I’ve been trying to earn some money

I’ve been wanting to buy something so bad for around two months now. I’ve been trying to do stuff that will make me earn money. But after one month, it’s evident that I still can’t have enough cash to buy it. Now I’m even trying to enroll this blog to sites that pays to blog. Haha! I seem so desperate for cash right now. Aside from that, I’m about to try something that might give me more than what i need. But I really doubt that it’s gonna work. But I think I’ll have to check it out.

Thinking bout the NBA Eastern Conference Finals

This season’s MVP, LeBron James seems to be more dominant than he has ever been. So dominant that he scores almost half of his team’s points in a game. Adding to the Cavalier credentials, the coach of the year is Mike Brown. How did he become the coach of the year? It’s simply just letting his team become a one man team. It’s like a father-son relationship in a junior soccer league. Haha! Give the ball  to my boy. That’s his only plan. Well, it worked so far. But for how long will that last? LeBron has been showing fatigue in his past few games agains the Magic. The games where he scored more than 40 points were the ones where the cavs lost. So it just means that Mike Brown needs to have a plan with LeBron out of the picture. The easiest way to defeat the cavs would be sending your dumbest player on the team, and let him break James’ knee! Haha! The cavs would easily be swept or win at least one game, that’s for sure. Haha! LeBron is one of the best players that I’ve ever seen. But unlike Jordan, LeBron doesn’t have a Scottie Pippen to lob to, a Dennis Rodman to pick up his misses, and a Steve Kerr to shoot threes when he’s double teamed. Also, unlike Kobe Bryant, LeBron doesn’t have a Derrick Fisher to make miracle 0.4 second fast shots, Pau Gasol who could block shots and score, and Trevor Ariza to steal critical passes. Lastly, unlike his rival Carmello Anthony has Chauncey to save his ass in the last minute. 

 The point here is that NBA Championship Teams become champs because of an existence of a TEAM. Not an MVP. Kobe (’08 MVP), Nash (two time MVP-even the most unselfish player), Nowitzki (’07 MVP), Iverson (’01 MVP) and a lot more didn’t Championships during the year when they got their MVP awards. Well, Jordan, Shaq, Duncan, Bird, and Johnson got it because they weren’t the only productive players in the team. See? Haha. Mike Brown, LeBron, stop playing that father-son roles. Play as a team, and you’ll definitely kick superman’s ass without using any kryptonyte. You might get that championship too.

Thinking. Pissed.

Since that I’m now an insomniac, I’m gonna blab about crap again here in my blog, that shells out no cash for me, nor anything that is useful for me. Well hmm. What kinda stuff can I talk about today? hmmmmm.. Well, I’ve blogged about songs, an electronic shop, a friend who never acts like one, work, thesis, and what not? Oh, let’s talk about what I would wanna do in my life! Wait, that’s kinda boring. OK. Then let’s talk about insomnia. Neah, that’s boring too. Ok, let’s talk about another piece of crap issue in our country, which by the way is one of the dirtiest in the world. (I know a lot of people would agree. Good thing GMA doesn’t know how to read blogs.) To make it more interesting, I’ll put it into a “conversation” type. X is a simple guy, hates theives (government officials), and doesn’t know how to be proud of the country with its current and future government. Y is a dumbass son of a rich OFW, and a woman who works in the stock market. He’s got a Benz, by the way.

X: The topic would be about the Great Book Blockade in the Philippines.

Y: What is it anyway?

X: Read it again,dumbass Do you even know what a blockade means? Damn, you’re dumb.

Y: Uh. Books aren’t allowed to enter the country?

X:  Well, practically, that’s it. The Bureau of Customs now impose duties on the importation of books in the Philippines

Y: Really? What duties should the books do?

X: Huh? Duties are taxes, dumbass!  It’s another scheme the greatest theives in the South-East Asia to steal, I mean get some money.

Y: Wow. How did it all start?

X: Well, the novel Twilight by Stephanie Meyer was quite a hit around the world. And when one examiner (Rene Agulan) opened a ship of books, he demanded taxes to be paid on it.

