It takes only one generation for everything to change. A lifetime is enough for a whole new world to emerge from the depths of human civilization. It is this change that separates us from the past and ourselves. It defines us, may it be a generalization or a stereotype. Such is the case for our…
Tag: 25 Cents’ Worth
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The kuwatro standard
Working on our rough edges can be quite tricky at times. We are all constantly soldiering on through life to “seek a Great Perhaps”, like Pudge in John Green’s Looking for Alaska. The best of us graduate with honors, but lack honor. Through the challenges we face in various aspects of our young lives, a…
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25 Cents’ Worth: The Mocha Uson show
Mocha Uson. No two words in recent memory have elicited such a polarizing response from the general public. On one hand, she’s a cultural behemoth that has transcended the usually impenetrable walls of standard journalism. On the other, she’s the epitome of ignorance and oversimplified thought. However, taking sides is not an issue that I…
“What is beautiful is seized.” – Lorrie Moore, Self-Help (1985) I grew up in a town with only one bookstore, a PCBS branch. Now, when people ask me what bookstores we have in our province, I just shrug and say none. But I vividly remember walking towards its glass doors on a Sunday morning, giddy…
“Atsi, tricycle!” (Older sister, tricycle!), “Ya sui, sidecar!” (Very beautiful, sidecar!), shouted two of many tricycle drivers at an informal jeepney stop near my family’s house. I threw my usual constipated look-slash-death glare at them and continued on my way, even if what just happened left me feeling disconcerted. I have been commuting on-and-off for…
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The path of many forks
It’s odd whenever someone asks me what my religion is. Quite frankly, I don’t know the answer to that myself. I was born and baptized a Catholic—and once in a while, I attend mass, enjoying the homilies and the lessons that Christ and his Church wish to impart onto their followers. But due to my…
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A new breed of candidate
It’s presidential election season again. The airwaves these days are buzzing with news about the ongoing campaigns—doubly so because our elections are happening at the same time as those of the United States. Anyone who’s even casually followed a presidential campaign should see all the telltale signs of one. There is a recurring formula: (Insert…
My boyfriend and I were lucky enough to have been able to reserve tickets online to the early screenings, since Episode VII was only going to be shown for a week before the annual Metro Manila Film Fest took over. That story was interesting as well—it seems the fans’ faith was disturbing enough to create…
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25 Cents’ Worth: Blocked
A typical scenario: It’s the start of the term. Professors are meeting their classes for the first time and are explaining the syllabus of their respective subjects. They mention that the final project is a paper that’ll be due three weeks before the term ends. You’re in the class and you make sure to write…
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The biggest loser
On September 29, 2011, American journalist Michael Kinsley wrote a scathing column on why New Jersey Governor Chris Christie shouldn’t be president due to his obesity. His argument primarily banked on the notion that a good leader shouldn’t be judged on policies alone, but also on behavior and character—a clear reference to the politician’s publicly…