Letting go 2016

With all the calamity survivors and refugees, Father 2016 could be St. Basil the Great. He said: The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry. The cloak in your wardrobe belongs to the naked. The shoes you allow to rot belong to the barefoot. The money in your vaults belong to the destitute. You do injustice to every man whom you could help but do not.

Mediators' suggested reflection for disputants.

Awards

It's MMFF time again, which was initially proven not to be anti-septic.

In the US, they have the Critics' Choice. But mediators prefer the Golden (Rule) Globe.

This Closure

For all his brashness, Vice Ganda can be sensibly funny at times I call his Desiderata moments. He suggested to those without closure to carol the home of the ex and wait for the latter's "patawad po." He has also revealed that his father was killed with impunity on a Palm Sunday. Their family was rewarded for their forgiving nature when his siblings finally had their US visas granted around Palm Sunday, too!

A mediation lesson.

Condom nio

No typo, just what DOH wants to give out to schoolchildren. Are they now into sex education overlap with DEPED?

With a confused and confusing con-doctor, what did we expect from his interns?

Duty before Arte

That's how the name of the President should read. Instead, there is a mad scramble for change- in logos before attending to the issues. DOH now sports a half-pineapple- looking stylized flag and map, while Zika virus came to town. PNP has the same White House-inspired portrait, though not bullet-riddled. The tongue twister of a disasater relief agency borrowed the Universal Healthcare umbrella logo in a literal representation.

Full disclosure- we did the UHC logo.

Ire of the Tiger

Nobody wants a monkey on their back, which role PH seems to relish. From the US,

it has hopped to Black China. And we all know what happened to the Lady of Niger who rode on the tiger.

After DU30 sucked up to China, they returned the disfavor by increasing military installations on our EEZ.

The Chosen Family

We don't chose our family, today's birthday boy included. Bishop Robert Baron describes Jesus Christ 's lineage as dysfunctional, with descendants like a Moabite foreigner, Ruth and a prostitute, Rahab. Going further back, Cain killed his brother Abel, Jacob stole his elder brother Esau's birthright, Joseph was sold to slavery by his brothers, and David killed the husband of the woman he fancied. Even his cousin of priestly parentage, chose to go to the desert and there preach the evils of their day.

We see all shades of these in mediation.

So much time, so little to do

Talking like a retiree, that's my fave cat, Garfield.  Like his taste in food and tough love for Jon. Deep inside tho, he is a softie. He co-exists with their resident rat, Louis, who was blamed by Jon one time Garfield ate the lasagna. So outside their house, Garfield told Louis, "I'm supposed to eat you," and put Louis into his mouth till just its tail dangled out. Of course, Jon was delighted and after he left, Garfield promptly spat out Louis.

Win-win! 

Burned Heart

FYI featured this dog which kept throwing up its food. The vet found out it had a growth near the esophagus that was impeding digestion.

Heartburn, this time in relationships, is one issue tackled in mediation.

Sitting on it

Another take on empowering a person to fish instead of handing him a fish, Eckhart Tolle in "The Power of Now" narrates:

"Spare some change?" mumbled the beggar, mechanically holding out his old baseball cap.
"I have nothing to give you," said the stranger, then asked "What's that you are sitting on?"
"Nothing, just an old box. I have been sitting on it for as long as I can remember," replied the beggar.
"Ever looked inside?" asked the stranger.
"No, what's the point. There's nothing in there," said the beggar.
"Have a look inside," insisted the stranger...
With astonishment, disbelief and elation, he saw that the box was filled wth gold.

Mediation opens the minds and hearts of disputants they have long been ignoring to solve their conflicts.

Arrested Development

Condominiums have given rise literally and figuratively to more developments other than housing. In Arista Place, for example, the 5- hectare property has 1, 300 units at approximately 100/ building. That's like a barangay that is not always gay. Owners and tenants' conflicts range from the cctv company contracted by the developer, the multi-racial population, outsiders allowed in the pool, helps hopping from one unit to another, and dogs pooping and barking, among others.

Hence, 5 representatives/building were selected for the Advisory Council to settle all these concerns and avoid litigation.

Affairs updates

On CNN PH, Lizzy Puno listed the "puno't dulo" of current affairs. Added to the usual sexual, love, midlife-empty nest and band aid types, were those in social media. They are  spinning a different kind of web over there!

To reboot, Puno suggested the 5 Cs:
1. Connect by disconnecting gadgets
2. Curious still with each other, not another
3. Communicate openly and listen actively
4. Care for the other tenderly and lovingly
5. Calendar your dates with each other

Miss U- with the cash

Chavit Singson was forced  to mediate between the Presidents of the PH and the franchise of Miss U, after having paid for it in full. For a while there, it wasn't
going to push through after Duterte's anti-Semitic remarks didn't sit well with
the Jewish owners of the franchise. Again, loose cannon beware.

Some motive for mediation is monetary, rather rarely.

Tanggapan ng Commissioner

This name ought to be banned, as it leads to tanggapan ng commission.

The commission of this crime makes the Ombudsman one busy woman.

Displacement

That's what MMDA did with the traffic from EDSA to E. Rodriguez.

Band aid solutions like Nose-in, nose-out is not news nor effective.

Vitriol oh

Atty.  Vitriolo was implicated by CHED Chair Licuanan for walking-out of their meeting after questioning its legitimacy. The commissioner has been committing
the same during previous chairmanships, Licuanan stated.

Gross by any name stinks just as acidic.

Wolf in Lam's Clothing

It was out of Sombrero. Karma for DOJ Sec. Aguirre, De Lima's second-in-command harasser, now trying to get out of his subordinates' wrongdoing and possible ouster. Otro Bato.

Thank the Ombudsman we can rely upon to run after the bad man posing as Mr. Clean.

Mediating Co-raptors

The 2 BI guys thought the City of Dreams also meant Cash on Delivery.

The change promised by Duterte wasn't just loose ones.

My Grown Up Christmas List

Actually drawn by Linda Thompson-Jenner's lyrics and David Foster's music:

"No more lives torn apart, that wars would never start and time would heal all hearts. Everyone would have a friend, and right would always win and love would never end.

As children, we believed the grandest sight to see was something lovely wrapped beneath the tree. But heaven only knows that packages and bows can never heal
a hurting human soul. "

Mediators say Amen!

None Love Yan

The "nanlaban" reason for the death of some 6, 000 drug suspects is getting tiresome. Enough already!

The race against their hubris-driven self-imposed deadline is getting really deadly. [Saw the same situation when testing the household staff of a friend when a cocky driver (seem to be common nowadays) bragged about acing it. It seems he had taken a similar test. Midway during the present test with progressive difficulty, he wanted to take back his claim. He was told not to add to the pressure himself.]

Instead of the government shortcut admittedly because of the lack of facilities, the Church through Caritas Manila has a well-thought of program of healing the drug addict wholistically.

Predictions

Francis Kong relates:

A frog telephoned the psychic hotline and was told,"You are going to meet a beautiful young woman who will want to know everything about you."

The frog said, "That's great! Will I meet her at a party, or what?"

"No," said the psychic. "Next term- in her biology class."

No such surprises in mediation, because no such psychic either, just good old common sense work.

Fooler House

Batasan became one when Dayan went to town, the Lowest the House had gone.

Bless Ms. Arenas' heart.  She diverted the attention of the salivating solons by just referring them to the hotel's cctv records.

Daya-n and only

A husband who fools his wife would most likely fool his mistress.  That is the wife's revenge and the mistress' karma.

And the husband's immorality spreads to all other aspects of his life. Hence, the need to look into the personal life of politicians, employees, and other "persons of interest".

Many Kin Challenge

Upon first hearing about the mannequin challenge, thought it referred to the problem faced by lotto winners.

In mediation, it is usually about inheritance.

Halo-Halo

The best, only in Little Quiapo.  In the Cabinet, it melts into hilo-hilong talilong of fading yellow, screaming red, returning GMAers, big business and the Durian variety.

Give or take some, too many crooks spoil the bruho.

Whose Birthday Is It Anyway

A scrooge over DZRH asked this about Christmas. Perhaps he was just getting away from giving gifts, but he had a valid religious point.

Mediation likewise questions practices that may not really have solid basis and have become problematic. Think sidewalk vendors allowed to sell during the holidays that extend to years!

Di Shabu lang

Where is my Teresa Makabayan shirt? Could be useful again. There is talk about "walang Habas" Corpus.  After the Marcos burial, trots Col. Marcos in presidential good graces, too. It seems that 'tis the season for Puto Bongbong.

Marc-os his words!

Love is Forever

This kind of smile was imposed on one of the "Bridesmaids" character working in a jewelry store.

In mediation, they sport a smirk.

Seeing Woman

That's what the quack vet in me promised my aging dog I'd be to him as he seems to be developing a cataract!?

Mediators serve the same function to disputants blinded by rage, greed, etc.

The Best Mediation

Laughter, too. It diffuses awkwardness, tension and aggression. However, Pinoy Laughter Yogi Paolo Trinidad reminds counselors to take care of themselves first.
He cited William Fry as the proponent of its healing power, even over cancer, as stated by Dr. Warburg. It lessens acidity in the body.

Nothing to sneer at.

NOTA

Not yet of Noel but more of None of the Above. Given the choice between our parish fiesta at St. Andrew's Cathedral and the anti-Marcos rally at PPM, went instead to Caritas Manila's Gabay training for counseling drug surrenderees.

In a way, a Compromise Agreement is also the third alternative to the two sides of the dilemma or dispute- constructive, fair, win-win.

Drunk Knight vs Man of Sleep

Printed on the back of a t-shirt, got me to wishing those drunk with power would not sleep-walk before our eyes ala zombies.

But perhaps have a Rudy awakening?

Marry-Go-Round

""Ex with Benefits" delightfully starred exes Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin and why the architect Steve Martin got between the reconciling couple. Who got the lines like "turned right-side-up; never really known how to live without you; sweetest divorced couple in the world; and we could be happy with and for each other."

