Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Review

I completed this 2 weeks ago. I started the game a year ago and lost track of it. When I started it back again this summer, I realized I missed out collecting all the hidden intel throughout the game. So I started from the first act, first area and looked for each intel.

I managed to beat the game in 2 sittings from there on out. Initially my setting was at Veteran level. This got too hard in the middle levels. I have other games to play, too. So I downgraded the difficulty to normal mode, mid-game. It's still just as difficult. Slightly manageable, but difficult.

I followed the story from Modern Warfare. I like how they handled this sequel and the sure thing soon-to-be sequel currently dubbed as "Modern Warfare 3." I just wish Activision and Infinity Ward former bosses would resolve their dispute, so they can finish the sequel and release it by next year. Nothing I hate more than game delays due game-politics e-penis boasting.

I would have made a review of the multiplayer aspect of this game. Unfortunately, everybody else is playing Medal of Honor and Black Ops, right now. That's what I get for not jumping into the bandwagon. Still, the story kicks ass.

I'm done.

30 Days of Truth - Day 8

Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit

I personally believe that there is good in everyone. However, I can name a few people who would be in this entry. Even so, I don't think they were able to make my life hell or were able to treat me like shit. I'm a fighter... not just in games, dammit. Can't hold me down.

I'm done.

Final Fantasy XIII First Impressions

So I just started playing Final Fantasy XIII. This game is major eye-candy. There are some scenes where you'd think it's computer animated video, but it's actually real-time in-game graphics. The White engine is really remarkable.

Then it just went kind of mediocre from there. This game is so linear. You can't backtrack to previous maps. The only way is going forward. To get items, you access them through the save points and shop through various networks. The battle system is so-so right now. I like the combo-chains of successive actions, resulting staggering your enemies to a point where they don't attack for a few seconds while your characters are free to continuously pummel them with higher damage.

I'm just starting the game, so I really hope the story is very worth it. That's how I judge my RPGs, anyway.

I'm done.

Farmville for Dummies

I really hope she's joking. Here's an excerpt from our conversation earlier:

Her:your birthday present: http://www.geekologie.com/2010/12/17/farmville-IS-for-dummies.jpg
Me: nooooooooo
Me: hahaha
Me: I'd like to think I'm fairly adept at Farmville now, thanks to an awesome teacher
Her: lol
Her: true story.
Me: yep
Me: I could write a book about it
Me:
Me: especially in building placement optimization... (I should trademark that)
Her: lol

Just to give you guys an idea what Building Placement Optimization™ is, here's a zoomed out picture of my farm.

I maximized the number of plots to the highest number possible, sacrificing unnecessary decorations, buildings, and whatnots... only to keep the important buildings like the stable, nursery, bee hive complex, etc. I'm sacrificing aesthetics for efficiency in generating the most crops, which give the most coin and experience. That in itself, to me, is beauty. (Damn, Jose!!! Getting all philosophical about Farmville now, are we?)

Here's how compact those buildings are at the top.

I'm done.

My Thanksgiving in New York with Family

Long post is long. Below details what I did for Thanksgiving with family. I'm placing the video somewhere in the middle.

I was in New York from Thursday to Saturday afternoon. We stayed at Affinia Manhattan near Madison Square Garden. We purposely arrived at around 12 noon so we would miss the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on 34th street. We also ran into the Heintz Ketchup van giving away free fries and ketchup in their new packaging (patent still pending). After getting settled in the hotel, we met with my aunt and went to Chinatown to eat at Hop Kee Restaurant. We ordered lots of food. We finished most of it. I was full full. Afterwards, we went shopping for a bit, bought food and then went to Broadway street to watch Promises, Promises.

To Where You Are

You gave me strength to speak when I was weak.

For that, I thank you.

Rest in peace, uncle.

Ode to Beauty

That's all it took, when I looked

Ensnaring me, your big bright eyes

From then on, I was hooked

Setting me free, my worldly ties

Lucky is a person to have you

Bestow them, your elegant smile

May they always feel what I felt

Taking me right out of the blue

Keeps me going for a day, a mile

Graced by your smile, I melt

Sometimes...

Sometimes...

You have to put a period on something that has to end...

And not just settle on a comma and pretend.

Why? Because the time will come...

You'll realize it's better to see a complete sentence...

Rather than a hanging phrase sticking out like a sore thumb...

Which doesn't make any sense...

... At all.

Sometimes...

You have to let go of the past...

Like what a song said, "some good things never last."

If you're not the person you want to be...

Be that person. Change for the better.

Be that person that you want to see...

What you want to see when you look in the mirror...

... Things will be clearer.

I'm done.

Fall Leaves in the Night

I decided to bring my camera around when I went grocery shopping on Thursday last week. I couldn't find anything to take a picture at. When I got home, the best view I could find was in the driveway.

I'm done.

Diary of a Returning Gamer #4

This is the first time in a long, long time where I'm juggling multiple games at the same time. From NIER, to Brutal Legend, to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 (which I restarted playing so I can gather all military intelligence from the get-go), to Heavy Rain, to Silent Hill: Homecoming, this point and click mystery game called Letters From Nowhere (for the PC), and Fallout 3. This doesn't even include Facebook and puzzle games I play from time to time and online flash games from various sites like Newgrounds and Miniclip.

