Random Blog #1037989

Fifteen Facts About The Typical User

2010-04-08T05:21:00.000-07:00

1. When a strange and suspicious popup that has never been seen before suddenly appears, the typical users WILL input their username, password and domain name.

2. A weekend goes by, and the typical users tend to forget their passwords, even if it is something like 'happy123'.

3. A typical user can use Google to search for contraband software (malware included), but will never think to use it to see how to remove Offline mode in Outlook (which takes two fucking clicks).

4. Recycle Bins merely serve as an additional desktop icon for the typical user. Thus they will panic when they accidentally delete a file.

5. The typical user regularly changes critical system settings "accidentally". Strangely enough, in their dictionary, "accidentally" is synonymous with "disabling the antivirus and firewall while searching for pr0n".

6. Google Earth is the only way to search for geographical locations. Wikipedia, or even Google itself cannot do that according to the typical user.

7. The typical user will ask for access to mainframe software - which mainframe software is for IT to find out.

8. The typical user expects files deleted two years ago to be recovered in fifteen minutes.

9. The typical user thinks it is realistic to grant access for thirty users across eight different systems in five minutes.

10. A "DO NOT DISTURB" sign means "Ask Away" for the typical user.

11. The typical user's response to destroying critical shared resources is "Ooops, please recover that within the day or I'll report this to your manager."

12. The typical users believe they can skip over basic computing principles, "because a bunch of clicks could fix it."

13. The typical user thinks minimizing windows would prevent them from being detected doing stupid stuff.

14. The typical user thinks external servers can be manipulated by in-house IT.

15. The typical user will be completely irate because they were having software problems for weeks. They shut the fuck up when you ask them why they only sent a complaint five minutes ago.

IT Nightmares # 1

2010-03-12T05:59:00.000-08:00

So I got a call from a German colleague today. She was freaking out because she "accidentally" deleted a folder from her friend's shared Outlook mailbox.

I checked her PC, facepalmed, and restored the folder from the Deleted Items subfolder.

<3 Google && !<3 Undue Attention

2010-01-14T05:22:00.001-08:00

Arthur Clarke once said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

I guess this could be true when it comes to being part of a systems support team as well. It all began around yesterday, when I received a ticket about a user being unable to open any MS Office applications on her PC.

Naturally, I went through the routine of asking probing questions and then some remote access on her machine. I noticed that the problem was that all .exe files couldn't be opened due to some fuck-up in the registry, a similar problem I encountered way back when I was in highschool. I can't believe that the ticket was sitting there for nine hours without any support. The user sent three separate tickets just to get noticed and her second one was the first thing I got when my shift began.

It took all of ten minutes just to Google the fix, download it, zip the registry file, send it to the user and apply it. Ten fucking minutes.

I thought it was over.

Fast forward to this morning, I open my mail and I received a flood of praise. From my supervisor. From my trainer. From my manager. From two stakeholders. I'm not really fond of undue attention, so I was puzzled. It turns out the user sent some sort of commendation to our group mailbox. She was like "ur teh awes0me pl0x" or something because it turned out she probably had the issue for days before asking for help, thus rendering her unable to work.

Seriously though, and it might sound really stupid, but this is one of the perks of knowing when and how to use a search engine when in doubt. I'd even go so far as to say if a person spent a few hours on the Internet each day, they would solve this in no time as well.

At the very least, I certainly won't reject a good card dealt to me. Why? It looks damn good in paper when you're up for assessment/evaluation/promotion, whatever they call that nowadays.

Keep 'em coming then, so I may work my magic.

Time to Earn Some Moolah

2009-11-03T03:01:00.000-08:00

So I got my first job at some shipping company.

This supports the theory that if one of the four screwjob factors doesn't occur (see previous two posts), you might just get the job.

Anyway, time to get myself a copy of Scribblenauts and maybe save up for a PS3.

Screw saving for a rainy pl0x.

Maersk Interview (Post Mortem)

2009-10-22T06:05:00.000-07:00

Step 1: They call and state that they're interested in hiring you. They set up an appointment date.
DONE.

Step 2: You come to the appointment, take the test and are told to wait for their call.
DONE.

Step 3: They call again and want an interview. You go there, they tell you up front that the test scores are pretty high, interview you and then say they'll call for the final interview.
DONE.

Step 4: The final interview isn't an interview. It's some weird test, like a higher math problem or some other crap. You realize you'll fail, and they confirm it.

For once, this didn't happen, so there might be hope. The technical interview was just about basic troubleshooting and general knowledge of commonly used software. Child's play.

Addendum:

Step 5: The dreaded "We'll call you in a week or two" phrase. I think the reason for this phrase is that there are people who go apeshit on the slightest hint of rejection. Those people should die. I'd rather that people tell me up front that I didn't make the cut. My ego will take a small bruise, but at least I won't expect anything further. The funny thing about today was that they didn't say I didn't make the cut. They said that the position I was applying for was still under evaluation. Seriously, WTF? They call out of the blue, make me do a couple days worth of tests and interviews and the the position is under evaluation?

