Quaere Verum

Ubuntu is an African philosophy extolling the virtues of humanity and interpersonal relationships. Roughly translated, it means "humanity towards others" , or "I am because we are" . Ubuntu also refers to a specific distribution of the Linux operating system. After my successful, yet somewhat underwhelming attempt to enter the realm of 64-bit computing via Windows XP Professional x64 Edition (see previous post here ), I decided to have another go at it, this time, using a different 64-bit OS. I used the AMD64 version of Ubuntu 6.06 LTS , also known as Dapper Drake, which was only released last June 1. While there's nothing really wrong with Windows x64, there isn't really much you can do with it, given the dearth of native 64-bit software. Besides, its made by Microsoft , which is already a minus as far as most hardcore techies are concerned, not to mention the fact that you have to pay through the nose to obtain a license for it. Ubuntu, like all the ot...

Here's a column I wrote for the last issue of SHInet , a technical newsletter on social insurance collaborated on by PhilHealth and GTZ-SHI . Thought I'd post it in case someone (not likely) finds it interesting. :-) The White Papers An insider’s view of Social Health Insurance…from the outside According to Whatis.com, a white paper is defined as: “an article that states an organization's position or philosophy about a social, political, or other subject, or a not-too-detailed technical explanation of an architecture, framework, or product technology.” In government service, at least in the Philippine setting, a white paper has a more, let us say, unpleasant connotation. Here, a white paper is synonymous with a poison-pen letter – an anonymous letter or note containing malicious statements about a third party. So you may be wondering, why did I choose such a negative concept to serve as the title of this discourse? Actually, I didn’t. The name was chosen for me by my coll...

Check out this Spider-Man parody from the 2002 MTV Movie Awards featuring Sara Michelle Gellar and Jack Black. Pretty funny stuff. :-) Note: Turn off the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking the play button.

Walang Kadala Dala Sandwich Laging naniniwala hindi nagsasawa Nahilo sa gayuma kaya nagwawala Laging umaasa ano bang meron sya? Paulit ulit lang naman pinapaikot ka Walang kadala dala napapatulala Walang kadala dala naghihintay sa wala Nilumot na ang lupa wala paring tiyak Napagod na ang luha di na makaiyak Sana ay matauhan pusong nakabitin Kalimutan mo na sya't ako ang pansinin Walang kadala dala napapatulala Walang kadala dala naghihintay sa wala Walang kadala dala napapatulala Walang kadala dala napapatulala Hindi nadadala nadadala nadadala Hindi nadadala nadadala nadadala Hindi nadadala nadadala nadadala Naghihintay sa wala

So, you want to try installing the 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional ? Its actually easier than it sounds, assuming you have the hardware for it. Of course, expect a few kinks along the way, especially since 64-bit computing hasn't seen widespread acceptance yet. If you're feeling a bit adventurous and you want to see what the fuss is all about, I've outlined some steps that I've learned firsthand when I took the 64-bit plunge. I Hope someone finds them helpful: First and foremost, make sure you have a 64-bit processor. 64-bit processors bearing the AMD brand include all variants of the Athlon 64 , the Opteron , the Turion 64 , and some newer models of the Sempron . On the Intel side, it gets a bit more muddled. The Pentium D definitely supports 64-bit extensions. Most newer versions of the Xeon , Pentium 4 and Celeron D support it as well, but some don't. The older versions of these processors only support 32-bit software. If you're in doubt whethe...

Seems like this third installment may very well be the best in the series. The black Spider-Man (symbiote suit) and the Sandman. Awesome. :-) Too bad is still almost a year away. Note: Turn off the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking the play button.

July 24, 2006 was a red-letter day as far as the personal computing industry is concerned. On that day, the world’s second largest CPU manufacturer, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), announced its decision to acquire the world’s second largest manufacturer of GPUs, ATI Technologies , for a whopping $5.4 billion. Whether we realize it or not, this acquisition is bound to change computing as we know it, as well as dramatically alter the landscape of personal computing, both from a technological, as well as a commercial point of view. I have shivers just thinking about it. So what does this mean for us PC users and enthusiasts? It probably means a lot of changes, both in the short and long term. Consider the following: AMD is the leader when it comes to the enthusiast segment, while Intel , the world's largest chipmaker, rules the corporate roost. The corporate market is significantly larger than the enthusiast market, and that is where the money is. AMD has been making significant adv...

Just heard President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's 6th State of the Nation Address . Well, it sounded good, given all the grandiose plans that she announced. But somehow, it seems quite devoid of substance. Like a "feel-good" movie which doesn't offer much more than a quick laugh. Or a wrestler saying catchphrases just to get a cheap "pop". And she neglects mentioning anything about certain issues, particularly those directly affecting her credibility. Suffice it to say that I wasn't really impressed. Playing to the crowd...that's all it seemed like. But that's just me. Who knows? She may actually make good on all those plans. But I wouldn't hold my breath. Frankly, I can't wait until 2010.

