The Lion Sleeps Tonight

I wonder why the lion is called "the king of the jungle". I haven't seen one IN the jungle. I see them around the safari, but not in the jungle. The only time I saw a lion in the jungle was in a cartoon film, while watching "The Lion King". I would love to be corrected and see a lion in the jungle. Proofs are most welcome, thank you!

Engineering and Women

My girlfriend is an Electronics and Communications Engineering student. As I was looking for something to post, I stumbled upon a picture that explains the difference of men and women - with the use of something that is familiar to her... Hehe!

God is Good

I'm so angry at this statement's use, I don't even know how to begin! I totally with my mind, my heart, my soul and my whole strength BELIEVE in this statement. What really ticks me off is how people use this sentence.

Scenario: I'm watching Kapamilya Deal or No Deal. The player first chooses a briefcase from the 26 available and that will be used to play the game. Then comes the part where the player chooses from the remaining 25, one by one. This would reveal to the player, little by little, the chances of getting that elusive jackpot. At some points of the game, the host will talk to a mysterious shadow called the Banker, who makes an offer to the contestant. The ultimate question is asked, "Deal or No Deal?" If the player chooses deal, the offer of the Banker will be won, but if it is No Deal, the game continues until all cases are open.

Ok, so I'm not good at narrating how the game goes but after all that, I've already pulled my hair out for 3 reasons.

REASON 1

When the contestant chooses a briefcase to open, he or she starts shouting, "LOWER! LOWER!" Lower than what?! The player should shout LOW, NOT LOWER!!! What you have in that game are LOW and HIGH amounts. Not LOWER and HIGHER amounts!

REASON 2

When the contestant goes on a high amount opening streak, the host would tell the player to stop doing that and start doing well. Ok... It's a game of chance! You can't improve your performance! It's not like a basketball or soccer game where you can make adjustments on your technique or strategy. Chance is not a skill that you can practice!

REASON 3

This is in reference to the title of the post. When the player opens a low amount case, he or she, together with the host will start saying, "God is good!" Ok, as I've said before, I believe that God is good... BUT how come I don't hear that from them when they start opening high amount cases?! Whenever something good happens, all you hear is "God is good!" or "Praise God!" I'd like to hear them say that whenever times are bad!

What's Bad About UAAP Season 70

These commercials are soooooo wrong! Makes me want to boycott the games. BAKEEEEEET?! ANUNG GAGAWIN KOOOOOOH?!

The Most Annoying Sound In The World

The clip above is just for fun! For me, the most annoying sound in the world is the sound of the studio audience in a talk show like Oprah, Tyra or Ellen. It's the collective high pitched "Hoooo..." the audience makes as they clap whenever the show cuts to commercial or the host gives away free stuff.

And speaking of free stuff... It's annoying that people expect free stuff whenever they attend a talk show! I remember an episode of Ellen where she was explaining a product and that every purchase would help a charity or something like that. After the explanation, the crowd made the most annoying sound in the world, thinking they would each get one. Ellen then said, they wouldn't, ahahahahaha!!! Serves them right!

Can you Smell That?

In a typical soap or shampoo commercial, a kid is seen playing outside (on the streets or in the park) under the scorching sun. The kid enters the house soaking with sweat and stinking to high heavens. The mom says, "Amoy araw ang anak ko." I just have one question... Has anybody smelled the sun?! HOW?! Using lab techniques, by wafting the smell so as not to harm you?!

Taking Public Transportation

It is encouraged to take public transport. It costs less and lessens traffic volume, thus faster trips to wherever you're planning to go. The downside... First is the weather because it can be scorching hot or you'll be blown away by the storm. There's pollution as vehicle emissions fill your lungs black! And of course the issue of security and safety, the potential of getting robbed or mugged.

Well, these are obvious reasons why I don't like taking public transport. What I'm about to list down are those little things that make the trip a little more irritating...

