These Days

The past few months, I was on a roll with my reading.  I was getting through at least one book per week.  Unfortunately, that's not been the case lately because I’ve been very busy.  The last book I finished reading last week was The Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker. I’ve read a lot of financial freedom books and I initially thought this one would be a like the others in terms of topic (some are) but this stands out for me because it’s straightforward, has practical applications for each chapter and has affirmations that you can say and act out.  Yup, act out.  It might sound and seem corny initially but Eker vouches that it works and he has testimonials to support it. I am always for learning so I am looking to apply a few of Eker’s ideas.  Let’s see how it goes...

I needed to get an NBI Clearance and like all government-related tasks that I have to do, I checked online.  I found that there's an office in Imus which was good because I don't have to make the trip to Manila.  I posted a question in Facebook, if other people have tried it and what I should do.  The replies were disheartening.  They suggest that I should go before 6AM and be prepared to wait until lunch to receive the clearance.  :(  One said I could do it in the afternoon and get it in 30 minutes but we have another appointment so we decided to get it from Manila instead. We left the house around 8AM, but traffic in SLEX Alabang area was punishing!  We were stuck in the area for more than 40 minutes.  The rest of the way was slow-moving.  We were at NBI Taft around 11AM but were told that the clearance application is done in Carriedo.  But guess what, some of the guys in the counter called out to us and offered that it can be done r...

Richard and I registered at Comelec Dasmarinas yesterday.  We are now eligible to vote in next year’s election.  I’m happy. :)  I wasn’t able to vote in the last presidential elections because of a business trip.  I hope there will be no hindrances this time. The process is really simple: Present a valid ID. Validation of previous registration to receive the appropriate form.   New registrants are automatically given a form. Submit form for precinct assignment. Computerized fingerprinting, signature and photo capture. Although it looks pretty simple, it still took us around 1.5 hours to finish the whole process.   Step #2, validation, took a while because they had to write registrants’ details in a paper first, wait for the sheet to be filled up, take the sheet to the 2nd floor for validation.  They then shout out the names (no mic, no queue) to distribute the forms. Once the forms are accomplished and submitted, the address gets ...

Anne Rice is the prominent author of the popular vampire novels in the 90s.  I read a few of those books back in college and as far as I can remember, she was really gifted at creating places, people and storylines that are fantastic yet believable. Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt is a major departure from the theme and voice of the vampire novels but it nonetheless presents another reason why Anne Rice is an excellent writer.  I read her notes on the book and she explained how she came to write this book - from her Catholic upbringing, to leaving the church, and then going back to the faith.  She is an ardent researcher and pored through manuscripts, books, and scholarly works on the life of Jesus Christ.  Her basis for this story is really the New Testament. A bold decision that Anne Rice made is to write this story in the first voice, that is, that of Jesus.  It is fiction but for those of us who need more accessible material regarding first century, then this ...

The Millionaire Next Door made waves when it was published as the revolutionary book based on the lives of millionaires.  It is based on 20 years of research by Thomas Stanley and William Danko.  The concepts I remember most from this book are: UAW vs. PAW.  Or underaccumulators of wealth vs. prodigious accumulators of wealth.  It doesn't matter how much you earn, you can be a PAW relative to that income. The PAW formula for net worth: Multiply gross annual income by age and divide by 10. Wealth building, at least for most of the millionaires in the book, is a slow and long process. Your offense is the process of earning income.  Defense is being frugal.  Millionaires drive second-hand cars and don't necessarily live in expensive neighborhoods. Most people who look wealthy are probably not. One significant takeaway, for me, is how to raise kids such that they will be financially independent and secure about their own ability to...

This is another book which has been in my shelf, unread for years.  I bought this on the strength of the Oprah's Book Club logo on the cover.  Yeah, at one point I was reading a lot of the books recommended by Oprah.  The reason I finally got around to reading this is that I am trying to get rid of clutter, including books that I are not worth reading again.  And the only way to know is to read them! :) I felt depressed reading this story and was happy that the very last few pages ended on a hopeful note.  Why suffer through it?  Because I felt connected to the characters, Ellen Grier in particular, and want to know what circumstances influenced the people who were the bane of her existence.  This is not an easy, happy story at all.  But again, Ellen decided to take her life and that of her two kids in a different direction.  And you are free to create the positive ending that she deserves. Vinegar Hill is where James, Ellen husband, grew up....

