A Colourful Close

How have you all (bloggers and visitors) been doing? Not just the past week, but this year that comes to a close faster and faster? And how have you got yourself prepared for the next year that’s already on the threshold and about to knock your door? To me, it’s been a year living in a roller coaster that had too many maintenance hours. Looking for some ways to get a more smooth running ride in 2010, I had a glimpse of what other people in this world do (in the hope) to achieve this.

Starting ‘just around the corner’: it’s said that here, in the Philippines, people wear clothes with round patterns, like polka dots, or serve circle shaped fruits and shake coins in pans while walking through the house, in the belief circles attract money. I honestly can’t affirm this, but I could grab my small change, a pan too, and try.

In Spain they seem to eat 12 grapes on New Year’s Eve, one on each chime of the clock, while wearing red underwear bringing good luck. Mexicans seem to have the same tradition, with an option to wear red underwear (for love) or yellow (for money). I wonder what will happen if I make the choice for orange? Getting my luggage outside, as they seem to do as well, as a sign for future trips, is worth to try. In this way, at least my room would be tidy again.

In Japan, Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times at midnight, that’s at least a lot more peaceful than the fireworks shooting out of one of the tallest buildings of this world, Taiwan’s ‘Taipei 101’. Or the expected bangs in my neighbourhood.

Italians call New Year's Eve ‘Capodanno’ (head of the year), but below that head they’re supposed to wear red underwear as well. They also seem to get rid of old or unused items by dropping them from the window, making it doubtful to me, that a midnight stroll to all family members’ homes down there could be beneficial. And who’s gonna clean that mess the next day?

Anyway, whatever tradition you fancy, keep up the good spirit, and see you all in good health soon.

Having A Car Crush

I never would have guessed that I would regret the fact I’d never have to pay for some insurance again. Because let’s be honest, those insurances, with their small print and big figures can be a handful, can’t they? Nevertheless, it’s a good feeling to be insured. The one I regret, is a car insurance. More than a year ago, someone I know parked his car at my door, to keep ‘an eye on’, gave me the keys and the green light for using it whenever I liked to. The insurance and the gas was all I had to pay. Now, next to all best wishes, I got his mail telling me he was coming to collect his car again in the very first week of 2010. So, that’s the reason I’m going to miss paying that car insurance. Oh well, if this is the biggest setback I’ve to face, I’ll survive.

Dimensions Of Darth Vader

The Day of Dimensions, that’s how December 30 could be called. It was this day, the year 1924, that American astronomer Edwin Hubble (1889-1953) was able to show that the universe is expanding with his discovery of the relation between velocity and distance. On this very same day, the year 1953, the first color television, offering us a very new dimension too, got on sale for 1,175 us dollars (to get some idea of the price tag: in the 1930s television sets cost the equivalent of about 7,000 us dollars today and had little available programming, for sure compared with the still ever expanding number of tv-channels today). Although there had been a 1884 patent by Paul Nipkow for a electromechanical system, a 1924 demonstration for a television system by John Baird, the earliest television sets were merely radios with a television device added that produced a very tiny postage-stamp sized image, hardly a breakthrough to new dimensions. A blessing in disguise perhaps, it’s told that in the 1930s a certain Hitler didn’t see the opportunities of television. His profile on the tube could have meant a devouring Black Hole of human history and would dwarf Darth Vader to a very innocent and cuddly gnome.

Skeletons, Shoes And Sales

What have first impressions, Santa and careers in common? In my case; with this almost past month of December. As a desk officer of a hotel I’ve had a lot of first impressions. Often, they have proven right, or pretty close. The wrong interpretations (of yours truly) will always stick in my mind, inflicting a smile or a horrible headache. In this month I’ve seen two Santa’s, one was convincing in appearance, one wasn’t. I guess the sneakers the latter was wearing had to do with it? If there’s something like ‘love at first sight’ an instant ‘let-down’ does exist surely? This disappointment brings me to the last part of this pondering: because of the irregularity in my current job, I’ll have to find another one. I’ve already started to focus on sales jobs again. I’m familiar with that field. With renewing some old ideas, and the removal of some old ‘business skeletons’, I think I’m ready for the coming year. I know it won’t be easy, but I got a whole year ahead of me. 

1 Line, 1 Wish

All roads lead to Rome, they say. I found one on this very special day to punch this one-liner, and wish you all the best Xmas ever!

