Christmas Mug

So I walked into the break room this morning to get my daily dosage of caffeine and trodding behind me was James who was also getting his own fix. When I turned around, I saw him holding the same exact mug that I have. This mug can easily accomodate 3 cups full of liquid so between him and me, we easily used up the coffee in the breakroom.

The thing about the mugs we were holding though is that we got this last Christmas from the same person. Not that we're complaining since the mugs have proven to be a timesaver not just for me but also for my other teammates. The only drawback is the Christmas design boldly emblazoned around it. And some people keeps reminding us it's not Christmas anymore.

Personally, I don't care. Either way, I still need my coffee fix and I'd rather use a big mug than a small cup. Gives me time to actually work than traverse the hallways to the breakroom. Besides, only 4 more months and it's going to be Christmas once again.

Now, if I can only find my Valentine decored pen so I can bring that to my meetings.

Laughter, The Best Medicine

Okay.. so I ripped that title off Reader's Digest. But a lot of people does think that laughter is the best medicine. I'm sure there's a study somewhere that somehow proves this statement to be true but for now, I'll take it at face value. Just because that's what I do at this point when so much stress surrounds me.

I don't break easily. Maybe I'm just patronizing myself but I do have a track record of being able to continue on even when things just look so bleak. That's because I try to find the funny aspect in things or situations and laught it off. Laughter can hold stress off for some time but is enough to let me look at things from another perspective.

If all else fails, I look at myself and laugh. Not because I look funny but I remind myself of certain jokes. Okay.. maybe I do look funny. But you have to hand it to me that I can make people laugh by just letting them see me. Now that my friends is pure talent. And looks.

If you can't make fun of yourself today, you wont have anything to look back at and laugh.

Summer Ends

Last Monday was the last day of summer. For most people, it was just another day. For most kids, it was the beginning of the new school year. You can hear a few groans every now and then but a lot of kids are actually excited to getting back to school. Mostly just to see how old friends have been doing.

It was just another day for me. In fact, it was the start of another busy work week. As they say, another day another dollar. It's hot though. I mean the weather had been hot this whole summer. I normally enjoy a good run outside every afternoon but it gets so hot that it makes it difficult for me to breate. So I've opted to run indoors using the threadmill.

I guess this is my body's normal reaction to aging. What used to be so easy for me to do a couple of years ago now requires some much needed effort. I'm enjoying it. Things like this keep me on my toes. They're what most people call 'the occasional curve ball'.

I enjoy growing old gracefully.

Crash and Burn

My PC at the office crashed last week. I'm currently working with a loaner for now until the technical support people fix my PC and I'm hoping they get it done this week. I'm actually getting antsy waiting. Call it comfort zone. I call it necessity.

I have a ton of projects lined up and most of these are those that needs to get done as soon as possible. I have been in the company for awhile and all those time, I have configured my PC with all the tools I would need for my trade. Some of the applications in there are not company standard so I may have to get those back in place.

Based on experience, it'll probably take me a full week working fulltime to get my PC back to the same level I want it to be. Right now, I just have to make do with the loaner. I can work with it but I won't be able to do some projects with this machine since I lack the applications for it. I could intall those applications here but by the time I get it up to speed, my real PC may be ready. So it will just wasted effort.

Besides, I have to reconfigure my PC back to the way it was.

Franchising

I've been reading a lot about franchising lately. A part of me thinks its a great idea worthy of delving into. Owning your own McDonald's or Arby's sounds really lucrative. But the cost of getting a franchise is not something to be taken lightly. It could make or break somebody.

I know there's always a risk involve in getting into a business for yourself. Much more when your business plan is dictated by a mother corporation. Sure it's nice since the business plan has been tested and proven by all the other franchisees but one has to take into account that what may be gold for Mary might not be the same for Moe.

There's a lot of factors to make a business work. Franchise or not, the risks are the same. It will need hard work, patience and a lot of persisitence. I think I can do that. But I'm not sure I can take the risk for now. Maybe a couple more years when my guts feel right.

In the meantime, I'll just patronize these places.

Blog Content and Topics

I've been reading a lot about how blogs should be written and made myself feel bad knowing that my blogs just talk about everything under the sun. Most documents I've read suggested that for a blog to be successful, it has to have a pattern, or basically a singular topic to evolved on. Like say for example if your blog talks about technology. Once you started on that kind of topic, your blog is supposed to be focused only on that.

I don't buy it though. I guess it does make sense though since having a singular topic will garner you to have a following. People will keep coming back for content from your site just because it helped them in one way or the other. But to look at the bigger picture on focusing on a singular topic or content, you are attracting a singular audience. Eventually your blog will become stale and you will have to keep refreshing with new materials.

If you have started talking about the sun, how long can you keep such a blog content fresh? Eventually, you will have to look for something else to talk about. And I guess i'm just trying to persuade myself that I'm going the right path by keeping my blog content diversified.

Now if only I can get readers to come in.

Woot!

So I was surfing the web one night trying to find some good deals on a certain electronic product and I chance upon this website that offers one single item each day for a really great price. And I mean really great price. The item they were currently displaying at that time was for a home entertainment system which was way below its current market price. And no, it wasn't refurbished either.

Granted that the products for sale will be on the site for only 24 hours starting at 12:00 midnight and ending at 11:59 pm, that particular item was already sold out. So I came back the next day to see what else is there. And the site just continues to amaze me. Everyday, I'm in there hoping to catch some gold.

I have yet to make my first purchase at this site. Looking at the feedback, everyone seems to be satisfied with their purchases. I think I'm joining the bandwagon sometime soon. As like other bargain sites in the web, one may find the same items somewhere else. So be wary.

Nothing beats budget disasters like impulse buying.

Wizard Magazine

I finally decided to subscribe to the Wizard Magazine. For most of you readers out there, you probably don't know what the magazine is all about. Well, let me tell you. It's a magazine about comic books. It talks about comic book releases, conventions, comic book character analysis, rumors pertaining to an on-going series as well as comic-to-movie, and most of all, comic book promos.

I was made aware of this magazine way back in the 90s though I have bought only 4 magazines since that time to the present. I finally decided that I should try subscribing for at least a year and if I don't like it, I can always cancel. So far, my first ever issue came in in yesterday's mail and I'm enjoying it.

This magazine actually started out as a newsletter for a small comic book shop created to basically just let the patrons know of comic book statuses. As time passed by, the writer added a few articles here and there as well as news and rumors in comicdom. Most of these news were taken from conventions all over the country.

Humble beginnings. People need to understand that big things come from small things.

August

I can't believe I've been blogging for 8 months now considering I have an attention span of a fruitfly. Knowing myself, I have abandoned hobbies in a much shorter time but this particular one somehow has kept me coming back. I guess it stems from the fact that I really love to write.

I write a lot of things utilizing different medias. I write on scratch pads, sketch pads, and sometimes on tissues, toilet paper and even on my palms. Most often than not, ideas come to me at weird times which would explain the use of uncommon media. I haven't written on walls yet and hopefully it wont come to that.

I'm a frustrated writer. I say that because I have a couple of short novels that I've been trying to write but could never get to more than the 15th page. The problem is always with the ideas swirling in my mind and on how to incorporate all of them. Maybe if writing is the only thing I'm doing, I'd be able to get at least one book done.

With blogging, I can always write what's on my mind and not worry about how long it would be. It doesn't even have to be a story. Just a rant.

Just like this one.