Suppose, Contend, Differentiate

to post

2011-03-30T23:36:00.001-07:00

Turnaround

2011-02-28T23:06:00.001-08:00

One may lament the closing of some bookstores nationwide., specifically, the closure of big chains such as Barnes and Noble and Borders. The lament may come from the sympathy that may feel for the employees: surely they will lose their jobs. Although a study say that there is a noticeable rise in reading in America- based on e-books purchases through Amazon Kindle and other brands, the difficulty of losing is a job is very disheartening. One can infer that most bookstore employees are introverted and socially awkward. They might consider their work as a fortress, and now such fortress is being corrupted by economic failure, weak sales and steep rent prices. One could hope that they could find a fortress not in the form of unemployment benefits.

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Richard Arum, author of Academically Adrift, posits how college students are not learning from colleges in America. As the Huffingtonpost reports:"The research of more than 2,300 undergraduates found 45 percent of students show no significant improvement in the key measures of critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing by the end of their sophomore years."
One might say:"Oh how the mighty have fallen." The US before was King of everything, and now, the US lagging behind its Asian counterparts. Others might say that the cause of this is the dumbing down of Americans. Nevertheless, the US is not the best anymore.

McVictimization Begins

2011-01-29T22:56:00.000-08:00

McVictimization Begins

The McVictim Syndrome may pertain to the finger-pointing tendencies people do to feel good about themselves. It seems to provide people solace that factors beyond their control are causing their misfortune. One of the classic examples is the obesity epidemic the Americans are going through. David Grazer who coined the term in an article he wrote for the LA Times cites that as long as Americans think that their obesity is someone else's fault, therefore, it is someone else's problems to solve.

One can imagine how childish the coping mechanisms of most Americans. The fact that they rely on false pretenses, and to displaced the blame to other causes seems to be pathetic.

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Ana Jordan, a PhD psychologist from Stanford University, led a study
that facebooking makes people sadder. The premise of this study stems from the notion that facebook users overestimate others people's happiness. Slate.com goes in depth in this study.

In one of the Stanford studies, Jordan and his fellow researchers asked 80 freshmen to report whether they or their peers had recently experienced various negative and positive emotional events. Time and again, the subjects underestimated how many negative experiences (“had a distressing fight," "felt sad because they missed people") their peers were having. They also overestimated how much fun (“going out with friends,” “attending parties") these same peers were having.

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Planned obsolescence pertains to the mechanism of products that are designed to fail. This does not pertain to the normal wear and tear of the product. Planned obsolescence appears to provide a death-date for the product, sometimes in a span of 12-18 months, in order for the company to welcome and sell the new product easily. One of the many examples is the selling of the first generation Iphone. Within the span of 12 to 18 months, there goes the much bolder, much hipper and much cooler Iphone 2nd generation. Apparently, the main purpose is for profits to soar once companies unveiled a new product. Sharon Beder, a visiting professorial fellow at the University of Wollongong, wrote in 1998: "Is planned obsolescence socially responsible?", one can infer that planned obsolescence negates social responsibility.

•work cited•
Planned obsolescence: http://www.uow.edu.au/~sharonb/columns/engcol8.html

Slate.com: http://www.slate.com/id/2282620/

Mc Victim Syndrome: http://www.newser.com/story/107139/mcvictim-syndrome-helps-keep-americans-fat.html

A deluge of blessings

2010-12-31T11:02:00.000-08:00

12/23/2010 -California was purged with almost two weeks of rain, but that it seems to have not stopped the consumerist behavior of people. The rain departed last Thursday, but the chilling December cold still linger. As mentioned above, despite these seeming obstacles, consumerism is still king. Parking lots are bombarded with signs: “lot full." One of possible reasons to have offline shopping spree during this holiday season: the notion of markdown prices and sales. What most people do not seem to notice is the markdown prices are only part of a plan: fool the consumers that they are getting deep discounts when on fact they are paying for regular prices.

One may say to let it rain with deep pocketed discounts. Let people buy things they do not need. Let them be consumers for the profits of big time corporations. In the long run, the true core of having an esteemed self is measured by the things you own and possess. Seemingly, this is the trend of what most people, and people like it because it is very superficial and shallow.

12/31/2010- Another year is at its final moments. I love how this year brought awakenings and insights. I love how each occasion spend with family and friends turned into meaningful meanderings and strengthen the very core of each relationships. Mostly, I am very grateful for God's blessings of good health, devoid of illness and malady. I hope He would continue to bless me, my family and friends, and I am sure he would. Have a Happy New Year Everyone!

The Slaughter of 46 million birds

2010-11-26T11:35:00.000-08:00

The Slaughter of 46 million birds

So here comes the last Thursday for the month of November. Most people would go into a frenzy of cooking-dom, while most would pursue the generic grocery laden meals. The previous posts in this blog about the arguable “Native American Oppression Day still stands. The writer would not change his position about the lies that most history teachers told the student. Please refer to the James W. Loewen book should bloggers need to read this book.

One of the many aspects that people may look into is to how would the food industry be able to keep up with the demands to the culture of gluttony during this holiday season. Slate.com raises some valid points that what people eat now during the holiday are part of the genetically modified food products. In July 2010, The National, Poplulation Of The United States Of America is 309, 059, 724. One can say that it could be more. So how would the food industry keep up with the food demand?

Nina Shen Rastogi and Michelle Tsai, Slate.com columnists, reports:“Major commercial turkey brands, like Butterball, Hormel, and Cargill, produce two kinds of whole bird: frozen and fresh. Turkeys destined for the freezer are produced year-round—once these birds reach the proper size and weight, they're slaughtered and blast-frozen at minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, at which point they can be stored all year in preparation for the holiday poultry frenzy.”

It is also interesting to know that Rastoji and Tsai estimates 46 million turkeys in America will be victims of this moveable feast. One can attribute the legalization of the massive and yearly turkey slaughter to Lincoln. By 1863, when Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday (Rastoji and Tsai , 2010), and turkeys took center stage to be the the star on the holiday dinner table.

Owed Ownership

2010-10-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

Ownership seems to be a muffled concept in this country. One may often wonder if people really own the stuff they buy. House ownership seems to be comparable to leasing. Although one may claim a house as a tax deductible, the person may not own a house until 30 years later. Hence, this is one of the many examples.

The housing may have brought upon some redefining of responsibility. Slate V covered a piece regarding homeowners on the brink of foreclosures. The video podcast communicates on how foreclosure candidates are appealing to the government that they need financial aid; since the the government gave economic stimulus to big corporations. One may have said: if they had been an adult enough to responsibly not buy houses they cannot afford, then they would have not been on the housing mess. OH, the lessons of the times, but where is Change

Cerebral Faux Pas

2010-09-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

Cerebral Faux Pas

One might say that those people who consider movies as the source of things intellectual and wise ---- are people who are victims of Hollywood propaganda. A Hollywood propaganda may pertain to objects or events aim to elicit profits from unsuspecting consumers. For instance, AMC has special screenings for old movies--- The Exorcist with never before seen footage, director commentaries. The ad emphasizes that it is a very rare event, and leaves the impression that people should not miss it. Who would care about old stuff from the movie studios vault? It seems hard to find time to watch the feature film itself, let alone find time for special features. One could guess that it is fair game when it comes to dubious marketing. All things be damned, in the holy name of profits.
One can say that it is hard to find a diversion--- a catharsis-- a break from the quotidian scenes of daily life.

Sometimes, people are realizing that TV or cinema are the quickest escape. Such scape can become so humdrum. Humdrum that people appears to be mesmerized by the flicker and sounds of the screen, and that would only be their priorities at the end of the day-- humans are slaves to the flickering box.

Mean Merchandise

2010-08-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

Mean Merchandise

One can get lost when one would fall sheep to the marketing strategy of companies. For instance, vitaminwater made unwarranted claims. Jed Shlackman reports from “The Examiner” that from the makers of Coca Cola. . The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has filed a lawsuit. The lawsuit stipulates that that Coca Cola has been making false health claims for this bottled beverage. VitaminWater includes about 33 grams of sugar in each bottle. One can consider this as more than the recommended daily allowance for sugar.

The Federal Judge presiding over the case reported that "At oral arguments, defendants (Coca-Cola) suggested that no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking vitamin water was a healthy beverage. One may may hold this defense as an unreasonable excuse from the company. .

Another example one can notice the proliferation of shower gels for men. Scott Graf reports that last year more American brought more bottled water than traditional bar soaps. Companies would want this, because it is a more lucrative – shower gels and body washes are more expensive even though almost 2/3 of it consist mostly of water.
Because of the brilliant marketing and an appeal to sex and masculinity, people would fall like a tamed sheep to the shepherd of the manipulative marketing ploy. This practice has been going on for a long time, which make it excusable, profitable and lucrative. This writer would not want to preach to a flock of lost sheep who follows and abides to the aforementioned ploy. Arguably, the one using almost 60% of water and 40% of soap are the patrons of body washes

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Richard Louv identified a phenomenon called Nature Deficit Disorder. It refers to the increasing tendency to spend very little time outdoors in the open countryside. The contention is that today's kids do not play and interact with nature in the way that their parents did, instead spending most of their leisure time inside. Richard Louv appeals to the conten that television seems to take and steal viewers time, while nature regenerates the experience with much less distractions and utter simplicity.

Work Cited:

http://www.examiner.com/x-12517-Miami-Holistic-Health-Examiner~y2010m8d9-As-Miami-Heat-star-promotes-CocaColas-VitaminWater-CSPI-sues-to-challenge-false-product-claims

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/buzzword/entries/nature-deficit-disorder.html

Defend the Fan-boys

2010-07-16T17:53:00.001-07:00

Defend the Fan-boys

The sporadic blogger shares the same sentiments towards the notion that Apple Fan boys are similar to Obama supporters, in terms of close-mindedness. For instance, people already know about the Iphone 4 death grip. This term, as coined by the blogger community, pertains to a manner where one would hold the phone (specifically, left-handed people) and it would suddenly drop calls or lose its signal. One can thank the meticulous and solicitous marketing strategy of Apple, unsuspecting consumers already took some bites, and the phone is still a product some people desire.

One could also guess that Obama supporters are also products of meticulous marketing. For instance, during the week when Obama's approval rating hits record low, the mainstream media dabbled on newsworthy topics such as Lindsay Lohan trial and Lebron James team transfer. Such extended coverages to the two topics would indeed bespeak of the people's priority of major issues.

One may say that the two groups of people have similarities, and it seems that they are anastamosed for the right causes. People should give accolades to these to groups. They seem to declare close-mindedness as a “cheval-de-frise” to a cavalry of a more cognizant opinion.

Definition:

cheval-de-frise

▸ noun: defensive structure consisting of a movable obstacle composed of barbed wire or spikes attached to a wooden frame; used to obstruct cavalry

Source: American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

Plunking Priorities

2010-06-30T21:08:00.001-07:00

Most people, specifically women, seem to have bizarre priorities nowadays. They seem to desire things such as cosmetic surgeries, fancy cars, diamonds, purses and any other similar items. It seems that these items define womanhood, and without such items, their lives will be empty. This seems to be the virtue of materialism. One can relatively blame it to shows such as Sex in the City, where, one of the many central themes of this series is to acquire and possess, be it men and/or materials. Arguably, this is how shallow priorities have become. All for the name of feminism.

One may surmise that a scene from Jack & Bobby episode, “A Man of Faith” communicates on how the culture of superficiality can dumb down women.

“I still believe you were unfair to me that day. You judged me superficially. You look at me, and you see an oppressed Muslim woman, forced to cover her head by a misogynistic and backwards culture. That's what you meant; you see me as a victim. I don't think you see my choice in all of this...

You know, there are two girls in my hall who are anorexic, one has breasts implants, and two others are considering surgery either to their body or their face. All of them obsess over their weight and their clothes and their looks. This is what your culture does to women. It suggests ideals they'll never attain, and when they fail to attain them, tells them they're worthless. You talk about my conditioning, but what you don't understand is that I am a feminist, just like you, and this is part of that. This is me saying “no" to all of the ways your culture tries to exploit me. This is me saying “yes" to my religion, and my god, not "no" to being liberated. I am liberated. “

One may have change ideals, but one could hope that it would not be mindless beliefs that are ephemeral and transient.

Celebrity Nurse

2010-05-30T10:08:00.001-07:00

I assume different roles in the Definitive Observation Unit: nurse, counselor, advocate, helper, engineer etc. I spent most days like a protagonist defending patients against forces of Infection, Illness, and Debilitation. The patients can be critical on some days. But today was a Sunday, and the day was probably flowing smoothly. As I was cleaning a patient's ordure, and exquisitely wrapping it in chux (disposable underpads); a patient on the other bed requested: "Can you change the channel to the Oscars?"
I muttered to myself: "It is the time of the year again. It is the time of overpaid movie studios, glitzy celebrities, and the red carpet." Arguably, audiences regard criticisms during the Oscars as undisputed doctrines of fashion. The ridicule for pieces of clothing serves as a national pastime in the US. Do I really have to subject myself to this kind of shallowness?

My contempt towards celebrities may stem from the premise: "I labored and travailed 4 years for college, read over 30,000 pages of nursing books, and this some 20-year old celebrity who scantily read a book, only knows how to mimic lines, gets media attention everyday and earns probably 100 times than my annual salary." In the long run, I should be more stellar than celebrities. I should be the one walking that red carpet, paparazzis taking my snapshots, and interviewers requesting for my sound bytes.

The nursing profession has taught me skills to endure the job of a Hollywood star. I have to smile even if a patient has been calling repeatedly for piddling tasks every 15 minutes. I have to remain calm during code situations, whether it be a code blue, code gray etc. I have to learn the art of eating my lunch while receiving reports, doctors orders, and instructions. I can be interrupted many times, and still have my train of thought intact. Richard Harter opines that nurses can detect the odor of different diarrhea types, and I am able to do as such. Lastly, I can change my perspective on almost anything, no matter how bleak, can seem humorous eventually.I guess these traits are tantamount to patience, professionalism, and optimism.
I contend that these traits: patience, professionalism, and optimism are the characteristics that makes a stellar nurse. Arguably, a celebrity cannot have all three traits. If they do, celebrities would not spend millions on rehab, would not splurge on anti-depressants, and would not need a comeback to seek redemption. I am a nurse and those (patience, professionalism, and optimism) are what makes me stellar.
Nurses are the stellar celebrities of the hospital. In the meantime, I have to dispose the ordure, wash my hands, and tell the other patient in the room: "Sure, let me finish this and I will change the channel for you, " conveyed with a smile. I guess patience, professionalism, and optimism are working in progress.

The Sporadic Blogger Pilot: Redefining Revolution

2010-04-23T23:03:00.000-07:00

The Sporadic Blogger Pilot: Redefining Revolution

The sporadic blogger thinks that people need someone to dictate what is good, hip and sexy. Most people would leave this burden to the corporate companies who are raking money from the cottage industry companies may have created. One obvious example is the birth of the Ipad. This is a revolutionary device because it only do one task at a time. It is a revolutionary device because it does not support flash. It is revolutionary because the Ipad is awkward to use when one has to do word processing, spreadsheets, excels and other productivity tasks. It is revolutionary because the task one can do on the Ipad, are easily done and more on a regular PC. It is revolutionary because as Antone Gonsalves, Information Week columnist, communicates that the components and other materials used in building the low-end 16 GB, Wi-Fi-only iPad cost Apple $250.60. Add manufacturing costs, and the device cost $259.60. It is revolutionary because Apple profits 50% on every Ipad sold, and it is revolutionary because Apple made the Ipad.

The sporadic blogger notices that the notion that early adopters of the Ipad are slaves to the great and mighty marketing and spinning techniques of a company with the hidden dubbed motto: "Be evil." This is a very noble notion. As the sporadic blogger communicate on the first paragraph, people would like companies to dictate and proselytize what is good, hip, and sexy. Apple devices are tools for world domination, marketing and deception are its masters. It seems that most companies are adapting to the new revolution that Apple establishes with the Ipad. Few example of the revolution may anti-multitasking, anti-flash support, anti-productivity. This is the new revolution, and it is the Absolute right thing.

The Ipad revolution is one of the many example that most people are slaves to a corporation to whom they consider as an unerring demigod.The sporadic blogger thinks that people submitting themselves to a company is beneficial. After all, thinking for oneself has arguably run out of supply.

Posthumanism

2010-03-14T22:32:00.001-07:00

Posthumanism

One may define posthumanism as a philosophy which views seizing the opportunity to modify and enhance human nature in ways that include the deceleration or arresting of aging, genetic engineering, the bodily introduction of nanotechnology and cybernetics (Post, 2005). The lives of people today would seem to have dependence and interdependence toward technology. For instance, most people can not imagine themselves living today without their smartphones. Another example would include the deceleration of aging. Most beauty conscious people seem to be pre-occupied with which anti-aging creams works best. Ever heard the phrase: “it works best while you sleep?” These simple alterations would begin in basic steps to great leaping action. In this regard, the modified being because of alterations would not be considered human anymore. Simply put, posthumanism would seem to be the belief that humans are not humans anymore because they delve and altered the nature of their being through nanotechnology, computer dependence, and the like.

Some people maybe oblivious that they are supporting posthumanism. For instance, one may say that the “Genius” feature in the Ipod would seem to illustrate the dependence of humans to technology. Before, people depend on a DJ to mix and determine the order of the songs. Now, people would depend on a computer program and algorithm to determine which music they want to be played. Such dependence with the Genius technology can be a support to posthumanism. The very replacement of a disk jockey to a computer software with complex algorithm is one of the manifestations.

One of the many ethical issues posthumanism might raise is the alteration at conception and childbirth. In the future, majority of the people may want their children to have the genes of a genius class topnotcher with the built of a varsity player or a cheerleader. The issue that might arise: to what point it is augmentation, and to what point is it the meddling with nature? One may have a point to correct a gene of a Down syndrome, or the genes that would make a person diabetic in the future. It seems that the science fiction stories of long ago are in the process of their fruition.

Post (2005) asserts that technology is not inherently evil. It is a tool that people should use wisely. One can add that post humanism would seem to bastardize and the identity of the human beings, because, after all the alteration and modifications, arguably, the person is not the person himself, but the new product of the technology and augmentation. Posthumanists can not decelerate aging forever, death and decomposition is inevitable. Up to what point posthumanists would forestall the inevitable?

Work Cited:

Post, S.. (2005). Posthumanism. In Carl Mitcham (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics, Vol. 3(pp. 1458-1462). Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA. Retrieved March 14, 2010, from Gale Virtual Reference Library via Gale:
http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=uphoenix

Screenshot from FLICKR: http://www.flickr.com/photos/parzer/4165024168/

Happiness is...

2010-02-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

Happiness is...

Some people consider happiness as a chore. Being happy nowadays would seem to require much effort. One may relate this state on unhappiness on Richard Schoch's assertion: "We have come to regard happiness as a sort of consumer product, the ultimate luxury item, and if only we just had enough money, we could go into the happiness store.” The mentality that happiness is a commodity where people can buy it everywhere seems to be very unfortunate. People can rectify this notion, however, this can be a very daunting task. Society bombards people with endless desire for materialism.

One may define hedonism as a the doctrine holding that behavior is motivated by the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain. People seem to hold on to a virtue that when they acquire material things, such action shall give them pleasure, ergo, happiness. One school of thought would say that hedonistic principle only gives a transient happiness. For instance, when a person buys a new television, such action shall bring him joy and pleasure, thus happiness. However, when the use of the television becomes almost as mechanical, and when a person is not even conscious that the television is new, then the pleasure is lost. It would seem that the item has lost its luster and would like just be any other item.

Seneca states: “The greatest loss of time is delay and expectation, which depend upon the future. We let go the present, which we have in our power, and look forward to that which depends upon chance, and so relinquish a certainty for an uncertainty.” One can say that this can be related the the detached view of Seneca to the world. People do not have control over the what is happening on the world. People may only change their reaction and attitudes towards what has happen. Schoch maintains that “[..] means a little bit of detachment, trying to distance yourself from all those things, and in that detachment and that distance can come a calmness, a reflective period, a moment of meditation. Seneca would call it serenity or tranquility. That, in fact, is another name for happiness."

Epicureans believe that in order to be happy, one should expect less. In return, the happiness expectation is lower. If the expectation is high, and it plans do not turn out to be, then the attempt for happiness may only end up in disappointment and frustration. This may explain why some people In poor countries are happy in simple things. Their expectation is low, because they have suffered greatly, and they seem to have an attitude to appreciate even the smallest favor done to them. In summary, one can glean that happiness is something intrinsic. It is something that requires effort intrinsically. Material things only supplies happiness in a temporary way.

Work Cited:
Richard Schoch: http://www.pri.org/arts-entertainment/books/in-search-of-the-good-life1782.html

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hedonism

From Bedded to Innovative KitKats

2010-01-15T20:32:00.000-08:00

From Bedded to Innovative KitKats

Some people seem to want to flaunt virility. According to the Post, Biskind estimates the bedded-by-Beatty women figure at "12,775, give or take, a figure that does not include daytime quickies, drive-bys, casual gropings, stolen kisses and so on.” This seem to be an incredible statistics. One can posit that to boost morale of people under the recession-driven economy, one may grope on someone's elses sleeping behavior.

On a lighter note, the FirstPost in the UK reported that America is out of a recession. It reported that “America has officially emerged from recession, its economy expanding at an annual rate of 3.5 per cent in the three months to the end of September.” However, as of this writing, the unemployment rate as the Bureau of Labor and Statistics predicts would be 10.1% or above. Surely, one can say that people are on encouraging false hopes and false epicenters of confidence. Negative publicity is negative publicity. Some people in America seem to confuse improvement with stagnancy. They also seem to mistake innovation with idleness.

