How to make a rice wine

     Rice wine is a somewhat deceptive name, since instead of using fruit, which is the usually ingredient for wines, a grain (rice) is fermented to produce the wine. Some say rice wine processes are really rice beer processes, yet the end result generally is similar in taste to wines made from grapes rather than most beers. However the taste is not really like fermented grape wine or beer, and the alcohol content, which can vary from about 18-25%, is stronger than wine produced from grapes.[1]

     According to history for kids, rice was the first grain that was farmed in China. Rice wine has been popular in China since prehistory.

     If you want to make a rice wine for your own use or thinking of making it a business, it is that easy like baking. You will only need glutinous rice, rice which has been bred to be particularly sticky and dense. It is cultivated in Thailand, Laos, and China, and it is used in the cuisine of many Asian nations[2] (e.g. Improved Malagkit Sungsong, Buenkitan or similar varieties), bubod, a concoction prepared from rice flour, ginger extract and a sprinkling of an older preparation of bubod and contains the microorganisms responsible for the conversion of starch to sugar (saccharification) and sugar to alcohol (fermentation)[3], water, and fermentation jar.

     To start making the rice wine, first thing to do is to weigh the glutinous rice and wash with water three times. Second, heat in rice cooker or saucepan until well done. Third, spread the cooked rice on a tray or similar container. Fifth, cover the tray with Manila paper and cool at room temperature for 2 days. Fourth, immunize rice with powdered bubod. Sixth, transfer the pre-fermented rice into a fermentation jar and cover with cheesecloth and allow fermenting for at least 2 weeks to convert sugar to alcohol. Next, before harvesting, place gubo inside the jar to smooth the progress of collection of wine. Eighth, collect the wine and filter through cheesecloth. Then, press out the remaining juice using cheesecloth. And afterwards, transfer the wine to a colored bottle and pasteurize. Then, allow standing for at least a month in a dark, cool place. Then afterwards, siphon the clear wine and clarify the wine with activated carbon and filter. Then lastly, bottle the wine and pasteurize (approximately 1 liter of clear wine can be produced from 1 kg glutinous rice), then let it cool.[4] And you can now package the wine.

     Robert Mondavi wrote, "Making good wine is a skill; making fine wine is an art." Successfully making rice wine will make you feel better more so when you perfect it by constant practice. Rice wines and can be served an hour or two after it is prepared. It may be taken as part of a meal, or might be served as dessert. Some cultures serve certain types heated. It is usually noted for a mild taste that may be partly sweet, though not all variants are.

[1] Ellis-Christensen, Tricia n.d., wiseGEEK, What is rice wine?, 2^nd edn., O. Wallace, viewed 10 March 2011, <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-rice-wine.htm>

[2] Smith, SE 2010, wiseGEEK, What is glutinous rice?, 2^nd edn, Bronwyn Harris, viewed 10 March 2011, <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-glutinous-rice.htm>

[3] Roque, Anselmo 2007, Inquirer Money/Top Stories: PhilRice perfects ‘tapuy’; red rice wine to be offered soon, viewed 10 March 2011, <http://services.inquirer.net/print/print.php?article_id=20070610-70519>

[4] Rice Chemistry and Food Science Division 2007, How to make rice wine, viewed 11 March 2011, < http://www.openacademy.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=877&Itemid=463>

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Photo from Google.

Sneaker-princess fashionistas



     Jean Paul Gaultier[1] said, “It is always the badly dressed people who are the most interesting”.

     Nowadays, girls are more into fashion that makes them more lady like and sexy chic. They wear pretty little dresses, mini-skirts and high-heeled shoes. You can see girls that wear their high-heeled shoes roughly everyday; when office girls go to work and students to school. When  girls were asked why they wear  high-heeled shoes, they would say that they wear it to make them look taller, to make their legs look longer because flat shoes makes legs stubby, high-heels looks pretty on any dresses and add more sophisticated look on it and moreover, wearing high-heels make them feel bold, confident and strong. Some say that they wear it because they just want to and some to attract men although they struggle very much and cannot walk properly upon wearing them. They are also into dresses, mini-skirts and short shorts. The shorter it is, the more they like to wear it, and of course high-heels are always the right shoe that looks prettier with it. Even when it is painful especially climbing up and down the stairs.

     Women wear short dresses and high-heels because men say that it is feminine. So women who do not wear short dresses and high-heels do not look feminine? How about those who wear sneakers? Those who do not like wearing high-heeled shoes but do wear dresses?

