What are the common things you observed when reading Yahoo news comment or feedback section? Well to hit straight on my point, let’s specify the Yahoo Philippines News – Yes, you’ll be annoyed just like what happen every time I open my web browser though I can’t help not to read the comment section since there’s like a magnet that pulls me through (and very forceful I guess) and read it anyway possible.

Usually you’ll get this feeling you read something good happen to a certain personality and you’ll feel aloof for them – for their success then suddenly annoyed when you read most of the comments are all negative towards certain individuality. I’m not going to say it since I feel ashamed though I should – They call it “Crab Mentality.”

Crab Mentality is a way of thinking best described by the phrase….”If I can’t have it, neither can you”. It’s a metaphor referring to a pot of crabs in which one of them tries to escape and instead is pulled down by the rest of them. The point in referring crabs in the pot – it has to do with the fact that if you’re in a situation like don’t try to squeeze your way out of it because everyone else will just pull you back into the problem but even deeper than before.

Let’s dig in a much deeper accounts, I did research online on the idea and line of crab mentality and it is so repulsive that “crab mentality” is often associated with Filipinos worldwide. Yes, if it’s twitter – we Filipinos are the undisputed top trending worldwide for the hash tag #CrabMentality.

The term “crab mentality” is used to describe a kind of selfish, short-sighted thinking which runs along the lines of “if I can’t have it, neither can you (referred to previous phrase).” This term is especially widely used among Filipinos, who use it specifically to refer to people who pull other people down, denigrating them rather than letting them get ahead or pursue their dreams.

“As a general rule, an accusation of having a crab mentality is a poor reflection on someone’s personality.”

This concept references an interesting occurrence which happens in buckets of crabs. If one crab attempts to escape from a bucket of live crabs, the other crabs will pull it back down, rather than allowing it to get free. Sometimes, the crabs seem almost malicious, waiting until the crab has almost escaped before yanking it back into the pot. All of the crabs are undoubtedly aware of the fact that their fate is probably not going to be very pleasurable, so people are led to wonder why they pull each other back into the bucket, instead of congratulating the clever escape artist.

Factors proximity to being a Crab Mentality State

1 – Envy and Jealousy – These is the major factor I guess so I don’t have to explain it.
2 – Redefining Individuality – in a way that somebody negates others in order to define h/she is different from that certain individual.
3 – Resentment – planting hatred to somebody and never have the time to forgive, that’s certainly a not lost cause.
4 – Greediness – This explains “if I can’t have it, neither can you!” in a worst way.
5 – Selfishness and Self-indulgence – it’s just that there are people who just feel happy and indulge when they pull someone downward.

Achievement equals pride, and pride involves pleasure on the part of the achiever. Self-actualization is a human necessity – accordingly, it is normal. The questions that must be involved with these behaviour or way of thinking: How happy are you scrutinizing others achieve their goals? How do you sense seeing people thrive in their deeds? Do you appreciate the accomplishments of people around you? Are you glad with someone else’s success?

Whether we agree to it or not, if we self-assess today and reflect that we actually or secretly feel sorry about seeing nice things happening to people, chances are, we are guilty of the loathsome trait of crab mentality!

THIS IS A GUEST POST BY JESUS RICARDO BUHAN OF ALWAYS10 – TOP TEN LIST COLLECTION|TOP TEN LISTS

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I never imagine that I will do this pose in my entire life, but boredom and hunger can really trigger something unusual, telling my mind to do silly stuffs. This time for the sake of fun, I tried this pose, and take note, I, I mean WE did it at the airport.

We arrived in Iloilo last December 28, 2011 and due to the two hours of flight delay we were the last group of people who left the airport. We have lots of baggage so we have no choice but to wait for our service to return and take us to our apartment. We were so hungry that time and bored at the same time, so to kill our boredom we thought of taking picture of ourselves doing the “PLANKING” thingy.

