Mitt Romney calls Donald Trump a phony an a fraud. Trump answers back labeling Mitt Romney a 'choke artist'. This is not a small time fight between neighbors, guys. It is in live television and the whole world is watching as America prepares to vote for its next president. Yet the level of debates between Republican candidates seems so low that it sounds alarm bells even to the non-Americans.
If you compare it to, say, an NBA Draft Night, you know right away that there's not going to be future hall of famers in this batch. Only, this is not the NBA Draft Night, and the stakes are much, much higher.
It is hard to imagine the possibility and the danger of having a US President------the most powerful man in the world and the commander- in- chief of the most powerful armed forces -----------deliberately abandoning the basic conduct of proper human interaction. With Donald Trump, human interaction is reduced to a simple and primitive slave-master relationship. That is, during the campaign. I don't know what to call it if and when he really becomes President of the United States.
Has America really gotten so angry with its current state (which is not so bad, really) that a man like Donald Trump has earned a legitimate chance to become the next president? And the worse thing is, with Mitt Romney breaking his silence, he seems to sound like Trump too.
The Republican Party is dragged in the mud, and hopefully, not US politics and world affairs too.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Monday, February 29, 2016
Leonardo DiCaprio's Climate Change: For Reel or For Real?
At the Oscar Awards, Leonardo the Caprio announced that climate change is real. Everyone is listening. And believing.
While scientists and environmental advocates have long rang the alarm bells about the reality of a rapidly changing climate that threatens the global economy, our way of life, even our very existence; it took an award winning actor's declaration to get the world talking.
Revenant, for which DiCaprio won the Best Actor award, had to change shooting locations from Canada to the southern tip of Argentina because the original location in Canada was 'too warm'. That's why, in his acceptance speech, DiCaprio looked very much like a credible celebrity with a cause because he was speaking from his very own experience.
I don't know if it is right that an actor, instead of a scientist or a politician has got us to listen, but it is clear that celebrities have far more convincing powers. At this stage and pace of global climate change, we have not much time to philosophize. It is the time to act.
While scientists and environmental advocates have long rang the alarm bells about the reality of a rapidly changing climate that threatens the global economy, our way of life, even our very existence; it took an award winning actor's declaration to get the world talking.
Revenant, for which DiCaprio won the Best Actor award, had to change shooting locations from Canada to the southern tip of Argentina because the original location in Canada was 'too warm'. That's why, in his acceptance speech, DiCaprio looked very much like a credible celebrity with a cause because he was speaking from his very own experience.
I don't know if it is right that an actor, instead of a scientist or a politician has got us to listen, but it is clear that celebrities have far more convincing powers. At this stage and pace of global climate change, we have not much time to philosophize. It is the time to act.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
On Manny Pacquiao's Comment on Same-Sex Marriage and the LGBT
Pacquiao has taken so many shots in his boxing career, but perhaps not as much as the insults and criticism he took when a video surfaced with him saying that people who have sexual relations with the same sex are worse than animals.
Those comments, of course are unacceptable in today's standards. It probably has all the elements of how to destroy one's hope of being a senator of the land. It is full of arrogance, even ignorant and those who are hurt by the comment, especially the LGBT community are quick to retaliate. Insults on Pacquiao's person, his prolonged absences in the Congress, his inexperience and incompetence as a politician, everything that could be hurled against him is thrown in any media possible.
Pacquiao's comments though, does not bother me personally. I do not look up to him as a fountain of wisdom. He is a great boxer, yes. But beyond the ring, beyond the entertainment he gives me, he is just like any normal person in the street. He is entitled to his own opinion, however wise or stupid it is. What bothers me is that the mentality of our nation, so awestruck with celebrities, seem to continually grant the likes of Manny Pacquiao that power to affect our daily lives, way beyond the scope of their genius.
The power I am talking about is not the power to raise the blood pressure of any member of the LGBT community, nor of those atheists who are so allergic when the Bible is used as a reference, nor of the non-religious hypocrites of "Asia's only predominantly Christian nation". It is the power that comes with being a congressman, being a member of the lower house that shape the laws of the land.
Balat-sibuyas, illogical and out of proportion. These words may perhaps describe the reactions given to Pacquiao's comments and to the story of Manny Pacquiao as a whole. Balat-sibuyas because only the LGBT are so offended by those comments. Those who are not with the LGBT simply comment and watch, captivated more by the idle talk and rant rather than thinking whether or not same-sex marriage is right for the society. We often wait until offenses against our persons, whether real or imagined are done, and then we suddenly become philosophers, patriots or whatever.