There are still a bunch of games I have set my sights on: Final Fantasy XIII, God of War 3, and Fallout: New Vegas to name a few. We'll see how much I can obliterate of the games I currently have until I can sink my teeth on to the new ones.

I'm done.

My Power Ranger Costume

Since I didn't get any pictures of me during the Halloween Party on Saturday night, I dressed up and handed out candy to kids on Sunday afternoonight.

My mom took these pictures. I didn't do any grandiose poses. It's also cold, so I wore flips whenever I stepped outside.

I'm done.

30 Days of Truth - Day 7

Someone who has made your life worth living for

Well, shoot.

It's not really something I can narrow down to just one person or something. I'm not at that point, yet.

First and foremost... my immediate family. When I'm down and feel like giving up, my family is always there for me. I may have disagreements and arguments from time to time, but family is where it's at.

30 Days of Truth - Day 6

Something you hope you never have to do

There are many things I don't like. Sure I throw the word hate around from time to time, but it doesn't really mean I hate something. It just means I don't like it. The word hate is not the opposite of the word like. Hate is a strong word. So I really hope that I never ever have to hate someone.

I'm done.

Restraining Usage

Let me get this straight. It is hard, creatively deriving anything when restrained. The idea can be daunting but it is achievable. It binds us, adapting that which many believe is infeasible. But trying never hurts. With that in mind, the plausibilities are endless. All it takes is a little due diligence. The average individual may give up when faced with this dilemma. An unyielding being faces that which causes an impediment. This sharpens the mind and prepares it when an alternate hindrance establishes itself.

The restraint I placed myself binds me in addressing that which is what I am undertaking in this writing; that which pertains an event happening in exactly a week that deals with writing. This exercise I am undertaking is preparation aimed at said event. Feel free in asking me what this is, afterwards. Since my usual ending phrase falls under the restraint I placed, it is unacceptable. As a result, I will replace it with a different phrase with a similar meaning.

I'm finished.

Dammit, Hard Drive!!

Not a good day today. Started about 3 weeks ago when I heard scratching

and grinding noises while I was copying stuff into my hard drive. It was fine

receiving the files from my computer. Then about 2 week ago, I was a little

under the weather and decided to watch my shows. So I settled down and

turned on my laptop. When I navigated through the harddrive and clicked on

one of the folders, it hanged a bit and a box said the folder was inaccessible.

After about 5 days, it was an intermittent problem. Around 2 days ago at

night, it just wouldn't let me access the folders. I went online and did some

investigation of my own. Some tech-savvy people said "turn off the sleep

mode, safely disconnect the hard drive and shut down the computer." Then

everything should be fine. I restarted and hooked the hard drive. It didn't

work. I did some more research online some people suggested to getting

another harddrive enclosure. Even my friend said so. But I've encountered

something like this in the past with burned CDs. When I was saving data,

similar errors popped up. The only other option I could think of is salvage

as much of the hard drive. I'll run the CHKDSK.EXE so the computer can

verify the bad sectors and try to fix and remove the corrupted files if there

ever were to begin with. The only problem is it takes too long with the hard

drive at 2 Terabytes (TB) and at 1.03TB capacity. Some people online said

I might have to let it run for 3 to 4 days. One guy had a 1.5TB hard drive

at 1.3TB capacity. It took 4 days for CHKDSK.EXE to complete verifying. I

might have to just scrap that and call this one a dud. Another solution is

have a professional data recovery company salvage what's left in there for

a price. I have about 1TB worth of TV shows, movies, music and others. I

probably don't have to do this if CHKDSK.EXE can fix it. I should be really

pissed, but this happens. Checked my old hard drive and some files I have

yet to transfer are still intact. I'm somewhat relieved. But still...

I'm done.

(If you're wondering with the format of this post, it's because I made it into an acrostic)

Nier and Far

I'm currently working my way through this action-RPG NIER by Square-Enix. This is a highly underrated game. It doesn't have the next gen graphics that everyone expects from games like Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 or Final Fantasy XIII, but this game has all the makings of a good action role-playing game.

Diary of a Returning Gamer #3

I've been slacking off with Brutal Legend. I need to play that game uninterrupted. Meanwhile, I've stepped up my game with Pump it Up. The latest version, Pump it Up Fiesta has, by far, the best playlists of any versions of the game. The fact that you can upgrade the game via USB is a great addition. Also, in future updates, you can use your own stepcharts for certain songs.

If you're lucky enough to be here Maryland in Arundel Mills Mall on Friday and Saturday nights, you'll be seeing me light up the room with this game with my friends. I've been playing dance rhythm games since Dance Dance Revolution. That's about 8 years. We joke around that this is a second job for us.

Whenever we play, these are the questions that most people ask:

Do you have this game at home?

Did you memorize the game?

What are the arrows on the screen?

And this rare question... did you make this game?


What my friends and I do with this game is serious. I'm the only "freestyler" in the group and it takes a lot of work coming up with dance routines while stepping on the arrows at the same time. It's also a good workout.

I'm currently practicing and thinking of a routine for one song. Hope it goes well.

I'm done.

30 Days of Truth - Day 5

Something you hope to do in your life

So much stuff going on in my mind right now. It's already past 5 in the morning and even thought I'm sleepy, I can't seem to sleep. This day on the 30 days of truth list is fitting.

