Welcome and Sit on the thinking chair.

This blog tries to answer the question you deeply thought, and questions the answers that people think are the “truth”.

How the world began? What are the limits of being man? What the heck happened to Miley Cyrus?

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The Thinking Chair

That’s what I did. After thinking it through though, it still made a lot of crap about it (pun not intended). For my fellow writers at least, its a good way to look at things at a different view.

So hold your breath, open your minds and think.

We Should be More Technologically Advanced Today?

I ponder if the human technological advance is delayed?

Some people theorize we are 100-300 years late in technology. We should, for example, be able to send people to the moon in 1869, not 1969.

So what happen? Is it real?

Here are some clues, some maybe be true, some maybe busted:

1)The Baghdad Battery-

baghdad-battery

The most sophisticated thing that the ancient built. A freakin’ battery! Appeared between 250BC to 250AD in Mesopotamia, archaeologist believe it was used in electroplating process (coating gold to stuff). There were experiments recreating this device in the 70’s and according to the results, it prouduces freakin’ electricity! (up to 0.5V!). Freakin’ Awesome!

Or not. Turns out the experiment did not have much credibility. Also there was no evidence it is actually used in electroplating stuff (like coating gold to silver). Mesopotamians use fire-gliding in coating their stuff with gold. Later it was believde to be another jar holding ancient paper.

Bashed by the real world as a busted myth, it still has a potential to create electricity. But unlike the Velcro, Yoyo, Ice Popsicle, match, penicillin, and Vaseline– all inventions that was discovered by accident, accidental discovery of this thing actually creates electricity did not happen at all. If that accident happen, and some curios ancient dude decided to dig deeper, who knows what will happen. Let’s leave our imagination to that.

2. Library of Alexandria-

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The most sophisticated Library in the ancient world. Destroyed in 48 BC by Caeser, or in 270AD by Aurelian, or by Theodious I in 391 AD……or by Caliph Omar in 642AD…well whenever or whoever destroyed it… the library contained the sources of knowledge of the ancient world. Imagine if it was not destroyed but the knowledge was the basis for man’s advancement to be built upon. The World will not lost +1000 years worth of human knowledge. Maybe by that, we are 1000 years give or take 500 years less advanced. You can just imagine.

3. Siege of Baghdad- Mongol Invasion-

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on 1220’s, Mongols attacked Baghdad and seiged the city. They destroyed thousands of books– books ranging from Physics to Astronomy- from the Grand Library of Baghdad. Oh and they killed the scientist and philosophers too. They said that the Tigris river became black from the ink from the books thrown and red from blood of the people.

Although Mongols helped some development of the Modern world, imagine if they kept all those knowledge and expanded them….

English songs from Non-English speaking Countries part 3

Since my post about english songs from non-english countries are more popular than my deep thoughts are (huhuhu), here’s some more. I reviewed each song, and check if they are good. Honestly, most of my youtube searches are just “<insert country> english song”.

Well here it goes:

Vietnam

Where Do We Go-Thanh Bui ft Tata Young

Nice song. I like the way they mix an orchestra on the music. Makes the music more majestic. The song is an English-Vietnamese Duet, but even if I do not understand Vietnamese, I feel more emotion on the Vietnamese lyrics. Maybe that is what music really is. Beyond language.

Italy

Love is Requited- Elisa

Kinda like Bosa. A like how she falsettos. Sound like Alanis Morisette.

Norway-

In Love with an Angel- Christian Ingebrigtsen & Maria Arredondo

Another slow song. Maria kinda sounds like Britney spears though (for my ears). This is a Norwegian song, but could I hear spanish guitar? Overall good.

Science Becoming Atheist?

Typhoon Ruby (Int name: Hagupit) Update.

Yay. I’m alive.My quails are dry. I’m ok.

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As science answers questions one at time, I ponder if there is ever hope for religion. Are we killing our God?

Social scientist predict that people who declare themselves as atheist are increasing. Through The Worm Hole with Morgan Freeman even points out civilization will become atheistic, theorizing that alien civilization advanced from us are already evolved from God believing society, to non-believers.

The math does not lie, according to the show. More and more people are leaning towards not believing in God. This maybe inevitable.

Or so is it?

My theory is, like any other phenomena, it maybe cyclic. I said MAYBE. I don’t have research. I don’t have population data, data over period of time. Atheistic view vs. Knowledge traditionally looks like this:

linear

As we gain knowledge, we do not acknowledge there is God.

Example: Age of Earth vs. Biblical age. Water coming from the First Flood (cannot fill up the earth). Heaven. Hell.

But I think it’s a curve:

curved

As we discover more and more, especially the origin of the entire universe, we will find out every little bits of pieces of our origin. Then we ask. Where does that pieces comes from? From nothing? Inevitably, Science will have to acknowledge there is a God.

