The list #3
Some of the stuff on my read/watch/listen list
Dia dhuit (hello in Gaelic), and welcome to Semi-Online #21.
Writer’s block has been hitting me extra hard the past few years, and I’ve been finding it tough to make the next newsletters. When I’m not into something, I’m really not into it and little will make me move.
But I’m great at finding distractions. Then again, aren’t we all? 😉 So here are some of the things that distracted me this past month or so - with some bringing me that much-needed joy.
Read
First up: my book blog is already 14 years old. (I have a teenager!) I often forget I have it and I haven’t updated it in ages. Yes, I’ve been reading books again, and I should write in said blog again. No, I don’t know when that’ll happen.
Then again, it’s nice to do something because I want to, not for… Oh no, it’s the C-word again!
*deep breath*
Content.
For now, I’ll say that I enjoyed Lio Mangubat’s Silk, Silver, Spices, Slaves: Lost Tales from the Philippine Colonial Period. I highly recommend it, especially if you’re a Philippine history buff and obscure trivia nerd. I went through the Kindle Edition in a day and a half.
You can get more unknown or forgotten history bits via Lio’s podcast The Colonial Dept.
I said before that we need a Philippine and/or Southeast Asian equivalent of ProPublica. smlltwnq suggested Vera Files, which I admittedly forgot about and haven’t checked in years.
(Worth your bookmark: “FACT SHEET: Who among the 2025 senatorial aspirants have been sources of disinformation?”. Vera Files also has a newsletter.)
Then I remembered another institution: the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ). Where’d my brain go? 🤦♀️
Among its notable stories from the past years:
Its two-parter on Philippine political dynasties + the particularly ‘obese’ dynasties
Widely shared on social media: PCIJ’s investigation on Grab’s surge pricing system, and a behind-the-scenes look at PCIJ’s reportage
Why Filipinos pay more for electricity compared to other ASEAN consumers
The multipart investigation (1, 2, 3, 4) on the death of the Marilao River via the poultry processing industry and institutional failures (I see you, Robert JA Basilio Jr 👏).
As always, please let me know of other longform journalism organizations focusing on our part of the world!
Two more Philippines-centric headlines, with one from several months back:
From the super-underrated publication Rest of World: How GCash is fueling online gambling addictions. Thank goodness I never got into gambling. Not that I have a lot to gamble with, anyway…
From Rappler: “In Manila, how China set up an influence, espionage network”. UGH.
Remember that September 2023 ‘hit job’ on comedian Hasan Minhaj by The New Yorker just as he became the top option as long-term host of The Daily Show? Well, he has finally responded via an Esquire profile and a new stand-up special (which I’ll link to in the “Watch” section, and which I’ve yet to, um, watch).
I guess when we’re being lied to everywhere we turn, we end up looking to comedians for truth. Which then underscores how absolutely fucked our world has become.
Back in 2021, I wrote an extended essay on death and memorialization for my MFA thesis/book manuscript, which also serves as my informal last will and testament. Part of the essay talked about how I want my ashes to be disposed of.
(FYI: It’s illegal to scatter human ashes in the Philippines. The current laws dictate interment in a grave, crypt, or mausoleum, although the Vatican eased up on this policy in 2023. Because of course the Catholic Church dictates what we all can and can’t do - even for me, a lifelong atheist 🙄)
We’re coming up fast on 2025, and I must update that essay. Among the headlines I saw recently that piqued my interest:
Three stories on assisted dying/suicide:1 one in Switzerland, one in upstate New York, and one in the UK.
The best way to send off a weather scientist: drop his ashes into Hurricane Milton. So apt!
Digital cloning? Ummm… No. Maybe? Sounds like a horror story in the making…
Some great longreads from the usual (foreign) suspects:
The New York Times talks about FTX’s imprisoned executives’ parents, and how American cheerleading turned into a monopoly and deadly (and unrecognized) sport.
