Boredom Killing Tissue!
taken from BoredPanda.com
See more images here..
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Heartbreak puts the brakes on your heart
Heartbreak puts the brakes on your heart
ScienceDaily (2010-09-29) -- Social rejection isn't just emotionally upsetting; it also upsets your heart. A new study finds that being rejected by another person makes your heart rate drop for a moment.
ScienceDaily (2010-09-29) -- Social rejection isn't just emotionally upsetting; it also upsets your heart. A new study finds that being rejected by another person makes your heart rate drop for a moment.
Fail?
Just a hahaha moment for today. I screen capped this from facebook.
"Many who like Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III also like Plants vs. Zombies"
I dunno if this is a pairing fail or a demographic win. Does it go to show that a lot of Noy's fans are young, or tech savvy, or... not serious in life? 0____o
Side note:
"Many who like Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III like him" where "him" happens to be Noynoy. HAHAHA
"Many who like Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III also like Plants vs. Zombies"
I dunno if this is a pairing fail or a demographic win. Does it go to show that a lot of Noy's fans are young, or tech savvy, or... not serious in life? 0____o
Side note:
"Many who like Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III like him" where "him" happens to be Noynoy. HAHAHA
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Bats have regional accents too
According to a Reuters article:
I now can't wait to go home to Bacolod to meet the Bisaya Bats :D
Stolen from Reuters
NOTE: I think this is my 100th post! :D
It's not just people who have different accents but bats as well develop dialects depending on where they live which can help identify and protect different species, according to Australian scientists.
I now can't wait to go home to Bacolod to meet the Bisaya Bats :D
Stolen from Reuters
NOTE: I think this is my 100th post! :D
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
An 11 year-old cow has officially been recognized as the smallest bovine by the Guinness book of records.
Swallow, is roughly just the size of regular sheep at just 33-inches long.
She has however given birth to 9 normal-sized cows and is currently pregnant with her 10th.
Check her out at Mini-moo
And the Guinness Records Site
I've noticed something strange about me. Multivitamins, specifically, (pardon my branding) Centrum knocks me out. I usually get through the day, though with a bit of tiredness all through out. However, today was different.
I took calcium tablets today, at home in West Ave, QC. By the time we reached Katipunan, I was asleep-- a time span of around 20 mins. I only woke up when we reached Paranaque. A good 30 or even 45 mins later. Even then, I only stayed awake because I knew I'd have to wake up again when we got to our house. Once we arrived, I was awake for about 15 minutes before I retired again.
Apparently, I'm not alone in this. I googled the issue and learned that a lot of people suffer this condition with usually the same aforementioned brand. And it seems that there may be an issue with what kind of minerals are taken. The greatest culprit is supposedly Rock Calcium.
Rock Calcium is essentially chalk. Its Base qualities make the body work harder before it can break down the mineral and absorb it. Even when it does get absorbed, usually only 5% of the rock-based mineral is used by the body.
So, in this case, I took Clusivol early in the morning, and then additional Calcium tablets in the afternoon. Perhaps my elevated level of calcium and other minerals made my body work too hard to digest everything. Of course, I cannot discount the fact that I haven't been sleeping much, and went on a UP hike today.
I plan to experiment with my Vitamin and Mineral intake and post the results here. We'll see. :)
I took calcium tablets today, at home in West Ave, QC. By the time we reached Katipunan, I was asleep-- a time span of around 20 mins. I only woke up when we reached Paranaque. A good 30 or even 45 mins later. Even then, I only stayed awake because I knew I'd have to wake up again when we got to our house. Once we arrived, I was awake for about 15 minutes before I retired again.
Apparently, I'm not alone in this. I googled the issue and learned that a lot of people suffer this condition with usually the same aforementioned brand. And it seems that there may be an issue with what kind of minerals are taken. The greatest culprit is supposedly Rock Calcium.
Rock Calcium is essentially chalk. Its Base qualities make the body work harder before it can break down the mineral and absorb it. Even when it does get absorbed, usually only 5% of the rock-based mineral is used by the body.
So, in this case, I took Clusivol early in the morning, and then additional Calcium tablets in the afternoon. Perhaps my elevated level of calcium and other minerals made my body work too hard to digest everything. Of course, I cannot discount the fact that I haven't been sleeping much, and went on a UP hike today.
I plan to experiment with my Vitamin and Mineral intake and post the results here. We'll see. :)
Monday, September 27, 2010
Love you to death!
A plant named Meet Eater has died twice because of over-watering by loving Facebook users.
Meet Eater is part of an experiment that aims to gauge the emotions involved in social media usage. The plant is watered everytime someone writes on its wall. So far, it's been drowned by love (pardon the pun) twice. The current plant is it's 3rd victim-- errr, participant.
Read more about it on "Facebook-fed Aussie plant killed by kindness"
Inspired by my Prof, I was about to write about ghost stories we'd collected from UP.
Just as I opened this site to get going, my cellphone which has been playing a poem that I have to memorize on repeat since last night changed songs. :/
It doesn't help either that it was my dad's favorite song that started playing.
So, I shall postpone the full-fledged ghost story article for a time when I'm not alone in the house.
I'm off to turn on ALL the lights at home now! K.Thanx.Bye!
Just as I opened this site to get going, my cellphone which has been playing a poem that I have to memorize on repeat since last night changed songs. :/
It doesn't help either that it was my dad's favorite song that started playing.
So, I shall postpone the full-fledged ghost story article for a time when I'm not alone in the house.
I'm off to turn on ALL the lights at home now! K.Thanx.Bye!
ZUBBLES!!!
Zubbles are the World's first colored bubbles!
This has just rendered my childhood as obsolete. I can deal with the new electronic toys, the laser-controlled, battery-powered things. But this. This?!
I feel so deprived!
