Saddam Hussein Hanging

At the trial of Saddam Hussein, the final verdict was not led to torture but something worse. Saddam Hussein’s hanging. I am not that well versed in my history and current events, and all I knew about Saddam Hussein was his invasion attempt into Kuwait that the UN was against and the US has fought in a was against Saddam because of this invasion.

When I heard about this in the news, Saddam Hussein captured, went to trial, and will hang to death, I really do not know all the details and i checked out his biography, and his profile shows he was found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death. His half brother and the judge at the trial of the original case in 1982 were also convicted of similar charges.

Below is the video of Saddam Hussein’s hanging.

A Beautiful Mind

I still remember vividly 3 people that told me to watch the movie A Beautiful Mind. I do not want to give names but I will tell you some background about them and about the event when they told me to watch the movie.

  • A woman who I used to train in programming – Why she thought of recommending me the movie was I guess maybe my teaching reminded her of the movie. Many of things I was teaching her did not come from a book of techniques on how to do certain simple programming algorithms. But I just based everything from the programming language manual or reference book. When encountered with a problem, I just come up with a solution with the known functions I have. And in the middle of teaching her, she tells me: “You know what? If you learn this other language, I think you will do good to. Have you watched A beautiful mind?” I said no and she told me i should watch it.
  • A priest who was in a small group of parishioners in a somewhat prayer group – This once a month meeting of this group at church would read the readings and Gospel of the Catholic religion for the week of that meeting and reflect on it giving their own reflections and then do some prayer afterwards. As we were seated in a circle as everyone was sharing their reflections and sometimes the priest would call out someone to share just to make them share when no one else volunteers. When I was called, I simply said, I have nothing to say with a smile. And the members of the group were encouraging me to say something, any reflection I had and maybe they were assuming I was shy. And all I said was everyone said everything already. During that time was also the birthday celebration of some of the members and after the meeting was a mini party just eating some specially prepared food. And while I was sitting and talking with one of the members who was my long time friend, the priest sits near us but no one was talking. And just to break the ice, I told the priest: “Fr., the reason I had no reflection to share to anyone was because my reflection is so different that it might change the minds of many. And I do not want to influence them.” The priest got intrigued and asked more about it, although I made it clear that my reflection is not against any teaching and even augments it better, but many of my reflections involve a lot of science and our conversation went on and on. And the priest was not contradicting my ideas but seemed amazed with what I had to say. But since he was busy and needed to talk to many people, he ended our conversation saying: “Have you watched the movie A Beautiful Mind?” Again I said no and the priest highly recommended it saying: “You should watch it, it is good for analytical thinking, for intellectuals.” And all I said was, ok, I will watch it someday.
  • Someone I used to work with in a company – It was lunch time and in this company I used to work straight without breaks and my lunch was only 30 minutes or less. Maybe I was trying to impress the company then since I was still new in the company but as time passed by, I knew I was over working myself and was starting to take my breaks to the maximum possible time. And during lunch, I would eat fast, and after eating, I solve a Sudoku puzzle trying to solve it quickly and was challenging myself every time to finish it within my required break time. And he was watching me solve it just writing numbers and he asked: “Are you solving that?” And I said yes and he says: “But you should not repeat a number on a line…” and continues on telling me about all the rules of the puzzle. And I say, yes, I know, and he says: “And you are not using a pencil? What if the numbers are wrong?” And I say, well they are right. “And if I am not sure with the answer, I do not write it down.” And he asks: “How sure are you that those are right?” And I say: “Where am I wrong?” Looks like he can’t point it out either, but was wondering why I was solving it fast, and he then asks: “Have you finished any of these?” And I said: “Yes, I just finished one here, but this is at level easy.” Then he says: “You should watch A Beautiful Mind.” And I say: “You know what? You are the third person that told me that.” And he says: “You should, if you are solving Sudoku that fast just by looking at it, that movie is for you.”

