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[danimarcelino]

the occupational dimension

⭑・ﾟﾟ・*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*: dreaming :*:ﾟ*:༅｡.｡༅:*・ﾟﾟ・⭑

the road to the future is long and winding — how far am i from where i started, and till how far is it to the destination? who else would know these things than the me who’s lived through them already?

in fact, there’s many things i don’t know.

whether or not i’m where i’m supposed to be — the thing is, doubting this already means uncertainty, doesn’t it?

how many dreams do we have in a lifetime and how many dreams have we given up? the answers to these questions to most of us, aren’t they nearly the same?

so at the very least, the me in the past who had these dreams and the me in the future who had the bravery to make them real — i want to meet both of these people halfway.

truth be told, this dream of standing under the spotlight and being anyone other than myself, this dream of performance — acting or dancing or any way to express myself and my art to people — actually, i’ve forgotten it for a while, for a moment that seemed to have extended to a decade of my life.

but all roads lead back home and homewards itself is where old dreams are buried. recently, the rain had fallen and washed away the dirt on the shallow grave, and upon finding what was there, i had realised —

‘‘ oh, this made me happy ,,

they say that human nature is multi-faceted, but the beauty of three-dimensional shapes lies in our inability to see all of its sides all at once. to see yourself, to converse with a you that’s not quite you, and to discover those little what-may-have-beens leading to unthought, but existing, facets of you — to me, this is the essence of performance.

the feeling of release, the cathartic fall — when your mind quiets down and instinct takes over. the feeling of living in the moment, allowing your body to take control over your actions. fully immersed in the joy of being, fully immersed in the joy of living your dreams alive, aren’t those the most wonderful moments in life?

⭑・ﾟﾟ・*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*: the path i’ll pave:*:ﾟ*:༅｡.｡༅:*・ﾟﾟ・⭑

to tear apart the laid foundations and start anew, it’ll never not be terrifying, but what greater fear is there than to stand at the end of the road, only to look back and find a life stale with regrets?

i don’t think there’s much of a point to living a future that doesn’t make you happy or at the very least, fulfilled. it’s a feeling i think i’ve found only during performance.

but to walk towards dreaming, what should be done?

amidst uncertainty and difficulties, the time is hard enough and finding answers even harder. the most important thing to me right now is to finish what i’ve started — college is a chapter of my life that’s nearing its end. no matter my grievances or pining for anything else other than here, it’s a waste to give up on it now, and at this point when it’s nearly done.

and then what comes after?

i’ll find work — creativity is not something i thought to be my strong point, but it’s something i found myself thriving in during a period of time when my academic pursuits did not necessarily match what i wanted in life. the silver lining.

i don’t want to stay shackled to one thing forever, but i’d work hard to finance my passions, and for sure, at some point — my feet will lead me back to performance.

once all this is over, college and the pandemic both, i’d love to find a dance studio that teaches dance. ballet, contemporary, ballroom, jazz, hiphop — it doesn’t matter what kind. i think i’d just be honoured to learn.

i want to pursue other avenues of creativity that i’ve always been told “isn’t for me”. so perhaps, vocal lessons and singing would do me good. i’m already this in love with music anyways, so i might as well take the leap. on the side as well, i plan to take up personality development classes and image training to bolster nonexistent confidence.

it’s nothing i’ve tried before, and i’m going in blind but — what’s the harm of trying, right?

⭑・ﾟﾟ・*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*: incompatibility:*:ﾟ*:༅｡.｡༅:*・ﾟﾟ・⭑

you can try your damndest, you can try your best, but to love something enough that you’d be willing to give yourself and all that you have for it — this does not ensure definite success.

i’m not naive enough to think that loving something will guarantee a return of any sort. so what if i try and i try and i try, and find that i fail all attempts regardless? what if i find that i’m truly incompatible with the dreams i have?

i know i’d fight for it regardless, but what’s my contingency, my plan Z, when plans A to Y fall through?

realistically, i want to be involved in the arts in any way possible. be it through making great food, writing stories, making films, creating graphic designs, visual arts — just anything that would allow me to make and breathe concepts into life.

art is the ultimate means of self-expression, and i think people are most beautiful when they can express themselves. it’s something that i think deserves appreciation. always.

if i cannot fulfill my dreams of performing, then i’d at least love to discover different ways of expressing myself as well as different ways of appreciating art.