I really hope I can love again. I don't know if that's what I need to fill this big gaping hole in my life right now. So far I've been on auto-pilot. These days, I don't really feel like I'm going somewhere and it sucks. It's like I'm on the road without knowing where I'm going and all I'm doing is taking the next left or right turn whichever I chose. My life right now is like this Backstreet Boys song:

30 Days of Truth - Day 4

Something you have to forgive someone for

I think it's really hard for me to hold a grudge. There are people I'd rather not associate myself with, but that's different. Holding a grudge is like having someone occupy your mind rent-free.

I think in time, I can forgive my dad. After all, he is my dad. But there's a difference between forgiving and forgetting. That's why forgiveness is hard. Only time will tell.

I'm done.

30 Days of Truth - Day 3

Something you have to forgive yourself for

There are lots of things I blamed myself for.

I blamed myself for my parents' divorce. It took a long time to come to terms with it and to finally understand it wasn't my fault. Divorce was inevitable before that thing happened to me. After we left my dad, my aunt told was still calling my mom and saying that "WE" ruined my dad. After all the messed up things my dad did and it was us that ruined him. My mom told my aunt that it's not him that's ruined. We left to stay away from him and we were better off, but it was us that he shattered. The way we left him was wrong, but everyone whom we talked to and told about what happened, even my grandpa and other aunt (father's side), told us it was the right thing to do.

Another thing I have to forgive myself for is how everything went down with my ex. I can't move on if I can't forgive myself. It's true, that later on I wanted to be with her. But it has more to do with the fact that I could already tell before we broke up that I was losing her. Even before that, I was already committed after I got back from the Philippines, but the months leading into the inevitable was already apparent. I was indecisive because I didn't want her that badly. I didn't want to end the relationship because I really did like her, but it wasn't strong enough. I didn't have the guts to break up with her. I knew I was gonna get hurt big time for this if it ended. But it was great while it lasted.

You live you learn
You love you learn
You cry you learn
You lose you learn
You bleed you learn
You scream you learn

You grieve you learn
You choke you learn
You laugh you learn
You choose you learn
You pray you learn
You ask you learn
You live you learn

I'm done.

30 Days of Truth - Day 2

Something you love about yourself

Last year I wouldn't even know how to answer this question... let alone think about anything I love about myself. All I needed was time and a lot of self reflection. For most of my life, the one thing that was constant about me is that I can easily make friends... a quality I have abandoned after years of stress in college. I don't know what it is, but this also ties with the skill to make any baby warm up to me and smile or laugh.

If there is something that I love about myself, then it would have to be this. I don't have a word for it, but I'll refer to it as "THIS" or "THAT."

I'm done.

30 Days of Truth - Day 1

Something you hate about yourself

Sometimes your mind can be the biggest downer you ever encounter. This is why I shouldn't be left alone for a long time. My mind starts to wander and I start thinking.

I got this list from my friend and for lack of creative writing, I'm resorting to this. Day 1 focuses on something that you hate about yourself. Well, I don't like the word 'hate.' But if I have to hate something about myself, it would have to be this matter of thinking too much.

Types of Gamers 2010 Edition

I think it’s time to update this to the 2010 edition including newer species I haven’t catalogued.

I started compiling this article back in 2004. I made numerous iterations until finally submitting it to Gaming World in early 2005(Types of Gamers). At first, this article was designed to help sort out the confusion between ‘hardcore gamers’ and ‘old-school gamers.’

The information is 50/50 split between gamers, editorials written over time from magazines and websites around the world and my observations. The definitions are somewhat rigid and not all gamers will fall into just one place. There’s a little bit of 2 or 3 or more of each of these in us. To accompany you while reading, I prepared my playlist to play select game music from OCRemix.

Diary of a Returning Gamer #2

Every since I went back into my gaming schedule, I've noticed a few things different than how I used to game. Even though I never really abandoned gaming, it's been a while.

The high point of my constant gaming was during high school. During that time, I was pulling B+/A- minus averages in school for my honors classes, all the while playing role playing games and the like. For most of the Final Fantasy games, I easily surpassed over 100 hours. Final Fantasy 7, 8 , 10, 10-2, where 100+ hours spent on each. Final Fantasy 8 was less than 40 hours shy of the 200 hour mark. The last RPG I fully played was Final Fantasy 12. I didn't get everything, but I played it during college.

• Right now, I have no set schedule for gaming. Back then I would start playing after I finish my homework and reading or vice versa. Maybe it's because I'm in the workforce and I can do pretty much what I want. I could play for 8 hour straight on weekends and I'll probably end up completing that game
• Another thing: the achievement system and trophy system has made a huge impact on how people game. Heck, even I used to play like that in high school. If I haven't collected or accomplished everything a game has to offer, it's not complete and I don't move on to the next un-played game until then.
• I had my trusty PSM (Playstation Magazine) with their game reviews, previews, mini strategy guides, codes, etc. I have two boxes containing 5-6 years worth of PSM. The Official Playstation Magazine (OPM) tanked. PSM was the only Playstation dedicated magazine left in the market. Sony caved and bought the magazine and it became the new official magazine called "Playstation: the Official Magazine." I stopped subscribing in the midway through my college years. I had the internet to give me hints for games.
• I used to buy strategy guides for most of my big games... mainly role playing games. The last strategy guide I bought was the Fallout 3 strategy guide. However, I bought it just for the novelty of having it. I get all my hints online when I really need it. Having a strategy guide is best when you want to complete everything in a game. Right now, I'm not as obsessive-compulsive about that. The last time I did that was for Final Fantasy 12. I flaked out after almost a year and used gameshark to maximize all the stats to beat the tough bosses. Even then, there's a boss in the game with 50 million HP. The cool thing about this boss battle is that you can enter and exit the arena anytime you want. Any damage done to the boss is kept until you return. I didn't bother with this... I went ahead and completed the game only to be greeted by a lackluster ending sequence. The last great Final Fantasy with a Fantastic ending was Final Fantasy 10-2. They just don't make them like they used to.

