The End Of One, The Beginning Of Another?

Today, December 31 (Manila time) is the day of the Holy Family of Jesus, Joseph & Mary according to the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church worldwide. In the Philippines, the only Roman Catholic country in Asia, the interjection ‘susmaryosep!’ actually has the names of the Holy [...]

When Words Collide And Meanings Get Lost

Now that I’ve done my own bit of translating 19th century Spanish to 21st century English, I personally know that something is always lost in the translation. In the case of the greatest patriotic poem of that century, ‘Adios, Patria Adorada,’ I hope the loss is not too [...]

Each Of Us Looking Through The Mirror Of Everyday

Every December 30, my country the Philippines celebrates Rizal Day, in honor of Jose Rizal, The National Hero, the one who gave his life for his country showing the fire in his mind when he had the choice to fight with the fire in his hands. Filipino [...]

Nothing. What’s Wrong With You?!

‘Merry Christmas anyway!’ Whatever Mikep was trying to say in his email, on December 19, I made the mistake of replying to my good friend with that greeting. He emailed back, ‘You know very well Christmas is a pagan holiday. So let’s celebrate!’
That’s a triple strike. One, Mikep is American, pagan [...]

No Rules, No Borders, No Limits, No Wheels?

You heard it once: ‘Why reinvent the wheel?’ You heard it a thousand times: ‘Don’t reinvent the wheel!’ Once in a while, someone thinks: ‘Why not reinvent the wheel?’ I think differently: I’m a wheel – and I’m reinventing myself.
Earth itself has been reinvented. Aristotle (384-322 BC) saw [...]

Funny How George W Bush’s Biofuel Trap
Invades Our Animal Planet And We Go Ape

I’m eating Yankee corn, and it tastes funny. Well, I’ve always known that the Americans are laughable. I’m a Filipino.
Actually, I’m not eating corn; I’m eating chicken. I’m eating the chicken that ate the Yankee corn. It’s not funny – it’s expensive.
Actually, [...]

Embracing Science
Embracing Faith

A newsmagazine has just given birth to a book by one of its writers; the newsmagazine is American Chronicle based in Beverly Hills, California, USA; the book is by a Filipino based in Manila in the Philippines, Frank A Hilario. The book: Team ICRISAT Champions the Poor, published 2007 November by the International [...]

Building Individuals Building Institutions
Building A Country Called The Philippines

The History Place (historyplace.com) gives me a good list of what happened or who died or who was born who was important in the month of December throughout recorded time, but it misses on the most patriotic date celebrated in my country, the Philippines: 1896 December [...]

What Do You Do With The Poor? Wrong Question

Good news can be funny, and in the least expected place too. Funny, but it’s the Bible, yes. Know what? At 5 early this morning, Tuesday, December 11 in Manila, surfing the Web looking for the poor, I suddenly realized the New Testament has a funny bone. [...]

To Pray For Rain, Build A Pond &
Get Rid Of The Witch Doctor

People, water is every country’s greatest natural treasure, I say – no, people are not resources; they’re more – but we take water for granted until there’s a drought, we take people for granted until we know they’re not coming back. That’s when [...]

The Gain In Spain Fails Merely On The Plain Of Brain

If you belong to the Filipino opposition, or if you are plain of brain, which may be the same thing, you will not appreciate the fact that because of GMA’s visit to Spain Monday, December 3, the Spanish and Philippine Governments will be implementing, for [...]

Science Serves The People When Media Create
Critical Mass Content, Not Discontent

Among what I call climate change crops, jatropha is a strange species in science. Among the paths to take on the road to creative writing, math is a strange device. Stranger than fiction? In truth, that’s what I’d like to invite you to find out. [...]

Consequently, Merry Christmas!
I wrote this a year ago in another blogsite, but I find its appeal strong to me as I review my essays, so I’m re-presenting it here.
The debate rages on to this day, more than 100 years after his martyrdom on 30 December 1896, as to whether Jose Rizal, national hero of the [...]