14 juillet 1789

La révolution francaise, écrit par George Rudé, est une bonne introduction à ce grand sujet mais, pour avoir une compréhension profonde de cet événement important de l'histoire du monde, il faut bien étudier les autres oeuvres sur la révolution.

Je me considère conservateur, mais je pense que la révolution a vraiment amelioré la condition de l'homme. Je ne dispute pas la bonneté des résultats les plus importants de la révolution: la fin de l'absolutisme royale, la destruction des ordres et des privilèges, la proclamation de l'égalité des citoyens devant la loi, les libertés fondamentales, et la souveraineté de la Nation, c'ést a dire, le peuple, qui se gouverne au travers de leurs représentants élus.

Je respecte les institutions anciennes, et j'attache beaucoup de valeur a l'histoire, a la culture, et a la communauté. Pourtant, a propos de l'individu et ses libertés, on peut dire que je suis libérale, même révolutionnaire. Vive la révolution!

Craft of Social Research or How I Finally Graduated

I read this book by Booth et al simply because I had a copy and it felt such a waste not to read it. I photocopied the book while taking up Political Science 199 under Professor Rolando Fernando, but I never got around to reading the book since I was too busy rushing to submit papers so I can finally graduate.

I remember how stubborn I was at that time. Once more, I did not submit the first requirement on time, and, adding insult to injury, the paper I submitted had coffee stains. Sir Fernando was understandably pissed and wanted me to drop the course. More than a year before, another professor already forced me to drop the course, preventing me from graduating with honors. This time, however, I stood my ground. I did not care whether I was right or wrong, or whether my professor was insulted or not. I wanted to graduate, and no coffee stain was going to prevent me from getting that diploma.

There was even one day when my professor wanted to throw the rule book at me. He brought the UP manual to class, but I guess he did not find anything that warranted forcing me to drop his class so he never brought it up. Over the next several weeks, I received a lot of admonitions and warnings about how my continued stay in class was conditional on meeting his standards. But I guess sheer gumption won the day. I finally finished the class that I dropped three times, and officially obtained my degree.

I attended that year's graduation ceremonies to accompany my wife, not anymore to receive my own diploma. I felt I had missed my chance two years before. But Sir Fernando apparently thought otherwise. My classmates said he was looking for me after the ceremony to congratulate me. I did not get a chance to see him, or talk to him again, but I owe him thanks for finally letting me graduate.

Le francais dans ma vie

Cela m'a fait trois ans pour finir le livre Le francais au present par Anne Monnerie. Je me rappelle a peine les lecons du livre, mais j'ai de bons souvenirs des annees j'ai passe pour apprendre la langue francaise.

Mes camarades de classe en francais sont devenus mes plus chers amis. Patrick et Eunice, par exemple, sont tous les deux des parrains de mon fils Magnus. Ils sont une des raisons importantes pourquoi j'ai continue a etudier le francais meme si j'ai deja complete les douze unites de langue entrangere exigees par ma specialisation.

Nous avons meme fait un film pour notre cours avec M. Veracruz qui s'est intitule "L'amour est eternelle," qui etait la phrase favoree de Romelson. Nous nous sommes bien amuses. pendant notre sejour dans l'universite. Meme si nous ne nous voyons plus frequemment, j'espere qu'ils resteront mes chers amis pendant toute la vie.

Essence of Decision

Graham Allison's Essence of Decision is one of the most incisive, sensitive, and compelling works of analysis I have read. It is also a great work of history as it seeks to explain the Cuban Missile Crisis, one of the key turning points of modern human history.

Allison demonstrates adroitly that what we see depends on what lenses we use. Exclusive reliance on the dominant rational actor perspective blinds us to organizational imperatives such as standard operating procedures, or bureaucratic political maneuvering, which makes policies a resultant, rather than a conscious choice by a unitary actor. By analyzing the same event from different angles, Allison presents us with the most complete picture of how the crisis unfolded, and how it was ultimately resolved.

