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Quote:: Fathoming People's Emotions and Motives from Afar

A friend once said to me, “I don’t judge other people, I don’t care if other people judge me.”

What’s more, deconstructing the dynamics of a relationship we have no part of is a fool’s errand:
A friend of mine once said that the only two people who know what’s going on between a man and a woman are the man and the woman themselves. He was half right. The man and the woman—or man and man, woman and woman; it’s all the same—are the last to know. The idea that we can precisely fathom people’s emotions and motives is absurd. We can barely comprehend our own. Maybe pretending that we understand what makes our political figures tick is how we console ourselves for not understanding our politics at all.
via Ben Casnocha: The Blog: Fathoming People’s Emotions and Motives from Afar.

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rePost:: Obesity, widowhood & happiness

I really need to get thinner!
Obesity, widowhood & happiness
Which is worse for happiness – being fat or suffering the death of a spouse?
Two recent papers suggest the answer is – being fat.
First, Marina-Selini Katsaiti finds that “obesity has a negative and statistically significant effect on individual well being”. She estimates that, in Germany, a three-point rise in BMI (from, say 24 to 27 – equivalent to gaining around 20 pounds for someone who’s 5’8”) reduces happiness on average by so much that it would require a 67% pay rise to compensate. In Australia it would require a doubling of income to offset the adverse effect of such a weight gain. Of course, these figures tell us how little income raises happiness, as well as how much chubbiness reduces it.
In the UK, the effect is smaller, but even here a 10-point rise in BMI reduces happiness by 0.1 units on a seven-point scale.
via Stumbling and Mumbling: Obesity, widowhood & happiness.

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rePost::Haitians Eat Dirt, Cars Eat Corn Redux : Casaubon's Book

Haitians Eat Dirt, Cars Eat Corn Redux
Posted on: January 26, 2010 9:31 AM, by Sharon Astyk
A couple of years ago, I wrote a post with the above title, about the way that biofuel and meat production in the US was pushing up world food prices. I observed, as has been documented in any number of studies, that when the world's poorest people and the world's richest people's vehicles (or their pets, to their appetite for grain fed meat) compete for food, the cars, pets and rich folk always eat first – the rich come to the table once for their share of staple grains, then three of or four more times for more grains in the form of meat. We then come to the table again for a share for meat for our pets, and now two or three more times for a share for grain for our cars. Only after we have sated ourselves on meat, our pets have done the same and our cars have sated themselves on biofuels do the world's poor get to come and eat a little grain. Or if the grain is gone, or its price risen out of reach, they fill their bellies with what they can find – the dirt in the title refers to “cookies” made out of clay that Haitian people were eating to quiet their misery because they could not afford enough food to live.
In 2008, as Aaron Newton and I document in _A Nation of Farmers_ prices for grain rose precipitiously around the world. In the US, the price of rise rose by 30%. In places like Haiti, where the majority of the population already spends more than 60% of their income on food, the price rises amounted to 300%. Even the price of the dirt for the cookies rose, out of the reach of some of the most desperately poor.
The news has been quieter about biofuels in the last few years, and grain prices have descended some since their meteoric rise in 2008, on the heels of the depression. The speculative bubble and high energy prices that fueled the price increases have declined somewhat. It would be easy to think that the problem had disappeared. But this is not true. The USDA's 2009 data reveals that fully 1/4 of all the grain produced in the US went into our cars, while more people (in excess of 1 billion) went hungry than ever before in human history.
via Haitians Eat Dirt, Cars Eat Corn Redux : Casaubon’s Book.