⭑・ﾟﾟ・*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*: to the future:*:ﾟ*:༅｡.｡༅:*・ﾟﾟ・⭑

ten years from now, my sole ideal is to be happy. wherever i am, whatever i’m doing, i hope that i’m happy with my life — that i’m doing what i love and contented with what i have. a lot of people have criticised me whenever i say that my goal is to be happy, but i don’t see anything wrong with that. the finer details can always be amended, but the overarching goal will always stay the same.

ah, that being said, some things are set in stone.

at the very least, i want to be financially independent from my parents. they’ve done so much for me, and the least i could do is relieve them of what is so far a twenty (approaching twenty-one) years-long burden of an investment.

i want to take charge of my own life, in a space i’ve claimed and built as my own. of course, the metaphorical and not literal kind of construction. i don’t think that level of do-it-yourself is for me.

i want to learn how to have healthy relationships with the people around me, and furthermore have that same level of trust and love with those beyond the circle of family.

ultimately, ten years from now, i just want to be happy.

[danimarcelino]

♫ playlist ♫

a musical breakdown

It took me a few hours to curate this playlist. I wanted to make sure I get as deep and personal as I could. If you've gone through the playlist, you've probably noticed that it's one of the messiest mish-mash choices of songs (I'll explain in a bit 😂). I would apologise but- Each song in the playlist holds a memory I want to keep alive. Yes, even that Ievan Polkka.

[i'm taking over]

The first order is my mix for when I need a pick-me-up of sorts. Songs I'd dance to, songs to hype me up, songs for when I need to ground myself.

It then flows into the second order—

[to yuuki:]

If you know any of these songs, you'd know the second mix is quite depressing. These are the songs that reflected best my emotional well-being during the peak of my teenage years. If it isn't obvious yet- I lost somebody, and these were the songs that reminded me of them. Things are better now, but the grieving never really stops.

[i'm fine, i'm fine]

God it just dives into an even more depressing vibe, doesn't it? 😂

Um, well. If I were to put my inner feelings into songs, it would be these.

Don't you ever just listen to sad songs whenever you're sad? Just so you'd be sadder and cry more and drive yourself into a full-on breakdown?

[one warm line]

And when you've cried everything you could cry, felt everything you could feel—

These are songs I'd play at 3 A.M.

[heaven and earth]

I get into a Mood sometimes, a lot of times.. more than is probably healthy. Whenever I get reminded of my mortal existence and start getting lost in existential crisis, these songs never fail to send me questioning everything.

[in silent screams, in wildest dreams]

We've all had a brush with love at some point in our lives.

[in that morning, the horizon will shine—]

This is probably my favourite section in the whole playlist. My little reminder that at the end of the day, I'm here.

I'm still here, and I should do everything I can to live as much as possible.

me and music

I am, first and foremost, an emotion-driven creature. All humans are, at their core, I think. I can’t speak for them, but I suppose from my experiences, I’ve come to some realisations about myself. I tend to internalise the things I read, the things I watch, and the things I listen to.

I have to be careful with the music I choose to play throughout the day since it’ll have a significant impact on the vibes and energy I have at that particular moment. Recently, I’ve actually been trying to avoid sad and depressing songs, especially since I’m in the middle of a very (rare) motivated week. If I do, I might wind up crying and breaking down, yet again postponing work in the name of a mental health break.

track 1: ▶||

How do I explain this? It’s difficult to write down any one particular track to choose as the “most special” to me, especially since I found my music at different points of my life, and I needed different things for each one. Does that make sense? As such, the songs that are most memorable to me are not necessarily the “most special” in my heart. All of them are, but for different reasons. These are those songs in particular:

[ bones in the ocean - the longest johns ]

“though their eyes speak of deaths filled with struggle and strife their smiles below say I don't owe them my life —

now that I'm staring down at the darkest abyss I'm not sure what I want but I don't think it's this as my comrades call to stand fast and forge on I make sail for the dawn 'til the darkness has gone”

I know grief like a childhood friend. When your reason to live died, is there any point to living anymore?

Wait- HOLD UP.

Lemme clear something up: I'm not that kind of person anymore. I admit, I used to think that way. I've gotten better now, I promise. But this is probably the song that saved my life.

Gosh. Sea shanties, man.

[ magic shop - bangtan sonyeondan ]

“on days where you hate to be you, on days you wish you could forever disappear, let’s make a door in your heart open the door and this place will await —

sipping a warm cup of tea gazing up at that galaxy you’ll be okay, oh, this here is the Magic Shop.”

