Wednesday, April 30, 2014

12 Tips For Work From Home To Work For You

Work From Home

Not every one is capable of doing work from home. Anyone can start work from home but only a few succeed and are able to maintain and sustain this alternative source of income. In light of this, here are some recommendations which you can apply if you work from home or if you have plans to work from home.
  • Schedule.
    • Creating a schedule is a good way for developing time management skills, and helps improves yourself to be well-organized and become a self-starter. The fact is that work from home release us from the traditional 9-to-5 or 8-to-5 schedule but working without any structure can seriously hurt your productivity according to entrepreneurs Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson in their book "Remote: Office Not Required." The recommendation is to divide your workday into three sessions, if possible, arranged to your liking: a "catch up" time to go through emails and read the news, a "collaboration" period when you work with coworkers on projects or talk about planning with your manager, and a "serious work" time when you get through the most difficult assignments of the day. Setting up a schedule makes it easier to maintain a distinction between your professional and personal lives. 
  •  Savings.
    • Even though you are working from home, you must consider saving part of your earnings to have a buffer in case of emergencies. Learn to have a savings goal by having a target amount of savings so that you will be motivated to save.
  • Skills.
    • Improve your technical skills because technical help is not always around when you encounter technical problems. You are left to your own devices if you encounter a technical glitch and you may be left alone wondering what to do. There are also some free and some paid softwares you can use for giving presentations and are really useful for you to become conversant such as Web-based meeting programs like GoToMeeting, Cisco WebEx, Join.me, TeamViewer or Google+ Hangouts.
  • Paperwork.
    • Get the proper business paperwork, with emphasis on "proper", especially for those who have small home business operations, proper tax registrations, business and occupational licenses and permits from different agencies are needed to operate legally. Also, you need to pay taxes in order to avoid future problems with tax agencies.
  • Insurance.
    • Do not forget about insurance. Try to find out the regulations regarding home business insurance because you also need to protect your valuable equipment against theft or injury to yourself. 
  • Dress.
    • Get dressed. Although business attire is not necessary, you still need to work using a decent dress and not pajamas. Choose something that makes you feel good. Wear colors such as yellow, orange, and purple which reflect creative auras and has psychological benefits. This is another way for you to have boundaries between work and relaxation.
  • Workspace.
    • Find a workspace. Designate a room exclusively for your office or workspace. If this is not feasible, then find a  corner or other empty space that will serve as a workspace for you. Whatever you do, never bring work to bed. The best work-at-home jobs are often ones that demand a quiet space where there are few distractions. Try to make the "area" for purposes of work only.
  • Out.
    • Go out and work outside.
      Try to change the aura of work occasionally by going to the nearest coffee shop, bookstore, library, or park which is especially effective for boosting your creativity level. 
  • Socialize.
    • In person, if you have extra time, get off the computer, put your phone away, and socialize. Participate in conferences, retreats, seminars, workshops or meet up with friends for coffee or lunch. 
  • Network.
    • Network electronically by getting active in Social Media groups like LinkedIn groups that relate to your work, employer, alma mater, past employers, or other interests that suits you. You can comment on posts and add your own two cents which shows a part of your expertise and gives you a virtual feeling of being connected to a community. But be careful of photos that you posts because it might be use unknowingly by others and might lead to you being scrutinize by others. 
  • Creativity.
    • Routine is a slow process of creative suicide and in order to avoid boring yourself to death, try to develop a new technique for your routine by downloading a new software, decorating your workspace, calling instead of e-mailing, discovering a potential partnership, reading books, attending workshops or taking on an intimidating challenge which can get your creative juices overflowing again.
  • Break.
    • Take a break. A break is one of the biggest advantage you have if you work from home. Sitting for long periods of time without a pause is personally and profesionally unhealthy. Try to go for a walk, have lunch at the table, reserve an hour for reading magazines or newspapers or prepare your dinner. Never take a break that consist of more screen time. It's not good for your eyes. It's bad for your health. Try to relax. Get some fresh air. Walking rejuvenates us and stretching helps boost our energy. If you are tempted to do a mid-afternoon nap, if you have a budget, consider working at a local coffee shop or library. According to the book "Remote: Office Not Required" by the entrepreneurs Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, "It sounds counterintuitive, but the presence of other people, even if you don't know them, can fool your mind into thinking that being productive is the only proper thing to do."

The Book "Remote: Office Not Required" available at Amazon

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

12 Activities During Holy Week

So, how did we celebrate Holy Week two weeks ago? We listed down personal activities we have done during that week which others might have done too.
  1. Worked - Yup. As a regular employee, I still have some work to do (MWF) since the whole Holy Week was not a public "holyday" and as an online worker, for Love, no work a day means no payment for hourly work of an online job.
  2. Bought groceries. - In anticipation of a "closure" of malls during the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday celebration, stock of groceries were needed.
  3. Watched Game of Thrones Season 1 to 3 and Episodes 1 and 2 of Season 4 - Opted to watched this TV series since it was already in my external hard drive. I saw the first episodes of Season 1 while traveling before and I got curious so I downloaded it. Since last year.
  4. Jogged up to Lourdes Grotto in Baguio -
    Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in the background
    Able to visit, finally, one of the famous landmarks in Baguio City.
  5. Ate Buttered Chicken, Good Taste Rice, Fish Fillet with Vegetables and 1 pitcher Ice Tea at Good Taste Restaurant - After jogging, had a "full" breakfast at one of the well-known and "affordable" restaurants in Baguio City.
  6. Updated the12list.com website by adding Related Posts and Recent Posts - Of course, the week will not be complete if this site was not updated. Daily. Religiously.
  7. Watched Season 1 of Orphan Black - Since we were done with the Game of Thrones, decided to watched another TV series I have downloaded last year.
  8. Jogged until the summit of Mount Santo Tomas -
    Part of Mt. Sto. Tomas / Mount Santo Tomas
    My second time to visit the summit of Mount Santo Tomas near Mount Cabuyao
    Part of Mt. Cabuyao / Mount Cabuyao
    in Tuba, Benguet and the roads are almost "all" finished and cemented. My first time there was during the 3rd Baguio 21K Run with 32K added last year by the organizers, Renderfarm Graphics. 
  9. Ate Boodle Fight (599-peso meal good for 5-6 persons), 1 Leche Flan, and 5 Large Ice Tea at "Luto ni Juan" -
    Boodle Fight leftover :D
    After descending with Love (a veteran Mount Santo Tomas visitor) and her sisters (who were neophyte ascenders in Mount Santo Tomas), we rode on a jeepney (Apugao-Baguio, 14-peso fare) and had a luscious lunch at Luto Ni Juan, a new restaurant in Baguio City and all of us were first-timers there.
  10. Mass at Baguio Cathedral -
    Palm Sunday at Baguio Cathedral / Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral
    Holy Week celebration will not be complete without attending a mass at Baguio City's famous cathedral, "Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral" which is also one of the city's famous landmarks.
  11. Watched Season 1 of Da Vinci's Demons - Another TV series watched instead of watching downloaded movies.
  12. Answered Quizzes at Coursera.Org - And I was able to finished the quizzes for my Organizational Analysis course in Coursera
    About Coursera
-filler-

