The Universe is a pretty big place, she said

They will come tonight
MAYBE THEY WILL COME TONIGHT. The universe is a pretty big place, she said. But what she left unsaid is that they’re coming for you. It’s just a matter of time. And they will surely ask: “Are you with us? Or against us?” (Saved from boredart.com via Pinterest)

“The universe is a pretty big place,” Dr. Ellie Arroway used to say in Contact.

So, if you see nothing but stupidity around you these days—and I don’t mean just in your favorite media (including social media)—it’s good to keep this reminder in mind.

It means that sentient beings and intelligent civilizations continue to exist elsewhere—and I don’t mean we need to look in other star systems beyond Earth. Continue reading “The Universe is a pretty big place, she said”

What never to forget

A favorite slogan chanted by young activists like us in the early 1970s, when Marcos was already contemplating martial law but before he actually declared it, went like this: One activist would start with a loud marching voice: “Ano’ng sagot sa martial law?” And the response would resonate like a march of thunder through the street, echoing across the urban valley of tall buildings: “Digmaan!–Digmaan!–Digmaang bayan!” Continue reading “What never to forget”