Softonio Vasquez

 If you have seen Sofronio Vasquez's journey in Tawag ng Tanghalan and the Voice of the Philippines ... one would suspect ... there must be something bigger waiting for this talented young man waiting for him at the end of the rainbow.

Indeed it was a fairy tale come true. According to the stories circulating around he was rejected not only once but seven times in Tawag Ng Tanghalan auditions before he became one of the finalists in the 2019 finals where he became only the third runner-up.

His Voice of the Philippines journey was also traumatic and shameful when no coach turned to him (he did not earn any chair turns) to give him a little consolation that his talent and voice needed to be showcased and heard on national TV.

He became a member of a boyband The Cove with fellow Tawag Ng Tanghalan finalists JM Bales and Christian Bahaya and they immortalized Ikaw Na Nga, Akap, and Love Yourself ... but that was short-lived.

It is a testament to Sofronio's determination. strength of character and resolve that his initial showbiz attempts did not yield the result he expected ... but that didn't stop him from dreaming big.  

He later decided to try in a foreign country (the USA to be exact) where Filipino talents were considered second-class and no one ever succeeded before. And to think the competition was cut-throat ... fierce and intense.

Now that he has broken all the myths and history ... it was ironic that the very same judges and showbiz personalities who didn't appreciate him before were the ones on his doorstep singing Hosanna to his name.

And it is more ironic that it took international singers as judges and coaches to see Sofronio up close and personal ... and bring out the best in him that made him the first Asian to win The Voice USA -26th Season.

To Impeach ... And Not To Impeach

Congress had been saying that an investigation of the VP's confidential fund was made with one thing in mind: and that is they gather information in AID OF LEGISLATION.

The VP made fun of that ... and she says the Congress is doing it in AID OF IMPEACHMENT.

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What the VP says is tongue in cheek ... or in jest ... maybe for her is a stress reliever. 

And now that the JOKE has become a REALITY ... she could have kept quiet and let whatever she fears about unfold like it is just one of those things.

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This is a class case of a SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY.

It is a psychological phenomenon wherein one's PREDICTION and EXPECTATION come true because the person expects it to happen.

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Some examples of SELF-IMPOSED PROPHECY are those students who think they will do POORLY in an interview for college admission ... and they end up FLANKING the oral exercise. Or an actress who thought her movie would FLOP and would not make money... and as expected NILANGAW nga ang pelikula.

 In both cases, their beliefs influenced their behavior and performances, contributing to the expected outcome and end result.

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One political pundit was asking kung NAGPAPAAWA ba si Vice President? It is a strategy to squeeze in whatever awa that is left in people.

Another political guru answered him back: "Hindi nga kaawa-awa. Sa lahat ng NAGPAPAAWA (with her attitude and demeanor) siya ang hindi KAAWA-AWA.

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To me ... impeachment is playing the NUMBER'S GAME. In the lower house ... the number of congressmen supporting the impeachment is closer than you would like it to be.

After all that they have been through ... it is frustrating to know that when the Senate comes to a vote the numbers to convict may come in trickles.

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Looking at the composition of the Senate ... I really don't know how Filipinos will react when their favorite idol senators play deaf and blind to all those stupefying facts in the investigation and do not even make a dent in their callous hearts and consciences.

This will be one of those rare cases when impunity reigns supreme ... the wrongdoers go scot-free ... and they can still manage to look you in the eye ... and convince you tama lang ang ginawa nila.

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I saw one political meme yesterday that says: Ang mga kunsintidor daw sa mga corrupt at mga magnanakaw ay may ganoon ding paguugali.

Sino ba ang pinupuntirya ng ganoong mga salita? asked one naive bystander. Well anybody ...pwedeng pulitiko ... pwedeng mga supporters din. Because of FRIENDSHIP ... BLIND FOLLOWING ... or AFFILIATION ...  nakalimutan na nila ang protektahan ang pangalan nila ... pati na ang kaban ng bayan. They forgot about decency ... propriety ... and good taste.

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES GUTIERREZ REPORT ON VP SARAH / RAFFY TULFO / BA...

Idiom Of The Day

 Let's start using idioms or idiomatic expressions when we write. When idioms are used, it add color and texture to language by creating images that convey meanings beyond those of the individual words that make them up. An idiom can be very colorful and make a 'picture' in our minds. It also shows the writer's familiarity with English. When you want to make your writing sound more conversational, including idioms can give your writing a more relaxed tone.

