Dear Grace

A reply to "Some [of the many things] I do not understand" by KG.

Salamat sa pagpayag mo dito.

1. Because of the liberalization of oil prices, they have to follow world market prices. It's one way to make them accountable to the public. Even if they (oil companies) have a year or so worth of oil reserve (whihch no one would really know), they still have to follow some sort of measuring stick to peg their prices on. Government can't dictate the prices, of course. World oil prices is the most transparent (probably not ideal) measure.

2. That's just plain wrong. :-D

3. It's not us men... it's you women. We would be very much contented with a shirt, a perfume, a boxer shorts, or anything you'd give us. We simply want a home, but you'd still hire a consultant to check/implement home automation. We are simple-minded creatures. You women are so complicated. You still have to think if we'd like your gifts or not, when in fact, the mere gesture of gift-giving is enough. :-) 

Pansin mo, ang dali naming mamili ng gifts para sa girls kasi simple lang talaga kami. Hehehe. 

PS: I'll send you the 1 million USD later. :-)

The corniest post. Ever.

I almost got married last July (of 2009). But something happened... someone came along, and took my breath away. (Play: Take my breath away by Berlin. Wahaha!) But today is a special day for someone really special to me. It's her birthday. So, I'm giving you this one... just for today.

Happy birthday.

You rocked my world! And for that, I will never, ever forget you.

Now, all I need to do is to find something for you. Something like le creuset sale will probably be something to start with. Afterall, you seem to be enjoying your mom-life.

Pawn Stars!

Do you guys watch this show? It's a good one. The stars of the show are a family of pawnshop owners. They buy almost everything if the price is right -- from hand dryers to hot air balloons -- and then sell them for a profit after repairs and improvement, if needed.

Well, the overall idea of the show is for this family to buy low, and then sell high. Classic. It's really funny how they negotiate with sellers. They can negotiate an item from an initial selling offer of 3,500 USD, to a final price of 800 USD! Imagine that! Hehehe. And the interesting thing here is, they can sell the item (after they made some improvements) at a price of 5,000 USD. Whew! That was something, yeah?

I guess you need to have a strong and aggressive personality for you to succeed in this kind of business. While I envy them so much, I guess what they do is something I cannot do. I can't even ask a 10% discount from anyone who's trying to sell me anything! It's either I buy the item at the initial selling price, or I don't buy it at all. Hehehe. Poor me.

I guess it all boils down from the fact that I am afraid that the other party might think I am trying to "devalue" (?) the item being sold to me. Oh well.

An offer I (almost) can't refuse

Yesterday, a friend of mine who's working at a multinational company called me and asked if I'd be interested to have a PSP (just so we're clear, I'm referring to the gadget, not the service) for a very, very minimal amount. Apparently, he was able to accumulate enough points from his visa reward cards and if he wants to have tha PSP, he only needs to add a small amount.

And indeed it was just a small amount (compared to the actual cost of the gadget). But I don't need a PSP, and I don't want one in the first place. So, I passed. My evil side told me I should have availed of that offer, then, once I have the PSP, I could sell it and earn in the transaction. But of course, I know it would be unfair, it was a reward offered to me in good faith... I think it would be unfair for me to profit from that.

Pero sayang talaga! Hehehe. Had it been an iPad, this post would be inexistent. :-D

My first post

Last night, as I was thinking of a topic to write on, just right before I almost made a post on how one can have an online marketing degree easily, I decided to check my very first post here in Blogger. It was Steve Jobs' famous commencement speech at Stanford University. I don't know how I found that speech, but I think I was looking for a program of study so I can make good use of my free time when I'm online.

Anyway, I remember the first time I listened to that speech via Youtube... I was teary eyed. Well, for some of you who knows me personally, you know that I am a hopeless romantic person... that I am really emotional.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

- Excerpt from the text of the commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.

Plants Versus Zombies

Have you tried playing Plants versus Zombies? I know this is a very old game already (with Angry Birds being the next hit*), so to speak, but I have to admit, this is very addicting! I started playing this game a week ago, and now, it has become one of the three things I needed to do before I sleep** (having a cup of coffee and talking to Solenn being the two other things in the pre-sleep routine, hehehe).

Believe it or not, however, I am playing this game to test some management theories I have been discussing with my brother. Scarcity. Allocation. Resources. Competitive advantage. Sacrifice. Due diligence. You have to be familiar with all of these to win a game. Toink!

You should try it.

*I don't play DOTA and similar RPGs because my PC at home just can't handle the memory requirement -- but I am sure they're awesome, as well. (Palusot!)

**I guess I needed to research further on acne treatments because these creatures will be on my face sooner or later.

Venn diagram of a typical NLEX Exit

I think I mentioned my brother not just once or twice in this blog. And I depicted him as someone who plays on transistors and resistors during his free time when he was still in college. I think I kinda got infected with his interest in math and the sciences. I remember watching a TV documentary where a scientist said, "we are approaching the metric system inch by inch" and we both laughed so hard. Anyway, yesterday, while approaching our exit at NLEX, I noticed that a number of vehicles were lining up at one gate, while the other gate marked "WIDE VEHICLES" has no queue at all. So, what I did is take that exit and whoala, we're out of NLEX.

