How to run a proper blog in the Philippines
A group of journalists and bloggers has been hosting annual blogging awards in the Philippines for some time now. The call for nominations for 2015 awards has just gone out, and all the information in the world about the awards and nominating process can be found at: bloggys.ph
For me, only one line is pertinent:
Not allowed:
-
Blogs owned by foreign citizens (Even if is targeted to Filipino audience).
Well, that’s a bummer, as it has been for years. Clearly, the group is not looking for THE BEST BLOGS IN THE PHILIPPINES, but for “the best blogs that fit our rules”. Now, I can guess as to why foreign-written blogs are not allowed. It is a matter of national sovereignty, like the citizenship rules in the Constitution. A foreign-written blog is a threat to the sovereignty of other bloggers, and the nation as a whole.
I mean, why else would a blog such as The Society of Honor by Joe America, with millions of reads and thousands of contributions by Filipinos around the world, be disqualified? Security of the nation, obviously.
I mean, it couldn’t be anything as weird as national pride or something like that, could it? That’s like not letting gays express themselves, or agnostics, or bums off the street who write well. It’s an artificial way to say an idea doesn’t count, because it was not mine. Or not from “my crowd”.
So I accept the sovereignty rationale, and will attach a warning to the blog soon that reads:
“Warning, this blog is dangerous to Philippine national sovereignty.”
Well, it is not for me to go sour-graping across the face of the Filipino blogging community, for it is a growing and vibrant and healthy community. That’s why I run the Philippine Blog Center, to highlight some of the blogs meaningful to the social/political spectrum, the arena in which I write. Contrary to the likely suspicions of some who run the blogging community, it is NOT my aim to infiltrate all these blogs with subversive messages. I think bloggers ought to support one another to build a powerful community, not run around in crablike envy dissing one another.
Well, as I said in a cryptic remark about this Bloggy award in a recent blog thread, we know that, for this year, for 2015, what that Bloggy group is actually doing is arguing about who is second best in the social/political category, because NO BLOG has published as many top quality articles, or had as many top quality comments dropped into the discussion threads by Filipinos and citizens of the thinking world, or gained the distinction of being plastered on the screen at the President’s SONA award . . . as The Society of Honor by Joe America and a Whole lot of Smart Filipinos. No blog is read by as many movers and shakers who will decide exactly how the Philippines will develop in the future. Artists, writers, musicians, professors, government officials, students, business people . . . they read.
Sovereignty to them is found in an idea, not a set of papers.
With all due respect to Top Blogger Raissa Robles, this was Joe’s year. And it was a year for his Society of Honorable Contributors, a good many of whom are also loyal CPMers, working passionately for a rising Philippines.
Contributor Lance Corporal X suggested I pass along the secrets of my success so that aspiring Filipino bloggers might pick up a hint or two about how to get splashed in a SONA:
Skill
Spend several years writing and writing and writing. Perfect a blogging style that is readable and entertaining and informative or thought provoking. It takes time to build a franchise. It is like infrastructure. It doesn’t get built overnight. Nobody knows, nobody cares at the beginning. Reads are so low at first, you are spending years basically writing to yourself. But you can learn what works and what does not. In the social/political spectrum, political conflict works and book reviews do not. And for myself, I learned a lot about the Philippines whilst slogging away in that lonely echo chamber.
I was also lucky, to tell the truth. My writing style, half literate and half hokey, often passionate, and a bit impudent . . . is readable. Filipinos are a passionate people, and a fun-loving people, and a smart people. Best not to talk down to them. It clicked.
And I work on finding lessons that are a bit out of the box.
Principles
I have several principles that anchor the blog and direct my editorial control over the discussion.
- No commercialization. No ads. Keep it clean and focused on ideas. If you are writing to make a living, that is a different concept. I write to develop ideas, unvarnished by commercial ambitions.
- Emphasize the positive. The Philippines IS doing well, and that needs to underpin even the criticisms that need to be discussed. Readers want to be inspired, not dragged down. If a criticism is offered, suggest solutions.
- Say something meaningful. Something new or a new slant on things. Provoke now and then to energize the discussion. The discussion threads at The Society of Honor ARE the blog in many instances. The history and insights and information dropped off there are sometimes downright jaw-dropping.
- The discussion thread is for teaching and learning, and a bit of joking around. It is not a forum for agenda pushers to come in and sell an idea without listening to what others think. That is trolling. It is not a place for personal insults, as if we do not have the brains to understand the difference between issue and person. It is a place for ideas and respect. I actively nudge and encourage people to keep focused on the issues. I block inveterate trolls and people talking and insulting without listening.
- Respect also drives my own participation in the blog. I have held to the view that everyone who drops off a comment is honoring the blog and deserves a response . . . to be returned honor. That’s hard work, folks. And, frankly, with the growing popularity of the blog, has become almost impossible. So I often let the regular contributors fend for themselves, but I do try to attend to the new or occasional visitor.
In truth, I’m glad to see the Bloggy awards being given out. It is a way to help develop a force for good social and political development in the Philippines, and, for those in different categories, a good place for information or entertainment.
I do wish the “no foreigner” rule would be dropped, for it clearly is not allowing the many Filipino contributors and readers of this blog to receive the satisfaction, the public appreciation, that ought to be attached to their dedication to good thinking.
But . . . lacking that . . . we’ll thank President Aquino for covering our back. And we’ll get back to the work at hand.
“O’ rise, ye land of happy fools!”
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
I agree with you totally. I am now technically have permanent residence and I am a legal alien. Would that disbar me? What is your status Joe?
The Pinoy are proud, but they would gain a lot more by accepting outsiders. The term “foreigner” is used a lot here. I do miss the multicultural buzz of London. Manila is quite different. Mixing cultures is a key point in development in any field.
Just look at your country, Jazz created in New Orleans absorbed many strains. Movies owed a lot to outsiders. Two Londoners stand out, Charlie Chaplin, and Alfred Hitchcock.
The same with blogs. You have your unique view. You are an American. You can see things differently, like standing back from a canvas. When I write, I am still and Englishman.
This restriction is counter productive. Yes we all have own own cultural roots, but now more than ever we are all interconnected.
Thanks for your blog.
Bloody awards, J. Effemey, was/been a bloke in Silsoe, Beds for almost a year post graduating in an Eng course never heard of in the Philippines; time when crowns of shillings was still the heaviest among the coins of the British pound.
Didn’t need to read and masticate the whole piece, Joe Am. Many things that’s bad in the Philippines today Filipinos owe big time FIRST to lawyers, SECOND to journalists of the brother professions of insidious power, slowly nurtured by modest greed and absence of honor. Not as complex as NASA’s space rockets or Einstein’s theory of relativity, it’s plain and simple Darwinian science. Good and bad lawyers diminish by attrition. Many good journalists are obliterated by bullets to oblivion, the fittest rubbish survived, remain to contaminate. It is about having healthy brain and minds that and that’s never mind.
Worst, Journalism sleeps not like Rip Van Winkle, because it is still freest in the world snoring, gurgling, having REM dreams in the PANCITAN. Shallow, bloody Awards. Never heard of the impact of the internet, of the blossoms of the global village, blogging sans borders, sans frontiers. Of how the OFWs so few of lawyers and journalists, more than the overseas workers of any country are helping AS FOREIGNERS make the global village (by assimilation, by double jobs and by singing in church choirs) CLEAN AND PROGRESSIVE. Two paragraphs Joe Am which can be spin off to two researched books no lawyer or journalist will write except perhaps by and from the integrious global bloggers et al in this Society of Honor.
Well, in this here, global blog, nothing is no one’s monopoly; rhyming and being read twice isn’t the monopoly of Popoy. Needs no prodding, here blokes or dames of any gender just BRING IT ON.
Ah, yes, bring it on, the poets and the pontificators, the analysts and the fiction writers, and we shall sort it out. Speed reading is easy with a scroll bar that skips whole paragraphs. There’s a talent to that, too. It’s very interesting, though. The Philippines has an absolutely wide open arena for expression. Freedom like you won’t find in China or other authoritarian lands. But it is sometimes like a big sea basin lacking the water. All we do here is splash about a bit in a puddle at the bottom. 🙂
Thanks Joe Am for the nice bounce to my ball, tickled me and others to keep coming back like a song; if singers sing songs that make young girls cry; we write the songs that makes Joe Am laugh and spry. Anybody seen Popoy?
Pity expatriates who don’t really come home, the physical home, the multi-islanded one. Thanks to blogs such as Joe’s, my mental feet can rest awhiles.
Do you own a rocking chair, sonny? I acquired one a couple of years ago. Heavy wood, perhaps illegal nara, I don’t know. Large, fitting my frame. I recommend them for ease of reflections.
Am using a La-Z-Boy to make do. Next time out to PH I will hunt for something like yours. Or try to locate one similar being used by my son’s former GF. (oak or maple?)
I, too, would like to read Popoy every so often.
Sorry for the late response, Jonathan. I have a permanent visa, probably the same as yours. I agree with your perspective that mixing culture is healthy, but it does not come easily or naturally. Look at Japan’s homogeneity. The Philippines, I think, is more advanced along this “mixing” line than most nations, yet fights it more than most. No nation is more “global” than the Philippines, yet the home town folks (and dignitaries) see this as threat. Hahahaha, but I have to laugh, because I don’t want Grace Poe in the Palace. She is not really of the Philippines, I think, but more of some place of opportunity and self dealing. Not really tthe US, either.
“The Philippines, I think, is more advanced along this “mixing” line than most nations, yet the home town folks (and dignitaries) see this as threat. ” not really… if I think about Eastern European countries, they also experienced a lot of mixing due to many different empires ruling over them, but they chose to deal with it by closing their communities, paranoia and suspicion instead of openness, and we can all see what it has lead to.
Between the extremes of too much openness and too little, there must be a healthy middle way, I think the Dutch way, open but still with a strong cohesion among themselves is the best way to deal with globalization yet not end up as suckers in the international game.
Thank you for the tips you’ve given us, bloggers and would-be bloggers. That’s really helpful.
Unfortunately, the cost of blogging would ultimately be shouldered by the blogger himself/herself, so the need for ads or sponsors. Lots of my clients are bloggers who have ads of sponsors posted on their websites. It really helps them in paying for the cost of maintaining a blog.
