RED ZONE Training Group Launched

Soft Skills For A Tough World!

The RED ZONE Counter-Conflict Solutions Group is composed of specialists aiming to give the Philippine public a spectrum of learning and training programs centering on Information, Readiness and Wellness. The format of their seminars provide an alternative to corporate team-building sessions and short term courses for both institutions and corporations.    

In light of the recent tragic events in the world today, their efforts currently center on propagating their Disaster Management: Are You READY? seminar. It aims to develop the awareness and development of a  familiy-based emergency action plan for heads of families.  

For further info about their services, contact them at: redzonegroup35@yahoo.com

Radiation and Potassium Iodide Facts

So our local nuclear scientists' have finally detected some trace amounts of radiation that finally got mixed within our atmosphere from Japan. To me it was only a matter of time. I was always a skeptic about their continued reassurances that the "fallout" wouldn't reach our shores. They did downplay the radiation levels as negligible though, with no significant effect impacting our health.

We do have the factor of time and more so, distance from Japan working in our favor. The radiation levels dissipate significantly the farther one is from the radiation source, hence the lesser the dose of contamination. Let's face it too: if a fallout did happen here, (i.e. - the Bataan nuclear power plant), unless you have an underground bunker 20 feet below the ground encased by a foot of concrete and further shielded with 1 inch lead all around, not to mention having your own independent underground water source, air filtration system and fully stocked with food, water and supplies for at at least a month, there's really nothing we can do about this specific nuclear incident scenario.  

Now let's talk about potassium iodide (KI) and why it is prescribed in case of exposure to radioactive fallout. Basically, imagine the thyroid gland (located in front of our necks, below the larynx) as having a grand fancy for collecting radioactive iodine, the element that is dispersed during a nuclear reactor meltdown. The important points we ought to know in the event we are advised to take it are:

1. It is taken to “block” radioactive iodine from being amassed by the thyroid gland. 
2. It can NOT protect other organs and tissues of the body.   
3. Effective for approximately 24 hours. 
4. Works best within 3 – 4 hours of exposure. 
5. Infants, children, pregnant and nursing mothers are of the highest risk and thus need priority in its intake. 
6. There are set, specific dosages for intake and length of treatment as prescribed by authorities, so please don't self-medicate!

Black Hawk Down

 

I first watched this movie a decade ago and I distinctly remember the profound effect it had on me. 

So many fascinating elements behind it; the background behind the unrest  and conflict in Mogadishu, the  tense but moving field trauma scene where the medic was trying to save his team mate (trying to mend the femoral artery). It also highlighted the heroism of the snipers Randy Shugart and Gary Gordon and how their selfless actions were awarded by being bestowed the US Medal of Honor posthumously.  

When everything is said and done, there is only  one  reason as to why a dedicated soldier fights. I'll let "Hoot", probably the movie's most recognizable character,  tell it in the plainest way possible - 

Lastly, the glorious theme also at the end is from the old, traditional Irish folk tune called "The Minstrel Boy". The melancholy of the bagpipes is something I've always liked as well. It really is fitting to be put in this film. 

 

 

Religion: An Endangered Institution?

Just read about this study and the comparison it inevitably draws between rich and poor countries.

If you pause to consider it though, it does make sense. Reminds me of a passage in Neil Gaiman's "American Gods"  when he referred to America as a "bad place for Gods" (and if you've been hanging out and reading this humble blog of mine, you'll probably know how I can't wait for "God" to be irrelevant and unnecessary).  

Your beliefs are your own though. Just don't be a fanatic, please!  

Before "IT" Happens. . .

(UPDATED from a few days ago)

Chile, Haiti, Pakistan, New Zealand, and now Japan.

This seems to be disaster season and the "domino effect" is becoming a familiar and tragic scenario: an earthquake happens, structural damage and widespread destruction immediately follows. Those living in the coast lands have another worry---tsunami and tidal forces---causing even more destruction, disruption of services and communication, lack of basic goods and supplies. The disaster is compounded by possible trauma, injuries, hysteria and no immediate authority being in charge.

Folks, for us still "lucky" enough to not yet be affected by cataclysms like these, now is the time to remember to:

1. Review or revise our respective family emergency plans.

2. Depending on the circumstances, consider the possibility of evacuating your home/location. Know your entry and exit points and the alternative escape route/s to take when going to more secure and safer locations.   

3. Be prepared with our well-stocked emergency kits, supplies and equipment.

4. Not be solely reliant on authorities to aid us during these times but in ourselves.

5. Be ready to ride out the disaster for sometime (at the very least, 72 hours).

Let's all hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

Multi-Purpose "Stupid" Poster

Japan: Lessons On A Resilient Spirit

Japanese kanji for "resilience"

I came across this news article. It's been said that we Filipinos are resilient folks. With all the poverty, corruption and inquality, tragedies and incidences that have become so much a part of our lives, many outsiders often wonder at how we all shrug these off with a bit of laughter, a steady stride and coupled with the smallest bit of hope of "may bukas pa" (there's still tomorrow). Often though, we take this light-hearted approach far too much, to the point of indifference, levity and lack of foresight.

With this recent disaster Japan is currently experiencing, the world is seeing a different kind of resilience, a more "stoic" kind of endurance to meet all these difficulties and pick-up the pieces slowly but surely. There is no hint of anarchy, self-serving acts or riots amid the chaos. It is a resilience with a strong sense of humanity and nobility.    

If there is one thing the Japanese know what to do, it is to band together to endeavor for a far greater good. Known for their discipline and hard work, countless generations of Japanese have been brought up with the ideals of bushido ("Way of the Warrior" or the code of chivlary by its military class) which has permeated into the culture of the common man and his psyche. They learned to endure life's difficulties. We should also remember that at the end of WWII, their defeat and the atomic bombings of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki virtually wiped-out the Japanese economy and way of living. Yet, they proved their resilience again by slowly and surely rebuilding their nation into the economic powerhouse we all recognize today. To go on bravely together with unblinking eyes, one breath at a time, one step at a time.

Ang tibay natin sana katulad din nung mga Japon.