Monkeying around in San Francisco

See no evil. Hear no evil. Speak no evil. What the devil???

Running wet and cold in Rochester

I was itching to join a race in MN before I left. I read about a 5K race in a local free ad paper. That's how I found myself 80 miles south of the twin cities in Rochester. I usually join 10K races and above but never 5K. I considered it a sort of "testing the waters" kind of run. I haven't been doing a lot of interval training so I have no idea how I'd do. The weather that whole weekend in the midwest was cold and rainy. I haven't raced in such conditions so I have didn't know what to wear. I just bundled up in 4 layers of dri-fit fabric and ran. Suffice to say I was pleasantly surprised by the results.

If it weren't for the cold and the rain I would explored the city more. I just hung out at the Galleria (mini mall) and explored parts of the Mayo clinic. After buying a latte I headed back home. I just might go back and explore the trails on bike next time.

Link to the results page --> Rochester Track Club 5K results

Game On!!!

I had a blast at the Game On exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. These pictures speak for themselves (with the unavoidable caption of course).

Dune 2? I'll think about it.

Tennis anyone? An original Pong game cabinet.

Say pasta!

Aliens? Where?

Don't shoot!!!

Sucky Things

This sucks!!!

Blur

The last month has been a blur. I'm working in good 'ole Minneapolis but I'm leaving soon for the west coast Bay area. Work dictates which city I sleep in. I've never really unpacked which is kinda interesting since you get a very good sense of which clothes are useless. I don't mind the work but the moving around gets to you. Minneapolis has turned into a home away from home and now I have to move out again (repeat the process approximately 3 times a year). The city is an interesting mix of things that should be incompatible but somehow they work together. Only in Minneapolis I might say. It's hard to put into words but I can only think of the local "hotdish" as an analogy. Click here

Other stuff:
1. Went running around the sculpture garden next to the Walker Musuem. It made me miss Maui more. It would be really nice to have a stroll with her through the place.
2. Sold my GBA and bought a Sony PSP. It's around $249 but worth every cent. That blows my budget so I'm currently on super savings mode. I recently learned a hack that turns it into a web browser so that kinda ups it's usability.
3. Found my favorite running trail. I guess it's one of the things I'll miss the most if ever I move out. Click here
4. Thinking about my marathon 5 months from now. I think about it. Run. I think about it some more.
5. Been listening to a lot new music lately. New means "not in my mp3 player." Been listening to a lot of Joy Division, New Order and other bands recommended by a friend (The Shins, The New Pornographers and The Soviettes).
6. Thinking about having a taste of the local lutefisk. Ya, you betcha!

What New(s)?

CNN Headquarters - November 2002

Restless

Things are happening fast around me. I'm in a time bubble impervious to the passage of time. It's one of the perks and pitfalls of downtime. The good side side is called leisure, the flipside is called restlessness. I need work fast. I need to start running again.

Updates:
SAP is buying Retek - implications.
Russell is now working at Ross - Good news indeed! Quite funny working for the same client through another company.
My old laptop conked-out - In some ways in was forthcoming. Hopefully it's not yet permanently dead.
Books - Lucifer's Legacy by Frank Close (meaning of asymmetry). Neuromancer by William Gibson (great book).

I decided to post a random picture. Why? Like rests in a musical piece, sighs between troubled thoughts and pauses between bites, it facilitates comprehension. Also, I like cars specially the "monster killers." Cars that outperform those costing 10 times as much.

Subaru Impreza WRX STI? Nope. Nice try though.

Missing my Maui a lot.

Adjusted?

Most of "Me" is now in-synch, same timezone, intact. It's been a week and I think I'm back on solid ground. My driving has adjusted to US standards. I've talked with my employer regarding my schedule/job. My bank stuff is finally set up. Jet lag is almost gone. I still get the occasional "extended nap" syndrome where you wake up and feel like you slept the day away. I've been making the most of my time (I think) at my friend's apartment reading up on Retek stuff and doing an anime marathon. Neon Genesis Evangelion is the anime. Saw a couple of episodes in college but not the whole series. It's perplexing. Interesting. Engaging? Maybe. Watch it. You might like it. It borders on science and religion. The Japanese have a knack for obscure yet addicting plots. Add a dash of mecha design and a pinch of sexuality and you have a great series.

