The Taxonomy of Island PH-440

Snoozium slumberus

The most relaxed bunch on the island. These folks like to live most in their unconscious lives. Sleep, nap, siesta, doze, and snooze are all part of their daily activities and they never tire doing these.

Travailia efforta

These individuals possess determination and self-discipline in achieving their endeavors. They have strong willpower in facing challenges and problems likewise have the ability of not giving up easily upon realizing they’ve failed, instead, take it as a learning experience. They are determined to excel in their respective fields.

Gobblium devourous

These creatures are always hungry. They have the capability of ingesting so much food and the capacity to store them. Surprisingly, most of them are picky eaters. They have the talent of identifying which foods are delicious are which ones are not. They are certainly the ones to invite during an eat-all-you-can party and the ones to avoid when you have limited food on the table.

Tomeious digestum

They are the book lovers of the group. They are inclined in reading books, ranging from fiction to facts. They are very passionate about books. They can relate with the characters emotionally as well as expressively.

Harmonius instrumentium

They like playing musical instruments like guitars, pianos, organs, and drums. Most of them are members of a band or a musical group. They can liven any event and gatherings.

Warblius carollus

These are the singers and vocalists of the class. They can really carry a tune splendidly. They are frequently accompanied by Harmonius instrumentium. Different programs and shows frequently invite them.

Boogiecium jivium

They like to sway and jive whenever music reaches their ears. Dancing is their way of expressing how they feel. They can release stress whenever their body moves along with the music. They can be paired up with Warblius carollus for a brilliant entertainment.

Frolicus rompus also known as Sportacus gamecious

They are the most playful of the island of PH-440. They like physical sports like basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis etc. as well as those that require the brain to think like chess and checkers. They are mostly the health buffs likewise those who are physically fit.

Techologium virtualium

They are the tech-savvy of the island. They are always updated with the latest news about gadgets, computers, and gizmos. Most of them are hooked in gaming. They are experts when it comes to FPS, RPGs, strategy games etc.

Webus Nettus

Surfing the web is the Webus Nettus favorite hobby. They often visit sites offering intriguing news and interesting reports. Their monitors are usually on Youtube and regularly on Yahoo! checking out recent events.

Faceioum Bokkus

The Faceioum Bokkus likes to socialize with other Faceioum Bokkus. They like to share their thoughts, feelings, pictures, and videos with others. Their address bars’ often read Twitter, Myspace, and often times Facebook. Trivia: Most of them have no less than 500 FB friends.

Melodius Ipodium

This group seems to carry headsets and music players wherever they go. They like listening to music and well, that’s pretty much what they always do.

Motiono flickus

These creatures just love watching movies. Their favorite genres are action, horror, comedies, and science fiction. They can sometimes relate with Tomeious digestum
when it comes to adapted films that usually leads to arguments on which version is better.

Incomus currencia

They are the money-making creatures of the PH-440. They make use of their time endorsing and promoting their businesses. They aim at dealing business with every creature of the island.

The SFX Generation

Movies today usually have special effects in them. They make the movie more appealing to the viewers. They make car crashes more destructive, the environment and surroundings more vivid, gory scenes more horrifying and action stunts more realistic. Special effects are truly one of the elements that define an excellent movie.

I’ve watched many of Marvel’s adapted comics like Spiderman and The Fantastic Four. These movies are good examples of flicks that feature special effects. They make use of CGI (Computer Generated Imagery), the modern approach on special effects. They make use of computers downloaded with editing and special effects programs. From Iron Man’s suit, Bruce Banner’s Hulk form, Mighty Thor’s lightning powers to the walking skeleton that is Ghost Rider and Wolverine’s adamantium claws.

Other movies, like Avatar and 300, was made mostly with the help of CGI effects. From the characters to the background, these movies were really created meticulously and with much detail. This really brings the movie to life.

Though CGI effects are easier to do and less expensive, I would like to see more of the “real thing” in the movies. The feel of watching a scene made by old fashion effects i.e., explosions actually happening on set, is really different from watching animated effects. Although, I must admit that CGI really helped boost the quality of movies today, moviemakers should not overdo it.

Expressions and Metaphors

1.) Victory is a very steep rocky mountain.