That’s what I noticed about your blog, no ads whatsoever. Are you a million-dollar man, Joe? Just kidding…. 🙂
It helps to be retired. My hard costs are $99 for the domain registration and Word Press enrollment. The “no ads” rule is not the most important one, but I do feel it makes the focus on ideas stand out.
My hard costs are exactly zero because I am piggybacking on the free blogging site “blogsport” which was established to give advocacy groups with low budgets a voice – it has some drawbacks and automatic ads but complete hosting including tools and stuff.
Don’t think there is anything like it in the Philippines – OK anyone can use blogsport, but some of the most vital functions are still in German even if a lot can be switched to English. The whole thing is run by volunteers, but they do run things very well.
If you will do charge, Joe, pls not too expensive. I’m on fixed income already.
🙂 You qualify for the senior-senior discount. That’s a freebie.
Hi JoeAm, if I may surmise, writing your blog through the lean years and the good, suffering the occasional abuse but not responding in kind has changed you. I was thinking a few days ago that if JoeAm thought back to how he was before he started his blog and looked at himself now he would notice a change for the better. Could I be right?
You are absolutely right, o’ wise and aged sea dog. I used to take things a lot more personally. Plus, the counseling I’ve received from readers has helped me get past the simplistic hang-ups that a lot of foreigners display in thinking the Philippines must be like the culture they came from, or it is wrong. I lost a lot of frustration and gained a lot of enjoyment. And I think I have gained a good understanding of what makes things tick. Still learning, though.
I have just started a blog and I focus on my interest in humor specifically Pinoy humor. You and your blog really inspire. Keep writing for the Philippines.
Thanks, mssyj. Good luck with the blog, and it looks like a fun one. I find the writing, thinking and conversing to be incredibly rewarding.
For readers, your blog: https://mssyj.wordpress.com/
Your blog list is EXCELLENT.
Thanks! Honored by your comment.
I will come visit, mssyj. Hope you don’t mind. My own collection secondhand mostly and sophomoric, not witty. 🙂
Here’s one for laughs for mssyj if it’s not there in her blog yet:
ONCE UPON A TIME, Neo (not his real name) a religious boy was an acolyte; became man, he went to visit his sleepy rural town’s parish priest, of Chinese descent named Fr. Sacres Tan S.B. “Kumusta Po Father,” He greeted his Among.
“Okay lang, Neo. Heto meron pa rin konsuelo,” then he shouted: “CONSUELO, nandito si Neo, dumating na ba yung tuba? Ilabas mo yung gallon.”
Years passed, Neo visited his Among in his big church in a southern city. “Kumusta po Monsignor Sacres? ”
“Ay naku, Atty Neo, Monsignor na nga dami naman kunsumisyon. Salamat na lang meron palaging kunsolasyon.” Then he yelled: ” CONSOLACION, ilabas mo yung Chivas 12 years, Nandito si Attorney.
A quick decade passed and Senator Neo went to visiting again his Among in his mini palatial kumbento in the provincial capital. After kissing the ring, “Kumusta po Bishop, mukhang malakas pa kayo.”
With a hoarse voice weakened by age and lengthy sermons, said: “Heto mas mabigat ang problema pero parating parang nasa Gloria.” and After tapping the floor three times with his engraved cane, he yelled with a weaker voice: “GLORIA, GLORIAAA, Ilabas mo Yung one liter Champaign.”
And so the Senator and the Bishop raised their glasses as they watch the sunset, AND LIVE COMFORTABLY EVER AFTER.
Ganito rin yun si Monsignor Edz Manalo.
Si Don Neo may alagang loro ang pangalan kenkoy. madaling makapulot ng salita si Loro at madaldal. Minsan dinalaw siya ni kumpadre Joeam na killer sa babae kasama ang kerida si Mary Grace. sabi ni Don Neo bakit sinama mo Grace dito alam mo naman kumareng Missy mo kaibigan si Mareng Juana na asawa mo. Naghalikan at nagsex payung dalawa at nakita ni Kenkoy na nagsesex
Kinabukasan dumating nga si Juana at si Kenkoy biglang nagsalita ng “Kita ko Joe kasama si Grace at nagsex dito” Nagalit si Juana sa kumareng Missy kung bakit pinapanhik si Grace sa bahay nila. Insulto daw yun. Nagalit si Juana Kay Neo. Nagalit si Neo Kay Kenkoy at kinalbo tuktok ng ulo sabay sabi, Ayan kenkoy ka na talaga sobra daldal mo.
Isang a raw dumating si Monsignor Edgar sa bahay ni Neo para bendisyunan si Juana na May sakit. Pagpasok sa sala ni Monsignor inalis ang sombrero niya at lumitaw yung bilog na kalbo ng pari. Nagsalita si Kenkoy”Nagsex si Joe at Grace dito, Monsignor Edgar Kita mo rin?
Ha ha, JL. I heard the Marilyn Monroe version (long long time ago). ‘Buti may Society version ka. 🙂
after reading it a second time, napahagikgik ako, muntik nang nalaglag ang denture ko, buti na lang naka band aid. yang ang joke nakasusbok kung sino ang pikon dito.
Oy sige pa, sinu ang nakakaalam noong kwento nahulog sa tulay ang misis ni Mayor?
Eh Yung rich Chinese businessman kasama ang anak na babae, hinoldap, kinarjack yung Mercedes?
Meron din ‘ung banal na loro ng mga madre … 🙂
*******
…as I was saying, this blog has it all. My erstwhile girlfriend would say, “Kumpleto ang rekado.”
*****
Aray ko, sumakit ang tyan ko sa katatawa…
How did a discussion on How to Run a Proper Blog in the Philippines become a discussion on a parrot, sex and toilet humor?….JL…you have just beaten Parekoy, he enumerated and discussed CPAMers ….you, chit and caliphman took a hit each…
@mary Grace
Are you talking about Parekoy at Raissa blog? more of copykoy next to Sottocopy tome. He tried to imitate my style by posting to have his own private info. Every CPMer knew I was pioneer in that dept. Check Raissa blog since 2009, years before copycoy started posting. It’s the truth. If copykoy followed my path, only conclusion is he is worst than Sottocopier. His rationale upon contradiction resorts to shooting the messenger. Ask Joeam.
That’s why I stopped posting on Raissa, let copykoy marvel in his own world.
“Patulan ang sira ang ulo, di mas sira ulo mo”
He he he!
He copycoy my style too of telling jokes during lull time. there are born comedians and imitators.
“Originality and delivery are in the eyes of the beholder”
Are you telling me that these are lull times, ang dami ng jokes eh. ako kahit serious ang usapan at kahit corny makajoke lang
Napasubo na rin ako ke parekoy pero ok lang daw wag ko lang daw sya pagusapan dito.
ayan pinag usapan ko na sya ,yari na naman ako. .
Private info hmm. ako coffee shop info halos lahat so that is public info once pinag usapan sa coffee shop.
I learned in coffee shops that expressos are consumed in two hours or more.
Mary Grace, just do what Chit did and the others here that was also hit especially Joe, exactly nothing deadma.
thanks, karl. you made me feel better after that unprovoked attack.
In fairness he did say not to take his handling of our handle seriously.
@ johnny
hahaha… you, know you are soooo right. that would be my attitude from now on, that is, after my short response. It’s so sad that others are not only taken in by his style, agreeing to it and worse, egging him on so he is inspired to be more outrageous.
Mary read number 81 and control your temper and blood pressure.I did know he disliked Chit that much.
yep, I noticed that, too… I seldom visit there nowadays… when I see posts alerts from cha, joe, chit, rene, bfd, vin, yvonne, I just click them (that’s a very good feature on raissa’s – the latest comment is on the left side, just click and you’re directed to the specific commenter of your choice)…bp and temper control…kinda like partial preventive self suspension, hahaha
preventive self suspension from the blog I do that too.So,I understand.
PS, What I meant above was I did not know he disliked Chit,so the feeling is mutual pala
ps2 he calls joe a charlatan maybe it is time to buy a mirror or if he does not like, time to check where the other fingers are pointing to.Self anointed conscience of CPM must love safeguard commercials.
If he hits me,ok lang I’ve been there before.
thanks. karl
I read number 81…. grabe ano?
He probably read Johnny’s comment (September 5, 2015 at 1:31 am) and based his comments there, attempting to top it. It just proves that he is lurking, monitoring this blog and the comments here. While from time to time, we enjoy the jokes and satires here, I must confess my discomfort when private parts of Kris and Poe were repeatedly and with malice mentioned in Raissa’s. His mangling of the handles of those who opposes him specially those who also frequent this site reveals his deep insecurity with JoeAm…
I happen to defend Joe and once reacted to his dirty jokes (which Raissa has warned him also about) mostly targeting Kris and he never forget it, and branded me sanctimonious.
I mostly ignore him but could not help reacting. I posted something in response. Just that one and will try to do nothing more in the future…as you say, deadma na lang. and as Joe said before, he is not relevant anymore.
I know he reads the blog, dati I told him that he was the reason I checked out Raissa’s blog akala ko balance ang pagka naughty at pagkamautak nya he makes sense most of the time and ang dami nyang alam.Pero I have to consider that in handles me tao sa likuran nun. alam nya yun dahil pikon din naman sya eh.I still learn a lot from him like learn from all of you.ok enough of him….for now.I also have to take note of what you,chit , johnny ,irineo and of course joe said.
@karl
Copykoy hated joeam, chit, me and others because we have one thing in common. We contradicted his specious ideas, predictably resenting our oppositions. His answers to his critics, maligned them unreasonably, personally forgetting the handles of the posters are unreal so there’s no way he could have known their true personalities. People living in their own world of being superior over others feel grandeur when praised but don’t have any idea that the superficial flattery from others might be more of egging ridicule. Letting him rest in his own world is the only response. Joeam, Chit and I had similar response to him.
Duly noted Johnny .
he definitely reads the blog and every comment, in his new speech he crafted “extemporaneously” and “spontaneously” he targeted this blog again, inciting unfriendly competition borderline blogwar between cpm and the society.wala naman kakagat eh di naman sya me ari ng blog lagi syang me appeal to cpmers speech.
laging me dito sa cpm etc,etc. ako ang nagsimula ng ganito ganuon. Ako nagimbento nito,ako nagpauso nito.dahil sakin nagkaganito.
On second reading (not a bill in HOR, Congress of the Philippines) the joke posted for mssyj needs a title and final scene, so here it is:
Title: THE PRIEST AND HIS ACOLYTE
Final Scene : minutes before sun down in Malacanang Palace veranda facing the Pasig River.