Unfortunately, we are not even halfway up the curve yet. So it’s a long way.

Atheist win? I am not even sure. But the fact stand firm that Atheist are winning the numbers war. The questions is will you be swayed? Will you believe in God when the majority does not believe in him anymore. Is Allah still in your heart if your government decided to abandon religious laws of the Koran? Is being a Christian be persecuted again, will you stand firm?

Disclaimer: Atheist are not bad guys.

Typhoon Hagupit. The Calm Before the Storm

It’s Saturday, Dec 6. A typhoon named Hagupit is coming. (Tagalog word for lash as in lash of the wip.. or wind–I’m surprised  Hagupit is the international name! ).

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Technically, the storm is still in the sea, maybe around 100 miles out of Samar. I lived at south Manila right here (at the yellow dot):

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So far:

Everything so calm. Yeah the wind is much stronger than usual, but everything’s fine. Everything is so quiet. There’s not even rain.

Although we are warned to prepare, I didn’t see much people “preparing”. The only preparation I saw is the unusual volume of food bought in groceries. People are even joking how weak the Typhoon is, not realizing, it’s still out at sea!

Well I did made preparation. Stocked up some dry foods, and reinforced my quail cage to protect my quails (oh yeah, I raise quails as a hobby at first then I’d boom it to a business next year).

Hopefully I will pull through….

Who is you Part 2?

From: https://thinkinginthetoilet.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/who-is-you-part-1/

We are composed of 5 parts: Body,Mind,Heart,Soul and Spirit. Each will have it’s own topic soon. But this 5 do not constitute the ‘you’ entirely.

The 5 parts are the cause, the forces in which ‘you’ expend or use. We have a cause, we should have an effect. A phenomena. What the effect is, I have no term for it yet.

And here completes who ‘you’ are. You are a human being with 5 parts, which in turn affects other stuff. This cause and effect defines who ‘you’ are. It is also a great metric on how significant is ‘you’ to the world. And what you can do about it.

It is kind of complicated so let us make an example:

I man suffered from Parkinson’s diseases. He was once athletic (body), smart (mind), good mannered (heart), charismatic (soul) and have an optimistic view in life (spirit). Now, he can’t even remember his name(mind). He became disfigured (body) and becomes grumpy (heart). He cannot bring people to a direction he wants–or he cannot lead them–(soul). His limited conscious thinking now leans toward that of feeling of hopelessness (spirit), as much as as his limited logical thinking could emotionally understand. He is no longer himself (switch to second view: You are no longer you?)

Or is it really the case.

He met his wife before being stricken by the disease, who stood by with him when he was healthy, and still is there when he was not. Whatever actions or traits he done, from coincidental meeting of his wife on party 40 years ago, or the decision he took to take up Marketing than Philosophy, which he ended up having a job in Illinois instead of New York (and his wife is from Illinois!), all the stuff he done eventually led him to meet his wife. His total story s what makes him, him.

He is still himself. Even if physically not, mentally not, emotionally not, spiritually not, aura-ish-ish not, he is still himself.

How he made his wife stay with him is proof, no matter much he changed, he is still him.

You is cycle. It is not just how the way we project ourselves to the world, but also the consequences of all actions.

So better leave a better ‘you’ for the world.

Who is you? Part 1

I once heard a joke about a prisoner who was charged with escaping detention. He was a regular donor of his organ. Turns out he was trying to escape bit by bit.

So I asked who is ourselves? Which makes you, you?

>If you cut your fingers, are you also the fingers ha had separated? Is the fingerless you the same you?

>You bump your head. You lost all memories. Your personality change. You build your life from scratch and kept going from there. As if you old self did not exist. Is that still you?

National Geographic says, the brain is you. If get damaged in some way, and then changed, then the old you do not exists.

Why? Because the brain that interprets a specific version of the world it senses is the defining moment of being you? So if that change, ‘you’ no longer exists. Before a traumatic brain accident, you have an optimistic view of the world, has great compassion and able to give love,and name is Bryan. After the accident, you had hatred of the world, loves violence, and is named Osama Bin Laden.

Or so what I think Nat Geo is trying to say to me.

Before going to conclusion, I want to be give the facts first. What makes us, us:

1) Body- we have a body. Brain, Heart, blood, head, eyes…butt…

2)Mind- Though physically it ‘s the brain, it is what how we define the world we see. Biologically, the electric impulse our neuron has

3)Heart- or hypothalamus at least- how we feel about the things we perceive. Biologically, the chemicals our brain releases, absorb

4)Soul- The stuff that goes beyond our flesh. Soul exists on how we make stuff from tangible to intangible. A man who writes music, then another man hears it, the listener feels what the songwriter wrote about. Biologically, it’s our neurons trying to make the same connections on how the neurons of another person, and therefore have the same perception as another (or at least understand the perception)

5)Spirit- the moving stuff. Biologically, it’s food and energy. On human sociological context, the life force that keep us alive.And most of all, the thing that gives us PURPOSE.

