I stumbled upon this cool website that allows you to make composite drawings with a range of different characteristics in about 10 categories. I made a couple of drawings here and I found that you can really change the look of someone by simply swapping the eyes. I guess they really are the windows into the soul.
Another software I'm familiar with is used by police agencies, CIA and FBI - Faces 4.0. The software is user friendly and is a more robust program with a plethora of characteristics featuring 21 categories that include everything from eyebrows to glasses, jaw structure to noses, and hair to tattoos. There are 4,400 different features that can create 1 million different composites. You can fine tune the final composite, moving hairlines up or eyebrows down on the computer screen and the quality is more like a photo than a line drawing. The specs are below.
Create any face you like. Surprise your friends and family with a drawn picture of themselves. The FACES award winning program makes a composite look virtually like a photo and it produces a good quality image. That's why thousands of police agencies worldwide including the CIA, FBI and the US Military use FACES.
Information:
* Creates photo-like composites
* Generates unique alphanumeric code for every composite
* Extensive database of facial features
* Runs on any standard desk or laptop computer
* Expanded Latin, Asian and African-American features
* Three-tone hair color
* Side to side hair flip
* Facial markings: scars, moles, piercing, tattoos
* Improved age progression
* Detachable hats and headwear
* Full Windows XP compatibility
* Ability to export composite as JPEG file
* Integration with TRAK alert system
* Slide show capability
* "Not A Real Photograph" Indicator
* Improved zooming and positioning tools
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Graphic Software To Help Nab The Bad Guys
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Are You Flexible Enough To Handle This?
Man, all I can say is - it hurts and... it freakin' hurts! This beautiful woman, Kristina Kareeva, is definitely amazing. Ok guys, get your minds outta the gutter about the extreme kama sutra ideas and all that jazz.
Extreme Body Bending By Kristina - Click here for another funny movie.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Computers Use Google Earth To Join In The Search For Steve Fossett
It seems Nevada is a graveyard for planes. Over the last 50 years more than 300 small planes have disappeared in the state.
The search for 63-year-old Steve Fossett is entering its second week, and rescuers have received help from an unlikely source: Google Earth. The satellite imaging program has released new, up-to-date images of Nevada which, through a collaborative system run by Amazon called Mechanical Turk, enables individual users to search from their homes and notify rescuers in Nevada of potential leads. The system's creators say the plane Mr Fossett was flying would appear as an object about "21 pixels long and 30 pixels in wingspan". (Guardian Unlimited)
Read the rest of the article here.
M.A.C. Beauty Trends For All You Professional Make-up Junkies
I just wanted to do a quick plug for an up and coming make-up artist and journalist extraordinaire, Joy (who happens to be my sis). She has tons of beauty tips and trends to keep you looking and feeling good.
Here's the M.A.C. Pro beauty news from her blog:
"I haven't visited the MAC Pro site in a while and I was excited to find some new products for their pro members. If you're not familiar with the site, it's full of products and tools that pro artist use and are only available in MAC Pro stores. The greatest part about being a pro member is of course the lovely discount you get which is exclusive to makeup artists and people in the entertainment industry. While on the site, I was checking out the Daily Trend Report and I fell in love with their artsy trend pictures! To view the inspiration and products used behind some of the hottest shows for Spring/Summer 2008 click on each day."
I've seen her work as a make-up artist first hand, particularly with a well-known runway model, Tasha Tilberg. She's got skills!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Can You Defy Gravity?
I've read accounts of shamans, magicians and the ancient yogi who were able to levitate off the ground. There are a lot of skeptics, but there are a lot of things these shamans have learned and retained from ancient times. Or, it could be cables and wires... I just didn't see any in the video. Like I said before - I'll remain a skeptic believer.
Monday, September 10, 2007
An Ebay Pitfall You Should Avoid
Do you hate being scammed? I hate it. I haven't been scammed online (yet) but my friends have and they've lost quite a bit of money as a result.
