monday mumblings: frustrations at work, jetpack, walk-xercise, unread books, job opening

How long does it take to upload a website page if the website has been existent for eons and the page in question is a mere 23kb? In my experience, no longer than 5 minutes. So, why does it take more than 3 days for people here at the Desk to do it? Up until this writing, the page in question is still not updated. To top it all of, I had to fill in a request form and email the persons concerned but it still this doesn't get done.

I hate to compare but in my previous gig, I was in-charge of updating the websites and when we needed to update a page or an entire website even it didn't take more than an hour to do so. And we did it with less paperwork at that -- helps save the trees even. But here at the Desk, it's a different story altogether and I don't know if the paperwork -- the actual and the virtual -- really works or if they are just exercises in futility.

This is just frustrating. That's why my website project at the Desk isn't taking off.

* * * *

A quick cyber surf yields an interesting bit of news straight out of science-fiction: jetpacks are coming!

Over at Digital-Trends, Ryan Fleming reports that jetpacks may soon be heading out of the sci-fi books and comics and onto consumers' backs as aviation company Martin Aircraft looks to make jetpacks commercially available.

The Martin jetpack doesn't look like the jetpack used in Rocketeer or the one used by Adam Strange of Rann or even Flash Gordon which are all sized as big as your average backpack. The one being developed by Martin looks more like one that Ace McCloud of Centurions fame might don (weighs at least 250 lbs). But heck, it's a jetpack and a working one at that. However, it won't be readily available to the average consumer yet as it's quite pricey at US$100,000 but for sure, as technology advances, this jumbo jetpack will eventually be scaled down to manageable size and the price will surely drop.

Here's an excerpt from Fleming's story:

"Currently Martin Aircraft Company is fulfilling an order for 500 jetpacks to be used by emergency services, as well as four unnamed defense companies. As of right now, the company's focus is to produce jetpacks specifically for governmental purchase, but they are seeking funding to build at least one new factory with the purpose of producing jetpacks for the average (extremely rich) customer.

The Martin jetpack comes in two models. One is pretty much what you would expect a jetpack to be- it is a device that can carry a person to infinity and beyond, assuming that infinity is less than the 8000 feet ceiling or the 31.5 miles distance that travelling at the maximum regulated speed of 63mph will take you. With a full tank of gas, that would last roughly 30 minutes, although Martin Aircraft expects that to improve as the manufacturing process becomes more efficient.

The jetpack operates the way you would imagine it. You strap it on, you fly. The principals aren't all that difficult to comprehend. That might be a little bit of an oversimplification, and possibly a touch insulting to the extremely bright and dedicated engineers that have spent years working on the project, but really, how much convincing do you need that a jetpack is a good thing? You put it on, and suddenly you can fly. Everything else is details.

If you are one of "those" people that absolutely needs to know the specs on the combustion engine that you might one day soon be strapping to your back, the Martin jetpack uses a gasoline powered V4, 2.0 liter engine capable of producing 200 hp. In fact, the name "jetpack" is actually a bit of a misnomer, as there is not jet involved. But "Enginepack" just isn't as sexy. It is a carbon fiber design that weighs around 250lbs before adding safety equipment, and at maximum thrust it can carry more than 600 lbs, so even the bulky NFL player that just signed a multi-million dollar contract extension can get in on the action. Can you honestly see Terrell Owens NOT buying one of these?

The standard equipment for the jetpack is slightly unique. While Ferrari might give you a hat or a lovely keychain when you purchase one of their products, they probably do not include a flight and engine display, a harness, a retractable undercarriage that absorbs energy, or a ballistic parachute. All of which come standard with the Martin Jetpack."

Head on over to Digital Trends to read the entire story or click here.

Photo is a copyright of Martin Aircraft. All rights remain with them.

* * * *

Just had pre-lunch or mid-morning snack (depends on your POV) of home-made tuna sandwich. Breakfast was a mango donut (300 calories!) and a cup of hot choco. I also had 7-11 Vanilla Cupcake gourmet vendo coffee which will probably up my current calories to somewhere around 1,000 and I have a 300 calorie lunch coming up. That leaves around 700 calories for meryenda and dinner as I'm trying to ensure I don't go over 2,000 calories a day.

There are days, of course, that it can't be helped but generally, I've been able to keep myself at below 200 lbs. Credit that to all the walking I've been doing at every possible opportunity. Having a car helps with mobility surely but it has reduced the amount of time I used to allocate to walk-xercises. These days, I try to find time to do this so as to make sure I get enough activity to burn off the fat and the excess sugars.

UPDATE: Just had lunch -- leftover menudo from last night with rice and a banana. Like I said, 300 calories roughly for lunch. Now, need to walk downstairs at least 10 times to lose this!

* * * *

One book that I would like to read (as in read) is Neal Stephenson's Anathem -- unfortunately, I find it hard to get going. I'm still at the opening pages and the book has yet to enthrall me so that I'll keep on reading. It's probably because it's a heavy book -- heavy, meaning you've got to be ready mentally to absorb and think and process and analyze what the book is all about. After 9 or so hours of daily grind, I don't think I have energy left to tackle a book demanding such.

Hence, for easy readings after a hard day's work at the Desk, I'm re-reading Butch Dalisay's Barfly -- a collection of columns that appeared in the defunct Today broadsheet (Today has since merged with Manila Standard) written by Palanca Hall of Famer Jose Dalisay who incidentally was my professor in the basic Creative Writing course I took up as an elective during my junior year in Peyups.

I'm not yet in that state of mind where I'll appreciate a complex storyline from a spec-fic book so aside Barfly, I'm also re-reading Lester Wunderman's Being Direct, which from previous posts I'm sure I said is a source of inspiration for my chosen career path.

And oh yes, I've mentioned I've been reading a lot of comic books of late as well.

When I have the time and the right state of mind, that's when I'll be able to tackle Stephenson's Anathem and other books that still are waiting to be unwrapped like the anthology Extraordinary Engines, The Difference Engine, and Neil Gaiman's Smoke and Mirrors short fiction. I'm sure there are other unread books still waiting to see the light out there in my bookcase and I'm sure I'll continue to add more and more books because -- I don't do drugs but books drug me :P

* * * *

Work is piling up at the Desk. I need help.

We're looking for an Ad & Promo Assistant, preferably with at least a year's experience in either of the following: advertising, marketing, or corporate communications.

The biggest factor is that the person we will hire should be able to write and write well. We're talking about someone who can write ad copy for brochures, flyers, and streamers; and come up with a script or a spiel. He/She should also be able to write news and feature stories as he/she will be an integral part of the company newsletter. Oh, if he/she has web copy experience that would be a plus.

