EFFERVESCENCE

Forgiven Much. Loved Much.

2009-04-06T21:13:00.000+08:00

^{Luke 7:36} Now one of the Pharisees was requesting him to dine with him. And he entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that he was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought and alabaster vial of perfume, ³⁸ and, standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and kept wiping them with the hair of her head and kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfume. ³⁹ Now, when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of person this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner." ⁴⁰ And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher." ⁴¹ "A certain moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him more?" ⁴³ Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And he said to him, "You have judged correctly." ⁴⁴ And turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You gave me no kiss, but since the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfume. ⁴⁷ For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." ⁴⁸ And he said to her, "You sins have been forgiven." ⁴⁹ And those who had been reclining at the table with him began to say to themselves, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?" ⁵⁰ And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

Dear

2009-03-21T21:32:00.000+08:00

Dear Ramsey (y-k-w-y-a)

I envy you.
You have a nice bone structure.
You make me stay in front of the mirror and probe my best angle.
You should lend me your bones. :))
Someday I will work what I have and nail it. [Someday]
You + me = + delta G
If I saw you now I'd tell you how your nasal bridge (?) resembles that of Kris Allen's.
I want to be strong as you are.
I would build a recording studio just for you. Lakas.
If I could sing you any song it would be Insomnia by Craig David or probably Remeber the Time by Kris Allen (kahawig mo kasi, :))).
We could titrate under the stars. (labo)

Love,
Drew. (as if)

May magagalit sa akin... :))

(P.S. Dahil ikaw ang naiisip ko naun. :)) Bawal magalit.)

Oh and I am going to post this under my notes and see what you write about me.

Am planning to make one everyday [sana]. Guys, watch out. :D

Online Portfolio

2009-02-09T19:12:00.000+08:00

I really want to model. I am currently a BS BioChemistry student of the University of the Philippines. This in mind, I want to prove, that with determination and God's guidance, one can have the best of both worlds. Relatively, my knowledge of the industry is not outstanding. I am willing to learn though.

Paulgie SanchezMakati City, National Capital Region, Philippines 1207paulgie.sanchez@yahoo.com.ph

DETAILS Shut Up and Dance

2009-02-07T20:13:00.000+08:00

The Artist Vario

presents

SHUT UP and DANCE

Coming Soon this March 2009

Have you seen the underground sight of NYC Night Life? It is the clubbing scene of fierce dance moves and mind blowing outfits. PARTY until we drop!

The Artist Vario presents the latest innovation in the photography industry inspired by Lady Gaga's Just Dance and Beautiful, Dirty Rich and Madonna's Hard Candy.

Be there when it happens on March 7, 2009 1 o' clock in the afternoon onwards.

Dance to the rhythm of the altest tunes on the dance floor, shake that thing and strike a pose. Our Fierce Force of Five will make sure you'll fabulously grace the dance floor.

Make-up by Ruel Papa, Dino Lazaro and Nixxie Chen

Hair by Icko

Styling by Donald Elizaga

So, what are you waiting for?

DEPOSIT Php600.00 (hair, make-up and 5 high resolution files inclusive) to any BPI Branch to DENNIS C. ARAPELES BPI Savings Account Number 1626-1064-31 > Scan Deposit Slip and send to ronformation_88@yahoo.com with Full Name and Multiply/Website URL.

SEE YOU.

Shut Up and Dance coming March 2009

2009-02-07T17:18:00.000+08:00

As the music fills our soul, our bodies dance to the rhythm of our hearts.

Everything else turns dim, all sounds goes mute. Only the tune that makes our heart beats remain.

We dance to beat. We join the rhythm. Stop all worries, leave all pain.

Right now, just ...

Shut up and Dance!

WATCHOUT FOR IT
coming this March 2009

The Artist Vario

Copied 07 February 2009 from http://thesonsofgovernment.multiply.com/journal/item/81

No details of the shoot yet. I will keep you guys posted as soon as the photographer, Sir Ron, tell me what will be happening. Don't worry. Btw, I embed-ed the Lady Gaga track that will be the basis of the shoot. See you. :)

On Britney Jean

2009-01-11T07:41:00.000+08:00

BRITNEY by Bebo Norman

Britney I'm sorry for the lies we told
We took you into our arms and then left you cold
Britney I'm sorry for this cruel cruel world
We sell the beauty but destroy the girl
Britney I'm sorry for your broken heart
We stood aside and watched you fall apart
I'm sorry we told you fame would fill you up
And money moves the man so drink the cup

I know love goes around the world we know
And you never see it coming back
You never see it coming back
I know love goes around the world we know
And you never see it coming back
But i can see it coming back for you
Yes coming back for you

Britney I'm sorry for the stones we throw
We tear you down just so we can watch the show
Britney im sorry for the words we say
We point the finger as you fall from grace

I know love goes around the world we know
And you never see it coming back
You never see it coming back
And i know love goes around the world we know
And you never see it coming back
But i can see it coming back for you

Yeah, its coming back for you
Yeah, its coming back for you
Yeah, its coming back for you
Yeah

Britney I do believe that love has come
Here for the broken
Here for the ones like us

I know love goes around the world we know
And you never see it coming back
You never see it coming back
And i know love goes around the world we know
And you never see it coming back
But i can see it coming back

I know love goes around the world we know
And you never see it coming back
You never see it coming back
I can see it coming back for you

It's coming back for you... yeah
(repeat)

Carrot. Egg. Cup of Coffee.

2009-01-02T13:01:00.000+08:00

A repost from Tin's blog.

A Carrot, An Egg and a Cup of Coffee

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.

She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.

She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me, what you see?”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.

She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it.

After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, mother?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity … boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

“Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?

Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?

Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Bye 2008. Hello 2009.

2008-12-31T10:26:00.000+08:00

Thank you very much. I learned a lot. Andaming nangyari. NO regrets. Ansaya. It turn out to be a great year after all. :)

I really want to make a year-ender entry, but I am currently on the rush of accomplishing tremendous academic tasks. I decided to provide you guys a nice playlist from Imeem. I have no doubt the songs featured may be associated to various facets of your 2008 life as this correlation applies to my experience. Hehe. Labo. LOLz.

Enjoy!

________________________________

If ever I find a better playlist, I'll keep you posted. I will be changing my theme tomorrow, by the way. Happy New Year. :)

REPOST: To see is To Believe. To Believe is NOT to See.

2008-12-29T10:47:00.000+08:00

An Atheist Professor of Philosophy speaks to his Class on the
Problem Science has with GOD, The ALMIGHTY.
He asks one of his New Christian Students to stand and . . .

Professor : You are a Christian, aren't you, son ?

Student : Yes, sir.

Professor : So you Believe in GOD ?

Student : Absolutely, sir.

Professor : Is GOD Good ?

Student : Sure.

Professor : Is GOD ALL - POWERFUL ?

Student : Yes.

Professor : My Brother died of Cancer even though he Prayed to GOD to Heal him. Most of us would attempt to Help Others who are ill. But GOD didn't. How is this GOD Good then ? Hmm ?

( Student is silent )

Professor : You can't answer, can you ? Let's start again, Young Fella. Is GOD Good ?

Student : Yes.

Professor : Is Satan good ?

Student : No.

Professor : Where does Satan come from ?

Student : From . . .. GOD . . .

Professor : That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this World ?

Student : Yes.

Professor : Evil is everywhere, isn't it ? And GOD did make Everything. Correct ?

Student : Yes.

Professor : So who created evil ?

( Student does not answer )

Professor : Is there Sickness ? Immorality ? Hatred ? Ugliness ? All these terrible things exist in the World, don't they ?

Student : Yes, sir.

Professor : So, who Created them ?

( Student

has no answer )

Professor : Science says you have 5 Senses you use to Identify and Observe the World around you. Tell me, son . . . Have you ever Seen GOD ?

Student : No, sir.

Professor : Tell us if you have ever Heard your GOD ?

Student : No , sir.

Professor : Have you ever Felt your GOD, Tasted your GOD, Smelt your GOD ? Have you ever had any Sensory Perception of GOD for that matter ?

Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Professor : Yet you still Believe in HIM ?

Student : Yes.

Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son ?

Student : Nothing. I only have my Faith.

Professor : Yes. Faith. And that is the Problem Science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as Heat ?

Professor : Yes.

Student : And is there such a thing as Cold ?

Professor : Yes.

Student : No sir. There isn't.

( The Lecture Theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events )

Student : Sir, you can have Lots of Heat, even More Heat, Superheat, Mega Heat, White Heat, a Little Heat or No Heat.

But we don't have anything called Cold.

We can hit 458 Degrees below Zero which is No Heat, but we can't go Any further after that.

There is no such thing as Cold. Cold is only a Word we use to describe the Absence of Heat.

We cannot Measure Cold. Heat is Energy. Cold is Not the Opposite of Heat, sir, just the Absence of it.

( There is Pin - Drop Silence in the Lecture Theatre )

Student : What about Darkness, Professor ? Is there such a thing as

Darkness ?

Professor : Yes. What is Night if there isn't Darkness ?

Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the Absence of Something. You can have Low Light, Normal Light , Bright Light, Flashing Light . . . But if you have No Light Constantly, you have Nothing and it's called Darkness, isn't it ? In reality, Darkness isn't. If it is, were you would be able to make Darkness Darker, wouldn't you ?

Professor : So what is the point you are making, Young Man ?

Student : Sir, my point is your Philosophical Premise is Flawed.

Professor : Flawed ? Can you explain how ?

Student : Sir, you are working on the Premise of Duality. You argue there is Life and then there is Death, a Good GOD and a bad GOD. You are viewing the Concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can't even explain a Thought. it uses Electricity and Magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.

To view Death as the Opposite of Life is to be ignorant of the fact that Death cannot exist as a Substantive Thing. Death is Not the Opposite of Life : just the Absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you Teach your Students that they Evolved from a Monkey ?

Professor : If you are referring to the Natural Evolutionary Process, yes, of course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed Evolution with your own eyes, sir ?

( The Professor shakes his head with a Smile, beginning to realize where the Argument is going )

Student : Since no one has ever observed the Process of Evolution at work and cannot even prove that this Process is an On - Going Endeavor, are you not Teaching your Opinion, sir ?

Are you not a Scientist but a Preacher ?

( The Class is in Uproar )

Student : Is there anyone in the Class who has ever Seen the Professor's Brain ?

( The Class breaks out into Laughter )

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever Heard the Professor's Brain, Felt it, Touched or Smelt it ? . . . No one appears to have done so. So, according to the Established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that you have No Brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then Trust your Lectures, sir ?

( The Room is Silent. The Professor stares at the Student, his face unfathomable )

Professor : I guess you'll have to take them on Faith, son.

Student : That is it sir . . .

the Link between Man & GOD is FAITH.

That is all that Keeps Things Moving & Alive.

NB: I believe you have enjoyed the Conversation . . . and if so . . . you'll probably want your Friends / Colleagues to enjoy the same . . . won't you ? . . .

REPOST/FORWARD them to Increase their Knowledge . . . or FAITH

It turned out later that the student is Albert Einstein. (This part I don't know if true, but who am I to say, I wasn't there. )

Even the best of scientists ever believed in God!

2 Corinthians 5:7 -- For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Reuters' Want to marry a doctor? Survey shows most do

2008-12-20T20:34:00.000+08:00

SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!) – It really does pay to be a doctor, with an international survey showing the medical profession is the most trust

ed, among the most admired and includes the most eligible marriage partners.

By contrast, actors and musicians, along with journalists and advertisers, were among professionals that people trusted the least, and were also least likely to choose a partner from, according to a survey by Synovate, the market research arm of Aegis Group plc.

"Much of who we are is tied up in what we do in the hours from nine to five, and often way beyond," a Synovate statement said.

"Asking someone what they do for a living is often the first question you ask them; right after 'what's your name?'."

The survey polled about 5,500 respondents in Brazil, Canada, China, France, Malaysia, South Africa and the United States.

It asked people what makes for an admirable job, which professions they trust or do not, who is overpaid, and which profession they would prefer to marry.

Sixteen percent nominated doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals as their preferred marriage partners, higher than any other profession.

Other eligible -- and admired -- professions were education, at 14 percent, and science and technology, at 10 percent.

Educators and doctors were also voted the most trusted by an overwhelming 86 and 87 percent, followed by homemakers and those in science and technology.

Only one percent picked retail professionals as partner-material, and those in media and marketing, as well as entertainers, did little better at two and three percent.

These professions were also among the least trusted by respondents, who, across the seven markets, picked the media as the single least trusted group.

Entertainers, along with corporate executives and lawyers, were voted as being the most overpaid, while homemakers and educators were among those seen as being underpaid.

(Writing by Miral Fahmy, Editing by Gillian Murdoch and Bill Tarrant)

A Beaker on One Hand. A Rosary on the Other.

2008-11-23T15:02:00.000+08:00

After all that had happened -- especially those concerning my academic standing and personal struggles, I became a persecutor of the Church. Despite this, God came to my assistance. Embraced me. Loved me as He always does.

My faith had remained immature. I was tested. I failed. BUT God never gave up on me. He concretize everything so that my blind eyes will be able to see the splendor of His plan. He gave me an opportunity of attaining salvation NOW.

Weak as I am, His strength dominated mine.

For the fourth time, I stood up for something I never dreamnt of. Taking into consideration my pride as triggered by 'my' capabilities and relatively laudable academic performance, it is hard for me to swallow all the ambitions away -- the possibility of becoming rich and famous 'just' to follow His will.

Life away from Him, manly speaking is more pleasurable. I would be a TOTAL hypocrite if I will say that I do not enjoy sins of lust, greed, envy, anger, sloth, pride, and gluttony. I am a slave of the world myself.

These known, God continues to tap me. He sent people to bring me back to the reality that He died for me amidst my sinfulness and His plan is better than mine. He reminded me how precariousness on certain circumstances on the past justified that when things don't go my way, they fit into their proper places at the right time.

Conversion, with God, is possible. It is a 'joyful' undertaking despite suffering.

A BioChem student as I am, God helped me come to the realization of a BioChemist's real essence. He made science a way for me to realize that complex patterns at the molecular level are something man cannot synthesize justifying Someone divine who had created these magnificent occurences,

Becoming a person of science is like a child's dream come true. Being able to study towards the attainment of that goal is really a gift from God. But He never stopped on that. He called me to be of service to the Church, something I never imagined looking back at my history. The heart-pounding [occurs just when the one presiding the celebration hints calling for vocation; in spite of normal heart rates before and after the call], knee-shaking [this really happens], tear-jerking [believe me, I cried a lot], mind-breaking [scenes of how God loves me versus tableaus of how successful and 'happy' I may be], and arm-tighting [when one holds to his chair for resistance, LOLz] feelings were there even if it was my fourth time to stand up and answer what I supposed His call..

Upon reflection of these four "stand-ups" [sorry for the term], God helped me realize how my experience vary from the first, the second, the third and the fourth.

The first was after I 'left' my community and just attended the National Youth Pilgrimage primarily to tour IloIlo City.

The second and third were on Sydney where God showed me His love that transcended borders and moved me to buckets of tears.

And fourth was amidst my doubts and insecurities.

On this four happenings, God did not fail to surprise me.

I am unworthy of His love. Upon scrutinizing some readings from the Bible, however, God reminded me that I am never on this battle alone; that unworthy as I am, He chooses me...HE LOVES ME.

To end this entry, let me quote the last passage I was able to scrutinize: "Knowing this, we pray continually that our God will make you worthy of his call." (2 Th 1:11)

Now, am more certain of His call. [After my hibernation, guess I will be seeing Jose Luis again.] I still insist that He calls me to modelling too, though [that explains the picture I included on this entry]. :))

Like me, He might be calling you too. Pray for me that I may be able to defend this gift and be worthy of His call -- as stated on the aforementioned passage. Please and thank you very much. May GOD bless us MORE.

The Lord Has Given Me - Songs of the Neocatechumenal Way

The Real Deal on Pablo Banila

2008-11-16T06:35:00.000+08:00

By Bianca Consunji
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Last updated 01:03:00 11/15/2008

[I highlighted some points for emphasis.]

NO, he’s not a cyber-stalker. Or a group of psychology students doing a project. Or the government in disguise. Pablo Banila is a real person, but he’s not the crazy lowlife that people thought he was.

When the first Pablo Banila article came out in 2bU two weeks ago, we were swamped with hundreds of letters and blog comments from readers. The sentiments expressed in the mail were varied; they ranged from “Pablo Banila gives me the chills too,” to “He’s a psycho who not only views my Multiply site, but Friendster as well,” to “He’s actually a genius who was just misunderstood.”

Most of the readers were curious about his identity and wanted to know who he was, while a few thought an article about him was a waste of precious newspaper space. “Argh, you gave him more attention!” said a friend, wringing his hands. Another said, “Unbelievable, you made him famous! But in any case, he still gives off bad vibes and he’s still flooding my viewing history page with his gazillion accounts.” A blog reader was more blunt, saying, “Big deal. Slow news day?”

But in either case, Pablo Banila certainly caught your attention—and apparently, the article caught his too, because he e-mailed 2bU to give the real deal on his identity. He had explained his intentions in a UP Multiply blog at http://yoopee.multiply.com/journal/item/4805, but only a handful of internet users knew about it (compared to the millions of sites that he “visited”).

Pablo Banila—Paolo Bantolo in real life—has been called many names in the past couple of months, and a lot of them weren’t too nice. “Creepy” was the first thing that came to mind when Multiply and Friendster users first saw the avatar that showed a guy with matted chin-length hair and a sign that flashed, “Yes, Pablo Banila has a crush on you hahahaha! That’s why he viewed your homepage, cute nun!”

The reactions that the avatar elicited were interesting. Initially, people truly believed that the mysterious Pablo Banila had a crush on them, gender notwithstanding—until they visited his site and realized that they were duped.

“Before I opened up a guestbook, there were three general reactions from three kinds of people,” said Bantolo in an e-mail interview. “First, from the genuinely curious—people asking me if they do know me; in other words, people who did not bother reading my profile, the naked confession of everything I am.”

He added, “[The next were] from the genuinely infatuated—schoolgirls and baby boys telling me that I can be their boyfriend anytime! The rest were people with a sense of humor. Interestingly, most of my most passionate haters honestly believed that I had a crush on them until the grand opening of ‘Pablo Banila’s Never-ending Guestbook Party.’ [Then] they found out it wasn’t only them.”

The truth is, Pablo Banila never really visited every website where his avatar appeared—his bots did. An anonymous reader who identified himself as a retired hacker explained, “Pablo Banila actually is a programmer who uses a program called ‘web crawler.’ Web crawlers were originally used by search engines such as Google and Yahoo to automatically browse web pages on the internet. [This is done so they can] save the data on their database and make an index list of the web pages on the Internet.”

The reader added, “This is all done using a program. A program with a standard DSL connection can browse 10 sites every second, 600 sites every minute and 36,000 sites every hour—roughly 864,000 Multiply sites every day.”

Others who were already in the know admitted that he was a computer genius, if only slightly off his rocker. News that he came from top schools (Bantolo graduated from the Philippine Science High School and went on to study Computer Science at the University of the Philippines Diliman before transferring to New York University; he is currently a graduate student at California Riverside) only fueled the speculations about his being a crazy genius.

Others expressed their admiration and marveled at how he was able to pull off the scheme; others, like Multiply user “emocantbevanity” said, “He’s such a weirdo … why can’t he just get a life or something? Is he that much of a genius, that’s why he became a weirdo? Oh well, moral lesson—don’t be a genius and learn to socialize with other people so you wouldn’t become the country’s biggest weirdo!”

“I never thought of my viewing activity as stalking,” Bantolo said. “It was casual web surfing. What made the difference was my classic welcome message that penetrated the unawareness of the unspoken hope the viewing history promises in an avatar of a Lesbian in Shining Armor. I can honestly say that I wanted to meet new friends, and, ultimately, build a bridge of chance towards my one true love.”

According to Bantolo, he chose Multiply and Friendster “for the high demographic of Filipinos. And because I have not tried making new friends in other networks—but I will! Pretty soon!”

He added, “I wish I could click on millions of headshots for hours in a day, for that would’ve been like playing my favorite game, Counter-Strike; but that’s just impossible in my already inhumane schedule as a working student.”

And as for stalking—as soon as it was established that the only pages “Pablo Banila” visited were the homepages of the sites, which are essentially open to public viewing (as Multiply and Friendster have contacts-only lock options)—his viewing activities can hardly be counted as harassment.

Multiply user “agnestherese” said, “Pablo Banila is hardly a stalker. He only views homepages, not blogs or photos. I think that those who make such a big deal out of it, more specifically all the hate blogs, are self-centered or maybe just hurt when they found out that Pablo Banila has a crush on them … and everyone else.”

“Public domain is public domain,” Bantolo explained. “If they felt harassed in any way, it was because I kept exercising my right to view their public profile.” He further attributed the public’s fear and irritation to his “scarecrow headshot.”

He said, “People read about accusations, libel and death threats against me written on my guestbook. I am hated in exactly the same way other human beings discriminate against blacks, Muslims, and homosexuals.”

Bantolo added, “I performed the same routine using stereotypical images of innocence (young, attractive and female) at the same duration and received virtually no reaction.”