Guess what I and my brother talked about right after paying at gate: the Venn diagram of what we did. And I want to share it would you.

Wide vehicles exit is a subset of NLEX exit

Yeah, I know. Truth is, I think if I ask him how to find my ring size (or anyone else's), he'll give me a mathematical equation on how to do it but will not even consider actually measuring it. :-)

Ninja cat!

Meet our neighbor's ninja cat!

Don't you dare come closer... 

I really like this shot. This was taken by my sister the other day. She was playing with her camera, and whoala! She's been so obsessed with photography lessons online and you know what? Two of her friends just "hired" her to direct and produce their pre-nup photo session. Hmmm... Not bad huh? Also, I think one of the two wanted her to be the official photographer in their wedding, but my sister refused. She says she's not yet ready and she cannot forgive herself if she spoils that event. While she will not be required to worry about details like bridesmaid dresses or cocktail preparations, still, it would be a very, very meticulous preparation if ever. I think in the end they agreed to make her the official unofficial photographer. :-)

Not bad for a self-taught hobbyist.

How's your break so far?

Day 2 of long weekend is almost over. And I guess it won't hurt to make a checklist of my 'achievements' so far.

• Official driver of my brother: check!
• House marathon: check!
• Work: check, but still need some more.
• Fringe and Burn Notice marathon: not check.
• Blog posts: ongoing.
• Grocery: not yet.

Day 3 would probably be on the grocery and Fringe/Burn Notice marathon, and Day 4* would be rest day. I guess this long weekend is looking good so far. Hehehe. How about you? Enjoying this relaxing weekend, I hope.

*I guess I should try to squeeze in cleaning up my address book, both in my e-mail and phone. Doing constant contact reviews is something I think I should be including in my next checklist.

Did you know that it's Earth Day today?

Well, I have no idea it was Earth Day today. But anyway, since we are at it already, I checked their official web site and copy a portion of their statement:

The fight for a clean environment continues in a climate of increasing urgency, as the ravages of climate change become more manifest every day. We invite you to be a part of Earth Day and help write many more victories and successes into our history. Discover energy you didn't even know you had. Feel it rumble through the grassroots under your feet and the technology at your fingertips. Channel it into building a clean, healthy, diverse world for generations to come. http://www.earthday.org/

Can't say that any better, I guess. As for me, all I can say is, Earth Day should be practiced everyday! We'll it's not as if you have to buy perdomo everyday. A single act of kindness for Mother Earth everyday will go a long way.

Where are you going, guys?

NLEX

This picture was taken early this morning at NLEX (to Balintawak) on my way to Makati. I was not surprised to see my lane almost empty and the other lanes going northbound with heavy traffic. Well, this is the time of the year when everyone (almost) is so excited to leave the crowded Manila and go somewhere else to reflect, to rest, to escape.

It is during these times when I really feel so glad that I am in a place and in a situation where some people only get to experience when they have long weekends. I know some people like it in a very urban area, but eventually, some of them know that deep in their hearts, they wanted to stay in a place where congested traffic is a myth, cool breeze and fresh and clean water are free, and walking on your way to work does not mean you have to inhale the carbon emmissions of irresponsible vehicle owners. I know we don't have modern facilities like what you have in california treatment centers, but hey, who needs those hi-tech stuff anyway?

Good times.

Busy, busy, busy

This week is quite a busy one for me. While everyone else is planning their summer getaways or the closer one, their long weekend, I, on the otherhand, am busy attending to some work-related stuff. But hey, I'm not complaining. I think. While some people overseas are having problems with their safety, and being unemployed or having local jobs is actually the least of their concerns, I think I can say I am happy this is what keeps me away from the beaches of Anawangin and Boracay.

But I am not giving up yet. Two or three weeks from now, I promised myself I'll head to a resort or something with my cousins. Simple pleasure. :-) That's it for me... for now.

Looooonng weekend

As early as Friday last week, people have started to go back to their provinces or be a local tourist courtesy of the long weekend that is almost here. Legally, there will be 4 days of vacation starting this Thursday. But to some people (like in my case when I was still with a local publishing company), it's a week-long vacation. Yay!

Anyway, I do hope everyone will take good care of themselves and the authorities will make the necessary precaution to make this long weekend a happy and safe one. I don't want to hear another Maritime injury being reported in TV just because the boat/ship was overloaded, or another road accident because the driver is under the influence of liquor.

Just be safe, everyone, yeah?

Summer na ba talaga?

Just a few nights ago, I think I heard in the news that somewhere in the states, they are experiencing heavy snow! Or was that a few months ago? (I really can't remember.) My point is, I cannot believe April is here already, and May is just a few sleep from now! Wow. But the thing is, I have no summer gimik scheduled yet. Hayyy... Well, my brother is so excited to have an out-of-town trip in the coming days. We are thinking of Boracay or Puerto Galera. But because we cannot leave our work very long, I guess it would take a lot of planning.

So, for now, I think a consensus is almost in order among the three of us: We'll try Splash Island!

Unwind! :-)

And since it's going to be a hot weekend if and when we go there, my sister has started to prepare her checklist: protective lotion, swimwear, chi-cha (food), and what-not. Ako? I'm good with a hat (Stetson Hat will do) and sunglasses.

Here's hoping this plan will be realized soon!