A time of rest

  By JoeAm When I was in the US, I grew roses. Roses there are different than the resilient Philippine variety, which are scrawny as if wracked by poverty, yet still beautiful when a cluster of them erupt in bloom. American roses are bushier, lusher, bigger of bloom, and more strongly aromatic. Roses love two … Continue reading →

Filed under Blogging/Journalism, Citizenship/Patriotism, Literature

Yellow “elitism” is a myth created by trolls

By JoeAm Former President Aquino, and Yellows in general . . . who today include any critic of the Duterte Administration, most of them being advocates of the Constitution, democracy, human rights, and civility . . . are often labeled as “elitist”. This is meant to suggest that they are arrogant and out of touch … Continue reading →

Filed under Citizenship/Patriotism, Ecology/Global Warming, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government, Philippine Politics, Technology/Internet

To Spin Manila’s Water Shortage

By Popoy Del R. Cartanio A writer of paid rubbish or the truth can put a spin to anything. To spin is to inform, to sell, to ignite the emotions of anger and sympathy; even to make mountains out of molehills and vice versa to demonstrate fawning and fluid sycophancy. Quite often a spin is … Continue reading →

Filed under Ecology/Global Warming, Education, Philippine Government

Filipino exceptionalism, Filipino moral courage

By JoeAm We normally hear of “American exceptionalism”, meant to characterize the economic, moral, and global power of the United States. And we might imagine the term “Chinese exceptionalism” to mean that nation’s historical claim to global prominence, or “Swiss exceptionalism” to mean determined neutrality, or “Japanese exceptionalism” to mean racial purity and discipline. How … Continue reading →

Filed under Citizenship/Patriotism, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government

Do you see the difference?

By JoeAm A lot of Filipinos are space cadets. They are children watching cartoons on TV all day, or scaredy cat scouts sitting around the campfire listening to stories about snipes and dreaming of catching one. They are the subject of Kafka’s novels about absurdity, the people doing nonsense because it is simply what they … Continue reading →

Filed under Citizenship/Patriotism, Education, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government