Insanity in a box

Since I'm a bastard to please, I've again switched away from ion3. I'm now back to using Openbox 3 as my work environment, though I believe it to be suboptimal for my workflow. Call me fickle. Details under the cut.

( The Geekery Follows... )

Just watched the latest episode of House, and wow. The killer scene, I have to admit is between House and Cuddy. House has just ordered the candidates to steal Cuddy's thong, and someone has purportedly done it. House wants to check:

(House intentionally drops his bottle of Vicodin, Cuddy bends over to pick it up)
House: (wide-eyed) OH. MY. GOD! You're not wearing underwear!
Cuddy: Of course I am, I—
House: Skirt that tight, you got no secrets. Skirt that tight, I can tell if you've got an IUD. Seen Dr. Cole?
Cuddy: No...
House: You're blushing.
Cuddy: I am not.
House: Look at me.
(Cuddy turns to House)
House:OH. MY. GOD.

Of course, it's way funnier when you watch it.

That and the ending, which I'm not spoiling.

I decided to actually write about my experiences and my introduction to computing. I wanted it down for some semblance of posterity. This is part 3; you can read part 1 here, and part 2 here. I don't intend there to be a part 4, but feedback is much appreciated. Yes, yes— this part is long-delayed.

Oh, and for those in the crowd: this is my space. You might find the hubris a tad bit too much though.

( My Journey Into Computing (Part 3) -- Warning! Very Long! )

Yes, I haven't updated in months, and what do I do when I first update?

I post a freakin' meme. Good grief. :)

In any case, here are twenty random facts about myself. (In a past life, I once answered a similar meme (warning: Friends-only Post)). No, you will not be tagged.

1. I'm currently busy with real life— and that includes finishing school. Blech.
2. If you already didn't know, I absolutely love sinigang.
3. I am a little shy over 5'7", and am underweight, tipping the scales at 120 lbs. However, I have a tendency to eat like there's no tomorrow.
4. I prefer walking to taking a PhP 7.50 jeepney ride.
5. My alcoholic drink of choice is a Long Island Tea.
6. My cold, non-alcoholic drink of choice is Dr. Pepper, if available.
7. Yes, I like coffee. Coffee is good. Coffee is teh sex.
8. I have fond memories of the Pearl Drive Cinnzeo branch— I once sat down with a friend and consumed 6 or 8 cups of coffee— because they were offering free refills. Yes, my memory of just how many cups is hazy. Sue me.
9. In high school, a computer science teacher gave me a nickname patterned after a particularly famous computer businessman. Don't ask.
10. I dislike ube jam, quail eggs, and sinigang sa bayabas.
11. I have never been anywhere in the Philippines outside of Luzon, but have been to Hong Kong and the US.
12. I saw a copy of Satre's Being and Nothingness in the UA&P library and was in fact tempted to borrow the copy and actually read it out of sheer masochism.
13. I can never picture myself as being married, for some reason
14. I have an affinity for quotes
15. I am a geek and, hell, I'm proud of it. Hell, yeah!
16. This list was done while helping fellow users in an Internet shop I frequent.
17. I occasionally sleep in my underwear.
18. Booksale and Books for Less are two shops I frequent. I have to occasionally dig through the romance novels though...
19. Only my relatives call me by my second name, Michael. Everyone else calls me by my nickname, JM. However, if I catch you calling me Michael or Mike, I will cringe, wince, and probably glare.
20. I have a tough time keeping to schedules.

This is a really lame update. Okay, maybe it's not that lame...

In any case, this update is brought to you by the letters H and B, and the number 1.

( In pictures (WARNING: HIGH BANDWIDTH, PICTURES; 800x600 linked to 1280x960) )

In no particular order:

• Aha! moments while coding. There are a few moments which simply transcend all experience where everything in your code just gells, where you suddenly understand how everything should fit. When those moments happen to me, they are powerful and help remind me why I love to code.
• Being affirmed in what I do. When my work is affirmed, I am affirmed as well. I admit, it is a small weakness of mine— a touch of vanity, of pride. Nonetheless, nakakataba siya ng puso. Ego-stroking isn't something I'd go for all the time, but a little ego-stroking goes a long, long way.
• Jazz— good, real, live. Forgive me for being cliched, but the energy of a live jazz performance cannot be captured by mere words. You simply have to be there to understand what I mean. And that is why I treasure those few times that I've experienced live jazz.
• The simple joy of a walk alone. It might be strange for some people, but I do enjoy walks alone, walks deep in thought, walks with myself. It energizes me, keeps me sane. What's more, it gives me the opportunity to look at the world, and look at the world with fresh eyes every day. It helps give me things to think about, to write about.
• A hot bowl of sinigang shared. Particularly on rainy days, a hot bowl of sinigang is something I wouldn't miss for the world. And it's the quickest way to get on my good side.
• Solving a thorny puzzle or problem. Connected with my coding moments, being able to solve a thorny puzzle gives me a boost. The thornier the problem, the greater the boost— so to speak. I love puzzles inasmuch as I can solve them.
• Finishing a good book. Bittersweet in that the journey is much more than the destination, but finishing an especially good book has its rewards. It is as if one has reached the edge of a lookout and being able to see a wide vista spread out in front of you.
• Being with friends. Although I enjoy solitude and prefer it, the company of one's closest friends cannot be underestimated as a salve to soothe one's troubles. One does not face his problems alone, nor his pains, nor his joys and his triumphs. These are best shared with those who are your shipmates in the boat of life.
• A simple cup of coffee, my journal, and a pen. I simply can't explain what it means to me to be able to put thoughts to paper.
• Living life. Life is meant to be lived, and I intend to live it. To hell with failure! The only way that my life becomes an utter failure is if I do not live it.

I decided to actually write about my experiences and my introduction to computing. I wanted it down for some semblance of posterity. This is part 2; you can read part 1 here. I should warn you though— this is much longer than Part 1. Part 3 of this series will come soon enough.

Oh, and for those in the crowd: this is my space. You might find the hubris a tad bit too much though.

( My Journey Into Computing (Part 2) -- Warning! Very Long! )

I decided to actually write about my experiences and my introduction to computing. I wanted it down for some semblance of posterity. This is it— well, at least part 1. I'll try writing the next two parts down soon.

( My Journey Into Computing (Part 1) )

... with a dog leash. Good grief.

Total number of books owned: I haven't done inventory on my shelf yet, but I estimate between 70 to 120 books, mostly non-fiction books, reference material, and sundry manuals.

Last Book(s) I bought: The Best Philippine Short Stories of the Twentieth Century, ed. Isagani R. Cruz; Nick Joaquin: Prose and Poetry; 7x10: World Poetry Choices by Seven Filipino Poets, ed. Alfred Yuson.

Last Book I read: I usually have several books in the air (so to speak), but the last book I really finished (and still remember) was Orange Girl by Jostein Gaarder.

Five Books That Mean A Lot To Me:

1. Invent Your Own Computer Games, Fred D'Ignazio. This book introduced me to programming when my cousin's PC AT conked out and started booting into ROM BASIC.
2. Foucault's Pendulum, Umberto Eco. A good book (but I warn you that it can get pretty dense at places) on the inherent dangers of drawing too much meaning from things. Way better than Da Vinci Code.
3. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell. "Reality is inside the skull," O'Brien says.
4. Orange Girl, Jostein Gaarder. The only book that made me cry after reading it.
5. The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy. Very beautiful story, and I could somehow relate to Michael Henchard in his defiant yet tragic individualism.

In bullet points...

• Katy: Meet Clair, a very good friend of mine. Clair, meet Katy, a fellow writer and lover of caffeine.
• No, I don't need bribing. Well, I don't need a lot of bribing. :D A Friday evening sounds good, just as long as we don't stay out too late. Book-hunting coupled with sinigang— now that's how you should cap off a stressful week.
• Oh, and for the interested, you can reach me on Y!M on Yahoo! ID cyberlizard0. Just drop me a note who you are, and I'll be sure to add you. :)
• Anyone mentioning sinigang again on a comment has to invite me to a sinigang dinner, just as long as it isn't sinigang sa bayabas. :P (Okay, I'm only half-serious about this, but if you do want to invite me to dinner, why not?)

That'll be all. Must hie off to bed.

A meme that I've already answered to some extent, but will answer anyway. :P

Seven Things That Scare Me:

1. Success
2. Failure
3. Losing everyone I care about
4. The unknown
5. Death
6. Rejection
7. Heights

Seven Things I Like The Most:

1. Life
2. Sinigang na Hipon sa Sampalok
3. Books
4. Good espresso
5. Good music, especially good live jazz
6. Good conversation
7. Moments of solitude

Seven Important Things In My Room:

1. Bookshelf
2. Books
3. Desk
4. Bed
5. Shoebox of Mementos
6. Shoebox of CDs
7. Personal journal(*)

Seven Random Facts About Me:

1. I have double-jointed thumbs. (There, I said it.)
2. I know how to paint, using watercolors and oils.
3. I once got lost in a cemetary when I was just a kid.
4. I have a burn scar on my left shin the shape and size of a bangus.
5. There is a hollow by the bottom of my ribcage that is reminiscent of a toyo container.
6. I once sang Mariposa at a uncle's birthday party, and have been traumatized because of it.
7. I enjoy puns.