Self-mediated re-lationship!

Doggone Mules

Animal Planet featured animales in our planet, specifically in Colombia inserting liquid heroin in puppies! Sometimes even in kois, while heroin pigeons deliver in prison!!!

Some of the rescued labradores got the death penalty. Another case against it.

Broken Noose

Past tense of breaking news on the fatal shooting of Mayor Espinosa in jail. Now his son Erwin is again in police custody. Good luck to him.

As in any relationship, mediation requires trust.

Mistah Opportunity

Co-PMAer Ramon Farolan's Open Letter to the PNP Chief  was a model of brotherly correction on the recent goings-about of the rolling Bato. After globetrotting with his Commander-in-Chief, he cured his hangover by going with his kumander-and-cook, among others  to Las Vegas c/o Pacman. Contrast that with Eisenhower missing his son's graduation during "the longest day."

Sometimes, people used to shortcuts, like "jumping over the heads of several senior classmen in the process known as deep selection," one feels entitled, aside from using the same strategy on the job of stopping drugs.

Balat kayo

 ng pineapple, walang apple, this joke was heard somewhere.

Our feeling while listening to conflicting claims in Congress and mediation.

Some People

Good to review this Thanksgiving, Francis Kong's similes on them:

Oars to be paddled,
Flat tires to be jacked up,
Wheels to be pushed,
Wagons to be pulled, and
Kites to be tied down while allowed to fly.

However, some are like watches, pure gold, open-faced, quietly doing their work.

Thanks to all these kinds of disputants we had counseled in pairs.

Handle Hate

That's what Du30 advises those anti-Marcos burial.

Will do.  After he handles his anti-American streak.

Bad BAC

Being in the Bids and Awards Committee is dangerous to life. One in the Energy Regulation Commission committed suicide. The other in the Bureau of Customs
was killed on the way home.

It seems the bullet is barreling through more parts of town. One could wear a bulletproof vest, but as Ninoy prophesied, "what if they shoot me in the head?"

Way out/off

Another triple treat one day from Inquirer's Comic Relief:

B.C.             - Seasonal Adjustment= The 3 inches of additional leeway offered to your

                      usual belt notch

Baby Blues- Son: Do you remember your very first date with Mom?

                      Dad: Of course.

                      Son: What was she wearing?

                      Dad: Um...clothes?

                      Son: YOU'RE RIGHT, MOM! NOT A CLUE!

                      Mom: TOLD YA!

                      Dad: Maybe I was blinded by your beauty!

Ben            - Ben : Hey, did you see the picture that the salmon took of himself?

                     Wife: No.

                     Ben  : Neither did I. He never shared it. It was "selfish" of him, wasn't it?

 Rationalizations are ways out of problematic situations.

Suits him

Now comes Prince Harry lately being openly concerned about the privacy of Hollywood star Meghan playing Suits female character Rachel. Such freedom
of choice for the 5th (so far) in line to the UK throne!

No mediating love.

A Czar

This idea for traffic is so bs (Bolshevik) as are emergency powers, unless only fire trucks and ambulances would be allowed on EDSA. Nothing works like good old common sense, and not subject to corruption either.

Infrastructure just hastens the arrival of vehicles at chokepoints. Meanwhile, at
the mall, Korean cars can be bought at P12k down payment. Singapore, if we're
not mistaken, limits vehicles on the road more effectively and permanently by not approving the registration renewal of cars after a certain number of years. Here,
we are targeting the jeepneys first, while those who can afford buy additional cars
to beat number-coding.  Evens up!

Traffic mediator more needed.

Starting 'Em V Young

That's for violent, as plastic balisongs are the latest craze this season of peace. Crazy! Already one child had suffered self-inflicted wounds on his face.

Truly the violator suffers as much as his victim.

DuDo Day

PH sympathizes with Big Brother US. With Duterte and Donald now ruling our countries, we seem to have shot ourselves in the foot in jumping from Teflon
to apoy!

Ruthlessness loves company. Danger!

Personal Secret Service

If rumors are to believed that the new First Lady used to be an escort, then Trump has a more intimate closed-in security now.

The Secret Service could train her further in providing 24-hour protection to their President.

Multiple Choice

"Friends" provides midday humor. One episode had the three girls bickering over who becomes roommate of whom. Monica was tagged high maintenance (i.e.,OC); Rachel, a pushover; and Phoebe flaky. They each tried to overcome their weakness.

That keeps them from being fiends to one another!

Sub (human) Ways

A pusher in the New York subway does much than drugs. Lately an Afro-American woman did a Pinay in, straight into the tracks. It seems they were arguing earlier.

Something about subways bring out the lower instincts in people, to fatal conclusions.

Just Different

That's how life coach Mike George sees the conflicting views of people, not right or wrong.

Mediation puts sense into these differences so the disputants can live in peace with each other after altering their egos.

In Continent

Of Australia will Du30 pass en route to his next destination, Peru. This is no circumnavigation retracing but another of his anti-American stunt. It seems
he was denied a visa once when he wanted to visit a girlfriend there, or so he
joked one time.

What a tangled web of personal grudges determining current government
policies! Beyond mediation.

Take No Prisoners

Or if they already are, kill them. This seems to be the code of conduct of the PNP at present.
The justice system, on the other side of government, gives out amnesia in addition to amnesty to the likes of Marcos, GMA and D(u)ra. Binay.

This is no way to declog the jails. Mediation is a fairer one.

Coolest Places on Earth

FYInspiration cable network featured these literally freezing places- northernmost Canada, Greenland, Iceland, you get the draft?!

Just like mediation is the coolest-off place on earth.

Jack the Sower

From the Titanic to Ecology, Jack (aka Leonardo diCaprio)  is now a Green Giant plunging to save the planet, his muse now. One move is to charge environment abusers, carbotax.

Surely our cargo de consciencia, otherwise we won't have any place to mediate
even!

Due Credit

Getting my weekly OPM fix from ABS-CBN's ASAP, was touched by one composer featured that Sunday who gave all the glory to God. He said all his work was "downloaded from heaven."

If all debtors likewise gave credit where it is due, a lot of disputes would be avoided.

Maybe This Dream

This was sung by the office assistant applying for law school in "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," a sitcom like Glee for adults. It is also about the Pinoy boyfriend, whose aunt Lea Salonga sang at his wedding. The American Dream of Miss Saigon!

Like mediators dreaming of peace.

Seeing Double

The double-barrel operator now sports a double chin, perhaps after all the lauriats during the Chinese visit, and now in Las Vegas with his family, c/o Pacman. Isn't this bribery, graft, or plain negligence of duty "while Rome burns"? Coincidentally, when protesters at the US Embassy were literally overrun, and just now, Espinosa, Sr. shot to death in jail! "Something is rotten" in the timing, don't you think?

He also has reflected glory in portraits, masks and mascots, like his Commander-in- Chief. We shudder at the repeat of the narcissistic anti-social personality assessment.
The Bato muscles are duplicated in their hearts.

Make U LOL

You'd really laugh out loud at the antics of these animals- like a guilty dog doing a walk of shame!

Sometimes beasts are better at it than humans.

Training Video

One episode of Big Bang Theory presented one on resolution of a conflict over a parking space. Carless Sheldon's slot was naturally unoccupied, so friend Howard parked his motorcycle there. Sheldon had it removed, set up office on his slot, and then asked girlfriend Amy to park there instead. Howard's girlfriend Bernadette joined the fray by towing Amy's car. Sheldon retaliated by stealing one of Howard's precious toys he doesn't use anymore... In the end, after other friends mediated, Sheldon allowed Howard to use his space till he gets a vehicle himself.

Mediation succeeds when disputants give-and-take, are reasonable and think of others too. Wheel-wheel!

Foolish Ride

Josh  Billings' quote in a cryptoquiz: "The best way to convince a fool that he is wrong is to let him have his own way." Sakyan mo na lang ba.

Unless you are in mediation, i.e.

3 Sighted Mice

On a rare day, three comic strips one on top of the  other had the same message of communication:

1) B.C.- Man: I'm growing a beard for winter.
              Woman: Well, you're certainly not doing it for mating purposes.

2) Baby Blues-  Mom: Have you started your homework yet?
                            Child: I don't have any tonight.
                            Mom: That's not what it says on your teacher's web site.
                            Child: You can't believe everything you read on the internet, Mom.
                            Mom: I believe this. Get your backpack.

3) Ben- Grandson: Where you going, Granpa?
              Grandpa: I have to take some tests before I get surgery next week.
              Grandson: Are you nervous?
              Grandpa: UHH...
              Grandson: My Mommy said if you study enough, there's no reason to be
              nervous.

From the mouth of babes, adults get it sometimes. Trust a second opinion.

Titus

While not the watch, it is still about time, indeed, today being All Saints' Day.  Our Daily Bread's Bible reading is from this addressee of Paul's epistle, and how to live our life. "Show yourself in all respects a model of good deeds, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, and sound speech that cannot be censured so that an opponent may be put to shame having nothing evil to say of us."

Not for any ego-tripping, but parties to annulment cases especially have to come to court with clean hands, if they want to be given custody, for example.  

Saving Grace- and Cherlyn

SOS C!ildren's Villages PH sent personalized stickers, a ballpen and a notebook. The latter had a message, "Even bad chapters can make a story end well." This reflects their mission to save the children from exploitation and other evils.

How like mediation!

Leading Questions

Being "parang" legal, mediators can use questions to direct disputants going in circles or circling the wagons, to more productive insights. As Francis Kong says, "Questions are powerful."

In mediatorese, it's called "strategic questioning that empowers, creates motion or options, and digs deeper." (Atty. Emmanuel L. Caparas)

Most Perilous Journey

According to Tim Allen in his sitcom "Last Man Standing," it is marriage! As owner of an outdoor goods shop, he wanted to go camping on their anniversary but his wife preferred Paris. They compromised by going to the City of Lights, then exploring a nearby campsite.

