http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss filmmdm@mac.com © Melissa A. dela Merced Tue, 02 Aug 2005 17:16:12 +0800 Tue, 02 Aug 2005 17:16:26 +0800 iBlog 1.4.5 http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C323550171/E20050802171338/index.html Since I'm on a gaming drought for my gamecube and PS2 for both financial and "there's nothing out there" reasons, I decided a few months ago to revive my Final Fantasy XI character. I was sorely left behind already by those I once partied with but they were willing to help. And somehow I've been trudging my way through.

There aren't that many players as there once was. World of Warcraft got them. So chances are you'll be playing with Japanese players, many of whom don't speak english. Through the help of many kind players who got me through the Valkrum Dunes, the road to Jeuno, my Chocobo license, Qufim, the Kazham Airship Pass, my summoner job I had done quite a lot. Although I don't play as much as I want to or used to. (You need at least three hours per playing time to get anything done.) The hard part about playing are pesky players and looking for people to party with. The only time you can get a decent party lately is on the weekend, when everyone is home playing. Unlike when the game started out, there were a ton of people running around screaming for party members. Now, it's been quiet.



There are too many high level characters. The good part about it is you can get a raise pretty quick or call for help if needed. (I wonder if I can get a choc into Norg. Hmmm...) I've got a pretty decent level now. But I want to get the missions out of the way. My friends are not always online anymore and linkshell is practically dead.

Hopefully things will change when classes begin in September.
  ]]> Tue, 02 Aug 2005 17:13:38 +0800 http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C323550171/E20050802171338/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C1385393774/E20050731190814/index.html I remember the day when my hands first touched a personal computer. A year before macintosh, a decade before windows; my family got an Apple IIe. Most people today probably haven't heard of floppy discs. There was no internal hard drive. I think it only had 32k or 128k of memory. And the screen was green. We were all over it like it was the best thing since sliced bread. The thing was running the whole day and we were playing all sorts of games. It wasn't the first time we saw a videogame (we all grew up in the Atari generation). But it was the first time we saw a computer do different things. My cousins were able to print something off it but somehow I wasn't able to. Oh well. Every application fit into these 5 1/2 inch floppy discs and there were things you had to consider if the data you had needed a double density disk (you can write on both sides of the disk) and how many you needed. I mean let's face it, 128k doesn't hold a lot of stuff.

My dad got an IBM in the office and I learned how to fiddle with DOS as well. Every time I was in the office, I'd spend all the time in the computer room if no one was doing anything important in there and loaded different kinds of games. I mean let's face it, I was barely ten years old.

In 1993, the moment I stepped into college, my father got me my first mac. We had been fiddling with his powerbook a few months before and he decided to get us a desktop so we would leave his portable alone. The Centris 660AV had 200 MB of hard drive space and I think 8MB of RAM. But hell, it ran Myst and Photoshop 1.0 on it. It was sweet! First time I heard a CD play through it's speakers and play movies through it.

Three years ago I bought my very first computer and it came with a 40GB HD and 256 MB of RAM which wasn't nearly enough and I eventually upgraded to 640 MB. I never had a computer for myself like this and I loaded it with my iTunes, pictures, documents and so on.

Today I need a bigger hard drive. I need a 100GB HD with 1GB of RAM. I found this out after all I got from my mac this week was "your hard drive is almost full". I can't believe these operating systems eat so much space. There's always a lot of cache so it seems to move faster. The applications are now more RAM hungry than ever before. All pointing the consumer to buy a newer, faster, bigger computer. Thus driving the consumer cycle. I feel like Stewie Griffin in one episode of the Family Guy. , "Please sir, please, no more. I can't fit anymore in there". My 4 GB of pictures and over 10GB of music won't fit anymore in 40GB with all the applications and the Tiger operating system I'm running now.

I guess I'll just have to buy a new computer and unload it there. Of course I still need to backup that external HD I have.
  ]]> Sun, 31 Jul 2005 19:08:14 +0800 http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C1385393774/E20050731190814/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C1716198661/E20050728225408/index.html But who's counting?

As I type this I have officially turned 29 years old for two hours now. It is an interesting experience. Twenty nine. Veinte nueve. I hope I got that right. I feel no different. Except maybe older.

