cedric901's Homepage

“use it or lose” Psychologists often...

Thu, 10 Mar 2005 02:52 EST

“use it or lose”

Psychologists often argue that the brain is just like any other muscle in the human body that if you don’t use, it atrophies, thus, the "use-it-or-lose-it" rule. Honestly, thinking about that psychological mumbo jumbo scared me a bit to the point that I felt compelled to visit a local Discovery Channel outlet. And voila! I got this book titled “Building Mental Muscle” by David Gamon, PH. D. and Allen D. Bragdon. It’s more like a geeky psychology book—a good one, I must say—which explores the nearly unfathomable workings of the brain.

Anyway, here are a couple of interesting excerpts from the book—two logic puzzles to give your brain a good workout. Take your time to figure them out because, who knows, you might find yourself in a situation similar to the predicament experienced by our fictional characters. By then, you'll know what to do.

Note: The answers to these puzzles are at the bottom of this journal entry. By the way, I’ve encoded them so you won’t feel tempted to scroll down for the answers as you try to solve these puzzles.

EXERCISE: A case of confused identity

Part 1.

In the former Soviet Bloc country of “Bordueria,” someone has committed a series of grisly murders. The culprit has been identified and apprehended—with a couple of hitches. First, the murderer has been identified by an eyewitness, but the identified individual happens to have an identical twin brother. Both are sitting in jail, but nobody knows which one is the real murderer. Under Bordurian law, unless some evidence points decisively to one or the other having committed the murders, both must be set free. Also under Bordurian law, the state prosecutor ma ask each suspect only one yes/no question to ascertain his guilt or innocence. However, here’s another hitch: one brother is a consistent pathological liar, and the other borther tells nothing but the truth, but nobody knows whether the murderer is a liar or a truth teller.

Prosecutor Multivonic think he’s figured out what question to ask each of the twins. To each in turn, he poses the following query.

“Did your brother commit the murders?”

Will this question lead him to the murderer?

Part 2.

In response to his question, Multivonic gets a response of “Yes” from the first brother, and “No” from the second.

What can the prosecutor conclude from these answers?

Part 3.

Due to his incompetence, Multivonic is replaced as prosecutor by his assistant Plavac. Under Bordurian law, a suspected murderer may be asked a second yes/no question by a new prosecutor—but the new prosecutor may assume no prior knowledge of the answers to any questions asked by a former prosecutor. In other words, Plavac must start from scratch.

If you were Plavac, what would you ask the twins? Remember, only one question is permitted for each suspect, but the question needn’t remain the same from one suspect to another.

Hint: Don’t forget that one brother always lies, even if it is to his disadvantage. What if in Part 2, the witness were mistaken or both brothers implicated? When you get to Part 3 it would help to start out by asking a question which you and the brothers know the truthful answer to.

Exercise: A familial dilemma

Antonio has invited his mother and mother-in-law to meet at his house so he and his wife can take them to dinner at a nearby restaurant. Since he has the only car, Antonio must drive them all to the restaurant. There are, however, some complications. His car is a Fiat two-seater convertible, so he can only take one passenger at a time. Also, his mother-in-law doesn’t get along very well with his mother, and his wife and his mother have a rather tense relationship as well, so he can’t leave his mother along with either his wife or his mother-in-law at any point, either at home or at the restaurant. How can he shuttle them over to the restaurant one at a time and avoid leaving two people who dislike each other alone together? (He cannot leave anyone at a third location either.)

Hint: There are a couple of possible answers, but they both require this: Since Antonio gets along wit all three women, but one of them can’t get along with either of the other two, what he must do id spend most of his time with that one woman and never leave her alone with either of the others.

Answers to the puzzles

Case of Confused Identity

Part 1 Noat least, not if one of the twins really is the murderer. Either both will answer Yes, or both will answer No, telling the truth and who isnt. There are two variables hereone brother is a liar and the other is a truth-teller, and one brother is a murderer and the other is not. If the first is a liar and answers Yes, then he, not his brother, is definitely the murderer. This means that his brother is an innocent truth-teller, in which case he will also answer Yes in response to the question of whether his brother is a murderer. If the first brother is a liar and answers No, then the other brother is the murdererbut that means that the brother is a murdering truth-teller, and will likewise answer No in response to the question of whether his brother is the murderer. Either way, both brothers will give the same answer, and it will be impossible to know who is telling the truthand who is the murderer.

