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“I can choose either to be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure. It's all a question of how I view my life.” ― Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes

[ronaldiano]

Watch DeRay Mckesson help Stephen Colbert understand white privilege.

'The Late Show' host had activist DeRay Mckesson on to talk about racism.

Does anybody else know "white privilege" is also rampant here in the Philippines? #justsaying

It’s everywhere actually in the country. One really sad thing though is that majority of us don’t really know, don’t really acknowledge... or much worse, totally ignore it and even embrace it.

How does “white privilege” really occur in today’s Philippine setting anyway? Even I’m still quite confused given how my upbringing was. Having to live as a child of OFW parents in the Middle East is both helpful and confusing. But that’s a different post to discuss about.

Anyway, the way I see it, it’s in how many of us comment on things. Everyday things.

It’s that impression that “black people” don’t look as good as “fair-skinned people”. That applies to both foreigners and more so to how us FIlipinos define what beauty is for our race.

It’s those times we praise those who work in companies, big companies, owned and/or associated with foreigners.

It’s those times we make fun of those who speak English. Not in the sense that they tend to “show off” their superiority. It’s in the sense that we ridicule those who speak English in order to compensate for our own individual feeling of inferiority for not being able to speak English well.

It’s those times even where we think it’s white people who can help us in our varied predicaments. Saying how slow our government is and then praising foreign aid for being there. Let me point out, we voted those who government officials.

There are more, but as I think of it further, even I offend myself. Because even I fall for this “white privilege” conundrum.

[ronaldiano]

(Source: facebook.com)

[asfransees]

[ronaldiano]

Me of 2015. #SummedUp

Significance of this photo:

Spent most of my significant, existential wondering, romantic, insightful, creative, depressing, and memorable moments in one of many @starbucksph branches.

The smirky smile summarizes most of the prevailing emotions I've had for this year.

The shirt signifies the start of a new phase, a new outlook, a new style to come to terms with.

Those crow's feet on my eyes, is the dawn of embracing all that I had experienced in the past. It's a new medal to show off this coming year.

The gleaming look in my eyes (which I thought would have been inexistent already), which I thankfully owe to the love of my life @iamjessantd and to whom this shot is not possible if not for him, tells me I do still have hope.

So... #thankseveryone !!! For all those who've been part of #mylife this #2015 . You helped in making me look like this this year, one way or another. Either way, I'm #thankful!!

[ronaldiano]

Although the comment has nothing substantial support-wise coming from the president, I’ll let my optimism take over and think that he contacted HONY privately to coordinate with this remarkable person so that he and his remaining children can regain their lives.

(Source: facebook.com)

[ronaldiano]

(5/7) “Everything that wasn’t destroyed in our house was stolen over the next two days. We left with nothing. I can’t even pay the rent of this...

All governments have these legalities that at times really suck. Then there are private individuals or groups that are of either two things - plain evil or plain cowards.

Having been a follower of Humans of New York since around 2013 or so, it really made me feel like I was following something worth it when I saw an update on their FB page that they will be following the more than worrisome events that has been unfolding in Syria.

I made it a point that I visit their page everyday and despite the uselessness of what I decided to, I wanted to at least share the photos and stories uploaded by HONY to my feed so that those who are connected to me will also be (at the least) aware - if they decide to bother.

This story in particular made me sick towards the world we currently live in. I really just wanted to do more. But then a surge or “logical reasonings” came through.

“I just can’t leave my work.”

“I don’t want my family to worry!”

“I can’t just go and abandon my kid just to do humanitarian work.”

“Where do I even begin?”

“Gosh, I don’t have load to call that UN number here in my city.”

I felt helpless.

The only thing I felt I could do was to share this particular post with a rant of mine attached to my shared post.

It did not suffice. In fact, it made me even more hopeless. It even made me realize the similarities of this man’s predicament to what I was going through. Then I felt stupid thinking his situation and mine was even comparable.

Then... I saw the next HONY update...

(Source: facebook.com)

[ronaldiano]

There's so much more than spreading awareness.

There's so much more than spreading knowledge. What lies between those is the need to spread understanding. The need to spread humanity. The need to spread that things have changed and have been changing. What also lies between those lines is the need to stop the fear-mongering. The need to stop with the jokes to keep things "light-hearted". The need to be not just politically-correct, but to at most be respectful. It's December 1. It's the start of the Christmas season. It's HIV-AIDS Awareness Day. ‪#‎WorldAIDSDay‬‪ #‎NoShame‬ ‪#‎NoStigma‬

[ronaldiano]

Meet the Man Who Sacrificed Himself to Save Hundreds From ISIS Terrorists

Remember Adel Termos — and the dozens of other victims in Beirut.

"Online, a small but growing band was hailing Termos as a hero and urging people to remember him and the other victims. Present media coverage has largely ignored the attacks in favor of overwhelming coverage of the events in Paris."

This part could've been worded more positively. 

In light of all these attacks in different countries at present (yes, even months all the way to years back AND including not just France), it should be, I think, that we try to spread both awareness AND positivity. IF we, even a single word, write something on social media that inferences blame, hate or even condescension, then we are just unwittingly accomplishing the goals of these terrorists. And that is to divide us into factions - You believe this, I believe that/ I'm a better person, you're not - that sort of mindset.

