tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7060637581928756662024-02-20T03:55:26.124-08:00Two centavos none the richerJeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706063758192875666.post-59777257657744619502008-10-26T19:16:00.000-07:002008-11-03T04:23:51.880-08:00Geek?! Who? What? Where? Snatched from <a href="http://jarfield.multiply.com/">Joan:<br></a><br><a href="http://www.oneplusyou.com/bb/geek" style="background: transparent url(http://www.oneplusyou.com/bb/css/img/quiz/geek_badge.jpg) no-repeat scroll 0% 0%;text-decoration: none;-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial;-moz-background-origin: -moz-initial;-moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;display: block;width: 268px;height: 82px;"><span style="display: block;padding-left: 125px;padding-top: 28px;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family: Arial;font-size: 22px;">83% Geek</span></a><br>Surprise, surprise... Hehe, I don't actually agree with all the answers. I <span style="font-style: italic;">grok</span> all, bwahahaha! Then again, maybe the factual answer is not necessarily the correct one. The a <a href="http://militantgeek.com/2006/12/21/geek-vs-nerd-vs-dork/">militantgeek.com</a> post gives a pretty succinct differentiation between geeks, dorks, and nerds. And I think the test would be more appropriately named a "nerd" test.<br><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706063758192875666.post-13875104294005231112008-09-22T03:22:00.000-07:002008-09-22T07:22:05.242-07:00Toastmasters speech #4: Man - God's SoftwareThis was my 4th Toastmasters speech. I'll probably post a separate writeup on my Toastmasters experience itself, but that's for another day... And now due to insistent public demand (what public???), tan-tara-ran!<br><br>---<br><br>I fell in love with computers way back when I was in high school. I and my dorm mates would stay up late into the night taking apart and putting back together 286 and 386s. None of them could run anything higher than DOS, and hard disks were a rarity. We booted up from floppy, or for those ancient IBM machines, we had BASICA loaded from ROM. Running the simplest program would give me the greatest pleasure. I'd spend hours poring over BASIC game "recipes" from the library and write up programs of my own after class. Those were my favorite times of the day.<br> <br>I love software, I have ever since then. It is an extension of my will, bearing my stamp. The excellence (or crappyness) of my code reflects on my own abilities. And as time passed, my creations got more and more complex. I would divide it into modules, which were independent, but worked together as a whole. Now I see an analogy in nature. I see the same principles at work when it comes to God and His probably most cherished creation: man. All creation, while individually independent in motivation, works together to produce a stable ecology on our world.<br><br>Problems happen whenever we violate that stability. Wars, global warming, food shortages, all these have been attributed to man's abuse of power. Ultimately, it can all be traced to inconsideration. Large problems are caused powerful men not considering the rights of the unfortunate, or a large group failing to decide what's best for itself. Even smaller, everyday problems are caused by miscommunication between individuals. The moment we lose contact with others is the moment we make decisions selfishly and often cause harm to others. Aren't there people who are so easy to get along with? With whom we feel as if we were connected by some intangible wifi network of the mind? Everything we do with these people is so easy! They are dynamic and fun to be with and work with. And for each one of these people there are ten who are so difficult to relate to. Sometimes you get tempted to take that Ethernet cord and stick it so far up their behinds just to connect!<br><br>Whatever our religion or creed, I'm sure we universally agree about the importance of our fellow man. And key to this is communication. This is how we learn about others and how we can best serve them while getting what we want. Isn't all software about information, the processing, transmission, and storage of it; all for the betterment of man? If we really want our world to be bug-free, it is up to us to actively take part in building our world. We must communicate, debate, etc. Yes, even conflict is essential, for it weeds out what is undesirable. That is, as long as it is tempered with consideration for others, until we are all one in purpose.<br><br>Now I don't pretend to understand the source code drives us. It doesn't matter what language we speak, what protocol we follow. Belief, race, and religion don't matter in the face of these challenges! Some might say Muhammad showed us the way. Others might say Jesus came down to this earth to debug us. Still others might say it was Buddha who did it, and now you can learn how to do it yourself in 21 days! But I know we are meant to live together and for each other. No matter what race, belief, or nationality, we must come together to make this work.