This Blog's Posts Have Been Copied Without My Permission

 CebuMD original blog post

Have you experienced having your blog's contents hijacked in full by another site?

 Blog that copied my blog's contents

I know that there are other sites that publish your contents but they exclude pictures and they place links back to your site plus attribute you as the author. These sites publish your blog with your consent and this may occur during various blog directory submissions.

I was surprised however to see a certain blog which uses my blog and other blog's entire contents and mix them together in a blog which may be earning from Adsense since Google Adsense ads are present. This is copyright infringement right? Want me to give proof?

In google search, type "cebu physicians and photography" and click on the no. 1 search result which is also a blog. This blog showing up first with the same contents as mine is NOT my blog. Notice that the said impostor blogpost is exactly the same as my previous post at http://cebumd.blogspot.com/2010/06/photography-and-cebu-physicians.html .

I may not be good at SEO yet but the point is that blog is stealing my content, in effect my identity.

The same blog also copied the rest of my other posts. And the blogger for that site is copying other blog's contents as well. Case in point, this original blog at http://charliechia.blogspot.com/2010/03/energizer-night-race-2010.html . Type the first few sentences of this blog in search and the same blog who copied my blog contents will also come out in the search result having the same contents as the energizer night race original post.

In making this post also, I am trying to see if that aforementioned copycat blog will be also copying this post.

I am planning to complain against the misbehaving blog to Google and Google Adsense for copyright infringement, what do you think?

So again I ask, did the same thing happened to you? What action did you take? How do you suggest I deal with the matter? Any advice is appreciated.

Photography and Cebu Physicians

Aside from running, Physicians in Cebu have a love affair with photography.

As a kid, I already know a doctor who was very fond of photography. Dr. Antonio Tautjo was our amily physician and when I have a check-up in his clinic years before I went to medical school, I already noticed the picture frames hanging on the walls of his clinic. He was taking pictures of his kids and photographing people appears to be his specialty.

I myself started my love affair with photography when I was invited by a surgeon, Dr. Mike Busa to join him and several other surgeons for a series of basic photography sessions with Ted Madamba. I instantly fell in love with photography. I find it relaxing. It gives me the opportunity to marvel at God and nature, and it provides me with a chance to express myself.

I may not have a DSLR camera. All I have is my reliable Canon Powershot A470 but that did not stop me to take some classes.

The picture of a mosquito above was my very first as a "photo enthusiast" taken before I started taking up lessons. I was studying dengue fever for my masteral class in Public Health Microbiology when I saw this mosquito hovering in my room. I did something to it and somehow I managed to somehow "preserve" it for a rare photo op. I placed it on top of my notes so one would appreciate the size of the letters and the mosquito. Does it look like Aedes?

Anyway, back to the lessons...On one session, we went out very early in the morning just to catch a sunrise by the sea in Compostela.

Even without a DSLR camera, I was quite proud to have taken this picture. Hopefully someday, I'll be able to afford a DSLR.

I know of many doctors who went into photography as a hobby.

One was my student, Dr. Norwin Detalla who has a website for his pictures at norwindetalla.multiply.com.

There are many others from different specialties like Surgery, Pediatrics and many more. You can see the pictures that they take from their travels for example in their respective Facebook accounts.

As for me, I always take my camera with me. I take pictures for my blog, for my studies, for me and my wife's Facebook and for the fun of it. I even started volunteering to take pictures of my cousin's wedding. I love vacations even more because it allows me to snap pictures of beautiful places.

So c'mon, let's start taking some pics.

Run Cebu Run

Before it was badminton. Now it's running. Almost every week, there are scheduled races and doctors in Cebu have caught up with the running craze. Among the more popular physician runners in Cebu is Dr. Yong Larrazabal of course who even participate in races organized abroad.

To give you an idea of the different races scheduled in Cebu, here is a list I read from Reel running blog:

• 6/20/10 - Dasig Kabataan Run
• 6/26/10 - Run for a BEBE
• 6/26-27/10 - Danao City Multisports Weekend
• 6/27/10 - Planet Sports Run
• 7/4/10 - Fitness Run of Fitness First
• 7/25/10 - ABCCI Run for the KIDS
• 8/8/10 - VSMMC Fun Run
• 8/8/10 - ABOITIZ Race to Reduce
• 8/29/10 - 1st Recoletos' Run
• 9/05/10 - 34th MILO CEBU Eliminations
• 10/10/10 - Run to the Max 3
• 01/09/11 - Cebu City Marathon 2011

Notice the gap between races? Some races are even organized by doctors. Some of these races even occur on the same day!

What could have started this craze or fad if that's the right term for it? Are people nowadays really becoming health conscious? I will soon find out and if I do find the answers, I will post it here.

Meanwhile in facebook, you will see wall posts of friends planning designs for singlets or t-shirts. Many would show their own photos of their participation and tag other friends participating also in such races. Others have already made blogs on running. I have talked to several doctors who follow a regular training regimen in an attempt to imprve their personal records. I will try to ask them soon what made them decide to take up running as a sport.

As for me. Mmmmm? Shall I try running? Judging from the picture above, do you think I can run a 5k?

Joking aside. Go on and run. It's good for your health.

The Attack of the Babies in Game 4 of the NBA Finals

As I have foreseen in this NBA finals, the Celtics bench are stepping up in this series. Sheed and Tony Allen are playing superb defense and the pediatric duo of the diminutive Nate Robinson and the "Big Baby" Glen Davis are wreaking havoc, the latter by spreading saliva like a baby or a bulldog drooling. No wonder he is called Big Baby.



