Stupid Unfinished Business

I thought I would be able to come back to blogging but sadly, I again have some unfinished business. I shall be active once the dark cloud leaves the top of my head. In the meantime, I'll be focusing more on my other blog. Since I've taken a liking to news while preparing for my Civil Engineering Licensure Examinations, I thought about sharing this liking by means of another blog. If you're interested just click here.

Hope you have fun! More stupid and out-of-the-blue thoughts soon!

The Results Are In...

All I can say is that we'll fight all the way!

What's Taking Them So Long?!

The exams are over! But the wait continues... It's really frustrating that the results have not turned up yet. It's usually released three days after which means that it should have been released two days ago. But here I am, together with all the November 2007 Civil Engineering Licensure Exam takers, waiting in the edge of our seats, biting our nails, and losing sleep just because they are taking a long time to dish out how well we did. Hayayay... I really hope they post it soon... And I really do hope I make it!

Keys to Success

What does it take to make it to the top? What do you need or need to be in order to be the best? How do you become successful? There are plenty of answers to these questions. Some may say you need the 3 C's: character, competence and charisma. Some just believe in luck.

Just for the fun of it, let's try to figure out which is really helpful to be the alpha dog. How? Using math, of course! Simple addition to be more specific. First, let's list down the letters of the alphabet and assign each letter with a number:

A – 1	H – 8	O – 15	V – 22
B – 2	I – 9	P – 16	W – 23
C – 3	J – 10	Q – 17	X – 24
D – 4	K – 11	R – 18	Y – 25
E – 5	L – 12	S – 19	Z – 26
F – 6	M – 13	T – 20
G – 7	N – 14	U – 21

Then to know which are the keys to success, just get the equivalent KEY VALUE. If you hit a value of 100 (or strictly speaking, 89 since SUCCESS = 89), then that would be the key. Let's take an example. I said earlier that people just rely on LUCK. Based on the equation,

L + U + C + K = 12 + 21 + 3 + 11 = 47

This shows that LUCK wouldn't even give you half of the success.

I've searched for different characteristics that are said to be keys to success and here they are with their corresponding key values. If there are errors to my arithmetic, I would welcome corrections, thank you very much!

This first batch includes key values less than 89:

LOGIC = 46 (you'll be better off with LUCK!)
ACADEMICS = 58 (so much for studying!)
FOCUS = 64
EFFORT = 70
CHARISMA = 72
CHARACTER = 77
CONFIDENCE = 84

This next batch are the keys to success with key values of 89 to 100 (inclusive):

PASSION = 93
KNOWLEDGE = 96
LEADERSHIP = 98
COMPETENCE = 99 (close, but no cigar!)
ATTITUDE = 100
DISCIPLINE = 100

It can be seen that with the right ATTITUDE and DISCIPLINE, you're on your way to success. But of course, we can always do more with the following key values of over 100:

INTELLIGENCE = 115
CONNECTIONS = 131
PERSEVERANCE = 131
ORGANIZATION = 149
RESOURCEFULNESS = 200

Interestingly enough, there's one more thing that's beyond 100 and will get you somewhere if you want, ASS KISSING = 127! And how true it is!

40 winks

I love to sleep! It has got to be my favorite activity. I sleep anytime - morning, noon, afternoon, night, midnight or early morning. I sleep anywhere - in bed, on the couch, on the chair or toilet, in the car, on a cot, on a hammock. I sleep during class, while taking the jeep or train, while watching TV, while studying or working out in the gym and during a lot more activities. I can sleep for a whole day if I'm dead tired or simply if I wanted to.

Why do I love to sleep? Here's my excuse, I'd like to think sleeping is a science. Until the 1950s, most people thought of sleep as a passive, dormant part of our daily lives. We now know that our brains are very active during sleep. Moreover, sleep affects our daily functioning and our physical and mental health in many ways that we are just beginning to understand.