<br><br>---<br><br>I think this is one of my better speeches yet... Alright, so it's the best I've got so far. Expectedly, the earlier ones were pathetic, stuttering attempts at meaning and humor, hehe. This verson is as close as I could make it to what I actually said (Minus a ton of "uhms", "aaaands", "soooos", and more than a few run-ins.) With a few additional connectors to make the ideas fit better into each other, if that were even possible, hahaha! I should be the poster boy for scatterbrainedness... Oh well, as they say practice makes perfect. Well it better, for your sakes and mine...<br><br><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706063758192875666.post-51170516022116295922008-06-26T05:36:00.000-07:002008-06-26T09:36:21.256-07:00Mobile web access via 3G: addictive: Take two<p>Ok, That last post was a bust. As I was typing out the last entry on <a href="http://multiply.com/m">Multiply's mobile front end </a>with my trusty <a href="http://www.nokia.com.au/A4519098">Nokia 6120 classic</a>, I thought I'd look something up on Go ogle. (wow, shouldn't I be raking in $$$ for all this advertising?) So I saved the unfinished entry as a draft. Upon returning to the Multiply window, it dawned on me that there was no option for editing the draft saved on my mobile. The only link from the draft view was "Publish this entry". Assuming I would be taken to a page that would at least give me the option to veto any permanent action, I naively clicked the link. And as luck would have it, whaddaya know, they did mean what they said by "Publish this entry". So, here I am, back on my laptop, nursing my sore thumbs (man, that phone's keypad is for midgets) venting useless frustration on what would have been a perfect (?) mobile blog entry.</p> <p>I think I lost my original train of thought somewhere along last paragraph's second sentence. Anyway, the freedom and connectivity these innovative technologies bring us is undeniable. However, there is as always the hidden danger of us leaning on these modern conveniences as a crutch. Too often have I found myself staring at a computer screen aimlessly wandering around the net, flitting from one interest to another. A waste of time better spent on more productive pursuits. As with any other tool, the age-old cliche still applies to the internet: with great power comes great responsibility. That utterance from our friendly neighborhood arachnid DNA-infected superhero can in fact be traced to an even older source, the Gospel: <em>"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." </em><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12:48">Luke 12:48</a>. A great many things can be accomplished with such a far-reaching medium as the internet, not a few of which are unhealthy and even illegal... We are still free to choose the purpose for which we use these tools. I've kept in touch with family and friends online, made new friends, made some cash, learned tons and got to scratch that wannabe writer's itch with this blog. As well as a host of other activities are too unsavory to post here, hehehe... Yeah yeah, so I have gigs and gigs of illicitly acquired software tucked away somewhere...</p> <p>So the question remains, what am I doing online at this hour? Am I doing anything worth depriving myself of sleep? Have I "<em>set my mind on things above</em>" (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=58&chapter=3&verse=2&version=31&context=verse">Col 3:2</a>)? Tall orders. But I do hope to be more responsible with my online time in the future. I'm glad that I've cut down on my gaming time and eliminated some destructive online habits. Yet as always, there's a lot of room for growth. And with that, I bid you all a good night.</p><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706063758192875666.post-21597855167765410202008-03-20T05:31:00.000-07:002008-04-08T11:21:46.707-07:00Thanksgiving<P>It's time for another entry finally. Free time for me is at a premium nowadays, but I finally got it out. Right now I'm once again partaking of the hospitality of the Cruz family here in Bacolod. God bless you guys! =D [Update 2008-04-09: Nakiki-sabit sa wifi ng StarBucks sa kanto...]</P> <P>I've been meaning to write this for a long time, but never got the time to do so until now. I just want to thank the Lord verbally (well actually in writing) for all the blessings that have abounded in the past year. 2007 was a faith-stretching year for me. I can honestly say that never have I been challenged more than in that year. Never have I risked more, lost more, and gained more than in that year. And from the looks of it, even more is yet to come this year. In fact, the bountiful blessings (and even greater challenges) have already started pouring in earnest. I am at the same time filled with both fear and excitement, in varying proportions.</P> <P>The danger of being at a peak is that you almost <EM>know</EM> that a valley is almost certainly forthcoming. So with bated breath I sit in wait of the coming fall... That's hardly a Christian outlook though. We're supposed to think about "...whatever is true, whatever is noble... if anything is excellent or praiseworthy...(<A href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+4:8">Phil 4:8</A>)." So while it might be my nature to think of all possible ways my endeavors can possibly fail, dwell on the positive I must. Not merely because it is required of us all, but because I know that there is a grand scheme in all things. That the Lord has orchestrated all events in my life to work out for His glory.