After four and a half long, long, loooong years in Sykes supporting the problems of other people, I have finally resigned.
Big step for me; definitely big changes up ahead... Not the easiest decision for me to make, but one that I know I have to make. My life's not just for me anymore.. All of my future decisions will take into account my wife and family.
So now, let's see.. What exactly did I leave behind....
My family of course... After 26 years, this is the first time that I'll be leaving them for a very long time. You can tell the tension when I broke the news to them. My siblings, being a little bit old-fashioned as they were -- they are 11 and 9 years older than me -- thought that it's a big mistake to suddenly resign and look for opportunities somewhere else. To them (or at least the less open-minded sibling of mine) said that I would have wasted all of my four and a half years here if I go somewhere else -- note that they are both currently employed in their first jobs -- she's there for almost 15 years, the other one almost 12 years.
In the end, though, perhaps realizing that we have already made up our mind, they were all supportive, even giving us a despedida lunchout last Saturday.
I'll also be leaving tons of material things here, since we are only limited to 20KG luggage and 7KG handcarry. Our house, thankfuly, is going to be manned by one of our most trusted friends here. For security reasons, I will not post his/her/its name here. :-)
Also, Grae, our '91 Toyota Corolla was sold off. It's old enough to be a 3rd year high school student (15 years) and experience tons of crashes, scratches, bumps, and other stuff at my hands. Hehehe... My practice car as it were, I learned to drive in Pasay -- perhaps one of the best, uhmm, "training grounds" -- using this car and that is where I got most of my driving experience. You may want to practice driving in Pasay.. Hey, if you can get through a two-lan two-way side street with cars parked on one side, you can drive anywhere! :-)
Anyway, Grae is already showing signs of his age -- frequent monthly problems, excessive "kalampag", etc -- so it is best that we sold him off. The new owner should be able to take care of it much better than I did.
Of course, I'll be leaving behind my second home, my job. Unlike most of my other batchmates there, I really like my job. Sure, there are several times when I said I no longer want to work there, but that is only a stage/phase... Stress is high, so it really does get to you after a while... After getting the stress of my system, everything's back to normal. I learn more with dealing with people (which is one of the few things that I least miss, but otherwise thankful for) as well as more techie stuff. Also, got more practice on time management -- going back n forth between managing your cases and reviewing the cases of others. Ah yeah... Those times were great.. Rendering OTYs, getting nothing but shit from customers, client and/or client representatives not making life easy for you.. Things like that.
Sure, there are a lot of politics involved (although I must say it is significantly reduced now than way back then, around 2 years ago), but that's office life.. Actually, that's life.. As long as there is a group of people, some form of politics will be involved. I really don't miss this part much, but I did learn a lot about people because of it. How people act, react, and manipulate the people around them. The backstabbing. The hypocrisies. Everything and anything you can think of. It's the ugly part of any business and something that everyone must deal with.
The good, the bad, and the ugly.. The office politics there in the "Timberlake" account is a real eye-opener. I saw first hand what my Dad said about the office: know how to deal with your peers (same level as you are), with your subordinates (under you) , and your bosses (above you). Dealing with each one is important as well as keeping the balance among them...
In spite of the politics there, though, I believe what I'll miss most are the people of the SEC team. The team has seen the best and the worst. Getting the most number of cases (and in turn, generates the most revenue for the account/company), each engineer is doing the task of three, perhaps more. And yet, we see each of them -- although complaining whichis understandable -- doing everything they can to do their work, being the best in what we do.
And yet at the end of the day, the team manages to have fun. It's a great team, one that I hope the management would recognize. I really do hope everything is done to make the lives of these selfless engineers a lot easier.
That's all for now... :-)
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
My Hell Days
My Hell Days: Day 1 - Drowned Makati
I had the worst luck mid August.
The floods came and drowned Makati city like there was no tomorrow, last August 15, Wednesday. After office, I went on my usual route to fetch Che from her office in Manila. The route usually goes from Pasong Tamo, then to Buendia, Yakal Street, Buendia again, then Roxas Blvd. As I was making my way to Yakal Street, the yellow police (i.e. Makati Police who wore yellow uniforms) stopped all vehicles from entering Yakal street, because the end of street was flooded waist high. So, I had to push forward on along Pasong Tamo and then turned to Kamagong Street. Traffic was terrible but that was the only other route that I know (besides going back to Buendia Avenue itself, although earlier, when I crossed, all the vehicles are stuck. I intended to go from Kamagong Street all the way to the end, crossing the Zobel-Roxas, then from there, to Osmeña Hi-Way.
It was only then, through the radio, that I learned that the most flooded area WAS the Kamagong-Zobel-Roxas area approaching Osmeña hiway. I can't turn back because the cars have already piled up. That one-way street already became a two-way street -- cars who reached the flooded area turned back the same way -- much to the chagrin of everyone, now stuck there.
The flooded Zobel-Roxas area is only a very short one -- not even a 100 meters. People there used this "opportunity" to make up some cash; one of them approached me with a proposal: while the engine is off, they will push the car until I reach the high ground, just before the stop light for some cash. Not wanting to go back and waste more gas, I went for it. While sitting idly and comfortably on my seat, a group of 6 guys pushed the car all the way through. I thought I saw from my rear-view mirror that one of them slipped and plunged head first to the flood. Eww! That's when I remembered about leprospyrosis.
Anyway, I was glad enough to give them a hundred pesos. It's better than going back the entire length of the Kamagong Street, which was now in a freakin' deadlock.
Ah well... Come to think of it, this is not really that bad compared to what happened the next day. Being pushed through the flood is not half bad anyway.
