GOD'S 'DEATH'

God's 'death' 

"God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him."   FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

By Alex P. Vidal

Now that the most important person in his life is gone, lawyer-philosopher Ernie Dayot, 80, has reiterated that "death doesn't scare me, at all!"
"When we have accepted that there is a higher God, nothing can scare us--not even death; we will soon realize nothing is permanent here on earth," Dayot waxes poetic during a recent luncheon philosophical binge.
He, too, believes that what makes us all human is not entirely our intellect or our brain. Although he is an avid objectivist, he agrees that there are things that have no relation with the physical brain or man's intelligence. They are an expression of the spirit inside us. Humanity lies in our power to experience many different facets of life, for example our sense of justice, our ability to love, our ability to understand free will and the responsibility that comes with it, to appreciate beauty, and to develop art and culture. 
Dayot believes that If we are convinced we will live beyond death, we will be much more aware of the responsibility that we bear both for ourselves and towards others within creation. We understand that our present life and the way we live it is closely connected with our continued existence after passing over. Then we will have reason to fear the consequences of every single wrong and harmful deed we had committed. We are still likely to suffer the consequences even if we no longer live on earth.

'GOD IS DEAD'

What Friedrich Nietzsche meant when he wrote that "God is dead" was not literally the physical death of God, Dayot reiterated. 
Shakespeare did not say "To be, or not to be." He wrote it, but Hamlet says it. Neither did Nietzsche say "God is dead"; a "madman" does. While it is true that Nietzsche himself went mad at 45, there is still a difference between life and literature, even when the latter is called philosophy, according to biographer Mike Macrone.
Not that there are "unbelievers" in the world, for that was always true; nor simply that God does not exist. For if "God is dead," then He must have once been alive; but this is paradoxical, since if God were ever alive, He, being eternal, could never die.
The madman speaks not of the believer's God, who always was and always will be, but rather of what God represented and meant to his culture.This God was a "shared belief" in God, and it is such belief that was expiring in 19th century Europe.

CENTER

"Where once God stood--at the center of knowledge and meaning--there is now a void. Science and philosophy alike treat God as irrelevant, and once again man has become the measure of all things,"according to Macrone. 
Westerners have "killed" the God of their ancestors in turning over more toward nature and away from the supernatural. The believers in Nietzsche's tale think seeking God is rather funny; only the madman realizes the terrible gravity of God's death.
"Not that he laments it; in fact, he calls it a 'great deed,' but a deed likely too great for us, the murderers, to bear," added Macrone.
A religion such as Christianity, despite the teachings of Jesus, perpetuates intolerance and conformity, which Nietzsche found especially repugnant. Whatever is old, habitual, normative, or dogmatic, he thought, is contrary to life and to dignity; it manifests what he called a "slave mentality." In a sense, for a man and a woman to live, he or she must "kill" God--must overcome dogma, conformity, superstition, and fear.

GENERAL EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING

General education better 

than vocational training?

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."  Nelson Mandela 

By Alex P. Vidal

This school opening there is still a nagging argument about which is the best type of education-- a "general" education in cultural subjects or a "specialized" education in one particular field or occupation. Both types of education are actually necessary if based on standards and demands of society today.

Education is the process of developing or perfecting human beings. It tries to cultivate the humanity of man by developing his specifically human excellence--both intellectual and moral. The ultimate goals of education are human happiness and the welfare of society. Its produce are good men and good citizens.

If the ancients were asked whether education should be specialized, Dr. Mortimer J. Adler, director of the Institute for Philosophical Research,  said they would answer that it should be conceived in terms of man's specially human nature. "If they were asked whether it should be vocational, they would say that the only vocation with which it should be concerned is the common human calling--the pursuit of happiness," explained Adler. "What we call specialized and vocational training--training in particular jobs--they would regard as the training of slaves, not the education of the free man."

CLASSICAL

The classical view of education has prevailed right down to our own century, added Adler. It is reportedly reaffirmed as late as 1916 by none other than John Dewey. In Democracy and Education, Dewey declares that merely vocational training is the training of animals or slaves. It fits them to become cogs in the industrial machine. Free men need liberal education to prepare them to make a good use of their freedom.

"While the ancients had the correct view of education as essentially liberal, they did not think that all men should be liberally educated, because they did not think that all men are fitted by nature for the pursuit of happiness or citizenship or the liberal pursuits of leisure," stressed Adler. "But we today, at least those of us who are devoted to the principles of democracy, think otherwise. We maintain  that all men should be citizens, that all have an equal  right to the pursuit of happiness, and that all should be able to enjoy goods of civilization. Hence we think that a democratic society must provide liberal schooling for all."

Vocational training for particular tasks in the industrial process should be done by industry itself and on the job, not by the schools or in classrooms. The curriculum of basic schooling from the first grade through college, should b wholly liberal and essentially the same for all. 