One could hope that the US would follow Japan's lead in terms of innovation. For instance, an improvement in an old product would be appropriate. In Japan, the flavors of Kit Kat are numerous. There are 22 flavors as of the present. The Japanese considers KitKats as lucky charm. They find the ch chocolate brand itself is akin to the Japanese phrase kitto katsu, which roughly translates to "You will surely win!" As a result, most schoolers would bring KitKat to school as lucky charm for examination and quizzes. Nestle Japan capitalize on this obsession and innovates to improve the product. One could hope that US would do the same thing.

Here is the screen shot of the different flavored KitKats:

Sources:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2010/01/how-many-women-did-warren-beatty-really-sleep-with.html

http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/55381,business,us-out-of-recession-but-its-too-early-to-celebrate

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14399606@N05/2315251961/

Winter Season's solutions?

2009-12-22T17:26:00.001-08:00

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Guillain-Barre is a rare disorder of the nervous system. It is usually defined as ascending paralysis of muscles, that would include respiratory muscles which might hinder the patient's basic capacity to breathe. In this situation, this might require the use of a mechanical ventilator. Winter Season is here, and vaccination opponents would seem purvey a causal relationship betweenGuillain-Barre and swine flu. Vaccination proponents argue that it has been 30 more years since America had the Swine Flu Vaccine Fiasco. USA today states: "
The 1976 swine flu program was "overwhelmingly recalled as a 'fiasco,' a 'disaster,' or a 'tragedy,' " wrote Fineberg and co-author Richard Neustadt, the late founder of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

The government signed off on developing a vaccine and using it at the same time, without ever reassessing the need for immunizing against the unpredictable flu virus." Vaccination proponents asserts that the making of the vaccine has already been refined., and the CDC is in a watchful waiting process for any side effects.

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One can say that what seems to be a solution to a problems, would not be the a solution, but would likely cause a burdensome aggravation to the problem. For instance, Newser.com annotated the problems the health reform may cause

$$$: "Forces you to pay up to 8% of your income to private insurance corporations."
* More $$$: "Penalties of up to 2% of your annual income" if you don't buy insurance.

* Yet more $$$: Coverage mandatory for some who can't afford "$11,900 in annual out-of-pocket expenses over and above their annual premiums."
* Anti-choice: The bill is "designed to trigger a challenge to Roe v. Wade."
* Worse care: Taxes on existing employer plans will decrease benefits.
* No returns: Taxes would start now, but advantages don't materialize until 2014.
* 300%: That's how much more the elderly could be charged.
* Drugs: Big Pharma gets a handout, and you get charged more.
* More drugs: No importation of cheaper alternatives.
* $$$, again: "In 10 years, your family’s insurance premium will be $10,000 more annually than it is right now."

http://www.newser.com/story/76646/10-ways-senate-health-reform-hurts-you.html

Problems, and problem and problems. One can say that 100 years ago from now, people may be minding problems that do not deserve to be given too much attention.
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One can say that the month of December can also be a month for break-ups. Wolstenholmes Solicitors LLP states: "Around 140,000 couples divorce each year in England and Wales. This is the highest divorce rate in Europe. According to recent statistics, the busiest time of the year for people – especially women – to initiate divorce proceedings is straight after Christmas." Others argue that January is the time for a clean slate and a fresh start. Hence, prospective divorcees would seem to proceed with this belief.

Sources:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-05-05-swine-flu-1976_N.htm

Situation

2009-11-24T16:32:00.000-08:00

Situation
I have been in a situation. A situation where my feelings did acts of betrayal with my thoughts. This is when rationalization and reason seems to be a deviation og all other sorts. When all I want to do is to give in to my feelings. I never should have expected or even assumed. I never should have thought all the could-have-beens and what might-have-beens. But then, like all other acts of betrayal, my feelings expected, assumed, and dreamt. They wandered as if there are hopeless romantics finally experiencing the joys of romance, the lavish exhilaration of summers, and the warm embrace of winter. Nathaniel Hawthorne states: ""Caresses, expressions of one sort or another, are necessary to the life of the affections as leaves are to the life of a tree. If they are wholly restrained, love will die at the roots." How can affection can be necessary if it seemed to be grown out of betrayal?

Scary Swines and Morbid Messengers

2009-10-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

Scary Swines and Morbid Messengers

The swine flu pandemic would seem to be on the rise. Arguably, the 2009 fall season can be one of the worst seasons in the last few years. Moreover, the mass media, especially the local news would seem to tip the panic scale of the people: by sensationalizing reports of the shortage of the vaccine. The script would run: “With the vaccine running on short supply, parents scramble.. the risk are in children and pregnant women...” This type of reporting would seem to work in eliciting fear and mild panic.

October 11, 2009- According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, had around 400,000, and accounted for 4735 deaths. The mass media would capitalize on these deaths to paint and exaggerate a morbid reality.

One would say that this type of reporting can be one of the manifestations that Barry Glasner asserts: cultivating the culture of fear in America. Vaccines are important especially for the immuno-compromised and the fragile population: children, pregnant and the elderly. The Mass Media acknowledges that there is shortage in the vaccine, and purposely cultivates fear. Why don't they focus on patient education to reduce the risk of acquiring the flu? They should consult a features documentary on how to prevent the swine flu. Vaccination is one of the MANY methods to prevent transmission. The mass media may like to portray that vaccination is the only viable choice.

Lastly, Edgar Wallace - The Clue of the Twisted Candle (1916), asserts: “Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake." It would seem that the snake caretakers are the morbid messengers of the mass media. One has to realize that vaccination is not the only way to prevent H1N1. I could have mentioned handwashing, eating a healthy diet, supplements for the immune system and the like. The people are not out of options as the major networks would like to portray as such.

Sometimes in September

2009-09-20T17:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in September
(blog processed on September 30, 2009-- after the typhoon Ondoy's rampage)
September is notorious for its rainy season. Typhoon Ketsana-- local Filipino name-- Ondoy has its collateral damage. One cannot be sure on the actual periods the victims can recover. During these trying times, one can say that the bayanihan effect has its scientific basis. It is called Mirror Neurons.

Some people argue that mirror neurons and empathy are simple. When one person perceive an action or emotion of another person, a number of neurons that would become active should we ourselves be conducting that action or expressing that feeling begin to fire. Thus, we simulate the actions and emotions of those we observe (serendip.brynmawr.edu-- Mirroring Emotions: The Role of Mirror Neurons in Empathy).

This may explain that when people see television clips of individuals and properties facing danger under the wrath of typhoon Ondoy, a certain part of some people's brains would fire up and would communicate empathy. People watching the telecast may feel sorrow, compassion, pity and the like. In this way, Mirror Neurons may also explain why there is “bayanihan” among Filipinos in the country and abroad.

One may argue that in this time of recession, empathy on people may be running out of stock. It maybe compared to a currency running out of monetary value. However, the very existence of motor neurons may prove that empathy is something intrinsic, organic, and biological. In a way, humans are created to do something benevolent.

Work Cited Links

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/2334

Images from: http://seizedmoments.blogspot.com/

Religion's Return

2009-08-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

Religion's Return

Public Radio International recently showcased the radio documentary "God is Back." One might say that the recent economic downturn would let people introspect and realize that there can be a Divine Providence. Most people may also realize that what matters are not the ephemeral, transient, and the material, but something spiritual, redeeming, and enlightened. This is not to ignore the fact that there are people who do not subscribe to the existence of God. One may contend that the secular subscription to a God is Someone who has Infinite Intelligence, but non-interventional and non-interfering. This can be a God that some skeptics may give reasonable doubt, but not entirely. For the of consistency, one can stick to the 1st Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech [...]" Some would contend that a decline in prosperity would be a time to turn to religion: Be it Allah, God, Eloha, Yahweh, Mohammed. Siddaharta and the like. John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge states on their book "God is Back" : Religion is even ( re-)emerging as a force in the very heartland of secularization. Europe is still a long way behind America: for instance, only one in ten French people say that religion plays an important role in their lives. But nevertheless there are signs that the same forces that are reviving religion in America — the quest for community in an increasingly atomized world, the desire to counterbalance choice with a sense of moral certainty [...]" One may posit that although religion skeptics seemed to refute religion, one may not deny that religion is an aspect of most people's lives.
*******
The month of August 2009 may have lost one of the hallmarks of democracy in Asia. The demise of Corazon Aquino seemed to have caused the weeping of millions of Filipinos. Cory may have been the epitome of a motherly love, to her children and to the nation. In the 1980s, she is one of the key characters who trampled the tyranny of martial law under the Marcos Administration. The People Power Revolution appeared to have taught the nation that revolt can happen in a peaceful manner. She became the first woman president in Asia. In a time when religion seems to be returning, one can say goodbye to Cory Aquino by remembering her words: "Faith is not simply a patience that passively suffers until the storm is past. Rather, it is a spirit that bears things - with resignations, yes, but above all, with blazing, serene hope.”

Dreams and Needs

2009-07-09T16:18:00.000-07:00

Dreams and Needs

Some may have moments of utter desperation. When someone is in need of a problem's solution, and the solution is as elusive as the current volatile global market, one may resolve into unexpecred circumstances. There maybe some things that one may lament. For instance, the current economy shed 467,000 jobs this June. This resulted to unemployment rise to 9.5% (Associated Press). This seems to be a disappointing scenario.

This writer recently obtained a house. This writer does not want to delve with this is the fulfillment of the “American Dream.” One must not engage in the propagandistic and commercialistic deeds of greedy realtors and investors. The hasty pursuit of this dream is what put the nation, and the world even, in this long term economic mess. Three years ago, some even called owning a home as “the American dream on steroids.” As it turns out, one may say that this type of dream seems to be corruptible.

This writer obtained a home because of needs. As Abraham Maslow contends, obtaining a house is a safety need. It is in the second level of the pyramid, and such may deem the matter necessary. Moreover, the American Dream is a cliché, and this writer shuns away from cliches.

In this regard, there are many things this writer has to be grateful: supportive family, a job, friends, a house-- are things too few to mention.

SideNote:

It seems to be ironic how the corporate media hero-ify a person they previously condemn and vilify. Rest in peace- Michael Jackson.

Weather Woes

2009-06-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

Weather Woes

The weather has been erratic lately. Spring should have come forward with its shiny and warm façade. The sunrise should have been toiling on every weekend, bringing the glorious role of outdoor activities. All the should-have-been’s seems to be just rhetoric. The sun-seeking behavior of Californians appears to have been dashed because of the June Gloom. According to Meteora.edu, the coastal clouds may remain all day but often give way to some hazy afternoon sunshine. The number of days during this two month period that are gloomy vary from year to year.

Into this writer’s surprise, the June Gloom may have been a blessing. The haze of the California sun needs to have its break. A lot of introspection during this rare phenomenon may occur. Moreover, the cold weather seems to be the anti-thesis against the marketing/corporate agenda that spring should be spent outdoors, or out of the country even. One may also find that the weather is associating itself with the bleak economic forecast as of press time. In this regard, a lot of things maybe under the weather, slowly breaking away from the rigid routines of spring and being gloomy as to its entitlement.

Some people may have emotions germane to loneliness and solitude once May Gray/June Gloom occurs. This can be a viable scenario. Once the weather promotes inactivity and introspection, such type of emotions maybe revived like a very earnest and courageous survivor. Like all other seasons, the weather as of press time needs to runs its own natural course. The same would apply with the gloomy emotions attributed to it. It would seem that time would be the only ally, to let the gloominess pass by, and let the sun lighten up someone’s weary soul.

Possession

2009-05-23T22:04:00.001-07:00

Possession

“Possession,” by Sarah Mclachlan would seem to be one of her remarkable and realistic songs. Borrowing the lyrics from the song:

"Listen as the wind blows

From across the great divide

Voices trapped in yearning

Memories trapped in time

The night is my companion

And solitude my guide

Would I spend forever here

And not be satisfied

And I would be the one

To hold you down

Kiss you so hard

I'll take your breath away

And after I'd wipe away the tears

Just close your eyes dear."

She wrote the song for her stalker. One can say that this can be a mild case of Stockholm syndrome. As such, this is what makes the song realistic and ethereal. Arguably, one can feel the sense of longing on this song, and even symphatize with Sarah's stalker. In a nutshell, this can be called a masterpiece.

Sarah McLachlan - Possession
Uploaded by Vinz91 - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

What I Treasure Most in Nursing

2009-04-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

This essay earned me a Nursing Spectrum CEU Gift Card from Citrus Valley Health Partners-- as of May 22, 2009

This is my entry for "Nurses's Week 2009." Citrus Valley Health Partners have this essay contest. My essay skills would seem to be a little rusty, and it needs some polishing. Joining the essay contest for nurses week may sharpen those skills. - as of May 10, 2009

The contest has a prompt on "What You Treasure Most in Nursing."

What I Treasure Most in Nursing

The looming economic crisis would seem to be eroding this country's resources. Treasures maybe hard to find in the times of foreclosures, bankruptcy and recession. However, I believe that nursing is a profession with intrinsic and indispensable treasures. What I treasure most about nursing is its resiliency to deliver compassionate caring despite obstacles and changes.

Some people might view that nursing is a profession exempted from recession and depression. Ostensibly, this argument can be valid. However, one may find that the nursing profession is also suffering from the economic downturn as manifested by the frozen hiring of nurses. Such situation could result to under-staffing and overworked nurses. In this regard, one may mistake the profession's exemption from economic recession and depression to the nursing profession's resiliency. Resiliency is the adaptation to any adversity. This is one of the things I treasure most about nursing. Despite the hurdles of under-staffing and fatigue, nurses try to adapt to deliver the optimal nursing care with compassion.

Another instance where the nursing profession exhibits resiliency is on the realm of laws and technology. Legal issues seem to bombard the nursing profession. Corporate compliance and HIPAA are some of the issues. In this regard, the nursing profession seem to address these issues with resiliency, and still provide compassionate caring to patients. Information technology is seemingly becoming an aspect in the delivery of health care. Nursing is not an exception. For instance, nurses used the Meditech software for charting. They also used Computer-On-Wheels for medication administration. Initially, some people find technology to be cumbersome and an obstacle to nursing care. However, the nursing profession is resilient to any changes. Moreover, the integration of technology and nursing has greatly improved in the last decade. Since the nursing profession is resilient to the changes in health trends, the intrinsic and indispensable facet which is compassionate caring seems to remain the same.

I would reiterate that the basic component of nursing is compassionate caring. Arguably, the nursing profession is resilient to changes, and this basic component seemed to have never been lost. Changes would include economic decline, financial instability, technology and legal issues. I could have mentioned changes in nursing ethics, Sentinel Events ( Medication and Drug Injuries), Nursing malpractice, Safe staffing issues and many more. Nurses can say: "Bring on the changes, " and the nursing profession would still remain resilient to deliver optimal nursing care under the banner of compassionate caring. With all the adversity and changes, compassionate caring is one of the most basic components of nursing, and it would never go out of style. As Lexie Saige asserts: "A nurse is compassion in scrubs." A nurse is the personification of compassionate caring. Hence, this is what I treasure most about the nursing profession: its resiliency to deliver compassionate caring despite obstacles and changes.

Of Truth, Consequences, and Re-kindled friendships

2009-03-03T15:26:00.000-08:00

Of Truth, Consequences, and Re-kindled friendships

Some people are alienated when one would speak of reunions. One can see how movies and TV shows have depicted families to be dysfunctional when it comes to family reunions, and friend reunions. Hollywood would seem to depict such gathering as confrontational, acrimonious, and chaotic. Such depiction would seem to be a disservice to the central core of reunions. This writer attended a reunion of his elementary classmate in the Philippines. Arguably, one may differentiate the Filipino style of reunions.

In reunions, there would seem to be roadblocks. One may say that arriving late is one of the most common hindrances. Arguably, in a crowd, someone would assume the role of a latecomer. This could have been an issue. However, patience and understanding was in an abundant supply. Hence, all was forgiven.

This writer is not in the habit of mentioning names. Accordingly, a Hemingway-esque type of description may suffice. The participants in the reunion would include but are not limited to:

functionally clueless– someone who can be absent-minded e.g.- losing car keys, hotel keys etc.
injured knee
work-oriented
post conservatism- one who is against the “Maria Clara” character
dehydration phobia- one who has a fear of not having enough fluids in the body, and who carries a water bottle most of the time
Size 0- it's for women, whatever it means.

One of the highlights of the reunion is the truth and consequences game. Consequence would include biting toenails, wearing underwear over the head, licking a thumb, toes, kissing uncovered and covered part of a body, wearing make-up,shaving body hair, and the, like. The purpose of this blog entry is from a mere suggestion. A reunion participant suggested that one must memorialize the funny moments of the reunion, hence, here it is.

In a nutshell, one can say that the weekend in the dwindling days of February 2009 is one of the warmest and happiest reunion that happened. Richard Bach states: “Don't be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.” Accordingly,it was the process of re-kindled friendships which made the week meaningful. It may surpass the moments and lifetimes of goodbyes.

Silver Cup

2009-02-27T21:49:00.001-08:00

Silver Cup

Some people is indignant towards the month of February. Such indignation may come from lonely people, single people, divorced people and the like. Some would say Valentines is just 24 hours. Arguably, February is a month of diminishing returns. 28 days in a month may not be enough. Having 29 days may not even be a consolation. Superstition asserts that those people born in the month of February can be ill-tempered and pickle-minded, because the month is lacking on days.

Hollywood seem to only dedicate the month of February for lovers and loving. This is to prove that Hollywood is almost always wrong. February can be for the lonely people and single people. As Jars of Clay asserts:

This is for all the lonely people
Thinkin' that life has passed them by
Don't give up until you drink from the silver cup
Ride that highway in the sky

This is for all the single people
Thinkin' life has left them dry
Don't give up until you drink from the silver cup
You'll never know until you try

In this aspect of life where even loving someone can be a pressure, a burden, and a generic commercial, one must think of the silver cup. Silver cup signifies the silver lining in every situation. Hence, this signifies all the love and hope in the world.

Random Thoughts 2009

2009-01-29T20:52:00.001-08:00

“Childhood is measured out by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows.” John Betjeman

Random Thoughts

The current economic recession would seem to be becoming a bleak scenario for the nation. Almost every institution and companies are streamlining and cutting costs. According to Rachel Bernstein, “Nine out of 10 companies have put cost-cutting strategies in place — from hiring freezes to furloughs — in hopes of weathering the recession gripping the U.S. economy. The most often-used cost-cutting initiative was reducing travel expenses, cited by 67 percent of survey respondents. It was followed by hiring freezes and reductions, which are used by 58 percent of companies surveyed.” This is arguably one of the dark hours of adulthood.

This seems to be the sounds and smell and sights that adulthood might face. This is where the looming dark hours of reason are on the process of bombardment. Slumdog Millionaire would seem to show the contrast of the growing dark hour of reason. One may argue that the scene where Jamal Malik jumped on the vat of feces to get an autograph of his favorite actor can be a literal measurement of the smells and sights of childhood. Most Mumbai residents would oppose the inaccurate portrayals of the movie. They contend that the movie projected and magnified a minor aspect of Mumbai.

Source

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2009/01/26/daily17.html

New Year, New Era

2008-12-30T18:36:00.001-08:00

Jerry Orbos writes: "Think about it: There were people who were with us last Christmas and are no longer with us this Christmas. And, there are people who are with us this Christmas who may not be anymore with us next Christmas. So why don’t we make it the best Christmas yet? Let us not postpone our conversion. Let us not postpone our loving." My co-worker Irish witnessed the death of a patient this Christmas . Some would say that death is a very inappropriate subject when one talks about Christmas. As a result, I completely agree with what Jerry Orbos have written.

It might be difficult to think of endings during this holiday season. In passing, technology have made a formal farewell to the VHS. "Ryan J. Kugler, president of Distribution Video Audio in Burbank, California" final truckload of VHS tapes in October -- the last time it plans to make VHS shipments, and the last major VHS distributor in the country to do so. This is the last distribution holdout for VHS tapes this week announced it's finally cutting the format from its inventory. Arguably, this is the end of an era. An era which was good while it lasted. Ecclesiastes 3:1-3
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.
2 A time to give birth, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to tear down, and a time to build up.
Arguably, there is a time for everything. Cliche as it may sound, endings are the harbinger for beginnings. Since Christmas and New Year are the two holidays which are inseparable, people should celebrate it with optimism. Maybe, such optimism is easy to say, but the execution would be a challenge. In some regard, this is the blogger's way of saying Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Source:

Final Rewind: The VHS Tape Has Breathed Its Last

Narrowed Horizons

2008-11-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

Narrowed Horizons

Ernest Hemingway asserts: “America is the land of wide lawns and narrow minds.” In some ways, Hemingway can be correct. For instance, the recent issue of Time Magazine tackles in its cover story “The Sorry State of American Health.” Alice Park reports: “The biggest problem with the U.S. health-care system is that it has long been designed to respond to illness rather than prevent it. According to an analysis by the Commonwealth Fund, a foundation that funds health-care research, half of American adults in 2005 did not receive recommended preventive care, which includes vaccinations, cancer screenings and blood-pressure checks.” One can say that America seems to be fighting the wrong war on health. Wide lawns and narrow minds, Hemingway may be right.

In the process of responding to illness, America seems to be fighting the Health wars of other countries. One can say that America aims to protect every person living in this land, whether the status might be legal or illegal.