Actually, the entire issue is moot and academic, as “Pablo Banila” has already retired and given up his homepage-viewing days. But many users, unaware of what happened, remained in the dark for the past few weeks. As a final note, Bantolo quoted the California Penal Code’s definition of stalking:

Any person who willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows or harasses another person and makes a credible threat with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear for his or her safety is guilty of the crime of stalking.

“Credible threat” means a verbal or written threat, including that performed through the use of an electronic communication device.

He clarified, “I am not making a ‘credible threat’ nor do I intend to ‘place any person in reasonable fear for his or her safety.’”

E-mail the author at biancaconsunji@yahoo.com

ANTM Interview: MARJORIE CONRAD

2008-11-15T08:49:00.000+08:00

Interview by Erin, November 13, 2008. To view original post, click here.

[I highlighted important points for emphasis.]

______________________________

Yesterday, I interviewed the most recent eliminated girl from America’s Next Top Model, Marjorie Conrad. She chatted with us about her nerves, her friendship with Analeigh and more!

Full Q&A is below the jump!

How did you get involved with Top Model?

I really didn’t expect to model before show. I was recruited at my college bookstore. Sarah asked me to get a Polaroid taken and to say hi to Tyra. I went through the three day audition process and that’s how the journey began.

What did you see in yourself that could make you a top model?

I definitely don’t think I am terribly mainstream. I have an edge and I like to be creative during my photo shoots. What I did at every shoot was come up with a film reference and carry out that concept in my photo shoots. Our direction in photo shoots was really vague and we didn’t get a lot of feedback. We had to create our own story and carry that out.

What was your favorite thing about Amsterdam?

I liked posing in the red light fashion challenge. I liked my designer and liked my dress. It was covered in Dutch sayings and I had a lot of fun figuring out what the dress meant. During that challenge, I got a lot of applause and it was exhilarating.

Can you talk about the controversy with Elina and why you said that she didn’t try hard enough?

I haven’t gotten a chance to clear the air with Elina. As for the controversy, there isn’t any. We are friends and we do connect more than just the fact we are European. We get each other as a person. Part of what I said about her not trying was my own projection, as we winded down to the final five. I was more likely to cater to the criticism we received than she was. Elina got tired of incorporating it in her performance and not seeing results, so she returned to her initial way of modeling. It’s not that she didn’t try, she just became frustrated with the process and the experience and wasn’t as eager to grow as some of the other girls. Ultimately she tried as hard as she could and did the best she could and we can’t fault her for that.

Often, the girls from ANTM are seen as role models. Does that worry you with how the drinking was portrayed on the show?

Um, honestly, it was completely blown out of proportion. I didn’t drink that much alcohol. Analeigh was concerned about how much I was drinking, but she didn’t need to be. I just took a bath fully clothed and just stayed kinda quiet. Yeah I kissed a guy, but it wasn’t anything outrageous. People think it was losing control, but it was pretty innocent, actually. As far as being a role model, I actually think I fit the mainstream idea of what a role model is. I tried as hard as I could and I gave it a fair a shot. I’m the luckiest person in the world and have an opportunity to pursue whatever I want from this rare platform.

How did you feel about being constantly criticized for your nerves, then were eliminated because you conquered them?

I was worried. The awkward nervous persona they showed is really reductive. My normal personality was the more composed person you saw more of in the last episode. I didn’t show this side as much. I found when I did, people called me boring. This happened on many occasions early during the show, which wasn’t aired, and it was criticism I was very much aware of. I feared being eliminated or lack of personality. I identified and worked on my weaknesses when I went through periods of self doubt, and that came across as that jittery, nervous person. It’s very much a part of me and my personality, but it was a uni-dimensional representation, and one I became focused on.

Was it hard to say goodbye to Analeigh?

I didn’t break down until I saw her face. It was nice to see she was affected by my elimination and that she was rooting for me. She was my best friend in the house. We were comfortable with each other, but it was not of a sexual nature. It was shown in a one-dimensional light. It often showed one sided dependency, with me leaning on Analeigh, but it was mutual. We protected each other during hard times and leaned on each other for support throughout the competition. We are valuable friends and once she gets off the show and the show is over, I hope to stay in touch with her.

How do you feel about the other girls reaction to your explanation of your different perspective and “Europeanness”?

The girls questions weren’t out of line. The moment you distinguish yourself, you are targeted. It puts yourself out there for criticism. Also, the show didn’t represent my argument well. All I wanted today was not that being European gives an excuse. It’s not about that. As soon as you are in a foreign place, you have to different perspectives, regardless of how long you’ve lived in one place over the other. You have lived in, learned from and seen two different cultures, two types of people and two different ways to see the world. These perspectives make it less possible to be so sure of yourself and of your environment. It makes you consider other options and other possibilities. The other girls has only been expose to one environment, one perspective and couldn’t understand why I could understand them and see another side as well. They only had one perspective because it was something they had never been exposed to, so they couldn’t understand it. But they weren’t out of line. If anything, they were trying to understand.

How did you feel about the constant criticism of your nerves?

There were times I was calm and controlled at panel and nerves were worked back into evaluation. Nigel would be like “your’e hiding it, but I see your nerves!” when really, they weren’t there. But then, when they weren’t, I was considered uninteresting and that was a lot of pressure. Looking through forums online, a lot of people found me being annoying when I was so nervous. I am not uni-dimensional. I am a complex person, just like everyone else. The show simply chose to highlight and exaggerate one aspect of my personality and I did play into that a bit, in an effort to prevent my own elimination. But I am not the only person who was represented in a uni-dimensional light. Take Analeigh. She is wholesome, but deeper, private issues, were not addressed in the context of the show. It would have taken her character and her role on the show in a different direction. We’re edited to be caricatures and viewers take this to the first degree. The show can be taken out of porportion, but what is certain is that its subjective. Viewers need to understand and recognize that they are seeing only a selected aspect of who were are as people, and doing so when we are in an extremely unnatural environment, and take that into account when forming opinions about our nature.

What sort of things do make you nervous?

The fact I was treading through uncharted waters in a high pressure situation was pretty nerve-wracking. I don’t play sports and am not competitive. I have no game face and am not trained for such scenarios. Plus I couldn’t vent at any time, when I did, it was on camera so I looked like a train wreck when I was trying to work things out for myself. I was talking through things so I could understand them and contextualize them better for myself, but to do that in confessional paints that experience in a very different light. It takes talking it out for me. Doing some other activity, like editing film. I just go back to that, it’s a comforting area for me. Bur we didn’t have that outlet on the show.

What are your plans for the future?

I would love to model now. Before the show, I wasn’t expecting to model. It was never a dream of mine. Now that I’ve been exposed to it, I love it. I worked with experts and won outlandish prizes and have a strong portfolio. I’m the luckiest person in the worlds to be able to have that and to go forward in my career with such a strong start.

Do you see yourself as a print or runway model?

I need to work on runway. But it’s not impossible for me to be runway model. I need better posture in order to be an effective runway model, but it’s not an insurmountable task. I love doing photo shoots. I love coming up with a concept and attempting to actualize it. Models should be relatable and connect with person looking at it. Translating emotion through image is important it me. It’s an equal interest on me. Some people think I’m a better print model, but I can work on both levels.

How did you come up with your signature look?

I came up with it on my own. I naturally have a slouch, so it was easy for me to push it and make it photogenic. It’s good to transform weaknesses into something positive. I think that’s why the photo shoot with Tyra was in fact my best, because she pushed me to come out of niche for myself, stand up straight work posture in a way I hadn’t focused on yet.

Why do you think the last photo shoot was a struggle for you?

I think a large factor was that I didn’t have a prop. The other girls were given lots of different things to work with, but I was instructed to just walk back and forth. However, this isn’t a fair representation of why my photo was weak. It didn’t help, but it’s not the only factor. However, I quite like my photo and thought it was a success. I was trying to have an alien-like quality about me and was trying to convey that. In my photo shoots, I like to think of film references and portray that in the concept. For that shoot, it was David Bowie and “The Man who Fell to Earth.” This idea made Jay really happy and I think I succeeded in what I, as a model, was trying to do for that shoot.

Thank you for speaking with us today!

Thank you!

Black in White House.

2008-11-06T11:06:00.000+08:00

WASHINGTON—Democrat Barack Obama on Tuesday swept away the last racial barrier in American politics with ease to become the first US black president in a historic victory over Republican John McCain.

from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20081106-170496/Black-in-White-House

The news lead above came from PDI. The title of this entry is the news' headline. Image was from http://www.flickr.com/photos/seetwist/2311174232, by the way.

What do you think about it?

To the Best Sem T'was and Better Sems Coming

2008-10-31T14:51:00.000+08:00

I have been realizing many things lately. I soo miss Aussie. Indeed, the World Youth Day had led me to a sudden U-TURN. The realizations I had reflected on would be too melodramatic and numerous for me to elaborate. To sum it all up, anyway, I attest that GOD really had not let me traverse life alone. May GOD bless us MORE.

You may want to listen to the playlist I had included below. Reflect. I have no doubt you will not regret doing so.

10 Ways to Be Happier

2008-10-29T04:51:00.000+08:00

by Real Simple, on Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:00am PDT

How happy are you -- really? If there’s room for improvement, then Gretchen Rubin has some suggestions.

A few years ago, on a morning like any other, I had a sudden realization: I was in danger of wasting my life. As I stared out the rain-spattered window of a New York City bus, I saw that the years were slipping by.

“What do I want from life?” I asked myself. “Well…I want to be happy.” I had many reasons to be happy: My husband was the tall, dark, handsome love of my life; we had two delightful girls, ages 1 and 7; I was a writer, living in my favorite city. I had friends; I had my health; I didn’t have to color my hair. But too often I sniped at my husband or the drugstore clerk. I felt dejected after even a minor professional setback. I lost my temper easily. Is that how a happy person would act?

I decided on the spot to begin a systematic study of happiness. (A little intense, I know. But that’s the kind of thing that appeals to me.) In the end, I spent a year test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific studies, and tips from popular culture. If I followed all the advice, I wanted to know, would it work?

Well, the year is over, and I can say: It did. I made myself happier. And along the way I learned a lot about how to be happier. Here are those lessons.

1. Don’t start with profundities.
When I began my Happiness Project, I realized pretty quickly that, rather than jumping in with lengthy daily meditation or answering deep questions of self-identity, I should start with the basics, like going to sleep at a decent hour and not letting myself get too hungry. Science backs this up; these two factors have a big impact on happiness.

2. Do let the sun go down on anger.
I had always scrupulously aired every irritation as soon as possible, to make sure I vented all bad feelings before bedtime. Studies show, however, that the notion of anger catharsis is poppycock. Expressing anger related to minor, fleeting annoyances just amplifies bad feelings, while not expressing anger often allows it to dissipate.

3. Fake it till you feel it.
Feelings follow actions. If I’m feeling low, I deliberately act cheery, and I find myself actually feeling happier. If I’m feeling angry at someone, I do something thoughtful for her and my feelings toward her soften. This strategy is uncannily effective.

4. Realize that anything worth doing is worth doing badly.
Challenge and novelty are key elements of happiness. The brain is stimulated by surprise, and successfully dealing with an unexpected situation gives a powerful sense of satisfaction. People who do new things — learn a game, travel to unfamiliar places — are happier than people who stick to familiar activities that they already do well. I often remind myself to “Enjoy the fun of failure” and tackle some daunting goal.

5. Don’t treat the blues with a “treat.”
Often the things I choose as “treats” aren’t good for me. The pleasure lasts a minute, but then feelings of guilt and loss of control and other negative consequences deepen the lousiness of the day. While it’s easy to think, I’ll feel good after I have a few glasses of wine…a pint of ice cream…a cigarette…a new pair of jeans, it’s worth pausing to ask whether this will truly make things better.

6. Buy some happiness.
Our basic psychological needs include feeling loved, secure, and good at what we do and having a sense of control. Money doesn’t automatically fill these requirements, but it sure can help. I’ve learned to look for ways to spend money to stay in closer contact with my family and friends; to promote my health; to work more efficiently; to eliminate sources of irritation and marital conflict; to support important causes; and to have enlarging experiences. For example, when my sister got married, I splurged on a better digital camera. It was expensive, but it gave me a lot of happiness bang for the buck.

7. Don’t insist on the best.
There are two types of decision makers. Satisficers (yes, satisficers) make a decision once their criteria are met. When they find the hotel or the pasta sauce that has the qualities they want, they’re satisfied. Maximizers want to make the best possible decision. Even if they see a bicycle or a backpack that meets their requirements, they can’t make a decision until they’ve examined every option. Satisficers tend to be happier than maximizers. Maximizers expend more time and energy reaching decisions, and they’re often anxious about their choices. Sometimes good enough is good enough.

8. Exercise to boost energy.
I knew, intellectually, that this worked, but how often have I told myself, “I’m just too tired to go to the gym”? Exercise is one of the most dependable mood-boosters. Even a 10-minute walk can brighten my outlook.

9. Stop nagging.
I knew my nagging wasn’t working particularly well, but I figured that if I stopped, my husband would never do a thing around the house. Wrong. If anything, more work got done. Plus, I got a surprisingly big happiness boost from quitting nagging. I hadn’t realized how shrewish and angry I had felt as a result of speaking like that. I replaced nagging with the following persuasive tools: wordless hints (for example, leaving a new lightbulb on the counter); using just one word (saying “Milk!” instead of talking on and on); not insisting that something be done on my schedule; and, most effective of all, doing a task myself. Why did I get to set the assignments?

10. Take action.
Some people assume happiness is mostly a matter of inborn temperament: You’re born an Eeyore or a Tigger, and that’s that. Although it’s true that genetics play a big role, about 40 percent of your happiness level is within your control. Taking time to reflect, and conscious steps to make your life happier, really does work. So use these tips to start your own Happiness Project. I promise it won’t take you a whole year.

About the Author
Gretchen Rubin is the author of several books, and she keeps a daily blog at www.happiness-project.com. Her next book, The Happiness Project, will be published in late 2009. She lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.

from http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/10-ways-to-be-happier-295265/

_____________________________

I just remembered that I posted an entry on moving forward. Ironically, I was not able to apply what I said. I just got majority of my grades and they were not as outstanding as those I had during the past semesters - which affected me big time. I already had a hint this would happen and indeed you would not be able to understand what moving forward really meant - how darn difficult it is - until you experience such downfall. I hope this article will help me as it will help you.

Still the Idealist Me

2008-10-19T07:30:00.000+08:00

Yey to me and my siblings. Yey to the Robinsons Family as well. We just watched Meet the Robinsons [again]. It was so inspiring.
I feel so rejuvenated. After all that had happened this past sem, the movie was the most appropriate detoxifying agent.
Watching how Lewis realized the importance of moving forward never fails to inspire me amidst the moments I feel the stuggles of life most.
I really thought I would be all grumpy after not being able to perform oustandingly well (is there such a term?) during the past semester. But, He never let me be stuck into such detrimental situation. Through concrete happenings in my family and the movie I had watched, He tapped me back to my senses and reminded me "to let go of the past and keep moving forward." Life is more than the four walls of the classroom -- as a cliche-ic saying would argue.
UP would not be able to take idealism away from me. Hahaha. I would never take reality for granted. But then again, I won't let its pressures dictate who I should be.
I was tired. I became more hopeful though.
God had taken the blindfold from my eyes and let me see these little wonders.

KEEP MOVING FORWARD. :)

Let it go. Let it roll right off your shoulder. Don't you know the hardest part is over. Let it in. Let your clarity define you. In the end, we will only just remember how it feels.

Our lives are made in these small hours, these little wonders, these twists & turns of fate. Time falls away. But these small hours, these small hours still remain.

Let it slide. Let your troubles fall behind you. Let it shine. Until you feel it all around you. And I don't mind if it's me you need to turn to. We'll get by. It's the heart that really matters in the end.

All of my regret will wash away somehow but I cannot forget the way i feel right now. (Rob Thomas, Little Wonders)

Bye First Sem. Hello Sem Break.

2008-10-18T04:57:00.002+08:00

Hell Days. Hell Weeks. Hell Months. HELL SEM.

First Sem had been the most toxic sem so far. It is somehow comforting to know, however, that I was not the only one who felt such. The toxicity of the past (yes, it is finally over) semester may be attributed to different and more general factors as the hardship of academic life had been experienced most not only by UP students but students from all over the world (my credibility on this matter can not be questioned because I had been to Sydney and was able to discuss this topic with students from different parts of the globe).

It may be safe, though not conclusive, to infer that the world crisis had been affecting us -- students and adults alike -- a lot. This said, I wish the crisis would be relieved and alleviated for my Second Sem subjects are much harder than those I had already taken. *on crossed fingers*

Anyway, as I have been browsing through sem-ender blog entries of my peers, I bumped to those numbered ka-ek-ekan below which i found entertaining and relevant. The emotions cited were near to reality and relate-able (at least for me).

Enjoy! Btw, I consider taking Street Dance next sem as my seventh PE. Am so excited. :)

1. Habang nagququiz

2. Kapagdinismiss na ng prof

3. Habang nag-aaral

4. Pagtanggap ng long exam

5. Pag smart kang sumagot

6. Pag nasuspend ang pasok dahil sa bagyo

7. Dinibdib mo ang pag-aaral tapos wala naman palang quiz

8. Pag lumabas na mga results ng grades

9. Pag naghihinayang ka sa one point para pumasa

10. Pag binati ka ng crush mo

11. Pag gusto mong maghiganti sa kaaway mo

12. Pag magcucut ka ng class

13. Pag kausap mo ang crush mo

14. Tuwing enlistment

15. Pag di mo aalam paano sagutan yung quiz

16. Pag naghihintay ng jeep

17. Wala ka nang maintindihan sa pinagsasabi ng prof

18. Pag umaasang magbibigay ng plus

19. Ginagawa para pumasa ka

20. Pag feeling mo binigay mo na best mo pero di pa rin sapat

21. Pag nabrain-freeze nung uminom ng shake

22. Pagkatapos ng exam

23. Pagkatapos ng lunch

24. Pag tinatamad mag-aral

25. Pag uwian na

GO FOR SUMMA PA RIN ANG DRAMA KO! Yeah! Aja! Fighting!

Release me from this curse I'm in. Trying to remain tame but I'm struggling. If you can go go go, I think I'm going to oh oh oh. (Rihanna, Disturbia)

Kung Galit Ka sa GC, Don't Read This.

2008-10-16T08:23:00.000+08:00

Tae. 13 lang kaming exempted sa OrgChem exam. My grades are slowly unraveling. Hahaha. And good luck, I may not be able to maintain the Top 14 spot sa CAS this sem. Di man lang ako napasama sa Top 10 ng college namin. Argh talaga. 62 ang class standing ko sa Chem31. Wala ata akong uno ngayong sem. OMG. Argh. Argh. Still have one exam to go unless I consider taking OrgChem finals para mahatak ang grade. I don't wanna risk though. I have to get 90 above sa finals to imporve. Duh. Tae. Hahahaha. Ewan ko. Ang senseless ng entry na ito. Hahahaha. Napaka-random. Argh. Argh. Argh. Unti-unti nang nagkakapira-piraso ang summa dreams ko. Hahahahaha. Huhuhuhuhuhuhuhu. Let there be miracles even you don't believe. Hahahaha.

p-nitroaniline

2008-09-20T19:49:00.000+08:00

The semester is about to end and I have not proved anything academic yet. [Did I make sense? Haha.]

I am one of those who are so conscious of grades [if you find people from that group of people annoying, I apologize this this entry is not for you]. My GCness has been so obvious that I can't hide it anymore. Haha. I had handful of friends because of that anyway. And for that [and more], I don't regret being GC [sounds like geeky to some]. But to clarify things, I am not your talangka. I set for clean competition. No offense meant to anyone. Just want to set limits and ease out misconceptions.

Anyway, we just had the OrgChem exam a while ago. My friends had already blogged their sem-ender blog entries, post-exam sentiments [mostly violent reactions] and all. Haha. Wala lang. Haha. I felt posting a blog entry somehow similar to theirs. In fact, the title was inspired by Api Dapi's post. [Excuse my grammar. I am making this entry readable to my international audience. Hahaha.]
_____________________________

The exam was ok. Ok in the sense that I was not so sure of some of my answers - some may be right, some may be wrong. The exam was easier compared to other OrgChem exams though. It became more confusing however.

I wasn't able to perform as great as I had performed in [o on? so weak with prepositions. grammar-conscius friends...help. :)))] my other Chem subjects. Actually, this sem has been the worst sem in terms of my academic performance. I[ computed my GWA assuming my average for this sem is 3.00 and saw that I would still qualify for laude. Thank you Lord. I still long for summa though. :)]

I was careless as I always am. I hope and pray that from now on I will become more dilligent and responsible. I don't blame anyone because I am most certain of my shortcomings. I was worried because many people has [have?] been expecting a lot from me. Frankly speaking, I didn't want to be second best. God has really been testing me vis-a-vis. He has been persistent of humbling me. He helped me realize how a proud person I am.

I hope people won't blame the World Youth Day for all that happened. I hope that in my simple ways, I still would be able to share to other people the love of God.
I pray that my relatively poor performance won't discredit me as a servant of God. I want to prove that one may both be a student, a son, a brother, a friend, a Filipino, and a Christian. I wish God will grant me the grace to perform all my tasks extraordinarily well. Still, may His will dominate mine.

I want to reiterate that this sem has been the worst sem academically. Nonetheless, this has been the sem that had enlightened me how one has to live life. This sem has been the best spiritually. I thank God for helping me unravel what is beneath all these trials.

