THOUGHT FOR TODAY: act of kindness

"Sometimes the simplest acts of kindness that come from a pure place are the ones that last forever in the hearts of others." ~Robert Clancy

Nicole Reed - direct path

“Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the most wonderful things that will ever happen to us” ~Nicole Reed

THOUGHT For TODAY: opinion

"In all matters of opinion our adversaries are insane" ~Mark Twain

Arnel Patawaran Quotes

"I wanted a man who by inspiration alone could transfer the power to make this country proud again from the hands of the few to the hands of the many. I wanted a man who could re-ignite the Filipino in us or at least make us care enough that a few rich men (and their families and friends and employees) do not a country make." ~Arnel Patawaran, FB, 17 December 2016

"I wanted a man who could move this country, who could make the people of this country realize what they deserved, what was in their rights to achieve, a man who could say, 'I don't care what you think, I'll do what I think is best. I may be wrong, if I am, so sue me!" ~Arnel Patawaran, 17 December 2016

"We have always known what is wrong with our country, but our leaders lacked not the knowhow, not the expertise, not the wisdom, not the right words or gestures, not the personal charm, but the political will, the willingness to be lynched, unliked, insulted by the forces that have ruled this country for centuries." ~Arnel Patawaran, 17 December 2016

"What we need is not a good leader as much as a leader who will want us to be good." ~Arnel Patawaran

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Dawn Fraser - excellence

"The Olympics remain the most compelling search for excellence that exists in sport, and maybe in life itself." ~Dawn Fraser

George Christensen Quotes

"It is clear that we need strength to tackle our drug problem here in the West. So instead of the colonial-style sneering at Duterte and the Philippines, perhaps we can learn from them." ~George Christensen, Australian Politician, chairman of the Australia-Philippine Network

"It's so typical of the West to sneer the actions of what they see as "small brown folk on the other side of the world." ~George Christensen, chairman of the Australia-Philippine Network

"Philippines has a problem that has taken its toll on families and relationships and on communities and barangays. The problem has led to theft, violence and death over many years. And it's a problem that has helped keep so many Filipinos further entrenched in a poverty so deep it is hard for Westerners to imagine." ~George Christensen, chairman of the Australia-Philippine Network

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Alan Dershowitz - freedom of speech

"Freedom of speech means freedom for those who you despise, and freedom to express the most despicable views. It also means that the government cannot pick and choose which expressions to authorize and which to prevent." ~Alan Dershowitz

Murray McCully Quotes

“He’s a tough guy but he was warm, courteous and actually quite charming." ~Murray McCully, NZ Foreign Minister. (New Zealand Herald, 23 November 2016) on meeting Pres. RR Duterte during his overnight stop-over in Auckland.

“He doesn’t beat around the bush. He has got quite firm views and he expresses them, and very colourfully." ~Murray McCully, NZ Foreign Minister, on Pres. RR Duterte, 23 November 2016 during overnight stop over in Auckland NZ

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Lorraine Marie T. Badoy Quotes

"Master or slave, king or subject, prince or pauper, powerful or weak, rich or poor, no man is above the law." ~Sandigan Bayan Justice

"And so (sic) the blinding pain we felt in the hands of the oligarchs and the political elite had finally reached tipping point." ~Lorraine T. Badoy, USec PCOO, October 2017

"And we are asked to be cunning, to keep our wits about us and to be so much more than we've been when we were told we weren't worth incorruptible public officials who got things done. (Remember those dark, dreary days when we had corruption practically coming out of our noses?)" ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, 14 December 2016

"Come to the table with clean hands and pure hearts. Serve the people for no other reason than because this is your sacred duty to do so. And do it with all you’ve got. Make nothing about you." ~L. T. Badoy, December 14, 2017

"......., Death has always been the compass by which I have lived my life. I proceed with the knowledge that all these will end sooner than later ." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, extracted from her article "Blush"

"For the sake of our children and for Filipinos yet to be born, our president is that runner who runs—no matter if it rains and wild winds buffet him." ~Lorraine Marie T Badoy, from Rody The Relentless, March 16, 2017

"How can so much beauty paint so much sadness as well?" ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, Social Welfare ASec, June 6, 2017

"I firmly believe that the best way to heal our nation and then our world is to heal ourselves first—so we no longer inflict ourselves on others." ~Lorraine (Heal, My Beloved Country) March 24, 2017

"I’ve known for quite some time now: those Ivy League schools are elitist breeding grounds for some of the world’s biggest, most arrogant, IGNORANT hypocrites whose hearts have not been schooled so they think themselves above everyone and that is their place to run roughshod over anyone and to do damn well as they please–with not an ounce of self-examination so they look like fools with their amusing pronouncements bereft of the simplest of reflection." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy on Chelsea Clinton calling PRRD "murderous thug" (May 2017 from her blog)

"I love a fellow traveler in life who knows clearly and without forgetting what it is he’s made of —dust, merely dust—and who hasn’t lost sight of his mortality." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, extracted from her article "Blush"

"I never thought I’d see the day when a Philippine president would be this simple." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy on meeting Pres. RR Duterte, FB, 8 December 2016

"I WANT MY COUNTRY ON HIGH GROUND NOW. WE HAVE SUFFERED ENOUGH." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, March 19, 2017

"I watch them dance and I listen to their songs and something in me stirs—like a memory of something I had long forgotten. And I know what it is. They make me remember what it is to be Filipino before we learned the language of defeat—tragically, a language we are so fluent at." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, BUGAN, March 24, 2017

"It is now time to claim back all that we have lost." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, March 19, 2017 (Manay, the Babaeng Digong)

"Life has a dark underbelly and this dark underbelly asks that we be dark ourselves and to be cunning. To practice sleight of hand with those who have dealt us a rotten hand. It won’t do to be the wide-eyed, buttoned up marm who insists that rules –of etiquette, of protocol, of civil society etc etc–be followed even when we deal with low lives." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, Heart To Heart Talk, 12 January 2017 (from Digongmylabs blog)

"Local politics matter far more than national politics in the greater scheme of things. Right down and on the ground is where real transformation starts and happens. A metaphor for life if you think about it. How all change starts in the fundamental things in our lives: our hearts, our minds, our souls. Not anything grand. Often, quiet." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy on Iloilo City (May 27, 2017)

"My country, we are getting on high ground. We are gathering broken pieces of our selves and putting them together, a piece at a time." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, Heal, My Beloved Country, March 24, 2017

"My plane just landed here in Davao. As much as possible, I get a window seat because the view is what I think you pay for when you ride a plane. Yup, not the speed, not the convenience. But for me, the sight of stars that wink at you and the bright moon serenely floating in the heavens. And then when the plane turns this way, how the moon's reflection shimmers in the silver sea. Like it did tonight." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, December 8, 2017

"Seriously, how does one sleep at night knowing you got wealthy on the backs of the toiling masses? How does one enjoy living off BLOOD MONEY?" ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy on Hacienda Luisita.

