our choir is going to have a video game character theme for the Christmas party tonight, and, being my usual self, i decided to take on the character that had me glued to the TV and our trusty PS2 all over again.
though i'm pretty sure i will never, ever, get as good as these two here, at least i'll manage somehow - i'll post up some pictures sometime. :D
and if you have no idea what the game is, get real!
12.12.05
thoughts on an increasingly connected society - part 1
i've been thinking of how our society has changed in the past decade or so... and i thought i'd whip up something in the process...
there was a time when the only way to arrange events was through call trees or call brigades laboriously set up to make sure that when something has to be communicated to the group, it would reach their intended targets. they were also often set up such that everyone gets the number(s) of the crush(es)-ng-class/org/office.
or when a group goes to the mall to do some shopping, there's an agreed meeting place at a certain time so everyone could do what they please without having to inconvenience the others. whenever someone was late getting back, they'd wait within the vicinity of the area while some would do some last-minute window shopping.
of course, none of these really hold true these days, now that the text message revolution (circa 1997) has taken over our daily lives.
need to send an announcement to your org? you can send 20 text messages in one go. (or split it up to text trees/brigades - making sure to still set it up such that everyone gets their crush(es)'s number(s). fun!) need to divide and conquer the mall? no need to set meeting places anymore. as soon as they're done, they just send text messages to each other so that they'd converge at the store where the last shopping friend is - hopefully he/she isn't in some embarrassing store to be in (like a guy in a lingerie store, or a girl in a "toy" shop).
there's so much more to think of in this direction. more on those later.
there was a time when the only way to arrange events was through call trees or call brigades laboriously set up to make sure that when something has to be communicated to the group, it would reach their intended targets. they were also often set up such that everyone gets the number(s) of the crush(es)-ng-class/org/office.
or when a group goes to the mall to do some shopping, there's an agreed meeting place at a certain time so everyone could do what they please without having to inconvenience the others. whenever someone was late getting back, they'd wait within the vicinity of the area while some would do some last-minute window shopping.
of course, none of these really hold true these days, now that the text message revolution (circa 1997) has taken over our daily lives.
need to send an announcement to your org? you can send 20 text messages in one go. (or split it up to text trees/brigades - making sure to still set it up such that everyone gets their crush(es)'s number(s). fun!) need to divide and conquer the mall? no need to set meeting places anymore. as soon as they're done, they just send text messages to each other so that they'd converge at the store where the last shopping friend is - hopefully he/she isn't in some embarrassing store to be in (like a guy in a lingerie store, or a girl in a "toy" shop).
there's so much more to think of in this direction. more on those later.
8.12.05
3.12.05
1.12.05
Sony memory card tip (for your PSP)
note to self (and to other interested parties): if you're experiencing extreley sluggish transfer/copy speeds on your PSP using a Sony MS Duo Pro (i'm using a 1GB), try to format your memory card using the PSP itself.
i had the unfortunate opportunity to try this out when i nuked all the data off my memory card about two days ago, and after formatting it on the PSP, it's actually writing loads faster now. it sure won't beat Sandisk's performance though.
i had the unfortunate opportunity to try this out when i nuked all the data off my memory card about two days ago, and after formatting it on the PSP, it's actually writing loads faster now. it sure won't beat Sandisk's performance though.
27.11.05
Flashback for the PS2
22.11.05
3,000 hits!
i know this isn't something that great to brag about, but for a rather obscure blog, i've managed to hit 3,000 hits over the course of its ~ 2 years of existence. and just as i'm about to make my 300th post too (i'm on my 299th now)! that means that on average i'm making 10 hits per post...
hmmm... that can't be right. ah well, never hurts to dream. :)
hmmm... that can't be right. ah well, never hurts to dream. :)
8.11.05
cooking experiments - Episode 2
i'm back with another episode of my cooking experiments. this time, i literally took a leaf out of sacha's CookOrDie. sorry i was too lazy to bother posting it in right after cooking it up.
Episode 2: Twice-baked potatoes (November 5, 2005)
ingredients:
1 medium (about the size of a adult fist) potato (any size would do, but the bigger, the easier)
grated cheddar cheese or cheese spread
small bowl
a sheet of paper towel or a few sheets of tissue paper
knife, spoon and fork
1. wash and scrub potato clean of any dirt or eyes (the growth-like members coming out of the potato itself) on the skin. you may use a small brush if it helps with scrubbing. do _not_ use soap.
2. while still damp, pierce the potato with the fork thrice, making sure not to break the skin through. wrap potato with a paper towel, or a few times with some tissue paper. the idea is to get the paper towel just a tad bit wet.
3. put in microwave and zap. the length of time and power will change depending on the size of the potato, but for a medium-sized one, i put the microwave on high for 3 minutes for each side.
4. take out the potato (hot!). using the knife, cut off the top portion from the wider portion of the potato. then using the spoon, scoop most of the potato out and put it in the bowl. leave enough to create a potato "bowl".
5. combine the cheese with the scooped-out potato, and mash well.
6. put everything back into the potato bowl. i also put the "cap" back on top for good measure. put a bit more cheese on top.
7. put the potato in the bowl and microwave on high for a bit (30 seconds or until the cheese bubbles, whichever you prefer).
there you go - a quick meal you can prepare almost anywhere (with a microwave). enjoy!
Episode 2: Twice-baked potatoes (November 5, 2005)
ingredients:
1 medium (about the size of a adult fist) potato (any size would do, but the bigger, the easier)
grated cheddar cheese or cheese spread
small bowl
a sheet of paper towel or a few sheets of tissue paper
knife, spoon and fork
1. wash and scrub potato clean of any dirt or eyes (the growth-like members coming out of the potato itself) on the skin. you may use a small brush if it helps with scrubbing. do _not_ use soap.
