Pharm, a turo-turo
(in reference to the College of Pharmacy building in front of it)

I had a minor spat with my mom yesterday. I was in a bad mood due to some stupid thing I did(yes, I've been doing loads of stupid stuff these days). I was also forced to miss dance class in order go to mass. And, I didn't get to spend the afternoon with my nephew. And I they interrupted my nap. And it was super gloomy. So, I was in a really bad mood. I was frowning and being sarcastic and nasty like a spoiled brat(which I am sometimes). Naturally, I vented my anger towards those around me, who, unfortunately, are my parents.

My mom, who doesn't know how to handle teenagers despite living with one for almost ten years, started complaining and scolding me. I really wanted to say to her that shopping for appliances don't count as bonding. Attending mass is not bonding and I hate going to mass. I do not need to hear more lectures about how the Bible says this therefore you must do this or you won't go to heaven. And, that I really wanted to go to dance class because the teacher is a really great dancer but I instead chose to spend some time with you. But, I just kept quiet.

Well, she used the silent treatment on me and I used the quiet-and-then-hold-hands-as-a-sign-of-apology-but-not-really-saying-I'm-sorry method because I still have my pride and the blame is not 100% on me. It worked and we had a nice dinner afterward.

Why am I sharing this? I'm procrastinating since I don't want to study yet.

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The sermon of the priest was interesting. He is a good speaker but I completely disagree with him. You don't need to go to heaven. You shouldn't even think about that. What you should think about is how to make this Earth we a have a paradise.

In addition, Your God said to think about others and not yourself yet the priests preach about how you should think about how you can get to heaven? Shouldn't you be thinking about ways to help people get to heaven instead? Praying doesn't count. The assumption is there is indeed a heaven.

Lightbending

OMG! I just saw the last five episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender. So wicked cool!
For those Avatar fans, you can download the LQ episode here. There is also a high quality download for those who have more patience and faster internet connections. Just go to avatarchapters.org.

Of course, I plan to watch it again when it does air here in the Philippines. The finals episodes do not disappoint! Really really!

What a great way to end a not so good day!

There's been a lot of hoolah-balooh with the recent revival of the Responsible Parenthood and Population Management Act of 2005(HB3773). The Church(you know what church) is calling all its minions to help stop the passing of the bill. They even printed a Manifesto that criticizes the bill. And they plan to withheld communion to the congressmen and women supporting the it. Take about Noli Me Tangere and Spanish Colonization.

I haven't read it(can anyone send me a copy?) but according to an article in Phil Star, it was full of lies and fallacious reasoning. What strikes me as the stupidest belief by the Church is that this bill will pave the way for the legalization of abortion. How they manage to connect the uplifting of reproductive rights of women and abortion is beyond me? Somehow using their sex-deprived egos, they formed this correlation. Just because it happened in other countries, doesn't mean it will happen here. Besides there are tons of countries where abortion is outlawed but there is widespread reproductive health education policies and programs.

Maybe they just hate it that women will learn that they don't have to get pregnant when they have sex. That sex could be used for fun and not just creation. Maybe they just want that all those "promiscuous" will get STIs and help make the HIV/AIDS an epidemic here in the country because, all together now, using condoms is a sin!

Haven't they heard that the recent uplifting of the ban on sex education in Manila was welcomed by not only the NGOs but also the families in Manila themselves? The Church say that they are all for the family but really what they want is for people not to have sex because priests can't have them. Sorry ad hominem but it's just so annoying.

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Something to think about:
Use of Condoms is a sin because it prevents the meeting of the egg and the sperm (Actually they still believe that the sperm contains the soul) yet, withdrawal is not. Spilling of seed, anyone?

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LOLZ: 

"Francisco also points out that the bill also prohibits persons "to act from conscience" because it threatens up to six months imprisonment for "any health care service provider who shall ... refuse to perform voluntary sterilisation and ligation" and for "any public official ... who shall prohibit or intentionally restrict" the provision of services outlined in the bill." Source

What? They are really getting desperate. Remember that ability of patients to leave the hospital even without the consent of physicians? Usually, the physicians's conscience says to sedate that individual and bind that person to the bed until he or she receives treatment. But no, the law says no. Nobody seems to protest against that.

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There are some questionable points in the bill but I think these will all be fixed during the House and Senate readings. Their lord knows how long before bills  become acts in this country.

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This is my 300th post. Wow!

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Assignment: Counter this article.

 This will be quick.

Oh my gulay! I love Opera!

Back to studying and that Sicko paper...

nothing to do with actual post...

I, along with my friends, went to CCP yesterday for the Cinemalaya film festival. We failed to get tickets for My Fake American Accent so we settled for Namets. It was a nice movie. My reaction is that this is how love story films should be, no forced kilig scenes and the plot should not be sacrificed because the audience needs to see the faces of the big stars all the time. The shorts interspersed in the main film is nice but weird. I commend the film for using the Negros language throughout, of course true to modern trends, with sprinklings of Filipino and English. The only weird part is that the conflict seem too long coming. Or maybe that's just me.

After the show, we smooched around for a bit and took pictures with some people. I didn't bring my camera with me but my classmate managed to smuggle hers inside. I was starstruck by Kidlat Tahimik and said silly things to him. Stupid. We failed to have a picture taken with him anyway.

