Owenskies Blog

What Should You Know about Your Cell Phones

What’s the latest news? With so many depressing advents happening around the globe, I tend to overlook the real news and instead busy myself with the latest about movies, gossips and light-to-bear features. My eyes would rather stray on a good offset poster printing material than the dailies, really.

But this one is not light. This article that I read over at CNN’s website brought chills to my spines. It’s all about everybody’s favorite gadget, cell phones. Although many researches have been made about its negative effect to its users, the popularity of cell phones never seem to diminish.

Come on, nothing has really been proven. What’s the most damage that this can cause us? The fact is that if we stop using our cell phones these days because we have become so paranoid with the studies and all, that is the time when the damage will be done. Imagine the number of opportunities that you’ll be missing for the fact that you cannot be reached.

But to be on the safe side, the article gives tips on how to limit the risks that you may be able to imbibe from too much cell phone use. So be afraid. Be very afraid. Or not. Here are some tips to lessen such risks whether you believe in them or not. Well, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

1.    Let’s start with the most rational idea from the list. But that is only for me. This website (Cell phone radiation levels) contains a list of cell phone brands and the amount of radiation that they are able to emit. This can help you when you are planning on buying a certain model and cell phone brand. You can also look up for the current cell phone that you own so that you’d know if it’s time to freak out or stay calm.

2.    The speakerphone feature of cell phones is there for a reason other than having the people near to you hear all your juicy conversations. The idea here is to keep the gadget away from your head as much as possible.

Magda Havas has a detailed explanation for this suggestion. Havas is an associate professor at Trent University for the Institute for Health Studies in Ontario, Canada. Havas said that the amount of radiation that you will get will be reduced effectively as you increase the number of inches that you hold the cell phone away from your head. For example, with two inches distance, a factor of four will be reduced to the radiation. A factor of 16 will be taken out when you hold your phone out four inches away from your head.

If you want to know more, read the rest of the stuff (Cell Phone Risk). Everything that you do in life involves risks. But if that will include your health, maybe it is really time to put our cynicism aside and get into details. It will not really cost us anything, just our usual habits when using the gadget and our patience in following each suggestion.
 

Whats In a Name?

Giving names to your children may be one of the most exciting stages that parents have to go through. But do not get too excited about it so that you won’t end up with a name that may put your child through endless shame when they grow up.

Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii may do a good tag line for large poster printing. But did you know that a real 9-year old child from Wellington, New Zealand carried that tag line as her name until a court judge decided to end her shame?

She was discovered after being presented in courts for a custody battle. Judge Rob Murfitt decided to take the necessary legal actions so that the child’s name be changed. The new name was not disclosed for the child’s privacy. But for sure, it is something that the former Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii could be proud of.

For years, she didn’t disclose even to her closest friend what her real name is. Well, if I am a friend, I wouldn’t believe her either. She went by the nickname K.

But this girl is not alone. Some of you who are reading this right now may feel the urge to seek Judge Murfitt for help. Did you know that registrations officials have already blocked names like Yeah Detroit, Fish and Chips, Sex Fruit and Keenan Got Lucy? My golly, who in their right minds will name their children such outrageous names? But there are still out of this sensible world names that were allowed to be used like Violence and Number 16 Bus Shelter.

Parents should really think hard before they decide on their babies’ names. It is the future of these children that are at stake with the kind of names that you will baptize them with. Why will you give them something that will cause embarrassment when they’ve already grown up? Why would you want their future to be bleak knowing that you are its cause when you could have prevented such in the first place?

So if you are thinking about writing a book but couldn’t get past the first sentence, do not give your child that first sentence as their name so that you will be able to remember that. Oh well, I don’t really know how Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii came about. But there is only one word for such name and other names already mentioned at this piece, outrageous. And besides, I’ve never heard of anyone who became so popular whose name could cause hysterics to those who hear it. So it will really be better to stick with your sanity in giving your children the names that they will carry throughout their lives.
 

The Top Three Earners Leading Men in Hollywood

Are you thinking of effective designs to match your postcard marketing tricks? If you have the extra bucks, you might as well go find the service of the highest paid actors these days. Anyway, they wouldn’t attain that for no good reason, right?

We’ve all heard about the babes, it is Reese Witherspoon now who had dethroned Julia Roberts on top of the list. But what about the men? Are you wondering who the highest paid actors are these days? What was the last movie you’ve paid to watch? Maybe the leading man on that film is among the list.

Here are the top three for those of you who are interested to know who are making a mark and hitting it big in the world of Hollywood. Here are the top three earners as of this writing.

1.    The most hardworking actor in Hollywood definitely deserves to be in this position. Will Smith has an estimated $80 million earnings through the year. This man who will go from sci-fi, to drama, even comedy and action, never seem to lack the drive to try all the genres. This is one lucky guy, with his movies earning well in the box office, reason why he is being trusted to do what he has done and the projects still lined up for him to accomplish.

2.    Johnny Depp is on number two with $72 million already on his pocket for the year. He should thank his lucky stars that he is still being given good commercial projects like the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels while being part of artsy films every now and then. Such materials will definitely land him on the top earner’s list.

3.    Forget about Scary Spice. Eddie Murphy thrives on intrigues but he also earns well enough to be on number three with $55 million. Thanks to his versatility to do varied roles and do voices to unforgettable characters like Donkey on Shrek.

