The Smartest Investment Ever

During the sem break, the library administration closed the computer labs but they closed it down longer than usual. They didn't renovate the place. They did something better...

They replaced the old computers with flat-screen lcd monitors, brand new CPU's and installed the latest softwares! It's unbelievable. The desks became more spacious without the bulky CRT monitor. Every single key in the keyboard is functioning. They got rid of the non-responsive ball-mouse units. Best of all, the computers are running on a 2.33GHz Intel Core Duo processor with 2GB of RAM and they have a mind-blowing 80GB of disk space. Insane! Installed are the latest version of MS Office 2007 and an Antivirus (If I remember correctly, it's not Norton this time). It was a rare sight to see every computer in an entire lab working properly.

I wonder how long will it take for the students to wreck these new computer units?

First of the last

    

Today wasn't the usual scorching and irritating sunny weather. It was cloudy, gloomy and the temperature dropped to a comfortable 28C. A perfect way to start the first day of the last semester... My schedule is great and I think the professors are terrific. I finally got the T-TH schedule I've been wanting for so long. I've always wanted to experience going to class for only 2 times a week. I can sleep through Monday and celebrate my long weekend on Thursday. As for the remaining classes, it seems that my workload for my Philo minor course will be relatively lighter than last time. However, this will balanced out by my LS class, which will bombard us with tons of papers, reports and field work.... CRAP. It's the final stretch to the finish line... I hope I don't f*ck this one up.

[I got left behind by one year, yet it feels like I lost five]

After Four Years...

After waiting four years, which seemed like an eternity, our Ateneo High School yearbook is finally out. To be honest, I actually forgot the existence of this book since it took so long for it to be published. And I find it unfair that some alumni who went abroad won't be able to claim the item that they PAID for.

So... is all that wait worth it? I really can't tell. Why? Check out the photo below. No, I didn't make a mistake of taking a picture of the book upside down. I want you to pay attention to the small label on the cover...

3 days? WTF?!?

When I finally open the book and benefit from its contents, I have actually waited 4 years + 3 days. Is this a way of having a last laugh on us after making us wait for so long? What the hell? Will the pages disintegrate when the book is taken out of its plastic cover within 3 days? Maybe they are hiding some subversive material printed on the book and it will take 3 days for that content to disappear. It sounds crazy, but I don't want to take any chances. My damn imagination is getting the better of me again...

It was an experiment after all...

Remember that Honesty Store I mentioned in the past? My question was answered. It doesn't work after all. After one month of operations, the store lost nearly 20% of its expected earnings. That's Php12K+! Now the store is forced to close in a few weeks.

What my name means (Not so surprising, really. Ha ha)

What Richard Alpert Means

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace. People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are influential and persuasive. You tend to have a lot of power over people. Generally, you use your powers for good. You excel at solving other people's problems. Occasionally, you do get a little selfish and persuade people to do things that are only in your interest. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Aphrodisiac Anonymous: "Moving On" in the Wrong Direction

This topic is related to the experience of pain and sorrow pointed out in the entry, "Necessity of Pain". As mentioned, it is natural to cry over a failed relationship. A common yet misleading advice for you is "to move on". Personally, that advice annoys me since people take it too lightly and sees the act as an instant solution to the problem.

They think that by simply forgetting their ex and locking up the bad emotions deep inside them, they can "move on". Some would even go the extravagant way and take a vacation, go some place far away and spend some time alone. By the time they get back, they convince themselves and others that they feel new and declare that they have "moved on". Maybe these methods an help you cope with your pain. But once you return and you still feel sorrow and hatred; you still feel like bitching about your ex and you constantly irritate people how you suffered through your heartaches, then tell me... where did you go? Did you really progress? Were you actually able to move on?

Maybe you only took a long trip to ignore the pain in the hopes that it will magically disappear when you get back. You just ran away and created an illusion for you to dwell in. You are simply denying your sorrow. Maybe you are not in for the relaxing benefits of the vacation so you can handle the stress better. Maybe you are simply craving for more attention because you feel so alone and you're hoping that people will miss you if you leave. Whatever the reason is, let's think and keep things real. Try letting go of the pain but beware of creating illusions. The act of letting go borders between truly "moving on" and simply playing dumb.

Truly "moving" on involves acceptance of reality and letting go of the sorrow. It may lead to learning and you may become more than what you are today. It is going along with the bad experiences and not against it.

