Monthly Archives: March 2011
Be, Be Da Best! :)
Summer na naman sa buong bansa!
And the entire Kapamilya network has recently released their station ID.
Shoot outside from the typical summer notions (beach, beach, and beach!), the newest station ID shows freedom in being the best this summer.
You have to ‘jump high’ to stand out from the rest, give out your best and don’t forget to have fun especially this summer which is one of the loved seasons of Pinoys.
The ID shows energetic activities, light summer attires and enthusiastic jumps. The entire talents of ABS-CBN was there, almost. From the remake hit of Mara Clara to the newest programs shown soon, almost no one got left behind.
So jump in to be da best! this summer. 🙂 Watch the Kapamilya Summer Station ID 2011!
Justice Need Not to Pray
China executed three Filipinos convicted of drug trafficking despite Philippines’ appeals for clemency.
Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, 32, and Ramon Credo, 42, met their families for the last time early Wednesday before they were put to death by lethal injection in Xiamen city in southeastern China, said Philippine Consul Noel Novicio. Elizabeth Batain, 38, was allowed to meet with her relatives hours ahead of her execution in southeastern Shenzhen city, Novicio said.
Under Chinese law, the trafficking of at least 50 grammes of any illicit drug is punishable by death.
It is saddening to learn what had became of their plight. China just had their teeth on to those who tries to breach their law and we, Filipinos, make no exception under their hood.
Families and relatives to the prisoners suffers a serious grief to the loss of their loved ones. And not only that, the entire Philippines had joined them as well. The moment the news had reached our land, several attempts had been made to postpone, or hopefully abate the punishment to life sentence but none of which had penetrated the hearts of the Chinese government. Everyone had resorted to what seemingly best and effective way possible — praying. But, with hopes and spirits as high as it is given, didn’t go well heard.
“Drug trafficking is universally recognized as a severe crime,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters. The prisoners insisted they were set up, that they were just victims. But cases like these are very difficult to consider. Victim or not, foreign or local, justice need not to pray to make it happen. It is blind, it only see what visible.
Some may find it just — China just conforms to their laws whether Chinese or not — and some may find it unfair — it’s life they haven’t learned yet. What had happened pave way for us to learn more. A black day to be remembered in the past but a light to be seen in the future.
Can Captain Pull Off the Streak?
Captain Barbell is the newest show of GMA7 that will usher Richard Gutierrez’s comeback to primetime.
After Full House (2009), Richard has taken less acting and more hosting. And this maybe to give way for other actors in GMA’s domain to do their center stage acts, Â honing Richard for a greater project. And that project has finally arrived — Mar’s Ravelo’s Captain Barbell.
Not an original one, nobody doubts that, in fact this is the second time around that Richard will be doing another Captain Barbell series.
Yes, yes, everyone’s going for a new. If their digging for good chunky ratings, they should put on everything to get everyone’s sight. But have they really managed to do all that well? Hmm, they’ve taken not one lead actress but four — Richard’s rumored girlfriend Solenn Heussaff, PBB graduate Sam Pinto, GMA’s Lovi Poe, and Survivor Philippines’ Michelle Madrigal. They’ve also promised the viewers for their great CGI effects that’s worth betting for international filmography. And Jillian Ward, the child star of GMA, is no far from the story. But the acting? Who needs acting when it’s an action/fantasy series. Well, I hope this is selling fast like hotcakes. Let’s just see about that.
GMA7 is well known for their field in fantaserye, after the hit and very successful Encantadia, they’ve never stop offering the same genre to viewers. Factly, it made them, at times, on top against their competitors (ABS-CBN and TV5).
But after spoon after spoon of fantaserye, what would made this another different from the rest? Well, let the rating speak.
AGB Nielsen Mega Manila People Ratings:
Primetime:
- Mara Clara (ABS-CBN) – 16%
- Captain Barbell (GMA-7) – 13.9%
- Dwarfina (GMA-7) – 13.8%
- Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin (ABS-CBN) – 13.6%
- Mutya (ABS-CBN) – 13.5%
- I ♥You Pare (GMA-7) – 12.9%
- The Baker King (GMA-7) – 12.7%
- 24 Oras (GMA-7) – 11.3%
- Magic Palayok (GMA-7) /Â Imortal (ABS-CBN) – 10.5%
- TV Patrol (ABS-CBN) – 10.2%
Kantar Media-TNS National Household Ratings:
Primetime:
- Mutya (ABS-CBN) – 34.8%
- Mara Clara (ABS-CBN) – 34.1%
- Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin (ABS-CBN) – 32%
- TV Patrol (ABS-CBN) – 27.1%
- Captain Barbell (GMA-7) – 22.8%
- 24 Oras (GMA-7) – 21.9%
- Imortal (ABS-CBN) – 21.6%
- Dwarfina (GMA-7) – 20.7%
- Magic Palayok (GMA-7) – 19.1%
- The Baker King (GMA-7) – 17.6%
Captain didn’t pull off the winning streak of Mara Clara. People has grown tired of fantaseries perhaps. Well, I can’t speak too soon, after all it’s just their first day. And neither I can tell what will happen next. So what do you think?