My Hell Days: Day 2 part 1- Bus Crash
I wasn't really feeling well this day, Augusut 16, Thursday. Too bad, I got involved in this...
After taking my wife to her office, I then went my usual route going home and rest. I was along Casino Street in Makati and intended to turn right to the outermost lane of the Osmeña hiway. The highway was clear and I wasn't really in that kind of a hurry so I was driving really slow. As rotten luck would have it, as I was entering Osmena highway from Casino Street, a speeding bus hit my the car, destroying the the left-fender, left headlight, left signal light, and front bumper. The bus was driving so fast that one of his passengers almost went through the righthand-side of the windshield.
Based from the sketch of the inspector later on, one would automatically assume that I was at fault, the bus having the right of way and such. My dad and sister thinks so. Maybe I was, I don't know. I never imagined that entering a street at a very slow speed would get me into this much trouble. Made me wonder... Does that mean that any speeding vehicle may never be at fault as long as he got the onto right position after the impact??? One of the police officers in that area (Makati Police Station 5 happens to be in Casino Street corner Osmena Highway) told me that it's not my fault and that the bus was was too fast considering that he is approaching an intersection -- whatever your name is, sir, thank you very much for taking my side! He's the only person who believed that it was not fault. Anyway, he advised me that I should be sticking to the inspector kissing his ass or something just like what the bus driver is doing; otherwise, I might get turned and put the blame on me.
Anyway, much later after going to the Makati Police Traffic Office (near Makati City Hall), thanks to the comprehensive insurance that I fully paid last month, we (myself with my dad and sister to the rescue!) went to Citimotors Makati to file a claim, and have the car assessed and fixed. I submitted the police report about a week later -- hah! The police report says I'm not at fault! It didn't say that it was the bus driver's fault, but at this point I don't care about him -- as long as I'm out of the woods and that I'm not at fault, that's fine with me.
Wasted a lot of time, without getting anything done. That's my biggest regret here.
I had the worst luck mid August.
The floods came and drowned Makati city like there was no tomorrow, last August 15, Wednesday. After office, I went on my usual route to fetch Che from her office in Manila. The route usually goes from Pasong Tamo, then to Buendia, Yakal Street, Buendia again, then Roxas Blvd. As I was making my way to Yakal Street, the yellow police (i.e. Makati Police who wore yellow uniforms) stopped all vehicles from entering Yakal street, because the end of street was flooded waist high. So, I had to push forward on along Pasong Tamo and then turned to Kamagong Street. Traffic was terrible but that was the only other route that I know (besides going back to Buendia Avenue itself, although earlier, when I crossed, all the vehicles are stuck. I intended to go from Kamagong Street all the way to the end, crossing the Zobel-Roxas, then from there, to Osmeña Hi-Way.
It was only then, through the radio, that I learned that the most flooded area WAS the Kamagong-Zobel-Roxas area approaching Osmeña hiway. I can't turn back because the cars have already piled up. That one-way street already became a two-way street -- cars who reached the flooded area turned back the same way -- much to the chagrin of everyone, now stuck there.
The flooded Zobel-Roxas area is only a very short one -- not even a 100 meters. People there used this "opportunity" to make up some cash; one of them approached me with a proposal: while the engine is off, they will push the car until I reach the high ground, just before the stop light for some cash. Not wanting to go back and waste more gas, I went for it. While sitting idly and comfortably on my seat, a group of 6 guys pushed the car all the way through. I thought I saw from my rear-view mirror that one of them slipped and plunged head first to the flood. Eww! That's when I remembered about leprospyrosis.
Anyway, I was glad enough to give them a hundred pesos. It's better than going back the entire length of the Kamagong Street, which was now in a freakin' deadlock.
Ah well... Come to think of it, this is not really that bad compared to what happened the next day. Being pushed through the flood is not half bad anyway.
My Hell Days: Day 2 part 1- Bus Crash
I wasn't really feeling well this day, Augusut 16, Thursday. Too bad, I got involved in this...
After taking my wife to her office, I then went my usual route going home and rest. I was along Casino Street in Makati and intended to turn right to the outermost lane of the Osmeña hiway. The highway was clear and I wasn't really in that kind of a hurry so I was driving really slow. As rotten luck would have it, as I was entering Osmena highway from Casino Street, a speeding bus hit my the car, destroying the the left-fender, left headlight, left signal light, and front bumper. The bus was driving so fast that one of his passengers almost went through the righthand-side of the windshield.
Based from the sketch of the inspector later on, one would automatically assume that I was at fault, the bus having the right of way and such. My dad and sister thinks so. Maybe I was, I don't know. I never imagined that entering a street at a very slow speed would get me into this much trouble. Made me wonder... Does that mean that any speeding vehicle may never be at fault as long as he got the onto right position after the impact??? One of the police officers in that area (Makati Police Station 5 happens to be in Casino Street corner Osmena Highway) told me that it's not my fault and that the bus was was too fast considering that he is approaching an intersection -- whatever your name is, sir, thank you very much for taking my side! He's the only person who believed that it was not fault. Anyway, he advised me that I should be sticking to the inspector kissing his ass or something just like what the bus driver is doing; otherwise, I might get turned and put the blame on me.
Anyway, much later after going to the Makati Police Traffic Office (near Makati City Hall), thanks to the comprehensive insurance that I fully paid last month, we (myself with my dad and sister to the rescue!) went to Citimotors Makati to file a claim, and have the car assessed and fixed. I submitted the police report about a week later -- hah! The police report says I'm not at fault! It didn't say that it was the bus driver's fault, but at this point I don't care about him -- as long as I'm out of the woods and that I'm not at fault, that's fine with me.