</P> <P>So I hope y'all continue to support me in prayer as you always have, my beloved family and friends. Rest assured that you guys are always in my thoughts and prayers as well. Ok, enough mushyness. Gotta get myself to bed before I pass out here.</P><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706063758192875666.post-40664690506101527372008-03-04T02:59:00.000-08:002008-03-20T08:46:01.703-07:00My Time of dayI don't usually do blog quizzes, but this one caught my eye. And I think the results really fit...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.the-n.com/games/quiz/3321"><img src="http://www.the-n.com/media/quiz/badges/timeofday_quiz/211.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Update 2008-03-08: Whoops, forgot to include this snippet from the site (buti pa dito sa Blogger, may indent agad sa toolbar):<br /><blockquote>Your time of day has a split personality -- sometimes it's sweat-streaked and<br />loud, and you're on the dance floor, getting your third wind, and shouting<br />lyrics like you'll never run out of energy. You are the time of night that<br />carves itself into your memory forever, because you'll never forget how much you<br />love these people and this moment and this song. It's not always about<br />unforgettable parties, though. Sometimes your late night (err? early morning)<br />burst of energy happens when you're home alone. Those are the times when you<br />say, "I flat out refuse to go to sleep until I finish reading this book, or<br />typing this page, or reorganizing my entire closet." In either case, you are the<br />time of night when it feels sort of forbidden to be awake, but you love<br />accomplishing something special long after everyone else went to bed. And hey --<br />you can always catch up on sleep tomorrow, right?</blockquote><br />Apparently I share the same results as 11% of the takers. Took me a couple of times to get similar results too. The other time I was 11 am or something. Basta, tamad, yun!<br /><br />Yep, around this unholy time of day I usually find myself wrenching my eyes away from the computer screen/a good book to check the time. After which I mutter to myself "just a few more minutes... just let me finish this chapter... just let me get this function done... just until the next save point..." Hahaha!<br /><br />One of my fondest wishes is for the discovery of a cure for sleepiness. No wait, they already have that. Rather, the cure for the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">need</span> to sleep, hehe. If only I can make the day last longer. If only I could move faster. Well, my relentless drive to cram more things into a day will probably lead to my demise someday I'm sure. I know that it's practically contradictory to the Lord's command to <span style="font-size:-1;">“<b>Be still, and know that I am God</b>” (Psalm 46:10)</span>. It's really a struggle for me to slow down, slack off, sit in silence and just enjoy the moments as they pass. But when I'm forced to relax, like when I get sick, I always find the experience restful and feel immediately rejuvinated.<br /><br />The funny thing is that I always procrastinate. I guess that's just me dragging my feet before moving on to the next activity. Once I'm locked in to one activity that I enjoy doing, I find it hard to draw my attention away and move on to the next task on the list. Be it sleeping or bug fixing. Even though the thing on my list could possibly be more urgent or rewarding. Ahh well...<br /><br /><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class="multiply:no_crosspost"></p>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706063758192875666.post-77067993567159564412007-11-11T00:11:00.000-08:002007-11-12T05:56:09.730-08:00Multiply cross-posting failure<p>Here's a quick one. I just posted the last item on Blogger yesterday after enabling and configuring Multiply's <a href="http://multiply.com/info/faq/62">cross-posting functionality</a>. Turns out that it didn't work out that well, even after a day of waiting for my Blogger post to appear here. I ended up doing the import manually. I'm not sure exactly how cross-posting is supposed to work. There presumably is an interval between the posting of an entry in another site and it being copied into Multiply. Possibly a batch job running every now and then waiting for updates.</p><p>Anyway, that's that, it didn't work. I'm going to try it the other way around now. Look for this post on <a href="http://2centavosnonethericher.blogspot.com/">my Blogger page</a>.</p><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class="multiply:no_crosspost">Update (2007-11-12): Wow, it worked! Baka may oras nga lang talaga ng pag-synch in between blogs.</p>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706063758192875666.post-76723193433862361202007-11-10T07:03:00.000-08:002007-11-10T08:50:44.179-08:00A Bout of LethargyAhh yes. Finally, another entry after so many months of silence. The title is a dead giveaway, hehe. Not only does lethargy afflict my blog, but other areas of my life as well. Every day becomes a continuous battle against the forces of inertia. I have to drag myself out of bed, stuff myself into office attire, pry my butt off the office chair, and finally bang my head on the wall to sleep. Each action, each transition into a different stage in the day has to be preceded by an internal struggle against procrastination. My passion for life slowly ebbs with each passing day.