This was the song that got me into BTS. They really are great musicians! It’s a pity that the fanbase for K-Pop don’t have the best reputation, which is probably why I waited this long to listen to one of their songs.

I listened to Magic Shop the first time, and thought it sounded really good, but what really hooked me was the first time I watched their performance with subtitles - I legit broke down and cried. The melody was simple, the lyrics were straight-forward. I thought, “I really needed to hear that today” - the song is like comfort personified. My safe space.

[ the world was wide enough - hamilton ]

“legacy — what is a legacy? it’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see —

death doesn’t discriminate between the sinners and the saints, it takes and it takes and it takes”

My brother went through a phase where he was obsessed over musicals. I remember very vividly how he rewatched Les Miserables (2012) over and over again, before moving onto various stage play adaptations.

One summer, he made me sit down to watch Hamilton the Musical, and it just clicked. It was a combination of rap and the usual genres you’d find in musical theatre - it’s not really something I would’ve sought out on my own, but there was just something about the songs and the lyrics. Both of the lines I chose have such vivid and thought-provoking imagery. Indeed, what else is a legacy if not that? Indeed, what else is death if not blind to human standards of morality?

I think it might’ve been Hamilton that pushed me towards the direction of paying attention to news and politics, and just generally being more socially aware of contemporary issues.

[ found/tonight - dear evan hansen, hamilton ]

“let the sun come streaming in 'cause you'll reach up and you'll rise again If you only look around

You will be found

and when our children tell their story (you will be found) they'll tell the story of tonight”

Dear Evan Hansen is a musical about mental health while Hamilton is history with a bit of creative license - genre wise, they’re on opposite ends of the spectrum. But somehow, the mashup sung by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt, two insanely talented musicians, really made it work.

It’s also a comfort song, but if Magic Shop was a warm and gentle hug and late night tea under the stars, then the Found/Tonight mashup feels like someone aggressively but well-meaningly telling you that regardless of whatever happens, you’ll be fine and people will continue to love you. Different vibes of comfort, but both helped me through the lower and murkier points of my journey towards happiness.

stop, play, pause

When or in what situations do I listen to this playlist? It varies, honestly. Sometimes, I just listen to it for the sake of having white noise play whilst I work, but other times I want to immerse myself in the melodies and daydream to it or alternatively go on a brisk walk down memory lane.

In both instances, I just find myself in desperate need to have something to ground myself. It just so happens that that “something” happened to be music and this particular playlist.

memory/nostalgia

I attach memories to music, but doesn’t everyone? Regardless of whether it’s the song that your first love serenaded you with, or the song that played at the convenience store at 3 A.M. that one morning — music elicits memories.

For this playlist, it reminds me of younger days full of wild existential crises, the more depressive moods of my past, and that old yearning for both support and comfort that nothing else but music brought me.

[danimarcelino]

the space i exist in

This is the space I exist within. The desk is not actually a single desk, but mine and my brother’s pushed together. We’ve rotated around different setups and this is the one we’ve deemed most ideal.

Before, when it had been apart, the desks had been too thin and there were too many instances of our cats pushing our belongings off the edge. In fact, this isn’t my laptop, but my brother’s. My own happens to be one of the casualties of the cats. But his laptop wasn’t spared from their claws either, as you can see by the missing keys. The monitor to the left is his drawing tablet that I sometimes borrow for the creatives required by both my scholar work and internship. My god, don’t even get me started on the mess of wires hidden behind and under the visible tech.

The whole thing is.. it's a fucking mess. Certainly the farthest from being an ideal set-up, that’s true, but it happens to be the one that’s mine. It’s accompanied me through late hours working and studying, and will continue to do so, especially because the pandemic’s bound to keep me home for far longer.

Admittedly, if asked if my environment positively or negatively impacts me, I’d be a bit hard-pressed to answer. “Out of sight, out of mind”? As long as I don’t see the underlying mess, I won’t be stressed. And even if it actually is in my face, I found that I’m not as opposed to facing negative-inducing sights as I was back then. In fact, I’ve been really, surprisingly, handling my emotions well recently.

I’m actually motivated to do things and accomplish everything before deadlines - which is, by the way, an increasingly rare feeling in between all the things I’m trying to juggle. Personal life, school work, intern work… I’m doing my best, but “best” is a concept that changes from person to person, and my mindset up until recently hadn’t even been helpful in trying to achieve that.

