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Saturday, January 29, 2005

Contentious Statements

compiled by Diwang Palaboy
What's good for General Motors is also good for America.
Small is beautiful.
Socialism equalizes poverty.
It's the end of history.
Today's revolutionaries are tomorrow's reactionaries.
Supply creates its own demand.
Neutrality is a myth.
Might makes right.
The summation of all self-interest is common good.
Workers of thew world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains.
Capitalism is in its moribund stage.
Imprerialism is the highest stage of capitalism.
Jealousy preserves relationship.
God is just a social construct.
Posted by John N. Ponsaran at 7:53 PM Contentious Issues in the Social Sciences

Contentious Isssue in the Social Sciences
by John N. Ponsaran

Posted by John N. Ponsaran at 7:30 PM Deadly Formula Part III

Deadly Formula Part III (On Education)
by Diwang Palaboy

fly-by-night academic institutions + profit-seeking mentality + lax CHED regulatory policies

diploma mill academic institutions + lax faculty recruitment system

haphazardly written modules + underqualified professor

haphazardly written modules + profit-seeking behavior + unsuspecting students

excessive latecomings + absenteeism + ADHD

2-3 hour film showing every other meeting without processing + unsuspecting students + lousy professor

paranoid school administration + ill-thought out school policies + unsuspecting constituents

meeting + meeting + meeting + meeting + meeting + meeting + meeting

artificial learning environment + CHED accreditation + unsuspecting constituents

mediocrity in the educational system + profit seeking behavior + willing and unsuspecting parents + intellectually challenged students

buzz words in education + verbal spaghetti + artificiality + institutional identity crisis

credential-oriented society + diploma mill academic institutions + overworked faculty + pressure from the school administration to compell the faculty members to earn their graduate degree right away

Posted by John N. Ponsaran at 7:04 PM 
Hypothetical Case # 1 (New Society)

Supposing that you are tasked to form a group of people (5 others plus you) to compose a new society in a recently-discovered planet which just like Earth can also sustain/support life, who would you bring with you given the list of options below? Be able to justify the composition of your cluster.
Posted by John N. Ponsaran at 5:23 PM Monday, January 10, 2005

politicalcompass activity

I encourage you to visit www.politicalcompass.org and answer its set of questions. Please be honest with your answers. I also recommend that you repeat the same exercise once in a while to re-evaluate your political stance and value system. Deadly Formula

by DiwangPalaboy

ethnocentrism + globalization

insecurity + anomie

bloated ego + position

culture of corruption + culture of violence

force + deception

relative deprivation + position

salt + sugar + rice

mediocre education + motivationally deficient students

anarchy + poverty

injustice + disillusionment

hypertension + diabetis

unemployement + inflation

lousy professor + lousy students

blind obedience + culture of defeat

procrastination + work load (one after another)

anger + imprudence

failing grade + defense mechanism

landlessness + militarization

ignorance + fanaticism

Posted by John N. Ponsaran at 2:06 AM 
Recommended Web Sites (to be constantly updated)

http://www.twnside.org. (Third World Network)

http://www.hrw.org (Human Rights Watch)

http://www.cyberdyaryo.com (Cyberdyaryo)

http://www.ibon.org (Ibon Foundation)

http://www.constitution.org (Constitution Society)

http://www.ifg.org (International Forum on Globalization)

http://home.wanadoo.nl/ndf/ (National Democratic Front of the Philippines)

http://www.yonip.com (Yes, Observe National Independence and Peace)

http://rsimbulan.8m.com (Personal web site of Prof. Roland G. Simbulan,MPA)

http://www.50years.org (50 Years in Enough!)

http://www.bulatlat.com (Bulatlat)

http://members.tripod.com/eal_liberum (Personal web site of Prof. Erle Frayne D. Argonza)


Posted by John N. Ponsaran at 1:37 AM Translation # 1

Translate the following terms to English.
 Trend (Part 2)


More universities will offer more specialized courses like B.S. Cosmetic Science (CEU), A.B. Music Production (CSB), B.S. Ceramics Engineering (Adamson) and Masters in Construction Management (UE).

More people will be disillusioned with the current-state-of-affairs (status quo).

More people will be engaged in pseudoscience stuff.

