Not a peep
Not sure why I still have this blog/site. I haven’t done anything with it for a long time.
Anyway! Just testing out the latest version of WordPress for iOS. It seems neat.
Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Reach!
Three new chords were introduced to me at last week’s session. C major 7, D minor and G7. The F chord is still, by far, the hardest but G7 is pretty close. My index finger needs to be at the first , or “e,” string at the first fret, and my middle finger goes on the fifth, or “A,” string at the second fret and my ring finger goes on the sixth, or “E,” string at the third fret. Needless to say, it’s a bit of a stretch. The new song, where these chords were presented, is Snowbird.
I also started on fingerpicking, which is pretty cool but has made me realize that I really should consider growing out my fingernails. I tried to before but couldn’t stand how they felt when typing on a keyboard. I suppose I just have to get used to the clackety clack. I’m getting a little bit more confident and relaxed with some of the first songs I’ve learned so things are going well. This last practice I’m trying to resist clamping down on the fretboard so I can more easily move my hand and fingers. I’ve noticed I end up death-gripping the poor guitar neck and it’s hard to switch chords. Sadly, strumming still needs a lot of work, but I must persevere!
Ramblings
The mornings have been crisp lately. Very welcomed generally, but it has caused me to linger in bed far longer than I should. A fine mist rests on my car and as I drive to work, the mist rolls off like a sheet being pulled away. Town living hasn’t been the adventure I thought it would be. Of course, I do not leave the confines of my condo much at all and that’s a huge deterrent to the experience I seek. Yet, the simple pleasures of calming solitude and waking up to a visually beautiful morning have been their own rich experiences. I do not have an ocean view, but I do have an eclectic mix of mountain, town and country life and the combination is not altogether jarring. Rather, it is quite serene.
When I am adequately supplied, I like to take on the routine of eating breakfast while looking at the view. In time, I will acquire the furniture that will allow me to do so on the lanai of my condo instead of within the unit itself. The apartment is quaint and not at all large. However, it is enough for me and my things. At the moment, the interior displays the spartan side of my personality. Not a whole lot of clutter, just enough items to say a direct and succinct message. I live here. Live may not be completely accurate; maybe something to the effect of existing in the apartment. I feel I have yet to start living in the place. To enrich the emotional and metaphysical state of the condo. To create memories.
It is time to do things memorable. Waiting for the future is wasting time I have now. Yet, that’s easier said than done for an introvert. I would rather huddle with my computer or my PS3 than seek the company of strangers. I’ve started thinking of all the colors in the world I’m missing out on and of all places in the world and Hawaii really is a great place to get a sneak peek of all life has to offer. Live in the present, reminisce the past and plan and hope for the future. I think that’s what my apartment means to me.
I just wish it also gave me some self-help books on freeing myself from the shackles of the Introvert.
A Lot Like Crazy
Like a roller coaster ride, things have been pretty loopy lately. I got to close on my condo and move in. The essential furniture have been obtained but I’m still short on a TV stand, computer desk, area rug, coffee table and bar stools. The lanai is also bare. Then, in a downward slope, I got a tooth abscess. It was my own fault really. Vicodin really helped and in the end, I have a dead tooth (root canal) and have scheduled a thorough exam of my teeth. Painful lesson learned.
Emotionally, I was on a high until the insane pain from the tooth put me in a down. I think the vicodin leaving my system may have also contributed to some emotional quirkiness. With my getting back on track though, my spirits are rising and I’m looking forward to spending some shopping time to get the rest of the furniture I want for my place.
Video games have helped a bit, though in hindsight writing may have been more productive. I now have four level 80 characters in the World of Warcraft. Good fun.
Once again, I’ve shied away from NaNoWriMo. It’s an experience I’d like to go through, but I don’t think I’m ready for such a commitment. I know the goal to finish is just a nice thing to do and the meat of the project is to just write, but I still feel that I do not have the dedication yet to make a worthy attempt. Maybe I’ll have the gumption next year.
Halfway There
Now that the place is under my name, we were able to start the process of moving in. We’ve changed the locks and cleaned up the place. Next will be painting the living room, which I’m hoping won’t take much at all this weekend.
I will also be looking for a microwave this week and start picking out the furniture I absolutely need. I’m thinking of starting with a dresser and bed, then an entertainment center and desk for computer stuff. Finally a sofa (sofa sleeper) and area rugs to round up the first items. A coffee table to follow. Barstools will be needed and a small table and couple of chairs for the lanai.
There are other things to get done along the way too.
Very involved but definitely worth it.
What? Save?
Anyone who knows me can attest, I am a gadget freak. I love them shiny things even if I don’t need them. So it will be quite a challenge to do what I’m looking to do in a couple of weeks. Or technically starting now, come to think of it.
I won’t be buying much gadgetry. The last thing I’m giving to myself is possibly upgrading to the iPhone 3GS, mainly for the improved camera features and definitely at the subsidized price (not to mention sticking with 16GB). I will also need to be picky about what games I get. Lucky for me, I already pre-ordered the big ones that are planned. I know for sure I pre-paid in full for one. Can’t say about the other.
I think the sacrifice will indeed be worth it. But would I suffer from withdrawals? I’ve never considered that, although I have been thinking of how well my willpower is.
Strong like bull.
What is this Crazy Thing?
I have always been of the mind that soulmates are born. There is that one person who just fits with you and you with them. However, I’m not so sure now and wonder, as I read a certain book, that soulmates are made. It’s the years of being together, working out the bad and enjoying the good that brings two people so close to each other that they consider themselves soulmates; living a complete life with someone who was always meant to be, but with work.
Fun in DC
Besides the crazy heat, I had a lot of fun exploring Alexandria, also known as Old Town, Georgetown and a couple places in the Smithsonian. I was also able to meet two beautiful ladies during my exploration and it was nice being, and having, company.
