In this article from the National Geographic Society,
Joshua Foer writes about the curiosity that is memory. To illustrate the complexity of which, the stories of a woman who remembers every detail of everyday of her 41 years of existence, and that of an 85-year-old man who cannot create new memories are related.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Of Christmas wishes and needs.
This past semester, my laptop gave up on me. Long story short, the motherboard was replaced practically 10 times within 2 months or so. I was in the middle of my thesis' first half without a laptop. While others around me in the library were clicking and typing away, I was scribbling notebooks worth of notes and quotes. Well, at least I learned.
But I love my laptop. I've done everything on it. All my other papers, photo editing, videos, music, themes, blogs-- everything.
Just the other day, my beloved laptop's screen finally gave up. About a week or so of getting it back from the shop for the last motherboard repair, a line started flickering on its bottom. i call the shop again and am told that it is an LCD issue-- and is no longer covered by the warranty. It would cost me at least 15,000 to have it fixed/replaced. After scouring online and making calls, a guy quotes me 5000 pesos to do it all. At the time, the problem was not yet so bad, so I leave it be.
Time passes and a matching line appears on the top of the screen. And then the lines get thicker. And then the whole screen flickers after every minute or so. And then the flickering happens more often. And then it happens every three seconds-- in the middle of our online class enlistment. Hell. I tried restarting the system-- just in case it helped. It didn't. A little while more, it develops a haze/vignette. Everything is covered by a foggy layer. Then it rights itself. The only issue is the flickering at the top and the bottom-- then hell breaks loose.
Every three seconds, it would freeze and flicker so badly that I held the unit because it had the illusion of violent jerking. I still continued trying to enlist and to update my friends on why I couldn't reply to a lot of the questions about enlistment. I was dizzy. And then to add to that, it developed this Magic Ball effect (as I'd like to call it.) It would swirl out the fogginess in a magic ball kind of way. It would have been awesome if it didn't mean that it might paralyze all my web based acts and connections. And I was enlisting. By the time I printed the last page of my enrollment papers, the flickering and the fogging had gotten so bad that I was nauseous.
My family has decided not to have this repaired anymore, and to just get a new one. Now, I am at a quandary. I usually research a lot before this kind of purchase. Alas, this is practically an emergency.
I have narrowed down my choices to either the Lenovo G550 or a Mac- be it pro or not.
Can anyone give me good ideas about these?
But I love my laptop. I've done everything on it. All my other papers, photo editing, videos, music, themes, blogs-- everything.
Just the other day, my beloved laptop's screen finally gave up. About a week or so of getting it back from the shop for the last motherboard repair, a line started flickering on its bottom. i call the shop again and am told that it is an LCD issue-- and is no longer covered by the warranty. It would cost me at least 15,000 to have it fixed/replaced. After scouring online and making calls, a guy quotes me 5000 pesos to do it all. At the time, the problem was not yet so bad, so I leave it be.
Time passes and a matching line appears on the top of the screen. And then the lines get thicker. And then the whole screen flickers after every minute or so. And then the flickering happens more often. And then it happens every three seconds-- in the middle of our online class enlistment. Hell. I tried restarting the system-- just in case it helped. It didn't. A little while more, it develops a haze/vignette. Everything is covered by a foggy layer. Then it rights itself. The only issue is the flickering at the top and the bottom-- then hell breaks loose.
Every three seconds, it would freeze and flicker so badly that I held the unit because it had the illusion of violent jerking. I still continued trying to enlist and to update my friends on why I couldn't reply to a lot of the questions about enlistment. I was dizzy. And then to add to that, it developed this Magic Ball effect (as I'd like to call it.) It would swirl out the fogginess in a magic ball kind of way. It would have been awesome if it didn't mean that it might paralyze all my web based acts and connections. And I was enlisting. By the time I printed the last page of my enrollment papers, the flickering and the fogging had gotten so bad that I was nauseous.
My family has decided not to have this repaired anymore, and to just get a new one. Now, I am at a quandary. I usually research a lot before this kind of purchase. Alas, this is practically an emergency.
I have narrowed down my choices to either the Lenovo G550 or a Mac- be it pro or not.
Can anyone give me good ideas about these?
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Bilo-haba
Did you know that that's what an Oval is called in the Philippine tongue?
Yeah, a Bilo-haba.
I learned something new today :) This is what I get from watching Saturday kiddie shows. :)
Yeah, a Bilo-haba.
I learned something new today :) This is what I get from watching Saturday kiddie shows. :)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Early umbilical cord clamping may interrupt ''nature''s first stem cell transplant''
This article was taken from Topnews.com.
Basically, it states that nutrients from the mother are transferred to the child by delaying clamping the umbilical cord. These nutrients affect the child as it grows up-- supposedly for the better.
Once again this is a snippet of an article taken from Topnews.com. Click on the link for the full article.
Basically, it states that nutrients from the mother are transferred to the child by delaying clamping the umbilical cord. These nutrients affect the child as it grows up-- supposedly for the better.
Delaying clamping the umbilical cord for a slightly longer period of time allows more umbilical cord blood volume to transfer from mother to infant and, with that critical period extended, many good physiological "gifts" are transferred through ''nature''s first stem cell transplant'' occurring at birth, they said.
Once again this is a snippet of an article taken from Topnews.com. Click on the link for the full article.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
I recently had a traumatic experience with a homosexual. A bakla. I’d rather not go into details. Suffice it to say that I felt quite violated and helpless, to think that I was doing that person a favor. No, I was not touched, but he got very close to my comfort zone and it happened very close—too close to home.
Anyway. As I was relating the story to my friends, hoping for support, another gay guy, albeit from my circle of friends, blurted out; asking if I was gay. I said no. He followed up with a couple of other fairly offensive questions. I played it down. Played it off. But in the state my mind was in. I was offended and disturbed. I have trusted friends who are either openly gay, or have doubtful sexualities. It didn’t use to bother me. But at the time, I began to doubt their worth.
I had decided to keep close those who I already had, but seal off any new acquaintances with shady preferences. I’m no manly man, what a friend called maton. But I wanted my distance from these people.
Today, Tumblr turned Purple. Or violet. What’s the difference? I knew that it was wear purple day, but I didn’t know that Tumblr would be supporting. Anyway. As I said, I’m cool with homosexuality. I was reading the different posts about it and found out what this was all about: Bullies.
SPITE THEM ALL TO HELL.
I grew up different. I was not the sporty, manly type in an exclusive, all-boys school. I wrote while others wrestled. I drew while others raced. I was poor in a very posh setting. I was chubby, and then turned obese due to a medical condition back when I was young. It ruined my skin. The bullies ruined my ego. But they made me strong. It’s just that I didn’t know that yet.
Even now, more than a decade later, their words still affect me. I still feel excluded naturally even without tangible reason. Laughs still go slow-mo in my mind when I think that people might have been laughing at me. I still wear sleeves to cover my arms and tight undershirts to bind my flabs when I can—when the weather allows. I’m still very defensive, attack-dog-style, almost when I let my guard down. Or is it when I leave it up? I’m not so sure which is which anymore. But, on the other hand, these misguided, badly brought up, uneducated misfits have inspired me to do great things, perhaps even more than some of my friends.
With my friends, we accept each others’ weaknesses. Cover for it, in fact. Sometimes, they are who I escape to for that very purpose—to be weak. In times when I need strength, I don’t think what my mom would think. I don’t think how proud this person or that person might be. I think of the evil laughs, the back talks, the envy, the greed, the want the bullies might feel.
I don’t know if that’s good, but it works for me. So, ass holes, thank you. I will conquer the world because of you. I have conquered you, and will annihilate you because of you. Your downfall is actually your own doing.
Anyway. As I was relating the story to my friends, hoping for support, another gay guy, albeit from my circle of friends, blurted out; asking if I was gay. I said no. He followed up with a couple of other fairly offensive questions. I played it down. Played it off. But in the state my mind was in. I was offended and disturbed. I have trusted friends who are either openly gay, or have doubtful sexualities. It didn’t use to bother me. But at the time, I began to doubt their worth.
I had decided to keep close those who I already had, but seal off any new acquaintances with shady preferences. I’m no manly man, what a friend called maton. But I wanted my distance from these people.
Today, Tumblr turned Purple. Or violet. What’s the difference? I knew that it was wear purple day, but I didn’t know that Tumblr would be supporting. Anyway. As I said, I’m cool with homosexuality. I was reading the different posts about it and found out what this was all about: Bullies.
SPITE THEM ALL TO HELL.
I grew up different. I was not the sporty, manly type in an exclusive, all-boys school. I wrote while others wrestled. I drew while others raced. I was poor in a very posh setting. I was chubby, and then turned obese due to a medical condition back when I was young. It ruined my skin. The bullies ruined my ego. But they made me strong. It’s just that I didn’t know that yet.
Even now, more than a decade later, their words still affect me. I still feel excluded naturally even without tangible reason. Laughs still go slow-mo in my mind when I think that people might have been laughing at me. I still wear sleeves to cover my arms and tight undershirts to bind my flabs when I can—when the weather allows. I’m still very defensive, attack-dog-style, almost when I let my guard down. Or is it when I leave it up? I’m not so sure which is which anymore. But, on the other hand, these misguided, badly brought up, uneducated misfits have inspired me to do great things, perhaps even more than some of my friends.
With my friends, we accept each others’ weaknesses. Cover for it, in fact. Sometimes, they are who I escape to for that very purpose—to be weak. In times when I need strength, I don’t think what my mom would think. I don’t think how proud this person or that person might be. I think of the evil laughs, the back talks, the envy, the greed, the want the bullies might feel.
I don’t know if that’s good, but it works for me. So, ass holes, thank you. I will conquer the world because of you. I have conquered you, and will annihilate you because of you. Your downfall is actually your own doing.
Snip Dip Sip Coffee
I remember that there a similar product here in the Philippines recently. I forgot what they were called, but they never really caught on. They were off the market by the time I checked how much they were.
Those were designed to flavor the milk that kids drank. it was a fat straw with flavor beads in them. The milk was sipped up through that straw and it got flavored as it touched the balls. I think there were chocolate and strawberry flavored ones.
Anyway, saw these at Yanko Design
Those were designed to flavor the milk that kids drank. it was a fat straw with flavor beads in them. The milk was sipped up through that straw and it got flavored as it touched the balls. I think there were chocolate and strawberry flavored ones.
Anyway, saw these at Yanko Design
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Laugh out loud! :P
I'm uploading a video of our final class performance onto facebook and it displays this. I apparently have infinity hours remaining. I can think of a multitude of things to compare this with.