Oh well. I won't pin my hopes on this one, but still, I do hope they call. I might as well start looking elsewhere though. Sitting around is boring as hell.

Why I Don't Believe in Assessment Tests

2009-10-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

I'm still searching for a job, that's why (though hopefully, that'll change tomorrow).

Seriously, who fails these tests? People have been solving them since primary school.

My typical failed job application always follows a single pattern:

Step 1: They call and state that they're interested in hiring you. They set up an appointment date.

Step 2: You come to the appointment, take the test and are told to wait for their call.

Step 3: They call again and want an interview. You go there, they tell you up front that the test scores are pretty high, interview you and then say they'll call for the final interview.

Step 4: The final interview isn't an interview. It's some weird test, like a higher math problem or some other crap. You realize you'll fail, and they confirm it.

I hope that my interview tomorrow isn't going to be one of those hell evaluations, small as the chance is.

Local Media Equals Fail

2009-09-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

I would not voice my sentiments over the apparent mutilation of District 9 in this post.

Anyway, for the past few weeks, I noticed that a few AoTS episodes have been cut short. I would like to say that whoever edited those segments out should be fired. Episodes of AoTS do NOT end in Epic Fail, as what those editors make it seem. Those epic fail calls have Epic Fail videos attached to them.

This is wrong on so many levels. The greatest of which is the fact that whoever edits the show for local viewing obviously does not even watch the show, which is pretty retarded. I seriously doubt the ability of whoever does it. Have they never heard of the concept of clean cuts?

Who cuts a segment and only shows the conclusion? It's pretty much equivalent to showing the credits alone in a film showing.

On another note, why would one censor cuss words? If someone can afford cable, there's a pretty big chance that they're educated enough to know what those words mean, much less apply them in real life. Who are they protecting? Cable thieves?

Did I say I wouldn't give a rant about the destruction of Peter Jackson's reputation? I don't need to. Someone else did it, and I have nothing to add.

This sums it up.

This Country is in A Serious Shitpile

2009-08-29T00:27:00.000-07:00

So yesterday, I got a call from some guy. He knew my name, and stated that he got my contact information from my alma mater. He said he wanted to give me an "exclusive job opportunity given to 2-3 students per batch." Something along those lines.

He said that I could earn 20-30k per month and it wouldn't even interfere with what I'm doing at the time, which was watching AoTS. I thought that was a good idea, so I agreed for an appointment on Monday, which turns out to be a holiday, the first hole I saw in his words.

He gave me an address, 15th flr. Octagon Building in Ortigas. That's the second hole I saw. I mean, what kind of dumbfuck generic name is 15th flr. Octagon Building? Unfortunately, this is the Philippines, and it exists. Wow.

The dude was in a hurry, or at least sounded like it, and he ended the call saying that he expects me to behave like a professional. I thought, "Wow, that guy sounded cool."

After the call, I went to Google. Why? All he gave was the company name, NSE International and an address. First lesson if you're a company that wants a corporate website: Use a fucking consistent name.

After about half an hour of searching, I found this site for Nu Skin Enterprises. Not to be rude, but I thought our project called "Meatshop" looked way more professional. And funnier.

I knew that companies should have contact information on ALL their corporate branches, and there was none, or it wasn't located easily. Bad for a corporate website.

Out of clues, I decided to look up the address, since I had no idea where to go. I typed the address on Google and the next day, I'm writing this post.

And in case you're wondering, the call did interrupt my daily dose of AoTS. Dammit.

Disclaimer:

I do not have any gripe against MLM companies. I even know people who have earned stuff from it.

It's just that the thought of shelling out cash for the commute and food to an interview could have been used for more important things, like commute and food and watching District 9.

Furthermore, I do not have the time to go to a place on a fucking holiday I never even heard of and then find out that I have to shell out a further 12.5k to get a job, because I could just go to a call center and earn more for a fraction of the hassle and effort.

Finally, like a "professional", I canceled my appointment in an articulate manner (no sarcasm here, I'm serious).

What the hell am I doing?

2009-08-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

/*

Wow, it's 1 AM and I'm thinking of stuff to write.

I'm guessing I should just vent right now, because nothing right has happened in the last few months.

*/

I can't believe I'm still fuming at that guy who gave me a "technical interview" a few months back. It was my best shot at a halfway decent job and the guy ruined it by asking me to solve a rather irrelevant question. I never expected a trigonometry question when I was applying for a job as a software tester. The question he gave me would haunt me for the rest of my life.

I don't really know what excuse I could give myself for not having a job right now. For the record, I won't say I'm not trying. I suppose I was really depressed by that last attempt. Then again, maybe I'm underestimating myself. It's a bad habit formed out of the shitload of summer classes I took during college. I've turned down offers as a programmer because I've always feared failure. I can't stand something not working properly, especially if it's my work. More importantly, I dislike losing creative control over my work. I hate weird coding standards set up by some guy who derives pleasure from the knowledge that some employee is seething in anger over an outlandish protocol. Sifting through some other person's code isn't my cup of tea either.