"... stop fanning on anyone. And start seeing yourself as ........ THE agent of change—as your own savior." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, December 18, 2016

"The ironies of our day --and its paradoxes too---will teach us so much and will most probably guide us to where it is we must go. Because I am convinced, these are crucial days our country is going through." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, 14 December 2016

"The truth is often somewhere in the middle and as adults we need to be able to bear the tensions of the extremes that pull at us—those who minimize these deaths and those who blow it up to proportions that drag us all down... I hold these deaths inside me and often they are too painful to hold. But I submit that in order for those deaths to mean something, we must make sure this war is won." - Dr. Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, December 28, 2016

"They (Ifugaos) make me remember star lit nights and sitting by the fire, breathing the air of free Filipinos. They are of the soul—all that’s true and noble about us as a people. We owe them a debt of gratitude for showing us what a dignified Filipino looks and sounds like." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, BUGAN, March 24, 2017

"Today was a good day for me. I got to be up close and personal with the President—a highly vilified man (vilified by elitists mostly, that’s what) and yet, too, one of the most beloved presidents this country has ever had. And I got to give him OUR message of gratitude and support........In the end, history will be the final judge of this man. I pray he turns out to be the transformational leader we all want so badly for him to be." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy on meeting Pres. RR Duterte, FB, 8 December 2016

"We are no longer talking about one man, our President but all that he stands for : country." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, USec PCOO

"We must never lose our humanity—our ability to feel the pain of others even as we must never succumb to simplistic readings of what really is a highly complicated situation. " ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, 22 December 2016

"We would be the kind of people we were always meant to be--- forward looking, courageous, compassionate, critical thinkers. A people who forge their own destiny." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, December 18, 2016

"What you have in mind is the strengthening of our country’s democratic processes and at the heart of all of this is the empowered citizen. And that would be YOU." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, December 18, 2016

"When we heal ourselves, we heal the world around us." ~Lorraine Marie T. Badoy on THE CAUTIONARY TALE THAT IS JIM PAREDES, February 26, 2017

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Enoch Powell - History

“History is littered with the wars everybody knew could never happen.” ~Enoch Powell

Sue Monk Kidd Quotes

"After you get stung, you can’t get unstung no matter how much you whine about it." ~Sue Monk Kidd

“If you need something from somebody always give that person a way to hand it to you.” ~Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees

"It is the peculiar nature of the world to go on spinning no matter what sort of heartbreak is happening." ~Sue Monk Kidd

"It takes a bee 10,000,000 trips to collect enough nectar to make 1 pound of honey." ~Sue Monk Kidd

"Someone who thinks death is the scariest thing doesn’t know a thing about life." ~Sue Monk Kidd

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Monette Hernandez - dignity of the Filipino

"My pride as a Filipino has always been there, but it lay dormant. It sparked from time to time but it lay buried under the colonial persona that loved everything American. Who would have thought that a septuagenarian, a foul-mouthed Bisaya, a maong-corduroy loving small-time mayor will be the one to fire up that dormant nationalism and finally make me truly proud that I am a Filipino and yes, there is such a thing as the dignity of the Filipino people." ~Monette Hernandez, FB, 31 October 2016 via Sass Rogando Sassot

Quotes From Get Real Philippines

"...it is easy to ignore a living quiet achiever. That is because the Philippines is a noisy shallow human cesspool — full of characters in the trade of brokering flawed arguments and irrelevant information." ~Benigno O From GetRealPhilippines dot com

"The critics are wrong in labeling the Duterte supporters as fanatics. They are not. These are people who have grown tired of the corrupt system in the country. These are people that want change and want it fast. It so happens that they feel that it is President Duterte who would bring the country back to life. We are seeing not fanaticism, but nationalism reborn." ~from Get Real Philippines, March 9, 2017 (The far-right rises in the Philippines)

"The far-right has risen in the Philippines. They want change, they want their country back, they want to usher in an era of Filipino greatness, and they want it done by any means necessary." ~from Get Real Philippines, March 9, 2017, (The far-right rises in the Philippines)

"The foundation of a society built on the notion of 'human rights' consists of foresight, consistency, and scientific reasoning — all anathema to the Filipino cultural archetype. For the Filipino, human rights is, quite simply, too hard." ~Benigno O, Get Real Post, FB

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Johnny Ox - Heart

"My heart has a history of silent catastrophes." ~Johnny Ox

Angela Barnard - Kindness

"Kindness is like butter. It works best when you spread it around." ~Angela Barnard

THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Religion

"One day religions will disappear, but God will not." ~A.D. Williams

Jim Carrey Quotes

"🌸⁀⋱‿•.♡.•.🌸 ⁀⋱‿•.♡.•.🌸 ⁀⋱‿•.♡.•.🌸

"Flowers don’t worry about how 

they’re going to bloom. They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful."~Jim Carrey  

🌸⁀⋱‿•.♡.•.🌸 ⁀⋱‿•.♡.•.🌸 ⁀⋱‿•.♡.•.🌸

"I hope everybody could get rich and famous and will have everything they dreamed of, so they will know that it's not the answer." ~Jim Carrey

"Society is collapsing, and people are starting to recognise that the reason they feel like they're mentally ill is that they're living in a system that's not designed to suit the human spirit." ~Jim Carrey

"The most valuable currency? The effect you have on others. Everything that you gain in your life will rot and fall apart. And all what will be left of you is what is in your heart." ~Jim Carrey

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From OUR DAILY BREAD - reaching out

"In reaching out to others, we rely not on ourselves but on the strength of our God. Where has God placed you to serve? How are you being faithful?" ~from OUR DAILY BREAD

Adam Houlahan - silence

"Listen to the silence. The universe will answer all of your questions." ~Adam Houlahan

Judy Taguiwalo Quotes

"Children in conflict with the law need proper care, they should not be put in jails where they are exposed to abuses and the influence of hardened criminals." ~Judy Taguiwalo, DSWD Secretary, FB Philippines

“It is important to act immediately for the welfare and safety of the children. Every child on the street is vulnerable to life-threatening risks. We cannot let them think that asking for alms or caroling on the streets is normal." ~Judy Taguiwalo, DSWD Secretary

"We respect all kinds of families and that includes solo parents." ~Judy Taguiwalo, May 3, 2017 (CA)

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Lloyd Alexander Quotes

"Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it." ~Lloyd Alexander

"Keep reading. It's one of the most marvellous adventures that anyone can have." ~Lloyd Alexander

"The only thing a cat worries about is what's happening right now." ~Lloyd Alexander 

"We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself." ~Lloyd Alexander

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Ralph Lauren - dreams

"I don't design clothes. I design dreams." ~Ralph Lauren

William Gibson Quotes

“Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.” ~William Gibson

"Time moves in one direction, memory in another." ~William Gibson

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Peter Counsell Quotes

"A camping spot becomes special when you want to return again and again." ~Peter Counsell, from the beachside campsite, Durras Park North

"Falling asleep to the sound of crashing waves makes for a relaxing getaway." ~Peter Counsell

"True camping is having plenty of bush around you, being woken up in the morning by a chorus of kookaburras, or being disturbed at night by possums searching for food." ~Peter Counsell

Source: Australian Geographic, FB, November 2016

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Henry Parkes - PEACE

"Surely what the Americans had done by war, the Australians could bring about in peace." ~Henry Parkes

(During his long political career, Parkes represented nine different electorates, several in rural areas, including from 1882 to 1884, the seat of Tenterfield. Now he was looking for an opportunity to breathe new life into the campaign for federation.At a banquet held in the Tenterfield School of Arts, Parkes made the case for a national government for the colonies of Australia and New Zealand).