Of course, humor has to be tucked in that first aid kit.

Peace Be Still

Not a parent admonishing a hyperactive child but George Sison advising "when a challenge occurs in your life. And as your mind and your heart settle peacefully, the light within you shines brightly. It guides you to the right choices and directs you to the next step to resolve and bring forth harmony. Then you will realize that, as within you, so without."

Mediation process made esoteric!

Overboard with JC

Not De Vera but Jesus Christ, as in walking on the water with Him. This was the message from Christianity Works over 98.7 FM. Thought of this biblical pun: we
are not only to be Luke warm, but John hot! We dare to challenge and not just be complacent during the storm, safely on board.

Mediation is like that- cutting the chase and treading perilous ground in order to arrive at the Good News of a compromise agreement.

Duterte Should...

De-stress by listening to classical guitar (Pablo Tariman) was one of the latest unsolicited advices given to the President. The others included control of the
tongue, as well as his time and those of others. As if he'd listen, and not dig in
all the more.

Should and must are the favorite words of rigid people, who have difficulty
seeing beyond their blinders. Just like Duterte himself!

Precisely why mediators are not allowed to give even a hint of a suggestion.
For the sake of their compliance, disputants have to own the compromise.

Meaning business

Martin (pina)Andanar tayo in his initial Brew Point article in the Inquirer he entitled thus. On Duterte's 100 days, he claimed "tanim bala" is gone from the airport. But it has been transplanted in countless bodies of drug suspects all over the country. Truly a summary change!  And their business is really more demeaning than anything, of election contenders, then the US Ambassador and its President, the UN Secretary General and its Human Rights Commissioner, so far.

Beyond mediation? It could be sent back to court, hopefully not the International Criminal Court!

Scenarios

This early, political analysts are already foreseeing four turn-outs of the Duterte administration: a) VP Robredo finishes his term for a variety of reasons; b) Coup
e'tat; c) Duterte finishes his term; and d) revolutionary government takes over. Or
maybe those are just three options.

In mediation, there are only two- compliance to the compromise agreement or not.

From the Non-Voters

CNN interviewed 2nd graders on the coming US elections. Reminds one of family courts asking children of separating couples how they feel about it, especially re custody.

So also in mediation, all bases covered as basis for  the compromise agreement.

Cool It

A Tibetan saying goes like this: Eat half, walk twice, laugh thrice and love without measure. It must be the Himalayan atmosphere that likewise makes neighboring Bhutans the happiest people on earth outside of Disneyland. Di malayo.

This would make us mediators gladly fold-up business. But the reality is that some eat rice without measure nor walking and laughing.

Arianne Sucker

Ms. Zucker surely had the Day of her Life when Billy Bush and Donald Duck, er Trump visited her on location of her longest-running soap opera. The recent replay
of the audio on the two guys' banter before greeting her may yet send Hillary Clinton back to the White House. Those guys' mouth could use the soap!

To Arianne's credit, she said that she did not need an apology for herself, but rather for her family. She's the bigger man, or the only one.

Peligroso Pedrozo

He is Manila's Police Deputy Director for Operations who seems to be doubling as the US Embassy's Chief of Security. In verbal instructions to policemen, he said it would be shameful to the Embassy if his men would not be able to control the protesters.

Duterte's double-barrel plan to cut clean with the US and exhortation to the police not to withhold force had a Rody awakening at the Anti-American rally yesterday when a cop failed his driving test/ thought he was in a race by running over promdi rallyists.

Beware mediators, that you do not side with one disputant.

Barbers Cut Pichay

Rock, paper, scissors was played in the Lowest House when a dishonorable member decided to ace a colleague he seemed of less value.

The chacha dunce!

Moving On and On

Girl on a Train was a movie similar to Girl on a Rocking Chair. You know what they say about worry, doing something but going nowhere. We empathize with the childless divorcee's depression but wanted to redirect her to Girl on cross-country, rather than going everyday to her previous life, literally.

Some disputants are like balls, or have them in bouncing back. Mediators coach those who aren't or don't.

Cell Recycler

For being one, Japanese Yoshinori Ohsumi won the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Not cell phones, though much needed too, but human cells. By "autophagy, our cells gobble up damaged or worn-out pieces of themselves in what is called 'self-eating.'  This renewal makes way for new cellular structures and clears out invading germs and clumps of protein that could cause disease, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer." How did Ohsumi discover this? "By studying yeast under the microscope day after day for decades!"

Like mediators observing disputants during sessions, some of whom are also puffed-up!

Ripples

Risa Hontiveros finally a senator, carries her concern for all-around health. She spoke of the growing effect of depresson of an individual to the community, the nation, and the world.

So with the lack of understanding and peace. And mediation that tries to alleviate it.

The Other Guy

Or girl. Conchita Razon wrote about a friend who always gives the other person the benefit of a doubt or reason why s/he acts that way. This is good to remember in this day of cyber intolerance.

Poor Agot Isidro for her hugot line, who got it in the end!

Cut the Crap

Jaime Licauco quoted this joke from his favorite teacher and Dean of Liberal Arts Recaredo Enriquez:

Barber to customer: How do you like your hair cut?
Curt customer         : In silence.

Could be Sheldon Cooper of Big Bang Theory. Or mediation disputants deciding on their options.

Ax of the Epistles

Duterte spokespersons are doing the dirty work of having to explain what he actually said or didn't. Damage control is also done by the Executive Secretary, Legal Counsel and the Cabinet Secretaries, especially that of Foreign Affairs. The UN Ambassador joins the fray, too.

Too many spokespersons muddle up the message, if ever there is one.

Mentos

Not the arm candy of De Lima now, who on the contrary men toss about.

Beware the woman scorned, though; she is taking Supreme (Court) Action!

Figures of Death

Admittedly a former average student Duterte gave a lesson in figures of speech when he compared himself to Hitler getting rid of Jews, to his addicts. Merriam Webster defines simile as "comparing dissimilar things by using 'like' or 'as,' as in 'cheeks like roses.'" Metaphor, on the other hand, "uses a word for one idea/thing in place of another to suggest likeness between them, as in 'ships plow the sea.'"

Neo-nutsy?

PNP Laban Party

That seems to be how the PDP Laban Party, which adopted Duterte for President,  has morphed. And the machismo/chismis has been roaring ever since against drugs and De Lima.

The Batasan and Senate inquiries are no party poopers either. Thank God for the enlightened Cardinal Tagle who espouses change without violence.

Courtesy and Gratitude

Today's Gospel on the Healing of the 10 lepers had Fr. Sim relating this joke:
"Once in a crowded bus, a man gave his seat to a woman. In shock, she almost fainted. Recovering, she thanked the man, who in turn fainted in shock, too."

Are these traits so endangered and rare nowadays, that sometimes are the root causes of some mediation disputes of trait-ors.

Endo of EDCA

Our hyperbolic, hypertalking president is getting mixed-up. Promising the end of the 5-month contractualization of employees (which we old hands of HR await), he is bent on terminating EDCA instead.

Oh, Kitty my dear presidential daughter, couldn't you home-school so you'd be able to tell your dad to end his speeches like you did during the campaign?

Tailor-fit Wedding

Caught on international news, a rare heart-warming item of a Syrian tailor-refugee who saved the wedding dress of his neighbor-bride whose zipper broke.

One more reason why we should take in refugees, 'cause you never know... Guess that bride could intercede for them.

Stressing stress

Deepak Chopra has said, "In order to manage stress, take control of your emotions, which can be more stubborn than your thoughts." Who would have thought?

And it works in mediation, too. Guidelines include no shouting, cursing, interrupting, among others. That is why Duterte is a disputant's disputant.

Joining the Fray

We now have a Pinay Chess Grandmaster or ms! But she certainly didn't miss her checkmate. She also has the prophetic name of Frayna, Janelle is it? Could she have been uttering the mantra pray na, to make her unafraid?

All things being wrought by prayer, mediators and disputants would do well to start with a one-minute silence to seek guidance from Whomever is their Supreme Being.

Warning to Judges

Isaiah 5: 23 gives one reason why judges are shot: Woe to you "who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!"

Right on! Once again, they don't shoot mediators, do they?

Sow by____________

Trying my hand at frontyard gardening, bought some seeds with the above information.  And of course, the watermelon and corn seeds were the ones we see and eat. What did I expect? By our seeds, we are known.

Feeling like the biblical sower, reflected on what we sow, after pulling out all the weeds, which can be quite cathartic really. Shouldn't we be sowing seeds of peace asap?

Unintelligent Intel

Once again, Duterte blames someone else for his matrix line-up screw-up. His source, Intelligence is not too intelligent, or are they just following their leader who should know better and recheck before gleefully parading a drawing on a piece of paper?

I volunteer to administer an intelligence test on all of them. Otherwise, we would be subjected to more of the same. Puro drawing!

Crossing Rody, con

Duterte keeps on referring to his crossing the Rubicon. Well, De Lima has been crossing him.

And she found out that he has also crossed the line- of ad hominem. If you do not have issues to throw back at an accuser, hit the person of the accuser.

Justiis no more for Jen

Jennifer Aniston must be feeling vindicated, after Brangelina announced their divorce. Again, Brad is being linked to a co-star, just like with Angelina before, while still married to Jen. Karma sa kama.

That is why rebounds are just for basketball. In fact, some decisions on the nullity of marriages specify when a spouse can remarry, if at all.

Dami Accounts

Again, enter the Anti-Money Laundering agency in the Duterte-De Lima double-barrelling of the drug menace, on suspicion of Bilibid money going to the former Secretary of Justice and her "bagmen."

Bilibid or not! Audience, beware!!!

Who's laughing now?

An old song went, "Who's sorry now?" Could they be the millions who voted for Duterte or the hundreds who laughed at his antics thereafter?

Definitely, there's crying from the kin of killed drug suspects, and just now, Senator De Lima in frustrated but hopeful vindication after Duterte's apology on his drug matrix.

