New Year countdown

13 more minutes!

New Year and on the job

It's 8:45, it's all quiet inside the QA office, I'm the first to arrive here. HR is giving away horns and santa hats, just to make things a bit more cheerful given the fact that they made everyone go to work on New Years day.

Just got back from Starbucks, Vanilla frapp might do the trick of putting a bit of that holiday cheer tonight.

currently listening to:

Signal Fire/Snow Patrol

First of Summer/UrbanDub

Suger, We're going Down/Fallout Boy

This Side/Nickel Creek

Rockin' the suburbs/Ben Folds

All The Small Things/Blink182

Penny and Me/Hanson

Worktime raves

Just came back from our 15minute break. Its Christmas alright, people carrying gifts and stuff, lights all over the place, there's this holiday feel everywhere, I'm enjoying every minute of it. I still have some monitoring and evaluations to finish but I'm doin' it while listening to Fall out boy (lol) someone introduced me to their kind of music and now I just can't stop listening. Its going to be a long weekend for me, no work 'till Wednesday, cool. Company party tonight, not sure if I'm comin' or not. But who knows, maybe my alter ego mr. kj won't be rearing his ugly head tonight (wink) gotta get back to work.

A declaration: The Shema

This is my conviction, this my faith. Call me a Zionist, call me a kuffar, but this is where I stand.


Shema Yisra'el

Adonai Eloheinu

Adonai ehad!

Current YouTube watch list

I found these very interesting, for those who are taking up comparative religion or just interested on how this age-old conflict begun, this is definitely a must-see. For us to understand the future, we have to study the past.


God's Jewish Warriors: A CNN documentary

The Crusades: The Christian and Islamic conflict

Another year in the life of a poetic ruggamuffin

Monday evening. 11:28 PM. New work day.

Logging in to blogger has been tough ever since IT decided to block it from our networks. Well, I have ways to unblock if you know what I mean. Christmas, 6 days left before Christmas, 14 days left before another year begins. Reminiscing everything that has happened during the past 12 months, twelve theatrical months full of drama, comedy..even tragedy, goodbyes, hello's, closing doors, opening up new ones...new people entering my life and yes even changing my future. Everything is moving fast forward, time does not stand still nor does it slowmo's itself even for one such as me, it's as if I am looking at old photographs in midair, each one fades into nothingness as I touch them. Life is much more colorful, much more dramatic in real life as opposed to the characters I played when I did theater, in real life I get to go centerstage rather than backstage right or merely behind the curtains. I get to be the lead actor in a starring role in a unlimited act play. The world is my backdrop and IT IS AMAZING.

I guess there are still a lot of things to be thankful about, even grateful for the hard painful experiences from the past, the people, the places, all the individuals that God has used to shape me to who I am today. I know this is all old speak, cliche' ridden talk. I guess all I'm saying is, I guess you can still make a boring cerebral over-thinker like me fall in love and do headstands all over again. (I'm just kidding about that headstand thing, although the former is very much true).


About James:

James is a Q.A. analyst for an American technology company where he spends a lot of time filling out reports, emailing them to people and listening-in to calls. He loves to write, read books, drink coffee and just stay inside his newly painted terra-cotta room watching "Scrubs" or just listing to music. He doesn't like showbiz personalities, hates Pinoy Big Brother or anything that he thinks causes cerebral dysfunction. His current interest and loves are eating/hanging out anywhere near the University of Sto. Tomas where he spends time with a smashing and extraordinary lady.

Its Official

Just got out of the meeting with the GM, its official, I'm going to QA!

Change

There are a lot of changes going on around the office, people getting transferred to different departments, people getting promoted etc. Cathy, one of my good friends here inside Business Development was moved to the credit apps dept, although we will still be able to see each other around the office, we will still be missing her, her intelligent comments, snide remarks which to this day still manages to surprise us will not be forgotten around BD. This seemingly soft spoken Economics grad is quick-witted, smart and very opinionated is definitely not a run-of-the-mill type-o chick. Which brings me to my next barrage of chop logic; QA, yes, yours truly will be part of the QA Team starting this week, I am enthusiastic about this latest turn of events inside the company, hopefully I will be able to exceed what is expected of me.