Part 2 Assuming the truth of the premise that one brother is a consistent liar and the other always tells the truth, then there are only two possibilities. The first is that the eyewitness must be mistakenneither brother can have committed the murder. Heres the logic: If the first brother is a liar and answers Yes, then the second brother cannot be the murderer. Also, if the first brother is a liar, the second must be telling the truth. But then, if the second brother answers that his brother did not commit the murders, the first brother must be innocent. Hence, both are innocent.

Part 3 The first trick is to find out which twin is the liar. This may be done by asking the first twin any questions to which you both already know the answer. Do you have a twin brother? will do. If the first twin answers Yes, then you know the second twin is a liar. Then you can ask the second twin, Did you commit the murders? If he says Yes, then you know (since hes a liar, and assuming that one of the twins is indeed the murderer) that the first twin is the murderer.

Note: If, on the other hand, the first win answers No to the first question, you know the second twin is a truth-teller, and will truthfully answer a direct question about his guilt.

A familial dilemma

First, he drives his mother over to the restaurant. Next, he drives back and picks up his mother-in-law, and drives her to the restaurant. When he drops off his mother-in-law, he tells his mother to get back in the car with him and takes her back home. When he and his mother get home, he lets his mother out, picks up his wife, drives back to the restaurant, and leaves his wife at the restaurant with his mother-in-law. Finally, he drives back home to pick up his mother again, and returns to the restaurant with her.

I love reading this book because it makes me smart, or at least makes me look like one because of the unwanted compliments I receive. You see, whenever folks ask me what I’m reading, I quickly (and proudly) flip to the book’s cover page, showing its seemingly intimidating title,"Building Mental Muscle," and then interestingly, I'll get the response, “Woah, you must be really smart,” a vast compliment which I happily absorb like a sponge.

For the record, though, I never really got the correct answers to any of these puzzles. I feel so lame… Boo hoo to me.

[signed by: CEDRIC

eerie blobs from “boohbah" land Anyone...

Thu, 20 Jan 2005 20:12 EST

eerie blobs from “boohbah" land

Anyone ever heard of “Boohbah”? I’ve just learned about it through a classmate. We searched it on the Internet, and it’s… I don’t know… unbelievably weird, to say the least.

To my surprise, Boohbah is actually a children’s show, specifically targeting an audience of pre-schoolers. The show features chubby blobs of strange alien-like creatures, kind of like severe obese versions of the Teletubbies, but scarier. (Gosh, get the Teletubbies tune out of my head…) In the hopes of encouraging the children to coordinate their reflexes, the show’s creators incorporate lots of movement in the Boohbah characters; I guess that explains the characters’ silly and annoying dance steps. However, I'm still wondering how did they get to be so sloppily fat considering that they don't even have any mouths?

(Note: If you see nothing, right-click the flash video and press play)

My classmate said that these Boohbah creatures look like small babies (more like fetuses to me) wrapped in blankets—which she finds somewhat scary. Personally, they look like happy colored marshmallows. I hope they're edible too.

[signed by: CEDRIC

the hidden dangers of chat rooms

Tue, 18 Jan 2005 02:35 EST

the hidden dangers of chat rooms

Nowadays, instant messaging or chatting through the Internet is fast becoming a popular way of communication and pastime not only for teens, but also for unscrupulous perverts. The fact that you can easily change your persona—in terms of age, gender, financial status, hairline status (i.e. whether your hairline’s receding), clothing status (i.e. whether you wear pants during the day and cavort in mini-skirts during the night—That is such a drag, I’m telling you…), etc.—in an instant without the suspicion of the other (gullible) party is what makes this type of communication strikingly appealing to sexual predators.

Typically displayed on the computer screen during a chat session are, of course, 1) words (what do you expect?), 2) standardized Internet abbreviations (e.g. HCB – Holy Cow Batman; IARTPFWTSIOWIM – I Am Repeating This Parrot Fashion Without The Slightest Idea Of What It Means; etc.), and 3) the ever-rampant fake cutesy smileys—all of which are used simultaneously to convey and exchange flirtatious messages. Unfortunately, without the tone of voice and actual facial expressions, it is difficult to differentiate whether a person is withholding the truth—a situation ideal for deviants with ulterior motives who can then slyly conceal their actual feelings by hiding behind sweet words, ensnaring their incautious victims.

