a 3d pen - for all you who love to doodle

would you want to own a 3d doodle pen?

click on the link below for details.  

if i remember right,  Neil Gaiman also mentioned the kickstarter campaign, for an artist who wanted to animate his short story "The Price".  i think. if memory serves.  i have had 3 full-on unconscious surgeries, which i am told ... affect memories...  whatever.  you can check Neil's blog.

i wasnt able to contribute then, but the project was a success!

here's a chance to help kickstart a project.  who knows ... maybe one day you will have a project to kickstart..  the Colossal page also brings you to the Kickstart site.  it doesnt have to a big amount, but it does have to be in $$$$$$$

Click here all ye doodlers Colossal.com/2013/02/the-worlds-first-3d-printing-pen-that-lets-you-draw-sculptures-in-real-time/?src=footer

just sharing the page

colorful birds.  this is part of the reason many people enjoy bird-watching.

i remember my first glimpse of a blue jay strutting his stuff in the parking lot of the Huntington Museum in California. i was out on a date with a gentleman, who perhaps, was not into as much art as i was. i will always remember him when i look at the daybook souvenir he got me.  he must be married now with kids.  still, it was a very interesting day.  the blue jay was wonderful.  it may be a common bird in the USA, but it was hardly common to me, being a Filipina mostly here in MetroManila, Philippines

Click here to view 11-of-the-coolest-birds-you-have-ever-seen

Goodreads quote for Wednesday, 27 February

Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad. 


Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
 
February 27, 1807: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s greatest achievement? Becoming the first American writer to earn a living from royalties! He was born 205 years ago today.

When A Knight comes to the rescue

a truly lovely romantic ... think Arthurian legend .... picture

please click here for a look see at a scene :) from Camelot

Kasambahay

looking for a kasambahay?

i was. but thinking of all the paperwork i had to do, i had to rethink having one.
instead, i'm just looking for company.  maybe i'll have that when my friend Y or my friend Tam visits.

too much paperwork. imagine, you'd have to do the paperwork for sss, philhealth, and pag-ibig ... for someone who might stay just a month. and wont or cant even do the job properly. or worst, might rob you blind. and someone who gives less than satisfaction.

too much work having a kasambahay.  not to mention the cost. not just in terms of $, but something more costly - time and effort.

so no. not anymore.  we will see though.

Lauding Quezon City and other cities banning plastic bags

lookit all the germs in the article below.  yucccch!
plastic is forever.  read'em and weep,

the only thing i worry about using those paper bags are the trees they are felling to make into paper. but that's another post, for another day.


Click here to read the germ-ridden-consequences-of-plastic-bag-bans

Renewable Energy

The Philippines is a tropical country, with lots of sunshine - and let us face it - the country is extremely hot these days.  With climate change, the situation has only exacerbated.  Temps are climbing higher.  Why cant we harness our weather and parlay it into cheaper, okay, less expensive power?  Why cant the government - say through agencies like SSS or GSIS offer loans so that the regular houseowner can afford to install solar power.  

we can put the solar cells on our roofs, and use the energy those generate for our home use.  Any excess can be sold to the power company.  there is a location in Japan (i cant find my bookmark in my pc!) that has implemented this strategy.  Very symbiotic. a win-win.

in a study we made, no - not an extensive one - since most of the Sakonits have regular job hours and cant pursue all of our ideals, we figured the major cost lies in the generator .... to store the energy generated by the sun.  the solar cells by themselves is not that expensive.

well, of course the power company would have less income, right?  is this what is stopping support for solar? betch by golly wow, it better NOT be.  we have to stop depending on fossil fuels.  

am i shouting uselessly to the world? better than be silent and allow chaos to take over without a fight.

then, we'd have a worst case .... and we arent skilled yet with terraforming like in StarTrek

Click here to read 3-conservative-friendly-reasons-to-support-solar

Reaction to HTT's post last Friday

A long time ago, perhaps not in this blog, i had mentioned that unless individuals were investment-inclined,  they dont bother to really provide for their future, except perhaps to purchase an insurance policy - the just-in-case-scenario of the event of death.   However, it is not always just death that may bring disaster to a family.  Loss of income due to contingencies of many flavors have a higher probability of occurring.  Accidents may disable a person, thereby causing him to lose a major source of his  income.

Hence, i have been antsy about PERA, but no more... i think i may just fall under the not-eligible due to the long wait.  *hay*  the wheels of justice grind very slow indeed!

anyway, ofws have been romanced into paying their contributions as well as paying into a flexi-account.  How nice, and yet, as HTT points out, very few OFWs actually do that note and i dont understand why.

click below to read how advantaged and fully privileged these OFWs are .....
HTT's post on The Manila Standard Today /2013/02/22/ the-plight-of-migrant-workers/

10 ways to live longer

i give you this link Click here to see the 10-ways-to-live-forever

that is, if you want to live forever...

