Author: Gabriel

We Encourage you to use Firefox.

I have made the ff. banners to be installed on the Exchanges:

I didn’t want to write the usual “Best Viewed by using Firefox”, because I didn’t want there to be any mistake. The sites still work alright on Internet Explorer (well at least I think so), but the term “Best Viewed..” might mean that I have only made them work on Firefox, which isn’t true.

I also didn’t want to use the standard ‘Get Firefox’ buttons over here, because those tend, I think, to be ignored, or mistaken to be paid promo ads. I always design my sites not for techies, but for the ordinary, non – Internet users out there. I don’t have to worry about techies. If you’re a techie, I presume you should already know that Firefox is the better deal. Its the ordinary user I want to help out, and saying ‘Exchange.ph encourages you..’ means that it supports and recognizes Firefox and would like (but is not forcing!) everyone to use it, whether or not Exchange.ph looks better on it or not.

Whew. That’s a lot to say huh.

Continue reading We Encourage you to use Firefox.

At Attempt To Write My Story – Part I

Apparently there’s been a great upsurge – well at least in the blogs that I read – about getting out and starting your own biz. And obviously I’m all for it. I mean duh. I’ve been ‘freelancing’ for several years now, my last job having ended at the start of this decade.

But you know, sometimes I have to admit, I have my reservations about reading all that advice. I mean, I know it’s all helpful and all, but honestly, and coming from someone who’s been there and gone through all that, if you really really really wanna get on your own biz, then you really don’t need anyone’s advice. To paraphrase a really overused slogan of a company I’m trying to court advertisement pesos from: You Just Do It. When the bug hits you, and you are consumed with wanting to bring to life your idea, then you don’t really have no choice, and there isn’t anyone out there to stop you or tell you otherwise anyway. You just go ahead and do it.

When I was employed, I had the typical issues anyone in the IT business had then. I was overworked, I didn’t like my superiors, and I was a little confused as to where I was going with it all. Money was, admittedly, not a problem. (And please, at this point, I won’t apologize nor want to feel apologetic for being completely honest about such things. So I was paid well, I’ll admit it, and that’s how it is. I’m not trying to brag or anything, I just want to be completely honest.) I also didn’t have any problems finding work. There were lots of people whom I could call to get a job.

Continue reading At Attempt To Write My Story – Part I

Eiga Sai Japanese Contemporary Films 2007 – Cultural Center of the Philippines – Free Admission!

All films will be shown with English subtitles. Screening venues are at the Cinema 3, Shangri-La Plaza Mall (June 20-26), UP Film Institute (July 2-5), and CCP Dream Theater (July 4-8). Admission is free. For detailed screening schedules and inquiries, please check the Japan Foundation, Manila website: www.jfmo.org.ph or call the JFM telephone numbers 811-6155 to 58.

Click here for the synopsis of the films:
http://www.jfmo.org.ph/events_synopsis.htm

Cultural Center of the Philippines
July 4 (Wed)
4:00 PM Out of this World
7:00 PM Blue Spring

July 5 (Thu)
4:00 PM Blue
7:00 PM Shangri-la

July 6 (Fri)
4:00 PM Inochi
7:00 PM Kamikaze Girls

July 7 (Sat)
4:00 PM Harmful Insect
7:00 PM The Stars Converge

July 8 (Sun)
4:00 PM No One’s Ark
7:00 PM Hotel Hibiscus

Eiga Sai Japanese Contemporary Films 2007 – UP Film Institute – Free Admission!

All films will be shown with English subtitles. Screening venues are at the Cinema 3, Shangri-La Plaza Mall (June 20-26), UP Film Institute (July 2-5), and CCP Dream Theater (July 4-8). Admission is free. For detailed screening schedules and inquiries, please check the Japan Foundation, Manila website: www.jfmo.org.ph or call the JFM telephone numbers 811-6155 to 58.

Click here for the synopsis of the films:
http://www.jfmo.org.ph/events_synopsis.htm

UP Film Institute
July 2 (Mon)
2:00 PM Shangri-la
5:00 PM Out of this World
7:00 PM Blue Spring

July 3 (Tue)
2:00 PM Blue
5:00 PM Inochi
7:00 PM Kamikaze Girls

July 4 (Wed)
7:00 PM Hotel Hibiscus

July 5 (Thu)
2:00 PM Harmful Insect
5:00 PM No One’s Ark
7:00 PM The Stars Converge

Eiga Sai Japanese Contemporary Films 2007 – Shangrila Plaza – Free Admission!

All films will be shown with English subtitles. Screening venues are at the Cinema 3, Shangri-La Plaza Mall (June 20-26), UP Film Institute (July 2-5), and CCP Dream Theater (July 4-8). Admission is free. For detailed screening schedules and inquiries, please check the Japan Foundation, Manila website: www.jfmo.org.ph or call the JFM telephone numbers 811-6155 to 58.

Click here for the synopsis of the films:
http://www.jfmo.org.ph/events_synopsis.htm

Shangri-la Plaza
June 20 (Wed)
7:00 PM Kamikaze Girls

June 21 (Thu)
2:00 PM Shangri-la (Togenkyo No Hitobito)
5:00 PM Blue Spring
8:00 PM Out of this World

June 22 (Fri)
2:00 PM Hotel Hibiscus
5:00 PM Inochi
8:00 PM No One’s Ark

June 23 (Sat)
2:00 PM Blue
5:00 PM Kamikaze Girls
8:00 PM The Stars Converge

June 24 (Sun)
2:00 PM Kamikaze Girls
5:00 PM Hotel Hibiscus
8:00 PM Blue Spring

June 25 (Mon)
2:00 PM Blue
5:00 PM Inochi
8:00 PM Out of this World

June 26 (Tue)
2:00 PM Shangri-la
5:00 PM The Stars Converge
8:00 PM Harmful Insect

Eiga Sai Japanese Contemporary Films 2007 – Admission is free!

jun192007_egasai.jpg

All films will be shown with English subtitles. There are three Screening venues: Cinema 3, Shangri-La Plaza Mall (June 20-26), UP Film Institute (July 2-5), and CCP Dream Theater (July 4-8).

