Eagles and storms

Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks? The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come.

When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it. The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.

When the storms of life come upon us - and all of us will experience them - we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow God's power to lift us above them.

God enables us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment in our lives. We can soar above the storm.

Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we handle them. Happy Sunday!

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Eye of the hurricane

This early morning post is inspired by a conversation that I had with someone last night at McDonald's. I spent some time thinking about moods -- that is, the tendency of people to let their dispositions be dictated by the events in their lives.

"What a peculiar thing," I thought to myself. But then I remembered a not-so-distant time in my life where I thought to myself as a powerless passenger on some great figurative and emotional roller coaster called life, going up with the hills and down with the valleys.

Over the years, I have learned that we don't need to let the events in our life determine or influence our mood. Failing a test, getting fired from a job or losing a loved one can only get us down in the dumps if we allow it to do so. When something goes awry in our lives, the event must first ask for our consent to make us angry, sad or piss-prone. So many of us hand over that consent unconsciously. And so many of us then use our negative mood as a weapon against the people we love.

Bitter moods and attacks on loved ones don't serve our personal evolution.

Someone once shared with me the analogy of the eye of a hurricane. It's being calm among the chaos. No matter what happens around us, good or bad, we can center ourselves on the constant hum of love that pervades the universe.

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List of 83rd annual Academy Award nominations

Here is the complete list of 83rd Annual Academy Award nominations, which were announced Tuesday:

1. Best Picture: "Black Swan," ''The Fighter," ''Inception," ''The Kids Are All Right," ''The King's Speech," ''127 Hours," ''The Social Network," ''Toy Story 3," ''True Grit," ''Winter's Bone."

2. Actor: Javier Bardem, "Biutiful"; Jeff Bridges, "True Grit"; Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network"; Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"; James Franco, "127 Hours."

3. Actress: Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right"; Nicole Kidman, "Rabbit Hole"; Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone"; Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"; Michelle Williams, "Blue Valentine."

4. Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, "The Fighter"; John Hawkes, "Winter's Bone"; Jeremy Renner, "The Town"; Mark Ruffalo, "The Kids Are All Right"; Geoffrey Rush, "The King's Speech."

5. Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, "The Fighter"; Helena Bonham Carter, "The King's Speech"; Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"; Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit"; Jacki Weaver, "Animal Kingdom."

6. Directing: Darren Aronofsky, "Black Swan"; David O. Russell, "The Fighter"; Tom Hooper, "The King's Speech"; David Fincher, "The Social Network"; Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "True Grit."

7. Foreign Language Film: "Biutiful," Mexico; "Dogtooth," Greece; "In a Better World," Denmark; "Incendies," Canada; "Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)," Algeria.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy, "127 Hours"; Aaron Sorkin, "The Social Network"; Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich, "Toy Story 3"; Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "True Grit"; Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini, "Winter's Bone."

9. Original Screenplay: Mike Leigh, "Another Year"; Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson and Keith Dorrington, "The Fighter"; Christopher Nolan, "Inception"; Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg, "The Kids Are All Right"; David Seidler, "The King's Speech."

10. Animated Feature Film: "How to Train Your Dragon," ''The Illusionist," ''Toy Story 3."

11. Art Direction: "Alice in Wonderland," ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1," ''Inception," ''The King's Speech," ''True Grit."

12. Cinematography: "Black Swan," ''Inception," ''The King's Speech," ''The Social Network," ''True Grit."

13. Sound Mixing: "Inception," ''The King's Speech," ''Salt," ''The Social Network," ''True Grit."

14. Sound Editing: "Inception," ''Toy Story 3," ''Tron: Legacy," ''True Grit," ''Unstoppable."

15. Original Score: "How to Train Your Dragon," John Powell; "Inception," Hans Zimmer; "The King's Speech," Alexandre Desplat; "127 Hours," A.R. Rahman; "The Social Network," Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

16. Original Song: "Coming Home" from "Country Strong," Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey; "I See the Light" from "Tangled," Alan Menken and Glenn Slater; "If I Rise" from "127 Hours," A.R. Rahman, Dido and Rollo Armstrong; "We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3," Randy Newman.

17. Costume: "Alice in Wonderland," ''I Am Love," ''The King's Speech," ''The Tempest," ''True Grit."

18. Documentary Feature: "Exit through the Gift Shop," ''Gasland," ''Inside Job," ''Restrepo," ''Waste Land."

19. Documentary (short subject): "Killing in the Name," ''Poster Girl," ''Strangers No More," ''Sun Come Up," ''The Warriors of Qiugang."

20. Film Editing: "Black Swan," ''The Fighter," ''The King's Speech," ''127 Hours," ''The Social Network."

21. Makeup: "Barney's Version," ''The Way Back," ''The Wolfman."

22. Animated Short Film: "Day and Night," ''The Gruffalo," ''Let's Pollute," ''The Lost Thing," ''Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)."

23. Live Action Short Film: "The Confession," ''The Crush," ''God of Love," ''Na Wewe," ''Wish 143."

24. Visual Effects: "Alice in Wonderland," ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1," ''Hereafter," ''Inception," ''Iron Man 2."

—AP

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Two photography projects for 2011

And below are the two things I am willing to invest with this year. Talk about leveling up in photography! But of course, I still have a lot to learn especially the basic ones. An in-depth learning of the exposure triangle would be awesome. Anyone willing to share their expertise? :)

AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR

70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED

1. High-power 4.3x Telephoto Zoom-Nikkor lens approximates the picture angle performance of a

105-450mm lens on 35mm SLR.

2. Two Nikon Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass elements deliver superior optical performance for both digital and 35mm photography. ED glass minimizes chromatic aberrations, contributing to superb contrast and resolution performance.

3. Focus as close as 4.9 ft throughout entire zoom range.

4. A Silent Wave Motor (SWM) enables fast and quiet auto focusing, along with quick switching between auto focus and manual operation (M/A and M).

7. 67mm filter attachment size.

