[1] A Doctor's Perversity... and A Girl's Naivete (ZOMG SEX SCANDAL)

Stupid little girl. You had it coming. You slept with a sleazebag and now your career and reputation could be over.

I'm not being insensitive here, I'm just amused by all the media mileage and political grandstanding that's been going on ever since the EKSKLUSIBONG EKSPOSE and EKSPLOSIBONG REBELASYON (try saying this 10 times straight) on the video sex scandal of Dr. Hayden Kho and Katrina Halili (among others).

It's been the talk of the town. It's so big right now that I'm sure plenty of people failed to read the headlines the other day about President Arroyo's wealth doubling since 2001.

We're all caught up with all the buzz and CHISMIS ('cheese' to some of you out there) and who can blame us? It's a SEX SCANDAL, and we just love those. In fact, we love them so much that Filipinos call all sex videos as SCANDALS. I still don't get it to this day.

Like I said in one of my previous blogs, those who love the gossip and the backstabbing, probably live very mundane and insecure lives. Why am I writing about this then if I hate gossip? Because I love bashing stupid people when they deserve it. Hehehe.

So what's wrong with Dr. Hayden Kho? He's probably a very insecure guy himself, being in the cosmetic industry and all and dating the horrific zombie Dr. Vicky Belo. Apparently he has over 60 sex videos (SCANDALS) of all his conquests in his computer. Only a lame douche would feel the need to video his girls so he can fool himself into believing that he has a semblance of a self-esteem.

What about Katrina Halili? As I said, she's a pretty stupid girl. PINATULAN NIYA ANG BOYLET NI VICKY BELO. LOLZ. I mean come on girl! You got it all going for yourself. You can practically date any guy you want, and you chose to settle for scum. It takes two to tango, or in this case, it takes two to dance to Careless Whisper. And to be honest, you enjoyed it very much.

On to Bong Revilla. Don't even get me started on this guy. This worthless piece of crap of a senator we have is now taking in all the spotlight he can get, because he usually doesn't have anything worthwhile to say during senate sessions. Don't our senators have more pressing issues to work on? This is all friggin' showbiz. Why don't you guys work on Manny Villar's corruption case?

Our showbiz reflects the kind of mentality our masses possess. MABABAW. No wonder our politicians can weave their magic and insult our collective intelligence every day. In fact they recently almost got away with taxing imported BOOKS. (BTW thank you to all those who joined my cause on Facebook. Because of our efforts GMA has ordered to lift the tax.)

They won't catch the illegal smugglers, but they're willing to tax books. It was a good thing some expat caught on before our education really went down the dumps for good. It took an expat to even talk about it. Are we really that numb already? We're so apathetic regarding our politics, that we elect actors and celebrities and pretty soon boxers into public office just to spice things up. Maybe we should vote Hayden Kho to replace Bayani Fernando so he can install cameras all over the city to monitor us.

Anyway I'm done ranting and I leave you with this sizzling video that has become the anthem of the beer houses and nightclubs all over. It's actually hilarious to see George Michael making out with a girl.

The 30-day Challenge!

Alright, starting today I will force myself to write at least 500 words every single day for 30 days straight.

Why am I doing this you ask? I'm not doing this just to flood your inboxes. I'm not doing this to torture myself. In fact, I should love what I do and I am actually excited if I can pull it off. I want to program myself to write and write and write. This is the only way to hone this certain skill: PRACTICE.

I'd like to mention that this entry does not count. Just like when doing Indian Runs in our Frisbee training, NO CUTTING CORNERS. And do extra rounds when you're already dying from fatigue. I will get it done. I will push myself.

So what am I going to write about? Well, most certainly I'll have around 30 topics to busy myself with. I will do both fiction and non-fiction, from realism to unrealism, politics to philosophy, and even reviews and critiques.

What goals will I be focusing on? Most definitely on the effectiveness of each entry to provoke and make an impact. Writers would scold me that I should only write for myself and not for the audience. Well in this case, I want to learn how to make my thoughts and opinions heard. I want to get you to react and impulsively hit the reply button. I want you to click on my entries because the title and preview caught your attention. I want to draw you in and listen to what I have to say.