Now, it’s all work as I attend demos of the conference here for work. So far so good, though they have packed the entire day for the next 2 days.
Here’s to hoping I’ve got some time to meet more people and/or have some time to relax after the day’s talks.
There and Back Again
No, this is not the wondrous tale of The Hobbit. Rather, it will be the beginning of a personal adventure. A trek across a large expanse of land, making a few pilgrimages along the way. Untold experiences to be had and maybe a bit of loot. An adventure indeed, lays before me and such exploration must be shared. So, thankfully, a trusted ally will embark on this crazy trip with me.
We will start our journey in the city of angels, Los Angeles. From there, we will travel up to Seattle and spend a few days there. With our quest complete, we will return to Los Angeles. There will be some stops along the way. I intend to scribe our adventures and misadventures as well as capture the moments with a camera. Hopefully, I shall be able to post my words as often as I can.
One week and a half to go, yet there still remain some things I need to gather for the journey. I will be a busy, busy bee.
Movement without Wind
Last night’s walk, while taking the same amount of time as previous walks, sped by quickly. Nothing of note lay on the pathways, no new people met and the sky was a distant companion. As I walked back towards home, I realized there was no wind. That made things hotter than before and no soothing breeze as I crossed the overpass linking my neighborhood with the relatively new one.
Due to the routine of the sights, I let my mind wander more. I had picked up the book Dies the Fire by S.M. Stirling and, nearly done with it, replayed the story in my mind. Imagine our everyday world without the use of electricity or even gunpowder. All of civilization crumbles, thousands perish from the sudden absence of technology and even more die from starvation and disease.
Firearms no longer work, governments collapse and the only law is that of the strongest. Is it a person’s true nature to turn cannibal or sadistically evil? Perhaps. Just as well for those that nuture and protect.
The book had allowed a past fancy become more defined and made me reflect on all the gadgets I’m addicted to as well as hobbies I’ve indulged in that could contribute to survival. I say this with a chuckle that I would probably be one of the near dying.
Accompanying such thoughts was a grand playlist the iTunes’ Genius had assembled from “Streamside” by the Album Leaf. Pearl Jam and Tori Amos followed and the near ethereal performances brought to light that even readily avaiable music would also be gone. A protangoist in the book was a musician and the morale boost of her singing was tremendous.
The evening closed silently as I reached home, shutterring the thoughts that such an event, while slim, was possible. I had found a new book series that would stimulate my brain with not only a wonderful story but also musings of what could be.
Yes, I bought the second novel in the series.
It’s all a Little Routine
Last night’s walk was particularly uneventful. It was just the usual suspects doing their own exercising, with two groups of people walking that I haven’t seen before. There were random litter invading people’s lawns instead of anything attempting to bar my path. Even the sky assumed an easily forgettable posture. A similar theme of routine played on my iPhone, starting with “Nemo” by Nightwish and a few more songs from them, followed by t.A.T.u, Avril Lavigne, 10 Years and Metallica. The routine aspect being there were multiple songs by each of them.
The dull in extrasensory stimuli paved the way for my mind to wander. The neighborhood that is the scenery for much of my walk is populated with houses in the mainland, wood-built style, with half-circle constructs to provide ventilation for the attic. At least the style is reminiscent of the mainland than most other houses I’ve seen around the islands. In any case, those half-circles began to appear like slightly amused cyclopian eyes that would watch my progress. Nothing in the realm of horror, mind you, instead more like a Looney Toons episode. As the wind blew gently down the street, I envisioned cartoon-like tendrils, denoting the wind, frolicking about.
Such is the weirdness that goes on in my head.
Pillow Stuffing
Last night’s walk was good. I’m starting to consistently walk the three miles in 45 minutes. I began the walk with The Corrs, “Somebody for Someone” and Genius didn’t let me down. Although, I didn’t really care for the No Doubt song that popped on, which I can’t remember. I think it came between Jewel and Dave Matthews, both were pretty slow songs. On the way back home, however, Chumbawumba came on out of the blue and that was a needed burst of adrenaline.
While the extra energy didn’t make me any faster than the others who were doing their exercise (mostly they were jogging or running), it was still nice. I have begun to notice who the regulars are, or at the very least, the ones that are out there nearly every day. It really isn’t the time to socialize, but the odd nod or verbal greeting is nice. My constant silent companion, the sky, kept things cool but could not hide the personal pan sized box of Little Caesar’s Pizza that tried to block me from the sidewalk. No embarrassment from my companion at all.
The sky wasn’t blushing, instead there was a sheet of blue-gray clouds with a sparse break somewhere in the middle where the last of the sun’s brilliance shown. The edges of the sheet of clouds were tattered in a way that made me think of cotton pillow stuffing. Perhaps it was a sign of my impending early turn in? As a matter of fact, it wasn’t. I ended the night at around one o’clock in the morning.
It was a pleasant evening, but I long for colder climes. My affection for Alaska resurfaced and my slumber was filled with a bright, yet cloudy sky and white-capped mountain peaks just beyond weathered homes and heavily garbed people eating ice cream to warm up. Le sigh.
The Challenge
Today, I had planned to think about my Super Sekret Project while I went for my walk. Unfortunately, I didn’t think about the SSP. I did, however, come up with a challenge, mainly for myself. That challenge is to blog about all that I experience from my walks. This is the first of such posts. Because I felt the need to also write about my ordeal one year ago, I will get many of my original thoughts for this post wrong or misplace them.
First, let’s start with music. I relied upon Apple’s Genius feature and was pleasantly surprised with the on-the-fly generated playlist. The first song I chose was “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman. The Genius machine followed that up with The Verve Pipe, then Alanis Morissette, Jewel, Matchbox 20 and on and on until “Lightning Crashes” by Live. Edgy, but not so like a knife and very rhythmic. I may not change things for my next outing.
