Halloween/Baby Shower Party

Since Hyun has never experienced Halloween and Layla wanted to throw her baby shower today (end of month=payday), we decided to have a 2-in-1 party later in the afternoon. No one really prepared for their costume, so we agreed last night to just wear something weird/unusual.

I decided to come as a gypsy... slash chemo patient.

Will post party pictures later. :)

Then I Knew I was Over You

Matagal na akong may paghanga sa 'yo. Mukha ka pang busabos noon. Tinutuya nila ako at bakit daw kita nagustuhan. Nangunsumi ako at di nila makita ang nakikita ko; Gayun pa man, natuwa rin ako't solong solo kita. Kilala ka na nga ng buong pamilya ko e, pati ang pamangkin ko na mula noong dalawang taong gulang pa lang ay alam ng bigkasin ang pangalan mo.
Pero marami nang nagbago sa'yo at ako'y nagbago rin naman siguro kahit paano. Ayaw ko paring bumitiw sa umpisa, kahit ramdam ko na ang panlalamig ng puso ko. Hindi ko parin kinayang tanggapin...hanggang noong isang araw lamang...
Nabalitaan ko na nasa malapit ka lang, ilang hakbang lang mula sa aking kinaroroonan. Oo at magsisinungaling ako kung sasabihin ko na hindi ako nabalisang isipin na tatawid lang ako at masisilayan na kita.Pero sa panahong kumatok si Ate Cathy ng napakalakas upang bulabugin ang tulog ko, at sinabing, "Halika bilis! Puntahan natin!" naramdaman ko na lamang ang sarili kong umiling at nagkibit balikat, sabay sara sa pinto.



Isipin mo nga naman John Lloyd, pagkatapos ng ilang taon... malilimutan rin pala kita...


ahehe wala lang.

Dahil Gusto Ko ring Maging Defensive

For Immediate Release
Contact Person:
Isabelita Reyes: Asst. Vice President for PublicAffairs
Director, UP System Information Office
Contact Numbers: 926-1572 0918-9091361

UP DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THES-QS UNIVERSITY RANKINGS

In the 2008 university rankings recently released by the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) and Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the University of the Philippines rose from 398 in 2007 to 276 this year. Ateneo de Manila University rose from 401-500 to 254. De La Salle University was ranked 415th and the University of Santo Tomas was ranked 470th.

This is the third year that such a survey has been conducted and its results given prominence by local dailies. But according to UP Vice President for Public Affairs Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, UP has never agreed to participate in this survey. In fact, this year, President Emerlinda R. Roman did not even receive an invitation to be a part of it. Nor did she receive any questionnaire to answer.

What she did receive was an email message from QS Asia Regional Director (Asia Pacific), Mandy Mok, informing her that UP had 'gone up in the rankings' for 2008. The email also contained an invitation to buy 'an attractive package' from THES-QS. The 'package price,' which includes a banner on topuniversities. com, a full page full
color ad in Top Universities Guide 2009, and a booth at Top Universities Fair 2009, amounts to $48,930.

Since UP was not invited to participate and therefore had not provided any data, UP officials do not know where and how the figures were obtained on which the ranking was based, Hidalgo said.

'UP can hardly be expected to spend more than 2 million pesos on publicity for itself involving a survey conducted by an organization that refuses to divulge where it obtains its data,' she added.

In 2007, UP was invited to participate in the survey, but when THES-QS refused to explain where it obtained the data used to determine UP's rank in the 2006 survey, university officials decided not to accept the invitation to be part of the 2007 survey. In 2006, UP was ranked No. 299, and Ateneo was ranked No. 500.

UP wrote THES-QS in July 2007, informing them of UP's decision not to be a part of the survey; and again in September 2007, requesting the organization to respect UP's decision. In response, research assistant Saad Shabir wrote back saying that if it did not receive the information it would be 'forced to use last year's data or some form of average.'

Surveys and rankings obviously have their usefulness. But, as the National University—status officially granted to it with its new Charter on its centennial year—UP feels
that before it agrees to participate in such an exercise, it must carefully examine the indices by which it is to be evaluated. It also needs to be convinced about the reliability of the methodology used in the exercised.

The THES-QS ranking is supposedly meant to serve as 'the definitive guide to universities around the world which truly excel.' In evaluating institutions it computes half of the index based on its reputation as perceived by academics (peer review 40%) and global employers (recruiter review 10%). Since it does not specify who are surveyed or what questions are asked, the methodology is problematic.

In an earlier statement released in August this year, and carried by several national dailies, UP said: 'Even peers require standardized input data to review. But according to the International Ranking Systems for Universities and Institutions: A Critical Appraisal, published by BioMed Central, the Times simply asks 190,000 'experts' to list what they regard as the top 30 universities in their field of expertise without providing input data on any performance indicators (http://www.biomedce ntral.com/ 1741-7015/ 5/30). Moreover, the survey response rate among selected experts was found to be below 1%. In other words, on the basis of possible selection biases alone, the validity of the measurement is shaky.' (See Pano, 'Only Two RP Unviersities Made It…' UP Newsletter, August 2007, p. 5.)