CURRICULUM

In view of the wide range of abilities and aptitudes with which the schools have to deal, the curriculum must be adapted to different children in different ways. We must solve the problem of how to give children--the least gifted as well as the most gifted--the same kind of liberal education that was given in the past only to the few. Upon our success in solving that problem the future of democracy depends.

Three experts -- Eric Hanushek, Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University; Ludger Woessmann, professor of Economics, University of Munich; head, Human Capital and Innovation Department, Institute for Economic Research; and Lei Zhang, senior Fellow and Assistant Director of the National Institute for Fiscal Studies of Tsinghua University -- recently posted a "new international evidence"  about education type and life-cycle employment opportunities in rapidly changing conditions: 

First, in most countries there are noticeable differences between those entering into vocational education and those pursuing general education. Second, since many countries place vocational education within a general, country-wide arrangement, understanding its overall effect requires looking across countries. Third, there are huge measurement problems, because what is vocational education in one country might not look much like that in another.

HOLDAPER

(This is the winning entry for the month of May 2013 in the Hiligaynon short story contest initiated by the Los Angeles-based Peter Solis Nery Foundation where yours truly was one of the judges--APV)


HOLDAPER

ni Marko Antonyo Limson

“Nong, City College?” usisa ni Gino sa drayber sg naglabay nga jeep. 
“Bangga lang ko,” sabat sg drayber. Hingagaw nga nagsaka si Gino kag nagpungko sa likuran nga bahin sg jeep. 
“Boss, labay ka city hall?” pamangkot sg lalaki nga naga hana magsakay. 
“Huo meg” sabat sg drayber.
Nagasakot sa pinsar ni Gino ang iya finals, ang iya thesis defense sa ala una, ang malaba nga pila sa cashier, ang iya iloy nga nagdaho sa iya P4,500 para sa iya tuition kag nagpahanumdom nga mag puli sya matapos ang iya klase para may matimbang pamutos sg ila tocino. “Duha ka semana na lang!” yuhom sg pagpasalig nya sa iya kaugalingon sa iya nagahilapit nga graduation. Nalingaw sya paminsar sg nabilin nya nga hilimuon. Ang mga handum nya dali na lang malab-ot. 
Likom kay Gino, gina mata-mata na gali sg lalaki nga pasahero ang bag sg babaye nga ila kadungan. Tatlo lang sila sa jeep, ang tagsa-tagsa may iya ginapaminsar. Nagapasurip ang lalaki sa bag sg babaye samtang nagapanilag man sa giho ni Gino. Nag-iping ang lalaki apang sa hana sini agawon ang bag, nagsinggit ang babaye, “Sa lugar lang!” Nagdulog kag nanaog ang babaye.
Waay gihapon nagbati sa bungog ni Gino ang malain nga tuyo sg lalaki nga kadungan. Sa kaalang-alangan nga lugar, “Brad kwarta-kwarta lang ni. Idaho na lang ang wallet mo para waay ta gamo.” pagpamahog sg lalaki nga nagataya balisong kay Gino. 
“Meg may exam ko... Ngaa ako gid haw? Malooy ka man ay. ” 
Sa pagkitlouy ni Gino naga dalum ang duso sg balisong sa iya kilid. “Hambal pa kay dus-an ta ka nga dipota ka karon.” Mugot nga sabat sg nagalingas nga lalaki. 
Ginkuot ni Gino ang wallet kag hinali, “Nong may kawatan di ho!” singgit niya sa drayber. 
Ginduso sg lalaki ang balisong sa nawala nga kilid ni Gino kag gin hamakan nya ini sa nawong. Gin pasundan pa gid sg buno sa dughan. Natalupangdan sg drayber ang buroka sa likod kag dali-dali ini nga nagpundo para kun tani buligan ang iya nasamaran nga pasahero. Pagdulog sg salakyan, naglumpat ang lalaki dala ang wallet ni Gino. 
Nagakayaon si Gino sa salakyan samtang ginapunggan ang dugo nga naga-ilig sa iya kilid kag dughan. Sa kada lagas nya sg iya ginhawa, upod nga nagasulog ang ilig sg dugo sa iya samad. Sa pagdasig sg iya pagginhawa nagadasig man ang tiyog sg iya pinsar. Ang iya thesis, ang iya graduation, ang tug-an sg maayo nga bwas damlag. Nadumduman ni Gino ang iya iloy nga nagapamutos tocino. Nag-ilig ang iya luha kag upod nga nahunos ang iya ginhawa. 
Nakadalikyat dalagan ang lalaki nga pasahero padulong sa central market. Nagderecho sa kasilyas malapit sa karnehan. Naga kurog-kurog sya nga nanghinlas sg iya butkon kag ginkusuan ang asik sg dugo sa pako sg iya bayo. Gindunganan nya sg pagpanghilam-os ang iya hibi samtang padayon ang iya lingas. Naggwa sya sa tindahan. Nagpadulong pasulod sa City College kag nag-impon sa malaba nga pila sg mga estudyante nga nagabayad sa cashier.