It's longer than any relationship I've ever had.
It's just about as long as this semester is lasting.
It's the amount of reasons I have when I don't wanna do anything.
It's the chances that crushie and I will never meet. :'(
It's how much time I've wasted on facebook/tumblr
..... what else? :P
Monday, October 11, 2010
The recent question about whether I'm Filipino got me to thinking: am I a Filipino?
By blood, why, yes I am. At one point, we quite recently found out, my mom's family had a purely Chinese line. My Father's side is quite strongly Malay-- skin, build, et al.
My father's side is from Laguna-- Nagcarlan, San Pablo, Liliw. My mom's side, I've always thought of as from Bacolod, though my lolo has deep roots in La Union and Ilocos.
As for me-- I grew up the bunso and the kuya of the household. For 5 years or so, I was the youngest on our street; the baby of all. Then my little cousin, Kathleen came. I remember ill feelings then-- hello, dethroning the little prince? But now, we're close as can be.
My upbringing was very strange. We lived with my paternal grand parents. At home, it was totally Tagalog-centric, with very native undertones. Tradition reigned supreme. For a while, I couldn't delineate family and friends and even helpers. Holidays were unbelievable. We'd celebrate days on end because one night was never enough to accommodate all the relations. My grand parents being somewhat respected and my family being one of the first in the village, we had dibbs and special participation during fiestas and Christmas. I was also heavily immersed in religious and social traditions-- hello abay in sagala.
On my mom's side, it was different. It was geographically distant, but they welcomed me as much as I could allow myself to be welcomed. That's where I experienced eating lechon made from pig that we chose and watched bet slaughtered. I heard lots of stories of aswangs, too. At night, in the farm, I experienced living under the light of a Petromax or kerosene lamp-- which, when it ran out also signaled sleeping time. I also experienced walking through fields and dikes, and watching fireflies in the dark.
My "social" life was radically different. It was very westernized. I grew up in an exclusive school that we we could hardly afford. I barely felt like I fit in. But, bygod did I learn a lot. That experience defined how my mind would and could cope with many oppressive situations.
Come to think of it, my life is a crazy mix of polar opposites. Westernized and totally modern. A matriarchal family set up and an all-boys school education. Exclusive school but very maka-masa upbringing. Dude, I'm like a human chopsuey.
It's funny now. I sometimes speak all conyo-ish, but I can translate and understand such deep Filipino words. I can barely get through commuting and going around suburbs, but I can do Balagtasan. I can kill a a pig AND ride a horse. and catch fish. hahaha I can set a formal table but still eat with my hands. I love tuyo, bagoong, and patis (even if I am allergic to them.)
These are all part of me. This is me. I dislike categorizing myself. Or speaking with finality regarding these things. Time flows, things change. So, I may still not know if I really am Filipino, but in all, this is who I am.
By blood, why, yes I am. At one point, we quite recently found out, my mom's family had a purely Chinese line. My Father's side is quite strongly Malay-- skin, build, et al.
My father's side is from Laguna-- Nagcarlan, San Pablo, Liliw. My mom's side, I've always thought of as from Bacolod, though my lolo has deep roots in La Union and Ilocos.
As for me-- I grew up the bunso and the kuya of the household. For 5 years or so, I was the youngest on our street; the baby of all. Then my little cousin, Kathleen came. I remember ill feelings then-- hello, dethroning the little prince? But now, we're close as can be.
My upbringing was very strange. We lived with my paternal grand parents. At home, it was totally Tagalog-centric, with very native undertones. Tradition reigned supreme. For a while, I couldn't delineate family and friends and even helpers. Holidays were unbelievable. We'd celebrate days on end because one night was never enough to accommodate all the relations. My grand parents being somewhat respected and my family being one of the first in the village, we had dibbs and special participation during fiestas and Christmas. I was also heavily immersed in religious and social traditions-- hello abay in sagala.
On my mom's side, it was different. It was geographically distant, but they welcomed me as much as I could allow myself to be welcomed. That's where I experienced eating lechon made from pig that we chose and watched bet slaughtered. I heard lots of stories of aswangs, too. At night, in the farm, I experienced living under the light of a Petromax or kerosene lamp-- which, when it ran out also signaled sleeping time. I also experienced walking through fields and dikes, and watching fireflies in the dark.
My "social" life was radically different. It was very westernized. I grew up in an exclusive school that we we could hardly afford. I barely felt like I fit in. But, bygod did I learn a lot. That experience defined how my mind would and could cope with many oppressive situations.
Come to think of it, my life is a crazy mix of polar opposites. Westernized and totally modern. A matriarchal family set up and an all-boys school education. Exclusive school but very maka-masa upbringing. Dude, I'm like a human chopsuey.
It's funny now. I sometimes speak all conyo-ish, but I can translate and understand such deep Filipino words. I can barely get through commuting and going around suburbs, but I can do Balagtasan. I can kill a a pig AND ride a horse. and catch fish. hahaha I can set a formal table but still eat with my hands. I love tuyo, bagoong, and patis (even if I am allergic to them.)
These are all part of me. This is me. I dislike categorizing myself. Or speaking with finality regarding these things. Time flows, things change. So, I may still not know if I really am Filipino, but in all, this is who I am.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
I'm in the middle of doing my Art Studies thesis right now, but HEEEEY! I deserve a break...
And how can u resist these?! Don't you just LOVE them? Moleskine + Pacman = <3
I'd really want one for myself, but Moleskines are ridiculously expensive! :/ I'm not wastign a thousand buck on something I'll just doodle nonsense in.
"Freemium"
A term used in online, technological, and similar speak.
It refers to the full practical usage of a product or service for free. When I say full practical usage, I mean that everything that may be necessary to the user as a product or service is available for free. However, certain perks such as: customizability, advertisement removal, etc. are available only for a certain price.
Essentially, the services are free, but the premiums are not.
It refers to the full practical usage of a product or service for free. When I say full practical usage, I mean that everything that may be necessary to the user as a product or service is available for free. However, certain perks such as: customizability, advertisement removal, etc. are available only for a certain price.
Essentially, the services are free, but the premiums are not.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Some Cutting Edge Technology!
Alright, I know it's fake and all, but I thought it was worth posting here anyway.
I was researching on the Mac Book Air- -and whether it was a good buy. I could handle the external DVD drive et al. But I couldn't handle the fact that it was deadly! :P
Read more at :Killer MacBook
The comments at the bottom are also hilarious!
I was researching on the Mac Book Air- -and whether it was a good buy. I could handle the external DVD drive et al. But I couldn't handle the fact that it was deadly! :P
Read more at :Killer MacBook
The comments at the bottom are also hilarious!
Take-Away
For me, this word immediately conjures up images of a cardboard box brimming with rice with a pair of chopsticks poking from its top. Alas, that's not the take away we're talking about here.
In writing, a take away is really the answer to "so what?" It may be something deeply inscribed by the writer, or totally ascribed by the reader.It might not even be directly related to the article written. What matters is that it matters to you. Supposedly all works have this. I don't want to disagree, I just can't support it with personal experience.
If there is one thing I learned from a semester of Journalistic Writing, it is that not everything that matters to you will matter to everyone else; that, not every story you deem worthy of writing or talking about will find a listener; that not all jokes will get a laugh; not all dramas will invoke a tear. Strange (and quite stupid, actually) of me not to understand that earlier, right?
My theatrical and personal communication backgrounds are rearing to contradict every thing I just said. What, with calling myself stupid; saying that my stories aren't worth telling; yada yada yada. I will content myself by ending with some food for thought.
Not all the stories I choose to tell may be worth sharing, but maybe I'm sharing it with you because I thought you were worth sharing it with.
In writing, a take away is really the answer to "so what?" It may be something deeply inscribed by the writer, or totally ascribed by the reader.It might not even be directly related to the article written. What matters is that it matters to you. Supposedly all works have this. I don't want to disagree, I just can't support it with personal experience.
If there is one thing I learned from a semester of Journalistic Writing, it is that not everything that matters to you will matter to everyone else; that, not every story you deem worthy of writing or talking about will find a listener; that not all jokes will get a laugh; not all dramas will invoke a tear. Strange (and quite stupid, actually) of me not to understand that earlier, right?
My theatrical and personal communication backgrounds are rearing to contradict every thing I just said. What, with calling myself stupid; saying that my stories aren't worth telling; yada yada yada. I will content myself by ending with some food for thought.
Not all the stories I choose to tell may be worth sharing, but maybe I'm sharing it with you because I thought you were worth sharing it with.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Paper.
Crumple it, cut it, fold it, stack it, draw on it, shred it, layer it. A lot of things can be achieved with paper. One can draw an ideal, or write down an idea. Paper is supposedly the building block of creativity. But what if we combine paper's many possibilities with Lego?
That's being done exactly by LEGO and Muji papers.
Taken from Honeyee.com and highsnobeity.com
Crumple it, cut it, fold it, stack it, draw on it, shred it, layer it. A lot of things can be achieved with paper. One can draw an ideal, or write down an idea. Paper is supposedly the building block of creativity. But what if we combine paper's many possibilities with Lego?
That's being done exactly by LEGO and Muji papers.
MUJI partners with iconic building-block company LEGO on a super fun new concept. Together they’re encouraging us to think outside the blocks (horrible, I know) by punching LEGO-sized holes in paper. The rest then becomes obvious – but wow – how innovative is that? Perfect really. Available November 27th at MUJI Japan – just in time for the Holiday season. US and European MUJI locations have yet to confirm stock.
Taken from Honeyee.com and highsnobeity.com
Wow, give it up for bending time! Oh, wait, or is it inflating time?
Hahaha. Well, this is certainly an eyecatcher. This really just gives a different form to the usual clock. I don't think it has any special mechanisms or anything-- just a bubble clock for a bubbly personality. :)
Taken from Vidafine and Blog Esprit Design
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Google Translate spews profanities in Filipino - Technology - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News
Google Translate spews profanities in Filipino - Technology - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News
"Based on Tagalog Wikipedia statistics alone, as of Oct. 5, there are only 246 science articles out of over 20,000 on the site. — VS, GMANews.TV"
"Based on Tagalog Wikipedia statistics alone, as of Oct. 5, there are only 246 science articles out of over 20,000 on the site. — VS, GMANews.TV"
Monday, October 4, 2010
Awesome Advertising
This is great thinking. This company took lightweight banners or streamers and tied them to large house-flies. The insects were then set loose to fly around their area to promote their event. This is soooo cool. The site is in German, so I apologize for that, but here's a video.
