Happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy. There's going to be stress in life, but it's your choice whether you let it affect you or not. - Valerie Bertinelli
Monday, September 29, 2014
Everyone Dies. But not everyone really lives.
Happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy. There's going to be stress in life, but it's your choice whether you let it affect you or not. - Valerie Bertinelli
Pollution From Asia Makes Pacific Storms Stronger By Brian Clark Howard
Pollution From Asia Makes Pacific Storms Stronger
Pollution From Asia Makes Pacific Storms Stronger
Pollution From Asia Makes Pacific Storms Stronger
Aerosols in atmosphere change weather in North America, says new study.
Buildings in Lianyungang, China, are shrouded in smog on December 8, 2013. Aerosol pollution from Asia is likely leading to stronger cyclones in the Pacific, more precipitation, and warming temperatures at the North Pole.
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHINAFOTO/GETTY IMAGES
PUBLISHED APRIL 14, 2014
What happens in Asia doesn't stay in Asia, a new study warns. Pollution from booming economies in the Far East is causing stronger storms and changing weather patterns over the Pacific Ocean, which in turn is changing weather in North America, scientists report.
"Whether the weather [in North America] will change in a good direction or bad is hard to say at this time," says Renyi Zhang, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University in College Station. Zhang is a co-author, along with several scientists from the U.S. and China, of a study released in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday.
The scientists say pollution from Asia is likely leading to stronger cyclones in the midlatitudes of the Pacific, more precipitation, and a faster movement of heat from the tropics toward the North Pole. As a result of these changes, "it's almost certain that weather in the U.S. is changing," says Zhang.
Smaller Drops, Bigger Storms
Zhang and his colleagues used computer modeling to study the effects on the weather of aerosols, which are fine particles suspended in the air. The main natural aerosols over the Pacific are sea salt tossed up by waves and dust blown off the land.
But those natural particles are now increasingly outnumbered by human-made ones. According to Zhang, the most significant aerosols the team considered are sulfates, which are emitted primarily by coal-fired power plants. Other aerosol pollutants are released by vehicle emissions and industrial activities.
In the atmosphere, such aerosols scatter and absorb sunlight, and thus have both cooling and warming effects on climate. But they also affect the formation of clouds and precipitation—and the magnitude of that indirect effect on clouds is one of the biggest uncertainties hampering scientists' ability to forecast climate change.
Clouds form when water vapor condenses around aerosol particles to form liquid droplets. Because pollution increases the number of particles, it leads to more water droplets—but smaller ones. Those smaller droplets in turn rise to greater heights in the atmosphere—and even form ice—before they precipitate back out.
In an earlier paper, Zhang and his colleagues used satellite data to show that the amount of "deep convective clouds," including thunderstorms, had increased over the North Pacific between 1984 and 2005. The most likely reason, they concluded, was an increase in aerosol pollution from Asia. "The intensified Pacific storm track likely has profound implications for climate," they wrote.
Global Effects
In the recent study the scientists took a first stab at considering those global implications. Standard global climate models simulate the atmosphere at grid points that are too widely spaced to resolve the fine-scale processes involved in cloud formation—which is one reason clouds remain such a knotty problem for climate scientists. But the researchers found a way to embed a "cloud resolving model" into a conventional climate model.
They then used that "multiscale" model to compare the preindustrial atmosphere of 1850, when levels of aerosol pollution over the Pacific were low, with the present atmosphere.
The simulations confirmed that human-made aerosols are now spreading across the Pacific and having large effects on the storms that sweep east during winter. The storms are more vigorous than they would be without pollution, with more ice and a broader "anvil" shape to the cloud tops. And those more vigorous storms are having a significant effect on the global atmosphere: They're increasing the flow of heat from the equatorial region toward the Arctic, says Zhang.
What about North America? The Pacific storm track has a big effect on American weather, and large-scale natural changes like El Niño and La Niña are known to disrupt its usual pattern, leading to floods and droughts.
"What we have shown is that aerosols from Asia can get transported over the Pacific and change weather in North America," Zhang says—but nailing down the nature of the change will require more research.
"We've been getting some weird weather, such as a very cold winter [in the eastern U.S.], so the next question is, does that have something to do with Asian pollution?"