Pregnancy will be more risky given the Mcdonaldized lifestytle of some women.

More garbage will be generated.

More workers will be displaced by machines.

More human-induced (anthropomorphic) disasters will occur.

More people will favor cremation than before.

More people will be fascinated with miniturization of technology.

More babies will have longer names.

More people will join revitalist movements.

More people will patronize microwavables.

More people will establish break-away groups.

More people will be victims of the perpetuating culture of violence.

More people will rely on self-help books.

More people in the developing countries will die of communicable (and yet preventable) diseases.

More people will avail of credit cards.

More people will engage in the production, selling and consumption of bootlegs.

Posted by John N. Ponsaran at 1:11 AM 
Third World Studies (Set of Questions # 2)


Define an ideological conflict.

What are the general features of civil conflicts in Asia? Cite 5.

Discuss the correlation between peace and development.

Define and illustrate a multi-polar world.

Define and illustrate low-intensity conflicts (LICs).

Differentiate intra- from inter-state conflict. Give an example for each.

Identify 1 intra-state and 1 inter-state conflict in South Asia.

Identify 3 intra-state conflicts in the Philippines.

Define and illustrate positive peace.

Define and illustrate negative peace.

Define and illustrate structural violence.

Give 5 examples of structural violence.

Cite 5 strategies for peace-building.

Define and illustrate peace education.

Define and illustrate arms race and disarmament.

Posted by John N. Ponsaran at 1:05 AM Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Third World Studies (Set of Questions # 1)

Reading Material: Financial Development in the Time of Cholera by Professor Leonor Magtolis Briones of National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG), UP Diliman

Note: The material above should only serve as a jump-off point. You are expected to use several references (i.e., books, journals, articles, materials from the Internet, etc.) to substantiate and reinforce your answers. Please do not forget to indicate/cite your sources.
Guide Questions:
1. Discuss the indispensability of domestic and foreign financing in the economic development of the Third World states.

2. What are the arguments for and against the Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the More Developed Countries (MDCs) coursed through Third World states? Present your answer in a matrix format.

3. Enumerate the general policies of the developing states in Asia, Africa and Latin America to attract private foreign direct investments?

4. Support the argument that there is a trade imbalance between developing and developed countries with official statistics.

5. Evaluate the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Given the allocation for health services under the 2005 National Budget, will the health component of the MDG still attainable?

6. Elaborate the nature of cholera in the Third World states as defined by the author.

Posted by John N. Ponsaran at 11:41 PM 
Posible ba na kaya bumababa ang academic performance ng ilang mga kabataan ay dahil sa pagkain nila ng mga ulam na de-lata? Heavily contaminated na siguro ng heavy metal ang kanilang central nervous system (CNS) kaya hindi na kasing talas tulad ng dati. O baka naman dahil sa sobrang exposure sa polluted environment ? O baka sa sobrang kaka-yosi at iba pang addictive substance (displaced priorities)? O sobra-sobrang hang-out with friends and ka-berks (displaced priorities ulit)? O baka naman motivationally-deficient (euphemism ng katamaran) lang talaga siguro? O maaari namang may iba pang factors (salik) tulad ng dysfunctional family of orientation, mala-sleeping pill na professor (dalubguro), malasado/hilaw/malabnaw na patakaran ng paaralan o mga lousy classmates o sobrang texting? O baka naman corny na talaga ang maging academically excellent sa mga panahong ito?
O sobrang hook na sa Hollywood, MTV, Chinovela, computer games, atbp. kaya umiikli na ang attention span at bumababa ang tolerance level sa kahit na anong usapin na academic-related? O maaaring kombinasyon ng lahat ng nabanggit? O baka talagang diploma lang ang habol? ‘Di kaya? Huwag naman po sana.
Posted by John N. Ponsaran at 4:11 PM 
ika-X linggo

Ika-X na linggo
by diwang_palaboy

Kada sasapit ang ika-X na linggo…
Kami’y aba.
Abang-aba. (Walang eksaherasyon!)
Tuwina’y nasa alanganin
Walang kasiguraduhan.
Parang alipato sa hangin.
In limbo kumbaga

Ito yata ang purgatoryo sa lupa.

