Another 300 movie review...

Last weekend, the gang watched 300 in Shangri-La. While we were used to catching either the last or second to the last screening, we ended up meeting at 11 AM and catching the first screening.

The movie is rated R-13 which seems to be a variant/combo of the R-18 and PG-13. While buying our tickets (pleasantly surprised to see Rheanna Go behind the counter), a group of kids were scrambling to buy tickets. I wonder how they passed the age requirement...

Personally, I think the movie started out slowly but there was action all throughout. It's definitely one of those testosterone-filled flicks that should be watched on the big screen...

The movie is based on a graphic novel by Frank Miller. The reason I'm telling this (considering that everyone who reads my blog knows the fact) is because of a particular quote from a New York Times review...

(Movie Director) Snyder is something of a dork. Only a dork--the finest, most discriminating of dorks--would have read 300 in the first place.

Tamaan na ang dapat tamaan... ;)

(Leks, this is your cue!! Three days na nakapost ito hindi ka pa nagrereact... I had to change the post title in deference to his intellectual ownership of the phrase Rated R for raaaarr...)

Rating: 4/5 whiteboard markers

PS:
Happy Birthday Joyce! Quarter-life na, if you expect to live to a hundred! ;)

PPS:
Incidentally, leonidas is indeed a brand of chocolate

Hello I'm a Mac, and You're likely a PC

Yes, it seems 9 out of ten computer users operate Windows PC's*...

Even though I suffered some recent data loss, I'm still proud to be a Mac user. Actually, I'm treating it as a blessing in disguise since I got to upgrade for free (from 1.83 GHz to 2.0 GHz, from combo to super drive, and from white to black...)

However, the best page in the universe** has something else to say...

I'm sure you've seen the Apple ads, and the corresponding parodies (e.g., Christian vs. Christ-follower). I'm in UP now so I can't furnish the link, but if you have time, go to YouTube and search for Mac vs. PC ad parodies. There's one there that has a third player (Linux) referred to as something I'd rather not post here. I'll update this post when I get home later.

______________________
* - estimated statistic
** - thanks to Jem's WTF list

Meeting de Avance

No, this is not an election-related post

Recently, the IE Department went to Leo's Garden Resort in Bacolor, Pampanga for a meeting of sorts... They joined us for that meeting...


They were late that's why they're in a hurry...

Ma'am Aura, Gina, Iris and Kats as well as Sir Ega, Melai and Norman were also in attendance. Food was potluck and Melai and I sponsored the California Maki (remember that Chicks?)

Among the highlights of the "meeting" is the fishing expedition...


I caught a rather small one

Norman and Melai each caught a fish too!

At some point, I got bored with the fishes and decided to feed the goose instead...


The goose at Leo's garden was more than willing to entertain for a few pinches of fishmeal

While feeding the goose, something from my HK trip flashed back into memory...


Yummy

That's all for now. Have a nice weekend!

******
Happy birthday to Jon and Jason Gonzales

******
Last night, we got to play dota again and this time, we managed a 4v4 group! Jem hit us with another spiral hook!

Looking forward to have Rolly Doolittle Marasigan on our future games...

Ergonomic Seating Guidelines and then some...

Most of us working people can spend at least 5 focused hours a day in front of a computer. While it is obvious that this is necessary for our work, it doesn't necessarily mean that we have to suffer for it later on i our lives. Every now and then, I'll try to put a few ergonomic tips for safety at work and at home. As Alekos adequately puts it: literally kinareer ko ang ergonomics.

Today, I'm posting about seating guidelines. There are two important players, the worker's posture and the properties and characteristics of the seat.

He mentioned in his post something about natural positions. He is actually referring to neutral postures. These are body postures that put the least pressure and tension to your muscles and nerves. For example, the neck is at a neutral posture if the head is balanced on the spinal column. It is not tilted forward, back or to either side. It is not rotated to the left or right.

While seating, the spine should follow to its natural S curve (Shown above)

The buttocks should be fully supported by the seat pan with both feet planted on the ground. The angle between the trunk and thigh and the thigh and legs should be at least 90 and 60 degrees, respectively. Refer to the figure below.

Deviating from this can cause restricted flow of blood to your lower extremities that in the immediate term can cause numbness. Long term effects are too painful to describe.