2. while still damp, pierce the potato with the fork thrice, making sure not to break the skin through. wrap potato with a paper towel, or a few times with some tissue paper. the idea is to get the paper towel just a tad bit wet.
3. put in microwave and zap. the length of time and power will change depending on the size of the potato, but for a medium-sized one, i put the microwave on high for 3 minutes for each side.
4. take out the potato (hot!). using the knife, cut off the top portion from the wider portion of the potato. then using the spoon, scoop most of the potato out and put it in the bowl. leave enough to create a potato "bowl".
5. combine the cheese with the scooped-out potato, and mash well.
6. put everything back into the potato bowl. i also put the "cap" back on top for good measure. put a bit more cheese on top.
7. put the potato in the bowl and microwave on high for a bit (30 seconds or until the cheese bubbles, whichever you prefer).
there you go - a quick meal you can prepare almost anywhere (with a microwave). enjoy!
free streaming media server
for free video/audio streaming and storage, check out Castpost - and it looks like it'll be free for the next few months. now i have no reason not to get my creative juices flowing for those tunes in my head (as promised earlier).
Katamari madness!
i've been so fond of playing Katamari Damacy (and its equally cool sequel We Love Katamari) ever since i got my hands on them for the PS2. but i don't think i'd ever be as crazy as to do something like this. it's really wicked though - and if someone gave me one of these, i'd flip, tumble and roll it straight up... into my stomach. :D
i will, however, go here to get more Katamari goodness!
i will, however, go here to get more Katamari goodness!
6.11.05
the new Chicken Little trailer (AKA the Numa Numa dance)
i saw the trailer lately, and the catchy tune hit me hard - i need to know what the song was!
so i searched around for anything online that might tell me a bit more about the song, and wouldn't you know it, it's already some sort of cult classic on the 'net - check out its own Wikipedia entry. of course, now i know what the song is too.
and please do check out the guy that started that all with his crazy moves.
i'm beginning to notice a trend here... do people really love making fools of themselves for the world to see by lip-synching to songs (like these Asian nuts (AKA Backdormitory Boys) who did a Backstreet Boys song)?
hmm... i think i went link crazy back there.
so i searched around for anything online that might tell me a bit more about the song, and wouldn't you know it, it's already some sort of cult classic on the 'net - check out its own Wikipedia entry. of course, now i know what the song is too.
and please do check out the guy that started that all with his crazy moves.
i'm beginning to notice a trend here... do people really love making fools of themselves for the world to see by lip-synching to songs (like these Asian nuts (AKA Backdormitory Boys) who did a Backstreet Boys song)?
hmm... i think i went link crazy back there.
1.11.05
cooking experiments - Episode 1
i mentioned planning to do something similar to sacha's CookOrDie sessions some time back, and since i couldn't wait to categorise my entire blog up to put this in, i just decided to post and hope that i manage to do the categorisation someday.
Episode 1: Baked Mussels (October 30, 2005)
i remember seeing this done a dozen of times already, be it homemade (my mom did this before) and outdoors (Dencio's comes to mind), so i figured, heck, this shouldn't be all that hard.
to prevent killing myself with salmonella, i decided against grilling them straight. that plus the fact that i realised too late that the entire batch of mussels my mom bought that morning were boiled in classic broth fashion (nooooo!) for lunch. oh well. i figured it would make for cleaner mussels anyway (since they usually have some grit inside them). so i decided to just prep whatever mussels that would be left over from lunch.
30 minutes before dinner time, i shuffled over to the kitchen and assembled my ingredients:
- 3 tsps. garlic margarine
- 2 tsps. butter
- 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 30+ mussels (in shells), boiled
- 2 cups cheese, grated (i used old Quezo de Bola shavings)
- microwave oven
- small oven toaster
- small brush, knife and tongs
- ground pepper (i used a pepper mill)
1. combine margarine, butter and coarsely chopped garlic in a small bowl and microwave for 45 seconds on medium high or until fully melted.
2. preheat oven toaster (there's no temperature setting on mine - just heat it up as per instructions, which is one minute on mine).
3. extract mussels from broth and discard shell (the half where the mussel doesn't stick). use a knife to cut the mussel loose from the shell. clean any excess grit that is visible.
4. brush mussels with garlic-butter mix until coated.
5. add a small amount of finely chopped garlic on top of each mussel.
6. put a generous amount of cheese on each mussel, making sure to cover the mussel and shell.
7. arrange on the metal plate that comes with the toaster (if yours doesn't come with one, just use any other plate that would fit), and heat for 45 seconds or until the cheese starts to bubble.
8. take out mussels, arrange on a plate, and lightly top with pepper.
obviously 30 mussels isn't something i could manage to gobble down on my own, so i shared it with everyone else at home. i think it was pretty good - would have been better if i had some cheddar or quickmelt cheese to use though.
if anyone else has tried a similar recipe, do let me know. i'd love to finetune my cooking skills (even if they are half-assed at best. heheh.)
[edit: thanks for spotting the typo claire!]
Episode 1: Baked Mussels (October 30, 2005)
i remember seeing this done a dozen of times already, be it homemade (my mom did this before) and outdoors (Dencio's comes to mind), so i figured, heck, this shouldn't be all that hard.
to prevent killing myself with salmonella, i decided against grilling them straight. that plus the fact that i realised too late that the entire batch of mussels my mom bought that morning were boiled in classic broth fashion (nooooo!) for lunch. oh well. i figured it would make for cleaner mussels anyway (since they usually have some grit inside them). so i decided to just prep whatever mussels that would be left over from lunch.
