*project
I will be working on a long overdue personal project for tonight, maybe until tomorrow. I hope I get most of it done, so we can all enjoy its goodness. 
- Wikipes → A wiki for recipes, dubbed as “your global cookbook.” I gotta learn to cook. #
- SAJAX → “Sajax is an open source tool to make programming websites using the Ajax framework — also known as XMLHTTPRequest or remote scripting — as easy as possible.” #
- Make poverty history → “Every single day, 30,000 children are dying as a result of extreme poverty. This year, 2005, we finally have the resources, knowledge and opportunity to end this shameful situation.” #
- Objects and Pixels → randomly@pinoyblog: Beautiful collection of sketches and illustrations. Galing! #
- 15 things you can do with RSS → RSS isn’t just for weblogs, described with a list. #
- Remove Forebrain and Serve: Tag Clouds II → Zeldman articulates some thoughts that clearly defines the problem with “tags,” the hottest web design idea the past few months. #
- Tasklist.Org → “A comprehensive list of processes running in your computer.” #
Spammers die!
I’m on dialup at home using Sky Internet’s BLAST Prepaid, browsing my daily share of blog reads, and I comment on an entry on Grace’s blog about a Pisay ‘96 couple’s first baby, then — boom! Livejournal greeted me with a surprising message: Your IP address (203.215.116.32) is detected as an open proxy (a common source of spam) so comment access is denied.
Comment spam has been a growing problem for more than a year now, I just didn’t realize it was this bad to include local ISPs. Is the country coddling and breeding spammers disguised as “outsourcing companies,” all in the name of “enriching” the Philippine IT industry?
Constantine
Watching American Idol a few hours ago, it was really sad to see Constantine Maroulis leave after looking pretty solid for several weeks. Performances for this week weren’t exactly superb, and it boiled down to the last few thousand votes probably. Paula was crying, and with good reason. I think Constantine (and his band?) can make it beyond AI as long as he grabs the right opportunities. Best of luck!
Faith and prayers
A few Saturdays ago my family drove all the way to Lucban, Quezon to visit Father Joey Faller’s Kamay ni Hesus Healing Church. You might have seen it featured before in Manila papers and magazines, well–known for its Way of the Cross that is magnificently carved from the mountainside. Around 300 vertical steps to the top, plus the walk from both sides of the area spanning the stations of the cross. But upon reaching the top, you’d be delighted to see the beautiful view, and you can’t help but look down and appreciate how high you’ve walked for half an hour.
After the 9AM morning mass, the healing session that followed thereafter was very moving. I’d really rather talk about faith and prayers than religion, but looking at how he (Father Joey Faller) touched the lives of those present is something I cannot ignore. I saw him guide a wheelchair–bound old lady, help her stand and let her walk independently from one side of the Church to the other to touch the image of the Virgin Mother, and then back. A few minutes later, he had his hands on the chest of cancer–stricken hopefuls, praying for a brief moment. Some would collapse to the floor, while others walked away weeping, as if touched by something beyond words. Just witnessing these events had me thinking so deeply — it’s one of those rare moments that you seem to see your life briefly flash in the back of your mind.
The 1st Philippine Blogging Summit
Raych just pointed me to the 1st Philippine Blogging Summit which will be held at the NISMED Auditorium in UP–Diliman on May 7. That’s next Saturday. See you there!
Hopia
Kumakain kami ng hopia dito sa office, dala ng teammate ko. Naisip ko lang bigla, ang pork hopia ba may baboy talaga sa loob? Pa-explain naman oh.
Email problems
I’m currently having problems with my rebelpixel.com address, so if you feel like writing, just send it to markku at gmail dot com. And if you want an invite, you know how to reach me.
PHP5 eBook!
A great number of WordPress users are actually PHP hackers, so this ebook download should be of great interest to us. This is focused on PHP5, though a lot would still apply for PHP4 users. By the way, if you really want to code in PHP, you shouldn’t be without the great documentation, I personally prefer the Windows CHM version.
Ederic is back!
I’ m just so glad that Ederic is back online again, after losing ederic.net not too long ago to someone wanting to use it’s high PageRank rating for another purpose. PR spamming? I hope not. Ederic, maligayang pagbabalik!
The good fight
I had a leisurely time reading the morning paper earlier today only to be surprised by news of the death of a former bank president. (Cached link.) The evidence clearly points to suicide, which I find uncommon for a predominantly Catholic population. The only state I can recall high occurrences of suicide is Japan, where taking one’s own life is considered a noble act.
Going through the news story, I was deeply touched by the email he sent a friend just hours before his death.
My prayer
GOD asked me to wait; I endured. God asked me to do right; I struggled for what was right. I kept strong outside, but stood alone. My unbearable fear, burden and pain for the sake of others and my family, I shared only with God.
O where is Justice? Where is Truth? Where is Compassion? It is Your face Lord, I truly seek. If not now, then after this lifetime. If not here, then in Your kingdom.
I finished my race; I fought my good fight; I did not give up; I kept my faith. Yet death may still bear meaning or purpose for others, if not our lives.
Lord, look upon us with mercy and love in our last moments of human frailty. Let me sing You praise and glory forever in Your house.
Though suicide is a sin by the Church’s standards, his pain and suffering is something we can all relate to, shared by everyone in this ever–changing world. Not that taking one’s own life is acceptable, but the prayer he left behind is a moving piece of prose that will surely touch those who read it. May he rest in peace.
Help!
Help, I need somebody,
Help, not just anybody,
Help, you know I need someone, help.
Yes, it’s from the Beatles’ “Help.” As you (or not) noticed, the world is quite strange now. The music is different, and the lyrics ain’t the same. And the band ain’t what it used to be.
Go ahead, sing me a song.
Gran Turismo 4
GT4 rocks! I came across a Flickr GT4 group and the new feature allowing you to take pictures and save to a USB drive provides another entertaining aspect to the game. With photos this great, I really need to get my copy! Do we have this in Greenhills now?
Truths
Excerpts from a comment I wrote off–site:
“Man, there’s no such thing as ‘crashing at the right time.’ Dreams, when they crash, leave you empty and lost, not knowing where you’ve been, but more sadly, not knowing where to go.
“You can pick up the pieces, collecting the ones that make you the unique person that you are. But you can never pick up all the pieces, you have to let go. As you walk forward, there are dreams, memories, laughter, and tears that you’d have to leave behind. Don’t wait, walk on.”
Successful people
“Successful people don’t see luck as only a matter of chance but also a matter of choice. You can choose to take the necessary steps to create the destiny you desire and not just wait around for something good to happen. Reach for your dreams!”
iPod for april fools!
Why do you want an iPod and why should I give you one? Leave a comment and the best three will get a 512MB iPod Shuffle. 
