Star Wars Episode 0.5

        A long time ago

        In a galaxy far, far away

        When DOS was still "IN"

        This was how Jedi Geeks had fun...

        Featuring...  Star Wars in ASCII art format, using telnet.

        (Telnet was how jedi geeks connected to other computers and servers, during the time when Internet Explorer wasn't even in the mind of Bill Gates.  The other methods they used to connect to other computers were known via jedi geek acronyms such as FTP, SLIP, PPP, etc.)

        If you have time to spare, telnet to the server towel.blinkenlights.nl port 23 and enjoy the movie.

        Don't know how to telnet?

        Duh?

        On Windows, click on Start -> Run -> and type in "telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl" without the quotes.

        If by chance you're still using Windows 98 and telnet doesn't run, too bad.  You're out of luck.

        Live long and prosper!

        Oops, "May the force be with you!" pala :-)

~florent flora

Ang Teleponiko

CELLPHONE:

• 
  

  An electronic telecommunications device.

  
  


• 
  

  The term used currently in the United States, Canada and in other countries to refer to most mobile phones. It technically applies specifically to mobile phones which use a cellular network. (Source: Wikipedia)

  
  

        Finally, I am able to get some breathing space from my very hectic activities this month.  It seemed as if six months had passed by instead of just one month, what with all the things that I had done.

        Whew! 

        Amazingly, despite the very hectic schedule I was still able to accomplish many things... with God's grace of course.  Waking up each morning and dedicating the day to Him eases up the burden of having to do so many things at the same time.  Even my friends who notice how busy I am comment that it seems I don't have any problems at all.

         Well, that's true.  I really don't have any problems at all because I give them all to God, and I trust and put my faith in Him that He will take care of these problems for me.  Psalm 55:22 says "Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."  How true it is!

        And so it's not surprising that I didn't even have time to think about my cellphones that I lost less than a month ago.  I was fortunate enough to have a spare Nokia 6150 stashed away in the house to use for my telecommunications needs.  The phone has proved itself trusty and dependable in many situations.  I can even take it out of my pocket and answer a call while riding a jeepney without worrying that it might attract the attention of a cellphone snatcher or holdupper. 

        The phone is perfect to use when making a call since the microphone sits exactly in front of my mouth when I'm talking to it, thus I don't have to talk as loud and I don't have to use my other hand to "bridge" the microphone to my mouth in a noisy environment.

        The only drawback is that the keys are stone hard!  As in!  My thumb hurts everytime I use the phone to text.  I had resorted to using my right thumb, and then my left thumb, and than back to my right.  Now I don't text as often as before... once in a while na lang.  So those who are "nakukulitan" to my text messages now have a (temporary) respite. ;-)

        Last Sunday I was going through my things at home and I discovered another phone!  It was actually my very first GSM phone (and I think the very first GSM phone produced by Nokia)... the Nokia 1610!

        The phone is made in Finland, produced sometime in the mid-90s, it only has 2 text lines on the screen and can send text messages in ALL CAPS ONLY.  The phone has 5 ringing tones with volume control.  The battery has a standby time of 20 hours and a charging time of 5 hours.  It's also has a 4-cm. fixed antenna and weighs in at 250 grams (or 1/4 kilo).  It's absolutely GIGANTIC! 

        The phone still works and it is definitely an authentic vintage piece of phone now.

        Hmmmm... maybe I should bring this phone along to the next party that I get invited to.  It will make a very "nice" conversation piece (and also a very nice whack-you-in-the-head device to anyone who tries to ridicule the phone)

---------------------------------------
Here's my phone wish list:

1. Something not too fancy or expensive so that I won't cry if I lose the phone again.


2. Preferably with a camera so that I can take instant pictures for my blog.


3. A big memory card to contain all those photos (and mp3 files also)


4. Optional: FM radio to tune in to Love Radio all the time everytime ;-)


5. Calendar (to organize my schedule)


6. Notepad (to record some blog ideas while on the move)

Hmmm... another 6680 would do just fine.  Or the newer N70 perhaps?  The N90 would be too much of an overkill for me.

