Philippines: Does Employment have a Gender?

In 2013, there has been an employment gap of 28.2% between male and female workforce with males being employed by said margin more than the females. Around 25,000 of employed individuals are males while only 16,000 are females. Does this signal that employment in the Philippines is more sexist than we thought?

Nope. Not the least. If you’re in a top women school and said statistic is getting you down, don’t let it. Turns out, there’s more to the numbers than just the gap.

A recent survey by Index Mundi estimates that the Philippines have a higher male population in between the ages of 15-54. That’s an almost 2% gap and that does not yet include the rate the fact that the average mean age of pregnancy in the country is around 25-29 years old. Also, females also only outnumber males around the ages of 55 and beyond since females, biologically, have longer life expectancy than males.

Given that the most preferred age range of employment is around 25-34 years old across all regions (Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics; BLES), and not counting the number of females who stay at home to care for children, that’s a pretty good employment statistic when it comes to gender.

Actually, the statistic of employment ratio for men and women is 92.7% and 93.2% employment rate respectively.

 So, no, employment does not have a gender in the country and that’s good news for kababayans everywhere.

A Gay Gene has been found: What Now?

I studied in an all-boys school and, from observation, I can say that we had a lot of gay schoolmates. I’ve made a lot of friends from a top women school and they can say the same about their classmates. This could point to the environment being a factor in sexual orientation, but science says that sexuality is determined by genetics.

The study had a sample of 409 pairs of gay brothers, some of them twins. In the sample, a common marker was found of their genes, all after leaving out all other hereditary traits. This could signal that the sample of 818 people had a common characteristic in their gene that might point to what could possibly be a “gay gene.” Alan Sanders of the NorthShors Research Institute in Evanston, Illinois says that this could mean that sexual orientation is not a choice but a trait acquired at birth, theoretically.

But he also stresses that this isn’t all encompassing. Other factors have to be considered for the development of a trait as complex as sexuality.

And we’d have to agree: this study is still inconclusive of sexuality as being a mandate from birth and parents. Yes, there is a common gene, but and no, it does not necessarily mean that individuals do not have a say in it. Science, itself, claims that sexual preference may change over time.

A study in Southern Connecticut State University examined the 33 women who, after turning thirty, experienced attraction to their fellow women in spite of being married and have not having been attracted to the same sex until that point.

Apart from the study, there is the exclusion of cases like straight people who have engaged in homosexual activity or the mention of the lack of the gene characteristic in people who are considered straight.

The study may be helpful. However, sexuality and preference are still determined by what makes us happy. IQ, albeit not determined by genetics alone, is affected by factors like ability to focus and hormonal responses that are products of genetics but still, having low IQ parents does not necessitate that a child will be like so. Same with body types—being ectomorph, endomorph, and mesomorph—where a “fat gene” is found, the choice is still on the individual if he wants abs or not.

 In the end, we still choose what makes us happy and that, I think, is the right “preference.”

Women and Men; who’s Better behind the Wheel?

A couple of years ago, the bus industry in the Philippines became the butt of pointing fingers when it came to the increasing number of road accidents. To counter this, one suggestion was to prefer, if not totally replace, all male bus drivers with females because it has been found that female bus drivers are less likely to get into accident than their counterparts.

Does driving really have a sexual preference? And if so, who’s the better among the genders? The answers could mean new industries like top women school for driving but let’s step on the brakes on the idea for a while and see what science has to say.

Men are better Navigators

Image source: www.untvweb.com

And science says it’s true. Either on foot or on motor vehicles, men can more easily find their way than most women and this, according to science, might be because of ancestry—men have better 3D spacial perception and retention than women.

This, in theory, could be the product of the ancestral method of surviving as men, back in the days, were tasked with hunting for food and hunting means having to go out and follow prey for hours on end and make it back home. Back then, there were no malls or other establishments to point man back to home so they relied on the motion of the sun and their perception of north and south. This could mean that, today, the ability is passed on through testosterone.