Monday, April 28, 2014

Pope Saint John XXIII 12 Interesting Facts

Pope John XXIII whose Latin name is Ioannes XXIII, was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli on 25 Nov 1881 in the village of Sotto il Monte in the provice of Bergamo, Italy and was Pope from 28 October 1958 until his death at the age of 81 on 3 June 1963 in Italy. Nicknamed "Good Pope John".

Pope Francis canonized Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII on April 27, 2014.

  1. He was the last pope to used a full papal ceremony which lasted for five hours.
  2. He was the first pope to take the pontifical name of "John" after more than 500 years.
  3. He is commemorated every 11 October which was the first session day of the Second Vatican Council and not on the date of his death and also commemorated every 4 June in the Anglican Church of Canada.
  4. He was the pope who, as part of his first acts as pope, eliminated the description of Jews as "perfidious" in the Good Friday liturgy and also confessed the sin of anti-semitism.
  5. He became the first pope since 1870 to visit the Diocese of Rome by visiting children infected with polio at the Bambino Gesù Hospital and Santo Spirito Hospital and also visited prisoners at the ironically named “Queen of Heaven Prison” in Rome on 25 December 1958.
  6. He was the first Pope to become Time magazine's "Man of the Year" in 1963.
  7. He was the first pope since Pope Pius X to be declared "Blessed" alongside Pope Pius IX on 3 September 2000 by Pope John Paul II who later became "Saints" alongside Pope John Paul II when they were canonized on 27 April 2014 by Pope Francis.
  8. He was assumed to be a transitional or caretaker pope because of his age, 76, but his reign was regarded as the most important pontificate since the Middle Ages because of his decision to call an ecumenical council which was the first since 1870 and only the 21st in the Church's history and he delivered a speech at the conclusion of the first session which became known as the "Speech of the Moon".
  9. He addressed "all men of good will”, not only Catholics, in his encyclical letter, "Pacem in terris” for the first time in history.
  10. He also established the first Vatican department to promote unity amongst Christians.
  11. He opened the Second Vatican Council in the 4th year of his reign, 1962. The first Antipope John XXIII opened the Council of Constance in the 4th year of his reign, 1414.
  12. He died shortly before the 3rd Session of Vatican Council II, in 1963. The first Antipope John XXIII's reign ended shortly before the 3rd Session of the Council of Constance, in 1415.


Pope Saint John XXIII 1963 TIME Man of the Year

References:

Pope John XXIII
St. John XXIII
List of Popes
John XXIII Mystic Pope
An uncontested miracle
A miracle has been attributed to John XXIII but not for his canonization
Biography of Blessed Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
Biography: Pope John XXIII
John XXIII: His Council and Achievement Remembered
John XXIII and John Paul II
Popes John XXIII and John Paul II to become saints on Sunday
Pope John XXIII Catholic Parish
Leader Values
VIS news Biography of Pope John XXIII
Saints John Paul II and John XXIII
‘The Good Pope:’ For older Catholics, recalling the late John XXIII may be highlight of ceremony
The Famous People

Five things you need to know about Pope John XXIII

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Pope Saint John Paul II 12 Famous First Visits

Pope Saint John Paul II whose name in Latin is Ioannes Paulus II, was born Karol Józef Wojtyła on 18 May 1920 in Wadowice, Poland and was pope from 16 October 1978 until his death at the age of 84 on 2 April 2005 in Italy. Nicknamed "Pilgrim Pope", he was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years (since Pope Adrian VI who died in 1523) and the first ever from a Slavic country.

Pope Francis canonized Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII on April 27, 2014.

  1. First pope to visit the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland on 7 June 1979, where many of his Polish Jew compatriots had perished during the Nazi occupation in World War II.
  2. First pope to visit Ireland, on 29 September 1979, a devoutly Catholic country, just 11 months after being pope.
  3. First pope to visit the White House on 6 October 1979, where he was greeted warmly by then-President Jimmy Carter. Pope Saint John Paul II gave a silver sculpture with the words “Peace Unto Thee” to the president and a parchment copy of his first encyclical letter to the President’s mother, Lillian.
  4. First reigning pope to make a pastoral visit to United Kingdom during the Falklands War, on 28 May 1982, where he met Queen Elizabeth II, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
  5. First pope to have a pastoral visit to Spain on 8 November 1982 in Valencia.
  6. First pope to visit and participated in an ecumenical service in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rome on 11 December 1983, 500 years after the birth of Martin Luther, the German Augustinian monk who initiated the Lutheran reformation.
  7. First pope known to have made an official papal visit to a synagogue, the Great Synagogue of Rome on 13 April 1986 and met Rome's Chief Rabbi Elio Toaff.
  8. First pope to visit Romania, a predominantly Eastern Orthodox country, on 7 May 1999 since the Great Schism or the East-West Schism (an event that separated Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Catholicism in 1054) on the invitation from Patriarch Teoctist Arăpaşu of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
  9. First modern pope to visit Egypt on 25 February 2000, where he met with the Coptic pope, Pope Shenouda III, the leader of the major Christian church in Egypt and the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and Muhammad Sayed Tantawi, the sheik of Al Azhar, the highest authority of the Sunni Muslim faith.
  10. First pope to officially visit Jerusalem on 26 March 2000 and pray at the Western Wall and also visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum which are sites that are central to Judaism.
  11. First Catholic pope to visit, enter and pray in an Islamic mosque, in Damascus, Syria, on 6 May 2001 in the company of Mufti Ahmed Kuftaro of Syria when he visited the Umayyad Mosque, a former Byzantine era Christian church where John the Baptist is believed to be interred.
  12. First pope to visit Greece in 1291 years, on 4 May 2001 in Athens, the Pope met with Archbishop Christodoulos, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Pope Saint John Paul II 1994 TIME Man of the Year