From HundertMark
From HundertMark
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Finally, an answer to my problem of having my best ideas in the bathroom-- waterproof notes!
I once wrote a whole sestina on my phone while in the toilet. Just sharing...
available from Amazon.com
I once wrote a whole sestina on my phone while in the toilet. Just sharing...
available from Amazon.com
Muntik Na Kitang Minahal by Carol Banawa
My mom keeps on singing this to me.
I was (am) madly in love with someone. We met at work and parted ways. Crushie actually told me "I love you." But I shouted out "what?!" which ended the phone call-- and our "relationship." We parted ways right after that. I still think of all the what-ifs each and everyday.
I've made a promise that should we ever meet again, I won't hold back anymore. Alas, the Philippines seems too big for two souls to see each other again to repair a broken heart...
Saturday, October 2, 2010
I just read that we have to "prepare" to sleep. Actually, the way the website put it made it make so much sense...
With our bodies in a certain active momentum, it really is quite logical that sometimes I just toss around in bed trying to fall asleep despite being notably tired. I guess it's also just the body's way of preparing us for rest when we're really tired and our functions slow down little by little.
Read more about this and other Sleep-time Mistakes on DivineCaroline.com
"Expecting the body to go from full speed to a standstill without slowing down first is unrealistic."
With our bodies in a certain active momentum, it really is quite logical that sometimes I just toss around in bed trying to fall asleep despite being notably tired. I guess it's also just the body's way of preparing us for rest when we're really tired and our functions slow down little by little.
Read more about this and other Sleep-time Mistakes on DivineCaroline.com
Friday, October 1, 2010
Wiggle Stereoscopy
Some guy called Dr. Popular is experimenting on a way to record video that when played back gives similar effects to 3D videos but without the use of 3d glasses.
This is a photo of his rig. I took it from Katmulkey I did not ask for her permission, but I do recognize that the photo is not mine, and will gladly take this down should she ask me to. :)
It's cool that he did this because, honestly, because I use glasses, 3d glasses don't really work well for me. I watched a 3d orchestra in Disney and nearly cried because it was useless for me. :(
I got wind of this from Petapixel, once again.
This is a photo of his rig. I took it from Katmulkey I did not ask for her permission, but I do recognize that the photo is not mine, and will gladly take this down should she ask me to. :)
It's cool that he did this because, honestly, because I use glasses, 3d glasses don't really work well for me. I watched a 3d orchestra in Disney and nearly cried because it was useless for me. :(
I got wind of this from Petapixel, once again.
I have learned that I recently developed the habit of snoring. To think, people used to comment on how silently I sleep despite my big size. I don't even know why people attribute my big size to being noisy-- I'm a quiet eater, and they wonder; I'm a silent walker, and they wonder.
Some things that cause or even worsen snoring are things that seem to constrict the throat such as: propping your head up on too many pillows, COLDS, and, yes, obesity.
(there's my answer)
I guess the fats further tighten the air passages...
According to Livescience.com:
As you fall asleep, the muscles that keep your breathing passage open begin to relax, while your throat contracts. The tightening throat means a snug journey for passing air. For some people, this narrowing causes air to push forcefully through the throat, disturbing the relaxed muscle tissues in the back of the throat, causing them to vibrate. The vibrating tissue produces the sound familiarly known as snoring.
Some things that cause or even worsen snoring are things that seem to constrict the throat such as: propping your head up on too many pillows, COLDS, and, yes, obesity.
(there's my answer)
I guess the fats further tighten the air passages...
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Heartbreak puts the brakes on your heart
Heartbreak puts the brakes on your heart
ScienceDaily (2010-09-29) -- Social rejection isn't just emotionally upsetting; it also upsets your heart. A new study finds that being rejected by another person makes your heart rate drop for a moment.
ScienceDaily (2010-09-29) -- Social rejection isn't just emotionally upsetting; it also upsets your heart. A new study finds that being rejected by another person makes your heart rate drop for a moment.
Fail?
Just a hahaha moment for today. I screen capped this from facebook.
"Many who like Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III also like Plants vs. Zombies"
I dunno if this is a pairing fail or a demographic win. Does it go to show that a lot of Noy's fans are young, or tech savvy, or... not serious in life? 0____o
Side note:
"Many who like Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III like him" where "him" happens to be Noynoy. HAHAHA
"Many who like Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III also like Plants vs. Zombies"
I dunno if this is a pairing fail or a demographic win. Does it go to show that a lot of Noy's fans are young, or tech savvy, or... not serious in life? 0____o
Side note:
"Many who like Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III like him" where "him" happens to be Noynoy. HAHAHA
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Bats have regional accents too
According to a Reuters article:
I now can't wait to go home to Bacolod to meet the Bisaya Bats :D
Stolen from Reuters
NOTE: I think this is my 100th post! :D
It's not just people who have different accents but bats as well develop dialects depending on where they live which can help identify and protect different species, according to Australian scientists.
I now can't wait to go home to Bacolod to meet the Bisaya Bats :D
Stolen from Reuters
NOTE: I think this is my 100th post! :D
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
An 11 year-old cow has officially been recognized as the smallest bovine by the Guinness book of records.
Swallow, is roughly just the size of regular sheep at just 33-inches long.
She has however given birth to 9 normal-sized cows and is currently pregnant with her 10th.
Check her out at Mini-moo
And the Guinness Records Site
I've noticed something strange about me. Multivitamins, specifically, (pardon my branding) Centrum knocks me out. I usually get through the day, though with a bit of tiredness all through out. However, today was different.
I took calcium tablets today, at home in West Ave, QC. By the time we reached Katipunan, I was asleep-- a time span of around 20 mins. I only woke up when we reached Paranaque. A good 30 or even 45 mins later. Even then, I only stayed awake because I knew I'd have to wake up again when we got to our house. Once we arrived, I was awake for about 15 minutes before I retired again.
Apparently, I'm not alone in this. I googled the issue and learned that a lot of people suffer this condition with usually the same aforementioned brand. And it seems that there may be an issue with what kind of minerals are taken. The greatest culprit is supposedly Rock Calcium.
Rock Calcium is essentially chalk. Its Base qualities make the body work harder before it can break down the mineral and absorb it. Even when it does get absorbed, usually only 5% of the rock-based mineral is used by the body.
So, in this case, I took Clusivol early in the morning, and then additional Calcium tablets in the afternoon. Perhaps my elevated level of calcium and other minerals made my body work too hard to digest everything. Of course, I cannot discount the fact that I haven't been sleeping much, and went on a UP hike today.
I plan to experiment with my Vitamin and Mineral intake and post the results here. We'll see. :)
I took calcium tablets today, at home in West Ave, QC. By the time we reached Katipunan, I was asleep-- a time span of around 20 mins. I only woke up when we reached Paranaque. A good 30 or even 45 mins later. Even then, I only stayed awake because I knew I'd have to wake up again when we got to our house. Once we arrived, I was awake for about 15 minutes before I retired again.
Apparently, I'm not alone in this. I googled the issue and learned that a lot of people suffer this condition with usually the same aforementioned brand. And it seems that there may be an issue with what kind of minerals are taken. The greatest culprit is supposedly Rock Calcium.
Rock Calcium is essentially chalk. Its Base qualities make the body work harder before it can break down the mineral and absorb it. Even when it does get absorbed, usually only 5% of the rock-based mineral is used by the body.
So, in this case, I took Clusivol early in the morning, and then additional Calcium tablets in the afternoon. Perhaps my elevated level of calcium and other minerals made my body work too hard to digest everything. Of course, I cannot discount the fact that I haven't been sleeping much, and went on a UP hike today.
I plan to experiment with my Vitamin and Mineral intake and post the results here. We'll see. :)
Monday, September 27, 2010
Love you to death!
A plant named Meet Eater has died twice because of over-watering by loving Facebook users.
Meet Eater is part of an experiment that aims to gauge the emotions involved in social media usage. The plant is watered everytime someone writes on its wall. So far, it's been drowned by love (pardon the pun) twice. The current plant is it's 3rd victim-- errr, participant.
Read more about it on "Facebook-fed Aussie plant killed by kindness"
Inspired by my Prof, I was about to write about ghost stories we'd collected from UP.
Just as I opened this site to get going, my cellphone which has been playing a poem that I have to memorize on repeat since last night changed songs. :/
It doesn't help either that it was my dad's favorite song that started playing.
So, I shall postpone the full-fledged ghost story article for a time when I'm not alone in the house.
I'm off to turn on ALL the lights at home now! K.Thanx.Bye!
Just as I opened this site to get going, my cellphone which has been playing a poem that I have to memorize on repeat since last night changed songs. :/
It doesn't help either that it was my dad's favorite song that started playing.
So, I shall postpone the full-fledged ghost story article for a time when I'm not alone in the house.
I'm off to turn on ALL the lights at home now! K.Thanx.Bye!
ZUBBLES!!!
Zubbles are the World's first colored bubbles!
This has just rendered my childhood as obsolete. I can deal with the new electronic toys, the laser-controlled, battery-powered things. But this. This?!
I feel so deprived!
This has just rendered my childhood as obsolete. I can deal with the new electronic toys, the laser-controlled, battery-powered things. But this. This?!
I feel so deprived!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Out of this world opera
An opera piece based on the Klingon language invented for the Star Trek series is set to premiere in Frakfurt, Germany.
Stolen from Reuters.com
The 90-minute show tells the story of Kahless the Unforgettable, said to be the first Klingon emperor. Tickets for the show's three-day run at the Zeebelt Theater, which has just under 100 seats, were still available... [Reuters]
Stolen from Reuters.com
OK there we go. Some time to blog.
As I began with my previous post, I am a trained caregiver. I am NOT licensed, far from it. However, I was fortunate enough to have worked with Asia-Pacific Caregivers training center. I was there as a clerk, I think, initially. But finished most of my work in 2 days. So I ended up studying with them, correcting their teaching material, etc. Needless to say, I learned a lot.
Anyway, yesterday, at around 7am, my aunt texted us to pray for my cousin. Appendicitis.
The operation was set for 1pm, so I could still finish my class, drop by my friend's seminar, and make it to her room before she left for the OR.
I didn't think it would take so long. It was a Laparascopic Procdure and I thought it's take 2hrs max. She got back to her room around 6pm.
Before then, I was anxiously waiting for her to return to her room, and so I set her bed. Hahaha. I smoothed and tucked in her sheets and pillows and all.
A few hours later, I walk to the or just to find her being wheeled into the recovery room.
