Penelope's Trick

Good Life

2011-06-26T10:36:00.003+08:00

Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life.

~One Republic, Good Life

Book List for May

2011-04-30T18:48:00.007+08:00

Teacher Man, Frank McCourt
Hooking Up, Tom Wolfe
Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood
Atonement, Ian McEwan
Accordion Crimes, E. Annie Proulx
As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner
Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf
A Piece of My Heart, Richard Ford
Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
Fear and Trembling, Amelie Nothomb
Crossing the Border, Joyce Carol Oates
The Blind Assassin, Margaret Atwood
Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt

Dogs vs. Cats

2011-03-30T10:08:00.004+08:00

The world is divided into "dog people" and "cat people", with each person passionately believing that his or her preferred pet is superior. Now, a new study has put an end to this long debate, by claiming that dogs are better than felines.
And thus, while attempting to quantify the characteristics of both cats and dogs, researchers have pitted cats against dogs in 11 categories to find who really is superior amongst the two.

1. BRAINS

At 64 grams, the average dog brain is far bigger than its feline equivalent, which weighs in at a mere 25 grams. But then the average dog is much heavier than the average cat. If instead you measure brain mass as a percentage of body mass, cats win by a whisker.

However, in the number of neurons in the cortex, or executive brain, cats trounce dogs, with 300 million neurons compared with a piddling 160 million.

Winner- Cats

2. SHARED HISTORY

Recent DNA studies suggest that domestication of dogs could be as recent as 16,000 years.

However, evidence from ancient Egyptian burials and hieroglyphs indicates that cats were popular in homes from about 3000 BC onwards, implying that cats might have wormed their way into our homes and hearts from an early stage, reports New Scientist.

Winner- Dogs

3. BONDING

Dogs put through the "strange situation" test respond to their owner like a child to the parent. But the experiment with cats did not reap the same results in cats as the lab setting was very upsetting and stressful for them, presumably because cats tend not to leave their territory.

But the researchers suspect that cats bond with their owners in much the same way that dogs do - if only they could be persuaded to take the test.

Winner- Dogs

4. POPULARITY

Although worldwide figures are hard to come by, recent studies show that in the top 10 cat-owning countries there are almost 204 million felines. Pet pooches in the top 10 dog-owning countries number fewer than 173 million.

Winner- Cats

5. UNDERSTANDING

Even dogs with more limited comprehension can often recognise and respond to dozens of commands and requests for objects.

Researchers said that cognitively speaking, cats are similar to dogs, so you would expect them to have similar patterns of behaviour and abilities. A big difference is that they are not compliant or motivated, making them devilishly hard to work with.

Winner- Dogs

6. PROBLEM SOLVING

If offered a choice between two pieces of string, one with a morsel of food at the end, neither cats nor dogs could pull on the string attached to the reward.

The researchers conclude that dogs’ collaborations with blind owners, they often take the usual canine role of junior partner, but when the need arises they step in to solve problems their human cannot master.

Winner- Dogs

7. VOCALISATION

A study revealed the subtlety with which cats can use their crooning to ensnare us. By embedding an urgent high-frequency miaow into a blissed-out purr, they produce a sound that brings out our nurturing side.

Karen McComb from the University of Sussex in Falmer, UK, who analysed these "solicitation purrs", suggests they work on a subliminal level in much the same way as a baby's cry, which has a similar frequency range. And here, cats get the cream for their guile.

Winner- Cats

8. TRACTABILITY

Dogs learn in the same way as human infants, and this process, called pedagogy, entails implicit teaching, with the dog attending to cues such as eye contact, gesture and vocalisation, and then directly imitating the actions of its master.

While people have not really tried training cats, not much is known of the full extent of their abilities. Researchers believe that “dogs really want to do it. They are more interested and take it more seriously."

Winner- Dogs

9. SUPERSENSES

While a dog's keen nose is legendary, cats are no mean sniffers either. In fact, because there is so much variability among breeds of dog, the average cat, with its 200 million smell receptors, actually has a more acute nose than the average dog.

Winner- Cats

10. ECO-FRIENDLINESS

A medium-size dog's ecological footprint - the area of land required to keep it fed - is 0.84 hectares annually. Meanwhile, an average cat's ecological pawprint, at just 0.15 hectares, looks positively virtuous.

Winner- Cats

11. UTILITY

Dogs can hunt, herd and guard. They can sniff out drugs and bombs and even whale faeces; they guide blind and deaf people, race for sport, pull sleds, find someone buried by an avalanche, help children learn and possibly even predict earthquakes. Cats are only good if you have an infestation of rodents.

Winner- Dogs

And thus, with more points in their favour, dogs have emerged as a clear winner in the battle between the pets.

SOURCE: www.indianexpress.com

Atlas Shrugged Part 1 Trailer

2011-02-12T22:25:00.006+08:00

Finally, the film adaptation of Ayn Rand's most popular novel (and probably one of the best books ever written) Atlas Shrugged is set to hit the big screen on April 15.

2011 Oscar Nominees for Best Original Song

2011-01-27T21:13:00.007+08:00

I See the Light
Music by Allan Menken
Lyrics by Glenn Slater
(Tangled)

Coming Home
Music and Lyrics by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges, Hillary Lindsey
(Country Strong)

If I Rise
Music by A.R. Rahman
Lyrics by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
(127 Hours)

We Belong Together
Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman
(Toy Story 3)

2011 Forecast for the Rabbit

2010-12-25T19:55:00.003+08:00

The Typical Characteristics of Rabbit

Cuddly, warm and affectionate are the attributes of the Rabbit. Mysterious and a great party-giver and host, the Rabbit enjoys being the centre of attention once in a while. The Rabbit is occasionally over cautious and can be a bit boring. He is also one of the luckiest signs in the Chinese Astrology chart.

Forecast for 2011

The Rabbit will have found the momentum during 2010 quite unsettling, little realizing that his accomplishments during the year will set him up beautifully for his own year in 2011. This will be a stunning and most favorable year for him, especially in regard to work and career. His ability to interact with others will put him in the lead for any promotions at work. Also, if the Rabbit is considering a completely different career, this is the perfect time to explore his options. Not only will the change energize him but he will feel happier than he has done in some time. March to May and October to November will be important times for career developments. Finances during the Rabbit’s own year are buzzing, with his luck running high! He may see a salary increase, receive a gift or make extra money from a hobby or entrepreneurial idea. Socially, August, September and December will be hectic! Single Rabbits could meet their significant other this year and the relationship could move very fast. Those with partners will find their relationship becomes more serious and important. Stress and worry over decisions may drain the Rabbit’s vitality during 2011 and it’s very important he gets enough rest and relaxation. He must also remember to call on friends and loved ones for support and advice during any challenging times.

Interesting Rabbit Facts:

Zodiac Stone: Pearl
Special Flower: Jonquil
Best Hours: 5-7 am
Season: Spring
Horoscope Colors: Grey, White

Source: Moonslipper.com

Christmas Lights by Coldplay

2010-12-06T10:49:00.002+08:00

"Those Christmas lights
Light up the street
Down where the sea and city meet
May all your troubles soon be gone
Oh Christmas lights, keep shining on"

Thought-Provoking

2010-10-22T14:00:00.005+08:00

Lesson 102

2010-09-16T12:49:00.002+08:00

EVERYTHING I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM NOAH'S ARK
Author Unknown

Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.
Stay fit. When you’re 600 years old, someone might ask you to do something Really big.
Don’t listen to critics. Do what has to be done.
Build on the high ground.
For safety’s sake, travel in pairs.
Two heads are better than one.
Speed isn’t always an advantage. The cheetahs were on board, but so were the snails.
If you can’t fight or flee–float.
Take care of your animals as if they were the last ones on earth.
Don’t forget that we’re all in the same boat.
When the doo-doo gets really deep, don’t sit there and complain–shovel!
Stay below deck during the storm.
Remember that the ark was built by amateurs & the Titanic was built by professionals.
If you have to start over, have a friend by your side.
Remember that the woodpeckers INSIDE are often a bigger threat than the storm outside.
No matter how bleak it looks, there’s always a rainbow on the other side.
DON’T MISS THE BOAT !!!!

Lesson 101

2010-09-05T20:12:00.006+08:00

All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten

-excerpted from the book, All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum

ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sandpile at Sunday School.

These are the things I learned:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or your government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had a basic policy to always put thing back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are - when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

Hitik sa Bunga by Brownman Revival

2010-08-14T22:19:00.002+08:00

Nakaranas ka na ba
Nakatikim ka na ba
Nakatanggap o nabigyan ng kahihiyan
Dahil sa iyong pinakikinggan
Dahil sa iyong pinanindigan
Dahil sa mahal mong kasintahan
o dahil sa iyong nakamtan

[chorus]
Inggit sa iyong narating
Pilit kang sisirain
Dyan sila magaling
Ilalagay ka sa alanganin

Kaya mag-ingat sa mga asal talangka
Hihilahin ka nila pababa
Namamato pag ika'y hitik
Hitik sa bunga [2x]

Dapat lagi kang listo
Bantayan ang iyong puso
Sa mga pabigat sa iyong pag-akyat
Pumipigil sa iyong pag-angat hmmm
[repeat chorus]

Mag-ingat sa mga asal talangka
Hihilahin ka nila pababa
Namamato pag ika'y hitik
Hitik sa bunga [2x]

A Poem by Win Pe

2010-08-11T21:33:00.004+08:00

The Thitpoke Tree
(famous landmark on Rangoon University campus)

Most when I do not see it,
I see it in my heart.
Most when I am not near it,
it is near my thoughts,
attendant, attentive,
ready to slip in,
to spread its branches in the sky of my mind,

to flutter its leaves in the wind of memories.
In one of those classrooms
within easy reach of its falling leaf,
I learned to ride the pitch and yaw of reason.
It is not those classrooms I remember,
nor do I recall that heavy structure
where a piece of paper and a handshake confirm
some ability to cox the boat of intellect.
Most I remember
lying on back beside its roots,
looking into the deep well of its branches,
the sky at the other end like well-water
and I drinking deep.
Most I remember
taking my emotion and intuitions there,
letting the wind ruffle my deepest feelings
as it ruffles the leaf in the crook of a branch.
Man does not live in the edifices of reason.
Man does not dwell in the structures of intellect.
He lives as a tree lives,
open to the skies and winds of perception,
drinking the rain of passions and impulse,
soaking up the sunshine of affection.
The sap of feeling passes through him,
awakening each part of him to life.
So thitpoke tree,
let me live as you have lived for others,
and so will live to the wind and sun,
so let me live as you have lived for me.

Source: www.maymyanmar.com

P-noy's Inaugural Speech

2010-07-01T21:18:00.002+08:00

Integrating the Internet into the Mathematics Classroom

2010-07-01T21:04:00.002+08:00

Integrating the Internet into the Mathematics Classroom

View more presentations from sspengler.

The Best of Queen Seon Deok

2010-05-31T15:20:00.006+08:00

This is one of the best scenes in Queen Seon Deok.

Lady Mishil reveals her secret to Deokman

Study: Only Two Tasks Can Be Done at Once

2010-04-16T18:00:00.004+08:00

By Rachael Rettner, LiveScience Staff Writer

For those who find it tough to juggle more than a couple things at once, don't despair. The brain is set up to manage two tasks, but not more, a new study suggests.

That's because, when faced with two tasks, a part of the brain known as the medial prefrontal cortex (MFC) divides so that half of the region focuses on one task and the other half on the other task. This division of labor allows a person to keep track of two tasks pretty readily, but if you throw in a third, things get a bit muddled.

"What really the results show is that we can readily divide tasking. We can cook, and at the same time talk on the phone, and switch back and forth between these two activities," said study researcher Etienne Koechlin of the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, France. "However, we cannot multitask with more than two tasks."

The results will be published this week in the journal Science.

Multitasking in the brain

The MFC is thought to be part of the brain's "motivational system." Specifically, it helps monitor the value of rewards and drives a person's behavior according to that value. In other words, it's where rewards are represented in the brain.

Scientists knew that a region at the very front of the brain, called the anterior prefrontal cortex (APC), was involved in multitasking. But they weren't sure how the MFC was involved. Are the rewards for the different tasks represented separately? Or summed together?

Koechlin and his colleagues had 32 subjects complete a letter-matching task while they had their brains scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The subjects saw uppercase letters on a screen and had to determine whether those letters were presented in the correct order to spell out a certain word. They were given money if they performed the task with no errors.

The researchers saw that, the higher the monetary reward, the more activity there was in the MFC.

But then they made the task more difficult. In addition to uppercase letters, the subjects were also presented with lowercase letters, and had to switch back and forth between matching the uppercase letters to spell out, say, T-A-B-L-E-T, and lowercase letters to spell out t-a-b-l-e-t.

During this dual task, the MFC divided up the labor. One hemisphere of the brain encoded the reward associated with the uppercase letter task, and so showed activity during that task, while the other region encoded the reward associated with the lowercase task, Koechlin said.

Essentially, the brain behaved "as if each frontal lobe was pursuing its own goal," Koechlin said.

To make things even more complicated, the researchers introduced a third letter-matching task. Here, they saw the subject's accuracy drop considerably. It was as though, once each hemisphere was occupied with managing one task, there was nowhere for the third task to go.

"[The] subjects perform as if they systematically forget one of the three tasks," Koechlin told LiveScience.

Decision-making

The results might also explain why humans seem to have a hard time making decisions between more than two things, Koechlin said.

Previous work has indicated that people like binary choices, or decisions between two things. They have difficulty when decisions involve more than two choices, Koechlin said. When faced with three or more choices, subjects don't appear to evaluate them rationally; they simply start discarding choices until they get back to a binary choice.

This is perhaps because your brain can't keep track of the rewards involved with more than two choices, Koechlin said.

Source: Live Science

Idus Martias

2010-03-15T20:18:00.002+08:00

The Ides of March

(by Constantine P. Cavafy)

Fear grandeurs, O soul.
And if you cannot overcome
your ambitions, pursue them with hesitation
and caution. And the more you advance,
the more inquisitive, careful you must be.

And when you reach your peak, Caesar at last;
when you assume the form of a famous man,
then above all beware when you go out in the street,
a conspicuous ruler with followers,
if by chance from the mob approaches
some Artemidorus, bringing a letter
and says hastily "Read this immediately,
these are grave matters that concern you,"
do not fail to stop; do not fail to push aside
all those who salute and kneel
(you can see them later); let even the Senate
itself wait, and immediately recognise
the grave writings of Artemidorus.

Dim Lighting, Sunglasses, and Dishonesty

2010-03-03T10:46:00.002+08:00

WASHINGTON: Dim lighting and sunglasses can encourage dishonest and unethical behavior, a new study finds.

Psychologists from University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill conducted studies to test whether darkness can license dishonest and selfish behavior.

In one study, participants were placed in a dimly or well-lit room. They were given $10 and asked to complete a worksheet and reward themselves with $0.50 from their supply of money for each correct step. Participants in the slightly dim room cheated more and thus earned more undeserved money than those in a well-lit room.