The quote at the last part of the OrgChem exam was consoling.[I even quoted it on my welcome box and posted it at the end of this entry]. And those words summarize the essence of being a biochemist -- that transcending borders between science and humanities [yes, we're kinda humanties majors too].

I thank the Lord for everything that has been happening. May tomorrow be better.

"It is evident that an acquaintance with natural laws means no less than an acquaintance with the mind of God therein expressed." - JAMES PRESSCOTT JOULE

Let's Talk About REAL Love

2008-09-18T20:02:00.000+08:00

The LORD loves ME unworthy as I am. HE LOVES YOU TOO.

Chemist Licensure Examination Results

2008-09-15T15:13:00.000+08:00

From official website of the Republic of the Philippines Professional Regulation Commission

September 11, 2008

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 227 out of 481 passed the Chemist Licensure Examination given by the Board of Chemistry in Manila this September 2008.

The members of the Board of Chemistry are Ms. Adoracion P. Resurreccion, Chairman and Ms. Soledad S. Castañeda, Member.

The results were released in one (1) day from the last day of examination.

Registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will start on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 but not later than September 30, 2008. Those who will register are required to bring the following: duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal, current Community Tax Certificate (cedula), 2 pieces passport size picture (colored with white background and complete nametag), 1 piece 1” x 1” picture (colored with white background and complete nametag), 2 sets of metered documentary stamps, and 1 short brown envelope with name and profession; and to pay the Initial Registration Fee of P600 and Annual Registration Fee of P450 for 2008-2011. Successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.

The oathtaking ceremony of the successful examinees in the said examination as well as the previous ones who have not taken their Oath of Professional will be held before the Board on Monday, October 6, 2008 at 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel, One Rizal Park, Roxas Boulevard, Manila.

Registration for membership with the Integrated Chemists of the Philippines (ICP) will also start on Tuesday, September 16, 2008.

The top performing schools (with 5 or more examinees) in the September 2008 Chemist Licensure Examination are as follows:

RANK	SCHOOL	TOTAL NO. OF EXAM.	TOTAL NO. PASSED	PERCENTAGE PASSED
1	Ateneo De Manila University – Q.C.	11	10	91.00%
2	University of San Carlos	9	8	89.00%
3	University of the Philippines – Los Baños	30	26	87.00%

NOTHING FOLLOWS----------------------

The performance of schools in the September 2008 Chemist Licensure Examination in alphabetical order as per R.A. 8981 otherwise known as PRC Modernization Act of 2000 Section 7(m) To monitor the performance of schools in licensure examinations and publish the results thereof in a newspaper of national circulation” is as follows: (Any discrepancy in the report is not intentional on the part of the Commission, but rather due to miscoding of school codes by the examinees themselves. Concerned schools may write the Commission for correction.) Click here to view.

The successful examinees who garnered the ten (10) highest places are the following:

RANK	NAME	SCHOOL	RATING(%)
1	JOSEPH DE CASTRO UNSAY	ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY-Q.C.	88.25
2	THOMAS PONCE CORPUZ REYES	UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN	87.00
3	JOSHUA JUNI SUICO	UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA	86.75
4	MARLENA JOY GANDOLA BARKER	CENTRAL PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY	86.50
5	MAHALIA ADELINA CORAZON PANINGBATAN SERRANO	UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-LOS BAÑOS	86.25
6	RALPH JULIUS LIGAYA MENDOZA	UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA	85.75
7	XYZA JANE SIÑEL TEMPLONUEVO	UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS	85.25
8	ANJELYN BERNAL DEL ROSARIO	UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA	85.00
9	RYAN JOSEPH ANIAGO	POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MAIN-STA. MESA	84.75
10	CAMILLE DULLAVIN MALONZO	UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN	84.50

NOTHING FOLLOWS----------------------

The list of successful examinees. Click here to view.

The Other Side Of The Hill

2008-09-08T19:19:00.000+08:00

The horizons dim as time passes by. The meadow made barren by tribulations. Struggles. Challenges. Opportunities of meeting true friends. Hope. Determination to face trials. Persistence to traverse to the other side of the hill.

Difficult times. Happy times.

For a long time now, I have been on the hill. Almost 12 hours a day. 4 days a week. Never did I imagine how I find so much consolation on this place. A sanctuary. A haven for tainted minds. A fountain for a thirsty soul.

It was like any other hill. It was average. It was nothing. It is not just any other hill. It is not average. It is something.

I was surprised when I got to know the place more. I was even more surprised after seeing myself enjoy conversations with something inanimate. A symbiotic relationship I hope would last a lifetime.

The vigor of opening arms to something seemingly improbable. The happiness of concretizing what was intangible. The tangibility of the unknown. The concretization of the abstract.

Many take this hill for granted. Am certain I won't.

Take time to traverse the other side of the hill. It takes a lot of effort. It was all worth it.

ON THE RIVERBANKS: Pagtawid ng Tulay sa Pangpang

2008-09-06T19:21:00.000+08:00

On the 31^st of August, the Arts and Humanities class had an educational trip to Pampanga. I was on the verge of joining the field trip for I had never been to Pampanga – at least, as a tourist – before.

For a reason, I was not able to go. Our catechists visited our community.

I am a member of the NeoCatechumenal Way – a post baptismal formation for Catholics young and old. My parents are catechists and made possible the family’s involvement to this way of life.

It was a struggle…a hard one. But, as always, God had guided me. I hope and am faithful I chose the right path.

Anyway, as what the title of this paper implies, I am on the riverbanks [Pampanga derived its name from pangpang or riverbanks]. I am on a situation of hard and tedious decision-making. I exert my best on everything I do – taking into account that I am not only a student. Time called me to a moment of setting my priorities.

Just to emphasize, our professor had not deprived us of our Sunday obligation of hearing Mass. And for that, I was thankful.

Waking up on a Sunday morning, knowing your classmates are off for a trip wasn’t easy. It was difficult to let go of the possibility of getting an uno and miss 20% (and more) of the final grade.

Nonetheless, amidst these, God gave me a consolation. I am writing this in my attempt to give an overview of the Kapampangan culture as reflected by its local art.

Upon reading reviews on churches my classmates had visited, I felt relieved and supplemented with the fact that God indeed influences people across cultures. The artistic make-up of Kapampangan culture is a relatively rough but concrete justification of the borderless majesty of the Church – yes, the one with the capital C representing the people, us…the temple of the Holy Spirit.

In one angle, I was sad I was not able to join the class. The trip was fun, as what my classmates told me. Indeed, being in a place as spectacular as Betis Church would make a Catholic like me happy. In another side, I felt a greater sense of His presence. He taught me how to be accountable of the things I do. He helped me. The Pope said, “never be afraid to say ‘yes’ to God.” These were my guiding words (including the Gospel proclaimed during the August 31 mass).

Through the trip and what had happened, I saw God in two ways: God shaping other people and their cultures and God shaping me.

The river is troubled. And may God always be my guide.

English Movies translated to Tagalog

2008-09-01T20:30:00.000+08:00

I just felt like being corny and all...

1. Black Hawk Down - Ibong Maitim sa Ibaba
2. Dead Man's Chest - Dodo ng Taong Patay
3. I Know What You Did Last Summer - Uyy... Aminin!
4. Love, Actually - Sa Totoo Lang, Pag-ibig
5. Million Dollar Baby - 50 Milyong Pisong Sanggol (depende sa exchange rate)
6. The Blair Witch Project - Ang Proyekto ng Bruhang si Blair
7. Mary Poppins - Si Mariang May Putok
8. Snakes on a Plane - Nag-ahasan sa Ere
9. The Postman Always Rings Twice - Ang Kartero Kapag Dumutdot Laging
Dalawang Beses
10. Sum of All Fears - Takot Mo, Takot Ko, Takot Nating Lahat
11. Swordfish - Talakitok
12. Pretty Woman - Ganda ng Lola Mo
13. Robin Hood, Men in Tights - Si Robin Hood at Ang Mga Felix Bakat
14. Four Weddings and a Funeral - Kahit Apat na Beses ka Pang Magpakasal,
Mamamatay Ka Rin
15. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Ako, Ikaw, Kayong Lahat
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Adik si Harry, Tumira ng Shabu
17. Click - Isang Pindot Ka Lang
18. Brokeback Mountain - May Nawasak sa Likod ng Bundok ng Tralala / Bumigay sa Bundok
19. The Day of the Dead - Undas
20. Waterworld – Pista ng San Juan
21. There's Something About Mary - May K'wan sa Ano ni Maria
22. Employee of the Month - Ang Sipsip
23. Resident Evil - Ang Biyenan
24. Kill Bill - Kilitiin sa Bilbil
25. The Grudge - Lintik lang ang Walang Ganti
26. Nightmare Before Christmas - Binangungot sa Noche Buena
27. Never Been Kissed - Pangit Kasi
28. Gone in 60 Seconds - 1 Round Lang, Tulog
29. The Fast and the Furious - Ang Bitin, Galit
30. Too Fast, Too Furious - Kapag Sobrang Bitin, Sobrang Galit
31. Dude, Where's My Car - Dong, Anong Level Ulit Tayo Nag-park?
32. Beauty and the Beast - Ang Asawa ko at ang Nanay Nya
33. The Lord of the Rings - Ang Alahero
34. Die Hard - Hindi Mamatay-matay
35. Die Hard, With A Vengeance - Hindi Na Mamatay-matay, Nag-higanti Pa
35. Lost In Space - Mga Tangang Naligaw sa Kalawakan
36. Paycheck - Sweldo
37. What Lies Beneath - Ang Pagsisinungaling sa Ilalim
38. Superman, The Return - Si Superman Bumalik, Naiwanan Ang Brief
39. Cinderella Man - Bading si Cinderella
40. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Nag-trabaho si Charlie sa Goya
41. Blade Runner - Magnanakaw ng Labaha
42. Schindler's List - Mga May Utang kay Schindler
43. Men In Black - Mga Lalaking Namatayan
44. X-Men, The Last Stand - Mga Dating Lalaki, Huling Tinayuan
45. Wedding Crashers - Mga Bwiset sa Kasal
46. The Day After Tomorrow - Sa Makalawa
47. Three Men and a Baby - Ang Tatlong Yayo
48. Catch Me If You Can - Habulin Mo 'Ko
49. A Bug's Life - Ang Buhay ng Isang Surot
50. Die Another Day - Mamatay Ka Uli Bukas
51. The Rock - Ang Shabu
52. Jaws - Panga
53. Back to the Future - Sa Likod ng Hinaharap
54. In the Line of Fire - Tumulay ka sa Alambreng may Apoy
55. Saturday Night Fever - Sabado ng Gabi, may Trangkaso
56. Stepmom - Tapakan si Inang
57. Brother Bear - Kuya Oso
58. Police Academy - Paaralan ng Mga Buwaya
59. The English Patient - Ang Pasyenteng Inglesera
60. Man on Fire - Nasusunog na Mama
61. The Horse Whisperer - Ang Tsismoso ng mga Kabayo
62. Dante's Peak - Ang Bumbunan ni Dante
63. Legends of the Fall - Ang Kasaysayan ng mga Lampa
64. The Forgotten - Ewan!!!

Thanks SARAH. ;)
Thanks melski.
Thanks Sir George.

PINOY ako. Ikaw? [credits to Renzy Benzy]

2008-08-18T12:57:00.000+08:00

100 BEST THINGS ABOUT BEING PINOY

1. Merienda. Where else is it normal to eat five times a day?
I eat six to seven times a day :)))))

2. Sawsawan. Assorted sauces that guarantee freedom of choice, enough room for experimentation and maximum tolerance for diverse tastes. Favorites: toyo't calamansi, suka at sili, patis.
Isn’t it nice to have a patis with sugar on it? HAHAHA.

3. Kuwan, ano. At a loss for words? Try these and marvel at how Pinoys understand exactly what you want.
Typically, this is the phrase/conversation of a emblematic Filipino: “Yung ano nga.. uhhhmm.. ano.. basta yun!”

4. Pinoy humor and irreverence. If you're api and you know it, crack a joke. Nothing personal, really.
Juan loves to crack jokes, even if how deep is his problems in life.

5. Tingi. Thank goodness for small entrepreneurs. Where else can we buy cigarettes, soap, condiments and life's essentials in small affordable amounts?
And it’s nice to think that each and every Filipinos in the country have this tinge of entrepreneurial heart.

6. Spirituality. Even before the Spaniards came, ethnic tribes had their own anitos, bathalas and assorted deities, pointing to a strong relationship with the Creator, who or whatever it may be.

7. Po, opo, mano po. Speech suffixes that define courtesy, deference, filial respect--a balm to the spirit in these aggressive times.
But sometimes, in some local dialects, they do not use po, opo but they speak with respect. I know, they or we can feel it.

8. Pasalubong. Our way of sharing the vicarious thrills and delights of a trip, and a wonderful excuse to shop without the customary guilt.
Inaanak alert. INAANAK ALERT! Magtago na kayo sa bunker!

9. Beaches! With 7,000 plus islands, we have miles and miles of shoreline piled high with fine white sand, lapped by warm waters, and nibbled by exotic tropical fish. From the stormy seas of Batanes to the emerald isles of Palawan--over here, life is truly a beach.

10. Bagoong. Darkly mysterious, this smelly fish or shrimp paste typifies the underlying theme of most ethnic foods: disgustingly unhygienic, unbearably stinky and simply irresistible.
I remember in the movie, Caregiver, wherein Jong Hilario’s character was given by a pasalubong from Sarah (Sharon Cuneta) in the hospital, one Briton commented on the stench of the pasalubong, which is a special Bagoong. It smells like morgue here! HAHAHAA!

11. Bayanihan. Yes, the internationally-renowned dance company, but also this habit of pitching in still common in small communities. Just have that cold beer and some pulutan ready for the troops.
TAGAY NA ‘PRE!

12. The Balikbayan box. Another way of sharing life's bounty, no matter if it seems like we're fleeing Pol Pot every time we head home from anywhere in the globe. The most wonderful part is that, more often than not, the contents are carted home to be distributed.
In that way, families and relatives back at home will think that their families abroad didn’t forget them.

13. Pilipino komiks. Not to mention "Hiwaga," "Aliwan," "Tagalog Classics," "Liwayway" and"Bulaklak" magazines. Pulpy publications that gave us Darna, Facifica Falayfay, Lagalag, Kulafu, Kenkoy, Dyesebel, characters of a time both innocent and worldly.

14. Folk songs. They come unbidden and spring, full blown, like a second language, at the slightest nudge from the too-loud stereo of a passing jeepney or tricycle.
And it’s tiring if we always dance this on to our school’s foundation day back in high school and elementary.

15. Fiesta. Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow is just another day, shrugs the poor man who, once a year, honors a patron saint with this sumptuous, no-holds-barred spread. It's a Pinoy celebration at its pious and riotous best.
And boy, ‘di talaga mawawala si PARENG LECHON, kahit gipit sa budget.

16. Aswang, manananggal, kapre. The whole underworld of Filipino lower mythology recalls our uniquely bizarre childhood, that is, before political correctness kicked in. Still, their rich adventures pepper our storytelling.
Well, this is more creative than Greek Mythology, in my own point of view (and scarier)! HAHAA!

17. Jeepneys. Colorful, fast, reckless, a vehicle of postwar Pinoy ingenuity, this Everyman's communal cadillac makes for a cheap, interesting ride. If the driver's a daredevil (as they usually are), hang on to your seat.
Just choose a young, rascal-looking driver, and fasten your seatbelt (as if naman meron). Pray and pray and pray the rosary ‘til you reach your final destination. HAHAHA.

18. Dinuguan. Blood stew, a bloodcurdling idea, until you try it with puto. Best when mined with jalape¤o peppers. Messy but delicious.

19. Santacruzan. More than just a beauty contest, this one has religious overtones, a tableau of St. Helena's and Constantine's search for the Cross that seamlessly blends piety, pageantry and ritual. Plus, it's the perfect excuse to show off the prettiest ladies--and the most beautiful gowns.

20. Balut. Unhatched duck's embryo, another unspeakable ethnic food to outsiders, but oh, to indulge in guilty pleasures! Sprinkle some salt and suck out that soup, with gusto.
And hey! They’re also victims of abortion. Awwww.

21. Pakidala. A personalized door-to-door remittance and delivery system for overseas Filipino workers who don't trust the banking system, and who expect a family update from the courier, as well.

22. Choc-nut. Crumbly peanut chocolate bars that defined childhood ecstasy before M & M's and Hershey's.
Hoy! Masarap ang choknut. The sweetest and the cheapest drug!

23. Kamayan style. To eat with one's hand and eschew spoon, fork and table manners--ah, heaven.
Ahhh, mas masarap kung kamayan style, right?

24. Chicharon. Pork, fish or chicken crackling. There is in the crunch a hint of the extravagant, the decadent and the pedestrian. Perfect with vinegar, sublime with beer.
A PERFECT Viand too!

25. Pinoy hospitality. Just about everyone gets a hearty "Kain tayo!" invitation to break bread with whoever has food to share, no matter how skimpy or austere it is.

In other countries, they just treat their visitors with tea. “Would like a cup of tea Mademoisselle?”
Dito sa Pilipinas, “Naku, gusto mo ban g sandwich spread, kanin, puto’t dinuguan? Okay lang ba kayo?”

26. Adobo, kare-kare, sinigang and other lutong bahay stuff. Home-cooked meals that have the stamp of approval from several generations, who swear by closely-guarded cooking secrets and family recipes.

27. Lola Basyang. The voice one heard spinning tales over the radio, before movies and television curtailed imagination and defined grown-up tastes.
And the name, Lola Basyang really freaks me. I dunno.

28. Pambahay. Home is where one can let it all hang out, where clothes do not make a man or woman but rather define their level of comfort.
Ahhhh. The best outfit.

29. Tricycle and trisikad, the poor Pinoy's taxicab that delivers you at your doorstep for as little as PHPesos3.00, with a complimentary dusting of polluted air.
At dahil mahal na ang gasoline ngayon, 10 pesos na ang pamasahe ng mga tricycle!

30. Dirty ice cream. Very Pinoy flavors that make up for the risk: munggo, langka, ube, mais, keso, macapuno. Plus there's the colorful cart that recalls jeepney art.
And take note, this is more delicious than the commercialized ice cream. Very pinoy.

31. Yayas. The trusted Filipino nanny who, ironically, has become a major Philippine export as overseas contract workers. A good one is almost like a surrogate parent--if you don't mind the accent and the predilection for afternoon soap and movie stars.

32. Sarsi. Pinoy rootbeer, the enduring taste of childhood. Our grandfathers had them with an egg beaten in.

33. Pinoy fruits. Atis, guyabano, chesa, mabolo, lanzones, durian, langka, makopa, dalanghita, siniguelas, suha, chico, papaya, singkamas--the possibilities!

34. Filipino celebrities. Movie stars, broadcasters, beauty queens, public officials, all-around controversial figures: Aurora Pijuan, Cardinal Sin, Carlos P. Romulo, Charito Solis, Cory Aquino, Emilio Aguinaldo, the Eraserheads, Fidel V. Ramos, Francis Magalona, Gloria Diaz, Manuel L. Quezon, Margie Moran, Melanie Marquez, Ninoy Aquino, Nora Aunor, Pitoy Moreno, Ramon Magsysay, Richard Gomez, San Lorenzo Ruiz, Sharon Cuneta, Gemma Cruz, Erap, Tiya Dely, Mel and Jay, Gary V.

35. World class Pinoys who put us on the global map: Lea Salonga, Paeng Nepomuceno, Eugene Torre, Luisito Espinosa, Lydia de Vega-Mercado, Jocelyn Enriquez, Elma Muros, Onyok Velasco, Efren "Bata" Reyes, Lilia Calderon-Clemente, Loida Nicolas-Lewis, Josie Natori, Manny Pacquiao

36. Pinoy tastes. A dietitian's nightmare: too sweet, too salty, too fatty, as in burong talangka, itlog na maalat, crab fat (aligue), bokayo, kutchinta, sapin-sapin, halo-halo, pastilyas, palitaw, pulburon, longganisa, tuyo, ensaymada, ube haleya, sweetened macapuno and garbanzos. Remember, we're the guys who put sugar (horrors) in our spaghetti sauce. Yum!
Yeah! Let’s bring all those diabetics in the country! For it’s gonna be the sweetest mass genocide in the world! Take note of the word, SWEETEST.

37. The sights. Banaue Rice Terraces, Boracay, Bohol's Chocolate Hills, Corregidor Island, Fort Santiago, the Hundred Islands, the Las Pi?s Bamboo Organ, Rizal Park, Mt. Banahaw, Mayon Volcano, Taal Volcano. A land of contrasts and ever-changing landscapes.

38. Gayuma, agimat and anting-anting. Love potions and amulets. How the socially-disadvantaged Pinoy copes.

39. Barangay Ginebra, Jaworski, PBA, MBA and basketball. How the verticaly-challenged Pinoy compensates, via a national sports obsession that reduces fans to tears and fistfights.

40. People Power at EDSA. When everyone became a hero and changed Philippine history overnight.

41. San Miguel Beer and pulutan. "Isa pa nga!" and the Philippines' most popular, world-renowned beer goes well with peanuts, corniks, tapa, chicharon, usa, barbecue, sisig, and all manner of spicy, crunchy and cholesterol-rich chasers.