A man writes using is hand (BODY), music which melody he conjured on his head(Mind). The song is about how he was in love with a girl who dumped him (Heart). Another guy hears it, and he also felt what the other guy was feeling (Soul interprets, Heart feels). This gave him the spirit to keep fighting for his love (Spirit).

More of this next time…

English Song from Non-English Speakers

From:

https://thinkinginthetoilet.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/english-songs-from-non-english-countries-part-1/

Korea- Big Bang. *girls screaming* [I am actually writing something but..] *girls screaming [..you can’t read (hear) it..] *girls screaming* [since girls are screaming in the background] *girls screaming*

* girls screaming*

Philippines (well my country)- Neocolors. With soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many English songs we have, I decided to choose a band which is the less mainstream (You know, we have artist who are “slash” actors “slash” host “slash” whatever, but don’t get me wrong, their music is very good). Sorry for the lack of official music video though.

Nicely done. Too bad it’s just so sad.

Malaysia- Yuna. Maybe one of the most famous of this series, Yuna also dominated the U.S charts. I like her voice, not so loud, very relaxing indeed.

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I’ll review some more countries and add them in a not so distant future.

English songs from Non-English Countries part 1

Coming from, well technically, a non-English country myself, I am surprised we have a lot of original songs written in English. And they are pretty good, too bad too many mass media mojo overshadowed our songs. If the world can just here our songs that they can understand, they will appreciate more.

But I realized while sitting on my thinking toilet, how about other countries not mine.

Well let’s give them a shot as well

Japan- according to a few acquaintances, Melody is the best Japanese singer who sings English. Well she’s from Hawaii…:

Hmm. Nice and bubbly. Makes you wanna dance but relaxes you.

China- Faye Wong. Oh yeah! Faye Wong! Who ever plays Final Fantasy recognize her. Or at least her voice. She sang the theme song of Final VIII for crying out loud!!!

India- Tahsin Ahmed. What I like about this soul artist is that he did not lose the soul of Indian Music. Sure it’s RnB but you could here the elements of Indian music (the Indian “Yoddle” starting 2:13-2:30).

My favorite so far:

Googled Weird Toilets, was not disappointed

What’s a Blog about toilets with no pictures of them, here’s some I found in google

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Hightech Toilet
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Just…don’t ask…
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Badass Toilet here
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as the source says, “Cool but why?”
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Arrrrrrr
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Nom nom nom
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Talk about public toilets
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If you pee but unfortunately have a boner at the same time as you crap, this solves your problem!
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How romantic
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If this guy had an accident though….
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A just lost my appetite thank you
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Giant slides and people are s***. WTF Japan!

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Do We Need Heroes? Part 2

If you read my previous blog “Do We Need Heroes?” here: https://thinkinginthetoilet.wordpress.com/2014/11/22/do-we-need-heroes/, I gave examples of 3 united people: Koreans, the Iglesia Ni Cristo and the Jews. The success that each of these group of people are credited not to a single leader but to their entire group.

But first, let me first point out: Is there are difference between Alibaba.com and the Republic of Korea? Facebook and the INC? Waltermart and the Jews?

Is there are difference between a group with a united people and a group with a strong leader?

1) People united identify their group and not their leaders. People do not hate politics, they hate the politicians that got their hands dirty. People may unite under a charismatic leader, but the fervor quickly wanes if the leader is absent, no longer functions or…eh… die. True the succession does occur, in case what happen to Apple, and yes they are still succeeding without Steve Jobs, but..it’s not the same without him. He may be able to carry on his knowledge to his next leaders but will it last? Will it be the same entity as it was before? If it does last, will he sacrifice himself for the group. No, his motive is either based on being wealthy, pride or other “selfish” things.Not too many CEO’s sold their business, bailed at out when it comes worse or simply… do not give 100% of their effort

United people identify their group first before the leader. The leader chosen is usually the one who embody the group as the more important than himself. That is why self-sacrifice is a common to the leaders– they do things they do not want– even if undermines their traits of being human. Mostly, the followers follow suit, selflessly denying themselves of the freedom.

2) The group takes credit. Jack Ma is the main credit of Alibaba’s success (he had help but he’s the main mojo). Waltmart is credited to Sam Walton. Koreans are credited for Korea.

3) Last longer- Jews had been their since Egypt was powerful. And here they outlasted Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome and even most Dark Ages and Renaissance.

4) United people are willing to sacrifice. As mentioned before, members are prepared to serve their group with denial of self.

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And that’s how ordinary people accomplish great things without Heroes!

..wait?!

what?

You just want to succeed in your business life?

You don’t want the noble… what?

Oh…

I’m sorry…

Then be like Jack Ma.