How old? Preferably younger than me as he/she will have the unfortunate luck of being under my auspices. Don't worry. I'm no hard taskmaster but I do expect results to be delivered!

Interested parties may get in touch with me via my Desk email rlragandan(at)veteransbank.com.ph. Be prepared to showcase your writing portfolio and be prepared to take a writing exam to test your skills!

friday frolicks: diabetic daddy, ikai in nursery, to-do list, heroes, ek, father's day

Not updating the Coffee House as frequently as I should even though several potential coffee conversations hit me on a daily basis. Oh, well ...

* * * *
After a hiatus of more than 6 months, I've restarted the daily updates on my other blog, The Diabetic Daddy. Join me continue my seeming-to-never-end journey to 160 lbs and the ups and downs along the way. Incidentally, I am again in the techno-geek mode and itching to tinker with TDD's layout and add in a few ads here and there. That's basically because even though it has been on a sabbatical since December last year, it somehow picked up already almost 500 unique visitors -- not bad considering that after month after having started the blog I had only about 20 visitors.

I need to put in more content on that one to generate more traffic (although that might mean lesser and more infrequent trips to this here blog!). I've always meant TDD to be more than just a personal diary counting my calorie intake -- it was meant to feature products, news, tips, advice and other stuff for diabetics like myself. Now is the time to do just that :)


* * * *
This Friday marks my little daughter's first week in school :)

I am extremely proud of her as her teachers say she is well-behaved and listens to instructions well. When I ask her what she did in school everyday when I come home from work and for the past three days she has been saying that she has been writing. Asked what was that she wrote at school Ikai always answers "rock". I can't for the life of me figure out that one yet.

Unfortunately, much as I would like to I am unable to see her off to school as her classes are from 11:30am to 1:30pm, right smack in the middle of the office hours (unless I take a leave, of course). Maybe one of these days.

Ikai is attending a little nursery school named Jozare Nursery School near the apartment. It's a sectarian school but not Catholic (she and her mother and baby sister are Protestants) and purportedly is very academic in nature as compared to other nursery schools which are more of the "playschool" type.


* * * *
On a more personal and creative note, I've still got a lot of "to-dos" ...

• My comics projects has yet to see the light of day. No timetable when this can be started yet.
• My income-generating blog has yet to generate income (yes, I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record). Need to restart that soon as the potential financial gain from that is a welcome respite.
• Spec-Fic writing -- I've been generating story ideas every now and then but they don't get jotted down. Been wasting a lot of writing markets, contests, and submission calls. Unless I start writing (and get more rejections), my craft won't develop.
• Two board games I've conceptualized and started work on some five years ago are still on the drawing board. I know these two have great potential (although I might be producing them using my own money) but I just need to find the time to work on them. Completion of both would be a great creative achievement.
• Books! I've still got a lot of books waiting to be read! Aaargh!

* * * *
Speaking of to-dos ...

I've somehow managed to finally finish the entire first season of Heroes (yes, a late-bloomer to the show) and I've loved it. Now, I'm starting on the second season but not finding enough time to watch it. Although from the few episodes I've watched, the story has somehow gotten slower and somehow lacked the action and thrill of the first.

From the 'net I know the series has ended on its fourth season and there are a lot stuff that needs to be tied up. I hope it doesn't end up like 4400 which suddenly just ended with viewers not learning what fate befell the gifted ones.

Thank goodness for Lost and it was able to wrap up everything (as I've heard it) in its final season. Now, that's another TV series that I would dearly love to get back to watching to (with my wife who also loves the series). Another TV series we enjoyed watching together and getting addicted to (imagine us waking up and starting to watch and not getting up until it was late in the afternoon) was Prison Break.


* * * *
By the way, I've already finished with Tigana. Review on that one of these days when I get some free time.

Not reading anything for the meantime. Still deciding on what to read actually :)


* * * *
A couple of weeks back when my brother-in-law and his family were vacationing here in Manila (they are based in Zamboanga), Elvie and I took time off work and together with her cousin (and her cousin's daughter) took the entire family to Enchanted Kingdom.

The trip was essentially for the kids -- Ikai and her cousins Mark, Martin and Jazzy -- but it turned out I got to enjoy many of the rides as well :) I would've thought that because of my weight I would be disallowed on the rides but was not! Since the kids needed chaperons on some of the rides (Ikai and Martin being below the minimum height requirement as "adults"), I happily used my ride-all-you-can privilege.

Since I knew the place, I was the designated driver but I made a mistake on the exit. Instead taking the Balibago exit from SLEX, I got off the earlier one at Mamplasan and we ended up cruising the national highway and experiencing a bit of traffic. So, instead of arriving at EK at 2PM (the opening time for a Friday), we got there just before 3PM.

We stayed at EK until closing time and not even the strong summer shower that hit Sta. Rosa, Laguna around 5:30pm didn't dampen the kids' spirits. When the rains abated, we were off again to hit the rides :)

* * * *
Happy weekend to all. And to all fathers (meself included), Happy Father's Day!

We seriously thought last weekend was Father's Day and we were in Laguna to celebrate it with my folks. We went to Festival Mall-Alabang and did the usual stuff -- ate lunch (which acted as the celebration already), did some shopping (both window-shopping and actual hard-cash shopping), and the kids rode the rides with Ikai her usual carousel and choo-choo train, and Mark with the race-track kart.

Anyway, enjoyed the weekend nonetheless even if it was not yet Father's Day :P

coffee is generally heart-friendly, studies say

Something fitting for a blog so-aptly named ...

COFFEE IS GENERALLY HEART-FRIENDLY

By Ed Edelson, HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) -- Coffee drinkers can take heart from a series of studies presented this week at American Heart Association conferences in San Francisco.

For example, coffee drinkers appear to have a lower risk of hospitalization for abnormal heart rhythms. And there's no indication that having a few cups every day increases the risk of atherosclerosis, the thickening of blood vessel walls that can lead to heart attacks and other problems. What's more, something in coffee other than caffeine might be responsible for a reduced risk of diabetes for women who regularly imbibe java.

Read the rest of the article here.

Do you believe in these studies? I do hope so as that means I can once again up the number of cups I can consume in a day :)

thursday tattles: delicadeza, freedom force, christmas

And just like that it's already December.

And December this time around is going to be special for me and my little family. Anytime between now and the 26th, we can expect the 4th member of our little mob to arrive. A false alarm over the three-day weekend had us packing and getting to rush off to the hospital but good thing the overnight sleep helped stopped Elvie's contractions. Last Friday, she was still in her 37th week when the contractions happened, still a bit early for Baby Isa to step into the world. But this week, Elvie is now in her 38th week and it's much safer now for the baby to be born.

