pics from the once on this island production(we barely managed to not look like HS students performing a play):

Peasants: He has what he deserves!

Mama Euralia: O how angry the Gods will be!

Papa Ge: His life is forever mine!

the frogs: pum-pum-pum... purum-pum-pum...

Papa Ge: Kill him Ti Moune. Kill the love you feel.

*bow*

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I saw my some of old posts. Big changes: Now I'm a real heathen. A heathen with a camera.

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I had planned to attend dance class this afternoon but my mother won't let me. And I just realized that this is might be the last free Saturday I am going to have. Next week, I'll be joining this tree planting activity. Next Saturday is grad pic day. After that, I'd probably be busy again doing school work like the THESIS. And I just remembered that I need to write the description of myself. I hate these kinds of things but I am now more self-aware than when I was in high school. This should be easier.

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SS update: We tried computing for the appropriate sample size and it always result in a number just outside of our capabilities. We really want to do a study that could be used to generalize the situation in NCR but the time allotted for the data collection is just too short.

I've been doing a bunch of stuff for our special studies(aka the thesis) and I realized how low the quality of research is in the Philippines. I guess there are good papers but you have to sift through tons of papers before you find them(if you have the access to the papers or the database at least). Even the papers written by members of UP Manila and PGH are no exception. Some are so bad that even us, undergraduates, find holes in their arguments. The worst papers, I find, are those touting the beneficial effects by these alternative modalities of treatment(eg acupuncture).

You really want to go to those authors and tell them,
"If you cannot do a study properly(insufficient sample size, insensitive and non-specific tests, etc), then don't do it! You are just wasting time and resources."

Examples:
1. change in itchiness index as measure of efficacy of virgin coconut oil against dandruff(a hospital in Makati)
-> Can't you just culture some fungi? You can't? Then do something else. Their Lord knows I have dandruff since high school and I only experience itchiness at certain times and not all the time. Meaning, itchiness is not a good measure of efficacy of something. Washing my hair takes away the itch but it doesn't take away the dandruff. Hello?

2. acupuncture effective in aiding smokers to quit BUT the treatment group contains a disproportionate number of females compared to the control. And there is that placebo effect.(PGH no less)
-> This study sucks. In its defense, the paper is written in a way that you'd have to read the whole paper before you notice something is off(no blinding and unsuccessful random allocation). I wonder why the editor didn't notice such a glaring error.

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Yes, I will work hard in order to make sure that our thesis have no huge holes. I will try very hard to make something good enough that it could be published and important enough that CPH and DOH can make use of it.

Finally the PHAC production is over. Now we can return to our "normal" lives.

And yes, the backdrop rocks.
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UP Pep Squad won the cheerdance competition. I saw the routine. Very unique but I saw a bunch of mistakes.

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Tiya Dely(Fidela Magpayo) died last week. In case you don't know her, she is this very big radio host. She was a radio host till the very end. I last listened to her when she was 77 and I was 10.

For the younger crowd, she is so big even the leader of the communist party of the Philippines says he will miss Tiya Dely.

Actually, I thought she was already dead when I started high school. I even thought a voice talent was hosting her show when I caught it right around the time I started college(It wasn't really impossible, during her peak localized[ie in the native language like Bicolano or Bisaya] versions of her show was broadcast in different provinces using voice talents.)

Another famous cultural icon just died recently(last month), Lucrecia Kasilag. She is one of the pioneers of the Bayanihan Dance Company.

chucks
wonder what the owner and her seatmate are doing...

Wednesday is like the eye of the storm. You know you need to face two horrendous days before Saturday arrives but you get to breathe first. Just don't rest too long and forget to recheck the bearings and ropes.

Finished reading Hunters of Dune. So much for studying for my test tomorrow. It's okay I guess. Not as philosophical as the other Dune novels(or maybe I should call them the real Dune novels). What I like is how fast the narrative is as compared to the other novels and how you have at least an inkling of what is happening and what is going to happen. Then again, I am using God Emperor of Dune as the reference novel. To the uninitiated, God Emperor, is the fourth novel of the series. It is the is most philosophical and has the slowest plot among the lot. I guess Frank Herbert really wanted to create a philosophy book but ended up writing fiction.

What I don't like is that the "chapter titles"(or the quotes from various characters and books of the Dune universe) tell too much about the chapter. The past novels are really great in making you think about what the relationship of the quote and the chapter is. I guess I just missed that pleasurable aspect of the Dune novels. And the book reads too easily. I expect that the Dune novels be trials in themselves. I recall frequently going to skim mode while reading God Emperor and Dune Messiah and then rereading a passage because I ended up not knowing what is happening.

Anyway, I look forward to reading the last book, Sandworms of Dune. I hear it sucks but I'm already a fanatic so whether it be good or bad, I am going to read it.

I know I have a very low(zero I think)number of readers but hopefully this'll help.

We need concerned citizens of the Philippines to sign the petition:
"Declaration of Support for the Immediate Passage of the Reproductive Health Bill into Law"

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/rhan2008/

Let our voices be heard amidst the din the irrational (religious) Right is making.

I watched the Reproductive Health Bill special of the ANC Debate show, Square Off. Instead of inviting student debate teams, they invited congressmen, professors and government officials to debate the issue. Of course, it smells of trouble. Clearly, they shouldn't have used their usual format for this special as most people do not know how debate works. The clear example is the slow speed of speech the speakers use while giving their arguments.The emcee even commented how refreshing to hear their speeches at such slow speeds.

As I'm pro-reproductive health bill, my opinions may be biased but I think I am open enough to discussion and will readily change my views if proven wrong. Though, the evidence and arguments should be of great magnitude to convince me that the RH bill shouldn't be approved.

I find that the negative group gave useless arguments overall. There were glimmers of brilliance and points that if properly framed and argued would have helped their side win but they wasted the chance. Besides, they used such stupid arguments(Natural law? Pope John Paul II? We shouldn't help the poor?) that the affirmative side was even able to rebutt them without even giving contrary evidence.

They also used dirty tactics. Ad hominem attacks are a favorite. Citing debunked studies. Citing studies which are so old that they preceded the Philippine Independence from Spain. Cherry picking data. Putting words into the mouths of the affirmative side. Fallacious arguments like ad populum and appeal to emotion. Lying. Twisting the truth(No Cong., they would not spend 5000 pesos to have a ligation if they already have 5 children to worry about. And no, not all LGUs allow their constituents access to cheap or free contraception). What the F?

Of course,their arguments could probably sway some of the people HAD the affirmative not countered them completely. I also fell for the decreasing fertility rate canard when I first encountered it that I had to rethink my beliefs and arguments again. The answer of course is that, firstly, the fertility rate is just an average and not representative of the whole population. I think the distribution is very skewed. In addition, the fertility rate is still not equal to the desired fertility rate of women, which I think, is the most important thing to consider in reproductive health.

The affirmative side also had some problems. During cross-examinations, they also use ad hominem attacks though to a lesser degree. And they failed to answer some arguments properly. And they speak so slowly.

What I like about the debate is that it didn't end up going into the messy icky discussion about abortion, contraception and Life. Even though, the negative group was really trying to draw the affirmative into that area. The affirmative succeeded in highlighting the repercussions of the bill on the situation of the poor while the negative succeeded in showing that they really don't care for the poor and that they really hate it when people enjoy having sex.

