Firefox vs IE

I was talking with a friend earlier about how I prefer IE to Firefox. She said it had a lot of features that was useful but I still opt to use IE because it's simpler. But then again Firefox seems to be in everyone's computers. I even have one on my laptop. I don't use it but that's beside the point.

Typhoon Frank

I'm stuck in the office while Typhoon Frank hits Makati. I'm not sure how big this typhoon is but I got soaked after walking for just 3 seconds. My clothes are soaked and I'm hungry.

Oakleys for sale

I'm selling my Oakley Square Wire 2.0. I'm planning to buy Ray-Ban's. Leave a comment with your offer.

Do you want to work in a call center?

If you want to work in eTelecare, I can refer you. Just send me an SMS message at 09176248932.

What's with Accenture?

Last month, my friends and I were treated to breakfast at Il Ponticello. True Faith was also playing on stage singing their songs and some covers. The whole event was free and was sponsored by Accenture. To top the whole morning off, my friend won an 8GB iPod touch in the raflle.

This morning, I boarded a jeepney with my fare in hand ready to pay. The barker said there was no need to pay as the ride was free and it was sponsored by Accenture.

I can’t help but be cynical with Accenture’s philanthropy. What do they get in return?

Worst Analogies Ever Written

I frown upon Copy-and-Paste Blogging. But this one is way too funny not to copy. This email has been with me since 2005 but I still crack up every time I read it. Enjoy.

 

Worst Analogies Ever Written

·        Worst Analogies Ever Written in a High School Essay Contest

·        Her date was pleasant enough, but she knew that if her life was a movie this guy would be buried in the credits as something like "Second Tall Man."

·        Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

·        The politician was gone but unnoticed, like the period after the Dr. on a Dr Pepper can.

·        They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

·        John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

·        The thunder was ominous-sounding, much like the sound of a thin sheet of metal being shaken backstage during the storm scene in a play.

·        His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

·        The red brick wall was the color of a brick-red Crayola crayon.

·        He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

·        She caught your eye like one of those pointy hook latches that used to dangle from screen doors and would fly up whenever you banged the door open again.

·        The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.

·        McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty Bag filled with vegetable soup.

·        From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and "Jeopardy" comes on at 7 p.m. instead of 7:30.

·        Her hair glistened in the rain like nose hair after a sneeze.

·        Her eyes were like two brown circles with big black dots in the center.

·        Bob was as perplexed as a hacker who means to access T:flw.quid55328.com\aaakk/ch@ung but gets T:\flw.quidaaakk/ch@ung by mistake.

·        Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

·        He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree.

Back to School

One thing I hate about living in front of Ateneo is the traffic situation caused by the number of vehicles bringing kids to work. Year after year, the number of students increases exponentially. It’s crazy!

However, work has taught me never to complain about anything without offering a possible solution. So these are my recommendations on how to decrease the traffic.

• Ateneo should put a cap on the number of students being accepted. – It degrades the quality of education, and students don’t even know their own batchmates.
• Kick-out undeserving Ateneans.
• There should be a limit on the number of cars per student given car pass stickers. (I’m not sure if there is)
• Bring back the GOCO buses. – These are big buses which can accommodate 40 students.
• Bring back the MMTC buses. – These are PUBs who are stationed inside the Ateneo.
• Prohibit HS students from bringing their own vehicles.
• Provide a shuttle from drop-off points to Ateneo and vice-versa.
• Add more dormitories. – Students and buildings increase but their ratio to in-campus dormitories decrease.
• Open Gate 1.
• Teach students how to walk to school. – For South-bound vehicles, they can be drop off the students at the overpass in front of Jollibee and they can walk. There really is no need to take a U-Turn just to enter the school.
• Take those annoying tricycles out.

Pirates of the Caribbean (The Curse of The Black Pearl)

After numerous viewings of Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of The Black Pearl, I've started to notice some inconsistencies. This scene stands out more than the others. It's when Captain Barbossa is in the cave in the island. (I don't know how to spell the name of the island so I'm not even going to try) Barbossa is giving a speech to his crew about how they will lift the curse by spilling Elizabeth Swann's blood. Barbossa was under the moonlight the whole scene but he still remained to be in his human form. He didn't transform like they always do when hit by moonlight.

It is understandable that because this is one of the major scenes it's ideal to be showing the actual actor instead of a CG image but it would've been better if Barbossa was in the shade somehow so as not to conflict with the premise of the story.

Lakers in the Finals

I've never been much of a basketball fan. If and when I watch a game, I'd be hanging on to every word from the announcer so I can keep up with what's happening. I'd hear a referee's whistle and he'd make those gestures and it's all the same for me.

But recently, I've been following the progress of the Western Conference Playoffs. (I don't even know if I said it correctly.) Anyway, it became more exciting for me since I've started betting on the games. Actually, since I don't have a team and I really wouldn't know which team to choose, I let people bet on who they want and I'd be cheering for the other side, the team no one wouldn't want to bet on. Sounds crazy but it's been great so far. Spurs vs Lakers Game 4 was pivotal as a lot of people bet on the Spurs but Lakers won. Ergo, I won.