30 minutes before dinner time, i shuffled over to the kitchen and assembled my ingredients:
- 3 tsps. garlic margarine
- 2 tsps. butter
- 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 30+ mussels (in shells), boiled
- 2 cups cheese, grated (i used old Quezo de Bola shavings)
- microwave oven
- small oven toaster
- small brush, knife and tongs
- ground pepper (i used a pepper mill)
1. combine margarine, butter and coarsely chopped garlic in a small bowl and microwave for 45 seconds on medium high or until fully melted.
2. preheat oven toaster (there's no temperature setting on mine - just heat it up as per instructions, which is one minute on mine).
3. extract mussels from broth and discard shell (the half where the mussel doesn't stick). use a knife to cut the mussel loose from the shell. clean any excess grit that is visible.
4. brush mussels with garlic-butter mix until coated.
5. add a small amount of finely chopped garlic on top of each mussel.
6. put a generous amount of cheese on each mussel, making sure to cover the mussel and shell.
7. arrange on the metal plate that comes with the toaster (if yours doesn't come with one, just use any other plate that would fit), and heat for 45 seconds or until the cheese starts to bubble.
8. take out mussels, arrange on a plate, and lightly top with pepper.
obviously 30 mussels isn't something i could manage to gobble down on my own, so i shared it with everyone else at home. i think it was pretty good - would have been better if i had some cheddar or quickmelt cheese to use though.
if anyone else has tried a similar recipe, do let me know. i'd love to finetune my cooking skills (even if they are half-assed at best. heheh.)
[edit: thanks for spotting the typo claire!]
31.10.05
PSP subway maps from around the world
18.10.05
PSP 4GB Hard Drive
if i had the money, i'd love to splurge on this baby - it'd make my PSP the ultimate portable media player device!
of course, i'd probably want to wait for a few weeks for prices and demand to go down, and also see if someone will hack up a cheaper version of the darned thing. can't wait!
17.10.05
the hardest riddle available on the Internet (?)
they claim that they are, and so far i'm having quite a time going about the levels. so far so good though - maybe i'll finish it in due time. wish me luck. :D
12.10.05
Epixtar files for bankruptcy
i have never been a fan of call centers. and i know that i will maintain that attitude even if i find myself having to stoop so low.
anyway, this news should serve as a warning for all the people considering call center careers.
anyway, this news should serve as a warning for all the people considering call center careers.
10.10.05
on proving a gadget's worth...
my friend suggested recently that my most recent purchase is nothing more than a toy.
i want to prove him wrong.
in the coming weeks, i will find a way to post music snippets online showcasing what i manage to do with the darn keyboard. and i shall let my "audience" decide.
i want to prove him wrong.
in the coming weeks, i will find a way to post music snippets online showcasing what i manage to do with the darn keyboard. and i shall let my "audience" decide.
7.10.05
InvisibleShield for your iPod nanos
in case you're one of the many people who got bitten by the iPod bug and splurged on ahead for an iPod nano, you will have noticed just how scratchable they are by now.
you will want to invest on protection for the little thing, like this one, on top of the usual cases, for sure. (free marketing!)
you will want to invest on protection for the little thing, like this one, on top of the usual cases, for sure. (free marketing!)
6.10.05
Google Earth threatens democracy
once again, Google has rustled the feathers of military forces all over the world, as evidenced by this article, via its Google Maps and Google Earth applications.
amazing what one company can do to the whole world!
amazing what one company can do to the whole world!
2.10.05
i gave in to the impulse!
i saw Villman selling this product i had been looking for since forever, and, after making a few calls, and making some few quick thoughs about it, picked it up for a cool P3.3k (see below):
introducing, the Creative Prodikeys DM. i got a value unit, but the missing features really won't bother me at all (some recording features missing from the Prodikeys software bundled), since i'll mostly be using this with Sonar.
i was actually afraid of jumping in without doing much research on it, since a few hours before i went to buy it, i saw some sites talking about how it didn't work for their rigs, etc. etc., and that really worried me immensely. thankfully i encountered none of the problems that the others had.
the keyboard in itself is quite longer than your usual keyboard, but that's to be expected. the keys are nice and soft to type on, and not noisy at all - brownie points in my book. and the addition of a couple of shortcut keys helps all the more sweeten the deal.
of course, since Winamp 2.95 is my media player of choice, i naturally wanted to get its media buttons working on it, but it didn't support it off the bat. so i swung over to their site and grabbed this plugin. i turned off the volume control feature on it since i wanted the mute button to work on a global scale, and it worked like a charm!
the MIDI keyboard was just as good to use too - pressure-sensitive keys all help make the experience a lot more "human". i've played around with it using the bundled software as well as via Sonar, and i must say i'm quite happy with it...
looking forward to more fun with this thing in the coming days... :D
introducing, the Creative Prodikeys DM. i got a value unit, but the missing features really won't bother me at all (some recording features missing from the Prodikeys software bundled), since i'll mostly be using this with Sonar.
i was actually afraid of jumping in without doing much research on it, since a few hours before i went to buy it, i saw some sites talking about how it didn't work for their rigs, etc. etc., and that really worried me immensely. thankfully i encountered none of the problems that the others had.
the keyboard in itself is quite longer than your usual keyboard, but that's to be expected. the keys are nice and soft to type on, and not noisy at all - brownie points in my book. and the addition of a couple of shortcut keys helps all the more sweeten the deal.
of course, since Winamp 2.95 is my media player of choice, i naturally wanted to get its media buttons working on it, but it didn't support it off the bat. so i swung over to their site and grabbed this plugin. i turned off the volume control feature on it since i wanted the mute button to work on a global scale, and it worked like a charm!
the MIDI keyboard was just as good to use too - pressure-sensitive keys all help make the experience a lot more "human". i've played around with it using the bundled software as well as via Sonar, and i must say i'm quite happy with it...
looking forward to more fun with this thing in the coming days... :D
29.9.05
PSP Firmware 2.0 to 1.50 Downgrader!
as most of the PSP owners who care about homebrew by now, this will allow users to downgrade from the more feature-laden firmware v2.0 to a less laden one, but will now allow execution of homebrew applications (such as emulators, productivity apps, etc.)
now i can convince anyone to get PSPs, without fearing that they will not be able to benefit from the huge homebrew scene that's waiting for them! and people who have always wanted to try out the features in v2.0, here's your chance to do so without fear of not being able to go back to homebrew!
happy days!
now i can convince anyone to get PSPs, without fearing that they will not be able to benefit from the huge homebrew scene that's waiting for them! and people who have always wanted to try out the features in v2.0, here's your chance to do so without fear of not being able to go back to homebrew!
happy days!
