Just got off the hook...

...therefore, let's rock! ======================================================================= 
by PAM 


It's been another grueling week - physically tiring, the challenges were brain-splitting, and the earthquake-related tragedy in the Visayas absolutely numbing. But it's over now, at least the big part of it all is... and we got out of it 'alive', too!  Yay!  So we reward ourselves with some rockin' treats... just to sustain life,

"What you feel is what you are... and what you are is beautiful.

D'ya wanna get married... or run away?"

Yep, that sounds good... a piece of John Rzeznik's genius.  Why haven't I seen the Goo Goo Dolls live in concert yet is incomprehensible... my priorities are obviously messed up. :)  But thanks to YouTube, John R.'s music is just a few clicks away... and with Daryl Hall's, too.  Good to be alive, I tell ya! :)

Alright, here's another fave... Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty - con DH, of course.

"If they wanna know what the reason is, I only smile when I lie, and I tell them why...

...because your kiss is on my list."

A-ha, a-ha.  Don't ya just love that groovy arrangement right there?  Good, eh?  And speaking of nice arrangements to old sentimental songs, we have another 'winner' here...

"Things just can't go on like before, but can we still be friends?"

Beauty, beauty... that's beautiful, dudes!  

Speaking of beauty... let's load up with this...

"When I fall in love, I take my time... I won't worry my life away."

Wow, these pieces of awesomeness are affording me some energy to recover from the week's physical and mental strain.  

Let's see... we opened with a Rzeznik genius, so I say let's try to keep the sound of genius in our ears with this...

"When everything's made to be broken... I just want ya to know how I am."

Man, genius!  And we stop here... 'cause none can touch that piece of perfection right there.  Too good.

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Video credit:  Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.

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Speaking of 'good times'...

...I had some yesterday. :)

Go USTe, Go USTe, Go USTe... Go, go, go!

Wear your hardworking hat in the morning... continue wearing it in the afternoon.  Change into your fun hat, and  cheer your awesome Basketball Team late afternoon to early evening.  Be exhilarated by your Team's victory.  Go back to the office for more work.  Go home... and decompress with some Teleserye with the fam.  

Yep, this life is very fun!  'Got to believe' it!  Gotta!

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Work + Play =

...Friendship.

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by PAM

All-work-and-no-play makes a boring existence.  Work-hard-play-hard is more like it!  Therefore, we mix it up: work and play, and a few other interesting things in between!

A collage of activities perks up an otherwise boring 'official' exercise.

I know, this blog should 'never' be about work. :)  I can't help it.  There are times when there aren't enough 'interesting' things to talk about... especially when an avalanche of deadlines is threatening to roll down the slope of 'critical times' - at work! :)  Whatever... 'let the good times roll'! :)

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Event:  The 2013 Philippine Association for Technological Education, Inc. National Conference and General Membership Meeting in Baguio City, Philippines.

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Saturday photo

'Sunny days'... they are on their way - 'got to believe' it! :)

There will always be people who will discredit you... people who will put you down, no matter how hard you try to do well, and no matter what pain you take to do the right thing at all times - for the best of everyone, including those who are putting you down.  Some people will covet what you have - or, what they think you have, what they imagine you have - the very things that, ironically enough, are utterly unimportant to you.  But none of these should pull you down, especially if you are certain deep in your heart that none of the negative things they say and think about you is true. They may take away all your material 'belongings' but no one can take away the joy in your heart, the joy of knowing the truth as against all the negative things they so unkindly assume of you. And, you will always bloom with the beauty of having that truth in your heart.

Therefore, we cling to our Faith in Him who gifted us with His Truth... we go on.  We continue laboring to reach our goals - for the better, for everyone... and NEVER for personal gain or selfish ambition - like those who sadly consider that their mission in life is to hurt your feelings, and to never let you succeed, even when your success means success for them, too.  And we've 'got to believe' that all will turn out well. :) 

'Sunny days' are coming - 'got to believe' it!  And we will sail on, in clear blue water... and we hope to know and accept wholeheartedly what God has in store for us at the end of our exciting journey.  :)

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Saturday photo

Define the goal --> form the Team --> focus ---> work hard --> win! 

It sounds simple enough... but it's not.  It seems hard... oh, yes, it is.  It seems boring... of course, NOT!  It seems impossible... DEFINITELY NOT!  Sounds exciting...  oh, YES, IT IS!  Therefore, we go for it - for the win!

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Winning is the sweetest thing...

...if it was achieved through Teamwork! 

This is an old news but, just the same, I'll 'brag' a bit about it here...  

