••• atenean101 @ Blogspot is One of the Freshly Ratified Blogs - Batch #22

Wow! Together with 13 other blogs (including one of my fellow CBS' blog, Dahong Laya), this blog - ••• atenean101 @ Blogspot - was just recently ratified by ratified.org and among the Freshly Ratified Blogs - Batch #22.

For others, this may not really be a big deal at all, and some may even raise their eyebrows and say "so what if you're freshly ratified?"... the thing is, they definitely don't know how hard it is for one blog to be ratified, and for sure other ratified blogs would agree. It's not just simply joining a certain community and be accepted as a member but instead, it is like joining a beauty pageant and be screened or applying for a job and be interviewed for them to know if you're really qualified and if you really deserve to be part of them.

Anyway, what really is Ratified.Org and how can one blog be ratified?

Ratified.org is a new directory featuring the best Filipino blogs in the blogosphere. Using data from Technorati.com sprinkled with Feedburner, Google and Alexa stats, each blog's statistics such as rank, links and other information are gathered and stored, therefore "ratifying" it. The data is then used as the basis for ranking or measuring Ratified.org's top 100 Philippine blogs of the Philippine Blogosphere.

Accordingly, in order for a certain blog to be accepted and ratified, Ratified.Org still look at each and every blog sites before they include them. They're not that picky and it doesn’t take much on our part to be ratified. The first thing to keep in mind is the fact that they accept only blogs, not websites that run on Wordpress or other blog platforms as a CMS. Second, they look at the content... and for as long as a certain blog is not filled with paid posts or advertisements, then it would be just fine. Third, they try to avoid blogs hosted on Multiply.com and Friendster and the reason behind it is that Technorati does not collect links from these blogs which as a result, even though they would add those blogs, they surely can't be ratified without any links present. Now, this also applies to all blogs that have no incoming links, regardless of where they are hosted. And Lastly, a certain blog should be owned by a Filipino blogger or an Australian blogger if it's Ratified.Org - Australia.

So wanna get Ratified?

First, make sure you're Filipino. Then visit their site: Ratified.Org and go here. Send them a message containing the Title, URL, Description and feed URL of your blog. In addition, do a search on Technorati.com to check if your blog is currently ranked. If not, register and make a claim on your blog to get the Technorati robots roving! Easy, right? I know it is. Haha.

Anyway, through this blog post, I would like to extend my appreciation and utmost gratitude to Ratified.Org for ratifying my blog. It is really an honor to be part the organization. Thank you and more power!

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Fact or Fiction: OBESITY Adds to Global Warming

The increasing number of obesity cases in the world is said to be one of the causes of the emergence of global warming. And I wonder why, I mean, what's the relationship?

While this may sound funny and weird, or even unbelievable, obesity does contribute to global warming, reported a team at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine via Reuter (Geneva).

The study stated that "obese and overweight people require more fuel to transport them and the food they eat, and the problem will worsen as the population literally swells in size."

We are all becoming heavier and it is a global responsibility. Obesity is a key part of the big picture... this adds to food shortages and higher energy prices," wrote Phil Edwards and Ian Roberts, the school's researchers, in the journal Lancet.

According to the World Health Organization, at least 400 million adults worldwide are obese, and it "projects by 2015, 2.3billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese."

Now with regards to this sobering issue or claim, I feel a lot of empathy for those people in our society who are struggling so mightily with their weight. Is this an issue of genetics or simply lifestyle and eating choices? The thing is, I am not really sure of what to believe... I mean, I am still doubtful with the theory and the researcher's credibility. A few obese people have a hormone problem, and I could not really agree with such stereotyped claim that fat people eat too much. It is such a crappy thing! Yes, global warming is a real deal, and obesity is also a problem at the same time, but mind you... making obese people feel guilty of the global warming issue antagonises them and may be of big help at all.

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ASUS Ultimate Overclocking Show's Showdown 2009

Cebu City, Philippines, May 23, 2009 - Cebu's finest overclockers pushed the limits of their hardware during the first big OverClocking event in the city - the ASUS Ultimate Overclocking Show 2009! This was held at SM City Cebu Entertainment Plaza, just near SM Cebu's Food Court.