According to the statement, the other half of the index is based on such indicators as student-to faculty ratio, the number of foreign faculty and foreign students in the university, and the number of citations in internationally accredited publications. 'Data for these indicators depend on the information that participating institutions submit. An institution' s index may be easily distorted if it fails to submit data for the pertinent indicators, or if it chooses not to participate. '



Sergio S. Cao, PhD
Professor of Finance
College of Business Administration
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City
Philippines 1101
Telephone: (632)-9284571
Telefax: (632)-9297991

Laziness.

Technology is a lazy ass' bestfriend. Thanks to the cross-posting feature of multiply, everything I post on my multiply blog gets cross-posted here. Since I just incidentally confessed laziness, let me also admit that it is for the same reason that I kept on posting surveys and memes-- it is easier than composing a new blog entry haha. But I guess I have dumped too many surveys on here so I decided to get rid of 'em for the sake of the few people who take a sec to check this blog, only to be disappointed with random and trivial facts about me. For the Kapampangan entries though, sorry Mean May, no translations to keep their sense of mystery bwahaha.

Sunday Office Musings

While Liz was quietly waiting for Nao before their hiphop dance class with the Allstars and I was contemplating if I should just sleep the night off since I didn't get decent sleep the night before.

Meg: *blurts out* "Could some people just not be cut out for normal, functional relationships?"
Liz: "...then I would be a perfect candidate."
Meg:"So would I."

Katha

May ikinakasal na tikbalang. Maaliwalas ang langit at maliwanag ang sikat ng araw ngunit umaambon. Kasabihan ng mga matatanda ay ito raw ay hudyat ng mahiwagang pag-iisang dibdib. Malinaw na kathang-isip lamang ang mga nilalang na ito, ngunit masarap din itong isalarawan sa isipan sa mga ganitong pagkakataon. Nakapagbibigay ng panandaliang ginhawa ng dibdib ang mantakin na may hiwagang nakakubli sa tila nakakapanghinawang pang araw-araw na buhay.
Kagabi ay nakasipat ako ng mga tala sa kalangitan. Tulad ngayon, ang mga ulap ay nagbigay daan, at muling nakasilip ang mga munting bituin, tanawin na kaytagal ng hindi nasisilayan dahil sa walang humpay na unos. Habang ako'y nagnilaynilay ng kahulugan ng kaligayahan, sinugasog ko rin ang kahiwagaan ng langit.Sa huli, akin ring napagtanto: ang kaligayahan ay hindi naman isang kababalaghang natatago sa mga ulap o sa alamat ni Lola.

Ala mu.

mapagal ku. marok ku panamdaman. lalu da kang pantunan. hay. masakit ing malulumo.

Ali mu rin.

Oyni napin ing sasabyan ku e. Kaya buri ku sang aryan na kanita pa.Bala ta mu mu na masyas ku; ali rin pala. Makyalung ku sana. Ot ikana ing pane ku kukwentu? Ot kilala da nka ring kaluguran ku? Ot parehu ta na buring kanta? Ot pantunan da na ka? Ot alwa na ku daramdaman patse tatalnan mu ku? Ot mipagaga ku ng ikit da kang meko? Istu napin, bayu ku pa manasakit. Mayap na atin tang agaganakang masayang piabayan.

Underneathe it All

Dahil kinanta 'to kagabi... adik na ko hehehe

There's times where I want something more
Someone more like me
There's times when this dress rehearsal
Seems incomplete
But, you see the colors in me like no one else
And behind your dark glasses you're...
You're something else

Chorus:
You're really lovely
Underneath it all
You want to love me
Underneath it all
I'm really lucky
Underneath it all
You're really lovely

You know some real bad tricks
And you need some discipline
But, lately you've been trying real hard
And giving me your best
And, you give me the most gorgeous sleep
That I've ever had
And when it's really bad
I guess it's not that bad

(Repeat Chorus)

So many moons that we have seen
Stumbling back next to me
I've seen right through and underneath
And you make me better
I've seen right through and underneath
And you make me better
Better... better...

Lady Saw:
For real
'cause I'm a need to tell
You are me real Prince Charmin'
Like the heat from the fire
You were always burnin'
Any time you're around
My body keeps callin'
For your touch
Your kisses and your sweet romancin'
There's another side to you
That so many adore
Aside from your temper
Everything is secure
You're good for me, baby
Of that, I'm a sure
Over and over, again
Me want more

Gwen:
You've used up all your coupons
And all you've got left is me
And somehow I'm full of forgiveness
I guess it's meant to be

(Repeat Chorus)

You're really lovely
Underneath it all
And you want to love me
Underneath it all
And I'm really lucky
Underneath it all
And you're really lovely