It’s funny how compliments and criticisms go. Everyone loves the former, and can’t accept the latter. But isn’t a rare criticism actually better than a rare compliment? Think about it. When it is rare, it’s not the norm. A bad thing that is not the norm is better than a good thing that is not the norm, isn’t it?
Happy New Year!
It’s about time I review my past year’s resolution. And it doesn’t look good:
- Reach French level B1 by the end of year. This means I actually have to study!
- Read more books. Specifically literary classics but maybe I’ll throw in a contemporary book. Maybe also one in French.
- Take cooking or dance classes.
- Take advanced photography classes.
- Watch F1 in Singapore on September 26 to 28. Shanghai would probably be nice but I heard it will be way crowded. Singapore will hopefully be less so. Besides, I like F1 more than most Olympic sports.
- Go on a road trip. Maybe Pagudpud. You’ll probably be driving more than you actually staying there but in this is a road trip. It is really about the journey! Question is who shares this philosophy? :))
- Go surfing in Zambales or La Union.
- Go hiking and camping in one trip.
- Resume wargaming whether via paintball or airsoft.
- Be less patient with people. You read that right :D
Two out of ten?!? That sucks! Oh well. I guess I’ll keep the same plans for this year.
We’re Being Screwed
I don’t know but lately I’ve been finding things to be pretty expensive here. Take for example a Nalgene bottle. It is priced online at $5.95 or P250 at the current supposed exchange rate of P42:$1. But it is priced at up to P900 or an effective rate of P151:$1!!! Another example, an Oakley Square Wire. It is priced online at $150 or P6,300. But here it is priced at P9,900 or an effective rate of P66:$1. Finally, there’s the soon to be released Asus EEE PC 900. According to Yugatech, It will be priced in the US at $549 or P23,058. But it will actually be priced at P33,900 here or an effective rate of P61.75:$1. Hardware, software, books, medicine, even hair gel… the story is the same. Whether due to bloated profit margins, VAT, tariffs, or whatever, it seems were we’re being screwed by both greedy capitalists and, worse, the government.
Rice Shortage
Last week, I saw pictures of armed soldiers guarding rice distribution trucks. It reminded me of the intro scene of Blackhawk Down (now that is one hell of a movie) where Somalians who were fighting over food were shot down by the guards. Less the rioting and shooting part, of course. Who would have thought something like that would happen here? And yet it has.
The rice shortage has been attributed to hoarders, poor harvests, population growth, price(?!?) etc. Who now knows what the real reason really is? And it’s not just here that it’s happening. There is also a shortage of food in other places, even leading to food riots in Haiti and Egypt. Experts are even predicting possible war :o
For our part, I suppose we can help by reducing our rice consumption (could even be healthy). Perhaps, only perhaps, the lessening of demand would lead to a lesser price increase and thus allow the less able to still acquire this staple food. Of course longer term solution is becoming improvements in rice production whether here or from where we import from. But that’s later. We’re here right now.
Tech Support Blues
Jem made a posting that somehow reminded me of tech support, the most frustrating part of what I do (okay, maybe next to having to dealing with irrational people… or rather person). Users can sometimes be so passive. Sometimes all they had to do is stop and think just a little bit before calling and they could have solved the problem on their own (like loosely plugged or even unplugged computers). Or perhaps listen to (and understand) what they are told and you wouldn’t need to actually go and fix for them (like how to connect to network shares). I would call them stupid but I’m nice, so I won’t. Or did I just? >:)