<br /><br /> In the course of my descent into oblivion, I have tried to retrace my steps and find the onset of my condition. It seems only yesterday that I was so energetic, so impatient to get along with life, anxious to complete the tasks I had at hand. I'm guessing it would have been around my last blog post, early May, that my energies reached their zenith. I had so many things lined up for me to do, so many plans. Aiming to maximize my stay, I set out to cram as much as I could in a day. I would go for weeks at a time with four hours of sleep during weekdays, then recover it all in the weekends. Not the most healthy lifestyle, that's for sure. Eventually I ended up burnt-out, disappointed by my perceived failure to accomplish my goals.<br /><br /> In retrospect, I probably wasn't as unproductive as I thought I was at the time. Maybe it was just my obsession with perfection that led to my disillusionment. I am reminded of <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=6&verse=11&version=31&context=verse">Matthew 6:11</a>, "give us today our daily bread." My failure to appropriate this truth in my life is partly responsible for my present condition. While Jesus was definitely reassuring us of God's provision for man's physical needs, He was also emphasizing the importance of God's word in our everyday lives. I'll get to that in a moment. I remember a sermon, or maybe it was a book, I heard or read once, that discussed the many meanings of this verse. An additional aspect of this verse was that we should live our lives one day at a time. I was trying to tear out enormous chunks out of my loaf, with the expected result of choking on the excess.<br /><br /> Another detrimental effect of this rushing was my loss of focus on my walk with the Lord. As deadlines drew tighter, I would take time of my other duties. Simple yet important tasks such as exercising, preparing meals, even cutting my nails, were shifted to lower priorities. Worst of all, spending time with the Lord got steadily whittled down. Daily devotions all but ceased, prayer time was reduced to saying a few words before meals, sleeping through Sunday made Church an occasional affair. Now I'm not claiming to be a "saint" (in the modern sense of the word), but I was definitely backsliding... again... for the nth time. Aaaaahhh... At times it's really hard to accept the reality of Christ's salvation, especially when we turn our attention to the worst in us. The worst part of this is, while I have been spending less and less time doing productive work, I make up for it instead by doing unproductive stuff. Playing games, reading nonsense novels, watching videos, anything to escape the pressing realities of the world. I have been ever the escapist, preferring to wallow in comforting lies than responsibly facing the truth of a dismal situation.<br /><br /> Lately I've been trying to pick up the fragments of my broken life. Yeah I know, I sometimes drop the pieces faster than I pick them up. Anyway, one book I've been reading recently gives me refreshing reminders of God's plan for us: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Jesus-Christ-Fifty-Reasons/dp/1581346085">The Passion of Jesus Christ: Fifty Reasons Why He Came to Die</a>. It's mostly just a reiteration of things I already heard, but I have come to realize how important it is to be constantly reminded of the basics. Analyzing the times when I was falling out of line with God, I find one factor constantly involved in them: spending time with God. In all those times, I was either not meditating on His Word, or not engaging in meaningful fellowship and ministry.<br /><br /> While I think that I have been reading and meditating now more than ever before, the social aspect of worship has taken the back stage lately. Now that I'm lacking in the area, I'm beginning to see what a large part of my life ministry was. Involvement with other people, investing time in serving them, sharing my life and working with them, is indeed an indispensable part of God's plan for us.<br /><br /> Ever since college, I have been involved in ministry at varying degrees. Not that I was doing great at it. In fact ministry was always a struggle for me. Hehe, laziness is one of my biggest flaws, and my inner Juan Tamad showed his ugly face every time I would go out into the field. There was also the constant struggle with the heart of course. Part of this probably comes from the enemy, I suppose. "You're not worthy to serve," I would catch myself telling... myself. "You don't have the guts to do it, coward," was my second favorite line. Even sometimes "I'm so great, I did that all by myself." But through it all, the Lord has been ever gracious to me. While my service is flawed, He has never stopped working within me to change my heart and sanctify my service. <span style="font-style: italic;">Bahala na<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">, </span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">basta gawin mo na lang, bahala na Siya doon sa iba.