Nerve-signaling chemicals called neurotransmitters control whether we are asleep or awake by acting on different groups of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain. Neurons in the brainstem, which connects the brain with the spinal cord, produce neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine that keep some parts of the brain active while we are awake. Other neurons at the base of the brain begin signaling when we fall asleep. These neurons appear to "switch off" the signals that keep us awake. Research also suggests that a chemical called adenosine builds up in our blood while we are awake and causes drowsiness. This chemical gradually breaks down while we sleep.

During sleep, we usually pass through five phases of sleep: stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. These stages progress in a cycle from stage 1 to REM sleep, then the cycle starts over again with stage 1. We spend almost 50 percent of our total sleep time in stage 2 sleep, about 20 percent in REM sleep, and the remaining 30 percent in the other stages. Infants, by contrast, spend about half of their sleep time in REM sleep.

During stage 1, which is light sleep, we drift in and out of sleep and can be awakened easily. Our eyes move very slowly and muscle activity slows. People awakened from stage 1 sleep often remember fragmented visual images. Many also experience sudden muscle contractions called hypnic myoclonia, often preceded by a sensation of starting to fall. These sudden movements are similar to the "jump" we make when startled. This usually happens when I sleep during class and it is quite embarrassing. Upon awaking from the sudden jerk, to add insult to injury, I see a pool of drool on my desk. When we enter stage 2 sleep, our eye movements stop and our brain waves (fluctuations of electrical activity that can be measured by electrodes) become slower, with occasional bursts of rapid waves called sleep spindles. In stage 3, extremely slow brain waves called delta waves begin to appear, interspersed with smaller, faster waves. By stage 4, the brain produces delta waves almost exclusively. It is very difficult to wake someone during stages 3 and 4, which together are called deep sleep. There is no eye movement or muscle activity. People awakened during deep sleep do not adjust immediately and often feel groggy and disoriented for several minutes after they wake up. Some children experience bedwetting, night terrors, or sleepwalking during deep sleep.

When we switch into REM sleep, our breathing becomes more rapid, irregular, and shallow, our eyes jerk rapidly in various directions, and our limb muscles become temporarily paralyzed. Our heart rate increases, our blood pressure rises, and males develop penile erections. When people awaken during REM sleep, they often describe bizarre and illogical tales – dreams. Just a tip, if you want to talk to sleeping people, make sure their eyes are going haywire, hehehe!

The first REM sleep period usually occurs about 70 to 90 minutes after we fall asleep. A complete sleep cycle takes 90 to 110 minutes on average. The first sleep cycles each night contain relatively short REM periods and long periods of deep sleep. As the night progresses, REM sleep periods increase in length while deep sleep decreases. By morning, people spend nearly all their sleep time in stages 1, 2, and REM.

People awakened after sleeping more than a few minutes are usually unable to recall the last few minutes before they fell asleep. This sleep-related form of amnesia is the reason people often forget telephone calls or conversations they've had in the middle of the night. It also explains why we often do not remember our alarms ringing in the morning if we go right back to sleep after turning them off.

Since sleep and wakefulness are influenced by different neurotransmitter signals in the brain, foods and medicines that change the balance of these signals affect whether we feel alert or drowsy and how well we sleep. Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and drugs such as diet pills and decongestants stimulate some parts of the brain and can cause insomnia, or an inability to sleep. Many antidepressants suppress REM sleep. Heavy smokers often sleep very lightly and have reduced amounts of REM sleep. They also tend to wake up after 3 or 4 hours of sleep due to nicotine withdrawal. Many people who suffer from insomnia try to solve the problem with alcohol – the so-called night cap. While alcohol does help people fall into light sleep, it also robs them of REM and the deeper, more restorative stages of sleep. Instead, it keeps them in the lighter stages of sleep, from which they can be awakened easily.

People lose some of the ability to regulate their body temperature during REM, so abnormally hot or cold temperatures in the environment can disrupt this stage of sleep. If our REM sleep is disrupted one night, our bodies don't follow the normal sleep cycle progression the next time we doze off. Instead, we often slip directly into REM sleep and go through extended periods of REM until we "catch up" on this stage of sleep.