Here are some of the pictures:

Planking on a Baggage Push Cart

Planking on a Bench

Planking on the side of a table

This is the best planking picture we have, special thanks to "Batang"

Here’s a planking picture: New Year Special.

I thought it was easy to do, but this is what I learned, the more extreme you want to do the pose, the harder it gets

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Here’s something new from Semidoppel’s Reports! As part of my belief that blogging is a form of journalism, I will be including public service reports on this site. In this way I can help my fellow Filipinos, I’ll do my best to help them to become aware on some aspects which are sometimes taken for granted. Welcome to my online journal!

I already noticed this long time ago, and I was unaware that time. My questions were answered when I started to have this field of work I am currently in.

I am pertaining to local laborers or workers who are working without the use of personal protective equipments. By the way, what are these Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs)? These PPEs are composed of simple gadgets/equipments which served as barriers for hazardous conditions (e.g. safety goggles, hardhats, earplugs, safety shoes, safety harness, etc). I am just wondering, are the employers of these workers aware about the rule/law about personal protective equipment safety and devices? Are they even aware about safety at work?

Here’s what I found!

RULE 1080
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND DEVICES

1081: General Provisions:

1081.01: Every employer as defined in 1002:

(1)Shall at his own expense furnish his workers with protective equipment for the eyes, face, hands and feet, protective shields and barriers whenever necessary by reason of the hazardous nature of the process or environment, chemical or radiological or other mechanical irritants or hazards capable of causing injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation or physical contact.

 (2) Deduction for the loss or damage of personal protective equipment shall be governed by Article

114, Book III, Labor Code of the Philippines, and Section 14, Rule VIII, Book III, Omnibus Rules Implementing the Labor Code.

1081.02: All personal protective equipment shall be of the approved design and construction appropriate for the exposure and the work to be performed.

1081.03: The employer shall be responsible for the adequacy and proper maintenance of personal protective equipment used in his workplace.

1081.04: No person shall be subjected or exposed to a hazardous environmental condition without protection.

It is very clear that PPEs should be issued to each worker and it should be free. They are obliged to do this because it was mandated by law and it should be followed. Safety of the workers should be the primary concern by these employers, and it is also the right of the workers to decline a job whenever a hazardous condition on the work place is present. Employers should think that safety is an investment and never an expense. One more thing, the PPEs that will be issued should pass safety standards, PPEs are made from durable materials and designed to withstand different hazardous environment.

SAFETY is an INVESTMENT and never an EXPENSE. Though issuing of these PPEs requires budget, it should be categorized as an investment. Workers are the primary assets of an employer so he should protect their welfare.

Imagine what might happen if there are no:

• Hardhats to protect your head from falling debris
• Safety shoes that will prevent foot injuries due to slips and trips
• Safety goggles that will serve as a barrier to protect you from dusts and other minute particles
• Ear plugs that will minimize noise, helping you to avoid deafness
• Safety harness that might save your life when working on heights
• SCBA (Self-contained Breathing Apparatus) that will provide air, preventing asphyxiation

If the rules stated above are neglected by an employer, a worker can report it to DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) and take note, it is punishable by law.

Kindly share this information, let’s spread this safety awareness. Safety is not a responsibility, it should be a part of our life and live with it as a culture.

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I can say that Semidoppel’s Reports started year 2011 pretty impressive, with a Pagerank of 4, the 1^st quarter of the year is fruitful in terms of earnings. The 4^th payment from Google Adsense was received last February and paid posts reached a desirable amount, enough to pay my own bills. My blog is a trending blog, that’s why it was Semidoppel’s Reports, reporting about what’s new and what’s hot. My blog’s stats are impressive before I shifted to a new niche, the highest ranking I attained in Topblogs.ph is Rank 4 and Alexa ranking is within the 800-900k range. I have traffic with a minimum of 1,000 a day and not less than $2 in a day, paid posts not yet included. But I wasn’t happy because I feel that there is something missing, something must complete each article I publish, and that’s the interaction between readers, subscribers and followers.

