DESIDERATA

DESIDERATA

Max Ehrmann

First and foremost, I want to be honest that this is a poem that I had a major difficulty in expressing. I have read it out loud quite a few times. I encountered a number of poems and stories made by great minds just like this one, and I am quite proud to say that most of them, I had been able to decipher. Feeling the Author's/Poet's emotion in a story/poem when I read it at a first time had always been my forte. So, I was quite surprised when I had to read this poem for more than five times to express it. Even when I read it out loud, I couldn't quite grasp the tone required for some lines. This is how I want to start my reflection for this poem, 'Desiderata'.

At first, I had no interest in this one. So, I resorted to using only my brains to figure it out. For me, it was like a puzzle. I had to think on where to put the pieces so that I can complete it. But after several failed attempts, I finally caved into exhaustion. My mind was tired. Well, sure, it is easy to explain. All I had to do was search for the meaning of the "deep" words in the poem. But that is explaining it as if, it's so simple. I might be very hard to understand right now, but how does it feel to explain it and at the same time, understand it fully. Why would the poet write it? To clear some confusion? To inform? Or just for his own amusement, and maybe a few's too. We wouldn't know.

But still. I am proud to present, my understanding of 'Desiderata'.

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Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, 
and remember what peace there may be in silence. 

It, in my opinion, must have meant that in all the noise(literally) and the hurry, you should be calm and composed. It wouldn't do if you were as noisy and/or as panicked as them. You should be calm to have a clear mind, and if you have a clear mind, you can express yourself without fail. Silence is a very hard thing to come by these days. People are now afraid of it. But here, it states that silence is peace. It is what we don't have now isn't it? Peace. Peace is granted to those who knows silence. Now that's from me.

As far as possible, without surrender, 
be on good terms with all persons. 
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; 
and listen to others, 
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story. 
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit. 

Having a lot of people who hates you is a really really bad thing. You only have so short of a life. It wouldn't do if you waste it in basking in useless emotions such as hate from others. Your opinions should be well-thought, and so, you can say them without fail. But it should be understandable for others too. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions so you should not turn them down, at least listen to it, because each of us have a place where we came from, no two persons are the same in this world, so different opinions should be expected.

For the two last part of this stanza though, I think I may oppose it. I myself can be quite loud and aggressive. Few may find me annoying but more don't think so. Why should you avoid a person with such personality if maybe, they will not give you an annoying feeling. People confide their feelings to me and I can give them a very useful advice about things. People like me shouldn't be (always) avoided at all because, we too, have our own stories to tell.

If you compare yourself with others, 
you may become vain or bitter, 
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. 
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble; 
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

You are yourself. Everyone is their own person. Others may have the characteristic that you so desperately want but it also applies for them. No one is perfect. This has always been a problem for everyone. Insecurity roots from this. Enjoying your achievements should be a must. If they are honorable, how small or big, you did it. You shouldn't brag(at least not so much).

Exercise caution in your business affairs, 
for the world is full of trickery. 
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals, 
and everywhere life is full of heroism. 
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love, 
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass. 

You should be a cautious person for the world is not that safe anymore. People will do what they can to live. This world is a world for survival. But still, you should learn how to trust too. For if you lose it, you lose everything. You shouldn't fake things, especially love, fondness. Affections. Love is always everywhere. Whatever you do. Wherever you go.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. 

In this era we live in, the internet is the source of almost every information available, if not, all. Books are still used, but for example, a teacher has given you an assignment, instead of searching through the book, you will give in to your laziness and concede to scrolling through different pages available. It is a great invention. Oh yes, the internet is truly great. But isn’t it better if the words are spoken by a true person? One who has a real experience with the subject. And I am talking about real life advice here. Intelligence is different from wisdom, because wisdom comes from learning through time, not through books. Experience is the best teacher of all. For me, an elder’s advice is a good advice, for this advice comes from experience. You should be strong, not only in mind and body, but also in spirit. It simply wouldn't do if a simple challenge such as fear can weaken your resolve. But sometimes, it is also not good not to fear because we are simple people and we are not complete without one.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

You shouldn't push yourself too much. It’s not bad to set some few rules, but don’t overdo it because you might not be able to take it. It is plainly stated there, “you have a right to be here”. It is correct; you do have the right to be here. No one should tell you otherwise. We cannot figure out the reason for our existence yet. But why worry? There’s plenty of time to do that, for now, we should enjoy life and take the challenges as they come. Because the universe really is unfolding as it should and in the end, it will be you to solve everything that comes your way just like others. Everyone has their own right. And it just so happens that everyone stood a common ground in where we all exist.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul. 