People who are under anesthesia or in a coma are often said to be asleep. However, people in these conditions cannot be awakened and do not produce the complex, active brain wave patterns seen in normal sleep. Instead, their brain waves are very slow and weak, sometimes all but undetectable.

If you reach this point, I give you a pat on the back for not falling asleep, YET. Maybe you're starting to yawn and your eyes are staring to close. It's amazing how studies on sleep can make you sleepy.

How much sleep do we need? The amount of sleep each person needs depends on many factors, including age. Infants generally require about 16 hours a day, while teenagers need about 9 hours on average. For most adults, 7 to 8 hours a night appears to be the best amount of sleep, although some people may need as few as 5 hours or as many as 10 hours of sleep each day. Women in the first 3 months of pregnancy often need several more hours of sleep than usual. The amount of sleep a person needs also increases if he or she has been deprived of sleep in previous days. Getting too little sleep creates a "sleep debt," which is much like being overdrawn at a bank. Eventually, your body will demand that the debt be repaid. We don't seem to adapt to getting less sleep than we need; while we may get used to a sleep-depriving schedule, our judgment, reaction time, and other functions are still impaired.

People tend to sleep more lightly and for shorter time spans as they get older, although they generally need about the same amount of sleep as they needed in early adulthood. About half of all people over 65 have frequent sleeping problems, such as insomnia, and deep sleep stages in many elderly people often become very short or stop completely. This change may be a normal part of aging, or it may result from medical problems that are common in elderly people and from the medications and other treatments for those problems.

Experts say that if you feel drowsy during the day, even during boring activities, you haven't had enough sleep. If you routinely fall asleep within 5 minutes of lying down, you probably have severe sleep deprivation, possibly even a sleep disorder. Microsleeps, or very brief episodes of sleep in an otherwise awake person, are another mark of sleep deprivation. In many cases, people are not aware that they are experiencing microsleeps. The widespread practice of "burning the candle at both ends" in western industrialized societies has created so much sleep deprivation that what is really abnormal sleepiness is now almost the norm.

Many studies make it clear that sleep deprivation is dangerous. Sleep-deprived people who are tested by using a driving simulator or by performing a hand-eye coordination task perform as badly as or worse than those who are intoxicated. Sleep deprivation also magnifies alcohol's effects on the body, so a fatigued person who drinks will become much more impaired than someone who is well-rested. Caffeine and other stimulants cannot overcome the effects of severe sleep deprivation. One more possible side effects of a continued lack of sleep is death. Usually this is the result of the fact that the immune system is weakened without sleep. The number of white blood cells within the body decreases, as does the activity of the remaining white blood cells. The body also decreases the amount of growth hormone produced. The ability of the body to metabolize sugar declines, turning sugar into fat. One study stated that people who sleep less than four hours per night are three times more likely to die within the next six years. Although the longest a human has remained awake was eleven days rats that are continually deprived of sleep die within two to five weeks, generally due to their severely weakened immune system.

Are you still up at this point? High five!

To make up for lack of sleep and keep yourself alive, try POWER NAPS. Studies show that 20 minutes of sleep in the afternoon provides more rest than 20 minutes more sleep in the morning (though the last two hours of morning sleep have special benefits of their own). The body seems to be designed for this, as most people’s bodies naturally become more tired in the afternoon, about 8 hours after we wake up.

Many experts advise to keep the nap between 15 and 30 minutes, as sleeping longer gets you into deeper stages of sleep, from which it’s more difficult to awaken. Also, longer naps can make it more difficult to fall asleep at night, especially if your sleep defecit is relatively small. However, research has shown that a 1-hour nap has many more restorative effects than a 30-minute nap, including a much greater improvement in cognitive functioning. The key to taking a longer nap is to get a sense of how long your sleep cycles are, and try to awaken at the end of a sleep cycle. It’s actually more the interruption of the sleep cycle that makes you groggy, rather than the deeper states of sleep.

