Social ethics: how to end Filipino self punishment

By JoeAm This is the third article in a series about what we think about how we think. I remember a course in high school, a subset of physics, that was entitled “statics”. It was required for anyone planning to become an engineer. The discipline was to measure forces on various structures, bridges, for instance. … Continue reading

“Brains, ability, character, and drive”

By JoeAm In my last article, I wrote that the Philippine’s average IQ is lower than its Asian neighbors. I wondered if the nation is smart enough to figure out how to get smarter. Here is a check-list of possible reasons why the Philippines lags behind other Asian states in average IQ: Nutrition (brains and … Continue reading

Are we smart enough to survive?

By JoeAm Okay, my friends, we have botched earth big time. You and me and our kind, the two-legged homo sapiens who arrogantly brag about our superiority to other animals. The cockroaches will outlive us, the rats, the snakes, the octopi and sea monsters deep in the Mariana Trench just the other side of Benham … Continue reading

Duterte: The Classification Puzzle

By Edgar Lores The other day I was listening to Emmylou Harris on YouTube. The song was “Boulder to Birmingham,” Ms. Harris’ tribute to Gram Parsons who was her friend, mentor, and a duet partner. As you may know, long-married old couples often die within months of each other after one partner goes ahead. For … Continue reading

Being gracious, a strength or weakness?

  By JoeAm Many witnessed the marriage of royalty in the UK this past weekend, with impressive pomp surrounding the happy circumstance. Prince Charles substituted as the father of the bride and was masterful as the gracious dominant male authorized to walk her down the aisle and give her to Prince Harry. Then we have … Continue reading