Today we had our fire drill at the office. The blasted alarm began ringing while we were writing. Our team looked at one another, thinking the same thing -- should we ignore the fire drill to meet our deadline, or go down with the other people in the building?
It was a brief walk down the stairs (from the 8th floor to the ground floor). My co-workers began swapping fire drill stories. One of them used to work at the forty-something floor and they were forced to use the stairs (by the time they reached the ground, their legs were all shaking). Another one confessed that they used the time for the fire drill to go malling at SM.
We went to the lobby, along with the other tenants of the building. I saw some of the tenants buying food from street vendors, smoking at the walkway, and taking group pictures with their phones and digital cameras.
I think fire drills are helpful but I doubt if people would react in a logical and orderly manner in a real fire situation. Personally I would panic -- grab all my stuff and run down the stairs, ignoring other people. I'm guessing my officemates would do the same thing too.
Marvel 1602
I recently purchased the hard cover edition of Marvel 1602. This graphic novel is written by Neil Gaiman and drawn by Andy Kubert. Here, Gaiman reinvents the marvel universe by transporting iconic Marvel heroes to seventeenth century England.
We can see Stephen Strange working as the court magician of Queen Elizabeth, and Nick Fury acting as the Queen's spymaster (ala 007). Both Strange and Fury are working against the political maneuvering of Count Otto von Doom.
The two groups are seeking for the fabled treasure of the knights templar. Fury and Strange get to meet (and work with) other Marvel heroes: like the minstrel Matthew Murdoch (Daredevil), Peter Parquagh (Spiderman), Carlos Javier and his witchbreed (Professor X and the X Men), and the Four survivors of the Fantastick ship.
I like the way Giaman integrated the Marvel heroes into a Victorian-like setting. The plot invokes a sense of mystery and urgency. What is the legendary treasure of the Knight's templar? Who is Virginia Dare and his white American Indian bodyguard Rojhaz?
Overall, I find the series a nice read. It's been a long time since I enjoyed reading a comic book with an excellent storyline. I'm planning to buy the next series of the 1602 series (where some of the heroes have arrived in the New World).
One Stop Lego Shop
I don't know if there are any Lego fans or collectors reading this post, but you guys might want to visit FindMyBrick dot com. It is an online shop that sells Lego bricks and minifigs. The site sells Lego bricks by pieces. It is pretty much has all of the Lego bricks and minifigs.
You guys might also want to go to ebay and look for sellers selling lego pieces there. I checked it a couple of times and found hundreds of lego sellers (and buyers) trading lego bricks at ebay.
I don't know if there are any Lego fans or collectors reading this post, but you guys might want to visit FindMyBrick dot com. It is an online shop that sells Lego bricks and minifigs. The site sells Lego bricks by pieces. It is pretty much has all of the Lego bricks and minifigs.
You guys might also want to go to ebay and look for sellers selling lego pieces there. I checked it a couple of times and found hundreds of lego sellers (and buyers) trading lego bricks at ebay.
What is Plagiarism?
Got this definition from wikipedia:
Plagiarism is the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work
Within academia, plagiarism by students, professors, or researchers is considered academic dishonesty or academic fraud and offenders are subject to academic censure. In journalism, plagiarism is considered a breach of journalistic ethics, and reporters caught plagiarizing typically face disciplinary measures ranging from suspension to termination. Some individuals caught plagiarizing in academic or journalistic contexts claim that they plagiarized unintentionally, by failing to include quotations or give the appropriate citation.
The issue of plagiarism recently came up at work when one of our project leaders caught a writer copying text straight from a source text book. The writer had been directly copying (word by word) the text our reference materials. What made it even more disappointing was the fact that the writer was a former teacher from a distinguished university (to think that professors are strict with academic fraud).
The writer was immediately discharged from work. I was appointed to fix the documents she wrote. It was a challenge for me since I had to treat her documents as 100% copied from another source. I double checked each of her sentences and discovered that she copied them from different parts of the book. So the best thing I had to do was re-write the documents and para-phrase those topics that I could not understand (I was working under a deadline).