27.9.05
current plans laid out for my life
as far as my blog is concerned, i'm currently considering junking the hardly-used guestbook feature i have on my blog, especially since all i'm getting there are spam posts. not sure if i should use a different service or just drop it altogether. i'm also thinking of finding a better tagboard service i could use - this one seems too plain and basic to serve my purpose. of course, all this is part of my grand plan to revise my blog for categorization and what-nots.
as far as my real life is concerned, well, i'm considering joining the National Novel Writing Month, depending on whether i actually have the guts to try this out. i will have a little over a month to consider (the whole event starts November, but sign-ups begin on October) this option, so who knows. i'm being offered to write game reviews for a major daily as well, but i can't quite comment on it yet since details are sparse as of now. as time permits, i am also going to try to re-continue my efforts of rearranging Moulin Rouge's Come What May for choral use - ambitious considering i've only been able to successfully write one song in my entire lifetime, and that took me about a month or so.
i also have this habit of making plans ahead of myself, only to crash and burn once they're set in place. maybe i can keep myself from crashing this time around. heheh. wish me luck!
as far as my real life is concerned, well, i'm considering joining the National Novel Writing Month, depending on whether i actually have the guts to try this out. i will have a little over a month to consider (the whole event starts November, but sign-ups begin on October) this option, so who knows. i'm being offered to write game reviews for a major daily as well, but i can't quite comment on it yet since details are sparse as of now. as time permits, i am also going to try to re-continue my efforts of rearranging Moulin Rouge's Come What May for choral use - ambitious considering i've only been able to successfully write one song in my entire lifetime, and that took me about a month or so.
i also have this habit of making plans ahead of myself, only to crash and burn once they're set in place. maybe i can keep myself from crashing this time around. heheh. wish me luck!
20.9.05
more food-related blogs to look through
gotta remember to look through ajay's writings on the wall and munchin' in manila.
and i really have to start with the blog categorisation. and learning how to cook.
and i really have to start with the blog categorisation. and learning how to cook.
14.9.05
cool window clutter control programs
if you have windows that you just don't need to see in your taskbar (like an older version of Windows Media Player), check out TrayIt! - i'm already including it in my list of must-have programs.
or if you want the windows on your desktop to have that snap-to-edge-or-to-whatever feel, allSnap is the solution to that.
there will surely be so much more apps that you can use to do things you never thought would greatly control your window clutter, and i'll post back as i find some more.
or if you want the windows on your desktop to have that snap-to-edge-or-to-whatever feel, allSnap is the solution to that.
there will surely be so much more apps that you can use to do things you never thought would greatly control your window clutter, and i'll post back as i find some more.
13.9.05
blogging categorization
i've looked and looked and looked at my blog from every possible angle i could put it, and i've come to the conclusion that i need to create some form of categorization to better refine my posts.
i'm taking a much different approach compared to using del.icio.us or whatever hacks that is available though - i'll be using the power of completely new blogs linked together to this one page to make my categorization. goodness knows how long that will take though.
however, i do have a few "categories" in mind already as we speak:
- creative stuff: compositions (yeah right), prose, poetry, photography, etc.
- tech stuff: anything tech-related, like computers, consoles, handhelds, mobile phones, etc.
- "specialized" stuff: i'm already thinking of posting up traffic violators that i see on the road, like a Hall-of-Shame, if you will.
and i foresee a rehash of my blog's name once more in the coming days. "voided illusions" won't really capture what i intend to keep in it (personal posts). i dunno - i'd still need to find something catchy to match the "optics" theme. i wonder if i should go look for some web designing help too.
anyway... plans, plans, plans.
i'm taking a much different approach compared to using del.icio.us or whatever hacks that is available though - i'll be using the power of completely new blogs linked together to this one page to make my categorization. goodness knows how long that will take though.
however, i do have a few "categories" in mind already as we speak:
- creative stuff: compositions (yeah right), prose, poetry, photography, etc.
- tech stuff: anything tech-related, like computers, consoles, handhelds, mobile phones, etc.
- "specialized" stuff: i'm already thinking of posting up traffic violators that i see on the road, like a Hall-of-Shame, if you will.
and i foresee a rehash of my blog's name once more in the coming days. "voided illusions" won't really capture what i intend to keep in it (personal posts). i dunno - i'd still need to find something catchy to match the "optics" theme. i wonder if i should go look for some web designing help too.
anyway... plans, plans, plans.
6.9.05
invites galore!
i haven't even touched my 50 GMail invites, when i noticed that, lo and behold, the invites have increased twofold!
as if looking for 50 people who _don't_ have GMail yet wasn't hard enough already!
1.9.05
Podcast like a Pro!
as the title suggests, i found myself on a site that talked about how to improve podcast quality, and since i started listening to podcasts (the very first one here - check them out!), i figured the advice could come really handy.
check out the link (and the rest of the parts - there are 6 of them all in all) here.
happy podcasting!
check out the link (and the rest of the parts - there are 6 of them all in all) here.
happy podcasting!
