Raising a Moral Child

An interesting read on child psychology and learning.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/12/opinion/sunday/raising-a-moral-child.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

"What does it take to be a good parent? We know some of the tricks for teaching kids to become high achievers. For example, research suggests that when parents praise effort rather than ability, children develop a stronger work ethic and become more motivated..."

New Words That I Learned (or Re-learned)

There have been numerous times that I come across words that I do not know the meaning, or words which I have previously learned and forgotten. Simply going back to the dictionary and re-looking the word just doesn't stick the word in my memory, especially if such word is not used.

This experience may be akin to getting the answers to trivias or crossword puzzles, while giving a momentary feeling of learning and knowledge, after which one forgets completely the learning after a few days or hours past.

Hence, I'll try to keep a jotting of the words I learn and re-learn, in the hopes that by always reviewing them here, I'll be expanding my vocabulary to knowing the meaning, then to understanding the words, then learning how to use them properly, and then hopefully, learning to use them masterfully.

The definitions will all be sourced from http://www.merriam-webster.com/ , hence, all rights reserved to them for the definitions.

PORTMANTEAU

1:  a large suitcase

2:  a word or morpheme whose form and meaning are derived from a blending of two or more distinct forms (as smog from smoke and fog)

Joie de vivre   \ˌzhwä-də-ˈvēvrə\

(n) keen or buoyant enjoyment of life

Magic Knight RayEarth Opening Song Lyrics

Magic Knight RayEarth opening theme song. Somehow, I chanced to listen upon this during my "free" time. I could not seem to remember whether the lyrics in the Philippine showing was in Tagalog or English. In any case, I have compiled from various sources (well, two counts as various, I guess?) the different versions of the opening for the opening song for the TV Series Magic Knight RayEarth - Yuzurenai Negai or Unyielding Wish.

This is for reference purposes only, no copyright infringement intended.

Please feel free to give your corrections, and attributions will be given appropriately, just inform me.

(The following were obtained from http://animesl.wordpress.com/magic-knight-rayearth/ This refers to the local version released for the Philippine airing of the show. All rights reserved - ABS-CBN?)

Kami’y narito asahan niyong magtatanggol

Makikipaglaban…para sa kapayapaan

Ang lahat ng nilalang dito ay may karapatan

(sa magandang bukas!)

Kung merong gumugulo ay wag mag-alala

Kami ang dakilang tagapagtangol nyo,

sa lahat ng oras

Handa kaming tumulong…

Ang aming mga kapangyarihan,alay sa karapatan

Kami’y narito asahan nyong magtatanggol,

Makikipaglaban para kapayapaan at kaayusan,

Kami’y asahan nyo

Hanggang sa dulo ng mundo

(The following were obtained from http://www.angelfire.com/or2/4rm/lyrics.html)

The Unyielding Wish (Short version)

Hold on to that dream

Tomorrow knows where and when

It's true what you believe

Don't let go

The road will never end

The sunset melts into the deep blue sea

It turns a crimson shade a wonderful free fall

I just want to have the wind take me far away

I've cleared impossible hurrdles before

But I know that there's more

And I know I can make it

Who's to claim that it's not the best

That I can achieve?

Hold on to that dream

Tomorrow knows where and when

It's true what you believe

Don't let go

The road will never end

Keep trying to believe

The biggest part of you

And now you're ready to go.

The Unyielding Wish (The longer, slower version)

Hold on to that dream

Tomorrow knows where and when

It's true what you believe

Don't let go

The road will never end

The sunset melts into the deep blue sea

It turns a crimson shade a wonderful free fall

I just want to have the wind take me far away

I've cleared impossible hurrdles before

But I know that there's more

And I know I can make it

Who's to claim that it's not the best

That I can achieve?

Hold on to that dream

Tomorrow knows where and when

It's true what you believe

Don't let go

The road will never end

Keep trying to believe

The biggest part of you

And now you're ready to go.

How much longer do I have to cry before tomorrows lah

(Note: She really says something like "lah" but I can't make out the word)

A night full of sorrow

All at once I've finally found today

I've finally hit my limit.

I'm sure that when you are falling in love

It's just like blinking your eyes

Before you know it, it flies away.

I just want to learn how strong I can be

When I'm searching for love.

Hold on to that dream

Tomorrow knows where and when

My lips tightly seal

But you can still

See it in my eyes

I've traveled down that road

And found a greater love

This time I know it is real.

I've cleared impossible hurrdles before

But I know that there's more

And I know I can make it.