Source: State Records NSW, FB

THOUGHT FOR TODAY: from Osho - journey of life

"You have to save yourself from so many good-intentioned people, do-gooders, who are constantly advising you to be this, to be that. Listen to them, thank them. They don´t mean any harm — but harm is what happens. You just listen to your own heart. That is your only teacher. In the real journey of life, your own intuition is your only teacher." ~Osho

Inspirational: from Positive Minds

"The most beautiful people you'll ever meet aren't always the ones who catch your eyes first. No, the most beautiful are the ones that can never be figured out. The one you could talk with for many hours and still have a million things to ask. The people who have mind so lovely and special, you can help but fall in love with them." ~Positive Minds

Henry Steele Commager - history

"For a people to be without history, or to be ignorant of its history, is as for a man to be without memory - condemned forever to make the same discoveries that have been made in the past, invent the same techniques, wrestle with the same problems, commit the same errors; and condemned, too, to forfeit the rich pleasures of recollection. Indeed, just as it is difficult to imagine history without civilization, so it is difficult to imagine civilization without history." ~Henry Steele Commager(1965), American Historian

Claro M. Recto, Jr and Sr. Quotes

"Dust is our origin and destiny, that painful and bitter thought it is, we have to vow in humble submission and forthwith repeat with Jesus in Gethsemane, "Thy WILL be done, not as I will but Thou Wilt." ~Claro M. Recto

"Nationalism is nourished by a sense of history. It is of its essence to know profoundly the past, so that we may be in complete openness with the men who made that history and in intimate communion with their thoughts, their deeds and their noble lives." ~Claro M. Recto, Jr (8 February 1890-1960 - National Historical Commission of the Philippines)

"Sentimentalism and emotionalism should not play a part in international relations. It is folly to expect any nation to ever sacrifice its welfare and security to pure idealism or to sentimental attachments. As Filipinos, we must look out for ourselves, because no one else will. That is the essence of our independence.” ~Senator Claro M. Recto

"The sad fate of one who accepts the military protection of another is that he has no one to protect him from his protector." ~Claro M. Recto 

"To this day the colonial in the Philippines is not over. Many of our countrymen, deluded by a flag, the name republic, a foreign office at home and embassies abroad, a seat in the United Nations, and other visible symbols of sovereignty, consider themselves free and independent, unaware that we are in many ways tied and fettered, politically, militarily, economically and culturally. This self delusion is one of the greatest stumbling blocks to the full realization of Filipino nationalism and the ultimate attainment of complete and real sovereignty." ~Claro M. Recto

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Bruce Villafuerte Rivera Quotes

REST IN PEACE ATTY. BRUCE V. RIVERA 😢 

 

"Clearly, the greater tragedy than ignorance is the laziness to know the truth. Sadly, most of the better thinkers on the other side suffer from this malaise." ~Bruce V. Rivera

"I know I can never be a parent. But if I was a parent, I will never let my child fight for things I believe in. Not even if he or she believed it too. For as long as he or she is a child, I should fight for him." ~Atty. Bruce V. Rivera, July 2017

"I live in the Philippines not Metro Manila." ~Bruce Villafuerte Rivera, GRPundit, November 30, 2016 GRPundit

"Ordinary citizens who cannot afford to control a media company, influence people, create powerful organizations or lobby to hate. But we can feel their pulse. They are no longer buying all the information you were once feeding them." ~Bruce Villafuerte Rivera, November 30, 2016 GRPundit

"The revolutionary warriors in the past who fought for their ideology acted like freedom soldiers." ~Atty Bruce V. Rivera

"The rich do not feel the gains of this administration because to the bubble of Metro Manila, it is all discomfort. They will not feel the drop in criminality kasi walang snatcher sa Forbes Park. They will not feel efficient governance kasi may pumipila sa kanila para kumuha ng lisensya sa LTO. They will not feel the good effects of lowered corruption kasi kahit nung una, priority sila sa infrastructure. They will not notice how ordinary citizens feel special because they are now the ones who are taken in the same genus as ordinary citizens." ~Bruce Villafuerte Rivera, November 30, 2016, GRPundit

"We deserve the nation we have. Even if we are in the midst of the pandemic and we should be thanking the heavens, our wounds are not as huge as the others, we just would not stop with our self-interests." ~Bruce V. Rivera, May 9, 2020

"When the administrators of an educational institution allow its student to carry a placard saying that someone is a murderer or a dictator, it places that child in a situation where she is being made to accuse someone of being a bad person or even a criminal. Something that the child cannot substantiate because she or he cannot file a case in a court of law personally and has to be represented by the parents. Why give the burden of accusing someone as a dictator or a murderer to a child when it should be the adults doing it. How can it escape someone's logic not to think that if indeed PRD is the evil man they accuse him to be, it would put that child's life in danger. How can adults allow children to fight their wars? How can parents even allow their children enter an institution that reckless?" ~Attorney Bruce V. Rivera, 20 July 2017

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Dr. Delmar Topinio Taclibon - sovereign nation

"From 1898 to 1946, is inscribed in World History as an epoch of the United States of America’s Hegemony in the Philippines; from 1946 to 2016, the American Empire extended their colonial control and command over our leaders and people until such time that a “Moro/Indio” President emerged and reverberated the naked truth to the whole wide world about the atrocities, human rights violations and exploitations done to us by our supposed protector and big brother – which is a fallacy leading to hoax. Enough is enough; we should now be free from the bondage of foreign oppression and so from the trammels of our development as a sovereign nation. Now we are free!" ~Dr. Delmar Topinio Taclibon, Ph D (Oct 30, 2016)

Stanley Abram KARNOW - bewildered identity

"The United States of America should be blamed for remoulding the Filipinos in their own ‘Image’ and depriving them of their ‘Soul’ – an experience that have left the ‘Bewildered’ about their ‘Identity.’ “They (Filipinos) are Asian People not Asian in the eyes of their fellow Asians. Not Western in the eyes of the West.” ~Stanley Abram KARNOW, In Our Image: America’s Empire in the Philippines

Van Ybiernas Quotes

"Rizal's role in history is his efforts to endow the country with a firm sense of nationhood. The retraction, if genuine, will NOT change that." ~Van Ybiernas, on Rizal Course: Using Rizal's life, works and writings TO STRENGTHEN THE FILIPINO YOUTH'S NATIONALISM. November 28, 2016

"True historians are fair, not blind." ~Van Ybiernas, 28 November 2016

"Truth cannot be suppressed, especially in this day and age where access to information is dispersed and uncontrollable. ... do not let the loud voices of the vociferous drown out your own voice. Do not out-shout them. There is no need to shout back. But do not let them drown out your own voice. .......In time, all of our voices will be heard." ~Van Ybiernas, FB, November 28, 2016 on the topic of Rizal

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A THOUGHT TO PONDER: Self-control by Nelson Mandela

"He had caused me to violate my self-control and I considered that a defeat at the hands of my opponent." ~Nelson Mandela from Long Walk to Freedom, talking about a prison warder, 1994, LivingTheLegacy

Josh Cyganik - respect

"I am not a hero. I was raised to respect the people who came before you, to help others out who don’t have much." ~Josh Cyganik (, a Union Pacific railroad inspector) On A guy heard teens laughing at a 75-year-old man's house. Source: Bright Side, FB

Jim Dongiapon - IMPOSED TRUTH

"The reason why foreigners have a hard time understanding our President and the situation of our country is that we have a lot of spin doctors here who feed the imposed truth to the international media." ~Jim Dongiapon, FB on mainstream media

Carlos Munda Quotes

"Duterte's message of a public servant actually serving the public resonates, not just among Filipinos, but with every woking-class person anywhere in the world. Because it is a concept that they understand – an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. The President has always said that he will do what he has been paid to do, which is to fix the problems of the Philippines. He never wanted to run, but since the people elected him, then he will just have to faithfully perform the job of the President of the Philippines." ~Carlos Munda, MindaNation: Duterte is one of us, that’s why we love him (And they hate him, because he will never be like them), 10 September 2016

Sadly this pragmatic, no-nonsense approach to leadership can never be understood nor appreciated by those who are used to sophistication and finesse. For them appearance is worth more than substance and Duterte’s crass behavior is a sure sign of low-breeding, stupidity, ignorance, and a thousand other snide remarks that all add up to one thing – he is not sosyal enough to suit their tastes." ~Carlos Munda, MindaNation: Duterte is one of us, that’s why we love him (And they hate him, because he will never be like them), 10 September 2016

