the School,
the Youth Center.
Then my pastor invited me to cross the street and showed me something that surprised me across it.
It was a Cambodian pagoda - tent version.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Canada with a Cambodian lining
I was asked to help out at a multicultural parish which hosted multi-lingual communities of Filipinos, Polish, Spanish, Iraqi, Indian, and Lao.
On May 6, 2013, I arrived at my new assignment in Canada. As I was going around the premises of Our Lady of Good Counsel (Surrey, BC), my pastor showed me the Church,
the School,
the Youth Center.
Then my pastor invited me to cross the street and showed me something that surprised me across it.
It was a Cambodian pagoda - tent version.
Outside we met the Cambodian monk who was with another Khmer. After almost five years, I got to make some small talk (sontanea) with them in the Khmer language again. Gosh am I missing this language, its people and its land. Nik git haoy!
the School,
the Youth Center.
Then my pastor invited me to cross the street and showed me something that surprised me across it.
It was a Cambodian pagoda - tent version.
Sunday, May 05, 2013
The Laida Magtalas and Miggy Montenegro story: their Wedding Vow
Strangely May is a month of weddings here in the Philippines probably because the churches have already been booked in June or couples want to avoid the rainy season. And I've heard a lot of wedding vows before. But this one in the movie "It Takes Man and a Woman" caught my attention. It accepts what marriage is all about -a commitment that's not just wanting a happily ever after but rather choosing the reality ever after.
Here's the transcript of Laida Magtalas and Miggy Montenegro's wedding speech:
Laida: Noon, pinangarap ko lang mahalin ang isang Miggy Montenegro, ngayon nagpapasalamat ako dahil hindi na ‘ko naghintay pa ng matagal para matupad ang pangarap ko na yun. Hindi naging madali ang love story natin. Ilang beses din akong napagod at sumuko. Matagal bago ko naintindihan na walang instant happy ending and then I realized, that I failed to understand the true meaning of unconditional love – of love that I always thought I perfectly had for you.
Miggy: Five years ago, during one of the worst days of my life, when everyone was walking out of me, a girl walked in into my life; and I never thought that, that day - hindi ko alam na yun palang kaharap ko, yun na pala ang future ko.
Laida: Patawarin mo sana ako sa mga oras na sumuko ako. Ganun pala pag nagmahal ka ng totoo, kasama lahat ng maganda, ng panget, ng malungkot, ng masakit. Ngayon, kaharap mo ang isang Laida na alam na ng buong buo ang pinapasok nya. Isang Laida na hindi lang happily ever after ang gusto, kundi isang Laida na pinipili ang reality ever after with you. Mahal na mahal kita bebe ko. Mahal na mahal kita at wala na kong ibang nakikitang pang gagawin kundi mahalin ka at pagsilbihan ka buong buhay ko…
Miggy: Today I realized I won’t be making any vows in my wedding. Because this is not the day for promises. Today I stand here in front of you in complete surrender. I have no worries. I have no fear because I know, and I know because I am sure, and I am sure because I am yours. God bless our marriage. And God bless me for wanting to have kids with you.
Here's the transcript of Laida Magtalas and Miggy Montenegro's wedding speech:
Laida: Noon, pinangarap ko lang mahalin ang isang Miggy Montenegro, ngayon nagpapasalamat ako dahil hindi na ‘ko naghintay pa ng matagal para matupad ang pangarap ko na yun. Hindi naging madali ang love story natin. Ilang beses din akong napagod at sumuko. Matagal bago ko naintindihan na walang instant happy ending and then I realized, that I failed to understand the true meaning of unconditional love – of love that I always thought I perfectly had for you.
Miggy: Five years ago, during one of the worst days of my life, when everyone was walking out of me, a girl walked in into my life; and I never thought that, that day - hindi ko alam na yun palang kaharap ko, yun na pala ang future ko.
Laida: Patawarin mo sana ako sa mga oras na sumuko ako. Ganun pala pag nagmahal ka ng totoo, kasama lahat ng maganda, ng panget, ng malungkot, ng masakit. Ngayon, kaharap mo ang isang Laida na alam na ng buong buo ang pinapasok nya. Isang Laida na hindi lang happily ever after ang gusto, kundi isang Laida na pinipili ang reality ever after with you. Mahal na mahal kita bebe ko. Mahal na mahal kita at wala na kong ibang nakikitang pang gagawin kundi mahalin ka at pagsilbihan ka buong buhay ko…
Miggy: Today I realized I won’t be making any vows in my wedding. Because this is not the day for promises. Today I stand here in front of you in complete surrender. I have no worries. I have no fear because I know, and I know because I am sure, and I am sure because I am yours. God bless our marriage. And God bless me for wanting to have kids with you.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Apple vs Samsung @ Ateneo Law School
A few days ago (22 Feb- Friday), I was invited by Atty Ignacio Sapalo for his "Patent Law and Industrial Design Protection"class to give a lecture to law students on the "Apple vs Samsung Litigation" at the Ateneo Law School in Rockwell, Makati.
