RJMarmol.com – Since 2008.

Dumbing our kids down, damning their future

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All I can say is that if you’ve never “used” Calculus in your daily life, you are not making full use of the knowledge you have been introduced to. Beyond the figures or the nauseating equations, the study of Mathematics is a study of “possibilities”, of “origins” and of “derivations”.

It is, as aptly put by many of those who understand its significance, essential to critical thinking. Mathematics urges us to “think” and build on ideas through a sequence of procedures so as to arrive at a certain “solution”. It creates order out of chaos — in a sea of random ideas and figures. It is no different to real-life situations. That’s the very reason why in Math, we are introduced to “Word Problems”.

I do not understand why there are people who until now seem to think that what we learn in Calculus doesn’t apply to real life when in fact, it is “real life” situations that prompted the critical thinkers and mathematicians of old to formulate the theories and equations we currently live by.

I wouldn’t go as far as to conclude that those who elude Math are dumb — I think it’s too harsh a statement, but I can say that it is a terribly wrong assumption, most likely caused by inadequate critical thinking — a direct effect of Math-aversion.

Quoting from the Anti Pinoy blog:

Here’s Chiz asking us to allow the retrogression of our youth – to lessen their ability to “formulate, critically analyze, and solve a variety of problems”. Seriously, do you really want this? Do you really want more dumb Filipinos? Then by all means, vote for Chiz Escudero.HusengBatute, The Anti Pinoy :), Oct 2009

Chiz Escudero is entitled to his own opinion, in the same way each and every one of us are. But it’s one opinion I prefer that he keeps to himself. To go as far as appeal to “Mr. Speaker” that higher Mathematics be prescribed as an “elective” in high school is nothing but a poor attempt at pleasing his “crowd” of young voters. Someone missed the whole point of solving equations.

Our children deserve the best education that the times can provide. Sure, it may be back-breaking, nerve-racking or totally mind-boggling, but let’s face it, they don’t have a choice. In the fast lane of the internet age, you either “evolve or become extinct“.

Tough love, it is, but love all the same. And when the time comes that they’d need to do some “critical thinking”, I’m sure they’d thank us for it.

So, “Mr. Speaker”, by all means, bombard us with more Math. Let my children live in a future where politicians “think more than they blab”.

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● About Me
Cecilia Regina Aquino Blanquera Marmol aka RJ Marmol profile picture

I’m RJ Marmol — writer, musician, and independent creator based in Manila.

I write songs, essays, and books about the messy overlap between money, overwhelm, creativity, identity, and rebuilding. Much of my work circles around what happens when life stops feeling manageable — and how we try to think clearly, make decisions, and keep moving anyway.

I’m also the author of Rebuilding Under Debt: Thinking Clearly When Everything Is a Blur, a nonfiction book published under Steady Hand Press. The paperback edition is listed under my full publishing name, Cecilia Regina Aquino Blanquera.

On the music side, I release work as HeyRJ. On the writing side, this site is where I gather my books, essays, notes, and whatever I’m building next.

Music

HeyRJ is my sonic soul project. I create raw, minimalist-style and deeply personal music interpretations that feel like a late-night conversation with your truest self.

By blending lo-fi acoustic textures with poetic honesty, my work explores love, loss, grief, healing, and the quiet in-betweens of life. Each song is a letter — a journal entry — a gentle companion for when the world feels too loud or too quiet.

While my catalogue began with intimate cover renditions, my work is increasingly being shaped by original writing, drawing from years of poems, lived questions, and emotional survival.

“Stuck Home Syndrome” released on March 20, 2026 is my first original 20-track album written during a period when time felt compressed and days began to blur into each other. The songs came from sitting with thoughts that had nowhere else to go — unfiltered, repetitive, and sometimes uncomfortable. It’s a concept album that isn’t built around singles or polish. It’s closer to a continuous inner monologue, recorded with minimal production and very little ornamentation and meant to be listened to as one cohesive body of work. The goal wasn’t to resolve anything, only to document how it felt while it was happening.

On May 29, 2026 I released new original singles – “Rapturous”, “Uh Huh”, “Look At You”, “All That” and “Blew Print”. I continue to release both original and cover songs and intend to so for as long as I can so check back every once in a while — you might. just find something you’ll like.

For business inquiries relating to music, email me at: heyrjmusic[at]gmail[dot]com or my personal email at: rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com.

Books

Rebuilding Under Debt: Thinking Clearly When Everything Is a Blur

A nonfiction book about what debt does to the mind — and how to begin functioning again when financial stress has made everything feel blurred, urgent, and overwhelming.

Rather than treating debt only as a financial math problem, the book explores the emotional and cognitive realities of financial distress: shame, decision fatigue, avoidance, panic, relationship strain, and the difficulty of making sound decisions while mentally depleted.

Published under Steady Hand Press. It’s available worldwide in ebook and paperback formats on Amazon. Bookstores and libraries can also be order it wholesale via Ingram.

Contact

For book-related inquiries, media requests, bookstore questions, or discussion-group invitations, you can reach me through the contact page on this site or send me an email to rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com or hello[at]steadyhandpress.com

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