     I can say there are hardly as many women who wear sneakers up until now. Mainly because the idea of sneakers is for men only are still there. And when girls wear sneakers, they would match it up with jeans and baby tees. It sure is a little awkward to wear a dress and sneakers at the same, isn’t it? But guess what? There are indeed girls who have that kind of style. I call them sneaker-princess girls.

     They are the ones who wear dress but wear sneakers at the same time. Yes, sneakers. Not high-heels, flats nor doll shoes. “Kikay” girls would regard them as badly dressed and not in style but they could only care less. They wear what is comfortable to them and are a sexy chic at the same time. You may say that they have gone out of their mind because dresses are not matched up with sneakers because it is sort of sporty and dresses are kind of formal. I call them sneaker-princess because they wear dress that like real ladies like princesses do but wear sneakers like men or sporty women do. They wear that kind of clothing anytime and everywhere. They do not care if they look pretty or people would tell them that they look weird and out of style, they do not care, because they do not want to attract any attention to anyone but what is comfortable that matters to them. They even wear long dresses and of course sneakers to sum up their fashion style.

     People would always regard those whose fashion styles do not conform to the fashion trend nowadays as badly dressed and out of style. Indeed, Jean Paul Gaultier was right those who are badly dressed are the ones who are most interesting. Sneakers are not only for men and high-heels are not always a women thing. Those girls who always follow the trend even if they are not comfortable with it are fake people. They really do not have their own fashion style or identity but only mimic those of others and their fashion icons.

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[1] French fashion designer and grand couturier born on April 24, 1952 in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne, France.

What is corruption?



     “Our earth is degenerate in these latter days; bribery and corruption are common; children no longer obey their parents; and the end of the world is evidently approaching.”[1]

     The word corruption has only been attached to politics. Corruption for us is only about the money that politicians get from the government revenue. We have always believed that when a person wants to be a politician or is a politician, that person is a corrupt one. But there are many classifications and forms of corruption that we might not know, that not only revolves about money, about politicians and in the government.

     According to lawyers, there are some broad classifications of corruption. Among these is petty corruption that is practiced only on a smaller scale. It is the use of public office for private benefit in the course of delivering a public service. It usually involves relatively small amounts of money. Another one is grand corruption which is the most dangerous and underground type of corruption. An instance is policy making where its proposal and implementation are compromised by corrupt practices. It is usually practiced by public officers in high positions such as councilors where they get kickbacks for ensuring contracts that are granted to specific contractors. It usually occurs at financial, political and administrative centers of authority.

     A political corruption is usually associated with electoral procedure which includes voting irregularities; nepotism and cronyism, the former means appointing friends to positions of authority regardless of their qualifications, and the latter on the other hand means favoritism granted to relatives or friends regardless of merit. Another form of corruption is on business. It is often not regarded as a crime, rather as a means to accelerate business progression but still, it is regarded as corruption.

    Under these classifications and forms of corruptions are bribery, inside trading, money laundering, embezzlement which is the act of dishonestly taking or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted, tax evasion and accounting irregularities.

    Corruption is also being practiced by everyone roughly everyday. When somebody offers you a woman and you do the work because of that offer, you are indulging in corruption. When you are just delaying the matter and are not doing the work as per norms prescribed, the man is suffering, though you did not take money, yet it is one item of corruption. When the people connected with you entertains you, though you are not receiving any money from them, but they are spending money on the occasion, that is regarded as a corruption. If you are not doing any work and are receiving monthly pay without any break, this amount to corruption because your pay and wages are coming out of the public revenues or out of the balances of your employer, you are indulging in corruption. When you are not taking care of your children and spending that amount on other ladies who have got no connection with the family, such expenses are regarded as corruption. When you work like a call girl, dancing girls and a prostitute and are selling your body to others against money, you are violating the norms of the society and all these items come within the scope of corruption. When you are deceiving the people and pretending that you are a godly man and collecting money from them by misleading them, you are indulging in corruption. All those who are living on charity, those who are not earning their own livelihood and are dependant upon others without any cause and all those who are showing wrongly that they are poor people and are taking something on concession rates from the state or from some social welfare organizations are corrupt people. All those who are bringing children on this earth but are not bringing them up properly and not giving them proper education, all those who are crossing matrimonial bonds and are having extra matrimonial relations, and all those who are not taking care of their parents are corrupt people.

