I was supposed to go to the Project Gutenberg site to get a button to add to my blog. You see, I find it fascinating that for the past 32 years Project Gutenberg has managed to provide so many books to the public for free. Having their button on my site was my way of supporting them. I don't have a server to offer (they are looking for generous people to host mirrors of the PG site), so a button on my blog will have to do for now.

Well, I kind of mispelled the URL, so I was redirected to a search engine where I eventually clicked on the Project Steve Guttenberg site (spelled with 2 T's), thinking the URL may have changed since the last time I visited. It was a pleasant surprise to have a typo an discover something really cool.

Go to the site. It's about a blog publishing tool you can upload to your PHP-enabled server. That's all you need to run it. You won't need a MySQL database or anything else to run it. Just PHP. It's incredible that you can run a web-based blog publishing tool with just PHP. It's a low-memory solution to basic blog publishing. Nothing fancy in it except the way it optimizes your available bandwidth (that would be my guess, that is). Check it out!

I set-up a new design on my test blog. You can take a peek if you want. Go to daysleepered01.blogspot.com and see what I've gotten myself into.

Would you be willing to participate in something like this? Seems like its becoming the "IN" thing in Europe and America. I wonder when Pinoy's would start doing it too?

And while we on the subject (the Internet changing the way we live, that is), don't you think Net Slaves 2.0 would make an excellent gift to a someone who spent way too much time online. To a person like me, maybe? -- LOL.

Can you believe this? US politicians are taking cues from Pinoy politicos. The more, the merrier!

Sometimes, thoughts go through your head. You make mental notes, hoping your brain would bring them to the fore of your train of thought in some useful capacity one of these days. Well that very same thought, most often than not, escapes you when you need it most. It resurfaces in dreams or in those few moments before slumber takes you over. In those closing moments of your day your brain stumbles upon forgotten thoughts, jiggling the conscious and sub-conscious and putting them together like a freakish jigsaw puzzle, only to be tamed by sleep. And then you wake up to find that you've forgotten everything all over again, its only vestige an almost lingering whisper that you try to catch but never do. You find yourself aboard a jeep, staring onto the teeming streets, but your mind is somewhere else. It is in some distant otherwordly place, away from the noise and turmoil. The vicious cycle repeats.

Sorry, I forgot what I was supposed to blog about.

Whew! I'm done. Check it out! I need to tweak it some more, but that can wait till tomorrow.

I'm using Mozilla as I type here. I just discovered that my blog's current Glish template (one of the ready-made Blogger kinds) doesn't display correctly on Mozilla. I will have to use the new design that I downloaded from MizGraphics. It's not actually ready yet, but i'm going to use so Mozilla users can view me blog.

And why am I obsessesing about it? Because Mozilla is a great product! Love that tabbed browsing! I would love to see the day IE will be unseated from its throne as the browser of choice for many. That would be the day! In the meantime, I must support all the brave souls that use Mozilla by making my blog viewable. Sound fair?

This morning, I listened to Jewel's This Way album with a heavy heart. Jewel's one of my favorite singers. However, her new album 0304 is quite disappointing for loyal fans. I came to listen to Jewel precisely because she was unique from the rest of the popdom. Her singing was soulful, her odes heartfelt, her music melodramtic. I appreciate the fact that she's exploring her musicality in 0304. That just means her creativity is yearning for more. But I think she went a little overboard on this one. She will gain new fans, no doubt. But will the old fans stay with her?

I'll probably still buy 0304. I'm a fan afterall. But right now, it isn't high in my priority list.

We sometimes take for granted how blessed we are as a species. We often view the functions of the human body as trivial. We don't give much thought to skills such as reading and walking. We don't appreciate that our hands can pick up something as delicate as an egg or handle something as heavy as a sledgehammer. It is when we cannot do all of these (or when we lose control over one faculty) that we feel a debilitating sense of disability.

Be thankful then that you are sitting there reading what I write. At least appreciate the fact that you can type an email to me if you disagree. You have the freedom to do what you want to, without a disability hampering you.

Check out Tech TV's review of the latest MiniDisc Player (NetMD)that Sony is marketing as an affordable alternative to Apple's iPod. Since I virtually have no chance of owning an iPod, I would'nt mind getting one of these babies for Christmas -- LOL.

I was on my way to the office to meet up my wife. It had been sunny on and off the whole day and I was guessing it would rain by late afternoon.

During the jeepney ride, I noticed the mountains to the west. Marratt Highway, the Clarkfield road leading to Mabalacat, goes through a lot of flat terrain. Travelling up Marratt gave you a great view of Pampanga's western mountains. Though it was sunny where I was, I could see rain clouds caressing the mountain tops. It was refreshing to see that. I like rain. It makes me feel good.

If there are any altruistic Blogger users out there who'd like to help out a fellow blogger in distress, please go to this page. I created that seperate blog to test a template I am planning to use here on this blog. I am having difficulty with two things : the archive links and the sidebar. The archive links aren't displaying properly as far sa I can tell. The sidebar on the other hand used to resize when the browser window is adjusted. Now, it doesn't budge and its too far away to see if you're viewing it using a low-res monitor. Email me at daysleepered01@netscape.net if you have any suggestions. Thanks!

I laid low for a few days. Everybody's talking about the Makati mutiny. There won't be enough room for me to say what's on my mind -- LOL. Now, read my take on the events that transpired last July 27.

The other night I was watching an episode of the Probe Team. As expected, all the feature stories were about the Magdalo's (an episode about special children was moved to accomodate the breaking stories). Love Añover's man-in-the-street interviews presented the starkest extremes in opinion. Most of ambushed interviewees were non-commital. One man dared to speak out. Dare he did because he was an American (guessing by his accent) photojournalist who covered the Magdalo press conference. He said he was surprised to find some of the Filipino journalists covering the said PressCon apllauded when the Magdalo's were airing their grievances.

It just goes to show that many of them believe the allegations. I believe them too. Most everyone in these 7,000 island know it for a fact as well. Problem is the public doesn't have evidence to substantiate suspicions. The Magdalo's were in a position to possess that evidence. What they did took a lot of balls. These people, part of the very military organization that I depised when I was younger, showed me there was yet hope for this country's soldiers. They were just hired guns for the government. They represent the changing face of the military - young, idealistic, honest and true patriots in their own right. Mutineers they may be, but I believe their lot is better than the crooks that permeate every nook and cranny of government. They should be given the respect they deserve. At least that's what I think.

So, don't tick me off by sending me that email that was supposedly sent by a fan of Trillanes. It was a poor sap's attempt at comedy, which failed miserably in the face of its cynical comments. It did nothing but insult the idealist in me.

What the hell were they thinkin when they thought this up? Votes, maybe? Please enough people and you'll win elections.

I'f you've been wondering where I'd been these past few days, I was busy. I was busy trying to find a cure to one of mankind's most persistent enemies --the cold.

After almost a week of rainy weather, typhoon and all, I counted myself lucky that I didn't catch a cold. Half my officemates had it, I didn't. Last Thursday was sunny, so me and the wife went malling. It would've been a great day had I not started spasmodic sneezing fits while we were admiring the wonderful signs that said "50% off" and "SALE!!!"