But when I got up to the starting line

My legs were frozen with fear.

Hold on to that dream

Tomorrow knows where and when

Reach out with both your arms

And take the heat that opens up your heart.

Hold on to that dream

Tomorrow knows where and when

It's true what you believe

Don't let go

The road will never end

Keep trying to believe

The biggest part of you

And now you're ready to go.

Embracing a Dream (Video game version)

A bold, daring dream

Built of hope,

Bound by chance.

Into daring dreams,

Go the bold,

Conquering their fear.

Free yourself

From bonds of circumstance

A new reality

It's so close

Erase the fear.

Challenge that which tries to limit

What you seek to be.

(Wanna feel free)

Crush bruising obstacles that feed your fear,

Gnawing on hopes deep within

Clouding the dreams kept safely hidden.

The solitary burden you bear,

Can also be a key.

A bold, daring dream

Built of hope,

Bound by chance.

Into daring dreams,

Go the bold,

Conquering their fear.

A shining ray of light,

As darkness all consumes,

Only the bold will break free.

Embracing Light and Darkness

I hold the light and the darkness of my heart

Trembling while I embrace the shadows moving me apart

I can't give up all the dreams that I have chased,

And my love will be there

And will come to me again with pride.

When I look to the sunset,

All the colors so beautiful

That the tears fall right down into the sea,

To the ocean of my heart.

Though the brightness of the sun has drifted far away,

Tomorrow holds the sunlight of a brand new day for me,

I hold the light and the darkness of my heart

Trembling while I embrace the shadows moving me apart

And I can't give up all the dreams that I have chased,

And my love will be there

And will come to me again,

With each rising sun

I'll find the future that is mine.

Lullaby You are like the fast wind

That sweeps across the surface of the ocean

All the dreams you have are always taken care of by infinite rays of the sun

And now as I see you

Your back is turned on me, but you are reaching

Pointing towards the future

Both your wings are broken

So why do you hide all your pain?

Softly, let me wipe away your tears-

Softly, let me hold you in my arms-

Softly, let me conquer you because I want to see you in your glory.

I'll give you, I'll give you...

If you choose to lay your head down

All the dreams that you dream will live on

I'll give you, I'll give you...

If you hold a heart that true now-

Then your love will return back to you

I give you my love- lullaby

Consumer Protection Through Increased Lending Transparency

Author: Atty. Franchette M. Acosta (On Firm Ground)

Published in: Business Mirror (08 August 2012)

Consumer Protection Through Increased Lending Transparency

To avoid a situation where a borrower is later caught by surprise with hidden fees and charges tacked on by unscrupulous lenders, the Truth in Lending Act (TLA) was passed in 1963. The TLA requires any creditor to furnish the borrower, prior to the consummation of the transaction, a clear written statement of the following: the amount to be received by the borrower; down payment; individually itemized charges; the total amount to be financed; the finance charge (the amount of interest); and the percentage that the finance charge bears to the total amount to be financed. The TLA also provides for punishment for non-compliance ranging from fines or imprisonment for not less than 6 months but not more than 1 year.

Since the enactment of the TLA, government agencies have issued regulations to enhance lending transparency.  Enhanced lending transparency encourages borrowers to compare rates, resulting in healthy competition among credit providers.  

Through Circular No. 730, series of 2011, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) updated the rules and regulations implementing the TLA.  These rules were subsequently adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission for lending and finance companies and by the Insurance Commission for insurance companies and mutual benefit associations. Among other requirements, these institutions are allowed to charge interest based only on the outstanding balance of a loan at the beginning of an interest period.  If a loan is payable in installments, interest per installment period shall be calculated based on the outstanding balance of the loan at the beginning of each installment period.

To clarify the computation of the Effective Annual Interest Rate (EIR) that may be charged by lenders, pursuant to Circular No. 730, the BSP has illustrated the computation for loans with various terms: fixed amortization, fixed principal amortization, equal amortization with grace period, periodic interest payment with balloon payment at maturity. EIR is defined as the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash flows through the life of the loan to the net amount of loan proceeds, in accordance with the Philippine Accounting Standards.  However, the EIR shall be based on the actual features of the loan. 

To further expand the scope of lending transparency regulations, the BSP issued a circular covering all entities with credit granting facilities, including but not limited to real estate dealers, property developers, car and vehicle dealers and appliance stores.  Referred to as credit granting entities (CGEs), these entities extend credit through installment or deferred payment sale in the ordinary course of their business.  The BSP allows CGEs to register their lending of financing activity for the purpose of complying with the TLA. 