What I wanted to hear but didn't was clarification on why the negative oppose the bill when it doesn't violate the rights. And how NOT passing the bill will help the poor.  I also wanted to hear the arguments of the affirmative about (what I think is one of the biggest issues regarding passing the bill) the protecting the unborn found in our Constitution.

A more comprehensive and clearer recap might follow this post.

the public health student lounge
yes, it's rudimentary but we have wi-fi

I feel that I've hit another plateau in my dancing. It seems that my memory is failing me and my body is not doing steps properly. I hope this slump doesn't last any longer. I really love dancing but I have little time left. I am attending med school next year and I am not sure if I can continue with it. Not to mention the cost of all those master's classes. *Sigh*

We also received most of the results of the first wave. I really sucked at two subjects. I've decided that I'll take the finals of one of my subjects in order to pull my grades up. I do not want to lose my current standing. Three years of hardwork should not be wasted.

It begins. We finally learned who will be our groupmates for the PH 197/199 Special Studies course aka the THESIS. I feel no hard feelings about my groupmates. I don't hate anybody and I am not super close to anybody. I don't know if this is good or bad. The only thing I'm worried about it what our research topic and problem will be. And I ended up in health promotion and education not in any of the "hard sciences." Is this a foreboding regarding my future career?

self-portrait, B&W practice
not that noticeable but the bridge of my nose
got focused instead of my eyes...

I'm bored again. And I have stiff neck. And I have test tomorrow. The test is scheduled in the afternoon and I don't have a morning class so I have plenty of time. I want to download this anime torrent but my PC has this set-up where it deletes all the things I save in the C:/ folder whether it be a program or a simple txt file every time I shut down. So, I have to remove that first, restart my computer, install Bittorrent, download the torrent, restart my PC, return the settings and finally, restart my PC. Really, too much work for a Sunday afternoon. Maybe, next week when I have a long weekend.

As I was making this post, Patti Smith was playing. I'm no hardcore rock fan; I am still not sure whether I've heard Bohemian Rhapsody and if I did, I'm not sure that I liked it but Patti Smith is nice...no wait... cool. I should download more of her songs but my D:/ drive(the one without the setting I mentioned) is almost full so I have to transfer some of my files to the very empty C:/ drive which entails that whole sequence in the previous paragraph minus the Bittorrent part. Now Hikaru Utada is playing; I don't understand Nihonggo but I like how she conveys emotions in her songs and the anime fanboy in me really likes Jap songs.

peace

Life is returning to normal. Batch conflicts and issues are resolved though the scars of conflict still remain. People are starting to realize that despite the sparks and outbursts, we still and need to care for each other. My life remains conflict-free. I have long ago let go of the bias I felt for certain people though there a some out there I wouldn't want to work with.

Special studies or thesis groupings will be released next week. I can't wait to start our research. I want to experience high loads of stress again. And then there is that group dynamics thing to worry about.

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A demonstration was held near our college building last month.(No photos, I didn't have my cam that day.) I saw an old HS classmate and asked her about stuff and what was the purpose of the rally. Surprisingly, it was not only in UP Manila do organizations feel the "repression." It was actually quite worse in the other campuses. UPLB still doesn't have its own University Student Council. Also many organizations are not being acknowledged due to illogical reasons like Fraternities are discriminating against females so they shouldn't exist or religious gatherings are wrong because UP is non-sectarian. FTW?! UPD organizations are being asked to pay exorbitant fees in order to use rooms and facilities. They also have to experience very strict and time-consuming procedures in order to get accredited or have activities approved.

What happened to UP trying to produce human, humane and humanistic graduates? I don't know. On the other hand, students really are trying the admins patience by charging their laptops, psps and whatnots in university facilities. Tambayans are turning into student lounges instead of being used as areas for productive work.

Still, I agree that UP charges too much for students to use facilities(the room rental for one hour is almost equivalent or greater than our electricity bill). If my org was asked to pay for the room we use for practice, we'd have disbanded a long time ago or would be practicing in the Paz Mendoza parking lot.

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I finally learned what to call the Abu Sayyaf scarf that's becoming a fashion trend: keffiyeh or shemagh. A friend thought it was called a pashmina. Hah! Hiphop be's and wannabe's wearing a pashmina. Lolz. Anyway, I think this trend is harmless but people really look stupid when they go to malls wearing this, a sando, shorts and slippers. We get it you want to keep warm with your oh-so-fashionable shemagh but you could have achieved the same effect by wearing a really nice scarf or jacket and real clothes not underwear.

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!

Natapos na rin sa wakas ang linggong ito. Tapos na ang Simulaw '08 at kailangan ko na simulan ang pag-re-repress sa mga nangyari. Hindi na uli ako mag-e-emcee sa isang non-formal event, ever! Promise!

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Masaya pala magpaka-photojournalist pa minsan-minsan. Hehehe. Kaya lang kulang pa rin ako sa skills. Kinakailangan ko pa kumuha ng sandamakmak na litrato para lang sigurado na may isang matino. Idagdag mo pa na hindi naman ganun kaganda pa ang aking lens at built-in flash lang ang magagamit ko. Kailan at paano kaya ako makakaipon ng 15k para makabili ng bagong lens o ng flash unit?

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Nakakaasar na emcee ako ng simulaw. Bukod sa wala akong kwentang emcee, ang ganda ng liwanag nang gabing iyon. Ang daming oportunidad para makakuha ng maganda litrato. Tsk.

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May multiply na pala ako. Masasabi ko na mas maganda pa rin si photobucket. Mas mabilis at mas madali mag-upload, mas madali mag-organize at mas mabilis at mas madali mag-download.

I am still busy with non-academic school work.(read: Does NOT affect my GWA). I love stress especially when I can dump all my stress to the one who is really in charge. Hehehe... We have huge organizational problems in the upcoming project of our batch and college orgs. People doing and leading too much stuff, people disappearing without notice, people snapping other people's heads off, people not helping. And then there is that list of forgotten but equally important tasks and commitments. I play the very annoying role of unearthing those things and dumping them on the project leaders. Yay me! But this wouldn't really happen if all those leaders sit down and have a focused meeting to relegate tasks to us willing but confused members.

Surprise! NO pictures. Haven't had the time to upload the new pics in my photobucket.

sing it like the part in It Sucks to Be Me where they sing, "We live in Avenue Q."

I just saw Avenue Q
You should too.
Bring you friends along.
You should watch Avenue Q.
You should watch Avenue Q.

Hopefully, you become lucky and manage to get seats.

I am going to watch Avenue Q on Sunday. I was lucky that there was still one seat available in the balcony area since those are the only seats I could afford. My only problem is that I don't know how to commute to RCBC plaza. Well, I have found directions but Makati is still unchartered territory for me that directions may help but I will still probably get lost. I think I'll just sit near the driver and ask him to drop me off at the RCBC plaza.

I finally got to bring our new camera to school. I'm still horrible at taking indoor pictures and moving subjects though I'll probably get clearer pictures if I stop being stubborn and start using flash. More pictures are found here. Yes, this is starting to turn into a photoblog.

School starts tomorrow. Why not today? Because pGMA decided that today is Independence Day! Uh... yay? Anyway, I'm excited for my last year but it sucks that I have a class, a laboratory class, that will start on 7 am. And I have three subjects tomorrow. Yeah, a year of 2 subject days has made me lazy.

