the line

Edward: And so the lion fell in love with the lamb.
Bella: What a stupid lamb.
Edward: What a sick, masochistic lion.
--- p. 274

THE MOVIE

I just finished watching the movie Twilight today!

I was literally in awe with it. Seeing the characters from the novel come alive in the big screen was just perfect as I imagined them to be.... Better even more!

Edward was a perfect charmer and Bella was just a perfect klutz.. Jasper has this "funny expression" on his face while Alice was cute. Rosalie and Emmet were surely a lovey-dovey couple. And the students of Forks (Mike, Jessica & the group) were entertaining to watch. I think I'd be seeing the movie again over the weekend.

P.S

I love the scene where they came to school together and the school just went crazy about seeing them as a couple.. Everbody was just intruiged and in total shock...(Ed's left arms over Bella's shoulders)

Also, where Edward rushed to save Bella (with his shiny silver volvo car)...

Rainy Days Blues

November has become even more and more exciting because of all the drizzling and rain showers in the metro. I am curled up in my bed right now and the gloomy weather starts to affect in me many ways. Too lazy to do anything and I can’t help but stare at the trickle of rain water from my window. So, I am doing a bit of pondering while having the last sip of my Hot Choco Milk. Here’s a few that I came up with.

• If there’s one thing I learned about being me is that I never push myself for people to take me. I don’t try to squeeze in when I know that there’s no longer room for me.
• I realize that at times, you could be surrounded by sea of people yet you may feel so alone. I think it’s good to alone sometimes. When you are alone, you have the freedom to think and do things without restraint. It makes you assess what you want in life and makes you see where you want to be. I rather be on my own than be in a bad company.
• If I am on the brink of my boiling point, I do not take it out on others. Instead, I prefer to be quiet and go try to isolate myself so that I could self soothe. If I am on my “temperamental moody side” mode, I prefer to just be oblivious of the things that happen around me.
• Explore, Have Fun and Learn. I’d like to start by being someone who is up for a challenge. I’d like to go out more, explore and have fun! To become a risk taker rather than be risk averse.
• I surround myself with positivism. I like to surround myself with good people for they have a positive influence on me.
• I prefer to do things on my own yet I concede to the fact that I need help when there’s a necessity to ask for one. I ask for assistance when I have exhausted all possible options that I can think of.
• I don’t easily warm up to people because that’s just me. It will take me some time to get too close to people but I can say that I am a good friend.
• Simple pleasures in life are mine for the taking. Having a meaningful dinner with the family or perhaps cuddling my cute little nephew or just catching up on sleep brings so much joy to me. Added to the list are my movie/dvd nights, videoke sessions and coffee blues days. So many things to do yet so little time.
  - Sinulog Escapade (I always love coming back to CEBU!)
  - Megkawayan Adventure, JACA Pool Party and Crash Landing Celebration, Santa Maria
  SummerEscapade
  - Hang outs:
  C5, Badminton World, Gmik for videoke nights, Mang Del’s Kambingan, Dimsum Diner, Fly Over sa Buhangin, D’ Canteen, Baywalk for some Durian treat
• It’s been awhile since I read a good book. I’m guessing the last books I read was way back year 2005 (Queen of the Damned, Angels and Demons, The Alchemist, Veronika decides to die, Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty, etc.) Luckily, I started reading again this year. Thanks to Stephenie Meyers’ Love story Vampire Saga. I have read all her four books – Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. And all I can say is that, I just loved it and can’t help but read the books all over again!

TWILIGHT’S OST

TWILIGHT’S OST

Here is the official track listing:
Muse — Supermassive Black Hole
Paramore — Decode
The Black Ghosts — Full Moon
Linkin Park — Leave Out All The Rest
MuteMath — Spotlight (Twilight Mix)
Perry Farrell — Going All The Way (Into The Twilight)
Collective Soul — Tremble For My Beloved
Paramore — I Caught Myself
Blue Foundation — Eyes On Fire
Rob Pattinson — Never Think
Iron & Wine — Flightless Bird, American Mouth
Carter Burwell — Bella's Lullaby

I personally like Muse, Paramore, Blue Foundation, Iron and Wine and Bella’s Lullaby (The Remix). The album is more on the alternative side and totally fitting to the movie’s theme.

