throwback

as time goes on, the more convinced i get about being born in the wrong era. or at very least, perhaps i’m a throwback from a bygone timeframe that has long since lost its relevance. (translation: that’s how depressed i feel these days.)

i stumbled into this conclusion the other day when i realized that most of the things that really interest me are either things that dwell too much in the past or topics that have some sort of ‘history’ attached to them.

take, for instance, my inordinate fondness for fantasy books. well, of course, i do like science fiction too, but if i were to choose which of them appeals to me more — it would be the Fantasy genre hands down. (i’m a fan of JRR Tolkien, Tracy Hickman & Margaret Weis, Susannah Clarke, Neil Gaiman, Piers Anthony, etc.). somebody once equated Science Fiction = Future, Fantasy = Past (because of its heavy use of medieval settings), which should give you a clue about what i’m driving at.

another sign would be my fascination for well-preserved historical buildings (although this could be mostly due to my course) and landmarks. and then there’s my general fondness for history itself (well, certain parts of world history, anyway) and several historical figures.

the more i see about the current situation, the more pessimistic i get. it’s like the whole world has passed me by, going through changes that have somehow left me isolated and curiously detached. sometimes i get the feeling that i’m stuck in a time warp or something.

or — as an irreverent friend had suggested — it could just be a form of arrested development. perhaps after hitting a certain age, i had suddenly stopped growing and instead of going forward, i kept yearning for the past. sheesh. now, that’s depressing.

the art of "texting"

to say that texting (sending and receiving text messages by electronic means) has become a national hobby is almost an understatement because it has steadily insinuated itself as part of our daily routine that we can no longer classify it as a mere hobby.

of course it goes without saying that as time goes on, people (esp. cell phone owners) who use it have become more sophisticated and have managed to tailor this tool to suit their own style, the most obvious of which is the way texters have raised the art of ‘texting‘ into a distinctive “language,” with its own peculiar set of rules, syntax and construction.

it’s as if this predetermined length (160 characters) of a single text message has forced us to become more wily and creative — if that’s a rule, then there must be a way to get around it. it wasn’t just about the cost, mind you. beating that unofficial “standard” without necessarily leaving anything important out of the message was a challenge like no other. and so the art of texting flowered.

throw spelling, grammar and language conventions out of the window. feeling too weary to type out the whole word? (oh yes, we all know how exhausting texting can be) never fear. you can always lop off a few letters here and there — as long as the word sounds remotely the same, it’s probably okay. who cares about spelling if the recipient knows exactly what you mean anyway (well, except maybe when the receiver happens to be your English teacher).

if you’re pressed for space and time, you can always do any of the following:
1. use numbers as a convenient “filler” = l8r, 2nyt, gr8, knock2
2. lose some vowels = dvlopmnt, mngr
3. lose a few verbs = hu u? (this one used to drive me nuts for its seemingly unrepentant disregard for everything, including sense)
4. use time-honored abbreviations = btw, imho, lol!
5. or, if you can’t think of anything to emphasize your point, throw in some ’smileys’ = , ,
6. i’m sure you can think of something else

this, of course, reminds me of a poem that i stumbled into when i was in high school. back then, nobody could have imagined that ‘texting’ would thoroughly infiltrate our lives. at the time, i marveled at the author’s cleverness and even memorized few lines in it (i was at an impressionable stage you see).

2  Y’s  U  R
2  Y’s  U  B
I  C  U  R
2  Y’s  4  me

artists’ haven

among the most fascinating figures you’ll ever hear or read about are artists. some of the most successful ones include picasso, michaelangelo, van gogh and da vinci — whose colorful lives and enduring art have continued to fascinate historians and art lovers long after they have died.

but for every successful artist who makes it big, there are hundreds of struggling, under-appreciated and undiscovered talents who toil on for years while the unsuspecting public remains oblivious to their work. some of the lucky ones will find fame and recognition during their lifetimes; others are “discovered” shortly before or after they have passed away. and there are a few who have already passed away and must still wait for decades or perhaps even longer to receive their due.

i shudder to think about the “undiscovered” ones — who knows how many stupendous works of art remain hidden in some attic, rotting away because nobody else has even seen or appreciated them for what they really are?

good thing there are sites like theartprojectonline, which is basically in the buy and sell art business. artists who wish to show their output to the world at large can sell their art pieces there (for a minimal fee). the site also promotes these artists by submitting their names in major search engines. in a way this gives artists a larger arena to show their work, making them less dependent on exhibitions and shows (which are basically local in scope). i suppose this is a less stressful way of showing your work — which is like baring a piece of your soul — because it eliminates the hassle of arranging a show and having to worry about how viewers and critics would react to your work (less personal).

new iPod nano

here’s a peek at Apple’s latest iPod nano models which will be officially unveiled tomorrow.

these 4G gadgets have been slated for a splashy introduction via a press event known as “Let’s Rock” at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (San Francisco, CA). the event is supposed to happen on Tuesday (Sept. 9), but it looks a few enterprising souls have already stolen a march on Apple’s marketing and PR gurus.

i.ph @ wordcamp 2008

i just got off from attending WordCamp 2008  over @ St. Benilde’s in Taft.

this daylong affair was more or less what i had expected. the main highlight of the event of course was the presence of matt mullenweg (the guy they call “mr. wordpress“), who spoke and answered questions about — you guessed it – Wordpress. matt w. looks great (he looks younger than i had expected) and has a soothing voice to match.

now, i knew beforehand that i.Ph was one of the major sponsors of WordCamp 2008, but i was kind of surprised to see i.Ph CEO jed disini there. he spoke at length about i.Ph’s current status and its upcoming activities. he outlined the following:

• i.Ph will start selling domains @ $7.00/year (i‘m not sure if got that number right) starting in 2009
• new blog features like offline blogging and a new function that allows bloggers to insert excerpts (from another source) in their posts
• pictures of the i.Ph office (hmmm… nice quarters by the way — neat, roomy and well-ventilated work areas) and its staff.

other resource speakers and sponsors also talked about their respective topics. a number of prizes were given away, but i didn’t win a thing (bummer!). still, i was able to walk away from this event with a some freebies. i opted out of the party afterwards because i was too sleepy for it anyway.