Change is good. Things have been happening in my life in such a fast pace that my mind can't seem to cope up...in a good way. Abeit a cliche, I truly believe in the saying that when God closes doors, He opens up big ones. There was this word that I heard from one of the speakers in a conference we attended back in Australia, if my memory serves me correctly, he used the word "displacement" a shift, a change (that word again) the removal of something in order to gain something in return. We hate changes, we like our lives to be systematic, in order, logical. But life is sometimes pragmatic, change does happen and we have to admit that we have no control over this. Acceptance and to learn how to move without overly analyzing each event is important. That goes the same for past relationships, sometimes we try to hold on, cling on to something that will no longer be of benefit to us. In so many ways, we let the past control us, dictate our future, we hold on to it as if we cannot survive without the constant remembrance of our broken affairs, ironically we are even addicted to the pain, as if it's constant recollection fuels our desire to live, like an obsession we hold on to the memories of the past, the pictures, it's people even the ones that has hurt us so deeply. Ironic. We must learn to let go and yes even forgive. Until that happens, we will always be haunted by the ghost of our pasts, we will be constantly chained to the walls of unforgiveness, unable to love or recieve love.

Hmmm, I should stop writing for now. Gotta get back to work.

What we are up against.

For Diane

Myspace Layouts :: Music Video Codes

Women are from Venus

I guess everyone already knows that cliche huh? Believe me its true. Like some kind of alien life form from another planet, these strange and wonderful beings called women are weird? They speak a different language from us, I mean believe me I tried deciphering them but to no avail, with years of dating and communication skills under my belt, you'd think I'd know everything about their particular language, but no! You may think you clearly understood what was said but heck, I'm absolutely wrong! What they really meant was well another thing! I give up! They like you. They don't like you. I mean, for god's sake make up your mind and don't keep us hanging. Venus the planet that is most earthlike of all the planets in the solar system, their densities and chemical composition are almost the same, but that is where their similarities end, hmmm..sounds like men and their strange counterpart from another planet..women. How frustrating can one get? I wish I could just take up a crash course on the female psyche or do a masters on female linguistics but well I can't. So until someone starts a school of some sort and does a study of the strange symbolical language of these beings, we men will forever be subjected to this torturous constant deciphering. Arrgghhh!!!!

Awake

The room was as damp as the streets outside, it was dark inside my room.
I slowly pulled up my covers up to my head, refusing to submit to wakening just yet.
The Sandman slowly whispers to me and beckons me still, but I know better, maybe tomorrow my old friend, maybe tomorrow.
I slowly rose out of the warmth of my bed into the cold floor to begin another day.

Dreams they call out to me, beckoning me to taste the sweet and bitter of the unknown.
Tell me more about the future, awaken my eyes to the past. Let me wander some more in my slumber, let me thread through the forbidden paths.
I see but a shadow of my present, something I left way way back. Let me visit those places once again, if not, then let me dream some more.

Notes from within

Life has never been easy, the childish presumptions of the past (well I was indeed a child then) that life was full of fun and games and adventure, there was no need to rationalize or to think but to accept reality as it was...the problems were left to the adults. But for us kids, the world was big, bright and wonderful. I wonder what it feels like to be a child again, as an adult I have tried to preserve the child-like attitude in me, trust...love among other things, were given chances to many. But the world does not like simple things, it does not like the pure or in this case adults with child like sensibilities. It ravages the innocent, robbing and destroying their imagination, taking away the wonder and awe of everything. Here we are, consumed and dictated upon by the world we once thought would cradle us. The innocence dies and the child inside dies.

I wonder what it's like without religion, without it's hypocrisy, without it's false hopes. Life could be much more simplier, there will be no expectations, no blind faith. I often think that I am more of a pessimist rather than an optimist, perhaps I am just a realist, it's simplier that way. What do you think?

To someone I will surely miss

For some reason one of my friends recently needed to shutdown her friendster account, although she didn't explain why, she just told me it was because of a shallow reason, I already know why. I will definitely miss you Ms. D, I wish I could have gotten to know you more, thanks for being a friend and thank you for the friendship. I will always remember how we met (it was during a strange and quite peculiar situation) I was confined at the hospital and you were one of the attending nurses. I hope we meet again, take care and have a good life. And yes, pray I'll meet a good girlfriend..hehe.