8. Nikon VR II (Vibration Reduction) Image Stabilization

Vibration Reduction, engineered specifically for each VR NIKKOR lens, enables handheld shooting at up to 4 shutter speeds slower than would otherwise be possible, assuring dramatically sharper still images and video capture.

8. Internal Focus (IF) provides fast and quiet auto focusing without changing the length of the lens, retaining subject-working distance through the focus range.

9. Non-rotating front element provides for convenient use of circular polarizing filters and the Nikon Wireless Close-Up Speedlight System.

10. A nine-blade rounded diaphragm opening makes out-of-focus elements appear more natural.

SB 900 AF Speedlight

1. Powerful, Versatile Speedlight Unit

Atop the Nikon Creative Lighting System, the SB-900 is an indispensable portable light source providing effective solutions to lighting challenges.

2. Complete Flash Head Positioning Freedom

Bounce 90°up and 7°down with 360° rotation elevates creative lighting freedom.

3. Renowned Dedicated Wireless Flash Control

Wireless Commander Mode offers wireless control at the master Speedlight position, controlling up to 3 remote Speedlight groups and an unlimited number of compatible Speedlights. Four wireless channel options help manage wireless conflicts in multi-photographer environments.

4. Choose From 3 Light Distribution Patterns

Optimize light quality by selecting Standard for general illumination, Center-weighted for portraits or Even, for groups or interiors.

5. Color Gel Filter Identification

Automatically identifies mounted color gel filters and adjusts camera white-balance.* *With select Nikon digital SLRs

6. Automatic Format Identification

Automatically senses the FX or DX-format camera in use and optimizes light distribution.

7. Firmware Updating

Allows uploading of performance enhancement developments.*

*With select Nikon digital SLRs

8. Nikon’s Precision i-TTL Flash Control

Delivers precise flash exposures and seamless fill-flash performance—even in challenging lighting situations.

9. Hot Shoe and Wireless Operation

Use on-camera, as a wireless Master Commander or as a wireless remote light source.

10. Expanded Auto Power Zoom Coverage

Smoothly covers lenses as wide as 17mm and up to 200mm in FX-format and as wide as 12mm and up to 200mm in DX-format use.

11. Streamlined Controls and Menus

Convenient Rotary Select Dial sets key functions quickly and a prominent Master and Remote control switch simplifies wireless operation.

12. Flash Tube Overheat Protection

An added measure of safety is provided for sustained high-speed bursts.

13. Flash Value (FV) Lock

Locks in a specific flash output on the main subject, regardless of aperture, composition or the lens’ zoom position.*

*With select Nikon digital SLRs

14. Drip-Proof Mounting Foot Cover (Water Guard)*

Provides enhanced moisture protection.

*Optional

Please note that the images and specs are from the Nikon website.

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2011: International Year of Chemistry

The International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC 2011) is a worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind. Under the unifying theme “Chemistry—our life, our future,” IYC 2011 will offer a range of interactive, entertaining, and educational activities for all ages. The Year of Chemistry is intended to reach across the globe, with opportunities for public participation at the local, regional, and national level.

The goals of IYC2011 are to increase the public appreciation of chemistry in meeting world needs, to encourage interest in chemistry among young people, and to generate enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry. The year 2011 will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize awarded to Madame Marie Curie—an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of women to science. The year will also be the 100th anniversary of the founding of the International Association of Chemical Societies, providing a chance to highlight the benefits of international scientific collaboration.

IYC 2011 events will emphasize that chemistry is a creative science essential for sustainability and improvements to our way of life. Activities, such as lectures, exhibits, and hands-on experiments, will explore how chemical research is critical for solving our most vexing global problems involving food, water, health, energy, transportation, and more.

In addition, the Year of Chemistry will help enhance international cooperation by serving as a focal point or information source for activities by national chemical societies, educational institutions, industry, governmental, and non-governmental organizations.

The idea for an international year was first discussed in 2006, during the April meeting of IUPAC Executive Committee. Following that meeting, an IUPAC task group developed a plan to secure the designation by UNESCO of an International Year of Chemistry. That project (IUPAC project 2007-011-1-050) was successfully completed when in April 2008, and the Executive Board of UNESCO, endorsed the proposal for proclamation by the United Nations of 2011 as an International Year of Chemistry (IYC).

Source: International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry

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Sinulog 2011

Three days passed and I can still smell the fresh occurrences of the Sinulog Festival. An estimated 3.2 million people from all walks of life witnessed the festivity to honor the Santo Nino, or the child Jesus, who used to be the patron saint of the whole province of Cebu (since in the Catholic faith Jesus is not a saint, but God). The main festival is held each year on the third Sunday of January and as a devotee, I feel I am obligated to take part of the event. Year after year, I always make sure I'd blow something up (naughty or otherwise) just to make it as memorable as it could. And this year by far is the most unforgettable.

We all know what kind of mayhem ensues during this festival, so my friends and I decided to grab entry tickets to the Sports Complex. It was 8:30 in the morning when we got to the place and to my surprise, the seats were almost full! Luckily, we managed to go pass the crowd and fnd a comfortable spot just enough to compensate our 360-degree geometric sight.

Crowd Control at post

We were just in time for the mass and it was the new archbishop who staged the ceremony. Shortly, the whole place was filled with excitement when the emcee foretold the arrival of President Noynoy Aquino. A few minutes passed and a swank of motorcars caught everyone's attentions. Everyone was waving their hands as the president went to the stage with his PSGs and delivered a message to the Cebuanos. Little did I know he can speak Bisaya with fluency. Not bad, Mr President. :)

After the short speech, I went out of the complex and flew my way to the streets where the parade of costumes and smiles took place. Of course, I wouldn't want to miss the chance to try my newly bought Nikon DSLR. So I took photos and walked a distance of 2 kilometers alone notwithstanding the drizzling weather and the burden of carrying 2 bags. (All photos in this entry are mine unless otherwise specified)

Festival Queen of Inayawan - Tribu Basurero

Festival Queen 2 - (forgot the tribu name)

Higante Category. First place -

The rain went havoc an hour later but that didn't stop me from seeing the giant statues and the different contingents in their street dancing. After taking 500 shots, my camera battery drained so I decided to go back to the complex. I was totally disported upon noticing how the participants, young and old, showed their unique style that spoke volumes of their personalities.

