The Fading “That”

The Fading “That” (unfinished)

How I wish I could get “that” back
“That” one who never loses the track

“That” one who never fails to stand 
And tries to smile for the best instead.

What happened to “that” stunning poise?

All I see is a coward face.
What happened to “that” might?

I smell nothing but fright.

Until when will “that” be gone?

Success comes slow but gone so fast.

How will this

Ethical Media: Important?

www.deliberation.info/who-is-running-the-western-mainstream-media/

           Most people nowadays know how to use different high-tech gadgets that were introduced by science, although not all. Each of these persons uses technologies, equipment and devices for different purposes. However, it can be easily observed that not all people are using these materials properly.

Improper usage can be due to some factors such as; criminal usage that tend to harm the mankind, and also unawareness, which can create an environment for victimization! What’s the evidence? Have you heard terms such as; burglary, cyber-stalking and libel? According to Harper Collins dictionary, “Burglary is defined as the act of entering other premises with the intent to commit theft, rape or bodily damage; “cyber-stalking is a crime in which the attacker harasses a victim using electronic communication”; while libel refers to a “published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation whether through print, radio or television.” These are just some of the possible crimes that can be committed through technology. In fact, there are many reported cases about these. Specifically, these crime cases happen through the wrong usage of media, since communication through media can reach large numbers of people. So everyone can be a victim or a criminal.

http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/eu-media-futures-forum

In order for the public to avoid these harsh situations, everybody must know the rules that can guide and lead the conduct of each person who tends to use the media. In short, we must be aware of ethics. That is because ethics, as well as Media ethics, tend to put standards in every decision or action while using media or being in media; just like the “Journalist’s Code of Ethics”.  These codes serve as the regulations for the journalists but the public are also the beneficiaries. How? Just like for example, the 1^st Journalist’s code of Ethics states that, “I shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care neither to suppress essential facts nor to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I recognize the duty to air the other side and the duty to correct substantive errors promptly.” So by obeying this code, journalists may serve truly and honestly to the public; same as to those ordinary people who often share information through media. Crime cases such as libel can be prevented.

            Therefore, having knowledge about ethics when it comes to media are not just for those who study Mass Communication, but for all mankind in the society who uses technology or media to communicate.

photo by Telmarc Media Station 

Existence of Dinosaurs: Real or Fake? Important or Non-sense?

Existence of Dinosaurs: Real or Fake? Important or Non-sense?

            There are many creatures that continuously exist in our minds, but the question is; are they real? People nowadays use science to explain a certain phenomenon or happening. They use this to determine whether a certain thing was a fact or a lie. But do you know where can there be more evidences to prove something? It's the bible. People should be aware that there are many facts that were written in the bible before it was discovered by the scientists and discoverers.

            Dinosaurs draw doubts on most of the people because they were not able to see them. The unbelievers also throw questions like; if dinosaurs were really real, where are they now? Yes it’s true that no one have ever seen a dinosaur. That is because they had become extinct 60 million years before man came upon the earth, ¹ so if you had browsed a book and see pictures of people together with a dinosaur, that is just an imagination.

You may also say that if dinosaurs were gone before the man came, how did they know that there were dinosaurs that lived here on earth? When you study science, you will see that there are many paleontologists who had already proven the existence of these big creatures. Maybe you are asking how? Well, that is because of the fossils. These were the strong evidences to prove that they lived here on earth for several years. According to Roy Chapman Andrews (1953), author of “All About Dinosaurs”, Fossil comes from the Latin word fossilis, which means “dug up”; a fossil therefore, must have been buried at some time. It is the remains of a plant or an animal that once lived here on earth. Also, Harper Collins Dictionary also defined the word fossil as:

“the relic, remnant or representation of an organism that existed in a past geological age, or of the activity of such an organism, occurring in the form of mineralized bones, shell, etc, and molds as frozen perfectly preserved organisms.”

Suspicions and doubts will be gone only if our minds would be open to the reality. There’s no wrong in believing things that were proven true. Even though it is not what you think the fact from the very first, still we have to be aware that sometimes our theories or own beliefs are not happening on the reality.

Way back to the topic, we have here sample of fossils. (See figure 1 and 2.)

Figure 1

Figure 2

Just like what we’ve said on the first page, some facts about science were written on the bible before it was discovered by the people. And do you know that even the creation of dinosaurs was written in the bible? We can find the verse that pertains to the creation of big creatures at Genesis 1:21 that say:

“God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”²

 You may say that, this was poor evidence since the word dinosaur was not mentioned. This may be true, that the word dinosaur can’t be found everywhere in the bible. But that is because the one who coined the term “dinosaur” were just humans only few years ago. On the book of Herbert Zim, entitled “Our Wonderful World”¹ it stated that:

“In year 1882, the first fossil of a dinosaur was discovered by the wife of Dr. Gideon Mantell. She found some peculiar teeth in the rocks of Sussex, England. NO ONE AT THAT TIME, OF COURSE, HAD EVER HEARD A DINOSAUR.”¹

The next thing happened was, Dr. Gideon Mantell sent the teeth to several other scientists, but they said that the teeth belonged to a rhinoceros. It doesn’t seem right to Dr Mantell so he went back to where the bone was found. Then he dug up a number of bones and studied those. After that, he presented a new type of a large reptile and named it Iguanodon. But Sir Richard Owen stated that these extinct reptiles needed a generalized name. That’s why he called them dinosaurs, meaning “terrible lizards”. I think this is the proof that the word “dinosaur” was made only few years ago that’s why it was not written in the bible.