This shocking photo on the left speaks in volumes about the hidden dangers of chatting. Like what the old adage says, “A picture is worth a thousand words”. Clearly, without the need for excessive words, this photo, featuring a thousand-pound man using a computer, perfectly translates every pound of risk associated with chat rooms in picturesque (and rather grotesque) detail.

In any event, if you’re planning to chat with random people and then meet with them personally, be extra careful because, who knows—someone like Osama Bin Laden, a suspected animal fornicator, might be on the other line. So, with all my sincerity, I implore you: **says with a dramatic and theatrical Shakespearean-like voice** Spare thy bums, folks. SPARE THY BUMS!

[signed by: CEDRIC

“holy” urinals from the abyss “Hey,...

Thu, 13 Jan 2005 20:27 EST

“holy” urinals from the abyss

“Hey, sister, what are you looking at?!”

Now this photo above is just downright disturbing (but whimsically hilarious). Urinals with carvings of hooded damsels? Hmm... What if those figures have itsy-bitsy surveillance cameras furtively installed in their ogling eyes? I guess that's a clear and chilling reminder that someone's always watching over us.

[signed by: CEDRIC

disaster in southeast asia We are witnessing...

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 17:04 EST

disaster in southeast asia

We are witnessing one of the greatest natural disasters that ever faced the 21^st century. An earthquake of considerable magnitude measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale hit Southeast Asia. The earthquake originated specifically from the Indian Ocean, creating tsunamis that devastated countries within a 3,000-mile radius of its epicenter. According to the reports I’ve read, waves reached 30 to 40 ft. high and traveled at around 500 mph against coastlines, dramatically altering the geography of some countries (getting hit by cars running at 75 mph would unimaginably pale in comparison to getting plundered by violent waves traveling at 500 mph on rapid successions).

Every time I watch the news, the death toll continues to rise. Last week it was 11,000 and last night, CNN reported there were already as much as about 135,000 lives (and counting) confirmed to be lost, not to mention people who are still missing as of the moment. Unfortunately, a third of these numbers are reported to be children. It’s not the earthquake per se that’s responsible for these numbers; it’s the repercussions of the disaster. According to CNN, possible epidemics due to unclean water resources may boost the increasing number of fatalities in astronomical amounts.

Upon learning this terrifying news, I immediately recalled this terrible earthquake in the early 1990s when I was still in the Philippines. The earthquake, registering about 7.5 on the Richter scale, claimed the lives of thousands of people especially in Baguio, the city that was affected the most. In comparison to Southeast Asia’s current disaster, the earthquake I’ve experienced is considered to be “moderate,” and I could only imagine how powerful and frightening this recent earthquake is.

Just as surely, this tragedy speaks to me in so many ways. I have always believed that there is a reason behind everything, and great disasters such as this one don't just happen. I have this strong Biblical belief that earthquakes are the manifestation of the Lord's anger as stated in the book of Job 9:5-6:

“He who removes the mountains, and they know it not: when He overturns them in His anger; He who shakes the earth out of its place, and the pillars of it tremble;”

After analyzing the intensity of this mishap, I realized that no matter how powerful a man is, without God in his life, he’s nothing but a mist that disappears unpredictably on the earth’s face.

[signed by: CEDRIC

house of flying daggers [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAG

Thu, 30 Dec 2004 03:55 EST

house of flying daggers

I’ve just seen the film “Hero,” and it was fantastic. Although I appreciate how its story unfolds creatively through a series of seamless flashbacks, I still didn’t love Hero as much as I loved “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which still ranks as the best in my martial arts movies list. I prefer “live” action instead of passive story telling, that’s why. Nevertheless, Hero’s visuals were awesome; kudos to that.

Last week, while on my routine Net surfing, I’ve found out that director Zhang Yimou has produced yet another movie, “House of Flying Daggers,” similar to the likes of Crouching Tiger and to his last film, Hero, which was just (amazingly) recently released this year. I’ve watched its preview on the Internet for numerous times, and I just can’t get enough of it; it’s simply awesome.