As there are pros and cons to each length of sleep, you may want to let your schedule decide: if you only have 15 minutes to spare, take them! But if you could work in an hour nap, you may do well to complete a whole sleep cycle, even if it means less sleep at night. If you only have 5 minutes to spare, just close your eyes; even a brief rest has the benefit of reducing stress and helping you relax a little, which can give you more energy to complete the tasks of your day.

Lastly, here are tips to help you sleep:

• Set a schedule, go to bed at a set time each night and get up at the same time each morning. Disrupting this schedule may lead to insomnia. "Sleeping in" on weekends also makes it harder to wake up early on Monday morning because it re-sets your sleep cycles for a later awakening.

• Try to exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day. Daily exercise often helps people sleep, although a workout soon before bedtime may interfere with sleep. For maximum benefit, try to get your exercise about 5 to 6 hours before going to bed.

• Avoid drinks that contain caffeine, which acts as a stimulant and keeps people awake. Sources of caffeine include coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, non-herbal teas, diet drugs, and some pain relievers. Smokers tend to sleep very lightly and often wake up in the early morning due to nicotine withdrawal. Alcohol robs people of deep sleep and REM sleep and keeps them in the lighter stages of sleep.

• A warm bath, reading, drinking a chocolate drink or another relaxing routine can make it easier to fall sleep. You can train yourself to associate certain restful activities with sleep and make them part of your bedtime ritual.

• If possible, wake up with the sun, or use very bright lights in the morning. Sunlight helps the body's internal biological clock reset itself each day. Sleep experts recommend exposure to an hour of morning sunlight for people having problems falling asleep.

• If you can't get to sleep, don't just lie in bed. Do something else, like reading, watching television, or listening to music, until you feel tired. The anxiety of being unable to fall asleep can actually contribute to insomnia.

• Maintain a comfortable temperature in the bedroom. Extreme temperatures may disrupt sleep or prevent you from falling asleep.

And if all else fails and you still have trouble falling asleep night after night, or if you always feel tired the next day, then you may have a sleep disorder and should see a physician. Your primary care physician may be able to help you; if not, you can probably find a sleep specialist at a major hospital near you. Most sleep disorders can be treated effectively, so you can finally get that good night's sleep you need.

To wrap things up, I love to sleep because I want to keep myself alive. Plus it boosts your immune system, makes you smarter, helps you look better, increases concentration, and makes you a better person. Congratulations for keeping yourself up for this post! Now go, get some sleep!

Acting

I've had my share of acting experience, during plays when I was in high school and way back when I was in nursery. I couldn't really recall my nursery gig so I'll just narrate it the way my dad tells the story... Christmas was fast approaching and we were to reenact the Nativity and I was Joseph. I was part of the Holy Family! The next day, I was given a different role, I was 1 of the 3 kings. Ok, not bad, at least I was still playing a character with a distinct name and role. The next day, I was given a different role, I was a shepherd. Hmmm... I wasn't really sure why I was going down the cast but hey, a role is a role. And I was so young, I didn't mind. The next day, I was given my last role transfer - I PLAYED A SHEEP! How in the world could you go from Joseph, to a Magi, to a shepherd and finally, TO A SHEEP?! Only I can do that! And hey, I was the best sheep in acting history!

I love watching movies and I've seen films from different genres. I'm amazed to see actors who can shift from one role to another, most especially if the films are of different types. And they do it effectively, they portray the role so well! The following are descriptions of different film genres:

Action

Action films are usually include high energy, big-budget physical stunts and chases, possibly with rescues, battles, fights, escapes, destructive crises (floods, explosions, natural disasters, fires, etc.), non-stop motion, spectacular rhythm and pacing, and adventurous, often two-dimensional "good-guy" heroes battling "bad guys" - all designed for pure audience escapism.

Adventure

Adventure films are usually exciting stories, with new experiences or exotic locales, very similar to or often paired with the action film genre. They can include traditional swashbucklers, serialized films, and historical spectacles, searches or expeditions for lost continents, "jungle" and "desert" epics, treasure hunts, disaster films, or searches for the unknown.

