Abnormal is the new normal MIRRORLESS
BEING factual and fair is a very hard combination for media outlets to achieve. What irritates me is when they justify their irresponsibility by saying nobody is perfect.
***
I’m not very lucky in card games. That is why the Joker is my favorite card in any deck.
***
In a trade war, nobody wins. And it’s always the poor who gets hurt the most. When peace becomes a rare commodity, it’s when everything gets out of control.
***
I think the issue is not necessarily truth, but belief. We tend to believe fake news if it suits our preconditioned mind. Truth is really defined by an array of attempts to distort it. Sad that we always fall victim to those attempts.
*** President Trump says, “If we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases.” I wonder if Dr. Anthony Fauci has that deep- seated sense of humor to consider it a joke.
***
What is it with CNN being consistently
enamored with Africa? First there were programs like “African Voices,” “Inside Africa,” “Innovate Africa” and now there is “African Avant Garde.” Is Asia not really on its radar screen?
***
Why is there such thing as
“gusot-mayaman” when there is no “gusot-mahirap”?
*** Government officials should never use sarcasm to ignite a media discussion. It can be likened to challenging them to engage in an endless seesaw battle where the official will likely tire himself out with the media stuck to the other end not giving up. Level up with them and most of them will give you a respectful and decent response.
***
The ugly part of any news organization is that reporters are pressured to “back off” from äReyesA6
an investigation when the outcome could affect political power or corporate profit. The flip side of the coin is to order the demolition of anything that will get in their way in seeking favors and securing prosperous bottom lines in their bank accounts. The liberties of the people in any news organization will never be secure if the transactions of their board are concealed from them.
***
“One of the reasons that news is mistrusted and influential people are reluctant to give interviews is because facts are usually reported wrong or distorted. Once a news source is suspected of having an agenda, credibility is lost and all of their reporting becomes suspect. To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful.” – Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965.)
***
Dynamic changes in the nature of broadcast news have recently taken place. Because of social media and the preponderance of personal cameras of smartphones, news events today are often covered by multiple “citizen journalists” and disseminated in advance of the mainstream media through the web. Where the major news media used to support law enforcement’s version of the stories, the public may now be presented with conflicting versions of events. A field correspondent can “out- scoop” competitors by being first with a story and can gain personal and professional prestige, and even awards. And that goes for news presenters as well. There is now the pressure on reporters to step over the red line of civility or decorum that often results in the brazen image of reporters resorting to “dramatics.”
***
Lea Salonga will re-voice and sing “A Whole New Curse.…”
***
Noting the upsurge of Philippine coronavirus cases, I remember the similarity of “Home TV Shopping’s” tagline, “But wait, there’s more!”
***
If there is a “motherhood statement,” why such thing as a “fatherhood statement”?
***
A friend of mine asked why I always post food on the table. I told him it wouldn’t look nice if placed on a chair.
***
I miss my father very much even if it’s not Father’s Day. I vividly remember the day he had a heart attack. I stayed in the hospital until he was brought home. I tried to visit him regularly to assist in giving him the therapy he needed. I was in pain too seeing him so helpless. I still feel that what I did was not enough. Thank you, Tata, for guiding us to always do good things. I will never forget you until I am gone to join you once again.
***
As much as we want to stay and work from home, our homes are sick and tired of our faces that they want to move somewhere else.
is there no
***
A very good suggestion from my Oscar Palabyab: “Long before the pandemic I have been thinking that a practical way of retiring the old jeepneys is to expropriate them, pay the owners just compensation, organize cooperatives for drivers, and provide loans to cooperatives so they can invest in modern transport vehicles. The problem with just preventing the jeepneys from running is the lack of alternative livelihood. Safety nets are important considering the large number of PUJ ( public utility jeepneys) drivers who are now jobless. There being none at the moment, the government will have no choice but to allow them to ply their routes again. Maybe gradually, a program to retire these old jeepneys can be put in place to find a long- term solution to this problem. The LTFRB ( Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board) must have a study on this already which just needs proper implementation.”
***
Good work, good deeds and good faith to all.