Speech : Aftermath of the Storm

This is my speech project #9, which delivered at my TM club last night (10/12/06).

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Speech : Aftermath of the Storm

Do you remember this?
(Show pics …)

These pictures were taken two weeks ago when typhoon "Milenyo" (international name: “Xangsane”) hit the Philippines.

Milenyo shuts down Metro
Typhoon batters Metro Manila, Bicol
Strongest typhoon in 11 years
3 more weeks before full power

Stories, and more sad stories... :( I’m sure everyone here has heard or read of some sad stories related to the storm, but you know, the stories hit closer to home when it affects people we know.

Two friends of mine are originally from Bicol, and they still have family there. Of one friend, part of their roof covering their living room, was blown off during the height of the storm. The other friend? The only thing left of their home after the storm, was the floor! His mom, is still probably reeling, and crying her eyes out from losing their ancestral home. And understandably so.

Our laundry lady also had a sad story to tell. She tearfully related to me that her family doesn’t have a home anymore, as it was blown away by the typhoon. Right now, she and her 3 kids are living in the garage of another home, and saving up money to buy materials to build a new home.

While all this was playing out in the real world, I was in bed reading a book. My kids were downstairs playing board games, and when electricity went out, and the wind was howling so eerily and loudly, I decided to go downstairs and cuddle (take note, cuddle and NOT huddle) with my kids. It was like a vacation for us! Not having a radio, we knew little of the havoc typhoon "Milenyo" was unleashing that very moment. It was only much later, while watching the nightly news did we see the damage wrought on so many areas, that we truly realized how lucky we were...

We heard stories about people whose homes were damaged, people getting hurt, but what hurt most to hear, were how people died, or LOST their homes or loved ones…

If anything, what did this storm teach us?

First, it taught us that DISASTERS happen… Whether you live in the posh villages of Makati, or in the shanties around Metro Manila, disasters do happen, and CAN affect each one of us.

Second, it taught us that it pays to prepare. The time to fix that leaky roof was not during the storm but before the storm! You don’t go to the grocery to buy candles or flashlights during the blackout, do you?

Then lastly, it taught us that we need to move on after we are hit, no matter what the damage, because as they say, LIFE GOES ON…

And speaking of LIFE, natural disasters are not the only STORMS that we need to weather in life! Because aside from disasters wrought by nature, there are disasters wrought by emotional trials, such as illness, accident, loss.. All of which are results of living in an imperfect, broken world. Sooner or later, illness, accidents OR loss eventually touch our lives. These are the STORMS that we can NEVER really prepare for…

So what do we do when faced with emotional trials or storms? Personally, I feel that it is important to remember 3 things…

FIRST - When disaster knocks at your door, vent your grief. Man, woman, child, we all should let go of the thinking that crying is a sign of weakness. It is no secret that men compared to women, are prone to bottle feelings up and refuse to cry even when faced with the worst of situations. BUT tears wash the bitterness from within. They purge deep feelings of resentment from the walls of our hearts. So, yes, it is okay to cry.

SECOND - Refuse to be bitter. Stand up, brush the negativity off, pick up the pieces, and move on… I know that’s easier said than done. But remember the saying, whatever doesn’t kill us, will only make us stronger.

THIRD - Rely upon the Lord to be your strength. Nahum Chapter 1, Verse 7 states, “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him”. Another one of my favorite quotes is, “If GOD brings us to it, HE will bring us through it”. Truly, FAITH and prayer helps.

There's probably nothing that will prepare us for personal tragedies. But know and accept that these emotional storms caused by failures OR loss, can happen to anyone, at any time. We need to be strong enough to withstand them not just for ourselves, but for the sake of other people who care for us, and who rely on us. Knowing that should give us the necessary foundation to withstand ANY storm – whether brought on my nature, or by personal tragedy.

Remember, how we handle ourselves in the worst of situations will determine if the lives we lead is one of bitterness, or acceptance.

Good evening.