Waiting for Stardust the movie to come up, can't really wait to see it. I heard that it's really well done. I have had some difficulty getting a copy of Neil's books at Powebooks, they're gone even before they hit the shelves, I bet Gaiman fans are getting themselves two copies at the same time, one for reading and one to keep in mint condition, damn those nerdy comic collector types! Now, I have to order in advance once again and wait for an agonizing one month before I can get my hands on a copy of M is for Magic.

Sellout

I used to be such a big fan of Starbucks, there was a time that I thought Starbucks as the epitome of everything about coffee, I applauded the company for its attempt to educate the masses about the joys of coffee drinking and cafe culture. Now, I'm not so sure anymore. I wish there were more options here in the Philippines, but well I guess I have to resort to calling my friends in the States to send me bags of Cafe Vittas beans.

Starbucks Sells Out

Why Sonic Youth and Frappucinos don't mix

August 10, 2007—When I walk into Starbucks, there are a couple things I've come to expect: One, I'll screw up the verbiage of my Mega-Grande-Retardo- Frappalicious Mochamajig™, and two, I'll be offered the chance to purchase the latest CD from Norah Jones or Sting or some other Adult Contemporary mainstay. And I like it that way—the second part, at least. Knowing that my taste in music is still hipper than Starbucks' legion of Alanis Morissette fans has always been comforting to me.

Which is why I'm saddened—no, outraged—by the recent news that the chain has enlisted art-rock demigods Sonic Youth to do a compilation. Predictably, indie ideologues are screaming "sellout!" over the band's "betrayal" of their former anticorporate code, but they're missing the point. Sonic Youth is just trying to make a buck. It's Starbucks who's betraying us.

How am I supposed to react if the next time I order a coffee they're blasting the latest Pitchfork-approved noise rock through their formerly safe and soothing speakers? Howard Schultz, you're shaking my sense of cultural superiority to the core. What's next? Will Staples begin publishing McSweeney's? Will Red Lobster produce the next Wes Anderson film, giving away free DVDs with every popcorn shrimp basket? To paraphrase Judd Nelson, If Starbucks gets hip... they'll all get hip... it'll be anarchy.

Adding insult to injury, the compilation has a nifty ironic title, Hits Are for Squares. And alterna icons like Dave Eggers and Chloë Sevigny are apparently involved in the conspiracy: They'll be selecting the tracks to be included on the disc. Et tu, Sevigny?

I'll tolerate having 35 Starbucks on my block. I'll put up with the ludicrous drink prices. I'll even suffer the angst of the blue-haired barista. But I can't go to Starbucks and hear Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon. Starbucks are for squares, Mr. Schultz, and for the love of God let's keep it that way.

— Robert Lanham

Everytime I come across stories like this, I can't help but be inspired, I've been watching this video several times now and I get goosebumps everytime. Watch it.

never ever ever judge a book by its cover

Phone Salesman Amazes Crowd - Watch more free videos

The Next PC

This is insane, think Minority Report. Think Science Fiction. Think magic. Software giant Microsoft has just released to the press the next big thing since the Personal Computer called Microsoft Surface. The gadget freaks here in the office has been sending links, photos, videos of this exciting new technology.

James's Speak

I had little sleep this past two days, I woked up around 1sh in the afternoon after just a few hours of sleep, like a turtle in slow motion better describes my sleep pattern, tried reading, tried almost everything except sleep. My anxiety levels are on an all time high for no reason at all, it's as if my brain's ready to explode, thoughts keep racing inside for no reason at all. I need some kind of relaxant or mood enhancers to keep me insane and back to normal. I really need some kind of change in my life or do I? Hopefully I'll be able to get some decent shuteye this weekend. Cleaned my coffee machine, I miss the soothing smell of freshly brewed coffee, maybe that might help. Just went back to bed and stared at the ceiling, stared at my alarm clock...pure torture. Now at work and writing this, I don't even have the energy to think..need sleep, need change, need to forget. Need something.

going back

I'm downright insane, fallin', gazin into your eyes...nothing like this before. I'm dreamin of daylight, sunlight...dandelions, I brush my hands against the grass. Fallin' like never before, coming back to life, going back to the basics. It's just you and me, let's fall in love once again, hold my hand and never let go. Going crazy, laughing like there's no tomorrow. Being born again, like a child, I smile, jumpin' high. I'm living life, learning to live childlike.

