Typhoon Pedring Update and Suspension of Classes (Tertiary)

This is Typhoon Pedring's location as of 10a.m. (Sept. 26, 2009 - Typhoon Ondoy's 2nd Anniversary) (source: http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/)

Typhoon Pedring's location at 5AM, Sept. 27, 2011. (source: http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/)

Typhoon Pedring's location as of 8AM, Sept. 27, 2011(source: http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/)

For hours now, Metro Manila has been battered by strong winds and consistent rainfall.  Although there isn't much rain, it has been steady and the winds are just unrelenting.  All of this has been given a name, and it's called Typhoon Pedring.  And around this time in 2009, Metro Manila has seen the worst 8-hour typhoon so far that caused catastrophic flooding, damage to properties, and claimed lives of unsuspecting residents of Metro Manila and some northern provinces.  That devastation too had a name, and it was called Typhoon Ondoy.  I hope that this time around, all of us -- the government and our country's people --, have learned from that tragedy and have taken steps to save lives, your own and others, by being prepared and staying updated by tuning in to news, and using all the tools of both technology and nature towards keeping safe.

My share, I'll be compiling news on suspension of classes especially for the Tertiary (College) level where class suspension doesn't depend on storm signal, but the announcement from individual school administration.  But remember, as of now, classes in pre-school, elementary, and highschool are suspended automatically in areas that are under SIGNAL 2, but for emphasis, here's the list of areas where there are suspension for :

AUTOMATIC SUSPENSION PRE-SCHOOL, ELEMENTARY and HIGH SCHOOL (due to typhoon signal as of 7:41AM, Sept. 27, 2011)

• Ilocos Norte
• Ilocas Sur
• Abra
• Apayao
• La Union
• Benguet
• Pangasinan
• Zambales
• Tarlac
• Nueva Ecija
• Pampanga
• Bulacan
• Metro Manila
• Rizal
• Quezon
• Polillo Island
• Bataan
• Camarines Norte
• Camarines Sur
• Catanduanes
• Aurora
• Isabela
• Cagayan
• Kalinga
• Mt. Province
• Ifugao
• Nueva Viscaya
• Quirino

Additional Pre-school, Elementary, High School Suspension (AS OF 6:58AM, Sept. 27, 2011):

• Angeles City
• Antipolo
• Batangas City
• Cagayan
• Cavita (all of Cavite)
• Dasmariñas City
• Guagua, Pampanga (ALL LEVELS)
• Isabela
• Metro Manila
• Noveleta City
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Occidental Mindoro
• Quirino
• Rizal Province
• Sta. Rosa, Laguna
• San Pablo, Laguna
• ENTIRE Region 4A

Here's the list of those that had announced suspension of classes for TERTIARY LEVEL (AS OF 7:41 AM, Sept. 27, 2011):


*** AS OF 7:50AM, CHED HAS ANNOUNCED SUSPENSION OF CLASSES FOR COLLEGE and GRADUATE SCHOOLS IN NCR FOLLOWING GOVERNMENT'S SUSPENSION OF OFFICE WORK EXCEPT FOR THOSE WORKING IN EMERGENCY and RESCUE SECTORS ***