,,,,, i was looking for laughing ... but i guess it fell under the "Get it On", so not just about sex, but perhaps things that release serotonins or endorphins.

but hey, this website is a great place to find some laughter  if you are on the net, wacky things are great for laughter, and laughter is one of best things in this world
Click here for a broccoli house
Click here for a Gummy-bear-skin-rug
and here for a Rice-krispyhenge, so similar to stonehenge where magic is said to flow

and to see the rest of his pictures on Flicker ----
 Follow his series on Flicker - i love the nude beach scene...........click here and enjoy

Laugh.  Read Waterson's Calvin and Hobbes. Guaranteed a laugh
He recently released his entire collection - 3 books.  wonderful book indeed!

Dark and Light

This photograph is a rare juxtaposition of Dark and Light. 
A quick peek at the photograph which was allowed by the site to be downloaded.
White Swans and Dark Ducks, Pristine Snow and  Dark Waters.
A study in contrasts.  Man is much like this photograph, dark and light, and the many nuances of betwixt -  may the light in a man's soul prevail, always.  Sana.

A Man Feeding Swans in the Snow

Polish photographer Marcin Ryczek
 

Click here for Colossal's a-man-feeding-swans-in-the-snow

Carlos A. Arellano has passed away

He was fondly called Chuckie by his intimates and though i did not know him as much as i would have wanted, the little i know has shown him to be a warm and charming man, a true patron of the arts.  Condolences to his family and loved ones, and to all the friends he made.

He was the President and Chairman of the Commission during his tenure at the Social Security System, at the time of President Joseph Estrada.

he passed away yesterday, 20 February 2013
and cremation was last night.

necrological services are scheduled for tomorrow night, 7 pm 22 February 2013
Christ the King, Green Meadows, Quezon City

i dont think i can attend, as my leg is aching, but i will pray for the eternal repose of his soul
he is with his Creator.

for more info about CAA, click here to visit his site, then click contact to get to other choices

Goodreads quote for Wednesday

one of my favorites, Dylan Thomas.

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.


Dylan Thomas

February 20, 1950: Welsh poet Dylan Thomas arrived in New York 63 years ago today, where he began an American speaking tour that cemented his reputation as a literary genius and epic imbiber.

The SSS ACOP ad

did you see the SSS ACOP Ad?
well, if you didnt, here it is reproduced ......
do check the info in the box - if 80 and above, or incapacitated -
you do need the barangay certificate though
YOU NEED NOT GO TO SSS OR THE BANK!!!!

 i finally got a colored version ---- here it is.  i am including it because it may be a little clearer than the black-and-white version below it

Navigating through this blog

i wish to remind readers of this blog that if they want to see all related posts of the same or similar topic to please click on a tag or label.

these will sequence all posts of a similar topic

Htt's post on Manila Standard .... deterioration into a Ponzi scheme?

when i was studying actuarial math in the University of the Philippines at Diliman, i learnt that insurance companies are required to have their chief actuary, not the chief accountant, sign the Financial Statement.  the reason for that is very simple, only an actuary can vouch for its reserve as the accountant is NOT qualified to do that.  Even the CFO supposedly cannot, since he does not understand about reserves.  reserves form a large chunk of an insurance company's assets ---- which the company is supposed to invest properly.

same thing for SSS, however - as HTT points, SSS is a pay-as-you-go system and he puts that succinctly when he says that current benefits are paid for by current contributions.

this system of going after the marginalized sector, is great for universal coverage, but rather poor fiscal responsibility ... so, do the needs of some outweigh the responsible others?

Click here for the full article in the manilastandardtoday.com/2013/02/15/straightway-deterioration-into-a-ponzi-scheme

Colossal - Wire Trees

thought i'd post on the same day ....really pretty

Colossal's Wire-trees-by-kevin-iris

Colossal - Imitating Life - Miniature Wire Bonsai

Remember Malcolm in Jurassic Park - he says life will find a way. 
thusly, he says, life is awesome and unpredictable, and fights for survival.

a much more predictable, and less work perhaps is this artwork by Ken To
no need for water nor sunlight,  it is unchanging and has a frozen beauty all its own
this is the sort of plant i can have in my bedroom :)

Click here for Colossal's selection of miniature-wire-bonsai-trees-by-ken-to

Colossal art - tiny villages

this is a wonderful collection of the art of Takanori Aiba

do take the time to view it ----

colossal's bonsai-tree-houses-by-takanori-aiba

You can pay SSS even if you are now a GSIS member

Yesterday, i was having a bone scan and somehow we got to talk about SSS - well, i normally ask if people are still paying for their SSS.  So the doc (?) - he was doing the scan told me he was now a GSIS member - since he is working for NKTI. However, he told me he used to work for the private sector, and that he had contributions paid in SSS

i told him he could continue to pay for his SSS contributions, and i told him to pay for the current maximum, which would cost him only one expensive lunch - 1,560.00.  And it was successful. He will start paying his SSS contributions.

i told him that SSS pensions are guaranteed by the Philippine government and for as long as there stands a Philippine government, the SSS stands.  Not a bad guarantee ......