Before me, Atty Nep Bulilan, who is also a Mechanical Engineer talked about a case of two welding companies who had similar welding rods to demonstrate the "law of equivalents."
When it was my turn, Atty Sapalo introduced me as a priest belonging to the Salesians of Don Bosco. Naturally everyone was wondering what I was doing there. So Atty Sapalo had to add that the Apple vs Samsung technical differences was my expertise being a Microsoft Certified Systems "Engineer" and having an undergrad in Electronics. But then again the area we were discussing was "patent" and so to make them feel relaxed I had to tell them I teach Computer Ethics at UPOU Graduate School and that patents and intellectual properties were my bread and butter.
Many of them had iphones and galaxy S and as soon as they saw the slides of the presentation, they were engrossed in the subject matter especially as we discussed the novel principle of the "trade dress" (core of the legal issue). But most of all, the class was happy that I was able to present the 370 page document of the litigation in 14 slides and 45 minutes instead of assigning them the whole document to read. As to the two lawyers listening, they found new ideas for patent cases they could take up in the future. For law firms, more cases, more claims, more liabilities, more revenue.
From hindsight, I get to appreciate more my vow of poverty. I don't think I have the stomach for the "lawyer" job where I have to get the "truth" favorable to me across so that I would gain at the expense of the other side. But that is reality- it's a dog-eat-dog world out there. But thank God, there are also good and honest lawyers willing to fight for truth they believe in rather than truth favorable to their status.
Before me, Atty Nep Bulilan, who is also a Mechanical Engineer talked about a case of two welding companies who had similar welding rods to demonstrate the "law of equivalents."
When it was my turn, Atty Sapalo introduced me as a priest belonging to the Salesians of Don Bosco. Naturally everyone was wondering what I was doing there. So Atty Sapalo had to add that the Apple vs Samsung technical differences was my expertise being a Microsoft Certified Systems "Engineer" and having an undergrad in Electronics. But then again the area we were discussing was "patent" and so to make them feel relaxed I had to tell them I teach Computer Ethics at UPOU Graduate School and that patents and intellectual properties were my bread and butter.
Many of them had iphones and galaxy S and as soon as they saw the slides of the presentation, they were engrossed in the subject matter especially as we discussed the novel principle of the "trade dress" (core of the legal issue). But most of all, the class was happy that I was able to present the 370 page document of the litigation in 14 slides and 45 minutes instead of assigning them the whole document to read. As to the two lawyers listening, they found new ideas for patent cases they could take up in the future. For law firms, more cases, more claims, more liabilities, more revenue.
From hindsight, I get to appreciate more my vow of poverty. I don't think I have the stomach for the "lawyer" job where I have to get the "truth" favorable to me across so that I would gain at the expense of the other side. But that is reality- it's a dog-eat-dog world out there. But thank God, there are also good and honest lawyers willing to fight for truth they believe in rather than truth favorable to their status.
Monday, February 11, 2013
East Asian Pastoral Review, the second time around
The East Asian Pastoral Review, Volume 49 (2012), Number 4 edition contains my article on:
"Homiletics in the Light of the Seven Plus One Communication Traditions."
(If you click on the journal picture, you get to read the article)
(If you click on the journal picture, you get to read the article)
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Cybercrime and Cyberlaw
A few weeks back I got an opportunity to discuss "Cybercrime and Cyberlaw" to a group of lawyers and their MIS staff at the Sapalo Velez Bundang&Bulilan (SVBB) in Makati.
Although I've given varied seminars before, this is the first time for me to do one professionally related to my teaching of "Computer Ethics" at UPOU's graduate school. It was interesting to meet a group of lawyers whose expertise is on Intellectual Property Rights (the topic I actually treat in my class) and a group of information systems experts handling their databases and digitizing their records (the same type of database project I did for Don Bosco's thesis repository). In short, since I spoke both group's language, I felt at home talking as we started the presentation at 2pm and ended our discussions at 5pm. I gave them a detailed article comparison of the Budapest Convention of 2001 and RA-1017 after reviewing with them computer crimes.
Upon leaving the building, the lady security guard at the lobby read my ID as she gave it back to me and upon finding out my real profession asked whether I said Mass. I said "No, I gave a lecture to the lawyers on Cybercrime" and she scratched her head confused. Well I wasn't.