There's not a night that passes that I don't contemplate swallowing my pride and going for a career in BPO. Maybe I could take one as a "for-the-moment job".

Gah, hate this post. Too many I's.

/me is seldom a first-person personality, people like those are full of themselves.

*sigh*

/* back to regular programming */

Blame the Lag

2009-08-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

*sigh*

For the second day in a row, good old DoH has been raped by the lag monster. The game has a good thing going, and it may well be the reason I quit Duels given the direction that CG is taking. I'm a natural grinder, by nature of how I play video games, and something that could be played effectively even while doing something as unimportant as actual work is a godsend.

Unfortunately, lag like this is never good, especially for a MUD-like/D2-grindfest game.

Something Beyond Today

2009-08-05T02:16:00.001-07:00

I have said before that I'm no big fan of local TV, and very few things catch my attention.

Today, the Philippines has said its last goodbye to an icon, a mother, a hero. One thing grabbed my attention during the coverage for her funeral procession. It was something said by the journalist Ted Failon, something I hope would be heard by more people the world over.

He said he hoped that whatever values, especially the thirst for truth, that the former president has left us be remembered even after this day has passed.

I could only hope that something changed within every Filipino today, a change for the better. It's been long enough that we've drowned ourselves with apathy, something that hopelessness brings. Let's admit it, something is very wrong with our country, but like the former president, one could see a shard of hope in this broken land.

I believe there is inherent good within each person, and one could see it everyday. You could see it in the manual laborers risking their health for their families. You could see it in the OFWs, who leave in search of an opportunity of providing a better life for their children. You could see it in that random guy who calls after you and returns whatever small trinket you have accidentally dropped.

Like Aunt May said, there's a hero in everyone of us. Like Evan said, one random act of kindness could change the world.

Crossing T's and Dotting I's

2009-07-27T02:36:00.001-07:00

This was the first time I have ever listened to a president give a state of the union/nation address. In the case of GMA's last one, I wasn't very impressed.

It was an opportunity to make a mark in history, and I believe it was wasted on bashing her opponents. I didn't really mind the self-praise and other what-not, but the cheap shots were aplenty in her speech. It seemed that she was bitter, not a good entry for history books.

Wasn't disappointed though. Why?

The best way not to tell lies is to make the truth sound beautiful.

Oh, also, sin tax in gonna be raised.

Shorebot Finishes at 34th!

2009-05-25T03:39:00.000-07:00

WDC is finally over. That was a hectic week.

Last year: 237th
This year: 34th

I could have finished higher if it weren't for lag and *edit* lack of *edit* common sense and bagged myself $250 or more.

Chinatown Wars and Ancient Chinese Swords

2009-04-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

I'm almost done with Chinatown Wars. At least, the story mode.

It is awesome. Not as awesome as San Andreas, but it's a GTA experience alright.

I'm Done With My Schooling...

2009-03-28T07:05:00.000-07:00

...but not my education.

Fuck yeah, I finally got my degree. It was an uphill battle, but it's all over now.

Was it worth it? I really can't answer that question right now. Maybe a few years down the line, I will. But the forces that be IRL can, and they'd definitely say yes.

Besides the sheer awesome feeling of accomplishment, I have a slight headache right now, and a very stuffed stomach from all the food from the buffet. Great food, I'd say, for PhP200.

Now I have to find a job.

Faith and Money Intertwine - Zealots

2009-03-27T01:53:00.000-07:00

Just today, our household was selected as one of the Stations of the Cross. For those not familiar with the stuff, it's like a group of church folks, usually old people, going from house to house and offering prayers.

That's okay, really. I mean, a little prayer wouldn't hurt. But if they do it for money, it's quite a different thing. After the prayers, the lady reminded us that they left an envelope, thus expecting some amount of cash in return. They even left a friggin' receipt. WTH?

Then it struck me, there was something very wrong. When one would look at what really happened objectively, one would see the wrongness of the matter. It was simple: prayers for money. This was very different from the offertory donations due to the fact that giving is forced, or that it is implied to be so.

Why? Let's put it this way. There are 12 stations of the cross as far as I know, and hundreds, if not thousands of homes that could be chosen. Every fucking year, of the thousands of homes, they choose us as one of their "sponsors". It would be okay if these people actually established a sense of community, but no. These folks were the same snobbish puritans who don't even give a shit about others if it didn't benefit them.

If being offered prayers meant that there is money involved, then screw them. I do believe in a higher power, but a church whose members have twisted values is not one I'd like to be associated with.

Personal faith, after all, isn't a group thing.

Yet Another Bad Card Dealt

2009-03-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

A week before graduation and I get fucking conjunctivitis.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Qui Vigila Als Vigilans? (Watchmen Review)

2009-03-09T04:01:00.000-07:00

I just watched the Watchmen yesterday. It was amazing.

For those not in the know, DO NOT expect Watchmen to be a movie along the lines of Spiderman or Batman. I have never seen a more faithful recreation of a comic book so kudos to Warner for this one.

So what would one expect from the three hour movie?

