A battle of the gods in Manila: the Rizal statue

Posted by JoeAm on August 31, 2014 · 38 Comments 

I love the invigorating panoramas of nature, of seascapes and rugged rocky mountains, of sunsets and rainbows and rice terraces rising from sea to heaven, of glacial ice fields and storm-swept coasts and lighthouses in the mist. I just don’t expect to find them in the middle of cities. That separates me from Carlos Celdran on … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Culture and Arts, Economy, Laws and Ethics

Are there any Filipino philosophers?

Posted by JoeAm on August 28, 2014 · 66 Comments 

How much politics can we take, eh? Or dealing with Philippine media and its pandering, sensationalist ways. It is time to get cerebral. Are there any Filipino philosophers? That was my starting point for this article, along with wondering what Google or Wiki have to say about existentialism. I always enjoyed philosophy, although reading the … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Culture and Arts, Education, Literature

Filipino ethics: inside out

Posted by JoeAm on August 12, 2014 · 38 Comments 

It struck me that I am a ship out of water when I argue for ethics in journalism, here, in the Philippines. Like other cultural constructs, the matter of “ethics” has a different shading in the Philippines. It is not comprehended in the same way that westerners grasp it. The definition is more along the … Continue reading →

Category Blogging/Journalism, Citizenship/Patriotism, Crime/Corruption, Culture and Arts, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government

Kris Aquino: the Philippine National Empath

Posted by JoeAm on August 5, 2014 · 45 Comments 

Did Star Trek run in the Philippines? Are there any trekkies hereabouts? Star Trek was a highly popular television series in the US, with the original weekly series running from 1966 through 1968. It spawned four follow-up television series and 12 popular movies, from Star Trek: the Movie (1979) through Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013). The … Continue reading →

Category Culture and Arts, Entertainment

Rappler journalistic ethics: modern or just plain bad?

Posted by JoeAm on August 3, 2014 · 83 Comments 

I will be doing several articles about Philippine media. Philippine media play a huge role in shaping the Philippines. I believe their output too often works against the well-being of the nation. So I figure it is time to push back against the press for contributing to strife and instability. The Rappler story I will dissect … Continue reading →

Category Blogging/Journalism, Citizenship/Patriotism, Culture and Arts, Laws and Ethics