notes on notes

There are three important things I have learned about note-taking:

1. Take notes often.  Your eyes and ears offer you a constant flow of information and you cannot rely on your memory to store everything that is relevant.  Jot down the names of people and organizations, even if you will only encounter them once or twice.  Jot down half-baked ideas, because you might be able to go back to them sometime and turn them into something useful.  Keep a calendar, and keep it until the end of the year.  Take advantage of the simple power of a pen and notebook.
   
2. Don't take notes too often.  While it is important, note-taking can also be one of the most efficient wastes of time.  If you are resourceful, you will find a multitude of alternatives to writing down every little important detail.  Take pictures, take business cards, take brochures.  Do not hesitate to ask if you can have a copy of a PowerPoint presentation, or if it can be emailed to you.  Commit the most important things to memory, because writing them down may lead to taking them for granted.
   
3. Don't be afraid to do more than take notes.  Talk to people.  Ask questions.  Introduce yourself and offer input.  This applies to any and all classes, seminars, events, projects and personal ventures.  Nine out of ten times, your notes are for your own future reference.  This means that nine out of ten times, you must (at least once) put down your pen and use your voice.  Do not be afraid of looking or sounding stupid.  Do not hesitate because no one else is speaking up.  Talk to people, even if they are intimidating or abrasive.  Rest assured that all the other people silently taking notes will (in their silent way) thank you.

about my blog's name (and me)

Hello, it's been a while since I've posted anything here.

In partial explanation of this, I will post tonight.

Scroll up to the top of the page.  Those rather large letters spell out the incredibly creative (/sarc) title of my blog!

Why is my blog called "I Write Things"?  Other than the obvious fact that for the width and depth of my vocabulary, my creativity in coming up with titles for things is extremely limited.  When it is there at all, it comes in short, usually disappointing bursts.

The other reason is that, simply, I do indeed write things.  Writing has been a thing I do for quite a long time now.

Cybercrime Law: Anything you say, post, tweet, or like can be held against you in court

Before you take a side on the issue of the Cybercrime Law, please, if you haven't already, take the time to read it.

note:  I wrote this for my Advanced College Writing class (Comm 10), senior year, first semester.  The original title was Analytical Paper on the Cybercrime Law.

The controversial Cybercrime Law, passed on September 12, 2012, then suspended less than a month later, covers a variety of crimes involving the internet and other communication technologies.  Among the punishable offenses it mentions are hacking, spamming, online libel, cyber-squatting, cybersex, child pornography, unsolicited commercial communication, and computer-related fraud, forgery, and identity theft.

Good "Advices": Sexism and Shame

"Ang mga lalaki, hindi mageeffort kung walang gusto sa isang babae 'yan.  Dahil sadyang tamad ang mga lalaki." ("Guys won't put out any effort if they don't like a girl, because guys are lazy.")

"Ang mga babae, gusto nila 'yung sense of belongingness.  Gusto nila pinapakilala sila sa pamilya mo, sa mga friends mo.  Gusto nila 'yung feeling na ginagawa mo siyang bahagi ng buhay mo.  Siguro mababaw lang para sa'yo pero malaking bagay sa kanila yan." (Girls like a sense of belonging.  They like when you introduce them to your family and friends.  They like the feeling that you are making them part of your life.  It's probably petty for you but it's a big thing for them.")

These are two of the many quotations currently circulating on the internet that are credited to Love Radio DJ Papa Jack.  His wildly popular segment, which consists mostly of him ridiculing and demeaning his callers, is called True Love Conversation -- often ironically shortened to "TLC."

One Million Moms vs JC Penny and homosexuality

One Million (but not really) Moms has a problem with Two Dads.  Because obviously, their lives are directly affected in a negative way by this happy family they've never met.  All gay couples ruin strangers' lives by existing in the same universe.  Obviously.

For as much support there is for the LGBT community today -- from the FCK H8 campaign to President Obama's proclamation of LGBT Pride Month -- there is a set of the stubbornly intolerant that never seems to completely go away.  The typical justification of the anti-gay movement is that it harms traditional marriage, or that if we allow men to marry men and women to marry women, next people will be allowed to marry their dogs or computers.

communication: let's talk about it

note:  I wrote this for my Creative Writing 10 class over the summer.  The original blog post, along with links to those of my classmates who wrote about their respective fields and interests, can be found here.

“Girlfriend mo na ba ‘ko?”

“Ayoko nga!  Demanding ang mga girlfriend.  Gusto gan’to, gusto ganyan!  Ewan.”

“Gusto ko lang naman ng McDo fries, eh.”

These lines from a commercial for the fast food chain McDonald’s best illustrate the major point of George Homans’ Social Exchange Theory: people in relationships seek to gain maximum rewards at minimum costs.  Rewards and costs can constitute anything from financial support, to a feeling of acceptance, to an order of fries.  The McDonald’s commercial featuring two preschool kids debating the status of their relationship concludes thusly: all the girl wants is fries, and the little boy, after making the life-changing realization that love can be bought, has his first girlfriend.

what I mean when I say "like"

Facebook is a great social networking site for  keeping in touch with friends, sharing photos, playing games and condemning alleged killers to a punch in the face.  Nowadays, you can even use it to put a stop to violence against women with just the use of the "like" feature.  (Please note the use of sarcasm here and read on.)

In terms of quick and widespread information dissemination, Facebook wins.  Online Schools approximates one active Facebook user for every 13 people on Earth, half of whom are logged in on any given day.  In the same survey, 48% of young Americans said that they find out about news not in newspapers and news programs but on Facebook.  And in just 20 minutes, about 1 851 000 statuses are updated all over the world.

What it comes down to is that almost everyone is on Facebook.  We have come to rely on it for more than just social needs.  The 'group' feature is a great tool for students and teachers to share resources and communicate outside of the classroom.  Professionals can pull together projects and promote their work extensively with the aid of Facebook.  Employers use job applicants' Facebook profiles as a basis for judgment of their character.

Facebook is also a center for all forms of advocacy.