In choosing your seat, keep one thing in mind: Everything should be adjustable: back rest, arm rest and seat height are among these. For the vertically challenged, if adjusting to the proper seat height causes your feet to hang in the air, use a footrest. A chair fitting this criterion would look like this:

***
In other news...

• Does dating to you feel like a burned-out circuit? You might achieve more success if you actually treat your dating life as a circuit! Thanks to Jemai Ty for this link.
• I now have a Multiply account (which I haven't fully configured yet) and a Flickr account for my photos. I've already uploaded some pics from my recent travels and then some. If you wanna see some pics from the HK and China legs of my trip, my mother's friend Tommy Ooi has uploaded the pictures he took. I spent my birthday in Shenzhen and Dongguan, China and it was my best birthday ever! Thanks for the wonderful time in HK and Shenzhen Tommy!
  

Also, thanks to those who greeted me that day!

Eight Months

Yes, it's been eight months since my last post. Around that time, my white Macbook was spanking brand new, and I had a full year to finish my thesis...

Fast forward to February 2007:
- I sold my white Macbook and replaced her with Cara, a black Macbook
- I have less than a month to finish my thesis (or else!)

I won't even try to recall (in chronological order) the events that transpired in the last few months but I'll just make a list of some of the interesting (and not so interesting) things that I missed blogging about...

Feb was a busy month...

Feb 1: I left for a long planned trip to Macau and Hong Kong. Got a few pics to share too... Shenzhen and Dongguan where unplanned stops in the trip. Unplanned, but very welcome.

Feb. 6: The winds (with the help of an A320 aircraft) brought me to the Queen City of the South, this time for a seminar on Ergonomics for a multinational watch company. I extended a few days (Until Feb 11) so I could relax a bit. This one deserves another post...

Feb 15: Off to the pristine beaches of Boracay Island. Along with my sister and my friends and a faculty member in Eng'g (I'll ask for permission before naming her), we stayed 3 days in Boracay Terraces, one of the best places to stay in the island. This definitely deserves a post or two...

Also, met with the gang for a movie (from what I heard, we bought tickets to see Ghost Rider and wound up seeing a poor man's version of Narnia) and played a bit of Dota after (meaning, well into the morning)... It was Team Sentra versus Team City again and Team City won a "borrowed" victory, 2-1. Hmmm, I also heard that Nikki thought that I was pretty good, though he hates to admit it. If you ask Chico, praktisado lang daw ako...

Reunions and Parties

The holidays went by really fast. I went to a couple of parties. Party at Chico and Pat's new place was fun, and I think it was the first time Sam and Tesla interacted. I also went to the IEC 98's Christmas bash at Bikka's place. In the IE Department's Christmas party, Sir EGA showed us the Mentos-Coke trick. If I still have the video, I'll upload it to YouTube.

Doc Muriel and the Bagwis gang also had a reunion. Unfortunately, I lost all the pics I took that night, but it was fun seeing Doc and the Doctora again.

Also, after a long time, i got to meet up with my friends from PIQC. We had a reunion in Chilli's and we also had some teachers there too. One of them is my kumare.

Recently, got to meet up with Chester Sy. My, he hasn't changed a bit. Thought he'd be all American Pie-ish. But, I think that's a good thing kasi it seems that parang kailan lang kami hindi nagkita...

Tidbits

For what it seemed like only a while ago, Pat and Chicks celebrated one year of marriage na, and in a month's time, it's Tesla's turn to turn one.

A very good friend from college, Katy Tan, is getting married! I dunno if I'm at liberty to post details. Congrats Katy and Mike!

Also congrats to Frank and Ria Guevarra! I hope mapaparami niyo ang matatalino sa mundo! :D

Hmm, sounds like a tidbit lang. If I forgot anything, feel free to post it here... I will start posting within this week...

Coming up:

IE Department Planning Session (yun nga ba ang tawag?): Feb 28 @ SF, Pampanga
Last day of classes: Mar 21
Finish thesis: Mar 31 (duh?)

Birthdays:
Jonas, Jason Gonzales; Julian: Mar 4
Erika Oberio: Mar 5
Joyce: Mar 12
Katy Tan: Mar 19
Lenard: Mar 26

It's nice to be back...

Try to guess the songs playing in my ear...

This post is actually from Jae's blog. Sorry I can't make the hyperlink, super tinatamad akong mag blog... Anyway, it's going to change soon'coz by tomorrow I'll be a proud owner of a... hmmm suspense muna (as if you guys didn't know...)

