|
|
hallucinations, opinions, unsolicited advice of a not-so-familiar then open source "zealot".
|
|
|
|
Moving Out
Wednesday, December 27, 2006 5:48 PM
I'm now moving out to a new location. Although this new location of mine is still temporary (because I am still waiting my hosting be set-up), I will be staying there for the meantime. Thanks for patronizing my blog. theSpoke has been my home for more than 2 years but it seems like it became stagnant and didn't change from the last time it upgraded.
You can check out my ramblings at wordpress.
Thanks theSpoke, it's been one hell of a ride.
She's In Love
Tuesday, November 21, 2006 7:26 AM
I've let go of my feelings for this female friend I have for at the past 4 months. I think we're not meant for each other as partners but as friends. And time finally allowed me to remember not to expect someone to return the things you've done for them to you in return. I've already met her newfound "baby" and I guess, I should be just happy for them. My situation just reminded me of the song "You're in Love", she's indeed in love:
You're in love
That's the way
It should be
'Cause i want you to be happy
You're in love
And I know
That you're not in love with me
Ooh it's enough
For me to know
That you're in love
Now I'll let you go
'Cause I know
That you're in love
The Philippine Entertainment Portal
Thursday, November 16, 2006 2:12 PM
For some of you who's in my messenger list, you've noticed that I'm posting the status: "Soon: The Philippine Entertainment Portal". Finally, our site, The Philippine Entertainment Portal, has gone public beta. From the makers of Yes! Magazine, we are bringing people more closer to showbizlandia.
While still on public beta, we are welcoming your comments especially on GLITCHES and ERRORS. You can mail them at john.oliveros[aat]pep.ph and I'm thinking of giving away one back issue of Girls of FHM (Philippines) at the end of the beta period and perhaps 3 back issues of FHM Philippines for those who will give their comments (I'm still checking the availability of stocks).
I am really proud being a part of this project, not only as the lead programmer for the project but as well as meeting new people, especially those coming from the Gokongwei clan (owners of Robinsons Malls, Cebu Pacific, Universal Robina - producer of the popular drink C2). Don't forget to share this to your friends, family members, officemates, etc.
Have fun!
Busy Day
Wednesday, November 15, 2006 4:53 PM
I had two interviews for today:
1) With a Microsoft Gold Partner ISV
2) FHM Philippines. (Finally, I was noticed here in Summit. '^-^) 
And I like them both. Sorry to disappoint you but the FHM interview wasn't naughty. 'Nuff said. 
What would you do if...
Monday, November 13, 2006 12:10 AM
What would you do if you are constantly seeing a girl (for 4 months), talking about stuff, work, relationships, career and you care for one another and then suddenly, she would just drop the bomb and say: "I am happy with the guy I am currently meeting [for less than 3 weeks]. We get along well and I am telling this [to you] because you are my friend."
I wa shocked and speechless after learning that. Duh, that destroyed my strategy of opening up my feelings for her and I wouldn't dare open it now since it would appear that I am appealing to pity for her attention.
Turning 23
Monday, November 06, 2006 11:11 AM
Finally, I am 18 (that is - 5 years ago OR 17H for techies) yesterday.
After attending mass, I spent my day with the closest friends I have around: my choir mates and my high school classmates that never fail to come in our house on my birthday. The two groups bought me two cakes (which is so irresistable that they themselves had a taste of it). The first cake (the one below) is a chocolate mousse cake that has 3 layers of the devil chocolate. JP by the stands for the initials of my first name - John Patrick. The second cake was a tiramisu derivative that has a lot of chocolate chips on top.
Late in the afternoon, I went out with my high school classmates though they never stayed that long since some has a Church service and some has a work to go.
There's been a lot of
changes in me during the last year, a lot of first times, downfalls,
rising again, and so. This year's quite different - not because I
shouldered all the expenses for my birthday (which used to be a 70-30
sharing with my parents before) - but despite nearing quarter life
(hmm, 2 years from now), I feel that I'm happy with what, who, where I
am right now. It's such a joy for me that despite the down times that I
had during the year, I feel that I am having enough but not yet
complete. A stable job, happy family, a lot of friends and a lot more.