"There is a time to fight, and a time to build. Now is the time to build. We have already won the war – no matter what ...... - WE WON THE WAR. Now it’s time we secure peace." ~Carlos Munda, MindaNation, 8 January 2017

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Charles Englund Quotes

"I am fine with the Church making general moral statements but the moment the religious start choosing political sides, and encouraging people to take sides, is when things break down. Let us not forget that one of the supposed aspirations of a modern democracy is that of a secular State." ~Charles Englund

"No matter how blunt the sword, you still have a war to fight." ~Charles Englund, January 10, 2017

"Nobody seems to recognize that the root of the divide is more due to different political priorities. Why are we always talking at cross purposes? Because at the top of your list are EJKs and the burial of Marcos at Libingan. At the top of my list is a move toward efficient and effective government, one that is sincere in its service to the people. I am for tax reform, higher fiscal spending and opening up to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). I believe what Lee Kuan Yew said about the Philippines is true: that the US-style setup of government has failed us even before Marcos tried to change it, and I believe we should move to a parliamentary and federalist system. We need to break up our huge archipelagic country into more manageable and governable federal states. I am concerned that the corruption we have always seen in Philippine politics may have links to drugs—narcopolitics, in other words. I am for peace in Mindanao and a tough stance on terrorists and outlaws. I feel all these things are closer to happening with this administration. Duterte gets all of this and is the best chance we have had since...forever." ~Charles Englund, FB, 2016

"The refreshing realization is that we now have a president who believes the Filipino is worth investing in, and spending on. Duterte will sign the laws to deliver the much needed services, which is what government should do. He will spend. Such a big contrast to the former occupant of Malacanang who vetoed, underspent, and focused on the short term." ~Charles England, 5 August 2017

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Alexander von Humboldt - worldview

"The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have not viewed the world." ~Alexander von Humboldt

Yukio Mishima - dignity of life

"We tend to suffer from the illusion that we are capable of dying for a belief or theory. ... that even in merciless death, a futile death that knows neither flower nor fruit has dignity as the death of a human being. If we value so highly the dignity of life, how can we not also value the dignity of death? No death may be called futile." ~Yukio Mishima on Hagakure : The Samurai Ethic and Modern Japan (1977)

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Immaterial treasures

“With a keen appreciation for the immaterial treasures that bring us closer to God, let us continue to pursue an agenda for genuine change that will be for the best interest of our people. I hope that we cherish with fondness, love and gratitude the spiritual inheritance left by our ancestors and loved ones on their special day." ~Rodrigo Roa Duterte, President of the Philippines, November 1, 2016

Susan Boyle - anonymity

“When you’re famous, you give up your anonymity. It comes with the territory really." ~Susan Boyle on her new album A Wonderful World, November 25, 2016

Steve Wentworth Quotes

"Never laugh at anyone's misfortune, because one day, you may find yourself in exactly the same situation." ~Steve Wentworth

"Some of the most generous people have no money. Some of the wisest people have no education. Some of the kindest people were hurt the most." ~Steve Wentworth

"Why do some people hurt you and then act like you hurt them? ~Steve Wentworth

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J.A. Shedd - Thanksgiving

"He who thanks but with the lips Thanks but in part;
The full, the true Thanksgiving Comes from the heart."
~J.A. Shedd

Rocky Gonzalez Quotes

"From being washed out and threadbare because of corruption, PDu30 and his administration weave new and positive stories into our collective national experience. We are the thread that will limn the Philippine tapestry with brighter images and themes." ~Rocky Gonzalez, MindaNation (November 24, 2016)

"The moral fabric of society has been well worn by the personal interests, greed and politics of the people who are supposed to guide and protect us like the government, the military and police, and the church." ~Rocky Gonzalez, 24 November 2016

"The present president is besieged by the woes and worries cultivated by his calloused predecessor. He must weed out the narcotics trade and their protectors, thieves in every level and branch of government, corruption, apathy and a degenerated sense of sovereignty. He cuts through every single one of these obstacles with a strong link to the past but with a clear view of tomorrow. These difficulties which beset him may be too much for one man to handle but he chooses to do it." ~Rocky Gonzales, 28 December 2016, Duterte: A Present President, Huftington Post

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John Griffith - signs and sounds

"But especially he loved to run in the dim twilight of the summer midnights, listening to the subdued and sleepy murmurs of the forest, reading signs and sounds as a man may read a book, and seeking for the mysterious something that called -- called, waking or sleeping, at all times, for him to come." ~from THE CALL OF THE WILD (1903) by John Griffith

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Mankind

"The only animal that harbors hate is mankind." ~A.D. Williams

Perfecto Yasay Quotes

RIP, June 12, 2020

"A 'politician' is one who immediately decides to talk for hours about an issue without even thinking while a 'diplomat' thinks for hours to decide not to say anything." ~Perfecto Yasay, Secretary of Foreign Affairs

"I am honored and humbled in dedicating my life as part of the (incoming) Rodrigo R. Duterte Administration to make change a liberating reality and in shaping a brighter future for our country and people." ~Perfecto Yasay, 18 June 2016

"In pursuing an independent foreign policy it is our duty to uphold the Constitution that mandates the renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy, adherence to the generally accepted principles of international law, peace, equality, justice, freedom and amity with all nations." ~Perfecto Yasay, 18 June 2016

"Journalists who distort the truth to malign, kill and destroy are the worst kind of assassins, murderers and terrorists!" ~Perfecto Yasay (February 2018)

"Let us not be bound by outside standards, concerns or objectives in pursuing the paramount national interest within the context of our democracy, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, even as we respect every country's right to self determination in accordance with their national interests." ~Perfecto Yasay, 18 June 2016

"We must protect the fundamental right of the people not to be deprived of life, liberty and property without due process. In our commitment to defend their sanctity as God's most wondrous creation, we must be firm in swiftly dismantling and eliminating by every possible means under the rule of law, the harsh conditions and structures that breed inequality and suffering in derogation of their dignity as human beings." ~Perfecto Yasay, 18 June 2016

BIO

Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Philippines

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Carl von Clausewitz - special calling

“Every special calling in life, if it is to be followed with success, requires peculiar qualifications of understanding and soul,” ~Carl von Clausewitz in his opus On War.
(Being accepted in Leiden University’s MA in International Relations will further sharpen my understanding of the theoria and praxis of international politics. The courses I have taken at LUC, as well as at University of California, Los Angeles.)

