Hill Roberts: My own quotable (?) quotes

[hill roberts]

 From the community page, Democracy is a sham in the 21st century--true or false? http://fb.me/DCcWGNs4  - everybody is welcome to join!!

The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow  extinction from apathy, indifference and undernourishment." - Robert MAynard Hutchins

There are two replies to this quote. Here's reply #2

Apathy, on the other hand, can be reversed for as long as indolence is extracted from democratic principles that has become a disease created by elected representatives who think they are already doing enough to make their citizens satisfied. To overlook their citizens is a sad commentary of the rotten attitude that makes democracy look dastardly  even in the best of times.

[hill roberts]

From, "The Ballad of the Third World", written in 1989, 41 stanzas, by yours truly. Here are the last two stanzas.


Look around and there's no tinge of improvement,
Why is it that politicians don't make up an effective movement?
The vacuum they leave is degrading and appalling,
Yet whenever they need people's vote, they're around,
       constantly smiling;

"One for you and two for me," a statement full of irony and pain,
Repulsive it may sound penetrating closely into their brain,
Systematically inconsiderate they wallow like corporate creeps,
While ordinary folk gather, once more, a few lousy tips.

[hill roberts]

From A Collection of Contemporary Poems, by Hill Roberts, 1990

Revolutionary Changes - 20 stanzas. Here are the last two stanzas.

Vision for the future after a revolution,
could hurt the population as well as institutions
casual changes, believing them to be harmless
the real crunch lies, when they start to hamper;

Reforms there will be, changes and scrutiny,
a piece of paper promises no bounty
of fate and freedom, liberty and honour
the will of the people overtakes all horrors.

[hill roberts]

Hello, forum members:
Before anything else, I would like to inform you that I have opened/founded  three new Facebook comunity  pages:

1. Save Our Sharks in Philippine Waters Now  (S.O.S.) (Admin - Les Lesaca, Makati)

2. Breast Cancer Awareness in Filipino Women (Admin - Marissa Torres Langseth (New York)

3. Lyricist would like to collaborate with Composer (Admin- Hill Roberts (Spain/UK)

The fourth one, which I have already mentioned earlier  here, Democracy is a sham in the 21st century--true or false? There are now over 20 participating countries in just two months, which is wonderful.

You are all welcome to join! Thank you!

Hill Roberts

[hill roberts]

Measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority. - James Madison

But, what are the rights of the minor party? What exactly are the rules of justice and who measures them? What exactly is an "overbearing majority" and how superior is it when the elite dictate to a silent majority?

[hill roberts]

 BBC 4 Radio programme  asks, What is fairness? My reply below:

Fairness doesn't mean anything if interpreted in a hundred ways. What exactly is fairness but an adorable word that cannot be proven to be helpful when you need it? What is fairness but a nice-sounding word that well-meaning politicians use but not able to transmit or relate to anyway? What is fairness but something we already know but do not really understand in this day and age? Fairness is nothing if it's not implemented. Implementing it is not part of exercising fairness. Fairness can at best be described as  a haphazard attempt at pleasing a minority, whose romantic idea is littered with pretentions and pessimism. Don't expect fairness to come like a gust of wind. 

[hill roberts]

Every person is a new door to a different world. - Six Degrees of Separation

I made the flea market an example of a different world.

Here's my personal opinion:
 It is indeed another window into a different lifestyle. Just so many different worlds in one small setting. To each his/her own when they relate to a vendor or a customer. This is where a different world becomes an aspect and not just a spectacle of a  day's flea market shopping. That "new door", i.e., person, has many rooms that open to everyone, but people are afraid or hesitant to use them. "Imagined" fears overtake their otherwise good sense, to pry through their own misgivings about welcoming others into their life.

[hill roberts]

"By a lie, a man....annihilates his dignity as a man." - Immanuel Kant

Any which way for people whose attempts at salvaging their reputation is impossible, and when  making up stories becomes their superficial protection from being further ripped to pieces would be a lost cause indeed. Some people are unwilling to yield to the truth put before them. But why do people who feel guilty resort to fabricating stories albeit deplorable? I suppose shame and perceived grievances have to to be covered up. They have been shown to trick the minds of those gullible acquaintances and friends, who believe them out of blind loyalty. It's the only thing they could cling to for support, with negative results.

[hill roberts]

I have opened a new community page last week:

"Levi Celerio: A Tribute to a Great Filipino Artist"--this gentleman had written over 4,000 songs, but the country must remember a prolific, genuinely talented man. Please join this community page and if you knew Levi, please include all your knowledge, info about him whether good, bad, indifferent, silly, funny, serious, who he was, what he did, where he wrote his songs, did he play instruments, etc. What a shame that the Philippines doesn't have this tradition of honouring homegrown talent. I am trying to change that. Somehow, government politicians do not have a clue how to honour them, especially when these talented people are not in their social circle, or the person is poor. Wrong! This attitude must change. Levi had written more than the combined efforts of Lennon, McCartney, Simon and Garfunkel. Clearly, these men are honoured and remembered in their home countries--it is part of tradition to give them a high profile. Sadly, the Philippines doesn't have a clue how to go about it, or even think of remembering their homegrown talent.
See you there and please add your insights about this forgotten talent. Thank you. Just type out the first word and you're there. Cheers!

[hill roberts]

Dear Joe and forum friends,

Greetings from coolish Spain. I will be in Paris for a week (from tomorrow)  so I will not be able to post anything here. Take care! See you all next week.

[Joe Carillo]

Enjoy Paris while it sizzles, Hill!

[hill roberts]

Hello Joe and forum friends!

Thank you Joe for the warm words. Just got back. Paris, the second time around is indeed sweeter. Ten years ago, we took the Eurostar but with a big coach group of tourists with us.  We were beholden to our guide and had to follow a strict itinerary. That was the first and last time. It's good to be independent. I enjoyed this beautiful city so much. What a shame that many local government politicians in the Philippines do not have a clue how to zone, plan and make their towns and villages smart, sensible, practical and well laid-out.

More on Paris later. Thank you and all best wishes!

[Joe Carillo]

Welcome back, Hill! I'm glad to know that you enjoyed your Paris trip immensely. Let's hope that your wishes for a better-zoned Philippines will come true. Who knows what nice things the future can bring to the country?

[hill roberts]

Good morning Joe from Spain!

Thank you for the warm greetings. Apologies for not replying--the usual problem of lose connection, with Norton warning me of many viruses. My email box is also having problems. Facebook was OK when I got back, then I'd lose connection every now and then.

Indeed. Let's hope that city planners in the Philippines get serious about zoning plans. Many parts of that country just look shabby, unfortunately.

All best wishes!

Hill

[hill roberts]

BBC 4 The Today Programme, asking why a job of a Funeral Photographer can be a challenge?

I gave two replies, but I will post only the second comment.

Death should not be feared. It is a natural thing. We all die eventually and there's nothing we can do to stop it. It's just the way it is. Death need not be morbid if total acceptance of it is manifested. As for suicide, it is also a decision by some people. If people want to self-inflict death, then what can we do? It's time to accept death as just a normal process of daily life. Fearing it is pointless.

How we see it in the Philippines>>

(In Britain, taking photographs of wakes, funeral services, and other forms of activity is not part of their culture, unlike in the Philippines. This is the first time that England has a funeral photographer hired to take photos during those sad times. In the Philippines, it is common, and treated like a circus, in the worst of times.)