#5 People sleeping on you

Well, I haven't had a first hand experience with this. But if somebody I didn't know suddenly used my shoulder as their personal pillow, I'd drop that head in a heartbeat! I must admit I enjoy seeing people struggling to keep their posture most especially when the driver speeds up or hit the brakes. But I wouldn't want the potential to be a drool catcher of a stranger in my lifetime.

#4 People staring at you

Ever had that feeling that you know someone is staring at you? It's okay if little people (babies) did this because they like to look at beautiful things. I'd like to think it's their way of saying you look good since they still can't speak. What irritates me are people who scan you from head to toe. They stare at you for the duration of the trip, sometimes making disgusted faces, which makes you more conscious. What if there's something hanging from my nose?! What if there's something stuck between my teeth?! The tension will drive you crazy! I'm tempted to throw glitter on their faces so they'll have a hard time removing it! Now that would kill the tension.

#3 Talking loudly

There's nothing wrong with talking over the cellphone. That's why it is invented and that's why you own one! But please, don't chatter it up like everyone in the vehicle is part of the conversation. It's so loud that even if the one using the phone and I are at opposite ends of the train, I could still hear the phone person's voice. This also goes for conversations between people in the train. Come on people, please stop announcing to the world what you're talking about, stop the shouting match! And please, don't laugh out loud like there's no tomorrow!

#2 Standing room

This is more applicable to the train riders. Have the courtesy of letting people off before forcing yourself into the train. And if you happen to stand by the doors, kindly give way to those who are about to exit. Some person is trying to get off the train and here you are blocking the path for the fear of losing your spot to another person or the fear of stepping out for a moment and suddenly the doors will close. There are security personnel to make sure that the train doesn't speed off with you still standing by the doors. Another thing about standing room that irritates me... You see an old lady carrying 4 big plastic bags of her things, standing in the middle of the aisle, trying to keep her balance because she has nothing to hold on to then you look at the seats next to her and see that it is occupied by big and fit men wearing heavily tinted black shades and staring blankly as if they were playing in the World Poker Tour! Of course this is an exaggerated situation but it really irritates me to see men not offering their seats to the elderly and women. A little respect please!

#1 THE SMELL

Please don't use your perfume or cologne to take a bath. Too much of that good smell can turn it into the worst smell. Don't soak up on cologne, it burns the nostrils! Just dab enough to make the trip a little more comfortable for the others. And if you don't have perfume, please please, at least take a shower! When I took a jeepney ride to school around a year ago and sat beside the most foul smelling passenger I've ever smelled, I though nothing would top that. Not until a month ago... While I was on my way to review class, a man entered the train and stood in front of me, and (for the love of God!!!) he smelled really bad! If body odor had body odor, that was it! He personified FOUL! He shouldn't have been allowed to take the train. Heck, he should have been arrested!

I guess I should have included the situation of the train along EDSA during peak hours but it is something beyond our control. Train carts are packed like sardines which makes people prone to pickpockets and molesters (which is why I approve of having separate carts for men and women). And the smell of humanity is really bad and for the trip duration, oxygen is a scarce resource. Going back, I didn't include this because, unlike the 5 things I mentioned, we can't really solve that by changing our ways. It's a matter of population and as long as the population increases, the trains will keep on carrying the packed carts.

All I ask is a little courtesy. You're in public places so please have the decency to act accordingly.

Flooding Enforcement Frustration

Floods and traffic in this country can be so frustrating! And because of this overflowing frustration, I'm expecting this post to have no structure at all. I would be writing down my sentiments regarding these two topics without any proper train of thought. I usually take time to structure my posts, read related articles or other people's views but this time, it's all me! I know not everyone will agree with me, but hey, I have to get it off my chest. Here I go!