31.8.05
cool website address tricks
can anyone guess what the 466453.com contains?
when you've checked the site, check this link out for more info on this crazy stunt. :)
when you've checked the site, check this link out for more info on this crazy stunt. :)
30.8.05
Chinese grassroots exploration
i'm thinking of reviewing my conversational Mandarin, and i believe Pinyin (alphabet method of Chinese input/representation) has rapidly gained acceptance in learning, in my opinion.
so here is a site you can use to review and learn bits of Chinese. hopefully i can teach someone more Chinese with this in the coming days. :)
so here is a site you can use to review and learn bits of Chinese. hopefully i can teach someone more Chinese with this in the coming days. :)
the relationship of post and visit frequency
for personal blogs like mine, there's a standing belief that there's a direct correlation between the two: the more posts, the more hits, since you generate more visitors that way.
i'm beginning to realise that it doesn't always work that way, though. for example, a huge majority of my hits in recent memory came from a searches on the web, in particular, from my (in)famous kwek-kwek recipe to the Gloriagate scandal. perhaps, the correlation doesn't quite hold true because, in order to gain a following, you have to be able to create posts that have meaning and substance, and you think people are going to be looking for online. the post frequency helps get better search engine "visibility", i reckon.
anyway, i'm no guru when it comes to getting hits or readership or anything. i just like writing. everything else shouldn't get in the way of that.
i'm beginning to realise that it doesn't always work that way, though. for example, a huge majority of my hits in recent memory came from a searches on the web, in particular, from my (in)famous kwek-kwek recipe to the Gloriagate scandal. perhaps, the correlation doesn't quite hold true because, in order to gain a following, you have to be able to create posts that have meaning and substance, and you think people are going to be looking for online. the post frequency helps get better search engine "visibility", i reckon.
anyway, i'm no guru when it comes to getting hits or readership or anything. i just like writing. everything else shouldn't get in the way of that.
22.8.05
Church MIDI nugget
i came across this link via a good friend from the choir, and this is really wonderful - sort of like a large cup of warm chocolate with milk and marshmallows in a cool, rainy summer afternoon; an instrumentalist's dream come true!
20.8.05
almost caught!
last night as i fetched my sister from her gimik, thinking that i wasn't doing anything wrong, i decided to take a U-turn on a red light somewhere within the Makati area at around 11pm.
boy was i wrong.
i was flagged down by a pair of cops immediately. and since i saw a motorcycle with them, i figured it would be pointless for me to attempt to elude them. so i pulled over, and after failing to negotiate not having to get my license, went through some 20-30 minutes trying to convince the guys not to issue me a ticket for not following the road signs. i was really pushing my luck on that, since i was wearing my standard fare pambahay attire of shirt, shorts and slippers, i figured that they could probably hold me in violation of not being in proper attire (the slippers, FYI, are supposed to be illegal for drivers). i went on about having taken that route before, about it being late already, about it being my first offense, about how i had to drive all the way back to Marikina. i was almost at my knees begging!
and thankfully, the cops let me off. whew! a big THANK YOU to those cops...
on another note, i'm about to embark on another change for my blog. i think i'm beginning to outgrow my current setup. i need categorization for my blogs... i'll work on it over the next few days, or whenever time permits it.
boy was i wrong.
i was flagged down by a pair of cops immediately. and since i saw a motorcycle with them, i figured it would be pointless for me to attempt to elude them. so i pulled over, and after failing to negotiate not having to get my license, went through some 20-30 minutes trying to convince the guys not to issue me a ticket for not following the road signs. i was really pushing my luck on that, since i was wearing my standard fare pambahay attire of shirt, shorts and slippers, i figured that they could probably hold me in violation of not being in proper attire (the slippers, FYI, are supposed to be illegal for drivers). i went on about having taken that route before, about it being late already, about it being my first offense, about how i had to drive all the way back to Marikina. i was almost at my knees begging!
and thankfully, the cops let me off. whew! a big THANK YOU to those cops...
on another note, i'm about to embark on another change for my blog. i think i'm beginning to outgrow my current setup. i need categorization for my blogs... i'll work on it over the next few days, or whenever time permits it.
18.8.05
busy bee
i've been a busy bee for the past couple of days, which is having a direct impact on the number and quality of posts here in my blog.
ahh, well. i'll try to make up for lost ground as soon as i hit it running.
ahh, well. i'll try to make up for lost ground as soon as i hit it running.
13.8.05
creative shots
Jay has been telling and showing me all sorts of pictures he's taken with his digicam so far (on his blog and from his camera), so i sort of took it on myself to get my own digicam (a trusty Canon Powershot A40, which i still love) and make my own.
it's interesting that i've only bothered to toy around with the Program and Manual modes of my camera recently, and something that i should have started doing a long time ago. oh well, there's still hope for me. as i get around to it, i'll be posting my pictures over at Yahoo, which i've also handily put at the top of my link list, for anyone who might care to look, and i'll be consolidating my creative shots over at Flickr sometime, when i get around to it.
feel free to comment on any of my pics. have fun browsing. :)
it's interesting that i've only bothered to toy around with the Program and Manual modes of my camera recently, and something that i should have started doing a long time ago. oh well, there's still hope for me. as i get around to it, i'll be posting my pictures over at Yahoo, which i've also handily put at the top of my link list, for anyone who might care to look, and i'll be consolidating my creative shots over at Flickr sometime, when i get around to it.
feel free to comment on any of my pics. have fun browsing. :)
10.8.05
Makati explorations
since i walk to work from Dasmariñas Village all the way to H. V. Dela Costa every Wednesday, i thought i'd try looking for an alternative route today. so i saw these jeepneys and figured that they'll probably reach my destination one way or the other. but i was so wrong. i found myself on Buendia minutes afterwards, leaving me no choice but to take a P40 cab ride to the office.
lesson learned: ask before you make a move.
lesson learned: ask before you make a move.