So, my nerves will be a bit jumpy in the next couple of weeks or so anticipating that call from my wife about a water bag getting broken and something about rushing off to the hospital to have the baby delivered.

Let's see, bag is packed -- baby's going-home clothes, receiving blanket, Elvie's and my own clothes, a book or two to bring along, my PSP, deo, cologne, soap, toothbrush, spare blanket (for me), smallish bath towel, small notebook, lots of pens, glucose-meter, charger for the cellphone, digicam ...

Am I ready? I have to be. I'm going to be a father again :)

* * * *

Have had some difficulty sleeping the past three nights.

Last Sunday night, I wasn't able to sleep early despite feeling drowsy as early as 9pm. I ended up sleeping past 3am already. That was still fine because Monday was a holiday so no problem extending the winks in the morning.

Last Monday night however was a real bummer though. With work resuming the next day, I knew I had to really sleep. Unfortunately, I again wasn't able to catch Mr. Sandman early and ended up sleeping around 3am again. I ended up a zombie at work.

Last Tuesday's bout with sleep was better as I managed to get myself knocked off half past twelve.

As of this writing, it's already 12:20am Thursday. No sleep in sight yet. Good luck to me.

* * * *

I've put playing Innocent Life on hold for a bit as it was getting boring.

I've instead fired up my laptop and am now playing an old game from circa 2002 -- Freedom Force.

If you're a fan of old-school comics, hawking back to the days when comic heroes were reciting cornball lines and drawn Jack Kirby-style, you're going to love Freedom Force. While it's a video game, it pays homage to the Golden Age of superhero comics (forget Darna or Captain Barbell or Lastikman, mind you) with those outrageous dialogues that heroes and super-villains alike recite before attacking, and cut-scenes offering the origins of the heroes you control.

Speaking of control, FF is a squad-based, tactical, real-time strategy game where you control a group of up to four super-heroes and direct their actions in fulfillment of a stated mission. You start of with a Captain America knock-off called Minute Man but as you progress through the missions, new heroes join you or you hire available heroes. You also upgrade your heroes to unlock better powers.

Action can become quite frantic and some missions will require you to split up your heroes. This can lead to frequent scrolling all over the map to ensure that you keep your heroes in check. Thank goodness for the space button -- the PAUSE button. While paused, you can issue commands to your hero making the game (and the heroes) easier to manage (and helps you catch your breath).

I first played this game some four or five years ago and back then I had to play it on someone else's PC because my own desktop couldn't handle the graphics (full 3D!). But flash-forward to today, it runs smoothly on my Compaq CQ40 thanks to the ATI Radeon shared video graphics.

* * * *

In the news ...

According to DILG Secretary Puno, PGMA running for Congress is heeding the clamor of her future constituents. He says that call to run as Congresswoman of the 2nd district of Pampanga outweighs the call for delicadeza.

So, delicadeza is no longer a trait to be valued, you say? 'Lang hiya ...

* * * *

Because of the timing of our daughter's birth, we'll be celebrating Christmas in Makati for the first time since Elvie and I got married. It has become a tradition for us to spend the holidays with my parents in Laguna these past years so this year is a break of that tradition.

Well, it might also end up that we might be spending Christmas at the hospital after all. Elvie's due date is around December 26 after all, give or take a week or so.

However, like I mentioned earlier in this post, this Christmas season is quite special not only because of the birth of our new daughter but also because we'll be celebrating Christmas in our little apartment whereby we'll be preparing a Christmas feast -- the first time we'll be doing that.

Expect waistlines to explode this Christmas season and I'm sure my endocrinologist will be admonishing me come January for the weight gain -- and I'll hear her say I'm grossly obese again! But, it's bound to be a happy Christmas so a little pagalit will be fine. I just have to stay a bit conscious not to eat too much, hopefully.

stress tested

Aside from the Big D, since a month ago I've been undergoing treatment for hypertension as well.

A fairly recent development, my blood pressure remained high for several days prompting me to go pay a cardio a visit. He suspected too much salt intake as the cause of the BP elevation but to be sure, he had me undertake a 2D echo test and when the results of that test were ok, he then subjected me to the treadmill stress test.

That treadmill stress test happened this morning.

In a nutshell, this test will measure a person's cardio-vascular activity (heart rate, blood pressure, etc.) while being stressed out -- via the treadmill. The test will have you work on a treadmill and in stages, the difficulty level increases making you (and your cardio-vasculars) work harder. The treadmill stress test had seven stages but a person does not have to complete all seven. He/She only has to go to his/her maximum capacity.

The seven stages are divided into minutes of three each and at each stage, the speed of the treadmill increases and is inclined a notch steeper.

I reached Stage 4, however, lasted only one minute in the stage which had me only doing light jogging (yes, I am that unfit).

Stage 1 was normal walk (which seemed un-normal to me as it was definitely faster than the average speed I often pedal myself -- and people already consider me a faster-than-average walker) while Stage 2 had you walking a half-step quicker. Stage 3 was already brisk-walking and like I said, Stage 4 was already light jogging. By Stage 3, I was already sweating gallons!

How did they measure the performance of your cardio-vascular system?

The treadmill machine was by no means your ordinary, run-of-the-mill treadmill but a specially-built machine for stress testing. Think of a regular treadmill then attach a computer beside it. The "computer" is the ECG machine that churns out data progressively. And how is data fed into the ECG machine? Via connectors pasted on your heart area that will monitor you as you treadmill.

A total of 10 round connectors where plastered on my chest, most of them around the left chest area for obvious reasons. But parts of my chest hair had to be shaved off so that the connectors would stick :P Then, when I got to the machine, I was hooked up, 10 wires for each of the connector and a small device was belted on me that would help the ECG perform better.

However, monitoring the BP had to be manual. A doctor was on standby on your side while you worked on the treadmill and every 2 minutes, you had to hold out your hand so that your BP can be determined. Then, the BP is manually inputted into the ECG machine. From the ECG machine setup, the operator or doctor can also control the treadmill's speed and incline.

When I finally had enough at Stage 4, I couldn't get off the machine right away as they also had to monitor how my BP changed from strenuous activity to almost nil activity. So, after 10 minutes on gradually increasing difficulty mode, the recovery period also took ten minutes as your activity also gradually decreased.

Results will be available in 2-3 days. For more info on the treadmill stress test, visit here.

And oh by the way, Diether Ocampo was there with his Brazilian girlfriend. Apparently, he was there to undergo the same stress test as well :)

monday mumblings: biotronic, diabetic daddy, fb apps, moving on

biotronic addict
While my wife, her sister, my daughter's yaya, and my daughter herself, got themselves hooked on Boys Over Flowers this past weekend, I myself got hooked to an addiction -- Biotronic on FaceBook.