Aside from the bones, footprints of dinosaurs were also found at the Connecticut Valley. We can easily identify that it’s not a footprint from an ordinary animal since it was so big! Here is a picture showing the footprint that was preserved. See figure 3

Figure 3

Now the existence of dinosaurs were proven real and they had extinct before the man came here on earth, maybe you are asking what is the significance of their existence to us if they were dead before we came here on earth. Well the truth is, their existence were not important to people, it’s their death that matters. To prove this, think about the oil that was used to make diesels and other chemicals that are very important to mankind. Those came from the fossil fuel. According to the Macmillan Illustrated encyclopedia,

“Fossil fuels are the coal, oil and natural gases. They were formed from the remains of prehistoric plants and animals that died; they were burned in sand and mud. Over thousands and millions of years, the sand and mud turned to rock. Then heat from the rock turned the plant and animal remains into oil.” ³(See figure 4)

Figure 4

Aside from oil, there’s another importance of fossils. They give us history of life on our planet. Because of the remains of the dinosaurs or simply fossils, people were able to know the great changes on earth throughout the ages. People were able to know the situation, climate and condition of the earth before. Isn’t that interesting?

By the way, can you imagine what will happen to us if dinosaurs still exist nowadays? The arrangement of the jaws and teeth of the dinosaurs tells us what they eat. The scientists found out that most of the dinosaurs are meat-eating animals. We will serve as their food if they continuously exist today. Also, their sizes were so big compared to us. In one step of their foot, they can kill us. The fossil skeleton of Diplodocus was the largest dinosaur in history. See the picture below. Compare the size of it to men. ⁴

Figure 5

As you can see, it seems that the size of the Diplodocus were several times as big as human.

Now imagine how good our creator is. God took away the life of the dinosaurs first before he put man on earth. Because he knows that the existence of those creatures might harm us.

__________________________________________________________________________

References:

 v¹(p.2-10 Our Wonderful World, Herbert S. Zim, PH.D.)

 v  ²(King James Version Bible, Genesis 1:27)

 v  ³(p. 62 The Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia, (1995)

 v  ⁴(p. 2“All about Dinosaurs” by Roy Chapman Andrews. Adopted by permission of Random House,            Inc. 1953)

 v  Harper Collins Dictionary

Why am I here at La Verdad?

            Happy-go-lucky, irresponsible, lazy and very hard headed. That is how I describe myself during my high school days. I didn't take my studies seriously. I don't know what I wanted to be after studying. In short, I don't have dreams. That's why I consider myself as an another trash in this community. For me, I just have to go with the flow and follow the air wherever it takes me. Of course the result was similar to those who have lost their ways. For sure most of you can relate with this story of mine.

        My mom never surrender to put me on the right path. She wanted me to graduate not only in high school but also in college that's why she look for a school wherein I can continue my studies. She found a school that gives free education, La Verdad Christian College, and wanted me to study there. It's because we cannot afford to pay thousands for tuition and miscellaneous fees. But this school was different because when they say free, its definitely no payments. Even lunch and uniform are free! Have you seen any other school that offers this type of opportunity? Well, I guess none. However, to be honest, I'm so disgusted with my mom's dream for me. Because I'm afraid of big responsibilities. But now that I'm studying, I realized how foolish I am before when I refuse to study here.

            Believe it or not, all things suddenly changed. Even my old friends are wondering what happened to me. Because they all know me as lazy and irresponsible but now it's different. I think the reason why I am here in La Verdad is that, God wants me to learn not only academically but also spiritually. His words changed my point of view in life. I then realized that it's a big sin to waste my life on unnecessary things. I am now on my second semester in first year college. I hope that I can still continue what I've started, and see God's plan for me.

Public Service: "Lingap ng Estudyante"

             My title on this article was also the name of the outreach program that we held on February 2013. Actually it was my first time to join a program that we, MCT-12, are also the organizers. It was a heart-warming event.

          We went to the “Reception and Study Center for Children” wherein there are many cute and happy children. But as we roam around there place, we felt pity for them. Because it seems like they were jailed in their houses. After roaming the place, we approached the administrator to tell that we are now going to do our program. Then we talked to the house parents that are taking good care of the children. They let the children out of their houses afterwards. But do you know what they did? They run all over the place! They play like as if it's there last chance to do it. At first we were wondering why. In the first place, it was their home. But why are they so excited like that?

            We had a hard time in putting all the children on the place wherein we conduct our program. After few minutes they were convinced to come with us. They sang and danced on the program. They also joined the contest that was prepared for them. Although some were not interested because they wanted to spend their free time on the playground, situations changed when many of our classmates played and talked to them. My role here is to provide a documentary report for this program. That's why I interviewed one of the house parent. She explained that the reason why those children were so excited to go outside because its their only free time to enjoy the ambiance of the outside world.

            They ate on the break time we gave. MCT-12 prepared foods for them. Before the program ends, Bro. Richard offered a scholarship that was given by our school. Then after we fixed our things and materials used on that program, we all went home happily and inspired.