Seeing someone lately for 4 months is a good thing to have too. '^-^. The year might have been a roller coaster ride for me but what matters most, and I think one of the best lessons that I've learned in the past year - is to rise and be stronger after every fall. A person's failure is not hindrance to move forward but a motivation to be a better person.
Why People Leave Organizations?
Friday, November 03, 2006 9:31 AM
I just got an e-mail forwarded by the floor administrator here in Summit Media. The text is a good read on the topic why people leave their companies.
WHY EMPLOYEES LEAVE ORGANISATIONS? – Azim Premji
Every company normally faces one common problem of high employee turnout atio. People are leaving the company for better pay, better profile or simply for just one reason' pak gaya '. This article might just throw some light on the matter:
Early this year, Arun, an old friend who is a senior software designer, got an offer from a prestigious international firm to work in its India operations developing specialized software. He was thrilled by the offer. He had heard a lot about the CEO of this company, charismatic man often quoted in the business press for his visionary attitude. The salary was great. The company had all the right systems in place employee-friendly human resources (HR) policies, a spanking new office, and the very best technology, even a canteen that served superb food. Twice Arun was sent abroad for training. "My learning curve is the sharpest it's ever been," he said soon after he joined. "It's a real high working with such cutting edge technology." Last week, less than eight months after he joined, Arun walked out of the job. He has no other offer in hand but he said he couldn't take it anymore. Nor, apparently, could several other people in his department who have also quit recently.
The CEO is distressed about the high employee turnover. He's distressed about the money he's spent in training them. He's distressed because he can't figure out what happened. Why did this talented employee leave despite a top salary? Arun quit for the same reason that drives many good people away. The answer lies in one of the largest studies undertaken by the Gallup Organization. The study surveyed over a million employees and 80,000 managers and was published in a book called First Break All The Rules.
It came up with this surprising finding:
If you're losing good people, look to their immediate supervisor. More than any other single reason, he is the reason people stay and thrive in an organization. And he's the reason why they quit, taking their knowledge, experience and contacts with them. Often, straight to the competition. "People leave managers not companies," write the authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. "So much money has been thrown at the challenge of keeping good people - in the form of better pay, better perks and better training - when, in the end, turnover is mostly manager issue." If you have a turnover problem, look first to your managers. Are they driving people away? Beyond a point, an employee's primary need has less to do with money, and more to do with how he's treated and how valued he feels. Much of this depends directly on the immediate manager. And yet, bad bosses seem to happen to good people everywhere.. A Fortune magazine survey some years ago found that nearly 75 per cent of employees have suffered at the hands of difficult superiors. You can leave one job to find - you guessed it, another wolf in a pin-stripe suit in the next one. Of all the workplace stressors, a bad boss is possibly the worst, directly impacting the emotional health and productivity of employees. HR experts say that of all the abuses, employees find public humiliation the most intolerable. The first time, an employee may not leave, but a thought has been planted.. The second time, that thought gets strengthened. The third time, he starts looking for another job. When people cannot retort openly in anger, they do so by passive aggression. By digging their heels in and slowing down. By doing only what they are told to do and no more. By omitting to give the boss crucial information.
Dev says: "If you work for a jerk, you basically want to get him into trouble. You don't have your heart and soul in the job." Different managers can stress out employees in different ways - by being too controlling, too suspicious, too pushy, too critical, but they forget that workers are not fixed assets, they are free agents. When this goes on too long, an employee will quit - often over seemingly trivial issue. It isn't the 100th blow that knocks a good man down. It's the 99 that went before. And while it's true that people leave jobs for all kinds of reasons- for better opportunities or for circumstantial reasons, many who leave would have stayed - had it not been for one man constantly telling them, as Arun's boss did: "You are dispensable. I can find dozens like you." While it seems like there are plenty of other fish especially in today's waters, consider for a moment the cost of losing a talented employee.There's the cost of finding a replacement. The cost of training the replacement. The cost of not having someone to do the job in the meantime. The loss of clients and contacts the person had with the industry. The loss of morale in co-workers. The loss of trade secrets this person may now share with others. Plus, of course, the loss of the company's reputation. Every person who leaves a corporation then becomes its ambassador, for better or for worse. We all know of large IT companies that people would love to join and large television companies few want to go near. In both cases, former employees have left to tell their tales.