What to do this weekend? Not really sure. I have to run again. It's been a week since I last ran and it's driving me nuts. Must find a way. I'll check out my old apartment complex and see if the gym is open. Might also check out some running stores. Buy that new pair of Sauconies or New Balance. Maybe not. New shoe scent is addicting.

Saw an orange Subaru Impreza in a parking lot yesterday. Orange. Took a picture of it using my camera phone. The outside just doesn't give a hint of the monster inside. Cool. But orange?

Maui is attending our friend's wedding. I hope she has a good time. I miss her. I need to call her up this weekend. Just hearing her voice takes me back home.

Flickering thoughts

Jet lag. Your body and mind go in opposite directions. Body buddies up with inertia and stays horizontal, mind defies physics and flies in all directions. I reign in some of these "thought darts" and try to impose wordly sensibility. From 2am to 5am, it starts and ends. Some I forget, some remain like the aroma of last night's breakfast/dinner.

Cashiers
Did groceries last night. Cashier was chatty. Most of them are. Back home, everyone evokes "Don't talk to me and i won't bother you." It's comforting for us. Years ago I scrambled to answer the everyday "How are you?" of Americans. It was never meant to be answered with full-on thought. First out of the cortex will suffice, also known as "Good, how about you?"

Missing out
I feel a pang of sorrow for those who haven't experience the "joys of reading" a book. The internet only serves as a plain alternative. Web pages cater to those who want information quick. Direct to the point. Vanilla. Broth without the stock. All is news. None is a good read. It's the difference between a good movie and a bad one. The bad one evaporates as soon as you exit the double doors. The good one stays to fuel conversations.

I miss my Maui.

Displacement

I read somewhere that jet lag is like leaving your soul behind. Souls can't move that quickly so they get dragged behind and must be awaited. During the first few days it is still in transit behind the wake of your airplane. Until it arrives, you wander around displaced and confused much like looking through clouded spectacles in dim light trying to find the light switch.

So here I am in Chicago. Displaced. In a state between denial and acceptance.

It will be a couple of hours more until my soul arrives. My confusion will then be replaced by realization when I meet it in my slumber.

I miss my Maui.

Back to blogging

It's been a while. Instead of going into another convoluted rant, I decided to go simple.

5 things I'm looking forward to
- Valentine's Day at the beach with my girlfriend.
- Driving my own Mitsubishi Lan Evo VIII. Drift driving anyone?
- Playing Metal Gear Solid III.
- Getting my first paycheck in my new job.
- Joining my first marathon.

5 things I'm NOT looking forward to
- Leaving for the States and missing my girlfriend and family.
- Driving in snow.
- Leaving for the States and having to work again.
- Driving in freezing rain.
- Leaving for the States and seeing Mcdonalds everywhere.

5 things I didn't get done during my 3 months+ without work
- Improve my piano playing past the point of hunt and peck.
- Use the ear training course I bought for $100 two years ago!
- Organize my papers (tax, bills, personal data, etc). I've been putting this off for the past 2 years.
- Improve my driving. I'm still a clutch driver.
- Sell anything over bidshot.

5 things I got done during my 3 months+ without work
- Visited my dentist.
- Cleared up my face. Acne is related to dental decay.
- Had my Xbox modified!!!
- Started my own blog.
- Spent quality time with my girlfiend!

That's all for now. My mind is still trying to get started after a long run.

The day I conquered 25 kms

The Anticipation
The brain has difficulty comprehending events it hasn't yet experienced.
I've never ran 25 kms in my life so I don't have any idea how it feels like.