This has just rendered my childhood as obsolete. I can deal with the new electronic toys, the laser-controlled, battery-powered things. But this. This?!
I feel so deprived!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Out of this world opera
An opera piece based on the Klingon language invented for the Star Trek series is set to premiere in Frakfurt, Germany.
Stolen from Reuters.com
The 90-minute show tells the story of Kahless the Unforgettable, said to be the first Klingon emperor. Tickets for the show's three-day run at the Zeebelt Theater, which has just under 100 seats, were still available... [Reuters]
Stolen from Reuters.com
OK there we go. Some time to blog.
As I began with my previous post, I am a trained caregiver. I am NOT licensed, far from it. However, I was fortunate enough to have worked with Asia-Pacific Caregivers training center. I was there as a clerk, I think, initially. But finished most of my work in 2 days. So I ended up studying with them, correcting their teaching material, etc. Needless to say, I learned a lot.
Anyway, yesterday, at around 7am, my aunt texted us to pray for my cousin. Appendicitis.
The operation was set for 1pm, so I could still finish my class, drop by my friend's seminar, and make it to her room before she left for the OR.
I didn't think it would take so long. It was a Laparascopic Procdure and I thought it's take 2hrs max. She got back to her room around 6pm.
Before then, I was anxiously waiting for her to return to her room, and so I set her bed. Hahaha. I smoothed and tucked in her sheets and pillows and all.
A few hours later, I walk to the or just to find her being wheeled into the recovery room.
She went through the usual shivering after her procedure. She's a small girl, but the bed was shaking from her tremors. She was talking and joking, but kept on drifting in and out of sleep. Around an hour later, she was cleared to go back to her room.
It was kind of exciting for me. I got to witness and participate in lifting her from the gurney to her bed using a blanket. I got to practice the techniques in lifting her body to position it comfortably on her pillow. But then, as another side effect of the anesthesia and perhaps also from moving her, she threw up.
It was dramatic, actually. She looked straight at me like she was gonna say something, rolled over and then spewed. I barely had time to jump out of the way. The spot where my feet were were now barf puddles. But I noticed that her vomit was going to flow back to her, so I caught the rest of her vomit in my hand, while my other hand was wiping off the trail that was going back to her. The nurse aids who were on the other side of the bed caught the vomit from my hand with a plastic bag-- just in time for her to vomit again into the same hand. The aids took over and I cleaned up. When I got back, we changed the sheets while she was on the bed. It was awesome for me because I was getting to practice techniques I'd really only read about.
Afterwards, she asked me to lift her higher onto her pillow, and it filled me with a great sense of pride. The nurses and the doctors and of course my family later on praised me, but it was nothing compared to the bond it fostered between us cousins.
As I began with my previous post, I am a trained caregiver. I am NOT licensed, far from it. However, I was fortunate enough to have worked with Asia-Pacific Caregivers training center. I was there as a clerk, I think, initially. But finished most of my work in 2 days. So I ended up studying with them, correcting their teaching material, etc. Needless to say, I learned a lot.
Anyway, yesterday, at around 7am, my aunt texted us to pray for my cousin. Appendicitis.
The operation was set for 1pm, so I could still finish my class, drop by my friend's seminar, and make it to her room before she left for the OR.
I didn't think it would take so long. It was a Laparascopic Procdure and I thought it's take 2hrs max. She got back to her room around 6pm.
Before then, I was anxiously waiting for her to return to her room, and so I set her bed. Hahaha. I smoothed and tucked in her sheets and pillows and all.
A few hours later, I walk to the or just to find her being wheeled into the recovery room.
She went through the usual shivering after her procedure. She's a small girl, but the bed was shaking from her tremors. She was talking and joking, but kept on drifting in and out of sleep. Around an hour later, she was cleared to go back to her room.
It was kind of exciting for me. I got to witness and participate in lifting her from the gurney to her bed using a blanket. I got to practice the techniques in lifting her body to position it comfortably on her pillow. But then, as another side effect of the anesthesia and perhaps also from moving her, she threw up.
It was dramatic, actually. She looked straight at me like she was gonna say something, rolled over and then spewed. I barely had time to jump out of the way. The spot where my feet were were now barf puddles. But I noticed that her vomit was going to flow back to her, so I caught the rest of her vomit in my hand, while my other hand was wiping off the trail that was going back to her. The nurse aids who were on the other side of the bed caught the vomit from my hand with a plastic bag-- just in time for her to vomit again into the same hand. The aids took over and I cleaned up. When I got back, we changed the sheets while she was on the bed. It was awesome for me because I was getting to practice techniques I'd really only read about.
Afterwards, she asked me to lift her higher onto her pillow, and it filled me with a great sense of pride. The nurses and the doctors and of course my family later on praised me, but it was nothing compared to the bond it fostered between us cousins.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Sometimes, fixing what's not broken creates more errors. :/
I got these photos from SessionMagazine.com
and there are more pics of them there.
I got these photos from SessionMagazine.com
and there are more pics of them there.
Friday, September 24, 2010
I recently went to a (sort of) reunion in my highschool. There, a lot of people didn't recognize me. My appearance supposedly has changed a lot. I discussed this with a friend recently and he asked to see some of my old HS pics. After a mirage of curses and bewildered questions, he asks me how I'd gotten so fair. He swore I had Vitiligo. I had no idea what the hell that was so I googled it.
Accdg to Wikipedia:
I also read up on this on Medicinenet.com
and
Vitiligoguide.com
I'm no Belo Model, but hey, my skin isn't THAT bad. :/
Accdg to Wikipedia:
Vitiligo (pronounced /ˌvɪtɨˈlaɪɡoʊ/) is a chronic disorder that causes depigmentation of patches of skin. It occurs when melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, die or are unable to function. The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but research suggests that it may arise from autoimmune, genetic, oxidative stress, neural, or viral causes.[1] The incidence worldwide is less than 1%.[2] The most common form is non-segmental vitiligo.
