Politics: One in a Million

When you here the word "Politician" what comes first into your mind? 

I know that most of you will answer... Corrupt, greedy, selfish, liar and dishonest because those were the most common and usual characteristics of most Politicians especially here in the Philippines. They often promise everything and anything under the sun for the benifits of their constituents during the time of their campaign but when they win in the election and they finally proclaimed as a legit politician and when they are exercising their power they forget everything and anthing that they've said during their campaign that's why people will be dismayed and they will regret all their lives because they trusted and voted that Politician. 

But not all country has that kind of Politicians because there is one country who gives most of his salary to charity, who refuse to have a motorcade, who chose to live in a one-bedroom house on his wife’s farm, who prefer to drive an old Volkswagen Beetle over a classy and expensive car and his only security detail is two guards parked on the approach road, and his three-legged dog, Manuela.

Upper photo: Mr. Mujica riding in his old
Volkswagen Beetle. Lower photo:
Mr. Mujica outside his wife's farmhouse
with his dog, Manuela.

He is no other than José Alberto Mujica Cordano or also known as Jose Mujica, the current President of Uruguay. At a young age, he was already active in the National Party, a right wing conservative party and he even got close to Enrique Erro. However, his beliefs shifted from conservative to extreme left in the early 1960′s when he joined the MLN-T, or Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional – Tupamaros (Tupamaros National Liberation Movement). With his association with the Tupamaros which was notorious in the early 1970s for bank robberies, kidnappings and distributing stolen food and money among the poor. He was shot by police six times and spent 14 years in a military prison, he was released from prison and the Tupamaros was reorganized as a political party. He is also a member of the Broad Front coalition of left-wing parties, Mujica was Minister of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries from 2005 to 2008 and he became a Senator afterwards. As the candidate of the Broad Front, he won the 2009 presidential election and took office as President on 1 March 2010.

Mr. Mujica doing his obligation as a President of Uruguay

Aside form living a simple life and rejecting the perks of the presidency, Mujica is also doing extraordinary things for his country. He supported the nation’s groundbreaking legalization of marijuana. In August 2013, Mujica signed the bill making Uruguay the second nation in Latin America to legalize gay marriage. He supported the legalization of abortion in Uruguay but it's only for the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy and requires women to meet with a panel of doctors and social workers on the risks and possible effects of an abortion. He is opposed to war and militarism.  He is also an environmentalist trying to limit needless consumption, and lastly he focuses on redistributing his nation’s wealth,  it includes setting prices for essential commodities such as milk and providing free computers and education for every child claiming that his administration has reduced poverty from 37% to 11%, it includes setting prices for essential commodities such as milk and providing free computers and education for every child.

Though many people are bashing and judging his way of running Uruguay, I still admire and salute him for his simplicity, humility and honesty. The fact that he is a President, he has all the wealth, power, and possessions in his country but he refuse all those things because he preferred to live a simple and happy life with his wife and his dog, Manuela. If all politicians will be as humble, simple and honest like him, I think all countries in the world will live in peace and harmony for there are no more greedy, corrupt, dishonest and selfish politicians, who will serve their country wholeheartedly.

Mr. Jose Mukica doing the "Okay" sign 

"I'm called 'the poorest president', but I don't feel poor. Poor people are those who only work to try to keep an expensive lifestyle, and always want more and more," - Jose Mujica

I would write

jodiellewellyn.wordpress.

If you were a writer, WOULD you write or COULD you write?

If a person is a "writer" it is given that he "could" write because it's innate and he has the ability and talent to write stories, poems, novels, articles or anything that interests him. However the big question is on the "WILLINGNESS" of that person on writing.... are you willing to write all the ideas inside your mind?, are you willing to write about the things that you see on your surroundings?, are you willing to write for you to voice out young feelings?, are you willing to write about the issues in the government and your country?, are you willing to write to voice out the plea's of your countrymen so that they will be heard by the government officials?, are you willing to write to expose the different anomalies in the government?, and lastly, are you willing to write to be an eye opener to those people who are blinded by the things that they've only heard and never been see?, Because at the end of the day, it is all up to you if you are going to be a catalyst of change and if you will be an eye opener to your country. 

meetville.com

Assignment

QUATRAIN - a stanza of four lines, especially one having alternate rhymes.

