Pinterest

If you’re reading this article and you’re online, then you’ll be most likely aware of social networks. Hell, “aware” is the very least you’ll be, and you’re more likely to be a member of one, two, three, or more of these famous pervasive entities. To be honest, I belong to an excessive number of them, though you can count on one hand the number on which I’m truly active.

Social networks exist to provide our needs that allows us to keep in touch with friends and family, share photos with one another, talk about current events, and make new connections. In reality, most are businesses out to make money by inviting us in to their webs where they’ll consume our data before spitting it out into the laps of anyone willing to pay for it.

We all know this is true, and yet we still play along and we even have our favorite social networks. I’m an avid fan of Pinterest. It is an online board wherein you can post your favorite images which was launched in 2010. Unlike other photo sharing sites, the emphasis here is on the discovery and curation of other people’s content, not storing your own. This visual aspect of the site is one reason why it’s captured the interest of so many businesses, from retailers to photographers and designers, who are using it as a portfolio or product catalog. I don’t feel the need to look for friends but I rather find out what their interests are. Don’t get me wrong, I love following other interesting people in the world and see for myself their discoveries that I might get interested with. My biggest concern is it is too open. I don’t like that there is no approval for following boards and people even though they are private. It is a unique platform and one of the reasons why Pinterest has captured the imagination of people like me.

One thing is clear whether you're on Pinterest for personal or business reasons; the best images whether they are funny, beautiful or thought provoking, attracts the most attention and followers. In the near future, another social media verb — “pin” — will likely be as commonly recognized in our lexicon as “tweet” and “Like.” This adoption was certainly helped by the inclusion of “pin” in the initial rollout of Facebook’s social actions. Given Pinterest’s current growth rate, I expect that’s just the first of many ways this site will take over all of our lives.

“Heroes”

What comes in your mind if you heard the word “hero”? Personally, I will think of Superman, Batman, Wonderwoman, Thor, Ironman or Spiderman. These heroes are admired for their special abilities that normal people doesn’t have. But what is a hero? What exactly makes a person a hero? Is it bravery, being fearless when others run away? Or is it putting the needs of others before your own?

Being a hero doesn’t really mean whether or not a person has superpowers. A hero is someone who is admired for his achievements and noble qualities. They are often the central figure in an event, period, or movement. These important people from the past have influenced the whole society such as Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Lapu-lapu, Ninoy Aquino etc. Last Aug. 17, we had a forum at the Asia Pacific College Auditorium about “Bayani ‘ba to?” it was a very enlightening activity, and I have acquired so many information and knowledge about Hermano Puli who is considered as a hero in Quezon but wasn’t recognized by most of us. He is the one who connected people through one faith but got himself killed because of this. They defined that hero is just heroism x pag-ibig. The x there is you. Anyone can be a hero even you. You just have to find it in yourself. You can start by taking small opportunities to help those people around you. Anyone can contribute something to make a difference.

The moment we decide that no one else has the power over our well-being, our happiness or our best lives except for us, we become our own savior. We must create our own legend even if that legend is confined within ourselves. We must create our own story with the world as a witness. So, no more waiting for the superman. Because the only hero you'll need is already there within you.

The Comics' Rockstar

You might have heard the name Manix Abrera before, and why not? His works are almost everywhere. Manuel Luis Lorenzo Abrera also known as Manix Abrera is best known as the author of the daily comic strip entitled “Kikomachine” that runs in the Inquirer’s comic page. He has introduced some of the iconic characters in the local comics’ industry today such as the grumpy Bertong Badtrip, the philosophical Alpha Omega, and the terror professor you wouldn’t want to meet.

No one else does what Manix Abrera is doing- figuratively and literally. He has attracted many fanatical readers because of his quirky and yet accessible observational humor.  He started drawing the “Kikomachine” comic strip in 2000. But the purest expression of Abrera’s artworks is his wordless comics. He released “12” in 2009 which is a silent graphic novel featuring twelve connected stories. The story is funny, sad, really weird and utterly unique.

Manix Abrera is not just an ordinary guy. For one thing, he creates comic strips for a living but he isn’t also your stereotypical artist either. Manix is also athletic. In fact, the closest thing he has to a routine is rowing with the UP Dragonboat Team thrice a week. Apart from that and his deadlines, everything is up in the air for the 28-year-old rock star of the comics’ world.