References:

HIGHLIGHTS ON THE LIFE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II
Two Women Helped Put Pope John Paul II on the Path to Sainthood
John Paul II Biography
Huge Pope John Paul II Crucifix Collapses, Kills Young Tourist

Pope John Paul II becomes the first pope to visit the White House
Bruno Barbey - POLAND. 1979. Pope John PAUL II's Official Visit.
Pope John Paul II in pictures
Revealed: How Pope John Paul II sent secret envoy to Margaret Thatcher during Falklands War to ask Britain to abandon islands
John Paul II Holy Mass In Westminster Cathedral, London, 28 May 1982
Pope made important overtures to non-Christian religions
Who are Egypt's Christians?
Pope Is in Egypt, Tracing Moses' Path and Urging Dialogue
Visit of Pope John Paul II White House Statement.
Western Wall Prayer
Papal Visits to Israel: A Retrospective
1979: Pope calls for peace in Ireland
The Pope’s visit to Ireland
John Paul II at the Cathedral
Pilgrim Pathways
USCCB Blog Pope John Paul II: East-West Relations
Pope Apologizes for Anti-Orthodox Past
"In Greece and Syria, Pope John Paul II Tries to Heal Ancient Wounds"
John Paul II
Pope John Paul II's relations with the Eastern Orthodox Church
Primacy of Peter, The
Pope John Paul II's Journey From Poland to Rome: A Timeline 

SPECIAL COMMEMORATION – POPE JOHN PAUL II
Pope John Paul II
List of Popes
John Paul II
Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom
Pope John Paul II

The Famous People

Saturday, April 26, 2014

14th World Intellectual Property Day

  • World Intellectual Property Day is an annual event held every April 26.
  • World IP Day promotes discussion of the role of IP in encouraging innovation and creativity.
  • It was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000.
  • WIPO is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to protect legal rights in international intellectual property (IP) system, which rewards creativity, stimulates innovation and contributes to economic development while safeguarding the public interest.
  • WIPO administers two treaties that were established in the 1880's wherein one protects copyright an the other safeguards patents, trademarks, and the other means of protecting original creations. Administrative agencies of the two treaties joined in 1893 and were replaced by that of WIPO when it was founded in 1967. The agency became part of the UN in 1974. The Web site of the World Intellectual Property Organization at http://www.ompi.org provides additional information.
  • The Director General of the National Algerian Institute for Industrial Property (INAPI) proposed on 7 April 1999 the institutionalization of an international day for intellectual property.
  • The Chinese delegation to the WIPO proposed on 9 August 1999 the adoption of the "World Intellectual Property Day".
  • The General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) approved on October 1999 the idea of declaring a particular day as a World Intellectual Property Day and April 26th was chosen as the date because it coincides with the date on which the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization entered into force in 1970.
  • Intellectual Property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce.
  • Under intellectual property law, owners are granted certain exclusive rights to a variety of intangible assets, such as musical, literary, and artistic works.
  • There are 5 types of intellectual property, namely: copyright, patent, trademarks, industrial designs and geographical indications.
  • April 26, 2014, 14th World Intellectual Property Day Theme is "Movies - A Global Passion" .
Pictogram downloadable from WIPO
References:

CIPIT Law Blog
World Intelelctual Property Day - April 26
What is Intellectual Property?World Intellectual Property Day | IP4all.com
World Intellectual Property Day - Wikipedia
Time and Date
Cute-Calendar