That's pretty much what I could think of right now. Until then.

I'm done.

The Road to Dante's Inferno

Ain't No Sunshine trailer

I recently completed the Electronic Art's Dante's Inferno. It's based on the first part of Dante Alighieri's "The Divine Comedy." The game plays just like God of War, except you're playing a crusader in the middle ages who fights his way into the nine circles of hell to save his beloved wife. You fight bosses based on the seven deadly sins.

Diary of a Returning Gamer #1

The last time I played lots of great games was back in 2008: Metal Gear Solid 4, Fallout 3, Soul Calibur 4, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Maplestory (addicting as heck), etc.

Then around March-May 2009, my gaming just started to decline and I stopped playing most of my games. Pretty much abandoned them. I played Farmville and Mafia Wars on Facebook, but I don't really consider them full games. They're more like side-quests or a very long mini-games. It's ironic that my co-worker, the person that I got hooked on Fallout 3 is now the one pestering me if I completed Fallout 3 or any other game for that matter. From May 2009 to January 2010, the PS3, Wii, and DS Lite are collecting dust. We would play Rock Band once in a while when my sister comes to visit the house.

Final Fantasy Parodies

I'm not afraid to admit that the first Final Fantasy game I ever played was Final Fantasy VII. If it wasn't for that game, I wouldn't have known about Role-Playing games (RPG). After that, I got to play Parasite Eve, Suikoden Series, Threads of Fate, Shadow Hearts Series, Granstream Saga, and many more RPG games. I even started playing the previous Final Fantasy installments (FF, FFIV [FFII in US], FFV, FFVI [FFIII in US]) and the later ones (FFVIII, FFIX, FFX, FFX-2, FFXII). I was so mad Square Enix, Squeenix, took Final Fantasy XI instead of just calling it Final Fantasy Online. They ruined my goal of playing and completing all the numbered Final Fantasy games.

Anyway, if you're a Final Fantasy fan, I'm giving you fan service right now... no, I'm not showing you my underwear. However, you'll definitely enjoy all these Final Fantasy inspired videos/flash animations I found throughout the years. Be sure to bookmark this post... you'll definitely spend a good portion of your free time watching these videos.

Brutal Legend ROCKS!!!

So the closest Toys 'R' Us store is closing in my area (It's literally within walking distance... less than a mile). Each Thursday they're giving discounts to all items. I almost bought an electric guitar for $96. I ended up buying 3 PS3 games: Brutal Legend, Dante's Inferno, and Nier. The first game I'm playing is Brutal Legend.

I have a soft spot for original games and this game just screams of it. If you liked Beyond Good & Evil and Kya: Dark Lineage or pretty much any action-adventure game... then you'll love Brutal Legends.

First Trailer

Mini-Spoiler Alert:

Dino Megazord + Dragonzord + Titanus = Ultrazord

The Dino Megazord and Dragonzord

Power Rangers was the awesomeness. I know it's not a word, but it really was "teh awesomeness." What's also awesome about the show are the paraphernalia that came with it. Out comes Christmas time or your birthday and all the girls and boys wanted to have the costumes, the masks, the toys and many other Power Ranger related stuff.

I really wanted the toys that came with it. I think I got the red ranger and my sister got the pink ranger. I was just happy my mom bought me the red ranger and the pink ranger for my sister. I also wanted to have all 5 Dinozords that came with it (Mastodon, Pterodactyl, Triceratops, Sabre-Toothed Tiger, Tyrannosaurus), but these were really expensive. I knew my mom couldn't afford it then. I remember when she would take us shopping at the mall and I would always stop by the toys section and look at all the Power Ranger toys in glass boxes on the shelf just above my 9-10 year old body's reach.

Evangeline (2002)

I just went through my archived documents in high school and I found this story I wrote for a contest. I don't remember making this story until now. I don't even remember if I submitted my story to the contest at all. I read through it and I realized that I had a really good imagination. I was an awesome writer. I was clearly influenced by fantasy stories, anime and role-playing games. The things I wrote have are pretty advanced and going through "Evangeline" made me realize that Hollywood and the Anime/Manga industry has been ripping me off (Just kidding). College definitely changed me. I'm going through my old stuff right now and I'm just surprised by everything that I've written. Maybe I should start writing again. Anyway, here's the story I wrote when I was 18.

Gardening / Self-Sufficient Garden Pool

I remember back in the Philippines when my mom had a garden of orchids, Dancing Ladies, Bougainvilleas, Calachuchis, and Hibiscus flowers. We also had Bitter Squash, two Señorita Banana trees and a Papaya tree.