Puhuna’y laway, oras, emosyon, pisikal na lakas, katatagan at sanlaksang brain cells.
Pambulag at pam-pacify ay mataas na per hour rate…
Kaaya-aya sa una.
Sugar-coating kumbaga.
Maging mga taga-ibang ibayo’y humahangos just to join the bandwagon
Simply put, material na kundisyon. Period. Period. Period.

Minsa’y gahibla na lang ang nag-de-define ng existence mo.
Pero sa ngalan ng pinagsama-samang dedikasyon, matinding pangangailangan at institutional affiliation pikit-mata mo itong tatanggapin.

Pero paalala ng iba ay huwag pabibitag.
Mga patutsadang pabiro’t palihim pero may katotohanan.
Tulad ng bangkang papel ni GMA (Read: Gahamang Maupo Agad)
at ng kanyang suntok sa buwang 10 point socio-economic program…
Maaaring ito’y nakalista lamang sa tubig.

Joke time lang pala.
Putang ina!

Mcdonaldized existence!

Minsan ako’y napapatanong.
Deeply-entrenched subculture na ba ito?
Isang autonomous na halimaw sa bawat stratum ng pyramid.
May buhay na sarili na ang halimaw.
Self-perpetuating na siya.

Irony of all ironies…
Dakila subalit gipit
Mapagpalaya subalit nakatanikala.
Dalubgurong emasculated.

Ang umasa ng ciento por ciento ay…
ciento por ciento ring mabibigo. (asar talo!)

Walang kasiguraduhan…
Walang pinag-iba sa mga namamalakaya na sa bawat pagpalaot
ay nasa hukay na ang isang paa.

Sa hypothetical battle field ang itinatambol ay
empowerment, human rights at social justice.
Pero sa real battle field kabaligtaran ang sitwasyon.
Mga intellectual prostitutes nga lang ba?

Napaka-predictable ng pagiging unpredictable!
Very consistent of being inconsistent!
Puro pagpapanggap.

Panakip butas…
Isang palabas…
Nagsimula’t natapos sa stage 1
Process as the be-all and end-all.
Lahat ng ito sa ngalan ng tubo, kapangyarihan at katanyagan.
Kulto na ito!

Microcosm ng sangkutsado’t masalimuot na relasyon.
Relasyong himod-tumbong.

Life’s like that—Culture of defeat
Poison letter— Sour graping
Go with the flow—Passive; Mainstreaming
Live and let live—Pragmatic

Isang kahig isang tuka.
Hopeful (hopefool)
XYZ all at once.
On the guard.
Come what may.
Bitter. Disillusioned. Repulsive.
Di-nakakain-ang-prinsipyo attitude

Taas kamao para kay Mila!
Si Kristo ma’y rebolusyunaryo rin.
Ang dinadambanang mga santo’y ganoon din.
Pero sa praktika’y salat.
Irony of all ironies.

Urban jungle.
ROYAL RUMBLE: Yung tipong every man for himself.
Sa bawat casualty, kanya-kanyang hugas-kamay.
Sanayan lang ‘yan. May tatlong taong mahigit na rin naman.
Salamat sa sakit ng ulo.
Salamat sa pagpapalasap sa amin ng isa sa maraming mukha ng eksploytasyon.
Kada ika-X na linggo libre ang kaba at sama ng loob.

Posted by John N. Ponsaran at 1:34 AM Kilos Protesta

Kilos Protesta ng Mamamayan
ni John N. Ponsaran

Kamakailan, kabi-kabila ang mga kilos-protesta sa lansangan na pinangungunahan ng mga mamamayan. Sa kasaysayan ng bansa, halos hindi na mabilang ang dami ng pagkakataon na naglunsad ng malayang pagkilos ang mga organisadong sektor. Sa pangkalahatan, sinasalamin nito ang pagkadismaya ng hanay ng mamamayan sa mga maling nangyayari sa lipunan. Isa itong mahalaga at epektibong check and balance mechanism sa sistemang pampulitika ng isang bansang demokratiko.