The brain copes by using "memories" as reference and "imagining" what the future experience will be like. The results are often inaccurate.
I've ran a couple of 10 kms races in the past. Going by this theory, I simple recall how I felt at the end of my 10 km races and multiply it by a factor 2.5 (since 25 km = 2.5 x 10 km), then I'd get a rough idea how 25 km feels like. It's worth a try since I wasn't getting enough sleep a few days leading up to the race. I also thought of other interesting formulas.
- pain factor = 10 km race pain x 2.5
- probability of cramping during the race = 0% + (stubbornness not to stop at an aid station + reluctance to wear my fuelbelt)
- probability of vomiting during the race = 100% - (will power not to be embarrassed + commitment to swallowing back vomit)
- probability of withdrawing from the race = 100% - (thoughts that people chubbier than I am will finish + shame factor if I don't finish)

In the end, all of my formulas would prove to be very accurate except for the first one. The revised equation is shown below:
- pain factor = 10 km race pain x 2.5 x number of times you thought to yourself, "Why the hell am I doing this?"

But enough of my attempts to sound like an intelligent schmuck. It's time for some empathic storytelling.

I intended to sleep early the night before the race. I figured I needed about 6 - 7 hours of sleep. That meant I had to hit the sack at around 7 pm for me to wake up at 2 am (the race starts at 5:30 am). The extra time was for getting ready, picking up Maui and driving to the race. Man, I haven't gone to bed at 7 pm since... since... crap since I was a baby. Nevertheless, after preparing and testing my wardrobe (I have a stupid looking shot of myself with my running attire later) and having a snack (noodles), I went to bed. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. An hour later and I was still awake in bed staring at the ceiling. I can't sleep. I wonder why. Could it be that large mug of coffee I had with my noodles? It can't be since the coffee was decaf, or was it? I made a mental note to myself to test the coffee after the race. What was I to do? I can't call up Maui since we already said our sweet goodnights and she is probably fast asleep by now. I look around and found my computer. I fired it up and decided to get in a session of Icewind Dale II. Gamers know that the RPGs are the most time consuming games around. Non-gamers don't know about that fact (but you do now). Yes, Icewind Dale was a certified time eater. Next to Baldur's Gate II, IWD 2 is the best form of time travel man has invented so far (it only goes forward to the future sad to say). When I finished creating my party for the game, it was already 10pm! So much for sleeping early but thanks to the game, I fell fast asleep as soon as I hit the pillow.

Talk about getting excited before the big day. This is me the night before trying to do a running man impression. Might have worked except for the stupid look on my face. It actually looks like I'm running to the dinner table.

The Race
My dad, Maui and I arrived at the venue a little past 4 am. It took us a while to find the place. Normally you would head to a large assembly of people but the fort was for the most part deserted. Ten minutes and a talk with a security guard later, we found the place. What follows is a detailed account of the events as I remember them.

Ok this is a better shot of me in gear before the race.


Ooooo, 'em runners are wearing astronaut shoes!!!


Most guys with astronaut shoes. The guy on the far right takes it to the extreme with his astronaut cap!!!


A shot of me with my dad.

Race start minus 15 minutes
I put on my secondary gear. This includes my Rudy Project Jak sunglasses (I had these fitted with transparent prescription lenses), Fuelbelt and a hairband (to get the hair out of my eyes). I decided to ditch the fuelbelt to save on weight. From here on, I would be relying on the aid stations for fluid replenishment.

Race start minus 5 minutes
Maui takes my picture and she wished me good luck. It was more than enough fuel to get me through the race =)

Dalawang Jolli Hotdog po manong. This is the starting area ten minutes before the start.


Me and my beautiful inspiration!!! In case you're wondering, yes that's a headband I'm wearing (to keep my hair out of my face) with the price tag still on.


Taken shortly before the start. The big guy at the center is I think the New Balance boss from New Zealand.

Race start minus 2 minutes
Looking around I could see all sorts of runners. In the span of a minute, I tried my best to categorize them.
- senior veteran runners - Aside from their age, you can pick them out as the ones wearing minimal non-nonsense gear. None of those expensive oakley shades, fancy fuelbelts or shoes with the latest anti-pronation devices. These guys have been through a lot and know what really matters in a long-distance race. Oh and also, you can pick them out by their shoe brands. Most of them wear the time and tested brands such as Brooks and Saucony.

