• Republic Act No. 9729
  Climate Change Act of the Philippines
  (tags: climatechange)

I thought that upgrading my Jaunty Jackalope box to Karmic Koala would give me the good karma in my computing life So here, I’m announcing to the world that I’m in the haste (being one of the early adopters) upgrading to Karmic Koala (Ubuntu version 9.10) Beta. While doing that, I’m backing up my data at the same time.

Upgrading to Karmic Koala

• Microsoft filing lists Canonical, Red Hat as PC Windows rivals – TechFlash
  Finally, an admittance. But Linux developers and advocates alike must not rest content with this development. The fight continues.
  (tags: microsoft linux)

Former President Cory Aquino’s (1933-2009) demise did rend my heart. It did because she hung right there in that node in my political development during the latter 80s. I was an “EDSA baby” as my fanboyism with Marcos then ended when my foray into activism began.

I had a neither-hate-nor-like appreciation of Tita Cory (that was our usual term of endearment for her). The right side of my mind says she did great for the nation for leading the way to freedom without bloodshed. But the left side kept haunting saying that she wasted the dearly-earned freedom by letting oppression prevail (my political officer even argued that the EDSA uprising was not the correct path to change). Ah, I do remember what the national-democratic movement impressed on us at that time: That the Aquino government became the precursor and agent of the CIA-sponsored Low Intensity Conflict (LIC) that caused a great number of human rights violations particularly in the countryside. (This was the mantra that continued to play on in my mind even during the days of my campus paper involvement in college.)

There were surely many criticisms at the Aquino regime that practically outshone raves it had enjoyed from all over the world. Because of my deep involvement in student activism then, I was conditioned to think of the Aquino regime as no better compared to its predecessor. My political officer, while leading a basic course in an ED (our term for education activity), told us that dialectical materialism, or the revolution, for that matter, did not allow for centrism to influence our view of the path to change. It was plainly black or white. Or red or yellow. If you’re for real change, go red. If not, you’re yellow. And if you’re yellow, you’re actually an enemy of change.

I really feel sorry that during those days, I lived apathetic to Tita Cory. At best, though, this was a great disposition despite the flurry of critiques hurled at her at her every utterance of ‘propaganda’ statements. Remember that “mura pa din ang galunggong” statement of hers? In no time did we lash back at her as soon as the price of galunggong went up.

I even had the political reason to join the movement against her, along with her family, because of the Hacienda Luisita case, which had lives lost and which remains untouched for land reform. But I remained apathetic. Perhaps, that noble contribution of Tita Cory (of being our leader for the so-called “EDSA revolution”) served to counterveil or offset my supposed hatred of her administration.

It’s really sad that I had to be frank about my view of her in the wake of her passing away. But I have to admit that while I wrote this post, my eyes turned teary, re-realizing (my own concocted word) the great deed she contributed to our nation, which vindicated the great Ninoy Aquino’s death and pleased our God of history and peace.

Indeed, no one can escape from the fact that despite the failings of her administration, Tita Cory wrote a page for world history and sits beside Gandhi and other greats pushing for peaceful revolutions. May she continue to reign in our hearts of hearts and bring forth newfound hopes for Filipinos for real change. Perhaps her demise says it all: Let’s start working together NOW.

• Bill Gates: “Our Most Potent Operating System Competitor is Linux”
  Bill Gates has been afraid of Linux since 2001, if one is to base that from his leaked memo.
  (tags: linux microsoft bill_gates)

• Iran protests meet the social Web: What we've learned – blogs.zdnet.com
  Article posits, which gives more raves to Twitter:
  a) Censorship is much harder than it used to be;
  b) Future revolutions will be broadcast;
  c) Perhaps social media is a way to stir unrest without getting your hands dirty;
  d) A new chapter in social media has opened. Institutions will increasingly use social media tools like Twitter to get their messages across.
  (tags: socialmedia)

I’m glad that another high school batch mate was ‘found’. She commented last week right to my blog entry about our high school batch (1980-84). She sounded way elated by finally finding a batch mate. “Sulatan nyo naman ako,” she seemed to beg, sounding like she’s lost in the wilderness of Sydney.

I’m referring to Irma Leonardo who’s now married to a man with lastname Manalang. Looking at her picture on Facebook, I realized that she looked like Liezl Martinez, daughter of showbiz couple Romeo Vazquez and Amalia Fuentes. She did not look so during our high school period. But, God, she matured into being a mom. That I expected. But her beauteous face remains, enough to bring me down the memory lane…

As if Irma’s being found was not enough, the giddy feeling of being in high school mode again was reinforced by the mini-mini reunion that took place last June 1. It was with Angie Navarro, a Canada-based mate who visited Manila for a vacation, Edward Morales, Noel Ulat, Jing Mercader, Jessica Belmonte, Boy Cruz, and Emman Medalla. We ate first in Lydia’s Lechon, Roces Ave. cor. Sct. Reyes St. Then we moved to Starbucks in Robinsons, Timog Ave.

Folks were vocal enough to express impatience on the grand reunion that is yet to be held this year. One even compared our batch to that of ‘77 which according to her had held theirs with significant attendance and fanfare. “Three years in the making, yet, no reunion,” one asked rhetorically.

“Kasi naman,” blurted one, looking at me. Of course, she said that half-jokingly (and half-seriously?). “Kawawa naman si Dong. Parang nasisisi dahil di matuluy-tuloy ang reunion,” she added. Well, it goes without saying.

Deep inside, I felt like I wanted to shout: “It’s not my fault because folks haven’t exerted enough efforts to help.” But I do recognize the role I’m playing and I would think that it’s really PARTLY my fault. My fault because I was not able to work out galvanizing at least the reunion organizing committee members. I’ve now come to realize that there’s a need to think out of the box and restrategize.

Nonetheless, thanks to the “pagpaparamdam” of several batchmates via our Yahoo e-group, I still have that giddy feeling of a Roxasian. Inspired am I to hold on.

As I write this, Twitter is acting up like a bunch of birds in a frenzied chirrup. Yes, it’s the title that you read, as well as the image in here that you see. Too many tweets, the complaint reads. It sure is a bandwidth problem. But I can’t imagine myself unable to tweet a thought that I’m raring to share with my friends. Or a tweet that I want to be timestamped to the “now” of an event that took place in my life.

Twitter is my documentation (history recording, if you may) tool just as it is my means of sharing ideas, joys and angst with my twitter friends. It’s also my tool to learn from them. So, please, God, don’t let Twitter to act up during my important moments. Bless the Twitter dev guyspeeps always.

• Pope 2.0: Vatican launches Facebook application – GMANews.tv
  Truly a way for the Christian faith to be relevant across generations. The project's lead aptly said that the church "invests in the culture of each period, using the best instruments available to communicate with people."
  (tags: faith socialmedia)

• ODF Alliance Tests Microsoft Office 2007 SP2 ODF Support – Finds Serious Shortcomings – Groklaw.net
  It's definitely a wolf-in-sheep's-clothing case. Microsoft and non-Microsoft fans beware.
  (tags: microsoft Standards)