Manix comics is such a hit not just because it makes people laugh. The thing about his comics is it has a lot of heart, and so too the artist who will encourage others by telling them it isn't about skill or talent, but desire.

Manix have observe a lot of things and uses these observations to make funny and witty stories. He is a genius and he would surely keep us laughing and smiling as we see ourselves in the stories he has created for a decade. 

Plagiarism

According to Meriam Webster dictionary, plagiarism is an act of using another person’s words or ideas without giving credit to that person. It comes from a Latin word “plagiare”, which means to steal. This includes copying word for word, portions of it or paraphrasing some of the passages or information. All published or unpublished works are included in this. This is a serious offense that brought the attentions of the Dean and the President. If you are found guilty of plagiarism, you might lose credit for that assignment, be given a zero in the course or face a suspension from the university.

We should acknowledge the ideas, works, and data from others because passing someone’s work as your own is unethical. It also means that you didn’t acquire more knowledge while you are studying. That is why we need to avoid plagiarism. We go to school to learn to understand and share what is in our mind and not to copy ideas from others. Maybe it is difficult to create your own ideas so you will see yourself getting ideas from other writings as you try to understand and analyze what they are saying. However, it is necessary that you create your own voice. You are not expected to be an original thinker but to be an independent one by analyzing other’s work and giving your own conclusions.

            The best way to avoid plagiarism is to learn and apply all your skills to make your work good. Quote and cite your sources. Make sure to double check it for thoroughness. It is important for us to appreciate the abilities and skills we have acquired. We should avoid plagiarism because we aim to produce work with high quality. Avoiding plagiarism is not just making sure your references are correct, or changing an adequate amount of words so it won’t be notice because it entails credibility and authority to our work and shows our commitment to intellectual honesty.

Reinventing Yourself

According to anonymous, “When something bad happens you have three choices. You can let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.”

Change is the only permanent thing in this world and it means reinvention. Each time we experience a huge change happening in our lives such as leaving a job or moving on from a relationship, or losing someone you love; we have to be in control of who we will be or risk failing by never reaching our full potential.

We should challenge ourselves to leave our miserable lives to pursue our passion and find something that will make life more meaningful. We could all make these things happen if we will just have faith and belief in ourselves.

           Reinventing yourself can be inspiring and alarming both at the same time. We should be confident to trust ourselves in every trials we will face. By that time, we should know what we are striving for and we can start this path by doing a few things.

          We should stop pleasing everyone else because the more we please others, the more we keep what is inside of us. Learn to say no to people sometimes. Let us stop wasting our time in worrying and doubting. If we focus ourselves on negative things or things that might happen, we are just withdrawing ourselves from all the possibilities. Lastly, accept failure and learn from it. When we fail, recognize it, learn from it and move on.

       Sometimes I wonder why we let our own fear, pride or insecurity get in our way so instead of doing it, we let these opportunities slip away. Don’t hesitate by the time we have an opportunity because you are the only one who can pave the way to reach your dreams. Even when that dream slips away, there are still a lot of opportunity for you. There is an old saying that “True courage isn’t about not feeling fear, it’s about feeling fear and acting anyway.” No matter what happens, choose courage instead of letting our fears choose the future for us.

My Favorite Teacher

Did it ever cross your mind a teacher who seemed to stand out others? Maybe because that teacher knows your weakness in their subject well so they give more attention on you to improve you better. Maybe because you were impressed by their personality trait. I am one of those students who had an affinity for one teacher. His name was Mr. Mark Ernest Dizon also known as Sir Mackie, and he was my 1st year math teacher from Asia Pacific College. He was my favorite teacher of all so far. Sir Mackie would teach math in a way that I have never experienced before, and he did it in a fun way that helped me to recall the information. He is one of the best teachers I ever had. He loved math, but even more than that he loved people.

Sir Mackie loved all of his students even though he have students, like me, who are struggling with math. He was willing to teach us as long as we showed effort. He didn’t care who you were or if you are misbehaving. He sees every student equally and he worked really hard for everyone to pass the subject. I got good grades in his class because he assisted me and always encouraged me. He build my confidence and told me that I could do the work even if I was doubting with my capabilities. As I look back, I think to myself that I am lucky to have a teacher like him. Sir Mackie would give us a lot of trial and error to get the answers right and pass our tests. He always made me feel capable and told me that I achieve my goals if I just put my heart in it. He was right.