Ok, all of those were some number of years ago already. And here comes the opportunity to watch it. I finally decided to watch the movie. I just finished watching the movie and is making this blog post right after watching it. All I can say is, these three people that were very enthusiastic in telling me to watch the movie, like there was some great mission to watch it, for me is just a so-so movie. Not really a big deal. It had nothing to do with thinking, it had nothing to do with analyzing things in the movie which I was expecting this movie to be a thinking movie. Something that was like solving a puzzle or something. It is nothing but a drama movie of the life of Dr. John Nash.

Now before I continue, do not get me wrong that I am saying this movie is not a good movie. It is in fact a great movie with 4 Academy Awards, and Dr. John Nash is one of the greatest mathematicians also. But all I am saying is this movie had nothing to do with the reason I was told to watch it.

  • Do they think I am a great thinker, some analyst like John Nash? I believe not, I am just Benj Arriola. Although I may like the sciences, my knowledge is no where close to anyone with a PhD in Math or any natural science. None of my college professors nor classmates would say that. But these people that told me to watch it had no science degree background as well. Although these things may seem simple to many people that do the same things I do, but for the unknowledgeable, they think I am doing something great already. It is just like an ordinary person that finds a medical doctor smart simply because they are not knowledgeable, but among the peers of doctors, some doctors are just simple doctors like any other doctor. Let’s say Pacquiao is admired by many boxers, but Pacquiao admires Efren Bata Reyes’ billiard skills because he is less skill than Efren Bata is. These people that told me to watch the movie maybe thought that I should watch the movie because I am smart or something, I think not. I am just the ordinary Benj that just knew a little extra of what they did not know and I am sure they also know something I don’t.
  • Do they think I have the potential to think of something great? Well I think yes in small stuff, but not as the magnitude as shown in the movie. A total disconnect, but for the people that may have thought of it that way, well all I can say is thanks. But I am sure they themselves have their own great potentials in themselves that maybe they just haven’t seen yet.
  • Do they think I am thinking too much that I am going nuts? Hahaha maybe. Nyhahahahaha. Well many great thinkers really go nuts sometimes. When I was in college, I can think of 2 professors that were nearly by the borderline of going nuts. One of them reads NMR spectra as if she was reading a book of fairly tails and gives the summary already looking at these 2D graphs in crazy lines. The other was an excellent physicist, that at the end of every class, her clothes look like it was used to erase the whole blackboard. I have heard about another professor that I was not a student of and was in another neighboring school that dragged his chalk box on a string and would walk backwards on stairs. But all of them had this incredible mathematical ability.

To me the movie is nothing but a feel good movie of triumph. It is not different from a sports oriented movie when someone starts out losing in the beginning and starts working on their weaknesses and becomes triumphant in the end. And along the way, the movie highlights all the drama involved in this quest for success. In some movies it can be a game of basketball, football, karate match, whatever, but in this case, it was with one’s own mind in dealing with schizophrenia. Generally, I like the movie. It is good. I loved watching it because of the drama of success, and overcoming weaknesses, but I would not say I would love the movie because it is for thinkers and analytical thinking. The movie does not go into that details. It is not about the specific computations John Nash had in his life. It was all about John Nash’s life, his personal life and problems and how he dealt with it.

What I need to do before 2007, and what I need to improve on in 2007

Before 2007

  • Finish all client projects – Probably one of the toughest, but I will push through with it.
  • Answer client calls – I still have many pending issues, either by email, voicemail, or our support ticket system. Projects are overwhelming and just taking over the time of everything.
  • Fix up room – Due to all client projects, this is what is also delaying everything else in my life.
  • Greet everyone – I am not done with all my Christmas greetings. It is still a long way to go but I have partially sent all my ecards already.

