daily rounds

I'M WISHING (again)

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 06:53:00 +0000

..that you'll text me.

Happy Easter!

I know a place that we can go to
A place where no one knows you
They won't know who we are

I know a place that we can run to
And do those things we want to
They won't know who we are

Let me take you there
I wanna take you there

I know a place that we've forgotten
A place we won't get caught in
They won't know who we are (they won't know, won't know)

I know a place where we can hide out
And turn our hearts inside out
They won't know who we are

Let me take you there
I wanna take you there
Let me take you there
Take you there
Take you there
Ooohhh
Ooohhh
Ooohhh
Ooohhh

I know a place we'll be together
And stay this young forever
They won't know who we are

Let me take you there
I wanna take you there
Let me take you there
Take you there
Take you there
Ooohhh

We can get away to a better place if you let me take you there
We can go there now cause every second counts
Just let me take you there
Take you there..

Start looking, man.

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:23:00 +0000

I haven't been in a serious relationship for a long time now. Surprisingly, I never felt any pressure or whatsoever about it. For one, should I?

Weird ba? I dunno.. I just keep telling everyone when I'm asked why I'm not into any, "UP took it away from me!" Hahaha..

Of course that's not true. In four years, I had cut myself enough slack that would make it impossible for me not to find one. I had the time to do it. It's just that I did not.

Theory #1. I must've suffered too much from my last (which was also, the first) serious relationship that it totally wiped the hell out my mind. For some people I know, though, who went on the same thing, they were more, uh, hateful, or bitter, I think, of what has happened, making them more "active" than ever (if you know what I mean).

Theory #2. I was more focused in my studies than ever before. *laugh out loud, ian* If this is true, then I am so done with my life! Hah. Academically, I really think I didn't do well during my undergrad years. But here's something to think over: what if I was in a relationship during my undergrad? Would I have been better in my acads? Or worse? Hmm...

Theory#3. I was not attracted to anyone in UP. Let me think.. There's ^^, ^^, and ^^. I beg to disagree! I had been attracted to some people. I may not be that person who knows almost everyone in school, but I do have made some good choices out of even a handful of people I know slash meet.

Theory #4. The "right" person for me is still unaware that I exist. Ang corny naman. But somehow I like to think this one's true. Better if that someone's actually my future classmate in UPCM. Lemme think... Hmm... Niiice.

Theory #5. I'm not ready. Or, better said, I don't know how. Hahah. Poor me.

Kasi naman dude, masyado kang insecure. All I'm saying is that maybe you could help me. As if naman I'm still up to something not right. That's so yesterday, man.. Come on. Call me. You know my number.

Theory #6. This is beginning to sound really weird. In addition, the sixth theory is something that I will not tell anyone. If you have an idea, then shhh.

Theory #7. There is just too much porn under my bed, inside my closet/stash box, or on my secure digital disk. Yeah whatever.

Theory #8. Is there theory number eight? I don't think so. If you think there is, then tell me. Who knows, it might be the most feasible. I mean, possible.

On second thought about "It's just that I did not." Maybe I did. Tried, at least. But then everything was.. crap. Just crappy, and I don't function well in crappy environment.

Why am I much bothered about this, right now.

"I'm going to Med school, man. I need a boost."

These Hard Times

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:03:00 +0000

Artist: Matchbox Twenty
Album: Exile on Mainstream

Morning falls like rain into the city life
There goes another night
Losing my breath in waves
Knowing that ever crash is bleading the hourglass
and taking the strife from all our lives

Everyone keeps talking
They promise you everything
But they don't mean anything

We may loose our focus
There's just too many words
We're never meant to learn
And we don't feel so alive

So goodbye, these days are gone
and we can't keep holding on
When all we need is some relief
Through these hard times
Through these hard times

Move your hands in circles
Keeping me hypnotized
The power behind your eyes

Move around your bedroom cursing the naked sky
You should be here tonight
But you stay alone and cry

Say goodbye, these days are gone
and we can't keep holding on
When all we need is some relief
Through these hard times
(whoa) There's something missing
(Oh whoa) You'll never feel it but you
(Oh whoa) You're gonna feel it when it's gone
When it's gone

Say goodbye, these days are gone
and we can't keep holding on
When all we need is some relief
Through these hard times
(hey) these Hard times
(oh no now) Hard times
Hard times

Say goodbye, these days are gone
Say goodbye, these days are gone
These days are gone..

And I thought I'd be ready..

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:27:00 +0000

Yay. I'm crying.

Summer Na Ba?

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 06:16:00 +0000

Sobrang init na.

Naglaba ako kanina. At grabe, to my surprise, hinihintay ko pa lang matapos yung 2nd batch ng mga damit sa spin dryer, eh tuyo na yung mga kakasampay ko lang na 1st batch. Wala pa yatang fifteen minutes yun. Ang bilis di ba? We'll in that sense, I think I should be more grateful pa nga kasi it made me finish my work faster than usual.

Pero to think, ganun na katindi ang sikat ng araw today. For sure lahat na naman ng mga taong walang magawa sa bahay (or should I say, 'buhay') ay nagsisiksikan ngayon sa mga mall para lang magpalamig. Mabuti na lang mas gusto kong mag-stay sa loob ng bahay.

But in general, it's not really okay. The weather, I mean.

Summer na ba?

Actually I was expecting this summer weather to be delayed, sometime around maybe mid-April pa, judging from the fact it was still rainy last December. I talked to my friend last night over the internet. He's in Hong Kong, working. Sobrang ginaw pa rin daw dun. He confirmed that it's still winter there. O di ba, where are all the cold winds from the northern hemisphere? They're supposed to carried by the northeasterly trade winds (tama ba?) towards our country.

Haaaaay. Makabili na nga lang ng halo-halo sa labas.

Who would've thought

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:15:00 +0000

Shit.

This (see photo) was the reply I received from Ann when I asked her earlier this morning to drop the bomb for me, regarding the results of who's gonna make it to UP College of Medicine.