Comedy

Comedies are light-hearted plots consistently and deliberately designed to amuse and provoke laughter (with one-liners, jokes, etc.) by exaggerating the situation, the language, action, relationships and characters. This section describes various forms of comedy through cinematic history, including slapstick, screwball, spoofs and parodies, romantic comedies, black comedy (dark satirical comedy), and more.

Crime and Gangster

Crime (gangster) films are developed around the sinister actions of criminals or mobsters, particularly bank robbers, underworld figures, or ruthless hoodlums who operate outside the law, stealing and murdering their way through life. Criminal and gangster films are often categorized as film noir or detective-mystery films - because of underlying similarities between these cinematic forms. This category includes a description of various 'serial killer' films.

Drama

Dramas are serious, plot-driven presentations, portraying realistic characters, settings, life situations, and stories involving intense character development and interaction. Usually, they are not focused on special effects, comedy or action. Dramatic films are probably the largest film genre, with many subsets.

Epic or Historical

Epics include costume dramas, historical dramas, war films, medieval romps, or 'period pictures' that often cover a large expanse of time set against a vast, panoramic backdrop. Epics often share elements of the elaborate adventure films genre. Epics take an historical or imagined event, mythic, legendary, or heroic figure, and add an extravagant setting and lavish costumes, accompanied by grandeur and spectacle, dramatic scope, high production values, and a sweeping musical score. Epics are often a more spectacular, lavish version of a biopic film. Some 'sword and sandal' films (Biblical epics or films occuring during antiquity) qualify as a sub-genre.

Horror

Horror films are designed to frighten and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience. Horror films feature a wide range of styles, from the earliest silent Nosferatu classic, to today's CGI monsters and deranged humans. They are often combined with science fiction when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology, or when Earth is threatened by aliens. The fantasy and supernatural film genres are not usually synonymous with the horror genre. There are many sub-genres of horror: slasher, teen terror, serial killers, satanic, Dracula, Frankenstein, etc.

Musical

Musical/dance films are cinematic forms that emphasize full-scale scores or song and dance routines in a significant way (usually with a musical or dance performance integrated as part of the film narrative), or they are films that are centered on combinations of music, dance, song or choreography. Major subgenres include the musical comedy or the concert film.

Science Fiction

Sci-fi films are often quasi-scientific, visionary and imaginative - complete with heroes, aliens, distant planets, impossible quests, improbable settings, fantastic places, great dark and shadowy villains, futuristic technology, unknown and unknowable forces, and extraordinary monsters (“things or creatures from space”), either created by mad scientists or by nuclear havoc. They are sometimes an offshoot of fantasy films, or they share some similarities with action/adventure films. Science fiction often expresses the potential of technology to destroy humankind and easily overlaps with horror films, particularly when technology or alien life forms become malevolent.

Based on the descriptions as well as the films I've seen, the most difficult genre to act in would have to be comedy. For action, you just need lots of dynamics, stunts, explosions and the like together with the good versus evil story. For adventure, you just need an idea of exploration, which is not the job of the actor. For crime and gangster, you just need mobsters and lots of criminal activity, just act slick. For drama, the actor should just cry or show the difficulties the character they play endures. For epic, just act out what the legend or historical fact states. For horror, you need to act scared or act as killers or monsters. For musical, just sing and dance. And for sci-fi, act out being an alien or some strange act of nature. In comedy, you need to have proper timing and delivery. If the actor can't deliver well, it wouldn't be effective. And, it's really difficult to make people laugh!

Acting is a great art. I admire actors most especially those who are in theater. I really hate those actors who are all look and no talent but they get paid a lot! They are a big disgrace to this art and they give a big slap on the faces of the people who are the pioneers of this industry. I'd like to spread super glue on their faces, place a leather mat, let it dry and then pull the mat off with one quick motion! And do again and again and again!

Lost in Translation

I would like to think I'm fluent in my native tongue, Filipino or more popularly known as Tagalog, and in the so-called "universal language" English. Yes, I can understand both - speaking, writing, listening and reading. Although I must admit, my vocabulary for both is not as extensive as I want it to be. What I want to focus on is the fact I have more difficulty expressing myself in Tagalog.

