Defense Mechanisms

Hello Guys, let us talk about how we defend ourselves from danger like the wire cage is for the tomato plants. For humans, we defend ourselves with martial arts and weapons. These can also be used in attacks so this is a offense-defense type. For women, their most effective defense mechanism is crying. I think there is nothing more debilitating than seeing a woman cry. For men, however, it is funny to see them cry. Come on.

It is why dogs bark - its a warning to not break the status quo or else the dog bites you or the dog runs away. If nothing else, when faced with an aggressive dog on the streets is you kneel down and pretend to pick up a stone. The dog having experienced being thrown things at them will run in self defense. On the whole, I think that dogs are helpless because they are trusting. Incidentally I met a five-month old Golden Retriever yesterday at the pet shop who was warm and inviting to strangers. Its name is Denmark.

This is so unlike the cats because cats have the ability of egress. When cats feel danger they disappear in the nooks and crannies of the house because they are small, agile and can jump. The thing with cats is that you keep them indoors cause they get lost outside the house. Their homing device is weaker than a dog's. If the cat finds an opening to go outside, they will go outside. That is how cats roll. I think Persian cats rather want to stay inside though.

I guess pets are offense-defense weapons because you meet new people this way. Like a rose has offense with its beauty and has thorns for self-defense.

My song interpretation is that Go West is a state of mind and because the composer is a Westerner, he is partial to the place he grew up. He doesn't know how is it in the East. I know the East because I am from the East. Anywhere life is peaceful, anywhere you can teach and learn, anywhere the air is free - that is your promised land.

What you teach and learn is good practices because there is no peacefulness in adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, hatred, variance, wrath, strife, seditions and the like. This would get you in jail you know.

The police and the military should be stricter.

Tomato Planting for Beginners

Hello Guys. This is the life story of tomato plants. Photos and ideas taken from https://kctomatotimes.wordpress.com/. This guy is the expert.

The tomato seedlings are sowed in small containers of mulch so that they are easily detached and transplanted to individual cups where they mature. Then they are ready to be planted at raised bed gardens. The wire cage supports the growing plants and protects them from animals, people and forces of nature. They get nutrients from the soil, the sun, the water and the fertilizers designed for fruiting. You take extra care in pruning and spraying of insecticides.

It is the same for families. Parents should train and discipline their children to be independent at a young age. You also teach them good manners and right conduct to prepare them into growing up. You put them in dormitories and boarding houses so they can further develop as individuals but be sure they are protected from any trace of danger. You remind them of discipline and lessons in life so they can be fruitful citizens when they become adults.

Urban Planning

Hello People, what is your definition of urban planning and development? Let us say you have a dream house, what are the components and its functions? Say we come from the outside, you have steel gates, a garage, workshop room, a yard, a garden, laundry space, living room, dining room, kitchen, staircase, bedrooms, entertainment center, library, office space and toilets. So definitely there has to be zoning so that a city can function.

Right now the status in my place is a cluttered zone and functions where commercial space is at the main roads and as you move away you find residential areas. The schools has commercial spaces bordering it and again, farther away are the residences.

I would think that the concept of living in condominiums is quite new to the PH because we tend to live with the family. I know that the western philosophy is that individuals live independently upon legal age. While here, generally speaking, we only move out when we marry. Thus the thinking that we have a close-knit family when it leads to dependency. And that living independently means that you do not love your folks. I think parents here should stop babying their children.

Living independently is freedom. You can have breakfast in bed occasionally, or anywhere inside the house but the dining area and the kitchen is the place designed for it. Its because you clean the crumbs right after you dine because the ants are an aggressive species.

The customary practice with families in the provinces is after high school, they send their children for higher learning in Metro Manila schools and have them live in dormitories and boarding spaces. But still there are the natives who have ancestral houses in the Metro because it is designed to be a residential area. Thing is the population has ballooned to 12 million.

I think we should plan and demolish residential houses if necessary so that a city will be organized according to its planned functions. Have the olds relocated to the provinces, the air is better for them there. The youngins should stay in condominiums so that they become independent. That is if the government has the vision to plan a thriving city and has the teeth to implement it.

Okay here's the deal, we have to decongest the city so the retirees have to be back to the provinces because let's face it, what is their business being here if they are retired? Do you see the point? No I am not being insensitive about this but just being organized.

So next step would be that kids of legal age move away from their parent's house so they can be more productive cause parents hold you back and you hold back your parents when you are not working.  The best arrangement is that families make an ancestral house in the suburbs or in the countryside so you can get together there on the weekends.

