MikeLigalig.com

“As head of the BI, I take responsibility for these incidents that involved people who continued to resist the reforms that we labored to institute image transformation of this Bureau,” he said without elaborating.

In Malacañang, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Aquino has accepted David's resignation as stated in the letter dated July 12.

Valte said she has no information on David's replacement at the moment.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/
July 16, 2013 12:56pm


(Updated 5:15 p.m.) Describing his job as “very challenging and difficult,” Commissioner Ricardo David of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) resigned from his post.

In a letter sent to President Benigno Aquino III, David said despite his determined efforts to hold liable and punish those involved in anomalous acts, “several unfortunate incidents and controversies have taken place which undermined our anti-corruption campaign.”

http://www.gmanetwork.com/


Robots deliver food to customers at the Robot Restaurant in Harbin, Heilongjiang province on Saturday. Opened in June 2012, the restaurant has gained fame in using a total of 20 robots to cook meals and deliver dishes. The robots can work continuously for five hours after a two-hour charge, and are able to display over 10 expressions on their faces and say basic welcoming sentences to customers. Reuters/Sheng Li

Quote from: wardiflex on July 16, 2013, 03:12:36 PM
hurot jud ang pulgas ni bantay ana ug kaon..

Resulta, healthy kaayo si Goyakski, wa na magkinahanglan og medication...

OK pud kon makabasa ta bahin og intelligence leaks para mabalanse ang stupidity leaks...

Quote from: Lollapalooza on July 15, 2013, 04:39:26 PM
nanghinguto..

...dayon hungit?

Quote from: taga tigbao on July 15, 2013, 04:35:29 PM
Mura mag nangmalmal si Monkey!

Malmalero diay ang kanahan...

Discovery News also said this effect can also be found in subtle ways in other contexts.

On the other hand, it said the effect of priming may not necessarily work on everyone.

"Not everyone who sees the graphic images on cigarette packs will find the tobacco tastes off, and many people who have heard good things about a movie or restaurant go with high expectations only to be disappointed. But images can and do influence us in ways we’re not aware of," it said. â€" TJD, GMA News

Wine and water

Also, Discovery News cited blind-taste studies showing similar effects for wines and water.

Identical wines taste better when they come from expensive bottles, and tap water poured from an expensive bottle is perceived to taste better than water from the faucet.

"These influences are often subconscious; people aren’t aware that the $80 price tag on a bottle is making the wine inside taste better, and don’t realize that the photograph of the diseased lung on the cigarette packaging is making their cigarettes taste worse. But tobacco companies know it, and that’s one reason why they have fought against graphic warnings on their products," Discovery News said.

Discovery News cited a New York Times report indicating smokers in Australia had complained cigarettes no longer taste as good, after Australia imposed tough laws on tobacco warning labels.

Under Australia's laws, iconic packaging was swapped for graphic images of the health risks of smoking, such as mouth ulcers and cancerous lungs.

"Scary health warnings are not new, but what’s interesting about the consumers’ complaints is that the tobacco and cigarette formulation did not change. The cigarettes that tasted good before the warnings now don’t taste as good, and the only thing that changed is the packaging. Can the exact same thing taste better or worse depending on its wrapping? Perhaps surprisingly, the answer is yes," Discovery News said.

July 15, 2013 6:05pm


There just might be something about those graphic anti-smoking warnings: some smokers who see the health warnings find the cigarettes don't taste as good as before the warnings were printed on the package.

Discovery News said it could be a psychological illusion, as the tobacco companies not changing the formulation of their products.

"It’s a psychological and perceptual illusion created by combining unpleasant images with pleasant cigarette taste. The influences happens because of what in psychology is called priming: creating an expectation that influences a person’s response to some stimuli," it said.

Ganahan si Bay Tigs aning dapita, mogawas jud ang iyang natural-born killer instincts...

Quote from: islander on July 15, 2013, 07:54:31 PM
considered as one of the most terrifying places on earth...

Hmm, hitsura og naay daghang ilags...

Quote from: hubag bohol on July 16, 2013, 01:02:29 PM
Asiana Airlines has announced its intent to sue the station for defamation.

Mao na lagi ni ron. Ho Lee Fuk! 