The list is posted today, but I have no Friday classes.

She made it, too.

No stress, no stress, no stress..

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:57:00 +0000

It's only been a day since I first learned about Jesse McCartney's new music video. Credits go to you, mr. perezhilton reader. His new single is called Leavin'.

So what about the it? New look. Forget the messy, blonde hair he used to have. It's a short brown/black now! New sound (?) Not quite. New theme. Yes, oh, yes. From teen love/hate/jealousy to a more mature video. The girl in the video is incredible. She reminds me of a Final Fantasy character (especially in close-up shots). Gorgeous.

"Man, that thing you got behind you is amazing."

You Make Me Wanna..

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:25:00 +0000

Lazy day Monday. I swear to God I slept early last night. Sith can attest to that. We were thesis-ing last night when I actually reminded him that it's quite late for bedtime and I had to go. No one knows what happened that entire night while I was sleeping why on earth I ended up waking up really late this morning. Darn I was really pissed. I was out of schedule for about two hours.

As a result, I wasn't able to attend my Rad. Bio class and I almost ditched an early lunch with my friends.

What made this morning a little more interesting was when I was on my way to school. As I took a seat inside the bus, I realized that it's radio is on and is tuned in to 101.1 (I'm not sure of the station name) FM. As I was preparing my cellphone headset (I'd rather listen to my MP3s than on the radio), I overheard one particular radio ad that really caught my attention. Here's how it was:

"Hi we're Behavioral Science students of UP Manila. Deretso kami. Basta 101, point one!"

Weeee. Amazing no? No wonder the woman sitting beside me had made an effort to look at me while I was forcing myself not to laugh so hard because of what I just heard. No comment!

Here's something more serious. There will be a metro-wide transport holiday (or should I say strike) tomorrow.

1. I am glad that I don't have Tuesday classes. I don't have to worry.

2. I am glad that the bus company had made an effort in disseminating the said event by posting notices like this one:

At school,

It was another boring, tiring day in the library. Since the beginning of this year, I have always wished to have something new in there.

Time is running out Ian.. *sigh*

Belat =p

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 06:23:00 +0000

Busy week last week. Not so busy week ahead.

Monday. Busy day. I gave the narrative for The Epic of Gilgamesh in my Humanities II class. Big deal? Yeah (!?!?) I don't know what's getting into me everytime I attend this class but it seems really, uh, not worth the 90 minutes. For the past five months, I have done a lot for this subject - had an exam (and amazingly passed it), visited a museum, reviewed several works of art, watched a bunch of related videos, written a whole lot of reaction papers, read half a book, but believe it or not, I still can't find the 'H' in humanities (if you know what I mean). To think, it's the second (and final) exam on March 17. From what happend today, I am quite happy that I did something that made me remember that I actually have a Hum. II class this semester.

Sith and I had our thesis poster printed today. It was okay.

Tuesday. I spent the whole day getting our thesis poster redone.

Wednesday. Busy day. Thesis poster presentation. I was too early for Rob. so I spent ~20 minutes waiting outside. Once opened, I headed straight to the Hubsite to get our thesis poster (new version) printed asap. The presentation was just couple of hours away. I succeeded. We had a better poster. Everything went well after the opening. I must say, the area where our (and Fairenks' as well) thesis posters are were always full of people. As someone actually pointed out, it was a "box office." Quite fulfilling that people are actually interested but that wasn't easy! Sith and I had to talk for hours (?!?) just to answer their questions adequately. That afternoon was full of hype!

Over-all, here's what I have to say about the mind-blowing experience: "You like it, good. You don't like it, go away."

Thursday. Busy day. Again, I have to show the world my talking prowess (hahah, kidding) during my Radiation Biology class. I am actually more comfortable doing that talk more than how I did before in similar occasions because I was actually the one responsible for my group ending up with the topic which was bioinformatics-related. When they (my groupmates) asked, "Why this?" I replied with a smile, "It's close to my heart." Hahahah.. I still can't believe that's what I said. They all just pretended they didn't hear anything, but with anxious looks on their faces.

It was Ann's 20th birthday! I made her a last-minute greeting (it looked more like an announcement) I posted later that day at the QED bulletin board. Of course, birthday = free lunch! Hah! At Chaikofi - my second time there. We had fun. Seriously. =p In exchange to this fun-filled event, I didn't attend my Hum. II class (for the 4th? 5th? sixth? time since the first day of classes). I am soooo doomed, but happy.

I voted! Hindi dahil eleksiyon na naman sa UP Manila, pero dahil: 'Crush ng Bio' na!!! Hmm.. sino kaya binoto ko? Hahahah.. Sana manalo ka. Nag-withdraw pa ako para lang sayo. =p

Nothing beats the feeling of playing Dance Dance Revolution that is three months in the making! Oops. Two weeks lang pala. Hehehe. But it felt like it's been ages. Absolute bliss.

Friday. and Saturday, too. Who loves Fridays? I do, I do! People are just.. too driven to do something. Change topic.. AI7 Results Night: Disappointing. Also in Reality [TV], Christian Siriano ended up winning Project Runway 4. I must admit he had 'high fashion' designs (that only Victoria Beckham could wear) but I liked Rami Kashou's better.

Who hates Saturdays? I do, I do! People are just.. suddenly gone. Hahah! Kidding. It seems I don't have a social [weekend] life. Instead, I watched Alvin and the Chipmunks, Bee Movie, and half of Into The Wild. I updated my data with 2 new episodes of Kyle XY [WARNING: SPOILER: Sarah is freakin' alive!]. And oh, I forgot, I am planning to sell my laptop. Interested? Contact me.

Well basically that's been my week. A busy week.

Busy week last week. Not so busy week ahead.

Not so busy week kaya (?)

Thesis Defense Presentation.. Opo gagawa na po..

Belat! =P

'Idol' Hopeful David Hernandez's Stripper Past

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 22:31:00 +0000

Singer was reportedly a dancer at Dick's Cabaret in Phoenix for three years, the club's manager says.

