“Egay” and “Falcon” virtually connived to immobilize me for more than two weeks. Susceptible to upper respiratory diseases, it began with harmless sneezing, levelled up to runny nose, a slight cough, and then, the dreadful middle of the night coughing that robbed this aging body much-need sleep. I amount of the woods now, I think.
My predicament is nothing compared to the sinking of an “un-inspected,” overloaded motorized banca off Binangonan (Rizal) in Laguna de Bay. It has been reported that at least 25 lives were lost in the tragedy. Press conferences and the usual investigations have begun all the way to the Senate; experts will have their chance to be in the limelight again. The grieving families will be afforded, I hope already done, sincere consolations and assistance. But in the end, they are left to cope with their personal tragedies the best way they can.
Passengers, like online customers, will have to continually care for themselves because altruism is few and far between. The warning “Buyer Beware” should be a default attitude among us. When traveling we should personally check the weather, the road condition, and the dependability of the conveyance or vehicle. Please do not leave everything to chance or God.
Similarly, don’t readily believe online reviews to purchase things you have been influenced to buy; actually, you were one of those targeted. These days, reviews are automatically generated; the faulty grammar and syntax are giveaways. I lost some good money when I was lured to buy an electric trike for the elderly. When I went to the main post office to claim the package, what was released to me was a 5-inch die cast toy!
Due diligence is the better part of faith.
vvv
The “Queen Bee” is said to be responsible for our agriculture woes. This is damning because she has hundreds, if not thousands, of worker bees working for her in the honeycomb!
vvv
What’s the different between the coffee served by Coffee Project and Starbucks? The former is a work in progress while the latter is already a star!
vvv
Taiwan has offered visa-free entry for Philippine passport holders until July 2024. This comes at a time when there’s loose talk about China’s impending invasion of the “province.” Better go beyond reading what’s inside the fortune cookie.
vvv
My namesake and smarter version, Luis Buenaventura II, posted the use of Stack Overflow, the web developers’ solutions bin, is now decisively on the wane. “With AI-assisted programming tools basically everywhere now, there’s little need for this human-powered repository of bug fixes and workarounds.”
Favorite of companies overseas, Filipino web developers are already beginning to feel the pinch. Yuval Noah Harari (Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind, 2014) actually “saw” this coming more than 5 years ago.
Humility and creativity will enable developers to re-invent themselves and level up their competencies. The UP has already begun its faculty conferences on AI. There’s no escaping this global gamechanger, life-changer.
To paraphrase Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, it’s no longer learning what, but more of learning how.
vvv
Here’s some great news: “The Philippines maintained its position as the second largest exporter of bananas last year despite lower shipments.
Based on the latest banana market review of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the Philippines exported a total of 2.3 million metric tons (MT) last year.”
I am a lakatan man! I go bananas without it. Over-all quality is nonpareil!
vvv
A New Trick for An Old Dog: For the elderly’s drying skin, use J & J baby oil. Apply a few drops and rub on the neck, elbows, arms, and below the knees all the way to the ankles. Doing this once a day will do wonders! Don’t forget your calisthenics regimen.