I believe that God lives within me; no, I am not saying that I am God, but rather, he’s always with me. I am not him and he is not me, but I still think that he resides where my soul is. I should be at peace with my soul. If I cannot find peace I cannot even comprehend what might happen to me. Losing it is when I lose my faith in Him. So, I believe that as long as I have faith in Him, I am at peace.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

You should not see only the bad in this world. Yes, life is full of trickery, mischief, bad deeds and so on. But if you think on a brighter side, you’ll see it. This world has been tainted with red. But if you erase those, you’ll find it fascinating. Magnificent. And that is the world that you should see. Because whatever we do, we cannot change this world. Many has failed in this world, but more succeeded. So, if they can, why can’t you?

COLD FRONT

COLD FRONT

A cold front is defined as the leading edge of a cooler mass of air, replacing (at ground level) a warmer mass of air, which lies within a fairly sharp surface trough of low pressure. It forms in the wake of an extratropical cyclone, at the leading edge of its cold air advection pattern, which is also known as the cyclone's dry conveyor belt circulation. Temperature changes across the boundary can be as much as 30 °C (54 °F). When enough moisture is present, rain can occur along the boundary. If there is significant instability along the boundary, a narrow line of thunderstorms can form along the frontal zone. If instability is less, a broad shield of rain can move in behind the front, which increases the temperature difference across the boundary. They are stronger in the fall and spring transition seasons, and weakest during the summer. When they catch up with the preceding warm front, the portion of the boundary which does so is then known as an occluded front.

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• TODAY, I LEARNED THAT a cold front is the leading edge of a cool mass of air.
• I WILL APPLY MY LEARNINGS ABOUT cold front in a very efficient way, in which I, along with everyone can know about this.
• LEARNING ABOUT THIS PHENOMENON IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE it gives us more information about a topic that all of us shouldn't ignore.
• ON A LARGER SCALE, I WILL SHARE MY LEARNINGS ABOUT THIS PHENOMENON WITH OTHERS BECAUSE  I think that it is important enough.
• I NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT the different things about the cold front. In the info from my different internet sources, the data were not that understandable for me.

FAMLEI

La Niña

La Niña

          La Niña is a coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon that is the counterpart of El Niño as part of the broader El Niño-Southern Oscillation climate pattern. During a period of La Niña, the sea surface temperature across the equatorial Eastern Central Pacific Ocean will be lower than normal by 3–5 °C. In the United States, an episode of La Niña is defined as a period of at least 5 months of La Niña conditions. The name La Niña originates from Spanish, meaning "the girl," analogous to El Niño meaning "the boy."

          La Niña, sometimes informally called "anti-El Niño", is the opposite of El Niño, where the latter corresponds instead to a higher sea surface temperature by a deviation of at least 0.5 °C, and its effects are often the reverse of those of El Niño. El Niño is famous due to its potentially catastrophic impact on the weather along both the Chilean, Peruvian, New Zealand, and Australian coasts, among others. It has extensive effects on the weather in North America, even affecting the Atlantic Hurricane Season. La Niña is often, though not always, preceded by an El Niño.

Effects of La Niña

          The results of La Niña are mostly the opposite of those of El Niño; for example, El Niño would cause a dry period in the Midwestern U.S., while La Niña would typically cause a wet period in that area. La Niña often causes drought conditions in the western Pacific; flooding in northern South America; mild wet summers in northern North America, and drought in the southeastern United States.

