My SDLC approach in Reaching My Goal

Predictive or adaptive? Choosing between these two approaches wouldn't really create an effective output, integration of both approaches is a must to create an efficient foundation in reaching a goal. The "sharers" in this topic that well thought of plans are from a mixture of predictive and adaptive approach but then a variety then shows up when one tends to focus more on one approach and leaning lesser on the other. For me, I would focus more on the adaptive side than the predictive approach upon integration.

Why? Its true that one begins to develop a goal. And in devising such plan, one needs to predict all sorts of actions and the consequences that results from these actions and then create solutions, all of these actions focus on the predictive side than it almost seem that the adaptive side is not much of use anymore but in reality, there are outside or external forces that one doesn't really count on that can change the course of the goal and so adapting to these certain changes are more important than just predicting.

In both predictive and adaptive approach, the same processes make up their SDLC model and these are project planning, analysis, design, implementation and support. And from what the reporters said, there are a wide variety of SDLC models which differs in what they seek to model, how general or broad or specific is the process but the model discussed above is the basis of most of these models. So allow me to create a SDLC model related to the main model above but is designed for describing how I attain my goal in life.

First of which is GOAL SETTING (which is almost a default action in this model). How can we proceed to any other process without this in hand right?

Secondly, PLANNING. I am a bit of a spontaneous person but from our previous discussion I have believed that planning is an essential step. "PLAN TO SUCCEED", is our professor's piece of advice to us.

Thirdly, PREDICTING. Predicting helps in a lot of ways especially in creating a preventive action to a certain decision. In predicting, we can see what things can be done, what options do we have, what are the probable consequences and its probable solutions.


Next would be TESTING. Predicting is not enough to see the flaws of our plans or ways in reaching a goal. We need to learn, gather knowledge and test it into certain situations.

IMPLEMENTATION would be the next process. One of the most important process in the model because without it there can be no output. Forcing or applying action, effort and time makes it possible for us to be a step closer and attain our objectives.

Lastly, view your progress. This step is not really that necessary but will be very helpful for a person to see the rate of his/her improvement and you can easily detect if you have some flaws or part of the plan that is forgotten or not done properly.

PLAN TO SUCCEED. HAPPY HOLIDAYS

SAD1: Is our system worth it??

Programs. Systems. Databases. And some more.

Over the past years (my college years that is) I have been taught how to design, code, test and maintain such things stated above and quite fortunately I was able to understand what is being taught to us (haha). This semester isn't any different from the rest because we still have to create new systems and strategic plans for our chosen company. Admittedly, my group and I tried to look for a company without an existing IS sector or those who have only have a few existing system so that it will be easier for us to propose a system needed and suited for the company.

We were torn between taking DCPO and make a Human Resource Information System or LDS and make a Record/Document Management system or Applicant-Job Matching system. In the end, being the cowards that we are we chose LDS because the system they need sounds a bit easier to make than if we chose DCPO. But our previous professor, Prof. Tamara beat us to it when she said that it was too simple and easy that it wasn't worth our time and effort. She suggested us to make a Research and Extension system for the university, an idea that we weren't too keen to take because we weren't familiar with such systems. I can say that my classmates and I are more familiar with HRIS, document management systems, heck, even financial systems because we been dealing with such systems all the time.

Actually, even before our professor asked us if the system we will be making is "worth" it, I was already pondering on the same thought. We have been making the same kind of systems in a lot and it seems to be being a bad habit for all of us. Though we are not recycling the same system over and over again because systems do have their differences but the thought of it the distinctly alike in many ways that it makes one feel that you are recycling a system. I share the same argument as my fellow classmate, Jade mentioned in class that, it is the truth that we have been dealing with the same kind of systems but up to this day those systems are still a challenge to us because coding it is really a hard thing to do. Up to this day, we still haven't "perfected" or even reached an 80% efficiency rate on the systems that we make so it means that creating an efficient system is the real challenge, I can't also ignore the truth that there are still a lot of things we haven't learned because we still haven't ventured in creating different and new systems.

No one can really blame us, the students for sticking into HRIS, financial, enrollment systems because even if it is hard we are already comfortable in such systems and venturing to other systems brings fear. Fear that we might not finish it because of the insufficient time to delve into new ideas for these new systems, fear that we will fail and fear that what we understood and learned isn't enough. But then truth remains that if we let ourselves be shaken by such fears, we will never improve, we will never be an IT professional. I have understood that and I am still trying to take that fear away because I want to succeed but honestly it is hard to do so.

Creating a Research and Extension system, a lone system set to be "shared" by two different offices seemed a bit difficult for us. We kinda feared making it, for the fact that it sounds complex (because it should be shared or connected, either using the Internet or not is a factor we were still considering at the moment). But then, I was thinking that making such a system is a challenge, it is "worth it". It has features we haven't encountered in our past systems and even if it is hard my group and I promised to work hard and learn more to do it. Though we are looking for another system (because our professor advised us to do so), to provide us other options, I think we will try to ignore making all too familiar systems because we wouldn't learn at all if we stick to "tradition". Hopefully, our professors and our other, rather gifted friends like Regina will help us in this new venture. If you have any suggestion please contact us right away.. Thank you and happy holidays.

Critical Success Factors

In today’s environment, with sudden changes in the business climate, competitors growing just about everywhere and changes in the market, business risks are greater than ever. An enterprise must create a certain distinction or a kind of individuality against other companies so as to gain the advantage and obtain more followers or customers than their competitors.

Some experts consider knowledge to be perhaps the only sustainable competitive advantage. With knowledge come better decisions, more efficient teams, and a commitment to learning. In some sources it is reported that having a healthy corporate culture that is conducive to knowledge sharing is perhaps the most important success factor. Unfortunately, changing culture is also one of the single-most difficult things to do. There are many barriers to why staffs are reluctant to share. These include lack of trust, lack of perceived value, or simple knowledge hoarding. Even without these barriers, there is the inertia of instituting any type of change. Companies must have individuals, teams and the organization as a whole believing that sharing knowledge is a healthy and normal way to do business. However, the high risk of failure is well documented which compels us to study why and then define critical success factors that are found within successful implementations.

But is knowledge the only edge one can have? What are these values and critical factors that will ensure success over other organizations especially with all the chaos in the foreign countries, banks and in the stock market itself, all of which are able to pull down a company aside from the company’s competitors?
Why don’t we start the formalities by defining what success is? Success is subject to individual interpretation based on upbringing, past experiences, role models, personal motivations and goals. Accomplishment of a goal (whether is be a long term or short term goal) or dream and the satisfaction one get through this is what success is about. What is Critical Success Factor then? Wikipedia defines Critical Success Factor to be business term for an element which is necessary for an organization or project to achieve its mission. They are the critical factors or activities required for ensuring the success your business. The term was initially used in the world of data analysis, and business analysis. Critical success factors may change over time, and may include items such as product quality, employee attitudes, manufacturing flexibility, and brand awareness. Critical success factors are elements that are vital for a strategy to be successful.

