Of uniforms and chloroforms

EWS: Alvarez and 7 lawmak military reserve force. I am reminded of “Humor in Uniform.” It contained more than 500 amusing stories, covering topics from “Basic Training” to “Military Wisdom,” showing the lighter side of life in the military. Gathered from decades of publishing and only the best reader-supplied cartoons and stories, Humor in Uniform proves

*** CJ Sereno slams majority for taking ‘shortcuts,’ shunning due process. She herself knows very well that any form of judicial relief can be asked of the high tribunal and for that complaint, she was given 10 days to answer. Af months, which she chose to ignore or boycott, I am not convinced that shortcuts were taken.

*** Leak repaired but still no water supply in southern NCR, Cavite - Maynilad.

-- Maynilad should borrow the techniques of Julian Assange of WikiLeaks. Residents affected should watch the Oscar’s best picture “The Shape of Water.”

*** Avoid passport appointment DFA, it’s not a one-way street as we all know. Fixers survive because of internal connections. Please get rid of them as well.

*** I watched in full the State of the Nation’s address of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. What caught my attention was the behavior of the assembly. They listened intently focused on his narrative, with very few applause interrupting the speech. Faces were without emotion but one could feel that they were really hungry for his performance updates of the past year.

Compared to the US and here, I can only feel embarrassed seeing a “red carpet” simulation of legislators and cabinet officials clad in glitters and sartorial elegance. Speech interrupted several times, eager to see themselves on the big screen monitors, giggling when they see - other for media interviews.

*** Uber trucks are being tried now in other parts of the world as cargo movers on demand. Here in PH, i suggest the name UberHaul but LTFRB and LTO might see it as UberLoading since we are always known for UberActing.

*** News? The Indian gray mongoose and others are well known for their abil particularly cobras. They are adept at such tasks due to their agility, thick coats, and specialized acetylcholine receptors that render them resistant or immune to snake venom.

I fully agree that joint exploration contracts should only commence after the parties involved are made aware of territorial boundaries, clearly stipulated in the agreement. On Oscars 2018: I have nothing but praise for Frances McDormand. She honored all the female nominees in the room and asked that they be should be taken seriously. I think that she won the best acknowledgment speech award. I was bothered by host Jimmy Kimmel’s string of ultra-fast monologue portions. He is a great talk show host of course but emceeing the Oscars may not be one of his competencies.

I had to react to the production aspect of the event with mixed emotions. While the dazzling crystal clamshell dominating the backdrop, I must say it delivered the message that the Oscars is still the most glamorous award-giving body that movie theaters are still very much part of other entertainment platforms like television and the internet. In fact, other mediums contribute to movies’ popularity.

- lion bucks are still high and worth the risks for film producers. The investments are graded through the award envelopes that the presenters open in each category. Choice of the emcee and presenters may be wanting but I guess the “humanity” of movie making is quite drowned by some political statements made during sequences.

I did love the shared theater experience where the Oscars thanked the attendees for going to the movies. And how they cleverly made the envelope its own star, ensuring that it had pride of place and was in its place. I think the producers did a great job in attending to current issues in simple and honest ways, although missing on ensuring that the purpose of the 90th year of the awards was about the art itself. It is about the honor to work in a profession that houses brilliant talent like the producers, designers, and crew of the Oscars.

I like most what Greta Gerwig said: “We live in a time when now, more than ever, we need to understand the importance of what is real, authentic, and what is fact.”

*** News: Duterte to declare state of calamity in Boracay. This is one calamity not initiated by Mother Nature. Mother Nature is the victim herself in this case.

*** The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) move with regard to the Philippines stems from the com Jude Sabio in April last year accusing President Duterte and other govern against humanity under the government’s war on drugs, where over 4,000 have been allegedly killed in police operations. Are we to understand that based on a lone opinion of a complainant, an international body can be can be moved to trigger such seemingly judgmental action?

*** Sen. Cynthia Villar, chairman of the Senate environment committee, earlier properties that violate laws and conducted a hearing on the island’s status. At the time, Villar did not publicly disclose that her family’s conglomerate, Vista Land, owned Boracay Sands Hotel and has a stake in residential condominium Costa de la Vista.

—Madam Senator, I do not think the government is keen on shutting down anybody’s property provided they comply with our environmental laws. What we need from you as head of the committee is to laud the government’s initiative to enforce what was written in the laws that you make.

It’s International Women’s Day today. Time for men to wear the kitchen aprons after going to market. Laundry is next.

Good work, good deeds and good faith to all.