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

The Good

1. Excellent casting, especially Rorschach. The actor looked like he was ripped out of the graphic novel. He should be given an award for his portrayal.

2. The plot was relatively unchanged. Yes, Hollywood actually didn't manage to screw this one up.

3. No toning down of gore level. Yeah, to those who read the novel, remember how Rorschach ended up?

4. Excellent soundtrack. The opening montage was beautiful with the sound thrown in, and the Comedian's burial was one of my favorite scenes.

The Bad

1. They put the blame on Dr. Manhattan. Bad move, in my opinion.

2. Remember the beast that launches the psy nuke? Yeah, the one from Ozymandias' plan? Didn't happen.

3. While it didn't affect me, I think that the movie would only be best appreciated by those who read the novel first. Otherwise, one might expect a lot of fight scenes, which obviously didn't happen.

The Ugly

1. Blue dick. Lots of blue dick. Well, it WAS a faithful recreation.

2. And manbutt.

So there ya go. Overall, I think it's better than V for Vendetta. I'm certainly getting a DVD copy when it comes out.

Manhunt 2 is zOMG Morbid

2009-02-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

I've never really noted any game I've played before for its violence. Back when Shadow Warrior was for me, really violent, I was just amused. Hell, you were using a katana to cut down suicidal uzi-wielding "ninjas".

Anyway, I got to play Manhunt 2, at least the PSP version. Review sites say that it "brings out our primal instincts". I supposed it were true, but they were way off. It was a vast understatement. Remember when you watched the Scream Trilogy, or the Jason movies? Manhunt 2 plays like those movies, only you're the serial killer. The executions, as the game's stealth kill moves were called, were just plain wrong. At least it was a game where, for once, one can get the slasher film villain experience and just for that, it's pretty damn fun.

Missed Me! You Didn't Just Pull a Concentrate, Right?

2009-01-15T04:34:00.000-08:00

With Dueling being a considerable pastime, I thought of pulling out a token farming character designed specifically to lose. Give a wacky build, I'm pretty surprised that the little guy, er, orc works. It freakin' works, Jack-in-the-Beanstalk style!

Which leads to tonight's lesson:

If you design something for a crappy purpose, at least put in a little creativity. You'll never know what wings it'll eventually grow.

Back to an Old Vice

2009-01-08T06:39:00.000-08:00

Things are getting hectic for my last semester. Strangely enough, it seems that I'm getting way more time on my hands than ever before. It's amazing how many things one can think of when idle, which is probably why I'm dipping my hand into Magic again.

It's one of those eureka moments when I pull a decent combo out of nowhere. I'm trying to construct an Infernal Protection deck, based on my time on yet another game: Duels (see sidebar). Like IP, it's designed to be stupidly annoying, and nothing screams "you lose" more than a goldfish deck.

Anyway, before I discuss the finer points of deck design, the point is creativity strikes when one is most idle or bored. I don't really know if it's just me, but it's probably the reason that I despise the idea of having a job sitting in a cubicle all day. I think those jobs were designed to drain people, so that they lose their creative edge and turn them into another of the Man's mindless drones.

Quite sad, really.

Amazing Random Guy Quote

2009-01-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

So today, there's this guy in a documentary program. He sort of supervises kids on rehab. For the first time in a long while, I finally heard something that made philosophical sense:

"We don't want to establish religion here. We want to establish a relationship with God."

Hearing that made me pause, and that almost never happens when watching local TV. Fuck, that guy was so right. And yeah, I generally dislike conservative zealots. They make religion look bad. If they existed during the Inquisition, they could've been saints.

Today, well, let me just quote Bible Dude:

"God hates brown-nosers"

*zaaap*

Prepping for Crimbo

2008-12-16T07:14:00.000-08:00

Yet I don't have the cash.

It's funny, really, when you think about it. Crimbo isn't about holidays and all that stuff anymore. Present society has molded most of us into materialistic bastards.

Once again, the opportunistic few have controlled living conditions in such a way that giving hurts much less than receiving. Ah, well.

Magus is Way Better

2008-12-09T06:33:00.001-08:00

Currently playing the last chapter of Chrono Trigger DS.

So far, it is good for an early RPG. Its story is quite epic, but given the volume of games I've played, some parts are just too cliche. In my book, Final Fantasy 6 has an edge in the storytelling department.

Don't get me wrong though, I've played the game more than a decade too late. Had I the opportunity to play it during its time, it would probably top my book.

Anyhow, I hope more classics would be ported someday. I, for one, would love Squeenix a tad bit more if they release more Front Mission games.

DS battery's about to die, so back to school work.

*charges*

Nostalgia? Not Really.

2008-12-03T17:26:00.000-08:00

I'm still planning to buy Chrono Trigger for DS. It's quite pricey, but most people have the highest regard for the game.

I've played a short segment of the game a while back on emulator, and I was hooked. Too bad the emulator "died", and the game was put on the "games-to-play-when-given-the-chance" list.

And so here we are.