As I walked, listening to the rad music and thinking not about my SSP but this post, I encountered a bit more people walking, or jogging, than I did last week. Another personal challenge I created was to say hi to all the ones I passed or passed me. On my side of the street, of course. I’m still too introverted to yell across the street. Plus, it would seem weird.
Creepy even.
Along the walk, I noticed broken glass, shards mostly, but a chunk in a curved shape, littering a portion of the sidewalk near the ramp lip (lacking of the actual term, I made this up). What paper left stuck to the bigger chunk was indecipherable but the glass shards clearly had once been a bottle. One that held an alcoholic liquid. I gave the shards a wide berth while contemplating what could possibly have caused the bottle’s fate. Was it used as a makeshift weapon, thrown at someone? Or perhaps, in a bit of self-realization, it knew its top would be popped off and its insides would be consumed. Rather than suffering that demise, it launched itself to the concrete ground. Better to splatter oneself than be sucked to death. Or, for lack of much evidence of liquid, it had already been consumed and in such depressed anguish, threw itself to end its torment and re-categorization of being obsolete.
Well, after that bit of nonsense, I carried on. As I headed back home, I noticed the clouds, many had the rosy blush of the setting sun’s light glinting off of them. I played with the idea that it was the same color as my own cheeks as I worked up quite a sweat. Eventually, twilight sucked me in and my walk came to a close. 45 minutes for a total of three miles. It may not seem like much, but that’s how big things begin.
One Year Ago
One year ago, I was in the ICU. It started subtle enough, a cold that progressed further and, when I couldn’t handle it, went to my doctor who diagnosed me with bronchitis. Little did we know that it was worse than that. A few days later, I couldn’t sleep and felt worse and asked to be taken to the Emergency Room. The last thing I remember, on January 31, 2008, was how brusque the receptionist was.
I was in sepsis. I needed dialysis, had a central venous catheter, I was intubated and, for fear I would use up valuable energy, was under a medically induced coma. All of February 2008 was spent in the ICU. There were moments I was cognizant, but I can’t remember those moments. When the medication to keep me under was fully gone from my system, I remember insanely early morning x-ray visits to ensure my lungs were free of liquid, I remember the daily dialysis to clean my blood, I remember the breathing tube, which made vocal communication impossible. I was told that I went into Code Blue twice. I was extubated, but needed to be intubated again when I relapsed. I needed regular infusions of platelets.
Back then, it was a big deal and I feared I wouldn’t get out of the hospital but now, it’s a wonder. As if it was some tv show and I really didn’t go through it all. The doctors still do not know for certain what caused my condition. A few think it was my gallbladder and others think it was a viral infection. In any case, I recovered and around mid-March I went to a rehabilitation hospital for a week to rebuild a bit of muscle, strength and stamina. Afterwards, I visited a rehab center a few days a week to further train, but I was able to go home. I needed to use a walker to move about and then graduated to a cane, then eventually, walked on my own.
The ordeal had me thinking of the things we take for granted when we are well. The simple act of drinking water or going to the bathroom without assistance. While I was still at the first hospital, but recovering, I needed to undergo a test to verify I could consume solid food and drink liquid without any of it going down the wrong pipe. I passed spectacularly because I wanted to drink water. I remember having a difficult time one night because I felt thirsty; my body craving liquid. Prior to the test, I was spoiled with ice chips and those were a godsend.
I really have to thank my family, friends and the hospital staff that, not only saved my life, but also got me through the craziness when I began to sink into depression. My parents took shifts, one stayed during the day while the other stayed during the night. Aunties and uncles and my grandparents visited often. Co-workers came to visit also. I expected to rethink my life and change things. Until recently, however, I fell into step of my old life. Now, I am constantly reminding myself that nothing I’m experiencing now equals what I went through. I have begun to exercise not only my body, but also my mind. For the body, I’m starting off slow with walking. Then I hope to add more and start jogging. To exercise my mind, I’ve begun reading more, starting on my Super Sekret Project and to commit to writing more diligently. I am, of course, also gaming. I love video games and won’t give that up.
I am, finally, beginning to look to the future and decide exactly what I want to do with my life. This has brought doubts into my mind that my current employment will get me to my goals, but before I do anything, I’ll be evaluating my options. Make something that’s current work, then try something new.
I want to see Japan, and if things work out, I will in August-ish. I want to do more traveling in general, but need to address other things first.
Life really is too short to get caught up. Live every moment.
This holds especially true for me because I was given a second chance (many of the doctors I saw said it was a miracle that I recovered). All those green mushrooms paid off.
Ten-ten
I don’t have anything really big to write about today, but just figured since it is October 10, I’d be silly and mention something off the wall.
Ten-ten is a modifier in Japanese, altering the pronuciation of basic hiragana and looks something like one pair of shortened quotation marks. It affects the characters in such a way that, for example, the “ka” character with the ten-ten will then become “ga.” The link at the beginning of this paragraph gives more examples, as well as introduces other modifiers.
That’s it! Nothing else to see here. 
08/08/08 Whoo!
I wanted to post something on this day; leave a mark so to speak. It’s not exactly a special day for me, but it does have its place in my heart. My favorite number is 8 and trip 8′s is almost as good as having four 8′s. Why is 8 my favorite number? It’s even, both as a number and in shape (more true for typed rather than written). and if you rotate it 90 degrees, it’s reminiscent of the infinity symbol.
I don’t recall exactly when I decided that 8 would be my favorite number but it’s been with me for as long as I can remember. A lot of my gadgets have 8 in the serial number (my new iPhone has a lot!). When I was with Sprint, I even had a cell number 8088. Yes, I chose it for the abundance of 8 as well as a reference to the Intel 8088 microprocessor. I never had it, but I’m pretty sure I would’ve gotten an TRS-80. Yes, I like the number 8.