Case Management on most hospitals would say that the funds for Medicare and Medi-Cal are dwindling. Such contention can never be further from the truth. Once America consider a person as homeless, destitute and would need welfare, such person will be a beneficiary of the taxpayers. Ironically, tax payers would work more than 80 hours a week, and homeless people, bums, lazy people, couples with four or more children would benefit from the hard earned dollars of diligent people. It seems as if laziness is a modern virtue to be rewarded by the people and for the people. In this regard, one may agree in Hemingway's position (see introductory quotation).

Is this the land of opportunities? Or some rules are turning most homeless people, bums into opportunistic parasites? Most Americans can not even get ultimate healthcare. In order to achieve such status, a person must be extravagantly rich or be a high end criminal. Liberals suggests that it is cruel and unusual punishment to let a prisoner suffer from illness. That's right; criminals have the privilege to have a health plan that covers everything. As such, the diligent taxpayers are the sponsors for healthcare.

Art Spander opines: "The great thing about democracy is that it gives every voter a chance to do something stupid." Sometimes, the decision of the majority would reflect narrow-minded and hasty decision making process. It would seem that the response of America to homelessness, destitution, illegal immigration is comparable to wide lawns having narrow horizons.

Source

Time.com

Same old, same old

2008-09-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

Same old, same old
Some people dread the notion of change. Changes seem to bring insecurity and undermine the very concept of stability. For instance, some people stay the same to prove that the affection of their loved ones remain unrequited and unconditional. This writer's trip to the Philippines seems to cling on the issue of change. In an unconscious level, this writer seems to expect the same old familiarity that made this country close to heart. The familiarity of sidewalk vendors, the blaring engine of tricycles, the doting of relatives, the humidity, and the photographs are some of the many little things which bolster familiarity. Although it took 18 time zones and an American citizenship to develop an innate sense of nationalism, the nationalism seems to be on a deeper level.
On some level, the province of Bulakan seems to retain its familiar facade. This familiarity served as a conduit for safety and nostalgia. People seem to resist change, because unfamiliarity appears to bring uncertainty. Such resistance impedes some of the advantages of change. The recent trip to Baguio can be an example. Sometimes, the establishment of SM Malls seem to corrupt the beauty and innocence of a place. The city of Baguio is known for its bucolic and rural esteem. The uprising of urbanism such as the SM mall in Baguio seem to take away the bucolic and rural The This seems to be the trade-off for the convenience of specialty stores and restaurant.
This writer longs for the same old, same old. In this way, the so-called resistance to change remains to be an affirmation that the feelings and affection towards the people, places, and things still dwell.

Worrisome Woes

2008-08-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

Worrisome Woes
The current economy seems to be on its plummeting course. One can also say that such plummeting is not only felt by the US but also other countries. It seems to be the season for layoffs, job hunting and a lifestyle overhaul. For instance, Gather. com enumerated the following:

1. Ann Taylor closing 117 stores nationwide A company spokeswoman said the company hasn't revealed which stores will be shuttered. It will let the stores that will close this fiscal year know over the next month.

2. Eddie Bauer to close more stores - Eddie Bauer has already closed 27 shops in the first quarter and plans to close up to two more outlet stores by the end of the year.

3. Cache closing stores - Women's retailer Cache announced that it is closing 20 to 23 stores this year.

4. Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Catherines closing 150 stores nationwide The owner of retailers Lane Bryant , Fashion Bug , Catherines Plus Sizes will close about 150 underperforming stores this year. The company hasn't provided a list of specific store closures and can't say when it will offer that info, spokeswoman Brooke Perry said today.

5. Talbots, J. Jill closing stores - About a month ago, Talbots announced that it will be shuttering all 78 of its kids and men's stores. Now the company says it will close another 22 underperforming stores.

The 22 stores will be a mix of Talbots women's and J. Jill, another chain it owns. The closures will occur this fiscal year, according to a company press release.

6. Gap Inc. closing 85 stores - In addition to its namesake chain, Gap also owns Old Navy and Banana Republic. The company said the closures - all planned for fiscal 2008 - will be weighted toward the Gap brand.

7. Foot Locker to close 140 stores - In the company press release and during its conference call with analysts today, it did not specify where the future store closures - all planned in fiscal 2008 - will be. The company could not be immediately reached for comment

8. Wickes is going out o f business - Wickes Furniture is going out of business and closing all of its stores, Wickes, a 37-year-old retailer that targets middle-income customers, filed for bankruptcy protection last month.

9. Goodbye Levitz - The furniture retailer, which is going out of business. Levitz first announced it was going out of business and closing all 76 of its stores in December. The retailer dates back to 1910 when Richard Levitz opened his first furniture store in Lebanon , PA. In the 1960s, the warehouse/showroom concept brought Levitz to the forefront of the furniture industry.

The local Levitz closures will follow the shutdown of Bombay.

10. Zales, Piercing Pagoda closing stores - The owner of Zales and Piercing Pagoda previously said it plans to close 82 stores by July 31. Today, it announc ed that it is closing another 23 underperforming stores. The company said it's not providing a list of specific store closures. Of the 105 locations planned for closure, 50 are kiosks and 55 are stores.

11. Disney Store owner has the right to close 98 stores The Walt Disney Company announced it acquired about 220 Disney Stores from subsidiaries of The Children's Place Retail Stores. The exact number of stores acquired will depend on negotiations with landlords.

Those subsidiaries of Children's Place filed for bankruptcy protection in late March. Walt Disney in the news release said it has also obtained the right to close about 98 Disney Stores in the U.S. The press release didn't list those stores.

12. Home Depot store closings - ATLANTA - Nearly 7+ months after its chief executive said there were no plans to cut the number of its core retail stores, The Home Depot I nc.ann ounced Thursday that it is shuttering 15 of them amid a slumping U.S. economy and housing market. The move will affect 1,300 employees.

It is the first time the world's largest home improvement store chain has ever closed a flagship store for performance reasons. Its shares rose almost 5 percent. The Atlanta-based company said the underperforming U.S.stores being closed represent less than 1 percent of its existing stores. They will be shuttered within the next two months.

13. CompUSA clarifies details on store closings Any extended warranties purchased for products through CompUSA will be honored by a third-party provider, Assurant Solutions. Gift cards, rain checks, and rebates purchased prior to December 12 can be redeemed at any time during the final sale. For those w h o h ave a gadget currently in for service with CompUSA, the repair will be completed and the gadget will be returned to owners. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9834177-7html <>

14. Macy's - 9 stores -

15. Movie Gallery - 160 stores as part of reorganization plan to exit bankruptcyThe video rental company plans to close 400 of 3,500 Movie Gallery and Hollywood Video stores in addition to the 520 locations the video rental chain closed last fall.

16. Pep Boys - 33 stores

17. Sprint Nextel - 125 retail locations New Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse appears to have inherited a company bleeding subscribers by the thousands, and will now officially be dropping the ax on 4,000 employees and 125 retail locations. Amid the loss of 639,000 postpaid customers in the fourth quarter, Sprint will be cutting a total of 6.7% of its work force (following the 5,000 layoffs last year) and 8% of company-owned brick-and-mortar stores, while remaining mute on other rumors that it will consolidate its headquarters in Kansas. Sprint Nextel shares are down $2.89, or nearly 25%, at the time of this writing.

18. J. C. Penney, Lowe's and Office Depot are scaling back

19. Ethan Allen Interiors: The company announced plans to close 12 of 300+ stores in an effort to cut costs.

20. Wilsons the Leather Experts - 158 stores

21. Pacific Sunwear will close its 154 Demo stores after a review of strategic alternatives for the urban-apparel brand. Seventy-four underperforming Demo stores closed last May.

22. Sharper Image: The company recently filed for bankruptcy protection and announced that 90 of its 184 stores are closing. The retailer will still operate 94 stores to pay off debts, but 90 of these stores have performed poorly and also may close.

23. Bombay Company: The company unveiled plans to close all 384 U.S.-based Bombay Company stores. The company's online storefront has discontinued operations.

24. { I have been contacted by KB Toyus. They ahve informed me that this totally untrue information as it regards their company. My source for this article was one of some 20+ international newspapers from Europe. i do not remember which one it was. I apologize to KB Toys for the erroneous information. }

25. Dillard's to Close More Stores Dillard's Inc. said it will continue to focus on closing underperforming stores, reducing expenses and improving its merchandise in 2008. At the company's annual shareholder meeting, CEO William Dillard II said the company will close another six underperforming stores this year.

One can say that it can be difficult to create a reality of optimism. The economy seems bleak, and most people would just want to go on with their lives. Jobs in retail and in the food industry may not be the most in-demand industry. It can be time to turn on the lenses of pragmatism. Another indication of a bad economy is to flaunt the banner of necessity as oppose to whimpers and whim. No offense to shopaholics out there, may it is time to reflect. It may be time to cease the childish and immature ways of following an unnecessary whim. It is time to be practical, and don't be a shopaholic just because of the prestige associations under it. Arguably, prestige is deemed useless once shopper's debt increase exponentially and cannot afford to pay the mortgage, car bills and other vital expenses. Shopaholics needed to hear the lecture, and so this goes.

Source:

Gather.com

Resist or Serve

2008-07-21T13:52:00.000-07:00

Resist or Serve

One can say that resistance is futile. A certain ideology is someone's crusade if most people are indifferent. As such, the most viable alternative would be to serve. To illustrate this point, the alleged transformation of Apple to a monopolistic behemoth seems to be a reality. For instance, afterdawn.com reports: "Apple is suing Psystar over their Mac clone, saying the terms of the OS X End User License Agreement (EULA) forbid the owner from installing it on anything but Apple hardware. They allege Copyright Infringement by Psystar, as well as Inducement of Copyright Infringement, Breach of Contract, Trademark Infringement, and Trade Dress Infringement. In short they're trying to put Psystar out of business citing language in the Mac OS X license forbidding the owner from installing it on anything but Apple hardware." One of the reasons why Apple had a following is because people try to veer away from the monopolistic behavior of Microsoft. Seemingly, Apple is turning the tide into the servitude of monopoly.
When one unconsciously becomes the monster they despised, the consequences can be unbearable and anti-climax.

Another example of falling into servitude is the servitude to a certain policies and procedures. For instance, nursing ratios has become stricter. Moreover, the presence of nursing unions can make the practice complicated. Generally, most policies require having proper coverage for patients even when nurses are on break. However, most nurses prefer to have community lunches. Community lunch pertains to most nurses taking lunches together. They can take lunch together as long as they answer their patient's calls and requests. Consequently, some people are opposed to community lunches. Hence, some people did a fascist intervention. They try to impose a limit on how many nurses can take lunch together. Since the imposition is integrated to the policies, the nurses have to give in and shun resistance. Resistance seems to alienate people and corporations. The risk of being cast as an outcast is maximized. Since most corporate conglomerates are pushing towards Orwellian terms of employment, most people has the choice to resist or serve, in which most people favor servitude as opposed to resistance.

Sa Aking Pagtanda from Fr. Ariel F. Robles

2008-06-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

This message/prayer is from Rev. Fr. Ariel F. Robles. He is a CWL Spiritual Director of St. Augustine Parish in Baliuag Bulacan.

Sa Aking Pagtanda

Sa iyo Anak:

Sa aking pagtanda, unawain mo sana ako at pagpasensyahan. Kapag dala ng kalabuan ng mata ay nakabasag ako ng pinggan o nakatapon ng sabaw sa hapag kainan, huwag mo sana akong kagagalitan. Maramdamin ang isang matanda. Nagse-self pity ako sa tuwing sisigawan mo ako.

Kapag mahina na ang tenaga ko at hindi ko maintindihan ang sinasabi mo, huwag mo naman sana akong sabihan ng “binge.” Pakiulit na lang ang sinasabi mo o pakisulat na lang. Pasensya ka na, anak. Matanda na talaga ako.

Kapag mahina na ang tuhod ko, pagtiyagaan mo sana aking tulungang tumayo, katulad ng pagaalalay ko sa iyo noong nag-aaral ka pa lamang lumakad.

Pagpasensyahan mo sana ako kung ako man ay nagiging makulit at paulit ulit na parang sirang plaka. Basta pakinggan mo na lang ako. Huwag mo sana akong pagtatawanan o pagsasawaang pakinggan. Natatandaan mo anak noong bata ka pa? Kapag gusto mo ng lobo, paulit-ulit mo yong sasabihin. Maghapong kang mangungulit hanggat’ hindi mo nakukuha ang gusto mo. Pinagtyagaan ko ang kakulitan mo.

Pagpasensyahan mo na rin sana ang aking amoy. Amoy matanda, amoy lupa. Huwag mo na sana akong piliting maligo. Mahina na ang katawan ko, madaling magkasakit kapag nalalamigan. Huwag mo sana akong pandirihan. Natatandaan mo noong bata ka pa? Pinagtyatyagaan kitang habulin sa ilalim ng kama kapag ayaw mong maligo.

Pagpasensyahan mo sana kung madalas akoy’s nagiging masungit, dala na marahil ito ng katandaan. Pagtanda mo, maiintindihan mo rin.

Kapag may konti kang panahon, magkwentuhan naman tayo, kahit sandali lang. Inip na ako sa bahay, maghapong nag-iisa. Walang kausap. Alam kong busy ka sa trabaho, subalit nais kong malaman mo na sabik na sabik akong makakwentuhan ka, kahit alam kong hindi ka interesado sa mga kwento ko. Natatandaan mo anak noong bata ka pa? Pinagtyagaan ko ang pautal-utal mong kwento tungkol sa iyong laruan.

At kapag dumating na ang sandali na ako’y magkasakit at maratay sa banig ng karamdaman, huwag mo sana akong pagsawaang alagaan. Pagpasensyahan, mo na sana ako kung ako man ay maihi o madumi sa higaan. Pagtyagaan mo sana akong alagaan sa mga huling sandali ng aking buhay. Tutal hindi na naman ako magtatagal.

Kapag dumating na ang sandali ng aking pagpanaw, hawakan mo sana ang aking kamay at bigyan mo ako ng lakas ng loob na harapin ang kamatayan.

At huwag kang mag-alala, kapag kaharap ko na ang Diyos na lumikha, ibubulong ko sa kanya na pagpalain ka sana… dahil mapagmahal ka sa iyong ama’t ina. Amen

Dumb Down

2008-05-26T21:42:00.001-07:00

Dumb Down

Summer is coming again. One can find a positive correlation between summer and gas prices. As the season of summer comes near, gas prices tend to increase.Even some hotels are giving away free gas cards to boost tourism.

Some people may have trouble in figuring out what legacy they might leave when they pass. Arguably, it seems that most people can leave a legacy that they are consumers. Consumerism is one of the most common, and most convenient legacy one can leave. For instance, one would just look on his garage, and one may find outdated clocks, microwaves, electric fans and more. Another example is that people paying high premium prices on worn-out and torn clothing on Abercrombie and Fitch. Exreme consumerism also has its demerits. Fashionable versus functional. Ostensibly, most people would choose fashion. Retailers exploit the superficiality of the people. In fact, Peter Sagal Wait Wait don't tell Me commentator asserts: during this summer, some people should earn to reconcile their low self-esteem. This seems evident. Some people would buy gas-guzzling SUV's not because they need it, but because they need to show that they can buy. Most people need to have that satisfaction to appease their fragile ego.

Some people tend to be immature. Maturity seems to come at a premium price. It seemed that the British was right in their view of the American people in the post World War II. A Mass Observation survey resulted in the findings: the Americans were "too self-satisfied, loud-spoken, too ignorant" as well as being "politically backward, uncultured and half-educated". Mass Observation commented: "Americans are, despite their central heating, business efficiency and industrial superiority, still the younger cousins.

The survey stills hold true after 68 years. Dumbing down of Americans seems to underplay it. For instance, shows such as “Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader, The Biggest loser, America's Top Model appear to depend on superficiality. Moreover, vocabularies do not appeal to some teenagers. Majority of they seem to dwell on the simplicity of the vocabularies of a 3rd grader.

What can people do with the dumbing down? Does the future of America depend on the likes of dumb and dumberer? Do people want slapstick logic?

Work Cited:

Robert Taylor"Immature, immoral, vulgar, materialistic . . ."

Intrinsic Preservation

2008-04-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

Intrinsic Preservation

It all started with an idea. Somebody pose a conjecture that death may not be an end in itself. What if death is a disease? This question was asked during the decade of the first successful kidney transplant. It is also the decade when healthcare has its ally: penicillin. The time was 1960, and the word cryonics has its inception.” This American Life,” a podcast hosted by Ira Glass, featured Cryonics. It is the concept of where an organism is subjected to low temperatures, to preserve an organism that is termed clinically dead, until further immortality booster can be available in the future.

One might say that people would turn into cryonics. For instance, a person is afflicted with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ALS. It is a disease where motor neurons degenerate. The last stage of this disease is that the person would lose all voluntary controls. Patient may not be able to stand or walk, or chew and swallow food. Wetting bed sheets and soiling linens are some of the vivid examples, and the person has no control. Most patients afflicted with ALS dies of respiratory failure. The worst part about this disease is that the person is aware of all of this. His cognition is spared. One imagine how painful the clinical manifestations of this disease. The reason that ALS patients might turn into cryonics is that self-preservation. If a doctor has ALS, he surely would not want to leave a legacy of wetting bed sheets or soiling linens, and yet he is fully aware that he has no control over the situation. How ironic it might have been, that a doctor was once has been the instrument of medicine, and he can not even perform a simplest function such as chewing.

It is human nature that humans want control. However, Oscar Wilde asserts: “A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.” People have control over their cognition. Back to rudimentary question: what if death is a disease? Cryonics may only be one of the answers. On the example above, one may consider a life with very low quality of life (ALS patients) as dying. Cryonics still has the long to be its prime. People afflicted with diseases has none.

Work Cited

This American Life Podcast

The Age of Timeless Disregard

2008-03-20T20:31:00.001-07:00

The Age of Timeless Disregard

In listening to Mark Porter Zasada’s podcast, he raised some points that hold true to the cycle of childhood and adulthood. One might say that children often wonder of what they would become when they grow up. And when they do grow up as adults, they often wish they had not grown yet, for there are inevitable responsibilities that compel people to work. “All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind,” as Aristotle points out. Arguably, routine work absorbs the enthusiasm of the ever elusive childhood aspiration. As a result, adults want to go back to childhood.

Zasada points out that such reversal has been happening. One might notice the fondness of adulthood for video games. Others might argue that game manufacturers market games with ESRB rating of Mature. The point is, what once regarded as an activity for children (gaming), adults are now indulging in those activities. In fact, other examples are reality TV shows. Who derives profound joy on harmless public humiliation? One might say that the developmental stages that derive fun in such activity are the stages of childhood.

As one gets chronologically advanced (translation: as one ages), adults may get as existentialist dread. Arthur Schopenhauer states: “The scenes of our life are like pictures in rough mosaic, which have no effect at close quarters, but must be looked at from a distance in order to discern their beauty. So that to obtain something we have desired is to find out that it is worthless; we are always living in expectation of better things, while, at the same time, we often repent and long for things that belong to the past. We accept the present as something that is only temporary, and regard it only as a means to accomplish our aim. So that most people will find if they look back when their life is at an end, that they have lived their lifelong ad interim […]”

One may realize that happiness is often found in the past, where people deem their lives as simple and pure. A child may never become to this realization, where perspectives are non-corruptible. For instance, a child may forgive without conditions, even he has been hurt many times. One can say Peter Pan was right on the assertion that he does not want to grow up. When one becomes an adult, he may come agree with what Schopenhauer asserts: “the emptiness of existence.” In a nutshell, the emptiness of existence is an essay by that author, where he asserts the meaninglessness of life, and the only concepts that exist in this world are time and decay.

As children, people can be hopeful. Such hopefulness is corrupted by disappointment and failure. One could hope that although people live transitory lives, the legacy that one person will leave will be a meaningful one.

Have a reflective Lenten Season, everyone.

Work Cited:

The Emptiness of Existence by Arthur Schopenhauer

Writers, DVD, and Residuals

2008-02-24T15:44:00.001-08:00

Writers, DVD, and Residuals

One can say that the recent writer’s strike ended. It all started with the VHS residuals. The writers only receive 0.3% for the first million of the reportable gross, and 0.36% thereafter. When the DVD became the standard format, the percentage writers received are still the same percentage in the VHS residuals. As a result, the writers feel shortchanged. Moreover, the writers want extra residuals for new media such as video streaming online. The strike ended February 12.

It seems that the writers are becoming the alter ego of the major corporation’s greed. Moreover, everyone wants their share of the big pie. When people hire services of a gardener, the customer-gardener relationship ceases after the service is done. Unlike the gardener, it seems that the writers want constant fee. Some might say that the gardener/writer situation is a false analogy. What the analogy suggests is that after the services are rendered (writing a script for a show/movie and a fee was paid), it is reasonable not to look for another job to keep up with the livelihood.

One can say that the victims here are the customers who are couch potato and do not consider reading a book as entertainment. Ostensibly, these are the lugubrious consumers with short-attention span and rely on television as the primary source of entertainment. One must introduce them to the activity called “living your own lives.” Reading books, going to plays, and spending time with family and friends are the time-tested activities that survive the sedentary era of the tube. As a side note, HD –DVD format is already on the respirator. Blu-ray seemed to conquer the market and major studio support. Hail to the individuals who waited to buy either format.

In a different note, sometimes, it is safe to conclude that political correctness is overrated. It is another form of euphemism, and when one would use it incorrectly, and then havoc would rein in. As a result, it can be another form of lying. For instance, one might say that it is racist to call a Mexican, a Mexican. They say it would be better to call this ethnic group as Latinos. Oftentimes, people wonder that political correctness equals deception, equals lies, and equals confusion. One possible solution is that individuals should express what comes to their minds, so long as it is under the rules of civility. The rules of civility are enough; people do not need political correctness.

