Will Apple still be the same Without Steve Jobs?

Some recent news is shaking up the technology sector. Steve Jobs has decided to resign his position as CEO of Apple. Some people may wonder what kind of effect this may have on the company since Apple and Steve Jobs are practically synonymous and most techie-types are familiar with the history of Steve Jobs breaking from Microsoft to build his own mega-company.  Most would agree we are all the better for it, with the prevalence of the iPhone, Mac Book and Apple products that proliferate the computer industry.  Artists enjoy garage band and I’m pretty sure most visual artists would agree that once you go Mac, you never go back. So what direction will Apple head now, with Steve Jobs stepping down?

Some people have suspected this move for quite some time. Jobs has had some health issues that may have made the final decision to step aside a more pressing one. The board of directors have invited Jobs to stay on the board , and he has recommended Tim Cook as his successor. 


Some people think that this will be the beginning of the end of Apple, but any great company goes through changes. He didn’t create the company on his own, and it took lots of brilliant engineers and employees to make Apple that great company that we know today. Although Steve Jobs may have been the primary creative force behind Apple’s initial uprising, he would never have been able to build it to the extent he did without having a great team supporting his creative efforts.


The industry-changing products that Apple introduced in the past are its backbone, and due to their popularity, are surely not going anywhere soon. In a letter to the board, Steve wrote,"I would be the first to let you know when I could not continue to do my job to the best of my abilities." For a man who absolutely revolutionized the music industry with the MP3 player and iTunes, who single-handedly turned the PC industry upside down, and made the Smartphone industry something to put in his back pocket, perhaps its time to make room for another master-mind. The Apple game plan is said to be at least five years in the planning, so we may not see the true results of Steve Jobs’ new role in the company for quite some time.


There are rumours that Google may buy Apple out, or that there will be a free-for-all to buy Apple stock while it plummets as a result of the recent news. However, Jobs and his team are enduring, and though he will no longer be the CEO, as a board member his influence will still be pronounced. Jobs once saved Apple from bankruptcy in the past, and though this may mean some rocky months for Apple before it resettles with its new CEO, Tim Cook, at the helm, it will undoubtedly roust itself to the prominent position it has gained over the last several decades in the world of Technology and as a big player on the stock market.

Green DIY: 10 Ways of Minimizing your Carbon Footprint

Takers and Givers: Deforestation, air and water pollution and the plundering of our natural resources are some of the real “big” issues that surrounds us and the devastating effects on our environment cannot be ignored. Huge companies and industries leading this catastrophic pillaging of our Mother Earth are the most visible culprits. Looking at global warming and all the statistics that go with it can be quite overwhelming.

Thinking that my ‘little’ contribution to reduce my carbon-footprint and aid in addressing global warming does not make much of a difference is...well... an illusion to put it lightly. With a world population of close to 6.93 billion, assuming only 1 billion are ‘normal’ people like you and me, thinking the same...it all adds up. Get the picture?

How can I give? You can make a difference in a positive way. Starting with small steps.  The following tips will help you to create a healthier and cleaner environment in and around your home. Less poisons to inhale, organic food on your table, and proudly tipping the scales in your little spot in favor of Mother Nature. Implementing these tips will allow you to give back to the environment that so freely gives of her resources.

Turn it off - Turn off all electrical items such as lights, Hi-Fi, geysers, computers, televisions, microwaves and other power consuming appliances/devices. Energy-saving light bulbs/appliances (CFL bulbs), and rechargeable batteries not only uses less electricity, but also saves you money.

The heat is on - Reduce the temperature of central heating/water heaters slightly by 1 or 2 degrees. Timer settings also work well.

Loads of fun - Doing half loads are a waste of fun, sorry, electricity. Load up your washing machine, tumble dryer or dish washer once you have a full load. This way you reduce the water and power bill.

Shop ‘till you drop’ - Once a week will do. Plan your shopping in advance so as to reduce your trips to the grocery store. Even better, walk when you can. It saves fuel, and tightens those muscles in the rear of your jeans.

Sunshine in my skirts - Whenever possible, hang your washing out to dry in the sun. Don’t you just love the smell of sun in your clothes?

Insulate - Use good insulation for your hot water tank, house walls and loft. This will maintain temperature for a longer period and will save on heat loss.

Purchase recycled paper - Producing recycled paper takes less energy than new paper - think of all the trees you are saving.

Little back garden - If you have the means to grow your own fruit and vegetables, try it. It’s a wonderful way to connect with the earth, and the pleasure one derives from eating your own grown goodies is very satisfying. You eat organic, you save on packaging, and the peels and pips can be worked back into a compost heap again, truly a re-cycle cycle with benefits. Pots and containers are useful and can be moved to your next home, easily.

Support the Locals - If you can’t grow your own, at least buy locally grown products. This reduces your carbon footprint by minimizing the amount of travel the food takes to get to your plate. Support your local farmers and traders.

Worm a farm - This is a great way to get the kids involved. Worm-farms are very popular, and the benefits are great. Your vegetable and fruit waste feed the worms, and they churn out beautiful compost and ‘worm-juice’.