P. S.

They say "senior moment" is passe. "My (computer) disc is full" is now more geriatrically correct. In my case, the previous post should have read "decrease in the value of the dollar."

Thank the Holy Spirit, can still spot my error! Essential in mediation,  too.

What goes up.....

With the increasing violence in the country, there is a corresponding decrease in the value of the peso. The Central Bank, of course, related it to the US economy.

Mediation realizes that- actions do not happen in a vacuum, always have a domino efect. With the nervousness of the business sector, OFW families are happy with more pesos from their remittances, and the exporters with less cost to send out their goods. Economic balancing act.

Bridging the Spies

This will (carbon)-date me, but the Tom Hanks starrer on cable dealt with Gary Powers, who was in the news of my youth. He was an American pilot shot down by the Russians supposedly on espionage. Tom Hanks' character negotiated his release, in exchange for his client, the communist spy held in the US, Abel.

What a biblical situation! Powers for Abel- truly mediation balances power.

Mediation Mantra

George Sison says, "My receiving comes from all my giving, forgiving and thanksgiving."

Disputants better not dispute this!

WW Rent

That's for worldwide, which someone said should be service, for our being in this world.

Mediators are surely paying it forward.

Emotional Hygiene

That is proposed by the Dalai Lama, according to his follower Tessa Prieto- Valdes, to make moral values keep up with technological strides.

Mediation is included in that kit.

Na-Salise

Yet another judge, Salise, was shot.

Just yesterday, at our Refresher Course on Mediation in refreshing Tagaytay, one speaker ohserved, "They don't shoot mediators!" Being "peacemakers, they are called children of God," says the Gospel.

D Vs D

Duterte versus De Lima is getting into a long-playing disc that started during the vinyl record days of their mayoral and human rights past.

Will somebody backtrack and make some sense of this, peace?

Train or Bust

"Train to Busan" was derailed to Hogswart? This Korean movie started with a story of a torn family that was interesting enough till zombies turned up.

In real life, there are zombie-like creatures who zoom into relationships, too.

Sound of Silence

Not that meaningful song, but the equally meaningful absence of recrimination in forgiveness.

Today's Our Daily Bread says it all: "The voice of sin may be loud, but the voice of forgiveness is louder." Enough said.

Bakit Pa List

That was our reply upon being asked for one's bucket list for our golden jubilee book.
We might kick it before then. Nothing like doing the things we have to do while we still can.

As it says in the Gospel of Matthew, "Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny." That is the mediator's commission.

Sullied Reputation

For saving other 154 lives aboard his aircraft he safely landed on the Hudson River after a bird strike, Capt. Sullenberger was grilled by the Transport Board for possible human error. Could make anyone become like the first two syllables of his last name!

That Board would get crazy going over the inhuman errors of the PNP!

Les Miserables II

From  stealing bread, the hungry are now stabbing "tanods" preventing their sidewalk-hawking.

Once and for all, let's settle the conflicting interests of livelihood and road use.

Waya Waya

That is the name of a pest infecting crops at present.

There is another pest to relationships- away away, that we don't want. Ayaw ayaw!

Tawad ng Tunggalian

To counter human rights accusations against him, Duterte brought up the US' massacre/overkill of Mindanao Moros in the early 1900s at Bud Dajo. Bad "dayo?"

Darwin Absari of UP's Institute for Islamic Studies chimed in and claimed that US has not asked forgiveness (pagpapatawad) for this. "Tawad" also refers to discount or minimize in Pilipino. Discount, in English could likewise mean disregard. Wonder in what context US will be asking for "tawad?"

Unfit Husband/ President

If PNoy was a non-husband, Digong was an unfit one, judging from the personality assessment during his annulment case, released during the campaign period. Then, he was diagnosed with "Anti-Social Narcissistic Personality Disorder with these characteristics: gross indifference, insensitivity, self-centeredness, grandiose sense of self-entitlement/ manipulative behavior, pervasive tendency to demean & humiliate others &,violate their rights & feelings, heightened by a lack of capacity for guilt and remorse. Traits are easily upset when needs & desires not met, destructive behavior, poor capacity for objective judgment, lack of self-discipline seen as challenging & exciting, fails to see things in light of facts, interprets actions solely from his view point, and rationalizes & justifies wrongdoing usually by blaming others."

Did we listen at all to this objective third party caveat? Voters, beware and wary!

Mediating Road Rage

Now comes Dash Cam Pro, a cctv for your car. It has audio, video and infra red facility for night vision.

An objective third party, like a mediator on the road!

It Takes Two

Aside from tango, to run the silk-making machine in the local cottage industry.

Just as to start a conflict, and end it, too.

Sow What?

This was the take of "Our Daily Bread" on the Parable of the Sower's seed falling on different soil conditions.

Mediation also deals with rocky relationships and thorny situations before gaining ground.

Self-Mediation

It all starts with loving yourself, so you are not in inner conflict. How? Someone set these guidelines: Revisit victories, Reward yourself and Run after your dreams.

That takes care of your past, present and future in 3Rs. Not in selfies endeavor, but honest-toward-goodness pursuit. Not trivial Rah, Rah, Rah!

Mediation Prayer

"Weep not for what you have lost
Fight for what you have.
Weep not for what is dead
Fight for what was born in you.
Weep not for the one who abandoned you
Fight for who is with you.
Weep not for those who hate you
Fight for those who want you.
Weep not for your past
Fight for your present struggle.
Weep not for your suffering
Fight for happiness.

With events and situations that are happening to us and around us, we begin to learn that no matter what we do, there are some things that are impossible to resolve. We just need to move forward and make things better for the future." (I cannot recall source of this reflection.)

Personal Peace Adviser of the President

The Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process is getting into his job description's tail end duty of "others as may be assigned from time to time." In Laos, Dureza is trying to offset what Duterte was supposed to have said of Obama. Hopefully, he would live up to his last name, which in Spanish means hardiness, if we're not mistaken. Let's see how durable Jess is.

Duterte could make Dureza's job less complicated than it already is by thinking before he clucks.

Camp Sawi Sawi Island

On an idyllic island location, the movie Camp Sawi has the broken-hearteds breaking plates and doing other coping mechanisms. After 10 days, they are ready to go back to their frustrating existence.

Most of them needed mediation, if not counseling.

Mediating social classes

Mother Teresa became a saint for her work among the lowliest, the untouchables of Calcutta. She touched their lives till their dying days.

Mediation is likewise reaching out- to the other side.

Keeping up with Time

My age now is the same as the year I graduated high school. To put it digitally, it's 'hs_@_!

Like mediation, we are updating.

Not a Hero Sandwich

Marcos can't even be in the Shakey's menu.

Does he even care? How to mediate with the dead?

Dead Men Tell No (Tall) Tales

Maybe just rigid as they are in rigor mortis, and uniformly so, not in clothing but in supposed action of resisting arrest.

So while alive, let us seek to say our piece or forever hold it in peace.

Con-troll

Come to spell it, too much control is not very flaterring. Even God discourages it over our own lives, and more so others' lives. Only He has full control really. Ours is just foolish.

Mediators also allow disputants to deal with their own conflict resolution their way, time frame and good will.

Hu-got it?

With the current trend of Pinoy hugot lines, San Miguel Beer contributes its Zero bitterness variant.

Mediation drinks to that!

Terms of Service

During this time of all sorts of contracts before accessing applications online, "Our Daily Bread" Bible reflection came up with this truly Christian agreement: May you do good and not evil. May you find forgiveness for yourself and forgive others. May you share freely, never taking more than you give."

Ideal prayer before mediation.

Tattooing Grudges

TRU featured letting go of tattoos and grudges- both embedded and painful.

Mediation is a not so painful way-out, compared to the alternative of a prolonged grudge.

E-mercy power

With all the pushers for emergency power, perhaps they can heed the appeal of Pope Francis for a dash of mercy. The PNP's Chief command that drug users and pushers kill and/or burn down the houses of drug lords is a cheap shot at braggadocio.

Psychology casts a doubt on the masculinity of trying-hard machos. They say there is a link from the milk to beer bottle. Pent-up emos? Good to know during mediation.

Nyhan Syndrome

Not from New York, but an unfortunate disease when an individual involuntarily hurts himself by biting or hitting. The boy featured on GMA NEWS TV had to have
all his teeth pulled!

There are also self-saboteurs in life, who un/knowingly make it more difficult than it already is. Sometimes, they are lucky to get into mediation at the nick of time.

Disciple's Discipline

Heard this at a TV Holy Mass. Truly, a follower follows.

As disputants follow through their agreed compromise.

Fish come

Fshing has gone hi tech, too. Now, a camera attached to a smartphone enables a line fisherman to see how fish react to the bait.

If only a mediator could also foresee dispute settlement!

Celebrating Dies

Take that from an Australian on the "Christianity Works" radio program. He answers why we commemorate defeats in battle- to highlight strength of spirituality more.

Mediation minimizes defeat, too by compromise.

Friday's Apollo 13

At least this Friday the 13th was only on tv. But this NASA to land on the moon was doomed. The three astronauts just whizzed by it. A graver concern was the CO2 accumulation in the space capsule from their breathing.

Such toxic conditions happen in relationships, too. Vents are needed, as in mediation.

Balian (ng buto)

He was the son of Godfrey who crusaded against Saladin the Moor in the movie "Kingdom of Heaven." There, it was mentioned that more than God, the battle was for wealth and land.

They say that it could also be traced to the sibling rivalry between Isaac and Ismael, sons of Abraham by different wives.  Nowadays, it involves Isis! Mediating the Bible, anyone?

Borrowing Credit

Not from the bank but the fruits of the previous administration, on Duterte's lap have fallen the Olympic silver medal of Hidilyn Diaz, who admitted training for 4 years in Zamboanga, as luck would again have it; the NAIA skyway opening soon; metro train supplies coming in; goodness, even the Miss U pageant in January next year. Marcos was even credited for Duterte's political leanings, but it was President Cory who appointed him OIC of Davao City in 1986, as Binay of Makati City. Two gone wrong.

