What makes you stay?

Hey guys it's been quite sometime now since my last blog article which ironically drew a lot of non related comments, but that is okay, a hit is a hit no matter how you look at it =) Anyway, it has been crazy as hell the past few weeks in the office. People leaving left and right due to various reasons (compensation, workload, professional growth and all those shite... ) A lot has happened in a span of 2 weeks that is testing our ability as supervisors to handle pressure situations. To be honest, things were doing okay the past year even with some constant nagging from one of our process owners , it was generally OK. It was just an accumulation of shitty things that triggered the "happening" in the office. To be honest, I really have no complaints with my job right now, the workload, the type of things I am doing and especially the people I am working with, one of the reasons that made me stay for 4 long years. But I would be a hypocrite not to say that I am not affected with what is happening... the truth is I am. I feel what the other guys are feeling and I completely understand where they are coming from. However I can not show my peers my emotion towards the issue as it will compromise my position in the company. I need to show strength, I need to show confidence and I need to show hope...hope that one of these days, we'll be able to get over this bump and continue working as if nothing has happened.

Surface Computer...Surface what?

What comes into your mind when you hear the word iPhone or iTouch? Other than it being made by Apple, the touch screen features right? I was scanning through some of the emails that Mike (aka Professional Spammer) sent me and was able to chance upon one email with an attachment that says "Microsoft Surface Computers". I thought it was just another random email or some bloopers but heck no it was a video clip of the newest microsoft invention. I tried searching about Surface Computers in Google and was able to find one article that was written for Popular Mechanics, though it was published last July 2007 this is still news to me, and I don't know if everyone knows about it. This is the first time that I have read about it. (see how tech savvy I am ü).

When I saw the video on how it works it reminded me of the movie Minority Report, the part wherein Tom Cruise was piecing together the video of a crime. (Remember how he shuffles the scenes back and forth?) The only downside that I can think of here is it size but imagine ourselves using this kind of technology doing ordinary stuff and this stuff being part of our day to day activities. Whew! This is truly a revolution in technology.

To read more about surface computers and view the complete video segment just click on the link below

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4217348.html

Ice Cream, Manila Peninsula Style...

Errr, I reported for work last Tuesday, July 1st wearing my "latik inspired" long sleeves and necktie. We were suppose to have a Business Support Photo Session wherein the pictures would be shown on the TV set located in our Office Lobby, but heck it was postponed for July 2nd. What the heck! This just shows how organized people in our office is. :) Anyway, the photoshoot was done the following day and I was all dressed up (again). Though it turned out to be okay since it was more of an impromptu thing, there were no professional photographers to do the shoot, we were just asked to line up (mug shot style) do some wacky stuff and voila we were done.

After the shoot though one of my co-worker asked our vendor manager to treat us ice cream at Manila Peninsula. We went there and tried their ICE CREAM (and this is no ordinary ice cream I tell you). It was served in a humongous ice cream cup (12 scoops of ice cream) with marshmallows, assorted fruit bits (melon, pineapple, grapes, cherries) and some wafer sticks. It was indeed hearty treat, imagine us eating Ice Cream at 2am. :D The best part of it was that we didn't pay for it. ü

This is the first time that I have been at Manila Peninsula and first time that I ate ice cream there. I recommend that you guys try it, can be for 4-5 persons, depending on your appetite or can be between you and your special someone. Though it comes with a steep price, (of course what do you expect, its Manila Pen) but if you want to satisfy your cravings for sweet stuff, this ICE CREAM ala Manila Pen will do.

Useful Outlook Tips....

I know majority of us are using OUTLOOK as our way of communicating to other people for work related issues (well even non work related... I know someone in the office ü) and might have experienced a time wherein we accidentally unchecked the option to "always ask before opening this type of file" when we are about to open an email attachment.

To be honest, I am not that tech savvy and this freaked me out when I unchecked it. That means everytime that I have to open an attachment with the same file extension it will not prompt me anymore, this is dangerous since viruses are everywhere. So with the help of GOOGLE I chance upon this article wherein it identifies the step on how to revert the original settings for opening mail attachment, here it is:

1. Open the Control Panel Folder Options applet or open it from Tools -> Folder Options in any Explorer window.
2. Select the File Types tab.
3. Scroll down to the extension type that you want to reset.
4. Select the extension type, then click Advanced.
5. Check the “Confirm open after download” check box, then click OK.
6. Click Close to the Folder Options dialog box.

Happy Spamming.... lols

Source: http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/06/17/revert-always-ask-before-opening-this-type-of-file-option-in-microsoft-outlook/

How about commuting to work?

