May 2010 Elections

I am proud to be a Filipino and to vote and express my opinion through it.

It has been such a long time since I have felt such for my country. I love it, I owe it so much and I will fight for it, but not with the intensity I have for it right now.

It may not be much, but I sure have regained more than just a glimmer of hope.

Change is imminent. For the good, I pray all the time.

Kudos to Smartmatic. They have made a name for themselves. And to the COMELEC. Your balls are back. Nice to see the commissioners make a stand. Whether it was mocked or lauded.

On Melancholy Hill

That title is cool. It is from a song by the Gorillaz. It sounds tragic and cute. It has a sentimental vibe that I cannot explain. It is like when you look at the sunset, letting something go, or accepting a tragedy, yet you cannot help but smile, and walk away from the greatest view you have ever seen in your life.

Posting

Just to say I've posted.

2009 was indeed a busy, busy year.

I find it surprising that not a post was made for that year.

Or maybe I overlooked such post. Either way,

HELLO 2010. This is my year. For better or worse.

let's play more videogames shall we?

Source: INQUIRER.NET, Philippine News for Filipinos

SAYS PEW SURVEY
Videogames not just for kids

Agence France-Presse
First Posted 16:09:00 12/08/2008


WASHINGTON -- Videogames are not just for kids.

A new survey out on Sunday found that more than half of American adults aged 18 and older play videogames, and that about one out of five play every day or almost every day.

According to the survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project of the Washington-based Pew Research Center, 53 percent of American adults aged 18 or older play videogames although the number decreases significantly with age.

Eighty-one percent of Americans aged between 18 and 29 play videogames, 60 percent of those aged between 30 and 49, 40 percent of those aged between 50 and 64 and just 23 percent of those aged 65 and older, the survey found.

Twenty-one percent of those surveyed said they play videogames every day or almost every day.

The survey found that while a substantial number of adults play videogames many more teenagers are gamers. A total of 97 percent of the teenagers surveyed said they play videogames.

Men are more likely than women to play videogames, according to Pew, by 55 percent to 50 percent respectively.

Education level is a predictor of videogame play with 57 percent of those with at least some college education playing games, 51 percent of high school graduates and 40 percent of those with less than a high school education.

For the study, videogame playing was defined as game-playing online, on a desktop or laptop computer, a game console, a cellphone, a handheld organizer or a portable gaming device.

Computers are the most popular equipment for adults who play videogames with 38 percent saying they play games on desktop or laptop computers.

Twenty-eight percent play on game consoles like the Xbox, PlayStation or the Wii, 18 percent on cellphones or handheld organizers and 13 percent on portable gaming devices.

Teenagers were much more likely to play videogames on game consoles with 89 percent saying they used consoles to play games.

Internet users were significantly more likely to play games than those who are not online, the study found, with 64 percent of Web users playing games compared with just 20 percent of non-Internet users.

Parents are more likely to play videogames than non-parents with 66 percent of parents or guardians of children 17 years old or younger playing games compared with 47 percents of adults who are not parents.

Teenagers are much more likely than adults to play games online with 76 percent of all teens saying they play games online compared with just 23 percent of all adults.

Pew said the data on teenagers was based on a survey of 1,102 teens conducted between November 2007 and February 2008.

The data on adults was based on surveys of between 1,063 and 2,054 adults between October 2007 and December 2007. The various surveys had margins of error of between plus or minus two percent and plus or minus three percent.

Lap-top

So, instead of studying (well, my room is being cleaned as of the moment), I am here outside, using the wifi of the neighbor and writing this entry. I love it when I can access other wifi, since I think that the neighbor is a nice person allowing access to their internet. However, there was this one time when they "tweaked" the wifi, making it a network-type of wifi. This is usually the ones that articles in websites that will tell you to avoid, since they will be provided with access to your own computer and they can hack it and slash it. Too bad for them, I know about it, so they were not-so-successful in attempting to probably detect who on earth is eating off a bit of their bandwidth. HA-HA.

