Desperate Housewives derogatory comment against Philippine Med Schools

Caught this circulating in the Philippine online communities this morning. Apparently in the last episode of the TV Show Desperate Housewives Teri Hatcher’s character, Susan, made a derogatory comment against the quality of Philippine Medical Schools.

The line was: “Can I just check those Diplomas because I just want to make sure that they are not from some Med school in the Philippines.”

Do you find it funny or offensive? It should be noted that Susan is a borderline loony/psycho in the show. I am not a fan of the show and haven’t been watching it, so I can’t say if the character is known to blurt out discriminating comments — if so, then she might be playing in character then(?)

The question is, why did the writers choose the Philippines? Is this because the writers have read news about the quality of the Med Schools? Certainly the top medical schools in the Philippines can hold their own against the rest of the world, or have we become the victim of our own tragedies (Nursing Exam leak fiasco). I certainly hope it’s not the latter because it will be unfair to our quality medical professionals who graduated from the these schools.

Whatever the case, read on the following link for more information:

http://radiantview.com/blog/2007/10/02/the-tv-showdesperate-housewives-insults-filipino-doctors-in-america/

If you think this is offensive, there is also an online petition against this — demanding public apology from ABC:

http://www.petitiononline.com/FilABC/

Rise of the UMPC (featuring the Asus EEE PC)

UMPCs (Ultra-mobile Personal computers) are taking focus these days with several of them on the way. One of the interesting entries is from known PC components maker ASUS.

Feature set looks promising (hopefully storage can be increased via SDHC); at 1.96 lbs this is one wicked portable device for the person who needs a fully featured PC on the go. Initial impressions from reviewers were pretty positive (a lot better than the now defunct Palm Foleo – RIP) especially with the 10-second boot up time. I am always on the go, and gadgets like this definitely catch my attention. Now how this fits in between your cell phone, ipod up to your notebook will be the question.

Can you afford to carry this along with your notebook or will it be an either/or question?

Here is the specification list for one of the models:

• Display: AU Optronics4)  WVGA (800×480) TFT-LCD
• CPU: 900MHz Intel Celeron M ULV 353
• Chipset: Mobile Intel 910GML Express
• Graphics: Intel UMA (shared memory) with external VGA-out connector
• Memory: 256MB (non-upgradeable) or 512MB DDR2-400 (PC2-3200) SDRAM, user-upgradeable up to 1GB5)
• Storage: 2, 4, 8, or 16GB SSD (non-upgradeable)
• BIOS: American Megatrends, Inc. (AMI)
• OS: ASUS-customized Xandros Linux with “Easy” and “Standard” GUI modes
• Wired communications: 10/100 Mbps Ethernet, 56k modem
• Wireless communications: 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, possible Bluetooth integration
• Ports: 3 USB 2.0, MMC/SD(HC)/MS(PRO) card reader, microphone and headphone
• Webcam (optional): VGA (640×480) @ up to 30 fps
• Audio: High Definition Audio; built-in stereo speakers, microphone
• Battery life: 3-4 hours (4-cell NiMH: 7.4V, 5200mAh, 2S2P); other batteries may be offered
• Dimensions: 22.5 x 16.5 x 2.1~3.5 cm (8.9 x 6.5 x 0.9~1.4 in)
• Weight: 0.89 kg (1.96 lbs)
• Colors: white, black
• Price: $199-$299 in USA, could be higher in Europe and elsewhere

http://event.asus.com/eeepc/en/701.htm