Beat the Heat!

Summer is here and there’s no stopping it! Because of that, confusion on what to do is at large. Whether it is for school or just for nothing at all, it wouldn’t matter anymore. What will surely count is the thought of you having lots and lots of things to do. In line with this, we would like to be of help to make your summer a productive, fun and meaningful one. So, are you ready for summer? We bet you do!

First things first! Make sure to plan what you really want to do all summer long. It’s going to be a long one so make sure to plan well enough. After such mentally exhausting process, it is best to take it one step at a time. Also, you might be interested to consider some activities that would help hype up the season.

Sports, sports, sports! When would be the best time for them but this summer? It’s one way to burn some fats you have acquired because of pigging around the whole year round. There are a variety of water sports to let you feel that summer’s here. Beach Volley to get away from the boring Volleyball courts that you perhaps saw numerous times already. Get those sunburns on from swimming under the heat of the sizzling hot sun! Does the option to go green sound interesting? Then you might consider scuba diving in the country’s many dive sites. Or better yet, go mountain climbing. But if you feel lazy to engage in these activities, you can always plant trees and help Mother Nature revive what it has lost. This way, you can stay fit and healthy this summer. If those weren’t capture your interest, then maybe giving yourself a break will do the trick!

Go far, far and away this summer! Travel like you never did and see the world’s wonders! Traveling enables you to learn a lot of interesting facts and information. We know that traveling abroad could be very, very costly so a good alternative would be to travel within the country. That won’t be as painful to the pocket as traveling abroad, would it? However, if you still find this costly enough, your last resort would be to travel to tourist attractions nearby. This way, you will get to still have fun without spending much for a trip.

There are a lot more things to do this summer that may spell out f-u-n for you. It’s just a matter of thinking it over and doing what you really like to do this summer. So, what’s holding you from enjoying? Go on, have a great summer and make sure to share your experiences with friends and classmates when you’re back to school!

Just a Thought

I never relied on astrology to tell me what's in store for me, nor have I believed in wishing on falling stars. It's my life, I make my own fate. My choices, they drive me to where I should be...

A Not So Graceful Farewell

February 28 - the last day of February of this year marks another last day for one variety show in a national television network - SOP. I was browsing through several videos in Youtube when this one video of SOP's final episode caught my attention. Take a look and see for yourself what is exactly wrong with this projected "happy ending:"

I was fine watching it until the part came when the singers-turned-frustrated-rappers started singing or shall I say blabbering these infamous lines: ‘Itong ASAP tuwang-tuwa ngayon, natalo na nila ang dating hindi matalo. Ngunit bakit hindi niyo ba alam, kami’y magbabalik at hindi pa magtatapos ang laban!’ What was supposedly a graceful exit was deliberately turned into a bitter and disgusting banishment of the show. What example were they trying to set to the people aspiring to be next on cam and behind cam? With this unprofessional act that Philippine television has witnessed, I'd have to say that the aforementioned variety show has set a new world record being the first to add insult to injury amidst their attempt to an unforgettable end due to defeat in the ratings game. I wanted to just let this pass but a side of me is convinced that what happened wasn't such an appropriate thing to do especially in this semi-conservative country. Let defeat speak for itself; nothing else will help...

Not So Sweet Revenge

Not so long after a catastrophic earthquake with magnitude 7.0 M_w hit Haiti that killed more than 230,000 people, another environmental disaster occurred in Chile with an even higher magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale. The February 27 earthquake not only shook the homes and took the lives of a considerably high number of people but also caused a deep trauma to them. Right after, nearby countries were warned of possible tsunamis to hit due to the intensity of the quake. Could this imply that Mother Nature is taking a toll on humanity?

Since the advent of the new technology, man’s intellect and innovations have been causing a lot of harm to the environment through excessive use of resources added with the destructive pileup of pollution especially in the industrial field. Unfortunately though, man’s intellect is not even half of Mother Nature’s for it is her who knows what’s best for the world. But despite that, man has continued to break the natural cycle causing the earth to operate abnormally. Right now, slowly but surely, Mother Nature’s not-so-sweet revenge is heavily felt from typhoons to floods, drought to earthquakes to mention a few. Just like humans, she can only endure so much and the moment she gets so fed up, an outburst of disasters will be at large. It’s no surprise that nature can be cruel as man could be. Man should not discount the fact of falling short in giving back to the environment. Perhaps it is high time that we realize the value of protecting our habitat for it is not only the lower species that benefit from it but us also. Being given intellect to rule supreme over other creations, it is our responsibility to lookout and maintain the land that every human being steps on. Whether it is Mother Nature’s intention to allow such calamities to occur or not, they have all passed and it’s too late to utilize our pointing fingers again to assign the blame.