She went through the usual shivering after her procedure. She's a small girl, but the bed was shaking from her tremors. She was talking and joking, but kept on drifting in and out of sleep. Around an hour later, she was cleared to go back to her room.
It was kind of exciting for me. I got to witness and participate in lifting her from the gurney to her bed using a blanket. I got to practice the techniques in lifting her body to position it comfortably on her pillow. But then, as another side effect of the anesthesia and perhaps also from moving her, she threw up.
It was dramatic, actually. She looked straight at me like she was gonna say something, rolled over and then spewed. I barely had time to jump out of the way. The spot where my feet were were now barf puddles. But I noticed that her vomit was going to flow back to her, so I caught the rest of her vomit in my hand, while my other hand was wiping off the trail that was going back to her. The nurse aids who were on the other side of the bed caught the vomit from my hand with a plastic bag-- just in time for her to vomit again into the same hand. The aids took over and I cleaned up. When I got back, we changed the sheets while she was on the bed. It was awesome for me because I was getting to practice techniques I'd really only read about.
Afterwards, she asked me to lift her higher onto her pillow, and it filled me with a great sense of pride. The nurses and the doctors and of course my family later on praised me, but it was nothing compared to the bond it fostered between us cousins.
As I began with my previous post, I am a trained caregiver. I am NOT licensed, far from it. However, I was fortunate enough to have worked with Asia-Pacific Caregivers training center. I was there as a clerk, I think, initially. But finished most of my work in 2 days. So I ended up studying with them, correcting their teaching material, etc. Needless to say, I learned a lot.
Anyway, yesterday, at around 7am, my aunt texted us to pray for my cousin. Appendicitis.
The operation was set for 1pm, so I could still finish my class, drop by my friend's seminar, and make it to her room before she left for the OR.
I didn't think it would take so long. It was a Laparascopic Procdure and I thought it's take 2hrs max. She got back to her room around 6pm.
Before then, I was anxiously waiting for her to return to her room, and so I set her bed. Hahaha. I smoothed and tucked in her sheets and pillows and all.
A few hours later, I walk to the or just to find her being wheeled into the recovery room.
She went through the usual shivering after her procedure. She's a small girl, but the bed was shaking from her tremors. She was talking and joking, but kept on drifting in and out of sleep. Around an hour later, she was cleared to go back to her room.
It was kind of exciting for me. I got to witness and participate in lifting her from the gurney to her bed using a blanket. I got to practice the techniques in lifting her body to position it comfortably on her pillow. But then, as another side effect of the anesthesia and perhaps also from moving her, she threw up.
It was dramatic, actually. She looked straight at me like she was gonna say something, rolled over and then spewed. I barely had time to jump out of the way. The spot where my feet were were now barf puddles. But I noticed that her vomit was going to flow back to her, so I caught the rest of her vomit in my hand, while my other hand was wiping off the trail that was going back to her. The nurse aids who were on the other side of the bed caught the vomit from my hand with a plastic bag-- just in time for her to vomit again into the same hand. The aids took over and I cleaned up. When I got back, we changed the sheets while she was on the bed. It was awesome for me because I was getting to practice techniques I'd really only read about.
Afterwards, she asked me to lift her higher onto her pillow, and it filled me with a great sense of pride. The nurses and the doctors and of course my family later on praised me, but it was nothing compared to the bond it fostered between us cousins.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Sometimes, fixing what's not broken creates more errors. :/
I got these photos from SessionMagazine.com
and there are more pics of them there.
I got these photos from SessionMagazine.com
and there are more pics of them there.
Friday, September 24, 2010
I recently went to a (sort of) reunion in my highschool. There, a lot of people didn't recognize me. My appearance supposedly has changed a lot. I discussed this with a friend recently and he asked to see some of my old HS pics. After a mirage of curses and bewildered questions, he asks me how I'd gotten so fair. He swore I had Vitiligo. I had no idea what the hell that was so I googled it.
Accdg to Wikipedia:
I also read up on this on Medicinenet.com
and
Vitiligoguide.com
I'm no Belo Model, but hey, my skin isn't THAT bad. :/
Accdg to Wikipedia:
Vitiligo (pronounced /ˌvɪtɨˈlaɪɡoʊ/) is a chronic disorder that causes depigmentation of patches of skin. It occurs when melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, die or are unable to function. The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but research suggests that it may arise from autoimmune, genetic, oxidative stress, neural, or viral causes.[1] The incidence worldwide is less than 1%.[2] The most common form is non-segmental vitiligo.
I also read up on this on Medicinenet.com
and
Vitiligoguide.com
I'm no Belo Model, but hey, my skin isn't THAT bad. :/
Thursday, September 23, 2010
How much does 1 Trillion Dollars look like?
This is from Amy Mayer's Blog
This is an animation or presentation to visualize what 1,000,000,000,000 Dollars would look like. It's cool because I don't think many of us will even come close to this amount in our lifetime. At least we can imagine it better after viewing this. :P
Once again, stolen from
Amy Mayer
and
Free4Teachers
This is an animation or presentation to visualize what 1,000,000,000,000 Dollars would look like. It's cool because I don't think many of us will even come close to this amount in our lifetime. At least we can imagine it better after viewing this. :P
Once again, stolen from
Amy Mayer
and
Free4Teachers
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Semantifi
Semantifi is a new search engine and host for data display tools. The basic idea behind Semantifi is to help people locate data sets and view those data sets in charts and graphs. Right now Semantifi is focused on government and economic data.-- from Free4teachers.com
Here's how Semantifi works. Enter a query in the search box (Semantifi will offer suggestions too) then select a search result. When you open the link in the search result Semantifi will open the data set in a graph and or chart display that makes the data easy to read. For an example of a results display see the results of my search for Civilian Unemployment Rates.
Semantifi offers application developers the opportunity to create and publish data applications. When you search Semantifi some of the results may lead you to data displays developed by third parties.
***
I think this is great. This combines search engines with Excel or something. Awesome, iddint? :P
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Customizable Cams
With more and more camera models and even brands coming out to compete, Pentax seems to think that being able to customize your cameras with cases and skins is the key to keeping its footing in the market.
The Pentax K-x seems to have started this revolution. Released in 2009, the camera comes in a whole array of body colors and color-combos.
This year, Pentax released the Nanoblock1000. It's body is covered in Lego-like bumps which allows the owner to attach Lego-like pieces to create different patterns and even shapes that can act as thumb/finger rests.
Also available now is the RS1000 which comes with a clear faceplate that allows you to slip in skins and images and what-nots to customize it too.
The Cameras are 14-megapixels each and seems to be available only in Japan... :(
Stolen from PetaPixel
The Pentax K-x seems to have started this revolution. Released in 2009, the camera comes in a whole array of body colors and color-combos.
This year, Pentax released the Nanoblock1000. It's body is covered in Lego-like bumps which allows the owner to attach Lego-like pieces to create different patterns and even shapes that can act as thumb/finger rests.
Also available now is the RS1000 which comes with a clear faceplate that allows you to slip in skins and images and what-nots to customize it too.
The Cameras are 14-megapixels each and seems to be available only in Japan... :(
Stolen from PetaPixel
Taken from ThatWillBuffOut.com
You can give me the hottest hot rod for a coffin, the grandest mansion for a mausoleum-- but ain't no way I wanna use that anytime soon...
Monday, September 20, 2010
GAME OVER :D
I think using people as pixels is gaining popularity. There's a lot of youtube vids of Human LCD's. Recently, for the UAAP games, Jollibee staged a Pinoy Pride Human LCD display in the Araneta Coliseum.
This video however mixes People-Pixel art and stop-motion techniques. This was staged by Guillaume Reymond for his Game Over Project.
From Reymond's Site:
Stolen from Laughing Squid
Guillaume Reymond's Site
This video however mixes People-Pixel art and stop-motion techniques. This was staged by Guillaume Reymond for his Game Over Project.
This giant game was played by 111 human pixels that has moved from seat to seat during more than 4 hours
From Reymond's Site:
GAME OVER is one of the art projects developed by the French-Swiss artist Guillaume REYMOND (NOTsoNOISY creative agency). It consists of a series of collaborative animation movies which revive some of the very first video games. The pixels are replaced by a group of real human-beings that are moving from seat to seat in a theatre during about 4 to 6 hours. Each "pixel" has its own rules and decides what s/he wants to do for each picture. Once all these pictures are turned into a short animation movie, a giant human-scale video game unfolds "live".
Stolen from Laughing Squid
Guillaume Reymond's Site
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Per Te, Gesu, per Te
It was serendipitous, actually, like I was meant to be there. I had a project to do, and this was the most convenient tradition for me to document. I brought my car, but my aunt and the pleasant weather enticed me to go walk. I had my thesis to finish, but I dragged myself out of the house to do something that I could still postpone to next week. All in all, it was well worth it.
I grew up somewhat frightened of their faces, but today, they merely saddened me. The antique statues of The Crucified Christ, Mother Mary, and Sto. Nino had been retouched with enamel and paint-- much like a carpentered face lift. It saddened me that, much like my own person, what's true was now hidden and euphemised beneath what can be passed off as advancement.
I walked the dark streets behind a parade of old ladies in a place of honor because I was allowed to carry the Cross. It was poetic, actually, if you think about it. There I was, a big guy, lifting a less-than-life-sized Crucifix on my shoulders when I also carried a Cross in my heart.
I participated in what I have always known as the "Perdon." It is a tradition in our village that every week, this triumvirate of Jesus, Mary, and Nino would be transferred from one willing household to another. They leave one household amidst prayer, journey the streets in the early evening still among prayer and chants, and are welcomed into their new home with prayer as well. I grew up and grew old with it, and I have never appreciated it as much as I did tonight.
Don't ask me why, because I may never be able to really know why myself. But love might be in the equation.
I realized how, every week, God woos us a new household to lend them a roof for the week. Every week a Pamamanhikan,every week, tayong nililigawan.
And for love, for Jesus, I walked with Him on my shoulder along with His cross in the dark, for a couple of blocks, not knowing where we were going. The Cross hit me on the head a couple of times, my fingers have splinters and a couple of my nails have kind of separated from the flesh, but I was at peace-- for maybe 15 minutes, I was at peace. Peace that, for the past months, not even sleep has afforded me.
I then realized that had I not been there, had things not fallen into place so strangely, one of the frail old ladies walking by me would have had to carry this Cross.
I realized that this applied to more than just this procession. I realized that, complain as I may, and in the amount that I do, someone must be thankful that I'm taking on the things I do. That whatever I'm suffering right now must be making someone else's life easier. And, in some way, someone else is suffering to make my load lighter.
