Inspiring Pinay: Raissa Laurel

Raissa Laurel has been all over the news in the Philippines recently.  She was waiting for her sorority sisters to finish the bar exams outside of De La Salle University when an explosive was set off  in front of her.  She lost both her legs in the blast and is currently confined at the Philippine General Hospital.

Videos of her confined in her hospital room have been shown for days now by the Philippine media.  The first video I remember seeing was of a very weak girl full of bruises and scars, waving at the camera with a smile.

She never displayed any anger or bitterness.  She said that she had accepted what happened and trusts that God is answering her prayer of becoming someone for her country.  Maybe not just a great lawyer, but a great inspiration to today's youth. She is determined to continue studying to become a lawyer, she lightheartedly declared that no bomb can stop her.  She has already been visited by President Aquino (as seen in the photo) and other prominent personalities, but above all she cherishes the visit of Chief Justice Renato Corona who was impressed by her courage and strength of will - and has already offered her a position in the Supreme Court when she gets better.

What can we learn from her?  Tough times are not an excuse to give up on your dreams.  Tough times are not an excuse to be angry at the world.  Instead we must turn to God in tough times and trust that He has a plan for us. God is answering our prayers - in mysterious ways, that we may not always understand at first.  But if you clear your heart of the negatives - if you let God's love in - you will realize how He is saving you and carrying you through whatever obstacles you are facing today.

Thank you for being an inspiration to the Filipino people, Raissa.  Thank you for being a blessing to our youth by becoming an example.  If the Filipino youth learns to be more like you - our country might just rise to be great again!  We are praying for you, Raissa!

A Long-Distance Thank You

A few months ago, my boss received a link to a video of a young man in Uganda answering the question, "What would you buy if you had $50?"  My boss' friend sent it to her because the young man said he was going to buy a book written by our founding pastor at work ( -and a basketball shirt, which was his secondary purchase).  Of all the things he could have bought with $50 like shoes and toys - he said he wanted to buy a copy of the book because he is sure that it will change his life.

My boss showed it to our team and we decided to see if we can get the young man a signed copy of the book and buy him a basketball jersey.  A lot of kind-hearted people in the other departments were eager to pitch in and we were able to send the autographed book and the basketball jersey to him.  Then we went on with our daily lives...

This morning a huge package arrived for us.  It was from the organizers of the school the young man attended.  They had taken another video of him - this time expressing his gratitude and happiness for our gifts.  It was very touching to watch him - how happy he was...  We didn't give him a lot, just a book he was certain would change his life and make him a better person - and a basketball jersey that he said he would wear during the games he played in.  But it meant the world to him - you can hear it in his voice and see it in his smile even before you hear his words.  To express his gratitude, he sent us two framed sketches he made, one of our founding pastor and another of our main building.  He is very talented!

I'm glad my boss worked hard to send this young man these gifts.  I'm glad that a lot of my coworkers were so willing to give.  My heart is full from the happiness in his eyes and the heartfelt gratitude he expressed.  This is why I love giving gifts, to my loved ones and to those who are not used to receiving gifts.  You can never put a price on what my soul gets in return - just knowing that I am able to make another person happy.  I am truly blessed because I am able to give!

The Accidental Color Palette

One of the chores that never fails to annoy me is cleaning our living room window sill.  Our place had white plastic blinds and cleaning through them was very frustrating.  Sharp edges would scratch my hands and grease from all the cooking my husband did would always leave it sticky.  It required constant cleaning!

This weekend my wonderful husband helped me put up this inexpensive window treatment.  We bought the drapery hardware, the drapes and sheer curtains at Walmart.  We originally got the idea from World Market that had these gorgeous drapery panels - they actually look pretty similar to the one we have up in the photo, except that the ones in World Market were made of shiny material and cost two to three times as much.  It gives our cream-colored room an "accent" wall, a pleasant burst of color.


Now the navy stripes were not my first choice in terms of color palette.  World market had these very similar style of drapes in green, which I thought matched our huge sofa and love seat very well.  Walmart did not have the color, but they did have the stripes and they had them in the right length!  I did not want floor-length window treatments because of the desks against the window that would just cramp its style.

