Thursday, May 31, 2007

Now the Spirit expressly says...*

Thursday, May 31, 2007 12:46:38 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."

1 Timothy 4:1-5

I posted this passage especially because of an article a friend (thanks T!) directed me to in the EASY Magazine of last Sunday's Nation (May 27 pg 8 and 9) newspaper which spoke a bit on marriage. The article was titled, "Does living together [outside of marriage] ever really work?" and to respond, 3 (out of the 7 interviewed) - and notably 3 of the younger ones - made comments like, "I would live with someone, but I would never get married", "I'm not really into marriage. It's not worth it." and "I would not get married. Marriages today do not last very long, so what's the point?"

I think it's pretty sad that this is the view of some when it comes to marriage. Then again, I'm sure many think.."Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?". You know what I mean..  

So.. what do you think? Or is it just me.. :|

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

20 must-have Firefox extensions*

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 7:08:27 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

I started using Firefox probably little over a year ago and since then, it has been my browser-of-choice. To me.. I would say that it just seems much more "light weight" than IE7 and wayy more willing to be customised.

So.. I would like to share my "joy" with you show this article titled "20 must-have Firefox extensions". This is really a must-peek article for those of you who use FF. Some reallllllyy good stuff! My favourite extensions are: Greasemonkey, Firefox Showcase, Cooliris Previews (which I blogged about already), IE Tab, Firebug, Web Developer and ColorZilla.

Miss Universe 2007!*

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 2:36:31 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Ref: http://missuniverse.com/delegates/2007/files/JP-photo-gown.html Last night was a great show! I thoroughly enjoyed myself! Especially after seeing Miss Barbados directly behind Vanessa Minnillo (the female host)!!! The only thing that would have made it a bit better was if Miss Brazil instead of Miss Japan (pic on the right) had won. But.. no use crying over split milk right? Right!

Another thing about last night though which shocked me a bit was that the top 15 girls were ALL extremely beautiful (IMHO)!! Well... cept 1.. :|. In my opinion they were excellent especially in the evening gown section (even the now notorious Miss USA).

Anyway, that's over.. Congrats Miss Japan!

Check the Official Miss Universe site or/and random ramblings on the pageant by Bajan guys.

Monday, May 28, 2007

You know you grew up in the 90's:*

Monday, May 28, 2007 10:04:03 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

You know you grew up in the 90's:

You've ever ended a sentence with the word "Sike!"

You can sing the rap to "The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air"

You have pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.

Captain Planet!!!!!!!

You thought Brain would finally take over the world

Before the MySpace, Hi5 frenzy...

Before text messaging...

Before Sidekicks & iPods, PlayStation2 or X-BOX...

When Caller ID (aka MAX) was a new thing.

When we recorded stuff on VCRs!!

Ah... the old days!!!

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Some Soft Drinks May Damage Your DNA*

Sunday, May 27, 2007 5:10:19 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

"A new health scare erupted over soft drinks last night amid evidence they may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British university suggests a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA.

The problem - more usually associated with ageing and alcohol abuse - can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. ...

Concerns centre on the safety of E211, known as sodium benzoate, a preservative used for decades by the £74bn global carbonated drinks industry. Sodium benzoate derives from benzoic acid. It occurs naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mould in soft drinks such as Sprite, Oasis and Dr Pepper. It is also added to pickles and sauces." (Ref)

Arg! This is just.. arg! Especially since my favourite fizzy drink is Cream Soda (contains E211)!!! I suggest you definitely take a look at this article though, anything that "switches off DNA" is no joke. For me .. I guess it's back to (the over-priced, 'all-natural') juices. Nothing like a good Bajan Cherry, Blackberry or Passion Fruit juice!

Pirates of the Caribbean 3*

Sunday, May 27, 2007 2:25:52 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Ref: http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/walt_disney/pirates_of_the_caribbean__at_world_s_end/pirates_jackposter.jpg I just got back home from watching Pirates 3 and I... honestly didn't like it that much. It had it's good parts but.. overall, it was not as good as I expected. One of my biggest issues with it was the point that at times, it just seemed to disjointed. At one time you'd be at point X, then you'd jump to some other point (scene) and you'd be left saying, "huh.. does this follow on? .. ?!". Also.. the constant deceit by everyone (including the parrot!!) does not help much either!

Don't get me wrong though Jack Sparrow, oups, Captain Jack Sparrow did deliver his usual good performance, with all the laughs etc.. and the film does have an interesting twist with the boy Will Turner! But .. for some reason I was left wanting..

Counting all of this, I give Disney's "At World's End" a 6.9. This means that still, the best picture I have watched lately is 300. Shrek 3 is to debut next week so I'll see what that has to offer!