(Sleepy...) This is about it for now.

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Cartoons and childhood superheroes

Ever since I was a kid, my only source of entertainment without having to lift a finger was watching cartoons on television. Alone in the house, you’d catch me sitting in the couch all day just watching Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai X, Cooking Master Boy and the list goes on. Contrary to when my parents were around who kept telling me to do this and do that and read and learn how to cook and stuff. My mom even joked that I looked like a cartoon character with huge eyes and a body twice smaller than its head which I kinda like the idea. LOL

I remember the cool characters from DC and Marvel Comics, they were the greatest! (and still are) Among the shows that made me jump with excitement was Justice League. Earth's seven mightiest heroes unite against the threat of outside entities and an alien invasion and decide to remain together to defend Earth against attacking aliens, sorcerers, super-villains, and any other threat that might arise.

Among their number are Superman, the super-powered last survivor of the planet Krypton; Batman, the Dark Knight Detective; Green Lantern, wielder of an alien Power Ring; The Flash, the Fastest Man Alive; Hawkgirl, Winged Wonder and policewoman from the planet Thanagar; Wonder Woman, Princess of the Amazons, and Martian Manhunter, last survivor of Mars.

The whole series is available thru torrent (it doesn’t take that long to download given that your internet speed is over 2Mbps) and starting with the third season, the show was retitled "Justice League Unlimited" and now the core members, under the guidance of the Martian Manhunter, command teams of specialist heroes brought together to deal with specific crises they are best suited to handling.

Meanwhile, another cartoon superheroes from Marvel Comics also dominated the televisions not so long ago. The X-Men: Evolution brought the fan favorite comic book title onto the TV screen. The series loosely follows the main stories of the original comic. The main cast has been turned into kids (with the exception of Wolverine, Prof. X, and a few select others). Most of the fan favorites are accounted for, including Wolverine, Cyclops, and Storm.

X-Men: Evolution follows the lives of six mutants (Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, ShadowCat, Rouge, and a new original named Spyke) who attend Xavier's Institute for the Gifted. There they learn how to control their powers and use it for good.

These are just two of the 100 cartoon shows that I used to kill my time on. Although, I have to admit that some people are cynical about watching cartoons due to false sense of reality and children at a young age can’t tell the difference between cartoons and reality. How come, at a young age, I was able to tell the difference? (smirk)

Moreover, I read from a certain article online that children who watch too much cartoons on television are more likely to have mental and emotional problems, along with brain and eye injuries and unexpectedly the risk of certain physical problems.

I went to Manila 7 years ago to attend an ANAK TV conference where they showcased the effects of television on the general population especially on children and was able to ask some adults about their views. They claimed that it had become a problem because too many children are watching too much television and the shows that they are watching have become violent and addictive.

Well, it's a good thing my mom was so strict that if she caught me watching these shows for more than 3 hours I wind up kneeling in my room with salt all over my knee caps. :P

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SINULOG CEBU 2011 SCHEDULE

Sinulog 2011

Schedule of Activities

(Fuente Osmena, January 2-31, 2011)

Dec 01 – Jan 31, 2011

Sinulog Street Fair, Osmeña Blvd.

Janaury 2, 2011 (Sunday)

Sinulog Fun Run

January 06, 2011 (Thursday)

Opening Salvo: Walk with Jesus

4:00 AM

Assembly Time (Area) Fuente Osmeña

4:30 AM

Start of Walk-Fuente Osmeña Blvd. – Basilica del Sto. Niño

5:30 AM

Installation of Hermano & Hermana Mayores 2011

January 07, 2011 (Friday)

Sinulog 2011 Kick Off

Sinulog Photo Exhibits through the years @SM City Cebu, Ayala Center Cebu, MCIAA

2:00PM

Solemn Mass (Basilica del Sto. Niño)

3:00 PM

Launching Parade (Basilica del Sto. Niño to Cebu City Sports Center)

7:00 PM

Opening and Launching Program, Fuente Osmeña featuring Mandaue City Children’s Choir, Dancesports Team Cebu and Dance Troupes from Cebu’s schools and universities

7:30 PM

Ms. Cebu 2011 Presentation, Fuente Osmeña

8:00 PM

Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

9:00 PM

Streen Party Bands

January 8, 2011 (Saturday)

Sinulog sa Kabataan – Lalawigan

1:00 PM

Parade of Participants, Capitol Site to Cebu City Sports Center

2:00 PM

Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan, Cebu City Sports Center

4:30 PM

Awarding of Winners

6:30 PM

Cultural Show (Fuente Osmeña) DepEd, Cebu Province

8:00 PM

Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

9:30 PM

Concert @ the Fuente O , Street Party Bands

January 9, 2011 (Sunday)

Sinulog sa Kabataan- Dakbayan

4:00 AM

Cebu City 2011 Marathon – www.cebumarathon.com

1:00 PM

Parade of Participants, Plaza Independencia to Cebu City Sports Center

2:00 PM

Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan, Cebu City Sports Center

4:30 PM

Awarding of Winners

6:30 PM

Cultural Show (Fuente Osmeña)

University of San Carlos

8:00 PM

Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

9:00 PM

Concert @ the Fuente O, Street Party Bands

January 10, 2011 (Monday)

6:30 PM

Cultural Show (Fuente Osmeña)

University of Cebu

8:00 PM

Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

9:00 PM

Concert @ the Fuente O , Street Party Bands

January 11, 2011 (Tuesday)

7:30 PM

Cultural show (Fuente Osmeña)

University of San Jose-Recoletos and Cebu Institute of Technology

8:00 PM

Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

9:00 PM

Concert @ the Fuente O , Street Party Bands

January 12, 2011 (Wednesday)