The President watching the murky waters of the river turned around to greet a man in wheel chair wearing a red cap. ” I am so glad to see you, Your Eminence,” he said as he bend to grasp the Cardinal’s hand and kiss his ring. Sacres Cardinal Tan was smiling. He affectionately placed his left hand on President Neo’s head.
“My son I am happy you are now President. But are you still praying daily the rosary. Do you still have a rosario with you?” The Eminence continue to smile.
“Your Eminence, in spite of my heavy and tight schedule attending to the affairs of the State, still I always find time for rosario,” he said looking very hurt. He abruptly turned to his close-in security.
“Colonel, Please tell Ms Rosario, to bring some glasses, my Johnny Walker Blue and a bottle of CAMUS XO for his Eminence.”
AND SO IT CAME TO PASS, Priest and his Acolyte, now a member of Rome’s Curia and a long serving President both oblivious of the beauteous Rosario turned their attention to the dark waters of the Pasig as they raised their glasses, their eyes afterwards following the floating water lilies from Napindan suck by the ebbing low tide towards the glorious sun set of Manila Bay.
Yung Rosario mo pang Class A botante, ito pang class D&E
Title: Acolytes, Rosario and UST graduates
Two good friends grew up in the river town of Pampanga known as Sexmoan then, now changed to Sasmuan due to its sexual notoriety. Both were acolytes serving the mass in their parish church usually in the wee hours of the morning. Thier rectory was overlooking the river banks near the mouth of Manila Bay. Notorious for fishermen having sex with female fish vendors in their bancas. Their pitch was to get lucky good catch, the female vendors must have sex with them before sailing to Manila bay? While preparing the incense outside the two acolytes heard the mornings of women while having sex. Folklore handed down was the town’s name was given by the first priest of the town overhearing the moaning of lovers while practicing his sermon behind the rectory. It’s in bushes of the river bank the two acolytes lost their virginity with their own hands while peeping. Infamous was Rosario whose different lovers of fishermen had great fish catches after having sex with her. She also had a daughter name Roxy, american nickname of Rosario. Both acolytes had their own sexual stories to tell and bothwent to college at UST. Edgar finished medicine, Neo became a priest. Edgar went to America while Neo became a missionary in the poor section of South America.
Being poor without any modern means of communication of social media and smart phone, Neo was unable to get in touch with Edgar’s savvy iTech capabilities. Getting old Neo requested to be transferred to Sto Domingo Church being a Dominican church.
Upon learning that Neo is back in the Philippines, Dr. Edgar returned as a Balikbayan. He visited Neo in the Santo Domingo rectory. They exchanged pleasantries, reminisce younger days especially their sexual adventures. How they raced who’s going to “cum first” while watching fishermen having sex with moaning women, giving a hearty laugh. How they watched Rosario having sex with different men for the lucky catch of the day. Joe was also bragging about at his age but still having great sex with different nurses thru Viagra samples but no one is named Rosario. Laughter!
then Joe told Neo: I want to invite you to our house with my family but please don’t mention Rosario who is the mother of Roxy. She feels embarass especially when the 3 children are around.
Neo laughed heartily: yeah I forgot Rosario II became your wife that’s why you are so lucky with your profession, kids who are all professional and Rosario has been by your side day and night
Joe: yes I feel lucky with my Roxy who also graduated from UST. We owe it to Dominican education.
Neo: you’re very lucky as Dominican; mine, barely educated.
Joe: understanding Neo, saying “you’re Dominican is what matters. Just keep praying your daily Rosary”
Neo smiled wryly and uttered, “Si” at the same time apologizing for speaking sometimes in Spanish, a force of habit for being a South American missionary for a long time.
Joe: It’s getting late, stood up and said goodbye
Neo: shouted loud in Spanish: “Abres la Puerta para Joe, pronto Rosario”
Joe’s eyes widened and his crotch stiffened when out came a sexy Dominican
He he he!
Ang ganda naman Lin Not the John, talo mo pa si Geoffrey Chaucer ito yong Tales from Binondo, kaya lang napuna ko yung moans naging mornings. More, MORE. Rosario was yelling while climaxing in spasm.
pag nakading ako ng pusa naghahabulan sa bubung ang nadidinig ko NOOOOW and MAYAAAH
The acolyte became a lawyer, then senator, now president; the priest, Monsignor, then cardinal, now an archbishop…friendship endured, contact unlost, now aging….Consuelo, Consolacion, Gloria, Rosario in the background ready to serve the drinks from tuba to Johnny Walker Blue and Camus XO.
Quite a story…a saga of friendship.
a saga too of libido and paramours?
@Johnny Lin
“Two good friends grew up in the river town of Pampanga known as Sexmoan then, now changed to Sasmuan …”
——-
There is indeed a town in my home province of Pampanga that used to be named Sexmoan.
You can verify it here:
http://j.mp/data-12pm (data on “pm” or Pampanga)
If you visit the page, you might want to note that most barangays in Sexmoan/Sasmuan are named after saints – typical of Pampanga towns.
Sasmuan even does not seem to have enough of “San Nicolas” that it had to have two!
You may not like the shortcuts I use (they lack description, etc.) but given the immediate context, would you not dare click here?:
http://j.mp/banqueran
I hope you will like the picture you see.
No, sorry, it has nothing to do with sex.
I don’t mean to come across as a bible-thumping prude.
If you have to know I used to live 15 minutes from Times Square, New York City. At that time when 42nd Street still had a row of theaters showing XXX-rated movies … – if you know what I mean.
On my first time in Germany, the German issue of Playboy featured Tetchie Agbayani.
I must say I bought ten copies for the “boys” back home.
btw,
a. Any Capampangans here?
– You know what “banqueran” means”
b. “libido”
Capampangans filled with libido are “ma-libi.”
– No kidding.
Salamat.
Now Sasmuan, before Sexmoan, and Sex Moan before that, according to my wife who was from Lubao, a neighboring town of Pampanga, just across, at the other side of Sexmoan River.
“Contributor Lance Corporal X suggested I pass along the secrets of my success so that aspiring Filipino bloggers might pick up a hint or two about how to get splashed in a SONA”
I would just add, the old blogs which I’m enjoying going thru lately (ie, Church & State, Lutheran, etc.), just use the search window–there’s nothing new under the sun.
If you can amass that much work, covering such a wide range of topics, you’re golden–a Bloggy god you will be. Thanks, Joe.
Be sure to run a search on Angry Maude.
Thanks for the blog suggestion. It is perfect for weekend reading. Not such heavy stuff.
I remember one time I said FVR is in angry mode aftere mamasapano, I wonder if FVR knows Maude.
They look a little alike . . . 🙂 🙂 🙂
Joe, after reading this blog a second time to be sure of my first impression I think I detect a bit of rationalization and denial on your part about your feelings of not being eligible for the Bloggy Award or whatever it’s called. You mentioned that your commenters deserved to be recognized for their contributions and I agree. The comments take far longer to read than the blogs themselves but they add multiple dimensions to the discussions. But you didn’t mention yourself. I suspect that you are disappointed and perhaps a bit envious at not being eligible for the recognition of all that you do, I would be too if I had put so much work into something. I suspect you are in the position of a politician of several decades ago who said after losing an election, “I’m too big to cry and it hurts too much to laugh.” You have a right to feel slighted or cheated. It really isn’t fair that you, who are so much more supportive of your adopted country than are many of the native-born bloggers, can not be recognized for what you do. Maybe we long-term residents have to understand that we still have second-class status here and always will.. Moreover, it sounds like the award is for individual blogs. There is no provision for recognizing the masterful job you do of setting high standards and enforcing them, including your patience in dealing with the occasional troll who violates those standards. That is almost as important as the actual content of the blogs and sets Society of Honor apart from all the others.. So, for what it’s worth, I’ll just say that I am proud of you and of what you do, and so are your regular followers. That esteem that we hold for you is less tangible but far more significant than any award. Bloggy Award people,I stick out my tongue at you and make rude noises. So there!
As always, you are very perceptive and express things nicely. Well . . . the rude noises may be a bit overmuch, but I do appreciate the backing. Yes, I work hard at crafting articles that are both entertaining and good fodder for discussion. Some come easily, some cause sleepless nights. It may not be rocket science, but some I think actually approach real literature. Jonathan Swift and Mark Twain would both smile at a line here or there . . .
Joe, beyond slapstick & zarzuela I can’t see the vernacular going. At least Manuel Conde of old pointed (his Juan Tamad film series) in the direction of Swift & Twain, IMO. And yes, they would give you the nod.
Thanks, sonny. You are herein designated the Society’s Chief of Morale Boosting.
Learning this from a master, Joe. Honest. (out of the blue) If Joe, Jr. decides to stay in the PH, I see him trying out for varsity basketball at either of my alma maters: San Beda or Ateneo. 🙂 🙂
He is already developing skills in that arena, but he is also demanding a chess set.
Joe, neat, really neat: peripheral view, instinct & reflex, speed plus cerebral and deliberate dexterity! Ah yes, gaudeamus igitur, juvenes dum sumus! we rejoice with & thru them.
So does this mean GRP is nominated? Given that the owner is still Filipino despite living in Australia.
I dunno . . . I suspect there are some important writings there, but it’s like going into the outhouse pit to find a lost puppy.
*******
1. Is it xenophobia? Is it fear of competition? Is it a case of low esteem?
2. There may be several positive reasons for the exclusion rule. It somehow reminds me of the kerfuffle over Grace Poe’s citizenship woes.
2.1. It could be to narrow the field to make selection easier.
2.2. It could be to pick the best of the Filipino crop.
2.3. The best face that one can put on it is to honor the Filipino mind.
3. Examining the negative reasons, I don’t think we suffer from xenophobia. True, we tend to look down on certain nationalities – which will go nameless – but we do admire foreign people and things.
3.1. Fear of competition? Hmm, there could be something in this. We know that in basketball we cannot truly compete with non-Asian nations. We may have wizard-like ability to dribble, pass and shoot the ball but, alas, not the height. Similarly in writing, we may be prolific and outspoken but may lack breadth and depth of thought, and organization.
3.2. Low esteem? There is that. We are not proud of locally produced products as compared to those coming from overseas. Added to this might be the fact that we are not native English speakers and writers.