• Adamson University
• Arellano University (all campuses)
• Asian Social Institute
• Ateneo de Manila University - Loyola Heights
• Bataan Peninsula State University
• Benedictine Institute (Imus, Cavite)
• CAP College Foundation
• Cavite State University
• Central College of the Philippines
• Centro Escolar University
• Colegio de Santa Cecilia
• De La Salle University - Dasmariñas, Cavite
• De La Salle University - Manila - both classes and office operations (source: Twitter)
• De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde - both classes and office operations (source: Facebook)
• Divine Mercy College - Caloocan
• Espiritu Santo Parochial School - Tayuman, Manila
• Far Eastern University - Diliman
• Far Eastern University - East Asia
• Far Eastern University - Manila
• FEATI University - Manila
• FTI College - Novaliches, Quezon City
• Interface Computer College - Recto, Manila
• La Consolacion College
• Letran - Manila
• Lyceum of the Philippines - Manila
• Manila Central University - Caloocan
• Manila Tytana Colleges (formerly known as Manila Doctors College)
• Miriam College
• National College of Business and Arts - ALL BRANCHES
• National College of Science and Tech (Dasmariñas, Cavite)
• National University
• Our Lady of Fatima University (Valenzuela, Laguna, Antipolo)
• Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa
• Perpetual Help College (Las Piñas) - both classes and office operations
• Philippine Christian University
• Philippine College of Criminology - Sta. Cruz, Manila
• Philippine State College of Aeronautics - Pasay City
• Philippine School of Business Administration - Quezon City
• Philippine University of Asia - Quezon City
• Polytechnic University of the Philippines
• Philippine Women's University
• San Beda College - Recto, Manila
• San Juan de Letran - Intramuros, Manila
• San Sebastian College - Recto, Manila
• Saint Francis of Assisi College - Las Piñas
• Samson College of Science and Technology
• School of Fashion and the Arts - both classes and office operations
• SouthEastern College - Pasay City
• St. Jude College - Manila
• St. Mary's College
• St. Scholastica's College (Manila)
• Sta. Cecilia College - Valenzuela
• STI College - Novaliches
• STI College - Dasmariñas City
• St. Paul University - QC
• Technological Institute of the Philippines - Manila
• Technological Institute of the Philippines - QC
• Technical University of the Philippines - Manila and Cavite
• Trinity University of Asia - QC
• University of Asia and the Pacific
• University of Caloocan
• University of Perpetual Help - Molino
• University of Perpetual Help System DALTA – Las Piñas
• University of Santo Tomas
• University of the East - Caloocan
• University of the East - Manila
• University of the Philippines - Baguio
• University of the Philippines - Diliman
• University of the Philippines - Los Baños
• University of the Philippines - Manila

I'll update the list as soon as there are more announcements from other school heads (assuming I still have electricity until later - the way things are going, and my UPS switching on due to power fluctuations...).

Here are areas under storm signals (as of 6AM Sept. 27, 2011):

STORM SIGNAL 1
Cavite
Laguna
Batangas
Marinduque
Albay
Sorsogon
Burias
Lubang Islands
Babuyan
Calayan grp. Of Islands

STORM SIGNAL 2
Ilocos Norte
Ilocas Sur
Abra
Apayao
La Union
Benguet
Pangasinan
Zambales
Tarlac
Nueva Ecija
Pampanga
Bulacan
Metro Manila
Rizal
Quezon
Polillo Island
Bataan
Camarines Norte
Camarines Sur
Catanduanes

STORM SIGNAL 3
Aurora
Isabela
Cagayan
Kalinga
Mt. Province
Ifugao
Nueva Viscaya
Quirino


Great sites to follow:
http://twitter.com/#!/dost_pagasa
http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/
http://www.dzmm.com.ph/tabid/338/Default.aspx
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/
http://www.gmanews.tv/

Stay safe... 

From,

Facebook Trick and Tip: Changing back to old format

Today, Facebook released a new homepage format where you can choose to only see "Important Updates" on the news feeds, or "Most Updates" and "All Updates" from a person without having to go your friend's profile page.  There's also a real time activity widget that shows what your friends have just done the very second they have done it.   If you don't want the new Facebook format you can revert back by:

1)  Go to "Account Settings"

2)  Edit Language and choose "English (UK)"

I hope this helps and I guess this work around will work until Facebook doesn't fix the bug.  In anycase, it's just too weird it happens only when you switch to English (UK) and not any other language.


From,

Afternoon Classes in NCR (upto Highschool only) are SUSPENDED

A few minutes ago, DepEd announced:

"Afternoon classes in NCR are suspended. Latest report from PAGASA predicts moderate to heavy rainfalls throughout the day."

and in a follow-up announcement:
"it is from pre-school to high school level only"


because (in an update a few seconds ago):
"college level is under the jurisdiction of CHED"


Tsk... Tsk... And just this morning they announced that classes will resume.  I pity the students, parents, fetchers, etc... who will brave the weather just to go home because of this late announcement.