When my husband had put the drapes up, I began to notice colors around our living room that actually matched the palette.  As you see in the photo, I had just gotten these storage cubes and chose these predominantly blue canvas bins to go with them - and we installed these bins before we bought the window treatments, a subconscious match?  Maybe... I also have this beautiful star-shaped candle holder/glass lantern that hangs in my makeshift foyer in a similar color palette.  All of the patterns and color palettes incorporate some sort of green in it and I think it ties the room together quite well.  Can you tell I watch too much HGTV?

Another burst of color that we installed more as a protective cover at first that actually became a very colorful wall ornament are a few rows of these polka dot gift wrappers.  It is actually there so that our pet budgies do not mess up the wall where their cage bumps up against - but I think it looks pretty good - and it also had the blue and green in it!  Cool, right?  Here are a few photos of my budgies against their new polka dot wall - I think all the patterns kept them up late last night so they're not as camera ready as they usually are - a bit grumpy this morning...  Hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Fluffy: Why are you hiding back there, Vanny?

My most photogenic baby, Coolit :)

Mercurial (Hg) : Version Control for Teams

I have recently committed to a side project for a very different reason than I would normally have.  I committed to a web programming project, not for the additional income it would bring (which is important too - but not my primary concern at the moment), but to update my skills - to learn new stuff in relation to what I do for a living.

One of the tools I am using for this project is a version control system called Mercurial.  It basically lets you manage your source code by keeping track of every old version of every file and merging different versions of code so that several people can work on it independently and then merge changes together when done.

I like it because it uses command line code (working in command line for some reason makes me feel more like a hard core programmer - and a smarter one) and because it gets the work done.  I also like the fact that they use hg to start all the commands - the chemical engineer in me appreciates the fact that they used the symbol for the element mercury to represent the Mercurial application. Ok, I admit it - it's my favorite little detail!

A long time ago when I was a web developer in the Philippines, we were using the Concurrent Versions System (CVS) - the older form of Subversion, which is still a very popular version control system today.  I still see a lot of job postings where companies require candidates to know Subversion - including it in their required skills.  I'm not sure I agree that the use of Subversion is a skill though.  Back when I used a version control system at work, we check out pieces/parts of the code that we were going to work on - and while we had that part, no one else could work on it.  Once we commit our code changes (basically, releasing the code back to the central repository) that's the only time other members of the team can work on the same code.

According to my colleagues, subversion has a lot of problems especially with merging code together.  They usually end up merging code manually with this system and so we agreed to not use it for this project.  They said Subversion wasn't really designed for a team, more like for one programmer working on one project.  Mercurial lets several people work on the whole code and then merges the different changes in the code together in its central repository.

It took me a while to get used to the whole cloning, committing, adding, pushing, pulling, updating and merging process - but I got through one module using it and I'm sure I will figure it out and get used to it as I continue developing with it.  Mercurial is definitely a cool tool in my book and I'm glad that I can now add it to my list of "skills."

Never stop learning, my friends!  Never stop trying to be the best you can be.

A Prayer for All Children

My husband and I attended this Baptism Class for would-be godparents and parents whose babies are getting baptized last night at the St. Columban Church in Garden Grove.  A very friendly husband and wife team led us through understanding the sacrament, the symbolisms, what to expect during the ceremony and the prayers.

The closing prayer they chose for the class brought tears to our eyes as we read it together.  It made me want to consider adopting an unwanted child just because I believe that all children should be loved. I want to share the prayer with you today.  May it touch your heart as it did ours...




A Prayer for Responsibility for Children

We pray for children
who sneak popsicles before supper,
who erase holes in math workbook,
who can never find their shoes.

And we pray for those
who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire,
who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers,
who never "counted potatoes,"
who are born in places we wouldn't be caught dead,
who never go to the circus,
who live in an X-rated world.

We pray for children
who bring us sticky kisses and fistfulls of dandelions,
who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money.

And we pray for those
who never get dessert,
who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
who watch their parents watch them die,
who can't find any bread to steal,
who don't have rooms to clean up,
whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser,
whose monsters are real.

