Marcus Can Blog

How To Generate Ideas

I recently experienced hard times in filling my urge to write and to satisfy my blog readers and subscribers—assuming that they do exist—need to read fresh post. It has become more difficult lately as I don’t only have time to kill but it seems that from the moment I wake up, go to work and come back home, time itself appears to be staring right at me almost saying, “I’m here Cris, what’s next?”

Once again the reminder: Be careful what you wish for, came in late to be retracted. I’ve wished for blogging time, now it’s all I’ve got. The sad thing about it is that my idea bank may be now reaching saturation point. I think I’ve already reached my writing plateau.

Fortunately, the absence of work at work—the irony—had me exploit some available resources that kept me busy while still maintaining our internet usage policy (wink wink). I previously mentioned in one of my blog posts about SkillSoft Books24X7 and right now I just can’t get enough of it. SkillSoft is one of those brilliant things made available for employee skills development.

Now that I’m done with my explanation and defense, let me go on with some of the things I learned about the writing process.

What I find funny when I saw this material is how I got to it. While trying to keep myself busy one day, I typed MBA on the search field of SkillSoft. A few seconds later I was staring at several ebooks with the word MBA high- lighted. Suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the selection, I scrolled further down and it was then that I saw the most interesting thing I’ve seen so far on that lazy day—Methods of Generating Ideas. Despite wondering why this article can only be found under the MBA topic, I was all eyes on my laptop in no time.

The materials showed the following categories and its suggested methods:

Reading and writing. Obviously, reading and writing are the methods. These after all are why most of us learned about things. This idea-generating category encourages one to take notes by free writing and making an outline of the desired topic. One tip I find very helpful is that the outline need not even be perfect at the start which I always try to do and most likely the reason why I end up with anything but perfect. The material even suggests forgetting about grammar, composition and correct flow of ideas while still of course at the drafting stage. Correction, it adds, comes during editing and proofreading which contrary to my belief are actually two different things. The former is the term applied to the first phase of refining. The latter on the other hand is applied on the final phase or the read-through.

Graphic. Not all people work well with words. Others prefer doodling and I was surprised when I read about it because I avoid doodling as I find it a waste of time. This category employs drawing and sketching of one’s ideas that could be converted to text later on. I tried applying it and it works as lately my ideas don’t have an immediate word equivalent to it especially if my vocabulary lags for whatever reason.

Spoken. Besides reading and writing, this is what usually works for me. I like talking especially to those who can converse very well and have so many perspectives of different things. It is during such discussion when my light bulb moments happen. I realize that being one of the most talkative pupil in grade school works for me. I now forgive my teachers and classmates for that frequent demeaning tick mark next to my name for talking in class.

Group. Two heads are better than one, there’s no question about it. In fact, group discussions always generate more ideas…well, especially compared to talking to your own self. It is in this context why brainstorming usually works. Such sessions make everyone feel that their presence in the meeting is important and that their ideas are needed and will be welcomed. This in effect creates a continuous flow of ideas wherein some of it may even be totally out of this world. But then again, remember the familiar phrase “Think out of the box”?

Thinking. Now this last category may sound ridiculous as obviously the writing process does need to be start with a thought – at the very least. Duh! But what made me smile was when I reached the line “think about the subject during unstructured time (such as taking a shower, standing in line and taking a walk).” It didn’t clearly encourage thinking while driving though. Nevertheless, despite being amusing to be considered as a method, I still got some tips out of it.

I now have new methods to come up with more ideas. It is therefore worth remembering and applying the other methods other than mere thinking and just taking notes out of my wild mind. I also now recognize that oftentimes the need to read (stress: read, read, read) or interact with one or more people may be what it takes to have fresh ideas whether I like it or not. At the end of the day what matters most is when all of these are consolidated, selected, refined and written in finality hoping that it will fit the main purpose why the idea was formed in the first place.

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Mood: 3/10 Honks!

Is Valor For Sale?