The Asiana Airlines flight crashed on the San Francisco International Airport runway, killing three. The two pilots' real names had actually already been released.

KTVU would not say from who it originally got the offensive names, but said they were confirmed by an NTSB official. The NTSB then released a statement blaming an intern for the false confirmation.

KTVU has not responded to numerous requests asking who was the source of the pilot names or how the station planned to handle the matter. Asiana Airlines has announced its intent to sue the station for defamation.

By Sara Morrison | The Wrap â€" 5 hours ago


The summer intern at the National Transportation Safety Board who confirmed false and racially insensitive Asiana Airlines pilot names to an Oakland TV station has been fired from the government agency, a person with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap.

Fox affiliate KTVU broadcast the four names on Friday, reporting that they were were "Captain Sum Ting Wong," "Wi Tu Lo," "Ho Lee Fuk" and "Bang Ding Ow." The names appeared on a full-screen graphic as an anchor read them aloud.

Bwahaha!

Gisuwayan pa og dala ang biktima sa Maria Reyna Hospital apan dead on arrival nga gideklarar sa mga doktor.

Dako ang pagtuo sa kapolisan nga adunay kalambigitan sa illegal nga druga ang hinungdan sa kamatayon niini tungod kay gani sa pagdala niini sa balay tambalanan, nakuhaan pa ang bulsa niini og usa ka sachet sa gituohang shabu.

Giangkon usab sa inahan sa biktima nga problemado iyang anak unsay ibayad sa naangkat nga ginadiling druga nga wala niini mabayri nga mobalor og P20 mil. Kanunay na usab kini makadawat og bahad nga patyon.

Ang mga silingan usab sa biktima niingon nga notadong tigpayuhot sa ginadili nga druga ang biktima sa dapit.

Apan taliwala sa negatibo nga mga komento kalabot sa anak, naglaom ang inahan niini nga mahatagan og hustisya ang kamatayon sa anak ug maila ang mga suspetsado.

Ang kapolisan sa PS2 nihimo pa og masusing imbestigasyon kalabot sa kaso.

SuperBalita Cagayan de Oro
Ni Stephanie Viovicente-Berganio
Monday, July 15, 2013


DEAD on arrival sa balay tambalanan ang usa ka tomboy nga gipusil samtang nagdula og video karera kagahapon mga alas 12:30 sa kaadlawon sa Tangkongan, Pinikitan, Camaman-an, siyudad sa Cagayan de Oro.

Giila ang biktima nga mao si Jenelyn Sacro, 30, dalaga, residente sa susamang dapit.

Sa inisyal nga imbestigasyon sa mirespondeng kapolisan gikan sa Police Station 2 (PS2) sa Cogon, pangulohan ni Police Inspector Dominador Orate, deputy station commander sa PS2, nasuta nga kalit miabot ang duha ka mga lalaki sakay og motorsiklo. Usa ang minaog niini ug deretsong gipusil makalima ka higayon gamit ang kalibre .45 ang biktima.

Boluntaryong gihatag ni Roselyn sa iyang kwarta aron makakanta ang maong lalaki nga gikalagot pag-ayo ni Lacerna. Samtang nagbaklay sa maong dalan, nagsige og lalis ang duha apan mao na lamang ang gikakurat niini dihang kusog nga labugsaw sa tubig ang nadungog.

Gani nagpatabang pa ang maong lalaki, misyagit nga nangayo og tabang.

Ang kapolisan sa Police Station 1 (PS1) sa Divisoria niingon nga kung desidido nga mosuway kini sa paghikog, dili na kini magsiyagit og mangayo pa og tabang. Apan gituohang nahadlok kini sa kusog nga bul-og sa tubig posibleng hinungdan sa pagsiyagit.

Gihimo ang sunod-sunod nga rescue operation sa maong dapit apan wala gyod makita ang biktima hangtod sa pagsulat ning balita.

Nanawagan si Roselyn sa makakita niini nga nagsul-ob iyang kapuyo og kolor mint green nga T-shirt og kolor itom nga short pants ug itaho kini sa kapolisan sa PS1 sa Divisoria. (SVB)

SuperBalita Cagayan de Oro
Monday, July 15, 2013


NAGPABILING gipangita sa rescue team ang 23 anyos nga lalaki nga miambak sa tulay niadtong buntag sa Domingo sa Ysalina Bridge, siyudad sa Cagayan de Oro.