That started the downward spiral. Friday morning, I had a cold. I went to work as usual, convincing myself that I would go away in a day or two. Well, It got worse by yesterday morning. I woke up with a fever. I called in sick to get some rest. I woke up better this morning so I'm back at work.

I did have to visit the company doctor to make sure I was fit to work. Still feeling a naseous, but I'm already fine. Just a little cough now and then. I hope I don't get worse. I hate being sick.

There was an instance a few weeks back when I noticed an error on my payslip. I notice they had overpaid me by 4 hours. I had taken half a day off during the cut-off date and I assumed they had presumed that I had ben working the whole day and paid me for the vacation time (4 hours) I filed. I also noticed that they underpaid me for our Sunday premium. We get an extra 20% in pay when we work on Sundays. I weighed the options. It seemed illogical for me to raise a complaint. I mean, if they adjusted the errors they made, I would be giving up 4 hours worth approximately Php 200.00 to get Php 80.00 in additional pay. My honest, moral side won the debate.

I talked to my super and submitted my payslip for scrutiny.

When he came back, he gave me surprising news. I had forgotten that there was a holiday included in the pay period that I was contesting. I was over paid by 4 hours but a holiday was omitted. So, it turned out that I had actually been underpaid 4 hours because they forgot to include the extra holiday pay in my payslip. So the payroll guys suggested they just offset the 4 hours and pay me the additional 4 hours they owe me on the next payday. Hehehe... Goes to tell you that honest intentions do pay off. In the end it, pays to be an honest sucker.

Now here's another story for all of you do-gooders out there. [found via Yuga's blog]

Old poem of mine. . .



Manunulat

Nakabibingi ang katahimikan
ng pagtigil ng makinilyang
kanina pa pinarurusahan
ng nangangalyo ko nang daliri.
Bahagyang s'yang napahinga
sa parusa ng aking pagtipa.

Sa isang hitit sa sigarilyo
pilit na kinakal
ang buong katinuan
para sa tamang salita,
isusunod na kataga.
Ito na ba ang "Obra Maestra"?

Nobelang hindi tapos,
hindi na alitana ang antok.
Obra maestrang nauupos
kasabay ng sigarilyong paubos.
ito na nga ang "Obra".

Kailangang matapos,
kailangang malathala.
Kailangang maibsan ang pangungulila.
Kailangang mabili
mga katagang sampu-'sang-pera,
matahimik lang ang kalam ng sikmura.

I think someone had a brain fart when they thought up this one. Hmmmm.... On second thought, I guess they didn't use any brains at all.

Have you ever wondered what you fave singer would look like if ever he got animated? Wonder no further.

I just read AOL is entering the blogging fray with AOL Journals. Jeff Jarvis shares his take on AOL's attempt to hook up members with the rest of the blogging world. Two points stand out in his discussion. The first would be the immense potential of AOL's membership base. Jeff pointed out that AOL's 34 million or so members would bring in a bigger audience to the greater blogdom. They would also have the potential to generate a lot of material to link to. As Jeff points out, what you blog isn't content until it's linked to. the more bloggers, the more blogs we can link to. It also means there'll be more that'll link back to us. That would be good for all bloggers, irrespective of affiliation. Pretty rational argument, if you asked me.

Second, the issue of linking to content. I once had a problem linking to a Time.com article I was referring to. I was prompted that I would have to buy the article. Why would I want to pay for it when I'm practically advertising them for free by linking to their article? Well, I found a way to do it (link, not pay). I accidentally discovered it when I did a search using Google for similar articles. Voila! I was able to link to the very same Time.com article for free. Apparently, you can Google your way into articles from Time, Washington Post and The New York Times without subscribing to them. Jeff is right in saying that AOL should allow its members to have a similar backdoor that people on the Internet could access. If they could link AOL's "exclusive" content to the world outside, it would be an immense contribution to all bloggers. Bottomline: More resources (stuff, sites, content, what have you...) to share and to behold.

Flattery will get you everywhere. LOL [via Eclectica]

Here's something you don't read about everyday.

Add some whoooomp to your walk.

When I was a child I would often earn the ire of my father. I was either clumsy or I was being stupid. True, I was clumsy. I always tripped on things, dropped stuff, broke toys. I was the only child who regularly broke plates or glasses while dishwashing. I was a real clutz.

Other times, I would be asked by my father to get a particular T-shirt or jacket from his closet. I would almost always come back empty-handed. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find what he was asking me to bring. These situations often ended with my angry father going to the closet to get the T-shirt himself. He would always point out the article he was asking for. Almost always, the damn thing would be hanging in plain sight. I always cried after those embarrassing errands. I often got a scolding that I would remember till the end of my days. I endured the harsh words, at times crying, at other times spitefully hunched in a corner. It was then that I realized the power of words. Maybe that was the reason why until today I have this overwhelming need to be heard.

Just the other day, I had an argument with my wife. I was on the phone with her that early Thursday morning. She was, as always, speaking her mind before I even finished what I had to say. I usually let it pass. It was afterall the way my wife is. But that morning, I was hungry and angry at the situation I had let myself get into. I felt that I had a right to speak my mind. It was one of those moments -- the one's when you just snap. I hung-up on her. My anger faded in the few moments that passed. Inevitably, a feeling of remorse came over my once I had realized what I had done. That's how I deal with it.

I had always promised myself that I would not inherit the ill-tempered side of my father. By letting my anger fly out of control, I was reneging on that promise. Now an adult, I constantly realize that I have become my father. I'm ill-tempered and intolerant, angry at the slightest provocation. I grew up like this and now I'm afraid I might pass it on to my son. What a horrible heritage. The thought of it upset for the rest of that day.

Now I realize that I don't need anyone else to beat me up emotionally. I do a good job of it myself.

It's been a week now that we've been sleeping on the floor. Well technically, not "on the floor." Last week, I dismantled the big wooden frame of our bed and put the mattress on the floor. That decision was reached when my son fell off the bed again (for the third time), even after we've thrown in more pillows than seemingly comfortable. Now that the mattress is on the floor, we can sleep more soundly. We just have to close that door to our bedroom. I haven't found a security gate just yet. If you're not from around here, you might be wondering why we would leave the bedroom door open. Well, it's a tropical country. However wide and high your windows are, you will feel a bit claustrophibic with the door closed.

Anyway, I was pleasantly awakened to find my son trying to stand all by himself. I prentended I was still asleep so I could secretly watch him. I grow all the more fascinated everday at what our son will try do. He's learning his way through the world, and I am lucky enough to be a witness to it all. There's a special kind of magic involved in those moments of discovery you share with your child. It make me grow sad at times to realize that he's growing up so fast. What next? His first step...then his first day at pre-school...then his prom...and then he'll be out of the house before you could say, "You are so grounded!" It all flashed before my eyes like a bad Mariah Carey music video.

:::SIGH::: And all this because I put the mattress on the floor.

This dictionary is the first I've encountered defining "bang (verb, transitive)" as "to fornicate." It even notes that the word, "Does not seem to have intransitive use..." Useful when you've been insulted in a chatroom and you're not exactly sure what they mean.

Are you a hardcore The Dawn fan? Then check out their official site, man. They've got everything from bio's to photogalleries. There's the standard discography, a section for photos and a section dedicated to chat and fanmail. They even have streaming audio (their own radio station). Check it out!