While Pacquiao was a member of the congress, nobody questions his prolonged absences while on training to 'give pride' to our nation. And now that he gave those comments against one of the most vocal groups of Philippine society, his inadequacies as a politician is suddenly ridiculed? Many people on social media call him stupid. If he is that stupid, what do you call the people who put him into power?
It is also out of proportion. Again, Pacquiao is just a boxer. A great boxer, yes. But for him to dominate the headlines of TV Patrol, 24 Oras, etc., covering what he ate, how far he jogged, even Nanay Dionesia's opinions and predictions, etc-----that is just so irritating, primitive and lazy journalism. Whenever he comes home from a win, there is so much traffic in Metro Manila and nobody complains, no politician curses him like the Pope is cursed. Whenever he loses, there is so much talk about cheating, a lot of excuses, a lot of finger pointing. All these translates to a lot of wasted time.
And these, all these reactions speak more about us as a people than of Manny Pacquiao as a person. So please, give the poor man a break. Just don't vote for him, anyway.
Those comments, of course are unacceptable in today's standards. It probably has all the elements of how to destroy one's hope of being a senator of the land. It is full of arrogance, even ignorant and those who are hurt by the comment, especially the LGBT community are quick to retaliate. Insults on Pacquiao's person, his prolonged absences in the Congress, his inexperience and incompetence as a politician, everything that could be hurled against him is thrown in any media possible.
Pacquiao's comments though, does not bother me personally. I do not look up to him as a fountain of wisdom. He is a great boxer, yes. But beyond the ring, beyond the entertainment he gives me, he is just like any normal person in the street. He is entitled to his own opinion, however wise or stupid it is. What bothers me is that the mentality of our nation, so awestruck with celebrities, seem to continually grant the likes of Manny Pacquiao that power to affect our daily lives, way beyond the scope of their genius.
The power I am talking about is not the power to raise the blood pressure of any member of the LGBT community, nor of those atheists who are so allergic when the Bible is used as a reference, nor of the non-religious hypocrites of "Asia's only predominantly Christian nation". It is the power that comes with being a congressman, being a member of the lower house that shape the laws of the land.
Balat-sibuyas, illogical and out of proportion. These words may perhaps describe the reactions given to Pacquiao's comments and to the story of Manny Pacquiao as a whole. Balat-sibuyas because only the LGBT are so offended by those comments. Those who are not with the LGBT simply comment and watch, captivated more by the idle talk and rant rather than thinking whether or not same-sex marriage is right for the society. We often wait until offenses against our persons, whether real or imagined are done, and then we suddenly become philosophers, patriots or whatever.
While Pacquiao was a member of the congress, nobody questions his prolonged absences while on training to 'give pride' to our nation. And now that he gave those comments against one of the most vocal groups of Philippine society, his inadequacies as a politician is suddenly ridiculed? Many people on social media call him stupid. If he is that stupid, what do you call the people who put him into power?
It is also out of proportion. Again, Pacquiao is just a boxer. A great boxer, yes. But for him to dominate the headlines of TV Patrol, 24 Oras, etc., covering what he ate, how far he jogged, even Nanay Dionesia's opinions and predictions, etc-----that is just so irritating, primitive and lazy journalism. Whenever he comes home from a win, there is so much traffic in Metro Manila and nobody complains, no politician curses him like the Pope is cursed. Whenever he loses, there is so much talk about cheating, a lot of excuses, a lot of finger pointing. All these translates to a lot of wasted time.
And these, all these reactions speak more about us as a people than of Manny Pacquiao as a person. So please, give the poor man a break. Just don't vote for him, anyway.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Why Isn’t Anybody Talking About Sotto’s Speech Writer?
One of the most talked about topics in Philippine media today is Senator Tito Sotto’s inclusion of passages in his speeches against RH bill without due attribution to the original authors. First, it was an American blogger, and now, Robert F. Kennedy.
In a report from ABS-CBN, Sotto admitted that he received a passage in English, found it beautiful without knowing that it was from JFK’s brother, translated it and included in his speech. Sotto, a comedian before he won a seat in the senate, merely laughed at the allegations of plagiarism and said that critics better focus on the issue of RH Bill.
Maybe, Sotto has a very limited ability to give credit where it is due. Maybe he has been doing this for quite a long time without getting caught. Maybe he still carries with him his ‘Iskul Bukol’ antics in the Senate. Maybe he deserves all the criticism against him. There is one thing I find alarming, though. All the blame is on the Senator and nobody talks about his speech writer.