</span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>In the end, what <span style="font-weight: bold;">can</span> we do that is not from God? Does He not have all things? Is there anything we can give that we have not first received? Ahh yes, sometimes I feel that I was the greatest beneficiary of my imperfect service. In times of strife, in my agony brought about by self-conflict during ministry, the Lord was passing my heart through the flames, burning away the decayed parts, leaving what was good and pleasing to Him.<br /><br /> I miss those times. Now, more than ever, I am aware of the importance of ministry and fellowship. I would say that interaction with other believers would be the mortar to a sturdy temple built for the Lord. "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=24&chapter=27&verse=17&version=31&context=verse">Proverbs 27:16-18</a>)," right? My circumstances contribute to this deficiency. Having recently moved out of my home for 17 years, I am now left without a steady church. I've spent the last month "church shopping". When I fail to go home for the service, I attend GCF at Ortigas. Things are not the same though. The size of that place makes it hard to really know anybody personally. Plus I'm not exactly Mr. Congeniality, hehe. I've been considering signing up for one of their small groups, but I feel that my work would probably get in the way, me being quite a ways from Ortigas. Maybe I'll take my high school friend up on his long-standing offer of joining his small group in Makati. I used to decline because I already had one back home, but since moving out I rarely get the chance to go home on weekdays. We'll see.<br /><br /> I find it funny to think about how much I've changed since my teens. Well not that I'm bragging or anything. It's not like I'm responsible for the improvements. I tell you, I've resisted change every step of the way. My stubbornness knows no bounds, hehe. In fact, I think part of my laziness and procrastination stems from my resistance to change, my fear of losing the <span style="font-style: italic;">status quo</span>. Yet the Lord has overcome all my defenses and conquered my fears, setting me free from the strongholds of the enemy. For that, I can't be more grateful. So while there are strongholds holding me chained yet, I remain ever hopeful that He will triumph in the end. In fact, He is already victorious, and that will serve as my security.<br /><br /> Ok, now that got waaaay more personal than I set out to get. Much longer than it's supposed to be, that's for sure. You probably dozed of in the middle of the second paragraph, ha! I'm still a little squeamish about this whole blogging thing. How much do I dare reveal? How far is too far? Anyway, I've wasted enough of your time. I hope you got something out of this, innocent bystander. I do.Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706063758192875666.post-34757420931170198562007-05-01T09:25:00.001-07:002007-05-01T09:31:25.645-07:00The Trip: Departure (The True Story)<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">All right, I apologize for not being forthcoming in my last post, dear readers. My heart is filled with remorse for wasting your precious time. (not!) Hehehe... <span style="font-style: italic;">Na-uto kayo no?</span> Nyahahahaha! Well, now that those weak of heart have been weeded out of the audience, I guess I can get to the juicy stuff...<br /><br />Our good family friend Tita Baby Bulaon showed up around 2:30am. While she arrived late enough to give the average guy enough allowance to get ready, I was late as usual. (More on the preparations later.) I quickly stuffed whatever else I could lay my hands on into my bags and jumped into the bathroom. After a quick breakfast of scrambled-egg-and-ham sandwiches, I loaded my bags into the van and we rushed off to the airport. My mom was driving, and Tita Baby came along to keep her company on the way home. It didn't take us more than 45 mins, I think. And we arrived at the airport with time to spare. We said our goodbyes, and I entered the airport with my bags. I don't like sad goodbyes. They only accentuate the feelings of loss and separation. I would rather focus on the positives. I was reminded that the paths we're going along are for the best, that the great opportunities we have before us are from the Lord.<br /><br />And so I proceeded to the check-in gates. With a boarding pass printed out from NW's website, the process was fairly simple. Ahh, the wonders of modern technology. Thankfully, the rest of the checks were also as uneventful. The immigration officer even didn't question me about my DOST hold order until I showed him the documents. I wonder if that means I don't really have a hold order, that I could have left any time. But then, I opted to play it safe and get through the whole process in accordance with the proper procedure. It was smooth sailing from then.<br /><br />I met up with my officemate Ryan, also on a similar assignment, in the check-out line. I was deliberately careful with my things, especially my travel documents, so he got out a little ahead. We received free trial passes to the NW lounge from our HR team, so I went to check it out. Wow, free food! <i>Ayos, feeling business class!</i> Hahaha! I'm always a sucker for free food, who isn't? I also took advantage of the free internet access terminals to send some mails out to my family about my trip status.