On the day Office of Student Housing (OSH) meddled in the admission of residents in all 10 graduate and undergraduate dormitories of UP Diliman, we all faced one-way ticket to misery. What used to be an efficient, decentralized process of accepting deserving students to their dormitory of choice became a very chaotic and ineffective, not to mention unpredictable, procedure of admitting residents (randomly, I guess).

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I often involve myself in Current Events discussion, whether done inside the classroom, on dorm lobbies or at the dinner table. I make it a point to be aware of what is happening in my side of the world. I have always exercised free speech when it comes to issues of the society. I am vocal of my stand. But sometimes, knowing and speaking too much could be dangerous.

Last May 22, 2008, PNP surprised us of their ‘progress’ in the RCBC Robbery after shooting 4 people in Tanauan, Batangas. I remember very well how they described it as a ’shootout’ that occurred between the Task Force RCBC and their alleged suspects of the said crime. Oh, come on! There was no exchange of bullets, for crying out loud. It was a rub out, an out-and-out execution, so to speak. (Details here) This brutally harsh incident leads me to hastily assume that it was a cover up. I believe that the tagged suspects in the successful robbery of RCBC in Cabuyao, Laguna were killed because they knew too much. And so, there was a need to eliminate the chances of them to speak out.

This kind of ‘drama’ is not new at all. Looking back, you would see that there have been more savage cases of killings than this, all of which have been abruptly dismissed and forgotten due to lack of evidence. We do know that there is always something bigger, more explosive in crimes handled by our police. (The exact words of Ms. Abby) Most, if not all, of our ‘law-enforcing, crime-preventing’ civil force have always done a great job to take this so-called justice into their ruthless hands. (Just because the police are responsible of such acts, does this mean they are impune of the possible legal ramifications that their act entails? Is axing them out of duty enough? Just a thought.)

It’s both sad and alarming to know that the people who should be protecting us are actually the ones most probable of harming us. With all these happening to my motherland, I wouldn’t dare put my trust on them. Because from where I am standing right now, with the police in the picture; justice is horrible, horrendous and horrifying.

In the words of Ricardo Javier, the brother of one of the gunned-down men, “It is no longer safe nowadays. You are being killed inside the comfort of your house. And worse, by policemen,”

Photo Credit — Sparkstyson

There’s nothing wrong with wanting someone attractive. We all had or still have our fair share of cute crushes, may they be celebrities or campus heartthrob. I have nothing against that. However, thinking that couples should be matched according to physical attractiveness is another story. They give me the impression wherein good-looking creatures are limited to interact only with their counterpart of the same species/kind. This mentality shows how bigoted we, human beings, could get. Corollary to this, it reflects our superficiality in criteria for assessing a person.

And when people finally see beneath the physical imperfection of the unappealing/unattractive one, what makes it more upsetting is that they take positive qualities (i.e. talent, skill, intellect, kindness) as compensation for the supposed lack of physical beauty.

I have been told a couple of times in my first relationship that I could have chosen ‘someone better-looking’. The crassness of the remark never fails to secretly insult me. It’s as if the purpose of securing a partner is to have an attractive trophy to brag among your friends, as opposed to loving that person.

Love is love no matter who you share it with.

I spent the whole day packing my stuff in humongous boxes. Tomorrow is the last day in our dormitory. It’s eviction time, my dear friends.

I’ve been doing this cycle for almost six years now. I’m not surprised that it comes as a routine. Every year, it has always been the same thing over and over again.

• Checking in to a new room every June
• Buying stuff for the place
• Redecorating!
• By July, the room is cozy and comfortable
• Pack up for the semestral break
• Unpack on November (It always falls on my birthday. Sheesh!)
• Then, pack up again for the Christmas break
• Unpack again on January
• Feel at home for at least two months
• Start packing for March
• Unpack for the Summer Classes
• Pack up for the nth time on May
• HOMEBOUND! LEAVE THE DORM!

See, I have learned the calendar by heart.

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Blogging has made me feel a bit prouder of myself. I consider myself accomplished for at least doing something productive in my life. And one of the many good things that blogging has done is to establish writing as a way of life and a bailiwick (specific area of interest, skill, or authority). Writing used to be subject to moods. So, I didn’t have the drive to constantly write and as a result, I failed to hone my supposed potential. I’m not saying that I could have been a good writer. But somehow in some way, it brought out the poet in me.

