Manila Office Life

2008: The Year of Change

2008-12-24T22:58:00.002+08:00

As we approach the end of 2008, it's human nature to look back on the past year and reflect on all the significant events that transpired. I'd like to think of 2008 as a personal "Year of Change".

Changed Address: Yep, I moved houses this year from our old residence of 30 years (!).
Changed Jobs: My job changed significantly this year, for the better I believe.
Changed Bosses: This happened after the job change actually so the job changed first then it was moved to a different shop.
Changed Offices: With the change in bosses came a change in offices from the 6th floor to the 2nd floor.
Changed Computers: Yep, I finally made the switch from Windows XP to Mac OS X. For me, that's pretty significant!

How about you guys? What was 2008 for you?

Updates! Updates!

2008-10-20T19:53:00.002+08:00

Not much exciting happening, really. Mostly more of the same.

> Gaming - Yes, for all those who know me, I have finally succumbed. Kicked the bucket. Bought the farm. Yes, I have finally started playing World of Warcraft (WoW). At first, I was skeptical especially since I disdained having to pay for gaming. But then, I finally tried their 10-day free trial account. That is probably the most fantastic marketing ploy ever! I was hooked by the time I hit Day 3! And now, I have a level 49 night elf hunter as my primary character with an alternate dwarven warrior and human paladin. Oh, how the mighty hath fallen!

> Movies - All's quiet on the movie front actually. Haven't really gone to see anything particularly earth-shattering lately. Movies I'm interested in catching up on very soon are the following.

Wanted
Get Smart
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Igor
Tropic Thunder

> TV - The fall season has started and my usual shows are coming up again. I've limited my showlist to the following, in no particular order.

> Miscellaneous

San Miguel Premium - If you haven't tried it, you're missing out. This beer is awesome!
Bugsy's - The hottest watering hole to hit the Ortigas/Pasig area. Beers served ice-cold. Located in the City Golf area along J. Vargas in Pasig City.
Highlands Steakhouse (Mall of Asia branch) - This place had a promo on all-you-can-eat steaks for less than Php1,100. The promo's finished but we'll always have the memories!
Music - Listening to lots of Dave Matthews Band lately after a band in Makati called Streamline (they play in Bistro 110 on Friday nights) gave a fantastic rendition of Ants Marching. Smooth.
Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher - I read Books 1-4 of this series at the urging of a friend and found it highly engaging, surprisingly enough. It's a high fantasy series set in a world reminiscent of ancient Rome, this series will keep you glued to its pages from start to finish. Waiting on book 5 now as well as the next book in Dresden Files series by the same author. Check them out today!

That's about it for me. Till next time!

Seen at Work Today

2008-09-23T16:44:00.000+08:00

We need to keep life in perspective and our five lives in balance: our Work Life;
our Love Life; our Creative/Spiritual/Religious Life; our Athletic/Physical Fitness
Life; and our Altruistic Life.

Wired Article: Geeky Movies for Kids

2008-09-01T09:43:00.002+08:00

Here's an interesting article from Wired.com about geeky movies for kids. Personally, I'd add The Princess Bride to this list, as well as the cartoon Flight of Dragons. How about you?

10 Geeky Movies to Raise Your Kids On

By Ken Denmead August 29, 2008 | 12:30:00 PMCategories: Movies

In our never-ending quest to provide you the tools and knowledge to raise your kids in your own geeky image, we present you with a list of 10 geeky movies to raise your kids with. This is a starter list, and by no means comprehensive. It also skews towards the younger set because we have to lay the proper geeky foundation. As always, leave your suggestions for additional titles in the comments.

1. Star Wars: You must, MUST! I say, start your child our with Episode IV: A New Hope. Diligence is key, brothers and sisters, and while your kids will probably enjoy even the new trilogy for its grand spectacle, they must be brought into the fold the right way. Isn't it a thousand times better to fall in love with the non-verbal pluckiness of R2-D2 in New Hope, and then cheer when he pops up in Phantom Menace? I knew you'd agree.

2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone: The Potter movies are this generation's Star Wars trilogy, and so far, ALL of them have been well-done. The first is a perfect introduction to the world, in a more kid-friendly Chris Columbus way, and makes for a great way to get your kids into all sorts of fantasy literature later. I'll also take my lumps now: I'm *not* putting LOTR on this list because I don't think it's for younger kids - too long for them, and in cases too scary and violent. It'll definitely make the second list, for your Geeky Tweens, though, so have no fear.

3. The Last Starfighter: This is the film from our youth that did the first, and maybe best, job of arguing that being good at videogames could be worthwhile in other aspects of your life (like being able to save the universe someday). They early CG was pretty darned good, too. Classic tale of the downtrodden geeky kid getting to find out they're special, and live out a wish fulfillment.

4. My Neighbor Totoro: All Miyazaki is wonderful, with a beauty and spirit we seldom see in American-produced animation (Iron Giant counts as an exception to that statement). I chose Totoro because it's the most accessible for a child, I think (Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke are a bit too scary in parts). The imaginary friend angle appeals to every young-at-heart parent, as well. If you can get your kid in love with this, then follow up with Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Nausicaa.

5. Time Bandits: Another great story of wish-fulfillment for a downtrodden kid, but this one has a merry band of miscreant little-people, time-travel, Sean Connery, John Cleese, and David Warner. Plus, it sets them up for Brazil and all the Monty Python oeuvre as they get older.

The Dark Crystal: The best pure-fantasy movie out there for younger kids, period. There are no human characters in the film at all (yes, I know, they're all puppets), but we still get attached to them and sucked into their world. An also-ran here would be Neverending Story, but I'd put Labyrinth in the tweens list for next time.

WarGames: You could argue for WarGames to be on the tweens list as well, but I like it here because the kids will connect with the computer angle, the being ignored by grown-ups angle. I also like the idea of starting them young with a sense of the government and military being important, but not always bad. Let's just pretend the "sequel" that's out on DVD now never happened, okay?

Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang: The technicolor American musical in all its splendor, with Dick van Dyke at his prime, and a magical car. The breakfast machine in the beginning should inspire many a Maker, and I always revel in noticing Desmond Llewelyn (original Q in the Bond movies - this was an Ian Fleming story, after all!), and Benny Hill as the toymaker.

Goonies: The perfect geek-gang adventure story with home-made gadgets, pirates, treasure and all, this movie also helps reinforce finding and sticking to friendships. The talk about a sequel for this movie, with most or all of the original cast, really gets me excited (just like the Tr2n footage).

Back to the Future: The best way to initiate your kids into the joys of time-travel stories, and the joys of all things Christopher Lloyd. This is one of those cases where the whole series is enjoyable and family-friendly, and the great geeky repeatable dialog will keep you amused for a long time. Hello, McFly?!?!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Animated)

2008-08-09T15:44:00.001+08:00

This would have been cool, if it had made it to the small screen.

Things Not to Say in a Facebook Status Update

2008-08-07T18:56:00.001+08:00

A totally hilarious article from Wired.com. Enjoy!

1. Rockin' Freebird!
2. Rubbing cream on that thing I noticed last weekend. Doesn't seem to be working.
3. Buying DC Universe Classics Wave 5 the Atom at Wal-Mart! Build-a-figure Metallo is complete!
4. Feeling trapped in this male body.
5. Jesus, I'm lonely.
6. D'oh! Accidentally trimmed my pickin' nail.
7. Watching The Notebook again.
8. Quick! Does anyone know the age of consent in Kentucky?
9. Just came up with a new emoticon for sanguine [:<≠>
10. Thinking about maybe talking to someone.

Things That Make You Go "Hmm..."

2008-07-28T17:36:00.002+08:00

As a gamer, I've always been fascinated by how gamers in general can spend hours upon hours in front of the computer playing games. Here's an insightful article found in Wired.com with a halfway plausible explanation. Do you agree?

Back to the Grind in WoW — and Loving Every Tedious Minute

By Clive Thompson

Last week, I finally decided to start playing World of Warcraft again. And you know what that means: Exciting medieval adventures! Chess-like strategizing with guildmates over raid techniques!

And, of course, grinding.

Hours upon hours of mind-numbing grinding.

Even if you've never played World of Warcraft -- or any role-playing game, online or off -- you are probably familiar with the concept. To "level up" your character, you've got to gain experience, and that generally involves doing a few simple tasks -- mostly "killing stuff" and "collecting stuff" -- over and over again.

When I rolled my new Paladin, I had to spend the next eight hours planted at my desk, repetitively clicking through the same tasks as if I were an industrial robot making car parts on the Chrysler line. I slaughtered wolves, bears, a few more wolves, some creepy little Kobold humanoids, then -- hey -- some more wolves. I rooted around in their corpses for random junk. (Woo! A candlestick!) Then I did it again. And again. And again. Until 3 a.m., actually.

This is of the most-prodigious mysteries of the gamer soul. Theoretically, we love multiplayer games because they offer a dramatic alternative to our shades-of-beige meatspace lives. They let us cast off our mundane existence and become a colorful, empowered hero. And what do we do with this second life?

We behave like obedient workers in a Soviet collective outside Stalingrad, circa 1971. Comrade, your job is to collect potatoes. For seven years. We pay $20 a month for this privilege.

What the hell is wrong with us?

There are several obvious explanations for why we grind. Partly, we know that the game gets interesting only once you're powerful enough to fight the bad-ass monsters. We'll endure whatever hazing necessary to get there. We'll grind until the sun explodes.

There's also the addictiveness of it all. And as I've argued before, WoW -- like many RPGs -- was designed to replicate the emotional logarithm of heroin. You reach level 2 quickly, level 3 a bit less quickly, and levels 4, 5 or 22 less quickly yet -- but it's such a blast each time you level up that you can't stop the party. You'll kill yourself to feel that hit one more time.

These explanations are all true, more or less. But I actually believe there's another reason we're willing to spend 20 hours a week grinding, and it's far weirder.

It's because we love it. We love grinding.

We cannot get enough of it.

Why? Because there's something enormously comforting about grinding. It offers a completely straightforward relationship between work and reward. When you log into WoW, you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if you just plant your ass in that chair for long enough, you'll level up. It doesn't require skill. It just requires putting in the time. Play 10 hours, you'll do better; play 50, you'll do better yet; and yet more so with 500 hours.

The thing is, almost no arenas of human endeavor work like this. Many are precisely the opposite, in fact. When you go to your job at the office, there's little or no linkage between effort and achievement: You slave like a madman all year long, only to watch the glad-handing frat guy hired two months ago get promoted above you. And if you're a really serious nerd, the logic that governs interpersonal relationships -- marriage, kids, your parents -- is even more abstruse: Things can actually get worse the more time and effort you put into them.

But grinding? Grinding always works. Always. You get a gold star just for showing up. This is a quietly joyful experience. It feeds our souls, as well as our sense of justice and fair play. We grind because we can't believe what a totally awesome deal we're getting handed here, often the first time in our entire suck-ass put-upon lives.

Granted, a game based around grinding tends to privilege those with huge amounts of free time, which of course means younger people and robots and gold-farming guys in China (who, incidentally, are sometimes getting handed a much better deal than they'd get in a comparable meatspace job). And here's the inevitable caveat: I realize that WoW isn't only about grinding; it encourages teamwork and cooperation and strategy and woof-woof, meow-meow.

But let's not kid ourselves. There's a lot of grinding going on in that game. Like, right now. Seriously; go log on and check. I'll wait right here. It's cool.