- the fancy wannabes - These guys run in expensive gyms or at country clubs. They sport the latest and most expensive gear (GPS watches, Nike shoes with blinding colors, too-much fancy apparel). Some will finish, most will withdraw.

- the fancy "for-reals" - These guys run in expensive gyms or at country clubs. They are dead serious about the sport and have had more than adequate training. Cool gear and cool outfits.

- the first timers - They would be the ones chugging down a lot of water or chatting excitedly before the race. This would either be their first or nthrace (where n is less than 5).

- the casual runner - They don't really stand out aside from the fact that they don't fit in any other categories.

0 minutes
We're off!!! I wave to Maui as I pass by the start line. She takes a picture. What the hell am I thinking joining a 25 km race. I brace myself for the long haul and eventual pain. The race was staggered start. The 25 km runners started first. The 10 and 5 km runners started 15 minutes after to avoid crowding.


Go!!! That's me in the yellow circle running past the starting point.

5 - 12 minutes
I find my pace group moving along at 5:30 to 5:45 to a kilometer. We run along the Kalayaan flyover into Buendia (Gil Puyat). Legs feel fine. Not even panting. I notice that the sky is not getting any brighter as the sun begins its ascent. I spot the 5 km race turnover

15 - 20 minutes
Still along Buendia. I've trekked the length of Buendia before but not on foot. I spot familiar landmarks such as the Pacific Star building and GT Tower. Trouble begins as I feel something tightening on the front outside of my right knee. I pray that this is not the Iliotibial band syndrome I had just 3 days ago. If this got worse, my race is virtually over. I drop out of my pace group and join a couple running at 6:00 to a kilometer. I gave a cup of water at an aid station and sip half and gave the empty cup the proverbial "runners toss out to the sidewalk."

15 - 20 minutes
Right leg is really tightening up. I discover that if I lengthen my stride, the pain is not as bad. I do so knowing that altering my stride would have severe payback as the race went on. Notice some people on the side streets cheering us on.

22 - 25 minutes
I spot the 10 km turnover. I was really tempted to take it and convert my 25 km race to just 10 km. I did not give in. I'd reap my punishment soon.

25 - 30 minutes
I spot Mr. Buenavista with a pace/time van behind him going the opposite direction. I cheer him on. Man, that guy is sure fast. We reach the 25 km turnover. This is not the half-point of the race but merely the 1st of 3 turnarounds. What the hell am I doing in this race.

40 - 50 minutes
My right leg is in pain. I start limping. I decide to pull over to the sidewalk and do so leg side stretches to calm whatever was tightening up. Crap this is my iliotibial band again as the pain is familiar. I stretch for 2 minutes and head out again. The pain is still there but not as much.

55 minutes
It starts raining. This would serve as a good distraction from the pain in my leg. I focus on complaining to myself about the rain and the wet weather. I almost forget about my knee pain. I join a 10 km group on the way back to the fort.

1 hour
We reach the fort but we don't take that left turn to the finish. Instead we head straight into the bowels of Fort Bonifacio. This is going to be a loooooong run. Rain slows to a drizzle. I slow down to wipe myself down. Bad move as my Rudy Project starts to fog. I ran for 5 minutes half-blind.

1 hour 15 minutes
This is the start of the pain. My legs start to feel heavy. I start to feel a slight side stitch building. My left shoulder starts aching. What the hell am I doing in this race. I notice a lot of soldiers cheering us on. I join another pace group to help me along.

1 hour 30 minutes
Pain in my right leg is still there and I nearly stopped when it let out a sharp pain. How long can I keep ignoring that bugger? My left leg is starting to fatigue from all compensation it's doing for my bum right leg. I grab a cup of water at an aid station. I didn't know that the next aid station would be 30 minutes along. I begin to think about food.

