I was robbed

I didn't think that I'd be blogging about my Carriedo experience in this bad light. I've gone there four times in the course of 2 months and the fourth time was the worst experience yet. I was robbed. All the games, apps and themes on my e71 all gone (I had backed up my messages,calendar entries and contacts around 2 weeks before so that's an "at least").

Ok first, going to NBI carriedo. It's easy. If you're coming from the east, just take lrt line 2 until Recto (last station) and then get off the exit where the Divisoria jeepneys are waiting. You just need to go straight until you get to the intersection where LRT line 1 passes through. Turn left (cross the street) and then go straight straight. Once you see the end of the road, turn left again. The NBI building should be on the left side. Do not buy cedulas. You won't need it. Also, bring a black ballpen so that you won't have to buy from there.

On my fourth visit, I decided to take the LRT line 1 to get to Gil Puyat station (Buendia). I rode at Doroteo jose station and that's when it happened. When I entered the train, a big guy with a backpack blocked my path even if there was still space inside and behind him. I sidestepped to the right and the next thing I know, my left pocket was cellphone free. F**k where the first words out of my mouth. The person who blocked me got off at the next stop but I didn't bother to follow for fear that he might have someone else waiting in the shadows. They had pulled one over me and that really sucked. I started thinking of all the at leasts that I could think of.

At least I wasn't stabbed.
At least it wasn't my wallet (harder to rebuild)
At least I had my NBI clearance already
At least I didn't have too much personal info on my cellphone
At least I was able to invalidate that line within the first two hours ( I had to ask help from my sister who worked in Taguig). I was also able to change my online accounts' passwords right away.

I had a very long LRT ride to Gil puyat, thinking of all the repercussions of losing that phone. But as is my principle in this, detachment is the way to go because these things can be easily replaced. It beats being stuck in a hospital because of a stab wound.

Win some, lose some.

good time for a change

Good times for a change
See, the luck I've had
Can make a good man
Turn bad

So please please please
Let me, let me, let me
Let me get what I want
This time

Haven't had a dream in a long time
See, the life I've had
Can make a good man bad

So for once in my life
Let me get what I want
Lord knows, it would be the first time
Lord knows, it would be the first time

Stop using plastic / styro

Dear Mcdo and Jollibee,

I'd like to write a plea for you guys to start using bio degradable material for your take-away ("take-out") meals. It will help the environment a lot - what with all the plastic and waste going around.

To illustrate, kindly see this link.

Ondoy brought it ... and so did we!

When Manila experienced the most deluge in memory or history ...

When most lost their homes and family members and possessions ...

When a huge population got isolated or stranded or hungry for several hours before help finally came ...

When all hope seemed lost and the government was nowhere to be seen until things settled down...

We stood together.

When everything that floated served as a lifesaver for some...

When neighbors opened up their second floors and roofs for others...

When corporations and businesses contributed huge sums of money for rebuilding...

Our nation stood together.

I've never seen a race more resilient. And I'm sickeningly proud to be a Filipino.

The PVC rule

With the fast and free flow of information,wrong information tends to spread big time out there. Sending bad info sometimes just takes just two clicks and rectifying that may take more effort than sending it. It irks me to get texts,im's or inet posts that claim that it's the real deal but actually aren't.


Three simple steps that could save you from passing bad info :

1.Process - Is this person making any sense? Sometimes we believe the person right away because they're our friends but the usual situation is that that friend only got it from someone else that's less credible. So ask. Sometimes we have the tendency to just browse a text and forward it right away without absorbing. It's so easy to spread a rumor nowadays.

2.Verify - Ask others if it's true or get a more credible source (news,radio,etc..) As much as possible, get multiple sources.

3.Cite - Cite your source so that the recipient would have the option whether to believe or not - or better yet verify it for themselves.

Remember the PVC rule the next time you get suspicious information out there - Not foolproof but hopefully it'd make us think twice before sending out info that could be the difference between life and death.

How Stuff Works Podcast Wednesday

Interesting stuff. Swallow with caution.

10 ways to stay sane in your cubicle

10 ways to stay sane in your cubicle

From tech republic


If you’re stuck in a cube 40 hours a week, you may need a few coping strategies to keep from going crazy. Jack Wallen offers some survival tips to help make your workdays more bearable - and maybe even enjoyable.

So you work in a cube farm, and every day you spend there sucks more and more of your sanity away. You’re pretty sure that any day now you will be taken off in a straight jacket to work in your new padded cell. How can you avoid this? How can you hang onto a semblance of sanity when day in and day out, you spend eight hours sitting in the center of three industrial walls? It’s not as hard as you might think. Here are some suggestions to help you preserve your sanity.

