Tuesday, October 2, 2012

The Cybercrime Prevention Law

Read to be aware of the cyber crime prevention law that the senators and/or other officials are trying to pass.


Cyberspace has become the platform of the best and worst things that people can come up with when they're online. While it's a hotbed of game-changing ideas and artistic expression, it has also turned into a breeding ground for trolls and cyber thugs. That being said, well-meaning Pinoy lawmakers thought it best to pass Republic Act No. 10175 or The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. But, wait! There's a catch. This very same law that professes to protect us from those who would do us wrong via digital means also threatens to take away our freedom to say what we want.



Senator Tito Sotto proudly owned up to the fact that he was responsible for inserting the libel clause into the law. Senator Chiz Escudero called the insertion a "mistake" and has said that he'll move to have the law repealed. Meanwhile, Senator TG Guingona (along with the other senators who didn't back the law) continues to be against the law. For its part, Malacañang said President Noynoy Aquino thoroughly reviewed the law before he affixed his signature to it—a fact which strikes some people as strange. There are those who have remarked that if P-Noy's father, Ninoy, was still around, he probably be among those protesting what has come to be called as "cyber martial law."



For the record, the following senators voted to pass the law:




  1. Sen. Tito Sotto
  2. Sen. Bong Revilla
  3. Sen. Manny Villar
  4. Sen. Lito Lapid
  5. Sen. Koko Pimentel
  6. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada
  7. Sen. Loren Legarda
  8. Sen. Chiz Escudero
  9. Sen. Ping Lacson
  10. Sen. Gringo Honasan
  11. Sen. Pia Cayetano
  12. Sen. Bongbong Marcos
  13. Sen. Ralph Recto
Sure, the law does have some good points, but its "nasty parts" can't be ignored. With the help of InterAksyon.com's series of articles about the Cybercrime Prevention Actas well as news clips from GMA-7, ABS-CBN, and ANCwe have listed 10 of the law's scariest parts:

1. It only wants to hear nice things . If you're a law-abiding citizen who happens to use blogs, Facebook, and Twitter to let the world know about your beef against, say, certain elected officials who are far from being geniuses—then you've been living a lie. Under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, you're just like any other cyber criminal. Your tweet about the barangay captain who loves San Miguel more than his job? That could be classified as libel, which is defined in the Revised Penal Code as "the public and malicious imputation of a crime, or of a vice or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or circumstance tending to cause the dishonor, discredit, or contempt of a natural or juridical person..." Take note of the part where it says "real or imaginary." You're damned if you're lying and you're damned if you're telling the truth.

2. It champions the dead by asking the living to shut up. Under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, you would also be committing a crime if you "blacken the memory of one who is dead." So, what happens if the person who died was a criminal who molested kids, backed a law that resulted in thousands of people being tortured, or killed journalistsand you're documenting his or her evil deeds for a history book? Out of being nice, do you erase the "bad parts" of his or her life? The law says, if you can't say anything good, then you better not say anything at all. That's great for petty issues but not when we're talking about people who use their position to take advantage of defenseless individuals.





3. It's so "special" that it hurts. In an InterAksyon.com article, News5 resource person Atty. Mel Sta. Maria—who teachers at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law—pointed out that the Cybercrime Prevention Act is tagged as a mala prohibita law. Sta. Maria explained: "It is an accepted legal rule that offenses under special laws are considered mala prohibita as distinguished from mala in se. [For mala in se], there must be a criminal mind to be convicted. In murder, theft, robbery and other offenses punished by our Revised Penal Code, for example, intention to do wrong is an essential element. [For mala prohibita], there need not be a criminal mind. The mere perpetuation of the prohibited act is enough." So, even if you're kidding around by using somebody's name as a verb or noun to signify not-too-admirable acts (Noynoying, Sottomy, etc), you could get arrested.




4. It's a time traveler. In an InterAksyon.com article written by Patrick Villavicencio, University of the Philippines College of Law Professor Atty. JJ Disini said that under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 the so-called "victims" and their lawyers "could argue in court that old libelous posts [that are] still live today can be charged with online libel." The report further quoted Disini, who explained, "Kasi pwede nilang sabihin na (Because it could mean) by keeping it there today, you’re still publishing it now. So if you’re still publishing it after the law took effect, then you’re liable for its publication today." So, that scathing post about your ex that you put up way back in 2004? You could end up going to jail for that. It's an I Know What You Posted Several Summers Ago scenario.





