dead keys society

Smile

2009-07-09T00:00:00.005-05:00

I was feeling a bit depressed today. I dragged myself through the day and thought I could never make it through. But I did and it’s amazing when I recall someone telling me that feeling anxious and being at your lowest point doesn’t kill you. It’s how you react to those emotions that might.

And I thank that person. Gives me hope to think that I made it through one more day and another one is fast coming. Hopefully it would be a lot better. No, I wish it would be a lot better. I hate having have to feel this way and I try my hardest to come out of it but it’s just one of those roller coaster emotions. One time you’ll be okay, the next you’d be feeling like you’re in the dumps.

I visited a website I stumbled upon a couple of nights ago. Beliefnet.com. It has a lot of things that could help anyone having questions on life, faith, health and other things. What drew me was that there was a link to “uplifting quotes for a depressed heart”. Since I’m already down there, I clicked on the link and read through it emotionless until I came upon this passage: “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. – by Thich Nhat Hanh”.

Reading that line brought a smile to my face. The first one I had today and brought a tear or two to my eyes. The quote hit a nerve in me and somehow I felt like I knew it would be okay somehow. Not now, maybe not tomorrow, but I know it will be okay.

So for now, I’ll smile though my heart is aching.

Wish Life Is Like A Ball...

2009-06-27T23:58:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile since I updated this blog. Too long really. Since then, there has been a lot of changes that passed though my life's path. I wish it were all good but then again, a little hurt will make you appreciate life more. Or does it make you feel that life really sucks. I can't really figure out the distinction. But the bottom line is that I wish it was more good.

Fast forward to where I'm at today. I'm still here and trying to hold up my side of the bargain which is living God's gift of life and not descending to hell by giving up on the gift. It's not easy but that's just how life is. Everything looks so easy until you get tested first before the lesson is given. That's how funny experience is. Test first before lesson. Do I sound bitter? I hope not.

I used to be sure of the things I do. I think things carefully and make a decision on how to approach it. Nowadays, I second guess myself. I wish I don't have to but I do. I just do and this is in everything that I do. Except when I play soccer. It's like when I'm in the field, nothing else matters. It's just me and the ball.

Don't get me wrong, I don't consider myself a good soccer player but I can hang in the field with anyone. Even if I have to crawl just to be in the field. But during this time when life seems to be uncertain around me, I seem to project a positive image to myself when I'm in the field. What used to be me playing defensively, now adjusts offensively and do a lot of damage to the other team. I'm not saying I'm the only one scoring but am actually calling the plays to make the goals. In the field, it's just me and the ball. I wish it was just like that off the field.

But I have to be off the field sometime. And that's when life starts all over again.

Office Christmas Party

2007-12-18T21:17:00.000-06:00

We had our office Christmas party held last December 14 and I think our HR did a great job with organizing the whole thing. In my years of working for the company, it has been different every time. Last year, it was a show type environment wherein there was Elvis impersonator entertaining us with his rendition of Elvis songs while we were eating lunch from the buffet. Afterwards, there was a hypnotist that did a splendid show of "mind-controlling" a bunch of my colleagues. That was fun.

This year, the theme was Candy Land. HR transformed the office lobby into a candy decorated venue. They said it took about 4000 pieces of edible chocolates and candies to do so on top of the candied apples stren all over the place. Now, that's too much sugar for me. But it was nice. There was no entertainment around but lunch was also good. They had set up the lunch to be in a family type environment wherein everything was on your own table shared with 7 other colleagues.

After lunch, everyone went to the lobby to enjoy the sweets. I only got one piece of chocolate and that was it for me. I guess seeing all those sweet things out there just made me feel full. I wanted to indulge some more but the little man on my shoulder cautioned against it.

We have our own team Christmas Party coming up but that's another tale to tell.

And Again....

2007-12-14T23:02:00.000-06:00

It happened again. The same people that caused the issues to our database environment for the last couple of months did the same mistakes again. Not just for this week but for last week as well. And it's only now that I found out just because some user asked some questions. It's really bad if the questions are raised from the users themselves but they're the best indicator of what's going on. It's their data.

But as I said, the same folks who had caused me and the user community a lot of grief the last couple of months did the same thing all over again at the start of this month. I raised the question to them if this is going to be an ongoing thing every month since there has been no real break for me since the first time it happened. Of course I was being sarcastic but someone just had to voice something out.