Friday, April 25, 2014

Microsoft-Nokia Done Deal, 25 April 2014

  • Nokia was founded in 1898 by Eduard Polon (1861-1930)  who was a Finnish business leader and became the founder, CEO, Chairman of the Board and the largest shareholder of the Finnish Gummitehdas ("Rubberfactory") and it was co-founded by Fredrik Idestam (1838-1916) and Leo Mechelin (1839-1914) and Nokia's name came from the town where Polon's factories were based to differentiate his products from Russian competitors.
  • Nokia's predecessors were the Nokia Company (Nokia Aktiebolag), Finnish Rubber Works Ltd (Suomen Gummitehdas Oy) and Finnish Cable Works Ltd (Suomen Kaapelitehdas Oy) and were merged in 1967 forming a new industrial conglomerate named Nokia Corporation. 
  • Nokia Corporation's first president was Bjorn Westerlund (1912-2009) who was also the president of Finnish Cable Works and was responsible for setting up the company's first electronics department in 1960 which leads to the development of Nokia's future in telecommunications. 
  • Nokia is a public limited liability company and is the oldest company listed under the same name on the Helsinki Stock Exchange, beginning in 1915 and it has had a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange since 1994. 
  • Nokia was the first proponent of a Top Level Domain (TLD) specifically for the Mobile Web and was instrumental in the launch of the .mobi domain name extension in September 2006 as an official backer.
  • Nokia introduced in 1987 one of the world's first handheld phones which was the Mobira Cityman 900 for NMT-900 networks which was a product from the the company's telecommunications branch named Nokia-Mobira Oy after Nokia bought Salora Oy in 1984 which became Nokia Mobile Phones in 1989. 
  • Nokia was a key developer of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), the second-generation mobile technology that could carry data as well as voice traffic and in 1992, the first GSM phone, the Nokia 1011 was launced with the model number referring to the launch date of 10 November. 
  • Nokia was also involved in the production of personal computers in the 1980s with Nokia's computer division, Nokia Data, with MikroMikko as Nokia Data's attempt to enter the business computer market but Nokia's personal computer division was sold to the British ICL (International Computers Limited) in 1991, which later became part of Fujitsu and the latter marketed it internationally as ErgoPro and Nokia re-entered the PC market in August 2009 with the introduction of the Nokia Booklet 3G mini laptop. 
  • Nokia was also involved in producing high quality CRT and early TFT LCD displays for PC and larger systems applications but the Nokia Display Products's branded business was sold to ViewSonic in 2000. 
  • Microsoft announced the acquisition of Nokia's mobile device business on September 2, 2013 in a deal worth 3.79bn Euros and another 1.65bn Euros to license Nokia's portfolio of patents for 10 years and finalized on April 25, 2014 marking the day that Microsoft officially acquired Nokia. 
  • Part of the Microsoft and Nokia deal involves Microsoft managing the nokia.com domain and social media sites for a minimum of one year and part of the original deals were Microsoft having 21 employees in China that will be involved in mobile phones and Microsoft will not be acquiring Nokia's Korean manufacturing facility.
  • Microsoft Mobile Oy will be the new name of Nokia's phone unit Nokia Oyj.
Microsoft Mobile Oy

References:

Microsoft Mobile Oy 
Forbes
Nokia
Telegraph

Thursday, April 24, 2014

World Book Day 2014, April 23

  • World Book Day is also called as World Book and Copyright Day and also known as International Day of the Book and also referred to as World Book Days.
  • It is an annual event every April 23 which was organized by UNESCO promoting reading, publishing and copyright.
  • It was first celebrated on April 23, 1995 wherein delegates of the United Nation's Year for Tolerance and UNESCO's General Conference in Paris voted for an annual celebration of promoting awareness and adherence to copyright laws as well as protecting intellectual copyright.
  • The idea originated in Catalonia, Spain since 1436 wherein every April 23 which is also known as La Diada de Sant Jordi or St George's Day, a rose is given for every book sold, and this is also the reason why it is called "The Day of the Rose".
  • UNESCO also awards the Children's and Young People's Literature in the Service of Tolerance during this event.
  • The symbol for World Book Day features images encouraging people, particularly children, to read books and appreciate literature. 
  • The day is called Världsbokdagen (World Book Day) and the copyright part is seldom mentioned in Sweden and it was normally celebrated on April 23 but was moved to April 13 in the year 2000 and 2011 which was happened to be Easter Day celebration.
  • The event is celebrated on the first Thursday of March instead of April 23 in UK and Ireland because it is also St. George’s Day which is a National Saint's Day in UK and Ireland.
  • April 23 is symbolic for world literature because it also marks the anniversary of the birth or death of a range of internationally renowned writers. It coincided with the death anniversary of Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Joseph Pla, William Wordsworth and the birth anniversary of Maurice Druon, Manuel Mejía Vallejo and Halldór Laxness.
  • The Nigerian city of Port Harcourt was chosen as World Book Capital for 2014. According to the Selection Committee which are composed of UNESCO and three major sectors of the book industry (publishers, booksellers, libraries), the quality of programme in Nigeria's culture of books improves literacy rates particularly in the youth sector.
  • There are no themes for this day although there is a specific topic around which programs are organized every year and for 2014, it is "History and Stories".
  • For 2014, International Publishers Association has released an interesting document which was compiled by Waka Kobayashi regarding the events and traditions around the world. Click here for more info.
Facebook Event Photo by National Book Development Board - Philippines
Facebook Invitation for World Book Day celebration at Bonifacio Global City on April 23, 2014

References:


World Book and Copyright Day, 23 April
World Book and Copyright Day 2014
World Book and Copyright Day
World Book and Copyright Day | Global Dimension

Time and Date
World Book Day
World Book Day Fest
World Book and Copyright Day on Wednesday

Happy World Book Day! Some Interesting Facts
Waterstones.Com Blog
INFOdocket 
Events and traditions around the world

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Earth Day 2014, April 22

  • Earth Day is a celebration with the purpose of inspiring awareness and appreciation of the Earth's natural environment.
  • Earth Day was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin having witnessed the effects of massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in 1969.
  • Earth Day founder Senator Nelson's reasons for choosing April 22 as the celebration's official date was that Earth Day was an “environmental teach-in” to maximize participation of college campuses in the week of April 19–25 which did not fall during exams or spring breaks and there would be less competition with other mid-week events.
  • Second reason for choosing the April 22 date was that it did not conflict with religious holidays such as Easter or Passover and was late enough in spring to have decent weather. 
  • Third reason for the official date of April 22 is that it is also the anniversary of the birth of noted conservationist John Muir.
  • Senator Nelson's partners during that time of inspiration was Republican Congressman Pete McCloskey who acted as co-chair and Denis Hayes who became the national coordinator and who built a national staff composed of 85 personnel.
  • Earth Day Network is the global coordinator for Earth Day.
  • Originally focused in America, in 1990 Denis Hayes organized another global campaign with 200 million people in 141 countries participating which helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
  • For having founded Earth Day, President Bill Clinton awarded Senator Nelson in 1995 the Presidential Medal of Freedom which is the highest honor given to civilians in the United States.
  • In April 22, 2009, Earth Day was renamed as International Mother Earth Day by the United Nations having adopted an official resolution, A/RES/63/278
  • April 22, 2014 was the 44th anniversary of Earth Day which has a global theme of "Green Cities".
  • In 2014, Earth Day Network dropped Sodastream and spokesmodel Scarlett Johansson in their website's list of sponsors.
NatGeoRun2014 in celebration of Earth Day in the Philippines
References:

Cute-Calendar
EarthTechling
SoftSchools
ChicagoNow
Do Something
About Earth Day Network
Earth Day The History of a Movement
Earth Day Fun Facts
Info Please
Celebrating Earth Day
Earth Day Philippines
Earth Day History and Fun Facts
International Mother Earth Day
Earth Day
Economic Times

The Electronic Intifada
NatGeoRun

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Boston Marathon 2014


  • The Boston Marathon, the world's oldest annual continuous marathon and ranks as one of the world's best-known road racing events, was organized by the Boston Athletic Association in 1897 having been inspired from the success of the first modern-day marathon competition held in 1896 Summer Olympics with 18 runners that competed in the first historical race and John J. McDermott of New York winning with a time record of 2:55:10.
  • The marathon is held every third Monday of April, which is April 21 for 2014, coinciding with the holiday celebration of the Patriot's Day in Maine and Massachusetts that commemorates the famous battles of Lexington and Concord. 
  • In 1972, Nina Kuscsik became the first female winner with a time of 3:10:26 when women were officially allowed to join the marathon although in 1967, a woman named Kathrine Switzer registered as "K. V. Switzer" and successfully ran and finished the race despite having been tried to be ejected by a race official named Jock Semple by ripping off her numbers. Unofficially, Roberta Gibb was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon in 1966.
  • In 1975, Boston became the first major marathon to include a wheelchair division with Robert Hall as the official winner with a time of 2:58:00. Unofficially, the first wheelchair athlete to complete the Boston Marathon on April 20, 1970, was Vietnam veteran Eugene Roberts of Baltimore.. 
  • In the 1980s, professional athletes declined running in the race without cash awards because Boston Marathon was originally a local event but now considered as America's most prestigious marathon attracting worldwide runners and it was historically a free run with a prize of only an olive-woven wreath, but in 1986 the first financial prize was awarded in the 90th Boston Marathon having been sponsored financially by John Hancock Financial Services.
  • In 1996, the Centennial Boston Marathon established a record as the world's largest marathon with 38,708 entrants, 36,748 starters, and 35,868 finishers.
  • In 2002, a Kenyan female runner named Margaret Okayo set the women's Boston Marathon course record with a time of 2:20:43 but it was broken already last April 21, 2014 by a 33-year old Kenyan named Rita Jeptoo with a time of 2:18:57.
  • In 2007, Boston marathon initiated the style of having a staggered wave start wherein a first group of runners started at 10:00 A.M. and a second group starting half an hour later.
  • In 2011, although not officially recognized as "official world record" because the route allows a tailwind, Kenyan male runner Geoffrey Mutai ran the fastest time with a record of two hours, three minutes and two seconds (2:03:02).
  • In 2012, 50-year old Rick Hoyt, who has cerebral palsy, and his father 72-year old Dick Hoyt, finished their 30th Boston Marathon together.
  • In 2013, a major disaster happened during the marathon wherein two bombs exploded at 2:50 in the afternoon near the finish line killing three (3) people, of which an eight-year-old boy was included, and injuring more than 260 people. The two explosions happened on Boylston Street close to the finish line with the second bomb exploding just over ten second, 50 to 100 yards away from the first explosion.
  • Boston Marathon is one of six World Marathon Majors that includes Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City marathons. 

Spirit of Camarederie and Sportsmanship. Courtesy of Jennifer Abramowitz.

RESULTS OF THE 118th BOSTON MARATHON HELD ON APRIL 21, 2014:

TOP 12 - MEN
  1. BIB NO. 19, Meb Keflezighi (USA) 02:08:37
  2. BIB NO. 7, Wilson Chebet (KEN) 02:08:48
  3. BIB NO. 11, Frankline Chepkwony (KEN) 02:08:50
  4. BIB NO. 23, Vitaliy Shafar (UKR) 02:09:37
  5. BIB NO. 5, Markos Geneti (ETH) 02:09:50
  6. BIB NO. 16, Joel Kimurer (KEN) 02:11:03
  7. BIB NO. 22, Nicholas Arciniaga (USA) 02:11:47
  8. BIB NO. 24, Jeffrey Eggleston (USA) 02:11:57
  9. BIB NO. 15, Paul Lonyangata (KEN) 02:12:34
  10. BIB NO. 14, Adil Annani (MAR) 02:12:43
  11. BIB NO. 28, Josphat Boit (USA) 02:12:52
  12. BIB NO. 29, Craig Leon  (USA) 02:14:28
TOP 12 - WOMEN
  1. BIB NO. F1, Rita Jeptoo (KEN) 02:18:57
  2. BIB NO. F10, Buzunesh Deba (ETH) 02:19:59
  3. BIB NO. F2, Mare Dibaba (ETH) 02:20:35
  4. BIB NO. F3, Jemima Jelagat Sumgong (KEN) 02:20:41
  5. BIB NO. F25, Meselech Melkamu (ETH) 02:21:28
  6. BIB NO. F12, Aleksandra Duliba (BLR) 02:21:29
  7. BIB NO. F17, Shalane Flanagan (USA) 02:22:02
  8. BIB NO. F6, Sharon Cherop (KEN) 02:23:00
  9. BIB NO. F15, Philes Ongori (KEN) 02:23:22
  10. BIB NO. F8, Desiree Linden (USA) 02:23:54
  11. BIB NO. F16, Belaynesh Oljira (ETH) 02:24:21
  12. BIB NO. F14, Yeshi Esayias (ETH) 02:27:40
TOP 12 - VISUALLY IMPAIRED (MEN)
  1. BIB NO. 875, Aaron Scheidies (USA) 02:47:46
  2. BIB NO. 2477, Adrian Broca (USA) 02:58:40
  3. BIB NO. 6546, Thomas R. Brand (USA) 03:23:02
  4. BIB NO. 10704, Richard E. Hunter (USA) 03:23:39
  5. BIB NO. 18177, John M. Chan (USA) 03:42:06
  6. BIB NO. 24127, Steve J. Sabra (USA) 03:53:46
  7. BIB NO. 22288, Christopher Lancaster (USA) 03:54:21
  8. BIB NO. 19903, Matthew Turner (USA) 03:57:20
  9. BIB NO. 24960, Jamison Voss (USA) 04:03:59
  10. BIB NO. 13498, Rick Hart (USA) 04:04:34
  11. BIB NO. 24239, Christopher C. Fice (USA) 04:11:13
  12. BIB NO. 24977, Aaron T. Yasuhara (USA) 04:11:34
TOP 12 - VISUALLY IMPAIRED (WOMEN)
  1. BIB NO. 10330, Lisa Thompson (USA) 03:50:23
  2. BIB NO. 23756, Regine M. Sediva (USA) 03:53:54
  3. BIB NO. 21494, Jennifer Herring (USA) 03:55:53
  4. BIB NO. 27161, Colleen M. Burns (USA) 04:18:19
  5. BIB NO. 25215, Norah Broughton (CAN) 04:33:15
  6. BIB NO. 29474, Lauren K. Weeks (USA) 04:46:19
  7. BIB NO. 27379, Dianna L. Aucoin (USA) 04:48:48
  8. BIB NO. 25129, Maya Jonas (CAN) 04:55:35
  9. BIB NO. 24886, Brooke E. Voss (USA) 04:56:38
  10. BIB NO. 24740, Tina Ament (USA) 05:10:28
  11. BIB NO. 25273, Rachel Weeks (USA) 05:24:34
  12. BIB NO. 25278, Rhonda-Marie C. Avery (CAN) 05:26:18
TOP 12 - MOBILITY IMPAIRED (MEN)
  1. BIB NO. 2666, Andrew Bryant (USA) 03:16:38
  2. BIB NO. 8990, Alex Schneider (USA) 03:26:58
  3. BIB NO. 25143, Shane P. James (AUS) 03:59:48
  4. BIB NO. 25190, Nick J. Ryan (AUS) 04:00:47
  5. BIB NO. 24598, Daniel A. Tiernan (USA) 04:37:38
  6. BIB NO. 31766, Edward P. Lychik (USA) 04:44:25
  7. BIB NO. 24497, Jonathan Brunot (USA) 04:46:43
  8. BIB NO. 25270, Meyrick Jones (CAN) 04:52:18
  9. BIB NO. 25311, Cameron Kerr (USA) 04:57:32
  10. BIB NO. 25303, William F. Riggs (USA) 04:58:58
  11. BIB NO. 25288, Anthony Grossi (USA) 05:02:16
  12. BIB NO. 25289, Rick McNeal (USA) 05:20:07
TOP 12 - MOBILITY IMPAIRED (WOMEN)
  1. BIB NO. 21775, Beth Ulibarri (USA) 03:56:23
  2. BIB NO. 24562, Jacqueline Folkert (USA) 04:09:37
  3. BIB NO. 25196, Christine Paul (USA) 04:25:26
  4. BIB NO. 25246, Jennifer Burgess Pevec (CAN) 04:47:58
  5. BIB NO. 25276, Christine L. Wodke (USA) 04:51:39
  6. BIB NO. 25187, Nancy J. Goldstein (USA) 05:10:05
  7. BIB NO. 25255, Wendy E. Garrett (USA) 05:17:59
  8. BIB NO. 25298, Cathy J. Charbonneau (USA) 05:45:48
  9. BIB NO. 25292, Jennifer O. Bressette (USA) 06:01:55
  10. BIB NO. 25306, Sarah Reinertsen (USA) 06:16:46
  11. BIB NO. 28632, Lynn Crisci (USA) 06:16:52
  12. BIB NO. 25404, Kelly Luckett (USA) 06:20:46
References:

Monday, April 21, 2014

Patriot's Day AKA Patriots' Day

  • It is an American civic holiday commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 which were the first battles in American Revolution.
  • It is officially Patriots' Day in Massachusetts and Wisconsin and Patriot's Day in Maine.
  • It was previously celebrated every April 19 but in 1969, it was moved and has been observed every third Monday of April.
  • It was first proclaimed by Gov. Frederic T. Greenhalge in Massachusetts in 1894 as a replacement for the public holiday of Fast Day.
  • It was established on April 19 to consolidate the longstanding municipal observances of Lexington Day and Concord Day and also marked the first bloodshed of the American Civil War in the Baltimore riot of 1861 wherein  four Massachusetts militia members were slain and 36 injured and these dual commemoration celebrated "the anniversary of the birth of liberty and union" according to Gov. Greenhalge.
  • Massachusetts legislature passed a bill in 1938 establishing the holiday "in commemoration of the opening events of the War of the Revolution."
  • Following the proclamation in 1894, Maine followed Massachusetts in 1907 and replaced its Fast Day with Patriot's Day.
  • Observances and re-enactments of these first battles of the American Revolution occur annually at Lexington Green in Lexington, Massachusetts, (around 6:00 am) and The Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts, (around 9:00 am).
  • State police escorts those who retrace the rides of Paul Revere and William Dawes calling out warnings the whole way. Paul Revere is an American silversmith who is known for spreading the word of the Boston Tea Party to New York and Philadelphia and for warning the Lexington Minutemen about the British invasion in 1775. The story of his “midnight” ride to Lexington to discuss action plans against the British has been immortalized in a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow entitled "Paul Revere's Ride".
  • There are re-enactments of the events leading to the battles of 1775 and a major highlight is the bell ringing which was the warning for the local troops that British soldiers were approaching.
  • The Boston Marathon, technically the world's oldest continuously running marathon, is a major event held during Patriots' Day and is also referred as "Marathon Monday" by many Bostonians.
  • The Boston Red Sox have been playing every year since 1959 in Fenway Park on Patriots' Day and the only games that were postponed due to weather were in 1959, 1961, 1965, 1967, and 1984, and a game cancellation in 1995 due to a late start to the season. Since 1968 the games have started early at around 11:00 am. and this early game start usually resulted in the game ending just as the Boston Marathon is heading through Kenmore Square. Since 2007 the Boston marathon has started between 9:30 am and 10:00 am which resulted to racers going through Kenmore towards the middle of the Red Sox game.
Minute Man Statue by Daderot
References:

In The Neighborhood
Time and Date
Cute-Calendar
National Park Service
Patriots' Day
Academy of American PoetsBartleby
Paul Revere's Ride
About.Com New England Travel
Boston Marathon

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Easter Sunday

  • The holiest day of the entire year which is a commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is considered as a rebirth of Christianity.
  • Latin Catholics greet each other with the words of Luke 24:34, "Surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia!" ("The Lord is risen indeed!"). The person so greeted responds, "Et apparuit Simoni, alleluia!" ("And hath appeared unto Simon!").
  • Based on the Bible, Jesus was resurrected on the first day of the week, Sunday (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2,9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1,19).
  • Easter Sunday is a movable feast day celebrated on the first Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon (PFM) date for the year or a full moon after the vernal equinox on March 21 and it usually falls between March 22 and April 25 every year. In June 325 A.D. astronomers approximated astronomical full moon dates for the Christian church, calling them Ecclesiastical Full Moon (EFM) dates. From 326 A.D. the PFM date has always been the EFM date after March 20 (which was the equinox date in 325 A.D.). Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar to calculate when Easter will occur and typically celebrate the holiday a week or two after the Western churches, which follow the Gregorian calendar.
  • The earliest references of the festival celebration dates back to the 2nd century wherein many controversies arose regarding the celebration of this festival. The first controversy was when Bishop Victor tried to punish bishops of Asia largely pertaining to the dates of the festival and the rights of celebrating the festival. The second controversy arose in the 4th century, when a large majority was unhappy and considered it an offense to consult the Jews for following the Hebrew calendar for the festival date but this controversy was promptly resolved by the First Council when it was decided that the festival would be celebrated through independent computations leading to the day that it was celebrated on the first Sunday after the first moon after March 21.
  • The festival marks the end of Lent, which is a 40-day fasting period in Western Christianity.
  • Easter Sunday is typically the most well-attended Sunday service of the year for Christian churches.
  • According to some sources, a seventy-century English monastic historian by the name of Bede, wrote that the word "Easter" was derived from the name of an ancient Anglo-Saxon or Teutonic goddess Eostre (pronounced yo'ster), who was associated with spring and fertility and an annual spring festival was held in her honor in pagan times.
  • Other sources claimed that Easter traced its origin from the Latin term hebdomada alba, or white week, an ancient reference to Easter week and the white clothing donned by people who were baptized during that time. Through a translation error, the term later appeared as esostarum in Old High German, which eventually became Easter in English.
  • In many European languages Easter means Passover. (Spanish, Pascua; French, Paques; Greek and Latin, Pascha; Italian, Pasqua). These words traced back its origins to an Aramaic form of the Hebrew term, "Pesach" which means "Passover" and historically Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection occurred after he went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover which is a Jewish festival commemorating the ancient Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt. During the first three centuries of the Church, Pasch referred specifically to the celebration of Christ's passion and death; by the end of the fourth century, it also included the Easter Vigil; and by the end of the fifth century, it referred to Easter itself. Pascha eventually came to mean Easter.
  • Many Christian churches choose to refer to Easter Sunday as Resurrection Day because of Easter's pagan origins and also because of the commercialization of Easter.
  • A very popular symbol given during this day is an Easter egg symbolizing resurrection or the time Jesus emerged from the tomb to everlasting life.
Easter Eggs by Jan Kameníček
References:

Project Britain
Time and Date
International Business Times
GM Arts
EWTN
Topmarks
Got Questions
Heavy
Fish Eaters
About.Com Catholicism
About.Com Christianity
Catholic Online
Calendar Labs
History
Calendar-Updates

Easter

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Black Saturday

  • Holy Saturday is a commemoration of the day that Jesus Christ lay in the tomb after his death.
  • Holy Saturday is the final day of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter Triduum which are the three days (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday) immediately preceding Easter Sunday.
  • It is referred to as Eastern Even (Easter Eve) among Anglicans and Filipinos refer to it as Black Saturday.
  • It is referred by the Eastern Orthodox Christians as The Great Sabbath because Jesus "rested" in the tomb on this day.
  • Holy Saturday was also known as Great or Grand Saturday, as well as the Angelic Night.
  • It is also known as Sábado de Gloria or "Saturday of [the] Gloria", a Spanish name coming from the fact that the Gloria is sung for the first time since Ash Wednesday during the Easter Vigil.
  • It is also known as the Easter Vigil which is a name more properly applied to the Mass on Holy Saturday night which starts by the lighting of the Paschal candle symbolizing people getting out of the darkness into the celebration of the Easter vigil. The candle is made of white wax and is marked with an alpha and an omega crosses (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet) symbolizing that Jesus Christ has, and always will be with humanity, and is with humanity now, according to Christian belief. The Easter Vigil ceremonies, the blessing of new fire and the lighting of the Easter candle were performed earlier and earlier which eventually were performed on Holy Saturday morning beginning eight century in the Middle Ages and it now became little more than an anticipation of the Easter Vigil. A reform of the Holy Week liturgies in 1956 returned the Easter Vigil ceremonies to originally to celebration of Mass after sundown on Holy Saturday. Also, on Holy Saturday the Eucharist is only given to the faithful as viaticum—that is, only to those in danger of death, to prepare their souls.
  • There is no Mass during Holy Saturday and the Easter Vigil Mass that takes place after sundown on Holy Saturday is an Easter Sunday celebration, since liturgically, each day begins at sundown on the previous day. (That is why Saturday vigil Masses can fulfill our Sunday Duty.) Easter Vigil originated back to when Jesus’ followers spent the day waiting after his crucifixion on Good Friday and it is also known as the day when Roman governor Pontius Pilate instructed guards to be posted at the tomb to prevent Jesus’ followers from removing the body to claim that he had risen from the dead.
  • In the early Church it was the only Saturday on which fasting was permitted as noted in the Catholic Encyclopedia and some sources declared that during the first century CE and by second century, Christians observed a total fasting for 40 hours before Easter Sunday sunrise but a 1969 revision of the rules for fasting and abstinence, strict fasting and abstinence continued to be practiced on Holy Saturday morning leading to a reminder to the faithful about the sorrowful nature of Holy Saturday and that it is a preparation for the joy of Easter feast. 
  • Historically, it was a major day for baptisms in the early church wherein many Christians gathered on the afternoon of Holy Saturday to pray and to confer the Sacrament of Baptism on catechumens which are converts to Christianity who had spent Lent preparing to be received into the Church. As noted in the Catholic Encyclopedia, in the early Church, "Holy Saturday and the vigil of Pentecost were the only days on which baptism was administered."
  • Holy Saturday is known as Judas Day in Mexico where people burn effigies of Judas Iscariot for betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver and it is also known as White Saturday in Czech and there is a custom to rattle keys and burn out Judas by burning the last of the holy oil before the church door. 
  • There are also some early Christian legends recounting how the "Harrowing of Hell" occurred on this day wherein Jesus is supposed to have visited hell to rescue the many just and good non-Christians held there while his body lay in the tomb.
Harrowing of Hell © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro / CC-BY-SA-3.0
 References:

Time and Date
About.Com CatholicismAbout.Com Agnoticism/Atheism
Holy Week in the Philippines
Holy Saturday

Friday, April 18, 2014

Good Friday

  • Good Friday is a day of commemoration of the passion, suffering and death on the cross of Jesus Christ.
  • Good Friday is also called Feria VI in Parasceve (Latin: paraskeue or preparation which is the preparation that was made on the sixth day for the Sabbath which can be read in Mark 15:42) in the Roman Missal.
  • Good Friday is also called he hagia kai megale paraskeue or the Holy and Great Friday in the Greek Liturgy.
  • Good Friday is Holy Friday in Romance Languages.
  • Good Friday is Charfreitag or Karfreitag or Sorrowful Friday or Black Friday in German.
  • Good Friday is a development from an older name, “God’s Friday”or "Gottes Freitag" and it is from the German "Gute Freitag"
  • Good Friday is called Long Friday by the Anglo-Saxons which is how it is still known in Denmark.
  • Good Friday is called the "Great Friday" by many Orthodox Christians.
  • Good Friday is "Good" not because of the suffering and death of Jesus but it appropriately marked the dramatic culmination of God’s plan to save all sinners from their sins.
  • Good Friday is a day wherein many people attend church services and take part in the Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ or the Station of the Cross and there are also re-enactments of the penance of Jesus Christ by going as far as crucifying themselves on the cross. The practice of crucifixion is a form of cruel and disgraceful method of execution which first began among the Persians and Alexander the Great introduced the practice to Egypt and Carthage and the Romans have possibly learned it from the Carthaginians. 
  • Good Friday mass is called the Mass of the Presanctified because Communion which had already been consecrated on Holy Thursday is given to the people and Good Friday masses are held before 3pm or 15:00 symbolizing the time that Jesus Christ died on the cross and people observe at 3pm a moment of silence and solemnity. 
  • Good Friday also developed the practice of Adoration of the Cross which was adopted in the 7th century by the Church in Rome from the Church in Jerusalem where a fragment of wood believed to be the Lord's cross, discovered by St. Helen (mother of emperor Constantine) while on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 326, had been venerated every year on Good Friday since the 4th century.
Crucifixion by Gabriel Wüger (1829–1892)
References:

Got Questions
Good Friday
Time and Date
About.Com Christianity
New Advent
Catholic Online
International Business Times
What's So Good About Good Friday?

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Maundy Thursday

  • Maundy Thursday is also known as Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday, Sheer Thursday and Thursday of Mysteries.
  • It commemorates the Maundy and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles as described in the Canonical gospels.
  • The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin word for commandment or mandatum, which Jesus talked about when he told his disciples that he was leaving them a new commandment which is to love one another.
  • It is the fifth day of Holy Week, and is preceded by Holy Wednesday and followed by Good Friday.
  • The date is always inclusive between 19 March and 22 April but these dates fall on different days depending on the liturgical calendar use base on Gregorian or Julian calendar.
  • Eastern churches generally use the Julian calendar and so celebrate this feast throughout the 21st century between 1 April and 5 May in the more commonly used Gregorian calendar.
  • The name Maundy Thursday is more common today among Protestants than among Catholics who tend to use Holy Thursday while Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox refer to Maundy Thursday as Great and Holy Thursday.
  • It is the beginning of a three-day celebration of Easter which is the most important time in the year for Christians and this period is called The Triduum which is a commemoration of the last supper, the crucifixion and the death of Jesus, and the Resurrection to new life (the passion, death and resurrection of Christ).
  • It is customary for others to visit seven churches which is called Visita Iglesia and is a Spanish word that means “to visit churches” but some people visit 14 churches to symbolize the 14 stations of the cross.
  • Two important biblical events are the primary focus of Maundy Thursday solemnizations and the first event is the washing of the feet (Pedilavium) of the disciples by Jesus as an act of humility and service thereby setting an example that we should love and serve one another in humility (John 13:3-17).
  • The second biblical event is the celebration of the Last Supper or the Passover meal wherein Jesus took bread and wine and asked his Father to bless it which form the biblical basis for the practice of Communion (Luke 22:19-20) and many congregations observe a traditional Passover Seder meal and other churches organized a re-enactment of the Last Supper.
  • Hymns such as the Pange Lingua, Gloria, or Ubi Caritas, are usually sung in some church services during this time of the year.
Washing of the Feet and Last Supper by Duccio (1260–1318)
References:

Time & Date
Bible Gateway Blog
About.Com Christianity
Got Questions
New Advent
Woodlands Junior
Desiring God
About.Com Catholicism
Maundy Thursday