1 hour 32 minutes
We take the 2nd turnaround. I notice several runners eating bananas, downing energy gels and chomping on chocolate bar. What do I have? Notice but saliva and regret for not bringing my fuelbelt. I suck. I notice some runners stopping at sari-sari stores to buy ensaymada and softdrinks. I have no money with me. Would the tinderas give me free food and a drink if I beg? Sounds like an option. I think about Maui waiting at the finish.

1 hour 40 minutes
Legs feel like lead now. I have a hard time maintaining my pace and drop to almost 7 minute to a kms. My left heel starts to ache. This is the longest I've ever run. At this rate, I would completely shut down at the 2 hour mark. Where is that damn aid station??? A couple of runners going back tell us that the 3rd and last turnaround is close.

1 hour 41 minutes
He said "it's really close" but where is the turnaround? A minute sometimes feels like eternity in a long-distance race. A guy passes me and says "easy pace lang pare para makatapos." I remember him as someone I passed an hour ago. I run alongside him for pacing

1 hour 45 minutes
I reach an aid station and my pace partner asks if I have food to eat. I said no. "Ito o, iyo na yan." He gives me half of this energy gel. I thank him and grab two cups of water from the aid station. The gel was chocolate flavored. It tasted like food from heaven and the water I washed it down with tasted like the finest red wine. Hopefully this would last me for the next 30 minutes.

1 hour 55 minutes
I reach the 3rd and last turnaround. My whole body is in pain now. I let out an expletive, "PUT****** ITO!!!" What the hell am I doing in this race. I run alongside a runner wearing basketball sneakers. I start to feel a cramp on both my calves. I almost panic. This would surely end my race if allowed to fully cramp. I won't cramp this close to the finish. I stop and give my calves a stretching. I think about Maui again.

2 hours
Surprisingly, instead of shutting down, I find my 2nd wind. My gait was smoother and I'm breathing easier. The pain is still there but my brain has created enough chemicals to effectively suppress it.

2 hours 15 minutes
I run with a manong. We chat and I feel better. He tells me about the marathons he has run. I ask him if the finish is near. He says 2 kms. It was a white lie to boost my spirits. The finish is 4 kms away. A girl passes us and asks about the distance to the finish. Crap, she looks as fresh. How come she doesn't look tired??? That is so unfair.

2 hours 25 minutes
Mr. Manong drops off. I start running at pace with an old gentleman. He looks over 50 and runs with a serene look on his face. He tells me that he's 52 and has been running all his life. He tells me about all the races I should join like the Pasig River and Milo marathon. We leave the military infrastructures of Fort Bonifacio and spot the building of the fort. The sky starts to clear.

2 hours 30 minutes
Two other runners join us. A quiet guy wearing glasses and a guy wearing a Botak sando with the name "Joel" printed on the back. My spirits rise and fall along with the road.

2 hours 35 minutes
We spot the last turn to the finish and our pace quickens.

2 hours 40 minutes
We make the turn. I start to smile. A small girl passes our group. I frown.

2 hours 41 minutes
We make the turn. I look around for my dad and Maui. I see my Dad and he waves.

2 hours 41minutes 43 seconds
FINISH!!! I stop and start to fell dizzy. I jog a bit near the start/finish area.

2 hours 43 - 50 miuntes
I see Maui!!! What a sight!!! I forget all about the pain. She gives me a towel. I know that she has a very bad migraine and had a hard time just standing up but she came to see me finish regardless. I love her so much. We take a couple of pictures.

2 hours 55 minutes
I change my shirt and replenish my fluids. I have Maui get back in the car to lie down. What a day!!! I look around and smile. I did it!!! All 25 kilometers of it.

3 hours
We leave for breakfast and for Maui's checkup. Until the next race. A marathon perhaps.

My finishing time was 2 hours, 41 minutes and 43 seconds. This shot proves that it took me 4 minutes and 25 seconds to walk next to the finish line, pose and get my picture taken.


Dad I think our orange juice is spoiled. It turned purple!!!


A shot of the awarding ceremonies. I didn't stay long as I had to run to get a better reward. Breakfast!!!!


A shot of the start/finish line.


A post-race shot. All sorts of different runners sharing the race experience.


These shoes served me well. New Balance 765's, my favorite running shoe.