Y: Really? So that’s how it all started.

X: Well, that’s not all. The importer of Twilight mistakenly agreed to pay the tax. It was a mistake becausethe Florence Agreement, which is a UN treaty signed by the Philippines, guarantees the free flow of “educational, scientific, and cultural materials” between countries. Aside from this, it declares that imported books are free of tax. 

Y: Uh. So why did the bureau agree impose such a tax when they this agreement?

X: Well, Agulan told the importer that the books were not educational.

Y: Hold on a second, I gotta go pee.

*Dumbass goes to the restroom to sit and pee* (he’s a guy though)

*He goes back to the conversation*

Y: But isn’t Twilight “cultural”?

X: Yeah, it is.

Y: So how did they get the approval of imposing taxes on books?

X: Well, according to Robin Hemley, the officials gave reasons that had no sense. But the projected customs revenue would reach around thirty billion Pesos (PhP 30,000,000,000)! And as we all know, the higher your rank, the greedier you get.

Y: Wow. I want in.

X: Oh, I know you do. I bet your Benz ain’t enough, dumbass.

Y: Yeah. Anyway, didn’t they have a meeting on this?

X: Yeah.

Y: What happened in the meeting?

X: The Customs Undersecretary Espele Sales showed a powerpoint presentation of the Florence Agreement and the Philippine law RA 8047. It states “the tax and duty-free importation of books or raw materials to be used in book publishing.”

Y: So what does that mean?

X: She said that there was no comma (,) after the word “books.” Thus, her interpretation is that books can be used raw materials for publishing.

Y: But aren’t books the final product, not the raw materials?

X: Wow, now you’re using your head. Yes. But she claims otherwise. Also, she argued that the Florence Agreement can only protect educational books.

Y: So for more than 50 years, everyone has misinterpreted this agreement?

X: She was asked the same thing. She said “yes”.

Y: Haha. Dumbass.

X: That’s my line, Dumbass! Anyway, now bookstores are now being taxed for both educational and non educational books. (1% for educational, 5% for non-educational)

Y: Good thing I’m rich. I don’t have to worry bout this crappy issue.

X: Haha! Well, it’s gonna hit you in the ass someday, Dumbass!

*The end*

 This conversation was based on this: http://www.mcsweeneys.net/links/manila/1dispatch6.html

I just wanna brag.

A song I wrote about a couple of months ago

Still has no title though

It’s both and neither fact or fiction
It all depends on your decisions
You don’t see the weight of your actions
It doesn’t matter because it’s just my opinion

 
So would you go to a place where I will keep you?
Or would you go to somewhere you won’t have to…
 

Cry? Oh I’d love to try.
I’d take you away from your misery
And turn ‘em all to history
Let’s fly in each others skies.
Take my hand, you’ll understand
This journey won’t have an end.

 
Do you remember our first conversation?
You said you’d love to keep..keep that smile on.
I said “Why not? Let’s turn the night on.”
It’s only a matter of time till our situation…

Would go and start to grow on you
Oh would you know the moment that awaits you?

Let’s fly in each other’s skies.
Take my hand you’ll understand
This journey won’t have an end.
Tonight… Oh let’s just try.
To wake up in each other’s eyes
Wake up and see that smile.

Mga naiisip tungkol sa thesis: Thought #1

Hay thesis! Bakit natin ito pinaghihirapan, isang taong pagpupuyatan, at pagsusulatan ng mahigit isang daang pahina? Para lang naman ito sa kapirasong papel na tinatawang nating “Diploma”. DIba? diba?

Another CD-R King post

Last night, I went to CD-R King to buy my sister a wireless LAN Adapter and get me a new flash drive. I was in the queue in record time, which was around twenty (20) minutes. And I was serviced for around five (5) to ten (10) minutes.. Haha! That’s the record time for me. It’s always been like this in most branches. I’m wondering why they still don’t get themselves a Point of Sales System? I bet they’ve got a lot of profit in their bank accounts and given their demand,  they need to fix up something to help them lessen the queue. By that, I don’t mean hire more clerks and technicians, they gotta think outside the box. I mean c’mon! I bet they’ve received a lot of complaints already. And they really gotta do something about it.