42. Resiliency. We've survived 400 years of Spanish rule, the US bases, Marcos, the 1990 earthquake, lahar, lambada, Robin Padilla, Rosing, Milenyo, and Erap. We’ll survive Gloria Labandera.

43. Yoyo. Truly Filipino in origin, this hunting tool, weapon, toy and merchandising vehicle remains the best way to "walk the dog" and "rock the baby," using just a piece of string.

44. Pinoy games: Pabitin, palosebo, basagan ng palayok. A few basic rules make individual cunning and persistence a premium, and guarantee a good time for all.

45. Ninoy Aquino. For saying that "the Filipino is worth dying for,'' and proving it.
And he’s worthy! The yellow, smelly bill.

46. Balagtasan. The verbal joust that brings out rhyme, reason and passion on a public stage.
I wonder if they still do this thing today.

47. Tabo. All-powerful, ever-useful, hygienically-triumphant device to scoop water out of a bucket _ and help the true Pinoy answer nature's call. Helps maintain our famously stringent toilet habits.
OH YEAH! Tabo is the one of the most important household tools in the country!

48. Pandesal. Despite its shrinking size, still a good buy. Goes well with any filling, best when hot.

49. Jollibee. Truly Pinoy in taste and sensibility, and a corporate icon that we can be quite proud of. Do you know that it's invaded the Middle East, USA and China as well?

50. The butanding, the dolphins and other creatures in our blessed waters. They're Pinoys, too, and they're here to stay. Now if some folks would just stop turning them into daing.

51. Pakikisama. It's what makes people stay longer at parties, have another drink, and join pals in sickness and health. You can get dead drunk and still make it home.

52. Sing-a-long. Filipinos love to sing, and thank God a lot of us do it well!
No wonder why do some Filipinos buy Magic Sing Microphones even if it’s quite expensive.

53. Kayumanggi. Neither pale nor dark, our skin tone is beautifully healthy, the color of a rich earth or a mahogany tree growing towards the sun.

54. Handwoven cloth and native weaves. Colorful, environment-friendly alternatives to polyester that feature skillful workmanship and a rich indigenous culture behind every thread. From the pinukpok of the north to the malong of the south, it's the fiber of who we are.

55. Movies. Still the cheapest form of entertainment, especially if you watch the same movie several times.
Well, thanks to piracy though, the movie industry’s shrinking.

56. Bahala na. We cope with uncertainty by embracing it, and are thus enabled to play life by ear.

57. Papaitan. An offal stew flavored with bile, admittedly an acquired taste, but pointing to our national ability to acquire a taste for almost anything.

58. English. Whether carabao or Arr-neoww-accented, it doubles our chances in the global marketplace.
And our fluency in English is far better than to our Asian neighbors, agree?

59. The Press. Irresponsible, sensational, often inaccurate, but still the liveliest in Asia. Otherwise, we'd all be glued to TV.

60. Divisoria. Smelly, crowded, a pickpocket's paradise, but you can get anything here, often at rock-bottom prices. The sensory overload is a bonus.

61. Barong Tagalog. Enables men to look formal and dignified without having to strangle themselves with a necktie. Worn well, it makes any ordinary Juan look marvelously makisig.

62. Filipinas. They make the best friends, lovers, wives. Too bad they can't say the same for Filipinos.

63. Filipinos. So maybe they're bolero and macho with an occasional streak of generic infidelity; they do know how to make a woman feel like one.

64. Catholicism. What fun would sin be without guilt? Jesus Christ is firmly planted on Philippine soil.

65. Dolphy. Our favorite, ultra-durable comedian gives the beleaguered Pinoy everyman an odd dignity, even in drag.

66. Style. Something we often prefer over substance. But every Filipino claims it as a birthright.

67. Bad taste. Clear plastic covers on the vinyl-upholstered sofa, posters of poker-playing dogs masquerading as art, over accessorized jeepneys and altars--the list is endless, and wealth only seems to magnify it.

68. Mangoes. Crisp and tart, or lusciously ripe, they evoke memories of family outings and endless sunshine in a heart-shaped package.

69. Unbridled optimism. Why we rank so low on the suicide scale.
At kahit nasusunugan na bahay nila, basta makakita ng camera ng media, todo smile pa rin!

70. Street food: Barbecue, lugaw, banana-cue, fishballs, IUD (chicken entrails), adidas (chicken feet), warm taho. Forget hepatitis; here's cheap, tasty food with gritty ambience.

71. The siesta. Snoozing in the middle of the day is smart, not lazy.
We got this from the Spaniards, though.

72. Honorifics and courteous titles: Kuya, ate, diko, ditse, ineng, totoy, Ingkong, Aling, Mang, etc. No exact English translation, but these words connote respect, deference and the value placed on kinship.

73. Heroes and people who stood up for truth and freedom. Lapu-lapu started it all, and other heroes and revolutionaries followed: Diego Silang, Macario Sakay, Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, Melchora Aquino, Gregorio del Pilar, Gabriela Silang, Miguel Malvar, Francisco Balagtas, Juan Luna, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Panday Pira, Emilio Jacinto, Raha Suliman, Antonio Luna, Gomburza, Emilio Aguinaldo, the heroes of Bataan and Corregidor, Pepe Diokno, Satur Ocampo, Dean Armando Malay, Evelio Javier, Ninoy Aquino, Lola Rosa and other comfort women who spoke up, honest cabbie Emilio Advincula, Rona Mahilum, the women lawyers who didn't let Jalosjos get away with rape.

74. Flora and fauna. The sea cow (dugong), butanding, tarsier, calamian deer, bearcat, Philippine eagle, sampaguita, ilang-ilang, camia, pandan, the creatures that make our archipelago unique.
The beauty of the country’s Biodiversity is truly remarkable.

75. Pilipino songs, OPM and composers: "Ama Namin," "Lupang Hinirang," "Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal," "Ngayon at Kailanman," "Anak," "Handog,""Hindi Kita Malilimutan," "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit"; Ryan Cayabyab, George Canseco, Restie Umali, Levi Celerio, Manuel Francisco, Freddie Aguilar, and Florante--living examples of our musical gift.

76. Metro Aides. They started out as Imelda Marcos' groupies, but have gallantly proven their worth. Against all odds, they continuously prove that cleanliness is next to godliness--especially now that those darned candidates' posters have to be scraped off the face of Manila!

77. Sari-sari store. There's one in every corner, offering everything from bananas and floor wax to Band-Aid and bakya.

78. Philippine National Red Cross. PAWS. Caritas. Fund drives. They help us help each other.

79. Favorite TV shows through the years: "Tawag ng Tanghalan," "John and Marsha," "Champoy," "Ryan, Ryan Musikahan," "Kuwarta o Kahon," "Public Forum/Lives," "Student Canteen," "Eat Bulaga", “Wowowee” In the age of inane variety shows, they have redeemed Philippine television.

80. Quirks of language that can drive crazy any tourist listening in: "Bababa ba?" "Bababa!"
WOOHOOO! I wonder what would be the reaction of the tourist if he hears this conversation. HAHAHAHA.

81. "Sayang!" "Naman!" "Kadiri!" "Ano ba!?" "pala." Expressions that defy translation but wring out feelings genuinely Pinoy.

82. Cockfighting. Filipino men love it more than their wives (sometimes).

83. Dr. Jose Rizal. A category in himself. Hero, medicine man, genius, athlete, sculptor, fictionist, poet, essayist, husband, lover, samaritan, martyr. Truly someone to emulate and be proud of, anytime, anywhere.

84. Nora Aunor. Short, dark and homely-looking, she redefined our rigid concept of how leading ladies should look.
And I wonder kung nasaan na siya?

85. Noranian, Sharonian or Vilmanian. Defines the friendly rivalry between Ate Guy Aunor and Ate Vi Santos and for many years, the only way to be for many Filipino fans. And hey! Don’t forget Ate Shawee too!

86. Filipino Christmas. The world's longest holiday season. A perfect excuse to mix our love for feasting, gift-giving and music and wrap it up with a touch of religion.
Philippines celebrates the longest Christmas season in the world!

87. Relatives and kababayan abroad. The best refuge against loneliness, discrimination and confusion in a foreign place. Distant relatives and fellow Pinoys readily roll out the welcome mat even on the basis of a phone introduction or referral.

88. Festivals: Sinulog, Kadayawan, Maskara, Ati-atihan, Moriones. Sounds, colors, pagan frenzy and Christian overtones.

89. Folk dances. Tinikling, pandanggo sa ilaw, kari?sa, kuratsa, itik-itik, alitaptap, rigodon. All the right moves and a distinct rhythm.

90. Native wear and costumes. Baro't saya, tapis, terno, saya, salakot, bakya. Lovely form and ingenious function in the way we dress.
Nakakainis minsan kung makati ang tela. HAHAHA!

91. Sunday family gatherings. Or, close family ties that never get severed. You don't have to win the lotto or be a president to have 10,000 relatives. Everyone's family tree extends all over the archipelago, and it's at its best in times of crisis; notice how food, hostesses, money, and moral support materialize during a wake?

92. Calesa and karitela. The colorful and leisurely way to negotiate narrow streets when loaded down with a year's provisions.

93. Quality of life. Where else can an ordinary employee afford a stay-in helper, a yaya, unlimited movies, eat-all-you-can buffets, the latest fashion (Baclaran nga lang), even Viagra in the black market?

94. All Saints' Day. In honoring our dead, we also prove that we know how to live.

95. Handicrafts. Shellcraft, rattancraft, abaca novelties, woodcarvings, banig placemats and bags, bamboo windchimes, etc. Portable memories of home. Hindi lang pang-turista, pang-balikbayan pa!

96. Pinoy greens. Sitaw. Okra. Ampalaya. Gabi. Munggo. Dahon ng Sili. Kangkong. Luya. Talong. Sigarillas. Bataw. Patani. Lutong bahay will never be the same without them.

97. OCWs. The lengths (and miles) we'd go for a better life for our family, as proven by these modern-day heroes of the economy.

98. The Filipino artist. From Luna's magnificent "Spoliarium" and Amorsolo's sun-kissed ricefields, to Ang Kiukok's jarring abstractions and Borlongan's haunting ghosts, and everybody else in between. Hang a Filipino painting on your wall, and you're hanging one of Asia's best.

99. Tagalog soap operas. From "Gulong ng Palad" and "Flor de Luna" to today's incarnations like "Mula sa Puso"--they're the story of our lives, and we feel strongly for them, MariMar notwithstanding.

100. Midnight madness, weekends sales, bangketas and baratillos. It's retail therapy at its best, with Filipinos braving traffic, crowds, and human deluge to find a bargain
Midnight sale is really tiring but super sulit!

Thanks Renzy.

Regional Genius. Labo.

2008-08-18T12:34:00.000+08:00

True. Asteeg ito. Galing.

2008-08-16T06:07:00.000+08:00

Asteeg ito. Super totoo. Click the link below. Follow the directions and you'll be surprised. It worked for me. It will work for you as well.

Click here.

XXIII WYD Final Mass Papal Address

2008-07-25T18:01:00.000+08:00

Closing Mass of World Youth Day, Randwick Racecourse

Pope Benedict XVI

On 20 July 2008, at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, the Holy Father celebrated the closing Mass of the 23rd World Youth Day, giving the following homily.

Dear Friends,

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” (Acts 1:8). We have seen this promise fulfilled! On the day of Pentecost, as we heard in the first reading, the Risen Lord, seated at the right hand of the Father, sent the Spirit upon the disciples gathered in the Upper Room. In the power of that Spirit, Peter and the Apostles went forth to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth. In every age, and in every language, the Church throughout the world continues to proclaim the marvels of God and to call all nations and peoples to faith, hope and new life in Christ.

In these days I too have come, as the Successor of Saint Peter, to this magnificent land of Australia. I have come to confirm you, my young brothers and sisters, in your faith and to encourage you to open your hearts to the power of Christ’s Spirit and the richness of his gifts. I pray that this great assembly, which unites young people “from every nation under heaven” (cf. Acts 2:5), will be a new Upper Room. May the fire of God’s love descend to fill your hearts, unite you ever more fully to the Lord and his Church, and send you forth, a new generation of apostles, to bring the world to Christ!

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you”. These words of the Risen Lord have a special meaning for those young people who will be confirmed, sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, at today’s Mass. But they are also addressed to each of us – to all those who have received the Spirit’s gift of reconciliation and new life at Baptism, who have welcomed him into their hearts as their helper and guide at Confirmation, and who daily grow in his gifts of grace through the Holy Eucharist. At each Mass, in fact, the Holy Spirit descends anew, invoked by the solemn prayer of the Church, not only to transform our gifts of bread and wine into the Lord’s body and blood, but also to transform our lives, to make us, in his power, “one body, one spirit in Christ”.

But what is this “power” of the Holy Spirit? It is the power of God’s life! It is the power of the same Spirit who hovered over the waters at the dawn of creation and who, in the fullness of time, raised Jesus from the dead. It is the power which points us, and our world, towards the coming of the Kingdom of God. In today’s Gospel, Jesus proclaims that a new age has begun, in which the Holy Spirit will be poured out upon all humanity (cf. Lk 4:21). He himself came among us to bring us that Spirit. As the source of our new life in Christ, the Holy Spirit is also, in a very real way, the soul of the Church, the love which binds us to the Lord and one another, and the light which opens our eyes to see all around us the wonders of God’s grace.

Here in Australia, this “great south land of the Holy Spirit”, all of us have had an unforgettable experience of the Spirit’s presence and power in the beauty of nature. Our eyes have been opened to see the world around us as it truly is: “charged”, as the poet says, “with the grandeur of God”, filled with the glory of his creative love. Here too, in this great assembly of young Christians from all over the world, we have had a vivid experience of the Spirit’s presence and power in the life of the Church. We have seen the Church for what she truly is: the Body of Christ, a living community of love, embracing people of every race, nation and tongue, of every time and place, in the unity born of our faith in the Risen Lord.

The power of the Spirit never ceases to fill the Church with life! Through the grace of the Church’s sacraments, that power also flows deep within us, like an underground river which nourishes our spirit and draws us ever nearer to the source of our true life, which is Christ. Saint Ignatius of Antioch, who died a martyr in Rome at the beginning of the second century, has left us a splendid description of the Spirit’s power dwelling within us. He spoke of the Spirit as a fountain of living water springing up within his heart and whispering: “Come, come to the Father” (cf. Ad Rom., 6:1-9).

Yet this power, the grace of the Spirit, is not something we can merit or achieve, but only receive as pure gift. God’s love can only unleash its power when it is allowed to change us from within. We have to let it break through the hard crust of our indifference, our spiritual weariness, our blind conformity to the spirit of this age. Only then can we let it ignite our imagination and shape our deepest desires. That is why prayer is so important: daily prayer, private prayer in the quiet of our hearts and before the Blessed Sacrament, and liturgical prayer in the heart of the Church. Prayer is pure receptivity to God’s grace, love in action, communion with the Spirit who dwells within us, leading us, through Jesus, to our heavenly Father. In the power of his Spirit, Jesus is always present in our hearts, quietly waiting for us to be still with him, to hear his voice, to abide in his love, and to receive “power from on high”, enabling us to be salt and light for our world.

At his Ascension, the Risen Lord told his disciples: “You will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Here, in Australia, let us thank the Lord for the gift of faith, which has come down to us like a treasure passed on from generation to generation in the communion of the Church. Here, in Oceania, let us give thanks in a special way for all those heroic missionaries, dedicated priests and religious, Christian parents and grandparents, teachers and catechists who built up the Church in these lands – witnesses like Blessed Mary MacKillop, Saint Peter Chanel, Blessed Peter To Rot, and so many others! The power of the Spirit, revealed in their lives, is still at work in the good they left behind, in the society which they shaped and which is being handed on to you.

Dear young people, let me now ask you a question. What will you leave to the next generation? Are you building your lives on firm foundations, building something that will endure? Are you living your lives in a way that opens up space for the Spirit in the midst of a world that wants to forget God, or even rejects him in the name of a falsely-conceived freedom? How are you using the gifts you have been given, the “power” which the Holy Spirit is even now prepared to release within you? What legacy will you leave to young people yet to come? What difference will you make?

The power of the Holy Spirit does not only enlighten and console us. It also points us to the future, to the coming of God’s Kingdom. What a magnificent vision of a humanity redeemed and renewed we see in the new age promised by today’s Gospel! Saint Luke tells us that Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of all God’s promises, the Messiah who fully possesses the Holy Spirit in order to bestow that gift upon all mankind. The outpouring of Christ’s Spirit upon humanity is a pledge of hope and deliverance from everything that impoverishes us. It gives the blind new sight; it sets the downtrodden free, and it creates unity in and through diversity (cf. Lk 4:18-19; Is 61:1-2). This power can create a new world: it can “renew the face of the earth” (cf. Ps 104:30)!

Empowered by the Spirit, and drawing upon faith’s rich vision, a new generation of Christians is being called to help build a world in which God’s gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished – not rejected, feared as a threat and destroyed. A new age in which love is not greedy or self-seeking, but pure, faithful and genuinely free, open to others, respectful of their dignity, seeking their good, radiating joy and beauty. A new age in which hope liberates us from the shallowness, apathy and self-absorption which deaden our souls and poison our relationships. Dear young friends, the Lord is asking you to be prophets of this new age, messengers of his love, drawing people to the Father and building a future of hope for all humanity.

The world needs this renewal! In so many of our societies, side by side with material prosperity, a spiritual desert is spreading: an interior emptiness, an unnamed fear, a quiet sense of despair. How many of our contemporaries have built broken and empty cisterns (cf. Jer 2:13) in a desperate search for meaning – the ultimate meaning that only love can give? This is the great and liberating gift which the Gospel brings: it reveals our dignity as men and women created in the image and likeness of God. It reveals humanity’s sublime calling, which is to find fulfilment in love. It discloses the truth about man and the truth about life.

The Church also needs this renewal! She needs your faith, your idealism and your generosity, so that she can always be young in the Spirit (cf. Lumen Gentium, 4)! In today’s second reading, the Apostle Paul reminds us that each and every Christian has received a gift meant for building up the Body of Christ. The Church especially needs the gifts of young people, all young people. She needs to grow in the power of the Spirit who even now gives joy to your youth and inspires you to serve the Lord with gladness. Open your hearts to that power! I address this plea in a special way to those of you whom the Lord is calling to the priesthood and the consecrated life. Do not be afraid to say “yes” to Jesus, to find your joy in doing his will, giving yourself completely to the pursuit of holiness, and using all your talents in the service of others!

In a few moments, we will celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation. The Holy Spirit will descend upon the confirmands; they will be “sealed” with the gift of the Spirit and sent forth to be Christ’s witnesses. What does it mean to receive the “seal” of the Holy Spirit? It means being indelibly marked, inalterably changed, a new creation. For those who have received this gift, nothing can ever be the same! Being “baptized” in the one Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 12:13) means being set on fire with the love of God. Being “given to drink” of the Spirit means being refreshed by the beauty of the Lord’s plan for us and for the world, and becoming in turn a source of spiritual refreshment for others. Being “sealed with the Spirit” means not being afraid to stand up for Christ, letting the truth of the Gospel permeate the way we see, think and act, as we work for the triumph of the civilization of love.

As we pray for the confirmands, let us ask that the power of the Holy Spirit will revive the grace of our own Confirmation. May he pour out his gifts in abundance on all present, on this city of Sydney, on this land of Australia and on all its people! May each of us be renewed in the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgement and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of wonder and awe in God’s presence!

Through the loving intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, may this Twenty-third World Youth Day be experienced as a new Upper Room, from which all of us, burning with the fire and love of the Holy Spirit, go forth to proclaim the Risen Christ and to draw every heart to him! Amen.

[Continuing in Italian] Saluto di cuore i giovani di lingua italiana, ed estendo il mio affettuoso pensiero a quanti sono originari dell’Italia e vivono in Australia. Al termine di questa straordinaria esperienza di Chiesa, che ci ha fatto vivere una rinnovata Pentecoste, tornate a casa rinvigoriti dalla forza dello Spirito Santo. Siate testimoni di Cristo risorto, speranza dei giovani e dell’intera famiglia umana!

[French] Chers jeunes francophones, l’Esprit Saint est la source du message de Jésus-Christ et de son action salvifique. Il parle au cœur de chacun le langage qu’il comprend. La diversité des dons de l’Esprit vous fait comprendre la richesse de grâces qui est en Dieu. Puissiez-vous vous ouvrir à son souffle ! Puissiez-vous permettre son action en vous et autour de vous ! Vous vivrez ainsi en Dieu et vous témoignerez que le Christ est le Sauveur que le monde espère.

[German] Auch euch, liebe junge Freunde deutscher Sprache, gilt mein herzlicher Gruß. Der Heilige Geist ist ein Geist der Gemeinschaft und wirkt Verständigung und Kommunikation. Sprecht mit anderen über eure Hoffnungen und Ideale, und sprecht von Gott und mit Gott! Glücklich ist der Mensch, der in der Liebe Gottes und in der Liebe zum Nächsten lebt. Gottes Geist führe euch auf Wegen des Friedens!

[Spanish] Queridos jóvenes, en Cristo se cumplen todas las promesas de salvación verdadera para la humanidad. Él tiene para cada uno de vosotros un proyecto de amor en el que se encuentra el sentido y la plenitud de la vida, y espera de todos vosotros que hagáis fructificar los dones que os ha dado, siendo sus testigos de palabra y con el propio ejemplo. No lo defraudéis.

