here's a bit of what the manual says :

-Can build your own script for shortcuts and repetitive tasks (nice, nice)
-Enhanced File Browser (ability to flag a picture, and edit the metadata of the picture through File Browser, and perform batch procedures without opening the pictures)
-Can save your editing history onto an external log file or onto the metadata of a file
-Filter Gallery, where you can see the effects of all filters on your object, and you can see layered filters without implementing them
-Customisable Help menu
-Better RAW plugin
-16-bit editing
-Simulate photo filters
-Shadow/Highlight command, Match Color command, Replace Color command.
-Picture Package (i thought ps7 already had this.. hmmm)
-Editable text can be placed on a path and in a shape
-Large document support (up to 300,000 x 300,000 pixels and 54 channels)
-Presets for creating images for video
-New Lens Blur filter
-Customisable keyboard shortcuts

         I'm not sure i need all these new features but hey, who knows, i might just decide to change careers and focus on being a professional photographer. And then pigs would fly. ^^

         And oh, one more thing, i read somewhere that Cs2 has an excellent Red Eye Reduction tool. I use that quite often so I might, i just might, go for the upgrade. Ofcourse that single tool should beat everything else. Hahah

         "One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy."

     ~ Elisabeth Elliott ~

         Here's a piece of what I gathered last night as I was reviewing :

Philippine education during the pre-Spanish era
- education was done through "tell me" and "show me"
- broad, idefinite and unwritten
- unstructured, incidental

Education during the Spanish era
- education was characterized by authoritarianism (Spaniards refused to give quality education to the masses)
- teacher dominated
- subject centered
- imposition of severe discipline
- there was direct control of the Roman Church and was dominated by the priests and clergy
- purely religious in nature. aimed at christianization of the natives

Education during the American era
- the concept pof education introduced earlier by the Spaniards was totally changed.
- education aimed to promote democratic ideals and way of life
- education became universal, something everyone has a right to regardless of sex, age, religion and socio-economic status of the individual.
- more democratic ways of teaching were implemented
- religious freedom was enforced
- legal mandates include Constitution of 1935 which mandated the establishment and maintenance of a complete and adequate system of public education, free public primay instruction and citizenship training to adult citizens.

         Obviously, we have gone a long way since then. Yes, we still have much to improve on but atleast we can also say that we have progressed a lot where education is concerned. Unlike in the Spanish era when the masses were deprived of this basic human right, we now have ArticleXIV, Section of the Constitution of the Philippines that ensures the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels. SectionVIII Article194 stipulates that every chld is entitled to be educated by his family, by the state, and by the church. Ok, I know what's going on in your mind. Given the poverty rate in the country, it is highly debatable if the masses are actually getting quality schooling, or any kind of schooling for that matter. Well, I prefer to look at the brighter side. We have the laws now, provisions for education available to all have been made. We have drawn the lines pretty clearer now.

         Now if we could just help one another, load up on self discipline and be more aware of our rights (so that we don't get so easily manipulated by our corrupt leaders), a far more progressive Philippines should not be very far behind. Ignorance is not and will never be an excuse.

         had a date with the 'rents and sisters yesterday. God is good.. in this thoroughly-imperfect-world, He gave me an almost-perfect-family. =)

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         talked to shyla. she said she's in the process of "fixing her career path".. made me think of mine, if i actually have one, that is.. lol oh well, atleast i like what i'm doing. that should suffice for now.

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         my student said she missed me during camp. she missed me so much she cried. -sighs- children.. they know all the right things to say. =)

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         these days i rarely have time to write down anything.. and i don't even get to watch tv anymore. you kinda start thinking you might be missing out on so many things already when your nine year old student tells you what's going on in the olympics and all you can say is "oh, really?" and "oh, yeah?"

         i'm glad there's no such thing as biking overdose. otherwise i'd be on my deathbed now. -grins-

         i spent hours on end riding my bike last weekend. God, it was fabulous. no, it's not a motorbike or some fancy mountain bike like those of cycling enthusiasts.. it's my simple, trusty, two-wheeled, chain-driven bicycle. it worked it's charms on me and i ended up on the road far longer than i intended to be. boy, talk about bike riding.. it's been such a long time since i spent that much time (and covered that many miles) on my bike and it was just awesome. i felt like i had coffee in my veins and i had this really huge smile plastered all over my face as i pedaled and felt the gentle touch of wind on my face. moving along familiar roads and visiting the schools i attended in my childhood felt like a trip down memory lane.. and what a trip it was! =)

around 5pm..

me : liezle are you going out?
liezle : yep, u?
me : yeah, c'mon
-- we take the elevator and walk out the building --
me : it's raining pala
liezle : ay, honga.. tara balik tyo sa taas. let's get umbrellas
-- we take the elevator again and get umbrellas --
-- we walk out the building again and..
liezle : ngeh.. asan na yung ulan?!
me : what da heck.. bat umaraw?!

what a bloody weird weather condition..