US begins distributing Passport Cards

http://asianjournalusa.com/us-begins-distributing-passport-cards-p5720-60.htm

Economic growth, food for lunch?

Economic growth, food for lunch?

"Economy does not lie in sparing money, but in spending it wisely." THOMAS HUXLEY 

By Alex P. Vidal

Those who eke out a living on a hand to mouth basis everyday and those who continue to wallow in abject poverty, the unemployed and underemployed, did not absorb the much-ballyhooed "economic growth" bragged about by the country's economic wisecracks recently.
For ordinary laborers, wage earners in breakneck jobs and the hoi polloi, day to day struggle to make both ends meet is still a race for survival-- survival of the fittest and the best!
The big break on our economy's Cinderella Story was ignited by the raising of the country's credit rating by the Standard & Poor's (S&P) from BB+ to BBB-, which means that the financial services company now considers the Philippines and its debt to be "investment" grade. Economic analysts described the "stable" outlook concurrently assigned to the rating as to suggest that our economic managers are "continuing to do a good job in handling the country's economy."
The S&P upgrade also reportedly follows a similar move by fellow “big 3” ratings agency Fitch at the end of March. Fitch also upgraded the country from a non-investment (sometimes called “speculative”) grade to the all-important “investment” grade of BBB-.

GROWTH

In the second quarter this year, National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Secretary General Jose Ramon Albert reported that Philippine economy posting a 7.8 percent GDP growth in the first quarter of 2013 from 6.5 percent the previous year with the upbeat business and consumer sentiment, as well as sustained government capital expenditure. Albert said the Q1 growth is the highest so far under the Aquino administration and also the third consecutive quarter of more than 7.0 percent GDP growth.
The robust growth was reportedly boosted by the strong performance of Manufacturing and Construction, backed up by Financial Intermediation and Trade.
On the demand side, Albert said increased consumer and government spending shored up by increased investments in Construction and Durable Equipment contributed to the highest quarterly GDP growth since the second quarter of 2010.
The reported "continued inflow of remittances" from our overseas workers accelerated the Net Primary Income from the Rest of the World to grow by 3.2 percent boosting the Gross National Income (GNI) growth to 7.1 percent from 5.7 percent in 2012.

MOMENTUM

"On a seasonally adjusted basis, GDP is gaining momentum growing by 2.2 percent in the first quarter of 2013; GNI grew by 1.9 percent. All major sectors posted positive growth in seasonally adjusted terms for the first quarter of 2013. In particular, the entire Agriculture sector posted a growth of 0.8 percent in the first quarter of 2013 from 0.4 percent the previous quarter," Albert expalined. "However, Industry slowed down to 2.5 percent growth in the first quarter of 2013 from 4.0 percent in the previous quarter. But the Services sector accelerated to 2.2 percent in the first quarter of 2013 from 1.1 percent in the previous quarter as all its subsectors recorded positive growth. Positive growth in seasonally adjusted terms across major sectors has been resulting since the fourth quarter of 2010."
With the country’s projected population reaching 96.8 million in the first quarter of 2013, per capita GDP reportedly grew by 6.1 percent while per capita GNI grew by 5.3 percent and per capita Household Final Consumption Expenditure (HFCE) grew by 3.4 percent.
Meanwhile, The Diplomat analyst James Parker believed that "the second upgrade from S&P is therefore of particularly importance." With two out of the three major credit ratings agencies (the other being Moody’s) having assigned an “investment” grade rating to the Philippines, he explained, Manila’s bonds can now be included in key global investment funds which limit their exposure to investment grade government securities.

BELOW

Moody’s currently rates the Philippines’ debt at one notch below “investment” grade, so it is clear that this is close to becoming a consensus decision. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised its economic outlook for the country too, even as it cut its 2013 and 2014 growth forecasts for China, Taiwan, India, South Korea and Singapore.
"Indeed,economic growth in the Philippines improved quite significantly since Benigno Aquino III was elected president in 2010. The economy expanded 6.6 percent last year, partly due to robust domestic demand and a rising stock market. The government deficit is being brought under control and, unlike many other emerging markets such as China, the Philippines’ boasts favorable demographic trends with a large working age population through 2050," wrote Parker.
Whatever gains the country is enjoying today, it is best that stakeholders also feel and understand the significance of these changes in the financial chart. It should have multiplying effects and the poor as well as the middle class must largely benefit from these gains.

He who lives in our mind is near though he may actually be far away; but he who is not in our heart is far though he may really be nearby.
-- CHANAKYA :

If we love someone who lives oceans and deserts away, it's like he's just across the river within shouting distance. If we don't love someone we feel like that person lives in Jupiter and Mars even if he regularly gives us a Mickey Mouse smile and shares bed with us.
-- ALEX P. VIDAL

To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness. 
-- CONFUCIUS : 

We should learn how to smell false religious preachers and phony advertising representatives from five miles away so that these charlatans will not have a chance to make us their captive audience.
-- ALEX P. VIDAL