Today Wednesday, 30 Oct 2024, At Her 79th Birthday, For My Wife Amparo, My Birthday GIFTs: “God, I’ll Forget That!” “God, I’ll Forgive That!” “God, I Forgo That!”

Today, Wednesday, 30 Oct 2024, my wife Amparo Medina Reynoso is exactly 79 years old. I woke up at about 4:30 AM, that early, which is unusual, and I kissed her while she was sleeping – and at once, she shoved me on the face, hard! Something wrong with her? That’s my Amparo!

Actually, she has not been feeling well since she fell down about a year ago and broke her left hip bone. She has had that hip replacement. She has been recuperating, but apparently her natural feelings have not recovered!

Amparo. After being shoved by Amparo while showing love, should I now invoke the juridical law “Writ of Amparo” as an aggrieved person? Ah, but I am not an aggrieved person – rather, I am a gift person; so to my Amparo, here are my
GIFTs:
“God, I’ll Forget That!“
“God, I Forgive That!“
“God, I Forgo That!“
“God, I’m Forever True.”

There is that saying, “If you love someone, let them go.” Andriy says about the saying (Psychology Tips, psychology.tips):

“Contrary to popular belief, real love isn’t about possession or control. It’s about cherishing someone for who they are – flaws and all – and wishing the best for them…”

So to my Amparo, my gifts! I wish you the best with them!

Oxford Dictionary says (oxcon.ouplaw.com):

“1. …. Thus, the function of the writ of amparo is to give persons (both individuals and juridical persons) an instrument to challenge acts of authorities (including administrative, judicial and legislative acts), for being contrary to the fundamental rights contained in the Constitution.”
(top image from prezi.com)

Ah, but my own personal Constitution is written in only 2 words: “God’s Love.”

A health note: Amparo was sleeping on her left side, the one with the doctor-repaired hip.

“Specifically, a small body of research suggests that, for many people, sleeping on the left side may be the ticket to better health and better sleep.”

LifeHack says (lifehack.org):

“So why all the fuss about sleeping on the left side? Turns out it may be good for our digestion, our backs, and even our hearts due to the positions of different organs.”

Jennifer Chesak says (20 March 2023, “How These 3 Sleep Positions Affect Your Gut Health“, Healthline, healthline.com):

“Pro Tip For Side Sleeping

“Start out on your left side at night to prevent heartburn and allow gravity to move waste through your colon. Alternate sides if your shoulder bothers you. Place a firm pillow between your knees and hug one to support your spine.”

So much for sleeping and being shoved on the face for kissing!

The bottom image is my favorite picture of Amparo – she is holding a bunch of sweet rambutan fruits and her smile is sweeter than wine!

God gifted us with many children: Tina, Jomar, Dida, Jay, Techie, Cynthia, July, Jenny, Ernie, Daph, Neenah, Edwin and Ela.

Today? Amparo cannot make me angry anymore. That’s how much I love her!@517

Rewriting Albert Einstein’s Equation E=mc2 Into frankEinstein's fE=mc2 – For The Infinitesimal Energy Of Love!

This one has been inspired by the Facebook sharing of friend Jerry R Yapo on Sunday, 13 Oct, from BookPlug: “Here Are 10 Key Lessons From Why I Write By George Orwell” – today, I agree with all 10 lessons, except #5: “Writing as a form of protest.” In fact, up to a couple of months ago, I was writing as a Protestant, I mean Protester! Today, I write as a Creator & Convincer – changing from Negative to Positive. I love it!

Instead of looking for something to decry, somebody to blame, some excuse to insult groups or people, I now look forward every single day for a Brave New World! Which is the title of a book by British author Aldous Huxley. Wikipedia says of it (en.wikipedia.org):

“Brave New World … Largely set in a futuristic World State … the novel anticipates huge scientific advancements in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation and classical conditioning…”

Differently, my Brave New Word (note the 3^rd word) is set on the present. I write on current knowledge available on the Internet.

Thus, I owe the world’s genius Albert Einstein’s genius erarth-shaking equation – E=mc² – my new formula for writing:

fE=mc²
where
fE is frankEinstein
m is manuscript squared by
c  = any or all of these: care, collaboration, consent, cooperation,
(NOT condemnation, contempt, criticism, cussing…)

frankEinstein – I love my Brave New Word!