The sad part is that management is shielding this group from the enduser community and I'm the one being pounded day in and day out by the users. Like I'm the one to be blamed for the whole mess. Right now, I feel numb on that. Two months of pounding can't really hurt anymore after awhile.

I get an email from Monster.com on job openings everyday and I have to say it's been looking really tempting as the days go by. I hate to start the job hunting process though since I know that I will follow through the whole thing if I start it. Maybe I'll just wait a few more poundings.

I guess you can call me a masochist.

Thanksgiving in Orlando, Florida

2007-12-10T19:55:00.000-06:00

I spent Thanksgiving Day in Orlando, Florida. The office had hold off the rest of my vacation days I have left for the year. I have a total of 7 days left and it's almost the end of the year. Normally, it has to be used this year or end up losing them next year. In my case, it was an exception. They carried it over for next year. On top of that, they gave me the whole week of Thanksgiving to rest.

But it didn't came in that easy. I was recalled to the office on Monday to fix some things for one of our client. But after that it was smooth sailing. I left for Orlando Tuesday night and arrived Wednesday late afternoon. A total of 17 hours driving time. But that gave me a lot of time to ponder on things.

I immediately went to the Universal Studios park that afternoon to check out the rides. I started with the MIB ride which I thought was cool. I did that twice since the line was not that long. I also went to the Jaws ride which was a disaster since they had to close up early due to a technical failure. That's 30 minutes of wait time down the drain.

After dinner, I decided to get the much needed sleep my body has been craving. I slept like a log that night but woke up bright and early to be in line for all the other attractions in the park. The next few days was just awesome as I lost myself to the attraction as well as the expenses incurred.

I drove back Saturday morning and didn't get back home until Sunday afternoon. It was tiresome but was really worth it. With all the new expenses I have to pay, I am more motivated to go back to work again.

All for the wrong reasons.

I Spoke Too Soon

2007-12-05T20:50:00.000-06:00

I spoke too soon. Just when the dust started settling down at the office, another "scheduled" change was implemented over the weekend which had me on the phone last Sunday as I try to provide direction on what needs to be done to what. At least this time, another team has been affected with the change and they are up to their necks holding their fort. Now they know what I have been feeling the last 3 months.

It's the middle of the week and everything seemed to be panning out nicely for me. I have the occasional issues here and there but nothing that I can't handle. Most of these are overflows from the other team and most of what I have to do is to verify that the flow is going in as it should. Unlike before where I had to check the whole process.

The sad part is that this whole exercise will be done again this weekend. The good news is I have a list of those things that I have to watch out for. The only problem now is that if there will be any undocumented issues popping up. I can feel goosebumps on me already.

And they have the Christmas party scheduled next week.

2 Months

2007-11-30T23:18:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it's been that long since I've updated my blog. Not because of laziness mind you but because I was swamped at work. I shouldn't offer any excuse because the bottom line is that I failed to update my blog and that's that. But that's going to change moving forward.

So much has happened since my last entry. There had been a lot of world affair related news, freakish weather, tabloid gossips but there were also good news abound. For me, that's well and good but I'm more focused on what has transpired during my day to day activities since then.

Something major happened in the office that required a lot of my attention and that's an understatement. I was close to resigning after a month but had to hold back and try to see it through considering there was no one else that would be able to manage the issues. I feel that it would be inappropriate for me to leave the company when they needed me. Not to sound like the company really needed me since the company will still exist even if I'm not around. They'll be having a hard time but they will continue to exist.

The bad part was that these issues were caused by another group but I had to do the fix for them. The second month came in and there were still issues abound. Now, it's the third month and I'm beginning to breathe easy. As they say, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Unfortunately, they were headlights of oncoming traffic.

Lazy Sunday

2007-09-30T13:45:00.001-05:00

I'm here just lying in bed and surfing the internet while the TV is blaring. I just finished watching the National Geograpic Channel's show on Monster Fish and it was quite entertaining. Now, this is how Sundays should be spent. Just let the rest of the day roll by without a care in the world. Why shouldn't you do so? Well.. Monday's a few hours away and it's back to the normal daily grind for all of us out there who has to bring home the bacon.

But then again, I love Mondays for the simple fact that the start of the work week is always the hardest one to tackle. I figure that if I can live through Monday, the rest of the week should be a breeze. Easier said than done but it does tend to get easier as the rest of the week rolls on. And even though I love Mondays, I do look forward to the weekends where I get to relax and look back on how my week had been and what to expect for the coming week.