Share your knowledge - There is a lot of information on websites on how to reduce your carbon footprint. Share this knowledge with your family and friends. They will be grateful for the money saving tips, even if the positive effects they are making on the planet hadn’t entered their minds!

2011 Moira G Gallaga ©

Be Happy With Your Body

Be Happy With Your Body:

by: Moira G Gallaga

'via Blog this'

Ten Ways to Enjoy Yourself without Using Technology - InfoBarrel

Ten Ways to Enjoy Yourself without Using Technology - InfoBarrel:
by: Moira G Gallaga

'via Blog this'

Power of Words: Talk Your Way to a Better Life!

Don’t you feel at times that words just slip your mouth or as if your tongue has a life of its own? Sometimes, those words come out sweet and bring about miracles of love and caring. At other times, they produce ruin and havoc in your life and in your relationships. Words do have the power to build up or to destroy, but we have the power to learn to control them and use them for improving the quality of our lives and of those around us. Here are some tips you may use to let your words become inspiration and key for your success and happiness.

- Check yourself to see how often you say: “I didn’t mean that.” Sometimes I sincerely believe that I did not mean what I just said, but words more often than not come out of the heart. They do not come out of nothing. So, the key to controlling the power of the words is in checking your heart and making sure you allow only loving and noble feelings to abide there. If something comes out of your mouth, then it lives inside your heart!

- The same can be said of your mind. Nurturing positive thoughts and ideas will ensure your words and your manner of verbal expression takes a positive tone too.

- If you are sure your heart and mind are alright then the next step to empower your life by your words is to let it out. Did you ever feel affection or gratefulness bubbled up in your heart and rose to be poured out through the words you expressed? Did you ever hold it back?

Sometimes, we might feel ashamed to express our tender feelings or our gratitude. Somehow, it feels embarrassing and out of place. Yet, it may be the very thing you and the people around you require. Sincere affection and thankfulness can do miracles in improving your life. It makes you want to live and be glad to be living. It also makes others more eager to do something good for you. Isn’t that an improvement? So, let it out. Do not stop it or keep it down. Even if you feel awkward at first, you may be sure that you’ve done the right thing.

- Positive words are capable of introducing positive changes. The world around us has too many negative words due to so much negativity in people. Even though you might say you are an optimist, thinking positive is not enough. You have to express those positive thoughts by SAYING positive words.

Positive thinking and feelings leads to positive forms of expression, including your use of words to connect with other people, and in some instances to touch their lives. It also works the other way around. If you constantly make an effort to use positive forms of verbal expression and words that uplift and make people feel good, it will ultimately develop a change in your mentality and feelings as well. It is a symbiotic relationship that feeds off each other.

So view the power of the words as a tool. By using this tool properly, you can bring about the positive changes you want and make your life enjoyable, empowered by your positive thoughts and words.

Overpopulation: Time to Step on the Brakes (The Need for a Reproductive Health Bill)

Filipinos who lead mindful lives make choices every day that embrace the power of an individual to change the world. To conserve the earth’s resources, they choose to recycle. To reduce pollutants, they choose to limit the number of miles they drive. To ensure that the smallest possible corporate footprint is left on the planet, they choose to buy from companies that are environmentally responsible. Indeed, Filipinos make all kinds of choices that affect the planet, but the one choice that matters most, the choice that has the greatest impact in our developing country, is the choice to reproduce.

Like all animals, humans want to be fruitful and multiply. That’s nature. Every living creature is designed to reproduce. Humans, though, have gotten particularly good at it. Too good, some would argue. Of course, there was a time when it made sense to make more people. There was plenty of everything. The world was brimming with resources to be exploited. Frontiers were there to be tamed. People considered it their divine right to exercise dominion over all the creatures of the earth. The world was humanity’s oyster and there were plenty of pearls for everyone.

Not anymore. Nowadays, the world seems to be running out of just about everything. In order to live a more and more comfortable lifestyle, people, particularly those living in developed nations, have become consumers on such a large scale that resources that once seemed inexhaustible are now disappearing. Clean water, fossil fuels, food, metals and minerals used in manufacturing, as well as countless other vital resources, are no longer infinitely abundant. And to make matters worse, alongside shrinking animal populations, there are more and more people competing for dwindling resources.

Take my country’s example, we are a country rich in natural resources but unable to attain sustainable and equitable economic growth. Income disparity and poverty are major issues, the rich keep getting richer, the poor keep getting poorer and the middle class is either disappearing or end up finding work overseas to give their families a better quality of life. A tenth of our population are based overseas. Our population increases annually to an equivalent size of the population of Singapore. Despite our abundance in natural resources, I fear that even if we get our act together, it is no longer enough to effectively address existing socio-economic problems.