5. It's outdated. An InterAksyon.com article, citing Human Rights Watch (HRW) Asia, noted: "The Philippines' libel law, enacted during the American colonial period and intended mainly to stifle dissent, continues to consider the offense a criminal act. Media organizations contend the law on libel has most often been used by people in power to harass journalists and muzzle critical reportage."




6. It won't like you liking what it doesn't like. Those who play a part in unwittingly or willfully encouraging the spread of libelous content shall be charged for abetting libel. That means the act of clicking the "Like" button of Facebook or retweeting posts on Twitter may be tagged as unlawful as well. Time to "unlike" those anti-establishment Facebook pages and unfollow those fake Twitter accounts spoofing persons in power.



7. It's prudish. Under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, cybersex is a crime. We agree that it is so—when it's a profit-oriented venture taking advantage of hapless individuals such as minors or those who have been directly or indirectly coerced into the seedy industry. The law defines cybersex thus: "The willful engagement, maintenance, control, or operation, directly or indirectly, of any lascivious exhibition of sexual organs or sexual activity, with the aid of a computer system, for favor or consideration." However, what if cybersex is done by two consenting adults? If a woman sends a picture of herself eating ice cream in a suggestive manner to her boyfriend, will she be stoned to death sent to jail if someone rats her out?






8. It shits on wit. In his InterAksyon opinion piece, Ramil Digal Gulle explained: "Interestingly, the Supreme Court of the Philippines has also ruled that even ironic, suggestive, or metaphorical language could be considered libelous. You don’t have to directly call someone a liar and a thief to get sued for libel. It’s enough to suggest it or state it sarcastically—as long as you do so in a public manner like posting on the Internet." (We're taking this opportunity to ask our followers, to please visit us in jail if they have the time or if they're not already in jail with us.)



9. It won't play fair. In an InterAksyon.com article, Atty. Mel Sta. Maria pointed out: "Section 1 of Article III of the Bill of Rights of the 1987 Constitution provides that 'no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws.' However, under Section 19 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act, 'when a computer data is prima facie found to be in violation of the provisions of this Act, the Department of Justice (DOJ) shall issue an order to restrict or block access to such computer.'" No court intervention is needed, the DOJ can go right ahead and compel you to stop publishing your posts.






10. It's got killer penalties. If you get nabbed for online libel, you may spend a maxiumum of 12 years in prison and be fined a maximum of ₱1,000,000. It's like a trick question: Would you rather shell out the hefty amount that would kill you or would you rather waste 12 years of your life behind bars, where, at some point, you'd wish you were dead?



Saturday, August 18, 2012

Anime of the Day

Harem+Comedy+Action+Cool Looking Robots = THIS! I recommend you guys if you have not yet watched this, please do so!

IS: Infinite Stratos

Japan engineered an armed powered exoskeleton "Infinite Stratos" (IS) and it became the mainstream of weapons. Since only women can operate IS, women dominate the society over men. Orimura Ichika is a 15 year old boy and accidentally touches an IS placed in the IS pilot training school. He is found to be the only man who can operate IS and forced to enter the training school. Ichika's busy school life surrounded by girls has begun. 



Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Anime of the Day

One of the good sports anime. This may be old but this is gold. :D

Prince of Tennis

Echizen Ryoma is a young tennis prodigy who has won 4 consecutive tennis championships but who constantly lies in the shadow of his father, a former pro tennis player. He joins the Seishun Gakuen junior highschool, one of the best tennis schools in Japan, and there along with his team mates he learns to find his own type of tennis in an attempt to defeat his biggest obstacle of all: his father as well as himself.



 

Monday, August 6, 2012

Naruto Shippuden Movie 6

To all the naruto fans out there who doesn't know yet, this is the upcoming movie(well in Japan i think it was already done.) Naruto Shippuden movie 6: Road to ninja.Here is a link if you wanna see the trailer.


Anime of the Day

Magic/Fantasy fans out there? this is for us. :)
 

Fairy Tail

Lucy is a 17-year-old girl, who wants to be a full-fledged mage. One day when visiting Harujion Town, she meets Natsu, a young man who gets sick easily by any type of transportation. But Natsu isnt just any ordinary kid, he's a member of one of the world's most (in)famous mage guilds: Fairy Tail.

