Love reading forum threads!

Although I frequently go different forums online and read the threads there, I don't post replies that much there. I guess I just prefer reading other people's comments than sharing my own, especially at public sites such as these. I don't really know why I get shy around forums since I already keep a blog where I write anything I can think about. Haha.

Have you ever tried reading forum threads? It's fun to read the posters' reactions, whether you agree or disagree with whatever it is they're talking about. Sometimes, the posters even have heated discussions whenever they don't agree with what the other members are saying - sort of like in a debate. That's quite interesting, huh?

Don't take the commentaries there seriously, though. They're just fun for simple and carefree reading. Read them and move on. Remember, it's not wise to get into a fight with other forum members. Start forum hopping and posting, then!

Widgets!

I'm thinking of doing something with this blog's widgets. I might delete some of them - especially those that I don't really use to sort of free up some space in the blog's layout. What do you think? Does the blog look fine to you or do you think it needs some kind of makeover?

Another option is to install additional widgets might be of use to me. Some of the widgets I would like to see on this blog are:

1. A search box where visitors can search through my blog's content
2. A visitor information widget where I can see where my blog traffic comes from and how they got here
3. Latest tweets widget, that is when I decide to tweet regularly

Hmm, I don't know what else to put here. You know what that means, then - it's time to search net and look for more new and entertaining widgets!

Writing about writing

I like it when I read books where the author talks about writing. I don't mean talking about it in an explanatory way, more of they talk about it through the characters that they create. Sometimes, the lead character is a writer and as the story goes on, the reader gets to know how a writer's mind works.

I especially like these kinds of stories since it's like the author is trying to project his/her actual thoughts as a writer into the character. Of course, it still wouldn't hurt if I actually get to like the story. Even if the book talks about writing all the time, I still would not want to read it if it can't keep me interested in its story. Also, if it's a love story, then that would be even better! Haha.

There are several more things that I like when it comes to books. I'll share more of them in my next blog entries!

Things you like to splurge on

What do you splurge your hard-earned money on? I used to think I'd want to spend most of my money on books, but now, I've realized that I would be better off saving it before finally deciding on what to buy with it. Nevertheless, I know there are a lot of people who have favorite things that they can't resist buying. Now, what are yours? Here are some possible answers:

1. Clothes - Whether it be hip hop clothes or feminine dresses, clothes-aholics just can't resist it when they see a pretty new top/dress!

2. Shoes - Well, I think this would be an obvious answer since almost everyone I know seem to have a thing for shoes.

3. Gadgets - They're a bit on the expensive side, but I think buying gadgets is a pretty good investment as you'll get to use them for quite some time. Plus, they're a great source of entertainment!

4. Movies - Yeah, there are these so-called movie buffs who can't stand not to see the latest and best movies that are currently showing. I'm not one of them since I don't see a movie unless I'm really interested in its plot, but I know a lot of people who are movie buffs.

5. Books - They're very addictive, that's why. Book lovers walk in a bookstore and find themselves helpless against the pull of those engaging stories!

What's your pick, then?

John Mayer on repeat.

There are times when I want to listen to loud songs. Most often than not, these are times when I feel already sleepy when I need to stay awake to finish something important. Other times, I just want to listen to something familiar and songs that I really love. Then, there are times when I want to relax and listen to songs that are not that upbeat yet can still give you that much needed energy boost.

For the last one, I usually go with John Mayer's songs, more specifically, the songs from his Continuum album. Some of my favorites include "The Heart of Life", "Belief", and "Dreaming with a Broken Heart". Aside from these, I also like listening to the rest of the songs in the album. John Mayer's not one of my favorite singers, but I do enjoy listening to his songs from time to time.

Have you ever felt that way - like there are times when you don't want to listen to a particular type of song, but other times, you find yourself wanting to listen to them again and again?

New Facebook chat - love it or hate it?

I know it's kind of been a while already, but let me just say that I really am loving Google's new look! It's modern and sleek - it looks way too cool! That doesn't mean that I didn't like the Google's previous look, just that this one is even better.

Have you ever noticed that search engines and social networking sites continually do something to improve the layout of their site? I think it's a good move on the part of the web developers since it keeps the users from getting bored with the usual theme. Sure, giving them something new might not always sit well with them, but it keeps them guessing on what kinds of new features are yet to come.