Friday, September 26, 2014
2014 Mid-Year Report: The 10 Best Restaurants In Baguio
2014 Mid-Year Report: The 10 Best Restaurants In Baguio
BY EJ DELA VEGA ON
Sunshine season is more or less over now that the “ber” months are right around the corner, but that shouldn’t be a reason not to visit the Philippines’ summer capital, Baguio. Most people come for the cool mountain air, but it seems like there’s another reason to visit these days — the food!
On this list are the top 10 best restaurants in Baguio — Northern Luzon’s now highly-urbanized capital city, based on reviews sent in by looloo users for the first half of 2014!
10. Choco-late de Batirol24 Reviews
Average Rating: 3.98
Photo from Chichi T’s review for Choco-late de Batirol
Amidst the cool mountain breeze and on chilly Baguio nights, can one think of a better companion than a cup of traditional tsokolate (hot chocolate)? At Choco-late de Batirol, located inside the iconicCamp John Hay, you can get a cup of the traditional cacao blend alongside a number of Filipino merienda staples that ought to put a little warm and fuzzy in you.
9. Happy Tummy11 Reviews
Average Rating: 4.07
Photo from Rb G’s review for Happy Tummy
Just one of the small restaurants/concessionaires you’ll find within the Ketchup Food Community,Happy Tummy is the place to go for Thai cuisine. They serve common Thai fare such as Pad Thai and Curry, but also a number of dishes that have just enough of a Thai twist to please the Filipino palate. Their Crispy Tilapia with Tamarind Sauce is a favorite among reviewers who’ve been to the place!
8. Beans Talk12 Reviews
Average Rating: 4.17
Photo from Sheree G’s review for Beans Talk
Mostly known for their delectable and affordable desserts, this cafe/tea joint offers an assortment of sweet treats to go with your cup o’ Joe or tea. Reviewers have nothing but raves for favorites like their yema cake and s’mores pie! They must be pretty good, as some looloo users have noted that the place is usually pretty packed!
7. O’ Mai Khan12 Reviews
Average Rating: 4.17
Photo from Meg Y’s review for O’ Mai Khan
An eat-all-you-can buffet isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind when you think of foodie joints in Baguio, but you’d be surprised at how diverse the dining options are now — O’ Mai Khan is a perfect example. For a little more than P200, you get a full Mongolian buffet, similar to places like Cafe Sweet Inspirations in Manila. With that price, it’s no wonder people love frequenting the place!
6. Cafe Sabel9 Reviews
Average Rating: 4.25
Photo from Erick B’s review for Cafe Sabel
Cafe Sabel, appropriately named after national artist Benedict Cabrera’s famous muse, is located at the ground floor of Baguio’s famous BenCab Museum. After time spent viewing the museum’s art pieces, this is the perfect place to simply sit back, enjoy a meal made with fresh ingredients (with fruits and vegetables supposedly picked directly from the compound!), and toast to the beautiful view of Baguio’s countryside.
47 Reviews
Average Rating: 4.25
Photo from Livi B’s review for Cafe by the Ruins
“The perfect place to have breakfast” is mentioned a lot in reviews for this place. With their selection of Filipino breakfast classics, and what one reviewer called “the best ensaymada in the country,” it’s clear why a lot of tourists and locals come to the rustic restaurant. Of course, Cafe by the Ruins isn’t just about breakfast — they’ve got dishes like bagnet, several curries, even risotto, to fill you up at any time of the day.
4. Vizco’s Restaurant and Cake Shop53 Reviews (All Branches)
Average Rating: 4.26
Photo from Pocholo N’s review for Vizco’s Restaurant and Cake Shop
“I approach the cake display as I gathered all my strength not to order a slice of each.”
Apparently, that’s how good the cakes are at this place. While they serve savory dishes like pizzas, pastas, and rice meals as well, it’s the cakes from Vizco’s that have people lining up. Baguio is famous for growing some of the juiciest strawberries in the country, and Vizco’s is well-known for taking those strawberries and turning them into their most popular offering, the strawberry shortcake.
3. Oh My Gulay13 Reviews
Average Rating: 4.37
Photo from Juvi M’s’s review for Oh My Gulay
With Benguet being known as the “Salad Bowl of the Philippines,” it seems only fitting that a vegetarian restaurant would make it to this list. The restaurant itself is a sight to see! It’s an old rustic-looking structure, decorated with plants and wood carvings, located at the top of an old building in the city’s center. One reviewer even commented that finding the place felt like a quest in itself!