I doubt if Sotto did all the research and copied the American blogger’s words, or discovered for himself Kennedy’s speech and translated it in Tagalog. There is most probably a seasoned writer working for him who knows fully well the technicalities of plagiarism, but still copied or translated passages without naming the original authors.
Sotto is still responsible for his speeches of course, but it would really be a tough job for a Senator to find time to counter check if his speech was copied from anywhere else in the world.
By not going after his speech writer and focusing much on Sotto, we are showing our old tendency to put all blame on the leader without cleaning up all the ranks, from top to bottom. It shows our propensity to condemn a person and not the act itself.
This is bothersome, because this behavior reminds me of the reason why we lost the momentum gained in EDSA. We focused too much on the Marcoses without noticing the cronies still lurked in important positions. The nation was also very happy with EDSA II , focusing on personalities without knowing we will again remove another president later on. These comparisons are far bigger than the current issue of plagiarism. If you want smaller comparisons, then look at a considerable number of OFWs sweating it out while relatives spend the hard-earned remittances on every conceivable vice.
This is bothersome, because this is a case where we fail to demand responsibility from all levels of our society. Our nation would do well if we hold everyone accountable, from Senators to speechwriters, from top government officials to street cleaners.. Only then can we promote value formation. Only then can we foster an environment for altruism. Only then can we move on.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Memphis Grizzlies Defeated Hurting LA Clippers
Only one game separated the 4th seeded Memphis Grizzlies and 5th seed LA Clippers in the regular season. Now, only one game is going to separate them in the playoffs, as the Memphis Grizzlies forced a game 7 by defeating the Clippers at LA 90-88.
The Grizzlies set the tone early, winning the first quarter 25-16. The Memphis seemed to want the game more, was quicker at loose balls and much better in rebounding. Zach Randolph did a good job of rebounding, finishing off with 16, some of them in crucial offensive plays.
Even with that, Coach Hollins was egging his boys to keep doing what they are doing. He demanded that they be able to shoot the ball better and minimize turnovers. He was obviously not contented that Clippers still managed to keep the game close even when they showed superiority in rebounding and hustle. One big reason the Grizzlies were not able to pull away was the 13 turnovers they made in just the 1st half.
The Clippers, obviously were not without woes. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin were not their usual selves. Griffin was not as aggressive, often times passing the ball to shooters instead of crashing the defense. He was also visibly slow in running up and down the floor, leading to easy layups by Paul Gasol and Zach Randolph. Chris Paul was outscored by Mike Conley 13-11, and Conley seemed to get his teammates more involved with 9 assists to Paul’s 7.
What kept the Clippers in the game were the superb effort by bench players Bledshoe, Evans and Martin. Bledshoe scored 14 while Evans had 10 big rebounds and K-Mart was great in the defensive end. However, this was not enough to finally close out the ever persistent Memphis Grizzlies.
Marc Gasol lead the Grizzlies with 23 points and 9 rebounds. Zach Randolph has 18 points and 16 huge boards. Rudy Gay also had 13 points and 6 rebounds. Blake Griffin scored 17 points and had 5 rebounds in their losing effort.
Game 7 will be on Sunday at Memphis, 1pm EDT.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
On the Fading Desert Sun
On the Fading Desert Sun
Beauty is a tyrant that no longer threatens.
As walls weathered his last orange breath,
Glass windows mirror a ruler
Still proud, but beaten.
Where before he dictates
Who goes when and where and how,
Joggers pass by, gasping,
But no longer because of him.
An old man dares to bring a sweater,
Emboldened by the night winds that vowed to come.
Children's laughter are taunting
As they played in the sand.
In a park bench, I paid my respects
While the cold breeze calmed him to sleep.
With him, gone in the dark
Are struggles of the summer past.
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As walls weathered his last orange breath,
Glass windows mirror a ruler
Still proud, but beaten.
Where before he dictates
Who goes when and where and how,
Joggers pass by, gasping,
But no longer because of him.
An old man dares to bring a sweater,
Emboldened by the night winds that vowed to come.
Children's laughter are taunting
As they played in the sand.
In a park bench, I paid my respects
While the cold breeze calmed him to sleep.
With him, gone in the dark
Are struggles of the summer past.
Want to earn money with your articles? Join Expertscolumn.com -
Get Paid to Write Articles
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