The Overclocking Show is actually the highlight of the two-week ASUS Ultimate PC Fair event, which was held last May 14-24 2009. And as part of the Cebu Bloggers Society's family, I am really glad and honored that they have invited us to such event... not to mention that we've enjoyed the part that they've treated us as a press.

Before, most of the overclocking shows and competitions in Cebu were only done online or in small internet cafes... but this time, they have brought the show to the next level, LIVE!


Two teams from the region, namely Cebu Extreme Overclockers (CEO) and Sugbu Elite Overclockers (SEO), each composed of four (4) PC enthusiasts and Overclocking record-breakers, have shown off their skills in both the latest AMD and Intel Platforms just to get as much as PHp50,000 worth of token, cash and hardware. And each team tried to outdo each other in the following categories:

• Highest % Overclock
• Highest CPU Mhz
• Highest Bclock
• Highest Memory Speed (any timing)
• Highest 3DMark Vantage Score in the Overclocked System
• Highest Super PI


Since overclocking is a means of tweaking your computer hardware to function above its original specifications, there is a need for the best performing and most efficient hardware during the showdown, and that's where ASUS came in.

Ryan, one of the ASUS' geeks, was the host of the event. He explained or rather discussed important things in reference to the ASUS system and its advantage or edge towards other brands when it comes to overclocking.

ASUS, the world's no.1 motherboard manufacturer, provided the teams with top hardware such as the latest Intel Core i7 board - Rampage II Gene and the OverClocking record-breaking AMD-based motherboard, M4A79-T deluxe. The teams also used the latest graphic cards from the brand such as the ASUS EAH4890 and ASUS ENGTX285.

The ASUS Rampage II Gene is part of ASUS' Republic of Gamers (ROG) series. As the name suggests, all ROG products are made to provide the best performing solutions for serious gamers and overclockers. Rampage II Gene echoes this as it boasts premium features such as MemOK! for worry-free memory upgrades, CPU Level Up for easy system performance boosts, and onboard SupremeFX X-Fi for true-to-life surround sound in a compact mATX form.

The ASUS M4A79-T deluxe motherboard on the other hand, features the unique ASUS Xtreme Phase Power design, also evident in most ASUS motherboards. It utilizes more phases to deliver more power and achieve better performance, more stability, enhance power efficiency, and lower temperatures under any loading.

Besides from these top-notch motherboards, the overclockers was able to use memory from OCZ, Caviar Black hard disks from Western Digital, Sunbeam coolers, Silverstone power supply and cordless mouse and keyboard from Logitech. Microsoft Corporation provided the operating systems.

Surely, I am not a "techy" person. I admit that the above mentioned terms and other computer-related stuffs made me really sick. It was indeed a total "nosebleed" listening to Ryan and ASUS people while they try to explain everything... and I am glad that there are fellow bloggers who try to translate things in a more uncomplicated way. *LOL.

At the event, viewers like me did not go home empty-handed, as ASUS had given away cool gadgets and other useful prizes to lucky audiences or participants during the shows "ASUS Question & Answer" portion.

Others who were able to pass by the ASUS Ultimate PC Fair booth, got extra value and special discounts on ASUS motherboards, graphic cards, LCD monitors and wireless routers.

And of course, the event won't be a success without the help of the other sponsors which is listed below...

• CBX Corporation
• Fine Upgrades Technologies
• Tech Island TV
• SM City Cebu
• SM Cyberzone

And of course, the event won't just end without us - Cebu Bloggers Society's Family - doing our most favorite part... CAMWHORING! Yes, we are truly certified camwhores, and we like it that way!


Noted: ASUS is a leading company in the new digital era. With a global staff of more than ten thousand and a world-class R&D design team, the company's revenue for 2008 was $8.1 Billin (US Dollars). ASUS ranks among the top 10 IT companies in BusinessWeek's "InfoTech 100", and has been on the listing for 11 consecutive years.

... Special thanks to Vanjohn of Through the Focal Glass, a fellow CBS, for letting me use his photos for this post.

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