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Aqua Utopia｜海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
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YOU ARE THE REASON
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@ecoknowmics
I just want to re-post this in light of the many Pinoys raising their fists over Dan Brown calling Manila the “Gateway to Hell” inhis new novel. I love you my Onion Skinned countrymen, you are consistent in your righteousness & hypocrisy : )
I Shoplifted Yesterday..Well, Almost.
There is an economic model called SMORC or Simple Model of Rational Crime which states that any rational human being (that includes you and me) would perform a crime as long as the benefits (of that crime e.g. having a new shirt without paying for it) outweighs the cost (e.g. humiliation and punishment if caught). The mere basis is cost-benefit analysis, no morality nor ethics involved. And I ALMOST put into action this model yesterday.
There is this huge apparel store called Bazaar at the ground floor of LandMark, Trinoma. The place somehow resembles what we call "ukay ukay" or thrift store so it is usually packed with shoppers looking for great finds. Despite of this, there are only two security guards at the store entrance and they don't even check your bag when you enter or leave. Also, they say that the maximum number of garments you can take to the fitting room is two (2), and though there is a staff organizing the long line of queue, they don't check how many garments you take inside and outside the fitting room. Of course, there are no security cameras inside the fitting room. Sounds like the perfect place to shoplift eh?
I was already planning my move: I'll take four (4) blouses to the fitting room, pick which one of them I like the most, place it inside my bag which is relatively small so I would not raise suspicions, put back the other three blouses to where I got them and finally, walk out of the store like nothing happened.
It was a great deal, I think. The benefit definitely surpasses the cost. Thanks to the security guards and other staffs who shirks on their jobs and do not pay attention to what their shoppers are doing. Besides, I don' think one blouse could hurt (the business and my conscience).
I was wrong though.
So, after I got my four blouses picked out, I headed to the fitting room with the plan in my mind. I was already inside the fitting room, trying on the clothes when it suddenly hit me. No, I cannot do this. This is stupid. This is no way similar to copying some of my classmate's homework (or downloading movies over the internet :D). This full-blown stealing and I don't think I will be able to look in front of the mirror without thinking that I forego my morality for a Php200 (around $5) of blouse. Like what Oscar Wilde said, "Morality, like art, means drawing a line somewhere". And I guess, that is my "line".
Moral of the story: SMORC is stupid. In our day to day lives, we do not always make decisions based on cost-benefit analysis because if that is the case, we would take things from each other if we have a chance. We would be willing to turn our backs from our loved ones as long as it suits us. Living in a SMORC world would mean chaos - betrayal after betrayal after betrayal. Hence, I am thankful for the one thing that is way more powerful than cost-benefit analysis - our conscience.
Bitter Truth: Senatorial Debates Don't Matter
Two days from now, the people of the Philippines will unite to select the most capable and most deserving - at least in their opinions - public leaders that will take the seats in the senate and local government offices. In order to prepare the Filipino citizens in the most difficult and most crucial decision they'll make for the country, major broadcasting stations had organized various debates which aims to show the candidates' platform, intellectual capacity and opinions on different issues of the country. In other words, candidates may take advantage of these debates to show the voting public that they deserve their votes.
Unfortunately, majority of the candidates do not have a 'perfect attendance' on these debates. The picture above shows the candidates' attendance versus their survey performance. Ironically, those who are present on all the debates receive a relatively low voter's preference on mock surveys. While a non-shower (Nancy Binay) and those who had only attended less than half of the debates enjoys an average of 40% voter's preference. Perhaps that is the reason why they no longer see the benefit of being present in a debate; they already know and are very confident that people would vote for them so exhausting their minds in a debate is just a waste of time. And possibly, the opposite is true about those who are always present on debates; they are aware that they belong to the minority so they take advantage of every public appearance they can get to make their presence known to the people. Although it is true that debates - especially among other candidates - will increase the awareness of the people regarding the candidates and may aid them in deciding to whom they will allocate their vote, let us not forget that this should be our sole basis. A thorough research of the candidates' track record together with your conscience will be your best weapon in finding the most deserving candidate. Vote wisely. -End- Photo credits: www.philstar.com/campus/2013/05/10/940619/good-news-no-shows-senatorial-debates-dont-matter
It's More Fun To Be In The Military Than To Be A Teacher In The Philippines
A news article from a local newspaper informed me that public school teachers in the Philippines receive at least Php 5,000 (around $125) less than what a fourth class military cadet receives as a monthly stipend. Specifically, a Level I teacher receives an average of Php 15,649 (around $392) monthly while a first year cadet enjoys Php 21,709 (around $543). Somehow I can understand why a significant gap exists between these two professions. Aside from daily rigorous training and poor working environment (have you seen their barracks?), they are constantly exposed to danger and are always away from their families and friends. However, I always believe that teachers are the unsung heroes of our country. I feel like their hardships are not given much credit by the government and the public. We seem to forget that they are part of the reason of where we are today. They have stood beside us during our school days, patiently correcting our mistakes and enlightening us on our actions. It is no secret to us that some public school teachers also face an unpleasant working environment. A lot of public schools in the Philippines do not have adequate infrastructures: lack of classrooms and instructional materials just to mention some. Having said those, I believe that our unsung heroes are under-compensated. This is the reason why majority of our most qualified teachers are leaving the country to find a greener pasture abroad. I am hoping that the proposal of a lawmaker to upgrade the salary of public school teachers from Salary Grade 11 to Salary Grade 15 would be approved. Photo Credits: newsinfo.inquirer.net/64961/money-management-for-teens-2
You may read the article on Philippine Star's website.