<br /><br />As the plane lifted off the runway, my thoughts drifted back along the past few months. There have been ups and downs all along. The Lord has taken me on a long roller-coaster ride; and I felt that I was going downhill most of the time. Yet through it all, He was seated right beside me, holding me fast to my seat. Even when things seemed to spiral out of control, and when the world turned upside down, He was there to give me the strength to go on. When we went through tunnels, where I couldn't see the way, He would shine His light on me and give me hope. And most amazing was that whenever I was rushing down a valley, I would feel almost weightless. I haven't been faithful enough, not grateful enough, to deserve His love. And yet there He was, ever faithful, ever loving. It's true that the Lord reveals Himself to us at His own pace. Through these trials, He has taught me to be more dependent on Him. I find myself more open to His will instead of being hardened, as I have been in the past. While I am not perfect, He has shown me that I don't have to be. And it is the least I can do to give my life over to him.<br /><br />Lately I've been struggling with my daily devotion. The problem is that it's not daily, hehehe... I haven't exactly been building the best habits. My addiction to media is still firmly rooted in me, and serves as a great hindrance to devoting time to the Lord. I'd stay up late watching TV, downloaded videos, or reading some other nonsense. Not only do I not get to do the things I have to do, but it also throws off my schedule the next day. "Late to bed, late to rise", that's always been my motto, hah! That brings back memories of high school... If it's not too much to ask, dear readers, please pray for me. I would like to throw off these shackles I've been wearing for years.<br /></div>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706063758192875666.post-88282799945947951902007-04-27T10:37:00.001-07:002007-04-28T19:10:31.453-07:00The Trip (Part 1)<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">As a follow-up to the last 2 entries, this anachronistic entry will recount my experiences during the trip to Austin. You might notice the chronology of entries this month to be similar to the sequence of movie renditions of the Hannibal Lecter series by Thomas Harris. 2-3-1... Insane. If we know each other well, dear reader, I've probably told you of the time I was reading Hannibal, the last book in the series. Oh, I haven't? Ok, so let me share it with you. I don't remember all the details, just the most vivid parts right before I woke up.<br /><blockquote><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">I was sitting on the unfinished skeleton of a massive grandstand. It felt familiar somehow, almost like the one in my high school campus but much bigger. Sunset, my back to the sun. Everything seemed peaceful. I had an amazing view from the bleachers, and I had the feeling that the grandstand was on an elevated place. Perhaps a cliff overlooking the sea. I was relaxing after a day's work of building the grandstand, why I was thinking this, I have no idea. The construction team was around 10 people, I think. Hideously deformed, now that I think of it. They were wrapped in bandages, bleeding in some places. There was a woman sitting beside me, I don't remember who it was anymore. I think she was faceless, as are most of the people in my dreams, but I knew her. And I knew she was beautiful somehow, not deformed like the rest of us. Despite the bizarre surroundings, I was not the least bit uncomfortable. It felt like I was watching the scene with dispassionate detachment, yet I was still part of the scene. I knew that all the other workers were also reflections of me. I could see myself in each of them, and though each was a separate person, they were indistinguishable from each other. They were also resting. We were seated in a straight line, one in front of another, all the way down the grandstand. Then things got even more interesting. I engaged the lady beside me in light, unintelligible conversation. Most of my conversations are like that in dreams. I don't hear the words, but I understand the meaning. Then we start stripping away the bandages of the person in front of us, starting from the head. Underneath the bandages, I see the cranium ripped away, the brain exposed. I know that the person above me is doing the same to me, yet we feel no pain. We don't cry out. Then we start eating the brains of the person in front of us with our hands. Blood streaming down my arms, dribbling down my chin, splattering my chest. Blood everywhere...</span><br /></blockquote><br />And that's when I woke up... Weird, no? The night before, I was reading the end part. Hannibal had abducted Agent Sterling, and had her drugged in an apartment. They were seated at the dining table, and her boss, the chief of police or something, was tied to a chair in front of her. Hannibal then opened up the guy's head, and proceeded to sautee the guys brains. And they all had a meal of human grey matter... This goes to show the extent of desensitization the media does to us. Well, I think that's enough gore for today. I hope you all picked up a valuable lesson today: eat your veggies, or they might eat you! (Huwaaat?! I guess that part of my brain hasn't grown back yet...)