Perhaps the best thing to do right now is to be united as one, regardless of race, language or other differences. In the first place, it is not the people of Haiti or Chile’s fault having experienced Mother Nature’s wrath. Our help, big or small, will surely help a lot to at least ease the physical and emotional pain that the victims are into right now. If there’s one perfect time to make a difference, it is NOW.

Your Fault or Not?

If you're in a situation where you can clearly hear other people's conversations, will it turn out to be an unethical act? This is something I'm currently faced with. Let's find out as we move along.

First point: Hearing other people's conversations can be a not-so-good thing to do but when you're confined in a small place with them and you couldn't help but hear what they say, that cannot be taken against you.

Second point: It is not your fault to hear people talking about confidential or non-confidential topics. More so, it is not your fault that you're situated near them and that you can hear them loud and clear. Unless, of course, if there's a defect with your ears then I'd say you're an exception.

Third point: If people talk about sensitive matters, the more appropriate place to do so is somewhere really private. That's if they find the topic too sensitive for other people to hear. Logically, if they're talking about it in public then they should have known beforehand the risks of getting heard by others. While there may be a law protecting communication per se, there is no such thing as a law against accidentally hearing other people's talks, is there?

Fourth point: For as long as you just keep what you've heard to yourself, then that shouldn't be a problem at all. But I understand that there are just instances when you feel the urge to spread the word to others. This calls for a debate within you. You should be mature enough to find out whether there's a need to tell it to others or not. Technically, I'd say you should keep it to yourself so as not to interfere with the communication that you're not even involved with but if it's something that needs to be exposed to the public then so be it.

Also, If you're wondering whether it is right to react within yourself about what you've heard or not then wonder no more. It's completely normal. Since you're given your own intellect, you would naturally have a say on what has been talked about even if you're not part of it.

I'd be very glad to hear some more tips regarding this issue if you have insights. Feel free to comment.

Enough is Enough!

Written: December 2009

For: Opinion Writing Class

Delayed post: Yes! LOL

The Philippines - the second most dangerous country to practice journalism last year, has now taken Iraq's "pride" of being on top. Sure, everybody wants to be number one but, in this case, I think nobody would even desire to be supreme.

Now undoubtedly the scariest place to practice journalism, I cannot help but look down on our country, given the misfortune. Today, the freedom of the press is highly questionable to the extent of risking lives to practice the profession and feed the people with valid and accurate information.

To a lot of journalists, political killings pose as a big problem that call for the immediate attention of the government. They are already deprived of the so-called "freedom" they're supposed to be privileged with. Partly, a big amount of blame is well deserved by the Philippine government. The improper implementation of martial law in the Maguindanao area is just adding insult to injury and is apparently of no help at all.

The government is implementing martial law to cover up their failures in governance. Protection of the journalists is supposed to be a priority in this country. But no! It's seemingly not reaping any attention at all. The gruesome massacre only shows that the country is, still, in chaos. Needless to say, this only adds up to the government's already tainted reputation.

Nearly 60 lives - aren't they enough to call the government's attention? If we remain in this state of possessing powerful, heartless and hideous beasts, the country will remain in its terribly bad shape. Let respect for journalists be widely practiced for they are the country's eyes and ears. Let justice be given to the victims of the Maguindanao massacre. We've already had enough!!!

Blah Blah Blah

Remember the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf?" It just reminds me how a person's first words or actions could be very fatal. The moment somebody leaves a certain impression, chances of making it last long to the majority is high. It doesn't necessarily have to be something new, sometimes an unusual response or reaction to certain circumstances can be taken against the person and there's definitely no turning back.

It's ironic though how some people play deaf and blind to what they have said in the past. Well, there's always a remedy for every problem and for this kind, I'd say confronting them about the words you've heard with your own ears is the best solution. They really need to have bits of reality slapped in their faces to fully recall the exact words they uttered whether they meant them or not.

What's worse is the thought of them, in the end, blaming you and telling you to "walk your talk." Stressing that you broke your own rules while making you accountable for all the hang-ups that may have occurred in your life. Look who's talking now? Some people think they can get away with such tactic but to people like me, I don't think they could even reach halfway. I'm not such a fan of falling into those kinds of trap or shall I say, crap. Again, if ever you come to this point in time and you know you're right, don't think twice and insist on what you know.

It's always best to be very careful especially with the words that the sometimes tactless mouth can utter. Words, more often than not, reflect the personality of a person and there's no such thing as taking back what has already been said. Not even a sorry can take the pain away from the receiver. Knowing the consequences of words about to be uttered is apparently a hard yet essential thing to do. It helps a lot in keeping a safe distance from trouble.

Yeah, they're right, life is clever and I can feel the peak of its cleverness as I compose this post. This should serve as a call for awareness in this tough environment. If you find yourself somehow guilty, just remember this - be careful what you say for it can be taken back against you at any moment.