Critical Success Factors are tailored to a firm's or managers particular situation as different lead to different critical success factors. There are five key sources of Critical Success Factors’ namely: the industry, competitive strategy and industry position, environmental factors, temporal factors, and managerial position. Industry is the factor resulted from specific industry characteristics. These are the things that the organization must do to remain competitive. Environmental factors resulted from macro environmental influences on an organization. Things like the business climate, the economy, competitors, and technological advancements are included in this category.

Competitive Strategy results from the specific competitive strategy chosen by the organization. The way in which the company chooses to position themselves, market themselves, whether they are high volume low cost or low volume high cost producers. While temporal factors result from the organization's internal forces. A “good” CSF begins with an action verb and clearly and concisely conveys what is important and should attended to. Verbs that characterize actions: attract, perform, expand, monitor, manage, deploy, etc. After having developed a hierarchy of goals and their success factors, further analysis will lead to concrete requirements at the lowest level of detail. Some CSFs might influence other CSFs or factors such as markets, technologies, etc.
Such CSFs could be rephrased into “key influence factors” For example: “physical size” or “trained staff”.
When asking most business or technical people what Information Technology (IT) means, very likely one will get an answer that only involves technology. Somehow, the information element gets lost or subjugated. While technology is an important element, and arguably a CSF outright, the CSF more emphasized in research is recognizing that there is more to the solution than a technology component. Some of the efforts have learned this lesson the hard way, and it is now widely published that an implementation must involve people and processes. Specific barriers, challenges, directions, and influences will determine these Critical Success Factors.

The following are the steps to achieve Critical Success.
Step One: Establish your businesses or project's mission and strategic goals.
Ask yourself “What matters?” or “What do I want?” remember that nothing is impossible once one is set to the challenge. One should put one’s goals not only into thoughts but also in writing so as to have something tangible to hold on to at the time. Creating goals such as “To be an IT professional” isn’t enough, and it isn’t even right. One should be saying that I will be an IT professional, major in programming and working at Google after 3 years. One should be specific in every goal to avoid confusion and set a straight and certain path.


Step Two: For each strategic goal, ask yourself "what area of business or project activity is essential to achieve this goal?" Find the essence or reason to continue this train of thoughts. Do such actions necessary or not? Polish your goals.

Step Three: Identify essential elements and data.
Evaluate the list of candidate CSFs to find the absolute essential elements for achieving success - these are your Criticial Success Factors.Identify resources, assistance, information or anything else that might be needed to reach the goal. As you identify and evaluate candidate CSFs, you may uncover some new strategic objectives or more detailed objectives. So you may need to define your mission, objectives and CSFs iteratively. Deriving other data or information about the subject of your project or goal is also important.

Step Fourth: Analyzing Data
Extracting data from interviews, papers, reviews and data collected on observation is a must. A document review is a very effective means for obtaining an understanding of the focus and direction of an organization or operational unit. Most organizations document their purpose, vision, and values in a mission statement that is known to all employees. The most important data collection activity is conducting interviews with participants. In this activity, the participants have an opportunity to talk about their management challenges and their contributions to the organization and/or the operational unit’s successes and failures. The interactive nature of the interview process provides opportunities for clarification and for guiding the interview in areas that might expose particular barriers and obstacles to accomplishing the mission.

Step Five: Identify Obstacles and Create Solutions or Preventive Measures
List the obstacles one could face or expect on such goals or actions. Seeing or predicting the consequences of doing certain actions and devising solutions (cure or preventive measures) before facing the actual obstacles can save money, time and effort. Taking each obstacle one at a time, write one or more ways the obstacle could be overcome. These are tasks that will comprise your to-do list. Expect to have several tasks per obstacle. Don’t get discouraged by the obstacles– they’re absolutely necessary to help you with the next step in completing your plan.

Step Six: Assign Deadlines or Timelines
Assign a start and completion date to each task in the plan. It’s ok to be working on several different tasks at the same time, but don’t over do it. Setting time lines can help to monitor progress or inefficiency of the actions taken. Try to stick to the deadline. Be realistic.


Step Seven: Follow the Plan
Stick with what you have proposed unless changes are really inevitable. Trying to have an adaptive perspective might be unnecessary and time consuming. Focus on the plan.

Step Eight: Identify how you will monitor and measure each of the Critical Success Factors.
Identify ways, or devise strategies and plans on how to monitor progress and efficiency before and during the implementation or execution of the goals.

Step Nine: Communicate your Critical Success Factors along with the other important elements of your business or project's strategy.

Step Ten: Keep monitoring and reevaluating your Critical Success Factors to ensure you keep moving towards your aims. Indeed, whilst Critical Success Factors are sometimes less tangible than measurable goals, it is useful to identify as specifically as possible how you can measure or monitor each one.
A critical success factor starts with a vision:
Mission statement
Develop 5-6 high level goals
Develop hierarchy of goals and their success factors
Lists of requirements, problems, and assumptions
Leads to concrete requirements at the lowest level of decomposition (a single, implementable idea) Along the way, identify the problems being solved and the assumptions being made Cross-reference usage scenarios and problems with requirements
Analysis matrices
Problems vs. Requirements matrix
Usage scenarios vs. Requirements matrix
Solid usage scenarios
Relationship to Usage Scenarios
Usage scenarios or "use cases"; provide a means of determining:
Are the requirements aligned and self-consistent?
Are the needs of the user being met as well as those of the enterprise?
Are the requirements complete
Results of the Analysis

Purpose and Challenges of ISP

Discuss the purpose of IS planning and identify its major challenges?
Throughout the previous questions given, one can pick out S/IS plan or Strategic Information System plan as a common factor. One might think that having it discussed either briefly or deeply, ranging from one to two thousand words that contain ideas about strategic information system planning, that some might be already fed up or burned up and having no other fresh idea to start the topic again. Honestly, I thought of the same idea too when I read the question for this thread. I actually thought of recycling some of my essays but I kinda recoiled at the idea because it would not be very nice to be not original and fresh especially when I put all of my essays on my blog. It just would not feel right to me and to my readers especially to my professor. Hahaha..

But then again, the information society and the web surprised me - again. As I was searching for related topics to help me answer the enigma given above, I found and read quite many yet unique hits about strategic information systems planning. It proved that in the world of Information Technology, and in cyber space, one could not over exploit a topic. New discoveries, different explanations and many sites are there to guide a lost lamb like myself to have a fresh idea and new perspective on a certain issue. I found out that I was not that familiar with information systems planning; as I originally thought (I am kinda embarrassed right now for thinking that I knew a lot when I actually do not. haha). A lot of related or extra stuff worth learning are still there waiting to be read.

From what I have accumulated on my readings, my current definition of strategic information systems planning is that is it the continuous review of computer technology, applications and management structure to ensure that the current and anticipated information and process needs of the organization are met in a way that provides an acceptable return on investment, is sensitive to the dynamic politics and culture of the organization and is aware of the sociological environment within which the organization exists.

