Benson Cheng's Blog

A Liter of Light!

Benson Cheng — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 04:52:09 +0000

A person by the name of Demi, Aka Solar Demi, made a difference to his community, by giving them light! He lives in a small town of Sitio Maligaya dos, San Vicente Village in San Pedro, Laguna, Philippines. You too can contribute in many ways…

Before you click the video below, I would like to share this poem, may it encourage us. The poem is entitled…

It’s up to You

One song can spark a moment,

One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.

One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal.

One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room.
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.

One step must start each journey,
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what’s true.

One life can make the difference

Watch this…

Mr. Demi, made a big difference to his community…

How to make your own Solar Bottle Light Bulb?

The materials are the following: 1.5 liter soda bottle, 1’x1’ roof sheet material, purified water, camera film dispenser, chlorine and a rubber sealant.

Procedure:

Step 1. Fill the 1.5 liter clear soda bottle with purified water then add 3 tablespoons of liquid bleach and tightly seal the cap. Do not use tap water because this will allow the growth of moss.

Step 2. Make a hole in the 1’x1’ roof sheet material, just the same size of the bottle’s circumference and insert the bottom part of the bottle leaving it exposed under the sunlight.

Step 3. Next, make another hole on the roof of the house (same as the bottle’s circumference) where you want to put the solar bulb and firmly fix the device.

Step 4. Seal the roof with a sealant to prevent raindrops from getting inside the house. It will produce a light when the water inside the bottle bulb refracts and scatters the light inside the house.

The solar bulb is expected to last up to two years before it needs changing.

Do try it at home, and find ways to contribute to your community…

Filed under: Awareness, How do you do that?, News, Readers corner, Technology, Video Blog

Human Blood Pressure Chart and Effects

Benson Cheng — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 07:46:31 +0000

What is Blood Pressure?
Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of your body in vessels called arteries. Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. Each time the heart beats (about 60-70 times a minute at rest), it pumps out blood into the arteries. Your blood pressure is at its highest when the heart beats, pumping the blood. This is called systolic pressure. When the heart is at rest, between beats, your blood pressure falls. This is the diastolic pressure.

Blood pressure is always given as these two numbers, the systolic and diastolic pressures. Both are important.

Human Blood Pressure Range Diagram

Note: 120/80 (“One-twenty over eighty”) is Normal.

140/90 is considered borderline hypertension.

Is your blood pressure higher than this?
The 1st Number: Systolic pressure is the pressure generated when the heart contracts.
The 2nd Number: Diastolic pressure is the blood pressure when the heart is relaxed.

What is Normal Blood Pressure? Buy and use an automatic blood pressure monitor. Compare your BP reading with the numbers on the chart above. Draw a line from your systolic pressure to your diastolic pressure. Is the slope of the line about the same as shown on the chart? Where do YOU fit in? What are your risk factors?
Are your blood pressure readings within the normal blood pressure range?
Should you take anti-hypertension medication to lower your blood pressure?

Normal human daily Blood Pressure Range can vary widely, so any single blood pressure monitor reading is not reliable. BP monitor readings must be taken at different times of day, to determine AVERAGE blood pressure levels over time.
What is important is your AVERAGE BP, or MAP (Mean Arterial Pressure) over time.
Or, where are those numbers sitting MOST of the time?
Normal MAP is about 93 mm of mercury.

Lowering High Blood Pressure Tactics

Filed under: Awareness, Family, Health, Readers corner, Stress Relievers

Rhema Marvanne 8 yr Old Gospel Singer

Benson Cheng — Tue, 17 May 2011 01:40:42 +0000

Rhema Marvanne (born Rhema Marvanne Voraritskul, September 15, 2002) is a gospel singer from Carrollton, Texas, USA.

Watch her sing praise…

Website: www.rhemamarvanne.com

Facebook Rhema Marvanne fan club: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rhema-Marvanne-fan-club/205697612796697

She is the daughter of Teton and Wendi “Mercy” Marvanne Voraritskul. Wendi died of ovarian cancer on November 8, 2008 at the age of 36. Rhema gained Internet fame at the age of six after recording her first song, “Amazing Grace”. She appeared on the Maury Povich Show Most Talented Kids 2010, and Korean show Star King.^[4] She also appears in Gerard Butler’s 2011 film Machine Gun Preacher where Butler plays a drug dealer-turned-crusader on a mission to save kids.