10 ways to become a better Blogger

I was checking my emails, and found this email from Sonnie Santos, whose blog "Sonnie’s Porch" featured an article on how to become a better blogger, and using blogs to your advantage. The original article is from Tech Republic (http://techrepublic.com.com/), and written by Deb Shinder. I know all bloggers can learn a lot from this article. Thanks for sharing this, Sonnie! :)

Very interesting read. Check it out:

10 WAYS TO BECOME A BETTER BLOGGER
by Deb Shinder


If nobody bothers to read your blog posts, you might as well just scribble your thoughts on a cocktail napkin. But if you truly want to share your ideas and opinions, check out these pointers for crafting an engaging blog and building a loyal following.

The Internet made it possible for anyone to publish content to a worldwide audience. The Web log, or blog format, has made it easier and more convenient. But all blogs are not created equal. Some draw an eager following and others languish in obscurity. Regardless of your reason for blogging, you can make your blog better, more readable and–if it’s what you want–more popular.

1: Define your purpose
The first step in creating a better blog is to ask yourself why you’re blogging. What’s the purpose of your blog? An important element in defining your purpose is to know your audience. That will help you determine the voice and writing style that’s appropriate for those you’re addressing.In keeping with your blog’s purpose, you should have a defined theme.

2: Create visual appeal
Content isn’t the only thing that matters. Your blog site should also be visually appealing, or at least visually neutral. You don’t want to scare away prospective readers or have them leave in frustration because the page is distracting or unreadable.

3: Use the proper tools
You can create a blog using any WYSIWYG HTML editor, such as FrontPage (soon to be replaced by Microsoft Expression Web Designer), Macromedia Dreamweaver, or the Amaya open source editor endorsed by W3C. You can even use a text editor like Notepad to compose the HTML code.However, blogging is made much easier, faster, and more convenient if you use a dedicated blogging program or the features of a blogging Web site that lets you compose posts in the Web browser or via e-mail.

4: Make it easy to navigate
If you’re designing your blog site from scratch, it’s important to make it easy for readers to get around and do what they want to do. For instance, if you’re using comments and RSS feeds, make sure it’s clear to readers how to post a comment or subscribe to the feed. You should also make it easy for readers to find past posts. Make sure archives are organized logically–not just in chronological order but in categories to make it easier to find particular posts.

5: Stay in one place
Many bloggers experiment with different blog hosting sites and/or with hosting their own sites, especially early on in their blogging experience. It may take you awhile to find the best setup, but try to do so as soon as possible and then stay in one place so your readers can find you. Moving around to different URLs too often is sure to lose you some readers. If you have an established blog and it’s necessary to move it to a different address, try to publish a last post on the old blog that points readers to the new blog and leave it up as long as possible.

6: Engage your readers
Perhaps the most important factor in attracting and keep readers is establishing a relationship with them. Even interesting content is rendered less interesting if we don’t know who’s talking (writing) to us. Tell your readers who you are and something about yourself. In some cases you may not even want to reveal your real name; give readers a pseudonym by which to identify you and tell them generalities about yourself that will lend you credibility without blowing your cover.

Engaging readers involves winning their trust and thinking of the reader first. If you make claims, back them up with cites and links. If possible, don’t link to sites that require a subscription or even free registration (or if you must, warn readers).

7: Establish a blogging schedule
Blog readers are a fickle bunch. Once you’ve drawn an audience, they expect to find new content when they visit your blog. You should establish a minimum blogging schedule and stick to it. Let readers know, preferably in a static text box at the top of your blog page, that you will update the blog daily, weekly, on Mondays and Fridays, or whatever. Do it–even if some of your posts aren’t particular profound or long. Readers will abandon your blog if they think you’ve abandoned them.
If you need to deviate from your schedule, let readers know that you won’t be posting at the regular time and give them an idea of when you’ll be back.

8: Keep it concise
Speaking of posts that aren’t particularly profound or long, don’t think you have to wait until you have something brilliant to say before you post. In truth, most readers have short attention spans and/or crowded schedules themselves and would prefer to read a short, pithy post rather than a long, complex one.

9: Proofread before publishing
It’s difficult to catch mistakes in your own writing, because you tend to fill in what you thought you typed, rather than see what’s really there. This is particularly true immediately after writing. If possible, have someone else proofread your post before you publish it. Otherwise, let it “cool off” for an hour or a day so you can approach it with a more objective proofreader’s eye.