MANNY PACQUIAO Quotes

"In the midst of all circumstances, we put our trust in you. We humbly pray that your peace and righteousness will reign over our country." ~Manny Pacquiao

"No matter how busy your holiday season may be, you can rest your heart in knowing that God remains in control and works according to His plan." ~Manny Pacquiao (December 7, 2016)

"No matter where life takes you... don't forget where you came from." ~Manny Pacquiao

"Strength of mind overcomes weakness of body." ~from Manny Pacquiao

"The problem in our country is beyond our expectation, beyond our imagination. This illegal drug [problem] is really bad. Government officials, elected officials are involved." ~Sen. Manny Pacquiao

"Use your smile to change the world, don't let the world change your smile." ~Manny Pacquiao

“We cannot over-emphasize the role of civil servants in nation building. They are our partners in instituting growth and development.“ ~Manny Pacquiao, 14 August 2017, ILO Convention 151

MANNY PACQUIAO in Las Vegas

"He is like a sponge... picks up knowledge and common sense by osmosis." ~Dennis Garcia on Manny Pacquiao (Fight against Jessi Vargas, in Las Vegas, November 6, 2016)

"Manny Pacquiao's win is an example of hardwork, faith in God and unadulterated Filipino courage. Great example for those who aspire!" ~Senator Richard Gordon, November 6, 2016

Manny Pacquiao in OXFORD UNIVERSITY

“Being poor does not mean one must die poor." ~Manny Pacquiao

"Believe in the loyalty of family and believe in the Almighty.” ~Manny Pacquiao

"Hard work and persistence will set you free from the shackles of poverty. But it is faith that will take you to the very top. Never lose faith in what you can do as a human being. " ~Manny Pacquiao

"I am a fighter not just because it is my profession. I was a fighter long before I first set foot in a boxing ring. All my life, I have fought to live. Every single day in my youth, I fought for survival.” ~Manny Pacquiao

“I do not fault anyone who views me as singularly ill-equipped for this role. Instead, I ask: Is there anyone more knowledgeable than this humble civil servant about the hardships incident to the way of life of majority of our people? Who among my colleagues has faced poverty face-to-face from birth? Whose life’s work has it been to battle illiteracy?” ~Manny Pacquiao

"I know what I should speak about, something very few among you can claim to know about: my education, certainly non-traditional, non-formal, largely unstructured. I will call it my education in the Open University of Life.” ~Manny Pacquiao

"I may not have financial acuity. I may not be historically fluent. I may not even be socially adept. But I am philosophically rooted in my personal adversities, which morally bind me to the general struggle of our people.” ~Manny Pacquiao, Oxford University, Nov 7, 2018

“If you ignore the odds against you…and as you are taught here at this magnificent institution – never, ever quit. Think of David and Goliath. Look at me. I am not very big and I never had five smooth stones to throw at any obstacle, but determination is a power tool. I won a lot fights." ~Manny Pacquiao

“In crafting effective laws, there is no better guide than the pulse of the masses." ~Manny Pacquiao, Oxford University, Nov 7, 2018

"Miracles do happen. Dreams do come true… You, with your education, determination and faith, you can change the world.” ~Manny Pacquiao

"Yet, through the ashes of destruction, the Filipino always manages to rise up and fight another day." ~Manny Pacquiao
👊

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY

"As an athlete, I become agitated when I do not improve in terms of speed, style, and stamina. 
I keep pushing myself beyond my limits. I apply the same principles in' public service. As a lifelong learner, I must keep improving myself and I must not stop learning. That way, 
I remain relevant to my people and the world who deserve the best of Manny Pacquiao, inside and outside the ring.

For as long as I exist, I will keep showing up for life. I will continue to be a learner and always strive to be a teacher by imparting my hard-earned lessons to others.

Each one of you in this room can change the world. Have faith, persevere. Find your passion and heed your calling. I urge you, as the Roman poet Horace did: Carpe Diem -- seize the day.
And above all, FIGHT."

~Senator Manny Pacquiao, Speech at Cambridge University (lifted from Mike F. Waldorf post, FB)


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W. T. Purkiser - thanksgiving

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of thanksgiving." ~W.T. Purkiser

Chaim Potok - listen to silence

“I've begun to realize that you can listen to silence and learn from it. It has a quality and a dimension all its own.” ~from THE CHOSEN by Chaim Potok

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The One Who Walks In

"When you are up in life, your friends get to know who you are. But when you are down in life, you get to know who your friends are. There will be many people who will be great to be around when times are easy, and when there are no worries, instead take note of the people who remain in your life when times are hard. The friends that are willing to sacrifice their time and the resources they have in their life that could easily be used in their lives, to help improve yours, those are your real friends. A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." ~from Hugs and Kisses

Anthony Brandt - change

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family." ~Anthony Brandt

John Bevere Quotes

"Don't interpret God's Word through the lens of your experience. Interpret your experience through the lens of God's Word." ~John Bevere, Driven By Eternity

“The light within you is greater than the darkness around you.” -John Bevere

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Bill Richardson - working together

"We cannot accomplish all that we need to do without working together." ~Bill Richardson

Edison Reyes - discernment

"God's word guides us to discern who are the true ministers in our government officials in spite of their imperfections." ~Edison Reyes, FB, 15 November 2016

Leonard Mlodinow - illusions

“We judge people and initiatives by their results, and we expect events to happen for good, understandable reason. But our clear visions of inevitability are often only illusions.” ~from THE DRUNKARD'S WALK: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow

Alex Elic - survivor

"You are not a victim for sharing your story. You are a survivor setting the world on fire with your truth. And you never know who needs your light, your warmth, and your raging courage." ~Alex Elic

Quotes from MOCHA USON BLOG

"Ang tunay na malasakit ay nakikita sa gawa at hindi lamang sa salita." ~Mocha Uson Blog, December 17, 2016

"Ang tunay na nagsisilbi sa bayan ay ang mga taong hindi gutom sa kapangyarihan." ~Mocha Uson, 14 November 2016

"It is my opinion that you must first understand what led us to the decision to vote for President Duterte. We are tired – tired of the same kind of politicians. Tired of the same promises. Tired of the slow processes in government departments. Tired of the slow response of the government to problems that affect the ordinary people. Tired of corruption. Tired of rampant drug abuse and other heinous crimes committed by drug addicts. Tired of drug pushers and drug lords walking the streets while they destroy our country.... We have given a lot of chances to politicians who are more concerned with their public image than acting on the country’s problems, but now, we’ve had enough. This is why we chose a leader who is not like the other politicians, a leader who shows his capability through actions, and a leader who understands the needs of the common people because he is also a commoner." ~Mocha Uson Blog on President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, FB, 15 November 2016

"Mahalaga ang talino, pero mas mahalaga ang may puso." ~Mocha Uson Blog, 8 February 2017

"We have been divided into different colors because there are solid supporters of the previous administration who are blind to the tangible achievements of this administration, and yet I’m the fanatic? If these yellow forces are trying to bring down this administration, must I just turn a blind eye? Or must I make a stand and show them that there are people who will not let them succeed in destroying this administration just to put their political party in power once again." ~Mocha Uson Blog, 28 November 2016

"While it is a must that we unite in order to achieve a better future, we must first learn that we are all equals, our opinions are equally important, and that belittling the ordinary people is not a part of the privileges given to the elites. Do not use your social status to put common people down, use it to help in bringing them up." ~Mocha Uson Blog, FB, 15 November 2016

Source: FB

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Sass Rogando Sasot Quotes

"A scholar once told me to have the courage to make bold predictions. Because with every bold prediction comes great mistakes, and with every great mistake comes great learning." ~Sass Rogando Sasot (2016: THE YEAR OF THE COME-FROM-BEHIND VICTORS, FB, 20 November 2016)

"... count your mistakes, they are your blessings in life." ~Sass Rogando Sasot, FB, 20 November 2016, 2016: THE YEAR OF THE COME-FROM-BEHIND VICTORS

"Freedom of speech comes with consequences. If you can't handle the consequences of your speech, then don't speak. But if you want to speak in public, grow a damn spine. That's not a false dilemma but reality." ~Sass Rogando Sasot

"I hope GMA 7 would take this opportunity to change the face of Philippine TV. It's time to have REALLY intelligent shows na would expose Filipinos to arts, culture, science and technology. With virtually no competition, you can now redefine the broadcast media landscape from one that cheapened their consciousness for about 50 years to one that would broaden their aesthetic, cultural, scientific, and technological horizons. You no longer have to compete at the level of kabit, kerengkeng, and kaumay na walang sense na dramarama. End of ABS-CBN is the birth of new era of PH TV. Make it an era that would enrich, widen, and elevate the consciousness of the masses." ~Sass Rogando Sasot, For The Motherland, July 10, 2020 (The End of abs-cb-end)