They serve simple but tasty vegetarian food like Kalabasa Tempura and the popular “Anak ng Puttanesca” among others, and with the place’s look, charm and overall appeal, you’d think they were made by local diwatas from the area. Trying this place out is definitely worth climbing 5 flights of stairs for.
2. Forest House18 Reviews
Average Rating: 4.41
Photo from Chichi T’s review for Forest House
As the name suggests, the place’s ambience lends itself to its log cabin-esque look and vibe, with a stunning view from the place’s veranda to further accentuate the feeling of dining at a mountainside retreat. On their menu you’ll find an extensive selection of local and international dishes, as well as an impressive number of pastries and baked goods for dessert (or to take home!).
Oh, and in case you really end up falling in love with the place, aside from being a restaurant, the place is also a bed and breakfast!
1. Hill Station21 Reviews
Average Rating: 4.44
Photo from Frances B’s review for Hill Station
Apparently voted as one of Asia’s best restaurants by The Miele Guide in 2011 and 2012, it’s no wonder that this semi-fine dining restaurant made it to the #1 spot on this list. As far as ambience goes, one reviewer had this to say: “the place oozes elegance and old world charm. The warmth of the wood floors and the regal double staircase speaks of class.”
Its menu is a mix of East and West, which speaks volumes of the chefs’ skill and expertise. Whatever craving you may have, be it Spanish, to Italian, even Tex-Mex, Hill Station will likely not only meet your expectations, but far exceed them. Oh, and don’t leave without ordering their Death by Chocolate.
When things go wrong and surprises come to lighten up our lives.
 |
| http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ |
How did it come to this? It is a question most people ponder upon on days when nothing seems right and everything is wrong. But like the river that flows no matter what happens, it finds its way to its final home - the sea.
Nothing is right, Everything is wrong.
by Kristen
It's been so long, too long,nothing is right, and everything is wrong.
tears fall from your eyes, onto your face..
nothing is where it should be
you don't recognize this place.
It hurts to live, even sometimes to breathe,
you want to walk away, just get up and leave;
you want to sleep forever, you pray this is just a dream..
everything and everyone around you makes you just want to scream...
You can't imagine life was meant to be this way,
so you cry,
and dream up ways to take away the pain for good..
cause life isn't worth living one more day,
when everything is wrong and nothings as it should.
All around you, love is pure and true,
it's warmth and light is shining bright...
cause someday baby,
nothing will be wrong and everything will be right.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Making A Friend
Never confuse people who are always around you with people who are always there for you.
-Gee Linder
Wikipedia says: Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between two or more people.
Friendships end for many different reasons. Sometimes friends move away from each other and are forced to move on due to the distance. As long as the two people have met face-to-face in the past, however, digital technology has made geographic distance less of an obstacle to maintaining an existing friendship than it would have been decades ago. Sometimes divorce causes an end to friendships, as people drop one or both of the divorcing people. At a younger age friendships may end as a result of acceptance into new social groups. (Friendships, 2009; Berry, 2012)
-Gee Linder
Wikipedia says: Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between two or more people.
Life cycle
Making a friend
Three significant factors make the formation of a friendship possible:
- proximity, which means being near enough to see each other or do things together;
- repeatedly encountering the person informally and without making special plans to see each other; and
- opportunities to share ideas and personal feelings with each other.
Ending a friendship
Friendships end for many different reasons. Sometimes friends move away from each other and are forced to move on due to the distance. As long as the two people have met face-to-face in the past, however, digital technology has made geographic distance less of an obstacle to maintaining an existing friendship than it would have been decades ago. Sometimes divorce causes an end to friendships, as people drop one or both of the divorcing people. At a younger age friendships may end as a result of acceptance into new social groups. (Friendships, 2009; Berry, 2012)
Friendships may end by fading quietly away or may end suddenly. How and whether to talk about the end of a friendship is a matter of etiquette that depends on the circumstances.
Queen Bees
"Friends can help each other. A true friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself - and especially to feel. Or not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at the moment is fine with them. That's what real life amounts to - letting a person be what he really is." - Jim Morrison
Every generation produces remarkable personalities. Stand outs. Be it good or bad. It changes many lives. Which personality are you? The follower or the leader? The queen bee or the worker bee?
