A Compassionate Constitution

The Philippine Constitution is a compassionate document.

It is just that sometimes, or “most of the times sometimes”, its implementors, i.e. enforcers, fiscals, judges, and others, do not show compassion.

Filed under: News..., constitution, law

Summon a Word

waterstone by merlijn enserin

A female friend was so glad because she has just learned what narcissism means.

It means “self-centered”, she said.

The meaning she almost yelled at me at the dining table is too broad.  My Oxford dictionary offers a precise definition.  “Excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one’s physical appearance.”

The word came from Narcissus, the name of beautiful youth in Greek Mythology who fell in love with his own reflection in pool.

I rarely hear people who are glad in learning a new word.

There are thousands of words in my roster that I need to learn.  To know their meaning and to be able to summon them in a snap whenever I need them.

(image by: merlijn enserink / cropping, mine)

Filed under: Thoughts, narcissism, Narcissus, self-centered

The Calendar and Mint Chocolate

mint chocolate

Senator Loren Legarda didn’t show up in the last joint session in Congress.  But her desk calendar and mint chocolate were there.

I remain interested in her supposed speech than the cal and choc.

(image by: standupper.wordpress.com)

Filed under: News..., calendar, mint chocolate, Sen Loren Legarda

Past Future Perfect

This isn’t about grammar.

It is an art exhibit that will run from December thirteen to January ten next year.

The Exhibit includes the works of CJ Tañedo, Tyago Almario, Grandier Bella, and many more.

Check out the invite and map below.

Past Future Perfect at Tala Gallery

Filed under: Design, art exhibit, art gallery, CJ Tañedo, Grandier Bella, Manila, Past Future Perfect, Philippines, Tala, Tomas Morato, Tyago Almario

The Third Seatbelt

Safety First

We were rolling at 5.40 pm for a seven-hour drive.

Much shorter than our previous land travels, which usually take us twelve to eighteen hours.  A cross-country, cross-state drive, eh?

We were seven in the van.  All men.

The “Stupid Love” of Salbakuta was playing to “serenade” us.

The next cut in the DVD was “Ewan” by the Apo Hiking Society.  It brought us back in time, in a particular place.

Our eyebrows were raised when the next song was played.  It was like a typical song played (or sung) in nightclub while a stripper is starting to strip.  Cut it out!  That’s reminiscing in different form.  We laughed it out.

Stupid Love, Ewan, and that stripper song.  A shuffled playlist.

It kept the driver awake somehow.  That made me glad because he was doing 145kmh;  I was in front not wearing seatbelt.

Three of us were in front, but there were only two belts.  Why did Renault put three seats in front and just two seatbelts?

There was a slideshow on my mind of the several ways on how I would smack on the windshield in case we would meet a head-on collision.

I might be like a squashed cockroach.

Hmm…windshield shatters on collision.  I might not crash on the windshield.  One slide showed I had smashed on Peterbilt 379’s stainless grilles instead.  Worse than being squashed; would be like a grated potato instead.

If car makers won’t put a third seatbelt, put at least an eject button next time.

(image by: jimhdesign’s) image cropping, mine.

 

Filed under: Thoughts, Renault, safety driving, seatbelt

Rebellion Case is Wrong

Why is there a need to file a case of rebellion against the Ampatuans when they are “so friendly” with the government?

The Ampatuans are Mrs Arroyo’s closest political allies in Mindanao, according to the New York Times and The Australian.

One of the grounds in declaring Martial Law is rebellion, an arm uprising against the government.  (The definition of “rebellion” is now becoming subjective, though.)

There is no arm uprising against the government from the Ampatuans.

Is the filing of rebellion just to justify the Martial Law declaration in Maguindanao?

The filing of the case is wrong, according to Dean Amado Valdez of the University of the East (EU) College of Law.

The Department of Justice must focus on the murder case against the Ampatuans and make sure that justice, real justice, will be served. #

Filed under: News..., ampatuan, maguindanao massacre, rebellion