Got Tangled!
My least loved fairytale now became one of my favorite classic entangled with a lot of twist.
From the boring scheme of a princess taken away by a witch, locked inside a tower, a prince then came and tried to set her free but the witch comes between them and so and so but still managed to have a happy ending were all changed into a refreshing storyline — prince was feisty but not as feisty and witty as the princess, the long golden hair doesn’t fell down just a golden stair but magical as well, and a cop-like noble steed? No wonder this film topped its way as the 14th highest-grossing animated feature ever released and ranked second to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows overseas.
SYNOPSIS. A teenage princess will sneak out from her tower with the help (or a deal) from a stray thief, Flynn Rider, just to see the yearly lantern display. Less did she know, it was a celebration for her birthday hoping that she’ll follow it one day and come back home. Rapunzel is no ordinary girl, her long golden hair was a result of the golden flower that gives an everlasting youth. The witch, who introduced as her mother, discovered the ability of the flower and her hair abducted her when she was a baby, trapped her up in the tower and consumed all the youth to herself.
The kingdom’s most wanted thief, Flynn Rider, found himself in the hands, no, in the hair of Rapunzel — tangled. Trapped in the tower with all her life, she only wants one birthday gift, and that’s to see the thousand lanterns but her wicked mother disapproves her. And so, she sneaked out but no sooner her mother founds out and follow them with a pursuit to get her back (and some other evil business). She was successful, but the rest of the story, you should watch it for yourself.
MY SAY. When I saw the trailer, it makes me say, I’ll watch this film. And hope it won’t disappoints me. And it never did. Has light romantic touch, makes me smile, and is it just me or Flynn Rider is one sexy thief who really looks good with Rapunzel. The musical wasn’t overdone. And there wasn’t a boring frame in the show.
Watch this trailer and say something to yourself.
Hi There, Stranger!
Hello Stranger is a Thai movie that’s grossing its way to the top.
Nuengtida Sopon (the girl) met Chantavit Dhanasevi (the guy) in an unusual way. She found him drunk and homeless in her apartment’s front porch. He was stubborn and she was, well, just the tourist one and how they became less than of a stranger revolves the story around.
It was light, the ending was hanging, but you should watch everything in between ‘coz it will make you see that strangers can let you feel the strangest of emotion. 🙂
Personally, this movie doesn’t fell in a must-see category. But you should watch it anyway, you might be travelling one day and you’ll know what to do with strangers. So I say to you, “Hello!”.
Graduation Blues
First year at college: “Damn, 5 years is a real pain in the ass.” “When will I graduate?” “That’s like waiting for ages?”
Fifth year (and last) at college: “This is it!” “Yes, I’m finally graduating” “Thank God! Student life is over.”
A week before graduation: “hhh, I’m graduating now. But why am I not happier?”
And when it comes to me, it wasn’t just a week before I felt all the blues — it was on the entire semester when I started feeling the depression of coming to an end, the student life, college life, the day-to-day routines that made my day, the faces I often see, the funs, hangouts, cramming, deadliest deadlines, almost my entire 5 whole year in an engineering course will soon come to an end.
Yup, they’re right! The hardest things to let go are those the things that comes close to your heart.
But, nevertheless, I didn’t regret the things that became part of my heart. Regret wouldn’t counter-weigh the good memories I will soon recall.
Upon reaching the last few pages of a chapter, it is very difficult for me to read on further, but I must. By just watching at the bleachers, or the canteen, or the stairways, it somehow touches my heart that made my eyes teary. Please don’t make me explain further, you know very well that I’m not giving my sentiments to the material aspect of my sight but rather it is the memories it once had.
As one chapter ends, another one opens. The feeling is good when you’re done with a chapter and you kept on reading to the next for the purpose of knowing further what will happen. The drive is curiosity when it’s not your story and it is fear when it is your own.
