Ton.Deception.Net

I seem to have this habit of posting just ONCE a month it seems… It is Friday, October 29, exactly 1 month since I last posted. Yes, I am alive and well; many things have happened to me in the past month - went to my first conference, had to complete several extremely long labs, majority of my classes again at exam phases. I expected October to be a rough month; I was absolutely right. To make it easier, I will examine each week since Sept. 29.

9/29 - 10/2: Just half a week’s worth, not much really happening in terms of my classes and/or my organizations (one of my rare quiet times).

10/3 - 10/9: Things start moving; for my Engineering Communications class, I had to GQ up (dress formally) and do a powerpoint presentation (a proposal, actually) with two other people… I started to actually like public speaking then (surprise, surprise!); the Alliance has their first fundraiser event - the Cultural Food Court at JTSU Pine Lounge, a great success, thankfully; AASA has a Corn Maze social held at Ferrari Farms, followed by a kick back movie night at Rachel’s

10/10 - 10/16: A big, big week - Homecoming Week 2004 at UNR, TONS of events going on, at least 2 a day. Of the more notable ones include the appearance of Michael Moore at Lawlor Events Center and the Virginia Street Parade followed by the bonfire and Wolves Frolic. Some things regarding homecoming week happened which I will not discuss here (negative ones). Anyways, besides homecoming, I had the mistake of forgetting about my engineering lab, as I had been busy having fun working at Kohl’s for AASA. The lab was due on 10/12, and I did 98% of the 40 pages ALL on Monday. I don’t recall having such great concentration; I’m sure if I wasn’t so intent on finishing it, that it would never have been completed in time (I mean come on… 40 pages??). Otherwise, all was well in the world (at least for me).

10/17 - 10/23: More of a relaxed week; PUSO was beginning to plan for the big fundraiser: Lumpia sales! So yes, we had to organize as much as possible, get a list of people who would be willing to help, etc. The big thing about this week began on 10/22 - I went to my first conference ever: InterVarsity Fall 2004 Conference, held in Richardson Springs, Chico, CA. What a great experience it was; definitely helped strengthen my faith, plus I enjoyed the company of some great people who are now my friends. Conferences are definitely something everyone should experience, I can vouch for that.

10/24 - 10/29: Extremely hectic week, why? PUSO Lumpia Fundraiser. Plus my Anthropology 201 exam on the same day that we were doing the fundraiser sales. So yeah, with the conference, I really didn’t have much time to study for my Anthro exam, I was hoping to do it Monday… Monday passed and little studying completed. Then maybe Tuesday…. Tuesday passed and hardly any studying completed. Also on Tuesday night, we cooked/wrapped lumpia and organize how the operation of sales day would work. I came home that night around 11pm - too tired to study. So finally, Wednesday comes along, I end up waking up at 5am to fully cook the lumpia batch I was given for the sales. Fortunately, everything worked out according to plan, and the fundraiser was successful! The last part of the day was my Anthro exam; I was able to study for a little less than 3 hours before the exam; hopefully I did well enough. Thursday comes along, and I can finally relax. Long, long week, but I survived, thank God. So nothing is really new Thursday, except for Thursday night and early Friday morning. Since there was no dance practice, I decided to go ahead and maybe play some basketball at Lombardi. I ran into a few of my AASA friends and went to play some b-ball. It must’ve been my lucky night or something, since I was a key shooter in almost every game I played (5 games in all), I’ve never had such accuracy (they said it was the shoes, haha). Unfortunately though, during my last game, I ended up with a muscle spasm on my left leg, and it hurt like crazy, I could not stand or walk for a good 2 minutes. Afterwards, it was fine and I could move, so I finished the game. 4-1 record in basketball, not bad, huh? Well anyways, tired as I was, I went to In-n-Out and bought a meal. Around midnight, my AASA friends call me up for bowling; I figured why not, although I was a little concerned about my left leg. It was now Friday, 10/29. It was definitely my night (or morning) as I ended up with a bowling score of 202 and 160. I had not gotten a 200+ game in almost 3 years; now was the time. Well, suffice to say, it’s been an interesting night indeed, I had fun; my injuries were not severe, thankfully. Now I must sleep since it’s 3am and I have a day planned ahead of me. Stay tuned for the next episode! Peace out.

