Five is a nice prime number

5. 2005. It's going to be an excellent year!

things that influenced my year

1. Blogista - Instead of just keeping a personal digital journal, a lot of people have turned to blogs to keep them sane. I started with my blogs in August. I was reading articles on the net about how eminent blogs are these days so I decided to give it a try. True enough, according to Merriam-Webster, blog was the word of the year for 2004.



2. Falling in love - Yes, I am a hopeless romantic. *Sheepish Smile*



3. Graduation - After four long years, I made it. It was probably the toughest thing I had to accomplish through my 21 years of existence and I made it. There is so much joy and pride in graduating from that damn university because I value the education and formation so much and putting it bluntly, it was so freakin hard! I'm a proud alumnus.



4. DDI - My first ever job was a treat. Before I get swallowed by the sharks of the business world, I was able to experience a relaxed environment, people I actually liked, and a lot of time to think about things I want to do with my life. I learned a lot and made good friends.



5. Badminton - It was only this year, when I started working, when I really started playing badminton. I've been playing at least thrice a month since, I've invested in equipment, and I've actually even joined a tournament. I'm taking the sport seriously now. I actually play more badminton than basketball. The game is so interesting partly because it's so challenging. Although playing doubles makes it a team sport, there is still a lot of individual focus so you have really have to perform. I love this game, too.



6. Diets & Running Shoes - I've gone through two diets the past year, both of which had significant results. I've also been more conscious about staying in shape and loosing the extra pounds. Although at year end, I'm pretty much back to where I started, I now have the drive to live a healthy lifestyle and I know that it can be done.



7. Metrosexual revolution - It was at the start of 2004 when I first looked up this whole metrosexual phenomenon (being the word for the year in 2003). I downloaded QE episodes and got the message they were sending out. I don't like the term and I don't like people who openly say that they are metrosexuals cause it's something you live and not something you talk about. Regardless, it opened a lot of new doors for me. It also unleashed the retail monster within me. Lol.



8. Introspection - There was a lot of time for introspection and reflection in 2004. The last year of college was heavy spiritually. I got drawn into the real realities of life. I got exposed to awful truths. I was moved. I've been more spiritual and conscientious this year.



9. Tungsten T2/3 - I finally got my dream gadget in 2004. I gave myself a Tungsten T2 as a graduation gift and just recently upgraded it to a T3. The writer, thinker, and dreamer in me has always wanted a digital repository of random ideas and musings. Unlike most people, I do need a PDA in my life. It does keep me organized and happy.



10. Grazie - I just realized that I can attribute my current unbelievable optimism to my Grazie blog. It totally transforms my way of thinking. My almost daily entries train me to look at the brighter side of life. So far, it's helped me get through difficult choices and situations. It's kept me sane, grateful, and indebted. It's kept me on the ground. And it's a great carry on to the new year.

The Christmas Gift

A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.

Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astounded. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you nothing? Boy, I wish..." He hesitated.

Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels. "I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."

Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"

"Oh yes, I'd love that."

After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front on my house?"

Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked.

He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.

"There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it... then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."

Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shingled-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.

That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he had said, "It's more blessed to give...."

Author unknown

WMP

I swear, WMP must have AI. Either all my songs really do have a common theme (which isn't hard to believe actually) or Windows Media Player has a bit of Mood Logic installed in it. It's been playing songs of the same general mood, tempo, and beat. Ang galing!

Jimmy Carter

I wanted to check out Jimmy Carter's new book cause he seemed like a nice guy when he was a guest on Leno. So I searched Amazon for his book and instead found one about him. The book, The Real Jimmy Carter, outlines all of his shortcomings as a president. Yikes! Shows how little I know about US history. I would hate to subscribe to someone of that nature.

Sincere but stupid

Susan Roces just spoke her heart out on national TV. Yes, she was sincere and she just lost her husband, but as she said, she lost her poise and that was the end of her. At one point, she said that she vows to say what she's always wanted to say but couldn't because her husband wouldn't allow her to. Many people portray FPJ as dumb, but it seems like he's the smarter half of their marriage.
Life is simple. Running lives isn't. Government and politics is complicated. Business is dirty. Who is she kidding? Isn't she being a hypocrite? Or is she too shallow to realize that too?

Okay, she is very hurt right now, the entire country grieves with the loss of her husband. But that is the end of her. She knows nothing about the game of life. This is not the beginning Ms. Susan. Ironically, that was the end of her too.

Girlfriend

Don't tell me to stop crying

Please just hold me while I do

Soothe me with your silence

And just cradle me to you

Don't push me for my reasons

Or expect me to explain

How can I in five minutes

Shift a lifetime's hidden pain?



Don't tell your girlfriend about me

Cause your girlfriend

won't like girls like me

Don't tell your girlfriend about me

If you just hold me, hold me, hold me



I went to see a psychic

And I paid for good advice

He said Forget a romance

'til you've sorted out your life

Be your own mother and your father

And your sister and brother

And even try to crack the art

Of being your own lover



Don't tell your girlfriend about me

Cause your girlfriend

won't like girls like me

Don't tell your girlfriend about me

If you just hold me, hold me, hold me



In my darkest hour you'd be mine

These wildest dreams are no crime

Or are they?

(Girlfriend)

Coming from a place of need

Not one of abundance you see

He told me

(Girlfriend)



Don't tell me to stop crying

Please just hold me while I do

Soothe me with your silence

And just cradle me to you

Don't push me for my reasons

Or expect me to explain

How come I say I'm happy

To be on my own again



Don't tell your girlfriend about me

Cause your girlfriend

won't like girls like me

You don't have to tell your girlfriend about me

If you just hold me, hold me, hold me







Julia Fordham

Playlist

None of that senti shit



Snoop - Drop it like it's hot

Nas - Bridging the gap

Nina Sky - Move your body girl

Twista - Sunshine (Lovely day)

LL Cool J - Hush

Chingy - Balla baby

Trick Daddy - Let's go

Ciara - 1, 2 Step

112 - Peaches & Cream (Jay-Z & Lil Kim remix)

N.E.R.D. - She wants to move

Nelly - Flap your wings

Billy Crawford

This is the second time I'm mentioning Billy Crawford. He's been on TV a lot, promoting his current album Big City, but I only got to see him on Straight Talk. Of course, it was another great Straight Talk episode. You can't help but be proud of him after you see how he's like. God bless him! Represent! LOL.

Some things I learned:

He was actually in a relationship with Mandy Moore for about 6 months. This was when Mandy was still starting out. They were both doing promotional tours.

Billy Crawford won best male international artist, beating Robbie Williams, Usher, and Will Smith at the NRJ music awards in Cannes, France on January 18, 2003. NRJ is a French-based radio group.

This year, he is once again nominated in the same category, again along side Robbie Williams.

He lived in the ghetto when his family moved to New York. He experienced racism first hand. He was the only Asian in his school. He was constantly picked on and ostracized. He said, "I had my burgers spit on everyday".

He's proud of his roots. He's keeping it real. When asked what image he was projecting, moving across different countries and continents he answers, "I'll always represent all the Flips".

ebay Philippines

For some time now, I've been waiting for ebay to have a local setup. I knew it was online trading, but I never knew the nitty gritty of it. Well now I do, and I've made some bids and put up some items already.

It's pretty fun and quite interesting. You should check out the items they have online. Because of the time-bound bidding process, you'll never know when you might find a great bargain online. The smart bidding feature is great too. It makes sure that all parties get the best bid price.

To my Tito who preached that the internet will have no market in the Philippines, get out under that rock you've been living in.

What's in a blog?

If you didn't know yet, the word blog made it to the top of Merriam-Webster's word of the year. Yet still I ask, what is a blog?

Anyway, as far as my blogs are concerned, I decided to introduce them to everyone:

Musings & Nitpicks (where you are right now) is the face/front of my blogs. This talks about menial things: interests, hobbies, news, etc.

Grazie is my newest blog. I came up with it as a form of self-therapy. It tries to encapsulate all the good things that happen in my life. I think it's the closest thing I have to a mainstream blog.

