Tool of Trade - Macbook Air or Sony Vaio

It was told in the Harry Potter movie that every wizard is destined to a specific type of wand and if found, great things can be expected from the partnership. Analogously, each one of us is a wizard and our laptop is our wand with which we create our own worlds, our own magic and hence, it is important that we choose the perfect machine tailored for our needs.

Most of us, regardless of profession, computer is our main tool of trade. I have tried a number of laptops but my macbook was the most efficient. It does not do extra fancy stuff but it just works. Of course i cannot just turn my back on my desktop as it performs my other computing activities like downloading gigabytes of files overnight, playing games (apple has just a handful of premium games), and for typing pages of document as we obviously type much faster when using a full-size keyboard.. Just a few days ago, my 6-year-old macbook failed to switch on. I ripped it apart to check its internal organs only to find out that the logic board is dying. Instead of bringing it back to life, i decided to lay it to rest for good.

A computer-less computer engineer - that's what i am now.. but not for long i hope. I am torn between getting a sony vaio or an apple macbook air. If we are in the same situation or just wanting to buy a new laptop but can't decide which to get, visit the reviews. Check the features if it is capable of delivering what you expect of a laptop. If you're a gamer or a graphics/video editor, and you require speed and power, get a monster laptop but expect to shell out some extra moolah. 

If you want it sleek, sexy and portable machine that just amazingly works, get a macbook air but you have to compromise on a few extra features. The choice is yours. Pick your perfect tool of trade, you magic wand.

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kuyanin

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Charity Begins at Home

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a friend who was a victim of ondoy related an insight which she learned: all the material things that you deemed you needed and worked your butt off to acquire can be taken away in an instant. she reflectively asked,'why indeed do we need to buy pairs and pairs of footwear just to match with the clothes cramped up in our closets?and we thought we needed bags and accessories too to complete the look.

in that very moment, i realized i was guilty to some degree. and i thought a change in priorities, in the perception of what are actually needed, a little refinement of attitude should be in order.
for awhile i stuck to my resolution until 'old habits' slowly crept in, rushing to mall wide sales to get things at a bargain,ending up buying things i don't direly need; why did i have to buy a clothes steamer when an iron would have been sufficient? why did i have to get a juicer when my hands can very well express the juices? why did i have to buy another set of pots and pans when i haven't even got to use the ones in my kitchen cabinet?

sometimes we buy things not because we are wanting. sometimes we view it as an upgrade, not necessarily in status, but on convenience. why did i have to set up the ironing board and press the iron repeatedly on my clothes when i could just hang it and a swift swish of hot steam would straighten out the crease? why would i flex my muscles to express the juice out from fruits when i could just pop them into the juicer and get to savor the juice in no time?and as for the pots and pans,funny but i was thinking of passing them off to my kids when they get their own abodes.
it is quite hard to break this nasty 'habit'. but i am willing to always try to keep my focus. it's a long process but the long journey starts w/ a step.

as for the other things that only end up as clutter i am packing them up and give them to the typhoon victims who may need it more than i do.
two of the beneficiaries are not actually typhoon victims but have gone ahead rummaging through.one picked the clothes steamer still unopened in its original box,while the other chose the juicer sitting on my kitchen counter,unwrapped but has never been used...
oh well, indeed,charity begins at home?

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kuyanin

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Barangay Elections 2013

Congratulations to the newly proclaimed Datu/ Kapitan/ tiniente del barrio/ cabeza de barangay/ chairman and Council of Elders/ Councilors/ Kagawads in every Barangay in the country. Although you are perceived to be the lowest ranking government officials, the trinity of governmental powers is vested in you esp you Barangay Chairman. you are the Chief Executive of the barangay; you are the Presiding Officer of the Sangguniang Barangay; and you are the Chief Magistrate of the Lupong Tagapamayapa. Further, you also have the power to levy taxes, fees & shit charges.. Vast powers...that come with equally enormous responsibilities. As guidance, take this tip from Lagman-

As public servants, you should always ensure that your personal interest and that of your family and associates do not conflict with or erode your loyalty to the very people who have installed you to your position.

Chairman remember this.. public service is not something one does in one’s spare time. It is not a hobby that you take up during weekends. It's a commitment with great responsibilities that require your full attention. Make sure that the public's money or the IRA is spent as efficiently as possible. bear in mind that in the past, we have impeached a president & a chief justice. should we find you incompetent, vox populi can also remove you and your pulis oysters from office.