Now well over 1 month since school began… I can’t decide whether time has been too slow or too fast… there’s so much left to accomplish and so little time… *sigh*… in light of the semester, the number of organizations I’ve taken part of has INCREASED. Currently, I’m member of the following university organizations:

Pilipino Undergraduate Students’ Organization (PUSO) - Administrative Chair
Asian American Student Association (AASA) - Social/Events Committee
The Alliance - Umbrella Organization for ALL diversity/culture clubs
Intervarsity Christian Fellowship
Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Eta Kappa Nu Electrical Engineering Honor Society
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
Golden Key International Honor Society
Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

The stressing part about this semester lies in the fact that I am also taking 21 credits on top of the above listed clubs. Of course, some of those clubs are actually inactive and hardly do anything, but the top 4 are very active and take up most of my time. Also, October seems to be a month of exams - FE exam, GRE, lots of exams in all my classes, etc. Wow this is going to be a fun semester! I’ve had so much fun in the past month, yet it feels like I end up almost losing my mind every week. Strange, isn’t it? The people I’ve meet recently (and those I have known from before) have contributed a great deal to my semester; they make it fun! For them, I’m thankful. I had considered working, now I’m glad I didn’t (I would literally collapse from the extreme load). Anyways, I am looking forward to starting the PUSO Dance Troupe (Philippine Folk Dancing + others) and getting it moving finally. This is my first goal. Secondly, with the help of my fellow co-chairs, I wish to see the Filipino-American Graduation Ceremony become something great; a big event, a true celebration of Filipino culture. Remember I’m more idealistic than most people, and things never seem to work out the way I want. This won’t stop me from trying, however. I’ve learned so much from the people around me that I feel confident that I can achieve ANYTHING at this point. We’ll see the fruits of our labor soon. =)

Hello again.. welcome to the wide world of.. well nevermind.. Anyways, I’m having an incredibly stressing semester here at UNR (and TMCC) filled with an array of essays, reading, (looooong) lab reports, presentations, etc.. Also I’ve put into priority, the only Filipino club at UNR - PUSO (Pilipino Undergraduate Students’ Organization). This club is pretty much my life besides school; after i’m done with all the heavy work of 21 credits, I divert my attention to PUSO. I’m just amazed at how stressed I am right now.. but maybe it’s all a matter of the mind, right? I’m looking forward to the start of the PUSO dance group, which is something I’m absolutely ready to dedicate to (makes me wonder how much dedication I have left). But yes, I need to hold my head high for now, I can survive this; after all, I’m not exactly alone. =)

Well, the following Monday starts the new Fall 2004 semester. New student orientation went well for the most part; we were able to recruit several people into our mailing list. We’ll see how things go in the meetings. In any case, PUSO has scheduled its first meeting on Wednesday, August 25 at the Center for Diversity at Juniper Hall (next to Manzanita Lake, UNR). I’ll be working on the PUSO website as well during this semester, so I may not update as much, only when necessary. So, for now, peace out everyone; for all starting classes this semester, best of luck!

*Note* Read Simian Lines Part 1 first (below).

The final post about simian lines, just a little bit more info although some of these may be redundant. I, myself, am a double simian line; in other words, both of my hands contain the line. They are not slanted, but are more straight across the palm.

Here’s the most interesting thing so far though: summarizing everything I’ve posted in this category, I fall under the Pisces/Aries cusp; I’m an Aries; I have the double simian lines. How complex is that?