I officially switched to a new niche last March, Semidoppel now is a personal blogger. I published “The Nightmares of a Jeepney Passenger” and from that article, it’s clear that I can achieve my goal with this new kind of approach. That article reached 33 comments, including my replies, it might not be as many as the comments you have in your blog but I am still very happy. Now, bloggers know that Semidoppel exists and most importantly, I can now share what’s on my mind, my thought, my views, and my life. Days go by, and the usual 2 to 3 posts a day became 2 to 3 articles a week, I always aim to create an article which my fellow Filipinos can relate that’s why it always took me a long time to publish a new one. Then, one day I realize that I am now creating articles which focus on Filipino culture, lifestyle, hobbies and traits, then I made the following:

• This Funny but Annoying Filipino Habit
• I Hope You Can Write Your Own Songs
• Are We Ethical in Posting and Commenting in Facebook
• The Pinoy Inuman Cast of Characters
• Pamahiing Pinoy: Should We Keep on Believing

Funny Articles Such as:

• Love is Like a “Tsinelas”
• The Four Types of Love: Pikon Not Allowed
• Too Much Ka-Torpehan Will Kill You
• Lies that Women Say

Inspiring Articles Such as:

• When God Continues to Reach Us
• Let Us Reflect Before We Whine
• Are Bloggers Guilty of Impatient Journalism (must-read for bloggers)
• Sometimes We Just Have to Roll the Dice: An Article I Dedicate to Chris Rene (hey, he won third place at X-Factor USA)

Fully Researched Articles Such as:

• Facts and Fallacies About Sex and Getting Pregnant
• How to Detect Online Hacks and Scams
• History of the Dirty Finger

These are just few of the articles I made, I won’t list them all here, this article might look too long if I enumerate all of them (LOL).

But, harsh reality slapped me. My Pagerank went down from PR4 to PR2, then on the next Panda Update it went PR3 then on the next update it went to PR2 again. I was so disappointed, and thought of shifting back for a trending blog to recover my stats. That’s the downside of the personal blog. But as I reflect, I asked myself again, “Anu ba talaga ang goal mo? Bakit ka nadi-depress?”. But with the help of my mentor and some reliable blogger friends, they keep on telling me, it’s just a number, so I convinced myself not to be depressed (even though I know they are important). Then as I read the previous articles I published, I saw what I gained. I gained blogger friends, subscribers (blog, Facebook, Twitter, Google Friend Connect, Networkedblogs, Social Bookmarking followers, Google Plus), found new reliable persons who can help me improve my blog and I am also recognized by some well-known bloggers and the numbers are growing every day, making me feel that I am a part of the blogosphere.

I also earned trust from bloggers, it was a surprised when I was assigned as an admin in several Facebook Bloggers Group such as Proudly Pinoy Bloggers and Prime Blogger Sync, BTW let me include my own FB Group Bloggerista Pilipinas (it’s a closed group so you have to ask me if you want to join). I was also chosen to be one of the judges on some blog contests which were organized by some bloggers.

Two of my Blogger Proverbs were chosen by Sir Fitz of Bloggershirts and it was the t-shirts’ design released last November.

I was nominated in PEBA’s Any Blogger, Anywhere, this is the first time my blog was nominated for the Personal category. Although I didn’t win, being one of the 120 nominees is already an achievement, “At least pasado ako sa standards ng PEBA Board of Trustees, makapasa ka lang sa screening malaking bagay na ‘yun”.

2011 is also the year when I started attending blogger events. Last August, I attended Blogger Fiesta and there I met Gian Faye, Csseyah Brenn, Lulu Cemanes and Jesus Ricardo. I also attended Blog and Soul, I met Winston of Batang Yagit, and I attended PEBA where I met Ian, Anciro and Ate Shirley Mandel. I met Sir David D’Angelo at Otaku Encore.  I also met Cai, the Bilibid Boys, Helen Mary Labao and Jehzeel Laurente, but not from a blogger event.