     Corruption in the government has always been there but the Filipinos are more stunned by the extent of corruption in the military. Corruption among these people in authority is only known when some brave hearted persons come out to speak the truth for all the people to know about their practices. People would always say that public officials who have stolen from government treasury must be punished with severely. But so much has been lost to unpunished theft. The case of Maj. Gen. Garcia is obviously a test to the Filipino people to wipe out this dirt in its society.  This is a test of the government’s determination to walk on President Aquino’s “the straight and narrow path”.

     The testimony of Heidi Mendoza, who sacrificed her job, her individual security and that of her family, has brought to light the extent of corruption committed by Maj. Gen. Garcia and the powerful generals. The nation is horrified by the extent of the greed and corruption that have been institutionalized in the Philippine military. It is sickened at the difference between the badly equipped foot soldiers who brave the war zones for the meager amount they receive for their families and the generals laze around in their mansions and enjoying multiple-millions for their families.

     On March 1, Heidi Mendoza and Retired Lt. Col. George Rabusa went to Adamson University to give a speech on their involvement on AFP corruption cases and on the forum about speaking the truth. She shared stories on how she teaches her children at least once every day by telling them what was right and wrong, what cheating truly meant, at weekends they would help their maid in the smallest ways like doing their own laundry. She said “by doing this she believes that she has at least molded her children to be a good citizen”, she then added “you are the next generation who will continue for the people and the country; I hope that you will never be the next corrupted people.”

     Heidi’s words reflected on the Adamson’s Prayer especially on the line of “Just in the face of unfair circumstances, true when the world's values contradict my own”. These lines tell about speaking the truth and being not a corrupt which is what the institution is teaching their students.

     Indeed, the world is worsening these days. Corruption does not only revolve in money, politics, business and government but also among people and how we live our lives roughly everyday. Corruption is everywhere and is now considered as a way of living not only of those who are in authority but also of the ordinary people. Corruption nowadays has been part of our daily lives.

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[1] Assyrian clay tablet 2800 B.C., http://thinkexist.com/quotation/our-earth-is-degenerate-in-these-latter-days/762218.html

The silver anniversarry of Bloodless Revolution



    

     The late and first woman President of the Philippines, Cory Aquino once said, “The entire world wondered as they witnessed... a people lift themselves from humiliation to the greatest pride.”

     A long time ago maybe, but for those who were a part of that history, the memories are vivid. The People power Revolution of 1986 is not something one forgets. It changed not only our country but also the world.

     In 1986, the Philippines was admired when the so-called bloodless revolution exploded, labeled as EDSA People Power’s Revolution. This marked a historic event that has been carved in the hearts and minds of every Filipino. This part of Philippine history has given us a strong sense of pride especially that other nations had followed what we have shown the world the true power of democracy. The true empowerment of democracy was demonstrated in EDSA by its thriving efforts to oust a tyrant without violence and bloodshed. Prayers and rosaries were the only weapons Filipinos used to recover their freedom from President Ferdinand Marcos’s iron hands.

     For us, who were not born yet at that time, we really do not know what happened during EDSA Revolution but only some random events through our Philippine History subject. We really do not appreciate its value and we really do not have this strong emotional involvement with this historical event. We only know some facts that the revolution was an effect of the exploitation of freedom and the life threatening violence executed by the Marcos’ government which is the Martial Law; that over 2,000,000 Filipino civilians as well as several political, military, and religious figures were involved during that event; and that the protests, fueled by a struggle of years of corrupt governance by Marcos, took place from February 22–25, 1986, when Marcos fled to Hawaii and had made Corazon Aquino as the lawful President of the Philippines.

     As the nation celebrates People Power every year, the stories of those four days in February 1986 has always been retold, some stories perhaps blurry, but the feeling of pride, of nationhood, of bravery even just on a small extent, of making a stand, of fighting for something that was sure would be worthy and righteous would always come flooding back.

     Imagining that historical event is indeed amazing because people went to EDSA not thinking of the consequences or the possible circumstances, because probably if they did, very few would have gone. On these four days, the pinoy sense of pakikisama was empowered. My mom said that people who were there on that historical event said that newspapers was the people’s bed for the night and the pan de sal that was offered by the vendor for free was the best breakfast they have ever had.  They also cannot but believe that it was not a purely human endeavor, that a divine hand had guided the people and planned that historical event to save the Filipinos from agony

     Some call it “Revolution with a smile” because it was an opposite from a bloodshed revolution. By day and night, for four days of twenty five years ago, the people stood on their belief, demanding change, and defending freedom. With People Power, the military and civilian who was opponent were reconciled as one people- one Filipino to fight for freedom and change.