While it was a busy weekend with a Saturday trip to the doctor for my wife's monthly check-up and a Sunday worship and me running errands (and walk-xercising to boot), the weekend afternoons meant indulgences -- them with Jan Di and Jun Pyo and a marathon of the series (in subtitles, no less) and I with Biotronic.

The FB game app is by no means original. It's the usual mix-three-explode-mix-four-bigger-explode-fill-the-meter run-of-mill game (much like Bejeweled or Chuzzles) but I guess part of the appeal is that it's fresh (new elements that you need to mix and match -- not jewels or chuckling, furry heads), new twists (mix-four and get a single-color bomb, get 5 or more and get a multi-colored bomb that can eliminate all the same shapes on-screen at the same time) and the fact that you always race against time, all the time. The trick is to always find the best combo -- the fours or fives -- as the three-combo only give you only additional micro-seconds. The bigger the explosion you make (with 4-5 the combos), the longer time you gain. But then again, the longer time you spend at a level, the smaller the score. So, you have to analyze the pattern of elements as soon as they appear and look for the killer-combos right away. Otherwise, your effort will just be a race against the seeming unfair clock.

Part of the addiction I've experienced with Biotronic is that fellow FBer Rastle, the notorious little lady who offices a block away at an online media company, has bested my score last Saturday evening! For approximately four days I've topped the scoreboard then out-of-nowhere, she comes and trumps my 69,470 with 69,940!

Played Biotronic last Saturday from 4pm to 10pm and then again the next day from 3pm to 8pm. Now, my right arm and wrist are sore from all that clicking and mouse manipulation. Talk about addiction :)


other fb addictions
Aside from Biotronic, other addictive game apps I'm currently hooked on include FarmTown, FarmVille and Restaurant City. I still play Pet Society every now and then just to make sure that my pet stays healthy as well continue my other farm over at Barn Buddy but my extra times are spent on the three game apps first mentioned!

Up and coming addiction includes Mafia Wars (yes, I'm a late bloomer) and there's a new farm app called myFarm. Still trying it out but it's not excitingly different from FarmTown or FarmVille so not sure if I'll stick with that game.


new blog up
I've just started a new blog -- The Diabetic Daddy -- a blog chronicling my now-forever battle with the big D. In it, I hope to daily post how I'm managing my diabetes as well as my weight management.

I also plan it as a rough guide to living the diabetic lifestyle which include calorie and sugar-counting on all food intake and reviewing foodstuff considered friendly for diabetics including all those items on the grocery shelves tacked and labeled with "fat-free", "sugar-free", "low-fat", "high-fiber" and "n% less sugar".

It features a newsreel for all matters pertaining to diabetes and I will add more features to it as I find time.

Why create it? To keep reminding myself that this is a battle I need to take seriously as well as to help other like myself who are struggling with the need to change the lifestyle. Information and education are key objectives for that new blog.

There's a likelihood that there'll crossovers between The Coffee House Chronicles and The Diabetic Daddy but I hope you guys also bookmark that one as well.


july is moving on month
This month, July, marks my last month with the company I currently am employed with.

Yes, folks, I'm moving on and in exactly 28 days I'll be rewriting my professional career at a new desk and a new office with a new set of colleagues and it's actually pretty exciting. The decision to move on has been a long time coming but the stars and the planets have finally aligned and they have, through various auguries, informed me that now is the time to move.

While I've made no secret of my intent, I've not broadcasted it widely either (except to a select few) until now.

For sure, the news has already circulated around the office and before you hear rumors that I will be moving to another gaming company let me say that I'm not transferring to a rival gaming company. I'm not even moving to the other online gaming type of company (MMORPG and casual games).

I'm moving to another industry and my FB and Twitter friends will know, come August 3, what industry and what company that will be. I'm going mainstream and my whole family is excited with that prospect.

And why move when I am already in possession of a stable, nurturing and developmental job that promises career development and a chance to scale the corporate ladder, you ask?

There are personal reasons and there are other reasons but primarily, I've got my family's future in mind when I finally made that decision to accept the offer from this other company. This move is actually a step-back in terms of career growth from my point-of-view but it's a necessary sacrifice that I need to make to ensure that years from now, my family will be taken cared of and I will still have a career to make of.

There's still a chance to scale the corporate ladder with the new company and who knows, maybe I can still make CMO one of these days.

So, this month is basically about wrapping up things in the old office and prepping for the new one. Papers accumulated for the past three years are being sorted out, odd jobs and responsibilities being relinquished to colleagues, and come last week of July, I'll be saying my goodbyes and relishing the 43rd floor cityscape view from the relatively new office space I have.

let's drink to that!

Drinking, as in drinking liquor or anything alcoholic, has never been a top social activity in my books. It ranks slightly lower on things I prefer not to do in life (a couple of rungs below "smoking") and I try to avoid it as much as I can.

Contrary to popular belief (by friends and the numerous doctors who show doubt when I answer their query on how frequent I consume alcohol with "occasionally"), I do not like to drink. If you've been to one of the few gatherings my wife and I have organized for our daughter (baptismal, 1st and 2nd birthdays) alcohol is almost never served unless requested. I don't consider beer to be part of the party's budget in the first place.

I would also rather enjoy a quiet evening with friends in a coffee shop or restaurant rather than in a booze bar. While I will merrily ride along if friends and companions prefer the chaos and noise of a bar to enjoy a bottle or two (or five) but personally I would've preferred downing two mugs of dark coffee while enjoying the conversation. In the first place, no conversations happen in a bar with blaring music. What happens is a shout-out and shout-back.

If alcohol and beer appealed to me, I would've already been seduced since high school. Most certainly I could have conked myself drunk every night during my college years if that were the case. Even more certainly, my earlier professional years allowed me the chance to purchase drunkenness if (and only if) I had wanted alcohol. But alcohol never really appealed to me. Never did, never will.

Then how do I explain my rather rotundness? (something the annual physical exam docs associate with regular drinking)

My being fat has to do with an overly aggressive food intake and not because I've been to too many drinking binges. The times I've drank are far and few in between and the last time I've drank majorly was in the company outing last year when I downed 2.5 bottles. Before that, the most bottles that I drank was 4 and that happened only on a couple of occasions. A normal consumption for me would be 2 bottles max and even at that weakling of a number I've been cutting down to just 1 bottle or even less per occasion (and being a bit of an introvert, those occasions are very, very rare indeed).