The characters’ uncanny ability to toy with gravity, the graceful fighting skills, the rich display of eastern culture... these are the characteristic qualities present in films of this genre I find truly hypnotizing. Ever since I was a kid, I have always enjoyed watching oriental movies. Oftentimes, I imagine how fun it would be to have heightened reflexes in which you can dodge arrows, or even bullets, as if it’s child’s play. Man, if the police could do that, crime rates would no doubt decrease substantially.

Enough daydreaming.

Ok, so House of Flying Daggers has a trailer capable of making any die-hard martial arts movie fan salivate like a mad dog. That makes me wonder: Would this film even be as half as good as its trailer promises it to be? And how is it going to compare to Crouching Tiger? Well, that remains to be seen.

Going to the theatres is not my thing, and I know it’s too soon to watch out for its DVD release, but I hope this film is worth the wait. My craving for surreal martial arts needs to be addressed.

**gets up and “HIYAAAH!”**

[signed by: CEDRIC

empty, gone, nada Perhaps you’re wondering...

Wed, 22 Dec 2004 23:43 EST

empty, gone, nada

Perhaps you’re wondering what happened to my page. Well, that makes the two of us. The first time I logged in yesterday, everything was fine (and by “fine” I mean all of my journals were still here), but then when I went back to my page after I’ve done some Net searching, all of my journals went missing, and the boxes for the background image URL and header/footer HTML were empty, as if an electronic flash food wiped away my page. Everything was gone… NADA!

I was kind of disappointed, but I’m handling this misfortune quite well. I’m not mad or anything, just frustrated. And this is what I feel like doing right now:

Nah, just kidding. I’m not THAT desperate to the point of smashing my own computer. But I’m still wondering what exactly happened yesterday, the day my web page died. Ah, the pain, the emptiness, the heartache, the “mind” ache… Ok, I better stop this. I’m overreacting.

But the question remains: “What happened?”

[signed by: CEDRIC

presidential rhythm Bush got re-elected, and...

Fri, 19 Nov 2004 05:55 EST

presidential rhythm

Bush got re-elected, and many Americans as well as folks from other countries were flabbergasted. Predictably, (as in any post-election scenario) people whined, complained, and got frustrated (doesn't really matter who gets the coveted presidential seat). Controversies, scandals, and allegations are still arising here and there; they’re simply tied to the cacophonous music of election, creating an emerging rhythm or pattern, i.e. whenever someone wins, someone says, “Cheater!”

If you find yourself disagreeing with 51% of America’s electorate, don’t fret because this is definitely Bush’s last term; US presidents can only be elected twice, and after that, it’s bye-bye Washington for them, and back to being regular bozos. However, the waiting period is what’s going to kill you because you have to endure Bush’s face for the next four years. Me? Election and politics are foreign territories to me. I just go with the flow. I know, what kind of a citizen am I... But hey, I clean up my own room, so I’m not a liability to this country.

Adding a different thread of thought on “rhythm,” have you seen politicians dance? Probably you might have seen them dance under the sluggish rhythm of ballroom music, but have you seen them perform complicated steps sweating under the vigorous beat of modern music? Probably not. I guess it’s anatomically impossible considering that their osteoporotic bones might get in the way...

But lo and behold, nowadays, we can practically make anyone dance, and it's not due to limited medical advancements, it's due to vast technological advancements, computer-wise, in which the impossible becomes possible—well, at least in front of our computer screens. So, who are our guinea pigs? Who else, but famous people and celebrities. And of course, political figures are no less stranger to this type of digital experimentation—especially those with higher ranks (Bush, he’s right on target on this one).

So, if you’re still frustrated about the election results, maybe making Bush and Hillary dance to oblivion will loosen you up. Delight at how gracefully hilarious they look like. See Bush perform radical splits rivaling those of a gymnast’s, and sigh at Hillary while she executes her hoppin’-like-a-constipated-bunny step with an amazingly carefree spirit. Feast your eyes on these politicians’ hidden cheerleading skills.

Oops, here’s the side of Bush you’ve been having nightmares about—his feminine side out in the closet. Too bad, you're going to have these images inside your head for the rest of your life...

Now that is what I call politics.

Note: I have nothing against the president or his regime. In fact, I’m a law-abiding and responsible citizen (except for the voting part because I don’t vote). In down economic times like these, stressing and pouting won’t do us any good, so might as well inject a little humor in the situation.

[signed by: CEDRIC

faking it Have you ever wondered how...

