Ramble on: Just talking about stuff. "Facebook Talk." "Away from Home."

Response friends’ post on Facebook, slightly edited. 

Facebook Talk.

MY pragmatic take. Many "friends" on Facebook are just there, lifeless. Some respond just to tell you they disagree (or agree to disagree) with smartass language that'd ruin your next 3 hours. So I try my best to avoid falling into that waste of time/energy trap. 

       Meanwhile, ads are ads. Lifeless billboards. I still read those glossy magazines which are basically ads. One or two good articles emerge. On FB, I basically interact with maybe 10 people or less. Online or offline, I can only handle 3 (the most) to a meaningful, focused, grownup and sustained conversation, anyway. Most in here butt in with that annoying laughing emoji, throw links or memes probably made by high school nerds, toss juvenile one liners to, as I said, mangle your next 3 hours. 

       I post or write old- school. Then, before the internet, it was simpler. Write, submit, print. Do it again tomorrow. Subscribers to the newspaper or magazine number in thousands (beyond FB's max of 5k). Do they read me? Maybe. I didn’t really care. That was the marketing/circulation department’s worry.

       There were also pass-on readership and random buyers of the paper who may have read me. But I don't think about those a lot. I just wrote, breathed, and got paid. The past.

       These days, I still maintain a personal deadline or methodical, structured system of writing. I try not to get distracted by ads or rabble rousers. I start posting on a routine-like framework. Not impulsive. When I am done, I am done. FB is just FB. I got a dog and two cats and an old life to deal with beyond my political rants, grumpy thoughts, and sappy poetry. Still, Facebook is fun to me, therapeutic. Better than pills. 🗣📲💻

Away from Home.

I STILL read stuff that tend to, maybe unknowingly, offend foreigners like me. “Aliens” are normal people, not weird. They are in "abnormal" situations being away from home and family and estranged from their cultural identities. So when they try to live some traditional ways which are not illegal anyways, it's okay. If those don't "harm" the next person, apart from some occasional irritation, it's okay. 

       Unity in diversity isn't a cool vibe that one gets because they listen to Mexican music, eat Ethiopian food, or watch k-drama. Coexisting with ways and realities by people who seem different is the true meaning of cultural interface. It is not what we say and write, but how we project these in practice. 👲🧕👳‍♀️

HOW IT WAS.

Compiled from my previous Facebook posts. 

I used to work as data analyst. With so much raw info and stat numbers on my files, I wondered, what if a machine was invented for this purpose. I’d lose a job but then "data analysis" would be faster. And so now we have AI, which is supposed to expand "human" abilities. Problem is AI injects its subjective take on “big data” so analysis now seems biased, self-righteous, “political.” I want it the way it was. Flawed and imperfect but human. Meanwhile, data then invited discourse and healthy deliberations. These days, data handed by AI, seems/s to say, this is it, don’t think, just take it. 📜📋📃

New York City Subway. What fascinates me the most in my decades of life in America–is NYC’s subway. Here, I mix with and engage the world’s diversity in random, curious energy. All ethnicities, social standing, shapes, makes, and whatevers. The E Train and 7th Train are my frequent, favorite rides. I even slept in there or spent hours, just observing humanity, taking down notes. 🗽🚉🗽

Those days. San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury of the 1960s. Manila’s Luneta Park of the 1980s. Diverse crowd on a peaceful vibe. Discussions of issues, instinctively moderated in civility. I formed the Traveling Bonfires in/around the same sublimity. We were rockin’. Then times changed. These days, I get paranoid. Random gun violence. A park bench “conversation” is mostly anchored on Left/Right caterwaul. Too much hate. 👥☮️🫂

When I was a boy, I used to hang a lot in barber shops. I played chess while I listened to old folk/s banter, heckle, joke, and share stuff about anything at all: Price of kilo of rice and gasoline, new movies, Hollywood, grandkids, dinner tonight, cycling (“Tour of Luzon”) and basketball, political corruption, America and England, anything. Cool conversations. No insults. Primal “rules” of civility were observed. “Common sense” community vibe. 👥🏘🫂

Bonfires. Village tradition. After a day in the farm or a week in the sea, rural folk would gather before the fire, rotate homecrafted liquor and fish/meat ceviche. Talk about stuff: Day's harvest and catch, politics and sports, lotsa jokes. Music via guitar and harmonica, in between. No unfriending. As we “willingly” isolate ourselves via e-gadgets and distance us per political self-righteousness, the light and warmth of bonfires have become more imperative. 👥🔥🫂