1: Change it up

When your surroundings do not change, the best way to keep your cool is to change them yourself. A friend of mine has been in the same cube farm for nearly 10 years. During that time, she has made a point to randomly change the decorations in her cubicle. But she doesn’t just add a photo here and a knick-knack there. My chum is a serious Trekkie and makes a point to focus on one character (or race of characters) at a time. So one month will be Cardassian month and the next will be all about Dr. Bashir or Jean-Luc Picard. Not only has this helped her sanity, it has given her quite the reputation around the company and provided plenty to chat about.

2: Take breaklets

Most people work like this:

* Work four hours
* Take a lunch break
* Work four hours

This works for a while, but eventually it will catch up with you. Instead of sticking only to this schedule, you should mix it up. If your company allows it, split your break up into smaller breaks throughout the day. Or better yet, just randomly get up and take a stroll around the company. If you have to, grab a folder or a handful of papers and make like you’re heading for the printer. Just get up and get out of that cubicle throughout the day. Taking strolls around the company won’t just get you out of your cubicle; it will give you a bit of exercise you desperately need. If you’re feeling really daring, skip the elevator and hit the stairs!

3: Crank up the tunes

Music is the food of life. But you will be best served (as will your fellow employees) if you keep that music to yourself. Back when I had an office at TechRepublic, I was notorious for cranking up techno very loud. It didn’t dawn on me that maybe it would have been better if I’d left the volume at a respectable level. And that was with an office — not a cubicle. When you are working in a cubicle, your best bet is headphones. I also recommend that you don’t just bring in your favorite CDs and listen to them over and over. You might as well stare at the same gray-brown walls and listen to the voices developing in your head. Instead, point your PC to a nice Internet radio station. If you use Linux, you may want to open up Streamtuner, as I do, and take in a whole world of music.

4: Turn to Facebook/Youtube/Twitter

I know, it sounds horrible — but I am advocating the use of social networking sites at work. However, I suggest you use them with moderation. Do not plant yourself on Facebook and stay there at the expense of your work. Instead, give yourself social breaks between tasks. Complete a task, update your status. Reconfigure that router, tweet! Or create a social networking site for your fellow workers. With this in place, your social networking will be work related. If you can’t create the site yourself, propose this to your IT staff.

5: Move your office

I don’t mean literally. But if you use a laptop, take it away from your cubicle and move to the break room or a meeting room. Do this once a week or so, and you’ll find that cubicle not nearly as life-stealing. Just make sure you are not breaking any company policies by doing so. And if the weather is nice enough (and your signal strength will reach) take that laptop outside for an al fresco workday. Just remember to have a full battery or an outlet nearby.

6: Socialize

We’ve all done it before — worked in places where we just… couldn’t… stand… the… people… we… worked… with. You can’t get along with everyone, but there should be someone you can at least form some sort of social bond with. Find someone who shares similar interests (like Star Trek, Linux, or mountain biking) so you will at least have SOMETHING to talk about (other than complaining about how you hate your fellow workers).

7: Do an anonymous act of kindness every day

This is all about karma. Do something good for a coworker every day. It doesn’t have to be big. You could pick up someone’s print job for them and deliver it to their cubicle (see number 2) or clean up an area around the office. Just make sure the act is random and anonymous. The anonymity will give you a certain pleasure as you watch others trying to figure out who did the deed.

8: Play hooky

Remember how good it made you feel back in college to skip a day of class? That feeling can be enough to get you through until the next vacation day. Find a special event or just a perfect day outdoors and call in sick. Yes, it can backfire on you if your boss takes a break and catches you playing Frisbee golf in the park. But then, if your boss catches you in the park, what exactly is he doing there?

9: Employ the Les Nessman cubicle strategy

Who can forget Les Nessman, the award-winning news director from WKRP? One of his many quirks was his belief that a news director should have his own office. Well, he didn’t — so he made do. Les lay down masking tape on the floor to create the outline of the walls of his “office.” He even included a “door” that he mimed opening and closing every time he entered or exited. So what is keeping you from going “Les” on your cubicle? Tape down that fourth wall, include a door, and insist that people “knock” and use the “door” when they need to meet with you.
10: Have a sense of humor

Humor will get you through just about every situation — including cube life. Become a practical jokester, laugh at silly mistakes, let everyone see that you can take just about anything that life throws at you. But as you’re laughing it up and plotting the demise-by-joke of your next victim, always remember your company policies. Make sure your master plan does not go against any company rules, or the HR department will have the last laugh. Above all, have fun, enjoy your workday, and make it more pleasant for everyone around you.
What works for you?

bye 5500

Bye 5500! Our memories together were sweet and thrilling. I will never forget the day that I put you in a glass of water twice! (Once should have been enough) and let you to dry for several days before turning you on. we have had a lot of adventures together but now it's time to go. Your next owner would be proud to have you.