And tied with Mr. Murphy on number three is Shrek himself, Mike Myers with $55 million up his sleeves for this year. It really pays to have the talent even if you don’t look as good as Leo DiCaprio, who by the way follows on the list with $45 million earnings.

So there you go. That is the list of the actors whose films you may have watched in the past months or so. And they will continue their reign as long as there are people who are paying to watch as they do their best on their crafts.
 

What’s Up with the Spears Sisters?

I haven’t blogged about Britney for a long time. All I was seeing was her ever bulging belly, her adventures with the paparazzi, her unusual driving stunts or her now you have it fuzzy, now you don’t hair days. I still don’t have any update on this has been superstar who had the chance to redeem herself but let it slip away.

Oh Britney, if you only knew how lucky you were.  All together now!

“She’s so lucky, she’s a star
But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart, thinking
If there’s nothing missing in my life
Then why do these tears come at night.”

But are you happy now that you’ve lost the stardom? I don’t think so. She’s a mess. But I recently saw her pictures with a new do. She seems to be shaping up. She’s blonde and seems to be losing the excess pounds. Just continue doing that and she’ll soon be prepped up to model for ads, even vinyl signs. The latest about her is that she will be shooting a video to be shown on Madonna’s concert tour, ala virtual Britney.

Her kid sister, or the sister, Jamie Lynn, has given birth last June 19 to a baby girl. The girl was named Maddie Briann. Jaime is now raising her in the Mississippi home she shares with boyfriend Casey Aldridge.

So what’s next with the Spears? Maybe it will be better if we’ll just wait for their kids to grow and redeem their parents’ lost careers. But for now, we should just hope that these kids will be guided accordingly so that they won’t follow their parents’ footsteps.

As for Britney, I think that this girl still has the chance to make it. She’s still young and she’s talented. If only she will learn to put her talents and charm into something good and where she will excel. If only she will learn to prioritize her loved ones before she thinks about herself. Oh well, I think that she knows what to do to straighten out. I just hope that she realizes all these before it’s too late. Come on, Britney. Look at where Justin is now. Isn’t that enough inspiration to strive harder?
 

The Meaning of Toilet in Dreams

As I browse the net for an idea about what to write, I was stuck. I wasn’t interested with the latest news. Even the latest gossips lacked appeal. So I just think about what I have been through recently.

I had a very weird dream last night that when I woke up, I set my mind to find out what that means. But first, do you know what dreams are? According to the very reliable Wiki, dreams are what we see or the images as well as the thoughts and the emotions that we experience while we are sleeping. Dreams are highly associated with the rapid eye movement sleep. Throughout history, interests about this topic never waned although with regards to its contents and the biological purposes, those aren’t yet fully understood.

So now that I’ve gathered some “technical” definition, it’s time to give in to my desire. I want to know what my dream means. You never know but it may be good enough to be used as subject for cheap poster printing.

The weird thing about it is that I dreamt of a part of our old house. Everything was new, the house itself, the backyard, the playground at the back. What was weird is that after the house before you reach the playground, there was the comfort room. It was like what we had before. But what’s so disturbing about it is that it looked filthy, the things inside looked primitive. The water was dirty. In my dream, my mother was asking me to use that. She said that it was okay.

Okay, I found the answers at dreammoods.com. But it only focused on the toilet. There are three types of toilet which were given meanings on the site. Basically, seeing a toilet symbolizes either the release of emotions or getting rid of a useless part of your life.

Cleaning the toilet means that you are opening up and starting to lose your shyness. The clogged toilet means that you are keeping your emotions to yourself. And the overflowing one signifies your desires to express your emotions.

Now I’m still at lost so I looked up the meaning of dirt or being in such state. So there it is, under the word dirt. This corresponds to person’s anxieties and feelings toward sex. Now I don’t think I like that sound of that. Such dream, according to the site, rooted from having low self-esteem and when you have a feeling that you are unworthy.

Between these meanings, I think I can better relate with the toilet stuff. I am going through a personal struggle right now and I think I soon have to release the sad emotion that is gripping me. But that will take time. I just thank the dream for reminding me.

Have you ever thought about what your dreams meant? Dreammoods.com is one effective site that can help you solve your dream puzzles as long as you remember them.
 

Waiting for the Rain While Reminiscing about My Favorite Friends

It looks like it is going to rain. During times like this, it feels good to reminisce. When the skies are dark and the weather is cold, there are things that everybody enjoys doing and there are things that we all miss for sure.

The one thing that I enjoy doing the most on this type of weather is drown myself with my favorite addiction, which is coffee. But I love having one while watching my other addiction, which is the hit TV sitcom, ‘Friends.’

Since it ended in 2004, TV viewing habit no longer feels the same. It has yet to be beaten but it seems like no one’s exerting enough effort. Or am I just still bitter and couldn’t accept the sitcom’s fate? It’s still black outside and it’s almost eight in the morning as I wonder where are my favorite ‘Friends’ now?