Admission is free. For detailed screening schedules and inquiries, please check the Japan Foundation, Manila website: www.jfmo.org.ph or call the JFM telephone numbers 811-6155 to 58.

Click here for the synopsis of the films:
http://www.jfmo.org.ph/events_synopsis.htm

Schedules as follows:

Continue reading Eiga Sai Japanese Contemporary Films 2007 – Admission is free!

Parents Ponder, Phoebe’s going, and yes, Another server memory upgrade

First off, congrats to my main girl Jen for hosting a terrific parenting event for Mom.Exchange.Ph, sponsored by Verdana Homes, last Sat the 16th, at Coffee Tea Bean and Leaf (is that right? or something like that. I mix up that name often.), at the Convergys Building Makati. I peeled my lazy ass off bed early in the AM to get there by 9 to record the proceedings. A bunch of moms, some kids and a stray dad were present, along with fotogs and PR people. Jen did her mom thing with other moms and the resultant incessant chatter was indicative of true success afa im concerned. This is our first co-produced and sponsored event for Mom.Exchange and man am I am way happy and all proud of Jen. Parents Ponder is now a monthly thing and nothing but good things are gonna come out of this I tell you. If you’re a mom, and am interested in joining up, I’ve setup a page here.


Jen doing her thing.

Continue reading Parents Ponder, Phoebe’s going, and yes, Another server memory upgrade

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Movie Review

jun062007_ff4_two.jpgFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, is the kind of movie that reminds me why I’ve decided at some point, to establish standards in my choice of movies. Not that it’s earth – shattering mind you. Far from it. Rather, Fantastic Four II is the kind of movie that’ll make you answer, when someone asks if you like it, that ‘it’s ok..‘, or ‘it’s entertaining..‘, with your voice trailing off, or some response to that effect.

And since you can’t really pinpoint why you don’t like it, but find it a stretch to call it a bad movie either, you just smile, shake your head or shrug your shoulders, and forget about it. Proof of it? The day after you’ve forgotten you’ve watched it, and by next week any memory of it is completely erased altogether.

Which is, you see, the exact opposite of two of the best most entertaining movies I’ve ever watched, which happen to both be based on superheroes. And that is Superman, the first one with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder, and Batman Returns, with Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer.

And here’s the part where you sit back for a moment, if you’ve happened to be around at the time they were released (1978 and 1992 respectively), where, you will likely nod your head in agreement, and appreciate along with me, the sheer entertainment these two provided.

And then you realize as well, how Fantastic Four II completely pales in comparison to those two. So much so, one might argue, that it shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same movie review as the other two.

And I am getting closer to the point I am trying to make.

Read the rest at Movie Exchange.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

jun062007_ff4_two.jpgFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, is the kind of movie that reminds me why I’ve decided at some point, to establish standards in my choice of movies. Not that it’s earth – shattering mind you. Far from it. Rather, Fantastic Four II is the kind of movie that’ll make you answer, when someone asks if you like it, that ‘it’s ok..‘, or ‘it’s entertaining..‘, with your voice trailing off, or some response to that effect.

And since you can’t really pinpoint why you don’t like it, but find it a stretch to call it a bad movie either, you just smile, shake your head or shrug your shoulders, and forget about it. Proof of it? The day after you’ve forgotten you’ve watched it, and by next week any memory of it is completely erased altogether.

Which is, you see, the exact opposite of two of the best most entertaining movies I’ve ever watched, which happen to both be based on superheroes. And that is Superman, the first one with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder, and Batman Returns, with Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer.

And here’s the part where you sit back for a moment, if you’ve happened to be around at the time they were released (1978 and 1992 respectively), where, you will likely nod your head in agreement, and appreciate along with me, the sheer entertainment these two provided.

And then you realize as well, how Fantastic Four II completely pales in comparison to those two. So much so, one might argue, that it shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same movie review as the other two.

And I am getting closer to the point I am trying to make.

Continue reading Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Phoebe don’t like cables. Only does Wifi.

I spent waaaay too much time trying to get the Davicom USB NIC to work on Xubuntu 7.04 on Phoebe (my laptop. I name my PCs after funny sitcom characters. The others are Tobias and Kramer.), as detailed here, and finally gave up. First, it was difficult trying to get Make to run in the first place. Since I didn’t have a net connection (I’m installing a NIC remember?), I had to make do with the install CD, and work with Synaptic which I wasn’t familiar yet with. Strangely enough I had to include the CD as a source of packages even after it already mentions the CD as a source twice (looks like a bug).

I finally got Make going by following a recommendation to change the line "#include <linux /config.h>" to "#include <linux /configfs.h> in the dm9601.c file. But my issues didn’t stop there, as after I finally had a hold of the precious dm9601.ko file Make produced, and added it to my modules, it then wouldn’t recognize my USB NIC at all. I read somewhere that it worked for some other guy after a series of reboots and plugging / unplugging, but after several tries of that I got nada.

I gotta tell you after working on and off on that thing for a week, I was severely disheartened (yeah it’s that serious. Serious enough for me to call myself severely disheartened.) I was about to ditch the dang notebook in when the weirdest thing happened – the USB WIFI NIC worked instead.

Continue reading Phoebe don’t like cables. Only does Wifi.