By Gil Kaufman

Like the rain showers and budding flowers, you can count on spring to bring an "American Idol" sex scandal. The show has endured everything from Frenchie Davis' adult Web site photos to Corey Clark's claim that he had an affair with Paula Abdul to Antonella Barba's lascivious pictures. (Check out what Barba's been up to since then.) This year's shocker, according to The Associated Press, is that 24-year-old semifinalist David Hernandez used to work as a nude dancer at male strip club Dick's Cabaret in Phoenix.

The manager of the club, Gordy Bryan, told the news service on Monday that Glendale, Arizona, native Hernandez had performed fully nude and gave lap dances to the club's mostly male clientele.

"He had the look and the type that people like, so he made pretty good money here," Bryan said.

A spokesperson for the show declined MTV News' request for comment on the report, but a "person close to the show, who is not authorized to comment publicly and asked not to be identified" told the AP Tuesday (March 4) that the show has no plans to remove Hernandez from the competition.

Bryan could not be reached for further comment at press time, but he told the AP that Hernandez worked at Dick's steadily for three years until September 30, well after he auditioned for "Idol" in San Diego on July 30. Bryan said that Hernandez did not renew his licensing with the state, which is why he hasn't performed at Dick's since that date.

The alcohol-free club was named the "best gay male revue" in 2004 by the Phoenix New Times, which said that the cabaret's dancers "fit a flurry of fantasy roles, performing as sailors, construction workers, cowboys, and whatever else tickles their, uh, fancy."

Though Hernandez has never discussed his stripping past on the show, rumors of his past were posted on VotefortheWorst.com last week, including images of a barely clothed Hernandez working as a bartender at the gay club Burn.

"It was like moths to a flame," Vote for the Worst founder Dave Della Terza told the AP of the rumor. "As soon as I posted that, we started getting 10, 20 letters every single day from people saying, 'Yeah, he's a stripper in Phoenix.' "

Bryan told the AP that the "Idol" contestant never sang at Dick's and that he now believes Hernandez stopped working at the club because of his "Idol" connection.

After getting high marks from the judges last Tuesday for his rendition of the Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," Hernandez is slated to perform Tuesday (March 4) for a shot at making it into the top 12.

The good news for David Hernandez is that his spot on "American Idol" is not in jeopardy because of his now-highly publicized past as a nude male stripper. First, on Tuesday night, judge Simon Cowell said the 24-year-old Arizona singer was one of the best in the competition and that he's a shoo-in for the top 12. Then, also on Tuesday, one of the show's executive producers, Ken Warwick, spoke to TVGuide.com and said Hernandez can stay as long as viewers want him.

'We're never judgmental about what people do to earn a living,' Ken Warwick says.

Reality [TV] Check

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:07:00 +0000

American Idol 7's Top 12 is finally revealed.

Before the 3-week eliminations began, I had 12 contestants in mind who would make it to the top 12. Unfortunately, six of them were sent home. The worse part is, four of them, namely, Kady Malloy, Luke Menard, Asia'h Epperson, and Danny Noriega, were the last four people who were voted off on the way to completing the top 12. The remaining six that I have chosen are the ones on the right column.

Tsk. I was sooo disappointed.

Instead of them, I think these people must have been the ones to be removed from the competition (Note: my personal opinion)

1. Amanda Overmyer - she's unique. That's it. I don't see her as a future Idol star. Sorry.
2. Kristy Lee Cook - Alaina (voted off during week 2) is far better. Kady, too.
3. Chikezie - I might be wrong but my initial reaction is he's not okay for me.

That's all.

A History of Cell Phones

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 14:18:00 +0000

Article: Courtesy of MSN Tech & Gadgets, and PC World

From Motorola's first phone, which weighed in at 2 pounds, to Apple's iPhone, here's a look at how cell phones have evolved over the years.

1982: Hefty
Motorola DynaTAC 8000X
In 1973, Motorola showed off a prototype of the world's first portable cellular telephone. That phone, which measured more than a foot long, weighed almost 2 pounds, and cost $3995, ultimately became commercial available in 1983. Known as the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, its battery could provide 1 hour of talk time, and its memory could store 30 phone numbers. It may not have been pretty, but it did let you talk while on the go--if you could lift it, that is. (Photograph: Courtesy of Motorola)

1982: Heftier
Nokia Mobira Senator
It may look more like a boombox than a portable phone, but this boxy, bulky device was actually Nokia's first mobile (if you can call it that) phone. Introduced in 1982, the Nokia Mobira Senator was designed for use in cars. After all, you wouldn't want to use this phone while walking: It weighed about 21 pounds. (Photograph: Courtesy of Nokia)

1993: Pre-iPhone
BellSouth/IBM Simon Personal Communicator
A cell phone with added PDA functions isn't news today. But in 1993, it was a novel idea. The Simon Personal Communicator, jointly marketed by IBM and BellSouth, was the first mobile phone to add PDA features. It was a phone, pager, calculator, address book, fax machine, and e-mail device in one package, albeit a 20-ounce package that cost $900. (Photograph: Courtesy of Casimir Decas)

1996: Ahead of Its Time
Motorola StarTAC
Before the Motorola StarTAC was introduced in 1996, cell phones were more about function than fashion. But this tiny, lightweight phone ushered in the concept that style was just as important, ultimately paving the way for today's sleek-looking phones like the Motorola Razr. This 3.1-ounce clamshell-style phone, which could easily be clipped to a belt, was the smallest and lightest of its time. In fact, it was smaller and lighter than many of today's teeny-tiny cell phones. (Photograph: Courtesy of Motorola)