And so I learn from Orwell (I’m selecting now):

“7. The Moral Responsibility of Writers: Orwell believed that writers have a moral obligation to use their platform for good, by speaking truth to power and addressing social issues. Writers should be honest and fearless in their pursuit of truth.”

I see and insist about the moral obligation of writers: “to use their platform for good.” How? Orwell says, “by speaking truth to power” and that “writers should be honest and fearless in their pursuit of truth.”

Ah! This is where I beg to disagree with Orwell, as I do not pursue truth for its own sake. I call my writing “THiNK! Journalism,” which runs like this:

Is it
True? If True, is it
Helpful? If Helpful, is it
Inspiring? If Inspiring, is it
Necessary? If Necessary, is it
Kind? THiNK!

Orwell’s line of thinking is fit in this modern world especially with the tempting offer of a Nobel Peace Prize for the “Brave New World” of “Truth Journalism,” which earned for Filipina journalist Maria Ressa the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, bringing home US$1,000,000/2!

Would I like to receive myself a Nobel Peace Prize? Oh yes, absolutely! Would my writings satisfy the Nobel Committee’s overall measure of “Truth Journalism,” which is Maria Ressa’s? Absolutely not!

The Nobel Prize-winning Truth Journalism of Ms Ressa will not even satisfy the requirement of the Rotary Club’s “4-Way Test” – “Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”

Now, do you see how my new formula “fE=mc²” is related to my old THiNK! Journalism? THiNK!@517

 

Where To Quickly Find What You Don’t Know About Agriculture – The Human-Assembled Library of Inspired Knowledge in Agriculture (HALiKA). Coming Up!

After 116 Years of UP Los Baños, this is how much we Filipinos publicly know about Soils and how they influence Philippine Agriculture – Negligible!?

Above, below the image “Illusion Of Knowledge” (en.shortcogs.com), it says, “I am under the impression that I know and understand more than what I really know and understand”! Don’t look at Frank A Hilario – as an indefatigable writer, I always accept when confronted with what I do not know. I don’t have to be ignorant or un-informed – what I definitely know is that there’s always the Internet – where you get all sorts of answers to your asked (and unasked) questions.

Does the UP College of Agriculture, now UP Los Baños, have the illusion of super knowledge in agriculture? I don’t know. What I do realize is that UPLB is now 116 years old (being founded by Americans on 08 March 1908) – but the past century has not educated UP Los Baños with, for instance, mastery if not full knowledge of soil fertility!? (Unashamed, I am saying this about my alma mater, where I graduated 1965 with a BSA Ag Educ, 2.36 pt “Satisfactory”.)

UPLB probably does not think knowledge of natural soil fertility is important, very important, most important. Or, it does think that but does not put in writing or where anyone can access such knowledge. Unfortunately.

I am reading the non-Filipino “How To Improve Soil Fertility” (Post by Nchimunya Mazuba & Mozes Habanji, Facebook sharing 28 Sept 2024 by William Dar, my favorite Secretary of Agriculture). Here’s the Mazuba-Habanji List:

1.    Practice crop rotation.

2.    Use organic fertilizers.

3.    Reduce tillage.

4.    Irrigate wisely.

5.    Plant cover crops.

Now The Editor In Chief speaks: The title is “How To Improve Soil Fertility,” mind you, not “How To Maintain Soil Fertility.” The difference is huge! “Improve” means the soil itself has to be prompted to/cannot by itself conserve its fertility. “Maintain” means the soil can and if allowed, should be able to conserve its fertility – naturally!

Considering the above list, I agree only with #1 and #5 – I know organic fertililzers are not that necessary if you practice Regenerative Agriculture (RA) and not Chemical Agriculture (CA). (Why RA and not CA? That should be in HALiKA.)

1. Practice crop rotation

“By planting different crops in a specific order, farmers can help to prevent soil nutrient depletion and improve soil structure. This method also helps in breaking pest and disease cycles, promoting healthier crops overall.”

Yes.

5. Plant cover crops

Wikipedia says (“Cover Crops,” en.wikipedia.org):

“In agriculture, cover crops are plants that are planted to cover the soil rather than for the purpose of being harvested. Cover crops manage soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality, water, weeds, pests, diseases, biodiversity and wildlife.”

Got it?

Remember HALiKA. Except that it has yet to be built. I still have to find a financial sponsor for my dream Internet website for farmers anywhere to be able to farm gainfully and rise from poverty to prosperity!@517

Why Is There No Development Journalism Covering PH Agriculture? Very Sad Reason – There Is No Development Program!