To achieve victory, one must exert hard work, great effort, and perseverance. When faced with a problem, one must hold on tight and try to get back on his feet to attain success.

2.) Life’s a continuous opera. Everyone has his/her own part to play.

Everyone living in this world has his/her own purpose in life. Life is merely a show where people perform, act, and relate with his/her co-actors.

3.) To have vices is to have a full range of colors, mixing them together, and producing more vivid pigments. You come up with a black palette in the end.

People get hooked with vices because they enjoy it. They get addicted to their immoral habits until they realize the resulting damages. Often times, at this point, they tend to think it’s almost impossible to right their mistakes.

4.) Our planet’s a drowning child on his own sweat – trying to breath, grasping for air.

Earth has been home to different organisms since 3.8 billion years ago. Yet man destroys the delicate planet making it less livable.

5.) Books are its authors’ gravestones – the carvings engraved in the minds of its readers.

Literature and writings of writers contribute to the knowledge of the readers. They can share their thoughts, perspectives, beliefs, and feelings to others through their books. They can never be forgotten with their creative literary works.

6.) Life’s journey is a borrowed magazine with uneven pages. You cannot just rip off the unpleasant ones.

As we go though our daily lives, we often stumble on harsh roads, rocky paths, and mean streets. Though hardships may come along our way, we should remember that we can always surpass them.

7.) The triumphant is ice floating in water – the same H2O that rises above the others.

All of us can attain success but not all of us achieve it. The successful ones are those courageous enough to separate from the custom and tradition. Their willpower got them to where they are today.

8.) College life is a movie nearing its main plot. The story becomes clearer as it reaches the finale.

Experiences in college help an individual make clear with him/her on what life is ahead of him. It becomes clearer on which career to pursue and gives him/her an idea on what his/her own calling is.

9.) Mistakes in life are sharp knives cutting a sweet piece of cake. The slices make eating cake more pleasurable.

Everybody makes mistakes. It is mistakes that make us stronger. Through them we learn what is right and wrong, the just and prejudice, our values and our morals.

10.) Businessmen are pitchers playing inside the baseball field. They try to hit the ball onto the desired target but once they don’t, they will eventually have the ball back and try again.

Businessmen are opportunity seekers. They are careful risk-takers who aim on accomplishing his/her goal. They don’t just give up once they fail but rather learn from the experience and try again.

Yobo and Me

My memories of my previous birthday will always be bound with a dog I named Yobo. He was given to me by grandfather as a gift for my birthday, the twenty-ninth of August. He is no different from any other dogs; he is plain brown with round brown eyes and a short tail. He did not have that shaggy kind of hair you’d expect from a lovable looking dog. Yet, there is something so appealing about him that made him looked extra cute.

As days passed by, I watched him grew rapidly into a sleek, handsome dog. He likes chasing balls and loves to bite slippers. He is full of life and energy.

Then one day, Yobo go sick. He is so sick that it caused him his dear life. As I looked at him at that moment, I can’t believe that the dog I used to see playing and jumping around is gone. I cannot forgive myself. I could have done something or at least, I could have spent more time with him. I missed Yobo up to this day and sometimes makes me teary-eyed whenever I see browned colored dogs.

Stories from Childhood

As a kid, my mom likes to read to me different stories ranging from fairy tales to parables. I remember how eager I am to listen to her entertaining tales. She often read to me after I went back home from school.

One of my favorite tales my mother used to read to me is the story of Puss and Boots. I awed at the idea of an ordinary man, with just enough money to go through the day, ending up becoming a rich gentleman and a fiancé to the princess just because of his witty cat. The story, as to how I interpret it, makes a point on the importance of knowledge and one’s ability to use it wisely and intelligently.

Around the World in Eighty Days is also one of my favorites. I admire the main protagonist, Phileas Fog, together with his valet Passepartout in traveling the world in eighty days by riding a train, a sledge, and many types of ships and vessels. I admire their determination and perseverance in pursuing what they aspire for in spite of numerous challenges and problems that held them back.

Robin Hood and his Merry Men is another favorite of mine. The group is known for their charitable works and donations to those who are poor but they are also infamous for stealing from the rich. In fact, what they steal from the rich is what they give to the needy. Though I do not approve on their ways and methods, I am impressed on the intense union of Robin and his Merry Men. Their aim on putting an end to discrimination and poverty is what keeps them together.