Strategic information system plan requires: An understanding of the nature of the organisation, its goals and objectives, where it is going, its culture, and how it ‘thinks’; an understanding of information technology, what is available, how IT is changing, what the potential uses are; an understanding of information needs, what information flows through the organisation; what decisions are made as a result; how information supports business processes; an understanding of people, what their roles are in the organisation, what their objectives and motives are, how they implement business processes; and an understanding of the environment, what influences the organisation - legislation, markets, technology, media.
Planning involves thinking ahead and designing future action. But there are many approaches to this. IS planning tends to think in rational analytical ways: thinking ahead, rational analysis, draughtsmanship, design and logic. Information systems planners may take a classical approach to planning: uses structured planning techniques, formal and rational, hierarchical command and control.

According also to Gorman, there are certain characteristics of an information systems plan that are desirable to produce the optimal performance. These are: 1. Timely, 2. Usable, 3. Maintainable, 4. Quality, and 5. Reproducible. The ISP must be timely. An ISP that is created long after it is needed is useless. In almost all cases, it makes no sense to take longer to plan work than to perform the work planned. The ISP must be useable. It must be so for all the projects as well as for each project. The ISP should exist in sections that once adopted can be parceled out to project managers and immediately started. The ISP must be maintainable. New business opportunities, new computers, business mergers, etc. all affect the ISP. The ISP must support quick changes to the estimates, technologies employed, and possibly even to the fundamental project sequences. While the ISP must be a quality product, no ISP is ever perfect on the first try. As the ISP is executed, the metrics employed to derive the individual project estimates become refined as a consequence of new hardware technologies, code generators, techniques, or faster working staff. The ISP must be reproducible. That is, when its development activities are performed by any other staff, the ISP produced should essentially be the same. The ISP should not significantly vary by staff assigned. Once these changes are accomplished, the new ISP should be just a few computer program executions away.

But what good does it do? What is the behind its creation? Why do companies exert effort and give out funds to do this study? Even though an information system costs a thousand or even millions of pesos and even through most chief information officers can specify exactly how much money is being spent for hardware, software, and staff, CIOs cannot however state with any degree of certainty why one system is being done this year versus next, why it is being done ahead of another, or finally, why it is being done at all. Why oh why indeed?
Well, let us just discuss the purpose for executing information systems planning to enlighten the enigmas just raised.

The main purpose and goal of implementing a strategic information system plan (for me) is to deliver business benefits to an organization. It translates strategic and organizational goals into systems development initiatives. Strategic Information Systems Planning involves understanding what the business goals are and identifying how information systems can support those goals by delivering benefits. Business/IS alignment is a key concept, but perhaps we should talk about integration. The information systems plan project determines the sequence for implementing specific information systems. The goal of the strategy is to deliver the most valuable business information at the earliest time possible in the most cost-effective manner.

The end product of the information systems project is an information systems plan (ISP). Once deployed, the information systems department can implement the plan with confidence that they are doing the correct information systems project at the right time and in the right sequence. The focus of the ISP is not one information system but the entire suite of information systems for the enterprise.

Information System should be an integrated resource within the organization which contributes to the organization’s core competencies which may result in sustainable competitive advantage. Many enterprises do not have model-based information systems development environments that allow system designers to see the benefits of rearranging an information systems development schedule.

The planning of information systems cannot be considered as a one-off or occasional event. It is a continuous sustained process, as we plan and re-plan and respond to changes in the business environment. The prime objective of doing a strategic information system plan is alignment: to ensure that the information system provision matches the business needs in what it does (context), how it does it (process) and when it does it (timing).

Another objective of information systems planning is to discover new technology, strategies and ideas that would help the company, if ever they are qualified to be implemented. Information Systems seeks to provide for operational efficiency, better services and co-ordination between partners. It also plays the role as a business driver whom wields the sense of innovation and change in the enterprise. It is also considered as a business support for it aims and does reduce uncertainty and increase efficiency in business operations and company relations.
Another role of information systems planning is a commodity service provider which calls information technology for its efficiency and seen as an expense to control. Sometimes, SISP takes the role of strategic partner that fuels business growth. Information Technology enables organizational architecture, supports business processes, influences organizational structure and substitute’s organizational structure.

Other purposes or importance of information systems planning is future analysis to predict changes over expected life of portfolio, forecasting horizon and planning horizon. Through strategic information system plan it may determine the company’s position in the marketplace; produce greater productivity through greater efficiency; and provide new products and opportunities.

It involves identifying information needs and process needs, reflecting on the context and culture, examining current IT architecture for match and mismatch, identifying approaches for shifting IT architecture to meet information needs, modifying information needs in the light of IT shift.

Strategic information system plan requires technical and managerial understanding; planning the details and thinking holistically; rational, analytical know-how and political sensitivity to reach its purpose to be beneficial to the company.
It has a good amount of advantages to its account. Strategic Information System Plan has several advantages like identifying most desirable applications in which to invest, help an organisation use its information system to carry out existing business strategy, help it define new business strategy. Failure to do some planning may result in: missed opportunities, duplicated systems, incompatible systems, and wasted resources.

There are several obstacles for strategic management. And they are: security, qualitative analysis, employees, owners, implementation, manager’s selection, investors, “Analysis” versus “Intuition”, “I am the manager” and data.
Let us now talk about each obstacle and let us start with security. Most managers feel that everything is a secret and obviously they think that no one else should know the strategy and thus no one else should make a study for our strategic plan and there is no strategy. Two other obstacles seem closely related to the fist one and they are: manager’s selection and “I am the manager”. In manager’s selection, most company’s managers in developing countries are experts in the technical process of the organization but they are not well educated in management and thus they want to focus on what they know and neglect what they do not know. Accordingly, strategic management does not fall in their area of interest. While on “I am manager”: the strategy shows a guide for decisions, so, an employee may, sometimes, tell the senior manager that his decision is against the company strategy. Thus the manager avoids having a strategy to keep his freedom to decide whatever he likes. From these three closely related challenges; one can notice that the challenges come from the managers who are not technically knowledgeable leading to indecision fueled by ignorance.

Other human related challenges present in executing strategic information systems planning are the employees, owners and investors. Most employees and managers are not aware about the value of strategic planning and they may consider it waste of time and something that is applicable. Many owners of successful companies believe they don’t need to do strategic planning and they do not know that their success will go one day when there are more competitors or there are changes in the market. Investors however looks at the company having a clear strategic plan and clear goals for the future (other than increasing sales of the current products) does not affect the stock price because most of the investors do not care about those issues.
The remaining challenges are not directly human based issues but also contain the same level of risks in ISP and these are; data, qualitative analysis, implementation and, “Analysis” versus “Intuition”. Finding data is a real challenge because there is available statistics is far below those available in developing countries. Most companies try to keep any financial information and consider them secrets. It is not possible to know the demand in last year of a certain product or service. People are not used to market research and they don’t want to talk to the marketing people. In qualitative analysis, strategic planning needs a lot of forecasting and qualitative analysis besides the quantitative analysis. Many technical managers are not used to neither the qualitative analysis nor the forecasting. Analysis versus intuition however as a blend of human related reasons as well as environment based risks. In this idea, most people do not think that a manager should do analysis or have done for him they think that some people are talented to take the right decision without doing many calculations or having subordinates make a study for them.
Once these obstacles are passed on can almost guarantee for a successful strategic information system plan. In light of course that the study is done with enough time, money and with the cooperation of the company and its employees.