[Portuguese] Amados jovens de língua portuguesa, queridos amigos em Cristo! Sabeis que Jesus não vos quer sozinhos; disse Ele: «Eu rogarei ao Pai e Ele vos dará outro Consolador para estar convosco para sempre, o Espírito da verdade (…) que vós conheceis, porque habita convosco e está em vós» (Jo 14, 16-17). É verdade! Sobre vós desceu uma língua de fogo do Pentecostes: é a vossa marca de cristãos. Mas não foi para a guardardes só para vós, porque «a manifestação do Espírito é dada a cada um para proveito comum» (1 Cor 12, 7). Levai este Fogo santo a todos os cantos da terra. Nada e ninguém O poderá apagar, porque desceu do céu. Tal é a vossa força, caros jovens amigos! Por isso, vivei do Espírito e para o Espírito!

Taken from:
L'Osservatore Romano
Weekly Edition in English

L'Osservatore Romano is the newspaper of the Holy See.
The Weekly Edition in English is published for the US by:

The Cathedral Foundation
L'Osservatore Romano English Edition
320 Cathedral St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
Subscriptions: (410) 547-5315
Fax: (410) 332-1069
lormail@catholicreview.org

Provided Courtesy of:
Eternal Word Television Network
5817 Old Leeds Road
Irondale, AL 35210
www.ewtn.com

What Paul Gerald Layague Sanchez Means...

2008-06-29T08:49:00.000+08:00

I got this from Gumbee which he had gotten from a certain Sir Ylagan. I am not a numerology fanatic whatsoever but it is surprising na karamihan sa mga sinabi dito ay totoo (ang coño, hahaha). Anyway, I give you full authority of identifying what among the things said here are true and what are not. Enjoy.

* * * * *

You entered: Paul Gerald Layague Sanchez

There are 24 letters in your name.
Those 24 letters total to 101
There are 10 vowels and 14 consonants in your name.

What your first name means:

Latin	Male	Little; small. Biblical apostle and evangelist Paul's letters to early Christians comprise many New Testament books. Before converting to Christianity at Damascus, Paul had been involved in the brutal persecution of Christians.
French	Male	Little. Biblical apostle and evangelist Paul's letters to early Christians comprise many New Testament books.
English	Male	Little. Biblical apostle and evangelist Paul's letters to early Christians comprise many New Testament books.
Biblical	Male	Small; little

Your number is: 2

The characteristics of #2 are: Cooperation, adaptability, consideration of others, partnering, mediating.

The expression or destiny for #2:
A number 2 Expression gives you the tools to work very well with other people. Your destiny is in the role of the mediator and the peacemaker. In many ways you are dependent on others and seem to function best in a partnership or in some form of group activity. Modesty runs deep in your nature, and you can work comfortably without recognition of your accomplishments. Often, others get credit for your ideas, and this is of little real concern to your since you are such a willing team player. As you grow in this direction, you become sensitive to the feelings of others, you are ever diplomatic in handling complicated situations. Cooperative, courteous, and considerate, you have the capacity to become an outstanding facilitator. You know how to organize and handle people. You are a good detail person because you rarely overlook anything. Tactful and friendly, nearly everyone likes you.

The negative 2 personality can be over-sensitive and easily hurt. Too much of this number in your makeup can make you very shy and uncertain. Sometimes the excessive 2 energies makes one apathetic and somewhat indifferent to the job at hand; the ability to handle details is hampered in these cases.

Your Soul Urge number is: 8

A Soul Urge number of 8 means:
With an 8 soul urge, you have a natural flair for big business and the challenges imposed by the commercial world. Power, status and success are very important to you. You have strong urges to supervise, organize and lead. Material desires are also very pronounced. You have good executive abilities, and with these, confidence, energy and ambition.

Your mind is analytical and judgment sound; you're a good judge of material values and also human character. Self-controlled, you rarely let emotions cloud judgment. You are somewhat of an organizer at heart, and you like to keep those beneath you organized and on a proper track. This is a personality that wants to lead, not follow. You want to be known for your planning ability and solid judgment.

The negative aspects of the 8 soul urge are the often dominating and exacting attitude. You may have a tendency to be very rigid, sometimes stubborn.

Your Inner Dream number is: 3

An Inner Dream number of 3 means:
You dream of artistic expression; writing, painting, music. You would seek to more freely express your inner feeling and obtain more enjoyment from life. You also dream of being more popular, likable, and appreciated.

* * * * *

If you want one too, click here.

MaVISA ang Panalangin. || Trust me.

2008-06-24T04:08:00.000+08:00

Just got the news that my VISA to Sydney was already approved. Tuloy na tuloy na talaga ako sa Australia to attend the World Youth Day. Hanggang ngayon di pa ako makapaniwala since late na ako nag-decide sumali. GOD is good (all the time). Sana maging maayos ang lahat -- the pilgrimage, mga maiiwan kong gawain and all. I have no doubt I will forever cherish whatever memory I will be harvesting from the event. Mag-impake na ako. Haha. Wala pa akong pocket money kaya kung may ibibigay ka, ibigay mo na. LOLz.

Please do pray for me. May GOD bless us more.

Marck Joseph's The Tragedy of the UP Centennial

2008-06-22T14:49:00.000+08:00

Mirrored from http://marckjoseph.multiply.com/journal/item/141/The_Tragedy_of_the_UP_Centennial?replies_read=5

And so while the current UP administration is taking pride in itself, brandishing the centennial celebrations of the university with a theme that is as self-serving and as self-righteous as “UP Ang Galing Mo,” a lot of poor but equally worthy iskolar ng bayan are busy scrambling to find a way to pay for the tuition fees being charged by the premiere “state” university. In the midst of the fireworks and musical extravaganza, a poor iskolar ng bayan is going back to his province and leaving what supposedly is his last beacon of hope.

--------------------------

On the third day of classes in the hundredth year of the University of the Philippines (UP), a freshman from Cotabato province, a Chemistry major at UP in Diliman, Quezon City, had to drop out. Together with his father, the brokenhearted young man went to see each of his instructors to have his subjects invalidated.

While his Math 17 instructor was deleting his name from the class list, I could see the poverty, desperation, anger and sense of resignation in their faces. It was not the disappointment of winning the lottery and being denied the prize later. The young man is a member of a minority group in Mindanao. Without any connections and in the absence of any socialized admission policy, he qualified as a freshman in the College of Science of UP Diliman, a distinction he earned through intelligence, pure hard work and perseverance amid poverty. But in a few days, father and son are going back to Mindanao for good.

The father explained they could not afford the “socialized” tuition at P600 per unit for students in Bracket C, families whose annual incomes range from P135,001 to P500,000 per annum. The father and son expected to be in Bracket D, families with annual incomes ranging from P80,001 to P135,000. Students in bracket D pay P300 per unit.

UP president Emerlinda Roman seems to be disconnected from reality, or she must be fooling herself by insisting that the new Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) is fair and proper for an “iskolar ng bayan” [scholar of the nation]. Her family should try living on P6,666.75 a month (which when multiplied by 12—the number of months in a year—equals P80,001, the lower bound of Bracket D incomes).

UP, no longer conscious of its role in society, chooses to ignore the long-term impact of offering greater genuine educational opportunities to the brightest among the poor, who are getting poorer amid the reported economic gains of the country. Socialized admission and tuition fee schemes do not lower academic standards. I’ve had countless students from public schools and far-flung provinces. They come to UP not as well prepared as their counterparts from the best schools in Metro Manila. But many later outshine the sometimes overconfident Manila-raised kids.

After the new STFAP took effect last year, UP is no longer an option for the brightest among the poor. I agree with the cab driver whose daughter qualified for UP Diliman, as narrated in Youngblood (Inquirer, 3/24/08) by Mariel Kierulf Asiddao, a UP Mass Communication student. The cab driver insisted it was ESTIFAK and not STFAP.

NOLI N. REYES, professor, Institute of Mathematics, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City

Ref: http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/letterstotheeditor/view/20080620-143711/UP-closed-to-brightest-of-poor

On Free Hugs Campaign

2008-06-21T04:58:00.000+08:00

Created by Dan Hotter (Male Hugger) and Sara Sneath (Female Hugger). Both were active duty U.S. Marine Embassy Guards during the filming of this video.

Filmed in Parque Carolina, Quito, Ecuador.

Inspired by Juan Mann; the creator of the Free Hugs Campaign..

Music is "All the Same" by Sick Puppies.
_______________________________________

Sometimes, a hug is all that we need. The sole mission of this worldwide free hugs campaign is to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives.

In this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign have become phenomenal.

This campaign is a symbol of human hope. This campaign is a witness to the true spirit of humanity coming together in what can only be described as awe inspiring.

In the Spirit of the free hugs campaign, PASS THIS TO A FRIEND and HUG A STRANGER!

You do not need permission. This is the peoples movement, this is *your* movement. With nothing but your bare hands you can make THE difference.

Imagine all the people.

__________________________________________

copied from http://youtube.com/watch?v=gfOOyTxFuQo

30 Stray WWII Bombs Found in UP

2008-06-10T14:28:00.000+08:00

CS Advisory: Stray World War II bombs in the National Science Complex
To: CS Faculty, Staff, Students and Visitors
From: Caesar Saloma, Dean College of Science

Everyone is strongly advised to use only existing roads and established pathways inside the National Science Complex. Please do not venture into the various construction sites without securing prior authorization and guidance from proper authorities.

As of this writing, more than thirty (30) stray WWII bombs have already been dug up by NSC contractors during the course of their work in the area where the future buildings of the Institute of Chemistry-Teaching Wing and the National Institute of Physics will be located. The bombs were buried about a meter deep or less below the ground.

Vice Chancellor Grace Gregorio has already sought the technical assistance of the PNP on the matter. The retrieved bombs were turned over to the UP Diliman Police Force and then brought to the PNP Explosives Ordnance Division in Camp Karingal.

Thank you for your cooperation.

UP Naming Mahal -- New Version

2008-06-10T13:01:00.000+08:00

U.P. Beloved
Teogenes Veles

U.P. beloved, thou Alma Mater dear
For thee united, our joyful voices hear
Far tho we wander, o’er island yonder
Loyal thy sons we’ll ever be
Loyal thy sons we’ll ever be.

Echo the watchword, the Red and Green forever.
Give out the password, to the Hall of Brave sons rare.
Sing forth the message, ring out with courage
All hail, thou hope of our dear land,
All hail, thou hope of our dear land.

U.P. Naming Mahal
Hilario Rubion and Tomas Aguirre

U.P. naming mahal, pamantasang hirang
Ang tinig namin, sana’y iyong dinggin
Malayong lupain, amin mang marating
Di rin magbabago ang damdamin
Di rin magbabago ang damdamin.

Luntian at pula, sagisag magpakailanman
Ating ipagdiwang, bulwagan ng dangal
Humayo’t itanghal, giting at tapang
Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan
Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan.

* * * * *

UP Naming Mahal
New Version

U.P. naming mahal
Pamantasan ng bayan
Tinig ng masa
Ang siyang lagi nang pakikinggan

Malayong lupain
Di kailangang marating
Dito maglilingkod sa bayan natin
Dito maglilingkod sa bayan natin

Silangang mapula
Sagisag magpakailanman
Ating ipaglaban
Laya ng diwa’t kaisipan

Humayo’t itanghal
Giting, tapang at dangal
Mabuhay ang lingkod ng taong bayan
Mabuhay ang lingkod ng taong bayan

Silangang mapula
Sagisag magpakailanman
Ating ipaglaban
Laya ng diwa’t kaisipan

Malayong lupain
Di kailangang marating
Dito maglilingkod sa bayan natin
Dito maglilingkod sa bayan natin

http://risingsun.dannyarao.com/2007/10/30/new-unofficial-version-of-up-naming-mahal

I originally saw this on Alps Aguado's Multiply account. To view original entry -- which I guess he had also copied from the link above -- click here.

Ang Ganda ng Kulay ng Ice Cream

2008-06-04T14:02:00.001+08:00

Argh. Sa June 13 pa ako makakuha ng subjects. Kaya sa mga nalulungkot na UP students diyan na nifla-flood ang Multiply Inbox ko ng mga istorya ng ka-desperado-han, di kayo nag-iisa. Haha. Anhirap talaga ng walang block. Sooo sad. Sana di pa ako maubusan ng slot.

Haaay. Galing ako ng school kanina. I went to the Health Service to get my Medical Certificate. Nag-student assistant kasi ako doon for a sem as a requirement sa aming CWTS class. Ayun. Pinaiwan sa akin ng isang nurse -- Ma'am Teody -- yung Med. Cert. ko para di ko mawala. Nung hinanap ko sa files ko yung 'half-slip' (as how they call it), wala doon. Humingi ako ng bago. Since ka-close ko sila, hindi ko na kinailangang magpagawa ng affidavit of loss, paprimahan yun sa OSA at bumalik sa Health Service. Haha. Iba talaga kapag may koneksyon. LOLz. Hindi. Sa totoo lang, kung gan'un talaga ang case, unfair sa ibang estudyante. Ambaho na nga kanina sa Health service kasi pagod na ang mga tao, tapos ako gagamitin ko lang ang face ko? Unfair yun. That's bad. Kung nalaman kong may ganoong katiwalian nangyayari, *tsk tsk tsk*. UP pa naman tayo. We don't provide trapo breeding grounds, do we? Well, that I hope so.

Just for the record and to clarify things as they should be, iba ang kaso ko -- sila ang nakawala. Haha. I fought for my rights and persisted that I don't have to undergo the tedious and 'regular' process of getting a new certificate as if I was the one who misplaced it. Haha. Mabuti na ang malinaw.

Sa mga ganitong ka-toxic-an ng UP enrollment, be assertive. Haha. Because of this realization, I rewarded myself an ice cream. Cute ng flavor. First time ko lang nakatikim ng Avocado for a semi-frozen delight. Hehe.

May we all have a better semester. May we seek and find ourselves better than what was our best. Mag-ice cream para di na uminit ang ulo. Tira! Tira!

Not Just Your Ordinary Barbie Girl

2008-06-03T18:12:00.000+08:00

I was so overwhelmed I have to post this one.

This girl die from disease at 5 years old.
Her mother asked a doctor to make her a mummy and kept it in an Italian temple, it's already 80 years.

[My sister told me that they had watched about this on Ripley's. Scientists are investigating how such nearly perfect preservation of the child's corpse was actualized. Unfortunately, the doctor already died.]

____________________________________________________

From a spreading chain letter, adapted by Paulo Mara [http://th3alch3mist.multiply.com].

Kuya X's Love and Sex in Nature: An Evolutionary Look

2008-05-27T13:42:00.001+08:00

If naturalism is what you want, you surely can set your sights on Mother Nature, who will surely deliver what's all-natural. I wish I could give you all a copy of an old essay I've just read, "Love in the Desert" by Joseph Wood Krutch (no bad puns intended there). This essay single-handedly summarizes in an intelligent way how 'love' and sex are an amazingly diverse "variations on a theme which didn't evolve in a straight line" but in fits and starts, or so it seems, across genera and phyla, according to the evolutionary need perhaps.

Says Krutch, "Certainly nature herself discovered a very long time ago that sex was -- or at least could be used -- "for" many things besides the production of offspring not too monotonously like the parent. Certainly also, these discoveries anticipated pretty nearly everything which man himself has ever found it possible to use sex "for." In fact it becomes humiliating to realize that we seem to have invented nothing absolutely new."

Marital attachment? Monogamy? - Many birds and mammals, even lower forms
Attachment to the home? Devotion to children? - Deer, birds
Hermaphrodism? Bisexuality? - Earthworms, certain fishes
Homosexuality? - Curiously, an aberration even among animals, not a norm at all. (Sex change and cross-dressing are fully human attributes, though.)
Onanism? - Lots of animals with penises
Impregnation without touching?/Sex is unnecessary? - In certain fishes, the male is just a supplier of sperm without even the benefit of enjoying the sex act.
Vegetative reproduction? - Bacteria, cacti, etc.
Prolonged courtship period?- Birds with their song and dance; lizard’s belly turning turquoise blue
Elaborately beautiful sex organs? - Orchids, poppies, all flowering plants, with few exceptions
Exceedingly putrid-smelling sex organs? - Rafflesia sp.
Flesh-eating sex organs? - Venus flytrap, etc.
Ugly, unadorned sex organs, which double as orifices of sex/pleasure/love, procreation and excretion? - All vertebrates; In apes, coloration is back, as color vision is regained in mammals
Polygamy? Polyandry? Polygyny?- Birds, mammals, etc.
Leaving offspring behind as soon as their birthday? – Hare
Sadism? – Tarantula spider, where the male violently rapes the female, and the male sometimes end up murdered; scorpion
Neutering? Bees; ants
Males as mothers during breeding season? Seahorse, ostrich
Cannibalism: Husband-eating? – Spider
Cannibalism: Child-eating? Owl
Embracing for hours? – Slugs
Vegetative reproduction?/“Is sex necessary?” – No, says the first organisms
Virgin birth/Parthenogenesis? – Ants, bees, other insects
Malelessness? – Insects, some fishes
Nest-stealing? – European cuckoo, which lays eggs on other bird species’ nest; cowbird
Spacing of birth? Family planning? Birth control? – Roadrunners
Family devotion? – Cottontail rabbit, sloth, deer
Special organ for mating? Reptiles, as opposed to all other vertebrates, which have the same orifice for love and excrement
Promiscuity? - Cowbird, house wrens
Seed production without pollenization? – Weeds like dandelions
Gender role reversal? – Some birds, the male brooding the eggs; in one bird species, the male becomes the dull-looking one, and the female, the gaudy one, contrary to prevailing pattern
Use of wafted perfume to attract mates? – Moths, etc., using pheromones

(Note: I inserted other categories and examples from my stock knowledge of biology.)

Now, look how hilariously spot-on Krutch is in discussing an otherwise very sensitive subject:

"Our currently best-publicized student of human sexual conduct has argued that some of what are called 'perversion' in the human being -- homosexuality, for example -- should be regarded as merely 'normal variations' because something analogous is sometimes observed in the animal kingdom. But if that argument is valid then nothing in the textbooks of psychopathology is 'abnormal.' Once nature had established the face of maleness and femaleness, she seems to have experimented with every possible variation on the theme. By comparison, Dr. Kinsey's most adventurous subjects were hopelessly handicapped by the anatomical and physiological limitations of the human being."

What would the supposed authority on these matters say to that? I'm referring, of course, to the American Psychological Association, which is so rent by internal politics that it refuses to recognize certain things as truthful or most probably truthful, despite empirical evidence. Note, further, how Krutch is wrong in one thing: Nature has failed to conceive the most revolting paraphilias known to man -- pedophilia, pederasty (the right term for man-male child sex relationship), and child molestation are absent from the above list because these are all unique to male human beings! You can't even use the "natural" argument on these!

But allow me to close with this one last item from Krutch:

Lastly, sex as something more other than procreation? – What else but man, writing love sonnets.

_______________________
Mirrored from http://restyo.blogspot.com/2008/05/love-and-sex-in-natural-world.html

Money may Buy Happiness (or Not): Economists Renew Debate

2008-05-26T17:45:00.003+08:00

WASHINGTON (AFP) - - The saying goes that money can't buy happiness. But inquiring economists have been working for decades trying to prove or disprove the notion.

Resarchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business released a study in April showing "a clear positive link" between wealth and "subjective well-being," based on global surveys.

While this may seem logical to some, the research flew in the face of a longstanding theory that happiness of a country's population does not rise with income, after certain basic needs are met.

This theory, dubbed the "Easterlin Paradox," was developed in 1974 by Richard Easterlin, an economist currently on the faculty at the University of Southern California.

Easterlin's research had drawn on surveys notably from Japan, where surveys had shown little or no increase in national happiness despite the country's post-World War II economic miracle.

Wharton economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers contend in the new research that better data over the past three decades and a closer analysis suggests the Easterlin Paradox is flawed.

They found that the wealthiest countries in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita rank near the top of surveys on happiness, with the poorest at the bottom. More significantly, within each country, higher incomes translated to higher ratings of life satisfaction, they found.

"There appears to be a very strong relationship between subjective well-being and income, which holds for both rich and poor countries, falsifying earlier claims of a satiation point at which higher GDP is not associated with greater well-being,"

they said in a paper to be published by the Brookings Institution.

"The Easterlin Paradox says that what I care about is my relative ranking in society," Stevenson told AFP. "It says economic development doesn't matter at all -- that the United States is no better off in 2008 than it was in 1920."

The results have important implications for public policy. Stevenson and Wolfers note that economic growth might not be considered an important policy goal if it does little to raise well-being.

The Wharton researchers said multi-nation surveys such as the Gallup World Poll and the Pew Global Attitudes Survey reveal "quite powerful effects of income on happiness."

"There is no evidence of a satiation point," Wolfers told AFP. "Even as rich counties get richer they appear to get happier."

The researchers said they were not seeking to make any political point or support an ideology.

Although backers of the Easterlin theory say it argues against unbridled pro-growth capitalism, Stevenson said the new research could also be used to promote more distribution of wealth.

"A 10 percent increase in income for a poor person will give you the same gain (in happiness) as a 10 percent gain for a rich person but it would cost a lot less," she said.