Of course, Jennifer Aniston has gone from Brad to John who used to be linked with another Jen, the Love Hewitt one. No, there is no connection whatsoever. It’s just too bad for the men to be linked with Jen Aniston now and in the future, they would always be compared with Brad. Maybe she should just settle with someone who is mentally gifted. But I am not saying that Brad is dumb. Look at him, he’s got this whole interracial family going on for him. I am not against it at all. But somehow, I still have to delve on it or experience it myself to understand the whole notion.

Going back to ‘Friends,’ whenever I see Courtney Cox on the news, she’s with her family. Or she’s in a vacation with Jen. She seems to be enjoying her family life now. She’s even announced her plans to go through in vitro fertilization in order to have another child.

The two Matts seem to cease from the limelight. Is Matt Perry still sick? He’s a good comedian. But people will always associate him to his Friends’ character, Chandler Bing. The other Matt, Joey Tribbiani, has tried the marriage route but also treaded the divorce path. He is said to be dating actress Andrea Anders.

Phoebe Buffay, oh, how I miss her songs and her not your oh so typical look at life. Now that I’m checking Wikipedia about this blog entry, I only knew now that Lisa Kudrow and Conan O’Brien sang beautiful songs together before he moved into the Big Apple and made it big.

And the last and my most favorite ‘Friend’ of them all, Ross. And Wiki says, hmm, there’s nothing much new about him. Maybe he’s also looking at the dark skies waiting for the rain to fall. Maybe he is thinking about going into business and considering his options about pocket folder printing.

Got to end this now. The coffee has gone cold. I still miss ‘Friends.’ And it is now exactly eight o’clock but the rain seems to be taking its time before it decides to let loose.
 

A Blog Entry Created by a Sleep Deprived

“Sleep deprivation can adversely affect brain function – Wikipedia.”

So this is why it seems like I have left my brain at home when I headed off to work this morning. Now I know how it feels like to be a star. And I’m not really liking it. I wonder how they can act in front of the camera having only some hours of sleep.

I had thirty minutes of it. I had a deadline that I did until 4:30 in the morning, wanting to beat it to be sent quickly to short run prints, then I woke up at 5:00 to prepare myself for office. I don’t do this often though. I cannot, especially now that I’ve read that entry from Wikipedia.

What is happening to my brain? Well, it is still functioning but not in its usual way. Here in the office, the first thing I did was put cold water to my mug with the coffee and sugar already in it. As a result, the combination won’t dissolve and I had wasted a valuable pack of coffee.

I am browsing through different web sites but I cannot really comprehend a thing. Add the fact that it was so dark outside when my shift was just starting. The rain wanted to fall down hard, but for some reason, it held itself back. I should know what it was thinking, I just stared at the black clouds over the window for the first hour of work.

Let me see the studies now that have been done related to sleep. These are still according to Wikipedia.

1.    The ability of rats to heal wounds is the same for rats who didn’t sleep for five days and the rats who were allowed to venture into dreamland.

Now I don’t know who made the study and why would they make a rat not sleep? Poor souls. If only they knew what was happening, they could have demanded a better brand of cheese. The Wiki entry didn’t say how those rats were able to stay awake that long.

2.    Now bear with me on this as it contains too hard to pronounce and comprehend scientific words for someone who is sleep deprived. The situation resulted in less secretion of cortisol the following day. This is due to the successive slow-wave kind of sleep. I think this is already for humans and no longer for rats.

It also said that sleep deprivation improves the activities on, drum roll, Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis that regulate the mood, immune system, the usage of energy, sex… But with the state that I am in now, the last thing that I would like to do is share the bed with someone. I want my bed. And I want to sleep for four days straight. Anyway that reaction will likewise suppress our growth hormones.

3.    Now this makes me want to drop this act and head off to dreamland myself. Several studies relate obesity with sleep deprivation.

Why do I only know that now? Gotta go. Gotta catch up on my zzzs before my weight starts zooming up.
 

NBA Finals: Reliving the Boston- L.A. Rivalry

Every basketball fan would know how intense the rivalry of L.A. Lakers and Boston Celtics was before in the National Basketball League. It was the type of rivalry that every person in the world anticipated, a rivalry that even extended outside the court to the point that even the fans were getting involved in it, literally. 

I was not born yet during the hype of this competition but I have heard of how great the matches were before. I have seen play back of games wherein Magic Johnson’s Lakers and Larry Bird’s Celtics would give their everything just to try to edge each other out. For them, it is not the win that matters most because just like everyone involved in this so-called rivalry what mattered most was the pride they felt every time their team one.

Relive the Moment

Fast-track to almost two decades, these two teams again has the chance to face each other at the finals. Even though they are still currently trying to win their respective division championship series Boston against Detroit and LA Lakers against San Antonio, a lot of basketball fanatics like me are already anticipating the finals series between the two most popular teams in the league.

It is now the turn of Boston’s Kevin Garnett to try and edge out Laker’s Kobe Bryant if ever they meet to battle for the championship trophy. Will they be able relive the hype that was present during these two teams’ games before? Will the intensity spill out to the streets once again and involve the basketball fans? That is what we have to find out.

Fulfilling my Dream

Every time I get to watch the playbacks of the Celtic-Laker rivalry, I always dream of being in the Staples Center in Los Angeles with all the screaming fans, holding my own banner made from digital printing and heckling my heart out in support of both teams. I bet I would have a hard time cheering for just one team because these two teams play good basketball that anyone would be crazy not to admire.