Random Thoughts Series 1/2008

2008-01-06T20:27:00.001-08:00

Random Thoughts Series 1/2008

On Immigration

On the debate "Should We Welcome Undocumented Immigrants," Heather McDonald states: "A significant portion of the children of illegal Mexicans and Central Americans are adopting an underclass culture, as anyone can verify for himself by looking at social statistics or spending time in heavily Hispanic schools. Until we figure out how to prevent this from happening, our unrestricted immigration flows guarantee social problems for years into the future." The assertion McDonald made rings through like a liberty bell. On the debate, the other side which is against the motion would seem to appeal to emotions. For instance, Enrique Morones discuss the treacherous trek of illegal immigrants across the border. He even gave a scenario when one of the illegal crossers died of possible starvation or from the heat. The bottom line, the side against the motion seems to appeal to emotion and seem to bring up the archaic treaty: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Since the other side seem to appeal emotionally, it is reasonable to say that people should not welcome undocumented immigrants. Proponents to welcome undocumented immigrants would seem to miss the point. The U.S. has it laws. Welcoming undocumented immigrants is blatantly disregarding the law, which define every person who steps on US soil on legal channels. Aside from bringing an underclass culture, it is an insult to those who complied with rules and regulations.

On friendship

There are many ways for a friendship to fall apart. Perhaps it is the distance; perhaps it is the complacency to communicate in both sides. Should friendship fall apart, one should let it take its corresponding course. Let destiny disavow, repudiate, and disclaim what once has been a fusion of two connected souls.

On ER

The Emergency Room appears to be one of the busiest places, especially when one is a Registered Nurse. Hollywood and Television seem to make a great disservice to viewers by conveying ER to be one of the placers where potential lovers meet (or even become intimate with each other). In other words, to refute the misinformation that Hollywood and television caused, the Emergency Room is a place of astute nursing assessment, professionalism, and calculated humor.

Source:

Intelligence Squared

Enhancing Egos

2007-12-14T17:24:00.000-08:00

Enhancing Egos

When one would think of Harvard, one would say that it is the cream of the cream of the crop. Any other superlative adjective can be attributed to it. College education is one of the marketable investments. Accordingly, it seems to be the most elusive goal, since an average American Citizen is bombarded with superficial promises of the corporate world even without college education. Some people may consider admission in Harvard as an odyssey. Harvard seems to evaluate every applicant in the lens of an electron microscope.

In the midst of the application hardship, there is a way to get in Harvard that can be considered a tie breaker. One would call it as Legacy Admissions. Legacy Admissions seems to be simple. The requirement would be that Mom or Dad should be alumni in Harvard, and Mom or Dad should have donated wads of cash to Harvard.

In a recent documentary from BBC’s “The Changing World,” it was reported that 10% of College admissions in Harvard are legacy admissions. In this way, the children who were born

with silver platter on their mouths can arguably be admitted to one of the finest universities in the world. As a result, egos of the rich people are enhanced. Accordingly, people should support legacy admissions. In fact, Harvard President Lawrence Summers states: “"Legacy admissions are integral to the kind of community that any private educational institution is.” One can infer that from the quotation, one can work hard for grades and integrity, and a legacy kid can just be ahead of the game in terms of Harvard admissions.

One alternative to this inequality is people should study in Finland. One can say that there are no legacy admissions in Finland. Moreover, Finland claims to have the best education system. The same documentary communicates that Finns starts formal education as late as seven years old. Children start in mid August, and by December, 90% of the children can read. When average 1st graders are asked if they like school, one can almost always expect that the responses would be alienation towards school. One can correlate alienation towards school due to the fact that American starts early. As opposed to Finns, since they start formal school at an arguable later age, their enthusiasm towards learning can be contagious.

Arguably, American college graduates are bombarded with the myth that after they graduate: only the best should be for them. As a result, they have an over-inflated sense of confidence. Such confidence is ingrained to them since childhood, so as not to ambush their self esteem. For instance, when a child is playing baseball, most parents would hold him as the best player, event though he can not even score a home run. Most parents shield children from the fact that there will always be children smarter and better than them. As a result, when a child (lavished with the myth) grows up and finished college, and have his spirits broken by problems, loans, bills and competition, the problems would be too much for them to take. There is a great likelihood that most of them would go to a shrink….. For the purposes of…. Enhancing their egos.

Source:

Will Bush truly renounce privilege in admissions?

Terrific Thanksgiving- repost

2007-11-22T10:39:00.000-08:00

Terrific Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving seems to be a terrific holiday. Three categories can be associated with the word thanksgiving: lies, ethnocentrism, and dummy following. Every year, this particular holiday promotes the aforementioned nouns. Since thanksgiving perpetuates those things, it is reasonable to say that it is a terrific holiday.

Lie. Most people are perceive the first thanksgiving as an amicable holiday through its roots. Most people know this history:

“In 1621 The Pilgrims and the Indians sat down and had a nice, friendly meal together. No fighting was allowed on that day. Everyone sat down at the Plymouth Plantation to a meal of turkey, corn, fruit, pumpkin pie, apple cider, and potatoes. There was a big Horn of Plenty in the middle of the table. In fact, the Pilgrims and the Indians started that whole Horn of Plenty tradition on that first Thanksgiving Day. An Indian named, Squanto, was one of the guests. The point of the dinner was to celebrate the bountiful harvest and prove to the Pilgrims and Indians that they could live together in peace.”

Unfortunately, Richard J. Maybury finds this as a far cry version from the truth. He writes: “The problem with this official story is that the harvests of 1621 was not bountiful, nor were the colonists hardworking or tenacious. 1621 was a famine year and many of the colonists were lazy thieves.”

Carol Barbieri would seem to support what Maybury posits. She states: “The first winter for the Pilgrims was devastating. Of the original 102 Pilgrims who came to America on the Mayflower, only 46 Pilgrims remained. Quite simply, the Pilgrims were outnumbered by the Wampanoag Indians two to one. The Pilgrims thought it best to keep the Indians on their “good” side, until more Pilgrims could arrive.”

This is one of the many lies that the Thanksgiving holiday perpetuates and proliferates. Every year, people would engage in such lie and consider it to be true. Since thanksgiving perpetuates lies, it is reasonable to say that it is a terrific holiday.

Ethnocentrism. It is defined as “the belief or feeling that a group¹s way of life, values and patterns of adaptation are superior to those of other groups. It may manifest itself in attitudes of superiority or hostility toward members of other groups and is sometimes expressed in discrimination, proselytizing, or violence.” Thanksgiving would seem to promote this attitude. It can be traced back to its history. In fact, James L Loewen, author of “Lies my teacher told me,” writes:

“The civil ritual we practice marginalizes Indians. Our archetypal image of the first Thanksgiving portrays the groaning boards in the woods, with the Pilgrims in their starched Sunday best next to their almost naked Indian guests. […]The silliness of all this reaches its zenith in the handouts that schoolchildren have carried home for decades, complete with the captions that they served pumpkins and turkeys and corn and squash. The Indians had never seen such a feast.” Arguably, the very action of the Pilgrims viewing themselves as superior to the Indians would seem to perpetuate the concept of ethnocentrism. Since thanksgiving promotes ethnocentrism, it is reasonable to say that it is a terrific holiday.

Fans of thanksgiving can be reasonably called as “DUMMY FOLLOWERS.” This is very unfortunate because most of these fans were misdirected from the truth. It can be attributed to the careless history book writers. Moreover, it can be attributed also from people who has reckless disregard for the truth and repress “unpleasant memories” to proliferate a lie. Since thanksgiving promotes such disservice (dummy following), it is reasonable to say that it is a terrific holiday.

Work Cited:

Loewen, J. (1995). Lies my teacher told me. 1st ed. New York: Touchstone.

The Great Thanksgiving Hoax by Richard J. Maybury

Lemonade Stand by Carol Barbieri

Photo Source

An Exultation of Larks

2007-10-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

An Exultation of Larks

KBPS.org recently held a contest for collective nouns for “A Way with Words.” The title phrase is one of the winners of such contest. Year has passed before I was re-introducing to collective nouns. As far as I can remember, one can consider me a logophile when I was in sixth grade. At first, I find delight in spelling polysyllabic words that no one tends to use or hear. In the years to come, I was impelled that knowing vocabularies will help one person survive in the corporate world.

Refocus on collective nouns…. I can remember come examples: bouquet of flowers, flock of geese, gang of elks, and tribe of monkeys. I find the exultation of larks exquisite. One might say that the use of collective nouns is scarce in the mainstream language. In fact, when I listen to commercial radio stations and local TV stations, the usage of language are on the process of dumbing down (I emboldened commercial because NPR is station with IQ and the only sensible station in the Frequency Modulation). One plausible premise is that they mostly cater to people with a reading level of a 3^rd grade. I do not denigrate the 3^rd graders. In fact I flatter them because their language level is being used by college graduates in the media for the sake of global understanding. As a result, the consequence is dumbing down.

In the spirit of Halloween, maybe this is the time to fear for our language. Maybe this it that people should promote the garnishment of sophisticated language in a moderate level. I would rather take the risk of being called a pompous smart-mouth, than to be in the lines of dumb and dumber. Perhaps, such are the possible times when the larks may exult.

Homesickness, Vacation and AutoLoad

2007-09-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Homesickness, Vacation and AutoLoad

“To state it on a romantic level, I go there to further my roots, to look again at old, familiar places, to listen to a language I rarely use. To be pretentious about it, I go there to refurbish memory; it is this memory, collective in nature, which, after all makes a nation. In plain words, I am just homesick.” --- F. Sionil Jose “Why are we Poor? (Termites in the Sala, Heroes in the Attic)

The verdict for Erap’s plunder case may have been the completion of the gradual process of disillusionment towards journalism. One of the many reasons why I have been fascinated with the works of journalists during my callous teenage years was because through journalism: I will be able to voice out my opinions towards the infamous leader. I realized that journalism is not just an eloquence and articulation. It is also about politics and marketing. In fact, most audience today prefers journalist/model/celebrities. There seems to be a merging of the news division and the entertainment division. This is one of the realities in journalism. I could also mention ageism, where network executives are terminating old news anchors in placed for the youthful looking models/journalists/celebrities.

In a sense, I still enjoy writing. However, I would not consider it as a source of livelihood. Such notion would be against my pragmatic side. I am glad I chose nursing. I told Arriz, one of my college friends in the University Of Santo Tomas (UST), that my attitude towards nursing has undergone its reformation. During my freshman in UST, I was not a staunch and a supportive nursing student. As I am saying, the disillusionment on journalism was gradual. I went for a drive on my Alma Mater: UST. It was 11 pm, but I can see how a school can change in six years. Arriz told me that there are rumors that UST hospital was bought by a German-based company, and one could only ask on how the charity purpose of the hospital would still push through .Parking structures is a bleak phrase for improvement. The parking structure near the engineering building was constructed, and there are already in-campus establishments and restaurants (KFC, chowking etc.). Arguably, corporate based commercialism have inched their ways towards scholarly institutions.

The days of my vacation on the Philippines are fleeting. It seems to be trickling down the drain. I do not dread to work back. in the hospital. I maybe compared to a child who is having separation anxiety. The attachments to my roots, and to the extended family I am leaving behind are galvanized. In the 6 years that I have live in the United States of America, I realized that an incontrovertible sense of Filipino identity and culture is much more important. Acculturation to some of the American Culture is important under the banner of conformity.

I consider my trip to SM Mall of Asia to be disappointing. I heard great comments and advertisements about it back in the US. I was dashed. It is seemed to be structured like any malls in the US. I find it similar to Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga: the same exquisite but overpriced establishment and goods. I thought it would be representative and specific to the Pinoy culture on Malls, such as the mall I grew up with: SM North Edsa. I find the Trinoma Mall to be Pinoy Culture Specific. Pinoy culture specificity refers to the notion that you can go to malls even if you are just there to hang out and window shop. The money one could have is just enough for the public transportation fares and the budget meals in Jollibee and McDo. Pinoys can find happiness on such simplicity.

I bought a Globe SIM for P65. Cellphones, specifically, text messaging has been part of the Pinoy culture. Abraham Maslow may have to modify his hierarchy of needs and put text messaging on the bottom of the triangle as it applies to Filipinos. For instance, some teenagers argue that it is easier and affordable to text message and deliver snippets of affection, than to date, and deal with the traffic and expensive public transportation fares (P7.50 is the minimum jeepney fare as of press time).

I am enjoying every minute of my vacation. I now like wet humidity. As I go through the days of my fleeting vacation, I realized that the sages were correct: cultural identity is the key.

Beliefs are Just Labels

2007-08-19T18:34:00.001-07:00

Beliefs are Just Labels

Bob Barnes, an ex CIA agent, said that the Suicide bombers would seem to take objection on being called as such. Suicide bombers would like to call such act as martyrdom, hence, they want to be called martyrs. This is one of the many example that one may consider that beliefs are labels. Euphemisms and cacophony may make labels justified or nullified.

I recently watched Wicked the Musical. One may find it amusing to include pop culture references to the role of Glinda. Audience can see the depiction of a typical stereotype of a blonde and the use of up-talk. Up-talk is a manner of speaking in which declarative sentences are uttered with a rising intonation as though they were questions. This kind of talk is also utilized by mostly college girls who want to exude an upper-class stature. Unfortunately, others deem the use of up-talk as a sign of dumbing down of an individual.

A line from Wicked the Musical would appear to illustrate on how beliefs are just labels.

“A MAN'S CALLED A TRAITOR
OR LIBERATOR
A RICH MAN'S A THIEF
OR PHILANTHROPIST
IS ONE A CRUSADER
OR RUTHLESS INVADER
IT'S ALL IN THE LABEL WHICH IS ABLE TO PERSIST
THERE ARE PRECIOUS FEW AT EASE
WITH MORAL AMBIGUITIES.”

Wicked: A New Musical
Music & Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz

The quotation would seem to illustrate how authorities can label deeds. Deeds are neither good nor bad; labels personify every deeds judgment. Another tangential theme from Wicked is the villain-hood of Elphaba (wicked witch of the West) and its political overtone. For the sake of the Ozians, there must be a source of evil. There must be a scapegoat. Although the great wizard of Oz and Madame Morrible are the nefarious villains, Elphaba took the fall for Ozians to feel safe. One would realize that Elphaba is the most powerful wizard for she has a genuine talent for sorcery. The Great Wizard of Oz is a phony, and only hides in the mask of authority.

After seeing the musical, I see Elphaba in prism-colored lenses. I perceive that she is not wicked at all, and I would see “The Wizard of OZ” in a different light. She is an example on how authority can put labels to perpetuate a belief.

Arrogant Self-Reliance

2007-07-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

..at times I almost dream
I, too, have spent a life the sages' way,
And tread once more familiar paths. Perchance
I perished in an arrogant self-reliance
Ages ago; and in that act, a prayer
For one more chance went up so earnest, so
Instinct with better light let in by death,
That life was blotted out-not so completely
But scattered wrecks enough of it remain,
Dim memories, as now, when once more seems
The goal in sight again...

-Robert Browning
-Paracelsus

This kind of prose, I miss. It has been a long time since I have read a book of prose. Funny thing, I heard this excerpt in an episode of The X-Files called “The Field Where I Died.” This are the types of prose I missed reading since I was in high school. Thoreau, Emerson, and Browning would seem to occupy the whole Sunday Afternoon devouring their words of inspiration. Moreover, I have to read the Philippine Daily Inquirer, where we only buy the Sunday paper because of budget constraints.

Now, it seems that I have to adapt to the current generation today. Arguably, this is a generation where attention span is on its lowest of supply. In fact, MySpace seems to celebrate the plummeting of America’s attention span. MySpace TV recently released the Minisode network wherein it showcases the TV shows you love, only shorter. For instance, an episode of Partridge Family- See Here, Private Partridge- is shortened to a length of 4 minutes and 26 seconds. This would seem to bridge the gap of older generations who has a long attention span and new generation who has a short attention span.

One can infer that one of the purposes of the Minisodes is to have the older generation’s attention at par with the decreasing and mediocre attention span of the younger generation.

Mass Media must conform to the needs of society. Hence, if all people have short attention span, the forms of entertainment must be short and concise. There is no need to lament the plummeting attention span. It is one of the “COOLEST” traits to have.

Back to Browning, I miss those days of reading books in a carefree Sunday afternoons. As I grow older, it seems that I am pre-occupied to the series of tasks that are grown up stuff. The tasks are endless, and I am programmed to finish those, or else, productivity shall fail. I have to work every other weekend on the hospital. Hence, the 26 remaining Sundays would have to be reserved for chores, work, and schoolwork.

Perhaps, I am in the state of arrogant self-reliance. I now rely on unfinished tasks to control my weekend route. However, such arrogant self-reliance can also be used to deter the goals of minisodes and the evils of a decreased attention span.

Source:

Wrinkles and Reality

2007-06-14T18:57:00.001-07:00

Wrinkles and Reality

It is with utmost ambivalence that I welcome the coming of age: the quarter of a century. Last year was denial. This is it is ambivalence. I am not sure if aging is a good thing. When I was little, I visualize myself to be a working professional, but I did not envision myself to have wrinkles. There are prominent wrinkles now on my forehead, and it seems premature because I am only turning 25.

When one laments how the generation today has erosion of values, it is a sign of getting older. “There is nothing new in the world, except the history you do not know,” as Harry Truman puts it. It would seem that my perception changes and social ills remain constant. For instance, the notion those corporations appear to be the collective few who win in real life. The world seems to be run by marketing.

Sometimes, it is reasonable to deduce that wrinkles are proportional to the realities a person may encounter. Like wrinkles, realities are visceral and palpable. Wrinkles are comforting and constant reminders that a person is aging. The inevitable and inescapable reality, when one is reminiscing the good old days, it just means that a person is getting older.

Affirmatively, there are methods to hide wrinkles. In reality, such action only proves that the more we hide wrinkles and reality, the more these viscerally palpable entities would persist.

Reality creation varies from place to place, even from country to country. One reality I learn living in the USofA: happiness tends to be materialistic in the land of the free and home of the brave. This claim hinges on the fact that lifestyle is regimented to work and compensation. I always find myself desiring new gadgets after a hard day’s work, and when new gadgets are purchased, I am in bliss. This is how the definition of drastically changes.

People might say that these musings are just misdirection from a wrinkled forehead. Maybe I am docile to regimen, but oblivious to the bigger picture.

The cynic birthday celebrator may borrow the words of Jerry Seinfeld: "Well, birthdays are merely symbolic of how another year has gone by and how little we've grown. No matter how desperate we are that someday a better self will emerge, with each flicker of the candles on the cake, we know it's not to be, that for the rest of our sad, wretched pathetic lives, this is who we are to the bitter end. Inevitably, irrevocably; happy birthday? No such thing."

The ambivalence regarding birthdays and aging may flummox wrinkles and realities.

De-fueling

2007-05-24T16:40:00.001-07:00

De-fueling

Sometimes, I find myself in an array of disillusionment. Anticipating things to happen the way I visualize them to happen, and then alas… it was another disappointment.

Recent news regarding fuel alternative is on the hot seat, specifically, ethanol. After the documentary film, “An Inconvenient Truth”, a clamor for nature loving and gas saving groups take on the stage. Back to the disillusionment, there is a research by Mark Jacobson from Stanford University that ethanol poses greater risk to people with respiratory diseases as opposed to gasoline.

According to Jacobson’s report, “under the base-case emission scenario derived, which accounted for projected improvements in gasoline and E85 vehicle emission controls, it was found that E85 may increase ozone-related mortality, hospitalization and asthma by about nine percent in Los Angeles and four percent in the U.S. as a whole relative to 100 percent gasoline.” If there is such risk, it is reasonable to search for other alternative.

What I don’t understand is that there seems to be viable alternative for fuel. Daniel Dingel, a Filipino inventor, claims that he runs his car with water for more than three decades now. “. An article from the Philippine Daily Inquirer said that Dingle built his engine as early as 1969. Dingel built a car reactor that uses electricity from a 12-volt car battery to split the ordinary tap water into hydrogen and oxygen components.” People would suspect conspiracy among oil producing countries. There is less publicity in this issue, and lack of acknowledgment of Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in the Philippines can affirm such suspicion.

An inner cynic in oneself would hold onto the reality that the world seems to be run by greedy government enterprises. As a result, ordinary citizens can be disenfranchised of having their nature-loving and global-warming-hating ideals. Acting on those ideals may just result in anticipating disillusionment.

“The free energy world is a magnet for scams and gouging because there is so much money to be made in the free energy field when it finally breaks forth with a marketable product that will eventually replace most of the trillion-dollar petroleum and nuclear industry. The scamsters are not a reflection of the science, but of greed."

-- Sterling D. Allan
Feb. 1, 2003

Sources:

Stanford Daily

TxtMania

Nurse Scapegoats: Why are they important?

2007-04-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

Nurse Scapegoats: Why are they important?

One of the most interesting cultures in nursing is scapegoating. One would say that this subculture would cause enchantment to the scapegoater and scapegoatee. According to the Scapegoat Society, “Scapegoating is a hostile social - psychological discrediting routine by which people move blame and responsibility away from themselves and towards a target person or group. It is also a practice by which angry feelings and feelings of hostility may be projected, via inappropriate accusation, towards others. The target feels wrongly persecuted and receives misplaced vilification, blame and criticism; he is likely to suffer rejection from those who the perpetrator seeks to influence.” In the healthcare industry, it is inevitable to deviate from standards of care and leadership. Scapegoating is one of the best ways to relieve the blame from oneself and blame the most vilifiable group. Such process is important to people in the places of position and leadership. It is also important to patients and nurses. Hence, it is reasonable to say that the role of nurses as scapegoats is vital.