          For India, an El Niño is often a cause for concern because of its adverse impact on the south-west monsoon; this happened in 2009. A La Niña, on the other hand, is often beneficial for the monsoon, especially in the latter half. The La Niña that appeared in the Pacific in 2010 probably helped 2010's south-west monsoon end on a favourable note. But then, it also contributed to the deluge in Australia, which resulted in one of that country's worst natural disasters with large parts of Queensland either under water from floods of unusual proportions or being battered by tropical cyclones, including that of category 5 Tropical Cyclone Yasi. It wreaked similar havoc in south-eastern Brazil and flooding that have affected Sri Lanka.

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a.) Today I learned that La Niña is a coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon that is the counterpart of El Niño as part of the broader El Niño-Southern Oscillation climate pattern. The results of La Niña are mostly the opposite of those of El Niño.

b.) I will apply my learnings about La Niña in weather acquinted things, such as weather forecasts or the current weather.

c.) Learning about this phenomenon is important because it serves as the connection between me and this phenomenon. Just as it affects me, I learn more about it.

d.) On  larger scale, I will share my learnings about this phenomenon to others because I want them to be able to relate on what we experience and explain it to themselves alone.

e.) I need to know more about this happening and a deeper explanation on how or why it occurs.

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And that's all for today! Hope you learned something

famlei

El Nino

El Nino
          El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is a quasiperiodic climate pattern that occurs across the tropical Pacific Ocean roughly every five years. The Southern Oscillationrefers to variations in the temperature of the surface of the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean (warming and cooling known as El Niño and La Niña respectively) and in air surface pressure in the tropical western Pacific. The two variations are coupled: the warm oceanic phase, El Niño, accompanies high air surface pressure in the western Pacific, while the cold phase, La Niña, accompanies low air surface pressure in the eastern Pacific. Mechanisms that cause the oscillation remain under study.

The extremes of this climate pattern's oscillations, El Niño and La Niña, cause extreme weather (such as floods and droughts) in many regions of the world. Developing countries dependent upon agriculture and fishing, particularly those bordering the Pacific Ocean, are the most affected. In popular usage, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation is often called just "El Niño". El Niño is Spanish for "the little boy" and refers to the Christ child, because periodic warming in the Pacific near South America is usually noticed around Christmas.

          El Niño is defined by prolonged differences in Pacific Ocean Sea surface temperatures when compared with the average value. The accepted definition is a warming or cooling of at least 0.5 °C (0.9 °F) averaged over the east-central tropical Pacific Ocean. Typically, this anomaly happens at irregular intervals of 3–7 years and lasts nine months to two years. The average period length is 5 years. When this warming or cooling occurs for only seven to nine months, it is classified as El Niño/La Niña "conditions"; when it occurs for more than that period, it is classified as El Niño/La Niña "episodes".

The first signs of an El Niño are:

1. Rise in surface pressure over the Indian Ocean, Indonesia, and Australia
2. Fall in air pressure over Tahiti and the rest of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean
3. Trade winds in the south Pacific weaken or head east
4. Warm air rises near Peru, causing rain in the northern Peruvian deserts
5. Warm water spreads from the west Pacific and the Indian Ocean to the east Pacific. It takes the rain with it, causing extensive drought in the western Pacific and rainfall in the normally dry eastern Pacific.

El Niño's warm rush of nutrient-poor tropical water, heated by its eastward passage in the Equatorial Current, replaces the cold, nutrient-rich surface water of the Humboldt Current. When El Niño conditions last for many months, extensive ocean warming and the reduction in Easterly Trade winds limits upwelling of cold nutrient-rich deep water and its economic impact to local fishing for an international market can be serious.

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a.) Today I learned that El Niño is defined by prolonged differences in Pacific Ocean Sea surface temperatures when compared with the average value.

b.) I will apply my learnings about El Niño in my daily life. It can be useful for myself to easily classify what is happening in my surroundings. Like when it gets really hot, I might be able to deduce that it certainly is the time for this phenomenon.

c.) Learning about this topic is important because it have certain features that many does not know about. I can prevent myself from panicking about such a thing because I know that it happens naturally. But if it happens too quickly, I can help prevent it, or if I can't, make myself ready about what to happen next and inform anyone as I can.

d.) On a larger scale, I will share my learnings about this phenomena to others because, what if they don't have any idea bout this, and they panic because they think that this is very dangerous? What will happen t everyone. I thought about that and arrived at the conclusion that I should just make it clear to them that this happening is not as dangerous as they think, but it can be harmful at times too.

e.) I need to know more about how it happens. That's all. since I want to be scientifically aware about anything that happens around me. I want a logical explanation about everything. (Though I don't need one about Religion. I believe everything that is written in the bible.)

