Basic Instinct + Technology = Sex Scandals

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Wow! This could really be a warning!?@#$%^&*()

I woke up at the usual time, started to cook breakfast for the kids, opened the PC and tried to eke out a blog post about the Hayden Kho sex video scandal. It is not earth-shaking no matter how Hayden tries. But a childhood friend thinks the issue had died down. Then I suddenly noticed that quite a few readers are reading the earthquake prediction post made last month (June 24). Aha, I thought, July 18 nears. And I realized that Twitterfeed re-fed the post to Twitter and then Facebook picked up the tweet, while I was sleeping. Wow, what, why, and how! This could be something big indeed.

Barakong Obama gawks, whats next global cop?

In the G-8 summit last week, US President Barack Obama was photographed covetously ogling at the booty of a 17-year-old junior G-8 delegate. The Clintonesque stare was snapped moments before the group photo was taken.

Also shown enjoying the rear view was French President Nicolas Zarkosy who must be thinking of excuses to his MILF wife Carla Bruni about the stimulus package he saw at the conference.

But we have not seen the end of it. AbcNews reports that the gaze was really quite innocent. Barakong Obama was on a higher step and was stepping down - so he looked down to watch his footing and at the same time help a lady step down - while the girl was walking up the stairs. Butt barako Zarkosy was not cleared.

Butt wait, there's more. Barakong Barry and Zarkosy are again at it. The shy third man who is too ashamed to look is Italian President Berlusconi, himself caught in worse photo controversy. Ahh, boys will be boys!

Butt wait, there's even more. The boob tube reports that the White House has invited GMA to a one-on-one meeting. Barako's top spook, who met GMA just moments earlier before the announcement, must have confirmed to him the recent boob job. Now Barako must see for himself. Will the global cop cop a feel this time?

After that memorial, Michael can't be alive

I downloaded a 2.05gb 3hr video of that Michael Jackson memorial held at the Staples Center on Tuesday. That was really some memorial. There were wonderful eulogies from his friends and there were musical performances of mostly MJ songs by his collaborators and family. The musical numbers were not spectacular as can be usually expected from the legendary performers, clearly because they were not able to fully rehearse as the event was hastily assembled since no one suspected MJ will be gone too soon. And the performers were overcome by emotions during their numbers.

MJ's untimely death really generated renewed interest in his work. Although I'm a big believer of his talent, I'm not really a big fan like I'm a big fan of U2 and Springsteen. I'm not that all familiar with what John Mayer played and what Jennifer Hudson sang in the memoral. But instantly I felt it had a deep connection to MJ. John Mayer played 'Human Nature' and Jennifer sang the them from 'Free Willy'. The lyrics were MJ questioning his inner demons - loneliness, insecurities, self-doubt, desire to break free. I'm sure many will find special and deeper MJ interpretations/meanings also in other songs like 'In the Closet', 'Black and White', 'Privacy', etc.

The aborted comeback tour could have been great. His back-up singers, who likewise performed in the memorial, were really good. The young, female, long haired, blond, lead guitarist/vocalist will become popular, I dare say. Her name is Orianthi. The Japanese looking lead backup singer, Judith Hill, is also good. She'll have more than her 15-minutes of fame.

And just as I thought early on, many still in denial about his death will concoct stories of him being still alive. There is an (un)healthy number of such fans. After that loving, moving, fitting tribute, Michael cannot be alive. Those who mourned and were deeply moved by the memorial will kill him if he surfaces and says he faked his own death. You just don't pour out so much grief for nothing.

Inertia not initiative prevails in bureaucracy

This quotes Bob Nelson, author of the best-selling book, 1001 Ways to Take Initiative at Work, ISBN: 076111405X

[start of quote]
"Taking the initiative" can mean many things--tapping inner creativity, tackling a persistent problem, capitalizing on opportunities, or creating ways to improve customer services or current work environment. By taking initiative in any of these ways, employees can elevate their visibility in the organization and greatly enhance their chances for recognition, learning, advancement, pay raises and bonuses, as well as have a more meaningful and exciting time at work.

Here are some ways any employee can take greater initiative in his or her job, voiced in a way that you could give directly to your employees or managers. It's one thing to tell your employees to take greater initiative, but another to provide them with easy and clear ways to do it.

Ways To Take More Initiative In Your Job

Thinking Outside the Box: Innovation--thinking outside the box--is the spark that keeps organizations moving ever onward and upward. To think outside the box, look for new combinations, ask "what if" or develop "what-if" scenarios, consider approaches you've never considered before, brainstorm with others, and be a champion of new ideas.

Doing Your Homework: Preparation is often the key to success in any endeavor. You will be more successful in convincing others that what you believe is the right thing, if you are armed and ready with the facts. Taking the initiative to do your homework means doing the basic research necessary to back up your claims, such as obtaining necessary information, determining costs and benefits, making calculations, and/or gaining buy-in from others who will be affected.

Taking Action--Capitalizing on Opportunities: Taking action can often be a scary proposition. It would be much easier to wait for your boss to make the decision and take the responsibility to tell you what to do and when to do it. However, progressive companies realize that they need employees at all levels who are willing and encouraged to take chances and to make decisions--and be willing to take responsibility for their actions.

Making Improvements: One of the easiest--and most effective--ways for employees to take initiative is to be on the lookout for ways to improve the work processes, products, services, and systems that are a vital part of how the organization does its business. In fact, the closer you are to an organization's actual product, the greater the chance is that you have more daily contact with its real business--its customers, clients, products, and services--than do those who are higher up the ladder.

Perseverance and Persistence: Employees who excel at taking initiative usually must also persist in the support of the ideas and actions in which they believe. This type of initiative can, at times, include overcoming the resistance of higher-ups or of entrenched policies and systems that work to ensure the maintenance of the status quo. It often takes a certain degree of courage to take initiative in the first place. But to persist--even over the objections of your manager or others--takes even more commitment and courage.

Taking initiative can be as simple as asking "what if." So, the next time you're doing a routine task, remember that it's the person who does the job who is in the best position to know how to do the job better--whether this improvement means identifying new ways to cut costs, how to make improvements to the way products are developed in your company, how a process might be streamlined, or how to enhance the level of services your customer receives.
[end quote]

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More from the book:

"All progress is made in defiance of management." - Bob Woodward, Reporter, The Washington Post

"New ideas... are not born in a conforming environment." - Roger von Oech, President, Creative Think, Inc.

"Be Proactive, Not reactive.... Asking for forgiveness is easier than asking for permission. If you know what needs to be done, do it now and explain yourself later."

"Our people...are responsible for their own product and its quality. We expect them to act like owners." - Gordon Forward, President, Chaparral Steel

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"The four cornerstones of character on which the structure of this nation was built are: Initiative, Imagination, Individuality and Independence."  - American war hero Eddie Riclenbacker. Do we have those to rebuild this nation? Ever wondered why despite all the new idealistic graduates that enter the Philippine bureaucracy each year, the bureaucracy remains the way it is - sluggish, bloated, stagnant, so full of itself? It is because the well entrenched bureaucracy does not understand what initiative is as pointed out by Nelson. The bureaucracy is too mindful of itself defending the status quo. To them the only initiative that matters is the initiative that preserves the present order. Inertia prevails. I call it INERTIATIVE - the readiness to preserve the current comfort level.

The fresh graduates brimming with idealism are slowly gnawed up by the system. They mature into zombies themselves gobbling up succeeding idealists that come. It is a vicious spiraling cycle with no end in sight unless we start to care and be heroes.