Why I Hate This Hole

2008-11-26T17:16:00.000-08:00

Last night, I got mugged.

It was no surprise what kind of asshats did it, those we properly label as the scum of society. They all dress the same anyway, like some sort of washed up hiphop artists.

Looking at the big picture now, I no longer believe that those folks steal because they have no other choice. They pretty much had the resources to look presentable, and probably had the ability to find work as well.

They're most likely different from us in a psychological perspective. They probably don't deserve to live in society. This happening to me is the last straw. I no longer have sympathy for those scumbags, and they probably belong in levels a thousandfold less than where they are now.

Random Thoughts (11/25/2008)

2008-11-25T04:35:00.000-08:00

It's depressing how even greed permeates the economics in an online game.

Is it human nature to want more than is necessary or do players practice it because the Internet allows them to be anonymous, saving them from being called an ass in real life?

On an unrelated but related note, I'd admit that I've bought virtual goods in the past. Maybe it's the lure of more power, or the promise of easier gameplay, but is it truly worth it? What if the game finally ends?

Crimbo Again

2008-11-23T18:26:00.000-08:00

Finished reading The Watchmen. Now I know why they say it's a very good read.

It sort of reminds me of that Batman title where Alfred died. It shows that those guys are human too, with the exception of Dr. Manhattan. (d'oh) Sorta disappointed with what happened to Rorschach, though.

I hope they won't change too much stuff in the movie.

Lady Luck, I Luv Ya!

2008-11-21T06:53:00.000-08:00

Lemme save this Dr. Manhattan quote first:

"All we ever see of stars are their old photographs."

Anyway, in a surprising turn of events, I no longer have Saturday classes, which would officially allow me to dedicate time for my thesis. Officially.

Unofficially, it would probably mean I could have more time to prepare for WDC2, amongst other unscholarly stuff, at least until it's actually time to do some thesis work.

The Sky is Dead

2008-11-20T07:44:00.000-08:00

It's pretty much midnight here. Duels is dead due to weekly maintenance, and my KoL turns are spent. On a sidenote, Thorns/Ice Storm is working extremely well, and I'm glad I've found another unique build I could actually use. So that's like 3 builds, not bad for a non-donor.

IN OTHER NEWS:

This is the most awesome class schedule I've had in years. Friday classes are 6-9pm, Saturday ones are 4-5pm. Pretty brutal, but since society is a biased S.O.B., pretty much everyone who wants a shot at success should go through it.

Mindless

2008-11-18T16:59:00.000-08:00

There comes a time in every game's life that it would bore the crap out of people. Unfortunately, it is the nature of man to want to get richer while practically spending zero effort, and gaming is no exception.

Think Ice Storm in Duels 2.0. As one player put it: "Your opponents expect it, but can't do a damn thing about it."

Unfortunately, that's what spading brings to a game. I myself do that and I know many others do. First find out how a game ticks, then find out something unusual in the system. As long as it isn't illegal as defined by the game, tweak it to your advantage.

One Sem 'til Bumtime

2008-10-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

Just one semester to go, and I'm really tired.

I really don't feel like I still have the heart to trudge on. Sleepless nights coupled by spiritbreaking school stuff has taken its toll on me.

Shit.

45, suckas!

2008-09-08T00:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, playing Duels has taught me a lot lately.

1. Grinding is dumb, because eventually devs would throw out free XP boosts. Apparently, I haven't learned from my MU Days.

2. A game's graphics is proportional to the asshatteries of its trolls.

3. Always be prepared to see your middle mouse button destroyed. Ya, dstr0yed butans!

4. There's ALWAYS a prick who discovers the Internet 5 years too late.

5. Where credit is due, give it. If you deserve it, be sure to beat others to it.

6. Bottomfeeding is fun. Unless it's being done to you.

7. He who has credit cards always wins the day. Always.

8. If you want to win big, there are suckers who will always go for sucker trades.

9. Innovation, not wealth, wins the day.

10. Never gloat. It makes you look like a buffoon if you win, and a wiener if you lose.

The Death of Death

2008-07-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

I'm probably four months late, but I finally watched Diary of the Dead.

I don't know if other people noticed, but I think that of all of Romero's films, this was just the second one that aimed to portray human nature through survival-horror-zombie-carnage (the first being Night of the Living Dead).

Frankly, Land of the Dead bored me and Dawn was a little meh. It was probably the difference in the way the story was presented that got me, though. And the fact that the cameraman didn't even bother to help his comrades when they were about to be pwned by zombies was hilarious.

Oh, and Samuel the Amish was probably the most badass zombie ZKer evar! Just effin' awesome.

A Dark Road Ahead

2008-06-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

Exiting the third week of June, I still don't have a thesis title. I intend to find one by next week though.

Anyway, night shift school has its perks. One is that I won't see as much street trash (note: fucking posers) on the way home. I mean, they're obnoxious, noisy and they sure smell like ass.