Here is an example:

  Today I Had a Rotten Day

      by Kenn Nesbitt  

   

Today I had a rotten day     (A)

as I was coming in from play.     (A)

I accidentally stubbed my toes     (B)

and tripped and fell and whacked my nose.     (B)

I chipped a tooth. I cut my lip.

I scraped my knee. I hurt my hip.

I pulled my shoulder, tweaked my ear,

and got a bruise upon my rear.

I banged my elbow, barked my shin.

A welt is forming on my chin.

My pencil poked me in the thigh.

I got an eyelash in my eye.

I sprained my back. I wrenched my neck.

I’m feeling like a total wreck.

So that’s the last time I refuse

when teacher says to tie my shoes.

Here is my own poem:

Lost

www.stevewiens.com

Why am I feeling this?

Why am I thinking like this?

Those are the questions in my mind

and still the answers I can't find.

Do I deserved to feel this?

Do I deserved to think like this?

Please answer me my friend

So that my agony will end.

It bothers me all the time,

And I know it's a waste of time.

I can't help on being affected

because my heart is so infected.

I don't want this feelings to last

'coz I think my mind will going to blast

With all the thoughts and baggage's 

That I've been keeping for ages.

LIMERICK - a humorous, frequently bawdy, verse of three long and two short lines rhyming AABBA, popularized by Edward Lear.

Here is an example:

Selina

“There once was a girl Selina,     (A)

  who wants to be a ballerina.        (A)

   She went on her toes,                  (B) 

and she broke her nose.              (B)

 Then she became a gorilla .”        (A)

Here is my own poem:

www.heraldsun.com.au

Epic Limerick

There was a girl named Ella,

Who married a Gorilla,

Who loves to eat banana

Given by her friend Sheila;

Wife of DJ Padilla.

Confusing Words

halfelf.org

There are a lot of words that are confusing because they share the same spelling but they differ on their meanings. So for you to become aware of the common words that misspelled and misused often,

I've complied a list of those spelling mistakes that drive students, teachers, employees, colleagues, etc crazy.

1. "Your" and "You're" - They are not the same words. YOUR is in the possessive form that shows ownership of something (ex: Brush YOUR teeth.) while YOU'RE is a contraction of the words "YOU" and "ARE" (ex: YOU'RE so beautiful.)

2. "Specially" and "Especially" - Most people often use those words interchangeably. SPECIALLY means particularly, in a distinguishing manner, or for a particular purpose (ex: She has her gown made SPECIALLY for her by a tailor in Paris.) while ESPECIALLY means exceptionally in a noteworthy manner, or particularly (ex: I bought these flowers especially for you.)

3. "Bear" and "Bare" - Those words have different meanings. BEAR means to carry, to endure or tolerate, to maintain direction (ex: This small trees BEARS hundreds of mangoes every year.) while BARE means uncovered, naked or exposed (ex: Don't go in BARE feet. You'll catch a cold.).

4. "A lot" and "Alot" -  A LOT is always two words. A lot of people mistakenly write  A LOT as ALOT, actually there is no such word as ALOT because it doesn't exist. (ex: I know A LOT about Jose Rizal.)

5. "Loose" and "Lose" - There is often confusion over those words. LOOSE means not tight, free from constraint or not dense (ex: Watch your footing on this LOOSE gravel.) while LOSE means fail to keep or fail to win (ex: Shane is trying to LOSE weight.).

6. "Advice" and "Advise" - There is also often confusion over those words. ADVICE is a noun meaning a suggestion for a beneficial course of action (ex: Many receive advice, but only the wise profit from it.) while ADVISE is a verb meaning to give advice and to notify (ex: My mother is always there to give me love advise.).

7. "Altogether" and "All together" - ALTOGETHER is an adverb means wholly, to the full extent, or with everything considered (ex: ALTOGETHER Kim earns more than her sister.) while ALL TOGETHER means collectively, this term pertains to when a group acts or acted upon collectively (ex: The passengers stood ALL TOGETHER waiting for the train.).