Ang mga kilos-protesta ay maaaring maisagawa sa maaayos o marahas na paraan. Ang paglulunsad ng mamamayan ng malayang pagkilos ay bahagi ng kanilang demokratikong karapatan. Ang karapatang sibil na ito ay sinususugan ng Saligang Batas partikular ng probisyon ng Artikulo 3 Seksyon 4 na nag-gagarantiya sa karapatan ng mamamayan sa malayang pag-oorganisa at pagpapahayag.

Karaniwang may mga ipinapadala na armadong puwersa ang pamahalaan sa lugar ng demostrasyon upang mapanatili ang kapayapaan . Subalit kung minsan ay hindi maiiwasan ang girian sa pagitan ng dalawang panig kaya nagreresulta ito sa pananakit at iba pang porma ng pandarahas. May mga mapang-abusong alagad ng batas at mayroon din namang mga di-makatwiran at agaw-atensyon lamang na mga nagpoprotesta. Subalit, sa pangkalahatan, karaniwan sa mga malayang pagkilos ay may batayan, makatwiran at nakakabuti sa karamihan.

May mga sektor ng lipunan na isinisisi sa mga raliyista ang mga nangyayaring aberya tulad ng pagkaantala ng produksyon (lalo na sa kaso ng mga unyon), pagkaantala sa mabilis na daloy ng trapiko, pagkabahala ng mga lokal at dayuhang mamumuhunan, pagkasira ng imahe ng bansa, at iba pa. Subalit ang mga ito ay pansamantalang epekto lamang. Inaasahan na ang mga ito ay may makabuluhan at pangmatagalang epekto na makakabuti sa mayorya.

Bilang pangwakas, naniniwala ako na magpapatuloy ang mga ganitong pagkilos hangga’t may mga magsasaka sa kanayunan na biktima ng pangangamkam ng lupa, mga manggagawa na over-worked pero underpaid, mga katutubong itinataboy ng mga korporasyong transnasyunal mula sa kanilang lupaing ninuno, mga kababaihang biktima ng double standard at domestic violence, mga kabataang dumaranas ng pandarahas at sunod-sunod na di-makatwirang pagtaas ng matrikula, mga mangingisdang biktima ng di-pantay na pakikipagkumpitensya sa mga mapang-abusong commercial fishing, mga migranteng biktima ng paglabag sa kanilang karapatang pantao, mga manunulat at komentaristang biktima ng pandarahas, mga konsumer na patuloy na ginigipit ng mga korporasyong ganid sa tubo, at marami pang ibang porma ng modern-day slavery.

Posted by John N. Ponsaran at 1:25 AM 
Prometheus Unbound

by Ruben Cuevas

I shall never exchange my fetters for slavish servility.
'Tis better to be chained to the rock than be bound to the service of Zeus.
--Aeschylus, Prometheus Unbound

Mars shall glow tonight,
Artemis is out of sight.
Rust in the twilight sky
Colors a bloodshot eye,
Or shall I say that dust
Sunders the sleep of the just?
Hold fast to the gift of fire!
I am rage! I am wrath! I am ire!
The vulture sits on my rock,
Licks at the chains that mock
Emancipation's breath,
Reeks of death, death, death.
Death shall not unclench me.
I am earth, wind and sea!
Kisses bestow on the brave
That defy the damp of the grave
And strike the chill hand of
Death with the flaming sword of love.
Orion stirs. The vulture
Retreats from the hard, pure
Thrust of the spark that burns,
Unbounds, departs, returns
To pluck out of death's fist
A god who dared to resist.
Posted by John N. Ponsaran at 7:37 PM Deconstruction of Pizza Pie by Parokya ni Edgar

deconstruction of pizza pie
(pls. remember polysemous* ang maraming bagay)
*multiple meaning