9.8.05
steamy!
there are many firsts in my life that i will remember for the rest of my life... like last night, when my car overheated. my car looked like it was a rice cooker just waiting to blow its cap off!
thankfully i managed to roll the car to my dad's office after coaxing it to inch its way from Makati all the way to Pasig, having to stop a few times on the curb on the way. at least my dad's there to help me - he'll be taking the car to the car shop near his office later.
the damage report? a broken auxilliary fan and a busted radiator - had to have them replaced completely. i also mentioned to my dad that i wanted my shock absorbers replaced too, since they've been causing me all the alignment problems i've been having with the car. hopefully they'll be done by the end of the day. and hopefully they won't cost me an arm and a limb.
thankfully i managed to roll the car to my dad's office after coaxing it to inch its way from Makati all the way to Pasig, having to stop a few times on the curb on the way. at least my dad's there to help me - he'll be taking the car to the car shop near his office later.
the damage report? a broken auxilliary fan and a busted radiator - had to have them replaced completely. i also mentioned to my dad that i wanted my shock absorbers replaced too, since they've been causing me all the alignment problems i've been having with the car. hopefully they'll be done by the end of the day. and hopefully they won't cost me an arm and a limb.
8.8.05
some fun links to visit
want to look like a ninja? here's how!
and do you want to do some cool-looking paper crafts? Yamaha has some on this site. UPDATE: Canon also has some here! heck i can probably do so much when i find enough time...
now these will be great things to put on my computer monitor. :)
and do you want to do some cool-looking paper crafts? Yamaha has some on this site. UPDATE: Canon also has some here! heck i can probably do so much when i find enough time...
now these will be great things to put on my computer monitor. :)
7.8.05
phone repairs
i managed to get my T610 to a state where it refused to recharge my battery any more (it's amazing how i've survived for the past week!), so i took my unit to Semicon to have it serviced.
the cost:
system connector (that row of copper strips at the bottom of the unit) - P63
service charge - P500
crazy? you bet. oh as my friend commented, "good work is hard to fine". :P
the cost:
system connector (that row of copper strips at the bottom of the unit) - P63
service charge - P500
crazy? you bet. oh as my friend commented, "good work is hard to fine". :P
3.8.05
on top blogs and podcasts
i've now added Jay's Artichoke Adobo, in the hopes that my readers would be kind enough to visit it and vote for it on the Pinoy Top Blogs. hmm... maybe i should take that route too... maybe it will help generate more hits for me (of which i'm averaging ~5 a day).
also, i've been listening to some podcasts from Live from USA.Philippines, hosted by Kid Flash X (of rickey.org) and ManongGuard (again, of Artichoke Adobo). it's interesting to note that they (according to Jay) used to have this small-time radio show back in UP Diliman called "Live in the Bahamas" (correct me if i'm wrong). and it's really fun to hear them get all worked up on video games, politics, Care Bears, and even tea (recently)! and i agree with one of their statements in their most recent podcast, talking about niche targeting. even my blog is a bit niche-y (to a higher degree of nichness at times i suppose). i hope everyone here takes a cue and listens in to their shows some time.
well, one thing's for sure though, it sure made walking to work so much more insane today as i grinned every few minutes while listening to them.
also, i've been listening to some podcasts from Live from USA.Philippines, hosted by Kid Flash X (of rickey.org) and ManongGuard (again, of Artichoke Adobo). it's interesting to note that they (according to Jay) used to have this small-time radio show back in UP Diliman called "Live in the Bahamas" (correct me if i'm wrong). and it's really fun to hear them get all worked up on video games, politics, Care Bears, and even tea (recently)! and i agree with one of their statements in their most recent podcast, talking about niche targeting. even my blog is a bit niche-y (to a higher degree of nichness at times i suppose). i hope everyone here takes a cue and listens in to their shows some time.
well, one thing's for sure though, it sure made walking to work so much more insane today as i grinned every few minutes while listening to them.
28.7.05
crazy subtitles!
this is nuts - can you imagine that someone would actually subtitle an English movie SO wrong that it hardly made sense!
lesson of the story: do not buy pirated DVDs. at least, not from China. heheh.
lesson of the story: do not buy pirated DVDs. at least, not from China. heheh.
26.7.05
blogging on my PSP
this is a test post composed on my PSP using a browser i found on the net.
boy, typing on this thing is HARD!
boy, typing on this thing is HARD!
24.7.05
more about the kwek-kwek recipe
i just remembered that as i was walking to work last Saturday, i chanced upon a street vendor who was preparing his "orange bits of goodness" for frying, and one thing i noticed he was doing was that not only was he using a rather thick batter, he was also using a spoon to coat the eggs, before sliding the whole bit off the spoon and into the frying pan. i suppose he must have the spoon oiled too, unless the batter mix is oily to begin with.
i'll experiment with those observations next time...
[edit: is it kwek-kwek, kwek kwek, or tukneneng? i don't seem to know the exact differences/nuances...]
i'll experiment with those observations next time...
[edit: is it kwek-kwek, kwek kwek, or tukneneng? i don't seem to know the exact differences/nuances...]
learning on my spare time
between playing games on my Sony PSP, singing and playing the guitar with the choir, and reading Harry Potter (books 5 and 6 - can't wait to finish them), i'm actually trying my best to learn a new instrument - a recorder!
