's an update on events since I last posted.

1. The PPT (Permanent People's Tribunal) found both Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and President George W. Bush guilty of human rights violations. Today, the death toll in the Philippines since GMA assumed office in 2001 is over 850 political activists, many women, and all opponents of her regime.

2. Speaking of the Philippines . . . there is a 2004 documentary titled Imelda which is worth checking out. Not surprisingly, this is not a flattering protrayal of the former beauty queen.

3. Movies: J and I have been visiting the theaters this summer, mostly to break the monotony of our work schedules, and to enjoy some AC during these hot days. The one flick I recommend thus far: Waitress. I'm looking forward to Sicko.

4. Travel: We cannot wait for our Ireland trip. Just a little over two weeks before we head there. I've made contact with a migrant rights group in Dublin, so we are going to stay about two or three days there (including Js birthday) before heading to Belfast and Galway. I'm a bit nervous over the driving situation, but I believe driving is the only effective way to see the country. In the fall we would like to visit the wine country in CA for a weekend trip. And, for next summer: the Netherlands, with a short stop in England, and Spain for a conference!

5. Music: J downloaded this country chick: Miranda Lambert (worth a listen to) and the White Stripes Icky Thump -- this is one of my favorite albums.

6. Books on rotation: Ellen Meiksins Wood: Empire of Capital, Paul Kramer: Blood of Government, Cynthia Enloe: The Curious Feminist and Bananas, Beaches, and Bases, John Bellamy Foster: Naked Imperialism, E. San Juan Jr., On the Presence of Filipinos in the United States and Filipina Insurgency, Delia D. Aguilar: The Feminist Challenge, Toward a Nationalist Feminism, Michael Chossudovsky: The Globalization of Poverty, William Blum: Rogue State