A delicious, deadly delicacy

Century eggs are a common and popular Chinese delicacy. I myself like to eat them. I find it interesting how the common egg can be made to be like hard gelatin and turn into a dark cola color.

However when I found out how this egg is made in the traditional way, I was deeply bothered and concerned. An ingredient used in its making is lead oxide which is toxic to the body.

Fortunately, there is another way to make century eggs without using this chemical and I just hope that this is what egg processors have now adopted .

Flaming attraction

 

A feature of summer in the Philippines is the explosion of flowers like the fire tree and the golden shower. Although they may not be indigenous to the country, they certainly have proven to thrive well here and offer at least a visual relief from the oppressive summer heat.

The trees are truly beautiful and pleasing, I hope that someday, a community can create a park or a festival dedicated to them.

This will be a long gestating project but I am sure it will be well worth the effort in the time invested to make this a reality.

Religion is the opiate of the magnanakaw

There is nothing wrong for people in trouble to resort to religion for spiritual comfort and strength to face their problem.

But when people hijack religion as a cover to hide their sins and their crimes, religion is debased and loses its value.  Religion then merely becomes an opiate of the magnanakaw.

Torii

The torii which means bird's nest in Japanese has become an iconic symbol of Japan. It signifies an entrance and is mostly found in gardens specially of shrines and other holy places.

In the University of the Philippines at Los Banos, there is a torii to be found which is a friendship gift of the Japanese government and some local organizations.

May this torii symbolize the free flow and positive exchange of influences between the Philippines and Japan.

Tiananmen Plaza

(pic to follow)

When a government massacres its own citizens to suppress its demand for democracy and freedom, as the Chinese Communist Party did in __ 1984 at the Tiananmen Plaza, it shows that it is an occupation government albeit of its own citizens.

It is said that hundreds and even thousands died on this sad day and people who value freedom and democracy have an obligation not to forget. All those who died for freedom and democracy are heroes of the world.

I hope that we can do the right thing and dedicate even a small public place - maybe someplace in Chinatown in honor of their memory.
 

Sitsirya

Napansin ko lang habang nasa isang convenience store ako maraming iba't ibang klase ng sitsirya na nakadisplay, palatandaan na mga ganitong kakanin ang pinakamabili sa ganitong tindahan.

Pero mahilig ba ang mga tao sa sitsirya o kumakain lang sila nito para pampalipas oras lamang?

Ang sitsirya ay hindi maituturing na seryosong pagkain dahil karaniwan ay panay carbohydrates lang ito na galing sa halamang ugat gaya ng patatas o cereal gaya ng mais at arina.

Pero larong isip lang, ano kaya ang susunod na magiging sikat na sitsirya?

Trains for Rapid Transport

Our country, especially Metro Manila seems to be stuck in a permanent transportation crisis where heavy traffic and gridlock have become the norm.

I believe the solution to this problem is a rapid rail based mass transport system which can move large numbers of people quickly and efficiently.

Our country was supposed to be among the first country in our  region to have trains but I wonder how it happened that we have neglected to develop this mode of transport.

It is a mark of a sovereign people to be able to achieve that which is needed for their prosperity and development. Hopefully, we too can eventually acquire a modern and efficient train based transport system.

This is a people's enterprise and we must all be involved in its pursuit.

The drum kiln charcoal maker

 At the Forestry Products Research and Development Office of the Department of Science and Technology, there is a prototype of a drum kiln charcoal maker. I am interested in this item because I feel that we have a lot of biomass which can be used as fuel even just for home use. In particular, I think if we can utilize the discarded shell of  young fresh coconuts after their meat and juice have been extracted, then we can greatly reduce our energy bill spent for cooking.

(a demo on how to turn biomass into charcoal)

The problem with charcoal making is that it produces a lot of smoke and so one requirement to make it is that it should be in a far away area where there are not too many people. Another thing I learned from my interview with the DOST scientist responsible for developing the charcoal maker is that biomass charcoal should still be processed into compact briquest in order to maximize their heating value.

Fidelisms - the constant task,,,,

The constant task of individuals is personal productivity. The constant task of society is wealth creation. And the goal should be equitable and fair sharing.

Bottled light

The bottled light is touted as an energy saving device that lights up homes of people for free because it uses deflected sunlight.

Many believe that this is a great and important idea. For me though, I don't find it significant or impressive at all. It is just slightly above the level of a solar powered flashlight that can be used only when the sun is out. But what for?

The poor are supposed to be the main beneficiary of this cheap -literally and figuratively- invention. However the solar bottles are not really entirely free as there are material costs in order to make them.

There are inventions that help people fight poverty. This one only makes people adjust to their poverty. That is one reason I don't like them.