Wednesday, September 30, 2009

FLOOD PREPAREDNESS TIPS

FLOOD SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS TIPS

With would be tropical storm Parma treatening philippines anew, we must all be prepared for the worst. Flooding could occur any time during storm. Being prepared for a flood not only helps keep your family safe, but it can also help minimize potential flood damage and accelerate recovery efforts. Simple steps can be taken to protect yourself and your family before, during, and after a flood such as safeguarding your home and possessions, developing a family emergency plan..

5 FOOL PROOF TIPS TO FLOOD SAFETY WHEN YOUR LIVING IN LOW AREAS LIKE MARIKINA,SAN JUAN AND RIZAL AREA.

1. 1. IF YOU HAVE MONEY : BUY A RUBBER BOAT IF POSSIBLE MOTORIZED ONE AND COULD CARRY YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TO SAFE GROUNDS. IF YOU HAVE MONEY TO SPARE, PUT ONE IN YOUR ROOF TOP LIKE ONE U SEE IN SHIP ROOF TOP. THESE WILL GIVE YOU PEACE OF MIND AND MINIMIZE WORRIES DURING STORMS.

2. 2. AT FIRST SIGN OF FLOOD , EVACUATE TO HIGH GROUNDS AND EVACUATION AREAS.

3. 3. IF MAY SOUNDS SILLY BUT SURE WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE. BUY EVERY FAMILY MEMBERS WITH LIFE JACKET.

4. 4. BUY A HOUSE AND LIVE IN HIGH LEVEL AREAS ONLY LIKE ANTIPOLO AREAS (BUT BEWARE OF LANDSLIDE AREAS) OR IN CONDO UNITS.

5. 5. WHEN THERE IS A STORM WARNING, MOVE OUT AND GO TO RELATIVES LIVING IN HIGH AREAS.

Aside from the above things, try these tips below..

Preparing for a Flood:

Make an itemized list of personal property well in advance of a storm occurring. Sometimes don`t rely on PAGASA forecast, check sattelite photos of the storm and learn to read color of high water concentration. Sometimes sattelite photos shows concentration of rainfall.
Memorize the safest and fastest route to high ground. Assemble a disaster supplies kit containing: first aid kit, canned food and can opener, bottled water, extra clothing, rubber boots and gloves, Celphone, battery-operated radio, emergency cooking equipment, flashlight and extra batteries.
If you live in a frequently flooded area like marikina and rizal area ,identifying the high grounds and evacuation area and learning the shorcut routes to it would help.
Know the elevation of your property in relation to nearby streams and other waterways, and plan what you will do and where you will go in a flood emergency.

When a Flood Threatens:

If forced to leave your property and time permits, move essential items to safe ground.machinery.
Store a supply of drinking water in large containers.
Get out of areas subject to flooding.
Evacuate to high evacuation areas.

During a Flood:

Avoid areas subject to sudden flooding.
Even six inches of fast moving floodwater can knock you off your feet, and a depth of two feet will float your car! Never try to walk, swim or drive through such swift water.
Do not attempt to drive over a flooded road. STOP! Turn around and go another way.
Keep children from playing in floodwaters and drains.
Avoid touching metal and poles cause it mighht electrocute you.

After a Flood:

Boil drinking water before using. If fresh food has come in contact with floodwaters, throw it out.
Seek necessary medical care at the nearest hospital. Food, clothing, shelter, and first aid are available at Red Cross shelters.
Use flashlights, not lanterns or torches, to examine buildings. Flammables may be inside.
Do not handle live electrical equipment in wet areas. Electrical equipment should be checked and dried before being returned to service.

All in all, preparation is always the best defense against floods...

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Typhoon Ondoy Aftermath in the Heart of Manila

Let us all do our share and help the victims of typhoon Ondoy.
Please see information and dropped off sites at the bottom....

Typhoon Ondoy with strong rainfalls compared to a month rainfalls gave quiapo a day to remember. Fist time since 1969, the vehicle recto underpass began to swell and it overflows to the delight of nearby kids who find it hard to resist to swim in the overflowing underpass. It would take 2 days to remove the water in this underpass.

I have to take some aftermath shots in the heart of manila, Quiapo Manila. Quiapo flooded in all places and the most noticeable was the quiapo recto underpass near isetan recto at the corner of Quezon Boulevard and Recto Avenue.

Southbound

Quezon Blvd. North Bound

Quezon Blvd Northbound near Quiapo Church

Quiapo Underpass Southbound across Recto Ave.

