Anti-Social Media

For all the negative effects of social media, there was a good one recently. A most wanted guy, not by females but by the law, was finally caught by his post.

Mediation is keeping up with the times, too. The usual road to litigation now has an alternative route toward conflict resolution.

Me-dating

Talking with a client for psychological testing on an annulment case, I somehow had an idea how it came to this.  As he was from out-of-town, I  was awaiting my plane ticket as arranged by his friend.

Question 1: Why was he paying for my fare? Answer- he could fly to Manila instead.

Question 2: Why am I staying overnight in a hotel? Fine, he can undergo the rigorous testing the whole day, so I will just fly in early morning and leave in the evening.

Question 3: Why would he be paying for his wife's testing?To be fair to both parties and if she is around and willing to be tested, that would make for a stronger case. But usually, only one party offers to be tested, in which case we send a letter to the other party for due notice and invitation. In lieu of testing the other party, we interview persons who knew the couple to get a total picture. If he wishes, we could ask his wife to shoulder her testing fee. Whew!

Truly beyond mediation! Hopefully, testing ensues next week.

Tie One, Tie Another

Taiwan is getting to be a peacemaker in the region. Reuters reports that after its successful sharing of marine life with Japan in 2012, Taiwan now suggests that South China Sea "claimants to temporarily shelve their disagreements to enable negotiations on sharing resources."

Truly, you cannot shake hands with each other if both of you are holding weapons toward the other. Taiwan is showing the way to mediation.

Live Evil

On the Movie Channel, "Little Children" had interwoven suburban subplots, one of which involved a pervert. He was harassed, featured in a "Is your child safe?" flyer posted on his door, and shooed out of the community pool. Last straw was spray-painting EVIL downward on the tiles of his sidewalk. Upward it read LIVE. Were they enabling him instead of helping him out?

Mediation is a positive way out for the "evil" people.

Looking at Things

The Inquirer banner read "Cop caught on torture video (says): It's discipline." Some way of locking up thugs!

A ruse by any name smells just as bad. Not mediation material, definitely.

Odd Couple II

Twas a remake-able Saturday. In the evening, the "Odd Couple" was a pleasant surprise! As usual, nothing beats the original. Lines were as witty, though. Oscar, having his taxes done by Felix, commented to his ex-wife,"We wrecked our marriage. Let's not wreck our divorce," in their at-tempt at reconciliation.

Either they cannot leave well enough alone, or stumble from one impulsive behavior to another. Themes all to familia-r in mediation.

Alfie II

Caught its remake with Jude Law, a younger Michael Caine. In this movie, he was likewise dumped for a younger man. The theme is, of course the same.  "What's it all about?"  It was further clarified with his excuse, "Didn't mean to hurt anybody" to which the wise old man admonished, "Think before unzipping." Could not be clearer than that!

These are the stuff keeping mediators busy- male-female, and now male-male/female-female relationships in and out of marriage. All's fine, too, in the end, hopefully.

Times A-changing

Inquirer reported that "Kamikaze shrines in Mabalacat draw Japanese tourists." Maybe they are saying, "Kami kasi ito." Who would have thought in the 1940s that this was possible?

Indeed, time heals all wounds, physically more so. Mediation is another step in that direction.

Con-Tempt

The Senate detention chamber cannot accommodate all the B-Inay! contemptees who did not appear when summoned by the Blue Ribbon Committee. The overflow will go to the Pasay City Jail.

While tempting, evasion of responsibility is never a good thing.  That is true in mediation, too.

Mediator Electorate

Combinations like Grace-Mar or Chiz make me reflect that we, the voters mediate among all these interested parties. Hopefully, we do so mindfully and not hands full of paper bills. The common good should be the ultimate winner, as it is supposed to be, not the common-looking candidate.

Slo(mo)th

Seeing GMA NewsTV show Born to be Wild's feature on the sloth, I couldn't help wondering if this animal got its name from the cardinal vice, or vice-versa.  It was climbing tree branches like it were doing Zen or yoga movements.

If people went about their emotions and actions in such slo-mo, perhaps there would be less need for mediation.

Con-tests Ga-lore

After the Pacman fever, it was Asia's Got Talent that enthralled the nation with 4 finalists!!!! Out of their own shadows, El Gamma Penumbra became the new toast of regional entertainment with a cause. And just like another finalist, classical singer Gerphil Flores, El Gamma was also finalist in Pilipinas Got Talent. Just like some recycled beauty contestants, too.

Just goes to show that judgment varies, as per judge.  That is why mediation dispenses with their services and leaves it up to the disputants to settle their conflict by themselves, as facilitated by the mediator

Mediation Script

Mediation "Forevermore" in my blood, I thought of a joint venture as the way out of this soap's landowners fighting over use of their real estate properties. True enough, it was brought about in the succeeding episodes.

A just and fair compromise can always be reached between the landowner and the developer.

Yeah Yeah Meal

Balesin Island resort met its nemesis in Mrs. Consunji. Consumisyon talaga! For once, we have a mistress taking up the cudgels for her staff. A far cry from another who used to make her househelp a walking ironing board.

Rights of labor and of persons in general are the common subjects for mediation.