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rePost::Because X is the new Why » Living in the Friend Zone

Found this post funny, and some…

A prime example is the following transcript of a recovered phone conversation between myself and Marcee Moran, “You Changed my Life in a Moment,” girl version 2.0, circa 2004:
Jaton, internalizing Dr. Phil: Leave him. You’re a beautiful girl, and anyone would be lucky to be with you.
Marcee Moran: Really Jates? Fuck that means a lot coming from a guy like you.
Jaton, in his head, “a guy like me…”: You can forgive a guy like that, but you can’t forgive me for this little thing… running you out of business?
(Note: line lifted from You’ve Got Mail (1998). One of the very rare WWTHD fail.)
Marcee: Jaton? What? Hello?
Jaton: Nothing. Maybe we can talk about this tom? We can see 50 first dates. It could be our first date.
(Note: sadly, I really said this.)
Marcee: Yeah why not! I’ll call Grace and Maggie.
Oh Ducky, you know they’re going to crop you out of that photo right?
For the better part half of the last decade, I kept falling in love with these Marcee Morans who always decided that I had a vagina. And as the friendship with these girls grew stronger, the less of my advice they heard, and the more assholes they saw.
“Aren’t there any good guys out there?” the Marcee Morans said.
I never knew what to answer so I’d just freeze, nod in all the right places, and try to be helpful, even if part of me wanted to answer, “if by sensitive you mean, sexy,” as I telepathically tuck her hair behind her ears.
via Because X is the new Why » Living in the Friend Zone.

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Elink Video::Full Video – Noynoy Aquino on Economic Policy Open Forum | Filipino Voices

Noynoy seems to be knowledgeable and thoughtful enough. I think although Villar’s actions speaks for themselves running a country is a far greater endeavor than running a successful business.

Full Video of Noynoy Aquino on Economic Policy Open Forum (Question and Answer)
January 24th, 2010 by cocoy
Here is a series of video from NoyTV with Senator Aquino answering a Q&A post his Economic Vision policy speech before the Makati Business Club.
via Full Video – Noynoy Aquino on Economic Policy Open Forum | Filipino Voices.




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Film:Up In The Air: A reader asks: Why is Larry doing his big Sun announcement tomorrow?

The quote is what George Clooney’s character in Up In The Air loves to say when he is firing people. Just have to say that this movie evoked my emotions, and for that I believe it is worth watching. I watched In Good Company last friday when I was at home sick and I have to say that I somehow forgot how beautifully made that film was. There are feature films that resonate anytime, while some films although good enough on their own is transformed when you are living it and watching the film doesn’t feel phony.
PS1:: Some people who built empires have never been fired. Read about some of the serial entrepreneur who never had to work for anyone but themselves their whole lives.
PS2:: Up in the air, and In Good Company are splendid films. Up in the air has so many funny/witty/smart quotes and exchanges between the characters.

Before you all start complaining about being let go, let’s be honest. You guys at Sun drove a once-great company into the ground. Who in their right mind would buy Sun and keep its employees? On the bright side, anybody who ever built an empire or changed the world sat where you are right now.
via The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs : A reader asks: Why is Larry doing his big Sun announcement tomorrow?.

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Quote::Finding the signs « Paulo Coelho’s Blog

Sabi nga ng  Zombieland “Enjoy the small things!!!!!” Loved reading this, hope you can too.

This miracle is in the small things of daily life; we must live in the understanding that at every moment there is a way out of each problem, the way of finding that which is missing, the right clue to the decision which must be taken in order to change our entire future.
But how to find the courage for this? As I see it, God speaks to us through signs. It is an individual language which requires faith and discipline in order to be fully absorbed.
via Finding the signs « Paulo Coelho’s Blog.

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Philippine Politics::Manifesto For Positive Campaigning | Filipino Voices

Of all the candidates I believe Gibo wins the person I’d love to hang out in a coffee shop with!