Friday shift writes

Its friday and you know what that means! woohoo! hahaha, just feelin' that weekend jive. listening to my ipod and to some house music. I'm having my VL monday and tuesday so it's going to be a long weekend for me. Thats how life is, sometimes you're down and sometimes you just feel like flyin' hehe. I'm planning to get myself a new phone, you know just something to reward myself for working hard hehe. Oh, mom's day...gotta get my mom somethin' too. What else, oh the wedding, that too. Somehow weddings give me the jeepers creepers hehe, its like I'm allergic to it or something, I guess I'm not yet ready for that sort of thing. I have been posting some serious anti-extreme islamist stuff on this blog, it's something very personal for me you know, just my own convictions. It just blows me away to find out that there's this group of people who lives in the same planet as me who wants to destroy the rest of us who doesn't agree or think the way they do. I don't know about you but that really upsets me, makes me angry. I love my freedom, I love my faith. I think if push comes to shove, I'll be one of those people who'll be in the frontlines. Anyway, enough about that bullcrap. It's a friday and I ain't gonna let some terrorist crap ruin my day.

5:07, just a couple of more hours..hehe.

major product exam

people are staring at their monitors and their cheat sheets all over the floor, because of adobe's new line of products...the Creative Suite 3, major major upgrade and really cool software if I may say so myself. Great product but a bit steep in the pricing department. I love designing stuff like webpages, did some graphics and design with YWAM so I know a bit on how this stuff brings out the really cool creative side of your brain to its full potential. If I can just get a legit copy myself...wow.

Sad news

I tried calling one of my friends in the States, he did not want to talk to me. I was able to talk to his mom who told me that he was becoming a big problem. Apparently he was getting into a lot of weird stuff, staying in his room all day, reading the Bible, he constantly talks to God and well tells everyone that he has been given some revelations...he also has a lot of strange interpretations of the Bible. I am really saddened by this news.

updates

Friday! Or is it Saturday? in front of my pc at work. updating and finishing up with all my profiles. Baby sitting and temporarily handling Team Testarossa. Downloaded some new podcasts to my iPod, really cool. I'm just beginning to really love this gadget, very versatile, very cool. Its been quite awhile since I updated this blog, hopefully I'll have time to do that during this weekend.

MacNews!!

The tech loving people on the floor just had a field day today. The reason? MacWorld 2007. So everyone is glued to their computer screen, not busy doing their xsales or any thing of that sort, but basically eyes epoxeyd to MacDailyNews.com, macrumorslive.com and egadget.com. So whats the big news since the MacPro? The iPhone. Yup, you better believe it. The future is definitely here. Quad band, think ipod/smartphone/cool and you'll get the picture. Mac fans such as myself is definitely having a field day with this. News such as the new Apple TV, colaborations with Google, Yahoo and Cingular, I mean what can go wrong with Apple this year? And by the way its no longer Apple Computers, Steve Jobs Inc has decided to call themselves Apple Inc.

Italy fights against coffee popularized by Starbucks

THE GUARDIAN, ROME
Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007, Page 6

In a fight against against the global spread of super-sized frappuccinos and iced cappuccinos, Italy has certified what it considers the classic cappuccino.

In a snub to the Starbucks-driven craze for loading gallons of hot frothy coffee-flavored liquid into cardboard pots, Italy's National Institute for Italian Espresso is defending the traditional squirt of steamed milk over a shot of espresso that is knocked back by millions of Italians every morning at zinc-topped bars all over the country.

The newly certified milky coffee, which is served only in a ceramic cup, was offered to members of parliament and ministers at an event sponsored by the parliamentary culture commission.

The institute has already given a government-backed certification to the perfect espresso coffee.

On Sunday the organization's president, Marco Paladini, stood up for the beleaguered cappuccino, promising "to protect this important expression of our national gastronomic culture ... A great success abroad, but not always made with adequate sensory quality", the newspaper Il Giornale quoted him as saying.

More froth than liquid, the Italian cappuccino can be swallowed in seconds and according to purists should leave a smear of milk on the inside of the cup. Stirring the beverage to mix the milk with the coffee that lurks in the bottom should not produce an overall brown color, but streaks of coffee in the pure white foam.

According to many Italians, the light brown color is similar to that of the robes worn by Italy's Capuchin monks, hence the name.


http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2007/01/02/2003343056