Category Archives: Daily dose

Thirty-seven

Daily dose,

Today, I turn 37. Surprising that some still get surprised to know what my real age is. Just a week ago, at a company event, a direct report in his late twenties was gob-smacked to find out I was much older than he thought. All this time, he was thinking that we were of the same age.

Most of my age and older would beam at this complement but each time I do, I still get mixed feelings – flattered that most would look at me and think that I’m still quite young and somehow a bit held back as there has been a considerable part of my life where I was dismissed as being too young and inexperienced to take on certain challenges.

Just this morning, as I was going through the birthday greetings, I got another one exactly like this, saying that it seems that I am ageless. This brings to mind an interesting thought that has had a profound impact on my way of thinking: that immortality if it were possible, had one painful downside, you remain ageless while the world change and the people close to you pass on, leaving you alone.

This is why the song Iris by the Goo goo dolls has become my all-time favorite song:

And I’d give up forever to touch you
‘Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be
And I don’t want to go home right now

Going back to reality, I am both happy and dreadful to admit that time has indeed caught up to me. In the last couple of months, there have been many nights of worrying about my health and fearing the worse, not that I fear death itself but rather the thought of passing on without leaving something behind for my family, friends, and country.

On the other hand, that fear and worry have been somewhat positive as it has pushed me to make conscious choices about my lifestyle, and the things and causes I devote my time and energies to. Knowing that time is steadily running away from me has renewed the drive to do more and be more.

It may all sound a bit somber but I assure you that there’s a sense of purpose, happiness, and drive burning within me as I write this.

This is why I raise my glass to life, family, and friends and raise higher my fist to goals, dreams, and causes far larger than my own. Hopefully, starting today and until my last, I am able to make each one count.

#NeverAgain Bundle by Adarna House

Daily dose, , , , , ,

Back in May, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo red-tagged Filipino book publisher Adarna House when it offered to sell book bundles about the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr’s dictatorship, describing it in a Facebook post as part of a plan to “subtly radicalize” Filipino children to rise up against the government.

The outrageous and dangerous insinuation that Adarna House, a respected book publisher founded by no less than National Artist Virgilio Almario, has ties to the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing the New People’s Army.

Even acclaimed English author Neil Gaiman weighed in:

It cannot be stressed enough that red-tagging is dangerous and there have been activists that were murdered after being red-tagged.

More to the point, publishing books about important historical events especially in a format aimed at younger readers is not only noble work, it is essentially public service.

So to support Adarna House, I bought their #NeverAgain Bundle which consists of the following books:

  • “Ito ang Diktadura” (2017) by Equipo Plantel
  • “Edsa” (2013) by Russell Molina
  • “Isang Harding Papel” (2014) and “Si Jhun-Jhun, Noong Bago Ideklara ang Batas Militar” (2001) by Augie Rivera
  • “The Magic Arrow” (2021) by Bolet Banal

After a little over a month, the books finally arrived yesterday and the wait was worth it. My daughter finished reading all the books in one sitting and said she really enjoyed each one.

#NeverAgain
#NeverAgain Bundle by Adarna House

The #NeverAgain bundle and many other good titles are available over at Adarna House’s website so grab a copy if you can. I promise you will not regret it.

Disclaimer: This is not a paid post nor am I connected to Adarna House, Inc in any way.

We need a new and better Senate

Daily dose, , , , ,

The May 9 elections are clearly the most important election in a generation or even perhaps my lifetime. Next to the choice for President, my line up for the Senate is a big and strong rejection of traditional politicians and celebrities that have dominated the chamber for so long.

It is a call for new perspectives, ideas, and brands of public service that we desperately need.

These men and women of diverse backgrounds, experience, expertise, and advocacies will breathe new life into an institution that plays a vital role in our democracy.

Netizens reject Harry Roque’s nomination to ILC

Daily dose, , , , , , , ,

Together with other bloggers and social media influencers – Concerned Online Citizens collectively, we sent a letter to the members of the UN General Assembly urging them to reject the nomination of Harry Roque to the International Law Commission.

Below is the full text of the letter:

We’ve also put up an online petition so that other concerned citizens can join and express their opposition to this mockery of international law, human rights and an embarrassment to the Philippines.

We hope that you will join and sign up as well. It may be a simple gesture but it sends a powerful message across, that we Filipinos will stand not stand for this abhorrent idea of having a disgraced lawyer and enabler of Duterte.

Instead of being elevated to such an honorable position, Roque and Duterte should be made accountable.

Negative Airflow with RAKK Haliya-M Gaming Case

Daily dose, , , ,

After years of using laptops as my main work machine, I’ve decided to build a new desktop PC last December. It made a lot more sense because of the work from home setup and the fun part, being able to play PC games once more. The rig I built is not for competitive FPS games or live streaming although it’s more than capable of handling both. Those are not high up on my list – at the moment. Another distinct feature of this new rig is a switch to an AMD-based system, it runs on the Ryzen 5 3500, which surprised my friends for they have known me to be a long-time Intel user. Indeed, times have changed.

The large front grille of the Haliya-M is very stylish, it also allows for maximum airflow.

As there’s not much to flex about my rig, I’d just focus on the case. It’s the popular RAKK Haliya-M gaming case that I have been using since the start of January. A lot of folks have already made reviews about this amazing case so I’d focus on the things that I love most about it aside from its stylish design.

Fan configuration that addresses two concerns for me:

Cooling

White LED fans because I’m not so much into the whole RGB vibe
  • RAKK Haliya-M is designed for optimal airflow and there are various ways of getting good airflow thanks to the enormous front grill which can fit three 120mm fans or a 140mm radiator and on the top, two 120mm fans can be mounted.
  • The fan configuration that I have chosen allows for what is called ‘negative airflow‘ which means most of the fans are pulling air out of the case through the front and rear vents while cooler air is pulled in through the top vent thereby maximizing the two cool features of the case: the dust filter for the top vent and the large front grille that provides unrestricted air flow.
  • While some would say that this configuration would lead to more dust getting into the case and on to all the components because air is pulled in, it is mitigated by the magnetic dust filter on the top vent. An added layer of foam dust filter further helps in keeping the insides clean and lengthens the intervals for a thorough cleaning.
The Rakk Haliya-M comes with a magnetic dust filter for the top grille

Cable management

  • The Haliya-M was designed with cable management in mind. It has ample space behind the motherboard plate to run cables and even has support for zip ties and velcro straps to keep everything in place.
  • The cable slots come with rubber grommets that allow access to the motherboard while keeping the rest of the cables out of sight and in place.
  • I added Cooler Master Sleeved PSU extension cables to help with cable management and make the insides a lot tidier.

Overall, I’m happy with the build which would see me through to the next three or four years before a major parts upgrade or outright new system build. The Rakk Hailya-M case is available in most online stores for a very reasonable price.