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.