Seven Things I Plan To Do Before I Die:

1. Be a benevolent dictator on an open source project
2. Start up my own software firm
3. Be able to learn and speak German, Japanese, and Spanish fluently (okay, at least the first two languages)
4. Publish a book of short stories and poetry
5. Join the Palancas and win
6. Be well-known in my field
7. Be able to look back at it all and say that I've lived my life and have not regretted a single moment of it all.

Seven Things I Can Do:

1. Do CSS layouting
2. Play the clarinet
3. Write
4. Act
5. Draw
6. Think
7. Dream

Seven Things I Can't Do:

1. Sing(**)
2. Dance(**)
3. Join politics
4. Pose naked
5. Do anything that'll severely impair my rational abilities
6. Not try anything at least once
7. Leap Tall Buildings In A Single Bound

Seven Things That Attract Me To The Opposite Sex:

1. Intelligence
2. Wit/conversational skills
3. A balance in one's life
4. Passion
5. Sense of humor
6. Firmness in one's beliefs
7. Eyes

Seven Things I Say The Most:

1. "Okay..."
2. "Good grief..."
3. "So sad..."
4. "I'm a masochist"
5. "You have a point"
6. "Well, it could be worse."
7. "So sue me."

Seven Celeb Crushes:

1. Zhang Ziyi
2. Natalie Portman
3. Amanda Griffin
4. Nicole Hernandez
5. Jessica Alba
6. Jennifer Connely
7. Mishka Adams

* Okay, okay. I don't have my journal in my room— it's usually on my person. I cheated. :P
** So maybe I can sing and dance a bit, but I sure as hell won't demo it to you. Nosirree.

1. I have double-jointed thumbs and can bend them backward.
2. I confessed my love to a crush I had at the time, in the middle of Math class.
3. I love ube jam
4. When bored, I read random articles in the encyclopedia we have at home.
5. I yet to break a bone in my body

• I am agnostic. No, not atheistic, agnostic. I currently don't believe in organized religion as such. I don't know whether God/gods/omniscient being(s) exist(s) or not (neither do I deny nor affirm His/their/its existence). I have been educated as a Roman Catholic, and am well aware of the history and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. I go to church on Sundays, both out of habit and out of a desire to reflect, and ponder on the existence of God.
• I have read Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. I have two words for you: It Sucks. I'll probably write a full-blown essay about why Da Vinci Code is fatally flawed. And no, I did not become agnostic after reading it— I was agnostic a long time before that.
• I am a skeptic, and so hold everything up to my skeptical lens, including supernatural phenomena. There are a thousand and one very natural explanations for 90% of supernatural phenomena; the last 10% might not be explainable now simply because we might not have the data. That said, I am not dismissing the possibility of the reality of these phenomena.
• Life is infinitely more complex than we believe it is to be— or it is infinitely simpler. Either way, I am a bit of an existentialist: it's up to you to decide which one to believe in.

(I seriously have no idea why I put all of that up.)

Unfortunately for me, I have this really big problem with bumping into people I know; I mentioned this in a previous post.

I was on my way to meet my mom at Greenbelt when I bumped into a high school classmate of mine, Joanna Gaña. Was a surprise, really. (Then again, it was Makati on a Friday night— of course, I'm bound to bump into people I know). To tell you the truth, it was a pleasant surprise, even if I did get the usual panic attack. (I really have to see a shrink or something about that— it is more than mildly disconcerting).

In a way, when I bump into the online presences of people I know, it is as disconcerting as when I bump into them in real life. I can't explain it. Yahoo! Messenger presence doesn't count— if you're on the buddy list, then your presence is more or less known, and not a surprise. Like I said, can't explain it.

Today, I bumped into several bloggers who I were my classmates from my high school. Quite disconcerting, as I didn't know they blogged. (Good Lord, that sounded... elitist... sort of). My heart started racing as I realized who they were.

My God!, I said to myself. I know these guys! Like some crazed masochist, I started to follow link after intertwingled link, ending up in blogs by other people from high school.

And what did I end up? An adrenalin- and caffeine-drenched body: heart beating wildly, stomach slightly acidic, and fingers trembling. (Maybe it was just the caffeine...)

(Interested psychologists may now try dissecting my psyche.)

You are an SEDF--Sober Emotional Destructive Follower. This makes you an evil genius. You are extremely focused and difficult to distract from your tasks. With luck, you have learned to channel your energies into improving your intellect, rather than destroying the weak and unsuspecting.

Your friends may find you remote and a hard nut to crack. Few of your peers know you very well--even those you have known a long time--because you have expert control of the face you put forth to the world. You prefer to observe, calculate, discern and decide. Your decisions are final, and your desire to be right is impenetrable.

You are not to be messed with. You may explode.