Oh well, dream on dexter.  For now I'm still happy with my trusty little 6150.  :-)

The Return of the Comeback

        I'm back online once again in our new office!  After moving from Ortigas Center to our temporary office in Makati last November, we're back again in good ol' Pasig City this merry month of March.  This time, our office is right along the edge of Ortigas Center, away from the maddening call center crowd in Emerald Avenue and very near the upscale crowd of the University of Asia and the Pacific, where the very first Hotshots Flame Grilled Burger outlet was born.

        It took Smart WiFi almost two weeks to complete the transfer and installation of the WiFI antenna in our new office.  We were all suffering from Internet withdrawal symptoms already and everyone chorused "haay salamat" almost all at the same time when the Smart WiFi installers arrived at our doorstep.

        So all's well that ends well once again.  Our office is at the fourth floor of a five story, brand new condo building, with lots of light and fresh air.  The building has ample parking space at the ground floor, a secure, guarded entry and our very own dedicated mailbox with a cute key.  We even have free use of the penthouse roofdesk for parties, meetings and conventions, or just plain star gazing at night to capture that inspiring moment. 

        As for food, there's lots of places to eat in the area.  Just give me a buzz whenever you wander by our friendly neighborhood and let's try out some tasty and juicy Hotshots flame grilled burgers.

        So on with the fun...  Here's something I got from my friendster e-mail that's worth passing on... I think everyone has already received this in their inboxes:

15 Things You Probably Never Knew or Thought About

1. At least 5 people in this world love you so much they would die for you.


2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.


3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.


4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.


5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.


6. You mean the world to someone.


7. If not for you, someone may not be living.


8. You are special and unique.


9. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.


10. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.


11. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back on the world.


12. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you believe in yourself, probably, sooner or later, you will get it.


13. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.


14. Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know.


15. If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great.

        Of course, the message comes with the obligatory instruction: "Send this letter to all the people you care about, Including the person who sent this to you.  If you do so, You will certainly brighten someone's day and might change their perspective on life, for the better."

Un-wired

        I'm still waiting for some good soul to call me up or contact me if ever they have gotten hold of the bag that I lost.  So far, no one's contacted me so it seems that my phones are gone for good.  Also inside that bag is my company ID, my house keys, a T-shirt, some billing statements and brochures, and, just recently, I just remembered that I had my Passport inside the bag also!  Ayayayay!  What on earth was that Passport doing there???  Looks like I will have to file a police report so that I can apply for a new passport with DFA.  Grrrr... 

        Anyway, I got my replacement SIM from Smart last Monday afternoon, the same day that I lost my phones.  The customer service officer who assisted me must have noted that I lost another phone (a Nokia 3650) less than a year ago and so she was kind enough to provide me with a spare SIM (in addition to my replacement SIM) so that in case I would lose my phone again, I would have my spare SIM handy and ready for activation.  Wow, how considerate of her! 

        As for Globe, I still don't have my replacement SIM.  Tsk, tsk, too bad for them.  My Sun SIM is a prepaid one so I would have to buy another prepaid SIM (and that would mean a change in my Sun Cellular number).

        I was told to wait 24 hours for my Smart SIM to be activated.

        I searched for my old phone that was stashed away somewhere at home and when I found it I quickly put in the new SIM card.  As expected I didn't get any signal since the SIM card has not been activated yet.

        Wednesday, 48 hours later, I still was not getting a signal on my phone.  How come?  Has the SIM card not been activated yet?  I remembered that I still had my prepaid Talk'NText SIm card with me.  I inserted the Talk'NText SIM card into the phone but I didn't get any signal either.  Hmmm, maybe that SIM card has been deactivated already from prolonged non-use.  So I put in another Sun Cellular SIM card (dami kong SIM cards, noh?) and presto, instant signal for me!  However when I put back the Smart or Talk'NText SIM cards the phone didn't get any signal.  Hmmm, what gives?

