Dismissing an Article Because It was Written on Blogspot, WordPress, Etc.?

I guess one of the dumbest things I've run into on Facebook when I share my essays is, "Blogspot? WordPress? Is that a reliable source?" That's really a fallacy called Ad Hominem. That is choosing to attack me (the blogger) instead of the argument on Blogspot because I'm using a free domain.

I share my articles written in Blogger for this reason--I don't like writing overly long comments. It's sometimes better to link to my links rather than type them so long on social media. Writing articles on my business blog and this blog prepares me to write a lot. I can choose long essays and short ones. I may need 1,000+ (or more) words to explain a topic. Sometimes, I need only a few words (like this one) to stress a point. In short, I use my blog posts like ready-to-go ammunition.

Is my blog really suddenly, automatically fake news? FYI, I don't just write. I also do some Internet research. I even quote from some books like the late Lee Kuan Yew's book From Third World to First. I also read from news websites, academic websites (though I have to be careful about paid membership sites to avoid spending too much), and more.

I'd like to stress out that a person can get an impressive design, a yearly domain, etc., and still be giving out fake news mixed with the truth. Unfortunately, LKY even called the Philippines press to be rambunctious in his book From Third World to First when he said:

Ramos knew well the difficulties of trying to govern with strict American-style separation of powers. The senate had already defeated Mrs. Aquino's proposal to retain the American bases. The Philippines had a rambunctious press but it did not check corruption. Individual press reporters could be bought, as could many judges.

Would you really dismiss a valid argument on a free domain in exchange for a paid website full of rambunctious content? For all we know, the person using a free domain decided to go out there and get the information. The person may just be a hobby blogger so buying a domain might not be very practical. A blog is sometimes used to express ideals and share thoughts. Sure, it's not valid as an academic source. However, it can be used to automatically express views or to share thoughts without having to type ridiculously long comments.

Right now, I just write down my thoughts I don't intend to become some kind of expert. However, I do have my advocacy for constitutional reform in the Philippines. I'm also sharing my thoughts on shockers that I've encountered such as Francisco Juan G. Larrañaga's innocence or Hubert Jeffry Webb's innocence. I also want to share my thoughts on some random historical details. It's practicing my limited freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

Sadly, some people still feel so high and mighty that they look down on those they call "just another blogger" or "minor, minor blogger". A degree, an award, etc. might be good but it's not a license to belittle people who are ordinary netizens. Even worse, the name-calling and bullying might show how awards and degrees may not be the best credibility.

BRUTAL Truth: Stop HOPING for Another "PNoy-Like President" Because the Parliamentary System will Produce MUCH BETTER Leaders

Let me get this straight, I'm not here to totally dismiss the good that the late Benigno Simeon "Ninoy" C. Aquino III did. I'll try to be least biased when I'm writing this to "give a shock" to those who tend to treat his term as a "magical time". However, I'm going to have to warn people about the problem of looking for "another Messiah leader". Yesterday was the would've been 66th birthday of Noynoy if he were alive. One can talk good about Noynoy's legacy. However, we need to realize that relying on Noynoy's term is a violation of the Mahathir Mohamad principle of "Never stop learning." We need to think that there's only one Noynoy and when he died, he died . TV-5 reveals that Rep. Edgar Erice, a long-time friend of the late leader, also said the following: Caloocan City 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice made the remark in a social media post marking Aquino’s 66th birth anniversary. In the post, he co...

The 1986 Snap Elections Would Also Disprove the Myth of the "Marcos Parliament"

Anti-charter change proponents love to use Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. among their reasons, to defend their stand. The argument is that "charter change must be evil" because Marcos used it--a fallacy of Guilt by Association . Please, even Atty. Maria Leonor Gerona-Robredo's supporter Andrew James Masigan supports charter change! Now, we must look at Marcos and remember another significant event. It's the 1986 snap elections and why it's also proof that we never had a parliamentary form of government. February 7, 1986, was when Marcos declared snap elections. Two years before the snap election, Marcos even declared that the Philippines was never a parliamentary government under him : The adoption of certain aspects of a parliamentary system in the amended Constitution does not alter its essentially presidential character . Article VII on the Presidency starts with this provision: ‘the President shall be the Head of State and Chief Executive of the Republic of the Ph...

Facts vs. Gossip: The "Chona Mae" Incident is Proof You NEED to Verify What You Hear

It was in 2012 when the Chona Mae incident happened. I remember the panic when people were running the opposite direction while I was working at Downtown, Cebu. The traffic was bad. People were panikcing. But the real twist? It was actually a father looking for his daughter, whose identity we may never know. The Cebu Daily News said this last 2022, which was before entering the post-COVID world: CEBU CITY, Philippines — It has been a decade since the famous “Chona Mae” line was uttered by a father looking for her daughter after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Cebu, February 6, 2012 . From what was a simple call of a father to his daughter turned out to be the biggest tsunami scare in Cebu City. “Ang tubig naa na sa Colon!” ("The Water is already in Colon!") was the line that has gotten everyone running on the street of Cebu looking for shelters up in the mountain parts of Cebu. Today, we remember that frightful yet somehow funny day that w...

The Anthem of Mt. Alishan's Mysterious Origins

There are many versions of the song "Gāo Shān Qīng" (高山青) which literally means "High Green Mountain". The Taiwan Panorama website also shares this detail of the anthem of Mt. Alishan : Though the Tsou don't actually live within the Alishan Forest Recreation Area, the CFDO had little choice but to build a cultural scene for Alishan on the basis of the old song Gao Shan Qing to satisfy visitors' imagined expectations of Alishan . The Tsou folk singing and dancing had stopped during the recent tourism downturn, but the Alishan National Scenic Area Administration held tryouts in 2008, for which the winning troupe won the opportunity to perform at the Alishan Forest Recreation Area entrance. "Tall green mountains, deep blue waters; the girls of Alishan are lovely as the waters; the men of Alishan are strong as the mountains...": Gao Shan Qing has pretty much become the anthem of Alishan. Gao Shan Qing was the theme song for the 1950 film Happenings in ...

Learning About Chinese Dialects

As I look back on my college days, I recall learning more about Chinese history in a Chinese Language Class elective. Yes, it was going back to Grade 1 Chinese, but doing Grade 1 Chinese right. I looked at this video and thought of China's many dialects. A dialect is defined by the Oxford dictionary as, "a particular form of a language which is peculiar to a specific region or social group." The subject was taught in English, not requiring students to learn Hokkien first, and it was how the Chinese school system should've been. Most Chinese Filipinos (like myself) are Hokkien speakers. Amoy is known as Xiamen today, a coastal city of the Fujian Province. I was shocked to learn there are many different types of Chinese, such as Cantonese (used in Hong Kong), and I wasn't shocked to learn that Hainan and Hakka are other dialects in China. Similar to Filipino, China has several languages too! In the Philippines, we have Tagalog, Cebuano, Kapampangan, Waray, and Hilig...

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