Source:  http://twitter.com/#!/DepEd_PH/status/98591280514347008
http://twitter.com/#!/DepEd_PH/status/98595445756010497
http://twitter.com/#!/DepEd_PH/status/98597479460777984

From,

Growing Body – Shrinking Faith

Someone in a group once confessed that as he is aging, he has started to question his faith in a divine being.  He didn’t have time to expound on this because everyone in the group jumped on the defense of religion to affirm what we believe in and was quick to advise that he should shut these thoughts off.  I’m quite certain that at that time he felt the need to regress and calm everybody in the group by saying, “I know, and I keep telling myself to fight off these thoughts”.  He said that, but it was apparent in his eyes that he still has questions, “Is there really a God?  Does heaven really exist?  Where will we go after we die?”  I’m not here to make the same mistake and jump to the defense of faith and answer (at least not right away).  For now, I just want to reflect on why as we grow older, and supposedly wiser, our faith (generally) grows weaker. 

Mysteries Easily Accepted by Children

I remember that when we were young, or hear very often in the church or just about anywhere, we were introduced to Jesus as “Papa Jesus” and we accepted that.  Children willingly accept Jesus as their “Papa Jesus”, never once questioning why there is another “papa” when 1 child can only have 1 papa (father).  We called St. Mary as our “Mama Mary” without question.  It was so easy to believe at that time that when we pray we really do talk to God and He really does hear us and He does listen to us.  What has our lives, our personal experiences, our academic learning, and our relations done to our faith that as we age we begin to doubt the mysteries we were so willing to accept when we were kids?  Yes, they were mysteries to us before and they still are mysteries to us now and, most likely, until we die. 

Mysteries Stay the Same, We Change

The mysteries in our faith don’t change but our acceptance of them do change.  Why?  I’m sure many of you will say, “Well, because when we were kids…  We just believed what people say because we didn’t know anything, and as we grow old we begin to have a better understanding of the things around us, we become more rational, and we start to challenge information presented to us.  We become more critical.”  And again, the same person who confessed about his wavering faith jokingly said on a different day, “What if faith was created by people just so there is order in the world, so that there is a reason to be good?”  I laughed that thought off with him and we didn’t really discuss that any further.  These thoughts, ideas, or fantasies if they may be called such, how much of these are influences of our personal experiences?  Have we experienced trusting a person with everything or with something really dear to us (a secret? our well-being? our future?) and that person betrayed us?  Have we experience the government’s corrupt ways first hand?  Have we experience distrust and betrayal so often that we now have come to question the faith that used to keep us safe, feel secure, and loved?  Have we been drowning ourselves with the fantasies that movies have presented us and simply applying them to reality?  Have media themes of conspiracies fed our criticality to think that conspiracies can be possible in an organization such as the church? 

My Personal Relationship with God

I would be lying if I say that I never think of these things.  I would be lying if I say that there hasn’t been a time that I’ve asked myself if the great men and women in the Bible are real.  I would be lying if I say that I never wondered if there really is heaven, or hell for that matter.  But as quick as these thoughts rush in, I slap myself mentally, as if to wake myself up from an evil trance.  I feel stupid for thinking these thoughts because even though I try to form these questions, I still do have a personal relationship with God.  I talk to Him like I would with my own biological father.  I joke around with Him, I tell Him my worries, my secrets, my fears, my joys, and my downfalls.  I go to Him for comfort and for guidance.  I thank Him for the littlest things that are happening in my daily life.  Thank Him for my lunch, for my clothes, my life, my husband, and the people I interact with everyday. 

Face Your Faith Head-on

Yes, I have a personal relationship with God (quite a very casual but very connected one), yet I question the difficult mysteries of my faith.  Often, I brush these thoughts off and don’t face them head-on.  I forget the times when my faith wavers and move on back on track only to find myself going off-track every once in a while.  Perhaps this person who confessed about his wavering faith was God’s message to me, that I should confront my own questions and address my own wavering faith too.  Perhaps my dear Father and my dear Friend wants me to listen to my own questions about faith that I’ve tried to silence all the time.  And perhaps He has inspired me with the Holy Spirit to write this reflection as well, so that others may wake-up from their trance, realize their wavering hearts, and begin to go back to Him, renew ties, renew their faith and make it stronger.  After all, it was during the Pentecost Mass that I have written this whole article in my mind, in my heart.  I felt a strong sense of duty to myself, the man who confessed about his faith, and a strong sense of duty as a Christian who plays part in Christ’s prophetic role, that I should, in my little way, make people aware that we all have questions about our faith, and more of them as we grow older.  And once we do know, we can address them properly by going back to the Bible or just by talking to God in the privacy of our prayers.  Do this before it’s too late, before you become calloused by life’s playful, sad, and unfortunate twists, or by the influence of other people and media.  If you are reading a book and you encountered a difficult word you don't know what it means, you look for a dictionary.  If in faith you have questions, you go to the BIBLE.

