From Barons, Brokers, and Buyers: The Institutions and Cultures of Philippine Sugar , as originally quoted in this entry of mine from 2006, Planters and millers: …Many in the sugar industry persist in the belief that they are among the most powerful political forces in the nation. But those with real power consider that claim [...]

Only regained DSL last night, hence the hiatus (further delayed by the downpour and intermittent brownouts this afternoon!). As you can imagine, I’m one of those quite worried over the fate of Ces Drilon, who I personally like very much indeed. She’s a gutsy lady. But the story of her kidnapping has become hopelessly intertwined [...]

In 1964, as part of what Nick Joaquin called “the battle of the books,” the campaign of Ferdinand Marcos released his campaign biography, For Every Tear a Victory, written by Hartzell Spence. My father’s sister was furious, on the basis of a reference in the book, to her elder sister being the “inamorata” of Marcos [...]

“The World Without Us” (Alan Weisman)

Over at stuart-santiago she asks if the most recent broadside from the notorious benign0 was aimed at me (smoke having coined the complimentary term “noted blogger” to refer to me). It doesn’t matter. At the heart of it all is a basic compulsion to communicate, and as social creatures we will latch on to other [...]

If you stare into the Abyss long enough the Abyss stares back at you. – Friedrich Nietzsche Yesterday’s Inquirer editorial and Blackshama’s Blog take similarly jaundiced looks at the President’s latest propaganda poster. The editorial focuses its attention on how the President’s latest brainchild morphed from this proposal, P2-B subsidy to pay for electricity bills [...]

Goodbye and good riddance? Impossible to extend CARP, says Honasan. It might be better to start over with a new law. As it is, the news that the CARL will expire soon has been shrugged off by the public, which will make the politicos assume that the land reform constituency of the 80′s and 90′s [...]