"The Cardinal of the Kremlin"

This is my favorite Tom Clancy novel for entertainment value. It was published in 1988. Tom Clancy is not always the easiest writer to follow. For one thing, he is a military techie, so his novels are wrapped up in scheming strategy, strewing layer upon layer of complexity, that upside down soon becomes inside out. … Continue reading

The Context of a Civilized Nation

One of the enlightenments of “crossing over” from one culture to another is awareness of the blindness culture imposes on its people. Outsiders have perspectives that insiders generally discount as irrelevant. There is a natural defensiveness, an insecurity, about outside views. I am not talking only about Filipinos here. This is as true for me … Continue reading

The Effective Money Runaround Rate

Now before I launch into this economic treatise, let me state clearly that my post graduate degree is in radio and television arts. Macro to me means a kind of elegant knitting. Oh, sorry. That is macramé. Micro means little. I mean it means small, not little. But it means lots to economists. It is … Continue reading

Reason 17: Wind in the Bamboo

What is it about air moving across the face that is so refreshing? Well, assuming it is not roasting hot or freezing cold or laden with pollution. If it is mild of temperature and fresh of content, it is delightful. Much of the Philippine population lives along the coast, for there is so much coastline … Continue reading

The Big Secret

This is the sixth and final article in a series about an innovative solution to the problems faced in Philippine schools where too many kids and not enough resources reduce education to the lowest, slowest common denominator. Talented kids are today held back by “the system”. The “far out” program is called the Moon Model … Continue reading