I also read up on this on Medicinenet.com
and
Vitiligoguide.com
I'm no Belo Model, but hey, my skin isn't THAT bad. :/
Thursday, September 23, 2010
How much does 1 Trillion Dollars look like?
This is from Amy Mayer's Blog
This is an animation or presentation to visualize what 1,000,000,000,000 Dollars would look like. It's cool because I don't think many of us will even come close to this amount in our lifetime. At least we can imagine it better after viewing this. :P
Once again, stolen from
Amy Mayer
and
Free4Teachers
This is an animation or presentation to visualize what 1,000,000,000,000 Dollars would look like. It's cool because I don't think many of us will even come close to this amount in our lifetime. At least we can imagine it better after viewing this. :P
Once again, stolen from
Amy Mayer
and
Free4Teachers
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Semantifi
Semantifi is a new search engine and host for data display tools. The basic idea behind Semantifi is to help people locate data sets and view those data sets in charts and graphs. Right now Semantifi is focused on government and economic data.-- from Free4teachers.com
Here's how Semantifi works. Enter a query in the search box (Semantifi will offer suggestions too) then select a search result. When you open the link in the search result Semantifi will open the data set in a graph and or chart display that makes the data easy to read. For an example of a results display see the results of my search for Civilian Unemployment Rates.
Semantifi offers application developers the opportunity to create and publish data applications. When you search Semantifi some of the results may lead you to data displays developed by third parties.
***
I think this is great. This combines search engines with Excel or something. Awesome, iddint? :P
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Customizable Cams
With more and more camera models and even brands coming out to compete, Pentax seems to think that being able to customize your cameras with cases and skins is the key to keeping its footing in the market.
The Pentax K-x seems to have started this revolution. Released in 2009, the camera comes in a whole array of body colors and color-combos.
This year, Pentax released the Nanoblock1000. It's body is covered in Lego-like bumps which allows the owner to attach Lego-like pieces to create different patterns and even shapes that can act as thumb/finger rests.
Also available now is the RS1000 which comes with a clear faceplate that allows you to slip in skins and images and what-nots to customize it too.
The Cameras are 14-megapixels each and seems to be available only in Japan... :(
Stolen from PetaPixel
The Pentax K-x seems to have started this revolution. Released in 2009, the camera comes in a whole array of body colors and color-combos.
This year, Pentax released the Nanoblock1000. It's body is covered in Lego-like bumps which allows the owner to attach Lego-like pieces to create different patterns and even shapes that can act as thumb/finger rests.
Also available now is the RS1000 which comes with a clear faceplate that allows you to slip in skins and images and what-nots to customize it too.
The Cameras are 14-megapixels each and seems to be available only in Japan... :(
Stolen from PetaPixel
Taken from ThatWillBuffOut.com
You can give me the hottest hot rod for a coffin, the grandest mansion for a mausoleum-- but ain't no way I wanna use that anytime soon...
Monday, September 20, 2010
GAME OVER :D
I think using people as pixels is gaining popularity. There's a lot of youtube vids of Human LCD's. Recently, for the UAAP games, Jollibee staged a Pinoy Pride Human LCD display in the Araneta Coliseum.
This video however mixes People-Pixel art and stop-motion techniques. This was staged by Guillaume Reymond for his Game Over Project.
From Reymond's Site:
Stolen from Laughing Squid
Guillaume Reymond's Site
This video however mixes People-Pixel art and stop-motion techniques. This was staged by Guillaume Reymond for his Game Over Project.
This giant game was played by 111 human pixels that has moved from seat to seat during more than 4 hours
From Reymond's Site:
GAME OVER is one of the art projects developed by the French-Swiss artist Guillaume REYMOND (NOTsoNOISY creative agency). It consists of a series of collaborative animation movies which revive some of the very first video games. The pixels are replaced by a group of real human-beings that are moving from seat to seat in a theatre during about 4 to 6 hours. Each "pixel" has its own rules and decides what s/he wants to do for each picture. Once all these pictures are turned into a short animation movie, a giant human-scale video game unfolds "live".
Stolen from Laughing Squid
Guillaume Reymond's Site
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Per Te, Gesu, per Te
It was serendipitous, actually, like I was meant to be there. I had a project to do, and this was the most convenient tradition for me to document. I brought my car, but my aunt and the pleasant weather enticed me to go walk. I had my thesis to finish, but I dragged myself out of the house to do something that I could still postpone to next week. All in all, it was well worth it.
I grew up somewhat frightened of their faces, but today, they merely saddened me. The antique statues of The Crucified Christ, Mother Mary, and Sto. Nino had been retouched with enamel and paint-- much like a carpentered face lift. It saddened me that, much like my own person, what's true was now hidden and euphemised beneath what can be passed off as advancement.
I walked the dark streets behind a parade of old ladies in a place of honor because I was allowed to carry the Cross. It was poetic, actually, if you think about it. There I was, a big guy, lifting a less-than-life-sized Crucifix on my shoulders when I also carried a Cross in my heart.
I participated in what I have always known as the "Perdon." It is a tradition in our village that every week, this triumvirate of Jesus, Mary, and Nino would be transferred from one willing household to another. They leave one household amidst prayer, journey the streets in the early evening still among prayer and chants, and are welcomed into their new home with prayer as well. I grew up and grew old with it, and I have never appreciated it as much as I did tonight.
Don't ask me why, because I may never be able to really know why myself. But love might be in the equation.
I realized how, every week, God woos us a new household to lend them a roof for the week. Every week a Pamamanhikan,every week, tayong nililigawan.
And for love, for Jesus, I walked with Him on my shoulder along with His cross in the dark, for a couple of blocks, not knowing where we were going. The Cross hit me on the head a couple of times, my fingers have splinters and a couple of my nails have kind of separated from the flesh, but I was at peace-- for maybe 15 minutes, I was at peace. Peace that, for the past months, not even sleep has afforded me.