Of Celebration and Mourning
Contrary to the astonishment I felt, I was notified of my cousin’s daughter’s first birthday party a month beforehand; I just forgot what day it was. Unfortunately, it occurred last week Saturday. I hadn’t bought a card nor did I have much cash money. So, I ended up scrambling to the bank, doing a withdrawal (I have to scrounge for my ATM pin number…) and shuffled off to the store to get a card.
I didn’t think it’d be a problem and, sure enough, it wasn’t and I was out like trout on my way to Natsunoya Tea House. With my iPhone 3G’s GPS and Google Maps, I found the place fine. Parking was the disaster. Not only was the lot full, but the streets were lined with cars. Somehow the place still had spots for valet, which I don’t know where they’d go. I ended up parking in a dead-end street at the bottom of a long hill. Good work out.
I saw family I didn’t see for a while at the party and the food was ok. It was kinda novelty with you having to take your shoes off before heading into the dining hall and the waitresses wore kimono.
Sunday was also a busy day with my aunt’s funeral. I saw folks from the other side of my family that I haven’t seen in a while and even a few people from karate. It was nice to see them all, even if due to a solemn event. While I can ramble about a birthday party, it’s hard to find words for a funeral, so I’ll just say that seeing friends and family from karate has me thinking about going back. I need the exercise, and perhaps it’ll brighten my uncle’s (who’s the founder of the karate club I was a part of) day knowing I came back.
Midnight oil
Last night I pulled a long work session and doing it again tonight. It’s pretty exhausting, but my brain is being stimulated as I’m doing more coding than I have been doing for a while.
Back when I did a stint at CyberCom, I remember pulling all nighters and even working on the weekend (and I wasn’t around for the Dark Age!). Crazy, but those were fun times, mainly due to the fellowship. Same here, which is why I’m not complaining about working late. The crew is awesome.
But I am getting tired and need energy for Manoa Geeks tomorrow!
Youthful Memories
When I was growing up, my parents would take me to the local library and I’d rent about four to five books. They encouraged me to read and, with the majority of the books being fiction, it was great escapism. The library had always been a mystical place with so much to discover—new worlds lined up right next to each other. As I grew older and could go out on my own, I’d venture to the library every so often, hang out for a bit and rent a book or two. However, at some point, I stopped going and even lost track of my library card. I found myself spending more time at Waldenbooks, then Borders and began buying my books.
I don’t know exactly why I stopped but the cut in library operating hours and the slow accumulation in inventory could have been factors. I also began to prefer acquiring my books and creating a collection. The benefits in doing so meant I always had a book handy and didn’t have to worry about returning it. Yet, I found myself becoming very picky about which books I’d buy and thus began isolating myself from new discoveries. Many people say that the Internet is a major cause in lower library attendance, and while somewhat true, it wasn’t a reason for me because I couldn’t read a book on the computer. I need to touch the book, rifle through the pages and smell them. I needed the subtle tactile feedback where the printing press imprinted the words onto the paper. I needed the creaking of the spine of a well worn book—its soft sigh welcoming me. Reading can be a sensual, intimate experience.
The experience has a different texture with “borrowed” books than purchased ones. The ones you buy most often are entirely read by you, whereas there are added personalities with borrowed books and sometimes it makes you think, “Did the previous reader enjoy this passage or did s/he interpret the story as I have?” Sometimes I think I ought to go the library again and spend some time there, remember the past and create new memories. Do it while libraries last, for according to a recent analysis, library attendance in Hawaii is down. There are initiatives to bring attendance up, like wireless Internet and a coffee shop, but change must happen soon, or we may lose some (or all) libraries.
A metamorphosis needs to happen. Libraries can no longer just be the vast vault of unexplored worlds and a repository of knowledge, they need something more. A social aspect that’ll entice people to spend their time in a library instead of a Borders or Barnes & Noble. Nostalgically, I realize that the vast vault was enough for me when I was young and a little place in my heart will be saddened to see how much my library has changed over the years and will need to change in the coming future.
Urban Gear: The bag
As I went through high school, I had one favorite backpack. It was green and black and made by Jansport. It carried Trapper Keepers on some days and basketball on others. It withstood being overstuffed with an assortment of textbooks and held the secrets of the divine (aka banned paraphernalia). The backpack went everywhere with me, from the beach to D&D (and other paper RPGs) sleepovers.
Through the years, I’ve never found a bag that was a perfect fit as that backpack. Until one day, while I was basking in my acquisition of a Macbook Pro, I stumbled upon a blog article talking about a strangely named bag made by a company with an equally strange name. The company? Crumpler (looks like they redesigned!). The bag? The Considerable Embarrassment.
The only thing differentiating this bag from any other messenger bag is the Crumpler logo boldly displayed on the flap and zipper tabs. However, it fits better than other bags I’ve tried.
What I like about it:
- For some reason, it feels Mac-like
- Has enough pockets for my Urban Assault mode
- My 15 inch Macbook Pro fits just perfectly
What I don’t like about it:
- The fit can be a little too tight
- For some reason, I missed the velcro in the pictures I saw
Due to the negatives, I tried out a bbp bag. It certainly had a lot more room and I did appreciate the separation between the laptop compartment and the bag area however, I began using the Crumpler bag again and have reinforced my belief that it’s the best bag for me. So, to my pleasant surprise, I discovered that the Considerable Embarrassment is being sold at the online Apple Store (not sure if it’s in-store as well). Go Crumpler!
Techno-lust
I have left all reason behind and surrendered to the siren call. Do not fear for me as I have not fallen into a fatal trap, but sunk willingly into the embrace of my fate. I wear the adornments of the Chosen, not shackles of bondage for the enslaved. I fear not the crux of my journey for it is the blissful resolution that I seek.
This temptation is not sin, nor folly. It is all that I am and all that I desire. Pity me if you will, but I am not ashamed to choosing this path. You may think I am superfluous, yet I am content and see you as empty. I am whole.
I am complete.
Welcome to my techno-lust.