In the another test, some people wore sunglasses and others wore clear glasses while interacting with a stranger. Each had $6 to allocate between him-or herself and the recipient and could keep what they didn’t offer. People wearing shades behaved more selfishly by giving less than the others.

The researchers suggest that the experience of darkness may induce a sense of anonymity that is disproportionate from actual anonymity in a given situation.

SOURCE: The Times of India

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-13T21:05:00.003+08:00

Something to reflect on this Valentine's Day (From "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran)

LOVE

Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of Love."

And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them.

And with a great voice he said:

When love beckons to you follow him,

Though his ways are hard and steep.

And when his wings enfold you yield to him,

Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.

And when he speaks to you believe in him,

Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.

Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,

So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.

He threshes you to make you naked.

He sifts you to free you from your husks.

He grinds you to whiteness.

He kneads you until you are pliant;

And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,

Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,

Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.

Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.

Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;

For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, I am in the heart of God."

And think not you can direct the course of love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.

But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

2010-01-23T21:35:00.001+08:00

by Portia Nelson

I

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in.
I am lost ... I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes me forever to find a way out.

II

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place
but, it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

III

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it's a habit.
my eyes are open
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

IV

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

V

I walk down another street.

Don't Stop Believin'

2010-01-22T23:49:00.003+08:00

Boyce Avenue's cover of Don't Stop Believin' by Journey

Just a small town girl
Living in a lonely world
She took the midnight train going anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train going anywhere

A singer in a smoky room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on

{Refrain}
Strangers, waiting, up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people, living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night

Working hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Paying anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

{Refrain}

Don't stop believing
Hold on to that feeling
Streetlight people

The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein

2010-01-13T19:34:00.009+08:00

"This fable can ... be interpreted to mean that no one should try to find all the answers, no one should hope to fill all the hopes in themselves, achieve total transcendental harmony or psychic order because a person without a search, loose ends, internal conflicts and external goals becomes too smooth to enjoy or know what's going on. Too much satisfaction blocks exchange with the outside." - Anne Roiphe

Blue Moon Dates (2009 - 2050)

2009-12-29T21:24:00.002+08:00

Listed below are the blue moon (the second full moon in a calendar month) dates from year 2009 to 2050.

December 31 2009 19:13
August 31 2012 13:59

July 31 2015 10:44

January 31 2018 13:27

March 31 2018 12:37

October 31 2020 14:50

August 31 2022 1:36

May 31 2026 8:46

December 31 2028 16:49

September 30 2031 18:59

July 31 2034 5:55

January 31 2037 14:05

October 31 2039 22:37

August 31 2042 2:03

May 30 2045 17:53

January 31 2048 0:15

September 30 2050 17:33

Source: http://homepages.wmich.edu/~korista/blumoon.html

Rabbit in the Year of the Tiger

2009-12-28T12:30:00.002+08:00

Four days from now it will be new year and, like so many others, I am interested in knowing what's in store for me next year. For the Rabbits, here's what astrology tells.

RABBIT: 61% (9 favorable and 3 unfavorable months)

The pace should pick up this year, and it may be a faster one than you would like it to be. At times, especially during the month of the Rooster, it may be almost unbearably hectic. Still, the Tiger is your complementary sign, and a friend who will liberally bestow Luck upon you. You can expect most months to be favorable to you, with opportunities to make big gains in almost every area of your life. So, do not let difficulties get you down for long. If you can resist this Rabbit tendency to discouragement, you will find in retrospect that 2010 has been a very rewarding year for you.

Career

The Rabbit may tend to prefer security and stability to uncertainty and change, but in the Year of the Tiger, you will need to embrace the unknown to achieve your potential. Now, more than ever, bold new initiatives of your own undertaking are likely to be rewarded. You may be pushed out of your comfort zone on the job, and if you are not, you must push yourself to take on new challenges. Demonstrate your versatile nature to impress those who may only know one side of your many talents. Act early in the year on your ideas for a project or entrepreneurial venture. Don't forget that next year will be a Rabbit year, and the groundwork laid now will set your stage for 2011, when your own sign will rule.

Relationships

As a Rabbit, you probably enjoy productive relationships with your peers and family members. This year will be no exception, and you will encounter many opportunities to expand your network of interesting and helpful people. However, be cautious of expressing uncharacteristic irritability with those close to you. While the domestic front should be a source of joy, it may seem like more work than usual to maintain a favorable climate. A hectic schedule coupled with a demanding home life could take a toll on your nerves and cause you to lash out at loved ones. This could threaten to undermine even solid relationships. A random meeting later in the year could be life-changing. If you are single, it could mean a new love.

Health

Heightened activity means you should be a bit careful with your health. If you find yourself overworked, take a step back and focus on meditation or a soothing from of exercise such as Yoga. Remember, stress tends to cause an increase in stomach acid so it is wise for you to avoid too many fried foods and caffeine. It is a good practice to start the year with a checkup followed by two good decisions a day. From there, six months down the road you can effectively measure your progress and ability to stay healthy throughout 2010.

Wealth

Extra vigilance is called for in money matters in 2010. The Year of the Tiger poses financial opportunities, and particularly chances for the alert Rabbit to make wise, well-considered purchases. However, along with profitable opportunities, there will be temptations to engage in ventures that are too good to be true, or uncertain at best. Fortunately, the Rabbit tends to have the good sense and wits to perceive the difference. For your fiscal health, you want to keep both those traits about you this year.

Source: astrology.com

Phi's Mystery Revealed

2009-12-26T20:52:00.019+08:00

WASHINGTON: The golden ratio (denoted by phi) is believed to have guided Egyptians in the construction of the Pyramids and Athenians to erect their imposing architecture.

It has even found echoes in The Da Vinci Code, where Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon tried to unravel its mysteries.

Golden ratio is a geometric proportion that has been theorised to be the most aesthetically pleasing to the eye and has been the root of countless mysteries over the centuries.

Now, a Duke University engineer has found it to be a compelling springboard to unify vision, thought and movement under a single law of nature's design.

Adrian Bejan, professor of mechanical engineering at Duke, thinks he knows why the golden ratio pops up everywhere: the eyes scan an image the fastest when it is shaped as a golden-ratio rectangle.

Also know the divine proportion, the golden ratio describes a rectangle with a length roughly one and a half times its width.

Many artists and architects have fashioned their works around this proportion. For example, the Parthenon in Athens and Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa are commonly cited examples of the ratio.

The natural design that connects vision and cognition is a theory that flowing systems -- from airways in the lungs to the formation of river deltas -- evolve in time so that they flow more and more easily.

"When you look at what so many people have been drawing and building, you see these proportions everywhere," Bejan said. "It is well known that the eyes take in information more efficiently when they scan side-to-side, as opposed to up and down."

Bejan argues that the world - whether it is a human looking at a painting or a gazelle on the open plain scanning the horizon - is basically oriented on the horizontal.

For the gazelle, danger primarily comes from the sides or from behind, not from above or below, so their scope of vision evolved to go side-to-side. As vision developed, he argues, the animals got "smarter" by seeing better and moving faster and more safely.

"As animals developed organs for vision, they minimised the danger from ahead and the sides," Bejan said.

For Bejan, vision and cognition evolved together and are one and the same design as locomotion, says a Duke release.

Bejan termed this the constructal law in 1996, and its latest application appears early online in the International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics.

Article Source: The Times of India
Photo Source: thinkquest

To know more about the golden ratio, check this out.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T19:13:00.007+08:00

Silent Night
sung by Sinead O'Connor and Westlife

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

Covers

2009-11-18T21:01:00.004+08:00

Here are three amazing covers I've seen on Youtube.

Max Brands' cover of Beyonce's "Halo"

Era de Castro's cover of Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone"

Nick Pitera's mash-up of "Halo" and "Already Gone"

If (Two Versions)

2009-10-20T22:16:00.004+08:00

Version 1 (by Rudyard Kipling)

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Version 2 (by an unknown author)

If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can get going without pep pills,
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

…Then You Are Probably The Family Dog!

Global Handwashing Day 2009

2009-10-15T20:02:00.005+08:00

The poster below shows the proper way of handwashing.

Study: Candy Bribes May Lead to Impulsive Behavior

2009-10-04T17:27:00.004+08:00

LONDON (AP) - Willy Wonka would be horrified. Children who eat too much candy may be more likely to be arrested for violent behavior as adults, new research suggests.

British experts studied more than 17,000 children born in 1970 for about four decades. Of the children who ate candies or chocolates daily at age 10, 69 percent were later arrested for a violent offense by the age of 34. Of those who didn't have any violent clashes, 42 percent ate sweets daily.

The study was published in the October issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry. It was paid for by Britain's Economic and Social Research Council.

The researchers said the results were interesting, but that more studies were needed to confirm the link. "It's not that the sweets themselves are bad, it's more about interpreting how kids make decisions," said Simon Moore of the University of Cardiff, one of the paper's authors.

Moore said parents who consistently bribe their children into good behavior with candies and chocolates could be doing harm. That might prevent kids from learning how to defer gratification, leading to impulsive behavior and violence.

Even after Moore and colleagues controlled for other variables like different parenting skills and varying social and economic backgrounds, they found a significant link between childhood consumption of sweets and violent behavior in adulthood.

Previous studies have found better nutrition leads to better behavior, in both children and adults.

Moore said his results were not strong enough to recommend parents stop giving their children candies and chocolates. "This is an incredibly complex area," he said. "It's not fair to blame it on the candy."

Article Source: chicagotribune.com

Esmeralda's Prayer

2009-09-11T20:22:00.005+08:00

A song from the Disney movie, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996):

God Help the Outcasts
Esmeralda:
I don't know if You can hear me
Or if You're even there
I don't know if You would listen
To a gypsy's prayer
Yes, I know I'm just an outcast
I shouldn't speak to you
Still I see Your face and wonder
Were You once an outcast too?

God help the outcasts
Hungry from birth
Show them the mercy
They don't find on earth
God help my people
We look to You still
God help the outcasts
Or nobody will

Parishioners:
I ask for wealth
I ask for fame
I ask for glory to shine on my name
I ask for love I can posess
I ask for God and His angels to bless me

Esmeralda:
I ask for nothing
I can get by
But I know so many
Less lucky than I
Please help my people
The poor and downtrod
I thought we all were
The children of God
God help the outcasts
Children of God

The Transcendental Pi

2009-09-02T18:02:00.004+08:00

In one of his interviews, author Yann Martel, when asked about "Pi", the main character in the novel, said: "I work really hard on my novels and everything has a meaning. Pi is what's called an irrational number, so the nickname "Pi" is irrational. I just thought it was intriguing that this irrational number is used to come to a rational understanding of things. And to my mind religion - and after all Life of Pi is ultimately a religious novel - to me religion is the same thing. Religion is something slightly irrational, non-reasonable, beyond the reasonable, that helps us make sense of things."

In mathematics, the constant "pi" which is also called "circular constant", "Archimedes constant", or "Ludolph's number", is indeed irrational(its value cannot be written as a fraction whose terms are both integers). The author however failed to mention that "pi" is also transcendental (its value cannot be expressed as a root of a finite sequence of basic algebraic operations on integers).

Just like "pi", the book's about irrationality and transcendence.

Below are some quotes from the book:

"Doubt is useful for a while. We must all pass through the Garden of Gethsemane. If Christ played with doubt, so must we. If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from the Cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" then surely we are permitted to doubt. But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."

"We are all born like Catholics, aren't we ..., without any religion, until some figure introduces us to God? After that meeting the matter ends for most of us. If there is a change, it is usually for the lesser rather than the greater; many people seem to lose God along life's ways.

"...People fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside...For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of public arena but the small clearing of each heart."

"Why do people move? What makes them uproot and leave everything they've known for a great unknown beyond the horizon? Why climb this Mount Everest of formalities that makes you feel like a beggar? Why enter this jungle of foreignness where everything is new, strange and difficult?
The answer is the same the world over: people move in the hope of a better life...
People move because of the wear and tear of anxiety. Because of the gnawing feeling that no matter how hard they work their efforts will yield nothing, that what they build up in one year will be torn in one day by others. Because of the impression that the future is blocked up, that they may do all right but not their children. Because of the feeling that nothing will change, that happiness and prosperity are possible only somewhere else."

"Nil magnum nisi bonum: No greatness without goodness."

"You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it."

"Fear is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life."

Outdated Tech Terms

2009-08-30T18:50:00.002+08:00

The following 12 tech terms are now considered outdated.

Intranet
Extranet
Web Surfing
Push Technology
Application Service Provider (ASP)
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)
Internet Telepony
Weblog
Thin client
Rboc
Long-Distance Call
World Wide Web

To know what terms to use instead of them, read this article by Carolyn Duffy Marsan.

The 50,000-Dollar Question

2009-08-21T21:00:00.008+08:00

Patricia Heaton finds it hard to answer a very easy question because of math anxiety.

South of Broad: Conroy's Latest Novel

2009-08-20T19:47:00.003+08:00

Pat Conroy talks about and reads from his new novel, South of Broad.

The First and Last Freedom

2009-07-31T22:03:00.003+08:00

This is excerpted from the third chapter of The First and Last Freedom by Jiddu Krishnamurti.

"What you are, the world is. So your problem is the world's problem. Surely, this is a simple and basic fact, is it not? In our relationship with the one or the many we seem somehow to overlook this point all the time. We want to bring about alteration through a system or through a revolution in ideas or values based on a system, forgetting that it is you and I who create society, who bring about confusion or order by the way in which we live. So we must begin near, that is we must concern ourselves with our daily existence, with our daily thoughts and feelings and actions which are revealed in the manner of earning our livelihood and in our relationship with ideas or beliefs. This is our daily existence, is it not? We are concerned with livelihood, getting jobs, earning money; we are concerned with the relationship with our family or with our neighbors, and we are concerned with ideas and with beliefs. Now, if you examine our occupation, it is based fundamentally on envy, it is not just a means of earning a livelihood. Society is so constructed that it is a process of constant conflict, constant becoming; it is based on greed, on envy, envy of your superior: the clerk wanting to become the manager, which shows that he is not just concerned with earning a livelihood, a means of subsistence, but with acquiring position and prestige. This attitude naturally creates havoc in society, in relationship, but if you and I were only concerned with livelihood we should find out the right means of earning it, a means not based on envy. Envy is one of the most destructive factors in relationship because envy indicates the desire for power, for position, and it ultimately leads to politics; both are closely related. The clerk, when he seeks to become a manager, becomes a factor in the creation of power-politics which produce war; so he is directly responsible for war.

What is our relationship based on? The relationship between yourself and myself, between yourself and another - which is society - what is it based on? Surely not on love, because if there were love there would be order, there would be peace, happiness between you and me. But in that relationship between you and me there is a great deal of ill will which assumes the form of respect. If we were both equal in thought, in feeling, there would be no respect, there would be no ill will, because we would be two individuals meeting, not as disciple and teacher, nor as the husband dominating the wife, nor as the wife dominating the husband. When there is ill will there is a desire to dominate which arouses jealousy, anger, passion, all of which in our relationship creates conflict which we try to escape, and this produces further chaos, further misery.

