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26Nov09

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Tags: food

Basti’s Brew turns 10!

10Oct09

Basti’s is celebrating their 10th year anniversary today and they have brewed up something special.

It’s 50% off for their ten most popular menu items, which includes the following: cappuccino (₱33), brewed coffee (₱23), cappuccino float (₱53), mocha shake (₱53), oreo shake (₱45), carrot cake (₱45), bolognese (₱56), pinoy pizzas (₱75), carroza (₱60), and banana muffin (₱23).

Carrot Cake and Brewed Coffee for only ₱67.50

Customers can also get a big slice of their limited edition creamy moist choco monster caramel cake for only ₱199. I’ve seen this beast and it’s huge! One slice is probably good for three to four persons.

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Tags: event

My Blogger’s Choice Special Award nominee is…

05Oct09

… Life with Ria because…

Last year, I had 12 nominations but didn’t win anything. Guess I’m one of the better bloggers but not the best at any of my niches. LOL!

Go, Ria!

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Tags: 2009 Blogger's Choice, award

Jupiter Suites

27Sep09

Jupiter Suites is located near the corner of Jupiter Street and Makati Avenue. Upon our arrival, we were greeted courteously and had someone help us with our boxes of WordCamp paraphernalia as well as our luggage. We were then ushered to our rooms after a brief stop at the front desk. The room I shared with my friends was cozy with beds that afforded us restful slumber every night. Our room had cable TV (no Discovery Channel though), a refrigerator, and a mini-bar. The bath had hot shower which was pure bliss when one was ready to turn in for the night. Jupiter Suites guests are entitled to complimentary breakfast at Jestine’s Coffee Shop, located on the second floor.

Wireless internet wasn’t available in our room but they did have a RJ-45 socket to plug into. Unfortunately, I left my ethernet cable back in Davao. No problem, they were happy to lend us one and within a few minutes, I had my MacBook Pro setup for internet sharing via Airport.

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Tags: event, WordCamp

WordCamp Philippines 2009 live!

19Sep09

I haven’t been updating Davao Mac User for almost two weeks now because I’ve been helping the organizers of WordCamp Philippines set up today’s event.

I am now here in the Asian Institute of Management, at Paseo de Roxas, Makati and am charge of live streaming the event. Check out the WordCamp Philippines website or our Ustream site.

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Tags: event, WordCamp

Multitasking? Not a good idea.

09Sep09

According to a Stanford study, multitaskers are not as efficient as they think they are. As a matter of fact, they are doing more harm than good.

In the August 24th issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a research article entitled “Cognitive control in media multitaskers” has shown that people who choose to do several different things all at once have the tendency to pay less attention, have bad memories, and are poor in shifting from one task to another as compared to those who are considered as ‘low multitaskers’.

The researchers, Clifford Nass , Eyal Ophir, and Anthony Wagner, wanted to find out if chronic media multitaskers had a ‘gift’ when it came to performing tasks such as answering emails, engaging in multiple instant messaging conversations, and jumping from website to website simultaneously.

They don’t.

Results have shown that high multitaskers found it difficult to filter out irrelevant information, to store and organize information in memory, and to switch from one task to another.

Filed under: Science, Uncategorized   |  1 Comment
Tags: psychology

Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe #215 with guest Adam Savage

08Sep09

Interview with Adam Savage, co-host of the hit science television series, MythBusters. Along with co-special effects expert Jamie Hyneman, they tackle myths, movie scenes and rumors with science to test the validity of each claim. The show also features Tory Belleci, Kari Byron, and Grant Imahara, also known as the “Build Team”.

In this week’s SGU episode, Adam Savage talks about being a MythBuster, what will life after MythBusters be like, the Maltese Falcon, the state of the skeptical movement, Iron Man, CSI, and more.

This week’s news and emails:

• Multitasking
• Methane Fog on Titan
• Google Nessie
• Evolving Mice
• Appendix
• iPhone Crap App

Download the episode here or subscribe via iTunes.

To believe your own thought to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men – that is genius.

From Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson as quoted by Adam Savage

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Tags: Podcast, SGU

The Universe is simply awesome

30Aug09

Thanks to PZ Myers.

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Tags: astronomy

Homeopathy is bunk, WHO says

30Aug09

Back in June, Voice of Young Science Network calls on the World Health Organization (WHO) to condemn the use of homeopathy:

We are calling on the WHO to condemn the promotion of homeopathy for treating TB, infant diarrhoea, influenza, malaria and HIV.
Homeopathy does not protect people from, or treat, these diseases.
Those of us working with the most rural and impoverished people of the world already struggle to deliver the medical help that is needed.
When homeopathy stands in place of effective treatment, lives are lost.

On August 21, WHO responds:

Dr Mario Raviglione, Director, Stop TB Department, WHO:

Our evidence-based WHO TB treatment/management guidelines, as well as the International Standards of Tuberculosis Care (ISTC) do not recommend use of homeopathy.

Dr Mukund Uplekar, TB Strategy and Health Systems, WHO:

WHO’s evidence-based guidelines on treatment of tuberculosis…have no place for homeopathic medicines.

Dr Teguest Guerma, Director Ad Interim, HIV/AIDS Department, WHO:

The WHO Dept. of HIV/AIDS invests considerable human and financial resources [...] to ensure access to evidence-based medical information and to clinically proven, efficacious, and safe treatment for HIV… Let me end by congratulating the young clinicians and researchers of Sense About Science for their efforts to ensure evidence-based approaches to treating and caring for people living with HIV.

Dr Sergio Spinaci, Associate Director, Global Malaria Programme, WHO:

Thanks for the amazing documentation and for whistle blowing on this issue… The Global Malaria programme recommends that malaria is treated following the WHO Guidelines for the Treatment of Malaria.

Joe Martines, on behalf of Dr Elizabeth Mason, Director, Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Development, WHO:

We have found no evidence to date that homeopathy would bring any benefit to the treatment of diarrhoea in children…Homeopathy does not focus on the treatment and prevention of dehydration – in total contradiction with the scientific basis and our recommendations for the management of diarrhoea.

[Via the BBC]

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Tags: homeopathy

An experiment on happiness

03Aug09

An experiment aiming to cheer up the world has begun.

Professor Richard Wiseman launched an ambitious project today which requires the participation of a large number of people who are willing to spend just one minute a day to perform a happiness boosting exercise. It is hoped that the participant’s increased level of happiness will pass on to those around him and may end up cheering the entire world.

As mentioned, the experiment begun today, August 3 and will end August 7, Friday.

Participating is quite easy:

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Tags: happiness, study