Google Maps' Strange Behavior

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had recently added two new locations to Google Maps. Not only have I added locations recently, but I've uploaded new photos of preexisting locations to the website as well.

Being a "Local Guide" for Google Maps, I get "points" for each individual place that I photograph. Earlier this week, I had taken photos of seven different locations. A screen shot of my "points" prior to my uploading these new photos showed that I had 612 places with photos. After uploading the seven, Google increased that number to 619. Naturally, 612 plus 7 equals 619.

Later the same day, I went back to the website where upon it said I had only 613 places with photos. No explanation.

At a later point, I went back and found Google Maps had given me points for 630 places with photos. Still, no explanation.

.

Now, today the number is back to 619, which is probably the correct total.

I'm not making money off this - it's not like Google adsense. I don't get anything for these photo points. However, even though this is just a hobby for me, I would like to see an accurate count. Is that too much to ask?

The Invisible Prawn Hatchery

I'll be the first to admit that I haven't done as much for Google Maps as I have in the past. I did add two additional locations this week - Dr. Palma Jane Limpiado - Lozano Dental Clinic and Hemispheres Travel and Tours- but these two were the first I've added in quite a while.

I've been noticing a new sign along the street going from Cangmating to Poblacion, Sibulan - AA Prawn Hatchery -. While on my morning walk today, I thought I'd take a little detour and locate the hatchery, take photos and perhaps add the hatchery to Google Maps. I had been down this little side road before, before the new sign was put up along the road and I didn't recall seeing anything in that area that looked like a hatchery.

The road isn't very long; it basically goes behind the Sibulan ice factory. It does lead to paths that go to the beach and there are several houses and shacks along the road. I couldn't find a hatchery, however. Perhaps this prawn hatchery is an invisible hatchery - a place similar to the the invisible city located somewhere in Samar province, Biringan City, believed to be home of spirits known as the Engkanto.

Nearly Finished With 1917

I've finished reading book nine on the list of the top ten best sellers of 1917 - The Definite Object by Jeffery Farnol, and I'm about one quarter of the way through number ten, The Hundredth Chance by Ethel M. Dell.

In an earlier post, when I was just starting The Definite Object, I had high hopes for this novel. It started out with comedic elements, but unfortunately, it soon became a rather boring and trite work. Although published in 1917, the story takes place in 1910. The story reminds me of typical "romantic" comedies in the early days of "talkies". Coming before the advent of sound motion pictures, the book was obviously not influenced by the early movies, but I think it's possible that many of those early romantic movies could have been influenced by the author, Jeffery Farnol. Farnol wrote over 40 romantic novels, with many being very successful.

Dell's The Hundredth Chance was reviewed by at least 5 people and rated by 30 more at Goodreads.com, receiving an average rating of 3.64 out of 5. One reviewer wrote:

"Wikipedia describes Dell's typical novel as containing: 'a very feminine woman, an alpha male, a setting in India, passion galore liberally mixed with some surprisingly shocking violence and religious sentiments sprinkled throughout.' The Hundredth Chance is not set in India, but it does contain every other element in that list, with an emphasis on surprisingly shocking violence. Every other chapter seems to contain a beating or assault: a man beating his twenty-five-year-old step-daughter because he thinks she needs a good spanking (appalling enough on its own, but Dell adds a sexual component to make it even worse); the hero beating various animals and stable workers and threatening others (he takes alpha male to a new level); and long before the invention of roofies, a man slipping a drug into a woman's drink for nefarious purposes. All very disturbing."

That pretty much sums it up.

Toy Truck Inc. and Google Maps.

Toy Truck Inc. is the rather unusual name of a truck dealership on the National Highway in Brgy. Maslog, Sibulan.

A few months ago, I attempted to add its location to Google Maps. Adding a missing location onto Google Maps can be hit or miss. Sometimes my edits are published immediately, sometimes it takes a bit longer, and there are some additions that get rejected without any explanation. When I attempted to add Toy Truck Inc., I was actually surprised that it was published then and there and I was able to add a photo immediately.

Unfortunately, seconds after my edit was published, I noticed that I had made a typo and had given the location the name of Tot Trucks Inc. - easy enough, the "T" and "Y" are next to each other on the keyboard. I tried to edit the location and get the proper name of the dealership. Google Maps would not approve of the edit. As a matter a fact, I've tried quite a few times over the past few months to correct the error, but Google Maps was not having it.

I decided this morning that my post for today would be the tale of my frustration at trying to get this name right. I would attempt the correction once more today before writing the post. Lo, and behold - the edit was accepted!

I've taken a screen shot of the edits page showing where the name was approved as well as an earlier rejection. I also took a screen-shot showing the correct name on the Google Maps link. There's the possibility that the correction might be rejected again. The screen-shots will back me up, whatever happens.

Crucifying Filipinos

For several years, it has become an annual event for news sources  around the world to report on Filipinos voluntarily crucifying themselves on Good Friday. While these news reports are true, I'm afraid the stories give outsiders a distorted view of the Filipino people.

Contrary to what some headlines might have one believe, these self-crucifixions are not a common practice in the country. I have never witnessed it first-hand and I don't know anyone who has. The practice is condemned by both the Catholic Church and health officials and is, for the most part, done in Pampanga - province north of Manila. The people of this province aren't in the main stream of Philippines; the people speak Kapampangan  (a language confined to that area) and not Tagalog.

The annual crucifixions are pretty much the brain child of Ruben Enaje, a Filipino carpenter, sign painter, and former construction worker, who was crucified for the 31st year in a row on Good Friday, 2017.

According to a wikipedia article, 2013 was supposed to have been Enaje's final year to be crucified. He had promised God that he would undergo crucifixion 27 times, but he has not yet found a replacement.

I'm not surprised.