        So I took another phone to test the SIM cards with (dami kong phones, noh?  Actually these are just bits and pieces of phones, I had to assemble and mix-and-match the components together to get a working unit, hehe).  I found out there was something wrong with my original phone and it wouldn't accept hi-memory SIM cards.  I was about to call up Smart Customer Service and complain that my SIM card still was not activated.  Ay mali pala si dexter  :-)

        I'm rebuilding my phonebook again.

        So Friends, Filipinos and countrymen, just message to me your contact information (mobile numbers and landline numbers) along with your birthdays also so that I would not forget them.  My smart number is still the name, 0918-888-0617, so you can text to me your numbers also (no business cards pls.)

        Ciao!  Happy texting!

Ang saya-saya!

        There's one lucky person who hit jackpot today...  and it's not me.

        This morning I woke up early to fix up my bike because of some wobbling that I kept experiencing whenever I went above 100kph on the highway.  It was as if the bike was shaking it's head saying "no! no!" as soon as I reached that speed, and it keeps on wobbling and shaking its head and won't stop until I slow down.  The culprits, as I found out, were loose spokes at the back wheel, meaning the wheels weren't actually turning around in a circle as the bike went.  I was afraid that the head wobble might worsen and go into a deadly tank slapper if I didn't find out what's wrong with the bike and fix it quickly.

        And so after making sure that the rear wheel spokes were all tight and aligned correctly, I put on my riding gear and strapped my bag at the rear of the bike and made sure that the bungee cords holding my bag were all tight and secure.

        Vroooom!

        Off I went down C5 towards South Superhighway.  There was very little traffic and so I increased speed gradually until I got to 100kph.  I felt for any telltale head wobble but there was none to speak of and so I quickly twisted the throttle and went faster to 120kph.  The wind blast was great!  The wind buffeted my body and whistled past my helmet but there was no wobble at all.  The bike was so stable I could actually let go of the handlebars and the bike would coast along happily without complaining.  I zoomed past the cars and the trucks and quickly rode through the bumpy service road towards Alabang.

        As I was nearing my destination, I moved my arm towards the back of my bike to feel if my bag was still securely fastened.

        Wala!

        As in my bag wasn't there!

        I looked at the back and all I saw were the bungee straps that were supposed to hold my bag in place. 

        Patay!  Either my bag fell off somewhere along the way or someone snatched it while I was stopped.  But then I remember that I only stopped once at the Sucat interchange when I waited for the traffic officer to signal me to proceed.  Such is the beauty of riding a bike - from Pateros to Sucat it was non-stop all the way.  Traffic was never a hindrance. 

        I quickly made a beeline and retraced my route back hoping that my bag just fell off somewhere and that no one had picked it up yet.

        Anyway, long story short... I lost my bag.

        I called my my cellphones (which were inside my bag) but the phones only rang.  No one answered the phone.  Maybe people saw the bag but they were afraid to touch it thinking there might be a bomb inside?

        So I texted my phones and left a message there giving instructions to the finder to contact me if ever a good soul found my bag.

        I'm still waiting...  I just called up my phones again but the "subscriber could not be reached" anymore.

        Tsk tsk.

        That's one lucky fellow who got my bag.

        I had my house keys in there also.  Now, when it comes to securing the house, I'm one security freak.  I had gone great lengths to secure my house since I often leave it unattended.  Even a determined thief will have a hard time breaking in and entering the house.  To get inside, I had to call up the caretaker of the house to destroy a window just so I could get in and retrieve my spare keys.  (ok, ok, so sue me for leaving my spare keys inside the house and not depositing them somewhere safe outside.)

        I now accept my loss.  So here's my requiem piece for my phones.  Goodbye XDAii, 6680 and 6150.  Gone also are my pictures, my messages, my notes, my journal, and my contact list.  Good thing I didn't have any provocative pictures in those phones, hehehe.

