Aja Lapus

Category: Thoughts

  • Ituloy Angsulong Spam

    I’m sorry, I just have to rant about this.

    Don’t get me wrong—I have nothing against Marc Macalua‘s Philippine SEO Contest dubbed Ituloy Angsulong, even though I really do not know the purpose of having a certain key-phrase pointing to your Web site where that phrase isn’t even about what you passionately blog. But the prize money is so good, I have even thought of joining the first contest (Isulong SEOPH), though I was ineligible for they do not accept the participation of those using old domain names.

    From my understanding, the goal of the contest is to produce the top ranking page on the SERPs of Google, Yahoo! and MSN search engines with the term Ituloy Angsulong. Sounds easy, right? I thought about ways to win it for no reason at all [since I am not participating]. Then it came to me that with WordPress, one of the most used blogging platforms to date, automatically including rel="nofollow" on comment links, and the fact that I don’t participate in public forums makes it really hard [at least] for me to win it. Another thing is my hatred for spam that I most probably won’t comment with the key-phrase unless it is on topic.

    Now, why would someone comment on one of my non-SEO related entries with the term Ituloy Angsulong linking to their contest entry URI? I guess it’s someone who’s so desperate to win. It seems to me that no one else hates spam more than I do. I’m thankful Akismet really knows spam—even if it is made by real people. Aren’t there rules about the contest not to spam anyone? Just a thought. I hope Marc Macalua could answer me with this. Please note that I check my Akismet spam list at least five times a day. Oh, I’m so glad it caught yours! Yes, I’m talking to you, Marhgil Macuha.

    If you still can’t figure how Akismet knew what to block then you’re really a dumb ass. It’s spam—not the one I love to eat.

  • Christmas Vacation Starts

    I guess you never know the importance of education until the day you were deprived of it. Yes, I go to school to learn, but I usually do not pay much attention unless I really am interested in the topics discussed. Moreover, I sometimes sleep during the length of the discussion especially when it’s freezing inside the classroom and, of course, when I lack having some the night before.

    This second semester, however, made me realize I really like school.

    For one, we haven’t had a week of complete and continuous classes since just a couple of weeks after the start of the semester, the Electronics Engineering Department held the NECES week. Then, the week after that came the devastating storm whose path thankfully did not include Metro Manila, but suspension of classes prevailed for three of my school days. Then some university-wide event took place the week after the storm. I can clearly remember telling myself and my friends with a certain tone of frustration, Magklase naman tayo. (English: Let us have our classes [back].)

    What I really hate is the change to fast-paced lectures when you couldn’t even comprehend with slow-paced discussions. Also, I hate the make-up classes that would most probably take up my Monday weekends. And, of course, the fact that I still haven’t learned anything yet. Imagine taking 12 hours of MECH 301 during what supposed to be is your day off from school. Ugh. I could even sleep in two hours of lecture, what more with twelve?

    I just somehow fall in irony for whenever I listen to an uninteresting discussion, I could float again in endless thoughts thinking about the nearing vacation that has already come a day early.

  • Back to School

    It isn’t the start of the semester or the academic year, but it sure feels like it as numerous school activities, weather mis-forecasts, and just the regular weekends got packed into one hell of a vacation I might as well call a weekendless. Our class of 3ECEA wouldn’t even have our laboratory instructor for tomorrow—though lectures still would take place. But, counting the days since the suspension of classes, it totals to six days of no classes all in all.

    But, I guess I just have to rant some things that I have to get out of my system:

    • The first one would be the devastating effect of the Super Typhoon Reming especially in the provinces. While I was busy having fun because of little rainfall with the suspension of classes, I sadly realized many have been hardly hit by the raging typhoon resulting to many casualties. Let us pray for them.
    • I still haven’t learned much this late in the semester! All those class suspensions and school activities—with examples including but are not limited to the recollection early this morning and NECES week last, last week, with activities almost every morning conflicting with our schedule—consumed class time.
    • All these absent professors/instructors keep me justifying myself for lack of self-discipline finishing certain school work.

    Anyway, I still can’t feel the Christmas spirit. When I was a kid we used to setup the tree within the range of October-November (whenever there’s semester break or before the All Souls’ Day vacation ends), but it’s now December and not even one decoration is up yet. But, hey: For those thinking about what to give me this coming Holidays, I wouldn’t give you much of a hard time trying to find out what to give me—even if you didn’t even greet me on My Birthday Entry. *tee-hee*

    • Computer case: white, ATX form factor, HDD bays in front of a 120-mm noiseless intake fan, and front-panel USB ports as minimum specs 😉
    • Digital SLR camera
    • Apple iPod USB power adapter
    • Better-sounding earphones [or maybe even better-sounding lanyard earphones for 1st gen nano]
    • Internal DVD±R/RW drive, white; and
    • Maybe some original Evanescence CDs 😛

    Yes, yes … I know I could keep on dreaming. LOL

    BTW, I have migrated the formerly Blogger-platformed quote log located at /special, to a WordPress installation in this server. Please visit: x22. The Qlog will be updated soon. 🙂

  • Technological Language Barrier

    Language barrier is a figurative phrase to describe the difficulty in learning a new language. I would also use it to define a limit to the language with its current uses.

    Technological breakthroughs are being made every day. And with this, a new name would be heard throughout all the mediums of communication with news, commentaries, discussions and advertisements. I often hear words like super, ultra, enhanced, extended, advanced, high-speed, et al. incorporated in names [and usually in acronyms] of these new technologies. Two recent examples include:

    • HSDPA or High-Speed Downlink Packet Access, a 3rd Generation mobile technology for voice, data and multimedia communications.
    • HUXGA or Hexadecatuple Ultra Extended Graphics Array, a computer monitor resolution with 6400×4800-pixel area.

    Now I wonder: With the newest technologies using names composed of superlatives, how would the next inventors and innovators brand their creations?

    Even though what is considered advanced to day will be history tomorrow, I don’t think people would name what is Advanced now as Advanced tomorrow [even with the assumption that the new name would disregard what the past advanced technology was] as that would eventually ruin the evolution history of these technologies.

    Some names also use words too silly to be extended such as broadband. I don’t think there ever will be a Broaderband Internet. 😛

    It seems that the English language is insufficient for technology though it still is the most widely used medium for technical communication. Though I think the language evolves as well, it seems so slow compared to the way technology does. Would the languages we use today catch up with the pace technology has?

  • Not Worth the Ticket

    OK, OK. The fight was worth the 700-peso live moviecast ticket for them Filipino boxing fans because Manny Pacquiao won his third match against Erik Morales. But even with all the hype I encounter from them, I was a little disappointed I haven’t had to watch a longer fight. Good thing I wasn’t at all interested in watching live inside a movie house. I’d rather spend money for food and gadgetry, or a real film that costs just above a hundred pesos, than for a 10-minute movie costing almost a thousand. The trip to the movie house would even be much longer even when there’s not another car within the next kilometer!

    I am not blaming Morales for the loss. He did give Pacquiao some good punches. I just don’t like people making it such a big thing bragging all day flooding my mobile with SMS. I don’t need to hear it from you, I’ve watched the match live from cable television myself.

    OK, Pacquiao is a good boxer. And because of this, he became a good endorser. And, oh, he has fans [?] as a singer. Just don’t let him get to politics. Please. No more celebrity politicians, please.

    Pacquiao finished the match in three rounds. I’m starting to feel another wave of celebration waiting for his coming back home. But, I wouldn’t even consider him a hero. Will there be a Pacman day? Will all of this be worth it? Yes, he gives pride and unity to Filipinos. But much later after this fight, would there still be?