Sunday, December 7, 2008
Congratulations Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Green Efforts in Vain: Why our university sectors need to sit down and talk about long term Environmental efforts
(My November column in The LaSallian)
Commendable efforts from different sectors in the University need to be recognized in initiating projects that pushes for an environment friendly school. These efforts seem to be sincere in achieving university-wide transformation so we can claim a green campus. However, this will only be in vain if sectors in the University fail to understand a system-wide approach to a development problem. It will still be fruitless if no higher policy-making body, such as administrators, will properly set a vision and initiate reforms that will drive and integrate efforts in the University to realize an environmentally sustainable institution. More importantly, walls separating students, faculty, and administration need to be taken down. This illusion of having conflicting missions can be proven wrong because the mission of one is the mission of all.
G. F. Abito, author of Environmental Education, Training and Research in the Philippines, says that initiatives to solve development problems have tendencies to attack in a “piece-meal, segmented fashion.” As he was referring to government agencies, he mentioned the problem also exist in private institutions such as universities. It is evident that there are fragmented efforts in the University but we have to know the difference between project success and systematic transformation.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
community whale "massacre" in Denmark
No harm. Investigating further, I found out that it is a tradition in those islands to gather food stock for the winter since Viking Age (800-900 AD). It is a community wide effort regulated by national legislation according to website giving a detailed account of the island's whaling practices. The community do not see it as a horrendous crime. They claim that the level of their consumption is at a sustainable level. Out of 800,000 pilot whales, they rarely take 2,000 every year. Nick Aslam, the BBC writer, stated "Had I, they asked pointedly, ever gone to an abattoir in my country and seen the industrial daily slaughter of thousands of farm animals?" The meat gathered is shared among members of the community without charge. Surplus are given to hospitals and old people's homes according to the article of BBC.
"Faroe islanders have been hunting for pilot whales for centuries, giving them valuable food stocks for the winter. But to animal rights activists, the kill is cruel and unnecessary." - BBC News
Office of Protected Resources (US government agency responsible for protecting marine mammals and endangered marine life), classifies pilot whales as "Low risk least concerned." Meaning they are not in danger of becoming extinct. The whale hunt is regulated by the Ministry of Fisheries of the Faroe Islands which is responsible for the administration and for coordinating Faroese participation in international scientific and conservation bodies.
Focus on more important things. For animal rights and environmentalists out there, I think better questions would be:
1. What are the pressing matters that need more attention? A group of people hunting on a sustainable level (which can be easily judged by their means) or companies with highly poisonous waste disposal system disrupting ecological harmony?
2. There are a lot of endangered species already. What are we doing to reduce the count?
3. Least corrupt country (Denmark) do regulate this kind of activities. Should our efforts focus more on the least credible and corrupt governments that deprive both human and environment life?
Judgement. I think what keeps us from understanding their practice is our characteristic of being judgemental. Yes, what they are doing seems to be barbaric. However, if we stop from knowing more about this tradition, then we also stop ourselves from learning about far more important issues that can save our environment.
In the Philippines, dogs are domesticated then beaten to death in sakos. Illegal logging in Isabela had been rampant during the political regime of the Dy's resulting to landslides. MWSI's irresponsible water project "enhancement" clogged drainages causing more floods. Squatter areas near bodies of water irresponsibly throw their trash and wastes there. Pollution level in Manila is at an alarming level. We have 50 "biologically dead" read article here rivers already.
See... a lot of work needs to be done. Before we judge them, I think it would be better to judge people in our country first.
Sources: BBC news, NOAA Fisheries, Whales and Whaling in the Faroe Islands, Truth or Fiction
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Women on top
GRACE PADACA . You know her? No? Here's a photo.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
"Change has come to America"
Credit to CNN.com http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/04/election.president/index.html
Obama inspires historic victory
(CNN) -- Barack Obama told supporters that "change has come to America," as he addressed the country for the first time as the president-elect.Sen. Barack Obama addresses a crowd of 125,000 people in Chicago, Illinois.
Police estimated that 125,000 people gathered in Grant Park to hear Obama claim victory.
Obama said he was looking forward to working with Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin "to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead."
McCain on Tuesday urged all Americans to join him in congratulating Sen. Barack Obama on his projected victory in the presidential election.