A peek into my shuffle playlist...
A testament to my weird taste in music...

Song meme

Step 1: Put your MP3 player or whatever music player you have on random.
Step 2: Post a line from the first 20 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing the song. (Oh goodness! akala ko thirty songs!! Oh, btw, I took the liberty of putting in another line or two so the song would somehow make sense)
Step 3: Post and let everyone you know guess what song and artist the lines come from.
Step 4: Strike out the songs when someone guesses correctly. (Commas represent another line in the song, depending on how it was sang...)
Step 5: No cheating


1. Come on my friend and leave your caution to the wind
2. baby, baby I know baby I love you so
3. I don’t care what they say, I don’t care what they do
4. Tommys got his six string in hock
5. You make me feel like I am whole again
6. And love so distant and obscure remains the cure
7. I'd love to go out fishing on a river or on a creek
8. you gave me a reason for my being
9. I was a commuter on the 804, Work for a computer on the 19th floor and...
10. I've never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance
11. Can you take me higher? To a place where blind men see
12. If this world makes you crazy, and you've taken all you can bear
13. But maybe someday when my ship comes in, She'll understand what kind of guy I've been
14. When you kiss me, I close my eyes,I want you by my side
15. You would think my love was really something good
16. There's a room where the light won't find you
17. You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
18. Will I ever find a lover, Maybe she has found another
19. People always told me be careful of what you do, And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts
20. Whatever I do, I try to think about you. I seek the sympathy and I can't lie.
21. Every minute, every second of the day, i dream of you in the most special ways
22. You call me baby and I, just shrug my shoulders because there's, something important on my mind
23. Twice on the pipe, means you ain't gonna show.
24. I've had you so many times but somehow, I want more
25. A wounded heart you gave, My soul you took away
26. Slowly we begin to move, Every breath i'm deeper into you
27. I would die for you, Climb the highest mountain
28. I know the things that I am afraid of, I'm not afraid to tell
29. I know you're afraid of what you feel, You still need time to heal
30. Why must we hide emotions? Why must we never break down and cry?

and in true teacher fashion, a bonus!

31. I never thought through love we'd be, Making one as lovely as she

Commitment-Phobia

Over the past few days and weeks, I've had the displeasure of hearing an earfull of the phrase "Mahirap mag-commit." In fact, I even threatened one of those who said this phrase that I will forward his message to his girlfriend (and see how she'll react). What's so hard with commitment anyway?

I will try to classify various types of commitment phobia (in no particular order)...

First, there's the type who can't commit even for something that's going to happen this weekend. Imagine, what's a few days going to do? Are people so busy nowadays that they can't commit a few hours in the weekend? Of course, if people were indeed busy, it would be understandable to get a negative reply. But how come even a "no" reply is so hard to come by?

And what's with being not sure if you're sure ("Baka hindi ako makapunta" or "I don't think I'll be able to go"). C'mon guys, if you're not going or nor free, just have enough balls and say it. Di ba ang labo nun? One thing I learned: "I will try" means "NO"

A different type of commitment phobia is when you don't want to commit to something even though you don't have anything better to do or you just think that something will come up. This one is really malabo... I mean you don't have anything to do (yet), you're offered something, and then you refuse just because you think you'll have something to do by then or you want to be free by then so that when something more interesting comes up, you're available. Of course, there's also the fact that you might not be interested at all, in which case, I will refer you to the previous paragraph.

Another thing I learned from organizing trips (local or out of town) is that people are really concerned on who's going, just as much as where. So when you ask "Punta tayo (somewhere)" they will ask "Cnong pnta?"... If everybody asked that question, then I would have to text them at least twice. WORSE, if everybody is asking if anybody or if somebody is going (or they're concered that nobody's going), then it will end up with nobody going. (I'm sure you've seen the poster with a similar tone). It's a vicious cycle.

While I'm at it, I guess I should also lash out at people who can't commit to a job. Whether its a small job (sending e-mails) or a job at a multinational, there are just some people who can't commit, ready to jump on the next good offer that comes by (even if the current one isn't that bad anyway).

Of course, there are a few exceptional instances where commitment is an expensive commodity, like when you're expecting both a kid and a change of career, or maybe when you expect to be out of a job for the next X months (where X is a random variable). Lack of commitment in these cases is completely acceptable. Otherwise, it's not.