I guess for me, more than what team will win I would just like to feel the hype people felt at the height of the Celtics- Lakers rivalry two decades ago.       
 

Global Warming Getting Worse

I have been an avid reader of newspapers for the longest time already and I am bothered by the fact that for the past few weeks or even months, news about global warming getting worse could be seen on the spreadsheets every single day. I guess it is a problem that is getting out of hand because not too much people really care about it maybe because they do not see and feel the effects it is already bring to our mother earth.

One example here is the effect of global warming on the Great Lakes in Chicago. These lakes are starting to have water levels which also put to risk other stuff like its health and sanitation.

Effects

The three most common effects of global warming is rising of sea levels, arctic shrinkage and unpredictable patterns in agriculture. Keep in mind that these are only three of the very many effects of global warming. Secondary effects would already include incurable tropical diseases and changes in our seasonal patterns.

Action?

One big question that has always stuck to my mind is that how come government officials all over the world are not to keen doing their own actions to stop global warming. Are they not worried about the effects it could bring in the world they are living in? Yes, they may think that they have all the money and might in the world but they must know that global warming chooses no kind of people. People from all walks of life are affected by this and what is sad is more often than not. People from the lower classes are the ones who care more.

Campaigns

There are some non-government associations who do their part in spreading the word about global warming but the problem is they are getting very minimal support from the government. The funds they get are not enough to change the world but still they are doing the best that they can do.

Is It really hard for the government to focus on this problem? The answer should be know because what they could do is as easy paying a flyer printing company to print flyers that would raise awareness. This could be a small start but at least they would start with something.   
 

A Brighter Future Beholds the Younger David

And the rumble was over. David Cook was pronounced the winner on the recently concluded ‘American Idol Season 7’. The number of votes has proven that the more mature David has gained a pack of followers more than enough to make him win.

I admire the two for their abilities, their strengths, even their weaknesses. Both can carry on to successful careers in the music industry. But my prediction is that after the hype is over and a new Idol is crowned, one David will still prevail and the other one may have to choose another path.

The younger David may not have the right numbers enough to make him win. But he has more than enough qualities to last in the business than the other David. This is not only because of the age, Archuleta being 17 and Cook 25. It is with their overall appearance.

One look at Mr. Cook and you will feel like, ‘He looks like someone,’ or ‘He sounds like someone.’ And I don’t think that will do him any good in the long run. But this guy will definitely be famous. His first album will make it big. But for how long he’s going to be able to sustain that, I’ll give it one to three years. I can actually see him as a soap opera star or a poster boy for ads like flyer printing.

David Archuleta, on the other hand, seems to be the type that is full of surprises. It surprised me that he didn’t win, as a matter of fact. But aside from that, he can still go through a lot of transformation through the years. This is not only regarding his looks, but also his type of music and even his style.

After Carrie Underwood, I thought that the Idol could no longer produce exciting talents. I thought that they have lost their magic touch on star building. But they really have proven it wrong this season.

Yes, the winner has been decided. But the game is not over. It is just beginning for the two David. It couldn’t be helped that long after the show is over, they will still be compared. So the pressure is still there for the two. Cook has to prove that he is deserving of the title. And Archuleta has to prove that even without the title, he is a winner.
 

China – On the Road to Recovery

The 7.9 magnitude of earthquake that shook China on May 12 shocked the entire world. The death toll started at about 9,000. And now, it is reported that more than 51,000 are confirmed dead and the number of injured is now at 274,683.

For us, those may just be numbers. But for the people who are affected by the tragedy, those numbers will forever be etched on their memories.

The center of the quake was at the Sichuan Province where among the confirmed deaths, 40,854 were found on this area. And the counting process never seems to end. The death tolls are expected to rise as the rescue operations are still ongoing. As of today, about 14,000 people are buried in all eight affected provinces.

If you are already wincing at the numbers, just imagine how many people are left homeless. How many of them would no longer be able to see their loved ones? How many of them could no longer get back to the lives they used to lead?

This earthquake is said to be the deadliest one that hit China since 1976 where over 240,000 people were killed on the Tangshan earthquake.

And not only humans were affected by this disaster. China is home to 130 wild pandas. The Wolong Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda is located at the epicenter of the quake. As of today, it is reported that two giant pandas are still missing.

After the tragedy, what’s good with China is that their people as well as the government are showing superb efforts to save and rebuild lives and broken dreams. People couldn’t help but compare this to the cyclone disaster that hit Myanmar earlier in the month.

Myanmar and the entire world actually should learn something from this. In times of disasters, you no longer need to pause and think about things. It doesn’t matter if we are being ruled by militaries, a woman president or a black leader. Nothing matters but the rate that you will go in order to save lives and help them get back on track.

Calamities are real. These should not only be good subjects for custom printing purposes. The Sichuan quake and the Myanmar cyclone remind people that life is too short. There are other more important things in this world than people’s claim to power and greed.
 

A Sidebar Response on My Space Cyber-Bullying, Suicide and Etiquette

What are the rules of online chatting? Are there rules that a user strictly follows once they enter the stream of millions of online users? Do we train ourselves or our children on who to avoid, when to stop, and how to treat other users?

