preMEDitated

This is a SPOILER FILLED review. Don’t read if you are offended by spoilers like me.

I just finished Robert Jordan’s and Brandon Sanderson’s The Gathering Storm, and I have one word for it: AWESOME!
Although it can be rightly said that Bran is not RJ, he still delivered a novel fit to be numbered in the epic saga that is the Wheel of Time. RJ will always be THE author of the Wheel of Time. Bran, however, has proven that he is worthy to deliver the voice of RJ to us hopeful fans.
I loved every word of Book 12 of the Wheel of Time. It is one of the few books that have accompanied me till the first signs of sunrise. As I read the book, there were times when I had to force myself away from it knowing that a sleepless night would mean that I would have a hard time comprehending it by day. And now that I got that off my chest. It’s time for the gritty part of my review.
I found one chapter that was really off from the rest of the book. Towards the middle part of the book, Mat and company found a strange village. After following the prompting of the phantom dice in his head, they discover its secret. It turns out that the Pattern snaps in the village every sunset. All hell breaks loose as Mat and company stave off violent mobs of otherwise ordinary townspeople suddenly turned into agile zombies, or what passes off as zombies in Randland.
It was a shameless filler chapter. Other than that, I still think Mat is cool. If only he could drive sense into that bald head of that Seanchean Nine Moons: Tuon.
I was disappointed with the Semirrhage arc. After weeks of grueling her into breaking short of physical torture, Branjordan kills her off! Alright, she did have her moment of glory as she snapped the male a’dam (domination band) on Rand. Even though it was literally a gripping scene, I was left frustrated after that chapter. It’s not because Rand becomes super emo after, it’s just that I wanted to know more about her history and the workings of her mind.
Despite that shocking encounter, there was, however, one redeeming factor for me immediately after that scene. Rand kicking Cadsuane out of his entourage just got me. Don’t get me wrong. I love Cadsuane, but her utter dislike of men just galls me. She needed to learn a lesson. Fortunately, she got that from the father and son duo of Tam and Rand. Get that, old hag!
Then there’s Rand. His pseudo emo style was gnawing at me. He was acting like a teenager recently spurned by his love. He keeps saying, “I must be strong.”
“I must not feel, because I would only get hurt or hurt others if I do.”
“I must be harder than steel. I must be cuendillar.”
He even changes his voice into monotone to fit his new outlook in life. He was too full of himself and his acting that I desperately wanted to shout at him, “For the love of the Light, CUT IT OUT ALREADY!” He did that with a hearty laugh at the end of the book, but not before he breaks his vow against hurting any woman even if she may be the most violent, sadistic, and perverted Darkfriend of all. Oops, there were two women.
Yet Egwene bags the prize on this book. I must admit that I used to hate her. She was the fifth wheel of every group that she belonged to in the book. Her character used to be ordinary and plain. That all changed when she was taken in by the Aiel. I started to liker her then, but grew to love her when she was raised Amyrlin by the rebels.
Light! She was awesome. Breaking no laws but being punished nonetheless; never complaining; never surrendering; changing hearts, minds, and opinions; she was a beacon of hope in the Tower.
Then when the Seanchan raid came my emotions were so mixed that I just couldn’t understand what I was feeling. Egene was vindicated. She rallied the novices, teaching them to Link so that she could hold as much of the Power beyond her forkroot altered system could handle. Then she retrieved a sa’angreal which made her unstoppable, godlike, and impossible. Damane had their a’dams suddenly fall off. Sul’dam burned to ashes as they stood in shock. Raken and to’raken fell from the skies, and she was responsible for all of this.
It came to a point that I wanted to stop because the scenes held too much in them. I wanted to savor every moment of Egwene’s vindication. Yet I could not stop from what was unfolding before me. My emotions were so mixed that I got confused as to what I should be feeling. Should I be angry at the Seanchan, the White tower, or at Elaida? Should I be happy at the vindication of Egwene, at her
competence, or at her power? Should I feel sad about the fate of the captured channelers?
Then I noticed something strange around my eyes. I touched them. My fingers felt a sheen of moisture. Was I really crying? I suddenly laughed at the absurdity of it. I was laughing and crying and being confused all at the same time.
Now there were a lot of other scenes that have struck me in the book, but those were the scenes that I remembered the most. The Gathering Storm was worth the wait of the interim after Knife of Dreams. Though I still mourn the passing of Robert Jordan, I am, however, thankful that Brandon Sanderson has made RJ’s vision alive.
Thank you RJ for creating the world of the Wheel of Time.
Thank you Bran for letting us continue to live in it even though its creator has gone.