Two consecutive posts with pics, is this becoming a photoblog?

It's so hot in my room. I am so tempted to open my air conditioner but I must resist, climate change is upon us. I haven't seen any rain the past days. So much for the rainy season, huh? At least the sky is beautiful. So beautiful that it sucks when you realize school is starting next week and you'll probably end up with skin neoplasia(or, at least, just a bit darker) if you stay outside all day looking up into the sky. Oh, I took that picture in my parents room not in mine; still hot though.

I finished registering for the 1st semester. I was so thrilled that I would finally be able to answer the question: "Graduating this 1st sem, 2nd sem or summer?" I'm so excited to be finally getting my bachelor's degree after this academic year. This is assuming that I will not become ill and have to take a leave of absence or, worse, fail a subject.

My early graduation gift from my godfather finally came: a new camera. I've been playing with it the past days. I find that half of the good shots were unintentional. I must practice.

I made a diptych.

The faded shot was unintentional.

I saw a glimpse of the report on the Glutathione content of certain whitening supplements(that sounds so wrong). This report raised many eyebrows and hurt not just one business. One of the hurt ones is going to file libel cases against the news reporter. This doesn't seem right. They should be filing complaints against the one who analyzed the supplements(the Philippines Institute of Pure and Applied Chemistry). The reporter didn't reveal the results because of malicious intent but because of her duties as a journalist.

According to a reply by a hurt company(the one in PhilStar), the PIPAC used titration to analyze the glutathione content. This wrong choice led to the allegedly biased results. Too bad I do not know the analytical method used by PIPAC so I'm not sure if it is really true. But from what I know, any method should suffice though it would be best if they used chomatography to avoid problems with contaminants and confounders. Still, titration should be fine. I think even the simple Kheldjal method could be used since theoretically the only Nitrogen containing substances in the supplements should be the glutathione. The company should also know that PIPAC do have the equipment needed for the tests they want to be performed on their products.

The ad also insulted titration by implying that since titration is a cheaper method, it is unreliable. I take great offense at this. I love titration. It is true that students and those with small chemistry sets could easily perform titration, unlike certain chromatography methods which require more special equipment. However, this that not mean that chromatography is always better than titration. Titration is indeed a very cheap method but that doesn't mean it is unreliable. Heck, in TB diagnosis a sputum exam which is cheaper than an x-ray is much more reliable. And in the hands of skilled lab tech, titration is very accurate and very precise with results comparable to that of chromatography(assuming a chemical reaction exist that could be used in titration).

Still, this would not probably help resolve the issue but I trust PIPAC. They wouldn't be swayed by money. The reputation of an analytical laboratory is priceless.

Update:
I finally saw the report on youtube(We love youtube!). I also saw the reaction of a user of Lucida. The defender said that the PIPAC made a mistake in the analysis because PIPAC methods couldn't detect the chemical lipoic acid. She suggests that another analysis be made this time by the Adamason Univ. Technology Research and Development Center. These statements though are irrelevant as the report and PIPAC only wanted to determine glutathione content of the products. Lipoic acid is not the same as glutathione. Lipoic acid was not even in the list of products PIPAC want to quantify. The statements only become relevant if lipoic acid serves as a confounding agent in the method used to quantify glutathione. Thus even if PIPAC couldn't detect LA and even if the users say that Lucida products work, the distributors of Lucida-ds would still be at fault for the false information found in their products' labels.

Links:
ABS-CBN report - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUHVCa1T4ME
Lucida defense - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_ard1mUF_g&feature=related

"If DOH and Congress had evidence linking health expenditures and outputs, then we would be well-positioned to advocate for increased funding for health. We would also be able to re-allocate funds in the health sector to support priority services such as maternal mortality reduction." Sen. Edgardo Angara, 2008 National Conference on Health.

My initial reaction:

Oh! You want evidence. You want studies.

That's BS! Why not try allocating at least the WHO recommended budget first before asking for cost-efficiency studies and evidence? But if you want evidence, here it is. Right now, PGH is running with only one functional X-ray machine. Why is this so? Because the hospital do not have enough funds to maintain the air conditioning system that keeps the x-ray machines from overheating and breaking down. ER and OPD patients have to have their x-rays taken from private clinics which slightly defeats the purpose of them going to PGH in the first place. According to my friend, they have to ask ER patients to go to another hospital because of this problem. A problem which could be solved if PGH had funds.

Why would you ask for evidence on expenditure(ie funding) and output(healthy people) when you know for yourself that the health sector is severely underfunded! How could you?! And you seemed to be one of the smarter people. I wonder if you still got applause after saying this sh*t.

My calmed down reaction:
Maybe he is taking about efficiency and stuff. But I still think that Congress should allocate the appropriate funding first before asking too many questions regarding efficiency. They have yet to see the state of a properly funded government hospital. And aren't the Brain Drain and health professional Exodus enough to show that the health sector is underfunded? When even the martyrs are complaining, they should know that there is a problem.

I love this blog!

This is such a lifesaver. Self-meditation, psychoanalysis and composition practice all rolled up into one thing.

After putting thoughts into a blog post(published or unpublished), I feel a release. It's like a load is taken of my chest. And in the making of the post, I manage to explore the issue I'm thinking about and achieve new insights regarding it. Of course the same could be said for diaries, journals and logs(travelogue, etc) but I find physically writing down stuff too slow to keep up with my thoughts. Especially if I'm emotionally involved in what I am writing about. Besides, Shrinks are not too common here and they would probably cost a lot.

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I saw the Pyro-olympics last night. Wow! Different Colors falling down from the sky, forming different shapes, some seeming to drop toward you sealing your death and then disappearing into the night's darkness, such wonderful sights(hmmm... sounds like poetry). You do not want to take your eyes of the sky not because you don't want to miss something. You don't want to because you can not. And the other good thing was I didn't have to pay for the f*ckin' Php150 ticket(greedy bastards!).

Summer is really over. We just had the first big rain of the season. I was on my way home when light rain started. Luckily for me, I managed to get into a jeepney by the time the rain started really pouring. The passengers who came after me were all soaking wet. Lucky lucky boy.

In other news, I noticed that the one of the lens of my glasses had scratches. Yes, the glasses which I saved up for are now damaged. I could still use them since the scratches are not noticeable when I'm wearing my glasses but it still sucks that my lovely pair are now damaged.

I'm trying to catch up on vacation time. I'll try to catch as many films as I can before June. I finally watched History Boys. I'm trying to finish Starter for 10 and this German movie. I wonder what I'll watch next? And I won't be watching Iron Man, The Dark Knight, Indiana Jones, Speed Racer and all those movies brimming with special effects and seemingly lacking in the stories department(sorry fans and fanatics of the mentioned movies).

I just had my wisdom tooth extracted; the one in the lower left to be exact. I feel a numbness in the operated area. The procedure was bloody, short and a bit painful. I was very lucky to be one of those individuals who manage to still feel pain after application of anesthesia. I really shouldn't complain because with the excess anesthesia came a longer time of numbness that blocked the pain I should feel after an operation. Nevertheless, it was painful. I actually shed two tear drops during the procedure. Yes, I'm a wuss.