Ever since PH Pres Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos Jr without much ado replaced in 2022 Secretary of Agriculture William Dar with himself, and now with current Secretary Francis Tiu Jr , there has emerged not a Vision for development, not a Mission for that Vision, no Strategy/ies for that Mission, and no Programs to fulfil that Mission.

Don’t tell me BBM and Tiu Jr  do not have enough wisdom about management and enough knowledge on the problems of agriculture – especially, if you ask me, the 3 million Filipino farmers who are poor!
(lower image from youtube.com)

If you are astute, you will have noted by now that I am using my journalism to point out 2 things:

(1)   Lack of Development Leadership in PH Agriculture.

(2)   Lack of development programs in agriculture

(3)   Lack of media encouraging such leadership and programs.

Sorry! But as an Agriculturist – BSA major in Ag Educ 1965, UP Los Baños – my heart goes to the poor farmers.

Ayesha Ashfaq, a Lecturer of Pakistan Studies and Current Affairs (Google Scholar, scholar.google.com, source of upper image). writes Sept 2023, “Building Peace Through Development Journalism: Uniting For A Common Goal,” gamma.app) [sorry, can’t find website anymore]:

(1) “Explore the power of development journalism in promoting peace and fostering positive change around the world.”

We can use Development Journalism (DJ) to promote peace and positive change in our Common World of Agricultue.

(2) ”Discover how journalism plays a crucial role in advancing peace and development globally.”

If you use DJ to also promote peace, you will promote both development and peace!

(3) ”Learn about the concept and purpose of development journalism and its impact on society.”

Yes, we all have to learn more about DJ especially its power to impact society.

(4) ”Understand how development journalism can contribute to conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts.”

An unexpected power of DJ is to help resolve conflicts and promote peace in the country as a whole and in communities in particular.

(5) “Explore how journalists and organizations can work together to achieve sustainable development goals.“

Sorry, but pursuing “sustainable goals” means preserving such as Chemical Agriculture (CA) – CA sustains the status quo of Farmer Poverty!

So, I myself prefer the “regenerative goals” brought about by Regenerative Agriculture (RA) as RA helps Mother Nature revive the fertility of the soil exhausted by crops, revive the power of crops to produce high yields, restore the nature-based health of foods produced, and regenerate the farmer from poverty to prosperity!

Yet we cannot avoid the challenges in Development Journalism, as according to Ms Ayesha:

(1) Limited access to information

You cannot fight City Hall, so what you can do is scour the Internet!

(2) Political interference

“Political interference” becomes a problem if the politicians know that the journalist is only looking for “bad news” to report! My alternative? “THiNK! Journalism” and it goes like this:

True? If True, is it
Helpful? If Helpful, is it
Inspiring? If Inspiring, is it
Necessary? If Necessary, is it
Kind? THiNK!@517

How Intelligent Is Your Teacher? If As Smart As Mr Vladimir Queta, You Have A Problem!

Again: “How intelligent is your teacher?” I’m referring to the one trying to teach you something, whether s/he has a license to teach or not – I don’t know about Vladimer Queta, Chair of the Alliance Of Concerned Teachers (ACT), who above is quoted as saying in a lecture sponsored by ACT & Ateneo De Manila:

“The teaching of Mother Tongue as a subject is foundational in developing literacy skills as learners can learn to read and write the easiest with the language that they use and most understand” (Unnamed, “22nd Jaime V Ongpin Memorial Lecture Spotlights Challenges, Difficulties In Philippine Basic Education” (21 Nov 2023, Ateneo De Manila, ateneo.edu).

Immediately, we have a multiple of problems there:

“What if the teacher does not know the mother tongue?”
“What if there are several mother tongues among the learners?”
“What if the teacher did not learn how to teach in the mother tongue?”

Mr Queta is saying, “The teaching of Mother Tongue as a subject is foundational in developing literacy skills.”

I teacher am saying, “Such purpose in the teaching of the Mother Tongue is nowhere found in any educational theory in the world! Teaching is not that simple!

Where are the review/s or somment/s on Mr Queta’s lecture? That’s the lookout of The Editor In Chief of that website of Ateneo De Manila!

I say:

With those 54 words, Mr Queta is changing the very essence of education in the Philippines – “Teach the local language first!” As a teacher, I disagree. If Mr Quetua is right, then we should start educating our students at home, not at school!