CONGRATULATIONS to the Electrical Engineering (EE) Department of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for posting 96.5% passing rate (55/57) in the September Electrical Engineer Licensure Examination given by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) of the Philippines!  Ours is 2nd in the list of Top Performing Schools, FIRST in the more-than-50-Examinees category.  Therefore, we have produced the MOST NUMBER of professional Electrical Engineers (again) this year! Specifically, I would like to congratulate our UST EE Batch 2013 for posting 100% passing rate in the same Examination (54/54)!  Awesome feat, CONGRATULATIONS!  We are very proud!  Woohoo!  :)

A wink and a salute goes to Engr. Anthony John M. Crisostomo of Batch 2013 for landing in the 7th Place of the Top Ten successful examinees.  Engr. Crisostomo graduated magna cum laude and was the Faculty of Engineering's 2013 Rector's Awardee for Academic Excellence.  CONGRATS, Engr. Crisostomo! :)  

CONGRATULATIONS to the whole EE Department led by their Chair, Assoc. Prof. Cristino A. Carbonell, for producing excellent graduates!  They have inculcated the importance of Teamwork in achieving a goal, and the bigger glory in achieving success - as a TEAM.  Batch 2013 heeded the advice, took it to heart... and won 100% passing rate for their Batch, their loved ones, and the University!  Excellent job, Engineers!

THANKS BE TO GOD!  Amen.

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QOTD

QOTD #15: "Do the Math!"  *eye roll*
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by PAM

"Despite what most people suppose, many profound mathematical ideas don’t require advanced skills to appreciate. One can develop a fairly good understanding of the power and elegance of calculus, say, without actually being able to use it to solve scientific or engineering problems.

"Think of it this way: you can appreciate art without acquiring the ability to paint, or enjoy a symphony without being able to read music. Math also deserves to be enjoyed for its own sake, without being constantly subjected to the question, 'When will I use this?'"

         - Manil Suri
           University of Maryland - Baltimore
           In the article, "How to fall in love with Math"
           New York Times
           Published September 15, 2013


Thank you, Mr. Suri for this. :)  

I was in a meeting a few days back... my colleagues and I were reviewing a curriculum for a certain Program. When one was discussing the content of a Lit course, or a History course, or a Music course, everybody responded so enthusiastically... myself included, actually. :)  However, when Math was spoken about, many of my colleagues gave a collective groan... and, many were stirring in their seats like they needed a restroom break all of a sudden!  :(  Needless to say, I was very hurt.  Uh-huh, 'hurt'... because I take the issue of Math appreciation, or the lack of it, personally. =)  

But, seriously now, why does Math get that cold reception - even from Educators? What are we, "Math pushers", doing wrong? 

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Saturday photo

The promise of sunset:
Into the darkness now... and out of it - tomorrow.

I know... "not again", right?  Another sunset photo.  Sorry, I can't help it, I just find sunset's beauty irresistible.  To me, one lifetime is not enough to pay tribute to the One who came up with the "idea" of sunset. This is why I do my best... by expressing my appreciation often enough.

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Location:  Taal Lake in Talisay, Batangas, Philippines.

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My first attempt...

...at HDR imaging.
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by PAM


Sixteen hours at work and doing work-related stuff daily - for the past three days.  My brain is bleeding.  I'm so tired.  :(  I need a break - I really do!  

Therefore, let me talk a bit about one of my other 'passions' - photography.  Unfortunately, I have not updated my 'toys' yet.  I still use the Canon EOS Rebel 2000, which is a 35-mm SLR, bought in... uhm, 2003 - just before the digital boom erupted - big time.  It was okay in the beginning until about five years later.  

The boom didn't hurt me much 'cause I was lucky to find my prized little toy, Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS Digital ELPH, while strolling along Michigan Ave. in Chicago about three years ago on its first release.  It was the most reliable thing... with its great functionality and awesome features.  It was so sleek... small, thin and light, I can keep it in my pants pocket, unlike my old Rebel, which needed a bulky bag. :)  Therefore, I can capture a scene discreetly and randomly in clear and crisp images (and videos).  My dear SD1400/ELPH took lovely HD (14.1 Mp) photos with its 4x IS lens, capturing images in wide angle, and letting me view and appreciate them more on my widescreen TV via HDMI.  The photos it churned didn't look like they were taken by a point-and-shoot.  I loved it, but... yeah, it died a 'natural death' recently. :(  

Now, I use the less powerful and bulkier Canon PowerShot A810 HD with 5x optical zoom lens (16 Mp) for my day-to-day photography fix... and it's worlds apart from what my 'late' SD1400 IS could do. :(  Unfortunately, the SD/ELPH series doesn't seem to be available locally... stores (at least the ones I visited) have the PSA/HD series only.  Why, oh, why, Canon??  :(  Oh, well... I have to go with what I've got.

Therefore, I keep taking photos with my PS A810.  Since about three years back, I've been drooling over High-Dynamic-Range (HDR) Images on photography magazines.  But time is too stingy to give me some to spend for my 'other passions'.  So, I can only admire... and not really able to experience taking photos and processing them as HDR.  However... yep, I finally took the plunge using my PS A810... and processed the photos HDR-ish.  And, it's very cool!  Take a look...

