December 21, 2012 - Doomsday??

Surfing the internet recently, I found myself reading old and unopened emails in my eGroup of former employees of the semiconductor company where I worked back in the Philippines. One email talked about the doomsday, the end of the world. What's strange about it was it has a specific date, a date where everything in this world ends. That fateful event will happen (according to the predictions) on December 21, 2012. These predictions were based on the Mayan calendar developed by the ancient Mayan civilization. According to the Mayan calendar the world will end on 12/21/2012. It would be hard to explain the details here but you can go online and search for these predictions as they are readily available. It becomes more interesting when I stumbled upon another article that scientifically explained these predictions. According to the article, we could be in for a huge firework display in 2012. The Sun will be approaching the peak of its 11-year cycle, called "solar maximum", so we can expect a lot of solar activity. Some predictions put the solar maximum of Solar Cycle 24 even more energetic than the last solar maximum in 2002-2003. According to one of the many Doomsday scenarios we have been presented with in the run-up to the Mayan Prophecy-fuelled "end of the world" in the year 2012, this scenario is actually based on some science. What's more, there may be some correlation between the 11-year solar cycle and the time cycles seen in the Mayan calendar, perhaps this ancient civilization understood how the Sun's magnetism undergoes polarity changes every decade or so? Plus, religious texts (such as the Bible) say that we are due for a day of judgment, involving a lot of fire and brimstone. So it looks like we are going to get roasted alive by our closest star on December 21st, 2012!

Out from these doomsday scenario, Hollywood came up with a new movie aptly entitled "2012". Checkout the teaser embeded in this post.



Additionally, a video/study from History channel tried to scientifically explain the theory behind the coincidentally accurate doomsday dates between the Mayan calendar and the old Chinese method of predicting the future, the I Ching (pronounced E-Ching). Here is the video.

The Hazards Of Tweeting

Oh my God!!! Can you believe this news? There are just some people..........!!!!

Anyway, I got this blog entry from The Working Guy by Cristopher Null about this girl who died in the the bathtub while tweeting. She allegedly couldn't stop updating her twitter even having a soak in the tub. I wonder what she was tweeting about...it was not clear though and the blogger was hoping that it was more meaningful than the soap she was using.

How did this 17 year old girl actually died? Well, she was discovered dead over the weekend, electrocuted after dropping her laptop in the bathtub.

Fellow tweeters....YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!!!






Note: Picture courtesy of Christopher Null of The Working Guy

Twitter, Fun! But Is It Safe?

Who among us these days doesn't have a Twitter account? Everybody is using this service, be it politicians, celebrities and most of our friends and neighbors. It is fun using Twitter as I also have an account. It's fun to read updates from our Twitter friends on what they are currently doing. It has indeed become an open book for everybody to read. What is basically my purpose of having a Twitter? It all boils down to communication. The need to keep in touch with friends and in short bursts of updates; you will know what's going on with them. But Twitter is beyond just communicating with friends, you can actually stalk celebrities and politicians. Some companies used this service to promote their products because they know the wide range of its reach to the public. As an ego boost, I also want a lot of "followers" and see myself as a celebrity just like the celebrities I've been following. I happen to check on some twitter applications where you can gain a lot, even hundreds of followers but in exchange of adding more and more people to follow on your list. It occurred to me that I actually don't have the time to read all the updates and it was already difficult for me to read what my real friends are now doing. Some of my friends that I cared about are also on Twitter and these are the most important updates that I needed to read and not updates of some strangers. Eventually I blocked and stopped following these "strangers" and maintained a steady list of people that I cared about and or interested to be friends with.

It is fun to follow the daily routines of Ryan Seacrest, Larry King or my favorite American Idol contestants but I think I should also have to consider my own safety and privacy before I start twittering about myself. First, Twitter accounts have little in the way of security settings that let you control who can see your posts. You can block specific users, but that will only prevent them from being listed as "followers" of your account. They can still see everything you post. Because of this, if you don't want particular people to know what you're up to, don't write about it at all.
People have a way of finding out these things, especially if you're writing about them on a publicly viewable site. Recent hacking incidents also showed how easy it is for some people to gather information associated with your Twitter user account. They may be able to get your cell phone numbers or email addresses if you chose to divulge them. Most likely email harvesters are using Twitter to gather email addresses from posts and updates.

Twitter is a fun service that can be great for posting quick thoughts, recommendations, and updates on everything from what book you're reading to how you're spending your weekend. Just make sure you're not writing about anything too personal. If you can, use an email account which you only use for registering online for free newsletters, online promotions and other free offers and one that you don't mind to be flooded with spam.

That all said…you can follow me @jaypeelo….

A Prayer For Dad

I got this from email forwards and I think it's cute and funny, but there is some truth to it. I thought you have received this email before but nevertheless I still post it here for your second look.




A PRAYER FOR DAD....



"Dear God, this year please send clothes for all those poor ladies in Daddy's computer,Amen.."

To all Daddies out there, be it real daddy, big daddy, sugar daddy at dadi-dadihan.....




Comments by ZingerBug.com

What Is Your Take?