Speaking is not much of a problem, although I usually use a combination of both - known as "Taglish" for some and "Engalog" for others. But if I had to use one language only, usually for formal reports or presentations, I think I'd do well. I remember my elementary days in the Ateneo de Manila University... During one of my final years (can't remember whether it was Grade 6 or 7), our Language teacher required us to speak in pure English. She told us to "shoot" or "bang" our fellow classmates if ever we caught them speak Tagalog. We were always on the look out, listening to each other. The punishment? At the end of the week, the one with the most "bangs" would have to clean the washroom. It was small but boy was it a nightmare! It's good to be friends with everyone, nobody would dare shoot you and of course I'd do the same for them. Did anyone have a shot at the washroom? Yeah, but lucky for them, the washroom was already clean at that time. I couldn't remember how long this went on - a quarter or semester - but definitely it didn't take the whole year. Was it fun? Yes, of course! It was really funny when we had to struggle and look for the right word. It's a good exercise, well, without the washroom clean up, of course!

My problem lies in reading, READING TAGALOG! Let's look back at the Philippine Science High School days... It was during our first year that we studied one of the works our national hero, Jose Rizal, wrote - the Noli Me Tangere. The following is the first paragraph in Tagalog...

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"Magtatapos na ang Oktubre nang maghapunan si Don Santiago de los Santos, kilala sa palayaw na Kapitan Tiago, at kahit ipinahayag lamang sa hapong iyon, na hindi niya ugali, naging paksa ito ng lahat ng usapan sa Binondo, sa ibang karatig-pook at hanggang sa Intramuros. Tinitingala noon si Kapitan Tiago bilang isang napakagalanteng ginoo, at kasabihan na ang kaniyang bahay, tulad ng kaniyang bayan, ay hindi nagsasara ng pinto kanino man, huwag lamang may komersiyo o mga kaisipang bago at pangahas."
===================

The mentioned paragraph was taken from "Jose Rizal Noli Me Tangere" translated by Virgilio Almario. Take note that this novel was first written in Spanish thus spawning different Tagalog and English translations. If I remember correctly, the Tagalog version that we read was a lot deeper and way more difficult to comprehend. Nosebleed! That is why I had to look for an English version to make my life a lot easier and to keep blood from spilling out of my nose!

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"Don Santiago de los Santos was giving a dinner party one evening towards the end of October in the 1880's. Although, contrary to his usual practice, he had let it be known only on the afternoon of the same day, it was soon the topic of conversation in Binondo, where he lived, in other districts of Manila, and even in the Spanish walled city of Intramuros. Don Santiago was better known as Capitan Tiago - the rank was not military but political, and indicated that he had once been the native mayor of a town. In those days he had a reputation for lavishness. It was well-known that his house, like his country, never closed its doors except, of course, to trade and any idea that was new or daring."
===================

Now that's better! I got this from a translated version by Leon Ma. Guerrero. To this very day, I have difficulty reading Tagalog. It's crazy! I spend a lot of time reading a page, and when I finally finish it, I end up going back and reading it all over again! Am I doing anything to improve this? NO, ahehehe! But it is fun to know that "allocation" is "gugol", "sale" is "barato" and the color "orange" is "kahel". What other translations do you know? Sa uulitin!

Who am I?! What's in a Name?!

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MARTIN

Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Scandinavian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Hungarian, Bulgarian
Pronounced: MAHR-tin (English, German), mar-TEN (French), MAWR-teen (Hungarian), mahr-TIN (Bulgarian)

From the Roman name Martinus, which was derived from Martis, the genitive case of the name of the Roman god Mars. Saint Martin of Tours was a 4th-century bishop who is the patron saint of France. According to legend, he came across a cold beggar in the middle of winter so he ripped his cloak in two and gave half of it to the beggar.

Five popes have borne this name. Two other influential bearers were Martin Luther, the theologian who began the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, and more recently Martin Luther King, the American civil rights leader who fought for racial equality.