3.3. But none of these, I submit, would be the main reason for the exclusion rule. IMHO, items 2.2 and 2.3 are the real reasons.
4. If the primary reason were item 2.2 – picking the best of the Filipino crop — I have no objection.
4.1. If, however, the primary reason were 2.3 – honoring the Filipino mind – then I would take umbrage. Slight umbrage but umbrage nevertheless.
4.1.2. A blog is not just the opinion of the author(s). It is the opinion and feedback of the commenters as well. The Society is rich in having viewpoints from many nationalities but the majority of commenters would be Filipino.
5. The Bloggys enumerates four judging criteria: (a) Relevance to Niche (30%); (b) Engagement (25%); (c) Content (25%); (d) Presentation (10%); and (e) X-Factor (10%).
5.1. The Society would score very high in all of these criteria in the category of “Society and Politics”.
5.2. A guide to the Content criterion is the question: “Does each blog post have a clear core message?”
5.2.1. I think the question is only half of what matters. The other half would be: “What is the impact (or edifying influence) of each blog post on the national life?” I would score the Society very high on this question and criterion.
5.2.2. For this reason alone, the exclusion rule should be removed or amended. The amendment would be to permit inclusion of blogs that are foreign-owned but mainly targeted at the Philippines and Filipinos.
6. As to the X-Factor, I would nominate two – Josephivo and the inimitable Mariano Renato Pacifico. Arguably, MRP is the ultimate, the Z-Factor.
*****
2.2 is indeed a legitimate criterion. I agree. Very worthy goal.
I tend to look at blogging as a high potential social media force, not yet fully developed. If it were, there would be no need for JoeAm’s blog. But he is filling a gap, a need. That need is for clear, entertaining, meaningful discussion and analysis that gets past the incessant drivel so often found in the popular press, but also is not boring and not so high-minded as to instill deep stupor at paragraph one. I’m here because Filipino Voices folded, deteriorated in in-fighting and split-offs and, eventually, neglect. A good blog needs staying power, to build a following and build a force.
In-fighting, split-offs, neglect. I have seen the same vicious cycle with overseas Filipino associations as well. One of the most important things General Antonio Luna says in the new movie “Heneral Luna” is: “our worst enemy is not the Americans – but ourselves”. Regarding 2.2. – do not consider yourself excluded from the competition, consider yourself EXEMPTED, and let us see if any Filipino blog made in the Philippines lives up to your standard – just like “Heneral Luna” is the first movie about the Philippine-American War that lives up to John Sayles “Amigo” from 2010 in terms of professionalism and realism, as opposed to the mostly childish and amateurish stuff Filipino history films often have been.
“… the same vicious cycle with overseas Filipino associations as well.” Great connection, Irineo.
If given the choice of fight or unite, indeed, in blogging and social scenes, fight is the choice. It takes a kind of intellectual/emotional discipline to get past that. Filipinos are a passionate people, and that can be exhibited in ways that are either beautiful or ugly.
edgar,
Your Items 4.1.2 – 6 — including the z-factor — argue well for a Category* in which Joe’s and similar such Blogs may be considered. And I unreservedly agree that under the criteria you described in those items (4.1.2 – 6), Joe’s pass with flying colors.
As a result of discussion here — and probably elsewhere we don’t know about — which have a way of reaching the awarding group Bloggys, it is my hope that the group may reconsider in succeeding years. For by the very nature of social media, it sounds somewhat like an oxymoron to be closed minded on this, given persuasive arguments such as you offer. (Not a good reference but Oscar Awards have categories that we can easily rattle off, e.g. Best Foreign film category.)
Parenthetically: If there are Categories 1, 2, 3 one may argue which top awardee in the three categories is really the top or best. Let that be the general unpublished judgment of the Blogging Community and Readers. Taking a cue from Nobel Prize, it is not easy to judge objectively, if the Awardee in Chemistry is really superior to the Awardee in Physics in terms of seminal contribution to science, a case of apple or orange. But one may sense the scientific communities un-surveyed sentiments.
*Category = blogs that are foreign-owned but mainly targeted at the Philippines and Filipinos [ref. edgar lores]
Worry not Manong Joe! Yo da man!!!! For us followers of your blog, you are numero uno!
Pray and hope that a lot more would discover your blog, and learn from it. I learned a lot from this blog, and I am thirsty to learn some more. And to all the contributors here, thank you! This is the time to show our appreciation for Joe America.
Yo Da Man!!!!!
Haha, well, it is always good when youth show appreciation for the aged. Actually, people are very kind and complimentary, so I definitely “feel da love”. I think actors who are good, and know it, feel a certain vain emptiness if they don’t get the nomination. Vanity, vanity. I suppose that’s what a blog is in the first place.
It’s a club, Joe…just like all awards-giving bodies…
Ah, you say so much with such few words. Yes, I suppose it is that.
Just put the blog ownership in your asawa’s name, like your house..
At least she will bring home the prize..
Just give me 50% for the idea..
🙂
What can you win anyway?
I think a little statue. I have a hacksaw, can cut it in half.
I went to the bloggys webpage..the event is in Makati so i guess the price is 1 hour up and down in JunJun’s elevator with free nestea after 30 minutes
🙂
Oh yeah, i was going through Disqus comments earlier. It seems that there are rumors among Makati businessmen that Wallace is a Binay supporter. If it’s true then… oh no.
Binay did endorce wallace..
Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, chairman of the Senate Committee on Human Rights, along with Senator Maria Lourdes Binay (in center photo), presides at the hearing on House Bill No. 4110 seeking to grant Philippine citizenship to Peter Leslie Wallace (1st in left photo) who has been staying in the Philippines since 1975,
http://balita.ph/2014/09/03/senate-hearing-on-hb-bill-granting-phl-citizenship-to-peter-leslie-wallace-and-math-wizard-farrell-eldrian-wu/
They meet regular in events like this..
http://www.ecop.org.ph/nce34-presentations.php
Joe, so you’re not a machine. I am relieved. I thought they had invented software that could mimic an American talking to Filipinos, and understanding us. You’re hurting, my friend. Never mind that award. You have won the hearts of Filipinos, much like Lord Jim in his resurrection. Uh-oh. I’m not saying we have met ugly Americans before you arrived in our political firmament to hear our perorations about utopia and how near (or far, depending on how we woke up this morning) we are to it. It’s your country’s fault, after all, that you had to teach us democracy, and we’ve gone crazy knowing the way we can twist the system to our hearts’ desires. Anyway, sit back and relax in your retirement with your wife who I’m sure is proud of what you have done for your brown brothers. We are brothers after all. That should be a just reward, knowing you are, err, loved.
“It’s your country’s fault, after all, that you had to teach us democracy”
reminds me of what the Venetians allegedly said when the Austrians left: “cursed be the Austrians, for teaching us how to eat three meals a day”!
Venice Is not only known for its romantic rive(canals) it is also known its blind people.
not known for self editing but Mary inspired me.
river and known for……aaaaaargh
ahahahaha, that is so mary-esque, I have to leave it in . . .
Hahaha…!
I was in the huge burst of laughter when a brown-out struck. Now I can continue laughing . . .
Ah, wise advice from a wise man. I will be back to the machine on Sunday, but needed a little release of steam. Thanks for the counsel. My wife is indeed happy, but it drives her nuts that she can’t brag to her friends about the SONA mention. We are even anonymous in the home town.
Keep the anonymity, Joe. It’s good to have a tree trunk somewhere in them thar hills where we can throw our battle axes to keep us and our axes sharp.
Yep, keep that…specially after that explosive BOC/INC/NICA article….
Your blog is so famous now, and although that NICA expose were already published by the INC minister-blogger, it is now reaching a lot of ears, and I hope the attention of the President.
Joe, edgar and the other members have analyzed the award best. Yet the reality is staring us in the face. What does an Olympic medal say? or an American World Series Championship, an NBA championship? How about a Miss Universe title? To us that passively or actively come in here, your blog, we know what we care about and how this blog rates!
Triple A+ of course! (my age acting up again)
It is not always easy to find a pub with some likeminded people. Somewhere one can share some gossip, show off his latest discoveries, just listen to a conversation and move on. Some patrons become friends, some familiar faces, some just accidental tourists. I don’t care if it becomes the pub of the year, but rather not. May be I’m getting old, more at ease with familiar face then with a daily parade of new fashionistas.
Waiting for my next San Mig, the bar tender seems busy.
And put another coin to play ‘Windmills,’ joseph? Cheers!
round like a circle in a spiral like a wheel within a wheel never ending no beginning like an ever spinning reel like a snowball down the mountain in a colorful balloon……. like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind…….
===========
Cheers!
Popularity is, in some respects, a punishment.
These group of journalists and blogger must be graduate from University of the Philippines! Run their names in Google, like this: (name of blogger) + University of the Philippines
Hands down they are University of the Philippines graduates WHOSE TEXTBOOKS ARE AUTHORED BY AMERICANS …
If they did not want foreigners in this contest, FOREIGNER GOVERNMENT SHOULD WITHDRAW THEIR TEXTBOOKS FROM THESE SCHOOLS. After they withdraw their textbooks what are left are EMPTY SHELVES !!!!!!!
How yabang naman hetong mga Filipinos.
If JoeAm doesn’t win the prize, IT MEANS BENIGNO AQUINO WAS WRONG WORTHY OF IMPEACHMENT?
Benigno Aquino has spoken! Joeam should win the prize.
By the way, HOW DO THEY KNOW THERE ARE FOREIGNER-WRITTEN BLOGS IN PHILIPPINES TARGETED FOR PHILIPPINES?
Why are they afraid of foreigner-written blogs?
Because foreigners are better in English compared to UP-Englischtzes?
Or, they are afraid because foreigners are more intelligent?
If they do not allow foreigner to enter in the kambyulo, these bloggers’ lingua franca should be Talagog.
Am I considered foreigner? I speak English. Very goot one. My English not UP English. It is pure 100% unadulterated American English with Irish accent.
Could this contest run by benign0? benign0 was so mad when I criticized his englischtzes in Filipino Voices and Anti-Pinoy. Remember, folks, Englischtzes is measure of intelligence in the Philippines like skin-color is measure of beauty.
Get Real Filipinos !!! Grow up !!! You do not know the function of Evidences yet. You are still in the world of Mary-Magdalene-Witness-God-Rose-from-the-Dead Era.