School is Back

School’s back and so my days are starting to get a lot interesting. School officially started last Saturday (November 8, 2008). It was good to see familiar faces but was also sad because some of my classmates during the 1st semester decided not to enroll. Our wacky group is back. For this semester, I am guessing that school will be a lot difficult. I am hoping though, that I would still be able to get satisfactory marks….

My class starts at 7:30 in the morning up to 4:00 in the afternoon. My subjects this semester are excruciatingly challenging! My first subject is Managerial Accounting followed by Business Research and Statistics and my last subject is Human Behaviour and Resource Management. I guess it’s about time to make my schooling a little bit exciting.

Deadlines, cramming, case studies, group activities, reaction paper, research works and examinations are slowly becoming my best friends these days….. Cheers to more sleepless nights and Cramming moments!

HEART 101

The heart is a muscular organ in all vertebrates responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in annelids, mollusks, and arthropods. The term cardiac (as in cardiology) means "related to the heart" and comes from the Greek καρδιά, kardia, for "heart."

The heart of a vertebrate is composed of cardiac muscle, an involuntary muscle tissue which is found only within this organ. The average human heart beating at 72 BPM, will beat approximately 2.5 billion times during a lifetime spanning 66 years.

FUNCTIONS:

In animals, the function of the right side of the heart (see right heart) is to collect de-oxygenated blood, in the right atrium, from the body and pump it, via the right ventricle, into the lungs (pulmonary circulation) so that carbon dioxide can be dropped off and oxygen picked up (gas exchange). This happens through the passive process of diffusion. The left side (see left heart) collects oxygenated blood from the lungs into the left atrium. From the left atrium the blood moves to the left ventricle which pumps it out to the body. On both sides, the lower ventricles are thicker and stronger than the upper atria. The muscle wall surrounding the left ventricle is thicker than the wall surrounding the right ventricle due to the higher force needed to pump the blood through the systemic circulation.

Starting in the middle atrium, the blood flows through the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle. Here it is pumped out the pulmonary semilunar valve and travels through the pulmonary artery to the lungs. From there, blood flows back through the pulmonary vein to the left atrium. It then travels through the mitral valve to the left ventricle, from where it is pumped through the aortic semilunar valve to the aorta. The aorta forks, and the blood is divided between major arteries which supply the upper and lower body. The blood travels in the arteries to the smaller arterioles, then finally to the tiny capillaries which feed each cell. The (relatively) deoxygenated blood then travels to the venules, which coalesce into veins, then to the inferior and superior venae cavae and finally back to the right atrium where the process began.

The heart is effectively a syncytium, a meshwork of cardiac muscle cells interconnected by contiguous cytoplasmic bridges. This relates to electrical stimulation of one cell spreading to neighboring cells.

SMILE (by definition)

In physiology, a smile is a facial expression formed by flexing those muscles most notably near both ends of the mouth. The smile can also be found around the eyes (See 'Duchenne smile' below).

Among humans, it is customarily an expression denoting pleasure, happiness, or amusement, but can also be an involuntary expression of anxiety, in which case it can be known as a grimace. There is much evidence that smiling is a normal reaction to certain stimuli as it occurs regardless of culture.

Happiness is most often the motivating cause of a smile. Among animals, the exposure of teeth, which may bear a resemblance to a smile, is often used as a threat or warning display - known as a snarl - or a sign of submission. In chimpanzees, it can also be a sign of fear. The study of smiles is a part of gelotology, psychology, and linguistics, comprising various theories of affect, humor, and laughter.

SHOW ME A SMILE

A Smile can do wonders. It can lift ones spirit when one is down the dumps. It relieves stress and can even boost our immune system. Some studies suggest that Smiling has numerous health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and releases Endorphins. All It takes is just a little smile to do the trick. Who knows, a smile may even be the start of something new! So let's try to smile more than often and bring much positivity into our lives!

1. Smiling makes us attractive.

We are drawn to people who smile. There is an attraction factor. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is so good. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away -- but a smile draws them in.

2. Smiling Changes Our Mood.
Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There's a good chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood.

3. Smiling is Contagious.

When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them. Smile lots and you will draw people to you.

4. Smiling Relieves Stress.

Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you'll be better able to take action.

5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System.

Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed. Prevent the flu and colds by smiling.

6. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure

When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

7. Smiling Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin.

Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Smiling is a natural drug.

8. Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger.

The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don't go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day -- you'll look younger and feel better.