My tooth didn't want to come out in a single piece so my dentist had to separate it into three pieces. Contrary to the belief of some, the chance of the tooth to come out in one whole piece is not directly related to the skill of the dentist. It is more related to how the tooth grew into its current position and how firm is it planted into the bone.

In case anybody is wondering, I had my operation in the PGH-OPD Dentistry department. The procedure(odondectomy) costs around Php6000/tooth for normal patients and Php3000/tooth for UP students and employees plus the cost of equipment and medicines. Mine cost lower the Php3000 due to the kindness of my dentist. So, what should I give my dentist as a sign of gratitude?

On I lighter note, now I know why the shit is happening in the Asian region.

God hates Asia!

Holy Crap!

900 kids!

Then there's that mess in Myanmar.

East and South East Asia is really getting all the shitty stuff Nature likes to throw at humans.

My boil burst! I know it's gross. It was bloody and you could see the pus ball(aka the head). The aftermath was bloodier. I was dripping blood all over the floor. Hah! I'll stop now. Let's go eat!

Happy Mother's Day to the moms of the universe(at least those moms who do not abuse their own children)

F*ck! My life became more interesting all right. I got a boil in the butt area; right near the margin of the butt and the thigh. I have a hard time finding the most a comfortable sitting position. What sucked more is that I had to go to school(not due to academics) and that entailed commuting and SITTING in jeepneys. It is really painful. I'm afraid of the Filipino method of treating it which involves very hot and hopefully sterile glass bottles and gumamela buds but to be released from the pain I just might undergo it. Then again some boils drain spontaneously. Hopefully, mine is just like those.

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Those new posters in the LRT stations of pGMA are so funny. Economic and social stability, my painful ass! And the composition of the pieces is so laughable. pGMA walking with wind blowing through her jacket(or is it a bolero?) and the serious face like whatever pose she makes will make the statement in her poster true, much less, believable.

My vacation is killing me. It is so boring!

Bleaaaah!

The boredom is so strong, it has already lead to lack of inspiration and the number of drafts in this blog is increasing. Aarrgh! Must fight the boredom...

Review: Nagka-clinical trial sa isang baranggay na lubhang apektado ng Schisto. Sinubukan ng grupo kung epektibo ba ang redjuice(isang "food supplement") laban dito. Imbes na tignan nila kung titigil ba talaga ang paglabas ng mga itlog kasama ang tae ng apektado ay sinukat na lang nila ang tiyan ng mga kalahok sa pag-aaral. Lumiit raw ang mga ito(isang tao ang 3 buwan na uminom at nawalan raw ng Schisto). Naniniwala sila na napatunayan nilang epektibo ang redjuice dahil sa nakitang pagliit ng mga tiyan. Asa pa sila. Ang natanggap ko lang sa e-mail ay ad ng kanilang produkto; mukhang machine ang nag-reply sa akin. Siguro kailangan ko tumawag sa hotline nila para makakuha ng matinong sagot.

Ayan tapos na ang review. Hindi ba't napansin nila na lumiit ang mga tiyan ng mga sumali(Hindi pa rin natin alam kung lumiit ba talaga pero isipin na lang natin na lumiit nga.). Ayon sa mga eksperto nila, ang dahilan raw ng pagliit ay dahil nalinis na ang colon ng mga tao. Sige, nalinis ang colon, ano naman ang relasyon nito sa Schisto? Sa kasamaang palad, hindi ito nabanggit sa segment kaya ako na lang ang sasagot. Wala masyado.

Ang mga bulate(o adult forms) na nagdudulot ng Schisto ay sa blood vessels ng atay(liver) at bituka(intestines) o sa mas medikal na paraan sa portal at mesenteric venules nangingitlog. Ang mga itlog naman ay dumadaan sa atay tapos sa bile duct tapos sa intestines. Ngayon, ano naman ang magagawa ng cleansing of the colon? Uh... tulungan lalong maglabas ng itlog ang mga taong apektado ng schisto? At iyon nga ata ang naobserbahan nila(hindi ko sigurado magulo ang segment). Mabuti ba ito? Hindi masyado. Siguro makakatulong para hindi magkaroon ng inflammatory reaction sa atay kung umaabot man doon ang epekto. Ang nakikita ko pa nga ay mas tumutulong pa ang redjuice na ikalat ang sakit dahil mas maraming itlog ang nailalabas agad. Sa pagkakaalam ko hindi naman sila nagbanggit ng anti-helminthic effect ng redjuice. Wala silang ginawang in vitro studies o in vivo studies sa hayop. Ayos lang naman siguro kasi food supplement lang naman siya pero tignan natin mamaya kung etikal ba ito.

Ngayon, alam na natin kung bakit mali ang paliwanag nila sa epekto ng kanilang produkto pero hindi pa rin natin naipaliwanag kung bakit lumiit ang mga tiyan ng mga kalahok. Ang unang maiisip mo ay dahil wala silang control group. Maaaring nagkaroon ng mga pangyayari sa baranggay na nagdulot ng pagliit ng kanilang mga tiyan. Pero posible pa rin naman na lumiit nga ang tiyan nila dahil sa redjuice. Posibleng may anti-helminthic effect nga ang redjuice pero sa tingin ko wala at wala rin silang konkretong ebidensya para suportahan ito.

Sa tingin ko, ang pagpayat nila ay dahil nga sa "cleansing" na ginawa sa mga colon ng mga taong ito. Maaaring ang mga taba, tubig at ibang bagay na naiipon sa kanilang bituka dahil sa mabagal na usad ng dumi ang nawala kaya lumiit ang kanilang tiyan. Siguro ang redjuice ay tulad ng ibang pampapayat na inumin; ang dapat nilang sinabi ay nakakatulong ang redjuice para pumayat ang isang tao at hindi gumaling mula sa Schisto. Pero syempre, ad nga ito kaya kailangan may "experiment" part.

Ethics:
Maraming bagay na mali sa pag-aaral na ito. Una ay sa sample population. Sinabi sa website na hindi dapat uminom ang mga batang may na mababa sa labing-dalawa(12) ang edad at ang mga buntis. Nakita ko sa segment na may mga pinaiinom silang bata na mukhang hindi pa sampung taong gulang. Mukhang hindi rin sila nagsagawa ng pregnancy test sa mga babae.

Pangalawa, kawalan ng pangunahing ebidensya ng pagiging epektibo ng redjuice laban sa mga bulate ng Schisto. Hindi sila nagsagawa ng in vitro studies gamit ang mga itlog, cercaria o adult na bulate. Hindi rin sila gumawa ng in vivo studies gamit ang mga animal models. Hindi naman kailangan na kailangan ang mga ito pero tao ang pinaguusapan kaya maraming bagay muna ang pagdaanan bago sila magpainom ng kung anu-ano sa may sakit. Kung may namatay bigla, pananagutan ba nila?

Pangatlo at pinakaimportante, nakakalimutan nila na may gamot na sa Praziquantel kaya dapat matapos ang trial ay pinainom nila ang mga kalahok nito, gumaling man o hindi. Batas na nga ito sa mga drug trials eh(tutal sabi nga nila hindi gamot/drug ang redjuice kundi isang maaaring lunas...BS) Kung magiging istrikto nga tayo, may dalawang grupo dapat: isa na paiinumin ng praziquantel lang at isang paiinumin ng praziquantel at ng redjuice. Kung may pagkakaiba sa dalawang grupo tsaka lang sila maaaring gumawa ng experimento na ang tanging grupo ay iinom ng redjuice at ang isa ay iinom lamang ng placebo.