...and to those who lost in the election, it doesn't take one to be a barangay official to be a philanthropist. let us help each other especially during calamities or when shit happens to your barangay or locality. and to us, constituents, private citizens and netizens, instead of hating each, or being hostile to, others, let's give our just share to make our barangay a better place. yes, we enjoy freedom of speech and of expression BUT note that the exercise of one's right ends when the right of others begin. Lastly, don't ask what your community can do for you.. but ask what you can do for the community that you belong to. I fervently hope that none of the likes of Napoles and her cohorts were elected & proclaimed yesterday. May the Force be with us all.

 PS: winners and losers alike... pakitanggal na mga tarps and selfie shots niyo sa mga bakuran namin.. with your posters everywhere, our block is becoming an eyesore

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kuyanin

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Do NOT Quit

When things go wrong as sometimes will.,
When the road you are trudging seems all uphill.,
When the funds are low but the debts are high.,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh.,
When care is pressing you down a bit.,
Rest if you want…..but do not quit.,

Life is strange with twists and turns.,
As everyone has to sometime learn.,
Dont give up though the pace seems slow.,
You might succeed with another blow.,

Success is failure turned inside out.,
That silver tint of the clouds of doubt.,
And you never can tell how close you are.,
It could be near, when it seems so far.,
So stick to the fight when your hardest hit.,
Its when things seem worst…..that you must not quit

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kuyanin

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I am Thankful

I AM THANKFUL:

...for the wife who says it's hot dogs tonight, because she is
home with me, and not out with someone else.

...for the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato, because he is home with me
and not out at the bars.

...for the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes, because it means she is at
home, not on the streets.

...for the taxes I pay, because it means I am employed.

...for the mess to clean after a party, because it means I have been surrounded by
friends.

...for the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have enough to eat.

...for my shadow that watches me work, because it means I am out in the sunshine.

...for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need
fixing, because it means I have a home.

...for all the complaining I hear about the government, because it means we have
freedom of speech

...for the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot, because it means I am
capable of walking and I have been blessed with transportation.

...for my huge heating bill, because it means I am warm.

...for the lady behind me in church who sings off key, because it means I can hear.

...for the pile of laundry and ironing, because it means I have clothes to wear.

...for weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it means I have
been capable of working hard.

...for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means I am alive…

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kuyanin

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It is never too late

Truly, life is so short. We are but breezes of wind that blow thru this world. Here one day, gone the next. No one knows how long you will live. You cannot choose how long you will live but you can choose how well you will live.

So many people wasted their short lives and spend their finals days waiting down in regret. There’s no more time to go back and re-do their lives. There is nothing left but a wish for more time. A wish that will never be fulfilled.  

For those who still have time, we all have two choices - we can make a living or we can design a life. There are many who spend their lives making a living.  They go to work each day with no vision of what their lives could become and before they know it, their lives are over. and some are so fearful that their dreams they do have will forever be unfulfilled because they never have the courage to take a risk to enable them to reach their goals and live their dreams. 

You can be different though. You can design your life. Yes it would have been better if you’d started earlier. The earlier the better. But if you're 30 years old, you have a good 50 years left. You can accomplish tremendous things in your remaining years if you design them before you live them. It would be powerful if you design a  life based on the pillars of success with a goal of leaving a legacy for others to follow. Live a life that will help others spiritually, intellectually, physically, financially. Live a life that serves as an example of what an exceptional life can look like. Let others live small lives but not you. Let others argue over small things but not you. Let others cry on small hurts but not you.  Let others leave their future on someone else’s hand but not you. Leaving a legacy is like planting a tree. As that seed grows into a tree,  it will provide seeds so that future generations can then plant their own.

You have your entire life ahead of you. Live it to the fullest potential that you have. There is so much more that you can do for yourself and for those around you.

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

-Inspired by Pillars of Success by Jim Rohn

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kuyanin

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Do You Celebrate Birthdays?

This is a last-minute blog post before I head to the North for a vacation.

Why do we celebrate birthday anniversaries anyway? Do we really have to be reminded that we're a year older? Nowadays, my own birthday just depresses me and that's about it. On the 25th, I wish that there is nothing in the house to show that said day is another milestone in my life - another year gone by. So why do I not want to celebrate my birthday? I could come up with a lot of reasons or excuses for this such as “Sorry guys, I got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning” or that it is a waste of money and energy, but the following are the deeper reasons.

