Well, I don't go after religion but if I ever do this might be the best reason I would be able to muster.

"I go after religion because it represents a particularly nasty form of tribalism, a set of beliefs that distinguish some human beings that are in any meaningful way indistinguishable on the basis of what superstition they hold....It (religion) erects artificial barriers between people and then attacks those on the other side of the barrier. As a form of tribalism, religion is frequently deadly and can't be broken of its vicious habits." Freethinker Sunday Sermonette, Revere

Besides, my immediate social circle are devout but benign enough. And I value friendship over my personal beliefs unless of course those friends are starting to trample on someone else's freedom.

I always thought I'd meet more non-religious people in med, I guess I'm wrong or I'm just not looking hard enough.

I've been grappling with flu-related tinnitus. It's such a pain. I blame it for the lurking headache I have all day.

It seems that I've infected two members of our household: my dad and my cousin. I pity my mom, she'll be playing nurse again next week.
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Oh nose! Here comes cardiac arrest again. Which is a cause but not really the cause of death. As our epid prof has told us, most of us will die of cardiac arrest whatever the real cause is.

So the aH1N1 pandemic is not likely it release its grasp on the Philippines with community transmission now ongoing even outside the greater manila areas (albeit, in pockets of areas). Ease of transmission combined with low case fatality makes for a long lasting epidemic. I subscribe to the deadlier the disease, the shorter the epidemic theory.

Anyway, DOH and all true health advocates should take this opportunity to finally get people to have better health practices. Handwashing and responsible coughing are really good habits to learn. Establishments should start to realize that soap dispensers should contain actual soap, not colored water. And finally, the DOH and BFAD could start their crack down on the food supplement business which has been manipulating people into believing their crap for so long now. I was happy to hear last night that the Sec Duque of DOH has finally released a stern and clear statement about food supplement companies claiming their products could cure aH1N1.

Hopefully, DOH realizes that the biggest mistake they had was being too lax on these companies. PITAHC which is a research arm of the DOH for alternative medicine should start doing its job of researching the validity of these claims. And the simplest thing they could do is to start using Filipino or Cebuano or whatever labels instead of the No Approved Therapeutic Claim one. I suggest, Hindi Napatunayang Nakakagamot but Hindi Nakakagamot is also fine and much shorter.

I'm so tired even though this week has been light compared to the usual load in PH with Std practice. I don't even dance much during trainings now. My lifestyle has turned sedentary. Maybe I should try running around campus or playing tennis more regularly. I'd have to find free time though because the only days left for me are Friday and Thursday afternoons. And I feel the lack of sleep already. damn...

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Cutting classes. Responsible cutting that is. If we're going to watch Sicko, I'll definitely ask our preceptor for a different activity or have that time for self-study.

Do it or not?

I've already done the necessary work so I could skip one activity.

Dammit!

Two days in CM.

First day was a full day topped off with stdc practice. So much for saying goodbye to extra-curriculars right?
I've been spending much time walking through Lara hall. I still haven't gotten over the fact that the CM is my new home now. And no new friends yet, maybe I shouldn't spend lunch alone. It is not helping that my seatmates do not initiate conversation. I sound like a whiny kid.

My body clock was disrupted by waking up at 5 am for the first day. I'm starting to appreciate power naps again. My naps during the 2 week vacation were longer and left me lethargic, not energized.

Second day was less academic. I tried doing the homework but the doctor wasn't in. Sucks. Good thing next Wednesday is Manila day so I have time to go to the BHC again. I talked in front of a large crowd. I hate it, my hands were shaking and everything. My voice was okay and so was my posture. Actually, everything was okay, I was even doing the sweep the room thing except for my visibly shaking hands.

I attended another organization meeting and volunteered myself to do more things. Yep, I'll always be going home late. Good luck studies right?

Add to the fact that all four BSPH magna cum laude graduates before us were able to get the US title during their first year in medicine. Crapola! I don't need that. My inner judge is sadistic enough without that fact.

We were in San Juan and a relative of our foster family had a trigonometry exam the next day. It was really bad because he doesn't only have a good grasp of basic algebra (crucial for trigo) but also has problems understanding the problems themselves. The problem set he was answering were naturally in English. He didn't even know what a ladder or a lighthouse is. Given that a beginner usually needs to draw a trigo problem before solving it, he was almost a hopeless case. I understood then why many people prefer to teach in science high schools or UP than in other places.

I finished watching Daria. All 5 seasons and the 2 movies.
I finished watching Iryu. Both seasons.

I feel so empty inside.
Now what am I going to do?

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The two things where I vent my creative frustrations have failed me. I feel so bored again. Photography has not be pleasing me and I feel to lazy to look for good things to shoot. Dancing is fun but I'm still not excited enough to create a new one minute dance routine. I do hope school would shake things up. I sorely need inspiration and motivation for creative pursuits.

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I've stopped working on two side projects because I need feedback for the first one and data for the other one. I'm afraid the efforts for the first would be in vain if it is not approved first and the second, well, I just hate having to go through debates with just ideology on hand.