        Oh well, life goes on.  True, it's a painful loss.  And call me stupid for being so careless.  Stupid, stupid, stupid.  Aaaarrghhh!

        I'll try not to fret at this loss.  But I would rather listen to the whisper, "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this."

        Thank God I'm still alive to enjoy His blessings and I am grateful to Him for this experience.  I still trust in Him... always.

-----------------------------------------
"And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this." (2 Chronicles 25:9)

 

More Than Words

        "How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways..."  So goes the saying. 

        But how do you express such feelings of love when it is true and from the bottom of your heart?  How do you express it without using the words "I Love You"?

        If we could go back to the age of innocence and watch how children do it, we can gain a lot of wisdom from there. 

        Adults should do it like children do it.

        Babies and small children have a divine method of expressing love and feelings.  Children show you how YOU could do it the best possible way.

        Children just LOVE.

        Children smile from eyes to eyes (not just from ear to ear).  Children smile from the bottom of their heart.

        Children never ask questions like "WHY?"

        Children hug, kiss and caress.

        Children ACCEPT YOUR love.

        Children accept ALL love even if a few minutes before they have been spanked or otherwise hurt by their mother or father.

        Children never say I am sorry - children LOVE to PROVE that they ARE sorry whenever they may have caused real pain to someone!

        THAT is the way to express love.

        That is the method to express YOUR true love and forgiveness as well as to PROVE full reconciliation

        NO talking

        NO asking

        NO questions of ANY kind

        Just love - pure love accompanied by a LONG, sweet and gentle hug!

        Just pure, unadulterated love.

        Love the single MOST direct way.

        Children never fear to hug nor to be hugged if true love is the reason to hug them.

        So why should YOU - an adult fear true love if TRUE love is what YOU feel toward the ONE YOU want to express YOUR love and your feelings

        Show true feelings.

        Feelings NEVER can be expressed in words.

        True love feelings can ONLY be expressed in gentle sweet action.

        PROOF OF LOVE IS ALL that is needed.

        Proof of love can only come from a true heart.

        Have courage to show your love, forgiveness and prove full reconciliation the sweetest and most powerful way like children.

        Instantly.

        Spontaneously.

        With a smile from the bottom of your heart.

        Looking into the eyes of the one you love.

        Deep into the eyes to establish a soul to soul connection of love.

        Once this soul to soul connection is established all past is instantly and fully dissolved in love.

        YOUR love and the love from the one looking into your eyes.

        True love has the power to instantly heal ALL past hurts.

        Your past hurts as well as the past hurts of any other person.

---------------------------------
"The one who does not love has not known God. For God is love." 1 John 4:8

A Close Encounter of the 3rd Kind

        Yesterday at around 11PM I rode on my motorcycle to savor the cool evening air and to drop by the Citibank office in Paseo de Roxas to pay off my Credit Card bills.  Since it was already late at night, I felt kinda tired and sleepy already and I reckoned it will be risky to ride in such a condition.

        A bit of coffee and sandwich wouldn't hurt, I told myself, and so I left the motorcycle parked in front of the building and started walking towards the Petron Gasoline station located at the corner of Gil Puyat and Makati Avenue. 

        As I was approaching the corner of Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas (in front of the HSBC Savings Bank) I spotted a lady all by her lonesome self at the corner, presumably waiting for a taxi.  She was wearing tight fitting jeans and a tanktop that showed her bare shoulders and very long hair. 

        I continued walking.  As I neared her I took a closer look so that I could see how she would look like from up close.

        Hmmmmm.... 

        She has a cute butt eh?  And my!  What broad shoulders! 

        The light shone on her face and I saw her chiselled looks with a prominent jaw and cheekbones.  She noticed my presence and, turning her face towards me, we made eye contact.

        Immediately, as our eyes met, I got shivers down my spine, my hands started to sweat and my heart seemed to beat double time...  But it wasn't because I was attracted to her... 

        That "lady" I was admiring turned out to be a "barako baby!"

        Alarms went off inside my head.  Lights started flashing.  Adrenalin quickly pumped through my veins... 

