Si Brod Dencio, may hinihilang sinulid.
Curious me: “Ano yan?”
Iniaabot niya ang pisi: “Sige, itulak mo.”
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Alaala ng tatlong kuwentong nilumot sa limot:
May dali-daling tumalon mula sa tulay. Lumangoy at sinagip niya ang kumakawag-kawag sa tubig. Nagpalakpakan ang mga usyoso. Ang tanong niya: “Sino tulak?”
Ibinababa na sa hukay ang kabaong ng kanyang esposo. Sa kabila ng rumaragasang luha, ayaw paawat ni Tukmol. Naghihihiyaw at ipinipilit na sasama daw siya sa kanyang mahal. Nagsiksikan ang mga usyoso. Sigaw ng Balintawak: “Huwag tulak, baka hulog!”
Dahil sa kapiranggot na butas, unti-unting bumabaha ang bangka sa lawang pugad ng buwaya. Nagsaring ang naka-merkana: “We need to reduce weight to avoid sinking. One of us should jump into the water.” Sagot ni Penoy “walang problema,” sabay tulak sa Ingliserong magaling sa ngawa, kulang sa gawa.
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Ewan lang, panot mong lelang. Mas maigi yata ang maghilahan tungo sa masayang kinabukasan.
Puwede: May liwanag na matatanaw kung tulong-tulong tayong magtutulakan paitaas, kahit may kabigatan. Ang siste, baka mayamot si Bathala at ulitin ang pag-guho ng tore ng Babel.
Huwag maging bastos, walang tulakan! Teka, maglalaho kaya ang bangag kung walang nagtutulak?
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If it personally works for an individual, it’s a right. If an individual personally gains from it, it’s freedom. If an individual personally feels good about it, it’s the right thing to do.
What is it? Panis na pansit. Non sequitur: Tax season na. Buwis it!
*****
There are nearly eight million individuals breathing the same global air. Imagine just how many rights, freedoms and right things to do there are to make life better for each and all of them.
Hay, naku! Huwag pasakitin ang ulo. Huwag ipagpilitan ang ‘di kayang paganapin. Mas may pakinabang ang magtanim ng kamote. Looking insanely cute din ang magbilang ng poste ng Meralco.
Buntong-hininga ni EBB: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
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Business is business. No money, no honey. Profit is gain. Ang utang, dapat bayaran … with interest.
Nadulas ang cable TV reporter-on-the-ground sa Ukraine. Sa pagbisita daw ng mga opisyal ng Estados Unidos, napagkasunduan ang “sale” ng armas. Huh! Sirang plaka na ito, kapag may kaguluhan at armadong labanan sa sulok-sulok ng mundo. Dahil sa matinding pangangailangan at may sagad na pautang, may bibili. Guns and bullets and cannons, crafts and missiles: SOLD!
Kahit may pacencia, huwag paseseguro na walang tindang away sa bakery. Eniweys: War: SOLD!
Pangako ng mga taga-kanluran na kakayanin nilang mag-supply ng petrolyo sa mga others na umaasa at naghahangad tapusin ang kanilang ugnayan sa Russia. Pero, kalian? Kapag abot-langit na ang presyo ng petrolyo at hindi na uso ang sasakyan? Oil: SOLD!
Limpak-limpak na salapi ang makakamkam sa pagtatalaga’t pagpapairal ng social, economic and political control. Obvious ba?: Puwes, SOLD!
Buy the idea of the right to vote. However, Be warned taht your only voice may be ignored and dismissed and your tongue shackled by the powers that be. One ballot mark may make a happy or miserable future.
Spend on the notion of delusional selective freedom and of vested ease and comfort in the hands of the corrupt and unscrupulous.
Purchase and enable the concept of the bad and the ugly to flourish.
Make a list of what ideals, morals, principles, rights and freedoms can be bought. Do a grocery run. After all, isn’t democracy a marketplace of ideas, notions and concepts?
Nakagawian na rin na kapag itinanong ito sa akin, sagot ay ngiting aso at “my lips are SOLD!”
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Creased and newly-minted money has a thing in common with ancient and modern churches: Denomination.