You learn something new everyday. I just read Time.com's list of the 50 best websites in the Net. I found sites in the list that I've been visiting for years. I also found new sites worth checking out. It's worthwhile read, man. Get to it.

Try this, just for a few laughs. Go to Google, then type this exactly the way it is (together with the quotation marks): "weapons of mass destruction"

Don't hit Google Search. Click on the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button instead. If you get a page error, look again and read it carefully.

Here's some food for thought on adversity
from Penelope Trunk

Another great voice is silenced by death. I mourn his passing...

The sexiest part of your body lies between your ears. New research seems to lay creedence to that adage. It's been dubbed as viagra for the brain, but is as far from viagra as a cow is from a carabao.

Ah! The wonders of modern technology! Helping men drool more since 2000 A.D.

Ladies, what are you waiting for? Get your prescriptions now!

These guys know how to negotiate. Way to go, guys! Linux right in yo' face, Bill -hehehe.

My wife sent me this article that she found. I thought it was just another article that expounded the value of the lullaby. I was wrong. It's actually a feature article on David Koz's latest project, an album made exclusively by fathers. Check it out. The site has audio samples of the tracks.

I couldn't have been more wrong the other day. AMD already has 64-bit chip in the works. Hope this drives down the prices of sub-3.0 Ghz chips real soon!

I guess I'm going to have to bear with this new layout for a while. It's standard on Blogger and its written in Glish. It comes with the new Blogger. I have no idea why my old template isn't working right with it. But I will haev to bear with it. This design is actually quite pleasing. That is, until the novelty wears thin.

Problem is, where do I put my links and my shoutbox?

Steve Jobs is a man of vision. That fact will be recognized long after he has stopped walking this parched piece of galactic rock we call a planet. He's the prophet of Tech.

Apple just came out with the new Power Mac G5 that runs on 64-bit processors. This thing seriously churns a lot of bandwith. It's even designed to run quieter than any other PC in the market. This is literally way cool

Hihintayin ko 'tong isang ito.

Hey! I could use one of them hoodies. But wait! Wouldn't it lend itself useless in this humid tropical country? Awwww, what the heck. We have our rainy days anyway. Besides, the airconditioning in the office has improved considerably.

Give me a hoody and a Blogger Tshirt and you'll make me a happy man... Hmmm... Lemme re-phrase that. You'll make me a happy blogger - Heheheee. Oh, and my size is Xtra Large, in case you're wondering ;-)

Could you use a little peace and quiet? Them call in an have your number listed in the Do-Not-Call List.

This telemarketing trend actually started an employement trend here in the Philippines. The ban list on telemarketing could mean their near demise. Does that mean they'll turn to the local market to continue operations? OMG -- my home number is listed! Imma target :-(

Brain food, anyone?

DAYAMMMMM! I've lost my template! Everything was alright until I published using the new Blogger interface. My blog resembled a bullet-riden Chevy Impala that came from a driveby shooting. It was all messed up. I will have to figure out how to get my blog to its old template. The new Blogger uses Glish templates. The HTML and Java on my old template just don't agree with it for some reason.

Habang nakasakay ako ng jeep kanina, bigla kong naalala yung madalas na biro ng isa kong tiyuhin nuon. Bunso siyang kapatid ng tatay ko, at talaga namang talamak na babaero. Madalas niyang sabihin nuon (lalu na kapag nag-iinuman kami!) na kung mahuli ka daw ng misis mo kasama ang kabit mo, kahit na makita ka pang nakapatong huwag kang aamin. Tanong naman namin, paano n'ya lulusutan 'yun? Kapag nahuli raw s'ya sa ganung sitwasyon, tatanungin daw n'ya ng buong lakas ng boses ang sarili n'ya ng ganito: "Sino ako??? Bakit ako naririto??? Sino kayo (sa chick at sa misis)???" Nakakatawa 'yun birung 'yun nung una. Hindi na ngayon.

Baket? Kasi iba na ang buhay ko ngayon. Mas kumplikado, mas masalimuot, mas maraming inaalala. Ang totoo nyan, nagiging seryoso na ako ngayon kapag natatanong ko sa sarili ko ang unang dalawang tanong sa lumang joke na 'yan.

Sino nga ba ako? Ano ang katuturan ko sa mundo? Bakit ako naririto? Maaring ganito:

"You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should..."
(Excerpt from Desiderata)

Sino ako? Ano ang katuturan ko sa mundo? Bakit ako naririto? Mga simpleng tanong na nangangailangan ng kuplikadong sagot. Ika nga nung kaibigan kong professor, "Truth is relative." Walang iisang sagot na maaring sabihing totoo para sa lahat. Hindi ba't 'yang mga tanong din na 'yan ang tinatanong ng mga taong nagpupunta sa Tibet? Hmmmm... Hindi kakayanin ng bulsa ko ang byaheng papunta ng Tibet.

Ano na nga ba ang kalimitang sagot ng mga monks dyan? 'Di ba't meditation? Look for the universe within you and be one with it? Napaka-profound, 'di ba? Mahirap yatang gawin 'yun. Ano kaya mag-Aikido na lang ako? Hehehe. May meditation ka na, may isports ka pa! Nyahahahaha!

Yesterday morning, was looking for a small picture frame I hid in my filing cabinet. I have this huge metal filing cabinet I sorta inherited from my father. When my dad died, I moved out all his stuff and stored a miscellany of my things. As I sorted through the mess yesterday, I took the time to clean out some old notebooks and lectures I wasn't going to use anymore. I came across a lot of half-finished poems, most scrawled in pencil. The handwriting was awful. Hmmm...It still is, actually -- LOL!

I reminisced about the good ole college days, when I always scribbled away poems on any piece of paper that I happened to have. It wasn't good stuff, but it wasn't half bad either. I wallowed in the mediocrity of my prose, so to speak. I haven't written anything recently though. I now lack the emotional drive to write new poems. You see, emotion has a lot to do with creating poems -- weaving the words, I call it. Emotion gives you the necessary "feel" for the poem. And I believe that there are only 2 human emotions that produce truly exceptional pieces -- love and grief. I'll type one of them tomorrow, just to lay creedence to my point of view.

Hey, anyone out there willing to buy me a shirt. If the thought crosses your mind, buy me one of these, will 'ya.

Damn! The site promised FTP was free. Turns out it isn't. I'm getting an error that says I'm supposed to be on a paid account to FTP. I'll give it a few more days. If I can't find a workaround, I will have to abandon my plans for a move.

Meanwhile, take a look at the future of the wireless internet. Check out the FAQ. If my foresight is correct, this is the direction the internet is going -- more freedom, less corporations controlling access to it.

Wow! It's been a fast week for me. Been doing nothing but work. Well that and rearranging the furniture. I finally moved the TV and stereo right next to the wall I share with my very loud neighbor. At least I can go tit-for-tat now -- LOL. I also moved the office desk out of our bedroom and into the living room. Our bedroom looks more peaceful now. I used to think that interior designers were talking bull when they said TV's and office stuff don't belong in the bedroom. N;ow I'm inclined to believe them. And by far, moving was not an easy task considering our bedroom is on the second floor.

