Quasar

one of a number of star-like heavenly bodies which are very distant from Earth and which give out light. They are extremely compact and give out light even though they are vast distances away, up to 10¹⁰ light years.

Taken from Dictionary of Science

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A quasi-stellar radio source (quasar) is a very energetic and distant galaxy with an active galactic nucleus. Quasars were first identified as being high redshift sources of electromagnetic energy, including radio waves and visible light, that were point-like, similar to stars, rather than extended sources similar to galaxies.

While there was initially some controversy over the nature of these objects—as recently as the early 1980s, there was no clear consensus as to their nature—there is now a scientific consensus that a quasar is a compact region in the centre of a massive galaxy surrounding the central supermassive black hole. Its size is 10-10,000 times the Schwarzschild radius of the black hole. The quasar is powered by an accretion disc around the black hole.

Taken from Wikipedia

Breaking Out

Being in show business for 20 years, it was inevitable that Judy Ann reach a point where she would start feeling tired and burned out. That feeling led her down a different path and helped her discover her other passion: her passion for cooking.

The first person she told about it was her fiance, Ryan Agoncillo. They were in Davao, and Judy Ann was sitting at a table, drinking by herself and waiting for Ryan to wrap up his duties as host of Philippine Idol, which was having its regional auditions. Suddenly, Judy Ann started talking about wanting to break out of the rut she was in. Acting had become routine. On most days, she felt like she was coasting along, going from one project to another. She needed a fresh burst of inspiration. "[Sabi ko], 'I want to study, I want to do something aside from acting. I want to divert my attention to something else."

Cooking was something she had always loved. She would often invite friends over to sample her cooking. When she was a child, one of her favorite pastimes was bahay-bahayan; Judy Ann would set up bottles and cans and pretend to cook in a little spot she had chosen for herself beside a warehouse on their property in Antipolo. Those were some of the most blissful days of her childhood. "May lugar ako dun sa tabi ng bodega namin sa bahay. Meron akong arina, may patis, may toyo--may set-up lang ako doon, may little hideout ako, tapos magluluto-luto ako ng dahon."

Cooking school was the answer. But aside from wanting to break out of a rut, she went into cooking to prove a point. Judy Ann never finished college, and that is still one of her biggest frustrations in life. But it wasn't because she didn't want to. At the time, Judy Ann was still not sure about what she wanted to take up in college--Hotel and Restaurant Management, Tourism or Early Childhood Education. "Naisip ko na parang kung pinush ko ang sarili ko na mag-college na hindi ko alam yung course na gusto kong kunin, nagsasayang lang ako ng pera," she offers. "Ako naman kasi ang nagpapaaral sa sarili ko. I cannot afford to go to college, and then find out one day na hindi ko pala gusto yung course ko, sayang naman ang pera, di ba?"

Enrolling in cooking school was her way of squaring the equation. It was also something she was sure she wanted to do; in fact, at that point, she needed to do it. It wasn't a four-year college degree, but at least she would have something to show for herself and prove that showbiz people could do other things besides act. "Gusto ko talaga maging chef. Na-realize ko na marami pa pala akong kayang gawin. Gusto ko lang patunayan sa mga tao na ang mga artista, hindi naman talaga pag-arte lang ang kayang gawin. Ayoko namang nakatunganga sa bahay kasi pag-aartista lang 'yung alam ko, eh wala naman akong natapos."

Once she was set, she started to look for culinary schools. She told her manager Alfie Lorenzo about her plans and asked for permission to lie low on her showbiz commitments. "I had to make a decision. I had to stop working for a while and do this culinary thing para ma-inspire ako ulit at ma-miss ko ang trabaho, na ginawa ko naman. Nagpaalam ako ng three months kay Tito Alfie. Naintindihan naman niya. May konting talak, pero naintindihan niya."

Judy Ann also had to convince herself that the expense would be worth it. "Matagal ko na gustong mag-culinary, hindi ko lang magawa kasi ang mahal. Nag-research ako ng school, eh parang nasasayangan ako sa pera. Sabi nga ni Ryan, bakit ako masasayangan sa pera, eh kung dun naman ako masaya. 'Mababawi mo rin 'yan in the long run kapag naka-graduate ka na.'"

She enrolled at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies and took a Basic and Advanced Cooking Skills course under Chef Gene Gonzales for four months. She received medals for both courses; a silver for the Basic course, and a gold for the Advanced. Now she is saving up to train abroad so she can be certified as a professional chef. Although she closed down her Café Kilimanjaro and Café Karabana, she will still be doing a lot of cooking in their brand-new kitchen once she and Ryan get married.

Taken from Starstudio magazine: Judy Ann Santos special issue

Radiation

the giving out of energy from a source, which may be in the form of ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES (radio, light, X-rays, infrared rays, etc.), particles or sound waves.

Taken from Dictionary of Science

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In physics, radiation describes any process in which energy emitted by one body travels through a medium or through space, ultimately to be absorbed by another body. Non-physicists often associate the word with ionizing radiation (e.g., as occurring in nuclear weapons, nuclear reactors, and radioactive substances), but it can also refer to electromagnetic radiation (i.e., radio waves, infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet light, and X-rays) which can also be ionizing radiation, to acoustic radiation, or to other more obscure processes. What makes it radiation is that the energy radiates (i.e., it travels outward in straight lines in all directions) from the source. This geometry naturally leads to a system of measurements and physical units that are equally applicable to all types of radiation. Some radiations can be hazardous.

Taken from Wikipedia

The Wagon Train Out of Jail

If you had the choice of traveling around the United States by a wagon train, sailing on a 130-foot schooner, camping in the wilderness or serving time in a detention center, which would you choose?

As unusual as this may sound, some offending American teenagers are given this choice.

Authorities who work with young offenders say many young people involved in vandalism, stealing, shoplifting and similar offenses have often just made bad decisions without thinking about how their actions affect others.

With this is mind, alternatives to juvenile detention have become popular among some law enforcement officials.

Some teens in trouble now have alternatives to jail terms.

One example is VisionQuest. Those involved must make a one-year commitment, abstain from involvement with sex, drugs, alcohol and tobacco during their stay and complete three VisionQuest programs, some of which are listed below.

Quests. Quests may be cross-country horseback or bicycle expeditions or a several week guided trek through forest land.

Wagon Trains. Participants travel across the United States with a group of 10 to 12 mule-drawn wagons.

OceanQuest. Young people learn navigation, water safety and sailing techniques aboard one of two schooners.

Through these programs teens develop positive relationships with others. The many lessons they learn include cooperation, self-discipline, teamwork, respect for authority, responsibility and the work ethic.

Each of these programs includes four hours of school classes a day, five days a week.

Similar programs are growing in popularity. Some authorities believe teens can turn their lives around better through counseling and working with others than by sitting in a jail cell.

-By Larry Johnson

Taken from Youth 90 magazine