One may have heard the expression of nurses eating their young. Nurses scapegoating on other nurses are also indispensable and irreplaceable part of the profession. For instance, the PICC line of a patient clogged. One of the many reasons of a clogged line is forgetting flushes on 10 cc saline. If the nurse has a preceptee, the most likely to be blamed is the preceptee instead of the nurse also assigned to the patient. The process of scapegoating is essential in this situation because this would mean that the fault is of the preceptee and not the preceptor. The preceptee must expect an incident report write-up. Since scapegoating would protect the more experienced RN and would transfer the blame to the preceptee, it is reasonable to say that the role of nurses as scapegoats is important.

One use of scapegoating is by physicians. For instance, when the equipment such as chairs, tables are inadequate in a unit, nurses would be the scapegoats. When the equipment is inadequate, the physicians will have no space to sit down and write orders. As a result, the physicians are outraged by the scarcity of chairs and blame the nurses. This is where it becomes creative. The physicians would argue that there is no space to sit down because the nurses are chitchatting and invading their space in the unit. Discredit the name: “nurses’ station.” The physicians have to write orders. This situation proves the role of nurses as scapegoats is important. In this process, the administration has not supplied enough chairs and enough workplace. As a strategy, such inadequacy must be distorted and the blame must be transferred. The nurses chitchatting would be the best rationale for not having enough work space and chairs. This seems to be a brilliant and methodical. Hence, it is reasonable to say that the role of nurses as scapegoats is important.

It is not just the people from the higher ups had perfected the craft of nurse scapegoating, but also the patient themselves. After the nurse has done the hardwork in maintaining the standards of care and working professionally for their therapeutic recovery, one can say that one appreciative token would be to blame the nurses for any inadequacy. For instance, the family of the patient cannot accept the new diagnosis of an ailment. The most likely tendency is to project those ill feelings so that the family and the patient can cope. Projection is one of the components of nurse scapegoating. Since nurse scapegoating will likely help the patient in coping, it is reasonable to say the nurses are helping unconsciously in the process. Hence, it is reasonable to say that the role of nurses as scapegoats is important.

No matter what, it would seem viable that scapegoating is essential to institution. Especially in an industry where fault and errors should be minimal, this would justify the subculture of scapegoating. Hence, it is reasonable that the role of nurses as scapegoats is important.

Work Cited:

The Scapegoat Society

Greatness in Diminishing Returns

2007-03-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

Greatness in Diminishing Returns

People may have heard of useless greatness. For instance, when a person is too tall to play basketball; it is another way of saying does not play basketball at all. Sun Ming Ming is a basketball player, who is, arguably has the so called greatness in diminishing returns. Josh Levin argues: “He's probably the first basketball player who's too tall to play basketball.”

Standards of greatness are ostensibly arbitrary. People’s description of greatness is attributed to the capability to do one’s shortcomings. In a sense, greatness is commercialized. Businesses seem to capitalize on the allusion of greatness. What is wrong with being number two?

As aspirants to any field, many seem to ignore the fact that talents are distributed unequally. There would be the famous and the infamous. Scarcity of jobs and unemployment would remain. Coming from a third world country (and I am proud of it), this is the reality; A reality in which I became de-sensitized.

Once a person has been exposed to a reality in which no matter where people go, there will always be a person who is smarter and greater than you, no matter what you do. There is the lingering discontent and utter frustration that may emanate you. As an observer of educational institutions, they try to conceal the reality that greatness will always be overthrown by another person. Students come with the idealism that after they study in such institution, unemployment and joblessness would be exclusion to their career.

Furthermore, greatness is paired with uniqueness. When one would say that everybody is unique, it is another way of saying that no one is unique. I would say that greatness and uniqueness relative notions. Perception must take over reality in order to define these terms.

Back to the introduction, Levin proposes that Sun Ming Ming can be called greatness in diminishing returns. I think that he maybe correct or not. William Shakespeare puts greatness as: “"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." Well, this quotation summarizes that greatness is distributed unequally. Hence, the unequal distribution of talents does not trivialize greatness in diminishing returns; instead, such inequality explains it.

Work Cited:

Slate.com

In the Eyes of Ekang

2007-02-26T17:39:00.000-08:00

In the Eyes of Ekang

Kara David, a journalist, hosts this episode of I-Witness. I have to comment on her writing style especially how contrast makes the introduction of the documentary “Sa Mata ni Ekang” thought provoking. She started on the family as the basic unit of society. Moreover, she seemed to ask a rhetorical question. What would happen if the light, guide, and the foundation of a home would be a hold upper, pimp, shabu runner, and an out of school youth? The documentary seems to expose how commonplace is poverty in the Manila slums. As a result, the morality compass would lean on “just doing a job” to provide scarce basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing.

Aristotle states: “The mother of revolution and crime is poverty.” This assertion rings its veracity like a liberty bell. In regard to the documentary, poverty in the Philippines seems to trap its citizens to a life of survival instead of opportunities. The reason I liked the documentary is its truthful exposition. Not all news is good news, and it is the duty of the journalist to convey the truth, no matter how flagrant.

In the US, my powers observations try to differentiate poverty from the Philippines between the US. I know it may seem a futile attempt for comparison; however, I have to communicate noticeable difference. I do not remember the source of this story, but it tells about a beggar who was panhandling for food. The commuter tried to give a bowl of salad. The beggar vehemently refuses and says: “I am on a high protein diet.”

The moment I heard the story, I want to tell the panhandler: “Beggars can’t be choosers!!!!!!!” I could not imagine such refusal.

Back to the Ekang introduction, I want to share that poverty creates a reality. Realities often have different versions, especially, when comparing a third world country to a first class one. I am not ashamed that I came from a third world country. I appreciate what I have now, and share some of the perks of being here. What I don’t usually get is how the US generates a lot of waste that when converted to a monetary value, it can help a third world country.

Food waste alone is such a surprising statistics. Food policy Institute states: “Federal statistics suggest that nearly 26 million tons of food wastes are generated annually in the U.S.” Had people been conserving and only eating what is enough, such wastes could have been converted to a monetary value. It may help the destitute, especially the Ekangs of the Philippines.

Work Cited

Food Waste Management

I-Witness the GMA documentaries

Sneaky Enterprise

2007-01-21T15:38:00.000-08:00

Sneaky Enterprise

I usually listen to podcasts on my way to work. I came across a podcast from “Studio 360.” The topic was about American Icons. During that week, Superman, as an icon was the feature. Most parts of the show talked about the origins of Superman. There was even a segment where Superman is compared to the Exodus. Exodus is a chapter in the bible where baby Moses was escaping and let sail through the river by a crib made of leaves. The comparison with Superman was Kal-El (Superman’s native name in Krypton) escaped through Krypton by a high tech crib that blasted on Smallville.

One remarkable part of the show was how the lives of Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster were manipulated by greedy businessmen in D.C. Comics. Siegel and Schuster created Superman. A biographer said that Superman was the consummation of their personalities. They were described as pop culture geeks during their teenage years. All they really have was their imagination during their adolescent years.

Jerry Siegel’s father died because of a shooting. The powers of Superman being indestructible by anything, even by bullets, are relatable in Siegel’s way of working through the pain of his father’s death. The adventures of Superman seem to be the creator’s way of saying if they only knew that we have more potential than this.

Siegel and Schuster sold the rights of Superman to D.C. comics for $10 a page, $130 total. Today, the market value would be around $2,000. The creators were so idealistic, and all they wanted to do was to tell and illustrate the stories of Superman. Little do they know that Superman will be a legendary icon?

During the 1950s, Siegel and Schuster tried to sue for ownership of Superman. They lost.

The Richard Donner film Superman in 1978 grossed $134218018. During that time, Siegel was working as a file clerk. It seems ironic that the Superman creators are living in the poverty, while greedy businessmen are reaping the benefits of their creation. Siegel and Schuster led the lives of artistry and idealism, only to be spoiled and exploited by moguls and conglomerates.

Perhaps, this is the side of the story that the media would not like the Smallville generations to dwell or know. This is the side where businesses get dirty, wherein exploitation and misuse of power are common societal and business creed. Joe Schuster died in 1992. Jerry Siegel died in 1996.

Boxoffice Mojo said that the total gross of Superman Returns: $200081192.

Work Cited:

Jewish Virtual Library

Boxoffice Mojo

Borderless Boredom

2007-01-16T12:17:00.000-08:00

Borderless Boredom

I heard on the radio about theatrical plays. For instance, there is a 14-day run of a certain play. A performer should act the same way with the same feelings like the first night for the 14 consecutive days. I say to myself that this is a hard job.

After some rumination, I came to the conclusion that repetition robs the enthusiasm. One cannot promise to deliver the same emotions if the same lines are delivered for 14 consecutive nights. Looking forward, one can ague that this can be applicable also for people having jobs.

One veteran nurse told me that after 3 years, you will find nursing as the same old routine. The phrase: “Same script, different cast,” would beckon everyday as you do medication administration and clinical nursing care. When repetition robs the enthusiasm, an RN may not be fascinated with the science of nursing. He will only be fascinated with the monetary remuneration of the job.

Bertrand Russell justifies: “Boredom is a vital problem of the moralist, since at least half the sins of mankind are caused by the fear of it.” Arguably, this quotation may be very applicable and a hurtful truth about humanity. Boredom because of repetition may bring an employee to an unfortunate scenario: absenteeism, harsh novelty and mindless adventures.

When I was taking a boring subject back in school (although I am back to school again as of press time), people say that boring subjects/class tests character. In the near future, one might have a repetitive job and he would look back to the boring class he had. Right there, an epiphany would occur and say that most things are on relative degrees and coping with boredom can be the best solution.

As working professionals, they are all learning the ropes. An unfortunate consequence about learning is repetitive routine. Hence, when one finds himself on a boring situation, just look back on the boring class one took, and try to remember how he survive such class.

Digression I

2006-12-06T13:30:00.000-08:00

Most of the blog entries I wrote can be deemed to have serious tangential themes. This time, I took the liberty to digress once in a while. Below are forwarded text messages about objects (inanimate or animate) having their own concerns.The quotations are in Filipino, perhaps to retain its humor.

"pinapaikot mo lang ako

Sawang sawa na ako. Mabuti pa

patayin mo na lang ako!!!"

-electric fan

______________________________

"hindi lahat ng walang salawal

ay bastos"

-winnie d' pooh

______________________________

"Alam mo ba wala akong ibang hinangad

kundi ang mapalapit sa iyo.

pero patuloy ang pag-iwas mo"

-ipis

______________________________

"Hala! sige magpakasasa ka!

Alam ko namang katawan ko lang ang

habol mo."

-hipon

______________________________

"Ayoko na! pag nagmamahal ako lagi na

lang

maraming tao ang nagagalit! wala ba

akong

karapatang magmahal?!?"

-gasolina

______________________________

"Hindi lahat ng green ay masustansya."

-plema

______________________________

"Hindi ko hinahangad na ipagmalaki mo

na ako'y sau

ayoko ko lang naman na sa harap ng

maraming tao

ganun mo na lang ako itanggi.."

-utot

______________________________

"Sawang sawa na ako palagi nalang akong

pinagpapasa-pasahan, pagod na pagod na

ako."

-Bola

______________________________

"you never know what you have

till you lose it.

and once you lose it, you can never

get it back"

-snatcher

______________________________

"Hindi lahat ng pink, KIKAY!"

-majinboo

______________________________

"Ginawa ko naman lahat para sumaya ka

mahirap ba talagang makontento sa isa?

bakit palipat-lipat ka?

-TV

______________________________

"hindi lahat ng maasim may vitamin c"

-kili kili

______________________________

pilitin mo man na alisin ako sa buhay

mo, babalik at babalik ako!

-libag

______________________________

Anung kasalanan ko sayo, iniwan m

nalang akong duguan...

-Napkin

______________________________

"wag mo na nga akong bilugin!"

-kulangot

______________________________

Paano tayo makakabuo kung hindi ako

papatong sa iyo?

-Lego

______________________________

Punyetang Buhay to! Itlog itlog! Araw2

na lang itlog!

-Brief

______________________________

Wala naman akong ginawa sa kanya!

Hindi na nga ako gumalaw

dito.

Ako n nga yun ntapakan, sya pa un

galit.. bakit ganun?

-Tae

______________________________

Cge kalimutan mo ako para malaman ng

iba ang baho mo!

-deodorant

______________________________

"hindi lahat ng dugo puedeng idonate"

-regla

______________________________

Hindi lahat ng hinog, matamis...

- pigsa

When Clever goes Cliché…

2006-11-27T19:33:00.000-08:00

When Clever goes Cliché…

It was the usual jaded cynicism that forces people to be resistant to new ideas. One possible reason is ideas have the risk of traversing the clever to cliché path. And when clever goes cliché, no one would seem to want to convey an idea. I made a blog entry: “Panhandling: Baby Shower Universe.” It communicates how a baby shower registry can be misguided. However, last week, I follow the step by step instructions of a baby shower registry, an action contrary to the views I made on the entry.

As far as conformity goes, this can be one of the pitfalls an idea can go through. People want to be different, but not that different, or else labels such as “nonconformist,” and “antisocial” would hemorrhage into your path.

This is one of the ways that an idea can live. Another way would be ideas can be legislated and censored unreasonably. An example would be the term called “infotainment.” From what I observed, the broadcast journalism that is practice here tends to have a goal give the people what they want, in the expense of a guided and methodical idea flourishing. News networks today are own by Corporate Conglomerates which means business. And when nonconformist ideas are reasonably good but bad for business, such idea is censored or killed from the moment of conception. An example of ideas being censored unreasonably is when David E. Kelley, “Boston Legal” creator had a hard time getting approval for the script mentioning Fox News because this news show mostly communicates overly patriotic themes.

Resistance to new ideas can be a threat to freedom of expression. When freedom of expression would meet its demise, it is reasonable to view people as automatons, submissive to the dictates of customs and consumerism.

As mentioned above, these are the two paths an idea can travel, clever to cliché and legislated and censored. Both seem to be risky, but rather take the risk than to defy the ideas’ purpose: inform and educate.

When October Goes

2006-10-29T13:38:00.000-08:00

When October Goes

October 2006 is nearing its twilight time. Although for the past few days, there have not been any remarkable happenings; I would like to pay tribute to the twilight of what I consider a favorable month. October has been one of my favorite months because this beckons the nearing months of winter, a prelude per se. I made myself explicitly clear regarding the aversion towards summer sunshine (please see previous posts).

My co-workers stressed that the Fall Season is one of the busiest seasons in the hospital. It is the time when flu shots and MRSA rule. This means many people in isolated rooms. People are familiar with flu, regarding MRSA: it is called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). It is a specific strain of the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium that has developed antibiotic resistance to all penicillins, including methicillin and other narrow-spectrum β-lactamase-resistant penicillin antibiotics. MRSA was first discovered in the UK in 1961 and is now widespread, particularly in the hospital setting where it is commonly termed a superbug.” In other words, it can be considered as an un-welcomed houseguest in people’s bodies that no matter how many series of antibiotics a person ingest, it has a lingering pestilence. Hence, it was given the term “superbug.”

I am still not sure why I consider October a favorable month when I equated it to the pestilence of bacteria. Although more hospital admits would have a correlation to the MRSA and season, and would be directly remunerative to me, other than that, I find October only a prelude to holidays: Native American Oppression Day (others call it thanksgiving), Christmas and New Year.

The view that October is just like a cold spring season can also be correct. Because of global warming nowadays, such view seems to be negated. Ninety degrees Fahrenheit near the coastal area is not uncommon. In fact, David Korten in his book "The Great Turning," affirms: “If global warming triggers devastating climate change and disrupts world agriculture, financial markets will also react severely. It will be "the mother of all market corrections.”

I guess that the notion of old fashioned October when the temperature is on the high 60s and low 70s would endear this month to most people. And when October goes, what goes usually are its disadvantages: flu season, MRSA, disrupted weather (due to global warming), and what stays are the chilliness of autumn and the constancy of fleeting seasons.

Work Cited:

Wikipedia MRSA

David Korten “The Great Turning”

Blogger’s note: Although the title is similar to a title track from a Barry Manilow’s album 2:00 AM Paradise Café, such similarity is coincidental.

Letters, Storms, and Intertropical Convergence Zones

2006-09-10T23:46:00.000-07:00

Letters, Storms, and Intertropical Convergence Zones

It was one of the rainiest mornings. A Friday in October when gloom enveloped the atmosphere. A time when the northeast trade winds meet the southeast trade winds. It was an unusually cold morning for a country consumed by tropical heat. An occurrence which can demand reverence from its entirety. Heavy precipitations prevailed. It flooded most parts of Region 3 and Region 4 and Metro Manila. Most AM radios are blaring, while students are eagerly waiting for the DECS announcement: “classes suspended.”

The final judgment for class suspension was made. On the other hand, I worry that I won’t be able to complete my college application. It lacked one requirement: a recommendation letter. I said to myself, this is my future. If I don’t handle this now, how can I handle the potential responsibility of being a college student? Then, I was moping around for 2 hours.

In some sleight of luck, phone lines are still working. With all the impending dilemma and misery going through my mind, such misery would love company. I reached out for the telephone, with all fervent hope that I can find a person with the same dilemma.

Coincidence. Concurrence. Synchronicity. I found out my friend and I had a mutual concern. Discussions went on, until we came to a collaborative conclusion. We have to get those letters because the application deadline is two days from today. Another blessing was bestowed upon us. The recommendation letters are ready to be picked up in school.

I remember it took me a while to hail a jeepney. The reason was not jeepneys were full. The reason was not that I was picky. The reason was there was only minimal public transportation willing to face gusts of wind going at about 90 kph. Most of the houses were flooded. I did not see any bystanders nearby. Mostly, I saw branches of trees falling off as if being pulled by mighty winds, and plants arguably brimming with raindrops of delight.

I got to school safely. Malolos was like a ghost town. I did not see any street vendors and panhandlers. The stores were closed. It reminded me, I didn’t see my friend. I said to myself: if you ever ditch me, it would really be raining cats and dogs. Brawling animals were off my mind when I saw him arrived. Then we got our corresponding recommendation letters.

I do not recall any vivid observations on the way back home. I was just too relieved that I would be able to complete my college application for De La Salle University. And of course, my friend did not ditch me and went through the madness of traversing a storm just to be with each others company for the sake of recommendation letters.

Blogger’s note: I tried to have a picturesque narrative for one of my fondest memory, in terms of school and friendship. This was also germane to the friendster testimonial I received.

Occupational Hazards

2006-08-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

Occupational Hazards

Gradually, most of the things that my preceptor told me ever since I was a nursing student are starting to sink in. Being in one of the most litigious State in the country, it is imperative to be vigilant and watch every nursing intervention and nursing documentation. In lieu of being vigilant, taking care of oneself would also be imperative.

As a nursing student before, I have heard of tales of nurses injuring themselves in the line of duty: needle sticks, pulling up a muscle or tendon, fracturing an arm etc. The US Department of Labor research says: “In 2004, 54 percent of workplace injuries and illnesses among nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides were musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The U.S. Department of Labor defines a musculoskeletal disorder as an injury or disorder of the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, or spinal discs. These disorders are related to events such as bodily reaction, overexertion, and repetitive motion and do not include injuries caused by slips, trips, falls, motor vehicle accidents, or similar accidents. Also, we have been told before that Workers Compensation seems to be not fully dependable. To make things worse, investigators for workers compensation would deduce the incident to make it seem like the injured nurses fault.

This would bring me to the premise: this country can be called a nation of finger pointers. The system some agencies used is to try point blame to the victim. The mantra seems to be: deny everything and save the collective and corporate asses. This can be a well known policy some companies are trying to glorify and implement.

As a closing point, constant vigilance is vital to workers. There are so many occupational hazards out there, and when injury happens to the worker, the only thing that is secure is the corporate policy some agencies practice: “Deny everything and shift the blame.” Workers can be both the victims and the evildoers.

Work Cited:

U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics

The Downside of Premature Application

2006-08-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

The Downside of Premature Application

I am recently attending the RN Residency Program at work. One recurring topic that the instructors delve upon is assertiveness. “Assertiveness is the ability to express yourself and your rights without violating the rights of others. It is appropriately direct, open, and honest communication which is self-enhancing and expressive.” I have no objection that such notion is constantly being ingrained to us. In fact, there is a connotation that nurses are passive, and assertiveness is some instances are very much vital.

Arguably, I am opposed to the notion of pseudo-assertiveness. Pseudo assertiveness would fall on the category of situations not requiring assertiveness, but people are doing it anyway so as to have a story in the debriefing session of the RN Residency Program, as applied to its attendees. I would call it as a gray are in being assertive and aggressive.

For the purpose of example and not for the purpose of full disclosure, there was one attendee who would fall into the category of pseudo-assertiveness. An RN orientee made a big deal about a Respiratory Therapist mistaking her for a student, and not as an RN. Then, she delivered a spiel: “I am an RN now, and not my preceptor’s student.” She considered it as an act of assertiveness. Not to burst her bubble, I would say that the mistake was an honest one, and would not warrant a very remarkable and assertive correction.

One of the pitfalls of having a well-appreciated concept (in this case, assertiveness) in the class is to have a premature application. This is an appeal to my fellow attendees of the RN Residency Program. I suppose it would be more appropriate if we would apply the concepts that we learned based on its needs, and not based on the whimper of a suggestion. Arguably, people will eventually detect what is a genuine assertive experience as opposed to whimper crazed-driven pseudo assertiveness.

