Thursday, October 30, 2003

Bye bye!

Will disappear from the face of the earth for the next several hours...

Rumor Corner

A local distribution of the Ragnarok comic by Summit, and a 24-hour anime channel on cable starting January 2004.

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Wednesday, October 29, 2003

Discworld Quotes I've Manged to Accumulate Recently

"And they believed that for a thing to exist it had to have a position in time and space. Humanity had arrived as a nasty shock. Humanity was practically things that didn't have a position in time and space, such as imagination, pity, hope, history and belief." - Death, Thief of Time

"Chocolate you did not want to eat does not count as chocolate." - Thief of Time

"The good are innocent and create justice. The bad are guilty, which is why they invent mercy." - Magrat Garlick, Witches Abroad

"You can't go around building a better world for people. Only people can build a better world for people. Otherwise it's just a cage." - Granny Weatherwax, Witches Abroad

"Progress just means bad things happen faster." - Granny Weatherwax, Witches Abroad

"They don't fight to kill, but to win. There is a difference. There's no point in killing an opponent. That way, they won't know they've lost, and to be a real winner you have to have an opponent who is beaten and knows it. There's no triumph over a corpse, but a beaten opponent, who will remain beaten every day of the remainder of their sad and wretched life, is something to treasure." - Witches Abroad

"Listen, happy endings is fine if they turn out happy. But you can't make 'em for other people. Like the only way you could make a happy marriage is buy cuttin' their heads off as soon as they say 'I do', yes? You can't make happy endings... All you can do is make an ending." - Granny Weatherwax, Witches Abroad

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Gossip Column

This blog used to be nothing but gossip but some things changed that.

1) I've seen too many people rant and whine in their blogs.

2) People usually have a habit of telling me not to put certain things (that concern them) in my blog. Take for example Elbert's sexual exploits, which while I might post it here for his mother to enjoy, I'm sure she'd rather not hear it from me.

3) This is actually a public blog so I try to gossip about people whom visitors can click to, rather than hear a one-sided narrative of some obscure person they don't even know (and take my word for it at that).

And let's face it, some people want to be nameless. Never mind the fact that it defeats the purpose of blogging...

Unhealthy Me

I've actually been cooked up in my room again for the past few days and it only wasn't until hours ago that I was able to get out and actually walk (to Mega Mall). Sorry but I just haven't been Mr. Energy (to quote Gary V.) for the past two weeks.

Shock

Just found out today that a friend's mom just died two days ago. Which is actually strange since I was talking with the friend the day her mother died and she didn't seem to sad (then again, it was through text messages so a lot of emotions don't really get through). Unfortunately, that now leaves her with no parents at all and just a sister to live with.

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The Bookstores are Going Crazy

In both the good and bad ways. For example...

Books That Aren't in Their Shelves

Terry Pratchett's Night Watch was available at Powerbooks in Makati but not in Mega Mall. Today, I just found out why I didn't see it in the Mega Mall branch: because it was shelved in the mystery/suspense section.

I guess I'm also used to Gaiman being shelved in the fiction section but when I saw his books in the Goodwill stands, I thought I might as well browse through the fiction section (in Makati, last week). And Pratchett's other discworld book, Witches Abroad, was there.

Bargain Books

I wasn't supposed to spend money on books today but when I saw the price tag (at National Bookstore and Powerbooks Mega Mall), I couldn't resist. Take for example...

Philip K. Dick's Minority Report and Other Stories. US price is $14.95. Retail price is P249.00 ($5.00).

Or A Century of Great Suspense Stories. US price is $29.95. Retail price is P415.00 ($8.00).

With prices like that, who could resist? Oh yeah, don't bother looking for those books at the Mega Mall branch. Between me and Vin, they've probably ran out.

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Tuesday, October 28, 2003

Events (courtesy of Robert)

the MATRIX COSTUME CONTEST

The 6th Philippine Web Awards comes to a head on November 6 at Onstage Greenbelt. There will be 42 winners for the Best Web site and People's Choice Awards. The event will be hosted by Amanda Griffin and TJ Manotoc.

OCTOBER 28 SOME KIND OF A WONDERFUL!

an 80s Halloween party
MILLENNIA CAFE Kamuning
Live Performance by Sandwich, Imago, Twisted Halo, the Itchyworms, Cambio and Urban Dub!

we're having a little halloween to-do on Oct. 28 over at millenia cafe in kamuning. lotsa great bands and it's going to be really fun if you guys could come in costume. the theme is 80s night - but it's NOT limited to new wave mind you! come as your fave 80s celeb/tv or movie character/musician/ video game/WHATEVER! katuwaan lang. we're giving you a head start on your costume so habang maaga eh pagisipan na!

OCTOBER 31 New Worlds : Philipine Sci Fi and Fantasy Convention HALLOWEEN PARTY

Brash Young Cinema at 7pm all costumes in sci fi and fantasy games, trivia contest, trick or treat gimmicks, and get to know your fellow New Worlds Alliance.

WAA Trick -or- Treat at the Halloween Masquerade Party

SM Megamall Mesgastrip 7PM

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Monday, October 27, 2003

Sunday, October 26, 2003

Lethargy

It's probably come to the point that half the day (i.e. 12 hours) is spent on sleeping (although not necessarily straight hours).

I'm probably unfit since I haven't done any, uh, long distance walking in eight days (i.e. long = house to megamall, or house to virra mall).

And I'm going through a towel a day (I don't use tissues because I've had a cold for most of my life and if I spent that much tissues... I'd be killing a significant amount of trees) routine, which isn't so bad except the towel gets too sticky and it's far from the best scenario when you're reading a book (unless you don't mind not being able to open the book again, at least without damage).

Dreams

When you're sleeping a lot, you don't have any shortage of dreams. Except the motif for the past few days is me failing an exam, whether it's in high school (I was having an exam in... Chinese!) or college. Which is strange since I'm not even grade conscious (I'm in school to learn... passing or failing is besides the point). Which brings me to my next point.

Education

Strangely, this whole ramble applies to religion as well.

Anyway, there are delinquent students and students who make it a pain in the pass for teachers and I think the reason for this is because, well, the students don't want to learn. They're just there because they're forced to. Let's face it: a number of students enrolled in private schools don't want to learn.

Because of that fact, rules are being imposed on kids so that they would go to school, or behave in school. Eventually, kids will learn what they don't want to learn. And sometimes even reject what they've learned after they've graduated from school. If there's such a thing as force-feeding, this is force-learning. Of course that sounds so much like institutionalized brainwashing...

Now you might argue kids don't know what they want. Well, as a kid myself once, I do know kids know what they want. They might not know what's best for them, but they do know what they want. Perhaps the difficulty is in making them want what's best for them, but honestly, even adults often don't know what's best for them, so that's besides the point and not really a valid excuse in my point.

I'd rather have "students" who are older than their counterparts but are really eager to learn that younger (and smaller) students but don't have the appropriate attitude towards learning.

I honestly think learning is an internal act, best left to the person to decide on. It makes them "better human persons" to actually want to learn, rather than to trust on other people for their decisions, or blindly do something (which sometimes can be a form of teaching one's self). Moreover, it trains a person to exercise their own will and freedom, and no other external motivations are needed to make the person study (or do their homework, etc.).

Not that I don't believe in giving the other person some incentives...
And when it comes to religion, this is more so since religion, at least Christianity, works on the principle that the person "chooses of their own free will to accept God". And somehow, when parents force their kids to attend mass, I don't see the "free will" part, especially when the kids squirm at having to go to church rather than watch TV at home.

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