Chew on Fashion
A few days ago, I was at the conbini near work to get a bottle of Hawaiian Punch and succumbed to an impulse buy of a pack of 5 gum. I’m not usually a gum chewer as I rather prefer hard candy to crunch on. However, I figured I’d give this snazzy packaged pieces of chewable rubber a try. The flavor I picked up? Cobalt (spearmint). Mainly because it was blue, but anyway! So, I liked it; reminded me of Wrigley’s Double Mint gum and of course, the gum is manufactured by them. This is about as close to fashion consumables as I’ll probably ever get. Unlike those across the pond.
Reason Prevails!
A ship of reason has finally sliced through the waves of whackiness. The involved whacky? Video clips of people cooking popcorn with cellphones. I never believed it could happen, else we’d have reports of teenagers frying their brains as they chat on their handsets. And at least now, if—I mean, when relatives send me spam links with these videos, I can spam them right back with this evidence that they were taken for suckers.
Game Night was Loads of Fun!
Hanging out with some friends was the soft fluffy cake of the night. The icing? Video games. We played TetriNET and while I was far from dominating in the game, I did well enough to survive for a bit. The best thing about TetriNET is its unpredictability where you could be doing well, then suddenly you get swarmed by the other players, jacking up your well thought out tetris with block bombs that blow up your pieces and send them scattering, or the ‘ole switcheroo replacing your neat little stack with their near critical one. The added screaming of anguish is something to relish upon hearing from others and a dreadful thing when it comes from your mouth.
The next game we tried to play was Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. Unfortunately, we had a few issues on some computers and it took a long time to set up. Then, while we were in the process of playing, our rigs went out of sync and the session crashed. After trying to recover the session, we decided to try another old game we used to play, which was Quake III Arena. Man, did that bring back memories. One of my friends and I would jockey for domination of higher platforms to use our rail guns. Rocket jumping and blowing people up in mid air were all the old encounters. Even shooting our own teammates while they were jumping to get them killed from either a further landing or missing the ground entirely.
The final game I played (I had to leave earlier than the others) was a few rounds of poker. I did okay but still lost as I know nothing of playing poker, other than what combinations there are. I was hoping to give Team Fortress 2 a go with them but only two of us was able to buy it and set it up before game night. Maybe next time?
And for the record, I was the only one on a Mac (with boot camp and Vista, of course). 
The Need At Internet Cafes
I had once gone to Borders (Ward) and hung out there, drinking a latte while surfing the Net. It was a nice social, but not social, experience. I wasn’t forced to talk to anyone and vice versa. Lately, I’ve had the desire to make such excursions a more normal routine in my life, whether to type away on my laptop, read a bit or do some writing. Of course, the last trip I mentioned above was only for roughly half an hour or so. These trips I’m thinking about would span for longer; at least an hour. So the question comes up, “What would one do if they needed to use the bathroom?” I think I would be the one to gather up all my things and go do my stuff, only to find when I return that my drink and my seat would be gone. Then again, I have a few chains and locks from my gothic days (don’t ask) and I could probably lock my laptop to the table. Now that’d be a sight!
Free Music? Yes, Please!
If you haven’t heard, “Nine Inch Nails”:http://www.nin.com is offering their latest album, “The Slip”:http://theslip.nin.com, for free. You can download the music in a variety of formats.
Between that and my recent acquisition of _One Cell in the Sea_ by “A Fine Frenzy”:http://www.afinefrenzy.com/ via iTunes, I got me some new music to drown in. So far, I’m liking both. One to get my energy pumping and another to play in the background, kick back and read a book.
Trends in Japan » Perfect Ice for Perfect Drinks
I think I really need to get “one of these”:http://www.kilian-nakamura.com/blog-english/index.php/perfect-ice-for-perfect-drinks-from-taisin/.
By Golly, He’s Right!
A recent article sheds, what’s possibly an obvious, light on how people “find the time to go online”:http://lifehacker.com/385296/where-you-find-the-time-to-spend-online (got video). Basically, the time comes from watching t.v. and I think it’d be spot on for most people. It’s sort of right for me. I do noticed that I watch less television before I got into doing a lot of stuff online but as I’m an avid gamer, I notice my time being stretched between maintaining an online presence and playing video games. With my post count, it’s obvious on which is winning.
Anyway, if you haven’t seen the video (speaker is Clay Shirky) you should check it out. It’s pretty nifty.
Work Life Lessons
I came across a “10 things” post on “AppleMatters”:http://www.applematters.com and it is “10 Things Every Programmer Should Know For Their First Job”:http://www.applematters.com/article/10-things-every-programmer-should-know-for-their-first-job/. While I’m not a professional programmer, I have had similar insights when getting into what I do.
# _Being liked is easy_ – So true. Even without “bribing” people with candy, it’s fairly easy to make people like you. Just don’t act like a jerk.
# _Being respected is hard_ – I think it depends on who you’re earning respect from. Same level co-workers are probably the hardest. Your supervisor/boss would be the next hardest and so on. As long as you do your work and complete it on time, it’s easy with the boss, but with same level co-workers, folks who do the same or related things you do, it’s harder because not only do you have to finish projects on time, you also have to be competent.
# _Everything you learned in college is useless_ – I agree somewhat. Designer friends of mine have told me that most everything they learned in school was useless in the work world. For me, what I learned in school and what I got my (lowly) degree in had nothing to do with what I’m doing now, which is web development. In fact, instead of doing my homework, I was building web pages and when my mother caught me, she reprimanded me and said I’d never get a job doing what I’m doing instead of my studies. It’s funny how life worked out.
# _Never stop learning_ – This is so true. In the tech industry, no matter what specialization, things evolve and if you don’t keep on learning you’ll get so far behind you won’t be as critical an asset you could be. The workplace is one of the best places to expand your knowledge. Your co-workers should be more than happy to help you and with the crash course training, learning something is easier, for me at least.