Lengkon Sera says, “Unesco says (18 Feb 2022, Unesco, unesco.org):

“Unesco has been leading the way and advocating for multilingual education based on the mother tongue from the earliest years of schooling. Research shows that education in the mother tongue is a key factor for inclusion and quality learning, and it also improves learning outcomes and academic performance.”

Where are the research results of teaching the mother tongue as a factor for quality learning? Googling, I cannot find any!

As a teacher, I would instead recommend the teaching of Multiple Intelligences (MI), the educational philosophy of Harvard professor Howard Gardner. With MI, all the students would love to learn! (If you don’t know MI. you have much to learn especially if you are a teacher!)

MI says there are 10 in-born intelligences of every human being:

1. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence
2. Creative Intelligence  (added by FAH)
3. Existential Intelligence
4. Interpersonal Intelligence
5. Intrapersonal Intelligence
6. Mathematical-Logical Intelligence
7. Musical Intelligence
8. Naturalist Intelligence
9. Spatial Intelligence
10. Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence.

It’s up for the teacher, whoever s/he is or wherever, to nurture the innate intelligence of a learner. Whatever Mr Queta says, the cultivation of cultural identity is not an objective of the school at whatever level, Grade School to Grad School. Let the schools instead cultivate the hidden talent(s) of each learner! Anytime, anyhow, somewhere, somehow.

Multiple Intelligences is for me, for us all!@517

­“What Did You Do In The War, DevCom?”

“What Did You Do In The War, Daddy?” was the open letter I wrote some 57 years ago, addressed to the alumni of my alma mater, the UP College of Agriculture (UPCA, now UP Los Baños), belittling their “loyal” (if you will pardon the expression) observation every year. In that letter, I said the faculty & students of the 1918 UPCA who volunteered to fight in Europe where World War 1 was happening, thousands of kilometers away – were showing loyalty to the Americans who founded UPCA, not to the Filipinos. Ouch!

What did I get writing that open letter? A termination of my appointment as Substitute Lab Instructor in Horticulture! “Goodbye, UPLB!”

I was unhappy, but my being declared persona non grata to UPLB turned out to be the best for me! I had a wonderful chance to propagate my newfound field, “Organic Agrculture.” I had learned that from the book “Plowman’s Folly” by American gentleman farmer Edward H Faulkner, his book published in 1943.

At the Xavier University College of Agriculture (XUCA), happily approved by Fr William Masterson, Dean of XUCA, I produced separate syllabi in the 4 areas of Horticulture: Landscape Horticulture, Oliriculture (vegetabkes) Ornamentals, and Pomology (fruit trees), Based on my horticulture syllabi, with my organic lectures, I produced a winner of the world-class Right Livehood Award in 2003 in the person of Nicanor “Nicky” Perlas. (Since then, every time he sees me, he says, “Thank you for Organic.” How sweet is that?! I feel like I am also a winner of the Right Livelihood Award!)

Because of “What Did You Do In The War, Daddy?”, the observation of Loyalty Day changed from loyalty to the Americans to loyalty to the Filipinos, especially to the farmers, as it should be.

Today, yesteryears actually, the war is on homegrounds, War Against Poverty, especially the poverty of millions of Filipino farmers. We have so far failed them!
(Image fromdailysignal.com)

What I have not seen, what I don’t see is communication from the DevCom people dedicated to getting the poor farmers out of Poverty and getting them into Prosperity. That is a tall order, but that is what development communication is all about!

Time to learn more. Here is what we can learn from MassCom.com (studymasscom.com): 5 different approaches to development communication, and these are:
(1) participatory communication,
(2) advocacy and awareness campaigns,
(3) behavior change communication,
(4) media for development, and
(5) capacity building and skill development.

DevCom people, where are you in there, in any of the 5? I google everyday, and I don’t see encouraging signs from anyone of you! DevCom must be practiced, not simply claimed in one’s biodata.

In 1960, the first communication course in UPCA was offered; in 1974, it offered academic programs in Development Communication (Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org). Today, 64 years later, I ask:

What did you do in the war against Farmer Poverty, DevCom?

