"Zen To Done" Impression

I have finally gotten around to reading my previously acquired ZTD ebook and I have to say that I am truly impressed. It is very much like a GTD Lite Edition. I have included a link below for those who may be curious interested. It seems like 90% of the ebook is freely on his blog.

I'll blog as I go along. This new system might have my OC side printing a planner page for my circa notebook but I don't know yet as it may get redundant with my Palm.

I hope to post my GTD System soon.

Related Link:
ZTD on Zen Habits Blog (Chapter 1 & 2)
ZTD Minimalist Setup (Chapter 3)

Smart Bro-ken

I think Smart Bro is screwing with me. The first time we availed of their service was on the Php 777 promo I think which was for their 300+ kbps connection. They then promoted their new higher connection speed (768 kbps for Php 998) by allowing us free usage for about 2 months. Naturally, after the promo expired, we upgraded to more thn double our bandwidth. It went ok for a year or so.

Recently, however, things seems to have changed.

* Connection has become intermittent. Occasionally, the connection will be lost for a few minutes and would be back up before you could complete a call to their customer service number.

* Download speeds tops at 30 kBps these days. It used to be 42 kBps.

I wonder how I can file a complaint that they will actually on. I mean, let's face it. Their customer service / technical support aren't really supportive technically.

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Converting PDF to PDB, the hard way

Yesterday and today, I spent sometime converting some pdfs to text and then to html and then to pdb, which is a file for the Palm TX, particularly Isilo. Here are some of the tools I used.


iSiloX



A-PDF Text Extractor is a free tool that of course extracts the text from pdf (duh). There is a bit of problem on this part because there is no guarantee that all "text" are text. Some text may actually be pictures of text.

* This means I actually edited the document on Kompozer while simultaneously looking at the PDF to ensure I had everything. I know it sounds too much, but I really wanted to have my favorite productivity books on hand at all times via my PDA.

Kompozer Portable is an open source WYSIWYG HTML Editor. I occasionally have problems with it not receiving keyboard commands after a few hours of work. Closing and re-opening the document solves the issue.

iSiloX can be quite a powerful tool. Here is a tutorial page for converting an online site to an ebook. I am not really sure how it will handle the sidebars and ads but it is very promising. There are a lot of other features I haven't even began to explore.

Related Links: (IsiloX Tutorials)
Convert an HTML Document from the Web
Convert a Text Document from Your Local Hard Drive
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Ken Rename

There are a times when you have to rename a bunch of files. For such occasions, I use a windows freeware called Ken Rename. As of 2008.12.19, the program is at V0.68.

I also need to mention that a Portable version is also available. For those not in the know, "portable" here means it does not need to be installed. You just click on the app and off you go, making it perfect for your USB Swiss Knife. Hmm, there's a geeky thought.



One of the uses I have for this app is to rename backed-up (yeah right) mp3s as shown on the image above (click for larger picture). After it is properly renamed (i.e. using '-' as a delimiter), I use MusicMatch JukeBox v7.5's "Right Click --> Super Tagging --> Tag From Filename" function. (Maybe I should tag this post as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Tools, hehehe.)

Thanks Ken for such a wonderful freeware. (Parang close kami ah. Hehehe.)
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Knight Rider

I remember as a child when I was held in awe on the hi-tech car that was the Knight Industry Two Thousand (or KITT) as it is more frequently called on the popular show, Knight Rider. The story would start by their familiar theme music and then the narrated intro...

Knight Rider: a shadowy flight into the dangerous of a man... who does not exist.

Michael Knight: a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world where criminals operate above the law.

Michael Knight was portrayed of course by David Hasslehoff. Back then the trademark sensor light that runs up front the car was so popular, it seemed like each jeepney was trying to get one even if it meant improvising.

Anyway, the nostalgia began when my brother in law watched a few of the episodes of the old series i have downloaded from the net a long time ago. Since I have seen the pilot episode of the new 2008 series, I thought I could download it so they can catch up and be updated.

Unfortunately, I kinda got hooked.

The Knight Rider from the 80s

It can think. It can talk. It was virtually indestructable thanks to the Molecular Bonded Shell as its skin. For the weird stuff, in the later episode, it can attain super speed using the Super Pursuit Mode and even weirder, it can control other vehicles remotely (without a scientific explanantion I can remember). Still, it was a cool at the time.



above: The Knight Rider from the 80s.

I found it funny having watched the pilot episode and heard David Hasslehoff comment as he got inside the car for the first time, "This looks like Darth Vader's bathroom!". I can't help loving the Star Wars reference.

The Knight Rider of 2008

The new Knight Rider makes more sense in a sci-fi way. Instead of being one man backed by a foundation, the new season is one man backed by a special division of the FBI. The car seems to employ advanced nano technology. The "indestructible" armor actually gets damaged but is almost instantly repaired by the computer controlled nano machines. This of course allows it to be vulnerable when the computer is Off. The new KITT has access to the Prometheus project (a super satellite connected to the US Defense system) which allows it to access vast information it uses on a regular basis.

And below is the "new" Knight Rider, Knight Industry Three Thousand (or, KITT again).



Oh and I love the projected output that of course is projected on to the windshield.