Weekend chores are a welcome treat too. If I slave the whole day at the office whacking away at the keyboard and attending meetings, I want to spend the weekend doing menial work. That's right, I want to not use my mind on the weekends. I usually work on my yard Friday nights if I have the time. Otherwise, its usually on Saturdays. And the funny part is that I love to sweat it out in the yard under the warm heat of the sun. And when all is said and done, I'd go in and take a long hot shower followed by a quick cold shower. I don't know if that's healthy but I enjoy the refreshing feeling brought about by this practice.

I'm going to enjoy the rest of the day now or whatever is left of it.

Apples and Oranges

2007-09-24T18:46:00.000-05:00

You can't compare apples and oranges. That's one of my favorite expressions and I'm sure everyone, if not most people, have heard about this before. But I'm not talking about the expression here. I'm talking about the actual fruit themselves. If you think about it, you really can't. These two items are totally different from each other with both offering their own set of nutrients and flavor.

The apple belongs to the same family as the pears, peaches, loquats, strawberries and interestingly, the rose. There are many apple varieties which makes them identifiable by their color shade as well as their taste. Sweet apples are ready to be eaten as it is and while sour apples can be eaten likewise, they are mainly used for baking. Granny Smith apples are great for baking apple pies.

The orange fruit belongs to the citrus family and is either sweet, sour or bitter. While this fruit can be eaten as it is, the juices are often times extracted from the fruit to be used as a drink. Unlike the apple, the orange is not directly used for baking but rather is jellied or preserved first before being used for baking.

Now, I decided to talk about these two fruits today since I did my grocery yesterday and was in a dilemma trying to decide if I wanted to take the apples or the oranges. I like both of them but if I take both, I may end up with a few of them rotting. I always choose only one fruit a week as I have a week stomach and I didn't want to upset it by having two different ones on the same week.

So there I was scratching my head when I finally decided on bananas. Makes my life easier.

Round Rock Doughnuts and Dried Fish

2007-09-16T10:09:00.000-05:00

Not exactly the combination you want to eat for breakfast but I should say it was interesting. For those who don't know, Round Rock Doughnuts have been ranked on the top ten doughnuts in the good old USA. Dunkin' Doughnuts and Krispy Kreme are both not in that list. I'm not sure if Round Rock Doughnuts are limited only in the Central Texas area but if you get the chance to try them, you should. It has this sourdough texture to them that makes it more appealing to the palate.

But anyway, I woke up early this morning and thought that I'd whip up something for breakfast. I rummaged through the pantry and the refrigerator to see what was available and saw this pack of dried fish I got from an oriental store in Houston last weekend. Together with some longanisa, I fired up the grill to cook outside. The reason for that is I didn't want to cook the dried fish inside the house least it'll stink for the rest of the day. Everyone knows dried fish smells but the pleasure of eating it makes it worthwhile.

So there I was finishing up on cooking the longanisa and dried fish when my neighbor peeked from his side of the fence asking what I was grilling at so early in the morning. I should say it was too early for her to be awake checking out the neighbors too. But we're good neighbors. I told her what it was and even offered some for her but she declined. She did mentioned the longanisa smelled good. I guess that offset the smell of the dried fish.

Hunkering for something sweet, I drove out to get the Round Rock Doughnuts. Took me less than 15 minutes to get some and be back to finish preparing the breakfast feast. I also made some fried rice from last night's leftover rice and had the coffee pot ready. I wanted to prepare some sunny side-up eggs but I think I was already overdoing it. So I stopped.

Then I sat down with some good company to enjoy the morning's feast. Nothing tops a good breakfast, good company and great conversation to begin the day.

Soggy Bottom Boys

2007-09-15T19:16:00.000-05:00

I want to be a Soggy Bottom Boy. If you haven't heard about them, then you need to watch the movie "O Brother Where Art Thou". The movie stars George Clooney and mind you, I'm not a George Clooney fan but I think he played his role in this movie like it was him. The supporting cast also showed a lot of fun in them too.

I didn't watch this movie in the theaters. Rather, I watched it in TV. I seldom go to the movie house anymore. Just because the prices have gone way up over the years. Every now and then, I do go out and watch from the theaters and that's because I think the movie being shown is really worth it. Normally, I would wait for the video to come out especially if it is something I want to watch over and over again.