Now that I have used the word “assertive” and its derivatives more than 4 times in this entry, I hereby pronounced thee as a commonplace word.

Blog Statistics

2006-07-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all the readers/subscribers of my blog: Suppose, Contend, Differentiate. According to my feedburner statistics, there are at least 6 readers/subscribers on average per day. Thank you again, and I would need your feedback and comments. The comments section on my blogger is open to all. On the "Choose an identity" part, please choose "Other" and/or "Anonymous" instead of "blogger." Then, it would let you post your comments. Above is the graph showing the statistics from Tuesday, June 6, 2006 - Saturday, July 22, 2006

Discomfort Zone Disrupted

2006-07-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

Discomfort Zone Disrupted

One might say that this entry sounds like constipation, bloating, and diarrhea. I assure the readers that it is not. Not to burst the bubble of gastrointestinal discomfort fans, such topics shall be discussed on future entries.

Partly, the NPR radio essay “This I Believe: Disrupting the Comfort Zone” as narrated by Brian Grazer, producer of A Beautiful Mind , "Friday Night Lights, "East of Eden” and more, inspired this entry. In a gist, the radio essay talked about subjecting oneself (Grazer) to the point of humiliation by a physicist just to have his comfort zone disrupted.

I agree to some parts of the radio essay, but one can say that if there is a comfort zone, there can be a discomfort zone. For instance, a discomfort zone is for some people to talk about their insecurities in public. It would be an awkward scenario, but can be simply satisfying. I guess that this example is a simplistic one. Some might argue that discomfort zones can range from the darkest of hearts to the sweetest taboo.

People will subject themselves to any violation of decency. Most people shall associate themselves to the extent of having criminal minds. Inadvertently, the very process mentioned is disrupting the discomfort zones. Conscience would paint a decency violation like a discomfort zone, but people will do it anyway, without remorse to gains or losses.

Arguably, the only thing given importance is comfort: the easy way out. And as for people who have the courage to disrupt the un-confronted, uninhibited, and the darkest of thoughts, it would be a triumph for disrupting the discomfort zone. As Stephen King simply puts: “Time takes it all whether you want it to or not, time takes it all. Time bares it away, and in the end there is only darkness. Sometimes we find others in that darkness, and sometimes we lose them there again.”

Panhandling: Baby Shower Universe

2006-07-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

Panhandling: Baby Shower Universe

My friend Patricia was talking about her upcoming baby shower that is to occur months from now. She emphasized that she would not engage in any baby shower registry. She claimed that it was a rude practice to command what gifts guests should bring.

I agree with Patricia. Most Americans have this practice of dictatorship. The definition of baby shower is given too much euphemism: A baby shower is a rite of passage in which the parents of a baby arrange and organize to receive gifts and money from their families and friends. (Wikipedia.org). If someone would attend a baby shower, it is mandatory for guests to register what gifts to buy. I would suppose that this is one of the discrete ways to panhandle, or to beg. The very action of requiring gifts to guests seems to be an act of desperation, because the parents can not provide, their friends and families would provide.

It is the responsibility of the prospective parents to provide what the baby needs. As I have contended, Americans oftentimes prefer euphemisms. They would say baby shower, instead of panhandling. Panhandling is defined as: “to accost on the street and beg from.” The difference seems to be negligible.

That is why I agree with Patricia. Baby shower is a backward tradition that seems to undermine the ability of prospective parents to provide for their own baby. It clumps on the solidarity banner of family and friends. Arguably, it (baby shower registry) is a tradition for parasites, and I am glad that my friend vehemently shuns this backward tradition.

Pinoy Phonies

2006-06-25T21:45:00.000-07:00

Pinoy Phonies

The topic that I may raise would seem volatile to some readers, specifically to some ‘balikbayans’ and compatriots. After living for almost 5 years now in the US, I noticed some misguided beliefs had developed for some Pinoys here in the US. I can only wonder what the sources of these misguided values were, and I would only cringe when my fellow Filipinos live up to the beliefs in question.

The show Wowowee! seems to be a perfect example of a Pinoy phony deception. There is a portion in the show where balikbayans would give away dollar bills to our compatriots in need. This is predicated that it would help our destitute “kababayans” This action seems plausible. The show is even regarded as a tourist attraction, which is good for a third world economy. However, what my fellow balikbayans inadvertently do is advocating the so-called “beggar culture. The very action of giving away dollar bills would also attached the nirvana perception that “money grows on trees,” here in the US. Some people would oppose the “beggar culture” because it promotes complacency. A Juan dela Cruz may think Filipinos in the US have lots of money, and he would just wait for the aid and charity. The perception “money grows on trees” here in the US would be hard to uproot from some Juan dela Cruz. The peso devaluation and the show Wowowee! seem to advocate this kind of Pinoy phony deception.

Another Pinoy phony deception is Fil-Am speech. This gets into my nerves a lot. What seems to be the problem is that some Pinoys find their mother language unappealing. As a result, they would try to “American –ized” most Filipino words. It seems a little bit hard to describe it in writing, but when you have time, go to Seafood City and just listen to the chatter of fellow Pinoys, you would really hear the very bad combination of “Tag-glish.”

Some Pinoys can lay claim that they speak Tagalog imperfectly, because they got used to the English language. Unfortunately, the English language they always refer to is English slang. .For instance, some of the most common English slang/ ebonics that most Pinoys emulate:

“We will not go here no more.”
“I ain’t gonna not pay for that.”

This seems to be a problem because the usage of English slang often denotes unsatisfactory knowledge of the language. If most Pinoys would live up adapt this kind of language, at the extreme of renouncing their mother language, they would end up not proficient in both languages. As I have emphasized on the last paragraph, some Fil-Am speakers just pretend to be inarticulate in Tagalog, because they find the latter unappealing.

I will have more Pinoy phonies entries. This is the first in the set.

Post-Birthday Denial

2006-06-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

Post-Birthday Denial

I seem to be in a state of disarray after my birthday. One of the reasons is I am in denial of my age. For some twisted logic, I kept convincing myself that I am 20. I know I am not, but I still feel 20. Some people would contend (especially Erik Erikson) that I may not be fulfilling the developmental tenets that he proposed. With all due respect to the advocates of the developmental milestones, I am an ardent supporter of people staying young at heart.

Moreover, I quit my hospital job. Although quitting denotes a negative definition, I already applied to another facility which I will be starting also as an RN. Certain factors compelled me to quit. I may be on the verge of a burnout. Add to that, the 72 miles I have to travel everyday to go work. Hence, in order to prevent a foreseeable burnout, quitting the first hospital job was necessary.

I will be a hypocrite if I would say: “I never really liked the first hospital.” However, I am a pragmatist by default. As I have said, quitting was necessary.

There goes my birthday. Denial. Disarray. Happiness….. Relatively. I bought a DS lite, and I bought a new cellular phone. There, I seem to bask in the heat of materialism.

The Case for Short Words

2006-06-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

The Case for Short Words

by Richard Lederer

When you speak and write, there is no law that says you have to use big words. Short words are as good as long ones, and short, old words -- like sun and grass and home -- are best of all. A lot of small words, more than you might think, can meet your needs with a strength, grace, and charm that large words do not have.

Big words can make the way dark for those who read what you write and hear what you say. Small words cast their clear light on big things -- night and day, love and hate, war and peace, and life and death. Big words at times seem strange to the eye and the ear and the mind and the heart. Small words are the ones we seem to have known from the time we were born, like the hearth fire that warms the home.

Short words are bright like sparks that glow in the night, prompt like the dawn that greets the day, sharp like the blade of a knife, hot like salt tears that scald the cheek, quick like moths that flit from flame to flame, and terse like the dart and sting of a bee.

Here is a sound rule: Use small, old words where you can. If a long word says just what you want to say, do not fear to use it. But know that our tongue is rich in crisp, brisk, swift, short words. Make them the spine and the heart of what you speak and write. Short words are like fast friends. They will not let you down.

The title of this article and the four paragraphs that you have just read are wrought entirely of words of one syllable. In setting myself this task, I did not feel especially cabined, cribbed, or confined. In fact, the structure helped me to focus on the power of the message I was trying to put across.

For centuries our finest poets and orators have recognized and employed the power of small words to make a straight point between two minds. A great many of our proverbs punch home their points with pithy monosyllables: “Where there's a will, there's a way,” “A stitch in time saves nine,” “Spare the rod and spoil the child,” “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”

The King James Bible is a centerpiece of short words – “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good.”

You too can tap into the vitality and vigor of compact expression. Take a suggestion from the highway department. At the boundaries of your speech and prose place a sign that reads “Caution: Small Words at Work.”

kbps.org

Free Speech Zones

2006-05-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

Free Speech Zones

We seem to live in a world wherein one’s woes and frustrations are no longer private and personal. Technology may compel us to share any expressions and sentiments. Arguably, this notion may be just in time for the possible and imminent demise of the First Amendment. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

The first amendment appears to be restricted nowadays. With the so-called “free speech zones,” wherein the pro-protesters can protest anywhere they desire, and the anti-protesters are cordoned off to the designated places distal to motorcade or reception. The notion of antiterrorism conveniently supported the pseudo urgency of free speech zones. Mostly, I have posted this kind of topic in this blog, when “Boston Legal” would delve into topics such as this. I needed to write own view on this based on Emerson’s writing: “I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.”

What happens today, I find it hard to reconcile. Even illegal immigrants are given the freedom of speech regarding their outcry: “We want to pay taxes! We want to pay taxes!" In this instance, freedom of speech is at its best. However, having "free speech zones" seems to be unnecessary. Every land in USA is a free speech zone, I hope.

A topic germane to free speech is having blogs to express contentions and differentiations. The World Wide Web is a community. I hope that having the luxury of blogs (free speech and thought expression) would remain at its prime. In the future, I hope that people can share their thoughts without restraints and fear of persecution. Having free speech zones is a rudimentary step to censor freedom of expression. It just makes me wonder, what would be the pro "free-speech-zones" next step in order to create zombies and drones (refers to people controlled by someone else's will)?

Photo Source:

safetystate.com/ss.cgi?action=material&id=34

Season Defiance

2006-05-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

Season Defiance
I was listening to NPR earlier, and they mentioned about people being amenable to the changes of the season. For instance, people will learn to accept that it is not yet strawberry season, or watermelon season, or apple season. However, my time seem to be changing. I can eat any fruit, should it be winter, spring, summer or, fall. This makes me wonder, is it human nature to be defiant? Are we setting ourselves to a time that we can say “patience” is an obsolete term? How far would people go just to get what they want, when they want them? It would be reasonable to infer that we are part of the slow, but sure defiance of the seasons.

Remember When!

2006-05-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

Remember When!
By popular demand, here's the anonymous poem that Richard read on our recent show about the 1960s:

Remember when hippie meant big in the hips
And a trip involved travel in cars, planes, and ships?
When pot was a vessel for cooking things in
And hooked was what grandmother’s rug might have been?

When square meant a 90-degree angle form
And cool was a temperature not quite warm?
When roll meant a bun and rock was a stone
And hang-up was something you did to the phone?

When fixed was a verb that meant mend or repair
And be-in meant simply existing somewhere?
When neat meant well-organized, tidy, and clean
And grass was ground cover, normally green?

When lights and not people were switched on and off
And the pill might have been what you took for your cough?
When camp was to quarter outdoors in a tent
And pop was what the weasel went?

When groovy meant furrowed with channels and hollows
And birds were winged creatures like robins and swallows?
When fuzz was a substance that’s fluffy like lint
And bread came from bakeries, not from the mint?

When jam was preserves that you spread on your bread
And crazy meant balmy – not right in the head?
When swinger was someone who swung in a swing
And pad was a soft sort of cushiony thing?

When far-out meant distant, way up in the blue
And making the scene was a rude thing to do?
When dig meant to shovel and spade in the dirt
And put-on is what you would do with a shirt?

Words once so sensible, sober, and serious
Are making the freak scene like psychodelirious.
It’s groovy, man, groovy, but English it’s not.
Methinks that our language is going to pot.

Source: kpbs.org

A Los Angeles Faux Pas

2006-05-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

A Los Angeles Faux Pas

Los Angeles is known for its extravagance and lavish lifestyle. When one has to pay for parking everyday, and a parking ticket has to be validated when a person just park on a store would support the fact that space in L.A. is expensive. This can be manifested by skyrocketing real estates in Brentwood, Inglewood, and Sherman Oaks etc. (adjacent to West LA). Hence, LA seems to support the subculture of extravagance and a lavish lifestyle.

In LA, there seems to be an unwritten rule that one must have a lavish life. A budget of $6 a day for a meal is laughable. $6 is not even enough for parking .Some people consider budgeting as an anti-social act. This is Los Angeles, land of the rich and home of the pricey.

Arguably, I am a Los Angeles Faux Pas. I am a very frugal person (confirm this with my classmates in UST). Maybe it is not environmental because my siblings are in the opposite. At work, I bring food that I brought from Costco and I would promise that I would never buy anything from the cafeteria. The items are exorbitant.

My friend, Patricia, advises me not to be cheap (monetarily) when it comes to dating. However, frugality seems to run in my veins. I would even go to the lengths of using discount coupons just to save on a date. (This might explain: I rarely date which might amount to never). People can say I am a social blunder in LA because of my frugality. Nevertheless, I am proud to be a Los Angeles Faux Pas.

Photo Source: www.plan9publishing.com

The Alpha State

2006-05-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

The Alpha State

Commuting three days a week from work would seem to be a tedious. Especially when one traverses the dreaded I-405 and the I-10, an issue would arise. Thanks heavens to the Alpha State. The Alpha State is defined as: "Slow brainwave activity state of hypnosis (resting but awake). Also known as hypnoidal. Alpha is slower (deeper) than Beta, the awake state, and faster than Theta, a deep hypnotic state." The term restful but awake is predicated on the premise that stressing about the traffic is not a priority.

One way of achieving the alpha state is by listening. Specifically, I listen to podcasts of my favorite radio shows: "A Way With Words," "Catholic Answers," "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell me,” Boston Illegal." and a lot more. This can also be termed as conscientious distraction, because I pay attention to my driving while being in the Alpha State.

Some people argue that the alpha state is a good thing. Well, it could be a good thing, as long as it does not detach people to interpersonal relationships. The term detachment would be bad if people are engrossed too much and they do not see what is happening around them. As a side note, technology such as mp3s, videogames, and movies would put people into an Alpha State. This is the claim that I am asserting throughout this whole entry.

EKG class

2006-05-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

My work requires its employees to get 90% or above to pass the EKG class certification. As opposed to other hospitals which would only require 80-85% or better, the requirement of my work seems to be do-able and sensible. If a patient in to our unit would be given a choice, it seems that he would prefer a nurses who have a 90% or better score on their EKG test. Hence, work is like nursing school again. I have to comply with their cut off score. Studying mode again.

Photo Source: http://www.ogrodnik.com/mbdesign/media/ekg.gif

Renounce Rialto

2006-04-29T22:57:00.000-07:00

Renounce Rialto

Sometimes, people say things. And when the speech center of my brain seems to process logic and words rather hastily, there must be an opportunity to rectify hasty statements; Hence, I bring you “Renounce Rialto.”

i. “I don’t like Nursing.” Whew… this is a big one. Right now, I truly and deeply love this course. A reader can see how exhilarated I was on the entry “I passed the NCLEX-RN with 75 questions.” I witnessed how broad the scope of nursing during my clinical. Now that I am a registered nurse, there would be endless learning, especially which I am working in a cardiac unit. In a few years, my plan is to obtain a Masters degree. I saw how systematic and methodical nursing practice is, and since I am trained and continued to be trained this way, I will be a systematic and methodical nurse. The rationales for loving nursing are the endless possibilities of learning, and at the end of a very busy and tedious day, one can say that a nurse made a patient smile when the former gave the latter his morning care, or provide a warm blanket before sleep time. From little things to big things, nurses would be instruments for excellent healthcare, and I am in the process of being a whole part of it. Go ADPIE (Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Intervention, and Evaluation).

ii. “Jessica Zafra is the greatest writer.” Let me correct this statement by writing: Jessica Zafra is one of the greatest writers. After reading different authors other than the revered one, it came my thinking that she is just one of the greatest writers. Greatness is subjective and can be defined in different ways. Semantics played a great role in this change of view.

iii. “I never liked Japanese animation and food.” I now like anime and sushi. In terms of nutrition and palatability, sushi seems to be the best bet. I can now finally say that American foods are less desirable. American food such as fries and burgers are high in bad cholesterol as opposed to one. In terms of entertainment, the graphics and story in anime seem to be unique and refreshing. Movies nowadays are a bunch of graphics bonanza, but poor in storyline. Most anime that I watched (Castle in the Sky, Final Fantasy: Advent Children, Ghost in the Shell, Metropolis etc.) are rich in graphics and can be considered having great storyline.

iv. “I don’t want to exercise.” In the lieu of nursing as my profession, being healthy seems to be the preference. Arguably, nurses are role models, and having moderate exercise can be enough.

v. “I don’t like OPM.” Dahil walang “for life” at “forever” na radio station dito.” Being “jologs” would seem to be the cool thing. Hey, most people like TFC. Arguably, GMA network seems to appeal to majority of Filipinos with great taste for entertainment. Mediocre entertainment (can be TFC) seems to appeal to Filipino Americans. Enough for the digression, I like OPM now. Most of the music here are very much commercial, and Clear Channel has monopoly for the radio. What I do not like is when a company is explicitly dictating what will artist and music will I listen. Hence, I like OPM now.

vi. “I will never join friendster.” Arguably, I am friendster’s prodigal son. I joined it last 2003, and seem to be against its philosophy, then withdrew my allegiance. Now, I joined friendster for one objective: shameless self/blog promotion.

As of press time, Irony is my friend. There might be more renounce rialtos in life and in blog. Whatever the case, the preference is to convey irony and learn from it.

Repair

2006-04-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

When I was on the brink of what should and should not be done, I had done it anyway. What seems to be wrong with human nature is endless and inveterate curiosity, the desire to click the self-destruct button, thinking it would be easier to have a total overhaul, than to selectively repair what was wrong and retain the old and working ones. This seems to be the kind of thinking that has a double-edged sword. Most of the things would just require repair, and that is it. There is no need for the “quick to cut” principle and find out what is wrong and what is ought.

Forget Me Not

2006-03-29T11:28:00.000-08:00

“Blessed are the forgetful, for they get the best even of their blunders.” -Frederich Nietzsche

Human nature usually supposes that ignorance is bliss. There is comfort in not knowing. Arguably, this comfort might be the source of happiness, or can be viewed as an impending tragedy. The mind plays tricks on us, and the more you know, the more enlightened you become. And when you become enlightened by the truth, pangs of frustration might arise, for what you may think as bliss, is not bliss at all. Then, you tell yourself, it was even better that I did not know. I was happy and peaceful. Now, I have become a train wreck with knowledge of betrayal and frustration.

“How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;
Labour and rest, that equal periods keep[…];”

-Alexander Pope

I suppose memory would choose to remember what was joyous, instead of lachrymose. Sometimes, this is what seems to work: to be hopeful in the midst of the unpromising outcome. To say to oneself: “Impossible is the possible not yet done.” Memories are filtered that way. Remembering is easy. Forgetting takes a lot of hard work. And when happiness sinks in, expect that somewhere in there, a memory has been put in the bin of forgetfulness.

Work Cited:

Photo Source: Forget me not by Asya Schween

People, Pets, and Peeves

2006-03-26T11:06:00.000-08:00

People, Pets, and Peeves

Most Americans love pets. In fact, according to Frappa Stout, a writer in USAWeekend Magazine, states: “They've (pets) moved from the back yard to the bedroom, and 84% of American pet owners consider them part of the family.” Here is a great idea: people should be eliminated, and let pets rule the world.

The aforementioned magazine states: “Americans spend about $28 billion a year on their four-legged friends, and that's not all food and veterinary care. The pet product industry is exploding, and more than half of all owners regularly buy gifts for their pets .” $28 B. Sure, the starvation in Africa, and destitution in any third world country would not matter, as long as the important and vital pet would have its exorbitant pedigree. Many should realize that when one country would spend this much on pets, then, it is just reasonable to make an ultimate sacrifice: people should be eliminated, and let pets rule the world.

Becker, author of “The Healing Power of Pets,” opines: “The pet gives you unconditional love, limitless affection and to-die-for loyalty. So you spoil them worse than grandkids." This is the absolute truth. It is just reasonable to spoil the pets. The edict of society seems to be changing. The ultimate sacrifice (mentioned above) may come. Therefore, it would be futile to have the grandkids spoiled because they might have no memory of it. It is a slippery slope to opine that pets can provide unconditional love and limitless affection Putting emphasis on “unconditional,” if one would spend that much on pets, pets would justify the monetary compensation by just giving attention. But in the changing edict of society, people would seem to be secondary to pets (its ok for people in third world countries to starve as long as one country spend the 28 B).Just like in business, people are replaceable and expendable. Hence, the timing for the sacrifice might be right. People should be eliminated, and let pets rule the world.

Therefore, love the pets. Soon enough, pets can replace people and it will be their time for world domination.

Work Cited:

USA Weekend Magazine: Click Here
http://www.aperfectworld.org/cartoons/petswitch.gif

I passed the NCLEX-RN with 75 questions

2006-03-25T05:14:00.000-08:00

I just passed the NCLEX-RN. After all the prayers and hardwork, it is justifiable to have the RN suffix on my name. I study for almost three months, and the first take, I passed it.