Source:animeultima.tv

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Anime of the day

The story focuses on Rin Okumura, a boy raised by a famous exorcist named Father Fujimoto. After an argument between the two, Rin discovers he is the son of Satan. Rin decides to fight his fate y joining the True Cross Academy to become an exorcist and defeat demons. However, when he draws his father's sword, it releases a dark power within him.


Source: www.animeultima.tv

Friday, August 3, 2012

Why you should try and watch anime

Many people thinks that you are childish when you watch anime, well I say they should watch gore anime(An anime genre that involves killing and bloody scenes) first and decides if anime is only for children.
"Why should I watch anime?" well, for me, it is a hobby. I always watch anime whenever I can but for you guys that isn't watching it..... why don't you try watching sometime? It can be a good past time and anime have a genre called "slice of life" which means you can learn good lessons in life at the same time being entertained when you are watching anime....

History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi

Well, this is the anime I am watching right now. If you are into martial arts and fighting stuffs, give this one a try.

History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi

Shirahama Kenichi is an average student who has earned the nickname "Weak Legs" from always getting bullied. One day he meets a cute girl named Furinji Miu who helps him build the courage to begin training at a mysterious dojo where she lives. Here Kenichi faces intense training from masters of many different martial arts styles as he attempts to become stronger.



Source: www.animeultima.tv

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Latest Animes

Now that I am done introducing anime. I now like to share some of the latest animes this season. I hope you spend some time and watch an anime or two.



1.Sword Art Online
The only way to escape is to 'clear' the game. Death in game means actual 'death' ---- The ten thousand who have logged onto the as of yet mysterious game 'Sword Art Online' using their Nerve Gear have been forced into this perilous death game and are trapped inside. Protagonist Kirito, one of the many gamers, has greeted this 'truth'. He plays as a solo player in the giant castle that is the stage for this game ---- 'Aincrad'. To meet the conditions of clearing the game and leaving this twisted virtual world, he must get through all 100 floors. Will Kirito have what it takes to clear the game, or will he die trying?

2.Binbougami ga!
At the expense of the people and things around her, Sakura has absorbed so much "happiness energy" that she has caused an energy imbalance in the world. In order to return balance to the world, the Poverty God, Momiji, sets out to take away Sakura's ability to absorb this energy. Will Momiji be able to put a stop to Sakura's absorbing abilities, or will the God succumb to her happiness?

3.Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita
It's been several centuries since human beings declined due to the steep drop in birthrates. The most prosperous species on the Earth are "Fairies", 10 cm tall creatures with high intelligence. I became a UN arbitrator between the humans and the fairies and returned to my hometown to help my grandfather. I thought my job would not be a tough one and visited one of the fairies' habitats to say hello to them but...

4.Oda Nobuna no Yabou
The historical romantic comedy follows 17-year-old high schooler Sagara Yoshiharu who one day time-travels to the Sengoku period, where all the major Samurai lords are cute girls. Yoshiharu meets Oda Nobuna, the girl counterpart of Oda Nobunaga, and begins to serve her as a substitute of Kinoshita Tokichiro, who has been dead in the world.

5.Kono Naka ni Hitori, Imouto ga Iru!
Abiding by his father's will, Shougo was transferred into an academy where many young girls attend. It appears as though his younger sister (separated from him at birth) also attends this academy, and that she is trying to get closer to him without letting him know who she actually is. Problem is, Shougo seems to be popular with the other girls as well! Can Shougo "properly" reunite with his little sister and while making a girlfriend at the same time?!

6.Campione!
A harem love comedy plus magic battles. Kusanagi Godo is a 16-year-old high school boy, who once killed the god "Verethragna" and acquired the title of "Campione (god killer)" when he was 15. Erica Brandelli is a 16-year-old Italian girl, who is a "Great Knight" of the magic society "Bronze Black Cross" and had fought together with Godo to defeat Verethragna. Godo doesn't like fighting but his title of "Campione" makes him get involved in battles against other Campiones and uncontrollable gods.