We pray for children
who spend their allowence before Tuesday,
who throw tantrums in the grocery stores and pick at their food,
who like ghost stories,
who shove dirty clothes under the bed, and never rinse out the tub,
who get visits from the tooth fairy,
who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool,
who squirm in church or temple and scream in the phone,
whose tears we sometimes laugh at,
and whose smiles can make us cry.

We pray for those
whose nightmares come in the daytime,
who will eat anything,
who haven't ever seen a dentist,
who aren't spoiled by anybody,
who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
who live and move, but have no being.

We pray for children who want to be carried,
and for those who must,
for those we never give up on
and for those who don't get a second chance.

For those we smother...
and for those who will grab
the hand of anybody
kind enough to offer it.

-Ina J. Hughs, Children 1990

Ebyline: Media Exchange for the News Publishing Industry

A Los Angeles based startup beat me to a great idea for a web application again - Ebyline.  The premise is simple - to create a media exchange site where freelance writers can pitch stories to news publishers around the world and new publishers can buy news stories they need but cannot afford.  

Instead of sending in-house staff to cover an expensive story - they can just tap into this pre-screened talent pool of freelance journalists willing to write the story they need.  This would mean more business for the freelance writer and less expense reports for struggling news companies.

So how is it different from the already existing paid content sites out there?  One major difference is they qualify the journalists who want to use the website.  Journalists must pass a review process and are asked to submit copies of previous work, referrals from news organizations and editors, and educational background.  It's like applying for a full-time job - except you're still going to bid on freelance projects once accepted.  And because of tax limitations - they only accept freelancers who are US Citizens at the moment.

Looking at the other service they provide for publishers - it seems like a very promising application.  They allow publishers to buy content, sell content and manage freelancers using their own administrative tools.  Editors can work directly with Ebyline to get the stories they need and give out assignments to qualified journalists.  They don't need a whole other department to manage this - they can just use the tools available on the website.  Pretty cool, right?  If you were a publishing company, would you use Ebyline?

Good luck, Ebyline!  I hope you make a positive impact on the publishing industry.

The CEO and The Politician

The CEO versus The Politician.  Who is better for California?  Let's get California working again.  Or should we "build a new California?"

I am not a political analyst.  I was not even interested in politics until about three weeks ago - when after more than five years of living in the US, filling out all the paperwork, paying the fees, passing civic exams and taking the pledge of allegiance - I vowed to participate in the democracy I worked so hard to belong to.  Plus I received my voter's registration card in the mail two weeks ago, which motivated me to think about who I am going to vote for this November.

I had seen Meg Whitman's ads on TV - and being in the computer industry myself - I was leaning towards voting for her.  But she's a Republican and I favor most of the Democrat's stand on issues.  So I decided I needed to know more about both candidates' platforms on issues that were important to me - after all I have to live in California throughout the term of whoever wins in November.  I left my bias at the door and dove into both candidates' websites.

I must admit I liked Meg Whitman's plans for a new California, but then I read Jerry Brown's stand on the issues.  It was in reading Jerry Brown's website that I saw the glaring difference - the difference in the two candidates' experiences.  Although Meg is always quick to point out that she has had a stellar corporate career in eBay and has turned the company around - I didn't see what her ads never pointed out.  Jerry Brown's career in politics was smeared by her campaign, but when I read through his website I read between the lines and saw what the man did for California.  His track record is not bad at all - his plans seem well thought out and he has a track record of enforcing/implementing plans in his career - especially in his turn around of Oakland.

It was like reading plans from two different points of view.  Meg wanted to create jobs in California by keeping small businesses happy with tax cuts and perks.  Good idea!  Jerry wanted to create jobs in California by making sure we have a happy, skilled and protected work force to run the businesses in the state.  That makes sense too!

I really recommend you read up on your candidate's stand on the issues that are important to you, it's very enlightening.  The ads on TV don't really portray the big picture and the details of their plans for the state.  It's when you read through their platforms that you begin to agree with one candidate's views more than the other.  Then you're making a more educated decision when election day comes.  My intention isn't to endorse one candidate over the other - my intention is to encourage you to educate yourself so that you can make an informed decision when you go to vote.

