The things that interest me…why not share it to the world???

Friday, May 30, 2008

When News Anchors Freak Out and Couldn’t Stop Laughing

May 25, 2008-May 31, 2008

News anchors have a job which is to present compiled materials for a news program. These materials that are to be presented came from reliable sources and are all very significant and factual. As it is such, it needs to be delivered to the audiences/listeners with all seriousness. Thus, it goes out to saying news anchors must be serious.

But do you believe that all humans have sense of humor? As serious as they are, there will be times that news anchors lose control and tend to freak out like they’ve been missing so much fun. Even though they attempt to stop it, they definitely can’t…I guess humans will be humans.

The videos below feature news anchors losing control while they were presenting serious matters. These are all very funny so better prepare your vocal chords for huge laughs!

Video #1: This video shows a male Swedish (I think) news anchor reporting about children’s healthfulness empowerment by a certain county board. As he went on with his report, the footages of Swedish children were simultaneously shown. The footages include some distracting clips of a child shouting in front of another child and a boy playing a piano. The male news anchor saw these and shortly, it created an impact to him and started to create a funny commotion

Video #2: Even the news anchors of the infamous American TV network ABC also got sense of humor! This next video is about the embarrassing moment Will Hernandez’ had experienced on ABC News Now. It happened while he was reporting about Pres. George W. Bush’ reactions regarding on the attacks in Scotland last 2007. I don’t think this report was the reason of his freaking out. I believe it’s not. The cameraman’s face perhaps…

Video #3: After the Swedish and American news anchors, here comes the British! UKTV reporter Laurie Mayer is the feature of this last YouTube video. I don’t want to say more about this. Just check out how Mr. Mayer tripped over his own joke and couldn’t stop laughing. This is the funniest of the three. I mean it!

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Malassezia furfur

May 25, 2008-May 31, 2008

このブログのポストは少し遅くて、済みませんね。

Malassezia furfur is a fungus (specifically, a lipophilic yeast) living on the skin of animals and about 90% of all humans. It highly requires a rich supply of fatty acids to stay alive. Its growth depends upon the skin’s sebum (an oily substance secreted by the sebaceous glands) production. If the skin secretes an excessive amount of sebum, it may result to its overabundance.

Malassezia furfur is responsible for the existence of various skin disorders such as Tinea versicolor (characterized by brown or dark skin patches on the skin), Pityriasis folliculitis (inflammation of the hair follicles) and seborrhoeic eczema. It also attacks the hair and causes dandruff. People living in hot, humid and tropical regions are the typical targets of this fungus.

The application of fungal creams, oral medications, and herbal treatments can reduce the number of Malassezia furfur.

Top 3 Malassezia furfur Snapshots

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Wednesday, May 28, 2008

3 Faces of Comedy

May 25, 2008-May 31, 2008

ASHLEE SIMPSON

“I Know Your Dirty Little Secrets…”

BRANDON DAVIS

“I’m an Insomniac! I Mustn’t Sleep! ZzZz”

MICHELLE WILLIAMS

“Fright to the Highest Level”

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Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Shark Bay, Australia

May 25, 2008-May 31, 2008

Shark Bay is found on the westernmost point of the Australian continent. It is an approximately 10,000-square kilometer bay, about 800 kilometers north of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. Shark Bay is divided by shallow banks and consists of several islets and peninsulas. Its coastline extends to a length of 1,500 kilometers. Its average depth is 10 meters.

Shark Bay is well-known for its huge area (about 4,000 square kilometers) of sea grass meadows which, is the largest in the world. It houses twelve species of sea grasses—the largest number of such a species ever recorded in one place.

Because of the existence of these marine plants, sea mammals such as dolphins and dugongs (sea cows) treat the bay as their habitat. Other than them, animals such as 323 fish species, 230 bird species, 150 reptile species and 26 threatened Australian mammal species also inhabit the bay.

Layered accretionary structures called stromatolites are then abundant on the shallow waters of Hamelin Pool, in the southern part of the bay. Stromatolites are formed by the trapping, binding and cementation of sedimentary grains by biofilms of microbes. The ones that are found on the bay are believed to be over 3,000 years of age.

Having a great zoological and botanical significance, the UNESCO listed Shark Bay as a World Heritage Site in 1991.

Top 3 Shark Bay Snapshots

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Usher: Simple Things

May 25, 2008-May 31, 2008

Genre: R&B

Mood: Wants to advise co-males, a bit disappointed

May be dedicated to: Male “homies” out there who have “boos”

…This is another late blog post…Anyways, let’s proceed.