Source: www.animeultima.tv

Cosplay

Cosplay , short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centred around role play. A broader use of the term "cosplay" applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context.
Favorite sources include manga and anime, comic books, video games and films. Any entity from the real or virtual world that lends itself to dramatic interpretation may be taken up as a subject. Inanimate objects are given anthropomorphic forms and it is not unusual to see genders switched, with women playing male roles and vice versa. There is also a subset of cosplay culture centered around sex appeal, with cosplayers specifically choosing characters that are known for their attractiveness and/or revealing (even explicit) costumes.

The Internet has enabled many cosplayers to create social networks and websites centred around cosplay activities, while forums allow them to share stories, photographs, news and tips. The exponential growth in the number of people picking up cosplay as a hobby since 1990 has made the phenomenon influential in popular culture. This is particularly the case in Asia where cosplay influences Japanese street fashion and popular culture.

Here are some Photos of people Cosplaying:




 They are cosplaying Naruto Characters.


Source: Wikipedia(Photos:Google)

Visual Characteristics

Character design

Basic character designs use techniques implemented in cartoon design. Among these techniques include the use of reference sketches to ensure character proportionality and multiple angle designs.

Proportions

Body proportions emulated in anime come from proportions of the human body. The height of the head is considered by the artist as the base unit of proportion. Head heights can vary as long as the remainder of the body remains proportional. Most anime characters are about seven to eight heads tall, and extreme heights are set around nine heads tall.
Variations to proportion can be modified by the artist. Super-deformed characters feature a non-proportionally small body compared to the head. Sometimes specific body parts, like legs, are shortened or elongated for added emphasis. Most super deformed characters are two to four heads tall. Some anime works like Crayon Shin-chan completely disregard these proportions, such that they resemble Western cartoons. For exaggeration, certain body features are increased in proportion. Comedic effects often utilize these variations.

Eye styles

Many anime and manga characters feature large eyes. Osamu Tezuka, who is believed to have been the first to use this technique, was inspired by the exaggerated features of American cartoon characters such as Betty Boop, Mickey Mouse, and Disney's Bambi. Tezuka found that large eyes style allowed his characters to show emotions distinctly. When Tezuka began drawing Ribbon no Kishi, the first manga specifically targeted at young girls, Tezuka further exaggerated the size of the characters' eyes. Indeed, through Ribbon no Kishi, Tezuka set a stylistic template that later shōjo artists tended to follow.
Coloring is added to give eyes, particularly to the cornea, some depth. The depth is accomplished by applying variable color shading. Generally, a mixture of a light shade, the tone color, and a dark shade is used.Cultural anthropologist Matt Thorn argues that Japanese animators and audiences do not perceive such stylized eyes as inherently more or less foreign.
However, not all anime have large eyes. For example, some of the work of Hayao Miyazaki and Toshiro Kawamoto are known for having realistically proportioned eyes, as well as realistic hair colors on their characters.

Facial expressions

Anime characters may employ a variety of predetermined facial expressions to denote moods and thoughts.These techniques are often different in form than their counterparts in Western animation, and they include a fixed iconography that's used as shorthand for certain emotions and moods.
There are a number of other stylistic elements that are common to conventional anime as well but more often used in comedies. Characters that are shocked or surprised will perform a "face fault", in which they display an extremely exaggerated expression. Angry characters may exhibit a "vein" or "stress mark" effect, where lines representing bulging veins will appear on their forehead. Angry women will sometimes summon a mallet from nowhere and strike another character with it, mainly for the sake of slapstick comedy. Male characters will develop a bloody nose around their female love interests (typically to indicate arousal, which is a play on an old wives' tale). Embarrassed or stressed characters either produce a massive sweat-drop (which has become one of the most widely recognized motifs of conventional anime) or produce a visibly red blush or set of parallel (sometimes squiggly) lines beneath the eyes, especially as a manifestation of repressed romantic feelings. Characters who want to childishly taunt someone may pull an akanbe face (by pulling an eyelid down with a finger to expose the red underside). Characters may also have large "X" eyes to show a knockout, or in some cases, even illness. This is typically used for comedic purposes. Vacant, non-reflecting eyes can be used to indicate a state of semi-consciousness.