Surprisingly easy to read, unlike how I remembered The Lord of the Rings the first time I picked it up.  By easy, I mean it doesn't require intense concentration and you can easily pick up where you left off.  A good thing because I was reading this in between game breaks of the US Open women's finals.  Amazon lists this in the 9-12 yo reading level so that explains it.:) The Hobbit is the prequel to The Lord of the Rings and is the story of Bilbo Baggins as he helps a troop of dwarves reclaim their treasure and territory from the dragon Smaug.  The object of their adventure is a long way from The Hill where Bilbo lives and on the way they encounter friendly beings and evil creatures alike.  I haven't read anything of this genre for a long time and so it was a refreshing change.  I enjoyed this book immensely.  Just the right appetizer for The Lord of the Rings, which I plan to read after I go through 2 other books I'm currently reading. Can an...

We took Neil to the doctor last Saturday for his vaccination and regular checkup. He's now 12kg, gained about a month! From his last checkup, we found out that he was consuming less milk than what's recommended (because that's all he drinks) we've tried to give him more. I say milk is the reason for the drastic weight gain. He's also more "malikot" these days and when he doesn't want to be carried, there's almost nothing you can do. He will contort his body in so many ways you're left with no choice but to acquiesce. He also doesn't like it when we hold his hand while walking (no HHWW for Neil!). He will pull his hands and will go his own way. He also likes stepping on unusual things. For example around the neighborhood, the striped speed bumps and on the lightly colored pavement. So amusing. :) When he's in an unfamiliar environment, he clings and cries when you put him down but just wait a few minutes and he's back ...

There is a blog post entitled 30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Their 30th Birthday .  The author also provides reasons for choosing the books. I love lists and measuring myself against them so I am reproducing it here.  The ones in bold are books I've read (23%).  I still have a lot to read, which is a good thing.  And what does it matter if I'm past 30?  I've gone through other good books that are not in this list.  Hey, probably I should make my own suggestions?  That's will be a project. :) Back to the list!   1. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse – Read in college. 2. 1984 by George Orwell 3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee  4. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess 5. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway 6. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 7. The Rights of Man by Tom Paine 8. The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau 9. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez 10. The Origin of Species by Charles Darw...

This is Harry's angry, growing pains period. He hasn't heard from his friends during the school break and is feeling dejected, he gets attacked by dementors and will be subjected to a disciplinary hearing that might result to his being expelled from Hogwart's . This sounded like a different Harry Potter book compared to the previous books and it took me a number of pages before I can get a reading rhythm going. But it is still good. For the synopsis, check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Order_of_the_Phoenix .

I zoomed through the Harry Potter books this month. I read Goblet right after Azkaban and again, it didn't disappoint. Props to JK Rowling for creating this imaginary world of wizards and magic, and for adding new twists in the tale of the boy who lived. For a complete synopsis, check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Goblet_of_Fire I discovered that the movie versions change the storylines quite a bit (e.g. using other characters), so if you want to get the whole story you have to read the book. :)

The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr I've had this book for years and it's just now that I chose to read it over the other literature on my shelf. I bought this because I really loved The Alienist also by Carr, which I read back in college. This is the sequel to The Alienist and has the same main characters. The Angel of Darkness is written from the pov of Stevie Taggert , a former troubled street kid who was eventually employed by Dr. Laszlo Kreizler , the alienist. The crime-solving team also includes the Isaacson brothers who were pioneers of forensic science (before fingerprinting and ballistics became accepted as evidence), the journalist John Moore, Sara Howard and the Cyrus Montrose . The book is set in 19 th century New York. The team was asked by the wife of a Spanish diplomat to investigate the kidnapping of her baby daughter. The team takes on the case and unknowingly stepped into a web of murders, delusions, deception and gang violence surrounding the antago...

10 years later. :) This book was published in 2009 and I just read it. Yup, 10 years after the fact. This book has been sitting in our shelf for a long time (Richard's) and I never got to it until recently. I've tended to shun anything that is too popular anyway, preferring to be ahead or in this case, behind. Hehe ... Anyway, I really enjoyed this book. It has all the elements for an engaging tale - hero, villain, mystery, twists, triumph. It deserves to be a bestseller. Even though it's targeted for the young adult, I still enjoyed it. For the record, 5 out of 5 stars. :) *I am now reading HP and The Goblet of Fire.

