Warning: Shameless plug ahead!

My interview with GMA 7 at the UP CMC ended a few minutes ago. In case you’re wondering if I said anything incriminating, please watch the segment on blogging on Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (GMA 7) this Saturday (April 26) at around 9 p.m.

Even if I won’t have access to television this Saturday (more on that in a future post, or perhaps a column article for Pinoy Weekly), I’m sure that there will be some UP CMC students who are looking forward to watching it. There might be footage of them consulting with me…under the tree! Yes, the producer decided to be creative by interviewing me at our college’s parking lot.

Hope this encourages you to watch the show this Saturday. Thank you for reading and sorry for this shameless plug.

Thanks to my mother whose idea of parenting includes requiring her children to take summer courses, I learned how to type when I was still in Grade 5, or the summer of 1981 to be exact. (Yes, I am that old, and what we used then were not computers but typewriters, both manual and electric.)

My mother took me to a vocational school in Caloocan City where we used to live, and the teacher then wondered why I was enrolled in a class full of college students and professionals.

I was not taken seriously by my “summer classmates” at that time and I consequently felt like a “sit-in.” One of them would even tease me whenever my mother arrives after our class to take me home.

It was not until I topped (ahem!) an examination (I think it had to do with the parts of a typewriter) that they began to treat me like a classmate, asking me questions if they did not understand the lessons and advising me where to buy cheap coupon bonds, stencil papers, correction fluid and other supplies.

I finished the typing course in 1981 with the highest grade but I did not have the highest words-per-minute (WPM) during our final practical exam. From what I recall, the honor went to a female secretary who was more than 20 years my senior. I remember that my WPM then ranged from 100 to 120 WPM using an electric typewriter.

So what is my WPM at present? I took an online speed typing test and, much as I hate to admit it, I have slowed down a lot.

83 words

The website also states that I got “358 points” and that my rank is “6,242 (out) of 157,201 on the ranking list.” The test results also show the following:

You type 444 characters per minute
You have 83 correct words and
you have 0 wrong words

My current rank puts me in the upper 4% of those who took the test.

How about you? If you’re curious about your own WPM, it wouldn’t hurt to take this test which only takes 60 seconds to complete. Thank you for reading!

If you watch 24 Oras or Saksi on GMA 7 tonight (April 16), you might see me explain my views on the wage hike debate.

I was just interviewed a few minutes ago by a GMA 7 reporter who, in the course of her research on the topic, came across an article I wrote in January 2007.

The article is titled “The Logic Behind a Legislated Wage Hike” published in Bulatlat Online Magazine. The reporter asked questions regarding the points I raised in this article.

I also provided updates on my computations with regard to how a wage increase could affect cost of production, at least in the manufacturing sector. If you would read my article, you would notice that I only used 2006 data, hence the need for updates. True enough, the effect on the overall cost of production is lower now than my estimates two years ago.

Just out of curiosity, I searched “legislated wage hike” in Google and, to my surprise, my January 2007 article currently ranks fifth.

I don’t think that this is a reflection of lack of more current research on a very important issue. Then again, I consider this a wake-up call to write once more about wages, especially in the wake of the current rice crisis.

Update (April 17, 1:25 pm): That’s me being interviewed by 24 Oras (GMA 7) last night (April 16, around 6:40 pm). I don’t know if I deserve to be called “political analyst,” but I agreed to it when it was suggested by the reporter. If you want to view the entire news cast, kindly click the image above. Thank you for reading.

ABC News had an interesting report about a “human spell checker” who is touring the United States. This reminds me of my funny signs project where I take pictures of mostly ungrammatical, often hilarious signs around the Philippines.

Incidentally, I will be posting some funny signs from recent out-of-town trips tomorrow. For now, please enjoy this video courtesy of Yahoo!

Before anything else, allow me to make a couple of announcements:

1. My Journalism (J) 117 (Online Journalism) students may now get their class cards from the department.
2. For the 1st Semester of Academic Year 2008-2008, I will be teaching the following courses (aside from the usual thesis advising at the baccalaureate and master’s levels):
   • J 122 (Publication Design and Layout) TUV
     Tuesdays, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, BNR
   • Media 230 (Media Ethics) TZZ
     Tuesdays, 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, M 211
   • J 122 WUV
     Wednesdays, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, BNR
   • J 202 (Advanced Reporting) WZZ
     Wednesdays, 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, M 211

And now for the visceral: I am very happy that, just like before, most of my students in J 117 and J 122 have produced websites that I can be proud of.

Below is the list of the websites submitted in partial fulfillment for the two courses. Hope you’ll visit my students’ websites if you have time.

