The Magnificent

Murmurs, dissentions and random acts of righteous indignation

[janprats]

Sad and frustrated

It's sad that even in this day and age there are still people who think that Islam's core tenets delve into war and violence. And I'm frustrated with myself for even trying to reach out and make them see that it isn't. And they refuse to look.

[janprats]

Imagine you're a lawyer taking over another lawyer's ejectment case. You know that this is a huge make-or-break deal for your client. So the first thing you do is go on a press conference and call the judge an idiot. This is a metaphor of course. The client is the Philippines. The case is against China. The judge is the UN Tribunal. And yesterday, the new lawyer gave the UNO a severe tongue lashing. Good luck na lang Philippines.

[janprats]

Bisaya Humility

Last month he was crying on his mother’s grave, asking “Dili ko katoo. Kinsa ra man ko?”

Today he is scolding the United Nations.

Pasabta ko.

[janprats]

Juggling a lot of projects. Whine, whine, bitch, bitch, complain, complain.

[janprats]

I want a quiet moment. A quiet day. I need to stop and reflect.

[janprats]

Vote-buying

There are many allegations and exposes on vote-buying and ballot box failures. But nobody has filed a case. Why is that?

[janprats]

Inner Child

I have a pop psychology theory on why the Dupporters are so outraged with the Trillanes ad. And mind you, it is on the flawed premise that they shouldn't be. I would like to think I'm mature and rational, but maybe I'm not. Anyway, ads are designed to be psychological and subconscious triggers. They are supposed to speak to the silent part of your soul. In this ad, the children represent one's inner child. The inner child is that part of you that clings to innocence, who wishes for a safer and gentler world. And it speaks (truly, I might add), that the acts Duterte says and the words coming out of his mouth are wrong. That there is a dissonance between what he represents and the values we all hold in our hearts. In other words, our inner child does not feel safe with Duterte. And the Dupporters cannot be confronted with this truth because it destroys their belief in a just and righteous man. A compassionate leader and a savior of the country. And so they are outraged. But they do not realize that the person they are angry about is their own selves. For being complicit in an incoming travesty and tragedy. (caveat: I am a mere armchair psychologist. Feel free to point out the errors in my conclusion.)

[janprats]

What the duck?!

It's perfectly fine to support a man whose Davao Death Squad has killed children. But when you use children in an ad that shames the morality of that man, it's exploitative??? Wait, WHAT??!! Did I just wake up in some bizarre world that has crazy values?? Can someone cue the Twilight Zone theme please?? What is WRONG with you people???

[janprats]

Antoine St. Exupery's Prayer

’Lord, I’m not praying for miracles and visions, I’m only asking for strength for my days. Teach me the art of small steps. Make me clever and resourceful, so that I can find important discoveries and experiences among the diversity of days. Help me use my time better. Present me with the sense to be able to judge whether something is important or not. I pray for the power of discipline and moderation, not only to run throughout my life, but also to live my days reasonably, and observe unexpected pleasures and heights. Save me from the naive belief that everything in life has to go smoothly. Give me the sober recognition that difficulties, failures, fiascos, and setbacks are given to us by life itself to make us grow and mature. Send me the right person at the right moment, who will have enough courage and love to utter the truth! I know that many problems solve themselves, so please teach me patience. You know how much we need friendship. Make me worthy of this nicest, hardest, riskiest and most fragile gift of life. Give me enough imagination to be able to share with someone a little bit of warmth, in the right place, at the right time, with words or with silence. Spare me the fear of missing out on life. Do not give me the things I desire, but the things I need. Teach me the art of small steps!’

[janprats]

Election Blues

Election season has made me realize how unhappy I am with Facebook.  I’ve hidden so many of my friends and family from my feed because the piss and vitriol they’ve exhibited is very stressful for me to read.

Not that my hands are clean.  I’ve contributed my fair share to the political noise.  But I stopped posting towards the past few weeks.

I’m an empath.  I pick up easily on what people are feeling and it’s not easy for me to filter it off.  I get very affected by their emotions.  But my friends and family have a right to express what they feel.

But imagine, if you will, walking through a neighborhood where everybody is shoving a campaign poster into your face.  In every corner you turn, a politician’s jingle is playing in your ear.  In every face you meet, you encounter outrage, righteous indignation and judgment of one another.

That’s what Facebook has been like in the past few weeks, and it’s made me miserable.  Facebook was somewhere I can run to for distraction and to catch up with my friends.  Now it’s just an endless slew of people trying to out-argue with each other, often using sources and arguments which makes one question the other’s level of educational attainment.

Re-following all those people after the elections is not a happy option either because doing so will make all their posts pop out on my notifications button.

I’m seriously contemplating quitting Facebook altogether.  The only thing keeping me from it is that it is where majority of the people I know post updates on their lives and what are on their thoughts.  It would be sad to cut myself off from that.

There’s a war going on, and most people don’t realize it.  It has nothing to do with political ideology.

It’s a war on whether we feed the beasts of our hatred or the better nature of our kind selves.

And that’s why I’m here.  I want to express my thoughts without fear of condescension or retaliation.  Maybe Facebook is where I keep things light and fluffy, and Tumblr will be where I whisper my thoughts.