I don't even recall the last time I've drank beer. I think it still dates back to that company outing I mentioned earlier. I managed to get home alcohol-free from the company Christmas party early December and during the holidays just swilled a bit on red wines (take note, a bit).

Don't get me wrong, I've experienced drunkenness before. And I swore to myself while puking my guts out over the inodoro that I will never get drunk again after that one instance. This happened in college when some youngish relatives dropped by (cousins of mine) and as is the normal decorum my father proceeded to offer alcohol -- beer, wine, rum, even a sangria. He then prodded me to join them (his drinking companions being my age group, he reasoned) and left with no choice, I indulged in that "washing". So, there I was drinking glass after glass of beer, rum, wine and sangria (the last three leftovers from previous celebrations of my father) all the while worrying if I can still wake up at 4am the next morning to catch the earliest bus to U.P. as the next day was registration day. In those heydays, computerized registration was still a dream and us Isko's and Iska's had to line up for each and every subject (hence the moniker U.P. = University of Pila). At around 2am, my guts exploded and I found myself in the toilet emptying the contents of my digestive tract.

Since that day, I've made sure to never get myself drunk again. And I've kept that promise. Anytime I feel the alcoholic drink beginning to seep through my brain (the signal is light-headiness), I stop the alcohol and I don't care if it was just my first bottle.

All in all, for courtesy's sake, I drink, especially when proffered a bottle or a can. You don't want to offend in the first place so you accept. But if I can, I avoid it. Being a diabetic for over a year now has given me a very valid medical excuse not to drink. It's hard on the liver and I can't risk that with the D and all.

So, I apologize to all those who I've possibly offended, insulted or inconvenienced with my refusal to accept your invitation to go out for a bottle or two. I know it's for camaraderie and all but if I can possibly avoid it. I will avoid it.

Magkape na lang tayo :)

* San Miguel Pale Pilsen image courtesy of Wikipedia. San Miguel Pale Pilsen name, design, bottle and label are trademarks of San Miguel Brewery and San Miguel Corporation. All rights remain with them.

let's get physical

Yesterday had an annual physical exam for the second time this year and being the pessimistic me, I expected things to turn out not to well. I mean, being diabetic and fat and high-cholesteroled. Turns out, despite being obese and with a body fat index of 35.5%, my physical turned out ok.

With a mid-month scheduled appointment with my endocrinologist, I guess I just have to work on my weight the next two weeks and try and burn off as much fat as I can. Not really dieting but eating right and getting the necessary exercise.

With my wife scheduled on the mid-shift, I have the flexibility to do my morning walks again and if I can, also walk home. These simple exertions are enough to burn off the pounds with a little help from controlling my carbo-intake.

Just a short post this Sunday afternoon, folks!

thursday tidbits: ikai 2.0, asus f5rl, maplestory

ikai 2.0
Nowadays, when Ikai is asked "How old are you?" she can confidently and truthfully answer with her usual gleeful "twooo". Ikai turned two last Tuesday, the 18th, but her birthday celebration the weekend earlier in Laguna.

The small party at my folks' house was mainly for the benefit of the kapitbahays who weren't able to make it in Ikai's earlier two celebrations -- her christening and her first birthday.

Thank goodness for bonuses, we had some resources to prep a rather sumptuous feast (much to the envy of Dubai-based Wheng) which included diabetic-unfriendly and cholesterol-laden food stuff like a lechon (roasted pig), sweet red spaghetti for the kids, roasted dogs and mallows for the kids again, kalderetang baka (beef stew in tomato sauce), halabos na hipon (shrimp), chicken lollipop, charbroiled fresh fish - yellowfin tuna and samaral, and for dessert -- ice cream and fruit salad.

The center piece of Ikai's birthday feast was her Dora the Explorer cake. My daughter has developed a penchant for cartoon characters and can now easily identify Dora and her cousin Diego (with whom I think Ikai has a crush on for goodness sake!), as well as Pocoyo, Sponge Bob (whom she calls Ayayayayayaya) and the Yo Gabba Gabba throng (whom she affectionately and collectively calls "Buga").

And in keeping with the Dora themed cake, we also decked out the old abode with Dora pink and yellow balloons.

Every kid who went received a loot bag filled with goodies and they had fun with the pukpok-palayok that caused a carambola in the garage when the clay pot was struck and the goodies and coins spilled onto the concrete.

And Ikai was the perfect little host, dining with her guests and doing the rounds of the table guests. You could see that she was happy with so many people around.

More photos of the event here.

in a plateau
Speaking of the D-disease ... it seems as though I'm in a plateau right now with my fitness program vis-a-vis my continuous and will-never-end battle with the D.

My weight has been yoyoing between 197lbs and 200lbs despite continuously walking and trekking. And while I have indeed been taking liberties with my diet, I am careful not to overdo it.

I'm guessing my body's adjusting to my current weight and that means for me to lose more pounds, I will need to step up my physical exertions by running.

Now, running is a completely different exercise discipline from walking. I cannot just push myself to run right away but take it slowly and gradually until my body slowly gets used to the added exertion.

Now, with my old rubber shoes retired, I will have to go out this December and buy myself a pair to use :)

asus!!!
I rarely get sidetracked when I window shop gadget stores. But a recent trip to the Octagon Computer Store in SM Megamall had me completely blown away by one notebook which packed power and yet was reasonably priced.

I'm no techno-geek and only have a passing familiarity with the intricacies and inner workings of the gadget called a computer, or in this case, a notebook. But this one machine was perfect for my needs. Not overly packed with features to drive the price to smitherins but had more than adequate computing power.

I'm talking about the Asus F5RL which for PHP 39,900 was a steal. According to the Octagon staff I talked to, they only had five pieces of the said unit and that only two units remained. He said it was a brand new configuration and was not yet readily available elsewhere.

I did the usual check online and indeed the only reference I saw for Asus F5RL was a sneak peek article done by Pooja Lapasia.

Specs?

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 1.66GHz
Memory: 1GB DDR2 (upgradeable to 4GB)
HDD: 160GB
Video/Graphics: ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 (integrated)
Screen: Wide XGA LcD Screen @ 15.4"
Optical Drive: DVD+RW Multi-drive
Others: with 1.3MP webcam, integrated LAN/modem, wireless LAN, HP Vista

It looked sleek and smooth and despite the classy appearance, you knew it packed a power punch. As someone who works on the side and engages in gaming, this machine is just perfect.

Hay, now let's see how generous the company will be with bonuses :P

new rig in the horizon
But more realistically, I'm more likely to upgrade my old rig than buy the Asus F5RL. And it will be a major upgrade for the rig as it will mean an upgrade of the motherboard and memory modules, the video card, and, if budget permits, an upgrade of the processor to either the entry level Core 2 Duo or the max of the Dual Core series.