This week ABS-CBN reports something about payment for our Filipino war veterans and it struck me a bit. I’m not an expert nor have I followed every development regarding this issue, however, I’ve heard about it already in the past and I’m troubled every time this news reaches me.

Like every other Filipinos, I knew one person who was a veteran of the World War II—my lolo Jose. When I was a kid, and even until now, the thought of him fighting in the front lines during the war always makes me proud. I used to brag about him while I was in grade school as if I was the only one with a veteran grandfather in the class. That admiration grew more when I became mature enough to understand further what it takes to be in a war, be able to survive it and more importantly, win it. So needless to say, I remember him every time I see living bemedalled veterans on TV.

But despite my compassion for these aged, wrinkled and frail Filipino veterans, whom we all consider as heroes, I always would wonder why others are demanding payment for services during the war. What I find more irritating and disappointing is that some won’t even accept the lump sum coming from the recently approved stimulus plan by the new US President Obama just because they think that they deserve more in the form of a monthly pension. I’ve also read somewhere that the reason why some of our veterans are so intent on being paid is because it was promised to them during the war—thus, they defended the nation and helped the Americans in the process. But isn’t it the same as what mercenaries do? Or isn’t this simply implying that their valor is for sale?

I would like to think that I’m misinformed here, and am willing to stand corrected if someone can shed light why our veterans deserve to be given a pension by the US. But then again I’m just basing my opinion on what I’ve been hearing and reading from the news. So either I’m plainly wrong or some individuals or groups are exploiting our veterans’ situation just to make money out of it. I’m just hoping (and would like to believe) though that what the tri-media are trying to relay here isn’t the collective stand of our beloved lolos (and lolas) who really dedicated their own lives in true service of our country and its allies even without being paid–and that to me is a real hero worth bragging for.

Rest in peace, lolo.

Photo credit: CheriGaulke’s Flickr

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Mood: 3/10 Honks!

Bad Mini

As one way of saving electricity, I’ve been surfing the web for a couple of days already instead of watching the early morning programs and news on TV. This way I also get to use only one electric fan while being inside our bedroom to watch until when our baby wakes up. So lately I’ve been a fan of ZDnet.com updates. And today’s ZDnet’s email feed caught my full attention.

Just like any other employees in our company, I was among those who are considering buying a laptop after we return our company-issued laptops when work is finally (and totally) over in a few more months. It must be some sort of a denial thing or just the thought of not having anything to tinker with while passing time during the layoff period, but whatever the reason is having one inanimate yet reliable companion during this time will be somehow a relief – just in case talking to your spouse and playtime with your children seems routine (read: boring) already. Hehehe. And that inan- imate companion I’m referring to is the mini-laptop or netbook as others prefer to call it.

So among the “filler” activities I’ve done lately to keep me from dozing off in front of my laptop is to check out what might be a good replacement for it. Well isn’t it like talking to your wife upfront and saying that you have someone to replace her already? Just a weird thought. Anyway, after read- ing about the technical specs, the product features and comparing physical design of each available minis, I’ve set my eyes on the attractive HP Mini. Of course, I’ve sneaked during our mall times just to see the actual items in several stores and I’ve read personal reviews (thru blogs) about each al- ready. During all these, my choice of having the HP Mini 1000 got stronger and stronger. Not until this morning.

The ZDnet article: Who’s got the top 10-inch netbook? hit me like a frantic cry of a baby. I got alarmed especially since this review comes from a reliable person who is affiliated to ZDnet.com. Here are some of the excerpts:

…Laptop Magazine has just posted a roundup of the latest 10-inch net- books310. They tested six netbooks including the Acer Aspire One 10- inch311, Asus Eee PC 1000HE, HP Mini 1000, Lenovo IdeaPad S10, MSI Wind U120 and Samsung NC10. Prices range from around $350 for most models to around $450 for the Samsung NC10…