Wed, 17 Nov 2004 22:23 EST

faking it

Have you ever wondered how commercial models get to be so thin? Or perhaps you might’ve wondered what’s the secret to getting those lean, ripped bodies you’ve been hopelessly dying for? Yeah, I know, I know… exercise, along with a healthy diet, is the key to achieving the “perfect” physique—that’s what they always say. But are there any other alternatives, let’s say, for those couch potato heads who don’t want to break a sweat? Well, wonder no more, for this video clip will give you an idea that will satisfy those questions going on in your mind. Take a deep breath and hold...

Ok, exhale now. There you go. You’ve just witnessed the secret: you could fake the appearance of being thin by simply sucking the fat in. Controlled breathing is the key, preventing your skintight clothes from scandalously bursting in front of a staring crowd. And once you’re left in solitude, desperately take in huge gasps of air (to supply oxygen to your brain cells, otherwise you might end up like a retard) after that nerve-racking period of breath suppression. Also, it wouldn't hurt to change the brand of your tuna.

Or better yet, if you want to save yourself from undesirable attention, stick with what the dietitian has told you—exercise and diet. When it comes to health, there’s no such thing as “immediate.” Be yourself. Like what they say, “It’s painful to be beautiful.”

[signed by: CEDRIC

chucky… a doll of terror? you’re kidding�

Mon, 01 Nov 2004 18:14 EST

chucky… a doll of terror? you’re kidding…

I can’t help but rant about the disgrace that is Chucky. For crying out loud, he’s just a freakin’ rag doll, and everyone’s afraid of him. It never fails to give me a good laugh whenever I try to grasp the idea that this doll, an absolute midget approximately two feet tall/short, is a killing machine that’s responsible for quite a formidable number of deaths—of course, I’m talking about the rising death toll resulting from Chucky’s killing spree since his debut on Child’s Play 1. It’s ridiculous how he uses his sheer size to overpower his victims who are more than twice his height. Ironically, in spite of Chucky’s implausible antics, I still find myself slightly entertained by the series—well, mainly due to their comical absurdity.

“Seed of Chucky,” the sequel to “Bride of Chucky,” is the latest to Hollywood’s infamous homicidal doll series. Recalling from the last movie, the bloodthirsty pair, Chucky and Tiffany, gave birth before they died, leading us to the concept of the next movie, Seed of Chucky. As suggested by its title, the story unfolds around the duo’s orphaned offspring, Glen, who journeys to Hollywood to resurrect his parents. And alas! The family is now complete. Well, whaddaya know? What a sweet family reunion, and isn’t that just great… another addition to America’s dysfunctional families.

But seriously, if you were to come face to face with Chucky, don’t chicken out from his plastic-surgery-required-so-badly face. Running away from a doll is like running away from any unresolved childhood fears, or even worse, running away from a walking headless turkey (after all, what’s to be afraid of, if the worst you could get from a zombie turkey attack is a cranberry-stained shirt?). Certainly, Chucky may be scarier and deadlier than your average Barbie/voodoo doll, but the fact is, he’s as helpless as a cockroach on its back wiggling its feet and struggling to get up.

So gather up your confidence. Face your childhood fears; face Chucky. If the freak doll pays you a visit, get a broomstick and poke his eyes out. Maim him. Mangle him. Asphyxiate him (uhm, I don’t know ‘bout this one). Stop his rule of terror once and for all. And if you’re the daring type who likes the adrenaline rush from hand-to-hand combat to flaunt the kicks and punches and even slaps you might have learned from secretly watching the Richard Simmons’ exercise videos, then so be it, and indulge yourself. I might even cheer for you while you bust the plastic crap out of this peewee doll face.

BUT, yeah, there’s a big but (not yours), if the doll’s got a gun, don’t be a hero in vain. Bid the scar-faced doll sayonara, and scram for your dear lives. Don’t worry so much about being called a chicken afterwards. Obviously, a broomstick’s no match against a gun.

[signed by: CEDRIC

stick figures at their best Probably almost...