Twilight : The Movie Review

The film adaptation of Stephanie Meyer's best selling novel, Twilight, was released last November 21,2008. Fans all over the world flocked around cinema houses and some even camped outside the cinemas just to be one of the first fans to watch the movie.

Twilight,however hit the Philippine shores last November 26,and as much as I'm a helpless Twilight addict,I decided to see the movie 3 days after the movie was released because that's the only time where my friends and I have the same free schedule. Of course,watching the most awaited movie of the year will be so much fun with a lot of friends with you and share comments and "violent reactions" after the movie, so waiting for three days was essential. Another reason would be because,as I said a while ago,it one of the most awaited movie of the year and I am sure, even if the Philippine moviegoers are not as frenzied as the American fans, there will be a stampede in the theaters,and I surely don't want to undergo such ordeals. But unfortunately, even after 3 days from its release, the cinemas are still jam packed. The stairs and corners are full of people. Even if its kinda annoying at times, I kinda like it that my fave movie has a lot of supporters. Girls, ladies and gays clap, cheer and scream a lot when Edward is on screen or if he is with Bella. It was a lot of fun.

Now, to the review.. It was great.!! It didn't really surpassed my expectations but its okay. As much as I would like to say that it was perfect, I could find myself saying it. If you are a Twilight book reader, you can notice that a lot of events were incorrect, like who-said-this, where-this-happened, who-was-with-who etc. But its acceptable because I didn't really expect them to follow the book religiously in making the movie. I mean, how can anyone fit a 500 paged novel into 2 houred movie right? After many Harry Potter movie disappointments,I finally understood that fact. And to think that Harry Potter is a super budgeted movie and still it lacks a lot of scenes when compared to its novel counterpart, what does a small budgeted Twilight movies' chances to not commit the same problem right. I was amazed how Katherine Hardwicke (director) was able to fit a small budget that seems unfit for a movie like this caliber but she pulled it off, nicely done if I might add. The effects were just the way I imagined it to be, nothing too over the top, it was just right.

If there's any positive side in having a small budget is that the actors were supposed to do the stunts in a real place and not behind the green screen. I distinctly remember that Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan), said in an interview that they can't afford using the green screen so that those tree climbing and fight scenes were done on location, totally cool.

As for the actors, well, Robert Pattinson is totally a hottie and he seems to give justice to Edward Cullen's character, though he seemed portray that Edward was this nervous vampire than a cool, almost indifferent one that you can see in the Twilight novel. But this was later justified when I read the Midnight Sun novel. I heard that Meyer gave Robert a copy of Midnight Sun to help him act as Edward. But the only time I got disappointed was when they were riding Emmett's truck to escape James. That scene should have a lot of fury and shouting for Edward instead of a nervous Edward who just seems to explain that James was a tracker. I would have been a nice scene if he was really shouting with anger and all. But aside from that he's alright, I just hope he can portray anger much better next time. Thumbs up to his accent too, the only time he let his English accent slip was when he said "Its as if you could outrun me.!!".

The cast was really great. I wasn't really familiar with most of the cast but I can say that they did a good job especially the Cullens because they really did look like models. Especially, Carlisle,he was smoking hot. But I was disappointed with Kristen Stewart who played the role of Bella Swan. A lot of people and cast said that she was really a great actress but I didn't approve much of her acting in the movie, she seems to stutter and blink a lot. I might let her pass with her stuttering because it may be needed for a scene but what's with all the blinking.!! I mean, is she sick with a blinking disease or what.!! I hope she stops doing that in the next movie. But she was totally amazing at the fight scene when she was bitten. Alice was the prettiest vampire there, she was really graceful and all even if they were playing baseball. Jasper looked really funny though but when you read Midnight Sun, you can understand why he looked like that. hahaha..

In their lab, I noticed that there was an owl(?) sculpture behind Edward and it made him look like a seraph because only the wings were scene. Edward in the sun was really nice too, just like small diamonds. The meadow though wasn't that much pretty but I just thought that it may have paled in comparison to the shimmering Edward. Charlie was one of the most unexpected character in movie because he was the one who was making me crack up. He was this playful and protective father to Bella. He was one of my favorites too.

For Stephanie Meyer fans, I hope that you also noticed that she did a cameo in the movie. She was at the diner, typing on her laptop. She looked really funny because she looked like she was trying her best not to laugh. hahaha...

The Relationship between the Business Plan and the IS plan and the Difficulties It Poses

What should be the nature of the relationship between the business plan and the IS plan?

Before establishing a degree of relationship that exists between the business plan and the Strategic/ Information System Plan in an enterprise or business, there seems to be a need to expound on each areas. Defining each terms, giving relative examples and certain situations where each of the business plan and the strategic/ information system plan is essential in this topic so as to create the needed distinction and derive the level or nature of relationship between the business plan and the information system plan, which is to begin with is the question at hand.


If you were to ask me on what would I say if I were asked what is a business plan, I would have to say that it consist of the present but mostly the future undertakings a company has set to achieve their desired goals. An analogy for this is like building a gantt chart, creating a schedule of future activities, setting time lines and milestones and checking for progress or development. But, I reckon that creating a gantt chart is also involved in making a business plan. That is what I think of when asked about a business plan.

As what I read from Wikipedia, a business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons why they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals. Reading this I can say that I deserve a thumbs up because it sounds fairly the same as what I thought about.
It was also stated that the business goal can be either for for-profit or non-profit reasons. When the plans at hand are focusing on generating income or is made for financial reason it is what we call “For-profit business plan”. While non-profit, from the name itself refers to plans that tend to focus on service goals and doesn't really involve gathering profit or finances. Thou it was said that non-profits may also help on maximizing profit, for the reason that they may create an avenue for the business to be advertised. Business plans also consists if target changes in target changes in perception and branding by the customer, client, tax-payer, or larger community. A business plan having changes in perception and branding as its primary goals is called a marketing plan. Business plans may be internally or externally focused. Externally focused plans target goals that are important to external stakeholders, particularly financial stakeholders. They typically have detailed information about the organization or team attempting to reach the goals. Internally focused business plans target intermediate goals required to reach the external goals. They may cover the development of a new product, a new service, a new IT system, a restructuring of finance, the refurbishing of a factory or a restructuring of the organization. An internal business plan is often developed in conjunction with a balanced score card or a list of critical success factors. This allows success of the plan to be measured using non-financial measures. Business plans that identify and target internal goals, but provide only general guidance on how they will be met are called strategic plans.

Now enough about the business plan, let us now venture into the realms of strategic/ information system planning. I was to be asked about my opinion on strategic/ information system planning, I would say that it deals with creating plans of establishing and maintaining an information system department or implement information system in a company.