Con-fidentiality

Now B-Inay! pleads confidentiality of his Amlac bank records. Am not so lucky, he should say. Confidentiality likewise led to the crash of that Germanwings plane by a depressed pilot whose psychological records were kept secret by Lufthansa.

Sometimes confidentiality just protects cons. Not so inside mediation, where there is precisely open communication that hopefully leads to conflict resolution.

Cliches

B. C., part of Inquirer's Comic Relief never fails to contribute to my quota of laughter a day. One time, it featured an Early Bird who met a worm  but left it in peace, not pieces. Relieved and reprieved, the worm said, "Thank goodness, 'cliches' have yet to be discovered." Nowadays, cliches lead to glitzes.

That is why mediation comes between the early/angry bird and the worm.

Bergoglio con Castro

Another case of self- mediation is happening in the Vatican. Actually started by St. John Paul II accompanied by the present Pope when still a bishop of Buenos Aires, talks with Cuba's communist leader, Raul Castro continues.

What a mediator model, the Vicar of the Greatest Mediator!

Reds-handed

No typo there. Referring to the Inquirer news item bannered "Red leaders arraigned for 1980s 'purge killings'." Like mafia treatment of traitors to its omerta code, the leftist National Democratic Front allegedly had shallow graves for suspected government spies among its ranks. "Cadres (were recently arraigned) in court."

Sometimes, despite all the good intentions of helping others, people can get extreme; hence, the term extremist. And the need to go the middle ground of mediation. Not six feet under.

Kardashing

Mother Kris K is a referee to her five daughters. Sounds familiar? One time, Kourtney sent a cease-and-desist order to Kim re the latter's plan to include sibs in her video game. Kris told Kim maybe it is a matter of approaching the hormonal pregnant Kourtney.

Could be another day job for Kris upon retirement- mediation!

Ottawa Naman Diyan

With Pnoy in Canada, it seems the host is having the last laugh. Some 50 container vans of their garbage are rotting away in Manila. In our subdivision, you cannot throw them even on empty lots!

Neighborhood problems can be mediated, starting at the baran-gay level. Trouble can ensue from such concerns as parking, noise and market stall positioning, I tell you but I guess you already knew!

Chemical Warfare

Not about Vietman nor Afghanistan, but ironically about Yang Sang (Cantonese for "caring for mankind") traditional Chinese medicine shops of the warring Eu family. Prescribed such medicine when she felt body pains while in Singapore for a lecture, Inquirer columnist and Ateneo's Family Business Development Center board member Queena Lee-Chua traced the beginnings of the Eu family business in tin mining. When workers turned to opium for pain relief, Eu Kong offered them herbs instead.
Now, the only existing business of the Eu family that survived their intramurals is that of medicine.

Mediation sees a lot of these families. Sounds familiar, indeed!

Bitter Bettors

After Mayweather, bettors are now hounding Pacman. It seems he should have revealed the problem with his shoulder which could have affected his performance in the ring.  Maybe they want a rebet?

Another job for maydiation!

Image

Have you read the psychological report supposedly done on the Apostles? Judas was the most recommended! I remembered it after reading a daily Gospel reflection by the Claretians where Peter was described as "a shuffler, a snob, a coward- in a word, a man...(on which) the historic Christian Church was founded- a weak man."

Likewise, never judge disputants in mediation. They might surprise you with their capacity to forgive, to compromise and commit to their settlement.

Kilos Maralita

Today's Senate hearing on B Inay! had a positive note. Aside from legislation that should curb corruption, informal settlers now have taken action regarding their relocation. Not by throwing stones at enforcers of demolition, but by working with government on their safer on-site relocation.

Now, that is self-mediation!

A Lifetime of Unhappiness

Peter Wallace's column "Like It Is" had this title one day. Nobody likes this and all do what they can to avoid it. Unhappiness, not the column lol!

Referring to marred marriages, it could also apply to life in general. Unhappiness is most often traced to some kinks in relationships. And mediation offers a solution.

Sure prize, sure prize

Not Money's day, Manny got a sore prize today! But we digress on this momentous day. We are referring to a letter of Ramon Torrefranca to the Inquirer editor entitled "Delays in court are no longer a surprise."

But they don't have to be. Delays of cases in court could have been avoided if they were not filed in the first place. That is the role of mediation- to reach a settlement of the conflict before litigation.

Family Band-age

The Velosos bonded in Indonesia and on their return, banded with Migrante on Labor Day in Manila. Are they being used once again after their kin Mary Jane became a drug mule? If they had won a talent contest, one could have suspected them of lingering in the limelight till showbiz beckons. Instead of just keeping to themselves in private gratitude to God and the universe for the temporary stay on Mary Jane's execution.

In mediation, both disputants have only each other to be grateful for.

The City of Pining

Pining was our former family dentist. This is not about her but Baguio. There, another arbitration decision was met by an uproar. The conflict between BCDA, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, and the Camp John Hay Development Corporation. Caught in the crossfire like children of divorced parents are numerous investors. Among them, the Inquirer meaningfully found a "Mr. Goodman, a New Zealand native investing P22M of his savings in two Forest Cabins." Thank God, I do not have that kind of money, otherwise I could have been Ms. Goodwoman!

Arbitration sub-parties were allegedly "not even informed about the dispute and problems" and "the feuding parties failed to protect them from the conflict." As they say, buyers beware! This is another job for Supermediator!!!