# _You live or die by your text editor, so choose wisely_ – For me, it was all about do I know how to code by hand or do I use a WYSIWYG editor? vi, Emacs, Pico, notepad, textedit, 1st Page 2000 (not to be confused with Microsoft Frontpage, ick). It didn’t matter, so long as I was the only one inserting code and not having a program do it, I was happy. And that increased my chances of getting hired.
# _No one really cares what college you went to_ – Not completely true. Where I ended up no one really cared, but I could have had an easy entrance to Intel if I wasn’t lazy. The college I went to had an excellent track record for getting their tech/electronics graduates into Intel (fab plants). And I know at least one person who has been hired just based on the college they graduated from.
# _Silence never goes out of style_ – Word. Another easy way to break into the group as the new guy? If the company holds a gaming night, attend. Try to beat the crap out of everyone in Quake or Motorcross Madness or whatever games they play. Whether you can or can’t pwn people, just have fun and you’ll mesh well pretty quickly.
# _You will meet odd, strange and unpleasant people, deal with it_ – So true and you know what? There are always worse people out there, so be grateful.
# _Make friends with IT_ – Mother is god on the lips and hearts of all children. IT is god in the workplace. Get on their good side and you’ll get cool stuff.
# _You will never escape office politics_ – Sooner or later, the game catches up to you. I disagree that it has anything to do with geeks/programmers not being people-persons and that they can advance into management. The game isn’t how well you communicate with people but how you can manipulate them and avoid being manipulated. Some people just prefer to get things done.
The Long Road
So I’ve left hospitals behind me. Going back only for checkups. I’ve completed my sessions with Physical Therapy and am soon to be done with Occupational Therapy. Going back to work is upcoming and I’m afraid to say, I’ll be slaving away for a while until I can earn some vacation time back.
While my trip to Japan has been postponed, I do plan to fly out somewhere this year. I need a vacation to enjoy. This year was to be the start of living for me. And that’s not going to change. Especially not after what happened… which by the way, the doctors still don’t know what the cause was.
First thing’s first… getting back to work and getting on with life here. Then, it’s planning for an adventure!
Out One, In Another
I’m now out of Pali Momi hospital but am in a rehab hospital. I hope to get out a week or so, but anticipate followup therapy when I go home. Main thing is getting home.
Thank you all for your prayers and best wishes.
Very Sick
I have been in the hospital for over a month now. Got out of the ICU friday and am improving. It is scary only because what’s wrong with me isn’t easily known. My doctors are still trying to figure it out. Main thing is I am getting better. Funny how I miss work so much. Work is better than being this sick.
Public Service Announcement
If you wake up in the middle of the night shivering like a maniac high on caffeine, it’s a good idea to turn down the fan and shut the window that’s open over your bed.
I think I executed enough emergency actions to deter the oncoming cold but I have an incessant headache that drugs can only push to the back of my consciousness. The body sensitivity (aka body pains) is mostly gone with just a little bit over my left side above the ribs still being irritating.
So yeah, listen to your body.
Quote Of The Month
_”It’s not like I have no content; I’ve got lots. It’s the initiative to write about them that’s the problem.”_
Ahh!
Did I ever mention that I love the Hammer? The Hammer is a mass collection of requested tasks that all have a priority 1 setting and all have either the same due date or consecutive due dates. What makes it fun is that these requests are from different departments so they have no idea what the other is requesting.
The Hammer also always happens on a Friday.
Addiction
I don’t know what’s the lesser of two evils, MMORPG addiction or Net addiction. I remember the days (actually, nights) that I’d spend hours chatting in IRC, posting on message boards and diddling with some scripting and usually all three at the same time. At least chatting in IRC got me out of the house from time to time as most of the people I used to chat with would hang out together. I remember on quiet nights, I’d fire up a singleplayer game and spend a couple hours on it. But now, for a few years what has gotten my attention is the genre of video games called Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games.
MMO’s can be scary things. Their main goal is to keep the player ensnared in them. To become a thrall whose main objective is to continue their monthly subscription. I’ve complained about the game mechanics of Final Fantasy XI and how everything you do in that game is a time sink. But in reality, the game in its entirety IS a time sink. Just like every other MMO out there. World of Warcraft is one of few MMORPG games that are friendly and accessible to the casual player; one who only plays for an hour or two a day. Yet that game is also a time sink and seeks to keep you drawn into it to continue paying $15 a month.
Now, I’m not saying playing MMORPG’s is a complete waste of time. I’ve had wonderful memories playing with friends in both Final Fantasy XI and World of Warcraft. Most of such games require social interaction and you meet and befriend people similiarly to meeting people in a chat room. Except you can do stuff with them while chatting. However, all these people and all these adventures, do they really add up to something worthwhile? I think it depends on how you appreciate it. A large part of me wouldn’t give up the time I spent in Final Fantasy XI. Meeting new friends and playing with them. Hanging out in game and chatting. I wouldn’t give up the time I met like-minded people in World of Warcraft where we’re fantasy writers and weave our characters in storylines. I wouldn’t give up the fun I had.
Was it worth spending all that time in video games instead of continuing to chat with people in IRC (and even meeting/hanging out with them), to maintain a presence in a few online message boards, to continue to involve myself in other peoples’ lives through their blogs? Putting it in that perspective, now I’m not so sure. Yet, if there’s anything I’ve come to learn in life, it’s that nothing is more worthless than wallowing in the past. Reflect on it, learn from past choices, but don’t keep sitting in the dark crying the woes of the here and gone. Realize what’s going on and *do something about it*.
My Inner Monologue Has A Dirty Mind
A co-worker sees me get to my desk:
“Ah, breakfast food, huh?”
What my mind was going to say:
“Yeah, breakfast of champions; nuts and juice.”
What I said in reality (much to my relief):
“Yeah, cashews and Fanta Fruit Punch. Good stuff.”