Hygge

Hi Guys, I learned that we should not judge people based on their language. Its because we have different backgrounds that we grew up in different sets of vocabulary. Some words that may be profound for me is actually simple words for you. And it is just the same in reverse. So we do not judge people when we do not understand the "big words" they are communicating with. Its better we look it up in the dictionary to build on our vocabulary.

This is a new word I learned today: Hygge

Hygge: A heart-warming lesson from Denmark [link below for more links]
By Justin Parkinson BBC News Magazine

A UK college has started teaching students the Danish concept of hygge - said to make homes nicer and people happier. But what exactly is it and is it exportable?

Sitting by the fire on a cold night, wearing a woolly jumper, while drinking mulled wine and stroking a dog [cat] - probably surrounded by candles. That's definitely "hygge".

Eating home-made cinnamon pastries. Watching TV under a duvet. Tea served in a china set. Family get-togethers at Christmas. They're all hygge too.

The Danish word, pronounced "hoo-ga", is usually translated into English as "cosiness". But it's much more than that, say its aficionados - an entire attitude to life that helps Denmark to vie with Switzerland and Iceland to be the world's happiest country.

Morley College, in central London, is teaching students how to achieve hygge as part of its Danish language course. "We have long, cold winters in Denmark," says lecturer Susanne Nilsson. "That influences things. Hygge doesn't have to be a winter-only thing, but the weather isn't that good for much of the year."

With up to 17 hours of darkness per day in the depths of winter, and average temperatures hovering around 0C, people spend more time indoors as a result, says Nilsson, meaning there's greater focus on home entertaining.

"Hygge could be families and friends getting together for a meal, with the lighting dimmed, or it could be time spent on your own reading a good book," she says. "It works best when there's not too large an empty space around the person or people." The idea is to relax and feel as at-home as possible, forgetting life's worries.

The recent growth in Scandinavian-themed restaurants, cafes and bars in the UK is helping to export hygge, she adds, with their intimate settings, lack of uniformity in decor and concentration on comforting food. Most customers won't have heard of the term, but they might get a sense of it.

In the US, the wallpaper and fabric firm Hygge West explicitly aims to channel the concept through its cheery designs, as does a Los Angeles bakery, called Hygge, which sells traditional Danish pastries and treats.

"The rest of the world seems to be slowly waking up to what Danes have been wise to for generations - that having a relaxed, cosy time with friends and family, often with coffee, cake or beer, can be good for the soul," says Helen Russell, author of The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country. "Hygge seems to me to be about being kind to yourself - indulging, having a nice time, not punishing or denying yourself anything. All very useful come January when in the UK everyone's on diets or manically exercising or abstaining from alcohol.

"There isn't so much enforced deprivation in Denmark. Instead you're kinder to yourselves and so each other. Danes don't binge then purge - there's not much yo-yo dieting in Denmark. No wonder they're happier than we are in the UK."

The adjectival form of hygge is "hyggeligt", a word offered as a compliment to a host after a pleasant evening at their home.

"Hygge isn't just a middle-class thing. Absolutely everyone's at it from my dustbin man to the mayor," says Russell. "Hygge is so crucial to living Danishly that the other day on the motorway, I saw a camper van driving along with lit candles in the windows. This is probably illegal but Vikings don't tend to be too hung up on health and safety.

"My most hygge experience to date was probably watching the sun set from a hot tub in a blizzard in January, beer in hand. But it needn't be anything quite so dramatic. I generally light a candle at my home office desk while I'm working."

There's increased discussion of hygge in the UK. "I think I first saw the word in Trine Hahnemann's book Scandinavian Christmas, and it immediately made sense to me," says Kayleigh Tanner, author of the Hello Hygge blog. "It's a pretty hard thing to describe because it's so abstract, but I think it resonates with a lot of people.

http://bookworm-quotes.blogspot.com/
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34345791

Once when I was in elementary, at recess time me and my classmates were idling near the basketball court and beside it was a lawn grass field. I saw grasshoppers jumping and began to stalk them. My classmates were laughing at me but I do not care. I was lost in catching it that I missed my subjects until lunchtime. I love watching the sunset. I love sports. That's my brother and my cat right there. That's me with the funny face haha. Hygge.

Pet Pals

Hi Guys, what grinds your gear? Pet peeves you know are when you throw a monkey wrench into moving gears, the gear grinds the wrench and produces an irritating and uncomfortable noise. And the worst that can happen is that the equipment breaks down. Like it throws off your good mood.