The Economist looks into various countries’ land-grabbing in the Antarctic, and why people now want to be social media influencers.
The Atlantic documents the final days of The Racist and Sexist Orange Criminal Troll’s presidential campaign.
The New Yorker reports on a Texan doctor’s memories of the disappeared Saudi Arabian princesses he treated, a man living on after his wife killed their children during a mental health crisis, and making and losing friends at different life stages (which should be added to my previous newsletter on modern friendships). Also republished: a 2000 classic on a man who won the New York state lottery.
Slate recaps the whole WordPress vs. WP Engine drama. It’s interesting to me because I run two websites on WordPress. I haven’t kept tabs on this story though; there may be a new explainer somewhere.
ProPublica tells the story of Maylia and Jack: one teen sold an illegal drug that killed the other. In this case, justice doesn’t look or seem like justice.
Finally, a bit of Philippine and POC Substackia.
This note from 15th Century Feminist should always be quoted whenever Hamish McKenzie and the other Substack staff run their mouths on Notes, but pretend to be deaf or completely ignore us whenever we bring up payments and subscriptions for ALL Substack writers:
…I think what is missing from the conversation is that within this post a founder of substack is encouraging folks to utilize his app to cultivate deeper human connections and make space to hold the nuances of each other’s lived realities. But what about all of the substack writers (mostly writers of color) that are posting in countries that are unable to monetize their writing? They’re encouraged to use the app, encouraged to write and engage on the app, encouraged to add their lived realities to the conversation to grow our paradigms, but only their (mostly) white peers can financially profit off of the app?
Related: an instant gem. Restack for all eternity!
Also, following the example of Asian Writers Collective, Niko Batallones has created Stack Natin specifically for Philippine writers on Substack.
Subscribe + join the directory!
Watch
I have a relatively short list of TV shows and movies that I’ll watch on repeat. Today I’m adding something ‘new’ to it: the vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows (on Disney+ in the Philippines).
Whoever came up with Colin the Energy Vampire and Evie the Emotional Vampire is a genius, and should be rewarded with TV writing jobs for the rest of their life. 👏
I’ve also finished Agatha All Along (also on Disney+) over the Undas long weekend. From loud (and mostly male) online cries of “We didn’t ask for this”, now all I see and hear are variations of “That’s the best Marvel show yet!” It has an excellent story planned out well across nine episodes, so many Easter eggs and subtexts and big reveals, and unforced doses of queerness. Well done overall, and worth several rewatches.
Related to Undas: life is expensive. These days, so is death.
Attention, HBO Go subscribers in Southeast Asia: we’re finally getting Max! Along with all that content (🤮there we go again🤮), I’m finally getting Deadliest Catch back. I re-welcome seasons 1-10 only; the rest can just sink into digital hell.
Seems I should update this newsletter, too. A LOT has happened in the streaming world in just three years.
As mentioned earlier: behold, Hasan Minhaj’s newest standup special, Off with His Head.
And these have been added to my ever-growing queue: The Diplomat (been hearing good reviews from friends), How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, Godzilla Minus One, Trap, Caddo Lake, The Franchise, and Silo.
Listen
TBH, I haven’t listened to anything new. But I’ve played SOHN’s 2014 album Tremors and Up Dharma Down’s 2012 slowdown album Capacities on repeat.
I’ve also played these NPR Tiny Desk Concerts over and over. Programming on this series has always been top-notch, but it went up several more levels in the past year or two. And I’m sure my selections will tell you how old I am. 💗
That’s all for now. Thank you for reading, and see you next time.
Hey, I’m OK. I’m not thinking of unaliving myself at all. But I think that having the choice to off myself when and how I wish - and having that choice fully respected - is much more dignified and humane compared to most of the legal options we consider dignified and humane.
Nung una akala ko a full album of ballads and downtempo songs won't work. Now I prefer this more than the first two albums. Tama ka, walang tapon 👍
beautiful writing as always b. dami kong namiss na readings! but anime and sleep come first lol