As far as I know, there are only two foreigner blogs in the Philippines. That Indian sounding guy in HuffingtonPost and JoeAm.
As to Youtube VLog, Filipinos are just totally irrelevant. Their Youtube are pure BUGAL-BUGAL. Those “serious” food VLog are feel-good postings by GMANetwork.
That is why The Filipino Channel (TFC) has this feel-good patriotic Nationalistic Jingle “TELL THE WORLD I AM A FILIPINO” and “ANG GALING FILIPINO” because the Filipnios are not patritoic and nationalistic and FILIPINOS ARE NOT GALING !!!!
Irish accent? Seriously? Now that makes me laugh, and I fear I shall now read your forays in to Inquirer blog threads with great humor, attaching the Irish clipped tone.
Philippines has no soveeignty to talk about. It is not a sovereign state. The Filipino people are leaving the Philippines in drove. I exiled my self not as a result of Philippine diaspora but because I am an American trapped in a Filipino body. 2ndly, Philippines is one huge pile of trash, they pee anywhere, toss trash anywhere EXCEPT IN PLACES where there is a sign “HUWAG UMIHI MAGTAPON BASURA DITO”
In my country, we have designated places to toss our garbage and pee it is propertly marked: “RESTROOM THIS WAY” and “TRASH HERE”.
Lookit Filipino BOGOSPHERE, we are here to change the Philippines because you BOGOSPHERE cannot see what we see. Filipin BOGOSPHERE prefers more of the same. They cannot even fight China. THEY fight with their mouth.
Agricultural Philippines with humongous natural resources cannot even plant bawang sibuyas and bigas. They have to smuggle it thru BOC and taxed so high to kill Filipinos of hunger. I’ll respect these Filipino Bogosphere once they have exported catsup. To this day, 80% of Filipino Grocery stores in the U.S. are imported from hated China, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma and Laos. If you look for Coconut Water, for sure it is imported from Thailand. Sugar from Vietnam. FILIPINOS? At least they eek out to import and pass thru a patis. Talking about Patis, I still prefer Vietnam Hoi-an fish sauce.
Filipino Bogosphere cannot understand they even go to my country to study so dagdagan ang mali-li-it na utak nila. Their UP textbooks are authored by us, Americans. Can’t these BOGOSPHERE understand that?
I just do not understand you FILIPINOS. It is so difficult to understand you. Tapus na pabilib Filipinos. You have to admit your are not worthy to be colonized.
Philippine Grocery Stores in America doesn’t want me to video their store. Not their store. Their shelves !!! What they sell !!!! I want to video to prove to my friends and followers in the Philippines that their products are imported from Thailand, Burma, Taiwan and China. Even tsinelas are imported from Vietnam. What is Filipino in Philippine Grocery stores in America are the tienderas.
There are Thai and Indian restaurants in my white neighborhood. There are no Filipino restaurants. Nada. Zilch. Nien. That is a fact. Nada in Malibu. Nien in Palos Verdes. Zilch in Manhattan. What we have are english-challenged-run Thai, Chinese and Indians.
I am mad. I am angry. The Philippine BOGOsphere just do not get it. If we, aMERICANS, were not here, you’d still be rowing banca and de layag upriver to Malacanang.
I believe Escudero coconuts supply Peter-Paul products while Procter-n-Gamble beauty products use Philippine coconuts. What else, kaya?
If George Washington and Tommy Jefferson had been able to peer 200 years ahead, they would not have imagined great cities in the land of America dominated by skins of brown and black and yellow, or a president who looked like their slaves. The Philippines, in addition to being the center of the world’s weather patterns, is at the center of its cross-cultural blendings. In 200 years, where we came from will be invisible, having been digested and cross-mixed and output at “blend”. The national boundaries will have eroded in free-trade and travel, and be useful mainly as negotiating points in contracts. We will be citizens of a small world just struggling to hang on to an environmental catastrophe of our own creation. So I think nationalism is going to be found harder and harder to achieve if the goal is to isolate and separate people.
Dear Aunt Ressa,
I too am at a loss as to why citizenship is an issue put up as an eligibility requirement for this award. In my mind, it is no less discriminatory, arbitrary, and contrary to principle as depriving rights and recognition to foundlings (e.g. Poe) and refugees (Syrians). The very medium of bloggers and blogging extends beyond time zones and geographical boundaries and is quite distinctive in the usual anonymity of its writers. It’s not that there are tons of blogsites or regular bloggers writing about the Philippine scene that a citizenship filter is needed to reduce choices to a manageable few. I wonder really how much consideration was given in coming up with the criteria for this award and did it weigh relevancy, consistency, originality, and quality of insight which blogger qualities are irrespective of the writer’s or blogsite owner’s citizenship. Regards,
Confused
Citizenship or contribution to Philippine well-being? Yeah. Reminds me of a few Supreme Court decisions that seem to argue the words and skip past the intent or meanings.
By the way, “our” article is being widely read. We should do that again sometime.
Yes, we should. Its always good to do things out of the box and to redefine what one might expect to read in this blog!
Keeps everyone guessing and on their toes..hehehe.
Binay is not only a pathological LIAR he’s also a congenital LIAR
Today, on interview he is considering Bongbong as VP. When asked about human rights violation of Ferdinand Marcos, he said human rights is no longer an issue now.
Yesterday, Binay gave an interview about his defense on INC protest against DeLima that he seems to condone violation of the rule of law of INC members. He said he’s defending the right of freedom to protest by the members since its Human rights issue
Two Face Binay speaking with two tongues. Good he’s wearing one pair of pants.
LIAR LIAR pants on fire.!
*******
Perceptive. Binay, as hollow as a rotten log.
*****
Truly, I wonder what a psychiatrist would say about this character. Or those who feel he is perfectly lucid.
A psychiatrist talking to Binay will end up in mental hospital ahead of Binay.
Binay’s brain is crazier than crazy glue!
There is Raissa Robles blog. There is Get Real. There was Filipino Voices. There is anti-Pinoy.
Of all, Joeam was honorably mentioned by no less, Benigno Aquino. One SONA to go ! Who’ll get mentioned?
American versus Filipino. Anti-Benigno’s legion of doom versus pro-Benigno’s Justice-by-Witnesses-and-Affidavits.
The race is on !!! Benigno is reading your blogs so is Mrs. Korina Sanchez-Roxas, the first-lady-anxiously-waiting. When Mar wins the Presidency, Mrs Roxas will have her sweet revenge. Go ask her helpless, not-connected, food-and-financially challenged househelp.
Bloggy.ph jurors: “Anton Diaz owns OurAwesomePlanet.com and IS NOT ASHAMED to declare that “living in the Philippines is truly awesome!”. ”
What Anton Diaz is saying MAJORITY OF THE FILIPINOS are embarassed to declare they are Filipinos and living in the Philippines.
Bloggy.ph jurors: “John Nery is a highly-acclaimed and multi-awarded investigative journalist. ”
Mestizo class ex-colonist tisoys and tisays are impeccably honest people compared to indegenous brown-skin flat-flared-nose Filipnos. To this day, The Mestizo class are never involved in bribery and corruption.
THE MESTIZO CLASS EX-COLONIST TISOYS AND TISAYS SHOULD RECEIVE AN AWARD AND COMMENDATION TO BE THE MOST HONEST ETHNIC GROUP IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Just because ur not mestizo gireklamo ka na; ano ang gingawa ng mga Beverly Hills clinicians at hindi ka narecruit ??? Have moolah, eurolook agad, after all the swelling and pain. Just ask Pacman’s wife, mukhang tisay katulad ng waswit ni Enrile ☺
This is not to say that JPe’s wife had operasyon, genuine na tisay yon.
nee, Cristina Castaner, I believe.
This is the blog that gives honorary awards to its members dami ko na. tanod award,,librarian award,yogi award
si Edgar guru at enumerator award, si mariano nagiging guru na din dati asar talo award lang.
Si Bert surgical satire award.Si Grace ay mali awards.Ay tama na baka marami na ang maasar.
I hope you’all remember the various titles I’ve passed out, because I’ve forgotten most of them. Not Tanud and Librarian, however. Or Yogi ahahaha.
an attempted translation for mariano’s award:. who blinks first loses awards. For Grace: oh no,not again awards
Joe,I just made them up.
but here is an update:
numbers magic award tor Herrr era NHerrerea.
Motivational and inspirational award for Sonny in addition to linguist, and others
May I have your attention please,if I may award to I7sharp
Neo and Johnny sexiest jokes award.
For Jameboy: I disagree and I tell you why awards
Ahahahaha, that’s great. Jameboy is the most elaborate, agreeable disagreer in the world . . . except when one is the person he is disagreeing with.
🙂
As long as we are happy here. That’s all that matters. and we can be happy fools too.
Kudos to you Joe!
I have been so thankful that i discovered this blog, its like finding a kindred spirit.
The articles and the discussions are gem worthy that i readily promote it to my friends and colleagues at work, hopefully you won’t mind. 🙂
Once again, thanks to you Joe and to the contributors as well as the members who participate in the discussion. Thru this blog, i have learned a lot.
Thanks for following, and for the kind remarks. AND for sharing the blog. It spreads the thinking.
Is this the proper place for this poem I wrote? Basura is garbage. First line: The trash you throw will come back to you.
Basura
“Ang basurang itinapon mo ay babalik sa ‘yo,”
I remember that line from a Philippine Charity
Sweepstakes Office infomercial I think, way
back in the 80s, yes, your trash, your seemingly
innocuous actions that disrespect your
surroundings will come back to haunt you,
to turn your life from bearable to unbearable,
witness the floods that rise from the esteros
like Frankenstein’s monster, the creeks that
once romanticized the lives of Rizal when
the Pasig River was not yet the dumping ground
of dead ships, dead things and dead men, witness
Jejomar Binay, the presumptive 16th president
of the republic, the one we see eating with his
bare hands in boodle fights, the one we see
telling brazen lie after brazen lie, the one who
forsakes such difficult concepts as “honesty,”
“public service is a public trust” and
“accountability,” who sends blood pressures
rising by his mere appearance day after day
with his concretized face, frozen in a forced
smile for the cameras, a smile typically seen
in idiots or masks of idiots, a smile from
the pits of hell, telling everyone that he’s
special and untouchable by law and rules of
basic decency, yes, he’s as trash as trash can
get, well, he’s there because Mr. & Mrs. Average
Voter put him there, electing him and his family
substitutes with goo-goo eyes, thinking: what
are they saying stealing? but everyone steals
anyway, he’s a different kind of thief, mind
you, giving us birthday cakes and free movies
and all those things that make us feel special,
yes, voters are voting right where the money is,
throwing their cares to the wind, throwing
intelligence and common sense to the wind,
he may be a crook but he’s our crook, so
the 37 percent will vote for him again and
again, survey after survey, until election day,
and he will be up there in the billboards,
Binay is winning, yes, trash is here, and
trash is here to stay, say the voters as they
lift the believed Great Thief on their shoulders,
boodle fight every day, I tell you, make no
mistake about it, his presidency will be, uhm,
welcome to a country which throws trash
everywhere, knowing it will come back to make
their lives even more miserable, but this is
a trashy place, say the voters, so from trash
he came, and in trash we will all stay.
