Dilemma in Writing for Online Posting

Recently, I signed up for a commercial website where they virtually hire people to write or re-write for them. Everyday, I receive email notifications about job openings that are needed to be accomplished online. Following the links given in the notification, a lot of “buyers” ask for “providers” who can write for them for online posting. I have been interested in those online jobs but my dilemma is I am a neophyte in this field and I am not sure if I could please these people to “buy” my services. Of course I already have sent my application to a number of “buyers” in the site literally copy-pasting my cover letter from one job post to another – with minor editing efforts to fit into the job requirement as posted. And it gets into my frustration that until now, I have not been hired for a simple “copy-paste” data entry job! I wonder how difficult it is to prove your worth to be the one doing those jobs for them! All I want is to start with the basic jobs online and build my reputation to the site’s clients all around the globe!

I am not sure how this sentimental draft would encourage the “buyers” but all I intend is say at this very moment how I feel about this – Dilemma in Writing for Online Posting!

ONE.. US... NOW!

It was a little hot and a little cold day. I went home from work a little early than usual. I felt some kind of emptiness. Barren. Nothing. When I got home, I was suppose to retire into bed to rest my body after a night long work in front of my office computer dealing with clients all around the globe. But, for some reason I couldn’t get to sleep. “I guess I just need to have a bottle of beer!” I told myself. And I did. I grabbed a bottle of beer to quench myself. Then, still nothing! That strange feeling that has been with me for the past days is still there.

Empty. Barren. Nothing!

Then, I saw the January 2009 edition of Reader’s Digest with Chinese and Hollywood Actor Jet Li in its cover. Striking the pages with my fingers, while having alternate lifting of my beer to sip from it, I crossed along the article featuring Jet Li being the RD’s Asian of the Year. I went through the article. Done! As if I just read an ordinary article from my regular subscription of the material. Then, I realized that the bottle is almost empty. I tossed it up for the last time and finished my beer. Then, still nothing!

I went back to bed and played a DVD movie starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. The Lake House. I know this movie has been popular to many. It is about two individuals from two different dimensions of time. One is from the past while the other is the future. Strangely, they communicate through an enchanted old mailbox standing sturdy in front of the glass Lake House. Along the story, the characters - Alex and Kate, felt that they are connected. Somehow. They realize it as a connection commonly spoken by two spirits agreeing that they are part of each other - the intimate language of LOVE. But, the time… How could two people from two different dimensions in time meet and realize the love they have for each other? Could it be possible? Fiction portrayed it possible! Just WAIT. Alex and Kate waited for the right moment! It was February 14th. Valentines Day! They finally met in a passionate, romantic and enchanted moment designed and painted by time. It was Valentines Day!

Then, still nothing!

I stared onto the ceiling. Blank. Then, my mind started to spin. The spatial place at the back of my conscious being began to be filled with ideas ever came to me. TIME. WAITING. LOVE. PEOPLE. PURPOSE.

Jet Li, as everyone knows, is in the pedestal of his career. Superstar! But, his out look in life has been changed, tremendously. He has been moved by an unforgettable ordeal when he nearly lost one of his daughter to the great tsunami on December 26, 2004. The supposed happy family vacation to Maldives turned into terror and fear when in a spin of seconds, the waters from the Indian ocean swell and swept everything in its path. Many have died, numerous were wounded and hurt. Then Jet Li realized he has to do something. WAITing is not an option! He has to do something RIGHTAWAY! But he did not know how to start. Then came the killer quake with a magnitude of 7.9 that hit Eastern Sichuan in China on May 12, 2008 that took thousands of lives, young and old alike! The PEOPLE around him taught him how. The PEOPLE for a PURPOSE. For everyONE! This is how the ONE FOUNDATION started its journey to extend life saving relief to those in need in REAL TIME - not beyond the boundaries and dimensions of time. NOW!

For the past couple of years our country, the Philippines, has been struck with a number of calamities – earthquake, super typhoon, flash floods and landslides among others that marked the headlines of local, national and international media . Many were killed while numerous were left wounded and hurt! Different Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) reached out. Somehow it has been not enough. They need help!