Anyways, on to the info:

An interesting property exists between the Line of Head and the Line of Heart—the closer the two are together, the more difficult the bearer shall find it to separate matters of emotion with matters of intellect. As a general rule, the more deeply cut line will prevail as the dominant force behind the bearer’s actions; however, this tension eventually culminates in the merging of two lines into what is called the simian line, so noted because this configuration is more typically noted on monkeys more than man. It carries with it two meanings:

a) The simian line is very commonly found on those people inflicted with Down Syndrome. In fact, some doctors check the hand of a newborn for this sign as an indicator to this malady.

b) The more interesting case, however, is when it belongs to a mentally healthy person; in this case, the bearer has a most peculiar intensity to them, manifesting itself in spells of concentration that cannot be broken by all but the most violent of interruptions, and a vibrant passion for their work. To these people, facts and emotion have merged into one powerful mode of thought, where rational thoughts carry additional facets of pleasure and power, and tender emotions may be carried out with a great deliberation and consideration. It is not that he feels any less than any other man, it is that instead of devoting only one mode to a given situation, thoughts are intensified by the fact that both the faculties of reasoning and emotion are backing them. Such people will carry out their ambitions heedless of the resistance met. They are rarely understood. The question may remain as to whether the emotions or rationality possess greater dominance over the individual. This may be determined by judging the position of the simian line upon the hand. Should it exist where the Line of Heart is expected, emotions are more of a guiding force; likewise will the mind have a stronger reign should the Line appear lower on the hand.

Yet even more info about simian lines, taken from the same website.

If the heart line is not present in the hand (by this I mean that there is only one line traveling horizontally across the palm, called the line of Simian.), this traditionally raises concerns about the emotional nature of its owner. It isn’t that they have don’t have feelings, it is just that they aren’t comfortably balanced about the expression of their feelings. The line of Simian is a blend of the head and heart lines. There are periods of time when the line of Simian person may be very overly emotional and then at other times be almost devoid of any emotion or sympathy. So the owner of such a line usually tends to be more mental in their approach to love. This makes them think through their emotions giving them the sense that they are in control with their feelings about their “significant other.” They will also be naturally oriented towards being more concerned about the practical matters of their relationship, such as ! money, position, or the career of the partner or themselves and how these matters will help the relationship they enter to be fulfilled.

The line of Simian is often seen in the palm of a person who is gifted mentally even to the point of genius. They are very often materially successful individuals and usually attract valid security into their marriages. Personally, I have read for and seen many kind and dear individuals with this line who are in happy long-term marriages. This is especially true when the mate understands their emotional makeup and their unique expression of it.

Here’s some info about simian lines taken from this website.

The simian line’s name stems from its resemblance to the palmar creases found in the hands of primates. In a normal hand, there are three lines intersecting the palm, generally sloping at an angle. These are the head, heart, and life lines. A standard simian line fuses the top two lines (the head and heart lines), into a single, deep line which crosses the palm from one side to the other horizontally, rather than in a curving angle.

The implications of a simian line generally focus on three areas: dermatoglyphics (studying the human hand in relation to biological and organic disorders of an inherited nature), psychodiagnostic chirology (the human hand in relation to disorders of the psyche), and physiology (whether the bearer has a chromosomal disorder).

The Simian line can be the target of negative connotations, and there are many conflicting interpretations of its meaning. Because its name stems from the word for “monkey” and because of its frequency in chromosomal disorders, most notably Down Syndrome (one health website states that simian lines are found in about one half of Down Syndrome individuals and is found in the normal population, depending on sample, in 1-15% of the people studied), many people are concerned about the simian line being a “bad sign.”

As the simian line is a combination of the head and heart lines, it is the frequent assumption of chierologists, dermatoglyphics experts, and palmists that the simian line performs the functions associated with both lines. That is, the bearer finds it difficult to separate emotions and what is desired (the heart line) from intellect and what is thought (the head line). The simian line gives the ability to focus on one thing, absolutely, to the exclusion of all else. It is believed that these people generally achieve and accomplish far more than most, developing techniques and inventions that will last for generations. They also experience far more misfortune than most, usually due to the same intensity that drives them. The ambition for success in business endeavors will be strong, as will be the tendency to shut out all else in pursuit of these ambitions. People with simian lines are seen as being complex, forceful, goal-oriented, and egocentric.