Giila ang biktima nga mao si Dave Roland Lacerna, lumad nga taga Dasmariñas, Manila kinsa kalit miambak sa tulay human nagbikil sa kapuyo niini.

Gisaysay sa kapuyo sa biktima nga mao si Roselyn Diango nga sa wala pa miambak sa tulay ang iyang kaipon, nagkabikil sila tungod kay iyang gihatagan og kwarta ang usa ka hubog nga lalaki sulod sa usa ka videokihan.

Gusto sa maong lalaki nga mokanta apan gikaon ang P5 niini sa makina.

Quote from: Lorenzo on July 08, 2013, 11:21:28 AM
After consuming an entire bottle of duty-free liquor on a flight from Iceland to New York’s JFK airport, Gudmundur Karl Arthorsson of Iceland began grabbing women, spitting on people, and making threats to the crew. That’s when the duct tape came out. Gudmundur Karl Arthorsson of Iceland was taped to his seat and gagged on Thursday during a New York bound flight after consuming an entire bottle of duty free alcohol and accosting several passengers.

Luoy ning Vikings kay limitado tawon ilang alcohol sa ilang nasod...

Quote from: hubag bohol on July 16, 2013, 10:31:25 AM
So, do any animals, when looking at themselves, hearing themselves, or smelling themselves, exclaim "Wow, that's me"?

Indeed. Kon makasimhot og pan-os, kahibawo nga sila na...

While there are "academic" questions about animal self-awareness, there also are some very important practical reasons to learn about animal selves. Achieving reliable answers to questions about animal selves is very important because they're often used to defend the sorts of treatment to which individuals can be ethically subjected. However, even if an animal doesn't know "who" she is, this doesn't mean she can't feel that something painful is happening to her body. Self-awareness may not be a reliable test for an objective assessment of well-being.

So, do any animals, when looking at themselves, hearing themselves, or smelling themselves, exclaim "Wow, that's me"? Do they have a sense of "I-ness?" We really don't know, especially for wild animals. It's time to get out of the armchair and into the field. Speculation doesn't substitute for careful studies of behavior.

Some people don't want to acknowledge the possibility of self-awareness in animals because if they do, the borders between humans and other animals become blurred and their narrow, hierarchical, anthropocentric view of the world would be toppled. But Darwin's ideas about continuity, along with empirical data and common sense, caution against the unyielding claim that humans and perhaps a few other animals such as other great apes and cetaceans are the only species in which some sense of self has evolved.

How do animals differentiate themselves from others? Many studies of self-awareness have used mirrors to assess how visual cues are used. They've been effective for captive primates, dolphins and elephants. Although mirror-like visual images are absent in most field situations, it's possible that individuals learn something about themselves from their reflections in water. But we also need to know more about the role of senses other than vision in studies of self-awareness because some animals for example, rodents who can distinguish among individuals don't seem to respond to visual images. Odors and sounds are very important in the worlds of many animals. Many mammals differentiate between their own and others' urine and glandular secretions, and many birds know their own and others' songs. Moving Jethro's "yellow snow" from place to place allowed me to learn that Jethro made fine discriminations between his own and others' urine (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animal-emotions/200906/hidden...). Perhaps a sense of self relies on a composite signal that results from integrating information from different senses.

In my book, Minding animals: Awareness, Emotions, and Heart and elsewhere I argued that a sense of body-ness is necessary and sufficient for most animals to engage in social activities that are needed in the social milieus in which they live. But, while a sense of body-ness is necessary for humans to get along in many of the situations they encounter, it's often not sufficient for them to function as they need to. A human typically knows who he or she is, say by name, and knows that "this body" is his, Marc's, or him, Marc. There's a sense of "I-ness" that's an extension of "body-ness" or "mine-ness."

So, my take on animal selves means that David Graybeard and Jethro knew they weren't one of their buddies. Many animals know such facts as "this is my tail," "this is my territory," "this is my bone or my piece of elk," "this is my mate," and "this is my urine." Their sense of "mine-ness" or "body-ness" is their sense of "self."

After decades of studying animals ranging from coyotes, gray wolves, domestic dogs, and Adelie penguins and other birds, I've come to the conclusion that not only are some animals self-aware, but also that there are degrees of self-awareness. Combined with studies by my colleagues, it's wholly plausible to suggest that many animals have a sense of "mine-ness" or "body-ness." So, for example, when an experimental treatment, an object, or another individual affects an individual, he or she experiences that "something is happening to this body." Many primates relax when being groomed and individuals of many species actively seek pleasure and avoid pain. There's no need to associate "this body" with "my body" or with "me" (or "I"). Many animals also know the placement in space of parts of their body as they run, jump, perform acrobatics, or move as a coordinated hunting unit or flock without running into one another. They know their body isn't someone else's body.

In his book, The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Charles Darwin pondered what animals might know about themselves. He wrote: "It may be freely admitted that no animal is self-conscious, if by this term it is implied that he reflects on such points, as whence he comes or whither he will go, or what is life and death, and so forth."

Darwin also championed the notion of evolutionary continuity and believed that animals had some sense of self. In the same book, he wrote, "Nevertheless, the difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind." Thus, there are shades of gray and not black-and-white differences between humans and other animals in cognitive abilities. So, while animals might not ponder life and death the way humans do, they still may have some sense of self.

Do Animals Know Who They Are?
There are degrees of self-awareness in animals
Published on July 6, 2009 by Marc Bekoff, Ph.D. in Animal Emotions


Did David Graybeard, the chimpanzee who was first observed to use a tool by Jane Goodall, have any idea of who he was? Do elephants, dolphins, cats, magpies, mice, salmon, ants or bees know who they are? Was Jethro, my late companion dog, a self-conscious being? Do any of these animals have a sense of self? What do these animals make of themselves when they look in a mirror, see their reflection in water, hear their own or another's song or howl, or smell themselves and others? Is it possible that self-awareness  "Wow that's me!" is a uniquely human trait ?

Because there's much interest and much exciting work to be done concerning what animals know about themselves, it's worth reflecting on what we do and don't know about animal selves. There are academic and practical reasons to do so.

Agoi, kahadlok! Maayo gani kay way dalang armalite...

Dos viejos amigos tambaloslos...

Quote from: Raquelproud boholana on July 15, 2013, 09:15:28 PM
Sy Shylo ang ngalan sa akong iring. Sukad gi spayed siya kay ingsamot ka nice ang coat(fur) ug nanambok na siya. Naa pud koy iring kusog mokaon ug avocado.

Hmm, paryente diay ni Sy Lysho...

Quote from: islander on July 15, 2013, 08:21:46 PM
on sekand tots, ari na lang ko sa cut and paste kay daghan kog mahibaw-an nga bag-o.  makalanag nang balik-balik nga original estorlong.

He he, ang estorlong pwede pud tawgon og binutlong...

Quote from: islander on July 15, 2013, 11:49:36 AM
how about turn upside down?

A real dead ringer...

Quote from: taga tigbao on July 15, 2013, 04:17:30 PM
Tan-aw lamang gud pero ajaw lamang pintika! ILaga na ang imong tirada ron Bay Hubs! Hahaha

Ilaga na kay makita man nga banggiitan ang original and highly creative writer sa dayari...

Quote from: bugsay on July 16, 2013, 09:17:16 AM

pat5ok by triburiverside, on Flickr

hehehe;D

Da best op da best!

Omaygad! Ay kant lok!

Quote from: islander on July 15, 2013, 11:55:23 AM
at least, di ta mahadlok sa apapangig aning pensive catfish.

Ayawg kompyansa. Watch it open sometime around the middle of next month...

Quote from: taga tigbao on July 15, 2013, 01:18:03 PM
Diha man pud toy ibidins nga nakitas korte suprema. Hahaha. Ambot if it will stand the litmus test for evidence?

Aw, hinuon, makapasar baja sa sapal test for evidence...

Quote from: taga tigbao on July 15, 2013, 01:16:12 PM
Estorlong...meaning?

"Estorya nga very long", unsa pa? Aha, ay no wat yo min! Bwihihi!

Quote from: taga tigbao on July 15, 2013, 12:21:24 PM
Mao diay kono ni Sumatran Rat-Monkey. Fictional ra ni sija nga being. So no worry, er, naa diay gihapon kay basin may matakdan sa espiritu ani!

Fictional? Tulad ng naturing kayamanan?

Quote from: taga tigbao on July 15, 2013, 12:05:41 PM
Si Bay Hubag ra man to naay expected nga event sa August 17, 2013. Hahahaha. Aw ug akip ko gusto ko sa Moon ra. Aron duol ras Earth.

He he, Bay Tigs, tuo diay kag estorbot (estorya nga binotbot) nga sa lain pang pagkasulti, estorlong?

Quote from: islander on July 15, 2013, 11:53:39 AM
hahaha!  hala mo, du.  mahimo gyod mong bol-anon sa saturn ani (di lang pluto kay naa ra ba tay kauban nga bol-anon sa pluto).  kayo ba ay hindi gipangirogan kung ano ang mangyayari sa inyo ngayong august 17?

Hmm, si Bay Tigs mahimong werewolf, este, wererat? O weredonkey ba hinuon?

Quote from: taga tigbao on July 15, 2013, 11:47:10 AM
Aws, ig-agaw diay na sija Bay Hubs ni Count Rat:

Hmm, the Count who loves to count? Unsa kahay gipunayan og kwenta ani ni Count Rat?

Aw, lain pud to niyang incarnation. Mas swabe ni karon...

Quote from: taga tigbao on July 15, 2013, 11:39:53 AM
Hahahahaha. Aw persona diay ko nimo Bay Hubs?

He he, igo ra kong nag cut and paste og comment. Kutob ra man gud ko sa cut and paste, walay awesome original ideas sama sa uban...

Tubaga una tong ahong pangutana under Trivia category, Bay Tigs!

Quote from: islander on July 15, 2013, 11:35:23 AM
"Painting is the grandchild of nature. It is related to God."

                                             -Rembrandt van Rijn

Hmm, an allusion to Platonic archetypes?

Suheto man jud ka bahin og flora and fauna, Bay Tigs, unsa man kuno ni nga klaseha sa mananap? (Way tan-away sa img code...)

Hahay, tabang kasantosan ug katiguwangan, manenental jud ning ahong duha ka persona intawon, zaon na lang...

Niay in pensive mood, kini na lang...

Quote from: islander on July 15, 2013, 11:20:41 AM
if my reading of the stars is right, someone will turn over a new monkey on august 17.

Hmm, turn over or turn into?

Quote from: islander on July 15, 2013, 11:19:37 AM
paksit.  tubag, o lord botoy.

Ikaw jud, agent provocatrix jud ka da. I have sworn upon my honor na, manglubog pa jud mong duha ni Bay Tigs. Naa ra bay nanikop, na double, er, triple vision na hinuon...

Quote from: taga tigbao on July 15, 2013, 11:15:35 AM
Ilaga na lamang Lord Botoy?

He he, aw, hmm, since you are both a friend and a rat exterminator, let me ponder on this ineluctable philosophical conundrum for a few days...

Raqz, duda ko nga kaliwat imong iring ani niya...





- Botoy has a similar smile...

Quote from: Raquelproud boholana on July 14, 2013, 07:47:45 PM
Ingon lagi si Nanay naniguwang na raman kono siya ning kalibutana karon pa daw siya nakakita ug iring kusog mokilaw ug swake ug tuyom. Maexcited siya makakita ug basket nga naay sulod tuyom ug swake  bisan wala pa ablihi magpa ibid ibid na dayon na siya. Di raba kahuwat jud. Mokilaw siya ug lima na ka buok ako usa palang.

Hmm, maayong paliwatan ning iringa, wa jud ni siyay mineral and vitamin deficiency...

Labor Union

''The flights to Europe might be able to return it to profit,'' Harry Liu, president of Summit Securities in Manila, said by phone. ''A Philippine Airlines under San Miguel might be able to deal with its labor union in ways that Tan wasn't able to.''

Philippine Airlines, majority owned by Tan through PAL Holdings Inc., was in talks for 35 wide-body Airbus or Boeing jets after signing a purchase agreement for 10 A330s, Ang said Oct. 20.

San Miguel on July 8 said it has held talks with ANA Holdings Inc. about investing in the flag carrier, without elaborating.

