[quote them] [thoughts] Mahatma Gandhi

"An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind." - Mahatma Gandhi

To me this is just one of those catchy quotes, and that it is not the best in the world to teach anyone any lesson.  Why?  It is flawed.  Some can then simply counter-justify, "I will then just go for a tooth for an eye; that way, I don't help make the whole world blind but still I can find justice for myself."  I think, yes, "an eye for an eye" is an old rule that, now we know, is not the best way forward to resolve conflicts.

So tell people that directly.  And then be more specific about better alternatives.  If you use these catchy quotes, sometimes they could be remembered only for their rhyme, not their reason.

[thoughts] Venus Raj

From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVGgtQR02WA:

Hmmm, watching this video clip again - America apparently did not notice anything (wrong or otherwise) about her English.  It's just that she didn't answer the question.  They thought though that she didn't answer because she wanted to portray "perfection," eventually leading to zero points for her.  I think that's not really what she wanted to do.  She was probably just really nervous because she was the pre-event favorite - she somewhat had expectations to meet.  Plus, I think in Filipino English, "one big mistake" means a really, really bad thing like crime or what, and so on, and well, I think she hasn't done anything really, really bad.  So actually she was being honest.  But in that sense I guess she did not really get the question, or even get to think what is the question really about.  Like Dubya when asked the same question, she was just not prepared for that kind of question.  Didn't she have a coach for that?  Lastly, I think she wasn't really there to win it all at all costs, or no, she wasn't going way out of her way to win it.  She was there to just do the best she can, get as deep into it as possible, but certainly a win would be a really big bonus.  It showed.  And she said it herself, "thank you so much that I am here!"  I think she was successful by her own goals and standards which are unfortunately not the same standard set by many other people on her.  Hey, she was the first Filipina to place in the Top 5 since Miriam Quiambao 11 years ago.  Miriam also "stumbled" but fortunately for her, it wasn't at the final, question and answer portion.  ABC News said "Miss Mexico is now Miss Universe 2010, but we are more interested in... Miss Philippines."  I think she's actually more popular now than the winner.  ABC News also asked in the video, "why is it that smart people have such a hard time with that question?"  Like most international beauty pageant winners, she is smarter than most people.  Unfortunately she's not as smart-ass as others.  And this reflects yet again the attitude of the Filipino: if you are good enough to be in the Top 5 but not get Top 1, you're not good enough to be respected.  This is why we don't have Michael Jordans, Michael Jacksons, or Donald Trumps, because our would-be-Jordans, would-be-Jacksons, or would-be-Trumps are scared of losing the "Pinagsamahan" and the respect from their own kind, in case they fail.  If ever there were Jordans and Trumps in our midsts, we will think they are mayabang or call them names.  "Nognog," "Weirdo," or "Bokal."  When they "fail," and get back down to our level, we tell them "okay lang yan, hindi para sa iyo."  Anyways, I think, like Miriam, Venus will use this "fall" as a learning experience and certainly she has a lot more in store for her; she is still just 22.  Anyways, I hope we can be more encouraging to each other.

[who is ronjie?] kinakatakutan ko sa naspi

wala lang. ang pinakatakot ako sa pinas, sa mga lespu. mawalang galang na ho sa mga kaibigan nating lespu diyan o sa mga may kamag-anak na lespu. sa akin, hindi bale kung may ginawa talaga akong mali, e di hulihin nila ako at ipakulong. kaso kung minsan may abuso pa na wala na sa ayos. minsan naman wala ka namang ginagawa, bigla ka na lang mapagtitripan, wala ka na. may mga kakilala ako na ganon mismo nangyari sa kanila. e shempre anong gagawin mo kung ikaw ang hinihingian ng pera at inuutusan na pumunta kung saan e sila ang may baril at wala tayong laban dahil ordinaryong mamamayan na nagsusumikap lang naman tayo. ayaw naman nating maputukan o bigla na lang "mawala" dahil meron tayong mga mahal sa buhay na magaalala o nakasalalay sa atin, at umaasa na tayo mismo ay walang ginagawang mali. sa akin naman, dalawang beses na ako hinarang ng pulis maynila dahil daw "lumabag" ako sa "batas pantrapiko" na kakaimbento lang nila nung mismong mga kasulukuyang iyon! minsan naman, may pulis na pumarada ng kanyang sasakyan na paharang na sa masikip naming kalsada. aba nung paalis ako e di pinakiusapan ko na baka pwedeng iurong muno ang sasakyan nang ako ay makalusot. inurong niya nga ang kanyang sasakyan. ngunit pagka-parada niya muli, aba ay biglang inusog niya sa gilid ang kanyang polo at nagpakita ng baril! tanggalan kaya ng baril ang mga pulis? siguro sa "galing" nila mang-extort at kung anu-ano pang katiwalian, dapat lang kaya nilang mapanatili ang kapayapaan ng walang baril! anyway, naayos yung mga pangyayaring yon sa akin dahil nagkataon may mga kakilala kami na silang kumausap dun sa mga yon. pero hindi ko alam kung bakit kelangan may kakilala ka pa para mapayapa ka lang? hindi yata motto ng kapulisan natin ang "to serve and to protect" - o siguro hindi ito para sa ating lahat. mukhang "to serve" ang kanilang sarili lang at "to protect" kung sino lang ang may kaya o may kakilala sa kanila. naiintindihan ko na maraming masasamang elemento talaga at dahil na din sa kahirapan, pero dahilan ba yon? dapat sa mga masasamang elemento lang kami matakot, hindi sa inyo, mga kumpareng lespu. takot ako, takot ako talaga sa inyo. pero hindi ko rin naman sinasabing sa bansa lang natin ito, pero kung pwede, sana lang maayos na ang imahe ng kapulisan sa atin. pero hindi porkit nangyayari ito sa ibang bansa e ibig sabihin ayos lang ito sa atin ha! kung hindi, mas tiwala pa ako sa hukbong sandatahan natin dahil sila mas may pagpapahalaga sila sa buhay dahil linalagay nila ang kanilang buhay mismo sa kapahamakan. ano ang palagay niyo?

[quote them] Love

Sacrifice is the only language of love.

This apparently said by a priest during a homily heard by Papa Jack, a "DJ" of Love Radio (90.7 FM), Manila, Philippines.

[quote them] Troubles

Troubles are like washing machine,
They twist, turn & knock us around,
but in the end we come out brighter than before.

I'm not sure who said this first but apparently based on Google's archive of the web, it's this lady, via Twitter:
http://www.google.co.jp/search?hl=en&safe=off&tbs=cdr:1,cd_min:1900,cd_max:2007&q="Troubles+are+like+washing+machine"+site:twitter.com/ahblackledge&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

[quote them] Oscar Wilde on job appreciation

“The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.”