Finals - Game 3

Game 3 - NBA Finals 2009. You got to hand it to the Magic. They played a superb game, shooting 75% in the first half. Skip to my Lou did all the right things. Howard defended the paint. Rashard was at his usual 3 point best. And Turkoglu... did what he always did. Pietrus' 18 points and hustle plays down the stretch also were a pain for the Lakers. Despite all that though, they only led by 4 at the end of regulation. They would have led only by 2 if Rashard had insisted on not shooting those last two free throws.

LA all the way . Let's see what happens on Game 4.

Addiction.

Samurai 7

Just finished Samurai 7. Finally. JM downloaded the final parts of the series and finally got to complete it. Worth the wait. Each and every samurai had his own character and role in the whole story - and the action and animation was great.

The seven Samurai were composed of:

Shimada Kambei- your typical leader (calm and calculating)
Katsushiro Okamoto - the apprentice
Gorobei Katayama - the smart entertainer
Shichiroji - the "spears and rope" guy
Kikuchiyo - the muscle in the group
Hayashida Heihachi - demolitions expert
Kyuzo - silent assassin

The emperor (antagonist in the story) himself was rich in character. You could never guess what he was going to do next and his motives were always unclear. What really got this series going was the recruiting part - Kirara was tasked by her village to hire samurai that would help protect their farms against bandits. Each found samurai led to their own stories and motives in the whole scheme of things.

Next stop - The Seven Samurai (the inspiration behind the samurai 7 cartoon series) 

Let it shine

Honda Insight - Let It Shine from Honda on Vimeo.

down to the wire

Chicago Bulls in seven. Miami Heat in seven. This isn't a prediction. I'm just naming favorites XD

It all boils down to this. Who wants it more? Who's willing to go the extra mile, the extra hustle to get things done?

Can't wait.

The stage is set.

Shuffle that deck... and deal

Had a long talk with mom earlier. we were talking about crises. We all go through it. I'm done with mine - i think - and it just came in very short bursts because the mass of the things I need to do make up for it and keep me busy. Mom went through a lot. I guess that's where all the moral and happiness fiber came from.

Lolo was an unfaithful husband and mom had to go through college losing the things that she was used to. She lost her car, wasn't given money anymore for clothes.. Came to a point that she didn't get any allowance anymore. My lolo/grandfather was supporting several other families then that's why there wasn't too much money to go around. It was a good thing that she was a scholar but she also took part time jobs like selling stocks.. Sometimes, she'd go to meetings during college without eating lunch yet. When her peers would ask if she'd eaten, she'd say "yes" and not show any kind of weakness. When merienda was served, she'd still have the restraint to eat primly and properly. Her mom (my lola) was not in a better state either. She had to get humiliated by other people just to make end's meet (on top of having to deal with the emotional hurt impaled by my lolo). Their staple food was galunggong (which is expensive nowadays) and they only got to eat meat on weekends. Despite all this, she still gave respect to her parents due them. She did not in anyway badmouth my lolo to my dad (they were still dating then). She still managed to get high grades (magna) and had many friends. She beat the odds. She went against the percentage.

I admire her because she still managed to beat the system despite everything. She was proactive and unwavering all throughout. As i'm going through my life now, i realize that I draw strength from her. It is because of her stories that i don't easily break. Because I know that she survived all that.. has five wonderful kids and is now living a simple and yet fruitful life. She is the road map that says that it can be done. That life can all be negative but it all boils down as to what you are going to do about it. We are all born to succeed and be happy as much as we all can potentially fail and be rotten all our life.

So Let's Go. Beat the percentages with me.

a card for the player

live simply so that others may simply live. this phrase came back to me after I thought of getting myself another pair of shoes (particularly Kobe IV) since I saw the ad along the C5 flyover.Been salivating every time I see it.it looks so lightweight (11.6 ounces). just looking at the material says a lot about it. BUT with its cost, I should be able to send one scholar to school already.

Why is it hardest to make a decision when the answer is most obvious?

what are you looking for

Vicky showed this to me earlier. True. But I thought it should have facts to back it up. Although some of you would go ahead and agree with it. As Forrest Gump said, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get". Life is like a pack of chocnuts - you never know if it's durog or not.

It goes on.

Let's do this.

No more distractions. Focus. Invest in the goal.

Failure is all about getting up and learning from it

I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
-M Jordan

clarion call

if i'm going to change the world, i must make good in my promise. opportunities are presenting themselves - i just need to answer. there is just so much to do. kids don't belong in the streets doing drugs. i must heed the call one way or another.

brooding ...

what is wrong with me? am so optimistic I feel like I'm going to burst. am i too positive? or is the world just too dark? i've been there though. seeing all the negative things in life instead of the positive ones. i've moved past that point but sometimes i just can't help it. The thing is, when you think of all the positive things, the negative ones always prop up. there's no denying that life is all based on a balance of both the yin and yang. imagine a movie with a protagonist and no antagonist... that'd be either an art film or the most boring film you could ever watch. we are of the same make. we want the same goal. but sometimes a barrier stands in the way if we don't seek first to understand...