American military culture, or why Pemberton is in US custody

The following blog is my personal view, not the official position of the United States. JoeAm * * * * * This blog will turn the tables. Normally it is I, the American, who is trying to grasp Filipino customs that I don’t understand, like fighting chickens and a major religion that does not study … Continue reading →

Filed under Citizenship/Patriotism, Crime/Corruption, Foreign Affairs and Defense, USA/Americans

The Book of Allegory

This blog has the echo of a prior writing, but we have a lot of new followers, so I’ll tread that ground once more. It may explain a few things. Let me first note how I came to the topic this time around. It is amusing, I think. Mariano Renato Pacifico did it, essentially, by leveling a blast … Continue reading →

Filed under Blogging/Journalism, Culture and Arts, Education, Humor/Satire, Literature

The Korina stone

ABS-CBN news anchor Korina Sanchez is regularly mocked or criticized on social media. I’ve mocked the shallow, sensationalist “talking head” method of news reporting employed by ABS-CBN. She is one of three news anchors there. Her husband, prospective presidential candidate Mar Roxas, gets criticized for being married to her. They were married in 2009. The … Continue reading →

Filed under Blogging/Journalism, Citizenship/Patriotism, Philippine Politics

Does Senator Santiago figure the Philippines for a beggar-me nation?

It seems to me that Senator Santiago is one of the most negative people around. She is always hammering at someone, often in an indignant rant with five or six juicy quotes for the Inquirer’s crack reporters to wrap their keyboards around. Her quips are legend. She’s a veritable Aesop unchained, lecturing the rest of us … Continue reading →

Filed under China, Foreign Affairs and Defense, Philippine Government

“Flipping Manila”: exposing the rot in the walls

Every once in a while when the kid is in school and the wife is downtown buying her way through the wet market, I grab the television remote and check out my favorite shows: (1) various senate hearings, (2) “Flipping Vegas”, and (3) some Discovery Channel survival show with two goofs trying to make their … Continue reading →

Filed under Citizenship/Patriotism, Crime/Corruption, Philippine Government