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And that's the end of it, see you next time!

famlei

Tropical Depression

Tropical Depression
          A tropical depression is an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined, closed surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of less than 34 knots (39 mph). It has no eye and does not typically have the organization or the spiral shape of more powerful storms. However, it is already a low-pressure system, hence the name "depression". The practice of the Philippines is to name tropical depressions from their own naming convention when the depressions are within the Philippines' area of responsibility.
          Once a group of thunderstorms has come together under the right atmospheric conditions for a long enough time, they may organize into a tropical depression. Winds near the center are constantly between 20 and 34 knots (23 - 39 mph).
          A tropical depression is designated when the first appearance of a lowered pressure and organized circulation in the center of the thunderstorm complex occurs.


Cold Front
          Cold front is defined as the leading edge of cold air masses.


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a. Today I learned that a tropical depression is an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined, closed surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of less than 34 knots (39 mph).
b. I will apply my learnings about tropical depression in informing others to be aware of what it could be, or what it could do in their lives.
c. Learning about this topic is important because it is an essential part of our life to be aware about everything. We can choose to ignore things but not this one. There is a possibility of danger when we are not aware about things that are happening in our life.
d. On a larger scale, I will share my learnings about this phenomenon to others because, thinking only about yourself or selfishness is not a very good thing to do. I would really like it if people have the same opinion as me. I would want them to be aware of what I am aware of and be ready about things just as I am.

e. I need to know more about tropical depression. I know that there is more to this subject than what is entered above. But I don't really like to rush myself for that. I will give myself time to absorb what I learned and get myself ready for the next topic that is to come.

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That's all. Thank you for reading! Hope I helped.... =D

famlei

Low Carbon Diet Journal (LCD Journal)

Dear Journal,
      A very rainy weekend welcomes everyone due to the new typhoon. (whose name I forgot) Though the majority of students wish that it last until next week for the suspension of classes, (ahem, which includes me, ahem) we should also think about the lives at stake at these wishes. If this typhoon continues until next week, many people will lose a lot. I think that classes will be suspended tomorrow though. Hmm, well, let's talk about me and the things I did to contribute in the lowering or decreasing of the amount of carbon dioxide found in our atmosphere. As usual, I turned off the lights when they are not needed, but, I think I'd have a problem with the energy consumption of the laptop which I currently am using. Since I was raised while watching the development of devices, (mainly computers), I always use them. Can you believe that I played  Counter Strike, DOTA:Frozen Throne, Ragnarok and O2Jam expertly in 1st grade? Oh well, my mother went home not in Saturday but the next day. She's working at Saturday's too. I missed her terribly. You already know that we use aircon at night rather than using the electric fan right? Well, since I wake up early these days, I was the one who turned it off this time around. Well, that's it for my ever-so-short journal. Happy weekdays.

FamLei

Low Carbon Diet Journal (LCD Journal)

Dear Journal,
      Last day of vacation (it's Sunday today). Mom's not home. She's taking care of my youngest brother. Today's not so eventful if you ask me (can you even talk in the first place?) but yesterday was a complete contrast of today. I went out with my friends. We we're at Janelle's house, doing activities as school in a group, and at the same time, having fun. We took a lot of goofy pictures ( and by a lot i mean A LOT) of ourselves in her laptop. We turned the air conditioner on because it was very hot inside. So hot! (I always mention that don't I?) Then, we had lunch somewhere, but before we went out, Janelle turned the aircon off to conserve energy and electricity. After lunch, we came back with a plastic of chicharon. We, once again, took goofy pictures. But before that, since this is the LCD journal, perhaps I should mention that since the canteen was a walking distance from Janelle's house, we chose to walk instead than using other means of transportation like riding in a tricycle. It also have a lot of benefits. I was the first to go home. I watched Boys Over Flowers and They Kiss Again in our DVD and turned it off at exactly 11:43 to go to sleep.

FamLei