Feeling pain is natural but holding on to those emotions is pathetic.

Aphrodisiac Anonymous: Necessity of Pain

Common sense tells us that we must seek convenience, pleasure and satisfaction and avoid pain. It is instinctive that we minimize all these unpleasant experiences of ours to the point that we try to prevent that unpleasant experience from ever happening. We run away even before pain is realized. This concept may work for certain fields like economics but is that always the case?

Picture yourself in this situation: You've just been through your worst relationship ever. Breakups are just the tip of the iceberg. The real pain comes along after that event. You wallow so much in your sorrow that you lock ourselves up from the outside world. You feel so beaten up that you want everyone to look on us with pity. This is just normal for any self-respecting human being. But what we often fail to do is to let go of this pain.

This is not mean that we should completely ignore it and act as if nothing happened. If we take a good hard look on that past, we could even learn from them. Pardon the cliche but this is like learning from our mistakes. Often times we are just too overwhelmed by the pain that we see only the scars and not the important things underlying them. These bad experiences of ours can serve as avenues for us to learn. It's easy to say but difficult to do because it's not a science. There is no standardized methodology in learning from our pain. In the end it's all up to you. Learning is never automatic and neither is it a guarantee.

It's true that we can learn from our mistakes. But this does not mean that we should pursuit reckless relationships in the hopes that we can learn from them. Then the essence of authentic love and relationship would be gone. All I'm saying is that we should not dismiss breakups and heartaches as experiences that will absolutely so is no good.

Here's something new in school...

Situated in a corner on the ground floor of the MVP is a curious cabinet called the Honesty Store. The name alone should give away its purpose for existence. The cabinet is filled with all sorts of snacks labeled with corresponding prices and there is also a small tin box where you place your payment. Whoever owns the Honesty Store trusts that its customers will pay the exact amount, will not steal any inventory and especially will not take the cash box (I think the box is not even chained to the cabinet). Its purpose is to cultivate and instill the said value on the customers. But I wonder if it actually works?











I must say the store is quite popular to the students. Some of them get a kick out of the fact that there is no salesperson guarding the store. So far there are no known incidents occurring yet... and for good reasons. The store is located on one of the most populated and high-traffic areas of the University. If you have any evil intentions on the defenseless store, you'll certainly consider theft a suicide because you have this many people who can testify against you.

(The picture may show only a few people but when I was there, there were really a lot more than that)

If you really have an evil bone in your body or a kleptomania disorder, the Honesty store seems more and more of a trap, don't you think? =P

Aphrodisiac Anonymous: Is Love Selfish?

Probably the most difficult question to answer is, "Why do you like her?" or "Why are you so attracted to him?" And at least once in our lifetime we encounter that question with no immediate and clear answer.

If you notice a lot, if not all, of our answers have to do with something that benefits us. We often say, "I like him because he's popular", "I like her because she's drop dead gorgeous." No matter how emotional or non-materialistic our answers might be, it always seem to point back to ourselves and our preferences. "I want to be with her because she makes me feel complete", "I don't want to see him getting hurt."

We can't deny that a lot of us have ideals and "templates" of the perfect person we want to be with. Humans often fail to realize that we fall into the trap of being fixated on that ideal. When a person does not fit our template, that unfortunate individual is immediately scrapped like garbage. People fail to see the true identity or "spirit" of a person. What I'm saying is summed up, in a shallow way, in the maxim, "Do not judge a book by its cover" Some like popular people thinking that the fame will rub off on them. Some like people with good looks simply because they don't want their eyes to burn. These examples of shallow, inauthentic love is easy to understand. But what about the not-so-shallow ones?

There are those relationships that were born out of authentic emotions and serious deliberations. But can we say that the reasons behind those commitments are ultimately selfish even if the two people are not aware of it? "I committed myself to her because my heart yearns for her." "I want to be with him because he makes me feel complete." Aren't these typical answers simply tell us that people only love to satisfy the emotional emptiness that they feel? Again, there is this element of going back to the self. Even the heroic phrase, "I will die for you because you are special to me," is nothing more than an acknowledgement of a personal preference, right?

If love means offering yourself to another, is there a way to do it that does not involve you benefiting from it (or at least going back to you)? Is it possible to love with no selfish reason? Is it possible to love with no reason at all?