Fri, 22 Oct 2004 06:07 EST

stick figures at their best

Probably almost every one of us started our first crude scribbles by drawing stick figures. I can still remember when art teachers during my grade school years often instructed our class to doodle around on a piece of paper as a way to cultivate our creative sides. And thanks to my primitive artistic skills back then, rueful, funny-looking stick characters were the most that I could come up with. Sadly, I never really came close to perfecting the technique on drawing full human figures…

In fact, every time I try to draw human faces, they almost always end up looking like they’re missing a chromosome. I’m just not destined to be the realistic artist that I hoped to be. My drawings are desperately classified to the likes of Picasso. As most of us are aware, Picasso was one of the leading pioneers of cubism—an art form that I can find solace in the fact that my pencil-drawn skewed faces can at last be considered absolutely normal (talk about the perfect excuse), if not actual pieces of art.

While browsing the Net, I stumbled on a flash video titled Xiao Xiao. It’s about the adventure of an animated stick figure that does nothing but be involved in endless and totally meaningless kung fu fights. I love it. Much to my delight, it has a series.

(Note: Right-click the flash below, and select "play" if you want to see it)

The man behind Xiao Xiao goes by the name of Zhu, who has got to be a genius for successfully creating an animation of pure entertainment out of plain characters. I greatly appreciate how he managed to animate these stick people so smoothly, almost flawlessly, and squeezed what little juice left in these sticks, making Xiao Xiao as one of the best stick figure animation ever created.

To people for whom Net surfing is very much a part of their daily lives, Xiao Xiao is likely to be old news due to its ubiquitous presence over the Web. There are a bunch of spoofs out there, but so far, Xiao Xiao has nine official episodes (can’t hardly wait for the 10^th).

Since I have a passion for martial arts movies, seeing Xiao Xiao’s magnificently detailed fight scenes readily caught my attention. The scenes start with kick-arse kung fu fights for no apparent reason—senseless indeed, but amusing, nonetheless. Well, I couldn’t even care less about Xiao Xiao’s lack of a solid storyline. All that matters to me is the series’ undeniably awesome animation embedded with an exquisite fighting choreography reminiscent of eastern kung fu flicks.

Personally, watching the Xiao Xiao series gave hope to my drawing skills. Stick figures can be fun after all. Guess I may never learn to draw human forms with realistic details, but I’ll be more than contented to stick with my abstract drawings composed of sticks (like I have a choice).

[ signed by: CEDRIC

torn apart... literally I’m currently...

Mon, 27 Sep 2004 15:55 EST

torn apart... literally

I’m currently taking anatomy as a prerequisite for nursing (my course major), and last Saturday’s class was, to say the least, interesting. First, we had our lab exams, which went well (I hope); second (here comes the interesting part), we got close and personal with real live cadavers, and a select few of us got to participate in the actual dissection. Too bad I didn’t get to dissect… Well, in case one of the dissectors faints or decides to back out, I’ll be more than willing to switch places for the sake of experience and (what else?)… of course, education (why not?).

The purpose of the dissection is for us to study the specific muscles of the human body. We were introduced to four deceased individuals with ages ranging from 65 to 99 (can you imagine... 99 years old?). Among the cadavers, there was only one male. One died from cancer, and the others died from other medical complications, but anyway, I don’t want to elaborate much about the manner of their deaths.

Since the first weeks of anatomy class, my curiosity always compelled me to take a peek at the lab containing the cadavers only to be frustrated to see that they were still covered with body bags. On that note, last Saturday was definitely the consummation of my curiosity for it was the day our deceased subjects were finally unveiled. The fact that I’ve been eagerly anticipating this moment, seeing the lifeless bodies stimulated my interest even more. Most of my classmates, on the other hand, felt disgusted.

Strikingly, the complexion of the cadavers was as pale as the moon, most probably because the blood was already sucked out. Well, there was one thing that bothered me heavily though: The odor! The odor emitted by the cadaver solutions was offensively intense! The solutions were meant to prevent the bodies from further deterioration, but the smell was like cough syrup gone bad, or as if some mad scientist made a terrible concoction of various chemicals and medicines that profusely emitted an acrid scent. The whole classroom then reeked with the sharp smell of cadaver solutions. I could stand the idea of slashing and dicing dead bodies, but being forced to savor the smell of these solutions is a different story. Our instructor seemed used to it (of course, why wouldn’t she?).

Considering that the allied medical service is my chosen field of education, I figured I HAVE to get myself used to the scent of these solutions because eventually in my career (if I’m lucky enough to make it in the real world), I’ll be dealing with more serious stuffs—bloodcurdling stuffs behind the curtains of the operating table. So might as well train myself to get used to such an environment… NOW!