I'll be having a dinner date this weekend but mind you it's not the romantic kind of date where after dinner and a nightcap we will end up in "earthly heaven" as I may say. It's just with a lady friend and I'm planning to bring her to a nice restaurant although I still have to decide what restaurant. As I've been playing with the idea, it came to my crazy mind how will I react if my lady date will eat so much during dinner. I'm pretty sure for ladies out there, if they get invited for a dinner date specially if romance is involved, they would think twice what to get for dinner, should it be just a light meal or the heavy stuff complete with entrees and sidings plus the dessert. Well I'm throwing this question to the guys, if you have a dinner date with your girlfriend or your prospect girlfriend, what is your take if the lady starts eating heavily? Should you be turned off? Or love her more…?

If you ask me, all I can say is it all depends on how she consumes the food. There should be a limitation and not to go over the line. I myself am not in favor of wasting food therefore the rule should be; consume the food you ordered but if you can't finish everything then you can always take the rest home. I like my date to be herself and be comfortable in my company, so if she is hungry enough then she probably could order the heavy stuff. It is out of this world when you just order a salad inside a steakhouse, you know what I mean.

The bottom line, I'll bring my date to a buffet restaurant just in case she would be hungry enough that it would not be too obvious if she would take countless trips to the buffet table since almost all the people inside the restaurant would take at least a couple trips back to get more food. Some of you might guess it; too…I'll bring her to the buffet restaurant at M Resort & Casino (check out my previous post).

Chicken a la Carte

Few weeks ago I dined out with my parents in a buffet restaurant in one of the hotels here in Las Vegas. Every time we do this my mom always reminded us to consume everything we got from the buffet table and not to waste food. She would always say to us not to forget that a lot more people from other parts of the world are hungry now. She would always add that if only our hometown in the Philippines is just right across the street, she would send our leftover food to our relatives and friends who barely have food on their tables. Hearing this for the first time, one would think that my mom is so cheap. It is a common sight here in Las Vegas, famous for buffet restaurants, that there are a lot of leftover foods wasted from these establishments. Unconsumed food displayed on the buffet table will be discarded by the end of the day and not to mention those wasted from the customers' plates. I myself am guilty of this especially if my mom is not around.

Remembering this, I tried to check back my old email files looking for that particular attachment that for sure would instill in our minds about the importance of not wasting food. This particular attachment is a video or a short film by Filipino filmmaker named Ferdinand Dimadura. For sure most people have seen this film who won the Green Unplugged Film Fest People's Choice Award at the 56^th Berlin International Film Festival held last February 2006. Filmmakers were invited to join a short film competition with the theme: "Food, Taste and Hunger".

This is the synopsis: This film is about the hunger and poverty brought about by Globalization. There are 10,000 people dying every day due to hunger and malnutrition. This short film shows a forgotten portion of the society, the people who live on the refuse of men to survive. What is inspiring is the hope and spirituality that never left this people.

After watching this film, you probably would think twice before wasting and throwing away that portion of fried chicken the next time you eat out in a restaurant.

Goodbye Kenny

One of my favorite singer/songwriter Kenny Rankin passed away last June 7^th following complications related to lung cancer. Kenny was 69 years old. May he rest in peace.

Here is the most memorable line from his song:

It's not how long we held each other's hands,/What matters most is how well we love each other./ It's not how far we travelled on our way,/ Of what we found to say, It's not the spring you see, but all the shades of green./ It's not how long I held you in my arms…..

News Release

Kenny Rankin Official Website

CineVegas

Its summer time and in film making industry, this is the right time to produce quality and blockbuster movies. Good movie productions in every genre are on its peak and Las Vegas is never behind in this kind of entertainment. The CineVegas Film Festival held annually will host world premieres of new quality movies before they will be exhibited in mainstream theaters. CineVegas is now on its 11^th year since conception and is still growing. This year's 11^th Annual CineVegas Film Festival will be at Brenden Theaters inside Palms Casino Resort and will run from June 10 – 15, 2009. This year's most anticipated independent films will have its premiere during this time period. Exhibition of short films and artsy films are also being scheduled.

In addition to world premieres of indie films, the 2009 CineVegas Film Festival is featuring creative live performances and rare retro screenings in spectacular outdoor venues.

I'm planning to watch some of these new films on my days off and hopefully I could still get tickets to any one of these exhibitions.

Family Bonding

Yesterday, a Sunday was also my first day off for the week. The day started in a normal way. Coming from work that morning, I opened my computer and check some emails and messages. Around 9am I already went to bed and sleep through 5 in the afternoon. It was a long sleep for me because I rarely have an 8-hr straight sleep like this one. Anyway I was only awakened by a phone call but if not because of it, I could have slept through the night. I think it was still a blessing since I actually have to wake up to attend the 6:30pm mass with my parents. We love to attend mass in this schedule since this is being set up by the Filipino community here in Las Vegas. We normally call it the Filipino mass because most of the songs and hymns are in Pilipino language although the priests always talk and deliver the sermons in English. Also, in this schedule, the church is overflowing with fellow Filipinos attending the mass with their family and friends. It looks and feels that you are in the Philippines.

