52Photos Project #17: Holiday Traditions

[caption id="attachment_6389" align="aligncenter" width="448"] Children visiting on Christmas day.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_6390" align="alignnone" width="750"] Wrapped goodies for visitors, especially the children.[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_6391" align="alignnone" width="750"] Finger foods for the midnight party.[/caption]

 

Photohunt: Creativity

I find this Christmas village featured in a mall very creative.  The whole concept makes you feel you are in a neighborhood with bright Christmas lights and decor.  There were many shoppers who pose to have pictures with this as background.  I snapped this picture in haste because the queue is never ending. :D

We had our picture taken along one of the highlights in the village - a candy store.

Advance Merry Christmas to all!

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They that argue

Arguments are good if what turns out of it is positive.  Most often that not, arguments end up violent, favoring no one because both of the contending parties believe that their process of reasoning is more favorable than the other.  Arguments should be made to persuade but unfortunately, there are people who just loves to argue.  In my article Types of People Who Love to Argue, I pointed out these three types of people who love to argue.

• The Reformist


• The Attention Seeker


• The Fighter

You may visit it at bingskee.hubpages.com/hub/ for a list of other related articles.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] No Need to Argue (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

In relation to this, I am sharing these quotes:

“I can win an argument on any topic, against any opponent. People know this, and steer clear of me at parties. Often, as a sign of their great respect, they don't even invite me.”
-Dave Barry

Or maybe people steer clear of him because he is one of those types I mentioned.

“Without contraries is no progression. Attraction and repulsion, reason and energy, love and hate, are necessary to human existence.”
- William Blake

Mr. Blake can be the reformist type.  In respect though, for people who airs their view contrary to popular beliefs or concepts, I believe it is not about the love for an argument for argument's sake but the need to express a view that is believed to be more logical, or practical.

“No sensible man ever engages, unprepared, in a fencing match of words with a woman.”
-Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White

I find the above quote funny.  Most women are born fighters, I believe.  :D

 

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A Shotgun Microphone for Those People

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300"] An Audio-Technica AT815a shotgun microphone (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

It would be the rode microphones blimp windshield that I would choose and aim directly to those insensitive neighbors belching until the wee hours of the morning.  A shotgun microphone will be perfect because it is highly directional. It will pick up the sound with high gain from the front source.

With the design mentioned, all I do is speak in front of the microphone and deliver the message to the seemingly uneducated who do not know the difference between a bar and a private place. Just like how speakers do in a lecture room.

52Photos Project #16: Dessert

Cinnamon rolls.  Perfect with coffee. Coffee without sugar preferably.  Perfect after each sumptuous dinner.  Dinner that is not that heavy leaving a space in your tummy for desserts like these.

The Gallery is open.  Visit what the others have here.

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Military Rings as Gifts?

Wny not?  If the man of your dreams, or your better half belongs to the military, why would a military army rings be not perfect?

When I was little, still in the primary grades, I had always wondered what those bulky rings are made of and why they look the way they are.  Reaching high school, I saw our commandant wearing one of those rings.  I was not aware until that time that they symbolize one's affiliation to the military.

Back to the question - military rings as gifts? Why not?

52Photos Project #15: My Work

My job entails a lot of documentation, and checking of compliance to standards.  Wonder if someone does the work that I do.  :D

I utilize a machine called 'computer' in my line of work.  What tools of trade do you have?

Photohunt: Neat

After the chaos from the super typhoon in the country, I guess what every one wishes is order, and also a neat place and situation to live in.

I chose this photo as it conveys simplicity with a substance - a true depiction of neat.

I am still fazed with how the government dealt with the tragedy that befell the country but I am trying to pray and hope that things will be better, that with a ray of hope, each of those affected will be able to rise, with the whole of the citizenry helping, and with the aid coming from other countries.

Why Criticism is Necessary

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Criticism (Photo credit: Celestine Chua)[/caption]

While reading my FB friends' posts which consist mostly of updates about super typhoon Yolanda, I noticed an update of a UP professor that I had been following, that says:

Because of my posts, many people are asking why am I criticizing the government when the priority is to help. We should never oppose assistance with critique. Our assistance should be compassion with justice. Without CNN Anderson Cooper's criticism of relief operation, Korina Sanchez would have not gone to Tacloban; without the victims complaining themselves, the government would have continued its failed response, without the vigilance and criticism against government bureaucracy the relief good would have been hijacked and used for political purposes. And when we wait til the rehabilitation is over to voice out our criticisms, we will only get frustrated for the criminals had already fooled the people and entrenched themselves in their thrones. Help now, criticize later --the mantra of those in power." - Gerry Lanuza

Most pro-PNoys, those who stood aloof because they have everything, and those who are wont to just keep silent even if a bad situation requires one to say something against, had also broken their silence by telling that what is needed from everyone else now is to help and not attack each other, not to wage war against our fellowmen, and not to berate the President and his officials.  Now that is some criticism, too, though some are unfounded, because we know for a fact that the sharpest criticisms come from those who are on the ground, and who had given a lot to help, and from those who had been trying hard to reach the afflicted in the quickest possible time.  But they help in ways making everybody be on guard of the words that come out - if they are already personal or 'trollish' and not constructive.