1998 & 2000: DotComs Ran on These
Nokia 6160 or Nokia 8260
In the late 1990s, Nokia's candybar-style cell phones were all the rage. Sporting a monochrome display, an external antenna, and a boxy, 5.2-inch tall frame, the Nokia 6160 was the company's best-selling handset of the 1990s. The somewhat sleeker Nokia 8260, introduced in 2000, added a colorful case and lost some of the 6160's bulk: it stood only about 4 inches tall and weighed 3.4 ounces, compared with almost 6 ounces for the 6160. (Photograph: Courtesy of Nokia)

2000: Early Smart Phone

Kyocera QCP6035
If you're one of the many fans of the Palm OS-based Treo phone, you might want to thank Kyocera. The company's QCP6035 smart phone, which hit the retail market in early 2001 and cost between $400 and $500 (depending on the carrier), was the first Palm-based phone to be widely available to users. It included a measly 8MB of memory, and sported a bland monochrome display, but it paved the way for future products. (Photograph: Courtesy of Kyocera)

2001: PDA to Phone

Handspring Treo 180
Back when Palm and Handspring were still rivals, Handspring made waves with the Treo 180. More PDA than phone, the Treo 180 came in two versions: one with a QWERTY keyboard for typing (pictured), and another (the Treo 180g) that used Graffiti text input instead. Like the Kyocera QCP6035, it featured a monochrome screen, but boasted 16MB of memory. (Photograph: Courtesy of Palm)

2002: Swivel It

Danger Hiptop
Before the T-Mobile Sidekick became Hollywood's "it" phone, it was known as the Danger Hiptop. PC World liked it so much that we named it our product of the year in 2003. While its voice capabilities were only mediocre, this was one of the first devices to offer truly functional mobile Web browsing, e-mail access, and instant messaging. Plus, it pioneered that nifty swiveling design. Photograph: Courtesy of Danger)

2002: CrackBerry Phone

BlackBerry 5810
Before the BlackBerry 5810 came along in early 2002, Research In Motion's devices were best known for their data capabilities: Push e-mail technology, Organizer features, and thumb keyboards. The 5810--the first BlackBerry to offer voice capabilities--changed that perception. This device added a GSM cell phone to the package, albeit one that required the use of a headset (it lacked both a speaker and a microphone). (Photograph: Courtesy of Research In Motion)

2002: Photo Opp
Sanyo SCP-5300
Today, most cell phones come with a built-in camera. But, just a few years ago, a camera phone was hard to come by. In 2002, Sanyo and Sprint debuted the Sanyo SCP-5300 PCS phone, which they claimed was the first mobile phone available in America with a built-in camera. (A camera phone from Sharp had been available in Japan for a few years.) At its highest resolution, it captured VGA (640 by 480) images--a far cry from today's 5-megapixel camera phones like the Nokia N95. Photograph: Courtesy of Sanyo and Sprint)

2003: Bad Buzz
Nokia N-Gage
Nokia's N-Gage also created plenty of buzz when it was launched in 2003, but, unfortunately, most of the buzz was bad. This combination cell phone/gaming device was supposed to lure gamers away from their portable devices. Instead, it earned scorn for its odd curved design, and the fact that you had to hold the phone on its side to place a call. Later versions (like the N-Gage QD, launched in 2004) fixed many of the problems with the original device. But for many, the damage was done. (Photograph: Courtesy of Nokia)

2004: Sleek
Motorola Razr v3
Cell phones continued to get thinner and more stylish over the years, but it was the debut of the Motorola Razr v3 in 2004 that took design to another level. With its super-slim lines and sleek metallic look, the Razr quickly became the must-have accessory. Three years later, it remains one of the most popular handsets on the market (according to market data from The NPD Group, various versions of the Razr were 3 of the 4 best-selling handsets in 2006), and is one of the few phones offered by almost every major wireless carrier. (Photograph: Courtesy of Motorola)

2005: Out of Tune
Motorola Rokr
It promised to bring together the best of two worlds: Apple's excellent iTunes music player and Motorola's cell phone design expertise. The Motorola Rokr, released in September 2005, was the first music phone to incorporate Apple's music software. It allowed users to transfer songs purchased from iTunes to the phone for listening on the go. Unfortunately, users found song transfers to be painfully slow, and many were stymied by the 100-song limit imposed on their music collections. Still, this handset paved the way for today's music phones, including those (like the Motorola Slvr and Razr V3i) that support iTunes. (Photograph: Courtesy of Motorola)

2006: Good Looks
BlackBerry Pearl
Research In Motion continued its efforts to shed its strictly-business image with the consumer-friendly Pearl. This phone, with its slim design and SureType keyboard, looked the part. It went further than the 7100t, however: the Pearl was the first BlackBerry to include a camera and an audio/video player. Combine these multimedia features with BlackBerry's excellent e-mail service, and you have one impressive device. (Photograph: Courtesy of Research In Motion)

2007: How Far We've Come
Apple iPhone
After months of speculation and rumors, Apple confirmed the news in January 2007: The company does indeed planned to launch a cell phone. The device, which was expected to be available from AT&T/Cingular, features an innovative design: it lacks a numeric keypad. Instead, it features a touch-sensitive screen. The iPhone also includes a 2-megapixel camera, the ability to sync your iTunes collection to the phone, and it runs Mac OS X. Whew. So far so good for the iPhone. It became Time's Best Invention of 2007. Truly phenomenal.

That's it! For the moment, the iPhone holds the distinction of being the "one to beat" for the cell phone history to take a new shape in terms of innovation. For the next few years, I am expecting this list to increase ten-fold.

From what I have heard, mobile phone giants (Nokia, Motorolla, Samsung, etc.) and smartphones alike (Palm, BlackBerry, O2, etc.) are beginning to break the boundaries and pushing everything to the limits to outshine Apple's iPhone.

Posterrific!

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 18:07:00 +0000

-xoxo

Right Brain Projects™

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 07:59:00 +0000

Since high school, I have been creating home-made videos into mini-films that would, well, in my own standards, fit for public viewing. I found this skill very useful especially in college when we are asked to create video projects/presentations and short films. Of course at times there is a thought of

"If I actually decided to do filming as one of my priorities in life, what would it be called?"