The freedom the internet offers us makes it hard to set up any rules that apply to everyone. The internet has become a public space where people from all walks of life intersect and collide. It welcomes a global audience that is diverse and multi-cultural. Thus, rather than set-up any rules that might step on anybody else’s toes, there aren’t any.

Rules only apply in certain rooms and communities where people of the same interests join. Still, the rules are not as encompassing or thorough. Social networks, online communities, and groups can only do so much to monitor activities and regulate them. This is quite problematic, especially for sites or spaces that children can access, explore, and even fall victim to abusive online users.
 
The internet comes as a double-edged razor which everyone must know. It is a virtual world that allows anyone to become who they would want to be without consequences. They can be as good and as bad as they want to be. They can assume identities that of another or one that does not exist at all. And they can easily come and go as they please.

The most recent and disturbing way one can use the internet is illustrated in the case of the 13-year old girl Megan Meier who committed suicide; who through her MySpace account, encountered love, loss, and of course, bullying. Lori Drew and her co-conspirators drew up their own MySpace accounts, the former even created a false account and identity by the name of John Evans, a 16-yearl old high school student.

The girl who had, supposedly, an online relationship with John was harassed and humiliated. At one point, they even addressed a message to Megan saying the world would be a better place without her.

The FBI and other authorities are looking into the case but might not have anything to charge Lori Drew and her co-conspirators with except for some penalties. The reason? There aren’t any laws applicable to the said case.

This incident could have been prevented by both parties – the neighbor Lori Drew and Megan’s parents. Both should have known better.

Then again, were there any canvas prints, handbooks or guidebooks on chatting, social networking, cyber-bullies, online predators and so on?

There are online rules I observe in order to attract the right kind of people and deter the ones who are simply up to no good. And if you have children, there are ways to make internet a safer place for them by understanding and knowing certain measures.

1.    Ignore users who PING you just to initiate chatting. This is a rude gesture and should never be done.
2.    Immediately ignore users whose on-screen names are just way beyond dubious. These are the ones with long numbers, random letter combinations, and of course, sexually explicit names.
3.    Understand online language, lingo and abbreviation. If you know what LMAO stands for, then you wouldn’t want your young child to use that expression. Moreover, there are coded messages that seek to evade your monitoring like the simple word POTS – parent over the shoulder.
4.    Report bots. These may not always solicit information from you or your children, but they only seek to do one thing – direct you to a site which is not secure or appropriate for children.
5.    Report spam mail.
6.    Report people who really violate the terms and conditions generally agreed upon when becoming a member of an online community or social networking.
7.    To render your reports more effective, know how to provide proofs or evidence. Know how and what Print Screen can do.
8.    If you experience any form of verbal abuse, harassment, hate mail and so on, it is best to just close your chat window, delete your files, and create a new and different account. You don’t have to put up with any crap from people you don’t know.
 

Television is Today’s Opium

I have been a couch potato for a long time.

However, this is not to say that I don’t get off my ass to go to work, do my laundry, and of course, blog. I do all these things with regular routine. But when placed in front of the television, I forget all things like a 5-year old kid watching television on a Saturday morning. Forget that the cereal has become soggy. Forget that I’m still in my pajamas at noon. Forget that I haven’t had lunch yet. Television is the most addicting pastime, hobby, or leisure anyone can afford.

This is one of the many reasons why watching television have made many of today’s generation so oriented towards it. It has become a family activity that renders both parents and children’s free time glued to the screen. What used to be a past time has now become a household routine which both amazes me and perplexes me.

I admit to being one of the millions of people out there who turn on the television once they get home – without even watching it. I just walk in and turn it on. Change into comfortable clothes, prepare my meal and 30 minutes later, that’s the only time I get to sit down and see what is on the television.

If you take a look at this picture, nothing says sadder than a single person eating dinner in front of the television. Take another look and you’re just looking at millions of others like me.  One more look and you’d know why many people tune in and watch the tube.

I get a dose of news, a bit of entertainment with good movies, some brain food with channels like National Geographic or Discovery Channel, and a bite of culture through Travel & Living. These are the redeeming qualities of television – it makes all your time worthwhile with quality programs like these

However, this is not always the case. This must be why TV Guide is created. It allows you to optimize your time and help you find whatever it is you are looking for. Then again, we don’t always buy a TV Guide because really, we think we don’t watch that much television anyway. And so, we don’t actually have brochures at home to browse through, thumbing the pages for any good old movie or that particular sitcom we liked and caught last week, whatever that was.

Nevertheless, my point in case is that the time we spend watching television is most probably spent on not watching it at all. I don’t know if there are any exact figures that demonstrate the watching habits of people – but I bet that this is true. Most of the time, we spend hours upon hours surfing between channels, watching a program we caught halfway and then switching it on to another without really finishing it, and then as boredom sets in, we struggle in futility to find a program we really like. But to no avail, it is already way past our bedtime and we sleep more tired than ever. This is not to count the other things we do like answer the phone, put our dishes in the sink, and take a bathroom break.

Many people have the misconception that watching television is relaxing. Well, it really isn’t. It’s time we hear what people who don’t spend as much time watching television tell us. Watching television is an activity that requires our attention and concentration – so while we may be entertained, we are still straining ourselves for hours on end trying to decipher everything that our senses are assaulted with.