At least this is a strong reminder for me (and other writers) that plagiarism is really something that should be avoided.
Got this definition from wikipedia:
Plagiarism is the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work
Within academia, plagiarism by students, professors, or researchers is considered academic dishonesty or academic fraud and offenders are subject to academic censure. In journalism, plagiarism is considered a breach of journalistic ethics, and reporters caught plagiarizing typically face disciplinary measures ranging from suspension to termination. Some individuals caught plagiarizing in academic or journalistic contexts claim that they plagiarized unintentionally, by failing to include quotations or give the appropriate citation.
The issue of plagiarism recently came up at work when one of our project leaders caught a writer copying text straight from a source text book. The writer had been directly copying (word by word) the text our reference materials. What made it even more disappointing was the fact that the writer was a former teacher from a distinguished university (to think that professors are strict with academic fraud).
The writer was immediately discharged from work. I was appointed to fix the documents she wrote. It was a challenge for me since I had to treat her documents as 100% copied from another source. I double checked each of her sentences and discovered that she copied them from different parts of the book. So the best thing I had to do was re-write the documents and para-phrase those topics that I could not understand (I was working under a deadline).
At least this is a strong reminder for me (and other writers) that plagiarism is really something that should be avoided.
Exploring Traditional Chinese Medicine
I'd say Traditional Chinese Medicine (or Zhongyi Xue) is thriving and booming industry here in the Philippines. I should know, because:
1. My aunt owns a Chinese drugstore along T. Alonzo (in Chinatown),
2. I grew up drinking all those weird herbal concoctions,
3. I just recently visited a Traditional Chinese doctor who prescribed some herbal concoction for me to drink.
What makes Zhongyi Xue appealing is that it provides an alternative form of healing, aside from the traditional Western medicine. While western doctors would offer solutions like surgery, pills, and chemical injections as form of healing. The Chinese doctors offer herbs, acupuncture, and massages as ways to balance out one's chi. For many people, Chinese medicine is considered cheaper, safer, and more reliable as compared to Western medicine.
But there are people (like me) who (sometimes) challenge the effectiveness and reliability of Chinese medicine.
Most of us are used to the logic of Western medicine and find other alternative forms of healing as flaky and superstitious. Here are some of my own personal reasons why I am a bit skeptical about Chinese medicine:
1. Most Chinese agree that Chinese medicine takes a longer time to heal the body, as compared to Western medicine. A week of treatment in from hospital confinement might take months of drinking Chinese herbs. Chinese medicine rely on natural healing cycle of the body. Unfortunately most people (like me) prefer to get well ASAP and keep the recuperating time to a minimum.
2. We do not fully understand the logic behind Chinese medicine. Most of the theories of Chinese medicine revolve around chi, the yin and yang. People tend to view Chinese medicine as the spawn of superstition, created by mystical and occult practices. Western medicine is more logical, more easily understood. You can quickly do "wiki" on a particular medical term or pharmaceutical drug.
3. There are a lot of fake Chinese doctors and Chinese drugstores selling fake Chinese medicine. Like pirated DVDs and designer clothes, Chinese medicine are also being counterfeited. An authentic Chinese diet pill that costs around 2,500 pesos in one drug store might be sold for 250 pesos in another. Unless you are really experienced in dealing with traditional Chinese medicine, it is difficult to distinguish the real doctors from the fake ones. There are a lot of unscrupulous people are masquerading as traditional Chinese doctors, dispensing inaccurate (and sometimes costly) medical advise to sick people.
4. Chinese medicine is not properly regulated by the local government. I know of several practicing traditional Chinese doctors who are illegal immigrants, without the proper medical license, or credentials operating clinics around the city. And many Pinoys and Tsinoys patronize them. I also wonder if there are competent people in the DFA who can distinguish the right kind of Chinese medicines and weed out the fake ones.