What's disappointing though. From the lines I've seen, Spurs was the underdog and given +8. Before the start of the game, the line went down to +7 or +7.5. The final score was Lakers ahead by exactly 8. The last shot by Sasha Vujacic changed the outcome for a whole lot of gamblers. Everyone who was watching the game knew it was in the bag for Lakers so there was no need to take the shot but I think that last shot was for the gamblers. Or it might be for the free tacos the audience will get if Lakers pass 100pts while keeping the opponent under 100pts. Or it might be out of inexperience on Sasha's part. Or it might be that they were just so damn happy. Whatever the reason is, I can't wait for the Finals!

Moving Out II

The expiration of my lease is getting closer and closer and we still do not have a new place to move to. At this rate, I'd be homeless in approximately 4 weeks.

When we do get a new place, it'll be awesome. I've lived alone for the longest time and I'm longing to talk to actual people.

But first things first. We have to at least decide who we're living with and what we're renting.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Apparently, everyone does. As mentioned in a previous post, there’s already the http://myfirstonemillionpesos.wordpress.com/. I’ve recently stumbled on another site with the same goal but with a little variation, http://pathtomillion.wordpress.com/. Everyone seems to have been bitten by this million peso bug. This really is a good idea and it provides healthy competition to everyone involved.

I might as well try it myself. I’ll do it through playing poker and it’ll be logged in my other blog http://finaltabledonkey.blogspot.com/. If I’m unable to reach a million faster than the other bloggers, I’m sure I will have a fighting chance at least.

If Chris “Jesus” Ferguson has the $0 to $10,000 challenge, this will be my $0 to $23,386 challenge (based on $1 = Php42.76 exchange rate).

This will be the last time I write about this on this blog. Everything about this will be written on my poker blog.

The Tricycle Schmicycle Boycott Movement

I'm an active member of Tricycle Schmicycle Boycott Movement. This movement is intent on destroying the tricycle industry by not riding tricycles. These are the reasons why this movement was founded.

• Tricycles contribute to noise pollution
• Tricycles add to the air pollution
• They overcharge (P13 for the length of 2 blocks?!?!)
• They support laziness (You have feet, use them)
• There are way too many of them (I think we have 2000 tricycles in the Katipunan area)
• They add to the traffic volume
• They're a pest to other drivers
• They're an eyesore

and

• They wear their jackets backwards

If we didn't have tricycles then the gas prices probably won't be as expensive (supply and demand and all that crap). It would be more peaceful. People would be healthier. There would be less traffic accidents. There would be more space on the road for other vehicles (or vendors or pedestrians)

Note:Currently the Tricycle Schmicycle Boycott Movement is one-man strong. But I'm hoping to get more support. Membership is free.

Moving Out

This week, my college friend and I will be looking for new place to live. I've been living in One Burgundy Plaza in Katipunan for 3 years now and it's where a bulk of my salary goes. I've spent Php 336, 000 on rent for 3 years! In retrospect my money could've been spent somewhere else. Though rent is not the only major expense I have. I've also spent Php 94,000 on taxi fare since Dec 2006. I know! I don't have discipline.

But this new experience will be great. I've never had a housemate before and I'm sure it would at least get rid of those days when I'd literally not speak for 2 days. It would also force me to clean up after myself more. I'm a pig when it comes to house cleanliness but hopefully having a housemate will change all that. I'm sure it'll prepare me for the eventuality of sharing a home with my future family.

Downside is that I will also be forced to wear clothes while walking around the house but I guess that's a sacrifice I have to take.

Same old same old...

I read a quote in a newspaper article once... "Are you living 1000 days or the same day 1000 times?" The article didn't mention who said it but the question has been on my mind since.

I actually realized that in my case, it's the latter but I didn't know to what extent until I stumbled upon my old blog in MySpace. The blog entris were 4 years old but they have the same sentiments as I do right now. Which makes me wonder, what have I done to make my life better? Well apparently I didn't do anything all that significant which led me here with the same old same old.

It would probably be a good time to consider this as a wake up call and change everything the way it happens in movies or books. But it's going to be hard. I'm in too deep and I've probably dug this hole deeper than what I can climb out of.

A thousand days from now, one of two things will happen, I'll stumble upon this blog and say the same things over or I'll read this entry and think this started me on the right path. I'm hoping it's the latter.

Hi I'm Ross and I'm a Workaholic... II

Now that I was able to get enough sleep, let me expound on my last post.

I work in eTelecare, a call center in the Philippines. I started as an agent and after 2 1/2 years of taking calls, I was promoted to a team lead.

When I was an agent, we were given tasks by our direct supervisors. These tasks are normally their tasks but as is the practice in the company, we normally "help out" with our boss's tasks. This doesn't happen only to agents. The team leads are assigned tasks for the managers, the managers are assigned tasks for the directors...