Accordingly, she said redistributing income from the rich to the poor could increase a country's overall happiness quotient.

Easterlin meanwhile stands by his research, updated several times since the 1970s.

In a 2004 paper, Easterlin said surveys continue to support his thesis.

"Contrary to what economic theory assumes, more money does not make people happier," he wrote.

"Most people could increase their happiness by devoting less time to making money, and more to nonpecuniary goals such as family life and health," Easterlin said.

"It's necessary to separate shorter term fluctuations in which GDP and happiness are positively related from the long-term association between growth and happiness," Easterlin said in comments emailed to AFP.

"The conclusions of (the Wharton) paper appear to be based on the short-term association and do not contradict the findings regarding the longer term."

The new research meanwhile has set off a fierce debate among scholars.

Andrew Oswald, a self-described "happiness economist" at Britain's Warwick University and visiting fellow at Cornell University, called the Wharton paper "interesting" but argued that "the bulk of the evidence is on Easterlin's side."

Oswald, who has studied the issue for 15 years, said, "There is extrmely strong evidence that we are no happier than in the 1970s across the industrialized countries."

Oswald said Easterlin's research "is about 80 to 90 percent right."

"Economic growth buys only the most marginal amount of happiness for a country that is already rich. But in developing countries, there is very little dispute -- economic growth does make people happier."

Angus Deaton, a Princeton University economist, said Stevenson and Wolfers expanded on some of his research, and that "they are raising questions that are important" about the link between money and happiness.

But he added: "I think the question is far from settled. There may be some parts of the Easterlin Paradox that are still valid."

One problem, says Deaton, is that it is difficult for surveys to identify happiness and separate that from other measurements of well-being.

"These surveys ask people how happy you are," said Deaton. "The problem is you could think your life was great overall, but not be particularly happy."

_____________________________________________
http://beta.ph.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080525/tls-us-economy-social-aeafa1b.html

David vs David || Sugarfool vs Babyface

2008-05-21T19:11:00.005+08:00

And this is not a spoiler for Christ’s sake!
Just read this.

And yeah! I thought that tomorrow’s gonna be the final night of the American Idol. I forgot, today’s the final performance, and tomorrow’s gonna be the judgment day. Oh boy.

But hey, I was quite disappointed with Cook’s choice of song. I mean, his songs don’t have that “spark”, but he got a talent.

If only I live in America, I would always dial 1-800-vote-for-david-cook-because-i-don’t-know-what’s-the-number. Whatever! HAHAHA!!! Mas pipiliin ko pang bumoto sa American Idol kesa PBB.

Simon to Cook: (for three consecutive rounds) You have the wrong choice of songs. I thought the songs don’t fit you actually, BUT, you are one of the finest contestants in this show (American Idol).

And yeah, Simon, you’re playing favorites again. I guess you really love the “Chihuahua Archu”. Hahaha. [Pang Disney si Babyface.]

Archuleta’s young. I know. The big girl, Jordin Sparks won the last season, and she’s only seventeen. But the hell I care, because tonight, history MUST NOT repeat itself. And yeah, Archuleta really loves THE BEATLES.

And I can’t wait for tomorrow. Let’s rejoice!

The next American Idol will be DAVID.

________________________

Mirrored from http://renzbulseco.multiply.com/journal/item/455/
The_Absolute_Battle_David_vs._David?replies_read=6

Proud Pinoy Project

2008-05-21T10:20:00.002+08:00

SUPPORT PROUD PINOY PROJECT

Amidst crisis, only us, Filipinos, will be able to alleviate our dear nation, the Republic of the Philippines, from the hardships it is facing.

Kung hindi tayo, sino? Kung hindi ngayon, kailan?

Stand up. Be proud. Mabuhay tayong mga Pinoy!

A.M.M. Aguado's Of Sex and Scissors

2008-05-19T14:02:00.006+08:00

A new barbershop is now cutting:

Welcome to SEXY SCISSORS MEN’S BARBERSHOP. The first and only all sexy female crew barbershop for men. “SEXY SCISSORS, kung saan kahit ang kalbo, nagpapagupit.” Barbershop innovated The hottest thing in town. An all sexy female crew barbershop for men. We are not like your ordinary and conventional barbershop; we have female barbers who can do better than any male barber. They are honest, polite, pretty, sexy and HOT!

So what do you think huh? Is feminism again at stake? Hmmm..

I remember a conversation with Noemi. I said that I believe that the reason behind the undeniable larger female-as-entertainers market (Spans from lad magazines market like FHM, Maxim, etc. up to “professional” labor market like dancers, singers, and, yes, barbers) has a biological explanation. During our gender and media lesson under Madame Inton (Hail Madame :P), I learned that men are innately horny (if you call it that way), hornier than women (Yes, I supposed women CAN be horny. There’s no problem with that anyway :P). So there, the market corresponds with nature and I can’t blame the market. But of course, THE lines are there, not to be crossed.

Back to the barbershop, it is very obvious that the honest, polite, pretty, sexy and hot girls are the selling-factor. The barber services would just come next. And may not even come at all!

Mirror Entry (Nice discussion!):
http://alps05.multiply.com/journal/item/5/Of_Sex_and_Scissors

____________________________________

A blog entry posted by Alfred Miguel M. Aguado.

To view original version, click here.

Twenty, Nine and Forty.

2008-05-17T15:21:00.004+08:00

Recent news that I like to react on:

1. Twenty is for Twenty Pesos. Metro wage is up by twenty pesos. This is about 5.52% higher than the present P362.00 minimum wage "enjoyed" by Metro workers. The better news is that they get to enjoy only 15 pesos on their basic pay. 5 pesos will accrue first to COLA. In CALABARZON, it will be the same - 20 pesos ( up 6.67% from the present 300.00). The betterer news is that inflation is moving at a fast rate of 2.0% month on month. Meaning, this legislation is too little and too late. When was the last legislated wage increase? .... When? ... See, you can't even remember.

The best news of course is that most SMEs (Small and Medium Ent's) are not following legislated wage increases. So, the resolution? Be an entrepreneur. At least you get blamed for not giving wage increases. Problem? Capital. Where to get this? Ahmmm.... savings. How to accumulate savings? Extra money from ... income. Oh well. Let's be priests/pastors/religious leaders then. At the least, they aren't problematic about these things.

What to buy with this 20 pesos?

Ok. Let's see. For monthly-paid employees, this increase boils down to (Handbook on Workers' Statutory and Monetary Benefits):

P20.00 x 365 / 12 = 608.33 a month. Less tax, it will return around 480.00-500.00.

What to buy with this enormous increase in salary for the ordinary Filipino worker?

1 kilo of NFA rice. Of course, you have to fall in line and walk to and from the seller's place because you don't have extra money for transportation.

20 Pesos corresponds to 2 tricycle rides from our house to Balibago. I have extra 6 pesos, which I can add for my P35.00 fare to Makiling, Calamba. Of course, I am not part of the increase since I am not a minimum wage earner. But this is the scenario for minimum wage earners.

Ooops. 20 pesos cannot be used for transportation, because the jeepney operators and drivers are asking an increase in the fare.

On second thought, 20 pesos can be used to finance the Everybody text 20 of Globe. Hooray. You can now text 100 msgs Globe-to-Globe and 10 messages to other network. What a plan.

20 pesos. It is not even enough to buy canned goods:

Vienna Sausage (46.50)
Luncheon Meat (31.75)
Corned Beef (56.00)

Hence, in the grim and brutal sense of the real world - away from the ivory towers of Golf Courses and Malacañang, 20 pesos amounts to nothing for the Filipino people. Problem is, any increase in wages is an additional cost on the part of the business owners. Costs that cannot - in any conceivable way possible - be absorbed by the business investor. What to do then? Increase prices of end products. This is Capitalism at its best.

I am an investor, too. Only, policymakers shouldn't lean on the capitalist's side too much. Unless we want a class revolution again.

What to do? I don't know. I am just blogging.

2. Nine. Nine deaths in the RCBC-Cabuyao bank robbery. Crimes almost always depict the sorry state of the worker class. An ordinary Filipino - educated by the Church and the school - is not a criminal. S/he is a patient, hardworking fellow, who would foolishly look towards the joys of heaven rather than the foul stench of their house by the railroad. What drives them to crimes? I answer, despair. Why do they despair? Lack of opportunites to live life to the fullest (as Jesus said. Hence, it is not pro-life but pro-lifetothefullest). Why? They lack education. Why? They are very poor. Why? They are twelve, fifteen in the family. Why? They lack reason because they weren't educated.

Solution. Crush population increase. Focus on educating the poor.

What if they don't listen?

Mommy: Sometimes, the poor are poor because of their own doing.

Zarathustra: Gas 'em. Call Malthus. Call Hitler. Gas 'em all. "...What we need is a little suicide, and a little genocide..."

George: This is my blog. Stop that.

I was a banker for ten years, and was so lucky not to have experienced bank robbery in the branch. I was even an armored car teller for six months. But all we did was smoke and collect hazard pay. They were happy days. But this is sad. If I were a bank personnel today, I would tell my staff and employees to wear black for this sad day in Philippine banking history.

3. Forty. Last number for today. This is the headline: Manila moves up in world competitiveness. We now rank forty in the World Competitiveness Yearbook, among fifty-five countries. Last year, we were at 45. Is this something to be proud of?

Not really, since Singapore (2), HK (3), Malaysia (19), Thailand (27), and India (29) were deemed more competitive than us. The only Asian country behind us is Indonesia at 51. US is still number 1 (for fifteen straight years now), but is showing signs of weakness. Japan used to be at the top, but is now at 22.

According to Manila Standard, the study lists 55 economies according to some 331 criteria that measure how a nation creates and maintains conditions favorable to businesses. Oh, that is the reason why this nonsense is not felt by the ordinary citizens. Because it talks about businesses.

Come to think of it, policymakers here are really pro-business, being landowners and businessowners themselves. This does not mean anything for 99% of the population because it does not reflect the real situation in the Philippines.

As fitting last words, let us quote the noblest policies contained in our nation's road map, the Constitution:

Section 4. The prime duty of the Government is to serve and protect the people. ....

Section 5. The maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, and property, and promotion of the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of democracy.

STATE POLICIES

Section 9. The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all.

Section 10. The State shall promote social justice in all phases of national development.

Section 18. The State affirms labor as a primary social economic force. It shall protect the rights of workers and promote their welfare.

...

Noble words for such a sick society.

The Constitution can be accessed through http://lawphil.net.

__________________________________
A blog entry by my Business Math professor, Mr. George Atento.
To view original entry, click here.

The Importance of Correct Punctuation

2008-05-04T17:49:00.003+08:00

In honor of World Laughter Day today :-) Ha ha ha

Dear John: I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy--will you let me be yours?

Gloria

Dear John: I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?

Yours,
Gloria

________________________________
From a blog post of Amy. To view original entry, click here.

On the "POOR-ity" of the Filipinos

2008-04-27T15:23:00.007+08:00

Slightly edited and adapted from Kuya X's blog which he had likewise adapted from the latest forwarded e-mail in the archipelago.

WHY the PHILIPPINES IS SO POOR

It might hurt to admit but I think the article below holds a lot of TRUTH (though there are fallacious analogies). Anyway, please read on....

* * * * *

Dear Friends,

Here is a good article sent by Dr. Arsenio Martin of Fort Arthur, Texas.. Enjoy reading.

THE DIFFERENCE

The difference between the poor countries and the rich ones is not the age of the country:

This can be shown by countries like India and Egypt, which are more than 2,000 years old, but are poor.

On the other hand, Canada , Australia and New Zealand, which 150 years ago were inexpressive (???), today are developed countries, and are rich.

The difference between poor and rich countries does not reside in the available natural resources.

Japan has a limited territory, 80% mountainous, inadequate for agriculture and cattle raising, but it is the second world economy. The country is like an immense floating factory, importing raw materials from the whole world and exporting manufactured products.

Another example is Switzerland, which does not plant cocoa but has the best chocolate in the world. In the little territory, they raise animals and plant the soil during four months per year. Not ony that -- they also produce dairy products of the best quality! It is a small country that transmits an image of security, order and labor, which made it the world's strongest, safest place.

Executives from rich countries who communicate with their counterparts in poor countries show that there is no significant intellectual difference.

Race or skin color are also not important: immigrants labeled lazy in their countries of origin are the productive power in rich European countries.

What is the difference then? The difference is the attitude of the people, framed along the years by the education and the culture and flawed tradition.

On analyzing the behavior of the people in rich and developed countries, we find that the great majority follow the following principles in their lives:

1. Ethics, as a basic principle
2. Integrity
3. Responsibility
4. Respect to the laws and rules
5. Respect to the rights of other citizens
6. Work-loving
7. Strive for savings and investment
8. Will of super action
9. Punctuality
10. and of course...Discipline

In poor countries, only a minority follow these basic principles in their daily life.

The Philippines is not poor because we lack natural resources or because nature was cruel to us. In fact, we are supposedly rich in natural resources.

We are poor because we lack the correct attitude. We lack the will to comply with and teach these functional principles of rich and developed societies.

If you do not forward this message nothing will happen to you. Your pet will not die, you will not be fired, you will not have bad luck for seven years, and also, you will not get sick or go hungry.

But those may happen because of your lack of discipline and laziness, yourlove for intrigue and politics, your indifference to saving for the future, your stubborn attitude.

If you love your country, let this message circulate so that many Filipinos could reflect about this, and CHANGE, ACT!

Modern Medical Terminologies || Choose 'em. Use 'em.

2008-04-27T11:36:00.005+08:00

I got these from my cousin's Multiply blog.

Antibody - against everyone. || Artery - The study of the paintings. || Bacteria - back door to a cafeteria. || Caesarean Section - a district in Rome. || Cardiology - advance study of poker playing. || CaT Scan - searching for lost kitty. || Chronic - neck of a crow. || Coma - punctuation mark. || Cortisone - area around local court. || Cyst - short for sister. || Diagnosis - person with slanted nose. || Dilate - the late British Princess Diana. || Dislocation - in this place. || Duodenum - couple in blue jeans. || Enema - not a friend. || Fake Labor - pretending to work. || Genes - blue denim. || Hernia - she is close by. || Impotent - distinguished/well known. || Labor Pain - hurt at work. || Lactose - people without toes. || Lymph - walk unsteadily. || Microbes - small dressing gown. || Obesity - city of Obe. || Pacemaker - winner of Nobel peace prize. || Proteins - in favor of teens. || Pulse – opposite of true. || Pus - small cat. || Red Blood Count - Dracula. || Secretion - hiding anything. || Tablet - small table. || Ultrasound - radical noise. || Urine - opposite of you're out. || Varicose - very close.

A State in Transition

2008-04-26T22:24:00.006+08:00

Summer Classes have deprived me summer [as what most of us think of it, not to mention the maintenance of this blog]. Nonetheless, a cliche I may say, He made a way for me to realize that each summer has something special in it; every event has a reason often neglected -- a happening for the better, an occurrence towards perfection.

* * * * *

Finally, after waiting in vain and prolonging agony, I had computed my GWA. A relief that all the efforts had paid-off and a reminder that still, I may do better.

* * * * *

We had our First Departmental Exam for Chem 18 last week. The exam was difficult. For some time, it made me feel sorry that all the laborious nights solving problem sets and absorbing lectures had seemed worthless.

To somehow ease the depression, I sent this GM [group message] to my friends:

I am in one of the most depressing moments of my life. As to put it scientifically, I am on the peak of a reaction profile, an activated complex, when I lacked a tenth of a kilojoule to achieve stability. Sad as it may seem, this particular reaction is irreversible.

GOD is good not to let me be tainted with these unreasonable thoughts. He helped me realize my shortcomings and guided me to aim higher.

When the results were given...All my efforts weren't worthless after all.

* * * * *

We already had our oral report for Chem18.1.

At first, I was intimidated by my classmates who delivered their reports almost flawlessly through fluency in the English language. As what my pride had dictated me, I tried hard to level-off or even outshine my classmates' performance.

After I tackled some data on the experiment assigned to me and my lab partner, the teacher had cut short the reporting because she had an affair she needed to attend to.

What had happened was a blessing in disguise though it was really hard to unveil the blessing from the event.

As I got home, I realized that I had messed up. Having known my mistake of trying to be someone else and lacking practice, I prepared for the reporting rescheduled the next day.

"Re-reporting" day came. The floor was mine. The knowledge was for me to share.

* * * * *

We just had our Second Departmental Exam for ChemLec a while ago and had had our First Departmental Exam for ChemLab last night. Generally, the exams were difficult. Each requires in-depth analysis of what was taught by the teacher and what one had learned by him/herself.

When I was answering the exams, I felt a gush of awe. The questions were amazing.

The professors had never failed making college life harder and more fulfilling.

* * * * *

Only two weeks to go. I am halfway the end of summer classes -- much more to learn, much more to ponder.

Thirty Seven (37)

2008-04-07T19:50:00.002+08:00

Below is Dr Phil's test. (Dr. Phil scored 55; he did this test on Oprah - she got a 38.) Some folks pay a lot of money to find this stuff out!
Edit note: Halos pareho pala kami ni Oprah. Cool. Does that mean yayaman din ako? Haha.

Read on, this is very interesting!

Don't be overly sensitive! The following is pretty accurate and it only takes 2 minutes. Take this test for yourself and send it to your friends.

The person who sent it placed their score in the e-mail subject box. Please do the same before forwarding to your friends (send it back to the person who sent it to you.) Don't peek, but begin the test as you scroll down and answer.

Answers are for who you are now --- not who you were in the past Have pen or pencil and paper ready

This is a real test given by the Human Relations Dept. at many of the major corporations today. It helps them get better insight concerning their employees and prospective employees. It's only 10 Simple questions, so grab a pencil and paper, keeping track of your letter answers to each question.

Make sure to change the subject of the e-mail to read YOUR total. When you are finished, forward this to friends/family, and also send it to the person who sent this to you. Make sure to put YOUR score in the subject box.

Ready?

Begin.

1. When do you feel your best?

a) in the morning
b) during the afternoon and early evening
c) late at night

2. You usually walk...

a) fairly fast, with long steps
b) fairly fast, with little steps
c) less fast head up, looking the world in the face d) less fast, head down
e) very slowly

3. When talking to people you. .

a) stand with your arms folded
b) have your hands clasped
c) have one or both your hands on your hips
d) touch or push the person to whom you are talking
e) play with your ear, touch your chin, or smooth your hair

4. When relaxing, you sit with. . .

a) your knees bent with your legs neatly side by side
b) your legs crossed
c) you r legs stretched out or straight
d) one leg curled under you

5. When something really amuses you, you react with...

a) big appreciated laugh
b) a laugh, but not a loud one
c) a quiet chuckle
d) a sheepish smile

6. When you go to a party or social gathering you...

a) make a loud entrance so everyone notices you
b) make a quiet entrance, looking around for someone you know
c) make the quietest entrance, trying to stay unnoticed

7. You're working very hard, concentrating hard, and you're interrupted. ..

a) welcome the break
b) feel extremely irritated
c) vary between these two extremes

8. Which of the following colors do you like most?

a) Red or orange
b) black
c) yellow or light blue
d) green
e) dark blue or purple
f) white
g) brown or gray

9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moments before going to sleep you are...

a) stretched out on your back
b) stretched out face down on your stomach
c) on your side, slightly curled
d) with your head on one arm
e) with your head under the covers

10. You often dream that you are...

a) falling
b) fighting or struggling
c) searching for something or somebody
d) flying or floating
e) you usually have dreamless sleep
f) your dreams are always pleasant

POINTS:

1. (a) 2 (b) 4 (c) 6
2. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 7 (d) 2 (e) 1
3. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 5 (d) 7 (e) 6
4. (a) 4 (b) 6 (c) 2 (d) 1
5. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 2
6. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 2
7. (a) 6 (b) 2 (c) 4
8. (a) 6 (b) 7 (c) 5 (d) 4 (e) 3 (f) 2 (g) 1
9. (a) 7 (b) 6 (c) 4 (d) 2 (e) 1
10 (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 6 (f) 1

Now add up the total number of points.

OVER 60 POINTS : Others see you as someone they should 'handle with care.' You're seen as vain, self-centered, and who is extremely dominant. Others may admire you, wishing they could be more like you, but don't always trust you, hesitating to become too deeply involved with you.

51 TO 60 POINTS : Others see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality; a natural leader, who's quick to make decisions, though not always the right ones. They see you as bold and adventuresome, someone who will try anything once; someone who takes chances and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement you radiate.

41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting; someone who's constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding; someone who'll always cheer them u p and help them out.

31 TO 40 POINTS : Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful & practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expect the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that it takes you a long time to get over if that trust is ever broken.

21 TO 30 POINTS: Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It would really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment, expecting you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then, usually decide against it. They think this reaction is caused partly by your careful nature.

UNDER 21 POINTS: People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive, someone who needs looking after, who always wants someone else to make the de cisions & who doesn't want to get involved with anyone or anything! They see you as a worrier who always sees problems that don't exist. Some people think you' re boring. Only those who know you well know that you aren't.