Religious elements of the simian line are mentioned frequently. Arnold Holtzman, PhD, said that “Many of their numbers may come to identify with fundamentalist religion after living very open, liberal, and free-thinking lifestyles. Quite the reverse may be true, and to the same extreme, with those individuals who may originally have been brought up in very strict and rigid religious environments.” The writers at humanhand.com remark that “Psychological abuse was almost certainly present within your developmental years, probably taking the form of religious dogma. A complete shift in religion is now indicated as part of your life’s current direction—either into or out of a fundamentalist group.” It is stated at paralumin.com that “people who tend to be religious fanatics tend to have a simian line.” The roots of this perceived religious or anti-religious fanaticism probably stem from the single-minded intensity of the simian line which so closely mirrors the devoted intensity of fanaticism.

The simian line may be visualized as an agent responsible for sudden and radical adjustments in an individual’s attitudes, behavior, lifestyle, values, goals, ambitions, and, indeed, identity. Similarly, these radical adjustments may become manifest as new careers in areas these people may never before have considered. The individual, in this instance, may renounce a sound, secure and long-standing career to devote himself, or herself, to a lifestyle which may be virtually a planet apart from anything hitherto associated with this person. Leaving everything familiar behind them these people may have felt compelled to fit themselves into their new skins, as it were. It is nothing which must necessarily respond to reason or logic inasmuch as this person would invariably attempt, and with much seeming conviction, to prove otherwise. As noted earlier, however, these dramatic developments do not always transpire. They would best be regarded as the exception rather than the rule… as a possibility and not as an inevitable expression of the Simian line. Again, it is the “pressure” manifest as chronic, if low-keyed, unrest and general psychical discomfort which would best be the focus of the therapist’s attentions.

March 21 falls under the range of the “Pisces/Aries cusp", essentially meaning that I have characteristics of both Pisces and Aries. So here’s some reading for my primary zodiac sun sign “Aries” and also some information about the “Pisces/Aries cusp". I figured it would be appropriate to have the planet Mars as the primary theme of this website since the ruling planet of Aries is Mars. =)

Sun Sign:

Aries
March 21 - April 19

Aries is the first Sign of the Zodiac, and that’s pretty much how those born under this Sign see themselves: first. Aries are the leaders of the pack, first in line to get things going. Whether or not everything gets done is another question altogether, for an Aries prefers to initiate rather than to complete. Do you have a project needing a kick-start? Call an Aries, by all means. The leadership displayed by Aries is most impressive, so don’t be surprised if they can rally the troops against seemingly insurmountable odds – they have that kind of personal magnetism. An Aries won’t shy away from new ground, either. Those born under this Sign are often called the pioneers of the Zodiac, and it’s their fearless trek into the unknown that often wins the day. Aries is a bundle of energy and dynamism, kind of like a Pied Piper, leading people along with its charm and charisma. The dawning of a new day – and all of its possibilities – is pure bliss to an Aries.

The symbol of Aries is the Ram, and that’s both good and bad news. Impulsive Aries might be tempted to ram their ideas down everyone’s throats without even bothering to ask if they want to know. It’s these times when you may wish Aries’s Sign’s symbol were a more subdued creature, more lamb than ram perhaps. You’re not likely to convince the Ram to soften up; these folks are blunt and to the point. Along with those qualities comes the sheer force of the Aries nature, a force that can actually accomplish a great deal. Much of Aries’s drive to compete and to win comes from its Cardinal Quality. Cardinal Signs love to get things going, and Aries exemplifies this even better than Cancer, Libra or Capricorn.

Pisces/Aries Cusp (March 19 - March 23):

Pisces/Aries
March 19 to March 23

Pisces is the 12th and final sign of the Zodiac; Aries is the first. Pisces/Aries are spiritual, often strongly intuitive, and they are receptive to the collective unconscious. They like to get things started and tend to display strong leadership. Their dedicated and assertive nature lets them eagerly lead the new cycle. Pisces is the sign of dreams and secrets, and it represents much that is hidden, both strengths and enemies. Aries is the sign of new beginnings.