Looking for a Thesis Topic

Me and my thesismates have been trying to look for a thesis topic for about two (2) months now. And we have just made some write-ups. The topic is still in the works. But we already need to make something fast. Tomorrow’s the deadline of getting our prospected adviser to sign the acceptance letter. If we don’t, we’re dead. Haha!

 Here are some tips in getting a thesis topic:

1. Do not procrastinate! 

2. You and your groupmates should have a strong agreement with the topic. 

3. You should all love the topic.

4. It doesn’t have to be a Golden award winning topic. Keep it simple, but not too simple. 

5. Look for related literature.

6. Repeat step five several times.

7. Keep on brainstorming until your topic would evolve into your final thesis topic. 

8. Always have time to meet up for your thesis. Never take it for granted. You’ll need this in your resume.

9. Pray that in the end, you won’t realize that it’s absolutely useless, senseless, and pointless to have persued this topic.

10. Don’t forget to submit it on time.

Anime Anime Beybeh!

I love cartoons with cool robots. Damn! I’m already in college and I act like a fourth grader! Haha! Macross Frontier just had its season finale, and Code Geass had its second season, and probably the series, end already. Up next in the list is the second season of Gundam 00. Where the actual Gundam 00 unit will show up. It aired in the first sunday of October. Haha! aba, alam na alam!  Well anyway, Gundam is my favorite. Damn. I’m such a child! =))

Palindrome Sentence

Did you know that the world’s longest Palindrome Sentence consists of 17,826 words? What is a palindrome anyway?

A palindrome is a word, phrase, number or other sequence of units that can be read the same way in either direction (the adjustment of punctuation and spaces between words is generally permitted). Composing literature in palindromes is an example of constrained writing. The word “palindrome” was coined from Greek roots palin (πάλιν; “back”) and dromos (δρóμος; “way, direction”) by English writer Ben Jonson in the 1600s. The actual Greek phrase to describe the phenomenon is karkinikê epigrafê (καρκινική επιγραφή; crab inscription), or simply karkiniêoi (καρκινιήοι; crabs), alluding to the backward movement of crabs, like an inscription which can be read backwards.

Now, what is a palindrome sentence? Well, let me give you an example, if I can. I can’t. Let me give you a phrase na lang. Race Fast, Safe Car. Oh ha! hahah! That was fun. Did you know that trying these things out can exercise your mind? That’s a good exercise!

Random Algorithms

Haha. Did you know that the lottery is not random at all? That the one who can only create random number is God? Well, a random number is something that does not repeat itself at all. and yes, that is its definition. I’m taking a course on simulations right now. And it’s fun. Haha! the softwares that we use such as excel, can only create synthetic or psuedo random algorithms. Because sooner or later, it will repeat the number in the process. That’s why God is the only One who can create a non repeating number. Agree?  Oh ha!!

Playing with your strings

Playing with your strings. I’m talking about the guitar, people. Haha! I’m a music oriented person. Joke! haha! I just love playing the guitar. It makes me feel good. Specially when i make some riffs that fit into the music that i’m listenning to. But sadly, I do not have my own guitar. it sucks, really. And sometimes, I’m so envious of the people that i see in school the hay their own electric guiatrs! with effects! I have none. I only borrow my brother’s guitar. But hey, It’s all fine to me. As long as i can play it, i’m fine with that. But I’ve always dreamed of being on stage playing music. Hay. When will that dream come true? =P

New gimmicks

Have you tried Mafia wars? Oh you have to try it! =)) It’s so addictive. And I’ve only tried it for the first week, it’s a good way to unwind you know? Well, so is working out. But cmon, you won’t get tired of Mafia Wars! haha! Enjoy it! 

Try using facebook for a change too. It’s fun. It’s got a chat function. But some of my classmates assessed it’s usability, it failed bigtime. Sad. But it’s because it’s too cluttered. If you’d try using it for the first time, you’ll get annoyed, literally. Haha!

