LefthandedLayup.com

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  • Microsoft Vista Launch Is Good For Your Health

    Or mine, at least.

    See, if there’s anything i like about hotels, it’s the bathtub and hot / cold water galore. And Thu night at the MS Vista launch, whilst all the other press dudes were revelling (or what little revelry they could find) in Tagaytay, I was soaking my old, tired, aching, and supremely pained self in my room at Taal Vista care of Microsoft, no less. I dunno which was better, the terrific hot soak or the fact its paid for by MS. It just feels extra cool and everything that way.

    At any rate, believe me the fact that gout is described as ‘excruciating’ and ‘numbing’ pain in medical websites is not an accident. The pain is hard to describe, its almost… spiritual, if there’s ever a word for it. I’ve dislocated my elbow, gotten banged up in all sorts of creative ways and even passed kidney stones, but this one is especially different because it is just so unrelenting, never allowing you a moment’s rest. Even sleep, the age old remedy, is not enough. This thing will wake you up to remind you it’s there. In the wee hours of the morning when you feel most helpless and least able to bear it, there it is, saying ‘hello!’ and ‘would you like some more?’.

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  • And now the fun begins

    Just around an hour ago, the whole of Philippine Tech Press-dom has been lit up with news of Microsoft’s Press Launch of Windows Vista and Office 2007, which is finally launching next year.

    I got my invite and the requisite assignment to cover it, and – well – I’m excited.

    You’ve just gotta hand it to MS Philippines and their PR for knowing how to drum up excitement with their events. This isn’t some ho-hum fancy dress lunch in a posh hotel. This is an overnight gig, out of town.

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  • Ouch and Argh Day

    I’ve cancelled my planned trips today because I’m going through a gout attack, something I go through around once a year and let me tell you right now, it is so fucking PAINFUL, but I cannot do much other than bear it and take allopurinol. I try not to be a pill – popper, so I’ve only taken a painkiller once today and I’m trying to avoid taking another one although I’m tempted.

    Sometimes (and I think I thought this the last time this happened to me), I wanna just make a small incision on my left big toe where the pain is, thinking maybe the blood in that area contains all the toxins so my body can get rid of all of it in one go, but lacking any medical proof this might work its probably a bad idea. And besides, cutting up my toe might lead to a wound that might even get an infection, considering my foot would need to heal while its inside a dark, damp shoe.

    So ok scratch that I think I talked my way out of it. But I just have to do something.

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  • Of Aggregators and Unique Content

    Over the past two weeks, I’ve noticed two new websites that siphon posts off of Ballex and Kikay. This site: http://skincare.simra.net/, which got RubyG’s post on Skin Food, and this site: http://basketball.sports-guru.com, which gets almost all of the posts off of Ballex.

    These sites are called aggregators, which live off of content from different sites, and make it their own.

    Now, let’s analyze that statement for a moment. First, the site has to a. Live off of content from different sites. That’s easy enough, with aggregating scripts and RSS. The fact I allow syndication means it’s ok with me that other people cite my websites. That’s the way the internet is and to disallow that is stupid. If you think about it, it actually helps the sites get even more popular, so that’s cool.

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  • Open Source is Good. To a Point.

    Erwin Oliva wrote today about how an RP Software Association opposes the Open Source Bill, here.

    I expect a great deal of mud slinging to start from either side. What would be good though, is for both to start stating examples of either’s strengths, instead of long winded statements heavy on hypothesis, such as “…imposing restrictions (on graduates) on what kind of training can be offered defies all logic and reason” and “As an industry association, we encourage the fostering of forward-thinking innovation and creativity — necessary characteristics of a healthy software industry and essential pillars of the ‘FLY HIGH 2010’ software industry targets.”

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  • My Neighbors

    For some odd reason I want to write about my neighbors.

    To the right of our house (if you come out of the gate), are the Schellekens, featuring M and B, whom like many of the residents of our village, are retirees, and are both pushing the latter part of 70, I think.

    To the left, and downhill from us, are George’s family (sorry I forgot his surname), who are probably around my age or older, but are pensioners of a sort due to a terrible plane crash the OFW husband (George) suffered in 2003 while in Dubai, and is currently recuperating from. And from which, I believe their income is derived, after having noticed, nosy as I am, that neither of them are employed inspite of their numerous material accoutrements.

    Theirs is a Wikipedia – worthy story, believe me, which if I would tackle writing if I had the time, and or any other such excuse that I am capable, believe me, of making. At some point however, I believe I likely will.

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  • Further thoughts on the Dove thing

    I had originally planned this blog to be merely about tech, then it turned to tech and personal stuff, which then shifted to announcements for the goings-on at Kikay, Ballex, MomEx, MovieEx and PCEx. But now I realized, I don’t have a blog of my own now do I? And if anything, the one thing I know how to do is to blog, and so once again, I’ve decided to make it an annoucements page for my blogs and personal stuff.

    At any rate, am just posting to address an issue that had come to fore from KikayEx’s (ie., me and Jill’s) visit to the Dove Event a few days ago. Thoughts to wit:

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  • KikayEx attends its very first press event!

    We received an invite to the “Dove Campaign for Real Beauty” website launch 4 days ago. I was actually wondering if someone was pulling our leg. After I confirmed however, we got this:

    Hi there!

    I’m glad to hear that you guys can make it to the exclusive launch event that will unveil Dove’s next Campaign for Real Beauty. You’ve been chosen to attend because of your influence in the blogging sphere, and we hope that you can help spread our message to other like-minded women.

    See you there!

    It was from Madz of OgilvyOne Worldwide, Dove’s PR. Funny how I’d always wanted this to happen, and when it does it sort of feels surreal. At any rate, we attended and had a great time:


    Some people had more fun than others 🙂

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  • ABC Sports will feature BallEx Tomorrow!

    ABC Sports will feature posts from Basketball Exchange tomorrow!!

    Here’s their letter:

    I’m Quel Valencia of ABC Sports and we’ve been browsing your weblog “Basketball Exchange” for sometime now. We’d like to request your permission to use the three blog entries posted by John Dacanay focusing on PBA lookalikes:

    http://basketball.exchange.ph/2006/10/03/pba-look-alikes-part-i/
    http://basketball.exchange.ph/2006/10/06/pba-celeb-lookalikes-part-ii/
    http://basketball.exchange.ph/2006/10/11/pba-celeb-lookalikes-part-iii/

    We’re planning to feature some of the lookalikes during the halftime game this Wednesday. I hope you could reply as soon as possible through email or through text.

    Thank you and good day!

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  • Aklatangpambata was featured by the Probe Team!

    I missed it, but the episode was aired last October 11, 2006. From the Probe Team archive:

    Have shoes, will travel. But then, who said you needed shoes to see the world? Change that to: have book, will see the world! Reading affords one the opportunity of being to so many places in the world, of going through vicarious experiences, and of feeling a gamut of emotions. The problem begins though when you can’t even afford to buy books. The good news is, a group of volunteers, headed by librarian Troy Lacsamana opened a children’s library in Barangay Paltok, Quezon City and they conduct storytelling sessions on Saturdays. This library is giving the chance to children in the neighborhood to their right to learn, have fun, and truly be children!

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