J 117 (Online Journalism):

• Bautista, Roehl Niño - Virtual ink and viewfinders
• Castillo, Hannah Joy - No loose ends
• Crisostomo, Danielle Alessandra - Media graffiti
• Dormido, Hannah Faith - Kontradiksyon
• Eligio, Absolom Jerome - The communique
• Lopez, Katherine Mae - The explorer
• Macatangay, Sheryl Mae - Jot it down online
• Matsuzawa, Mikas Aleya - Liyab diwata
• Nachura, Celia Grace - The rabbit hole
• Paglinawan, Adriel - Adrielink
• Paner, Marione Paul - Kalinaw
• Peñamante, Laurice Claire - Inkwell
• Sabillo, Kristine Angeli - Talimhaga
• Wong, Ma. Monica - News in perspective

J 122 (Publication Design and Layout):

• Aguilar, Charles Tito - Animation, comic & movie enthusiast
• Avila, Tatiana - The rule of thirds
• Decierdo, Rogelio - Flamerounin’s lair
• Duran, Roanne - Living in oblivion
• Espejo, April Joy - Beyond wonderland
• Liban, Stephanie Lauren - Art around UP
• Prado, Kharl - Shutter
• Pua, Micah Jeremy - Micah’s closet
• Reyes, Marco Darrel Ruben - The travel plate
• Sabillo, Kristine Angeli - Canto IX in limbo
• Sarmiento, Patricia Aireen - Stream of consciousness
• Soriano, Paolo Martin - El Pippo’s paradise
• Sulit, Micah Vanessa - Morsels of Micah
• Tuazon, John Mark - In:Focus
• Valencia, Mary Grace - Snug in your corner
• Valenzuela, Abegail Rose - Food trip

My blog entry on the new, unofficial version of UP Naming Mahal (UP Beloved) was mentioned in an article by Dr. Elmer Ordoñez of the Manila Times titled “Anthem for the dedicated youth (The Other View, April 5).” It’s one of those rare times that the mainstream media cited Rising Sun blog entries.

PinoyPress also used my emailed reply to CC Hidalgo in the article titled “Why the Philippine Press Is Too Careful in Handling Brian Gorrell Case (April 7).” If you want to know my views on the Brian Gorrell case (particularly how journalists should handle the story), kindly read the PinoyPress article now.

Thank you for reading!

To all students of Journalism (J) 109 FWX (Writing for Popular Audiences), J 122 HWX (Publication Design and Layout) and J 200-1 (Thesis):

That I am making this announcement on April Fool’s Day is just a coincidence. Anyway, you may now get your class cards and papers from the department.

If you got an INC (incomplete), kindly contact me as soon as possible if you want to submit the necessary requirements during summer as I have a very hectic schedule.

For those who are graduating this month, congratulations and I wish you all the best. Keep the flames of press freedom burning!

Thank you for your attention.

I was having my car washed at around 10 a.m. today (March 28) when I got this text message from Engr. Mon Ramirez, webmaster of Arkibong Bayan:

Wow! Frnt page pala sa inqr times gmanews tv. N 2 thnk na ala pang 20 katao.

My very loose translation of Mon’s text message: Wow, the activity got front-page treatment in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI), Manila Times (MT) and GMANews.TV. And to think that there were less than 20 people at the picket.

I immediately looked for a copy of today’s issue of the PDI. Feel free the read the online version of the front-page article titled “Protesters hound Neri at UP meeting.”

When I arrived at UP, I looked at the front page of today’s issue of the MT and my friend Mon was right.

As regards today’s issue of the Philippine Star (PS), an article on page 5 titled “Neri jeered at UP” had an interesting source.

Yes, we thank our friends in the media for covering the event even if they were informed only at the last minute.

Of course, I should mention that Mon had been quick to upload the pictures of the activity to Arkibong Bayan. Here’s one of them.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

If you’re against corruption (and want to have fun at the same time), you should play the game called Who Wants To Be A Billionaire Presents: NBN-ZTE (Reloaded).

My wife forwarded the PPS file to me and I can’t help but share it with all of you.

While I’m sure that whoever designed it won’t mind my decision to disseminate his or her work, I hope that the person responsible for this game would contact me so that he or she will be properly credited.

While this was done in the spirit of (political) fun, this game can test your knowledge of current events in the Philippines, particularly the controversy surrounding the national broadband network (NBN) project.

Suffice it to say that I had a blast answering the questions. Modesty aside, I aced the test and I am now a “virtual billionaire.”

How did you fare? Do let me know. Thank you for reading.

N.B. - I hope that you can make it on March 27, the short notice notwithstanding. Thank you.

Expect two things from Romulo Neri on March 27 (Thursday).

First, he will make a rare appearance at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, his alma mater. Second, he will be greeted by a protest action there.

Concerned UP faculty, students and staff will hold a picket at Quezon Hall from 8:00 to 9:30 am to protest the continued stay of Neri as chair of the UP Board of Regents (BOR), the university’s highest policy-making body.

The BOR is scheduled to meet at Quezon Hall at that time. As chair of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Neri concurrently chairs the UP BOR.

Concerned individuals and UP-based organizations are expected to press anew their demand for Neri’s resignation as CHED Chair, a call that was passed in a resolution of the University Councils of UP Diliman and Manila. They will also take issue on the Supreme Court’s 9-6 decision in favor of Neri’s invocation of “executive privilege,” arguing that it is a decision against truth and accountability.

Media coverage is requested.

Update (March 27, various times): Below is a partial list of media reports on the picket at Quezon Hall during the March 27 BOR meeting.

• GMANews.TV: “UP employees stage picket, urge Neri to tell the truth“
• Inquirer.net: “Neri lauds SC decision, is met by protest in UP“
• GMANews.TV: “Neri feeling pressure from students“