Grinding is idiotic, but it will never go away, because it sustains us. When we're exhausted by things we can't understand, we take solace in things that are what they say they are. Our video games may be idiotic, but at least their idiocies are consistent.

Financial Humor

2008-07-24T09:04:00.001+08:00

Here's some financial humor from Bloomberg. Who knew these guys could be funny?

Optimists Buy iPhones While Pessimists Hoard Gold: Mark Gilbert

Commentary by Mark Gilbert

July 24 (Bloomberg) -- Here's an updated version of the Voight-Kampff test from Ridley Scott's ``Blade Runner'' movie. Instead of identifying Replicants, however, these questions sort the financial optimists from the reali...I mean, pessimists.

(1) A Tale of Two Economies

You see a line of badly dressed people snaking along the sidewalk, seemingly oblivious to the wind and rain. A guy with a beard is pouring himself a steaming cup of something from a thermos. You conclude that they are:

(a) outside a bank, desperately trying to get their savings out because they have heard a rumor that the financial system is on the brink of meltdown and there's no way they trust the deposit insurance plan to protect them.

(b) outside an Apple Inc. store, desperately trying to get their hands on a 3G iPhone. And, no, they don't want a white one, or 8 gigabytes of memory; they want a black one with 16 gigabytes. (What they REALLY want is a red iPhone with 32 gigabytes; Apple will introduce that five minutes after everyone has the current model.)

(2) I Have Seen the Future and It Smirks

The price of a tank of gasoline has gone through the roof. Your response is to:

(a) buy a Toyota Prius with smugness fitted as standard, pretending not to notice how darned ugly the thing is and trying not to worry about what happens when it breaks down and your local mechanic has to work out how to fix it.

(b) hand over a $5,000 deposit and join the waiting list for a $109,000 battery-powered Tesla Roadster. The makers claim zero to 60 miles (97 kilometers) per hour in 3.9 seconds, at less than 2 cents per mile. Hey, if it's good enough for the guys at Google Inc.

(3) Scapegoats and Witch Hunts

Surging oil and energy prices threaten to wreck your economy. You, a U.S. legislator, decide to:

(a) propose lucrative tax breaks to companies that invest in alternative-energy sources such as wind and wave power, excluding ethanol.

(b) propose lucrative tax breaks to drivers who trade in their Chevy Mastodons for more fuel-efficient vehicles.

(c) cry ``speculators!'' Your solution is new legislation to ban trading in parts of the futures market because ``Americans are being taken advantage of not only by OPEC but by speculators right here in our own country,'' as Senator Ted Stevens, an Alaska Republican, put it. Hey, I believe in free markets, but there has to be a limit.

(4) Cover-Up

The mortgage-backed bond market is dead, murdered by lax lending standards that destroyed investor faith in the quality of home loans. As U.S. Treasury secretary, you decide that:

(a) this is a disaster. We need rules to ensure unscrupulous lenders can't finagle people into buying houses they can't afford by offering introductory teaser rates that reset two years later. That will help to restore confidence.

(b) this is a disaster. We need rules to stop unqualified home buyers lying about their incomes and suckering the mortgage companies into granting loans that will never get repaid. That will help to restore confidence.

(c) this is a disaster. How are my Wall Street pals supposed to generate bonus-boosting fees without an asset-backed bond market to play in? Maybe we could rebrand it? I know, let's create a covered bond market. Completely different! Hey, if it works in Europe.

(5) Naked Cheerleading

The collapse in the share prices of financial institutions, driving both the U.S. S&P 500 Financials Index and the Bloomberg Europe Banks and Financial Services Index down about 40 percent in the past year, is attributable to:

(a) prudent investors who are tired of hearing the worst is over, concerned that there are more huge writedowns to come, and planning to pass the hat around to build a statue of Oppenheimer & Co.'s Meredith Whitney for daring to speak truth to power.

(b) naked short sellers, who are a stain on the integrity of global capital markets and spend their days propagating scurrilous rumors to make money. They must be stopped. What's that? What about the cheerleaders who relentlessly talk stocks higher? I'm sorry, we're busy trying to prosecute the authors of e-mails about the liquidity situation at Bear Stearns Cos.

(6) Tough Love

The housing markets and construction industries in Spain and Ireland are in meltdown. Consumer and business confidence is plummeting everywhere you look in the euro region. The failure to find agreement on the Lisbon treaty threatens political chaos. As a policy maker at the European Central Bank, you decide to:

(a) cut interest rates, recognizing that the economy is staring into the abyss.

(b) leave interest rates unchanged, hoping to calm the euro's increase against the dollar and give exporters a break.

(c) raise interest rates by a quarter-point. We have only one needle in our Bundesbank-designed compass, and it points perpetually skyward.

(7) Shiny, Happy People

Gold is:

(a) a barbarous relic, and has been ever since John Maynard Keynes coined the phrase.

(b) the erstwhile and future money. We need to get back on the gold standard RIGHT NOW and abandon fiat currencies. We wouldn't be in this mess if you had listened to me and kept your tinfoil hat on. Hey, is that a tiny black helicopter I can hear whirring away next to my ear?

Interesting Article: Long Meeting Battle Cries

2008-07-23T11:57:00.002+08:00

Interesting Article from Wired.com. You may want to consider shouting one of these out when attending frustrating (or boring) meetings.

1. "This is where we fight! This is where they die!"
—King Leonidas

In 300, the king of Sparta uses this catchy jingle to rally his troops against the Persians. It scores big points for clarity, but it really gets a boost when 300 Spartans shout "HA-OOH!" in response.
2. "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"
—Sergeant Major Daniel Daly

Besieged and outnumbered at the 1918 Battle of Belleau Wood, Daly egged on his men with a rhetorical question — and it actually worked. So well that Johnny Rico reused the line in Starship Troopers.
3. "By the power of Greyskull ... I have the powerrr!!!"
—He-Man

Prince Adam needs a thesaurus. His catchphrase is repetitive and vague (the power to do what, exactly?), but it's all about delivery: Props to him for managing to say it with conviction in a Speedo.
4. "Over? Did you say over? Nothing is over till we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!"
—Bluto

The Animal House call to arms transcends its historical imprecision by appealing to the brotherhood of all men and, by implication, the universal desire to get tanked wearing a bedsheet. Toga! Toga!
5. "From my cold, dead hands!"
—Charlton Heston

The NRA spokesperson and president didn't invent this slogan, but when he uttered the phrase in a primal, throaty growl while brandishing a musket over his head at the group's 2000 convention, it made the leap from bumper sticker to battle cry.
6. "Tulta munille!" (Fire at their balls!)"
—Finnish troops

In Väinö Linna's World War II novel The Unknown Soldier, the Finnish hollered this easy-to-remember directive, masterfully exploiting castration anxiety.
7. "Carthago delenda est!" (Carthage must be destroyed!)
—Cato the Elder

Back around 157 BC, the Roman statesman worked this imperative into all of his speeches on the senate floor. He also dropped it cold at toga parties and around town until the Third Punic War finally kicked off. Sound familiar?
8. "Leeeroy Jennnkins!"
—Leeroy Jenkins

This machinima avatar is immortalized among the World of Warcraft crowd for plunging into battle shouting his own nom de guerre while his comrades dawdled on the sidelines overthinking their strategy.
9. "I am the Love Angel, I am Wedding Peach, and I am very angry with you!"
—Wedding Peach

In her eponymous manga and anime, the poor girl has to juggle a demanding junior high schedule while fighting an endless variety of devils. She didn't ask to be the Love Angel. It makes you wonder why her cry is so mildly worded and tempered with ambivalence.
10. "Today is a good day to die!"
—Klingons

This badass race cherry-picked its maxim from the Sioux for its counterintuitive melding of both negative and positive thinking — a brand of logic sure to befuddle Spock.

Movie: Definitely, Maybe

2008-07-20T18:27:00.003+08:00

So there I was, at home, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, wondering what to do.

I decided to get to watching some of the movies I'd had stored up for just such a day. The movie I picked was Definitely, Maybe starring Ryan Reynolds, Rachel Weisz, and Abigail Breslin.

Now, I wasn't really expecting much. From what I'd heard, it was your basic romantic comedy about a guy telling his young daughter about the previous women in his life. And so it was, yet it was SO MUCH MORE. Well, at least it was more, anyway.

Obviously, I really liked it.

It felt a lot like How I Met Your Mother, only less funny, more serious, and with a great little twist near the end. I'd heartily encourage one and all to watch this movie. Check it out today!

Equations for Living

2008-06-17T13:26:00.002+08:00

Work - Conscience = Survival

Survival - Ethics = Greed

Lyric Alert: "All I Want Is You" by Barry Louis Polisar

2008-05-05T15:01:00.002+08:00

"All I Want Is You"
by Barry Louis Polisar
From the 'Juno' Soundtrack

If I was a flower growing wild and free
All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I was a tree growing tall and greeen
All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

If I was a flower growing wild and free
All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I was a tree growing tall and greeen
All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a river in the mountains tall,
The rumble of your water would be my call.
If you were the winter, I know I'd be the snow
Just as long as you were with me, let the cold winds blow

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a wink, I'd be a nod
If you were a seed, well I'd be a pod.
If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug
And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were the wood, I'd be the fire.
If you were the love, I'd be the desire.
If you were a castle, I'd be your moat,
And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float.

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

Movie: Juno

2008-04-28T13:13:00.002+08:00

I watched this movie on a boring Sunday night.

In spite of the movie being, essentially, a talkie with little to no action scenes, it managed to hold my attention down to the very end. For some reason, I can't quite put my finger on the reason it did so. I just know that I loved every minute of it.

The music in this movie was like a living thing, interwoven amid the many events going on in Juno's life. Like a brilliant tapestry, the movie unfolded with a flourish. For me, no single thing stood out but the whole ended up being greater than the sum of its parts.

An altogether delightful and soul-stirring journey, this movie takes you on a ride that seemingly never ends. Its message to me?

Love's journey cares not for age or experience, but passion and commitment.

Dare: Office Meeting Antics

2008-04-16T23:41:00.002+08:00

Some things you wish you could say in a serious office meeting. See if you can catch the references. :D

"This project is going to require a lot of power. By the power... of Greyskull!"
"Let me consult with my team. Thunder... Thunder... Thundercats! Ho!!!"
"Fast turnaround time is paramount, I think. Speed... of the puma!"
"Let me think on this point. Whispered secrets of a shattered age, I summon you: renew this sage!"
"I'm not sure what you mean. Sword of Omens! Give me sight beyond sight!"
"Thank you for attending this meeting. Autobots, transform and roll out!"

Can you think of other lines you'd like to say in office meetings?

Movie: Dan In Real Life

2008-03-18T00:07:00.002+08:00

Managed to watch the movie Dan In Real Life last night.

Admittedly, I wasn't expecting much. This movie starred Steve Carell, Dane Cook, and Juliette Binoche in a heartwarming comedy about relationships, surprises, and how long it takes to fall in love (hint: it's between 2 and 4 days). Steve Carell is Dan Burns, who works as an advice columnist for a major newspaper. Supposedly an expert on relationships, Dan struggles throughout the movie in relationships with his 3 daughters, his brothers, his parents, and, of course, the women he meets.