I had a problem with my mobile phone, its a basic android phone so you touch it when you take selfies. It is awkward how to touch the middle of the screen with which finger? WTH. What I mean is one-handed only. I think using two hands in selfies is not cool at all. My previous phone has a button on the side of the phone so it is natural for the thumb to press it. Anyway its mildly irritating cause I seldom take selfies cause I tend to shoot people and the sights.

Another way you deal with pet peeves is to face it. Like it irritated me that I cannot surf the internet from my mobile phone. Actually its more like laziness. So when I breathed in, breathed out and relaxed is that I was able to figure out how to use the 3G. Now I know my mobile phone like the back of my hand.

I have always wondered why are young people into YA or Young Adult novels? Why are people in social media gushing about John Green and his novels. How about me reading a YA novel? The thought of it its kinda funny and awkward. I mean, come on, I have a degree in detective stories from Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, Jack Higgins - too many to mention actually. Okay haha this one looks fun. In Paper Towns, I find the MCs unique and relatable.

And after, when

we went outside to look at her finished lantern

from the road, I said I liked the way her light

shone through the face that flickered in the dark.

—“Jack O’Lantern,” Katrina Vandenberg in Atlas

Love it that this has double meaning. Her works and her face shine in the dark.

People say friends don’t destroy one another 

What do they know about friends? 

—“Game Shows Touch Our Lives,” The Mountain Goats

The doctor is the friend who aims to hurt you so that you heal. 

Positive Thinking

Hello Guys. Are you an optimistic person? It means do you find positive things in all circumstances? Thinking positive is healthy because it makes you feel good. Makes you hopeful even though it is not necessarily the truth. Like it moves you from point A to point B. Do you get what I mean?

Say me for example I am in a bookstore and I see a cute lady with a hint of smile and shows her armpit to me to check if it is clean or white. Then say I think that that is a friendly sign so I approached her and I find her comfortable to talk to. I get her number and we exchange messages and one thing led to another so now we are dating. This is only in theory so you can try to think positive okay?

"What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions." Jim Rohn

"60 stone woman, 22, who was once 'Britain's fattest teenager' has to be lifted from her flat by a CRANE in seven hour procedure before going to hospital." http://www.dailymail.co.uk

That is why you must be physically fit so you can carry yourself. Imagine the hassle she caused the neighborhood and town. Its because her weight was holding her down.

Emotionally speaking, what are the things that hold us down? That is why you exercise mentally so that you be more exposed to the world. The plane rolls up the runway to gather momentum and take off.

Negativity holds us down so think positive okay?

Securing Borders

The Abu Sayyaf terrorist group has kidnapped foreigners again and this is a continued embarrassment to the PH. They asking for one billion pesos ransom in exchange for the prisoners. Come on. How can we let these guys bully the tourists? The Abu Sayyaf has faster speedboats than the local coastguard. So what is the solution? You acquire the fastest speedboats.

You guys played the game Plants and Zombies yes? The picture above is an overkill but this is somewhat my style. Gatling gun peas at the left end followed by the double sun and repeater guns and the safety pumpkins and thorns. Alternatively is frozen pea shooters for the fire. You occupy the territories so that these terrorists have no place to operate.

As you know, the strategy of occupying territories is written in the Art of War by Sun Tzu. Occupying territories is better than focusing to be strong in one area. The collective mind of the multitude is greater than the thinking of a select few brilliant individuals. I'm not saying you follow Sun Tzu because he had platoons of concubines. Imagine that. Because you meet all kinds of people, you should filter the good practices from the bad.

From a country, we zoom to a province. The governor's foremost duty is to take care of the its borders. When the insurgency problem is too much for the local police, then the governor asks assistance from the military and the NBI detectives. Same goes for the mayors and councilors.

Then we go the communities where the Barangay Captain is the leader. We have Tanods or Watchmen patrolling the streets especially at night. When the violence is too much, the Barangay Captain asks assistance from the police, the councilors and the mayors.

And at your house, you protect it with locks, high walls and motion detectors. When there is violence, you ask for the help of the Watchmen and the police.

So if the Abu Sayyaf problem is cannot be contained by the PH is we ask the assistance of the United Nations. There is no shame in asking for help if you need help.

Now every country has territorial space, before you enter it you communicate with the coast guards of the foreign country. That is why the need for coast guards to modernize and have lighthouses to know what is going on. Because you supposed to know all the things happening in the country. I know that we delegate duties to officials but you should know all the details so that any signs of problem, you can step in anytime. As it should be.

Any contentions are up to the United Nations to decide because we live in peace time. Who wants war anyway? The Golden Age can only be achieved with peacefulness. Why? Classes are suspended when there are strong typhoons.