If you're selling or buying on Ebay, you should know that that is the hunting ground for scam artists. From browsing different internet forums, I've learned that these thieves know that their targets are in the know with respect to Western Union transfers. It's definitely not suggested and use at your own risk... risk of never getting your money back. Most scam artists are overseas and out of reach of U.S. law enforcement. If a seller says their monthly payment limit for Paypal is maxed out and they want you to use Western Union, move on.
But they'll have a counter to that as well. They may recommend an escrow service online. Let me tell you right off the bat that Ebay endorses only one escrow service - Escrow.com. Use any other at your own risk. The scam artists know that it's easy to buy a domain, set up a fake site and have the server somewhere overseas. You need to go to a site where you can trace and check out the domain name. Take a look at the date of creation and the physical address supplied by the registrant. If it was created recently with an address somewhere outside the U.S., be careful. Like I said at the beginning of this paragraph - Escrow.com is the way to go. So what is an escrow service anyway?
An escrow service is basically a "middle man" both parties can trust. Here's an example of a typical transaction:
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Buyer and seller agree on the terms of the sale. This includes item description, price, and time period of inspection.
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Buyer pays the escrow service by check, money order, credit card, or wire transfer. Escrow.com does not accept Western Union or Money Gram.
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Seller then ships the item to the buyer and provides tracking information to the escrow service so delivery can be confirmed.
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Buyer inspects the product and can either accept or reject it.
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If the item is accepted, the seller is then paid via check or wire transfer. If the item is rejected, it's sent back to the seller. Once she verifies the item is in satisfactory condition, the buyer's money is refunded by the escrow service.
Choosing The Right Ram For Your Computer And Installing It
A few months ago I decided to upgrade my Toshiba laptop's RAM from 1 GB to 2 GB. For some reason the user manual didn't mention what model or type of RAM I needed. It only mentioned that I had two 512 RAM slots. No biggy, as a quick search on Google brought me to Crucial. There you can select your brand, model and then receive a list of compatible modules. You can either purchase it from their website or use the information and buy the module at your local electronics store. I did the latter.
I'm more of a do-it-yourselfer and when I read the user manual, it explained that replacing RAM would be require only a few steps. Well, what the user manual didn't explain was that there's only one slot located in the bottom of the laptop and the other underneath the damn keyboard. Even Toshiba's website doesn't tell you that - WTF? So after replacing the one in the bottom I only had one and a half gigs - lame. I was panicking as I didn't have the slightest clue how to take apart the laptop in the proper order to replace the module under the keyboard.
Fortunately, I was able to search Google again and found a site that explains in great detail how to take out the parts needed to get to the slot - that was a definite lifesaver. I wish I'd kept url so I can publicly thank him here. One thing I should mention is that you should have a basic knowledge of ESD (electrostatic discharge) and how to prevent it. I'm a certified Apple Desktop Technician so those basics are already ingrained in my gray matter. Do a quick search on the net and you'll find the do's and don'ts. All in all it took less than 20 minutes to get my computer to recognize the full 2 GB. Phew!
So, don't despair, if you want to do it yourself just do a search on the internet and you're bound to find a great tutorial like I did. If not, well so sorry. Looks like you'll have to spend the extra cashola to get a techie to install it for you.
A Pizza Recipe You And Yours Can Enjoy... At A Slow Pace
Well, I like my pizzas but I'm not too adventurous when it comes to trying exotic ones. At a get together recently I tried oyster pizza. I just wanted a slice but my friends and especially my wife, told me to eat more as oysters are great aphrodisiacs... hmmm.
I definitely can't do anchovies - no matter how much water or soda I'm having with it. But if you're someone with more sophisticated taste buds you might enjoy escargot pizza. This one is a truly French-inspired recipe right down to the dough.