Change

Change is not always good. And it’s not always bad. It depends on how you’d react to it. Because if you go with the flow of change, everything will be alright, it has to. So never stay in just one point for time may leave you. It won’t turn back for you. There’s no “Rewind” button, nor “Fast Forward”. Just “Play”. So go ahead and move forward. Press your play button and enjoy this life

The new Honda City

I saw the new Honda City this mid january. A few days later, I saw around 5 of it in the road. I was like Whoa?!?! The City really is a great buy, I suppose. It looks good too. But it also has new features. But the Jazz, as what they say, is more fuel efficient. That’s why it’s more expensive than the City. But City really kicked it’s competition’s ass!! It’s stunning, got lots of legroom, and it has that great engine! Yeah, great buy, I tell you!

Another Song Written (untitled)

I was just writing songs. making some chords. Then the first four lines came up. Wow. I loved it right away. Here it is.

It’s both and neither
Fact or fiction
It all depends on
your decision/option
You don’t realize the
weight of your actions
But it doesn’t matter
It’s just my opinion

would you go
to a place where i will keep you?
or would you go
to where you won’t have to…

Cry.. oh, i would love to try
to drag you out of your misery
turn ‘em all to history
Fly in each other’s skies
Take my hand, you’ll understand
this journey won’t have an end

Do you remember our first
coversation?
You said you wanted
to keep that smile on
I said why not?
Let’s turn the night on!
It’s only a matter of time
till our situation..

would go.
and start to grow on you.
oh would you know
the moments that await you?

Fly in each other’s skies.
Take my hand, you’ll understand
this journey won’t have an end
Tonight, oh let’s try
to wake up in each other’s eyes
wake up and see that smile…..

Where did it all go?

I was cleaning up my wallet. Then I saw my time records when i was taking my practicum as an intern for Nestle. I was checking it out. I computed and totalled what I have earned. Then to my surprise, I earned a little beyond 25,000 PhP in around less than four (4) months. And I was so pissed because I couldn’t find any trace of it. I have nothing left of it. Huhuhu! I need money to buy a new fone. I want and need a new one. This cellphone is already over used!! I need a new one. Someone please give me one. Hahah! 

The turn that changed the world

I was watching the History Channel with my dad last on the night of Valentine’s Day. Yeah, it sucks right? No one to hold on to on that night? haha! Anyway, The History Channel was discussing about the cars of the great leaders who were assassinated in them. They first showed the car of the late Robert F. Kennedy who was assassinated in his convertible. The car was still used for the next 2 or 3 presidents. Then, the History Channel moved on with Archduke Franz Ferdinand. After conquering Bosnia, he decided to visit, since he was the heir to the throne, and would eventually have the country under his power. He was also riding a roofless car during the parade. The route of his parade was well known to the public, thus making his parade unsafe. During the parade, a young man from the group called Young Bosnia threw a hand grenade in front of the car. The archduke was unharmed and still reached his destination, and I believe the one who threw the grenade was caught.

Then, the route back was also known to the public. There were speculations that there may be dangers to his trip back. But he didn’t mind and took the risk. So while he was riding back, there was a young man named Garvilo Princip, also a member of Young Bosnia, was hiding with a hand gun in his pocket in the crowd near an intersection across the route. He was not in good position because of the congested crowd. The route did not include turning right to intersection. So Garvilo Pricip decided not to pull out his gun. But the car suddenly made an unforeseen error and turned right in that intersection. Without hesitation, Princip took the sudden opportunity, pulled out his gun, and shot the archduke’s wife. Then took another shot and hit Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s neck, and killed him. This sudden event led to an all out war. It is as we all call it the First World War.

Talk about wrong turns, huh? This was literally the turn that changed the world. This lead to the World War 1. Without it, Hitler wouldn’t have been a soldier. Hence, no World War 2. Without the Second World War, Albert Einstein wouldn’t have helped in creating the Atomic Bomb that was exploded above Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Without this, the US wouldn’t have conquered Japan. Without the US‘ invasion of Japan, high quality manufacturing, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and other Great Japanese creations would not be available in the market today. Take a look at it. One wrong turn led to what the world is right now. 