It wasn't until today that I finally got it all figured out.

I now consider my video creations (and similar digital art) as part of the Right Brain Projects™.

Come on now people, we all know what the right brain is capable of and what it does best.

Cheers!

[ check out the videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/rheyian9 ]

Leaplings and Leapers

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:08:00 +0000

A person born on February 29 may be called a "leapling" or "leaper". In common years they usually celebrate their birthdays on 28 February or 1 March.

For legal purposes, their legal birthdays depend on how different laws count time intervals. In Taiwan, for example, the legal birthday of a leapling is 28 February in common years, so a Taiwanese leapling born on February 29, 1980 would have legally reached 18 years old on February 28, 1998.

“ If a period fixed by weeks, months, and years does not commence from the beginning of a week, month, or year, it ends with the ending of the day which proceeds the day of the last week, month, or year which corresponds to that on which it began to commence.　 But if there is no corresponding day in the last month, the period ends with the ending of the last day of the last month. ”

In some situations, March 1 is used as the birthday in a non-leap year since it then is the day just after February 28.

There are many instances in children's literature where a person's claim to be only a quarter of their actual age turns out to be based on counting their leap-year birthdays. A similar device is used in the plot of Gilbert and Sullivan's 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance: As a child, Frederic was apprenticed to a band of pirates until the age of 21. Now, having passed his 21st year, he leaves the pirate band and falls in love. However, it turns out that the pirate indenture says that his apprenticeship does not end until his 21st birthday, and since he was born on February 29, that day will not arrive until he is in his eighties, and so he must leave his fiancée and return to the pirates. Of course, it all turns out happily in the end.

DID YOU KNOW?
An individual's chance of being born on a leap day is about 1 in 1500.

When did leap year originate?

The Gregorian calendar is closely based on the Julian calendar, which was introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BC. The Julian calendar featured a 12-month, 365-day year, with an intercalary day inserted every fourth year at the end of February to make an average year of 365.25 days. But because the length of the solar year is actually 365.242216 days, the Julian year was too long by .0078 days (11 minutes 14 seconds).
This may not seem like a lot, but over the course of centuries it added up, until in the 16th century, the vernal equinox was falling around March 11 instead of March 21. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII adjusted the calendar by moving the date ahead by 11 days and by instituting the exception to the rule for leap years. This new rule, whereby a century year is a leap year only if divisible by 400, is the sole feature that distinguishes the Gregorian calendar from the Julian calendar.
Following the Gregorian reform, the average length of the year was 365.2425 days, an even closer approximation to the solar year. At this rate, it will take more than 3,000 years for the Gregorian calendar to gain one extra day in error.

*info from Wikipedia and InfoPlease

As I was searching for funny facts about the leap day/year, I stumbled upon Yahoo's own feature article about Leap Day, which, if you click on the link, directs you to Portfolio.com's Happy Leap Day! (Unless You're in Debt) article.
Having read the story, I was much more entertained with the comments!
So here's my treat for you guys: Here are (for me) the most hilarious (or maybe intriguing?) comments ever written about the leap day... (Brace yourselves!)

I don't mind the extra day, but I wish they made it a Saturday.
- Alex

it don't cost u an extra days of interest or not interest, cause a day is a day is a day is a day.
- Ceaser

I think the reason why February only has 29 days instead of 30 is because Augustus wanted 31 days in August (he was apparently upset that August only had 30).
- Jin

i think today is awsome
- bigsister75

It's just too bad the leap year is always on an election year - one extra day of listening to those idiots lie for votes.
- Word

I belive this day was made to make the world better place in time to come.
- Jessie

Cleopatra was Egyptian(african hah, black history month hah) ! and we aren't supposed to have a leap year every 400 years but did in 2000. explain that genius. I hate you people
- edu

I agree , this should be a day off for all.
- ang

life is short ill take any days I can get (love all days)
- ravenwood

there are still a billion people on this planet, who have no calendar and are not reading this. think about that.
- HolyMoly

I just wanted to add that Cleopatra was a queen from a line of Greeks who ran Egypt for 300 years prior to her time starting with Ptolemy and Alexander the Great....so she was not Arab or Moor...neither was the nobility. Not that this has anything to do with the stupid calender story but i thought i'd reply
- Tappist

any day that you are alive and well is a good day, be it 29th Feb or the 62nd March, who cares as long as you feel well and have no worries.
- Tiger

actually February used to be 30 days
than Julius Caesar changed the name of "July" to his name and made it 31(was 30), that made Feb 29 days
than August Caesar changed the name of "August" to his name and made it 31(was 30)and shorten Feb again, that made Feb 28 days
- Truth

that is so gay, but on the bright side, we get paid a day sooner!!!(for those who get paid on the 30th.
- $$$nancy$$$

Oh Lord!! So many people confused!! What the hey! Cleopatra was Greek. Egypt is in North Africa. Black History Month is good. People learn to spell!!! Are all Americans so ignorant????
- tack!

It stinks that we have an extra day of school!
- anonymous

Why not June 31st? Why did the extra day have to be in February?
- HateWinter

To make people who born on this date look young.
- Sen

WHO CARES PEOPLE,GET A LIFE
- S

what about if some person will born in feb 29 than he/she will be at least 4 years off please can some body help with these crazy day .
- outofdought

I like leap day because I actually get a birthday!!
- leapfisch

Instead of a leap year why don't we add 6 hours to every year, by prolonging the physical period of a month by 1/2 hour.
- Marko

i think the groundhog had something to do with it.
- buttnugget

hmmm,what if we had no calendar,held no census and had no mandatory taxes
- micole

Let's just have an 8 day week with and extra day off.
- Slick

Actually the correct explanation is the earth is shaped like an egg because of the super black holes in the universe so it messed up gravity for the moon and our sun.. actually the correct date is more like those Star Trek dates from the tv series
- bule_maui