Musica del alma is all about music. It mostly has lyrics from songs I recently look up. I also try to provide hard to find lyrics when I can.

Graffiti is where I post interesting articles, stories, or reference materials.

Unsent started as a place to throw in things that I had to get off my chest. Actually, it still serves that purpose. It's also a place for poetry and prose.

Say what or Sidebar Archives is where I deposit all the one-liners from my sidebar after I replace them.

Well, there you go. As they say, literature is a reflection of a man's soul, so is true with blogs. These represent things that make up who I am. And of course, though I've introduced a lot of them to you, there are still some which will remain unnamed and unspoken of because I can't put everything up for public consumption.

Slow motion

[Chorus: Soulja Slim]

Slow motion for me, slow motion for me, move it slow motion for me

Slow motion for me, slow motion for me, move it slow motion for me

Uh I like it like that she working that back I don't know how to act

Slow motion for me, slow motion for me, slow motion for me

Move in slow motion for me

Uh I like it like that she working that back I don't know how to act

Slow motion for me, slow motion for me, slow motion for me

Move in slow motion for me



[Verse 1: Soulja Slim]

I'm a dick thrower

Her neck and her back hurting

Cut throat I'll have you like a brand new virgin

It's like when she get used to it then start serving

Hop up on top and start jiggy-jiggy jerking

Slow down for me you moving too fast

My fingers keep slipping I'm trying to grip that ass

Keep being hard headed and Ima make you get off me

Got human up disguise but my face is a doggy

If you loving my bark let me bury my bone

I got 4 or 5 bad married bitches at home

One of my bitches feel in love with that outside dick

that outside dick keep them hoes sick



[Chorus]



[Verse 2: Juvenile]

I'ts like I got the world in my palms

Your girl up under my arms

She fucked up from the charm

She love the way the dick stay hard from 12 till early in the morn

Fine bitches if you listening you heard me I'm strong

If you going thu your cycle I ain't wit It I'm gone

You must have heard about them hoes that I beat up in my home

They wasn't telling the truth baby you know they was wrong

Na make it official and up some of that dom

I don't mind buying blue, ya riding to

Don't be asking nigga questions about where I'm driving you

Lil mama my shit together I ain't jiving you

I don't think that nigga could do you better then I could do ya know

And juvenile from cross tha street by derby

Same nigga that used to be running with rusty and kirby

Can a playa from tha 'nolia get a chance with it

But I can't bounce with you without using my hands with it



[Chorus: Soulja Slim]

Uh I like it like that she working that back I don't know how to act

Slow motion for me, slow motion for me, slow motion for me

move it slow motion for me

Uh I like it like that she working that back I don't know how to act

Slow motion for me, slow motion for me, slow motion for me

move it slow motion for me



[Verse 3: Soulja Slim]

Slow motion, she open, I'm hoping that she don't leave my dick broken

With brush, burns and swollen

I'm toting she wanted me to make a outer believer

I gurantee ya ima see ya when I see ya

And just don't holla out my name like we was all that

Your pussy throw back and you know that

So stop stunt'n slow motion for a real nigga

I'm going off that incredible potion and ima deal with ya



[Juvenile]

I like how that victoria secret sit in that ass

Let me pour some more hyp and hennesey in your glass

Would I be violating if I grab me a handful

Im knowing what's happening all I want is a sample

Who you wit I'm in the rental today

It's going down and happening and I remember the way

Less money we spend on bullshit the more for the weed

What's it gonna take for you to come slow motion with me



[Chorus 3X: Soulja Slim]

Uh I like it like that she working that back I don't know how to act

Slow motion for me, slow motion for me, slow motion for me

move it slow motion for me

Uh I like it like that she working that back I don't know how to act

Slow motion for me, slow motion for me, slow motion for me

move it slow motion for me





Juvenile

Massive Crush

And after all, it's only a crush.

They've been playing The Barbs' music video Massive Crush on TV a lot these last few days. The first few times I saw the group, they came across as just another punk band (the British variety to be exact). But upon seeing the video of Massive Crush, I started liking them.

Though they launched the band in 2002, they haven't made a big impact in the market yet. Well, they're on an Asian tour now, so I guess that's a sign of good things to come.

The band's only female, Amy (see picture), was kinda cute in the video. I loved the twisted accents, especially for the words which ended the verses.

If the band isn't as punk as I thought they were (and I get over the cute lead singer), maybe they'd actually come out as a good band.

Today's Playlist

Mostly hip-hop, a little of local bands.



Ciara - One, two step

Terror Squad - Lean back

Trick Daddy - Dirty

Juvenile - Slow motion

Usher - My boo

Nelly - Over and over again

Lil flip - Sunshine

Jojo - Baby it's you

Usher - Confessions Part I

Usher - Confessions Part II

Alicia Keys - If I ain't got you

Marion Winnans - I don't want to know

The Pirates - You should really know

Ciara - Goodies

Kelis - Trick me

Natasha Beddingfield - These words

Session Road - Suntok sa buwan

Bamboo - Masaya

Mojofly - Mata

Fastball - Out of my head

Faith no more - Easy like Sunday morning

The People's Car

The 1.0 liter Kia Picanto doesn't look half that bad. I saw one this morning and actually thought it was a new Honda City. I've heard that the first batch of Picantos were sold out even before the car was released. Wow, there's actually a waiting list for this cheap ass, kick ass car. Smart move by Kia!

Which side of the cusp?

You've heard people say that they're walking contradictions. Well, I'm a Libra-Scorpio cusp, which means that I have the equivalent of two star signs. I've always considered myself a Scorpio (only finding out about this cusp thing much later in my life) but I think my (mixed) sign defines me well.

Anyway, I took a How much are you like your zodiac sign test and found the following results:

On average the 20,863 people who took the Libra test scored 60%.
I scored 67%.
On average the 23,057 people who took the Scorpio test scored 69%.
I scored 87%.

The story of my life.

And for the record: Of course I don't treat astrology as factual, but my sign is so me that I'm left to believe that your sign does speak of you in one way or another. Yes, I'm an evil SOB.

Brunette Renee

Saw Renee's new do on Leno tonight. She looks good as a brunette. Gives her more substance. Cute!!

Renee Olstead

Another promising young artist. You'll never guess she's only 15 years old when you hear her sing. Her vocals are very soulful. She sounds like an old jazz singer.

If you're into jazzy tunes, you have to check her out.

Microsoft is Evil

This comic speaks to me. It's for all the Unix/Linux nerds in the world who proclaim that everything connected to Microsoft is sinful and dirty.


Much love and wishful condescension,
A guy who's on XP, but uses FireFox

Bond

What's the best way to sell classical music these days?

Nice, slender, long legs.

Melee in Detriot

A riot broke out in Detroit Friday night with less than a minute to go in Detroit's loss to Indiana, 97-82. The mess erupted when Ron Artest fouled Ben Wallace while the later was attempting a lay-up. It was a regular foul. It can't even be considered for a flagrant foul. The hot headed Wallace, facing their inherent defeat, lashed out at Artest pushing him with both hand in the throat area. The cool Artest, just backed down as the furious Wallace continued to charge on. The other players eventually got into the action as well. When everything seemed to be settling down, Artest, who was lying down on the official's table, presumably showing that he was just chillin, got hit buy a beer bottle by a nearby fan. Artest instinctively leaped out into the audience and tried to attack the fan. After that, all hell broke loose.

The fans of Detroit should be ashamed of themselves. They perpetuated the bad side of their stereotype as a blue-collar city. They eventually lashed out at all the Indiana players and coached, including their head coach and Reggie Miller. The crazed mob of Detroit who lashed out on the Pacers are not true basketball fans. Perhaps they were just caught in the moment, but if I was caught in the moment would I attack innocent bystanders? I don't think so. Calling anger management experts, you have a huge market in Detroit.

Ben Wallace should be suspended for at least a month. Ron Artest played it cool with his co-player. I sympathize any possible sanctions that may be thrown against him. He kept his cool. He understood that the players were really into the game. Perhaps he should have understood the fan, but a fan's assault is something outside the game. He knew that instinctively and he reacted.