Animation technique

Like all animation, the production processes of storyboarding, voice acting, character design, cel production and so on still apply. With improvements in computer technology, computer animation increased the efficiency of the whole production process.
Anime is often considered a form of limited animation. That means that stylistically, even in bigger productions the conventions of limited animation are used to fool the eye into thinking there is more movement than there is. Many of the techniques that are used comprise cost-cutting measures while working under a set budget.
Anime scenes place emphasis on achieving three-dimensional views. Backgrounds depict the scenes' atmosphere.For example, anime often puts emphasis on changing seasons, as can be seen in numerous anime, such as Tenchi Muyo!. Sometimes actual settings have been duplicated into an anime. The backgrounds for the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya are based on various locations within the suburb of Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan.
The large majority of anime uses traditional animation, which better allows for division of labor, pose to pose approach and checking of drawings before they are shot – practices favored by the anime industry. Other mediums are mostly limited to independently made short films, examples of which are the silhouette and other cutout animation of Noburō Ōfuji, the stop motion puppet animation of Tadahito Mochinaga, Kihachirō Kawamoto and Tomoyasu Murata and the computer animation of Satoshi Tomioka (most famously Usavich).

Camera effects

Camera angles, camera movement, and lighting play an important role in scenes. Directors often have the discretion of determining viewing angles for scenes, particularly regarding backgrounds. In addition, camera angles show perspective. Directors can also choose camera effects within cinematography, such as panning, zooming, facial closeup, and panorami.


Source: Wikipedia

What is Anime? When Did it Began?

Anime is a style of animation originating in Japan, characterized by colorful graphics and often featuring themes intended for an adult audience. The word is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation." The intended meaning of the term sometimes varies depending on the context.

While the earliest known Japanese animation dates to 1917, and many original Japanese animations were produced in the ensuing decades, the characteristic anime style developed in the 1960s—notably with the work of Osamu Tezuka—and became known outside Japan in the 1980s.

Anime, like manga, has a large audience in Japan and recognition throughout the world. Distributors can release anime via television broadcasts, directly to video, or theatrically, as well as online.

Both hand-drawn and computer-animated anime exist. It is used in television series, films, video, video games, commercials, and internet-based releases, and represents most, if not all, genres of fiction. As the market for anime increased in Japan, it also gained popularity in East and Southeast Asia. Anime is currently popular in many different regions around the world.

Anime began at the start of the 20th century, when Japanese filmmakers experimented with the animation techniques also pioneered in France, Germany, the United States, and Russia. The oldest known anime in existence first screened in 1917 – a two-minute clip of a samurai trying to test a new sword on his target, only to suffer defeat. Early pioneers included Shimokawa Oten, Jun'ichi Kouchi, and Seitarō Kitayama.

By the 1930s animation became an alternative format of storytelling to the live-action industry in Japan. But it suffered competition from foreign producers and many animators, such as Noburō Ōfuji and Yasuji Murata still worked in cheaper cutout not cel animation, although with masterful results. Other creators, such as Kenzō Masaoka and Mitsuyo Seo, nonetheless made great strides in animation technique, especially with increasing help from a government using animation in education and propaganda. The first talkie anime was Chikara to Onna no Yo no Naka, produced by Masaoka in 1933. The first feature length animated film was Momotaro's Divine Sea Warriors directed by Seo in 1945 with sponsorship by the Imperial Japanese Navy.

The success of The Walt Disney Company's 1937 feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs influenced Japanese animators. In the 1960s, manga artist and animator Osamu Tezuka adapted and simplified many Disney animation-techniques to reduce costs and to limit the number of frames in productions. He intended this as a temporary measure to allow him to produce material on a tight schedule with inexperienced animation-staff.

The 1970s saw a surge of growth in the popularity of manga – many of them later animated. The work of Osamu Tezuka drew particular attention: he has been called a "legend" and the "god of manga". His work – and that of other pioneers in the field – inspired characteristics and genres that remain fundamental elements of anime today. The giant robot genre (known as "Mecha" outside Japan), for instance, took shape under Tezuka, developed into the Super Robot genre under Go Nagai and others, and was revolutionized at the end of the decade by Yoshiyuki Tomino who developed the Real Robot genre. Robot anime like the Gundam and The Super Dimension Fortress Macross series became instant classics in the 1980s, and the robot genre of anime is still one of the most common in Japan and worldwide today. In the 1980s, anime became more accepted in the mainstream in Japan (although less than manga), and experienced a boom in production. Following a few successful adaptations of anime in overseas markets in the 1980s, anime gained increased acceptance in those markets in the 1990s and even more at the turn of the 21st century.


Source: Wikipedia