Wednesday, July 29, 2009

HELP: Johnel




This letter was sent to me and to Von by Johnel. That I now posted here. We have a brother in need of our help. It is up to each one of us to help as much as we can. There is an existing setup how we can help by sending funds to Johnel it is till up and running. Von still got the accounts that we have used before. Another round is needed to save our brothers life.


Dear Brods and Sis,

Update kita sa sakit ko. I was apparently improving from my LBM which is part of my graft versus host disease (GVHD). This GVHD can either be acute or chronic. Earlier my stool showed improved consistency and volume. Kaso nga lang few days before my discharge nag abdominal pains ako and my stool consistency became watery again. My attending doctors tried immunosuppressants and steroids but to no avail.

Now they are planning to give thymoglobulin. A very expensive treatment. Each vial costs 20K. I need 6 vials each dose based on my weight that is to be given for 4 doses translating to P480,000.00.

Again I am asking for help from our brothers and sister. Even just a little help para naman ma-stretch yung budget namin. Naka-confine ako for almost 7 weeks and you can imagine how much na ang nagagastos namin.

Thanks so much Johnel and Family

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

WEBSITE

Brods and Sis,

Kung naalala ninyo kaya nag karoon ng BLOG sa Blogger e dahil nawala ang www.mediciomnesduciens.com. Nag try akong bilhin from the registry yung name natin pero masyadong malaki ang asking price just for our name na we paid to be registered. Ginawa ko ang BLOG para maging portal ng lahat ng sites ng MEDICUS na nasa web. Kung mababasa ninyo ang nasa side bar instructions ng BLOG. Iyon ang portal sa lahat ng sites para nga hindi malito and memebrs at magtanong kung ano ang main. Para lang siyang site na nag oopen sa ibat ibang pages (you can just go to the BLOG and then go the site that you want). Likewise para mailagay din ang mga history at kung anu ano pa na tungkol sa MEDICUS.

For the last 2 yrs I was asking for input pero halos wala akong natangap, mabibilang mo sa daliri ang nag respond. Yung lang update nang birthdays sa roster, it took us 2 yrs and still hindi pa rin sumagot ang iba(were are still missing 4 members; ace lino coloma, johana bayucan, rainiel genelsea, and lito jay macaraig) and that was just asking for the birthdays, address, telephone. Hindi biro ang mag collate ng data dahil para makuha lang ang iba send ka sa email, send ka sa friendster, send ka sa facebook at kung anu-ano pa. If babalik tayo sa site na babayaran natin. Hindi lang isa ang bayad noon, mag babayad ka sa registry ng domain, babayad ka sa website design, at mag babayd ka sa mag ho-host ng site. Kung magbabayad ka ng mura hindi rin tayo ma tutuwa sa resulta.

Yung BLOG natin sa blogger, nandoon lahat ng kailangan natin. It was made at that time as a temporary site dahil nga in a few weeks mawawala na ang mediciomnesduciens.com sa web. Naka attach doon ang album natin sa FLICKR, which I am paying for the group every year para maka ulpoad tayo ng lahat ng pictures natin. Yet, since it was made 2 yrs ago, only a few members loaded pictures on it.

Yung mga existing sites ng MEDICUS, was made separately by different members from different batches on different years. Pinag sama-sama ko ito sa BLOG. I think kaya dumai ito dahil sa "lack of communication between members" hindi ma-dessiminate sa members kung ano na ang nagawa. Sa palagay ko sa bawat batch nandoon yung feeling na parang kulang may nakikita silang need na hindi na sa-satisfy. Walang paraaan para makita ang iba dahil hindi nga nasabi na meron tayong ganito. Ito nga ang nag prompt sa akin to make the BLOG, para pagsama-samahin ang different sites into one page. Dahil nga sa yahoogroup pa lang we have 3 groups na MEDICUS, sa friendster 2, sa hotmail 1, sa MSN 1, bukod pa sa geocities.
I did the 1st sa yahoogroup noong 2000 hoping na makita ito ng mga brods and sis at magkaroon ulit ng communication kung mag hahanap sila sa internet. Ginawa ko yung 1st, dahil noong dumating ako dito sa America alam kong maraming brods and sis dito pero di ko alam kung saan hahanapin. Walang way to communicate sa mga brods at sis na nasa ibat ibang lugar. This was followed by geocities that I tried to build pero di ko nagawang ma up. Then si Robin na mas may alam sa geocities ang gumawa noon, noong students pa sila. (Geocities will now disappear this coming October, as yahoo will shut geocities forever).

Sa ngayon we are not paying for anything. Kung may kulang sa BLOG para gawing portal then say so and if possible gagawin at idadagdag. Limitado lang ang pwedeng gawin sa BLOG. We are limited to the allowed templates, we cannnot re-design the templates. So far incorporated sa blog ang chat box sa bottom part ng page, links of all the sites sa side bar, flickr for the depository ng pictures (unlimited), slide for the guest book, photobucket for the slide presentation and uploadable post, videos from youtube, message box and shout box on the side and other RSS links that we have interest on. Meron din doon na address na I tried to make as current as possible. Ito ay naka incorporate sa Gmail ng group (kailangan ng password at sign in name to see). Forumer was added per request kay Gerald. Dahil we may have discussions na ayaw nating makita ng iba. Sa ngayon I am trying to incorporate sites ng mga brods and sis (like their personal blogs or business at clinics sites) para nga maging isang one stop shop for MEDICUS members. So far nandoon ang link sa personal BLOG ni Mila, Christine at yung sa add ng clinic ni Archie (para sa mga .... walang buhok).