I finished reading this book just recently and it has lots of interesting new words and tips on how to improve one's vocabulary. Some days were devoted to Latin, Greek and other roots that can help in deciphering the meaning of English derivatives. Some days are focused on medical terms, restaurant terms, the arts, and other popular categories. It's helpful if you want to build your vocabulary. I enjoyed reading this book, but I do need to practice using the words to receive it full benefit. I hope this blog entry did not have a soporific effect on you...

“Life is difficult.” This is the famous first line of this book. That might discourage you to read the rest because it seems like a very bleak statement. This dismal start was probably the reason why I couldn ’t sustain this reading this book in several previous attempts. But I decided that this time, I will finish it. So I did. It’s all a matter of willpower. :) The Road Less Traveled is the road to spiritual growth. Few people take this road as they go through life because it’s painful. Painful because life maps are challenged, relationships are changed (sometimes severed), and it takes a lot of serious thinking or self-examination. The fuel that propels people towards spiritual growth is LOVE. Peck defines love as the “will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth. Major factors that deter from loving are fear and laziness. It really simplifies the choice: being loving or being lazy, being loving or being fearful. Love is...

From Roger Federer's post in FB: "I have some exciting news to share with you: Late last night, in Switzerland, Mirka and I became proud parents of twin girls! We named them Myla Rose and Charlene Riva and they are both healthy and along with their mother, they are doing great. This is the best day of our lives!"

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis I've wanted to read this book for the longest time. Finally, I was able to borrow a copy from Caloy. This is an axposition on what it means to be a Christian by C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia series. This book covers the basics of Christianity such as faith, charity, hope, pride and many others. What I really imbibed from my first reading is the concept of time and what it means to believe that you have already received what you are praying for. I struggled with this before but given theframework, it has become easier. :) There are more revelations or explanations from this book. It's definitely worthwhile to reread to have a deeper appreciation of the ideas.

Neil reached a major milestone last week. He's one and is now a toddler. We had his checkup last Friday. Current weight is still 10kg but he is now 31 inches tall. This is the first time that he stood on the adult weighing scale alone. He also followed the staff when led to the wall for his height measurement. We received a lot of habilin from his doctor for nutrition, discipline, learning, etc. This is definitely a new season for our family and I'm looking forward to new developmental milestones. He also had his first haircut last Saturday. I was sad and a little emotional seeing his baby hair fall to the floor. The original hair he was born with is no more. :( For me, it was also symbolic of how much he's grown and changed over the past year. We're thankful and blessed that he is growing well - healthy and happy. Thank you, Lord for Neil's first year and for continuing to bless our family abundantly.

- I did not enjoy reading this book. It felt like reading a textbook and had very few personal anecdotes from the ex-Intel president/CEO. - Writing is straightforward, but not revolutionary (like Gladwell) especially if work/used to work for Intel since the concepts won't be new anymore. Intel Outside might appreciate this more. - Still, some ideas are very practical and applicable to non-semicon areas. *Sorry if this is not a very helpful review. I'm just keeping tabs of the books I've read.

*I don't intend this to be a 'professional' review, just keeping track of the books I read this year. A story about obsession. Professor Van Tassel marries Etna Bliss, a woman he loves deeply but who doesn't love him back. She performs her duties as a wife and mother but keeps a big emotional part of her life apart from her husband. She rents a separate place without his knowledge. He finds out eventually, takes offense and frames and acquantance of hers for molesting his daughter. They go their separate ways but not without severe consequences. All he ever really wanted was for her to love him. It never happened.

What am I talking about? Matchy-matchy outfits. :) There have been several times when Richard, Neil and I would wear same-colored tops. I used to purposely avoid doing so but now I just think it's cute. Haha! We don't do it all the time but if the mood strikes, then go! This is us last Sunday. Di lang red tops, all in khaki shorts pa! So fun!