Actually, the Romans messed the calendar up and accidentally translated the year incorrectly. We lost 4 years from that. So if they hadn't messed that up, it'd be Feb. 29, 2004 rather than Feb. 29, 2008. So that is kind of awkward...
- Someone

I thought the Mayans created the fancy extremely acurate calander?
And other places, I've heard it was Ben Franklin... my sources are strange...
- ConfusedOne

I honestly can't believe I actually read all these comments??? At least the poop and keys people made me laugh!!!!
- Laughing.at.you

I would like to see the leap day changed to become an additional Wednesday in the second week of Feb so I can get an additional social security check.
- olddude

why does black history month have to be during the shortest month out of the year?
think about it.
- bb

we owe leap year to a culture that was way smarter than ours, the Myans. And for black history month, February could have not been a better month to pick, cause its the shortest month. ha ha ha
- man

I'm a salary employee and therefore am being made to work an extra day every four years. It should be made a holiday.
- HeyNow

If we had a 13 months calander, all the months would be 28 days, but we would still need a leap year every four years.
Just a thought.
- John

to day is my B-Day. im a college student and I'm 5yrs old. today is awsome
- al

you are all a bunch of fuck ups so lets get a life and talk about something that means something
- BettySue

To put a end to the mystery of Cleopatra's ethnicity. She was Filipina, born in San Diego california. Were she later met Mr.C at the popular club in National city(Trophy Lounge). Soon after discovering that he(Mr.C) was cheating, she left him took the house, half of his pay ,left him the kids and moved Marc Anthony into their home. That Mr.C is court ordered to pay the mortage on.
- JUSKIDN

That last one caught me off guard. What's that person talking about?!?

Anyway, I hope you had fun reading what these people think about leap day as much as I did.

Ian
xoxo

Open the box

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:11:00 +0000

It's March! And I'm laughing.

So there. I dunno why but I am laughing. My right brain's exhausted -- I have been sitting here in my room designing our thesis poster. Just finished it. Just sent it. We hope we get a good feedback. I really like the blue one. Sith liked it too, I think. And according to him, a lot of people did, too. Amazing.. Hahah.

Wala pang isang oras pagkadating ng allowance ko for this month, bawas na agad ng 4000+ pesos. Pano kasi, hindi pala ako nakapagbayad ng Internet Bill last month, ayun, eh di 2000 na. Tapos yung Globe bill pa ng Ate ko, 2400. Actually binigay na niya 2 weeks ago pa yung dapat pambayad eh. Nagastos ko yata. Hardcopy kasi (I mean, hawak ko kasi). Ayun, nadali din tuloy pera ko. Haaaay. Broke talaga o. Brokebackan na! Wahahaha..

Marami pa akong kwento.

Lalo nung nasa Baguio ako nung Panagbenga.

Ewan ko ba, pag-uwi ko eveything was just a blur, that when I finally got on my feet, it seems as if nothing happened for the past six months or so. Weird no. Or mabait lang talaga si God. Ewan ko talaga.

In fairness, mukha namang maayos.

I just hope it doesn't happen again -- I mean, I have the tendency to ignore things/people that I don't want to see.
I have tendencies! Hahah..

zzz

xoxo

My Happy Ending

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:52:00 +0000

So much ~~for my happy ending~~
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...

~~Let's talk this over~~
~~It's not like~~ we're dead
Was it ~~something I did?~~
~~Was it something~~ you said?
~~Don't~~ leave me ~~hanging~~
~~In a~~ city ~~so dead~~
Held up so high
On such a breakable thread

You were all ~~the things I thought I knew~~
~~And~~ I thought ~~we could be~~

~~You were everything, everything that~~ I wanted
We were ~~meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it~~
And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away
~~All this time you were~~ pretending
So much for my happy ending
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...

~~You've got your~~ dumb ~~friends~~
I know what they say
~~They tell you~~ I'm difficult
~~But so are they~~
~~But they don't know me~~
Do they even know you?
All the things you hide from me
~~All the~~ shit ~~that~~ you do

~~You were all the things~~ I thought I knew
~~And I thought~~ we could be

~~You were everything, everything that~~ I wanted
We were ~~meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it~~
And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away
~~All this time you were~~ pretending
So much for my happy ending

~~It's nice to know that you were there~~
Thanks ~~for acting like you cared~~
~~And~~ making me feel ~~like I was the only one~~
~~It's nice to know we had it all~~
Thanks for watching as I fall
~~And letting me know~~ we were done

He was everything, everything that I wanted
~~We were meant to be, supposed to be, but~~ we lost it
~~And all of the memories,~~ so close to me, ~~just fade away~~
All this time ~~you were pretending~~
So much for my happy ending

Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...
~~So much for~~ my happy ending

Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...

"My Happy Ending"

Performed by: Avril Lavigne

Album: Under My Skin (2004)

Imagine

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:33:00 +0000

David A. does it again! After last week's excellent performace, David once again wowed the judges with his soulful rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine." Paula Abdul was teary-eyed after his performance! Simon says, "Right now, you're the one to beat. And there are 19 very miserable contestants here tonight.."

He is unstoppable! Woot. I hope he gets into the Top 12. Catch American Idol Season 7 on QTV-11, every Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 6PM.

"Imagine"

Performed by: David Archuleta

American Idol 7 - Top 20 Performance Night

How Far We've Come

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:00:00 +0000

10 Dumb Things Users Do That Can Mess Up Their Computers

(Part 3)

By Debra Littlejohn Shinder, MCSE, MVP

Part 1
Part 2

7. Click on everything

Opening attachments isn’t the only type of mouse click that can get you in trouble. Clicking on hyperlinks in e-mail messages or on Web pages can take you to Web sites that have embedded ActiveX controls or scripts that can perform all sorts of malicious activities, from wiping your hard disk to installing a backdoor program on your computer that a hacker can use to get in and take control of it.

Clicking the wrong link can also take you to inappropriate Web sites that feature pornography, pirated music or software, or other content that can get you in trouble if you’re using a computer on the job or even get you in trouble with the law.