The study materials and schedules that worked for me are:

100 questions a day using Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN(r) Examination cd-rom
watching the content review of Kaplan 2 times
watching the ATI videos (Med-Surg, PEds, OB x 3) (Mental Health x 1)
Reading the whole Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN(r) Examination book and answering the chapter tests

Supplemental books include

Some people would say that this is overkill. But I passed the NCLEX. After the test, I have a feeling that I will pass. Contrary to the premise that when a NCLEX-RN test takers think that they will pass the test after the test, they would usually fail. I got this from the forum of Allnurses.com by a member named TEXASCCRN.

Well, I have proven that premise wrong. As long as I believed in myself, and nourished my mind with positive thoughts, I passed the NCEX-RN. With the aforementioned materials above, and reading each rationale, it helped me a lot. Of course, the endless prayers.

Boston Legal:Stick it Closing Video

2006-03-15T23:16:00.000-08:00

Alan Shore's Closing video: Click here
"It is far easier to fight for the principles, than to live up to them."

Photo Source and Video Source: boston-legal.org

Kaplan Scores

2006-03-10T17:30:00.000-08:00

I was informed that 55% or above scores on the Qbank and/or Kaplan Question Trainer is deemed to be favorable. I am getting scores above 55%. I just have to study more and polish the weak areas/topics.

NCLEX-RN, Here I come!

2006-02-13T20:09:00.000-08:00

This is not happening. This is just a dream. After feverishly reviewing nursing concepts and topics, my score in Kaplan question Trainer is marginally half. I thought that after going to nursing school, the feeling of inadequacy would vanquish into thin air….

Nope… I made this misguided notion because everytime I had a quiz in Nursing school, the feeling of inadequacy sets in because I would usually review in my optimum capacity, just to get an average score. And I would hope that after graduation, things won’t be this way because I already learned.

I was mistaken… Preparing for the NCLEX-RN would be similar or if not, it is in the superlative degree of comparison on the quizzes and exams I had in nursing school. I also answered Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN, and I like this book on the notion that it made me feel confident and seemingly suggested that I am learning something. To clarify, I would get the grades C, D, and F on Kaplan, while on Saunders: I would get B’s and C’s.

I remember Professor Arvidson-Perkins saying: “Learning is a hard process.” I would agree with this without the very general and sugar-coated adjective: “Hard.” To make it more vivid, I would say that the learning process is a painful, treacherous, and fulfilling process. I say this because after that process, intellectual maturity beckons. For instance, during my first clinical days, I cannot even touch a patient, now, I have the basic skills intact, and kudos to the many skills to come. Back to the main point, learning is a process, and even though I would go through such pain and treachery, I will be here standing still for intellectual maturity. Hence, NCLEX-RN, bring it on and ask me the higher learning questions.

Prose I

2006-01-12T22:08:00.000-08:00

Author’s note:
It is a long time since I can remember that I have written prose. Now, the prose that I will write shall be numbered in the Roman Numeral Form and would delve on just about anything.

Prose I

I need to calm my deprived silence,
Into its reverie
I was consciously lost in words and action
And tightly muzzled in an endless confusion.
Why it was it my fault to fall for you?
When I was completely corrupted by your charm.
Times like these would be my enemy,
When you’re unaware of these solitary thoughts,
And dealing with them is a burdensome load.
Emancipate this passion,
Hurt me to the fullest.
Terminate the niceties you give me
To give this affection an impending end.

"There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know." – Harry Truman

2005-12-31T20:41:00.000-08:00

"There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know." – Harry Truman

Most people would be familiar with the aforementioned quotation. The principle of recycling on most aspects of a person’s life would seem to be in fecundity. A simple example would be on the concept of television shows. The notion: “people like new shows which reminds of old shows,” seems to apply. I would have to smother the hatred against “Grey’s Anatomy” because it reminds me of my favorite show “Ally McBeal.”

To discuss the not so trivial things, it would be reasonable to talk about HD-DVD vs. Blu Ray. 2006 would seem to pave the way for these two different technologies. CD-WRITER.COM writes: “Blu-ray launched with the intention of dominating the Information Technology sector, where as HD-DVD aims to be dominant in the consumer products sector, essentially with audio-visual devices. Although neither of the formats have been released in the UK as yet, the early part of 2006 will see a flurry of activity, with many computer components being developed to cater for both Blu-ray and HD-DVD.”

Some people would remember this war as something germane. Remember, the VHS vs betamax War. Here is a synopsis: “Sony's Betamax video standard was introduced in 1975, followed a year later by JVC's VHS. For around a decade the two standards battled for dominance, with VHS eventually emerging as the winner.

The victory was not due to any technical superiority (Betamax is arguably a better format), but to several factors. Exactly how and why VHS won the war has been the subject of intense debate. The commonly-held belief is that the technically superior Betamax was beaten by VHS through slick marketing. In fact the truth is more complex and there were a number of reasons for the outcome.”

The anecdotes above would seem to corroborate the quotation. There is really nothing new. It is the same concept. “Same Script, Different Cast.” Here, Sony is still one of the casts, however, the technology would delve on the Generation Y people. Hence, this is another manifestation that there is nothing new in the world, only the unknown information that would certify a certain thing new. In the spirit of the New Year, THE GENERIC GREETING IS PRESENTED: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!

Work Cited:

Cd-writer.com

Media College

Photo Source

"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty."

2005-12-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty." Edward R. Murrow

David E. Kelley seems to be fond of this quotation. For instance, he
used it in Boston Legal. Episode "Witches of Mass Destruction,"
wherein Denny and Alan's friendship is tested when Alan helps Cassie
sue the US military for the loss of her brother. Moreover, this
quotation was also used in "The Practice." Ellenor Frutt defends
Carrie Moses regarding the case of Free Speech Zone.

Boston Legal seems to be one of the best shows today. Although it
does not have the ratings of Desperate Housewives or CSI or Law and
Order, it is best in provoking and initiating audiences to suppose,
contend, and differentiate. The aforementioned episode on the first
paragraph would demonstrate how "Boston Legal" makes audiences
suppose, contend, and differentiate.

This would be the third time Boston Legal was mentioned in the blog
entries. And readers might expect more. "Boston Legal" is unrecognized by general audiences. Avid audiences would seem to prefer the ratings that way, so long that the Nielsen Ratings and the ABC network would warrant it to have more meaningful seasons and thought-provoking
episodes.

Work Cited:

Boston Legal.org
Tv.com

Mp3 Player

2005-12-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

I am taking the liberty to review a product. It is the Durabrand MP3/CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Receiver. Ii is reasonable to suggest that this product is excellent based on three things: economical and easy to use.

Economical: It is only $24.86 + tax. I have been searching for any other place where this is available, but this is only available at Wal-Mart. The WalMart debate is intensifying as press time, but as long as I can save my few dollars, I have to do what I have to do: SAVE Money.

Easy to Use: This has the configuration of most Cd players.

Features:

· Portable MP3/CD player with AM/FM stereo receiver

· 60 second anti-skip protection for CD and 120 second for MP3

· Backlit full feature LCD display

· Plays MP3/CD/CD-R/CD-RW discs

· Supports MP3 ID3 text

· Preset graphic equalizer.

It also plays WMA discs.

With all these advantages, I can say that this product is excellent.

Postscript: I cannot afford a Creative 6 GB Zen Neeon MP3 Player, and for the meantime, I would settle for this.

Work Cited:
Walmart.com

Terrific Thanksgiving

2005-11-23T18:21:00.000-08:00

Terrific Thanksgiving

Lie. Most people are perceive the first thanksgiving as an amicable holiday through its roots. Most people know this history:

“In 1621 The Pilgrims and the Indians sat down and had a nice, friendly meal together. No fighting was allowed on that day. Everyone sat down at the Plymouth Plantation to a meal of turkey, corn, fruit, pumpkin pie, apple cider, and potatoes. There was a big Horn of Plenty in the middle of the table. In fact, the Pilgrims and the Indians started that whole Horn of Plenty tradition on that first Thanksgiving Day. An Indian named, Squanto, was one of the guests. The point of the dinner was to celebrate the bountiful harvest and prove to the Pilgrims and Indians that they could live together in peace.”

Carol Barbieri would seem to support what Maybury posits. She states: “The first winter for the Pilgrims was devastating. Of the original 102 Pilgrims who came to America on the Mayflower, only 46 Pilgrims remained. Quite simply, the Pilgrims were outnumbered by the Wampanoag Indians two to one. The Pilgrims thought it best to keep the Indians on their “good” side, until more Pilgrims could arrive.”

Work Cited:

Loewen, J. (1995). Lies my teacher told me. 1st ed. New York: Touchstone.

The Great Thanksgiving Hoax by Richard J. Maybury

Lemonade Stand by Carol Barbieri

Photo Source

Schadenfreude

2005-11-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

Schadenfreude

After watching “Boston Legal,” I learned a vocabulary: Schadenfreude. It is a German expression derived from “Schaden” meaning damage, and “Freude” meaning joy. In layman’s terms, it is "pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune" or "shameful joy." Some people contend: it is human nature. It is an unfortunate emotion which seemingly brings satisfaction when people see that the “mighty have fallen.”

Ostensibly, science corroborates such emotion. John Roach, a reporter for National Geographic News, writes: "The team scanned the brain activity of male volunteers participating in a game of exchanging money back and forth. If one player made a selfish choice instead of a mutually beneficial one, another player could penalize him. The study, co-authored by Ernst Fehr who is the director of the Institute for Empirical Research in Economics at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, suppose: "People seem to trade off the expected satisfaction from punishing with the cost of punishing in quite a rational way."

In the anatomical point of view, Dominique de Quervain, a neuroscientist at the University of Zurich and co-author suggests: “Deficits in prefrontal cortical functioning may contribute to these psychopathologies by a disturbed ability to weigh beneficial against negative consequences of an action.” The scientist measured the blood flow in the brain using positron emission tomography (PET). This seems to surely corroborate that Schadenfreude is a valid human emotion. Although unfortunate, and sadistic in a sense, it is, arguably, one of the emotions that make people human.

On a final note, it would seem that Schadenfreude is a coping mechanism. It can be one of the many reminders that all things have to come to an end. Moreover, it might also bring hope to people who are at the lowest point in their lives. Some people might be saying: “Everything can change. Everything must change. The mighty have fallen. Now, it can be my time.”

Work Cited:
National Geographic
Photo Source

Composer’s Refrain

2005-10-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

“With the songs that I sing
And the magic they bring
you’ve learned to be strong now
the song sets you free
but who sings to me
I’m all alone now.”
-Barbra Streisand “Songbird” album

Sometimes, I have to wander: where have all the great composers of my time gone? Arguably, in the 1970s, they had Marvin Hamlisch. In the 80s, people have David Foster. In the 90s, at least I was aware of the compositions of Diane Warren. This decade, I could not think of a composer justifiable enough to represent this time.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” as Dickens put it. Seemingly, the 00s decade can be regarded as such. The controversy of digital music being accessed easily brought a paradoxical paradise. I can surmise that there are still people proliferating music piracy, and some people are still adamant to pay for their music.

Piracy advocates would argue: “I would not want to pay for an album which has 1 or 2 remarkable songs.” This is plausible. It would appear that the music industry right now is not a place for inspired artists, but for commercial survivalists. This can be seen on the article Mike Huckman wrote. He asserts: “The music business has never been more commercial than it is right now. Dirty Vegas’ “Days Go By” might have been a bygone […] but the commercial boosted the previously obscure song in the music charts and helped it nab a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording.” This is one of the many assertions that would convey how the music industry is for commercial survivalists. Radio cannot shoulder the burden for making a song famous and listen-able. Songs has to be “commercial” and “bankable.” One of the many examples of commercial and bankable songs is with boisterous bass and rhythm with shallow and repetitive lyrics. One can reasonably consider that rap and hip-hop are commercial and bankable.

Composers and singers have to make a living. They have to meet their physiological needs first before anything else. If they have to sacrifice artistry for the food in the dining table, then so be it. The changing times of a commercial survivalist allow them to do such thing. I just hope future music lovers would be proud because they would have a Michel Legrand, Dianne Warren or David Foster in their time.

Work Cited:
Mike Huckman
Photo Source

Money Words

2005-10-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

MONEY WORDS™ is a vocabulary program that was designed to help people strengthen their vocabularies. What follows are the 296 words that are covered in the audio program. Feel free to take these words from the website and make them your own. However, for a focus on pronunciation, and for the reinforcement many require when learning anything new (especially new words), purchase a copy of MONEY WORDS™ at your local college bookstore.

The following words are introduced in this program:

Poignant: keenly distressing to the feelings; keen or strong in mental appeal;
affecting or moving the emotions.
Synonyms: penetrating, moving, heartfelt, piquant, sharp.
Antonyms: mild, temperate, moderate, clement, bland.

Discombobulating: confusing or disconcerting; upsetting; frustrating.
Synonyms: discomposing, perplexing, bewildering,
abashing, discomfiting.
Antonyms: placid, serene, unruffled, collected,
self-possessed.

Epiphany: a sudden intuitive perception; an insight into the reality or essential
meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or
commonplace occurrence or experience.
Synonyms: conception, notion, revelation, awakening,
transcendence.
Near Antonyms: disillusionment, disenchantment, mental
indolence, cognitive apathy, paralysis.

Unparalleled: not paralleled; unprecedented.
Synonyms: matchless, peerless, inimitable, unrivaled,
unsurpassed.
Antonyms: comparable, typical, equivalent, derivative,
commonplace.

Eschew: to abstain or keep away from; to avoid.
Synonyms: circumvent, boycott, forgo, shun, evade.
Antonyms: employ, invite, actuate, exploit, implement.

Ruminate: to chew the cud; to meditate or muse; to ponder.
Synonyms: deliberate, contemplate, meditate, ponder, cogitate.
Near Antonyms: deduce, conjecture, suppose, presume, speculate.

Expunge: to strike or blot out; to erase; to wipe out or destroy.
Synonyms: obliterate, efface, abrogate, countermand, rescind.
Antonyms: retain, safeguard, maintain, uphold, espouse.

Omnipotent: almighty or infinite in power; having very great or unlimited
authority or power.
Synonyms: supreme, sizeable, infinite, sovereign, puissant.
Antonyms: powerless, immobilized, toothless, indolent,
lethargic.

Lucid: easily understood; completely intelligible or comprehensible;
characterized by clear perception or understanding.
Synonyms: evident, sound, comprehensible, limpid, pellucid.
Antonyms: nebulous, obscure, irrational, dubious, veiled.

Conscious: aware of one’s own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings;
fully aware of or sensitive to something.
Synonyms: percipient, cognizant, aware, mindful, sentient.
Antonyms: oblivious, unaware, unsuspecting, unknowing,
benumbed.

Infer: to derive by reasoning; to conclude or judge from premises or evidence.
Synonyms: deduce, reason, speculate, surmise, gather.
Antonyms: intuit, assume, presuppose, presume, opine.

Assiduous: constant; constant in application or effort; working diligently at a
task; persevering.
Synonyms: continuous, tireless, persistent, studious, diligent.
Antonyms: inconstant, capricious, vacillating, mercurial,
apathetic.

Antiquated: resembling or adhering to the past; old-fashioned; no longer used.
Synonyms: obsolescent, archaic, bygone, dowdy, passé.
Antonyms: contemporary, modernistic, timely, newfangled,
modish.

Ambiguous: open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations; of
doubtful or uncertain nature; difficult to comprehend, distinguish,
or classify.
Synonyms: equivocal, cryptic, enigmatic, obscure, nebulous.
Antonyms: perspicuous, categorical, unequivocal, intelligible,
lucid.

Altruistic: unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others.
Synonyms: benevolent, philanthropic, charitable, humanitarian,
benign.
Antonyms: egoistic, self-centered, self-absorbed, self-obsessed,
egocentric.

Malleable: capable of being extended or shaped by hammering or by pressure
from rollers; adaptable.
Synonyms: impressionable, tractable, pliable, ductile, supple.
Antonyms: intractable, refractory, headstrong, recalcitrant,
ungovernable.

Defeatist: a person who surrenders easily.
Synonyms: doomsayer, killjoy, misanthrope, pessimist,
fussbudget.
Antonyms: optimist, idealist, Pangloss, Pollyanna, enthusiast.

Bombastic: high-sounding, high-flown, or inflated—especially in relation to
speech and writing.
Synonyms: pompous, grandiloquent, pretentious, turgid,
highfalutin.
Antonyms: humble, meek, unassuming, forbearing, modest.
The following three words are introduced in the audio program
when defining bombastic:
replete: filled with
polysyllabic: consisting of four or more syllables
satiating: satisfying

Incongruous: not harmonious in character; lacking harmony of parts;
inconsistent.
Synonyms: discordant, incompatible, inharmonious,
discrepant, contradictory.
Antonyms: consonant, consistent, invariable, unfailing,
harmonious.

Lackadaisical: without interest, vigor, or determination; lazy.
Synonyms: languid, spiritless, apathetic, enervated,
phlegmatic.
Antonyms: vivacious, spirited, brisk, ardent, animated.

Sagacious: having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical
sense.
Synonyms: discerning, wise, judicious, perspicacious, acute.
Antonyms: ignorant, nescient, benighted, primitive,
unenlightened.

Ephemeral: lasting a very short time; short-lived; lasting but one day.
Synonyms: fleeting, evanescent, transient, momentary, fugitive.
Antonyms: invariable, changeless, immutable, permanent,
constant.

Prodigious: extraordinary in size, amount, extent, degree, or force.
Synonyms: immense, stupendous, Herculean, astounding,
voluminous.
Antonyms: bantam, petite, inconsequential, petty, infinitesimal.

Prodigal: wastefully or recklessly extravagant.
Synonyms: lavish, profligate, licentious, improvident, thriftless.
Antonyms: provident, economical, cautious, prudent, frugal.

Copious: large in quantity or number; having or yielding an abundant supply.
Synonyms: abundant, bountiful, ample, profuse, plethoric.
Antonyms: sparse, scarce, meager, exiguous, skimpy.

Absolve: to free from guilt or blame; to set free or release.
Synonyms: exculpate, acquit, exonerate, liberate, remit.
Antonyms: censure, denounce, denunciate, castigate, rebuke.

Verbose: characterized by the use of many or too many words; wordy.
Synonyms: chatty, loquacious, wordy, effusive, garrulous.
Antonyms: laconic, pithy, terse, succinct, concise.

Taken From: Professor McFaul's Website

Google Tips 2005

2005-10-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some search syntax basics and advanced tricks for Google.com. You might know most of these, but if you spot a new one, it may come in handy in future searches.
A quote/ phrase search can be written with both quotations ["like this"] as well as a minus in-between words, [like-this].

Google didn’t always understand certain special characters like [#], but now they do; a search for [C#], for example, yields meaningful results (a few years ago, it didn’t). This doesn’t mean you can use just any character; e.g. entering [t.] and [t-] and [t^] will always return the same results.

Google allows 32 words within the search query (some years ago, only up to 10 were used, and Google ignored subsequent words). You rarely will need so many words in a single query – [just thinking of such a long query is a hard thing to do, as this query with twenty words shows] – however, it can come in handy for advanced searching... especially as a developer using the Google API.

You can find synonyms of words. E.g. when you search for [house] but you want to find “home” too, search for [~house]. To get to know which synonyms the Google database stores for individual words, simply use the minus operator to exclude synonym after synonym (they will always show as bold in the SERPs, the search engine result pages). Like this: [~house -house -home -housing -floor].

To see a really large page-count (possibly, the Google index size, though one can only speculate about that), search for [* *].
Google has a lesser known “numrange” operator which can be helpful. Using e.g. [2000..2005] (that’s two dots inbetween two numbers) will find 2000, 2001, 2002 and so on until 2005.
Google’s define-operator allows you to look up word definitions. For example, [define:css] yields “Short for Cascading Style Sheets” and many more explanations. You can trigger a somewhat “softer” version of the define-operator by entering “what is something”, e.g. [what is css].
Google has some exciting back-end AI to allow you to find just the facts upong entering simple questions or phrases like [when was Einstein born?] or [einstein birthday] (the answer to both of these queries is “Albert Einstein – Date of Birth: 14 March 1879”). This feature was introduced April this year and is called Google Q&A. (See some of the various working Q&A sample queries to get a feeling for what’s possible.)

Google allows you to find backlinks by using the link-operator, e.g. [link:blog.outer-court.com] for this blog. The new Google Blog Search supports this operator as well. In fact, when Google’s predecessor started out as Larry Page’s “BackRub” in the 1990s, finding backlinks was its only aim! However, not all backlinks are shown in Google today, at least not in web search. (It’s argued that Google does this on purpose to prevent reverse-engineering of its PageRank algorithm.)

Often when you enter a question mark at the end of the query, like when you type [why?], Google will advertise its pay-for-answer service Google Answers.
There a “sport” called Google Hacking. Basically, curious people try to find unsecure sites by entering specific, revealing phrases. A special web site called the Google Hacking Database is dedicated to listing these special queries.

Google searches for all of your words, whether or not you write a “+” before them (I often see people write queries [+like +this], but it’s not necessary). Unless, of course, you use Google’s or-operator. It’s an upper-case [OR] (lower-case won’t work and is simply searching for occurrences of the word “or”), and you can also use parentheses and the “” character. [Hamlet (pizza coke)] will find pages containing the word (or being linked to with the word) “Hamlet” and additionally containing at least one of the two other words, “pizza” or “coke”.
Not all Google services support the same syntax. Some services don’t allow everything Google web search allows you to enter (or at least, it won’t have any effect), and sometimes, you can even enter more than in web search (e.g. [insubject:test] in Google Groups). The easiest thing to find out about these operators is to simply use the advanced search and then check what ends up being written in the input box.