9. Smiling Makes You Seem Successful.

Smiling people appear more confident, are more likely to be promoted, and more likely to be approached. Put on a smile at meetings and appointments and people will react to you differently.

10. Smiling Helps You Stay Positive.

Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It's hard. When we smile our body is sending the rest of us a message that "Life is Good!" Stay away from depression, stress and worry by smiling.

Dare you to M-O-V-E!

• Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover -- Mark Twain
  


• Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. --Dr. Martin Luther King
  


• Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. -- T. S. Elliot
  


• If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place. -- Nora Roberts

In circles

There are days when I feel like I am going in circles. It's as if I am never moving forward or if it seems like I am moving forward, there are some things that are holding me back. It's as if, I am waiting for things to happen. For things to change for me and I feel like going through the viscious cycle all over again.

The sad part is, things will constanly evolve and that changes are likely to occur with or without my approval. Things and people will never wait for me to change or to make decisions. I have to adapt with these changes and learn to deal with them.

I have always been considered as a risk averse person but I am constantly challenging my self to break out of my shell and do something out of the ordinary. I wish to do more, to experience greater things, to explore different worlds, to see a lot of wonders, to liberate my self and just be happy

I wish to break free...

Sweet November

The month of November is something that I always look forward to. It is does not only signify the coming of the season to be jolly "December" but it's the perfect time to remember All Souls and All Saints Days. It's not just the trick or treat part but actually remembering our beloved who have passed away. All Souls day is special because we get to remember our beloved for the legacy they left behind and teaches us about never taking for granted our very own mortality.

November is special for me because some of my dear friends happen to celebrate their natal days on this very month. I have great memories of my previous November days so I am looking forward to continue having those mem'ries.

At work, we are all giddy and excited to celebrate and gather together in our Annual Assembly festivity. It's a two day affair -- the best time to enjoy and have fun. Although, we are currently in-charge of the affair, we somewhat expect a busy and hectic schedule for the preparation of the event. Our days will surely get busier and busier as November 29 and 30 approaches.

I am counting the days til' December comes but November will always have a special place in my Calendar...

Rulers of the Deep

• There are about 350 different types of sharks, but researchers think there are other sharks that haven't been discovered yet!
• "Chondrichhye," is the class of fish, sharks belong to.
• Sharks have a sensory organ which is called the "ampullae of Lorenzini" which they use to feel the electrical field coming from its prey.
• The dwarf shark is as small as your hand, while the whale shark can be as large as a school bus!
• A shark is one of the best hunters in the world. Even their little pups go out looking for food.
• A shark's hunger can be satisfied with one good meal. The meal can last a long time because a shark uses little energy to swim. Some sharks hold food in their stomachs without it being digested. If they eat a big meal, it can last three or more months!
• Sharks do not sleep the same way as humans do. They might seem as if they are sleeping but they are really just resting!
• Sharks are strong, healthy creatures. No other living thing can take better care of itself than a shark can! Like humans, sharks are at the top of the food chain.
• Sharks never get cancer! Their cartilage is used in being studied with the hope of developing anti-cancer drugs.
• Sharks have been around for more than 300 million years! They were around before dinosaurs!
• Sharks' bodies are heavier than the sea, so if they stop moving they sink. If they want to stay afloat, they must keep moving!
• Just as humans rule the land, sharks rule the sea! Many people fear sharks, because they hear stories about sharks killing and eating humans. Actually, most sharks are not dangerous!
• More people are killed by bee stings than by shark attacks.
• More than 90% of people who are attacked by sharks survive the attack.
• Sharks attack more men than women. No one knows why this is the case.
• The bull shark is the only shark that can live in both fresh and salt water. A bull shark may have been responsible for a shark attack that happened in a creek in New Jersey back in 1916.
• The largest shark teeth found belonged to a Carcharodon Magaloden shark and are 6 inches long. This shark is extinct and lived more than 4.5 million years ago.
• In the past, dried shark skin (shagreen) was used as sandpaper. In countries like Japan and Germany, shark skin was used on sword handles to get a non-slip grip.
  Until 1950, sharks were hunted for Vitamin A. After that period, a synthesizing method was developed.
• The Whale shark is considered the biggest fish in the world.
• The Whale shark is about 90,000 pounds in weight.
• The Basking shark is the second largest, it is as long as 40 feet.
• Bull sharks are able to bear a wide range of salinity. They are found in freshwater rivers and lakes in South America and Africa.
• The Pygmy shark is about 11 inches in length.
• The Dwarf shark is as tiny as you hand, while some Whale sharks are as large as a bus.
• The Dogfish sharks are so named, because they attack their prey like a pack of wild dogs.
• The modern shark has more biting force because of its protrusile jaw, which provides it with more biting force.
• Great white sharks can grow about 10 inches every year, thus, they grow to mature lengths of 12 to 14 feet.

