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Neighbors

We don't have neighbors.

We can't invite them over for merienda or a football-game. We can't even beat on them if we wanted to.

See the other places, like Asia, they got neighbors.
No, we are surrounded by sea. But that's ok, 'cause we are happy.

I wonder what they do over in Malaysia? They... eat spicy food? Do they have movies? What do they do over there?

But we are happy, yes. We got America. We get it on TV.

Emperor Akihito of Japan is a human Bobblehead doll

I won't get into trouble for this will I?

I happen to think that Bobblehead dolls are cool.

I'm smarter when I'm sleeping

Like most of you, I love music. Sometimes one particular song keeps playing over and over in my head.

The Police were one of the best bands of the '80s and they had loads of great songs.

King Of Pain is one of my favorites.

The lyrics are very distinctive, almost like a nursery rhyme:

There's a little black spot on the sun today

It's the same old thing as yesterday

There's a black cat caught in a high tree top

There's a flag-pole rag and the wind won't stop

What's it about?

Beats me... but despite the upbeat melody there seems to be an underlying theme of death and decay:

There's a fossil that's trapped in a high cliff wall

There's a dead salmon frozen in a waterfall

There's a blue whale beached by a spring tide's ebb

There's a butterfly trapped in a spider's web

ANYHOO...

I knew the lyrics but never really thought about them.

There's this one particular line in the last verse:

There's a red fox torn by a huntsman's pack

A huntsman's pack? In my mind's eye, I could picture a red fox, somehow getting entangled in a hunter's shoulder bag, and getting mangled in the process -- what the hey, Sting's got quite an imagination.

Anyway, so one time I was sleeping, right?

And in my sleep I had a dream. And in my dream King Of Pain was playing.

I've stood here before inside the pouring rain....

Then I awoke.

Aha. 

In my dream I had understood -- a huntsman's pack is a pack of dogs.

(Duh!)

Let's Make A Flake!

The Make a Flake site can be accessed here.

Send me something interesting ( infradiggit [AT] gmail.com ) and I'll think about putting it up ;-)

Top 10 Venomous Philippine Animals

******* Disclaimer *******

The material provided here is solely for educational or entertainment purposes only. Although the material contained on this web pages is factually correct to the best of my knowledge, I'm unable to confirm that all the information contained on the pages linked to mine are correct in every case. I welcome any comments or corrections.


******* Disclaimer 2*******

All the animals on this list deserve our utmost respect. Please let us not harm the animals or the environment. Knowledge is our best protection.

This list is by no means complete. There are, for example, various other venomous snakes and cone snails found in the Philippines besides the ones here: this is just to give an idea for what's out there. Since the Philippine archipelago is surrounded by so much water, it is perhaps unsurprising that most of the creatures on this list are marine animals. That being said, the terrestrial animals are nothing to be laughed at, either.



So, in a somewhat subjective sequence, here it is:



10. Philippine Pitviper (Trimeresurus flavomaculatus)

© by Mario Lutz

This alluring snake is endemic to the Philippines. It can grow to a length of 60 cm, and subsists on a diet that includes small rodents, frogs, and lizards. Like most other vipers, its venom is mainly hemotoxic in nature. It does not seem to be deadly.

More info here here here.

9. Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans)

The distinctive lionfish is a denizen of tropical coral reefs. The striking coloration serves as a warning against would-be predators, as the long dorsal spines are tipped with a potent venom. Envenomation from the lionfish is said to be extremely painful, and can lead to nausea and breathing difficulties, although it is probably not fatal to humans.


More info here here here here.



8. Textile cone snail (Conus textile)

Photo by Richard Ling


As if belying their beautiful appearance, all species of cone snails (genus Conus) are venomous. The larger fish-hunting species, such as the textile cone shown here, are able to deliver a dose that is lethal to humans. Do not pick up live cone snails.


Cone snails are stealth hunters that rely on a powerful mixture of toxins (called conotoxins) to paralyze and kill their prey. Upon getting close to its victim, a cone snail injects venom by means of a long proboscis that ejects poisoned, harpoon-like teeth (called radula).


More info here here here.



7. Geography cone snail (Conus geographus)

Photo by diverosa


Cone snails are truly the champion pharmacologists of the animal kingdom.


The venom contains an extremely rich cocktail of toxins known as conotoxins, which are made up of short peptides that have a remarkable range of diversity and specificity of action. Each snail species produces around 30-200 different types of conotoxin peptides, and taken together the Conus genus is estimated to produce about 50,000 different venom components!