So the gauntlet has been thrown down and I accept this challenge. Wish me luck guys. Let's get it on.

The Curious Case of Mr. Chip Tsao

'Tsao' actually means a lot of things in Chinese, and the first thing that came to mind after I read his article ain't the not so nice definition.

I'm Chinese and I'm proud of my heritage, but after living in Beijing for half a year, I've come to terms with my nationality and I've identified myself as a true-blue Filipino above anything else.

I was swelling with Chinese pride when I watched the Olympics. But I was screaming when the Filipino contingent came out, even if Manny Pacquiao was the one carrying our flag.

Hell, even if I hate the guy's guts, I still feel proud when he wins.

People confuse Nationality and Race and Religion all the time. Like American (Kano) and White, Muslim and Arab (Arabo), Mexican and Latino, etc, etc.

Here in the Philippines people call me 'Intsik'. I usually try to remind people that the correct term is 'Tsino'. Sometimes I jokingly add, "you can call me Intsik as long as I can call you Indio."

I'm not an outsider. I was born in the Philippines, I eat adobo and sisig, I can use 'tangina' in myriad ways, and most of all I'm proud of my country.

So here we have Chip Tsao calling us a "Nation of Servants". I take great offense with remarks like this.

I can understand the Middle Kingdom mentality because my parents espouse this kind of belief, albeit indirectly. Even the term 'Huana' is not something I like using.

I don't know when this was but I overheard a student teammate from Xavier say "I'm so dark now, I look like a 'Kang Lang'. I actually had to remind the kid that it's not right to talk that way. It got me thinking that he must have gotten that kind of talk from his parents.

But then again, on the flip side, we as Filipinos must think why foreigners think of us like they do. Maybe we don't give them enough reason to admire our country aside from our beaches and food.

These among other things we need to think over. This is not just some lame reporter saying some improper things. It goes down a lot deeper.

Discuss.

Super Bueno Roster

00 lamberto datu - large
03 john tiong - medium
13 scott syling - medium
15 chicco fornier - medium
19 bong sia - small
23 rocky nuguid - medium
32 hans ang - medium
33 agu veloso - medium
36 mike tee - large
41 migs libre - small
58 benny lim - small

01 karla cabel - small
05 abby bauca - small
?? nicole hernandez

28 andy huang - medium

07 small
08 small
09 large
10 medium
14 medium
20 medium
24 medium

Are we human?

Human
by The Killers

I did my best to notice
When the call came down the line
Up to the platform of surrender
I was brought but I was kind
And sometimes I get nervous
When I see an open door
Close your eyes
Clear your heart...
Cut the cord

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
My sign is vital
My hands are cold
And I'm on my knees
Looking for the answer
Are we human?
Or are we dancer?

Pay my respects to grace and virtue
Send my condolences to good
Give my regards to soul and romance,
They always did the best they could
And so long to devotion
You taught me everything I know
Wave goodbye
Wish me well..
You've gotta let me go

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
My sign is vital
My hands are cold
And I'm on my knees
Looking for the answer
Are we human?
Or are we dancer?

Will your system be alright
When you dream of home tonight?
There is no message we're receiving
Let me know is your heart still beating

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
My sign is vital
My hands are cold
And I'm on my knees
Looking for the answer

You've gotta let me know

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
My sign is vital
My hands are cold
And I'm on my knees
Looking for the answer
Are we human
Or are we dancer?

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?

Are we human
Or are we dancer?

History Isn't Boring

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, don't throw the baby out with the Bath water..

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained, it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying .. It's raining cats and dogs.

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, Dirt poor. The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance way. Hence the saying a thresh hold.

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old...

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could,
bring home the bacon. They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat..

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with
tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead
and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive . So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell.
Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a .. dead ringer..

IMMORTALITY

I recently went on a trip with my dad to our hometown Shishi City (石狮市) just outside of Xiamen City, in the Fujian province of China. Boring? Well I thought so at first, but it turned out to be a SPIRITUAL JOURNEY.

The purpose of our visit was to exhume the remains of my great grandfather and his relatives because the Chinese government bought out the land where they were buried for development. Maybe they were going to build a new shopping mall or a NUCLEAR SILO, who knows. Only in China.

