Damnit, I was hoping this wouldn't happen.
It's been nearly THREE weeks since my last entry and I haven't been focused on sustaining this blog. If it helps, within that time I moved to Berkeley, and started school there; It's my first time back in school after a year-long hiatus so I've been trying to concentrate on that a little, get my priorities straight (not that that's really helping). But, I PROMISE to get back in the saddle this weekend. I have dozens of ideas for articles but can never fully commit to sit down and writing them, maybe in fear of not doing them perfectly (I'm SO anal like that(yes, that was a lousy attempt at being funny because I'm 9 yrs. old and think saying "anal" is hilarious)). So yeah, wait patiently. I plan on writing a ton of articles at once so I can easily put them out at even intervals.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Mini-blog 3: Strange Reality
*UPDATE 3/8/10: Fixed the links :P
Nature sure is weird. So weird in fact, sometimes I wonder just what the hell it's thinking as it invents these things.
*Apologies in advance, for some reason blogspot isn't letting me link to the sites I have here. Copy and paste the addresses for now :\
A bird with a smiley face.
What's possibly stranger is that it's name is Superb Bird of Paradise (though, that's a stupidity committed by humanity).
These plants look like they came straight out of Super Mario World.
http://www.divinecaroline.com/22167/37205
Mega Cows
http://www.divinecaroline.com/22063/75623-gigantic-belgian-monster-cows
These cows have a naturally occurring mutation that gives them double the muscle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymothoa_exigua
This parasite gets in a fish's mouth, atrophies it, and replaces its tongue. No joke.....a parasite designed to straight up crawl into a fish's mouth and replace it's tongue....
This spider doesn't look too weird, now, right?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traumatic_insemination
BUT, this particular species of spider reproduces basically through what we call "rape." This spider pierces the female's abdomen with its penis and impregnates her that way.
WTF Nature? What's wrong with you?
..cept maybe the muscle thing, that could be kinda cool.
Nature sure is weird. So weird in fact, sometimes I wonder just what the hell it's thinking as it invents these things.
*Apologies in advance, for some reason blogspot isn't letting me link to the sites I have here. Copy and paste the addresses for now :\
A bird with a smiley face.
What's possibly stranger is that it's name is Superb Bird of Paradise (though, that's a stupidity committed by humanity).
These plants look like they came straight out of Super Mario World.
http://www.divinecaroline.com/22167/37205Mega Cows
http://www.divinecaroline.com/22063/75623-gigantic-belgian-monster-cowsThese cows have a naturally occurring mutation that gives them double the muscle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymothoa_exiguaThis parasite gets in a fish's mouth, atrophies it, and replaces its tongue. No joke.....a parasite designed to straight up crawl into a fish's mouth and replace it's tongue....
This spider doesn't look too weird, now, right?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traumatic_inseminationBUT, this particular species of spider reproduces basically through what we call "rape." This spider pierces the female's abdomen with its penis and impregnates her that way.
WTF Nature? What's wrong with you?
..cept maybe the muscle thing, that could be kinda cool.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Picture Time 1: If only...
[sigh] If only....
In 1985, TIME Magazine imagined what celebrities would look like by 2000. This is Michael, obviously. Look how pimp he would've been if he hadn't gotten all that surgery and turn into a alleged pedophile. He's got a real Lando thing going on lol
Mini-blog 2: Pringles
How do you eat Pringles? It seems the normal way is to place the chip so that it conforms with your tongue. But, I eat it so that the flavored side is placed down on my tongue. I mean, it seems like a no brainer to me. You can't taste the flavors if you eat it the "normal" way! Iono. Ridiculous.
Why Manny Should Not Fight Mayweather
I am by no means a boxing aficionado, so my opinion is primarily from a social perspective.
Right now, there is no greater Filipino, and arguably Asian, face in the social consciousness of the United States than Manny Pacquiao. In the past few years he’s been taking the boxing world by storm, and this past November Pacquiao cemented his status in the history of boxing by defeating Miguel Cotto and becoming the first and only boxer thus far to win seven world titles in seven different weight divisions. Now, it would not be unheard of to hear his name mentioned when the greatest boxers in history are discussed, alongside names like Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali.
Filipinos around the world had a new hero to be celebrate, and one whom we were immensely proud of. He became a paradigm of the rags to riches tale, a tale of great importance and meaning to the United States and especially, given their poor population, the Philippines. Pacquiao had broken through the Western barrier, earning their fame and recognition, in such a way that arguably no other Filipino had done before (Ernie Reyes Jr. maybe? lol). As for the Philippines, I doubt you could drive through Manila for more than three minutes without seeing Manny’s face plastered on an advertisement from one of his, presumably jillion, endorsements. Aside from just fighting for the Philippines, he finds time to act, sing, and is getting gradually more involved in politics, a field in which he plants to enter once retiring from boxing. The public persona of the Manny Pacquiao is getting larger and larger.
But in our passion for having such an epic hero represent us as never before, it seems to me that Filipinos are getting just the tiniest bit overzealous to the point of ignorance and arrogance. For quite a while now, a confrontation between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been one that has been insisted upon and ultimately brought to fruition by fans, one that I‘m a little scared for considering what the consequences could mean for our hero. Of course, there is reason to be that enthusiastic, in a sense. Manny has come off as nothing short of invincible from his numerous wins and now-legendary status in boxing. Why wouldn’t he win against Mayweather? Well, maybe because he’s just not good enough.
From my (honestly few) conversations about the bout, and from things I’ve over-heard from people in public places, despite Pacquiao’s talented power and speed, Mayweather is possibly superior, if only slightly, at both. And, combined with his naturally larger stature, shouldn’t this be something the Filipino community be concerned about? Is Pacquiao’s signature unorthodox boxing style enough to win?