I admire ONE FOUNDATION for the selfish efforts and humanitarian PURPOSE of extending their help around the globe. But, we do not have to WAIT for the foundation to get us up into their list. There are many other nations needing assistance from them. China and Israel are just two of these countries. We do not have to WAIT! We have to act and take our part NOW! In REAL TIME - not beyond the boundaries and dimensions of time.

We have similar organizations in the country where we can extend our support to. Before the “1 person + 1 dollar + 1month = 1 big family” approach of ONE FOUNDATION was conceived, we already have the “piso mula sa puso” approach that has been used by many organizations in the country. These approaches are certainly the same. The only difference is that it has to take Jet Li for a stand to start and move people around the globe to extend their donations: 1 dollar + 1 person.

Let us help them! DONATE! These are among the Foundations that we can tap to extend our support: GMA Kapuso Foundation; Sagip Kapamilya – ABS - CBN Foundation, Inc. ; Philippine National Red Cross; Gawad Kalinga. Also, we can visit other Foundations (http://www.philsol.nl/page/NGO.htm) in the country and learn how can an ORDINARY Filipino like YOU do the EXTRA-ORDINARY to help those who are in need!

Perhaps if I was not feeling empty, barren and blank on that day, I wouldn’t be able to realize how much I can do!

We Filipinos need NOT have to wait for another Jet Li to stand for a cause to SAVE LIVES. We do not have to wait for a Valentines Day or another Christmas to SHARE the LOVE!

EVERY ORDINARY FILIPINO CAN DO the EXTRA-ORDINARY!

Life is NOT a Fiction mantled in different dimensions of time. We do NOT have to WAIT to act. WE, the common PEOPLE, have the PURPOSE and RESPONSIBILITY to SHARE and extend the LOVE to our fellowmen…. NOW!

Women and Children vs. Pornographic Exploitation and Scandals

Recently, the Philippine local news and entertainment industry have been flooded with articles about the scandalous sex videos of Hayden Kho, Katrina Halili and Maricar Reyes, among others. The videos were perpetuated by unknown sources who, allegedly, are using the cyberspace to extort some amount of money in exchange of putting the rest of the video collection into rest. The video footages have created a “fever” among Pinoys across all walks of life. Amidst the fever, while most of the race of Adam are enjoying the “pound for pound” sex action in those videos, we have not noticed its implications to several groups of the society who are frequently subjected to this kind of exploitation: the children and women.

Children pornography

Based on the results presented by Keepyourchildsafe.org, about 1 in every 3 girls and 1 in every 5 or 6 boys are at risk to be sexually abused in their childhood not to mention among other alarming rates related to this crime. Child pornography has become a multi-billion dollar business in which in average month, 10,000 porn site or so open for public access in the internet with more than 100,000 child porn images posted in newsgroup server hosts. Isn’t this statistics alarming? Ironically, it has been found that most of the pornographic child offenses happens at home where the suspect and perpetuator is a member of the child’s immediate family with male children being more prone to molestation than that of their female counterparts. Ask yourselves - how safe are your children within the confinement of your home, your neighbor, or your community?

Women and sexual exploitation

Like children, women are equally vulnerable to sexual exploitation. This is true across the different age groups of women. In the United States, it was reported that 6 out 10 girls age 15 and below have had involuntary sexual experiences while those whose ages are from 16 to 19 are likely to be 3.5 times forced to do sexual acts more than the general population (http://www.soundvision.com/Info/teens/stat.asp). Across South East Asia and the Pacific, there has been a huge number of women who had become victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking (http://www.catwinternational.org/factbook/Asia_Pacific.php). In the Philippines alone, it was pointed that “Entertainment” including dirt-floor beer house and karaoke bars served as main channels to not less than 300,000 women in prostitution and some 75,000 prostituted women and children to provide sexual service to men across social classes.

These are just some alarming facts and figures on children and women exploitation. Alarming as the figures may show, but has the implication of these facts really came across our minds? Have we done anything personal to help the victims we know? Have we participated in any activity that promotes awareness among our family members and community? Are your kids safe at home? Maybe not --