Idolatry: The Roots of the Duterte Phenomenon

Posted by edgar lores on July 9, 2018 · 186 Comments 

By Edgar Lores “Idolatry is really not good for anyone. Not even the idols.” — John Bach Introduction We have speculated a great deal about the possible causes of the Philippine cultural malaise. We know that a social disease complex, like an individual one, has many causes. A human disease can be physical or mental. … Continue reading →

Category Culture and Arts, Education, Family/Parenting/Children, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government

Social ethics: how to end Filipino self punishment

Posted by JoeAm on June 27, 2018 · 84 Comments 

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 →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Culture and Arts, Education, Family/Parenting/Children

“Brains, ability, character, and drive”

Posted by JoeAm on June 22, 2018 · 111 Comments 

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 →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Culture and Arts, Education, Family/Parenting/Children, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government, Technology/Internet

Are we smart enough to survive?

Posted by JoeAm on June 20, 2018 · 87 Comments 

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 →

Category Culture and Arts, Ecology/Global Warming, Education, Family/Parenting/Children

Duterte: The Classification Puzzle

Posted by edgar lores on June 4, 2018 · 92 Comments 

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 →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Education, Philippine Government