Anyway, busy as I was, I still thought about my blog. I think I also needed a respite to clear my head. My blogging was getting less spontaneous. Blog burnout? Maybe. I think I should consider blogging less often and enjoying it more. I feel the need to, "suck the marrow" out of blogging, to borrow the phrase.

A decision has been reached though. I will be moving my blog. Since the new site is free, it 's only offering 20mb. So, I will have to leave my blog here and start anew to save space. It will be a continuation of sorts, but on another space on the web. I'm not in a hurry though. I'm still testing the darn thing. Wish me luck :c)

In uncertain times, only one thing remains hauntingly constant-- fear. . . Soccer Moms Become Security Moms

Another quick quiz, this time for the ummm..uh...for people who are a little unwell (with apologies to Matchbox 20)... Which Personality Disorder Do You Have?

Hackers -- one of the reasons I'm afraid of moving my blog elsewhere. I feel safer having my site on Blogger. While I admire people like Adrian Lamo, I fear the Net for less enobled hearts. You could say Adrian's a modern-day incarnation of the ronin of old, masterless and principled.

Have time? Visit Adrian Lamo's site at http://adrian.adrian.org/

The other night, I was eating the last bar of chocolate that my wife brought home. There was but one Baby Ruth left. I couldn't bear looking at it, sitting there in the cold fridge, all by its lonesome. My wife has never liked them so I started eating the lone bar.

I could understand why she didn't like them. I mean Baby Ruths have got to be the most contorted pieces of chocolate you'll ever see. But it still chocolate. I couldn't resist. Lately, I've been binging on sweets. It's been 5 months since I quite coffee and cigarettes. I guess my subconscious is fixating on sweets to compensate for the loss.

Speaking of coffee and cigarettes, I recall a few times in my life when they were indenspensable. It was when I was working for a bakery. Actually, it was our practicum. Our whole class embarked on a business venture as a last requirement of our Entrepreneurship course. Coffee and cigs were abundant, even late into the night and in the early morning hours that preluded the actual baking of bread. While we waited for the dough to rise, the boys would often gather into a circle and play pusoy dos or some other card game, pitting spare change against pure skill. Often, the amount of money didn't matter as much as the camaraderie the game inspired.

Which was more than you could say for the old folks I knew then who gambled all night and on through the middle of the next day. These people were so into gambling that they only left their chairs for a quick pee and nothing else. They usually paid 'tong' to the owner of the house where they played. Gambling (that is, without a franchise from the government) is illegal, so they resort to hiding in residences. If the 'tong' is high enough, the owner of the house provided free coffee or even meryenda (often pansit or some other light snack). The freebies provided the convenience needed to keep the high-rollers playing all-night long.

There are always the moderates, though. Some players of the local game called Kwaho never really gamble for money. Money is a secondary concern. Often, they exchange gossip about celebs and their neighbors while they play. They traded recipes while they joke about how much one player is losing. There are even times when you would catch them giggling like little children when they try to guess how many Copas or Oros they have in each other's hand. It's an uncanny form of bonding for the old folks. Hmmmm.....Come to think of it, Baby Ruths kinda have a strange semblance to the club wielded by the Sotang Bastos. :::giggle, giggle::: If you know what I'm talking about, then you know why I snickered (pun intended).

Im reading the Labor Code of the Philippines. I've always wanted to read this thing from beginning to end but have never had the time to read the book. Now that it's online, I'll try to read it a little at a time. Maybe I'll get to finish it this time around.

Great article on weblog writing. The guidelines can also be useful non-bloggers. Read it.

A lengthier article can be found at The Bradlands. Read it if you have the time to spare. You'll enjoy reading about one blogger's birth into the world of blogging.

Did 'ya hear about Martha Stewart? She's been indicted. She even resigned from her own company. She was indicted for unloading $40,000 in shares before the stock plunged. Hmmm..... Makes you wonder why they haven't indicted ENRON's Kenneth Lay or the WorldCom Execs.

The press is questioning why Stewart was singled out. Read more here:

• Atlanta Journal Constitution I Stewart's Case is Small Potatoes.




• St. Petersburg Times I A Smelt Gets Fried While Big, Crooked Sharks Swim.

At least modern technology allows Martha to tell her side of the story. They even set-up a special website for her. Superstardom sure has its perks.

For the past few days, I've been over-hearing two of the young ladies I share the ride to work with. We have a shuttle service that takes us to the office. It's not often that these two chat. I initially thought they were talking about a new anime series. I happen to have a minor interest in Japanese anime. So, I decided to lsiten more closely. Eventually, one of them reacted to a song being played on the radio and she said that it was from "Meteor". Since the Net is the number one source of knowledge (the net knows all!) I decided to start a search on Meteor and ABS-CBN (the radio station's owned by ABS-CBN). The DJ sound like he was promoting the show a lot.

Alas, after countless hours scouring the Net, I found what they were talking about. I wasted my time trying to find out what it was they were talking about and found out it was nothing but a crummy new soap. Now I know what they mean by "curiosity killed the cat." - @#*&%#@&^&^@$

It's common for people to be so brazen and rude on the Net. Perhaps because the internet provides them with a means to hide thier faces. Whatever the reason, if you recognize yourself as part of the human race, you should consider yourself bound by ethics. Here's a short informative article on how to avoid acting sub-human online.

Here's an interesting feature on Wired.Com about the approaching demise of the mouse as the pointing device of choice. I found this through Pia's blog. BTW, check out her blog's lay-out. I am amazed by the creativity of some people. It's but only natural for one who is not as gifted in visual artistry and not as deft in the language of the web (that would be HTML, to you and me).

Speaking of geeks, why don't ya try this Geek Test -- found through Your Conspiracy Advisor. If you finish this looooooooooooong quiz, I'll bet 10:1 you're a geek.

The other night I watched a National Geographic Channel feature on Dean Kamen. I've never heard of the guy, but since I was just channel surfin' anyway I deciced to stick around and see it the feature was interesting. This guy is some piece of work. Read this short feature story about him to get to know him more: Wired.Com's Breakout Artist.

Dean Kamen was a college drop-out, but he educated himself in physics and became an inventor of practical gadgets. His first invention was a the first portable infusion pump. He even showed the camera crew from NatGeo a few of his very first prototypes. He says he baked the PCB's for them right in his mother's old oven.

Now a millionaire many times over, he has over 150 different patents in his name. He owns his own company, DEKA Research. Two of his more famous inventions are the Segway and the iBot. He's the talk of the Internet, so much so that months before these two inventions were even seen by the public, there were millions of netheads logging into bulettin boards all over the Net to get the latest speculation on them. When finally unveiled, all the Segway got was disappointed glances. The iBot fared better. In this article by Bob Metcalfe, the iBot is given a rave review.

When he's not busy laboring away secretly in his DEKA office, he's a philantropist with innovation still in his head. In 1993 he founded US First, which sponsors an annual robotics competition for high-schoolers all over the US. It's kind of like the Olympics of juvenile robotics innovation. He fought hard to find corporate sponsors to provide contestants (ordinary high school kids) with industry-grade components worth thousands of dollars. Kamen is quoted to have said, "You have teenagers thinking they're going to make millions as NBA stars when that's not realistic for even 1 percent of them. Becoming a scientist or engineer is." --taken from the DEKA website. It's the geeks versus the jocks all over again -- LOL! Only this time around, the geeks will fare better with a benefactor like Kamen. In this interview by the Futures Channel he describes what he aims to accomplish with US First.

