Brokeback Mountain! :)

This is the true "Boxing Fight of the Century!" :-D

Bolivian president gives teachers half his pay

Fascinating, indeed! I think our local officials should start thinking about giving part of their salary to the poor and other government workers like the teachers who are working for the betterment of this overlypoliticized country! Dapat nilang gayahin si Evo Morales ng Bolivia! Read on!

Friday, January 27, 2006; Posted: 10:13 p.m. EST (03:13 GMT)

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) -- President Evo Morales cut his salary in half and declared no Cabinet minister can collect a higher wage than his own, with the savings to be used to hire more public school teachers.

The move followed a campaign pledge to tackle political corruption and restore honesty to the government of South America's poorest country. But critics called it a propaganda ploy that will do little to help the needy.

Five days into his leftist government, Morales announced Thursday his salary would be $1,875 a month and that his Cabinet would also have their salaries capped at that figure.
"I ask for (the ministers') understanding and efforts to try to meet this demand, not for Evo but for the people," Morales said

Morales' predecessor earned $3,900 a month. The yearly savings of $24,300 is about enough to pay the annual salaries of seven experienced teachers, rent a middle-class apartment or buy a new Ford Focus in Bolivia.

Street protests by teachers, miners and Indians have ousted two of Morales' predecessors since 2003...


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Warum Nicht! (Why Not!)

Sphrechen Sie Deutsch?

Hallo! I am now learning German at last! I hope this will be a fruitful one. :) I have listed below some of the most common expression and greetings used by German peeps (taken from German.about.com. Let's take a look and practice!

Everyday Pleasantries

Guten Tag! - Tag! Hello! - Hi!

Grüß Gott! Hello! (southern Germany & Austria)

Grüß dich! Hello! (familiar, informal)

Guten Morgen! - Morgen! Good morning! - Morning!

Guten Abend! Good evening!

Gute Nacht! Good night!

Wie geht es Ihnen? How are you?

Wie geht's? - How are you? (familiar, informal)

Danke, gut. - Fine, thanks.

Sehr gut - Great. Es geht - Okay. So-so.

Nicht so gut. - Not so well.

Auf Wiedersehen. - Good-bye.

Tschüs! - Bye! See you later. (casual)

Requests - Bitten

Was möchten Sie? What would you like?

Ich möchte... I would like...

Darf ich? May I?

Können Sie mir helfen? - Can you help me?

Yes/No - Thanks - You're Welcome

Bitte! - Ja, bitte! - Please! - Yes, please!

Danke! - Thanks! - No thanks!Note: "Danke!" in response to an offer usually means "No thanks!" If you want to indicate a positive response to an offer, say "Bitte!"

Danke schön! - Thank you!

Vielen Dank! - Thanks a lot! - Many thanks!

Bitte schön! - You're welcome! (in response to "Danke schön!")

Nein, danke! - No thanks!

Brain Plasticity: Experiences = Learning

I just had a great time reading our module in for SCED at UP Open University (UPOU) and read a superinteresting information regarding the workings of the brain, particularly, human brain.

Its true that it has become a widespread belief that the brain stops or limits its ability to change and lessen its reception to information as we age, but the truth of the matter is, our brain changes physiologically and PHYSICALLY as we mature.

This change in physical structure is brought about by experiences which become part of the storehouse of information and in turn, help us in tailoring our action in the future. Current brain research is revolutionizing the wonderful world of Neurology and is providing us with valuable clues as to the limitless capacity of the brain to store information through various learning experiences in our environment.

A statement in the Society for Neuroscience relates the following information:

People who lose their eye-sight do not have to rely on audio novels to fulfill a book obsession. They can learn to read compositions in Braille, a writing composed of raised dots arranged in specific patterns, with their fingertips.

It's one of the benefits of having a plastic brain. That doesn't mean your brain is molded from a high-molecular-weight polymer similar to your toothbrush. It means that the brain is flexible. It compensates for obstacles. It adapts. It adjusts.

Once, researchers believed that only young brains were plastic. They thought that the connections between the brain's neurons developed in the first few years of childhood. Then they became fixed and very hard to change. An enormous amount of animal and human data uncovered in the past two decades, however, confirms that the brain retains its plasticity throughout life

Its fascinating how the brain works and how the brain theoretically store a huge amount of information and still able to receive more as a result of our everyday experiences. This revolutionary concept is another way of saying that learning is a continuous journey and should never stop at any given moment! Galeng! :)

Julius

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PICTURE PICTURE!

On Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory

Hello. I would like to share with you some of the most interesting posts I made in our Interactive Virtual Learning Environment (IVLE) in OU (Open university). The subject was so interesting that no matter how busy I am, I always make it a point that I am able to read the books and modules at least 30 minutes per day, which obviously, translates to a slow progress.
:(

I was reading the modules and was particularly attracted to the idea of Social Cognitive Theory by Albert Bandura. It says there that, "you know more than you show." I am pretty sure this is something that most teachers will be able to relate to for we usually gauge student's cognitive abilities according to how they perform in usual unit test and periodic examinations or pop quizzes.

Surely, all of us are guilty of this practice for it is something that is predictated in the curriculum and a curriculum format that is legitimate for use. Anyways, you will not be able to grade something that is not tangible, will you?