I then realized that had I not been there, had things not fallen into place so strangely, one of the frail old ladies walking by me would have had to carry this Cross.
I realized that this applied to more than just this procession. I realized that, complain as I may, and in the amount that I do, someone must be thankful that I'm taking on the things I do. That whatever I'm suffering right now must be making someone else's life easier. And, in some way, someone else is suffering to make my load lighter.
I think, somewhere on the lamppost-lit streets, on the pavement, I once again found my faith.
I grew up somewhat frightened of their faces, but today, they merely saddened me. The antique statues of The Crucified Christ, Mother Mary, and Sto. Nino had been retouched with enamel and paint-- much like a carpentered face lift. It saddened me that, much like my own person, what's true was now hidden and euphemised beneath what can be passed off as advancement.
I walked the dark streets behind a parade of old ladies in a place of honor because I was allowed to carry the Cross. It was poetic, actually, if you think about it. There I was, a big guy, lifting a less-than-life-sized Crucifix on my shoulders when I also carried a Cross in my heart.
I participated in what I have always known as the "Perdon." It is a tradition in our village that every week, this triumvirate of Jesus, Mary, and Nino would be transferred from one willing household to another. They leave one household amidst prayer, journey the streets in the early evening still among prayer and chants, and are welcomed into their new home with prayer as well. I grew up and grew old with it, and I have never appreciated it as much as I did tonight.
Don't ask me why, because I may never be able to really know why myself. But love might be in the equation.
I realized how, every week, God woos us a new household to lend them a roof for the week. Every week a Pamamanhikan,every week, tayong nililigawan.
And for love, for Jesus, I walked with Him on my shoulder along with His cross in the dark, for a couple of blocks, not knowing where we were going. The Cross hit me on the head a couple of times, my fingers have splinters and a couple of my nails have kind of separated from the flesh, but I was at peace-- for maybe 15 minutes, I was at peace. Peace that, for the past months, not even sleep has afforded me.
I then realized that had I not been there, had things not fallen into place so strangely, one of the frail old ladies walking by me would have had to carry this Cross.
I realized that this applied to more than just this procession. I realized that, complain as I may, and in the amount that I do, someone must be thankful that I'm taking on the things I do. That whatever I'm suffering right now must be making someone else's life easier. And, in some way, someone else is suffering to make my load lighter.
I think, somewhere on the lamppost-lit streets, on the pavement, I once again found my faith.
Gnarly, dude.
This is a 7-minute video of John Chiara, a photographer. He uses a camera which he built (builds) himself. This camera is quite extraordinary because of its size. In a world where everyone is trying to cram things into as small a shell as they can, his camera is the size of a van. Yes, a van.
It's not very portable, but hey, it's his claim to fame...
This is an example of a developed shot.
Stolen from PetaPixel
John Chiara's Site
Did you know?
That crickets can supposedly tell you the temperature?
SUPPOSEDLY.
The Old Farmer's Almanac gives this formula:
To convert cricket chirps to degrees Fahrenheit, count number of chirps in 14 seconds then add 40 to get temperature.
Example: 30 chirps + 40 = 70° F
To convert cricket chirps to degrees Celsius, count number of chirps in 25 seconds, divide by 3, then add 4 to get temperature.
Example: 48 chirps /(divided by) 3 + 4 = 20° C
SUPPOSEDLY.
The Old Farmer's Almanac gives this formula:
To convert cricket chirps to degrees Fahrenheit, count number of chirps in 14 seconds then add 40 to get temperature.
Example: 30 chirps + 40 = 70° F
To convert cricket chirps to degrees Celsius, count number of chirps in 25 seconds, divide by 3, then add 4 to get temperature.
Example: 48 chirps /(divided by) 3 + 4 = 20° C
Exploding Water
The water is heated by the microwaves to a temperature even higher than that of the boiling point. Usually this produces steam, also the cause of the bubbles we see that is characteristic of boiling. But because of certain conditions including the speed that microwaves heat water and the purity of the container and the water itself, the steam doesn't come out. When this happens, the slightest disturbance can cause the pent-up pressure and steam to all rush up simultaneously creating the illusion of exploding water. Of note, though, is that this water is still around or even above the boiling point, so it can cause damage and harm...
Taken from Snopes.com
This type of phenomenon occurs if water is heated in a clean cup. If foreign materials such as instant coffee or sugar are added before heating, the risk is greatly reduced. If superheating has occurred, a slight disturbance or movement such as picking up the cup, or pouring in a spoon full of instant coffee, may result in a violent eruption with the boiling water exploding out of the cup.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Awesome Copy Cat Site
This is the template for Micheal Jang's Website. He's a photographer, and apparently very creative.
He cloned Google's well-known search results page and used it to display links to his works et al. The Search Suggestions on the right are also real links to real sites, btw. All customized by him to work for his site.
Awesome.
Stolen from PetaPixel
Micheal Jang's Site
He cloned Google's well-known search results page and used it to display links to his works et al. The Search Suggestions on the right are also real links to real sites, btw. All customized by him to work for his site.
Awesome.
Stolen from PetaPixel
Micheal Jang's Site
"...people often go into personal stories about their own tattoos, as if an excuse or story is necessary to justify the ink." Alan Tuerkheimer, 2009
I talk a lot. Tell a lot of people about a lot of things in my life. I share personal experiences, insights, follies. Does that imply that I am apologetic of my life-- of who I am?
Social Scientists: Scinetists with Social Lives
Social Scientists: Scientists with Social Lives!
Wear your CSSP pride for only P199! Shirts will be out at the start of 2nd Sem. You can reserve your size and color now by contacting Guill Mante via 09228503930.