However, have you seen Facebook's new chat feature? What do you think about it? Well, I can't say that I hate it, but I'm not that happy about it either. I don't know if it's because I got so used to how the old chat system works, but this new development seems a bit inconvenient to me. For example, I don't think the offline friends' names should be displayed when you open your chat window. I mean, for what purpose? You're there to chat with someone online, not those who are offline. It can even get confusing for some.

What about you? What are your thoughts about this new chat system?

Career thoughts

What's your dream job?

Mine is something that would let me do what I like doing. I need to be passionate about my work - passionate enough that I will keep liking what I'm doing despite the struggles that I may encounter along the way. I want to feel proud of what I'm doing. I want to feel like I have contributed something of significance to today's society. Do I sound a bit demanding, now? I could think of a lot of jobs that can satisfy all these; it just depends on your own personal preference and perception.

Of course, I wouldn't mind having a job that pays well, with all the other benefits like medicare supplement plans and bonuses. You have to feel that you're duly appreciated for what you're doing too, right?

Now, if you feel that you already have all those at your current job, then I'd say you're on the right path!

Harry Potter fever!

The fever is on again as the last movie of the Harry Potter series hit the theaters last Thursday. As expected, fans of the series immediately rushed to the cinemas to watch the movie within the first two days of its showing.

Well, of course you must know that I'm one of those fans. Haha. When it comes to HP movies, I don't really turn into a critic. I don't analyze every scene of the story. I don't make mental notes of how it went in the book and how I would have wanted it to be played out in the movie. Although, I have to say that the primary reason about this is I can't recall much of the details of what happened in the books - I have yet to re-read the books, that's why! What I can say is that I enjoyed seeing the film immensely, as I did with all the other Harry Potter movies. I guess that's what being a fan entails. Then again, maybe that's just me.

Yeah, it's sad to see the end of a great series, but I'm happy, nonetheless. The HP production team did a great job in reliving all the wonderful scenes that I imagined as I read through the pages of the books years ago.

Come on, everyone! See the movie now! If you're a fan, you're bound to love it!

Decluttering my desktop

My computer desktop (both at home and at the office) is so cluttered these days that sometimes it takes me a lot of time just to look for the file that I need to view. I'll soon get to organizing the icons and documents on my desktop, though, so I can sort out my files easier and faster.

Sometimes, I think I need a document management software just to arrange the files that I have saved on my local hard drive. You see, I have all these different kinds of documents that it can be a bit difficult to group them and arrange them by folders. Of course, I'll still try my best to do so since I can't have all these icons cluttering up my desktop. If I don't delete some of them soon, I'm pretty sure my desktop's going to be completely filled with icons in no time!

My files can be primarily divided into two major categories: those that are academic and non-academic. Academic files consist of those that I used back when I was a student. On the other hand, my non-academic files are the documents that I keep for fun and entertainment!

Alright then, I need to sort out the files that I need and those that I can now delete. Time to de-clutter my desktop!

Increasing your typing speed

When I was a child, I used to get so amazed at people who can type so fast without even needing to look at the keyboard to see the letters that they're pressing. Back then, I couldn't comprehend how they could do that. I never thought that I would be able to do it as well. But now, well, I can type as fast pretty effortlessly.

No, I don't mean to brag or anything. I still make typing errors/mistakes, but I'm happy nonetheless that I developed some typing skills from countless hours spent in front of my laptop typing up school reports, articles, and blog entries.

So if you want to increase your typing speed, then I just suggest that you spend more time in front of your computer and just practice typing. Better yet, chat with someone online! You can have fun and keep in touch with friends while enhancing your typing skills at the same time!

Spread the Honda love!

Over the years, Honda has become a trusted name when it comes to delivering trusted performance to our car/transportation needs. Now, with their sponsorship of several mini-documentaries and idents on Channel 4, consumers will surely get to know more about the brand and how it affects people's daily lives.

The Channel 4 documentaries will be featuring the stories of individuals who make use of their Honda products in unique ways. For example, there's Philippa, an Alpaca breeder who uses her Honda ATV to tend the animals on her farm. Can you imagine that? So, if you think that you have no other use for your Honda cars than just to help you get to the nearest mall or any other commercial establishment, then think again. There are actually a lot of ways on how you can make your Honda cars of good use. As for me, if I had my own Honda product, like Phillipa, I would also try to make use of it in a way that can help me make a living.