I can’t help but to fear my future. Well, technically, I am fearing nothing because future never comes, they suddenly turn into present. Anyhow, they’re still future but with a different label. And another reason for my blues are the fear that hides behind my future’s uncertainty. What’s there to do than fight it, face it, embrace it even if it mean you pains and bruises.
And all of that begins as I soon close my chapter. I don’t mind if they look blue, they fill in my sky anyway.
I felt blue during my pre-graduation days. Does it really matter? It’s just a chapter in the middle. What I really hoped for is, I won’t be having blues during my real graduation day. That I’m happy that I passed in all life’s exam. 🙂
I’m Tired…At Last
This story is not new, I bet you’ve already heard it a few times — he loved her but then they’re happy with each other and so he forget all about his feelings and tried to keep his distance and so on and so forth. But how about, he stayed, fight back his feelings and tried forgetting all about her. How’s that for a change?
It did happened to me. Just lately I realized it’s been two years now since I decided not to just walk away from that person and forget everything about it.
I stayed with them which was the hardest part. It was helpless and even the entire cosmos wouldn’t agree either so why fight for the win when it’s only in dreams to win.
Once upon a time, I already had a secret crush on her the moment I laid upon my eyes. It was just a mere appreciation if strictly talking outside the pretext of love. But then slowly I noticed, I gave her a different treatment from the rest. If I was hostile and rough on others, I wasn’t when it comes to her. Yeah, just the natural way of having a crush. I always tried stealing a glimpse on her, throw out some corny jokes and somehow make her feel I like her.
I remember borrowing her black rubber bracelet which then turned out asking it. She didn’t agreed at first but I kept on budging until it stayed permanently in my wrist. I always feel she was holding my wrist. I ate with it, slept with it, and even bathe with it. Until one day…
…someone came unforeseen.
I didn’t see it coming, they were classmates — we were classmates. They became friends and then my nightmare begins. The next thing we know, they were with each other. It wasn’t hard (denial!) seeing them happy with each other. I can even paint a good genuine smile in front of them too. If I go away what good that does make me or them. So I keep my heart silence for two years.
How does it feel when you’d come across a funny joke and the first one she throws her laughter with is him? How does it feel when she treats him like King and you like the joker? How does it feel when the only shoulders she can lean on is him? How does it feel? Nothing, ‘coz you are not him — I am not him, the one she loves.
The tight grip on my wrist gradually worn off. I don’t want to take it off but what’s the point when it will just leave a mark and no good can happen which I know very well. Hanging around with them makes no difference as going away, that’s what I always thought. But until then I became tired on how it continuously makes me feel sick.
At last, the feeling of being constantly stabbed yet still alive dawned on me that love isn’t the one that suffocates me. But rather it’s the feeling of not being happy for them. She is happy, I may or may not make her happier now but that’s enough. Going away might just dig me up deep whilst staying shed some light on me.
Now, the bracelet was long lost. Maybe because it wasn’t love, it was just a mere appreciation. And after all, one bracelet wouldn’t be able to symbolize the two friends I have now.
Japan’s Nuclear PP: What Went Wrong?
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has been rocked by explosions following Japan’s massive earthquake on 11 March. Follow this step-by-step guide to fint out what went wrong.
A massive earthquake hit northern Japan on 11 March and the nuclear reactors at Fushima Daiichi were shut down. COntrol rods were activated to stop nuclear reactions that generate power.
Power was affected by the quake and resulting tsunami, meaning reactor cooling systems, which stop fuel heating to unsafe leverls, failed. cooling is needed even if a reactor is shut down because the fuel sitll gives off heat.
The lack of power meant water stopped circulating and began to boil, creating steam. As the water boiled away, it is thought the fuel rods were exposed to air, causing them to heat furthere, partially melting their zirconium alloy castings.
The zirconium alloy reacted with the steam, creating highly-volatile hydrogen gas. Engineers vented the gas and steam from the reactor containment vessel, but it exploded, ripping off the roof of the outer building.
Officials have now taken the unusual step of swamping the reactors with sea water as an emergency coolant. They are also using boric acid, which hampers nuclear reactions.
CAUSE AND MAYHEM. The 8.9 magnitude earthquake combined with the tsunami had an adverse effect on Japanese Nuclear Power Plant. Thousands of people are believed to have died, and millions are spending a fourth night without water, food, electricity or gas. More than 500,000 people have been left homeless.
RADIATION LEAKS CONTINUE. Radiation levels continues to leak on the grounds of Fukushima-1 plant that worker pouring water into the cooling pool had to stop and all of the facility’s 800 workers have to evacuate the site.
THE AMOUNT OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL THAT HAS BEEN RELEASED. The World Health Organization’s representative in China says there is no evidence of any significant international spread of radiation.
