Eh-hum # 47

Hehehehe, something I got from my brother. Again, I couldn't help myself. Hweheh.

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you awy from this world So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all... But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you. Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses. Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others. Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life. Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Eh-hum # 46

Back to Reality

Oh great, am back at work.

Management decided to observe this staggered working schedule. By choice, I had my Christmas break from 20 to 24 December 2004 and then go to work the following week. The schedule worked for me, since I was able to go to my cousin’s wedding (more on this later on). Prior to the circulation of the office memo, there were a few problems with regards to the scheduling. But eventually, it was straightened out in the end.

I struggled to wake up this morning, since during the break, I had the luxury of waking up at past 7:00 (On working days, I wake up at quarter to 5:00). It was unusual that I return to work more than a week later and the found the surroundings, the environment, the same before the holidays. It was also weird that when the first BER month came, we are so excited for the 25th of December. Now that’s over, suddenly, everything went back to normal. More than 3 months of anticipation and preparation will come down to only one day. Like training for the Olympics, you train for more than a year, and then it comes down to that crucial minute whether your performance will get the gold or not.

Oh well.

Anyway...(Belated) Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

Wedding Blues 2

I don’t really remember, I guess this is the 2nd time I will write on Weddings. Perhaps next to May and June, December is a favorite wedding month. Last 22 December 2004, my cousin, Kuya Erwin, tied the knot. Sa aming magpipinsan, pang-apat na siya na nag-desisyon na magpakasal. During my niece’s baptismal, I think that was in June 2004, we had the chance to meet his fiancée: Ate Cheryl (there is a story behind the "ate"). She works in the same industry as he does and graduated from a good university. Overall, my first impression was that she’s this really nice girl. As they say, simplicity is beauty. Initially, we were surprised when they decided to get married since they have been dating less than a year. After some thinking, it was just fine. I mean, we would never really understand the kind of loving relationship they have so why question them. While a long engagement is considered advantageous, it may not really determine if a marriage will be a success.

The wedding was simple and something that was exclusive to the family and some close friends (which makes up the entourage). Also, the feel of the celebration was solemn. My computer at work does not support .exe programs so I couldn’t post pictures properly. Good thing my brother posted the pictures on his (picture) website. Just click here please.

Eh-hum # 45

I couldn't help myself....

Destiny, you are the oldest of The Endless, you are
eternally chained to a book that holds the
secrets of the universe. You are all business,
never have time to even crack a smile, and
always make sure you do not draw too much
attention. You do not want people hunting after
you!


Which Endless are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Here's another result I got after some serious blog surfing. I rarely do that (blog surfing, I mean), since I am not really sure if its OK to read someone else's journal. But the thing is, a blog is usually open to public viewing. So, I think its OK. Hweheh.

Eh-hum # 44

Okay, obvious ba na wala akong mai-sulat and I had to post those (sort of) personality quiz results as a substitute. Reading the newspapers has given me the needed, uh, inspiration. ETO NA!!!

The (Conspiracy) Knockout

Ah yes. What more to boost the morale of our typhoon-inflicted brothers and sisters than a stunning victory for the PAC-MAN. People might say that Yanig sa Taguig was a major success. Actually, I was glad that the Filipino bet won by a fourth-round knockout or else the bout may be criticized as LUTO if the challenger made it through the last round and then the judges had to make a decision.

However, the fight had issues, at least to the sports commentators. They believe that the bout was an obvious mismatch between the Thai and the Gen San native. If the idea of an intentional mismatch is true, this fight may just be a warm-up for Manny’s rematch with Juan Marquez in February 2005, or a quick relief for the (mostly) downtrodden PINOYS. But, its hardly worthwhile if everybody knew Manny would win. I mean, where’s the challenge in that?

But, let’s give Manny’s camp the benefit of the doubt. Manny, in his past matches, has proven himself a worthy opponent to the Latino boxing champs. Let’s just hope that his victory in February will be undisputed.

Turn of Events…

So, it has come to pass that the King of Philippine (Action) Movies lost his final battle. Fernando Poe, Jr., a.k.a. FPJ, “Da King”, passed away at 12:01 am today at St. Luke’s Hospital. While I am no FPJ fan, his death is a major loss to the Philippine entertainment industry and he will surely be remembered through his memorable performances onscreen and numerous credentials as the country’s best known actor.