Kingdom Animalia

• Mammals are the only animals with flaps around the ears.
• African elephants only have four teeth to chew their food with.
• There are about one billion cattle in the world of which 200 million are in India.
• A house fly lives only 14 days.
• A dog was the first in space and a sheep, a duck and a rooster the first to fly in a hot air balloon.
• The Big Five is a group of animals of Africa: cape buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhino.
• The term "Big Five" was coined by hunters who referred to the difficulty in hunting these wild animals because of their ferocity when cornered.
• The oldest breed of dog is the Saluki.
• The bee hummingbird of Cuba is the smallest bird in the world.
• An ostrich can run up to 70 km/h (43mph).
• An annoyed camel will spit at a person.
• The world's smallest dog is the Chihuahua, which means "tiny dog in the sky."
• Pea crabs (the size of a pea) are the smallest crabs in the world.
• 75% of wild birds die before they are 6 months old.
• The pig is rated the fourth most intelligent animal but are mentioned only twice in the Bible
• Sheep are mentioned 45 times and goats 88 times in the Bible. Dogs are mentioned 14 times and lions 89 times, but domestic cats are not mentioned.
• Pork is the world's most widely-eaten meat.
• In Denmark there are twice as many pigs as people.
• Dinosaurs did not eat grass: there weren't any at that time.
• The coyote is a member of the dog family and its scientific name, "canis latrans" means barking dog.
• A giraffe can clean its ears with its 50cm (20 in) tongue.
• A group of geese on the ground is a gaggle - a group of geese in the air is a skein.
• The South American giant anteater eats more than 30,000 ants a day.
• It is impossible to out-swim a shark - sharks reach speeds of 70 km/h (44 mph). Humans can run about 35 km/h (21 mph).
• The sailfish is the fastest swimmer, reaching 109 km/h (68 mph).
• The slowest fish is the Sea Horse, which moves along at about 0.016 km/h (0.01 mph).
• Dolphins can reach 60 km/h (37 mph).
• Of the 650 types of leeches, only the Hirudo medicinalis is used for medical treatments.
• The heart of a blue whale is the size of a small car.
• The tongue of a blue whale is as long as an elephant.
• The scales of a crocodile are made of ceratin, the same substance that hooves and fingernails are made of.
• A crocodile's tongue is attached to the roof of its mouth and cannot move it.
• A snail has two pairs of tentacles on its head. One pair is longer than the other and houses the eyes. The shorter pair is used for smelling and feeling its way around.
• The heaviest crustacean ever found was a lobster weighing 19 kg (42 lb), caught in 1934.
• The largest jellyfish ever caught measured 2,3 m (7'6") across the bell with a tentacle of 36 m (120 ft) long.
• The largest giant squid ever recorded was captured in the North Atlantic in 1878. It weighed 4 tons. Its tentacles measured 10 m (35 ft) long.
• The giant squid has the biggest eyes of any animal: its eyes measure 40 cm (16 in) in diameter.
• Domestic cats purr at about 26 cycles per second, the same frequency as an idling diesel engine.
• Sharks are immune to all known diseases.
• Sharks and rays also share the same kind of skin: instead of scales, they have small tooth-like spikes called denticles. The spikes are so sharp that shark skin has long been used as sandpaper.
• Animals also are either right-handed or left-handed. Polar bears are left-handed - and so is Kermit the Frog.
• There are 701 types of pure breed dogs.
• There are about 54 million dogs in the US, and Paris is said to have more dogs than people.
• Some bird species, usually flightless birds, have only a lower eyelid, whereas pigeons use upper and lower lids to blink.
• Fish and insects do not have eyelids - their eyes are protected by a hardened lens.
• Flatfish (halibut, flounder, turbot, and sole) hatch like any other "normal" fish. As they grow, they turn sideways and one eye moves around so they have two eyes on the side that faces up.
• Measured in straight flight, the spine-tailed swift is the fastest bird. It flies 170 km/h (106 mph). Second fastest is the Frigate, which reaches 150 km/h (94 mph).
• Millions of trees are accidentally planted by squirrels who bury nuts and then forget where they hid them.
• There are more than 150 million sheep in Australia, a nation of 17 million people.
• New Zealand is home to 4 million people and 70 million sheep.