The laptop I am using, while powerful and I could not really ask for more, since it can play the games I want to play, can do whatever I need to for school, and I can even pop in a dvd or two to watch great shows, is big and heavy, and I usually let it settle on the table in my room. I found it a drag to actually bring the laptop only, concerned about its lifespan, and the heat that I get from it. As of last night though, that changed. For some reason, my laptop generates less heat when it runs on its battery (energy saving strategy I reckon), and the easeness of typing when it is literally on my lap. I love typing on laptops. I enjoy its tactile response to my fingers, the clacking sounds it makes. It is way better than in an ordinary keyboard. I hope I do not wreck it though since I love hitting those keys with force to hear the clacking sounds.

Okay, I am a newbie when it comes to laptops. I am more of a PC kind of guy. The portable semi-PC thing I would only like to bring is a celfone. This laptop's too big for everyday bringing. This is an entertainment laptop indeed, even if I were a writer, I would purchase a smaller laptop, probably would have two laptops. but that's just me. And since I am not a writer per se, it is not my problem. The only drawback from this is that there is a high chance of me dropping the said device. That is not good... by all means.

Well, taking care of your device is a great start for longevity. I find it odd that I am still old school when it comes to shutting down my laptop or my PC. Nowadays, people just do not care and leave them on, and that is usually the problem that recent operating systems have now addressed. In the past, the system would crash if it were turned on for days. Now, chips and systems are designed for you NOT to turn them off. Weird. I figured though that by shutting them down and turning them on again, it would stretch the lifespan of your device, since there is no energy nor heat created, and the parts on which wear and tear is apparent will not suffer as much. Sleep, standby or whatnot is not the same as shutting the actual thing down.

Alright, I think I have written too much geek stuff. So back to my normal programming.

What is Your Final Grade?

What is it, your grade in school, or in life?

There millions of ways to measure, or grade rather, a person. Right now I am focusing on two: grades on paper, and grades on experience.

This is the first time I will try to expound on this thought. Pardon me if it is messy. The premise is simple: grades on paper do not mean sh*t.

Yes, for those academic overachievers, or with at least overachieving parents, you will go like, "Man, you're nuts and you do not know what you are talking about." True, but I can say it right now, straight to your face, that I am still better than you because I take in what life throws my way, which is usually crap, and try to turn it to gold, can you do that? Can your academic bullsh*t help you do that? No.

I remember my mom, when my uncle and I kept on teasing her on the point she would turn red with anger, asking us if we were taught manners in school... as in like a class. Of course not. Everything is focused in academics. Accepted is a good anti-thesis to what is usually being fed to us. In essence, the most important lessons are not in the classroom. PERIOD. Argue all day about it. There is no point, I assure you.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I am in no way saying that you should not stop studying either. Education is very, and I repeat, very important. My only prayer is that you control your life, and everything in it is because of your choices. Your choices.

From my experience, I do what I have to do, and whatever I want to do for the sake of knowledge. I study for school, but I try my best to relax, do other things, even if it means that I will get a lower grade than what I think I should get. I help a friend in need, even if it means almost failing an exam. I still get that adrenaline rush with recitations, I still stress out over a professor that seems to be disliking us. I am a normal student. I just do not sweat over it. It is cold in the classroom, so maybe that is the reason.

Bottom line is: as long as you know that there is more to it than what you are now, that there are greater things beyond your comprehension, then all is good. It keeps you humble and relaxed. There are better people than I am in doing this, but most people are not as lucky as I am in dealing with these matters either.

My apologies if it seems imposing. I just do not like the same being done to me, and this is a simple outlet that can remind me later on in my journey.

P.S. Call it what you want, but there are reasons why I stick to my principles and is never swayed. They are time-tested, and I welcome a situation in which it proves a principle wrong. Never happens. If you have yours, stick to it as well.

P.P.S. If you feel irritated, at least for a bit, then I have made my point. I do not like the feeling. I do not do this, I just need to show how it feels.

The feeling

Why am I having this sinking feeling?

The feeling that I have gained so much, yet lost even more.

My own benefit at other people's expense.

It just feels weird. I know I did not do anything wrong.

As much as I traverse this world alone (or most of the time), I never would want to travel nor experience everything alone... if that makes sense.

I want to savor things with people I cherish and value... not be on the top and laugh at everyone.

That was funny... as if I am really on top. Hahaha!

Sembreak over. Classes resume...

That's why!!! :"P