Women are better at Details

Image source: www.myvirtualabode.com

And that’s probably because of the same hunter-gatherer ancestral heredity that we received—men are more adept at scrutinizing the environment in its vastness while women are more akin to looking at details probably, back then, for determining fruits and berries.

 For driving, this means that no one is the better driving. Statistically, women drive more safely than men but are spatially challenged while men can navigate roads better but see small details less like a jagged piece of rock on the road.

How to buy Clash of Clans’ Gem using your Globe load

Chief! Tired of waiting for your builder to finish working on an upgrade? Waiting for your collectors and mines to produce juice and gold? Personally, I think it takes too long to wait for gem box to pop up! Relate? Here’s the good news, Chief! You can now buy gems, and even elixir and gold using your Globe load!

As promised in my previous article, Buy Clash of Clans Gems without Credit Card, here’s how you can buy Gem using your Globe load. Just follow these easy steps:

If you are Globe prepaid subscriber, of course you need regular load balance to purchase. If you are Globe postpaid subscriber, purchased cost will be added to your next bill.

Step 1: Open the Clash of Clans application on your smartphone.

Step 2: On the village screen, tap the Clash of Clans’ store icon or just select the (+) sign on the gem bar.

Step 3: Choose how many gem you wish to buy.

Step 4: Accept the app permission.

Step 5: On the payment method menu, select “Enable Globe Telecom Billing” as your payment method.

Step 6: You need to agree to the Terms of Services before you can continue.

Step 7: Register your phone number, name and address by filling-up the form then the payment will be successfully processed.

You will receive an email notification in your registered email from Google after having successfully purchased gems.

And that’s it, you can now buy your next Builder’s Hut or boost your collectors or barracks!

By the way, registration process (step 5 to 7) is for first time users only. It means that you don’t have to register again for your next purchase; all you have to do is enter your Google ID and password.

Purchases made via Globe prepaid load or postpaid bills are charged in Philippine peso and are subjected to 12% additional VAT over and above the display price in the COC store.

However, if you’re using another device such as tablet, iPod/iPad, and PC/Laptop, you can use GCashAmex instead. Click here to learn how.

Emoticons: The Way of Text Life

 In the world of text messaging, a free Globe load and the alphanumeric characters aren’t the ones that matters. What is a text message without cute and expressive emoticons? It will be dull, lifeless and plain. However, you must not go overboard by typing horde of emoticons in your messages. Especially, if you are sending an excuse to your supervisor that you will unable to report for work. Is it proper to include a winking face ;-) at the end of the text? It will be safer if you limit the usage of emoticons to friends, relatives, or close acquaintances only.

Where did this graphical art originate? Believe it or not, it started with a formal proposal on the online bulletin board (bboard) of Carnegie Mellon University. On September 19, 1982, in the Computer Science department of the said university, a group of professors was discussing mundane things such as “…how the birds will sound after they have inhaled the Helium.” Okay, maybe that was not so mundane and – normal. As I was saying, someone opened a topic on, how could they distinguish if a post is a joke or not. In a bboard full of university professors, expect everyone to act as professional and formal as possible, that even an attempt to pull off a joke is taken seriously.

Until computer scientist Scott Fahlman butt in with this post:

That earned him, the “father of the smiley.” Surprisingly, a scientist invented the emoticon and it was not from the 1862 speech of the late president of the United States Abraham Lincoln as perceived by others. They just noticed that the winking smiley ;) was after the word “laughter” and presumed it was an “emoticon”. Yet some say it was just a typographical error. See it for yourself:

While the yellow smiley face was another matter and timeframe. It was a design for a button by a freelance artist named Harvey Ball to boost the employees’ morale at a recently merged insurance company. He created it on 1963 but only in the late 1970s the yellow smiley button became a craze.