Order na, baka maubusan ka pa! Please indicate your preferred size (XS, S, M, L, XL) and color (white on black or blue on white) in your order.
Yabang at Yabong, CSSP!
Friday, September 17, 2010
A Photography Clinic with Parc Cruz from Cinematica
Time: Thursday, September 23 · 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: The Address at Wack Wack Showroom, 212 Wilson St., West Greenhills, San Juan
Special packages and promos will be available!
Location: The Address at Wack Wack Showroom, 212 Wilson St., West Greenhills, San Juan
Special packages and promos will be available!
Kite Aerial Photography on MAKE: television from make magazine on Vimeo.
How awesome is this? These are photos taken by Charles Benton using rigs and contraptions designed and built by himself.
Benton creates his own gear for mounting his DSLR on a kite and controlling it from afar — you might be surprised at how creative some of his contraptions are (for one rig he uses a disposable camera, rubber bands, and a ping-pong ball).-- PetaPixel
Benton's Gallery can be accessed here.
**
For once, I'm honestly more interested in the rig he used rather than the photographs. And the courage, man, the courage to send a DSLR up in a kite. Nonetheless, and in all fairness the photographs are STUNNING.
Hmmmm. Doing research on the proposed Monorail system for UP Diliman which I wanted to write on, I uncovered something sad.
The brains behind this thing, Sec. Mario Montejo of the DOST was also the brains behind an amusement park close to our home.
Water Fun was a dinosaur themed park just at the border of Paranaque and Muntinlupa. It featured a couple of giant robotic dinosaurs that sprayed water from their mouths and moved their heads, and a couple of giant water slides too. They also had contraptions that shot streams and sprays of water at the guests. Of course, they had the usual food stands, and a later addition was their on-site hotel.
I remember that the different Sunday variety shows used the place as Summer locations a couple of times.
Alas, these are now mere memories. There were times that the park closed and re-opened supposedly under new management. Then, it eventually closed for good. For a while, the dragon and dinosaur heads could still be seen above the walls. Once in a while, the jets would be seen operating, for cleaning purposes said the guard. The buildings were still quite clean then, empty, but protected by guards. Then it started to fall into disrepair. The guard house was often empty and dirty. The glass facade of the main building now derelict, the reflective tint bubbling and peeling away. The less-fortunate people climbing the walls and taking swims in the stagnating water. One day, the head of the serpent-like dinosaur fell. Its long neck ending in a stub of wires. It was depressing for me, a grade-school student at the time.
Now, the front of the compound now serves as a trash dump. The fun area is now cordoned off. The hotel now tainted with the nightmare of a death-- whether it was a murder or a suicide escapes me now.
***
I've practically forgotten the reason I wrote this. But really, I don't know what saddens me more. The fact that the place had serious potential but seems to have been mismanaged, or that the brains behind this is the same guy proposing something that will eradicate on of UP's icons, and will affect so many things other than transportation.
The brains behind this thing, Sec. Mario Montejo of the DOST was also the brains behind an amusement park close to our home.
Water Fun was a dinosaur themed park just at the border of Paranaque and Muntinlupa. It featured a couple of giant robotic dinosaurs that sprayed water from their mouths and moved their heads, and a couple of giant water slides too. They also had contraptions that shot streams and sprays of water at the guests. Of course, they had the usual food stands, and a later addition was their on-site hotel.
I remember that the different Sunday variety shows used the place as Summer locations a couple of times.
Alas, these are now mere memories. There were times that the park closed and re-opened supposedly under new management. Then, it eventually closed for good. For a while, the dragon and dinosaur heads could still be seen above the walls. Once in a while, the jets would be seen operating, for cleaning purposes said the guard. The buildings were still quite clean then, empty, but protected by guards. Then it started to fall into disrepair. The guard house was often empty and dirty. The glass facade of the main building now derelict, the reflective tint bubbling and peeling away. The less-fortunate people climbing the walls and taking swims in the stagnating water. One day, the head of the serpent-like dinosaur fell. Its long neck ending in a stub of wires. It was depressing for me, a grade-school student at the time.
Now, the front of the compound now serves as a trash dump. The fun area is now cordoned off. The hotel now tainted with the nightmare of a death-- whether it was a murder or a suicide escapes me now.
***
I've practically forgotten the reason I wrote this. But really, I don't know what saddens me more. The fact that the place had serious potential but seems to have been mismanaged, or that the brains behind this is the same guy proposing something that will eradicate on of UP's icons, and will affect so many things other than transportation.
Printed Illusions
These are cool illusions. The images look 3d and all when placed and viewed in a certain way. It would have been way better had they used a better printer. :P
There's not proper attribution to the author, but I originally saw these at
Do-While.com which compiled it from HAHA.nu
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Lenovo IdeaPad U1: Hybrid Netbook/Tablet
Lenovo IdeaPad U1: Hybrid Netbook/Tablet
Goodness. Lenovo has one out already for $1000. I can just NOT enroll anymore and I can have this is a year's time!
Goodness. Lenovo has one out already for $1000. I can just NOT enroll anymore and I can have this is a year's time!
LOVE Update
I think this is just in the designing stages, no?
I can't seem to find any prices just yet. Amazing. I so want one.
LOVE
Dell Inspiron | Duo Tablet Netbook Hybrid Design | Design You Trust
Sorry, I HAD to post this. MUST.HAVE.THIS.
But it's just 10 inches! Too small for my taste... :(
BUT STILL!
Trailmeme
Awesome Idea, I hope it catches on. I'm reblogging this from http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/09/trailmeme-create-and-trace-trails-of.html
I'm pretty much copy pasting everything.
Again, stolen from freetech4teachers.com
***
I just realized-- what trail would MY searches produce?! :))
I'm pretty much copy pasting everything.