Now as regards ideas which are part of our daily existence, beliefs and formulations, are they not distorting our minds? For what is stupidity? Stupidity is the giving of wrong values to those things which the mind creates, or to those things which the hands produce. Most of our thoughts spring from the self-protective instinct, do they not? Our ideas, oh, so many of them, do they not receive the wrong significance, one which they have not in themselves? Therefore when we believe in any form, whether religious, economic or social, when we believe ... in ideas, in a social system which separates man from man, in nationalism and so on, surely we are giving wrong significance to belief which indicates stupidity, for belief divides people, doesn't unite people. So we see that by the way we live we can produce order or chaos, peace or conflict, happiness or misery."

For an electronic copy of the book, just click here.

Facebook Use and Productivity

2009-07-27T19:19:00.003+08:00

Only a few months after one study found that Facebook users tend to get lower grades in college, another study has found that the social networking site might not be earning good grades in the workplace as well.

Companies that allow users to access Facebook in the workplace lose an average of 1.5% in total employee productivity, according to a new report from Nucleus Research, an IT research company. The survey of 237 employees also showed that 77% of workers who have a Facebook account use it during work hours.

And "some" employees use the social networking site as much as two hours a day at work, the study found. Nucleus Research did not say how many workers fit into that category, but did note that one in 33 workers surveyed only used Facebook at work.

Of those using Facebook at work, 87% said they had no clear business reason for using the site.

"If your company is facing tight margins and low profitability, as many are now, then how can you accept any work distractions that drain your overall productivity?" asked Rebecca Wettemann, vice president of research for Nucleus Research, in a statement. "While it won't make you popular, restricting Facebook can reclaim lost productivity. If your profitability is say 2%, this could be the difference between staying open or closing shop."

In April, a study released by Ohio State University shows that college students who use Facebook spend less time studying and have lower grades than students who don't use the popular social networking site. And which students were more likely to use Facebook? Well, they're the future systems administrators and CIOs.

Facebook, which logged its 250 millionth user earlier this month, has been showing tremendous growth.

Last week, Nielsen Online reported that people spend more time on Facebook than any on other Web site. The study also noted that 87.25 million U.S. users visited Facebook from home and work during June, and each of those people spent an average of 4 hours, 39 minutes and 33 seconds on the site during the month. And early last month, Nielsen reported that Facebook saw a 700% increase from April 2008 to April 2009 in the amount of time users were spending on the site.

Source: Computer World

Does Gravity Drop Slightly during Total Eclipse?

2009-07-20T20:55:00.001+08:00

LONDON: A team of Chinese scientists is planning to conduct a once-in-a-century experiment on July 22, the day of the total solar eclipse, which would test the controversial theory that gravity drops slightly during a total eclipse.

According to a report in New Scientist, geophysicists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences are preparing an unprecedented array of highly sensitive instruments at six sites across the country to take gravity readings during the total eclipse due to pass over southern China on July 22.

The results, which will be analyzed in the coming months, could confirm once and for all that anomalous fluctuations observed during past eclipses are real.

"It sounds like what is really necessary to break the uncertainty," said Chris Duif of Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands.

"I'm not really convinced the anomaly exists, but it would be revolutionary if it turned out to be true," he said.

The first sign that gravity fluctuates during an eclipse was in 1954, when French economist and physicist Maurice Allais noticed erratic behaviour in a swinging pendulum when an eclipse passed over Paris.

Pendulums typically swing back and forth as a result of gravity and the rotation of the Earth.

At the start of the eclipse, however, the pendulum's swing direction shifted violently, suggesting a sudden change in gravitational pull.

Fluctuations have since been measured during around 20 total solar eclipses, but the results still remain inconclusive.

In the run up to July's eclipse, Chinese researchers have prepared eight gravimeters and two pendulums spread across six monitoring sites.

The team hopes that the vast distance between the sites (roughly 3000 kilometers between the most easterly and westerly stations), as well as the number and diversity of instruments used, will eliminate the chance of instrument error or local atmospheric disturbances.

"If our equipment operates correctly, I believe we have a chance to say the anomaly is true beyond all doubt," said Tang Keyun, a geophysicist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The opportunity won't come again soon. At over five minutes, the event will be the longest total solar eclipse predicted for this century.

What's more, the event will occur when the sun is high in the sky; a time when, according to Tang, any potential gravitational anomaly should be greatest.

Source: The Times of India

Thermopylae

2009-07-17T20:48:00.006+08:00

Poem by Constantine P. Cavafy

Honour to those who in the life they lead
define and guard a Thermopylae.
Never betraying what is right,
consistent and just in all they do,
but showing pity also, and compassion;
generous when they're rich, and when they're poor,
still generous in small ways,
still helping as much as they can;
always speaking the truth,
yet without hating those who lie.

And even more honour is due to them
when they foresee (as many do foresee)
that Ephialtis will turn up in the end,
that the Medes will break through after all.

Photo Credit: Flicker

From Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning"

2009-07-11T11:01:00.004+08:00

"Don't aim at success--the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long run--in the long run, I say--success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think of it."

Damion Hamilton's Poems

2009-07-03T19:02:00.006+08:00

Trapped

Walking into the human traps
And the traps are all around
The military, the trap of school
The trap of women
The trap of a job or a career
The traps are omnipresent
The boys and girls are out there
Selling you things that you do not need
Credit cards, cars, mouth wash
Cheeseburgers, cigarettes
All around traps
With smiling faces and kick your ass strides
So many traps
One can't help but to walk into them
The trap of hard work, the trap of a good time
So many traps
One can't smell or hear the dogs
Like a fox
So we are not nearly as cleaver
And the fox holes are too small to hide in anyway
And one knows why men become hermits
And live in remote locations away from people
And those dangerous smiling faces
Those faces put one into debt
Those faces send you off to the battlefields of the world
Those faces put you in jail
Those faces will have you married with a job
For life
Those faces sell and sell and sell
As one sees the billboards on corners of everywhere
And remembers Sartre's words,
"Hell is other people."

The Wound

It could come from a bad childhood
Or bad parents, or growing up in the wrong neighborhood,
Or it could come from going to the wrong schools,
It could be caused by, being punched too much,
Or teased too often, but it’s there
As we follow after wrong ideals and mishap theories
Always the wound and the dull flashing of yesterday
As we try to move on
But the damn wound won’t let us forget;
It’s image so poignant, so poignant
And we must forget, and try to forget
As most people try to forget, but I can’t and know
Others who can not forget either
Those pale wounds, still hurting slightly
If you put a finger or palm over them
So many of our wounds threading through
The order and chaos of our lives
Those wounds write books
Those wounds create paintings
Those wounds write music
Those wounds get up in the mornings
Those wounds type at computers all day long
Those wounds drive busses
Those wounds work on the Ford assembly line
Those wounds drive cars
Those wounds must prepare dinner
Those wounds must try to fall asleep at night
Those wounds must move on
The wounds
The wounds
The wounds

Faking it

In the world you have
To fake it,
To be social,
To work with the others
You have to fake it
Put on a false smile
When you don’t want to
In this world, working
Towards a common goal
You have to be good natured
When you don’t want to be
And would rather be somewhere else
Instead of smiling and laughing
With the others—
That’s how people earn a living,
How the world makes a living,
Were morality comes from,
It’s how the business man does it
And the shop owners too,
In business you can be truthful,
Show your true emotions,
When you make a living,
How terrible it would be
If people did what they wanted
At work, and said what wanted to
Nothing would ever get done,
In this world, you have to fake it

Listed below are some of his other poems:

My Madness
How It Can Happen
The Great Music Producer
Traffic Court
What I know
Wisdom
How It Is
The Times
A Pecking Pigeon
Knowledge
The Silence of Motion
Three Girls
Morning Rush Hour
A Strange Place
Epiphany
On Corners
Nowhere
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
An Ode to Desire
Dark Empty Room
The Weekend
Big Problem
Courage
Writing the Street
Ennui
Energy
Ants and Childhood
The Wealthy
Video Addict
Dreaming and Riding
The Joke Is on Me

From Saadi's Rose Garden

2009-06-23T19:20:00.003+08:00

This is the 28th story in the third chapter of "The Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Saadi".

It is related that an athlete had been reduced to the greatest distress by adverse fortune. His throat being capacious and his hands unable to fill it, he complained to his father and asked him for permission to travel as he hoped to be hoped to be able to gain a livelihood by the strength of his arm.

Excellence and skill are lost unless exhibited.
Lignum aloes is placed on fire and musk rubbed.

The father replied: 'My son, get rid of this vain idea and place the feet of contentment under the skirt of safety because great men have said that happiness does not consist in exertion and that the remedy against want is in the moderation of desires.

No one can grasp the skirt of luck by force.
It is useless to put vasmah on a bald man's brow.

If thou hast two hundred accomplishments for each hair of thy head
They will be of no use if fortune is unpropitious.

What can an athlete do with adverse luck?
The arm of luck is better than the arm of strength.

The son rejoined: 'Father, the advantages of travel are many, such as recreation of the mind entailing profit, seeing of wonderful and hearing of strange things, recreation in cities, associating with friends, acquisition of dignity, rank, property, the power of discriminating among acquaintances and gaining experience of the world, as the travellers in the Tariqat have said:

As long as thou walkest about the shop or the house
Thou wilt never become a man, 0 raw fellow.
Go and travel in the world
Before that day when thou goest from the world.'

The father replied: 'My son, the advantages of travel such as thou hast enumerated them are countless but they regard especially five classes of men: firstly, a merchant who possesses in consequence of his wealth and power graceful male and female slaves and quick-handed assistants, alights every day in another town and every night in another place, has recreation every moment and sometimes enjoys the delights of the world.'

A rich man is not a stranger in mountain, desert or solitude.
Wherever he goes he pitches a tent and makes a sleeping place;
Whilst he who is destitute of the goods of this world
Must be in his own country a stranger and unknown.

Secondly, a scholar, who is for the pleasantness of his speech, the power of his eloquence and the fund of his instruction, waited upon and honoured wherever he goes.

The presence of a learned man is like pure gold
Whose power and price is known wherever he goes.
An ignorant fellow of noble descent resembles Shahrua,
Which nobody accepts in a foreign country.

Thirdly, handsome fellows with whom the souls of pious men are inclined to commingle because it has been said that a little beauty is better than much wealth. An attractive face is also said to be a slave to despondent hearts and the key to locked doors, wherefore the society of such a person is everywhere known to be very acceptable:

A beautiful person meets with honour and respect everywhere
Although perhaps driven away in anger by father and mother.
I have seen a peacock feather in the leaves of the Quran.
I said: 'I see thy position is higher than thy deserts.'
It said: 'Hush, whoever is endowed with beauty,
Wherever he places his foot, hands are held out to receive it.'

When a boy is symmetrical and heart-robbing
It matters not if his father disowns him.
He is a jewel which must not remain in a shell.
A precious pearl everyone desires to buy.

Fourthly, one with a sweet voice, who retains, with a David-like throat, water from flowing and birds from soaring. By means of this talent he holds the hearts of people captive and religious men are delighted to associate with him.

My audition is intent on the beautiful melody.
Who is that performing on the double chord?

How pleasant is the gentle and melancholy lay
To the ear of the boon companions who quaff the morning draught!
Better than a handsome face is a pleasant voice.
The former is joy to the senses, the latter food for the soul.

Fifthly, the artisan, who gains a sufficient livelihood by the strength of his arm, so that his reputation is not lost in struggling for bread; as wise men have said:

If he goes abroad from his own town
The patcher of clothes meets with no bardship or trouble
But if the government falls into ruin
The king of Nimruz will go to bed hungry.

The qualities which I have explained, 0 my son, are in a journey the occasion of satisfaction to the mind, stimulants to a happy life but he, who possesses none of them, goes with idle fancies into the world and no one will ever hear anything about his name and fame.

He whom the turning world is to afflict
Will be guided by the times against his aim.
A pigeon destined not to see its nest again
Will be carried by fate towards the grain and net.

The son asked: 'O father, how can I act contrary to the injunctions of the wise, who have said, that although food is distributed by predestination the acquisition of it depends upon exertion and that, although a calamity may be decreed by fate, it is incumbent on men to show the gates by which it may enter?

'Although daily food may come unawares
It is reasonable to seek it out of doors
And though no one dies without the decree of fate
Thou must not rush into the jaws of a dragon.'

'As I am at present able to cope with a mad elephant and to wrestle with a furious lion, it is proper, O father, that I should travel abroad because I have no longer the endurance to suffer misery.

'When a man has fallen from his place and station
Why should he eat more grief? All the horizons are his place.
At night every rich man goes to an inn.
The dervish has his inn where the night overtakes him.'

After saying this, he asked for the good wishes of his father, took leave of him, departed and said to himself:

'A skilful man, when his luck does not favour him,
Goes to a place where people know not his name.'

He reached the banks of a water, the force of which was such that it knocked stones against each other and its roaring was heard to a farsang's distance.

A dreadful water, in which even aquatic birds were not safe,
The smallest wave would whirl off a millstone from its bank.

He beheld a crowd of people, every person sitting with a coin of money at the crossing-place, intent on a passage. The youth's hands of payment being tied, he opened the tongue of laudation and although he supplicated the people greatly, they paid no attention and said:

'No violence can be done to anyone without money
But if thou hast money thou hast no need of force.'

An unkind boatman laughed at him and said:

'If thou hast no money thou canst not cross the river by force.
What boots the strength of ten men? Bring the money for one.'

The young man's heart was irritated by the insult of the boatman and longed to take vengeance upon him. The boat had, however, started; accordingly he shouted: 'If thou wilt be satisfied with the robe I am wearing, I shall not grudge giving it to thee.' The boatman was greedy and turned the vessel back.

Desire sews up the vision of a shrewd man.
Greediness brings fowl and fish into the snare.

As soon as the young man's hand could reach the beard and collar of the boatman, he immediately knocked him down and a comrade of the boatman, who came from the vessel to rescue him, experienced the same rough treatment and turned back. The rest of the people then thought proper to pacify the young man and to condone his passage money.

When thou seest a quarrel be forbearing
Because gentlemen will shut the door of strife.
Use kindness when thou seest contention.
A sharp sword cannot cut soft silk.
By a sweet tongue, grace, and kindliness,
Thou wilt be able to lead an elephant by a hair.

Then the people fell at his feet, craving pardon for what had passed. They impressed some hypocritical kisses upon his head and his eyes, received him into the boat and started, progressing till they reached a pillar of Yunani workmanship, standing in the water. The boatman said: 'The vessel is in danger. Let one of you, who is the strongest, go to the pillar and take the cable of the boat that we may save the vessel.' The young man, in the pride of bravery which he had in his head, did not think of the offended foe and did not mind the maxim of wise men who have said: 'If thou hast given offence to one man and afterwards done him a hundred kindnesses, do not be confident that he will not avenge himself for that one offence, because although the head of a spear may come out, the memory of an offence will remain in the heart.'