Probably it's time to recognize the true spirit of another. The only love that I can think of with no selfish reason is to simply love an individual for who he/she really is.

Soul of a City

Last Sunday, I went to Manila with my family to buy some textiles in Divisoria. It's not everyday I get the chance to visit that city. Even if you say I live in Metro Manila, I still don't get to go to the actual city often. In fact, Quezon City is pretty far from the capital. The travel time from Diliman to Divisoria can take from an hour and a half to two hours. And that is if you travel on a Sunday when traffic is relatively light. On any other ordinary day, you would be better off walking on the hot dusty streets than riding a vehicle. The streets are so narrow and congested that the traffic is worse than a New York gridlock.





























When we left Quezon City, we traveled on a four-lane highway known as Quezon Avenue. When the streets were reduced to three lanes and then two, I knew I was in Manila already. I always wondered what makes this city different from the rest of the big metropolis all over the world. What is it that Tokyo, London and New York have that Manila doesn't? Is it a subway system? Wider avenues? Sidewalks? All of these are valid guesses but probably the most immediate answer is that Manila has too many neglected buildings.

You may notice that as the economic superpowers across the globe changed the architectural standards of buildings to glass and steel, many of the structures in Manila are still made of concrete. They looked like forgotten ruins of the war after the Americans bombed it in an attempt to reclaim the city. It was as if everyone just forgot to clean up afterwards. Those structures are continuously being consumed by the corrosive air pollution. They are not a hundred percent habitable anymore and most of them are probably even classified as "Fire Hazard Structures". Buildings with shattered windows and stained concrete experience a slow and painful death as their usefulness slowly dwindle away.

Buildings, towers and skyscrapers are one of the defining elements of a great city. Not only do they make the skyline look great but their very function of sheltering residents and organizing businesses is a significant force that pushes the community to progress. Without good structures, organizations would easily collapse like... well.. the poorly engineered building they stayed in the first place. I'm tempted to say that these three dimensional products architecture and engineering born out of a two dimensional blueprint make up the very soul of a metropolis. If the buildings on this side of the city are not cleaned up soon, Manila will eventually die along with them.

Fire? Where?

An unexpected incident suddenly disturbed the silence of the Rizal Library just this afternoon. A deep, loud and piercing alarm was heard throughout the building. The sound wasn't the kind you'd usually hear when school bells ring. It was more of like the sound of an alarm when a reactor is having a meltdown. You get the picture. At first I thought it was the fire drill. But then two things popped out of my mind. First, the drills were scheduled on a Wednesday. Today's a Thursday. Second, it's already 5:30pm. The drills were only supposed to happen from 8am to 5pm! After I saw some of the library officials frantically searching the nearby rooms and corridors of the library, it daunted on me. Holy crap this is for real!

We evacuated the building but fortunately, nobody panicked. In fact, nobody knew what the alarm was for and what exactly is going on. A lot of people even ignored it. If it weren't for the librarians who told them to evacuate, they would still be in their seats minding their own business.

I really don't know what happened back there. Maybe it was a malfunctioning alarm. Maybe it was a real fire. As far as I know, they didn't find anything there. Not even traces of smoke. After the alarm was disabled everyone returned inside. But I didn't want to go back in. I didn't want to take any chances.

Is Poverty a Blessing in Disguise?

Before anything else I would like to say first that I obviously don't approve of poverty, hunger and the violence that goes along with it. However, it does provide certain conditions that push other people to start their own business. These conditions, no matter how harsh, sometimes still bring out the entrepreneure in an individual.

In countries like the Philippines, there is generally a poor quality of education. This translates to fewer opportunities in the competition for employment. A person cannot easily get a decent job that pay considerably well since it demands great skills and high levels of professionalism. With nowhere to turn to, the person relies on himself to alleviate his life from the hardships of reality. They are almost immediately ready to take the risks since they are faced with very few or no choices at all. This is where the spirit of entrepreneurship comes in. One is able to be his own boss and make money in the process. Ofcourse having an enterpreneural mindset is one thing. Being able to grow and succeed is another. Not everyone who starts their own business succeeds - that's a fact. I cannot deny that there is still the need for education (formal or not) to complement this enterprising spirit. They still need to learn the tricks of the trade and transform situations to their own advantage. They need to know how to direct their business well so it won't crash and burn.