(image may be different from actual unit used)
i've always wanted to learn some more instruments in my spare time. right now i know a little piano and the guitar, and hopefully i'll have the time and resources to learn the violin too, and some other wind instrument (a flute?).
one other advantage of learning the recorder is that it should help me learn how to read notes on sheet music - something i am rather poor at doing.
i'll keep my progress posted here as i go along... :)
i've always wanted to learn some more instruments in my spare time. right now i know a little piano and the guitar, and hopefully i'll have the time and resources to learn the violin too, and some other wind instrument (a flute?).
one other advantage of learning the recorder is that it should help me learn how to read notes on sheet music - something i am rather poor at doing.
i'll keep my progress posted here as i go along... :)
21.7.05
some things you have to be forced to learn...
... i guess. for example, check out sacha's CookOrDie sessions, where she vividly recounts how she manages to cook and proceed to consume the product afterwards.
very interesting approach - maybe i should try that out too...
very interesting approach - maybe i should try that out too...
19.7.05
more recipes!
i just found the PinoyCook website that has all sorts of recipes too. since i've noticed an increase in page hits ever since i put in that kwek kwek/tukneneng recipe, i've become more interested with posting (for posterity i guess) recipes that people might have problems locating.
for example, from this site i just mentioned, i found a variation to the isaw recipe i was actually looking for tonight. check that out here. but let's be clear though: this is _not_ a food recipe blog, nor is cooking a specialty of mine. i'm still leaning more on technology, which is something i'll be going back to one way or the other.
however, i'll post back here when i find some more Pinoy recipes for distribution...
for example, from this site i just mentioned, i found a variation to the isaw recipe i was actually looking for tonight. check that out here. but let's be clear though: this is _not_ a food recipe blog, nor is cooking a specialty of mine. i'm still leaning more on technology, which is something i'll be going back to one way or the other.
however, i'll post back here when i find some more Pinoy recipes for distribution...
16.7.05
MarketManila!
and for recipes for the more common foods (as well as some not-so-common items), check this place out!
as an added bonus, you get some translations of Filipino fish names. who ever knew that galunggong is mackerel?
as an added bonus, you get some translations of Filipino fish names. who ever knew that galunggong is mackerel?
binatog!
i was introduced to binatog a few weeks back (there's a stall in the basement food court of SM Southmall, FYI), and i've been scouring for a recipe to follow by ever since. the closest one i could come up with was this.
since i had a salty binatog (which i think i'd like better) just replace the milk and sugar with salt. now if only know where i could find the corn to use for this...
since i had a salty binatog (which i think i'd like better) just replace the milk and sugar with salt. now if only know where i could find the corn to use for this...
15.7.05
so what have you done with your PSP?
if you're one of the luckier owners of Sony PSPs with firmware versions 1.0 or 1.5, _DON'T_ perform any network updates or firmware updates just yet! if you want to, you're eligible to be one of a growing number of PSP owners who have taken the road to alternative gaming on the PSP: emulators!
if you guys haven't done so yet, check out my link to PSP Emulation - you'll be able to have access to a great wealth of emulators on the PSP - NES, GB, Sega, SNES... the list is immense! there are also third-party applications that have been developed for other fun purposes. for example, you can turn your PSP into a PS2 and Sony Wega remote control! you can also control your PC from your PSP!
just keep checking out the links i mentioned already (especially PSPUpdates. and Google anything else you might read up on elsewhere.
and for video conversions, check out PSP Video 9 - but i'll make a better article on this topic next time...
for now, happy homebrew! and feel free to message me if you have any questions about using any PSP application.
if you guys haven't done so yet, check out my link to PSP Emulation - you'll be able to have access to a great wealth of emulators on the PSP - NES, GB, Sega, SNES... the list is immense! there are also third-party applications that have been developed for other fun purposes. for example, you can turn your PSP into a PS2 and Sony Wega remote control! you can also control your PC from your PSP!
just keep checking out the links i mentioned already (especially PSPUpdates. and Google anything else you might read up on elsewhere.
and for video conversions, check out PSP Video 9 - but i'll make a better article on this topic next time...
for now, happy homebrew! and feel free to message me if you have any questions about using any PSP application.
2.7.05
i'm getting a Sony PSP today!
hopefully anyway. but one thing's for sure, i'm most definitely planning to get it within the weekend so that i can start mucking around with it already. and with all the cool things that can be done with it so far (like playing NES/SEGA/SNES games on it), i'm already drooling at the thought.
for all you other Sony PSP owners, here are a couple of links i've managed to collect while looking around for stuff that i could actually do with it (i'm guessing the lot of you guys know these links already anyway).
PSPUpdates: The Place for Playstation Portable News
PSPHome
PSP-Vault
PSP Emulation News
i can only hope that i'll enjoy it as much as i enjoy plunking down the money for it. heheh.
28.6.05
tukneneng / kwek-kwek recipe!
for the interest of those (like me) who are looking for some lead as to how to make those interestingly orange-tinged street food:
kwek-kwek (or tukneneng, depending on the eggs you're using)
ingredients:
1 dozen peeled hard boiled quail eggs (or chicken eggs)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup water
few drops of food coloring (orange?)
salt and pepper to taste
cooking oil
instructions:
1. put the quail eggs in a clean plastic bag/zip lock, with 1/4 cup flour. shake em until eggs are evenly coated.
2. mix all remaining ingredients exept cooking oil. used a wire whisk or fork, mix it to a smooth batter.
3. dump those little eggs to the batter.
4. put enough cooking oil for deep frying in a shallow pan. heat it.
5. spoon out those eggs from the batter and chuck it in the hot cooking oil.
6. wait till it cooks, about a minute or so. until the coating is crispy.