I arrived to that trail of thought for my experience in developing a information system plan in the past. Last semester, we were tasked to create an Information System plan for our chosen company. The data we took consists of what were the current facilities being used, what databases or systems that are currently existing and their topology and applications. The aim of that paper was to generate new plans, ideas or solutions from the problems we have seen in their current IS status. We advised our adopted company to procure other facilities that they lack which seemed necessary for their business and we also suggested developing new systems that seemed beneficial for the company. In other words, it deals with setting ideas to “automize” a company in terms of services and taking their facilities a notch higher through the use of technology. It is a technical document intended for staff with implementation responsibility for a company's databases and systems. It describes the analysis of the Strategic Model to develop the SISP; in appendices it documents the Strategic Data Model in detail. The Strategic Plan identifies information needed by goals, objectives and key performance indicators . The SISP reviewed the mission, vision,direction, goals, strengths, weaknesses, objectives and threats that might occur and exist in a business.


From the descriptions above, it can be said that the strategic business plan is a part of the business plan. Business plan is a more general term than strategic/ information planning. Business plan is the over-all “fight plan”, made even before the business was built. Unlike in the Strategic Information Plan, it can be devised before or after establishing the enterprise. A good analogy for this is a program that has threads. A program is the business plan which holds different plans for different sectors of the company to achieve the projected goal or output. Threads (of which I will not explain any further for we are an IT community so I am expecting you are familiar with this ), are plans and one or more of those maybe the Strategic/ Information System plan, which may function differently than others but still stays true to the goal of the main program which is to reach the goals for the continued progress of a business. With all the differences between the two terms being discussed on this topic, we can observe that their main similarity is their main goal and that they are used for the same reason and that is to bring in development.

What are the two most frequently experienced causes of frustration in IS professionals and users while working on an IS plan?

Computer based information systems are becoming not only a trend but also essential to the development, and execution of the over-all business plan or strategy. Business managers, however are too often besieged by the inadequate new systems with the missed target dates and over run budgets. These managers are questioning whether their firms are selecting and developing systems effectively and efficiently. To select and develop computer based information system, firms conventionally follow the systems development life cycle. The mystique that the computer is also challenged – that the computer is incomprehensible to the mortal business managers executive and must therefore be managed by technicians who may have a little understanding of the business organization. Finally these actions that the business managers and information system managers should take to develop more effective computer based systems are identified.

Computer based information systems firms are becoming increasingly vital to business and industry, More and more firms are attempting to use them to compete globally. Large and complex systems are being used to support the delivery of existing products and services to customers and for developing new products and services closely tied to their computers. They are making efforts to eliminate internal inefficiencies. Fierce competition, especially in the global market place and the falling price s of computers technology have and will continue to stimulate these endeavors.

In line with these before doing any implementation an information systems plan is to be made to attain the set goal. An Information system plan is a technical document intended for staff with implementation responsibility for an enterprise' databases and systems. It is a process for developing a strategy and plans for aligning information systems with the business strategies of an organization. Its goal is to help an organization provide business-focused Information Systems that enable and support their mission. It describes the analysis of the Strategic Model to develop the strategic information system plan; in appendices it documents the Strategic Data Model in detail. The Strategic Plan identifies information needed by goals, objectives and key performance indicators. The strategic information system plan reviewed the mission, vision,direction, goals, strengths, weaknesses, objectives and threats that might occur and exist in a business.

Like what I stated in the previous assignment, last semester, we were tasked to create an Information System plan for our chosen company. Looking back now, I tried to vision the difficulties we had encountered in creating the information system plan, and since I don't have any idea what are, specifically, the two most frequently experienced causes of frustration in information systems professionals and users while working on an information systems plan, my reply for the question given above is clearly from my own experience and nothing more. I don't have any other useful reference that would give me an idea whether I am on the right track or not, so forgive me if I got this wrong.

Well, back again to our previous argument, we, stating my group mates and I feeling like we were buried in an inch deep of water when making the IS plan. It was difficult and frustrating for a lot of reasons and if I rate all of it the top two on my list would be: 1. technicality on terms and the job itself 2. time pressure and budget.

IT world, is a whole new, limitless, unending and ever changing dimension. A system or device might be the best today but tomorrow something might surpass it. With this ever changing character, it was hard for us to devise an IS plan that will be suitable for the present status of the economy and the company. In a user's point of view, this degree of technicality, a new whole thing to him, change would be harder to accept.

Time pressure to create an IS plan is another frustrating variable, it not only pressures to the point of emotional stress but it also stresses the wallet or the budget. Lack of budget and if not enough time was given to create an IS plan that would surely be a headache to the IS professionals doing the job.

But I think on more professional level the frustrations would be caused by A: time pressure and B. the uncertainty of doing the job because of top management is not committing to the project or they don't cooperate much with the said project. Doing an information system plan needs help, guidance and assistance from the common employees to the top level management not only in financing the project but also in gathering important information and data to make the IS plan a possible goal. But a business comprises of several people working different tasks and it would be very difficult to get their time and attention, some of them aren't even familiar with the company's ICT aspects.

My future, my fantasy.!!

Think about yourself worthy to be called as IT professional, how do you see yourself 10 years from now, what are your strategies to get there?

The question stated above can be answered in just a few words, a few sentences or phrases perhaps but before that let us try to dissect the question and layout words and experiences of high importance that will make us understand those words above and thus deriving to a conclusion that the question is seeking.

Future. Tomorrow. Two words that evidently differ in the form they are spelled, in the manner they are used and in the degree or length of the period of time that they refer. But amidst such discernible differences both can be said to share the same essence, An essence that translates a period of time after today, after the present. A time often imagined, tried being oversee, a time of uncertainty. A product of yesterday’s dreams and today’s actions, it is what we call as the CONSEQUENCES of the past and present. It makes one wonder, “What would I be?”, “What would my future would be like?”.

Fate. Destiny. Words of different form and character but carries the same trail of thought. Both terms seems to the order of things predetermined or established by some divine decree. Every person has a different fate, a unique destiny, a different path of life that is determined by his decisions. Should one believe in something like fate or destiny? Thou the point being stressed here is not the destiny of falling in love with someone or any other romantic delusions one has but to the academic point of view. Would one be destined for greatness? More specifically, am I destined to be an IT professional, my services being sought with all those large and well known corporations?

Dreams. Goals. Most of the times these words are used interchangeably. If not, then is used to relate the other word from the other. Both are very much in tune to the same idea when defined, thus making most people confused of the manner of using both words but in reality the execution of both words varies largely, distinguishing their differences more clearly. man was created a dreamer sculpted for towering ambitions and colossal aspiration. He is endowed with the conscience and knowledge of good and evil, equipped with the exceptional artistry, dexterity.

Have you ever dreamed of sailing around the world-alone? Or have dreamed of being an Olympic equestrian, a CSI detective, or win a Nobel Prize? How about being an IT professional or simply finishing college as an IT fourth year regular student?

