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.