This movie, strangely enough, resonated with me on a very primal level. The interplay between Dan and his many relationships struck a chord in me and I think it would find common ground with many folks. In a way, I guess we all struggle through our various relationships. If, by some miracle of chance or fate they happen to work out, then they become that much more precious. I'm no movie critic but I would say that Steve Carell was able to bring out the character in a very meaningful (and surprising) way. Juliette Binoche, with her characteristic understated European charm, serves as the perfect sophisticated and cosmopolitan foil to the highly middle America feel of Dan's entire family.

All in all, I'd highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to feel that there's always a chance the pretty girl (or handsome guy, way to be politically correct) in the bookstore could be your soulmate.

Yeah, yeah, it's pretty sappy. Watch it anyway.

The Evil Overlord List

2008-03-17T12:18:00.003+08:00

This is hilarious! Check it out!
_________________________

The Evil Overlord List
by Peter Anspach

Attention all Evil Overlord List Aspirants: Contrary to popular belief, taking over the universe is not as easy as it would first appear. Due to the complexity of this task, Peter regrets that he is currently unable to give the list the attention it deserves. The list is therefore going on a temporary hiatus. This is a temporary condition. As soon as he is able to respond in a timely manner -- or until he becomes unquestioned lord and master of all things, whichever comes first -- the list will not be updated and no new suggestions will be considered. He would sincerely apologize for this inconvenience, were it in character for an Evil Overlord to do so.

Being an Evil Overlord seems to be a good career choice. It pays well, there are all sorts of perks and you can set your own hours. However every Evil Overlord I've read about in books or seen in movies invariably gets overthrown and destroyed in the end. I've noticed that no matter whether they are barbarian lords, deranged wizards, mad scientists or alien invaders, they always seem to make the same basic mistakes every single time. With that in mind, allow me to present...

The Top 100 Things I'd Do
If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord

My Legions of Terror will have helmets with clear plexiglass visors, not face-concealing ones.
My ventilation ducts will be too small to crawl through.
My noble half-brother whose throne I usurped will be killed, not kept anonymously imprisoned in a forgotten cell of my dungeon.
Shooting is not too good for my enemies.
The artifact which is the source of my power will not be kept on the Mountain of Despair beyond the River of Fire guarded by the Dragons of Eternity. It will be in my safe-deposit box. The same applies to the object which is my one weakness.
I will not gloat over my enemies' predicament before killing them.
When I've captured my adversary and he says, "Look, before you kill me, will you at least tell me what this is all about?" I'll say, "No." and shoot him. No, on second thought I'll shoot him then say "No."
After I kidnap the beautiful princess, we will be married immediately in a quiet civil ceremony, not a lavish spectacle in three weeks' time during which the final phase of my plan will be carried out.
I will not include a self-destruct mechanism unless absolutely necessary. If it is necessary, it will not be a large red button labelled "Danger: Do Not Push". The big red button marked "Do Not Push" will instead trigger a spray of bullets on anyone stupid enough to disregard it. Similarly, the ON/OFF switch will not clearly be labelled as such.
I will not interrogate my enemies in the inner sanctum -- a small hotel well outside my borders will work just as well.
I will be secure in my superiority. Therefore, I will feel no need to prove it by leaving clues in the form of riddles or leaving my weaker enemies alive to show they pose no threat.
One of my advisors will be an average five-year-old child. Any flaws in my plan that he is able to spot will be corrected before implementation.
All slain enemies will be cremated, or at least have several rounds of ammunition emptied into them, not left for dead at the bottom of the cliff. The announcement of their deaths, as well as any accompanying celebration, will be deferred until after the aforementioned disposal.
The hero is not entitled to a last kiss, a last cigarette, or any other form of last request.
I will never employ any device with a digital countdown. If I find that such a device is absolutely unavoidable, I will set it to activate when the counter reaches 117 and the hero is just putting his plan into operation.
I will never utter the sentence "But before I kill you, there's just one thing I want to know."
When I employ people as advisors, I will occasionally listen to their advice.
I will not have a son. Although his laughably under-planned attempt to usurp power would easily fail, it would provide a fatal distraction at a crucial point in time.
I will not have a daughter. She would be as beautiful as she was evil, but one look at the hero's rugged countenance and she'd betray her own father.
Despite its proven stress-relieving effect, I will not indulge in maniacal laughter. When so occupied, it's too easy to miss unexpected developments that a more attentive individual could adjust to accordingly.
I will hire a talented fashion designer to create original uniforms for my Legions of Terror, as opposed to some cheap knock-offs that make them look like Nazi stormtroopers, Roman footsoldiers, or savage Mongol hordes. All were eventually defeated and I want my troops to have a more positive mind-set.
No matter how tempted I am with the prospect of unlimited power, I will not consume any energy field bigger than my head.
I will keep a special cache of low-tech weapons and train my troops in their use. That way -- even if the heroes manage to neutralize my power generator and/or render the standard-issue energy weapons useless -- my troops will not be overrun by a handful of savages armed with spears and rocks.
I will maintain a realistic assessment of my strengths and weaknesses. Even though this takes some of the fun out of the job, at least I will never utter the line "No, this cannot be! I AM INVINCIBLE!!!" (After that, death is usually instantaneous.)
No matter how well it would perform, I will never construct any sort of machinery which is completely indestructible except for one small and virtually inaccessible vulnerable spot.
No matter how attractive certain members of the rebellion are, there is probably someone just as attractive who is not desperate to kill me. Therefore, I will think twice before ordering a prisoner sent to my bedchamber.
I will never build only one of anything important. All important systems will have redundant control panels and power supplies. For the same reason I will always carry at least two fully loaded weapons at all times.
My pet monster will be kept in a secure cage from which it cannot escape and into which I could not accidentally stumble.
I will dress in bright and cheery colors, and so throw my enemies into confusion.
All bumbling conjurers, clumsy squires, no-talent bards, and cowardly thieves in the land will be preemptively put to death. My foes will surely give up and abandon their quest if they have no source of comic relief.
All naive, busty tavern wenches in my realm will be replaced with surly, world-weary waitresses who will provide no unexpected reinforcement and/or romantic subplot for the hero or his sidekick.
I will not fly into a rage and kill a messenger who brings me bad news just to illustrate how evil I really am. Good messengers are hard to come by.
I won't require high-ranking female members of my organization to wear a stainless-steel bustier. Morale is better with a more casual dress-code. Similarly, outfits made entirely from black leather will be reserved for formal occasions.
I will not turn into a snake. It never helps.
I will not grow a goatee. In the old days they made you look diabolic. Now they just make you look like a disaffected member of Generation X.
I will not imprison members of the same party in the same cell block, let alone the same cell. If they are important prisoners, I will keep the only key to the cell door on my person instead of handing out copies to every bottom-rung guard in the prison.
If my trusted lieutenant tells me my Legions of Terror are losing a battle, I will believe him. After all, he's my trusted lieutenant.
If an enemy I have just killed has a younger sibling or offspring anywhere, I will find them and have them killed immediately, instead of waiting for them to grow up harboring feelings of vengeance towards me in my old age.
If I absolutely must ride into battle, I will certainly not ride at the forefront of my Legions of Terror, nor will I seek out my opposite number among his army.
I will be neither chivalrous nor sporting. If I have an unstoppable superweapon, I will use it as early and as often as possible instead of keeping it in reserve.
Once my power is secure, I will destroy all those pesky time-travel devices.
When I capture the hero, I will make sure I also get his dog, monkey, ferret, or whatever sickeningly cute little animal capable of untying ropes and filching keys happens to follow him around.
I will maintain a healthy amount of skepticism when I capture the beautiful rebel and she claims she is attracted to my power and good looks and will gladly betray her companions if I just let her in on my plans.
I will only employ bounty hunters who work for money. Those who work for the pleasure of the hunt tend to do dumb things like even the odds to give the other guy a sporting chance.
I will make sure I have a clear understanding of who is responsible for what in my organization. For example, if my general screws up I will not draw my weapon, point it at him, say "And here is the price for failure," then suddenly turn and kill some random underling.
If an advisor says to me "My liege, he is but one man. What can one man possibly do?", I will reply "This." and kill the advisor.
If I learn that a callow youth has begun a quest to destroy me, I will slay him while he is still a callow youth instead of waiting for him to mature.
I will treat any beast which I control through magic or technology with respect and kindness. Thus if the control is ever broken, it will not immediately come after me for revenge.
If I learn the whereabouts of the one artifact which can destroy me, I will not send all my troops out to seize it. Instead I will send them out to seize something else and quietly put a Want-Ad in the local paper.
My main computers will have their own special operating system that will be completely incompatible with standard IBM and Macintosh powerbooks.
If one of my dungeon guards begins expressing concern over the conditions in the beautiful princess' cell, I will immediately transfer him to a less people-oriented position.
I will hire a team of board-certified architects and surveyors to examine my castle and inform me of any secret passages and abandoned tunnels that I might not know about.
If the beautiful princess that I capture says "I'll never marry you! Never, do you hear me, NEVER!!!", I will say "Oh well" and kill her.
I will not strike a bargain with a demonic being then attempt to double-cross it simply because I feel like being contrary.
The deformed mutants and odd-ball psychotics will have their place in my Legions of Terror. However before I send them out on important covert missions that require tact and subtlety, I will first see if there is anyone else equally qualified who would attract less attention.
My Legions of Terror will be trained in basic marksmanship. Any who cannot learn to hit a man-sized target at 10 meters will be used for target practice.
Before employing any captured artifacts or machinery, I will carefully read the owner's manual.
If it becomes necessary to escape, I will never stop to pose dramatically and toss off a one-liner.
I will never build a sentient computer smarter than I am.
My five-year-old child advisor will also be asked to decipher any code I am thinking of using. If he breaks the code in under 30 seconds, it will not be used. Note: this also applies to passwords.
If my advisors ask "Why are you risking everything on such a mad scheme?", I will not proceed until I have a response that satisfies them.
I will design fortress hallways with no alcoves or protruding structural supports which intruders could use for cover in a firefight.
Bulk trash will be disposed of in incinerators, not compactors. And they will be kept hot, with none of that nonsense about flames going through accessible tunnels at predictable intervals.
I will see a competent psychiatrist and get cured of all extremely unusual phobias and bizarre compulsive habits which could prove to be a disadvantage.
If I must have computer systems with publically available terminals, the maps they display of my complex will have a room clearly marked as the Main Control Room. That room will be the Execution Chamber. The actual main control room will be marked as Sewage Overflow Containment.
My security keypad will actually be a fingerprint scanner. Anyone who watches someone press a sequence of buttons or dusts the pad for fingerprints then subsequently tries to enter by repeating that sequence will trigger the alarm system.
No matter how many shorts we have in the system, my guards will be instructed to treat every surveillance camera malfunction as a full-scale emergency.
I will spare someone who saved my life sometime in the past. This is only reasonable as it encourages others to do so. However, the offer is good one time only. If they want me to spare them again, they'd better save my life again.
All midwives will be banned from the realm. All babies will be delivered at state-approved hospitals. Orphans will be placed in foster-homes, not abandoned in the woods to be raised by creatures of the wild.
When my guards split up to search for intruders, they will always travel in groups of at least two. They will be trained so that if one of them disappears mysteriously while on patrol, the other will immediately initiate an alert and call for backup, instead of quizzically peering around a corner.
If I decide to test a lieutenant's loyalty and see if he/she should be made a trusted lieutenant, I will have a crack squad of marksmen standing by in case the answer is no.
If all the heroes are standing together around a strange device and begin to taunt me, I will pull out a conventional weapon instead of using my unstoppable superweapon on them.
I will not agree to let the heroes go free if they win a rigged contest, even though my advisors assure me it is impossible for them to win.
When I create a multimedia presentation of my plan designed so that my five-year-old advisor can easily understand the details, I will not label the disk "Project Overlord" and leave it lying on top of my desk.
I will instruct my Legions of Terror to attack the hero en masse, instead of standing around waiting while members break off and attack one or two at a time.
If the hero runs up to my roof, I will not run up after him and struggle with him in an attempt to push him over the edge. I will also not engage him at the edge of a cliff. (In the middle of a rope-bridge over a river of molten lava is not even worth considering.)
If I have a fit of temporary insanity and decide to give the hero the chance to reject a job as my trusted lieutentant, I will retain enough sanity to wait until my current trusted lieutenant is out of earshot before making the offer.
I will not tell my Legions of Terror "And he must be taken alive!" The command will be "And try to take him alive if it is reasonably practical."
If my doomsday device happens to come with a reverse switch, as soon as it has been employed it will be melted down and made into limited-edition commemorative coins.
If my weakest troops fail to eliminate a hero, I will send out my best troops instead of wasting time with progressively stronger ones as he gets closer and closer to my fortress.
If I am fighting with the hero atop a moving platform, have disarmed him, and am about to finish him off and he glances behind me and drops flat, I too will drop flat instead of quizzically turning around to find out what he saw.
I will not shoot at any of my enemies if they are standing in front of the crucial support beam to a heavy, dangerous, unbalanced structure.
If I'm eating dinner with the hero, put poison in his goblet, then have to leave the table for any reason, I will order new drinks for both of us instead of trying to decide whether or not to switch with him.
I will not have captives of one sex guarded by members of the opposite sex.
I will not use any plan in which the final step is horribly complicated, e.g. "Align the 12 Stones of Power on the sacred altar then activate the medallion at the moment of total eclipse." Instead it will be more along the lines of "Push the button."
I will make sure that my doomsday device is up to code and properly grounded.
My vats of hazardous chemicals will be covered when not in use. Also, I will not construct walkways above them.
If a group of henchmen fail miserably at a task, I will not berate them for incompetence then send the same group out to try the task again.
After I captures the hero's superweapon, I will not immediately disband my legions and relax my guard because I believe whoever holds the weapon is unstoppable. After all, the hero held the weapon and I took it from him.
I will not design my Main Control Room so that every workstation is facing away from the door.
I will not ignore the messenger that stumbles in exhausted and obviously agitated until my personal grooming or current entertainment is finished. It might actually be important.
If I ever talk to the hero on the phone, I will not taunt him. Instead I will say this his dogged perseverance has given me new insight on the futility of my evil ways and that if he leaves me alone for a few months of quiet contemplation I will likely return to the path of righteousness. (Heroes are incredibly gullible in this regard.)
If I decide to hold a double execution of the hero and an underling who failed or betrayed me, I will see to it that the hero is scheduled to go first.
When arresting prisoners, my guards will not allow them to stop and grab a useless trinket of purely sentimental value.
My dungeon will have its own qualified medical staff complete with bodyguards. That way if a prisoner becomes sick and his cellmate tells the guard it's an emergency, the guard will fetch a trauma team instead of opening up the cell for a look.
My door mechanisms will be designed so that blasting the control panel on the outside seals the door and blasting the control panel on the inside opens the door, not vice versa.
My dungeon cells will not be furnished with objects that contain reflective surfaces or anything that can be unravelled.
If an attractive young couple enters my realm, I will carefully monitor their activities. If I find they are happy and affectionate, I will ignore them. However if circumstance have forced them together against their will and they spend all their time bickering and criticizing each other except during the intermittent occasions when they are saving each others' lives at which point there are hints of sexual tension, I will immediately order their execution.
Any data file of crucial importance will be padded to 1.45Mb in size.
Finally, to keep my subjects permanently locked in a mindless trance, I will provide each of them with free unlimited Internet access.