In 2007

  • Get back in shape – Especially in cardiovascular endurance. It is more of a psychological war to me than a physical limitation since I tend to compare myself to my physical abilities in the past when I was competitive in various sports and I tend to compare what I can do before and what can I do today and this has depleted over time. Which sets frustrations in. Unlike if I was just starting and was unaware of my past, it would be easier.
  • Concentrate on customer support – I am considering on adding a good CRM system, and concentrate more of the production processes than doing production itself.
  • Develop production teams – And since I am not going to concentrate on production, I will develop production teams of my own. Sometimes I can never be contented with the code and I am strict with the code. So hopefully, I get to find the right people to do it that has nice and clean code.
  • Fix computers – Basically my workstations, I have 1 windows PC running and 1 laptop, both on dual monitors. My Mac is temporarily not used because of the convenience I get with dual monitors on my PC and I have no monitor for the Mac. I have 2 more PCs that are not running that I will fix where one will be my Linux workstation and the other I will give away or sell.
  • Sell printers, scanners and photocopier and maybe my fax machine too – I will buy a 4-in-1 color laser printer, copier, scanner fax machine probably, it will be a space saver in my small office-home office setup.
  • File management – if my room is a mess, so are some of my files. And have a better organized backup system.
  • Watch more movies – Mainly not for recreation, but awareness of trends. Awareness of the market. I will just probably sign up with Netflicks and watch at home.
  • Attend tradeshows – This can be expensive, so I will probably just attend 2 or 3. I am targeting Search Engine Strategies, Search Marketing Expo and maybe Webmaster World’s Pubcon.
  • Go to church more often – Although I have my own meaning of the church, my own definitions, my own belief, I believe I am not in conflict with the teachings. I may even augment and strengthen my faith, but if I share it with others, it might just confuse other people and they will say I am weird or something. So i do not share my belief, but my belief is basically having my religion entangled with science and they are actually united in a way and are not divided as some people may think.
  • Get a new video camera – The Internet is all about video next year. More Internet marketing activities will involve a lot of rich media, so I need a video camera, and will start working on some video editing skills, and if time permits it, try working with some animations as well.
  • Get a new lens for my digital camera – Maybe a lens with a better aperture and some F-stops and will try to do some magic with my amateur photography skills.
  • Speaking engagements – Will probably talk more in mini shows, mini conventions, small training seminars I can arrange. Probably both in the US and in the Philippines.
  • Buy some VOIP hardware setup – This is for better customer support as I will have someone dedicated to work for me on the other end of the world for my US customers, who can also immediately implement some technical help needed. With this setup, which I do not plan to abuse also, but I can use after office hours for cheaper calls to my family by installing a VOIP gateway as well on the other end.

So far I only have those to do. Maybe even more but I haven’t planned it out that well yet. Let’s see.

When will I be certified?

Apogee Search in Austin Texas is one of the SEMPO supporters and I believe they are also an Adwords Qualified Company right now. One nice thing I see with Apogee is they are not only concerned with the clicks a client gets from a PPC campaign or from SEO efforts. They are interested in the customers they can bring in to clients. Which I believe should be a must in every SEO/SEM service.

I blogged about my opinion on Search Engine Optimization/Search Engine Marketing certification already on Ituloy AngSulong. I still believe these certifications may not be proof of one’s proficiency in SEO/SEM, but I think I still need it just for better client trust and no other purpose. Although I have my ways of proving my SEO/SEM proficiency with my current clients’ performance, having these certifications will just probably help a little bit more in my own ability to sell. So when will I be certified?

Why is Santa Red?

Actually Santa Clause did not wear red and had no specific color and was often dressed up in red, blue, green, or purple. Until a Boston printer named Louis Prang introduced the English custom of Christmas cards to America, and in 1885 he issued a card featuring a red-suited Santa. This version of Santa was then starting to replace all other colored Santa Clauses.

Although some people believe the red Santa Clause was made by the Coca Cola Corporation, this is not true, although Coke helped in making the red Santa Clause the more ubiquitous as they used the red Santa Clause in their marketing campaigns as early as the 1930s. And that kind of closed the choices of colors and red is already like the uninanimous known color of Santa Clause.

I wonder what would have happened if an artist kept using other colors and Pepsi would be the first one to use Santa Clause massively in their marketing campaigns? A blue Santa would emerge?

Here is a video greeting by people I used to work with. I guess all we need is a blue Santa to brighten up our day.

Coke and Pepsi are registered trademarks of their respective companies. Benj Arriola thinks the people working at Geary Interactive are cool. Benj Arriola is no longer connected in anyway to Geary Interactive except for maintaining friendship with the people that work there.

