March 31, 2004

A Jezzball Life

2652040 (lvl 33), grabe, it's not the highest score in the whole Jezzball galaxy, but it's my high score, and it's my first time to get past lvl 15. It's a minor victory for me.

But Jezzball is like life. There's you, the arrow, and you hold the solutions in the form of the red and blue bars you can create. There are problems, as symbolized by the balls. There are opportunities, as symbolized by the space you get to create those traps, and the number of lives you get every round.

You solve the problems, ball by ball. Sometimes, we feel pressured by thinking that we have too many problems that they seem like an unsolvable obstacle, even if they are only composed of little problems. Ball by ball.

In Jezzball, there is the value of patience. If you rush, it would ruin your steps to solve the problem in the best possible way, without wasting opportunities. However, there is running time, so you have to balance your speed in the process. In our life, we have 24 hours in a day, nothing more or less, even if it seems that way sometimes.

And, and there is a big and. We don't notice this at first when there are many balls, you notice this factor that would help you solve the abundance of balls in higher levels, the gray background with little rectangles. There is that background all along that would guide you in trapping those one-Jezzpixel balls in one-Jezzpixel traps (yes, you can do that, the technique of beating higher levels) In our life, that factor is God. We don't usually notice him, but He's there guiding us all along.

----

I think I had parthenophobia (fear of young girls) back then in high school. Maybe that's why my first and only soiree went up in smoke.

March 29, 2004

Flourescent rays, sliding down my skin

Project: Jen Someone's website is 75% finished. It is already online, but lacking content. However, if Jen doesn't disclose its address yet, I won't give it to you. *nyah*

The phone conversation with Jen yesterday evening has got to be my longest one ever. I'm not usually the landline-type of person. "Sober kilig", says Jen.

Migs is inviting me to sleepover on Wednesday so we could go together on Jen's planned outing in Powerplant. I wonder if I could I go? There's just one problem I need to resolve before Wednesday.

My right ear is still clogged, but it is, at least, less annoying now. Hopefully, it would be over by this week. I hate the option of surgery.

Hope Mela would be ok.

Houston managed to snatch a game against Milwaukee earlier. Too bad, Utah couldn't do the same against the Lakers.

The downside of having a huge hard drive is that it takes so long to finish Scandisk or defragment it. I'm currently fixing the family computer. I left Scandisk on this morning, and now it's only 45% done.

March 26, 2004

Playtime

Playtime

I have "10,612 second degree friends", says Friendster. Sure, I may know 50 of them, but how about the other 10,562? Should they be called friends, or just connections?
According to the dictionary, a friend is (1) A person you know well and regard with affection and trust, (2) An associate who provides assistance, and (3) A person with whom you are acquainted.
Those 10,562 people don't fit in any of the three descriptions, but they have a strong possibility of becoming your friends since you know someone who knows them.
I think I met four of those 10,562 earlier.

After I went to the doctor (I have a two-week-old cough and a clogged right ear), I went to Xyber Bowl, the PSBA hang-out, and met RB and four of his PSBA barkada. We first played a doubles eight-ball.

Unfortunately, I didn't have my magical black billiard glove (can't find it) and had to settle with my black & white one. (The black one held the long winning streak against Migs)

RB & I lost 3-0, in pretty close matches. I could blame everything --- home court advantage, two-week billiard lay-off, bad luck, etc, but I was having fun, no Earl Strickland mode needed.

Later, I played one-on-one nine-ball with Timmy from PSBA. The rules: A match is a race to 3. He was pretty good, considering that in our first match, he beat me 3-0. I might've found a better player than I am. There goes my Motolite 9-ball tournament dreams =p

In our second match, I jumped ahead, 2-0, with the second game ending in a long nine-ball bank shot. However, his more enhanced skills caught up to me as he treated me to a safety after safety. He also knew how to place the ball, and what spin to use. He could put follow or draw with ease. Before I knew it, the score was 2-all. In the final, do-or-die rack, I pocketed the seven and the eight ball, but I missed an easy nine. I thought it was over, but when he took a shot, the nine rattled out. I sealed the victory with a difficult long cut shot.

And all those game for less than a hundred bucks. Sweet.

I went home afterwards with RB tagging along. Jen texted me on my way home to call her, and so I did. After talking about her site, invitations to summer things and a friend, RB & I played NBA 2K4.