My classmates went home so I had to see the next feature alone. It was my first time inside the CCP(yes, ordinary citizens of the Philippines feel scared of entering the CCP and other art centers) and was pleasantly surprised to see art galleries/corridors. Stupid me spent 30 mins in Jollibee reading for Clin Chem instead of ogling and appreciating the photos and paintings in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors of the complex so my field trip was cut short since the movie I was suppose to see next is about to start(I heard the CCP warning music while olging).

Brutus is the title of the movie I saw. It was screened in a relatively small room; more of a function room instead of a proper theater if you ask me. The screen was small and I had to tilt my body slightly sideways so my view wouldn't be blocked but I still enjoyed watching it. I think Namets is better but Brutus' plot has much more potential. The editing and directing of Brutus could still be improved. Lines were too spaced apart and the scene lasts longer than needed. And there were preachy lines like save the trees and stuff. Still, there were sequences of good quality.

I think my fellow audience members didn't get the foreshadowing thrown at the end scene because they were smiling and seemed happy for the end. Don't they realize that the paradise the two kids are experiencing are coming to an end again? That another cycle of logging and migration is facing the two protagonists?

Anyway, based on the two movies, indie films have come a long way. They now use better cameras, better effects and, most important, better sound equipment. I hope that gone are the days of endless white noise.

I had planned going again today to see the shorts but I'm tired and I have to tons of school work to do. Gotta get good grades to maitain my GWA! I just had my first test of the sem yesterday and I'm happy with my performance.

I did some stupid things today. And I procrastinate again. Learning stuff that won't help me graduate on time. Really... I should be studying for the double whammy next week.

After our lab session yesterday, I've realized I'm not really suited for a career as a laboratory medical technologist. I don't have the patience or the steady hands for doing the more manual tasks. Then again, I could just be beating myself up because I suck at making blood dilutions and smears for blood counts but I'm really good at microscopy and gaining more skill at venipuncture. Besides, I like analyzing stuff... I mean the act of doing tests on samples and analytes.

I'm not so sad as I do not picture myself working in an office or lab situation where you do tasks repetitively for months or years. Of course, this is for the Philippine med tech situation. I hear that tests in Hematology are very easy to do in the first-world countries where automated counters are cheaper. Anyway, there is a wider world for Public Health majors like me; areas where our skills could be of more use.

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Finally removed that annoying horizontal scroll bar! More like hid than removed anyway. Thanks to Google and this site.

Smokers can be so stupid. Especially, young smokers with plenty of money or at least appear to. And especially, those smokers in certain university in Quezon city. Use of twisted logic and laying all the blame on the Government, the Tobacco Companies and the Media. What? You didn't play a part in it? Who lit the first cigarette you ever smoked? Who first blew that swirling mass of white gas? Who went to the store yesterday and bought a stick or so of cigs?

You're complaints hit hard on us PH people as we feel it is our responsibility to protect you from this filthy filthy habit. And we are not idiots. At least not all of us. We know who are our enemies and who are the victims. Unfortunately, some of the victims are also our enemies(take you for example). We keep trying to make promotional programs, policies and laws but you young "rebels" seem to think you're above all of this. You say, "Oh! I know smoking is bad but I'm addicted. And it keeps me sane." and all that shit. And instead of actively dissuading people from picking up the habit, you keep a neutral uncaring stance. Well screw you! But then again, we'll still try to help you beat your addiction and all your complaining and bitch-fits won't stop us.

Smoking in a non-smoking area is wrong just like using the N-word is racist and wrong even though there is no black person within a 1km radius.

Holy sh*t!

The Fed or, as we(me and Federer's fiance Madie) like to call him, Feddy Bear lost to Nadal.

Ugh... ew... it hurts. I didn't saw the match. I need to sleep. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch reruns in Star sports.

History happened last night but it wasn't a good one for Feddy. Then again, this is good for the tennis drama.

I love dancing. Dance is a major part of my life and being. Part of the reason why I hate the end of semesters is because dance training is halted and will resume at the beginning of the next sem. But dance is not the only important thing in my life. My studies and fulfillment of my plans are more important than dancing.

Right now, dancing is draining most of my time and energy. Instead of relaxing or studying, I'm dancing. It's almost reaching the point where dancing is becoming like a chore. And it is only the beginning of the sem. And it seems our new adviser wants us to join a dance competition. Us, senior students, students who will be starting their thesis a month from now, students trying to maintain or pull up their GWA to get into med school. Crap. Then again I could just quit the org but I'll hate myself for doing that.

Rant rant rant. Go do your homework!

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I've been losing so many things this past week. It started with Simulaw, where I lost my dignity and self worth, but more importantly, I lost my green cap. Then, I lost my notebook for HPAd, EH and Spanish. It's a good thing that it is only the start of the sem but a lost notebook is still a lost notebook and for a meticulous taker of notes, that sucks. It really really sucks. But all hope is not lost, I might still find it, there are only two places in which I have to look anyway. Besides, unlike a cap, what possible value will they get from keeping MY notebook?

UPDATE:
I found my notebook! Yey! I'm happy now. Really happy. yeynes!