I always get sentimental during my birthday. I count the years that have passed. I remember the people who have celebrated this day with and those who have not. Those who were with me before and those who are no longer with us. But one wonders, then what?

I did something that most people don't do on their birthday, I went to work. Although it would have perfectly excusable for me not to show up at work, under the present working circumstances we have today I have to show up.

My friends sent messages and email today. My father sent me an SMS message I didn't get. My officemate sent me a message I didn't get. My grandmother won't be taking me out to lunch this weekend because she has other plans. I'm still waiting for a certain birthday card.

It didn't rain today. It usually pours down on my birthday. I took my car out on a very sunny day. Not bad. I wanted some good Chinese food but Italian was the nearest and most convenient at the time. My sister asked me if I wanted a cake and I said yes. Instead, she decided to experiment and use new ingredients and it didn't look anything like a cake. It looked like brownies. I'm serious. I should take a picture and post it here. I ate my spaghetti and went to bed.

I discovered Gizmo today. I may subscribe to it for a while. It seems very practical and much cheaper than what I'm paying in long distance calls.

It's almost the end of my day. I'd better go to sleep while I'm still young.
  ]]> Thu, 28 Jul 2005 22:54:08 +0800 http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C1716198661/E20050728225408/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C1716198661/E20050722192539/index.html My technolust is in full swing right now. I need a Palm Lifedrive. I mean I need a PDA! And the Lifedrive will fill that need. I just absolutely gave up on my last PDA, the Palm IIIc, which was by the way the very first colored unit that Palm released. It served me for quite a long time compared to my father's three other PDAs which he purchased two years after I got mine. Oh well.

But this time I really need it. Maybe I should just revive my Palm. But seriously, with all the meetings that I go to and my constant need to check email I need something compact as that to keep track of my life. I've been lucky so far that I haven't missed a meeting just yet.

Something else to save up for. A new computer. I'm dead set on getting a desktop but which one? Next year is a good idea since I still have to save up for a lot of it. We'll see when Apple's new models arrive. Maybe I should get a PC? I still have Doom 3 in my drawer and I don't have a PC to run it. If that works I'll absolutely just keep on buying games and upgrading and it'll never end. I should just stick to macs. The prices are about the same.

But first things first. I need a PDA. Revive or new?   ]]> Fri, 22 Jul 2005 19:25:39 +0800 http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C1716198661/E20050722192539/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C370096787/E20050713192918/index.html Apart from everything that has been happening in the Philippines these past few weeks has been far from dull. I have chosen to remain quiet about this in my blog for a very long time because it is not in my interest to make such political comments. But because of today's events I just have to speak out even if it's just my blog.

I'm currently posting this at two sites where my blogs are placed. Please leave comments and pass it around. I encourage you to.

I was born in 1976. A time when the Philippines was still under Martial Law under the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos. I was in third grade when his reign ended and President Corazon Aquino took office after winning the February snap elections.

It is 2005 today. I have finished my college education. Voted twice in presidential elections and regularly pay my taxes to the government. My entire education has been paid for by the Filipino people and I have remained in the country to serve the nation that put me to school and to serve the country that I was born into. I am lucky enough to have travelled around the world. I could have just left this country and serve some other nation with my God given skills but I did not. Or should I say I have not. Today has given me a reason to not to serve this country anymore.

I have been long disappointed with Filipinos for a very long time now. Other than the fact they cannot follow traffic rules, pay taxes, complain about every single thing that they themselves did not pay taxes for and so on. I am ashamed to be part of a race and to be part of a country that forgets history easily.

For those of you who haven't been watching TV or reading newspapers lately, the President of the Philippines is being accused of cheating in last year's elections. Her family has been accused of profiting from illegal gambling. And because of these accusations some people are asking her to resign. Some people are blackmailing her to resign. People have threatened her to resign. And today people have gathered in the Makati Business District and demanding her to resign.

In light of events today, this is my opinion of the entire situation. The court of law is here to serve justice. Justice is civilized society is done in the courts and not in the streets. Even President Estrada was given more respect than this. He had his day in court. Accusations are being made based on illegally wiretapped conversations of not only the president, but various government officials as well. Conversations that include the president's accusers as well. If they have complaints about the president, take it to court. According to Philippine law, illegally wiretapped conversations are inadmissible. If we allow every here-say and rumor and take it at face value, no individual will be able to do any work done. No president will last long enough to reach a hundred days.

