Joke Lang!

I know I said my previous post was my last post, but I stumbled upon this just now.


Sony to recall half a million 'too hot to handle' VAIO laptops from Engadget

"Well, this isn't good. Sony's issued a warning that about half a million of its VAIO laptops are at risk of seriously overheating, and could even cause burns. The company says that the heat-monitoring chips of its VAIO F and C series laptops (which were launched in January) could be defective, causing them to overheat and physically warp. Sony says it's received about 40 total complaints about the issue, and that affected customers will be able to download a software fix or contact the company directly to have the laptop picked up for a repair."

I believe that Sony should send us (the J109 class) samples of these laptops in order for us to validate complains, their supposed fixes, and the over all performance of these units or even this series. Yes. I firmly believe so.

WOW

Finished all 4 articles today. All with EXACTLY, and I mean EXACTLY 200 words.

I also finished reviewing the theories for my Thesis. Was on stand-by for Noy-- which was futile and broke my (wooden) heart.

I'm so sleepy and tired. This is my last post for tonight!

ON "Oprah Talks to Ellen DeGeneres"

On "Oprah Talks to Ellen DeGeneres" from Oprah.com


This was a chat log with a 1-page introduction to contextualize it and a nice wrap-up in the end. Definitely a human interest story, it was sadly, not very interesting.

I am not a fan of the two subjects of the article, though I have watched my share of their shows. Based on what I have watched, their appeal is in their honesty and charity. Both have given away countless gifts on air, of course pioneered by Oprah giving away cars to each of her unsuspecting audience members. Ellen herself has a yearly 12 Days of Christmas give-away promo. Along with the laughs, the smiles, and their flamboyant characters, these two have also shed their own fair share of tears on air. I guess it is because of these that I expected more from the article. I had the illusion that somehow, there were still behind-the-scenes acts that would be opened up to us. Of course, we can see it in different ways. There may still be privy scenarios which are still privy from us, or that these two icons have been so open that, what we see on screen, is what we would get whatever vantage point we have.

ON "The Networker"

On "The Networker: Afghanistan’s first media mogul."
by Ken Auletta from The New Yorker.com

“The Networker,” these two words encapsulate the whole of the article. It talks about a man; it talks about the man. It tells you of what he does. It tells you about what the article tells you about. It talks about how one man might very well be your 6-degree-connection to the annals of world power.

If I were given the honor of re-titling the article on a criterion of my own, I would call it “Journal-ist.” The whole article is relaxed but very informative. It was filled with segments that seemed to roll themselves right out the tip of the pen. There were some tidbits that may have been best introduced by “Oh yeah, did you know that...” or, “and, by the way...” The author seemed to be telling a story, not to a brother, nor to a best friend, rather a more intimate companion. He was talking to a version of himself whom he saw a week, a month, a hotel, or a world away. It was so honest, so impromptu, that it gave the sense of reading someone’s diary of secrets and observations. It was like reading the author’s little entries—his little log into his journal.

ON "Author Nicholas Carr: The Web Shatters Focus, Rewires Brains"

On "Author Nicholas Carr: The Web Shatters Focus, Rewires Brains" from Wired.com


This was an unbelievably easy read. The title actually turned me off at first. It was so succinct, so straight-to-the-point, so boring. But as I read through the rest of the article, I found myself learning and enjoying at the same time. Something I haven’t done since Art Attack went off air.

The afore mentioned title was actually reflective of the characteristics of the rest of the article. It was straight to the point and understandable with the least amount of effort. The words used were simplified, yet not dumbed down. When there were highly technical terms that were essential to the understanding of the facts in their full magnitude, there was a brief explanation, or a convenient link to Wikipedia, or both. Or, most amusingly, there were very simple, mundane analogies that explained other complicated happenings that we never even knew were going on in our systems.

Sweet irony came to light upon reading the second page of the article. This semester has found me with multiple copies of readings—copies made when I found something interesting for my thesis in articles I had actually already made copies of for a different passage. Sometimes, hasty skimming does make waste.

ON "The Biggest Little Man in the World"

On "The Biggest Little Man in the World" from GC.com

If Genius is madness, then the writer of this article must surely have been a genius.
The writer used a style that, according to my old-world journalist training, was unorthodox. This was a story, not just a mere scoop—not quite biased, not quite untainted either. His approach to the article was different, but all too familiar.
Unlike how most journalistic articles seem desensitized, this paints a picture, rather than just itemizing whatever needs to be known. Personally, I felt like the work raised the reader from mere spectator to an actual part of the piece, imagining, relating to the experience.
The article goes on to relate the evolution of Pacman from his beginning in 1995, to the annihilator that he is now. Pacquiao’s image is even made greater by the author’s explanations of little facts that may be beyond the normal reader’s stock knowledge. He identifies little facts such as the issues most boxers face with weight changes, and even a short (although not so positive) profile of the Philippines and the Filipinos. I eventually got to wondering how this man seems to know so much about Manny. Then the beans spill. He is now Pacman’s chief of staff.

Regret

Yesterday, I met with a friend in Katipunan for a business deal. We had become acquainted while both serving along with the Noy Volunteers last summer. So, between the idle banter and business talk, we were talking about the preparations for today. He was a somebody then, even now in the little fast food joint we were at he looked commanding.

He reeked of expensive cologne. The cap he was wearing was undoubtedly original along with the shades I was partly staring at his eyes through and partly staring at my own reflection. The little crocodile insignia on his chest seemed to be daunting me. But he was cool. I personally had sprayed myself a couple of times with CK cologne, having just come from the rain and a jeepney. I swear I still smelled like wet soil. I knew I looked stressed—thesis and the weather working together. But he was cool with that.

He invited me to the inaugural rights of Noy. He offered me to stay with them in their clique—the cordoned off area with the Barong laden gentlemen. I offered my services, whatever I could do—photograph, run errands, whatever. He offered me a ticket. I felt shy—neither confirmed nor declined.

Later in the day, I had weighed everything and decided to grasp the rare chance, I texted him to ask for the ticket. He had already given them away. “I’m not attending tomorrow, eh. I said yes to a meeting. Kala ko wala ka din kasi. Ü”

I have been living with the phrase Carpe Diem in my heart. And yet, at one of the most crucial moments, I forgot to live it out.