Now, the thing is my old P4 2.4GHz processor still works perfectly along with about 2.5GB's worth of DDR RAM. The only trouble with the old rig is the motherboard because even the 128MB video card is still in good shape. In essence, I can actually have two rigs -- the old one with a new motherboard, and a new updated one with Dual Core processor and DDR2s. But come to think of it, do I actually need two rigs at home? With the electricity peaking at over 2K a month at the apartment, having 2 rigs is going to seriously mess up moolah matters.

Debating internally ...

maplestory
Since the rig has been out of commission for a few months now and installing video games on my office laptop is quite a no-no, the only option left was to play online and what I've been engaging on recently is this nifty MMORPG called Maplestory. Of course, this technically still required you to download the client but as this was an online game, you had to rely on a powerful internet connection (thank goodness for the "up to 1MBps" on our Globe connection).

Developed by Koreans (as a majority of online games are, I hear), in Maplestory you take on one of the four occupational classes - Fighter, Magic-User, Thief or Pirate -- and do the usual online game thingy: fight monsters, upgrade your character, collect weapons and jewels and coins, fight more monsters, explore the world, upgrade weapons, fight even more monsters, trade with other players, buy stuff from Maplestory's online store, and even fight more and more monsters.

Currently, my Swordsman is only in his 17th level and has yet a way to go to reach the 200LVL Hall of Famers list. But, the enjoyment comes from the open-endedness of the gameplay. You can go adventuring solo, or join a party. Depending on your provider (enroled at Nexon, the US-facing provider) there are events happening every now and then.

One key feature of Maplestory is the ability for weddings. You can actually ask another player to be your spouse and the game allows for an actual wedding event to take place (of course, wedding services account for another revenue stream for Nexon aside from upgrades, customization, weapon purchases, etc.).

First heard of Maplestory through the internet while doing a work-related research on MMORPGs. Apparently, one woman was charged with cyber-murder. After her virtual husband divorced her, the scorned woman managed to hack into her ex-husband's Maplestory account and deleted the ex's online character! Enraged, the man filed charges of murder against the scorned lady and helluva ... the woman I think is going to prison for murder?!! Egad!!!

No marraige proposals yet and I've no plans to marry my character off to someone. For me, Maplestory is just a casual distraction on an otherwise lazy day or night.

Interested? No Philippine distributor yet but you can create an account through Nexon here.

been bad, real, real bad

Another reason for feeling a bit down today is because I checked out rather poorly in my most recent check-up.

My urinalysis came clean and my FBS was within range but unfortunately my bad cholesterol level was high. My Lipid Profile checked out as follows:

Cholesterol Level: 242.02 mg/dL (normal range is 50-200)
Triglycerides: 172.84 mg/dL (normal range is 15-150)
HDL Cholesterol (good cholesterol): 44.11 mg/dL (normal range is 40-60)
ALDL Cholesterol (bad cholesterol): 166.37 mg/dL (normal is 0-100)

The thing that got my doctor yakking was my LDL (low-density lipid) which was bad cholesterol and that recorded figure of 166.37 is interpreted as "high level" by medical standards and definitely "bad". LDL and a high cholesterol level in general is associated with heart disease and at this point in time, that's not what we need with the plans to immigrate being foremost in mind.

Yep, my fault as my venture to a healthy lifestyle got sidetracked this past month or so. I got to eat a little bit more than I should have and consumed foods that I should've avoided. Really, it's my fault and I've got no one to blame but myself and as my wife puts it, no one can help me but me.

So, my doc and I have set a target of an overall cholesterol level of 70 by the time I come back for a check-up two months from now.

While I will moan and mop about this abysmal result for today, there's even more work ahead of me, healthwise. I'd better get crackin'.

diabetes update

Yesterday I was once again in the clinic of Dra. Thelma Dimalanta-Crisostomo at the Makati Medical Center for my monthly check-up. The day earlier, I was also at the Makati Medical Center for another vampiric session of blood extraction for a set of tests.

And what was the verdict?

Normal. Fasting blood sugar (FBS) was 88 which was well within the normal sugar limit and another test HbA1c was also within the normal levels which indicated I'm managing my diabetes well. This made the doc quite happy although she still said I was still too fat.

Yes, still too fat although I hit the weighing scales yesterday at 88 kilos or around 194 pounds. Still too heavy but I'm rather proud of this accomplishment because this meant I've shed already more than 20 pounds.

Hay, still 28 kilos to go :)

Monday Mumblings: Rated K on Diabetes, Short Story Writing, VETASSESS

rated k paints a dismal picture of diabetics
In last night's episode of Rated K which I happened to be peripherally viewing (I was playing Sims 2 on my PC which was just right beside the living room TV), one segment featured a diabetic. Of course, that got me interested but I was rather disappointed because that particular segment talked about diabetes as some form of dreaded disease.

It talked about how this TV performer (forgot the name) who used to weigh 280 pounds suddenly shriveled and his body thinned out after being diagnosed with the disease. It was not clear however if this person had Diabetes Type 1 or 2 but it appeared to be hereditary since it was implied that it was possible that he got it because of relatives who also had it.

It was rather saddening to hear diabetes being pictured this way -- like some form of debilitating disease. I know the show meant well but it should've cleared some matters like what caused the body to drop in weight suddenly and it was also not clear what medication and treatment were undertaken by the protagonist of the segment.

The segment also painted a scenario of hopelessness since it seemed as though it tells viewers that when you get the disease it seems like the end of the world. Come on, I've got the D and I'm living my life to the fullest. I'm actually in my best health in years and I love it. Sure there are restrictions and sure there is an ongoing medication but it's not life threatening if you follow medication and ensure you get a good medical regimen.

Korina, I admire you and like what your show on Sundays but please, make sure your researchers get the picture of diabetes right. Yes, diabetes is a chronic disease in that there's no cure for it. But, don't instill fear in diabetics or cause fear in people to dread the disease. Please.

vetassessed is positive
After roughly six weeks after filing, I received word from our immigration consultant that my VETASSESS assessment is positive. Last Saturday, I got a copy of the result and yes, indeed, it says in the form that my nominated occupation of Marketing Specialist is positive -- meaning that my nominated occupation and my submitted documentation to prove that I am such has been approved by the Australian authorities.