Although I've given varied seminars before, this is the first time for me to do one professionally related to my teaching of "Computer Ethics" at UPOU's graduate school. It was interesting to meet a group of lawyers whose expertise is on Intellectual Property Rights (the topic I actually treat in my class) and a group of information systems experts handling their databases and digitizing their records (the same type of database project I did for Don Bosco's thesis repository). In short, since I spoke both group's language, I felt at home talking as we started the presentation at 2pm and ended our discussions at 5pm. I gave them a detailed article comparison of the Budapest Convention of 2001 and RA-1017 after reviewing with them computer crimes.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Robotic Arm (gizduino)
Here's a sample of a robotic arm I assembled from parts provided by E-Gizmo.
For the microcontroller I used either the gizduino or aceduino boards that I had. And oh yes, you're going to need a servo controller too. So programming will have to be in serial.
For the arduino program code, e-Gizmo provided a sample code for the arm to pick and place an object, then an exhibition code. I merely tweaked a few lines of code to make the pick and place action fit my stand, and added subroutines to make the exhibition part look like a dance and wave act for the arm.
For the microcontroller I used either the gizduino or aceduino boards that I had. And oh yes, you're going to need a servo controller too. So programming will have to be in serial.
For the arduino program code, e-Gizmo provided a sample code for the arm to pick and place an object, then an exhibition code. I merely tweaked a few lines of code to make the pick and place action fit my stand, and added subroutines to make the exhibition part look like a dance and wave act for the arm.
Of course, afterwards I sell the whole piece to the Robotics department of Fr Demet with no profit but just to get back my petty cash so I could venture to buy new parts for a new concept... well that's religious life. A pity R&D is not that supported in schools here. Can't complain... Non dum matura est... no worry, that time will come. Just need some of us to do some prophetic roles in indirect evangelization.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
My first ground up Rover Robot
I've assembled other robots before but
normally it would be either with a kit to be assembled and I would just have to
program the arduino sketch. This one
here is what they call for us: My First! This means you build it ground up.
Cut/machine the parts, drill the holes, choose your screws, bolts, and nuts.
This rover is made with an Aceduino
board(Arduino clone) as brains, an SRF05 sonar sensor as eyes, a TowerPro
SG-5010 as neck (for panning), and 2 autonomous rotation servos for locomotion.
Monday, November 05, 2012
Asian Journal of Distance Education
After five long years of "an allergy to writing," my solitude in Guam last December finally paid off with a technical article I presented earlier this year (February) at the 1st International Conference on Open and Distance e-Learning. And now what great joy to see it published in a refereed journal such as the Asian Journal of Distance Education (2012, Vol. 10, no. 2).
It's entitled: "Technology-Aided Cheating in Open and Distance e-Learning." I was lucky to have a good group of graduate students who fed me with ideas and opinions on (lol) "how to cheat online."
Monday, October 15, 2012
Pinoy Bot (P-Bot)
I assembled and uploaded the sketch for this P-bot which Fr Demet and I bought from E-Gizmo (near DLSU). It took me a day to do this since all the parts are present... just a few soldering and a lot of uploading programs.
Friday, October 12, 2012
My baby: the Quadped or the Quadbot
The reason I call this my baby is that I built this from ground up. Experimented with various Arduino boards. Dabbled with so many sketches (programs) to fine tune and make it really work. And the hardest is to find the right power source for this baby.
It looks so simple yet so difficult. With eight servo motors to manipulate, I could not use any of my Arduino uno, mini, and duemillanove boards. I had to go for big time - the Arduino Mega 2560 (I got one at Alexan, but used the one from E-Gizmo because it was smaller). Then the programming part was very tricky and hard to find models. But that's not all. The servos are not automatic, you have to adjust them (screw and unscrew) to make them walk right. Since I did not have an Arduino shield, I had to improvise the connections of all those servos to the board.
Mr Oddbot (Russel) at Let's Make Robots can give you more information including videos.
http://letsmakerobots.com/node/25759
It looks so simple yet so difficult. With eight servo motors to manipulate, I could not use any of my Arduino uno, mini, and duemillanove boards. I had to go for big time - the Arduino Mega 2560 (I got one at Alexan, but used the one from E-Gizmo because it was smaller). Then the programming part was very tricky and hard to find models. But that's not all. The servos are not automatic, you have to adjust them (screw and unscrew) to make them walk right. Since I did not have an Arduino shield, I had to improvise the connections of all those servos to the board.
http://letsmakerobots.com/node/25759
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)