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

bIgggg Day!*

Wednesday, May 23, 2007 5:01:19 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Wow! It's been ages since I posted! I'm really sorry about that but the last 2/3 days have been pretty hectic! And today I'm left with the task of catching up with all that I've missed i.e. reading tons of news, rss feeds, forum posts, emails.. fun oh fun! Add that with work and I've got another packed day.

Ways! Let's move on! Today is a big day.. why? Liverpool vs AC Milan in the Champions League final. *crowd goes wild*. AC will be looking for revenge and Pool will be looking to prove that their triumphant 2005 win was NOT a fluke. It will indeed be a battle! I believe that 2:45pm is the start time in Barbados, 7:45pm in the UK and 8:45pm in Greece (not 100% sure about Greece).

Of course.. I'll be backing you know who. REEEDDDDDDDDSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday, May 20, 2007

What do you serve your mind?*

Sunday, May 20, 2007 6:45:10 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

What would we expect of someone who feeds only on fast food and unhealthy snacks filled with sugar and fats? A healthy body? Long life? No, we would expect physical health to be largely the product of physical intake. Is it any different in the spirit?

Modern culture is saturated with unhealthy spiritual food—from the lusts of the flesh and the eyes, to the human pride of the self-life, to elaborate and deceptive worldviews and philosophies. Hundreds of television channels, dozens of newspapers and magazines, unlimited cyberspace images, and a number of other media compete for our attention. We let many of them actually win our attention. And much of what we feed on is unhealthy. In our pursuit of wisdom, our minds often hunger for genuine nutrition.

"You are what you eat" applies not only in the physical world, but also in the spiritual. There's no way to take in junk without becoming junky.

God calls us to watch our diets. It pleases Him when we care for His temple, our bodies. But it pleases HIm much more when we care for our minds. Our thought life is where His Spirit most prefers to work, shaping uncluttered hearts and imparting wisdom to uncluttered minds. Even so, we do not make a smooth highway for Him into our souls. Through our entertainment, we let ourselves be bombarded by an incessant PR campaign for the ways of the world. Find a balance. Watch what goes into your mind. Without hindrance, let His thoughts nourish you.

Adapted from The One Year® Walk with God Devotional by Chris Tiegreen, Tyndale House Publishers (2004)

Friday, May 18, 2007

Shrek releaseeeddd!*

Friday, May 18, 2007 1:02:08 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Ref: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808716389/photo/970434713 Woo hooo!!! Shrek the Third is out today!! I've been waiting for this movie for a while so I really hope it does not disappoint (like Spiderman 3 did!)! The first two parts were classics and as I see from the trailers, this looks great as well.

Sad to say though, it looks like this movie will start in Barbados on the 23rd (in the theatre) and the 30th at the drive-in!

If you're looking for the trailer(s), downloads etc, check out the Official site (or Yahoo!). Then again, I'd recommend you check out the site just to see how excellently it's designed!!! All (Adobe) Flash of course .. gez.. without Flash, where would the Web be??

Amazon takes on iTunes!!*

Friday, May 18, 2007 2:03:58 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

"The music-download service Amazon.com Inc. announced yesterday represents the latest attempt by a digital retailer to meet one of the biggest challenges facing the industry: how to sell music that consumers can play on a wide variety of devices, including Apple Inc.'s dominant iPod." (Ref)

So Amazon's to join the market.. 'so what!?' you ask.. Well the main reason I commented on this is because I'm hoping that Amazon makes music downloadable from OUTSIDE the US/UK/CA! This would at least give us persons in smaller regions the ability to get music (or rather, specific tracks) legally!

Anyway, I'll follow this story and hope that Amazon are different from iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody and the rest! (Even though.. I doubt they will be.. :()

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

James Brown mini-compilation!*

Wednesday, May 16, 2007 4:19:26 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

I found a James Brown compilation vid yesterday on youtube and it is just SOOOO (Y) I had to post the link to it. Enjoy! I did!

JAMES BROWN: ITS A MANS WORLD, OUT OF SIGHT, I FEEL GOOD

PS. I would have embedded the vid here but for some reason that feature is disabled (by youtube).

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Our future?*

Tuesday, May 15, 2007 8:01:00 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Ref: http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070515/photos_tc/2007_05_15t092458_450x299_us_obesity_desks;_ylt=Alfqy49QSb2OYDwSsrtNihuWWMcFDuring one of my "surf-the-web" breaks, I saw this photo and it shocked me and made me curious all at the same time. In my head I was thinking, "is this going to be us in the future?" I mean really, these days we spend hourrrsss at work glued to computer screens and some of us even go home and continue! Also.. last time I checked, we hardly burn any calories by just sitting on our bums all day long.