Summary

In the end, this article doesn’t really answer the questions about heaven, hell, life after death, God, and faith in general.  But if you did find the answer within the article, then that that’s well and good, but it’s just really about acknowledging the questions we have deep in our hearts.  It’s about bringing them out in the open so that your conscious self can act on it and pull it from its roots, weeding out your heart so that only the good thoughts and feelings grow.  And once you start your journey to renewing and strengthening your faith, you’ll find that the mysteries that bugged us out, the mysteries that we found hard to believe and understand, are actually the easiest to accept.  Faith is like closing your eyes before a kiss with the person you truly love, being vulnerable and trusting, yet that’s when you feel most loved and when you feel safest.  The moment that you close your eyes before that kiss is when you feel the happiest despite not seeing. 

God bless everyone!

From,

P.S.

I have started my own journey in strengthening my faith in the past year, and it’s actually very liberating, but I’ve only just begun.  I’ve started to feel like my heart could fly and not worry about a thing, my life is secured as long as I am in His grace.  Sounds corny?  But it’s a lot better than it sounds.  And it’s not perfect.  I still have a long way to go and I would like people to start their own personal journey too.  My journey started out in the most subtle way possible…  In the silence of my heart, where no one can see me, where no one can hear me, where no one can judge me…  I just closed my eyes one day and became aware of a great hand that has held me throughout the most troubling times of my life, and all of a sudden, I have become aware of the beauty of life and everything that I have, people, places, events…

X-Men First Class - Free Screening!

I scored 2 tickets to a special screening yesterday by NuffNang and Hapee... The movie?  X-Men First Class!  Weeeee!!!

Here are the photos from the event (Greenbelt 3, Cinema 2):

The movie was definitely something worth anyone's time to watch!  The actions scenes were dynamic, well thought of, and the transition from 1 pair of characters fighting to the next pair was perfect!  I never thought I could bear the sight of a hairy, younger professor X, and a macho young Magneto, but the cast was perfect for their roles and, I can't believe I'm saying this, but Prof. X is actually crush-worthy in this film!  ^_^;  Thanks to NuffNang and Hapee for making this special screening possible!

Watch it and tell me what you think!



From,

Friendster Exporter App - Extended until June 27!!!

Alright folks, for those who can't download their photos today, Friendster has extended availability of their Exporter App until June 27.

Personally, it's better to do the exporting now than be sorry later if you forget again, but if you've got no choice, then you have until June 27 to do it!

Thanks, Friendster!

From,

Save Your Friendster Photos! Last Day Today!

Yes, today, May 31, 2011, is the last day to save your Friendster photos and/or blogs!

Click on the link below which directs you to the "Exporter" application that Friendster designed to easily download your precious memories (it will also prompt you to login)!

ALL IMPORTANT LINK:  http://widgets.friendster.com/exporter

If you're just interested in saving your photos you can choose to just do the "DOWNLOAD YOUR PROFILE" part.  Make sure to choose the option that INCLUDES PHOTOS.  Wait a little bit (around 2-5minutes, and a zip file will either be automatically downloaded or there will be a link in that same exporter page that you can click to commence download.

If you like to download your Friendster blog, you can do that too.  There are links to show steps on how to import the XML file you'll be getting from Friendster (for both Blogger and Wordpress).

Hurry!  Before it's too late!

If you're asking what kind of changes they're doing to Friendster after May 31?  Refer to my previous post (click here).



From,

Nuffnang and Hapee Special Screening

This is truly a first class treat from 2 first class companies!