Colors on Santa Clause if Pepsi was first to use Santa Clause in their marketing campaigns is just my personal opinion and do not reflect the opinions of any company mentioned, nor their management, staff and employees.

Morning Car Accident

With all these projects to work on, I can barely catch up with the ongoing Ituloy AngSulong SEO Contest as I can see my rankings drop. Maybe I will try to do a little, every night just to maintain the ranks. And so far in Vorgermilten, a real contest or not, hopefully I still get the prize, as the contest ends on December 31, 2006 as I am currently on the 3rd position and I don’t know if it is going to get any higher.

Well today was just like any day where I drive to Downtown San Diego along the highway 15, then on to 163 before heading into downtown. As the road narrows down upon entering downtown, a group of cars suddenly stop, but my distance still has enough time to react appropriately and I know although I may have a sudden stop just at the end I will not hit the car, and true I didn’t. But the car at the back of me, who even had a larger distance between us, was able to hit the brakes but I guess was not enough as I felt it bump the rear of my car, pushing it to hit the one in front of me.

We all moved to the shoulder, putting on our hazard lights. The white guy in front of me goes out, takes a look at his bumper as I look for some papers that I cannot find. The Indian dude goes out of the car at the back, and I go out and check my bumpers too.

Everyone was still able to hit the brakes and there was no serious big impact. And the white guy says: I fine, and I look at my bumper, it looks cool too. I look at my back, it had some small scratch, but my car is an old second hand car full of scratches and I said: This is an old car; it’s full of scratches anyway. The Middle Easterner says: I have an 8 year old car. Meaning the red paint scratches from my car on his gray car means nothing to him. Then the white dude, says: Guys, I’m fine, I’m gonna take off. I say: Me too, all good, no problem at all. And the guy from India goes to us and says shakes our hand and says: Thank you sir. Thank you sir. So we all leave unharmed and with very small scratches and paint exchange. Not even any major dents.

Free Tibet

Brief History of Tibet

This video starts with introductory notes from Lhandon Tethong, Executive Director of Students for a free Tibet about Tibet and its history.

She mentions that Tibet’s history is rich with religion and bright colorful traditions of dance and song with influences from China, Nepal and India as their location are near these countries. As much influences came from these countries, Tibet was still isolated in its high elevation gave its own unique identity.

The Invasion of China

In 1949, China invaded the independent nation of Tibet coming from the east. This China communist rule took control of Tibet. In the next ten years, this became a desperate situation for Tibetan government.

Since 1959, the Dalai Lama lived in India along with probably 135,000 Tibetans and the Tibetan government that functions in exile.

Charlotte Priddle of Students for a free Tibet – London mentions that over the next decade, people begin to rise up and fight back. From then repression rate became extremely severe.

The Chinese government was then set to attack anyone that was a Tibetan government official, anyone in the monasteries and nunneries. Over 6,000 monasteries and nunneries were destroyed, tens of thousands Tibetan lives lost.

Anyone found to break Chinese law, were imprisoned and tortured. Some Tibetans have spent more than 30 to 40 years in jail whose crimes were no greater than having a photo of the Dalai Lama in their homes or was caught practicing Tibetan Buddhism.

Tibet Geographic Map

Tibet’s boundaries are not even distinct having various area claims as shown on Wikipedia.

Palden Gyatso – Tibentan Buddhism Monk

In response to the repression of the Tibetan people, a worldwide activism has emerged. Palden Gyatso, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, spent 33 years in prison, whose crime was taking part in a demonstration and putting up a poster. In prison, Palden Gyatso was beaten and brutalized beyond human belief. He would be tied up in ways that even pop out his shoulder joints and he would simply pass out due to the pain. Common instruments of torture, are cattle prods that are meant to be used on cattle electrifying them to make cattle move were used on people. Nuns in prison were raped with these cattle prods. Palden Gaytso has experienced even having these cattle prods inserted in his mouth and this electric shock is so great and has lost all his teeth with a shock.