Mediation traces both the good and the bad.

Lost in Translation

Atty. Panelo justifies Duterte's decision allowing the Marcos burial in the LNMB by the huge margin with which he won the elections. Say again?

Such rat-ionale! Won't do in mediation.

The Gong Protests Too Much

Pardon, Mr. Shakespeare, but remembered your words when the 2017 National Budget came out. The Office of the President (OP) was given almost P20 B! An Olympic leap from last year's P2B! This, after they conceded early on that a lot of offices and agencies would be removed from the OP. Now, they reason out that we would be hosting Asean.  Plus intelligence funds for the anti-drug war...(The Miss U pageant would even be funded privately, mind you.)

This "clean government" will also do so with our coffers, as well as coffins.

Com-promises

Heard someone mispronounce that word. In a way, compromises are promises to be fulfilled, especially in a mediation settlement.

Slow Eye Movement

As against the Rapid Eye Movement during sleep, the slow mode was measured by
a Kyoto urban planner. He sent subjects to different landscapes around the city and found out that the more structured, planned and peaceful the view, the slower the eye movement.

Peace leads to peace. In mediation, more than the eyes, the mind feels peace.

Na-Obusan

This drug pusher has just lost his supply, in the raging battle being waged by Duterte.
Sadly, more lives are lost, too.

Can't mediate unilaterally. In court, it is called ex-parte. Nowadays, it is departed.

Innovative Nation

NAT GEO features recent inventions that make you say, "Why didn't I think of that?"
Like solar highways, robot snakes for rescues, backpack cellphones composite for reporter- photographers' portable OV vans relaying news to tv stations!

Why then can't we find peace?

Chilly Book Deal

"The 33" told of miners in Chile trapped for months before all were successfully rescued. Down in the tunnels, they learned to share dwindling provisions as well as emotions and lives. But when rescue was eminent, one of them struck a book deal!

Group mediating on that issue, they still meet regularly to this day.

Michaelangelo

One documentary on his life traced his beginnings to a sickly mother so he was sent to a nearby town. There, he was supposed to have recalled, "Along with the milk of my nurse, I received the knack of handling hammer and chisel."

Sometimes, twists and turns of fortune lead to just that!

In Their Mocs

NAT GEO's Great Human Race reinacts how Adam and Eve's descendants lived in the wild. As a concession, the anthropoligists wore moccasins.

Putting ourselves in their shoes makes for better understanding during discussions.

Come Slap With Me

Used to be fly with me, but one Cebu Pac passenger role-played on the cranky flight attendant by slapping one who didn't put the luggage in the overhead bin.

In mediation, there should be no shouting, name-calling and definitely no saPACking.

OLX

Had a creative ad recently. Thought at first for an optical shop, an ob-gyne declared to parents that their baby would be a girl. So a pink nursery is prepared. But a boy is born! Sue the doctor for malpractice? No, sell the nursery pink stuff at OLX online.

Now that's non- litigious problem-solving.

HERO

Seems to be the word of the weak? With the ongoing dispute re the burial of dictator Marcos with the Heroes, now comes QC Councilor Hero Bautista admitting drug abuse and rehabilitation.

At least, the latter admitted his crime, no matter how personal. The former Panggulo was just that- to people's lives and finances up to the present. No GOODwill here, a prerequisite to resolution.

NEW Year's Eve

Never tire of this ETC flix rerun. Especially its message at the end: "There are things we cannot control like calamities.  But we can- forgiveness, second chances, hope in our heart..."

Suggested viewing for disputants.

Bawi at Laban

Duterte is changing the rules of this game show-of force. His unilateral ceasefire not respected by the NPA is now withdrawn. Let the war begin again.

Much like in tango, mediation also needs two persons acting in goodwill and grace.

Panike Time

That's what I tell my daughter when I feel batty re feared scams and spams not the edible kind. Imagine bats flying to and fro in the cave.

When this happens, Dr. Harold Sala has the following tips:
1. Do nothing first.
2. Get advice.
3. Put options on paper.
4. Decide on the best.

"Wait on the Lord. Decisions in panic are often regrettable," he says. Mediators handle them later.

Tanto Mo Ba

This vehicular accident between Garalde, a cyclist and Tanto, an army reservist in his car went really violent, then fatal. The latter had no reservations about shooting the former so many more times than needed to ensure his intention, no matter how provoked. A female student was likewise shot in the melee.

And what did bystanders who could have prevailed over the two do? They cheered them on!

Make-Up Artist

CNN PH's had "Real Talk" on the latest- Quarter-Life Crisis of the 20'somethings. More interestingly, guest was Ning Barcelo, a life coach and a literal make-up artist, who can multi-task by talking to clients about their life's problems while beautifying their faces, too! Surely, no walk-out scenarios of these captive market.

Mediators are also make-up artists in a way.

36O Degrees

That's the vision of dragonflies, according to AHA host Drew Arellano.

Wish they could lend some degrees to narrow-minded disputants.

Wag Na Kayong Baguilat

Teddy, i.e., is the first name of the "Head of the Real Minority" in the Lower House.

No minor issue really. Who will check and balance the "Super Majority" if they also voted their mini me?

Family's Battle for Inheritance

RED's Japanese feature was a video lesson on mediation. A middle-class male doctor is about to marry a rich woman on her second attempt. The woman's grand/father wants the doctor to marry into the family, which in Japan means taking her family name!

Have not followed this soap series but surely is a sudsy, er gutsy proposition.

The Martian

No sequel to ET, this movie is about Matt Damon's character stranded on that planet. Not sci-fi anymore, with Branson brashly taking reservations for one-way tickets to the red planet.

Have we even perfected peaceful living on our home planet?

Olimping Games

Just heard that the differently-abled will be joining the Olympics in Rio.

When would the differently-believing rejoin the humane race?

Loot's loot

One of the PNP heads implicated by Duterte in drugs is now a mayor in Cebu. Mayor Loot's Statement of Assets and Liabilities reports a net worth of P 700 M from his wife's businesses.

Hmmm, what loot?!

Extremely loud and incredibly close

This movie on 911 was reshown on cable tv. A mother and son left by the man of the house had to contend with each other while dealing with their own grief. At one point, the mother admitted looking over her child's things. Snooping was the boy's term for it. No, according to his mom, just searching for you.

They self-mediated their conflict by being honest, sincere and earnest with each other.

Nice Terror Attack?

Is it ever? Well, if it happened in Nice, France. Good clarification of a TV breaking news.  Sure broke a lot of lives and limbs.

Do we need a UN with more teeth, cctvs, intelligence, and perhaps more so, prayers?

Lolopop

That is a lolo still peddling lollipop on foot in San Fernando, Pampanga. He was the "Good News" feature of GMA News TV. Interviewed, he said he liked the exercise, aside from the meager earnings for his family. He was rewarded with a little store.

If only a lot more of these positive family stories come up!

Mourning Recipe

Take it from the Land of the Rising Sun. As featured in RED, the Japanese have a set of rituals commemorating their dead.

As almost all nations do the same, shouldn't they have peaceful-living guidelines, too?

Beware the Gifts

Heard over the cab's radio, as translated-

Gift-giver: Will you use right away my gift to you?

Recipient: Of course. What is it anyway?

Gift-giver: A memorial plan (canned laughter)

Like compliments, gifts can be left-handed. Minded, right?

Wino Ryder

That was how Johnny Depp abbreviated his tattoo after breaking-up with Winona, or however she spelled her name.

Some individuals handle letting-go creatively well.

Beer Pong

This is the new game of shooting pingpong balls into those red plastic beer cups. It has gone international. What will they think of next?

If only they exert the same creative effort in resolving brawls there.

Jonisia

Jon Santos, the comic progeny of Willie Nepomuceno and Tessie Tomas, does a (not) mean Dionisia. Unlike sprouting comedy bar-tenders, Jon like his elders does not do hard- core putdown. Just good old realism with a dash of irony- library of bankbooks and k for kilo, plus honeymoon on the moon!

Laughter could be the best mediation!

Leading Women

This CNN PH series featured Bernadette Romulo- Puyat, who found new purpose in life after widowhood. As Undersecretary of Agriculture, she visited farmers all over the country. She also found out that only women are allowed to pick coffee beans. Just as to give birth!

Now, that's women leading! No contest.

Minister of Happiness-Giving

The United Arab Emirates has one! Believe this TV report, with all their oil, I guess this was coming.

Guess, too, they don't need mediation there?

Pancoran

That's the name of the statue commissioned by Sukarno, as told in HBO RED's Indonesian movie "Adriana."  Schoolchildren were asked where the figure seemed to be pointing. One replied, "where the treasure is!"

Not only in the Philippines. How have we moderated greed?

Carniture

That's no typo, just Kenneth Cobonpue's vehicle-inspired pieces of furniture.

Mediation needs such creativity in settling conflict by merging both sides' interests.

Serenity

Serena Williams must have lots of this, starting from her name. Despite all the fury of her game, one must have had equanimity to garner 22 Grand Slams!

Sometimes, exchanges between disputants seem like a furious tennis match. Oh, do we call the name of Serena!

Organic Bananas

Kourtney Kardashian offers this tip on how to spot them. Organic bananas are easy to peel on top.

Some disputants are not organic in that way. They have layers of pretension that are hard to uncover.

Gorgeous

That is how a Rockwell retail store defines its Mess. Indeed, Gorgeous Mess sells products like gold staplers! Must be difficult not to know where to spend an over-supply of money and at the same time, keep away from boredom doing it.

In like manner, mediation could be a gorgeous make-over of conflict, with a dash of creative ideas on its resolution.

Prayer for the Dying

This AMC movie was about a priest administering the Last Rites alright. But he also witnessed the deceased being shot. Worse, the killer confessed to him to be bound by its Seal of confidentiality. In yet another twist, the killer happened to be a good organist in church, and fell in love with the priest's blind niece- regular church organist.

Some mediation stories even beat this one.