Davis' breakout performance this finals is a developmental milestone for him thus the drool. If the Big Baby continues to drool like that, I'm sure no Laker can get near him and the Celtics will surely win. (LOL). I'm sure Kobe would not want to be beaten by these 2 babies who just escaped the nursery.

Can't wait for Game 5. Will it be the chapter on the "Return of the Giant (Bynum)", the "Revenge of Kobe" or the "Attack of the Babies Part II"?

Beware of "WILD" diseases

I know. When one hears of something wild, people tend to flock together and see what that "wild" thing is. In this case, you wouldn't want to mess with this type of "wild".

With the onset of the rainy season officially confirmed by the national weather bureau, the Health department has cautioned the public to beware of the WILD...the WILD diseases.

WILD stands for water-borne diseases, influenza (interesting pronounced as influentia by one TV reporter), leptospirosis and dengue.

Pipe leaks may facilitate the entry of waterborne pathogens in the drinking water causing diarrhea. When water is thought to be unsafe, it is not enough to simply heat the water. Boiling is preferred. Fluid and electrolyte replacement is key to managing diarrhea, not the usual antidiarrheals.

Meanwhile influenza vaccines are now available some offering protection against H1N1 but many are still afraid (including some healthcare workers) to have themselves immunized for fear of side effects. Influenza vaccines are still one of the safest vaccines around.

Leptospirosis on the other hand is acquired especially when one wades in flood waters. In last year's typhoons especially Ondoy, the floods resulted to an outbreak of Leptospirosis which killed many. I could just imagine the risk taken by pedicab drivers plying the streets of Manila braving the floods when heavy rains pour. They too are at high risk for Leptospirosis. Even without a skin break, these leptospires may possibly enter through the skin pores.

Dengue is particularly high in Cebu despite the recent hot weather. From January 2010 to May 15 of this year, 532 cases with 6 deaths were reported. In the same period last year, there were around 300 cases but with 10 deaths.

Dengue prevention entails covering water containers which may become possible breeding grounds for mosquitoes carrying dengue virus and providing personal protection through mosquito repellents among other things. Fever especially in children should not be taken lightly and dengue should not be immediately ruled out.

CVGH Held Successful Postgrad Course as Lakers win

Yesterday was the culmination of a two day activity hosted by the Cebu Institute of Medicine and Cebu Velez General Hospital (CVGH) Department of Family and Community Medicine held at the Grand Convention Center in Cebu City.

The event was well attended with particpants coming as far as Zamboanga and as near as Ramos street.

I was the assigned moderator for the afternoon sessions yesterday. And since this is my first time as a moderator, I have to come in the morning to secretly observe other moderators as to how they did their jobs.

I was particularly scared (Was it obvious?) because I was told that I should also fire the first question in the open forum if nobody asks a question and one of the topics was on neurology and the speaker was my teacher back in medical school. It was indeed my first "public" appearance.

Good thing the other speakers were my classmates.

I had to do a "big" sacrifice really... Going there meant missing Game 1 of the NBA Finals but the Lakers won so good thing I missed the game. hehe.

Anyway, the topics in the postgraduate course were interesting. To name a few, the course had neuropathic pain, diabetes education and nutrition, GERD and yesterday it had pneumonia updates and proton pump inhibitors to name a few.

I would like to congratulate Dr. Thelma Fernandez, Dr. Cebrecus and Dr. Gravador for holding a successful event. Of course, the same goes to the residents of the Family Medicine Department and the other behind-the-scenes people. (Wait!I am sounding like a moderator giving out the certificate of appreciation).

I suggest for the next year maybe invite speakers form the public health sector, the government health officers and have topics on preventive medicine or public health to help in the campaign of the programs of the DOH.

Warning: Your Kid's School Supplies Might Be Toxic

Yesterday, watching the news broadcast reminded me that the school opening is fast approaching and many parents are now busy buying school supplies for their kids. I imagine children being excited about what notebooks, lunch box and pencil case they will have. Some would prefer to find in their school supplies perhaps their favorite actor's or actress's photo or their favorite cartoon character. Parents might choose these supplies based on appearance not knowing the potential dangers.

That danger is PVC.

PVC or polyvinyl chloride is dangerous to human health (associated to cancer, hormone disruption and severe health problems) and a danger to the environment as well.

I came across these tips from http://www.mtp2.org/healthy_schools_files/PVCFree.pdf and the following should be avoided because they most likely contain harmful components like polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate and polystyrene plastics collectively considered toxic plastics:

 AVOID:

1. Notebooks containing metal spirals encased in colored plastic. (Oh no! I used this before when I was a kid till high school)
2. Backpacks with shiny plastic design.
3. PVC rainwear (will tell you later what identifying marks will point to something as made of PVC)
4. Colored paper clips
5. Shiny and colorful plastic umbrellas
6. Lunchbox made of PVC which are said to be many
7. Some plastic drinking containers

PVC products usually have the three-arrow "recycling" symbol with the number 3 and or the initials PVC or the label "vinyl" on the packaging. However some products are not properly labeled.

USE INSTEAD

1. Notebooks with uncovered metal spirals
2. Stick to plain metal paper clips
3. Use nylon umbrellas
4. Use cardboard, fabric-covered or polypropylene binders
5. Use cloth or metal lunch boxes
6. If cannot avoid plastic, use plastics of the polystyrene or polycarbonate type

So parents beware of PVC products. Now you know.