As children, we’re told not to talk to strangers. I would teach Neil the same thing. This is necessary so that kids are not lured by people who may have evil intentions. But even when we are older and are better able to protect ourselves, we still hold on to this mentality of avoiding talking to strangers (not counting short, random exchanges). So, when was the last time you got to know a complete stranger? Me? The other day. I shared a tricycle ride with a lady and she asked me how much the fare was. “P12.” Normally I would stop here and I would just ignore the person for the rest of the trip. But then I continued, “P24 pag mag-isa ka lang.” That started it. She said she was a broker at our subdivision and she just started working again after 2.5 years. Our initial conversation was about the house model, the village, etc. but then turned to more personal topics. The reason she stopped working was that she had to take care of her husband who suffered a stroke, but he died la...

I've known about this title for a long time but I never bothered to check it out until last Wednesday's book-browsing episode at Booksale. I read the blurb and found it interesting. I hoped it was as good inside because I didn't want to add to my unfinished book list. This book did not disappoint. It covers Iaccoca's early life as the son of immigrants, college education during the war, his professional life in the auto industry and his family. It's a pretty straightforward outline but the events in his life were far from straightforward. Lee Iacocca was president of Ford Motors in the 1970s. He had a successful career in sales and marketing, was 'father of the Mustang' and was instrumental in the development of several other vehicles. However, he clashed with Henry Ford II and was fired in 1978. Iacocca was then approached by troubled Chrysler which, at that time, was spiraling towards bankruptcy. He joined as president, and immediately instituted changes i...

Neil and I went for a stroll around the village yesterday afternoon. The sun was about to set and it was breezy too. It was a pleasant walk and Neil enjoyed seeing other kids playing, biking or rollerblading. We went as far as the guard house and passed by the pool on the way back. I decided that we should do this more often (what usually happens is that we just linger outside the house, rarely going beyond a two-block radius). So today we also ventured out but then it started drizzling so we had to run back to the house -- me running and pushing the stroller and Neil probably wondering why the world was moving so fast. :) We just stayed outside for a little while to watch the rain. Bukas ulit!

Malcolm Gladwell releases another Pampatalino book! That’s just my categorization for non-fiction books that are teeming with interesting information. His books are very well-written theses on social phenomena. Tipping Point was an exposition on epidemics and similar processes, i.e. how big changes are brought about. Blink was on how people seem to discern or know things in an instant (The Power of Thinking Without Thinking). For his third book Outliers, Gladwell focuses on extraordinary success (and failure) stories. Success stories abound and we inevitably hear about how intelligent, forward-thinking or ambitious successful people are. What not usually revealed are the extraordinary circumstances or opportunities that came their way. In two cases, the birth month or the birth year were significant advantages. But that is not all. Not only did successful people take advantage of the opportunities, they also invested hours and hours of effort before they really had it made. And in case...

Do you know Pushing Daisies ? It's a TV series that I've been following on 2nd Avenue. I saw the very first episode last year, and was instantly hooked. It's funny, quirky, colorful and refreshing. It's a romantic comedy, murder mystery, sometimes a musical. The visuals are almost cartoonish and there's always play on words. It's unlike anything I've seen on TV. The plot: Ned the piemaker and owner of The Pie Hole has the ability to bring dead people and things back to life with his touch, but a second touch will kill them for good. He can only keep them alive for one minute, otherwise the closest living person or thing has to die in its place. Interesting concept, no? Ned's ability was discovered by private detective Emerson Cod and they become partners in a crime-solving enterprise. Ned wakes up the dead for one minute, Emerson asks questions, they solve the murder and claim the reward. In oe of these expeditions, Ned came face-to-face with h...

Tennis blog! Photo from SI.com . The biggest upset of the year happened in the French Open last night. Robin Soderling of Sweden beat #1 Rafa Nadal in 4 sets. The final score: 6-2 6-7(2) 6-4 7-6(2). From the first set, Soderling was aggressive and executed some killer shots. At some point, Rafa looked like he was the less experienced player, being made to run around the court. It was unnerving, especially if you're used to seeing Rafa ahead and controlling the plays. I couldn't relax the whole time! Rafa lost the first set 6-2. Somebody finally broke Rafa's 31-set winning streak in Paris. Even then, I was only a little worried for Rafa. Surely he can elevate his game, no? :) He's mentally strong, he can get over this early loss quickly. It probably wouldn't affect the final outcome. But Soderling stuck to his guns. Second set came to a tie-break, which Rafa easily won, thanks to consecutive errors from Soderling. Oh, so maybe his nerves got the best of hi...