Grave Mediation

More than meaning "important, threatening, dignified and somber " (as its synonyms in Merriam Webster), grave here refers to "from the dead." In 2nd Avenue's feature "Montana Sky," a rich playboy farmland-owner willed his three stepdaughters to live, co-exist and be productive for a year in the ranch, or else lose their inheritance.

Creative mediation, too!

Plain and Boring

That is how a girl in an ad describes not a date, but her hair! We know they have to sell their product and would go to great length or stretch of imagination, so have come to this.

Mediation sessions, thanks to the disputants, are neither of the two adjectives.

Man on a Ledge

This old movie was about a diamond thief who was being talked out of jumping off a building. What caught our attention was when he accepted to share the cigarette of a policewoman. When her boss asked when she started the habit, she replied by handing the cigarette to a detective for DNA analysis.

Just like in mediation, all means are exhausted toward conflict resolution.

Near Perfect Storm

That was the description of recent PH "buisitor," Buchoy given by hopeful Pag-asa. Indeed, its image equalled Van Gogh's "Starry Night." And many evacuees really wished to have seen it, instead of being jampacked in community gyms.

Perfection, like beauty, is in the eye of beholder or the victim.

Mediating Cultures

GMA NEWS TV's Howie Severino visited the B'laan tribe of Mindanao. An elderly woman told him that their culture was vanishing as the younger people refuse, or are ashamed, to learn from her. Their dances and colorful native wear are now just for visitors' consumption. On the other hand, a man from Tondo is raising his family there, in order to teach the B'laans in school. Howie compared the two individuals- one holding the key to their past; the other, to their future.

How to make the twain meet?

CK

Calvin Klein is passe. It's now time for Louie, a sad comic in New York. His self-named series he explained to interviewer Ruben Napales thus: "Szekely  is pronounced CK. It's Hungarian. I ended up sticking with that because when you start doing stand-up comedy or amateur night, you just write your name on a chalkboard, and you come up when you are called. That is what it was when I started. I just wrote 'Louie  CK,'  so he would say it right."

They say one's name is music to his ears. Thus, at the start of mediation, there is need for introduction of the mediator, and even each disputant, because the other party could be a representative of say, a credit company, unknown to the debtor. Hopefully there is no discordant note that follows.

Mayor's Major Shake-Up

Mayor Sylvia Austria of Jaen, Nueva Ecija has a new "hain" to be served drug pushers surrendering to authorities. P 50, 000. for submiting to rehabilitation and later, for alternative livelihood. Hopefully, they don't become lively hoods!!!

In mediation, the compromise agreement ensures that the conflict is resolved in an enforceable, fair, win-win and fool--proof manner.

Hotel Babylon

2nd Avenue's drama series is set in familiar territory, as I've been in three hotels' personnel department. But their immigration woes have not been our experience.

On the other hand, we processed our expats' immigration papers, and one time, bailed out an expat chef who was jailed for supposedly locking a local cook in the freezer!

Helen, The Baby Fox

RED's Korean offering told the story of a veterinarian's son who took care of a blind baby fox. Once, the father blind-folded his son to make him aware of how his pet was moving about.

Much like how a mediator would want disputants to feel about each other.

Cycology

One of my favorite rerun sitcoms is Frasier. One episode had his brother and him learning how to ride a bike for his radio station's fund-raising race.

Could relate to that. Not all kids have done their wheelwork.

Mediating Hold-Uppers

AMC's movie had two hold-upper pairs victimizing the same bank almost simultaneously. It could only happen in the town called Inferno in Texas!

Perhaps they should set appointments?

Age Discrimination

HBO Asia's RED channel has a Japanese series tackling this issue.

There is hope for the boob tube.

Hollywood Tour

The Kardashians got on one. Of course, Khloe dressed and made-up as a southern grandmother of Kendall and Kylie. They just wanted to evade the paparazzi and general public attention, and be in their shoes, for once.

Hopefully, understanding follows, as in mediation.

Biblical Dynasties

Perhaps they are being put forth by political dynasties as their model. But perhaps they should also read about what happened to some of them!

Be careful what you feign for.

Judicial First Aid

It is said that to relieve the disputants of their conflict, focus less on reliving the pain. While the past is crucial in understanding the present, it is dealt with only to decide on how best to avoid it in the future.

Drain Bermuda

A documentary on the recovery of $ 1.5 B worth of old gold coins from the sunken ship, Republic started with tracing the seabed by digitally draining its Bermuda Triangle area. A map of the sunken vessel was produced.

Mediation, too, requires the draining of ill will for the recovery of once precious relationships.

Safety Net

Being acrophobic, I was awed by mountain climbers without ropes! Of course, like movie shots, there was a net spread out below. Still am not doing that!

Mediation is like a net that catches disputants falling over the cliff.

Amazing Food

NAT GEO recounted the search for food of the Cambodians during the Khmer Rouge reign of terror. It reached the point when they turned to tarantulas for sustenance! Now, they are a delicacy.

That's the development of a nation's problem-solving for nutrition.

Waiting

Can't recall now where I heard this observation: "Why are they called waiters? Diners are the ones waiting."

Just like those with pending court cases awaiting decisions.

Wanda No More

Political appointees' season again. So finally, it was revealed that Duterte die-hard Tulfo's sister, Wanda Teo from a Davao agency, is now at the helm of Tourism.

This conflict (of interest) is hard to mediate.

Ending

That's not the barangay- level gambling. Emily's Post (again not the etiquette columnist) of Emily Marcelo had this lyrical advice to a letter-writer: "Closing the chapter on a great love is always sad in any language. That's the reason for the periods in sentences, winters in seasons, deaths in a life. Every good thing ends, somehow or other. As a song goes, 'All good things must end, and autumn leaves must fall. But that's what memories are for- for reliving, for playing back, for reminiscences.' "

And mediation, too when there is need to trace how the once good relationship deteriorated.

Wagas na Wakas

GMA News TV featured a truly heroic man who became blind after an accident, was left by his pretty girlfriend, learned to be a construction worker and found new love in a plump but good-natured woman.

Mediation likewise seeks a creative and tenacious end to conflict.

Solutionaries

As coined and defined by the previous PCOO Assistant Secretary Celso Santiago, this term refer to "students who are molded into citizens who can propose solutions and not just join the noisy mob in social media." How? The Aquino Legacy Videos will be distributed to 2, 000 schools.

Could refer to disputants in mediation, too.

SODA ads

Not of Coke or Sprite, but of the State of the Department/ Agency that were rampant after the elections. Reminds me of one Peace Panelist who in the 2010 turn-over, cried bribery early on the start of her appointment.

Why only now? That could likewise be asked of disputants at the start of mediation.

Smashing Success

In the Genius series of the History channel, an American with a German-sounding name, Oppenheimer is credited for the hydrogen bomb that ended World War II and lives in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Did he, like Einstein (for the atom bomb ) regret having had destructive destinies, and preferred to have been a fisherman?

Horse-Man ship

This is the story of French rider Pierre Durand and his family-owned horse. Pierre's first tournament failure was blamed on his coach, who was replaced by another more positively reinforcing. The horse was also not spared and got to be sold except for failing its medical check-up. In the end, after being more caring of his horse, Durand won in the Seoul Olympics.

How like human inter-relationships frequently blaming, escaping, and all else except accepting.

Mediating Tastes

Who could be more qualified than Indians? Its Cinema World feature differentiated spicy (tasty) from hot (hurting).

To every tongue, spoken or tasting, there is a preference, often necessitating mediation.

Wearing Pantalon in the House

Pantaleon Alvarez is the presumptive Speaker of the House. Will he have The Voice PH 2016?

Supper Majority

The Super Majority forming overcast both Houses sounds like a Super Typhoon. They are surely working for their lunch.

Are we just to suffer them? Especially since their Commander-in-Chef doesn't take any criticism about their serving too well.

Return to Funeraria

Specifically, the one in Tel Aviv which sent the wrong corpse to Manila!

Some Return Trip to Jerusalem!!! Mediating to death.

The Wedding Cake

Cinema World's take on weddings came from Bordeaux. But scenes were quite familiar. The past haunted the groom, in the presence of his daughter with the special condition of Down's Syndrome. A relative in charge of photography hid
the girl from the camera, but could not control her tongue. Even grandmother,
who chose the church venue, turned out to have had a previous relationship with
its parish priest!

Noteworthy was the use of compact cars to the wedding. No gas guzzlers, thank ecology.  And the wedding cake was also recycled. After the creme puff conical
tower was dropped, the bakers swiftly brought it back to shape.

Zoo in the Time of Guerra

Palestine's contribution to Cinema World dealt with animal welfare during warfare. Giraffada follows the vet(erinarian)'s search for a mate of the depressed pregnant giraffe whose partner was a recent victim of night light-and-sound violence.

Shouldn't there be Vets Without Borders, too?

Weight of Way

In Animal Planet, a feature "Animals gone wild" showed an elephant roaming on a country highway. Did not catch how it came about, but there was Rumbo harassing cars trunk-to-trunk!

Sometimes, conflicting sides are unequal in some way. The mediator balances the situation.

Spanish Scavenger

Cinema World is like the UN of cable tv. The other day, "Food and Shelter" showed the poverty in Spain. Its depiction seemed first-world still, definitely not Mendoza, Brilliantesque. Perhaps it's the literally cool atmosphere or the tone-down emotions, even if intense every now and then. Or the distant language we catch intermittently.

However, the failure to pay rent, travails of single motherhood, dreams of young boys, kindness of neighbors and government support are universal.

Finding Dory (a Job)

Before successfully "Finding Nemo," Dory voice-over Ellen Degeneres (then dubbed degenerate) couldn't find work after coming out of the closet on land.

Now she can be Ellen the Generous, keeping the good-karma character of Dory. Yet another self-mediation.

Color Mediation

GMA NEWS TV featured the Aetas, especially women of Mt. Pinatubo rebonding their hair and using papaya soap to look more like the "unat" of the lowlands and suffer less discrimination.