Digital photo before processing...

The fascinating power of innovative photography... 
...it makes one 'sketch' in great detail via digital lenses - pixel per pixel.

Obviously, I still don't know what I'm doing... and I don't know what I'm talking about here.  ;) Ah, but, I intend to be good at this. :)  I'm inspired by one person's works.  Yes, I'm absolutely fascinated by the various works of Trey Ratcliff.  He is one of them artists who are well-known advocates of HDR Imaging. In fact, I follow his blog, which is a parade of nature's breathtaking beauty, peppered with man-made stuff, seen from Trey's lenses and expressed to us, lesser talented ones, by his great artistry.

One day, I'll follow his footsteps. :)  Therefore, I need to take care of my arthritic knees now lest they prevent me from following the 'Trey trail'... later.  

Ah, retirement, what is taking you so long???

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Location:  Club Balai Isabel in Talisay, Batangas.

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QOTD

QOTD #14: The 'landscape' is once again evolving in the Tennis World.
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by PAM 

"That is the trouble with being a world-class tennis player in the modern era. Eight years ago, Andre Agassi made the final of this tournament without beating anybody ranked higher than Tomas Berdych, then a promising 19-year-old who stood at No. 34 in the world.

"But those were the days before Roger Federer had changed the whole rhythm of the sport by going to the last four of every single slam, every single year. 

"His patterns have since been imitated by his two closest peers – Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – so that there is rarely any such thing as a free lunch anymore, particularly in the hard-court events. You have to beat the best in the world, and keep beating then, set after set after set. This explains why modern slam winners tend to come from a small group of names."

         -  Simon Briggs 
            Tennis Section
            The Telegraph
            September 7, 2013

After watching RF exit in the Round of 16 at the 2013 US Open - the last Grand Slam in the calendar - via Spaniard Tommy Robredo's racquet, something snapped somewhere in my heart.  :(  Yep, RF has become "human"... he was chasing the ball with speed less than what's required, and returning it on the other side of the net with the accuracy of an amateur.  Oh, boy....  The once impeccably clean look all throughout the match, with hardly a drop of sweat, is gone... he was sweating like an old cow - unbelievable!  It was hard to watch... so, I stopped watching somewhere around the third set... when I was quite certain that the RF I knew was not going to show up. :(  But, oh well, I already released him

The changing (changed?) landscape in Men's Tennis.
(Images source: Zimbio.)

from the "bondage" of my tennis "idolatry" last year after watching him fetch his 17th Grand Slam title - in Wimbledon no less. Therefore, he is now "free" to lose in the Round of 16. I watched him exit Wimbledon as a defending Champ this year - in the 2nd Round!! I sat through it all - without breaking down... so, I'll survive this one, too.  Besides, like what Simon Briggs pointed out, RF is the one who changed the tennis world to what it is today - highly, highly competitive, with innovative training for ultrapowerful players, and hi-tech racquet with 'new materials' utilized by the players.  Therefore, RF revolutionized tennis to an exciting sport that a fan can be unashamedly passionate about these days.

Speaking of ultrapowerful players, in one of the semi-final matches the other night, Stanislas Wawrinka gave Djoker a serious run for his money.  The World #1 was 'Stanned'!  It was a grueling five setter, 2-6, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4!  And boy, did I know exciting!  Djoker prevailed in the end... but, in my opinion, it was a victory for Stan, 'The Man'. After 'Stanning' Andy Murray, ending the latter's hope of defending his "King of Queens" crown, en route to the semis, the 'other' Swiss made Djoker doubt his chances at getting his second US Open title - that's for sure!  Rafa, on the other hand, had an easier QF round with Richard Gasquet , finishing in a straight-set win. So, he will come into the Final fresh and good, and ready for "guerra". He is a hard-to-handle "red-hot" energy on a roll, too, not losing a hardcourt match getting into the US Open.

So, it will be another bionic man vs. never-say-die warrior Nofael Djodal marathon Championship match then?  Yes, it is!  Man, I can't wait! :)        

Oh, and I just completed 'four centuries of blogging', and starting a new one... this is the 401st entry in this blog. :)

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Saturday photo

Calm and quiet, inspiring reflection...
...sunset, you're all that, and so much more.

More than a week ago, I went on a three-day Retreat with my colleagues... about 150 of us.  The days invited critical thinking, lively and honest discussion - assessing where we are in our mission as educators in the Pontifical University of Asia... the sunset inspired reflection - an honest assessment of our relationship with God, and with one another.  

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Location:  Taal Lake (Taal Volcano) at Club Balai Isabel in Talisay, Batangas, Philippines.   

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