Her self-titled debut album, Rhema Marvanne, was released October 15, 2010

Filed under: Biblical, Church, Music, Others, Stress Relievers, Video Blog

Carly Fleischmann – Medical Mystery

Benson Cheng — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 04:41:02 +0000

www.carlysvoice.com – Carly Fleischmann personal Blog site.

This is a very informative and touching way to understand children with autism….take time to watch this and understand them…..you’ll realize they are not dumb…they get through more challenges than we do……more often than we do……it takes more courage and strength for them to live their daily life than we normally do…..all they need is understanding….is it too hard to give?

Filed under: Awareness, Family, Health, Readers corner, Video Blog

Causes of Vertigo

Benson Cheng — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 04:19:48 +0000

Vertigo is a condition that involves dizziness due to disorders in the inner ear. Here are some causes of vertigo.

—

By Rita Putatunda

The very word ‘vertigo’ brings to mind that famous 1958 movie of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock, wherein the character played by James Stewart, a detective named John ‘Scottie’ Ferguson, is struck by an extreme fear of heights, which results in vertigo, which is a type of dizziness.

Vertigo is a symptom and not a disease by itself and can have several causes. When a person experiences vertigo, the sensation is of the outer surroundings spinning around him or her, or as if the person feels he or she is spinning in space. This type of dizziness occurs all of a sudden, can come and go unpredictably, and is usually accompanied by equilibrium problems, nausea and vomiting. Mild occurrences may be just a feeling of light-headedness or a rocking sensation.

Vertigo generally results due to a disorder of the nerves and the balance mechanism structures in the inner year, known as the vestibular system, which can sense the position of the head and movement of the body. Vertigo is almost always accompanied by involuntary movements of the eyes, also known as nystagmus. Sitting up suddenly or moving around could worsen the condition.

What are the Causes of Vertigo?

There are several causes of dizziness linked to vertigo; here are a few of them:

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, or BPPV: BPPV pertains to brief and intense occurrences of vertigo linked with the changes in the position of the head. It often happens when people sit up in bed on waking up in the morning or when they turn over while lying in bed. It takes place when the otoconia, or crystals of calcium carbonate that occur naturally in the inner ear come loose and get into the wrong areas of the canals in the inner ear. When the particles of calcium shift, they result in stimulating the sensors in the ear, thus causing an attack of vertigo. Medical science still does not know why BPPV is caused, although the conjecture is that it could be caused by aging. BPPV could also be triggered by a trauma to the head.

Meniere’s Disease: This condition involves fluid building up excessively in the inner ear. Typically, there are sudden attacks of vertigo, which can last for half an hour or even longer. Apart from the dizziness, some of the other symptoms are: a feeling of fullness in the ear; tinnitus, or a ringing or buzzing in the ear; and hearing loss that comes and goes. It is not know yet what exactly causes Meniere’s disease.

Vestibular Migraine: Those who are afflicted with this condition are extremely sensitive to movement. The vertigo that results from vestibular migraine can be set off in various ways, such as: riding or driving in an automobile; being in a place that is confusing or crowded; if the head is turned quickly; or even by watching movement on the television screen. A vestibular migraine can cause sensations like: tinnitus; hearing that seems muffled; hearing loss; or unsteadiness or imbalance. In most people afflicted with this condition, the vertigo and the headache do not necessarily occur simultaneously. Rather, some of the triggers that usually result in an attack of migraine may actually cause vertigo, instead of the headache. These episodes of vertigo may last for just a few minutes or even several days.

Inner Ear Inflammation: The symptoms of inner ear inflammation, also known as labyrinthitis or vestibular neuronitis, are intense and sudden vertigo which can last for several days, accompanied by nausea as well as vomiting. This condition can be disabling, necessitating bed rest in order to lessen the symptoms. Luckily, this type of vertigo usually abates and clears up by itself. Although it is not know yet what causes this condition, it is suspected that it could be due to a viral infection.

Schwannoma or Acoustic Neuroma: This is a benign tumor that occurs on the acoustic nerve. The inner ear is connected to the brain through the acoustic nerve. An acoustic neuroma can cause dizziness, tinnitus, loss of hearing, and loss of balance.

Some of the other causes of vertigo could be serious neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis, brain hemorrhage, or stroke. Sometimes, vertigo can even be triggered off by rapid changes in motion such as rides in roller coasters, airplanes, cars, and boats.