We only have two seasons, wet and dry... During the wet season, it's very difficult to get around. Why? Because of floods! Everywhere you go, the streets are like rivers. During this season, it would be cool and great to own a jetski instead of a scooter or a car! It would even be cooler to see a guy (or maybe have a first hand experience of) riding a jetski along EDSA, Katipunan, or maybe Espana. Why is it flooding? The drainage systems are inadequate! Some are clogged because of garbage while others are filled way more than its capacity. You would see manholes or drains spewing out water instead of taking it all down! Which leads me to the dry season. It's funny that some of the heavy traffic caused during the dry season is due to fixing drainage systems. It's one crazy cycle! The drainage system is given a makeover during the dry season... TRAFFIC! They're supposed to work now... Here comes the rain! Flood, TRAFFIC ONCE AGAIN!! Rain goes away... There's an assessment that the drainage system needs to be fixed... Work on the system, again... TRAFFIC!!! Rain... Flood... TRAFFIC!!!! Hope my point got across...

What do gremlins and cars in this country have in common? When they get wet, they multiply! Every time it rains, the car volume becomes at least two times as many as it was before it started raining! I left the house and it wasn't raining yet. I was cruising along then suddenly, the rain fell like there was no tomorrow! This went on for a good 20 mins, then a sudden stop. A stop not just with the rain, but with the traffic flow as well! I was stuck in traffic for 5 hours during a trip that would have taken me 20 mins! The "express"ways turned into parking lots. At one time, I turned off my engine and was stuck in the same spot for over an hour. I could have gone to a nearby restaurant, eat lunch, go back and still see my car where I left it.

Why is it that whenever traffic slows down, you would usually see no reason why it slowed down in the first place? This is most common along EDSA, most especially before the flyover in front of the EDSA Shrine. It slows down starting in front of SM Megamall then suddenly you see a clear road before going up the flyover just in front of Poveda. There are no accidents, no people going on or off public transport, no nothing! The road just suddenly opens up for you to speed away. This has got to be the most mysterious traffic phenomenon here in this country!

The one thing that really gets my blood boiling... STUPID LAW ENFORCERS! You cannot enforce the law if YOU DON'T HAVE A BRAIN! During a trip to Batangas, we passed by a mall to buy stuff that we need for the trip to the beach. It was still early, and the mall won't open for another 30 mins. Being unfamiliar with the place, we approached a guard and asked where we can park the van and where the entrance is. The guard looked like he had difficulty understanding us... He pointed to a spot so we stayed there and he also pointed to an entrance. Now the area where we parked didn't look like a parking lot and the entrance he pointed out had deliveries being carted into it. Then the same guard approached us, "Sir, di pwede magpark dito (Sir, you can't park here)" WHAT?! You were the one who pointed out that spot to us! And the entrance you pointed out, that was for employees and deliveries! WE ARE HERE TO BUY! TO BUY! STUPIDO! It turned out the parking lot and entrance was on the other side of the mall. Are there more of these kinds of law enforcers? Sadly and infuriatingly, yes! I'd like to gather all of them up, lock them in a room and beat them up with a 2 by 2! GROW A BRAIN DAMMEET!!!!

Another thing that ticks me off... Traffic enforcers WOULD KEEP THEIR EYE ON APPREHENDING supposed traffic violators RATHER THAN AID IN TRAFFIC FLOW! These guys are like vultures! In an intersection, instead of staying in a spot to make sure the cars don't cross when the light turns from green to yellow to red, they stay on the other side and wait for their prey to fall victim to the "beating the red light" violation. They even stop the car in the middle of the intersection, causing traffic flow disruption, instead of properly talking to the motorist on the side of the road. When you get caught, all of them talk to you, leaving no one to attend to the traffic situation. If there's one word to describe these enforcers it's INCONSISTENT! They are only present in times and in places that benefit them. Sightings are abundant during holidays or traffic coding hours and only in places with lots of cars passing through. Once, my brother was caught for "reckless swerving" and now, that area have lots of cars swerving left and right with no enforcers in sight! WHATDAHEY?! And once you get caught, they would tell you all about the hassle and expenses of paying for the ticket, getting back your license and the "need to attend a seminar". Why? To make you realize that it's easier and cheaper to just slip a few hundred pesos under your license! In this country, you only get caught because of luck, not because you violated a law.