The Chronicles of BaaBaa, the Black Sheep, Etcetera, Etcetera

2008-04-04T21:49:00.003+08:00

Narrator: Once upon a very long time in a faraway land…

[rooster crows]

Anak ti Urduja: Aponibolinayen, my wife, wake up and prepare our food. Let us eat. Paraluman, iha, help your mother. Milk the goat. Akongsan, iho, wake up, go get the sheep. You’ll go with me today. It is high time for me to pass onto you the skills of herding our tribe, Primi-Tribo, has been known for.

Narrator: The Primi-Tribo tribe is a typical group of pastoralists. Anak ti Urduja’s family is small and primarily nuclear in nature by which each member has its own role to perform. After they had eaten, Anak ti Urduja and Akongsan went to the grasslands to herd their sheep. At the field…[the non-conformist BaaBaa talking to himself]

BaaBaa: Ayoko na. Eto na naman. Gigising. Maglalakad. Kakain. Tutulog. Gigising. Maglalakad. Kakain. Lagi na lang bang like this? Tumatakbo ang oras, naiiwan na ako ng panahon. Di nagbabago, pare-pareho parang kahapon. Si grandlola sa talampakan ng lola sa tuhod ni mama, ganito na ang kinagisnang buhay. I want change! Pero, kinda think of it, it’s like ok na ang ganitong buhay kaysa noon that our ancestors were hunted and savagely killed. Dahil the animalia chordata vertebrata mammalia theria eutheria primates anthropoidea hominoidea hominidae homo sapiens became more matalino, instead of getting huli us at the wilderness, dinomesticate nila ang species namin. The family that herds me is the family that herded my grandparents. Isasama ni big daddy si small boy sa pagpapastol para eventually matuto ito. Kasi, kapag tigok na si big daddy, si small boy na ang mag-manage ng family business. To be or not to be. Should I be grateful or not? Like hello, that was so like tagal na. Am I to live just to give one for my master, and one for the dame, and one for the little boy who lives down the lane? I want to be complete.

Narrator: BaaBaa roams without noticing he is already crossing the border line. He fell asleep on another group’s grazing grounds. Because of this…

Anak ti Urduja: BaaBaa, where are you? We’ll be going back home. The sun is starting to set. Where are you? You are not here. You are not there. You are not everywhere. Where are you BaaBaa? Where are you? [looks for BaaBaa and sees him at a distance] Oh, there you are. [goes to BaaBaa]

Anak ti Humabon: Hey you!

Anak ti Urduja: Me?

Anak ti Humabon: Yes, you. FYI, this is our territory. Why are you herding your black sheep here?

Anak ti Urduja: Sorry. It was not my intention to do so. My sheep went here at your part of the field without me and my son noticing it.

Anak ti Humbaon: In case you don’t remember, we already have a sense of private ownership. Wait until our chieftain learns about what you have done.

Anak ti Urduja: I am really sorry. If you want, I’ll... Ahmm. We usually trade products of equal importance but since it was me and my son’s shortcoming not to monitor this black sheep’s whereabouts, will it be okay if I just trade that sheep to something of relatively lesser value, a chicken perhaps, than let this issue be known by your community’s chieftain?

Anak ti Humabon: Okay. It is a deal. [BaaBaa cries while Anak ti Humabon hands Anak ti Urduja a chicken]

Narrator: BaaBaa never expected this would happen to him. He became sad knowing that he’ll forever be separated from his family and Anak ti Urduja’s family that had taken care of him. His sadness subsided when he met Ali, a black sheep among Anak ti Humabon’s herd.

BaaBaa: At first I was afraid, I was petrified. But when I made like kilala you, I am certain I will survive.

Ali: You’re so black. I am black. I like black. Black looks good. Looking good means…LOVE. I love you.

Narrator: Ali and BaaBaa fell in love with each other. However, destiny had forbid this black love to grow. Ali was pregnant when at a dark night…

Tribesman: Everybody rise. The chieftain is here to deliver his State of the Tribe Address.

Chieftain: Good evening. Pack up your things, my fellows. The grass here is already insufficient to feed our animals. The water supply is running short. We need to migrate to another land. The available resources in this area are inadequate to support our community. [tribesmen dispersing] Wait. Wait. By the way, I have another important announcement to tell you, my knees are already trembling. My body gets weaker and weaker each day. Because of this, tonight is the most appropriate time to transfer my position to a tribesman who showcased the capabilities of being the leader of this tribe.

Because of his immeasurable skills in herding and success on domesticating his herd of sheep, give a round of applause to our new chieftain, Anak ti Humabon. [tribesmen cheers as Anak ti Humabon goes near ‘Chieftain’]

Anak ti Humabon: Thank you. This calls for a celebration. Go get the black sheep among the herd. Slay him as an offering to our god, to Yahweh, to Allah – whatever our fellow pastoral societies call Him.

BaaBaa: Byebye, Ali. Making kilala you is more than what I wished for. Witness the society you are in, take hold of my story and pass these stories sa ating magiging children. Hush. Don’t make iyak. Parang kagat lang ito ng langgam. Needs change from simple to complex. Solutions for meeting these demands will shift likewise. Men are inherently wise, so are we. There will be pagbabago. I tell you.

Ali: Baaaaa. I love you BaaBaa. Baaaaa. [BaaBaa being offered]

Narrator: It has been a custom for pastoral societies to give offering to their god(s). Offerings are either animals or fruits. For this case, the tribe offered BaaBaa, the Black Sheep. [rooster crows]

Anak ti Humabon: My fellows! Let us settle here. When Anak ti Urduja traded BaaBaa to me, I learned that our animals and those of societies similar to ours eat certain kinds of food that are alike. Having realized this, I obtained some plants’ seeds along the way. Let us seek means of producing our tribe’s, including our animals’, food without the need of travelling far often. Assemble your tents. After that, gather stones and sticks and till the soil.

Narrator: Ali had not broken her promise. She told her children the story of the society she and BaaBaa were in. Eventually, BaaBaa and Ali’s children’s would tell their children the story their parents were into and the very society where they had lived.

A Report (Shadow Puppet) on Pastoral Society
CELONES*CIELO*LOPEZ*PADONGSULAN*SANCHEZ, P.
SocSci1
Second Semester AY 2007-2008

Wisdom from the Womb

2008-04-03T14:11:00.006+08:00

LIFE HAS ALWAYS PROVIDED US OPTIONS.

As we travel through our own journey, as we cross through different paths, life will continuously be our means. It is also our end.Life is not as easy as it may seem to be. Impediments are always there – seemingly prepared and organized to bring the best within us. It is our choice whether we overcome these obstacles OR we let these obstacles overcome us. SURVIVE or PERISH? Always keep in mind, that we have triumphed over one big challenge – surviving the uncertainties, being born ALIVE. OPT TO SURVIVE!

WE ARE WINNERS.
We are molded by a heavenly hand. Imagine if that single sperm had not even reached our mom’s egg? Of all the sperms that were ejaculated by our fathers, THAT ONE SINGLE SPERM HAD UNITED WITH OUR MOM’S SINGLE EGG. If OTHER sperm cells would have done so, we might not be here right now. From the very beginning, we were created with a mission embedded within us. Let us not let the result of the “sperm race” be a FRAUD. PROVE WE DESERVE TO BE ALIVE. REALIZE OUR MISSION.

RECOGNIZE OUR PARENTS.
Whatever happens, our parents are STILL our parents. If circumstances make it hard for us to love them (or one of them), at the very least, recognize the role they had once played to our life. A CELL FROM EACH OF THEM TRIGGERED OUR EXISTENCE.

NOW, WE ARE ON OUR OWN.
We had left the ethereal depths of our mother’s womb. The umbilical cord that was our source of life was cut way long ago. The amniotic sap was long drained. WE FOUND THE WAY TO THE LIGHT. We escaped darkness only to realize that the NEW WORLD outside the WORLD we used to live in for nine months is MUCH DARKER. Despite the possible hazards imposed when we were still on our mother’s womb, WE SURVIVED. However, be noted that the journey has just started. We haven’t traveled halfway.Very much of our survival depend on the ethereal depths of our mother’s womb, the umbilical cord and the amniotic sap NO MORE.

A Random Thought on a Rainy Summer Afternoon

2008-04-01T17:17:00.006+08:00

Anlakas pa rin ng ulan dito. Kaninang umaga ganito din. Umaraw naman nung tanghali pero after a while, eto, umuulan ulit. GRABE ang epekto ng global warming (no offense meant to the skeptics).

CONSERVE ENERGY. STOP WATCHING PORN. LOLz.

First informal Filipino post ko pala ito. Hehe.

To Defeat or Be Defeated: A Movie Review On A Beautiful Mind

2008-03-31T21:30:00.008+08:00

“Who's winning - you, or you?” - Hansen, Josh Lucas

A Beautiful Mind is a life story of continuous learning and relearning. It is a rough biography of Nobel Laureate mathematician John Forbes Nash. He was the one who studied the state by which, in a game, one is making the best decision taking into account the strategy of the other. This state was later known as Nash Equilibrium in his honor.

The film depicts the rise, fall and how Nash stood up amidst life’s trials.

At the light of his career, John Nash (Russelle Crowe) was struck by paranoid schizophrenia. This incident was not shown as a sudden event that crossed his life. As what has been suggested, Nash already had symptoms of mental disorder even when he was still studying at Princeton. The worsening of the disorder was gradual. The major problem was it had not been diagnosed earlier.

Life was a difficult test for Nash most especially when he already raised his own family concurrent to the discovery of his serious abnormal – or to exaggerate at this context, above normal – mental condition. As what was said by John Dryden in his Absalom and Achitophel (1681), “Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do their bounds divide.” Loosely speaking and at my own point of view, the knowledge incurred by Nash’s brain had already exceeded the limits of his conscious mental activity that this seem to had significantly bridged his subconscious equated to his perceived reality. As what has been seen, Nash had created laboratories of his own, conspiracies of his own, friends of his own, a world of his own.

The cause of schizophrenia has been a debate for the past few years. Scientists would infer chemical imbalance to be the culprit of such damaging mental disorder. However, what caused the chemical imbalance remains unidentified. There has been research that, opposing the perceptions of many, stress does not cause schizophrenia but it can make the symptoms worse. Apart from schizophrenia per se, paranoid schizophrenia is a more serious circumstance where delusions of persecution or recognition are incorporated and believed by victims to be true.

The mind is the element in an individual that feels, perceives, thinks and especially reasons. It makes man a rational animal. As what I have learned, our mind capacitates us to be agent of all social and historical change – unite the material and the spiritual realms, transcending the boundaries of the world. The mind helps us believe there's good and bad. It guides us to choose what is good. Likewise, the mind helps us believe there's right and wrong. It guides us to choose what is right. Our choices are based on the norms inculcated in us by our society (through social institutions) and the other inclinations governed by our genetic make-up. Generally, the mind is the conscious and unconscious adaptive activity of an organism – a substratum in the universe. With this definition, it is important to stress out that Nash, himself, – through Crowe – believed that the universe is infinite as evidenced by a scene while he and his wife were talking about love. This be the case, mind covers a wide scope for John Nash.

We may say that John Nash has the fear of losing. While in the middle of a game with his classmate Hansen (Josh Lucas), he would walk-out knowing he will be defeated. He may have studied hard to win every battle he will encounter. It was late when he realized the essence of a balanced life. In fact he would say that “classes will dull your mind, destroy the potential for authentic creativity.”

He prepared for the great wars he might be facing and took for granted other important things. No wonder he was alarmed knowing that the greatest challenger is no other than himself.

Figuratively, he was lost on his mind’s entirety. Nonetheless, he managed to pave a way returning to actuality. His quest has taken him “through the physical, the metaphysical, the delusional and back (John Nash, Russelle Crowe).” He had risen. He fell. How hard it may have taken him, what is important is that he stood up. He was triumphant against himself – his worst enemy.

John Nash is human. So are we. Like him, we are given two choices: to defeat or be defeated.

Amidst the struggles you are encountering within, who is winning – you, or you?

A Perfect Score for The Perfect Score

2008-03-25T20:02:00.014+08:00

This is the reaction paper I had passed as a requirement for my Comm class.

This is a paper on Emily Flynn Vencat's The Perfect Score.
If you want to access Vencat's article, click here.

Written almost two years ago, Emily Flynn Vencat’s “The Perfect Score” shows how cheating has been “reshaping the face of academic admissions”. The author presents the approaches that are being adopted and proposed to combat the growth of cheating incidence around the globe. She claims that the quality of education depends primarily on how admission tests are being conducted and taken – implying that cheating on entrance exams should be significantly reduced, if not eradicated. This standpoint is both commendable and greatly relevant.

In defense of her proposal, Vencat provides background information about the status of cheating and its causes. Since society tends to grant better jobs to those with better educational credentials, she particularly cites that competition is the real culprit why students resort to cheating. Moreover, the author illustrates initiatives against cheating that are put into operation by various colleges and universities worldwide.

To suggest that examination results are related to the quality of education is laudable. Examination results provide an educational institution a way of determining the fields of knowledge that are to be given premium focus and plausible approaches of handling classes. It is primarily through exams that students’ strengths and weaknesses are determined. Cheating makes evaluation of students’ potentials harder. Discrepancy between test results and a student’s actual capabilities is an outcome of cheating.

The Perfect Score cites countries like China and South Korea where policies against cheating are strictly enforced. These citations imply, at a great extent, that nations prioritize the purge of cheating. This might be because cheating puts a nation into risk especially when applied into a global context. The quality of performance a nation’s labor force offers the world depends much on that nation’s quality of education. There have been cases where the shortcomings of a part significantly affect the reputation of the whole. An example is the cheating committed and caught during the June 2006 Nursing Board Exams here in the Philippines. This had discredited – at varying degrees – Filipino healthcare workers all over the world. Countries that have been regular beneficiaries of Pinoy healthcare services had temporarily withdrawn from accepting Filipino nurses to work at their hospitals. Even the American series Desperate Housewives had “comically” gave its stand on the issue. Susan Mayer Delfino, played by Teri Hatcher, said, “Can I check those diplomas? Coz I would just like to make sure they are not from some med school in the Philippines,” on the 30^th of September 2007. As stated in the resolution filed by Representative Bienvenido Abante Jr. that calls for the ban of airing Desperate Housewives here in the Philippines, this remark from the aforementioned series “constitutes not only a clear slur but an insult of immeasurable magnitude not only to Filipino doctors but to the entire Filipino nation and our educational system.”[1] Cheating has been the basis of this “insult of immeasurable magnitude.”

At the higher end of the spectrum, relative tolerance of cheating on examinations may pose passive acceptance and justification of cheating outside the four walls of the classroom. The article mentions that according to sociologists academic dishonesty reflects the culture at large. Our perception of success considerably influences the means we are to do to succeed. It was used that cheating was done by the ones who are academically weak as compared to everyone else in a class. However, Denise Pope, a professor at the School of Education at Stanford University, founder and director of Stanford’s SOS: Stressed-Out Students Project said that today, the ones who cheat more are the ones who have more to lose.[2] This supports Vencat’s argument that competition is the real culprit why students cheat. As shown, there has been a cultural shift in who cheats and why. Our culture, more or less, dictates our way of thinking. Our society seems to inculcate in us a misleading notion of success to the point that cheating has been part of our subconscious. The approaches and procedures in The Perfect Score are directed toward the correction of this stigma. It calls upon strict compliance of academic integrity. Cheating committed inside the classroom is not different from cheating committed outside. The 2004 elections had raised much controversy. The 2010 Philippine elections is approaching swiftly. Most of the students studying today will comprise a huge chunk of voters by that time. Having foreseen the effects of lenience towards cheating, the article deserves praise.

Vencat’s perspective on education, as directly affected by cheating through exams, is still applicable though the practicality of answering the problem revealed is somehow open to discussion. There are many factors needed to be considered. Nonetheless, because the article was a product of its time, the factors that are to be greatly regarded today may not be of equal significance as they were almost two years ago.

Ray Nicosia, director of security for the Princeton and one of the people quoted on The Perfect Score, sees the importance of change to combat cheating. Accordingly, change of security precautions is important for academic integrity to overtake and not to lag behind the rapid transition of cheating “strategies” from simple to complex. Vencat magnifies a coherent causal connection between cheating, examinations and education. Her ideas on the impacts of cheating to the “face-lift” of education are appropriate and significant.

[1] http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news/view_article.php?article_id=92435
[2] http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/09/09/CM59RIBI7.DTL

We are NOT Alone?

2008-01-25T18:48:00.000+08:00

Wow! It has been a long time since I last made a post for this blog. The past few months have been so great that I promise to spend a time to tell you a gist of almost everything that had happened. I have an exam tomorrow so I apologize because I won't be able to do the nostalgic story-telling now. Anyway, I hope you find the subject of this post interesting.

I was browsing through the net when I saw the lead of a featured story at Yahoo! regarding Mars. This caught my attention and I find it worthwhile to share to you and to other Mars-fanatics amongst the cosmic world.

Here is a picture obtained from a video courtesy of Yahoo! ABC and NASA.

The video shows a 'homo sapien-ly figure' that seemed to had posted for a candid shot. Does this video finally answer inquiries on life on Mars? Below is the news -- copied verbatim -- written by Benjamin Radford, managing editor of Skeptical Inquirer science magazine, on this matter.

_____________________

Female Figure on Mars Just a Rock

The idea that there may be life on Mars has been around for centuries, but the theory got a dubious boost from recently released photos of the surface of Mars (taken by the NASA robot Spirit) apparently showing a human-like figure. Several Internet sites have glommed onto the image and suggested the figure could be alive.

But what is it? Just a rock, astronomers say.

It's hard enough to accurately recognize figures and faces across the room. Mars, depending on when you measure it, is about 35 million miles away. The best telescopes aren't of much help in determining surface features, and that's why NASA sent robots with cameras to Mars.

The reason many people see a figure on the Martian landscape is the same reason that people see faces in clouds, Rorschach blots, and coffee stains. This phenomenon, called pareidolia, is well known in psychology, and it is the cause of many supposedly mysterious and miraculous events (including the famous "Jesus in the Tortilla"). Examples are all around us; in fact if you have a New Hampshire state quarter, you have pareidolia in your pocket or purse (take a look).

Strong evidence for this psychological explanation lies in the fact that the Spirit image does not look like Martian life (since we don't know what life on Mars looks like), but instead resembles life here on Earth, specifically human life. The image is the result of human interpretation. If you look around the full image of the area (not just the close-up), you will find several rocks and features that resemble non-human Earth life, such as armadillos and snakes. In the right bottom corner, emerging from the sand, there is what looks like a lizard face wearing goggles and an airman's helmet.

This is of course not the first time that NASA images have been claimed to show evidence of Martian life. A man named Richard Hoagland claimed that 1976 photographs of the Cydonia region of Mars showed a human-like face and was clear evidence of aliens.

According to astronomer Phil Plait of the Bad Astronomy Web site, if the image really is of a man on Mars, he's awfully small: "Talk about a tempest in a teacup!" Plait said. "The rock on Mars is actually just a few inches high and a few yards from the camera. A few million years of Martian winds sculpted it into an odd shape, which happens to look like, well, a Bigfoot! It's just our natural tendency to see familiar shapes in random objects."

Even though logic and science suggest that the image is of a rock and not an animal, UFO buffs and conspiracy theorists will continue to speculate.

In fact, it will actually be pretty easy to determine whether or not the image is of alien life. In later photographs of the area, either the same shape will be there or it won't. If it is, it's a rock (unless, of course, little Martian men can hold the same pose for weeks or months at a time).

This is exactly how the "Face on Mars" was eventually disproven. On April 5, 1998, the Mars Global Surveyor took photographs of the same region in far higher resolution than was possible in 1976. The new images clearly showed an area heavily eroded, and that the "face" was simply the result of low image quality, pareidolia, and tricks of light and shadow. Hoagland's theory was discredited.

Just don't tell that to the creepy, goggle-wearing Martian sand lizard.

Barangay Elections 2k7

2007-10-29T14:40:00.000+08:00

If you find it very hard to change your country, at the very least CHANGE YOUR BARANGAY!

We always have the choice to change the course of destiny.

Through elections, we prove we are free.

As what a friend told me once, freedom is absolute. We choose everything we do. If we fail at something, we can't put the blame on others and say that they've influenced us.

We were given choices. But the thing is, NO ONE escapes the consequences of the chosen.

Indeed, freedom is absolute. It can create BUT it can destroy.

Make a stand. Have a sense of identity.

My fellow youth and first-time voters, practice your rights.

I had voted wisely. May indelible ink ako sa finger nail ko. Katuwa.

Let our hands write a better future. May our choices be geared towards sustainable development.

Max Ehrmann's DESIDERATA

2007-10-28T19:45:00.000+08:00

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

Serving as a Makati City Child Councilor: A Day to Remember

2007-10-26T11:43:00.000+08:00

October 28, 2005 — a day I never expected to be so special.

Its memories were reserved inside my crowded mind and will never get lost on the depth of my heart. Never will I regret that I passed through this journey in my life.

I woke up early that day. Everything was extraordinary. I left the ordinary me behind and added extra energy on everything I did. I wore my carefully ironed uniform, combed my hair, polished my shoes and saw to it that I looked my best that time.

As I waited for the clock turn its long hand to 6 and its short hand to 7, I made sure that none of my things would get dirty. Alas! It was 7:30, only half an hour away for me to perform my function as a city child councilor at the Makati City Hall.

The City Hall is only a walk away from our house, nevertheless, I took a tricycle to be able to get there fast without getting messed up. Then, I noticed that I forgot to wear my sash, which had had the four words that almost changed my entire life – “Child Councilor of Makati.”