How to Dry Up Fluid in the Inner Ear

An imbalance is created in your inner ear when too much fluid is produced in the inner ear or not enough fluid is reabsorbed through your natural inner ear fluid recycling system. Fluid in your inner ear can cause dizziness, fullness of the ears, ringing in the ears or permanent damage to the inner ear structures and hearing loss. A doctor will determine if you have an inner ear fluid imbalance by running tests and performing a physical and historical medical evaluation.

Instructions

things you’ll need:

Diuretics

- 1
  
  Eat a low-sodium diet. According to Loyola Medicine, the fluid produced for the inner ear contains a delicate balance of minerals, including sodium (salt). If this balance is altered, too much fluid may be produced. Diets which are high in sodium may be the culprit. Your doctor may prescribe a low-sodium meal plan that will cut many snack foods, frozen foods and restaurant meals from your diet.
- 2
  
  Take water pills. Diuretics, or water pills, may be prescribed by your doctor to help relieve pressure in the inner ear and reduce fluid production in the inner ear. Diuretics reduce fluid in your entire body, however, and can lower your levels of potassium. If your doctor prescribes diuretics, be sure to follow her medication and diet recommendations closely.
- 3
  
  Use antibiotics. In the most severe cases of inner ear fluid imbalance known as Meniere’s disease, your doctor may prescribe the use of antibiotics to partly destroy cells in the inner ear, reduce the production of fluid and relieve vertigo. The use of antibiotics will likely cause some hearing loss, with an average patient hearing loss of 30 to 40 percent.

Tips & Warnings

Fluid in the inner ear is not the same as fluid in the middle ear — commonly known as “water in the ear” or “swimmer’s ear.” Where topical and home remedies may work for fluid in the middle ear, fluid in the inner ear is more difficult to dry up and should be managed under the care of a physician.

Filed under: Awareness, Family, Health, Others, Readers corner

How does solar energy work?

Benson Cheng — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:55:55 +0000

What is solar electricity?

The sun’s energy is captured and converted into DC electricity through a device called a photovoltaic (PV) panel system. A PV panel system converts sunlight directly into electricity anytime the sun is shining, but more electricity is produced when the light is more intense (a sunny day) and is striking the panels. Solar electric panels do not use heat to make electricity. Instead, electricity is produced as electrons are freed by the interaction of sunlight with semiconductor materials in the solar panels.

Reposted from:

AAASIP is a global leader in solar power innovation. We are setting the standard for affordable green power with solar cell technology of distinctly superior cost efficiency, versatility, and availability.

http://www.aaasip.com

Solar electric systems use PV cells to convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. PV cells are made from silicon and were originally developed to power spacecraft and space stations. The cells come wired together in panels. A group of panels mounted on a frame is called a PV array.

How Solar Works:

Video demonstration on how solar power works:

To provide electricity reliably and safely, PV systems include several pieces of equipment in addition to the PV array. This balance of system components typically includes a charge controller, an inverter, wiring, safety breakers or fuses, and a form of electricity storage (typically batteries).

What are the benefits of solar electricity?
A PV system reduces or eliminates the amount of electricity you purchase from your electric service provider, or it can provide power for sites where no power is available, or where the cost to bring in utility power is prohibitive.. The electricity generated by your PV system is clean, renewable and reliable. Solar technology produces no air or water pollution, is emission free, silent and unobtrusive. It makes it possible for home and business owners to generate their own power from a 100% renewable resource – the sun. It will immediately lower your utility bill, act as a hedge against future price increases, and even add to the resale value of your structure.

Additionally, you help your community by reducing the load on the utility grid and you can provide additional electricity for the grid when you generate more than you use during the day, when electricity demand is highest.

FAQ:

Is my site a good place for a solar system?
Your site must have clear, unobstructed access to the sun. Buildings, trees or other vegetation should not shade your site. South-facing roof exposure is best, but roofs facing east and west may be OK. If a rooftop is not available, your PV system can also be mounted on the ground.

Does a PV system replace an electric utility?
A. PV systems are typically used as either stand-alone systems or grid-connected systems (also known as grid-interactive or grid-tie systems). The role of photovoltaics in these two types of systems is very different, and the design decisions and performance requirements are very different as well.

Stand-alone PV systems generate all of the on-site electricity needs of a home. Therefore, they are not connected to any electric utility. Stand-alone systems can provide AC or DC electricity, and typically include batteries to store electricity for use when the sun is not shining. Stand-alone systems are often cost-effective when installed in remote areas where access by electric utilities is difficult and expensive.

