Word Wars in the Government

A lot has been going on these past days. You wink twice and little did you know, something has already changed in the present administration's cabinet. Recently, the Chief of the Bureau of customs bade his office goodbye, Communication Secretary Ricky Carandang tendered his resignation etcetera etcetera. The nonstop word war between Senators Mirriam Defensor and Juan Ponce Enrile is also alarming.

But nothing is more disturbing than Mar Roxas' word fight against Mayor Romualdez - a fight which i am inclined to believe that Romualdez is winning. It may be recalled that (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas reportedly said to Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez during a meeting at the height of the disaster caused by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) that "You have to be very careful, you're a Romualdez and the President is an Aquino".

Allegedly, this happened when Sec. Roxas was requiring Mayor Romualdez to sign a letter stating among others that he can no longer perform his duties and functions as the highest official in Tacloban City. Mayor Romualdez however did not heed to Sec Roxas' directive as he was adviced by his lawyers that the letter could be utilized against him as it may be interpreted as a resignation letter. Roxas allegedly added that the said letter is necessary before the national government could step in to help in the search and rescue operation in the most badly-hit part of the region. 

One local website has this to say:

What’s in a name anyway? To Roxas, it is everything. He was just short of saying that it was tough luck for the people of Tacloban City that their Mayor is associated with the Marcoses. It’s is quite baffling why Roxas would bring up old wounds during a crisis meeting while lives were still at risk outside of the meeting room. It’s as if the Aquino allies have not moved on from the Marcos years even when they are already in power. It seems Roxas takes things very personal. This is a sign that he is a vindictive person. It is a sign that he is not of sound mind to be in any government position.

If these reports are all true, reviving the issue about the Marcoses/Romualdez and the Aquinos, Secretary Roxas is vainly seeking to breathe life into the carcass of a long dead issue. 

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kuyanin

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Lawyers-Turned-Novelists

Lawyers have always been great storytellers.  A trial is but a story of conflict between two parties. Law schools teach budding trial lawyers to use the elements of storytelling to persuade judges. The technique is, first, you must have a theme, we are told. The theme should be simply stated. Example in a car accident case, something like, “one careless moment can cause a lifetime of being”. The lawyer should reinforce this theme throughout the trial from pre-trial until drafting of memorandum. Judges may not remember the details of a case but they will keep in mind “the” theme.

Other story telling techniques are used in the prefatory statement usually in your initiatory pleadings. The lawyer must tell the judge what he believes the evidence will show. To be effective, this preview of the trial should hook the judge right away, just as the first chapter of a novel should make the reader want to keep turning the pages. An effective opening/prefatory statement not only will make the judge want to know more about the case, but should also persuade the judge to the lawyer’s position. But this must be done carefully, not by arguing the position, which is reserved for the closing, but by structuring information in a subtle yet convincing way. Certain facts must be presented in any trial (and in any novel). But in what order do you present them? What “spin” do you put on those facts? The trial lawyer should not discuss everything in his prefatory statement. There has to be some information the judge is not told. The lawyer must whet, not satiate, the judge’s appetite.

The lawyer must also care about the client just as readers must care about a writer’s protagonist. To care, a lawyer must know certain details about the client’s background. What kind of person is the client? What life experiences has he or she had that will move the judge to empathize with the client? The lawyer can bring out this information from different witnesses, emphasizing those facts that will reinforce the theme. If the judge buys the theme and empathizes with the client, then the lawyer is more likely to get a favorable verdict.

Even the parallels between trials and storytelling, it should not be surprising that so many lawyers have turned to fiction writing. What is surprising is the breadth and quality of the writing. There are a lot of lawyers who have made the transition from law to literature. Some, like John Grisham (one of my personal favorite authors), Stephen Murphy and Scott Turow, have become household names. Others, like Richard Dooling and Louis Begley, have received literary acclaim without becoming mainstays on the bestseller lists.

I have been constantly amazed at the growth of legal fiction as well as the number of lawyers who have published novels. I thought i knew of all the lawyer-authors. But on occasion I’d spend an hour browsing in the new fiction section of local bookstores, and pick out one or two new ones every time, i realized i would never exhaust the supply.

I pay great respect and admiration to all of you lawyer-authors. May the Force be with you! :D

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kuyanin

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Missing Piece

Missing Piece

By: David Choi

I feel like a boat without a sailor

I go where the wind blows

Just moving around like a lonesome stranger

I got no home

In search of a treasure

Some place I don't know

It feels like forever

I'm making my way

Through the hills and deserts

I thirst for hope

I don't know

What I'm looking for

But I'll know

When I find it

There is a missing beat

Inside of me

The rhythm of my heart

Hits unevenly

There's a missing piece

Inside of me

Trying to figure it out

But it amounts to nothing

I want to realize

But nothing I find

Ever feels like the real thing

Can you empathize?

I don't know

What I'm looking for

But I'll know

When I find it

Chorus:

I'm lost inside

A cold bitter world

I can't understand the need

It's makes it so hard to breathe

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kuyanin

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Tool of Trade - Macbook Air or Sony Vaio

It was told in the Harry Potter movie that every wizard is destined to a specific type of wand and if found, great things can be expected from the partnership. Analogously, each one of us is a wizard and our laptop is our wand with which we create our own worlds, our own magic and hence, it is important that we choose the perfect machine tailored for our needs.