If you're a blogger and you wish to be one of the first few people to know about exciting events, promotions, and product launches, Nuffnang takes top of the class in making sure its members are never out of the loop.  And equally, Hapee makes sure that every Filipino has an opportunity to have that brilliant smile and healthy gums.  I have been using Hapee Gumtec toothpaste for years and I have no plans of ever changing to any other brands!  And because it is truly Filipino, Hapee surely shoots us to the top of the ranks by bringing world class, first class quality products that delivers what it promises to do.

Source:  pinoytenant.blogspot.com

From,

Firefox version 4 - How to Confirgure Saving Tabs When Quitting

I just installed the new Firefox version yesterday and ... to my dismay, when I quit Firefox, it only gave me 2 options - "Close Tabs" and "Cancel".

See how many tabs I have open that I would need to 

re-open one by one if I don't save them?

What's missing is "Save and Quit" offer where Firefox saves all the tabs you have open before quitting, so that next time you start Firefox again, it loads all those tabs.

This is what I need that Firefox version 4 doesn't have 

(for some unknown reason).

This function is very important to me because I load all my anime pages and my online games in progress so that I won't have bookmark them, or search for them in my long list of saved sites...  I found a wonderful solution to this (searching the web) and I want to share it with everyone!

HOW TO BRING BACK "SAVE and QUIT" OPTION for FIREFOX VERSION 4
(click on the images if you want to see a LARGER version)
1)  Type about:config on your Firefox address bar (this brings you to the not-so-user-friendly version of the Firefox preferences)

2)  Click "I'll be careful, I promise!"

3)  look for the line that says "browser.showQuitWarning"

4)  Right Click and click on "Toggle" to change it to "TRUE" or double click

This remedy takes effect immediately!  No need to restart Firefox or anything.  Just simply close that tab (Yes, don't try changing anything else...  Remember you promised to be "very careful"?  ^_^)



From,

Source:  http://www.raymond.cc/

Filipino Designer Wins Overseas Logo Design Contest Amidst Concerns From Canadian Local Designers

Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library logo.
Source:    Simcoe.com

Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library (in Ontario, Canada) ran a logo design contest on 99designs.com to match the new building they will be opening on May 24.  The important things they were looking for in the design:

1)  Timelessness of the design
2)  Would stand on its own well, with or without words
3)  Would look good on Black and white, and in full color
4)  Scaleable, or can be resized without losing its appeal and recognizability
5)  Doesn't directly relate to "books" because their library offers more than services connected to books

They first opened the contest to local designers and then opened it internationally.  Out of the hundereds of submissions, a Filipino designer wins the vote of their own panel of judges.

To see the winning design:  http://99designs.com/logo-design/contests/help-bradford-west-gwillimbury-public-library-logo-71802/entries/7725922
To see the winner's profile:http://99designs.com/people/superduperjames

A foreign designer winning the contest gave room for local designers to question the decision to open the contest internationally, to people who have never even been to that library, or haven't even been to Bradford West Gwillimbury.  The BWG Public Library Board defended their decision saying that by opening their contest online and internationally, they were able to receive 309 designs from 40 designers, and the whole contest only cost them $500 ($400 was the cash price), where design company would've charged them thousands.  The locals need not feel bad about this, because BWG Public Library Board said that more than half of the 40 designers who submitted their entries were local designers so there were plenty of opportunity given to the locals.

The internet, for me, is the most powerful breakthrough in technology that has been invented so far.  It's because of the internet that people from the Philippines can showcase their talent to companies or audiences miles across the vast Pacific Ocean.  It's because of the internet that moms or dads can get a college degree online while spending quality time with the family.  It's because of the internet that loved-ones can keep in touch without breaking the bank with high phone bills because there's chat and voice call tools in chat.

Conggratulations to Filipinos who optimize the available technology and win contests of different kinds and yet have remained nameless and silent.  Keep up the good work and let the Filipino talent be known worldwide!


From,

story source:  http://www.simcoe.com

Friendster Overhaul - Deadline to Save Photos and files is May 31

As soon as I heard from the news today that Friendster, as the social networking site we knew it to be, will be gone, I spared no second trying to research exactly what it means and how that will affect me and my many photos uploaded there.

Here are the things they will remove:
 - Profile
 - Photos
 - Messages
 - Blogs
 - Shoutouts

Retain:  Friends/Connections/Games/Music

What's going to be left in Friendster are games and more games.  So it's actually like Kongregate and all the other gaming sites I follow (and have an account in) where you can compare game scores and achievements to the hundreds of friends you've grown your network into during Friendster's peak moments.  Well, I have nothing against that...  More game sites out there, the happier I become... BUT, removing my photos...  That's a different story!

