Maglakbay!

I have always been talking about my friend Lois Ann (she blogs at Sole Sisters) and her gigs. Tomorrow night (Saturday), she and other travelers will be featured in Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (Libutin ang Pilipinas). That would be around 8:30 pm. If you have nothing more important to do (say, more important than breathing), please watch the show.

And we might be collaborating on our very own project (a long-overdue one at that) soon. Hmm... I haven't told her about tha project yet, but I am sure she would say Yes. Hehehe.

*I'm not sure if they'd be wearing any ID tags or name plaques but Lois won't be hard hard to find there -- she'll stand out for sure. :-)

O2

You know how they say, "you can't live without love"?

Well, oxygen is even more important.

- House MD, the greatest philosopher of our time

***

Yeah, I miss House. House Marathon sa Holy Week!

Question

Would you rather be a rockstar or Iron Man (yeah, that friggin' genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist)?

I don't know why I am asking this (and what triggered it) but this question took me away from chapter 3 of my current book (oh yeah, I have started reading non-fiction* once again, hehehe). So, I thought I'd give this one a shot.

I know some people would sacrifice everything just to spend a day or two with some rockstars. (Rockstars are like gods to some of their fans.) And I have to admit, there was a day or two when I really wanted to be a rockstar. I loved listening to Joe Satriani, Dreamtheater, Vertical Horizon, Massive Attack (only because of House), some Nirvana here, some GnR there... But those don't even come close to making me a rock music lover. I only love some of their tracks (and buy only discount cds of their albums), but detest the others (and even call them noise).

Paano ba 'to... Hmmm. I want to go back to my book now, so -- let's just say I am not fit to be a rockstar. Some things are not just meant to be.

That being said... hello, Iron Man!

(OK, back to my book.)

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By the way, I loved fiction -- still do and always will. I'm just trying to save myself from the dangers of being too imaginative. You see, when I am on the other side of this universe (which happens when I read fictional stories), I tend to forget MY limitations... like, I forget that fairy dust and happy thoughts don't really work in this Universe.

Phenomenon

Have you guys watched Travolta's Phenomenon? It's an old movie but I always watch it whenever it's on cable tv (no, I don't have a DVD or any copy of the movie.) By the way, I haven't watched the movie in it's entirety yet (either I watched it on the bus and it's time for me to get off before I finish it, or it has started already when I tuned in). Every time I watch it, I learn something new. Last time I watched it, a doctor (friend of Travolta) explained how Travolta tried to get close to the lead female character by buying the chairs that she sells in her store/stall (I don't know if they are recycled Adirondack chairs or just plain wooden chairs). The doctor said every person has a “chair” that you should try to “buy” if you want to be close to him/her. You might want to watch the whole thing to get what I mean. hehehe.

This time, it was about human experience. Travolta was talking to a scientist and he was telling him (the scientist) that they tend to get too involve with science in one hand, and technology on the other, and we tend to forget the most important things on why they do this, which is human experience. They get too involved with what they are doing and forget those that really matters.

There are a number of people I know who get too busy working that they forget this important fact: we don't live to work... it's the other way around. It's difficult to get away from that race. But we should try. A long vacation is coming soon. I hope all my friends will be able to enjoy this vacation fully. I know I will [try].

:-)

Abs

Today, I thought of including this in my bucket list – to have a 6-pack abs! I know this is stupid. But hey, the inclusion of this will result in either of the two things: I'll have a 6-pack abs before I die, or I'll do my best to prolong my life because I can't have a 6-pack abs even after so many decades.

(Am I making sense here? Sorry, this has got to be the very, very hot weather talking.)

Anyway, my sister told me she'll go jogging around the village tomorrow, and she wants me to go with her. I guess this will make me one step closer to my new item in my bucket list. :-) My inaanak will be here tomorrow morning. In case he comes really early, maybe I'll just ask my cousin to bring a jogging stoller for infants so we can take my inaanak with us while jogging (probably just brisk walking).

Good luck bucket list.