But well, looking at my current environment.. It’s bad, but not the worst it could be, which makes me incredibly grateful for my dad’s hard work. Perhaps when I’m earning a stable income, I’d be able to help lighten his burden. I’d be able to make improvements around the house (and my work setup by extension).

For now, I think the best I can do though.. I’ll have to spring clean the desk again after accomplishing all my homeworks. Fix the wires and throw away the bits of trash that sneaks itself into obscure corners. At some point, when I’m able, I think I’d extend the same courtesy to the greater space beyond the one I occupy. I live here anyways - both in my home, my setup, and this planet as a whole - I might as well make my share of the space comfortable.

[danimarcelino]

♫ turn off your porcelain face ♫

[danimarcelino]

what is the price of success?

As a business student, the one thing that’s been drilled into my head is that there is no such thing as a “free lunch”. Most of, if not everything else, in life has a trade-off. If you want something, you’d always have to give something else back. It’s the ghost of this thought that’s been haunting me at my waking hours.

Picture this:

It’s 3 A.M.

But how long has it not just been 3 A.M.?

It’s no longer an hour on the clock, but a lonely echo-chamber of jumbled thoughts, blurred in between periods of all-nighter after all-nighter. The lights in the living room are closed and everybody else is asleep. For a few heartbeats, it’s as if the rest of the world has disappeared and the only soul left was me. I am me, and it is in particular the “me” who exists only under the harsh glare of the computer screen.

They say people are the most honest at 3 A.M., and I think that’s true. My thoughts are whispered into the echo-chamber, but it comes back as a scream - it’s the pointed blade of realisations and accusations, of things that I’ve perhaps always known but never wanted to acknowledge.

“Is this what you want?” the echo-chamber snarls. “10 years from now, working and grinding in this industry you’re studying for?”

No.

“10 years from now, you think this’ll be what makes you happy?”

No, it isn’t.

“Is this what you want?”

No, of course not.

What is the price of success? Your dreams, your happiness? How easy had it been when you were four, or five, or six, and knew with a certainty that only children could have exactly what you want to be when you’re older?

Because recently, in the echo-chamber that exists only at 3 A.M., I feel more and more as if I’ve lost track of exactly what I’m doing this for - of exactly why I’m grinding for something that doesn’t make me happy. Hadn’t been, for a very long time.

I recently found people - artists - who were the catalyst for this shift in mindset. Every time I see them, every time I look at them and watch them, I think - “I want to find something to be just as passionate about.”

I want to be so passionate that I wouldn’t hate waking up in the morning anymore. I want to find something to be so passionate about that I’d want to live.

I want to find something to be so passionate about that my greatest fear would be losing it.

-------

My first love had always been the arts, and I think it’s a love that’s been recently rekindled.

Because more and more, I’ve been feeling a yearning that transcends flesh and blood and bone - a soul-deep want that’s entrenched in the nostalgia for a time long ago.

I want to dance. I want to act. I want to learn ballet again. I want to learn how to sing. I want to perform.

This is an old dream that I’ve only thought about again recently. And so, I’ve been thinking - what is the price of success? Sure, it could be anything, but God let it not be this. I haven’t been as happy or hopeful or optimistic with anything or anywhere else.

But where do I even start? It’s the pandemic, and the last time I’ve been in that industry was years and years ago. I’ve forgotten the people and lost the connections. I’m self-aware enough to acknowledge that just because I desperately want to do those things again, it doesn’t mean that I’ll succeed.

Changing career paths is scary. Especially if I’ve been told and raised for my whole life thinking that business is what I should do. But at the same time, I want to feel happy about what I’m doing. I could excel at anything, but it wouldn’t matter if I don’t feel fulfilled in doing it.

I want this to be more than a dream.

[danimarcelino]

At the Forefront of Affairs (STS 3/3)

As we all know, the front liners are doing their best to combat the COVID19 pandemic allows us people in quarantine to live safely, with our fingers crossed and hoping for it all to pass from the comforts and safety of our homes. At the forefront of affairs for other countries, the situation is the same – maybe better, maybe worse – but one in particular caught my eye. At the heart of the pandemic – or, well, at the very source of it – is China, which had implemented some initially brow-raising but ultimately applaudable strategies in combating the pandemic in their country.