I've been living here in the US for 13 years. That's the same amount that I lived in the Philippines before moving here. One of the things that I miss is my mom's garden of orchids, flowers, vegetables and fruits. It's not what you'd call a dream garden. But my mom made the most out of the empty lots around our house in the back corner of the Jariol Residence. I've been living in this house right now for about 12 years. We have 3 non-fruit-bearing young trees (non-edible at least) and flowers bought from the gardening section of Home Depot/Lowe's. I asked my mom years ago and recently if we can plan vegetables and fruits. She said we need permission from the home owner's association to do that. It has to be within a certain number of feet from the house walls. The best way to plan vegetables or fruits are as potted plants. Not gonna cut it for me.

Break In New Kicks Through Gaming

I bought these last week. Just wore them yesterday. Had to break them in. And the only way I know to break in new shoes are by dancing on the Pump it Up Arcade Machine. They updated the machine at Dave & Busters to the latest version, Pump it Up Fiesta.

Otakon 2010 Day 2

I dressed up as Teito Klein from 07-Ghost. Some people were really impressed with my Bascule prop. Around 2PM, someone pulled the fire alarm and everyone in the convention were lead out. I drove my sister home for her Paramour concert which wasn't until 6:30PM. I still feel bad about taking her home early. I'll make it up for her. I drove back and met with my 07-Ghost photoshoot. It shouldn't come as a surprise, but I was the only guy in the group. After the photoshoot, we did another one in the outdoor terrace and hanged out with my group inside the convention. We left and said our goodbyes and I changed into something more comfortable.... IT'S RAVE TIME!!!

Otakon 2010 Day 1

Just finished uploading the best photos from Otakon 2010 Friday (Day 1). My Flickr account is almost maxed out so Day 2 will only be in Facebook photos until my Flickr account resets the maximum limit. The catch phrase this year are rehashes from last year: You lost the game, Butt-scratcher, Colossus Power Yell, etc.

Otakon 2010 Day 1 (Friday Photos) [Facebook]
Otakon 2010 Day 1 (Friday Photos) [Flickr]

Enjoy.

I'm done.

You Know You're...

You know you're addicted to a Facebook game when real world sounds reminds you of the game.

You know you're addicted to caffeine when 5-Hour energy drink makes you sleepy.

You know you're metrosexual when you have more clothes than most guys and some girls or ex.

You know you're metrosexual when you take longer to get ready dressing up than the other metrosexual guy.

You know you're a gamer when you say noob (loudly or in your head) at people who turn one the left lane and then decide the last minute to turn back to the previous lane.

You know you're gamer when a gamer starts referencing gaming terms and you totally understood them all without blinking.

You know you're frustrated when the littlest things like the sliding doors of a building take too long to slide away from you.

You know you're sexually frustrated when everything around you looks very sexy.

You know you're obsessive-compulsive when you triple check everything.

You know you're a Gleek (Glee geek/fan) when you start quoting lines from certain episodes, listen to all their music, downloaded all their music, bought all their CDs, force your family to watch them, buy the "Don't Stop Believin'" Official Glee T-Shirt from Borders, and you scream like a girl for news related to Glee, Kristen Chenoweth, and many more.

You know you're a Gleek when you actually auditioned online to be part of the show... True story.

I'm done.

Penmanship

In a world ruled by computers and keyboards, does penmanship still count?

I ask this because I generally don't do anymore writing with a pen or a pencil other than a quick jotting down of notes at or something else. Most of the time I'm typing. Over the years my penmanship has gone bad. When I was 3 years old I had the best penmanship of writing my name and the alphabet. As I got older it kept changing and eventually I learned how to write the alphabet cursively. It started with writing exercises in school and eventually got down to writing full sentences and connecting the cursive penmanship of each letters together. From then on, I merged my old way of writing with cursive. So my penmanship is a mixture of cursive and standard.

Most girls I know still have great penmanship. Maybe it's just guys. But my step dad still has a a very legible and understandable penmanship. It probably just means you care enough to write legibly or not. What I have is chicken scratch, to say the least. I should go to a book store and buy a book on handwriting exercises just for fun. As of right now, I don't like my penmanship.

I'm done.

Hymns

For some reason this song from the Philippines in church has always stayed with me. I'm not quite sure about the lyrics and the correct words but I remember it. I couldn't remember the entire lyrics but after 1 hour of searching I found the entire song. It's one of those songs that just reminds you that no matter where you are and what you're doing, you're never really alone.


I know I'll never be alone
In this world
I know I'll never be alone
Completely alone
You'll always be beside me
To strengthen and to guide me
To drive away my fears with love

The raging sea will calm down
The storm will pass
The smiling sun will rise up
To brighten the skies

'Tis a reason for a smile
'Tis a reason for survival
I can brave the storm
I can walk alone in the dark

'Cause I know, you'll be there with me
To give me strength
To give me hope
To drive away my tears
and sorrows with love

Distorted View on Karma

I think people who seem to always get unlucky or the bad end of the stick with life have this distorted view on Karma. When you're down and always think you've never made it, all your hope just disappears and you find yourself becoming bitter and angry. Your entire life view is changed. You lose trust in people. You think that the only person you can really trust is yourself. You start seeing things in this distorted view on Karma. You can't help it. You're the product of your own making. It may be someone else or some event that led you to this point in your life, but it was you who allowed yourself to become this person.

