Between the onion and the skin there is only the stink

“Some friends are like sunny days, with false flames, oozing from afar, coming near without a dime.” – Michael Bassey Johnson. I can smell her vulnerability from afar. I have this uncanny ability to sense my victim. It started at a young age with a big lie that helped me avoid punishment if caught. Since then lying has… Read More »

Russia-China rivalry in U.S. election

While it was obvious that Russian President Vladimir Putin is openly supporting President Donald Trump in his re-election campaign, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s support for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is not evident, which is typical of China’s secretive ways. With the U.S. presidential election just 80 days away, the outcome of the election would determine the geopolitical… Read More »

Trump’s voter suppression strategy

Last July 30, two bombshells were dropped in Washington DC.  The first was the announcement that the U.S. economy shrunk at an annualized rate of 32.9% in the second quarter, the biggest decline since1947. On a non-annualized basis, GDP shrunk roughly 9.5% between the first and second quarters of 2020.  The economy saw its worst quarter in at… Read More »

This and That

Beautiful halcyon days! Sun in full splendor. Blue skies. White fluffy clouds. Cool breeze. Perfect!  How we want to hold on to this kind of days.  But alas! Life is not life if it stays this way. The livingness of life, as I have realized it, is change. Nothing stays the same. Even our bodies change every second.… Read More »

Beautiful Sunny Sunday Morn

Throwback Beautiful Sunny Sunday Morn Butch Galicia         It was a beautiful sunny Sunday morning. The phone rang. It was from an unknown number, an unknown caller. Normally, I don’t talk to strangers. But I picked up and said “Hello.”         At the other end of the line, a lady’s calm, collected, confident and reassuring voice greeted me. She asked… Read More »

Why is Duterte worried about going to war with China?

During President Rodrigo Duterte’s last State of the Union Address (SONA) on July 27, 2020, he told Congress that he had no power to enforce the Philippines’ ownership of territories claimed by China in the South China Sea.  That was just two weeks after his foreign and defense secretaries backed the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s position… Read More »

ADORED SR.-JR. ACTORS IN EARLY SHOWBIZ

Trivia: In the mid-40s and early ‘50s, several seniors and junior actors in Philippine Cinema had been adored by countless Filipinos.  The father-sons got the distinction of versatile performers not only in action and thoroughly dramatic stuffs but also in comic genre. Let’s begin with the movie king of the ‘40s Fernando Poe Sr. and the all- time… Read More »

Bridging the generation gap

Recently, I read an article by my good friend Peter Jamero who was featured in the Positively Filipino magazine under his byline. Peter’s column was titled, “Racism: Reflections of a bridge generation Filipino-American.”  I was touched by Peter’s article.  Being born in 1930 during the Great Depression speaks volumes of how his family managed to survive the discrimination… Read More »

Talsik Mo, Lumalaway

Kabesang Betong: Bakit mayroon pa ring boto sa mahabang lockdown?         Impong Tasyo: Dahil sila’y out of reach ng mga naniningil ng utang?  *****         Tatang Kulas: Overstaying na ang COVID-19, ah!          Impong Tasyo: Lalayas din ang diyaskeng ‘yan. Basta, always be positive.         Tatang Kulas: Pasitib? Mag-isa ka! *****         Although it may be quite awkward to say so these days,… Read More »