Escargot And Chanterelle Pizza Recipe
Ingredients:
* 1 French bread dough
* 10 ounces French snails (the smaller the better)
* 2 ounces Chanterelle mushrooms, dried
* 1 1/2 pound Raclette cheese, shredded
* 8 ounces Tomato sauce
* 2 cloves Garlic
* 2 tablespoons Parsley, fresh
* 1/2 pound Butter
Directions:
Make the French Bread dough recipe at least 1 day beforehand if you can. Roll the dough out into the shape of a pizza, put it on a pizza pan, and set it aside. It will keep in the refrigerator overnight.
Prepare the dried mushrooms according to published recipes (soak, wash, cut, resoak, wash,
drain).
If the snails are too large (larger than a garlic clove), then cut them in pieces. Drain the snails well. Melt the butter in a baking dish, add the snails, crushed garlic, about 1/2 salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Put the bread-dough pan on the top rack of the oven and the snails on the bottom rack of the oven, and cook them both for 10 minutes. Take them out.
Spread the tomato sauce in an even layer on the bread, then sprinkle the Raclette cheese over it. Add the snails, and then the mushrooms. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Bake at 425 degrees F. in the top rack for 12 minutes (bottom rack will burn the crust). Get it, use fondue cheese or a Gruyere.
There you have it! This would go well with maybe a nice Burgundy wine, but I'll take mine with a Stella Artois, please.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
What Are The Advantages Of A Sari Sari Store To People?
If you've read my header, you'll notice mention of the word 'sari sari.' Well, I guess I should give you a better explanation of what it is, how it benefits a community and its potential. The following, in my own words of course, is from the April 20, 2006 issue of Manila Standard Today.
The sari-sari store is a Philippine phenomenon that provides a means of livelihood for many families. A sari sari store definitely completes a neighborhood. There are even some high-end condominium units that have sari sari stores that are run privately without the knowledge (and sometimes, consent) of the building owner.
Only in the Philippines can a consumer buy 5 pesos worth of cooking oil that’s good for only one use. The same goes for other basic commodities like salt, sugar, vinegar and laundry soap.
You can think of the sari sari store like the water cooler at work - only you can buy stuff there. It is where people congregate in the morning to buy coffee, sugar and other breakfast supplies. It is where children go to in the afternoon to buy snacks and sodas.
“The trend in consumer spending is more frequent visits to neighborhood stores for daily needs and purchasing in small quantities or packs. This has led to increased demand for sari sari stores within and among neighborhood communities. However, these sari sari storeowners have not had formal training in running small businesses,” said Navneet Singh, Makro vice-president for customer development.
During a recent seminar jointly organized by Makro and Unilever Philippines, sari sari storeowners were asked, “Are you selling the right things?”
The seminar is part of a series of business lectures dubbed “Makronomics.”
“It is the first of its kind that is aimed at providing structured courses that are very targeted and relevant,” said Ralph Umali, Unilever’s key customer development manager for Makro.
“Some of these sari sari stores have grown into full-fledged groceries. With Makronomics providing tips and information, and Makro and Unilever selling low-cost quality goods, we are helping these people expand their businesses,” he said.
Singh said Makronomics helps participants improve their business management skills in a way that is simple and relevant with the use of short informative modules and workshops.
Considering the entrepreneurial spirit and sales abilities of the Filipinos the publicist Regalario wrote once: “Give a Filipino thousand pesos and he probably will use this sum as a start-up capital for a small retail business". This thesis seems to be confirmed, if you look in a typical street of a Philippine barangay. With few exceptions one sari sari store follows the other. You could gain the impression, that every house is or has a little street store - the Philippines as a jumbled cluster of small and smallest micro enterprises. The ubiquitous sari sari stores are also belonging to the typical inventory of the Philippines like the Jeepney, Barong or the Sampaguita garlands. They can provide the owners with an additional income.