7. serve with sweet gravy or vinegar.
hapy eating!
kwek-kwek (or tukneneng, depending on the eggs you're using)
ingredients:
1 dozen peeled hard boiled quail eggs (or chicken eggs)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup water
few drops of food coloring (orange?)
salt and pepper to taste
cooking oil
instructions:
1. put the quail eggs in a clean plastic bag/zip lock, with 1/4 cup flour. shake em until eggs are evenly coated.
2. mix all remaining ingredients exept cooking oil. used a wire whisk or fork, mix it to a smooth batter.
3. dump those little eggs to the batter.
4. put enough cooking oil for deep frying in a shallow pan. heat it.
5. spoon out those eggs from the batter and chuck it in the hot cooking oil.
6. wait till it cooks, about a minute or so. until the coating is crispy.
7. serve with sweet gravy or vinegar.
hapy eating!
16.6.05
right to distribute the Arroyo tapes
SAP Developers Unite!
sign on to the SAP Developer Network, and start gaining loads more knowledge from experienced SAP developers all over the world!
and don't forget to enter my email address in the reference field:mj80-at-smsupermarket-dot-com ryan-dot-tan-at-accenture-dot-com :) (just had to put dummy fields to prevent spammers from taking me in). this is going to change in the coming days, but i'll update this post when that happens.
see you there!
and don't forget to enter my email address in the reference field:
see you there!
15.6.05
Gloriagate scandal!
psst... help promote freedom of speech - pick up the Arroyo tape recordings and the Paguia video tape from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and help seed the darn files to the whole Filipino community!
DISCLAIMER: i'm not against the government - i'm just against baseless censorship. i mean, we don't know who's talking in the tapes, do we?
torrent away!
DISCLAIMER: i'm not against the government - i'm just against baseless censorship. i mean, we don't know who's talking in the tapes, do we?
torrent away!
8.5.05
on the quest for fuel saving...
with the recent rise in fuel prices, i've been looking at ways to lessen my fuel expenses. unfortunately i wasn't able to complete my Shell Better Mileage Gasoline claim, owing to a price war that was just too compelling to pass up (it used to be a .60 difference! now it's just .30, but that's still quite a bit). so, i've gone looking around, and managed to almost convince myself to have a Khaos Fuel Saver installed onto my car, a P6.5k investment.
but i did my homework. i checked and searched all over to read about its benefits and side-effects... and then i stumbled upon this site, debunking the claims of this thing. i've looked and looked for anything else that says otherwise, but so far this site has been most believable with its debunking.
so no Khaos for me - just better driving habits. =)
but i did my homework. i checked and searched all over to read about its benefits and side-effects... and then i stumbled upon this site, debunking the claims of this thing. i've looked and looked for anything else that says otherwise, but so far this site has been most believable with its debunking.
so no Khaos for me - just better driving habits. =)
14.4.05
a not-so-scientific test
i've been hearing Shell claim that they have a "Better Mileage" Gasoline formula out in the market for some time now, and i've been getting more and more curious in the past few days, what with the upsurge of fuel prices.
and though i know i'm a few days late in posting this, last Tuesday night i decided to give it a go. a little Math told me that my last tank up's Km-to-liter ratio was around 10.45. so if Shell's fuel were to be any better, it'd have to perform better than this.
it's been two days so far and things look somewhat different. but i might just be imagining things. we'll know when i tank up the car again - some 300+ Km to go.
and though i know i'm a few days late in posting this, last Tuesday night i decided to give it a go. a little Math told me that my last tank up's Km-to-liter ratio was around 10.45. so if Shell's fuel were to be any better, it'd have to perform better than this.
it's been two days so far and things look somewhat different. but i might just be imagining things. we'll know when i tank up the car again - some 300+ Km to go.
25.3.05
23.3.05
format change
i'm beginning to realise a trend here - whenever i "revive" my blog, i change templates. heheh. oh well. at least i'm trying to do something about it.
i'm thinking of getting software to post pics into my blog (again) - lost the old ones i used before. besides Picasa, what others would you guys recommend?
i'm thinking of getting software to post pics into my blog (again) - lost the old ones i used before. besides Picasa, what others would you guys recommend?
back into the blogging biz
i'm _finally_ back... and i'm wondering how i'd like to align this blog now...
considering that i haven't really checked on my blog (or updated it for that matter) for the past 3+ months, it's amazing to see that i still have some sort of readership. too bad that most of them hardly stay long enough to read anything. heheh. (all these stats courtesy of my nifty counter service from StatCounter - great people)
anyway, on to business. i'd like to have some feedback as to how i should align my blog: do i shift it towards the arts, like photography, video and audio? do i shift it to literary musings? do i strengthen its technology base? or do i keep it as it is - a healthy mix of everything in between?
regardless though, i've decided to keep most of my personal life out of these pages. i realise now that i don't need to broadcast my entire life to the whole wide world - the occasional glance or two will suffice.
hopefully i'll have something up over the next couple of days.
many thanks to those who still find my blog amusing, as well as the tagboarders who have kindly made their existences felt. =)
till next time. =)
considering that i haven't really checked on my blog (or updated it for that matter) for the past 3+ months, it's amazing to see that i still have some sort of readership. too bad that most of them hardly stay long enough to read anything. heheh. (all these stats courtesy of my nifty counter service from StatCounter - great people)
anyway, on to business. i'd like to have some feedback as to how i should align my blog: do i shift it towards the arts, like photography, video and audio? do i shift it to literary musings? do i strengthen its technology base? or do i keep it as it is - a healthy mix of everything in between?
regardless though, i've decided to keep most of my personal life out of these pages. i realise now that i don't need to broadcast my entire life to the whole wide world - the occasional glance or two will suffice.
hopefully i'll have something up over the next couple of days.
many thanks to those who still find my blog amusing, as well as the tagboarders who have kindly made their existences felt. =)
till next time. =)
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