Don’t give in to “click mania.” Think before you click a link. Links can also be disguised in “phishing” messages or on Web sites to appear to take you to a different site from the ones they really point to. For example, the link might say www.safesite.com, but it actually takes you to www.gotcha.com. You can often find out the real URL by hovering over the link without clicking it.

8. Share and share alike

Your mother taught you that it’s nice to share, but when you’re on a network, sharing can expose you to dangers. If you have file and printer sharing enabled, others can remotely connect to your computer and access your data. Even if you haven’t created any shared folders, by default Windows systems have hidden “administrative” shares for the root of each drive. A savvy hacker may be able to use these shares to get in. One way to prevent that is to turn off file and printer sharing--if you don’t need to make any of the files on your computer accessible across the network. This is especially a good idea if you’re connecting your laptop to a public wireless hotspot. You can find instructions on how to do so at http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1277222,00.asp.

If you do need to make shared folders accessible, it’s important that they be protected by both share-level permissions and file-level (NTFS) permissions. Also ensure that your account and the local administrative account have strong passwords.

9. Pick the wrong passwords

That brings us to another common mistake that can expose you to attacks: picking the wrong password. Even if you don’t belong to a network where the administrator forces you to select strong passwords and change them regularly, you should do so. Don’t pick passwords that are easy to guess, such as your birthdate, loved one’s name, social security number, etc. Longer passwords are harder to crack, so make your password at least eight characters long; 14 is even better. Popular password-cracking methods use "dictionary" attacks, so don’t use words that are in the dictionary. Passwords should contain a combination of alpha, numeric, and symbol characters for best security.

A long string of nonsense characters may create a password that’s tough to crack, but if you can’t remember it, you’ll defeat the purpose by writing it down (where an intruder may be able to find it). Instead, create a phrase you can remember easily and use the first letters of each word, along with logical numbers and symbols. For example: “My cat ate a mouse on the 5th day of June” becomes “Mc8amot5doJ.”

10. Ignore the need for a backup and recovery plan

Even if you follow all these suggestions, an attacker may crash your system or your data may be corrupted or get wiped out by a hardware problem. That’s why it’s essential that you always back up your important information and have a plan for recovering from a system failure.

Most computer users know they should back up, but many never get around to it. Or they make an initial backup but don’t update it regularly. Use the built-in Windows backup program (Ntbackup.exe in Windows NT, 2000, and XP) or a third-party backup program and schedule backups to occur automatically. Store backed up data on a network server or removable drive in a location away from the computer itself, in case of a natural disaster like flood, fire, or tornado.

Remember that the data is the most important thing on your computer. The operating system can be reinstalled and so can applications, but it may be difficult or impossible to recreate your original data. (See "10 ways to protect your data" for additional suggestions.)

Nonetheless, you can save time and frustration by backing up your system information too. You can create mirror images of your disks using popular “ghost” or “clone” programs. This will allow you to restore the system quickly instead of going through the tedious installation process.

"How Far We've Come"
Artist: Matchbox Twenty
Album: Exile on Mainstream (2007)

The Great Escape

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 03:17:00 +0000

- ian, xoxo

"The Great Escape"
Performed by: Boys Like Girls
Album: Boys Like Girls (2007)

What About Now

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 04:55:00 +0000

American Idol Season 7's Top 24!

Elimination #1
Garrett | Amy | Joanne | Colton

Elimination #2

Jason Y. | Alexandrea | Robbie | Alaina

Last Elimination

Kady | Luke | Asia'h | Danny

"What About Now"
Performed by: Daughtry
Album: Daughtry (2006)

*images from the American Idol Official site

Tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:21:00 +0000

And I wanna believe you,
When you tell me that it'll be ok,
Yeah I try to believe you,
But I don't.

When you say that it's gonna be,
It always turns out to be a different way,
I try to believe you,
Not today, today, today, today, today...

I don't know how I feel,
tomorrow, tomorrow,
I don't know what to say,
tomorrow, tomorrow
Is a different day.

It's always been up to you,
It's turning around,
It's up to me,
I'm gonna do what I have to do,
just don't.

Gimme a little time,
Leave me alone a little while,
Maybe it's not too late,
not today, today, today, today, today...

I don't know how I feel,
tomorrow, tomorrow,
I don't know what to say,
tomorrow, tomorrow
Is a different day

And I know I'm not ready,
Maybe tomorrow

And I wanna believe you,
When you tell me that it'll be ok,
Yeah I try to believe you,
Not today, today, today, today, today...

Tomorrow it may change..

"Tomorrow"
Performed by: Avril Lavigne
Album: Let Go (2002)

Weekend Warriors - Update

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 10:09:00 +0000

Update on the shows:

Project Runway 4. Their last field trip was to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. They were asked to look for any work of art that will serve as their inspiration for their next design.
There were 5 of them, but only 3 will be on the finals where they'll have to create their own line to be shown at Olympus Fashion Week (months from now). This episode was the last designing challenge, thus 2 will be eliminated. However, only one was (Sweet P.). Christian and Jillian were in. Rami and Chris, the bottom two other than Sweet P., were deadlock for the third spot, thus they were both allowed to create their own line for Fashion Week. However, there will be a twist: just days before the biggest show, Rami and Chris must present the 3 strongest creations in their line and Heidi (Klum) and the judges will decide who will ultimately participate at the Olympus Fashion Week alongside Jillian and Christian.

Survivor Micronesia. The fans lost the Immunity + Reward Challenge because of Chet, a gay fan. Just before the Tribal Council, however, it wasn't him, but Mary who was eliminated unexpectedly. She didn't see it coming.

The Amazing Race Asia 2. It's the finale! Marc and Rovilson had an early lead, with Adrian and Colin and Pamela and Vanessa just minutes behind. On the final Roadblock where one team member must remember all the countries they've been all throughout the race and arranging the countries' corresponding national flags in the correct order, Rovilson trailed behind. In the end, Adrian and Colin (Singapore) were the ones who arrived first at the final Pit Stop, followed by Pamela and Vanessa (Malaysia). Marc and Rovilson (Philippines) came in last - a 3rd place finish.