My mom told many stories. Although these stories are very amusing and enjoyable to listen and pay attention to, we must take note of what they actually represent in our lives. In my experience, childhood stories helped shape me as a person. They taught me some of life’s most valuable lessons. They aided me to reflect about my values and personality and to think about who I really want to be. Likewise, these stories assisted me in finding my real self, my identity, and explore new horizons in life.

My Bucket List

My time is up. I’ve been diagnosed with a severe disease with no known cure. The doctor gave me a year before I depart this life. Though the doctor gave me the most disheartening news a teenager could hear, I just have to prepare myself and be ready for what is yet to come. Still, I will dare to hope that I will be given another leash in life.

I’ve created a list of things all my life I’ve been longing to do but don’t have the time to carry them out. My first plan is to create my very own computer software program and perhaps, my very own video game. I will use every programming technique I’ve learned to create my ultimate software. Next, I’ll invite my best and my most trustworthy friend, Francis, to join me and tour around the world making sure we visit the finest beaches and tourist spots the world can offer. After that, we’ll go see the best restaurants offering the best cuisines. We will also visit different electronic conventions to see and know more about the future trend of technology. Finally, I’ll spend and enjoy my last days with my family. We’ll stroll in parks and malls we used to go to, watch our favorite films together, and do all the things we used to do. I’ll bond with my parents, who were always there to support me, even more. Surely, I will cherish every moment in the last chapter of my life

Although I only have a year to spare, this will not deter me from doing the things I love the most. I’ll be even more daring, intrepid; at the same time I will signal hope and courage to others that an incurable disease cannot hinder anyone from enjoying life to the fullest.

The Caped Crusader

One of my favorite games on the console is Batman: Arkham Asylum. I played it for a month trying to unlock every secret and every hidden bonus of the game. I even search for this destructible wall that hints a clue for the game’s sequel, Arkham City.

Christopher Nolan’s version of the Batman features the dark and bleak side of Gotham City. His two movies, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and the upcoming concluding part, The Dark Knight Rises, have a more serious tone compared to the previous Batman titles. I enjoyed watching these movies especially the second part mostly because of the solid performance given by Heath Ledger as the Joker.

Batman has a wide range of enemies, mostly lunatics and criminally-insane. Most of them are incarcerated in the Blackgate Penitentiary like the Penguin and the KGBeast. The insane ones go to the famed Arkham Asylum, Gotham’s nut house. Two-Face, Killer Croc, the Riddler, Scarecrow, and Batman’s archenemy, the Joker, are imprisoned here. Although Batman seeks justice in a vigilante kind of way, he usually locks up the villains instead of putting them down for good.

I believe that there’s a Batman in all of us. Though Batman may be a fictional character, we can be just like him not by mimicking his awesome karate moves and acquiring his high-tech gadgetry, but through his willpower to fight crime and injustice. We can stand up against inequality and prejudice even without wearing black tights and an underwear with a belt attached to it (Just joking). Together, we can establish a world free of Jokers and the like to live in.

The Rise of the Planet of the Undead

“Zombies are everywhere! Run for your lives! Barricade yourselves!” These are some of the lines I hear every time I watch movies with zombies as one of the antagonist of the story. Resident Evil, 28 Days Later, Dawn of the Dead, and Land of the Dead are some of these movies.

I enjoy watching zombie flicks especially those with humor in it. Shaun of the Dead and Planet Terror are examples of these. They include gun-toting, fast-paced and explosive action which I very much enjoy. I wonder when this idea of flesh-eating, brain-craving corpses originated and started.

Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli. Since the late 19th century, zombies have acquired notable popularity, especially in North American and European folklore. The term zombie came from the Caribbean Creole n-zumbi meaning ghost or snake god.

Numerous video games have zombie plots as well. One of the famous ones, Resident Evil, has been known for its compelling story line and eerie gameplay stages. Dead Rising is another game that let players control a photojournalist trapped inside a shopping mall full of zombies. Even Call of Duty has a bonus feature with zombies. Players barricade and defend themselves from waves of zombies. An upcoming zombie game, Dead Island, puts gamers on an island infested with the undead.