Ngunit, matapos ang lahat hindi ko pa rin lubos na masasabing walang kwenta ang redjuice laban sa Schisto. Kulang ako sa ebidensya para maliin sila pero tandaan na kulang rin ang kanilang ebidensya para sabihing tama sila. Ang magandang gawin ay magsagawa ng maayos na clinical trial. Isang double-blind trial na may set-up na nabanggit ko sa itaas. Ang pera syempre ay dapat manggaling sa mga gumagawa ng redjuice at hindi na sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno tulad ng DOH, NIH at DOST.

Ang masasabi ko lang, ang proposed nila na treatment plan sa mga taong may hepatomegaly dahil sa Schisto ay 3 buwan na pag-inom ng redjuice. Ang 2L ng redjuice ay 1800 pesos. Kailangan ng isang tao ng 90 na baso ng redjuice. Ito ay mga 13.3L o 11970 pesos. Magkano ba ang praziquantel treatment? Ang isang taong may hepatomegaly ay mangangailangan ng isang dose ng gamot depende sa timbang. Ito ay maaaring may presyong 20-80 pesos.* Ngayon, kahit epektibo ang redjuice, ano ba ang pipiliin mo?

*-estimated prices mula sa websearch. titignan ko pa kung tama talaga

Kaya naman pala na-feature sa Bandila ang Schistosomiasis ay dahil mayroon na namang segment na Advertisement talaga ang ABS-CBN para sa isang produkto ng sponsor nila. Isa ito siguro sa mga nakakadiring bagay na ginagawa ng ABS-CBN(at ng ibang istasyon rin). Ang produkto ay redjuice at ang palabas ay ang Rated K. Kadalasan kapag naramdaman ko na isang Ad ng isang herbal product ang susunod na segment ay nililipat ko agad pero naakit ako sa ipinapangako ng produkto. Sabi nila na kaya nito lunasan ang Schistosomiasis. Iniisip ko, malamang ka-gaguhan lang ito pero baka nga totoo. Tsaka, malay ko ba kung ito na nga ang kapalit ng Praziquantel(ang pinaka-epektibong gamot para sa Schisto).

Pinalabas na nila ang segment. Syempre, mga pambungad muna na kaalaman tungkol sa Schisto at sa komunidad na apektado nito. Binanggit rin nila kung paano ito nakukuha at kung paano talaga ginagamot. May mga larawan rin pero cercarial stages lang. Wala mang adult stages. Tsk. Ang ikinagulat ko ay sinabi ng rural doctor na nagkukulang ng Praziquantel sa Pilipinas. Ano ba talaga ginagawa ng DOH at walang gamot ang mga taong ito?! Nilustay lang ba nila talaga ang perang ipinautang sa Pilipinas para i-eradicate ang sakit na ito? Naliligaw na ako. Balik sa kwento. Dahil kulang ang gamot, naisipan ng ilang "concerned private citizens" na pumunta sa apektadong lugar at magsagawa ng "clinical trial." Kung titignan mo talaga, hindi naman siya matatawag na matinong trial. Kung ethics pa lang ang pag-uusapan, bagsak na sila(next post siguro). Sabog rin ang Experimental design. Pero sige, pagbigyan uli. Baka nga lunas talaga ito sa Schisto.

Medyo Science mode muna.
Hypothesis: Kapag uminom ka ng redjuice, gagaling ka sa Schisto.
Sample: Lahat ng may Schisto na malaki-laki na ang tiyan.(Symptom ng late stages ng schisto ay ang paglaki ng tiyan dahil sa hepato(spleno)megaly)

Experiment:
1. Susukatin ang tiyan ng kalahok.
2. Iinom ng isang baso ng redjuice ang kalahok.
3. Pagkatapos ng isang linggo, susukatin muli ang tiyan ng kalahok.

Other steps(hindi ko sigurado kung ginawa o kailan ginawa dahil magulo ang segment):
- Mag stool analysis bago uminom. Mukhang Kato thick ang ginawa pero sa ibang anggulo pwede rin siyang Direct Fecal smear.(Mas maraming tae sa Kato thick kaya mas sensitibo/mas maganda ito gamitin kumpara sa Direct Fecal smear)
- Painumin ang kalahok ng redjuice ng pitong araw, isang beses bawat araw .
- Mag stool analysis matapos ang "treatment."
- Mamili ng ilang tao(o isa lang?) na paiinumin ng redjuice araw-araw ng tatlong buwan

Results:
-Mukhang lumiit ang mga tiyan ng karamihan(kung hindi lahat) ng kalahok. Walang data talaga na pinakita. Hindi rin naglabas ng stat analysis. Malamang kasi isa lang naman itong hamak na TV segment/ad. (In-e-mail ko na iyong group na gumagawa ng redjuice, sana mabigyan nila ako ng copy ng report)
-Ang mga taong uminom ng redjuice ng 3 tatlong buwan ay lumiit ng todo ang tiyan. Kita na nga abs niya eh(isa lang ang pinakita kasi).
-"Naglabasan ang mga itlog." Hindi ako sigurado kung bakit ito maganda. Naguguluhan ata iyong doctor, mamaya natin ito tignan.

Conclusion:
Dahil lumiit ang tiyan nila matapos ang isang beses na inuman o isang linggong pag-inom(hindi ako sigurado kung ilang beses talaga sila uminom), maaaring gamitin ang redjuice na lunas sa Schisto.

Next post na ang "discussion" nila, mahaba-haba kasing usapan iyon. Tignan muna natin ang kung tama ba ang conclusion nila.

Para sa akin, mali ang conclusion. Hindi ibig sabihin na lumiit ang tiyan ay gagaling o magaling ka na sa Schisto. Ang tanging paraan para malaman na magaling ka na ay kung negative ka na sa stool exam(paulit-ulit at quantitative dapat) o sa antigen detection test. Hindi ko alam kung bakit naisip nilang gamiting sukat ng pagiging epektibo ng redjuice ang laki ng tiyan. Nagdala naman sila ng microscope, bakit hindi na lang sila nag-stool exam? Marunong naman ata ang mga barangay health workers tumingin ng itlog ng schisto at hindi naman libo ang taong kalahok sa pag-aaral.

Oo nga, senyales ng paggaling sa Schisto ang pag-liit ng tiyan pero matagal-tagal rin naman ang proseso nito. Ang paglabas nga ng itlog bumababa lamang matapos ang 2 linggong gamutan eh(oo doc, may mga lalabas talagang itlog diyan sa tae nila). Pero, kagulat-gulat rin naman kahit papaano ang pagbaba ng sukat ng tiyan(titignan natin sa next post kung paano ito maipapaliwanag). Sa ngayon ang masasabi ko ay malamang hindi pa magaling ang mga kalahok base sa maling paraan ng pagsukat at pagdiagnose nila.

Importante ring isipin kung lumiit ba talaga ang tiyan ng mga kalahok. Sa mas magandang paraan natin sabihin(pag-pasensyahan ang English): Are the differences between the measurements before and after the treatment statistically significant? Tandaan po natin, wala pa akong kopya ng data nila pero malaki ang suspetya ko na insignificant ang difference. At wala rin silang ginamit na control group(kaya baka hindi sila makagawa ng stat analysis). Malay mo, pumapayat talaga ang mga tao sa lugar noong ginagawa nila ang pag-aaral?