I picked Houston, he picked Orlando (post 2002 season teams, pre 2003). My hands were confused at first due to the fact that I've been playing NBA Live 2004 lately. The game was pretty close in the first three quarters as the lead kept on changing. However, in the fourth quarter, with Yao leading the way, Houston cruised to a ten-point victory.

In our second game, he told me to pick West All-Stars, and he picked the East. This game showed why the West is more dominant than the East. With Yao leading with 18 points, 7 blocks and 7 rebounds, Bryant with 16, and Shaq with 12 and 6 blocks, the West stomped a 40-point victory over the East. West, all-in-all, had 31 assists as opposed to the East's 15.

Who gets in the West?

Here is the list of the teams vying for that eighth spot, and their upcoming games.

Denver (8th)
1. SEA, 2. UTA, 3. SEA, 4. HOU, 5. PHO, 6. HOU, 7. POR, 8. SAC, 9. SA

Utah (9th [0.5 games])
1. DEN, 2. LAL, 3. NO, 4. SA, 5. LAC, 6. MEM, 7. DAL, 8. HOU, 9. MIN, 10. PHO

Portland (10th [1.0 games behind 8th])
1. SEA, 2. NY, 3. BOS, 4. PHI, 5. NO, 6. LAL, 7. GS, 8. SA, 9. DEN, 10. SA, 11. LAL

Denver -- If they could get by with two wins against Seattle, a win in Pho and a win against Utah and Portland, and at least one win in a HOU, SAC or SA game, they will enter the playoffs.
Utah --- See that LAL, SA, MEM, DAL, HOU, MIN craze? That's 6 strong teams out of nine. If they could stuff Denver out (if Sea beats Den, Uta and Den would be tied), grab the east victories and at least two out of the six, they could reach 8th, but would need a lot of prayers that Den and Por would collapse.
Portland --- With 5 games from the east (and most are star player teams [shut down the star, they'll fall]), they might have an easier time entering, and that Denver vs Portland could be crucial down the stretch.

Might be Denver vs Portland for 8th, with Portland's two extra games (SA and LAL), crucial.

----

MaMILOsopiya muna tayo:

Ang katanungan natin ngayon ay ganito: "Masasabi mo ba na hindi ako ang ako ngayon?"

Kung titingnan nga natin, maaaring totoo nga na hindi ikaw ang ikaw ngayon. Paano mo nga masasabi na ikaw ang pinaka-ikaw ngayon? Ikaw ba ang namili kung saan ka ipinanganak, ano ang magiging rehilyon mo, at marami pang iba? Hindi ba sumusunod ka lamang sa mga batas ng iyong bansa/paaralan/pamilya kahit labag sa kalooban mo? Malakas ang impluwensya ng lipunan sa isang tao na tila hindi na talaga siya iyon kundi isa lamang papet na kontrolado ng mundong kanyang kinalalakihan? Ginagawa mo ba iyong aksyon na iyan dahil ikaw ang gustong gumawa, o dahil sinabihan, pinilit ka ng iba? Ang iba, nagiging rebelde upang lumaban sa kontrol ng lipunan sa kanila at mapakita ang tunay nilang sarili, ngunit hindi kaya baliktad, na pinuwersa ka ng lipunan na maging rebelde? May maituturo ka bang isang gawain, pangyayari na masasabi mong ikaw, at ikaw lamang ang makakagawa, isang aksyon na sumisigaw na ikaw iyon, at hindi ibang tao?

Ngunit, gaya ng paghubog ng lipunan sa iyo, hinuhubog mo rin ang lipunan. May tulong, pananagutan lamang na ikaw lamang ang makakagawa sa puntong iyon. May kalayaan ka pa rin sa pagdaloy ng isip mo. Maaaring may mga tao na maglagay ng ibang ideya sa isipan mo, ngunit may kakayahan ka pa ring bumuo ng iba, o baguhin ang kanilang ideya. Hindi ka kailanman makakahatak ng isang tao sa lipunan at ituro na siya ang nagkontrol sa akin na gawin iyon, na siya ang nagsasabi sa akin na maging perpekto, o luko-loko. (Wag niyo ipapasok ang mga kaso ng mental dito) Kahit na may nakatutok sa iyong baril at pinupuwersa ka na pindutin ang buton na magpapasabog sa kabilang gusali na may isang daang tao upang mailigtas ka lamang, may pagpili pa rin. At kung anuman ang pagpiling iyon, ikaw, at ikaw lamang ang makakagawa noon, kung ano ang mga hakbang, daloy atbp.