I'm sure lots of other people have their stories to tell. I think I still have some but I'll just recall them some other time. I've unloaded enough, I feel better already! One last thing, cars are not the only things that have something in common with gremlins in this country... WE HAVE GREMLINS FOR ENFORCERS!!!

Stress Kills

During my stay at the College of Engineering of the University of the Philippines, I became really familiar to the term STRESS. I got used to the idea that this word played two roles in my run in the university life.

First I would like to discuss this term's meaning which is applicable to most of us - stress as a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense. College life (well, life in general) is a great balancing act of studies and activities. I had a lot less things to juggle as I didn't have any membership to an organization but having to keep up with my academics is enough to keep my hands full. Engineering is really stressful! That's why I'm all praises to students who have extra-curricular activities or have jobs on the side and can still manage to get exceptional grades. Going back, nowadays lots of illnesses or fatalities occur due to stress. I came across a few stress facts that I would like to share that would support the title of this post.

• Life today is on average 44% more difficult than 30 years ago based on the number of significant life changes encountered
• A 14-year study of more than 12,500 Swedish concluded that those with little control over their work were 1.83 times more likely to develop heart disease, and those with low levels of support in their work were at even higher risk (2.62 times) to develop heart disease. In addition, depression has doubled with every generation since the 1920s
• A landmark 20-year study conducted by the University of London concluded that unmanaged reactions to stress were a more dangerous risk factor for cancer and heart disease than either cigarette smoking or high cholesterol foods

Also, there are numerous cases of work related stress all over the world:

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In 1991, a 35-year-old building worker employed in the construction of the football facilities for the 1992 World Cup in Livorno, Italy, suffered a heart attack and died.

The provincial occupational health service (USL) asked for a post mortem to be carried out. The investigation showed no adverse signs of disease in his heart or circulatory system.

However, it emerged the man, who was a migrant worker from Argentina, had been working days and nights for four weeks before his death. His living quarters were provided on the construction site.

The Labour Inspectorate enforced improvements in the facilities, but had no power over his working hours.

Workers' Health International Newsletter, No.44, Summer 1995
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On 8 March 1997, Carmelita Alzono, a sewing machinist at VT (Victorio Tan) Fashion Image Inc, died at the Andres Bonifacio Memorial Hospital in Cavite, the Philippines, after 11 days in hospital.

According to a statement released by her co-workers at VT Fashion: "Carmelita was killed by her 14 hour workday everyday plus overtime of eight hours every Sunday."

The workers denounced the system of quotas set by the company, that forced them to work 12 to 14 hours per day.

According to the Workers Assistance Center in Rosario, Carmelita - a 35-year-old mother of five - died because of the strict regime at the company that forces workers work the 14 hour shifts.

Following her death, VT Fashion made a donation of US$120 to the family.
===================

Add to these incidents the stories circulating regarding call center agent fatalities due to stress. Looking at these stories, surely stress alone can't kill, but it is the stressful working condition or state that drives these people to the edge. Some fall to illnesses due to the weakening of their immune systems and some have worse fates that drive them to suicide. There is a saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" We have to take this seriously as not only Jack will be a dull boy, he'll be a dead boy. Give yourself a break from time to time! This will not only keep your edge to progress and work more productively, it will keep you alive.

The second meaning deals more with an engineering aspect - stress as a force acting on an area, also known as pressure. So, how does this fit to the title, stress kills? I was recently involved in a getting-stepped-on-the-toe-with-a-heeled-sandal incident, and man did it hurt! I was standing behind my girlfriend and she took a step back and the heel of her right sandal put a lot of painful stress on one of my right toes! Okay, so let's take a look back on the computation, stress = force/area. Stress is high when the force is high or the area is small. She doesn't weigh much therefore the force is not that large, so the culprit is the area! All that force over a tiny area is really painful! If the same amount of weight was spread over a bigger area (say, she was wearing flats), it would be easier to handle. I came across studies regarding stress and the deadly fashion culprit - the heeled footwear.