The moral of this story is to think before you do anything. For what you are going to do now may eventually lead to something extremely good, or really bad.

Manresa Days

I also have this one in my Multiply Blog: http://titoluckyricky.multiply.com/journal/item/57/June_2001_-_March_2005

My mother was cleaning out some of our stuff in the room. She found an old wallet that was so thick and filled with retreat letters, receipts, and even sketches of anime’ stuff. Those pieces of papers were from my high school days! I read them again, and I got a laugh. Haha! I never thought that I would look back and feel like this again. Haha! Time flies! It is true. And reading those letters got me thinking that I have to write something down here. hehe.

High School! It wasn’t really that far back. But it was really where I learned to be what I was when I entered college. Manresa School, my Alma mater. I spent, as of now, 60% of my whole life there. Haha! I remember waking up as early as 5 am so that our mom could drive us to school and arrive there at 6:30am. I was usually the 2nd or 3rd person in the classroom. But it doesn’t matter because I was sleeping all day, specially at CLE (Christian Living Experience) class under sir Pol Villagracia.

In my freshman year (Yr. 1 - Understanding)

 I used to hang out with Joey Ramos, Mik Gawaran, Rafael “Badong” Badiola, JC Nasam, Brian Ferrolino, and Abino. HAha! Natatandaan ko pa! Addicted to hair gel, linkin’ park (humiliatingly true), and some anime’s, we really got along. I used to sleep during class, fail my exams, and play ball every dismissal time. We used to play counterstrike and red alert 2 after exams. Half day kasi eh. Minsan naman after mag-taping for Ibong Adarna! haha! Then, there came the last day of classes, Sophomores na kami!

Sophomore Year

The usual, played ball every dismissal, this time, sinasali namin si sir Pol! haha! And we also have to endure our terror algebra teacher, Sir Ferdz! haha! Nakikisama din ako kina Osi nun dahil sa gitara. This was the year I learned how to play the guitar. haha! I remember playing Eraserheads and Rivermaya Songs with Osi and other guys who knew how to play the guitar. I used to ask them what the chords were, or how to do the strumming and all. haha!

This was also the year when I always tripped people while walking. Nainis nga si badong sakin nun eh. “Ibubuhos ko sayo tong sago ko eh!” haha!

Junior Year

Yellow turned to blue. I still slept during classes. I remember one geometry class, we had an assignment due on that meeting. I didn’t do mine. And the teacher asked us to check each other’s paper. Sabi niya, magpalit palit daw ng papers ng by 3’s. And for every item in the assignment, a student will have to share or discuss the answer. And since I didn’t do mine, i didn’t check any paper. And thought that since I was seated near the back of the classroom, I wouldn’t have to discuss any answer to the class. So I decided to sleep. But my assumption was wrong. There were enough items in the assignment to reach my seat. My teacher was asking me for the answer. But I was asleep, deep asleep. My classmates were waking me up, screaming “FIRE! FIRE!!!”, “EARTHQUAKE!!!” and all the calamities that came to their minds. And finally, I woke up. Still a little shaky and sleepy, I heard my teacher ask me, “Vincent, can you give my the answer to number 36?”. I answered promptly and confidently, “Ma’am, wala naman po akong chine-checkang papel eh.” Then I went back to sleep immediately. Haha! long story, huh? By the way, Osi also recruited me to be a band member. Latak lang ako nun. haha! Drummer namin si Rachi, kumakanta pa si Abet nun and keyboards pa si Mordz nun. Si triz din, vocalist namin! Si Johann yung lead nun and si melchor pa yung nagbass, tapos naging si Philip. Hehe! Wala lang.

I also remember doing the somewhat “JC DARES”. What we’d do every lunch time is mix up all of our left overs, whether it was sauce, ketchup, soup, rice, vinegar, or some iced tea. And we pay JC to drink em all up. Haha! Gross but funny! He got the money, though. Buti na lang nung prom, d namin pinagawa yun. haha!

