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.