Since you're here--

--it probably means you haven't heard that I've moved.

Over here is where it's at now.

Since you're here--

--it probably means you haven't heard that I've moved.

Over here is where it's at now.

...and I'm checking it twice.

One of the best things that I like about my job(s) is that I can finally get my family nice presents for Christmas. It might not sound like a big deal, but it is something of a feat. That's because I have a BIG family. @_@ Big. Like, with nieces and nephews and siblings-in-law and such.

This year, though, because my mother was away until last week and didn't have time to go shopping, we all agreed to postpone our traditional gift-giving until the 31st. Fine by me, because it means I didn't have to deal with the Christmas shopping rush, plus I can go buy presents during the vacation days. As it is, I'm enjoying making my list, but here's the thing. I want my gift for my mother to be special, so I've been planning on getting her flowers (in... plant form, not bouquet O_O). She loves flowers and I'm sure she'd be happy to have more around the house (and really, so would I). I'm pretty sold on this idea of mine except it presents the following problems:

1. I don't know my way around a plant shop. Case in point: I don't think they're even called plant shops. <_<; style="font-weight: bold;">2. I don't know how to pick specific flower... varieties.
3. LOGISTICS. Let's say I buy half a dozen plants at least. There is the matter of carrying them and transporting them back home. O_O I would expect that to be quite a challenge.
4. STORAGE. I live in a cramped house where every square meter is occupied by clutter or human beings or dog. It will be difficult finding somewhere to HIDE those plants so she doesn't find out about it until the big reveal.

Anyway, any help or suggestions for those things would be greatly appreciated. ... What's that? You want to GO WITH ME when I go flower-shopping? xDDD Ok no seriously if anyone wants to go with me, let me know and IM me ASAP. I'll buy you dinner. Dinner and a cream puff. Seriously.

By the way--FAIL. It sort of slipped my mind that the presents for people outside of my family were not to be postponed until 31st. T__T I haven't shopped for those, either. So to my friends and MotherTongue capo xDDD -- I shall hand thee thy gifts in January.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE. :3 ♥ ♥ ♥

On gunning them down, more often than usual.

So over the past few weeks (month?) I've sort of become a fixture at Time Crisis 3 in Timezone Trinoma. It's my new therapy game of preference, partly because the House of the Dead almost always has broken guns and I suck at that samurai sword game. (And I don't play Time Crisis 4 because I almost always die at the multi-screen... battle... whatdoyoucallit.) @_@ It's all fun except I might be developing an addiction, you know? Like there are those days... when I just HAVE to have a go at it. Like yesterday. And last Thursday. And... yeah. <_<;

Having said all this I have to admit that I still FAIL!!! T____T Can't even make it past Stage 2 (hey Stage 2, not Area 2).

So that, AND I've gotten hooked on Mafia Wars. Me and everyone else in the office. If you haven't heard about it, it's this strategy game on Facebook that's extremely easy to get hooked on. I guess it's kind of my replacement for Warbook xD except I was A LOT more hooked on Warbook back then.

The thing is, I'm sort of noticing a trend in my areas of interests.

...WHICH ISN'T TO SAY IT CONCERNS ME. X'D Ahahaha. I don't think I'll be switching to playing UFO Catcher anytime soon.

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As some of you guys may have heard by now, my mom came back from her vacation to Japan last Monday. She brought me two magazines filled with JE-boyband goodness (and she knows who Johnny Kitagawa is now, moohahaha xDDD), rice crackers (!), and a whole bunch of clothes from my sister. But special attention must be given to the two pairs of knee-high boots that my sister already sent me. xDDD After much consideration, I've decided that I LIKE THEM and I don't care if they are completely not appropriate for the climate, I am going to find a way to wear them. So hopefully it stays cold until February. xD

Pictures to follow. :D

Things to read, and stuff.

Friday was awesome. The company let us take half the day off for [company sponsored!] book shopping. We were given an allowance of 1,500 Php per employee/month, on the condition that we choose books that will help us with our writing. Sweet deal.