Usher’s “Simple Things” is this week’s “Song of the Week”. It is the eleventh track of his fourth, certified 9x platinum studio album entitled “Confessions”. It was then produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis whom also produced Usher’s previous hits “U Remind Me” and “Can U Help Me”.

Written by Issiah J. Avila, Bobby Ross Avila, Terry Lewis, James Harris III and Usher Raymond IV himself, “Simple Things” is about “realizing it’s the simple things in life we forget”. It tends to tell that “money can’t buy you love” and that; it is not the best thing you can give to your partners but simple things such as your time being with him/her.

Just like most of the R&B songs, “Simple Things” is highly focused on only one gender type. What I’m trying to say is that this song is intended to be sung by males (only) who want to advise their male “homies” about the right way of dealing with their girlfriends.

“Simple Things” was praised by some critics as one of the highlights of Usher’s “Confessions”. However, as potential as it may be to support the album, it was never released as a single; neither through CD single nor through digital download. The apparent reason was the presence of much more sales driving songs such as “Burn” and “Confessions Part II”.

Yeah


They say money can't buy you love

They say money can't buy you love

They never seem to listen

I'm all ears


Just copped your girl a brand new Rolex

But you can never find the time to spend at home

Thinkin' that's gon' keep her happy

Your time is all she wanted all along


It's the simple things in life we forget

You hear her talkin' but don't hear what she said

Why do you make something so easy so complicated

Searching for what's right in front of your face


But you can't see it


So you think that you know what's important

Steady chasin' your fame and your fortune, but you don't know

You're chasing a dime losin' a treasure

Those dollars don't make sense to me at all


Oh, it goes


Duh da, duh da

You give her spending money

Duh da, duh da

But all she wanna spend is time alone tonight


Keep givin' her


(The finer things but) But she don't really need that

(If you don't stop you're) You're gonna end up alone

In the world without love

Why would you do it


It's the simple things in life we forget

You hear her talkin' but don't hear what she said

Why do you make something so easy so complicated

Searching for what's right in front of your face


But you can't see it


It's the simple things in life we forget

You hear her talkin' but don't hear what she said

Why do you make something so easy so complicated

Searching for what's right in front of your face


But you can't see it


Listen


Stop tryna buy her love 'cause you won't ever have enough

There's always someone with more than you

You need to pay her attention, give her what she needs

Do the simple thing before you lose your girl to me


Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Play on playa, yeah

Your girl comin' wit' me shorty, haha

I'm tellin' you man 'cause you know


It's the simple things in life we forget

You hear her talkin' but don't hear what she said

Why do you make something so easy so complicated

Searching for what's right in front of your face


But you can't see it


You better look out

I hear you talkin', I hear you talkin', huh

But what are you saying

Oh ohh, oh ohh


Don't be a fool, you got a good thing

Man, are you blind, stupid or crazy

You got a good thing

You got a good thing


If that's your lady, you better hold on

And give her what she wants before she move on

Man, I'm tellin' you cars, clothes, and fancy things don't mean a damn thing

If you ain't cakin’ and bakin' your babe


It's the simple things in life we forget

You hear her talkin' but don't hear what she said

Why do you make something so easy so complicated

Searching for what's right in front of your face


But you can't see it

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世界 (sekai) = The World, Society, The Universe

May 25, 2008- May 31, 2008

This is yet another delayed post. :(

In the Japanese language, the English words “the world”, “society” and “the universe” are equivalent to the Kanji 世界 (pronounced as sekai). 世界 is written in the Hiragana writing system as せかい.

世界 is commonly used to signify the world. Among the two Kanji characters that make up 世界, only (pronounced as yo) has the capability to be used independently. It carries the meanings “world”, “society”, “age” and “generation”.

Here are the correct stroke sequences in writing the Kanji form of せかい.

Here are some of the sentences that use 世界.

  • 米は世界の多くの地域で作られています。 = Rice is grown in many parts of the world.
    • (こめ) = kome = rice
    • は = wa (topic indicator particle)
    • 世界 (せかい) = sekai = world
    • の = no (verb and adjective nominalizer or possession indicator particle)
    • 多く (おおく) = ōku = many
    • の = no (verb and adjective nominalizer or possession indicator particle)
    • 地域 (ちいき) = chīki = region/area
    • で = de (in, at or location of action indicator particle)
    • 作られています (つくられています) = tsukurarete imas = is grown
  • 平和しか世界を救うことはできない。 = Nothing but peace can save the world.
    • 平和 (へいわ) = heiwa = peace
    • しか = shka = only (for negative statements)
    • 世界 (せかい) = sekai = world
    • を = wo (object indicator particle)
    • 救う (すくう) = sukū = save
    • こと = koto = thing/matter
    • は = wa (topic indicator particle)
    • できない = dekinai = cannot
  • あなたは空想の世界に生きている。 = You are living in a world of fantasy.
    • あなた = anata = you
    • は = wa (topic indicator particle)
    • 空想 (くうそう) = kūsō = fantasy
    • の = no (verb and adjective nominalizer or possession indicator particle)
    • 世界 (せかい) = sekai = world
    • に = ni (location of person, thing or short-term action indicator particle)
    • 生きている (いきている) = ikite iru = are living
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Saturday, May 24, 2008

