Publisher's Synopsis
About the book "Pretty Ugly" Not all Americans are Ugly Americans. Some Americans are pretty. Some Americans are ugly. But most Americans are a combination of both. They're pretty ugly. And that is the title of this book, the 23rd of the Make My Day Series, Pretty Ugly.. This book is notable because of a special section occupying almost one-third of the book, that features Claro M. Recto, deemed one of the greatest Filipinos who ever lived. Here in articles on his life and works, Larry Henares extols him as the alpha and the omega of the best in the Filipino, and gives us five of his greatest speeches, on foreign policy, economic policy, nationalism and the constitution - which are more relevant as the years go by.. And then the fun begins when Larry Henares resumes his role as a witty, knowledgeable, and profound commentator on the contemporary scene. In Hisory and Economics he writes of the Filipino immigrant Dagohoy and his mastery of American history; the force of falsehoods, the epic Long March, gold, historical myths, air pollution and judicial activism, armor plating the car - and one of the most beautiful pieces ever written "The Brightest Star in all the Heavens"! In Entertainment and the Arts, he writes to an obscene caller, he writes a very funny piece on the invention of Golf, he write about Pelvis Presley, Michael Buble the new Sinatra, Lani Misalucha the Songbird, the late Sculptor Solomon Saprid, and the movies of Quark Henares and Roberto Benigni - and the Words made Flesh that dwell among men. In Health and the Amenities, he writes of your real name (not your baptismal name), durian, stress and heart attacks, and what happens when the Lord responds to your prayers. In Personalities, he speaks fondly of his doctor, a justice friend, his wife's great-grandfather, and scathingly of the beetle-brow beetle brained US president, the asshole Belgian Ambassador, and a convicted rapist-torturer-murderer. Read, laugh, cry, and get yourself an education from an educated man. TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword by Juan L. Manuel, Secretary of Education - p7 1.The Management Revolution - p7 2.The Industrial Revolution - p8 3.The Revival of Nationalism - p8 4.Control of Foreign Investment - p9 5.The End of the Laurel Agreement - p10 6.Trade with Developing Nations and Socialist Countries - p10 7.The Multiple Man - p11 Nota Bene - p12 CLARO M. RECTO - p12 Part I. Recto: a titan walked amongst us - p12 Part II. The Mind of Recto spanned all time and all seasons - p13 Part III. Recto changed our history and our lives - p15 Part IV. Recto's speeches -- a perfect wedding of logic and eloquence - p16 Part V. Recto and Constitutional Suicide - p18 NE REQUIESCAT IN PACE - p20 The dogfight of the top dogs - p21 THE SPEECHES OF DON CLARO M. RECTO - p22 I. OUR MENDICANT FOREIGN POLICY - p22 II. NATIONALISM, MY UNCONQUERABLE FAITH - p28 III. OUR FUTURE UNDER THE CONSTITUTION - p32 IV. OUR CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS - p38 V. ECONOMIC NATIONALISM - p47 HISTORY AND ECONOMICS - p53 Who Said That? - p53 The Force of Falsity - p54 Buying a new car - p55 THE LONG MARCH -p57 1, The Long March, greater than Xenophon's retreat - p57 2. Good Manners and Right Conduct in warfare - p58 3. Self-sacrifice becomes a theatrical gesture - p59 4, The Grand Illusion - p60 GOLD - p61 1. Gold, gold, gold! - p61 2. The Americans cheated everyone by going off the gold standard - p62 3. Our word for money, Pera, originally meant Puta - p63 DEBUNKING HISTORY - p64 1. Debunking Historical Myths: The Spanish Armada - p64 2. Debunking Historical Myths: The Battle of Agincourt - p66 3. Debunking Historical Myths: The Battle of Agincourt. (continued) - p67 4. Debunking Historical Myths: The Charge of the Light Brigade - p68 5. Debunking Historical Myths: Custer's Last Stand - p AIR POLLUTION - p71 1. Supreme Court asked to clean up air pollution - p71 etc etc