I think, somewhere on the lamppost-lit streets, on the pavement, I once again found my faith.
I grew up somewhat frightened of their faces, but today, they merely saddened me. The antique statues of The Crucified Christ, Mother Mary, and Sto. Nino had been retouched with enamel and paint-- much like a carpentered face lift. It saddened me that, much like my own person, what's true was now hidden and euphemised beneath what can be passed off as advancement.
I walked the dark streets behind a parade of old ladies in a place of honor because I was allowed to carry the Cross. It was poetic, actually, if you think about it. There I was, a big guy, lifting a less-than-life-sized Crucifix on my shoulders when I also carried a Cross in my heart.
I participated in what I have always known as the "Perdon." It is a tradition in our village that every week, this triumvirate of Jesus, Mary, and Nino would be transferred from one willing household to another. They leave one household amidst prayer, journey the streets in the early evening still among prayer and chants, and are welcomed into their new home with prayer as well. I grew up and grew old with it, and I have never appreciated it as much as I did tonight.
Don't ask me why, because I may never be able to really know why myself. But love might be in the equation.
I realized how, every week, God woos us a new household to lend them a roof for the week. Every week a Pamamanhikan,every week, tayong nililigawan.
And for love, for Jesus, I walked with Him on my shoulder along with His cross in the dark, for a couple of blocks, not knowing where we were going. The Cross hit me on the head a couple of times, my fingers have splinters and a couple of my nails have kind of separated from the flesh, but I was at peace-- for maybe 15 minutes, I was at peace. Peace that, for the past months, not even sleep has afforded me.
I then realized that had I not been there, had things not fallen into place so strangely, one of the frail old ladies walking by me would have had to carry this Cross.
I realized that this applied to more than just this procession. I realized that, complain as I may, and in the amount that I do, someone must be thankful that I'm taking on the things I do. That whatever I'm suffering right now must be making someone else's life easier. And, in some way, someone else is suffering to make my load lighter.
I think, somewhere on the lamppost-lit streets, on the pavement, I once again found my faith.
Gnarly, dude.
This is a 7-minute video of John Chiara, a photographer. He uses a camera which he built (builds) himself. This camera is quite extraordinary because of its size. In a world where everyone is trying to cram things into as small a shell as they can, his camera is the size of a van. Yes, a van.
It's not very portable, but hey, it's his claim to fame...
This is an example of a developed shot.
Stolen from PetaPixel
John Chiara's Site
Did you know?
That crickets can supposedly tell you the temperature?
SUPPOSEDLY.
The Old Farmer's Almanac gives this formula:
To convert cricket chirps to degrees Fahrenheit, count number of chirps in 14 seconds then add 40 to get temperature.
Example: 30 chirps + 40 = 70° F
To convert cricket chirps to degrees Celsius, count number of chirps in 25 seconds, divide by 3, then add 4 to get temperature.
Example: 48 chirps /(divided by) 3 + 4 = 20° C
SUPPOSEDLY.
The Old Farmer's Almanac gives this formula:
To convert cricket chirps to degrees Fahrenheit, count number of chirps in 14 seconds then add 40 to get temperature.
Example: 30 chirps + 40 = 70° F
To convert cricket chirps to degrees Celsius, count number of chirps in 25 seconds, divide by 3, then add 4 to get temperature.
Example: 48 chirps /(divided by) 3 + 4 = 20° C
Exploding Water
The water is heated by the microwaves to a temperature even higher than that of the boiling point. Usually this produces steam, also the cause of the bubbles we see that is characteristic of boiling. But because of certain conditions including the speed that microwaves heat water and the purity of the container and the water itself, the steam doesn't come out. When this happens, the slightest disturbance can cause the pent-up pressure and steam to all rush up simultaneously creating the illusion of exploding water. Of note, though, is that this water is still around or even above the boiling point, so it can cause damage and harm...
Taken from Snopes.com
This type of phenomenon occurs if water is heated in a clean cup. If foreign materials such as instant coffee or sugar are added before heating, the risk is greatly reduced. If superheating has occurred, a slight disturbance or movement such as picking up the cup, or pouring in a spoon full of instant coffee, may result in a violent eruption with the boiling water exploding out of the cup.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Awesome Copy Cat Site
This is the template for Micheal Jang's Website. He's a photographer, and apparently very creative.
He cloned Google's well-known search results page and used it to display links to his works et al. The Search Suggestions on the right are also real links to real sites, btw. All customized by him to work for his site.
Awesome.
Stolen from PetaPixel
Micheal Jang's Site
He cloned Google's well-known search results page and used it to display links to his works et al. The Search Suggestions on the right are also real links to real sites, btw. All customized by him to work for his site.
Awesome.
Stolen from PetaPixel
Micheal Jang's Site
"...people often go into personal stories about their own tattoos, as if an excuse or story is necessary to justify the ink." Alan Tuerkheimer, 2009
I talk a lot. Tell a lot of people about a lot of things in my life. I share personal experiences, insights, follies. Does that imply that I am apologetic of my life-- of who I am?
Social Scientists: Scinetists with Social Lives
Social Scientists: Scientists with Social Lives!
Wear your CSSP pride for only P199! Shirts will be out at the start of 2nd Sem. You can reserve your size and color now by contacting Guill Mante via 09228503930.
Order na, baka maubusan ka pa! Please indicate your preferred size (XS, S, M, L, XL) and color (white on black or blue on white) in your order.
Yabang at Yabong, CSSP!
Friday, September 17, 2010
A Photography Clinic with Parc Cruz from Cinematica
Time: Thursday, September 23 · 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: The Address at Wack Wack Showroom, 212 Wilson St., West Greenhills, San Juan
Special packages and promos will be available!
Location: The Address at Wack Wack Showroom, 212 Wilson St., West Greenhills, San Juan
Special packages and promos will be available!
Kite Aerial Photography on MAKE: television from make magazine on Vimeo.
How awesome is this? These are photos taken by Charles Benton using rigs and contraptions designed and built by himself.
Benton creates his own gear for mounting his DSLR on a kite and controlling it from afar — you might be surprised at how creative some of his contraptions are (for one rig he uses a disposable camera, rubber bands, and a ping-pong ball).-- PetaPixel
Benton's Gallery can be accessed here.
**
For once, I'm honestly more interested in the rig he used rather than the photographs. And the courage, man, the courage to send a DSLR up in a kite. Nonetheless, and in all fairness the photographs are STUNNING.
Hmmmm. Doing research on the proposed Monorail system for UP Diliman which I wanted to write on, I uncovered something sad.
The brains behind this thing, Sec. Mario Montejo of the DOST was also the brains behind an amusement park close to our home.
Water Fun was a dinosaur themed park just at the border of Paranaque and Muntinlupa. It featured a couple of giant robotic dinosaurs that sprayed water from their mouths and moved their heads, and a couple of giant water slides too. They also had contraptions that shot streams and sprays of water at the guests. Of course, they had the usual food stands, and a later addition was their on-site hotel.
I remember that the different Sunday variety shows used the place as Summer locations a couple of times.
Alas, these are now mere memories. There were times that the park closed and re-opened supposedly under new management. Then, it eventually closed for good. For a while, the dragon and dinosaur heads could still be seen above the walls. Once in a while, the jets would be seen operating, for cleaning purposes said the guard. The buildings were still quite clean then, empty, but protected by guards. Then it started to fall into disrepair. The guard house was often empty and dirty. The glass facade of the main building now derelict, the reflective tint bubbling and peeling away. The less-fortunate people climbing the walls and taking swims in the stagnating water. One day, the head of the serpent-like dinosaur fell. Its long neck ending in a stub of wires. It was depressing for me, a grade-school student at the time.
Now, the front of the compound now serves as a trash dump. The fun area is now cordoned off. The hotel now tainted with the nightmare of a death-- whether it was a murder or a suicide escapes me now.
***
I've practically forgotten the reason I wrote this. But really, I don't know what saddens me more. The fact that the place had serious potential but seems to have been mismanaged, or that the brains behind this is the same guy proposing something that will eradicate on of UP's icons, and will affect so many things other than transportation.
The brains behind this thing, Sec. Mario Montejo of the DOST was also the brains behind an amusement park close to our home.
Water Fun was a dinosaur themed park just at the border of Paranaque and Muntinlupa. It featured a couple of giant robotic dinosaurs that sprayed water from their mouths and moved their heads, and a couple of giant water slides too. They also had contraptions that shot streams and sprays of water at the guests. Of course, they had the usual food stands, and a later addition was their on-site hotel.
I remember that the different Sunday variety shows used the place as Summer locations a couple of times.
Alas, these are now mere memories. There were times that the park closed and re-opened supposedly under new management. Then, it eventually closed for good. For a while, the dragon and dinosaur heads could still be seen above the walls. Once in a while, the jets would be seen operating, for cleaning purposes said the guard. The buildings were still quite clean then, empty, but protected by guards. Then it started to fall into disrepair. The guard house was often empty and dirty. The glass facade of the main building now derelict, the reflective tint bubbling and peeling away. The less-fortunate people climbing the walls and taking swims in the stagnating water. One day, the head of the serpent-like dinosaur fell. Its long neck ending in a stub of wires. It was depressing for me, a grade-school student at the time.
Now, the front of the compound now serves as a trash dump. The fun area is now cordoned off. The hotel now tainted with the nightmare of a death-- whether it was a murder or a suicide escapes me now.
***
I've practically forgotten the reason I wrote this. But really, I don't know what saddens me more. The fact that the place had serious potential but seems to have been mismanaged, or that the brains behind this is the same guy proposing something that will eradicate on of UP's icons, and will affect so many things other than transportation.
Printed Illusions
These are cool illusions. The images look 3d and all when placed and viewed in a certain way. It would have been way better had they used a better printer. :P
There's not proper attribution to the author, but I originally saw these at
Do-While.com which compiled it from HAHA.nu
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Lenovo IdeaPad U1: Hybrid Netbook/Tablet
Lenovo IdeaPad U1: Hybrid Netbook/Tablet
Goodness. Lenovo has one out already for $1000. I can just NOT enroll anymore and I can have this is a year's time!
Goodness. Lenovo has one out already for $1000. I can just NOT enroll anymore and I can have this is a year's time!
LOVE Update
I think this is just in the designing stages, no?
I can't seem to find any prices just yet. Amazing. I so want one.
LOVE
Dell Inspiron | Duo Tablet Netbook Hybrid Design | Design You Trust
Sorry, I HAD to post this. MUST.HAVE.THIS.
But it's just 10 inches! Too small for my taste... :(
BUT STILL!