The emoticon travelled a long crazy journey from a formal proposal to a thousand of variations we could choose from at any online social media sites and messenger apps. It also adapts based on the country’s culture and an example of this is the emoticon or “kaomoji” of Japan:

 

Western-Emoticon	Eastern-Kaomoji	Meaning
:-) :) :> =]	(^O^) (^o^) (^○^)（＾ｖ＾）	happy
:-( :( :< :-[	(T_T)  (Ｔ▽Ｔ)  T.T  Q_Q	sad

Compared to their Western counterpart (see above figure, left column), the eyes are more prominent because the desire of some Japanese to have larger eyes (middle column).

Out of our fellow Japanese inventiveness, they never settled using kaomojis. They created “emoji” which means “picture word”.  The examples we could cite are from WeChat, SnapChat and LINE messenger apps. They are more colorful and lively to look at compared to the plain alphanumeric characters.

What is the latest in our beloved emoticons? Matt Gray and Tom Scott are currently developing an emoji-only social network that will be soon available on iOS-supported devices – for now. It is not even released yet, but based on a Forbes report; Emojli has now 10,000 future users. You may register here if you are fond of icon-speak. This only shows that emoticons, kaomojis, and emojis have a great impact in the way we are communicating to one another. Words are not enough; it should have a kawaii factor.

How to buy Clash of Clans Gems using GCashAmEx

Wanna buy Clash of Clans Gems but you don’t have credit card? Worry no more, Chief! You can now buy Gems using your GCashAmEx! GCash American Express or GCashAmEx is a virtual prepaid card which you can use to make online purchases. GCashAmEx is connected to your GCash mobile wallet. It’s like a credit card, but without an actual card. I find this safer rather than having a credit card that you can lose. No GCashAmEx and/or GCash mobile wallet yet? Click this link to learn how to register online.

If you have GCashAmEx already, you can now proceed on buying Clash of Clans Gems by following these steps:

Step 1: Dial *143# then press 8 as GCash and then look for the GCashAmEx Virtual Pay section.

Step 2: Sign Up and follow the remaining prompts. You should have a GCashAmEx virtual card now and a free subscription to my-shoppingbox.com

Step 3: Go to your inbox and check the my-shoppingbox.com email. There’re credentials there that you’re going to use to Log-in to my-shoppingbox.com.

Note: When you create a GCashAmEx account, you are automatically enrolled in that service.

Step 4: Go to your dashboard and fill in all necessary details. Fetch your US address and telephone number. You’re going to use that later when you sign up for Google Wallet.

Note: Every user with GCashAmExhas their own unique US address so don’t worry.

Step 5: Go to www.google.com/wallet

Step 6: Click the “Payment Method” and then "Add a debit/credit card".

Step 7: Fill in all necessary details including the US address and telephone number; use the details given by my-shoppingbox.com.

Step 8: There’s Php46.00 or $1 verification charge that will be deducted from your account which you can refund after 2-3 days. This verification test is to make sure that your card is active. FYI, PayPal also has this kind of verification so it’s pretty standard.

Step 9: Once your GCashAmEx is already verified, you can now buy gems or even gold coins and elixir on the Clash of Clans’ store!

Step 10: Run your Clash of Clans application, then go to “Shop”.

Step 11: Select the amount of gems you wish to buy. A dialogue box will then pop-up saying “Pile of Gems”, with your GCash Amex. Just press “BUY” and you are ready.

By the way, these steps are for Android users only. For IOS users, its same process starting from step 1 to step 4 with the difference being that IOS users are going to use the my-shoppingbox.com credentials to sign-up on Appstore. They have to then choose US on billing address instead of Philippines. If you have an existing account on Appstore, all you have to do is log-in then change your address, use the billing address given by my-shoppingbox.com and then add your GCash Amex information.

Congratulations! You have more gems now! Enjoy!