Pahabol lang, hindi ko alam kung na-kumpirma nila ang Schisto sa mga kalahok. Malamang oo pero malabo ang segment at ang mga nagsaliksik. Kasi parang ipinapahiwatig ng mga nagsasaliksik na ginawa nila ang stool exam matapos ang isang linggo.

Sa susunod natin tignan ang ethics at discussion. Pagod na ako eh.

Na-feature kahapon sa Bandila ang Schistosomiasis aka sisto. Ewan ko kung bakit parang super big deal ang labas ng sakit na ito sa feature nila(pero big deal nga talaga siya). Nakakaasar kasi ang posible naman gamutin ang sakit na ito at sobrang dali lang kapag na diagnose nang maaga. Ano ba ang ginagawa ng mga opisyal sa lugar na fineature nila? At ano na naman ang ginagawa ng DOH? Sobrang dami ang nagma-manifest ng chronic symptoms(iyong mga lumalabas kapag hindi nagagamot agad) ng sakit.

Nakakaaliw naman dahil ang katulong namin ay alam ang sakit na ito pati na ang mga suso ang may kasalanan(syempre may parasite rin pero kung walang suso wala sila). Isa ito sigurong ebidensya na kahit papaano noong panahon ng kabataan niya ay buhay ang health education tungkol sa sisto sa lugar nila. Sana hanggang ngayon buhay pa rin pero oras na rin na gumawa na nga paraan para buwagin ang sakit na ito sa balat ng Pilipinas.

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May nabasa akong editorial sa Philstar tungkol sa Population control at kung paano niloloko ng mga Pro-control groups ang mga tao. Hah! BS dude! Ang problema naman sa iyo pakiramdam mo sa Pilipinas kapag dumami tao dumadami rin ang nagtratrabaho at dumadami ang gumagawa ng at nagagawa na pagkain. Sino niloko mo dude? Tsaka ang mga binanggit mo pala na teorya ay hindi maganda i-apply sa Pilipinas at ibang 3rd world countries. At huli na, tanga ang Simbahan kung iniisip nila na masama matuto ang tao ng mga paraan para maalagaan nila ang kanilang katawan, buhay at pamilya(ie complete sex and family planning education).

I just received my NMAT score. I won't post my score. Suffice to say that I reached my target. I won't be taking the NMAT again(yeyness!). And, I am very happy with my score.

It's Earth Day and I missed all the celebrations slated for today. My schedule for the day got thrown off so I wasn't able to go to the CCP complex and look at the galleries and stuff they prepared. Crud. At least I was outside most of the time today and had contributed to the carbon output of Man less compared to the case if I were just at home.

Lito Atienza continues with his ramblings.

"Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza had a thing or two to say against population control advocates as he warned the people 'not to be stampeded into perdition.' 'Here we go again, blaming every unborn child for our economic problems,' said Atienza, a staunch pro-lifer and long-time leader of the Pro-Life Movement of the Philippines. He pointed out that the solution to the present 'food crisis' is a strong agricultural production program, which the present government is pursuing and not birth control. Atienza stressed that the Constitution is pro-life and birth control is a clear violation of the law."link

He may be right in that a strong agricultural production program will really help in the food crisis but birth control is not "a clear violation of the law." It is not. Preconception birth control is not illegal. Lito Atienza is under the impression that birth control means murdering babies, in other words, abortion. And of course, the Constitution is pro-life. All people are pro-life in a sense. The ones labeled pro-Choice are pro-life too but they value a real living person more than a hypothetical entity.

Since when did birth control mean murder or killing a person. Even with an expanded definition of human life(meaning, including the zygote and embryonic stages), most of the artificial birth control methods do not result in killing a person(the notable exception being the Pill). This stupid belief of his(and his "Pro-life" group) is really annoying. The sperm alone is not a human being. The ovum alone is not a human being. Actually, the zygote(the first product of the union of sperm and ovum) alone is not really a human being(you still need the uterine wall).

To be clear, we(the ones pro-birth control) don't blame the unborn. We blame the poor policies of the government resulting in a population crisis and subsequent inequitable distribution and/or lack of resources. We blame the irresponsible parents. But we mostly blame the policies.

I find this to comment in a blogpost I read to aptly describe the pro-life group in the Philippines:

"The thing is, these types of pro-lifers aren’t 'pro-life' at all. They are anti-sex. Or, more accurately, anti-sex without the risk of pregnancy. These types are of the opinion that people shouldn’t have sex if they don’t want children, because that kind of sex breeds a 'culture of death'...."

And why is sex bad? Because to them sex should only be used for procreation and nothing else. Going by their logic, people who are sterile, infertile, old and the like should not have sex because it is a bad/a sin.

"Atienza said that population control is a mere 'alibi for failure' and definitely a disastrous direction that will lead to the wrong solution. 'From where I am sitting now, I could see an abundance of natural wealth that could sustain a healthy population growth rate. We just have to maximize and fully develop our potentials and ensure equitable distribution of its benefits,' Atienza said."link

Atienza is spouting nonsense again. His last sentence holds some truth but it is just more rhetoric. He doesn't even propose a method to how we are supposed to achieve what he is saying. But what really annoys me is the "alibi for failure" part. I would very much like to ask him whose failure is it in the first place? Considering that the Catholic church and all the Pro-life Anti-Contraception crowd were the people responsible for "responsible parenthood" throughout the past, the population problem with all the attached crises(rice, housing, health, human rights, etc) is their failure.

I am enjoying my summer break, hence the low output. I've been trying to catch up on all those "hobbies" I've stopped doing during the past years due to lack of time. Unfortunately, our internet connection became slower after switching from Smart WiFi to DSL broadband. Just a few seconds slower really but with our generation, it is all about speed. I'll try to make a long one next time. I do have some nice topics up in my head itching to put in a decent form.

Ciao!

I made a blog in Wordpress.com. No, it is not for me, it is for my college organization. SO what do I think about wordpress? I love it! The ease of making categories, tags and multiple authors! Since, we plan to have all the output of the org members in one site, organization seems to be the biggest problem. It can be done in blogger but it'll involve encoding stuff, stuff that I do not know how to do yet. HTML and CSS with a sprinkling of Javascript might not be the best way to organize the blog we plan to have. Tags wouldn't be practical unless we are willing to waste valuable space with tons of tags after posts. And, based from experience, blogs in wordpress are much "cleaner" than those under other hosts(or, maybe it's just blogger?). Yay Wordpress!

But more importantly, I am not moving. I really love how much freedom one can get in Blogger. This my problem with wordpress.com. I can't make my own template. I can modify the CSS but I really like making stuff with HTML. And, I do not have problems with organization since nobody reads this and, if ever one would want to read my past works, they could just browse through my archives and tags.

It was a good thing I made that blog because the other members planned to make a blog in multiply. Waddaf*ck! Multiply sucks! What serious blogger uses multiply? It limits how much you could modify the site like wordpress but doesn't offer any organization options. The only positive side is the networking and feeds but that could easily be overcome with RSS and site subscriptions. And I really hate how multiply blog pages look. Then again, it might just be that I really really hate Multiply.