Our village finally elected a new set of officers. The election was last Sunday. We purposely took the time to register in the morning so that we can vote in the afternoon. Richard voted for our family (one house = 1 vote) but I was the more informed one who decided on the names. I attended the miting de avance last Friday while Richard was in Manila for his MBA class. This was the first ever community meeting/gathering/activity that I ever attended. The whole pavilion was filled with the village people – supporters and those like me who came to know the candidates and their platforms. It bears mentioning that this is not our village’s first attempt at electing a new Board of Directors this year. There have been elections but the results were questioned for validity and legality. Meetings have been called and I heard it really got ugly. People did not agree, to say the least. But we moved on and thus this last official election. It is easy to not care and just let the events p...

Neil turned 10 months old last Thursday! Two more to go before he leaves babyhood and becomes a toddler...*Big sigh* Current Stats: Weight: 22.5 lbs Height: 30 inches Teeth: 8 The skills he learned over the past month are: Standing for a few seconds without support. Handing over the object he's holding if you prompt him by saying "Give." I thought it was just a fluke initially but I tried moving my hand in different positions (left, right, up, down) and he does give me the object. :) Waving. Clapping. He eats a lot during the day now. His meal schedule is: milk at 6am, then solids and milk at 8am, 11am, 3pm and 6pm. He naps before the 8am meal and after the 11am meal. I think he gets around 2-3 hours total of daytime nap. And he's been sleeping through the night for the last three weeks or so. Yey! Neil's bedtime is 8pm and he wakes up before 6am. Actually we don't know exactly what time he wakes up because when Richard's alarm goes off at 6am, Ne...

Fudgee Barr. I'm not a fan of the spelling but this really tastes good, especially when frozen and paired with cold milk. :) Yummy! This tandem was my dessert for a few meals last week. It was so good I had to stop myself from consuming more than one at a time. This was my first time to buy Fudgee Barr.  I always see them in different flavors/varieties at the grocery and I finally decided to grab one last week. I like trying different food/snacks and this was a worthwhile experiment. Would I buy it again?  Probably, but not soon. That's just how I am. Although it was good, it's not really something that I would crave. And there are lots of other snacks to try! I should probably choose something that's healthier.

It has been more than 4 months since I was separated from Intel and became a full-time stay-at-home-mom. My life right now is a world of difference from the 7-to-4 workdays of the last 8+ years. I very rarely leave the house nowadays (just Saturdays for grocery shopping and church), but I guess I'm really a homebody at heart because I enjoy staying at home. So, how have I been spending my days? 1) Neil time/other baby-related stuff - making baby food, playing with Neil, walking around the neighborhood (though not lately because of the rain), giving him a bath, feeding, etc. 2) Computer time - for keeping in touch with family and friends (chat and webcam). I miss the face-to-face interactions and going online is the easiest means of keeping in touch. Computer time also includes job-hunting, writing/blogging, and the not-so-productive time spent surfing random stuff on the web. Guilty! I try to minimize it though. 3) Household management - budgeting, managing and keeping track ...

Education is one aspect of child rearing that really stresses parents out. In the Financial Planning class that I attended, the example given was a child's education expense. Considering current tuition increase rates, college education in Ateneo would cost around $2.4M in ~15 years. That amount needs to be planned for early to make sure there's enough when the time comes. Grade school and high school education are not even in the equation yet. And that's just the financial aspect. We also care about their safety, the influences in school, etcetera. I subscribe to Bo Sanchez's blog and at the end of each post, he promotes homeschooling. The pastors in church also mentioned that their kids are homeschooled. A few days ago, our friends mentioned that they are considering, or are pretty much set on homschooling their son. So that got me really interested. I clicked on the link from Bo and I must say that there are strong and compelling arguments for homeschooling. Below a...