9:00 AM

Airport Welcome (Balikbayan Flights)

6:30 PM

Cultural Shows (Fuente Osmeña)

University of Southern Philippines-Foundation and Salazar College of Science and Institute of Technology

7:00 PM

Ms. Cebu 2011 Coronation Night, Waterfront Lahug Hotel

8:00 PM

Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

9:00 PM

Concert @ the Fuente O , Street Party Bands

January 13, 2011 (Thursday)

9:00 AM

Airport Welcome (Balikbayan Flights)

10 AM – 3:00 PM

Photo Shoot Sinulog Festival Queen , SM City Entertainment Plaza

7:00 PM

Sinulog Festival Queen Parade of Costumes @ SM Northwing Lobby

6:30 PM

Cultural Shows (Fuente Osmeña)

Cebu City Division

6:00 PM

Balik Cebu, Welcome Party @ Ayala Center Cebu

8:00 PM

Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

8:00 PM

Handumanan @ Ayala Terraces

9:00 PM

Concert @ the Fuente O , Street Party Bands

January 14, 2011 (Friday)

Visual Merchandising Contest

(Dept. Stores and Malls)

4:00 AM

Walk with Mary (Area) Fuente Osmeña-Sto. Niño

7:00 AM

Misa de Translacion (Motorcade)

9:00 AM

Solidarity Meeting (All Competing Contingent /

Floats / Higante / Puppteers) @ Cebu City Sports Center Gym

6:30 PM

Cultural Shows (Fuente Osmeña)

(Cebu Normal University, Abellana National High School and Asian College of Technology

7:30 P.M

Cebu Popular Music Festival, Cebu Coliseum

7:30 P.M

Sinulog Festival Queen 2011, Cebu City Sports Center

8:00 PM

Sinulog Idol (Fuente Osmeña Circle)

9:00 PM

Concert @ the Fuente O , Street Party Bands

January 15, 2011 (Saturday)

6:00 AM

Fluvial Procession of the Miraculous Image of Sto. Niño

8:00 AM

Vibration and Big Bike Rally by Vmax Owners Group

9:00 AM

Re-enactment of the Baptism of Queen Juana and Rajah Humabon Basilica del Sto. Niño

2:00 PM

Solemn Procession of the Miraculous Image of Sto. Niño

7:00 PM

Sinulog Fireworks Competition @ SM City Cebu

7:00 PM

Street party @ Fuente Osmeña and Plaza Independencia

8:00 PM

Gala – Passionata a Cultural Heritage Celebration in Honor of Sto. Niño de Cebu @ SM Cinema I

8:00 PM

Kasadya Nite Mardi Gras @ Ayala Center Cebu

8:00 PM

Handumanan Concert, USP-F Theater for the Performing Arts

January 16, 2011 (Sunday)

SINULOG GRAND PARADE

4:00 AM

Mañanita Mass @Basilica del Sto. Niño

6:00 AM

Pontifical mass with His Eminence Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal

9:00 AM

Sinulog Grand Parade Carousel Kick Off

7:00 PM

Grand Fireworks, Cebu City Sports Center

7:30 PM

Street Party Bands, Fuente Osmeña

January 17, 2011 (Monday)

1:00 PM

Awarding Ceremonies, Cebu City Sports Center

January 21, 2011 (Friday)

“HUBO”

4:00 AM

“HUBO Mass” Ritual @ Basilica del Sto. Niño

January 29, 2011 (Saturday)

1:00 P.M

Awarding Ceremonies Photo Contest and Video Documentary Contest / Sinulog Short Film Festival

January 31 – Feb. 10, 2011

Photo Exhibits “Winning Photos Sinulog ‘10 @SM City Cebu

For more information: Contact Us at 253700, 2545010, telefax 4164548

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Edison, Westinghouse and Tesla: The Compelling Truth

In 1883 a young Serbian scientist named Nikola Tesla was working for the European division of the Continental Edison Company. He was a brilliant inventor, and Charles Batchelor, a plant manager and a personal friend of Thomas Edison, persuaded him he should seek his fortune in America, giving him a letter of introduction to Edison himself. So began a life of woe and tribulation that lasted until Tesla's death.

When Tesla met Edison in New York, the famous inventor hired him on the spot. Tesla worked eighteen-hour days, finding ways to improve the primitive Edison dynamos. Finally he offered to redesign them completely. To Edison this seemed a monumental task that could last years without paying off, but he told Tesla, "There's fifty thousand dollars in it for you -- if you can do it." Tesla labored day and night on the project and after only a year he produced a greatly improved version of the dynamo, complete with automatic controls. He went to Edison to break the good news and receive his $50,000. Edison was pleased with the improvement, for which he and his company would take credit, but when it came to the issue of the money he told the young Serb, "Tesla, you don't understand our American humor!," and offered a small raise instead.

Tesla's obsession was to create an alternating-current system (AC) of electiricity. Edison believed in the direct-current system (DC), and not only refused to support Tesla's research but later did all he could to sabotage him. Tesla turned to the great Pittsburgh magnate George Westinghouse, who had started his own electricity company. Westinghouse completely funded Tesla's research and offered him a generous royalty agreement on future profits. The AC system Tesla developed is still the standard today -- take credit for the invention, claiming that they had laid the groundwork for him. His name was lost in the shuffle, and the public came to associate the invention with Westinghouse huimself.

A year later, Westinghouse was caught in a takeover bid from JP Morgan, who made him rescind the generous royalty contract he had signed with Tesla. Westinghouse explained to the scientist that his company would not survive if it had to pay him his full royalties; he persuaded Tesla to accept a buyout of his patents for $216,000 -- a large sum, no doubt, but far less than the $12 million they were worth at the time. The financiers had divested Tesla of the riches, the patents, and essentially the credit for the greatest invention of his career.