[signed by: CEDRIC

silly videos! These are silly videos I found...

Mon, 06 Sep 2004 17:55 EST

silly videos!

These are silly videos I found from a website. Here are a couple of my handpicked videos that exemplify each of the following categories: silly and weird, funny and amazing, and umm... just plain annoying.

INSTRUCTIONS: Just click the following animated gifs. They will provide you with links to the videos.

First Video (silly and weird): I can’t believe this one is for real—seriously, I’m weirded out. Initially, I thought it was a commercial ad about breast enhancement because of its rather suggestive images. To my surprise, it’s actually an ad for a Japanese construction company named “Anabuki.” The producers of this peculiar ad really have the balls in devising such a concept for a commercial. See it for yourself.

Second Video (funny and amazing): Oh yeah, I like this one a lot! This one is cool, definitely one of my favs. It’s Japanese ping-pong with a matrix twist. I wish I could play ping-pong like this. It's like watching a live anime cartoon. It's a must-see!

Third Video (annoying!): This video features two guys celebrating the joy of milk and cereal. Love cereals? Then this video, with all its pathetic absurdity, is guaranteed to make you hate cereals afterwards. It has a bothering catchy tune that goes along with it, and now I can't get it off of my head... Talk about annoying to the max…

Hungering for more? Click "enter" below to see more videos. It will link you to the main site.

[signed by: CEDRIC

if life is a game, these are the rules I’m...

Mon, 06 Sep 2004 15:12 EST

if life is a game, these are the rules

I’m reading this book titled, “If Life is a Game, These are the Rules” by Cherie Carter-Scott. This book provides a philosophical template in dealing with life’s offered challenges. It’s quite enlightening and serves as an effective reminder about the basic rules in life. Although I don’t agree with some of what the author says, the book still does an adequate job of instilling messages of hope and encouragement, making me realize what is my current status in life.

The Ten Rules For Being Human

1. You will receive a body.

You may love it or hate it, but it will be yours for the duration of your life on Earth.

2. You will be presented with lessons.

You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called “life.” Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or hate them, but you have designed them as part of your curriculum.

3. There are no mistakes only lessons.

Growth is a process of experimentation, a series of trials, errors, and occasional victories. The failed experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that work.

4. Lessons are repeated until learned.

Lessons will be repeated to you in various forms until you have learned them. When you have learned them, you can then go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning does not end.

There is no part of life that does not contain lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.

6. “There” is no better than “here.”

When your “there” has become a “here,” you will simply obtain a “there” that will look better to you than your present “here.”

7. Others are only mirrors of you.

You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your life is up to you.

You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you.

9. All the answers lie inside of you.

All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. You will forget all of this at birth.

You can remember it if you want by unraveling the double helix of your inner knowing.

[signed by: CEDRIC

beautiful and ugly people It’s been quite...

Wed, 01 Sep 2004 05:22 EST

beautiful and ugly people

It’s been quite a while since my last journal entry. It’s been exactly two months in fact. I just didn’t feel like writing any stuff. By the way, I’m glad I passed my political science summer class with flying colors!

Time passes really quickly, and fall season is slowly creeping in. I’m truly looking forward to the end of summer season. I couldn’t be more enthusiastic about it. The heat is killing me! I don’t know how much longer I could sustain it...

But anyway, let’s move on to my topic for this day. So what’s up with my journal title, “beautiful and ugly people”? Well recently, I’ve been fairly active in Zorpia's community area (it's an online forum), and one of the peeps there posted this seemingly arrogant topic on August 28, 2004: “this world is for beautiful grls n handsome man or boy.” I then felt this irresistable urge to respond and here’s what I posted on August 29, 2004 as a refutation to his nonsensical claim:

FIRST: *What is beauty?*
Let me start by contrasting different cultural perceptions of beauty. There are a lot of aboriginal tribes in remote corners of the world wherein their perception of beauty is quite different from the media’s portrayal of the ideal look for a man and a woman, i.e. having a thin and lean body, a chiseled face, 6 pack abs, and so on. For example, there are tribes in Africa in which beauty is determined by the size of their earrings and nose rings (may I remind you that these are no ordinary ornaments from yo mama’s. These are extremely large ones with the capacity to deform your facial features). I think the majority of us would find people with unusually large odd objects hanging from their faces rather repulsive; however, in the perspective of certain African tribes, those are—as people would say today— their “bling blings” that make them attractive to their fellow people. Thus, justifying this cliché: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

