(3) Ways

How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways.
I shall love you, in other ways, as I translate your
(1) thoughts into an admirable article – as your Writer.
(2) manuscript into publishable pages – as your Editor.
(3) rough draft into an enviable book – as your Publisher.
(4) technical into popular language – as your Rewriter.
(5) training needs into visible skills – as your Facilitator.
(6) demo needs into one-day wonders – as your Nerd; a
Computer Wizard, I can be an invisible worker for you.
(7) problems into solutions. as your Consultant.
And I shall but love thee better after edit.

(2) Windows

I love what I do. Let me tell me about
the 7 things I can do in that magical world of
Microsoft Windows & Microsoft Word -- and the
Wide Wonderful World of the Internet.

(1) Writing – I do write-ups and write-downs. Write-ups:
I do an interview and an article comes out in 24 hours. That fast. Write-downs: I read your article or manuscript and an abstract comes out in 25 minutes. That fast. (2) Editing – Edit while you wait if you like, in your office or home (if you have a computer), or right where you are (if you have a laptop). (3) Publishing – I can turn your manuscript into copies ready for distribution or sale within 3 months. (4) Translations – From rough to polished English; from Tagalog to English and vice versa; from Ilocano to English and vice versa. (5) Workshop facilitation – I can do a workshop on (a) writing, (b) editing, (c) newslettering, (d) book publishing, (e) files management. And any or all of that using the personal computer (PC). (6) One-Day Wonder – I can do a short workshop or lecture-demo on creative writing, creative editing, creative newslettering, creative book publishing, files management for 100 people – with the aid of 1 PC and 1 LCD projector. (7) Consulting – As long as it has anything to do with words and ideas and it can be typed on the computer, I can help you. Online or onsite, it's your choice. You know what? The first time we meet, no commitment necessary: Advice is free. Try me!

(1)
Who, Me?

In other words, like I'm Writer #700
(features) of the American Chronicle.

I have so far published 6 articles in the American Chronicle; no rejections, no pink slips (Click the link below to read). As a writer, I have been writing since high school, and that was 50 years ago. I'm 66 this year. Technical subject, popular subject, I've done them all, from A (Animal Husbandry) to Z (Zone Alarm). In other words, writing was my first love; it has always been. And do I revise what I write? Of course! I'm not perfect. Do you know how many times I revised this page? More than 200 times (the first 257 hits in my counter). As a translator, who is a writer in disguise, I recently translated into English (and wrote a book besides) Jose Rizal's valedictory poem which I retitled 'Adios, Patria Adorada' (Adios, Beloved Patria) - if you want a free copy, email me (see top right column for the address). I also love to translate technical papers into popular articles - there is that feeling of achievement that goes with it. It's a gift.

As a blogger, I have so many blogsites, each one an extension of myself and my many interests. Would you believe 22? Variety is the spice of life in the Internet, and in an Ilocano like me. In other words, your concern has probably already interested me greatly.

As an editor, I have been founding editor of a color magazine (Habitat, a quarterly), newsletter (Canopy, a monthly) and a technical journal in forestry (Sylvatrop, a quarterly) for the Forest Research Institute (now ERDB) of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (now DENR). I have edited so many theses (highest grade: 1) and dissertations (highest grade: 1.25, University of the Philippines). I am currently the Editor in Chief of the Philippine Journal of Crop Science. I was the one who made that 3-year late technical peer-reviewed journal into an up-to-date publication. I also masterminded the creation and databasing of extended abstracts of this 30-year old journal, the abstracts beginning in March 1976 and ending at the current year, 2006. It's all in 1 CD, my idea. I also created the website for it: CROPScience Philippines.

As a photographer, I learned professional photography on the job for the publications I was editing. To improve my skill, I studied the works of masters (painters) like Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Van Gogh while I was teaching at Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City in Mindanao, Southern Philippines. At that time, 1968, they already had an excellent library at Xavier. In other words, I'm a good student myself.

As a teacher, I am a BSA graduate major in AgEd, UP; I wasn't too proud of that. I passed the very first Civil Service Teacher's Exam in 1965, 80.6%; I was proud of that. I taught high school (UP Rural High, Pampanga National Agricultural School, Asingan High School), and I taught college (UP Los Baños, Xavier University). I wrote my own syllabi in Floriculture, Horticulture, Olericulture, Scientific Reporting.

As a copywriter, I worked for Pacifica Publicity Bureau when it was still on top (no thanks to me). My good friend Orlino 'Orli' Ochosa and I learned a lot from Nonoy Gallardo and Teddy Bernardo, thank you very much. Orli gifted me with Edward De Bono's book, Mechanism Of Mind, and that changed my mental state from critical to creative.

As a computer wizard ... Ah, here I'm a self-made man, so God is not responsible for my mistakes. I can do word processing and practical desktop publishing with Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Word mostly: brochure, newsletter, book, annual report, proposal. Today, I can make Word XP jump through hoops (not to mention Windows XP). Stylesheet? Outlining? Columns? Mixed columns? Table? Sections? Table of Contents? Just a minute. Missing files? Give me 0.28 second. It's been a trial-and-error thing, but I've been a teacher willing to teach myself. And you can learn from my mistakes: no tuition fee necessary. You didn't ask, but as a father of 13 with 1 wife, I have had quite an education! I thank God for them, for today, for the computer, for the Internet - and for my country.

24 March 2006