Trailmeme is an interesting new service that could be described as social bookmarking meets social mind mapping. The basic idea behind Trailmeme is that we all have our own way of connecting the things we find on the Internet when we research a topic. Trailmeme provides a way to record those connections and publish them as a mind map or flowchart that Trailmeme refers to as a "trail." When you publish your trail publicly other visitors to Trailmeme can "walk" the trail you created. Walking a trail means that you follow the map of labeled links created by another person. Watch the video below to learn more about Trailmeme.
Again, stolen from freetech4teachers.com
***
I just realized-- what trail would MY searches produce?! :))
Life Unexpected
Ok, let's be a little off topic for a while.
I'm supporting my friend in promoting this show. I actually got wind of this show when I was hospitalized. It's got a quaint quaint storyline. I'll probably post more on this later on. :)
I'm supporting my friend in promoting this show. I actually got wind of this show when I was hospitalized. It's got a quaint quaint storyline. I'll probably post more on this later on. :)
Life Unexpected is a television series which premiered on The CW on Monday, January 18, 2010. The 13-episode first season run ended on April 12, 2010. On May 18, The CW announced that the series had been picked up for a second season[1] to air on Tuesdays at 9/8c following One Tree Hill.[2] The second season premiered on September 14, 2010--Wikipedia
Awwww.
So I'm a novice blogger. The platform I'd gotten used to in the year or so that I've been blogging is Tumblr. Only recently did I figure out how to use the queue which allows me to create a post, and then publish it at a later time.
I tried to do it here on this blog tonight, and I couldn't figure it out. So, I googled the instructions. I was taken on a confusing ride. I had to make an account in Emailscheduler.com, edit some settings here on my blog, re-write and re-format my blogs, etc. After easily 45 mins. I get the idea to google for instructions specific to Blogger.com. Lo and Behold, there's a little button that schedules posts for us here in Blogger. :)
45 Mins. blissfully wasted because I felt like I was technologically savvy. :)
I tried to do it here on this blog tonight, and I couldn't figure it out. So, I googled the instructions. I was taken on a confusing ride. I had to make an account in Emailscheduler.com, edit some settings here on my blog, re-write and re-format my blogs, etc. After easily 45 mins. I get the idea to google for instructions specific to Blogger.com. Lo and Behold, there's a little button that schedules posts for us here in Blogger. :)
45 Mins. blissfully wasted because I felt like I was technologically savvy. :)
7 Foods That Hinder Sleep
Alrighty, I got this article from Shine.Yahoo.com It gives a list of (as the title suggests) 7 foods that hinders us from sleeping at night.
It has the usual spicy food and caffeine on the list. BUT it also has a couple of surprising things such as alcohol, Ham or smoked meats, and tea.
I had long noticed that whenever I get to go out drinking, I sleep very shallowly, and usually wake up in the wee hours of the morning and just toss about. I always thought it was just because of the night's happenings, and not the alcohol itself. Accordingly, I thought all kinds of tea aided in sleeping.
As for milk chocolate, first off, anything with chocolate wakes me up. Plus, the milk part will definitely keep me up-- due to Lactose Intolerance.
Again, the article is from http://shine.yahoo.com/event/vitality/7-sleep-stealing-foods-to-stay-away-from-2388276/
It has the usual spicy food and caffeine on the list. BUT it also has a couple of surprising things such as alcohol, Ham or smoked meats, and tea.
I had long noticed that whenever I get to go out drinking, I sleep very shallowly, and usually wake up in the wee hours of the morning and just toss about. I always thought it was just because of the night's happenings, and not the alcohol itself. Accordingly, I thought all kinds of tea aided in sleeping.
As for milk chocolate, first off, anything with chocolate wakes me up. Plus, the milk part will definitely keep me up-- due to Lactose Intolerance.
Again, the article is from http://shine.yahoo.com/event/vitality/7-sleep-stealing-foods-to-stay-away-from-2388276/
Friday, September 10, 2010
From Hostage Crisis to Economic Crisis?
Apprehension is understandable in lieu of the August 23 hostage crisis. Taking into consideration that our culture is known for its hospitality, this event was unimaginable and unacceptable. Yet, we must also consider other cultures which take on a more ego-centric tilt with an every-man-for-himself way of life, and even a superiority complex which often gives them the illusion that an event like that cannot happen to them, or that they can easily overcome it. We must also consider how these other cultures are slowly being incorporated into our own citizens’ psyche.
Remember the prediction of such institutions as the World Bank and ADB. They said that the Philippines was headed for a depression because the west was in a depression and would spend less on travel and leisurely expenses. Rather than experiencing a drop in tourism in 2008 and 2009, the income that the tourism sector actually rose by 3-5%. This is because, though the rest of the world was cutting down on leisurely expenses, our local tourists were not. According to Mike Suaco, Manager of the Discovery Suites Gym and Spa in Ortigas, there has been a rising rate of local clients. The highest gym and spa usage, said Suaco, are around the holidays when families check in for a day or two to join in special events, or even couple discounts for the months of June and February. Nonet Pillora, an artist and shop owner at Boracay’s D’Mall also states that though seeing a foreigner may still make heads turn, there are a lot more young Filipinos on the beach that foreign visitors. He also notes that foreigners and Filipinos aren’t very different on how much they spend, differing rather in what they spend on. Filipinos choose jewelry and accessories more, and buy in bulk for pasalubong while foreigners choose things such as key chains and display pieces for the home. Stephanie, Nonet’s wife, an Australian explains that, “we choose things for ourselves, to show off where we’ve been and that only we have it. You (Filipinos) take things to give away and share. It still our cultures, definitely.”
Gabo Punzalan, owner of the Water Camp resort in Cavite as well as the Josephine restaurants mentioned that, yes, they noticed a lessening of Asian tourists, but their seats were eagerly filled by Filipino families. He noted that though there seemed to be less Asian tourist walk-ins in both their restaurants and their resorts, no pre-made reservations were cancelled, nor was there a decline in their sales. He said, “Actually, I was thinking, there might not even be a real decline in the tourists. We could just be imagining things.” It seems that the vacated roles of certain tourist groups or types can easily be filled in by others.