When I was still connected to a teaching institution, I have a student who does not perform well when presented with questions on paper exams, tests, and pop quizzes.

I was a surprised for I have come to talk to him many times about health science topics after an afternoon break and he demonstrates outstanding speaking and superior memory skills.

This lead me to conclude that students who flank written examinations should not be categorically branded as mentally challenged. There might be factors that deters them from performing such as psychological or psychosocial status. Mood swings, and acceptance by the society plays some significant bearing on every student's performance.

Ang dami talagang trabaho ng mga teachers no? Hindi ka lang guro, yaya, or nanay, or guidance councilor - psychologist ka pa! hehe.

Other theories of learning are applicable in different school scenarios and the teacher should be better equipped with tools, materials and experiences to help students cope up with the challenges beset to them as they traverse through the road of intellectual competency.

Busy as a Bee! Charut! Lolz. :)

Hello Friends! I am sorry if I was not able to post any message in here for the past few weeks. I was sooooooooooo busy. Things in the company these days are getting a bit complicated so I was intoxicated with the huge amount of work I was trying to finish.

I got hooked up on a new hobby of mine which is writing web-articles. Unfortunately, I missed some of my exams in OU (Open University) and possibly flanked them so I need to lie-low on it and start focusing back again. :( I also got sick because of stress so I just decided to quit all those "extras" all at the same time! Charut! lolz. :)

I missed this blog, my home, with my blog friends! Ate Neng, Ate Ann and the whole cast of Walk-About and Ipagpatawad mo Blog! :) Hehe. I hope you are all doing well. You all have a nice day!

Julius

King Kong and Gigantism

I watched King kong last month and it was nice. :) Kakapagod nga lang panoorin dahil laging me habulan! Hehe.

Although the 25 foot monster in King Kong is somewhat a far-fetched representation of a hominid, the idea that an organism could reach as huge as that is a valid theory in the field of biological science.

An article I read in CNN shows that gigantism is possible for organisms who are especially not confronted with competition among their like or related species. Isolation and apparent lack of competition is key to managing to extend your body size to reach its titanic conformation.

I myself believe in evolution for many of the worlds organisms bear features that looks intermediate among a host of species biologically related to it.

There seems to be a continuum in among the features shared by these species. But we cannot underestimate the existence of a Divine Being who authored all these physical or biological transmogrification. Taray di ba? :)

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Saved by the Bell?

Michael the Archangel

I had a awful dream. I was perfectly aware that I was awake by the time the dream commences. It was terrible. I always think there is someone out there who's calling me before I go to sleep. It happens everytime.

Good thing I am working in a graveyard shift and I don't experience all that gloomy features of a usual nightmare. Well, it was 12:30 PM I just got off the bed. I ate the burger I ordered from the canteen and took off a warm bath.

I finished all the above rituals before 2:30 PM and laid my back on my bed. I was practically thinking about nothing else so I don't think there will be enough reason for me to expect a dream. The human mind is really powerful that it creates stories of its own when you are fast asleep.

After a few minutes I heard a knock on the door of my room, I heard that it was my favorite 5 year old nephew who's actually calling me. I was not expecting him to be there for my mom did not even call me to come by. Even so, my landlady would even have to call my attention before she let people to visit in the apartment.

So I managed to get up and even before I could handle the knob to open the door for him, he entered and got near me. I was thinking that he wants to sleep beside me or wants me to cuddle him but much to my surprise, his face assumes a host of different facial characteristics!

His eyes disappared and his mouth widened longitudinally and fangs began developing in his mouth. I was hurt because I realized that he is already biting me with his powerful and sharp fangs.

I struggled and ended up facing him. Before he began attacking me again, i uttered these strange words, " I am calling for michael the archangel to help me. Please protect me against this demon!"

Then, the demon was stunned and he started feeling an awkwardly unexplainable excrutiating pain. Though I may not see the angel himself, I know he was there. I was totally unaware of that name.

I am not religious so I was a bit surprised of me calling that name in front of a demon. Then when i saw him attacking me again, i called on Jesus, I said, "St. Miichael the archangel please protect me and help me vanquish this satanic manifestation, in Jesus name!"

I heard the devil shrieked in pain then he's gone . I was scared... :(

Before I left the house this evening, I prayed. I prayed in my room and asked for help in vanquishing any spirits lurking inside. I locked the door and laid hands on it and prayed that the demons will leave the room and entire house will be free of bad spirits.

I am a Christian but do not practice the ever famous religious rites anymore. I don't go to religious gathering, church services nor the mass for the Catholics. We used to be part of Iglesia ni Cristo but now are excommunicado.

I don't believe in demons, spirits nor the Angels but I now I am beginning to realize that they are true?...I dunno. I am not sure. Before that, I had a dream about a man whose face I cannot see. He warned me about something. He wants me to do something. He said that I will need to do something to help someone. I am not sure...things are vague and I can't seem to comprehend what he was trying to say.

Apparently, I have ignored his message. I am afraid. :( I am afraid. Are demons even true? Is there heaven and hell? Is there a God or an Angel that guides every human and watch all their activities? Whew!Questions that don't seem to have answers... :(

What a bad way to start the new year. :( Hayy....

Julius