Earth's Fun Facts

• Only 11 percent of the earth's surface is used to grow food.
• Inside the earth it gets 3 degrees hotter every 100m further down.
• Earth is tipped at 23 and 1/2 degrees in orbit. That axis is what causes our seasons.
• Switzerland is one of the only countries to have no mineral deposit in it.
• The largest known uncut emerald is 5 cm long and 5 cm in diameter.
• The largest lake in the world i.e. the Caspian sea measures about 980 km from North to South and 215 to 440 km in breadth, with an area of 371,800 sq.km.
• Earth is estimated to be 3-5 Billion Years old.
• Earth is estimated to weigh 6,585,600,000,000,000,000,000 tons.
• The area of the earth is almost 200 million square miles.
• Earth travels through space at 66,700 miles per hour.
• Earth's orbit around the sun makes a year at nearly 365 and 1/2 days
• The deepest point in the crust is the Mariana's Trench in the Pacific ocean which is 11km below sea level.
• One of the driest places on earth, Africa, Chile in South America gets an average rainfall of only about 0.5 mm.
• The most destructive earthquake occurred in September, 1923 in Japan. 143,000 people lost their lives and the cost of the damage was estimated at 1 billion pounds i.e. $30 billion or Rs.120,000 crores.
• Making a simple vase out of the precious stone- Jade, may take more than two years of work.
• The amount of gold in all the oceans together is estimated to be as much as 10 thousand million tonnes.
• Less than 1 gram of gold can be beaten into a sheet of nearly 2 sq.mt.
  The largest hailstone ever, was found in Kansas, USA. It was the size of a melon, 19cm wide and weight 758gms.
• Earth's oceans are an average of 2 Miles deep.
• Earth's rotation on its axis makes a day at 24 hours...
• The Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia is 2000km long and covers an area of 250,000sq-km. It has been constructed by stony corals over a period of 600 million years and supports more life than any other habitat on earth.
• Earth is referred to as the BLUE PLANET. WHY? Because from space, the oceans combined with our atmosphere make our planet look blue.
• Antarctica is the coldest place on earth. The continent is almost entirely covered in ICE
• Breeze carries about 100 Million tons of sand particles around the earth yearly.
  That means if you live in America-you could have Sand that came from the Gobi desert in China.

Great Movie Quotes

Here are some Movie Quotes that we love to hear over and over again. Famous movie lines that captured our hearts in the big screen.

Don't forget. I'm just a girl standing in front of a boy...asking him to love her." --Notting Hill

If you love someone you say it, you say it right then, out loud. Otherwise the moment just.. passes you by... --My Best friend's Wedding

I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair. I hate the way you drive my car. I hate it when you stare. I hate your big dumb combat boots, and the way you read my mind. I hate you so much it makes me sick; it even makes me rhyme. I hate it, I hate the way you're always right. I hate it when you lie. I hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry. I hate it that you're not around, and the fact that you didn't call. But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all. --Ten Things I Hate About You

"Take love, multiply it by infinity and take it to the depths of forever.. and you still have only a glimpse of how I feel for you." -- Meet Joe Black

Look, I guarantee there'll be tough times. I guarantee that at some time, one or both of us is gonna want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life, because I know, in my heart, you're the only one for me --Runaway Bride

Do you ever put your arms out and just spin and spin and spin? Well, that's what love is like. Everything inside of you tells you to stop before you fall, but you just keep going."

-- Practical Magic

School is still the same.. there's still that one guy that you get up and go to school for in the morning. The one with the mysterious confidence that every girl falls for. Those years of school wouldn't have been the same without him. I wouldn't have been the same without him

-- Never Been kissed

You are what I never knew I always wanted--Fools Rush In

When they ask me what I liked best, I'll tell them it was you." -- City Of Angels

Sometimes I wish I had never met you. Because then I could go to sleep at night not knowing there was someone like you out there. --Good Will Hunting

There Are Millions Of People In This world, But In The end It All Comes Down To One
--Crazy/Beautiful