        It was either fight or flight for me. 

        I started walking faster.  Left... right... left... right... not looking back.

        I thought I had already walked a good distance away from her when I slowed down.  As I relaxed my pace I could hear someone mumbling behind me.  I didn't bother looking back.  Maybe it's just the wind playing tricks on me. 

        I continued walking.

        The voice behind me started getting louder and out of the corner of my eye I noticed that it was this lady (or barako baby) walking behind me.  She (or HE) continued mumbling but I could not understand what she (or HE) was saying.  Maybe she (or HE) was talking to someone on her (or HIS) phone. 

        Or so I thought.

        She (or HE) was now about to overtake me.  We were in front of UCPB Building in Makati Avenue when I glanced at her (or HIM) and I noticed that she (or HE) wasn't talking on the phone at all!  She continued her mumbling while looking straight at me with dagger eyes as if she wanted to eat me whole. 

        What the...???! 

        I still could not understand what she was mumbling about.

        I stopped in my tracks, planted my feet firmly, turned towards her (or HIM), and matched her dagger looks with my very own version of Annakin Skywalker's fiery eyes when he was dueling with Obi-Wan Kenobi in Mustafar in Star Wars III - Revenge of the Sith.

        With the loudest voice that I could muster, I looked at her (or HIM) in the eyes and yelled at her (or HIM) from close range. 

Me: "WHY?????"

         My voice could have been loud enough to be heard from the other side of Makati Avenue. I could see the whites of her (or HIS) eyes growing large as she (or HE) reeled back from surprise.

Her (or HIM):  Huh???

        Realizing that she (or HE) couldn't possibly understand the context of my question, I continued my verbal offensive.

Me: "WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME???"

        She (or HE) immediately stepped back and started walking towards the stairs of UCPB Building, away from me , and mumbling loudly this time.

Her (or HIM): I'm not following you...  (with pa-cute voice)

        She (or HE) is now on the defensive!

Me: "DON'T FOLLOW ME, OK!??"

        She (or HE) sat on the stairs sulking.  Happily relieved that I got rid of her (or HIM), I quickly walked away. 

        She mumbled loudly again.

Her (or HIM): "You're so suplado..."

        Without looking back ('coz I had this stupid grin already on my face) I talked back to her in typical Dexter speak:

Me: "Yeah, I know!"

-------------------------------------
Lesson learned:  Never make eye contact with people you don't want to mess around with.

Random Shots

Here are some random shots taken with my phone cam during the Christmas Holidays:

Row, row, row your boat at the Burnham Lake.  Did you know that the water in the lake is actually chest deep only?

This was taken somewhere in Tarlac while traversing a "shortcut" to Baguio (alternate route kuno) that actually added 1 hour to our travel time.   Ano daw yung Xerox???

Here's a sign outside a barber shop in Magsaysay Avenue in Baguio City.  Translated in Tagalog, "Pukis" actually means "Gupit".  Did you have anything else in mind?  ;-)

This is the Giant 200-ft Ferris Wheel at the new Euro Show Carnival in Fort Bonifacio.  The photo does not do justice to the Ferris Wheel.  You should see how the wheel is spinning while the lights are blinking, giving the illusion like the wheel might roll off its spindle and come crashing down the road.

P.S. Euro Show Carnival started operating last December 30, 2005 and will continue to operate until March 2006 only.  It is open from 6:00pm to 2:00AM everyday.  Tara lets!

Ahhh... Love!!!

(Writer's Block! -- the most dreaded "disease" that can ever afflict a writer.  And I've got it!  Aaarghhh.  It must be the Christmas and New Year events that did it.  I'll have to build up momentum once again, so for now, I'll mix and match some thoughts, notes and ideas that I've casually jotted down on my phone's notepad for the past year... wow, my phone's notepad function has its use after all.)