The name of Guglielmo Marconi is forever linked with the invention of radio. But few know that in producing his invention -- he broadcast a signal across the English Channel in 1899 -- Marconi made use of a patent Tesla had filed in 1897 and that his work depended on Tesla's research. Once again Tesla received no money and no credit. Tesla invented an induction motor as well as the AC power system, and he is the real "father of radio." Yet none of these discoveries bear his name. As an old man, he lived in poverty.

In 1917, during his later impoverished years, Tesla was told he was to receive the Edison Medal of the American Institute of Electical Engineers. He turned the medal down. "You propose," he said, "to honor me with a medal which I could pin upon my coat and strut for vain hour before the members of your Institute. You would decorate my body cand continue to let starve, for failure to supply recognition, my mind and its creative products, which have supplied the foundation upon which the major portion of your Institute exists."

--

"Many harbor the illusion that science, dealing with facts as it does, is beyond the petty rivalries that trouble the rest of the world. Nikola Tesla was one of those. He believed science had nothing to do with politics, and claimed not to care for fame and riches. As he grew odler, though, this ruined his scientific work. Not associated with any particular discovery, he could attract no investors to his many ideas. While he pondered great inventions for the future, others stole the patents he had already developed and got the glory for themselves." -Robert Greene

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: A Good Improvement of the Series

The Deathly Hallows Part 1 captured the feeling of exactly what the Harry Potter movies should have been all along: gritty, emotional, and cinematic. I haven't been a huge fan of any of the HP movies to date, but I was pleased with the Deathly Hallows because it took a big step up in maturity from the "children's fantasy" genre and focused on themes very central to the seventh book: hopelessness and desperation.

After the death of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, the magical world falls into disarray as Voldemort gains power over the Ministry of Magic and hunts tirelessly after his mortal enemy and our continuing protagonist, Harry Potter. While keeping a low cover, Harry, Ron, and Hermoine decide to track down and destroy Voldemort's soul contained in hidden "horcruxes" but have difficulties deciding what to do and where to start.

The Deathly Hallows very successfully portrays the despair-filled journey of the wizarding trio. With dark undertones running through the cinematography, Part 1 of the Harry Potter finale is the film that deals more with the emotional stagnation of the characters and spends less time with action scenes and major plot points. Since Rowling's seventh book is separated into two movies, Part 1 boasts a much slower pace than earlier HP films and is not so focused on cramming as many subplots and side-stories from the book as possible into the movie's runtime, which tends to clutter up the storyline and make the whole thing feel rushed.

But where the slow pacing makes this film stand out in the series, it also may be its downfall. The Deathly Hallows continually feeds us a feeling of desolation as Harry, Ron and Hermoine fail to discover a way to destroy the horcruxes; they seem to be making no progress towards defeating the Dark Lord, but as an effect the movie seems to be making no progress towards an ending. Storyline lags intensely towards the middle of the film and is dragged out until the conclusion (which ends abruptly). You'll be left in your seats feeling like this is going nowhere- but that's the point: Harry, Ron, and Hermoine are getting nowhere. So I liked this movie because the pace was slow, but I also didn't like this movie because the pace was slow. See what I'm getting at? Aside from that, I can't complain much. Performances were fine, effects were impressive, and best of all, nothing dastardly was done to J.K. Rowling's story.

The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is a nice improvement and a fine addition to the Harry Potter series and should serve as a solid emotional base for Part 2 to take off with next year. If you've enjoyed the HP movies so far, this should be a satisfying experience at least. If not, let the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 redeem your faith in the series. SC

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11 Tips for Better Candid Photography

Candid styles of photography are increasingly becoming popular both in general day to day photography but also in formal photographic situations. Last time I was asked to photograph a wedding the couple actually hired me purely to take paparazzi style shows of them and their guests throughout the day. They had another photographer for the formal shots and gave me the brief of getting a behind the scenes look of the day.

The results, when they put together my shots with the formal ones were a wonderful blend of photos that told a fuller story than if they’d gone for one or the other.

Below are a number of tips to help photographers improve their ‘candid’ photography. Please note that these tips are not about taking sneaky, voyeuristic or true paparazzi shots (ie

photographing people without their permission) but rather about how to add a more candid feel to the shots you take of people that you know.

1. Take your Camera Everywhere

Probably the best way to take spontaneous photographs is to always be ready to do so. I have a DSLR which I take out when I’m on a shoot but between shoots like to cary with a quality point and shoot camera that I can whip out at a moments notice to capture the many opportunities for a good photo that life presents us with. Taking your camera with you everywhere also helps people to be more at ease with you taking their photo. I find that my friends and family just expect me to have my camera out so when I do fire it up it’s not a signal to them to pose but it’s a normal part of our interaction – this means that they are relaxed and the photos are natural.

2. Use a Long Zoom

Obviously the further you are away from your subject the less likely they will be to know that you’re photographing them and the more natural and relaxed they’ll act. Using a telephoto lens or long zoom enables you to shoot from outside their personal space but keep the feeling of intimacy in the shot you’re taking.

3. Kill the Flash

Perhaps the most obvious way that you can signal to another person that you’re photographing them is to use a flash. There’s nothing like a blinding flash of light in the eyes to kill a moment. If possible (and it’s not always) attempt to photograph without the flash if you’re aiming for candid shots. When in lower light situations increase your ISO setting, use a faster lens, open up your aperture or if your camera has a ‘natural light mode’ turn it on. Hopefully one or a combination of these approaches will help you blend into the background a little more.

4. Shoot lots

I’ve written about this before on this site but when you shoot multiple images quickly of a person you can sometimes get some surprising and spontaneous shots that you’d have never gotten if you shot just one. Switch your camera to continuous shooting mode and shoot in bursts

of images and in doing so you’ll increase your chances of that perfect shot.

5. Position Yourself strategically

While Candid Photography is about capturing the spontaneity of a moment and getting that perfect shot at the right split second of time I find that if you think ahead and anticipate what is about to unfold in front of you that you can greatly increase the chances of getting some great shots. So at a wedding get to the church early (or even go to the rehearsal) and think about what will happen during the ceremony and where will be best for you to stand to capture each moment. Which way will people be facing? What will they be doing? What will the light be like?