If you have ever dreamed or aspired to accomplish any of these difficult tasks or any of a thousand others the human mind can dream- then you are alive. You are a thinking, feeling human being that is emotionally, spiritually and physically alive, for dreams are the fire that lights up our human spirit.

Every person within her, her own set of dreams and goals in life, but what is a dream? A dream is an idea that develops within a courageous human mind and it is like a seed. If a seed is carefully planted at the appointed time in fertile soil and matured with the proper amount of water and sunlight, it will spring into life and bloom to full maturity. So is it with the dreams of men. It was one said that,” A man who has a dream is a man with a promise. A man pursuit of a dream a man who is alive. A man who has achieved a dream is a man who has experienced life and conversely, a man who has a cold heart or sterile mind or is engulfed in fear to achieve his dreams is a man who is dead.”

All dreams however, like every great and noble aspiration that has passed in one’s mind, are difficult to achieve, because all dreams are attended with risks. I, for one, is thinking that “Would I really finish my studies at the appointed time? Would I fail again? But if I would I shall rise again. Would I really be a competent and globally competitive IT professional in the future? Am I really destined to be one?” In thoughts like those we can see to opposing but mysteriously interrelated human emotions that exist in all of us and that are, fear and courage. Many people don’t realize (or is it only me) that in order to achieve dreams they need to face the risks positively. How many of us have been swept under by fear only to find within ourselves a source of courage beyond our own comprehension? Is it not the fear of the unknown, of the future, of our ability and competence which creates challenge and willingness to say I can? And is it not that ensuing drive to meet the test that generates our courage, which in turn, is our source of strength to conquer fear and meet the challenge? Fear and courage are always present in our dreams and if, however, fear suffocates our courage, we will fail; if courage sterilizes fear, we will die; but if a proper mixture of both permeates our quest, we will succeed. It therefore takes courage to dream, for successful dreamers are neither weak men or are they fools.

But dreaming isn’t enough. A wise men one said, “Do not live in your dreams and forget to live”. It is wonderful to have a dream. It can also be wonderful to have a goal. They can be useful, or a burden, depending on where you are in your personal growth. Today, though, I am looking at something different. Today I am looking at the difference between having a dream and having a goal.

A dream is a goal without legs. It is a wonderful thing to have, can be the guiding passion of your life, but unless you clarify it and give it the legs to move toward you, getting there is going to be very much a matter of luck.

To transform a dream into a reachable goal you must clarify it, provide the details, and make it so clear that you can see it, feel it, know what you will feel like when you get there. This works for you in many ways. It clarifies what you want to the point that you will always be attuned to anything that is relevant. Opportunities will not pass you by unnoticed. It shows you what you need to do to get there, step by action step. It makes false detours and dead ends less likely to distract you. And perhaps the images you carry in your mind and heart will echo out to the universe for manifestation. The clearer and more vivid the image, the more likely are all of these things to happen.
Goals and dreams complement each other. If you only have dreams without any goals to support them, you can easily feel overwhelmed by the enormity of your dream. The shorter-term goals provide achievable intermediate targets that serve as stepping stones toward your dream.

If you only have goals but no dreams, you can easily fall into the trap of focusing so much on the steps that you lose sight of your destination. You run the risk of forgetting "why" you are pursuing these goals in the first place. Specific short-term goals are not terribly motivating by themselves either; their power comes from their connection to a big inspiring dream.

Looking back when I was still in my preschool days, I used to imagine myself carrying a brief case full of folders and legal papers, my hair pulled back in a tight bun and wearing smart looking glasses to intimidate my opponents in the legal battle that I am going to be in. I dreamed of being a lawyer whether it be for criminal law or tax law. For me, in that early stage of my life and young mind, it seemed really cool to be a lawyer. Later on, I changed my mind and decided to be a teacher instead. I was having a lot of hard time going to school and face the scary teachers scowling at us and giving us all these exams and projects and I thought that if I became a country serving, nationalistic teacher I can make other kids suffer the way I did when I was young. Its a kind of a payback for me. But then I fall out of liking that dream of mine because it really seemed silly and childish not to mention a bit diabolical, to a point of stupidity if I might add.

It was a beginning of another school year, my senior and last year in high school. For three years, I have worked hard to be where I am now, or rather at that time. Finally a senior in high school, a young person on the threshold of adulthood, thinking of important but silly things like, What have I become?“, “What will I take up in college?”, “What do I want to be like?”, and other things concerning m future. I told myself that I have to set my goals, to make plans. I want to look into the distant future and see the things that can be the consequences of my actions or my decisions-to-be. Even though a lot of people expressed their opinions of college being almost hell-like (as some may put it), full of hardships, sleepless nights and torment brought by the monster professors, I cannot seem to imagine myself in such frightening situations. I was always thinking that maybe some people was just exaggerating things. I have no time to ponder on such things because actually I still haven’t chosen, a college I would like to go to, more importantly I still have not decided on a course. All this things like planning and strategizing my way to a college or to find a course just remained as thoughts. Later on, I heard my friends are taking exams in various colleges, so I joined in all those exams without any clear direction. A huge portion of my acquaintances and close friends were stuck between choosing a medical or computer related course, so was I at that point. I passed nearly all college entrance exams I took and since most of my friends tried to enroll as an Information Technology or Computer Science student in the University of South Eastern Philippines where I also passed. And finally I decided, rather abruptly, to go to this university, who is known for being a tough school wherein a huge percentage of the students are not only brilliant but also scholars under various foundations and organizations. I said to myself that since I don’t know what course I would want to be in or I don’t know what university I want to attend, I would just pick a college where a lot of my friends would enroll.

Why? Simply because if I ever feel sad or miserable at least I have a lot of friends to help me and to guide me and well, to cry on. It was kind of cowardly of me, now that I think about it but that was really the main reason why I became an Information Technology student in the University of South Eastern Philippines. (Sir Gamboa may wrung my neck if he reads this. Kidding!!) . Making decisions was the painful part for me, the part I agonized over. But once the decision was made, I simply followed through — usually with relief that the choice was made. Sometimes the relief was tainted by despair, like my decision to come to USEP as an IT student. But it was still better than wrestling with the alternatives. This decision was ridiculously easy to live with, just go with the flow and deal wit all te consequences, that’s what I thought. I tried to think of the positive things rather than pondering on the negative things. For example, instead of fearing that I will be horrible in a computer related course because I have no computer knowledge, I don’t even surf the net that much those days and I would fare better in a science or medical course because (I ‘m not bragging but) I am good in sciences and I totally love Biology and Chemistry, I told myself rather enthusiastically that I must build up my weakness in dealing with computers than strengthen my knowledge on things that I am already good at. My sister thought that I made a brave and right move for the same reason. Sometimes, I get confused n whether I am really saying all those stuff to assure my family that I made the right decision or if I am convincing my own self, but either ways I convinced my sister and a part of myself at that time, and that seems enough. But it also occurred to me that it’s also high time for kids like me living in this digital society to be familiar with computer and the cyber space for it’s the information age.