Another issue is that of our OFW workforce. In 2009, OFW’s legally remitted close to 20 billion dollars, a big chunk of the Philippines’ National Income. Some feared that there would be lay-offs and even premature contract ends due to disdain. Although there were some isolated reports of these, it is believed to be a continuation of the maltreatment of foreign blue collar workers rather than a new or worsening of the working environment in lands other than their own.
Jocelyn Dulay, a Nursing Assistant from Dubai said that “Budlay gid ‘to kay mahidlaw ka sa mga ginhikanan mo. Mapalibog ka sa bana kag mga bata mo. Kag ara man ang takot kay kung anu-ano man ang ginahambal sang mga tawo bag-o ko maglakat nga may ga-pang-rape, gapanakit, mga amo na bala.” [It is really hard there because you’ll miss your parents. You worry about your husband and kids. And there is fear oo because of what the people were saying before I left, that there are rapists, there are those who will hurt you, those things.] She continued, that it helps if you already know someone there who can find you a good employer. For her, it was her sister Veronika who found her a good employer. She added that, “mabuti din dumaan sa mga Agency, like POEA kay may feeling ka bala na may matatakbuhan ka.” [It is also good to go through agencies like the Phil. Overseas Employment Agency, because you feel like you have someone to run to.]
Gemina Olvido, a semi-retired domestic worker from Hong Kong, said that they did have fears, especially that CNN was making the event look “napakapanget.” She continues, “Tumawag ako agad sa pinsan ko to ask nga, ‘ano ba ang totoo?’ The next day, they text me ‘Ate, ingat ka dyan, galit daw mga instik sa inyo.’ Natakot naman ako. May mga masbata akong kasama na sabi, ‘Auntie, paano kung tapunan tayo ng asido?’ Pero pag pasok ko [sa trabaho] wala naman. Sabi pa nga ng iba, ‘Didang, I’m so sorry. If all Filipinos are related, he must have been adopted.”[I immediately called my cousins to ask what was really happening. The next day, they text me, “Ate take care there, the Chinese are mad at you.” I got scared. I had younger colleagues who said, “Auntie, what if they throw acid on us?” But when I got to work, nothing. One even said, “Didang, I’m so sorry. If all Filipinos are related, he must have been adopted.” She further states that in the news it seems like all of China is rallying against the Philippines, but she says it’s like how the war in Mindanao is seen. “Akala mo buong Pilipinas binobomba, bawat kanto may danger. Eh hindi naman. ‘Yun lang kasi ang napapabalita.” [You’d think the whole Philippines was being bombed, that there was danger in every corner. That’s not true. It just so happens to be the only thing you see in the news.] Ms. Olvido ended her statement by saying, “Tsaka hindi talaga matawaran ang Pinoy. Sino pa bang ang magkukuskos ng banyo nila, ipagluluto sila, nakangiti parin? Pagkatapos, kukuwentuhan pa mga anak nila hanggang makatulog na parang anak na rin nila? Para saan? Para sa presyo ng kalahati ng mga bag o sapatos nila.” [And really nothing beats the Filipinos. Who else will scrub their bathrooms and cook for them all with a smile? Then, tell stories to their kids until they fall asleep? For what? For half the price of their bags or their shoes.]
In most fields of study, from Physics to Economics, and even Religious Philosophy, the basic principle is that an action elicits a reaction based on the benefits or lack thereof of the original action. If, as a country, we are to be moved, let it be towards progress. Let us learn how to handle things properly, and not just practice our finger-pointing skills.
Tourism may be a very strong player in our economic game, but we must realize that we still have a whole team playing for us. We can be tourists ourselves, we have our export and outsourcing industries, and of course our OFW workforce—our team of mga bagong bayani.
Articles
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/component/content/article/83-opinion-columnist/25250-economic-responses-to-hostage-crisis
Economic responses to hostage crisis
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/199255/hk-tourists-cut-vacation-short-after-hostage-crisis
HK tourists cut vacation short after hostage crisis
http://bantaypresidente100.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/the-economics-of-the-quirino-grandstand-hostage-taking/
The Economics of the Quirino Grandstand Hostage-taking
Interviews
Dulay, Jocelyn
Olvido, Gemina
Pillora, Nonet
Pillora, Stephanie
Punzalan, Gabriel
Suaco, Mike
Remember the prediction of such institutions as the World Bank and ADB. They said that the Philippines was headed for a depression because the west was in a depression and would spend less on travel and leisurely expenses. Rather than experiencing a drop in tourism in 2008 and 2009, the income that the tourism sector actually rose by 3-5%. This is because, though the rest of the world was cutting down on leisurely expenses, our local tourists were not. According to Mike Suaco, Manager of the Discovery Suites Gym and Spa in Ortigas, there has been a rising rate of local clients. The highest gym and spa usage, said Suaco, are around the holidays when families check in for a day or two to join in special events, or even couple discounts for the months of June and February. Nonet Pillora, an artist and shop owner at Boracay’s D’Mall also states that though seeing a foreigner may still make heads turn, there are a lot more young Filipinos on the beach that foreign visitors. He also notes that foreigners and Filipinos aren’t very different on how much they spend, differing rather in what they spend on. Filipinos choose jewelry and accessories more, and buy in bulk for pasalubong while foreigners choose things such as key chains and display pieces for the home. Stephanie, Nonet’s wife, an Australian explains that, “we choose things for ourselves, to show off where we’ve been and that only we have it. You (Filipinos) take things to give away and share. It still our cultures, definitely.”