Thinking through these issues will save you having to run around repositioning yourself when you should be shooting images – it’ll also mean you take a whole heap less shots of the back of people’s heads!

6. Photograph People Doing things

Images of people doing things tend to be much more interesting than people sitting passively doing nothing. For one your subject will be focussed upon something which adds energy to a photo (and takes their focus off you) but it also puts them in context and adds an element of story to your image. Timing is everything in candid shots so wait until they are distracted from you and fully focussed upon what they are doing or who they are with and you’ll inject a feeling into your shots of them being unaware and that the viewer of your image is looking on unseen.

7. Photograph People with People

Something very interesting happens when you photograph more than one person in an image at a time – it introduces relationship into the shot. Even if the two (or more) people are not really interacting in the shot it can add depth and a sense of story into the viewing of the image. Of course ideally in candid shots you’d like some interaction between your subjects as that will add emotion into the shot also as we the viewer observe how the people are acting.

8. Shoot from the Hip

If your subject is aware that you’re there and that you have your camera out they might tense up or act a little unnaturally as they see you raising your camera to the eye. The beauty of digital cameras is that it doesn’t cost you anything to take lots of shots and it can be well worth shooting without raising your camera. To do this most effectively you might want to set your lens to a wider angle setting to make up for any aiming problems you might have.

9. Mix up your Perspective

The other beauty of shooting from the hip is that it gives you a slightly different perspective to take the shot from (ie shooting from 3 feet height instead of 6). This adds to the candid nature of the shots. In fact sometimes it’s the slightly crooked, slightly out of focus or poorly composed shots taken from this type of angle that ends up looking the best because they come across as quite random. Of course you can add all these new perspectives to your shots without shooting from the hip. Crouch down, get up high, frame your shots on an angle, zoom in close and then quickly zoom out to a wide angle, break the rules of composition etc and you will add a new perspective to your shots that can mean they look fresh and surprising.

10. Frame Images with Foreground Elements

A trick that I often use in candid shots is to purposely include something in the foreground of the shot to make it look as though I’m hiding behind it. You might do this with by shooting over someone’s shoulder, by including a little of a tree branch or the frame of a doorway.

11. Take Posed Shots into Candid Territory

One of my favorite times to shoot candid shots is when other people are taking formal ones. This is because everyone in the shot is focused on the one element (the other photographer) – but it’s not you. If the main photographer has posed the happy couple of the day or their bridal partly look for a different angle to them to take a shot of the same subject. Often if you take a few steps to the side and shoot from almost a profile position you can get great shots. Also zooming in to take shots of just one or two of the people in a larger group at these times can work well. Also try zooming right out to take a shot of the photographer and their subject all in one. If you’re the only photographer and you’re taking formal shots a great technique is to take your posed shot and then continue to shoot after everyone thinks you’ve finished. It’s often the shots just after the posed one that are the best as people relax and look at each other.

-Digital Photography School

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'Green Lantern' Breaks Away From Earthbound Superhero Movies

Ever since the first "X-Men" in 2000, the trend in comic book movie adaptations has been to try to give a sense of realism to costumed superheroes. "Spider-Man," "Iron Man" and especially Christopher Nolan's two "Batman" movies have all tried to tone down the fantastical elements from the source material and bring the characters down to Earth.

It looks like that trend may end next summer with the release of "Green Lantern." Based on the much-loved DC Comics series, this latest superhero movie has aliens, spaceships, and a ring that creates objects out of light. But unlike some more terrestrial heroes, the cosmic explorations of the Green Lantern have always been a major part of the character's appeal.

Take a look at the first trailer for "Green Lantern" starring the newly crowned "Sexiest Man Alive,"Ryan Reynolds.

Reynolds plays Hal Jordan, who was actually the second Green Lantern in the comic books starting in 1959. He is a test pilot at Ferris Aircraft alongside Carol Ferris (played by Blake Lively). Jordan discovers where a spacecraft crashes on Earth, and its alien passenger, Abin Sur (Temuera Morrison), passes on his power ring to Jordan before he dies. So Jordan is inducted into the Green Lantern Corps, sort of an interplanetary police force whose rings have the power to create anything they can imagine.

It's still an early trailer, so we only get a few glimpses of the Green Lantern's power, specifically one shot where he punches out three guys with one giant glowing fist. You see the villain Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) both before and after his head mutates to an enormous size. There is also a brief look at Sinestro (Mark Strong), the purple-skinned Lantern Corps member who starts off as Jordan's ally (but, as comic book readers know, doesn't stay that way).

It's a far cry from the gritty realism of a movie like "The Dark Knight," but that's by design. It also has a lighter tone that gives Reynolds the chance to show off his trademark charm, putting his romantic comedy experience to use in his bantering with Lively. And unlike the brooding, tortured heroes like Christian Bale's Batman or Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, Reynolds seems to be having fun with his superpowers.

Another difference is Green Lantern's costume. Rather than the spandex bodysuits or leathery armor of most movie superheroes, Reynolds was filmed wearing a motion capture suit (much like the actors in "Avatar"), and his costume is entirely created with digital effects. It gives him a sleek, glowing look that could not be acheived by traditional means.

"Green Lantern" arrives in theaters on June 17, 2011.

-Yahoo! News

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Living in delusion

I am an open book. I say what I feel, blurt out my opinions at every opportunity, and constantly reveal my plans and intentions. I do this for several reasons. First, it is easy and natural for me to always want to talk about my feelings and plans for the future. It takes effort to control my tongue and monitor what I reveal. Second, I believe that by being honest and open I am winning people's hearts and showing my good nature. I am greatly deluded. Honesty is actually a blunt instrument, which bloodies more than it cuts. After all that's happened, I realized that my honesty is likely to offend people; it is much more prudent to tailor my words, telling people what they want to hear rather than the coarse and ugly truth of what I feel or think. More important, by being unabashedly open I make myself so predictable and familiar that it is almost impossible to respect or fear me.