'How well,' said Yaktash to Khiltash,
'Hast thou scratched a foe? Do not think thou art safe.'

Be not unconcerned for thou wilt be afflicted
If by thy hand a heart has been afflicted.
Throw not a stone at the rampart of a fort
Because possibly a stone may come from the fort.

As soon as he had taken the rope of the boat on his arm, he climbed to the top of the pillar, whereon the boatman snatched it from his grasp and pushed the boat off. The helpless man was amazed and spent two days in misery and distress. On the third, sleep took hold of his collar and threw him into the water. After one night and day he was cast on the bank, with some life still remaining in him. He began to eat leaves of trees and to pull out roots of grass so that when he had gained a little strength, he turned towards the desert and walked till thirst began to torment him. He at last reached a well and saw people drinking water for a pashizi but possessing none he asked for a coin and showed his destitute condition. The people had, however, no mercy with him, whereon he began to insult them but likewise ineffectually. Then he knocked down several men but was at last overpowered, struck and wounded:

A swarm of gnats will overpower an elephant
Despite of all his virility and bravery.
When the little ants combine together
They tear the skin of a furious lion.

As a matter of necessity he lagged in the rear of the caravan, which reached in the evening a locality very dangerous on account of thieves. The people of the caravan trembled in all their limbs but he said: 'Fear nothing because I alone am able to cope with fifty men and the other youths of the caravan will aid me.' These boastful words comforted the heart of the caravan-people, who became glad of his company and considered it incumbent upon themselves to supply him with food and water. The fire of the young man's stomach having blazed into flames and deprived his hands of the bridle of endurance, hunger made him partake of some morsels of food and take a few draughts of water, till the dev of his interior was set at rest and he fell asleep. An experienced old fellow, who was in the caravan, said: 'O ye people, I am more afraid of this guard of yours than of the thieves because there is a story that a stranger had accumulated some dirhems but could not sleep in the house for fear of the Luris. Accordingly he invited one of his friends to dispel the terrors of solitude by his company. He spent several nights with him, till he became aware that he had money and took it, going on a journey after spending it. When the people saw the stranger naked and weeping the next morning, a man asked: "What is the matter? Perhaps a thief has stolen those dirhems of mine?" He replied: "No, by Allah. The guard has stolen them."'

I never sat secure from a serpent
Till I learnt what his custom was.
The wound from a foe's tooth is severe
Who appears to be a friend in the eyes of men.

'How do you know whether this man is not one of the band of thieves and has followed us as a spy to inform his comrades on the proper occasion? According to my opinion we ought to depart and let him sleep.' The youths approved of the old man's advice and became suspicious of the athlete, took up their baggage and departed, leaving him asleep. He knew this when the sun shone upon his shoulders and perceived that the caravan had started. He roamed about a great deal without finding the way and thirsty as well as dismayed as he was, he sat down on the ground, with his heart ready to perish, saying:

Who will speak to me after the yellow camels have departed?
A stranger has no companion except a stranger.

He uses harshness towards strangers
Who has not himself been exiled enough.

The poor man was speaking thus whilst the son of a king who happened to be in a hunting party, strayed far from the troops, was standing over his head, listening. He looked at the figure of the athlete, saw that his outward appearance was respectable but his condition miserable. He then asked him whence he had come and how he had fallen into this place. The athlete briefly informed him of what had taken place, whereon the royal prince, moved by pity, presented him with a robe of honour and a large sum of money and sent a confidential man to accompany him till he again reached his native town. His father was glad to see him and expressed gratitude at his safety. In the evening he narrated to his father what had befallen him with the boat, mentioned the violence of the boatman, the harshness of the rustics near the well and the treachery of the caravan people on the road. The father replied: 'My son, have not I told thee at thy departure that the brave hands of empty-handed persons are like the broken paw of a lion?'

How well has that empty-handed fighter said:
'A grain of gold is better than fifty man of strength.'

The son replied: 'O father, thou wilt certainly not obtain a treasure except by trouble, wilt not overcome thy foe unless thou hazardest thy life and wilt not gather a harvest unless thou scatterest seed. Perceivest thou not how much comfort I gained at the cost of the small amount of trouble I underwent and what a quantity of honey I have brought in return for the sting I have suffered.

Although not more can be acquired than fate has decreed
Negligence in striving to acquire is not commendable.

If a diver fears the crocodile's throat
He will never catch the pearl of great price.

The nether millstone is immovable, and therefore must bear a heavy
load.

What will a fierce lion devour at the bottom of his den?
What food does a fallen hawk obtain?
If thou desirest to catch game at home
Thou must have hands and feet like a spider.

The father said to his son: 'On this occasion heaven has been propitious to thee and good luck helpful so that a royal person has met thee, has been bountiful to thee and has thereby healed thy broken condition. Such coincidences occur seldom and rare events cannot be reckoned upon.'

The hunter does not catch every time a jackal.
It may happen that some day a tiger devours him.

Thus it happened that one of the kings of Pares, who possessed a ring with a costly beazle, once went out by way of diversion with some intimate courtiers to the Masalla of Shiraz and ordered his ring to be placed on the dome of Asad, promising to bestow the seal-ring upon any person who could make an arrow pass through it. It happened that every one of the four hundred archers in his service missed the ring, except a little boy who was shooting arrows in sport at random and in every direction from the flat roof of a monastery. The morning breeze caused his arrow to pass through the ring, whereon he obtained not only the ring but also a robe of honour and a present of money. It is related that the boy burnt his bow and arrows and on being asked for the cause replied: 'That the first splendour may be permanent.'

It sometimes happens that an enlightened sage
Is not successful in his plans.
Sometimes it happens that an ignorant child
By mistake hits the target with his arrow.

Source: The Gulistan of Saadi by Sheikh Mosleh al-Din Saadi Shirazi

100 Greatest Songs of the 90's

2009-05-29T15:55:00.003+08:00

Nirvana - "Smells Like Te-en Spirit" (1991, #6 US)
U2 - "One" (1991, #10 US)
Backstreet Boys - "I Want It That Way" (1999, #6 US)
Whitney Houston - "I Will Always Love You" (1992, #1 US)
Madonna - "Vogue" (1990, #1 US)
Sir Mix-A-Lot - "Baby Got Back" (1992, #1 US)
Britney Spears - "...Baby One More Time" (1999, #1 US)
TLC - "Waterfalls" (1994, #1 US)
R.E.M. - "Losing My Religion" (1991, #4 US)
Sinéad O'Connor - "Nothing Compares 2 U" (1990, #1 US)
Pearl Jam - "Jeremy" (1991, #79 US)
Alanis Morissette - "You Oughta Know" (1995)
Dr. Dre (featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg) - "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" (1992, #2 US)
Mariah Carey - "Vision of Love" (1990, #1 US)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Under the Bridge" (1991, #2 US)
MC Hammer - "U Can't Touch This" (1990, #8 US)
Destiny's Child - "Say My Name" (1999, #1 US)
Metallica - "Enter Sandman" (1991, #16 US)
Beastie Boys - "Sabotage" (1994)
Hanson - "MMMBop" (1997, #1 US)
Celine Dion - "My Heart Will Go On" (1997, #1 US)
Beck - "Loser" (1994, #10 US)
Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue - "Whatta Man" (1993, #3 US)
House of Pain - "Jump Around" (1992, #3 US)
Soundgarden - "Black Hole Sun" (1994)
Eminem - "My Name Is" (1999, #26 US)
Counting Crows - "Mr. Jones" (1993)
Ricky Martin - "Livin' la Vida Loca" (1999, #1 US)
Vanilla Ice - "Ice Ice Baby" (1990, #1 US)
*NSYNC - "Tearin' Up My Heart" (1998)
Radiohead - "Creep" (1993)
BLACKstreet - "No Diggity" (1996, #1 US)
Spice Girls - "Wannabe" (1997, #1 US)
Third Eye Blind - "Semi-Charmed Life" (1997, #4 US)
Oasis - "Wonderwall" (1995, #8 US)
C+C Music Factory - "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" (1991, #1 US)
Green Day - "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" (1998)
Christina Aguilera - "Genie In A Bottle" (1999, #1 US)
Goo Goo Dolls - "Iris" (1998)
Color Me Badd - "I Wanna Se-x You Up" (1991, #2 US)
Spin Doctors - "Two Princes" (1993, #7 US)
Collective Soul - "Shine" (1994, #11 US)
En Vogue - "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" (1992, #2 US)
The Fugees - "Killing Me Softly With His Song" (1996)
Hootie & the Bl-owfish - "Only Wanna Be With You" (1995, #6 US)
Shania Twain - "You're Still the One" (1998, #2 US)
Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch - "Good Vibrations" (1991, #1 US)
Matchbox Twenty - "3 A.M." (1997)
Jewel - "Who Will Save Your Soul" (1996, #11 US)
Alice in Chains - "Man in the Box" (1990)
2Pac (featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman) - "California Love" (1996, #6 US)
Sugar Ray - "Fly" (1997)
Naughty by Nature - "O.P.P." (1991, #6 US)
Joan Osborne - "One of Us" (1995, #4 US)
Fiona Apple - "Criminal" (1996, #21 US)
L.L. Cool J - "Mama Said Knock You Out" (1990, #17 US)
Jay-Z featuring Amil and Ja Rule - "Can I Get A..." (1998)
Sophie B. Hawkins - "Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover" (1992, #5 US)
Weezer - "Buddy Holly" (1994)
Bell Biv DeVoe - "Poison" (1990, #2 US)
Sheryl Crow - "All I Wanna Do" (1993, #2 US)
Live - "I Alone" (1994)
The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Mase & Puff Daddy - "Mo Money Mo Problems" (1997, #1 US)
The Presidents of the United States of America - "Peaches" (1995)
Digital Underground - "The Humpty Dance" (1990, #11 US)
Edwin McCain - "I'll Be" (1998, #5 US)
Deee-Lite - "Groove Is In The Heart" (1990, #4 US)
Will Smith - "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" (1998, #1 US)
Korn - "Freak on a Leash" (1998)
Jamiroquai - "Virtual Insanity" (1997)
Arrested Development - "Tennessee" (1992, #6 US)
Barenak-ed Ladies - "One Week" (1998, #1 US)
Marcy Playground - "S-ex and Candy" (1998, #5 US)
Cher - "Believe" (1999, #1 US)
Kris Kross - "Jump" (1992, #1 US)
Blues Traveler - "Run-around" (1995, #8 US)
Ice Cube - "It Was a Good Day" (1992, #15 US)
Lenny Kravitz - "Are You Gonna Go My Way" (1993)
Meredith Brooks - "Bitch" (1997, #2 US)
Right Said Fred - "I'm Too S-exy" (1992, #1 US)
Paula Cole - "I Don't Want to Wait" (1997, #11 US)
Geto Boys - "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (1991, #23 US)
The Breeders - "Cannonball" (1993)
Snow - "Informer" (1993, #1 US)
Cypress Hill - "Insane In The Brain" (1993, #19 US)
The Cranberries - "Linger" (1993, #8 US)
Billy Ray Cyrus - "Achy Breaky Heart" (1992, #4 US)
Duncan Sheik - "Barely Breathing" (1997, #16 US)
Liz Phair - "Never Said" (1993)
New Radicals - "You Get What You Give" (1998, #37 US)
Sarah McLachlan - "Building a Mystery" (1997, #13 US)
Public Enemy - "911 Is a Joke" (1990)
Lisa Loeb - "Stay (I Missed You)" (1994, #1 US)
Fastball - "The Way" (1998)
Montell Jordan - "This Is How We Do It" (1995, #1 US)
Nelson - "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection" (1990, #1 US)
Prince & The New Power Generation - "Gett Off" (1991, #27 US)
EMF - "Unbelievable" (1991, #1 US)
Missy Elliott - "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" (1997)
Gerardo - "Rico Suave" (1991, #7 US)

Source: vh1

AI's Winning Songs

2009-05-22T19:28:00.007+08:00

Season 8: No Boundaries by Kris Allen

Season 7: Time of My Life by David Cook

Season 6: This is My Now by Jordin Sparks

Season 5: Do I Make You Proud by Taylor Hicks

Season 4: Inside Your Heaven by Carrie Underwood

Season 3: I Believe by Fantasia

Season 2: Flying without Wings by Ruben Studdards

Season 1: A Moment Like This by Kelly Clarkson

Life Explained

2009-05-22T07:56:00.001+08:00

On the first day God created the cow. God said,"You must go to the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer. I will give you a life span of sixty years."

The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. Let me have twenty and I'll give back the other forty." And God agreed.

On the second day God created the dog. God said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. I will give you a life span of twenty years."

The dog said, "That's too long to be barking. Give me ten years and I'll give you back the other ten" So God agreed.

On the third day God created the monkey. God said, "Entertain people, do monkey tricks, make them laugh. I'll give you a twenty-year life span."

The monkey said, "How boring, monkey tricks for twenty years? I don't think so. Dog gave you back ten, so that's what I'll do too, okay?" And God agreed again.

On the fourth day God created man. God said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. I'll give you twenty years."

Man said, "What? Only twenty years! Tell you what, I'll take my twenty, and the forty the cow gave back, and the ten the dog gave back and the ten the monkey gave back, that makes eighty, okay?"

"Okay," said God, "you've got a deal."

So that is why the first twenty years we eat, sleep, play, and enjoy ourselves; for the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family; for the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren; and for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained.

-Author unknown
Found circulating around the internet.

The Spread of Happiness on Social Networks

2009-05-15T08:51:00.004+08:00

"Happiness of an individual is associated with the happiness of people...up to three degrees removed from them in the social network.

So your happiness depends not just on the happiness of the people you know but also on the happiness of the people that they know and also in turn in the happiness of the people that they know...

There is a spread of happpiness in the network. And we also find that happy people have higher network centrality. That means they tend to be more likely in the middle of the network, have larger networks, and are located in larger clusters of happy people.

So it's not just you know more people if you are happy but you know more people who are happy if you are happy."

Nicholas Christakis
One of Time's 100 Most influential People for 2009

Daydreaming

2009-05-13T10:06:00.003+08:00

Daydreaming helps brain tackle problems: Study
TORONTO: Daydreaming might not be such a bad thing after all. It helps the brain tackle life's more complex problems, a new study has found.

"Mind wandering is typically associated with negative things like laziness or inattentiveness," said study co-author, Kalina Christoff, psychologist at the University of British Columbia (UBC), who led the research.

"But this study shows our brains are very active when we daydream - much more active than when we focus on routine tasks," she added.

"When you daydream, you may not be achieving your immediate goal - say reading a book or paying attention in class - but your mind may be taking that time to address more important questions in your life, such as advancing your career or personal relationships," said Christoff.