…All of them were able to handle “standard-resolution video, multitask, video-conference and even play World of Warcraft (at low frame rates) reasonably well.” The HP Mini 1000 lagged behind on few tests because it has slower, 4,200rpm hard drive (the rest have 5,400rpm drives), but it basically boils down to design and battery life…

…The HP Mini 1000 and IdeaPad S10 have three-cell batteries, landing them at the bottom of the pile with less than 3 hours of life. The rest have six-cell batteries that lasted anywhere from 4.5 hours (MSI Wind U120 and Acer Aspire One) to more than 7 hours (Asus Eee PC 1000HE)…

…The overall winners were the Asus Eee PC 1000HE and the Acer Aspire One–two brands that already dominate the netbook category. The big surprise? The popular HP Mini came in dead last. Sure, the keyboard is great, but the slow hard drive, fewer ports, and a 3-cell battery are big minuses. Both the HP Mini and the MSI Wind are in sore need of updates…

Ouch! The writer from ZDnet ended his review like a boxer’s knockout punch. He hit the HP Mini several times that its recovery seems like next to impossible. Now I’m dumbfounded as well. I feel like all my efforts in search of my future laptop have been in vain. I would have to have to find those PC stores handouts that my ever supporting wife collected while she follows right behind me as I sneak and secretly drool through the attractive computer shops. Ti abi.

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Mood: 3/10 Honks!

Who Visits Your Blog?

“The only way to improve the quality of your life is to improve yourself. If you want to grow your organization, you must grow as a leader. If you want to have better children, you must become a better person.” – John Maxwell

In the last months of 2008 and until now my blog site’s hits picked up. The rate of visitors has increased a lot compared to early part of last year and that of course puts a smile on my face. I attributed the improvement to my recent availability and frequent online activity. I’ve visited old contacts’ blogs, became active in several networks like multiply.com and Friendster, wrote more frequently than before and my wife has been promoting it as well to her colleagues and even her manager which left me wondering if I’d be thankful or not for exposing me up to that level. Anyway, she left a comment and it was one of the most flattering comments I ever had.

That visit and comment though just didn’t add one more blog hits. From then on, I got challenged since I now know who’s been reading, who visited and what probably the expectations of my visitors and readers are. The pressure to write sensible blogs with acceptable composition started. I also began to check what my latest posts were and if I violated some of the company’s confidential policies. The good thing is I didn’t but the bad thing on the other hand is that due to the urge to write more, I seem to have written with so much wordiness yet with less appealing topics, that even I hated it. Surprisingly, the hits kept on rising.

Now I’m becoming worried than ever. I asked myself if I know who’s been coming back, why they come back, what their interests are and how they learned about my site in the first place. With that in mind and similar other observations from the blogging world lit my thinking bulb. It’s time I answer the question, “Who are your blog visitors?”

Lurkers. They are often times blessings in disguise because they increase network traffic and they make up the biggest percentage of a website hits. I suspect The problem with having them though is that they don’t leave any (good or bad) comments which keeps you guessing what they are so interested about that they keep on coming back. Among these lurkers are:

Spammers
Advertisers
Enemies who would love to see you fail.
English grammar teachers who are searching for the “I-kill-me-moment” for their next day classes. “Class, please visit crisn.wordpress.com and find as much grammatical error as possible on his post…”
Copycats who secretly grab your ideas and plagiarize it on their own blog site (thanks at least for pingback that they get caught somehow).
Journalists who are desperately trying to meet the deadline and hoping that a keyword or tag from your post would light up their own light bulb.
Your current boss looking for violations in confidentiality.
Your next employer.
Your colleagues who wonder if you’re the same person they know especially if you’ve kept your writing skill (or the lack of it) secret.
Your ex-lover.
Bloggers you visited and commented.
Social engineers and Phishers.