 

Viral video by ebuzzing

If you want to read more unique stories of how consumers use their own Honda products, then come and check out their online hub! Here you can see the other available documentaries about our other quirky Honda product users. If you have your own story to tell on how you use your Honda car in an unique way, feel free to post it at the 'Take part' section of the online hub. If your story gets selected by W+K, then it will get turned into its own mini-documentary and TV idents. Cool, huh?



What are you waiting for? Visit their online hub now to get to know more about these amazing Honda users!





Sponsored Post

Viral video by ebuzzing

Thoughts on writing

I've often toyed with the idea of becoming a freelance writer online. It seems like a lot of bloggers have already tried this and most of them sounds pretty much satisfied with it. The question is, do I have what it takes to write more professionally?

The thing with having a blog is that I can write whatever I want in any way that I want to. Whenever I have to submit articles for a school publication or such, I always fret about how the things that I write. Is my grammar good? Is my writing style okay? It's good to worry about these things, but not to the point that you lose the sense of having fun while writing. With blogging, I just randomly talk about the things that I like without fear of people getting all literary critic on me. Haha.

Also, I don't really have that much free time to be able to write several more articles, aside from my blog entries. Hmm, I might have to think more about before deciding whether or not to venture into this.

What are you saving up for?

When I was in grade school, our homeroom teacher used to discuss to us the difference between short term and long term goals. Short term goals are those that you can attain within a short period of time - it probably takes a year, at most. On the other hand, long term goals are a little more difficult to achieve as this will require a lot of patience and planning on your part.

Similarly, we can also apply the same idea when it comes to things that we save up for. Some of use save money to be able to buy something - like a new phone, laptop, or even clothes! For the long term goals, some of us are intent on purchasing the best and cheapest term life insurance, a house and lot, educational plans for our children, a new car and so on. Whatever you're saving up for is your own choice - it need not be something that's beneficial for you in the future. It could be just because you want a new pair of shoes to wear. After all, it is your money and you're entitled to spend it any way you want to. But of course, I think it'll be better if you don't focus all your savings on buying all these short term wants. Think of those long term goals too, no matter how grown-up it makes you sound like! :)

More info on blogging

Hi there! Are you new to blogging? Or do you want to try blogging but have little (or no) idea on how to start? Well then, I think I can help you. I've just recently started a new blog where I talk about everything that a newbie blogger has to know. I'm not saying that I know all there is to know in the blogging world, but I'll try my utmost to relay some very basic and vital information that every blogger must know.

I guess this will also serve as my way of giving back to the blogging community. With every blog entry, I hope I can encourage more and more readers to turn into bloggers themselves. Now, wouldn't that be awesome?

Alright, you can visit my new blog at Blogger, I Am. There are still just a few entries there, but maybe those posts can already tell you something more about blogging. See you there!

Book disappointments

What you want to happen in a particular story doesn't always happen. There are times that the plot goes in the complete opposite way of how you imagined it should be. That's what happened to a book I read just a few days ago. No, I won't tell you the title and author of the book (although I think I did tweet about it then - I couldn't hold back my sentiment!) since I hate giving out spoilers.

We can't really do anything about those disappointments when it comes to book series and authors that we have come to love. After all, it's only inevitable that they'll come up with a book that is less than their usual standard. You just have to accept the author's decision and not take it that hard. I'm sorry if I'm sounding too exaggerated right now, that's just how I get when it comes to books. Haha.

After reading books like these, all I wanna do is do something light and fun. I would read the latest gossips, look for jewelry fashion trends for moms, or even read another book! Of course, that next book that I'll pick up needs to be sweet and romantic! Yeah, anything for me to forget my disappointment over that last book.

Missing coffee

It's been ages since I last had my cup of coffee. Why?

1. I usually avoid drinking coffee in the morning before going to or during work because I'm afraid that it's going to give my stomach a funny feeling later on. Gross, I know! Haha.
2. During weekends, I'd rather have a cup of Milo (chocolate-flavored drink) than coffee. What can I say? I'm a Milo fan. :)
3. I'm saving up so I'm doing my best to stay away from Starbucks right now, no matter how much I love their coffee.