Cattle Prods and various instruments of torture used by Chinese on Tibetan Prisoners

Above are cattle prods and various instruments of torture used by Chinese on Tibetan prisoners

With the pressure of Amnesty International and a letter writing campaign, Palden Gyatso was released from prison. Unlike many other Tibentan prisoners that may have escape prison that just never want to go back. Palden Gaytso visited the prison once more and bribed the guards to give some of the instruments of tortured used on the prisoners and brought them when he got out of prison going to India. This gave the world a visual vision on the torture prisoners of China have experienced.

“Because violence can only breed more violence and suffering, our struggle must be nonviolent and free of hatred.”

– His Holiness
The Dalai Lama

Faith in Exile – the Lessons of Tibet

Payden Gaytso striking behavior is he has no hatred against the people that did the tortures to him. He has no hatred against the Chinese government. He truly embodies the belief of Tibetan Buddhism, of love and compassion even for one’s enemy.

The Economic Invasion of Tibet

Lorne Stockman, a Environmental Consultant of the Free Tibet Campaign, mentions that Tibet is a rich resource country with many copra reserves, gold reserves and minerals that China desperately needs for its own economic development. Resources are extracted and taken out of the region and brought to China to fuel economies that are not trickled down in any way to the Tibetan economy. For 50 years the Tibetans have been suffering in occupation where they are brutalized if they have any decent in that occupation by the Chinese government. In these 50 years onwards, there has been no signs of China loosening their grip and in fact is tightening it. With the advancement of technology, this has enabled them to extract the natural resources China knew Tibet always had.

The Rush to Complete the Railway to Lhasa

China has been rushing to complete the Gormo-Lhasa railway to Tibet’s capital, Lhasa. Tibetans fear that his railway will give a larger influx of Chinese settlers, and increase the rate of depletion of the already depleted natural resources of Tibet and complete China’s colonization of Tibet.

Under pressure from activist, the British Petroleum has pulled out a deal with China in 2004 and the Chinese government has also been releasing Tibetan political prisoners. Releasing more than 10 since 2002, and yet more than hundreds are still in prison today. Tibetans are still regularly detained, tortured and imprisoned.

Help to free Tibet now

Find out how you can help Tibetan’s nonviolent resistance. Visit the Free Tibet Campaign and Students for a free Tibet.

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Protect your hands in MMA

MMA has evolved over the years. Popularized by UFC and PrideFC. MMA is a combination of martial arts skills where fights like these were not that popular decades ago which is a combination of striking and grappling skills. I guess the initial striking fights that were popular 10 years go are only boxing and kickboxing. And in grappling it would be Greco Roman wresting, Brazillian Jui Jutsu and Judo. And in MMA, it mixes many of these arts.

Mixed Martial Arts GlovesIn striking contact sports like boxing and kickboxing, the hands are protected with boxing gloves. And in grappling martial arts, the hands have no gloves to be able to grip on well to your opponent. And since MMA has merged these 2 kinds of disciplines, this is where the fingerless gloves came out. As various martial arts have various styles, various types of gloves also came out specially made for the martial art discipline you are practicing.

An excellent place to buy the perfect glove for your own purpose would be at KarateDepot. KarateDepot’s wide variety of MMA gloves will just have the one you need. They have all the major brands as well like Everlast, ProForce, Century and KD Elite.

Sponsored post

Congratulations Genesis Lazo and Mary Jane ‘Jempoe’ Arriola – Wedding on March 10, 2007.

Jane, my cousin, who we call Jempoe, is finally getting married. Congratulations! Best wishes to you both. I hope I can make it there on your wedding day. Most probably I can. Let’s see.

Genesis Lazo and Mary Jane Arriola

Genesis Lazo and Mary Jane Arriola’s Wedding Webpage can be found here.

When I used to teach Chemistry at DLSU, I kind of remember a student of mine from Vigan with the Lazo last name. I believe she is related to Genesis. Now just give it a few more days. Maybe 2 to 3 days, search Google, for Genesis Lazo – Mary Jane Arriola Wedding, or Marriage or Nuptial and this page should come out. At least if people are searching for you online, and can’t remember your wedding webpage, I will still lead them in the right direction. Congratulations again, Best Wishes and I do hope I can make it on your wedding day.