The astrological symbol of Pisces is the Pair of Fish. They reflect the dual nature of life; each Fish swims in different directions, representing reality and nonreality, consciousness and the unconscious. The astrological symbol of Aries is the Ram. Like the popular conception of the Ram, Aries are able to accomplish a lot by sheer energy and force of will, ‘ramming’ their way to their goals. In this way, Aries exemplifies the cardinal quality assigned to it. Pisces, on the other hand, can be indirect and unfocused. Pisceans don’t have a strong agenda; they tend to go with the flow and move where life takes them. In this way, Pisces exemplifies the mutable quality assigned to it. Pisces/Aries are unique in the sense that they are the chameleons of the Zodiac, receptive to the needs of others, but also tending to be about self and ego rather than the balance between people. However, they are not loners.

Pisces is ruled by the planets Jupiter and Neptune. In ancient Roman mythology, Jupiter (and his Greek equivalent, Zeus) was the king of the gods. Neptune (and his Greek equivalent, Poseidon) was the god of the sea. When the planet Neptune was discovered, modern astrologers assigned it to be the ruler of Pisces. Neptune is about everything that isn’t quite real: illusion and disillusionment, fantasy, drama and art, and spirituality. All of these are important to those born under Pisces or on a Pisces cusp.

Aries is ruled by the planet Mars. In ancient Roman mythology, Mars (and his Greek equivalent, Ares) was the god of war. He was bold, aggressive, energetic and courageous. Mars was active and high-spirited, full of physical energy and vitality. Aries or Aries cusp-born reflect Mars’ leadership and initiative. Pisces/Aries cusp individuals are adept at taking the ball and running with it, and projects tend to progress quickly under their guidance. A well-run project may become boring for these chameleon-like folks, and they can lack follow-through and lose interest before the project is completed. They are idealistic, but sometimes their dreams are vague and impractical. When reality intrudes, they can become pessimistic or lethargic, but they are very adaptive and broad-minded so they can rework their ideals, when necessary.

The element associated with Pisces is Water. Water Signs are emotional: they tend to respond to the world through emotion. The element associated with Aries is Fire. Fire Signs are physical: they tend to respond to the world through action. Pisces/Aries are compassionate, sensitive and imaginative; they are sympathetic to the feelings of others. When presented with a new project or idea, their innate enthusiasm and need for challenge cause them to jump in immediately, leading the way. One of their great skills is reaching beyond normal limitations. They tend to be romantic and sentimental, but they may give in to escapism. They are devoted to their goals and are constantly initiating new projects.

Pisces/Aries are sometimes elusive, refusing to show their real selves. They are thoughtful, sometimes displaying remarkable musical talent. Yet, they also tend to want what they want, when they want it. The ego that can manifest itself in Aries causes some Rams and Ram cusps to feel that they are the center of the universe. Those born under this sign may be fascinated with dreams and dream interpretation.

In their leisure time, Pisces/Aries play as hard as they work at the office. They greatly enjoy athletics, as sports give them a positive and healthy outlet for some of their natural aggression and emotional stress. They appreciate both individual challenge, especially aerobics, as well as the group challenge of football and soccer. They especially enjoy sports that bring them into contact with the element of water, such as swimming and sailing. They are very artistic and may excel at music and drama. In love relationships, Pisces is playful, devoted, and romantic.

The great strength of the Pisces/Aries-born is in their compassion, energy, initiative and courage. They reach out to others more skillfully than most other signs, and they especially enjoy helping others reach their fullest potential. Their natural sensitivity makes them one of the most understanding characters of the zodiac.

All this info courtesy of Astrology.com

Yes, unfortunately it’s come to the point where people who sign the guestbook (the old one) have had nothing but spam intentions.. advertising and such. Even the last comment on one of my posts was spam. From this point forward, all comments must be approved before being posted. The guestbook has lesser restriction, but I will monitor that daily. Sad that it’s come to this, but all of this spam is driving tons of unnecessary bandwidth to the servers. Lately I’ve encountered nothing but spammers and bandwidth stealers. Let’s see what’s next.

Decided to finally upgrade to the newest stable version of wordpress, version 1.2 and brought a few themes to go along with it. I’m gonna add some more functionality to wordpress soon with even more plugins, but for now this is all. Besides, I’ve been tired all day and I need to work in a few hours . See ya next update!

Oh yes, everyone now has the ability to view this site with the different themes (provided on the column, under Styles). Just click the theme you’d like to apply and refresh to see it.