However, while his passing was truly a sad event, especially to his fans, this has become a political issue. Since he fell into a coma after a massive stroke over the weekend, politicians and politically-active actors have been plaguing our television screens with their comments on the matter. The media are in a feeding frenzy, interviewing and taking pictures of distince opposition politicians and artistas. Every now and then, we would see his agressive supporters on TV crying and praying for his speedy recovery, and cursing the President on the side. If I am not mistaken, his "rabid" supporters and (former) political allies were saying his death was caused by depression after his disappointing loss in the May elections. Oh please. If that is the case, winning the presidency would easily kill him, since he has to face TONS of depressing issues: corruption, the budget deficit, terrorism, oil and electricity price hikes, pending peace processes with the LEFT, etc, etc. Besides, self-indulgence (debauchery?) killed him, not depression (it should have been a suicide).

While I laughed at his campaign machinery prior to the elections, now I pity FPJ. His decision to run for the presidency made him an easy target for power hungry re-electionists. Armed with his movie one-liners and winning smile, he was totally unprepared upon entering the cut throat world of Philippine politics. People around him, supposedly supporting his candidacy, took advantage of his star power and his popularity to gain massive votes for themselves.

His death should be, first and foremost, a family concern (in his case, families). A credible spokesperson would be his (legal?) wife, actress Susan Roces, or their (adopted) daughter, Mary Grace. Or if they are too distressed, it should be ANYBODY not involved in politics. The opposition has forgotten that he was first an actor and member of the citizenry.

After his defeat in the elections, he should’ve steered clear of them political predators. Now, even after his death, the opposition is extending his short political stint. Opposition spokesperson Rep. Escudero announced that they will continue the fight and prove that PGMA and Kabayan cheated the 10 May 2004 elections. Well, the Electoral Tribunal should work on that immediately; the President is getting busier and busier by the day.

Eh-hum # 43

Halata bang wala akong magawa? HEHEHEHE.

Eh-hum # 42

Me as a video game character. EHEM

Eh-hum # 41

Windy Weekend

Yoyong the typhoon scared the hell out of the Filipinos. And why shouldn’t we? At almost 200 KPH and its fury reaching the Visayas (which rarely happens), Yoyong is definitely one mean calamity. On Thursday, classes on all levels were suspended and government employees left their offices at noon, as announced by the President. That afternoon, it started to rain and the wind was beginning to pick up. At that moment, it seems that Yoyong's arrival was several hours early (it was supposed to reach Philippine soil Friday morning), which made the authorities’ decision to postpone the classes a good call. Even though the power was turned off for the rest of the night, the strong winds made my “aircon-less” sleep quite comfortable. On Friday afternoon, it was fortunate that the weather gradually clamed down, making our trip to the mall (SM NORTH, da best!) much easier. I expected to hear some complaints from the public that PAGASA was not entirely correct on its prediction but thankfully, I did not. People in the metropolis should be grateful that the weather was less scary than anticipated. However, my prayers still go to the families, especially in Nueva Ecija and the Quezon Province, greatly affected by the Yoyong and the typhoons before it.

***
My dad was taking up this instructor’s course at the DAP in Ortigas. Last Friday was supposed to be his final class meeting; however, they postponed it due to the erratic weather. Their class made a very commendable decision early last week: the money that they are supposed to use for their graduation celebration was donated, through the ABS-CBN Foundation, to the victims of the last three (?) typhoons. I was very pleased to see on television hundreds of people offering food and clothing to the typhoon victims. I was more pleased to see that the truckload of smuggled clothes from China confiscated by the Bureau of Customs will also be donated (take that evildoers!!!). It’s amazing how the Filipinos can be compassionate and dependable during these trying times. Unfortunately, it seems that the country is united only during emergencies and life-threatening situations. On normal days, the citizens would complain on just about anything while the government leaders/officials would spend much of their time proving that there are smarter than their colleagues. Just Great.

***

What better way to spend your Saturday than go to school and do some research work for your MA class? That’s what I exactly did, but am not really complaining. Embarrassing as it is, it was my first time to visit my school’s library and thankfully, I did not make a fool of myself (I might as well carry a sign that says: HELP ME, I’M CLUELESS). The key is observing my undergraduate counterparts which made everything pretty easy. The day went on smoothly, but it turned out for the best: an unexpected reunion with a good (college) friend whom I have not seen since the LOTR: ROTK screening. We spent the whole afternoon talking, with the occasional guitar-playing moments (she, not me). Our conversations were mostly about what we have been up to since our last get together and our plans in the near future. It was great and we laughed like kids.

