Saturday photo

Dear adrenalin rush... hurry, hurry come to me! :)

Now I know why I have been feeling 'blue'... it's been 'forever' since I last saw something like this on my TV screen:

"Road to the Final"... my kind of road!
Woot woot! :)

Yep, I'm an "adrenalin rush junkie"!  I need some fist-pumping, nerve-wracking, scream worthy excitement to fuel my 'run' in this 'marathon', more popularly known as 'life'. :)  Right now, I'm 'running' on a 'boring' stretch of 'gray concrete' with nothing around me but uninhabited space... no sign of 'life' - just the non-breathing concrete against my worn out 'running shoes', colliding steadily in a fatally boring rhythm that makes me want to stop running altogether and just lie down and be lost in this gray nothingness.  And all I see in front of me is still a loooooong stretch of sickeningly gray concrete.  Oh, boy!  When will it end?  In other words, all I do these days is work, work, work... and more work! It's like getting stuck in an extremely boring one-dimensional world.  Very depressing!  :(

So, I wait... for this road to branch out somewhere, an opportunity to change course - to a more 'scenic run', like the "Road to the Final".  In the meantime, I'll keep running... but I will keep gazing at the 'sky' where UEFA Champions League's "Road to the Final" smiles a beautiful smile... just a little refreshment, an imagined consolation just because no one is generous enough to give any. Expectations... stratospheric expectations, that's all that everyone shoves in front of me. And, while I've ran steadily fast in this race on this sad, sad concrete, always shooting for the stars... and even when, I believe, I've won some big ones, the expectations get steeper... and steeper still. Oy, oy, oy!

Oh, and, uhm, btw, El Clásico is on at Camp Nou in a few minutes. There ya go, that's more than an 'imagined' consolation right there! That's a breathing awesomeness on green turf - worlds apart from the emptiness of this gray concrete!  Uhm, ahem, I expect 'bloodshed', do ya? ;)  Bring it!  Go, Barça!  :)

 

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Oh, Lord, please give me the patience and hopefulness to endure this 'extreme boredom' and incredible exhaustion.  I hope that these amount to something good in the end.  Amen. 

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QOTD

QOTD #17:  The teaching profession is a cool profession - if we could muster the courage to crush stereotype and make it cool.
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by PAM

“What I hadn’t realized was that setting a high bar at the beginning of the profession sends a signal to everyone else that you are serious about education and teaching is hard.  When you do that, it makes it easier to make the case for paying teachers more, for giving them more autonomy in the classroom. And for kids to buy into the premise of education, it helps if they can tell that the teachers themselves are extremely well educated.”

         - Amanda Ripley
           from the article, 'An Industry of Mediocrity'
           by Bill Keller
           NY Times, October 20, 2013

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QOTD

QOTD #16:  The World of Science is a Man's World!  Really?  We protest!
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by PAM

"The boys in my introductory physics class, who had taken far more rigorous math and science classes in high school, yawned as our professor sped through the material, while I grew panicked at how little I understood. The only woman in the room, I debated whether to raise my hand and expose myself to ridicule, thereby losing track of the lecture and falling further behind."

                 - Eileen Pollack
                   In the article, "Why Are There Still So Few Women In Science?"
                   The NY Times Magazine


Women, unite! We must end this trend - right now!  Although, of course, if we lose women in Science just so they could serve as Germany's most brazen Chancellors or Great Britain's "Iron Ladies", then, I guess the world is still a great place, overall.

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Saturday photo

Focus... even when you're feeling frustrated...

and certainty took a leave on you.

No matter what you do to try to get things run as smoothly as possible, glitches (intentionally caused or otherwise) will always put some blotches of ugliness in your Team's otherwise beautifully landscaped garden of good deeds.  Whatever!  Focus on the positive things, the beauty around you, and the wonderful people you work with whose steadfast commitment you could always rely on, always cheerfully putting in their very best effort to avoid those glitches.  Concentrate on these, and stay focused on the goal... stay focused on your destination as you appreciate the beautiful journey that will take you there.  Let your Faith propel your 'little boat'... and let prayers silence the howling wind, and power your little boat towards your destination.  

Focus... on what is good and beautiful, on hope and love, on faith and the serenity that it brings - it's the only way to last this journey... and reach your destination joyfully.

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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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