Under the circular, a registered CGE must satisfy regulations on computation of interest rates, disclosure of information, loan documents and use of marketing materials. By showing its commitment to transparency and accountability, registration of the CGE will build its reputation.   A borrower can check the BSP website of registered CGEs to find out if its counterparty is registered. A registered CGE may be subject to penalty in case it violates the requirements of the circular or the TLA.

Franchette M. Acosta is a partner at Villaraza Cruz Marcelo and Angangco (www.cvclaw.com). She heads the Capital Markets, Securities Regulation and Finance Practice Area of the Firm.

Disclaimer:

This article has been prepared for informational purposes only and should not be treated as legal advice.

Sun Globe Smart Prepaid Load Expiry Expiration Validity

SUN CELLULAR LOAD VALIDITY, EXPIRY, EXPIRATION

Regular Call Cards
LOAD VALIDITY FREE TEXTS
P50.00 15 days 8
P150.00 45 days 25
P300.00 75 days 50
P500.00 120 Days 90

Regular Load
PRICE VALIDITY Free TEXTS to Sun & other networks
P 10 and below 3 days N/A
P 11-19 15 days N/A
P 20-29 15 days 2
P 30-49 15 days 4
P 50 15 days 8
P 51-74 30 days 8
P 75-99 30 days 12
P 100 30 days 16
P 101-124 45 days 16
P 125-149 45 days 20
P 150 45 days 25
P 300 75 days 50
P 500 120 days 90

Call and Text Unlimited
LOAD VALIDITY FREE LOAD
P25.00 1 day N/A
P100.00 5 days N/A
P150.00 7 days P25
P450.00 30 days P50

Text Unlimited
LOAD VALIDITY FREE CALLS (s-s)
P10 (Winnertxt) 1 day 5 minutes
P20 2 days 20 minutes
P50.00 7 days 1 hour
P150.00 30 days 4 hours

Daylite
P100.00 7 days

Call and Text Combo
P10.00 1 day 10 min (s-s), 40 texts (s-s), 10 texts (s-o)
P20.00 2 days 25 min (s-s), 80 texts (s-s), 25 texts (s-o)
P30.00 3 days 40 min (s-s), 120 texts (s-s), 40 texts (s-o)

BudgeTXT
P5.00 1 day 10 texts to other networks
P20.00 5 days 40 texts to other networks

Sulit Calls
P30.00 7 days 1 hour of Sun-to-Sun calls

*Source:
http://www.suncellular.com.ph/prepaid_ways_detail.php?id=1 (last accessed 15 May 2011)
http://www.suncellular.com.ph/prepaid_ways_detail.php?id=2 (last accessed 15 May 2011)

GLOBE LOAD VALIDITY, EXPIRY, EXPIRATION

Share-a-Load (may be used as reference/by analogy to auto-load, which I was not able to find)
Load Value Free Text New Load Validity
P 1-10 0 3 days
P 11-50 0 15 days
P 51-P100 0 30 days
P 300 35* 75 days
P 500 85* 120 days

* P300 and P500 denominations are for Globe Postpaid Share-A-Load senders only.

Call Cards
P 100 0 30 days
P 300 35 75 days
P 500 85 120 days

Source:
http://site.globe.com.ph/prepaid/loading_services/prepaid_call_and_text_cards?sid=TdInucuxpRcAACuEpMsAAABXe (last accessed 15 May 2011)
http://site.globe.com.ph/prepaid/loading_services/share-a-load?sid=TdIow8uxpRcAADc4csYAAAGQe (last accessed 15 May 2011)


SMART LOAD VALIDITY, EXPIRY, EXPIRATION

Regular E-load:
Denomination Validity
P1,000.00 120 days
P500.00 120 days
P300.00 75 days
P200.00 60 days
P115.00 45 days
P100.00 30 days
P60.00 30 days
P50.00 15 days
P30.00 15 days
P15.00 15 days
P10.00 3 days
P5.00 3 days

Call & Text Card
P500.00 120 days
P300.00 75 days
P100.00 30 days

Pasaload
P 2 3 days
P 5 3 days
P 10 3 days
P 15 15 days
P 20 15 days
P 30 15 days
P 60 30 days
P 100 30 days
P 200 45 days

Source:
http://smart.com.ph/buddy/services/Load.htm (last accessed 15 May 2011)

Hope this helps. :)