Hottest

No, I won't be babbling about Solenn (the hottest creature here on Earth) on this post. According to PAG-ASA, yesterday was the hottest day so far in 2012. I actually felt it, experienced it. And when I say experienced it, it was not just an experience inside our office or house. I and my sister had to walk from our office to our house at around 1:30 in the afternoon! Imagine that! There was a power interruption from 11AM and we thought it wouldn't last until afternoon. But it did. So, we had no choice but to leave early from work and just go home.

Walking under direct sunlight at around 1:30PM during the hottest day of the year. That was something.

At this time of the year, selling plain cold water will sold tenfolds more than testosterone supplements! Not that I know the sale numbers on such supplements (hehehe) but I assumed they are profitable. :-)

Today is not as hot as yesterday. Sana naman 'wag na muna masyado uminit.

Photography

A friend of mine is getting married this December and she consulted me on some stuff – photographers, videographers, wine, give aways, etc. I told her if she wants good wedding photographers Raleigh NC would be the best place to find one. Hehehe. But of course, would need them if you are getting married here in the Philippines, right? So I gave her a contact person, and volunteered myself (and my team) to be the backup photographers. We have been doing some small-time projects in photography and videography and I thought I can just give this as a gift to her.

She happily agreed, and I couldn't be happier for her (and for me, kasi makakatipid ako sa regalo hehehe).

So, here's a shameless plugging: In case you need photography and videography services, you guys can contact me. If we're blogger-friends, you will definitely get a discount. :-) Hehehe.

Alchemy

According to Wikipedia (I have been quoting Wikipedia more frequently lately – argh!):

The best known goals of the alchemists were the transmutation of common metals into gold or silver [but I guess not for some worldly jewelry deals?], and the creation of a "panacea," a remedy that supposedly would cure all diseases and prolong life indefinitely; and the discovery of a universal solvent.

I would have settled for something like, creation of something very, very useful from something that can perhaps be considered as waste.

This morning, I saw a news article that made me smile as if I found the solution to the worst problem of the world. The article cites this business establishment who is interested to invest here in the Philippines. Their product: to transform wastes/garbage into electricity. Whoa!

The plasma technology gasifies materials like coal and industrial waste at 5,000 to 7,000 degrees Celsius, then converting it to electricity.
For every MT of garbage, Quantum can produce 800 kilowatts up to one MW of electricity.
Johnson said initially, four plasma plants capable of gasifying 2,000 MT of garbage per day will be put up in Davao and Surigao del Norte. A plant with the capacity of gasifying 5,000 MT of garbage per day will be built in Surigao del Norte.
- Source

In a few words, it’s basically Garbage In = Electricity Out. How awesome is that!

Piezoelectric

Pag pinukpok ang remote control na wala o mahina ang baterya, gumagana ulit.

Do you think this is a myth? I mean it works, right? I have tried this not just once, and well, it worked not just once. I actually thought this is just a myth... no scientific basis whatsoever.

I. Was. Wrong. (And maybe some of you as well. Hehehe.)

I was surfing the web, looking for some phenterex reviews, and then I saw this short article about some batteries that are actually piezoelectric. I saw a similar report on this but when I first encountered the concept, they say it was far from being a usable technology for now. But the article I read just a while ago says piezoelectric-ness [emphasis mine] is actually a property of many batteries.
From Wiki:

Piezoelectricity is the charge that accumulates in certain solid materials (notably crystals, certain ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA and various proteins) in response to applied mechanical stress. The word piezoelectricity means electricity resulting from pressure.

So, there! It is not really baseless if sometimes we tend to bang a remote control against our palm or something hoping the batteries would be charged.
Kakatuwa lang. :-)

Summer

It has been a few days (perhaps weeks?) since summer was officially declared by PAG-ASA. In our place, it's impossible to have a good night sleep without – at the very least – an electric fan. Without one, it's like you are wearing a heated vest inside a steam room. Yeah, impossible is really not an exaggeration.

I am not complaining. Sort of. I am just saying that this is actually the situation now. After weeks of really heavy typhoons, LPAs, ITCZs, and other PAG-ASA acronyms, we know this weather is actually a relief.

But I have to admit, sometimes, I cannot resist going to the malls and just stay there for hours without doing anything. It's really a good thing that I have a reliable computing machine with me and unlimited data plan. I can just sit in one of the coffee shops in the mall and do my thing there.