I'm not even halfway through my allowance yet. I only got this:

Nyaarrr. xDDD It's a parody book of the everyday written crap that we read (ads, missives, etc). It's hilarious. But wish me luck explaining the title when the big boss sees it. But hey, it's valid, I think I can get a lot of ideas from the books. Besides: 'The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shock-proof shit detector. " (Ernest Hemingway). Hah. xD

And on the subject of my writing, I wonder if I should be worried. My writing/creative process has been very... I don't know how to describe it, free-spirited(?) lately. xD It's a good thing company policy tolerates me going up to the office loft, and lying down to write. Sometimes even taking a nap. My concern is that I may be going a little too far with taking the path of least resistance? :P Ohoho.

x x x x x

Meg just got a DSLR. And while just a month ago, I was all like, "Meh, I won't get one until I really know how to take pictures", now my SLR lust has come to the forefront. @___@ I hope I can stave it off until January. December is not a good month for taking a vow of poverty.

Besides, my need for a new computer is a lot more pressing. I figure the old clunker only has a few months of survival left in it. So... it's a matter of need vs. want. Let's see how well the (hard-earned! I worked hard~) resources flow in toward the end of the year. xD

x x x x x

I didn't previously know there was an Advanced Photoshop magazine. I got one last Friday. It's pretty kickass, it even comes with a CD of brushes, shapes, and textures. And the tutorials are pretty wicked, I'll be glad to learn half of them.

Step away from the thesaurus.

HAHAHAHAHAHA.

So now there's a study supporting something that I've believed in for a while: that unnecessarily using big words and complicated language just makes you sound dumb.

The researcher, Daniel Oppenheimer, gathered a selection of writing samples--some written in normal, simple language, and others modified to use overly complex language and bigger words. Then these were handed to students to a group of evaluators. Guess what: the more complex and flowery the language of the sample, the less intelligent the students perceived its author to be.

It's not really that surprising when you think about it. It's true, having a large vocabulary can indicate that a person is knowledgeable. But the unnecessary use of big words and difficult language--which, let's face it, a lot of people do for the sake of sounding important or intelligent--can sacrifice fluency and clarity. Basically, it doesn't matter how impressive you think your two-dollar words are--if you cram them in it to the point that the language becomes unnatural and unclear, then you're doing it wrong. (“The chief virtue that language can have is clarity.” – Hippocrates)

There's a lot more to be said about being able to express complex ideas in simple language, not the other way around.

And personally, really, I think using big words to sound impressive is just lame. It always just sounds like you're really, really trying. xD

Here's a blog entry that briefly explains Oppenheimer's study (which is titled "Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity: Problems with Using Long Words Needlessly". LOL.); and here's the actual study in PDF.

Question? - My Way

Remember when I didn't have a stable job yet and I felt like crap and didn't know what I was gonna do next then I discovered Question's song "Head Banging Boogie" and the lyrics were exactly what I needed that time?

*breathe*

Yeah well they did it again. :D This time Yone wrote the song. Excerpts:

You can get the lyrics (Kanji, Romaji, English trans) here. But here, the parts that I really love:

kono yo wa fuan darake no sekai de
wakaranai koto demo wakari takumonai yo
oikake takumonai monow o
oikake saserareru no mo tsurai desho?
This world is a world full of anxiety
and the things I don't understand,
I don't even want to understand them.
Isn't it also painful how they can make you chase
after something that you don't even want to chase?

and this

nandaka warawareteru ki ga shiteru no
honto chiisana kono machi de mieru daro ?
Somehow I feel like I'm being laughed at
In this really small town. Doesn't it seem like that?

and this, my absolute favorite part

itsu datte jibun rashiku, yaritakute
yarubeki koto wo yaru dake dakara
Because whenever I'm myself, the things I want to do,
the things I should do, I just do them.

And, give it a listen:


[flail] I've said it before and I'll say it again. QUESTION? QUESTION? QUESTION? QUESTION? QUESTION? QUESTION? QUESTION? QUESTION? QUESTION? QUESTION? QUESTION? QUESTION? QUESTION? QUESTION? QUESTION? QUESTION? I LOVE THIS BAND SO MUCH. x3 ♥ YONEMUU~!!! [/flail]

I know there are gonna be people out there who can't get past the Engrish, but... bah, your loss. xD Haha. Anyway... I'm probably reposting this everywhere. I have a loooong recap post to write about everything that happened in November (spoiler: NOVEMBER WAS BAD), but I'll save that for later.