Sir Mackie had a lot of different ways to teach math. He was one of the funniest people I ever knew. He didn’t just stand up and talk at the front but he teaches us in a very interesting way. I remember that when the class seemed to not understand the lesson, he would say it in different way and even make jokes so we could remember the important ideas. Sir Mackie would tell us real-life examples of how math is used in everyday life, so we would stay motivated and focused. Sometimes he would make us do things which were annoying but we will enjoy and have fun ourselves.

Besides the fact that Sir Mackie taught us math he also taught me other things about being a good person. He would teach our class how to work together in groups. He noticed everything and knew when any student was having a hard time. He would make sure we all worked together and would make us laugh when we were stressed. He was a role model for the class that treat each other with respect. 

Even though he was strict at times, Sir Mackie was still the teacher that I considered for help. He was always ready to answer any question I had in mind even if it is not related to the subject. He was the kind of teacher who would always go the extra mile to help out any student and make sure they learned and were doing okay overall in school. Everyone should have the chance to have a teacher like Sir Mackie at least once while they are a student. He will have an important place in the hearts of his students, because there has never been a teacher that can bring a subject to life the same way he does.

Vegan or not?

There are many eating habits all around the world and one of these is vegetarianism. According to The World Book Dictionary (1989) vegetarianism is "the practice or principle of eating only vegetable foods and refraining from eating meat, fish, or other animal products". This definition, though accurate, seems somewhat limited, as being a vegetarian is so much more: it is a lifestyle choice, a way of thinking, and a way of behaving. An increasing number of research shows there are health and ecological benefits for being a vegan. But is it the right choice for you?

There are many reasons why people choose the vegetarian diet. Mainly, there are beliefs that meat is unclean and can give various diseases. Most animals are injected with steroids, hormones and other drugs in order to make them bigger to produce more meat; this can cause cancer so people go for the vegetarian diet more since vegetables contain fewer chemicals. Another reason for the choice of vegetarian diet can come from a person's cultural background or religion. For example, Taoists, who believe that a person can be reincarnated as an animal depending on the karma level, abstains from meat since they feel that if they are eating meat they are also eating a person. Another example is Hinduism; where people believe that everything living thing including animals are sacred, thus they abstain from meat for the purpose of animal rights.

Some people acknowledge that a plant-based diet can do wonders for both your health and the health of the planet. And according to a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences—the first of its kind to link both individual health and the Earth’s—a vegan diet, which excludes meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy, can really up the ante on both fronts. The study shows that 8.1 million deaths can be avoided annually across the globe if more people adopt a vegan diet.

A vegetarian diet has its several advantages. The main advantage is that there is less risk of obesity and heart diseases. This may be partly the result of higher consumption of lower-calorie, more filling foods, such as vegetables, fruit and beans. Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes and some types of cancer. Cardiovascular benefits also come from avoiding fatty meats, which are high in saturated fat. In addition, vegetarian diets are low in dietary cholesterol, which is found only in animal-based foods and which can raise your levels of unhealthy low-density lipoprotein, or "bad" cholesterol, and your risk of heart disease. Vegetables also contain fewer preservatives than meat since it is usually eaten raw. We can easily obtain a better physical figure since vegetables have less cholesterol as I mentioned a while ago. It also aids in digestion since vegetables contain more fiber.

However, a diet that excludes all animal products does have some nutritional disadvantages. First, consumers are lacking some vital nutrients which can only be found in meat. Calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B-12 and folate are some of these nutrients that are present in meat and dairy which a plant-based diet can lack. Over time, insufficient consumption of these may result in a number of problems, including bone loss and muscle mass. The risk of being underweight or malnourished is higher from lack or some fat from meat. Lastly, protein supplements like nuts, tofu and soybeans may not be enough for the vegetarians to substitute as meat.

Everyone has their choice whether they want to eat meat or not but I believe that there should be a balance of both vegetables and meat. We have heard of the food guide pyramid in which it depicts how much each type of food should be consumed so this means that vegetables and meat should be both consumed to make up a complete meal. You should make the right choices because it is your own body we are dealing.