Now there is a problem with illegal fishing that sometimes results in shootouts. This can be avoided with educating both parties responsible. The countries should educate the fishermen to not go beyond their borders. And the coastguard should have more tolerance especially to unarmed fishermen.

As you can see, the Peashooters win because they move as a collective unit with sound strategy and divergent pieces against the disorganized zombies. The zombies are disorganized cause they are hungrily scampering for the brains.

Supplements

Hi Guys. Do you take vitamins and minerals? Well you should because the nutrients you get from the food you take is not enough especially if you are fond of junk food and softdrink. The doctor's advice is that you take supplements in the morning but as I observed there are two kinds of vitamins - the multi-vitamins and the concentrated ones.

Multi-vitamins are composed of vitamins and minerals from A to Z but it comes in small doses. So I think the best time to take this kind is at nighttime before going to sleep where the body is in repair and rehabilitation.

The concentrated vitamins are simply the pure Vitamin A, B, C, D and E that you should take in the morning because it comes in big doses so it will last to the whole day.

Thing is if you wanna take two or more combination of these vitamins, you should consult the doctor to know what is the combination that works best for your purpose. I heard of elderly people taking five vitamins a day because he is old and he needed the meds so that he is physically fit.

Hey this is just a suggestion. You can try to experiment on this if you want.

Career Lessons

Hi folks. I am here to talk more about applying for jobs. As a trainee, you are lucky if you get paid while enhancing your skills, experience and exposure. My Project Manager once said that learning the skills is your investment so do not think about money because you earn money with expertise. I am sharing this so you learn from what I have encountered. I was earning while I was in college so it kinda made me arrogant. My interview with a leading construction company here was a fail. Its because I said that the company will just be a stepping stone for me. I did not realize it until years later. The lesson is do not be an arrogant SOB.

Its because your second option is not your first option so its like your Critical Path Method is thrown is disarray. And without a backup plan, you be lost. I tell you I worked for about ten companies and the most time I stayed in one company is two years. I cannot jot them all down in my resume without the employers zeroing in on why I did not stay for long. So this is a predicament I am in cause I am a journeyman. If you are sure that your current job is not for you then wait for the right time to resign is when you have been hired in another company. Its easier said than done but you have to endure until you are sure of your plans. The lesson is do not jump off a cliff without a safety net to catch you.

If you are not sure whether you love your job or not, then work at it. Make friends in your workplace. I find that sports is one that glues people so you find friends this way. I know how to play racket sports like table tennis, lawn tennis and badminton although my skills are for a beginner. In my P.E. class in Table Tennis, there was this classmate of ours who was highly-touted cause they say he participates in tournaments. I dunno if it was a fluke but I defeated him on a 3rd set tiebreak. One month later, I played against a neophyte in the sport and I was beaten easily. Its because I heard he practiced regularly. Lesson is hardwork beats talent when talent is lazy.

I learned that it is not too late to come back. You just have to retrace your steps and start from where you left off. For a journeyman like me is to be honest on your track record and pass the exams. If you have the skills the employers wanted, they will hire you. Thing is you do not ask for the moon. So you have to learn more skills to make you indispensable.

For Overseas Foreign Workers especially professionals, learn how to drive because the employers will not baby you cause you are expected to work independently. Service drivers are for special people only. The car is like a baby so you take good care of it. Check regularly if the tires are worn off. You do not want to have a flat tire in the middle of the road. You also check on the oil and gas levels so you roll comfortably.

Bookstore Hunting Mystery #3

Good Evening People. I was in another bookstore and shot pictures that are unique to it like the two huge concrete columns joined by a metal trellis. The columns are both about 1.50 meters squared so you will not see this columns and spacing in another bookstore. The wooden partitions are also congruent with the wooden-clad concrete columns. The recessed colored lighting and pen lights puts a starry, starry night effect into it and the big tiles gobbles the floor space. 

You must be wondering whether I gone crazy. Actually I worked as an Appraiser when I was starting in the early 2000s so I go to condominiums, bungalows and other properties to value it. I visit at least one client a day so I travel a lot but mostly in Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces. The farthest I gone is an eleven-hour bus ride to the countryside. I get into this work cause there was scarce opportunities and I know of engineers working as stock room workers that time so you get the idea how scarce it is. The lesson is you do not jump from job to job because that is what the employers scrutinize the most. Why can't you stay in one job? That is why you plan. So whatever your situation is you have to endure it okay?