Take a look at the stage on who are there. People of the opposition, movie actors, and children of dictators. Surrounded by leftists and communists, masses of people (many who have been paid to be there) and the world media. Are these the kind of people who we want to lead a nation? It takes more than words to lead a stubborn nation. These are people who are threatening the very constitution that holds this country together. They are asking the President to resign with no clear plan on how to solve the country's problems. None of these problems will go away with the mere resignation of the president. These are problems that will merely pass on the next poor fellow in line.

Those who have not given back to the nation do not deserve to vote. They do not deserve to have an opinion. They did not build this nation. This nation was built by men and women who believed that we were worthy to be a country; who gave their lives for the very freedom that we enjoy today. There are many who have done nothing but take from the government. Not just corrupt officials, but also those who do not pay taxes. They are not worthy of the benefits of citizenship.

Those gathered in the streets today are people who have easily forgotten the lessons of history. They forget that Congresswoman Imee Marcos is the daugther of President Ferdinand Marcos. They forget that Senator Jinggoy Estrada has criminal charges against him and his father. They forget that Susan Roces is a movie actress.

President Aquino has asked the President to resign as well. But I would like to ask her, why did she not resign in the six years she was President of this republic? After many bloody coup attempts, threats to her life, bombing the Presidential Palace, why did she not step down?
Because the presidency cannot be bought, threatened or intimidated. She should know herself the reason why.

The issue here is, who wiretapped the government? That is an issue that should be answered. It takes a lot of money and skills and influence to be able to wiretap the government let alone the president of the country. This is the very threat to our nation. And the fact that Filipinos are willing to be blackmailed into the streets by a mere taped conversation, this is threat to our liberty and our freedom.

Before you go out shouting and asking the president to resign, look around you and see where you are in this nation. Are you a taker? Or a giver? I may stay another couple of years to see if the Filipino is worthy of the freedom and liberties that we currently have. I still have something to give this country and it's just not my tax money.  ]]> Wed, 13 Jul 2005 19:29:18 +0800 http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C370096787/E20050713192918/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C1716198661/E20050712180037/index.html Those were the words that my parents uttered when they found out what I did yesterday.

One of my favorite British authors, Neil Gaiman was in town for a few days to talk about his new book, new movie and sign books on a Pacific tour of various countries including the Philippines. It would be the first time he would visit the country and the minute I found out I was sooo excited. Not even the political crisis the country was in could stop me from meeting the man that created dream and death.

For those of you who don't know Neil Gaiman, he wrote DC Comics' famous series "Sandman" which started the mature line of comics under the Vertigo banner. He also wrote a number of successful graphic novels and novels. He adapted Hayao Miyazaki's "Princess Mononoke" to english and he wrote the screenplay for the upcoming Jim Henson movie "Mirror Mask".

I tried to go Saturday but as his blog said, 7000 people crammed themselves into a tent made for 300. (In my honest opinion way more than the crowds that have been gathering to overthrow the president.) So I gave up on that and just watched War of the Worlds. Little did I know that he would try and finish the crowd. He stayed until 1:30AM. I wish I stayed.

So thinking I would try my luck and line up on Monday, the last day of the signing. It would be a weekday. A schoolday and a workday. I didn't know that many people skipped work that day. I went to the office early. Took the train and I got to the mall at around noon, bought lunch and looked for the line. The line snaked its way down three floors and I was on the bottom. The only good part about it was I was still in the airconditioned mall with tiled floors compared to the hot concrete the other venues had. I came prepared with some food I bought and my powerbook to get some work done and the latest book of Kazuo Ishiguro (I'm not sure how to classify him though, he's Japanese writing one of the best English literature of late). After two hours of reading and listening to various podcasts, my old high school classmate James stopped by and he was also friends with the people in front of me, who were also friends with another set of people who are friends with an old pal from college. It was like seeing your friendster list in person.


Anyway while trying to pass away the time, I borrowed my friend's PSP for a few hours and I was hooked. I wanted to keep playing, but he said he had to go to his diving class. I think now I'll get one. It's just soo cool. We shared stories, favorite works of Neil Gaiman all the while receiving various news on what was going on upstairs.