Maaaring pagkalipas ng dalawampung-taon at binalikan mo ang mga pinaggagawa mo noong ika'y bata pa, maaari mong sabihin na hindi ako iyon, ngunit, kahit ayaw mong tangappin, ikaw pa rin iyon. Maaaring iba iyong dati mo sa ngayon mo, ngunit, ikaw pa rin iyon. Oo nga at hindi ka mabubuhay na isang daang porsyentong pinaka-ikaw, ngunit maililista mo nga ba sa isang papel kung ano ang tunay na ikaw, ang pinaka-ikaw? Subalit, tanyag ka pa rin, ikaw pa rin iyan kahit minsan nasusuway tayo ng iba. Konektado ka sa iba dahil pareho kayong meron, ngunit iba pa rin ang pagmemeron mo sa iba.

Tapusin na lang natin ito sa pamamagitan ng isang pangungusap na ito: "Hindi maaaring isulat o bigkasin ang tunay mong pangalan; maaari lamang itong isabuhay."

----

Ok, that's all. Back to creating/remodeling websites (my blog was the first site) and writing lit!

March 25, 2004

Yu-Gi-Oh & summer sun

Yeah, new blog look. That picture of myself above (yes, that's me) "cosplaying" as Maximillion Pegasus (see pic on the right), the smooth-talking creator of the Duel Monsters game, and holder of the Millennium Eye from the popular anime series Yu-Gi-Oh!

I know his hair is gray/light purple, but it is difficult temporarily transforming black hair into that sort of hue. I don't want to go into the whole dyeing business.

That pic is just a section of the whole thing. My Friendsters could see the whole picture in my profile.

====

I can't believe school is over. And I have to say that this is probably one of the best semesters I ever had in college.

Now, it's my summer break. So far, I will...
  • Be and stay healthy
    I need to get over this near-the-end-of-school-sickness of mine.

  • Create Websites
    I plan to build/remodel a few websites over the summer. I plan to merge my former sites, Skylab Mag, Healthy Obsessions and Ink in Ice, into one literature site called Alite. I'll update Tones on the Go, and build my own personal website as well as Jen Someone's. I also plan to create a "Phiction", or Pinoyfic site.

  • Work in the Placement Office
    Since I am now a real placement rep under Team 1, committee IT, I, along with other Team 1 peeps would handle the first Placement Office jobs for the upcoming schoolyear.

  • Build up stamina?
    My 4J high school mates are planning to join the IAC basketball thing next year. Since I am part of 4J, I will be part of it if ever it happens. And stamina is currently the physical thing I lack now.

  • Write
    For the future (Den made me promise to contribute in future Heights issues as well as go to their poetry reading events), and for my portfolio. Guess, I can add Den to the people I have a difficult time saying no to.

  • Plan for the Fine Arts Festival
    We will be handling the Fine Arts Festival this upcoming schoolyear. Watch it!

  • Hang out with old friends
    I miss those peeps.

  • Clean my room
    It's the yearly "Clean up your room" gig for me. And everytime I do it, I fix the room in such a way that it looks different from the original. I also get sick from all the dust inhaled in the process.

    This list will continue to grow.
  • Free

    My last day of the school year officially ended yesterday. I felt my Philo orals sucked, but there's nothing I can do about it now.

    At least I got to hang out with Den, Jason and Migs after all that.

    Hopefully, it is enough to pull my grade up to a B or B+. Now, I await with bated breath what my final grades are. I am assured of two A's, but that's it. And I will be really disappointed if I don't reach my goal this semester.

    I hope I reach that 3.7 mark.

    March 23, 2004

    The last say

    My philosophy orals will be tomorrow. Wish me luck.