Wasted a lot of time, without getting anything done. That's my biggest regret here.
My Hell Days: Day 2 part 2 - Jessie's Babies No More
That same bus crash day, I later found out that Jessie miscarriaged. See Che's blog http://moncheri28.blogspot.com for more on this...
You can see that she's very, very sad and depressed -- she won't let anyone touch or even look at her babies. Too bad.
Anyway, good thing is, after about a week or so, she's back to being Jessie the Jumpin' Dog! She's back to her old jumping antics and she also has her huge -- and I am HUUUUGE -- appetite.
That same bus crash day, I later found out that Jessie miscarriaged. See Che's blog http://moncheri28.blogspot.com for more on this...
You can see that she's very, very sad and depressed -- she won't let anyone touch or even look at her babies. Too bad.
Anyway, good thing is, after about a week or so, she's back to being Jessie the Jumpin' Dog! She's back to her old jumping antics and she also has her huge -- and I am HUUUUGE -- appetite.
My Hell Days: Day 3 - Tasks and floods
This day, August 17, Friday, I had a lot of tasks to do, which is not bad at all --- if only it didn't rain that hard again!
Mid-morning, after taking Che to the office, I went straight to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to have my passport renewed. Had a hard time finding a parking slot -- found one in Cuneta Astrodome, about a block away. As if the rain wasn't enough, I had to deal with this guy who pulled me just before I got to the entrance. He's one of those fixers out there who forcibly took me to one of the stalls outside of the DFA to give me my application form, take my picture, etc. I got interested with the fact that many people are there, so I went along with it. In one of the stalls, someone gave me an application form which is free (fine). Then the photographer on that stall said that they will take two pictures of me: one with a blue background, the other with a white background. When someone would that they already have pictures with white background, they would argue that in the new process, they needed two sets of pictures -- one with blue, the other white background. Then after that, they asked to pay up around php200. By this time, I had turned and ran to the DFA gate. no way I'm giving them money for something that I don't need!
I can't help but smirk at the, uhm, how do I say this? I can't help but smirk at this lucrative business, this con and it's happening at the outside walls of the DFA compound! Geez!
Anyway, just to remind everyone, there are several things that needs to be pointed out:
- fill up the application form before you go to DFA; it's free and can be downloaded
- bring three passport-sized pictures with WHITE background
- read the requirements in the application form; bring whatever is stated there (photocopy of some pages of the old passport is always required for renewals)
- you only need to pay either php500 (6-day processing) or php750 (2-day processing); no more, no less
Unless the requirements have been changed, you should only bring the above and end up paying only 500 or 750. That's it. If you already have all of the above handy, it should not take more than 1 hour. I finished the above in about 30 minutes :)
After DFA, I had to go to Makati Police Traffic to get the Police Report. Since it was Friday, getting there was a pain. When I got there, I found out that the inspector could not get on the PC because they had no electricity (huh?). He said I should come back later that day around 1:30 PM. Argh, now that's a waste of gas!
Then, I got a call from Che, saying that I should have Jessie x-rayed to make sure that if there are still puppies (possibly dead ones) inside her or not. So I went straight home, took Jessie to the only veterinary clinic I know along Sucat Road, Carlos Veterinary Clinic, and had her examined.. Too bad there were no more puppies left.
Anyway, after the examination, that's when it really, really, REALLY rained hard. How hard? Well, Sucat Road in the Fourth Estate area was totally submerged... The good thing is that Manila Memorial Park opened up their backgate which opened up on the other side of the flooded area. So there I went my way home, but -- since parts of Metro Manila were submerged -- I saw that the road leading up to our house was also, uhm, drowning. Hehe. I had to drop by my dad's house and leave Jessie there.
After that I decided to cancel all my other tasks and just fetch Che from the office. It was past 2:00 PM anyway and with the traffic, I won't get around much. At first I thought of going back for the Police Report but, knowing that it's a Friday, I decided to stay away from Makati. I later learned that all government personnel were told to go home because of the floods, so I guess that would include the police personnel doing deskjobs, so it's a good move not to go there.
By the time I got to Che's office, it was past 3:00 PM -- by this time, it was announced that everyone could go home. But not Che. No no no no... Hehehe. Just kidding. She was asked to stay and she had a long talk with her boss. I can't say what they talked about and I'm not taking it against her -- it's business-related talk so I know that it had to be done and that it had to be done soon. They talked for hours.
By 4PM, I then remembered that I still haven't eaten anything yet for that day. I just dropped by to the nearest 7-11 and Mercury Drug (both along Padre Faura street in Manila) and ate Nova and dried mangoes, forgot the brand -- hey, it's been a while since I've eaten dried mangoes, okay? So, anyway. Yup, that's all I ate. No rice for that day so far! :-)
I can't use my phone's radio because it's low bat (hehe you know, WAN BARS LEP NA LANG AKO EH, hehehe). So I had no form of entertainment except eating Nova and the dried mangoes. Ugh! Well, I did try to walk back and forth between Mercury Drug and 7-11, but that could "entertain" me for only so long. Not sure what I did that, though. I think I must have dozed off in the car.
Anyway, Che was finally done by around 6PM. It took us another couple of hours before finally getting home. Well, I can't remember much what happened that day. I guess everything's a blur when you're wasted. hehe.
This day, August 17, Friday, I had a lot of tasks to do, which is not bad at all --- if only it didn't rain that hard again!
