Blue Potatoes

Yesterday was the first time I saw blue potatoes. It was on Martha Stewart's show and the potatoes were more purple than blue actually. I believe it was called the Peruvian Blue Potato or Purple Potato. It got me curious, so I searched for blue potato and found out that there are other blue potatoes that are actually more blue than purple! I've seen red potatoes before but now, blue and purple too. I guess we live and learn.

> Some blue, purple, red and yellow potatoes at DeliciousOrganics.com

Interesting Einstein's Observation on the Attitude of Human Toward God

"We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many different languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books but doesn't know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God."

It still is. Much more have been discovered since Einstein allegedly said this but much more questions left unanswered.

Colliding Galaxies

Two Galaxies Unable to Avoid Each Other

It takes hundreds of millions of years for the whole galaxy collision to complete. So, it's not like a car accident or anything of the sort. Phew, guess I wouldn't be moving galaxy anytime soon. Because I saw on the History Channel that our Milky Way is actually on a collision course with a smaller galaxy. Since our galaxy is so big and the process is so slow, our solar system is safe, right? Right?!

Apparently galaxy collision or merging galaxies is not uncommon. It was even more common when the universe was smaller and galaxies were closer together.

More pictures > HubbleSite.org

Saw Something New: Tomato Paste in a Tube

Well, at least it's new to me. Saw it on Rachael Ray show where she's cooking Power Burger for Donald Trump. The tube looks just like tooth paste tube. Don't use much tomato paste in this part of the world. In fact not even tomato sauce. Love hot and spicy food instead.

Dirty Jobs is My Latest Favourite Show

When I first saw this show, I was flipping channels and thought it was too gross to watch so I paid no attention to it. I missed most of the first season. Towards the end of the first season, I saw it again and I stayed on because the host was funny.

So Mike Rowe is basically the reason why I'm hooked on Dirty Jobs. He makes those (obviously) dirty, mundane jobs seem interesting and lively. I'm sure those people who have had the pleasure of having him come over and 'help' them with their jobs will miss him even if at some point they must have been glad he is gone because he's just in the way most of the time :D.

OK, did a little search and found out he used to sing professionally with the Baltimore Opera - always thought he had a distinctive voice.

Also, found a website where fans and curious viewers can ask him questions at Dirty jobs: Mike Rowe Answers.

Korea: Taxi Tracking Device Saves Driver

I saw on TV a few days ago that in Korea, taxis have a device installed that records how fast they are going, whether they are moving and where they stop and for how long they stop. I know it sounds intrusive but the device actually saves a taxi driver that's been wrongly-accused of robbery.

The story goes that two women, from separate occasions, accuse a taxi driver of robbery and positively identified the man from pictures. But the driver maintains that he's innocent and that he was off duty when the incidents happened. Since there should be no one else that drives his taxi, the detective goes on to check the tracking device installed in his taxi and sure enough he was off duty.

The detective goes back to the robbery victims and they maintain that they are not mistaken and they have got the right man. By now, there is another suspect in custody (the real perpetrator) and the police ask the women to take a second look at the police lineup. They are definitely surprised to see the real robber and how similar he looks like the driver they have wrongly accused.

So, the innocent driver is free and gets an apology from the women who put him in jail for a couple of months.

My Brain! My Brain!

Learned today that even if you're in your 20's and 30's your brains are already degenerating. So what to do? The thing that is thought to be causing this, and to all human organs, is ... (drumroll) oxygen! The term they use is 'oxidative damage' but really it's like a metal rusting from oxygen - slowly but surely. To prevent this, there's nothing we can do. But to slow the process ... (drumroll) take anti-oxidants! Which is an ingredient already famous among age-preventers, people who want to stop from getting old and wrinkly. Let's see, there are supplements with anti-oxidants but I guess the best thing is to go natural; strawberries, blueberries, all the berries, prunes.

Global Warming isn't Real?

I'm not a tree-hugger and I don't religiously recycle but I refuse to believe that all that pollutions and excessive and illegal loggings are not detrimental to the earth well-being. It's like saying drinking rat poison won't kill you.

Some people say that the climate has always been changing and there is nothing to worry about. Well, if it's natural then of course there's nothing to worry about. But this time, it's from our own wrongdoings and that's not natural. In the past, there was no air pollution as massive as we have now. So the change right now is not natural whether or not there were extreme climate changes in the past. Some people even dismiss the fact that we are having a problem, saying that the weather is not too bad ignoring studies that have been made by scientists and extreme weather changes that are happening around the world.

What people have also ignored is that the climate stability that we have experienced for thousands of years contributes to the flourishing of our civilization. Because of the stability, we have shifted from roaming hunter-gatherer to permanent settlers which provide us with more food and economic options and therefore a prosperous culture .