The quantity and quality of brain activity suggests that people struggling to solve complicated problems might be better off switching to a simpler task and letting their mind wander.

For the study, subjects were placed inside an MRI scanner, where they performed the simple routine task of pushing a button when numbers appear on a screen.

Researchers tracked subjects' attentiveness moment-to-moment through brain scans, subjective reports from participants and by tracking their performance.

The findings suggest that daydreaming - which can occupy as much as a third of our waking lives - is an important cognitive state where we may unconsciously turn our attention from immediate tasks to sort through important problems in our lives.

Until now, the brain's "default network" - which is linked to easy, routine mental activity was the only part of the brain thought to be active when our minds wander, said an UBC release.

However, the study finds that the brain's "executive network" - associated with high-level, complex problem-solving, also becomes activated when we daydream.

"This is a surprising finding, that these two brain networks are activated in parallel," said Christoff. "Until now, scientists have thought they operated on an either-or basis - when one was activated, the other was thought to be dormant," said Christoff.

The less subjects were aware that their mind was wandering, the more both networks were activated.

These findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source: The Times of India

Related Article:Daydreaming improves thinking

Truest Friend

2009-05-10T09:52:00.004+08:00

"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts."

Washington Irving

Mothers Day Comments

Popular Names

2009-05-09T22:16:00.003+08:00

Based on 2008 statistics, these are the Top 10 names for baby girls in the US:

Emma
Isabella
Emily
Madison
Ava
Olivia
Sophia
Abigail
Elizabeth
Chloe

The Top 10 names for baby boys:

Jacob
Michael
Ethan
Joshua
Daniel
Alexander
Anthony
William
Christopher
Matthew

Read the full article HERE.

Missing Poet

2009-05-08T08:01:00.005+08:00

Craig Arnold Reads "Asunder"

Craig Arnold Reads "Incubus"

Craig Arnold (born November 16, 1967) is an American poet. His first book of poems, Shells (1999), was selected by W. S. Merwin for the Yale Series of Younger Poets. In 2005, he was awarded the Joseph Brodsky Rome Prize Fellowship in literature by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.He teaches poetry at the University of Wyoming.

As of April 30, 2009, Craig Arnold is missing on the small volcanic island of Kuchinoerabujima, Japan. He went for a solo hike to explore an active volcano on the island and never returned to the inn where he was staying. While Japanese law limits government-backed searches to three days, on April 30, 2009, the government agreed to extend the search an additional three days. Arnold was not found, and the search has now been picked up by the international NGO 1st Special Response Group.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Arnold

From the Associated Press (5/7/09):
Team to look 1 more day for missing poet in Japan

CHEYENNE, Wyo. » A search and rescue team is preparing to look one last day for Craig Arnold, an acclaimed poet with Utah ties who's been missing on a small Japanese island for more than 10 days.

Arnold, an award-winning poet who earned his doctorate at the University of Utah, is a University of Wyoming assistant professor who's been working on a book about volcanoes. The 41-year-old went missing April 26 while hiking on a volcano on the island.

A handful of Japanese are still looking for him, along with four Americans from a nonprofit search-and-rescue organization called 1st Special Response Group. The Americans joined the search this week.

David Kovar with the organization says the team picked up Arnold's trail near a crater at the top of the volcano and followed it to an area with deep ravines.

He says the searchers on Friday -- Japanese time -- will use ropes to get into the rugged terrain.

Math Humor

2009-05-05T21:39:00.003+08:00

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS COMMONLY USED IN MATH
CLEARLY: I don't want to write down all the in-between steps.

TRIVIAL: If I have to show you how to do this, you're in the wrong class.

OBVIOUSLY: I hope you weren't sleeping when we discussed this earlier, because I refuse to repeat it.

RECALL: I shouldn't have to tell you this, but for those of you who erase your memory tapes after every test, here it is again.

WITHOUT LOSS OF GENERALITY: I'm not about to do all the possible cases, so I'll do one and let you figure out the rest.

ONE MAY SHOW: One did, his name was Gauss.

IT IS WELL KNOWN: See "Mathematische Zeitschrift'', vol XXXVI, 1892.

CHECK FOR YOURSELF: This is the boring part of the proof, so you can do it on your own time.

SKETCH OF A PROOF: I couldn't verify the details, so I'll break it down into parts I couldn't prove.

HINT: The hardest of several possible ways to do a proof.

BRUTE FORCE: Four special cases, three counting arguments, two long inductions, and a partridge in a pair tree.

SOFT PROOF: One third less filling (of the page) than your regular proof, but it requires two extra years of course work just to understand the terms.

ELEGANT PROOF: Requires no previous knowledge of the subject, and is less than ten lines long.

SIMILARLY: At least one line of the proof of this case is the same as before.

CANONICAL FORM: 4 out of 5 mathematicians surveyed recommended this as the final form for the answer.

THE FOLLOWING ARE EQUIVALENT: If I say this it means that, and if I say that it means the other thing, and if I say the other thing...

BY A PREVIOUS THEOREM: I don't remember how it goes (come to think of it, I'm not really sure we did this at all), but if I stated it right, then the rest of this follows.

TWO LINE PROOF: I'll leave out everything but the conclusion.

BRIEFLY: I'm running out of time, so I'll just write and talk faster.

LET'S TALK THROUGH IT: I don't want to write it on the board because I'll make a mistake.

PROCEED FORMALLY: Manipulate symbols by the rules without any hint of their true meaning.

QUANTIFY: I can't find anything wrong with your proof except that it won't work if x is 0.

FINALLY: Only ten more steps to go...

Q.E.D. : T.G.I.F.

PROOF OMITTED: Trust me, it's true.

Source: http://www.stetson.edu/~efriedma/mathhumor.html

Duffy's Poem

2009-05-04T19:04:00.002+08:00

Here's a poem by Carol Ann Duffy, Britain's first female Poet Laureate:

Talent

This is the word tightrope. Now imagine
a man, inching across it in the space
between our thoughts. He holds our breath.

There is no word net.

You want him to fall, don't you?
I guessed as much; he teeters but succeeds.
The word applause is written all over him.

Last year, her poem "Education for Leisure" was removed from the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) syllabus in the United Kingdom upon the request of Assessment and Qualification Alliance (AQA) board.

On Boxing

2009-05-03T08:56:00.011+08:00

"Boxing should be banned in civilized countries. So trumpeted The Journal of the American Medical Association on January 14, 1983, capturing the attention of a vast worldwide audience of supporters and critics. It was a stiff opening jab, but not a knockout punch. Was boxing banned? No. Was it intensely scrutinized? You bet, even including hearings in the United States Congress. The AMA and dozens of other national and specialty medical societies fell into line, demanding a ban. Even the Olympic Committees reexamined the activity. What is wrong with boxing? In addition to a host of sociologic concerns, boxing is wrong medically, since it not only kills some participants, it inflicts objectively proven chronic brain damage in as many as 80% of fighters who have had a substantial number of fights. It is wrong morally, because the intent of the sport is to harm the opponent in order to win, preferably by knockout brain damage by definition. These 2 objections, medical and moral, separate boxing from all other risk sports. What did improve? Shorter fights, referees stopping fights earlier, better medical exams by better trained doctors albeit of questionable ethics before fights. Fighters blinded by previous boxing injuries are now usually prevented from fighting. But blows to the head still damage the brain, whether acutely or long term, whether the fighter whose fist inflicts the blow is paid or not, and whether the head in which the brain resides is or is not clad with protective headgear."

                    -George D. Lundberg, M.D.

I don't eat that!

2009-05-02T14:57:00.003+08:00

When asked about the "H1N1 flu", Paris Hilton answered: "I don't eat that."

Work is Love Made Visible

2009-05-01T08:20:00.001+08:00

"Then a ploughman said, "Speak to us of Work."

And he answered, saying:

You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth.

For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons, and to step out of life's procession, that marches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite.

When you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music.

Which of you would be a reed, dumb and silent, when all else sings together in unison?

Always you have been told that work is a curse and labour a misfortune.

But I say to you that when you work you fulfil a part of earth's furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream was born,

And in keeping yourself with labour you are in truth loving life,

And to love life through labour is to be intimate with life's inmost secret.

But if you in your pain call birth an affliction and the support of the flesh a curse written upon your brow, then I answer that naught but the sweat of your brow shall wash away that which is written.

You have been told also life is darkness, and in your weariness you echo what was said by the weary.

And I say that life is indeed darkness save when there is urge,

And all urge is blind save when there is knowledge,

And all knowledge is vain save when there is work,

And all work is empty save when there is love;

And when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself, and to one another, and to God.

And what is it to work with love?

It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart, even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.

It is to build a house with affection, even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.

It is to sow seeds with tenderness and reap the harvest with joy, even as if your beloved were to eat the fruit.

It is to charge all things you fashion with a breath of your own spirit,

And to know that all the blessed dead are standing about you and watching.

Often have I heard you say, as if speaking in sleep, "he who works in marble, and finds the shape of his own soul in the stone, is a nobler than he who ploughs the soil.

And he who seizes the rainbow to lay it on a cloth in the likeness of man, is more than he who makes the sandals for our feet."

But I say, not in sleep but in the over-wakefulness of noontide, that the wind speaks not more sweetly to the giant oaks than to the least of all the blades of grass;

And he alone is great who turns the voice of the wind into a song made sweeter by his own loving.

Work is love made visible.

And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.

For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man's hunger.

And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distils a poison in the wine.

And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle man's ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night.

(From Kahlil Gibran's "The Prophet")

Methods of Mathematical Proof

2009-04-30T18:00:00.002+08:00

If the proof of a theorem is not immediately apparent, it may be because you are trying the wrong approach. Below are some effective methods of proof that may aim you in the right direction.

Proof by Obviousness: "The proof is so clear that it need not be mentioned."
Proof by General Agreement: "All in Favor?..."
Proof by Imagination: "Well, We'll pretend its true."
Proof by Convenience: "It would be very nice if it were true, so ..."
Proof by Necessity: "It had better be true or the whole structure of mathematics would crumble to the ground."
Proof by Plausibility: "It sounds good so it must be true."
Proof by Intimidation: "Don't be stupid, of course it's true."
Proof by Lack of Sufficient Time: "Because of the time constraint, I'll leave the proof to you."
Proof by Postponement: "The proof for this is so long and arduous, so it is given in the appendix."
Proof by Accident: "Hey, what have we here?"
Proof by Insignificance: "Who really cares anyway?"
Proof by Mumbo-Jumbo: "For any epsilon> 0 there exists a corresponding delta > 0 s.t. f(x)-L < epsilon whenever x-a < delta."
Proof by Profanity: (example omitted)
Proof by Definition: "We'll define it to be true."
Proof by Tautology: "It's true because it's true."
Proof by Plagiarism: "As we see on page 238 ..."
Proof by Lost Reference: "I know I saw this somewhere ..."
Proof by Calculus: "This proof requires calculus, so we'll skip it."
Proof by Terror: When intimidation fails ...
Proof by Lack of Interest: "Does anyone really want to see this?"
Proof by Illegibility: " ¥ ª Ð Þ þæ"
Proof by Logic: "If it is on the problem sheet, then it must be true."
Proof by Majority Rule: Only to be used if General Agreement is impossible.
Proof by Clever Variable Choice: "Let A be the number such that this proof works."
Proof by Tessellation: "This proof is just the same as the last."
Proof by Divine Word: "And the Lord said, 'Let it be true,' and it came to pass."
Proof by Stubbornness: "I don't care what you say! It is true!"
Proof by Simplification: "This proof reduces to the statement, 1 + 1 = 2."
Proof by Hasty Generalization: "Well, it works for 17, so it works for all reals."
Proof by Deception: "Now everyone turn their backs ..."
Proof by Supplication: "Oh please, let it be true."
Proof by Poor Analogy: "Well, it's just like ..."
Proof by Avoidance: Limit of Proof by Postponement as t approaches infinity.
Proof by Design: "If it's not true in today's math, invent a new system in which it is."
Proof by Intuition: "I just have this gut feeling ..."
Proof by Authority: "Well, Bill Gates says it's true, so it must be."
Proof by Vigorous Assertion: "And I REALLY MEAN THAT!"
Proof by A.F.K.T. Theorem: "Any Fool Knows That!"
Proof by vigorous handwaving: Works well in a classroom.
Proof by seduction: "Convince yourself that this is true!"
Proof by accumulated evidence: "Long and diligent search has not revealed a counterexample."
Proof by Divine Intervention: "Then a miracle occurs ..."

Source: Dick A. Wood in Mathematics Teacher (November 1998).

Stand by Rascal Flatts

2009-04-28T21:16:00.005+08:00

You feel like a candle in a hurricane
Just like a picture with a broken frame
Alone and helpless
Like you've lost your fight
But you'll be alright

Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend, till you break
'Cause it's all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad you get strong
Wipe your hands shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand

Life's like a novel
With the end ripped out
The edge of a canyon
With only one way down
Take what you're given before it's gone
Start holding on, keep holding on

Everytime you get up
And get back in the race
One more small piece of you
Starts to fall into place

Videotaped Lectures

2009-04-23T09:19:00.008+08:00

E. Bennet and N. Maniar mentioned the following potential benefits of videotaped lectures:

"...videoing face-to-face lectures can provide students with a valuable resource to complement their studies. Students can watch the videoed lecture to revisit any points that they did not understand whilst watching the lecture face-to-face. Furthermore, they can stop, start and rewind the video to address their specific needs. In fact, software has been developed that enables students to personalise a videoed lecture by adding their own annotations. On a more practical level, videoing lectures allows students to catch up if they miss a face-to-face lecture. This also enables them to adopt a more flexible learning pattern if they wish...Some (findings) indicate that videoed lectures can improve students’ grades and increase their overall level of satisfaction and confidence with the course."

Read more of it HERE.

I've posted in a separate blog (Mentor's Notes) some videotaped lectures in mathematics.

The Susan Boyle Phenomenon

2009-04-18T06:57:00.010+08:00

Susan Boyle (born 1961) is a Scottish church volunteer and amateur singer who came to public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the third series of Britain's Got Talent. Boyle leapt to almost immediate global fame when she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables in the competition's first round.

Before she sang, both the audience and the judges appeared to express scepticism based on her age and what was seen as an unattractive appearance. In contrast, her vocal performance was so well received that she has been dubbed "The Woman Who Shut Up Simon Cowell".She received a standing ovation from the live audience, attracting yes-votes from Cowell and Amanda Holden, and the "biggest yes I have ever given anybody" from Piers Morgan. The original talent show and audition was recorded in Scotland in January 2009.

The juxtaposition of the reception to her voice with the audience's first impression of her triggered global interest. Articles about her appeared in newspapers all over the world, while online videos of her performance totalled over 40 million views within a week.Cowell is reported to be setting up a contract with Boyle with his Syco Music company label, a subsidiary of Sony Music.

