Depressing week spent shuttling between two hospitals and home because Zaki becomes feverish the moment we get discharged and returns home. Strangely, her condition hasn't returned to normal yet. But them some had it worse, and it's not PNoy. 1. Hostage-taking is an EVENT! If you have gripes, legitimate or not, get your 15 minutes of fame by doing the hostage-taking thing. Media will have a field day. 2. Some hostage situations were more dire but after which, seems a win for saving lives, if not preventing casualties. Remember, Russian theater terrorist hostage. It could've been really worse. 3. Hostage-taker gets the blame. Period. Some had tougher luck in life but never took anyone else's. 4. What if media gives hostage situations the cold shoulder? Or would we rather have public officials forcibly enforce news blackouts? Bad ratings = cry censorship. 5. Respect police lines. Ever seen a sniper being interviewed live with a camera on his face. Talk about what's the more important FOCUS. 6. It's a no-win situation for the police, but can be for the hostages. The fact that hostage-taking happened in very public tourist place is already unforgivable in the first place. Get over it and focus 100% on saving hostages lives. Even if it means taking aim at hostage-taker. It's not your duty to be media darlings. 7. The man transformed from being calm to running amok. You cannot reason with it. Question was why? 8. Once shots rang out, there's no reason for ground troops to be deliberate in storming the bus. Bullet-proofs would've helped. OR were they distrustful of any police/sniper cover for them? 9. Under the glare, media can really put the pressure. In this case, to whose benefit? 10. Not shameful of an inadequately-trained and poorly-equipped police force, over eager and ratings-hungry media or a hands-off executives (honestly, they won't know any better) over this one because THIS is Philippine reality. But do people have to be smiling and pose for pictures at the site just a few minutes after? Apologies to the victims' kin and HK people. It is unfortunate that it had to happen to you. Just imagine what it's like for people living here under that constant chaotic threat. Seems we ordinary citizens can't do something about it, and that's when the depression turns to sick laughs. Otherwise, remaining sullen, we'd all just snap and run amok, too. But only hoping it happens, one at a time, for media and police sake - where the foibles and follies of a rotten system competes for the best form of reality entertainment .
Monday, August 30, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Not So Secret Keys to Excellence at Anything
Spread the word and do the work - with timed rests in between!
"If you want to be really good at something, it's going to involve relentlessly pushing past your comfort zone, along with frustration, struggle, setbacks and failures. That's true as long as you want to continue to improve, or even maintain a high level of excellence. The reward is that being really good at something you've earned through your own hard work can be immensely satisfying. "Anders Ericsson, the world's leading researcher into high performance, has been making the case that it's not inherited talent which determines how good we become at something, but rather how hard we're willing to work — something he calls "deliberate practice." Numerous researchers now agree that 10,000 hours of such practice as the minimum necessary to achieve expertise in any complex domain. "
The 6 Keys to Achieving Excellence:
1. Pursue what you love
2. Do the hardest work first
3. Practice intensely
4. Seek expert feedback, in intermittent doses
5. Take regular renewal breaks
6. Ritualize practice
Thanks to Tony Schwartz for his excellent piece.
Related: Importance of downtime in learning and renewal; switching to watch a video clip isn't one of them. Nor the quick escape to the bookstore, which I love to do, doesn't also count, I guess. So, ditch the gadgets and take that nature walk. Focus and being clearer-headed is not to be scoffed at to do great work.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Ayala Foundation USA Launches First Philippine Development Forum
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Ayala Foundation USA (“AF-USA” or “the Foundation”) is convening the first-ever Philippine Development Forum on September 25, 2010 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose to bring together Filipino and Filipino-American -- the second largest Asia-American population estimated at 4 million, or 1.5% of the US Population -- thought leaders from both sides of the Pacific to discuss solutions to the Philippines’ most pressing development problems. With the growing number of overseas Philippine immigrants, AF-USA aims to tap the intellect and resources of Filipino-Americans to support outstanding development projects in the homeland.
This year’s Forum will address the needs and potential of the Philippines’ scientific and engineering resources, specifically opportunities in education, as well as challenges and opportunities in technology-based industries, such as the semiconductor, computing and telecommunication fields. The Foundation is inviting highly successful professionals in academe, government, industry, venture capital, and business to serve as resource speakers and lead an active discussion to help formulate objectives and key results to mitigate these challenges.
Ayala Foundation USA Chairman Diosdado Banatao said, “We hope to bring together all at one time, at one place, representatives from (1) academe, because there exists a need to build an adequate supply of technology experts, (2) representatives from government, because national policies and budget allocations are needed to support science and engineering programs, and finally (3) the business sector, to create technology based companies and industries. We envision all three sectors - academe, government and the private sector working together on this technology initiative to build economic strength and to ultimately alleviate poverty in our homeland.”
via sunherald.com
There's a couple of reasons that this holds great promise for the Philippines.
1. Forum-style transparency and absence of dubious political agenda for leading participants.
2. Although this is something that hasn't been tried before, it is absolutely with basis, owing to the success of global Filipinos at the most competitive place when you look at business innovation and competition - Web and Silicon Valley.
3. It's time that we elevate IT to its proper place in the hierarchy of facilitating innovation and creativity in looking for solutions to our country's problems.
4. Time is ripe for today's generation of Filipinos to participate in nation-building without getting into legislative process.
5. I believe that these people have done their homework and ready to get their hands dirty to perform and not just mouth off.
Friday, August 13, 2010
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