Mid-morning, after taking Che to the office, I went straight to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to have my passport renewed. Had a hard time finding a parking slot -- found one in Cuneta Astrodome, about a block away. As if the rain wasn't enough, I had to deal with this guy who pulled me just before I got to the entrance. He's one of those fixers out there who forcibly took me to one of the stalls outside of the DFA to give me my application form, take my picture, etc. I got interested with the fact that many people are there, so I went along with it. In one of the stalls, someone gave me an application form which is free (fine). Then the photographer on that stall said that they will take two pictures of me: one with a blue background, the other with a white background. When someone would that they already have pictures with white background, they would argue that in the new process, they needed two sets of pictures -- one with blue, the other white background. Then after that, they asked to pay up around php200. By this time, I had turned and ran to the DFA gate. no way I'm giving them money for something that I don't need!
I can't help but smirk at the, uhm, how do I say this? I can't help but smirk at this lucrative business, this con and it's happening at the outside walls of the DFA compound! Geez!
Anyway, just to remind everyone, there are several things that needs to be pointed out:
- fill up the application form before you go to DFA; it's free and can be downloaded
- bring three passport-sized pictures with WHITE background
- read the requirements in the application form; bring whatever is stated there (photocopy of some pages of the old passport is always required for renewals)
- you only need to pay either php500 (6-day processing) or php750 (2-day processing); no more, no less
Unless the requirements have been changed, you should only bring the above and end up paying only 500 or 750. That's it. If you already have all of the above handy, it should not take more than 1 hour. I finished the above in about 30 minutes :)
After DFA, I had to go to Makati Police Traffic to get the Police Report. Since it was Friday, getting there was a pain. When I got there, I found out that the inspector could not get on the PC because they had no electricity (huh?). He said I should come back later that day around 1:30 PM. Argh, now that's a waste of gas!
Then, I got a call from Che, saying that I should have Jessie x-rayed to make sure that if there are still puppies (possibly dead ones) inside her or not. So I went straight home, took Jessie to the only veterinary clinic I know along Sucat Road, Carlos Veterinary Clinic, and had her examined.. Too bad there were no more puppies left.
Anyway, after the examination, that's when it really, really, REALLY rained hard. How hard? Well, Sucat Road in the Fourth Estate area was totally submerged... The good thing is that Manila Memorial Park opened up their backgate which opened up on the other side of the flooded area. So there I went my way home, but -- since parts of Metro Manila were submerged -- I saw that the road leading up to our house was also, uhm, drowning. Hehe. I had to drop by my dad's house and leave Jessie there.
After that I decided to cancel all my other tasks and just fetch Che from the office. It was past 2:00 PM anyway and with the traffic, I won't get around much. At first I thought of going back for the Police Report but, knowing that it's a Friday, I decided to stay away from Makati. I later learned that all government personnel were told to go home because of the floods, so I guess that would include the police personnel doing deskjobs, so it's a good move not to go there.
By the time I got to Che's office, it was past 3:00 PM -- by this time, it was announced that everyone could go home. But not Che. No no no no... Hehehe. Just kidding. She was asked to stay and she had a long talk with her boss. I can't say what they talked about and I'm not taking it against her -- it's business-related talk so I know that it had to be done and that it had to be done soon. They talked for hours.
By 4PM, I then remembered that I still haven't eaten anything yet for that day. I just dropped by to the nearest 7-11 and Mercury Drug (both along Padre Faura street in Manila) and ate Nova and dried mangoes, forgot the brand -- hey, it's been a while since I've eaten dried mangoes, okay? So, anyway. Yup, that's all I ate. No rice for that day so far! :-)
I can't use my phone's radio because it's low bat (hehe you know, WAN BARS LEP NA LANG AKO EH, hehehe). So I had no form of entertainment except eating Nova and the dried mangoes. Ugh! Well, I did try to walk back and forth between Mercury Drug and 7-11, but that could "entertain" me for only so long. Not sure what I did that, though. I think I must have dozed off in the car.
Anyway, Che was finally done by around 6PM. It took us another couple of hours before finally getting home. Well, I can't remember much what happened that day. I guess everything's a blur when you're wasted. hehe.
Hmmmm... Come to think of it, these days really weren't that bad --- except the bus crash day, of course. Things could have gotten worse in many ways, but it didn't. Many events could have gotten worse and I've learned a lot.
So there.
The ever-optimistic me trying to rationalize the events and looking at the brighter side of things. Looking not at how bad it was but at how it did not get worse. Looking at what I've learned and experienced rather than what I've lost. Perception is reality. I choose this way of looking at things. Hmm... the world ain't that bad at all!
So there.
The ever-optimistic me trying to rationalize the events and looking at the brighter side of things. Looking not at how bad it was but at how it did not get worse. Looking at what I've learned and experienced rather than what I've lost. Perception is reality. I choose this way of looking at things. Hmm... the world ain't that bad at all!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Just updating my civil status now!
Well, well well, my procrastination finally bit me in the @$$.
I've been married for several months now and I'm just starting to work on updating my documents. Hah! Oh well, let's see...
The rest of the stuff, I still have to work on. Ha ha!
I already submitted to our HR the documents to update my BIR, PhilHealth and Medicard (basically the same things; photocopies of the Marriage Contract). What I lack is the E4 form for the SSS. I guess I'll just have to work on that one of the coming days. For now, I think I should work on my passport... You'll never know when you might need to get on a plane to somewhere. Yeah!
I've been married for several months now and I'm just starting to work on updating my documents. Hah! Oh well, let's see...