Will
September 5, 2015
Send me about two more of those, societyofhonor@gmail.com, and I’ll make a blog of them. This is definitely the place.
A stunning portrayal of the real state of affairs. s c a r y
Yes, this is the right place to publish your poem, Wilfredo. And in FB, too, and other social media outlets. If I know how I will, but I don’t.
The sting will waken up everyone who are still sleeping for sure.
What’s in a name? A rose by any other name is Rossy!
Bloggy will be protested by INC members as discriminatory, anti disabled, insulting to blind(bulag)people.
Nognog- noggy
Short- shortty
Pig- piggy or Bobby
Dumb- dummy
from secret sources- reason american bloggers are disqualified is Mariano. He’s an American, hate Filipinos. Organizers of Bloggy are punishing Joeam for canoodling with MRP(Mestizo Ridiculing Pinoys)
What’s the honor on the A-ward? It’s for the insane, anyway.
It’s toilet (Johnny) humor
He he he!
You guys all still don’t get it. It’s all political. I mean if citizenship is an issue for just a simple presidential election, how can they give the coveted and prestigious blog award to a foreign blogger? It’s protocol, guys.
I agree, it is political. But the blog is not foreign. It is deeply Filipino. Protocol needs a rethink in a global world, where Filipinos are a global community.
Blogging without borders
……and the Philippine Blogging Award goes to…………..
………….the Society of Honor by Joe America. !!!!!
this award is being given by the thousands of appreciative Filipinos who know that JoeAm is more Filipino than most of those around us, who inspires us to voice our support for what is right, for what is good for the country, who is not pro-anyone but pro-Philippines, who sees the entire forest and not just the trees, hated by the corrupt, the plunderers, nitpickers and whiners and the impatient and needy Filipinos who blame the government for almost every misfortune that befalls them be it storm, flood, traffic, poverty and pintakasi attack.
Please accept this award coming from our hearts.
Be safe and well, Joe.
How do we sneak you onto the awards committee? Of course, to accept the award, I’d have to arive at the gala ceremony in a mask and cape, looking a lot like batman. Would I get it trouble if I used the colors of the Philippine flag, rather than American?
Ok, let’s see. Captain America is preferable than batman..with half American and Philippine flag custume, with a mask of course, of an eagle, we do have a Philippine eagle….., a marriage of 2 nations.
In the new movie series Steve Rogers does not wear a mask. So stick with batman, the colors of both flags can be painted maybe in the cape.
Joe: my Filipina wife explain to me that I will always be an outsider for Filipinos. It doesn’t matter that I’m married a Filipina and I’m part of a Filipino family. I will always be treated that way and there is nothing I can do about it. Filipinos maybe friendly on the outside but they keep you on the other side of the fence.
Yes, Attila, I can see that is true. It will be interesting to see how my son is treated as he grows older. I suspect he will make the transition to “real Filipino” if he engages actively with his school mates . . . which he does. Still . . . they know he has an American father, so that is a tangible quality. Speaking Tagalog will help, too. He is doing well. From that standpoint, I deserve to be seen as outside the community.
It’s okay, all in all. Life is good here, people are kind (it is a reverse kind of bias, actually), and I enjoy to some extent being a ship out of water. It’s entertaining.
Not an outsider – a welcome and tolerated visitor would be more correct, like I wrote below. Language and/or having grown up in the country make a difference between a visitor and a real insider. McArthur did not speak Filipino but was an insider for many since he partly grew up in the Philippines as the son of the military governor. Spanish friars usually stayed in one part of the Philippines for life and learned the local dialect to be able to preach to the people and therefore were insiders, usually close to the capitan del barrio.
Your son will be as Filipino as Fernando Poe Jr. when the time comes, in fact he in terms of blood he is probably more Malay than Fernando Poe Jr. ever was. But the defining moment of being Filipino is not racial anyway, the country is far too mixed for that.
Your advantage in doing this blog is that you are an “outsider inside” and can see things more clearly and speak them out more clearly than those fully inside, for whom certain things are simply just there. Take this from a former insider now watching from outside.
Yes, I think that is true, and it helps to get one’s eyes open fully before passing judgment, and to use one’s root culture only for perspective, not for rules and moral judgment.
That is still better than what your wife would often get in your native Hungary or most parts of Eastern Europe. Hungarians when they are chauvinist are very open and clear about it.
Poles I have gotten along with well though – must be the common Catholic heritage, the emphasis on family and the preference for workarounds to the official way of doing things. Romanians I managed to relate to also because of their Latin roots but it is more difficult to pierce their shell, the further you go East the more impenetrable and obstinate people are. Finally each community has its way of defining who is an insider, who is a welcome visitor and who is an outsider – one could say you are tolerated and welcome but not an insider.
Not true. My wife would be accepted fully though me. Once they see that she is a pro Hungarian she would be loved and would be part of the family and that includes everywhere. Actuality they would be honored and proud of her support for Hungary. Filipinos are protectionist the wrong way. They are paranoid of foreigners but give in to bullies like China. Many Filipinos are thinking small like they are just “ANTS” little insignificants who can’t do anything. Hungarians are the opposite and will go against the bully even if it is 100 times bigger and it is suicidal. Like we did in 1956 against the Soviet Union. If you watch the current news you know that even now we are standing against the EU! Deja vu again for us as we are trying to stop the Muslim takeover of Europe again. Even if we are labeled all the nasty names and we are denounced by the EU. Why? Because we have principals and we don’t care what the world thinks of us. Filipinos do care and have no principals they just petty protectionist.
-Filipinos are protectionist the wrong way-
you are unfortunately right when it comes to many Filipinos. Especially the lack of preparation against China – or Muslim separatists at home – is definitely weakness.
-Like we did in 1956 against the Soviet Union-
There was a Philippine-American War from 1898-1901, and fierce guerilla resistance against the Japanese 1942-1945. My great-grandfather was involved in the first war, my grandfather in the second. So it isn’t as simple as you would like to portray it.
-we are trying to stop the Muslim takeover of Europe again-
The mainly Syrian refugees arrive around 20 minutes walking distance from my place – Munich Hauptbahnhof, to be exact the Starnberg wing station where there is lots of space. Don’t see primarily Muslims, simply people fleeing a war zone with many Muslim extremists – and it is inhuman to force them to walk all the way to Austria to get trains instead of just letting them board the trains at Budapest Keleti station and take the ride to Munich.
-Because we have principals-
In this case I do not agree with these principles. Hardly any of the refugees are dressed in Islamic robes and hardly any of the women wear veils – I have seen them for myself. But OK that fits with what I wrote – Hungarians are clearer and more stubborn in their positions.
-Filipinos do care and have no principals they just petty protectionist-
I know what kind of Filipinos you are talking about – the kind that talk a lot. They are hardheaded in a different way from Eastern Europeans – they are hardheaded when it comes to protecting the interests of their own small in-group or the “face” of this group, while they do not live up to whatever principles they pretend to have. Like Filipino leftists. They are, like you correctly observed, like dogs that bark a lot but cannot really bite.
Which is why the Filipino form of exclusion does not worry me too much. I would be more worried of walking in the wrong part of an Eastern European city, being mistaken for a “Muslim” by skinheads who are too stupid to know I am not – and getting beaten up.
“Hardly any of the refugees are dressed in Islamic robes and hardly any of the women wear veils – I have seen them for myself.”
OK, and…? You sound incredible naive. Also you would not be mistaken for a Muslim in Hungary and you would not be beaten up by skinheads. Are you serious? Your thinking is the result of the popular ant-Hungarian propaganda in EU countries. West doesn’t understand us and Eastern Europe in general. The way they try to solve our differences is to demonize and condescend us. You know the way you would discipline a bad child. They will not acknowledge that as a former colony of a Muslim Empire the Ottomans, Hungary earned the right to be left alone. Many Hungarians died protecting Christianity and Europe from the Muslims. It was 150 years of pure terror. They did to us what the ISIS is doing today. They killed us and raped our women and sold them on the sex slave market. Slavery including sex slavery was legal! The West can’t understand that we have first hand experience with them and we know they did not change and they are not ready for Europe. Just look at France if you need any proof. France was naive just like the others who don’t have historical experience with Muslims only as colonizers. They are now suffering from some kind of white guilt and they are under progressive liberal guilt trip. West in general is not fully trusted by many Eastern European countries either. Why and how? Let me give you one example: Hungarians were betrayed by France when It was conquered by Suleiman the Magnificent on 1526 and France was the first to congratulate the Sultan on it victory. They formed the Franco-Ottoman Alliance shortly after which legalized the Muslim oppression of Hungary. France has experience only as oppressors and as a partner in crime but not as a victim. Hungarians can not go along with the guilt driven progressive liberal agenda of the west and they will not be friendly as long as they don’t receive any apology or any remorse from Muslims for the crimes they committed against them. What we see today is very disturbing: Suleiman the Magnificent our butcher is celebrated as a role model for Muslims They have a popular TV series glorifying him! It is very popular in all Muslim country! Google it it is called the Magnificent Century. Imagine if Stalin and Hitler would be considered as a hero and a role model and a TV star?. They disrespect the memory of the millions of Christians who were killed martyred and slaved and raped by him and his Muslims. They couldn’t care less. You know what? I’m glad that we showed them the road and we are not as welcoming. Let them walk form the Keleti station so they learn not to come to our country. Who asked them to come here anyway? Muslims will not listen to reasoning with kind words. We already learned that long time ago as Christians! You have to understand our horrific experience did something to the the collective Hungarian psyche! Please understand that Hungarians just want is to be left alone! They earned that right. We are not the only ones who feel that way but other Eastern European countries like the Visegrad countries that are now supporting Hungary, just google it. Progressive liberals in EU will not respect the wish and sensitivity and historical experience of Hungary and want to dump Muslim on us anyway and keep black mailing and insulting us for not sharing their agenda. Desa Vu for us again? Look at this video at the bottom, how the Muslims behave at the border as they entered from Serbia by train. Study the faces and the attitude. We are the kuffars to them isn’t that obvious? They are illegal aliens who shouldn’t even be there but again liberal EU is putting us in to an embarrassing situation. What you see in the media in the West is very different than what we see in front of our eyes! Rolled that tape and see for yourself. We keep saying that Muslim migrants should go to rich Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Malaysia where they have a similar culture, same religion and most of them speak the same Arabic language? Why the media is not pressuring those countries to take in their own people? Why Hungarians are pressured to take them in? Is this a conspiracy? If Filipinos like yourself do think they are cool than invite them to the Philippines, let them go there.. Right? This is Joe America’s blog so I’m done I will not continue this topic. I close my thoughts with a quote from the prime minister of Hungary: “…The majority of them are not Christians but Muslims. This is an important question because Europe and European identity are rooted in Christianity. Does it not give cause for concern on its own that European Christian culture is hardly able to keep Europe within its own Christian system of values. If we fail to keep this in sight, the European idea may be confined to a minority position on its own continent.”