"Any company trying to compete must figure out a way to engage the mind of every employee," Jack Welch of GE once said. Much of a company's value lies "between the ears of its employees". If it's bleeding talent, it's bleeding value. Unfortunately, many senior executives busy travelling the world, signing new deals and developing a vision for the company, have little idea of what may be going on at home.That deep within an organization that otherwise does all the right things, one man could be driving its best people away.
Opinions?
Reunited
Wednesday, October 18, 2006 4:55 PM
After 5 months, I got my old number back.
All the while, I was thinking that I can't get my old number back as stated in my old entry, I got my old number after 5 months of being "lost". Technically speaking, you cannot regain your old prepaid number if it's lost if you're a Globe subscriber. I don't know any logical reason why Globe imposed such ruling (aside from the fact that upgrades/prepaid SIM number retrieval reduces their income) but I almost lost my hope of getting it back. Today, I got my number back by virtue of "SIM Upgrade" and voila, after 1 hour of waiting, my old number was reactivated.
Here's how I got my number back: At the back of my SIM card, there's this 16 digit serial number. Before the old phone was lost, I made it sure that that serial number matches with the one on the SIM casing (the one where you detach your SIM card). While my old number was lost, I kept on loading Php 5/month just to keep the line "alive" and to extend the account expiration by at least another 4 months (after last reload). When I accidentally learned about the SIM upgrade after discussing my roaming details to the CSR, I immediately went to a Globe Business Center for the upgrade. SIM upgrades are relatively easy and all you need to provide is the serial number of your number and they'll give you a matching SIM card for that. The damage I got was Php 125 but overall, I love the feeling being reunited with your mobile number for 6 years.
For now, I have my account "alive" again but I won't be dropping the temporary number that I've been using for five months now. I think I need to get another phone (the lower end ones - enough for calls and SMS) to make my current number as a secondary number. Eventhough how stupid I maybe, I am looking for a brand new Nokia 6150 or 5110 or 3210.
Two Years @ theSpoke
Tuesday, October 10, 2006 8:54 AM
two years of stories,
two years of fantasies,
two years of reminiscing,
two years of trying,
two years of adventures,
two years of aiming new ventures
two years of living my life
and two years of having to survive.
another year of meeting new friends,
another year of discovering new trends,
another year of keeping someone like you,
and another year of spending time thinking of you,
thanks for everyone who passed by
especially to those who where kind enough to say hi
thanks for the encouragement and even criticisms
and for putting up with my nonsense pieces
i'm alive, i'm well
i inspired, and i was inspired
i cried, i laughed
i loved and i've been loved.
i revealed and you believed
i shared and you listened
i taught yet i learned
i stayed and i will continue
cheers! on my blogs' second birthday!
it has been a hell of a ride (and i almost forgot its' birthday).
First Year of Work
Tuesday, October 03, 2006 9:01 AM
Whew! Time flies so fast and now, I celebrate (err commemorate) my first year of formal work. Working for Microsoft Philippines was the first formal work I got (as an Associate Academic Developer Evangelist) and my first responsibility then is to build the foundation for the then to be set-up Philippine .NET User's Group. The UG is guided by the tenets of LEARN - Learn, Educate, Advocate, Research and Network, and I am still happy that despite our busy schedule, the group is still intact. Below is a snippet of my first Day Report as an ADE to my then boss.
I am glad that as far as my career is going, experience and salary (lol!) grows directly proportional. While it appears that my career went topsy-turvy this past year, I am thankful for that experience because it made me a better person.
