The 1958 novel The Ugly American written by William Lederer and Eugene Burdick was a 1958-59 bestseller. It was a wake up call to U.S. to improve its relationship with the new Asian nations. Inserted in a series of chapters/side stories were flaws of U.S./Asian...
Two Greek words, “Demos”, the people, “Kratein”, to rule. Democracy means the people rule, not the King, Queen, Emperor, and etc. Today, democracy has become an art of disagreement confusion between the party in power and the opposition/minority with the rest of the citizens (about...
There are about 150 nations, about 20 are pure or semi dictatorships. All claim to be democracies since all have elections. When World War II ended in 1945, European nations (U.K., France, Holland, etc.) owned 4/5 of the world (Africa, Middle East, Southeast Asia). The...
There are 220 plus cardinals. Only those below 80 years old can vote. On May 7 the cardinals will enter the Sistine chapel which can accommodate the entire main door will be locked from outside. It will be opened only if the Sistine chapel will...
Conclave is a Latin word. Con means with, Clavis means a key. It is used in connection with the meeting of cardinals in Rome’s Sistine Chapel to elect a pope. Once the door is closed, nobody can get in or out until a Pope is...
In 2013, Pope Benedict suddenly resigned though he was mentally and physically fit. Pope Francis was not expected to be Pope because there more senior Cardinals and more important, were Europeans. Strange indeed are the ways of the Lord. His election as Pope in 2013...
Some national events bring heavy impact on us. The March 1957 P.AF. C-47 plane crash in Lahug, Cebu killing Pres. Magsaysay, the 1971 Liberal Party Plaza Miranda bombing, the 1982 Ninoy Aquino murder remind us of what an American wrote, “These are the times that...
The first military forces of the earliest civilizations (Hittites, Assyrians, Sumerians, Babylonians) were land armies used to capture and defend fertile farmlands so their people could eat. Later, the Greeks and Phoenicians, who had access to the Mediterranean Sea, used warships to acquire and protect...
Since January 16, 2025, the most seen image worldwide has been that of President Donald Trump. The house shown daily is the White House, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. In his first 30 days in office, Trump has disrupted traditional views on the world...
Kobbé’s Opera Guide is widely regarded as the best book on opera, listing 200 operas by 80 composers. Many of these operas are based on folklore, legends, and classic literature. Interestingly, some of the most famous operas and musicals of all time originated as French...