Jogged Down Memory Lane... Literally

So I was still awake at 6. Out of nowhere, being spontaneous, I decided to put my running shoes on and went outside the house for a jog at 6:15AM. The woods and plant life in the hiking trail have grown enormously since the last time I've been here. I jogged 1/2 a mile in 5 minutes. I haven't been able to do that since ever. After that I walked and jogged alternately towards the public swimming pool which is about 3/4 of a mile away from my house through the jogging pathway in our neighborhood. I walked/jogged again towards the opposite end of where my house is and found myself in the playground.

I haven't been in this playground for a long time. Last time I was here was 4 years ago. My ex and I came here one fine afternoon and relived our childhood memories playing in the swings and pushed each other on the swings. A few months ago I'd probably get all sad and depressed. As I approached the playground and the swings and pull-up bars, I just smiled and thought to myself... those were great memories.

Made Up Word Meanings

The Washington Post has a yearly contest in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for words. Here are some winning entries:

• Coffee (n.), a person who is coughed upon.
• Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.
• Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
• Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.
• Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent
• Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absent-mindedly answer the door in your nightie.
• Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.
• Gargoyle (n.), an olive-flavored mouthwash.
• Flatulence (n.) the emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.
• Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.
• Testicle (n.), a humorous question in an exam.
• Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified demeanor assumed by a proctologist immediately before he examines you.
• Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddish expressions.
• Circumvent (n.), the opening in the front of boxer shorts.
• Pokemon (n), A Jamaican proctologist.

100 Fun Facts about Bones

http://www.fox.com/bones/100thepisode/

This was created around the time the 100th episode was to be aired I think.

You may know everything about Booth and Brennan. You may know everything about The Jeffersonian. But you didn't know these 100 fun facts about the production process that goes into making each episode of Bones.

Did A Duet with the Glee Version of Alone

The first song on my playlist is the Glee version of the song "Alone" original by the group Heart. This version is sung by Kristen Chenoweth and Matt Morrison. I went to my sister's friend's high school graduation/birthday party tonight. I sang the song in a duet with my sister's best friend. I think we pulled it off quite nicely. Probably needs a little bit of tweaking, but we pulled it off... Heck, I'm feeling a little air-headed right now to say that I did really really well.

Well, that's about all I can say right now. Overall a fun night.

I'm done.

... Glee

'nuff said.

I'm done

Go Out and Find It

"Don't wait for opportunity to come along, go out and find it" - from Far East Fortune Cookie Co. Ltd.

I got this from one of the twitter pictures in one of the people I'm following on Twitter.

This fortune speaks volume to me because the most fulfilling achievements in my opinion are the ones you sought after. So far I've only had 5 jobs in my life. Two of which I'm very proud of because I got them by my own doing.

Working at Muvico was important to me because it was my decision. Nobody forced me on to it. Even though I only worked for about 3 months, it was an accomplishment. I've had 2 jobs later but my current job is my biggest accomplishment so far.

Steal Much? Uh Huh

I got this from my friend who makes her posts in to 10 status updates... sort of.

10. My roller-coaster week could not have ended on a much better note.
9. ... but part of me wanted to stay.
8. You are WAY too nosy.
7. ... although it can be confusing.
6. The way you get mad/pissed at me makes you cuter... makes me want to hug you.
5. ... if only you would grow up and give it a rest.
4. Making new "friends" is easier than I thought...
3. I blame the comfy bed ...
2. I wish I can quit your ice-cold beverage.
1. If I could, I would definitely erase you from my mind, but not you or you...

I'm done.

Few Weeks of Change

These past few weeks have been an enlightening one for me. Never did I think I could be so fortune to have these people in my life. From the person I've known for a while now but never really had a chance to speak to as much, to the people I hanged out with back when I was just a freshman in college.

I never thought that I could be on speaking terms with this person. I was always very shy and had a lot of eyes observing me back then. This person even thought I was very dismissive when I talked and thought I acted like I am better... basically a snob. The truth is, I was just in a different place in time... busy observing from a distance. Now this person is like the goto person I never had but always wanted one. We'd talk/text about random things and similar interests... anything.

I lost connection with the people I hanged out with at the mall 5 years ago. One of them I worked with at Muvico back then. We enjoyed one game together and that is Pump it Up. After the changes in my life, I stopped going there and lost connection with them. Circumstances changed and I started going back there and played again because it was the one place that always cheered me up no matter how hard my day/week/month was. In one of these nights, it was like a grand reunion: they all showed up one by one. Since then, we've hanged out and eaten at Denny's. I just got back from Denny's with two of these guys from 1AM to 4:30AM. We just talked about anything.

If there is one word to describe the many, many range of emotions I'm feeling right now... it would be happy. Not sugar-coating it happy. Happy. I've only had about 2 hours of sleep for the past 2 days. I should be tired and angry, but I'm feeling very blessed right now. Thanks to you guys, you made my transition from depression to acceptance closer from coming into fruition. Thank you for being you.

I'm done.

Gummy Bear Surgery

I found this online and I just had to share it. Posted anonymously so thank you whoever posted this.


