Friday, March 4, 2011


MUST WATCH OF THE DAY:
Human Planet - Web exclusive series trailer - BBC One
Filmed in 80 locations, this documentary will surely get you see the inspiring relationship of humankind and nature.
I swear you must see this 3 minute trailer to get a better view of earth from where you’re sitting at the moment. Don’t miss this.
Today’s Science: Placebo/Nocebo
Good and evil, light and darkness, optimistic and pessimistic, our world is so full of opposites. Even in medicinal phenomenon Placebos, we have the placebo effect and its “evil twin”, nocebo.
The Placebo Effect
“The placebo effect is the phenomenon whereby a patient’s symptoms can be alleviated by an otherwise ineffective treatment; most likely because the individual expects or believes that the treatment will work.” [ukskeptics]
The Nocebo Effect
“A nocebo effect is an ill effect caused by the suggestion or belief that something is harmful.” [priory] ”The term ‘nocebo effect’ refers to the negative consequences arising from the administration of a placebo.”[skepdic] [img]
Our bodies hold a lot of mysteries. Our perception towards our health is undoubtedly a main factor towards how the body can perform.
Today’s Science: Placebo/Nocebo
Good and evil, light and darkness, optimistic and pessimistic, our world is so full of opposites. Even in medicinal phenomenon Placebos, we have the placebo effect and its “evil twin”, nocebo.
The Placebo Effect
“The placebo effect is the phenomenon whereby a patient’s symptoms can be alleviated by an otherwise ineffective treatment; most likely because the individual expects or believes that the treatment will work.” [ukskeptics]
The Nocebo Effect
“A nocebo effect is an ill effect caused by the suggestion or belief that something is harmful.” [priory] ”The term ‘nocebo effect’ refers to the negative consequences arising from the administration of a placebo.”[skepdic] [img]
Our bodies hold a lot of mysteries. Our perception towards our health is undoubtedly a main factor towards how the body can perform.

Cool Photo of the day: A swarm of flamingos forming a replica of a flamingo in aerial perspective. It’s probably the coolest swarm of flamingos you’ll ever see! The photo was discovered a month after it was taken by photographer Robert Haas, National Geographic.
Cool Photo of the day: A swarm of flamingos forming a replica of a flamingo in aerial perspective. It’s probably the coolest swarm of flamingos you’ll ever see! The photo was discovered a month after it was taken by photographer Robert Haas, National Geographic.

Tweeted: I was looking up how can I buy tickets for Aerosmith concert live in Manila, my boyfriend have been mentioning it to me a few times already and I wanted to surprise him lol. It turned out the concert is fake, so very disappointing. It is good though that I checked news sites first and learned it’s a hoax, otherwise I’d be a scam victim. #lolwth
Tweeted: I was looking up how can I buy tickets for Aerosmith concert live in Manila, my boyfriend have been mentioning it to me a few times already and I wanted to surprise him lol. It turned out the concert is fake, so very disappointing. It is good though that I checkednews sites first and learned it’s a hoax, otherwise I’d be a scam victim. #lolwth

(Break from modifying website layout.)
Here’s Allison Krauss singing Lennon/McCartney song “I Will”Live. Still (and maybe will always be) my favorite cover of this song. A real classic. Listen to that, “great” isn’t the right word but it’s the first that comes to mind. 
#oldies but goodies

Your blog is amazing! I have learnt so much just from being on it for less than an hour!
... and I answered
Thank you! All these appreciation messages I’m receiving make me smile. And it’s amazing that my posts reach people so far as where you are. 

fallingdusk asked ...
hi
just a quick survey
what do you think of gay rights?
... and I answered
Straight, bi, gay, lesbians, they’re all human. I believe in equality and human rights, the welfare and well-being of all people should be prioritized, no matter what gender you have (or like to exercise). In Gay Rights, I hope people are not only thinking about same sex marriage. Before this, there should also be recognition of these kinds of relationships, same-sex sexual activities, anti-discrimination, same-sex adoption, and the likes. People should, if not accept, at least recognize that these people exist. These kinds of relationship exist. And choosing your gender preference is not as bizarre now as it was the century before, these people should have equal rights on experiencing love and happiness like straight people do.

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania.Maybe the closest you’ll get to the biblical place Garden of Eden? It is a large, unbroken, unflooded volcanic caldera that was formed three million years ago where you can see lots of variety of wildlife and scenic landscapes. Definitely one of the places to check out in Africa. 
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania.Maybe the closest you’ll get to the biblical place Garden of Eden? It is a large, unbroken, unflooded volcanic caldera that was formed three million years ago where you can see lots of variety of wildlife and scenic landscapes. Definitely one of the places to check out in Africa. 

FYI, List Of “Secret” Codes.

I think I become addicted to reading about “secret” codes when I read Choke by Chuck Palahniuk. There was a part when his mother was telling him codes officers use to convey messages normal citizens should not know. He said, this is how the world will end (or something), just one announcement of code, and then nothing. I must have been so passionate about this subject that I searched for more. Here’s a list:
VESSEL CODES
  1. Mr. Skylight - paged over the PA system is an alert for the crew on board and means there is a minor emergency somewhere.
  2. Mr. Mob - means man overboard.
  3. Code Blue -  usually means a medical emergency
  4. Bravo, Bravo, Bravo, - used by many cruise lines to alert crew to a fire or other serious incident on board without alarming passengers.
NAME CODES
  1. Code delta: can mean that there is a biological hazard.
  2. Code Alpha: often means “medical emergency”.
  3. Code Adam is a “missing child” safety program in the United States and Canada, originally created by Wal-Mart retail stores in 1994. It is named in memory of Adam Walsh, the 6-year-old son of John Walsh (the host of Fox’s America’s Most Wanted.). Adam was abducted from a Sears department store in Florida in 1981 and was later found murdered.
COMPUTER USER ERROR CODES
A user error is an error made by the human user of a complex system, usually a computer system, in interacting with it. Although the term is sometimes used by Human Computer Interaction practitioners, the more formal human error term is used in the context of human reliability [via].
  1. PEBKAC: Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair.
  2. PICNIC: Problem In Chair Not In Computer.
  3. ID 10 T Error:  “Idiot error” are also used as slang in technical circles with a derogatory meaning.
  4. TSTO: Too stupid to operate.
HOSPITAL EMERGENCY CODES
Hospital Emergency Codes are used in hospitals worldwide to alert staff to various emergency situations. [via]
  1. Doctor Brown:  is a code word often used in hospitals to alert security staff to a threat to personnel.
  2. Dr. Allcome: Serious emergency. E.g: “Dr. Allcome to Ward 4”, then the personnel will know they should assist on Ward 4.
  3. Dr. Pyro: Fire in the hospital/healthcare facility.
  4. Dr. Strong: Patient needing either physical assistance or physical restraint. 
  5. Code Yellow / Code 10 / Code 100 - means bomb threat.
  6. Code Pink / Code Purple - child abduction.
References: 12, 3 , 4 , 5.

Vacation to the moon? Why not?!
So you want to take a vacation to the moon? Well of course, you can! (That is if you can afford a $100 million-a-seat tour.) Space Adventure provides two-week $100 M Moon Cruise for tourists that are required to be trained first for space tour alongside Russian cosmonauts at Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center in Russia.
Vacation to the moon? Why not?!
So you want to take a vacation to the moon? Well of course, you can! (That is if you can afford a $100 million-a-seat tour.) Space Adventureprovides two-week $100 M Moon Cruise for tourists that are required to be trained first for space tour alongside Russian cosmonauts at Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center in Russia.