When I was growing up, there was always an outdoor kitchen besides the indoor kitchen. Cooking and dining. I miss those days. Outside, it was a clay oven or firewood stove. The wok crackled with onions, garlic and tomatoes were sauteed or fish was fried in coconut oil. The breeze would touch your skin and the chirping of birds fluttered in the air. Transistor radio played rock `n roll sweetness. The scent and aroma of dinner royale embraced my soul. 🍲🔥🥘

Powered by gasoline or electricity, public transportation should be a government priority. 80-90 percent of cars' environmental impact comes from fuel consumption and emissions of air pollution and greenhouse gas. In 1990, there were 500 million cars, globally. These days: 1.474 billion. Sans impact on Earth’s life, claustrophobic isolation was my issue while in a car. In buses and jeepneys, I see people, I breathe with people. I exist/ed. 🚕🚌🚕

Visual credits: Call Centre Helper. Blake Farms.

MORE on Israel Gaza crisis.

Response/s to friends posts on Facebook. 

THE fact is Israel is the top recipient of U.S. military aid since the end of World War II or around the birth of Israel as a nation, 1948. Occupation of the 3 territories–West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip (4 before, with Golan Heights)--also started in those years, the longest military occupation in history. 

       I don't think the U.S. is sincere in protecting civilians in Gaza. Few days after the Oct 7 Hamas attack, Congress approved an additional $14.5 billion military aid to Israel, on top of the annual $2.67 billion arms package. And yesterday (13 Nov, as I typed this up) the U.S., on orders from President Biden, bombed Iranian-controlled weapons facilities in Syria, for the 3rd time in a month's time. 

       Of course, Iran and Syria are known supporters of Hamas. Points of fear: Syria has been accepted back to the Arab League a few months ago around the time Saudi Arabia and Iran shook hands. Saudi Arabia is the de facto leader of the Arab League. 

       An important backstory: In January next year, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt and UAE are set to join BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa), whose primary concern is mutual economic goodness, over military high-handedness. (I maintain my previous insight that Russia was goaded to invade Ukraine and if Kyiv sits with Moscow, as Washington pulls back military support to Volodymyr Zelensky, that war will end.) 

Meanwhile, while Iran is not a member of the Arab League, China is the top buyer of Tehran’s oil, and recently Riyadh and Beijing struck billion$ trade deals. Which brings us to China’s influence in the region, especially with the major players. 

       As we speak, U.S. officials are set to meet with Chinese counterparts in Frisco to agree on economic matters. That'd lead to President Biden's possible meeting with Xi Jinping. Take note, Biden failed to coax China to invade Taiwan. What if Joe failed again to convince China on whatever the U.S. wants on the trade table? 🇮🇱☮️🇵🇸

IF Israel and the Arabs sit and discuss territorial issues, they'd be able to resolve this. I stay positive. The two-state solution doesn't make sense and so I don’t think Hamas will leave Gaza, even if the entire place is pulverized by Israeli bombs and surviving civilians in there have already fled to Lebanon, Egypt, or Jordan. Tragically, displacing Palestinians out of Gaza will only heighten Hamas’ rationale to launch pocket attacks on innocent Israelis.

       Palestine (including the occupied territories) is tiny, maybe the size of Delaware. Israel's size is about 4x (estimate). I mean, why not give them up and then co-exist in trade and soccer? Simplification of a grimly complex issue? Israeli occupation of the 3 or 4 disputed territories is the longest military occupation in history. This fact: Israel has always been the top receiver of U.S. military aid. Ergo, what if Tel Aviv doesn't get that much arms aid? 

       Meanwhile, what does Israel get from the occupation? Because Israel is mainly Jewish and Palestinians are majority Sunni Muslim? The Philippines (+ tiny East Timor) is essentially the only Christian nation in Asia. But we co-exist with the rest despite intermittent “neighbor quarrels,” which didn’t escalate to country to country war, at least in modern times. 

       Also, Iran is mainly Shia but popular belief is Iran supports Hamas (Sunni). Of course, the Arab League is Sunni. Yet de facto leader Saudi Arabia shook hands with Iran recently. And before the Oct 7 attack, Saudi Arabia and Israel were on the table talking. 

