My Cyberfair Thoughts

Participating in the 2011 Cyberfair is an unforgettable experience for me. I will always remember the fun times, hardships, and those sleepless nights we had doing our project. I had fun doing this project with my group mates. I learned the value of teamwork through this experience.

Our Cyberfair category is Historical Landmarks. Since we live in Baguio City, the site we have chosen is Diplomat Hotel because of the many stories and secrets behind it. We went to the site twice. The first time we went, we took pictures of the place. While taking pictures, I decided to have a little fun in the place. Me and my friend did some parkour but unfortunately, I failed twice. At least I went out of the Diplomat Gate without any injury. The second time we went, we filmed our project narrative which is necessary for the site.

We also learned HTML, CSS, Flash, Photoshop, and a little Javascript. To be honest it was very hard to learn some of these things. Until now, I still cannot understand Javascript. I guess I have to wait until it is properly taught to me for me to understand it. For me, the most interesting thing to do was editing pictures through Photoshop.

I will never forget this experience primarily because I went through this with my friends. I got to see the skills of my group mates and also widened my knowledge about web design.

I am glad that the 2011 Cyberfair was a part of my growing up because I learned so much. I can use the things I learned in the future.

 

Madagascar 3

Madagascar 3 is a sequel to Madagascar and Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa which is produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Eric Darnell.


Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Gloria the hippopotamus and Melman the giraffe are still fighting to get home to New York. King Julien, Maurice, and the penguins are along for the adventure. This time the road takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus which they will reinvent Madagascar style.


Frances McDormand will appear as a villain, an animal control officer. New characters being introduced include an Italian sea lion, a Russian tiger, and a Latina jaguar, though their ethnicities are subject to change.

• Ben Stiller as Alex
• Chris Rock as Marty
• David Schwimmer as Melman
• Jada Pinkett Smith as Gloria
• Sherri Shephard as Florrie
• Frances McDormand as an animal control officer
• Andy Richter as Mort
• Tom McGrath as Skipper
• Chris Miller as Kowalski
• Christopher Knights as Private
• John DiMaggio as Rico

Battle: Los Angeles

Battle: Los Angeles is an upcoming 2011 action science fiction film directed by Jonathan Liebesman, and starring Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Peña, Ne-Yo, and Bridget Moynahan. The movie is set in Los Angeles, California and is focused on a platoon of Marines and Airmen during an alien invasion of the Earth. The events of the film are inspired by The Battle of Los Angeles, a falsely suspected air raid of Los Angeles that took place during World War II.

• Aaron Eckhart as Marine Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz
• Michelle Rodriguez as USAF Technical Sergeant Elena Santos
• Will Rothhaar as Marine Corporal Lee Imlay
• Bridget Moynahan as Michele Martinez
• Jim Parrack as LCpl. Peter Kerns
• Michael Peña as Joe Rincon
• Lucas Till as Corporal Scott Grayston
• Ne-Yo as Corporal Kevin Harris
• Joey King as Kirsten
• Aisha Tyler as Genera
• Tisha Campbell-Martin as Maleria Evens
• Noel Fisher as Private First Class Shaun Lenihan
• Taylor Handley as LCpl. Corey Simmons
• Ramón Rodríguez as Marine 2nd Lieutenant William Martinez
• Neil Brown Jr. as Corporal Richard Guerrero
• Cory Hardrict as Corporal Jason Lockett
• Jesica Draké as Karina Turner

My Cyberfair Experience

The Cyberfair is an International Competition for Schools to showcase the talents of their students in web design.  This program is endorsed by the White House to encourage the students to work collaboratively and using technology to share what they have learned.  The theme of this year's Cyberfair is "Take Action and Unite". This challenges the youth to work together to improve, preserve, and unite their community. 


Our Cyberfair category is "Historical Landmarks". The landmark we have chosen is Diplomat Hotel in Dominican Hill, Baguio City. Diplomat Hotel has been believed to be haunted because of all the paranormal activity that has been happening.


Diplomat Hotel sits on top of Dominican Hill. It was a rest house and seminary back in 1911 before it was developed into a hotel. During the Second World War, numerous nuns and priest were beheaded and the reason why people see headless apparitions in the Hotel. The soldiers also bombed the site and repairs were no longer made. Employees and guests claimed that they hear strange sounds. 


These did not stop us from going to the actual site. When we went there, it was a little foggy and the site of the hotel was eerie. Upon entering the hotel, we saw many tourists so at least we knew that we were not alone. At first, we were reluctant to go inside of the building but we had to go in. We took some pictures of the hotel. We eventually left with knowledge that Baguio's historic spots are not yet forgotten. 


Everything is already in order. All we have to do now is to actually finish the site. This is the only obstacle left for our group to overcome but that is going to be easy as long as we work together. 


This is my 2011 Cyberfair Experience.

The Spring Festival

In China, the Spring Festival is known as the "Chinese Lunar New Year" or simply "Chinese New Year". It is sometimes called the "Asian New Year" because it is celebrated in all East and South-East Asia. It is celebrated in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and in Chinatowns around the world where there is a significant Chinese population.


The Chinese calendar has been used continuously for many centuries. It predates the International Calendar which goes back 430 years. The dates have been determined by the movement of the Sun, Moon, and Stars. Days are measured by the self rotation of the earth. The months are measured by the time of rotation of the moon around the earth. The years are measured by the duration of time the earth rotates around the Sun.