Here is your video. Enjoy and get some popcorn!
You are right, let us finish this discussion and agree to disagree on this matter. But it does prove the difference between Eastern European, especially Hungarian attitudes and those of Filipinos. We Filipinos also had our share of suffering under Spanish rule, Spanish friars had their share of Filipina women – I guess LCPL_X would agree if I write that anywhere you go, power gets pussy, all this stuff is not about religion it is power politics. But we don’t go around hating Catholicism, a few Filipino nationalists in the late 19th century were Freemasons because of the abuses of the Spanish friars but that is history. And just like able-bodied youths were kidnapped by the Ottoman empire to become soldiers, Filipino mercenaries were extremely important for colonial Spanish rule.
Perhaps we Filipinos are too forgiving and Eastern Europeans for the most part way too unforgiving, and some Western Europeans are definitely naive, having had an easier life especially in the 20th century than most Eastern Europeans, but they are also more open-minded and modern, so there you have it. No troublesome scenes in Munich like in Budapest, no need at all for the Unterstützungskommando (USK = support command) in their black uniforms, I saw some, these guys have even trained some Filipino SAF people and are badass, but they are just on standby. If you believe these people will conquer us over her in Germany, you are free to do so, let us see what happens in the coming years:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/05/refugee-crisis-warm-welcome-for-people-bussed-from-budapest
“I guess LCPL_X would agree if I write that anywhere you go, power gets pussy”
I’ll add, that it doesn’t even have to be power of any sort, just the perception of power–we do it all the time in the Marines, where junior enlisted and non-rates pretend to be LTs and Captains in college bars (co-eds are less familiar with military hierarchies), we rock/paper/scissors it and one guy gets to be our LT, and he gets the ‘yes, sir’ / ‘no, sir’ from us and the girls notice some sort of hierarchy and think it sexy. The skill then is for the “LT” to convince the girls to take care of his troops.
I believe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Pigafetta described a similar episode when Magellan first landed on Cebu and his men had fun with the local young ladies with nothing but mirrors and trinkets,
Tolerated, not an insider….ouch…that must have hurt…choosy Romanians and Easterners…we Filipinos are more open and hospitable.
That is true, must be the warm climate as opposed to the harsh cold in Eastern Europe. Hurt is relative and being out in the cold for so long can harden a person considerably.
But guests, no matter how well they are treated, still remain guests even in the Philippines. Takes a bit more to become an insider, of course to stick to the McArthur example or the Spanish friars – they were insiders for some but guests for others. Ganyan talaga.
Just to add: the wide acceptance of Joe’s blog among many Filipinos, even the mention by the President himself is a sign of Filipino openness and hospitality. It is an advantage and a disadvantage – after all the Filipinos welcomed those who later conquered them.
In Russia, the President would have publicly condemned a resident American doing a blog about the country and people would be hunting him down, not only the FSB (successor of the KGB) but also private persons. Officially registered foreign NGOs have experienced being listed as spy organizations in Russia recently, have had their representatives harrassed and thrown into jail – since they lack diplomatic immunity it is possible.That is the other extreme from a very cold and harsh country and people na talagang malupit – there I would not worry about my feelings being hurt, I would take that and avoid the ultranationalist skinheads who hurt people physically, especially Central Asian migrants.
True the Russians suffered under the Mongols, but that is centuries ago, get over it…
Joeam is lovingly accepted by his readers for the simple reason of telling straight to the point, on what is wrong with Filipinos, what’s lacking and what needs to be done, in moderate ways, careful, justifiably fair while reasonably thinking not to overstep the boundaries of a foreigner living in foreign land.
Different from MRP tstimulating the heart and mind of the Filipinos in hurtful ways with hatred and insults on what is wrong with Filipino culture.
JL says it more bluntly than Joeam and his solutions to solving cultural ills are more drastic and harsh, non conforming with traditional Filipino kindness, tolerance and forgiveness.
Bloggy to be more diverse must be inclusive. Exclusive clubs always end up with an asterisk in their crowning moments.
Oscars of american film industry has an award for best Foreign films. Why Bloggy didn’t award a Bloggy to foreigners’ blogs directed to Filipinos is unthinkable considering the organizers advocated universal diversity.
Is there an award for silly commenters? Silly, not what you’re thinking, peppery kind!
He he he!
My bad. I ran the bloggy jurors in Google they are mostly non-UP. Majority are from Ateneo and laSalle. What happened to U.P.? Busy stealing money from the Filipinos?
Mar campaign slogan should be “UP no more !!! No more funds for UP !!! No more funds for PMA. No more funds for NGO”
… and I will vote for YOU Korina or no Korina.
So this restriction to bloggers owned by Filipino citizens, has this been thought through or was it tacked on between sips of Starbucks coffee and bites of toasted pan American as a sign of faux patriotism? And what if the owner is a dual citizen? Or a precocious teenager who only gets to choose Filipino citizenship at age 18? What about the fact that the Philippines follows community property rules which makes the the Filipina wife half owner of the blog her husband owns or starts during the marriage. If one is going to be strictly dickly about this, what’s to stop the husband from legally transferring his ownership of the blog to his Filipina wife or a dummy ala Binay in return for rights to manage and write the blog? Ahahaha…but surely an award which is so ill-conceived and makes such artificial restrictions may not be worth the bother. Just my opinion of course…hehehe.
Aha! ha! ha! ha! GOOT! VERY GOOT! All Joeam has to do is do what the Filipinoes do. Put the name of the blog in Joeam’s wife, voila! Joeam will be in the running. Change Joeam to Maria Clara.
Bloggy Juror is fully aware that Filipinos are corrupt as if Bloggy Jurors are not corrupt. Bloggy Juror knows that an American cannot own a property EXCEPT if boughted by a Filipina wife. So, Joeam can transfer his blog to his wife. Bloggy Juror knows this. Like, I own vast properties in the Philippines thru my Filipina wife. I own corporation in the Philippines thru my Filipina wife. If someone sniffing around, I PAY THEM OFF. FILIPINOS ARE CHEAP. One Filipino costs only equivalent to Compulsory Third Party Liability coverage. PhP 950.00 (minimum required by LTO) to PhP 2,000.00. That is minimum of $20.00 premium for a brown skin Filipino to a maxmum of $42.00 per roadkill.
Actually, I like that name, Maria Clara. I’m reminded of author George Sand, who was really a French woman by the name of Amantine-Lucile-Aurore Dupin, a woman of the world who circulated in the world of artists and composers and . . . shall we say . . . slept around. The writing disguise gave her some flexibility, and, she was probably a tad mischievous. I can fake up that I am retiring and pass the keyboard to Maria. There is some potential to that. I for sure wouldn’t pass it to Angry Maude. Unreliable old biddy.
Being excluded from the Bloggy’s 2015 Award is no big deal. As far as I am concerned JoeAm has already earned bragging rights to owning the trust, affection and respect of almost all of his readers (with exception of a few sour grapers) who follow Society of Honor. And I assert that no blogging award can beat the honor of being cited (with appreciation) by President Aquino in his SONA. The Society of Honor is my antidote to all negative articles, comments. postings, rants one gets to read in the tabloid press or hear on trash radio and TV programs anchored by despicable hosts).
I truly enjoy reading blogs of JoeAm and other Society of Honor contributors. It is like being in a cocktail party where one can join in on an ongoing conversation or move out when the conversation gets dominated by boring guests who can’t seem to stop airing dislike of Korina.
Stand proud JoeAm, and stay safe – you are loved and very much appreciated for making Filipinos proud to be Filipinos.
I like the cocktail visual. Here’s tipping one to you, too.
When you started your blog, you didn’t think about awards. So, don’t mind them. In every blog you share with us, you are awarded by comments more thrilling than trophies. And i am sure by now you have hundreds and maybe thousands of followers like me who respect your thougths and opinion. That’s you award!
Got it, eyekensee, thanks for improving my vision.
@Joe America
x-
For me, only one line is pertinent:
Not allowed:
Blogs owned by foreign citizens (Even if is targeted to Filipino audience).
Well, that’s a bummer, as it has been for years. Clearly, the group is not looking for THE BEST BLOGS IN THE PHILIPPINES, but for “the best blogs that fit our rules”. Now, I can guess as to why foreign-written blogs are not allowed. It is a matter of national sovereignty, like the citizenship rules in the Constitution. A foreign-written blog is a threat to the sovereignty of other bloggers, and the nation as a whole.
-x
——-
Here are the Bloggys 2015 rules and guidelines:
http://bloggys.ph/rules-and-guidelines/
Of course, *they* want the best blogs that fit *their* rules.
As linguists would say …, “Duh!”
Does Joe America want their rules changed – if only to allow, particularly, his site?
A case that is not quite unlike a girl feeling discriminated against by the rules of the “Boy Scouts of America”?
Why not just man up and continue what you do best – not caring or thinking so much about this reward or that reward or award.
Isn’t that mention in the SONA not enough anymore, Joe?
That should be good enough to last for years and years.
Hmmm, …It has just been a few months.