Save your photos!
We all have until May 31st to save our photos by exporting them using an application you can click on and find under the "Help" link of Friendster.  I'd be glad to give you screenshots of the step-by-step process but Friendster keeps timing out on my end.  Perhaps all the panic-stricken Friendster account holders logged in all at the same time as soon as the news mentioned it (including me).

I'll post another article on the detailed procedure on how to save your photos from extinction!  Sayonara Friendster - as the social networking site, and hello to Friendster as a game networking site... ^_^;



From,

Source:  http://tjsdaily.blogspot.com

Irresponsible News Reporting Can Fumble Cases Under Investigation

Just a few hours ago, ABS-CBN reported that a man was found on the side of a hi-way (in the Laguna area), here in the Philippines, with a near-fatal gunshots to his head and body, and as he was left for dead by whoever did that to him.  Fortunately, the police saw him and brought him to a hospital.  As it turns out, he was working for a syndicate and was delivering drugs for them to their clients.  The victim decided that he doesn't want to be a part of it anymore and wanted to go to the police.  Somehow, his employers caught wind of his plan to divulge their operation, they killed him (or at least tried to...).  Now, police is guarding him in his hospital room to make sure that nobody tries to kill him while he's recovering from his wounds, because he's a  key to crack down on a major drug syndicate.  Although I couldn't find a link to the video that aired on tv, here's the link to the article:  http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/04/06/11/self-confessed-drug-courier-survives-salvage-try

My opinion...
The news had the victim's face all over it, they did not bother to hide his identity.  Now my problem with that is, I would think the syndicate, before this has been reported, had no any idea that their plan to "silence" this squealer was unsuccessful so it would have been better if they (the news team) have not even reported this, so that the syndicate members don't have time to flee the country, or change identities, change names, change houses, change their m.o.  Now, especially with the victim's face all over the news, they're certain that this guy was theirs (the syndicate's),  and their mistake is alive and talking on national TV!  This presents a real threat of compromising the investigation even before it started.

Looking back...
The very same thing happened in the Hong Kong tourist bus hostage incident (tagged as "Manila Hostage Crisis") where media was broadcasting live how the police were taking the hostage taker's brother into custody (or at least trying to...) and the bus where the hostage taker was in, had TV and access to news channels!  The hostage taker's frustration turned into anger when he saw his brother forcefully taken away by the police and minutes after that, we all know what happened. Shots were fired from inside the bus...  People died...  Police "tried to" storm in the bus...  Then, some really sorry politicians, policemen, and a very invisible head of state started pointing fingers or washing hands...

From the on-board TV, Mendoza witnessed live coverage of the arrest of his brother, he became agitated. Mendoza was thought to have fired warning shots as he saw his brother and son being hauled away by the police.^[29] He demanded during a radio interview that the police release his brother, or else he would start executing hostages.

- Wiki 

And just last week, a former drug mule (a person who was paid to bring drugs into other countries) returned to the Philippines after serving his sentence on a foreign country.  He granted an interview as he divulged how the Philippines has become a drug trade center, as illegal drugs come in from Southern Africa, and gets prepared here for transport to other countries.  A few days after that interview aired on national TV, the former drug mule has now asked ABS-CBN to not show his face on air anymore because he has been receiving death threats since that interview.  Ok, I don't know if the news reporter asked if he wanted his face blurred out in the initial interview and he probably said "No.", or maybe the news reporter didn't even bother to offer that and just went on with the interview.  Of course, the person could have, on his own, asked for his face to be blurred out.  Well, at least they used an alias, "Japa", instead of his real name, but what use is that?