I know Mordsith is still busy taking her exams, so, I guess her summer will come a little bit later.

How about you? How's your summer so far?

Tablet

My sister is scouting for a tablet. She'll be using it mostly for browsing, IP calls, games, and of course, e-books. My first recommendation, of course, is an iPad (the new one). But with the pricetag of this new device, it was immediately crossed out from the list by my sister. Next in line is a Samsung Galaxy tab. But of course, the price range is almost the same (if not higher!) than the the iPad. So, again, “Next!”

Just before she was about to give up, she thought of just buying e-book readers like Barnes and Noble Nook or Amazon Kindle. It was mostly because of the prize. But then she realized, she's not really a reader-reader. Hehehe.

We ended up having a cup of coffee at Starbucks where she bought a glass/flask for herself. I told her it was a good choice.

Passion

Some people buy silver coins, gold coins, or any type of coins as a hobby. Some people collect stamps, antiques, and other collectibles. Whatever it is that they do, I admire them for having that passion to do what they really want in life. (Have you watched the movie Adaptation?) I admire them because I cannot say I have the passion to do this or that. I feel like something is lacking. I mean, I love creating “works of art” (kunwari) but I am far from that point from saying I am passionately doing that. Lois, a friend of mine, is really a passionate traveler. She quit a stable job, took a risk of not having a stable income to support her needs, but as I've mentioned, she left her job anyway. That's passion.

I really sharing a story or something here. I'm just saying, I envy them. :-) That's it.

More waves

Yesterday, I and my bro visited Capones Vista (Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales) again. I liked the place because you really can relax. It doesn't have pool heat pumps or steam baths but there is a pool (and a very good one at that) right in front of the rooms/cottages. You may ask: What the h#$# is the pool for when you are in front of the beach? Well, you see, sometimes the waves get rough – really, really rough – to the point that the resort staff would advise you to stay away from the shore unless you really know how to swim. Hence, the pool. :-)

It was mostly for a work-related reason when we visited the resort for the first two instances. So, we were not really able to enjoy it to the fullest. I told myself the next time I'll go there, I won't have a laptop, a pen, or anything closely related to work with me.

It would be for leisure!

That's Capones Island, and I haven't been there yet. Next time!

If a girl does not want you, rape her!

The post title is what seems to be the implication of a news I have just read a while ago.

Amina Filali, a 16-year-old Moroccan girl, killed herself this week after being forced to marry her rapist, who beat her, the Associated Press reports.
~
In many societies in the Middle East, the loss of a girl’s virginity outside of marriage—even in cases of rape— can be seen as a stain of honor on the family and the girl. The family’s honor can often be restored if she marries her rapist. - Washington Post

I know all civilizations went through a stone-age kind of law in their timeline (Facebook = civilization? :-D ). The holy scripture has stories almost similar (more like, as brutal) to this one. And plus size formal dresses (like the ones used in the Renaissance Period) will definitely be a fad again soon. But it's 2012 already and this news has something to do with equality and dignity. I really hope we won't be hearing a news story like the one in Morocco anytime in the future. It's just -- very Stone Age-ish. Tapos na tayo dun.

What's happening with Inquirer?

Remember this? Well, Inquirer did it again. Look at how they used defense's witness on their frontpage.

http://www.inquirer.net/?page-one=march-14-2012

I mean, the guys is a private citizen... a senior, if I may add. What they did is very unbecoming of a broadsheet. And you know what their reason is? Here: "Spoke with editors. They said intention wasn't to make fun. Those were only photos available.

Lame!

Edit: The guys at Inquirer apologized via Facebook yesterday. And had it been the only apology issued, it was just like paying sony coupons for destroying the dignity of another person. I am happy that they also made another apology in their frontpage today. See it here.

Pi

Warning: Math geeks will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.