That's what I see with entrepreneureship and poverty. Some people are fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to be their own boss even if they didn't intend to. The socioeconomical conditions brought by poverty can awaken the entrepreneure inside them. But to have this drive is not enough. Having both the passion and a proper direction means that half of the battle is already won.

Aphrodisiacs Anonymous: Introduction

It's the topic not everyone is willing to talk about openly. It's difficult to put it into words since it's the heart that rules the body and not the mind. Many have fallen in but few were able to get out. Yes, it's the ambivalent "L" word that is creating lives as well as destroying them.

Many, if not all, would rather talk about love vaguely and metapohorically rather than literally and up close. The reason being is that love is considered as something transcendental. It is even beyond emotions that simple words, rules and logic cannot fully comprehend this unique, yet strange, human characteristic. This is why love is expressed through poems and songs. If one tries to discover the true essence of love, he would probably not find any concrete conclusion or would go insane trying. After all, it's all about emotions, so why get the brain involved? Others would see love as a very personal affair. They would refuse to engage with the lives of others for the fear of being labeled as a meddler. This is why many would rather sit back and let it be - let love take over the mind and see what would happen next.

However, I refuse to be complacent to love because it is more than a feeling of emotional intoxication. I admit that love is transcendental but the problems that go along with it are not. There are more things that happen beyond that first kiss and beyond that engagement ring. Love doesn't always translate to a happy ending. If you believe that, you might as well live in a fairytale. Some hapless souls only see its addictive part making them vulnerable and unprepared to face its harsh reality. I want to ask questions about the various problems of love and relationships. I want to ask what brings two people together and what separates them. I am not trying to prove a point nor am I trying to reach a compromise. I'm not even assuming I'm correct with the tings I say here. I've had my share of bad relationships but I could still be wrong. But as I enumerate and criticize them, I hope to draw out some useful insights that may help people make the proper choices in dealing with these relationship problems. Relying solely on emotions can lead to your own demise. You need to ask and think once in a while.

*I don't intend Aphrodisiacs Anonymous to be a static post, so constructive replies from readers that will make the topic more meaningful are greatly appreciated*

Thoughts of a person with too much free time

What do you plant to produce seedless grapes?

If you delete a file in the recycling bin, where does it go? Does a full computer memory disk weigh heavier than an empty one?

When you're inside a grocery and you take items from another person's cart, is it considered stealing? After all, neither of you has paid for the item yet, right?. Of course society will mark you as an idiot or a total jerk, but can they mark you as a thief?

Are the JGSOM lessons outdated?

We just completed our first full 3-hour class with Mr. Rico Gonzalez today. It was about business ethics but in his class, we got more out of it than we expected. For nearly the entire duration of the period, sir Rico told a lot of stories about himself and his adventurous friends who went abroad to work for investment firms. I personally don't know what exactly happens in those firms but people who work there sure make a lot of money. And by that, we are talking about dollars in the billions! Then he goes on talking about the experiences of other people who worked in the same industry. He told us how three people saved a company during an economic crisis and because of their intuition, they were given a bonus of more than $15 billion each. So what's the point of all this?

New EEEPC units are here!

I went to SM Mega Mall last night and two laptop computers caught my attention. At first I wondered why this Asus EEEPC had a different webcam design on top of it's screen. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that it was the new EEE 900 series. I really didn't think that it would arrive here in Manila so soon... actually, I didn't think that it would arrive at all. This series has a 9-inch (8.9 to be exact) LCD, maximizing all the available space of the laptop. Unlike its 700 series counterparts, it doesn't have any speakers next to the display so I'm still wondering where the audio output hardware is. From what I know so far, it has 1GB RAM and the storage capacity can go from 12GB to 20GB. Awesome!

Taking a break from work

So what's up with my life lately? I just celebrated my birthday last Saturday and got an awesome Nintendo Gameboy SP from my mom. My sis gave me this cool Rin Tosaka action figure from the Anime Fate Stay Night. It's just a shame that I'm not able to fully enjoy those gifts since I've been cramming my 200 hours of OJT time in just a span of a few weeks. I need to finish it in time before the school starts. I'm working at the Quality Assurance Laboratory of Pure Foods, by the way. The plant is located in Marikina City which is convenient since I know that place like the back of my hand. The QA department normally hires licensed chemists and engineers but I think a person with a MAC degree is qualified as well. Although there might be some restrictions to what such a graduate can do since they are not licensed to sign forms and make recommendations.