It's been around thirty minutes since the riot, I'm still waiting for news from NBA.com. Let's see what happens.

AVG update

There is a new look & feel to AVG free edition. Having the old version will still keep your computer safe, but of course, I wanted to have the new version installed.

End of Ramadan

It is a glorious day indeed!

Today, we finally bought a new computer. Music will once again fill the house (ours and our neighbors'). We have broadband once again. Everything is great. I just have to transfer the old files to the new computer.

Oh, what a glorious day!

Firefox officially released

Turns out, Firefox was released this week. Hindi na siya PR (pre-release). Which reminds me, I have to update pala.

A quote from an article in Wired.com: "Once the browser of choice only for hardcore geeks, Firefox is becoming more popular."

On a somewhat related note, and connected to a previous entry, Microsoft recently previewed it's search engine. Like any decent human, I of course, am still on the Google side of this feud.

The world empathizes

Sorry Everybody

Saw this on CNN last night. This site is great! It makes me smile and restores my faith in America and Americans.. or at least half of them. You've got to love it!

To (half of) America, we sympathize and empathize. It's funny how tragedy can make us realize that we're all in this togther.

Sorry Jas

Needs more practice

The whole Jasmine Trias visit to Manila was disappointing. Even during her American Idol days, I already told myself that there are tons of better Filipino singers. She didn't deserve to be in the top 3 of AI. Just saw her Manila concert on TV and it wasn't pretty. Her guests had louder audience reactions than her. She did okay with the McDonald's song, and showed she knew how to groove with the Crazy in love dance (she couldn't sing it too though) and wala, I'm disappointed. She's young, naive, and she needs a lot of practice. I hope her head doesn't become too big.

I guess it's also good that she's milking her new-found popularity because it won't last very long. She's just novelty.

Katie

Katie Holmes is so adorable. The movie poster for her latest movie is just a picture of her. I guess the movie company knows what they're selling. Well, for people like me, it works!

New Nokia phone

Check out this new 32 series Nokia phone: the Nokia 3230. It reminds me of the K700i. Certainly has a bigger screen than a 6230. Available in the Philippines in the first quarter of 2005.

Hmm, interesting..

Bash

Was tripping on Bash.org again today. Copy pasted some of my favorite ones here.

I don't want to be your friend

I don't wanna see your face

I don't wanna hear your name

I don't wanna thing

Just stay away baby

Don't wanna know if you're alright

Or what you're doin' with your life

Don't wanna hear that you'll stay in touch maybe



I'll get just fine

So if you're goin' then darlin' goodbye, goodbye



Don't call me in the middle of the night no more

Don't expect me to be there

Don't think that it will be the way it was before

I'm not over you yet

And I don't think I care

And I don't want to be your friend



I'll forget we ever met

I'll forget I ever let

Ever let you into this heart of mine baby

You just gotta let me be

You gotta keep away from me

'Cause all I want to be is just free of you baby

Don't you come around

And say you still care about me

Go now, go now



Don't call me in the middle of the night...



You take it casually, and that's what's killing me

I'll get by just fine

So if you're goin' then darlin' goodbye, goodbye



Don't call me in the middle of the night no more

Don't expect me to be there

Don't think that it will be the way it was before

No, no baby

Don't call me in the middle of the night no more

I don't want to be your friend

Don't think that it will be the way it was before

I don't want to be your friend...

I Don't Want To Be Your Friend





Diane Warren

Nina

Form and Substance

Surprisingly (but not really because it is news) Yahoo! News reports that Google's stock value has already closed higher than Yahoo's. I didn't understand the rest of the article, but the first few paragraphs said it all.

However, because I don't like how Google news is filtered to my gmail, since I found out that Yahoo has Fantasy NBA, and after I got the news report linked above from my Yahoo! messenger news content tab, I realize how dependent I am on Yahoo's services. A few days ago, I was imagining how Google would take over Yahoo. Now, I realize that Yahoo is the defending content champion and is sure to put up a great fight against the up and coming challenger.

I guess part of Yahoo's economies of scale is their experience in the biz and their already proven skill of merging services effectively. I can't seem to imagine Google reaching that same level. It's almost like Yahoo is fun and Google is for nerds albeit the nerds are more technologically and technically sound.

Either way, no matter how this goes, as long as both services remain free, it spells good news to all of us.

Older woman

Was watching CSI, saw Marg Helgenberger again. Was wowed yet again. She's over 40 but she's still smoking hot. You've got to love what she wears in that show. She's got the right curves at the right places. So what if she's old enough to be my mom?

A few other mature women whom I can't get enough of are (top of mind): Diane Lane (got to love her in Unfaithful), Juliane Moore (I don't know what it is about her, but she's got it), and Demi Moore (she was freaking hotter than Cameron Diaz in CA: FT!).

And hey, speaking of Demi Moore, if Ashton Kutcher can get some, there's still hope for the older woman and the younger man. Hehehe.

Open Blog

I was just reading through some blogs and I (once again) couldn't believe what people allow themselves to disclose on the internet. Well, I guess it's just me. But it is dangerous. It's scary. It's a self made invitation to invade privacy.

The very first blog I made was made to be a secret. That contains things that should be said but end up not saying (because you really can't please everybody). I was going through some blogs and they openly disclose secrets and thoughts. I guess that takes guts, but it's just not me.

On the other hand (contradictions abound) I do have these blogs up, huh?

Ara's party

The following are excerpts from Ara's party.

It was held over a month ago, but I've only come to transcribe the interviews today, a week after the October bash. If you want any of these removed, just tell me.



Mig: Noche, totoo ba yung reports na si Chubaca pinsan mo.
Noche: Ay totoo pare, siya nga ang pinaka mabuhok sa amin.
Mig: Pwede ba makahingi ng Chubaca impression ngayon?
Noche: [growls]



Mig: Bagay si Noche at si Raqs, tignan niyo..
Dre & Hiro : Prrrt ! Foul ! [pointing to someone] You are entitled to two free throws and ball possession.
Mig: What do you think of that?
Timo: I don’t think so.
Mig: I don’t think so!! Bakit? Bakit mo nasabi yun?
Timo: May mas bagay sa kanya
[howls]
Mig: May mas bagay ba sa kanya? Mas bagay for him or for her?
Timo: For her.



Mig: What would you think is the highlight of your birthday so far?
RB: Nung natulog si Ara.
Mig: I’ve heard some good things about you. Good luck, good luck! Happy birthday!
RB: Thank you



Mig: JB, sino pinaka mahal mo sa Strains?
JB: Sarili ko.
Mig: Sabihin mo na.
JB: Bakit?



Mig: So Martin, what do you think of your kuya?
Martin: Ummm… Ummmm…
Mig: [moves elsewhere]



Mig: Ara, happy birthday! Kamusta ka? Mukhang ikaw ay lasing na. Kamusta ka ba ngayon?
Ara: I’m okaaay..
Mig: Mga kaibigan, okay daw si Ara.
Mig: Nahihilo ka? Wala ka bang gamot ngayon?
Ara: Wala eh.
Mig: Okay, kukuha sa Cla. Bakit ka nakahiga sa floor ?
Ara: Nagpapahinga!
Mig: Okay. Ara may tanong ako sayo. So kamusta ang love life mo ngayon?
Ara: Wala, walang kwenta!
Cla: Meron kaya! Flourishing, flourishing!
Mig: Pwede ka ba mag kwento tungkol sa mga lalaki sa buhay mo?
Sjeanz: Isa lang comment ko jan, strawberry vanilla.
Mig: Ano ang ibig sabihin ng strawberry vanilla para sayo?
Ara: Wala, wala siyang meaning!
Mig: [whispers] Okay, mukhang gusto mo pa humiga sa floor.
Ara: [happily sighs]
Mig: Okay, happy birthday!
Ara: Thank you!



Mig: So how's the party so far?
Yda: It’s okay.
Mig: It’s only okay as compared to what?
Yda: Compared to, I don’t know.
Mig: Compared to nothing, it’s only okay. That could be a bad sign for Ara and RB’s party. Any message for Ara and RB?
Yda: Happy birthday!