HARM ON RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS. Radioactive iodine could be harmful to young people living near the plant. After the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster there were some cases of thyroid cancer as a result. However, people who are promptly issued with iodine tablets ought to be safe. Radioactive caesium accumulates in soft tissue, while plutonium accumulates in the bone and liver. Radioactive nitrogen decays within seconds of its release, and argon poses no threat to health.
WHEN WILL IT LAST? Radioactive iodine decays quite quickly. Most will have disappeared within a month. Radioactive caesium does not last long in the body – most has gone within a year. However, it lingers in the environment and can continue to present a problem for many years.
PLANNED SHUTDOWN’S AFTERMATH. Japan relies on nuclear power for one-third of its electricity, with 54 power plants built since 1966. In total, about 11 of Japan’s nuclear power stations remain shut down following the earthquake and tsunami; industry sources say that in all cases—even at Fukushima Daiichi—the plants responded as they were designed to do, shutting down the fission reaction automatically.
‘Idiot’ is a Compliment
3 Idiots is a Hindi comedy film (based on a novel by Chetan Bhagat, Five Point Someone – What Not To Do at IIT).
So you thought this would be another ‘dumb and dumber’ comedy show? Really quiet different from what you had in mind.
Farhan Qureshi (R. Madhavan), Raju Rastogi (Sharman Joshi), and Rancchoddas Shamaldas Chanchad “Rancho” (Aamir Khan) are three engineering students who share a room in a hostel at the Imperial College of Engineering “ICE”. Farhan took engineering obeying his father’s decision, Raju is studying engineering to raise his family’s fortune while Rancho’s was for his love for machines and devices. And among the three, Rancho was different – unique. He has the intelligence driven with great philosophy and values but such principles won’t go unbarred. And the only way to keep it strong and steady is by keeping your heart free from fear. And that’s how Rancho won the bet.
The story was deeply woven with what life is all about — that’s concerning with career. Is it something that having much yet unsatisfied with the work you have, or having less yet you can afford to smile every single day of your existence? Rancho taught Farhan and Raju to do the things you won’t be regretting when you’re in your deathbed. And wisely advised, choose what your heart is telling you that makes you happy.
Rancho: All is well. ‘aal izz well’. Our heart scares easily, you have to trick it. However big the problem, tell your heart, ‘all is well, pal’.
Raju: That resolves the problem?
Rancho: No. But you gain courage to face it.
Some things are best understood in the simplest of its form. You don’t have to give the full definition of a machine to be cheered by your classmates, sometimes, you are best praised when you’ve shared a word or two that forever will remain in the minds of your friends. (Now I’m using friends ‘coz they won’t call you a friend if they’ll just forget you.)
Raju committed a suicide when he had to decide between his friend’s (Rancho) rustication or his family’s future.
Rancho always says, it is not suicide. It is murder.
This was not the first time that ever happened in their school. We are amazed how good technology can read heart pressure but never in history did one attempt to invent something that reads a mind pressure.
‘Coz when a mind is pressured, it thinks nothing but to end it all. *snap* just like that.
Think about of condensed philosophy, learnings and mind thingy?
Nah, this story also has a gentle touch of romance.
Girls, before giving your vow, learn from guru Rancho.
(Adam says)
I love the way they incorporate romance to this wittingly comedy film. It gives that air not too heavy that detracts the brilliant points of the story. And how it keeps every frame an emotion to expound with.
Don’t be too perfectionist about life. Being perfect doesn’t mean being happy or satisfied.
After all, life isn’t measured by the things you have done correctly. But by the mistakes you have made and how you corrected it.
Rancho showed to them that by following your heart’s desire, one day the desires you took will give back something worthy for you and for your heart.
He’s truly an brilliant man, packed with the necessary tools to make it through with life.
“Don’t look for success. Look for excellence, and success will follow you.”
It’s not new and anyone can think about that. But have they looked for excellence? When no sooner, success will then be confused with excellence?
(Adam says)
Very nice storyline. Lots of twist and awe. Good direction. Who could guess about the end? And they were able to make it look insignificant due to the pressing values and resolutions that will dawn on the viewer. It will matter less now when you have something much bigger in hand — something wealth can never buy. 🙂
Luck Goes Last
This was my first competition in the field of robotics. And what drives my team (which composes of Computer Engineering students) to do this better is to win in our field of robotics .
