Aja Lapus

Category: Rants

  • One big slip of the tongue

    I doubted it since I first saw its advertisement. I doubted it more after I’ve seen the show. Even more doubts came during the middle of its season. Now one big slip of the tongue gave it all away.

    Many rumors already say somebody connected to the network will win. Now it makes sense to me.

    Why would anyone let the rich play the game to be rich? A magazine model and an imported commercial model? Give me a break! I really think it’s for the show’s marketing — not for the challenge of playing the game.

    Ok, I know you have an idea of what I am talking about. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I didn’t really want to post something about this. The events that popped out made me do so.

    Yes, yes. I’m talking about Pinoy Big Brother — the only show I think ABS-CBN’s been proud of recently. No wonder, it sure makes a hell lot of a money from its viewers and sponsors. Even tried to make them think their votes will count for the last minute. Oh, I most certainly doubt it — they had the evictee’s mother come home the night before the evictee was voted to be evicted! Got script? No doubt about that.

    Quick update: Look! Somebody noticed, too.

  • To lead, you must follow

    I brag a lot about my web site … not about heavy-loading images — I cannot create them; not about flashy scripts — I don’t even want to look at them; and not about colorful design — I KISS. But, I brag about my source code, more than fifty percent of which you cannot see.

    Ok now, here’s more of the bragging part: I use valid markup on all my source code — even the stylesheets. I just can’t figure out why other web designers brag it along with their flashy web sites but after you’ve clicked on their “Valid XHTML” link or button, hundreds of errors come shooting out of the validator saying, “Stop! Please stop!”

    Ok, that was a bit exaggerated. I was the one saying those. 😆

    Practice what you preach.

    I cannot blame those people using pre-made or borrowed templates for having those validation links. But for those who make their own templates full of errors, proprietary tags and tag attributes, please do not tell me or anyone that you know HTML, because you don’t.

    Hey, I’m concerned. The Web wasn’t supposed to be filled with junk as you can see almost everywhere. HTML was supposed to be clean. But, yes, it is not. Now, if you want to participate along with thousands of other web standards advocates, please don’t just tell us you’ve got valid markup, show us.

    A law has been implemented and numerous standards recommendations[1][2][3] have been made but, sadly, it seems that only a few people acknowledge them.

    Ignorance is evident almost everywhere you look or surf. Most of them are personal sites ang blog sites, but even IT or tech sites, which should be promoting these standards are not following them.

    Standards-compliant code must be the standard. It must be a trend. It must be a habit. It doesn’t mean it is good if it just look good.

    True beauty comes from the inside.

    I almost came to linking those web sites I’ve been ranting about all day long (actually, “all entry long”) but I think I’d just have to make them realize it on their own. I really wouldn’t want to hurt anybody — I just want to heal the Web. 🙂

    Please take note that I’ve been ranting about web designers with validation links on their site that is full of errors, and not people who just make web sites they don’t intend to validate.

    Footnotes:

    1. ^ [XHTML1]XHTMLâ„¢ 1.0 The Extensible HyperText Markup Language (Second Edition)
      W3C Recommendation 26 January 2000, revised 1 August 2002
    2. ^ [CSS2]Cascading Style Sheets, level 2
      W3C Recommendation 12 May 1998
    3. ^ [WAI-WCAG]Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0
      W3C Recommendation 5 May 1999

  • On Writing

    I never wanted to be gone for so long. My blog is rotting with the smell of old posts. Ehehe … I haven’t finished the whole site, either. But, final examinations is getting nearer by the minute — next week to be exact. I hope vacation would make me think more and write more. Here’s my story:

    It was earlier this day that I first met fulfillment in our Literature class. Yes — the first time in four months! We — my partner and I — have passed the Book Report on Cost Price by Kerima Polotan, which serves as our final exam in Lit 102. We were the first group to submit; the only group today to submit. I know our professor was happy — of course, we both were, too. Now, I have nothing to worry about except the other exams coming next week! 🙂

    Another fulfilling thing was when we all were asked which selection from our textbook touched us in one way or another. She made each one discuss why we chose it. I was thinking about choosing Sayonara by Edilberto Tiempo — the moral was pretty straightforward: not all enemies are bad — but the hesitation grew in me as I really haven’t swallowed the whole story. I asked my seatmate if what I was thinking was correct. But simple hesitation backfired upon me — he was called to recite first, and guess what happened next: he recited what I told him! I was shocked! Anger grew inside me, but I have to think fast. I cannot repeat what he said, it was my fault anyway for trusting him with my precious answer. So I thought carefully, and chose Family Rites by Rosario Cruz Lucero, instead.

    Reality dawned upon me that personal reflection should not only be made from the context of the story alone but also with how the story was written. Yes, I like writing — it is one reason I blog. But thoughts cannot be words unless I put more time and effort unto it. This is what I realized from Lucero’s short story. She made the story with every thought no one would be saying out loud — or even in whisper. I didn’t even realize I have thought about those things until she mentioned it. My precious answer was not so precious after all.

    Now, I just realized what I lack — the same reason I haven’t written something in almost a month. Put more time in thoughts as you translate them to words … and the world will know what you feel.

    Oh, and by the way, I’ve lip-read my teacher say, very good, after I have recited. 🙂

    Note: Try to read Family Rites by Rosario Cruz Lucero; I hope you feel the same way I do. 🙂

  • Are you one of them?

    I’ve read a front-page article about pupil illiteracy in the Philippines from the August 17 edition of The Philippine Star — a daily newspaper in nationwide circulation. The article, entitled Only 6 of 100 Grade 6 pupils ready for high school — study, showed statistics of disappointing value. But, I am not going to talk about it here.

    Only 6 of 100 Grade 6 pupils ready for high school—study I guess, you’ll say, But, why did you start with that topic? Oh, I have a reason. I think Sandy Araneta, the author of the article, is one of those “pupils” not ready for high school! She said in her first sentence, Fewer than one percent of Filipino students are high school and college material… Fewer than one percent? I thought you’ve just said 6 of 100 in the title? Six of 100 is 6%. And, all of the other numbers you mentioned inside the article referring to the Grade 6 pupils stated 0.6 percent, or only six out of every 1,000!

    Please, please, try to make it right everytime. I would also like to mention your editors though I do not know who they are. Yes, we make mistakes, but (all of) you are writing in a nationwide newspaper and your Math and proofing aren’t even correct! I think that’s one evidence to really say illiteracy is widespread in the country.

    To the writer and editors from The Philippine Star: I’m sorry for the harsh comparisons and descriptions written here. I admit I was a little bit exaggerating.

    Note: Image scanned without permission from August 17 edition of The Philippine Star.

    Note: The incident was reported by email to the webmaster of philstar.com. In response to that, the webmaster told me that the editors were informed about the error they have committed.