Resolutions That Rescue

This might be the season of celebrations, but certain ways of expression to celebrate this time of year could be called straight dangerous. Especially with all those gatherings of people who are in a festive mood and therefor not really aware of possible dangers that surround them. Perhaps the best known example, and every year’s most underestimated, is the use of fireworks. Precautions in general, and the use of some simple but effective safety products in particular, might seem to kill the merriment and be unnecessary. But the annual global rate of victims speaks of another sobering reality. Pretty things like sparklers for instance seem harmless, but they burn at temperatures up to 2000 degrees celcius, hot enough to melt gold. To grow more awareness of this kind of things I consider a very good resolution for the new year.

A Puzzle Goes Public

Often I try to find two very different topics to write about and connect them. With various levels of success or failure. The subject of today gives me an instant and unexpected success: the first published crossword-puzzle by Arthur Wynne in the New York World, today, in 1913. Innocent as they might seem, these crossword-puzzles became a worry to the allied staff some thirty years later. More particular: just about 1 month before the D-Day invasion. At the time a series of crosswords appeared with code names such as ‘Utah’, ‘Omaha’ and ‘Overlord’ for these ever decisive and top secret operations in the London Daily Telegraph. The author of the puzzles, a schoolteacher, was arrested and interrogated. The investigators concluded that the appearance of the words was just a coincidence.

But, there’s a ‘but’: in 1984 the schoolteacher revealed that one of his students had picked up the words while hanging around the allied army camps. Which wasn’t hard to do, the UK was literally dotted with them. Having asked his students to provide unusual words as ingredients for his puzzles, this student had innocently passed them on to him. It reminds me of those posters that were hanging at every street corner by then, warning not to speak, because the enemy had ears. With a few more German puzzle addicts that invasion could have got a different ending.

A Caring Cross

Whatever you might think of Obama’s attempt to get the national healthcare in the USA changed, the reason behind it should be clear: it doesn’t work good enough. For too long, too many millions of Americans have been excluded from any healthcare at all, or are well enough insured for one that provides that healthcare at any time. His attempt wasn’t the first, and likely not the last. And considering the complexity of this issue, it will never be the perfect deal. So, while we have to rely on the established health insurance organizations such as Blue Cross Blue Shield NC, we have to do a few things more. One of them is to get ourselves prepared to change both bodies: our (real) private body and the national (healthcare) one. It won’t be easy, a change of diet or the letting go of the familiar things, even if they don’t work, takes time. But hey, the ‘Caring Season’ is approaching and the time for having a full 365 days to accomplish an improvement is pretty near as well. My best wishes for you all, insured or not, for 2010.

Rice, Roosters And Relish

Today’s the first day of the last nine days to Xmas that start with the Misa del Gallo or ‘Rooster’s Mass’ here in the Philippines. Originally held by the crack of dawn and meant for farmers who wanted to attend masses but weren’t able to leave the fields. It’s said that it owes its name to the idea that a rooster would have been among the first to witness the birth of Jesus, and thus be the one to announce it. One thing that’s really sure is the abundance of sweet toothed traditional Philippine delicacies such as puto bumbong (a purple colored rice pastry, seasoned with grated coconut and brown sugar), tsokolate (a hot cocoa drink), and bibingka (flour and egg cakes cooked on top and under), which are sold by vendors outside churches to the faithful and gourmets. It’s not the best time to trim down a few pounds, but the start of the best intentions is approaching as well... Image by Photobucket/kuramas_foxy_rose

Baskets And Bottoms

December 15, 1891, the first ball hit the basket in a game invented by Canadian J. Naismith that incorporated rules from a children's game called ‘Duck on a Rock’, to keep his students busy and fit during the long New England winters. America’s most popular sport was born. Not much, if anything of what we know today, was already there. Baskets had bottoms and the soccer balls used had to be retrieved manually each time after a score. The backboard was only introduced after many rowdy interference of the shots of spectators. Hence the birth of the rebound! Initially, a court was of unspecified dimensions. The first formal rules were devised in 1892. That same year the first official game was played with 9 players and the final score showed 1-0. That kind of score is hard to imagine these days. Girls were allowed to play basketball even before the iron hoop and hammock like basket got introduced in 1893. In the Victorian age where woman weren’t allowed much more than being pretty, this was at least a beginning. But there were restrictions, adaptations to keep it ‘suitable’, to prevent a young lady to develop ‘dangerous nervous tendencies and losing the grace and dignity and self respect’. But how those girls could dribble (restricted to 3 times), jump and run in long dresses, is a mystery to me. Image by Photobucket/renaissance_09

Simians’ Sorrow, Monkey Matters

December 14, Monkey Day, an unofficial holiday celebrated internationally with costume parties intended to help draw attention to issues concerning simians related to medical research, animal rights and evolution. The holiday got started by Casey Sorrow in 2000. Because it’s the closure of the Darwin Year in 17 days, this picture. The albino picture has gone, thanks to Photobucket's file system. But this one is cuddly cute as well. Image by Photobucket/tracyfm