Sjeanz: [singing] smoke weed everyday, smoke weed everyday.
Mig: So Sjeanz, ano ang iyong reaction sa mga report na si Louie ay nagpupunta ng gay bar every Wednesday night?
Sjeanz: Hindi ako naniniwala! [mumbles]
Mig : Louie, ano ang iyong masasbi sa mga reports na ikaw ay latak ?
Sjeanz : [screams] hindi siya latak !
Mig: Kapag ang girlfriend mo ang nagsasalita para sayo, ang tawag jan ay under. Ano ang iyong reaction sa reports na under ka daw?
Sjeanz: Hindi siya under pero love lang niya talaga ako. Mig, kailangan mo makahanap ng ganito.
Mig: pwede bang akin na lang si Louie?
Sjeanz : [screams] No, he’s mine !
Mig: Alam mo ba ang nangyayari nung high school..
Sjeanz: [whimpers] Mig, he’s mine!!



Mig: I’m here right now with the CSA girls: Crash, Sjeanz, and uh..
Kars: What, what’s my name?
Mig: So what’s new with you girls right now?
Sjeanz: [eats words] ..cause I’m really not like this and I don’t drink..
Ara: Oh yeah, that’s why you’ve been [censored]
[screams]
Sjeanz: No!!!
Mig: Oy, nabalitaan ko nga yun ah!
Sjeanz: No!!!
Mig: It’s all over the net. We can check it out right now.
Cla: Seryoso ba yun?
Mig: Medjo.

Migtionary

Watch vs Clock

Over lunch, we were deliberating between the difference of a clock and a watch. When do you call it a watch and when do you call it a clock? I keep my stand that a watch is designed to be a portable time keeping device made for the sole purpose of telling time while a clock is a time telling mechanism which isn't made to be portable or is just an additional feature to an existing device.

Therefore, watches are limited to wrist watches, pocket watches, and the like, while everything else is a clock or has a clock feature.

Mug vs Cup

I recently got a red Nescafe cup from a friend. I love it. I've been looking for a mug for the office and this dainty, red Nescafe mug is just right for me. But what is it? Is it a cup or is it a mug?

One of my colleagues said that cups have saucers while a mug follows the generic shape and form of a mug (and we all used mugs in the office) and therefore I had a mug. However, I was not convinced and wanted to inquire more.

I will use three definitions of a cup. The first is that of a basic shape. It is a figure with its sides and bottom enclosed, resembling half a sphere. An object that is cup shaped and is used as a drinking vessel is another form of cup. This is the second definition. The third refers to the particular drinking vessel usually paired with saucers. So, my three definitions are defined by a) shape, b) function, and c) specific kind.

A mug is a form of a cup (as it prescribes to definition a). Mugs however, have their own distinct shape and form, and function (which is discussed later).

Why do we say coffee cup or a cup of coffee instead of coffee mug? It could be for the simple reason that alliteration just makes it sound better. However, it could also be because when coffee was first introduced, it was consumed in cups (the ones with saucers) and that's the terminology that got stuck. I imagine that these first coffee cups were used leisurely. They were probably accompanied by a snack or a meal, socialistic, or reading. It wasn'’t drunk because of necessity but rather for relaxation.

Mugs can contain more liquid than cups. I couldn't find any sources on the history of mugs, but I imagine them first being used by people who had loads of work to do (either physical or mental) who needed large quantities of liquid (probably alcohol, coffee, or other stimulants) to keep them going. So when staying up all night, you'd want to use a coffee mug because it will contain enough coffee to keep you from refilling ever so often.

I however am uncertain as to what you call a small mug. “Small mug” seems to be an oxymoron for me. That is why I do not want to just consider my cup a mug.

In the end, my coffee cup is a mug because of the generic mug shape and a cup because of the limited amount of coffee it can hold. Also given that basic fact that a mug is a form of cup, my dainty, red Nescafe drinking vessel is both a cup and a mug.

So what was all of this thinking for?

Wala lang. This is what I live for, answering life’s important questions.

He plays where?

This is a nice visual guide on which NBA players have moved to which teams this season. Nothings says change more than players wearing their new jerseys.

I love this game! It's faaaantastic!

Hill's back?

I thought Grant Hill went into retirement already. Apparently, he still has some good playing years ahead of him. The Orlando Magic bested the Dallas Mavericks, 114 to 93, Sunday night (US).

I've always been a Hill fan and if he plays as good as he used to and doesn't get into any more injuries, that will make me watch our for Orlando this season as well.

Jumps over the lazy dog

FireFox on a streak!

Reports show that Mozilla's FireFox browser has been download more than a million times already. My officemates kid me around saying that I purposely disable IE features to convince them to switch to FireFox. I'm not totally sure why, but FireFox just works better than IE, probably because you don't need to sugar coat a browser for it to be effective and efficient.

Google IM

CNet's News.com reports that Google may be coming up with an IM tool.

Now, I don't know about this. What can Google possibly have up its sleeves to cause a mass migration from the masters of the IM world. I for one have only used 2 in my life. ICQ before the turn of the century, and YM to this day.

I also learned from the Google now owns Picasa, creators of the Hello utility that uploads pictures to blogs (and is also an IM client).

Hmmm, so Google started with the search engine. Now they have mail, groups, and pics. And now there are rumours of IM? That's covering a lot of services in such a short period of time. I am so amazed at this company that I will now refer to myself as a loyal Googler.

Google Desktop Warning from AP

Of course, just a few hours after I start playing with Google Desktop, an officemate sends me an email with a subject: avoid Google's Desktop Search Program. The article from the associated press warns of security risks that Google's software exposes users too. Everything that the article states is true. In fact, I am not compromised because my personal files in my office computer are now searchable. To make things worse, as the article points out, even as I erase files from my computer, Google Desktop still keeps a copy of the text I had in memory.

Google Desktop is a powerful tool that has the potential to be misused and abused. It is not recommended for everyone, but if you're techno savvy enough, you'll still love it.

Of course, though I completely agree with everything in the article, I can't help but notice that the news article forwarded to me was found in Yahoo! news. Poor little Yahoo. It's future is in danger of being crushed by a behemoth of a challenger. Still, Yahoo's edge remains in the sheer number of users of its shared services. Then again, people who use five or more of Yahoo's services are people like me. I am caught in between.

Desktop Search

I love Google

My boss called me to his room today to rant about Google's newest feature, Google Desktop Search. It basically uses Google technology to search your desktop, particularly the contents of Outlook/Express message, Word/Excel/Powerpoint documents, Internet Explorer (as well as Firefox), text files, and AOL IM logs. It's a great, wonderful, FREE, feature. Don't you just love Google? I already use gmail for ALL my email needs. My custom start page has a google search field in the middle of it. And if you'd care to notice, I even have adsense in this blog!

I was actually worried about security and privacy concerns at first, but I've read Google Desktop's privacy policy and it explicitly states that "Your computer's content is not made accessible to Google or anyone else without your explicit permission." That's good enough for me. And besides, as my boss pointed out, why would Google ever risk doing that in the first place? Great point, but it still doesn't hurt to play it safe.

Crazy Chocolate Cravings

Spotted this heading in the Inquirer and had to put it here.

I've been on a two-day binge on chocolate. In particular, Reese's sticks. My tita sent me a pack from the US and I couldn't resist it. I just came from a crash diet and I feel really bad about my recent snacking. Got to kiss sugar goodbye for the next few weeks (which is one of the hardest things to do in life) .

I've been wanting to jog, but haven't found the time or place to do so. I haven't had exercise since last Thursday. Tsk, got to start a rally today.

Supersizing on the Net

I just got hungry.

I just found out that you can now access Mc Donald's delivery service through the net.

I will have to try this one of these days.

k500i

The trying hard version of the classy and powerful k700i

I only found out about the k500i this month. That's odd cause it was supposed to be released in early September (in Singapore at least. saw an add in the newspaper a week ago) . Would I pick it over it's older brother? No way!

No bluetooth, no FM radio, no flash (not that it matters), smaller memory, it looks like cheapo candy, it's nothing but a second rate trying hard... you get the point.