Speaking of which, for the first time in four years, I got a glimpse of UST sea. It sort of rained really hard and sidewalks were infested with roaches and the floodwaters had shitloads of shit in them. The bad thing was these things happened within the University grounds. It's sad to think that management has the time and budget to purchase fireworks every single Christmas, but don't even bother to clean their own sewage system. It disturbs me that most of this crap is located near the hospital.
Trust me on this, you don't want to study in UST if you are easily turned off by these things.

We're Doomed!

2008-06-12T05:12:00.001-07:00

Off to play Super Robot Taisen 1 and 2 starting today. On my phone.

A Damn New Hard Disk

2008-06-11T18:20:00.000-07:00

So like, I was really pissed when my disk died. The disk head crashed, and I had to give my games, movies and songs an impromptu funeral. Thank God I had a backup, so my school stuff were apparently untouched. It finally got replaced a few days back, and once again, I'm stuffing it with various whatnot. It's a lesson harshly, but well taught.

Still hooked up on Kingdom of Loathing these days. A few months back, I found this really awesome webgame called Duels. Really brought out the club in me.

My classes being at night, I might actually breath new life into this blog. See ya guys around.

P.S. Night shift college sucks major ass.

This is a fucking true story, unfortunately.

2008-05-31T00:31:00.000-07:00

A typical OJT day

m0r0n: Hey, could you install MS Office 2003 on this geriatric Windows 98 laptop?
me: Uhm, no.
m0r0n: Well, you COULD try uninstalling Office 97 before trying MS Office 2003.
me: *sigh*

MORAL LESSON: I know someone who has reached an entirely new level of stupid.

I have never made a rant, not even when Sayabi failed me in DBMS. Sure, I fucking got sick that time, and she was a total prick for not letting me take a make-up test, but that's a story for another day.

This one guy I know totally deserves this shit. I mean, I thought supervisors were SUPPOSED to be total dickwads, but this guy isn't even one, and he acts like a total know-it-all. Dude, we're not even fucking close.

A while ago, some lady asked him to assist her in reformatting her PC. Company policy was that we take the PC to our department to get the job done. Know what he did? He fucking made me carry the CPU and monitor while he sat on his stupid cubicle chatting at some fugly pig. It was early in the day, and I got my first dose of asshole boss. Gawd.

I don't really care if someone gives me errands, but being too fucking abusive is another case. I don't even get daily stipend for this damn internship, and he gets paid, yet I never really see him "work". He passes all the work to the interns, while he bitches about every little thing people request him to do.

I've seen control freaks in my lifetime, but this guy is far worse. To top it off, he's a n00b, who is still on probation in the company.

God forgive me for venting, but you (the reader) should be thankful you have never met this guy. I'd take Vfag's constant yabbering about how shitty our case study was over this guy any day. Amen.

Straight-through Cross!

2008-04-24T04:20:00.000-07:00

Tech guy's rainbows:

Striped orange, orange, striped green, blue, striped blue, green, striped brown, brown.

Striped green, blue, striped orange, striped blue, green, orange, striped brown, brown.

Oligarchic Democracy by Sir Odchi

2008-02-19T21:54:00.000-08:00

Paradoxically, since the ouster of the
Spanish colonial regime, Philippine
democracy has been merely a legitimizing
mechanism for oligarchic rule.

For purposes of analytic clarity,
democracy literally means “rule by the
people”, or rule with the consent of the
governed. Oligarchy literally means
“rule by the few”. Oligarchy can be in
the form of aristocracy, which is “rule
of the best and the brightest”, or
plutocracy, which is “rule by the rich”.

In Philippine context, consent through
elections means that a consensus has
been reached as regards which among
competing elites shall be conferred the
legitimate power to plunder the nation
within a limited number of years.

This conundrum can be traced back to the
Spanish colonial regime where the
purpose of governance was clearly to
systematically plunder the Philippine
colony in order to secure economic
development for the Crown. Spanish
mercantilism was designed to maximize
the Crown’s extraction from its colonies
at considerable cost to economic
development of the empire.

Independence did not free the
Philippines from the colonial culture of
plunder in governance. It only spurred
the competition among elites for power
vacated by the Spanish colonial regime.
Perhaps this was the rationale why Jose
Rizal did not advocate for independence.
Instead, consistent with the liberal
ideals, he fought for human rights
through democratic reforms by demanding
representation and accountability.

Our democracy is an elected oligarchy.
Our formal democratic institutions do
not guarantee democracy. Our congresses
have been perpetual repetitions of the
tragedy of Tejeros convention of 1897
where elites maneuver each other out of
power, which cost the lives of Andres
Bonifacio, Antonio Luna and the noble
ends of the Katipunan. Even our “people
power", as a mechanism of
accountability, is now suspect. After it
has not delivered on its promises, it is
reduced into an apparatus of disgruntled
elites to claim lost power.

In the wake of the scandals that haunt
the Arroyo administration, as a people,
we are forced to reexamine our beliefs
regarding the legitimate ends of
democratic governance.