It would be interesting to see the responses of the die-hard fans here.
Well, you are right on this one. I suppose a shrink would ask me, as he would Jejomar Binay, why are you so obsessed about pushing always upward? What is the need to conquer that turns competition to obsession? I suppose for me, it is the emotional investment, of writing . . . originally daily, and now three times a week . . . for . . . what, exactly? To make a place in one’s own life, to begin with, that is meaningful. Then it gets bigger, to make a place in someone else’s life, too. And then it gets bigger, to make a place that touches the well-being of the Philippines in some small, or even maybe big way. And there is no material return. No wealth, just satisfaction when a sentence sings, or a compliment rolls in. I suppose it is that the emotional investment by this time, some five years later, has become huge. So I’ve gotten perhaps a little emotionally greedy, and so thanks to you . . . and others . . . for saying, be content with the product, for it is good, and don’t worry about the external stuff that is not as important.
Good advice.
Salamat.
After penning this comment, and doing some reading, I came across this article about the NBA’s MVP, Stephen Curry, in his visit to Manila. I wonder why he wants the championship so badly? A matter of heart, he says. Is he emotionally greedy, too? He has his MVP trophy. How many more trophys does he need?
As many as he can get, I suppose is the answer. It’s not just the climb, contrary to the song lyrics. It’s the top of the mountain that counts. And the next one, too.
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/205604/stephen-curry-in-manila
Cooks competing for Michelin stars create restaurants aligned with the Michelin criteria. Creating exceptional meals that blow you away with artistic scenes on a plate, new refined tastes, proving the unlimited capabilities of a kitchen. These cooks create a restaurant for ones in a lifetime dinners and for snobs having money to spare.
Other cooks just prepare tasteful traditional food that I recognize and in sufficient quantities to experience again and again the good taste, the texture, the looks, the correct “marriage” with a good wine. Just good food in an acceptable environment, with acceptable service and at acceptable prices. (And when Sonny or Karl visit, “Windmills” in the background, maybe Sting’s version?)
Up to the cook to decide.
🙂
Ah, I like that conclusion, josephivo. I confess to being the competitive type. The blog was hatched because GRP threw me out, and I was determined to provide an alternative to the two anti-blogs that were prominent at the time.
Bloggy Jurors are ignorant bunch. They adore my country. Mimic my language. Read our books, newsppers and novels. They go to my country. These Bloggy Jurors even fight for those explodables TnTs working under my table. And they HAVE RESIDENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS? WTF !!! Bloggy Jurors are still ignorant people !!! In my country, The USA, we allow anyone to enter contests may they be undocumented illegal paperless aliens. WE even let them protest in DC. Who does these Bloggy Jurors think they are? Bwa ha ha ha ha !!!!
Basta Pinoy, MALAS !!!!
“Blogs owned by foreign citizens (Even if is targeted to Filipino audience)”
So, Filipino Bloggers, listen !!! If China attacks, prepare to defend yourselves. DO NOT RUN TO PAPA …. RUN TO BLOGGY !!!!
YOU HAVE TO CLEAR YOUR REQUEST FOR U.S. MARINES TO BLOGGY JURORS.
Our response, America’s response, will be: “Send Bloggy Jurors to Spratley first before we support you” DEAL? OR, NO DEAL?
I WANTED TO LOVE YOU FILIPINOS. It is just difficult to love you. I do not know when I will be stabbed in the back. GROW UP FILIPINOS! GET MATURE.
JOEAM.COM ARE FOR MATURE AND EDUCATED AUDIENCES ONLY. Others may visit Bloggy’s recommended multi-awarded Blogs for the immature and less educated.
Malacañang has dismissed as “totally untrue” reports that the filing of criminal charges against eight leaders of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) was a consequence of the sect’s alleged refusal to back a Palace candidate in the 2016 elections.
Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/719454/inc-lawyers-claim-not-true-says-palace#ixzz3ktLqIGUB
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook
I cannot blame INC. Benigno is addicted to witnesses and Affidavits without evidences. INC is just learning from Benigno. And Benigno’s defense and response is taken from the playbook of The Binays.
Successor President will just be more of the same. Confusing justice system. We can start now or never forever.
I am reminded of the Pemberton case even with the NCIS involved ,defense still presented the mom as character witness.Then the resident forensic expert of the Philippines also had to rely on documented evidence somehow. Man, you watch too many forensic shows try to watch court room dramas like Law and Order and you will see a bunch of witnesses.
Cappadocia, Inc. and Dolphin Fire, two privately owned Philippine holding companies whose representatives at the Rappler Board are prominent international fiance and investment executives. It would not surprise if some of the money behind these holding companies is overseas money ala Tiu’s holding companies….hmmmm.
I’ve not been able to detect any bias in Rappler’s editorial policies. It seems to me they play it straight, and have more information-based articles than the tabloids. I did a story some time ago about Rappler writers editorializing within the news reports (calling President Aquino bone-headed), and I think they actually listened and cleaned that up. Their broad content works against them for a reader like me who is more into hard news. So the front page is not appealing and I don’t do the videos because of slow bandwidth and low daily limits before I am capped. Plus I don’t like orange. 🙂
Its not about any biases in their editorial policy due to any influence by who owns or controls the money backing Rappler. Spinbusters as a site tries to ferret out how newsreporting by major media is slanted because of such influences. The point I was making is that without being able to prove it, there is likely foreign ownership in those private holding companies probably representing overseas institutional funds or agencies seeking to invest in startups whose primary mission is to provide the public with an alternative source of unbiased high quality and fact-based newsreporting and journalism. Ressa and the rest of her editorial staff have impeccable journalistic credentials and integrity and Mike Ayala who represents the bigger holding company on Rapplers board is known in Asian investment banking circles for his professional integrity and finacial acumen. I do not particularly care for his Harvard credentials, something Gary Olivar, Enrile, Estelito Mendoza, and a few other very bright but morally questionable figures share with him. But that is just my personal bias and if Mariano can have one for UP alumni, maybe I can be allowed one as well. If I am correct that Rappler is even partly foreign-owned, then perhaps they should reconsider their participation as judge or possible nominee in the Bloggy awards given whatever rationale was used to not include foreign-owned blogsites. Seem just and fair to me, all things considered.
As much as Rappler deserves plaudits for the general quality of its content, in my opinion it’s look and feel and style leaves much to be desired. So long as the topic is about other blog layouts, one of the biggest inside jokes at Raissa’s before I left was that everything was always out of topic and visitors wanting to comment on her blogs were clueless where therir posts should go…absolute chaos. Supposedly this was by design to keep trollers away but if true, how come they don’t frequent here too often?
For me and many others, the top blog for this year is The Society of Honor by Joe America.
*******
1. Round.
1.1. “Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?”
“Because it’s there.” – George Mallory
1.2. “The blog was hatched because GRP threw me out, and I was determined to provide an alternative to the two anti-blogs that were prominent at the time.” – Joe America
2. Like a circle in a spiral…
2.1. To me, this blog site is not a mountain to climb… and neither should it be for JoeAm. For me, it was – is — a verdant plain in which to explore and frolic. For him, with close to 900 blog posts, it was – is — a mountain to build.
2.2. As JoeAm admits, this blog site was born of competition. That was his motive. JoeAm is an athlete, and like all athletes, he seeks glory. It may be said that glory is the circle in the spiral of blog posts.
3. Like a wheel within a wheel…
3.1. In Buddhism, motive is prime, and will result in good or bad karma. Motive can be internal or external.
3.2. Clearly, JoeAm’s initial impetus was external. He was driven by animus; this is the inner wheel.. And part of his existing impetus up to this point – the desire for recognition – is still external. This is the outer wheel.
4. Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel…
4.1. What is unclear to me in Buddhism’s conception is whether motive can change. I suppose, it does as the purpose of life in that philosophy is to refine the mind. And it is becoming clear to me that JoeAm’s motivation is changing.
4.1.1. ”It’s the top of the mountain that counts. And the next one, too.” – Joe America
4.2. ”…Then it gets bigger, to make a place in someone else’s life, too. And then it gets bigger, to make a place that touches the well-being of the Philippines in some small, or even maybe big way.”
5. As the images unwind… in the windmills of your mind!
5.1. I have likened this blog site to a mountain and a plain.
5.2. Actually, it’s a moving thing… like a windmill.
5.3. But more. It’s a lead wagon carrying a lot of goodies, with people trailing and following, and pushing sometimes when the wheels get stuck.
5.4. Sometimes it’s a catapult throwing rocks at the castle towers of corruption and impunity. Or a battering ram to widen the doors to let the knights of ethics into the castle.
5.5. And I like Joseph’s ideas of a friendly pub or a carinderia serving traditional food… with our song playing in the background.
6. Ultimately, I think, we are compelled to do what is in our nature and that our nature, if we uncover the layers of delusion, is essentially good.
*****
🙂 Another masterpiece Edgar!
I would like to nominate Edgar’s post above for the 2015 JA Legion of Honor Award for best freestyle psychoanalysis award ! Lest this blog get a reputation for being too esoteric, I submit an alternative theory, maybe it just started out as a lot of fun until he found out he was actually very good at it and perhaps found a niche no one else can or knoiws how to fill?
I agree to all, caliphman. The GRP and the Filipino Voices parts are also true. karl and me are living witnesses.
also manuelbuencamino.
seconded.
Kismet, Joe, kismet!
it was destiny and fate that made them kis even if they just met.
ha ha! that’s why you’re the society librarian, nephew!
Wunnerful!! (and a favorite song, too) 🙂 kudos, gayyem!
Uncle Sonny,ngayon na alam mo na na mas bata sayo si Edgar hindi na manong ang tawag mo.biro lang uncle.
So it is, nephew, so it is. Yet, Joe is much younger than me and I won’t hesitate to call him uncle Joe. 🙂
you are not just my uncle ,gayyem you are as well.
Joe, you are very much deserving of several blog awards. Your number of readership and commenters are proofs. the blog body may not give recognition to your blogs but I am very appreciative of your insights and so does a large number of Filipinos. Keep up the great work you are doing Joe. You are very good at it.
Just finished watching movie w/Tyrone Power, AMERICAN GUERILLA IN THE PHILIPPINES on youtube. Reminds me so much about the bonds that are being welded here in Joe’s blog.
If there was a” band of brothers” we have sonething like that here in this pub or karinderia and what jameboy would call a barbershop.