Participate in your democracy!  Decide to help yourself out of this economic hole by choosing the candidate that can lead us out of it.  Who is better for California - the CEO or the Politician?  Oh, and don't forget there are quite a few more positions to vote on - so though we have a month or so more to choose our candidates, now would be a good time to start reading through their platforms.

Realizations of an Oblivious Programmer

When I worked in a web development firm in the Philippines, one of the first news I hear about in the morning is the latest security threat in cyberspace - courtesy of our very diligent network administrator.  It's usually our senior developer who worries about placing protective measures in place, but I always knew what was out there.

I have no super network administrator here to greet me with the latest internet security threat every morning, but  we do have a great hosting provider that makes sure our servers are up and running 24/7.  Our point person in the company fixes issues without us having to know what the issues were and what he did.  In effect, I've been ignorant of what security threats are out there, which has probably decreased my stress level considerably - but that isn't necessarily a good thing.

In our class discussion this week, we are sharing about clickjacking - where iframes are used to trick internet users into thinking they are on a legitimate website.  An iframe is used to cover part of the website or a transparent one covers the entire site and capture data users enter while thinking they are on the legitimate website.  Websites I've developed could have been victims of clickjacking and I would not have known that they were vulnerable - I would not have known that I could place lines of code in my applications to protect my work from this kind of attack because I let our hosting provider take care of everything - and choose to remain oblivious.  Talk about stressful!

Our professor asked if we knew about other types of attacks on browsers - and of course, I didn't know any off the top of my head so I googled it.

I found this pretty cool security blog called Zero Day (which is actually a term used to describe an attack that exploits a security flaw that has never been exploited before) - and they talk about security vulnerabilities and what the new patches/updates of softwares are for.

In our first week I learned to install updates/patches when flagged to do so because they are usually there to fix a security flaw.  This week I found a blog that actually tells me what the patches are for and why it is important to install them.

I have also learned that I need to know what security threats are out there - although I am currently not a security professional - I have to be aware because I develop applications that live on the internet - applications that may be vulnerable to attacks if I am oblivious to what can harm them.  Well now I know I should get up to speed - and I will be vigilant because I am responsible for my code and it should be secure.

There is so much more I have to learn - and so little time to learn it all!

Canvas Bins of Organization

I first discovered canvas bins when I was shopping for a baby shower.  They are usually used as organizers for diapers/baby changing needs and toys, but I knew I could use them to spruce up and organize my place as well.

My husband salvaged this old three-tier shelving unit - very similar to the one on the photo except it is old and a bit distressed - to use as a shoe rack in our makeshift foyer.  It's one of the first things you see when coming into our apartment and it always looks so untidy - it makes me grimace when I come into our home.

I tried to keep my shoes organized in it, but because of how I'm running through it and just pulling out the shoes I need daily - it doesn't stay organized very long.  Plus I thought I could utilize the height of the shelving unit for more than just one row of shoes.  A plan began to develop in my head.

If I didn't have a very tight budget, I probably would have bought these polka dotted, striped, baby pink and blue canvas bins you see in the photo.  They are made of material so soft and rich - and they look so good when placed on plain (and even distressed shelving).  So I hunted for inexpensive alternatives - I found a set of 4 bins for only $10 at Big Lots and they work really well.  I organized my shoes, my bathroom vanity and towel racks using only 3 sets!  I also got a bigger canvas bin to organize my laundry paraphernalia - detergent, stain remover, softener and dryer sheets finally tucked away in their own container.  My foyer, bathroom and laundry area look so clean and organized now - I feel that my place has improved so much just from the few pieces of canvas bins I bought!

It's definitely worth the investment.  And it's cheaper than buying new storage furniture - fold it away and store it when you don't need them anymore.  Is your place looking a little chaotic lately?  Try organizing with canvas bins today!

The Error of My Ways: Computer Security

I completed my first lab project last night for my online class.  It showed me how a simple search engine like Google can be used as a hacker's tool, the process is sometimes called Google Reconnaissance.  Its advanced search features is easily exploited by anyone who can find out how to do so online - although Google has recognized this and prevents users from completing some of the known hacks like getting credit card numbers - which was part of our project to try and do.  Google gave me a very polite error message and refused to give me a result set.  It was so cool!