As a supporter of Pacquiao, what is there to be gained from this fight with Mayweather? The victory would mean a lot more for Mayweather than it would for Pacquiao. For Mayweather, he would be the one to topple a living legend. What’s there for Pacquiao and his fans? To say that, “Hey, he beat this guy too.”? Is that enough for fans to risk a loss?
For me, it’s not just the fear that Pacquiao could lose that has me considering that the fight should not take place. As mentioned earlier, it’s the fallout. Sure, Pacquiao will still be in history, still be the one and only to win seven titles in seven weight divisions. But the loss that could occur would not just be a number on his record. Were it to occur, it would significantly diminish everything Pacquiao has accomplished thus far. Here you have a hero that has just accomplished so much in the boxing world, only to be knocked out as he has been put to the forefront of Western audiences. The fact that he’s won seven titles in seven divisions would be considerably devalued in a lot of people’s minds.
Even after all that, to me the most devastating thing to happen should Pacquiao lose is just how much the Filipino community will feel deflated after defeat. We would essentially have our country’s hero defeated. And when the world is as weary and depressing as it can always be (especially if you’re poor and living in the squatters of the Philippines, I assume), that’s one of the last things we need. Pacquiao, with his recognition and victories, his epitomizing the riches to rags tale, gives hope and pride to a population that rarely has such a figure for one. To me, it’s not worth it to risk a loss for our homeland’s hero just to say that he is also capable of defeating Mayweather. And it’s not even about win or loss. What’s important is not that Pacquiao win; What’s important is what Pacquiao represents to his people, and what we need as a community.
**for those who want a cheesy fan boy analogy, think of the end of The Dark Knight, except replace Batman running away as Pacquiao, and replace what Commissioner Gordon says with, “He’s not the hero we deserve, but the hero we need.”
:P I know, I’m a geek.
Right now, there is no greater Filipino, and arguably Asian, face in the social consciousness of the United States than Manny Pacquiao. In the past few years he’s been taking the boxing world by storm, and this past November Pacquiao cemented his status in the history of boxing by defeating Miguel Cotto and becoming the first and only boxer thus far to win seven world titles in seven different weight divisions. Now, it would not be unheard of to hear his name mentioned when the greatest boxers in history are discussed, alongside names like Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali.
Filipinos around the world had a new hero to be celebrate, and one whom we were immensely proud of. He became a paradigm of the rags to riches tale, a tale of great importance and meaning to the United States and especially, given their poor population, the Philippines. Pacquiao had broken through the Western barrier, earning their fame and recognition, in such a way that arguably no other Filipino had done before (Ernie Reyes Jr. maybe? lol). As for the Philippines, I doubt you could drive through Manila for more than three minutes without seeing Manny’s face plastered on an advertisement from one of his, presumably jillion, endorsements. Aside from just fighting for the Philippines, he finds time to act, sing, and is getting gradually more involved in politics, a field in which he plants to enter once retiring from boxing. The public persona of the Manny Pacquiao is getting larger and larger.
But in our passion for having such an epic hero represent us as never before, it seems to me that Filipinos are getting just the tiniest bit overzealous to the point of ignorance and arrogance. For quite a while now, a confrontation between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been one that has been insisted upon and ultimately brought to fruition by fans, one that I‘m a little scared for considering what the consequences could mean for our hero. Of course, there is reason to be that enthusiastic, in a sense. Manny has come off as nothing short of invincible from his numerous wins and now-legendary status in boxing. Why wouldn’t he win against Mayweather? Well, maybe because he’s just not good enough.
From my (honestly few) conversations about the bout, and from things I’ve over-heard from people in public places, despite Pacquiao’s talented power and speed, Mayweather is possibly superior, if only slightly, at both. And, combined with his naturally larger stature, shouldn’t this be something the Filipino community be concerned about? Is Pacquiao’s signature unorthodox boxing style enough to win?
As a supporter of Pacquiao, what is there to be gained from this fight with Mayweather? The victory would mean a lot more for Mayweather than it would for Pacquiao. For Mayweather, he would be the one to topple a living legend. What’s there for Pacquiao and his fans? To say that, “Hey, he beat this guy too.”? Is that enough for fans to risk a loss?
For me, it’s not just the fear that Pacquiao could lose that has me considering that the fight should not take place. As mentioned earlier, it’s the fallout. Sure, Pacquiao will still be in history, still be the one and only to win seven titles in seven weight divisions. But the loss that could occur would not just be a number on his record. Were it to occur, it would significantly diminish everything Pacquiao has accomplished thus far. Here you have a hero that has just accomplished so much in the boxing world, only to be knocked out as he has been put to the forefront of Western audiences. The fact that he’s won seven titles in seven divisions would be considerably devalued in a lot of people’s minds.
Even after all that, to me the most devastating thing to happen should Pacquiao lose is just how much the Filipino community will feel deflated after defeat. We would essentially have our country’s hero defeated. And when the world is as weary and depressing as it can always be (especially if you’re poor and living in the squatters of the Philippines, I assume), that’s one of the last things we need. Pacquiao, with his recognition and victories, his epitomizing the riches to rags tale, gives hope and pride to a population that rarely has such a figure for one. To me, it’s not worth it to risk a loss for our homeland’s hero just to say that he is also capable of defeating Mayweather. And it’s not even about win or loss. What’s important is not that Pacquiao win; What’s important is what Pacquiao represents to his people, and what we need as a community.
**for those who want a cheesy fan boy analogy, think of the end of The Dark Knight, except replace Batman running away as Pacquiao, and replace what Commissioner Gordon says with, “He’s not the hero we deserve, but the hero we need.”
:P I know, I’m a geek.
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