It's a bad habit but everyone has gotten used to it that no one actually minds. There was an initiative before which asked everyone to focus on their job description but after a few weeks, things were back to the way they used to be. No one actually wanted to let go of the tasks assigned to them.

This includes me. I am tasked to maintain the program's roster and to assign the schedules to the agents. This is normally done by the managers but as mentioned above, the team leads do it. These tasks alone were not the reason I stayed in the office for mre than 32 hours. Of course, I still had other things to do. The main reason why I had to stay in the office for that long was because I was on leave for 2 days. The work will just ile up if I'm not there and no one else is going to do them so I had to finish everything before I left. That's the main reason I stayed so long.

It's an absurd situation. It's never ideal to have employees stay for more than their normal work hours. But this is for my future and I need to work hard.

Hi I'm Ross and I'm a Workaholic...

Hi Ross...

I arrived in the office 10pm of Wednesday. I left 6:30am of friday. Nuff said...

Written by Ross

When I was in High School I wrote a story for the school magazine. It was sort of a love story but since it was 11 years ago, the story's details are a little hazy. What I do remember about it is the positive reaction from the girls from the other school. That event actually made me believe that I was a good writer and it gave me confidence that I can make it a career.

Around the same time, I made a bet with a classmate that I'd get published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer's Youngblood section before he does. Neither of us had even sent an entry to this date.

A few years after High School, I tried to apply as a contributor for The Philippine Daily Inquirer's 2bU section. I wasn't accepted. At one point, I thought that I can be a writer for a magazine. I didn't even get the chance to apply because I couldn't find any openings.

An opportunity presented itself one day when my College friend who worked for The Philippine Star needed an article and I happened to be available. It was my first paid article. Since then, I've been getting assignments for Star every now and then. It wasn't enough to quit my day job but I'm just happy that my writings were getting printed.

This boosted my ego and I changed my goal. My goal was to win a Carlos Palanca Award. I thought that if I'm going to be a successful writer, an award would make my market value rise. So I aimed for a Palanca award. Problem is that I haven't attempted to write an entry.

But a conversation I had earlier would hopefully change my mind and give me the needed motivation to write. I have an officemate who is just 19 years old and she has been runner-up for the Carlos Palanca Kabataan Awards more than once. She's 7 years younger than I and I haven't even sent an entry. This is will be the catalyst for my nth quarter-life crisis.

Dreams

I remember the time when Air Supply released More Than Words and it was a big hit. All of my classmates started picking up guitars and it came to a point when every other person would be able to play it. Most would only be able to play the intro but it didn't matter.


Shortly after that, grunge started to pick up. And then came the whole pinoy rock revolution. All of a sudden, bands were getting played on air. I remember listening to LA 105.9 "The Rock of the World" where they would play virtually unknown bands. I even have a black shirt with an anarchy symbol on it and some fake Chuck Taylors cause I can't afford the originals. It was also the time when I was given a guitar. And it sparked in me every one's dream of being part of a band.

I studied and played and practiced until my fingers couldn't take it anymore. And as days became weeks then became months, it was clear that I had no future in the music industry and that the closest I'll be to being part of a band was if I joined a noon time show contest where I'll play farting noises from my armpits.

But though I've accepted that I'll never be in any way be part of a band people would actually want to listen to, there's still that part of me wishing for that life. Even after I've sworn off trying to play or even trying to write a song or even just trying to write lyrics, I will still want to be part of a band.

Which brings me to another point. It may be in people's nature to want what they don't have and in my case the band is not only what I wish for. I have lots of wishes which I never do something about. I brought this up because I've recently found the Philippine Blog Awards website. And I got the same feeling I had when I heard about the Philippine Web Awards and even the prestigious Palanca Awards, I wanted to win. It may be for validation and it may be for vanity but regardless of the reason behind it, I really wanted to win.

But we all know this will just be one of those things I will list in my Procratinators log. So instead, I want to wish good luck to all Philippine Blog Award Nominees and may all your blogs go unread for weeks.

Kicking the Habit

It's been 48 hours since my last cigarette. And it feels great. I've been smoking for more than 10 years and I've decided that I need to take care of my health. Have me run 50 meters and I'll be laying on the road for an hour catching my breathe. Have me run 2 flights of stairs and I'll fall asleep out of exhaustion. Yes, I need a lot of work but that's what I want to take care of by quitting this crazy habit of mine.

I've also been keeping track of my expenses and it turns out that since Dec 2006, I've spent P8,000 in cigarettes. That's a little less than P16 each day for more than 500 days.

The real test however is when I go back to work or when I drink with friends. But I'll think about that when the time comes.

Blog Makeover Done

All right. So I made some changes but nothing too drastic. The new look, well it looks gay. No offense meant to gay people but there's no other word to describe it as effectively. Oh well... This'll be probably the last time I write about the changes I make. I didn't get to find a cool counter. The current one will suffice.

I can't seem to find the option to change the signature on the posts. Hmm... I've been looking for that option for months now.