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To all those high heel admirers, do you know exactly how much pressure is under you foot? You would be surprised! Indeed you ladies wear these shoes for fashion's sake, but with the immense pressure under a high heel, you may as well use it as a weapon.

Pressure is defined as force over area. Pressure is directly proportional to the force and inversely proportional to area. This inverse relationship in an important concept when it concerns the immensity of pressure.

The significance of the high heel comes into play because it has such a minute area. Due to this fact, the pressure under that high heel is extremely large. "High-heeled shoes can cause tremendous pressure to be applied to a floor. Suppose the radius of a heel is 6.00 mm. At times during a normal walking motion, nearly the entire body weight acts perpendicular to the surface of such a heel. Find the pressure that is applied to the floor under the heel because of the weight of a 50.0 kg woman." (Cutnell, John D., & Kenneth W. Johnson. Physics. 4th ed. New York: Wiley, 1998. 338.)

Stress = Force/Area = (50 kg x 9.81 m/s²)/[π x (o.oo6)²] = 4330 kPa


This is approximately 40 atmospheric pressures. Now you realize the full potential of the high heel.

For comparison's sake, would you rather your hand be pummeled by a herd of elephants or a group of angry women wearing high heels? The more logical answer in this case, that is you would rather take your chances on the high heels, is the wrong assumption. Don't be intimidated by the enormous size of an elephant or fooled by the alluring high heel. The high heel can exert more than 15 times the pressure of an elephant's foot. These immense pressures can range from 10 - 100 atm. So, if you ever get the opportunity to choose, be very wary that you won't let the "pressure" get to you.

So, high heel admirers, when someone insults you, calls you as fat as an elephant perchance, teach them a lesson. Show them the true power of the almighty high heel.

Jack Green -- 2003
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"Now the pressure of her step is eight times as much, or 240 pounds per square inch instead of 30 pounds per square inch." (Under Pressure. Indiana University. 25 May 2003.) RESULT: 1700 kPa

"What exerts more pressure-per-square inch when walking a 100 lb woman in high heels or a 6,000 lb elephant in bare feet? [At the moment when only the heel rests on the ground.] Ask teams to tackle this challenge. (Stiletto heels have an area of about 1/16 of a square inch. Elephants, unlike humans, walk with two feet on the ground at a time. Each foot is about 40 square inches. Thus, the woman "wins" by far more than 1,500 psi versus 75 psi.)" (The Pressure's On! 25 May 2003.) RESULT: > 10000 kPa

"Humans will only have one foot on the ground while walking. Estimate that the area of the heel on a man's shoe is 10 in². When he walks, a 200 lb. man exerts 20 psi because the weight is supported momentarily by the heel. A 100 lb. woman exerts many more psi when she wears heels. Depending on the area of the heel, she can exert as much as 1600 psi under a 'stiletto heel' ¼ inch on a side. This explains why people with wood floors don't want women walking on them in high heels." (Bennett, Carole. Pressure Versus Force: Landing on Ice! [pdf] 25 May 2003.) RESULT: 11000 kPa
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It was really funny that even though the pain was excruciating, the engineering aspect of the comedic situation still ran through my mind. Looking at the results of studies, the title of this post really holds true... STRESS KILLS!!! =p

Rainy Observation

As my review class ended, I proceeded to step outside of the room and get home. It was raining, although I know I would be able to get through it towards the train station. The roads were already full of puddles, indicating it had been raining for a while. Some of the paths I took were made of tiles... Which mainly spelled trouble for me since wet tiles = lots of potential to slip. So there I was, taking slow and small baby steps instead of my long and fast strides. As I struggled to keep myself balanced, I remembered an experiment I saw in TV.