     Through People Power, the world was amazed, surprised how it all happened. In 1986, there was no example, nothing like People Power had ever been witnessed anyplace in the world. People Power and the Filipinos became the model for other nation to oust their corrupt leaders. And now, as we celebrate the 25^th anniversary of People Power on 1986, a nation far away changed its leadership in much the same way- without violence and with people crying out for change.

     Even though we were not there twenty five years ago, and whether or not we join the annual day celebrations at EDSA and somewhere else, let us share in the joy of those days and try to envision what it means to be a Filipino, to have fought for and won our freedom and regained our dignity. People Power had not happened only because of one person but because thousands upon thousands of Filipino moved as one to show the true power of people and the real sense of democracy to fight for what they believe is just and for the equality of everyone.    

A ride with a dirty old man



     The older they get, the more men tend to practice sexual perversion.

     Four years ago, it was my first year in college and I was then taking up Bachelor of Science in Nursing. We were renting an apartment in Calatagan, Makati though we originally lived in Cavite. Being a college already, I was forced to learn to commute alone. My classes would start at eight in the morning and ends at three in the afternoon.

     One morning of August, I was the second person to ride in a jeepney along Buendia LRT while the driver was still waiting for other passengers, a bald old man seated adjacent to me. When I glanced at him, his eyes were red and he was staring at me like he wanted to eat me alive. I started to feel creepy because he did not take his eyes off me. I tried to divert my attention by reading my notes but the hardest stare to ignore was also the most confusing one. I noticed that he was holding a brown envelope and covering it to his lap.

    Just when I realized what he was doing, I started trembling and felt panic. That bald old man was jerking off on his seat while he was staring at me! That moment, I thought of hailing down the jeepney but I was afraid that he might follow me. I felt like I wanted to scream but was very afraid. When we arrived in Kalaw, I hurriedly went down from the jeepney and started crying. All through that day, I was in shocked.

    I would never ever forget such unpleasant incident and that dirty old man!

    We should be vigilant nowadays to old men because we may never know how outrageous they can be.

A very special Mom



    

     Washington Irving[1] (1783-1589) wrote that “A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts”, Washington Irving wrote.

     My mom, at the age of 45, is still a hot mama. She is outgoing, loves to go out with her friends and with us. She does not like to wear clothes that are for old ones and takes good care of her body and skin. So when you get to see her, she is just like a 28-yr-old pretty lady.

     My mom is one of those overprotective and strict moms. For twenty one years of my existence, I have never experienced sleeping over my friends’ house or traveling out of town without her as my chaperone. She chooses what I wear and when should I get a haircut. I know that is very irritating but whether we like it or not, mothers tend to be like that sometimes.

     Eventhough, I am a very lucky daughter. My mom is the sweetest and one of a kind. In fact, we were just like friends. We shop and hang out, laugh, cry, and even drink together (She allowed me to drink when I turned eighteen). And of course sometimes we fight with each other like mothers and daughters do. She worries so much when I get sick and still treats me like a baby. She is my very best friend.

     As a daughter, I have let her down many times already and she knows almost everything I have gone through. But there was a time that I have done something beyond my limit that any mother would hate her daughter for such a shame. I was so scared to tell it right to her face and did not really know what to do because I was so afraid that she would slap me or rip my neck. When I finally told her about it, she just cried so hard but never even raised her voice at me. I hugged her and said, “I am very sorry for doing that. I know you did not expect me to do such thing like that and expect a great deal from me but that was what happened and I hope you can forgive me”. She was silent for awhile and then a moment later, she said, “I am your mother. I would never leave you hanging especially in times like this. Yes, I am so hurt but my love for you cannot be measured or compared to any mistakes you have made. I understand you were blinded and have gone beyond your limit but I do not want this to happen anymore. This is a lesson for the both of us.”

     I did not expect that from her because I know what she can do when she gets mad and what I was expecting was that for the first time she would beat me off and hate me. But I was very wrong. She understood me instead and even admitted that she also has her own mistakes as a mother. We had a sincere talk and I promised not to let her down ever again.