Trailmeme
Awesome Idea, I hope it catches on. I'm reblogging this from http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/09/trailmeme-create-and-trace-trails-of.html
I'm pretty much copy pasting everything.
Again, stolen from freetech4teachers.com
***
I just realized-- what trail would MY searches produce?! :))
I'm pretty much copy pasting everything.
Trailmeme is an interesting new service that could be described as social bookmarking meets social mind mapping. The basic idea behind Trailmeme is that we all have our own way of connecting the things we find on the Internet when we research a topic. Trailmeme provides a way to record those connections and publish them as a mind map or flowchart that Trailmeme refers to as a "trail." When you publish your trail publicly other visitors to Trailmeme can "walk" the trail you created. Walking a trail means that you follow the map of labeled links created by another person. Watch the video below to learn more about Trailmeme.
Again, stolen from freetech4teachers.com
***
I just realized-- what trail would MY searches produce?! :))
Life Unexpected
Ok, let's be a little off topic for a while.
I'm supporting my friend in promoting this show. I actually got wind of this show when I was hospitalized. It's got a quaint quaint storyline. I'll probably post more on this later on. :)
I'm supporting my friend in promoting this show. I actually got wind of this show when I was hospitalized. It's got a quaint quaint storyline. I'll probably post more on this later on. :)
Life Unexpected is a television series which premiered on The CW on Monday, January 18, 2010. The 13-episode first season run ended on April 12, 2010. On May 18, The CW announced that the series had been picked up for a second season[1] to air on Tuesdays at 9/8c following One Tree Hill.[2] The second season premiered on September 14, 2010--Wikipedia
Awwww.
So I'm a novice blogger. The platform I'd gotten used to in the year or so that I've been blogging is Tumblr. Only recently did I figure out how to use the queue which allows me to create a post, and then publish it at a later time.
I tried to do it here on this blog tonight, and I couldn't figure it out. So, I googled the instructions. I was taken on a confusing ride. I had to make an account in Emailscheduler.com, edit some settings here on my blog, re-write and re-format my blogs, etc. After easily 45 mins. I get the idea to google for instructions specific to Blogger.com. Lo and Behold, there's a little button that schedules posts for us here in Blogger. :)
45 Mins. blissfully wasted because I felt like I was technologically savvy. :)
I tried to do it here on this blog tonight, and I couldn't figure it out. So, I googled the instructions. I was taken on a confusing ride. I had to make an account in Emailscheduler.com, edit some settings here on my blog, re-write and re-format my blogs, etc. After easily 45 mins. I get the idea to google for instructions specific to Blogger.com. Lo and Behold, there's a little button that schedules posts for us here in Blogger. :)
45 Mins. blissfully wasted because I felt like I was technologically savvy. :)
7 Foods That Hinder Sleep
Alrighty, I got this article from Shine.Yahoo.com It gives a list of (as the title suggests) 7 foods that hinders us from sleeping at night.
It has the usual spicy food and caffeine on the list. BUT it also has a couple of surprising things such as alcohol, Ham or smoked meats, and tea.
I had long noticed that whenever I get to go out drinking, I sleep very shallowly, and usually wake up in the wee hours of the morning and just toss about. I always thought it was just because of the night's happenings, and not the alcohol itself. Accordingly, I thought all kinds of tea aided in sleeping.
As for milk chocolate, first off, anything with chocolate wakes me up. Plus, the milk part will definitely keep me up-- due to Lactose Intolerance.
Again, the article is from http://shine.yahoo.com/event/vitality/7-sleep-stealing-foods-to-stay-away-from-2388276/
It has the usual spicy food and caffeine on the list. BUT it also has a couple of surprising things such as alcohol, Ham or smoked meats, and tea.
I had long noticed that whenever I get to go out drinking, I sleep very shallowly, and usually wake up in the wee hours of the morning and just toss about. I always thought it was just because of the night's happenings, and not the alcohol itself. Accordingly, I thought all kinds of tea aided in sleeping.
As for milk chocolate, first off, anything with chocolate wakes me up. Plus, the milk part will definitely keep me up-- due to Lactose Intolerance.
Again, the article is from http://shine.yahoo.com/event/vitality/7-sleep-stealing-foods-to-stay-away-from-2388276/
Friday, September 10, 2010
From Hostage Crisis to Economic Crisis?
Apprehension is understandable in lieu of the August 23 hostage crisis. Taking into consideration that our culture is known for its hospitality, this event was unimaginable and unacceptable. Yet, we must also consider other cultures which take on a more ego-centric tilt with an every-man-for-himself way of life, and even a superiority complex which often gives them the illusion that an event like that cannot happen to them, or that they can easily overcome it. We must also consider how these other cultures are slowly being incorporated into our own citizens’ psyche.
Remember the prediction of such institutions as the World Bank and ADB. They said that the Philippines was headed for a depression because the west was in a depression and would spend less on travel and leisurely expenses. Rather than experiencing a drop in tourism in 2008 and 2009, the income that the tourism sector actually rose by 3-5%. This is because, though the rest of the world was cutting down on leisurely expenses, our local tourists were not. According to Mike Suaco, Manager of the Discovery Suites Gym and Spa in Ortigas, there has been a rising rate of local clients. The highest gym and spa usage, said Suaco, are around the holidays when families check in for a day or two to join in special events, or even couple discounts for the months of June and February. Nonet Pillora, an artist and shop owner at Boracay’s D’Mall also states that though seeing a foreigner may still make heads turn, there are a lot more young Filipinos on the beach that foreign visitors. He also notes that foreigners and Filipinos aren’t very different on how much they spend, differing rather in what they spend on. Filipinos choose jewelry and accessories more, and buy in bulk for pasalubong while foreigners choose things such as key chains and display pieces for the home. Stephanie, Nonet’s wife, an Australian explains that, “we choose things for ourselves, to show off where we’ve been and that only we have it. You (Filipinos) take things to give away and share. It still our cultures, definitely.”
Gabo Punzalan, owner of the Water Camp resort in Cavite as well as the Josephine restaurants mentioned that, yes, they noticed a lessening of Asian tourists, but their seats were eagerly filled by Filipino families. He noted that though there seemed to be less Asian tourist walk-ins in both their restaurants and their resorts, no pre-made reservations were cancelled, nor was there a decline in their sales. He said, “Actually, I was thinking, there might not even be a real decline in the tourists. We could just be imagining things.” It seems that the vacated roles of certain tourist groups or types can easily be filled in by others.
Another issue is that of our OFW workforce. In 2009, OFW’s legally remitted close to 20 billion dollars, a big chunk of the Philippines’ National Income. Some feared that there would be lay-offs and even premature contract ends due to disdain. Although there were some isolated reports of these, it is believed to be a continuation of the maltreatment of foreign blue collar workers rather than a new or worsening of the working environment in lands other than their own.
Jocelyn Dulay, a Nursing Assistant from Dubai said that “Budlay gid ‘to kay mahidlaw ka sa mga ginhikanan mo. Mapalibog ka sa bana kag mga bata mo. Kag ara man ang takot kay kung anu-ano man ang ginahambal sang mga tawo bag-o ko maglakat nga may ga-pang-rape, gapanakit, mga amo na bala.” [It is really hard there because you’ll miss your parents. You worry about your husband and kids. And there is fear oo because of what the people were saying before I left, that there are rapists, there are those who will hurt you, those things.] She continued, that it helps if you already know someone there who can find you a good employer. For her, it was her sister Veronika who found her a good employer. She added that, “mabuti din dumaan sa mga Agency, like POEA kay may feeling ka bala na may matatakbuhan ka.” [It is also good to go through agencies like the Phil. Overseas Employment Agency, because you feel like you have someone to run to.]
Gemina Olvido, a semi-retired domestic worker from Hong Kong, said that they did have fears, especially that CNN was making the event look “napakapanget.” She continues, “Tumawag ako agad sa pinsan ko to ask nga, ‘ano ba ang totoo?’ The next day, they text me ‘Ate, ingat ka dyan, galit daw mga instik sa inyo.’ Natakot naman ako. May mga masbata akong kasama na sabi, ‘Auntie, paano kung tapunan tayo ng asido?’ Pero pag pasok ko [sa trabaho] wala naman. Sabi pa nga ng iba, ‘Didang, I’m so sorry. If all Filipinos are related, he must have been adopted.”[I immediately called my cousins to ask what was really happening. The next day, they text me, “Ate take care there, the Chinese are mad at you.” I got scared. I had younger colleagues who said, “Auntie, what if they throw acid on us?” But when I got to work, nothing. One even said, “Didang, I’m so sorry. If all Filipinos are related, he must have been adopted.” She further states that in the news it seems like all of China is rallying against the Philippines, but she says it’s like how the war in Mindanao is seen. “Akala mo buong Pilipinas binobomba, bawat kanto may danger. Eh hindi naman. ‘Yun lang kasi ang napapabalita.” [You’d think the whole Philippines was being bombed, that there was danger in every corner. That’s not true. It just so happens to be the only thing you see in the news.] Ms. Olvido ended her statement by saying, “Tsaka hindi talaga matawaran ang Pinoy. Sino pa bang ang magkukuskos ng banyo nila, ipagluluto sila, nakangiti parin? Pagkatapos, kukuwentuhan pa mga anak nila hanggang makatulog na parang anak na rin nila? Para saan? Para sa presyo ng kalahati ng mga bag o sapatos nila.” [And really nothing beats the Filipinos. Who else will scrub their bathrooms and cook for them all with a smile? Then, tell stories to their kids until they fall asleep? For what? For half the price of their bags or their shoes.]
In most fields of study, from Physics to Economics, and even Religious Philosophy, the basic principle is that an action elicits a reaction based on the benefits or lack thereof of the original action. If, as a country, we are to be moved, let it be towards progress. Let us learn how to handle things properly, and not just practice our finger-pointing skills.
Tourism may be a very strong player in our economic game, but we must realize that we still have a whole team playing for us. We can be tourists ourselves, we have our export and outsourcing industries, and of course our OFW workforce—our team of mga bagong bayani.