SECOND: *Beautiful and Ugly People*
Hypothetically, let’s say you were the only person on earth. How would you be able to determine if you were “beautiful” or “ugly” if you couldn't compare yourself with someone else? You couldn't, right? That’s why “beautiful” people should be grateful for the existence of “ugly” people. Why? If it were not for ugly people, beautiful people wouldn’t be called BEAUTIFUL because there would be no means for comparison. Beautiful and ugly people should then learn to co-exist. All that said, I believe that the not so attractive people are also for this world and shouldn’t be considered as outcasts of society.

and LASTLY: *Evidence of Beautiful and Ugly Married Couples*
I personally know a lot of couples out there in which a not so handsome guy is married to a really beautiful girl and vice-versa, and they’re IN LOVE. That only goes to show how unrealistic your claim is that "this world is for beautiful grls n handsome man or boy." Whether people like it or not, physical beauty fades. If someone won't accept you solely because of the way you look, then that’s his or her problem, not yours. That will clarify how shallow their personalities are.

That’s what I thought at the moment, but then I realized there was also some truth to the dude's claim (yup, only some. I don’t completely agree that this world is FOR beautiful people ONLY).

We are living in a physical world, and of course, what people instantly notice are the physical attributes of other people. Inevitably, misconceptions arise from people's tendency to quickly conceive unnecessary judgements on what their eyes are seeing. As unsettling as it sounds, that’s how the grim nature of this world goes—which I greatly disagree with.

Let’s say an employer is looking for future employees for any of the following job positions: bank teller, anchor newscaster, sales representative, and flight attendant (notice that these are jobs requiring a lot of physical exposure or interaction with people). Coincidentally, two applicants are trying their luck on the same job position. The first one is a dreamy guy with average skills, and the second one is a promising, but ugly genius (oh my. I didn't realize the pun until I typed it) with superb skills and has an I.Q. of 140 plus. Here’s the magical question: Who’s more likely to be hired? Hmmm… Undoubtedly, the dreamy guy would stand a better chance in this area because he’s more “presentable.” Sadly, as for the ugly genius, most people would probably think he’d be better off with solitary jobs.

Indeed, simply having a pleasing visage will most likely guarantee you a step ahead, opening up many excellent doors of opportunities—all while barely lifting a finger. Beautiful people have more freedom in choosing a plethora of fascinating ways to make a living compared to the less facially fortunate people. They also enjoy a prosperous social life since people are the ones who usually come up and make friends with them, which in turn gives them the prerogative to be very choosy in finding their mates. Beautiful people, in the strict sense of it, are aesthetically pleasing beings endowed with certain privileges and advantages.

Ok, so it seems as if beautiful people have the whole world in their hands. Think again. Beware of the revenge of the facially offensive! Now take note, being painfully less attractive also has its unacknowledged advantages.

To begin with, the “unattractive” physical features of ugly people help them keep their feet on the ground, making them attractive, personality-wise. Not surprisingly, beautiful people are more prone to be arrogant and be annoyingly snotty little brats as opposed to ugly people. And who says ugly people don't fair very well socially? Their stunning personalities are more than enough to elevate their worth and stature in a society convinced that everything revolves around beautiful people. Ugly people may be physically unpleasing to the human eye, but that doesn't make them any less of a human being. Lastly, pretty ugly people (pun intended this time, can't resist it...) have better chances of experiencing the bliss of safer and more secure marriages considering that physical attraction from third parties is highly unlikely, conveniently preventing extra-marital affairs.

Looking at the big picture, when physical beauty begins to fade, what will matter the most will be one's character (as it should've been right from the start). Still, it wouldn’t hurt to be beautiful, right? As long as a beautiful person understands where he/she is coming from, then his/her good looks will always be a plus—definitely.

Ok, so much for the beautiful and the ugly. As for me, looks are not as important as character, and I prefer to associate myself with someone who’s physically less appealing, but has an exceptional personality rather than with someone whose beauty reaches the sky, but has a personality that’s as good as Hitler’s.

[signed by: CEDRIC