Now that is another case of self-mediation.

ASS Meets

That stands for Asian Security Summit, just as stubborn as its acronym brother, and sometimes pompous too.

Hopefully the Tribunal settling the South China/ West Philippine Sea conflict would ease the geopolitical conflict.

Ma Rosa Mia

We were not canned at Cannes. Brilliante Mendoza shone bright again with Ma Rosa. Its female lead won Best Actress.

No contest there.

Cut Boy Off

These days' talk of boycott of Duterte by the press is the opposite of Erap's boycott of the (Inquirer) press ads. These are two Pres. in a pod.

Interesting times for mediation between the President and the press/woman.

Escape Route

A French film, "Scapegoat" had a department store's Technical Control employee called to the Claims Department everytime there is a customer complaint. TC staff gets scolded harshly by the Claims manager so the customer's rage is assuaged and s/he settles for a replacement and avoids legal action.

Retail mediation at work, on a technicality.

All Gears

Another foreign film on Cinema World featured Algerian immigrants to France who go balik-bayan. Common problems tackled are livelihood, culture, and family issues.

Scenes familiar!

Boy Sayco(n)

As we were just getting used to the new circus in town, a latecomer joins them in the person of Boy Saycon. Why did he and his witnesses come out only now, after the official proclamation of the national election results? And why were their numbers skewed?

Mediation has proper timing (pre-litigation) and data (cross-checked between sides).

Brigada Hudikatura

They have one for schools, why not for justice? To clean up the spider webs in court dockets, sweep the dust off case files, vacuum decisions out of judges and clear the jails of unwanted non-criminals.

Mediation has been doing so, fast-tracking compromise agreements between the "presumptive " litigants.

Leni in the Palace

Coconut, i.e.  Leni has more coconut than her predecessor. That edifice was rented at half a million a month! She could spend that amount for satellite offices in the provinces, the incoming VP says.

There will be less outgoing expenses this time.

Federer

Similar to the tennis champ, would federalism be better too? Or best?

Or all the more entrench the local dynasties and their very public private armies?

Freedom of Expletive

Duterte is becoming a bane in the news of television stations with his colorful language.

Will he abolish the MTRCB next?

1+1= 10

This was the answer of one child to his teacher in a foreign film caught on Cinema World. When the teacher asked him why, he replied that his father and mother had 10 children!

Duterte doesn't like that. How to mediate reproduction?

Beyond Turncoatism

That is because a coat has only two sides. Politicians , on the other hand, change "parties" after every national election.

Perhaps, we can just have the administration party and the anti-administration party. The former we can call present, with presents.

Ducking Problems

From B. C. comic strip: "What's your special? The duck. How was the duck prepared? He didn't take it well."

Facing problems is mediation's way.

Angry Birds' Eye

For lack of any other choice, watched The Angry Birds movie on senior citizen pass. It was witty -"Kevin Bacon on eggs"; their version of anger management class and other human endeavors. The pigs' invasion on the island of the birds was reminiscent of similar events in history, too.

It also brought out the best in the Angry Bird. That's sublimation, a weakness turned to something positive. Mediation does that, too.

Concerted Efforts

The open-air concert at MOA this weekend left 5 dead. Another one in west Austria resulted in 3 casualties after a man open fired at the audience after a spat with his girlfriend, as reported by Reuters.

Perhaps concert tickets should have a warning: Dangerous to health.

Mediating Sides

Duterte will have his hands full holding the left and the right-ists in his Cabinet.

Let us see how he mediates.

Don't Beware Creditors Bearing Gifts

Thais obviously don't have Trojan blood. In Bangkok, Reuters report that credit company employees go to the houses of debtors with oranges and mangosteen. Just not lemons, and not thrown like tomatoes.

Cheaper than filing a court case, it is a good mediation strategy!

Mediating Golden Girls

Over fifty years since high school, we had developed our own decision-making skills and some. Now, as we prepare for our golden jubilee next year, one can imagine the clash of opinions regarding plans. Can't blame others to remain in the woodwork!

Fight or flight or fright? Laughter is the best mediation.

No Pews

Chanced upon a foreign film in Cinema World, where the churchpeople decided to clear their place of worship of the pews. Instead, they had a concert/dancing venue. This is also done in my neighboring Las Pinas' St. Joseph Parish with its Bamboo Organ Festival every February.

Mixed-use of churches is a sign of greater openness to other forms of worship. So is mediation, of justice.

Luz Change

Loose change is coming - from taxi drivers, Duterte vows. But change has also to be enlightened, not just for the head- or tail of it.

The choice of a Villar scion of real estate holdings, for Public Works and Highways is like dropping a shark into an aquarium. Better to retain non-COI (conflict of interest) Secretary Singson, in that case. So in mediation, should doubts be eliminated.

Robot Monk

A monk thought of a robot to spread their teachings and answer the questions of especially the youth.

That's keeping up with the children, like mediation is, with the times.

Lost in Tension

Had a good heart over breakfast. The commentator over the biblical cum classical music radio station narrated a tense call of an expectant father to his wife's ob-gyne, "Her contractions are getting more frequent, Dr." to which the latter asked, "Is this her first child?" The reply: "This is her husband!"

In mediation, too, we have to know where both sides are coming from.

Quick Thinking

With e-lections, come all the tales of cheating, imagined, paranoid, or not. A Baby Blues comic strip showed an example of logic shortcut. The father said, "I go to work to make money, which we spend on food, which you put on plates, where the kids push it around, and then it gets thrown away. It would be more efficient if I just put my paycheck in the trash." The wife retorted,"And no cooking? I'm listening..."

Mediation, in a non-perverted way, goes over the hurts and pains in a relationship to get to the resolution of the conflict.

Serviciong Totoo

My maternal grandfather was fluent in spoken and written Spanish. Hence, my mother would speak to us with a smattering of the language. Servicio, to us, was the potty, so the GMA tagline is not really very pleasant, especially if you're eating.

Indeed, some news and its reporters can be trashy, too.

Mini-glo

The 12-year old daughter of Duterte with his present partner ominously reminds us of Gloria in the Palace.

Hopefully, her father's brashness hasn't rubbed off too much on her. Monkey see, ...

Shades of Guilt

Psychology calls it the defense mechanism of projection. To protect our ego, we tend to criticize others, usually what we ourselves are guilty of. Guess it's easy to recognize the familiar. So it is with BBMarcos accusing the pious widow Leni of cheating in the elections. 1986 part II!

Be careful of what you accuse of.

Political Scions

The political sons also rise- in social media, just about the same time their parents were conceding to each other.

Let the sharing begin!

Mediating Spoilers

Not those car accessories, but still hangers-on this time, over political winners. They is already in-fighting reported between two factions surrounding Duterte.

To supporters belong the posts! Only makes sense in physics.

Spidermen @ Bilibid

No, they are not using their webs to get out of prison. Rather, using their spare time to get some spare change from gambling by pitting these crawlers against each other.

The justice system has to speed up before the prisoners gather more vices. In the first place, should they be there in the first place, or could mediation have settled their cases in pretrial?

Mediating Mercy Killing

Caught a British film re four male friends who take one of them who is terminally ill, on one last trip to his favorite bay. There, the cancer-striken friend enlists their help to drown himself. Two friends refuse, while the third is emotionally- blackmailed to agree, as the latter finally admits that he is with the sister of the ill friend.

How to mediate between faith and pain?

Surveying Pre-Election Cheating

Are surveys omens of election cheating? In this season of paranoia, "surveyors" were caught on cam doing their work in a fast food restaurant.  Fast work, too?

Election mediators, you are in for a season of "cheatingunia" next week!

Unroyal

With the Rolling Stones and other singers running after Donald Trump's campaign use of their songs, this past movie director showed the way out of royalties. When they couldn't use Mickey Mouse in a movie, they called on Jerry Mouse.

White lying out of intellectual property rights.

A Dying Killing Business

Thanks to the younger generation, Koreans seem to be losing their taste for dog meat according to an AFP report. Farms raising man's besties specifically for consumption are closing, due also to the mediation of the US-based Humane Society International.

Lucky beasts!

Dapat Biteng-in

Paul Biteng of the Comeleak typifies the arrogant characters in video games where he must have spent hours. Life imitating lice.

Mediation has seen these cases of guilt by association and dangerous liaison.

Scattering Dirt

What's in a name? Mayor Dudirty's Chair on the Commission on Human Rights was his fellow- Bedan law graduate Alberto Sipaco, Jr. Some kicker! Wonder what they committed.

By a long stretch, you are judged by the company you keep.

The Whistleblower

Not the local indie version, this 2nd Avenue movie was the true story of the United Nations Peacekeepers in Bosnia. There some of them preyed on especially the women they were supposed to protect. Con- tractors got them into prostitution and its related violence and drugs.

Who mediates between the peacekeepers and their victims?

My Boyfriend's Dog

This Diva movie was about a woman who seemed to retain dogs more than her boyfriends, three in a row, in fact. In the process, she gathered three canines, c/o her two- legged friends. The bonus was getting to know the owner of the dog shop.

Some women are more/ less lucky, gathering children from relationships, married or not.

Resurrecting the Brain

The Criminal movie had an interesting sci-fi proposition. When Ryan Reynolds' character was killed after stashing the loot bag, his brain was transferred to Kevin Costner's con character. So in the end, Ryan character's wife settled for his brain in Kevin Costner's body. Not exactly a losing proposition.

Sometimes, in mediation, one side has to get into the other's viewpoint to understand him.

Polygamy Paradise

With the recent Duterte revelation of multiple partners, there was a parallel AP news report from Salt Lake City, Utah that its court restored the ban on polygamy. This was a practice of the early Mormon church till 1890.

Whither thou goest, polygamist? You wither.