Articles
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/component/content/article/83-opinion-columnist/25250-economic-responses-to-hostage-crisis
Economic responses to hostage crisis
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/199255/hk-tourists-cut-vacation-short-after-hostage-crisis
HK tourists cut vacation short after hostage crisis
http://bantaypresidente100.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/the-economics-of-the-quirino-grandstand-hostage-taking/
The Economics of the Quirino Grandstand Hostage-taking
Interviews
Dulay, Jocelyn
Olvido, Gemina
Pillora, Nonet
Pillora, Stephanie
Punzalan, Gabriel
Suaco, Mike
Remember the prediction of such institutions as the World Bank and ADB. They said that the Philippines was headed for a depression because the west was in a depression and would spend less on travel and leisurely expenses. Rather than experiencing a drop in tourism in 2008 and 2009, the income that the tourism sector actually rose by 3-5%. This is because, though the rest of the world was cutting down on leisurely expenses, our local tourists were not. According to Mike Suaco, Manager of the Discovery Suites Gym and Spa in Ortigas, there has been a rising rate of local clients. The highest gym and spa usage, said Suaco, are around the holidays when families check in for a day or two to join in special events, or even couple discounts for the months of June and February. Nonet Pillora, an artist and shop owner at Boracay’s D’Mall also states that though seeing a foreigner may still make heads turn, there are a lot more young Filipinos on the beach that foreign visitors. He also notes that foreigners and Filipinos aren’t very different on how much they spend, differing rather in what they spend on. Filipinos choose jewelry and accessories more, and buy in bulk for pasalubong while foreigners choose things such as key chains and display pieces for the home. Stephanie, Nonet’s wife, an Australian explains that, “we choose things for ourselves, to show off where we’ve been and that only we have it. You (Filipinos) take things to give away and share. It still our cultures, definitely.”
Gabo Punzalan, owner of the Water Camp resort in Cavite as well as the Josephine restaurants mentioned that, yes, they noticed a lessening of Asian tourists, but their seats were eagerly filled by Filipino families. He noted that though there seemed to be less Asian tourist walk-ins in both their restaurants and their resorts, no pre-made reservations were cancelled, nor was there a decline in their sales. He said, “Actually, I was thinking, there might not even be a real decline in the tourists. We could just be imagining things.” It seems that the vacated roles of certain tourist groups or types can easily be filled in by others.
Another issue is that of our OFW workforce. In 2009, OFW’s legally remitted close to 20 billion dollars, a big chunk of the Philippines’ National Income. Some feared that there would be lay-offs and even premature contract ends due to disdain. Although there were some isolated reports of these, it is believed to be a continuation of the maltreatment of foreign blue collar workers rather than a new or worsening of the working environment in lands other than their own.
Jocelyn Dulay, a Nursing Assistant from Dubai said that “Budlay gid ‘to kay mahidlaw ka sa mga ginhikanan mo. Mapalibog ka sa bana kag mga bata mo. Kag ara man ang takot kay kung anu-ano man ang ginahambal sang mga tawo bag-o ko maglakat nga may ga-pang-rape, gapanakit, mga amo na bala.” [It is really hard there because you’ll miss your parents. You worry about your husband and kids. And there is fear oo because of what the people were saying before I left, that there are rapists, there are those who will hurt you, those things.] She continued, that it helps if you already know someone there who can find you a good employer. For her, it was her sister Veronika who found her a good employer. She added that, “mabuti din dumaan sa mga Agency, like POEA kay may feeling ka bala na may matatakbuhan ka.” [It is also good to go through agencies like the Phil. Overseas Employment Agency, because you feel like you have someone to run to.]
Gemina Olvido, a semi-retired domestic worker from Hong Kong, said that they did have fears, especially that CNN was making the event look “napakapanget.” She continues, “Tumawag ako agad sa pinsan ko to ask nga, ‘ano ba ang totoo?’ The next day, they text me ‘Ate, ingat ka dyan, galit daw mga instik sa inyo.’ Natakot naman ako. May mga masbata akong kasama na sabi, ‘Auntie, paano kung tapunan tayo ng asido?’ Pero pag pasok ko [sa trabaho] wala naman. Sabi pa nga ng iba, ‘Didang, I’m so sorry. If all Filipinos are related, he must have been adopted.”[I immediately called my cousins to ask what was really happening. The next day, they text me, “Ate take care there, the Chinese are mad at you.” I got scared. I had younger colleagues who said, “Auntie, what if they throw acid on us?” But when I got to work, nothing. One even said, “Didang, I’m so sorry. If all Filipinos are related, he must have been adopted.” She further states that in the news it seems like all of China is rallying against the Philippines, but she says it’s like how the war in Mindanao is seen. “Akala mo buong Pilipinas binobomba, bawat kanto may danger. Eh hindi naman. ‘Yun lang kasi ang napapabalita.” [You’d think the whole Philippines was being bombed, that there was danger in every corner. That’s not true. It just so happens to be the only thing you see in the news.] Ms. Olvido ended her statement by saying, “Tsaka hindi talaga matawaran ang Pinoy. Sino pa bang ang magkukuskos ng banyo nila, ipagluluto sila, nakangiti parin? Pagkatapos, kukuwentuhan pa mga anak nila hanggang makatulog na parang anak na rin nila? Para saan? Para sa presyo ng kalahati ng mga bag o sapatos nila.” [And really nothing beats the Filipinos. Who else will scrub their bathrooms and cook for them all with a smile? Then, tell stories to their kids until they fall asleep? For what? For half the price of their bags or their shoes.]
In most fields of study, from Physics to Economics, and even Religious Philosophy, the basic principle is that an action elicits a reaction based on the benefits or lack thereof of the original action. If, as a country, we are to be moved, let it be towards progress. Let us learn how to handle things properly, and not just practice our finger-pointing skills.
Tourism may be a very strong player in our economic game, but we must realize that we still have a whole team playing for us. We can be tourists ourselves, we have our export and outsourcing industries, and of course our OFW workforce—our team of mga bagong bayani.
Articles
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/component/content/article/83-opinion-columnist/25250-economic-responses-to-hostage-crisis
Economic responses to hostage crisis
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/199255/hk-tourists-cut-vacation-short-after-hostage-crisis
HK tourists cut vacation short after hostage crisis
http://bantaypresidente100.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/the-economics-of-the-quirino-grandstand-hostage-taking/
The Economics of the Quirino Grandstand Hostage-taking
Interviews
Dulay, Jocelyn
Olvido, Gemina
Pillora, Nonet
Pillora, Stephanie
Punzalan, Gabriel
Suaco, Mike
iContact Lens Mouse
I just recently came across articles on this, the iContact Lens Mouse. It's a contact lens, worn in the eyes as expected,but it has sensors or something that tracks the eye's movement and relates it to the computer which moves the cursor on the screen.
I think this is still just in the conceptual stage,although apparently this has been up since 2009.
Check it out at Yanko Design.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
These are the works of Kris Kuksi. He's an artist from Missouri who makes stunning murals out of discarded materials.
The details on these absolutely amaze me. I remember how we used to make war dioramas for Work Ed. in high school. Those kits came with instructions and I never came close to anything as wonderful as these.
WHOA.
Stolen from Golberz.com
The details on these absolutely amaze me. I remember how we used to make war dioramas for Work Ed. in high school. Those kits came with instructions and I never came close to anything as wonderful as these.
WHOA.
Stolen from Golberz.com
How times have changed!
This picture I came across is of a book that tells parents back in 1928 to not show so much affection to their kids. No kisses, no hugs, no sweetness. Hello serial killers and tainted minds.
Stolen from Tots and Giggles
Friday, August 27, 2010
Now is the time for an Information and Communications Technology Department
The re-launch of the website of Office of the President has been one of the first projects of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III as president. In the refurbished site, the online team of P-Noy has transformed the rather dull website to a more comprehensive online portal, engaging readers to send oaths and messages to the president himself. One by one, other executive departments followed suit, upgrading the quality of information and service that their respective websites offer.
Indeed, it is clear that the government is starting to accept the reality that Internet plays a big role in public service. Websites nowadays not only function as an information hub but also as a means of communication between government officials and the public.
The current organization of the executive branch, however, is not sufficient to push for a revamp on how the government utilizes new media. If the administration is serious in strengthening the status of information and communications technology (ICT) in the country, it must lobby for a creation of a separate department that will handle this field.
In 2004, through Executive Order (EO) 209 of Former President Gloria Arroyo, the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) was created. It was formed to handle the “information technology and communications” projects of the government including the development of reliable and cost-efficient facilities and services related to new media and information technology. The said EO, however, stated that the CICT will be a temporary commission under the Office of the President while a law to create a “more effective” Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is still under consideration in the Philippine Congress.
Six years later, the creation of DICT remains elusive as the Philippine Senate failed to pass its version of the bill before the end of the 14th Congress. This, despite the appeals of several groups and Arroyo herself in her 2009 State of the Nation Address for the immediate passage of the law.
A week after the inauguration of President Aquino, a group of technology experts led by now CICT Chairman Ivan John Uy urged the president “to push for a national e-governance policy” that will strengthen the services of the government by using the Internet as a tool. In a Philippine Daily Inquirer article published on July 6, Uy, then president of Chief Information Officers Forum, said that central to this policy is the creation of DICT or at least the empowerment of the existing commission (CICT).
Retaining and empowering the current commission, however, is not the best move for the vision of the Aquino administration to strengthen the information and communications technology of the country.
In the past, CICT faced issues on its operations that led to four restructurings under the Arroyo administration. The first two was about the transfer of several agencies such as the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) under the CICT to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC). Bureaucracy operations issues were cited as the reason of the transfer since it is unusual for a commission (NTC) to operate under another commission (CICT). The last two Executive Orders, however, repealed the earlier transfers and returned NTC, along with other communication agencies, to CICT. In an Inquirer interview, however, then CICT Commissioner for cyber services group Monchito Ibrahim said that “the NTC will remain independent from CICT’s operations”, thus retaining the blur on how CICT will function over other communication commissions such as NTC.
It is imperative, therefore, for the Aquino administration to push for the creation of DICT to remove operating confusions such as this. National Information and Technology Communications Confederation of the Philippines Chairperson Jocelle Batapa-Sigue also said in an article that the creation of the DICT will finally create a permanent entity that cannot be easily modified without the passage of another bill. This is in contrast to what happened in the Arroyo administration where an EO can easily change the structure of the current CICT.
A department will also maximize the capability of the administration to pursue projects related to ICT.
The creation of a department focusing on managing the information and communications technology will be beneficial to the development of the country. Aside from empowering the government’s utilization of information technology, DICT will also work on ensuring the availability of ICT in areas not served by private sectors.
Some of the functions of DICT mentioned in the proposed bills in the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 14th Congress include the assessment, review and support ICT research and development programs of the government; assisting in development of guidelines of the Intellectual Property Office in enforcing rules on ICT usage; promotion of ICT education throughout the country and representation of Philippine interests pertaining to ICT in international bodies.