It was about human balance and how quick the body makes computations and adjustments to keep us upright. The set up: a room with a bag full of weights in the middle. The participants were briefed in another room and were instructed to enter the set up room, walk towards the bag, grab the bag, keep walking and go back to the waiting room to discuss. So they went out, one by one, and did exactly that. They didn't know that the bag was full of weights so some of them had difficulty grabbing the bag but all of them somehow managed to fluidly do as instructed. They were again asked to do the same thing but this time the bag was empty. The twist, the participants didn't know that it was emptied! So one by one, out they went and one by one, they flipped the bag so high since they were expecting a heavy bag. It was funny but what's important here is that it can be clearly seen through the footage that the participants regained their balance in a split second. This kept on going through my mind as my mind and body tried to be synchronized. 5 near falls later, I was at the train station and I knew I was safe since the rest of the sidewalks I was going to take weren't slippery enough.

Another experiment that I remember during rainy days is the one done in the Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel. After seeing this episode, I always told people that when you get caught in the rain, WALK, DON'T RUN!

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Myth: Is it Worth Running in the Rain?

You will stay drier if you run in the rain rather than walk in the rain. Adam has a different theory: If you walk in the rain you will be in the rain longer, but only your head and shoulders will get wet. If you run in the rain, you will pick up rain on your entire front side.

The Experts:

Heather Joseph-Witham, folklorist, helps explain the myth. She says it is practical advice: You should run in the rain and you won’t get as wet as walking.

Richard Hunter, manager of Mr. S Leather, helps Adam and Jamie pick out some latex body suits.

Thomas Peterson and Trevor Wallis, National Climatic Data Center, tested the myth during a rainstorm. They measured out an approximately 100-meter course and waited until a rainy day to test the myth. They wanted to determine the relative difference between walking and running. After the test, they weighed their clothing. They determined that the runner was 40% less wet than the walker.

Action/Results:

One of the most important aspects of this test is getting the right raindrop - the right size, the right velocity and an even spread. The test will consist of a 100-foot course with water falling a minimum of 60 feet. A raindrop will achieve a terminal velocity of 22 feet per second. The course will be built in an aircraft hangar. Sprinklers are placed every 6 feet along a 150-foot run. A fire hydrant is used as the water source. The water is put into a holding tank and dyed red for visibility.

To measure the amount of rain that lands on the Mythbusters, they will wear cotton coveralls that weigh 757 grams each. Under the coveralls they will wear a latex body suit to ensure that their perspiration isn’t included in the final weight. The course is set up to produce 2 to 3 inches of rain per hour. Jamie and Adam each will go through the course 4 times, once walking, once running, once walking with fans used to simulate wind and finally once running with fans used to simulate wind.

When the coveralls are weighed, the ones worn when they walked turn out to be lighter than the coveralls that they ran in. It is better to walk in the rain than to run.

MYTH: BUSTED
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But as I was preparing to write this post, I came across another episode of the Mythbusters where they revisited past myths due to viewers' reactions...

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Myth: Which will make you wetter, walking or running in the rain?

Initial Results:

You get wetter in the rain if you run.

What the Critics Said:

Because "real" rain was not used, the test was invalid

Setup:

Jaime and Adam wait for 'real' rain, don their latex suits with the cotton overalls & caps. The overalls and caps are weighed before hand so that they can determine how much water was absorbed.

Test:

They begin the initial test by walking in the rain. However, the rain stops before they are able to complete the testing.

The test is reset with Grant and Tory; they prepare by wearing the same latex, pre-weighed overalls, and caps as Jaime and Adam had. However, in this test one will walk while the other runs at the same time so they are both exposed to the same rainfall.

The first test indicated that Tory's clothes were lighter than when he began. The rain volume was not enough to overcome the margin of error. However, the rain increases and they repeat the test. They completed a series of six different runs.

Result:

The runner gets less wet than the walker does. On Average, they collected 4 grams less water than the walker did.

MYTH: CONFIRMED! It is better to run than walk in the rain.
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Now, all I can say is, RUN! BUT BE CAREFUL, YOU MIGHT SLIP!