Bear Mohawk


Dino Plasty

I'm a (potential) Gleek

So, I've withheld this topic for the longest time. I've been a fan of Glee since I first heard of it, but I've been unable to sit down an entire episode (yes... how SHAMEFUL). Only recently have I gotten caught up and watched all the episodes (still re-watching them... they're that good). According to a certain someone who shall remain nameless, I can't call myself a Glee fan (or Gleek) unless I know the ins and outs of the series. This person will administer a Glee quiz to determine my "Gleek-hood." The only way to prepare myself is to watch the episodes and commit to memory what's going in the series so far. I've made an oath to avoid wikipedia when answering these Glee-questions.

Would I...?

[Written after I wrote everything below]

This will probably be my closest to an unofficial analysis of the movie, 500 Days of Summer. I found myself writing, freethinking and this is what I came up with.

---

I've wrestled with this idea for the longest time which I will talk about in the end. Not once did my answer waver since it always had been a constant yes. There are many things that drive people nuts in these situations.

One thing that probably drives most people insane in these situations are the incessant thinking of "what-ifs."

- What if I treated her nicely?
- What if I didn't make her cry?
- What if I could have been there for her when she needed me?
- What if...?

Evenftul Weekend

Friday: My Dad's birthday.
Saturday: Finally went to Honey Pig. Finally watched 500 Days of Summer.
Sunday: Went to Dave n Busters and Coldstone.

Friday:

It was my dad's birthday. Before heading home I stopped by Best Buy to get my dad's gift. He's not too picky and he usually wants Best Buy gift cards. When I got home, we were still waiting for my mom to come home cause she just left the office. Good thing is we made a call-ahead seating at Outback... which is a life saver on certain days. I went to my room and changed out of my work clothes and got dressed up all spiffy. I brought my gift down and gave it to my dad. When my younger sister (2nd oldest... I'm oldest) saw it, she started laughing because she got the same gift card from Best Buy. My youngest sister also bought the same card from Best Buy. The funny thing about this is we bought this on separate occasions and we didn't really tell each other what we got for our dad.

Love Your Enemies

I usually don't discuss religion here, but I just wanted to discuss the concept of loving your enemies.

Going through a rough break up and being the person that was left behind or abandoned is the worst feeling I've ever experienced so far in my life. It left me emotionally scarred and battered. The day after and the following days ahead had me covering my emotions. I had to shield what I am going through from everyone at work and friends. Some days it felt like I couldn't go on and I would just take a day of leave from work or work from home whenever it was applicable. I stopped caring about things I used to do like playing videogames or just enjoying a movie. The whole situation was always on my mind.

#26. Audition for anything I know I can do

I'm not the best singer ever, but I tried my best. "Glee" is holding a nationwide audition until April 26 through myspace. I submitted my audition last night telling them my name, what I'm doing right now and why I want to be part of "Glee." After that video, I recorded myself singing to one of the songs in their casting call list. Most of these songs are out of my vocal range so I tried my best with "I Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon.

This is more than just another number off of my 101 List of Things To Do. I haven't auditioned for anything since I was in 4th grade. It was for school choir when I auditioned and they were looking for Soprano 1, Soprano 2, and Alto. My voice is closer to Tenor range and at that time I was in puberty. My voice kept going back in forth between Alto and Tenor. Let's just say that the only way I was to make it to that choir is to sing in Falsetto, which was hard with a breaking voice.

I took a lot out of me to submit my audition, but I'm glad I did. I'm not expecting to get a call back, but if I do I'm going to freak out.

I'm done.

Being A Yes Man on Lazy Sunday

Well not really lazy. I woke up at 10:30 and got ready to go to Centennial Park and had BBQ with college friends. I helped a friend over his Intro to Java course with coding and he invited me to the BBQ at the park. Played Frisbee and catch football. Afterwards we went to Tutti Fruiti. It's a new Fro Yo place in Ellicott city. Sudz was wondering if I had plans later that day cause he needed help with his CS341 Java coding project, so I went to his house and helped him. After about 3 hours getting some of his code working, we went to dinner. His treat. We met some pretty down to earth people in that place. Now I'm home.

I'm glad I said yes to all of these. These things I normally don't do at all. This change of scenery is definitely a blessing. This past year or so I've been so angry and depressed. I don't think I've been as angry as much as I did. I still show the persona of being angry (semi-unapproachable), but that's just my guard up. In reality, It's the opposite of angry.

After meeting my college friends today, I've realized that I've been wrong this whole time. I don't know why they kept their distance at me for this past year. Sure it made me mad, but I'm thankful they did. I wouldn't want to hang out with me either at that time. Emotions are infectious. If I'm depressed around them, it's bound to happen that one of them will be depressed just by my shear depressing presence.

I know these guys don't read my blog, but if they do, I'm fine with it, too. But I would just like to say I'm sorry for lashing out on you.

I'm done.

My Serendipity

Serendipity - the effect by which one accidentally stumbles upon something fortunate, especially while looking for something entirely unrelated.

I was on a semi-blind date. While waiting, I went to Dave n Busters and played the dancing game there. That's where I met her. I was only there for about 30 minutes before leaving. About 3 weeks later, I ran into her again in the same place.

Fullmetal Harry Potter Dream

So I had a dream this morning before heading out to Church for Easter Sunday mass. I they are two or three separate dreams. The first part was less memorable and I just remembered it when I was at Church. I guess it doesn't affect me anymore. The second part was the best.