Begging in the Wings

AFP reports that a beggar saved the life of a baker whose shop's sidewalk was his begging post. Once, "a defective bread oven began leaking lethal carbon monoxide...
When Aucant (beggar) noticed Flamant (baker) staggering around the bakery, he called emergency services." Happier ending, the grateful baker is selling his bakery to the beggar for a symbolic one euro when they both retire in September. Yet another symbolism- this happened in the French town of Dole! Or not.

Mediation is like that. It relies on the goodwill of both sides, in give-and-take, with the hope of future gain.

Double Delivery

Beware the boys bearing pizza. AFP reports "a mafia chief in southern Italy has been arrested by detectives disguised as pizza boys who delivered food to his home as he was watching a football match." Double whammy, Naples lost to Milan.

Mediation lets disputants catch up with each other without a ploy.

Creative Justice

Don't drink and drive in Thailand, unless you want to do community service in the morgue. That was the sentence set by its ruling junta, according to the AFP.

Mediation could use such creative thinking.

Homing Pigeons

A GMA News Tv docu on pigeons reminded me of my son's pre-occupation with them, before he got terrible headaches from their poop. Pigeons are said to be monogamous and return home, even from long distances. Sound frequency or magnetic field seem to enable them to do this.

Mediation could try this on wandering spouses.

Double Purpose

Designer Dennis Lustico is also a nurse. His lucky father was gifted with Dennis-designed cargo pants that contain his catheter bag for his prostate condition.

Mediation is likewise a creative way out of conflict.

Three-life Clover

Compared to "The Jungle Book," "10 Clover Field Lane" was the concrete jungle version, literally. An ex-militaryman held captive a male neighbor and a female accident victim in his underground bomb shelter.

Might is never right, so mediation empowers the weak.

The Rule of the Jungle (Book)

"The Jungle Book" depicted a more peaceful and orderly existence among the animals  It was man(un)kind who possessed the "red flower" or fire of which they were both curious and covetous. Till one night, Mowgli the jungle boy accidentally spread the red flower and they realized it was destructive as well.

Beware of what you wish for. There are always two sides to it, like in mediation.

Ask the Messenger

If in doubt about what his bosses say, i.e. That was what the Senate committee hearing the Bangladeshi heist did. Of course, he echoed their assertions. The employee does not fall far from the employer, usually. Should they have shot
him because he lost his whistle?

Blood money is thicker than watermark.

Through the wormhole

Discovery Science had Morgan Freeman narrate this feature on lying. It has gone hi-tech, with digital deception acting like a butler in cyberspace. One clue- fake reviews have more  I's than reference to the subject matter. And did you know that while lies lie in the white brain matter? Color-coded. And that children generally tell the truth till age two, when they start gradualy acting like adults in covering-up for themselves or in the effort not to hurt others.

Mediators, beware!

When She Is Catty

Bruce Jenner still turns up in his new identity show I am Cait. Her transgender friends felt bullied during their crosscountry road trip. When it became alarming on their way to witness the presidential debate, the predominantly Democratic group told staunchly Republican Cait that anyone feeling the opposition will just sing, "God bless America" to quell the heat. When Kris Jenner joined them in their next stop, she confirmed that apparently, s/he has remained the same when it comes to beliefs.

Shouldn't we all sing, "Lupang Hinirang" this equally hot season of summer and elections?

Mediating Parloristas

The "Beauty Shop" movie dealt with parlor games in Brooklyn, New York.  Lead was black Queen Latifah. She recruited one white shampoo girl to brighten (read whiten) up the place. Of course, their former boss was white and gay. Oh, so colorful.

Queen of mediation, in deed!

Ageing Suits

We are not referring to cases awaiting court decisions. Rather, an apparel that a person wears to feel the aches and pains of an 85-year old. It is another way of being literally in the shoes of another, like a fellow disputant in a conflict.

For the cases gathering mold in court dockets, mediation is the solution.

Failed Amendment

B.C. cartoon featured a pupil invoking the Fifth Amendment. The teacher replied, "I'll take that as a 'no' on finished homework."

That was also how O. J. Simpson got off the hook on double murder charges, after the bigot investigator invoked it. Can't do that in mediation, which has confidentiality instead.

Mediating Mailmen

From cooks to postmen, they are singing their hearts out. In a creative way to compete with sms, the Post Office has commissioned Singing Karteros to deliver messages musically- and even prevent breakups, too.

Beats a texted "so sorry."

Appear

CT's American Crime Story on OJ Simpson dealt with marital violence as well as race. An interesting backstory in the District Attorney's office was the conflict between the white lead prosecutor Marcia and her black assistant Chris. At one point, he said to her, "You want a black face but not a voice." They both resigned after losing the case.

Who will mediate warring prosecutors?

Knight Climbing

 The Outdoor channel brought ice-climbing to a higher level of risk. In Norway, they climb mountains of ice at night!

Yet, on stable land, less disputants dare bring their issues to mediation, where they stand more to gain.

A Card Forgiving

Again last Holy Week, Bo Sanchez featured Father Bob who spoke on forgiveness. Realistically, a very difficult human deed. To start with, he suggested sending a card to the unforgiven. You don't need to address him/her as Dear. Just say you want to restore your relationship.

Otherwise, mediation will do it for both of you.

Chicken & Egg II

During one reflection over tv last Holy Week, a sharer had another take on success in business. He said happiness is the key, and not the other way around.

Indeed, happy employees, he said, have led to their successful enterprise. And do not need mediation either, we may add.

Mediating Power

That's electrical, which was started by Edison and Tesla. As recounted in History channel, Edison started with direct current. Tesla offered to improve on it, but rebuffed by Edison, he went on with his alternating current. In the end, of course,
it's Edison whose name we recall to this day.

This was one electrifying moment in history when mediation could have been used.

G&B in HK

Guiliana and Bill Rancic launched E News Asia in Hongkong. There, they got tempted with the fakes (goods more than people). They settled for local wear during the gala. As they said, "You have to immerse in unfamiliar culture to understand your own."

Likewise in mediation,  disputants have to try and see the other's side.

Playing It Cool

This movie could otherwise be called,"Love is a many-splintered thing," which is one of its quotables.

Mediation surely has seen this many times.

The Joke

In the Fox Family movie "The Duke," his dog became his heir. Doggone relatives!

Some have given their wealth to underdogs, too. Mediation sees this more often.

Gutfield

My fave lazy cat Garfield says, "Waking up is an annoying way to start the day."  As against the alternative?

Likewise, the initial awkwardness in mediation surely is a small price to pay for the prospect of  a conflict resolution.

No Mediating Driving Tests

In the Stewart Hamilton reality show, one scion failed his driving test twice.  Only in the United States!

There are some things beyond mediation, or should be.

Bad Man

The Batman and Superman movie occupies three out of the four cinemas in our mall. In real life though, Ben Affleck is not too popular, characterized as the bad man in his family.

Mediation has seen such reversal in roles, too.

Row Your Table

The Kardashians do not dash into their dragon boat. On a race in Miami, they practised rowing on a conference table.

As in anything, mediation requires preparation too, like orienting disputants before the first session.

What Happens in Marriage

Caught this old movie "What happens in Vegas." There was a choice that went "Do nothing and be happy or do something and be unhappy."

Guess it depends what you are not/doing either way.

Mediating Macrojobs

History's "Genius" featured prophetically-named Gates (Microsoft) and Jobs (Apple) at the crossroads of their rising but troubled careers and businesses. Returning to the Board, Jobs needed additional capital which he secured from competitor Gates, who by then was being hounded by monopolistic charges.

Everybody happy. That's the win-win of mediation.

Cupping Mechanism

The "Mom" sitcom had an ingenuous way of AAs enjoying a drink. They just raised their cupped empty hand to each other in a toast before raising it to their mouth.

Mediation likewise deals creatively with disputes

Bravado

Johnny Bravo was one cartoon to which I expressed disapproval to my grand/ children. Thus, it was to my surprise when I read recently that it was actually
written by a Filipino as a thesis in the States.

Understandably, sometimes feelings of inadequacy can be sublimated to bluster.

Ein Stain

History's feature on Albert Einstein had this genius later regretting that his life's work ultimately led to the creation of the atom bomb. He was said to have wanted to be a fisherman instead!

Truly, a genius at self-acceptance which is needed in mediation.

Maia Labandera

AM not LACking in alibis out of this wishy washy cycle, she said. Coincidental trip to Tokyo diverted to Jerusalem.

Call to mediation.

Al Gore Rhythm

Former US Vice President, and probably one of  the best Presidents they never had, Al Gore was in town to mediate between the world and climate change.

Another voice crying in the wilderness of waste.

Kidding Around

In a "Baby Blues" cartoon, mom lists to her little son his misdemeanors the past hour. Later asked by his dad what he has been up to, the son replies,"multi-pesting."

In mediation, parents have been guilty of the same.

Mediating at the Parking Lot

"Joe Somebody" was just like that; hence, prone to parking bullies. However, after feeling the concern of their company's Wellness Manager, and buoyed by martial arts lessons and the sympathy of other co-bullied, he decided not to go through with his scheduled boxing match with the bully.

Mediation likewise empowers disputants to proactive action.

Alleging

In "Allegiant," yet another sci-fi movie, you get to realize that some things just remain the same. In one scene, there was a mob prosecution that was straight out of Calvary.

So it is in mediation, minus the mob.

Kung Po Pandak

Like "The Little Prince," simple stories you would think was meant for children have nuggets of wisdom. Kung Fu Panda 3 had this message,"The more you take, the less you have."

Mediation has all too often seen this.

Bad At Being Good

This message was on the tee shirt of a member of UP's Alpha Nu fraternity of gays.

Timely message this Holy Week.  At least, they are honest about it, when they go for mediation.

Yon Yon

A certain priest gives out "Certificates of Union" to couples of the same sex.

Another branch of mediation is sprouting.

Mediating Science Fiction

"Artificial Intelligence" ironically dealt with human emotions that accompany losing and then adopting a child. Those, after "artificially making a child," who likewise wanted to be loved as a real child." Pinocchio Part 2.

These are real issues confronted in mediation.