This guy is just remarkable. What's in store for the future? The stirling engine. Critics say nobody can make it viable. Kamen says he'll make it viable(!) to provide poor households around the world with the means to produce electricity and purify water. Why isn't the world filled with more Kamen's and less Bush's and Gates' ? It would've been better that way.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but here it is. I sure hope they don't kill Netscape. I would hate to see that. Netscape was the pioneer in the browser market. They still have a great product, owing to the fact that they've tapped a community of hardcore grassroots web developers in an initiative that's now called Mozilla.Org. I wonder if Mozilla will be affected Netscape goes under?

• Microsoft, AOL Bridge Digital Divide
  
• In Agreement With Microsoft, AOL Gets Cash and Flexibility


• Clock Ticks for Netscape After Microsoft Pact


• AOL-Microsoft Deal Bodes Ill for Netscape

Any violent reactions, Petrol old buddy?

It seems that the online user counter and the top referrer counter is messing up my sidebar. It seems both cannot fit into my sidebar whatever size adjustments I do. I have proven once again that I am script-stupid. I can figure out how to fix this thing.

I've gone to UQG-2000.COM's Forums and it seems I do not gripe alone. Another gripe of other users seems to be that the referral counter resets everyday. LOL! That's useful. You're referrals are gone tomorrow.

Anybody else know of any other service that provides similar tools? Or maybe you could tell me how to resolve this problem? I will leave it for now.

Dave gave me a real nice site to get website tools from. I got a online user counter and referral tracker from UQG-2000.COM. They also have their own tagboard application, guestbook and a "clicks counter" that, "Track(s) the number of hits you are sending out to other websites." Really kewl, but I'm not into that yet.

Meanwhile, I also installed the Weather Underground weather feed on my sidebar. Hope this works! ::::crossing fingers:::

I just came from the bank to pay some bills. I was actually hoping to be there a few minutes before they opened. Never saw a bank open before. Just curious. Well, I was late because I had to spray Lysol on parts of our staircase. Lemme expound further on the matter. You see, our staircase is typical for a Pinoy apartment. A third of is is made from cement and two-thirds and up from short wooden planks. Well because of th recent weather, mold had invaded where the paint was peeling on the cement part, about 2 inches above the floor. No wonder we all felt like we were having a cold. Must be allergies. Anyway, I got down on my knees sprayed the darn mold. I felt a sadistic grin form in my mouth as I saw the mold wilt from the vicious onslaught of Lysol. You might be wondering why I'm blabbering about mold. Well, I just want to share the my trivial housekeeping adventures.

Hey! Why are you looking at my blog like that??? Mold is a legitimate housekeeping concern! If you think that's dull, well you obviously haven't read the dullest weblog in the world. Now this guy has perfected the craft of being dull. He is the world dullest, hands down. So don't come around and say that what I write is dull. I am trivial, but not dull. K?

Now this on the other hand is true art >>>> Jennifer Love Hewitt on Rolling Stone. While you're there, check out the Jim Carrey and the Blind Melon cover. I remember this one time that I was chatting with someone (I can't remember who exactly) who didn't know Blind Melon. I over-reacted to the quizzical look in his face. "Blind Melon??? Blind Melon??? You don't know who Blind Melon are?"

Overheard over the next stall in a small internet cafe, 50 yr-old caucasian male talking to someone over his mobile phone:

"Listen, all he sent were 1, 2 , 3, 4 pics. Three in the nude, the other one isn't.... Now, you want to come and look or what??? I'm not going to be here all day...... 20 minutes and that's it....OK."

Sheesh! Pervs are everywhere. Hmmm..... Why do most of them happen to be old caucasian males? Is it just a coincidence or are they more prone to perversion?

I was looking for weather feeds for my blog. I found resources indexed in FreeSticky.com. I initially wanted to use Weather.com's Weather Magnet, but have found it nearly impossible to get it to display a city remotely near where I am. I only get options for US cities. I was hoping for better results from LiveWeatherFeeds.com. There wasn't any option for any nearby locations. The nearest was Subic Bay. It's too far from where I am.

I finally hit paydirt when I accessed Weather Underground. Don't let the weird name get to you. They have a comprehensive list of Philippine locations. I found one for Clark AB (or should I say 'former' ?), which is where I work. Our offices are located inside the former military airbase, now called Clarkfield or Clark Special Economic Zone. It's center is about 14 kilometers from my home. We live a couple of clicks away from the nearest gate. Close enough. Anyway, check it out below. I can't modify my Blogger template yet as of this writing, so I'm unable to add it to my sidebar just yet. I hope Blogger gets fixed real soon. At the minimum, I hope I don't loose my template.

Something is very vrey wrong here. I went to my Blogger account's template and it's displaying the very first version of my weblog. If I save this, it'll set me back a hundred links and a hundred manhours trying to restore everything. I will have to slowly rebuild the links and the graphics (the links to the graphics, that is). Blogger, what's wrong here?

Well, I'm here. Might as well blog an entry. I was trying to add this small weather box thingee on my sidebar. Unfortunately, the Blogger servers are lcoo again. Can't edit templates right now. I was hoping to add a link (to www.clarkab.org/maps) as well as correct the Audioslave hyperlink on my sidebar. www.clarkab.org/maps is a particularly interesting site by an American map collector who lived in the former Clark Airbase as a kid. I wonder where he got the Satellite pics. He must have connections high up ;-)

::::sigh::: All will have to wait.

Damn! I'm feeling the urge to smoke again. It's been close to five months now. Five months and not a single whiff. I get antsy now and then, only this morning was different. I saw someone lighting up a cigarette at the supermarket we went to. A few minutes pass and I make a snide remark to my wife about something so very trivial when minutes before we were smiling. Darn! The tension is back. I won't be able to look at smokers for a few days from now. It'll make me more stressed out. The longest I've stayed off was six months. I'm hoping this time it's for good.

Micheal Jackson is in the headlines again. There's yet another lawsuit taken to a hospital because of dehydration. I dunno about you, but I personally think Jacko is already wacko. Just seeing the man makes me shudder. I don't have the slightest idea why I react that way. Maybe because of the way the press portrays him. You think, maybe?

Times like these, I wish I had a weekend off. At least me and the missus were able to go to Quezon City last week. It's difficult to get a vacation leave on Saturdays, but last week my request went through. We went there to meet up with my sister-in-law's mother-in-law (did I just confuse you? -hehehe). My sister-in-law had sent a gift for my dear son. She gave it to her mother-in-law who was flying back home from the States.

Well, it was a little adventure of sorts since I don't know QC so well (same with the wife). We boarded a bus bound for Cubao and told the conductor to let us off at Quezon Avenue (or was it Quezon Blvd.?), where road branches off towards Fairview. The conductor did so dutifully, calling our attention a hundred or so meters before we got there. After getting off, we didn't know where to go. Being the man that I am, I refused to ask bystanders for directions (hehehe!). I grabbed my wife's hand and tugged her towards the general direction of traffic. Voila! We came upon an FX that was going to SM Fairview, our destination for that day. The Tamarraw FX was parked infront of a small restaurant. We would not have noticed that it was plying a route if not for the caller who was shouting, "SM Fairview" over one of those cute little bullhorns. Such are the ways of the unlicensed colorum taxis. They have to make a living too, you know.