It is time to change our watching habits. I, for one, would want that more than ever. Call me a goody-goody two shoes or a spaz, but I have had my share of television watching. It is simply about time that you realize too that watching television should not be a passive activity. Don’t just sit there waiting for a good program to come up. Either you know what you want to watch or you just turn in for the night and catch a long, sound sleep.
 

Bishop Gene Robinson and the Right to the Pursuit of Happiness

There are things in life that are much worse than death says Bishop Gene Robinson.

I couldn’t agree more with the fellow.

Yet with all the happenings and controversial issues on and about religion in the US – the polygamous sect in Eldorado, Texas and Pope Benedict XVI visiting the USA – nothing quite compares to openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson’s interview in the Today’s show with Matt Lauer. His belief that living life to the fullest, being able to love and marry the person you want to, in this case his own life partner Mark Andrew, is something that God wishes him to do. 

Many gays and lesbians have pushed for this principle a long, long time ago –with or without God in the equation. And so, while a lot of countries have already allowed homosexual couples to marry, a man of the cloth marrying another man seems to bring or make a different equation – especially when the foundations of the Church concerns it and it begins to shake.

I am a true believer that everyone has the right to freedom and the pursuit of happiness. Gays, lesbians, transgendered among others have as much rights as any other straight Dick or Jane on the street.  I am not particularly an expert on the subject but I know for sure that the fundamentals of the Church are facing very different and difficult times.

Opening up to changes and new ideas are not the best qualities of the Church. By the capital “C” I mean the institutions of the Catholic or Christian religions. So while gays and lesbians can be just about anybody, a lot of speculations are brought to mind when Bishop Gene Robinson declares he wants to marry Mark Andrew.

Just what is a priest anyway or a bishop for that matter? What concepts are we changing? What history are we making? And what does this all have to do with the Church? I still have to work out the contradictions that keep floating on the surface on my mind.

Personally, I think there is a certain hypocrisy in the Church whose doctrines and interpretations marginalizes a lot of people even when at the core of all its teachings only tells us to love. All this humanistic values they preach are somehow exclusive to a select kind of people.  So I guess Bishop Gene Robinson must be a more contemporary or unconventional man of the cloth.

Isn’t that disturbing or frightening? Why do we offer to judge who is acceptable in God’s eyes or worthy of His love? Are we to live life trying to see whether we pass the qualifying rounds?

Now, the simple act and desire of one man brings to surface many issues the Church has ignored for a long time.  It has failed to answer or acknowledge many pressing issues of the times as though banners and vinyl signs weren’t raised to bring many issues to light. Well, it’ll surely be a tight squeeze this time around.

And while I ponder and sort my own voice on this issue – I suggest the rest of us do the same. This is not just one man’s life, but everybody else’s – who are gay, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered, who are straight, who belongs to the church, who fights for liberty and rights, and who fights for the pursuit of happiness.
 

Just How Helpful and Practical Are All the Technologies in Your Ordinary Mobile Phone?

If they could turn mobile phones into mobile cars, I’d probably be impressed.

With all the technology today, a simple mobile phone is not all what it seems. Call me a laggard, but who can really keep up with the pace of all the technological innovations and inventions that keep springing up? While you barely have the time to distinguish what makes a 10 megapixel camera better than your 7 megapixel camera, you would have found out that there’s a 10.90 megapixel camera out to do you one over.

How many “powers” of your mobile phone can you truly utilize all at the same time? Let me rephrase that. Can you fully utilize all the features of your gadgetry before another model is released, posed to make it obsolete?

I have so many pressing questions that only a novice like me can ask. While some of you may take my questions literally, I ask these questions not as a fundamentalist, but to assess how much technology do we need? Do we use?

So while you may think and brand me as stupid, is it really embarrassing for me to ask these questions? If you have a normal phone like I do – a basic Nokia with 3G technology – haven’t you ever really questioned just how relevant it is, its features, and all its numerous add-ons?

Now that I reflect about these things, I aim not to question the merits of science & technology and all its pursuits. I am raising these questions because I wonder how truly essential and helpful all these technology can be.

I have asked myself these questions have up come with this list, which is probably enough to fill a catalog for booklet printing.

1.    Just how do you blog using an ordinary phone?
2.    Do you really want to see the face of the person you are speaking to? So, how frequently do you do it over 3G?
3.    Do you really have the time to surf using your phone? How many minutes does that hobby last?
4.    If your mobile phone allows your laptop to connect to an internet connection, just where do you intend to go?
5.    Which places do you really find yourself in where there is no internet connection and you have to send a file?
6.    In relation to both questions 4 and 5, just how frequently do you lug around your laptop just to make surfing with or on your phone convenient?
7.    How frequently do you use Bluetooth?
8.    Do you have plenty of accessories that accommodates the Bluetooth technology?
9.    How many emails do you receive in your ordinary phone?
10.    Do you often reply using your phone?

A mobile phone have just released its new sets of mid-range phones. Are you buying?

 

A Postcard View of People and Places as Inspired by Giada

Travelling is a luxury we cannot afford regularly.

Any plain Joe or Jane would know just how regular trips would dent one’s pockets and savings. And with the continuous increase of oil prices, who can truly afford to go so far? And so, I have resigned myself to watching television programs that featured all these must-see places, must-sample foods, and must-try activities.

