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!