*images from Wikipedia. These logos are copyright of the respective owners.

Weekend Warriors

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 01:31:00 +0000

"I couldn't ask for a better place to be.."

The weekend before THE weekend. Woot!

Museum Visit.
Me and some of my Hum. II classmates (and blockmates as well) went to Met (The Metropolitan Museum of Manila) for a required gallery viewing. It was only my fourth time (?) to go to a museum. There were several exhibits there. Some of the Permanent Exhibits include The Classical Philippine Goldwork and Pottery (Basement) which features a lot of ancient Philippine accessories made of gold and ivory. On the other side of the basement are earthenwares made of clay. Changing exhibitions include HEROËS ANÓNIMOS OF A BRILLIANT STRUGGLE: Art Making and Art Makers at the U.P. School of Fine Arts (my favorite), WEN FANG: INSIDE THE SCHOLAR’S STUDIO (GEMS OF CHINESE CULTURAL ANTIQUITIES), and ENLIVENING THE PAST, SHAPING THE FUTURE: An Exhibit of Hau Chiok and His Students. We are asked after to write an art critic about one of the exhibitions and then choose one work of art (a painting) to evaluate in-depth. My personal bet is Augusto Fuster's "Interior de la Galeria Ongpin."

MOA_ing.
After lunch, friendly Fai and I headed to SM Mall of Asia to scout for our med. interview attires. Actually, Fai was more after MOA's Executive Optical to get herself a new lens for her glasses. We dropped by at TimeZone to have a glimpse of what's waiting for us there. DDR-Supernova 2 for 22 pesos each. Crap. We also visited Power Mac Store. I was hoping to see the new MacBook Air. But there wasn't any. Also, on our way home, Fai and I have discerned why The Mall of Asia is only 2 levels high. It's just common sense, really. =p Here's a hint: It has something to do with geography and the economy. MOA is the perfect representation. Lol.

Today.
I am about to satisfy my craving for reality shows. I am subscribed to 9 YouTube video uploaders, hoping to get updated as soon as new reality TV videos are available. And just now, new episodes of The Amazing Race Asia 2, Project Runway 4, and Survivor Micronesia are on queue! Yay.

What's going on in these shows:

Project Runway 4. It's down to 5 fashion designers. My personal bet is Rami Kashou. In this episode, the contestants will be having their last 'field trip.' Most of them feel nervous because the last time they had a field trip, they had to deal with female wrestlers of WWE (they had to design outfits fit for a wrestling match). I wonder what this last field trip is all about.. Also, Christian gets a little bitchy to Jillian in this episode.

Survivor Micronesia. Only the second episode of the new season which highlights the ultimate twist: "fans versus favorites". Ten die-hard Survivor fans up against Ten All-Star Survivor castaways of previous seasons. Last time, during the first Immunity Challenge, the fans beat the favorites, leading to Johnny Fairplay's eliminaton. Can the fans maintain their lead? Or was it just beginner's luck fueled with overflowing excitement? Take a look at what's up at episode 2:

The Amazing Race Asia 2. It's the Final Leg. It's a race between Marc and Rovilson (Philippines), Adrian and Colin (Singapore, I think), and Pamela and Vanessa (Malaysia). After retrieving their lead from Adrian and Colin, Marc and Rovilson are now holding up to that final Pit Stop. Go Team Philippines! I also love Pamella and Vanessa. They're hot.

"..Weekends are for the warriors."

"Weekend Warriors"
Performed by: A Change of Pace
Album: Prepare The Masses (2006)

All you need is love.

noreply@blogger.com (ian) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:36:00 +0000

If you haven't seen this film, try watching it this season of hearts. It will blow you away. The both of you.
If you're single, uh, well, I suggest you put 'Love Actually' on top of your list. Have fun!

Synopsis:

The Beatles' songs may have provided the soundtrack for the lives of those coming of age in the 1960s, but their extensive catalogue acts as the literal soundtrack in this romantic musical from visionary director Julie Taymor. Newcomer Jim Sturgess stars as Jude, a young man working on the docks in Liverpool. Eager to escape, he travels to Princeton where he meets Max (Joe Anderson). But it’s his meeting with Max’s younger sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) that changes him. They quickly fall in love, but their relationship is tested by the chaos of the late 1960s and Max’s unwilling tour in Vietnam. Throughout the film, characters burst into classics from the Beatles: frat boys sing "With a Little Help from My Friends," while Uncle Sam bursts from a recruitment poster with strains of "I Want You (She’s So Heavy)." U2’s Bono makes a cameo as a counterculture leader and croons "I Am the Walrus," and actor-comedian Eddie Izzard provides a trippy rendition of "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite." Sturgess has the voice, charm, and good looks to fill Shea Stadium with hordes of screaming young women. As Jude, he’s earnest and certainly capable of carrying the film. Wood capably balances Lucy’s naiveté and knowledge, easily moving between her love for Jude and her passion for her cause. Though the performances are strong, it’s Taymor’s gifted direction that makes ACROSS THE UNIVERSE so fascinating to watch. As in FRIDA and Broadway’s THE LION KING, she proves herself an artist with creativity few can match. Director of photography Bruno Delbonnel also deserves praise for his contribution to the striking visuals. He has worked with Jean-Pierre Jeunet on AMELIE and A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT, and he brings the same sense of romance and whimsy to this unique musical. (Source: Rotten Tomatoes)

*images courtesy of (1) Movie Hawk, (2, 3, 4, & 5) IMDb, (6) Reel to Real, and (7) Lost Forest After Dark.

"All You Need Is Love"
Performed by: Jim Sturgess, Dana Fuchs, T.V. Carpio & Martin Luther McCoy
Album: Across the Universe: Music from the Motion Picture (Deluxe Edition) (2007)