While the head honchos at the HRC are making 6 figure salaries from donations to support ‘marriage equality’, hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ youth are homeless and are purposely ignored by mainstream gay organizations. The ‘fight’ for same sex marriage has proven to be a profitable business for gay ‘non-profit’ businesses, so it’s no wonder why gay marriage overshadows all other LGBTQ issues. After all, helping the needy results in smaller pay.
Supporting gay marriage doesn’t mean you support the queer struggle. In fact, most ‘allies’ and even a large portion of more fortunate queers don’t know the facts about LGBTQ homelessness, violence against trans* people, high unemployment, discrimination, etc, nor do they bother to research it. They are just concerned about their favorite gay celebrities being able to tie the knot.
If you care about the queer struggle, take a minute of your day to familiarize yourself with some of the disturbing statistics:
20- 40% of homeless youth are LGBTQ. In comparison, the general youth population is only 3-10% LGBTQ.
LGBTQ youth are twice as likely to experience sexual abuse before the age of 12.
LGBTQ youth, once homeless, are at higher risk for victimization, mental health problems, and unsafe sexual practices. 58.7% of LGBTQ homeless youth have been sexually victimized compared to 33.4% of heterosexual homeless youth
LGBTQ youth are roughly 7.4 times more likely to experience acts of sexual violence than heterosexual homeless youth
LGBTQ homeless youth commit suicide at higher rates (62%) than heterosexual homeless youth (29%)
At least 20% of ALL transgender people will be homeless sometime in their life.
29% of transgender people reported being turned away from a homeless shelter due to their transgender status.
Please consider taking action to help combat LGBTQ homelessness. I suggest making a donation to the Ali Forney Center or volunteering at your local LGBTQ homeless shelter.
P.S. Fuck the HRC!
While the right-wing media forward the Republican myth that food stamps encourage a “cycle of dependency,” the facts show that the SNAP program stabilizes families who are going through rough periods, and helps move them toward self-sufficiency.
I am going to share this everywhere. We really need to fight against the ideas Republicans use to make everyone hate poor people.
In the wake of a student suicide, the cost of tuition has been in the news. GMA News Online produced this graphic to show the wide range of tuition at private and state universities.
Courses at private universities start at P30,000 per semester, while in state universities tuition can be as low as P1,000 a semester. The rates below are averages, because tuition often varies per course and number of units taken, with some examples of the cost of some courses displayed in the graphic. Tuition for science courses may be slightly higher than other courses because of their lab fees. — Research by Nikki Marzoña/Infographic by Analyn Perez/HS, GMA News
Geeky joke. :D
MANILA - Former President Joseph Estrada and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim conduct a debate on who should be elected mayor of Manila.
Not a very intellectual debate. Nope. Not even quite. Instead of laying sound arguments to convince the people that they are the rightful Mayor for Manila, they resorted to digging up each other's dirt in the past and called each other names.
Source: www.jdsblog.com
Pride Vs. Practicality
In a few days’ time, I will be officially leaving the four corners of University of Santo Tomas and enter the dreading reality of finding a job. The pressure in on especially from my father who constantly calls me and offers me a hmm let's just say a not so mind stimulating job.
It is not a job that I picture myself doing. I see myself way up in the corporate ladder than the job my dad is offering me. I want to be an asset to the company - someone who's everyone is depending on, someone whose decisions will have a significant impact, someone who's indispensable.
Rankings of the 2013 Senatorial Candidates based on the survey done by Pulse Asia which has a sample size of 1,800 registered voters.
Indian Man Single-Handedly Plants Entire 1,360 Acre Forest! Read his AMAZING story: A little over 30 years ago, a teenager named Jadav “Molai” Payeng began burying seeds along a barren sandbar near his birthplace in northern India’s Assam region to grow a refuge for wildlife. Not long after, he decided to dedicate his life to this endeavor, so he moved to the site where he could work full-time creating a lush new forest ecosystem. Incredibly, the spot today hosts a sprawling 1,360 acre of jungle that Payeng planted single-handedly. It all started way back in 1979 when floods washed a large number of snakes ashore on the sandbar. One day, after the waters had receded, Payeng , only 16 then, found the place dotted with the dead reptiles. That was the turning point of his life. “The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage. I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested,” says Payeng, now 47. While it’s taken years for Payeng’s remarkable dedication to planting to receive some well-deserved recognition internationally, it didn’t take long for wildlife in the region to benefit from the manufactured forest. Demonstrating a keen understanding of ecological balance, Payeng even transplanted ants to his burgeoning ecosystem to bolster its natural harmony. Soon the shadeless sandbar was transformed into a self-functioning environment where a menagerie of creatures could dwell. The forest, called the Molai woods, now serves as a safe haven for numerous birds, deers, rhinos, tigers, and elephants — species increasingly at risk from habitat loss elsewhere. Despite the conspicuousness of Payeng’s project, Forestry officials in the region first learned of this new forest in 2008 — and since then they’ve come to recognize his efforts as truly remarkable, but perhaps not enough. “We’re amazed at Payeng,” says Assistant Conservator of Forests, Gunin Saikia. “He has been at it for 30 years. Had he been in any other country, he would have been made a hero.”
Source
Tomorrow’s cover today: on the internet, everything is for hire.
Introduction to the Four Basic Market Types
A Market is defined as a place where buyers and sellers interact whether directly or through intermediaries to trade goods or services for money or barter (Business Dictionary).
Markets are categorized into four basic market structures based on the number of sellers, type of product offered, degree of competition and pricing and output decisions.
The four basic market types are the following:
