Leonardo DiCaprio: The Actor, The Environmentalist

And the OSCAR for Best Actor goes to...Leonardo DiCaprio!

     As the winner was announced by Julianne Moore on the Oscar Awards night, friends and colleagues of  Leonardo DiCaprio and his fans all over the world screamed for joy, that finally, the long-delayed and most coveted award is already his. Though anticipated for his acting performance in the movie The Revenant, the Oscar awards had bypassed him for four performances which most of his colleagues and fans believe he deserved to be. Imagine, a highly paid actor with box-office hits and mostly recognized by other award-giving bodies but continuously snubbed by OSCAR. Thus, numerous memes emerge on social media for non-winning of the said award (he could have won an award for the most number of memes of all time).
        In 1994, he was nominated for best actor in a supporting role as a mentally challenged younger brother of Johnny Depp in What's Eating Gilbert Grape?; best performance by an actor in a leading role for the movie The Aviator in 2005; two (2) years after he was nominated again for the same category for Blood Diamond; in 2007 he has been nominated again for the movie The Wolf of Wall Street, and finally, the prestigious OSCAR award recognized his performance in his latest movie The Revenant. He was a runner-up in those (4) movies toppled by Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive), Jamie Foxx (Ray); Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland); and Matthew McConaughey (Dallas' Buyers Club), respectively. He had won many awards from other award-giving bodies in his other movies as well as his latest one, The Revenant.

         I may have reacted to some of his movies for which he didn't win an award or get nominated for his acting. He is not only a good-looking actor, he can really act and gives justice to whatever role he was given with. Since his movie Titanic started his full stardom (though he had other movies back then), people noticed not only the handsome face he has been carrying but his charisma and how he reprises each role given to him. I have been able to watch most of his movies, from a doomed lover in a cruise ship to a medieval king with a twin, to an American backpack adventurer, to a con-man, to a filmmaker and aviator, to a police undercover agent, to a gunrunner and diamond smuggler, to a CIA agent hunting down a powerful terrorist leader, to an unheroic cowardly husband, to a corporate spy who uses subconscious infiltration through shared dreams, to a plantation and slave owner during 1850s, to a mysterious millionaire longing for his already married ex-girlfriend, to a Wall Street stockbroker millionaire, and recently to a crew trapper/frontiersman survivor. DiCaprio is also one of the highest-paid actors in the world and all his movies are earning well and well.
      Now, Leonardo DiCaprio on his advocacy for wildlands conservation, ecological biodiversity, ocean conservation, and climate change made him love even more by fans who admire him for his looks and movies. A fan like me who does not only support but practices what the Greenpeace Movement holds for, in its effort to make this place a better place to live in by our children's children, will really have his hands up for these undertakings from famous people. True to his words, he has solar panels installed in his home, he owns an electric Tesla Roadster, a Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid, and a Toyota Prius. In 2007, he produced, co-written, and narrated a documentary film about the problems facing the earth's ecosystem. The documentary entitled The 11th Hour addresses the problem of global warming, deforestation, mass species extinction, and depletion of the ocean's habitat. The 11th Hour documentary also proposes potential solutions to these problems. His winning moment during the OSCAR night was staged by an unusual speech to a call about global warming which catches the attention of all the celebrities, fans, and bashers alike.

"Climate change is real, it is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating. We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters, but who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of underprivileged people out there who would be most affected by this. For our children's children, and for those people out there whose voices have been drowned out by the politics of greed." ~ DiCaprio, Oscar 2016

The many faces of Leonardo DiCaprio

Everyday Spices to Grow Indoors

     

     Lack of soil in the city, spices, and vegetables aren't getting any cheaper, the cravings for more spices and veggies push me to make research edible plants that we can grow indoors even if we don't have enough soil or none at all. I have been hearing about hydro phonics before and become interested in it. I need a thorough study on hydro phonics but then I stumbled upon some sites stating varieties of edible plants we can grow on a pot, sacks, hanging baskets, and bags.  I have made some research on the plants which we need every day in our kitchen - ginger, onion, garlic,  and. bell pepper.

In preparation, you will need these materials: a clean knife, cutting board, and starter pot with potting soil, a plastic bottle of soda or mineral water will do.

GINGER

1) Put a chunk of ginger in a container with soil. Make sure the freshest-looking buds are faced up.
2) Place the container in an area that receives indirect sunlight and wait for new growth to sprout out of the soil. Keep the soil consistently moist.
3) To harvest, pull the entire plan out of the soil.


ONIONS

1) Slice off the onion bottom with all the roots still intact, with the onion meat of 1.5 to2 inches. The more of a bottom you slice off the better.
2) Allow drying for a few hours or two days in a shaded and ventilated area, depending on how the cut portions are already dried.
3) Fill your container 10 inches in depth of the soil (for a 5-gallon bucket). Be sure the container has holes 3 inches apart. For the best result, use well-drained loamy soil with a neutral pH. Enrich the soil with compost before planting.
4) Dig in to create a cradle for each onion's bottoms to allow good contact with the soil. Depending on the diameter of the container, you can accommodate 3 to 4 onions in the container, however, 3 inches distance from each and the container's side is needed to grow them fully.
5) Cover with  1 to 2 inches of soil. Water as needed.
6) To have green onions, harvest the stalks before the bulb matures or it reaches 6-8 inches.
7) The bulb is ready to harvest when the tops begin to yellow and fall over. Bend the tops down. Once it turns brown, pull each bulb carefully.

* Onions need more water when grown in containers. Be aware that onions may look healthy even when they need water.


GARLIC

1) An 8-inches deep wider pot is needed to plant garlic. Mix soil with gardening sand with a 3 to 1 ratio of soil to sand.
2) Place garlic bulbs with the pointed end facing up, and the flat end to the soil. Push the bulb 4 to 6 inches deep into the soil. Do not cover with soil but the bulb should have (1) inch space from the top of the soil. Each bulb should be 4 inches apart from each and away from the container's side.
3) Direct sunlight for 8 hours is needed every day. Water the soil by sprinkling water evenly. The soil must be kept moist, but not very wet.
4) As the garlic begins to have left, wait for the flower to sprout. Cut the flower at its base so that the energy comes and makes the bulb bigger.
5) When the leaves begin to turn brown and fall out. Harvest the garlic by pulling them out. Hand to dry.


BELL PEPPER

1) Soak the seeds in warm water for up to 8 hours until they sink to the bottom.
2) Prepare a sterilized, loose-draining potting mix in a plastic cup. One seed for each plastic cup,
3) Poke a hole of 1/4 inch deep to bury the seed and loosely cover it with soil.
4) Place them in a warm sunny location. Keep the seeds moist by spraying water. Do not drench and allow it to dry out.
5) Once the seedlings sprouted 2 fully grown leaves, transfer to a larger pot with a loose, well-draining soil with high content of organic matter. Depending on the size of the pot you may combine multiple plants in a single pot.
6) Dig a small hole in the potting soil the same size as in the plastic cup. For multiple plants, it should be 2 inches apart.
7) Carefully cut the plastic cup on the side and place them in a hole. Pack the soil to become firm and stable.
8) Keep the plants warm and well-lit. Fluorescent light 3 inches from the top of the plant, 14 to 16 hours a day is much better.
9) Water the plants consistently. Soak them every few days and dry in between.
10) To increase yield, pollinate the plant when they flower, by using a cotton swab; rub the pollen from the anthers on a male flower and swab the pollen into a female flower called stigma.
11) Harvest them when they reach a usable size and appropriate colors by using shears leaving (1) inch stem to the plants.
* Bell pepper leaves can also be used in other dishes such as chicken and corn soup.

English 101: The VERB (series 1.C1)

     This is my 6th writing about Parts of Speech in English 101, the Verb. This is the third part of the speech that is being discussed here, after Nouns and Pronoun. A verb is a word that expresses an action or state of being. Action verb denotes an action word such as clap, tap, walk, dance, talk, jump, etc. The linking verb denotes a state of being such as am, is, was, are, or we. We also have what we call the helping verb used with the main verb to form verb phrases.

*credit image to tes.com lessons

Action Verbs > show either a physical or mental action.
    Examples: His plane landed at NAIA two hours ago. (physical action)
                      She always hopes for the best in us. (mental action)

Linking Verbs > used to connect the subject of a sentence with a noun or an adjective identifies or describes the noun or pronoun.

Helping verbs:  be, been                 have, has, had        
                          do, does, did         will, would
                          shall, should         can, could
                          may, might           must

* some words seem to look like an action verb but are used in a sentence as a linking verb.
        Examples:
               appear       get        remain     sound
               become     grow     seem        stay
               feel            look      smell       taste

How do distinguish action words used as linking verbs?
>> Try to replace the word with the actual linking verb, if the thought of the sentence does not lose its sense, it means it is a linking verb,

Examples:  The baby feels agitated when he arrived.
          *The baby is agitated when he arrived.
                 (the word 'feels' is a linking verb)

                   The baby feels the drop of water on his face that made him laugh.
           *The baby is the drop of water on his face that made him laugh.
                      (the word 'feels' is an action verb here since when we replace the actual linking verb, it does lose its sense)

The Real "Hampaslupa"

     Hampaslupa is a word that we mostly hear from our television soap operas when someone who has been in Alta-Sociedad (high society) belittles another person who is not equally the same with their social status. Hampaslupa, Pega la Tierra, is a derogatory remark originating from Spaniards which means "hits the ground" probably arises during the agrarian division between the haciendas and the rural folks tilling the land. It can also be associated with another Filipino expression of  "isang kahig, isang tuka" (one scratch, one peck-as what a chicken does), for hitting the ground one would be able to feed himself or his family. Until today, it has been widely used for insulting someone and in Senorita memes for humor.

     Hampaslupa used to describe our Filipino farmers, as pitiful, doing dirty work, considered a poor man's job. In contrast to other countries, farming/farmers are highly regarded. In China, Confucian ideology considered farmers as next to scholars, in Thailand, they taught their young in school that farmers are the backbone of the nation, in the United States, farming/farmers are particularly valued and mostly successful, even France and Germany shared the same view that farmers are an important factor in maintaining the equilibrium in the society's structure.
     So it is not really demeaning to be a farmer, even in the United States, they have the 'No Farm, No Food Movement' giving importance to farming as their source of food and income. Hampaslupa is the farmers who feed us, they plant and put their harvest on our table. We are the consumers of their products, therefore we are participating in farming and affirming the value and role of farmers. We contribute to tilling the soil by the choice of food we eat. Collectively and individually, we are hampaslupa. For this, we are encouraging everyone to make a pledge of securing the food on our table, encouraging farmers as well. Read the pledges and  Challenge yourself.

Read more:
Importance of Agriculture

No Farms, No Food

Beware of Mosquito-Borne Virus

     Seven years ago, my son contracted a mosquito-borne viral infection, the dengue virus. Three days of high to low fever, had me suspected of dengue fever. On the fourth day, I have seen that he had bleeding gums, right then I decided to take him to a hospital since I know how fatal dengue is. It pays to be informed of every disease that could snatch out the ones we love. Though he survived that fatal disease, it leaves a traumatic experience for him due to intermittent blood extraction to check on his platelets. I have come to know through doctors that there are four (4) strains of dengue infection in which you cannot be immune if you have had the other one. My son had strain I (DEN-1) and strain IV (DEN-4), meaning he is still not immune to strain II and III.

     After five years, I contracted another mosquito-borne viral infection. Fever, headache, and massive joint pains which I suspected then as dengue. I am taking chances with my life then before seeking the doctor's help, if my gum bleeds that was it. Joint pains is unbearable for me then because I was not able to walk, so I consulted my doctor and was diagnosed having the chikungunya virus. Though this one is not fatal, the extreme pain of the symptoms as well as taking antibiotics was hard for me. 

     The onset of another mosquito-borne virus is in our news nowadays, the zika virus urges me to do some research on the four most known mosquito-borne viral infections aside from malaria, yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, and zika virus.

Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes. 

• Incubation is 3-6 days. 
• The 1st acute phase occurs with fever, muscle pain with prominent backache, headache, shivers, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. 
• The 2nd phase, the more toxic phase, high fever returns, and several body systems are affected.
• Jaundice, abdominal pains, vomiting, and bleeding can occur from the mouth, nose, eyes, and stomach.
• Blood also appears in the vomit and feces. Kidney function deteriorates. Patients who enter the toxic phase die within 10 - 14 days. 
• Vaccines are available. 
• No specific treatment but can be treated with antibiotics.

Dengue Virus is transmitted by a female mosquito of the species Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The former is usually widespread in tropical and subtropical countries in Asia while the latter is in cooler temperate regions of Europe. 

• Aedes aegypti is a day mosquito that bites early in the morning and before dusk in the evening. 
• Incubation is 4-10 days.
• A high fever of up to 40°C/104°F, headache, pain behind the eyes and muscle pains, nausea and vomiting, swollen glands, rashes, and bleeding gums are the symptoms but not necessarily all of them.
• Complications that can be deadly are plasma leaking, organ impairment, severe bleeding, respiratory diseases, or fluid accumulation which may occur 3-7 days after the 1st symptoms. 
• Infected persons are the carriers of the disease. 
• No specific treatment but maintenance of the patient's body fluid is critical for its treatment.
• Vaccine is now available 

Chikungunya Virus is also transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes, the most common are the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The name chikungunya is derived from the Kimakonde language in Africa, "to become contorted" since the patient appears stooped due to joint pains.

• The virus is transmitted from person to person by infected female mosquitoes. 
• Sudden onset of fever accompanied by joint pains are the primary symptoms.
• Onset of illness occurs in 4 to 8 days or 2 to 12 days.
• Headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, fatigue, and rash are the common symptoms.
• Joint pain can be debilitating and can last for weeks, months, or even years.
• Symptoms can be the same as in dengue and can be sometimes misdiagnosed in some regions.
• No specific treatment or cure but treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms.

Zika Virus is transmitted to a person through the bite of an infected mosquito, Aedes aegypti, the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever.

• incubation period is not clear
• symptoms include mild fever, rash, and conjunctivitis which lasts for 2 to 7 days.
• some symptoms are similar to other mosquito-borne diseases, including muscle, and joint pains, malaise, and headache.
• no specific treatment and vaccines available

** Zika Virus is reportedly associated with a birth defect of microcephaly due to an increase in several babies born with it in  Brazil. Regarding the matter, World Health Organization (WHO) just released a news statement associating neurological birth defects with the zika virus.

** As we have noticed, the same mosquitoes and symptoms can be observed in all of these diseases. They only differ in the kinds of virus and strain the mosquitoes are carrying and transmitting to humans.

Definition of Terms:

* incubation period - from the time of exposure to the onset of symptoms

* microcephaly - a type of birth or congenital defect wherein the infant's head is significantly smaller due to incomplete brain development.

* plasma leakage - leakage of blood plasma out of the capillaries.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

FOR MORE INFORMATION, LINKS ARE PROVIDED BELOW FOR DISSEMINATION:

*Question and Answers: Zika and Pregnancy

*WHO(World Health Organization) statement on the first meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations

*WHO Director-General Summarizes the Outcome of the Emergency Committee on Zika

#zikavirus #chikingunya #dengue #yellowfever #aedesaegypti #microcephaly

English 101: Pronouns (series 1.B1)

     Another part of the speech is PRONOUN, which is the second Part of the Speech we have to discuss after Noun. What are the importance of determining what a Pronoun is and its type? As we have said earlier it is a substitute for nouns, and in succeeding posts, the kind of pronoun to be used has something to do with the verb and correct sentence construction later on.
     A pronoun is used as a substitute for a noun. The noun that the pronoun replaces is called the antecedent. The kinds of Pronoun are as follows:

image credit from educatorlabs.com lesson plans

1) PERSONAL Pronouns.
    It is used to refer to one or more persons or things.
            ( look at columns 1 and 2 of the chart)

      * Column 1 is the subjective or nominative case of Personal Pronouns.
      * Column 2 is the objective case of  Personal Pronouns

     First Person > refers to the one speaking.

     Second Person > refers to the one being spoken to

     Third Person > refers to the one being spoken about.

    * POSSESSIVE Pronouns. 

        These are personal pronouns used to show possession or ownership.

                (look at columns 3 and 4 of the chart)

        * Column 3 and 4 is the possessive case of Personal Pronouns.

2) REFLEXIVE Pronouns. 

        It is used to indicate that the subject acts to, for, or upon itself. 

        It is formed by adding the suffixes -self  (singular) or -selves (plural)  

           to the personal pronouns. (see column 5)

    * INTENSIVE Pronouns. 

            They are used to draw special attention to a noun or pronoun in a sentence. 

               

        Examples: 

            I myself wrote this post.
           You yourself cannot hide the truth.
           Diana herself was amazed.                    

3) DEMONSTRATIVE Pronouns. It tells which one or which group is being referred to.
                                  

4) INTERROGATIVE Pronouns. It introduces questions.
                                                            

5) RELATIVE Pronouns.

                    It introduces adjective clauses which are word groups
                    that tell which, what kind, or how many.
                                      

                

        Examples:

             He is the boy who rang the bell. (subjective)
             The boy whom you met at the store. (objective)
             The boy whose mother had died. (possessive)

             This is the book which I read in Spain. (subjective)
             That is the book which you are going to buy. (objective)
             That is the book whose author I forgot. (possessive)

             He is the man that broke the glass. (subjective)
             He is the man that everyone hates. (objective)
             He is the man whose gun was confiscated. (possessive)

6) INDEFINITE Pronouns.
             It refers to persons, places, and things in general.
             It can be used without antecedents.
                     
             Singular
                 anybody       everyone       no one  
                 anyone         much             one
                 each             neither           somebody
                 either           nobody          someone
                 everybody   something     anything
     
             Plural
                 both             few                many
                 others          several
 
              The following can either be singular or plural, depending on how they are going to be used in a sentence.
                  all     any     most     none     some

I n t u i t i o n

     Intuition..gut feeling..or a hunch that we call. sixth sense? According to a psychic library, it is the awareness of a fact or reality that is not related by any usual reasoning power or logical assumption. Yes, the sixth sense, and everyone has it, though only a few are in tune with it. WebMD states that just like the brain, there are neurotransmitters in the gut that can respond to stimuli and emotions in the now.
     Some people set aside these feelings, and some people tend not to share what transpired after these feelings. I, for one rarely share this kind of feeling, unless I have detected that the one I'm talking to believes or has an open mind about this topic. Some people with a broader mind call it a gift of discernment. 

     The vivid memories of this intuitive ability or gift happened 18 years ago. This is very significant even though I have been experiencing the same many times. I had 2 kids then and teaching at a prestigious university that a need for a housemaid was very urgent and badly needed. Our grandmother referred a woman who had worked for them long before. Maybe because it was long ago, she forgot to mention the unlikely things the maid had done. As I was asking questions, her answers made me uneasy, but then I dismissed the thought. On our way to our parents, the owner-type jeep that we were driving lost its brake and we had to stop and slammed at the small truck in front of us, it seems something was stopping us to bring the maid to our house. We survived the accident with no injuries and arrived at our parents' home safely. Once again, I asked the maid some questions which I had asked her before though in a different form or style. Throughout all these, my intuition tells me something. I had once again... dismissed the thought, for I have been longing to have a maid.

image credit: Shutterstock 

     After taking our lunch, I went out to buy some goods and when I came back the maid was gone Our mother told us that the maid had asked permission to buy some personal things she needed. Hours went by, and the woman still hadn't come back until I checked my bag..there with sadness. I had been robbed The woman had taken my cash in the bag with her and scrambled through with her stuff, it only contains one shirt and one pair of pants. It brought us to the conclusion that she really was up to something. The good thing, maybe, she had not reached our home yet and it could be worse than this. From then on, I have learned to follow whatever my intuition would say, regardless of any situation or circumstances. 

     There are other remarkable encounters with that gift, if I may say..usually, with persons, I am dealing with in my daily life. Out of nowhere, it would just pop out of my mind what a particular person had done and find it true. There were instances when a person whom I have never met before made me uneasy because I discern something is wrong with his behavior or he is up for something or sometimes there is a need for me to be so concerned for that person. The last one I've learned to manage..pray for the person and talk to him. Some instances were delicate and complicated I cannot discuss them here for the privacy of some people.
     Intuition is also weighing the things or decisions you have to make. If you feel uncomfortable, not at ease in a certain place or person because you sense something (which some people call "aura"), it would be right to avoid them than suffer what negative happenings could have transpired. When we were in Dalaguete, Cebu with kids in a strange and far place away from our house and the city, I was not comfortable with the place. Beside the bay, though big and homey, can't sleep the whole night until it rained and a brownout took place (remember about the maid? when there are minor unpleasant incidents, it's a sign worse could happen). The generator from the resort was pulled on. At 5am, I texted the driver we had ridden from the airport to fetch us and check in to another hotel. I don't really know what would really happen that night but as for me, I cannot put my kids in danger or whatever what's in that place. I have traveled with kids many times and this was the only one in which I feel disturbed from the moment we stepped in until the night. Though we had reserved for 2 nights and 3 days, we only spent one night and find another place in Mactan. If you were in my shoe, would you do the same? Please comment below on what you think.

How Intuitive Are You Quiz <<< I got to level 4 (52)

#intuition #sixthsense #gut #hunches