Videos I found that I think are cool

Here's the weird music video I found. The chorus is sung by a guy that sounds like Herbert the old pervert from Family Guy.


Hot Chip - I Feel Better

Hot Chip | MySpace Music Videos

I've seen this guy before doing something like this. Just don't remember.



I'm done.

Sibling Sharing

After the career fair yesterday, I ate dinner with my sister (youngest) at the Korean place with 3 restaurants and an underground grocery store near Hau Nah Reum (aka H-Mart). We were just talking and I just happened to mention my ex.

My sister said this: "Kuya! Forget her. After telling me what you've talked about before and how it happened, it just shows that you guys were not meant to be." (Kuya means big brother in Filipino).

The hardest part... she's right. I still have my ex's pictures and number on my cellphone. I still have the archive of text messages between us. It seems like in my own way I've created a shrine to commemorate her. I think it's time I get rid of these and put them in a box somewhere.

The funniest part: I got schooled by an 18-year-old and I didn't get mad.

I'm done.

#3. Have a star named after me

Let's face it. There's really no way that a star will be named after you unless you made a breakthrough discovery in Science, especially in Astronomy and everything Science related. For every star the science community finds, they designate a name using an international naming standard. If they wish to name a star, the higher echelons that handle these things would have to vote on it. Here's an excerpt from an article I found at Universetoday.com:

The name of astronomical objects is managed by the International Astronomical Union. Names for moons, asteroids and other deep space objects are proposed at the IAU meetings and voted on. Even an astronomer who discovers a new object can only propose a name to the IAU; there's no guarantee they'll select it.

Top 8 Badass Women in Rock (Solo/Band)

Why eight you ask? Because I'm lazy .

8. Joan Jett - Old school badass.



7. Evanescence - Alternative rock band with classical music and opera singing backgrounds.

Project Bascule Day 4-5

I finally finished my Bascule.

The entire thing is now covered in masking tape. All I needed to do was spray paint it. I needed 3 spray paint cans (I could have only used 2 out of 3). I also needed a thin wire to hang it so I can just paint it in mid-air in one go.

I used 1 Flat Glossy White spray paint, 1 Metallic spray paint, and one Clear finish spray paint. I coated the Bascule first with the white spray paint.

Project Bascule Remarks

The creation process of this project has seen a lot of changes in my head. My original plan was to use plain wood. Without the proper equipment to cut, drill holes, and shape the wood to how I want it, I had to improvise. The original plan was to to make the Bascule have a 1x1 inch dimension. The problem comes with finding a 1-inch thick circular wood. Not to mention a circular ring wood. If I had the proper tools, I could have just cut a 1-inch thick sturdy plywood and shape it to the circular ring. Even better, if I have an electronic cutting machine, I could just feed the schematics and dimensions of the Bascule to the computer. The machine will use that information and automatically cut anything for me as it is guided by the computer.

Project Bascule Day 3

So I finally completed the foundation of the Bascule. I spent about 5 hours completely covering the entire wooden foundation with Styrofoam.

Project Bascule Day 2

The following day after Project Bascule Day 1, I went and completed handle of the Bascule by cutting the Styrofoam into 2x2x2 inch cubes and making 1 inch hole in the center. After that, I just slid the Styrofoam into the wooden stick handle. That way, I didn't have to cut it up. I did this until I filled the entire handle. I started using the small saw and started shaving off the wood to get make it even and get rid of the sharp edges. After many Styrofoam shavings afterwards, I covered it with masking tape. I still need to complete the top, but I'm really close.

Sorry, no pictures this time, but you can see my previous progress here.

I'm done.

Project Bascule Day 1

So I started creating Teito's Bascule from 07-Ghost. Here's what it looks like in the anime:

Anime version.

An artist rendition I found online.

The Manga version is not as geometric as in the anime. They have a more organic feel to it. I'm putting my own spin once it's done.

Burupya Plush Doll

So I'm really serious about creating the Burupya plush doll as one of my cosplay props. So far I've seen the stuff toy versions of these dolls. Mind you that there hasn't been an official toy being sold for 07-Ghost and most of the images I've seen are handmade or unreleased prototypes.

This is what Burupya looks like (A Fyulong Dragon in the 07-Ghost world.)

Lost and Found

One thing I remember growing up are the grown up advise by my elders to stop looking for it. For example, before I leave the house for school, I remembered that I forgot the TI-83 Graphing Calculator. I get back home and I can't seem to remember where I placed it. The more I try to think about where it was, the more stressed out I get for not remembering. My mom would always say to stop thinking about it. Stop looking for it and you're brain will eventually remember it out of nowhere. There's a psychological term for this, but I can't seem to remember it.

Revisiting my 101 List of Things to Do

I haven't written anything about my 101 List of Things To Do in what seems like 5 months. I've completed a few more of them and probably removing/adding new ones.

95. Actually go clubbing: I'm scratching this off cause I went clubbing with PineappleLurve on New Year's Day at night at Federal Hill in Baltimore. It was a club hang out, so it counts.

84. Ask someone to go on a date: So I met this girl online. We talked for at least a week and we seemed to really hit it off. She hinted of wanting to go to Medieval Times. I was already planning on asking her out to go to the movies with me. We actually became girlfriend/boyfriend. It only lasted for 2 days. I wasn't ready so I ended it. Cool thing about it is I asked someone out on a date.