Boyle is the youngest of nine children and lives in Blackburn with her ten-year-old cat, Pebbles. Boyle has learning disabilities. Her classmates teased her because of this and her appearance.

Early on she received some professional voice training in Livingston, Scotland. She stopped her pursuit of singing to look after her sick mother, who died in 2007 at the age of 91. Her performance in the regional finals of Britain’s Got Talent was the first time Boyle had sung after her mother's death. Boyle stated in The Washington Post that she entered the contest at the behest of her late mother, who urged her to "take the risk" of singing in front of an audience larger than her parish church. She is unmarried and currently unemployed. During her audition video she said she had "never been kissed.",although she later clarified that this had been a joke.She aspires to become a musical theatre singer in the vein of Elaine Paige.

Boyle performed a rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables in the first round of the third series of Britain's Got Talent, on 11 April 2009. This performance was widely reported and a video of her singing was viewed by tens of millions of people on the website YouTube. Boyle was reportedly shocked and amazed by the strength of this reaction.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Boyle

Different Versions

2009-04-15T17:36:00.005+08:00

Tears for Fears

Gary Jules

Adam Lambert

MAD WORLD

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow

And I find it kinda funny
I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very mad world mad world

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson
Look right through me, look right through me

And I find it kinda funny
I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very mad world ... world
Enlarge your world
Mad world

Pics

2009-04-13T19:53:00.011+08:00

All God's angels come to us

disguised.

~James Russell Lowell

My sister’s photos taken yesterday during the Easter Vigil (Salubong)

Literature Appreciation 101

2009-04-06T08:39:00.006+08:00

There are only two types of readers: those who can "read between the lines" and those who simply "read the lines".

Your reaction to this controversial article by Chip Tsao will be a crude determinant of what type of reader you are.

The War at Home
Chip Tsao

"The Russians sank a Hong Kong freighter last month, killing the seven Chinese seamen on board. We can live with that—Lenin and Stalin were once the ideological mentors of all Chinese people. The Japanese planted a flag on Diàoyú Island. That's no big problem—we Hong Kong Chinese love Japanese cartoons, Hello Kitty, and shopping in Shinjuku, let alone our round-the-clock obsession with karaoke.

"But hold on—even the Filipinos? Manila has just claimed sovereignty over the scattered rocks in the South China Sea called the Spratly Islands, complete with a blatant threat from its congress to send gunboats to the South China Sea to defend the islands from China if necessary. This is beyond reproach. The reason: there are more than 130,000 Filipina maids working as $3,580-a-month cheap labor in Hong Kong. As a nation of servants, you don't flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter.

"As a patriotic Chinese man, the news has made my blood boil. I summoned Louisa, my domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, hung a map on the wall, and gave her a harsh lecture. I sternly warned her that if she wants her wages increased next year, she had better tell every one of her compatriots in Statue Square on Sunday that the entirety of the Spratly Islands belongs to China.

"Grimly, I told her that if war breaks out between the Philippines and China, I would have to end her employment and send her straight home, because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day. With that money, she would pay taxes to her government, and they would fund a navy to invade our motherland and deeply hurt my feelings.

"Oh yes. The government of the Philippines would certainly be wrong if they think we Chinese are prepared to swallow their insult and sit back and lose a Falkland Islands War in the Far East. They may have Barack Obama and the hawkish American military behind them, but we have a hostage in each of our homes in the Mid-Levels or higher. Some of my friends told me they have already declared a state of emergency at home. Their maids have been made to shout 'China, Madam/Sir' loudly whenever they hear the word 'Spratly.' They say the indoctrination is working as wonderfully as when we used to shout, 'Long live Chairman Mao!' at the sight of a portrait of our Great Leader during the Cultural Revolution. I'm not sure if that's going a bit too far, at least for the time being."

Net Surfing and Productivity

2009-04-03T22:03:00.004+08:00

When done for fun, net surfing improves one's level of concentration which leads to increased productivity. That's according to a University of Melbourne study.

Study author Dr. Brent Coker said that workers who engage in "Workplace Internet Leisure Browsing" (WILB) activities such as searching for product info, reading online news, playing online games, watching videos on Youtube, among others, are more productive than those who don't.

“Firms spend millions on software to block their employees from watching videos on YouTube, using social networking sites like Facebook or shopping online under the pretense that it costs millions in lost productivity, however that’s not always the case,” he said.

Dr. Coker, however, added that WILB activities should be done in moderation since internet addiction could have the reverse effect.

Read the full article HERE.

The Most Famous April Fools' Day Hoax of All Time

2009-04-01T06:59:00.011+08:00

Happy April Fools' Day everyone!

Based on the info I got from the web, April Fools' Day originated probably in 1582 when Charles IX introduced in France the Gregorian calendar which moved the New Years' Day from April 1 to January 1. Those who did not acknowledge this change were labeled "fools" and practical jokes were played upon them by those who did.

The video clip below shows what's considered to be the "most popular April Fools' Day Hoax of all time". Watch it!

A Great Poem

2009-03-30T16:33:00.007+08:00

I came across this poem by Constantine Cavafy while reading Paulo Coelho's "The Zahir".

ITHACA

As you set out for Ithaca
hope that your journey is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
angry Poseidon-don't be afraid of them:
you'll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare sensation
touches your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
wild Poseidon-you won't encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope that your journey is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you come into harbors you're seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind-
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and learn again from those who know.

Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you're destined for.
But don't hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so that you're old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you've gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaca to make you rich.
Ithaca gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you would have not set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca won't have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you'll have understood by then what these Ithacas mean.

Gregorc's Learning Style Model

2009-03-23T18:42:00.045+08:00

According to Anthony Gregorc, learning styles may be analyzed along two dimensions, namely, perceptual quality(concrete or abstract) and ordering ability (random or sequential).

Along perceptual quality, the concrete type registers information through the five senses, whereas the abstract type tries to understand ideas, qualities, and concepts which cannot be seen.

Along ordering abilities, the sequential type organizes information in a linear, logical way, whereas the random type organizes information in bits and in no specific sequence.

Analyzing learning style along these dimensions results to the following types of learners.

Abstract Sequential (AS)	Concrete Sequential (CS)
Abstract Random (AR)	Concrete Random (CR)

Four Huge Gaps

2009-03-16T19:58:00.015+08:00

I've read from the February 24 and March 9 issues of 2401(the official newsletter of DLSU) the full text of the speech delivered by former education undersecretary Victor Ordoñez last January 26 when he was conferred Doctor of Humanities (honoris causa) by DLSU.

Dr. Ordoñez mentioned four areas of concern in education:

the gap between research and policy
the gap between the disenfranchised illiterates and the rest of the world
the gap between schools' program of study and the world of work
the gap between education and the need to develop a sustainable, peaceful world

Expounding on the third gap, he cited statistics based on an "8-minute" Youtube video. The video below is probably a shorter version of what he was refering to.

Pi Day

2009-03-14T21:16:00.003+08:00

Pi Day and Pi Approximation Day are two holidays held to celebrate the mathematical constant π (pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14), due to π being roughly equal to 3.14. Pi Approximation Day is observed on July 22, due to π being roughly equal to 22/7.

Pi Minute is also sometimes celebrated on March 14 at 1:59 p.m. If π is truncated to seven decimal places, it becomes 3.1415926, making March 14 at 1:59:26 p.m., Pi Second (or sometimes March 14, 1592 at 6:53:58 a.m.).

The first Pi Day celebration was held at the San Francisco Exploratorium in 1988, with staff and public marching around one of its circular spaces, and then consuming fruit pies; the museum has since added pizza pies to its Pi Day menu. The founder of Pi Day was Larry Shaw,a now retired physicist at the Exploratorium who still helps out with the celebrations.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology often mails out its acceptance letters to be delivered to prospective students on Pi Day.

Some also celebrate Pi Approximation Day in addition to Pi Day, which can fall on any of several dates:

April 26: The Earth has traveled two radians of its orbit by this day (April 25th in leap years); thus the entire orbit divided by the distance traveled equals pi.

July 22: 22/7 in the more common day/month date format, an ancient approximation of pi.

November 10: The 314th day of the year (November 9 in leap years).

December 21, 1:13 p.m.: The 355th day of the year (December 20 in leap years), celebrated at 1:13 for the Chinese approximation 355/113.

On Pi Day, 2004, Daniel Tammet calculated and recited 22,514 decimal digits of pi.

The U.S. Congress recognized March 14, 2009 as "National Pi Day".

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi_Day

Filipino Women Are Better than Men in Math

2009-03-14T08:30:00.005+08:00

Trends in International Science and Mathematics Study (TIMSS) data in 1999 and 2003 consistently showed that second year high school female students (Grade 8) in the Philippines "performed significantly better" than male students "overall, and in the items on Number, Algebra, and Data."

These findings differ from international studies which reveal that male students are better in mathematics than females, except in algebra.

Read the full article here.

Cognitive Apprenticeship

2009-03-10T21:16:00.002+08:00

I watched this video a year ago and it inspired me to conduct a research on Cognitive Apprenticeship. Check this out to know what Cognitive Apprenticeship is.

Source: changelearning by John Abbot

Rice fields

2009-03-09T20:15:00.000+08:00

These photos were taken when I went to our farm two days ago.

A Slight Difference May Mean a Lot

2009-03-04T20:13:00.006+08:00

"What many young people fail to realize is the fact that you don't have to be much better than most others in order to do well. Only a slight superiority may be enough to make a vast difference.

Most of the people we call successful are not twice as smart, or twice as able, as the rest of the field. Indeed, if they are only 10 percent more proficient, this is generally more than enough to give them a consistent edge.

In sports, for instance, the best batting or passing records are not a great deal higher than the average. In field or track the differences are even smaller: a fraction of an inch or a fraction of a second may distinguish the winner from the also-rans...

If you can average 5 to 10 percent better - no more - than others in your field, the rewards can be 100 percent greater; this is the compounding effect of achievement over a period of time...

You only have to be a little bit better than most in what you do. Just a little more energetic, or whatever other prime quality is demanded in your field. If successes admitted this, they would not have cause to feel so conceited; and if the aspirants recognized this, they would not have cause to feel so left behind at the starting line."

Sydney J. Harris as quoted by David Cavitch in Life Studies

6/49 Lotto: Probabilities, Odds, and Mathematical Expectation

2009-02-22T12:34:00.013+08:00

Here are some hard facts about the 6/49 Lotto in terms of probabilities, odds, and mathematical expectation.

PRIZES AND PROBABILITIES

Jackpot (picking all the six winning numbers)

In choosing six out of the 49 numbers, there are C(49,6) ways. Using combination formula, this value is equal to 13,983,816. In picking all the six winning numbers, there is only one way, C(6,6). Just divide the two values obtained to determine its probability. That is, the probability of hitting the jackpot is 1/13,983,816 or 0.0000000715112. This is approximately the same as obtaining the same face 8 times in succession when tossing a fair die or getting 24 tails in succession when flipping a fair coin.
TRUE ODDS: 13,983,815 to 1

Second Prize (picking five winning numbers)

Since the five number chosen are winning numbers, the other number chosen must be from the 43 nonwinning numbers. This is equal to
C(6,5)xC(43,1) or 258. Hence, the probability of winning the second prize is 258/13,983,816 or 0.00001845. This is approximately the same as obtaining the same face 6 times in succession when tossing a fair die or getting 16 tails in succession when flipping a fair coin.
TRUE ODDS: 54,200.8 to 1

Third Prize (picking four winning numbers)

If the four numbers picked are winning numbers, the other two numbers must be from the 43 nonwinning numbers. This is equal to
C(6,4)xC(43,2) or 13, 545. The associated probability for this prize is 13,545/13,983,816 or 0.0009686, roughly the same as obtaining the same face 4 times in succession when tossing a die or 10 tails in succession when flipping a fair coin.
TRUE ODDS: 1,031.4 to 1

Fourth Prize (picking three winning numbers)

The number of ways in choosing six numbers three of which are winning numbers is equal to C(6,3)xC(43,3) or 246,820. The probability therefore of winning this prize is 246,820/13,983,816 or 0.0177, roughly the same as getting 6 tails in succession when flipping a fair coin.
TRUE ODDS: 55.7 to 1

MATHEMATICAL EXPECTATION

In computing the mathematical expectation of this game, the probability of NOT winning any of the prizes must be computed. It is obtained by subtacting the sum of the probabilities of winning at least one of the prizes from 1. Its probability is
13,723,192/13,983,816 or 0.981362455.

Aside from knowing the probability of not winning, it is likewise important to know the prizes. Assuming that the jackpot prize is Php 16,000,000, the second prize is Php 56, 000, the third prize is Php. 1,000, and the fourth prize is Php 100, then the mathematical expectation is equal to Php 16,000,000(1/13,983,816) + Php 56,000(258/13,983,816) + Php 1000(13,545/13,983,816) + Php 100(246,820/13,983,816) + 0(13,723,192/13,983,816) or Php 4.91. This means that for every 20-peso ticket, one should expect to win only Php 4.91. (From a pessimist's point of view, one should expect to lose Php 15.09)

JACKPOT PRIZE: MATHEMATICAL EXPECTATION=TICKET PRICE

The mathematical expectation computed previously assumes that the jackpot's Php 16,000,000. In lottery, however, when no one matches the winning numbers, a jackpot rolls over and is added to the next drawing. At what prize then is the mathematical expectation equal to the ticket's worth? For a ticket worth Php 20, the jackpot prize should be Php 227,001, 320. (It is assumed here that only one ticket is taken, only one wins the jackpot, and prizes are tax-free.)

FAVORABLE TIME TO BET

The favorable time to buy a ticket in 6/49 lotto, mathematically speaking, is when the jackpot prize exceeds Php 227M. This would simply mean that the mathematical expectation is higher than the ticket price.

Chasing Tails

2009-02-19T21:13:00.005+08:00

A big cat saw a little cat chasing its tail and asked, “Why are you chasing your tail?”

Said the kitten, “I have learned that the best thing for a cat is happiness and that happiness is in my tail. Therefore, I am chasing it: and when I catch it, I shall have happiness.”

Said the old cat, “My son, I, too, have paid attention to the problems of the universe. I, too, have judged that happiness is in my tail. But, I have noticed that whenever I chase it, it runs away from me and when I go about my business, it just seems to come after me wherever I go.”

"On Happiness", C. L. James

Proving 3 = 2 and 4 = 3

2009-02-14T12:44:00.011+08:00

One way of grabbing students' attention, according to John Keller, the proponent of the ARCS Model of Motivational Design, is to use incongruity and conflict. This can be done by presenting students with statements that go against their previous knowledge. Here are two fallacies that will surely catch students' attention.

(1) Prove that 3 = 2.