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Thoughts...

Imagine yourself walking along the shoreline in the middle of the night. The air is cold and you only hear snippets of conversation from afar. You look at the ocean and a wave of memories, good and bad, comes rushing down. You try to avoid it from permeating your sense of self but resistance is futile. So you sit down, feeling the moment you thought you’d never feel.

Then you close your eyes and you feel the water stirring your toes, giving you a sense of relief like you’ve never experienced for a very long time. You sigh and breathe slowly, inhaling and exhaling in rhythmic satisfaction. You begin to imagine how life was years back and you ask yourself if it’s still worth the time to muse over. You start to remember the things that made you become a better person and the people who inspired you but left in the long run.

Unconsciously, your eyes begin to well up with tears; you manage to smile and start to utter a word. And just when you are about to say something, everything suddenly stops.

The air no longer touches your body, you can no longer hear the snippets of conversation, and the water dries out. Silence. Everything, including time and space, stops.

You start to panic. You try to drop a single word but nothing passes down your mouth. You hear your heartbeat. The beat is gradually dying. You close your eyes again, thinking everything will return to normal. After a while, you slowly open your eyes and see an image of an old man, a silhouette, sitting near a tree. He smiles, waves his hands and you walk toward him in fear but you start asking him questions about life and its infinite twist of joy and sadness. He looks at your eyes, listens and senses what your heart has gone through. Knowing this, you grin.

The old man says: “Today would be a good day for doing something out of the ordinary. We could, for example, dance through the streets on our way to work. Look directly into the eyes of a stranger, and speak of love at first sight. Give the boss an idea that may seem ridiculous, an idea we’ve never mentioned before. Today, we could cry over some ancient injustices that still stick in our craw. We could phone someone we vowed never to speak to again (but from whom we would love to receive a message on the answering machine). Today could be considered a day outside the script that we write every morning. Today, any fault will be permitted and forgiven. Today is a day to enjoy life…” The old man continues.

And through timeless words and priceless pictures, you smile. From that moment on, you have found your purpose.

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When I saw Jesus

It was sometime around October of 2008 when I had the most unusual dream -- seeing Jesus and the once in a lifetime chance to talk to him. Here's what happened:

It started one lazy saturday afternoon when I was at home doing nothing. My cousin called me up and invited me for a road trip. It was around 6 in the evening when we dropped by an unknown village. My cousin had a 2-storey house in the village so we decided to spend the night there . After a few minutes of trivial conversation, the air suddenly became uncomfortable and people were speaking languages I couldn't understand so I went upstairs and decided to be alone in the verandah. While I was clearing my head, the house suddenly collapsed without warning. Luckily, no one was hurt. And so while all the family members were busy looking for their stuff and figuring out what really happened, I started running away from the house. It was 8pm and I could barely see the road. It was too dark. The village had no street lamps to illuminate the road and everyone was dependent on the moon's light. I was sweating, hardly catching my breath. After running a few kilometers, I saw a lounge and decided to stay for the night. So I made a reservation at the front desk and went upstairs to see the room. And just when i was about to open the door, memories of the past came flashing back. The only vivid thing I remembered was that I cried after recalling the death of my grampa. For the most part, I felt so weak and down. So I prayed out of nowhere.

In my prayers, I told Him everything and asked for guidance. A flashing light suddenly blinded my vision. When the light was gradually fading, I saw a wooden door with an arrow pointing east and a carving that says "ENTER HERE AND GO TO HELL". Another glaring light appeared, another door with an arrow pointing west, "CHOOSE THIS DOOR AND GO TO HEAVEN". I was panicky and confused at the same time so I asked Him, "You have been my Northern Star and guided me every step of the way, so If u were to choose, which path should I take?" the carving that pointed east had emitted the most light.

I deeply sighed thinking that He was right with His decision. "If that's your decision, then I think I've got no choice", I said.

So I went in, the room burning with red flames. And I saw a figure of a man. It was Jesus. I saw Him with a blanket and two fried chicken drumsticks. He handed me the blanket and told me to spread it over the entire room. So I obeyed and the fire went out. The room went cold.

He pointed his hand to the two drumsticks and said, "Give those two chicken legs to a hungry child". Knowing that He was Jesus, the savior, I followed and never hesitated. Outside the room was a 4-year old child who was begging for food so I gave the drumsticks. I could see from his eyes how happy he was. He gave away the sweetest smile and suddenly disappeared. I went back to the room and Jesus then told me about heaven and everything that I needed to know. He assured that it's really not impossible to have a place there. Distracted, I woke up.

After that dream, I shed a tear, not knowing why. All I felt was a different kind of fear, a joyful fear as I recalled. Now, the question still remains untouched, unseen. Why did I have that dream? Is there something I should do with my life, something I've long been searching for that I'm not aware of?

That was the first and the only time I saw Jesus... in my dreams.

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A mother's message to her son's wedding

This touches my heart. There's always a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begin.

-

To my Charley on his wedding day-

-

I know you think these notes are silly. I have watched you scrunched your face over the years when I give them to you. But understand that sometimes I want to tell you something and I want to get it just right. Putting it down on a paper helps me do that. I wish I had been a better writer. I wish I had gone to college. If I had, I think I would've studied English and maybe my vocabulary would have improved. So many times I feel I am using the same words over and over, like a woman wearing the same dress every day. So boring!

-

What I want to say to you, Charley, is you're marrying a wonderful girl. I think of Catherine in many ways like I think of Roberta. Like a daughter. She is sweet and patient. You should be the same with her, Charley.

-

Here is what you are going to find out about marriage: you have to work at it together. And you have to love three things. You have to love

-

1. Each other.

2. Your children (When you have some! Hint! Hint!).

3. Your marriage.

-

What I mean by the last one is, there may be times that you fight, and sometimes you and Catherine won't even like each other. Those are the times you have to love your marriage. It's like a third party. Look at your wedding photos. Look at any memories you've made. And if you believe in those memories, they will pull you back together.