MIGUEL

Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish, Portuguese
Pronounced: mee-GEL (Spanish, Portuguese)

Spanish and Portuguese form of Michael. A notable bearer of this name was Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the Spanish novelist and poet who wrote 'Don Quixote'.
===================

Whenever I fill up official documents, I always use my two names. Before, I only write "Martin Arellano" but now I make it a habit to write "Martin Miguel Arellano". I like my name! Has a telenovela ring to it! How did I get it? If my memory serves me correctly, my mom wanted the name Michael for me. But my parents decided to use that as my nickname instead so I was baptized as Martin Miguel. Miguel since my dad worked for San Miguel Corporation at that time and Martin... Well, it sounded good with Miguel! I was called Michael during the first 2 to 3 years of my life. I started attending nursery at age 2, lo and behold, there were a lot of Michaels! So the grown ups decided to call me Martin from that point on.

Speaking of names... In this age of the Internet, lots of name generators have been set up. I don't know exactly how they work, what the respective formulas are, is it really calculated or purely random, and other stuff with regards to its algorithm! All I know is, they are fun! Some fit, some are cool, some are funny, and some where-the-hell-did-that-come-from! So I took the time looking for different name generators and compiled the names that I got. These generators usually ask for your full names, while some ask a few more questions like hometown. Once you hit that submit button, you're dubbed with a new name!

This first batch is from different well known movies, books or TV series:

Harry Potter Wizard: Harashio the Hunchback
Harry Potter House Elf: Abner
Star Wars: Arema Laque
Elvish: Amras Vardamir
Hobbit: Berilac Moss of Lake-By-Downs
Smurf: Litigious Smurf
Transformers: Electrostorm
Pokemon: Lickiser

By the way, the Pokemon name generator even gives a few more details: You live in the savannahs of Madagascar, and your diet consists mostly of donuts, Cherry Garcia and water. You can shoot kippers, throw salt spikes and lightning bolts. You have scaly skin and a fear of jet fuel. You can resist evil glances and shoot cosmic energy bolts. Your natural enemy is Starwad. The next batch is a list of names if ever I make a career move to music:

Rock Star: Simon Cage
Rap Star: P. Daddy
Pop Star: Rick Carter
Country Star: Russ Boggs
Reggae: Nyah Demus
Disc Jock: DJ Wonka

The last batch are just random name generators I found:

Clown: Goody Arles
Wrestler: Abdullah the Ace
Taxi Driver: Chodehakama Cleaver
Mafia: Headless Giorgio Gravano
Gangsta: Fine Ol' Stank Ho
Viking: Illugi the Foolhardy
Pirate: Broderick the Malformed
Vampire: Milosh Raven or Belatucadrus of Beijing
Goth: Pixie Corpse

If you ever get tired of your name, you can always generate a new one! Then you'll realize, "I like my name after all!" These are my names, what are yours?

Time for Tests

This weekend was all about tests, academic exams to be more specific. I accompanied my brother to Bocobo Hall (College of Law) in UP Diliman as he was about to take the UPCAT, the entrance exam to the Philippine's State University. He belonged to the first batch of examiners, Saturday morning, 6:30 in the morning! I decided to park somewhere and just wait for him to finish the 4 hour exam instead of going home. I brought review materials as I also have an exam the following day (which is today, more on that later). As I looked around, the campus turned into a big parking lot! Cars were parked left and right, on the roads, parking spaces, and even on places I never thought would be accessible to motor vehicles! I can just imagine the skill of these drivers! From time to time, I recalled my UPCAT experience...