Ian, Ate Shirley and Me

Sir David, Ma'am Eve, Me

I want to thank God for the latest miracle He did. Share ko lang…I was in Megamall, I went to the Toycon Event. I wanted to buy something for myself but I can’t afford those collectibles then suddenly I prayed aloud ”Lord, bigyan Mo po ng earnings ang blog ko, wala na ko pera”, my girlfriend looked at me smiling, I know she wanted to laugh because it was so silly to do that in public. You know what happened? On the next day as I checked my Adsense, I earned $38 in one day, that’s the highest amount I earned from Adsense, then on the next day He gave me another $16 and on the following day He gave me $14 more, then add my $33 earnings from the past 6 months. I told myself “Parang sinadya ni Lord ahh!” You know why? I think He calculated how much I need to have a payout… if you will add them all I already have $101! Oh ‘di ba parang sinadya talaga!

Oh my! I almost  forgot to share this very important stuff, I already have a business card! LOL!

Semidoppel’s Reports as of this moment is PR2 with an Alexa rank within the range of 390-430k, Ratified rank is 169 with subscribers from 80-100 a day. The stats probably are not  impressive if you’ll compare it to your blog, but as of now, I can say that I’m contented on what I gained… it’s all worth it. I am now living to this principle which I always share to those who are new in blogging, “Blog about your passion, and make blogging your passion”.

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As I checked my Facebook wall this morning, I saw another celebrity video posted, some categorize it as a scandal… and it is now going viral. I don’t know what exactly I felt, but one thing’s for sure… I don’t like it, so I didn’t share it, I won’t repost it. Am I pissed off because of the video? NO! What made me feel angry is I can’t see any importance of sharing to public someone’s disgrace.

After seeing the video, I posted this on my FB wall:

“Sana tigilan na ang pagsi-share sa FB ng mga scandals/videos ng mga celebrities… kahit na may mali sa ginawa nila isipin natin ang pakiramdam ng isang taong nilulugmok dahil sa pagkakamali. Kahit tayo ay nagkakamali rin naman, anu bang dinudulot nito sa atin? Anu bang uri ng tao ang sumasaya para sa ikalulungkot ng iba? Buhay nila iyon…wag na natin dagdagan pa ang paglaganap ng ikasisira ng iba…hindi na nakakatuwa kasi.”

I’m not perfect, I’m not religious but I know the feeling of getting hurt… the feeling of being disgraced.

-       I tried putting myself on the situation. Of course I will be ashamed of what I did, but that’s not important at all, what’s more important is my partner’s feelings. What if that video was mine and the one involved is my present girlfriend? Also think if the one involved is your brother or sister? How hurtful it might be to them? It just caused them the most embarrassing moment of their life, a nightmare has been brought.

-       I know you are familiar with this certain Biblical story when Jesus saved Mary Magdalene from being stoned to death by the townspeople, it was stated in the book of John 8:7 “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” We all commit mistakes, nobody is perfect… so we don’t have the right to make someone dishonorable.

It’s their fault…really?

-       Yes it is, but not totally. Come to think of this, let’s say that the video was uploaded by either one of the two persons involved, I can say that it’s their fault if someone saw/watch it. But the time you get involved by means of sharing it publicly, you just worsen the situation. You are now part of the fault…and when that video you shared was reposted… it’s like detonating a bomb making someone’s life miserable.

Why share such types of videos?

-       I can’t see any good logic why there are people who are happy seeing and making other people’s life miserable. We always say “Think before we click”, but are we really practicing it? What’s the essence of sharing it publicly? To gain attention? To gain Facebook Likes? To be in vogue?

Hey, Mr. Semidoppel, you’ve seen it right? Why say such things?  

-       To tell you frankly, I just watched few seconds of the video and didn’t finish it because the moment I start watching it there’s this feeling telling me that something is not right. Also to tell you honestly, I didn’t watch the first video about the abortion thingy. I just knew that there’s a viral video about it, that’s all.