Criticisms connote the good and the bad but they are necessary.  If we go back to Prof. Lanuza's post, it helps that there are people bold enough to say something about inconsistencies, irregularities, abnormalities, superficialities, impartialities, and all 'ties and 'ies that define evil in the midst of a tragedy such as this brought by the supertyphoon Yolanda.

I thought of expounding this but I just want to say it as simple as it is - criticisms are necessary, as Winston Churchill said:

Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.

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Saving Space with a Cowbell Stacker

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300"] Percussion instruments in the Musical Instrument Museum, Brussels, Belgium. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

If you are a musician who loves percussion instruments, it would help you to save space buying an accessory like the pearl cowbell at musicians friend that gives room for anybody to stack other pieces of percussion instruments like a bell, block, or tambourine. In addition, this accessory can be mounted horizontally or vertically.

This will work for me because saving space is always a welcome idea. I believe, too, that this idea of an accessory will be useful to a lot of percussion musicians to maximize space and organize things.

52Photos Project #14: Round

This is a big plate of round(ed) fruits.  Here in the Philippines, every New Year's eve, there has to be a bowl or plate or basket that holds twelve (12) round(ed) fruits for good luck.  Other families exaggerate it by buying twelve pieces for each of the twelve (12) fruits gathered.  It always makes me wonder where this belief came from.  Some say it is a Chinese belief, some say it dates back to the time of our ancestors. Unfortunately, I am not a believer but I find arranging these round(ed) fruits on a platter very fitting for the holidays.



 

Photohunt: Musical

In 2010, we went to a ballroom party and witnessed a lot of musical dance performances but what caught our attention is the performance of a not so young but no so old woman and her dance instructor.  I could not remember the beat, if it was tango or cha-cha, but it was a very mesmerizing performance that caught everybody's attention.  I learned later that the woman is a champion in many ballroom dance competitions.

She looked so elegant and truly graceful.  She must be very strong and healthy to perform so fluid with the music.

Check out the others here.

Experiencing Lam Tin Again

We were much in a vacation mood that's why we prefer to eat out instead of preparing food for lunch after Eternal Gardens yesterday, November 1. Papsie wanted to try Lam Tin again because he craves for Chinese food.  Also, the children are hesitant to experiment Chinese at other restaurants because for them nothing beats Lam Tin for its savory but very affordable and delectable dishes. So off we went.  The excitement and anticipation never waned, almost died seeing food establishments along the way closed for business, and was up again upon seeing that Lam Tin was open to serve food.  As usual, there were a lot of customers/patrons.

Funny, that it was the Yang Chao fried rice that came first.  One can actually eat the rice without the viand.

Then comes second was the pork asado with atsara (not in the picture).  It was so tender and the sauce has sesame seeds giving a distinct flavor to the dish.It was the sweet and sour fish that was the favorite.  It was not too sweet nor too sour as we had experienced with other Chinese food restaurants.  According to Daryl, he heard that the sauce is made from tapioca that's why the clear but glutinous sauce.  The parsley added a distinct flavor of freshness, too.

The broccoli with shrimps is also good.  The children didn't like it very much because of the ginger taste but I liked it a lot.  Broccoli is a favorite of mine and it can also be very tasty with oyster sauce.

We were so full and satisfied that taking a nap after was next to our agenda when we came home.



Did you see the satisfaction with the smiles?

 

52Photos Project #13: Celebration

There is so much to celebrate about life. In our family, the natal day is always celebrated, simply or extravagantly, depending on varied situations.

One of the most celebrated is hubby's birthday. Having many friends, appreciated by many, or loved or cherished by a lot of people, his birthdays do not pass without the celebration.

[caption id="attachment_6222" align="aligncenter" width="340"] Papsie in 2011[/caption]

The photo above shows Papsie with his birthday cake made by daughter Kay. It was a novelty for him and his friends seeing a cake with a candle that looks like a firework.

[caption id="attachment_6223" align="aligncenter" width="576"] Papsie celebrating his birthday this year at Viking's[/caption]

What is a birthday without the delicious food, cakes and sweets, and ice cream?

More celebrations HERE.