<br /><br />Watch out for the sequel! Sorry for leading you on guys. I got a little carried away by the story. Next time, I'm seriously going to discuss the trip. ;-)</div>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706063758192875666.post-41323716631829278472007-04-27T10:08:00.001-07:002007-04-28T18:58:22.491-07:00The Apartment<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">A 20 minute drive from the airport took us to the apartment. It was a very quick 19.2 mile drive (30 km para sa ating mga maka-metric.). On the average, we were making around 60 mph (95 kph), which is close to the speed limit on the SLEX. It was quite a big change for me, being used to the unreasonably heavy, creeping traffic in Manila. A most pleasant change, to be sure. I even remember someone warning me that speed limits in the US are much higher than at home... because they're in miles...<br /><br />Aaaanyway, another neat thing about traffic here is that people adhere strictly to the rules. Neat is the exactly the right word. <i><b>Pwede naman pala e!</b></i> I dream of the day the Philippines would be like this, with the people abiding by the rules. So what if it means harsher punishment for violators? If that's what it takes, bring it on! But I digress, again...<br /><br />The place was terrific! Fully furnished, clean, in top condition, and ready for occupancy. What's more, our receptionist was kind enough to stock our larders! Praise God! =D After unloading our bags, we dropped by the nearby grocery to stock up on cereals, oatmeal, milk, and other breakfast necessities. When we got home, I went straight to bed. I didn't regain consciousness until 14 hours later. =)<br /><br />Here are a few snapshots of the place:<br /><table style="width: 194px;"><tbody><tr><td style="background: transparent url(http://picasaweb.google.com/f/img/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat scroll left center; height: 194px; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" align="center"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jjcmontano/AustinApartment"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/image/jjcmontano/RjP2msedM9E/AAAAAAAAAio/eMyNo05k5Pg/s160-c/AustinApartment.jpg" style="margin: 1px 0pt 0pt 4px;" height="160" width="160" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jjcmontano/AustinApartment" style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Austin Apartment</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706063758192875666.post-34056358820365419092007-04-25T11:23:00.001-07:002007-04-26T12:18:21.696-07:00Arrival<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">It has been a long time since I last made an entry here, as the timestamps would attest to. Only recently have I had the time to sit down and think. As some of you may know, I've been on assignment in Austin for a month now. Five more long months to go before I get back to the Motherland. The closeness of the office to our apartment and the office work schedule (most people usually go home at 5) allow me more free time than I'm used to.<br /><br />Anyway, I arrived here on the eve of March 24 after a grueling 24+ hour trip. My body was tired and aching from the journey, and my mind wide awake from the confusion brought about by jet lag. I stepped out into the thin, crisp outdoor air of Austin for the first time and thought, "I should have worn a thicker jacket..."<br /><br /></div>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706063758192875666.post-27489021306872811402007-04-24T16:04:00.001-07:002007-04-24T16:05:24.241-07:00Time Management<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Originally posted on April 23rd, 2007 on my <a href='http://2centavosnonethericher.wordpress.com/'>Wordpress blog</a>.<br></br><br></br>It's been really crazy these last few months. I haven't had enough time to clear my mind and reflect. Barely have I completed one task before I move on to the next. I know that its not that I don't have enough time. Everyone on this planet is given the same 24 hour day, but I somehow don't finish everything I set out to do. It only means one thing: poor time management.<br></br><br></br>I guess its all the switching between different tasks. Some overhead is involved when switching between one task to another. Especially when the jump is between stuff on totally different areas of interest and in varying stages of completion. Knowing that, why do I jump between tasks? It's not that I have a short attention span. At least I don't think so. I can spend hours reading a book, be it for leisure or otherwise (a considerably longer time for leisure of course). The same goes for work. I don't mind sitting for hours on a swivel chair staring blankly at the computer screen, heh. I think the biggest problem is fear. Yes, that's right, fear. Fear to start something, fear to move on to the next step. I spend so much time researching my next move in any task, that I end up wasting time that I should have been using actually taking it. When I finally get through one task, I often find myself thinking, "that wasn't so bad." But only after. The whole time I'm planning to do something, I always get stuck up thinking about negatives. What might go wrong... What an enormous amount of work... I shouldn't be doing this until... I could do this instead... Essentially, its procrastination. Procrastination born out of foolish hesitation.