Someone cringed. Under prevailing prayerful conditions, domination and “demonInation” seem the be-like.
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“Politics have no relation to morals,” a socmed post quoted Niccolò Machiavelli, Italian diplomat, author and philosopher known for his political treatise The Prince (Il Principe).
Thus added, “Morals are about doing what is right for the right reasons. The definition of what is or isn’t moral is influenced by culture and environment, but there is a general consensus in most of the world.”
“In politics, however, things are all about power. Gaining power, maintaining power, maximizing power and wielding power. Yes, there are some who have a more altruistic view about power, but they tend to be the exception to the rule. Power attracts corruption like a flame attracts moths.”
Agree to disagree? Let’s talk about it, kung hindi nosebleed. Or else, mag-beer na tayo habang nagi-streaming ng Taras Bulba, The Longest Day at Mulan.
Boring, sabi ni Misis. Shopping is more exciting.
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Mang Kanor wrote an open letter addressing state leaders and officials of public agencies and services: “Please provide us information that we want to know, not what you think and insist that we need and ought to know.”
“This same appeal goes to political enablers and influencers in the traditional and social media.
“Our search for the truth may not be similar to yours. However, the standards of full disclosure, honesty and transparency is highly expected, required and demanded of you and your office.
“Your online FAQs, WTFs and re-directs do not make you tech savvy or paperless environment advocates. At most, hiding behind a screen only shows inefficiency. And don’t even feign the pandemic as an excuse to create a backlog of issues and concerns and claim being overworked.”
“Your one-line commitment and generality is old hat. Do better.”
Hurrah! Mang Kanor now believes in miracles! He got six waves of swift replies, each saying “K!”
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It’s time to do some spring cleaning, guys.
Let us begin with the elections.
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Lumantad ang isang-libot isang daliring dinungisan ng indelible ink sa socmed wall ko nitong ika-siyam ng Mayo. Iisa lang ang mensahe when I received each dirty finger from friends: Nakaboto na ako!
Mabuti naman. Kalugod-lugod at makasaysayan ito. Muling napanindigan ni Kabayan ang kanyang karapatang ihalal ang napupusuang maging pinuno ng bayan.
Nagwakas na ang palabas. Binaklas na ang entablado. Umuwi na ang mga artista sa kalsada’t palengke.
Tapos na ang botohan. Bakas ang galak sa mukha ng mga nanalo. Kasado na ang mga nagwagi.
Sa kabilang dako, parang ikinakasal, ang sumpa ng sambayanan ay “to have and to hold from this day (inauguration sa ika-30 ng Hunyo) forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until (the end of a six-year term of office or) death do us part.”
Dasal ni optimosong Tatang Baste: “Manawari’y huwag maging kasumpa-sumpa ang bukas.”
Mabuhay ang Pilipino! Mabuhay ang demokratikong Pilipinas!
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An election is sometimes like a box, chocolate or not. It either contains something or is empty.
Reality bites. For each choice made, one gets what one deserves.
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Of course, let us get ready to go out and vote on June 2 for Ontario’s leaders. Let us replicate the same fervour and patriotism Filipino voters showed on May 9. Let our potent voices be heard through the ballot.
Maayos ang botohan dito, hindi kailangan ang pulis at militar. Mabilis ang botohan dito, mga lima hanggang sampung minuto. Ang maikling pila ay mukhang mahaba dahil sa social distancing.
Ang tanging downside, walang indelible ink sa daliri na puwedeng i-post sa social media.
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Huli man din daw pero magaling, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY pa rin. Harinawa’y pagpalain ni Bathala ng mas marami pang biyaya, ng mas malakas na pangangatawan, at kaligtasan sa anumang sakuna ang mga Ina ng Tahanan.
Harinawa’y matumbasan ng mga anak ang pagsisikap at sakripisyo ng ina. Day off at dine-out naman diyan, kahit na madalas.
Love and respect your mother. Like the Earth, she’s the only one you’ve got.
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Tulad ng dati, chill and be cool, kahit hindi ka taga-Bicol. Stay healthy and keep safe. #####