Grid-connected PV systems are typically sized to meet 50% or more of a home’s electrical load. These systems are not always sized to meet all of the electricity loads of a house because of the higher upfront costs associated with purchasing a larger system. A larger system will cost less per kilowatt-hour generated due to the economies of scale associated with manufacturing processes. Thus, a grid-connected system will generate all or part of the electricity required in a home, while the remaining electricity loads are met by the utility.

Isn’t solar expensive?
At first it may seem that a solar electric system is expensive, but solar is actually much more economical than utility power. Many states and utilities have incentives and/or rebates, and the Federal government offers a $2000 deduction for installing an alternative energy system.

After the state rebates and tax credits, if you finance the system over it’s warranty period, the monthly cost of solar will run about the same as your current electric bill. The big advantage is that this cost will never increase, while the cost of electricity from the utility has increased at an average rate of 6% per year over the last 30 years. Solar is a great investment for the long term.

Do I need to buy a system that will eliminate my electric bill?
No. Many people buy systems that only eliminate part of their electric bill. The utilities have adopted a rate structure that increases the cost of electricity as you use more of it. Many people choose a system that will only eliminate the most expensive electricity. This increases the return on your investment.

How much does it cost?
Grid-tie PV systems typically cost $7 to $9 per watt, installed. An average residential system large enough to provide enough power for a household of 3 or 4 people would be about a 4 kW system and would run around $32,000 installed.

What’s the payback period?
A residential system in western Washington will typically pay for itself in around 10 to 14 years. Considering that the panels come with a 25-year warranty, and have a 30-40 year design life, that basically means that after the first 14 years, they’ve paid for themselves, and then they go on to generate 15-25 worth of ‘free power.’ That’s 30 years of positive cash flow, money in your pocket in the form of avoid electric bills.

Payback is usually used to describe the time it takes for an investment to pay for itself, similar to Return On Investment. However, the basic assumption behind a payback calculation is that this is a discretionary expenditure, I can choose to invest in this energy equipment, or not, and if I don’t, I can put that amount of money in the bank and with no risk, make some 3-4%.

Paying an electric bill is not a ‘discretionary’ expense for most people; they have no choice! By buying a solar electric system you are taking money that you would be “giving” to your electric utility and investing it in your home.

What is the lifespan of a PV system?
Solar Electric systems last a long time depending on the amount of active use, or the amount of sunshine converted into electricity by the PV cells. Most systems are only in use for 6 to 8 hours per day. Manufacturers will usually provide 10 to 20-year warranties, but PV modules will likely last longer than that. The balance of system components, however, will have a shorter life.

Can I use solar electricity to heat water or to heat my house or office?
It is impractical to use solar-generated electricity to heat water-a solar water heating system is a far more cost-effective choice. Similarly, space heating is best accomplished with solar thermal strategies or equipment designed for the task-passive solar designs or transpired collectors, for example.

What is involved in maintaining and operating a Solar Electric system?
Without any moving parts, maintaining a PV system is relatively simple. For grid-connected systems, minimal maintenance is required, including keeping the panels free of any debris such as fallen leaves, bird droppings, etc. For stand-alone systems, the batteries usually require the most maintenance. Contact your PV system retailer for more information on maintaining battery banks.

Does my electric meter really spin backwards?

When a grid-connected solar electric system generates more power than the appliances within the home are consuming, the excess electricity goes back out into the utility grid. Excess power going back into the grid spins your meter backwards and your neighbors are using clean quiet solar power. This is called “net metering”, and allows the utilities customer to only be billed for the “net” electricity purchased over the entire billing period. At the end of each billing cycle your meter will not have spun as far forwards as compared to not having solar electricity.

Will I have power if the utility grid experiences a blackout?
A battery option is available to provide electricity in the event of a blackout offering you greater security and convenience.

Are there any incentives or rebates available?
Many states and utilities offer incentive programs. For more information on incentives available in your area, follow this link to the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE).

Filed under: Awareness, How do you do that?, Readers corner, Technology, Video Blog

Outsourced – Hilarious New Comedy Series

Benson Cheng — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:18:52 +0000

Hilarious New Comedy Series…

“Outsourced” is NBC’s new workplace comedy series centered around a catalog-based company, Mid America Novelties, that sells American novelty goods including whoopee cushions, foam fingers and wallets made of bacon, and whose call center has suddenly been outsourced to India.