This is the first step into our Skilled Independent Regional Visa application, our passport to greener pastures in the land Down Under. Next step would be to pass the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) where I need to score 7 in all components -- reading, writing, listening and speaking.

sims 2 again
I'm playing Sims 2 again and starting to get hooked to it again. I'm still trying to re-figure out again how the gameplay goes but I'm getting there slowly. And since I'm playing the deluxe edition which combines both the original game and the Nightlife expansion, there are some totally new additions to the game which I have yet to really be familiar including the ability to drive your own vehicle, group dates (wherein I sucked in my first attempt), dating (again, which I sucked and only ranked so-so) and bowling which was quite exciting.

With Sims 3 said to launch in 2009, I'm just biding my time and not rushing to buy the rest of the expansion sets for Sims 2. i'm pretty sure that once Sims 3 launches, they'll be selling the Sims 2 expansion sets and item sets in packages (like what they did for Sims 1 when they launched the 9-in-1 package when Sims 2 was released). So, 2009's just around the corner ... just a few more months of wait and the expansions are sure to be packaged in one affordable bundle.

short story's on the way
I'm about half-way with the speculative short story I'm writing hopefully for submission to the Neil Gaiman-sponsored Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards 2009. Two months to go before the deadline but I hope to submit it by month's end.

What's missing however is the short story I intend to submit for consideration in the Philippine Speculative fiction anthology that Dean Alfar's working on (BTW, Dean, congratulations on the new daughter :) ) which has an earlier deadline of mid-September.

Time-willing and with hopefully manageable work I'll be able to submit entries to both. Keep your fingers crossed, folks!

friday the 13th clinical results

I got up at 5AM today to take a hurried breakfast.

I said hurried because I had an appointment with a lancet and a blood sugar meter a couple of hours and fifteen minutes later prior to an appointment with the doc.

As the clock struck 5:30AM, I finished off the final slice of apple that capped breakfast and off to the shower.

By around 6:30AM I was making way to Makati Medical Center’s laboratory for the CBG or Complete Blood Glucose, the requirement of which was to have the CBG two hours after breakfast. Since, the CBG had to be taken exactly 2 hours after breakfast, I whiled away the time and watched the chaos as confused and bewildered MMC patients tried to figure out the process of getting laboratory tests done.

Figuring that I had to wait about 10 minutes before being called for the test, I got my registration number (the MMC lab employs a confusing yet actually helpful queue system for lab patients) and true enough, about a decade of minutes, my turn came up.

Off to the counter and through the extraction where the nurse had to extract blood drops twice and the results – 109! I passed the sugar test!

After waiting another 20 minutes or so, I finally got my printed results and whizzed off to the doc’s clinic at the 2^nd floor of the MMC. There, I endured two whole hours of waiting.

More than the actual consultation, I was more worried about the weigh-in. Several days ago, I registered at about 205 pounds, a no-gain since the last check-up (which meant bad news). When I weigh-in this morning – 199 pounds! I breached the 200 mark!

When my turn finally came up (scheduled the doc appointment at 8AM, got into doc’s clinic at past 10AM), the doc was elated with the progress. My sugar results were within normal limits and my weight was going down. She was so delighted that I surmised many of her diabetic patients failed the weight management area of her medical recommendations. She profusely congratulated me and hoped that in a month’s time, it’ll be another two kilos off (roughly 4.4 pounds again).

Good news indeed on a Friday the 13^th!

starbucked on cafe mocha

With the D thoroughly affecting me gastronomically (thereby devolving me to no more than a mere salivating onlooker when I pass by food stands and kiosks aheap with bounties like cakes, pastries, ice creams, and fruit shakes), I find sojourn comfort in being able to, every now and then, celebrate a cup of Starbucks cafe mocha.

That's the only food item that I indulge with in my current state. If budget permits, the past few weeks have seen me walking helplessly mesmerized to the SB branch on RCBC's third floor and mindlessly queue up and when my turn comes, zombie-like utter "Tall, cafe mocha ..." to the mind-controlling barista/cashier behind the counter.

The reason for cafe mocha is simply because it's not so bitter nor not so sweet. I take it with no additional sugar or sweetener, just so I stay on the safe side of the D.

There are three other coffee options within RCBC aside from Starbucks -- newly-opened Gloria Jeans, the Java Man on the 4th floor of the podium, and Delifrance also offers gourmet coffee -- but it's with the SB cafe mocha that has taken my fancy.

Totally Starbucked!

Starbucks Logo courtesy of Brands of the World

ahem, ahem ... literally

Since the bus ride to Laguna last Friday evening, my throat has been itchy, sore, and utterly phlegm-infested.

Looks like I’ve contracted some form of throat irritation and I suspect it’s viral.

It didn’t help that the house in Laguna was in good need of dusting (and cleaning) as it was a bother to actually sleep. It felt as though there was a baseball (with its threads in tassles, mind you) inside my throat. It was a pain to swallow and I always felt the urge to gurgle and spit out something.

It didn’t help that I had to travel and thus got exposed to pollution and that if my immune system was 100% working I wouldn’t be bothered by this.

Since Saturday, I’ve been dosing myself with Strepsil lozenges. Problem now is I don’t know the actual sugar content of these lozenges and my check-up on Friday will be jeopardized if I find out later on that I’m actually taking throat meds that are also in effect giving me a sugar rush!

There’s no nutrition fact on the packaging, only a formulation. Hayy …

In other news, an early morning weigh-in at Mercury Drugstore has placed me at an even 200 pounds – still ok and actually heartening. The past three weeks have not been good in terms of dieting because of a week-long company event plus additional workloads that have utterly devastated my eating schedule, not to mention my diet.

I’ve also not exercised as I should have mainly because I kept an erratic schedule these past weeks because of work. Plus, reunion with friends, a lack of time to do the marketing (pamamalengke), an early Father’s Day celebration, and a weekend at my parents has obliged me to eat more than what I’m supposed to in a day. I’m sure my dietician won’t be pleased.

So, to find out that I’m at 200 pounds is still ok. With about 2 days left to diet, I hope to lose a couple of more pounds, just in time to pass my doc’s expectations on Friday.

Thursday Tidbits: Diabetes, Rai, Robert Kiyosaki

No, the Coffee House Chronicles is not transforming into a monthly post blog deliberately.

My last post was May 10, and it wasn't even a proper post but I had instead announced Dean Alfar's Open Call for Spec Fic submissions. Since then, roughly twenty days has passed since today when I write this post while waiting. Waiting for work to end today.

In fact, none of my blogs is updated. Not PMO and not even Sportsblitzer. I've got several other blogs still in states of construction as I've yet to find the time to attend to them -- and they're supposed to be my tickets to financial freedom as I envision them to bring me riches courtesy of the wonder of the interactive world aptly named affiliate marketing.