Democracy is essentially an affirmation
of the sovereignty of the people as a
collective of dignified human beings
with rights. That is, the people are not
things or mere means to an end. Ideally,
a democratic government is an agency
established to guarantee that the people
have all the freedoms possible and the
capacities to live the life that they
have reasons to value. By
representation, democracy demands that
the people have the power to decide
which among competing policies best
serve their interests and to hold
accountable those who misrepresent them.

Until this colonial culture of plunder
in governance is effectively dismantled,
willful corruption through our
democratic decision-making procedures
cannot be averted. Elites will continue
to violate human rights by creating
opportunities to convert public goods
into private gain.

Unless we reorient our culture of
governance by grounding it on the
democratic imperative to respect,
protect and provide for human rights, we
shamefully dignify the doubts that
bothered Jose Rizal more than a century ago.

-----

Diego A. Odchimar III is a graduate
student of the National College
of Public Administration and Governance
in UP Diliman.

He teaches Rizal Course and Philippine
Government and the Constitution in UST
Manila.

Phoenix Down

2008-01-15T18:15:00.001-08:00

My God, 2 years...

Woh boy...

2008-01-15T18:12:00.000-08:00

If emos hate themselves,
then I am not an emo.

If emos kill themselves,
then I am not an emo.

If an emo is a 17 year old
who does not smile,
then I am not an emo.

If an emo is a guy
who feels sorry for himself,
then I am not an emo.

If emo is a "horrible pop rock" genre,
then emo is not my kind of music genre.

If emo is a fashion statement
of tight wool sweaters, tighter jeans,
itchy scarfs (even in the summer),
ripped chucks with favorite bands
signature, black square rimmed glasses,
and ebony greasy unwashed hair,
then emo is not my kind of fashion.

If emo is "softcore punk" genre,
then emo is not my kind of music genre.

If an emo is guy who dresses like a dork
so chicks will see that he is sensitive
and not afraid to express himself,
then I am not an emo.

If an emo is a guy who goes home and
cries, proceeds to write a weak song and
strum a single string on his acoustic
guitar so an emo chick sees how he is so
in touch with his feelings,
then I am not an emo.

If an emo is a guy who dyes his hair
black, wraps himself in a stupid looking
scarf, develops an eating disorder, and
rants about how "nobody understands",
then I am not an emo.

If an emo is a guy who goes around
saying "My life sucks, I want to cry,"
then I am not an emo.

I'm just an "emotionally-charged" person
who is passionate about life.

An emo is a kid or a young adult who
really does not have any actual
problems, and instead decide to use his
creativity, or lack thereof, to craft
false problems.

When you meet an emo, tell him to wake
up and deal with life like everyone else
instead of wallowing in his imaginary
quagmire of torment.

Stop whining. Cheer up, emo kid!

If an emo is a guy who needs a hug,
a big warm hug,
then I am an emo!

-Sir Odchi

No Vacancy: Park Elsewhere

2006-06-20T02:34:00.000-07:00

Is the Philippines truly owned by Filipinos? Or are its poor natives mere pawns of the demigods of human society?

To clear things off, I am no activist. Yes, I do bear grudges towards the system, yet not enough to send my precious hide camping in the mountains.

But then again, you do not need to be a patriot to notice that the average Filipino works his ass off even on Sundays on a job that underestimates his ability, gets crap for pay and is denied of what his taxes are for: water, phone lines and security. Even in middle class areas, water is never available whenever it is needed and electricity bills take up most of the family budget.

Yes, one may say that they don't belong in those slums, but chances are that they belong to the upper ten percent of this country.

And in my opinion, there are only four types of people who make it to these heights. First, those who actually work their asses off despite the ridicule of their peers. Then there are those foreigners who chose to live here so that they can enjoy(exploit?) the benefits of their mercantile skills on a race who literally drop their jaws on anything foreign. Then, there are those whom I like to call "children of luck", those who instantly become filthy rich thanks to, well, luck.

Finally, there are those who have mastered the dark art of politics.

The point is that wherever one goes in this country, whether one pays his or her taxes correctly and on time & no matter how good one is to others, power, money and influence are still the deciding points on how well a person lives in this country.

The people who built, repair and maintain the place don't get to own it. Instead, abusive megalomaniacs talk their way into an average Juan's brain, eventually getting what they want.

The average Filipino, though skilled and talented, has to park behind the No Parking sign.

In The Fell Reaper's Pad

2006-06-14T04:03:00.000-07:00

"Maybe death is the great equalizer, the one big thing that can finally make strangers shed a tear for one another." -Morrie Schwartz

Pelikulang Pinoy: Basura ba?

2006-03-02T04:03:00.000-08:00

Mula sa mga forum sa Internet hanggang sa mga aklat, peryodiko at mga kritiko, marami ang nagsasabing nawawala na ang kalidad ng mga pelikulang Pilipino. Noon lamang Manila Film Festival noong 2004, sinasabing natambakan ng pelikulang Spiderman 2 ang lahat ng mga pelikulang naipasok sa FilmFest at matindi ang pagkakadismaya ng mundo ng showbiz. Masasabi ba nating tapos na ang panahon ng pelikulang Pilipino?
Isina-Tagalog mula sa akda ni C.A. Remollino (2003) na Today’s movies and the Young:
“Ano na ang nangyari sa industriyang pelikula natin? Bakit, sa halip na ipinagmamalaki ang katapangan at mabutimg asal, at sa halip na ipalaganap ang mental, emosyonal at political na pag-unlad, an gating mga produser ay sa kabilang direksyon nakatanaw?
Ang nauuso na ngayon ay ang mga pelikula tungkol sa krimen at iba pang paglabag sa moralidad at sa kasamaang palad, mukhang ito ay tinatangkilik ng mga kabataan.”