- BIR/TIN [done]
- SSS
- PhilHealth
- Medicard
- Passport
The rest of the stuff, I still have to work on. Ha ha!
I already submitted to our HR the documents to update my BIR, PhilHealth and Medicard (basically the same things; photocopies of the Marriage Contract). What I lack is the E4 form for the SSS. I guess I'll just have to work on that one of the coming days. For now, I think I should work on my passport... You'll never know when you might need to get on a plane to somewhere. Yeah!
No OTYs!
After a few months, I just realized that I haven't stayed for OTY (for the unfamiliar, that's Over-Time Thank You i.e., no pay) in the office since June this year! I guess the fact that I'm in the most challenging and stressful team in MANILA TAC does not prevent me from becoming a 4:31er just like the good old NMS days.
No trainings, no backlogs pending on me, no pending reviews... Well, actually there are cases that are pending on me but once it hits 4:30 PM, I stop. I simply stop working. I'm not paid, so why bother, right?
It's not that I'm not enjoying my job or that I'm very lazy or that I'm not enthusiastic about my job. I guess I'm just better at maximizing my time nowadays. Here are some things that I think helps in my job:
- update all of my pending jobs and tasks every 2 days (never let a job reach 3 days or more without any updates)
- do the easy tasks first; I guess it has something to do with a sense of achievement; everytime I update a simple task (a short phone or email update), I achieve something. Sure it's a small thing, but say I do that for all of my 15 tasks, hey, not bad. Before the middle of my shift, I would have finished all 15, giving me more time to work on the other tasks at hand such as the new cases I have just accepted or reviewing the cases of my juniors.
Ah well.. I better enjoy this while it lasts.
No trainings, no backlogs pending on me, no pending reviews... Well, actually there are cases that are pending on me but once it hits 4:30 PM, I stop. I simply stop working. I'm not paid, so why bother, right?
It's not that I'm not enjoying my job or that I'm very lazy or that I'm not enthusiastic about my job. I guess I'm just better at maximizing my time nowadays. Here are some things that I think helps in my job:
- update all of my pending jobs and tasks every 2 days (never let a job reach 3 days or more without any updates)
- do the easy tasks first; I guess it has something to do with a sense of achievement; everytime I update a simple task (a short phone or email update), I achieve something. Sure it's a small thing, but say I do that for all of my 15 tasks, hey, not bad. Before the middle of my shift, I would have finished all 15, giving me more time to work on the other tasks at hand such as the new cases I have just accepted or reviewing the cases of my juniors.
Ah well.. I better enjoy this while it lasts.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Last Song Syndrome...
Geez... Someone started singing this in the office and it was stuck in my head the whole day! Gardamit!
Okay everybody, sing with me....
Makulay / ang buhay /
Makulay/ ang buhay/
Sa sinabawang / gulay!
Entertaining and annoying at the same time!
Okay everybody, sing with me....
Makulay / ang buhay /
Makulay/ ang buhay/
Sa sinabawang / gulay!
Entertaining and annoying at the same time!
WWH and Endangered Species Checklist
So far, I've been reading up on two current crossover events in the Marvel Universe: the World War Hulk and the Endangered Species.
The World War Hulk series includes 35 issues, the first 10 of which are already out. Here's the WWH comics checklist. Those with 'x' are the ones I either own or already read.
[x] 00 World War Hulk Prologue: World Breaker #1
[x] 01 Incredible Hulk 106
[x] 02 World War Hulk 1
[x] 03 Incredible Hulk 107
[x] 04 Invincible Iron Man 19
[x] 05 Ghost Rider 12
[x] 06 Heroes for Hire 11
[x] 07 World War Hulk: X-Men 1
[x] 08 World War Hulk: Front Line 1
[ ] 09 Avengers: The Initiative 4
[x] 10 Irredeemable Ant-Man 10
[x] 11 World War Hulk: Gamma Corps 1
[ ] 12 World War Hulk 2
[ ] 13 Ghost Rider 13
[ ] 14 World War Hulk: Front Line 2
[ ] 15 Invincible Iron Man 20
[ ] 16 Heroes for Hire 12
[ ] 17 World War Hulk: Gamma Corps 2
[ ] 18 World War Hulk 3
[ ] 19 World War Hulk: X-Men 2
[ ] 20 World War Hulk: Front Line 3
[ ] 21 Incredible Hulk 108
[ ] 22 Avengers: The Initiative 5
[ ] 23 Incredible Hulk 109
[ ] 24 World War Hulk: Young Avengers 1
[ ] 25 World War Hulk: Gamma Corps 3
[ ] 26 World War Hulk: Front Line 4
[ ] 27 World War Hulk 4
[ ] 28 World War Hulk: X-Men 3
[ ] 29 Heroes for Hire 13
[ ] 30 World War Hulk: Front Line 5
[ ] 31 World War Hulk: Gamma Corps 4
[ ] 32 World War Hulk 5
[ ] 33 Heroes for Hire 14
[ ] 34 Incredible Hulk 110
[ ] 35 World War Hulk: Front Line 6
The smaller crossover event, X-Men: Endangered Species, consists of 17 issues, each of which is embedded in the X-Factor, X-Men, and Uncanny X-Men comics series (similar to the format used in Civil War - Front Line). That is -- at least in the first comics indicated below -- you actually get two read two stories; the current storyline for that comic series, plus the Endangered Species storyline.