Here’s what I suggest:

DELETE IT.

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We all experience this, and we hate it when it happens this is worse than losing your blog’s traffic… it’s what I call “BRAIN DRAIN”. I know you can relate on this topic, this is not experienced only by bloggers, even writers, well-known, experienced or professionals suffer from this. So, I decided to set some rules that I think can help you on how to cope with “Brain Drain”.

Rule Number 1: Do not push yourself to make one if you don’t feel like doing it.

• You cannot produce a very good article if you don’t feel like doing it. If you feel that you are lacking on ideas…STOP! Never push yourself and remember this “Work badly done is worse than work undone”

Rule Number 2: Determine the ambiance that makes you feel the mood

• Take it from me, I cannot work unless I have the following: blissful environment, good ventilation and a cup of coffee, just like while I am making this article. As a matter of fact, some writers even those well-known ones tried to go out of town just to set their focus. Why the ambiance is important? It helps you to be in focus, and even makes you think better on what topic you want to write/produce. Setting the mind’s condition is very important, without it, it’s like publishing an article without any sense.

Rule Number 3: Don’t be too specific on what to write, don’t limit yourself

• Madam Alohagems asked me where I get my inspiration, I answered “I can’t specifically define”. I told her that most of my articles are based on the things I observe, sometimes it is about the dream I had, sometimes about the experiences I had and some are inspired from the priest’s homily. I write when I see something worth blogging, I take down notes and sometimes I even save drafts in my phone just to make sure that I will not forget about what I saw. This may not be applicable to some blogs which focus on specific niche but in the other hand this is the advantage if you are having a personal blog.

Rule Number 4: Look around, Observe, and Reflect

• This is related to Rule No. 3, if you noticed my tagline “I Search, I Observe, I Share”, I chose that tagline because that is what I really do. I observed Filipino traits, culture, habits either it might be good or bad, gestures and things which can only be seen only in the Philippines. Why is this important? I am Filipino, with Filipino friends, relatives, workmates, blogger friends and to cut it short, I am targeting a specific group of people/readers and they are my fellow countrymen. Targeting is very important because the visitors/readers of your blog should easily relate to what you are talking about. After that you can see if your targeting is successful, when? When you have interaction between your readers by means of commenting or replying back to  their comments. That’s how to effectively gain readers. (wink)

Rule Number 5: Determine what inspires you

• I think this is the most important aspect in writing… the inspiration. It’s where your heart is and also this makes it beat. I intentionally put it in the end of this article even though I know that this is the most important because all the previous rules were provided for setting up, for starting effective article writing. When you have certain niche/topic/things that inspire you, writing an article will not be hard, sometimes it’s like your mind and hand automatically processed the whole article.

I hope these simple rules can help you when you suffer from what I call “Brain Drain”.

This article was inspired from the recent conversation  I had with Madam Shirley Mandel. Thanks ma’am for that conversation, as a result I finally finished this one.

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Finally! After two weeks of editing, now I present to you Semidoppel’s Reports’ business card! Clap! Clap! Clap!

What made me decide to make one? I attended Blog and Soul and there I met Batang Yagit. When he approached me, he gave his business card/calling card and it looks good. For me it’s the most professional way of introducing yourself. Fortunately, he already knew me so I don’t have to give him one…because I don’t have one (LOL). Then I attended “Blogger Fiesta”, I still don’t have my business card, there I met the bloggers behind Always10 (Jesus Ricardo), Loading-Info (Gian Faye), Mintscreen (Lulu) and Good Filipino (Csseyah), all I can say is “sayang, sana may business card na sana ako”.

Should a blogger have a business card?

YES! For me, the business card is the extension of your website and the author/blogger behind it. You should put a logo, your real name, and contact details such as your e-mail and mobile numbers, the address is optional.

So the next time I’ll attend a bloggers event, I will not just introduce myself as Jam of Semidoppel, this time I’ll offer my business card…just one little favor, kindly keep it hahahaha!

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