Oh, hi!

I have just finished reading The Dragons of Eden by Dr. Carl Sagan. It was truly a wonderful experience to read this one. Sagan has just soooo many things to tell about our brain. Maybe when God (if there is one) gave intelligence to the world, Carl Sagan was the earliest bird. Or maybe it was just because of marijuana (he was once quoted of having incredible ideas while high). The New York Times is right, Sagan is THAT teacher that you always wish you had. Too bad, he's already left this world.

Now, I can concentrate on reading the following:

• Cosmos - Carl Sagan
• Delirium/Pandemonium - Lauren Oliver
• The Mars trilogy - Kim Stanley Robinson
• A Game of Thrones series - George RR Martin
• The Four Laws That Drive the Universe - Peter Atkins
•  ...and these books:

Aaargh! Might not be able to read 'em all this summer.

And oh! I still have to grab me a copy of Bob Ong's and Eros Atalia's (not-so-) new books. Haven't read them yet. Neither have I seen spoilers.

20 Reasons Why I Dislike Filipinos' Comments

So last night, the brotha! and I were watching Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho on GMA7. There was a segment featuring the controversial video "20 Reasons Why I Dislike the Philippines". Since (I suppose) my brother hasn't been able to watch it, he immediately logged in to Youtube and searched the video.

He wasn't even half a minute into the video when he shared it on Facebook and commented, "sobra naman 2..."

And I was like, SERIOIUSLY???





It's the problem with us Filipinos, eh? We react too much at something negative said to our country. We are just too defensive. But, have we done anything yet to improve our country even just a little?

If you were among the Filipinos who would throw your candy wrappers or bus tickets anywhere, you don't have the right to react to this video. (And yes, my brother is among this kind of Filipinos.)

If you were among the Filipino men who would pee anywhere you wanna pee, you don't have the right to react to this video. (And yes, my brother is among this kind.)

It's a fucking eye opener for us, fellow countrymen. Do not be too shallow.

P.S. I have to give kudos to the Cebu City mayor (was it Cebu?) for not making the Jimmy guy a persona non grata in their city. He's right, their local government should use this video as a driving force to making their city beautiful.

And oh, just read this for 20 times, just so to complete the 20 Reasons. Hehehe.

'Coz I'm SAGAN all my love for youuuuuu...

I can't believe it!!!

I just found a copy of Comet at Booksale SM North for only a hundred pesos! Hahaha!

Now, I already have Dragons of Eden, Cosmos, Contact, and this one. Still more Sagan books to go!

My checklist:

• Intelligent Life in the Universe
• The Cosmic Connection: An Extraterrestrial Perspective
• Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science
• Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors: A Search for Who We Are
• Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space
• The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
• Billions and Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium
• The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God

I hope I can see copies of these in some Booksale (or any second-hand bookshops). I want to have a collection of books (real ones, not e-books) of Carl Sagan. 4 books as of now? Not bad, considering I only started about two months ago hunting Dr. Sagan's books.

Take It From Newton

“At the Stourbridge Fair in 1663, at age twenty, he [Isaac Newton] purchased a book on astrology, ‘out of curiosity to see what there was in it.’ He read it until he came to an illustration which he could not understand, because he was ignorant of trigonometry. So he purchased a book on trigonometry but soon found himself unable to follow the geometrical arguments. So he found a copy of Euclid’s Elements of Geometry, and began to read. Two years later he invented the differential calculus. … When asked how he accomplished his astonishing discoveries, Newton replied unhelpfully, ‘By thinking upon them.’”

-From Cosmos by Carl Sagan

So guys, when you wanna learn something, do not be disheartened when you encounter something that you don’t understand. Take extra steps to fully understand the craft. Who knows, just like Newton, you might just find the discovery of the century in the process.




(This should be a note to myself.)

I’ve made mistakes in life.

I’ve let people take advantage of me and I’ve expected way less than I deserve.

But I have learned from my bad choices and, even though there are some things I can never get back and people who will never be sorry, I know next time I will never settle for anything less than what I deserve.