Why Buy Rice?

First of all, I'm not endorsing other rice alternatives nor am I discouraging people from consuming rice. I like rice and you can pretty much guess it's a part of my diet since I'm Asian. However, I want to talk about the alarming rate at which the government is importing rice from other nations. Just recently, the countries from the Indochinese region banded together to form the Organization of Rice and Exporting Countries or OREC. Rumor has it that they are planning to regulate the price of rice in the international market just like how OPEC regulates oil prices. It's clear why this is happening. The global food crisis is still not over and it looks like it will stay here with us for a while. And what does the Philippine government do about it?

What I've been working on recently

Since the semestral break last year, I was working on a novel inspired by ideas I learned from my Philosophy classes. I couldn't explain what kept my imagination running to produce a novel 15 chapters long. I think writing is a great form of release from all the depressing truths of reality. At least when it comes to writing, I'm able to create my own world, my own rules and decide on the fate of every single character I give life to. After all, story characters are at the mercy of their writer.

I finished the entire novel last February but I was only able to publish it online a few days ago due to the many school activities and the bad internet connection that caused major delays. For the lack of creativity, I named some of the characters and places in the story after my college friends. But not to worry. I only used their names and not their personalities. There is nothing personal about this novel ;) Got any comments? Saw some typographical errors? Feed-backs are most welcome.

Click HERE to access the novel

Something I always wanted to do

We all have a childhood dream and more often than not, these dreams are far too wild and outrageous to achieve. Some people are actually lucky enough to achieve theirs. I'll be honest with you. Working in an office or laboratory and playing around with science is not my actual goal. But due to a lot of practical realizations, it turned out to be the next best thing. When I was a child, I always wanted to be an aircraft pilot. But not just any pilot - a fighter pilot. Civilian aircraft pilots have too much responsibilities that I don't want to handle like taking care of live cargo, which we often refer to as human passengers. Fighter pilots, however, handle jets that are small, highly maneuverable and, best of all, insanely fast. When you fly, there is only the heavens above you and the earth below you. The sky is practically your own playground. Because of the vast space the sky offers, you can go breaking sound barriers and do sharp dives, climbs and rolls.

But despite all the adrenaline rush, flying has its own hazards mainly plunging towards the earth and crashing. This is why I resort to the next best thing - playing flight simulator games. With the arrival of supercomputers and sophisticated software, simulated flight becomes as good as the real thing. The only difference is that there is no risk of crashing and you can redo your flights as often as you like.

We all have a childhood dream. What's yours?

Decisions decisions...

I've been looking around for some new gadgets in Green Hills when this new computer caught my attention. It's Blue's answer to the Asus EEEPC - the DEEP BLUE H1 UMPC, another model of Mobile PC.

The laptop has a greater memory capacity, a faster processor speed and it has the features the EEEPC has. Here are the specs of each computer:

Deep Blue H1
Processor speed: 1.0Ghz
Hard disk: 40GB SSD
Memory: 1GB DDR2
Built in speaker, mic and web cam
Screen size 7" LCD
Weight: 1.2 Kgs
Selling price range: PHP16K-18.5K

Asus EEEPC
Processor speed: 900Mhz
Hard disk: 4GB Flash memory
Memory: 512Mb DDR2
Built in speaker, mic and web cam
Screen size 7" LCD
Weight: 0.92 Kgs
Selling price range: PHP16K-18.5K

At first glance it looks more powerful and a better deal than the EEEPC... or is it?

The H1 definitely wins by it's greater memory size but it's the processor which makes it questionable. The H1 runs on a VIA C7-M while the EEEPC runs on an Intel Celeron 900. The VIA brand is new to me so I've been reading though some forums to get some feedback from the users. Unfortunately some reviews contradict each other. Some say that the VIA is more energy efficient while others say that it consumes so much power that it can cause the system to overheat. Some even say that the VIA must clock in at an insane speed of 2.0Ghz just to match the speed of a 900Mhz Intel Processor (Whut?). Intel is seen in the industry as the "Rolls Royce" of processors so the memory of the EEEPC is sacrificed. This makes the VIA processor look like a weaker contender and less valuable. So which Mobile PC is more practical? I can't really say for now. If any of my readers have any opinion on this please shed some light on this topic. Feed backs are greatly appreciated. Thanks