Copyright Notice:

This Evil Overlord List is Copyright 1996-1997 by Peter Anspach. If you enjoy it, feel free to pass it along or post it anywhere, provided that (1) it is not altered in any way, and (2) this copyright notice is attached.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING THE COPYRIGHT:

This Evil Overlord List grew out of the exchanges on what is now the Star Trek mailing list "shields-up@spies.com", beginning in 1994 (when it was still "startrek@cs.arizona.edu"). We were kicking around cliches that appeared on "Deep Space 9" at the time, and I started to compile a list of classic blunders they were making. The list came to about 20 or so items. In 1995, I decided to try to make it into a Top 100 List. I attached a copyright notice, some friends of mine posted it to a few newsgroups, and the contributions quickly poured in. In 1996 I revised the list entries to their current form, the Web page went up, more contributions were solicited, the list expanded beyond 100 and I had to open up a dungeon. I continued to contribute items; my total is around 40 or so. So while I am the originator, editor, and principal contributor, I certainly did not write the majority of the items on the list -- as may be seen by the sheer number of individuals who are listed as contributors. Around 1997, as the final contributions were coming in, a couple contributors mentioned that this was similar to a list of things not to do if you capture James Bond that had appeared on a sci-fi newsgroup. I'd never heard of or seen this list, so I assumed it was parallel development or perhaps something I had inspired.

On November 12, 2002, I exchanged some emails with Jack Butler who has a list on his website. Sayeth Mr. Butler: "This list has its origins on the now-nonexistent FidoNet Science Fiction and Fandom (SFFAN) email echo, in a discussion regarding a sketch seen on an episode of Saturday Night Live sometime in 1990. In the sketch, several Bond villains were appearing on a talkshow touting their new book, "What Not To Do If You Capture James Bond". The discussion on SFFAN was specifically regarding what advice might be found in that book. The instigator of the discussion was Alesia Chamness; other contributors included Jason Welles, Brian R. Williams, Merideth Knepper, and Alexi Vandenburg. I was also one of its contributors. When I originally posted this list to the Internet in 1994, I did so without any awareness of Mr. Anspach, the Star Trek mailing list on which his version of the list appeared, or (later) his website."

Apparently both lists were compiled during overlapping periods of time. Comparing the two, some items appear on one list but not the other. Other items appear identical to those on this list; since many are the result of my writing or editing, I believe they were taken from this list and posted to that list without permission. But other items on that list appear identical to contributions I received before I edited them. Those items may have been taken from that list and submitted here under false pretenses, or they may have innocently been submitted to both lists by their originators. It appears that as a result of this "cross-contamination", the two lists have arrived at a point where there are variations on each other and it is probably impossible to untangle them. (I would still like to talk with Alesia Chamness. If you know her, please ask her to email me.)

I believe Jack Butler when he says the list on his website is the current form of the James Bond Villain list, and I thank him for helping to clarify matters. Let me state that I had nothing to do with the FidoNet SFFAN list which is firmly in the public domain, and I lay no claim to it. The copyright statement attached to my list applies only to this list, in the form it appears.

-- Peter Anspach

The Story of Stuff

2008-03-10T15:46:00.002+08:00

I came across a very interesting (and educational!) video about eco-sustainability, justice, and equity in the modern world. While highly America-centric, the findings in the video provide a very stark picture for everyone all over the world and the call-to-action is quite compelling. I would enjoin everyone to watch this video with an open mind and, only if you feel like it, share it with others. Click away!

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard

Cheers!

The Passing of the Dungeon Master

2008-03-05T09:50:00.002+08:00

I read in an article on Wired today that Gary Gygax, the so-called 'Father of D&D', has passed away.

A sad event indeed. For those who are unaware, Gary Gygax created the Dungeons & Dragons game in a collaboration with Dave Arneson in 1974. He is credited with giving birth to the roleplaying game (RPG) as a genre. To hobbyists and gamers all over the world, he is the first Dungeon Master.

As a game, D&D (and its more complex sibling AD&D) have served to provide yours truly with hours of escapist fun. Both as a pen-and-paper RPG and as a computer RPG, the game has provided a framework for amazing adventures, fantastic quests, and bloody battles. I've always felt that RPGs provided a limitless venue for the imagination. "In your own mind, there is no special effects budget!"

And so, as a tribute to Dungeon Master Gary Gygax, let us lift our glasses in a toast. May he rest in peace.

Another Day, Another Rally

2008-02-29T10:00:00.002+08:00

There's going to be a rally at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas in Makati City today.

This will, of course, seriously snarl up traffic and make it infinitely more difficult to move around. I doubt the rallyists themselves have thought of the consequences of their rallies but, hey, it's for the good of the country, right? Yep, the increased noise, traffic, and garbage will go towards making our country a better place. Tell that to the cops who are currently on high alert in case violence breaks out. Tell that to the street cleaners who will have to clear up the garbage once the rally is over. Tell that to the office workers around the area who will have to wade through horrendous traffic to get home to their families. When all is said and done, is it all going to be worth it?

Enough of my ranting.

Anyway, went to watch a show with The Dawn last night at Greenbelt 2 sponsored by Crossover 105.1 (the jazz/easy listening radio station). Now, everyone knows this band for its hard rockin' sounds but since their sponsor was an easy listening radio station, they toned it down a notch. Nevertheless, they still sang old favorites like Salamat and Iisang Bangka Tayo. Anyone know where I can get mp3's of these songs??? I'd appreciate a holler.

Cheers!

The Platinum Rule

2008-02-20T10:56:00.002+08:00

We're all familiar with the Golden Rule, right?

Golden Rule: Do unto others what you would want others to do unto you.

Platinum Rule: Love thy neighbor but do not love thy neighbor.

Confused? This rule was formulated so that you could avoid relationships with people you have to see everyday (e.g. co-workers, neighbors, doctors, etc). Here are the 8 stages that occur when the Platinum Rule is broken.

1. Attraction - It's the first step to breaking this rule. All it takes is a little bit of attraction (mostly physical, mind you) and you're on your way.
2. Denial - You've been warned, of course. Everyone says it's a bad idea. But do you listen? Nooo!
3. Submission - "What's the harm? It'll be fun!" Bad idea!!!
4. Perks - There are always perks when breaking the Platinum Rule. At first! Carpooling to work? Great! Free consultations? Fantastic!
5. The Tipping Point - This is the point when you realize your mistake. It could be an irritating habit you can't stand or a personality quirk you find disgusting. Whatever it is, the realization almost always comes too late. The most common words when this realization hits? "Uh oh."
6. Purgatory - Once the realization hits, you also realize that you can't get out... maybe forever! After all, you do have to see this person everyday!!!
7. Confrontation - You can't live like this, of course. There will come a breaking point and it'll be rough.
8. Fallout - There are always consequences to breaking it off with someone you have to see on a regular basis. Awkwardness in office meetings? Ugh. Horrible. But life goes on...

So there you have it. For an infinitely funnier take on the above, watch Season 3 Episode 11 of "How I Met Your Mother"!

Updates! Updates! Updates!

2008-02-18T10:14:00.002+08:00

I'd almost forgotten I had a blog since my last post was 02Oct07. Of course, a slew of events has occurred since then. I'll see if I can go through them fairly quickly.