“THEY ONLY SEND YOU CARDS OR GREET YOUOUT OF A SENSE OF DUTY OR SOCIAL OBLIGATION”

The reason is not because I do not want to clean up the mess or wash a pile of dishes taller than me afterwards or that I am a grumpy gentleman. It is more of a personal perception and feeling. I personally do not enjoy the psychological aspect of these days. For example, I have a tiny feeling of displeasure over few people who only make contact on birthdays. Magtetext lang minsan sa isang taon dahil birthday mo at pag ire-reply mo ng “thanks”, magrereply siya, “k”. haha nakakasakit ng bangs!

Isa pa, the brief messages on the card that had been written by someone else or forwarded text quotes about birthdays (na inipon niya sa inbox as template para i-send sa kung kanino mang may birthday) are, on few occasions, a bit irrelevant, inappropriate, NOT germane to, or perfectly reflective of the sender’s actual feelings for the celebrant. It is even worse when you know that they gave you a card or memento out of a sense of duty or social obligation. Nakakainis din minsan kung yong text na greeting sayo ay meron ka na non sa inbox mo para isend din sa ibang may birthday haha. If you are important and you mean something to these few people, this should be apparent throughout your life at hindi lang one text a year (dapat nagtitext sila ng magagandandang quotes para may pang-forward ka din sa iba, OR pinapasahan ka ng load, OR nagcocomment sila sa mga wall posts mo) haha!.....

“BIRTHDAY IS A LEGITIMATE EXCUSE PARA MAGDEMAND NG REGALO :D”

Birthdays are meant to mark our ages. When we were young, excited tayo na i-celebrate ang ating birthday kasi we get to receive a handful of presents, mostly toys at pag pera ang regalo, kukunin ni mommy at isi-safekeep nya raw muna baka mawala until you’ll forget about it na. When we get too old for presents, birthdays are celebrated so that our relatives and friends can make fun of us for being old grrrr! Besides, I think having a birthday  party is just an excuse to eat, drink and be merry at the expense of the person whose birthday is being celebrated . Kesyo dapat ang celebrant ang mag-treat, mag painom or something else.

"WHO WANTS TO CELEBRATE AGEING?"

Birthdays are mere reminders that one is getting older and i don’t find a sane reason to celebrate aging/ageing (ano ba tamang spelling? haha). An older relative may even tell you this familiar line “you should be more serious now since you're already (insert your age here)”

Speaking of older relatives, another reason is because of the frustrating habit people have of partitioning you at certain ages. For instance, at 18 or 21 you are supposed to get the key to adulthood. At 22, “you should have a decent employment by now”. At 30, “it is time to settle down”. At 40, “why are you not married yet?” At 50, “you should have enough money for your early retirement by now” At 65, “dapat bonnga ang farmhouse mo” At 70, “pagandahan ng personal nurse”

A mentor once told me that, when you reach the age of 20, on average you will have 2,600 weekends left to experience in life. His recommendation was that you put the same number of marbles in a jar and pick one out at the end of each weekend. The goal is, when picking out the marble, you should reflect on how well you had performed during that weekend and resolve to do better during the remaining marble weeks.

Isa pa, I am not really comfortable being the center of attention. Minsan may program pa and as part of it, they would ask you to stand in front to either make a speech or tell everybody your birthday wish habang halos mabulag ka sa dami ng camera flashes haha bongga! I also am not comfy about the premise that you have to be really happy just because it's your birthday ... eh what if you had a bad day dahil halimbawa you were awakened because you fell off the bed (eh double-deck sya at sa taas ka natutulog) OR while climbing down the stairs you were reading greetings and text messages and your Iphone slipped off your hand and got smashed to pieces OR ikaw ang nadulas and you hit your head against the staircase at nabitawan mo ang phone mo?

Lastly, I am not happy to be constantly reminded that my life is not being spent efficiently or to its fullest. I’ll do better next year and make GIANT steps forward to make amends for my mistakes or for the delays brought about by procrastination and sluggishness. I know there are a lot of things to catch up on but on my birthday anniversary, I prefer to just open my eyes in the morning, thank God and my parents, and treat the day as ordinary and enjoy it for what it is and what it brings.

Thanks for your time and Happy holidays!

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kuyanin

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