Same feathers. From the famous “birds of the same feathers flock together” cliché. These are visitors and/or readers who may be also members of the internet forum or egroup you’re currently in. More often than not they don’t necessarily mean that they love your site, your subject matter or even your writing style. More likely, they are just there hoping to exchange links and probably get some ideas in the process. So beware and don’t immediately edit that blogroll of yours unless you’re totally convinced that they deserve that sweet spot in your blog site.

Niche audience. These are the people that you want in your blog They are those who have the same interest as yours and can fully relate to your blah, blah, blahs. They understand your jargons and other fancy terms. Unlike lurkers though, they usually keep in touch with you either through comments or emails. With them, the likelihood of an exchange of useful ideas is very high. These are among the people that you should maintain and have a close relationship with. Either add them to your favorites or add them to your blogroll.
The 3 Fs. They are your Family, Friends and Fans all at the same time–by force or by choice. Although they aren’t as frequent as the lurkers, their visits are usually well-meaning and their praises are true. Just a warning though especially if you’re the type who can’t take criticisms. This group of people (or person) may give blunt comments that will hit you like your mother’s whipping spank–it will hurt, but whether you like it or not, it is for your own good. So appreciate and cherish their comments but listen and act accordingly to their criticisms.

As my employment time is counting down my blog hits however is going up. While laid off, blogging I guess will be my main occupation, paid or not, as I try to figure out what my next moves would be. It is just wise then to know my visitors because through it I get to feel what to improve, how to improve it and hopefully perfect it in the end – no matter when and no matter what it would take. After all, I love writing and I’d be all smiles when the day comes that I do what I really love to do.

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Mood: 3/10 Honks!

Monthly Savings Achieved

Tonight I finished listing and computing our monthly expenses since it is already the last week of February. I’m not expecting further expenses as we have already bought our groceries and baby stuffs which usually share the largest slice of our expenses pie.

I have made a conscious effort to save since the early part of last year. The initial news about our company on April 2, 2008 and the other bad news—including the admission of the then US president Bush about the recession taking place—made it more compelling to be thrifty enough. It’s also a good thing that the number of training our company has arranged contributed to my knowledge on how to be in control of our finances. Although it may still not be half-perfect at this time, at least our drive and urge to save is already there. We just have to start somewhere, somehow.

While there are five more days to go before this month ends, I already feel accomplished in terms of our budgeting. After I transferred our expenses to the financial worksheet, I compared our current expenses with last month’s. I then marked red those that have increased and those that decreased in green. So far the greens significantly dominate the reds.

What went well then?

Dilute, dilute, dilute. I apply this tip to all our cleaning agents for years already. The cleansers we use at home like the toilet liquid solutions and car shampoos are basically concentrated enough to be used in its pure form. Even the manufacturer’s recommended ratio is still strong for the intended tasks that it is a no-brainer that a saving can be achieved if diluted it with more water.

Be brand-conscious. When I heard Mr. Bengco (Colayco foundation) talk about it during his recent seminar at our company, I couldn’t agree more since I’ve been doing it already. What I’m not aware though is by how much is actually saved when you know what you are buying. His example: the bath soap. In his presentation he showed one brand that cost a mere Php9 (USD0.2). The next foils showed several other brands that cost twice and even more than the price just because it promises extra germ killing action, catchy fragrance, and everything there is TV ads will do just to entice consumers like us. Right now, I try to settle for the ones in the mid-price range.

Buy two brands. This may sound confusing especially just after the previous tip but believe me this is what I’m doing. For almost a year already, I had two different deodorants (Disclaimer: not for the squeamish). I used one that has “superior” action every time I go to work or leave home. Then I use one with the “least superior” action if I know that I’ll be static at home and will be spending time as a couch potato and will just be home alone with the baby – at least he doesn’t know how to complain yet if the deodorant protection fails. Ewww, daddy!