New Job: Well, all good things must come to an end. While I remain in the same company, I've been given new responsibilities which include a more strategic view of the business as a whole. Overall, I'm quite happy given the new direction of my career.
New (Old) Game: I've gotten my chops back into Neverwinter Nights although this time doing the multiplayer on an action server. Tons of fun! I've gotten my dwarven defender up to level 53 (as of this writing) and it's really a great server with funny and interesting personalities and challenging zones. If you're looking for a FREE MMORPG to play, check it out here.
New House: Finally moved to the new house. We'd purchased the house in late Sep07 and renovation's been ongoing for the past few months. We officially moved in last 08Feb08. Woo hoo!
New TV Shows: Been following (mostly) the same old TV episodes although the recent WGA strike has made watching them somewhat problematic. Nevertheless, we march on as all dedicated soldiers do. New shows on the radar right now are Bionic Woman, Gossip Girl, Dirty Sexy Money, and The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
New Movies: Admittedly, I've been VERY delinquent on the movies front although I have managed to squeeze in the following shows. No lengthy reviews though and they're not in the order I watched them. Plus, I'm fairly sure I've forgotten a few I watched as well.

I Am Legend
Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
The Golden Compass
Live Free or Die Hard (Die Hard 4)
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Ratatouille
The Bourne Ultimatum

New Anime: I've started (and finished) 2 full anime series and am currently catching up on a third. The ones I've already finished are Claymore and Fate/Stay Night. The one I'm still watching is Fullmetal Alchemist. I would highly recommend all of them as they're all really really good!
New Restaurants/Bars: Been a little less adventurous of late so not a lot of new places visited in terms of eating and drinking. The following is a short list of the memorable ones.

Mickey's Deli along Jupiter Street, Makati City - Lovely wood fire grilled sausages and great German beer to go with it!
Arya at G/F Promenade in Greenhills - Fantastic beef kebabs and koobideh with rice. Absolutely mouthwatering!
CAV Wine Bar in Bonifacio High Street, Taguig - Food's a little expensive and wine is pricey although the experience of using their wine dispensers is worth a visit.
Nihonbashitei along Pasay Road, Makati City - Spectacular Japanese food at affordable prices! Try the steak meal for PHP660 which comes with Japanese fried rice, veggies, and all-you-can-drink San Miguel draft beer from 6-11pm.
Freska at 2/F Promenade in Greenhills - Come for their innovative Beer Balloon which is a balloon-shaped beer dispensing device good for 10 bottles of San Miguel beer. Designed to keep beer cold and foam free. Try it today!

Well, that's about it for now. I've been thinking of modifying my posting habits so that I can post more so we'll see how that goes. Cheers!

2007-10-02T12:57:00.000+08:00

FREE BURMA!

"I Now Pronounce You...

2007-09-22T20:44:00.000+08:00

... Chuck and Larry" was the movie we caught just last Friday evening at Rockwell's Power Plant cinema.

A hilarious romp into a straight best friend duo's attempt at living the gay lifestyle, the movie poked fun at many of our most biased impressions of what a gay lifestyle is supposed to be like. As funny as it was for us, we figured that the same may not be as easily accepted by people who really are gay. All in all, this was a movie full of harmless fun.

If you missed it, catch it on DVD with some straight friends. I'm sure you'll have just as much fun.

Cheers!

Avenue Q @ RCBC Plaza

2007-09-16T16:19:00.000+08:00

Some friends and I went to watch the Philippine staging of Avenue Q at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater in the RCBC Plaza building last Saturday, 15Sep07.

We had managed to procure tickets very early (2 months before!) so our seats were really good. We got there just as the show started and it was a hilarious journey into the depths of insecurity for those starting out life after college. There were also quite a few barbs for those of us already working quite a while, especially the single ones. All in all, we had a great time watching this surprisingly well-run production topbilled by pop singer Rachel Alejandro, singer/actress Aiza Seguerra, and "Star in a Million" champion Frenchie Dy.

I would heartily recommend everyone to catch this once-in-a-lifetime show here in the Philippines. Get your tickets now!!!

Cheers!

Quiet 1-Day Leaves

2007-09-11T09:55:00.000+08:00

Rewarded myself with a quiet 1-day vacation leave from work yesterday.

Woke up at 11.30am, having slept at around 2am the night before. I think vampire life suits me. Had to run a few household errands to take advantage of the extra hours then settled in to catch a few movies I'd been intending to watch for the longest time.

1. The Prestige (Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson; d: Christopher Nolan). This was a truly excellent movie which I'd been saving for a special viewing. The plot was highly engaging, stringing the viewer along till the very end; quite literally, till the prestige. The characters were well-played and the setting really brought out the nuances of the story. A highly recommended movie all around. I would commend especially the performance of Michael Caine which, while understated, provided just the right foil for the high-powered and polarized characters of Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, respectively.

2. The Maltese Falcon (Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre; d: John Huston). Hearkening back to a time when private eyes were men of power and cunning and women were called "dames" and were dangerous and slick as hell, this movie is a classic, and rightfully so. Portraying the quintessential private eye Sam Spade, Humphrey Bogart gives an inspired performance, seeing through deception with a critical eye while retaining a vulnerable side to the deceitful yet lovely Brigid O'Shaughnessy (played by the oh-so-seemingly innocent Mary Astor). Truly a movie for fans of the film noir genre and detective movies in general.

3. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Robert Downey Jr, Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan; d: Shane Black). Deciding I'd had enough period films for one day, I felt the need for a more modern movie to cap off my day. Having heard a mention of this movie in an episode of Veronica Mars, I felt I owed it to myself to see this film. With a highly convoluted plot including numerous plot twists and surprises, the movie did not fail to satisfy. While the acting was slightly off-kilter, the fast-paced writing and action served to gloss that over. Besides, Michelle Monaghan as Harmony Faith Lane was simply too good to pass up. Something to watch on a rainy afternoon.

That's about it for me. Till next time.

Veronica Mars - The Movie?

2007-09-03T00:24:00.001+08:00

I decided to get back into Veronica Mars in a desperate bid to fill the void left behind by the utter lack of good TV shows lately. With the Fall season just weeks away, I decided to play catch-up and finish this totally awesome series and, hopefully, get some closure.

This was apparently not in the cards.

After watching Veronica walk down the street in the rain at the end of season 3, I had no closure. There were still so many unanswered questions that left me hanging. Now I remember why I liked the show to begin with. The sassy pop-noir feel of the whole show is a joy to behold.

Based on my net-surfing, it seems there is now a movement to have a Veronica Mars movie! Obviously there are others who felt as I did and would really love to get some closure on this series. I am, of course, all for it.

You can check out the news on this here.

Cheers!

New Worlds

2007-06-22T09:19:00.000+08:00

Just a plug for some friends. Cheers!

*********************************

It's here!

New Worlds: Transformed brings you all the costumes, the games, the
books, the toys, and all the science fiction and fantasy that was
missing from your life, for a whole week! Celebrate being a fan of
your favorite show, books or authors at New Worlds: Transformed on
July 9 to 15, 2007, at the Power Plant Mall in Rockwell.

But wait, there's more! Stay tuned to http://www.newworlds.ph for news
about New Worlds 5: the 5th Philippine Science Fiction and Fantasy
Convention in October.

The Dresden Files

2007-03-28T10:21:00.000+08:00

I've never been to Chicago.

But now that I've read Jim Butcher's series of novels called The Dresden Files, I feel as if I know the Windy City already. This series is a fascinating and compelling collection of stories told from the point of view of Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, Chicago's only private investigator/wizard officially listed in the yellow pages under the category of "Wizard". His name is an amalgamation of Harry Houdini, Harry Blackstone Sr, and David Copperfield, all magicians. Set in the streets of Chicago, this fantasy/mystery series has recently been translated onto the small screen via a TV series on the Sci-Fi channel, The Dresden Files.

Now I've watched the series and I've read the novels (yes, all 8 of them!) and I must say that the series has managed to portray the character fairly accurately within the limits of the medium. Novels almost always trump TV as a medium, in my opinion, so it was no surprise that I found the books fascinating. I can't wait for book 9 of the series to be released.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Cheers!

Birthday Bash(es)!

2007-03-17T13:15:00.000+08:00

Two good friends had their respective birthday bashes last night.

The first one was held at Good Earth Roast in Rockwell, a nice open-air type place that served Chinese-style roasted dishes. Not to mention cheap beer. The atmosphere was very relaxed and the weather was perfect. We had roast platters, fried rice, noodles, and siomai.

The second one was an after-dinner affair at Bamboo Lounge in the Fort. Not much eating here, mostly drinking and chatting. The great thing about this place was the music as it was fairly unobtrusive yet atmosphere-creating house beats and rhythms. Coolness.

Cheers!

Musings...

2007-02-28T10:14:00.000+08:00

Work has just shifted into high gear.

A project previously thought to be on-track has now been changed to be both high-priority and, at this point in time, late. Time to play catch-up, again. Meanwhile 3 other projects are chugging along, every so often a need arises for firefighting but that's par for the course, so to speak.

Continuing to play badminton every week. I made a new year's resolution to get back into badminton for the exercise and it seems to be working. At least, I hope it's working.

My social life, on the other hand, is now on a downward spiral. Less nights out, less bar hopping sprees, less drinking, less carousing, less, less, less. Soon, the litany will be gone, gone, gone. Not happening without a fight, though. I feel the thirst coming on.

Maybe a beer (or two) after work tonight would be a good idea. God knows I deserve it.

Cheers!

Post-Valentines Updates

2007-02-19T11:12:00.000+08:00

Well, it's been quite a while, hasn't it?

As per my last blog entry, I've been pretty occupied with both work and TV. That has now changed. I'm no longer occupied with TV episodes simply because work has consumed almost all my available time. With 2 major projects, 1 minor project, and regular day-to-day tasks to perform, there just isn't enough time for everything anymore. This is partially the reason why this blog remains fairly outdated.

Where to begin? Let's run down the list.

TV: Well, I've toned down my episode-watching to just Heroes, Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, The Dresden Files, House M.D., Friday Night Lights, and How I Met Your Mother. I've let go of CSI, Veronica Mars, The O.C., and Numb3rs. Still a sizable menu of shows to watch although nowadays I take them in bite-size chunks instead of gorging on several episodes a sitting.
Anime: I continue to watch Bleach and Naruto only. The great part is that the filler episodes for both series have ended and the main story arcs have begun. For Bleach, that means we now return to the aftereffects of Captain Aizen's betrayal of Soul Society. For Naruto, that means a return to the quest for Sasuke's soul and a revelation concerning the secret society known as Akatsuki.
Movies: Haven't been able to watch movies as much as I used to. I've managed to squeeze in Gridiron Gang, Hellboy: Sword of Storms, Music & Lyrics, The Departed and The Prestige. I'm still trying to watch The Holiday and Ghost Rider. Anyone wanna watch with me?
Parties: With the departure of a good friend whose place we frequently used for house parties, the frequency of these activities has severely tapered off. We no longer have parties, we have... dinners. Which was what happened on Valentines Day. A bunch of us single people went out that night and had dinner at Grappa's, an excellent Italian place within walking distance of the office. Drinks followed at Nuvo.
Music: Albums currently loaded in my iPod are the Dixie Chicks' multiple Grammy-winning Taking the Long Way and Norah Jones' recently released album Not Too Late. Oldies but goodies include The Very Best of Sting & The Police.
Sports: Just got back into badminton again. After a 10-month hiatus, reflexes were slow and the body felt ponderous and heavy. A few more sessions should get me back into my old form again. Hopefully.
Books: Continuing to read the Star Wars New Jedi Order series, currently on book 21 (Force Heretic III - Reunion). Also restarted Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series but only in book 1 (Eye of the World). Also started on Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files series as an accompaniment to the TV episodes. Continuing with Piers Anthony's Adept series and currently on book 4 (Out of Phaze).
Comics: Stopped reading these things for the moment. Got too much on my plate and keeping up-to-date on comic book events is taking its toll. I still keep abreast of major events like Marvel's Civil War and DC's Infinite Crisis but nothing detailed right now.