Suffering from bad net connection

It's been a very long while since I last posted an entry here. I've got my DSL provider to thank for that. It's so strange that one Sunday afternoon, the Internet connection just went dead and it's been 2 weeks and counting. I'm using a public access computer here in my school that's why you're able to read this post. Don't you just hate it when the internet goes dead just when you need it the most? And the worst part is that our provider couldn't figure out what's wrong with our connection. I've forwarded dozens of complaints

Food crisis across the world

I've been watching CNN for the past few days and the news are all the same. The entire world is suffering from rising food prices. I guess this is no surprise since the country is already feeling the impact of rice shortage. Can we say that the government is at fault for rising prices and the supply shortage? Maybe not but neither are they free of the blame. Other rice producing nations are considering a ban on rice exports. This could spell trouble for the country since the government would rather increase the imports than

Need... sleep...

It's been more than a week since school ended. And for the past few months, I've been sleeping late... like around 3am everyday since December. This is thanks to the countless school work, papers, reports and assigned readings. You can tell that my body got used to this kind of unhealthy schedule - sleeping late and waking up late. Now that it's summer time, it's important that I get to sleep as early as possible for two reasons:

Suffering from thermal shock

It's summer again and with the continuous problem of global warming the temperature reaches abnormally high levels. The heat from the midday sun is so extreme that I can feel the radiation piercing through my skin like thousands of hot needles. This is the reason why I don't go out much and if I need to, I plan my trip well as to avoid as much sun as I can. I'm thankful I don't have any summer classes this time.

Shot down

Its only been a week since the final exams ended. I feel the summer heat but not the break. It seems that my work spills over the months of April and May since I need to finish my OJT. I was supposed to apply for the laboratory inside our school, PIPAC (Philippine Insitute of Pure and Applied Chemistry), along with some friends but it seems the job descripion didn't fit the standards of JG-SOM. They shot down our application and

Never say goodbye

It's 11:20am. In a few hours, the entire MAC block will receive their diplomas and will be saying their final goodbyes to the school but hopefully not to each other. I wish I could be there during their graduation ceremony but I don't think I can handle being there without crying *sob*.

Asus EEPC... WANT!

The progress of technology sure is fast. IT companies have been flooding the Philippine market with lots of low-cost computers. The image of laptops and PDA's as luxury items is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Just recently, I saw this awesome laptop in an Octagon Computer store. It's the Asus EEPC, a low-cost and portable computer. I want to call it a portable computer because it's smaller than your average laptop. Don't believe me? Here are some pictures.

Minor degree in Philo? Why not?

If everything goes well (and I hope it does), I'm expected to only have a few subjects during my super senior (5th) year. And by "few" I mean 6 units each semester, which is equivalent to 2 subjects per sem. So I decided to make good use of the time I'll have. Now, why Philosophy? Well, one of the shallow reasons is that it's one of the minor degrees that doesn't involve group works. The only thing that hinders me from earning this degree is laziness. Next, the prerequisites are not that high. There are no QPI requirements and the only condition is that you didn't get a grade below C during for your PH101-104 classes.

Deceleration

The last laboratory report has been submitted and the presentation is finally over. Thanks to the coming Holy Week break, we'll be getting some well deserved rest. It's not over yet though. We still have to face our final exams after this. Yes, that's right. We still have to go back after Holy Week. I think it's the first time this has ever happened to me. The Lent Season really started early this year. Oh well... At least it gives us time to rest. But I shouldn't dedicate my entire break on video games and blogging. I must set aside time to review even if I don't want to. The finals on both my chemistry subjects seem brutal. With such long coverages, who knows what questions will pop out of the exam? Just thinking about it is enough to drive me up the wall. I just hope the exams are not going to be as ugly as I expect it to be.

OJT! Holy Crap!

This coming summer, I have the option of either taking a Business Tour of China or an OJT. Both options look attractive but I must only choose one. If I take the Business Tour, I can still take an OJT, in theory. However, it'll be difficult applying for a GOOD company in the middle of summer! If I choose to look for an OJT, I'll lose the chance of going to China and the opportunity of bonding with some of my block mates. It'll also be a risk because it's still not 100% sure if a reputable company will hire me. They say that I shouldn't rely

Zero is the only number...

For some reason, the number zero became the favorite name or addition to a title. From airplanes to video game heroes an even food, the number was used repeatedly.