Manifesto For Positive Campaigning
January 27th, 2010 by Paula Nocon
We, the supporters, volunteers and friends of former Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro, vow to uphold the principles of POSITIVE CAMPAIGNING this election season. These principles shall unite us and guide us through this adventure that has brought us all together, inspire us throughout this journey, and lead us to victory.
We recognize, we believe, we affirm:
– that we have chosen our CANDIDATE because he represents what is best and excellent in all of us, because he champions our greatness rather than our mediocrity, because he is a visionary of means and not just a dreamer of ends, because we recognize the potential in him just as we recognize the potential in ourselves;
– that our VOTE is sacred. We do not take our vote for granted, for we are aware that millions around the world do not enjoy the privilege of electing their own leaders, and therefore do not have a say in mapping out their own destiny. Our vote ennobles us, reminds us that we can choose, we can decide and we can exercise our freedom to evolve our democracy to greater heights, as we give our full support to leaders who can serve the highest ideals of democracy;
– that this is a CAMPAIGN that does not stop with our candidate, nor does it end on Election Day. It is a deeper movement, a paradigm shift, that calls for the raising of awareness of every Filipino, the enlightenment of our entire race, so that we may pull ourselves out of a culture seeped in negativity and divisiveness, and enjoy the benefits of higher consciousness;
– that we align with POSITIVITY rather than negativity. We focus on our country’s innate wealth, rather than endemic poverty; we choose to be balanced, rather than extreme; we see opportunities in every problem; we are constructive and not destructive; we would rather defend than attack; we do not manipulate or persuade, but we educate; we do not struggle, but we strive; we see the long view rather than the immediate. We choose our words carefully, because through thought, act, deed and speech we convey our compassion, our sincerity and our tolerance, and our capacity to heal our wounded nation;
– that we are in this endeavor because we love our COUNTRY, and we are eager to find our true place in the world. Our sense of country is not limited to just our islands, but to the Filipinos found in every corner of the globe, for the influence of the Filipino is actually planetary. Our sense of “what is Filipino” goes beyond region, dialect and citizenship, and deeper into what we can do for our country, more than what it can do for us, what we can do for the world, than what the world can do for us;
– that the ENVIRONMENT is the most pressing underlying factor behind the exigency of our present cause; that we are the Green Team; that we support Life and never exploit Life; that we shall always consider the preservation of our natural resources, the cleanliness of our surroundings, and the love of Nature in every exercise of our campaign, for it is our positive mindset which is needed to save our planet from irreversible destruction;
– that GOD, or a Higher Power, inspires us in all these things; that the victory of a President is not just prescribed by the number of votes garnered or the efficiency of his campaign, but by the guiding hand of destiny and invisible forces we cannot fully explain; and so we fully align ourselves with this Power, which is embodied in Truth, in Justice, and in Peace, because this is what prevails, and we shall, absolutely, prevail.
SO HELP US GOD.
via Manifesto For Positive Campaigning | Filipino Voices.

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Better Class of Politician::Villar ‘deeply hurt’ by Enrile’s ‘false story’ – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Because I always try to be impartial!!!

Villar ‘deeply hurt’ by Enrile’s ‘false story’
By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 21:20:00 01/26/2010
MANILA, Philippines—Senator Manny Villar has strongly denied offering help to Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile in exchange of any favors as the C-5 road controversy brews again at the upper chamber.
“I was not asking for any help and not offering anything. No help was asked and none was given,” Villar said in a statement Tuesday.
He said there was no need to ask help from Enrile because “I was confident that the documents, the records, the witnesses, and the rules will prove that the C-5 road project was not double-funded, overpriced or rerouted.”
via Villar ‘deeply hurt’ by Enrile’s ‘false story’ – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos.

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'Avatar' becomes highest-grossing movie

The “King of the World” bets the house and wins again!!!!

“Avatar”; becomes highest-grossing movie
Reuters | 01/27/2010 7:14 AM
LOS ANGELES – Sci-fi spectacular “Avatar” has surpassed “Titanic” to become the highest-grossing movie worldwide, distributor 20th Century Fox said on Tuesday.
The worldwide total for the James Cameron movie stands at $1.859 billion after Monday's sales, beating the $1.843 billion haul racked up by “Titanic” in 1997-1998, said Greg Brilliant, spokesman for the News Corp-owned studio.
The data are not adjusted for inflation.
via ‘Avatar’ becomes highest-grossing movie | ABS-CBN News Online Beta.