The first day of the 2011 Chinese New Year is February 3, 2011. This day marks the start of the Year of the Rabbit. Each Chinese Year is named by one of the 12 Animals. These animals are the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.


Chinese New Year Decoration:


Plants and Flowers
Blooming plants symbolizes rebirth and new growth. Flowers are believed to be symbols of wealth and success. Having these in your home on Chinese New Year would mean a year for prosperity in your household.


Oranges and Tangerines
Tradition dictates that you must bring oranges and tangerines when visiting friends and family during the 2-week long Chinese New Year celebration. Tangerines with leaves symbolize a secure relationship with others. For newly weds, this represents the branching into a family with many children. These two are also symbols of abundant happiness. 


Candy Tray
A candy tray arranged in a circle or an octagon is called "The Tray of Togetherness" and presents different pieces of candy symbolizing that the year will start sweetly. After taking pieces of candy from the tray, people will place a red envelope, called a lai see, on the  center compartment of the tray. 


Candies on the Candy Tray
1. Candied melon- growth and good health
2. Red melon seed- dyed red to symbolize joy, happiness, truth and sincerity
3. Lychee nut- strong family relationships
4. Cumquat- prosperity
5. Coconut- togetherness
6.  Peanuts- long life
7. Longnan- many good sons
8. Lotus seed- many children

CQC techniques to survive the streets

We all live in a dangerous world where crime is rampant and there is uncertainty whether you are safe or not. There is no telling when the next danger will come to us so it is better to be prepared than to be the next victim of a dangerous criminal. 


Today, I will talk about some upper body strikes that will give you enough time to either strike back or escape the danger zone unharmed. Before talking about them, I will talk about safety tips about fighting for your life.

• If someone is attacking you, you are right and the other person is wrong. Their motivation is probably wanting your money or possessions or body, while yours is self-preservation. You have a basic human right to defend yourself and your loved ones. The first means of self defense is escape. In a court of law, if it should get to that point, you can justify your actions through "acting in self defense" only if you took every available opportunity to avoid the fight and every opportunity to escape. If it is clear that you had an opportunity to leave the area safely, but you did not, then it is no longer a case of self-defense, it is now disorderly conduct and assault. You are responsible for taking appropriate action. Being attacked is no cause for killing or maiming when you could have reasonably done less to defend yourself.
• In a self-defense situation, take a "not me" attitude: don't let yourself be the their next target. This starts before the fight, since experienced criminals will choose their victims not by what they are wearing or who they are, but how they act. If you are confident, you will not be the one they target.
• Learn to control both fear and adrenaline as these are some of the most likely causes of mistakes in the beginning of a combat situation. When someone jumps you, you will not only be afraid, but you will be pumped with adrenaline. For those who have a certain phobia, they freeze up. Adrenaline mixed with fear will cause your muscles to lock and all of your knowledge, experience, and motivation will be lost.
• Talk with people who had experience defending themselves about how one would defend one's self in a dangerous situation. 
• If you think that you may be entering any place where an attack could possibly happen, keep some pepper spray with you. This could be an invaluable lifesaver. Never keep a potentially lethal weapon such as a firearm or a knife with you as you may turn a mugging into a fight to the death, especially if the assailant is armed.
• Threatening an assailant with a weapon is a bad idea unless you fear for your life. It is not worth going to jail for murder or getting killed because of something replaceable. Remember, the assailant is most probably stronger and more experienced in fighting than you or he would not have chosen you.
• If this is any sort of domestic situation, you may be wondering at what point it becomes bad enough to warrant you defending yourself. By legal standards, any unwarranted contact is an assault. It doesn't matter if  the person pushed you, it is still an assault, can still be dangerous, and you still deserve to defend yourself.
• Stay cool. Do not panic if someone is acting hostile. That will make the attacker suspect you are weak.

• Do not under any circumstances act tough. Doing this will only anger your opponent or make him think that he has to act tough and the only way he can act tougher is to beat you unconscious.
• Last but not the least, try to run away before coming in contact with a fight.

1. The Eye Gouge

Eye-gouging is the act of pressing or tearing the eye using the fingers, other bodyparts, or instruments. Eye-gouging involves a very high risk of eye injury, such as permanent eye loss. Training in eye-gouging can involve extensive grappling training to establish control, the eye-gouging itself being practiced with the opponent wearing eye protection.

2. The Hammer Fist

A strike with the bottom of a clenched fist, using an action like swinging a hammer, but can also be used horizontally like a backfist strike using the bottom fist.

This strike will not damage the bones of the hands as there is no compression of the knuckles or metacarpals, and there is no leverage to bend the wrist.

3. The Elbow Strike
An elbow strike is a strike with the point of the elbow, the part of the forearm nearest to the elbow, or the part of the upper arm nearest to the elbow. Elbows can be thrown sideways similarly to a hook, upwards similarly to an uppercut, or downwards with the point of the elbow.

Parkour Wall Climbing Techniques

Today, I will post videos on how to move your body efficiently through the environment if you are caught in a dangerous situation. Here are 3 parkour techniques you can use in any situation:

1. The Wall Climb
The wall climb lets you run up a wall and go over it. Here is a video with instructions to show you how it is done.



2. The Cat Leap
The Cat Leap helps you jump from a lower surface to a higher surface using the body's ability to jump but with more power.



3. The Parkour Roll
The parkour roll helps the traceur land safely and reduces the damages taken when attempting to jump from a higher point.