Drive like your grandma. I mentioned this on my Being a Gas Miser post and I cannot stress it more than enough that driving habit does directly affect fuel consumption. This is where I often fail but I keep on reminding myself to get back on track. Until now, I’m still at least within the 13-15 kilometer per liter expected range of our car. Now I’m wondering if I’ll be able to save gas if I stop blaring (if this doesn’t save gas, just at least my sanity) my horns every time I meet a jeepney with only one headlight on. I’ve heard that the reason why jeepney drivers do it is because one headlight saves gas than having two. Hmmm, sounds like an idea…Nah!

A Honda is a Honda. Well, at least that’s what I’m always telling myself whenever I’m on my Honda 100 cc motorcycle instead of our Honda City. That’s because when it comes to saving gas the motorcycle wins, hands down. No contest. But when it comes to saving lives…errr, wrong discus- sion. Hahaha. Seriously speaking, I recommend this tip for those ready and responsible enough to drive a motorcycle. And if you’re not yet in that mind set, it’s still worth taking a ride in that one-eyed jeepney – I bet, your wife will be even happy about it.

Go slow with the fast foods. So far, this is the biggest savings we had for this month. It was cut by more than 50 percent and it’s a welcome development. One thing that helped us do it is by avoiding the malls. There’s something about the scent of the malls that attracts each individual (or even group) to go and line up in front of the fast food counters. It may be due to poor air circulation or a deliberate ploy to set the minds of the mall goers to go hungry and crave for pizza, burger or doughnuts (and coffee) in an instant. But if you can’t avoid it, and just like what I’m doing, try going there with a full stomach—eat at home. It works for me, in fact I now eat Whoppers and half cup of sundae and large Coke. Ti abi.

Last but not the least, the No rot rule. This is still in the works after I told my wife that we should avoid foods inside the refrigerator from spoiling. Believe it or not, I used to admire people whose ref is so full of foods that most of the times, some of it will rot and end up as trash. Back then, I see it as abundance. Now, it’s nothing but waste – both food and money. So far, I’ve been successful but that’s after I’ve monitored and eaten the leftovers and had my weight build up as a consequence. Ti abi. I think it’s just about time to apply then the “No rot, No fat rule”. That I guess is win-win.

During these times when everyone gets so tired of hearing about the recession (and the rest of the similar tags that’s associated with it), the need to save and finding ways to learn more how to do it is already a must. This is also when sharing what we know, no matter how trivial, and learning from what others already knew would help each one of us survive the turbulent ride that the rest of the world experiences.

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Mood: 4/10 Honks!

You’re a Blog Addict If…

(A tribute to the return of wp-pinoys.com)

…You have one or more blog accounts.

…Your mind is always wondering what your next blog subject will be.

…You find yourself desperately composing a post even while driving.

…You would rather keep mum during discussions not until you have blogged about the subject matter for fear that other bloggers in your group or anyone would hear about it.

…Every discussion is a good discussion.

…You’ve become masochistic by enjoying confrontations just so you can check if you can make a good blog post out of it.

…You accepted an offer for an extreme adventure not because you love it but because you want to write about it despite the possibility of nausea.

…Microsoft Word and the Internet Explorer browser have been your most utilized application over Powerpoint and Excel.

…”Is the internet connection ok?” becomes your official greeting when you reach home from work.

…Your wife worries about your health whenever you fail to post.

…Your primary concern before a vacation is if your destination offers Wi- Fi.

…You suddenly wake up in the wee hours of the morning just so you can check if what you’ve posted that night had grammatical errors in it.

…You had dreams about you and your conscience arguing about your grammar usage.

…You had nightmares about WordPress.com being wiped out.

…You also had nightmares about your blog drafts being wiped out.

…You are prone to malapropism.

…You’re having symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

…You’re justifying to yourself (or wife) that an HP mini is a necessity even during this recession period.

…You’ve set your mind that your fast growing beer belly will become a good netbook platform in case you have to type while standing in a packed train.

…You have your digital camera along with you all the time ready for any “bloggable” event.

…You have considered getting a Paypal account so you can monetize your blog.