"... I realised that there are more important things than sounding like a statesman, like strategy, cunning, and political will." ~Sass Roganda Sasot, FB, 20 November 2016, 2016: THE YEAR OF THE COME-FROM-BEHIND VICTORS

"If there’s anything I would hope the future generation would become, it’s that they would have a more enlightened view of the world." ~Sass Rogando Sasot

"If you are going to lead a nation, your memory should be the memory of a nation. You shouldn't be president if you have an impoverished understanding of the history of your people. The history of our people didn't start from Martial Law and stayed there. Our history is more than that one episode. Duterte's historical awareness is impressive. Not perfect, but certainly much better than Aquino's. He went to China with an understanding of our bilateral history that goes beyond our conflict over rocks, islands, and a shoal. He knew that this conflict is nothing compared to hundreds of years of our people's good trade relations with China. By looking back, Duterte is fulfilling the lesson of the most well-known Tagalog proverb: ang hindi marunong lumingon sa kanyang pinanggalingan ay hindi makararating sa paroroonan. The Rajah of Butuan, the Sultan of Sulu, the former mayor of Davao and now president of the Philippines are all from Mindanao, and they represent different periods in our bilateral relations with China since time immemorial." ~Sass Rogando Sasot (October 23, 2016)

"Most countries resort to charm before they harm." ~SRSasot, video lecture on Sovereignty, Security and Power, 29 December 2016

"Someone asked me what's the greatest accomplishment Duterte did in his first year. As a student of international relations, my answer is the moment Duterte fizzled out a major crisis in international order and stability at the risk of attracting the anger of his people who've been conditioned to fight China though the heavens may fall. If Duterte's foreign policy path would be continued to be traversed, then we would save future generations from the scourge of a devastating contest for power in the Pacific." ~Sass Rogando Sasot, For the Motherland, 4 July 2017 (Reposting what I wrote on the 16th of July 2016 regarding Yasay's face and James Blunt...)

"The enlightened future generation would judge Duterte not according to how clean his mouth but how he used power to shape events to prevent greater tragedies from happening to our country." ~Sass Rogando Sasot (Commentary: A Vulgar Politician

"The past presidents didn't do much to dismantle the machinery of narcopolitics in the Philippines. They were afraid of the blood, sweat, and tears that entail. So, they sort of tolerated it. The shabu trade flourished. That also means not doing anything to rehabilitate those suffering from drug addiction, as evidenced by the lack of rehabilitation centres. Duterte isn't afraid of the work needed to be done in order to dismantle narcopolitics in our country. He's not even afraid to die for this cause. This same seriousness is also reflected in his administration's efforts to build rehabilitation centres for drug addicts. Tunay na TAPANG at MALASAKIT." ~Sass Rogando Sasot, December 1, 2016

"What doesn't kill me will just make me stronger. Keep on breaking me, and I'll just keep on snapping back FOR THE MOTHERLAND!" ~Sass Rogando Sasot, February 23, 2017

"Without demonstrably satisfying any compelling public interest, Rappler and the leaker accomplished only one thing: thoroughly damage our government’s reputation concerning its ability to safeguard the confidentiality of high-level diplomatic communications. Other leaders will now surely hesitate to have frank conversations with our leaders. We cannot let Rappler and the leaker do this to our Republic." -Sass Sassot Rogando (May 2017)

"You don't let anyone fight your own war. Why? Because after each war, the spoils need to be divided among the parties - winners and losers. And just like during peace time: the strong do what they can, while the weak suffer what they must. No country will go to war for you and give you the bulk of the spoils of that war. No such thing as a free war." ~Sass Rogando Sasot, on Dividing the Spoils, FB, 29 October 2016

"You will fail because we will not let you fuck up the dream shared by many millions of Filipinos: A leader who has the political will to make our country a better place than it was, so that the next generation would have a better chance of flourishing in our motherland." ~Sass Rolando Sasot (slams Trillanes).

‪"Your friendship is more valuable than defending me. If they're furious at me, let them be. But don't let it ruin the friendship you've built all throughout these years.‬" ~Sass Rogando Sasot

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Jody Doty Quotes

"And somehow despite the drama, the pain of dissidence, the weighing of our truth, the owning of who we are and how we fit in among the places that consume our peace, we manage to keep walking our path. We sing our soul's song. We breathe in and out. We bless and release and pray that the peace in our heart will transmute to love in our outer world. So, we persevere. We dare to hope our individual voice is heard and multiplied. We love despite it all. It's what we do. It's the best of who we are and it's needed now more than ever." ~Jody Doty

"Gratitude is a sacred state of being, a peaceful acceptance, a graceful opening of the heart and joyful connection with the soul." ~Jody Doty

"The layers of her safe facade fall like teardrops despite her valiant effort to grasp what she has always believed was her truth. In their place rawness remains, a poignant vulnerability with a foreign tenderness, a love she never realized existed. She stands on new ground like a spiritual pioneer embarking on a sacred journey. She surrenders her ego, calls in her angels and gently walks into the sunrise of her soul." ~Jody Doty

"Then there's the sacred part of me that remembers the pain, but waits with a hopeful, open heart for love to remember its way home." ~Jody Doty

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Inspiration for Today: Faith and Courage by Imelda Deinla

"Only the soft whisper of the wind reminds us how faith and courage serve us through the test of times." ~Imelda Deinla

Sierra DeMulder - soul mate

"A soul mate is not the person who makes you the happiest, but the one who makes you feel the most." ~Sierra DeMulder

Thought For Today: healthy relationships

"In healthy relationships, conflicts are normal, arguments are not. Big difference. When two different people come together to live a good portion of their days in each other's company, conflict happens. They, before meeting, had entire lives, lessons learned, manners taught (or not), and were shown "the way things are done" by all those family, friends, and strangers who they ever encountered before meeting each other. " ~Happiness In Your Life

Arturo D. Brion - judge of history

"The Court, of course, is not blind to history but is not a judge of history; it is a judge of the interpretation and application of the terms of the Constitution." ~Associate Justice Arturo D. Brion on SC decision/ruling to allow FEM's burial in LNMB, November 2016

Bernard Roth - Flip the switch

"Whenever anyone makes an important change, it’s because a switch has flipped. Someone who has struggled her whole life with her weight finally decides to get fit. Someone who has put up with an abusive boss for years finally has enough and quits. Someone who has harbored a secret crush finally takes the plunge and asks her beloved out for coffee. A shift has happened that has made action favorable to inaction. You can sit around in the dark waiting for the light to come on, or you can get up, walk across the room, and flip the switch yourself." ~Bernard Roth

Carol P. Christ - solitude

"The choice of solitude is not so much a rejection of community as a recognition that certain experiences and truths are so alien to ordinary consciousness that the individual must withdraw in order to experience them." ~Carol P. Christ

Bernard Meltzer Quotes

"Success is getting and achieving what you want. Happiness is wanting and being content with what you get." ~Bernard Meltzer

"Use those talents you have. You will make it. You will give joy to the world. Take this tip from nature: The woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except those who sang best." ~Bernard Meltzer

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Farrel Droke - overcome adversity

"Every great personal story you have to tell involves overcoming adversity. If you shy away from adversity, you take away your ability to tell new stories." ~Farrel Droke

Catherine Fenwick - body, mind and soul

"Your body cannot heal without play.
Your mind cannot heal without laughter.
Your soul cannot heal without joy."
~Catherine Fenwick

A THOUGHT TO PONDER: OVERCOME by AD Williams

"It's not what we become in life that's important. It's what we overcome in life that's important." ~A.D. Williams