This is the NBS branch at the SM Mall of the Asia from where you can also see the famous Manila Bay sunset. The sunset is a romantic sight especially for lovers but the problem is that there is not enough shades so that more people can enjoy the it. What I mean is that on a cloudy day, the crowd gathers along the banks of Manila Bay as early as 4pm to wait for the setting sun. However if it is too hot at that time, the crowd goes away because the sun makes them perspire a lot and there is no shade to hang around.

This means that there is always tomorrow to look forward to for the weather.

classic spaghetti and meatballs

1½ cups (110g) fresh white breadcrumbs
½ cup (125ml) milk
500g beef mince
500g pork mince
2 eggs
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup sage leaves, finely chopped
sea salt and cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, extra, crushed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup (250ml) beef stock
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
¼ cup thyme leaves, chopped
500g spaghetti
1 cup basil leaves
finely grated parmesan, to serve

Place the breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes or until the milk is absorbed. Add the beef and pork mince, eggs, garlic, sage, salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Using wet hands, roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a deep, large frying pan over high heat. Cook the meatballs in batches, turning frequently, for 4–5 minutes or until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining oil, onion and garlic to the pan and cook for 5–7 minutes or until lightly golden. Add the tomato paste and balsamic vinegar, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock, tomatoes, thyme, salt and pepper, stir to combine and bring to the boil. Add the meatballs and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until the sauce is reduced and the meatballs are cooked through. While the meatballs are cooking, place the spaghetti in a large saucepan of salted boiling water and cook for 8–10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and serve the spaghetti topped with the meatballs, basil leaves and parmesan. Serves 4–6.

https://www.donnahay.com.au

Bullet Scam in the PH?

"This is becoming an international embarrassment"

The job of airport security is to confiscate dangerous items from suitcases, but travellers have recently found the opposite is true in the Philippines’ Manila Airport, where staff have allegedly been dropping bullets into the bags of unsuspecting passengers.

Legislators have called for an investigation into the supposed racket that extorts money from passengers by threatening to charge or arrest them for carrying illegal ammunition, the BBC reported.

“This is becoming an international embarrassment,” said Sherwin Gatchalian, a member of the tourism committee in the House of Representatives, according to the BBC. He warned that the offenders were “not afraid to prey on foreigners.”

A Filipino worker and Japanese tourist were the latest passengers to be detained in the swindle at the Southeast Asian nation’s main gateway. Other targets have reportedly been taken to court for refusing to pay fines.

Surveillance has heightened as investigators look into the incidents. After all, “there is no working system that is guarding the guards,” the BBC reported Senator Ralph Recto as saying.

 http://time.com

[BBC]

I do not know why the automatic mindset is that the Airport Security is extorting rightaway.

Firstly my question would be is it possible that passengers bring live bullets? Yes. If it is one or two bullets then it is also possible that passengers try to ship it without declaring so that there is no hassle in documentations and etcetera. In short, it is possible that passengers will try to carry bullet/s and get away with it. Because bullets can be souvenirs and some people consider it as talismans.

Why would they deny it? It is of course because of embarrassment of being found out, having to go through paper works and the cost of delay.

To be balanced about it, I am not ruling out that the Airport Security has been scheming.

As a passenger you take no chances and put zip locks, close the zippers or even sew the openings in your luggages. Then you have to open your own luggages.

Thing is extortionists also choose people they wanna con cause if you are the gullible type then it is better for them to have compromises meaning undocumented payments.

It is also possible that the first x-ray check missed detecting the bullet because of the angle of the luggages, that is why follow-up checks are necessary.

To check the guards, the guards and their things must go through the checks as well. Provide more CCTV cameras at the checking area. And to minimize scheming, there should be a different security agency checking the CCTV and the guards. Because if they are all in-house it is possible they talk about scamming.

Thus all government agencies should have checks and balances.

There are two churches in the video - one is Slash guitar solo in a desolated place and the other is where Axl had his wedding.

"Nothing lasts forever even cold November rain."

Actually it is hot in here.

This means that rain is a necessary hassle like checks and balances because it is sign of a good ecosystem. You do not want to rush to through rain cause your clothes get wet. You do not want to get wet cause you want to be presentable and the sticky feeling is uncomfortable. You bring umbrellas to be sure.

So the umbrella is a walking cane, a weapon for self-defense and a shield against the sun and the rain. It is also suggestive in RE4 video game that you beat Lord Saddler, the final boss in the game. This is brainstorming not brainwashing. If you want me to spell it for you, you must beat Sadness.

The song is titled 27 forever so the number 27 has significant meaning to the composer. I think it was when the writer felt kind all kinds of emotions rushing in that the writer never felt before. Like anger, sadness, disgust, fear, joy and hope all at the same time.