The last one is a very important provision since it may prevent scandals such as the NBN-ZTE deal in the future. In an Inquirer article published in September 2008, former CICT Chairman Virgilio Peña said that lack of government capability to evaluate technology projects such as the National Broadband Network led to problems such as “government procurement, especially those dealing with sophisticated projects in ICT.” Creation of a department with the knowledge to handle such contracts could prevent the events that led to the scandal.
DICT poses a lot of possibilities to the Philippines as it enters a new era of governance. If President Aquino is serious in his attempt to use the ICT as an empowering tool for his administration, he must not stop in refurbishing his website. He must also move for a greater scheme such as the creation of a department focusing on information and communications technology.
Sources:
Create the Department of Information and Communications Technology before the elections. Techie.com.ph. http://www.techie.com.ph/press-releases/create-the-department-of-information-and-communications-technology-before-the-elections
Executive Order 269. http://www.lawphil.net/executive/execord/eo2004/eo_269_2004.html
Ho, Abigail. More groups seek creation of infotech dep’t. Inquirer.net. http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20100118-248085/More-groups-seek-creation-of-infotech-dept
House Bill No. 4300. http://www.congress.gov.ph/download/billtext_14/hbt04300.pdf
Montecillo, Paolo. Gov’t experts seek creation of ICT body. Inquirer.net. http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20100706-279603/Govt-experts-seek-creation-of-ICT-body
Oliva, Erwin. NBN deal revisited: Is ICT know-how lacking in government? Inquirer.net. http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20080917-161246/NBN-deal-revisited-Is-ICT-know-how-lacking-in-government
Oliva, Erwin; Villafania, Alexander. NTC transfers back to CICT. Inquirer.net. http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20090107-181943/NTC_transfers_back_to_CICT
Ordonez, Cheng. EO 454 won't control, gag media: telecom officer. Sun Star Zamboanga. http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/zam/2005/10/20/news/eo.454.won.t.control.gag.media.telecom.officer.html
Senate Bill No. 2546. http://www.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/81047327!.pdf
Villafania, Alexaner. Arroyo renews call for an ICT department. Inquirer.net. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20090727-217476/Arroyo-renews-call-for-an-ICT-department
Website of the Office of the President of the Philippines. http://www.ops.gov.ph/
Website of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology. http://cict.gov.ph/
Personal Narrative
I planned to work with the topic on creation of an information technology and communications department. I wanted to write an article supporting the said idea.
I started working with this article on a memory of a recent story about people urging the new president to push for the creation of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). I browsed in the website of the Philippine Daily Inquirer for the said story and then looked for the related articles.
I found a good compilation of news articles (in Inquirer sections such as info-tech and business) regarding the campaign for the creation of such department since the earlier days of the Arroyo administration. This is where I found out the background of the existing Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT). The first question that popped into my mind is why do we need a department if we have an existing commission doing the same thing?
I started looking for the weaknesses of CICT, looking for articles and reading the Executive Order that created it. This is where I found out about the re-structuring and the limitations of the said commission, thus a need for an executive department.
In writing the article, I started with the efforts of the current administration to strengthen their utilization of the Internet, which is evident in the recent re-launch of the Office of the President’s website. I then focused on explaining the need for a department instead of just a commission.
I spend time reading the bills proposed in the 14th Congress of the House of Representatives and the Philippine Senate regarding the creation of DICT. I used some of what I think the most important functions of the department in my article to strengthen my position in the issue.
I also found an interesting article from the Inquirer about the NBN-ZTE scam and its relation to a lack of a government body such as DICT. I included this in my article as well because I realized that the creation of the said department could also be a factor in alleviating issues of corruption through projects such as the broadband deal.
The re-launch of the website of Office of the President has been one of the first projects of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III as president. In the refurbished site, the online team of P-Noy has transformed the rather dull website to a more comprehensive online portal, engaging readers to send oaths and messages to the president himself. One by one, other executive departments followed suit, upgrading the quality of information and service that their respective websites offer.
Indeed, it is clear that the government is starting to accept the reality that Internet plays a big role in public service. Websites nowadays not only function as an information hub but also as a means of communication between government officials and the public.
The current organization of the executive branch, however, is not sufficient to push for a revamp on how the government utilizes new media. If the administration is serious in strengthening the status of information and communications technology (ICT) in the country, it must lobby for a creation of a separate department that will handle this field.
In 2004, through Executive Order (EO) 209 of Former President Gloria Arroyo, the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) was created. It was formed to handle the “information technology and communications” projects of the government including the development of reliable and cost-efficient facilities and services related to new media and information technology. The said EO, however, stated that the CICT will be a temporary commission under the Office of the President while a law to create a “more effective” Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is still under consideration in the Philippine Congress.
Six years later, the creation of DICT remains elusive as the Philippine Senate failed to pass its version of the bill before the end of the 14th Congress. This, despite the appeals of several groups and Arroyo herself in her 2009 State of the Nation Address for the immediate passage of the law.
A week after the inauguration of President Aquino, a group of technology experts led by now CICT Chairman Ivan John Uy urged the president “to push for a national e-governance policy” that will strengthen the services of the government by using the Internet as a tool. In a Philippine Daily Inquirer article published on July 6, Uy, then president of Chief Information Officers Forum, said that central to this policy is the creation of DICT or at least the empowerment of the existing commission (CICT).
Retaining and empowering the current commission, however, is not the best move for the vision of the Aquino administration to strengthen the information and communications technology of the country.
In the past, CICT faced issues on its operations that led to four restructurings under the Arroyo administration. The first two was about the transfer of several agencies such as the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) under the CICT to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC). Bureaucracy operations issues were cited as the reason of the transfer since it is unusual for a commission (NTC) to operate under another commission (CICT). The last two Executive Orders, however, repealed the earlier transfers and returned NTC, along with other communication agencies, to CICT. In an Inquirer interview, however, then CICT Commissioner for cyber services group Monchito Ibrahim said that “the NTC will remain independent from CICT’s operations”, thus retaining the blur on how CICT will function over other communication commissions such as NTC.
It is imperative, therefore, for the Aquino administration to push for the creation of DICT to remove operating confusions such as this. National Information and Technology Communications Confederation of the Philippines Chairperson Jocelle Batapa-Sigue also said in an article that the creation of the DICT will finally create a permanent entity that cannot be easily modified without the passage of another bill. This is in contrast to what happened in the Arroyo administration where an EO can easily change the structure of the current CICT.
A department will also maximize the capability of the administration to pursue projects related to ICT.
The creation of a department focusing on managing the information and communications technology will be beneficial to the development of the country. Aside from empowering the government’s utilization of information technology, DICT will also work on ensuring the availability of ICT in areas not served by private sectors.
Some of the functions of DICT mentioned in the proposed bills in the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 14th Congress include the assessment, review and support ICT research and development programs of the government; assisting in development of guidelines of the Intellectual Property Office in enforcing rules on ICT usage; promotion of ICT education throughout the country and representation of Philippine interests pertaining to ICT in international bodies.
The last one is a very important provision since it may prevent scandals such as the NBN-ZTE deal in the future. In an Inquirer article published in September 2008, former CICT Chairman Virgilio Peña said that lack of government capability to evaluate technology projects such as the National Broadband Network led to problems such as “government procurement, especially those dealing with sophisticated projects in ICT.” Creation of a department with the knowledge to handle such contracts could prevent the events that led to the scandal.
DICT poses a lot of possibilities to the Philippines as it enters a new era of governance. If President Aquino is serious in his attempt to use the ICT as an empowering tool for his administration, he must not stop in refurbishing his website. He must also move for a greater scheme such as the creation of a department focusing on information and communications technology.
Sources:
Create the Department of Information and Communications Technology before the elections. Techie.com.ph. http://www.techie.com.ph/press-releases/create-the-department-of-information-and-communications-technology-before-the-elections
Executive Order 269. http://www.lawphil.net/executive/execord/eo2004/eo_269_2004.html
Ho, Abigail. More groups seek creation of infotech dep’t. Inquirer.net. http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20100118-248085/More-groups-seek-creation-of-infotech-dept
House Bill No. 4300. http://www.congress.gov.ph/download/billtext_14/hbt04300.pdf
Montecillo, Paolo. Gov’t experts seek creation of ICT body. Inquirer.net. http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20100706-279603/Govt-experts-seek-creation-of-ICT-body
Oliva, Erwin. NBN deal revisited: Is ICT know-how lacking in government? Inquirer.net. http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20080917-161246/NBN-deal-revisited-Is-ICT-know-how-lacking-in-government
Oliva, Erwin; Villafania, Alexander. NTC transfers back to CICT. Inquirer.net. http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20090107-181943/NTC_transfers_back_to_CICT
Ordonez, Cheng. EO 454 won't control, gag media: telecom officer. Sun Star Zamboanga. http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/zam/2005/10/20/news/eo.454.won.t.control.gag.media.telecom.officer.html
Senate Bill No. 2546. http://www.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/81047327!.pdf
Villafania, Alexaner. Arroyo renews call for an ICT department. Inquirer.net. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20090727-217476/Arroyo-renews-call-for-an-ICT-department
Website of the Office of the President of the Philippines. http://www.ops.gov.ph/
Website of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology. http://cict.gov.ph/
Personal Narrative
I planned to work with the topic on creation of an information technology and communications department. I wanted to write an article supporting the said idea.
I started working with this article on a memory of a recent story about people urging the new president to push for the creation of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). I browsed in the website of the Philippine Daily Inquirer for the said story and then looked for the related articles.
I found a good compilation of news articles (in Inquirer sections such as info-tech and business) regarding the campaign for the creation of such department since the earlier days of the Arroyo administration. This is where I found out the background of the existing Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT). The first question that popped into my mind is why do we need a department if we have an existing commission doing the same thing?
I started looking for the weaknesses of CICT, looking for articles and reading the Executive Order that created it. This is where I found out about the re-structuring and the limitations of the said commission, thus a need for an executive department.
In writing the article, I started with the efforts of the current administration to strengthen their utilization of the Internet, which is evident in the recent re-launch of the Office of the President’s website. I then focused on explaining the need for a department instead of just a commission.
I spend time reading the bills proposed in the 14th Congress of the House of Representatives and the Philippine Senate regarding the creation of DICT. I used some of what I think the most important functions of the department in my article to strengthen my position in the issue.
I also found an interesting article from the Inquirer about the NBN-ZTE scam and its relation to a lack of a government body such as DICT. I included this in my article as well because I realized that the creation of the said department could also be a factor in alleviating issues of corruption through projects such as the broadband deal.
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