…You consider that having your own domain is a good investment.

…You wonder after the homily if the priest has a blog site.

…You’re fully aware that Technorati isn’t related to the Illuminati.

…You’ve approached your boss to let you have a blog time rather than a lunch time.

…Brushing your teeth becomes second to checking your blog hits – and that your mood is dictated by it.

…Other than the internet cafes you’ve also frequented Power Books stores and spent time taking notes of blog materials.

…You can relate very well to this blog. Happy blogging to all!

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Mood: 3/10 Honks

Starting to Hate Pioneer AV

I rarely rant in this blog because one rule I stick to when I write (and even in emails) is that I shouldn’t do it whenever I’m angry. I’ve read anger clouds the mind and so I try to avoid writing in such condition because this is when posts become badly composed, grammatical errors occur, the messages don’t make sense, and the readers or recipients get irritated as well. Today, I can’t help it.

This is actually an update to my recent post. I got my Pioneer EV51DVD component back and to my utter dismay it got worse. After whispering some expletives and trying be composed while in front of our wide-eyed boy—who was wondering what on earth I’m doing behind our entertainment rack, I sent an email to Pioneer Philippines technical service headquarters. And here’s what I wrote:

This is to report a problem I just had with your service center – 21st Century Electronics & Service Center – in Bacoor, Cavite. Last Monday, I brought my EV51DVD unit (w/o the speakers) to the said place due to a distorted/humming center speaker. By the afternoon, I came back as agreed so I can check what the status is. The personnel said then that the amplifier might have to be replaced and that they will try to check if the part is available. I was advised that I should call the next day to check again.

Yesterday, I called back and was informed that it is already ok and that I can claim it ASAP. I asked what they find wrong in it and explained that they discovered that it only needs a capacitor replacement which they have already done.

Today, I eagerly went back to get my unit expecting that it has been fixed. I brought along with me only the center speaker for testing since it was the only speaker in question. The technician of course connected it to the unit and showed me that it is playing music already – I was really thankful that time. I paid Php 900 ($19) for the labor and Php 100 ($2) for the capacitor and then left.

However, after I arrived home and excitedly reconnected the unit to the other speakers, I discovered that something wrong was done with it. When I tried the “Test Tone” feature of the unit, I was surprised that the center speaker doesn’t emit a sound when the system displays “C.” And I got more dismayed when it sounded together with the right surround speaker.

I tried to ignore it thinking that it may not be that significant. So I tried playing a DVD (original) to check if it plays just as good as before – when we bought it. That’s when I learned further that both the left and right speakers’ sound has degraded as well no matter what pre-equalizer setting I use. The vocals (dialogue) from the movie weren’t as good either — it sounded muffled. In short, the unit I got back was a total disappointment as it has gotten worse than before. My suspicion right now is that they could have tapped the output of the center speaker to the right surround speaker. I also suspect that what’s inside my unit right now aren’t its original amplifier ICs as well. Hopefully, I’m wrong.

I’m really frustrated and feel betrayed. Tomorrow or anytime this week, I’ll go back to that service center to have it fixed (they gave me two months warranty which I hope they will honor). But right now this email is sent to you for your corrective action. I’m asking you to do your investigation as well so that this won’t happen to any other customers like me who might go there in good faith just to get a service not expected from a good brand like Pioneer.

After looking at and reading the above email again, I somehow feel glad that at least it appears tactful enough. I don’t know though if I’ll feel embarrassed about it tomorrow and curse myself for letting out a rant online which I always despise.

How about you? Do you think I did my best to contain my rant? Let me know.

***

When I said “from a good brand like Pioneer” I actually lied. I think this is my last Pioneer. I had two succeeding bad experiences with it and probably I’ll consider other brands. I’m considering the following based on stories from friends and peers: Philips, Samsung and Sony. I guess I’ll just have to pick those with slim speaker or I can “invest” in good home theaters instead. Ti abi, don’t we just love this thing called consumerism.