And on the last day of finals, we went to ByteHead to play a WWE video game.. I even remember talking to Mik after that.  “Wow, biruin mo, Seniors na tayo next year! Tapos College na.”, I said. Haha! Wala lang.

4th Year

First Day of our senior year. It was raining a little more than a drizzle. When I got to school, the COCCs then told me, “sorry, walang pasok. Nilipat nila, next week pa!” Hahahah! Magaling! Ayos! Extrang bakasyon!

When classes officially started, I thought to myself, it’s my last year in high school. Di na ko gigising ng alas cinqo ng umaga! haha. joke! Phillip wasn’t available for the band anymore cause his parents didn’t want him to get involved any longer. So since I knew how to play the guitar, Osi and Johann taught me how to play the bass. I wasn’t all too good though. But I think I was good enough for the job. haha! pero sablay pa rin pala! Nakatugtog din ako sa stage nung family day. Weeh! haha! I remember playing Sulat and Sige. Hehe.

Then came our graduation pictorials. Ang galing noh, lahat talaga, makikita mo yung ganda nila dun! haha!

Then the real thing came. Graduation na. ay, last prom pala muna. haha! Ayun, sayaw sayaw with my friends, siyempre girls ah! haha! Tapos ayun, corny lang dahil hindi ka pwede magpasok ng outsiders. Tapos sa canteen lang namin. Bawal pang ma-late. haha! Pero enjoy rin naman siya dahil kelangan mo i-enjoy para naman hindin sayang ang buhay mo sa highschool. =)

And finally, graduation. Father Egg, our priest presider during graduation mass, even said “Hay. Gagraduate na rin yung mga mokong na toh!” haha! That was one of the last few days when I went to school. The next thing I knew, we were taking pictures after graduation. Haha!

Ayun, wala lang. Mga naisip ko lang yan dahil sa mga retreat letters na nakita kong nakatago noon pa. haha! I miss high school. Hindi pa ko napipilay nun! Haha! Tapos pwede pang matulog ng walong oras kada gabi nuon. tapos ang pinakamababang markang makukuha mo ay 70! Ngayon, genius ka na kung maging consistent line of seven yung marka mo sa mga exams. Tapos babad na din sa kape ang dugo natin para lang makakuha ng 60 sa exam! Haha! ayun, wala lang. haha!!!

Random Thoughts.

I also have this in my Multiply Blog: http://titoluckyricky.multiply.com/journal/item/60/Random_Thoughts_of_a_Puzzle.

Change. It’s Inevitable and constant. You’ll never know when it will hit you or give you a sweet massage. Past, will always be the past. Future, will always come. Present, is always here. We change. We live it out. We go ahead and walk around this unpredictable world. Mono no aware - experience everything around you. Enjoy it. Feel it. Fully appreciate it. For it may be but forever.

Years will pass, but lessons will always last. In time, you will look back at your old self, your old environment. Your old life. And then you will realize that “I’ve lived it. And I’ve been there. Now, it’s time to live in the present and let the future come forth.”. Yes, we get hurt, burnt, wounded, and shreded. And right after, you think there’s nothing left of you for tomorrow. You think that tomorrow will be harder. Maybe it will be. But it will soon be in the under the footprints of your journey. You will then cross paths with other footprints. And you’ll see the depth of each others’ footprints. We shall keep walking. For this unpredictable world is too deep, and too big for us to cover and dig with our heels. The world, however violent, also offers you excitement and thrill. And the greatest traveller will not be the one who leaves the deepest or the longest trail of his/her journey. The greatest traveller is the one who has made more than one set of footprints walk together.

You see, as what i said, we must keep walking. Tomorrow will come, but it is pointless to have more ground to cover if you won’t walk on it. Never stay in one place. Always be on the move. But never leave your valuables. Take them with you in your journey or let them take you to theirs. Otherwise, the journey will be lonely.

We live, we learn. We love when it’s our turn. Mono no aware. Never let anything just pass you by. Explore the world. Never stay in one place. But always to keep in your hearts pieces of your mistakes, your achievements, your lessons, and your sermons. This is to remind you of who you have been, who you are, and who are yet to be.