I just tasted the much hyped miracle berry fruit. I already knew it would turn all things sour into sweet, but my experience of altered taste sensation felt almost otherworldly.


Miracle Berry Fruit

The miracle fruit otherwise known as Synspalum dulcificum was first used by tribes in West Africa. They ate the berries before they took their meals; which consisted of yams, sorghum, among other nasty stuff. Although documented by explorers such as Chevalier des Marchais among other individuals, it was unnoticed by everyone else until the Internet spread the news*.
After having obtained a berry through some bold means**, I solemnly held the fruit as I prepared to eat it. It was small and looked like a coffee berry. Then I ate it, making sure that the pulp made contact with as much of my tongue as possible. It tasted like a thin slice of Dragon fruit, unremarkable and forgettable. I wondered if the taste was because it was naturally bland or if it was due to its supposed miracle. Yet whatever questions regarding its effects flew from my mind as I soon experienced the miracle.
Click to read more

My condolence goes to everyone whose life was touched by the life of Corazon Cojuanco Aquino.

Her life was the last and final pillar of the EDSA Revolution. Ninoy’s death was the first. Cardinal Sin’s call was the second. She was the final piece in a construct of a swarm of humanity that effectively toppled a totalitarian regime and restored democracy.
Her death placed the country at a crossroads. Only time will tell if her funeral procession marked the last rattle of democracy in the country, or if it was another first cry of life.
She was also the last great Catholic in the country. All the priests and nuns in the country could not measure to the holiness that people now ascribe to her. And because she embodied the Catholic virtues in life, many Filipinos have canonized her in their hearts and now pray in her name.
Her death also placed Filipino Roman Catholicism at a crossroads. Only time will tell if it signaled the end of ubiquitous Catholic influence, or the resurgence of a Church whose members have largely ignored her dogmas and teachings.

Cory, Mother of Democracy, has left us to ourselves. We accept the inheritance she has have left us. May we not squander her last gift as we have done with her first…

I’m back!
The facebook powers that be have acted in mercy and reinstated my account. I got my Vamp back, but I’ll be abandoning him somewhat when he reaches Level 70. He isn’t content with other vamp blood. He wants to eat my time.

By 2017, women would outnumber men in the medical field according to the BBC.
This does not come as a surprise to me considering that the current male to female ratio in my med school is about 1:3. I don’t know about the other schools in the country, but I’m guessing that we have the same figures. I have, however, heard that PGH artificially sets their ratio at 1:1.
Pretty soon women would occupy most of health care leadership. We might even have a female Health Secretary in the near future! If that means clinical duties would be led by the “gentler” sex, then I bet all medical students, interns, and residents whether male or female would breathe a collective sigh of relief.
NO MORE 24-HOUR DUTIES! YES TO HIGHER PAY!
Then the remaining male medical professionals would be such a rarity that health institutions would do everything to get a hold on them. Ahhh. It’s just the best of both worlds…

PS Not only would doctors of both sexes benefit from this, patients would also benefit from this. They would be treated with more empathy as this would soon become standard policy should females overrun the health sector…

Considering the tensions in Tehran, it is surprising to note that foreign media are unusually silent on the issue. They may report about it halfheartedly, but it seems like they are playing under the government’s strings. They seem to be downplaying the protests as minor.
Fortunately for the Iranian people, the world has Twitter. Gone are the days when people waited for media to deliver news. Now they can have it in real time. Here are some Twitter links from Iran and her supporters. Btw, the government is blocking some of these channels. Just keep updated. You’d soon get a link to another channel if you’re following.
#iran9
#iranelection
#Tehran

Here are some videos of the protests.  I must admit that they practically changed my apathetic status to one of support.  Now I know Iranians want freedom!

So I have this message for the Iranian people!

RISE UP, PERSIANS! TAKE BACK WHAT WAS STOLEN FROM YOU. RETURN FREEDOM TO YOUR LAND!