[x] Prologue - X-Men: Endangered Species One-shot
[x] 01 - X-Men 200
[x] 02 - Uncanny X-Men 488
[x] 03 - X-Factor 21
[ ] 04 - New X-Men 40
[ ] 05 - X-Men 201
[ ] 06 - Uncanny X-Men 489
[ ] 07 - X-Factor 22
[ ] 08 - New X-Men 41
[ ] 09 - X-Men 202
[ ] 10 - Uncanny X-Men 490
[ ] 11 - X-Factor 23
[ ] 12 - New X-Men 42
[ ] 13 - X-Men 203
[ ] 14 - Uncanny X-Men 491
[ ] 15 - X-Factor 23
[ ] 16 - New X-Men 43
[ ] 17 - X-Men 204
The World War Hulk series includes 35 issues, the first 10 of which are already out. Here's the WWH comics checklist. Those with 'x' are the ones I either own or already read.[x] 00 World War Hulk Prologue: World Breaker #1
[x] 01 Incredible Hulk 106
[x] 02 World War Hulk 1
[x] 03 Incredible Hulk 107
[x] 04 Invincible Iron Man 19
[x] 05 Ghost Rider 12
[x] 06 Heroes for Hire 11
[x] 07 World War Hulk: X-Men 1
[x] 08 World War Hulk: Front Line 1
[ ] 09 Avengers: The Initiative 4
[x] 10 Irredeemable Ant-Man 10
[x] 11 World War Hulk: Gamma Corps 1
[ ] 12 World War Hulk 2
[ ] 13 Ghost Rider 13
[ ] 14 World War Hulk: Front Line 2
[ ] 15 Invincible Iron Man 20
[ ] 16 Heroes for Hire 12
[ ] 17 World War Hulk: Gamma Corps 2
[ ] 18 World War Hulk 3
[ ] 19 World War Hulk: X-Men 2
[ ] 20 World War Hulk: Front Line 3
[ ] 21 Incredible Hulk 108
[ ] 22 Avengers: The Initiative 5
[ ] 23 Incredible Hulk 109
[ ] 24 World War Hulk: Young Avengers 1
[ ] 25 World War Hulk: Gamma Corps 3
[ ] 26 World War Hulk: Front Line 4
[ ] 27 World War Hulk 4
[ ] 28 World War Hulk: X-Men 3
[ ] 29 Heroes for Hire 13
[ ] 30 World War Hulk: Front Line 5
[ ] 31 World War Hulk: Gamma Corps 4
[ ] 32 World War Hulk 5
[ ] 33 Heroes for Hire 14
[ ] 34 Incredible Hulk 110
[ ] 35 World War Hulk: Front Line 6
The smaller crossover event, X-Men: Endangered Species, consists of 17 issues, each of which is embedded in the X-Factor, X-Men, and Uncanny X-Men comics series (similar to the format used in Civil War - Front Line). That is -- at least in the first comics indicated below -- you actually get two read two stories; the current storyline for that comic series, plus the Endangered Species storyline.[x] Prologue - X-Men: Endangered Species One-shot
[x] 01 - X-Men 200
[x] 02 - Uncanny X-Men 488
[x] 03 - X-Factor 21
[ ] 04 - New X-Men 40
[ ] 05 - X-Men 201
[ ] 06 - Uncanny X-Men 489
[ ] 07 - X-Factor 22
[ ] 08 - New X-Men 41
[ ] 09 - X-Men 202
[ ] 10 - Uncanny X-Men 490
[ ] 11 - X-Factor 23
[ ] 12 - New X-Men 42
[ ] 13 - X-Men 203
[ ] 14 - Uncanny X-Men 491
[ ] 15 - X-Factor 23
[ ] 16 - New X-Men 43
[ ] 17 - X-Men 204
Human Security Act: Anti-Terror Law or Martial Law?
The Human Security Act of 2007 (Republic Act No. 9372) has been in effect since this last Sunday, July 15, 2007. Basically, this new law is designed to protect against acts of terrorism. The entire text of RA 9372 is posted in this blog.
As expected, this has been met with tons of criticism and controversy, especially from the opposition, the leftists, the activists, and the like.
Perhaps the most notable provisions of the new act includes (but is not limited to) the following:
SEC. 7. Surveillance of Suspects and Interception and Recording of Communications. (e.g. wiretapping)
SEC. 18. Period of Detention Without Judicial Warrant of Arrest. (aka. warrantless arrest)
EC. 27. Judicial Authorization Required to Examine Bank Deposits, Accounts, and Records.
So as of this moment, if you are already a suspected terrorist (take note, suspected, not confirmed yet), you can be wiretapped, arrested, and they can have a magnifying glass on all of your bank accounts.
Although we do need laws to protect us from terrorism, we may never know for certain if this is just a sweeter, a more pleasing-to-the-ears way of saying martial law.
The intention is good. However, you can't help but wonder if (or should I say when) this law can be abused. For one thing, who decides who the terrorists are? Who will "police" the "police"? (Hmm.. I see a similarity with the plot of the recently concluded "Civil War" in Marvel Comics -- you know, the one where Captain America died.)
The proponents included a provision stating that anyone falsely accused of being a terrorist will be given php500,000 per day of imprisonment. They say that this is supposed to prevent the abuse of this law. Got to ask: if the falsely accused person disappears, do they still have to pay php500,000 per day of imprisonment? :-)
I could go on and on about this, but I'd rather not; I don't want to cause any widespread and extraordinary fear and panic. :-)
The president approves swiftly laws that will promote her power. (She must have read the 48 Laws of Power!) Ah well. I told you to read that book!
Here's to hoping for the best. For progress. And, most especially, for peace.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
VUE as sole testing center of Cisco
Got from a newsletter today from Cisco Career Certifications:
This is important news for those who are taking Cisco exams. Please spread the word.