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Funny. I’m trying to look for an image of the EV51DVD but my yahoo search led me to my own blog. Hahaha.

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Mood:5/10 Honks!

Pioneer AV: Sound of Silence

Today, I decided to have our four-year old Pioneer EV51DVD fixed at a service center after its center speaker’s sound distorted all of a sudden several weeks ago. I was supposed to claim it by the afternoon but the news when I returned wasn’t that good–it may take two more months to wait for the amplifier IC to be delivered in case they can’t get an available part from their main Philippine office.

Since our little boy recently had this fondness of his Little Einstein CDs, a day without seeing his favorite puppets would mean only one thing: a tantrum-filled day. And so we decided to look for a cheap temporary DVD player only. Soon enough I found myself inside SM Dasma appliance center’s Pioneer booth looking at one DVD player unit. Then I remembered that the last one we had was also a Pioneer which its 3-CD player mechanism jammed and rendered the rest of it useless. Now, isn’t this the time to consider other brands?

I have to admit though that what keeps me from buying a Pioneer is because the sound quality is significantly different from the others like Sony. Likewise, I like the design of Pioneer which doesn’t exaggerate anything but instead keeps a balance between every part of the audio system. But this may not be the case nowadays – or so I hope.

No offense but I’ve been telling my wife that other A/V brands remind me of choices of Filipino OFWs especially those coming from the Middle East. That’s because I’ve seen from friends (and friends’ friends) when I was in grade school that their Dads (or other OFW relatives) would bring A/V components with extra large speakers that look as if they are setting up a baylehan (public dance area) inside their own house. If there’s one perfect thing to be estranged with your neighbors, this is it.

Now every time we window shop inside the appliance centers, the sight of the A/V systems with huge speakers still reminds me of my friends and their neighbors that might have hated them for the deafening music played all day, probably with the assumption that the their neighbors are into the same music genre or that everyone in the next household is awake just like them. Ti abi.

Tomorrow, I’ll be calling back to check if the amplifier IC is available. I’m hoping that there will be a replacement part or I might have to violate what I learned from a couple of financial planning seminars concerning one of the pitfalls of a consumer–using a credit card to buy a new player and incurring a bad debt in the process. And just in case this happens, I’m putting all the blame to Pioneer. Hahaha.

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Mood: 3/10 Honks!

A Week of Everything But Work

This must be the longest week I ever had. This week felt like it was 24 X 7 plus 1. I don’t exactly know if so many things have happened or it’s just so much time has slipped by. Either way it’s a shame that both of it have been mostly done in front of the IBM’s flat LCD and inside the cold gray cube.

That’s the problem when there is imbalance between time and tasks. It is during these conditions that nothing productive gets done:

Condition 1: Having less (or the feeling of it) time but with multiple tasks is confusing or alarming.

Condition 2: Having more time but with little or no task on queue at all is just pathetic. If you ask me, I prefer Condition 1.

Since being idle nowadays is as predictable as sunset, this is when having an initiative and a bit of creativeness sets one person one step ahead of the other. It also helps to do at least a short time planning just to preserve self-worth on a daily basis. It’s just what I’ve done so fa, so far.

The good thing is that in spite of lull in workloads, the resources at work remain abundant. It’s both a good a good and a bad thing, like staring at an apple in the Garden of Eden while wondering if God will ever snooze–the temptation to cross the fine line is always there.

For starters, the internet connection is always on (and to mention that it’s way faster than outside) and the printers are functional and readily full of papers. Now if that doesn’t get your mind immediately full of wild ideas, then something is wrong with you. I know that google-heads are green with envy by now.

Times like this good judgment and work ethics come handy. In my case I try to kill time by taking online training. I likewise try to be involved in activities that the company offers.

Skillsoft Books24X7

I have never appreciated the availability of this site more than now. Although I’ve used it years before for my researches and book references when I continued my schooling, since weeks ago I started using it again. This week my usage got more frequent than ever.