We went to Pangasinan, right? The trip was quicker than I anticipated. Instead of 5 hours, we made it just a little bit over 4. The scenery during the trip was beautiful and, in hindsight, I should have took pictures of the wonderful trees, plains, fields and mountains. The afternoon sun really helped to show the charm of the places we passed by. If ever I am on a road trip with friends I would ask to stop by at certain places and then we'd just take photos and run around like idiots. Anyway, we arrived in the house lent to us by my mother's business acquaintance(she's a teacher, go figure.). We ate, I slept, they(the other teachers; it was a company vacation and I just tagged along) sang really loud and horrible versions of songs you don't want to hear when you are tired. So much for a good night's sleep.

The next day we went to the Hundred Islands. We arrived at the port at around 8 and left it at around 930. Why? Because the freaking boat wouldn't start. The waiting time was spent reading Uncle Tom's Cabin and taking photographs of the water.

Once the boat started, I took some more pictures but they were crappy so I won't post it. Anyway, it the islands(pictures later) were really fascinating. I wonder how they ended up like that. After a short ride, we finally glimpsed the islands. Many visitors say that from afar the HI look like a huge mass of land and as you go nearer you start to see how wrong you were. I agree.

We went to Quezon Island first. The most "developed" of the islands. There were many people but it wasn't really crowded. Unfortunately, the sun was starting to gain momentum and the rays really hurt. It was a good thing I had my cap with me.

My parents wanted to "explore" the island before plunging into the ocean and I was dragged along. There were two "tourist spots" in the island, Quezon's statue

and the Mermaid figures. The mermaids look so sad.

After the exploration, I was pretty much left on my own. I took the camera with me in case I see some really interesting things. I also had a pretty full bladder so I went to the CR. The path was a really nice spot for picture taking, unfortunately, I don't have anyone with me who I'd be able to trick into doing the weird poses. This one is the path to the CR.

And along the way, you see these rest areas. Finding the area devoid of people, I took these...

They didn't come out as the way I would have really wanted. Compared to the vanity shots I did during our Bicol trip, the above pictures sucked.

The area where the CR was located was a good spot for shots of the surrounding islands.

They came out a bit too postcard but I still like them. Take that high megapixel cameras!

After running out of things to shoot, I went to the beach and swam. I surprised myself by doing a backstroke without sinking. I really find it weird how I learn in jumps and not in a straight path(saidin... saidar...). It is my first time in a beach and after getting tired of ingesting salt water, I went to the sandy area and played by myself. I wasn't able to make a sand castle. Boo hoo... I just took these instead(note: the two on the right side were taken in another island).

A little while later we had lunch. I think they cooked too much food because we had to bring home a good number of cooked fish. I do not like eating with my hands but they didn't bring any utensils, so much for that. The food was good though. I really liked how they cooked the squash. It wasn't mushy and perfect for eating without utensils. No pictures of those, dirty hands remember?

After lunch, I went for a walk and took some more pictures. The colored versions weren't really good so I made them black and white.

It was hot so I swam again. The sun was really strong and I eventually got sun burned in areas with no sufficient sun block. My mom bought sun tan lotion instead of just sun block so we all became dark(not tan) near the end of the day, which sucked.

A little while later we returned to our boat to go to other islands. As we approached our destination, our boat broke down. It was a good thing that the sea wasn't rough such that we weren't dragged to other places. Eventually, the boat men managed to fix the boat and we landed safely. Along the way I took more pictures.

After landing, we explored the island again. We climbed a hill and I forgot to take pictures of the view from the summit. We also went to a sad looking cave. It was not much of a cave really just a hole in the island's rocky wall. Then again, what do I know about caves? Except that they are just storage areas of fungal diseases.

We returned to the beach and they swam again. I was tired so I just sat and took more vanity pics. I unknowingly sat down near an ant's nest and got bitten. The bite came at a good time though because I managed to capture this weird shot of me.

To ease the itchiness, I soaked my feet in the sea water(not sure if it worked though, I still felt itchy afterwards). I was bored to I made this.

That pretty much sums up our Pangasinan trip. I'll end with this picture of a sculpture in the port area.

NMAT was yesterday. It was all right. I managed to finish both parts ahead of the alloted time. I was lucky because the Biology part didn't contain many plant biology questions and there were questions about Microbiology and Parasitology. Social science and Physics were harder but I managed to make some intelligent guesses. Part I was time-consuming. Boredom didn't became a problem but I do not plan to take the NMAT again because Part I was so tedious and I really hate doing those tests. At least I am sure of most of my answers unlike some of my batchmates. Exam mode(my super power) really helped in the Math and Verbal part because the extra time I gained was used up in Perceptual Acuity.

So what's my prediction? I'll just keep it to myself; I don't want to eat my words later.

Bukas na NMAT. Hindi ko alam kung handa na ba ako. Ang nararamdaman ko ngayon ay parang nararamdaman ko tuwing may long test kami sa Micro.
Parang ganito: Alam ko naman nabasa ko na ang dapat mabasa at may onte pang sobra pero parang kapag tinanong mo ngayon ako wala akong masasagot. Pero alam ko kapag exam na may masasagot na ako. Siguro depende na lang sa mga tanong kung nasasakop ba siya ng alam ko o hindi.
Ang malungkot lang dito ay kadalasan mababa ang nakukuha kong score sa exam sa Micro kapag ganito ang pakiramdam ko. Crap.

NMAT update:

I just took the practice NMAT. My performance in the Physics and Social Science sucked. I did really well in Chemistry and, surprisingly, in the Abstract Reasoning part(the tests which involved looking for mirror images, hidden figures and deviations from the original sentence). My Biology score was actually lower than my Physics score(surprisingly). My Reading Comprehension and Analogy was sub-par according to my standards even though I did get a good enough score. I didn't finish the Quantitative reasoning; it was too boring. My reserves were already sucked dry by the pattern recognition part(A B C D, What comes next? etc).

Comments on the practice test: I was disappointed that they didn't ask any Genetics or Microbiology questions(subjects which I think are more relevant to the field of Medicine than Plant Biology and Ecology). In addition, they could have picked "better" numbers for their problem solving questions because the numbers they gave suck. It was very tedious doing manual computations. I almost gave up on the Chemistry test because of the horrendous values they chose. I gave up on the Numerical reasoning part due to boredom and frustration over the repetitive tasks that I have to do. The Physics part was the worst because I do not even know HOW to solve the problems. Who knew they'd give Electromagnetism priority over Mechanics and Hydraulics?!

Overall, I think I'll survive the NMAT. I just need to study more on certain problem areas like Electromagnetism and Plant Biology.I do not know if I'll achieve my target grade. Hopefully, I will because I'd hate to spend more money to take this stupid test. And more importantly, I do not want to suffer through it again.

Rant time, why do they(CEM, NMAT) keep using Normality instead of Molarity? See this(got it from Wikipedia):

"... normality is no longer used to represent the concentration of a solution .... Instead, a solution should be labeled according to its molarity, and it is then possible to calculate the normality for a particular titration using the equation above. NIST has also stipulated that this unit is obsolete and recommends discontinuing its use." (emphases mine)

I repeat... Normality is obsolete. It may be practical to use during titrations but it is theoretically faulty. Not all compounds completely ionize in solution. Take sulfuric acid(H2SO4(aq)). It releases its 1st proton easily but it holds on to its 2nd one pretty tightly. Besides, in most acid-base titrations that I know, acids or bases which release or accept only one proton(usually the strong acids and bases like HCl and NaOH) are preferrably used because if you use the other acids or bases, you only make the situation in the flask more complicated and their goes practicality. And there is the part involving the need to know what is the reaction is in the flask in order to compute for the normality. Use molarity and you don't need all that fuss.