Now I’m opening my doors to writing as a vocation. I feel as if I have been writing in my entire past life. Gone are the self-doubting days. Writing is no longer something off-putting and subject to any mood or special event. Consequently, inspiration is required in daily doses. It is turning into a necessity and therefore, extracting it becomes a habit.

Sidenote: The thought of writing is actually inspiring me to study, too. (Since I had to finish reading my textbook before I could touch the keyboard.) And now I am reaping what I sow. I know this is bragging but I rarely do well in my studies, so please just endure this for once. Nothing beats the feeling of getting exempted from an exam, an ES 11 final exam to be exact. Wahoo! This only means I’m 100% sure that I passed the subject!

I am very eager to share that today is my last day as an official ES 11 (Course Definition: Statics of Rigid Bodies) student. This distinctive occasion was marked by my last long examination on trusses, frames, shear force and bending moment. It seemed only fitting that I began my career as an ES 11 student by acing the first long exam and ended it by failing my very last.

Figuring out that my grasp of Mechanics is mediocre at best, I ditched all thoughts of shifting to Applied Physics. I guess I’ll just have to let Andy handle the more complicated/abstract stuff. Even then, much as I would prefer Engineering Mechanics to rest in peace, I’m afraid it will haunt me for the rest of my life.

We are all clamoring for unlimited rice, I know. Since this rice shortage began to terrorize us, I have been deprived of the extra rice privileges. There is food crisis all over the world. And, some people have the mentality that we’re actually running out of food to eat. The truth is, the actual problem lies in the allocation of food. With this, it implies that food harvest around the world is enough to suffice for everyone but it’s not going to the right mouths.

I am but a small kid. I can’t control the rice hoarders from depriving us of our rightful share. But I could surely help the United Nation’s World Food Program put an end to hunger. Play and Feed the Hungry. Click on the icon on the right side and start playing. This is having fun for a cause.

I hope I caught you in the ‘iPerformer’. Haha. I was actually laughing my heart out when I learned about this. What the heck is this iPerformer? Another one of Mainland China’s iPhone imitation? (No offense to China, but I see a whole line of their iPhone wannabes in the market.)

Photo Credit — Cellaz

Sad to say, I was wrong. It’s Nokia’s very own iPhone contender. I know Nokia has been acing the race of cellular phone assembly. They have been known to offer countless handsets ranging from practically cheap and low-end to unreasonably extravagant and high-end. But they certainly aren’t famed for catchy codenames.

Lame codename aside, word says iPerformer brags a widescreen touchscreen, QWERTY keypad, GPS, NaviScroll, WiFi, Bluetooth, FM radio/transmitter, TV out and a WebCam. I personally doubt the WebCam but I’m buying the thought. We do know how Nokia plays in the camera department.

The pricing and availability is still indefinite. Rumors and pictures are particularly thin, so ‘Nokia fans’ will just have to wait. (As I recall, Nokia doesn’t keep people waiting for long.)

With all these rumors of an emerging challenger, I should say Apple should be given the credit for one important thing - raising the bar so that everyone else should try harder. Kudos to Apple for wedging the market open for an innovation.

Sidenote:

As much as I want to lead to a hasty conclusion (I’m just like all the others, waiting for the news), there’s a good chance that this is the iPerformer I’m referring to. Check out these Nokia sites. Nokia N810 and Nokia N810 WiMax.

I’m pretty sure this would sell out to the public, perhaps in the case of Philippines. Filipinos completely patronize Nokia. Sheeesh! It has an advantage compared to Apple though. It’s not tied up to just one network, unlike iPhone. Boohoo!

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Photo Credit — Complejo

There’s this certain attractive force that draws me to visiting Batangas. The idea didn’t just pop up during the I-wanna-go-since-I’m-idle situation. The thought has been bugging me incessantly, I feel like I have to pay it a visit. I wonder what’s in store for me there.

I am strongly considering this Batangas trip if only one of my batchmates (Dareen) will gladly invite me for a roadtrip. *Ehem!* Haha. But in the meantime, I will have to get to know the place through other people’s stories. ‘Oh, their bulalo and tawilis’, I have heard my friend comment during a particular foodtrip in Batangas. (I forgot the restaurant. Boohoo!)

When I finally get the chance to go there, BEWARE MY DEAREST BATANGAS FRIENDS!

Photo Credit — PhilMoney

In commemoration of one hundred years of excellence and service by the University of the Philippines, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has issued an uncut series of four one hundred peso bills bearing the logo of the UP Centennial. The special bills are Bangko Sentral’s tribute to one of the most influential institutions of the country.

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