Here’s hoping you will produce a million of winners among the poor millions of Filipino farmers, and someone will greet you to your face, “Thank you for DevCom”!@517

“How To Read!” Or “Why Read, Read, Read, Read!”? Forty Reasons – Or Faulty Reasons?! This Is The Editor In Chief Speaking

 

Today, 11 Oct 2024, I saw Myrna Magboo Bigueras’ 10 Oct sharing titled “How To Lead” – but always The Editor In Chief, I immediately saw that it should be “How To Read.” The post is actually “40 Reasons Why Reading Books Can Be A Transformative Habit.” At 84 and with poor eyes, I don’t read books anymore – but from high school to college (UP Los Baños) to employment, 1950s to 1980s, I loved reading, reading, reading!

(Major Lesson: To be a creative writer, learn to read more and more.)

There are 40 reasons in the list, too long to present here; so here are the subtitles:

1. Mental Stimulation.
2. Stress Reduction.
3. Knowledge Acquisition.
4. Vocabulary Expansion.
5. Improved Focus.
6. Better Writing Skills.
7. Empathy Building.
8. Cultural Understanding.
9. Self-Improvement.
10. Entertainment.
11. Improved Memory.
12. Critical Thinking.
13. Inspiration and Motivation.
14. Increased Creativity.
15. Improved Sleep.
16. Emotional Management.
17. Escapism.
18. Conversation Starters.
19. Goal-Setting.
20. Building Discipline.
21. Lifelong Learning.
22. Perspective Shifting.
23. Cognitive Flexibility.
24. Self-Reflection.
25. Mindfulness: Reading can be a meditative practice, promoting a state of focus and mindfulness.
26. Improved Imagination.
27. Development of Analytical Skills.
28. Time Management.
29. Increased Productivity.
30. Emotional Intelligence.
31. Learning from Others' Mistakes.
32. Entertainment on a Budget.
33. Breaking Monotony.
34. Family Bonding.
35. Developing a Growth Mindset.
36. Enhanced Communication Skills.
37. Boost in Self-Confidence.
38. Exploration of New Ideas.
39. Learning to Think Independently.
40. A Positive Habit.

(Top image, Negative – Don’t be a kangaroo and just store books!
Lower image, Positive – Read the Reader’s Digest and you will want to read more!)

Ms Myrna’s sharing continues: “Whether for personal development, entertainment, or education, books offer endless benefits.” I revise that to insist: “For personal development, entertainment, and education, reading many books offer endless benefits.”

Before reading, don’t stop first and think, “Do I want to develop, or entertain, or educate myself – with this book?” You just grab what is available and read! The benefits come later.

[Now I want to tell you: In high school in my hometown Asingan, Pangasinan, at the Rizal Junior College high school, I went home on many a Friday with a beltfull of books – I wrapped my belt around the books 3 or 4 – I never borrowed just 1 book. American and British highly-rated books, some Filipino, I was that avid a reader! Even then, my favorite was the Reader’s Digest. I couldn’t get enough of the Reader’s Digest; it helped me think, think more – and write some more!]
(image from Alphastream Marketing Facebook sharing)

Many, many years later – In 2011, the UP Los Baños Alumni Assocation honored me with the award “Outstanding Alumnus For Creative Writing” when Elpidio “Pids” Rosario was alumni President. You cannot be a good writer without reading!

Editor’s Advice – I have been in love with the Reader’s Digest for 70 years. To write better, you cannot read too many Reader’s Digest – or books!@517

The Internet As A Library Is Open – Our Cellphones & Laptops Are Fully Opened, But Our Minds Are Half-Closed! Let’s Learn Manna From Dennis The Menace

Looking at the Internet as an enemy, here are “7 Lessons From 100 Things We've Lost To The Internet By Pamela Paul” (Denish Shastri, Medium, medium.com):

1. The Value of Deep Focus
2. The Importance of Boredom
3. The Loss of Face-to-Face Interactions
4. The Erosion of Privacy
5. The Decline of Reading for Pleasure
6. The Shift in Cultural Knowledge
7. The Need for Digital Detox.

“These lessons encourage readers to reflect on their relationship with technology and to seek a more balanced, fulfilling life that values genuine experiences and connections.”

No! Ms Pamela is looking at the Internet as enemy, not ally. As a writer, I look at the Internet as the best thing that ever happened to creative writing!

See: Either (1) The Internet floods you with thoughts and you drown. Or,
(2) The Internet floods you with thoughts and you swim!

In short, the Internet is a medium as well as source of choice.