But despite all these skepticism, a lot of people still believe Chinese medicine. I guess this appeals to the "sigurista" nature of the Filipinos -- having an alternative to Western Medicine. Many people consider Chinese medicine safer and more reliable (it has been around for centuries), as compared to recent medical sciences.
Personally I find Western medicine more reliable and more effective. It takes a longer time to brew a Chinese herbal concoction and there are a lot of things (bordering on superstition) that you avoid to make the medicine work. Among these "forbidden things" include:
(1) you need to buy one of those medicine pots to boil the herbs (using aluminum utensils would ruin the potency of the herbs),
(2) when preparing the brew, you must make sure the water reaches a certain volume before you can ingest it, so you would have to watch the pot and make sure the all water does not evaporate.
(3) you cannot eat certain type of food when drinking Chinese herbs (in my case I cannot eat vegetables, chili, or certain fruits since it would counter act the herbs inside my body).
1. My aunt owns a Chinese drugstore along T. Alonzo (in Chinatown),
2. I grew up drinking all those weird herbal concoctions,
3. I just recently visited a Traditional Chinese doctor who prescribed some herbal concoction for me to drink.
What makes Zhongyi Xue appealing is that it provides an alternative form of healing, aside from the traditional Western medicine. While western doctors would offer solutions like surgery, pills, and chemical injections as form of healing. The Chinese doctors offer herbs, acupuncture, and massages as ways to balance out one's chi. For many people, Chinese medicine is considered cheaper, safer, and more reliable as compared to Western medicine.
But there are people (like me) who (sometimes) challenge the effectiveness and reliability of Chinese medicine.
Most of us are used to the logic of Western medicine and find other alternative forms of healing as flaky and superstitious. Here are some of my own personal reasons why I am a bit skeptical about Chinese medicine:
1. Most Chinese agree that Chinese medicine takes a longer time to heal the body, as compared to Western medicine. A week of treatment in from hospital confinement might take months of drinking Chinese herbs. Chinese medicine rely on natural healing cycle of the body. Unfortunately most people (like me) prefer to get well ASAP and keep the recuperating time to a minimum.
2. We do not fully understand the logic behind Chinese medicine. Most of the theories of Chinese medicine revolve around chi, the yin and yang. People tend to view Chinese medicine as the spawn of superstition, created by mystical and occult practices. Western medicine is more logical, more easily understood. You can quickly do "wiki" on a particular medical term or pharmaceutical drug.
3. There are a lot of fake Chinese doctors and Chinese drugstores selling fake Chinese medicine. Like pirated DVDs and designer clothes, Chinese medicine are also being counterfeited. An authentic Chinese diet pill that costs around 2,500 pesos in one drug store might be sold for 250 pesos in another. Unless you are really experienced in dealing with traditional Chinese medicine, it is difficult to distinguish the real doctors from the fake ones. There are a lot of unscrupulous people are masquerading as traditional Chinese doctors, dispensing inaccurate (and sometimes costly) medical advise to sick people.
4. Chinese medicine is not properly regulated by the local government. I know of several practicing traditional Chinese doctors who are illegal immigrants, without the proper medical license, or credentials operating clinics around the city. And many Pinoys and Tsinoys patronize them. I also wonder if there are competent people in the DFA who can distinguish the right kind of Chinese medicines and weed out the fake ones.
But despite all these skepticism, a lot of people still believe Chinese medicine. I guess this appeals to the "sigurista" nature of the Filipinos -- having an alternative to Western Medicine. Many people consider Chinese medicine safer and more reliable (it has been around for centuries), as compared to recent medical sciences.
Personally I find Western medicine more reliable and more effective. It takes a longer time to brew a Chinese herbal concoction and there are a lot of things (bordering on superstition) that you avoid to make the medicine work. Among these "forbidden things" include:
(1) you need to buy one of those medicine pots to boil the herbs (using aluminum utensils would ruin the potency of the herbs),
(2) when preparing the brew, you must make sure the water reaches a certain volume before you can ingest it, so you would have to watch the pot and make sure the all water does not evaporate.