Anyway, we got to SM Fairview after a 45-minute horn-blaring-traffic-around-every-corner ride. Alas, SM never fails to feel like Mecca to the weary traveller! The first thing we did was find a restroom. It took us about 20 minutes. The place was new and huge. Think 26 hectares of parking space with a large nondescript square building jutting out right smack in the middle of it. I can't even begin to calculate how much floor space it has. Lemme put it this way. It was around 50 stores long and 8 stores wide -- LOL!

Next, we had lunch at Pancake House. My wife was obviously hungry, so we ordered in a hurry. When they served the Hot Grilled Chicken, she whispered her disappointment once the waiter was out of earshot. She told me over a whisper that she found the servings too small. After finishing our meal and I was about to ask for the check when I saw my wife fidget with her wallet. I told her not to use our cash, since this restaurant accepted credit cards. I saw the Mastercard sign when we came in. Around here (the Philippines), credit cards aren't as widely accepted in dining establishments. Sensing she was about to protest, I asked her how much she was carrying. She retorted she had Php 800, then thought about it for a while and eventually told me to pick up the tab. Hehehe... I just love it when I'm right.

To burn some calories, we made a quick round of the stores. We lingered at Surplus Shop, our new mall favorite. Then we went to the SM Department store to check out some audio CD's. Why? Because rare CD's have a way of winding up in some SM store. It's weird, but true. My wife found a Dave Matthews Band's Under the Table and Dreaming at SM North EDSA. Unfortunately, on our trip last Saturday we didn't find anything that interested us. My wife did manage to buy a Martha Stewart Living mag (the Nov., 2002 ish) for 80 bucks. Original price? Php445. Hehehe. A bargain never ceases to lift your spirits.

It's a good thing we ate a light lunch at Pancake House. When the my sister-in-law's mother-in-law (there I go again!) arrived, she treated us to a late lunch at Kenny Roger's. She wanted us to splurge (LOL!) so my wife ordered ribs for us. Dang, those ribs were tasty! Good thing that the two ladies I was with were in a particularly chatty mood. Gave me time to finish my plate. It was the first time in many months that I have eaten so much in a single meal (not out of choice, but out of necessity). If I eat a lot, it usually means I'll get tummy aches again.

After a logn chat and a picture here and there, we finally said our goodbyes. We went over to the parking lot to board passing jeeps. I changed my mind when I saw a row of FX Taxis waiting for passengers. The only route out Manila that I am familiar with is through EDSA, so we boarded yet another FX Taxi enroute to SM North EDSA. We patiently waited for the FX to leave (they don't leave until they're filled to capacity). I didn't want to risk taking the jeeps since it was already past four, just in time for rush-hour traffic. That and the fact that an FX taxi will take all the possible shortcuts enroute since its already full of passengers. The trip still took around 50 minutes.

When we got there (SM North EDSA) I almost wanted to knock my head on a nearby lamp post. There was a massive throng of people waiting for buses. I had to pick one of the busiest places to wait for a bus on a Saturday. A lot of poeple go home to the provinces on Saturdays. We still managed to get on a bus pretty quick. We waited about 30, 35 minutes. We had to settle for an ordinary bus though. I'd have to hand it to my wife though. She isn't picky. She didn't mind the dust at all. Well, at least not as much as I did. I'm lucky to have her.

We arrived at Dau by 7:30 pm. We did some last minute grocery shopping at a nearby supermarket, then got home by 8:30 pm. It was a tiring day, but I was glad to spend time with my wife. We even got to take home a gold Sto. Niño pendant for our son.

Breaking news folks. 6 civets tested positive for SARS. These poor animals were found being sold in a still unnamed Gaungdong market. Apparently, they eaten as a delicacy. It just goes to show you that nature is a bitch when you go against her. These small furry critters are endangered, you know. They have enough trouble staying allive in the wild without us running after them to eat them. I found this old article, while we're on the subject of consuming.

I received this in email about how the $20 bill has a "creepy" tribute to 9/11. This is a great one for conspiracy theorists -- LOL! You can check it out in this page. No wonder they "unveiled a new design". Maybe someone in the Treasury Department saw this and got the creeps, suggested a new design or something. Well, they should take a look at this page and they'll change a whole lot more.

My wife has been in the night shift for two nights now. Tonight's her last night in a 3-day (or 3-night, if you will) training session. I miss her. I just miss her physical presence. I miss waking up in the middle of the night to see her feeding the baby (she moves faster and always beats me to it). I miss waking up to her feet hitting mine (she always kicks her feet about when she's dreaming) I miss just plain seeing her there, sleeping soundly, while my insomnia keeps me awake. I miss waking up to her kiss in the morning. It's only three days, I know. But that's three days less in our lives. I won't get those three days back. Maybe I'm being trivial when I'm saying that. Petty, some would say. To me, I'm just being me. I love her, sometimes to a selfish extent. There's no reason for it, except that she has the power to calm my restless soul. Having my wife near makes it all feel alright. It may seem strange to you, but she has that effect on me. And to me, that's not a bad thing. It's a great thing to miss each other so much. When you want to be with each other so much, you tend to spend time that way it should be spent -- spent like precious gold, cherished in memories. :::sigh:::: I wonder if we'll stay like this forever. I hope so.

I got one of those emails again. Yes, there are email that never die. They just morph or change with the times. An old email can be recycled by adding in a recent event or TV ad; maybe change some of the names in it or maybe the city where it happened. But the circumstances still stay the same. Some contain useful information, some just try to scare you out of your wits.

Take for example the email I just got (again, that is). It warns against one-way mirrors in fitting rooms and restrooms. This time around though, it makes a reference to a TV ad (M/S SAINT GOBAIN GLASSES). Haven't seen that ad yet. Means that this email was last morphed by a someone from another country. Anyway, you can read the one-way mirror story (obviously improperly titled as "how to detect a 2-way mirror") if you go to the end of this page.

Then there's that email about organ-stealing syndicates. You know, the one where the victim wakes up in a tub filled with ice with a note written on the bathroom mirror (there are many variations: mirror, folded piece of paper nearby, on victims chest) that says, "Call 911 or you will die!" In the first ever email I got years ago, they were victimizing salesmen in Vegas. The most recent one (I got it a few weeks ago), they were vicitmizing 20ish and 30ish single men with a taste for partying and "recreational drugs." Quite the stereotype of the Gen X and Gen Y males. I wonder what its the next incarnation will be?

Wow! I just read my Gear Report (that would be the email newsletter of FreshGear.com). Apple just came out with the latest i-Pod. They gave it a rave review in this Fresh Gear article. Unlike it's earlier siblings, the latest i-Pod is now compatible with both Apple machines and PC's (there used to be a seperate model for PC's). If I had a wishlist, this would definitely make it to the top spot. Wait. . . Maybe number two. Number one would be a PC. Still don't have my own PC. Actually, I've been talking about getting a new PC so often that my wife once told me she was thinkin' about buying me one just to shut me up -- LOL! That's marriage fer ya!

Read the review guys. You'll be impressed, I promise.

I think I made mistake in my last entry when I said Penelope Trunk quit Business 2.0. Actually, I found a link to this Q & A column of hers on Business 2.0. I think she still writes once a month for this particular column on Business 2.0.