As for security ng site, noong unang ginawa ang yahoogroup open siya sa public at anyone can become a member. Robin changed that and made it moderated para nga hindi mapasok ng iba (kasi nga may nag aalok na ng aircon sa atin doon at one time, ngayon nag request na naman na pumasok at mag aalok ulit yata ng aircon pero na block na ng moderator). Ngayon each application ay kailangan ang approval from the moderator this is after asking their name, batch, at proof na brod or sis natin sila.

If we are going to design our site with our name and inputs, who is going to maintain it or update it? Do you think we can incorporate all of these sa possibleng website na yun?. Kung makikita ninyo ang ibang sites na magaganda, ito ay dahil may specific IT tech na nag me-maintain noon. Noong ginawa ni Robin yung geocities site natin nagka problema kung sino ang mag tutuloy after Robin left. At nag mag graduate na nga si Robin wala nang sumunod, wala nang nag update. Nung ginawa naman ang www.mediciomnesduciens.com through Jeff para lang siyang naging message board masyadong static at hindi naging adoptable (everytime na may request for any change kailangan na makausap ang designer for the change at madalas hindi rin mapalabas ang gusto natin due to a very limited space). Dahil sa maliit ang alloted space yung mga picture na naunang na upload, nabura lahat at hindi na na retrieve. After a year nawala na sa internet yung site, dahil na rin sa walang budget. Kung mag ba-bayad tayo ulit ng site, can we maintain paying for it? Dahil ang style diyan, mababa sa 1st year (as low as 5$ sa GOdaddy.com) then going higher every year. Meron namang nag aabang kung mag e-expire na ang registry at kukunin nila (snipping) at kailangan mong bilhin afterwards sa kanila at a much higher price (usually bidding).

It will be good using our own name, and having our own site and maintaing our site the way we wanted it to be. I dream of that one day, and I have a lot of ideas for the site, but can we sustain it? Remember it will cost us a lot of money every year adding to our budget needs.

agp

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Brothers in Chicago




It is difficult to start a new life in a country that you never grew up with. You have your ideals of a better life to be, but starting a new life in a foreign country is not easy. Epecially if you have your family back to where you came from. You always feel that you where alone. It is not easy if you are by yourself braving the snow that you've only seen in your freezer before. Shoveling ice that freezes your bone just to get to work.


When I came in the US I knew that I have some of my brods and sis living here in the US. At that time there is no way of knowing where they where. No MEDICUS BLOG, No yahoogroup, no way of telling where they where. This was year 2000, but luck would have it that in one of my mall visits I saw a familiar face sitting right in front of me. It is Sam Sales, a brod, from then on I was connected to my family.


We have 2 brods that came in the US and ended up in Illinois. One is Gilbert that I have no inkling was planning to go to the US and Laverne that for want of giving a better life to his children decided to come and brave the cold and freezing place.


I did not know then, that I was a friendster buddy of Gilbert's son. His son told me that they where in Illinois, not knowing that we have brods there in the same batch (Vincula Concordia). Laverne passby Los Angeles on his way to Chicago and was informed that Manny lives in Chicago and a contact number was given. It turns out to be a small world as Laverne's friends was also a friend of Manny's wife. Then I told Laverne that Gilbert was also in Illinois and another contact number was sent.


Here are the pictures taken when the 3 Viculits met in Chicago. With your brods you'll never feel alone.


Brothers in Arms

Saturday, July 4, 2009

4th of July


In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Congress approved the wording of the Declaration on July 4 and then sent it to the printer. Whether John Hancock, as the elected President of the Second Continental Congress, or anyone else signed the document that day is unknown, because that document has been lost — presumably destroyed in the printing process. Hancock's name and that of a witness do appear on the typeset broadside that was published within a few days. On August 2 in the following month, an engrossed document in script form was signed by Hancock and other delegates.

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, picnics, baseball games, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States, but is often also viewed as simply a summer festival, apart from its patriotic overtones.

In the Philippines the 4th of July is celebrated as the Filipino-American Friendship Day. It was designated by President Diosdado Macapagal to commemorate the liberation of the country by joint Filipino and American forces from the Japanese occupation at the end of World War II.
The Philippines was a U.S. territory from 1898 to 1942, when it was occupied by Japanese forces, and again for a brief period after the war. The country gained complete independence on July 4, 1946.

Initially, the nation's Independence Day holiday (Araw ng Kalayaan) was held on July 4. Former President Diosdado Macapagal moved it to June 12, the date on which the Philippines declared independence from Spain in 1898. Filipino-American Friendship Day was created in its place, and coincides with the United States' July 4 Independence Day.

Another reading: The Independence Day That Wasn't.

HAPPY EATING TO EVERYONE WHO WILL CELEBRATE THIS JULY 4th