The movie "O Brother Where Art Thou" borders around fantasy and reality and I think that's what makes the movie appealing. But what I really enjoy in there was the song they did. Wish I could rant more about that song but I could never do justice when it comes to songs. So I would highly recommend that you guys out there watch this.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I Hurt Myself Today

2007-09-06T22:49:00.000-05:00

That's actually an overstatement. It's more like I ache all over. Maybe it's because the lack of sleep. I know my dreams are missing me but I just can't help it. I have a hard time going to sleep at nights so I would lay there in bed waiting for the sandman to come in and sprinkle me with his dust. Add to that the fact that on times I want to sleep, I would get paged by the office to help out on some of those pesky issues that just pops out of nowhere.

The nice thing though is that the weekend is but a day away. I know one day of rest won't really help in the recuperation process but it's something that I look forward to. Maybe if I'm lucky today I may be able to go to dreamland quickly. Otherwise, I can go back to counting sheep again. Whoever thought of that must have a lot of time in their hands.

I tried counting sheep but after the tenth sheep, I'm thinking of other things to pass the time away. It's an attention deficit disorder. I talked about that once in here too. I think everyone just suffers from it no matter what one might think. It's a proven fact.

Now, where was I on that sheep?

Carpe Diem!

2007-08-29T22:02:00.001-05:00

Seize The Day! I always thought that sounded cool. Anyone that can quote a line made up of Latin words just seemed educated and well-travelled. No matter if its just something that was taken off a poster, a book or even from a cereal box. Often times, the person uttering such words don't even know what they mean. But just the same, they say it like they know it.

I think Latin should be offered more in schools as part of the elective curriculum. Not that it has some major applications in the business world compared to learning Spanish, Chinese Mandarin or Chinese Canton. That's why I'm saying it should be offered as an elective subject so that kids can choose it in lieu of another option.

Learning another language is fun. And when you get the hang of it, you can actually associate words across them. Think of pig-latin. It might prove useful later on when you have kids and you don't want them to know that you are bringing them to the doctor for their regular scheduled shots. I know I would have appreciated that when I was growing up and my mom and dad would spell out words. I just knew I was in for something I know I won't like.

So before I go, let me impart a Latin phrase I love to mutter every now and then. Carpe Burrito! That's right, you read it correct. That will prove useful for you when you are hungry.

Seize The Burrito!

All Is Quiet

2007-08-25T12:36:00.001-05:00

At least in my blogsite it is. It's been a full week and I haven't written anything new. Not for the lack of material anyway. I have tons of things I want to say out here but am keeping it as clean as possible. I know if I let loose, it won't be a pretty sight. And I don't want to lose what's littler of my readers out there.

It has just been a busy week for me since I'm on secondary on-call. That means I'm supporting my on-call collegue. Come Monday, I'm primary and that would mean a lot more busier than this week. I don't really mind it though. It just mean that I wont be able to work on any outstanding project on my plate. Everything I'd be doing will be mostly support.

It's not pure job security since I know a lot of people out there have the capability to do my job. That's why I don't complain. It's part of the job and it pays my bills and brings food to the table. And I got a good secondary on-call to boot. Everything just looks fine and dandy.

I'm hoping to get some vacation time though. The boss told me last week I need to get some time off. I couldn't agree more. Besides, work will still be there when I get back. The only problem though is that she can't let me go for more than two successive days. So until that opportunity arise, I will take one day leaves whenever I can.

If only I could get the approval to do so.

What A Week...

2007-08-18T00:18:00.000-05:00

Yes, it was a week but it felt like a year. It was that busy that I didn't get the chance to update my blog until today. And to top it all, I had something in mind that I wanted to write down but just didn't get the chance to do so. Not even at nights.

Until tonight anyway. I'm just glad the workweek is done though I know it would pretty much be the same scenario next week. I know because I saw my load for next week. But it's okay though. I can deal with that. By the week after next, I'd be on-call again so that means my load would be limited more on issues and not on projects. That's a lot better. (knock on wood)

I was supposed to be in another city this week but that got cancelled. I heard my boss saying the schedule has been moved next week. I don't really mind the travel. At least it gets me out of the office even if it's just for a day. A change of scenery is always a welcome change.

I think I'm going to just stay in bed tomorrow. A couple of hours of sleep is also a welcome respite. Then maybe I'd go for a run for an hour. There's much to do tomorrow. Maybe some grocery shopping too.

I guess I better get some sleep now.

Chocolate Rain

2007-08-11T01:09:00.000-05:00

Wow... what a voice. This video has been getting a lot of hits lately and some people say that he's the next big viral video. If this kid is for real, then great. At least someone is making use of his talent. I know I'll check if ever he releases an album in the future. He's voice is like a combination of James Earl Jones and Nat King Cole.

