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.