The solution seems simple: use less and make fewer babies. Unfortunately, the problems of overconsumption and overpopulation don’t easily lend themselves to simple solutions. The Reproductive Health Bill needs to be passed. This isn't simply about population control, at its core it is about women's rights and our reproductive health and well-being. This Bill also tackles economic issues; poverty and even the spread of STDs. People don’t want to be any less comfortable than they are accustomed to being. And they certainly don’t want to be told they shouldn’t reproduce the way nature has hard-wired them to do. Fortunately, humans are different from the other animals in one important way. Despite seemingly overwhelming evidence to the contrary, people are thinking creatures. They have brains that are capable of processing information in a way that allows them to modify even their most instinctive behaviours. They are adaptable. Yes, human beings can be taught - most of them, anyway.

Make no mistake, the challenge of getting people to consume less is daunting, but getting people to change their reproductive behaviour is even more difficult. There is no more basic instinct than the desire to reproduce, whether by intention or not. However, civilization is built upon it. Political and religious institutions are devoted to encouraging population growth. The family unit, the fundamental reproductive structure, was the bedrock upon which stable societies are built. Having children is considered a measure of success in life. Having more children is equated with being more successful. And, while it’s true that there was a time when that made sense, when a large family was a hedge against higher mortality rates and a way to contribute to the labor pool both on the farm and in the cities, those days are gone in all but the least developed parts of the world. Now, thanks to technology, people live longer and fewer of them are required to produce more, resulting in what would seem to be two contradictory phenomena, an aging population and high unemployment.

If ever there were a time for those in power to stand up and lead, this would seem to be it. Unfortunately, politicians and religious leaders don’t lead when it comes to reproductive behaviour.

Filipinos must, through deeds and words, take the lead. People who choose to limit the number of children they have to two or fewer must become the rule rather than the exception and they must not be afraid to speak up about why they choose to do so.
David Attenborough had it right when, in one of his speeches at the Royal Society of Arts in London, he referred to the lack of public debate about overpopulation as a central environmental issue, “I meet no one who privately disagrees that population growth is a problem. No one - except flat-earthers - can deny that the planet is finite, so why does hardly anyone say so publicly?”

One simple answer to Sir Attenborough’s query is that people, especially politicians, lack the courage to speak out when they know that they will be roundly criticized by those who cling to old ways of thinking. Nowhere is this more true than in the Philippines, where some of those opposed to limiting population growth are perfectly willing to make personal attacks part of their strategy.

Aware that ripples become waves in a world that has become one big neighbourhood, Filipinos leading mindful lives can choose to be good neighbours. They can choose to set an example and, in doing so, can be seen as credible when they explain their choices in terms of their worldview. Then, when enough people make decisions based on what is best for the whole world they must speak up and be heard about the sound reasoning behind their choices, so those in power will see which way the wind is blowing and will themselves finally begin to address the problem of overpopulation. It is time to start acting responsibly and be more mindful of the world around us. Overpopulation, it is time to step on the brakes.

Negotiation: Using the Diplomat's Weapon

Negotiation: Using the Diplomat's Weapon:

by: Moira G. Gallaga

'via Blog this'

Who are Diplomats? | Diplobugs

Who are Diplomats? | Diplobugs

One Day to Inspire | Blog Watch Citizen Media

One Day to Inspire | Blog Watch Citizen Media

by: Moira G Gallaga

Ten European Destinations Celebrated in Literature and Film

Ten European Destinations Celebrated in Literature and Film

10 Ways To Make A Good Day - InfoBarrel

10 Ways To Make A Good Day - InfoBarrel

Diplomat

Diplomat

Welcome to Diplobugs!

I started Diplobugs a few months after retiring from the Philippine Foreign Service so I can share our life with others and to express my opinions. I have served 3 Philippine Presidents as Presidential Protocol Officer and now enjoy being a freelance writer and doing consultancy. In addition to my experiences working for government, there’s my husband’s journey as a diplomat and our son’s efforts to understand the ever-changing world around him.

And…herewith is my invitation to all of you out there to share with me here on Diplobugs your heartfelt experiences, opinions and the wisdom that those experiences gave birth to. In return I would like to share my many life experiences and thoughts with you.

I believe one of the reasons for our existence is to become more whole and expansive through the sharing of our own adventures on the path of Life with our fellow travellers.

I have a vast interest in many things, to start with here are a few of them I would love to share, in no particular order:

• my travels around the world, as well as those remote little spots I had the privilege to see
• sport; just to mention one ~ my love for that beautiful game called Soccer
• fashion, the textured and playful art of adorning the body
• words; writing, musings, poetry, especially those writings that make you sit up and take note
• food, the taste and sensations of creative concoctions shared with fascinating people
• the arts, paintbrushes of the soul, musical strings of the heart and theatre
• ways to step softly on Earth; our sole provider ~ finding ways to live green and sustainable practices
• alternative therapies; a holistic and balanced approach in a Western Society
• new ways of thinking; the power of thought and the power within you
• out of the box solutions to address important global issues, particularly concerning our children and our elders

So come along with us on our journey. Learn about our native country, the Philippines. Explore the world with us and our young son as we travel to new and exciting places and as we deal with everyday life and its challenges. I also trust that you will see this invitation as being part of our global village’s metaphorical ‘sitting around the fire’, partaking in the diversity that surrounds us.

Welcome and thanks for spending time with us and sharing our ever exciting and always challenging journey.

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