Either, the nearly one decade of constant teasings for stupid stuff I’ve blurted out has learned me, or I’ve managed to cut it out due to my friend EL being worse than I.
Remember, Remember the Fifth of November
While less on the “actual event”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night and more due to the movie “V for Vendetta”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_for_Vendetta, let us, nevertheless, remember the Gunpowder treason and plot.
Ooh! Shiny!
IMAP’s been activated on my Gmail account. Instead of deciding what to do with my vacation time, I think I’m going to fiddle with the new feature and see how it goes.
Note to self: Save current email account settings on iPhone and record forwarding settings in Gmail in case of rollback fever.
Time to Waste
I’ve been contemplating what to do with my bit of vacation left this year. Initially, I was supposed to go to Vegas with some ex-coworkers but things came up and that didn’t materialize. Should I still go to Vegas, but in December? Should I go somewhere else? I do have a bunch of games I haven’t been able to play much. I guess I could do a gaming marathon. Or, I could rollover the vacation time to next year, thus giving me a huge chunk of vacation to use but that and a gaming marathon just sounds so boring. Enough with boring!
If only I wasn’t a lazy bum and got my passport, I could go all out and travel to somewhere foreign… exotic.
Blogging By iPhone
Just installed a “plugin”:http://wphoneplugin.org/ that optimizes the admin interface of WordPress for the iPhone. So far, me likey. Especially since I could never really get the blogging via text/email feature to work correctly.
The Joys of Geeky and Campy
“Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions”:http://na.square-enix.com/fftactics/ is launching tomorrow. I’ve got it pre-ordered so that’s no problem. The trick would be to acquire the movies, Transformers and 28 Weeks Later. Actually, just Transformers. I don’t think it’d be too hard to get the other movie.
Circuit City is always the best place to get new movie releases, but do I take up lunch hour and scramble to Pearlridge, or do I wait and go through traffic and thus take up time I could be spent driving to Gamestop to pick up my FFT?
I must come up with a solid battle plan.
Speaking of battle plans, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is out and has gotten good reviews. I’m assuming it’s like Battlefield and pretty much completely online with no single-player story to burn through.
Three Hours Gone
I knew that I would devote an hour of my time on Monday nights for Heroes. While the opening episode of Season 2 seemed to be trying to introduce too much too soon, I still enjoyed it. But it was a pleasant surprise to have enjoyed Chuck and Journeyman. That’s three hours gone from Monday nights.
Chuck is about a typical geek dude who receives an email from a rogue CIA operative who he used to go to college with. Upon opening the email, he’s bombarded with visual information, which is basically all the CIA secrets. He’s become a hot commodity to the government’s intelligence agencies. As such, he’s protected by a hot, and experienced, field agent (who kinda looks like Elisha Cuthbert, but isn’t) and by a present day Jayne. Personally, this show is much better than Jake 2.0, which is sort of thematically similar.
Journeyman is about a man who is transported back in time, a la Quantum Leap, but in segments. During the amount of time he’s in the past, he can influence events and people see him as he is. So if he meets someone he knows, they will recognize him. Even though he’s married and has a son, it seems he hasn’t quite gotten past his first love, who was lost in a plane crash. However, it’s come to light that his first love didn’t die in the crash and is also able to go back in time. The way she behaves, it seems she has control over her ability to travel in time, whereas for the main character, he can’t control it. How and why they’re able to travel in time is unexplained and will probably be revealed in later episodes.
Both Chuck and Journeyman show a lot of promise and I could easily see losing three hours every Monday.
The Funny Browser
One of the biggest aggravation with Internet Explorer is its listing of URLs in the address bar history. I could allay this aggravation by using bookmarks, which I do, but I don’t want to make a lot of bookmarks that clutter up my UI or even my Bookmarks list. What I do instead is use Firefox as my main browser of choice.
The reason I use Firefox (amongst other reasons), and I notice Safari does this too, is that it lists the URL history according to the most “used” link. For example, say I visit somesite.com and I find out they have an Australian parallel site called somesite.com.au as well. So I visit both. Now while the Australian site is informative, I visit somesite.com more regularly. Firefox will always list this at the top when I type something like “som” and it shows the URL history. Not so with Internet Explorer, which works differently.
Internet Explorer doesn’t list the URLs according to most used. It seems to list it in a weird alphabetical organization. Rather than listing somesite.com at the top, it’ll list somesimte.com.au first, then any subpages within that site. Finally it’ll list somesite.com and whatever subpages. I’m under the assumption, where alphabetical organization is concerned, that somesite.com is supposed to be listed first, then somesite.com.au. And it can’t be that Internet Explorer is listing by frequent clicking because I do use somesite.com more than the .au version.
Aside from that, Internet Explorer is… well, still not fun to use. Even their Developer Toolbar doesn’t work (at least on my work laptop, which is where I need it the most). Oh well, that’s my rant for today!
… though the day is still young and I might have more.
Friday Night Fun!
Last night’s “ARTafterDARK”:http://www.artafterdark.org/event/2007/07/27/kabuki event was pretty interesting. I did get there later than I intended since I decided to get a haircut beforehand. And what a haircut it is.
Enough of boring, it’s time for some _texture_!
Anyway, back to the event. So, after about 20 minutes of driving around to find parking, I got one (through a little cheatery) and entered a world of bodies. Lots of people were there including some co-workers of mine. At first, I was alone, stranded in the sea of more-fashionably-dressed people, I found the mini-bar (too expensive), then the food stall (much too expensive), then the bathroom (quick break!) and finally I ventured into a gallery to be blessed by cool air conditioned atmosphere.
I caught up with my friends a little bit later. Or should I say, one of my friends found me and dragged me to where the rest were sitting. Finding out where they were, I looked at the photo above and come to find out, I took a snapshot of one of them. 