My search for MBA tags brought me to results other than books. I find that there are online courses, learning guides and assessments available. What made it even more interesting was that I’ve read and learned about lots of good stuffs with regards to writing. I’m excited to share it soon as this was once my problem when I made my thesis – or I just didn’t have enough time to research then.

Financial readiness seminar

I can’t exactly remember when I attended this one but I was once again among those inside the packed training room. It was estimated that there were at least 300 attendees who listened to the Colayco foundation’s Executive Director, Mr. Bengco. He spoke a lot of things which half I dismissed and half I noted. Part of the things I got so interested about was when he discussed about ways to get rich. It contained only five key items. The crowd’s excitement of knowing what the five ways are immediately died down when most of us realized that the first four isn’t just possible.

Inherit it.

Marry it.

Steal it.

Win it.

Earn it.

A reminder of a bedtime story

There’s a problem with forgetting very basic bedtime stories–you become a recipient of the moral lesson it teaches. The story of the rabbit and the turtle stung me this time.

It happened during our company’s Smashing Couples badminton match. After I saw the line up where my partner and I were included, I had high hopes that we do have the chance to reach the finals. What inspired me more was when I learned who will be our first match. “We’ve beaten these guys before, we can do it again,” I confidently said to my partner.

The high ego was short-lived. After piling up some points ahead on the first set our opponents consistently capitalized on our unforced errors and soon enough confidence was on their side. The first set reached deuce but the next set was crushing to the rabbits.

I came out of the badminton tournament with the line “and the moral of the story is…” echoing in my mind. Damn turtles. Hahaha. Just kidding.

Congrats Richmond and Arlene.

Everything that flies and crashes

This is another anticipated week for the flying community. Even if I won’t be able to attend the 13th Philippine Hot Air Balloonfest I know that hundreds of people are either already at Clark or just on their way enjoying the SCTEX drive.

Unfortunately, while everyone at Clark enjoys the breathtaking sight of balloons, skydivers, airplane exhibitions, and everything that flies, two places abroad experienced separate plane crashes. One was in Buffalo, New York that claimed 50 lives when a commuter plane went down, initially due to icing, hitting one house. Another plane crash landed at a London airport which thankfully just had minor injuries to its passengers.

It’s a pity that Capt. Sully’s heroic Hudson River landing a couple of weeks ago is negated by two succeeding crashes. It could be disappointing if further investigation on these accidents would point to poor maintenance as the root cause and it could even be more disappointing if it was due to recession. It’s a stretch, but hey, it’s not that unlikely.

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Mood: 3/10 Honks!

Role Models Do Get Tired

The current situation at work as caused by the declining and imminent depletion of products to be delivered is undoubtedly testing each and everyone from the lowest rank and file up to the upper levels of management.

What I find more frustrating than the thought of eventually losing our jobs in few more months is the fact that no matter how I set my mind to make the most of my time, it’s only father time that is so available. After a couple of hours from the start of the working day, there’s no more work to be done no matter how I look for it.

It doesn’t take a lot of time to figure out what others might be doing as well after staring at the empty Outlook inbox. It is as if email doesn’t exist anymore. Whether people agree or not, this isn’t the workplace aura I used to know in my 12 years here. I can now really say that gone are the days when the cubes are buzzing with activity, when keyboards are tapped because of white papers to finish and not of multiple internet chat mates; when phone lines are loaded because of virtual meetings and not because someone is selling anything but company products; when people forget lunch because of deadlines and not because they have dozed off due to inactivity; and when managers are going to the cubes to check if everyone is on track and not because he’s got nothing to do as well.

Years ago, this setting is unimaginable. Someone getting idle is as taboo as committing mortal sin. But now, even the best have their own share of work void. It’s unavoidable but on the next days ahead those people I look up to will have lots of slack. I have come to accept it now that role models do get tired.

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Mood: 3/10 Honks!