I love and hate television this way.

This ambivalence, of course, can only spring from the fact that you are sitting at home watching these people visit one destination after another when it could have been you. All the while, you mutter under your breath “You lucky people.” And you think about this, time and again, and the irony presents itself louder each time. You think - how can I just sit here and watch these travel programs? Why cannot I just go and wander off? It’s not as though I am chained to this couch. Besides, am I not working to earn enough and fund what I love to do? But in the end, the reality just bites you in the ass. There are bills to pay, work to go to, a cat to feed, and so on.

Then you pity yourself and reality sticks its head back in the room. Reality hangs around as you mull over thoughts that prick your ego like needles. You think you want to stop watching travel programs but you can’t. You know how this cycle is insufferable yet you still do it. This sado-masochistic activity pulls your heart two ways. 

And so, once you have had your fill, you retire to your bed and wonder how you’ll boost yourself for the next day.

*      *      *

That’s me right there. The person who can’t seem to have anything going. And funny thing is, I’m sure I’m not the only. I’m sure this isn’t my story alone.

So while I can’t afford to go to a private island just yet, I’ve decided to do what two things that will help me through. As inspired by a program by Giada de Laurentis, I will do even the most cliché things that any tourist would do – I might, hopefully, learn a few things that way. I’ll do this by visiting select places that a particular town or city is famous for – be it by their frozen custard ice cream or by a local lake. When that is not an option, I can go on a little adventure and can look for a postcard perfect view of my own – even if I am in an urban landscape.

And so, as inspired by Giada de Laurentis, I do these things: 1) At the River Side café, I will sit under the Brooklyn Bridge with a Manhattan cocktail in hand, watching the sunset fade out into the night while the skyscrapers’ lights fill the skyline. 2) Wait in line at Grimaldis and order a whole Margherita pizza; 3) I will find a heavenly spot in the acres of sprawling space that is Central Park and have a breakfast of bagels with smoked salmon or cream cheese, foamy cappuccino, and fresh strawberries. 4) Go up the Empire State Building and capture my own picture, postcard design perfect image of New York.
 

Miley Cyrus Makes a Milestone with Annie Liebovitz Shoot

There has been a lot of news about Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana - with her purportedly billion-dollar worth of franchise and now her transition from tween-queen to the ranks of Mickey Mouse graduates like the Olsen twins and La Loha. This time around, it’s about the flesh-baring photo shoot with world-renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Not too many people make the right choices, but I think Miley Cyrus did. How can you go wrong working with Annie Leibovitz? Her substantial work and profile of business clients says it all.  If you want to break away from the bopping-kid crowd as your target market, how else would you have it? A summer-thriller film?

Annie Leibovitz is an icon herself. The legendary shutterbug who captured John Lennon and Yoko Ono for an album cover before he was killed hours later has also captured the smiles of Angelina Jolie, the controversial and then pregnant Demi Moore, Queen Elizabeth and of course, Susan Sontag. If I could instantly whip up a portfolio of her works right here, right now either online or custom brochure printing, you’d know just who Annie Leibovitz is. 

And now, publicity statements are flying off from all across directions. It’s quite insulting to Annie Leibovitz if you ask me, with all these negative feedbacks that they spun off from the picture and the shoot just to make it all the more bigger, controversial, and talked about. It’s just the hypocrisy which I can’t stand. Now, everybody is speculating online or on print, from tabloids to blogs and more.

Miley Cyrus is saying sorry to her fans. Her parents are now saying “shame on you”. I say what gives?! Wasn’t this all set-up like an initiation that Miley Cyrus has indeed made it? No one else would have captured a much better picture, a picture that will be remembered years from now - all with the great eye and aesthetic taste of an Annie Leibovitz.

Interpret the photograph anyway you want it. In the end, you’ll see what it truly reveals – like the saying truth is beauty, beauty is truth - that is all ye need to know.

So I say brava! While the mouseketeer graduates are crashing their cars, guzzling their booze, and checking in rehabs, yours is a road way safer than the others and more tasteful.
 

Sicko on Oprah: What’s Happening to the American Dream?

Michael Moore’s documentary film Sicko is another bold and brave commentary that explores and pokes through the health care system of the United States. He confronts the many unfortunate circumstances Americans face when their health insurance doesn’t cover their medical bills and costs enough, when Americans are forced to declare bankruptcy, and when American find themselves debilitated not only by their disease but by the same system that is supposed to take care of them.

Oprah Winfrey declared in her show that she has been one of the many millions of Americans who thinks “We’re okay.” Michael Moore and Oprah cannot address this issue at any other time but today when we think about our future president. 

What does that say about us? We’re no. 37 on the world’s list of best health-care systems in the world while France and Canada, who only spend between 11 % and 10% respectively, are in the top ten list. We pay a significantly bigger 15% but how does our health care system truly compare?

I may not know enough about insurance, health plans coverage, or even health-care policies, but it is enough to worry me how a respectable and well-paid man, a former hospital administrator, could be denied of certain medical assistance. This certainly begs the question, if it can happen to him, what more of the underprivileged others? 

There is a problem. A problem that goes beyond the aid of bandage dressings. It is a disease in itself which needs to be dealt with.

So raise your voices high America.