Anyway, our family was compensated for the inconvenience in typical Chinese fashion, meaning we got paid a meager sum of CASH. Also the trip was a good chance for me to finally trace back my roots and visit our ancestral home, and to have some bonding time with my dad.

The name of the town Shishi literally means Stone Lion, like the statues you see guarding ancient landmarks, because the entire area is actually an abundant quarry for unprocessed natural stones. Hence, most of the ancient houses were built from huge slabs of stone. Think THE FLINTSTONES. ;)







My dad told me our house was no exception back in the day, but we’ve come a long way since then. This was a huge understatement, because instead of the small shanty I was expecting, I was shocked to see two HUGE three-storey houses, fully furnished and probably just as, if not more comfortable than the setup we have in Greenhills!

But to really grasp how far we’ve come, I had a good glimpse of what it used to be like back then with some of the older houses around the area. They were really small and built of stone, and I was told it was common for up to five families to live in one small house.


(By the way, don't think for one second Xiamen is some poor place. It's a huge port city that's twice as developed as Manila. It has containers stacked around its ports as high as buildings. It's streets are lined with retail storefronts and boutiques.)



I met some of our distant relatives, my dad’s second cousins and their children and grandchildren. They were the ones now staying where my grandfather used to live, since my grandpa gave it to them when he moved to the Philippines. I surprisingly managed to communicate with them albeit just barely. They spoke Fookien, the same dialect most Chinese descendants speak here in the Philippines, but the very deep and heavily accented kind.


I discovered a few things that made me very proud of my heritage:

First, our clan association helped build a primary and secondary school in Shishi. Here in Manila, they have a huge association of all the Huangs from our hometown, and my dad’s brother is the current president. My real last name is Huang 黄 by the way. Gramps used his friend’s travel papers to get here.

Second, I’m a descendant of a long line of ancestors dating back to over four hundred years. They have a book that has all the names of my relatives in the family tree, and it’s a pretty thick book safely preserved and encased in A SHINY FIRE-RETARDANT METAL CASE. Now that’s PRETTY FRIGGIN’ AWESOME.

On a more spiritual note, while we paid our respects to our fourteen ancestors before we finally exhumed their remains and put them in a temple, I realized just how fleeting and ephemeral our time here on this earth can be.


It’s so easy to be forgotten, to be buried somewhere where relatives visit once in a while. Some of the names of my great grandfather’s siblings were already illegible and eroded, so we just had to guess which of them belonged to which name found in the book. What would you feel if someone mixed up your tombstone name for someone else’s? It’s sad enough that nobody remembers you but to be mistaken for somebody else? BUMMER.

If you think about all the famous (or infamous) people in human history, you realize it’s not really them we remember. Be it Mahatma Gandhi or Julius Caesar or Adolf Hitler or Alexander the Great or Jose Rizal or whoever you can think of, whether they did good things or bad, the people who we still remember after they’ve gone, WE REMEMBER THEM FOR WHAT THEY DID.

Yep, so think about what you’re doing now and ask yourself if this is the kind of work that will be your LASTING LEGACY. If your current work isn’t exactly ideal but a stepping stone, think of it as PRACTICE FOR THE REAL THING.

The work you do is your LIFE FORCE, a part of the living energy that will outlast you after you’re gone. Remember that line in Gladiator when Maximus was talking to his troops? WHAT WE DO IN LIFE, ECHOES IN ETERNITY.

Ultimately, YOUR WORK IS A REFLECTION OF WHO YOU ARE.

If you want to live forever, do something great.

TOOLS AGAINST MMDA OFFICERS

I had another encounter with those bastards yesterday along EDSA. I'm sick of those uneducated and unqualified ex-Metro Aides abusing their positions. Bayani Fernando is a son of a bitch who must die.

Anyway so I searched the internet for some ways to fight back against those pathetic morons. I got this from a forum:

TOOLS AGAINST MMDA OFFICERS

I just reached my limit last weekend, and decided to take action against the abusive MMDA enforcers. I basically called up the MMDA head office and inquired from the Personnel Officer, Antonio Pagulayan, to clarify their policies. Here is what I got.