Trees: The Tallest, The Shortest, The Oldest

May 18, 2008-May 24, 2008

The world’s tallest existing tree species is the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) found within the Redwood National Park in California, United States. According to modern verified instruments, it soars up to a height of 115.55 meters or 379.1 feet, comparable to five times the height of the Statue of Liberty. It is about 16 meters taller than Coast Douglas-fir, the second tallest tree.

The dwarf willow (Salix herbacea) is pronounced as the shortest and smallest living tree species in the world. It thrives in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions including the Pyrenees, Alps, Rila and Appalachian Mountains. Its height ranges from 1 to 6 centimeters only. It’s hard to find dwarf willows with a height that exceeds up to more than 2.5 inches.

With an oldest measured age of 9,550 years old, the oldest tree species in the world is the Norway spruce (Picea abies). It is native not only to Norway but also to various countries in the European continent. In fact, the oldest known Norway spruce (image on top) was discovered in Sweden in 2008. The determining of its age was done through carbon dating.

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Friday, May 23, 2008

Models Slip and Fall

May 18, 2008-May 24, 2008

The topic for this week’s “YouTube Videos of the Week” post is all about models slipping and falling on runways. I personally chose this topic for I can see that a lot of internet users seem to be craving for it. Last April 29, 2008, I created a post about the fall of Rachel Smith (the Miss Universe candidate for USA) and unexpectedly, it did achieve considerable traffic. I guess this would be its perfect follow-up!

Video #1: This video is a compilation of super models (quoted and unquoted) slip and fall not only on runways but also on places wherein walking with grace can be done. It’s a bit retro so just bear with the video quality. Anyway, you won’t notice it the moment you started viewing it. The clips are absolutely funny, especially the last one. The background music does make you laugh, too. I never thought Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” can be such a comedic song. It reminds me of the “White Chicks” movie.

Video #2: I must say that this next video is the funniest of the three. It is a clip of an NBC news program reporting about a model falling twice in a fashion show that took place in Paris, France. A black American news anchor carried out this report and while the footage of the falls was shown, he started to laugh excessively like he couldn’t get over with it. His co-news anchors also started to get tickled by the footage. Even I experienced the same! It’s totally hilarious!

I won’t describe the footage for you. Just watch it and see how it’ll drive you crazy.

Video #3: This third video may either make you laugh or make you feel sorry. It is about a gag program featuring a Bulgarian fashion show wherein six women slipped and fell on the very same runway. Well, that’s quite a great number of victims, isn’t it?

Certainly, the cause of these six accidents is not the models’ carelessness anymore but the runway’s slippery surface. At the near end of the video, you’ll see the utility men trying to roughen the floor a bit. That was totally a dumb act, I may say. It’s just too late. The show’s ending so soon!

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Thursday, May 22, 2008

Asian Arowana

May 18, 2008-May 24, 2008

Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus) is a freshwater fish with several varieties living in blackwater rivers and slow-moving waters of Southeast Asia. It grows up to 90 centimeters or 35 inches in length. It is also known as dragon fish (derived from its resemblance to the mythical Chinese dragon) and Asian bonytongue.

Asian arowanas are mouthbrooders. It means that they are capable of caring their offsprings by holding them in their mouth for extended periods of time. Moreover, they are carnivorous fishes. They naturally feed on other fishes with much smaller sizes, crickets and other insects.

The varieties of Asian arowana can be distinguished mainly through color variations and geographical locations. The green-colored variety is commonly found in Indochina and Malaysia. The silver, super red and red-tailed golden varieties are found in specific locations in Indonesia while the blue Malayan is native to Malaysia. These varieties somehow are recognized by other taxonomists to belong in separate species.

Mostly because of Chinese cultural influences, the Asian arowana rose to become a highly popular aquatic fish to date. It is thought to bring luck just like what the Chinese dragon does. It is also believed to be capable of preserving its owner from death by dying itself. The Asian arowana then, together with water, indicates equilibrium of positive and negative energies (yin and yang energies) according to Feng Shui beliefs.