Pretty Party Prints

For some reason I always neglect and postpone my choice for one of the cutest things of this time of year: Christmas greeting cards! It can’t be the enormous choice of cards to blame, that’s really gigantic. I might be too picky: not the right colour or type of font, too small, too big. The good thing is, for at least some of us, that whatever theme you need party invitations for, shopping around online brings you, next to that ever growing variety, the tools to personalize your choice in a much more satisfactory way. Even the service given has improved a lot. There was a time you got what you made. Mistakes included. Now there are consultants who will check the accuracy, spelling and grammar before it gets printed. Image by Photobucket/pinkcaminy

The Berries And The Beast

Some Professor Daniel Kruger of the University of Michigan thinks to have found the reason why men and women aren’t that thrilled to shop together. The source of this rather stubborn and tensed discomfort would be in the difference of tasks that go back as early as the Stone Age. The reason that women are so fussy to make a pick, go back and forth once more to be really sure to have the right outfit, is that they were the ones to gather foods all day long. Have eyes for the right shape, colour and smell. A mistake could be fatal, or could set back table manners for another generation. The think and test approach. While at the other hand, men already made up their minds what kind of animal to look for on a particular day, find it, kill it, and come home as soon as possible with that dinner. Being too late could mean the meat got inedible. The hit and run approach. And hit and run was what they were able to, because their offspring was with the mothers. The whole bunch of hunters and gatherers together would make the dinner escape and the berries deadly. Mr. Kruger thinks it might help both sexes to know this background. I believe it won’t make much difference. Image by Photobucket/floy_dontask

As Sound As A Signature

One’s never too old to learn. When I heard about phone check for the first time, I thought it was about checking your credit by cell-phone. Or something similar. But it seems to be a legal and trustworthy way to accept a customers’ check by phone. Or even by fax or email. To print and deposit a check draft, verbal or written authorization is all you need. The used check paper is standard security paper available at any office supply store, or online. That sounds safe and convenient to me. The thirty days of free try-out sounds good as well. Image by Photobucket/revsob

The Mercedes Touch

How many times will car enthousiasts, while walking around some international car show or the local dealer’s showroom, get updates online or devour the latest car magazine, be aware of the days that cars didn’t drive around in public yet, but only existed in the minds of some visionary men? And as always when those visionary men are involved, how close to total failure they had come, before they got something running that we would recognize as a car? What is the story behind all those shiny body-works, roaring power under the hood and fancy names?

One of the most likely mentioned names in the entire world, if asked one, must be mercedes benz. And with reason. It’s one of the world’s oldest, if not the oldest, automobiles, and from those early days on have kept their reputation of being reliable and innovative. What striked me was to find out a few facts. Among them the perhaps most known one: that Mercedes (Spanish for gifts or favors) was nothing more than the daughter’s name of Austrian entrepreneur, racer and member of the Daimler-Mercedes-Maybach board Emil Jellinek. Less known: the ever present star, the trademark of Mercedes, was a sketch on a postcard by Gottlieb Daimler, and introduced by his sons in 1910 to remember him.

The less used name related to Mercedes, but ‘cranked up heart’ of the car was Karl Friedrich Benz (1844-1929), German engine and automobile engineer. His inventions such as; speed regulation system, ignition, spark plug, carburetor, clutch, gear shift and the water radiator would become the production standard for the car industry. Benz also made use of bicycles’ wire wheels in stead of the wooden ones used for carriages. It was the first real car designed as such to generate its own power, not simply a horse carriage with an engine. To give one more person the share of the wheel that she deserves: Benz needed his wife’s unautherized touch on a trip with the ‘1888 Motorwagen’ that had no gears and could not climb hills unaided, to get him aware of this problem and to solve it. It all rounded up and really got on the move on June 28, 1926, after a long engagement, when Benz & Cie. and DMG finally merged as the Daimler-Benz company, labelling all of its automobiles ‘Mercedes Benz’. Image by Photobucket/misslin55

A Feather In His Cap

Imagine

A Day In The Life

John Lennon 

(October 9, 1940-December 8, 1980)

Image by Photobucket/NellieBlye8

From Jambalaya To Jazz

If there’s one single city that could claim the name of the Melting Pot of the World, it has to be new orleans la to me. I’m not sure if it’s thanks to, or despite of, natural tempests with names like Katrina or man-made like the American Civil War or the slave trade, but all ingredients that have made this city are still alive and for the taking. Perhaps one of its nicknames ‘The Big Easy’, gives an answer? How else to explain the balance between ‘having the most prosperous community of free persons of color in the 19th century’ and the billions of dollars earned in the slavetrade? Having been under Spanish, French and eventually under American government within a short period of time (1718-1803), the city grew rapidly and with natural ease with influxes of Americans, French, Creoles, Irish, Germans, Haitian refugees and Africans. To name just a few. It was inevitable that New Orleans would show this simmering of European, African and American cultures and serve this international stew that still attracts many to its streets, concert halls and restaurants.