The video with his face (him wearing huge shades to hide his eyes...?) is still not blurred out and posted in this link:  http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/global-filipino/04/02/11/exclusive-pinoy-drug-mules-rise-s-america


Who's to blame?
Ok, so it's free media...  No holds barred?  Since the unfortunate Honk Kong tourist hostage taking incident, the management of all new channels or at least the members of the KBP (Kapisanan ng mga Broadcasters ng Pilipinas - Association of Broadcasters of the Philippines) said that they will be censoring their own coverage especially in sensitive issues or cases like the Manila Hostage Crisis.  The media, for me, is not at all the only party to blame...  There's also the police...  If the media can't help but report everything (without censor), then the police should step in and be the one to keep them at bay.  There are cases that need not be reported before the investigation is concluded.  If the police don't stop the media, then it will be a free-for-all media frenzy.  I blame the police or the authorities 60% and 20% blame for the media, and the rest of the 20% I throw out to all other factors.

In Summary
I have another related, yet totally different issue with news these days, which is about "exclusive" reports but that's another story.  With the issue of responsible or irresponsible news reporting, I hope people, in the news industry, realize (but I do think they know), that everything they put out in the news (whether on tv, radio or print) is received by millions of people in the Philippines, and with the help of technology or internet, gets audience from people around the world as well.  Now with that amazingly huge reach, comes amazingly huge responsibilities.  They should be aware of the consequences of how they format their reports.  I'm not saying they shouldn't report on these things, I just wish that they discipline themselves by editing responsibly (blurring out things that need to be blurred out, not divulging information that may be essential in a case, or proactively asking authorities or people concerned whether it's safe to report on the details).  I understand that the News is also business, so ratings are important, but, it shouldn't come at the expense of other people's safety, justice, and privacy.

On another note, as the larger piece of the pie, the authorities should be on top of these things.  Of course they want good news to be reported, for "pogi" points (also called "plus" points), but they would earn even more "pogi" points if they solve the case first and arrest the suspects before a press release.

Still, there are times that media and the police have both made a conscious effort to keep things under wraps, like the recent Agusan del Sur hostage incident, where there was 90% media blackout and now all hostages are accounted for (lessons learned from the Manila Hostage Crisis).  But lapse in censorship and responsibility, can cause other people's lives, so the good that people behind the news do even most of the times, cannot make up for the bad that they sometimes do.  It's like a situation where the best prison guard watches over the most notorious of criminals, but once he puts his guard down for a second, 1 gets away and goes on to kill 10 men.  The many years he has successfully performed his job cannot make-up for the 1 second he relaxes his guard, as a result, people lost their lives.  The rational thing to do is to relieve him of his duty.  Another example is   , "Hey we put 9 proven guilty men in the death sentence, so what's 1 innocent man in the death sentence compared to the 9...?" - I mean, really?  Do you have to ask?



From,

Understanding Wins the Day, Patience is Just Its Runner Up

The Definition

As defined in an online dictionary, to "understand" is "to accept tolerantly or sympathetically".  Allow me to rephrase this definition using the other term for "sympathy" which is "compassion".  Therefore, to understand is to accept with compassion.  That is the definition I wish to use throughout this article.

One of the definitions of "patience" is "bearing or enduring pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance with calmness", and again, let me stretch this definition out by adding that "patience is bearing difficulty or provocation with calmness without necessarily understanding the circumstances".  And let me be bold by saying, that is the definition of artificial patience and I will explain why I called it such in a little while.

http://garfield.nfshost.com/1987/05/11/

The Difference

Can a person be patient without understanding?  Yes, but can a person understand and not be patient?  Nope.  If you understand someone or the circumstances, it is imperative that you are patient about it.  So true patience can be likened to a branch, if understanding is the tree, where love is its roots.  If that's where true patience stems from, then what is artificial patience?  It's when you act calm in the outside, but you're still full of resentment and anger inside.  It's when you catch yourself saying, "I'm being patient about this but I absolutely don't understand why he/she did this!"  