 
        So here it is -- it's not yet Valentine's Day but this being the start of a new year, I'll attempt to write about making this year a "Love Theme" or a "Love Episode" or "Love me Tender" or "whatever-you-wanna-call-it-love" syndrome.

        So what is love anyway?

        Here's some wacky definitions:

"Love is a heterogenous conglomeration of absurdity calculated to bamboozle the anatomy of the individual who becomes intoxicated with its abominable and irresistible power."

      - and -

"Love is a feeling you feel when you feel that you're going to get a feeling that you never felt before. "

        Huh?  Say that again???

        But seriously now... 

        One of the greatest descriptions of love is found in the Scripture: "Love is patient, love is kind; It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps ho record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, it always protects, always believes, always hopes, always perseveres." (l Cor. 13:4-7)

        After that comes the profound statement: "Love never fails." (verse 8)

        And what's the shortest, most profound statement on love?  Again it is found in the Bible -- just three words: "God is love." (1 John 4:8)

        Many people think that they are in love when in fact they are only infatuated.  Love's counterfeit is infatuation. 

        So how do we distinguish which is which? 

        Infatuation is ruled by feelings alone.

        But love's feelings are ruled by principle.  True love has feelings - Tender feelings which are put in the human heart by a caring God. In true love, all feelings are under the control of principle.

        Infatuation is in a hurry. 

        But love takes time.  We can build a shack overnight.  But if we are building a house that will stand the fury of a typhoon, that takes time.

        Infatuation is a ditch into which narrow-eyed people fall.

        While love is a ladder onto which wide-eyed people climb. In a sense, we do not "fall in love". rather, we "climb on to love".

        What's the recipe for love? 

        It's called J.O.Y.

J for Jesus - love Jesus best of all.
O for others - love your partner and other people better than sourself
Y for you - love yourself last.

        Ok ngarud!  That's my piece. 

        Let's make this year a "Love Year" for everyone!

Retrospecting...

        It's now 2006!  Another year to live, a new hope, a fresh start, and many many things to look forward to for the next 12 months and beyond.

        Looking back at 2005, I could say that the past year was very significant for me in many aspects.  Much of the most significant events happened in the latter half of the year; The first half of the year was basically a "boring" period with me getting involved in a card distribution business that I eventually closed down since it was taking too much of my time, effort and resources.  After I freed myself of that bondage, things serendipitically fell into place...

        So here they are, in no particular order... my year 2005 in a nutshell

1. I lost my old Nokia 3650 cellphone... I actually left it inside a taxicab.  I realized it too late as I saw the taxicab speeding away after I had alighted infront of our house.


2. My project proposal (CameraSafe for Nokia Series60 phones) landed in the Top 10 of the Smart-Nokia SIP Apps Challenge.  Too bad I didn't land in the Top 5...


3. I received a cash grant from Smart for the development of the CameraSafe application.


4. Smart also gave me a brand new Nokia 6680 phone (Yipee!  pamalit sa nawalang 3650)


5. I celebrated my birthday in the air on a Tiger Airways flight from Singapore to Clark, together with Tiger's reknowned "masungit" stewardesses.


6. And I fell in Jesus' loving embrace  :-)


7. My parents, my sis and me had the time of our lives in Singapore and Thailand as we got "reunited" and enjoyed each other's company while travelling together (my sis had been working in Singapore for more than a year already, my parents are based in Baguio, while I'm based in Manila)


8. Someone gave me a copy of the book "The Purpose Driven Life" last June.


9. I started reading that book only last November.  I haven't finished reading it yet.


10. I'm a member of the "Loser's Club"!  I was able to lose 15 pounds in a four month period while simultaneously trimming down my waistline by four inches  (Wanna know my "loser's secret"?)


11. I was able to achieve my goal of running 5 kilometers in under 30 minutes and my rest pulse rate is now 60 beats per minute =)


12. Finally, I was able to make amends with people with whom I've held grudges with for so many years already, or those who held grudges against me.  All it took was a phone call and enough guts to say "sorry, it was my fault"  =)

 

A blessed happy new year to one and all!