8. "Desert" and "Dessert" - They look similar but they differ in meaning. DESERT can be an adjective, noun or verb which means to leave behind, to abandon, or an arid land with little or no vegetation (ex: We will be visiting the Sahara DESERT next summer.) while DESSERT means the final course of a meal and it is usually sweet (ex: I want to see the DESSERT menu.).

9. "All ready" and "Already" - They sound the same but they are different. ALL READY means completely prepared (ex: Daniel is ALL READY.) while ALREADY means prior to a specified or implied time or as early as now (ex: I ALREADY sent you the coverage of the exam.).

10.  "Forth" and "Fourth" - They also sound identical and they are also different in meaning. FORTH usually means forward or onward (ex: Joaquin needs to be present in the meeting to put his ideas FORTH.) while FOURTH is related to the number four (ex: DJ is the FOURTH placer in the Spelling Bee.).

And that's it. I hope that my list of confusing words will be a big help for you to be not confuse again. :)

www.quotesvalley.com

Share a Coke with a Friend

Have you heard about the latest trend in the Philippines today? It is about the Coca Cola Share a Coke with a Friend campaign where in you will find your own name or your friends name on the bottle of the soft drinks. A lot of people are getting crazy on finding their own and their friends name in the bottles of the Coca Cola soft drinks to share it with them. I have here the list of names that are available in Coca Cola bottles.

www.9gag.com

Everyone loves to have something that is unique and personalize whether it is a shirt, shoes, bags, accessories, or even if it is just a drink, it only proves that personalized content is a core focus right now. Most people feel that brands that create personalized content are more interested than others. 

Coca Cola Share a Coke with a Friend campaign not only shows how people value things that is unique and personal to them, it also teaches us the importance of sharing because it helps people get along with each other better, it shows affection with other people, it also shows how generous and thoughtful a person is, and it also a means of sharing love and affection to our friends and loved ones. 

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasure. For in the dew of the little things the heart find its morning and is refreshed." - Khalil Gibran

Share a Coke with Friends, Share a Coke with me! :)

Trending Games on Facebook

Facebook is one of the most popular among the social networking sites in the whole broad universe. Young, old, serrated or not, and regardless of the social status I know that almost all people of the population in the world today have a Facebook account and we are all hooked up on its different applications especially the games. So if you are sick and tired of scrolling your news feed up and down, might as well try these trending games on Facebook.

1. Texas hold 'em Poker - Is a variation of the standard card game of poker. Texas hold 'em consists of two cards (hole cards) being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three ("the flop") then an additional single card ("the turn" or "fourth") and other additional card ("the river" or "fifth street") - with players having the option to check, bet, raise or fold after each deal.

play.google.com

2. Tetris Battle - Is a new Facebook game has a great game play. Tetris battle combines Tetris with battling your friends of random people playing Tetris battle all over the world. Tetris battles have several modes like, clearing 40 lines faster than your opponents, giving cleared lines to your opponents and much more. Tetris battle is really the same Tetris game you have played before with only the addition of some models and the ability of playing with friends and other people.

www.insidesocialgames.com

3. Cityville - Is all about constructing a metropolis. You start with a small town with the goal of turning it into a booming city. And to do this you'll have to erect various types of buildings. Businesses will provide a steady stream of income, houses and apartments will increase your population and provide rent money, and community buildings make your city more enticing to new residents. You'll also need to establish farms, add decorations, and even expand your businesses by setting up franchises in neighboring towns. You'll be able to blow up the size of your city through incremental upgrades.

www.gamezebo.com

4. Farmville -  Is one of the most popular and easily-established games on the Facebook social network. Farmville is first and foremost a game about crops. You’ll plow plots of ground, seed them, and harvest what grows. Ignoring all of the barn raising and fertilizer, all of the elephants and maple trees, this simple three step mechanic is at heart of FarmVille. Players also making gift-giving a share of their daily visit in the hopes that their friends will return the favor.