<br></br><br></br><br></br><p class='poweredbyperformancing'>Powered by <a href='http://scribefire.com/'>ScribeFire</a>.</p></div>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706063758192875666.post-89295255814744651682007-04-24T16:02:00.001-07:002007-04-24T16:02:51.406-07:00More on blogs<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Originally posted on January 4th, 2007 on my <a href='http://2centavosnonethericher.wordpress.com/'>Wordpress blog</a>.<br></br><br></br>Amazing, my blogs pop out on Google! This is the first time anything I've made came out over the internet. Whoopee! Though I can't imagine why anyone would want to read this. Shamelessly advertising my thoughts is beginning to seem like a dumb idea. Well, whatever...<br></br><br></br><p class='poweredbyperformancing'>Powered by <a href='http://scribefire.com/'>ScribeFire</a>.</p></div>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706063758192875666.post-78659216663103323412007-04-24T16:01:00.001-07:002007-04-24T16:01:46.569-07:00Wordpress blogs<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Originally posted on December 18th, 2006 on my <a href='http://2centavosnonethericher.wordpress.com/'>Wordpress blog</a>.<br></br><br></br>This is (obviously) first entry. Waves of trepidation wash over me as I type this out... It may not measure up to Shakespeare, but it's all I can come up with. But who cares! Well, enough of false modesty and... let's get it on!<br></br><br></br>This blog was created by me as a feeble attempt to express my "2 cents worth" (centavos here, for ethnocentricity's sake) on anything that my capricious mind can come up with. I hope you don't expect too much, my beloved reader, 2 centavos is a meager treasure to gain for the precious time you invested in reading one of my articles. Expect instead to find yourself "2 cents none the richer" after reading some of my aimless essays. That way, you might actually enjoy the pointless banter contained herein. Expect nothing, and you will find yourself with more than you bargained for, obviously. ;)<br></br><br></br>Man, I had a hard time signing up to this blog. There seem to be some counter-intuitive processes in the activation and profile management of this site. Or it could just be that I'm so clueless in this that I managed to botch a task as simple as this. I signed up, got an email confirmation, clicked the link, then went directly to my blog. Since it was there, I thought that was it. I didn't wait for the activation email. Then when I tried to log in, I realized that I didn't get my password. Being the Alzheimer’s-stricken coffee addict that I am, I thought that I already activated my account, I forgot that I had another email to wait for. So I clicked the "forgot my password link" and got a "new" password. Incidentally, this still did not allow me to access my blog management. I was able to log in with my new password, but apparently my blog was still pending activation. It took a couple of weeks for me to figure this out...<br></br><br></br>Anyway, to make a long story short, I finally got around to activating my account and gaining access to this site. Though there still seems to be some problems with password re-setting. I just changed my password for the second time, and it doesn't seem to have had any effect. Maybe there's just so much traffice to handle. So, here I am, sharing my thoughts with old friends and faceless strangers alike. I gotta get back to work.<br></br><br></br><p class='poweredbyperformancing'>Powered by <a href='http://scribefire.com/'>ScribeFire</a>.</p></div>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706063758192875666.post-76366338463487684492007-04-24T16:00:00.001-07:002007-04-24T16:00:03.035-07:00My Christmas Vacation<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Originally posted on January 24th, 2007 on my <a href='http://2centavosnonethericher.wordpress.com/'>Wordpress blog</a>.<br></br><br></br>Like many people in this country I've been asked to write about my Christmas/Summer Vacation around 6 times in my life. Once for every year of elementary school. A tedious and repetitive task for most, at least it was for me. How ironic that I'm writing this now of my own free will (if there such a thing... more on that later).<br></br><br></br>That aside, I must say that last year's has been one of my best ever. The family went back to Bacolod for a grand reunion. I got an opportunity to see my cousins once again. Its true that you gain a different perspective of things as you grow older. Being an introvert by nature, I have always been uncomfortable around other people. I guess that I'm beginning to overcome the natural, irrational fears associated with human interaction by God's grace. I find myself better adjusted to dealing with people having a wider range of interests. There's still a long, long way to go of course. At least I'm seeing some progress.<br></br><br></br><p class='poweredbyperformancing'>Powered by <a href='http://scribefire.com/'>ScribeFire</a>.</p></div>Jeremyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01831519328272139945noreply@blogger.com0