EDUCATION | UP makes it to Times Higher Education's World University Rankings 2016-2017

In what may appear to be a reflection of the current state of education in the Philippines, the University of the Philippines (UP) is the sole Philippine university that entered the World University Rankings list of Times Higher Education for the period 2016-2017.

The premier university of the country ranks 801++ in the overall rankings of the London-based publication. However, it failed to join the list of top 200 universities in Asia. The latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) University Rankings for Asia listed UP at rank 70 (same as last year), Ateneo de Manila University at rank 99 (up from 114), De La Salle University (DLSU) at rank 143 (improved from 183), and UST at rank 157 (which went down from 143). The National University of Singapore (NUS) retains its title as the best university in Asia in the latest Times Higher Education's (THE) World University Rankings. NUS is followed by the Nanyang Technological University, Peking University, University of Hong Kong, and Tsinghua University.

Here are the world's best universities according to Times Higher Education for the period 2016 to 2017.

1. University of Oxford, United Kingdom (up from rank 2)
2. California Institute of Technology, United States (down from rank 1)
3. Stanford University, United States
4. University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States
6. Harvard University, United States
7. Princeton University, United States
8. Imperial College London, United Kingdom
9. ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland
10. University of California - Berkeley, United States (new entrant, up from rank 13) and University of Chicago, United States

MUSIC | US singer James Taylor cancels Manila concert over extrajudicial killings under drug war

Image Courtesy: JamesTaylor.com

Five-time Grammy award singer James Taylor has cancelled a scheduled concert in Manila over reports of extrajudicial killings under the current Duterte administration's war on drugs.

In a statement, the US singer said he was choosing to cancel the said event to "make a politial stand". For him, summary executions in the Philippines are "unacceptable to anyone who loves the rule of law."

The 68-year-old was scheduled to play in Manila, the capital of the country, on February, but in a Facebook post, he said, "I don't think of my music as being particularly political but sometimes one is called upon to make a political stand."

"For a sovereign nation to prosecute and punish, under the law, those responsible for the illegal trade in drugs is, of course, understandable, even commendable; but recent reports from the Philippines... are deeply concerning and unacceptable to anyone who loves the rule of law," he added.

In reaction to his withdrawal, fans expressed disappointment. A lot praised him though for his "integrity in adopting a principled stand." Supporters of the president criticized Taylor's act of "boycott." 

"Only fans will benefit from James Taylor's concert but good governance will benefit our entire nation," said Rendell Bata.

About President Duterte

Image Source: Embassy of the Philippines, Washington D.C.

During the national campaigning period, then-presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte vowed to eradicate drugs. Elected in May, he has been reported to have urged citizens to kill drug dealers who resist arrest.

As most Filipinos know, the former mayor of Davao City has built a reputation for being blunt when speaking and for giving support to the extrajudicial killings of crime suspects.

COOL | Who wants to view Earth from space? Check this out.

Have you ever wondered how it feels to travel the world while on a spacecraft? Have you ever dreamed of seeing different parts of Earth by watching from the point-of-view of the sky? Have you ever wanted to fly in outer space and check if the Earth is really round?

Image Screenshot: NASA, International Space Station

I did have these too when I was still a kid. Now, with science and technology making these goals and dreams achievable, viewing the world from outer space is not impossible. While looking for videos of the Earth as astronauts ride their space shuttle, I found a very usable link.

You can actually watch the International Space Station (ISS) traverse the world in distinct routes! Watch the shuttle as it roams around the Earth minute by minute. See the day turn into night, from up above, right before your very eyes!

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Space Videos

REVIEW | Moana (Disney Film)

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Walt Disney Animation Studios

Moana is the story of an adventure of Moana Waialiki, the daughter of a Polynesian tribal chieftain, whom the ocean chooses to look for the demigod Maui and return a precious gem that was once the heart of a mythical Mother Island, Te Fiti, from whom Maui stole—the reason being that he wanted to give human beings the power to give life.

Plot Summary

Image Courtesy: Disney Movies UK

Despite being the successor to her father’s throne as the next chief of their own village, Moana has her own dreams. She wants to go out to the seas and follow her ancestors’ footsteps, that is, to voyage across oceans. Her father disagrees with that view though as he believes that whatever they need are already provided for by the island where they are in.

VIEW | My blog posts are not indexed/crawled by Google bots. What should I do?

I noticed that my blog posts here in Manila LifeBox do not show up in search results. And this is probably because Google bots have failed to find (crawl) my articles and index these in their search results. Or is it?

Image Courtesy: Blogger.com

Maybe it is because I rarely post articles here, but usually it only takes one day for my post to be found in the search results. Some bloggers, in addition to my experience, have actually recently found out about such problems. I looked for possible solutions so that I could address this blog crawling and indexing issue.

REVIEW | Skechers Go Run Ride 4 Running Shoes

I recently bought a pair of Skechers running shoes, the Skechers Go Run Ride 4, which was put on sale in a mall somewhere south. I was enthusiastic to try it on, so I did on that same day of purchase. Just to guide some fellow running/jogging friends out there, here is my review of the Skechers Go Run Ride 4 which was released by the footwear company at the end of 2014.

I know this model is a bit outdated, but Skechers shoes are actually rated high by users and experts in RunRepeat (#14, rating of 79) and are up in the rankings with the likes of Skechers GOrun Ultra 2 and Skechers GOrun 4. SoleReview, another ratings website, gives it a 78%.

Here is my review of the Skechers Go Run Ride 4 with great consideration of factors like design, comfort and price.

DESIGN 

I give it an 8/10 as its color palette is really appealing for me. It’s upper body mesh made of synthetic leather somehow disappoints, but the design makes up for it. The midsole made of EVA foam gives comfort to the feet, while its outsole which consists of circular rubber pods allows for an easy sprint. However, the shoes didn’t get the remaining two points since, for me, I feel conscious while jogging. Perhaps it’s the shape that makes it uneasy to jog or run or maybe it’s because I just recently purchased it so I am very cautious when using it.