Election for Barangay (street) officials today

[Lancer]

http://www.boholchronicle.com/

The official wannabes who have money will pay 20P (.45 USD aprox) per vote. None of them have gotten drunk enough to buy my vote yet sorry to say. A group of ladies walking by told Papa Mente not to accept the 20P because he is already rich (he's a janitor in the US) but he told them no, he would take it to give to the children carroling at Christmas. Anyway its an exciting day here, electricity is in the air. Dolores's lifelong friend, Teresa, is in the race but she doesn't pay due to high principle and low Pesos.

It all seems interesting and fun from where I sit but the Bohol Chronicle reports people in other places are being killed and abducted. Amazing. Street elections! Yesterday I went with Dolores to her Catholic church and though I can't understand much the sermon was obviously a rousing call to vote for the honorable candidate, not always the one with 20P. This is very serious stuff! So...

Think progress, think Teresa!

I'll report her election results as they come in.

[Zkribbler]

Wow, the Philippines are lucky! Their politicians are so valuable, they cost .45 cents. In the U.S., we have only two-bit politicians.

[Wezil]

Our politicos get a buck or two per vote.

[Lancer]

Teresa won! She got the 7th amount of votes and there are 7 councilors. HaHa!

Zkrib, what is the real value of 2 bits? All my life I thought it was 50 cents.


A couple of bucks per vote? They should kick back half of that! Hmm. On second thought if we got paid for our votes we might end up with corrupt politicians.

Well, you guys seem to be the only ones interested in Philippine stuff these days. Thanks for hangin in my friends. Hey! I lost 12, count em, >>>12 pounds<<< since arriving here less than 5 weeks ago!

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Lancer
A couple of bucks per vote? They should kick back half of that! Hmm. On second thought if we got paid for our votes we might end up with corrupt politicians.

It was to replace the money they can no longer take from corporations and unions...

Two bits is a colloquial expression in the United States for 25¢. It dates from colonial days, when a common unit of currency was the Spanish milled dollar. As a way of making change, these dollars were often cut into eight pie-slice shaped pieces, called bits. Hence, two bits being a quarter dollar.

[Lancer]

Dollar slices, amazing trivia Wezil!

[Wezil]

It's one of the reasons I like OT. Strange stuff is spoken about here.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Lancer
Dollar slices, amazing trivia Wezil!

I heard out forebearers bit the dollars into eight pieces, thus, two bits was 25 cents.

Two bits, four bits,
Six bits, a dollar.
All for Teresa,
Stand up and holler!

Hey! I lost 12, count em, >>>12 pounds<<< since arriving here less than 5 weeks ago!

I found 'em for you! I'll keep 'em right here for you till you get back.

[Wezil]

I always thought a bit was 25 cents (2 bits = 50) until Lancer made me check. Then again it wasn't part of Canadian folklore/history.