When simple seems hard

There are things that look simple but seems hard when doing it. I was tasked to make screenshots for the documentation we're doing. Hmm.. I think it's quite easy as simple as pressing the "Print Screen" key. Then I began to wonder how will I capture the entire page. That's the problem. I asked around what tool I could use to make my work easier. Mr. Google had lots of suggestions but I don't have time to try it all. Thank God for a friend who recommended Hypersnap. It has a free trial version that works perfectly fine. I haven't explored its other features but I think it's good. Its "Capture" function has a lot of options and I particularly use the "Entire Page with Scrolling". Amazing, Hypersnap makes my work easier! Hmm... this sounds like a testimony in a marketing channel on TV.hehe. Check out www.hyperionics.com for the free trial version of Hypersnap.

WinZipping is just as simple as doing a right click on the folder or file you want to zip and choose "Add to zip file". That's so easy when you're using a PC running on a MS Windows. For me who's using Linux CentOS... it's a problem. How will I zip the folder? Thanks to Mr. Google. After reading site after site after site, I finally found the answer. I just have to open a terminal then type the word "file-roller", press "Enter" key and an Archive Manager GUI (Graphical User Interface) will appear. Voila! I can now make a zip folder then just add the files I want to be zipped. Actually there are options in the Archive Manager on what archive type you want the files to be compressed (i.e. .tar.bz2, .tar.gz, .tar, .zip, .ar, .ear, .jar, and .war). I felt the feeling of Ferdinand Magellan when he discovered the Philippines.hehe

Anything goes...

Today is my brother's birthday!

Exactly a month after my birthday is my brother's birthday. It makes me feel that I'm just a month older than him.hehe. I don't know if my parents planned it to be like that but I find it amazing. Based from my mom's story it was me who didn't come out at the expected time. I was supposed to be borne two weeks earlier than my birthday. Well, I think I find it comfortable inside my mom's womb that I don't like to come out.hehe. I'm blessed to have my brother. It seems like I have an elder brother and a younger brother rolled into one. He grew up taller than me so almost everyone who meet us would ask my mom who is the elder one.hehe I always grin in those situations. He has moods and wake up sometimes feeling he's older than me. His current favorite line whenever I leave the house: "Tingnan mo dinadaanan mo, 'te!" (with a certain "kuya"-commanding tone). I know he's just concerned about me. Anyway, I greeted him already this morning but in case he's reading this - "Happy birthday, Nat!" :)

Driving update

Almost a week after writing my blog entry about driving, I've become extra "careful" with my temper whenever I drive. There was an instance when I almost lost my temper along Katipunan Ave. Hmm.. I already made up my mind that I would not be affected by traffic jams. I don't like to have high blood pressure and certainly don't like to look old because of being "high tempered".hehe.

Museum visit-plan

El Poeta del Color
Amorsolo in the Vargas Collection
June 18 - October 7, 2007
Kawilihan Gallery

"For the first time since the Vargas Museum was opened in 1987, all 57 Amorsolo paintings and drawings acquired by UP alumnus and Commonwealth period Executive Secretary Jorge B. Vargas will be featured in one exhibition." - excerpt from the article in U.P. Newsletter

I inquired in the Vargas Museum yesterday and I found out that entrance fee is P20 for UP, P30 for non-UP. Viewing hours 9AM - 4PM Tuesdays to Sundays. No cameras or video cameras allowed inside, even bringing of ballpen inside is also probihited. However, bringing of pencils is allowed (just in case you want to sketch Amorsolo's works on-the-spot. hehe!).

There's a bomb!

Our office guard got a phone call from an unknown guy who said there's a bomb planted in our office. Police responded and asked everyone to vacate the building. I didn't see the urgency in the face of my officemate as he put down the phone receiver so we thought it was just a fire or earthquake drill. I just realized that it was urgent when our office maintenance personnel came rushing in saying, "Pakibilis raw po sabi ng mga pulis." At once I got my bag and jacket and rushed down the stairs and out of the building.

Since we haven't eaten lunch yet, my officemates and I decided to eat lunch in a nearby canteen. When we went back, the police were still checking the premises. We decided to just sit and wait in a nearby bench. After two hours, we were advised that it was safe to go back in the building. Bomb scare.

I Am Blessed

I Am Blessed
by Rachel Lampa

Verse 1:
I may never climb a mountain so I can see the world from there
I may never ride the waves and taste the salty ocean air
Or build a bridge, that would last a hundred years
But no matter where the road leads
One thing is always clear

Chorus:
I am blessed, I am blessed
From when I rise up in the morning
Til I lay my head to rest
I feel You near me
You sooth me when I'm weary
Oh Lord, for all the worst and all the best
I am blessed

Verse 2:
All along the road less traveled, I have crawled and I have run
I have wandered through the wind and rain until I found the sun
The watching eyes asked me why, I walked this narrow way
I will gladly give the reason
For the hope I have today
(chorus)

Bridge:
You've given me joy
You've given me love
You give me strength when I want to give up
You came from Heaven to rescue my soul
This is the reason I know
I know
(chorus)

=======================================

This is the current song playing over my head. It's a nice reminder that I am blessed. I really love the chorus of this song. It expresses what I want to say to Him right now. "Oh Lord, for all the worst and all the best, I am blessed" - such a strong statement! Sometimes we feel blessed only in what we think our "good times" but we forget that we're still blessed even in our "bad times".