Selection of a New Pope

Are you curious as to how a new pope is selected?
Most Catholics already have a smattering of knowledge about the Conclave and how the candidates are evaluated and culled.  my irreverent friend says there is no difference between voting off someone in the survivor show.

well, there is one procedure that is never questioned.  an Act of God always takes precedence over any voting.

i remember The Swiss Alpine Tales, a book i won in grade school in the San Beda Frolics.  my brothers and male cousins were Bedans, and we girls were in the College of the Holy Spirit, formerly called Holy Ghost College, hence the nick "Holy Mamaw".

wait for the story.  in that book, a young male was sent 3x away by his rich Dad to learn something -
he learnt 3 things, one for each trip away: how the frogs talk, how the wolves (or dogs, i am not quite sure now - i read the book ages ago) talk, and how the birds talk.

finally fed up with his son for learning useless things, or so the father said, he sent his son away.  the son found his way to a tower guarded by wolves.  they would hurt/kill anyone who attempted to stay in the tower, but since he could understand them, he found a way to disarm them and rid them of the treasure they guarded setting him free.

he continued his way to Rome and heard the frogs croaking in the night.  he was sad to hear what the frogs had to say.  the frogs said that the Pope had died and a new Pope was being selected that very night.  they also prophesied who was going to be Pope.

i guess if you want to hear about accurate prophecies, you might to learn frog talk.

however, undeterred, he proceeded to Rome.

When he reached Rome and had gotten in sight of the Conclave, two doves immediately alighted on his shoulder.  the Cardinals saw this and asked him questions.  he simply said whatever the doves said.  and so he became pope.  i forgot which pope he was supposed to be.

incidentally, if you want to be the Pope, you might want to learn bird talk.  just a joke, of course.

i wish i could look at the book when i get home but the library was painted and i havent gotten around to fixing things again.  it is hard when you are the only person who can do it, you see.

anyway, here's the link to the twin hearts prophecy which talks about a supernatural selection.


Click here for the Twin Hearts prophecy

Happy Hearts today

Happy V!

i wish to share this poem with all of you,
it tells us to take the time to watch the grass grow and smell that extraordinary smell of freshly mowed grass

strangely enough i first read it in one of those romance novels i read before i sleep
it goes

What is this life, if full of care

we have no time to stand and stare.

the full text of the poem is reproduced here - but you can click below for the website

Leisure
by William Henry Davies

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.


Click here for the website poem by William Henry Davies

Goodreads quote

What's the good of living if you don't try a few things?

Charles M. Schulz

February 13, 2000: A day after creator Charles M. Schulz died, newspapers ran the last original “Peanuts” strip. Charlie Brown never got to kick the football. Good grief. 

****************

One of my favorite comic strips, Peanuts.  Charles . Schulz was a very prolific writer.  He gave us many words of wisdom via Peanuts.  One of my favorites .... has Snoopy saying "Curse you, Red Baron!"

... to say many things i could not personally say, i would imagine Snoopy saying them, and i would have the face of the Red Baron i wanted it directed to in my head.

 

Why is the SSS processing even slower than usual?

a friend of mine rhetorically asked this question.  we are both SSS members, after all - although i havent filed for any benefits lately...

the answer is probably related to IT - there must have been a change in processing, manual or otherwise. why blame IT?  that's the role of IT - to speed things without sacrificing data integrity and security. remember,  IT is not just about computerized systems.  Computerized systems are doomed to fail without the appropriate manual procedures in place. IT must also consider the business before it changes anything.  So if the processing is slower, it must be an IT thing.  Now, maybe it is for the safety so dont get angry.

Remember if you have a complaint - bring it up to the right persons.

Sure i know.  i have many years in IT, doing things correctly and accurately, and have managed to keep in touch.  Many of my friends are in IT, though seriously, a lot of my Sayans batchmates are in the medical profession.

The Pope resigns

as if we didnt have troubles enough, it was shocking to hear about the resignation of the Pope

and to top it all there are prophecies galore
a long time ago, before Pope Benedict in fact,
someone told me that the next pope will be the Anti-Christ
i went ho-hum because i thought that this would take ages

everyone now knows about Bishop Malachy

here is an excerpt:

St. Malachy, bishop of Armagh in the 12th Century, predicted that the current pope -- although he was not specifically identified as Pope Benedict XVI -- would be the second-to-last pontiff before the end of the world.