John McDonald Quotes

"At birth we boarded the train and met our parents, and we believe they will always travel by our side. As time goes by, other people will board the train; and they will be significant i.e. our siblings, friends, children, and even the love of your life." ~John McDonald

"However, at some station our parents will step down from the train, leaving us on this journey alone. Others will step down over time and leave a permanent vacuum. Some, however, will go so unnoticed that we don't realize they vacated their seats. This train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, goodbyes, and farewells." ~John McDonald

"Success consists of having a good relationship with all passengers requiring that we give the best of ourselves........The mystery to everyone is: We do not know at which station we ourselves will step down." ~John McDonald

"We must live in the best way, love, forgive, and offer the best of who we are. It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to step down and leave our seat empty we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life...." ~John McDonald

"We should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life...." ~John McDonald

Source: The Train

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Henry Adams - influence

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." -Henry Adams

Antonio P. Contreras Quotes

"... an overdose of political bias can be fatal to readership and profitability of a news organization." ~Antonio P. Contreras, December 18, 2016

"EDSA was not a revolution. It was a military coup supported by the people but hijacked by the elites." ~Antonio P. Contreras, 17 September 2017

"Equally compelling, ... is the risk of planting so much anger in the minds of the young, and in exposing them to a one-dimensional representation of a complex period in history, more so if that is one that is more popular among those who are tasked to educate them." ~Antonio P. Contreras, 27 November 2016

"Heroes are not in tombs and monuments. They are found in the hearts of people." ~Antonio P. Contreras

"... how to make sense of the President without losing your head." ~Antonio P. Contreras, December 8, 2016 (Political semantics and semiotics)

"Politicizing the young is an important ingredient for revolution and resistance. ...I do not want to under-estimate the power of this generation of the youth, by looking back at how many in my own generations have abandoned their transient activism, which was fashionable when they were still students,...." ~Antonio P. Contreras, (I WILL KEEP ON BEING THE INCONVENIENT SIDE OF THIS STORY) November 27, 2016

"Sometimes in the midst of stress you get to discover that a loss can be a win and an end could be a new beginning. " ~Antonio P. Contreras, April 18, 2017

"The best way to teach history is to teach its methodology and then allow students to raise their own questions and form their own conclusions and interpretations after being exposed to all narratives about the personality, period or event. The role of the teacher is as a guide and enabler, and not a proselytizer. A teacher can state his or her position but only as a particular interpretation and should in no way be construed as the only interpretation." ~Antonio P. Contreras (2016)

"The power of nature could cast a spell even if it could also bring death and destruction." ~Antonio P. Contreras

"To claim that the misadministration of the vaccine was an outcome of bad science is utterly ridiculous. It was not the scientific community that made the decision to make shortcuts and fast-track the vaccination program. The decision was made by bureaucrats who ignored science, and instead gave more credence to political considerations. It was also pushed by pharmaceutical capitalists who gave more importance to profit. If there are scientists who were involved, these were people who compromised their scientific training." ~Antonio P. Contreras

Food for Thought:

"... we (also) have to temper a bit our sense of entitlement that we who are learned in law, IR and politics always know best, based on our understanding of theories and concepts we learn in school and teach to our students. If we keep on doing so we end up arrogantly dismissive of the ordinary and everyday sense of reason, worse we label these as stupidity. This is where we end up being dismissed by those who we want to transform and influence. You make them understand by getting into their patterns of thinking. Sometimes gems of political understanding could be found from the organic and raw knowledge of the ordinary citizen." ~Antonio P. Contreras, (FB, October 2016)

"You focus your condemnation of us on the basis of a single issue -- the war and drugs. How can you be so fixated that you forget to look at the totality of our democracy." ~Prof Antonio P Contreras on International Media re: DeLima's arrest on a drug -related charge, February 24, 2017

"You went to the Court for relief. And it gave you a ruling based on law. But justice is rendered by any court not on the basis of politics but on the basis of law." ~Antonio P. Contreras, Philippine Political Scientist, 14 November 2016

VERSE ASIDE

"The coldness of beer.
The rising super moon at a distance.
Asserting its beauty over clouds.
Winds that send waves crashing.
The challenges of life before a sip of pleasure.
Even as my loved ones are away and I am all alone."
~Antonio P. Contreras, FB, 15 November 2016

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MJ Quiambao Reyes Quotes

"..., Duterte may have sparked distress to some countries like US maybe. But for many of us, he sparks PEACE, HOPE, and real, inclusive, sustainable PROGRESS." ~MJ Quiambao Reyes, 29 October 2016

"Our eyes have a language of their own... a story and poetry too... far beyond words..." ~MJ Quiambao Reyes

"This foul-mouthed guy who according to US is sparking distress around the world is also the same master strategist who was able to avert a serious confrontation with China and prevented a war we cannot win." ~MJ Quiambao Reyes, on Duterte's visit to China and Japan, 29 October 2016

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Michael Bassey Johnson Quotes

“In your darkest hour, give thanks, for in due time, the morning will come. And it will come with a ray of sunshine.” ~Michael Bassey Johnson

"The night taught me never to fear  the dark times, by giving way to the dawn of a new day " ~Michael Bassey Johnson 

"There are better people in the world, do not let the worst do the worst to you, you deserve the best in life." ~Michael Bassey Johnson

Dodie Smith - luxury

"Contemplation seems to be about the only luxury that costs nothing." ~Dodie Smith

Brian Cox - human right

"The problem with today’s world is that everyone believes they have the right to express their opinion AND have others listen to it. The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!" ~Brian Cox

Amy Newmark Quotes

“…happiness is not a mysterious, elusive lottery ticket meant for only a lucky, random few. It is a jackpot within everyone’s grasp once we remove the obstacles we put in our own paths and give ourselves permission to do the things we love to do.” ~Amy Newmark

“If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.” ~Amy Newmark

“What I love about forgiveness is that it gives you the opportunity to change your life literally in one second. All you have to do is decide that you’re going to do it.”~Amy Newmark

"You have to listen to your gut and be willing to speak up, even when it’s embarrassing or inconvenient.” ~Amy Newmark

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THANK YOU

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JP De Leon - same person

"Five years from now you are still the same person except the books you read and the people you meet." ~JP De Leon

President Xi - wishes of the people

"I hope we can follow the wishes of the people and use this visit as an opportunity to push China-Philippines relations back on a friendly footing and fully improve things" ~President Xi (DDS FB, October 21, 2016, Beijing) on President RR Duterte during his recent State Visit to the Republic of China

Quotes on WALK

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are WALKING in the TRUTH." ~3 John 1:4

"Keep walking in Faith. Seek God's will in all you do and he will show you the path to take." ~Proverbs 3:6

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"A truth can walk naked … but a lie always needs to be dressed." ~Khalil Gibran

"A walk down an old country road is the perfect place to learn that true inner peace comes not by thinking about what you want, but by thanking God for what you already have." ~Mountain Wisdom

"A woman who walks with purpose doesn't have to chase people or opportunities. Her light causes people and opportunities to pursue her." ~Dr. Farrah Gray

"After a day's walk everything has twice its usual value." ~George Macauley Trevelyan

“Although I deeply love oceans, deserts, and other wild landscapes, it is only mountains that beckon me to walk deeper and deeper into their beauty.” ~Victoria Erickson

"Although the road is never ending, take a step and keep walking. Do not look fearfully into the distance. On this path, let the heart be your guide, for the body is hesitant and full of fear." ~Rumi

"An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day." ~Henry David Thoreau

