10 Things I bet you didn't know about Jose Rizal

Jose Rizal (1861-1896)

It's Dr. Jose Rizal's 114th death anniversary today. And next year, 2011, the country will mark his 150th birth anniversary on June 19. Rizal's name has been all over the place even before we were born. In fact, almost every municipality has a Rizal Park in the town or city center. Expect to find a Rizal street or road in these places as well. But our knowledge of Rizal is not just boosted by these familiar landmarks. In college we are forced to study his life, works and struggles thanks to the Rizal Law which was approved by Congress in the 1950s. However, in recent years, it seems that despite his overwhelming presence, our knowledge of the man, the hero has been limited.

Here is are some things then that I am sure will help you remember Rizal after reading:

Spotted: Super Fast Beer Dispenser

Okay! Now this video really had me blown away. A super fast beer dispenser that fills plastic cups from the bottom up! (And no spills!) I saw this video in Facebook after a fellow blogger shared it (thank you!). I am really puzzled at how this dispenser manages to bore a hole in the bottom of the cup and fill it without leaving a hole. And then I thought, whoa! Maybe its rocket science!

I decided to go to the links below the video to find out how this machine works.

Paputok Special!

New Year celebrations in the Philippines will not be complete without fireworks or paputok. The almost cliche reason behind doing so is the old belief that making noise drives away bad luck from the coming year. While there are lots of alternatives to the use firecrackers, or while there's really no credence behind the said tradition, Filipinos have become accustomed to it. In fact, while China, the birthplace of fireworks, has banned its manufacture and use, here in the Philippines it is a thriving, multi-million industry.
  

And at the center of this industry is the town of Bocaue in Bulacan Province. Annually, as the year comes to a close, merchants and buyers would flock to the main firework district in this town to buy firecrackers to sell in their respective locales or for personal consumption on New Year's Day. The demand is always high year after year, enough to support the livelihood of thousands of Bulakeños who make a living out of this dangerous merchandise. To cater to the demand, manufacturers have brought in some ingenious and creative ideas in firecracker-making changing its colors, its noise level and even its name.