racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

So alcohol did not work in kicking up my creativity level (though I was able to conceptualize a handful of stuff–if only I already had that cool Moleskine notebook a gracious reader promised to send over, I would’ve had somewhere to write them down aside from good ol’ notepad.exe). The good stuff messes you up well, and makes you take on fresh perspectives on othetwise mundane things. From this point, it’s all about keeping the flow, and being able to put into writing all those ideas inspite of the Kaliedoscopic state of events in your head.

It’s a Friday and people are out partying and celebrating the end of the work week. Good for them. It’s great for people to get well-deserved treats or rest after slaving hours off as corporate drones for people who probably don’t give an effing damn about their welfare. Whoops, sorry for the rant. I just feel so thankful I’m no longer part of that system (the corporate world, durr!)–at least not now, while I’m in this profession called blogging (and as well a host of other online stuff I’m involved in, I’ve started or would like to start, like that isulong seoph contest I probably won’t win but have entered anyway). No parties for me, though (birthday parties are for kids).

On being part of the system, why don’t we all give our kudos to Jolo, a.k.a. Avlack, a.k.a. the person who created the bad-ass original theme for The J Spotter, our resident designer, TXP lover and advocate of strict XHTML compliance. He recently, well, xacked up with Xackup, the latest Philippine-based startup promising to put out cool software and Web apps in the near future. That kid’s living the life! It’s like the local version of Silicon Valley or something. Free foodies, free massages, free corporate housing, take-home laptop, no time-in/time-out requirements, regular drinking sessions, stock options. The works!

With Jolo on board, I have no doubt Xackup will be looking good when the time comes for it to, umm, Alpha-release its products (release early, release often as my favorite open-source adage goes). Got to work with Jolo for a while (and we’re part of some blogging projects, too), and I can say he’s one cool dude. I do hope his Valley environs don’t make his head swell too much. Heheh.

Hey, Jolo, that sure is a world of difference you’re experiencing there compared to before, eh? Same here.

So where was I? Oh yeah I wrote on the title field “Friday Blues” because I couldn’t really think of any more appropriate title to describe what this Friday is. It’s probably the birthday nearing–existential meanderings again, or because I’ve a lot of things in my mind I’d like to do or achieve sometime soon. Chris P. would probably kick me in the head for typing in my headline first, but that’s how things are (okay, I’ll try to vary my workflow sometime for a change).

If you guys plan to greet me on my birthday, think first whether you’d more or less been a good person to me the rest of the year. If so, then greetings are very much welcome. If you’d been an arse the rest of the 364 days (365 on leap years–an extra day to be an arse), well then what else can I say? Take your greetings elsewhere, you hypocrite.

This being a Friday, it’s probably good to leave you with links to other interesting stuff. I’ll still be writing over the weekend, though, mostly on my BloggyNetwork blogs and probaly here also.

* Janette has published episode 5 of her Digital Filipino Podcast.
* Taorist welcomes Robyn into the world (I can never get enough of being a dad).
* Chris P. writes on why Deal or No Deal contestants should learn math and statistics.
* Here are some Grammar lessons from ZDNet UK.
* I wrote some tips on bMonitors on how to keep sane and healthy while computing.

If this post turns out to be as serendipitous as the last “blues” roundup, then that would be awesome!

(Things do tend to turn out differently than you hope or originally intend. It’s sometimes fun, and sometimes downright annoying to watch how things go in the end–that depends on the turnout.)

Okay, I’m trying it out now, just to prove a point I’d been considering for some time now. Also, it’s been one of my favorite Instant Messenger status indicators for a while now, among some other interesting ones. Bundle in the Gaim “Idle-maker” plugin, which makes you appear idle or away from the keyboard, when you’re really working away (or playing) at your computer, and that would make for good fun! Here are the usual suspects:

* Busy. Very. – Great for telling people you’d really really rather not be bothered unless it’s something important (like an asteroid’s about to land on the Pacific, and it would be TEOTWAWKI).
* I’m probably online, but just pretending to be “idle.” But then again, I might be busy. – This is great in combination with Idle-maker. I’m probably actually busy, anyway.
* I’m probably hiding. From you! – Ah yes, the good ol’ alternative to “Invisible” mode, especially when there is no “Invisible” mode, such as on Google Talk.
* “Invisible” or “Invincible” on Google Talk. – Only the smart ones notice you’re not really invisible at all. And Invincible? Probably true, this age we’re in (until we lose the innocence of youth and realize that we all do die sometime).

Hey, with the birthday nearing, isn’t this a great time for existential meanderings. Alcohol surely helps in that area. I just hope I don’t take in too much. Otherwise, I’d probably get the ultimate reaction/response to the greatest existential question.

If my IM status says “I’m dead,” I’m probably not.

There, now that I’ve probably been loading enough alcohol into my bloodstream to get the good ol’ creative juices kicking in, it’s probably time to put an end to this nonsense and start with some real work. Ah, so many things to write, so little time.

Do check out the campaign site of a certain Eric J. Gunderson from Montana, who’s running for a seat in the US House of Representatives this year. <satire mode>I commend whoever developed and designed Mr. Gunerson’s site for the great concept and design</satire mode>. Remember, folks, this is 2006 we’re talking about here. According to the DIGG link, it’s the awesomest campaign site, ever!

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you YOUR next congressman from Montana. All done with CSS positioning — but with vintage mid-90′s flavor and an authentic myspace aftertaste. Take note of the wicked LP-rip that loops on the homepage. I hope he wins!

Here’s a screencap:

It’s the 1990′s all over again. Heh!

I remember my old homepages (here and here, and old J Spot writeup here).

And who could forget my sister’s old homepage and high school class homepage?

Warning: looping MIDI alert!

Ah, the good old days!