Proof:
Let a and b be equal non-zero quantities:
a = b

Multiply both sides by a²:
a³ = a²b

Subtract b³:
a³ - b³ = a²b - b³

Factor both sides:
(a - b)(a² + ab + b²) = b(a² - b²)
(a - b)(a² + ab + b²) = b(a + b)(a - b)

Divide both sides by (a - b):
a² + ab + b² = b(a + b)

Multiply terms on the right side:
a² + ab + b² = ab + b²

Since a = b, both sides may be expressed in terms of b:
b² + b² + b² = b² + b²

Combine like terms on both sides:
3b² = 2b²

Divide by the non-zero b²:
3 = 2

Q.E.D.

(2) Prove that 4 = 3.

Proof:
Let a and b be equal non-zero quantities:
a = b

Multiply both sides by a³:
a⁴ = a³b

Subtract b⁴:
a⁴ - b⁴ = a³b - b⁴

Factor both sides:
(a² + b²)(a² - b²) = b(a³ - b³)
(a² + b²)(a + b)(a - b) = b(a - b)(a² + ab + b²)

Divide both sides by (a - b):
(a² + b²)(a + b)= b(a² + ab + b²)

Multiply terms on both sides:
a³ + ab² + a²b + b³ = a²b + ab² + b³

Since a = b, both sides may be expressed in terms of b:
b³ + b³ + b³ + b³ = b³ + b³ + b³

Combine like terms on both sides:
4b³ = 3b³

Divide by the non-zero b³:
4 = 3

Q.E.D.

Grammy Song of the Year

2009-02-11T07:16:00.007+08:00

American Boy by Estelle and Kanye West, Chasing Pavements by Adele, I'm Yours by Jason Mraz, Love Song by Sarah Bareilles, and Viva la Vida by Coldplay were nominated for this year's Grammy Song of the Year. The last one won the award.

VIVA LA VIDA by Coldplay

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain
Once you go there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn't believe what I'd become

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Commonly Mispronounced Math Words

2009-02-07T07:20:00.008+08:00

Here is a list of words commonly used in mathematics which are oftentimes mispronounced by students ~~and even by teachers~~. Included in the list are the subjects where the words are usually encountered. Just click the word to know its meaning and pronunciation.

annulus (Geometry)
aliquot (Arithmetic)
Cartesian (Algebra, Geometry)
chi (Inferential Statistics)
coplanar (Geometry)
cosecant (Trigonometry)
echelon (Matrix Algebra)
Euclidean (Geometry)
Euler (Geometry, Number Theory)
Fibonacci (Number Theory)
foci (Analytic Geometry)
Lie Algebra
loci (Analytic Geometry)
parallelepiped (Solid Geometry)
pint (Measurement)
phi (Number Theory)
polyhedron (Solid Geometry)
Pythagorean (Plane Geometry)
quotient (Arithmetic)
Riemannian (Modern Geometry)
secant (Trigonometry)
scalar (Linear Algebra)
tableau (Matrix Algebra)
theta (Trigonometry)
trichotomy (Algebra)
Trigonometry
variability (Descriptive Statistics)
variable (Algebra)

Fourteen Great Novels

2009-01-31T10:48:00.004+08:00

The following books all appear in five randomly chosen online lists of 100 best books. They can therefore be considered as the fourteen great novels.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
"Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known."
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
"No battle is ever won...They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools."

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
"Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them."

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
"Then I'll be around in the dark-I'll be ever'where-wherever you look. Wherever they's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever they's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there...I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad an'- I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry and they know supper's ready. An when our folk eat the stuff they raise an' live in the houses they build-why, I'll be there."

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
"Doublethink is the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them....To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just so long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of the reality which one denies — all this is indispensably necessary. Even in using the word doublethink it is necessary to exercise doublethink. For by using the word one admits that one is tampering with reality; by a fresh act of doublethink one erases this knowledge; and so on indefinitely, with the lie always one leap ahead of the truth."

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
"Brooding, she changed the pool into the sea, and made the minnows into sharks and whales, and cast vast clouds over this tiny world by holding her hand against the sun, and so brought darkness and desolation, like God himself, to millions of ignorant and innocent creatures, and then took her hand away suddenly and let the sun stream down."

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
"He is in a constant state of stage fright, he says, because he never knows what part of his life he is going to have to act in next."

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
"I am one of the most irresponsible beings that ever lived. Irresponsibility is part of my invisibility; any way you face it, it is a denial. But to whom can I be responsible, and why should I be, when you refuse to see me?"

Animal Farm by George Orwell
"All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others."

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
"Fear can't hurt you any more than a dream."

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
"I thought I had paid for everthing. Not like the woman pays and pays and pays. No idea of retribution or punishment. Just exchange of values. You gave up something and got something else. Or you worked for something. You paid someway for everything that was any good. I paid my way into enough things that I liked, so that I had a good time. Either you paid by learning about them, or by experience, or by taking chances, or by money. Enjoying living was learning to get your money's worth and knowing when you had it."

Light in August by William Faulkner
"A man. All men. He will pass up a hundred chances to do good for one chance to meddle where meddling is not wanted. He will overlook and fail to see chances, opportunities, for riches and fame, and welldoing, and even sometimes for evil. But he won't fail to see a chance to meddle."

On the Road by Jack Kerouac
"What difference does it make after all?--anonymity in the world of men is better than fame in heaven, for what's heaven? what's earth? All in the mind."

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
"Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness? Is a man who chooses to be bad perhaps in some way better than a man who has the good imposed upon him?"

Sources:
All Time 100 Best Novels List
The Modern Library's 100 Best Novels: The Board List and The Readers List
Radcliffe's Rival 100 Best Novels List
Best 100 Novels of All Time

Rabbit in the Year of the Ox

2009-01-25T20:41:00.004+08:00

What should Rabbits expect in the year of the Ox? This is what I've found.

Rabbit Overview

The past year may have provided the Rabbit with many challenges and difficult situations, but this year will be a relief. The Rabbit has a very favorable outlook this year. Though it is not part of your usual plan, you may find that being assertive and bold will allow you to achieve unforeseen success. Your attraction to the finer life may lead you to living it. Personal relations are of great value to the Rabbit and will be emphasized throughout the year. Put your best foot forward in the year of the Ox and you will reap many benefits and rewards.

Rabbit Rating

67% (7 favorable and 5 neutral months)

Rabbit Career

This year is one of change. Though the Rabbit is not prone to taking risks, you may benefit greatly from taking bold new steps in finding the career you desire. Complacency in your current job could lead you to such actions. September and October are two months that are favorable for a change. You may want to seek a position that allows you to utilize your social skills and your abilities to relate to people on a personal level. Set your sights high and you will get what you want in this highly favorable year.

Rabbit Relationships

The Rabbit's family and friends will be a source of great pleasure for the you this year. They will offer support, encouragement and will be the wellspring for meaningful and enjoyable times. Personal relations are held in high regard and could be taken to a new level. Rabbits seeking new friends or romance should make an added effort to go out more and come in contact with others-you will be well rewarded for your efforts.

Rabbit Health

The Rabbit should not encounter any major health issues this year, but you may want to take precautions during certain times of the year. The Rabbit's sensitive constitution may leave you vulnerable to colds and flu during the winter months. You may want to get a flu shot during this time and make sure that you get plenty of rest to avoid any setbacks.

Rabbit Wealth

The Rabbit should enjoy a new level of wealth. If you are inspired to make a career change, this will prove to be a successful venture financially. You will be particularly pleased with some of your purchases this year, as many could relate to redecorating or changing the appeal of your home. Beware of any risky investments and continue to do the things that accumulate your level of savings.

Source:http://shine.yahoo.com/astrology/chinese/rabbit/yearly-overview/

Stress Busters among Filipinos

2009-01-21T20:40:00.002+08:00

I've read an article in today's issue of The Philippine Daily Inquirer that, among Filipinos, gossiping and videoke singing are the most common stress busters. Interesting, isn't it?

Dr. June Pagaduan-Lopez, as cited in the article said that "when Filipinos talk about the lives of other people, they tend to feel much better about themselves because they think that the people they talk about have bigger problems [than them]".

Read the full article here.

Good Performance Is Relative

2009-01-20T06:37:00.003+08:00

Wanna know what I mean? Play these videos and see for yourself!

Learn Something

2009-01-18T20:37:00.006+08:00

Quoted from Terence H. White's The Once and Future King

"The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world around you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honor trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then - to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the thing for you. Look at what a lot of things to learn, pure science, the only purity there is. You can learn astronomy in a lifetime, natural history in three, literature in six. And then, after you have exhausted a million lifetimes in biology and medicine and theocriticism and geography and history and economics, why, you can start to make a cartwheel out of the appropriate wood, or spend fifty years learning to begin to learn to beat your adversary at fencing. After that you can start again on mathematics until it is time to plough."

Crocodile

2009-01-17T17:37:00.006+08:00

Here's another quiz I've taken. Just like the previous one I took, I agree with four of the six statements in the result. The first statement is not one of those.

Quiz taken: What Reptile Are You?

Here's the result:

You Are a Crocodile

You are incredibly wise and knowledgeable.

In fact, your wisdom is so deep that it sometimes consumes you.

People are intrigued by you, but you find few people intriguing.

You are not a very social creature.

You are cunning. You enjoy deceiving people a little.

You are able to find balance in your life, and you can survive anything.

Abstract and Sequential Thinker

2009-01-17T17:21:00.009+08:00

Curious about what kind of thinker I am, I took this online quiz. I agree with four of the six statements in the result so the quiz is somewhat reliable.

Quiz taken: What Kind of Thinker Are You?

Here's the result:

Your Thinking is Abstract and Sequential

You like to do research and collect lots of information.

The more facts you have, the easier it is for you to learn.

You need to figure things out for yourself and consider all possibilities.

You tend to become an expert in the subjects that you study.

It's difficult for you to work with people who know less than you do.

You aren't a very patient teacher, and you don't like convincing people that you're right.

On Numbers and Mathematics

2009-01-14T20:23:00.002+08:00

What will happen if one spends his time mostly on numbers and mathematics? One blogger pondered on that question and crafted this poem.

Too Much Numbers
by A. D. Darilay

if one person has been into too much numbers and mathematics, will he eventually lose all his words?

will his tenses become so terse and tight like the number one?

will his alliteration be lost in the logic of logarithms and be buried in the busy binary system?

will his metaphors fall like a hungry house sparrow gone astray in the forest; as abandoned as a boy inside the cartesian plane?

will his paragraphs lose their commas and periods, seemingly reaching their happy endings but turn into asymptotic narrative?

will his vocabulary shrink into one over infinity?

will his luck of hitting the bestseller become the probability of winning a 6/49 lotto?

Source:
http://aprilconspiracy.blogspot.com/2008/07/toomuchnumbers.html

Angels

2009-01-11T15:42:00.006+08:00

I sit and wait
Does an angel contemplate my fate
And do they know
The places where we go
When we're grey and old
'cos I have been told
That salvation lets their wings unfold
So when I'm lying in my bed
Thoughts running through my head
And I feel the love is dead
I'm loving angels instead

And through it all she
offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I'm right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won't break me
When I come to call she won't forsake me
I'm loving angels instead

When I'm feeling weak
And my pain walks down a one way street
I look above
And I know I'll always be
blessed with love
And as the feeling grows
She breathes flesh to my bones
And when love is dead
I'm loving angels instead

And through it all she
offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I'm right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won't break me
When I come to call she won't forsake me
I'm loving angels instead

And through it all she
offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I'm right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won't break me
When I come to call she won't forsake me
I'm loving angels instead

Wolf Moon

2009-01-10T14:31:00.003+08:00

Saturday Night Special: Biggest Full Moon of 2009

If skies are clear Saturday, go out at sunset and look for the giant moon rising in the east. It will be the biggest and brightest one of 2009, sure to wow even seasoned observers.

Earth, the moon and the sun are all bound together by gravity, which keeps us going around the sun and keeps the moon going around us as it goes through phases. The moon makes a trip around Earth every 29.5 days.

But the orbit is not a perfect circle. One portion is about 31,000 miles (50,000 km) closer to our planet than the farthest part, so the moon's apparent size in the sky changes. Saturday night (Jan. 10) the moon will be at perigee, the closest point to us on this orbit.

It will appear about 14 percent bigger in our sky and 30 percent brighter than some other full moons during 2009, according to NASA. (A similar setup occurred in December, making that month's full moon the largest of 2008.)

High tides

Tides will be higher, too. Earth's oceans are pulled by the gravity of the moon and the sun. So when the moon is closer, tides are pulled higher. Scientists call these perigean tides, because they occur when the moon is at or near perigee. (The farthest point on the lunar orbit is called apogee.)

This month's full moon is known as the Wolf Moon from Native American folklore. The full moon's of each month are named. January's is also known as the Old Moon and the Snow Moon.

A full moon rises right around sunset, no matter where you are. That's because of the celestial mechanics that produce a full moon: The moon and the sun are on opposite sides of the Earth, so that sunlight hits the full face of the moon and bounces back to our eyes.

At moonrise, the moon will appear even larger than it will later in the night when it's higher in the sky. This is an illusion that scientists can't fully explain. Some think it has to do with our perception of things on the horizon vs. stuff overhead.

Try this trick, though: Using a pencil eraser or similar object held at arm's length, gauge the size of the moon when it's near the horizon and again later when it's higher up and seems smaller. You'll see that when compared to a fixed object, the moon will be the same size in both cases.

More lunacy

If you have other plans for Saturday night, take heart: You can see all this on each night surrounding the full moon, too, because the moon will be nearly full, rising earlier Friday night and later Sunday night.

Interestingly, because of the mechanics of all this, the moon is never truly 100 percent full. For that to happen, all three objects have to be in a perfect line, and when that rare circumstance occurs, there is a total eclipse of the moon.

A departing fact: The moon is moving away as you read this, by about 1.6 inches (4 centimeters) a year. Eventually this drift will force the moon to take 47 days to circle our world.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20090109/sc_space/saturdaynightspecialbiggestfullmoonof2009

My Sister's Pics

2009-01-10T14:29:00.002+08:00

(Date taken: 8/9/06) This was taken when she was just eight months old.

(Date taken: 8/22/06) Laughing her heart out.

(Date taken: 3/27/07) Wearing a hat and asking for a photograph.

(Date taken: 03/08/08)Looks signalling tantrums.

(Date taken: 08/23/08) Sticking her tongue out when asked about her gum. After the seventh gum, she learned that not everything chewed is meant to be swallowed.

(Date taken: 01/09/09)Her latest pic.

Ten Tips to Build English Vocabulary

2009-01-08T19:12:00.003+08:00

Feeling overwhelmed trying to memorize so many vocabulary words? It doesn't need to be a daunting task! Check out these top strategies and practical pointers that can help you build your word power!