Front Isetan Recto

Spectators 2

Swimmers

Near FEU NorthBound

Post as Dive Board

Underpass Stretch

There were many affected in any other areas like commonwealth village, old balara, filinvest 1 & 2, vista real, batasan hills, mapayapa, quezon city, taytay Rizal, marikina city, ortigas extension, pasig city, san jose del monte, montalban rizal and more in the provincial areas of Luzon.

FOR THOSE WANT HELP FOR THE TYPHOON VICTIMS..

The government has set up 3 drop-off points for your contributions:

These are:
- Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) center at the Batasan complex in Quezon City, telephone nos. +632951-7119 and +63918-421-9780;
- DSWD National Capital Region (NCR) office in Quiapo, Manila, tel. nos. +632-734-8634 to 25 and +63915-291-3722; and the
- DSWD National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City, tel. nos. +632852-8081 and +632-734-8622

Let us all do our share and help the victims of typhoon Ondoy.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The First in the World

World's First Digital Camera (1975): Created by Kodak's engineer Steve Sasson

In December 1975, Kodak engineer Steve Sasson invented something that would, decades later, revolutionize photography: the world's first digital camera. It was the size of a toaster, and captured black and white images at a resolution of 100×100 - or 0.01 megapixels in today's marketing terminology. The images were stored on cassette tape, taking 23 seconds to write. The camera uses an ADC from Motorola, a bog-standard (for the 1970s) lens from a Kodak movie camera, and a CCD chip from Fairchild Semiconductor - the same technology that digital cameras still use today. To playback the images, a special computer and tape reader setup (pictured below) was built, outputting the grainy images on a standard TV. It took a further 23 seconds to read each image from tape.

World's First Motel (1925): Motel Inn

Motel Inn in San Luis Obispo, California, is the world's first motel. It was built in 1925 by LA architect Arthur Heineman, who coined the term motel meaning "motor hotel." Motel Inn was originally called the Milestone Mo-Tel. Back then, one night stay was $1.25. Heineman couldn't afford the trademark registration fee, so his competitors were able to use the word "motel." The motel is still in operation today.

World's First Album Cover (1938): Smash Song Hits by Rodgers and Hart

Before Alex Steinweiss, then a 23-year-old designer, invented album covers in 1938 for Columbia Records, albums were sold in plain brown wrappers. The album "Smash Song Hits by Rodgers and Hart" was the very first album cover in the world.

World's First Novel (1007): Tale of Genji

More than a thousend years ago, on 1007, a Japanese court lady put the finishing touches on what is considered the world's first novel. Spanning 75 years, more than 350 characters, and brimming with romantic poems, the "Tale of Genji" tells the story of an emperor's son, his quest for love, and the many women he meets along the way. It is attributed to the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu.

World's First Web Server and Web Site (1990): a NeXT computer at CERN

Info.cern.ch was the address of the world's first-ever web site and web server, running on a NeXT computer at CERN. The first web page address was http://info. cern.ch/hypertex t/WWW/TheProject .html, made by Tim Berners-Lee.

World's First Motorcycle (1885): Daimler's "riding car"

Motorcycle was designed and built by the German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Bad Cannstatt (Stuttgart) in 1885. It was essentially a motorised bicycle, although the inventors called their invention the Reitwagen ("riding car"). It was also the first petroleum-powered vehicle.

World's First X-Ray (1895): Röntgen's wife hand

In 1895 Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, professor of physics the University of Wurburg in Germany, was doing experiments with electrical discharges in evacuated glass tubes. Late in 1895 Wilhelm Röntgen was alone at night doing his experiments, this time in the dark and noticed a glow was produced on the wall, which he knew was not caused by fluorescence or visible light. He named these new, unidentified rays 'X' or if you prefer; X-rays. After several months of playing with his discovery he noticed that objects place in the path of the rays cast shadows and created images on the wall. Soon after he used a photgraphic plate and had his wife, Frau Röntgen, place her hand in the path of the X-rays, creating the world's first X-ray picture. In 1901 Wilhelm Röntgen was awarded the very first Nobel Prize in Physics for this discovery.

World's First Computer Mouse (1964): by Douglas Engelbart

The world's first computer mouse was made by Douglas Engelbart in 1964, it consisted of two gear-wheels positioned perpendicular to each other -- allowing movement on one axis. Ergonomic shape, great button placement -- and it's made of wood.

