We need a direction

By Alex P. Vidal

 

“A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.” — Arnold H. Glasow

THE Philippines’ failure to provide adequate assistance for the Filipinos during the pandemic is a manifestation of a poor quality in national leadership.

More than a year after the COVID-19 imbroglio, Filipinos continued to reel like chicks abandoned by their parent in the nest.

Vaccines that should have been distributed on a massive scale several months back, are so niggardly if not immediately accessible especially for regions that badly need them.

Poor supply. Poor coordination. Poor management. Poor leadership to adequately address the problem, thus the surge of cases continue to accelerate upward instead of going downward.

And while this embarrassing failure takes place, our political leaders are bickering; they swap gutter words and putrid accusations as if their next meal is at stake and they’re all that matters while people are dying in the hospitals and losing their livelihood due to economic meltdown brought by so many restrictions to move around to eke out a living.

All this boils down to poor national leadership. People have been living in fear and nothing to eat.

People are being walloped by the pandemic while the vaccines arrive like a drizzle.

Disenchantment and frustrations can be felt and seen in the people’s eyes but they are helpless because all they can hear are whining and angry fulminations from leaders who no longer inspire the nation.

 

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LET’S SAY “OM,” NOT “OUCH”. Many studies have shown that meditation can ease chronic pain, but most of these have depended on lengthy–and princely–training programs. New research at the University of North Carolina shows that a few 20-minute sessions may be all we need. (good health news).

WE MUST AVOID Decabromodiphenyl ether (DECA), a flame retardant found in electronics, furniture, carpets. It can cause permanent learning and memory deficits; hearing defects; decreased sperm count in animals. The good news is that the industry has begun phasing out the chemical in December 2009.

WE MUST BEWARE OF Perchlorate, an oxidant in rocket fuel found in drinking water, soil, some vegetables. It disrupts the thyroid’s hormone production. Environmental groups have been urging the government to lower perchlorate levels in drinking water.

Some sources indicate that one recycled aluminum can save as much energy as it takes to run a TV set for four hours or the energy equivalent of one-half gallon (1.9 liters) of gasoline.

Even if we’re overweight, ditching butter for a drizzle of olive oil may help you fend off diabetes, heart disease, and other ills associated with ab flab. The fat facts: Scientists puts 20 people with big bellies on diets high in either saturated fats (the kind in red meat and dairy) or monounsaturated fats.

Lightning is often seen as white or white-yellow, although it may appear to have other colors depending on the background.

‘THEY CHANGED THE WORLD’. Oprah Winfrey, “Queen of all media,” topped the list of “125 Women Who Changed Our World”. No. 2 Hillary Clinton 3. Mother Teresa 4. Rosa Parks 5. Eleanor Roosevelt 6. Michelle Obama 7. Amelia Earhart 8. Princess Diana 9. Marie Curie

I will have my final visit at the Elmhurst Clinic this week and will hopefully be back to normal. I missed what I used to do on a normal basis.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)