The Challenge

http://www.savagechickens.com/2008/05/patience.html

Which is more difficult to do, artificial patience or true patience?  Both can be equally difficult because artificial patience takes a long time (even years) to master - being calm despite of provocations just for the sake of being calm.  It’s like calmness without any reason why you have to be calm that’s why it’s difficult to do.  In the case of true patience, it is difficult because you have to master understanding first before being truly patient and that is a lifelong task.  So maybe the question is, which is more difficult, to be patient (just be calm without understanding) or to be understanding?  And the answer would be simple, the latter is more difficult, but it is more rewarding.  You can train your body and mind to be calm and not react at all to provocations or annoyances, but you can’t train your brain to understand, because understanding is beyond a practice of the body or the mind, but also an action of the heart as it involves compassion.  Saying that, understanding not only rewards your nerves - saves you from a lot of stress - but also rewards your heart equally.  Understanding that people have their own circumstances (problems of their own, reasons for doing things, a point of view that has been engraved since childhood) gives you true calmness everyday even if people give you a certain attitude at work, if other drivers try to bully you on the road even if you're in the right lane doing the right thing, or if a certain crew doesn't serve you with a smile when you dine in a restaurant.  To understand people and circumstances beyond how people present themselves or beyond how situations appear to be, gives your whole being a certain energy that drives you to be more positive in life and in dealing with others.  In return, people see this glow in your smile and notice the spring in your steps and your positive energy rub off other people.  To put it simply, which is better to hear from someone:  “Pinagpapasensyahan kita” or “Naiitindihan kita”?  Roughly translates to “I’m being patient with you” or “I understand you”.

My Personal Experience/Struggle

I have been trying to master understanding, but I admit, I catch myself sometimes engaging over trivial emotions like anger and often the quick solution is to simply shut up and try to be patient, only to find myself ranting about a certain person or experience later that day (or even years after).  Artificial patience does that, keep you calm for a moment and then when you do remember the situation, you get all worked up about it again.  It just works you up and wears you down at a certain point and that’s when it hits me that I failed to understand that there are certain circumstances that make people do the things they do or make them act the way they do.

Understanding them means they're right?

http://www.jazjaz.net/2008/06/the-other-family-parody-comic-strip.html

Wait up… does that mean that understanding people’s circumstances, is also accepting that what they do is right or justifiable?  Certainly not.  Understanding just reminds you to be compassionate and to accept that there are reasons behind actions, but doesn’t mean that the actions or even the reason for them are correct.  If you are willing, if you care enough, then you can teach them or make them realize what they have been doing by tell them how their actions affect you, and ask where that kind of behavior is coming from.  This takes guts and a whole lot of love.    In a sense, it is also a sacrifice because understanding people sometimes requires you to put the well being of another person, ahead of your own.  It’s like, if someone is throwing stones at you, you try to understand that there are forces that have driven that person to throw stones at you (perhaps one of the reason is you even).  Accepting that, you talk to him and ask why he’s throwing stones at you, and tell him that what he’s doing is hurting you.  It’s possible that the person would open up to you about his problems at work, at school, at home, or something that you do that ticks him off because it reminds him of something in his past, or perhaps just having a bad day.  This scenario probably reads like something from the Bible, but that’s really what we should all be aiming for.  Any less than that is just a compromise, like submitting a special project paper because you failed in your subject.  Well, in these times, I guess, practicing patience even without understanding is reason to celebrate.  If everyone does that then we’ll save ourselves from new headlines of brawls breaking out in after parties, or from someone shooting another person because of traffic disputes, and from saying really rude things to people out of anger.  But understanding brings it up to a whole new level.  If everyone would be a tad more understanding even to people they don’t know, I reckon that the suicide rate, as it stands now, would plunge, misunderstandings would be avoided, and marriages would be saved, the world, yes here it comes, would be a better place to live in.

Again...

To understand means to accept sympathetically or with compassion.  This is the definition I used in this article and in my daily adventure, called life.  Understanding wins the day, patience is just its runner up, either one of them is acceptable, but understanding is more preferred.  I hope everyone one wakes up each day with a renewed energy to consciously try to be more understanding today than yesterday.

From,

Remember?
Understanding is the 2nd gift of the Holy Spirit... ^_^

Oh, Double Creepy! - Still About Earthquake in Japan

Earlier today I posted an article about Animation can be made real and I just realized that this earthquake/tsunami, is another example of that...

There's an anime called "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0" that features 2 kids (helped by a stranger), trying to be reunited with their parents after a magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck Tokyo.  The kids were in a robot convention somewhere, while their parents are in another part of Japan when the quake happened.

Photos:

From,

Photo Sources:
http://www.animepalm.com
http://www.anientity.co.uk
http://hanners-anime.blogspot.com
http://animereviewers.wordpress.com