So.. what if one attempted to add some cardio in there and instead created a stand-up workstation (like in the photo) or even a cycling machine? Yea, at first, you're like.. "no way!" but think about its benefit to you.. Ideally for me, I wouldn't want to do it in a shirt and tie though! Probably in the future they'll relax how we dress as well?

The photo above was from Yahoo! but even today BBC have done an article titled "The nine-to-five treadmill" based on the same topic (exercising while you work).

Monday, May 14, 2007

Is Google making us Dumb(er)?*

Monday, May 14, 2007 5:16:32 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

I was reading an article titled "Why Google Is Making Us Dumber" a couple secs ago and I began to SERIOUSLY think about the truth in this.. The article suggests that because of us not having to remember thing such as web site addresses, capital cities or even conversion factors (because we can easily "google-it") that Google is making us Dumber.

Really, I don't agree with the suggestion that it's making people Dumb(er), but what I do agree with is that it moves a good set of "need to remember" for some of us. Actually, it probably removes some "need to think" too! For example, yesterday I was helping out someone with some code and instead of writing the code myself, I simply "googled-it", showed the person and cited the source. Why re-invent the wheel.. you know? ... 

Anyway, check out the article and let me know what you think. Or at least.. If you don't think Google is making you Dumb(er)... Do you agree it removes the "need to remember/think"?

Iraq.. May 11th: "The bombings at the bridges, which cross the Diyala River, a Tigris tributary, killed 23 people, including 11 police and 12 civilians, and wounded 57 others, including 26 police, police said." (FoxNews); May 13th: "A homicide truck bomber crashed the offices of a Kurdish political party in northern Iraq and detonated his explosives on Sunday, killing at least 10 people and injuring 60..." (FoxNews); Today: "BAGHDAD - Gunmen opened fire on a police checkpoint, and mortar rounds struck an outdoor market, killing eight people..." .. "Two policemen and four civilians were wounded.." (Yahoo!)

Monday Funny!*

Monday, May 14, 2007 1:37:00 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Ok, so finally I'm getting the Monday funny on time!! I hope you enjoy!

"Cut tech support" ?! lol, RIGHT!

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Bajan funnY!*

Thursday, May 10, 2007 2:10:06 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Yesterday I got a hilarious email titled "Ya kno ya is Bajan when.." so I've put the most catchy ones below..

Ya kno ya is Bajan when...

  • Cheese-on-bread aint got nuttin to do wid being hungry
  • You have a bad fall and ya either lick up, break up, skin up or catspraddle
  • A bread and two is not 3 breads!!!
  • A cutter is not a sharp utensil
  • Liming in front Cave Shepherd is a integral part a growin' up
  • Yuh pun a "brasion"!! Even ef yuh only goin' tuh de beech, yuz be dress dung in bare hard gear
  • Yuh doan got tuh be mystical tuh be gypsy
  • Yuh just cyant guh town an' doan see someone yuh know
  • When somebody call ya pun de phone and sa 'wait you still home?' or when da see ya pun de road and ask ya if ya still living
  • Yuh don't have to be drinking to ask for a scotch
  • You say "whappenin" even at a funeral
  • If ya 'did de dawg', it has nothing to do wid a canine
  • Words like 'hard' and 'bad' have 30 different meanings
  • Yuh know dat 'hard wine' ain got nuttin tuh do wid liquor

And my favourite...

Ya know ya is Bajan when .. The word horn does not conjure up images of Dizzy Gillespie or Jazz music ! Lol!

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Getting accustomed to linux*

Wednesday, May 09, 2007 12:37:55 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Mild-mannered Microsoft asp.NET developer by day and rogue, happy-go-lucky linux anomaly by night/weekends! That's how I'm living my life these days! And I completely dig it!

Over the last couple days I've spent a lot of time tweaking and customising my linux desktop and hopefully soon, I'll publish a screenshot or two. And if you're just a Windows user, I tell you, you WILL be blown away! The freedom in linux is amazing.