Aside from the admirable self-discipline of China’s people, their technology is also another aspect of the country that one cannot help but gawk at. A great many bright and talented minds call China their home and they have proudly brought their homeland to such technological heights. A proof of this lies in the robots and drones they implemented as part of their strategy to lessen human risk. As someone born in a country like the Philippines, it would be lies to say that I consider my homeland technologically advanced and even a slight exaggeration to say that we’re on our way there. Perhaps we are, true, but in a manner entirely turtle-paced, sluggish and slow. China’s technological achievements appear futuristic in comparison to ours. With how China put heavy emphasis on the improvement of their robotics since even before the pandemic, their tech is at the level where they could use things like robots to combat the pandemic and actually make it work. I’m almost envious for our country.

The benefits of using non-humans in their combative strategies are both numerous and doubtless. An obvious one would be its promotion of “social distancing” - a concept droned about on repeat in various news sites, articles, and more – and for good reason. It lessens the risk we have of this pandemic worsening because of human presence and crowds.

Some other ways China uses robotics to fight the COVID19 pandemic are as follows. Firstly, for telemedicine and to provide care and treatment. Telemedicine is supported by robots, and enable the frontliners – doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals – to communicate with their patients without interacting face-to-face. It not only saves time but ultimately allows contagious patients to stay confined. An example of this is at the Wuchang field hospital, a ward staffed with 5G-powered robots, thus alleviating the strain on human personnel and also containing the contagion.

Secondly, for delivery robots. Some select delivery and courier services are still working even during the COVID19 pandemic, and while proper safety procedures are followed, it is still ultimately safer for human-to-human contact be minimized. Some Chinese delivery services like Meituan Dianping ended up making use of autonomous vehicles and robots for contactless delivery.

Thirdly, for sterilization robots. The Danish company UVD Robots shipped robots to Chinese hospitals. These are used to disinfect rooms, and when fully deployed, are expected to operate in all of China’s numerous provinces. The robots utilize UV light to kill viruses and bacteria without risking the safety of human personnel. Aside from UVD Robots, the Chinese robot maker Youibot, also created a sterilization robot to match the marketplace demands.

Considering all of these things, the way China near seamlessly integrated tech into their combative strategies against the COVID19 pandemic is undeniably admirable and inspires envy in us all. China is a huge country, making the task of fighting the pandemic all the more difficult for their government. However, it has long since dropped to 13th in the global account of total COVID19 cases. And while this may not seem significant – and perhaps, to some, this can be credited to the fact that cases elsewhere simply skyrocketed - the fact that Chinese cases decreased says a lot about the country. In fact, the cases of COVID19 is no longer distributed through all of China but through some select provinces. Their cases are decreasing and the effects of it can be easily seen and observed. This is better than one can say for our country, as our cases had only steadily increased since the beginning.

One truly can only applaud for their ingeniousness, the discipline and hard work of their people, and the technology they implemented in order to make all of it possible.

Worries About the Future (STS 1/3)

With regards to the COVID19 pandemic, its presence in the year 2020 has been a terrible and unfortunate one. We all had expectations and ambitions from the start of the year, and while some obstructions were to be expected, the severity of the pandemic is a situation none of us foresaw. A lot of plans were scrapped because of the inconvenience and dangers of working amid these trying times, and progress in various fields were halted and made all the more difficult. One such field that could be classified as such would be that of science and technology.

Of course, I can’t claim to know much considering my current standing in life as that’s of a mere student mildly unexposed to the world and pursuing – of all things - business, a field that’s arguably removed from science and technology. But one still cannot call me ignorant of technological matters as in this current era, one would have to live under a rock to be that much unaware. Technology is so interweaved with our daily lives that even a person such as myself can’t help but worry at the world’s current state of affairs. So far, technology has seen almost exponential leaps of improvement through the years, and this is the kind of reason and line of thought that makes one unable to help but wonder if the pandemic would throw a significant wrench to such things. It is frankly concerning.

The state of how most work is – understandably, unfortunately – suspended has brought a lot of consequences. Some have been rendered out of it (of work, of a job, of an occupation), some companies have faced struggles due to the quarantine, some projects have been halted or even scrapped. What does this mean about the future of technology? No doubt it will proceed as it always has, but by how much would we be held back? Some countries are fairing better than others, and some are struggling to cope. Where on that scale does Philippines fall under? One can’t help but have such worries for the future.