There is a ''very good understanding'' with a potential investor, Ang said yesterday, declining to provide further details or identify the suitor..

Ang, a flying enthusiast, said he will probably sell all but one of the aircraft he owns. ''Why would I need them? We have to patronize PAL.''

''After the EU lifting, we need to make arrangements with the airports, which may take one to two months,'' Ang said yesterday. ''We will be flying to London by October at the latest. By November, we should be flying to all.''

PAL Holdings, which traded for the first time this year after raising its public float to a level required by the Philippine Stock Exchange, rose 42 percent to 6.95 pesos.

San Miguel Corp., the nation's biggest company and of which Ang is also president, in April last year acquired 49 percent of Philippine Airlines from businessman Lucio Tan for $500 million as part of its expansion into industries that include oil, power and infrastructure.

Manila Bulletin â€" 9 hours


(Bloomberg) - Philippine Airlines, Inc., controlled by billionaire Lucio Tan, plans to fly daily to five cities in Europe, with flights to resume this year after the European Union took the country off its safety blacklist.

The flag carrier will use its six Boeing Co. 777 aircraft for direct flights to London, Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam and Rome, President Ramon Ang said in an interview in Manila.

The EU on July 10 said it's lifting a three-year-old flight ban on Philippine Airlines, citing its ability to ensure compliance with safety regulations and oversight improvements by the Southeast Asian nation's aviation authorities. ''The Philippines may attract about 600,000 European visitors, 50 percent more than last year, helping the nation meet its target'' of 5.5 million tourists this year, ABS-CBN News reported on July 11, citing Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez.

The History

The seemingly infinite tunnels that run below the streets of Paris should not be confused with the Catacombs of Paris, the famous underground ossuary, although the mines are also mistakenly referred to as the catacombs. Exploring the mines is illegal, and penalties include heavy fines. The mines were used to dig out minerals from Paris’ varied sediment (the location where Paris is was submerged for millions of years), and the tunnels are what got left behind.

The Terror

The mines are now unkempt, unpatrolled and unsafe. As far as legends go, ancient cults and creatures patrol the depths. Spirits dwell in the infinite shadows, and if one wanders deep enough, and survives, they may even enter Hades itself. As far as reality goes, those legends can take a back seat. The tunnels stretch for close to 600 kilometers throughout the Parisian underground, and most of them are unmapped. Saying it is easy to get lost is an understatement. It is nearly impossible not to get lost. Many parts of the catacombs are hundreds of feet below street level. Some hallways are flooded, or are so narrow you have to crawl through them. There are holes that drop hundreds of feet, and manholes that are unreachable, luring unwary urban explorers in with false promises of freedom. The infinite underground maze absorbs sound, mutes it, making it unlikely you will hear somebody yelling for help, even if they are not far away. Or, worse yet, making it unlikely somebody will hear you. Thousands of human bones litter the tunnels, due to overcrowding in many of Paris’ cemeteries. Weird paintings adorn the walls. Are they ancient? Are they new? Are they warnings? Or pleas for help? If you have claustrophobia, you will want to avoid the mines at all costs. If you don’t have claustrophobia, you probably will after a trip through the mines. Bring plenty of batteries, backup flashlights, clean water, a friend, and say a prayer before entering the mines of Paris. You will need them all. -- http://listverse.com/

http://www.chinadaily.com/

It Is Year 2556 In Thailand

Technically, it is the year 2556 in Thailand. Why? Thailand uses the Bhuddist Era (B.E.), which is 543 years ahead of the regular calendars the rest of the world is accustomed to. Thailand’s traditional New Year’s Day, which was so, up until 1940, is celebrated from 13-15 April through what is called The Songkran Festival. While Thailand has since moved the New Year to 1 January, celebrations where families and friends gather to visit temples while sprinkling water on Buddha images and each other have continued on, with Songkran being a national holiday.

The “Temple Closed” Scam

As with all other countries, The Land Of Smiles does not exist without scam â€" some will even have that smile stripped away in a blink of an eye. Refrain from purchasing jewellery at street stalls and be very weary of what many call the “temple closed” scam. Upon hailing a tuk-tuk or being approached by a tuk-tuk driver, the driver will inform tourists that the temple (or the tourist’s desired destination) is closed and will then suggest alternative sites to visit; the driver will then take his victim to souvenir shops and gain commission if his victim purchases something.

Taxis Are Cheaper Than Tuk-Tuks

In city centers and metropolitan areas such as Bangkok, hailing a taxi will result in a lower fare as compared to riding a tuk-tuk. You may encounter taxi drivers who try to negotiate flat rates; it is important to make sure that the taxi driver uses the fare meter instead. In the case that you do decide to take a tuk-tuk, do note that prices for rides must be negotiated in advance.

Dressing Appropriately For Temple Visits

If you plan to make temple visits in Thailand, do take careful note of your dressing â€" conservative dressing is advised, with shoulders and knees covered. In places of worship, one must be respectful, especially when it comes to flash photography; women must also be weary not to touch a monk at any given moment. A tip for women â€" bring along a lightweight scarf that you can drape around your shoulders and knot at the front for temple visits.

Respecting The Thai National Anthem

When in Thailand, try to disguise your shock at the sight of Thais dropping whatever it is they’re busy doing, to stand up at the sound of the Thai national anthem being played over the loudspeakers â€" this is done so twice a day, once at 8:00AM and once more at 6:00PM. Your best bet at this point is to take cue from the Thais and follow suit. You should also do this before the start of every movie screened in Thai cinemas, whereby a royal anthem paying homage to the king is played (you will also notice pictures of the king on the screen).

Trash Bins Made Out Of Tyres

The unconventional-looking trash cans around and outside residences in Thailand are frequently observed yet missed by many. Upon closer look, travellers will find garbage bins that are made out of recycled car tyres staring back at them. Further exploration will have travellers even more surprised at the sight of complete furniture sets made out of recycled tyres.

Gasoline Sold In Whisky Bottles

When travelling in Thailand, be careful not to mistake bottles of gasoline for bottles of whisky! Walk down a street and you might just stumble upon roadside stalls that sell gasoline in whisky bottles. While Thailand is equipped with gas stations, these roadside stalls cater more to the motorcyclists in rural areas and small towns. Gasoline is usually sold by half a litre and one litre.

Thais Use The Six-Hour Clock
       
If you thought the twelve-hour-clock and the twenty-four-hour-clock were more than enough conventions of timekeeping to know, meet the six-hour-clock â€" it counts twenty-four hours a day but divides the day up into four six-hour quarters, with each quarter having differing Thai terms, especially used in verbal communication. This traditional timekeeping system was formerly used in Lao and Khmer language.

Fancy Ketchup On Pizza?

Don’t be surprised if a bottle of ketchup is handed to you after you’ve successfully placed a pizza order; even pizza delivery in Thailand comes with ketchup packets! Yes, Thai people eat pizza with ketchup. It is also normal for Thais to put mayonnaise on their pizzas so go ahead and try that when in Thailand to fully experience the culture!

Braces Are A Status Symbol

A population of teenagers and young adults in Thailand fit on fake dental braces, also known as vanity braces, as a symbol of status. The faux oral accessories (which come in an array of colours and designs) serve no correcting purposes but is, however, associated with wealth as real orthodontic braces are a costly luxury here. Due to health reasons and cases of death, Thai authorities have now banned these fake braces.

“So close, yet so far,” is the idiom that comes to mind when comparing the cultures of Malaysia and her neighbour Thailand. Sitting right above Malaysia is The Land Of Smiles, where many newlyweds have ventured to for honeymoons and explorers their first dives. The stories about her beautiful islands and the nation’s hospitality are abundant, egging many to want to create their own; so if you do end up finding yourself planning a trip up to Thailand anytime soon, here are 10 things you should know about Malaysia’s neighbour first. -- http://ph.news.yahoo.com/

The Night Watch or The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq is the common name of one of the most famous works by Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn.

Artist: Rembrandt
Location: Rijksmuseum
Created: 1642
Dimensions: 3.6 m x 4.4 m
Media: Oil paint
Subject: Frans Banning Cocq, Schutterij

--Wiki

Today, on the occasion of the birthday of his idol, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Botoy turns over a new leaf.















No more monkeys for him. (Except, of course, for few, accidental, totally nongermane ones now and then.)

And the winner is...

Real cool...

He he...