Desiderata

2007-08-08T18:49:00.000-05:00

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

by Max Ehrmann

Big City

2007-08-05T18:19:00.000-05:00

I was assigned to work at one of our corporate offices in the big city for about a week. That means suitcase living again. At least the hotel was in a good part of the city. That allowed me the luxury of doing my nightly runs out in the streets. Sure, I can run in the threadmill at the hotel's gym but what fun would that be? I do say that soaking in the jacuzzi afterwards just takes away my body's ill.

Meal times are always the issue with me. I just can't seem to get myself to eat if I'm by myself. The good news was that my boss was with me the whole time so the decision on where and when to eat does not fall on my shoulders. Two of the places we frequent is the Genghis Grill and the other is the BJ's Restaurant/Warehouse.

Genghis Grill is a place where you pick your meat (raw), vegetables, sauce, and additional spices from the buffet table and bing it to the kitchen corner where a bunch of cooks work on your meal. Once everything is ready, they bring it back to you so you can enjoy your meal at one of their tables. Personally, I like this place a lot. And that's because I get to prepare what I want to eat. Makes it feel like homecooking without having to stay in front of the stove.

BJ's Restaurant/Brewhouse is another story. It's typically a burger/grill joint where you order off the menu. Since it is a microbrewery, you can order beer from the tap freshly brewed. Most of my collegues love this place for the beer. Me, I don't really drink beer that much so I can't really comment on that. I do know that they have a killer rib plate. Now, that's something I know I won't be able to say no to.

As much as I enjoy big city assignments every now and then, I prefer being back at the home office. Each time I get travelling assignments, all my other projects suffer. And I have to play catch up when I get back. That's the other part that I don't really like.

As they say, you can't serve two masters at the same time.

Evan Almighty

2007-07-28T09:49:00.001-05:00

I finally got around to watching this movie and I have to say I enjoyed it. It wasn't my first choice of movies to watch considering there's a lot of other movies out there this time of year but surprisingly, I think it was a great movie. I think the storyline was a great jump from the original story whose main character was Bruce to Evan who was a minor character in the first movie.

The story evolves around Evan who was a newscaster that joined politics and won a seat as a congressman. That's where the conflict begins as family starts to take a backseat to work which affected parent-kids relationship. I won't delve in there too much as I dont want to spoil the movie for those who haven't watched it yet. I do have to say that Steve Carrell played his role convincingly.

I think the best part of the whole experience was the positive message it brought to the movie viewers. Act of Random Kindness one at a time. That's what's needed to change the world. And if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. It only takes one step at a time to arrive at a destination, no matter how small the steps may be.

I'm going to do the dance now.

Dinner And A Movie

2007-07-24T22:52:00.000-05:00

I have heard about places where you can eat dinner and watch a movie at the same time but I never thought I'd be in one of those places. Personally, I want my dinner with a good company and a nice conversation. I just think it's better that way that's why I practice it at home too. TV is always turned off during meal time no matter how nice the movie/show is. I figured I can either watch first before eating or eat and watch the show later.

Last week was different. I was assigned to our other corporate office for a few days together with 3 other colleagues and on the last day, everyone decided they wanted to go try a place that serves dinner while a movie was going. It was nice. I enjoyed the ambiance of the place plus the movie was really good too. We picked a slow paced movie which helped.

I admit I enjoyed the experience but it's not something I'm going to make into a permanent lifestyle change for me. I still value a good conversation during meals and I'll stick to that. Besides, the art of conversing seems to be lost nowadays. It's time we bring that practice back.

Plus I want to see what I'm eating under a really good light.

Aristurtle

2007-07-21T22:10:00.001-05:00

I used to have a pet turtle and yes, I named him Aristurtle. This was a couple of year ago. I actually found him on the road so I decided to pick him up and get him out of harm's way. He used to be tiny too.. about 3 inches in diameter and weighs almost a pound. I feed him a cabbage leaf and a carrot which I think he enjoys since he runs out every week. I placed him in a box which I keep near the sink.

Every now and then, I would place him in the sink and let the tap water run until there's enough water for him to just wade through. I kept him for about 5 months until I decided it was time for him to be really free. During which time, he had grown to be around 6-7 inches and weight about 5 pounds. Yes, he'd grown quite a bit.