In the 2006 IUCN Red List, the Asian arowana is listed as an endangered species. The cause was probably due to its high value as an aquarium fish.

Top 3 Asian Arowana Snapshots

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Wednesday, May 21, 2008

From Music to Politics to Drugs

May 18, 2008-May 24, 2008

BEYONCÉ

"Got Me Lookin' So Crazy Right Now"

GEORGE W. BUSH

"The Happy President...Very Happy President"

AMY WINEHOUSE

"Whatever! I Just Want Weeds"

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My Alexa Rank: From Something to Nothing

This day turned out to be my saddest day as the author of VJ Czar World. The reason? My blog's Alexa rank dropped from something to nothing.

To let your works be read and seen by many people and to make your blog popular are I think, the main objectives of every blogger. To let your works be read and seen by many people is to increase your blog’s traffic. On the other hand, to make your blog popular is to achieve a high position in various blog/site ranking systems such as the Google PageRank and Alexa.

The loss of my Alexa rank has been both a disappointment and bewilderment. Disappointment because my efforts to make my blog visible in the blogosphere seem to have no effect at all; and bewilderment, in the sense that I just don’t understand why it happened when my blog’s traffic are considerably high.

Shortly after I knew this tragic event happened, I asked myself what were the things I recently did. I was thinking if there’s something that might be behind this, something that violated Alexa’s TOS, or something that triggered the Alexa bots to plunge my blog out of the chart.

Right now, I am suspecting two recent activities. First is the dealing with traffic exchange websites; and second, the pasting of RealRank codes on my blog.

Lately, I have been fairly hooked up with traffic exchanges. I’m doing it through websites such as TrafficEra.com and StartXchange.com. Their services have really boosted my blog’s traffic in just a very short span time. As effective as they are, I never think of them as clear agents of cheating my traffic. Instead, I look at them as something that gives me an opportunity to expose my blog to more internet users.

The last time I saw these websites, they were still bearing high Alexa ranks. But now, I was surprised when all their ranks got replaced with the statement “No rank data available”. I also looked at some of their competitor sites and found out that they're facing the same misfortune. I think Alexa bots were just reprogrammed to follow a new algorithm.

Meanwhile, for not so a long time, I’ve known that RealRank was made by IZEA, formerly known as PayPerPost (PPP). PayPerPost is a renowned paid-to-blog website which eventually became Google’s rival in terms of advertising strategies. Last year, Google slammed PayPerPost through lowering the PageRanks of its member bloggers. This had been a very drastic move because having a PageRank is a criterion in order to make money through PPP. Because of this blackmailing act, PPP created a new ranking system that would be replacing Google's PageRank. This system is the so-called RealRank. However, I got shocked when I found out the real score about it. RealRank was actually made to replace not only the Google PageRank but also the Alexa and ComScore ranks. Knowing these facts made me assume that Alexa has just done something to counter PPP. That counterattack may be the lowering the Alexa ranks of blogs/sites with RealRank scripts attached on them.

To test whether my suspicions are true or not, I opted to for a while stay away from one of these two activities. The engaging on traffic exchange sites was the one that I chose to avoid. Why just one? Well, let’s just say I am living with the principle “Take things one at a time”. Let’s see if I’ll retain my Alexa rank the moment I refrain from doing it.

p.s.

I’m not sad now.

Got relieved.

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Península Valdés, Argentina

May 18, 2008-May 24, 2008

Península Valdés is a natural reserve of great global significance found along the South Atlantic Coast in the province of Chubut, Argentina. It stretches an area of 3,625 square kilometers.

Most lands of the peninsula are barren and not suitable for agricultural activities. These lands then consist of some salt lakes with elevations that reach down to 40 meters below sea level.

Terrestrial animals such as guanacos, rheas and maras reside in the interior part of the peninsula; whereas southern sea lions, southern elephant seals and fur seals thrive in the coastline area. 181 species of birds are also found in Península Valdés, 66 of which are migratory which includes the Antarctic pigeon.

The surrounding body of seawater on the peninsula is home to the endangered southern right whales. For the water is much warmer and calmer, these whales come there between May and December to mate and give birth. Orcas or killer whales are also found off the coast. These whales have developed a distinctive hunting strategy to adapt to local coastal conditions. This strategy involves beaching themselves on shore to capture sea lions and elephant seals.

In 1999, Península Valdés was inscribed by the UNESCO as one of Argentina’s eight (so far) World Heritage Sites.

