MANILA, Philippines ? That?s right, blame the internet. In much the same way our parents blamed disco dancing, rock music, triple-X films, the Beatles, hippies and drugs for the ?breakdown? of morality in our time. Parents will always be shocked by the ?loose? morals of the young, especially their children, and they will always look for outside sources of ?blame.?

In my childhood, my parents barred us from watching Elizabeth Taylor movies because they thought by her multiple marriages she had set a ?bad example.? By the time I reached my teens, the targets had shifted to rock music, drugs and ?mixed parties.? But the adults I knew never took the time (or had the guts) to talk to me about sex, and when I did broach a question, looked at me suspiciously, wanting to know if something had happened to prompt my curiosity.

Now it?s the Internet and call centers. This, in the wake of news that health authorities are increasingly alarmed at the rising incidence of HIV/AIDS, not only among the usual populations at risk, but also among young adult professionals, including those working in call centers.

Call center agents are understandably upset at the ?labeling,? protesting that they are no more prone to HIV infection than the rest of the population. They may be right?the high rate of sexually transmitted infections has in fact been cited as one of the ?predisposing factors? for a possible HIV epidemic.

But we must also note that the ?call center lifestyle? has many elements that may have an impact not just on employees? sexual health but on their physical, mental and emotional health as well: the late and odd hours, the rapid shuffling of shifts, the stress and frustration, the anonymity, and the sense of living in a bubble shut off from the rest of the world.

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BUT I?m inclined as well to search for other reasons we are facing the onset of an epidemic. Someone who is now living with HIV (and used to work for a call center) says that he wasn?t fully aware of the risks he faced while he indulged his ?lifestyle.? And if we polled teens and young adults today, I would bet that quite a number of them would admit to ignorance about sexual and reproductive matters as well, and not just about HIV.

Instead of blaming the Internet, maybe parents should look at closer sources, like the quality of communication they have with their children, and their openness about sex. Maybe they should ask schools if they provide quality, age-appropriate sexuality education. Maybe it?s time we asked ourselves: Are we empowering the young to get all the information they need so they can lead happy and fulfilled lives and protect themselves as well?

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I DON?T know if it?s still showing in theaters, but I would urge everyone to try and catch ?The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.? It?s better known as Heath Ledger?s last film, even if he failed to complete it, the rest of his time on screen filled in by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell in an extraordinary show not just of star power but of generosity and gallantry.

But to me, I thought the film important because it?s the latest work of Terry Gilliam, whose cinematic work comes few and far between but when it does, it always proves to be a mind-expanding experience, and I mean it in a good way. Gilliam?s movies are not easy to watch or understand, and they are filled with astounding, outlandish images and dense with themes and meanings. ?Imaginarium? fits the bill.

The film is much like the ?Imaginarium? itself, a traveling circus act replete with a swami in a trance, an ingénue with kewpie doll looks, an earnest barker in Mercury?s costume, and even a midget. It is also filled with props and glitter galore, including a ?magic? mirror, all housed in a battered, shabby van.

Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) is a mystic who inks a pact with the Devil (Tom Waits in a suave, sinister London banker persona) that requires him to deliver souls to Satan, including his own daughter, in exchange for immortality. But ?Parny? is given a chance to redeem himself as he gives the subjects a chance to choose between ?good? and ?evil? inside the ?Imaginarium? of their minds.

The arrangement proceeds apace until Valentina (Lily Cole) the doctor?s daughter, turns 16 and the Devil demands his due. It?s also around this time that the motley crew of the Imaginarium meets up with ?Tony? (Ledger), whom they find near death and hanging from a bridge.

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WHO is Tony, or more important, what is Tony and what does he have to do with the goings-on in the Imaginarium?

While the film offers up meditations on free will, choice and character, it also explores the complex mind of Tony who, when he enters the Imaginarium, brings forth various aspects of his personality?romantic and idealist (Depp), money-grubber (Law) and deceiver (Farrell). While Ledger does imprint Tony with mystery and contradiction, the character is not The Joker, though it cements his reputation as an actor of depth.

Be warned, though, the movie can cause nausea and confusion. The producers also helpfully provide subtitles, even if the dialogue is in English, because the various accents and the break-neck speed with which the characters speak can sometimes be unintelligible.

It is never easy to watch a Gilliam film, on the eyes or on the mind. One leaves the theater reeling from the onslaught of ideas and images. The viewer is never simply ?entertained.? Rather, one leaves feeling like someone had pried open one?s skull and shoved in alien notions and feelings. It was a gamble making this film and I for one am thankful to Heath Ledger?and his friends in the industry?for giving ?Imaginarium? the power of their stardom to bring it to fruition.