       What power really pushed Hamas to kill 1,400 (and take hostage more) on Oct 7? Iran just had huge oil deals with China and on the brink of going back to the shuddered nuke deal with the U.S. Heightened conflagration will only derail those trade deals (and lifting of West economic embargo) which Iran needed to get back on its economic feet.  

       Then there's Syria accepted back to the Arab League. The Saudis are high with pro sports, Hollywood stuff and dancing these days. Riyadh doesn't need this war. Or maybe because the BRICS bloc is set to sign up Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Iran? Etc etcetera. Powers who pushed for this war want this derailment. And, as ever civilians (both Palestinians and Israelis) are wasted on crossfire .🇮🇱☮️🇵🇸

THE sad issue with dissent these days is--many say those who protest the revenge bombing of Gaza or gungho strikes of innocent Palestinians and call for a ceasefire are also pro-Hamas. Similar with those who consign critics of Joe Biden as pro-Donald Trump. Etcetera. There is no way to condone any act of terrorism. Yet there are also state-sponsored acts of terror. In both assaults, civilians are hit in the crossfire. 🇮🇱☮️🇵🇸

Geopolitics and Stuff.

Facebook Homepage Response.

Reply to my post: “We have more at stake to lose in Ukraine that to Africa. If Ukraine falls into the hands of Putin, he will attack Poland and invade all of Eastern Europe until Europe is so weak and ripe for the picking. Remember, we helped the Brits and French topple the Nazis otherwise Hitler would have taken over.” 

First, the parallel/linear take per 1930s/40s Hitler and current events don't apply anymore. Lots of geopolitical alignments and economic crossovers have already taken place, at least, since 2001–as globalized trade anchors on computer technology takes over the stereotypical ally/non-ally or Left/Right paradigms are now blurred. So we have to reread the signs and realities. 

       Should we start with the discovery of oil in the desert to J. Paul Getty’s ventures in Saudi Arabia in late 1940s to the start of “arms for oil” bilateral deals in the Middle East to the Bretton Woods summit in 1944 to Suez Canal crisis of the 1950s onto China’s entry to WTO in 2001 and Russia in 2012. Etc etcetera. Then we can look at G7 and the resurgent BRICS. 

       Secondly, you are in a way saying or accentuating that America/West is protecting their vast economic interests in Ukraine, which of course, is greased up by political narratives that take us away from trade facts? Ukraine is super wealthy with natural resources but post-1991, corruption has stunted its growth. Unemployment is double digits so some 4 million Ukrainians worked in Russia before the war. But indeed via focus on Eastern Europe, the West hits a double target. The anti Russia fervor heats up (good for election pitch). 

       Meanwhile, again post Cold War, Russia emerged as an economic power, thereby owning the European energy market over OPEC and the U.S. Russia's oil/gas market is Europe per se so even if Ukraine et al buys US/OPEC oil/natural gas, Russia already had a potent market. And with Nord Stream 2 up and running, that'd also serve China's Belt and Road Initiative RI expansionism. 

       Ergo: These wars are not about who is evil and who is saint. These wars are about who controls the economic roost. But sans the goading of Russia to invade Ukraine in Feb 2022, which didn't work with Taiwan, BRICS is all about trade. G7 is all about war/NATO.

       Meantime, why Africa? Hint: Some 6 million people perish in Africa from a dozen or so deadly diseases, before Covid hit in 2019/2020. Poverty rate is around 70 percent. But sure, why would America bother with Africa? Complex. Why would America give more aid to Ukraine over South Sudan, which is also at war? ☮️☯️☮️

Book Bans and Stuff.

Associated Press: “Book bans continue to hit record highs for schools and public libraries.” Book bans and attempted bans continue to hit record highs, according to the American Library Association, and the efforts are now extending as much to public libraries as school-based libraries. 

Through the first eight months of 2023, the ALA tracked 695 challenges to library materials and services, compared to 681 during the same period last year. School libraries had long been the predominant target, but in 2023 reports have been near-equally divided between schools and public libraries.

       In 2019, the association recorded just 377 challenges, involving 566 titles. The numbers fell in 2020, when many libraries were closed, but have since risen to record highs in the association’s 20-plus year history of compiling data. The most sweeping challenges often originate with such conservative organizations as Moms for Liberty, which has organized banning efforts nationwide.