Bright spots for the k500 are: better camera (than k700), bigger screen (albeit less impressive resolution), has a camera lens cover, and of course it's cheaper.

If you're looking for an okay phone and are not too concerned about power or image, go for it. Otherwise, good taste!

Change into who you are

Found this wonderful text in my Inbox today. It stuck me head on.

Closing Cycles by Paulo Coelho.

November means NBA

I'm looking forward to the start of the NBA season. I used to be a Mavericks fan, but now that Steve Nash has moved back to phoenix, it's not the same Mavs team I grew to love anymore. I will still be watching their games of course. Another favorite team of mine is the Houston Rockets. If the sophomore year is the jinxed year, get ready for a Yao Ming blowout this year! I'm not so sure, but I think he's beefed up a bit from last season. I'd love to see Yao emerge as the new dominant center. He's going to be playing alongside Mutombo for the Rockets! If Mutombo coaches him well, I'll switch from Dallas to Houston.

Well, season's going to start soon. Can't wait to see what happens.

Kerry Edwards

1) I'm not a fan of Americans
2) I'm not a fan of Bush
3) I think the war was unnecessary
4) I thought there were weapons of mass destruction
5) I was duped by wrong information (and for what purpose?)
6) I have grown to dislike war
7) I seriously hope that Bush doesn't get a second term and the American people have enough sense in them to elect Kerry as the new president. Hopefully, Kerry doesn't just win the popular vote..

Looks like another close election.. Oh well..

All the respect in the world

Rodney Dangerfield dies at age 82

It was a sad day last Tuesday as Rodney Dangerfield passed away. He's one classy guy though he never got no respect. He is definitely a comedy legend.

Tungsten T5

How long till I sell my T2?

Wow, I can't believe it. I've a feeling that in a few months, I'm going to want to sell my low-tech T2 (which has already been phased out) and get one of these new Tungstens with the bigger screens. Oh well, I'll have to learn how to love my Palm even as it grows older and grows more wrinkles.

Check out the new Tungsten T5 from the PalmOne website. Don't click if you currently have a palm and have no money to buy a new one in the next two years.

Question: What ever happened to T4??

Oktoberfest

Sing it with me:

..San Miguel Oktoberfest, raise your mugs this is the best, todo buhos ang saya, Oktoberfest na..
(Repeat 100x a day) (original version)

Alternate version:
..San Miguel Oktoberfest, raise your mugs this is the best, tara na mag party ka, Oktoberfest na..

Happy October everyone! It's going to be a great month!

UAAP champions

A sign from the La Salle crowd read: the championship is back to Taft

Hehe. Congratulations to the Green Archers! You are the championship!

Song for Mary

All Ateneo graduates should know the school hymn by heart. If you need practice, check out the lyrics here.

With regard to that other post

My grammar was recently corrected regarding the use of "with regards to" instead of "with regard to". I must admit, it was the first time I realized that there shouldn't be an S in that phrase. (Now I'm so paranoid I feel like everything in this post has grammatical errors. Hehe.)

Well, I searched the net to confirm the correct usage and felt relieved that it is a common mistake after all. Interestingly, my two excerpts are from newspapers. Here's one from the Manila Times and another from news24.

Essential Downloads

I've always been an internet privacy/safety advocate. Be sure to have the following installed on your computer (and know how to use them):

• Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition - This is the most downloaded (therefore most trusted) adware/spyware remover on the net to date. Get it here.
• Spybot : Search & Destroy - A preffered tag team partner of Ad-Aware. (Actually the second most downloaded aw/sw remover on the net. Get it here.
  
• AVG Anti-Virus - One of the best FREE and reliable anti-virus software. Get it here.
  
• Avast! 4 Home Edition- If AVG isn't the best, this is. #1 is really a toss between the two. Get it here. (Check the bottom of the page)
  
• Zone Lab's ZoneAlarm Personal Edition - For me, the easiest (yet still very reliable) FREE third party firewall for your computer. Get it here.
• Mozilla Firefox Pre-Release - As mentioned in an earlier post, I've switched to Mozilla. Has pop-up blocking without the hidden aw/sw. Get it here.
  

Of course, XP users should always have their auto-update turned on and their updates installed.

With all of these software fully functional on your computer (using just one anti-virus software will do) I guarantee more peace of mind with regard to the safety of your computer and its precious data.

Browsers: Mozilla and Google

After the Google IPO and Gmail, it looks like a Google browser is next in line. Ooohh, I wonder what that's going to be like. It's reported that they'll be building on the open source Mozilla browser.

I am a recent convert to Firefox. I install it on any computer I touch. (so most of the office computers already have Firefox) As far as I'm concerned, it's less buggy than Internet Explorer. I have also grown to love the tabs feature. The only scary thing about it is that its default setting is to accept all cookies. I don't know why. It also wants to remember all my passwords, which is weird. Wouldn't computer nerds (the people who live and die using open source software esp. Linux, OpenOffice, Mozilla) be concerned about privacy issues?

Back to the Google Browser, I wonder what it will be able to do. Knowing Google, I am hoping for the best.

Kinda kulit

Melanie Calumpad is not your ordinary girl.

Kanye West

It's always refreshing to hear a successful artist release a song about God. I've heard lots of rock bands come out with songs like this, but rarely have I seen rap artists do. When Kanye West released Jesus Walks, he was still an up and coming rap artist (sure he had two great singles out, but it was just his first album). His brilliance can already be seen in his first two singles and taking the step of releasing Jesus Walks shows both genius and tremendous amounts of self-confidence. This is the icing on the cake for me. I now put Kanye West in the same level of Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill in terms of Godliness in the music industry.. at least until his next album.

Lost my mall pass

As a result of last week's shopping binge, I now don't have any money left. I have a note in my wallet that says, "No shopping until October 16". I doubt that I'll heed the warning though. There's a 3-day sale at the Podium this weekend. It might be worth checking out.

Oh no..

Hehehe.

You're barking at the wrong dog

I remember arguing with some idiots that we need mastery of English and that merely understanding isn't enough. If you don't believe me, please me alone!!

An old ticrk

Tihs uses the smae premise uesd for seped riadneg. You can seepd raed beucsae you don't look at wrdos, but rtaehr cuhkns of wrdos.

Firewoman

The moon's gone down

I know you're still awake

This heart I've found

I didn't intend to break



Cause I've seen the world from down there

And it wasn't a pretty sight

Now the circle is turning

Are you warm for the fight?



I wanna be a firewoman

I'll water down your desire

Cause I know this love is a killer

I wanna put out your fire



Apology

Its futility

Now destiny

Is not a friend

Not a friend



Cause I've seen the world from down there

And it wasn't a pretty sight

Now the circle is turning

Are you gonna be alright?



I wanna be a firewoman

I'll water down your desire

Cause I know this love is a killer

I wanna put out your fire



Take cover from danger

You gave me love for pain

Now you're much more than a stranger

I wanna give you love but all I have is rain



I'm gonna be a firewoman

I'll water down your desire

Cause I know this love is a killer

I'm gonna put out your fire



I'm gonna put it out, put it out



I'm gonna be a firewoman

(put it out, put it out)



I'm gonna be a firewoman



Hungry Young Poets

I Ain't Mad At Cha

Change, shit

I guess change is good for any of us

Whatever it take for any of y'all niggaz to get up out the hood

Shit, I'm wit cha, I ain't mad at cha

Got nuttin but love for ya, do your thing boy



Yeah, all the homies that I ain't talk to in a while

I'ma send this one out for y'all, knahmean?

Cause I ain't mad at cha

Heard y'all tearin up shit out there, kickin up dust

[Danny Boy] I ain't...

