I would like to share a picture of what my current mousepad looks like:

Darling, isn’t it?

I actually bought two of this particular design from the Philippines back in 2006, and they have both traveled all the way to Oman with me.

The poem below was written by yours truly for the child of a co-worker back in 2006. I found a copy lying around in my hard drive.

The instruction for the kid’s Math project was to write a five-stanza poem on scientific notation, place value, arithmetic mean and order of operation.

Herculean, but never impossible. Go me, I say!

Math is the Word

Simplification is the word
As scientific notations are used to denote
Those large and small sums
Too many zeroes are reduced
To exponential expressions
Making, for all, easier computations

Uniformity is the word
As place value notations are used to denote
Amounts related to the base
    Or radix, if you will
Symbols are used to identify positions
Each of their values
Multiplied by the power of the base

Averaging is the word
As arithmetic means are used to denote
The quotient of all given values
All amounts are added then divided
    Depending how many addends there are
The result of dividend over divisor
Commonly, “Average” is the name we call it

Universality is the word
As precedence rules are used
For the order in which operations in expressions are evaluated
These notational conventions apply
To many programming languages and calculators
As we keep moving toward technological modernization

These are not mere numerical theories
But are practical ways and means of organizing figures
Giving a semblance of order to the complexity
Of numbers and calculations and results
That define aspects of the world we live in
For all these, Math is the word

I was browsing through random web logs earlier when I read from one of them about a particularly “sassy” 404 error page. Gifted with insatiable curiousity, I, naturalmente, went ahead and had a look at the much-esteemed page myself.

Click the link that follows and find out for yourself: The page cannot be fucking displayed.

Especially recommended for those who are not very fond of the mega-empire Microsoft.

I would like to share a video that was forwarded by my dear friend Genefel.

These are highlights of the legendary participation of father-and-son tandem Dick and Rick Hoyt at the Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Hawaii. Select footage has been edited to the very heartwarming, inspiring tune of My Redeemer Lives.

Team Hoyt, as the pair is more commonly known, is from Massachusetts. They have competed together in marathons, triathlons, and other such sports. Dick is a retired military man. Rick, his son, was born in 1962 with cerebral palsy.

During competitions, Dick pulls Rick in a special boat as they swim, carries him in a special seat up front as they bike, and pushes him in a special wheelchair as they run. The video shows all these in touching detail.

Wikipedia gives us an excellent background on this unconventional sports team. CNN.com also has a story on their incredible journey through life.

When asked what one thing Rick wished he could give his father, his reply was: “The thing I’d most like is that my dad would sit in the chair and I would push him once.”

Pass the tissues, mates.

This is the first post I am making on this blog using my spanking-new E156G USB modem.

Yes, folks, after the long and tedious wait, I was finally able to procure a wireless broadband connection device for my trusty Philippine-made laptop. In true budget-friendly fashion, I am on a prepaid internet package. No eye-watering bills at the end of the month!

An hour or so ago, I spoke with my mother on the phone, so yours truly can do a bit of catching up on the home front. Apparently, she is busy making last-minute preparations for this year’s big Labor Day event.

For the long weekend that kicks off today, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has partnered with hundreds of employers from various industries all over the country to put together JOBapalooza 2009. This is arguably the biggest jobs fair in recent Philippine history, taking place simultaneously in dozens of shopping malls and convention centers nationwide.

From what I gathered on the news, there are more than 200,000 jobs for the taking. There will be work available in call centers, construction sites, factories and mall stores, among many others. Employers will meet potential employees face-to-face through kiosks and desks set up in the jobs fair venues.

I am going to be Little Miss Sunshine this time around and wish all job-seekers in JOBapalooza 2009 the very best of luck!