Good morning. This week I returned from Russia, where I met with world leaders at the G8 summit. The summit was an opportunity for important talks with these nations, and it brought progress on key issues. We had wide-ranging discussions on the global economy. We agreed on new steps to strengthen our collective security, including a United Nations Security Council resolution on North Korea. This resolution condemned North Korea's recent missile launches and it urged the North Korean regime to abandon its nuclear programs and return to the six-party talks. Much of our time at the summit was spent discussing the situation in the Middle East, especially the recent violence in Israel and Lebanon. The recent crisis in the region was triggered by the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers by the terrorist group Hezbollah and the launch of rockets against Israeli cities. I believe sovereign nations have the right to defend their people from terrorist attack, and to take the necessary action to pr...

I guess the Philippines doesn't have a monopoly on idiotic, technology-challenged politicians... Note: Turn off the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking the play button. Links: Internet `tubes' speech turns spotlight, ridicule onto Sen. Stevens

Do you know what aspartame is? Well, even if you don't, given its ubiquitous nature, its a virtual certainty that you have already crossed paths with it in your life at one time or another. For the uninitiated, aspartame is a low-calorie sugar substitute most often used in carbonated beverages, you know, the diet or lite variety. Here in the Philippines, it is commonly known by the brand names NutraSweet and Equal . The reason why it has significantly fewer calories is because its not carbohydrate based. Its a methyl (methane derivative) ester (organic compound) dipeptide (two amino acids joined by a single peptide bond) consisting of aspartic acid as the first amino acid, and phenylalanine as the second. Its about 180 times sweeter than typical table sugar, and as such, a little goes a long way. A single pellet of Equal (18 mg of aspartame) has about the same sweetening strength as a teaspoon of ordinary white sugar (about 5 ml). Do the math. It was first discovered in 19...

My son, under close supervision, fires a real gun for the first time. Read the full post here .

This was my favorite cartoon movie when I was a kid. I guess in a way, this movie was also partly responsible for encouraging my fascination with all things related to science. Its been a while...no make that a couple of decades since I last saw it. I wonder if they'll ever put it out on DVD. I'd certainly buy a copy, if only to rekindle a small part of my youth... Here's the trailer: Note: Turn off the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking the play button.

I got this joke from my inbox. I'm supposed to have good luck if I passed it around, and there's no more efficient way of doing that than by posting it here. Enjoy. :-) An elderly woman walked into the Bank of Canada one morning with a purse full of money. She wanted to open a savings account and insisted on talking to the president of the Bank because, she said, she had a lot of money. After many lengthy discussions (after all, the client is always right) an employee took the elderly woman to the president's office. The president of the Bank asked her how much she wanted to deposit. She placed her purse on his desk and replied, "$165,000". The president was curious and asked her how she had been able to save so much money. The elderly woman replied that she made bets. The president was surprised and asked, "What kind of bets?" The elderly woman replied, "Well, I bet you $25,000 that your testicles are square." The president started to laug...

Yesterday my son and I visited the Defense and Sporting Arms Show at Megatrade Hall 2-3 at SM Megamall. As a firearm and shooting enthusiast, and an advocate of responsible gun ownership, I was looking forward to seeing the various exhibits, since its been a while since I last attended a show of this sort. I thought it would be a good idea to bring my son along as well, well, not to make a war freak or gun nut out of him (though some ultra-conservatives would never think of mixing guns and children together as a good idea), but to satisfy his curiosity and interest when it comes to firearms. The more he realizes the potential damage a firearm can inflict, the more he will come to respect guns and less likely to associate them with playthings. If you asked me, I think violent movies are more dangerous to kids' perception of guns than taking them to gun shows like this one. Movies tend to desensitize naive minds to the death and destruction that guns bring, and give them the impressi...

Somewhere In The Middle Dishwalla I was out the other day and I saw you in your big black car and I was waving as you were passing cause I know who you are you had this look that of an angel it was such a bad disguise did you think for second I would not realize tripping hard falling down onto the ground cause I can't stand up and I can't fall down cause I'm somewhere in the middle of this I was out the other night and I saw you so we had a fight it was late and I was lonely and its such a long way home so I asked you if you'd join me for a single last call drink so you turned and bought us 2 and you didn't even blink you had this look that of an angel it was such a bad disguise when you drink it makes you angry when I drink I want you more and more and more tripping hard falling down onto the ground cause I can't stand up and I can't fall down and I'm somewhere in the middle of this well I find it hard I always tried to find the sane life but I don'...

Lakeside lovers. An open theater by the lake. Lagoon gangway. Sundown. A kid in the afterlight. My son strikes a pose on a tree trunk. Check out the photos he himself took here . Photos taken at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center .

Saw this stand-up comedian's routine on JackTV last night. For half an hour, I forgot all my troubles. And the movie voiceover guy bit just brought the house down. :-) Laughter is definitely still the best medicine. :-) Note: Turn off the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking the play button.

