Category: Eric Cubed

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I was and always have been fascinated with the possibility of time travel. The ability to revisit past events and the thrill of peaking at a possible future always make my imagination go. I always find myself attracted to fictional characters with this ability or access to machines or artifacts that allow them to travel.

But is it possible?

If it is possible in my lifetime, would I travel? When? Upstream or downstream? Would I visit and view passively or interact with my timeline? And what about the possibilities of paradoxes? Exciting.

There is a possibility that I have done it and will do it. What the hell? I hate tenses when time travel is involved. People claimed (not definite, though) that I was spotted somewhere, but I am sure I was not there. Or I may be there but doing something else entirely. A doppelgänger, maybe. A time-traveling self I like to be.

Fine, fine. I miss this fictional character traveling in a blue box across time and space. Fantastic!

Featured image: “Kanazawa Station Clock” by Rei, used under the CC-BY-SA-3.0 license, from Wikimedia Commons

: https://ericcubed.wordpress.com/2015/04/07/time-travel-fascination/

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The day is ending. I haven’t got an idea of what to blog about. Didn’t do anything interesting the whole day. I was not inspired the entire night. I am waiting for a spark to start something worthwhile, but nah, I’ll do it tomorrow as usual. That is why I am referred to as “Procrastination” in the first place.

Here’s something from AVByte.

Now off to sleep. Or maybe check some tweets first.

: https://ericcubed.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/procrastinating/

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How to make two board games more awesome? Mash them up!

A while ago while hanging out on cafe that offers board games, we pulled out two games: Scrabble (albeit a knock-off) and Snakes and Ladders. We intent to play board games simultaneously and then an idea came to me, why not mash them up. The mashed-up game removed the unpreditability of Snakes and Ladders and added an additional strategic level for Scrabble.

The rules for both games are kept except: make the scores earned in Scrabble as the dice-roll in Snakes and Ladders. The game ends when the Snakes and Ladders board is completed. Need to move 8 spaces in Snakes and Ladders to climb a ladder? Score an 8 in Scrabble. Need to pass the head of a snake by not moving 10 spaces? Don’t score a 10 in Scrabble!

Now, what classic board games that can be mashed-up?

: https://ericcubed.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/board-game-mash-up/

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The time is 2:30 am. Time flies when you’re having fun… especially on videoke. I am not a good singer but it is fun. Do I have a go-to song? Previously, yes. Now, maybe. Here’s the run down of my playlist a while ago.

“The Actor” by Michael Learns to Rock

MLTR was my go-to artist when I was still in college. We had a videoke compilation on VHS.

“After All” by Al Jarreau

First time to sing it on videoke. I found out that this song is on my (very limited) vocal range.

“All Behind Us Now” by Patti Austin

Also first time on videoke.

“Gaya ng Dati” by Gary Valenciano

As always, I need to have a Gary V song in every session.

“I’ll Never Go” by Nexxus

Until now, I can’t get the correct pitch.

“Last Flight Out” by Plus One

It is obligatory to have at least one boy band song.

“Truly Madly Deeply” by Savage Garden

I always get out of breath with this one.

“True Colors” by Phil Collins

This song is fun to sing.

“I’ll Be Over You” by Toto

The closing song for the night. This was my go-to song years ago. Now, I feel hollow singing it.

Looking forward on the next videoke session. 🙂

Featured image: “SennMicrophone” by ChrisEngelsma, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

: https://ericcubed.wordpress.com/2015/04/05/late-night-at-the-videoke/

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For days now, I am thinking of having a pet. But before getting one, I have questions. Big questions.

English: A pet dog that I found
English: A pet dog that I found (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Am I in the right state of mind and emotion to have a pet. It is a big commitment. Am I willing to have this pet in my life for the next 15 or so years (assuming it is a dog or cat). Can I take care of this “baby”… give it food, shelter, affection, protection that it needs from me.

Is my apartment the right fit for a pet? What would my roommates react to a pet around the apartment? How about the neighbors? How about if I go to work, would the animal stay in the apartment alone until I return? What if I will be assigned on the field, who will take care of the pet?

Pet cat Matahari in gestation(52 days)
Pet cat Matahari in gestation(52 days) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Should I get a dog or a cat? A big one or a small one? Can it live in a small space? How much exercise does it need? Pet food, how much? Vet bills, definitely.

If I can’t have a dog or cat, how about fish? Can I have an aquarium in the apartment? How much would it cost installing and maintaining it? Which aquatic creatures should I get?

Too many questions! This will occupy my mind for many days to come.

Featured image: “HAZE & CHARA 2013-10-01 22-00” by Lori724, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

: https://ericcubed.wordpress.com/2015/04/03/four-legged-companion-in-my-mind/

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So, my new year started uneventfully. Probably because it falls on Maundy Thursday, where it is almost somber everywhere, but I do hope the rest of my new year will be different.

So, what would my new year entail? I don’t dare to speculate because I don’t want to jinx any good things that may come before me. But there are things that I should do (or start) this year.