10: Go syndicate yourself
You don’t have to wait for readers to come to your blog every day or every week. Instead, you can take your blog to them. Use RSS to feed your new blog posts to readers who sign up. This makes it easier for your readers, who don’t have to remember to visit your blog Web site to check for new posts–and whatever makes it easier for readers is good for authors. You can syndicate just your post titles, short summaries, or entire posts.

Source: TechRepublic
http://techrepublic.com.com/

to check out sonnie's blog, go to: http://tinyurl. com/gldpk
In his own words, these are the “thoughts of a young professional on corporate life and the peripherals that affect work-life balance”

Aftermath of the storm

Did you see these?







(Pictures from INQ7’s site: http://www.inq7.net/specialfeatures/milenyo/images.php#)

These pictures were taken last September 28, 2006, when typhoon "Milenyo" (international name: “Xangsane”) hit the Philippines. :(

" Billions of pesos in crops destroyed " ...
" Millions still have no power and water " ...
" 'Milenyo’ death toll nears 200 in Philippines " ...
" ‘Milenyo’ causes P300M damage to Eastern Visayas " ...

Stories, and more sad stories... :(
Two friends of mine are originally from Bicol, and they still have family there. Of one friend, part of their roof covering their sala, was blown off during the height of the storm. The other friend? The only thing left of their home after the storm, was the floor! His mom, is still probably reeling, and crying her eyes out from losing their ancestral home. And who could blame her? Our laundry lady who lives in Taytay tearfully related that she doesn’t have a house anymore. They lived near the flood way, and her small home was literally blown away. Right now, they are living in the garage of another home, and saving up money to buy materials to rebuild their home.

We heard stories about people whose homes were damaged, people getting hurt, but what hurt most to hear, were how people lost their homes, and how many others lost their family, their lives…

While all this was playing out in the real world, I was in bed reading a book. My kids were downstairs playing board games, and when electricity went out, and the wind was howling so eerily and loudly, I decided to go downstairs and cuddle (take note, cuddle and NOT huddle) with my kids. It was like a vacation for us! Not having a radio, we knew little of what havoc typhoon "Milenyo" was unleashing that very moment. It was only in that's nights news did we see the damage wrought on so many areas, that we truly realized how lucky we were...

It’s been YEARS since work in private companies were suspended. Imagine, signal #3 in Metro Manila! The whole day, we could hear the wind howling, the rain hitting the windows, the sound of wind hitting the yero of the roof, as if the roof would be blown off, then suddenly at 4pm, it stopped. That suddenly! There was no more howling wind, and in an instant, electricity was restored in our area. Little did I know then that we were part of a very small minority of Metro Manila residents with electricity. Friends who lived in Novaliches, Fairview, Pasay, Makati, San Juan, Parañaque had to suffer a few more days without electricity. In some unluckier areas, full power will be restored in 3 weeks! THREE WEEKS?!?! Tsk tsk tsk…

What did the super typhoon teach us? That we should nowhere be in the vicinity of giant billboards?! Yes, and no… It taught us that we should prepare. Prepare how? The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the US (http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/thunderstorms.shtm) suggests that we take the following protective measures BEFORE a thunderstorm:
• Develop an emergency plan.
• Collect and assemble disaster supplies kit (bottled water, first aid kit, etc.)
• Learn where to seek shelter from all types of hazards.
• Remove dead or rotting trees and branches that could fall and cause injury or damage during a severe thunderstorm.
• Remember the 30/30 lightning safety rule: Go indoors if, after seeing lightning, you cannot count to 30 before hearing thunder. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder.

Of course, other tips are more common sense:
• Stay indoors. (This is not the time to go to Megamall to shop, Grace!)
• Prepare by ensuring that our houses are safe (no loose glass/windows, etc.) that could be blown away and hurt someone
• Ensure that we have enough food (canned goods, non-perishables) to tide us until the storm is over
• Keep flashlights, emergency lights, batteries, candles and matches ready in case of a power outage. Keep a battery-operated AM radio handy to keep you updated on the thunderstorm

Hopefully, when we all take steps to prepare for such storms, then we will not be victims of Mother Nature's wrath. That, and maybe legistrators will seriously consider banning giant billboards along our highways...

Another super typhoon is coming!!! Are YOU ready?