Few books can drive me to the wee hours of morning begging me to read until the last page.
The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect is one such book. I Stumbled on the electronic version of the novel last night, and finished it a few hours later. Several hours afterward, I was still turning on my bed, wide awake. Sleep would not come. My mind was too busy thinking about the novel.
The book, however, is not for everyone. Minors and people who are easily (In actuality, even those with tough stomachs might do well to avoid this.) offended should avoid it. Violence, sex, gore; and combinations thereof figure prominently in the first few chapters. Nevertheless, unlike some movies and books which claim to portray “art” by depicting such themes, this novel does not revolve on those themes. Those themes, however, support the message of the book. Censoring them would seriously weaken the message that the book wanted to portray.
SPOILERS! BEWARE!

In the race to produce a vaccine against (A) H1N1, Novartis AG has just won first place. A day after the World Health Organization (WHO)’s upgrade of the swine flu outbreak status into a pandemic, the company announced that it produced the first batch of vaccines against the virus.
Unfortunately, the vaccine would not be available for public use until about September. Clinical trials to ascertain effectiveness and side effects would have to be done before distribution to begin.
In the meantime, people are advised to follow the cliche old rule of frequent hand washing and not touching the face. They could also opt to take the ordinary flu vaccine, which btw protects against the deadlier flu viruses, otherwise known as ordinary flu.

Disclaimer: The swine flu virus as well as other “ordinary” flu viruses could still mutate to become deadlier strains. What should be noted, however, is that the swine flu is considered to be “more dangerous” despite the lower numbers of infections is that it kills otherwise normal and healthy individuals. Nevertheless, other flu viruses could also mutate to achieve this type of severity.

Sources:
1. First batch of swine flu vaccine produced
2. WHO: Full Pandemic Flu Vaccine Production To Start In 2 Weeks
3. WHO: Swine flu pandemic has begun, 1st in 41 years

June 11, 2009 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has just declared the AH1/N1 outbreak as a pandemic, meaning that the outbreak is now beyond epidemic proportions.
The AH1/N1 virus, more commonly known as swine flu is responsible for 141 deaths and 27,737 confirmed infections in 74 countries. Yet despite those figures, WHO and the Department of Health (DOH) are one in saying, “DO NOT PANIC.”
Most cases, especially all cases (77) found in the Philippines, show only mild manifestations of the disease indistinguishable from the common flu. Symptoms of the disease may include fever, cough, colds, and rarely vomiting.
Unfortunately, the hype has caused many people to panic. Drug companies and some doctors have been quick to ride on the wave of hysteria*. People have been flocking to them in droves. They believe that getting injected with the current flu vaccine would protect them from the swine flue. In effect, their panic is filling up the purses of some doctors and drug companies.
Hygienic practices such as frequent hand washing, and not touching the nose, mouth, and eyes are more effective in preventing swine flu infection than the current flu vaccine. It would take a few more months for vaccine manufacturers to produce vaccines against AH1/N1.
Btw, it would be better for Filipinos to be more cautious against more dangerous diseases such as dengue than the swine flu. In Cagayan de Oro alone, 200 dengue cases were noted with 4 deaths. Swine flu has 27,737 cases worldwide but only 141 deaths.

*A well known drug company in a mall in Cagayan de Oro proudly advertised they had flu vaccines for sale.

Sources:
1. World Health Organization
2. Higher alert sought for rise in dengue cases
3. DOH warns vs overreaction to swine flu
4. WHO: Swine flu pandemic has begun, 1st in 41 years

While still in denial mode regarding the end of the Philippine summer vacation, I opened my Textbook of Medical Physiology by Guyton & Hall.
Then it was as if the soul of Guyton* came alive through the text. I felt as if he was personally speaking to me about the human heart. The mystery endless pumping that signified life seemed to be unveiled with every minute I spent with him.
The SA node became familiar to me. The AV node almost became my friend. The Purkinje system seemed to be saying “hi”.
Then he introduced me to blood pressure control mechanisms. Baroreceptors offered their hands for shaking. Carotid sinuses gave me a peck in the cheek. I wiped the smudge quickly. I wouldn’t want the the Glossopharyngeal Nerve to get jealous.
Then it hit me. I must have been missing the book for the entire time that I didn’t open it during summer. Nevertheless, I quickly dismissed that thought. It was obvious that it was Guyton who really missed me.

*The great physiologist Guyton passed away on 2003…

PS Hall does not miss me as much..