Credit cards Français : Cartes de crédit Itali...
Credit cards Français : Cartes de crédit Italiano: Carte di credito Русский: Банковские карты Tiếng Việt: Thẻ tín dụng 中文: 信用卡 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For finances, I am already training myself on managing it. I paid one of my credit cards already. I planned to pay the other one without incurring too much interest. I am disciplining myself by treating my credit cards like debit cards so I will not fall into the debt trap again. I may have to increase my income by taking a side job or switching to a full-time job.

I may not get fit this year, but I need to start. So, I hope to get my a** off and start moving. I also need to get a physical check-up, just in case. Diabetes runs in the family.

I also want to go on a vacation this year. A full one-week break would be nice.

I can’t think of more things to do at this time. I will post some soon.

PS: Yes, I am that old, but for me, it is just a number.

Featured image by Joey Gannon, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

: https://ericcubed.wordpress.com/2015/04/02/year-37/

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I love reading novels and watching shows or movies that involve parallel worlds (sometimes called alternate universes). Here, the characters visit or view a universe where their counterparts made a different decision in the past making their life so much different in the present. If the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics is correct, it could be possible that somewhere in another universe there is a version of me with a totally different life. I often think of these what-if scenarios in my head. What if I did this instead of that? What if this happened instead of that? Well… here’s one.


http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/173063503

The news blogger

He may have discovered video games in high school but got bored with them after a while. He joined the staff of the school paper by the suggestion his English teacher. His contributions were mostly reports on school events. He haven’t tried doing interviews that time as he was shy. Was he shy or actually have a mild social anxiety?

Even if he had motion sickness and haven’t tried living on his own, he studied in Baguio City away from home and took up Mass Communication. (One to two hour bus ride to or from home is far by his standards.) It was probably his course load and requirements that made him lose his social anxiety. After graduation, he applied for a job as a reporter for a radio station in San Fernando. The pay was not much but it was a start. As his passion was writing, he also sent his reports on national broadsheets.

Early 2000s, he started writing a news blog. It is mostly covering La Union. He then started monetizing the blog when more people started reading the site. When he started earning more from his blog and article submissions, he quit his job on the radio and made blogging full time. It was a risk but he took it anyway. His his gamble paid off.

His news blog had a good number of followers and readers when it was noticed by a national broadsheet looking to expand their paper’s influence on the internet. He was contacted by the paper and offered him to be a part of the paper’s online website. As the pay was better, he accepted. He made a good influence on the direction of the paper’s website. It was the right fit for him. As of now, he is content but thinking of possibility of further expansion.

And we’re back

This is part one of a series of posts about my what-ifs. This is also the start of “blog every day in April 2015”: #beda2015. I hope I can do this for the whole month. Crossing fingers.

Featured image by Christian Schirm/Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC0 1.0.

: https://ericcubed.wordpress.com/2015/04/01/paths-not-taken-part-1/

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I always fancy myself as a writer. You know, someone who writes stuff. The problem is, I haven’t written anything for a long (emphasis on the “long”) time. My mind can be full of words, ideas, but when these are swimming in head I always tell myself that I don’t have time to sit down and write. Yes, I procrastinate. Or sometimes when I do have time to write, I can’t seem to force the ideas buried inside my mind to just flow out. Yes, I blame writer’s block. Or is it?

I started seeing myself that I can actually write some nice stuff after my first writing assignment of my essay class way back college. On the first day of the class, the teacher distributed index cards (if I remember correctly) containing topics for an essay to be written on the spot. The topic that I got was something about being sixty years old. I had to write that essay in less that an hour so I decided to make it short and not so serious, in short, I need to exaggerate. I don’t remember the exact words but I put there me being on retirement, a big company, a distinguished record, and with a nice home. I ended the essay with, “I am sixty and I am OK.”

The next day of the class, all essays are returned except for a few ones. I haven’t received mine. The teacher said she will read the chosen essays in class before returning it. “Uh, oh,” I thought. After reading mine, she asked if I want to join the school publication. I said, I don’t have time. See first paragraph. But after getting some good marks on my essays on that class I eventually joined the school publication. Maybe I can share more of that next time. Years after graduating though I never written something substantial but I still fancy myself as a writer.

In the early days of social networking (the era of Friendster and onwards), I started writing some little stuff (just short pieces) sporadically. I posted and cross-posted them on my blogs, in Multiply, LiveJournal, and i.ph. Some were personal but most of fandom related in nature. On the non-fandom writings, I usually posted those as a form of emotional catharsis (which a friend pointed out). Then, the well of inspiration dried out. The writing muse left. I reverted back to my usual reasons of not writing. See first paragraph.

So, here I am. With a new blog. Go, figure. I need to do this. I need myself and other people see me not just by my day job or just my geeky hobbies. If I wanted to see myself as a writer, I had to write. Write not just sporadically. Write not only about fandom. Write not only as an emotional catharsis. Write not only because I am inspired. I just have to write stuff. I hope I can sustain this for days to come. For this, I need to push myself. If I stall, please don’t hesitate to slap me with a trout.
Top image: “Keyboard” by Peter Harrison (cheetah100) is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Original address: http://ericcubed.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/again/