It seems dissatisfaction with PLDT 's myDSL service is reaching a fever pitch nowadays. Not even the eminent Sassy Lawyer was spared from their lousy service (read about her predicament here ). And as it turns out, PLDT is planning to expand its service to Visayas and Mindanao. Talk about chutzpah. Well, PLDT will probably just piss off a lot more people, and make a fast buck while they're at it. If you've been visiting this blog regularly, you've probably read about my recent misadventures with PLDT myDSL as well, which was only resolved a few weeks ago. It took an email to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to finally get PLDT off its ass and do something about my excrutiatingly slow connection speed, which I had to endure for more than a month. In case anyone is curious, here's the letter I sent: Greetings. The undersigned would like to respectfully bring to your attention various incidents related to my subscription to PLDT myDSL, which have brought m...

As requested by Rain . Shamrock 's Alipin . Belated Haberday Rain! :-) Note: Turn off the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking the play button. Alipin Shamrock Di ko man maamin Ikaw ay mahalaga sa akin Di ko man maisip Sa pagtulog ikaw ang panaginip Malabo man ang aking pag-iisip Sana'y pakinggan mo ang sigaw nitong damdamin ako'y alipin mo kahit hindi batid aaminin ko minsan ako'y manhid sana at iyong nariring sayong yakap ako'y nasasabik... Ayoko sa iba Sayoako ay hindi magsasawa Ano man ang iyong sabihin Umasa ka ito ay diringgin Madalas man na parang aso't pusa Giliw sa piling mo ako ay masaya ako'y alipin mo kahit hindi batid aaminin ko minsan ako'y manhid sana at iyong nariring sayong yakap ako'y nasasabik... Pilit mang abutin ang mga tala Basta't sa akin wag kang mawawala Ako'y alipin mo kahit hindi batid Aaminin ko minsan ako'y manhid Sana ay iyong naririnig Sayong yakap ako'y nasasabik Pagkat ikaw...

Last year I posted an entry about a photo I took of my son in 2000 entitled " Lakeside Serenity " . He was just three at the time. That photo was, and still is, one of my favorite photos of my son. In case you missed that one, here it is again: Lakeside Serenity. After more than six years, my son and I went back to the lake and we tried to locate that very same spot. Things were a bit different, but I think we hit it pretty close, except for the angle, which was a bit off. Nonetheless, I think its close enough: Lakeside Serenity. Plus 6. I guess a lot has changed in six years. The trees seem taller, but the small hut-like structure is still there in the distance. Technology has changed a lot too. The earlier photo was taken using an old 35 mm film camera ( Minolta Riva Zoom 105 ). The latter one was taken using a 2 megapixel camera phone ( Nokia N70 ). I guess there's something to be said about change. Yes, change is constant. But if you give pause for a little while an...

Twilight World Swing Out Sister It's twilight world It's twilight world Time out World in a hurry There's more love than money changing hands Lights out Thinking out loud Turn your back on the world outside Night thoughts No one can share As darkness breaks through another day Secrets Talking out loud Silence waits just a dream away Forget lonely crowds, unfriendly faces They'll soon become familiar places Before too long, before too long Don't be fooled by love songs and lonely hearts You're living in a twilight world Don't be fooled by love songs and lonely hearts Don't give in to the twilight world Time out World in a hurry There's more love than money changing hands Lights out Thinking out loud Turn your back on the world outside Forget lonely crowds, unfriendly faces They'll soon became familliar places Before too long, before too long Don't be fooled by love songs and lonely hearts You're living in a twilight world Don't be fool...

According to most authorities, the odds of it happening are about 10,000 to 1. Guess what? I shattered those odds...literally. Several days ago, I inserted a relatively old (but not so old) game CD in my three year-old Asus CRW-5224A CD writer. It was only starting to spin up as I walked away to tend to something else. Suddenly there was a loud bang. The drive's access light started flickering and the CD tray extended by itself about a quarter of the way, then stopped. I peeked in the drive, expecting the worst, and it was what I had expected. The disc I just inserted seemingly disappeared from inside the drive. Actually it had just shattered into a gazillion pieces, rendering the drive tray mechanism stuck, and my drive trashed. I've read about this happening before, and even watched an episode of Mythbusters exploring this phenomenon. I was always under the impression that its a rather infrequent occurrence. I guess if you use optical drives long enough, you're bound t...

Kalamansi, after a downpour.

I first posted the lyrics of this song more than a year ago. Thought I'd post it again, along with the video, while I hone my skills in using YouTube.com in blog posts. The song is more or less about the story of a bumbling loser...making mistakes left and right. I know the feeling. :-) Don't forget to kill the background audio first at the bottom of the page before clicking on play. Not much in the way of new posts lately, so I hope you enjoy the song and video. Hari ng Sablay Sugarfree Please lang wag kang magulat Kung bigla akong magkalat Mula pa nung pagkabata Mistula ng tanga Sa'n - sa'n nadadapa Sa'n - sa'n bumababangga Ang puso kong kawawa May pag-asa pa ba Oooh, ayoko ng mag sorry Oooh, sawa na akong magsisi Pasensya ka na Mabilis lang akong mataranta Ako ang hari ng sablay Ako ang hari ng sablay Hinding-hindi makasabay Sabay sa hangin ng aking buhay Hari ng sablay Ako ang hari ng sablay Ako ang hari, ako ang hari Isang tama sampung mali Ganyan ako pumi...