Givin a motherfucker, heheheheheh

Yeah, niggaz

[Danny Boy] ...mad at cha

Cause I ain't mad at cha



[Verse One: 2Pac]



Now we was once two niggaz of the same kind

Quick to holla at a hoochie with the same line

You was just a little smaller but you still roller

Got stretched to Y.A. and hit the hood swoll

Member when you had a jheri curl didn't quite learn

On the block, witcha glock, trippin off sherm

Collect calls to the till, sayin how ya changed

Oh you a Muslim now, no more dope game

Heard you might be comin home, just got bail

Wanna go to the Mosque, don't wanna chase tail

I seems I lost my little homie he's a changed man

Hit the pen and now no sinnin is the game plan

When I talk about money all you see is the struggle

When I tell you I'm livin large you tell me it's trouble

Congratulation on the weddin, I hope your wife know

She got a playa for life, and that's no bullshitin

I know we grew apart, you probably don't remember

I used to fiend for your sister, but never went up in her

And I can see us after school, we'd BOMB

on the first motherfucker with the wrong shit on

Now the whole shit's changed, and we don't even kick it

Got a big money scheme, and you ain't even with it

Hmm, knew in my heart you was the same motherfucker bad

Go toe to toe when it's time for roll you got a brother's back

And I can't even trip, cause I'm just laughin at cha

You tryin hard to maintain, then go head

cause I ain't mad at cha

(Hmm, I ain't mad at cha)



[Chorus: Danny Boy]



I ain't, mad, at cha [2Pac:] (I ain't mad at cha)

I ain't, mad, at cha



[Verse Two: 2Pac]



We used to be like distant cousins, fightin, playin dozens

Whole neighborhood buzzin, knowin, that we wasn't

Used to catch us on the roof or behind the stairs

I'm gettin blitzed and I reminsce on all the times we shared

Besides bumpin n grindin wasn't nothin on our mind

In time we learned to live a life of crime

Rewind us back, to a time was much too young to know

I caught a felony lovin the way the guns blow

And even though we seperated, you said that you'd wait

Don't give nobody no coochie while I be locked up state

I kiss my Mama goodbye, and wipe the tears from her lonely eyes

Said I'll return but I gotta fight the fate's arrived

Don't shed a tear, cause Mama I ain't happy here

I'm through trial, no more smiles, for a couple years

They got me goin mad, I'm knockin busters on they backs

in my cell, thinkin, "Hell, I know one day I'll be back"

As soon as I touch down

I told my girl I'll be there, so prepare, to get fucked down

The homies wanna kick it, but I'm just laughin at cha

Cause youse a down ass bitch, and I ain't mad at cha



[Chorus: Danny Boy]



I ain't, mad, at cha [2Pac:] (I ain't mad at cha)

I ain't, mad, at cha [2Pac:] (A true down ass bitch, and I ain't mad at cha)



[Verse Three: 2Pac]



Well guess who's movin up, this nigga's ballin now

Bitches be callin to get it, hookers keep fallin down

He went from nuttin to lots, ten carots to rock

Went from a nobody nigga to the big, man on the block

He's Mister local celebrity, addicted to move a key

Most hated by enemy, escape in the Luxury

See, first you was our nigga but you made it, so the choice is made

Now we gotta slay you why you faded, in the younger days

So full of pain while the weapons blaze

Gettin so high off that bomb hopin we make it, to the better days

Cause crime pays, and in time, you'll find a rhyme'll blaze

You'll feel the fire from the niggaz in my younger days

So many changed on me, so many tried to plot

That I keep a glock beside my head, when will it stop?

Til God return me to my essence

Cause even as a adolescents, I refuse to be a convalescent

So many questions, and they ask me if I'm still down

I moved up out of the ghetto, so I ain't real now?

They got so much to say, but I'm just laughin at cha

You niggaz just don't know, but I ain't mad at cha



[Chorus: Danny Boy]



I ain't, mad at cha [2Pac:] (and I ain't mad at cha)

Iiiiiiiii ain't mad [2Pac:] (hell nah I ain't mad at cha) at cha

I ain't, mad at mha [2Pac:] (and I ain't mad at cha)

I ain't, mad at cha [2Pac:] (I ain't mad at cha)

I ain't, mad at cha, noooo

I ain't mad at chaaaaahhhhhhhh

2Pac

Consolidated Blogs

Hi all,

I have decided to interconnect my different blogs. Content will still be segregated for organization's sake, but I will start linking between blogs more often (to those who didn't know, I have multiple blogs for multiple purposes). I will use Musings & Nitpicks as my central blog.

I have also decided to alter the purpose of this blog to not be just a web log, but a personal blog as well.

Regards to all

Dumb movie

Hackers (1995)

Cinemax Asia was showing Hackers a while ago. That must be one of the dumbest movies ever made. Saving grace would be Angelina Jolie though she wasn't fully developed yet. Half of the movie just drops pop culture lines and really common terms for anyone who'd care enough to look up hacker on the net at the time the film was made. The movie painted a pretty inaccurate picture of the hacking world at that period of time. Another poorly made film about technology.

Of course, the movie was totally dated. One of my favorite lines is something like, "Woah, she has a 33.3 modem". Really lame when you hear it now, but I do remember having only a 14.4 modem at that time.

Aaah, where will we be 10 years from now? I don't even want to imagine it.

Retail Therapy

Had retail therapy today. Bought a U2 and Memo shirt both at 50% off. Also bought regularly priced gray chinos at 25% off. The store manager offered me a discount ! Would you believe that?

Well, the shopping made me feel a whole lot better. After realizing that there are actually many of us out there (even in the Philippines), I am coming out of the closet with regard to my shopping addiction.

Oprah revs up for new season

I'll admit it, I watch Oprah sometimes, specially if it's not a heavily dramatic show. She has great guests sometimes and she has pretty good segments. I remember the Oprah's favorite things episodes when she gives everyone in the audience each of her favorites.

Well, look at what she gave away now. In the opening episode of her 19th season, she gave all of her 276 audience members a new car each.

She does have Godly powers.

Squidward

My days of blogging from the office are numbered. Let me qualify that: my days of blogging from the office undetected are numbered.

We're going to be using a proxy server for the office net connection soon. It's good for the company, bad for the sneaky employees. It's not that I do anything illegal naman or go to dirty sites, but I just like my privacy. I mean, I wouldn't want everyone to know that I go to blogger.com, pinoyexchange, or.. well, I can't tell you either. I have to protect my private net life.

The weird part of this transition is that I'm going to be partly in charge of its implementation. Internally, I am the one in charge.

Been busy latlely with our intranet portal and some other things. To those of you who may know what else I've been doing, yes, I'm still doing those too. Oh well, we'll see what happens.

New Nokia Phones

The never ending Nokia show

Nokia is a cellphone factory. Coming out with three new phones.

I still have no idea how the 7280 works. It looks like a stick which you can make longer. I'd never think that it was a phone. Nokia has come out with crazy phones, but this is eccentric.

Can't comment on the 7260 and 7270 because there isn't enough info yet.

New Blackberry

BlackBerry 7100t launched

Ooohh.. a thinner blackberry. Looks promising!

Balik PEX

My 5-year PEX anniversary

I joined Pinoy Exchange in October 1999. I was in fourth year high school then. Loved the forums. Loved the posts. Loved the flow of ideas. Well, lately I've been finding myself posting a lot in PEX again. Ang saya! Been browsing through a lot of the different sections. Sana tuloy-tuloy na 'to.

Another wardrobe malfunction

The highlight of my day.

The beautiful Jennifer Hawkins, this year's Miss Universe winner, had a wardrobe malfunction late this week. I've been awed by this beauty since her coronation. I can't remember how long I stared at the front page of the Inquirer the day after she won her crown. I say, she looks like a younger, more fun Nicole Kidman.

LaSalle Haters

How pathetic can you get?

Some idiot made a LaSalle Haters Friendster account. That just irks me up. What kind of insecure creep puts up something like that? I certainly hope he/she wasn't from Ateneo. It's either the person is an A-High dropout (we all know how loyally blue those A-boys are) or is a wanna-be Atenean (what the f?). Sad isn't it?