I have been banned from carrying Neil, at least for the next five days. Doctor's order. Yesterday when I stooped down to get fresh bedsheets and pillows from the cabinet, I suddenly felt a jolt of pain in my lower back.  The striking pain immediately subsided but for the rest of the day, my back hurt whenever I rise up from sitting or lying position.  Still, it wasn't so bad and I did not have to take any pain medication. I actually felt better when I woke up this morning.  There was just very little pain when I shift positions.  Not as bad as yesterday though.  I did all my usual activities, including carrying Neil several times.  Then late in the morning when I stooped down to pick baby up from the crib, I felt the same painful jolt.  That was when I thought that this could be serious. We went to see the doctor to have my back checked.  He made me do a few exercises to determine where the pain was.  He suspects it's muscular strain and advised that I put hot compress on m...

Who does not know that Manny knocked out Hatton in the 2 nd round? It's the talk of the town, or at least in Facebook . I expect all angles of the match to be covered on local news for the next two weeks or so. Manny  deserves the attention because it was really a remarkable fight. Hatton was knocked down twice in the first round, and then again in the second round. That's it. Another warrior falls to the Pacman . ( LA Times photo ) Before the match, I was actually afraid for Manny. I thought he might lose this time, given that Hatton is also a tough fighter and was defeated only once in his professional career. But after the first knock down, there was no doubt that he'd win. It's just a matter of how long Hatton can withstand the clobbering. As it turned out, only up to 2:59 in the second round. Wooohooo , Manny! We were able to view the LIVE coverage on Dasma Cable Channel 36, courtesy of Congressman Pidi and Mayor Jenny Barzaga . They were smart to know what...

I watched QTube on QTV (2215H) last night specifically because they had a feature on Chico Garcia.  In case you don't know him, he's a radio DJ on RX93.1. Half of the Chico and Delamar Morning Rush tandem that's on every weekday mornings from 6-10AM.  I listen to them everyday, also read Chico's blog .  I guess I'm a fan. :)  So I had to fight my sleepiness just to catch this feature. The interview is not about him being a DJ, but about being a blogger.  He mentioned that he writes everyday, since 1996, to improve this skill. I want to be a better writer, too.  I know it's good practice to write everyday but I haven't been doing it.  Sometimes I just let my thoughts and ideas run through my head without committing them on paper.  And that's why they are often forgotten, unexplored, buried in the recesses of my mind.  Some days when I sit down and actually decide to write, my thoughts are directionless, drifting aimlessly that I just stop even before star...

Multiply website . Phone number: 092097BAWAI Address: Brgy Bukal, Silang, Cavite Driving Directions: Coming from Aguinaldo Highway, turn left at the Rotunda.  Drive along the National Road.  You should pass by Estancia Resort on the right side.  Then make a left when you see the Dominican House of Prayer (it's the road going to Santa Rosa).  On this road, you'll pass by Shim International School and Dona Leoncia Homes. About 2kms from the highway, turn right.  You should see Bawai's about 0.1km after the turn. It's the same direction going to Chateau Hestia so if  you see signs for CH, you can follow that, too. Check out these photos I took for menu and prices as of April 24, 2009 . Salads Noodle Dishes Seafood, Poultry and Meat

Bawai's Vietnamese Kitchen To celebrate our 4 th anniversary, Richard, Neil and I had lunch at Bawai's Vietnamese Kitchen. It's officially in Silang but we had to pass through Tagaytay to get there. As late as evening of the 23rd, we still haven't decided on the place. We just prefer Tagaytay because it's not too far, and it had to be a restaurant we haven't tried before. We also knew it had to be lunch because Richard has a class in the evening. So I scoured the net for places to eat and came across some features on Bawai's . I always look for positive reviews and this one did not fail. However, a site mentioned that reservations had to be made 2-3 days in advance. We still wanted to try our luck, decided to just call them on the day iteself because it was already late (and they might be tempted to say no just because we woke them up). :) We were glad that they were able to accommodate us because we didn't really have a plan B. It was...

We are celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary today!   Thank you Lord for continuing to bless us with provisions, good health, keeping us safe and for the gift of family and friends. 

Today is April 20, 2009. Today is the birth day of this new blog. I've decided to start blogging again because it was something I really enjoyed doing before. I started blogging in 2003 (darkblue.blog-city.com) but blog-city stopped the free service so I let them delete my account. I have friendster and multiply accounts, but the blog functionality there are really for my network and more private. I don't want to open that up to the general population as of now. And so, this blog. Thanks for dropping by!