After recently completing Mid America Novelties’ manager training program, Todd Dempsy (Ben Rappaport, off-Broadway’s “The Gingerbread House”) learns that the call center is being outsourced to India, and he is asked to move there to be the manager. Having never ventured out of the country, he is unprepared for the culture shock. Overwhelmed, Todd discovers that his new staff needs a crash course in all things American if they are to understand the U.S. product line and ramp up sales from halfway around the world.

The sales team Todd inherits includes Gupta (Parvesh Cheena, “Help Me Help You”), a socially awkward employee; Manmeet (Sacha Dhawan, BBC’s “Five Days II”), a young romantic who is enamored with America; Asha (Rebecca Hazlewood, BBC’s “Doctors”), a smart, striking woman who finds herself intrigued by Todd; Rajiv (Rizwan Manji, “Privileged”) the assistant manager who wants Todd’s job; and Madhuri (Anisha Nagarajan, Broadway’s “Bombay Dreams”), a wallflower who suffers from extreme shyness.

Todd also discovers other transplants working in his office building, including an American expatriate, Charlie Davies (Diedrich Bader, “The Drew Carey Show”), who runs the All-American Hunter call center, and Tonya (Pippa Black, “Neighbours”), a beautiful Australian who runs the call center for Koala Air.

Watch the preview:

Filed under: Humor, Stress Relievers, Video Blog

Basketball: Signature Moves Walkthrough Part-1

Benson Cheng — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 03:21:07 +0000

Featuring: Manu Ginobili and Ricky Rubio

Manu Ginobili – Signature Move (walk-through)

The Walkthrough:

Ricky Rubio -Signature Move (walk-through)

The Walkthrough:

Filed under: How do you do that?, Others, Sports, Video Blog

Ipad 2 – Key features

Benson Cheng — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 03:17:00 +0000

Key Features: New A5 Dual Core Chip, Dual Camera, etc…

Video:

Facetime demo:

1. Front and Back Camera - Camera, Photos, Video Recording, and Facetime…

Back camera: Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; still camera with 5x digital zoom
Front camera: Video recording, VGA up to 30 frames per second with audio; VGA-quality still camera
Tap to control exposure for video or stills
Photo and video geotagging over Wi-Fi

2. Comes with Wifi or Wifi+3g

3. Size and Weight – Note: Lighter Thinner

Height: 9.50 inches (241.2 mm)
Width: 7.31 inches (185.7 mm)
Depth: 0.34 inch (8.8 mm)
Weight: 1.33 pounds (601 g)

4. Wireless and Cellular

Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology

5. Display

9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

6. Chip

1GHz dual-core Apple A5 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip

7. Super Fast Graphics

-With up to nine times the graphics performance, gameplay on iPad is even smoother and more realistic. And faster graphics help apps perform better

8. Power and Battery

Built-in 25-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music
Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system

9. Input / Output

30-pin dock connector port
3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack
Built-in speaker
Microphone

10. Sensor

Three-axis gyro
Accelerometer
Ambient light sensor

11. Audio Playback

Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Audio formats supported: HE-AAC (V1 and V2), AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
User-configurable maximum volume limit
Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound pass-through with Apple Digital AV Adapter (sold separately)

12. Tv and Video and Airplay

Video mirroring and video out support: Up to 1080p with Apple Digital AV Adapter or Apple VGA Adapter (cables sold separately)
Video out support at 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable
Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

13. Mail Attachment Support

Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)

Benson Cheng's Blog

A Liter of Light!

Human Blood Pressure Chart and Effects

Human Blood Pressure Range Diagram

Rhema Marvanne 8 yr Old Gospel Singer

Carly Fleischmann – Medical Mystery

Causes of Vertigo

Instructions

things you’ll need:

Tips & Warnings

How does solar energy work?

To provide electricity reliably and safely, PV systems include several pieces of equipment in addition to the PV array. This balance of system components typically includes a charge controller, an inverter, wiring, safety breakers or fuses, and a form of electricity storage (typically batteries).

Additionally, you help your community by reducing the load on the utility grid and you can provide additional electricity for the grid when you generate more than you use during the day, when electricity demand is highest.

Outsourced – Hilarious New Comedy Series

Basketball: Signature Moves Walkthrough Part-1

Manu Ginobili – Signature Move (walk-through)

The Walkthrough:

Ricky Rubio -Signature Move (walk-through)

The Walkthrough:

Ipad 2 – Key features

Video:

1. Front and Back Camera - Camera, Photos, Video Recording, and Facetime…

Fight Science Kick Test (Capoeira, Karate, Muaythai & Taekwondo)