Well, fairly lengthy update, wouldn't you say? Just so happens that the entire Chinese world is celebrating the Lunar New Year so kung hei fat choi to everyone out there!

Cheers!

Of Doctors and Heroes... and Ninjas!

2006-11-22T14:49:00.000+08:00

So what's been occupying my time lately, aside from the usual office work?

TV, that's what.

I've been slavishly watching episodes of various TV series that are showing in the States right now. On the radar in particular are the following.

1. Heroes
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. CSI (Las Vegas)
4. Veronica Mars
5. House, MD

Not listed in order of preference, mind you. Also, I've been following two Japanese anime shows that are huge hits in Japan right now.

1. Bleach
2. Naruto

So, with those plus work there's hardly any time for blogging, is there? Of course there is, though admittedly I'm finding it hard to find the time. Not to worry, I'll still keep this space alive, if only to document my slow descent into gibbering madness.

Cheers!

Return of the... Jedi?

2006-09-04T10:40:00.000+08:00

Finally, I've returned.

I actually came back in mid-July so my hiatus from blogging has been much longer. I've been very busy playing catch-up for the past month and a half. This is because I was basically away for 2 months before that for the overseas course I had to attend.

I returned to tons of email, mounds of work, and a whole host of stuff that needed resolution. Things have settled down somewhat although work days are still fairly hectic. Not much happening on the gimmick front aside from the usual movies and drinks type of night-out. We watched "The Devil Wears Prada" last friday night which was pretty good. I felt that there was a lot of texture and nuance I missed in that movie, simply by virtue of the fact that I'm a guy. The girls we were with were nothing short of rapturous in their reaction to the movie.

Well, that's about it. Gotta get back to work. Tons of stuff to do.

Cheers!

Absence...

2006-06-16T03:03:00.000+08:00

Well, you all might be wondering why I haven't posted in an unusually long time.

Truth of the matter is I was sent to the UK for some work-related training in mid-May06. I'm actually still in the UK and the course will end beginning of July06. Should you be curious about what I've been doing in this new and strange land, check out my UK blog here.

Cheers!

HSBC Security Device for Online Banking

2006-04-27T09:30:00.000+08:00

Ok, so I haven't posted in a long time.

Yikes! Didn't realize it's been almost 3 months since my last post. My sincerest apologies on that as I've been especially busy these past couple of months. Work and all that, after all. We drones do need to make a living, you know.

Anyway, I got a letter in the mail today from my bank HSBC here in Manila and it seems that they're launching a new Security Device for online banking. Now, I've been a devoted online banker with HSBC for a pretty long time and, I must admit, the service has been pretty good so far. From what I can see on their site regarding this device of theirs, it seems I might have to revise my opinion of them.

It seems this device generates a one-time 6-digit code every button press that will be required every time we customers use their online banking service. I understand the tech behind it, of course, since every logon will require both your standard username and password PLUS the 6-digit code that this device generates. Based on the reading I got, it seems this code changes all the time which means there's probably some sort of mathematical or cryptographic algorithm going on in there. The site says that they'll start delivering the devices in phases (note the bold type there) by 17Apr06. I haven't got mine yet though some friends I've got who work in HSBC tell me they already have theirs. Guess the thing's on its way.

I think it's a great idea in terms of enhanced online security. After all, online fraud is on the rise and knowing that my bank is concerned about this does give me some comfort. My only beef, and it's a minor one I'll admit, is that I've got nowhere to attach the bloody thing. Oh well, I guess some sacrifices do need to be made for better online security. Kudos to HSBC, then, for caring about customers and their needs!

Now, where could I possibly attach a 2-inch security device...

Crossroads

2006-02-02T17:41:00.000+08:00

I came to a crossroads today.

Our office came out with a job vacancy being advertised by another department late last week. It was a part of the office I used to work in before I got moved around in a whirlwind of transfers then settled into where I am now. Based on the description of the work, it was stuff I could do fairly easily, only they were hiring at my pay grade.

Plenty of office experience has taught me that these descriptions are NEVER what they seem though so I did some snooping around. Sure enough, there was quite a discrepancy between the work being advertised and the actual work in that job. Many of the perceived positive points the job had for me were quickly cancelled out. A deal-breaker was the belief that I would be coordinating matters with our large multinational corporate clients. This belief was eroded as I was informed that I would be speaking with our SMALL and MEDIUM multinational and local corporate clients. Now, I'd dealt with some of these clients before. Believe me, it was not a pleasant experience. Give me a large professional multinational corporate any day of the week.

So no job movement for me, it seems. Plenty of departments are advertising job vacancies nowadays and I'm fairly certain one will come around with my name on it. If not, I'm quite happy where I am now anyway.

Till next time, dear readers.

TGIF!

2006-01-20T11:30:00.000+08:00

Friday has rolled around again.

It's looking like a fairly busy weekend since I've got a party to attend tonight, another party to attend tomorrow night, and a kiddie party to attend Sunday for lunch.

Wonder if I'll get to score? Hahaha!

If I do, I'll let you guys know right away.

As if.

Cheers!

Updates Updates Updates

2006-01-18T08:56:00.000+08:00

It's been a full 3 months since my last post.

Well, except for that quick one yesterday. At any rate, nothing much has changed in that span of time. I'm still working in the same place doing the same thing. I'm set to fly to the UK for some training time in May of this year so I'm really looking forward to that one.

Suffered a major setback at work yesterday. Not really involving my own career but that of a subordinate. No matter how much they say you've gotta detach yourself from the work, at least emotionally, one cannot help but feel a sense of mentorship towards one's subordinates. It's like you're responsible for their growth and development. I've always felt that this was one aspect of work at which I excelled. Many of my former subordinates have distinguished themselves and been promoted to positions of greater responsibility. I guess my streak ends here.

Felt pretty bad yesterday. Went to the gym in the evening. Zoned out for an hour and a half. Felt bone-tired afterwards. Made sleep easier.

Bah! Enough negativity! I'm a firm believer in the view that the world is already too negative and contrary. We don't need to add to the difficulties already here.

Thoughts Like Bees... Buzzing... Buzzing...

2006-01-17T15:28:00.000+08:00

It's been a very Steve Jobs couple of days for me lately.

That sentence may be a little cryptic. Let me explain a little. My sister came home from work in the USA last Christmas and she brought the latest 5G iPod with Video for me. I was, of course, ecstatic and proceeded to quickly set it up and use it extensively. Needless to say, I loved that little gadget. Still do.

Two weeks ago, I uploaded the movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley" into my iPod. I watched it by hooking the gadget up to my TV using a set of A/V cables I had purchased recently from the Apple Store. The cables worked like a dream and the movie was an eye-opener for me. The movie is basically the story of Apple and Microsoft, and the people behind those 2 companies: Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. I'd recommend the movie to any computer geek anywhere.

Today, I remembered a forwarded email I'd read a few months ago regarding a commencement speech by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple. I Googled it and found it here.

The speech talks about 3 very enlightening things: connecting the dots, love and loss, and death. I leave it up to you to read his speech but I believe there is something there for everyone. It has made me re-think my priorities, both for work and life. Strange how I typed in 'work' before I typed in 'life'. Eerie.

Till next time, gentle readers.

Wet Rag Syndrome

2005-10-07T14:37:00.000+08:00

There are days when you feel like a wet rag that's been wrung out one too many times.

I've been feeling like this a lot lately. This one project at work has been taking up so much time and it's beginning to consume me. Not that I shouldn't be working on it. On the contrary, the best case scenario would be for me to drop everything and concentrate my efforts on this single project which, as it happens, is a global project that is simply massive in scope. But, as it stands, my regular duties cannot abide without proper attention.

My section, in particular, has suffered from 50% attrition and is still recovering. Effectively, half my personnel are new to the job and require guidance. One of my direct reports is already working on her part of the project full-time while I, the project manager, am working on it part-time while managing the rest of our section's other projects. There are times when I get the feeling I'm about to be fired by Donald Trump in an episode of "The Apprentice".

But, enough of my griping. I still manage to find time to go out with friends (who, btw, are not as stressed as I am) and have fun. Working my way backwards, we hit the following nightspots.

01Oct05: Rastro in PowerPlant - A cozy little bistro-style place, very laid-back
30Sep05: Cena in GB3 - Placed in the middle of the Makati gimmick district, there was lots to see as everyone who was anyone passed by
24Sep05: This was a very memorable day. It was the wedding of Manny (one of my best friends from college) and Iea, his fiance. The ceremony was held at the San Agustin Church in Intramuros with the reception following at the Patio Victoria nearby. The reception had a 1920's theme and we all had to go in dark suits. I was part of the entourage as a groomsman. Loads of fun and I got smashed on Tequila Rose, Rose Shiraz, and red wine. I did, however, manage to stay sober enough to bring Manny's younger sister, Chinee, home. I ducked out again afterwards to Cable Car along Pasay Road for beers with friends which lasted till 4am. What a night.
23Sep05: Masa's in GB3 - Located right next to Cena, it was at the center of the action. This was after we watched Cinderella Man (a surprisingly good film) which we headed to after a drinking session at the office to celebrate a co-worker's promotion with wine and champagne.
17Sep05: Manny's Stag Party - I don't think I should elaborate on this here.

Well, that's about as far back as I can recall at this point. More soon! We've got an Oktoberfest celebration coming up which should prove a blast!

Cheers!

Return of the... Worker!

2005-08-23T10:08:00.000+08:00

After a long hiatus from blogging, I have returned.

Work has been simply insane these past 2 weeks just after my return from HK on a business trip (fortunately on the company's tab). After 2 staff resignations, my department is now severely understaffed and we all have to work double-time in order to make our deadlines.

Even though work is doubly hard now, this must not deter us from going out and relaxing every once in a while. More on that in my next post.

Cheerio!

More Home PC Woes

2005-07-26T16:49:00.000+08:00

My computer hates me.

Why do I say this? I had some problems with it before when some really severe voltage fluctuations burned out my PC's power supply. This was, of course, easily remedied as power supply parts are cheap and readily available. The technician who fixed her up advised me to reformat my hard drive and re-install all my software to avoid file corruption. According to him, the PC would be good for a few days (during which time I was supposed to archive my important documents) before giving in to corrupted data packets or some such.

Of course, being an obedient fellow, I promptly archived all of my files (mostly clips of TV episodes I planned on watching when I had the chance) to keep in a safe place. After which, I went through the tedious and laborious process of re-installing Windows XP.

This went on for quite a while. Aside from simple Windows XP, I had to download and install all the hardware drivers for my PC's various components. Having done so (at great trouble, mind you), I proceeded to download and install the necessary tools of the trade for all netizens. Tools of the trade = firewall and antivirus software. Now, I was ready to rock and roll. Everything was going so well until I decided to install my original store-bought version of Neverwinter Nights (NWN).

Now, I'd played the game before with no problems at all on my pre-burned-out PC. I had noticed that the system would hang after roughly 10 minutes running NWN prior to my reformat and reinstall. I assumed this would no longer be a problem.

I was wrong.

Right on cue, the system seized up and refused to budge without a hard reset. Damn. Not a software problem then but a hardware failure. The graphics card perhaps? Or a malfunctioning memory chip on the motherboard? Duh?!? What the hell did a bloke like me know about this?