Cisco and Pearson VUE partner to expand access to Cisco certification and safeguard integrity of global exams
We're pleased to announce that Pearson VUE will be the single vendor of Cisco® certification exams worldwide, effective August 1, 2007. We’re very excited about this change, and we’re confident that as a valued Cisco customer, you’ll benefit from the new level of security, global access, and innovative technology that will now be available through this collaboration. Cisco and Pearson VUE are partnering to create a new standard for individual information technology certifications and specialization exams, elevating them to the level of prestigious professional certification and licensure programs. As a result of this change, all individual Cisco technical certification exams for Cisco customers and partners will need to be scheduled through Pearson VUE. July 31, 2007, is the last date to take a Cisco exam through Prometric.
As global demand increases for individual Cisco certifications, it is critical that we improve and make our global certification systems more agile. Hence, we need to scale and optimize our test delivery—that is, the administration of Cisco certifications such as Cisco CCNA® and CCIE®. Traditionally, Cisco has used two core test delivery partners worldwide to deliver our individual certification exams: Pearson VUE and Prometric. However, after significant research, Pearson VUE was chosen as Cisco’s single testing partner. Pearson VUE was selected for the following reasons:
• Unparalleled global reach
• Forward-thinking policies and vision of technical resource recruitment
• Ability to scale to new countries with new requirements
• Ability to meet forecasted demands
• Ability to deliver on additional investments to secure Cisco’s test delivery technology
Our expectation is that shifting to a primary vendor strategy worldwide will allow us to advance test security through the deployment of advanced biometric technologies. Having a primary vendor will also facilitate the rapid localization of exams around the world, and allow for increased certification scalability and coverage.
Pearson VUE has more than 4000 test centers in 162 countries worldwide. If you previously utilized a Prometric testing center to take Cisco certifications, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with your local Pearson VUE testing center: Test Center Locator.
We’ve also tried to anticipate as many of your questions as possible and have included detailed information on our Certifications Online Support tool. These FAQs will be updated regularly as new information and developments are announced. If you have questions that are not addressed, please contact the Cisco Certification Online Support Team. If you would like additional information about taking a Cisco test at Pearson VUE, you will find a complete listing of customer service phone numbers at the Pearson VUE Website.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Cisco Career Certifications
Homebuddy thoughts on simple mundane home thingies
Spending time home, I managed to contemplate on some things here on around the house...
Monitor water use. Water is a bit scarce especially in Sucat, Paranaque. Everyone has to rely on water deliveries, which is actually a big business here; I'm pretty sure these businesses are threatened by the drill and pipework of NAWASA or MWSS (whatever this is called nowadays) slowly making its way along Sucat Road from the Kabihasnan area... Ah well, going back. I was surprised that our water tank was empty. At first, I was surprised because I wasn't expecting it to be empty so soon. I can't remember the last time we had the water delivered. Well, as it turns out, I remembered that I actually had the water delivered about two weeks ago, which is pretty good; on average, we have the water delivered once every two weeks. So that's around 5 drums per week. Well, point is, I should have listed down the last time I the water was delivered.
Checking many trashcans is harder than it looks. So let's see... We have one in the bedroom, one in the restroom, another in the restroom below, plus another one in the kitchen. So that's four trashcans that has to be checked everyday. It's actually harder than it looks. The task is simple; when the trashcan becomes full OR when it's more than three days, get rid of it. Most of the time, though, we simply forget to do this; coming home late, too many other priorities to do, or just too plain tired to work.
Doing home chores is a good distraction. In one of my previous posts here, I mentioned that I am at that stage in which I'm burned out and hate my job. I became so sick of my job that I literally got sick and had to stay home for a few days to recover. Doing simple chores somehow relieves some of the tension. Of course there is nothing more enjoyable and relaxing as actually having fun (i.e., movies, PC games, dining out, malling, watching my favorite shows, etc.). Doing simple things such as taking out the trash or washing the dishes, unexpectedly, has a relaxing effect on me. I guess I'm so burned out of my job that literally anything (even household chores) is a lot more enjoyable. Or maybe washing the dishes or taking out the trash has its psychological effects on someone. Ah hell, just something that I've heard. Go figure.
I'm a container freak. I've always known this, but I never realized that this is actually something I can use. I always want to keep things organized so much that I actually bought several types of containers from National Bookstore, SM, etc., even though I sometimes I actually don't have much to put in there. I have a several small boxes with mini-drawers where I place from the simplest stuff (pins, clips, thumbtacks, sewing needles) to the more technical thingies (capacitors, resistors, LEDs, wires, soldering iron bits). I also have several big containers for my bigger tools (pliers, several screw drivers, wrench, etc.) and some for my collections (mostly transformers, Jolly Kiddie Meal/Happy Meal toys, colored wooden blocks, CDs, DVDs, etc.). Ah yeah... They say every person has his or her own quirks. If that's true, mine is this one. :D
Make lists and reminders. In light of the above, I need this to monitor simple things around the house; the last time water was delivered, when the Meralco, PLDT, and Cable TV bills are due, things like that. I have a cokboard near the stairs, but I haven't actually used it yet. :-) I also need a calendar. I wonder where that calendar went....
Decorating the home is an art. You can only truly appreciate your home once you have personalized and customized it. So far, I like what I've done with some parts of the house, although that is still not enough... Hmmm.. I better get that reminder up so that I can finally schedule my simple home do-it-yourself projects. Doing projects is one of the things that I miss in school.