    ------------
    Yu-Gi-Oh Character Tests

    For the heck of it, I took four Yu-Gi-Oh character selector tests in Selectsmart just to see if they all say the same about me. And here are the results:

    1. Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Selector by Grisom S. Raven
  • My #1 result for the SelectSmart.com selector, Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Selector, is Tristan Taylor


  • My #2 result for the SelectSmart.com selector, Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Selector, is Yugi


  • My #3 result for the SelectSmart.com selector, Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Selector, is Joey Wheeler



    2. Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Selector by D. Mentoid

  • My #1 result for the SelectSmart.com selector, Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Selector, is Yugi


  • My #2 result for the SelectSmart.com selector, Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Selector, is Bakura


  • My #3 result for the SelectSmart.com selector, Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Selector, is Joey



    3. Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Selector by Lena

  • My #1 result for the SelectSmart.com selector, Which Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Are You?, is Ryou Bakura


  • My #2 result for the SelectSmart.com selector, Which Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Are You?, is Tea Gardner


  • My #3 result for the SelectSmart.com selector, Which Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Are You?, is Yami Yugi



    4. Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Selector by Shadow Tara

  • My #1 result for the SelectSmart.com selector, So...which one are you?, is Mokuba Kaiba


  • My #2 result for the SelectSmart.com selector, So...which one are you?, is Joey Wheeler


  • My #3 result for the SelectSmart.com selector, So...which one are you?, is Tea Gardener


  • March 18, 2004

    Last steps

    The final stretch
    No more classes since Tuesday. However, I still have a couple of final projects to submit this week. I hope I manage to get the grades that can get me that elusive first honors. There are already two A's in the bag, three more to go. Hopefully, nothing would go wrong. My Philo orals would be on Wednesday, and I wish I would pull out another B+/A grade from that to boost my chances of receiving that first honors DL card.

    Summertime
    I might be teaching TD this summer, if everything works out fine. I'll be revamping my personal websites, create new ones and do Jen's website. I'll be dropping every now and then at the Placement Office to help prepare for the incoming school year. And of course, write more stories, fix my portfolio and plan ahead for the Fine Arts Festival this semester. Monix and I might spearhead this thesis of ours.

    The Blue Eagles Season 67
    A list of who might be playing for Team Ateneo this upcoming school year.
    1. Larry Fonacier
    2. L.A. Tenorio
    3. JC Intal
    4. Douglas Kramer
    5. Paolo Bugia
    6. Magnum Membrere
    7. Johann Uichico
    8. Ford Arao
    9. Chris Tiu
    10. Macky Escalona
    11. Badjie del Rosario
    12. BJ Manalo
    13. Marty Quimson
    14. Juergen Estanislao
    15. Japeth Aguilar
    16. Warlock Nkemakolam
    17. Ken Barracoso
    18. Yuri Escueta
    19. Zach Estoesta
    20. Miggy Solitaria

    Music:
    Mandy Moore - Have a Little Faith in Me
    Mood:
    In Control and Loving It

    March 11, 2004

    Eddie Gil-"isms"

    These are not jokes. These are actual answers that he gave in actual interviews.

    First, Who is Eddie Gil. Profile from Bio Data
    Full name: Eddie Conde Gil
    Known as: Eddie Gil
    Date of Birth: February 07, 1944
    Place of Birth: Zamboanga City
    Occupation: international businessman/ philanthropist
    Address: B35 L36 Burbank St., North Fairview Subdivision, Quezon City
    Father : Raul Alinsoot Gil, taga-Cebu
    Mother: Felicisima Miralina Conde, taga-Masbate
    Spouse: Erlinda Ledda Gil, a teacher
    Children: Edwin, Robert, Edna, Eva, Charlemagne
    Religion: Seventh-Day Adventist
    Party: Partido Isang Bansa Isang Diwa

    Now to the interviews...

    BIO DATA - Vicky Morales
    VICKY MORALES: What is your stand on APEC?
    EDDIE GIL Diba sa langis iyon?

    VM: Ano po plano niyo sa Anti-Money Laundering Law?
    EG: Dapat tanggalin na yan.
    VM: Para pumasok ang yaman po ninyo?
    EG: Siyempre.

    VM: anong posisyon niyo sa GATT?
    EG: ano yung GATT?!

    VM: anong masasabi niya tungkol sa kaso ng mga Marcos?
    EG: bakit may mga kaso ba sila korte?!

    VM: ito naman ho yung birth control ano hong stand nyo doon?
    EG: birth control? para sa akin hindi na kailangan ang birth control kapag ako na presidente.
    VM: bakit?
    EG: kase ano na eh, lahat ng tao, kailangan ko marami tao mabigyan ko job, trabaho. oo, kaya ako nag campaign na hwag na kayo sasama sa birth control. family planning iwanan nyo. magplano na kayo gabi-gabi para manganak kayo buwan-buwan.