Now, I have to archive everything all over again (having downloaded some slam bang new stuff) and then send it back to the shop. All that effort just went for naught.

*sigh*

Which Jedi Are You?

2005-07-20T17:38:00.000+08:00

Found this very amusing quiz online.

Check it out here.

The Hump

2005-07-20T11:23:00.000+08:00

We always refer to wednesdays as The Hump.

Once you get past a wednesday, it's pretty much an accelerated run to friday, which is probably one of our favorite days of the week, 2nd only to saturdays. We played badminton with our boss last night. It was our first time to see him play and, although he had hinted that he was a varsity badminton player a long time ago, his skill level still impressed us. This despite the fact that he hadn't played in years. Needless to say, he kicked our respective a$$e$ last night.

Just watched Fantastic Four (FF) and If Only. FF was actually an enjoyable movie. I know the critics are panning it but, hey, I'm a member of the viewing public and I had fun watching the movie. I don't really care if the plot was contrived, the cinematography was poor, or the acting was cardboard, I still had loads of fun watching the thing.

The other movie, If Only (Paul Nicholls, Jennifer Love Hewitt), was a sappy chick flick that I watched with some of the ladies from the office. I had managed my expectations on this one, thinking that it was your basic sappy romance movie. I was right. There was very little depth to it and, amazingly enough, I ended up enjoying it more than my seatmates. Managed expectations can be a very powerful thing, after all.

It's been a week that my home PC is nonfunctional. I've been pestering my supplier to get it fixed but he's been way busy with other projects. I'll see if I can find the time to fix it myself. I think I can but I'm just too busy (read: lazy) to do it.

Anyway, we've got couples tonight after a dinner at The Old Spaghetti House. I've never eaten there and hopefully it'll be good. I'll let ya know in a future post.

Back to the grind, people. Ciao!

More Rallies

2005-07-12T16:47:00.000+08:00

There's another rally going on outside our building, at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas.

One wonders what the organizers are trying to prove. From the 15th floor, I can't really hear them but my friends tell me they are asking the President to resign. Fat chance.

What I'd really like to see is all those people in the rally get real jobs and go to work. The reason they have the time to go there is because they are unemployed, after all. Many of these people are paid by the organizers to attend these rallies, swelling attendance and making it seem as if more people are swayed to their cause. You can get a rallyist for as little as Php150 (US$3) a day.

They are blocking traffic and making it extremely difficult for regular workers (like yours truly) to get home after a hard day's labor. Thus, the honest workers are penalized and the lazy good-for-nothings are rewarded. Such a travesty!

On a separate note, I spent last weekend in a relatively quiet manner. The week just past was, after all, full of drinking and partying. We had a big-shot guest from head office visiting, after all, and he was a swell bloke, really. Too much alcohol during the weekdays = relaxed, laid back, very little alcohol during the weekends.

Fairly uneventful times except for the political events. Don't really care for them, myself.

Cheerio!

World in Flux

2005-07-08T14:46:00.000+08:00

I woke up this morning to a very different world.

On the international front, London has been hit by terrorist bombs. Details for this can be found here. I will not bother to go into specifics. The news networks have far more information than I and I'm no authority on terrorists or al-Qaeda or whatever. All I can say is that no one deserves this. My prayers are with the victims of this attack and their families. May you find peace in a world gone mad and hateful.

On the local front, things are just as chaotic. For those unfamiliar with the local situation here in the Philippines, find out more here. Again, I won't go into details. The tragedy here, unlike the one in London, is a political one and controllable by the parties concerned if only they would sit down and speak plainly. Unfortunately, I think the politicians here have lost the ability to speak plainly and honestly. Lying is a survival trait among local politicians here. Sad. Sad.

Hopefully, the weekend will bring peace and calm. Again, I would enjoin all readers to pray for the victims of the London bombing tragedy and their families. Pray also for the enlightenment of our local leaders, that they may get it through their thick impenetrable neanderthal skulls that their positions are for the benefit of the people and not for themselves.

I definitely need a beer tonight.

The Morning After

2005-07-06T11:21:00.000+08:00

I will never drink scotch ever again.

Up to this point, my drinking has always been confined to beer and wine. I have instinctively avoided hard drinks (i.e. vodka, tequila, scotch, etc), deeming them too much for me to handle. This was proven right last night when, after a night of drinking wine (our group of 7 people polished off 5 bottles of cabernet), our guest went on to scotch.

As hosts, we had to join him in this endeavor. After a few scotch-sevens, it was basically the beginning of the end for me. I woke up this morning with a hangover the size of Manhattan and got to work at 10.30am (my call time is 8.30am, btw).

Stupendous. I still have a headache. Where's that paracetamol?

Never again.

Thought for the Day

2005-07-05T15:02:00.000+08:00

I've been exploring the blog of this amazing woman. Check it out here and you'll see what I mean.

Anyway, one of her entries had a thought that really struck me. It goes like this (and I hope she doesn't mind that I copied some of her thoughts into this blog)...

"Without risk, there is no serendipity. Life would be exceedingly dull. And a dull life is one not worth living."

Words to live by. 'Nuff said.

Of Movies and Sobriety

2005-07-05T11:45:00.000+08:00

It's a pretty grey day today.

The weather gods have chosen to gift our fair city with copious amounts of rain accompanied by a dollop of gusty winds. This basically translates to monstrous traffic and a positively inconvenient couples scene. After all, who would want to slog through rain to a bar, have a few drinks, then slog back. The experience of the bar disappears in the sheer trouble one has to go through to get there and back. Ah well, I needed a break from alcohol anyway.

Surprisingly enough, I was sober the entire weekend. Friday found me at a birthday get-together of a friend in the condo unit of another friend. There, we had homemade lasagna, cheese fondue, and chocolate fondue with red wine. All this food was accompanied by viewings of Grey's Anatomy, an amazing medical series that we have recently discovered. Check it out at this site, if you're interested. We finished at 3am and, although we had red wine, I didn't drink much and went home sober.

Saturday night found me watching a movie, Monster-in-Law, with a good friend. We watched the last main feature (10:40pm) which ended around midnight. After dinner at her place, which was delicious btw, we headed over to Eastwood which is located nearby. The movie was surprisingly good with Jane Fonda providing an inspired performance. We decided to skip drinks that night as I (and she) felt that I needed an alcohol break. No arguments there.

I never have alcohol on sunday, unless there's no work on monday.

And so I find myself at work again today, slaving away for the corporate machine. Ah, such is life. Btw, does anyone know of a player that plays AVI files similar to the way an iPod plays MP3 files? Any feedback would be great.

Cheers!

It's Friday (AT LAST!)

2005-07-01T13:56:00.000+08:00

I do believe this is the longest-running blog I've ever written.

So, dear readers, let's give each other a round of applause! *clap clap clap*

Work was fairly hectic this week, what with me coming back from HK and having to catch up with the missed deadlines and all. But then, you don't really want to hear about that boring crap, right?

As far as the week being eventful work-wise, the week was also fairly eventful event-wise. Let's see what happened the past couple days.

Tuesday. This was most hectic as I had just come back from holiday and had to contend with huge amounts of email and work. Nevertheless, I had determined to watch Batman Begins and did so with great gusto. After the movie, we headed to ñ, a hip spanish restaurant that featured paella and other great pica pica style dishes. After eating, we went to Good Earth Roasts just a walk away to have a couple beers. Got home at 2am. Good times.

Wednesday. Got to work late since I got home pretty wasted the night previous. We had a scheduled branch visit that afternoon which would last until the evening since there was some work that needed to be done and we were supervising. Just across the street was an Italian restaurant, Italianni's, where we had food and beers (again, I know). But this was work-related, right? After all, we were SUPERVISING. Got home at midnight.

Thursday. Not much scheduled today although there was an event at Miladay Jewellery that I was going to attend with some friends. The event was mostly for work since our department was sponsoring it and it was meant to highlight one of our products. Afterwards, we headed to Chili's in Greenbelt 1 for a few more beers (do you sense a trend here?) that included more food. Got home at, once again, midnight.

Now, it's Friday. If my other posts are any indication, tonight will prove to be eventful once again. I'll of course be posting a summary of the night's events here soon. Admittedly, I don't get to post as much or as often as I'd like but this is Manila Office Life, after all. This Worker still has to make a living.

And, to quote a wise phrase from a foolish man, "Be excellent to each other!"

Cheers!

Back at Work

2005-06-28T10:15:00.000+08:00

Just got back from HK.

Weather was hot, humid, and rainy. I hate weather like that. Makes walking around difficult at best and, once I get back into the hotel room, I feel the urgent need to shower (again). The birthday was good at any rate. My grandmother, who suffered a stroke last year, actually graced us with a reaction this time around: she smiled (kinda). It was the greatest thing we ever saw and my dad was ecstatic. He was talking about it for all of 3 days. For dad, that's something.

Didn't get much shopping done since it was so hard to get around. Instead of feeling revitalized, I just felt tired and sleepy. When I got back to Manila around noon yesterday, I still went to work to take care of some stuff before finally surrendering to my inner couch potato and staying indoors the rest of the day. Good thing, too, since it rained torrentially the whole night last night.

I've been neglecting my home PC maintenance chores which I'll probably get to tonight, after watching Batman Begins. I hear it's a great movie and, fanboy that I am, I feel the distinct physical need to see this on the big screen.

Till next time, dear readers.

Oh, and here's a picture from a weekend we had in a resort called Punta Fuego. This happened last 18-19June. Great fun, really. I hope we do it again.

We left Manila early saturday morning and headed south to the mountain resort town of Tagaytay. After a great lunch there, we continued on to the beach town of Batangas where the resort was located.

We settled in and went swimming in the resort's amazing heated infinity pool that afternoon all the way into the evening. A mongolian buffet dinner capped off the evening's eating and led to us watching Starsky & Hutch in the resort's mini-theater before heading back to our room. The room, called a casita, had a balcony with a magnificent view (photo enclosed) which we maximised by having wine and beer right there. We turned in at 4am. On our way back to Manila, we stopped by a restaurant called Breakfast at Antonio's for lunch. All in all, a very satisfying weekend away from the big city.

Cheers!

Sweet Freedom

2005-06-23T18:45:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow, I head for Hong Kong.

Tonight, I stop worrying about work. Ah, what a relief! These 4 days feel like 4 WEEKS! And I've got pending projects to think about but, no, wait, I'm not going to work tomorrow and monday. Two sweet days of not being in the office, of not dealing with recalcitrant assistants, of not thinking about the next screw-up, of not being nervous about how our bosses will react to my latest effort at a marketing campaign.

It's almost enough to make me cry. Almost.

I've been remiss about watching movies, mainly because I have seemingly lost the ability to watch movies. I remember when I still had a girlfriend, we'd watch movies almost every week. It's a peculiarity of couples, I guess, that makes movies so... easy... as a weekend activity. Now, I've missed watching Mr & Mrs Smith as well as Batman Begins. Although I do plan on watching Batman Begins when I come back from my trip. It did just start last week so it should continue playing until next week at the least. I've heard rave reviews about this movie and I look forward to watching it. Did I forget to mention that I'm a huge fan?

Know what I miss most about dating? The kissing.

*Sigh*

Help for the Damned

2005-06-22T17:26:00.000+08:00

Was pleasantly surprised today.