[danimarcelino]

A Mild Inconvenience (STS 2/3)

During this quarantine, me and my family have been blessed to be far removed from actual danger. Of course, arrogance and carelessness breeds danger, but we’ve been careful to observe the proper and recommended procedures to keep ourselves safe and unharmed. Furthermore, we intend to stay that way. As an introvert, I find peace in solitude, but even I find the matters of being cooped up indoors day after day stifling. The same could be said for the people around me – for the people in my immediate family who I live with. I’ve observed a mild and amusing inconvenience for someone privileged enough to be living safely – though undeniably stressed because of the entire situation. It is, funnily enough, a matter of technology.

Smartphones are an integral part of our lives at this point. If one walks into a room of people, it’s almost guaranteed that conversations would be minimal as a vast majority of them are attached to their precious iOS or Android phone. So, when a situation arises that we are cut off from something we are so used to holding and using – something some of us would go as far as to consider our sole connections to the outside world at this point – then it is truly disturbing. It is disturbing in how we feel as if we are lacking something – as if we just lost a limb. Not in the painful sense, but in the sense that we expect something to be there – to exist, to have functionality, only to realize that it is no longer the case.

A drained battery is a preferable option to having completely broken your phone entirely. But for someone close to me, that is entirely the case. Quarantine is implemented rightfully during this pandemic, but it puts a wrench to any plans to get this particularly essential part of our lives fixed. We aren’t allowed to go out to have such a thing fixed – and any option and chance we do have of fixing it would have to rely on our own ingenuity and confidence in fiddling with the inner components of our phones. We’re no professionals – at best, we could fix it, at worst, we could worsen the problem. This mild inconvenience is one plaguing my sibling right now. It makes me all the more glad that I’m not facing the same problems. Although, with how damaged and worn down my phone is, I also can’t help but worry how long till it fully breaks. Hopefully, when that time comes, this whole situation is already long behind us.

Worries About the Future (STS 1/3)

With regards to the COVID19 pandemic, its presence in the year 2020 has been a terrible and unfortunate one. We all had expectations and ambitions from the start of the year, and while some obstructions were to be expected, the severity of the pandemic is a situation none of us foresaw. A lot of plans were scrapped because of the inconvenience and dangers of working amid these trying times, and progress in various fields were halted and made all the more difficult. One such field that could be classified as such would be that of science and technology.

Of course, I can’t claim to know much considering my current standing in life as that’s of a mere student mildly unexposed to the world and pursuing – of all things - business, a field that’s arguably removed from science and technology. But one still cannot call me ignorant of technological matters as in this current era, one would have to live under a rock to be that much unaware. Technology is so interweaved with our daily lives that even a person such as myself can’t help but worry at the world’s current state of affairs. So far, technology has seen almost exponential leaps of improvement through the years, and this is the kind of reason and line of thought that makes one unable to help but wonder if the pandemic would throw a significant wrench to such things. It is frankly concerning.

The state of how most work is – understandably, unfortunately – suspended has brought a lot of consequences. Some have been rendered out of it (of work, of a job, of an occupation), some companies have faced struggles due to the quarantine, some projects have been halted or even scrapped. What does this mean about the future of technology? No doubt it will proceed as it always has, but by how much would we be held back? Some countries are fairing better than others, and some are struggling to cope. Where on that scale does Philippines fall under? One can’t help but have such worries for the future.

[danimarcelino]

Worries About the Future (STS 1/3)

With regards to the COVID19 pandemic, its presence in the year 2020 has been a terrible and unfortunate one. We all had expectations and ambitions from the start of the year, and while some obstructions were to be expected, the severity of the pandemic is a situation none of us foresaw. A lot of plans were scrapped because of the inconvenience and dangers of working amid these trying times, and progress in various fields were halted and made all the more difficult. One such field that could be classified as such would be that of science and technology.

Of course, I can’t claim to know much considering my current standing in life as that’s of a mere student mildly unexposed to the world and pursuing – of all things - business, a field that’s arguably removed from science and technology. But one still cannot call me ignorant of technological matters as in this current era, one would have to live under a rock to be that much unaware. Technology is so interweaved with our daily lives that even a person such as myself can’t help but worry at the world’s current state of affairs. So far, technology has seen almost exponential leaps of improvement through the years, and this is the kind of reason and line of thought that makes one unable to help but wonder if the pandemic would throw a significant wrench to such things. It is frankly concerning.