Robofesta Ph 2011 is a showcase of different projects and competitions requiring robotic and automation skills. Roboforge, Speed Racer, Robot dance are just the few categories during this event. And my team were registered under INROF (Intelligent Robot Federation) category college division. And the objective of the robot is to go across the specific arena to the balling area, pick the colored balls, segregate it and then dispense it to their respective colored bins. That’s when we talk about INTELLIGENT ROBOT, it must be able to run autonomously — decide for itself.
But that have been defeated with a single loophole by the scoring scheme: as it was given points by the correct placement of the ball to its corresponding bins, the objective have been modified by the participants itself. Now it goes down to pick the balls and place it to the bins. Strategies has it that color detection system (the brain of the robot) and ball detection system (the sight) were eliminated (which makes the INRO less intelligent).
The robot, now, will pick any ball and drop it with hopes that one ball will go correctly to one of the bins. After collecting 15 balls and then drop it to the bins, what are the chances of dropping right balls correctly? More than 40% you guess.
That’s how the scoring scheme has degraded its beauty. But anyway, we played their game too. Main goal: just do it FTW (for the win!).
Four months earlier, my team had already done brainstorming about the most effective design. We want to win, I mean, who doesn’t when you call it competition.
Little did some of my team realized, this was the start of our agony and sorrow, but don’t overate friendship, laughters and an endless memories we all have to keep.
Glad we took all that to still pictures!
As an engineering student, we are not taught to embrace LUCK. Everything must be precise, everything are supported with theories, and logics, and concepts. So when a robot goes wrong, it doesn’t implies, you are out of luck. Go through with it, debug it to the last minute ’till it runs smoothly again.
After a series of overnights and run through, we keep our hopes held high but I think that’s just virtual for what we have able to put up doesn’t seem enough.
A month now and the competition will start, but we haven’t done totally the mechanism of our robot.
It’s not yet complete!
This is also our project design, the final requirement in fulfillment to one of our subjects and still we don’t have something worthy to present it.
Now, all we have is our thick faces to stand in front of the panelist and talk whatever comes out inside our damned brain.
This part was %#^@$@$. We were all so nervous, our panelist were all chairman in our college. But we must do it, do or die I guess?
(Awh, we failed to document our defend, you should see us wear funny attires that we’re not accustomed with, also, one of our teammates mumble as he was overcome with fear.)
But nevertheless, we all have made it through.
The end is near!
The day before this event, we are spawned with the worst luck.
We lost our converter, black out settled in on us, our motors didn’t work, we overwrite our program with a much inefficient one. Everything goes out of control, still we tried not to look pale. 🙂
All hopes are now down to 3rd place. And the rarest of all, there are only three participants. We, from Cebu Institute of Technology – University, the other from University of San Carlos, and lastly from the University of San Jose – Recoletos.
Isn’t this an opportunity! (We entertained ourselves to the idea of being 3rd place with only 3 participants! We can joke about it and it’s still true!:)
The image shows the robot of the University of San Jose – Recoletos. It was huge! Close to the size of a mini fridge.
I’ll skip the part how we fought this seemingly helpless battle. That part was boring to share anyway. During our turn, all crowd fell silent. During the other schools turn, well uhm, there’s a small ugh, *claps*, yes!! ahh. But don’t get it all wrong, they too haven’t made it.
So the highlight of the event went “Winless” or “Loseless”. IT’S A DRAW! ahahahah No one was able to go through with the objective of the robot.
But before all of these, we have conflict with our adviser. I believe there was an exchange of emotions during our open forum with him. And I feel bad for making him go almost out of his temper. But it was the truth we, the team, feel. But still I feel bad, I thought after confronting him it will make me or us feel better. But the effect just settled to my teammates where they just sit there and hear me out do the talking for them. After the forum, they feel light. But I don’t. Funny how they say that the truth will set you free, and it didn’t work for me.
After that, our adviser becomes more hands-on, he now checks on us every now and then. Also, we gave him updates on what’s happening. So the last minute, there was really a team working together.
The event ended with us laughing to the whole thing. No one wins. The slightest luck we all didn’t care goes last as it negates our competitors’ luck of winning. A day we all call it. A good memory we all will bring it.
That’s us, the CIT-U team who stuck their bad asses to keep on the games.
Grrr! It’s blurry. Anyway, they’re sharp and vivid on our box of memories.
I don’t usually settle for anything less (must win!). But some things in life that less is sometimes worth much.
The final requirement to our subject is almost done. Soon, we will part ways after graduation. No one knows when will be able to have this small gathering back. It might not happen or just soon. But when that time comes, I sure do know, we went home happy after that day and by this time around we will still go home happier realizing we actually won! 🙂
iamkinowei 