Idioms allow us to say a lot with few words. Idioms amplify your messages in a way that draws your readers in and helps awaken their senses. It adds dynamism and character to otherwise stale writing. They make your writing less monotonous and your readers will think that you are smart and knowledgeable. All the while ... you only clothe your writing with elaborate idioms to create an impact... saying too much with less. 

To perfect your English, you really need to become confident in using idioms and knowing the difference between breaking a leg and pulling someone's leg. So the idiom of the day is:

IDIOM: Breadwinner

MEANING: A colloquial term used to describe a person as the household's primary and sole income earner.  Breadwinners, by contributing the largest portion of household income, generally cover most household expenses ... and financially support their dependents.

ORIGIN: This phrase dates back to the 16th century and it was showed in the writing of James Melville of Scotland. Bread means food ... so in simple language, a person bringing money and financial assistance to the family was bringing home BREAD. Despite roadblocks and obstacles she or he was still successfully bringing home the dough making him the winner. Thus the idiom breadwinner.

While watching a segment on Showtime my son got confused when the host asked the contestants. "Are you a breadwinner?

He thought all the while anybody who has work and is earning money is a breadwinner. While some earn money the greatest bulk of their income is to support their family ... others earn their own money that supports nobody but himself.

USING IT IN A SENTENCE: Parents mostly are considered breadwinners. Their money is already allotted and budgeted for their immediate needs: food, house rental, electricity, tuition fees and other utilities.

Jinky Luistro patong-patong na kaso ang HATOL sa tropa ni VP Sara Duterte

Sampu Sampera Na Lang Ba Ang Mga Awards?

The result of Mister Friendship International 2024 is for Ripley's Believe It Or Not. 

Can you imagine the awards being given as if they were manna from heaven? To be exact there was only one winner and that was Taiwan. Whether it was a hometown decision or not was another story ... but it looked like a country hosting a pageant had a great chance of winning the title or they automatically became a familiar fixture in the runner-up spots.

The real story here ... is there is a record of 2 first runner-ups in Mister Friendship International 2024 finals in Taiwan last Sunday (Philippines and Indonesia).

Not to be ignored, there were also two second-runner-up spots, namely Vietnam and Myanmar. And don't turn a blind eye to the third runner-up —there were three of them: Thailand, Poland, and Canada.

Ano ba tayo naglolokohan? Wala man lang mapili sa dalawang first runner Up at walang maitulak kaibigin? Same with the second runner-up and the third runner-up... it looked as though there was a bonanza of talented young men in this batch and not acknowledging the presence of one becomes a mortal sin.

Gone are the days when pageants bestow the creme de la creme of the crop to only a select handful. Ano ... parang "sampu sampera" na lang ang mga awards?

Some trace this seeming explosion of pageant winners to “grade inflation,” or grade leniency (mostly seen in campuses and universities). when students are awarded valedictorian and salutatorian or summa cum laude, magna cum laude, or cum laude. There used to be one in each category, but that was in the past ... 

Seeing this phenomenon unfold in our schools (some say it already happening in Harvard ... I don't know about Yale or Princeton)... but it diminished the prestige of the Latin honors. It devalues grades, gives students a false sense of accomplishment and there seems a reduced incentive to excel.

And seeing these happen in pageantry ... it has some similar effects. You will never know kung sino talaga ang sino among the many contestants who were added to the elite group.

Kung susundin ang mga nagdaang panuntunan ... In this situation Philippines could be the first runner-up, then Indonesia second runner-up or they could be the other way around. The third Runner Up will be Vietnam and the Fourth Runner Up will be Myanmar (or it could be the opposite). Yong mga third runner Up na tatlo ... clapper na.

It is commendable that Mister Friendship International thought of sending the candidates home happy ... but it defeats the purpose of joining a contest. Nandoon na ako na natapos ang contest ... marami sa mga candidates ang umuwi na may ngiti sa labi.

Pero marami naman sa mga natalong candidates feels short-changed dahil sa mga pagbabagong ito. Pag sumali ka sa contest either manalo ka or matatalo. 

Let's end this piece by saying "Indonesia We Did It".

Yes My Love Lounge | EP: 5 'Hasula' by Kurt Fick (Cover)