Milenyo's Fury
Friday, September 29, 2006 11:42 AM
Typhoon Milenyo passed by the mid-northern Philippines yesterday, 28 September 2006, leaving the National Capital Region almost a virtual wasteland. I was "lucky" to be in the office early in the morning (I average being in the office between 0620H-0715H), and wasn't able the first attack of the rains. I left the office around noon time, just when the storm is hitting Manila very hard. News reported that the eye of the storm would pass by that time and as far as I understand, it is the period where the skies appear "calm". Just when I step into the waiting area of the bus stop, the winds blew again and literally I was dragged to the end of the bus stop. Good thing I was able to hold on to the bar waiting for a bus to arrive.
Typhoon Milenyo is classified as a Signal #3 storm in Philippine context. That is, its' winds travel between 100kph to 185kph. Metro Manila has a history of being visited by Signal #3 storms within a period of 4-5 years. I first held on to this thinking after Channel 2 reported back in 1994 that Manila experiences such. Indeed, during 1998, another signal #3 storm has passed and another in 2002. I was able to get back home well but it cost 5x my daily fare expenses. As a consequence of the storm, lights were out, MRT and LRT were shut down, billboards falling down, aluminum roofs fly out. Government offices and schools were suspended as well. My only rant in this experience is that knowing that it is a Signal #3 storm, they should have extended the suspension as well to the private sector. As I'm on my way home, a lot of people were stranded waiting for a bus ride which is rare yesterday.
I have photos in my mobile phone of my first-hand experience but I don't have my cable yet. But, here are some of the pictures uploaded by my friend (he's maintaining www.gmanews.tv by the way):
Off with Photography
Sunday, September 24, 2006 10:01 PM
I've fallen in love with digital photography. My interest with photography started way back 2003 when my brother took a photography elective in our school. He used a manual SLR camera and I really liked the pictures he took especially those taken in monochrome mode. The only caveat that time was that it's too expensive to buy films and it would take time before you can see the photos and from experience, it's really a disappointing scenario to see having pictures taken from far places exposed after developing.
Here in the company where I am currently based, during breaks and where there's time, I talk to our resident photographer about some tips and tricks on taking photography and also the FHM web designer (the one who customize pictures from the current FHM Philippines issue to its website) for image editing. Aside from the Microsoft Club digital photography sessions of Jason Tablante (which I missed the second one), I also read some articles over the internet about digital photography. I have to familiarize myself with some of photography terminologies (such as shutter speed, aperture, etc) and of course, a DSLR camera.
Right now, the money I'm saving for a MacBook (yeah a black MacBook) will be delegated instead to buying an entry-level yet good camera (according
to Jason Tablante) - a Canon 350D.
Although the 400D is out, I don't think I would be needing 10.1MP at the start of my photography hobby. This baby (350D) costs around Php 44k and the 400D costs 5k higher.
Right now, I still own a Finepix Z3 which I bought during my trip to Singapore last late July.
This sweet baby is really a good point and shoot camera and has been a very good companion of mine.
Photography for relieving stress isn't a bad idea at all. :D
Silver Wedding Anniversary
Saturday, September 23, 2006 12:45 AM
Mom and Dad just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary last Wednesday. Together with my siblings, we had this picture taken though the reason why we're not facing the camera is that we're facing at the official photographer.
The event became a reunion also for my relatives from both sides and from former neighbors, officemates, and Rotary mates of my parents. Congrats Ma and Pa, looking forward to the Golden wedding anniversary!
Credit Card Holiday
Sunday, September 17, 2006 10:32 PM
Credit card's bill just arrived minutes ago. I think I need to have a credit card usage holiday (at the least for 3 weeks) after accumulating a bill of no less than Php 8,000 9,000. Don't ask what that amount consists of. I still have 13 days to fill that up. Will paying only for the minimum amount due will bring interest to my next month's bill?
edit: I just checked the bank this evening. I got the wrong estimate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 1 | | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|
|
| | |