I remembered this chorus while trying to patiently wait during one particular traffic jam. I was about to lose my patience and was about to complain about the traffic when I noticed the people inside the jeep in front of my car. They seemed to be getting impatient also because of the traffic. It seemed hot inside the jeep. Maybe some were annoyed with the jeepney driver's choice of music. I realized I was blessed. I was sitting comfortably in my car's well-cushioned seat. My car has an aircon unit. I could listen to my choice of music. And besides I was only about 500 meters away from our village's gate at that time. "Oh God, forgive me when I whine." :)

I was trying to look forward for our village's gate at this point :)

Postscript: I discovered that I could upload music files in the multiply site for free. Click here if you like to download an mp3 of the song "I Am Blessed".

Driving

I've been driving regularly for some time now and I've been observing my behavior during my journeys to and from the office. I think I'm having symptoms of "sudden high temper syndrome". I used to think that I'm a cool driver but I overlooked the "pasaway" drivers in the streets. (haha, I think some drivers consider me also as one of the "pasaway" in the streets some times)

Well, these are the symptoms of my "sudden high temper syndrome". I tend to be talkative. Even when I'm driving alone I tend to speak to the vehicle that's blocking my way. Some of my favorite expressions are "kuya naman!" (when a jeep/car suddenly cuts my lane), "why are you so 'bagal'?" (when the the driver of the car in front of me feels like he's driving a funeral car and I can't change lanes), "kung naiinip ka, lumipat ka" (when I feel like I'm driving a funeral car and the driver of the car behind me feels annoyed with my driving). I tend to blow the car's horn more often than usual. Blowing the car's horn is one of my parameters if I'm getting hot-headed already. My worst of all symptoms is tapping the steering wheel so hard as if I lost a racing match.haha

I'm working on my "sudden high temper syndrome" and here are some of the ways. I entertain myself (especially during traffic jams) with cool music (like classical music; they say classical music has a "calming effect"), praying for people and taking pictures. And yesterday, I got a new idea from our beloved Pastor Peter. He shared that he became annoyed in one of the traffic jams he encountered last week (aha, I'm not alone!hehe). He was reminded by God during his "sudden high temper syndrome" that his "joy" is being robbed off from him. Hmm... ting! Aha, my joy is being robbed off from me every time I feel annoyed when I drive. So now I'm trying to have my mind set that my joy should not be robbed off from me when I drive. Hmm.. easier said than done but by God's grace I'll be fine. And if I can't keep my "cool" when driving the car, I think I just have to drive LRT/MRT trains so I would not encounter traffic, but maybe I think I'll ask them to put "eject people" button so I don't have to stop at the stations?haha :)

...Be patient with everyone. (1 Thessalonians 5:14)

Yeah, nice reminder "be patient with everyone" and "everyone" includes myself. My ironic prayer when I drive is "Lord, give me patience now!" :)

Getting Into You

GETTING INTO YOU
by Relient K

When I made up my mind
And my heart along with that
To live not for myself
But yet for God, somebody said
Do you know what you are getting yourself into

When I finally ironed out
All of my priorities
And asked God to remove the doubt
That makes me so unsure of these
Things I ask myself, I ask myself
Do you know what you are getting yourself into

[Chorus]
I'm getting into you
Because you got to me, in a way words can't describe
I'm getting into you
Because I've got to be
You're essential to survive
I'm going to love you with my life

When he looked at me and said
I kind of view you as a son
And for a second our eyes met
And I met that with a question
Do you know what you are getting yourself into

[Chorus]

I've been a liar and I'll never amount to
The kind of person you deserve to worship you
You say you will not dwell on what I did but rather what I do you say
I love you and that's what you are getting yourself into

[Chorus]

He said, I love you and that's what you are getting yourself into

==ooOoo==

It's been a while since the string quartet version of this song is playing over my head. One thing I've learned from my mom is to know what I'm getting myself into before making a commitment. Because once I've made a commitment I should be responsible to fulfill that commitment. In all my commitments, I think it's with my commitment to God that I always fail. I think of our commitment as a love contract and I know what I'm getting myself into. Good thing God doesn't like law suits, or else I may be filed with a breach of contract case every time I'm unfaithful to Him. hehe:) I like the last line of the song "He said, I love you and that's what you are getting yourself into". Sweet, huh?! :)

"Night-shining clouds"

Image above: This image shows one of the first ground sightings of noctilucent clouds in the 2007 season. Credit: Veres Viktor of Budapest, Hungary taken on June 15, 2007.

Click here for more details.

"HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!"