Wikipedia says: A queen bee in a school setting is sometimes referred to as a school diva or school princess. These queen bees are often stereotyped in media as being beautiful, charismatic,manipulative, and wealthy, holding positions of high social status, such as being head cheerleader (or being the captain of some other, usually an all-girl, sports team), the Homecoming or Prom Queen (or both), or even being the daughter of the principal or a teacher. The phenomenon of queen bees is common in finishing schools.
Queen bees may wield substantial influence and power over their cliques, and are considered role models by clique members and outsiders. Her actions are closely followed and imitated. Sussana Stern identifies the following qualities as characteristic of queen bees:- Having an overly-heightened self-esteem, which may lead to arrogance
- Being overly-aggressive, selfish, manipulative and strong-willed
- Behaving as a bully
- Being wealthy and/or "spoiled"
- Being pretty, popular, talented, rich, or privileged
- Being hated by peers (mainly female peers)
Fictional portrayals of queen bees in schools include the films Heathers and Mean Girls. The latter was partially adapted from the nonfiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes. The television series Gossip Girl is highlighted for its portrayal of Blair Waldorf as a queen bee, as she has a league of minions for friends and is frequently referred as 'Queen B' by herself and her peers. Another television series Pretty Little Liars is also highlighted for its portrayal of Alison DiLaurentis as queen bee, as she has a clique, seems to be bossy and mean to people who are not her friends, and everyone treats her as a Queen. She is sometimes referred as 'Queen Ali'.
Pamper Yourself
Once you stop rushing through life, you will be amazed how much more life you have time for. ~Author Unknown
The world has gone mad. It's chaos everywhere. People are always in hurry. I guess this is a sickness for the modern man. If you think for a moment and just realize that you need to slow down and relax - Here is a great way to start: Relaxing baths by Susannah Marriott
Baths can be blissfully comforting: weightless and envelopes in warmth, you feel safe and nurtured, and stress evaporates. Paint your bathroom in relaxing shades of light green and pale blue, off-white and dove grey-the colors of the moon, the planet thought to preside over this part of the home in the Indian tradition of Vatsu, often referred to as Indian feng shui. In honor of the moon, place mirrors on the northern and eastern walls, and follow the recommendations in the ancient Hindu text The Mayamata, filling your bathing space with plants, flowers, and fine fragrances.
Health requires this relaxation,
The aimless life,
This life in the present.
- Henry David Thoreau
The world has gone mad. It's chaos everywhere. People are always in hurry. I guess this is a sickness for the modern man. If you think for a moment and just realize that you need to slow down and relax - Here is a great way to start: Relaxing baths by Susannah Marriott
Health requires this relaxation,
The aimless life,
This life in the present.
- Henry David Thoreau
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Thousands evacuated as Mayon volcano glows red | ABS-CBN News
Thousands evacuated as Mayon volcano glows red | ABS-CBN News
Thousands evacuated as Mayon volcano glows red
Posted at 09/16/2014 9:48 AM | Updated as of 09/16/2014 11:22 AM
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Moving On
“Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of
great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more
strength to know when to let go and then do it.”―Ann Landers
The world is changing and so are we. The life we have now is a manifestation of what we did in the past and what we are left to face. Many are prisoners of the life they once had, and reluctant to let go. Clinging to what was once and could have been. But holding on to the past in the hope of reliving those moments a person perceive to be the perfect life is a sad state. Life should be a balance of living, acceptance and moving on. I know it may be easier said than done, but we must be strong to do this, and to live our lives to the fullest. We have to learn to let go of our frustrations. Let you of bitterness and jealousy. Let go of relationships who will only drag us deeper into a chaotic life. Let go of stress and the negativity. We must learn to channel our strength in the most positive way and live a happy life as best we can.
ROSEWOOD - By Jane Grayson
Rosewood offers a station along the road, a stopping-off point to revive one's spirits and offload unnecessary luggage, aspects of life that are no longer necessary. As one climbs higher, the fewer items of baggage the better. This can also be done with Sandalwood or Cedarwood.
Sit quietly and breath gently evenly.
Allow a feeling of slow timelessness to rise up and surround you. Relax into it.
You are walking through a wood, carrying a heavy bag.
You arrive at a clearing where you see a well with a wooden drinking cup beside you. You take some of the clear water, rest awhile, and then you move on. The sun is shining through the canopy of leaves and you feel lighthearted - and light. You realize you have left the bag behind you. "I can move on, there are no restrictions."Photo credit to the owners.
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