at first i was afraid to eat a picha pie (uneasy to involve himself into a relationship with an opposite sex)
kept thinking this is not a good this is a picha pie
and i spent o so many nights
just eating my tortang talong (refers to auto-eroticism or masturbation; talong as a euphemism of male genitalia)
and i grew strong (state of physical and sexual maturity)
because of my tortang talong
biglang may box, from outer space (refers to his sexual fantasies)
nakita ko sabay kinuha ko
yung box from outer space
binuskan ko at nasindak
may picha pie sobrang laki!
tinikman ko within 5 seconds,naubos ko parang mani! (sexual awakening; sexual deprivation; mani as a euphemism for female genitalia- clitoris to be specific)
ngayon ako, ay ganito
kung 'di ka picha hut o sheki's
you're not welcome, ina mo!
ngayong sa akin picha pie
ayoko nang mahiwalay (sexual addiction)
para sa 'yo, handa ko magpakamatay (sexual addiction to the hilt)
cos now I love my picha pie
as long as i eat picha pie i know i'll be alive (sex a primary motivation)
i want all my garlic beefpepperoni, double cheese
ang picha pie... o picha pie.... penge!
you took all the cash I have, naubos nang lahat (high cost of flesh trade)
gusto ko pa ng picha pie
ngunit ang pera'y di sapat (can't afford the high cost of commercial sex)
and so I spent so many nights
just feeling sorry for myself
it made me cry, wala na ba akong picha pie?
ngayon ako ay nagipit!
hindi na ako istupid person na hindi nag-iisip
medyo mahal ang picha pie
you can't expect it to be free (kaya nga commercial sex)
that's why I'm saving all my money
para mayroong pambili (regular patron)

Posted by John N. Ponsaran at 7:07 PM Quotables (to be constantly updated)


"I am not a boring teacher!" (by my Philosophy professor)

"Hangga't may bata, may Eat Bulaga." (by a comedian and a t.v. show host)

"By any measure, this is a form of modern-day slavery!" (by a lecturer of a state university)

"Don't hyperdramatize!" (by a History professor of DLSU-CSB)

"Magbabakasyon ako." (by a Psychology professor since she will not be given a load)

"Hi, I am a lawyer!" (by a college professor and new bar passer)

"Student emeritus" (by a pharmacy student)

"Mga pasista kayo!" (by an NDF consultant during a protest rally in front of the Senate of the Philippines)

"Proletaryado ako!" (by a former classmate in college who is now an FEU professor)

"Kung sinong kaharap, siyang kausap." (by a former highschool classmate who is now with GSIS)

"Tatapakan ko kayo!" (by an ABSCBN employee)

"That religion is CIA-sponsored and a form of imperialism." (by a De La Salle-CSB faculty)

"Socialism equalizes poverty." (by a former boss who's also an artist)

"Comparison is a bad psychology!" (by a enraged faculty)

"Saan ka pa (Where are you?)." (by a hyper-energetic PT student)

"Ayguya!"--ay naku in Tagalog translation (by a Ms. Noh, my Korean friend)
 trend...(subject to debate)


More people will be hooked to the hallucinogenic effect of mass media.

More people will purchase an insurance policy brought about by economic risk and uncertainty.

More people will update their cellphone model more frequently.

More people will have lesser attention span.

More people will get disappointed with their present salary rate.

More students will take up law and care-giving.

More fundamentalist groups will be formed brought about by the rapid rate and often erratic nature of social change.

More people will be addicted to prohibited drugs.

More people will engage themselves to underground economy (e.g. piracy, black market, etc.)

More people will be admitted in the mental hospitals.

More people will beg along the street.

More people will join charismatic religious groups as a form of escapism.

More people will be vulnerable to different types of cancer because of their sedentary lifestyle and eating habits.

More people will die of accidents.

More people will earn their bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from fly-by-night academic institutions.

More people will leave the country.

More Koreans will migrate to the country.

More people will shift to vegetarianism.

More people will engage themselves into flesh trade-either as a service provider, a patron or both.

More people will be hooked to networking business.

Tele-communication companies will get richer.

More people will hate the Americans.

More people will die of malnutrition.

More teachers will leave their profession to sell insurance, enter the call center industry, apply as domestic helper or work full-time somewhere else.

More people will drink green tea.

More people will play 'god'.

More babies will die prematurely.

More people will use the Internet.

More people will be rebellious.

More people will be hooked to what empiricists consider as forms of pseudosciences like aromatherapy, feng shui, numerology, etc.

More people will claim to be faith healers and paranormal.

More people will enjoy telenovelas, Chinovelas, fantaseryes, etc.

More people will engage into buy and sell than production.

More people will enjoy Asian cuisine.

More people will feel insecure (economically, emotionally, physically, etc.)

Lastly, there will be more people on earth.