With further ado, welcome again to May and welcome back the Thursday Tidbits!

sugar bites

It's confirmed, unfortunately, that I am now a diabetic. Type 2 Diabetic, that is. A full blood test in April confirmed my endocrinologist's suspicions that I indeed have overdone my fetish for the sweet life and I now join the throngs of millions of Filipinos who may or may not know that they suffer from the big D.

But the news is not so bad. At least it's not a Type 1 -- the type where you had to periodically inject insulin. The D that I have is acquired ... a result of a lifestyle disease. Usual D cases is a result of too much alcohol intake. Mine is the other type of Type 2 -- caused by another vice -- food, or the over-indulgence of food especially carbos. Whereas the normal Complete Blood Glucose count for a person should be a max of 115, mine was (at least a month ago) 197.

So, the doc prescribed several drugs to reduce not just the sugar levels but also cholesterol, liver enzymes, and uric acid levels.

Two weeks after the first consultation and tons of meds, my sugar levels returned to normal as the Complete Blood Glucose level was not at 70 (minimum is a 73 in normal humans).

But does that mean I've beaten the D? No, no, no, no. That's because D is a chronic disease -- there's no cure for it. When you get it, it's with you for life. I can still live a normal and long life as long as I control and maintain discipline.

What's next is a target weight reduction because as long as I maintain my fatness, the D is more dangerous. Doc recommended I attend a diet clinic (costs a smacking PHP600) and now I try (emphasis on try) to make sure my calorie intake per day doesn't exceed 1700.

The results are promising. From 212 lbs before the diet, I reduced my weight to 208 lbs two weeks after. Since May 9, I now weigh more or less 200 lbs or a reduction from 93 kilos to 91.The target is a reduction of total weight to around 65 kilos which is the optimum weight for someone with a height and age like mine.

I've been exercising and limiting my food intake. I do deviate every now and then from the prescribed diet but I make sure I burn up whatever excess calories I have. The stress at work has been helpful as I tend to burn calories more when I'm stressed out (that's because I walk more when I am stressed).

Next check up is a couple of weeks from now and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I've already met the 2 kilos reduction but of course, you'll never know if you've met the sugar passing mark.

More mets ... Metformins, that is.


work, work, work

I'm in dire need of a vacation or at least a couple of days off.

Everything has been hustle and bustle, rush, rush, rush at the office for a big event that's currently ongoing (learn more about this event). I guess, I deserve this because I chose the marketing path ... comes with the package.

But despite the complaints, the hardship, the hard-headedness and the apparent disregard for timelines and deadlines and the word "impossible" by most people I work with ... I can say, it has been fun.

I would've wanted to have "more say" on many matters (I still sometimes feel like a glorified supervisor than a GER) but heck, I'll deal with whatever comes at my level and escalate stuff that I know I don't have authority over.

But I badly need a break ... about 48 hours worth should be enough.


food that i miss

Since acquiring the D, my diet has restricted me to eating more veggies, less meats, more fresher produces, and almost 0 sweets.

Since last week of April, I haven't had ice cream, any cake, regular soda, ensaymada, fruit juices (concentrate or whatever), native delicacies and sweets, many types of pastries, and whole slew of other sweet items.

As mentioned however, I have deviated already from my diet but the main thing is limiting the intake.

When my wife and I go to the groceries or supermarket, it now becomes second nature to look at the nutrition facts of the package. No nut-fact, no buy. That's because I now have to look at the calorie and fat content of whatever I put into my mouth.

Calories counting ... something new and weird but something vital for me nowadays.

Thank goodness for all things Diet, Lite, Low-Cal and No Sugar.

When I hit the ideal weight, I can begin eating foods that I miss anew .. but then again, in moderation.


rai is born

My sister, Rochelle, gave birth to a daughter last month.

Welcome to the world Raizel ... from a happy Tito Ram.


children of hurin is in the box

In addition, my sister has also mentioned that she has finally tracked down a good paperback version of The Children of Hurin, the Tolkien-book published post-humously by JRR Tolkien's son, Christopher.

Rochelle said that the book is already in the balikbayan box that she is slowly beginning to fill-up with oddities (I'm sure a lot of them will have the labels -- No Sugar or Sugar-free or Made with Splenda). The BB will hopefully be in town come Christmas season and I'll have another Tolkien book in the arsenal.

Yipee!


donating the rig

My sisters-in-law and my hilaw bro-in-law are just about to open their new venture -- a caregiver testing center right smack in the middle of Caloocan.

Our contribution to the venture is in terms of items that can be used by the center. Already, the house has been denuded of items such as the dinner table and chairs, the single bed in the other room, odds and ends from the kitchen, items that Baby Ikai has already outgrown, and believe it or not, one of my wife's potted plants.

However, the dearest item that will soon join the other contributions to the center is my rig. Yes, the CPU, along with the keyboard and mouse probably, will now be owned by Tephillah Testing Center (I did NOT make up the name).

But before I give away my rig completely, I will return it to its original state -- take out the DVD writer and replace it with the original CD writer; take out the additional mem sticks and, if I am generous, just make it a 1GB unit (planning to sell the 512MBs to get back some of my investments); take out the additional fans I installed; and put back the coverings I've taken off in an effort to control the CPU's internal temp.

I've also managed to get hold of a USB enclosure and I'm taking away one of the 80GB HDDs, basically my data disk, and all that will remain in the rig is a single 80GB HDD with the programs. It's partitioned so, half the space will be for data.

I'm going to miss my rig but I'm hoping to get an updated one soon.


rich dad, poor dad

While book-hunting at the Booksale kiosk at ATC the day before Mother's Day, I managed to buy a copy of Robert Kiyosaki's book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad -- the controversial self-help book on entrepreneurship.

I've heard about the book and the author, both praises and criticims. I've heard about how people's lives have been changed because of what Kiyosaki has preached and how other people's lives have been disillusioned after trying to apply Kiyosaki's "preachings".

I have yet to finish the book but I must say, it's not the best of books ... it's not the best of business-related or entrepreneurship reads I've seen, but it does encourage you to think. It gives practical advice ... it's preaching of the four pillars of financial intelligence, I believe, is something that is inherent in all successful businessmen and entrepreneurs.

The book may lack the actual step-by-step procedure but heck, success can't be taught, I believe. You can be guided to success but the actual process to achieving it is different for every person. What Kiyosaki offers is a guide more or less and an inspiration, and an idea that anyone, with the right frame of mind, with a clear goal in mind, with the right determination, can indeed succeed.

If this book is a total waste, as critiqued by business experts, then why do I find it interesting enough to finish? Kiyosaki tends to repeat himself every now and then in the chapters but that didactic way of writing is reinforcement.

I'm not 100% sold to Kiyosaki's beliefs but I am inspired by him to think.