Ocampo Family Garage Sale!!!

My girlfriend's family is having a garage sale. All readers of my blog are invited to come. It's at 46 Montilla Street, BF Home, Paranaque, Metro Manila. Indulge me in my little composition called The Garage Sale

Ah yes, the garage sale
Truly they aren't just for males
Spend some time to browse and look
Heck, who knows you might find a rare book

It's a place of wonder and surprises
Not to mention good stuff at darn cheap prices
So get off your butt you lazy bum
Go to the Ocampo garage sale and have some fun!!!

The sign says it all.



The garage sale before the opening. There is a lot more stuff now.



Exercise gear!!! You often saw these in informercials and from friends who never seem to use them. You have an inclined bench, a threadmill (folded up), a stepper, an "ab roller," an "ab flex" and another "ab-(place verb here)" thingee.



Shoes and shoeracks. Most of these have already been bought. Most of these are size 6.



Behind the scenes putting price tags on everything. From left to right: Tito Pete (Maui's dad who is partly cut-off), Elaine (Maui's cousin) and Tintin (Maui's sister).



Uhm, Koji (the cute guinea pig) is not for sale. I just wanted to include her picture hehehe.

Band desires

I've been suffering from band withdrawal for more than a year now. It was around August last year when I last played with a band. Nowadays, my bass is stowed away in a muggy corner of my room, my hands are not as nimble anymore and I'm still stuck listening to japanese pop. My mainstay band, Half-wishing, has been on hiatus since 2002 mainly due of the "realities of life" (Accenture slavery). Now I'm thinking of putting up a new band with my girlfriend. I'm thinking of starting a duo first and expanding it to accomodate anybody who wants to join. Obviuosly, I've also been playing the band name game. I currently have three names in mind.

1. Suicide Siopao - I knew a band called Suicide Siomai that played 80's pop songs but with a 90s poprock twist. So why not name a band after them but make it sound bigger (since a siopao is four times bigger than a siomai).

2. Killer Kalabasa - I'm looking for a name that sounds edgy with an touch of humor to it (including food references hehehe) and this name was the first that came up.

3. Sundried Tomatoes - Sounds a bit like Smashing Pumpkins. I like it because my girlfriend and I love sundried tomatoes with our pasta. This name might be the one.

Just for posterity, I included some band pictures.

The De La Salle University Chamber Ensemble (circa 1997). That's me on the upper left hugging my huge double bass.


Half-wishing during the CIO fashion show (December 2001). From left to right: Jomar Abesamis (rhythm guitar), me (low frequency device), Debbie Wong (vocals), John Evangelista (drums), Gwen Torres (vocals) and Mike Duff (lead guitar).


Another Half-wishing picture.


My Ibanez bass temporarily freed from storage.


The view down under.

Gamer's month

Ok this is just too much for a gamer to bear!!! Just this month there has been three great (as in uber great) games released and I can't believe I haven't played any of them yet! They are:

1. Half-life 2 (PC) - Gosh if you haven't heard of this game, then you have been in a coma for the past five years. It has everything! Great gameplay, excellent story telling, cool level designs and kick-ass multiplayer. This game spawned a "mod" game you might have heard of. It's called Counterstrike.

A crowbar and hazard suit are essential accessories for nerds.

2. Halo 2 (Xbox) - This game made the Xbox a "must have" console. I basically bought the Xbox just to be able to play this game. It was game of year three years ago and I'm still playing it.

You talkin' to me?

3. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2) - Metal Gear is an institution and Hideo Kojima (creator) is one of the gaming gods. This game first appeared on the Nintendo Famicom or NES (depending where in the world you lived). Simply put, every Metal Gear game needs to be played because "it should."

Snake?... Snake?... SNAKE!!!!

Bottomline is, November 2004 is gamer's month.

Maui and Jomar Xboxing or PS2ing?

Oh by the way, the Nintendo DS is coming out also this month (Nov. 21 in the US). Do you have your pre-orders in?

Feeling techie

After fixing two computers last week, I decided to muck around with my PC. There has always been two things I want to fix.