Check out How to buy Clash of Clans Gems using Globe load! :)

Source: http://forum.supercell.net/showthread.php/282686-GUIDE-Philippines-How-to-buy-CoC-Gems-with-GCASH-AMEX

Link: http://www.globe.com.ph/help/gcash/amex/application-and-subscription

Buy Clash of Clans Gems without Credit Card

“Your village is under attack!”“You are being raided by EvilPerson69!”. Have you ever received those notifications from your phone? Frustrating, right? Especially when you’re in the middle of collecting 1250 trophies to achieve that “Sweet Victory” toward a 450 gems reward that you can use to buy a third builder. Those Clash of Clans gamers with credit cards are not bothered about this since they can buy gems any time they want. That’s the problem of gamers who don’t have a credit card, but worry no more Chief! You can now buy gems, gold coins, or even elixir using your prepaid load or postpaid bill!

This promo started last August 20, 2014 when Globe Telecomm, one of the biggest Telecommunication companies in the Philippines allowed every Android users to purchase apps or in-app item from Google Play Store by charging the cost on a user’s regular Globe load or postpaid bill. According to Globe Telecomm’s Vice President for Digital Media Glenn Estrella, ”Globe has always prioritized a differentiated customer experience. Our goal is to provide products and services that make our customers' lives easier and more convenient, especially now that more and more people are going mobile. The convenience of purchasing your favorite apps and in-app items using your Globe load or postpaid bill really makes a wonderful difference to our customers' overall experience with Globe”. That means you can now buy gems, gold coin, and elixir using your Globe or Touch Mobile (TM) SIM card with regular load or on your postpaid bill. So far, this promo is only applicable to android users only, as Globe offer apps and in-apps purchase at Google Play Store only. But don’t worry, Chief! If you are an IOS user, you can use GCashAmEx to purchase gems from the Clash of Clans’ store! GCash American Express or GCashAmEx is a virtual prepaid card connected to your GCash mobile wallet.

Click here to know how to buy gems using your GCashAmEx.

No GCashAmEx or GCash mobile yet? Register by following these steps:

Step 1: Dial *143#

Step 2: Press 8 for cash, then 1 to register. Just follow the remaining prompt, then you’re done!

Note: GCash mobile wallet and GCashAmEx is different services. The steps given above are for GCash mobile wallet only. To get GCashAmEx, follow the steps below to register online:

Step 1: Go to www.globe.com.ph/gcash-amex

Step 2: Find and select “Register”

Step 3: Enter your mobile number and email address

Step 4: Globe will send the passcode via SMS

Step 5: Verify the displayed details, and then enter the passcode given by Globe

Step 6: You will receive the GCash American Express Virtual Card Digital Handbook with Account Details and Shipping Address together with the Terms and Conditions via email.

Step 7: To open your Digital Handbook, enter the passcode sent via SMS from Globe.

Step 8:  You will receive MSB to activate your MSB Account via email.

For more information, visit http://www.globe.com.ph/help/gcash/amex/application-and-subscription.

Tip: If you are an IOS user, there’s an alternative way to use Globe load to buy gems by simply registering your Clash of Clans’ existing game on Google Play.

Check out How to buy Clash of Clans Gem using Globe load.:)

Factory Reset Will Not Make Your Phone Squeaky Clean

You’ve only waited for your free Sun load to expire. After two years of service, finally, you are ready to let go of your first-ever Android phone you bought from your first job. Hey, everybody needs a fresh start. Even departing from your old Smartphone is a logical step to have a new phone, duh. You weighed the pros and cons. Instead of selling it online, you decided to hand it down to your younger techie brother. Considering there are newer models out there, who will bother to buy your old unit, anyway? You have searched for your dream phone. All you have to do is to let the old one go, and then it is about time to do the hardcore Android factory reset.

 

Android factory reset is the no-turning-back-point where the phone will restore to its default settings the way it was shipped from the factory. From a technical standpoint, TechTarget defines it as “a feature that erases all device settings, user data, third-party applications, and associated application data from an Android device’s internal flash storage…” What are the reasons we opt to do a factory reset? Maybe the phone lags or hangs. It freezes when you open or switch to a new window or return to the home screen. The phone pops a lot of “force close” window when it should not be in the first place. A virus got into your Android’s system. In a lighter note, you are planning to sell or dispose of your device.