I hurried back towards our green gate and pushed the doorbell. I felt relieved when Ate Gang-Gang, our house helper, walked closer to open the gate. I rushed to my room and there my sash was.

It was raining. I rode a tricycle that brought me to my destination. After I had paid the driver, I excitedly entered the New City Hall.

I turned my head from left to right trying to find where my colleagues were.

I saw them beside the stairs, sitting on the comfy sofa at the side of Land Bank. I was so excited meeting Maritzi, a friend from Colegio de Sta. Rosa and our Child Mayor that time. She came carrying a big box. In it were blueberry muffins, which she, all at once, distributed to us. It was so delicious.

We had a short talk when suddenly Kuya Jerome, our facilitator, came. He was the Child Mayor during his high school days, and was also one of the the Ten Outstanding Students of Makati. He came to fetch the Child Department Heads and accompanied them to their respective offices.

Time passed when Kuya Jerome fetched us and brought us, the Child Councilors, to our offices. I watched my peers, one by one, being presented to the councilors they would be replacing for that day.

I was very shocked when Kuya Jerome shouted “Paulgie.” I then realized that it was my time to be introduced to my one day-office. I was really expecting that my office would be a very cozy one.

I was assigned to then Councilor Pasia’s hub -- if I may say. After being introduced, I read some articles regarding my assigned councilor and some of his draft ordinances. I learned that Councilor Pasia is the Health and Sanitation Chairman of the Council.

I remembered some of his draft ordinances. Such ordinance is the Draft Ordinance 2005-A-010 that concerned on taking care of pets and regulating animals in the city.

After signing some papers -- as what city officials do -- and reading some articles, I wandered around my office.

I had a view of Makati from the window.

At the moment, I was certain that destiny put me to an office that will be best for me. From that window, I had a mirror that enlightened me how the people had ruined Makati, in particular. There I saw the brown Pasig River stretching from afar, which has the reflection that unmasked the deceiving majesty of the sad city. I then felt very fortunate sitting on that very office for it brought me deeper realization of my essence as an individual, as a youth.

I then sought my best friend who happened to be only few steps away from my office. On my way, I met few of my co-child Councilors roaming around the corridors. My best friend saw me. Then, we went with our friends.

We visited from office-to-office, where we noticed that each seems to match our personalities. Such might not happened by chance but by mere fate and God’s will.

October 28 2005 had given me the opportunity of knowing my purpose — being a humble servant of my fellows, my country and above all God.

On POSITIVE-THINKING

2007-10-25T13:35:00.000+08:00

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Imagine receiving a big chunk of cash in the future. Or winning a prize.

Chances are, such optimistic thoughts are coming from two places in the brain that play an important role in enabling people to, as the old song says, accentuate the positive, New York University scientists said on Wednesday.

Pinpointing the brain regions involved in optimism and positive thinking about the future, the researchers said, may also have shed light on what might be going wrong in people with depression.

The researchers used sophisticated brain imaging to track brain activity in 15 young adults -- seven men and eight women -- while they asked them imagine future scenarios. They included getting a lot of money, winning an award, going to a birthday party or ball game or the zoo, being lied to, the end of a romantic relationship, going to a funeral and others.

When scenarios filled with optimism were imagined, two brain regions -- the rostral anterior cingulate and amygdala -- lit up with activity in the brain scans, the researchers said.

"What's interesting is these two regions that we saw that were involved in projecting optimistic futures are also the same two regions that we see affected in depression," Elizabeth Phelps, an NYU professor of psychology and neural science involved in the research, said in a telephone interview.

It had been unclear what was going wrong in these two regions that might contribute to depression. "But our data would suggest that one of the things they're doing is making it hard to think about things optimistically. Of course, one of the primary symptoms of depression is pessimism," Phelps said.

Phelps said the findings had the potential in the future to help guide new treatments for depression.

The research was published in the journal Nature.

OPTIMISM BIAS

The rostral anterior cingulate is part of the brain's frontal cortex that may be involved in regulating emotional responses. The amygdala is an almond-shaped brain structure in the medial temporal lobe involved in emotion.

"Understanding healthy optimism is important because optimism is related to mental and physical health and to success. We can have people who are not necessarily depressed but have different levels of optimism," said another of the researchers, Tali Sharot of University College London who was at NYU when the study was conducted.

Phelps said the research team is not saying these are necessarily the only brain regions involved in optimism.

The researchers said they examined how the brain generates what some scientists call the human "optimism bias."

"Humans expect positive events in the future even when there is no evidence to support such expectations," the researchers wrote in the journal Nature.

"For example, people expect to live longer and be healthier than average, they underestimate their likelihood of getting a divorce, and overestimate their prospects for success on the job market," they wrote.

Phelps said the researchers had a hard time getting the volunteers to think of purely neutral events in the future.

"They tended to make them positive," she said. "We sort of stumbled upon this optimism bias that psychologists have talked about before."

______________________________________________

Brain regions responsible for optimism located
By Will Dunham

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071024/sc_nm/brain_optimism_dc

the CERTAINTY of the UNCERTAIN

2007-10-20T16:31:00.000+08:00

I waited for my friend who had to take the removals exam -- better than having an instant singko -- on Math 17 yesterday.

I had watched the removees press their calculators, stare blankly on thin air, and write marks on their test papers to the point that their noses had figuratively and literally touched the key to their future.

I sat in front the room where my friend and the others were taking their removal exam.

I was thankful I don't have to go through such process.

Minutes passed. I was bored.

I had taken my scrap book (a requirement I would be passing that day) out of my bag. I read the essays on it and looked at the pictures I had attached.

I drew. (And I guess, t'was my best drawing of a human figure so far.)

I praised myself and thought who my drawing might be.

I stood up.

Then, I [had accomplished and] submitted the major project we were assigned to do for our ComSci class. (Basically, it was a program that will convert a base sequence into its equivalent amino acid residue and count how many times an inputted codon appeared on the sequence.)

I ate at the school cafeteria and waited for my friend at the benches.

When the exam was finished (and the time was up -- a better term to use), I asked my friend to be my company on submitting my scrap book to our Psychology professor.

She told me that she had already passed hers. I had to pass my scrap book on my own (she had an affair to attend to).

After I had given my project to the department secretary, I looked at my drawing again. Up to now, I haven't identified who she is. The mystery of my drawing remains.

One thing's certain, having submitted all requirements and relatively did well on exams, my SEMESTER is finally and officially OVER.

As for the drawing, she/it is someone/thing from my subconscious.

I don't know whether t'was inspired by someone/thing whatsoever.

The rest is for me to know. AND you to find out. LOLz.

REFLECTION

2007-10-18T15:17:00.000+08:00

I am already on the verge of enjoying a semester's break BUT there are still requirements necessary for completion -- hindering me to have a good night sleep and un-academically-oriented peace of mind.

The pictures above are pages from my scrap book which I would be submitting tomorrow.

When I Heard I was a NERD

2007-10-11T20:56:00.000+08:00

THE TEST SAYS IT ALL.

THE WORLD AS I SEE IT: an essay by Albert Einstein

2007-10-11T00:14:00.000+08:00

"How strange is the lot of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people -- first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving...

"I have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves -- this critical basis I call the ideal of a pigsty. The ideals that have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. Without the sense of kinship with men of like mind, without the occupation with the objective world, the eternally unattainable in the field of art and scientific endeavors, life would have seemed empty to me. The trite objects of human efforts -- possessions, outward success, luxury -- have always seemed to me contemptible.

"My passionate sense of social justice and social responsibility has always contrasted oddly with my pronounced lack of need for direct contact with other human beings and human communities. I am truly a 'lone traveler' and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even my immediate family, with my whole heart; in the face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of distance and a need for solitude..."

"My political ideal is democracy. Let every man be respected as an individual and no man idolized. It is an irony of fate that I myself have been the recipient of excessive admiration and reverence from my fellow-beings, through no fault, and no merit, of my own. The cause of this may well be the desire, unattainable for many, to understand the few ideas to which I have with my feeble powers attained through ceaseless struggle. I am quite aware that for any organization to reach its goals, one man must do the thinking and directing and generally bear the responsibility. But the led must not be coerced, they must be able to choose their leader. In my opinion, an autocratic system of coercion soon degenerates; force attracts men of low morality... The really valuable thing in the pageant of human life seems to me not the political state, but the creative, sentient individual, the personality; it alone creates the noble and the sublime, while the herd as such remains dull in thought and dull in feeling.

"This topic brings me to that worst outcrop of herd life, the military system, which I abhor... This plague-spot of civilization ought to be abolished with all possible speed. Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism -- how passionately I hate them!

"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed. It was the experience of mystery -- even if mixed with fear -- that engendered religion. A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, our perceptions of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which only in their most primitive forms are accessible to our minds: it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute true religiosity. In this sense, and only this sense, I am a deeply religious man... I am satisfied with the mystery of life's eternity and with a knowledge, a sense, of the marvelous structure of existence -- as well as the humble attempt to understand even a tiny portion of the Reason that manifests itself in nature."

_______________________

Photo courtesy of: Tako X

Desperate Housewives' Teri Hatcher SLURS Filipinos

2007-10-03T15:28:00.000+08:00

In the Premiere of Desperate Housewives Teri Hatcher made a remark about Filipinos - doctors/nurses. She was talking to her doctor and then she said "Okay, before we go any further, can I check those diplomas? 'Coz I would just like to make sure they are not from some med school in the Philippines."

* * * * *

Dear Kababayan and Allies:

I heard through the grapevine about a remark made on an episode of "Desperate Housewives" last night. The scene entailed Teri Hatcher's character (Susan) at a hospital, being told by her gynecologist that she might be hitting menopause. Susan replied, "Can I just check those diplomas because I just want to make sure that they are not from some med school in the Philippines." If you go to abc.com, you watch the full episode and witness the scene at about 18:50 minutes into the episode.

This type of derogatory remark is not only unnecessary and hurtful, but is also unfounded, considering the presence of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the health care industry. Filipinos are the second largest immigrant population in the United States, with many entering the U.S. and passing their U.S. licensing boards as doctors, nurses, and medical technicians. In fact, the Philippines produces more U.S. nurses than any other country in the world. So, to belittle the education, experience, or value of Filipino Americans in health care is disrespectful and plain and simply ignorant.

As Filipino Americans (or as pure Filipinos), we need to band together to ensure that this type of hateful message is not allowed to continue on our television and radio airwaves. Given the recent amounts of media attention that has been given to Michael Richards (against African Americans), Isaiah Washington (against gays), and Rosie O'Donnell (against Asian/ Chinese Americans), it is ridiculous that this type of hateful speech made it through various screenwriters, the show's producers, the show's actors, and ABC itself. Yet, this isn't the first time that negative remarks have been made about the Philippines or Filipinos in the past. In recent years, we've heard one too many "dogeater" comments by "comedian" Joan Rivers on the red carpet or in her standup act, and I believe that it is about time that we stand up for ourselves, so that this type of hateful speech never happens again.

Please join me in expressing your concern, disappointment, and/or disgust to the producers of ABC.com. You can sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/FilABC/ or you can reach them directly at abc7@abc.com.

And please feel free to forward this widely to other Filipinos/Filipino Americans/ Asian Americans/ and other allies.

Sincerely,

Kevin Nadal

Filipino Performance Artist/ Activist

knadal@gmail.com

* * * * *

I am sooo out of words. I am a BioChem student and I intend to pursue medicine after graduation. After what had happened, I plea to Med students and my fellow aspiring medical practioners: LET US PROVE THEM WRONG.

Friendster Q&A Portion

2007-09-28T10:40:00.000+08:00

UP student ka ba? - Yep.

UPCAT passer? - Yeah.

Student number? - 2006-10181

Course? Major? - BS Biochemistry.

Do you really like it there? - Yes.

Is this your first choice of campus? - Nope.

Why or why not? - I've spent my first year sa Diliman. Then, nagtransfer ako sa Manila.

San-san ka nag-apply na colleges/universities? - UP at UST.

Dumadalaw ka pa ba sa UP or dadalaw ka pa ba khit grad ka na? - Yeah. Siyempre.

The best thing about UP? - Mura ang tuition. Academic Freedom.

What do you miss or you're going to miss? - Studying fuckin' hard for DepExams.

Fave place mo do'n? Bakit yun? - Diliman? Lahat. Manila? OUR (andun ang LRC, volunteer tutor ako dun) at DPSM (department ko...i belong.LOLz).

Fave day mo? Why? - Sunday. Mass. Rest. Family. Rest. God.

Fave building?Why? - OUR at CAS. Kasama ba ang ROB? Haha.

Least fave building? Why? - Sa Manila? Wala pa naman. CAS at OUR (at ROB) lang ako eh. Hehe.

Memorize mo ba yung UP Hymn? - Sobra. Nag-i-emo ako 'pag kumakanta n'un.

Paborito mong prof? - So far? Ma'am Vangie(Geog 1) sa Diliman. Dr. Marquez(Geo11) sa Manila.

Bakit siya/sila? - SOCIAL RELEVANCE. *winks*

Pinaka-ayaw mong prof? - Least na gusto siguro ang appropriate term. Sir Engle.

Bakit siya? - Ginisa niya ako nung interview bago ako nakapag-transfersa BioChem. Haha. PERO, mabait naman DAW siya. We'll see...

Naglalakad ka ba lagi? - Yeah, a lot. I even took Walking for Fitness as PE nung first year. Bronze medalist ako du'n. Haha.

Madalas ka ba sa lib pag vacant mo? -Ngayon, OO.

Sino chancellor sa UP? - Ewan.

Gusto mo ba ung Perspective? - Ok lang.

If you weren't in UP, nasaan ka? - UST.

Sa tingin mo malaki ba ang naitulong/maitutulong ng UP sayo? - Yeah.

Nanonood ka ba ng mga laro ng UP sa UAAP? - Not yet.

Nagchi-cheer ka ba ng go UP!!?? -Sobra. UP pride.

Anong masasabi mo kay Oble? - Hubad. Maganda ang pwet. Pero, para sa akin,tool siya ng "authority" to spread the dominant ideology -- hegemony -- of preferred Western beauty. Mas mukhang dayuhan si Oble, kaysa Pilipino. Ka-insecure tuloy. Hehe. Social Relevance. Hehehe.

Gano ka na katagal nag-aaral sa UP? - 2 years pa lang.

Ano masasabi mo sa mga kaklase mo? - Sa Diliman, ok na ok. Sa Manila, bilang yung mga ok. Maraming baliw. Hehe. *the horror...*

Eh sa classroom niyo? - Sa Diliman, 'di aircon ang rooms. Sa labas, masaya si Inang Kalikasan. Sa Manila, aircon lahat ng rooms. PERO grabe ang polusyon sa labas. Umimiyak si Inang Kalikasan. Commune with nature. Ooh yeah.

Anong floor classroom niyo? - Inter-floor. Haha.

Pinapagamit ba sa inyo ung elevator? -Sa Diliman? OO. Sa Manila. OO din...sa PGH. Hehehe.

Sa'n ka madalas kumakain? - Sa Diliman, pa-iba-iba. Sa Manila, GAB Caf, Rob, at Calamares Stand sa tapat ng PGH.

Ano'ng inoorder mo dun? - Basta pagkain. Minsan bluebook. Hahaha. Weird...

Kumakain ka ba ng street food sa labasng campus? - YEAH!

Para sayo ano'ng college ang may pinakagwapo o pinakamagandang mga estudyante? - CAS.

Bakit? - Andun ako eh. Hehehe.

Eh anong college ang may pinakamagandang bldg? - CBA, Econ at Arki sa Diliman. They have the money. Haha. Mga kapitalista. JOKES.

Inggit ka naman? - Medyo.

May PE kapa ba? - Supposedly wala na, pero required sa Manila ang PE1.

Kung meron ano un? - This sem? Wala.

Masaya ka naman ba sa pe mo? - Sa past PEs ko? OO. Swimming. Walking. Tap Dancing. Sports Climbing. To the extreme. :D

Bayad ka na ba sa tuition? - Yeah.

Bumili ka na ba ng UP jacket? - Hindi pa.

May balak? - Meron.

Eh ung tshirts? - Oo.

May balak ka rin? - Meron pa rin.

Nakapagpapicture ka na ba k oble? - Sa replica, oo. Sa orig? Ayaw. Mamaya, di pa ako grumadweyt. *UP urban legend thingy*

Ilang beses na? - Once.

Bakit kaya madaming turista dumadayo sa campus natin? - Sa Manila, wala. Mga may sakit ang pumupunta (sa PGH). HAHA. Sa UPd, dahil siguro sa Giant Itlog (yung Nuclear ek-ek).

Nakapagaral ka na ba para sa prelims? -Tapos na. Finals na nga eh.

Kung hndi pa may balak ka naman bangmag aral? - Tapos na nga.

Natry mo nabang dasalan mga rebulto sa UP? - Hindi pa. Lahat ng bluebooks ko before taking exams. OO.

___________________________________

Late ako ng gising.

Isa lang ang class ko ngayon.

Di ako pumasok.

Eto, nag-post ako ng bagong blog entry.

UNSTRIPPED

2007-09-24T17:33:00.000+08:00

Hey, do you wanna know how was my first time?

I was confused. I didn't know what to do. I was so nervous. My heart was beating fast. Different thoughts enetered my mind.

Afterawahlie, I saw a naked figure coming nearby. As it got closer and closer, my heart was beating much faster. I was much more confused. My knees trembled.

I closed my eyes.

In that moment, I was in ecstacy - a desire, a dream come true.

I stood erect.

I placed my right hand on my chest.

I sang the national anthem.

I sat down.

I observed.

I was inside the UP Teatre along with other Freshies like me. The university was having the annual Freshman Welcome Assembly then.

It was on that very moment where a new chapter in my life unfolded - my UP Life.

The crowd was made up of different faces. These faces marked a line between normality and peculiarity.

"A whole new world it will be," I said.

The Priciple of Natural Selection, where the fittest survives, began.

All the world's a stage as Shakespeare once said (thanks Ate Anna). And here comes the time where I have to choose what role I am to play on this stage. Of course, I won't let myself be left behind.

But, it was hard for a Freshie like me to cope with the new environment. I was like an African sent to the North Pole. I needed a lot of time to adapt.

The first day of regular classes had been more difficult than I expected. It was hard for me, especially, to find the rooms. I didn't know that at some buildings you'll find the odd-numbered rooms at the left while the even ones are at the right.

To avoid criticisms from upperclassmen, as what most of my friends had told me, I tried to pretend that I am not a Freshie.

But, I couldn't.

The stains of high school were evident.

There was an instance where a friend of mine told me not to wear my ID. Why? Because, according to him, oftentimes, wearing your ID is a sign that you're a Freshie. I even had to reduce a UP Campus Map so that whenever I am lost, no one will see me consulting it.

My fear of discrimination, rejection and criticism preoccupied my whole being. I lost focus.

I was afraid.

I was petrified.

I was an eagle trapped inside an egg.

But, after some time, I got along with the system and in a way made my own difference.

My Freshie life and the lessons that with it awaken the hero inherent in me.

It made me realize that...
I'll be soaring, flying.
There's not a star in heaven that I can't reach.
If I'll be trying.
I'll be BREAKING FREE.

Ferdinand Marcos said that each genereation writes its own history. My parents, grandparents and far ancesotrs have written theirs. It is time for me to write mine.

So, that's how my first was. How was yours?

This was the speech that I delivered for my Finals in Comm3 (Speech Communication) first semester, AY 2oo6-2oo7. T'was because of this speech that I got a 1.00. :)

MATH17 DEPRESSION: A Deluge of Colors

2007-09-22T23:50:00.000+08:00

I just had my fourth departmental exam in Math17 a while ago. T'was very difficult -- as hard as harder as a UPManila student's hardest expectation.

Anyway, like what I always quote: "The die is cast."

To cope with the depression brought by a relatively unsuccessful performance in a major exam, I had played with my own palette -- intensifying a new hue, a new brightness, and a new contrast to my life.

Tutti Frutti.

More Tutti Frutti.

And More...More...More Tutti Frutti.

Pakulay ng Buhok.

Tapos na Magpakulay.

Patricia, my sister, my partner-in-crime.

Patricia ulit.

Partners-in-Crime.

Partners-in-Crime ulit.

All I hope every decision I make is for the better.

My NEW hair color: Brown with Red highlights. XD

The PAPER Story

2007-09-19T13:39:00.000+08:00

In relation to my past post regarding my ID, I had just availed an affidavit of loss from the Legal Department of Makati City Hall a while ago.

I was supposed to get this piece of paper a day or two from now. But, we had no class today. My professor attended a seminar for effective teaching.

Having learned this, I instantly went to the aforementioned city office.

I paid Php 50.00 -- 50% cheaper with respect to the rates of processing and signing an affidavit in the legal market (if there is such term).

Makati City, as always, never leave a Makati citizen crying (compared to other cities here in the Philippines) whether of finacial issues, etcetera, etcetera.

I lost a paper with my picture on it (well, my ID was really made of plastic). Now, I gained a paper for me to get a new paper to replace the paper I had lost two days ago.

My paper story might already be on its climax -- on its way to a happily ever after.

Who knows, yours may just start...

Facing the Giants

2007-09-18T20:55:00.001+08:00

If you are to play this video, pause the sound track below (right hand corner). Thank you.