Like cellphones, the Internet connection is now a necessity. Years ago, I thought of cellphones as just a luxury not worth wasting my baon on. Years later, if I only had enough cash and no other higher priorities, I would have bought a newer cellphone. Anyway, with that respect, cellphones and Internet access are the same -- they are now necessities. Of course not everyone will agree, but hey, if you want to be competitive and you want to be always updated, just like what you'd learn in the 48 Laws of Power, you need information. And there is no other faster method of getting that information than through the Internet. What, you don't agree? Just how the hell are reading this blog?? ;-)
Be on the lookout for (farm) animals you can use. One of our neighbors have acquired a goat. He's a natural farmer -- he grows several kinds of plants around the free lots around his house, and, as I've just said, has a knack for taking care of farm animals. In case you didn't know, goats eat grass. (hehehe) Using a leash, he brings the goat around the neighborhood, looks for places where there are lots of grass, hooks the leash on a nearby pillar, post, or whatever, and leaves the goat there the whole day to feed on the grass. Good thing for me today, he actually placed the goat at the gate of our house where there are very tall grasses. I was actually planning on hiring someone to cut and remove the grass there, but it appears the goat has done most of the job already. hehehehe..
I didn't realize my post got this long already. Well, my other ideas, I'll post another time.
Monitor water use. Water is a bit scarce especially in Sucat, Paranaque. Everyone has to rely on water deliveries, which is actually a big business here; I'm pretty sure these businesses are threatened by the drill and pipework of NAWASA or MWSS (whatever this is called nowadays) slowly making its way along Sucat Road from the Kabihasnan area... Ah well, going back. I was surprised that our water tank was empty. At first, I was surprised because I wasn't expecting it to be empty so soon. I can't remember the last time we had the water delivered. Well, as it turns out, I remembered that I actually had the water delivered about two weeks ago, which is pretty good; on average, we have the water delivered once every two weeks. So that's around 5 drums per week. Well, point is, I should have listed down the last time I the water was delivered.
Checking many trashcans is harder than it looks. So let's see... We have one in the bedroom, one in the restroom, another in the restroom below, plus another one in the kitchen. So that's four trashcans that has to be checked everyday. It's actually harder than it looks. The task is simple; when the trashcan becomes full OR when it's more than three days, get rid of it. Most of the time, though, we simply forget to do this; coming home late, too many other priorities to do, or just too plain tired to work.
Doing home chores is a good distraction. In one of my previous posts here, I mentioned that I am at that stage in which I'm burned out and hate my job. I became so sick of my job that I literally got sick and had to stay home for a few days to recover. Doing simple chores somehow relieves some of the tension. Of course there is nothing more enjoyable and relaxing as actually having fun (i.e., movies, PC games, dining out, malling, watching my favorite shows, etc.). Doing simple things such as taking out the trash or washing the dishes, unexpectedly, has a relaxing effect on me. I guess I'm so burned out of my job that literally anything (even household chores) is a lot more enjoyable. Or maybe washing the dishes or taking out the trash has its psychological effects on someone. Ah hell, just something that I've heard. Go figure.
I'm a container freak. I've always known this, but I never realized that this is actually something I can use. I always want to keep things organized so much that I actually bought several types of containers from National Bookstore, SM, etc., even though I sometimes I actually don't have much to put in there. I have a several small boxes with mini-drawers where I place from the simplest stuff (pins, clips, thumbtacks, sewing needles) to the more technical thingies (capacitors, resistors, LEDs, wires, soldering iron bits). I also have several big containers for my bigger tools (pliers, several screw drivers, wrench, etc.) and some for my collections (mostly transformers, Jolly Kiddie Meal/Happy Meal toys, colored wooden blocks, CDs, DVDs, etc.). Ah yeah... They say every person has his or her own quirks. If that's true, mine is this one. :D
Make lists and reminders. In light of the above, I need this to monitor simple things around the house; the last time water was delivered, when the Meralco, PLDT, and Cable TV bills are due, things like that. I have a cokboard near the stairs, but I haven't actually used it yet. :-) I also need a calendar. I wonder where that calendar went....
Decorating the home is an art. You can only truly appreciate your home once you have personalized and customized it. So far, I like what I've done with some parts of the house, although that is still not enough... Hmmm.. I better get that reminder up so that I can finally schedule my simple home do-it-yourself projects. Doing projects is one of the things that I miss in school.
Like cellphones, the Internet connection is now a necessity. Years ago, I thought of cellphones as just a luxury not worth wasting my baon on. Years later, if I only had enough cash and no other higher priorities, I would have bought a newer cellphone. Anyway, with that respect, cellphones and Internet access are the same -- they are now necessities. Of course not everyone will agree, but hey, if you want to be competitive and you want to be always updated, just like what you'd learn in the 48 Laws of Power, you need information. And there is no other faster method of getting that information than through the Internet. What, you don't agree? Just how the hell are reading this blog?? ;-)
Be on the lookout for (farm) animals you can use. One of our neighbors have acquired a goat. He's a natural farmer -- he grows several kinds of plants around the free lots around his house, and, as I've just said, has a knack for taking care of farm animals. In case you didn't know, goats eat grass. (hehehe) Using a leash, he brings the goat around the neighborhood, looks for places where there are lots of grass, hooks the leash on a nearby pillar, post, or whatever, and leaves the goat there the whole day to feed on the grass. Good thing for me today, he actually placed the goat at the gate of our house where there are very tall grasses. I was actually planning on hiring someone to cut and remove the grass there, but it appears the goat has done most of the job already. hehehehe..
I didn't realize my post got this long already. Well, my other ideas, I'll post another time.
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