       As in other “culture war” issues, book bans are a top social media noise. But it’s all noise. Ban books in school? Then buy them via Amazon or eBay, or Goodwill got some, too. What school systems or classroom curriculum don’t seem to give your kids? Then as a parent, take it from there. Teach! 

       Yet grade school and high school are learning (institution) stages of life. When youths get older, they hop into another level of education. We seem to forget that they got minds, too. They will course their journey as a life’s continuum. And when they carry on, our politics may not even matter at all. 📚🖐📚

Wages, Salaries, and Stuff.

Facebook Homepage Response.

AVERAGE annual income in China is $49,000 with Gini coefficient or income inequality at 0.46. Pay in the United States is from $50k to $67k to as high as $90,000 in some states. Gini coefficient or inequality measure is at 0.49. Shows that there's not much difference. 

       But China's population is 4x that of the U.S. And how people consume or spend is way different. America is the runaway #1 market consumer in the world. Mostly, we should blame how a government or leadership fixes the societal discrepancy. Yet we instead level trajectory at the rich per se and/or political partisanship. 

       News trumpets that China's current economy is faltering based on GDP growth etc. Fact is, after the CCP observed its 100 years in 2021 and upon reflection of the surge of billionaires out there, Xi Jinping reminded his people of the nation's "Common Prosperity" ideal. Right after, China's billionaires or private corporations donated billions$ to the country's projects, with focus on countryside development and Belt and Road Initiative investments overseas. 

       China has eased its manufacturing mojo to give away to BRICS partner India. Instead, China's leadership hands money to its people to up trade stakes abroad a.k.a. FDIs. Which worries the U.S. China's trade expansionism which benefits its own 1.4 billion people, who live per their socialist per Han Buddhist style of happier life, which we in America brand as "poor." 🇨🇳🤌🇺🇸

Artwork: iStock.

Morris Dancing and Clogging in North Carolina.

NEWS: “In England, Morris Dancing Is Loved, Mocked and Getting a Makeover.” And adds: “Morris dancing, a folk form with origins in the 15th century, is opening up to younger dancers who approach it as a living tradition.” It’d seem anything that is “traditional,” rooted in cultures past, and deemed conservative are demonized these days. Culture war has slipped from academic self-righteousness to political arrogance, or worse. Of course, we know why the mockery: Only because the tradition belongs to the past. 

       Morris dancing is a form of English folk dance, based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers, usually wearing bell pads on their shins. Implements such as sticks, swords and handkerchiefs may also be wielded by the dancers. In a small number of dances for one or two people, steps are near and across a pair of clay tobacco pipes laid one across the other on the floor. They clap their sticks, swords, or handkerchiefs together to match with the dance.

       The earliest known and surviving English written mention of Morris dance is dated to 1448 and records the payment of seven shillings to Morris dancers by the Goldsmiths' Company in London. Further mentions of Morris dancing occur in the late 16th century, and there are also early records such as bishops' "Visitation Articles" mentioning sword dancing, guising and other dancing activities. 💃👯‍♂️🕺

IN the United States, a similar cultural tradition is “clogging,” a type of folk dance in which the dancer's footwear is used percussively by striking the heel, the toe, or both against a floor or each other to create audible rhythms, usually to the downbeat with the heel keeping the rhythm.

      American Clogging is associated with the predecessor to bluegrass—"old-time" music, which is based on English, and Irish fiddle tunes as well as African American banjo tunes. Clogging primarily developed from Irish step dancing called Sean-nós dance; there were also English, Scottish, German, and Cherokee step dances, as well as African rhythms and movement influences too. It was from clogging that tap dance eventually evolved. Now, many clogging teams compete against other teams for prizes such as money and trophies. 

     Clogging is the official state dance of Kentucky and North Carolina. In the United States, team clogging originated from square dance teams in Asheville, North Carolina's Mountain Dance and Folk Festival (1928). We watched this summer’s event at the Lipinsky Stadium in UNC. 

      I must say they weren’t the best cloggers and bluegrass performers that I’ve seen in years but it wasn’t all about the “show” per se but the sublimity that some people let the culture live. 

      The best in the mountain perform in the yearly “Shindig on the Green” though I haven’t seen one in years. But last time I was there, it was fiesta vibe. And no alcoholic drinks! Ain’t that different? 💃👯‍♂️🕺

(With some info copy-pasted from Wikipedia.)