There was a performance in another area with a stage and I was able to get a glimpse, nothing more. A bit sad but the performers ended up walking about and so one of my friends snagged my iPhone and took a few pictures. It was a pretty fun night. Got to see some art and get nostalgic as well as hang out with my co-workers and friends. And I even got to see whacky and crazy peoples.
After the event (we were kicked out of a gallery; they sure are prompt about closing time!), some were thinking of going out to eat. But after that long exposure to many people, I figured it was time to head off. Besides, I had to take my car in for service this morning and didn’t want to stay out too late.
If I go to the next event, I’ll make sure to take more photos (co-worker took the last two images and a couple others)… and dress more sleek.
Sad is Good?
I’ve noticed a trend lately that most of the songs that I really dig tend to be sad songs. First it were the songs Naturaleza Muerta and Hijo de la luna sung by “Sarah Brightman”:http://sarah-brightman.com/. Then it was Wuthering Heights (sorry Kate Bush fans, I like “Hayley Westenra”:http://www.hayleywestenra.com/’s rendition). Now it’s the song Personal by “Stars”:http://www.arts-crafts.ca/stars/.
Personal is about a guy posting an ad in the Personals and a woman responding. The guy sets up a meeting and the woman gets to the meetup and is left hanging. Afterwards, the guy posts another ad with slightly different wording that presumably excludes the girl who initially responded.
Very sad, especially coupled with the solo piano section. And every time I listen to the song I see the scene in the movie “You’ve Got Mail” where Tom Hanks’ character leaves Meg Ryan’s character hanging in the coffee shop.
Arrgghh! But the song is so good.
Testing Flickr2blog
Just testing the Flickr2blog feature because I can’t sleep. Oh yeah, this was sent from my iPhone.
Of Loss and Remembrance
Speaking of remembrance, I read another blog and what happened to that person reminded me of my own experience. The sad experience of losing a loved and cherished pet way before its time.
My parents went with my Aunt to see a litter of puppies that were advertised. They picked up a little black ball of fur, chihuahua and fox terrier mix, and turns out it was the runt of the pack. Yes, he was very cute.
What’s Next?
Last night’s season finale of “Heroes”:http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/ finally ends the terror of Sylar. Or does it?
(Spoiler Alert)
A Test!
So there’s a “personality test for gamers”:http://www.guildcafe.com/zQuest.php regarding MMORPG’s (originally it was for MUDs).
I’m “ESAK”:http://www.guildcafe.com/zScore.php?questid=2&qid=31, which should not be confused with ESAD.
What kind of gamer are you?
I Need to Change Jobs…
I need to unlock the Time Mage job. I mean seriously… where did all the time go?
One minute I’m booting up “Everquest 2″:http://everquest2.station.sony.com/ at around 7:30pm and the next moment it’s 9pm! I really don’t think I was playing that long. Then, I’ve finished a good ham and rice dinner and instead of time passing to 10pm, it’s 15 to 11!
Whoa there Time Lord, hold up a little bit. I’d love the weekend to come by quickly, but could you only speed up work hours and not personal hours?
Please? Pretty please with “Mithra”:http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Mithra&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2 on top?
My Hero!
So it’s a completely new experience, me and this Mac, but incidentally it doesn’t stop at home.
I had been experiencing the dreaded squeaky spacebar and for a while, I thought I’d just live with it. I googled ways to fix the issue but didn’t feel daring enough to pluck the spacebar off myself. I came close as the squeakiness was driving me batty, but I’ve learned my lesson from my previous laptops.
I just couldn’t live with it and decided I’d try my hand at taking my Mac to the Genius Bar at the Ala Moana Apple Store. I signed up for a time on the web using their concierge service the night before. When I got there, the Apple Store was buzzing with activity. Folks from all walks of life… or should I say all points on the fashion scale—pop, retro, j-tourists, geeky (me), etc. frequented every spot in the store. Lots and lots of techy eye-candy and it took all of my willpower not to buy stuff.
Anyway, at the bar, they called my name (woot to reservations!) and I asked if they could help unsqueak my spacebar. The Genius then took a look at my Mac, scanned the barcode (probably to see if it was on warranty or if I signed up for AppleCare, which I did). After a bit of checking out their system, he took my laptop into the back. The wait was fine since I had lots of nice things to look at. Spare batteries, wireless travel mouse, stereo systems you can plug your iPod into… Apple swag. And when it seemed my shield of no-buy-stuff was about to crack, the Genius came out with my laptop with a triumphant grin. My Mac squeaks no more!
I had wonderful service and didn’t have to pay a dime. But while I’m pretty happy with the service, some folks aren’t too happy with theirs. Maybe it’s because I live in Hawaii and the people are, mostly, different. Maybe I came on a good day. All I know is, I had a nice experience and may even go back some day, and without the hesitation that I initially had.
Best Part of Waking Up?
While not exactly morning-esque, the best part of the work day has got to be lunch time.
Not because it’s a break in the hustle and bustle of the day. Not because there’s good eats (although there usually is some good food).
But rather, it’s because of the hilarity that ensues. Every day the conversations swiftly end up at the “Boobs and Butts” department. Without fail.
Best part? It’s always the women that instigates the convo derailment.
Decision
Hrmm… “Heroes”:http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/ marathon or “Final Fantasy XII”:http://www.finalfantasyxii.com/?
Tough call.
Almost from Scratch
Well, had to do this almost from scratch. Couldn’t load up the backup from the old site so I copied in the most recent post and the Alaska Trip Journal entries. Might as well start from ground 0.5 or so.
Layout was relatively easy to get down. First method caused the same display quirk in IE6 experienced on my old layout, but with the new method, this layout renders well. Best thing about the new method is, if I ever want to do a fluid width layout, it can accomodate it.
IE6 doesn’t support child and attribute selectors so the sidebar is a little squished. I rather not rework the entire area because I’ll soon be incorporating more of the advanced CSS techniques and will be phasing out IE6 as a browser in my test bed.