Iraq.. May 8th: "A homicide car bomber tore through a busy market in the Shiite holy city of Kufa on Tuesday morning, killing at least 16 people and wounding 70.." (FOXNews); May 9th: "A suicide truck bomb blamed on al-Qaida linked insurgents exploded outside the Interior Ministry, killing at least 19 people and wounding 80..." (MSNBC)

Monday, May 07, 2007

Weekend with "Spidey"*

Monday, May 07, 2007 2:09:24 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Ref: http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&id=1808496334&cf=pstills&intl=us Like about 70% of the world, I watched Part 1 and Part 2 and now it was time to catch Spiderman 3. Usually the flick starts around 6.30pm so, I can leave home around 6 and get in to see the movie within good time.. This Saturday however was unlike any other Saturday! Cars were backed up to get into the drive-in from soo far it was ridiculous! THEN when I finally got in, almost all the spots were gone! To be honest I was pretty frustrated however, what could I do? (I didn't feel like getting back my $ and leaving like I saw a couple other people do.)

Now.. the movie itself left much to be desired.. at times I found Peter way too cocky even before he got "infected" by the mysterious black guu. Fight scenes between himself and Venom were probably the most fun to watch. Especially since Venom is played by Topher Grace, aka Eric from one of my favourite TV shows, "That '70s Show". Overall, I give the movie a 6.5/10.. some other critics aren't so generous. Regardless of the critics thoughts OR mine though, "“Spider-Man 3,” smashed box-office records with $148 million in its first three days, according to studio estimates Sunday." (MSNBC.com) Crazy huh? Anyway I'm sure this is because: (a) it's a classic; (b) kids can watch; and (c) if you watched the first two, you can't help but watch part 3. Well.. hit up here for the official site and if you've watched it, drop me a comment, tell me what you thought!

Iraq.. May 6th: Car bombs cause 56 deaths in Iraq (FOXNews); May 7th: "Homicide Car Bombers Kill 20 Near Ramadi..", about 40 wounded.. (FOXNews)

Friday, May 04, 2007

I've got to take myself away...*

Friday, May 04, 2007 6:46:52 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

I've got to take myself away
from all these things that's hurting me
I've got to make my life so free
seems you don't want nothing good for real

Really nice song... Take My Self Away (Greedy) - Sizzla.

Laws Every Blogger Needs to Know*

Friday, May 04, 2007 4:32:14 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

As a blogger one must always wonder about the legal issues behind using pics from other sites, quoting information from other sites etc. Well, while reading some news a couple secs ago, I saw an article titled "12 Important U.S. Laws Every Blogger Needs to Know", and after reading it and deeming it "worthwhile", I've included the link to it here.

The writer really does some good explaining and most importantly, gives bullet-point tips on how NOT to get yourself in trouble. It's certainly a useful article (and even can apply to forums)!

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Liverpool are going to CL final!!!*

Thursday, May 03, 2007 1:54:45 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Two years ago Liverpool faced AC Milian in what I call one of the most exciting games of football I've EVER watched! Now.. these two great teams are to play again, in the final, but this time in Athens Greece! Below I've included the video clip showing how Pool beat Chelsea (on May 1st) to book their spot in the final.

You can also view Liverpool-Chelsea extended version and the AC Milan-Manchester United highlights, both from the 2nd leg matches.

Iraq / Today.. "A rocket attack on Iraq's heavily fortified Green Zone killed four Filipino contractors working for the U.S. government, the American embassy said Thursday. It was the third straight day that extremists used rockets or mortars to hit the area where Iraq's parliament meets." (FoxNews)

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Movie: Shooter*

Wednesday, May 02, 2007 1:36:36 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

I was so busy yesterday I forgot all about posting a review on my trip to the movies Monday night to watch the movie, Shooter. I was really out on a limb when I went to catch this flick because I didn't watch the trailer and therefore hadn't a clue what it was about (well apart from the its name). At first as I saw the plot unfolding, it seemed pretty boring and mundane, essentially, just another attack on the President's life (but this time by a sniper/shooter)... however, when I saw the *twist*, I was more than pleased!

What I also liked about this movie is that even though it did include some 'close' men+ladies situations, it didn't turn into a love-story or something driven by passion, sex etc. It stuck to the core plot and I give it full props for that. Anyway, I won't ruin it for you but I recommend it as a movie to watch.

Here is the official Shooter movie site , you can get photos, IM icons and of course see the trailer.

Nice May Day!*

Wednesday, May 02, 2007 1:38:19 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

As today was a bank holiday some friends and I made it our business to leave our homes! The result was a day spent beach hopping, playing racket ball, some dominoes and generally chilling out. All-in-all, it was a nice day. One of the guys brought his camera so when I receive the photos I'll upload one or two for you all to see what we were up to.

Iraq / Today.. "... The attacks against the travelers began at 6:45 a.m., when gunmen took aim at a minibus, killing 11 Shiites and wounding three, as it passed near Iskandariyah, 30 miles south of Baghdad in a predominantly Sunni area dubbed the "Triangle of Death" because of frequent insurgent violence." (FoxNews)