A Park In Peril

On December 6, 1947, the Everglades became a national park in the U.S. state of Florida. Being the largest subtropical wilderness in the US, it has been declared an International Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site, and a Wetland of International Importance. Only two other locations in the world appear on all 3 lists. Just to underline its uniqueness. It’s sponge-like limestone captures most of the rainfall and provides the fresh water supply of the whole region. Its mangrove trees, which thrive in salty and brackish water, act as a nursery for many marine and bird species, and are Florida's first defense against the destructive forces of hurricanes, absorbing flood waters and preventing coastal erosion. 

There’s a ‘but’ coming, and it has a human origin (what else?): next to the inexhaustible and ruthless demand for fresh water that might be no surprise, there are the unexpected side effects of human carelessness that endangers this region. Non-native species of plants and animals, both products of international trade in exotics, compete with native species and are hard, if not impossible, to eradicate. It’s again to know what you’ve got, and to know how to keep it. Image by Photobucket/josef344

The Grasp For Green

There isn’t any environment I can think of that couldn’t be hazardous to humans. Simply because it’s a fact that, where there are humans, there are chemicals. That doesn’t necessarily mean that lifes are at stake at all times. As long as there’s awareness of what those chemicals are capable of, alone, or even more unpredictable and therefore more dangerous: in combination with each other! Working conditions from family premises to flexo printer shops require the utmost and consistent care. There shouldn’t be any difference of approach in Anilox roll cleaning or attic sweep outs. We all have our responsibilities and have to grasp all available opportunities for a more green environment. The wrong choice, use, maintenance and way of storage could cause harm directly or indirectly to humans at both places, even ignite an environmental disaster. Bhopal, India, December 3, 1984, showed what chemicals can do, even till this very day! That was on a large scale, true. But imagine a large apartment building in the centre of a city, and a first explosion on one of its floors that avalanches a lot more of those. Image by Photobucket/Its_Heather123

The Blue Box Is Best

I know what I said, not that long ago. That a real shopping can’t be beaten by online shopping. But I’m already in doubts. Not that I’ve become a rat on my own ideas. It’s the practical things in life that have to prevail. Or so it seems, from where I stand at the moment.

Such a practical thing is that I’m the most recent employee at the office. Only have started a couple of weeks ago and facing the absence of a colleague, my already irregular working hours might be doubled. But I can’t let the company down, can I? So, the real shopping might be out of the window. Then again, maybe I’ve to count my blessings: the office’s internet connection is much faster than my own.

Buy Tiffany Jewelry for Christmas online, is the only option left. I’m sure the midnight hours will give me plenty of opportunity. Fortunately, the gift I got in mind can’t go wrong. I won’t be in the wrong box. I don’t know what my Xmas is going to be like, but I’m sure of my choice. If I’m as fast as the office’s connection, it will get at its destination in time. Image by Photobucket/charlatan98

A Disturbed Desire

December 3, 1947, Tennesee Williams’ ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ got on stage on Broadway with the unknown Marlon Brando (off and on replaced by Anthony Quinn), Jessica Tandy, Kim Hunter and Karl Malden. The recurring theme of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is the reflection of the old and new America. And because this time of year, with reflections of what’s almost passed and what’s on its way coming soon, I think we have got a direct line here. Perhaps with a few slippery stop-overs. Anyway, the picture gives me the right shivers and almost make me sing a Xmas carol. It’s as close as I can get to my desire for a White Xmas. It will be unfulfilled for another year. Image by Photobucket/creedemcqueen

The Fun And Fuss Season

Whatever your (religious) background, hardly a soul will not notice that the end of another year is approaching. The way to spend these last days of the year vary a lot more. And maybe it’s this variety that makes it hard, if not impossible, to predict peaks or lows in the behaviour of so many people and underline these with a pausible explanation. The name of Cyber Monday, the first day after Thanksgiving weekend, is used by some to indicate the warming up to the Christmas Sales. The explanation of the rise of sales online around that particular day, is that people had a long weekend having visited shopping malls and use the day after to buy them. Personally, I don’t see any reason to push a button on that day, knowing there are so many others left to have a real shopping. Of course, buying online has its advantages, I’m not arguing with that. But each year shows that most purchases that I got in a real shop, are the most successful ones. It might be a bit more fuss, but also a lot more fun. Image by Photobucket/Nolick