The state of how most work is – understandably, unfortunately – suspended has brought a lot of consequences. Some have been rendered out of it (of work, of a job, of an occupation), some companies have faced struggles due to the quarantine, some projects have been halted or even scrapped. What does this mean about the future of technology? No doubt it will proceed as it always has, but by how much would we be held back? Some countries are fairing better than others, and some are struggling to cope. Where on that scale does Philippines fall under? One can’t help but have such worries for the future.

[danimarcelino]

[danimarcelino]

Post #5

A long, long, indefinite time ago I seem to not remember, 

we were tasked to watch a video on the Intellectual Property Code and answer questions regarding the topic.

I’ll just get right on it then ---

LEGAL HD EPISODE 64: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CODE

1. How can the intellectual property protect the rights of inventors, scientists, and artists?      The intellectual property allows the inventors, scientists, and artists to have complete rights over their own works and creations. These individuals choose and set the rules for the way their work is used.

2. What acts are considered as a violations of the Intellectual Property Code?      If a third party uses a, for example, copyrighted work without license, consent, or giving the owner credit, then they are violating the Intellectual Property Code. The owner of the copyrighted material are entitled to file a case of copyright infringement, as stated by the law.

3. What agencies are in-charge of implementing the Intellectual Property Code?      There are government agencies tasked with the implementation of the Intellectual Property Code. These are the Bureau of Patents, the Bureau of Trademarks, the Bureau of Legal Affairs, the Documentation, Information, and Technology Transfer Bureau, the Management Information System and EDP Bureau, and the Administrative, Financial and Personnel Services Bureau.

4. What are examples of works not protected by copyright?      Examples of works not protected by copyright  are official government texts and subject matters such as any idea, concept, or data that is expressed in a work.

5. What are examples of copyright protected works under the Philippine Law?      Examples of copyright protected works under the Philippine Law are any literary works, artistic works, and derivative works.

6. What is the difference between original works and derivative works?      Original Works are unique creations that an individual has made. These works would not exist if the one who made them did not exist. A derivative work, however, are creations that are based from pre-existing works. These works are protected by law and are considered "new".

7. Why is it important to protect intellectual property?      It is of utmost importance that intellectual property is protected for it is vital to the advancement of technology and promoting innovation.

8. As a student, how can you promote the ethical use of media and information?      With just a single click, we gain knowledge and information through media. As both a citizen and an individual, we must be aware of what is acceptable and what is not when using the media. It is a privilege that must not be taken for granted. We must be aware that any unethical use of media and information opens us to the certainty that these actions will be punished by law. Therefore, we should, at the very least, have the common decency to practice accountability at all times.

Cheers,

itsagclasstask

[danimarcelino]

I HAVE NO EXCUSE

TIME FOR A DEPRESSINGLY HILARIOUS (not really) SHORT STORY...

About a week ago, when I was finalizing my requirements for one of my subjects, the adorable little vermins I call my pets decided to start making my day the very definition of a student’s nightmare. 

Thus, I give you - 

The digitized version of my work. 

ANYWAYS

I fried my poor brain scrambling for semblance to my original work. I’m pretty sure I got most of it right though. And this is where I start crossing fingers, shedding tears and anxiously biting my nails

Square represents stability and security. As a finance corporation, this is important in building the foundation of the relationship between my company and my clients. 

Serif fonts are often used to mean tradition and age. Most old universities and establishments make use of this font. I expect my company to last for...more than a century *cue the condescending smirk*.

Gold and Silver are colors that symbolizes wealth and money.

Minimalist design is used for the reason that my company would make use of the policy to keep things simple, and do/require only what is necessary.

Dani - well, shouldn’t it be obvious yet? Who the heck does not want their own company named after them?

Cheers, 

itsagclasstask

[danimarcelino]

[danimarcelino]

Post #2

HELLO TUMBLR!

…And I am back with another situation for you;

Ben is a 17 year old student with a research paper deadline looming over his head. He has locked himself up in his room for the whole week, desperate to complete his paper on time.

There is, however, one frustrating little predicament he did not expect to find himself in.

The scope of the research he decided to do does not have enough review of related studies.

As Ben tries to scratch his head off in frustration, a tiny light bulb flared at the back of his mind.

'Should I do it?', he ponders on the question as the ticking of the clock grew louder by the second in his ears.

His fingers furiously typed away at the keyboard until he found himself leaning back with a satisfied smile on his face.