The book's insights are relevant not only to academics and policymakers, but also to anyone else who works in an organization. The people we deal with advance positions that are influenced by their organization's SOPs, or that are designed to maximize the power of their departments. This is not to say that all people are petty and parochial; it is to say that all people belong to organizations and all decisions are more disorderly than is suggested by the rational actor model.

Isang Dipang Langit

Minsan akong nagsaulo ng tula ni Amado Hernandez para sa isang paligsahan ng sabayang bigkas noong ako ay nag-aaral pa sa mataas na paaralan. Isinagaw namin ang mga kataga, humandusay kami sa lapag, at nagpanggap na nararamdaman ang hirap at dusa ng isang bilanggong inalipin at binusabos. Subalit, gaya ng maaasahan sa mga estudyante sa ganoong edad, kinalimutan namin ang tula at ang makata, pati na ang mensahe ng pakikibaka laban sa pang-aalila. Sinong makasisisi sa mga binata at dalaga kung higit nilang pahahalagahan ang panonood ng sine, pakikipagsuyuan, at pag-ibig higit sa mga usapin ng kalayaan at kahirapan?

Gaya ni Balagtas, pinahanga ako ni Hernandez sa kanyang panulaan. Ipinamalas niyang ang wikang Filipino ay angkop ipanghabi ng mga tulang lipos ng kagandahan, sining, at masidhing damdamin. Nauunawaan kong sa kalagayan nina Balagtas at Hernandez, na kapwa nabilanggo at nakaranas ng pang-aalipusta, kung bakit nila pinapaksa ang pang-aalipin ng mga dayuhan at mga makapangyarihan. Bagaman ang pakikibaka ay isang mahalagang salik ng pagiging Pilipino, panahon na ring talakayin ng mga makata ang mga pagbubukang-liwayway at ang mga tagumpay ng bayan. Ito lang ang tanging paraan upang muling magkaroon ng saysay ang mga tula at makata sa panahon ng mga blog at Youtube.

In Search of Southeast Asia

I read Government and Politics of Southeast Asia by Frederic Funston for my class in political science of the same course title. I remember the class well because my professor, Jaime Naval, usually spent the first twenty minutes of class giving an inspirational talk. We used to mock him and say we always had Tuesdays with Sir Naval. Many of my classmates then probably still dismiss self-help books, but I now appreciate them better, having undergone personal transformation myself because of Dale Carnegie and Stephen Covey.

Back then, we celebrated the growth of democracy in Thailand, Indonesia, and East Timor. It appeared that Southeast Asia caught the Third Wave of Democratization and perhaps it was not too farfetched to dream about the End of History. Alas, in the years since, Thailand relapsed into another military government before restoring democracy only lately, and East Timor has experienced several bouts of violence. Indonesia and the Philippines continue to struggle in creating institutions that will make them established democracies. We also lamented the sorry state of Myanmar back then; we are now aghast at how the generals have treated their own people in the aftermath of a cyclone that has now claimed nearly 100,000 lives. ASEAN, despite its much ballyhooed charter, has hardly made any progress.

Does Southeast Asia really exist? Or is it just defined by geography, that piece of the Asian continent destined to live in the shadows of the future Great Powers, India and China?

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Richard Kiyosaki upon my friend's advice about three years ago. He had just started a blast-freezing services business for his dad, finished paying for a condo unit that he was about to rent out, and was thinking of entering the taxi business. I was still a student working as part time call center agent who dreamed of becoming an academic, not of getting rich.

I finally got to read the book several months after that. I remember feeling hopeful that I can leave behind the call center job that had, at that point, driven me to despair. I didn't even feel like I was in a rat race. I felt I was at a dead end.

The simple lesson I learned from Kiyosaki is the difference between an asset and a liability. Assets bring money; liabilities take away money. This is the main reason I don't plan to buy a house or a car anytime soon because they are both liabilities. This is also the reason why my wife and I worked hard to get out of debt, stick to a budget, save money, and start investing. We are not, by any means, rich yet. Nor have we even started any business like my friend. Yet Kiyosaki, simply by saying it was possible and laying out a simple and sensible plan to get there, has put us inexorably on the path to prosperity.