Which reminds me, I'm already halfway through my planner. You know what that means, right? The Startbucks 2012 planner is coming! I'll be having more than enough Starbucks coffee to fill my cravings. Of course, it wouldn't hurt if someone would help me to collect those stickers. Anyway, that's still months away - plenty of time to convince people to donate their stickers to me! :)

Ever played basketball?

Although I don't keep up with the latest basketball stats and news, I'm not that averse to watching the games either. In fact, I find watching basketball games fun and exciting. If you've ever seen a basketball game live, then I think you know what I mean. Hearing the fans cheer on their favorite team - that's something you really have to experience for yourself. Armed with a hotdog sandwich or your favorite fries and dip, you'd suddenly find yourself cheering on with them in no time.

Each game has its own highlights too, like when you see your favorite player making his signature dunk shot (of course, I'm talking about Enrico Villanueva here) or when someone scores a buzzer beater shot. Then again, there are also those down times when someone gets an injury (probably because they didn't wear any ankle supports for basketball) or when the referee makes a call that you think is unfair for your team. But that's part of the game, so there's nothing to do but accept it and move on.

Yeah, it does sound like an emotionally taxing game - that is, if you're that passionate when it comes to your team winning. Nevertheless, it never gets boring for me. And that is why the game will always hold a special place in my heart no matter how busy my life gets.

Now, I think I'm gonna go search for new basketball game schedules and see if there's a game for tonight!

Wii - do I need one?

I have always wanted to own a Wii game console. Who doesn't? Have you seen the wii black? Seriously, it looks so cool that I'm tempted to spend some of my hard-earned money on it.

Since the day I saw one at a department store, I became fascinated with how it worked. It's not like the the other gaming consoles that would involve you looking at the television while randomly pressing buttons on your joystick. Here, you actually get to stand and move your body for a bit. Besides, you can use it for your exercising too!

Sadly, I've never had a chance to try it out. Yes, you heard that right. Although I've long since wanted to own one, I don't even know how it works - which is kind of ironic if you think about it. It's just that I don't have a friend who owns one. Plus, whenever the time comes when I've decided that I want to buy one, I find myself wanting to save then spend my money on other things.

Now, who owns a Wii? If I know you personally, then you must let me try playing it! :)

Romance authors... and my obsession with them

Is it just me and the books I read or do every single romance author seem to have such a happy and romantic love life?

Seriously, every time I turn to the back cover of a romance book (to the part where the author is introduced), I always read something like... "(insert author's name here) is now happily married to her high school sweetheart and has three loving kids. Is this some sort of requirement for a romance author? Like, do they need to be happily married or else their publisher would refuse to sell their books or something? Or is it just that people who are blissfully in love and happy with their respective partners are the ones who have the ability to create such inspiring, romantic, and heartfelt stories?

Please don't take this post as me complaining about romance writers and how happy their love lives are. I'm not bitter or anything, okay? Sometimes, I just wonder about them since I'm a big fan of their books. :)

Managing blog entries

You must have noticed that most of the time, I usually blog during Fridays and the weekends. However, to ensure that I'm not neglecting this blog and that I'll still be able to regularly update it, I've decided to do scheduled posts. Like this one.

Yes, this is a scheduled post. It's actually the first time that I'll be doing this so I hope it works. :) I'm really glad for this blogging feature, though, as it allows me to:

1. Post new content on days that I would've been to busy to blog. Yes, although I still regularly post new entries, it would be better if I can update it more frequently!

2. Translate random thoughts into an actual entry. Most of the time, I'd get all these ideas, wouldn't be able to blog about them, then forgot about them after a few days. This way, I can make something out of those ideas!

3. Get more readers, hopefully! An active blog always attracts more readers, right?

Writing blues

I find that I write best when I feel strong emotions, like when I'm really happy or really mad about something. Words seem to pour out of me much easier during times like that. I guess that's just normal since we all want to express how we're feeling and not bottle it up and make ourselves feel worse.

However, whenever those times come, I restrain myself from writing something that can be easily read by others - both people I know and do not know. It's much more convenient for me to tell them personally to someone I know than to let others read it, although I might consider blogging about it on an anonymous blog. :)

Then again, there are still times when I don't have to feel anything extraordinary just to be able to write something. Like this entry, for instance, where I just randomly talk about anything that comes to my mind.

Now, this is why I love to blog. :)