Top 3 Península Valdés Snapshots

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Monday, May 19, 2008

Christina Aguilera: I Will Be

May 18, 2008-May 24, 2008

Genre: Pop

Mood: Self-empowered, determined

May be dedicated to: No one but yourself

“I Will Be” is a 2002 song performed by the American pop singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera. It is a leftover track of her second English studio album “Stripped”. Later, it became the B-side/flipside of the album’s lead single “Dirrty”.

“I Will Be” was written by Christina Aguilera herself with the collaboration of composers Rob Hoffman and Heather Holley. The three of them were also responsible for the making of “Soar”, the fourteenth track from “Stripped” which became popular for it incorporates Aguilera’s vocals hitting the whistle register.

Just like most of the songs in “Stripped”, “I Will Be” talks about self-empowerment. It is somehow partly personal for she indirectly talked about some of her experiences and mentioned Pittsburgh, her hometown located in Pennsylvania.

Speaking of its musical structure, it simply consists of Aguilera’s strong vocals and a piano accompaniment.


Mmm…


The world seems so cold

When I face so much all alone

A little scared to move on

And knowing how fast I have grown


And I wonder just where I fit in

All the vision of life in my head

Oh yes


I will be

Strong on my own

I will see through the rain

I will find my way


I will keep on

Traveling this road

‘Til I finally reach my dream

‘Til I'm living and I'm breathing my destiny, yeah, yeah


I can't let go now

Even when darkness surrounds


But if I hold on, yeah

I will show the world

All the things that you never expected to see

From little old me, this Pittsburgh girl


And I wonder just where my place is

Close my eyes and I remind myself this

Oh yeah, yeah


I will be

Strong on my own

I will see through the rain

I will find my way


I will keep on

Traveling this road

‘Til I finally reach my dream

‘Til I'm living and I'm breathing my destiny, yeah, yeah


Ohhh


It comforts me, ooh, it keeps me

Alive each day of my life

Always guiding me, providing me

With the hope I desperately need


Well, I gotta believe

There's something out there meant for me

Oh I get on my knees, praying I will receive

The courage to grow and the faith to know


That I will be

Strong on my own

I will see through the rain

I will find my way


I will keep on

Traveling this road

‘Til I finally reach my dream

‘Til I'm living and I'm breathing my destiny

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U Comment I Follow: The “No to rel='nofollow'” Campaign

Having a great number of backlinks to your blog/site is a very essential element in gaining a reasonable PageRank. Backlinks are incoming links from other webpages that point to your blog/website. Increasing your backlinks can be done through several ways. One of these is through posting comments to others' blog posts. However, doing this doesn’t completely assure you to be getting backlinks.

A comment carrying a link to your site/blog may become an instant backlink only and only if that webpage does not contain the HTML attribute value rel='nofollow'. rel='nofollow' is actually a search engine spam reduction tool. But in 2005, it was implemented by Google so that webmasters and bloggers can make links that will not be considered for the purposes of PageRank.

Though this value was applied for good reasons, it has somehow discouraged those who want to establish PageRank reputation through posting relevant comments. It has also disappointed a lot of people who make money online for the fact that the services they are into treat the PageRank value as a major requirement.

In order to solve this problem, some webmasters/bloggers decided to unite in erasing the rel='nofollow' attached to their sites/blogs, and subsequently, encouraging comment exchanges. Erasing the rel='nofollow' value is an unselfish act that let others create their backlinks on your blog/website. If they do the same to their blog/site, you may as well create your backlinks there.

These moves were then recommended by some to co-bloggers and co-website developers. Part of that “some” was Randa Clay (image on the left).

Through her self-titled website, Randa created a campaign in order to convince others not to act selfishly and say “no to rel='nofollow'”. Her campaign is infamously known as “U Comment I Follow”. The actions that must be taken in this campaign is the removal of the rel='nofollow' value and the attachment of a badge (sample images on the right) that she (Randa) personally created for identification. U Comment I Follow doesn’t need you to signup a form, submit your e-mail address or pay bucks. It’s free and voluntary…like nothing.

So far, Randa’s campaign has attracted numerous bloggers and webmasters whom, include me. Yup! Once you post a comment with your site’s/blog’s link on it to any of my blog posts, you’ll instantly get a backlink. But the moment you post nonsense comments here, I won’t think twice of deleting them at once.

If you think you’re not a selfish person, why not care to join the U Comment I Follow campaign? Delete that rel='nofollow' stuff now and let us exchange backlinks to gain PageRank!

To get more infos, visit http://randaclay.com/blog/i-follow/.

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