Above image shared by Jenta Reeds 02 Oct 2024: Dennis the Menace says, “C’mon, Joey. If you wanna see a rainbow, you gotta put up with a little rain” (Facebook sharing 06 Oct 2024). Dennis is teaching you the rain is not a menace!

“No, it’s not the Internet, not the rain – it’s the way you look at things.”

I do not worry about any of the 7 in Jenta Reed’s negative list from Pamela Paul! If you don’t get out of your negative thoughts, you’ll ever be hardly-creative.

For much creativity, you have to learn the “Po Technique” of Edward De Bono – that’s in his book The Mechanism Of Mind (1933). I’m happily lucky that I have a copy of that which my Pacifica Publicity Bureau copywriter friend Orli Ochosa (+) gifted me some 50 years ago. With Po, I learned to cultivate a positive or two from even the negative thoughts! How to do that? How: To cultivate a creative mind, do not immediately reject any bad thought – you examine it for possibilities; you look beyond the negative and see what might be lurking there! Try it sometime.

Po is how I never run out of ideas to write about. Note that I started blogging in 2000, when I was already 60 years old. I just turned 84, and I have blogged at least 50,000 essays in the last 24 years. [Just an example: If you visit one of my blogs, “Communication For Development Of Vibrant Villages, blogspot.com, you can see a list of 1,108 essays published since March 2019 (I do have several blogs)].

You cannot run out of ideas to write about if you have an open mind!

If you look at the Internet as an enemy – it becomes your enemy! You have to be more intelligent than that, brainier, wiser, more understanding, more astute, more forgiving.

"The Internet has made it easier to access information, but it has also made it harder to access our own thoughts." Negative!@517

“UP Oblation,” This Old UP Alumnus’ New Interpretation For An Old Symbol – From Restricted To Released, From Criticality To Creativity!

Here is the UP Oblation photo (left) taken by me with my Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ100 camera on Valentine’s Day, 14 Feb 2019 (the digital record says so), at the campus of UP Los Baños, my alma mater. Today, a mischievous thought suddenly strikes me: “We have been looking at the UP Oblation with a closed mind!”

I am not surprised. I am the one and only “Outstanding Alumnus For Creative Writing” in the entire 100+ years of the UP System! That honor was bestowed on me in 2011 by the UPLB Alumni Association (UPLBAA) when Madecor President Elpidio L “Pids” Rosario was UPLBAA President.

I declare today: “Old symbols never die, they just fade away.” We just find a way to recreate them. In this case, we inspire people away from instant criticism towards instant creativity. Away from despairing towards inspiring” Thoughts suggested by the images above (right image my re-interpretation).

Old UP Oblation: “You can think only as wide as this.”
New UP Oblation: “You can think as wide & wonderful as all this!”

Even as historically the one-and-only “Outstanding Alumnus For Creative Writing”of the entire UP System, I had been uneasy looking at and thinking of the symbolic statue UP Oblation (Obli). Today, Tuesday, 02 Oct 2024, it suddenly came to me that Obli is best seen as a symbol of two kinds of openness:
(1) openness to criticism, and at the same time
(2) openness to creativity!

Historically, with the Oblation, the UP System had imprisoned itself for almost 90 years in a UP faculty-imposed “largely open opposition to change”!

So, beginning today, Tuesday, 02 Oct 2024, I am one with Edward Albee who said, “I don't like symbolism that hits you over the head. A symbol should not be a cymbal”

Albee, American playwright, wrote “Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?” With my rethinking, now I can write: “Who’s afraid of the UP Oblation?!”

I repeat: Today, the 89-years-old UP Oblation I see differently as symbolizing two kinds of openness: (1) openness to criticism, and at the same time (2) openness to creativity! The UP System has imprisoned itself for almost 90 years in UP-faculty-imposed “open opposition to change”!

Now, how do you deal with a critical-creative Obli? There is the “Po Doctrine” of Edward De Bono that says “Yes” even to any wild, offensive, negative or impractical suggestion – De Bono advises us to look at it in the eye and see if it is suggestive of any number of positive ideas. That is to say, “In creativity, there are no negative ideas – only negative people!”

So! Today I begin to look at the Oblation with a new vision.

The whole UP System has been living a dangerous life, being almost all-the-time a critic of popular national issues.

With an open mind, I take it today that the UP Oblation signifies “openness to mild as well as wild ideas,” which is what “creativity” requires of each of us.

Welcome, re-sculptured critical-creative UP Oblation!@517