For these past three years in college, I learned to love my course and my school, not only due to my old and newly acquired friends but also to all the things I learned that made me get excited, ecstatic and sometimes scared. It seems to grow on me with each passing day. I have realized a lot of things, really, like we are in the information age of the digital society and technology it growing more and more everyday through the brilliant minds of the IT professionals like Bill Gates, the creator of Microsoft and Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founders of Google.

Speaking of Google, one night I saw news about Google. A place where all computer geeks like me considered as a haven. According to that news, Google was ranked as the number ONE office or work haven in the world. It offers not only a place for computer nerds and wizards to serve the masses by providing a well built and maintained search engine but also other websites and services that the cyber space can offer. Google for me, makes the word impossible seem non-existent. This is my new professed dream, to work in Google’s main office and be one of its contributors or partner. In class, I was not the smartest student but I always try to do my best to be one. I listen to the lessons, I do my projects and assignments without crying about the sleepless nights and no-bath-days that I had in a few consecutive days. I did all of these not only to be a good student but also to be a successful IT professional in the future.

One of my subjects required me to adopt an IT related company and do interviews, scrutinize their networks and systems and al that stuff. We were asked to develop a Information System Plan, and upon hearing it I thought it would be easy. Later I found out it wasn’t. Why? Through the interviews, company visits and system observation, what I know at the moment is still insufficient. The IT world is so broad, can not be drawn to a map, it has limitless boundaries and possibilities. I realized that even if I finish four years of college studying about it through the entire lessons given to me, I can not learn all things that an IT professional should know.
And from what I called “NEAR FAILED EXPERIENCED”, I had last semester from my other class, it confirmed my thoughts that I seem to have left a lot of IT rocks unturned. It dawned me that with a pace as slow as I am going now how can I be a Google partner or contributor with such lack of knowledge. I cannot say that it the university’s fault since as I said the IT environment is so broad that they can’t possibly cram them all into the prospectus. It all down to me, I guess.

Going back to the question given above, I like to see myself as a brilliant IT professional who balances her time as a Google contributor, an IT enterprise or IT school owner, and a family woman of course.

Right now, my first strategy to achieve these goals is to do some planning and this time to actually pour some efforts and actions to it. I believe that strategic planning makes false detours and dead ends less likely to distract me. I would try to be specific in creating my plans and goals. Study in school, and do some self study for other things that my classes can not teach me. I think the self study part is the most important; one should not be contented with what other people teach them. Especially, in an environment like IT community and cyber space where it is unending, and ever changing, I should have to keep on studying and researching. True, that even if I have a whole lifetime to study I can not over turn every star of knowledge in a vast IT sky so should be my learning. Doing that shows perseverance to gain success. And lastly open my eyes for any opportunity that may pass my way, and if in a moment that no opportunity is passing my by, I think I could make ways to weave through in and out of place where opportunity lies. There’s no point in just sitting and waiting for it to come. One should not pray for luck instead do anything in one’s power to succeed. At the end of the day, no matter how cheesy must this sound, perseverance and passion for what one does keeps him or in my case, her to succeed in life. PS: Don’t forget to ask guidance from God of course for with Him anything is possible just be sure to combine actions and hard work to one’ prayers.

Rep 2: Problems of Information Systems Planning

Since the class sharing of the first group was fast and brief, the second group comprised of Jonard, Master Jalil and Riza was called upon to deliver their report.

Their topic was addressing the problems in information systems planning. It was divided onto four subtopics namely;

•Alignment of the IS Plan with the organizational plan
•Design of an information System Architecture
•Allocation of Development Resources
•Completion of Projects on time and according to budget

The first two subtopics was delivered by Jonard Laganson while third was by Master Jalil and the last was by the only girl in the group, Riza Gador.

Actually, just like the first group their report was also delivered to well, fast and brief. But then, comparing the two groups I reckon that the second group did better because all of them gave a lot of examples, comments and "tried" (stressing the word again, TRIED), to have us, the audience to take part in their discussion. haha.!!

Rep 1: Evolution of Information Systems Planning

After our professor's "homily" and having all the technical glitches being fixed, the reporters finally proceeded to their class "sharing". The first group, whom consisted of Jaymar (hi mine.!!), Melgar (H2x) and Maria Teresa (Matit, as we fondly call her).

There report is about the eras or time in which an important phase in information systems planning might have occurred or to when and how information system has evolved throughout time.

The report was really just so brief that's why I can't really further expound on the topic like I usually do (defensive.?? jejeje). Its the truth actually, haha.. nice work to the reporters.

A Professor's Homily

Having the reporting finally started today, a lot of technical problems have occurred. While we were waiting for some of our classmates or rather reporters to arrive while fixing some of the technical glitches, our professor started to discuss certain things to us, wherein which we would call it a "homily".

It not about godly things, as one might have derived from our description but its a sort of a review to some items he already discussed to us (of which I wont deny, that I or we forgot already. Talk about short term memory loss).

Just like our last discussion, our professor who was first discussing about where strategic planning started then about the world being flat due to cyber space and later the talks feel on our respective goals and dreams. Its a funny how certain discussion fall into topics that seem poles apart. But I understand that our professor is stating a point in relation to strategic planning not only in one's studies or occupation but also to one's life. He is always keen on asking us about our goals in life, on what do we do to achieve those and are we planning to succeed or not.

Honestly, this topics is one that I try to avoid. Stupid as I may sound but it true. Why? Well, it because our professor is right. I create certain decisions abruptly. I don't spend time to think things over, devise a "bulletproof plan" to make things go the way I wanted smoothly and surely. I guess I am really a spontaneous person in more than one way. I don't want to face the reality that I was planning to fail. Facing such thoughts just tends to freak me out. But then, its now a lesson learned. I should and would plan from now on (I hope).

Also, in this semester, we are to produce a Strategic Plan directed to the Institute of Computing. It aims to devise a plan that will enlighten the faculty, staff and university officials on the problems of the institute and what are the ways that we can address to each problem. He told us to look for the S.W.O.T, which means the Strength, Weakness, Oppurtunities and Threats that the institute and its community is undergoing. Determining such factors can help us to see the things that undermine the growth of the Institute of Computing and create solutions for it.

Also, he discussed the STEEP or PESTE principle to us. This principle refers to Political, Economical, Sociological, Technical and Environmental Issues that we must adhere to in doing our major paper.


It may sound that we really have a serious talk in our class a while a go but actually we were all goofing off since our professor keeps on making jokes that I wouldn't dare to post here (just guess why.. hahaha) and due to some of our comical classmates lead by King George (peace George). To Simon, we may not be that close but condolence on the spermies (joke lang jejeje). All in all, its another fun filled (hmm.. partly) freezing day in school.

..what wiLL I be.???

Questions tends to boggle the mind of people and one of the questions that bewilders me the most is "What do you see yourself doing a few years from now??"..

Why?? Well, its because its about the future, a time a bit far from where or when I am now. I am still student, struggling at that, who endures sleepless nights and sometimes no bath due to overloading projects from my subjects. I am still having a hard time thinking on how to do certain tasks, prepare for quizzes and projects so thinking about things that would occur in the future seems futile for me at this point. "Concentrate on the present and let tomorrow worry about itself", I always say.

