By Alex P. Vidal “A national park is not a playground. It’s a sanctuary for nature and for humans who will accept nature on nature’s own terms.” —Michael Frome WHEN our friends and relatives happen to visit New York City, let’s bring them to the Peter Detmold Park, a wooded neighborhood park featuring a waterfront
September 8, 2021
By Alex P. Vidal “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenements halls and whispered in the sounds of silence.”—Paul Simon FIVE days after the horrific flash floods in New York City, I’ll take the subway again. When I return to take the E train from Lexington, Manhattan to Jackson
September 7, 2021
By Alex P. Vidal “If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”—Toni Morrison ROMMEL Ynion was so astonished with my brief narration of the period between Plato and Jesus Christ when I promoted G.M.A. Grube’s translation of “Plato’s Republic” in my Facebook page
September 6, 2021
By Alex P. Vidal “No matter the natural disaster I’ve covered, whether it’s a wildfire or flood, I always come back with a much greater perspective.”—Ginger Zee FOR “making it home at the right time”, I consider myself as among the lucky daily travelers in New York City when the deadly flash flood hit the
September 4, 2021
By Alex P. Vidal “The only thing that stops God from sending another flood is that the first one was useless.”—Nicolas Chamfort I CAN’T imagine seeing “the city that never sleeps” turning into a “Waterworld.” No way will New York City turn into that 1995 American post-apocalyptic action film, I assured myself. It’s only in
September 3, 2021
By Alex P. Vidal “Happy is the man who can make a living by his hobby!”–Higgins, Act I THE issue isn’t whether there is graft and corruption in government. It is how much has been stolen from the coffer. There is no more argument that taxpayers’ money has been—and is being—pocketed by crooks in government.
September 2, 2021
By Alex P. Vidal “Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.”—John F. Kennedy I WAS on my way to the Main Street in Flushing, Queens on board an elevated 7 Train August 30 midday when I decided to drop by at the Mets/Willets Point Station, where most passengers disembarked to watch the 2021 U.S.
September 1, 2021
By Alex P. Vidal “Conflict is drama, and how people deal with conflict shows you the kind of people they are.”—Stephen Moyer IT is now becoming obvious that President Rodrigo Duterte has been using his aide, Senator Bong Go, to confuse his political rivals and, perhaps, the Filipino people. Mr. Duterte has been floating the
August 31, 2021
By Alex P. Vidal “Where have all the soldiers gone, long time passing? Where have all the soldiers gone, long time ago? Where have all the soldiers gone? Gone to graveyards, every one. Oh, when will they ever learn, oh when will they ever learn?”—PETER, PAUL AND MARY in Where Have All The Flowers Gone
August 30, 2021
By Alex P. Vidal “I will be living with chronic pain for the rest of my life. I don’t have the mobility, energy or life options I used to have. I work hard to manage the pain, and I want the medical system to be a respectful and effective partner, not a jailer. The opioid
August 28, 2021
By Alex P. Vidal “For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate.”—Margaret Heffernan WE can’t blame the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Iloilo Chapter for denouncing a Tagalog broadcaster who attacked one of its members in the broadcaster’s Youtube program. It’s a tit for tat. You insulted our member,
August 27, 2021
By Alex P. Vidal “It is not your qualifications but your exposure in life that makes you who you are.”— Jaggi Vasude IT’S pointless for critics of President Rodrigo Duterte to invoke delicadeza to discourage him from running for vice president in next year’s Philippine presidential election. In the Philippines, nobody cares about delicadeza anymore.
August 26, 2021