Click here to read the full article 

some other prophecy, from the Twin Hearts group
Click here if you are interested in prophecies of this sort

and Remember the fabulous triple-six
and what it means.....

scary, isnt it.  i do encourage everyone to pray to God
although God may be getting more than a little angry with His people
it seems we - His people - arent heeding His words

Colossal's Mad Architecture, anyone

please look at these mad structures, remind of you any government office?
let me know what government office, if any ......

Click here for Colossal's jim-kazanjian mad architecture

yesterday. 10 February 2013

Thanksgiving lunch for my 5th Anniversary,  Twas the fiesta at the Parish, and Twas Chinese New Year
The Year of the Water Snake

i was charging the batteries of my camera so i wasnt able to get a picture of everyone... yeah. silly timing.
anyway, aside from the people in the 3 shots here - Ging went solo as Paulie was tired & Justine was a-studying, Aris Balisi and family were there, Batchmates Atty. Paeng & family and Nephro Benita.

other Officemates were simply not able to come, and other Sakonits were not able to join.

Here are my ex-STI friends, siblings Yammy & Choodze, and Sampaloc friends, siblings Israel & Efren.

Choodze and Yam on either side

Israel & Efren on either side, me in my gladiator braces

Aragorn's Verse

have you heard this before

Aragorn's verse as written by JRR Tolkien in the Lord of the Rings, specifically, the Fellowship of the Ring.  He was known as Strider then, a Ranger.  If you play ADD or WoW, then you know the capabilities of a Ranger.  Just a reminder that all too often what we see is NOT what we get.

here's the quote

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king

HTT's post on Hiring the Retired, Manila Standard Today 08 Feb 2013

very interesting post of HTT today.
he gets no arguments from me

may i urge you to read it

the title reflects his discussion

Click here for the full post of HTT on hiring-the-retired

Inquirer News: Still on Kasambahay SSS contribution payments

Paying the Househelper SSS Contributions

Have you read the Inquirer News dated 2 February 2013?

if you are paying your Kasambahay less than 5,000 pesos monthly, you must fully pay the SSS contributions.
hmmmm.  the existing law is 7.07% is shouldered by the employer and 3.33% is shouldered by the employee. well, not for household helpers earning below 5,000.

just thought i'd pass the info to you.

Meet the members of the Social Security Commission

Just in case the names arent clear, here they are:

Juan B. Santos,  Chair

Emilio S. de Quiros, Jr.,  President and CEO, Vice-Chair

Rosalinda D. Baldoz,  Ex-Officio Member as Secretary of Labor and Employment

Diana B. Pardo-Aguilar,  Private Sector
Daniel L. Edralin,  Workers Group
Marianita O. Mendoza,  Women's Sector
Ibarra A. Malonzo
Bienvenido E. Laguesma
Eliza Bettina R. Antonio

Goodreads quote for Saturday 2 Feb 2013

The beginning of love is the will to let those we love be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist them to fit our own image.


Thomas Merton

Conversely, be yourself.  Do not mold yourself to be the image your loved one has for you.


Saturday was Candelaria.  Went to mass and had candles blessed.
Since it was Saturday, the mass was the anticipated one for Sunday.

SSS Pension Increase as approved by the house... and senate

supposedly this is how it goes

1,200 ----> 1,700 ----> 1,200 is the minimum pension as of now for those with 10 years CYS
2,400 ----> 3,400 ---->  2,400 is the pension for those with 20 years CYS

and SSS is supposed to equitably adjust everyone else upon implementation.  i dont know exact date

those who got their 18-month advanced pension should have some adjustments as well ...

good news for pensioners.

ADDENDUM:
there are no implementing rules and regulations yet

The Disabled or Persons with Disability

There is, of course, the Magna Carta for the Disabled....

Reading the provisions, it seems that the disabled person himself does NOT have any tax incentive.  People who either live with him get him for a dependent, but he himself does not get a single extra tax incentive for whatever earnings he can manage.

Some disabled persons can work, and can be gainfully employed.  However, he will be taxed like a normal person.  There seems to be something wrong with that.

Calling P-Noy or the BIR or Ralph Recto - perhaps they can look into the matter?

i want this!

This is a wonderful elephant collection,,,,,

Click here for the COMPLETE-COLLECTION-12-ELEPHANTS-HAMILTON-COLLECTION-PEANUT-PALS-OF-THE-MONTH-/321063796740?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ac0e4c004

but it is expensive, isnt it... but very lovely

but you know, i wonder, what happens to my collection when i go on to the next existence....
i have to find a collector someone ..... to bequeath them. someone who will appreciate them