Connect: It's easier to memorize words based on a common theme. Make your own connections between words and possibly organize them in a spider diagram.
Write: Practically using vocabulary can help it stick in your mind. Write sentences with new vocabulary words or compose a story using a group of words or expressions.
Draw: Expose the artist in you by drawing pictures related to the words you study. Your drawings can help trigger your memory in the future.
Act: Get your moves on by acting out words and expressions you learn. Or, imagine and act out a situation where you would need to use them.
Create: Design flashcards in English and study them in your spare time. Each week make new ones, but continue to review all of them.
Associate: Assign different colors to different words. This association will help you recall vocabulary later.
Listen: Think about other words which sound similar to the words you're learning, especially complex words. Associate the other words with this new word to help you remember the pronunciation.
Choose: Remember that topics that interest you will be easier to learn. Therefore, carefully select words that you will find useful or interesting. Even the process of making the choice is a memory aid!
Limit: Don't try to memorize the dictionary in a day! Limit yourself to 15 words per day, and you'll gain confidence instead of feeling overwhelmed.
Observe: Keep an eye out for the words you're studying when reading or listening to English.

Source:
http://www.englishtown.com/Sp/article.aspx?articleName=149-vocab&etag=None-art149-vocab

Zossima's Advice

2009-01-06T21:17:00.004+08:00

Zossima's advice to Fyodor Karamazov (Part I, Book II of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov)

"...Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so losses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love. And in order to distract himself without love he gives way to passions and coarse pleasures and sinks to bestiality in his vices - all this from continual lying to other men and to himself. The man who lies to himself can be easily more offended than anyone else. You know it is sometimes very pleasant to take offense, isn't it? A man may know that nobody insulted him, but that he has invented the insult for himself, has lied and exaggerated to make it picturesque, has caught at a word and make a mountain out of a molehill - he knows that himself, yet he will be the first to take offense, and will revel in his resentment till he feels great pleasure in it. And so he will pass to genuine vindictiveness."

Masquerade

2008-12-31T21:00:00.003+08:00

Firmin: Misseur Andre!
Andre:  Misseur Firmin!
Firmin: Dear Andre what a splendid party!
Andre:  The prolouge to a bright new year.
Firmin: Quite a night, I'm impressed.
Andre:  Well one does ones best.
ANDRE/FIRMIN: Here's to us!
Andre: A toast for the city.
Firmin: What a pity that the Phantom can't be here!

Chorus:
Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade.
Masquerade!
Hide your face, so the world will never find you!
Masquerade!
Every face a different shade.
Masquerade!
Look around -
there's another
mask behind you!

Flash of mauve.
Splash of puce.
Fool and king.
Ghoul and goose.
Green and black.
Queen and priest.
Trace of rouge.
Face of beast.
Faces.

Take your turn.
Take a ride.
On a merry - go - round
In an inhuman race.

Eye of gold.
Thigh of blue.
True is false.
Who is who?
Curl of lip.
Swirl of gown.
Ace of hearts.
Face of clown.
Faces.
Drink it in
Drink it up
'til you drown in the light.
In the sound.

Raoul/Chistine: But who can name the face?

Masquerade!
Grinning yellows,
spinning reds.
Masquerade!
Take your fill -
let the spectacle
astound you!

Masquerade!
Burning glances,
turning heads.
Masquerade!
Stop and stare
at the sea of smiles
around you!

Masquerade!
Seething shadows
breathing lies.
Masquerade!
You can fool
any friend who
ever knew you!

Masquerade!
Leering satyrs,
peering eyes.
Masquerade!
Run and hide -
but a face will
still pursue you

Madam Giry: What a night
Meg: What a crowd!
Andre: Makes you glad!
Firmin: Makes you proud!
        All the creme
        de la creme!
Carlotta: Watching us watching them!
Meg/Madam Giry: And all our fears
                are in the past!
Andre: Three months!
Piangi: Of relief!
Carlotta: Of delight!
Andre/Firmin: Of Elysian peace!
Meg/Giry: And we can breathe at last!
Carlotta: No more notes!
Piangi: No more ghost!
Giry: Here's a health!
Andre: Here's a toast:
       to a prosperous year!
Firmin: To our friends who are here

The Mirror of Erised

2008-12-07T15:15:00.010+08:00

A scene from the movie "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone":

Albus Dumbledore: Back again, Harry? I see that you ,like so many before you, have discovered the delights of the mirror of Erised. I trust by now you realize what it does. Let me give you a clue. The happiest man on earth would look into the mirror and see only himself exactly as he is.

Harry: So then it shows us what we want, whatever we want.

Albus Dumbledore: Yes and no. It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest and most desperate desires of our hearts. Now, you Harry will never know your family. You see them standing beside you. But remember this Harry: This mirror gives us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away in front of it, even gone mad. That is why tomorrow it will be moved to a new home. And I must ask you not to go looking for it again. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.

Theater of the Absurd

2008-10-22T14:17:00.006+08:00

A month ago, when I searched the web for “News American Election 2008”, I got this as one of the search results: Oh, the Drama! McCain in the Theater of the Absurd. The last four words caught my attention.

The New Lexicon Webster’s Dictionary defines theater of the absurd as “dramatic presentations that depict the absurdity of the human condition in an incomprehensible universe by abandoning realistic form and utilizing fantastic or other eccentric means”.

Jerome P. Crabb profoundly explained it and cited Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot as the most famous and most controversial absurdist play.

The play was made into a film, a portion of which can be viewed in Youtube.

The Pi Song

2008-10-04T19:39:00.010+08:00

Double E's(www.amIright.com) parody of Don McLean's American Pie.

A long, long time ago
I can still remember
When the Bible told that pi was three
There was no value at that time
Like 3.14159
And 3 worked as pi's value for a while
But Archimedes, he did shiver.
And with each new value he'd deliver
Much better precision
Than anyone before him
He did not know what pi would be,
But his value was better than 3
So, he was smarter, can't you see
The day our lives were pied
So

My, my that's one large piece of pi
Not just 3.1415926535...
897932385 (actually 46, but it rounds)
Singing that we'll never learn all of pi
That we'll never learn all of pi

In the year 150 AD
There came this guy named Ptolemy
Who learned pi as 3.1416
And then the year 1430 came
al-Kashi had 14 digits to his name
But so many more were still to come.
Well, then in 1593
Romanus brought the total to 15
And just three years from then
Van Cuelen added digits: 10 + 10
At the end of the seventeenth century
Sharp added 36 more digits to be
But they all still need to see
The day our lives were pied
I started singing

My, my that's one large piece of pi
Not just 3.1415926535...
897932385
Singing that we'll never learn all of pi
That we'll never learn all of pi

And for six years pi hadn't grown
It was just sitting, like a stone
That's not the way it'd always be
When Machin came in 1706
This dormancy he sought out to fix
When he came with 100 numbers
Oh and the first one to make a mistake
Was de Lagny in 17-1-8
He had one hundred twelve
But 15 he had to shelve
To end this century with a roar
In 17 and 94
Von Vega added 24
Before our lives were pied
We were singing

My, my that's one large piece of pi
Not just 3.1415926535...
897932385
Singing that we'll never learn all of pi
That we'll never learn all of pi

Rutherford came in 1824,
He came up with much more than before
But he messed the last 56
He tried again in '53
And had right digits, 440
And they all were correct on this attempt
Now the next hundred years showed little work
When Shanks had just a tiny quirk
He had to the 700th place
But he miscalculated one case
So has last 200 were all wrong
And a positive gain took way too long
We're halfway through this really long song
The day we all were pied
We started singing

My, my that's one large piece of pi
Not just 3.1415926535...
897932385
Singing that we'll never learn all of pi
That we'll never learn all of pi

In 1946 Ferguson came and
Was the last man to calculate by hand
And computers entered in to play
Well, these computers, they worked quick
With Ferguson being to first to stick
Numbers in, and learn more of pi.
Well, that day he learned 710
Six months later he tried again
He got eight hundred eight
Cause people just can't wait
And in September 1999
The most digits that I could find
Were discovered by artificial mind
The day we all were pied
It was singing

My, my that's one large piece of pi
Not just 3.1415926535...
897932385
Singing that we'll never learn all of pi
That we'll never learn all of pi

The digits they discovered then,
They'll discover them and more again,
Were more than would fit in this song
Two hundred six billion and more
158 million and then four
Hundred thirty thousand digits, they do know
And in math class the students know
That pi will never end although
People keep on learning
Until the world stops turning
I hope you all enjoyed my song,
Though I admit it's way too long
If you know the words sing along
The day we are were pied.
And we were singing

My, my that's one large piece of pi
Not just 3.1415926535...
897932385
Singing that we'll never learn all of pi
That we'll never learn all of pi.

We were singing
My, my that's one large piece of pi
Not just 3.1415926535...
897932385
Singing that we'll never learn all of pi.

A Joke Gone Wrong

2008-09-30T21:04:00.013+08:00

I often receive text messages the content of which range from purely spiritual to downright obscene depending on the source. I, in turn, save the inspirational ones and forward the funny ones.

One time, I forwarded a nasty joke to someone who regularly sent me inspirational quotes. It went back to me seconds later with a sentence written in bold letters added: NEVER SEND ME A MESSAGE LIKE THIS NEXT TIME. 'Til now, I never have the chance of knowing whether she still reads my other messages because her number is always "out of coverage area". That was a case of a joke gone wrong.

James Ogilvy, in his book Living without a Goal: Finding the Freedom to Live a Creative and Innovative Life, profoundly explains what happens when humor gets out of hand and what is to be done about it.

Now for the bad news that follows from De Saussure's liberation of symbols from nonarbitrary tethers things. Evil is inevitable because its source is to be found among the most innocent. The origin of evil is to be found in the play of innocents, in the joke gone wrong. The origin of evil is to be found in play and teasing and joking around. Sometimes the naughty slides down toward decadence. The playful teasing that could be an act of love becomes instead a step toward depravity.

A joke, in order to be a joke, always requires duplicity, some sort of double entendre, some play on words or switch of context that places an entirely different significance on the punch line. In every piece of humor there is always some sort of doubling. To the extent that play involves or is like humor, like playing a joke on someone, then it is intrinsically the case that the joke can be misunderstood. Unless it is genuinely and successfully ambiguous to begin with, it cannot be a good joke. But the line between a good joke and a bad joke is often very fine.

This structure of humor and play predetermines the inevitability of play going wrong sooner or later. And as soon as the joke goes wrong, as soon as someone doesn't get the joke, doesn't take it in fun, then an injury has been committed, to which there may be a response in kind, then a further reaction, then reprisals, then revenge, then recriminations, then yet crueler revenge... and by then anything can happen, even evil. And it all started because of a joke. "I really didn't mean to hurt you," one protests. "It was only a joke...." But the seeds of evil have already been sown.

Finding the origin of evil in the play of innocents is bad news because it means we can never eradicate evil once and for all. The seeds of evil lie ready to sprout in every discourse, in every set of symbolic relationships that allows itself to reach outside the narrowly literal.

Literalism seemed appropriate in an industrial-material order of things rather than signs. Not all that glitters is gold, and it pays to determine the difference between 14-karat and 18-karat purity. In the symbolic order things are not always so definitive. But as soon as literalism allows an inch to allegory, metaphor, irony or any of the other rhetorical tropes, evil can arise when someone fails to appreciate the playfulness of a literary device. If you don't get the joke, if the second level of a double meaning never occurs to you and you go ahead blindly accepting the first as the entirety of my intention, then you fail to understand my true intentions. And the consequence of your failure to understand my true intention means that you will attribute to me some intention that changes the meaning of my acts in your eyes.

This entire dynamic can be laid at the doorstep of the Semiotic Gambler. It's his doing, it's his fault. The moment you enter the semiotic realm, the moment material things become signs and sprout another level of meanings that have nothing to do with their physical shapes as things, then you've given the Semiotic Gambler an opportunity to fiddle around with those meanings in ways that have little to do with the innocent ways of physical necessity.

What can we do to keep play from turning evil? Turn play into games with rules. Don't just challenge their gang to see whether your gang can get the coconut between the palm trees, no holds barred. Create some rules - like the rules of soccer and football - so that you don't kill each other in the course of having fun. That way we sublimate play into a more structured environment. In a game, the range of possible intentions is sufficiently circumscribed so that, even where duplicity remains crucial - the athlete's feint in one direction before going in another - the range of possible interpretations does not include defamation, torture, heartbreak or murder of the other competitor.

Tinkering with HTML Codes

2008-09-18T16:05:00.027+08:00

It all started when unintentionally I saw online someone's elegantly designed web page. How did he do it? I wondered. When asked about this, a colleague told me that knowledge of HTML codes is so essential in creating one.

That's why I blog. To learn the use of HTML codes found in tutorials. At first it seemed difficult but lately I've realized that it's not after all. Tinkering with the various codes is an amusing way to master them.

Below, with the use of MARQUEE code, is Kipling's "IF", one of my favorite poems.

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you but make allowance for their doubting too, If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or being lied about, don't deal in lies, or being hated, don't give way to hating, and yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream--and not make dreams your master, If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, and stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss, and lose, and start again at your beginnings and never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they are gone, and so hold on when there is nothing in you except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!" If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much, If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds' worth of distance run, yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, and--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

Clean Hands Save Lives

2008-09-15T20:56:00.015+08:00

That's the theme of the first ever Global Handwashing Day, slated on October 15, 2008, exactly a month from now. The event for which at least 20 countries are expected to participate will bolster UN's call for better hygiene through practice of handwashing with soap.

A section of the Planner's Guide that has been issued is about the five facts about handwashing with soap. These fundamental five are as follows:

Washing hands with water alone is not enough.
Handwashing with soap can prevent diseases that kill millions of children every year.
The critical moments for handwashing with soap are after using the toilet or cleaning a child and before handling food.
Handwasing with soap is the single most cost-effective health intervention.
Social marketing approaches that center on the potential handwasher and his or her specific motivations are more effective than traditional diseased-focused approaches.

What My Playing Cards Tell about My Future

2008-09-11T16:35:00.017+08:00

Blogthings.com offers various tests that anyone online may want to try. Questions asked range from extremely trivial, such as What number are you? to highly intriguing, such as What gender is your brain?.

This is the result of The Playing Card Test I answered.

What Your Playing Cards Tell About Your Future

Right now you are focused on your internal emotions, including a bit of pain and suffering.

Your emotions are currently tied to success. You've either had some unexpected success or an unexpected lack of success.

Your closest friend always can cheer you up... whether it's through flattery, funny stories, or simply just being there.

The near future will bring a new competitor or rival - in business or love. This person may seem like a friend at first.

Beware of a cruel woman who will first befriend you and then betray you.

Speaking of cards, I've read that the present deck of 52 playing cards originated in France in the 14th century. The suits depict the different classes of French society. Hearts represented the church; spades, the army; diamonds, the merchants; and clubs, the peasants and farmers.

Don't Read This

2008-09-10T19:41:00.008+08:00

Don't you know that, in an online survey which asked "Are you aware of a coworker trying to make you look bad or sabotage your work in the last year?", almost 75 % of the respondents replied "yes"?

The complete article can be found here.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

2008-09-09T22:12:00.001+08:00

From youtube:mewichigorocks1