There was a pond in the subdivision where I used to live. I used to run around there and see some other wildlife like snakes and sometimes, fish. I thought he'd be perfect over there. So one day, I brought him to the pond and got him out of his box. The moment he saw the pond, he just run towards it. And I mean really run. I always thought turtles crawl. But he was really quick. He just edged towards the water and went in. It was a good 5 feet between us and the water.

Once he got in, he disappeared for quite awhile but surfaced a few meters from land. I think he was looking at me. At least that's what I led myself to believe. In some ways, I miss the guy. He was fun to watch as he munch on his carrots. But I believe he is much happier out there in that pond.

Nothing beats true freedom.

A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned

2007-07-19T23:16:00.001-05:00

A penny saved is not much but overtime it will grow. It will take time but if you just pick them up and save them somewhere like in a water jug or a vase or anything where you can constantly add on to them, one day you can take them to the bank to be changed to a dollar bill.

I'm one of those folks that will pick up pennies lying around and I would store them in a huge water jug I have at home. I would also put in my other loose change in there like quarters, dimes and nickels. Every now and then, I would pop in a dollar bill, a fiver, a ten and sometimes a twenty. It's not going anywhere and I know it'll be there if I need it later on.

I have been doing this for awhile and the last time I had it full and cashed at the bank, I got almost $600 from the change alone. Now I'm back to putting all my loose change again in there. I won't even try to speculate how much I got in there. That would spoil the fun later on.

And I'm still having fun.

Give And Take

2007-07-16T22:11:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure if the title of this one is right but I've been wrong on a lot of things before so one more won't really hurt. I sold some stuff on Ebay last week. I started with 15 sets of graphic novels/comic books and I sold 7 of them. Not bad if you ask me. I got paid $89.00 for them. And I can use this money to fund any other transactions I want to do in Ebay.

I've relisted four of those sets that didn't sell since there were significant activity on them. Of the four, two more sets sold for $30.00. My assumption was that the people that have looked at these items didn't have the chance to come back and bid on them. And I guess I was right. Besides, these are actually great quality comic books.

I saw a couple of trade paperbacks I wanted to get for myself. Only problem though is that the seller of these items are pricing them too high. Guess I'll have to wait until similar items get listed for a lesser value. I always go for "lots" sales wherein items are bundled together.

I'm not a comic book collector. Just someone that enjoys good reading. But I do take care of these items rather well as I hope to put them back in the market when I'm done with them. I keep those that I enjoy too much so I can read them again in the future.

As I said before, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Runescape - Trading At Varrock

2007-07-13T20:33:00.000-05:00

Varrock is the central location for trading in the Runescape universe. At least in the free world anyway. I have never been a member so I don't know what's it like in the member worlds but I have done most of my trading in this area. One can also trade anywhere else but nothing beats Varrock for competitive prices in busy worlds since this is the place where everyone congregates.

One has to be wary though when they trade over here. There's going to be a lot of scammers abound. Always make sure that when you click on those trade buttons, you are getting what you want for the items you are trading. Some of these scammers are quick on the click which could end up with you not getting anything for your trade.

Trading in Varrock always happen around the vicintiy of the bank near the fountain. Most players would come here to get rid of their excess inventory or to get new inventory. Anything you need will probably be here but to trade really well, you will have to look for a really busy world. That's where the competitive prices are. You can trade almost anything. If you get lucky, sometimes you can get a good item from the store just below the fountain.

For archery items, one will have to check the archery store beside the regular store. Most archers come here to trade rather than around the bank's vicinity. For mage items, try looking at the small room on the right side of the bank. That where most mages go to trade - either buying or selling. Knight's armor and other items will be all over the place around the bank. For miscellaneous items, just do a quick survey around the bank. Chances are there will be people wanting to buy feathers, food, ores, and other things as well as selling them.

Again, be aware of scammers.

Captain America Is Dead

2007-07-11T00:05:00.001-05:00

Here's a character that has a lot of history in him. He had fought the Germans, had himself frozen in ice, became a different character and so forth. But he always comes back to become Captain America. In the Marvel comic world, he is Steve Rogers and was a product of the super soldier serum.

Sometime ago, Marvel decided to shake things up in their universe where heroes ended up fighting other heroes due to the government wanting them to reveal their identities. Iron Man supported the government and led this group while Captain America opposed it and became the opposing group's leader.

At the climax of the story, Captain America surrendered to prevent further bloodshed and was to be taken to the courthouse for judgement. But he never got there. He was assasinated. And they had him buried in Arlington Cemetery.

The Marvel Universe lost a great character. But knowing the comic world, his story will not end here.

Hopefully not.