I came from a small city called Sta. Rosa in the province of Laguna and work at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig and I commute daily to and from work and to be honest it is sometimes hard to imagine how am I able to manage that ordeal for 5 long years (and counting). Though I have other officemates that lives much farther than where I live, I always get to see faces with bedazzled look and eyes popping whenever they would learn that I am from Sta. Rosa (considering that I am just an hour away from work sans the traffic of course).

I really like the idea of commuting since I get to observe lotsa stuff around, the irony of people rushing to work every morning while I calmly thread my way toward the MRT station not rushing to report for work but rather to get home and sleep. And oh, don't you just love the LRT train ride during Rush Hour? It is a freakin mess...People pushin one another just to get to ride the train, and the wait time for the next available train... anak ng pating...freaking loong...

Though I have been longing to having my own car but with the almost weekly rise in oil prices, I might as well stay as a commuter rather than spend a hundred pesos per liter, besides I get to sleep in the bus on the way home and give me some energy before settling for a 6-hour sleep and to help prepare me for yet another 8-hour shift in the evening.

Manny Pacquiao Wins...Convincingly

We were at Monte Vista yesterday, June 29, 2008 to celebrate my tito's birthday. It was a fun day though the weather was a bit gloomy. Arrived there are aroung 9:30 am and was surprised to see that they were showing the Pacquiao-Diaz bout live on Pay-Per-View. There were a group of people huddled infront of the makeshift white screen that beams the fight live from Vegas and they are eagerly waiting for the main event. I myself was excited since I was not expecting that the resort would air the fight (at least i saved around 3hundred pesos... :D)

I wrote in my previous article that I would not miss the fight since Pacquiao shoots for his 4th world title in 4 different weight classes. I was expecting at least a Unanimous Decision in favor of Pacquiao but never a KO. Until round 9 came and Pacman ended Diaz's reign as lightweight champ. And ALaS! I lost a hundred bucks on a winner take all friendly bet with some officemates on predicting what round Diaz would be knocked out. Though I lost, I am still happy since another Filipino has shown the world that showcases the Philippines are home to great talents and is not just about Corruption and Dirty politics.

Bonding the different way

I started writing about the NBA finals between the Lakers and the Celtics in my blog and now that it is over I feel like I need to write something about another sport that I like to watch. Boxing, and the upcoming match between Pacquiao and Diaz is something that I am waiting for.
I have been reading a lot of articles about this fight (thanks to www.mannypacquiao.ph and www.philboxing.com) and I can say that the stakes are much higher for Pacquiao. Why? Because he is going to take a shot at a historic event by being the only Asian, (pinoy to that matter) to become a 4 weight division champion. I know some of you might ask, what the heck or would even comment that I don't like boxing, errr but even if you don't know about boxing and you don't like to watch it, this is something I am proud of since I am like Pacquiao, to say the least. (You know what I mean..)
The last match that Pacquiao had with Marquez, I watched it together with my Dad via the PAY PER VIEW in SM and to be honest my heart was pounding fast everytime I see Pacquiao gets hit with a counter punch from Marquez, maybe this is caused by too much caffeine that I get in the office but it gets me excited everytime I see Pacquiao step into the ring. I wanted to buy tickets for the Pacquiao vs. Diaz bout but I guess the timing is not right, I don't have the dineros to spend since I need to bring my Dad along with me and that would cost like Php 1000 just for the 2 of us.
I'll just watch it delayed :( and I will definitely turn my cellphone off so that party poopers will not spoil the day. If I can just watch it for free via the web ( I know there is something out there....) I'd definitely to do that.
June 29th will be another bonding moment for the whole family because we are sure to watch this blockbuster. I am a pinoy obviously and I am rooting for Pacquiao to win this match when he fights Diaz on the 29th, it is history in the making and I definitely wouldn't miss it for the world.

Boston Wins 4-2 -- ARrrgh!!!

Funny since I've been wanting to start writing blogs years ago but I really do not know where to begin, call it an overly used expression but i don't give a hoot. :) Thanks to the NBA Finals it triggered my somewhat hibernating writing skills (if there are any)...
So how do i start? Hmnn, well I consider myself a basketball fanatic, eventhough the skills of playing the game has eluded me for ages and basically just confined me to a mere spectator whether it be boobtube or simply watching it from the bleachers. The recently concluded NBA finals 2008 between the Old rivals, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers had people in our office talking, comparing stats, checking who's got the better players, better coach and all of those stuff. It was good to see people who are pumped up at the mere thoughts of reviving the old rivalry between these two teams given that my officemates grew up basically on the Jordan and the BoyBand Explosion Era.
Let us just wait and see what happens next season, I will definitely be watching it. In the meantime it is back to reality. Hmnn I know some people in the office will be a thousand pesos richer since Boston won.... Though my heart is bleeding since my Lakers lost to the Celtics,(obviously I am a Laker Fan) it was indeed a very entertaining series and ultimately the better team won. (arrgh!)