After the mass and on our way back home, my dad was asking my mom if we have food for dinner. Instantly it came to my mind to have dinner with them outside. They both agreed and the first on my mental list was to go to the newly opened M Resort Spa & Casino located way south of Las Vegas Boulevard. This was our first time to go there and I have heard a lot about their dining amenities specifically their buffet. We went to Studio B Show Kitchen Buffet inside the casino area with high expectations. What I've heard about this buffet restaurant was true. It may be quite expensive, it was about $24 per person, but since they were serving seafood that day, it was worth it plus all you can drink beer and or wine, you have your pick. From the ambiance, food selections, seafood choices and a wide array of desserts….my mouth starts watering again. As what they claimed: No matter what your taste, you're sure to find something to satisfy your cravings.

It is called a Show Kitchen Buffet because Studio B brings a buffet experience unlike anywhere else by integrating a state-of-the-art restaurant with a live-action cooking studio. The dining experience is made truly unique by the ever-changing live cooking and technique demonstrations by culinary experts that are broadcast on 110'x6' video monitors inside the main buffet so everyone can watch.

We really had a good time with this dining experience but one thing is very important for me though was to bring my parents for a dine out like this, at least I can ease the pain and anxiety my parents are having right now due to my brother's health condition.

Unfortunately I was not able to take pictures of the food but only remembered to take pictures after we had our fill. Nevertheless, looking at this picture gives you the idea how good the food was. Uhmmm, uhmmmm…good!

In Fiesta Spirit

Last June 6, 2009, I was able to attend Las Vegas' 1^st Annual Fiesta Filipino at The Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza. With the theme " A Community Of One", the whole day fiesta event was spearheaded by the Las Vegas Fil-Am Lions Club in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This event was the first ever to be held in Las Vegas in line with the celebration of Philippine Independence Day. Being a Filipino myself I felt proud that the event was well attended by fellow countrymen. They were there to be delighted in our heritage, to feel the vibe and to get into the fiesta spirit.

Filipino businesses were all over the place. There were lots of food stalls, vendors, live entertainment, cultural exhibits, cultural performances, and guest appearances of some Filipino artists and entertainers. The Filipino rock diva, Mystica was one of the star hosts for the whole event. Filipino singers like Dessa and Brix Ferraris, former band member of Southborder (remember them?) and now with his own band 2DegreesF, were on hand to entertain the crowd. I was told that Imelda Papin performed in the variety show as well as the appearance of Filipino boxer and current IBF Junior Flyweight champion, Brian Veloria. In the program, Filipina singer and Las Vegas headliner Lani Misalucha was also set to perform. Maybe these all happened in the morning set of the celebration since I went to the event in the afternoon.

We all know that the month of May was considered the fiesta month considering all the festivals being celebrated all over the country during the peak of summer. Now it's already the month of June, summertime is already starting here in America while its already rainy season back home which signals the start of the school year, but we Filipinos who are far away from home still welcome any event like this that celebrates our own heritage and that we can proudly show off our culture to the whole world specially to our adopted country. Who would never love a celebration, and this is one way of telling to the world that we Filipinos, in spite of all the crisis happening in our own country, still loves to have fun together with our friends and families.

Summer in Vegas

It's summer time in hot Las Vegas and where else can we witness and appreciate the beauty of nature during this time of the year than at the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. My previous post was when this venue showed off the Spring 2009 Exhibit. Now, with the heat of summer started creeping in causing temperature discomfort, people also started to crank up their air conditioners. As an added relief, one can visit the conservatory and immerse himself in the magnificent recreation of nature. Plants, flowers, stones, water fountains and other structures were intricately arranged and lighted to accentuate their best features. Admission to the exhibit is free for everyone to enjoy. Don't forget your camera when you're heading to the conservatory and feel free to capture nature's beauty in it just like what I did.

Because Of You

Have I moved on? I'm pretty sure I did. Did I fall for someone again? Now, I'm not quite sure. All I know is that this is the first time I felt something like this. Someone I casually met before and until now we are still in touch with each other. Eventually we realized that something is going on between us. The non-stop talks up to the wee hours, the ongoing exchange of messages, every minute was exciting for us. We missed each other even before we're done talking. I don't believe on "love at first sight", "lust at first sight" maybe, but never the former. What we have is beyond "liking" or even "lusting" for each other….is it now "love"? We are far from each other but yet it seems that you're just right there next to me whenever we talk. I have dreamt about you and you also admitted that you dreamt about me, too. The longer I've been missing you, the more pain I felt inside me. Indeed, I have moved on and have fallen in love again. Loving you explains everything that I felt right now. It seems everything is right again in this world.

The last time we talked, you gave me a copy of one of your favorite songs. After listening to it, I fell in love with it right away. It expresses all the aspects of what we felt toward each other.

My favorite part of the song goes like this:

Because of you, my life has changed.

Thank you for the love and the joy you bring.

Because of you, I feel no shame.

I'll tell the world it's because of you.