Raise your voices not because you pity the uninsured few, not because you are angry, and not because you despair. Raise your voices because you know we can change it. Raise your voices because there is hope. Raise your voices because it is the right thing to do.

So wave all kinds of banner high and adhere to a motion of change. Put up your vinyl signs and rally up for a cause. 

Make America better. Make the change today. Make the future now. 
 

Summer Fantasy Islands

If you still remember the pilot episode of I Dream of Jeannie, then you would remember that picture of a small, uninhabited island with its perfect white beaches and blue skies. While the sitcom’s character considers the place as a trap, for many of us today, finding one such beautiful island is finding a real vacation spot.

And so, I have often dreamt of finding such beaches and isles. Those picture perfect landscapes of sea, sand and sky sparkling in the distance.

And so, as famous beach moments fill through my head from Blue Lagoon to the Pirates of the Caribbean, I prepare a list of places to go where sun worshippers and water babies like me would just have to go.

Dig up some travel custom size brochure and thumb your way through maps to reach these destinations. These fantasy islands of mine are truly pockets of paradise. These are well-kept and preserved islands that act as a haven for one’s soul. The pure and unspoiled beaches are just as serene and poetic. But at the same time, these islands provide you with an incredible underwater adventure, spoiling you with colorful schools of fish and reefs of corals.

Maldives
Maldives is a destination where you can truly taste a life of luxury. Rustic yet homey cabanas rest atop the beaches, behind a backdrop of pure blue and endless skies. The crystal clear waters are all filled with colorful marine life that invites you to dive in anytime.

The seclusion itself is the charm of Maldives. Its wide open spaces, clean air and virgin islands are a completely new and different world in itself.

Philippines
Philippines is an archipelago of hundreds and thousands of islands. Each town or region boasting their local culture and distinct scenic, hot spots. Here’s but a brief summary of the island hopping you need to do.

San Salvador, Zambales
This uninhabited island is a marine sanctuary where you can encounter manta rays 10 ft. in diameter. This is one of the giants of the seas freely breeding and living in this protected habitat. More than this, you can get up close and personal with giants clams in a protected clam farm.

Palawan
Palawan is one of the greenest cities in the Philippines with handfuls of islands with clean, white beaches. You can go snorkeling, diving, and even spelunking as waters run through mountainous caves full of stalactites and stalagmites.

Boracay
If you’re looking for a place to mingle with all kinds of beach lovers, where the white sands are as pure and fine, you’d find that this is the place to be. Boracay island offers a long stretch of white sand beaches surrounded with music and palm trees.

This list could just go on and on. And so, it’ll have to do for this time as the list goes longer and longer on the next post. Ciao!
 

Summer Vacation Ideas: All in a Single Day

Summer has always meant a get-away for most people. It is the time to unwind, stretch those long legs out unto a comfortable lounge chair and take a well-deserved rest with a cocktail in hand.

Yes, summer is definitely here. But with the gas price hiking up, who can really afford to drive all the way to their yearly destinations and retreats? I’ve been wondering about this for a time. If I only have the weekend to spare and a little bit of money to spend, how exactly can I go to a vacation?

I keep picturing other people who go through all their ceremonies before launching themselves off to a good vacation. Women go to parlors and have their nails done, their foot pampered, and their highlights re-done. They go to shopping malls and buy new swimsuits for the beach or winter jacket if they’re going up the alps. The men go on oiling and polishing their gears, cleaning out their tackle boxes, and maybe polishing their own car.

While all the travel and custom size brochures are all enticing, I need a vacation that is well within my means – without driving off to far destinations, without flying out to another coast, and without renting hotel rooms or a private cabin.

As some people suggested, vacation is not about going to truly foreign or exotic places. It is about discovery. And so, while people go off to Hawaii or Paris for a vacation, I venture into my own local town and create my own pocket vacations. Here’s how I did it, all in a day.

1.    Eat at an exotic restaurant
Vacation is about renewing the senses, so I found myself and my stomach to a place offering foreign cuisine. It’s best if you come to a place frequented by a lot of people, and it does not matter if it is Korean, Indian, Haitian etcetera. The trick is to order the most popular food or what else everybody is eating. And if you want to be a daredevil of some sorts, try something on the menu that scares you the most.

2.    Take a camera with you
Keep moving and shoot from all angles. I constantly took pictures of the places I’ve been to, no matter how familiar. Consider it as a form of documentary on how I spent my day. While I may not have pictures of exotic places, at least I can preserve a memory of my one-day vacation within my own town which in 5 or 10 years time may never look the same again.
 
3.    Go to the market
Not too many people enjoy shopping or doing the grocery, but an outdoor or Sunday market is truly something different. I went to an outdoor market and sampled new things and even bought things that simply intrigued me. This is one way of indulging myself and my curiosity. I tried a new cheese, looked for hot and fresh baked bread, and bought a pound of ground beef (I thought it’d be great to make my own hamburgers tonight). You’ll never know what will surprise you this way.

4.    Cook for yourself
Not too many people would recommend that you cook for yourself for it is a lonely thought. But then again, it is a reward that I can treat myself to and so I did. I cooked burgers outside that night and while I wait, I simply enjoyed a sweet, cold bottle of beer while listening to the Beach Boys, blasting out from my stereo.