(3) you cannot eat certain type of food when drinking Chinese herbs (in my case I cannot eat vegetables, chili, or certain fruits since it would counter act the herbs inside my body).
These are the days when you want to stay in the office
With the summer heat bordering close to unbearable, I find myself seated in front of the office computer, enjoying the cool (yet sterile) temperature. I'm amazed at how office buildings manage to keep their rooms close to arctic freezing temperatures while the streets of Manila are scorching like hell.
Now I prefer to stay inside the office, protected from the sun and heat. Work is the unfortunate trade off to this cooler temperature. But it is worth every minute of it.
With the summer heat bordering close to unbearable, I find myself seated in front of the office computer, enjoying the cool (yet sterile) temperature. I'm amazed at how office buildings manage to keep their rooms close to arctic freezing temperatures while the streets of Manila are scorching like hell.
Now I prefer to stay inside the office, protected from the sun and heat. Work is the unfortunate trade off to this cooler temperature. But it is worth every minute of it.
Java Overdoze
After contributing some tutorial articles about Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007, I am now working on some introductory tutorial stuff about Java 6. Honestly I don't know anything about codes, operands, or object-oriented programming. But then again, this is a great experience and exposure to how computer programmers think.
Still, I figure this sort of work is much better compared to the writing assignments I used to get. At least the work atmosphere is much better and there are a lot of references and experts to help me prepare a credible document in the end.
After contributing some tutorial articles about Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007, I am now working on some introductory tutorial stuff about Java 6. Honestly I don't know anything about codes, operands, or object-oriented programming. But then again, this is a great experience and exposure to how computer programmers think.
Still, I figure this sort of work is much better compared to the writing assignments I used to get. At least the work atmosphere is much better and there are a lot of references and experts to help me prepare a credible document in the end.
Lego Exhibit at SM Megamall
After so many years, I finally visited a Lego exhibit. The last time I saw a Lego exhibit was when I was 12 or 13 years old (in Greenhills). Back then, the lego creations were more impressive and breath taking. The lego sets right now have fewer bricks and more accessories.
At least Lego is being promoted again here in Manila. I think Toy Kingdom is now the official distributor of Lego. Gift Gate disposed of its remaining lego sets and decided to let go of selling the bricks.
Here are some of the pictures I took from the Megamall exhibit.
After so many years, I finally visited a Lego exhibit. The last time I saw a Lego exhibit was when I was 12 or 13 years old (in Greenhills). Back then, the lego creations were more impressive and breath taking. The lego sets right now have fewer bricks and more accessories.
At least Lego is being promoted again here in Manila. I think Toy Kingdom is now the official distributor of Lego. Gift Gate disposed of its remaining lego sets and decided to let go of selling the bricks.
Here are some of the pictures I took from the Megamall exhibit.
Looking at Intramuros
I was helping out deliver some stuff at Divisoria. We happened to stop over the riverside on the Binondo area, overlooking Intramuros. Good thing I brought my celphone to take some pictures of the scene.
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It's sad to see how we disregard pieces of our history. These places have historic value, but it looks like a forgotten relic which we treated as an eye-sore.
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It's sad to see how we disregard pieces of our history. These places have historic value, but it looks like a forgotten relic which we treated as an eye-sore.
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Holy Week Pictures
I know its kinda late, but I want to show a couple of pictures I took during the eve of Black Saturday. Jen and I were driving around Binondo church to watch the festivities as people are preparing for the Easter celebration.
It's nice to see the old church lit up brightly in the night.
I know its kinda late, but I want to show a couple of pictures I took during the eve of Black Saturday. Jen and I were driving around Binondo church to watch the festivities as people are preparing for the Easter celebration.
It's nice to see the old church lit up brightly in the night.
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