People lack knowledge on something? Feel the urge to educate? Go about it in the most humanizing form of way. I'm learning it myself as I go on everyday, so yeah, call me a hypocrite if you must. :-) Facebook has enough negativity going around anyways, so why not we be a part of the change - given that we most likely will still be using Facebook on a regular basis. :-)

(Source: facebook.com)

[ronaldiano]

Life won't get any easier so you will just have to get stronger, True strength is discovered when everything is falling apart but you have the strength inside you to keep it all together.

from my partner

[ronaldiano]

The "why Mabini is seated the whole time" in Heneral Luna is making rounds on social media. The Historical Commission is grateful for the discovery of...

Since much crap were said to "millenials" these past days, one should first take into consideration the inclusive birth years/timeline of that societal age stereotype.

Based on a "Wikipedia" definition which I know many consider as "non-authoritative", my birth year is part of the first batch of millenials. That said, I still do feel that even the millenials who were born way further along after my birth year do have the historical knowledge particularly - Mabini always being portrayed as sitting down.

I would believe they would be the silent ones who just brush off the rants and bullcrap said by other users of social media. And mind you, here in my feed, I have had majority of posts from people who are of the same age or a few "hops and skips" older than me. Posts that lack merit, lack research, and just blatantly downgrade people just because they got involved in the wrong side of the popular (you say) news/ (I say) opinions. Posts coming from sources that are even way more particularly non-authoritative than that of Wikipedia - who so happen to be a non-profit organization in itself aiming to provide a wide range of knowledge without requiring people to pay or to see nuisance advertisements (now compare that with some well-established news sites that would immediately come up in your mind). Posts that seemingly "just inform" the public but in reading it further, is just a way of spreading hate and unsolicited anger. On the flip side of that, I have also seen posts of people who are part of the "non-pop" culture who do no better, vehemently stating how awful majority of "today's culture" is. I've been guilty of spreading negativity and had been part of both sides I just mentioned.

So... to all social media "experts" out there, to all those who have time to spare in clicking that SHARE button of any post: Why not just spread the knowledge if you think there's some lacking. Why not look into things deeper and provide us a more substantive opinion of issues so that others - we - enrich our understanding, our vocabulary, our point of views. The point is you need to be self-aware. Be self-aware that whatever you put out in social media even in your "private" social media account, it can still be shared by your friends, and there will be a way for whatever you said, to reach the wrong or right people, sooner or later. (Please Google the word "network" to see a brief definition for further understanding). If you don't even feel your affected then it's either kudos to you or too bad. Your choice. Don't spread degradation. Instead spread understanding? Why not?

(Source: facebook.com)

[ronaldiano]

Being an "Americanized" nation, has my college alma mater even considered how racist we may or may not be especially with our beloved "Indian Yell" chant? Yes, looking at you San Beda. :-)

[ronaldiano]

How traditional media plays you...

If you bother to watch this, great. Then make a comparison of how you react when you read about our own local news. Oh and if you've seen a few of my rants, why not correlate this video with my issue of ABSCBN having the biggest MCN in our country. And what is an MCN? Shall I introduce you to Google? ‪ktnx‬ love you all.

[ronaldiano]

Facebook Is Building An Empathy Button, Not “Dislike”. Here’s How It Could Work

The Dislike button has long been the most requested feature from Facebook users. So when Mark Zuckerberg today said in a public Q&A that the company was..

So Zuckerberg knows how it's actually very inappropriate to click on the LIKE button when you post something that's not necessarily good news.

With Facebook being a main source of varied information, it is no longer as simple as adding a dislike button for people to click on when you make any post. There are just so many elements of the human emotion that simple clicks make it all the more complicated - especially in this day and age of everyone connected via social media.

Glad to know Zuckerberg knows that type of complication and knows just what to do in order to meet the demand of many of his site’s users.

And yeah, it has always been irritating for me from the start when people “like” a post about someone’s death, 

- or - 

seeing posts where someone rants about his/her post noone is “liking” equating the “non-likes” to people “not caring”, when actually, what such a person posted was news about refugee/calamity issues or something similar of that sad nature. Why in hell would people just simply “like” that!

[ronaldiano]

Don't listen to the malicious comments of those friends who, never taking any risks themselves, can only see other people's failures.

Paulo Coelho, Eleven Minutes

[ronaldiano]

LTO launches driver’s license renewal offices at malls | GOVPH

24 Robinsons malls across the nation kick-off service improvement program with the creation of Driver's License Renewal Offices.

Oh sure! Good news so people can conveniently pay you for your services away from the crappy LTO shanties. 

That said, will these also be venues for us to get the actual crappy blue plastic card licenses for us who have already renewed licenses but only have the crap receipt with a lame stamp saying that said paper is to be considered as an official license temporarily as you wait on your butts as to when you will release our crappy blue actual licenses? ‪#‎justasking‬

[asfransees]

[ronaldiano]

That was a holiday season…

Despite being empty, despite being blue, You kept my days breezy, you made me make it through. I keep holding on, your support is what I use, The other side maybe greener, but your side is all I need… And that’s all I will ever choose.

#verylatepost

[asfransees]

[ronaldiano]

I sometimes question my worth when I’m in this place…

That being said, I know I can just be myself, good or bad, and I’ll still be welcomed wholeheartedly. I do what I want, love what I want, and I know I’m not judged.

That’s home sweet home.

[ronaldiano]

Congratulations lil' sis!

I guess you are really on your way towards your new independent journey. You deserve this and you needed this achievement. I hope you believe in yourself more.

Tandaan...ang kagandahan ay nasa kalooban... at hitik tayo jan! hahahaha

Remember... beauty is what’s on the inside... and we have lots of it in! hahahaha

Love you Mara!

Ang aking natatanging bruhang kapatid!

My one and only wicked sister!

Thanks to everyone here on FB who helped me in contributing to her win.

*\(^>^)/*