Previously posted on my Facebook Page.
Does the West really want Peace? I am very frustrated how governments of the U.S. and Europe preferred to send more weapons and other military equipment to Ukraine, instead of maximizing diplomatic avenues and peace negotiations with Russia. Defense? Kiev has a huge army + U.S. forces. End of war is more imperative. More arms mean more fighting. More deaths, more destruction. Yet historically, it is the West that is forever involved in wars. Another Afghanistan? ☮️☮️☮️
I don’t dig it when people respond with newslinks or memes. Especially in these days of war when what we toss in here ignites more confusion than calm. I don’t care if that link or meme came from a Rock `n Roll God/dess or Wonder Woman. I am old, therefore old-school. Tell me, when you talk with real people in person do you hand them a googled page on your cellphone or flash a placard with a face of some guy who looks like your ex'es alcoholic ex? Speak your mind! 😞😟🤓
Gasoline price, per gallon in California is $4.94 for regular and $5.23 for premium. In North Carolina: $3.65 and $4.28. National average is $3.72. Last time gasoline was that high or higher was in 2008. I was in California. Of course, many will point at the Ukraine situation for this mess and the auto-blame goes to Vladimir Putin. But that was already the situation before Vlad’s shenanigan. Inflation was 7 percent and now it is 7.5 percent. Putin is simply the convenient excuse.⛽️💸🚧
We are atrociously gullible. Clickin’ and sharin’ on a whim. The current “fad” obviously is Ukraine. Saw that grandma with the dirty finger? I saw that photo several times in the last ten years. The “Ghost of Kyiv” that “shot down” Russian MiG fighter jets? Cured pic from the video game “Flight of the Intruder.” Good-looking “Ukranian women” wielding assault rifles? PR photo-shoots. Gal Gadot has a lot from her days as an Israel Defense Force soldier and as Miss Israel. 🤨📷🧐
When provoked, I cuss—but directed to the person of intent. My language can be as nasty as the next irate dude. But I wasn’t raised in a household that spoke sentiments in foul wordage. The traditional address of respect “po” and “opo” was obligatory. I am uncomfortable with cursing on social media. One arrogantly told me: “Who are you to tell people what a cuss word is and what isn’t?” I mean, if you don’t know what a cuss word is, I rest my case. 🗣👤👥
My (night) dreams are perennially hyperactive. Lots of people are there. Family, kin and friends. Then and now in the Philippines and America. The constant presence is my mother who passed away in 2005. In my dreams, she is younger mostly. My slumber journeys are well-structured activities. I guess our mind doesn’t really stop when we sleep. Very alive. When I finally wake up, I feel tired. Exhausted. When I open my eyes, cat and dog go: “Wazzup, dude? Fix our breakfast!” 🥱😴🤪
Presidential election in the Philippines is in May this year. The latest survey places Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as frontrunner by over 40+ percentage points over its closest rival Leni Robredo. Memory of Bongbong’s dad’s 20-year dictatorial rule is hard to erase due to obvious reasons. But this new pre-vote data is alarming. Leni campaigners should veer away from too much dissing and shaming. Time to focus on real programs and elaboration of policies.
Most voters in the Philippines these days are the young who, despite knowledge of the Marcos regime, didn’t experience those misery. Internet/social media influencers should start on a positive/light campaign feed over negativity/darkness barrage. Election back home is multiparty so if Leni’s people couldn’t sway BBM’s loyalists, why not focus on persuading followers of the other candidates to Leni’s side? Votes add up. 🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭
Product marketing these days? Honesty isn’t a virtue. Words that rule: Rebranding, influencing, market economics. For example, news says when Neil Young quit Spotify he’d lost around $750k a year. Maybe. Fact is, Neil neither lost nor won since he doesn’t own his songs anymore. He sold them to the U.K.-based Hipgnosis Fund for $150 million. Quitting Spotify was a sly business move since he and other older rockers don’t really earn much on audio streaming.
Spotify’s top-selling artists: Justin Bieber, DaBaby, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny. Top downloaded, global: Drake, Taylor Swift, BTS. Neil Young’s entire catalog is now available for streaming on Amazon Music, with most albums also featuring handy links if you want to buy the CD or vinyl. Now, if Hipgnosis doesn’t get ROV (return of investment) on a given time, expect Neil to diss Jeff Bezos. LOL! There’s a lot more to say versus Amazon, of course. 🎼😂🎼
Protests in works of art is a fact. But the “protest” is within the art. The art has to appeal first to a majority for the “protest” intent to work. If art or protest ceases or fails to cut across paradigm/political lines, it is a mere whine. Self-serving, divisive noise. “Woodstock” in 1969 effectively worked to help advocate anti-war mindset because it gathered as a musical convergence more than (as) a protest howl. Music has the sublime ability to get people of differing thoughts together. ?☮️🎼
I always read complaints that there are less black or African American coaches in the NBA. Inequality? Yet per 2020, the NBA is composed of 74.2 percent black players—and only 16.9 percent white players, 2.2 percent Latino players of any race, and 0.4 percent Asian players. In the NFL, it is an equal 57.5 percent black. In NCAA basketball, we also notice a lot of young recruits from Africa. Or do we just dig whining about a lot of things rather than just enjoying the game? 🏀🎽🏀