If any of these abuses seem familiar to you, Mr. Pagulayan has asked that you call either the MMDA hotline (136) or call the METRO BASE at 0920 9389861 or 0920 9389875 and ask for an Inspectorate. They will send inspectors to the place where these MMDA officers are extorting, even while you are arguing out of your apprehension.

1. MMDA officers are not allowed to group together in order to apprehend. They are not even allowed to stand together in groups of 2 or more. The only time they are allowed to work together is for special operations (probably when they apprehend groups of buses for smoke belching).

2. Swerving IS NOT a traffic violation. Moving one lane to the left or right is not swerving, no matter where on the road you do it. And it is even less of a violation when you do it with a signal. Swerving is defined as shifting 2 or more lanes very quickly. So you can argue your way out of this, and call the Metro Base for help.

3. Sadly, using the yellow lane is a traffic violation and will get you a ticket. However, buses are really not allowed to go out of the yellow lane, so if you see selective apprehension of private cars only, you may complain.

[Benny: Fuck the Yellow Line, I take it whenever I can. Those lines are so stupidly drawn. Should the bastards harass you, you can always say you came from some place within the line, like a gas station or whatever establishment you see nearby.]

4. MMDA has confirmed that your license MAY NOT BE CONFISCATED at a traffic apprehension. The only time they can do so is if you are part of an accident, or it is your third violation and you have not settled your fines yet. They are only allowed to give you a ticket, which you can contest. He recommends actually receiving the ticket in some instances, so that you can report the officer who did it.

5. Also, you are free to ask any of these officers for their "mission order", which is written by their supervisor. If they apprehend you for a violation that is not in their mission order for the day, you can report them and they will receive disciplinary action.

We are all smart

The Nine Types of Intelligence
By Howard Gardner


1. Naturalist Intelligence (“Nature Smart”)

Designates the human ability to discriminate among living things (plants, animals) as well as sensitivity to other features of the natural world (clouds, rock configurations). This ability was clearly of value in our evolutionary past as hunters, gatherers, and farmers; it continues to be central in such roles as botanist or chef. It is also speculated that much of our consumer society exploits the naturalist intelligences, which can be mobilized in the discrimination among cars, sneakers, kinds of makeup, and the like.


2. Musical Intelligence (“Musical Smart”)

Musical intelligence is the capacity to discern pitch, rhythm, timbre, and tone. This intelligence enables us to recognize, create, reproduce, and reflect on music, as demonstrated by composers, conductors, musicians, vocalist, and sensitive listeners. Interestingly, there is often an affective connection between music and the emotions; and mathematical and musical intelligences may share common thinking processes. Young adults with this kind of intelligence are usually singing or drumming to themselves. They are usually quite aware of sounds others may miss.


3. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence ("Number/Reasoning Smart")

Logical-mathematical intelligence is the ability to calculate, quantify, consider propositions and hypotheses, and carry out complete mathematical operations. It enables us to perceive relationships and connections and to use abstract, symbolic thought; sequential reasoning skills; and inductive and deductive thinking patterns. Logical intelligence is usually well developed in mathematicians, scientists, and detectives. Young adults with lots of logical intelligence are interested in patterns, categories, and relationships. They are drawn to arithmetic problems, strategy games and experiments.


4. Existential Intelligence

Sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, why do we die, and how did we get here.


5. Interpersonal Intelligence ("People Smart”)

Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to understand and interact effectively with others. It involves effective verbal and nonverbal communication, the ability to note distinctions among others, sensitivity to the moods and temperaments of others, and the ability to entertain multiple perspectives. Teachers, social workers, actors, and politicians all exhibit interpersonal intelligence. Young adults with this kind of intelligence are leaders among their peers, are good at communicating, and seem to understand others’ feelings and motives.


6. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (“Body Smart”)

Bodily kinesthetic intelligence is the capacity to manipulate objects and use a variety of physical skills. This intelligence also involves a sense of timing and the perfection of skills through mind–body union. Athletes, dancers, surgeons, and craftspeople exhibit well-developed bodily kinesthetic intelligence.


7. Linguistic Intelligence ("Word Smart")

Linguistic intelligence is the ability to think in words and to use language to express and appreciate complex meanings. Linguistic intelligence allows us to understand the order and meaning of words and to apply meta-linguistic skills to reflect on our use of language. Linguistic intelligence is the most widely shared human competence and is evident in poets, novelists, journalists, and effective public speakers. Young adults with this kind of intelligence enjoy writing, reading, telling stories or doing crossword puzzles.