Mt Annan 

25 March 2023

"As you start to walk out on the way, the way appears." ~Rumi

"As you walk along the unbeaten path listen to the birds chirping, squirrels chatting, insects clicking, the rustle of leaves, feel the breeze upon your cheek and know that it is nature's way of saying, 'Welcome back to the Earth child, we've been waiting for your return for so very long.'" ~DJ Hinton

"As you walk upon the sacred earth, treat each step as a prayer." ~Black Elk

"Be willing to walk alone. Many who started with you, won't finish with you." ~Positive Good Vibes

“Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it.” ~Rumi

"Being a star is a blessed gift. That means I shed light to the weary who walk at night." ~Sharon Novilla

"Bring awareness to each act. Walking on the road, walk fully alert; eating, eat with awareness. Whatsoever you are doing, don't let the past and the future interfere. Be in the present; that's what awareness is all about." ~Osho

"Come outside and walk with me, we'll try each other on to see if we fit, and with our roots become a tree, to shade what we make under it." ~Brandon Boyd

"Despite the sun fighting the clouds to come out, I'm enjoying my peaceful solitude walk with nothing but the sounds of the ocean waves rolling in." ~Mary (Miemie) V. Cowan

"Don’t be scared to walk alone. Don’t be scared to like it” ~John Mayer

"Don't forget to walk barefoot in the grass and study all the pretty flowers and wildlife along the way." ~Cloud Nine Girl

“Don't let the light shinning on you be brighter than the light shinning inside you. More light on the inside would keep you from walking in the dark.” ~Kingsley Opuwari Manuel

"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness." ~Martin Luther King Jr.

"Everyday is a walk to remember." ~Duoi Ampilan

"Every step of the way I will walk with you and never leave you stranded." ~Rumi

“Every time we walk along a beach some ancient urge disturbs us so that we find ourselves shedding shoes and garments or scavenging among seaweed and whitened timbers like the homesick refugees of a long war.” ~Loren Eiseley

"Few people know how to take a walk. The qualities are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humour, vast curiosity, good silence and nothing too much." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.” ~Leonard da Vinci

"Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed." ~Walt Whitman

“Give me strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is.”  ~Black Elk 

"Help me to walk in your light, and live my life in faith and glory." ~Anon

"How is it possible that the most intellectual creature to ever walk the planet Earth is destroying its only home?" ~Jane Goodall

"How we walk with the broken speaks louder than how we sit with the great." ~Bill Bennot

"I am learning to love the sound of my feet walking away from things not meant for me" ~A.G.

"I shall not fear what is on the other side of tomorrow, as God has sent an Angel to walk the path with me." ~Mountain wisdom

"I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees." ~Henry David Thoreau

“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

“If a man neglects education, he walks lame to the end of his life.” ~Plato

"If there is any wisdom running through my life now, in my walking on this earth, it came from listening in the Great Silence to the stones, trees, space, the wild animals, to the pulse of all life as my heartbeat." ~Vijali Hamilton

"In every walk with nature one receives more than he seeks." ~John Muir

"In order to be walked on, you have to be lying down." ~Brian Weir

"It's your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you." ~Rumi

"It takes courage to stand and fight for something, but sometimes it can take even more than courage to walk away and leave things behind." ~Wings of Love

"Lovely days don't come to you, you should walk to them." ~Rumi

“May you always walk in Beauty.” ~ Black Elk 

"May you walk gently through the world and know its beauty in all days of your life. " ~Native Americans

"Normality is a paved road; it's comfortable to walk but no flowers grow." -Vincent Van Gogh

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” ~Leonardo da Vinci

"One day you will ask me which is more important. My life or yours? I will say mine, and you will walk away not knowing that you are my life." ~Khalil Gibran

"One does not sell the earth upon which the people walk." ~Anon

"Our strength comes from walking with confidence in the truth of who we are. We are LOVE." ~Sue Krebs

"People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognise: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child ― our own two eyes. All is a miracle." ~Thich Nhat Hanh

"Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake."  ~Wallace Stevens

“Re-energize your soul... Walk with Mother nature.” ~Anthony Douglas Williams

"Sometimes there's nothing better than just taking a walk and wandering around." ~Pia A. Wurtzbach

"Sometimes you have to get off the ride, change your playground and walk away, if you want to change your life." ~Anon

"Strong women aren't simply born. They are made by the storms they walk through." ~Anon

"Take a quiet walk with Mother Nature. It will nurture your mind, body, and soul." ~A.D. Williams

"The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk.“ ~Joseph Joubert

"The difference between a good life and a bad life is how well you walk through the fire" ~Carl Jung

"The greatest gift we can seek is peace of mind, to walk in balance, to respect all things." ~Elders (ONONDAGA)

"The ground that we walk today will be our roof tomorrow." ~Anon

"The higher we are placed, the more humbly we should walk." ~Anon

‪"The journey is a walk to remember." ~Duoi Ampilan‬

"The soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone." ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before." ~Albert Einstein

"Those who walk away, walk away for a reason. You need them to walk away. You just don't know it yet." ~Abeer Fahim

“To walk into nature is to witness a thousand miracles.” ~Mary Davis

"Today, you can decide to walk in freedom. You can choose to walk differently. You can walk as a free person, enjoying every step." ~Thich Nhat Hanh

"Walk a mile in my shoes, see what I see, hear what I hear, feel what I feel; then maybe you will understand why I do what I do. Till then don't judge me." ~Recharge Your Mind

"Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet." ~Thich Nhat Hanh

"Walk away from anything or anyone who takes away from your joy life is too short to put up with fools." ~Goalcast

"Walk away … from arguments that lead to anger, from people who put you down, from anyone who doesn't see your worth. Walk away from mistakes and fears, they don't determine your fate. They more you walk away from the things that poison your soul, the healthier and happier you will be." ~Lessons Taught By Life

"Walk lightly in the spring;
Mother Earth is pregnant."
~Native American Kiowa Proverb

"Walk outside on a clear night and just look up into the sky. Take a moment to realise you are sitting on a plane spinning around in the middle of absolute nowhere. Sometimes, it takes a bit of perspective to remember what's really important. You are alive and you are here. You have the potential to be anything. So let go of what's holding you back and dream, believe, breathe." ~Michael Singer, The Untethered Soul

"Walk with grief like a good friend. Listen to what he says. Sometimes the cold and dark of a cave give the opening we most want." ~Rumi

"Walks. The body advances, while the mind flutters around it like a bird.“ ~Jules Renard

"We do not walk alone. Great Being walks beside us. Know this and be grateful." ~Polingaysi Qoyawayma, Hopi

"We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as its other creatures do." ~Barbara Ward

"We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives . . . not looking for flaws but for potential." ~Ellen Goodman

"What do you suppose will satisfy the soul, except to walk free and own no superior?" ~Walt Whitman

“What matters most is how well you walk through the fire.” ~Charles Bukowski

"When a heavenly spirit is alone on a walk before the elements of open space, water, air and earth . . . gentle hearts respectfully bow." ~Edward Soliangco

"When we approach with reverence, great things decide to approach us. When we walk on the earth with reverence, beauty will decide to trust us." ~John O'Donohue

"When we walk mindfully our feet are massaging the earth. We sow seeds of joy and happiness with each step. With each step,  a flower blooms." ~Thich Nhat Hanh 

"When you walk barefoot on the Earth, free electrons are transferred from the Earth into your body, and this grounding effect is one of the most potent antioxidants we know of" ~Dr. Joseph Mercola

"When you walk with naked feet, how can you ever forget the Earth?" ~Carl Jung

"Wisdom is given by Nature

so that we can walk with the trees

knowing well that our roots

are the most beautiful part of

who we are." ~Rado Gatchalian 

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THANK YOU

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