A few weeks later, Ben saw himself tearing up at the ugly red F on his card, his paper returned to him with barely decipherable comments on his poorly-done plagiarism.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

Well if isn't obvious enough, let me spell it out for you -

DO. NOT. DO. WHAT. BEN. DID.

Here are simple, essential advices to help you not end up like Ben:

1. Read and analyze. In this generation, sources of information is one click away. Make sure you understand and analyze the information you read.

2. Formulate your own opinion. It is easy enough to form an opinion on a matter when you are informed enough on the topic. Which is why, refer to advice #1 - Read

3. Cite. Your. Source. If the bold, and italics still does not get the message across - THIS IS IMPORTANT. The only time it is acceptable to use another's work is when you cite the source. Cite the article/book/site/whatever source you got it from and the author as well.

When has it been a good idea to plagiarise someone else's work?

You reap the consequences of your actions. Karma would always find its way back to you. Make sure it's a good one.

Cheers,

itsagclasstask

[danimarcelino]

Post #1

(This is probably as creative as I’ll get when trying to come up with catchy titles for my posts. So anyways ---)

HELLO TUMBLR!

So here's a situation: 

Bob is your normal 21st century bloke. Like every other normal 21st century blokes wandering around, Bob is the proud owner of a phone. And through this phone, he can access the biggest treasure trove of information - The Internet. Scrolling through Facebook one day, Bob sees an article shared by one of his friends. His favourite British celebrity, Benadryl Crumplesnitch, has died last week. Bob shares this article, and his fellow Cookiesnatch fans kickstarts one of media's biggest and possibly the most distraught mourning ever. 

 A week later, Bumblebee Custardbath tweets out: "What's this about me being dead? Last time I checked, all my limbs are still in one piece??" 

 Bob, afterwards, is sufficiently embarassed. 

 What just happened? Aside from Mr. Bumbleshack Crackerjack's ever-changing name, what did happen in that strange order of events? 

We could say that our good friend Bob has obviously been the victim of what we call "fake news". Quickly believing the articles detailing the death of Bandicoot Chesterfield, Bob has failed to be literate in both media and information. 

"But Ms. Itsagclasstask, what does that even mean?!" you ask me aggressively. 

Well, young grasshopper, literacy in media and information simply means being able to effectively gather accurate information through the use of media or any other sources of varying trustworthiness. 

 "Oh my god," you exclaim, "How can I become exactly that?" 

DON'T BE LIKE BOB. 

As I'm feeling generous today, here are five ways I swear by to prevent yourself from becoming another one of the Bobs of this world : 

Fact check - I cannot stress enough how important this is. One of the things that led to Bob's eventual downfall is that He. Did. Not. Fact check. He simply believed the words handed to him on a silver platter, without consulting other sources about the validity of the information. And speaking of sources..

Make sure you're getting information from a trustworthy source - Bob failed to do such a thing. He failed to consult news websites like CNN, BBC News, etc. Surely, if someone as great and acclaimed as Bandersnatch Cul-de-sac was to meet his doom, the bigger news broadcasting organisations would mourn for weeks! However, Bob's article probably came from some no-name, unknown website. Tsk, tsk. 

Ask yourself, "Am I on the right platform"? - The Internet, I've observed, tends to take the form of extremes. Either it's extremely helpful, or extremely UN-helpful. Say that Bob didn't find the article on Facebook, but somewhere with a reputation of not taking things seriously. Somewhere like 9Gag, for example. Would you believe it? Bob certainly would. 

Read a lot. Learn a lot. Expand your knowledge. - Alright, stick with me on this one. Wise men say "only fools rush in", thus the best solution to every problem is prevention. If only poor Bob was aware of the existence of fake news and how to spot such things, perhaps he wouldn't have easily believed that one article. Alas, Bob disregarded the sayings of wisemen and rushed in foolishly. 

If all else fails, ask the person concerned directly. - If you've gone through all and every solution you could think of, there's one last thing left to do. Go straight to the dudes involved. In Bob's case, he read an article detailing the doubtlessly gruesome death of Beetlejuice Curdlesnoot. 

Faced with the same situation, head over to his social medias. Tweet at him. Send him PMs. Pester him. Send him letters. Send his manager letters. And y'know what, send Martin Freeman letters. 

Confirm that Bonapart Chucklecheese is well and truly dead before beginning your mourning. 

Wishing you all the best, 

itsaglasstask