Conotoxins typically disrupt the function of ion channels in the cells, thus leading to serious neuromuscular disturbances. Early symptoms of Conus envenomation usually include numbness, a tingling sensation, and ischemia. More serious effects, such as those caused by a sting from C. geographus, might include nausea, general paralysis, coma, and even death by respiratory or cardiac failure.


More info here here here here here here. 



6. Beaked sea snake (Enhydrina schistosa)

Photo by Teresa Zubi


Sea snakes are closely related to cobras, and all are highly venomous. Fortunately for us humans, they are usually shy and non-aggressive. The large beaked sea snake, on the other hand, has been implicated in numerous fatalities. Some studies rank it among the world's most venomous snakes. Divers take care.


More info here here here here. 



5. Reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa)

Photo by Richard Ling


With the possible exception of #1, I'm probably more afraid of the stonefish than anything else on this list. Where's the fish? I can't see you, dammit it's not fair!


The reef stonefish is the world's most venomous fish. The dorsal spines are loaded with venom that can cause intense pain with possible muscle paralysis, and respiratory and cardiac failure, depending on the depth of the penetration. This level can be fatal to humans if proper medical treatment is not administered within a couple of hours.


More info here here here. 



4. Blue-Ringed Octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata)

No bigger than a golf ball, the blue-ringed octopus nevertheless packs a powerful punch.


The relatively painless bite from this octopus delivers the deadly tetrodotoxin (10,000x more potent than cyanide), which can cause muscle paralysis and lead to respiratory failure within 90 minutes.


The blue ringed octopus can be found in coral reefs and shallow tide pools. When threatened it displays the characteristic bright blue rings all over its body. It normally feeds on small crustaceans, which it kills with its venom.


Here is a beautiful gallery featuring this incredible creature.


More info here here here here here.



3. Philippine Cobra (Naja philippinensis)
























© 2005 Wolfgang Wuster


The Philippine Cobra is an extremely toxic snake. It is said that drop by drop, it has the most potent venom of all cobra species in the world. The venom is a neurotoxin that can cause respiratory paralysis and death in 30 minutes. What's more, the Philippine cobra can "spit" venom up to a distance of three meters.


This cobra species has a stocky build and measures an average of 1.7 m in length. The color is usually a uniform brown. The species is endemic to the Philippines, and can be found on the islands of Luzon, Mindoro, Catanduanes, Masbate, and perhaps other islands as well.


More info here here here here.



2. King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah)

Photo by David Williams


The King Cobra is crowned as the world's longest venomous snake: fully grown it measures an average of 3.6-4 m in length, although larger individuals are sometimes encountered. It can be found throughout southeast Asia (including the Philippines), as well as in India and China. The King Cobra lives in forests, bamboo thickets, mangrove swamps, or close to human settlements. The name Ophiophagus refers to the fact that its diet consists of other snakes (from the Greek ophis 'snake' + phagus 'to eat').


The bite of the King Cobra is extremely dangerous, with a reported 75% fatality rate. This is due to the huge amounts of venom injected and relatively very long fangs. The venom has a potent neurotoxic effect, and consists of proteins and peptides that attack the central nervous system.





Needless to say if you encounter a King Cobra NEVER EVER try to handle it! I can't believe this guy!!!


More info here here here here here.



1. Box Jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri)

And the most venomous animal on the planet -- the Box Jellyfish. Although most often associated with Australia, these critters do exist in the Philippines (see links).


The venom of the box jellyfish is said to be so potent that one could die from the pain alone. The venom is stored in specialized cells called nematocytes that are found throughout the tentacles, and released on contact. To make it really scary, the tentacles are quite long, not to mention very difficult to see in the water! Survivors are often scarred for life.





Also in the news: Canadian man survives jellyfish sting in the Philippines.


More info here here here here.

Ricky Gervais: Discovered in the Philippines

THIS IS of course old news but it bears repeating: Ricky Gervais, the man behind The Office and Extras, actor, writer, director, producer, comedian, winner of seven BAFTA awards, three Golden Globes, two Emmys, blahblahblah, got his first big break in the Philippines.

We are talking, of course, about his 80s band Seona Dancing, whose song More to Lose became a massive hit on these shores.

I guess the burning question on eveyone's lips is, why the hell didn't it become a massive  hit worldwide? 


It boggles the mind.

With lyrics such as:
A thousand tortured lives have fallen
Wounded dying cut down by the
Questions that we've sharpened
Just to save our losing days

What's not to like?

Pseudo intellectual teenage angst has simply never been better expressed in a pop song.

Anyway, here's the song. Enjoy the memories!

TO OUR generation, More To Lose is every bit as iconic as The Cure's Boys Don't Cry, The Smiths' This Charming Man, or Depeche Mode's Just Can't Get Enough. The 80s were simply the best.