My apologies if I mislead you. Honest mistake, folks.

I recently opened one of my many email accounts. I use this particular to receive emailed articles from Business 2.0 and from Penelope Trunk. Penelope used to have a regular column on Business 2.0, but she quit a several months ago (family concerns, if I'm not mistaken). On her last issue, she said goodbye and asked interested readers to email her if they'd like to receive future articles from her. I emailed her a short message, saying I supporrted her decision and would appreciate being emailed her future articles. I was pleasantly surprised that she emailed a personal reply, thanking me for my email. Goes to show you that there are still some honest-to-goodness down-to-earth people out there aren't affected by their apparent fame. Hehehe.

Anyway, here are a few of the articles I read.

• An article from Business 2.0 analyzes the Blogging phenomenon from 2 points of view. It's an eye-opener for me to read that most bloggers are from the Right and that most detractors are from the Left. I like the article's parting words though. "Each blog is like a blinking neuron in the circuitry of an emerging, chatterbox superbrain. Resistance is futile. WE ARE THE BLOG. YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED."


• Penelope Trunk offers practical advice on how to avoid email woes at the workplace in her article, Five E-mails You Should Never Send.


• Another artcicle from Business 2.0, Covering the Last Mile, Finally, tackles the advances in 802.11's offshoot technology, 802.16 or Wireless Metropolitan Area Network.


• A little Powerpoint-bashing in Unplug That Projector!


• Geoff Keighley takes a look at how profitable drudgereport.com is in The Secrets of Drudge Inc.

After a gruelling travel sched yesterday, reading news online was a welcome activity. I'll share more about our adventures yesterday some other time .

The Matrix just opened in the US. I wonder how many weeks it'll take before they open it here in the Philippines. One thing's for sure. I'm not lining up at any theatre any time soon. I'll wait till the raving throngs of fans lessen.

Truly, this is a cruel world we live in. Why do children have to suffer?

2 Doctors Accused of Not Reporting Abuse

Jury returns a guilty verdict in stun gun child abuse case

Authorities consider murder charges in case of alleged child abuse

Here's another test for you....Dante's Inferno Test . If the idea of Hell doesn't appeal to you, go and try this Zen Quiz. A word of warning though. Don't sign-up for the newsletters on that site. I got bombarded with tons of advertisements when I checked on those small listboxes that they had at the end of the quiz.

I just love VW's. As a small child, I rode on my father's orange`75 bug. When that one hit the junkyard, my dad gave up driving his own car. After a few years, oppurtunity struck and his brother-in-law (from his first wife) handed him the registration to his own `75 bug. It had been unused for a few years. My dad patiently took care of it until it was back in running condition. Years after he died, I reluctantly sold it to a friend of my dad's. I couldn't keep up with the repair bills. I had to sell it or it would rust away slowly.

Why all the nostalgia? I found this G-Blog entry posted by Petrol. It lead me to this page about Kikai that reminded me about all those plans I had about remodeling my dad's bug. Dreams gave way to reality as the bills piled up. Anyway, something will come up in the future. One of these days, I might just meet someone who will give me a chance to own one again.

Oh, and in case you're wondering why I talk so much about Petrol's blog, I'm a fan ;-)

Saw this entry on Petrol's blog abut another one of those loco personality quizzes. To find the quiz, you can float your mouse pointer below...



src="http://mywebpage.netscape.com/DaySleeper%20Ed%2001/images-entry/xp.jpg" border="0" alt"Which OS are You?">




Or if your a purist and you absolutely abhor all those graphics that have invaded the modern web and you wish to refuse to click on any as a sign of protest against the world gone crazy over eye-candy, you could always do it the hard way and copy this URL: http://bbspot.com/News/2003/01/os_quiz.php and paste it to your favorite browser's address bar. Whew!

I was supposed to move my blog today. I had signed up with Lycos for 50mb's of free space. I created a new blog just to test if there would be any probs if I publish using Blogger. I tested the darn thing for weeks today was supposed to be the big day. Well, I ran into a problem. I saved the the FTP settings for the site in one of my webmail accounts. I just accessed the damn account and it's under maintenance. I had saved it there precisely because I needed access to it wherever I blogged. Ah! The pitfalls of not having a computer of my own.

:::sigh::::

Even my shoutbox from dekap.com isn't working. Maybe this is a divine sign that I shouldn't move. I mean, Blogger has been good to me. There have been weekends that I was unable to post or edit because of system maintenance, but after trying out the new Dano interface I have a better appreciation of those days. A lot of new have been features incorporated in Dano, many of which have been in the Blogger users' wishlist for some time now. When that is in place, all will be better.

For now, I must postpone my move :-{

I've added quite a bevy of new links to other blogs I'll be reading from now on. You'll find them in my sidebar. Check them out. You're bound to find something that interests you.

In other things, I discovered Rebbeca Blood's blog. If you think the name rings a bell, well you're right. Rebbeca is the very same Rebbeca Blood that wrote The Weblog Handbook. I browsed around her site and found this gem of an article (an excerpt from the book, actually). I also found (on the same article) a link to an older article in Scripting News which also discusses weblog ethics to some extent. Both are great reads. Well worth your online time.

To read a review of Rebecca's book, you can go to this Digital Web Magazine review. You can also go to Amazon (I'm guessing more poeple have read reviews from Amazon than from anywhere else on the web) to read a review from the Library Journal or read reader's reviews.

Ha! I am not alone. There are many of us out there. My fave read for today .... 10 Conspiracies Theories That Won't Go Away .

While there, try out this test to find out if your paranoid, and this one to find out if you qualify as a conspiracy theorists.

Oh, and by the way. Please support BanTransFats.com, a group suing Kraft/Nabisco. They allege that Nabisco has participated in a long-time conspiracy to cover up its use of trans fat in Oreos. Ain't that grand. LOL !

And in other news...

Just thought I'd share some stuff I'd read lately.

Finally, spammers are paying for their misdemeanors. . . Reuters | lleged Internet Spammer Settles SEC Case

Privacy or the sanity of the public ? Which comes first? Reuters | China Checks Mobile Messages for SARS Rumors

Students are migrating to online campuses . . . Reuters | Bricks to Clicks Trend Enriching Education Sector

Who in their right mind would waste US$ 14.95 on something like a Boogerboard? Apparently, the same kind of folk who would be willing to carve out a car from a 3,500-pound chunk of cheddar cheese to "support the new and cheesy paint scheme on Labonte's No. 5 Kellogg's-"Got Milk?" auto". Why don't they just donate the cheese (or better yet, the money they used to buy the cheese) to some starving village in Africa or some other impoverished corner of the earth? That'll be a better tribute, don't ya think?

Google announced that it will be creating a search function specifically for Blogs. That'll be a new tab on Google just for blogs. Great! That'll mean bloggers will stick to their own and people who search the web for "Sexy Ranger hot elf cute hobbit boy RP," won't be directed to an entry in my blog. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus... and pervs as old as he is that are on the Net.

Iraq windfall

Just when you think its all over, former Iraq info minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf is set to become a chart-topping pop act (CNN Story, SkyNews-UK story). There's this short movie coming out in Egypt too. There's a deluge of surfers going to www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com, which was closed down after it got flooded with 4,000 hits per second. I would say that's quite a lot of hits! Hehehe.