So when someone asks me this question, I get kinda queasy, because I have no straight forward answer. But honestly, I really dreamed of working in Google, not only because its an IT haven but also it is the most ideal enterprise to work in the whole world (according to study and survey).

Google is one of the factors that encouraged me to enroll as a BS in Information Systems student in the University of South Eastern Philippines. I thought that if I be an IT professional, I would have a chance to work in Google or Yahoo or be an animator (I am a huge otaku fan.!! hahaha). Any of those jobs would make me really ecstatic.

As I became a full pledge IT student in USEP, I learned a lot of things about computers and programming yet I don't see myself as an expert or knowledgeable about IT or computer stuff. I just feel as if the computer is just someone I am acquainted with and not a close friend which should be the preferable state. Even with all I learned and I know I am going to learn in the university, I realized that its not right to solely dependent on the university I am attending. Though it teaches me all the basics and more of the things I should know about, the IT world is such as wide scope that the four corners of the classroom and the university lab can never conquer.

To be what I want to be, whether it be a Google contributor, programmer or animator, I would embody certain values such as diligence, hard work and having fun with the learning process. Learning either from the university, seminars, tutorials or self study must be undertaken to cover maybe not all but mostly of the IT knowledge that I could gain. In the end, perseverance and will shall lead me to what I will be 5 years from now and hopefully I can be a full pledged IT professional by that time.

"Change We Need"

History now unfolds itself as the strongest country in the world have a newly elected President. What separates this man from his predecessors it that of his color, the first black American president of United States of America, Barack Obama. His victory in the race to be the 44^th American Presidents and on one of the most well fought election battle in the USA marks that change has finally come to America.(Surely, Martin Luther King would be proud.!!)

Found below is the speech, President Barack Obama on the announcement of his victory.

"Hello, Chicago.

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

"It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

"It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled, Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

"We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

"It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
"It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment, change has come to America.

"A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain.

"Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.

"I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor (Sarah) Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

"I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

"And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.
"Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.

"And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

"To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.

"And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best - the best political campaign, I think, in the history
of the United States of America.

"To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way. To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics, you made this happen and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

"But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.

"I was never the likeliest candidate for this office.

"We didn't start with much money or many endorsements.

"Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

"It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give 5 and 10 and 20 to the cause.

"It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy, who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.

"It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organised and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.

"This is your victory.

"And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.

"You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.

"Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.

"There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.

"There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.

"I promise you, we as a people will get there.

"There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.

"But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

"What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.

"This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.

"It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

"Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.

"In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

"Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

"Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

"As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

"And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

"And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

"To those - to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

"That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

"This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

"She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the colour of her skin.

"And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

"At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

"When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

"When the bombs fell on our harbour and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

"She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that 'We Shall Overcome'. Yes we can.

"A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.

"And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.

"Yes we can.

"America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

"This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.

"This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

"Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America."

A Few Good Men

"Son, we live in a world that has walls and those walls need to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and curse the Marines; you have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives and that my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use then as the backbone of a life trying to defend something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest that you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to"

The quote above was said by Jack Nicholson, in the movie, A Few Good Men. Actually, this movie was released a long time ago, 1992 to be exact. But I watched the said movie just recently on television.
Jack Nicholson who plays Col. Nathan Jessep and top bills this movie with the movie's main man, Tom Cruise and Demi Moore. In this dramatic courtroom thriller, Lt. Daniel Kaffee, a Navy lawyer who has never seen the inside of the courtroom, defends two stubborn Marines who have been accused of murdering a colleague. The case at hand later unfolds itself and spuns a web inflicting an uproar in the Marines as higher officials were taken into trial as the main suspects for the crime.

The film is really worth watching because it will really keep your eyes glues to the screen. It didn't need special effects or breath-taking shots to keep the audience in awe. The story itself together with its superb cast really makes it an A plus movie.

I like courtroom novels but I haven't tried watching courtroom movies such as this one. I really thought it would just be a boring movie full because I am not really interested in military, marines or courtroom dramas but the movie really changed my perception in this kind of films. I can say that Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise were really perfect for the role especially Jack Nicholson who portrays as an officer who is willing to do anything at any price for the salvation of his country.
The movie revolves around the search for truth, finding what honor really is and justifying the phrase "the ends doesn't justify the means".

The movie's tagline is "In the heart of the nation's capital, in a courthouse of the U.S. government, one man will stop at nothing to keep his honor, and one will stop at nothing to find the truth. "

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

The latest movie, I’ve seen was Hellboy 2: The Golden Army. I distinctly remember hearing that some of the director of this movie, Guillermo del Torro was also the director of the movie Pan’s Labyrinth. Being someone who fortunately watched Pan’s Labyrinth, I can say that its quite obvious that they have the same creators. Don’t get me wrong though, because the two movies have totally different story line (and both are great) but the design of the creatures in both movies are alike, excluding Hell boy and his gang. haha..

The creatures used in both movies have a certain characteristic or certain feeling wherein the viewer can really say that only one person was responsible for its creation.

I haven’t got the opportunity to watch the first Hell Boy movie but fortunately I didn’t need to watch the first movie to understand the second installment. And actually, I find it both entertaining and action-packed. Amongst all the characters in the movie, the one

That really fascinated me was the villain, Prince Nuada, and not HellBoy as others may have thought of as an obvious choice. Well, HellBoy was also great, it was his movie anyway right. jeje His characters reflects a cat-loving person who wants to be in the crowd, be accepted by who he is and save the world. In this movie, his character didn’t give off the idea that he wants to be a normal person unlike the other superhero/monster film I saw, wherein the hero wants to be just a normal, ordinary guy and that is the trait that I really like about this guy. He accepts who he is but the only conflict he has is that he wants others to accept him too.

As for the Prince Nuada, I feel kinda disgusted by his loss of remorse and his dream of wiping the world free of human beings. Heck, I am a human being too, so I don’t like the thought that someone wants to kill me and my kind. Jejeje I am far too young for that.

Well, going back to the movie, I said earlier that I was fascinated by Prince Nuada but I also said that I feel kinda irritated by him, so in contrast right?? jeje Well, what I really like about him is how he carries his self especially how he fights. He is totally a great fighter. And I really thought that he’s a Chinese actor because he handles the sword, sphere and javelin so gracefully. He fights so gracefully too, whom as I observed only Asians especially Chinese people can do. He can really make the viewer believe that he really twirls around the air without any harness. Jeje Hellboy, on the other hand is a perfect example of a Western style fighter who relies heavily on brawns and brutal strength and guns.

Aside from that the viewers shuold watch this movie because of th awesome fight scenes and creatures like the tooth fairy who eats up human flesh and the Angel of Death. I won’t share anymore details about the movie in case you haven’t watched it yet. It really is worth watching because the story line, character design and fight scene are really amazing. I don’t recommend it to be watched by kids though because they may have nightmares about the monsters because they actually eerie and real looking creatures. Jeje

I give it 7 stars out of ten.