Gabo Punzalan, owner of the Water Camp resort in Cavite as well as the Josephine restaurants mentioned that, yes, they noticed a lessening of Asian tourists, but their seats were eagerly filled by Filipino families. He noted that though there seemed to be less Asian tourist walk-ins in both their restaurants and their resorts, no pre-made reservations were cancelled, nor was there a decline in their sales. He said, “Actually, I was thinking, there might not even be a real decline in the tourists. We could just be imagining things.” It seems that the vacated roles of certain tourist groups or types can easily be filled in by others.
Another issue is that of our OFW workforce. In 2009, OFW’s legally remitted close to 20 billion dollars, a big chunk of the Philippines’ National Income. Some feared that there would be lay-offs and even premature contract ends due to disdain. Although there were some isolated reports of these, it is believed to be a continuation of the maltreatment of foreign blue collar workers rather than a new or worsening of the working environment in lands other than their own.
Jocelyn Dulay, a Nursing Assistant from Dubai said that “Budlay gid ‘to kay mahidlaw ka sa mga ginhikanan mo. Mapalibog ka sa bana kag mga bata mo. Kag ara man ang takot kay kung anu-ano man ang ginahambal sang mga tawo bag-o ko maglakat nga may ga-pang-rape, gapanakit, mga amo na bala.” [It is really hard there because you’ll miss your parents. You worry about your husband and kids. And there is fear oo because of what the people were saying before I left, that there are rapists, there are those who will hurt you, those things.] She continued, that it helps if you already know someone there who can find you a good employer. For her, it was her sister Veronika who found her a good employer. She added that, “mabuti din dumaan sa mga Agency, like POEA kay may feeling ka bala na may matatakbuhan ka.” [It is also good to go through agencies like the Phil. Overseas Employment Agency, because you feel like you have someone to run to.]
Gemina Olvido, a semi-retired domestic worker from Hong Kong, said that they did have fears, especially that CNN was making the event look “napakapanget.” She continues, “Tumawag ako agad sa pinsan ko to ask nga, ‘ano ba ang totoo?’ The next day, they text me ‘Ate, ingat ka dyan, galit daw mga instik sa inyo.’ Natakot naman ako. May mga masbata akong kasama na sabi, ‘Auntie, paano kung tapunan tayo ng asido?’ Pero pag pasok ko [sa trabaho] wala naman. Sabi pa nga ng iba, ‘Didang, I’m so sorry. If all Filipinos are related, he must have been adopted.”[I immediately called my cousins to ask what was really happening. The next day, they text me, “Ate take care there, the Chinese are mad at you.” I got scared. I had younger colleagues who said, “Auntie, what if they throw acid on us?” But when I got to work, nothing. One even said, “Didang, I’m so sorry. If all Filipinos are related, he must have been adopted.” She further states that in the news it seems like all of China is rallying against the Philippines, but she says it’s like how the war in Mindanao is seen. “Akala mo buong Pilipinas binobomba, bawat kanto may danger. Eh hindi naman. ‘Yun lang kasi ang napapabalita.” [You’d think the whole Philippines was being bombed, that there was danger in every corner. That’s not true. It just so happens to be the only thing you see in the news.] Ms. Olvido ended her statement by saying, “Tsaka hindi talaga matawaran ang Pinoy. Sino pa bang ang magkukuskos ng banyo nila, ipagluluto sila, nakangiti parin? Pagkatapos, kukuwentuhan pa mga anak nila hanggang makatulog na parang anak na rin nila? Para saan? Para sa presyo ng kalahati ng mga bag o sapatos nila.” [And really nothing beats the Filipinos. Who else will scrub their bathrooms and cook for them all with a smile? Then, tell stories to their kids until they fall asleep? For what? For half the price of their bags or their shoes.]
In most fields of study, from Physics to Economics, and even Religious Philosophy, the basic principle is that an action elicits a reaction based on the benefits or lack thereof of the original action. If, as a country, we are to be moved, let it be towards progress. Let us learn how to handle things properly, and not just practice our finger-pointing skills.
Tourism may be a very strong player in our economic game, but we must realize that we still have a whole team playing for us. We can be tourists ourselves, we have our export and outsourcing industries, and of course our OFW workforce—our team of mga bagong bayani.
Articles
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/component/content/article/83-opinion-columnist/25250-economic-responses-to-hostage-crisis
Economic responses to hostage crisis
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/199255/hk-tourists-cut-vacation-short-after-hostage-crisis
HK tourists cut vacation short after hostage crisis
http://bantaypresidente100.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/the-economics-of-the-quirino-grandstand-hostage-taking/
The Economics of the Quirino Grandstand Hostage-taking
Interviews
Dulay, Jocelyn
Olvido, Gemina
Pillora, Nonet
Pillora, Stephanie
Punzalan, Gabriel
Suaco, Mike
iContact Lens Mouse
I just recently came across articles on this, the iContact Lens Mouse. It's a contact lens, worn in the eyes as expected,but it has sensors or something that tracks the eye's movement and relates it to the computer which moves the cursor on the screen.
I think this is still just in the conceptual stage,although apparently this has been up since 2009.
Check it out at Yanko Design.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
These are the works of Kris Kuksi. He's an artist from Missouri who makes stunning murals out of discarded materials.
The details on these absolutely amaze me. I remember how we used to make war dioramas for Work Ed. in high school. Those kits came with instructions and I never came close to anything as wonderful as these.
WHOA.
Stolen from Golberz.com
The details on these absolutely amaze me. I remember how we used to make war dioramas for Work Ed. in high school. Those kits came with instructions and I never came close to anything as wonderful as these.
WHOA.
Stolen from Golberz.com
How times have changed!
This picture I came across is of a book that tells parents back in 1928 to not show so much affection to their kids. No kisses, no hugs, no sweetness. Hello serial killers and tainted minds.
Stolen from Tots and Giggles
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