How to borrow e-books from the Wellington City Libraries

My son has received a Kobo Mini e-book reader over the school holidays, and he enjoys reading from it.  It has become his nightly habit, prior to turning in for the night.  Here is a quick tutorial on how to borrow e-books from the Wellington City Libraries.


Do subscribe to the YouTube Channel Jo-Lo's Hangout, for kids' toys, hobbies and crafts videos!

Five websites I love visiting

Save for my usual technology and movie haunts, here are five websites I always make a point of visiting at least once a week.  You might find my favourites interesting too!

TED (http://www.ted.com/)
Inspiring talks and ideas. One could spend hours trawling through the website and listening to short but informative and inspiring talks. Never fails to make me smile and wonder.

Get on the Wave

I have some Google Wave invites to spare. If you would like an account, send me your email address either by commenting on this post or by emailing me privately at nick@nickballesteros.com.

Offer good while supplies last. Hurry, operators are standing by. But wait, there's more! Batteries not included.

Dear Future Me

A friend and I have been watching the hit TV series Heroes recently, where ordinary men and women possess extraordinary powers. One day we theorized what sort of powers we would like to have in case something in our DNAs get "messed" up and get evolutionized a gazillion notches up the chain.

So what will it be? Invisibility, memory recall, flying?

"It would be great to have Petrelli's power. He merely touches the others and he can already imitate their power." My friend said.

Hmmm... good point. Right now, the only real power I have is walking fast (friends usually call out to me and ask what's the hurry... it's just that we walk everywhere in Baguio that it's second nature. And then there's also my power to have migraines.

"Oh wait... Hiro's power is cool too. The power to bend time and space."

Oh yes. Wouldn't it be great to go back in time and correct your mistakes? Or go forward in time to see how you and the world would fare? I wonder how you would count your age then, with your present getting mixed with the past and future? Hmmm...

Well, here's a way to travel and catch up with your old self in the future. Best part is, you don't need to have such power!

FutureMe.org enables you to write a message to yourself and send it to a date of your choice in the future. What an excellent idea! Why haven't I thought of this myself!?

Uncle BatJay introduced this site to the blogkadahan members. It was such an interesting topic that it's currently the thread in the blogkadahan blog. My present self is planning to write my future self as well. It's a great idea in keeping track of where you were and where you will be when you receive the letter in the future.

I can just imagine my surprise when I read an e-mail from my past self (I would feign surprise hehehe). Delighted? Or Saddened? Depends on what I would have done with my life between the creation and submission of the letter.

What about you? Interested to write to your future self? Then head on to FutureMe.org today. It's free!

Happy weekend everyone!

Photo: Rizal goes to Luneta for execution before the firing squad. Taken at Fort Santiago.

Gathering for Gardner

I will be on field work starting tomorrow afternoon til Sunday, so I'm making my weekend post today.

So what's the title about? Mr. Martin Gardner is an American mathematician and science writer with specialization in recreational mathematics (I'm quoting this from wikipedia). Recreational Mathematics? Mathematics for fun? Sounds impossible, but he is quite a popular guy in the field of puzzles and illusions. Simply magical. Well... don't worry if you haven't heard his name before. It's my first time too.

Which brings me back to more than a decade ago when I visited Disneyland in Anaheim, California. We trooped early to the side of the lake to get good seats for the fireworks show that Disney is so popular for. But it was hours still before the show and while my companions sat comfortably, I decided to venture on my own. I chanced upon the Haunted Mansion and since it was the nearest attraction to the lake, decided to take the ride. I was with a small group when we entered the lobby of the mansion. As we waited for the main door to open, the lights suddenly went off! Overhead, the windows flashed from the lightning outside and it would momentarily illuminate the dome, on the center of which hung a man, very much dead with ropes on his neck! Strangers though we were, we huddled together and each time the lightning struck, it seemed the dome was coming down on us! After what seemed like a long time, the lights got restored, the dead guy's gone, and the dome is waaay up there.

We were then ushered to a door which leads to a narrow, circular staircase. By the wall are a row of frames with portraits of turn-of-the-century dudes. At first glance, there's nothing really peculiar about them, until you look at them while you walk. Their heads are moving and looking right at you as you descend the staircase! I looked at my companions and they, too, were seeing the same illusion! How can that be? The same photo staring at each and every one of us?

Now how they did that has been a mystery to me. The hanging man and lightning trick is somewhat easier to explain, but the photos with their bulging eyes gazing at you? Finally, after over a decade, I know the answer!

The dragon (pictured above) was made in celebration of a gathering for Gardner, hence the title on the pedestal (duh). The dragon is a visual illusion. When you look at the dinosaur and move about, the dinosaur's head would seem to move and gaze back at you! There's a video (in wmv format) in the site showing how the dragon ought to work.

And as an additional treat, a template of the dragon (pdf format, with instructions) is freely downloadable from the website!

I had printed one for myself last week but I had a huge error in the construction. The head is supposed to be concave. I'll make another one over the weekend and make it work this time.

Visit this site today!
http://www.grand-illusions.com/opticalillusions/dragon_illusion/

There are a lot of other puzzles there as well for your amusement and amazement.

So until next week, have fun with the dragon, and have a magical weekend ahead!

Photo credit: Grand Illusions