So, thanks, 99.5RT or whoever was responsible for discovering Seona Dancing.

And thanks, Ricky.

For more Seona Dancing, check out this tribute site made by a true fan.

Cool Sounds: True Blood

THIS SERIES is waay oversexed --
but the opening credits are a true work of art!

Books: Rizal, Lost in Translation

FROM TIME to time I get the urge to pick up one of the Classics, you know, to get a little culture into the ol' brain.




Noli Me Tangere, I knew we would meet again.


Though we had it in high school and university, I can't really say I have actually read the Noli. I just never really took assigned work seriously back then, as I had, uh, better things to do with my life.

Well, the time had now come.

So I bought a copy of the new Penguin Classics edition, which came out in 2006. As I understand, it's the first English version of Noli to come out of such a major publishing house. This new edition, hailed as a "beautiful new translation" on the back blurb, was translated from the Spanish by Harold Augenbraum, the executive director of the National Book Foundation (wow).

Now, I have to admit that I hardly know any Spanish beyond para bailar La Bamba, and call me crazy, but I think there is something... strange about this translation.

To illustrate, let's look at just a tiny slice of text, from one of the more inconsequential, but nevertheless memorable scenes, the one featuring hot chocolate (it's from Chapter XI). I have marked in blue some words that stood out.

Penguin:

"Are you going to visit the parish house of the Dead Fly? Well, if they offer you chocolate, which I really doubt they will do, but anyway, if they do, be careful. If he calls the attendant and says, 'Fulanito, make a hot bowl of chocolate, okay?' then don't worry. But if he says 'Fulanito, make a bowl of hot chocolate, all right?' then grab your hat and hightail it out of there."

"What?" the frightened listener would say. "They give you big bowls? My lord!"

"N-no..."

"What then?"

"'Hot chocolate, okay' means thick and 'hot chocolate, all right' means watery."

Now compare that to the original text:

-¿Va usted al convento a visitar al curita Moscamuerta? Si le ofrece chocolate, ¡lo cual dudo! tenga usted cuidado. Si llama al criado y dice: Fulanito, haz una jícara de chocolate ¿eh? entonces no tenga miedo, pero si dice: Fulanito, haz una jícara de chocolate ¡ah! entonces coja usted el sombrero y márchese corriendo.

-¿Por qué? -preguntaba espantado su interlocutor-. ¿Acaso el fraile pega jicarazos?

-¡Hombre, tanto como eso no!

-¿Entonces?

-Chocolate ¿eh? significa espeso, y chocolate ¿ah? aguado.

3 THINGS.

(1) "Dead Fly" is a direct (literal) translation of "Moscamuerta". However, a quick google reveals that the term mosca muerta also refers to a hypocrite or a person feigning innocence. It is akin to the English idiom "butter wouldn't melt in her mouth".

It's an idiom, dude.

(2) In the original Spanish, the text refers to una jícara de chocolate. And later on, it refers to el fraile pega jicarazos. Now according to google, jícara is a "taza pequeña, generalmente con el fondo más grueso que las paredes, que se usa para tomar chocolate", the likes of which can be seen here here here and here. It is a cup or bowl made from the fruit (gourd) of the calabash tree.

On the other hand, the very similar sounding jicarazo, again from a quick Google, means "propinación alevosa de veneno" or in other words, a poisoned drink (here here). It seems Rizal was engaging in a bit of word-play, which the Penguin edition totally missed, translating instead to the utterly nonsensical "What? They give you big bowls?".

Wassuuuuup?

(3) Finally, 'Hot chocolate, okay', 'hot chocolate, all right'?? Jesus Christ on an effin raft man. I know one needs room to be creative, but chocolate eh and chocolate ah have long since achieved iconic status among many, many Filipinos, I think it was rather ill advised to have changed it. It just sounds soo wrong aaargh.

And to round things out, here is the same passage from Charles Derbyshire 's 1912 translation:

"Are you going over to the convento to visit the sanctimonious rascal there, the little curate? Yes! Well, if he offers you chocolate which I doubt-but if he offers it remember this: if he calls to the servant and says, 'Juan, make a cup of chocolate, eh!' then stay without fear; but if he calls out, 'Juan, make a cup of chocolate, ah!' then take your hat and leave on a run."

"What!" the startled visitor would ask, "does he poison people? Carambas!"

"No, man, not at all!"

"What then?"

"'Chocolate, eh!' means thick and rich, while 'chocolate, ah!' means watered and thin."

Wasn't that so much better?

The verdict:

Hate to say it, but it looks like the new Noli has simply been phoned in.