We had some high points such as the line was moving. And low points when the security guys told us to move back and not block the passageway for other people. Another low point was when a guy from Fully Booked (the bookstore where the signing was taking place) was counting heads. There were a 150 people ahead of us plus an additional number of people from the overflow from the past two days. By the time I was issued a number, it plainly said 320. Wow.


We were told to try and keep our conversation with Neil very short since that took up a lot of time and that he will only sign one book per person in order to accommodate everyone. I already made the decision even before he arrived. I chose the very first Neil Gaiman book, "Angels and Visitations".


There was a group behind us who kept cheering every time they met a milestone. This included reaching the top steps, reaching the mall area and finally reaching the bookstore. Once I got into the bookstore, people were suddenly quiet. Everyone in line had smiles up to their ears.


The only sound you could hear was the shuffling of people, clicking of digital cameras and phones and Neil Gaiman's voice has thanked each and everyone who came. When I got to him. My book was handed out to him and he thanked me for coming. I was totally speechless. I was just in awe of not only his work and his mere presence in front of me. The fact that he travelled across the Earth to get here and I waited for eight hours to have my book signed by him. It was worth it.



I then proceeded to buy some doughnuts for my officemates. I was feeling absolutely tired with my body aching and the thought of me having to line up and take the train back with my heavy body was just too much. I took a cab.

The conversation with the cab driver was somewhat interesting. He complained about the traffic and how bad other drivers drive, particularly buses. It was just a short ride back to the office and I was solid ground again. I ran into my boss as soon as I entered the building and asked where I've been the whole day. I told her my tale of waiting for eight hours for my book to be signed by one of my favorite British authors . She laughed and went on her way.

I drove home relatively quiet. Once I got home I took a shower, had dinner and went to bed at 10PM. It was then time for me to dream.

My father has his book signed by Formula 1 legend Jackie Stewart, now I have a book signed by Neil Gaiman. I now have something to give to my children.  ]]> Tue, 12 Jul 2005 18:00:37 +0800 http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C1716198661/E20050712180037/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C1385393774/E20050705232314/index.html I'm seriously thinking of putting up a podcast with a few friends. Probably something like 15 to 30 minutes about anything and everything that we see on the road. Pretty much back seat drivers.

The whole technology is just sooo cool right now. Makes everyone's opinion accessible to a large audience without expensive hardware and commercials. Which you must admit that it is the coolest thing. I don't need commercials right now.

Now I wish that dot mac would incorporate it into their services. They might as well. I'm paying a $100 for this and they should incorporate it into their next update.  ]]> Tue, 05 Jul 2005 23:23:14 +0800 http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C1385393774/E20050705232314/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C1385393774/E20050703003608/index.html My powerbook had to go into the shop for repairs and they changed the logic board and the hard drive. Plus my battery has been recalled. Initially I brought in my powerbook for repairs after a loud buzzing sound was coming from my powerbook. At first I thought it was the fan. The fan was defective or something. The repair guys at first didn't hear it so I took it home and it started up again. I brought it back and this time they did. They figured it was the logic board so they ordered the parts and replaced it. Fired up my powerbook but the noise was still there. The only thing they haven't replaced was the hard drive so they ordered parts for that too. And finally that was it. So I have a powerbook with brand new internal parts. So practically the whole day yesterday I had to reinstall everything back in and update everything. While installing my screenplay software, I ran into serializing problems since I did not de-authorize my previous hard drive. I had to wait till tech support was awake in the US and give them a call about it. A very friendly support service helped me. It didn't take more than 10 minutes and I got it up an running again (Thank you Final Draft!).

It seems I need to bring it in again. When charging, the powerlight of the power adapter goes off. Sometimes it's still charging, sometimes it's not. So it means another trip to my friendly Authorized Apple Service Center. Since the logic board was changed I can no longer access through the "about this mac" menu the serial number. I have to look around for it now. At least it's running much much quietly now. Well here we go again with blog, hopefully the last time.  ]]> Sun, 03 Jul 2005 00:36:08 +0800 http://homepage.mac.com/mdelamerced/iblog/driving/B1215563120/C1385393774/E20050703003608/index.html