I saw a documentary about how glaciers are melting faster due to global warming and since it's the largest source of freshwater, the release of this water into the sea could disrupt the salinity of sea water. This upsets the normal cycle of hot and cool water in the sea and prevent hot air formation that keeps our climate stable. This, scientists say, could eventually make our climate cooler and could lead us into another ice age.

Trying My Hands at Aloe Vera

Planting that is. Heard a lot of good things about aloe vera and how easy it is to care for it. My mom, who's actually doing all the work, got a pot from our neighbour. It has since produced offshoots and multiplied into a number of plants. They are doing rather well right now. Especially after re-potting and if they are alone in one pot. There is one pot with two aloe veras and the plants seem skinnier than the one that's on it's own.

It seems that location also plays a part. It needs a lot of sunlight but not at the hottest hours around 11 am - 3 pm or they will get sunburn. Read that the brown spots on the leaves are actually sunburn. Will have to relocate some of them.

Apparently aloe vera is not choosey with the type soil you use but it has to be well-draining so that it doesn't retain too much water. It doesn't need a lot of watering. Some people said watering once a month is enough but some said once every two weeks. But still, will have to experiment a bit.

Wish I had a digital camera so that I could take their pictures and post them here and monitor their progress.

Global Warming Could Lead to Ice Age

Saw something interesting on TV. Scientists say that the global warming that's been going on right now could lead to another ice age. It's got something to do with the melting of the ice on the northern hemisphere that releases a flood of fresh water into the sea. This upsets the normal cycle of hot and cool water in the sea and disrupts hot air formation that's been keeping our climate under control for 10 000 or so years.

Human Neanderthal Hybrid Update

Apparently the documentary I saw was belated or a rerun. Did a little digging and found out that the bones were found in Portugal near the coast north of Lisbon. It was a skeleton of a four-year-old boy with features of modern human but limbs proportionately Neanderthal. Research from DNA tests found links of modern human with Cro-Magnon but no apparent link with Neanderthal. Don't know if it's possible that their DNA 'disappear' with interbreeding or they just evolved and 'became' modern human hence the lack of trace of DNA. Just my wild imagination.

Sticky Loch Ness Monster

Saw a documentary at National Geographic channel. They did a simple test. Had a log floating at Loch Ness and asked the tourists what it looked like. Some of them said it could have been Nessie, some of them said it was a stick. Had the same log at another body of water (away from Loch Ness) and then asked around what it was. All of them said a definite 'stick'. Shows that expectations and the mind could play a trick on us.

Harry Potter Finale

Read the news that the last book from the Harry Potter series will be out in July. Read none of them. But if I was younger I would have been crazy about him, er... it. Still amazed how something like that could turn into something huge. Heard there will be a Harry Potter theme park. One of those things you'd say, 'why didn't I think of that?'.

My Third IQ Test

Got 122 for the third test. A wee bit in the 'high intelligence' range - whatever that means. Still short two more points to qualify for membership in the International High IQ Society. Oh well, at least I'm making progress. Don't know how credible the tests are. I might as well be retarded as far as I'm concerned.

Human Neanderthal Hybrid

Saw a documentary at Discovery. They found some bones which they thought was human but later found out that the arms and legs were not proportionately human. It doesn't seem mind boggling for humans to interbreed with Neanderthals. Hopefully they will find out the answer soon. Heard they are doing some DNA tests and researching.

My IQ Test

Found an IQ test website. Did the test and got 110, a wee above average. Phew, thought I was retarded. Did the second time and got 118. A nice improvement. Need to get 124 to join the group.

The Future Planet of The Apes

Saw a documentary, a scientist teaching a Bonobo how to cook instant noodles and other Bonobos some English words that correspond with simple pictures. Seems like The Planet of The Apes could come true in about hundreds years or so from now. Humans are having problems with each other as it is. There will definitely be more issues interspecies-wise.

Me Learning Some Japanese

Learned a few Japanese words lately:

• Hajimemashite - greeting when you meet people for the first time.

• Itadakimas

• Dozo yoroshiku - nice to meet you.

• Tokyo kara desu - I'm from Tokyo.

• Ohyo gozaimasu - good morning.

• Konnichi wa - good afternoon.

• Kanban wa - good evening.

Some more Japanese words I've learned before:

• Domo arigato / arigato gozaimasu - thank you.

• Sayonara - good bye.

• Gomenasai

• Mata ne

• Chotto (not sure of the spelling)

• Chotto mate

• So desu ka?

• Kore wa?

• Sore wa?

• Are wa?

• Otosan

• Okasan

• Obachan

• Oishi

• Omai (not sure the spelling)

• Sugoi (not sure the spelling)