Zombie flicks and games provide its viewers and its gamers grisly and terrifying but fun and entertaining experience.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombies

AI (Accidental Inventions)

Many of the inventions that we know and use today were created not because their inventors intended to create them but because of mere accidents and a bit of luck.

The Popsicle, everyone’s favorite treat, was created by an 11-year old Frank Epperson when he tried making soda pop. He forgot and left the soda out on the porch at night. The temperature happened to drop very low the next day and young Frank found his soda pop frozen with the stirring stick in it.

You never have to worry on heating food the quick way again. Percy Spencer was busy fiddling on a microwave-emitting magnetron when suddenly, he felt something sizzling in his pants. It was his chocolate bar melting in his pocket. He immediately realized that it was caused by the radiation from the magnetron. Alas, the handy microwave was born.

Constantin Fahlberg would have never discovered Saccharin if he had obeyed the rules “Clean as you go.” and “Wash hands before eating.” After working on a project involving coal tar, Fahlberg went home and ate rolls his wife usually serves to him. He noticed something different from the way the rolls taste. It is sweet. It turned out that the sweetness of the rolls came from his hands which he neglected to wash before eating.

Did you know that the very first Coke is green in color? Aside from that, the famous beverage, made by pharmacist John Pemberton, was introduced for curing headaches. It took eight years before the drink was popular enough to be sold in bottles.

Charles Goodyear had a problem dealing with rubber. He wanted to find a way to make rubber easier to work with while being resistant to heat and cold. One day, he spilled a mixture of rubber, sulfur, and lead into a hot stove. He noticed that the mixture had hardened but still usable. The mixture is now known as vulcanized rubber which is used in tires and shoes.

Then there is the smart dust. Jamie Link was working on her doctoral work in Chemistry, when suddenly, one of the silicon chips she is working on burst. She examined the pieces and found out that they can function as sensors. These sensors can detect hazardous elements in the air and they can even locate and destroy tumor cells in the body.

Louis Pasteur once said that “Chance favors the prepared mind”. These inventions might have arrived to their respective inventors by chance but because of their preparedness and alertness, they turned a disaster into something beautiful and useful.

Sources:
http://education.ezinemark.com/top-accidental-inventions-worldwide-77366eb55b12.html
http://gizmodo.com/5620910/whoops-the-10-greatest-accidental-inventions-of-all-time
http://science.discovery.com/brink/top-ten/accidental-inventions/inventions-09.html

Those Yellow Humanoids

I started liking The Simpsons the day my father bought home a DVD copy of the The Simpsons Movie. First, I thought it would be like those cartoon flicks made by Disney but no, this is different.

The Simpsons started out as one-minute fillers to the variety show The Tracy Ullman Show. It was created by Matt Groening who was known for his work on the comic strip Life in Hell. Eventually, after producing 48 animated shorts, it was developed into a half-hour prime time show. The show has produced 486 episodes and counting since its debut on December 17, 1989.

The Simpsons family consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Homer, the father, is crude, overweight, incompetent, clumsy, lazy and ignorant; however, he is essentially a decent man and fiercely devoted to his family. Marge, the mother, is the moralistic force in her family and often provides a grounding voice in the midst of her family’s antics by trying to maintain order in the Simpson household. Bart, the eldest and only son of the family, can be described for his mischievousness, rebelliousness and disrespect for authority. He’s an underachiever and proud of it. Lisa, the only daughter of the family, is the exact opposite of his brother Bart. She is highly intelligent and plays the saxophone very well. She is also a vegetarian and a Buddhist even though the rest of the family members are Protestants. Finally, there is Maggie, the youngest in the family. She is often seen sucking on her pacifier, and, when she walks, she trips over her clothing and falls on her face. Being an infant, she cannot talk. [1]

I really like The Simpsons. I even played its video games. I liked it for its humoristic portrayal of an ordinary family. My favorite character is Homer. Although he is just a cartoon character, he somehow depicts a living person. I would prefer a father like Homer who, despite his shortcomings, is caring and whose love for his family cannot be equaled rather than a father who is always busy at work that has no time for his family. Wouldn’t you?

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Simpsons