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I'm very proud of you today, Charley. I am putting this in your tuxedo pocket because I know how you lose things.

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I love you every day!

-

-

Mom

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Inspiring Wednesday

Here's a passage that I want to share with all of you:

Friday comes, you go home, and you pick up the newspapers that you weren't able to read during the week. You turn on the television with the sound off. You put on a cassette tape. You use the remote control to jump from one channel to the other, as you try to turn the pages of the paper and listen to the music. The papers contain nothing new, the TV programs are repetitious, and you've already heard the cassette dozens of times. Your wife is attending to the children, sacrificing her youthful years without really understanding why she is doing so. An excuse occurs to you: "Well, that's the way life is." No, that's not the way life is. Life is enthusiasm. Try to remember where it was that you hid away your enthusiasm. Take your wife and children with you and try to find it again, before it's too late. Love never kept anyone from following his dream.

Have a great Wednesday, everyone! Things can only improve.

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Untitled

When he went blundering back to God,

His songs half written, his work half done,

Who knows what paths his bruised feet trod,

What hills of peace or pain he won?

I hope God smiled and took his hand,

And said, "Poor truant, passionate fool!

Life's book is hard to understand:

Why couldst thou not remain at school?"

(a poem by Charles Hanson Towne,

found inside a notebook amongst

this particular person's belongings)

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A True Talent: Jason Mraz

I just need to let the whole world know how talented this man is and that without a doubt, Jason Mraz is one of the greatest artists I've known. First, let's take a peek of his life and find out how he started his career from an ordinary "dude" who loves cats to a renowned song writer, singer and a guitar-enthusiast.

Biography

Jason Mraz, his life-altering journey began with a single word: no. No touring, no recording, no work for a year: "I said, I want to go the grocery store again. I want to do my own laundry. I want to tend to a garden. I want to raise a cat."

Mraz came to the decision after a remarkable four years where he had seen his major label debut, "Waiting for My Rocket to Come" explode off the success of such hits as "Remedy (I Won't Worry)," "You and I Both" and "Curbside Prophet." Shortly thereafter, he returned with his Grammy-nominated, critically acclaimed "Mr. A-Z," which continued his chart success with "Wordplay." Throughout, his reputation as a tremendous live act soared.

But when he took a well-earned break, something unexpected happened: he rediscovered himself. After a few months, "I suddenly woke up and real songs started coming out of me," Mraz recalls. "Songs that I didn't plan on writing. But that just became a reflection of how I feel and the mood that I was in and these awakenings that I was having," he says.

The result is "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things." his most self-assured effort to date. In true Mraz style, the 12 tunes are wrapped in clever, observant lyrics and strong, engaging pop melodies, but this time they are inspired "by these moments of self realization, self empowerment and self improvement. I was happy to be able to write an album at the same time I was coming back to earth."

Highlights include first single, "I'm Yours," a warm breeze of a song about finally giving into love and life's possibilities set to lilting island tempo. A demo of the song leaked out into the world a few years ago and has developed a cult following. "I didn't realize how powerful it was until we went to Sweden last summer and 6,000 people sang every word," Mraz says. "I'd never been to Sweden in my life. I thought, it's already got a life of its own from the demo, let's give people a great version of it. I feel like we finally got it right on this album."

Another highlight is "Lucky," a simple, endearing duet with new platinum singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. "I got word that she was a fan and wanted to work together, so I immediately demanded her phone number," Mraz says with a laugh. He sent her segments of a love song that she and her guitarist Timothy Fagan completed.

Caillat then joined Mraz in a London studio where he recorded the album with producer Martin Terefe, best known for his work with Coldplay and James Morrison (who guests on the intricate "Details in the Fabric").

Terefe, along with songwriter/pianist Sasha Skarbek (who co-wrote james Blunt's "You're Beautiful"), also played a hand in co-writing some of the tunes with Mraz, including "Love for a Child," a searing autobiographical tale of Mraz's parents split when he was five. "I didn't want to share the lyrics," Mraz confesses, "but I just let it rip and it wasn't until playback that I realized how important it was that I needed to write it."

While Mraz and Terefe deliberately kept the music stripped down, they added flourishes that distinguish "We Sing" from standard pop fare, including a gospel choir on "Live High," and operatic embellishments and a children's chorale on "Coyotes."

"Martin is such a funny guy," Mraz says. "He loves the quirkiness and loves to keep the pace going with little surprises so he's always willing to try my goofy ideas," such as bookending "Details in the Fabric" with real voice mail messages from Mraz's good friend and sometime co-writer Bushwalla.

The album takes its title from a piece of art by Glasglow-based doodle artist David Shrigley that Mraz saw in Scotland while traveling... (end of biography).

There you have it. While I was searching for his songs, I stumbled upon this piece that caught my eardrums' attention. A Song for a Friend is a different kind of love song. "It's a love song from a man to another man, in a good way. And that I have a lot of dudes I totally respect and so inspired by this piece," he claims. It's awesome that he sings for his mates. I don't actually hear about it much these days.

I guess this song is literally dedicated to a friend of his whom he treasured so much. The melody and the wonderful imagery -- I just love how a poet like Mraz can put his words to life!

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Cringe-inducing typo outside N.C. school

Well, here's something to make your old English teacher gasp in horror: A road contractor hired to paint the word "school" on a freshly paved stretch of road near Southern Guilford High School in North Carolina rendered the traffic area in question a "shcool" zone.

[Verizon can fix $1.7 billion typo, court says]

But fear not for the (surely confused) youth of Greensboro! The contractor, a company called Traffic Markings, has already corrected the error, the local Fox TV affiliate reports.
This isn't the first such mishap on record. Last year, for instance, a Miami-area road crew offered the variant spelling of "schohol," while in 2007, a team in Kalamazoo, Mich., managed the same "h" and "c" reversal.

Chalk it all up to a bad day's wrok.

(Photo via AP/Greensboro News & Record, Joseph Rodriguez)

Source: Yahoo! News

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