Archive for the ‘quotable’ Category
On Noynoy
Food for thought. Text messages from my mentor and former Department Chair, Clem Camposano (Director of the Institute of Political Economy at the University of Asia and the Pacific):
Anyone who shines on borrowed light should have the common sense not to plunge into the dark and forbidding pit of presidential politics.
Aside from good vs evil, other equally plausible dyads: from the poor vs. from the rich, astute vs. naive, competent vs. incompetent, masipag vs. tamad, talagang may kakayahan vs. may pangalan lang, self-made vs. privileged, his own man vs. a puppet, genuine leader vs. figure head, reality vs. illusion, practical politics vs. emotionalism.
My thoughts on the issue to follow, when I finally get around to finishing the half-written post that’s been sitting in my drafts folder.
What do bunnies have to do with Jesus?
“Eostre is Batman… and the bunny is Robin. For a long time they were always together but then Robin decided to leave Batman and joined Teen Titans. Jesus would be like Cyborg. So now, Robin and Cyborg are on a team… like the Easter Bunny and Jesus.” (Overheard at College)
A Collection of Stupid Conversations with Siblings
At some point in the dinner conversation, I said “leche” and “lechugas.” My kid sister looked at me reproachfully.
Cookie: Ate, aren’t those curse words?
Me: No, “leche” means milk and “lechugas” means lettuce.
Luigi: I thought “churvaloo” was a kind of breakfast cereal.
Fer: It perplexes me.
Luigi: WTF. I’m not used to you sounding smart. You’re not allowed to use words with more than one syllable.
Fer: Like “exacerbate?” I like that word.
Me: You only like it because it sounds like “masturbate.”
Fer: I’m not like that! I don’t laugh when someone says “butt.”
Fer: My friend’s brother has a Subaru Impreza. It’s got a carbon fiber hood!
Me: What’s so great about a carbon fiber hood?
Luigi: It can’t be detected on dradis!
At Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Alabang Town Center
Me: Dude, that guy so looks like Bill Adama. Bill Adama is ordering coffee!
Fer: No, he’s ordering the launch of the alert Vipers. That’s Mr. Gaeta at the counter.
Me: Set condition two throughout the ship!
Fer: Prepare for an FTL jump to emergency coordinates!
Girl sitting next to us: …
While watching Return of the Jedi, during that scene where the Super Star Destroyer crashes into the Death Star
Manol: Dude, that’s stupid. Why didn’t the Super Star Destroyer just float out into space?
Luigi: Because it was drawn in by the gravity of the Death Star.
Manol (confused): …
Luigi: Everything that has mass has gravity.
Manol (appalled): No!
We were on our way to a family Christmas lunch and as we rolled down the car windows to smoke we were blasted by the chilly December air.
Manol: Dude, it’s so cold.
Me: That’s because the Earth is at the farthest point from the sun.
Manol (indignant): Of course not! Pluto is the farthest from the sun!
Luigi: She meant the farthest in our orbit!
Manol (baffled): But Earth is the only planet in our orbit!
Synergeia’s Yoda
Mr. Washington Sycip
“(Mr. Sycip) does not concern himself with popularity or political correctness. We don’t have to agree with him. But we should listen.” – Jessica Zafra
Mr. Sycip Quotes*
- A nation’s progress is determined by what it does to develop its human resources.
- Education is the most effective economic equalizer.
- Government funds should go to the basic education for children in the lower group.
- If you are going to steal, at least spend the money in your own country instead of buying buildings on Fifth Avenue.
- The rich have a responsibility to this country and they are simply not giving enough.
- If a politician stops worrying about his ratings and just does what he has to do, he will get reelected.
- We have too many lawyers, we can’t even export them. Law schools should be replaced by engineering schools.
- Should we not encourage churches to be used as school houses in towns where many public schools have no chairs and even no books?
- Age makes a man an icon and imbues him with fascination.
- Say what you think should be said and not what other people want to hear.
- Do you think rich Catholics are having less sex than the poor Catholics? I do not think they are having less sex. They are using contraceptives and condoms.
- By the time the Pope changes his mind on birth control, we will all be dead.
- I will not spend for the education of kids who would only join the US workforce. It does not bring anything to the nation. Money should go to improving teachers’ skills and motivating them to be more inspiring.
- Political freedom cannot come before economic freedom. Should we have an Asian model of democracy where economic and education matters are delegated to a group of technocrats that are insulated from politics?
- The world is flat and young people should be free to move anywhere. But we should strive to keep their hearts Filipino with a resolve to return to serve in their country’s development.
- I have always known Filipinos are extraordinary.
Related link: Questions for the Future of UP, Mr. Sycip’s speech at the University of the Philippines Centennial Lecture Series last September 3, 2008 in Diliman
* Compiled by KZ as part of Synergeia‘s Christmas presentation to Mr. Sycip
Quotes of the Day
Last Saturday, at the Education Summit of San Joaquin Elementary School in Pasig:
Q: Ano ang mga suliranin o “issues” na may kinalaman sa pag-aaral ng inyong mga anak?
A: Di malutas ang global warming.
Q: Ano ang maari ninyong gawin upang makatulong sa mabuting pag-aaral ng inyong mga anak?
A: Di na ko mag totong-its, pramis.
Southridge Drug Awareness Campaign
I took these pictures while waiting for my brother Luigi to get out of work. The security guard was looking at me kinda funny as I was chortling to myself in the corridor.
“Ketamine is not medicine… It's a sin.”
“I know you don't wanna marry Juana.”
“Do drugs and you're no better than a dirty old rug!!!”
“Hey cousin, if you wanna win don't take Ketamine!”
“Morphine is just plain mean!”
“Don't be a butthead.”
“Remember: a moment of pleasure is worth years of pain…”
“Drink coke don't sniff!”
Madame Malaprop
A Melanie Marquez quote never fails to make my day.
On the first Filipino to scale Mt. Everest, she had this to say:
“I’m so proud of them. Naalala ko yung time na nanalo ako ng Ms. International at binigyan ko rin ng pride ang ating bansa. Magaling talaga ang pinoy. Sila lang nakaakyat ng Mt. Everest, di gaya ng mga ibang foreigners subuk sila ng subuk di nila maakyat.” (“I remember the time I won as Ms. International and I also gave pride to our country. Filipinos are really great. They are the only ones to climb to the top of Mt. Everest, unlike other foreigners who keep trying and failing.”)
A reporter informed her that there have been other people of different nationalities to scale Mt. Everest.
She haughtily replied, “Well sorry sila. Hindi ko sila kilala.” (“Well too bad for them. I don’t know them.”)