    On the ECONOMY:
    I will change the Philippine currency to the 'dollar' so that we will be more competitive in the global arena. Countries like Korea and China are now using the dollar and we must follow suit. When we do this, one Philippine Dollar will be equivalent to one US Dollar.

    On Peace and Order:
    lahat ng mga rebelde nangako ng susuko kapag nanalo ako

    On the MARCOS WEALTH:
    May kaso na ba against the Marcoses (reporter: opo), kakausapin ko sila na ipamigay ang pera sa mga mahihirap.

    VM: Ano po ang isang normal na araw sa inyo?
    EG: Sabado.

    VM: Ano'ng pangalan ng tatay niyo?
    EG: Ay, nde ko pedeng sabihin.
    VM: Bakit naman?
    EG: Masyadong sentimental. Pag binanggit ko yun, mawawala lahat ng nasaisip ko.
    VM: Pero patay na siya?
    EG: Oo, pero nakikita ko pa. Pag gusto ko siyang makita, nakikitako. Saka nagbibigay din siya ng instructions sa akin, para sa mgaginagawa ko.
    VM: Ha, paano? Sa panaginip?
    EG: Oo, sa panaginip. Minsan, isinusulat din niya sa blackboard

    ----------------------------

    Lente - Probe Team - Cheche Lazaro
    CHECHE LAZARO: Ano ho ang posisyon niyo sa population control?
    EDDIE GIL: Hindi ako naniniwala diyan. Kelangan pa nga dumami pa yung tao dito sa atin, like China. Tingnan mo ang China, 1 billion sila, matatag ang economy, dapat ganun din tayo.

    CL: Ano ho ang posisyon niyo sa globalization?
    EG: Ang posisyon ko dyan eh buy your own. Wala dapat foreign goods.

    EG: Ayaw ko na iopen ang pilipinas sa ibang negosyo. Dapat we must protect our products. Pwede lang tayo mag export.
    CL: Sir pano naman po ang open skies?
    EG: Open skies? Ano ang open skies?
    CL: iyon po ang papayagan niyo po ung mga airlines na magkaroon ng routes over the philippine skies?
    EG: Ah pwede iyon. Basta hinde pwede ang foreign products pero foreign investors pwede.
    CL: Pero sabi niyo po bawal ang foreign products?
    EG: OO nga bawal ang foreing products.
    CL: Product po iyong airline?
    EG: Ah ibang usapan na yan.. airline na yan e!

    CL: Ano naman po ang papel ng asawa niyo?
    EG: eh d asawa. Asawa ko sya!
    CL: Pano naman po pag nanalo kayo ano naman po ang papel na gagawen niya?
    EG: eh di kung ano iyong tawag mo sa asawa ng presidente. Eh d Asawa pa den. Ayun. ASAWA ko sya.

    CL: Maraming nagtatanong sa amin at sinasabe sino nga ba c eddie gil?
    EG: Ako si eddie gil!
    CL: Oo nga po, para sa inyo sino ho ba talaga si eddie gil?
    EG: Si Eddie Gil ay ako. Eh d ako sya

    CL: Ano ang position niyo sa case ni erap?
    EG: Hindi ako politico e. wala akong position sa government

    PROBE: Kamutsa po ang organization niyo na isang Bansa Isang Diwa
    CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Kame ang number 2 organization in the whole world!
    P: In the world?
    CM: YES. In the whole world!
    P: Sino po iyong number 1 sa whole world?
    CM: hmmm..[ after a while].. I can't remember.
    P: Is it the magazine?
    CM: YES
    P: Could you give us a copy?
    CM: YES, we can give you a copy.. I've forgotten the magazine but we will give you a copy. I've only seen it in the flyer at dinaan lang sa opisina. I've seen it and marami sa aking mga kakilala ang nagsabing nabasa na nila iyon kaya I know it's true!

    ELEZABETH: We have many companies all over the philippines and all over the world if I tell u it will take 24 hours..

    PROBE: What is the business of eddie gil?
    E: Nagpapautang sya sa mga countries na may kailangan. For example Korea, nung kelangan nila ng funding nagpautang kame sa kanila.....
    P: Saan kinukuha ni Eddie Gil iyong pondo niya? [capital]
    E: As I said, DUN NGA SA PAGPAPAUTANG

    --------------------------

    Galing 'di ba?

    Music:
    Mandy Moore - Moonshadow
    Mood:
    Tired