www.ipadnewsdaily.com

5. Diner Dash - Is a strategy video game and a time management game. Seat the guests, take the order of the customer who comes first! You should have to keep your customers happy by serving them as fast as you can. The happier they are the more points you will earn. Reach the target number of points to clear a level. If the customers wait too long they will get upset and leave your store.

www.pocketgamer.co.uk

6. Throne Rush - Is a classic building game. You take control of your very own tiny kingdom and you expand it by building core structures and upgrading them. You can gather resources through milling, mining, and raids. You can also train/recruit armies for added offensive power in knocking down your foes, and improve your defenses by erecting walls and towers for increased resistance on attacks.

google.com

7. Diamond Dash - Is a new Facebook game that has a good game play. You need to click boxes with the same color but you can only make boxes disappear if they are 3 or more that is side by side with each other. The game play is great by itself but the game will limit you on how many games you can play. The hearts on the upper right part indicates how much game you can play. It refreshes but the game itself is just 2 minutes meaning if you have 5 hearts you will just have 10 minutes of game time in one play.

egers.rssing.com

8. Gun Bros - Is a new Facebook game but has the exact game play with the original version that came out in smartphones but Facebook added a few features to make it better. In Gun Bros you have to fight robots/monsters in planets with the help of your bros which is a Ai that will help you fend of those robots or monsters. You can also upgrade your armors, get power ups and such in this new Facebook game.

www.148apps.com

9. Town Island - Is a new Facebook game that has all the points of old Facebook simulator games but added a bit more features. Some of the added features are having a need to add transportation to your own town island, animals, and even advertising to gain more visitors to your island. And in this game you are in control of an Island and you need to make it more popular by adding buildings, establishments and transportations among other things.

www.gameyum.com

10. Magic Land - Is a new action simulator game on Facebook. In magic land you control a knight or a warrior on a small kingdom that is plague with dragons, cyclops, giants and monsters. Your task is to get your partner which is a prince or a princess and make your kingdom better and flourishing. You can also go into adventures in magic land where you go to mysterious lands and meet other mysterious people but the real task is to defeat the evil wizard that is endangering your new founded kingdom.

www.wired.co.uk

"The games we play are lessons we learn. The assumption we make, things we ignore, and things we change make is what we become." - Terry Prachette

A School that is Conducive for Learning

I just wonder  what if our government  can provide and sustain all the need of the public schools in our country. I think the learning will be more conducive and all the students will become motivated and inspired in studying and  to go to school everyday because they know that the government is at their back and it is willing to sustain and provide all the things that they will need.

Every time  I had given a chance to go to the different schools here in Marikina , what I always did is to observe. Observe their facilities, observe their classrooms, observe their students, observe their teachers and observe the school environment. As I observe, there is a common question that kept on playing in my mind, and that is "What are the Characteristics of a good school and classroom Environment that is Conducive for Learning?".

There are lots of characteristics of a good school and classroom environment that is conducive for learning. Here are the following: It needs a well facilitated school and classrooms. A good classroom environment qualifies a clean and cozy ambiance. for the students to become focused to their study and for their mind to be relaxed. All the needed resources are well provided for. The school must be near to other substantial establishment like drug store, hospital, police station, Barangay outpost, fire department, and other government offices for easy access if any kind of emergency or accident happens they can easily seek for help. The construction of the school building must be durable enough so that if any disastrous event happens the school building will not get easily destroy. The accessibility of the school in main roads and high ways is recommended. The canteen should prepare delicious, clean, and affordable foods. Recreational area must be big enough to accommodate massive number of people. Their library should have internet connection and it must have plenty of educational books that can help the student's to become more knowledgeable and competent. The school must have science and computer laboratory for their students to experience hands on activities.

www. google.com

The quality of school and classroom physical environment is connected to the educational performance of the students because it serves as their motivation to improve their learning capability.

We all know for a fact that a school that has a good environment is a much better place to study with and it can increase the development of creative and critical thinking skills of the teacher's and student's.

"Make the classroom environment a learning laboratory, an active workshop for discovery." - Unknown