World's First Skyscraper (1885): Home Insurance Building in Chicago

Considered to be the first skyscraper in the world due to the building's unique architecture and unique weight bearing frame, the Home Insurance Building was built in 1885 in Chicago, Illinois and demolished in 1931 to make way for the Field Building (now the LaSalle National Bank Building). It was the first building to use structural steel in its frame, but the majority of its structure was composed of cast and wrought iron. It was the first tall building to be supported, both inside and outside, by a fireproof metal frame. It had 10 stories and rose to a height of 138 feet (42 m) high.

World's First Concept Car (1938): Buick Y-Job

Designed in 1938 by the famous General Motors designer Harley Earl, the Buick Y-Job is considered by most to be the first concept car. The car had power-operated hidden headlamps, "gunsight" hood ornament, wraparound bumpers, flush door handles, and prefigured styling cues used by Buick until the 1950s.

World's First MP3 Player (1998): MPMan 32MB

Released in 1998, the Eiger Labs MPMan was the world's first MP3 player, boasting 32MB of internal memory -- expandable to 64MB. Available in F10 or F20 models, the latter boasting SmartMedia compatibility, this player set you back a mere $69 + shipping. It measures a slim 91 x 70 x 16.5 mm.

World's First Crossword (1913): Arthur Wynne's Invention

In 1913, Arthur Wynne had the job of devising the weekly puzzle page for Fun, the eight-page comic section of the New York World, a major newspaper of the time. When he devised what he called a Word-cross for the Christmas edition, published on 21 December, he could have no idea that he would be starting a worldwide craze.

World's First Microprocessor (1971): Intel 4004

In November, 1971, a company called Intel publicly introduced the world's first single chip microprocessor, the Intel 4004 (U.S. Patent #3,821,715), invented by Intel engineers Federico Faggin, Ted Hoff, and Stan Mazor. After the invention of integrated circuits revolutionized computer design, the only place to go was down -- in size that is. The Intel 4004 chip took the integrated circuit down one step further by placing all the parts that made a computer think (i.e. central processing unit, memory, input and output controls) on one small chip. Programming intelligence into inanimate objects had now become possible.

World's First Magazine (1731): The Gentleman's Magazine

The Gentleman's Magazine, first published in 1731, in London, is considered to have been the first magazine. Edward Cave, who edited The Gentleman's Magazine under the pen name "Sylvanus Urban", was the first to use the term "magazine", on the analogy of a military storehouse of varied materiel, originally derived from the Arabic makazin "storehouses" . It ceased publication in September, 1907.

World's First Photograph (1826): "View from the Window at Le Gras"

Centuries of advances in chemistry and optics, including the invention of the camera obscura, set the stage for the world's first photograph. In 1826, French scientist Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, took that photograph, titled View from the Window at Le Gras at his family's country home. Niépce produced his photo—a view of a courtyard and outbuildings seen from the house's upstairs window—by exposing a bitumen-coated plate in a camera obscura for several hours on his windowsill.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Inspirational Story

Unconditional Love

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco.

"Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me."

"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."

"There's something you should know the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."

"I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."

"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."

"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own."

At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.

Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!

There's a miracle called Friendship That dwells in the heart You don't know how it happens Or when it gets started But you know the special lift It always brings And you realize that Friendship Is God's most precious gift!

Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

BAGUIO CITY : 100 years in the Making

When the Americans first came to Baguio in 1900, it was not yet even a town. It was then only a"rancheria" whose dominant feature was a large, low-lying area called Kafagway. There were only a few houses and there were no roads. The rancheria was owned by Mateo Carino who was at that time the wealthiest man in Benguet Province. During the dry season it was a pasture for herds of cattle and horses, but much of the year, it was a marshland with a shallow lake where residents hunted for ducks and snipes. Kafagway roughly covered the same area as the present city.

The Americans found Baguio an ideal site for a future city and a summer retreat from the sweltering heat of the lowlands. The hills were grassy and studded with pine trees and above all it had a cool and pleasant climate. The Americans also found a good source of water to supply the needs of a city. Gov. William Howard Taft and other officials did not hesitate to proposed that this be the location for the summer capital and health resort of the Philippines.

In November 1900, the Americans established the first civil government in Benguet. Kafagway was designated as the capital and was later renamed to Baguio.

Baguio City became the second chartered city in the Archipelago in September 1, 1909 and the townships were later reduced to 13 municipalities. The city prospered in the years before the outbreak of the Second World War.