It also introduced me to this great tool called the Secunia Software Inspector that inspects your machine for non-secure applications.  In my first week I realized the importance of installing those updates that pop up in the lower right hand corner of my computer screen from time to time.  Yes, those same ones I completely ignored in the past.

So I took the time to install my updates in both my laptop and desktop.  I renewed my Norton subscription to protect my machine more completely and I am going to sign up for those Security feeds my text book suggested just so I know what threats are out there.  My computers are my livelihood - I use them for my side projects and I am determined to protect my investment.  So I will try to make sure that they are as protected and secure as they can be from now on.

Is your computer protected and secure?  Even if you don't use it to earn a living, a computer or laptop is an expensive purchase.  It is only logical that you get the most out of it - and you can't get more bang for your buck if you have an exploited system.  So protect and secure your investment, my friends.

I learned so many things in just one week.  I love studying!  Now I should really get back to it - so I can take that first quiz before our Sunday night deadline.

Adobe CS5: Installation and First Impressions

A very long time ago I got a great deal on an Adobe CS3 Web Premium.  I must admit I only really use Dreamweaver and Photoshop of all the products in this bundle. Although I took an Adobe Flash basic class in the Philippines, I hardly ever attempt to use it - maybe I should look into Flash classes in my community college.  When Adobe CS5 came out with all the great features in these two applications, I considered buying just the two.  But when I compared the price of how much it would cost to buy the two individual applications versus a web premium upgrade - it made more sense to just buy the upgrade - so I did.

It arrived yesterday and I installed it on my laptop right away - delaying date night with my husband to do so (yes, I have a very understanding hubby!).

It took a long time to install, but it was very easy to do so.  I even figured out how to install the fonts on both Windows XP and Windows 7 - I skipped this part in my original CS3 bundle!  I honestly thought it would uninstall CS3 and install CS5 - but apparently I am allowed to keep both installations intact. I woke up early this morning to install the upgrade on my desktop - and it took just as long or maybe a little longer (my laptop processor is faster).

I played with the new selection feature last night and it is much easier to select the photo subjects than it used to be - you just drag it across the image and it figures out what you want to select.  I looked up YouTube videos about Photoshop CS5 and absolutely loved the puppet warp.  I have a dozen or so photo projects in my head already by viewing just five of Photoshop's new features - there is something to be said about a programmer that checks out photo editing features before programming IDEs, don't you think?  What can I say, I love photos!

And now for the ultimate test - let's see if I can clean up the photo of my mother-in-law I was not able to in Adobe CS3.  Apparently Photoshop CS5's noise reduction capabilities are much improved too - yay!

I'll post the results here - wish me luck!  And don't worry, I'll get to the other applications included in the bundle too - the upgrade cost I paid will not be wasted.  I fully intend to watch Adobe TV for tutorials and I have subscribed to two Photoshop evangelists already.  More to come - check back for more articles on CS5!

Education on Demand

My fall semester started this week in a nearby community college.  This is the first time I am taking an online class - and it feels so different!  The course is on Network Security Fundamentals, which is a review for taking the CompTIA Security+ Exam.

I am reading the first chapter now - and I love the topics.  You won't believe how much statistics our textbook crams in just a few pages!  I've posted in our discussion forum, which is the class' version of actual classroom discussion.  Quiz and lab work is due at the end of the week.  And our professor has posted his contact information for questions.  It pretty much feels like education on demand!  I don't have to worry about my schedule, the course work is very flexible, which works for me - especially since I work a full time job and several side projects.

I only hope they offer more online courses - specifically in computer forensics and ethical hacking.  Both courses were originally offered on-site, but were cancelled before classes began.  Information Security is an exciting field of expertise and I am eager to learn more.  I realize now that it's not just because I watch all these FBI and CIA dramas that always have a computer professional in their teams - I think I may really have a passion for this.

Have you ever tried taking an online class?  How do you like it? Was it more convenient than regular lecture courses?  Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.