I always thought that there was this one perfect person for everybody in the world, you know, and when you found that person the rest of the world kind of magically faded away, and, you know, the two of you would just be inside this kind of protective bubble, but there is no bubble, I mean if there is you have to make it, I just think life is more than a series of moments, you know, we can make choices, and we can choose to protect the people we love, and that's what makes us who we are and those are the real memories --Forces of Nature

Some Excerpts of my Grad School Papers

In reality, education is crucial in every man’s life. The lessons we learn within the four corners of the classroom should prepare all of us (may or may not be the future managers of companies) of what’s to happen in the real world, a world that is economically driven and an ever changing, inventive world.
The more we learn, the more we figure out how to gather, categorize and apply practical uses for the knowledge we have. We learn to think. By both gaining knowledge and learning how to use it, we become well rounded individuals and become familiar with the business environment. It makes us a better thinker. It makes us think differently and guides us on how to make the right decisions and eventually to think innovatively.

Education for me, allows us to maximize and use the fullest of our potentials. Because classroom work can only prepare us for part of the challenge of a new career, it should not only equip us with the almost all information (from the likes of business theories and concepts, management principles and business models) but should provide us with more than adequate exposure / immersion on what really is going on in the business world. It provides valuable insight into the ways that professionals turn concepts and theories into practice. Managers develop leadership capacities by first hand observation of their environment and by an assessment of feedback from their actions.

Some Excerpts of my Grad School Papers

Background:

Business decisions have to be made and are inevitable. How are we to go about in choosing the right and best decisions for the company?

Insight:

It is clearly undeniable that we are faced with difficult and often complicated decisions everyday. Decisions have to be made and there is no escaping it. Competition is almost anywhere and in order to compete, one must innovate and be dynamic. I have always wondered how and where enterprising entities base their business decisions. Are they only motivated by the incentives of earning and the concerns of profit and loses? Or do they have strategic plans on how to go about competing with other firms/companies? Is business ethics applicable in the complex world of the market place? These are just some of the questions I was eager to learn some answers.

Business ethical issues are present in most business decisions firms have to make. Firms are most likely to experience some dilemma in going about their businesses. They may be in constant odds with strategic business plans/techniques versus the non-economical social values or considerations.

Lessons Learned:
A. With the ethics questionnaire, I became more aware of the importance of business ethics. Business ethics allows firms/companies to examine and re-evaluate why they came into existence – their purpose. If a company's main purpose is to maximize the returns, then it challenges us to think if there are ways that profit maximizing behavior of the company can be made complementary on choosing decisions that promote social justice. It is demanding us to think, if it’s even possible for business/marketing instruments to be attuned with business ethics?

B. Firms/business should not be only driven by economic “profit” incentives but they should also learn to consider more the “value” of how they do business. Is it geared towards the promotion of social justice? Does it provide fair opportunities for all?

C. I think that firms/companies these days are becoming more and more sensitive on the basis of their business decisions. Most companies are adopting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which guides them on how they should conduct their business in the society.

D. As the article provided, there are no right answers to the ethics questionnaire. Firms/business must then inculcate among them (the BODs, Managers and employees) the right values and corporate behaviour that they should follow.

E. It would help if firms/business should formulate internal policies pertaining to their ethical conduct so that each manager or employee may have a guideline incase ethical problems might arise in the course of doing business. It will lead to greater ethical awareness and the avoidance of ethical problems.

Some Excerpts of my Grad School Papers

What are the solutions to keep talented managers from leaving the company?

Is there more to it than meets the eye?

In reality, people need to make a living but more than anything else, we also need to feel respected and valued. The prevalent challenge faced by any firms today is not one of growth or profitability but retaining and motivating valued employees in the company. How then do we keep these “assets” of the company from leaving? The idea is to create an atmosphere where these key people feel they have entrepreneurial decision-making authority making them feel that they are a part of a bigger plan. Acknowledging their capacities and allowing them to work on projects also keep them motivated to work even harder.

Apart from the pay packages / monetary incentives there should always be something to keep them highly interested and motivated to work. Up-to-date trainings, seminars and lectures are some effective forms of keeping managers highly motivated and more importantly, they become more productive and efficient in their specific job task. By motivating managers, the firms/companies create the mechanism that will drive managers to succeed and be content. The greater the success (and reward), the more overall business will benefit. Once set into motion, they will result in greater employee satisfaction and lower manager turnover. Growth and profitability will automatically follow.