I went around the blogs that I usually read. Most of them haven't been updated in a while. I guess May is the lazy month. I've been bitten by the "idle" bug myself. Haven't been blogging in my usual everyday-the-blog-is-the-center-of-my-universe fervor.

Anyway, I just added Blogchalk code to my page. I just want to give it a try if it will bring more bloggers to my blog. I am yearning for the adulation of peers! Ack! There goes another Merit Badge on the sidebar -- LOL. My page is already getting heavy with all this code that I'm lazily copy-pasting. It's not like I don't know what I'm doing here. I have half-an-idea on every HTML thingee I do here. It's just confusing, is all. :-P

Last Thursday, my wife treated me to a late meryenda at Delifrance. The three days before that she was in SM for a job fair they were participating in. She had lunch at Delifrance and brought home 2 small bags of croissants. They were delicious! A little pricey, but you will just fall in love with them.

So, last Thursday we met up at SM Pampanga. I had gone north to Tarlac early that afternoon and I was hurrying back to Pampanga when I got caught right smack in the start of rush-hour traffic. It was already 6pm when I arrived. I was one miserable heap of human flesh when my wife laid her eyes on me. The heat was insufferable that afternoon. I felt so dehydrated, my skin felt sticky because of the humidity, and I felt a rash starting at my nape (or was that mild sunburn?).

My wife took my hand and patiently guided me to where Delifrance was. We ordered, I tasted the food and I just devoured the grilled chicken sandwich. I never thought bliss could be had in the form of a sandwich. Delifrance just changed my mind. After asking for a bite from my wife's sandwich, I told her we should come back every now and then to the place. She got me, hook, line and sinker. She was waiting for me to say that. I could tell from the way her eyes smiled at me when I said that.

I had always told her that for the beautiful things in life, you have got to be willing to spend a little extra. Delifrance seems to fit that general description. This is going to be one expensive food trip -- LOL!

This morning, I got up at about 4am to feed our son. He was fussing and it was time for his early morning feeding. He gets his breakfast early, what can I say? After shaking the bottle a few times, I go back to where my son is and gently picked him up. He was already awake when I did. I sit on the bed and after making sure I was in a comfortable corner, I feed him.

It was after I feed him that I realized that it was almost light. I tried to go back to sleep. After a few minutes of trying to, I reached for the walkman that I always leave on top of the dresser beside the bed. I listened to AM Radio. Lately, I've been renewing my affection for AM radio. I used to listen to it a lot a few years back. It kept me company when everybody else was asleep. Got the habit from my brother. He was an architecture student and he usually stayed up late to finish drawing plates. He would often times have some of his classmates over at our house to draw. It was in the wee hours of the morning that I would check on them. Usually, that was a good excuse to get out of the house and smoke a few cigarrettes. That was because they usually did their drawings in the dirty kitchen, a corner of the house that was sort of "detached" from the main structure. Short of it was the smoke won't waft into the dining rom where someone could catch a whiff and in turn, catch us. Smoking was fun then, because we were afraid of being caught! -- LOL.

When he died, I guess I sorta listened more to early morning AM Radio as way to remember him. Those early mornings, we laughed our hearts out at the dirty jokes announcers and phone-in callers made. In the last few years, I haven't listened to it all that much, since I worked in the graveyard shift for a year and a half. Now, I listen to it every once in a while just to reminisce about old times.

At the water cooler -- I approach as a young lady draws water into her plastic cup. When I get there, she steps back. Actually, it looked more like she recoiled about two feet away. Seizing the opportunity as she sipped her water, I fill my mug. An awkward moment passed as I waited for all 12 ounces to fill my righteous mug. With her back against a nearby cubicle, she set her eyes on the water cooler's faucet. She was careful not to look my way. As I turn, she cautiously returns to the faucet, her lithe frame tensed like a leopard returning to its prized prey after an unknowing hunter passes by. I fight off the urge to turn back and startle her with my sudden movement. I am so mean :-]

I was riding the shuttle service to work the other day when I overheard some one say that the .TK country domain stood for TOKYO. Sheesh! Some people think they're an authority on the internet if you give them a keyboard and a connection.

If he only bothered to Google it and look up sites like Check Domain (a page that lists countries and their respective domains alphabetically) he would've known .TK is Tokelau's domain. You should check it out yourself. Interesting items in there.

Late last night, before we went to bed, the sky let out a disturbed grumble. It slowly rumbled with thunder as the breeze picked up slightly. Our bedroom is on the second floor of the house and I could see lightning crash in the distant eastern horizon as I peeked out of the window. The breeze was cool, comforting. It brought with it the smell of rain.

A few years back, we lived in a house in the barrio. Most of Tarlac is flat, with a few mountains bordering it on the west. The barrio we live in was an extraordinarily flat plain. Save for the ocassional house, trees and clumps of foliage that sprouted every few kilometers or so, there was nothing but ricefields. Five years in the barrio taught me the smell of rain. You could sense the scent of rain as the breeze carried it loftily along. The sweet, heavy scent of water vapor just had a way of filing your nostrils with a cool sensation that was so relaxing. Once you smell it, you had to stop what you were doing just to smell it some more. It was a mesmerizing scent. You just had to relish it some more everytime you breath it in.

Last night, as I lay down in bed trying to console our restless baby, I took in the smell of rain as it gently wafted into the room. For a few moments, I forgot the insufferable heat of this year's summer. For a few moments I went back to that house in the barrio. For a few relaxing moments I whispered, "there, there, everything will be alright," to my baby. Then, as quick as the peaceful breeze came, it was gone. It was taken away by the jealous wind when it realized I was giving in to its allure. It rumbled away into the west, headed for the mountains of Zambales. It didn't matter by that time. I had fallen asleep moments later.

When you're blog-hopping, you're sure to find a few pleasant surprises. I went to Yuga's blog. His projects are a definitive gauge of Pinoy ingenuity on the web. Check out HyperionBlu, one of his latest babies. You will definitely love the flash.

When I can't seem to think about anything to blog about, I go to Petrol's blog. It's better than getting a random tip from BlogIdeas -- LOL.

When I want to read about emotion, I go to The Homeless Guy or to Sinister Sister. Sometimes I go to Anne From the Hip too.

I don't copy ideas ideas from these writers though. I just go to where these blogs point me to and I almost always happen to find something interesting I can blog about. It could be anything from website they recommend to an event in their life that sparks a memory of a similar long-forgotten event in my life. Whatever it is, nothing beats reading about real life unfolding. Except maybe blogging about it. Talk about having a blog-centric life -- LOL.

I didn't know they had children in Guantanamo. The US Defense Department is saying that they have good reason for jailing children at Guatanamo. Yeah, right! Hitler said the same thing about the Jews.

I did a search on Google News. I got tons of results. Apparently, a lot of publications around the world are talking about it, but it has largely been ignored by the American Press. Here's another article (opinion article, actually) from Working for Change.

Free music is getting a shake down! The music industry is waging an all out war against MP3 enthusiasts/traders. Read the NY Times story here.

In the meantime, I still can't figure out how I could wrap my blog entry around the graphics I insert here. I will have to research that. Hopefully some code I see will help.