Sometimes I watch the games and I see young female Ateneo fans. They must be from Davao, Naga, or Zamboanga unless AHS already produces girls (they don't. hindi lang sila dazer factory, gay factory rin. in fairness, green hills din naman ganyan eh. hehe). Anyway, I don't get how there can be young female Ateneo fans (according to my definition of fan at least). Siguro if they have relatives from the school okay lang. Otherwise, why would anyone want to associate themselves with the damn school? Are they snotty pretentious rich kids? (Actually, if you put it that way, it makes sense na)

At least they're not wanna-be LaSallians. Those are the jologs hiphop kids who wear LaSalle jerseys. (wtf? they actually wanna be LaSallians?)

Anyway, I'm digressing. After getting all riled up about the friendster account, I asked myself if I didn't have a sense of humor. Answer is I do naman. But the problem is, there are too many Ateneo/LaSalle haters in the world already. These people have gonads for brains. The two schools CAN and DO get along. Anyone who hates the other school has major insecurity problems. If you're not even from either school and you play that game, you're just sad. You can be a fan of either school (especially when it comes to basketball) but to pretend that you're from one of them and bash the other is just pathetic.

These idiots are part of the reason I stopped participating in some forums. Too much dry sperm floating around. Gross.

Anyway, if you're from Ateneo, please don't add that account as a friend. Please have some self respect. If you're from LaSalle, don't sign up either.

Bottomline: The feud is fun, but do know your limits. Sayang lang ang pinagaralan niyo (kung meron man)

Not Myself

Suppose I said

I am on my best behavior

And there are times

I lose my worried mind?



Would you want me when I'm not myself?

Wait it out while I am someone else?



Suppose I said

Colors change for no good reason

And words will go

From poetry to prose



Would you want me when

I'm not myself?

Wait it out while I am someone else?



And I, in time, will come around

I always do for you



Suppose I said

You're my saving grace?

Love Song For No One

Staying home alone on a Friday

Flat on the floor looking back

On old love

Or lack thereof

After all the crushes are faded

And all my wishful thinking was wrong

I'm jaded

I hate it

I'm tired of being alone

So hurry up and get here

So tired of being alone

So hurry up and get here

Searching all my days just to find you

I'm not sure who I'm looking for

I'll know it

When I see you

Until then, I'll hide in my bedroom

Staying up all night just to write

A love song for no one

I'm tired of being alone

So hurry up and get here

So tired of being alone

So hurry up and get here

I could have met you in a sandbox

I could have passed you on the sidewalk

Could I have missed my chance

And watched you walk away?

I'm tired of being alone

So hurry up and get here

So tired of being alone

So hurry up and get here

You'll be so good

You'll be so good for me

Hypergraphia

Treat me doctor, I'm sick

Well, not really. But this term has the potential to become as popular as being OC (no, not orange county but obsessive compulsive) at least for those of us who like—or rather, love to write. I was watching the replay of Dateline NBC this morning and got amused. Hypergraphia is a mental disease that makes a person obsessively want to write. Of course, it refers to an extreme case that affects less than 1% of the population, but varieties of this exist among many of us. I believe it does so exist in me. (Check that: not in its pure definition; again it's like being OC.)

Anyway, this Dateline episode featured this woman, Alice Weaver Flaherty, who had the disease. I was a bit saddened that she had the condition, but a part of me was also amazed at it and even envious. (then I wonder if I'll ever stop this blog) She writes so much that she even writes on her skin when there's no paper available. When it's really bad, the text reaches the top of her arms. She's even bought a special marker for shower tiles that will wash away with water so that she can jot down any idea she may have when she's taking a bath. Good idea, eh? I know many of us get our best ideas when we're in the bathroom.

Writing that much, the subject was bound to write a book. And she did. Fittingly, her first book touches a bit on her condition. Titled The Midnight Disease: The Drive to Write, Writer's Block, and the Creative Brain the book talks more about unleashing creativitymore than it does about the disease. (Don't quote me on that by the way, just click the link to Amazon) Flaherty claims that there are also many famous people in history who had the disease. Although she may acknowledge her state as a disorder, I have to believe that a bigger part of her sees it as a gift.

Here's an article about hypergraphia from The Chronicle of Higher Education website for further reading.

New diet on the block

First there was Atkins, then South Beach, and now there's the Hamptons diet.

I've a bad feeling it's just milking this diet craze.

Why is it called Hamptons? Quoted from their website: "The Hamptons Diet was formulated with the belief that millions of people want to be thin, rich, and famous—like many of my clientèle (who live in the hamptons)". Ooohhh, how sinful!!

Anyway, it's too early to say anything about this new diet. Testimonials I think is the best gauge as to how good a product is. Of course, you have to be asking the right people.

Skin care?

What's there to care about?

At least until you realize your skin's not perfect. I was surfing the net when the TV churned out another Nivea for Men ad (on the Etc channel). I decided to check out the site and I was impressed. I like how Nivea for Men is marketing their product in the Philippines. Their big launch in Baguio with all these manly men dilute any guy's guy fear of becoming a girly man when you use their products. The metrosexual lifestyle is proving to be popular among my peers. More and more guys are actually caring about their looks. Not surprising for Filipinos, I say. Being a very romantic people, we naturally want to have whatever edge we can have to impress the other sex.

Anyway, while browsing the Nivea site I realized I don't know anything about skin care. A friend tried to explain it to me, but it didn't work. What's strained skin? What are moisturizers for? Why are there oil control moisturizers? What are skin types? What's there to care about on your face aside from hair?

Oh well, I guess that proves that I am not a metrosexual (not that it's a bad thing). My friend Louie however (yes, a special shoutout to you) has been using Nivea products way before they launched this Nivea for Men brand. Aha!

If any of you guys are confused on what you are, take this metrosexual test from ESPN.com (is that a manly enough site for you?)

Chocolate is passion

Not to be taken in large quantities, experts warn

I am a chocolate person. Right now, I'm craving for my mom's chocolate cake so much that I had to write something about chocolate.

Snickers is my all time favorite chocolate bar. One of the sweetest things anyone's ever done for me was to give me a Snickers bar when I was having a bad day. The gesture is still very much appreciated.

Just this month, I discovered an alternative to Snickers. Surprisingly—though I'm sure I've tasted it before—Babyruth tastes pleasantly similar to Snickers. It was good news for me since we had a whole pack of it (check that: had) but of course Babyruth will never be Snickers; Nestle is not Mars.

Also worth mentioning is the seldom seen, but very delicious Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

"(I'll) tear you up in little pieces, swallow you like Reese's pieces.. come on girl you know I need it"

Sorry, I just had to sing that. (These are the times by Dru Hill)

Oh yes, chocolate is passion. I won't go into the obvious and numerous connections between the two, but I will leave you with this all too common excerpt from Discovery Health.

Full of air

Car powered by pressurized air premiers in Australia. Not much news about it, so it must not be worth the attention.

Documentaries

It's so cool how so many documentaries are doing well in Hollywood lately. I've already seen Imelda and got confused. Super Size Me is going to show here in September. And I have no idea if Fahrenheit 9/11 will ever be shown here. We are trying to patch up relations with America. Well, maybe we'll get to see it if Kerry wins.

Talking to myself

An answer to my VB.H question

As it turns out—after finishing the scan on my computer and checking the infected file—I got it from Internet Explorer. The file was XTRAY~1.exe and was stored in my temporary internet files folder. Okay, I feel better now. I could have avoided the problem by setting up a third party firewall like ZoneAlarm.

Bottom line is, it got to me through IE. It's either some idiot used my computer, or it was just really sneaky and my defenses weren't up—understandably.

VB.H

My office computer got hit by VB.h this morning. The net tells me that it's a backdoor, but if it's a Trojan, how the heck did it get into my pc? I don't open weird attachments, I don't download weird programs, but that thing still got to me. Okay, I don't use third party firewalls in the office because no one else here knows how to use it and we're big users of shared folders. And no, no one put anything in my shared. I'm one of the most paranoid people I know with regards to computer (data) safety, but it still got to me. Weird.

It hasn't really done anything to my system and I haven't really felt it, but it just disturbs me that it got there.

Anyway, if anyone has more info about this please let me know and help me have a little more peace of mind.

Motorola Gaining Ground

or at least giving good marketing effort

Been seeing a lot of ads for the Motorola e398 lately. Not being a popular mobile model, I naturally didn't pay much attention to it. But looking at the e398 on paper—and setting aside my biases—it seems like it deserves a second look.