Sari sari stores are often little wooden huts. A oversized billboard, emphasizing the importance, can contrast with a narrowly cut sales window. A look into the sales window shows a little room in semi-darkness filled with properly arranged goods. Here basic commodities are sold: rice, salt, sugar, preserved foods, calorie-rich candies, detergents, batteries, shampoo or floor wax. Very often soft drinks and surely also beer and gin are bestsellers. Cosmetics are bringing higher profits, so they are exposed in a favorable position. Fruits (for example bananas) and vegetables can be added, particularly if there is no “Wet Market " with fresh products in the neighborhood. A westerner might be astonished, seeing the sale of only one or two cigarettes. Sandals can be a special offer attracting possible buyers. Sometimes the exposed range of goods is thinned out to reduce the taxation by official and unofficial authorities. But the range of goods seems to be very similar even if there is a strong competition with other sari sari stores in the neighborhood. New products need further investments and the demand may be only small.
Sari saris have an important social function in everyday life. Just like the water cooler analogy above, you can hear the newest gossips and you can have a little chat. In the morning you might see women with their children, clinging on the apron strings and begging for sweets. Later, the pupils come for a Coke or a comic strip. And in the evening men can sit on benches smoking cigarettes or drinking beer and Ginebra, to help them forget the frustration of the day or to have some entertainment. With closing time the store gets very well secured... gotta protect the goodies!
Mainly, a sari sari store is a family business, which is open all day and late into the evening. For some sari saris, goods can come from a Tsinoy (Chinese-Filipino) Wholesaler or from supermarkets in the city. An important principle with regard to the volume of sold goods is: transform bulk goods into smaller quantities – so the sugar in a sack has to be redistributed in many, many little plastic bags. That’s the reason why a salesperson – if he or she is not selling or chattering – is mostly engaged in decanting, weighing and counting the goods. This sales strategy increases the profit of the storekeeper and offers to the buyer – what a wonderful world of trade - lower expenses viewed in the short term.
Sometimes you'll have people asking for credit. So now the owner has to ask: Should I give credits, and if so - to whom, what amount, and how often? Many owners try to evade this question by demonstratively putting up an information board, “ No Credit!.” But if they give no credits, they may lose buyers and if they give too much, the debtor may not come again. But despite of all information boards most sari sari shops, especially in the country side, operate as little creditors.
The Nielsen Company estimated for the year 2000, that there are round about 430 000 sari sari stores on the Philippines. If this number is nearly exact, it would mean that there is one sari sari store on 26 households. Even in the business and administration quarter of Makati there have been counted 3500 sari sari stores in 1997. But we should be skeptical about the data. The NSO-Census counted in 1975 nearly 750.000 sari sari stores, but this number decreased to miraculous 100,000 in 1996. One reason for this confusion of numbers can be that sari saris are still partly belonging to the underground economy despite pressures by the authorities responsible for registration and taxation. In 1996 there was a report that the unofficial GNP was estimated 30 – 40 % higher than the official GNP. A shop that isn't registered has a chance to evade fees and taxes.
From 1994 we have a statistic showing that the sari sari stores represent about eighty per cent of the retail outlets, but they took in cash only 12.4% of the consumption expenditures. About half of the consumption expenditure have been allotted to the supermarkets.
The above mentioned Nielsen data also delivers surprising information - that from 1997 to 2000 the number of sari sari stores increased by 88 %. That’s quite astonishing. In western countries we have a strong decline of corner shops in favor of chains of supermarkets (Wal-Mart anyone?).
The Subconscious - Can It Reveal True Meaning Through Reverse Speech?
I always wondered about the validity of playing a recording backwards, where you hear subliminal messages. We used to do it for fun as kids but I really couldn't make out anything as I didn't have a way to slow it down. Can these messages be so shocking as to reveal the true thoughts of a person(s)? It's mind boggling how that can be connected to our subconscious; it's like our regular words and thoughts are a mask for what we really mean in our hearts.
I got the clip below from a friend at MySpace who was playing around with a few audio clips and what he heard after playing them backwards was pretty scary. I added another clip below that from Youtube... it seems there's a website called reversespeech.com that's totally into this. Is this a case of people having too much time on their hands? Do you think there's some truth to this?