Why do they like using the number zero? Is it because of the sound of its name? Or is it because of it attributes a sense of mystique since the number is associated with nothingness and void? The reasons may be unending but one thing is for sure. Zero is the only number you don't want on your test paper.

Killing time

Just killing some time by surfing the Blogthings website. I took some random personality tests and here's something that had an interesting result :D

Green Living

I have been working on a project for our Sci 10 class about an awareness campaign on climate change. During my research, one of the websites I came across was that of Greenpeace. It's an environmentalist organization bent on preserving peace, nature and wildlife. They call themselves activists but I find that title rather scandalous since it usually refers to rebellion. Their site contains fun and interesting ideas for Green Living. They have useful tips on how you can environmentally friendly around the house, at work or at school. You can even get involved in you own little way by signing up for free and become an online activist. Care to pledge for the planet? Simple lang. Just click on the link below.

Slowing down

Last week was a real hell week. I had a long test in physical chem, I stayed up the entire night to finish a lab report, I made an outline for Theology class and I even had to negotiate with the Chemistry department stock room for our supplies for next week. Fortunately I passed the long test *whew* and our group was able to submit the lab report in time. What really wore me out was the research we had to do for our next lab experiment. In just a single day I had to run back and forth from the library, to the stock room and to the faculty room just to get our prelab approved. Luckily I was able to secure the reagents and equipment with the technician before the week was over. After that day, I was surprised that there were very few assignments left to do. The amount of school work flowing towards me suddenly slowed down. This coming Monday is even a holiday for our school, which means a long weekend. This long break is just what the doctor ordered for us students who are stressed out.

OJT! Oh No!

Ever since the week began, the entire block has been preparing their resumes, transcripts and recommendation letters for summer internship (OJT). I never realized how much work it was. I've been getting pamphlets, calling cards and have been handing out resumes like crazy to companies and . I'm not even sure if they'll even take time to read it. And to think I've been going to only one job fair. What more if there are a lot of them? During these moments, it pays to have a lot of friends and contacts because it's every man for himself. If you're too slow to respond, you'll surely be left behind. The department really doesn't give that much announcements and guidelines. Sometimes, you'll just be overwhelmed by how much details you've been missing and you ask yourself, "How long have I been sleeping?" I guess this style really prepares us for the real world. Nobody's gonna watch your back for you. I know that there should be another job fair in UP soon. I'll have to keep my eyes and ears open for any updates.

Why now?!?!

I hate my internet connection! It keeps on disconnecting every 10 seconds. I'm lucky if I ever get to get to post this entry. It's been like this for the past three days and I couldn't get any work done. I know calling the help line is no use because they're just going to put me through a useless routine and trivial trouble shooting like they always do. And speaking of shooting, whoever is responsible for this incompetent internet service MUST PAY! Whoever is sleeping on the job must be shot! >:(

ebay blues

I've been trying to figure out how to trade online lately. I was surprised by the number of Filipinos who actually go online to shop. There are probably hundreds if not thousands of transactions completed everyday. But it turns out that even when selling or buying items locally, there are a lot of obstacles to overcome. For one thing, I need a means of acquiring payments. But it shouldn't be just any payment method. It must appeal to the preference of the buyers. The most common form so far is through Globe G-cash, which was recently banned by ebay international (But it's still acceptable in ebay.ph). Others prefer paying through Smart Money while some would rather pay through bank deposit. So for the past weeks, I've been going to banks and mobile centers trying to apply for these e-transaction services. I was just overwhelmed by the number of fees, annual rates and the strict terms and conditions.So much for trading in the Philippines. Selling on the international market is much worse. I need the verification of ebay USA by registering a Paypal account. And what exactly is Paypal? It's the preferred method of payment of international buyers. The closest Paypal service we have here in the Philippines is through debit and credit cards, which includes additional fees. Currently, Union bank is the only firm known to give full support to this service. Unfortunately the ADB (Average daily balance) to be able to open an account and apply for a debit card is pretty high (P10,000). And that initial deposit won't even earn any interest. The minimum balance is P25,000! That's even more than what I expect to generate in a month!

I guess there really is no escaping these fees and outrageous requirements. Probably it's better to look at it as investments than costs. As economists would say, "There is no such thing as a free lunch". Luckily I'm not an economics major so I don't have to hold on to this as my creed. Haha