Also upcoming from Motorola is the limited edition, Ferrari inspired Pininfarina i833. Sounds like they're getting as desperate as Fila. Does anyone here buy Fila gear? Yup, I thought so.

Not for the NBA?

The best don't always make it

Sarunas Jasikevicius has been the best pointguard in the Athens games, but why doesn't he play in the NBA? This article from NBA.com gives us the answers.

As dorky as Dirk, but is he as good?

Everybody Hurts

When the day is long and the night,

the night is yours alone,

When you're sure you've had enough

of this life, well hang on

Don't let yourself go,

everybody cries

and everybody hurts sometimes



Sometimes everything is wrong.

Now it's time to sing along



When your day is night alone,

(hold on, hold on)

If you feel like letting go,

(hold on)

When you think you've had too much

of this life, well hang on



'Cause everybody hurts.

Take comfort in your friends

Everybody hurts.



Don't throw your hand.

Oh, no.

Don't throw your hand

If you feel like you're alone,

no, no, no, you are not alone



If you're on your own in this life,

the days and nights are long,

When you think you've had too much

of this life to hang on



Well, everybody hurts sometimes,

Everybody cries.

And everybody hurts sometimes



And everybody hurts sometimes.

So, hold on, hold on

Hold on, hold on,

hold on, hold on,

hold on, hold on

Everybody hurts.



You are not alone







R.E.M.

Down with MLM organizations

Down with misinformation

I try not to be too vocal about my extreme frustration over MLM organizations and recruiters because I have friends who are into it. But the misinformation has to stop somewhere. I'm sorry to anyone who may get offended.

I've been trying to write an article about the cons that MLM recruiters hide (ahem, scam) but I'm so emotionally attached to the topic that I can't go beyond two paragraphs without losing my objectiveness.

Probably my biggest pet peeve in life is misinformation. The way that MLM recruiters operate is full of misinformation—from the time they invite you to a meeting/interview to the pseudo learning/training sessions you have once you become a member. It's the same the world over for so many years now. Our country has been plagued by misinformation of the masses for far too long already. Politics and showbizness have hurt our people so many times. The average Filipino succumbs to false promises so easily. It hurts so much when their hope is shattered. MLM is full of lies. It misleads and it blinds. And yes, recruiters are taught to do so.

I am saddened that supposed mature and intellectual people still fall for scams. The money is good, they might rationalize. The hasty things people do for money. If they give in, in no time they'll be throwing lines like "I'm just trying to help you" or "I'm doing this for you", like you actually owe them for wasting your time. Puta, these people have been using these same lines for years. Why won't people fucking catch up.

Once again, I'm sorry for those who may get offended, but there are far more people who have been hurt by this and remaining quiet will do them injustice.

I will give an update when I finish my article on MLM organizations.

Disclaimer: My sources humble me by stating that there are legit MLM organizations. Legit ones focus on marketing their products instead of RECRUITING people.

Listed below are some internet sites that may provide more information about MLM organizations and what to look out for:

Crimes of persuasion

Skeptic's Dictionary

MLM Watch

Federal Trade Commission (US)

What's wrong with multi-level marketing?

There is also a Yahoo! Group where those who have been tricked by MLM organizations converge, share information, and provide support. You may join the group to educate yourself. Their email is mlmsurvivorsclub@yahoogroups.com You can join by adding them through your Yahoo! Groups main page.

Secret

Warning: this product may cause bad eyesight, jittery nerves, slowed pace, and poor hand to eye coordination.

I'm just playing. He did well, he will grow, and he will make us proud one day.

Yao, what's up?

I want to get to watch the Athens Basketball semis. I don't know the schedule of the games though since Sky Cable put channel 4 before channel 2. I'm not really a China fan, but I want China to do good in the games. Probably for the simple reason that they're Asians (though maybe for them we still are very different). I also like Yao Ming because he's such a dork. In contrast, Tim Duncan is boring. Yes, he's better than Yao but he has no drama in his persona. He's just a fundamentals guy. You know what, he should play for Utah! Bagay siya dun!

Cannonball

Still a little bit of your taste in my mouth
Still a little bit of you laced with my doubt
Still a little hard to say what's going on

Still a little bit of your ghost your witness
Still a little bit of your face I haven't kissed
You step a little closer each day
Still I can't say what's going on

Stones taught me to fly
Love taught me to lie
Life taught me to die
So it's not hard to fall
When you float like a cannonball

Still a little bit of your song in my ear
Still a little bit of your words I long to hear
You step a little closer to me
So close that I can't see what's going on

Stones taught me to fly
Love taught me to lie
Life taught me to die
So it's not hard to fall
When you float like a cannon

Stones taught me to fly
Love taught me to cry
So come on courage
Teach me to be shy
Cause it's not hard to fall
And I don't wanna scare her
It's not hard to fall
And I don't wanna lose
It's not hard to grow
When you know that you just don't know


Damien Rice

World Coffee Queen

Has anyone ever heard of this competition? Sounds weird, but apparently a Filipina won 2nd runner up. I tried to check out the site of the competition, but it was down. And btw, Ms. Philippines also won the most number of internet votes. Yeah, we always win that category.

WTF: Virtual Mobile Girlfriend?

In a country that's probably second to Japan in being mobile crazy, will this ever pick up? It's not immoral naman or anything so conservative groups won't complain. But then again, we're not as timid and nerdy as the Japanese are. (not to be discriminatory. that is a generalization. also, being timid or nerdy aren't necessarily bad characteristics.)

Goodies

[Ciara]

My Goodies, My Goodies, My Goodies

Not my goodies!



[Verse 1: Petey Pablo]

I got a sick reputation for handlin broads

All I need is me a few seconds or more.

And in my rap

Tell valet to bring my 'Lac

And I ain't comin back

So you can put a car right there.

I'm the truth

And ain't got nothin' to prove.

An you can ask anybody

Cuz they seen me do it.

Barracades, I run right through 'em

I'm used to 'em.

Throw all the dirt you want it's no use.

You still won't have a pinup in a fabulous room

On her back pickin' out baskets of fruit.

(I love you boo)

Yeah freak and Petey love you too.

Ha Ha

You know how I do..



[Hook: Ciara]

You may look at me and think that I'm

Just a younger girl

But I'm not just a younger girl.

Baby this is what I'm lookin' for:

Sexy, independent, down to spend it type that's gettin' his dough

I'm not bein too dramatic that's the way I gotta have it.



[Chorus: Ciara]

I bet you want the goodies.

Bet you thought about it.

Got you all hot and bothered.

Mayb' cuz I talk about it.

Lookin for the goodies

Keep on lookin' cuz they stay in the jar

Oh-oh Oh-oh Oh-oh Oh-oh



[Verse 2: Ciara]

Just because you drive a Benz

I'm not goin home with you.

You won't get no nookie or the cookies

I'm no rookie.

And still I'm

Sexy, independent

I ain't wit' it so you already know.

I'm not bein too dramatic that's the way I gotta have it

You think you're slick

Tryna hit

But I'm not dumb

I'm not bein too dramatic it's just how I gotta have it



[Chorus]



[Verse 3: Petey Pablo]

So damn hot but so young.

Still got milk on ya tongue

Slow down lil one

And you ain't got it all

Hey shawty

You think you bad but you ain't bad

I'll show you what bad is.

Bad is when you capable of beatin' the baddest.

I been workin' at it since I came to this planet

And I ain't quite there yet but I'm gettin' better at it.

Matter of fact,

Lemme tell it to you one mo' again

All I got to do is tell a girl who I am (Petey!)

Ain't naa chick in here dat I can't have

Bada boom bada bam ba bam!



[Verse 4: Ciara]

You're insinuating that I'm hot

But these goodies boy are not

Just for any of the many men that's tryna get on top.

No you can't call me later

And I don't want your number.

I'm not changin' stories

Just respect the play I'm callin'.



[Chorus (2X)]

Uh...Yeah...Uh...Yeah Uh Uh Uh







Ciara