8. Intra-personal Intelligence ("Self Smart")

Intra-personal intelligence is the capacity to understand oneself and one’s thoughts and feelings, and to use such knowledge in planning and directioning one’s life. Intra-personal intelligence involves not only an appreciation of the self, but also of the human condition. It is evident in psychologist, spiritual leaders, and philosophers. These young adults may be shy. They are very aware of their own feelings and are self-motivated.


9. Spatial Intelligence (“Picture Smart”)

Spatial intelligence is the ability to think in three dimensions. Core capacities include mental imagery, spatial reasoning, image manipulation, graphic and artistic skills, and an active imagination. Sailors, pilots, sculptors, painters, and architects all exhibit spatial intelligence. Young adults with this kind of intelligence may be fascinated with mazes or jigsaw puzzles, or spend free time drawing or daydreaming.



From: Overview of the Multiple Intelligences Theory. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and Thomas Armstrong.com

You know you're a frisbee addict when...

... while driving, your hand automatically forms a forehand grip on the steering wheel. -_-

Spirit of the Game

“Spirit,” there’s a word you hear a lot in ultimate. In fact, spirit of the game is supposedly the founding concept of our sport. I say supposedly because, although everyone seems to agree on the term, exactly defining the essence of spirit is an elusive task. Spirit is fairly established as a cornerstone of our sport, and yet no two players can agree on what it looks like. With this in mind, I gave myself the task of shedding some light on what it means to “play with spirit.”

I started with a look at the roots of the game: Surely history would unlock the mysteries of our founding concept. Of course that ended up being a bust. It turns out some kids in New Jersey thought this sport up as a gag. While tossing the disc around one afternoon, one probably laughed to another, “Hey here’s another dumb rule: there’s no refs…and you have to sing to the other team! He he he!” Even the name “ultimate” was meant to be ironic. Perhaps the greatest irony of all is that the game those kids invented has evolved into a sport which, for most of us, truly does embody the ultimate team sport. Given that the spirit of the game has evolved since its conception, the next logical step seemed to be investigating how players today define it. Out of all the players that I’ve talked to, no one has admitted to reading up on any “spirit handbook” as a rookie. It seems most of us learned about the fabled spirit of ultimate through the experience of the game. We tried out this new sport and soon discovered a cult of freaks who played for enjoyment, who officiated every infraction themselves, who cheered to their opponents, and who partied as hard as they played (naked…in hot tubs!). We were hooked, we probably didn’t know why, but suddenly a plastic disc was our god.

Having reached this point, I felt like I had come to a firm understanding of player perception of spirit of the game. Yet, what I realized is that these things were just forms, or expressions, of spirit. This still left me with a burning question: What is the underlying philosophy that separates ultimate from other sports and at the same time unites us all in our fanatical love of the game? I thought long and hard on this and looked at it from many sides; I dug deep beneath the surface of what makes our sport unique. And finally, as if a swilly scoober caught me between the eyes, a single word floated into my consciousness: RESPECT.

Respect for others. This, to me, is the essence of the spirit of ultimate. I tossed that concept around in my head for a while, because I wanted to describe precisely what I understood. As the idea solidified in my mind I broke it down into two areas: physical respect and mental respect.

Physical respect comes in the form of respecting other people’s well-being on the field. For example, as I play, I am conscious of how my actions and attitudes affect other players. If I choose to play like a maniac, endangering others’ safety, I take away from the fun for everyone involved.

But on the other hand, if I choose to jog around half-assed, I do not challenge myself or my opponent. And I certainly disrespect my teammates,ultimately robbing the experience of it’s full potential. True ultimate lies in the attitude that I will push myself, my teammates and my opponents to be our best, but never to an unsafe level.

Physical respect is an aspect of spirit that most of us can understand, but mental respect is the real key to spirit of the game.