This process is synonymous to cleansing your phone or – so we thought. But, DidYouKnow that security software giant Avast discovered something distressing you wished you could demand your phone back from the buyer and perform a real data wipe out? Avast bought 20 second hand phones on eBay that claimed they were “wiped” using Android factory reset. To test if they were clean they downloaded online and ran FTK (Forensic Toolkit) Imager. This software could restore deleted data and it is free for everyone. Did Avast succeed? Yes, sorry to say, they did.

What did they find out? As posted on their blog, they were able to retrieve “more than 40, 000 stored photos; 750 photos of women in various stages of undress; 750 emails and text messages; 4 previous owners’ identities; one completed loan application; and more.” Quite scandalous, isn’t? When we say scandalous, they even recovered “below the belt” selfies… Oh, you know what we mean.

Based on their study, and we will explain it in a more layman’s term, imagine a file cabinet of a resigned employee. This said employee labeled the cabinet as “available” for turnover so a new employee can re-use it. What he failed to do was to remove all the contents or files inside the cabinet. This is the same as a factory reset. Scary, isn’t? You assumed that your phone’s contacts, images, text messages, and other sensitive information were non-existent against prying eyes. Avast proved this was wrong. Now, we have to look for alternative methods better than Android factory reset.

This experiment, however, only involved older versions of Android according to Google. We do hope that recent versions have already built-in security restrictions against data recovery tricks. Just to play it safe, perform a data encryption first before hitting the factory reset button. An encrypted data is similar to a garbled text and it is unreadable to non-authorized people. You need a passcode to decrypt or read it. Using this method, your data and your identity will be safe against cyber attacks or the itchy hands of your techie brother.

Hello Kitty and Character Representation

Image source: www.taxisingapore.com

DidYouKnow that Hello Kitty is not a cat? This discovery has only been found out and shared to the world by Christine Yano, an anthropologist, who was preparing for a big Hello Kitty exhibit for October in Los Angeles. Too bad it isn’t in the Philippines, but what importance can we, in hindsight, lift from this revelation? I asked a friend of mine who’s an attorney in Manila, and he pointed me to two very familiar things that we always see but never seem to give greater notice: Depiction of Minors and All Persons Fictitious disclaimer.

Character depiction ranges in many ways and some fall under scrutiny of legal parameters. One such category is age. If a character to be depicted is (depending on the country) under aged, then it could fall into illegal circumstances, if said character will, at any time during the depiction, do adult themed activities like drinking or having sex.

Remember the statement in movies (especially rated R ones) that says “All characters depicted are 18 years old and above”? This secures that under aged depiction does not illegalize a movie. This is especially true for, and let’s not be prudes about this, porn since sex and any sexualization of a minor is illegal in most countries and a porno production can be shut down for something as simple as not having shown the Depiction clause and having a character that looks too young to participate in said porn.

Another very important clause is the All Persons Fictitious disclaimer. This protects a film from claims to libel and defamation. The statement goes like “All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.” If you follow the series How I Met Your Mother, in one episode, Ted Mosby went to see a film that had a character named Jed Moseley. In the course of the movie, Ted saw how it was a retelling of what happened between him and his ex-girlfriend Stella but only in the worse and inaccurate light of him.

How does this play in with the previous Hello Kitty revelation? Well, according to Sanrio, Hello Kitty isn’t a cat. “She’s a cartoon character. She is a little girl. She is a friend. But she is not a cat.” Sanrio defends further that she is never depicted on all fours unlike her pet Charmmy Kitty. It’s important for Sanrio to accurately disclaim that Hello Kitty and her friends are not animals and will not be expected to act as such. They are just regular people characters with anthropomorphic features and they, too, have pets.

This is important to avoid misrepresentation and thus is the same case with most other works. Of course, there shall always be justifiable exemptions like in the case of real life retelling or bodies of work that needs the device to tell a story in an artistic way like The Lovely Bones. How about you, do you see any other things you can learn from the big Hello Kitty reveal?