     Now, when we look back to that time, all she would say is that, “No matter what happens, I will always be here for you. Even if your friends were gone, a mother will always be there for her children. Above anyone else, I should be the very person to understand you and to whom you can come to.” And for that, now I know she loves me more than her life and I feel the same way too. I am very blessed to have her as my mother.

     Mothers are the best friends we can always count on to. I had been a bad daughter yet she has always been very understanding and forgiving. As what Honoré de Balzac said, “The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.”

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[1]An  American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century.

Mass Communication students fail in Mathematics

     Mass communication is a field that greatly relies on statistics, and to understand statistics (i.e. public opinion polls), they say that Mathematics is undeniably needed.

     When we student, is asked what is our course and we answered, “I am taking up Mass Communication”, people in all probability would say, “So your course description does not have Mathematics?”

     I wonder where they got that idea that Mass Communication does not take up Mathematics subjects. Though, most of Mass Communication students actually hate Math subjects, we cannot escape the reality that a Mass Communication course also offers Mathematics subjects and we do not have any choice but endure it because we like this course, and this is the only field where the course description only offers three Mathematics subjects namely College Algebra, Plane Trigonometry and Elementary Statistics.

    But my Elementary Statistics professor said that the subject Statistics is different from Mathematics. She did not explain why and I did not bother to ask her as well. And having it searched on the Oxford’s Dictionary, Statistics is defined as the science of the collection, organization, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of planning of data, collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments, while mathematics is the investigation of axiomatically defined abstract structures using logic and mathematical notation. And having it analyzed, my own understanding is that, Mathematics is based on numbers and proven formulas while Statistics is based on variables, graphs, etc.

     It has been a cliché that if a person is good in writing and can articulate better in English orally and verbally, that person in all probability is slow in mathematics. So when I started college and took up Mass communication, lots of people would always say that those students taking up Mass Communication are afraid of mathematics. And according to George Herbert Mead, a sociologist, in his Symbolic Interactionism, it is the people around us that assign meaning to us and we become that kind of person because as we may not notice it, we affirm that meaning. I guess Ms. Jeanie Derillo, our chairperson, was right when she said that Mass Communication students have come to fear mathematics subjects mainly because we affirm the meaning what people attached to us  and in result to that, a number of students roughly always fail in math.

Fig. 1.1 Sophomore Mass Communication students in a block section in Plane Trigonometry.

Fig. 1.2 Sophomore Mass Communication students in a block section in Plane Trigonometry.

     As shown above, Fig. 1.1 shows that more than 80% of the students passed and among 20% failed during prelims in Plane Trigonometry. And on Fig. 1.2, it shows that among 60% passed and more than 30% failed on midterms. Having conducted a survey on second year Mass Communication students, who are in a block section, taking up the subject Plane Trigonometry, it shows that less than half of the students failed in their math subject during prelims and it increased on midterms with more than half failing the subject.

     For those students who passed on both periods, they will certainly pass on the next period and on their final grade. But how about those who failed? In a performance based grading system, it is roughly difficult to pass a subject if one fails on two consecutive periods. So are they going to become irregular students and take the same subject for the second time around?

     And talking about irregular students, I happened to have friends taking up their math subjects and they said it is harder for them to pass the said subject starting on prelim and on the following periods because they are an irregular students and the professors do not give considerations as much as they give for those in a block section. As I asked the eight of them, only three passed and five failed on both periods as visualized on Fig. 2.1.

Fig. 2.1 Irregular students who passed and failed on Mathematics during Prelim and Midterms.

     As shown on the chart above, five of eight irregular students fail on mathematics causes dismay because that was only less than of the many irregular Mass Communication students and for sure there are many of them who fails in math subjects.

     What could really be the reason why most Mass Communication students fail in math subjects? Is it because of the students who said that they are doing all their best to understand the subject in order to pass it and could only do as much or is it because of the meaning that other people assigns to us and have lived with the cliché that “a person who is good in English is slow in Mathematics”? Or is it mainly because of the professors who are not sparing us some considerations and thought that we have the intellect of their other students who are Mathematics majors? Are Algebra and Trigonometry really needed in our course? How can it be useful in line with journalism, news reporting, advertising, etc.? Do we need formulas to compose an essay or something?

    As Statistics different from math and focuses on collection, organization, and interpretation of data will be certainly useful for Mass Communication students because it is in line with our course description and this field certainly relies on statistics like public opinions polls to gather some data. Failing a minor subject like math will only add some dirt on our transcript of records when we graduate.