It is what separates those who understand sportsmanship, from those who do not. Mental respect is trusting that my teammates are capable as people, and so are my opponents. Whether it’s mistakes, bad decisions or foul calls, spirit of the game is recognizing that other players will always choose what to do, the best way they know how. In fact, true mental respect comes from the realization that my opponent is not my adversary, but my collaborator in the
experience: without the other team the game does not exist. You can choose to spend your time resenting and antagonizing other players, or you can choose to focus on yourself.

It’s not always an easy choice; however, your decision will significantly affect your performance and enjoyment of the sport. So what new enlightenment did I uncover out of all of this? Well, I discovered that the essence of “playing with spirit” lies somewhere beneath the experience of playing the unique game of ultimate. I have come to understand this underlying philosophy as a physical and mental respect for other players. I don’t pretend to have solved this vast entity we so often refer to as the spirit of the game, but I hope this was a start. I intend to look at the many other facets of spirit, and how it affects the way we play the greatest sport on earth: ultimate Frisbee.
— Jeff Warner

Jeff is a management training consultant in Edmonton, AB, is Team Leader of Edmonton E.M.U., and plays with Winnipeg Chaos.

Today's Headlines: COLLUSION

From the Philippine STAR:
WB-banned firm bags P100-M road contract

A public works contractor blacklisted by the World Band for alleged collusive practices with corrupt officials has bagged a P100-million contract with the government.

"There is no sufficient proof of collusion,: Mercado said. "Even the World Band report states that collusion is 'more likely than not.'".

Excuse me? The proof of collusion is that the government still allowed a suspected company to get the contract! Why not just get a totally new company to handle it? The World Bank has warned us already, so why go through with it?

I just finished reading the Watchmen graphic novel, and I think Rorschach said it best:

The world will look up and shout "Save us!"... And I'll whisper "No."

We deserve this government because we are blind and we are apathetic.

Sleeping Beauty: The Science of Sleep

Most people don't realize how under slept they are. Even if you go to bed early there's still usually light leaking into your room that deprives you of sleep.

Generally you want the room you sleep in to be so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face. Even if you go to bed early there is still light that comes in around 5AM that reduces the ability of sleep to renew you.

The pineal gland (also called the pineal body, "Third Eye", epiphysis cerebri, or epiphysis) is a small endocrine gland in the vertebrate brain. It produces melatonin, a hormone that affects the modulation of wake/sleep patterns and photoperiodic (seasonal) functions.

Production of melatonin by the pineal gland is inhibited by light and permitted by darkness. For this reason melatonin has been called "the hormone of darkness" and its onset each evening is called the Dim-Light Melatonin Onset (DLMO). Secretion of melatonin as well as its level in the blood, peaks in the middle of the night, and gradually falls during the second half of the night, with normal variations in timing according to an individual's chronotype.

Photosensitive cells in the retina detect light and directly signal the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), entraining it to the 24 hour clock. Fibers project from the SCN to the paraventricular nuclei (PVN), which relay the circadian signals to the spinal cord and out via the sympathetic system to superior cervical ganglia (SCG), and from there into the pineal gland. The function(s) of melatonin in humans is not clear; it is commonly prescribed for the treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders.

A circadian rhythm is an approximate daily periodicity, a roughly-24-hour cycle in the biochemical, physiological or behavioural processes of living beings, including plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria.

Circadian rhythms are important in determining the sleeping and feeding patterns of all animals, including human beings. There are clear patterns of core body temperature, brain wave activity, hormone production, cell regeneration and other biological activities linked to this daily cycle. In addition, photoperiodism, the physiological reaction of organisms to the length of day or night, is vital to both plants and animals, and the circadian system plays a role in the measurement and interpretation of day length.

Timely prediction of seasonal periods of weather conditions, food availability or predator activity is crucial for survival of many species. Although not the only parameter, the changing length of the photoperiod ('daylength') is the most predictive environmental cue for the seasonal timing of physiology and behavior, most notably for timing of migration, hibernation and reproduction.

It is thought that the direction of the light may have an effect on entraining the circadian rhythm; light coming from above, resembling an image of a bright sky, has greater effect than light entering our eyes from below.

So, if you want to sleep better, better make your room pitch black. Make your curtains thick. Wear a sleep mask or an eye mask. Make sure the window is not above your head. Better yet, don't sleep near a window at all.

Sleep tight folks.