Remember that shitload of work that was dumped on me? Deadline is Friday. Problem is, I'm leaving for Hong Kong on Friday and will be on leave till Monday. Bad. Bad. Bad. Fortune smiled upon me today in the form of T, our resident IT manager assigned to my project. T managed to guide me through the work like a pilot guides a ship into harbor. I've finished both documents in time for a quick review tomorrow prior to sending it out to Head Office tomorrow afternoon, well ahead of their Friday deadline.

Sometimes, it's surprising the places where help can come from. I never expected T would provide so much advice and knowledge and, come to think of it, I'm ashamed to feel that none of my team members would be helpful. Guess I'm luckier than I thought. I've got good people on whom I can depend when push comes to shove.

Which gives me some breathing space to finally get that much-needed hair cut. God, how I need one. And it's past 5:30pm, so work is officially done.

For a day that started so crappily, it's turning out quite well.

Excelsior!

Internet Banking Upgrade

2005-06-21T13:06:00.000+08:00

The company I work for is scheduled to have its internet banking service upgraded.

Unfortunately, this is not as simple as popping a CD-ROM into a drive and clicking "Install". There's a whole slew of planning and legal crap that goes on before the upgrade is even installed on a single server. As it happens, I was placed in charge of this project since I am the electronic channel manager. Whoop-dee-doo!

The worst part is that I've known about this for the past 4 months and I've been asking the headquarters guys to give us the work gradually so that we don't get overloaded. Unfortunately, these people have their own stupid timetable which, of course, they never consulted us about. So now, they've just passed a whole shitload of work on me with a deadline so close I can smell it. Definitely a recipe for disaster.

Compounding the problem is that I have to be the one to coordinate the actions across different departments and if my contact person happens to be on vacation, I'm screwed. Royally.

Suddenly, I hate this job.

Don't get me wrong, it's actually not a bad job. Sometimes, though, it feels really crappy.

I'm going to HK to celebrate my grandmother's 102nd birthday. Yes, I know what you're thinking. Oh my God, she's that old! So we're long-lived. It's not a crime. The grandma is bed-ridden though, and fading fast. She had a stroke last year and has never been the same since. I pray for her everytime I go to church.

Well, until next time, true believers!

Of Photo Shoots and Couples

2005-06-17T14:33:00.000+08:00

Thank God it's Friday!

We have a term in the office called "couples". It stands for "a couple of beers" and when someone starts saying "Couples? Couples?", it means he's asking if anyone's interested in a couple of beers after work. The term was heard as early as yesterday, actually, but we're likely going to have beers after work today.

Since I work in the marketing department of our office, we do photo shoots every so often for ads, either newspaper or flyer or whatever. We have one scheduled for tonight which means couples is going to commence much later than usual. Probably around 9:30pm or so. I actually have a date scheduled for today but I'm beginning to think I'll rain-check it for next week or something. Too much to do, too little time.

We had planned on going to Embassy. This is a 3-storey establishment that boasts a lounge, restaurant, and club all rolled into one. The club is top-notch with great DJ's and a huge dance floor, usually packed with heaving bodies and beautiful people in the wee hours of the morning. Yup, my kind of place!

Went to a friend's housewarming party last night. It was the 2nd housewarming party he'd had and, according to him, was the 2nd in an ongoing series of housewarming parties. Guy seems to want a very warm house. Oh well, it's his beer I'm drinking. No complaints here.

Anyway, here's to couples!

Independence Day

2005-06-14T09:53:00.000+08:00

We had no work yesterday.

In her benevolent wisdom (or lack thereof), the President of the Republic of the Philippines declared yesterday, 13June2005, as a special non-working holiday in celebration of Independence Day. Of course, the actual day falls on 12June2005, a Sunday. This is her way of appeasing office workers all over the country to vote for her in the next elections or, at the very least, to support her policies.

She's actually been doing this for the past couple of years. Ostensibly, her purpose is to promote domestic tourism. It's a 3-day weekend! See the rest of the country! Hit the beaches! The tag lines wear a little thin especially when she chooses to make the announcement Friday morning, leaving little room for planning a 3-day weekend away from home. It's called Holiday Economics.

Stupid politicians.

I'm not really a political kinda guy and whichever political party's in control is really not an issue with me. As long as I have my civil rights and I'm able to go about my business unhindered, I'm pretty ok. My policy has always been everyone works, no one quits.

Anyway, on to more pleasant pursuits. So, since it was a 3-day weekend, that gave us more chances to go out and have a blast.

Friday night: We had drinks at Piper's, a nearby bar/restaurant before heading to the house of a former colleague for an informal house warming (aye, more drinks!). This lasted into the wee hours of the morning. Hey, no work on Saturday for us anyways!

Saturday night: This was, unfortunately, a very dry saturday night. No going out for me.

Sunday night: After dinner with the folks, I made my way to Oyster Boy, a restaurant located within a well-known shopping area. Met up with some colleagues there and had a few beers with seafood. At 2am, thinking there was no work tomorrow anyway, we headed to Old Swiss Inn which is a swiss restaurant that happened to be open 24 hours. Had more food. Went home at 4am.

Monday: In deference to physical activity, I played badminton with some other colleagues today. After playing, we headed to the apartment building of some friends where we used their pool facilities. Got home at 10pm.

Tuesday: Argh!!! I'm back at work.

Typical for an office worker here? Absolutely!

Moving Forward

2005-06-12T17:01:00.000+08:00

I found out one of my High School buddies is getting married in December. This is, of course, in addition to one of my University buddies getting married in September. This is also in addition to one of my work buddies who got married 2 weeks ago.

I think you're beginning to get the drift of this post.

Right now, I'm a thirty-something working stiff whose siblings are all unmarried. Note that I'm the youngest of 3 siblings. For my parents, this will not do at all. In spite of the city's large size, we're a fairly small community. Instead of 6 degrees of separation, it's usually just 3 and, of that 3, one will most likely be a blood relative. The community here's fairly close-knit.

Suddenly, among my high school buddies, only 2 of us are still single (and the other one works in the USA). Every time we have a reunion, the married-single quotient becomes bigger and bigger. My parents remind us constantly about the need for family and their need for grandchildren.

Can't say I blame them. Dad's pushing 70 and Mom's pushing 60. Not many grandparental years left if you consider courtship, marriage, and pregnancy. The clock's ticking, even for a guy like me. And I thought only women had a biological clock.

This is getting depressing. I feel the sudden urge to open one of the bottles of wine here and just let loose. But, no, that would be a singular waste of an excellent bottle of Australian Shiraz.

I hate myself.

PC Backup

2005-06-07T13:30:00.000+08:00

Over the weekend, my PC crashed.

The constant electrical surges (common in this part of the world) during the rainy season thunderstorms caused the power supply on my PC to burn itself out to protect the other parts of my computer. Thus, come Sunday morning, all I got was a click as I pressed the power button and nothing happened.

Fear and panic gripped me then. All my files. All my programs. Gone. Poof.

I quickly disconnected the machine and brought it to a nearby shop called PC-Aid. These guys specialize in breathing life back into ailing computers. Like a sick relative, I cradled my CPU into the shop and helplessly searched for a helpful intern... err, technician, rather.

The problem was quickly diagnosed. The power supply had black smoke residue around the fan area. Clearly a burnout. The tech very efficiently swapped in a new power supply unit and plugged the PC into an outlet. With bated breath, I switched the PC on.

It lives!

And my data, my precious data, was intact. The tech warned me that it was possible the OS was slightly corrupted by the power surge and I should backup my data immediately. With this in mind, I bought several blank DVD's and proceeded to backup all my files. In the process, I managed to clear out a lot of junk on my hard drive.

Lesson learned: Always backup important data.

Back to work. It's going to be a long week ahead.

Monday Blues

2005-06-06T11:39:00.000+08:00

I hate mondays.

There is probably no office worker in the entire universe (unless you're a Little Green Man, LGM, from Star Command) who likes mondays. This is a universal truth. Mondays suck. You get a couple days off from work and then, bam!, you're back in the grind.

School starts this week for our country. Unlike in other countries which have 4 seasons, our country only has 2: dry (summer) and wet (rainy, no seasonal name for it, really). School starts when the rains come down. I've always found that a little strange. Just when it becomes difficult to get to school, school officially starts. We've been having torrential afternoon rains all June and, voila!, school starts. Kids have to brave torrential monsoon rains to get to class. Is there a more powerful demotivator for studying than heavy rains? What were they thinking???

School also brings with it a very very terrible thing: TRAFFIC. Living in the capital city of this country, traffic is pretty bad most days. Admittedly, we've been having it easy since traffic's fairly light when school's out for summer vacation. That brief idyllic period is now over. We not only get the grind from work, we now also get the grind from getting to work.

But enough of my griping. One must be optimistic to survive the week, after all.

I had loads of fun last Saturday night when a couple of friends invited me for drinks over at one of our houses. The place was huge but since there were only a few of us, we confined ourselves to the living room. At any rate, it was raining (again!) so the garden was off limits for us. Beers all around and chips galore. I got home at 4am.

'Nuff said.

Friday Party @ Jill's

2005-06-04T14:37:00.000+08:00

Had an office party at Jill's last night.

Jill's is a bar about 15 minutes drive from our office. The party was for 2 of our officemates who were both, in a way, moving on. One had just resigned and was going to graduate school. The other was being transferred to another department. The choice of Jill's was made partially because Jill's allows smoking inside the bar itself. Lately, the powers-that-be had decreed that there would be no smoking within bars/restaurants in the city. Fortunately, Jill's was just over the border in another city. Woo hoo!

Now, I don't smoke. But a lot of my friends do and, since I don't mind them smoking around me (as long as the smoke doesn't get blown my way), this worked out just fine.

Also, Jill's played 80's music on Friday nights with DJ Boyet Almazan on the turntables. A lot of us were children of the 80's and loved the music from that era. Thus, after dinner, we trooped to Jill's and tried our best to get smashed.

One thing you have to know about this country is that beer here is dirt cheap. In some places, a bottle of beer will cost 30 pesos. In US dollars, that's roughly 55 cents. Since Jill's was a fairly upscale place, beer was more expensive and came to 60 pesos (about 1.10 US dollars). Being in the 3rd world is great!

With music pounding and beer bottles clinking, the place filled up pretty fast. Jill's was a pretty popular place. There used to be another place that played 80's music called Dreambar but it was located in the no-smoking city and, once the rule was in place, that bar died out pretty fast. Pretty soon, we were fairly smashed but not exceedingly so. Fun, fun, fun all around!

We ended at roughly 2am and headed home, each to his own ride.

I love Fridays.

Pilot Post

2005-06-03T10:56:00.000+08:00

Thank God it's Friday.

Fridays are always cool events at our office. For one thing, we get to wear casual clothing. Of course, that might not be a big deal to some of you out there. Hell, a lot of you probably wear casuals daily. Unfortunately, our office is both conservative and high-strung. Office attire, please, at least until Friday rolls around.

I work in Manila which is the capital of the Republic of the Philippines. Some of you might not even know where this country is relative to where you are. Just to give you an idea, the Philippines is in Southeast Asia about 2 hours by plane from Hong Kong. For more information, you could try wikipedia.

Now, what's office life like in Manila? I would think that it's much the same as office life anywhere else. The Philippine flavor does make it somewhat unique and, as you'll see as this blog progresses, some really weird stuff happens down here (or up there, depending on where you're reading this from).

As this is my first post, I won't make it too long. I'll probably be posting a couple times a week though not daily.

Cheers!