Sometimes, Google seems to understand “natural language” queries and shows you so-called “onebox” results. This happens for example when you enter [goog], [weather new york, ny], [new york ny] or [war of the worlds] (for this one, movie times, move rating and other information will show).
Not all Googles are the same! Depending on your location, Google will forward you to a different country-specific version of Google with potentially different results to the same query. A search for [site:stormfront.org] from the US will yield hundreds of thousands of results, whereas the same search from Germany (at least if you don’t change the default redirect to Google.de) returns... zilch. Yes, Google does at times agree to country-specific censorship, like in Germany, France (Google web search), or China (Google News).
Sometimes, Google warns you about its results, especially when they might seem like promoting hate sites (of course, only someone misunderstanding how Google works could think it’s them promoting hate sites). Enter [jew], and you will see a Google-sponsored link titled “Offensive Search Results” leading to this explanation.

For some search queries, Google uses its own ads to offer jobs. Try entering [work at Google] and take a look at the right-hand advertisement titled e.g. “Work at Google Europe” (it turns out, at the moment, Google Switzerland is hiring).
For some of the more popular “Googlebombed” results, like when you enter [failure] and the first hit is the biography of George W. Bush, Google displays explanatory ads titled “Why these results?”.

While Google doesn’t do real Natural Language Processing yet, this is the ultimate goal for them and other search engines. A little What-If Video [WMV] illustrates how this could be useful in the future.

Some say that whoever turns up first for the search query [president of the internet] is, well, the President of the internet. (I’m applying as well, and you can feel free to support me with this logo.)

Google doesn’t have “stop words” anymore. Stop words traditionally are words like [the], [or] and similar which search engines tended to ignore. Sometimes, when you enter e.g. [to be or not to be], Google even decides to show some phrase search results in the middle of the page (separated by a line and information that these are phrase search results).
There once was an easter-egg in the Google Calculator that made Google show “42” when you entered [The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything]. If I’m not mistaken, this feature has disappeared and now displays a more reasonable (but less funny) definition of the concept of Douglas Adams’ galactical joke.

You can use the wildcard operator in phrases. This is helpful for finding song texts – let’s say you forgot a word or two, but you remember the gist, as in ["love you twice as much * oh love * *"] – and similar tasks.

You can use the wildcard character without searching for anything specific at all, as in this phrase search: ["* * * * * * *"].

Even though www.googl.com is nothing but a “typosquatter” (someone reserving a domain name containing a popular misspelling) and search queries return very different results than Google, the site is still getting paid by Google – because it uses Google AdSense.
If you feel like restricting your search to university servers, you can write e.g. [c-tutorial site:.edu] to only search on the “edu” domain (you can also use Google Scholar). This works for country-domains like “de” or “it” as well.

Work Cited:
Google Blogoscoped
Photo Source

All you need is love?: Brain Sex and the Mating Game

2005-09-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

All you need is love?: Brain Sex and the Mating Game ; Robert L. Nadeau; ; The World & I ; 03-01-1998 ;

The individual most responsible for legitimating the modern distinction between sex and gender was the anthropologist Margaret Mead. Based on studies of native people in Samoa, Mead argued that the enormous variability of male and female behavior suggests that innate, or biologically predetermined, behaviors are almost nonexistent in our species. She then concluded that the fundamental determinant of gender identity is not nature, or what we are as a result of biological inheritance, but nurture, or what we are as a result of the socialization process. "We may safely say," wrote Mead, "that many if not all of the personality traits which we call masculine and feminine are as lightly linked to sex as are the clothing, the manners and the form of headdress that a society at a given period assigns to sex."(1)

The Mead doctrine occasioned a revolution in our thinking about gender identity for the same reasons that the theories of Copernicus, Darwin, and Einstein occasioned revolutions in thought. It was derived in accordance with research methodologies and rules of evidence designed to produce objective and value-free knowledge. Although a large body of research on sex-specific behavior that could not be explained by learning per se began to accumulate not long after the doctrine was formulated, this evidence appeared "soft" in the absence of biological explanations. We now know that the biological factors that contribute to these behaviors are differing levels of sex hormones and sex-specific differences in the human brain.

BRAIN CHEMISTRY AND EROS

Until recently, much of the knowledge about the sex-specific human brain was derived from postmortem dissections, and virtually nothing was known about the relationship between sex-specific anatomical differences and actual brain function. During the last two decades, however, studies in neuroscience have shown that these differences condition a wide range of human behavior. Brain science has also provided bold new insights into an aspect of our lives where the attempt to ignore or transcend gender differences occasions the most confusion and conflict--romantic love relationships.

There are chemicals in our brains, called neurotransmitters, that make the experience of eros far more universal than we previously imagined. Normally produced at various stages in love relationships, these chemicals occasion similar emotional and physical states in all human beings. Mind-or mood-altering drugs have molecular structures that resemble those of neurotransmitters. For example, cocaine resembles dopamine, acts on the dopamine receptors, and tricks the brain into operating as if enormously high levels of this neurotransmitter were present. Similarly, valium reduces anxiety by augmenting the effects of GABA, and Prozac alleviates depression by enhancing the action of serotonin.

Given the destructive influence of artificial substances that induce altered states, why did mutations that produce these states survive in the gene pool? The answer is that the powerful neurotransmitters associated with being in love enhanced the prospect of mating and of successfully rearing children. And as anyone who has been in love knows firsthand, these love potents propel us well out of the range of normative emotional responses.

Studies of the initial stages of "being in love" indicate that the love object typically becomes the center of the individual's universe, and that even the most mundane and trivial characteristics of the magical other are a source of utter fascination. A large number of respondents in one study said that their thoughts and feelings were fixated on the love object from 85 to almost 100 percent of the time. In the presence of the love object, both men and women said they trembled, felt flushed, stammered, and feared losing control over basic faculties and skills. There was also common agreement about the primary reward for this confusion--95 percent of the males and 91 percent of the females indicated that the best thing about being in love was sex.(2)

The principal neurotransmitter contributing to these behaviors is an excitant amine called phenylethylamine, or PEA. This endogenous amphetamine, or speed, saturates the brain when we fall in love, and generates feelings of elation and euphoria. When lovers are giddy, absent-minded, optimistic, gregarious, wonderfully alive, and full of extraordinary energy, they are riding a natural high that results from the action of PEA and possibly two other natural amphetamines--dopamine and norepinephrine. A brain flooded with PEA can override the impulse to sleep and allow lovers to dance the night away in both figurative and literal terms.

People with low levels of PEA are often romance junkies literally "addicted to love." But this is an abnormality.(3) The function of the PEA high in evolutionary terms is to promote mating and the transmission of genes to subsequent generations. After this is accomplished, it is not evolutionarily advantageous to remain in an altered state that could threaten survival. This explains why the brains of most people can sustain high levels of PEA for only about two to three years.(4)

However, it would not be evolutionarily advantageous for parents who must care for children well into the teenage years to terminate their relationship when the PEA high subsides. Therefore, as this high diminishes, the brain compensates by increasing the levels of morphinelike substances, endorphins, that create feelings of calmness, security, and well-being. This is the biological component in the transition from passionate love to companionate love, or from eros as illogical need and obsession to eros as mutual affirmation and acceptance. The discomfort and anxiety felt by those in long-term love relationships when separated from a partner could be due in part to the rapid decrease in endorphin levels.(5)

In a study of divorce statistics in various cultures, anthropologist Helen Fisher found a correlation between the two-to three-year period during which the human brain can sustain the PEA high and the years in a marriage when most couples divorce.(6) In societies as diverse as Finland, Russia, Egypt, South Africa, and Venezuela, divorces generally occur early in marriage, reach their peak during the fourth year of marriage, and gradually decline in later years. Although there are variations from the four-year peak in some of these cultures, Fisher believes this is due to the influence of cultural variables.

For example, Fisher believes that cultural variables account for variations in the four-year peak in the United States. During the period from 1960 to 1980, when the divorce rate doubled, the incidence of divorce peaked in and around the second year of marriage. Did this have anything to do with couples living together or being in some sense married before becoming legally married? Apparently not. Fisher found that while the number of American couples living together tripled in the 1970s, the peak year for divorce among married couples remained the same.

The cultural variables that explain this pattern could be the attitudes of Americans toward marriage. While people in traditional cultures typically marry for economic, social, or political reasons, Americans marry, says Fisher, "to accentuate, balance out, or mask parts of our private lives."(7) If Americans do not feel as pressured to remain married, it should follow that they are more likely to dissolve marital relationships at the point at which the PEA high subsides.

NEURONAL PATTERNS AND THINE OWN TRUE LOVE
Neuroscience has also provided some insights into a phenomenon that has long puzzled social scientists--love at first sight. Even though there are a myriad of potential mates, powerful attraction between prospective lovers is about as rare as it is spontaneous. From across the crowded room, or at the end of the checkout aisle, there suddenly emerges that special smile, face, body type that is like no other.This magical moment for males is accompanied by stiffening of the muscles, increase in heart rate, a flushed face, and dilated pupils. Signs of love at first sight for females are tingling palms, hardening nipples, quick and shallow breathing, and dilated pupils. Although we may sense in this situation that some cosmic matchmaker is at work, there is another, more prosaic explanation.

The organization of neuronal patterns in our brains from the time of infancy to adolescence is determined in no small part by environmental stimuli. The totality of our experience is encoded in those patterns, and their dynamic interplay constitutes our subjective realities. Within this maze are neuronal patterns associated with members of the opposite sex that constitute a kind of gestalt image that includes physical features, subtle behavioral clues, and powerful emotional inputs. When we encounter a member of the opposite sex toward whom we feel instant sexual attraction, our brains are constructing an image of femaleness or maleness that activates neuronal assemblages corresponding with this gestalt image, or with what are normally called search images.

The search images that most fundamentally condition sexual attraction develop in childhood and derive from interactions with those closest to us in physical and emotional terms. The boy or girl next door can be a source of these images. But the primary source is normally opposite-sex family members. When we consider that these people share half our genes, the well-known fact that we tend to marry people like ourselves begins to make scientific sense.

Efforts to assess resemblances in the physical appearance and behavior of married couples often involve an index called the correlation coefficient. Although this is a statistical measure, it can be described in simple numerical terms. Imagine putting a hundred couples in a room and lining up males and females according to one characteristic, such as age. If a married couple ends up at the same place in the line, say at No. 33, the correspondence is perfect and the correlation coefficient is plus 1. Minus 1 designates a perfect opposite match, as in youngest woman is married to oldest man. If the correlation is random, as in youngest women is just as likely to be married to a younger as older man, the coefficient is zero.

The highest correlations, typically around plus 0.9, are for age, race, ethnic background, religion, socioeconomic status, and political views. Measures of personality, such as extroversion or introversion, and IQ levels normally fall out at around plus 0.4. This much seems obvious. But what about physical characteristics? Statistically significant correlations have been found between a large number of physical traits that most of us would never imagine had anything to do with the sources of our sexual attraction.

Correlations of about plus 0.2 have been discovered between length of earlobes, lung volumes, circumferences of wrists and ankles, and distances between eyes in married couples from cultures as diverse as Chad and Poland. In some instances, such as the length of middle fingers, the correlation is plus 0.61.(8) The best explanation for these results is that the gestalt image that informs our attraction to members of the opposite sex is based upon the images of those who share half our genes--opposite-sex members of our family.

THE NONVERBAL LANGUAGE OF LOVE

The nonverbal language of love also attests to the legacy of mate selection among our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Women in cultures as diverse as those in Amazonia, Japan, Africa, France, Samoa, and Papua flirt using virtually the same sequence of expressions. These women first display sexual interest by smiling at the potential love object with eyebrows lifted and eyes opened wide. They then drop the eyebrows, tilt their heads down and to the side, and look in another direction.(9)

Given the importance of eye contact for the mating game of hunter-gatherers, the fact that gazing is the most obvious and universal flirtation signal should come as no great surprise. Men and women in all cultures stare intently into the eyes of potential sexual partners for several seconds, and extreme attraction is signaled by dilated pupils. This is followed by an impulse to close the eyelids, drop the gaze, and look away. Looking back in the direction of the source of this attraction tends to be furtive and is typically accompanied by meaningless gestures that signal anxiety, like fondling objects, fidgeting, and touching hair.(10)

If the physiological responses associated with love at first sight do not prove too disabling and conversation ensues, another indicator that a sexual liaison may be in the offing comes into play. The gestures made by men and women tend to mirror one another, or to become more synchronous. When he lifts his drink and turns his head right, she lifts her drink and turns her head left. When she touches her hair, he touches his hair, and so on.

Increased physical proximity, like leaning forward and positioning arms and legs closer together, is another sign of increased sexual intimacy. The prospect of further intimacy is typically assessed by "casually" touching a wrist, a shoulder, or a forearm. If the party that is touched does not touch in return, or reacts to being touched by moving out of intimate space, this signals reluctance to become more sexually intimate. But if the potential lover mirrors this laying on of hands behavior, a major obstacle on the road to sexual intercourse may have been eliminated. While there are cultures where sexual mores forbid displays of mirroring behaviors, they exist in every society where men and women are free to choose one another as mates.(11)

If we can believe the results of studies of nonverbal sexual interaction, most American cultural narratives that celebrate male sexual prowess are in need of revision. Researchers have found that American women initiate nonverbal flirtation cues, including the critical first touch, over two-thirds of the time. And follow-up interviews with these women revealed that they were very aware that this was the case.(12) Studies of cross-cultural sexual practices confirm that women normally take the initiative in making sexual advances in virtually any society where they are allowed to do so.(13)

There are also transcultural patterns in wooing or courtship rituals. In all human societies males offer females food and gifts in the hope of winning sexual favors. The food offering might be a fish, beer, or sweets instead of dinner at an overpriced restaurant, and the gifts might be cloth, tobacco, and hand-carved figures instead of cards and flowers. But the nonverbal messages conveyed by these enticements are not terribly dissimilar.

Once men and women enter the mind-altered state of the PEA high, behavioral tendencies are translated into actual behaviors in accordance with the rites and rituals of love within particular cultural contexts. And the stories, myths, legends, and songs that script these behaviors are clearly not universal. In some cultures, like the Mangaians of Polynesia and the Bem-Bem of the New Guinea highlands, the construct of "being in love" does not even exist. And yet behaviors associated with this altered state, like suicide among males who are not allowed to marry girlfriends and elopement among star-crossed couples, are not uncommon in these cultures. Also, multiple aspects of romantic love as it is conceived in the West exist, according to one recent anthropological survey, in 87 percent of 168 very diverse cultures.(14)

LESSONS FROM THE SEX-SPECIFIC HUMAN BRAIN

American popular culture creates the impression that most of us are constantly preparing for, engaging in, or recovering from promiscuous sex. But the results of what may be the first truly scientific survey of American sexual behavior, The Social Organization of Sexuality, present a very different picture. Based on face-to-face interviews with a random sample of almost thirty-five hundred Americans, ages 18 to 59, researchers found that the average American male has six sexual partners over a lifetime and the average American female has two sexual partners.(15)

Equally significant, adultery appears to be much more the exception than the rule. Nearly 75 percent of married men and 85 percent of married women surveyed said they had never been unfaithful. As for frequency of sexual intercourse, almost 40 percent of married people indicated they had sex twice a week, and only 25 percent of single people had sex that often.(16)

Obviously, a host of cultural and personal variables contribute to these behaviors. The legacy of our evolutionary past does, however, condition these behaviors. This legacy lives on in selectively advantageous traits that encourage powerful emotional bonding between potential parents--face-to-face coitus, concealed ovulation, private sex, and female orgasm. Hence the mating game in our species is framed around biological regularities that favor interdependence, cooperation, and long-term involvement.

This does not mean, of course, that evolution is a moral philosopher that dictates the terms of successful love relationships. On the other hand, behavioral tendencies associated with the sex-specific human brain do have something to say about ways in which we might seek to sustain and improve these relationships. Since the human brain cannot sustain the PEA high for more than a few years, the idea that this altered state is a precondition for a healthy love relationship is not in accord with biological reality. And yet we are incessantly bombarded with messages in print and electronic media that the opposite is true.

That the vast majority of those who fall in love and enter long-term relationships elect to have children also makes sense from a biological perspective. The PEA high evolved in our species not merely because it facilitated frequent intercourse and impregnation. This biological mechanism also evolved because it encouraged the emotional bonding required to raise big-brained infants to the point at which they, too, could bear offspring.

The fact that the brain generates an increased level of morphinelike endorphins as the PEA high subsides is another lesson of evolution that we should take seriously. The transition from passionate love to companionate love, as previous generations seem to have known far better than our own, is not only natural and necessary but can also signal the beginning of a very satisfying phase in love relationships.

This does not mean that sex between marital partners ceases to play a central and vitally important role in sustaining relationships, or that the excitement of being in love is forever lost. But it does suggest that the feelings of peace, security, and well-being occasioned by higher levels of endorphins are probably more conducive to maintaining relationships between responsible adults who are raising children.

Evolution also has something to say about the fact that teenagers tend to be more victimized by sexual love. Since the biological clock of ancestral females ran more slowly due to dietary differences, these females reached puberty several years later on average than contemporary females. But since ancestral hunter-gatherers began to mate and reproduce shortly after reaching puberty, all of the mechanisms that facilitate this process are powerfully at work in the lives of teenagers.

Concern about sexually transmitted diseases, particularly AIDS, has resulted in numerous campaigns to promote the use of condoms. And many of these campaigns suggest that virtually all the dangers associated with adolescent sexual behavior can be eliminated by consistent use of condoms. From the perspective of evolution, however, sex is not a form of recreation or a game that can be played with no liabilities on the part of the players.

The biological mechanisms of human sex evolved under special conditions in accordance with the most fundamental compulsion of life--passing on genes to subsequent generations. And we have done untold violence to teenagers by failing to make them sufficiently aware of the terrible force of this compulsion--and the enormous difference between sex as a biological reality and sex in popular culture.

Knowing the codes of evolution in flirtation behavior and the dating game also has its advantages. Obviously, sexual attraction is powerful, and men and women will not keep scorecards to check out their progress. Given that the biological predispositions in the sex-specific human brain are quite malleable in the learning process, the scorecard approach could do more harm than good. On the other hand, familiarity with the biological codes does provide a larger awareness of the difference between a response that is merely warm or friendly and one that signals sexual attraction.

If women tend to initiate the first touch in flirtation behavior, men should be well aware of this fact. And if women tend to be the decision makers in the initial stages of dating behavior, then men should know this as well. The absence of mirroring behavior may or may not signal sexual responsiveness, and the presence of this behavior is not a green light for sexual intimacy. But by knowing that this behavior is usual, both men and women could check sexually inappropriate behavior. More important, much of the mythology in this culture about male sexual process is not in sync with biological reality.

For the past thirty years, we have lived with the assumption that the sexual personae of men and women is learned in particular cultural contexts in gender-neutral minds. In marriage counseling, in advice columns in newspapers, and on prime-time talk shows, the idea that the price for political correctness in male-female love relationships is gender sameness is either explicit or implied. And even when the differences between the sexual personae of men and women are recognized, the usual refrain is that they are entirely a consequence of learning.

Since what we are as men and women is primarily a product of learning, the assumption of gender sameness has served us well in the attempt to control and eliminate offensive sexist behaviors. It has been particularly useful in disclosing that the myths of male dominance that sanction sexual abuse and use of women are utterly indefensible and morally bankrupt. Obviously, we are a long way from achieving the goal of full sexual equality, and the struggle to eliminate learned sexist attitudes and behaviors must continue. But since there is a linkage between biological reality and gender identity, the idea that men and women in love relationships must behave as if this linkage does not exist is clearly in need of revision.n

Robert L. Nadeau is a professor at George Mason University. His article "Brain Sex and the Language of Love" was published in the November 1997 issue of The World & I. This article, like the last, is based on his book S/he Brain (Praeger, 1996).
Footnotes:
1.Margaret Mead, Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies (New York: William Morrow, 1935), 280.

2.D. Tennov, Love and Limerance: The Experience of Being in Love (New York: Stein and Day, 1979).3

.M.R. Liebowitz, The Chemistry of Love (Boston: Little-Brown, 1983), 200.

4.J. Money, Love and Love Sickness: The Science of Sex, Gender Difference, and Pair-Bonding (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1980), 6

5.5.Liebowitz, The Chemistry of Love.

6.H.E. Fisher, "The Four-Year Itch," Natural History (October 1989): 22--23.

7.Helen Fisher, Anatomy of Love: The Natural History of Monogamy, Adultery, and Divorce (New York: W.W. Norton, 1992), 109--111.

8.Jared Diamond, The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal (New York: HarperCollins, 1992), 101--102.

9.Irenaus Eibl-Eibesfeldt, Ethology: The Biology of Behavior (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970).

10.E.H. Hess, The Tell-Tale Eye (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1975).

11.D.B. Givens, Love Signals: How to Attract a Mate (New York: Crown, 1983), and Fisher, Anatomy of Love.

12.T. Perper, Sex Signals: The Biology of Love (Philadelphia: ISI Press, 1985).

13.C.S. Ford and F.A. Beach, Patterns of Sexual Behavior (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1951).

14.W.R. Jankowiak and E.F. Fisher, "A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Romantic Love, Ethnology 31:2 (1992): 149--55.

15.John Gagnon, Robert Michael, and Stuart Michaels, The Social Organization of Sexuality (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994).16.Gagnon, Michael, and Michaels, The Social Organization of Sexuality.

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