Most of us, regardless of profession, computer is our main tool of trade. I have tried a number of laptops but my macbook was the most efficient. It does not do extra fancy stuff but it just works. Of course i cannot just turn my back on my desktop as it performs my other computing activities like downloading gigabytes of files overnight, playing games (apple has just a handful of premium games), and for typing pages of document as we obviously type much faster when using a full-size keyboard.. Just a few days ago, my 6-year-old macbook failed to switch on. I ripped it apart to check its internal organs only to find out that the logic board is dying. Instead of bringing it back to life, i decided to lay it to rest for good.

A computer-less computer engineer - that's what i am now.. but not for long i hope. I am torn between getting a sony vaio or an apple macbook air. If we are in the same situation or just wanting to buy a new laptop but can't decide which to get, visit the reviews. Check the features if it is capable of delivering what you expect of a laptop. If you're a gamer or a graphics/video editor, and you require speed and power, get a monster laptop but expect to shell out some extra moolah. 

If you want it sleek, sexy and portable machine that just amazingly works, get a macbook air but you have to compromise on a few extra features. The choice is yours. Pick your perfect tool of trade, you magic wand.

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kuyanin

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Charity Begins at Home

 EB8NP8GM9QRP

a friend who was a victim of ondoy related an insight which she learned: all the material things that you deemed you needed and worked your butt off to acquire can be taken away in an instant. she reflectively asked,'why indeed do we need to buy pairs and pairs of footwear just to match with the clothes cramped up in our closets?and we thought we needed bags and accessories too to complete the look.

in that very moment, i realized i was guilty to some degree. and i thought a change in priorities, in the perception of what are actually needed, a little refinement of attitude should be in order.
for awhile i stuck to my resolution until 'old habits' slowly crept in, rushing to mall wide sales to get things at a bargain,ending up buying things i don't direly need; why did i have to buy a clothes steamer when an iron would have been sufficient? why did i have to get a juicer when my hands can very well express the juices? why did i have to buy another set of pots and pans when i haven't even got to use the ones in my kitchen cabinet?

sometimes we buy things not because we are wanting. sometimes we view it as an upgrade, not necessarily in status, but on convenience. why did i have to set up the ironing board and press the iron repeatedly on my clothes when i could just hang it and a swift swish of hot steam would straighten out the crease? why would i flex my muscles to express the juice out from fruits when i could just pop them into the juicer and get to savor the juice in no time?and as for the pots and pans,funny but i was thinking of passing them off to my kids when they get their own abodes.
it is quite hard to break this nasty 'habit'. but i am willing to always try to keep my focus. it's a long process but the long journey starts w/ a step.

as for the other things that only end up as clutter i am packing them up and give them to the typhoon victims who may need it more than i do.
two of the beneficiaries are not actually typhoon victims but have gone ahead rummaging through.one picked the clothes steamer still unopened in its original box,while the other chose the juicer sitting on my kitchen counter,unwrapped but has never been used...
oh well, indeed,charity begins at home?

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kuyanin

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Barangay Elections 2013

Congratulations to the newly proclaimed Datu/ Kapitan/ tiniente del barrio/ cabeza de barangay/ chairman and Council of Elders/ Councilors/ Kagawads in every Barangay in the country. Although you are perceived to be the lowest ranking government officials, the trinity of governmental powers is vested in you esp you Barangay Chairman. you are the Chief Executive of the barangay; you are the Presiding Officer of the Sangguniang Barangay; and you are the Chief Magistrate of the Lupong Tagapamayapa. Further, you also have the power to levy taxes, fees & shit charges.. Vast powers...that come with equally enormous responsibilities. As guidance, take this tip from Lagman-

As public servants, you should always ensure that your personal interest and that of your family and associates do not conflict with or erode your loyalty to the very people who have installed you to your position.

Chairman remember this.. public service is not something one does in one’s spare time. It is not a hobby that you take up during weekends. It's a commitment with great responsibilities that require your full attention. Make sure that the public's money or the IRA is spent as efficiently as possible. bear in mind that in the past, we have impeached a president & a chief justice. should we find you incompetent, vox populi can also remove you and your pulis oysters from office.

...and to those who lost in the election, it doesn't take one to be a barangay official to be a philanthropist. let us help each other especially during calamities or when shit happens to your barangay or locality. and to us, constituents, private citizens and netizens, instead of hating each, or being hostile to, others, let's give our just share to make our barangay a better place. yes, we enjoy freedom of speech and of expression BUT note that the exercise of one's right ends when the right of others begin. Lastly, don't ask what your community can do for you.. but ask what you can do for the community that you belong to. I fervently hope that none of the likes of Napoles and her cohorts were elected & proclaimed yesterday. May the Force be with us all.

 PS: winners and losers alike... pakitanggal na mga tarps and selfie shots niyo sa mga bakuran namin.. with your posters everywhere, our block is becoming an eyesore

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kuyanin

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Do NOT Quit

When things go wrong as sometimes will.,
When the road you are trudging seems all uphill.,
When the funds are low but the debts are high.,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh.,
When care is pressing you down a bit.,
Rest if you want…..but do not quit.,

Life is strange with twists and turns.,
As everyone has to sometime learn.,
Dont give up though the pace seems slow.,
You might succeed with another blow.,

Success is failure turned inside out.,
That silver tint of the clouds of doubt.,
And you never can tell how close you are.,
It could be near, when it seems so far.,
So stick to the fight when your hardest hit.,
Its when things seem worst…..that you must not quit

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kuyanin

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