When I was in grade school, I was introduced by my father to the value of pi. I only knew 3.14, then. In high school, our math teacher said we should be using 3.1416 for evaluation/solving pi problems. In college, our cruel professor said 3.14159 should be used instead. And just now, before I knew it, I was doing a research on the longest/largest value of pi that we have determined so far. A quick check at Wikipedia will give you the following:

In 1989, the Chudnovsky brothers correctly computed pi to over a 1 billion decimal places on the supercomputer IBM 3090 using the following variation of Ramanujan's infinite series of pi:

In 1999, Yasumasa Kanada and his team at the University of Tokyo correctly computed pi to over 200 billion decimal places on the supercomputer HITACHI SR8000/MPP (128 nodes) using another variation of Ramanujan's infinite series of pi. In October 2005 they claimed to have calculated it to 1.24 trillion places.

My reaction was... WHO CARES.

Kidding. Actually, I do (and many other people as well, I'm sure). I am actually interested how human knowledge can [accurately] paint a model of infinity through numbers -- the so-called universal language.

I have this tattoo design containing a few hundred digits of pi. I'm just trying to complete some projects before I can schedule a tattoo session with a former schoolmate. Anyone interested to join me?

(And the truth is, I am looking for a foam mattress with as many digits of pi printed on it. Sarap matulog na kayakap mo ang pi. :-)

just the way you are

coz you're amazing just the way you are!

Highway 54

I remember a friend of mine having this funny experience. Her boss asked the team if any of them has a smartphone he can borrow. So this guy took his Blackberry and showed it to the boss, "Here!"

The boss looked at him, then, to the other members of the team: Anyone has a SMARTER phone?

Hehehe. It's really amazing how fast technology has improved in the last couple of years. A few years back, only a few people (notably scientists and tech researchers) have access to touchscreeen technology. During that time, audio and web conferencing is more like a myth than a regular thing that we do now. A couple of years after Apple started its iDevices revolution, user experience became the standard in mainstream mobile technology. (Android revolution of course is not after the user experience... it's more into finding the limitations of a system or device an breaking them. Oh yeah this is a biased post. Hehehe.)

Anyway, as I was saying, technology has gone so fast that the once-pioneer BlackBerry is now considered not-so pioneer. :-) It was qwerty keyboard before. Now, it's touch screen and voice recognition. Truth is, I won't be surprised if Google announced a higher version of Android, "Android 5.0: Now with ESP".

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Err... Highway 54... mobile technology... etc. Di ko din alam relasyon niyan. Wala lang ako magawa sa taxi. :-D

Lois Ann

Today, a very good friend of mine is celebrating her birthday. She is the kind of person who is willing to do just anything just to get what she wants in life. She quit her job to follow her passion -- traveling (surfing and meeting people). I remember having a conversation with her and she said: My ideal life is that of a person who is being paid to travel and to inspire people. Well, who wouldn't want that job, right? Well, she is one now. I won't go in to the details (but if you are interested, check this out: We Are Sole Sisters.) but I would say, she probably got more than what she asked for. And for that I am so happy for her.

Happy Birthday, Lois Ann!

Chichi and Lois. Para naman may picture ito. :-)

My birthday gift* to you is I will help you strike out one of the items in your 30 challenges: I will help you strike out #21 (and the child would be me hhehehe).

More waves, more travels. :-)

(Tara, magpagulong-gulong ulit tayo sa Sunken. :-) )

*I want to find her an anniversary gift, I mean, a birthday gift (the former is for her blog) but I guess helping her with her bucketlist is better, right?

Sundays do rock... in its [my] own way.

A few Sundays back, I took a picture of my coffee, bread, and some fruit slices while reading that day's newspaper. I said it was an ideal Sunday morning. Then, this.

I am posting this from a trip I had with my siblings at Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales.

 I have just finished my tapsilog and was having my brewed coffee

when I took this picture (Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales).
No need for JBL Subwoofers -- the sound of the waves is rock music at its best!

I guess you won't be disappointed when I say, I did stop and smell the flowers. :-)

Happy Sunday morning, everyone!

beware of dementors

this afternoon, i went to a spa to have a body massage. i feel like my muscles are so tired (even if i did not do any major physical chores today)

i went to the shower, then, went to the steam room (is that how it is called), and tried to relax. i closed my eyes... tried to think of nothing at all... and for the first time in my life, i feel like i don't want to open my eyes anymore.

<expecto patronum!>

edit: i think i'm feeling this way because i want something so bad and yet, i know it's too impossible to happen. no, not an epiphone riviera guitar or any material things for that matter. oh well. :-)