"I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face," McCain said before his supporters in Phoenix, Arizona.
"Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much, and tonight, I remain her servant," he said.
McCain called Obama to congratulate him, Obama's campaign said.
Obama thanked McCain for his graciousness and said he had waged a tough race.
President Bush also called Obama to congratulate him.
Bush told Obama he was about to begin one of the great journeys of his life, and invited him to visit the White House as soon as it could be arranged, according to White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.
With his projected win, Obama will become the nation's 44th president and its first African-American leader.
Supporters in Chicago cheering, "Yes, we can" were met with cries of "Yes, we did."
More than 1,000 people gathered outside of the White House, chanting, "Obama, Obama!"
Obama's former rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton said in a statement that "we are celebrating an historic victory for the American people."
"This was a long and hard fought campaign but the result was well worth the wait. Together, under the leadership of President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and a Democratic Congress, we will chart a better course to build a new economy and rebuild our leadership in the world."
The Illinois senator is projected to pick up a big win in Virginia, a state that hasn't voted for a Democratic president since 1964.
Obama also is projected to beat McCain in Ohio, a battleground state that was considered a must-win for the Republican candidate.
Going into the election, national polls showed Obama with an 8-point lead.
Obama will be working with a heavily Democratic Congress. Democrats picked up Senate seats in New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia, among others.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell held onto his seat in Kentucky.
CNN's Ed Henry said there were lots of long faces in the lobby of the McCain headquarters at the Arizona Biltmore hotel as McCain allies watched returns showing Senate Republicans losing their seats.
Voters expressed excitement and pride in their country after casting their ballots Tuesday in what has proved to be a historic election.
Poll workers reported high turnout across many parts of the country, and some voters waited hours to cast their ballots.
Reports of minor problems and delays in opening polls began surfacing early Tuesday, shortly after polls opened on the East Coast.
The presidential candidates both voted early in the day before heading out to the campaign trail one last time.
Tuesday also marked the end of the longest presidential campaign season in U.S. history -- 21 months.
As McCain and Obama emerged from their parties' conventions, the race was essentially a toss-up, with McCain campaigning on his experience and Obama on the promise of change. But the race was altered by the financial crisis that hit Wall Street in September.Monday, November 3, 2008
This made me do this ----->> O.o
I honestly think that branding a popcord as Poppycock would be a good marketing strategy. Come on! It gave me lot of misleading interpretations. Yeah, you know what I mean. Green as it may seem, I just can't stop thinking why on earth did the brand manager not thought of the different cultural connotation of such words.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Undas sa probinsya
Next, we visited Mom's clan in Calamba, Laguna. They do not fail to serve great food every time we visit there! We had steamed prawns, lengua, calderetang kambing, pork bbq, grilled pla-pla, ice cream, nilatek na iniruban (a kind of rice cake), and caramel flavored cake (it's kuya carlo's bday today!!!). My cousins, aunts, and Diana (my sister) even hit the notes on karaoke after lunch. Party then eh?! Haha.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Wanted: Organizational communication practitioners
Qualifications:
-
Basically knows how to communicate (yes, even the non-verbal)
Knows how to manage media (if you don’t know what decibel, aperture, pixels, and kernelling means; stop reading)
Knows how to craft THE message (hey, it’s an art after all)
Should have at least the bible of Marshall McLuhan or any other form of altar will do
Can create magic
If you indeed posses the enumerated qualifications, please do not hesitate to submit your application forms to any organization who are willing to embrace progress. I do believe that all institutions would need an orgcomm practitioner sooner or later because we’re living already living in the information age. We do not only need managers who will oversee operations, finance, human resource, and marketing but also information managers.
People fail to understand the impact and significance of messages running in and out of the organization. Depending on how it will be managed, messages can actually serve as builders or destroyers of an institution. An example is when DLSU was banned to play in UAAP Season 69. Dr. Quebenco was able to build on the event rather than letting it destroy the University. Now that's MAGIC!
A green drop in a bucket...
Carmela "Melai" Prado is my name; nice for you to drop by. I'm a print layout artist editor learning to be a grammar nazi due to demands of extra-curricular work, The LaSallian. I'm a proud probinsyana of Tarlac!