Early Saturday morning, it was still dark. I was standing outside the Math building, which is one of the most well-known buildings in the campus (together with Palma Hall or AS and Melchor Hall, home of the College of Engineering). I was waiting for the longest time and I got the first taste of the UP (University of Pila) experience as we stayed in our lines for more than an hour. I had to be there early or I'll get stuck somewhere because of the attack of so many vehicles as the number of UPCAT takers reach thousands per batch. I was glad to be on the first batch because after that, I have the rest of the weekend to rest. A few minutes before 8am, we were directed to our rooms... I was armed with my pass, pencils, eraser, sharpener and lots & lots of packets of AirCool chewing gum. I remember, I was seated in the back row, two seats away from the window... I didn't know anyone in my room, I only had the chance to chat with a few friends while in the line, while waiting. Then in came the proctor, my heart was pounding... This is it! Cmon, I can do this! I took my first piece of AirCool and the minty blast hit on the spot! Started filling up our information then start with the exam... Math, Science, Language Proficiency and Reading Comprehension... During and in between subjects, seemed like every 10 items, I took a piece of AirCool and my mouth was immune, or should I say numb, from all that minty goodness. My breath could have turned a pool of water into an ice skating rink! My brain was throbbing, I was tired... After 4 grueling hours and 4 packets of AirCool later, I was done with the exam and I had a big ball of gum in my mouth! I proceeded to exit the room and walk out the doors of what seemed to be a temporary prison. I got in the car and took the rest of the week off... The UPCAT was the first of 4 entrance exams I took: the others were for Ateneo, La Salle and Mapua. Each was the same scenario, well, except for the AirCool and the location as I took the Ateneo exam in their campus while the other two in my beloved high school - Pisay. All I can do after all that was wait... Thank God, I got in all of them! I chose UP with a course in Civil Engineering and here I am, 5 years later.

It was 12 noon, the UPCAT takers were moving out of the building. I observed the people waiting: one parent, both parents, parent with a sibling, sibling (just like myself) and what takes the cake, the whole angkan! I heard comments from some of the mommies waiting, "Ba't nakasimangot kayo?" and the examiners, "Hirap ng science/math!" It seemed like 5 years ago, but this time I was the one waiting. Finally, I saw my brother... "O kamusta?" He had difficulty with science and got bored with reading comprehension. Now, he'll prepare for and take other exams and just like me 5 years ago, wait for the results in the coming months.

Now, on to the other test! As I mentioned, I took up Civil Engineering in the UP Diliman. I graduated just this summer and I'm planning to take the November 2007 board exams. To prepare for this, I'm attending review classes at Review Innovations: 813 R. Papa St., Sampaloc, Manila. Lecture classes from Monday to Thursday, 8 am to 12 noon and evaluation exams, same time every Sunday. But what makes today special? I just took the midterm pre-board exam! It was like the evaluation exam but instead of what we took up for the week, the coverage was from the very first meeting! So much to memorize.... My brain couldn't take it... 8 am to 6 pm! Math was ok! Surveying and Transportation Engineering, so so... Hydraulics, eh... Geotechnical Engineering, eh eh... Structural Design and Construction, ehhhhhhhhh.... I have a few months left with lots more to recall! But with the help of Review Innovations, I know I'm guided, I know I'll be able to pass and become an Engineer!

I'll leave this entry with a little poem that was placed at the end of one of the exam parts earlier. I hope it could serve as an inspiration and a motivation:

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh

When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns

And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out
Don't give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow

Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell just how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit

BURNOUT the 2nd spin

ATTENTION! All ultimate frisbee enthusiasts! To all players, whether you're just starting to learn or you've been doing this for the longest time, this tournament is for you. Registration til August 23, 2007. Why wait?! JOIN NOW!!!

Happy Birthday to me! First post for me!

Now I'm 23! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

I planned to make a blog for soooo long. I actually did, once, and I only had one post. Did it just to access my friends' accounts with friends only posts. I told myself to start one when I graduate (supposed to be March 2007). But that was postponed simply because....... I didn't graduate, hahaha! I then took summer classes to complete it, and thank God I did! However, I was still too lazy to start a new blog so I gave myself a deadliest deadline, today! MY BIRTHDAY!

That's all for now! Slow by slow lang, hahaha! One small step for Marts, one giant leap.... For Marts! Hope I get to continue this, get to write everyday, just like Doogie Howser, MD. Come to think of it, that series was the first to show me the concept of blogging.

More random thoughts, hopefully soon! Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday Marvin the Martian and to all my fellow celebrants!