Bilang pagtatapos sa akda ni Remollino, sinabi niya sa kanyang aklat na:
“Ang layunin ng paggawa ng pelikula ay mapalawak ang kaisipan ng manonood at hindi lamang upang kumita ng salapi.”

Kung babasahin nating maigi, sinasabi ni Remollino na sa kasalukuyang panahon, ang mga mamemelikula ay hindi na gumagawa ng pelikulang de kaledad, kundi gumagawa lamang ng pelikula upang kumita.

Dahil nasakop ang Pilipinas ng mga dayuhan pagkatapos pa lamang ng pagkalaya mula sa mga Kastila, di na nakapagtataka na ang sambayanan ay mahilig sa produktong dayuhan. Ayon na nga sa kay Barth Suretsky, isang immigrante na ninirahan sa bansa, ang kulang sa pagiging maganda ng bansa ay ang pagmamahal ng mga Pilipino sa sarili nila. Sabi niya, ang mga Pilipino ay kadalasang nagpipigil kung ang isang ideya ay naisip ng isang kababayan subalit kung ito ay naisip ng dayuhan, ito ay isang magandang ideya, masama man ito o hindi.

Nakakalungkot isipin, ngunit totoo. Maaari bang ang matagal na pagkakabihag ng bansa sa kamay ng mga dayuhan ay ang dahilan sa din a siguro mawawalang colonial mentality nito?

Ayon na rin kay Lino Brocka (1975), ang ambisyon ng mga mamemelikula ngayon ay gumawa ng isang obra upang kumita, sa halip na baguhain ang masa o bakya crowd at gawin silang isang kritikong pangkat ng manonood na marunong umunawa ng magandang pelikula at tumaggi sa mga pelikulang basura lamang.

Ang isa pang aspeto ng pagkakaiba ng pelikulang lokal at banyagang pelikula ay ang ideya ng special effects. Sa ibang bansa, pinagkakagastusan ang mga ito at sinisigurong mamamangha ang manonood. Sa kabilang palad, mahirap mang aminin, sa pagkatagal-tagal na panahon ay ang pinakamalapit nating deskripsyon ng special effects ay ang tinatawag na LLC o Lito Lapid Cars. Puro lamang paulit-ulit na pasabog at tila madaling hulaan ang mga pangyayari sa mga kwento n gating mga palabas. Kung ito ay drama, aapihin ang bida at magkakatuluyan pa rin sa banding huli. Kung ito ay aksyon, tila laging may leading lady ang bida at lagi itong nananalo sa banding huli. Ang masamang epekto nito ay tila apathetic ang mga Pilipino sa pagbagsak ng industriya nating ito.

Sa kabutihang palad ay mayroon nang mga mamemelikula ngayon na naglalayong mapaunlad ang kalidad ng pelikulang Pilipino at pilit na pinapantayan ang kalidad ng mga dayuhang pelikula. Sa paglipas ng panahon, sana ay mailagay sa mapa ng showbiz ang Pilipinas.

1017

2006-03-02T03:00:00.000-08:00

First time ko po magpost...

Kanina e nagturo sa amin ang professor namin sa RC (Rizal Course) galing UP at ex-aktibista. Napaniwala ako sa sabi niya na ang pag-sali sa mga rally ay pawang pagkita lamang ng pagreklamo ng tao sa ka*!@##* ng pamahalaan (oo nga no!) at pagkita rin sa matinding dependence ng tao sa pamahalaan.

Ayon sa pagkakaintindi ko (na ginawa ko habang naglalaro ng cellphone at kumakain) ay dahil demokratikong bansa tayo ay tayo rin ang nagluklok sa mga opisyal natin. Sa pagboto ng karamihan (HINDI LAHAT)ay pawang tayo rin ang may kasalanan ng nangyayari sa atin dahil binigyan natin ng kapangyarihan ang mga taong wala namang magawang matino sa mga kapangyarihang ito.

Bilang pagtatapos, sinabi niya na kung walang magawa ang pamahalaan mo para sa iyo, pilitin mo na lang na may magawa ka para sa sarili mo upang tumino nang kaunti ang bayan mo. Iyon daw ang dahilan kung bakit hindi na siya dumadalo sa mga rally at mga gawain ng mga aktibista.

Opinyon lang po niya iyon at marahil ay medyo opinyon ko na rin at dahil demokratikong bansa tayo and naniniwala kaming hindi kami mababaril sa Luneta sa pagsabi nun.

Blahblahblah!!!