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I finally realized what is wrong with those herbal quacks. Yes, quacks. They argue on the basis of ideology and never on the basis of practicality, much less truth. Imagine having to spend ten times the amount of conventional therapy in order to cure a disease and the only reason for spending that much money is not effectiveness rather because these products are all-natural, good for you or some other crap which makes my head hurt. Yesterday I heard a truly ignorant person saying that herbals are not chemicals. That they grow plants without chemicals. Right, water is not a chemical. So is oxygen and carbon dioxide. So is the urea which plants utilize. These people believe that there is that extra something in naturally made compounds that gives them an advantage over synthesized compounds despite both having the same structure, electron configuration, existing within the same universe.

DOH and BFAD should really put a stop to this. That same person also do not want his herbal supplements become medicines as this would then need the approval of doctors to be used. He says this even though he promotes this product as a CURE for diseases, yes not just one but all diseases. Uh huh. And it will also mean that you have to conduct clinical trials to prove their safety and then their efficacy. You really don't want that given that your product probably doesn't work and contains carageenan-coated compost.

Initially planned to do the homework this morning but didn't. Stupid me forgot tomorrow is a holiday and the health center will probably be closed. Stupid stupid. I still have Saturday, next Tuesday and the real date to do it though. Still, stupid stupid.

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Spent most of the day watching Iryu 2 on veoh.

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Haven't resumed working on the dance I need to make. Haven't done the outline of this essay. I'm so effing lazy.

There has been much uproar about the conass resolution. Another case of interpreting the law to meet their own needs. Remember books and raw materials used for publishing? Now it's X fraction of the senate and the house to approve an amendment.

Anyway, the Filipino web community is abuzz with all kinds of plans. Building up on the success of the book blockade campaign, advocates are once again using the social networking sites to build up steam on the issue. The current plan is to send letters to our own House representatives and tell them how we feel about ConAss. Theoretically it should work. Reps hear the community and they listen.

Problems:
How sure are we that these representatives are checking their e-mail accounts?
How sure are we that these reps even know how to use the internet much less access their e-mails?
Are these e-mail adresses real or the ones the reps frequently use?

I fear for this campaign because I'm not sure how net savvy the reps are. I think if they frequent the net more they'd have radically different stances on issues. And there'll be probably more libel cases.

And we don't have good political "backers" this time unlike the book blockade campaign where in we had UNESCO and whole government agencies such as the National Book Development Board.

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Unrelated. Dr Free-rides amazing post on the ethics of refusing vaccinations. click!

shet! bakit wala pang pasok! ano ba?

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next purchase:
canon eos elan II body or canon 28-105mm lens
2k vs 8.5k
film camera body vs greater reach

decisions decisions but first money source.

The UP heads have decided to move the start of classes thus returning UP its rightful place among universities. For the past four years, UP has always been the last to start classes. Bless the Great FSM!

Anyway, the move is not strategic and annoying. UP Diliman and Manila campuses have layouts and programs which tend to prevent the interaction of people between colleges. The way I see it, even if a hundred people get the AH1N1 flu in CAS, there would be no need to stop classes in the other colleges. People who visited CAS must voluntarily absent themselves but other than that classes should go on. If they are really serious, they would also ban students from using the PGH route from Faura to P.Gil as this would cause interaction between PGH and UP Manila students.

Then again, this means more time to rest and relax and prepare for the next semester. I need to start adjusting my body clock and train myself to waking up at 5 AM. And I still have a few side projects I need to finish and a few people to talk to.

I received my very first "Mukha kang pang high school student" yesterday. Nope, not a direct entrant Imed. Nope, not a high school student. Yep, I'm 20. Yep, I have a bachelor's degree already.

I just thanked that person for thinking that I still look so young. It's a gift, I guess...

And apparently our first day would be on Monday. This sucks. I have to wake up early and commute during rush hour. Hate hate. Rant rant.

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I saw one or two organizations I might join in UPCM. I guess I have to start fixing my schedule and bracing myself for less hours of sleep. And since my brother is now in college, it'd be harder to go to school very early and study there. Good luck grades.

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Grades... the bane of my existence. I figured if I ever want to have a good shot at obtaining a scholarship for a graduate school, I still have to make sure that my record is consistent with my undergraduate record. I'm not dreaming of matching it since there are no more chemistry subjects that can provide easier (for me anyway) line of 1s but I can always try to be in the upper 10% of our class. I'm not confident I'd be able to get a latin honor this time but I do want it.

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There are only 13 scholarships available for our batch this year. Is it wrong for me to apply for scholarship? My family's income is in between the 3rd and 4th quintile. My parents are very much willing to fund my med school education but I want to gain a bit more financial independence. Work would not be strategic given the academic load of a med student in the Philippines. In terms of grades and attitude, I think I'm deserving of a scholarship. I know there are many financially needy students in the Philippines but I'm not sure about there existence in UPCM. I should be more appreciative of the fact that the entire nation already funded my education for the past 8 years and will do so for the next 5. And they could always not give me one but if there's available funding why not give it to me right? That money will just go nowhere and therefore, to waste.

If I don't get one this year, I could always apply for the Pinoy MD and the UP Presidential scholarship next year. Though they positively discriminate (poor>rich), they do not outright reject more financially capable applicants. This will be more competetive as there are only 8 slots and the student population is around 800.