To answer my rhetorical question, they probably keep on using normality because they're either too lazy to change the questions or want to make sure that the new breed of doctors continue on with obsolete traditions and units in science. Way to go CEM! (I can do this without destroying my chances of getting into any med school in this country, right?)

Still studying for the NMAT...

Found this very stupid thing in my reviewer. Worse, this reviewer probably came from those "all-UP" review centers. Have they no sociologists in these centers?!

"Witchcraft - is the exercise of evil through an immanent power"
"It(witchcraft) is invariably evil." (emphases mine)

Huwaat?! That's BS! Witchcraft is more on manipulation of people through the use of spells or magic. It is not necessarily evil(though, one could argue that manipulation of an individual for personal gain is unethical). This reeks of Christian bias towards shamanic and pagan cultures. And to think that this part appeared after cultural relativism and ethnocentrism was mentioned.

I have a strong suspicion that this is the definition that the CEM(the group responsible for the NMAT) uses. Therefore, I must follow it even though I know it is wrong. Crap.

Arrived from Lucap, Pangasinan yesterday. We went to the Hundred Islands. Pictures will be uploaded later as I need to study for the f*ckin' NMAT. I'm annoyed because I HAVE to study plant biology, psychology, sociology and anthropology. Not that I hate these topics; I love reading on these topics especially evolution and behavior experiments. I just don't understand how knowing stuff about the vascular system of plants or who Comte is will prove that I am ready to go to med school. And I now feel that the NMAT was made to give all those BS Biology students a huge advantage over us, paramedical students.

Napanood ko kanina ng Game KNB. Bonus round na ang naabutan ko. Ang category ay Scientific Laws named after famous Scientists. Ang Bonus letters ay JEW. At ang mga letrang binigay ng kalahok ay MDT. Ayon. Wala siyang natama. Malas niya lang kasi kung sinabi niya sana ang mga letrang A, C, B, G, H o V, may tatlo na siyang tama. Sino ba namang nakaabot ng 3rd yr high school ang hindi nakakakilala sa Avogradro's, Charles', Boyle's, Graham's, Gay-lussac's, Henry's at Van der Waals equation? Malas lang niya.

Madali naman ang M, Maxwell's equations pero iyong iba ang hirap. Hindi ko agad naisip ang Torricelli's law(ayaw ko talaga sa Physics) at wala talaga ako naisip sa J at W(wala rin ako makita sa Wiki? May sagot sila, hindi ko maalala.). Pati nga ang mga researchers ng Game KNB mali ang mga sagot sa ilang letra. Hindi naman LAW ang Enstein's THEORY of relativity at ang Darwin's THEORY of Evolution. Pwede siguro siya mag-reklamo sa ABS.

Siguro, maganda ang mangyayari kung isang Physical Chemist o Physicist ang nandoon kasi kung anu-anong Law at Equation ang mababanggit niya at baka mag-away pa sila ng researchers ng Game KNB. Kaya lang nga may salita ngang FAMOUS sa category so baka matalo siya kapag masyadong obscure ang isagot niya. At least masasabi niya na hindi law ang theory at baka bigyan siya ng bagong pagkakataon.

Ano ba ang pwedeng sagot sa E at D? D, Descartes' theorem. E, Erlenmeyer rule(kunwari pwede na pati ang rule). Pwede rin siguro sa M ang Markovnikov's rule

My blogging experience so far:

"Nothing can be so amusingly arrogant as a young man who has just discovered an old idea and thinks it is his own."
- Sidney J. Harris

side note: I know it should be more gender sensitive, but a quote is a quote.

side note2: It could also be applied to people who saw a movie or read a book and think that the writer or director is brilliant because of concepts introduced that were new to him. Example: Matrix borrowing from Rene Descartes' predicament.

In celebration of the Holy Week(Days for me), I urge you to play Bible Fight. (I recommend playing as Eve.)

I just got invited to join the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

It's creepy. I've been googling it and I've managed to see chapter websites only. No controversies or huge issues.

Should I join or not? Some notable Filipinos were or are members of this society. Examples are Ferdinand Marcos and Carlos P Romulo. I don't know if I deserve to be member because the only thing I've managed to do is get good grades during my first two years in UPM; grades which are being pulled down by my so-so performance during this academic year. I guess the main benefit would be the ability to expand my network but I'm too antisocial to be able to flourish in those kinds of environment.

Crap... As if I don't already have enough on my plate.

You'd think I should be done with my school work by now but no I'm not. I still have classes on Monday and Tuesday. And I've just realized that summer has started and I'm still stuck in my room doing these uh... things. At least, my room has a nice view.

I have crazy hell week to look forward to and instead of preparing and studying for the tons of tests I'll be facing, I'm doing a transcription of a lecture in Nutrition. Incidentally, the lecture is included in my test tomorrow and I'm not the one who is supposed to do the freaking transcription. Basically, my classmates decided that they deserve to be excused from trans duty due to the hell week and because the professor gave the copy of his presentation late(lecture on monday, copy given on Thursday). Uh... Hello! Wasn't it your duty to take f*ckin' notes during the lecture and not just rely on the copy to be given later? And on top of that, the lecture was held last Monday. Your group had about 3 days to pester the instructor or borrow notes from more hard-working and dedicated classmates. Then you ask us if it is all right if we let you off trans duty? Surprisingly, I was the only one who exclaimed my disapproval. And even though I told you this, you still didn't make a proper trans, instead you just uploaded a pdf file containing the scans of the hardcopy the instructor gave you. Wow! You had all of yesterday to make the f*ckin' trans yet all you did was this?! I'll just make a mental note to give your group crappy trans next semester.

I've finally summoned up the cash and courage to purchase a new pair of glasses. I bought one in the Robinson's Ermita branch of Sarabia Opticals. It's around Php1800. A bit high compared to the prices offered in Quiapo but I do not want to go to Quiapo to search for glasses; I just don't have the time, energy and knowledge.

The grade of my eyes(I forgot the technical term) is still 50/50 not 25/25 and definitely not 100/50. I guess the 25/25 was due to the fact that I got my eyes refracted after our Unknown test in Microbiology which involved searching for a tiny tiny red thing in a sea of blue and white. The 100/50, I can't explain but I did have my eyes refracted after a class which involved a good bit of reading. Anyway, my plan still works; my parents still do not know a thing about my lost glasses.

I'll try to post a picture once I claim my new pair.

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Hell week was moved due to the "Interfaith" rally yesterday. I did not participate and it is not because I completely disagree with their views. I don't know who they are fooling; the Roman Catholic(and its many sects and subgroups) faith is probably the only faith there. Why would you pray the Rosary in an interfaith rally? And what about us faithless? Still, the power of the Roman Catholic church and its followers is still a force to be reckoned with in this country. However, the effects of the rally on pGMA(who regularly attends mass and a very religious person) seem non-existent, at least in this issue(read: family planning).