Muzzle the noisy fan - My old CPU got fried two years ago playing computer games during the hottest summer I could remember. So when assembled my new PC, I told the guy at the computer store to Give me the biggest and baddest fan you've got!!! And he did, he installed a Thermaltake Volcano 7+. Unfortunately it was also the noisiest one they had. I found out a few days later that the fan came with a speed control switch which the technician didn't bother to install (and inform me too). Since I had all the time in the world, I installed the darn switch (it was a no-brainer) and set the speed to medium. The Thermaltake website mentions that the noise is 47dB at high, 35dB at medium and 24dB at low. I gotta tell you, the 12dB difference between high (the default setting without the switch)and medium (my new setting) is very noticeable. Now, my PC doesn't sound like it's going to take off the ground anymore. To further cut down the noise, I installed a couple of carton walls on one side of the inner casing. I was thinking of using eggshell cartons but then it would be a tight squeeze in there.

First of all, you gotta have these cool safety glasses when working around computers hehehe.



Ahhh yes, the mythical fan speed controller at last!!!



The fan speed controller installed. Hmmm, now where do I place this darn switch?



Noise-reducing cartons. Yeah right. I'm not even sure if they work but it did cut down on the noise a bit.

Revive the dead motherboard - Call me stupid but I messed-up my PC two days ago when I bumped-up the FSB speed in CMOS to 166 Mhz from 133. Now this would be perfectly fine if your the speed of the bus was in synch with the memory and chip. Unfortunately it wasn't. I'm going to cut down on the tech talk but suffice to say, after I changed the setting, my PC wouldn't boot up. Just a blank screen. Not even a beep. Going to the nearby computer shop to have it looked at was not an option. Technicians at computer stores are trained to sell sell sell!!! Even though your computer (or a part) is in perfect working condition, they'll concoct a story telling you whats wrong with it. Often they would throw in technical jargon to confuse you even more and make you believe that your computer is crap. This is based on the "computer shop" assumption that most people who go their shops to have their computer fixed are: a) people who know nothing about computer hardware and b) people who are hardware techies and know what needs to be replaced. They could tell if you fall into A or B based on the way you talk and the questions you ask. Anyway, I just fired-up my old laptop so surf for a solution. As it turns out, my mobo type (motherboard) needs to reset if it encounters an incompatible setting. This involves:
1. Unplugging the power cable
2. Finding the darn reset CMOS jumper. This is a good reason to keep your mobo manual.
3. Moving the jumper to reset the CMOS.
4. Wait 15 seconds (just to be sure).
5. Moving the jumper back to it's original position
If you've done everything perfectly, the computer should boot-up nicely. It boots-up with the default CMOS setting so you have to reset any values you've modified previously. Well, it works. Now I'm happy as a clam again since I learned new hardware stuff.

The "hard-to-find" CMOS reset jumper. Usually it's located next to the CMOS battery.

Public service announcement

Sa panahon ngayon, bawal ang kumain ng apoy.

Eksbaks

hmmm... paano kaya mag-hadoken sa eksbaks???

Dedication of Russell's baby

Her name is Caitlin Rachel Samson. She is a little over two months old. Last weekend, Maui and I went to her dedication north of Manila. I was chosen to be one of her godfathers. Her Dad, Russell, is part of our barkada (circle of friends) in Accenture. Her mom, Tintin, is a batchmate of ours in college. It was a long drive (for me) from Las Pinas but the event was worth the trip. You see, "we're" (I'm including a couple of unnamed individuals here) not used to thinking of Russell as a dad yet as he is the youngest in our start group. But from what I saw, he's definitely one already hehehe.

Extra rant:
I'm not good at long city drives . That's short for I'm-a-crappy-driver-by-Filipino-standards-and-I'm-not-used-to-driving-in-Manila-because-my-blood-pressure-always-goes-up-when-I-do

The Samson family.



The godfathers. I'm signing the contract stating my duties as a godfather (gulp!).



The Accenture Jologs barkada.



Me and Maui. No I'm not drunk.