Since work and now grad school, I miss those moments where in I can just chill with my friends (in short, TAMBAY). I am not a party person and I rarely go out late at night. Boring? Maybe, but that’s just way it is and I am not complaining. A stirring night life may be the priority of some, but I appreciate those intimate moments minus the deafening sounds or the fancy lights (or people losing consciousness). Simple reunions with good food and humorous conversations, that’s for me.

***

I got rained on a couple of times, which has some adverse effects on my physical well-being. 2 tablets of Decolgen and 4 spoons of Robitussin later, I am still coughing and sniffing while on my way to work. My only consolation is that, I am not riding the Crimson wave anymore. Can’t wait for this coming weekend. Hehehe.

Eh-hum # 40

Oh yeah.... If you are wondering, cognac is a nickname I got from a lovely friend (*keetch, i wish you well). Thanks to jera for this one.

How to make a cognac

Ingredients: 1 part mercy 1 part silliness 5 parts leadership

Method: Blend at a low speed for 30 seconds. Add a little curiosity if desired!

Username:

Personality cocktail
From Go-Quiz.com

Eh-hum # 39

CONGRATS!

Got this article online. I think its something for the blog pioneers (in my case, for my sister and my friend Jac). Enjoy!

‘Blog’ lands as top new word for 2004
Updated 09:34pm (Mla time) Dec 01, 2004
By Erwin Lemuel Oliva INQ7.net

BLOG, a contraction of the term “web log,” is the latest geekspeak to enter Merriam-Webster’s Top-10 list of words for 2004. On its website, the US dictionary publisher said blog, defined as “a website that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks provided by the writer,” was the most searched word on the Internet this year.

Merriam-Webster compiles the list each year. This year, “blog” was the number one word in “online look-ups.” Blog or blogging is a recent phenomenon that has made website publishing easier. Popular blog hosting services, such as blogspot.com, have spawned millions of personal blogs that contains every imaginable subject matter. People create blogs to spread news and gossip, critique media and even share photos with friends. Media and corporations have used blogs to provide updated views on various issues affecting them. Recently, blogging has spawned so-called MP3blogs that feature free sample music in MP3 format, personal reviews, and links to online stores.

Blog will be a new entry in the 2005 version of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. The complete list of words of the year is available at Merriam-Webster.com. So how does a word get into a Merriam-Webster dictionary? According to Merriam-Webster online, it has an army of editors tracking word usage. After scouring published material from the traditional to online publications, new words are marked and put into a computer system. This system is called a citation. Since the 1880s, Merriam-Webster has collected more than 15.7 million examples of words used in context.

In most cases, new words are added to the next edition of the dictionary if it has enough citations. However, in rare cases, a word jumps onto the scene and is both instantly prevalent and likely to last, as was the case in the 1980s with AIDS. John Barger coined the term “web log” in December 1997. In 1999, Peter Merholz coined the shorter version “blog.” Usage of the word spread during 1999 and the word was popularized by Pyra’s creation of their weblog service “Blogger.” As of March 2003, the Oxford English Dictionary has included the terms weblog, weblogging and weblogger.

Eh-hum # 38

Its the season to be jolly...

While Christmas is in the air, today being the first day of December, kindly offer this prayer to our brothers and sisters affected by the floods and mudslides brought by typhoon Winnie:

Watch thou, dear Lord,
with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight,
and give thine angels charge over those who sleep.
Tend thy sick ones, Lord Christ.
Rest thy weary ones.
Bless thy dying ones.
Soothe thy suffering ones.
Pity thine afflicted ones.
Shield thy joyous ones.
And all, for thy love's sake.

Amen.

St. Augustine, 4th Century

The Wish List

I guess for some, its customary to make a Christmas wishlist. The odd thing is, I am already in my mid-twenties and I am doing this only NOW. Nevertheless, I pray that some kind-hearted individuals (i.e. parents and Santa Claus) will have a chance to read this and email me for any positive results.

Here's my TOP TEN:

1) Fujitsu Lifebook (Centrino)
2) PDA Stuffs
3) CDs
4) J.R.R. Tolkien Books
5) DILBERT Books
6) Japanese Proficiency Materials
7) LEGO
8) New Bags
9) Digital Camera
10) A good thesis/research proposal topic

We'll see if I will receive, or purchase, any of this goodies.