Boon's Basement

100 Best Place to Work in IT 2009

// June 15th, 2009 // No Comments » // News, Technology

Computer World published a list on the top 100 best workplace for IT in 2009.

An excerpt from the full list:

-Boon

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Come Holy Spirit – Planet Shakers

// June 15th, 2009 // No Comments » // Music

Planet Shakers – Come Holy Spirit [Album: All For Love]

Come Holy Spirit
Fall afresh on me
Fill me with your power
Satisfy my need

Only you can make me whole
Give me strength to make me grow
Come Holy Spirit
Fall afresh on me

Pour it out Lord

Pour it out Lord

Pour it out

Your Spirit on me

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The Palm Wine or better known as Toddy.

// June 15th, 2009 // No Comments » // Food, News

Naturally, fementation breaks down sugar into water, carbon dioxide and alcohol. Mankind has used this process to create alcoholic drink since the beginning of time. Palm Wine or Palm toddy is a popular drink that is consumed in countries where the Palm Tree proliferates. Below is the list of countries that consume palm wine and the local names given to the drink:

Source: Wikipedia

The palm wine is produced from fermenting the sap of the palm tree. A tapper would collect the sap from the cut flower of the palm tree. A container is fastened to the flower stump to collect the sap which tends to be very sweet and non-alcoholic before it is fermented. An alternate method is to let the entire tree fall to the ground. This practice is common in many African Nations and a fire is sometimes lit at the cut end to facilitate the collection of sap. This method was mentioned in Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation episode where he was in Ghana.

“Palm sap begins fermenting immediately after collection, due to natural yeasts in the air (often spurred by residual yeast left in the collecting container). Within two hours, fermentation yields an aromatic wine of up to 4% alcohol content, mildly intoxicating and sweet. The wine may be allowed to ferment longer, up to a day, to yield a stronger, more sour and acidic taste, which some people prefer. Longer fermentation produces vinegar instead of stronger wine.” – Wikipedia

-A man enjoying Toddy

Palm wine plays a special role in traditional ceremonies in many cultures but it also has been a controversial drink as it has been associated with violence and alcoholism among the rural Tamil community in Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

-Boon

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Super Acrobatic Ping Pong!

// June 14th, 2009 // No Comments » // Thoughts

Source: Digg

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I finally did it!

// June 13th, 2009 // No Comments » // Thoughts

After 2 years of procastination and 2 months of intense studying, I finally took the GMAT and I did pretty well. I was hoping to break the 700 barrier and fortunately for me, I manage to get a 700.

I am reaping the seed of my labor!

700 Baby!

-Boon

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You don’t get self esteem from the Scalpel.

// June 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // News

source: NYTimes

In tandem with the rise of cultural obsession of celebrity look or a Hollywood makeover, many teens are feeling the pressure to fit in based on the narrow view that has developed throughout the years. Adolescences are more self-conscious about their physical appearance, largely due to the teasing of friends and false image portrayed by mainstream media of what beauty is: body with curves, big breasts, sharp nose, large and round nose etc.

Faced with self esteem issue,many teenagers are having their body altered under the scalpel. Receiving breast augmentations, liposuctions, or even nose alterations as birthday or graduation gifts from parents are common among the American teenagers.

According to the latest figures from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery show that the number of cosmetic surgical procedures performed on teenagers 18 or younger more than tripled over a 10-year period, to 205,119 in 2007 from 59,890 in 1997. Controversial procedures such as: liposuctions rose to 9,295 from 2,504, and breast augmentations increased nearly sixfold, to 7,882 from 1,326. [Amy Fledderman (18) of Pennsylvania, who died in 2001 of fat embolism syndrome after undergoing liposuction, and Stephanie Kuleba (18) of Florida, who died last spring from complications because of anesthesia used during a breast augmentation and inverted nipple surgery.]

The society and the media are not the sole force behind the compelling interest in plastic surgery. Parents’ understanding and apathy towards a kid’s dissatisfaction on a less ideal physical appearance such as a crooked nose can also be attributed to the increases in youths getting plastic surgery.

Plastic surgery may not be all that bad as according to Michael Laudisio, now 22, of Massapequa, N.Y. Not knowing the implication of having his ear pinned 10 years ago, he sure glad his parents did it for him. Michael recalled, “I had really big ears like no one else and was teased about it all the time.” “That surgery made me free,” said Michael.

But it can be a very fine line between corrective surgery and cosmetic, and even within a family there can be vastly differing opinions. “I’ve had mothers dragging their daughters in to have something done, and of course, if the teen is not on board, I’ll suggest another appropriate course of action,” said Dr. D’Amico,plastic surgeon in Englewood, N.J who then added, “You don’t get self-esteem from a scalpel.”

-Boon

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What can you buy with $300,000 in Boston these days?

// June 11th, 2009 // No Comments » // News

source:Huffingtonpost

If you have $300,000 in your wallet, how would you spend it? Apparently a man whose name was undisclosed, purchased a parking spot in a building on Commonwealth Ave, close to the Boston Public Garden, which according to Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage agent, Debra Sordillo, is known for the lack of parking spots.

The $300,000 parking spot was a result from an auction by not just one but several bidders in an attempt to purchase the spot.

This could well be the priciest parking spot in Boston’s history. The price tag is pale, compared to price of the house the winner is trying to sell, a whopping $2.5 Million. The price of the parking spot is about 12% of the price of the house.

What’s next America? Selling your car company to the government? Oh wait….we already did that.
-Boon

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Silence is golden.

// June 11th, 2009 // No Comments » // Thoughts

Hearing pages being flipped, people walking in and out and librarians arranging the circulations, my mind wanders off into the multitude shelves around the room as I sit in the “Quiet Room” at the Forest Hills Library. Books ranging from “Monkey Business” to “Writing a Killer Resume” are in my sight and the waves of people walking in and out of the room make my GMAT studying much more interesting. I should really be concentrating on my exam, scheduled this Saturday June 13th, 2009, instead of looking around but I can’t help myself. I hope I don’t have AADD, which stands for Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, although come to think of it, I do enjoy getting all the attention!

The population of the library consists mainly of the elderly, presumably retired, middle aged men and women (I wonder if they are unemployed like I am) and students, ranging from middle to high school, and all of them seem to be making full use of the library. There is a man who is napping on the sofa behind me, an elderly lady reading the newspaper outside the quiet room and some students who are just diligently studying.

The library to book enthusiasts is like the candy store to children, a mystical and resourceful place where one can roam freely, picking up books, magazines, CDs or DVDs that may quench one’s curiosity. This is where your tax money is being wisely spent and I am glad to be one of the many Americans who are contributing to this effort. At least the tax money that is being invested in Libraries is better spent than the money that is invested in GM or Citigroup..

If you have some free time, you should check out the scene at your local library. Be prepared to experience something different.

Queens Library Website: http://www.queenslibrary.org/

p.s. Is it me or the weather feels more like that of Fall that it is of Summer?

-Boon

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Hello world!

// June 11th, 2009 // No Comments » // Thoughts

Welcome to Boon’s Basement. With the inception of this website, you will be able to read my thoughts, interesting news and stories, my original compositions and much more. If you have your popcorn and soda ready, why don’t you sit back, relax and enjoy the ride!

-Boon

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