We beg to differ.
The word escapism, as defined on the Net, refers to a mental diversion by means of entertainment or recreation, as an “escape” from the perceived unpleasant or banal aspects of daily life. It can also be used as a term to define the actions people take to help relieve persisting feelings of depression or general…
Kris Aquino is not just another screeching Filipino showbiz personality. She is the sister of the President of the Philippines. Her marital woes with basketball player James Yap back in 2010 couldn’t have been good for the spin machinery of her brother President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III — a man who owes much of his…
Read More “Time to implement a decent Divorce Law and junk the moronism of ‘annulment’” »
Why are Filipinos not even good at sport? It seems like our athletes had been waved a red flag one day and then simply gave up on trying to achieve world-class status on all types of sport — I know, I know, aside from boxing, of course. A sport is commonly defined as an organized,…
Intelligent people can be the worst teachers. They tend to be impatient with their students. This is because they assume that the students will understand what they are trying to say on their first attempt at explaining something. Because it is easy for them to understand things, it can be hard for intelligent people to…
Read More “Filipinos should learn to question authority intelligently” »
I have a friend who disagrees very much with my social and political views about the Philippines. He thinks that my commentaries about the country come across as negative and therefore running counter to his own views. This deeply offends him even when I’ve assured him many times these commentaries are not about him. I…
Read More “The Philippines: Between Poverty and Ignorance” »
A lot of Filipinos have an identity crisis. You can spot these sorts a mile away. They are the ones who shout out “I am proud to be Filipino!” as if they hold a monopoly over harbouring such a sentiment. It is usually in the way it is expressed and in the context and timing…
If I lower my guard and take the comfy view that I am fundamentally defined by where I was schooled, I’d call myself an “Atenean”. When you are an Ateneo alumnus (and specially when you remain on as a faculty member), you usually come equipped with a lot of connections and the frame of mind…
Read More “Tulong Dunong, ACIL, ICTUS, and other memories from up the Hill” »
Pi is still, theoretically, an endless number and yet it ends when the minds that can conceive or perceive it ends. Computers can calculate the last number of Pi only as far as the formula used and the capacity of the computer to calculate. Beyond which, I suppose, Pi goes on and on. But in…