Bottomline

I wish my PC had the same AI as the new Kitt. And he doesn't even have to be connected to the US Defense System. I just wanna be able to tell it, "Kitt, download the following shows and archive as I describe for later viewing", "Kitt, sort all of my mp3s", or "Kitt, please prepare an audio version of this ebook". I'm thinking it won't do me any good to add KITT to my wishlist. LOL.

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Mozilla Songbird

I found out about Mozilla Songbird at LifeHacker. They even recommended some Plug-Ins. The one that caught my attention was LyricMaster. I tried out the Plug-In and was simply delighted. I spent the next hour singing out to my MP3s (ok, not a sight you'd like to imagine) as their lyrics are automatically taken from some resource on the web.

It does have it's downside. I experienced some problems playing mp3 files with Variable Bit Rate (VBR), although MP3 Pro format seems ok.

Future stuffs I wish they'll add is something like the "Super Tagging" on the old MusicMatch JukeBox. For the unfamiliar, this features allows you to "Tag from Filename" and "Rename based on Tags". Very handy, if you ask me.

Anyway, just thought I'd share my littel experience with you.

What do you use to play or manage your mp3s? Let me know.

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Dancing Student Nurses

Today I've got my 4 minutes of shame. Not that anyone probably noticed in a Mental Institution. Our group was tasked to choreograph (sp?) a dance we can teach the patients and the people in group thought the easiest would be Average Joe from Mark Herras' Dance Hits.

Well, I survived. For a moment, I thought the earth would open up and swallow me. On the other hand, it was nice to have a non-judgmental crowd of onlookers. I guess Dancing was never really my strong point.

Tomorrow, they will be having their Christmas party. It's all well and good, except that we have to present another dance number. Hooo boy....

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P.S. I passed by a dead body on the way home. Guy was side lying on the street shoulders still on his bike. Apparently, someone used a gun on the guy.

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I want to be a Defender

I'm ready to defend the 3 stars and a sun! Here is my Flight of Ideas.

- I want that FMCC Defender T-Shirt
- I want it in White and in Black
- FMCC stands for Francis Magalona Clothing Corporation, I think.
- Buying this shirt not only shows Nationalistic spirit, it also helps the Master Rapper in his fight against leukemia.

Today, our duty schedule was canceled in lieu of the Clinical Instructor's Christmas Party. Not that I am complaining. I think we are the only group left that is still going to school.

Rina had to accompany her niece to Festival Mall, Alabang. One of my classmates told me that Francis had a retailer on the Movie Level near Jolibee. I am still in overwhelm with the things I have lined up to do for the christmas break that I'd rather stay home. So I just asked Rina to get me a Defender T-Shirt, if she can. As expected, the shirt design was already sold out. Francis M's Shirt Line seemed to have become a Collectible among fans. I personally wouldn't mind if I had the money.

Anyway, after sorting Gigabytes of Data (Nursing E-Books, etc), listening to a CD of the Now Habit, Watching Knight Rider 2008, and other forms of procrastination, Rina got home at around 11pm. She handed me the T-Shirt shown on the right. Thanks Love.

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You Tube... Pinoy Style

Ok. So I missed the Reunion Episode of Survivor Philippines.

I told my friend doctor, who also happens to be the same doctor looking after the whole Survivor Philippines thing, that I'll just catch up via YouTube. She told me I'd have better chances at...

http://www.pinoychannel.tv/

So I clicked and checked it out. Whoa! Now if only there was a downloader for their videos...

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Palm is not Dead (YET)

Posted on Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:34AM EST, at Yahoo Tech. Palm Will Show New Operating System in January.

My first PDA (a Zire 71) was a palm. Back then, it was the handheld device brand to beat when it comes to organizing yourself. Today, I think the iPhone and Black Berry are on top. I have also tried my hands on a Windows Mobile 5 Device (my stolen XDA II). I do not consider myself an expert on these things but I do have opinions as a consumer.

I find that this is very exciting news. Palm is not dead. yet. Now, if only the new devices will include an entry level piece that's not very expensive...

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Were you fooled by Santa?

There was a time when we believed in Santa Clause. Then things happen that changes it. Were you able fooled into thinking someone else was Santa Clause? Share your stories here.

My Story:

I can't remember how old I was back then. It started when christmas was already fast approaching and 'Santa' still didn't know what to give us because we haven't written him. Well, he never told us directly but my parents were giving us that idea. So my brother and I promised to write letters. Because we probably weren't that young anymore, we had a lot we wanted to wish for and eventually wasn't able to finish our letters and fell asleep.

The following morning, we woke up to find that 'Santa' had written us a letter. It said he was disappointed that we haven't finished our letters and he still not sure what to give us, or something to that effect. Big mistake. It turns out my brother, if i recall correctly, had a bit of CSI in him. He started looking for stuffs written by our parents. A few hours later, we have positively identified the author of the letter to be them by the undeniable evidence of their handwriting.

It was really funny, how they tried to defend themselves but eventually conceded. I'm not sure if I believed them but my brother persisted. Anyway, that caught us the fake Santas.

How about you did you have any such similar experience?

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For the year 2008, What are you most thankful for?

Right. The year 2008 is almost over. What do we have to be thankful for? Feel free to post in the comments section because I also want to get to know you more.

My Answer(s):

Since this is the year I started my clinical exposure, the first thing i was thankful is that all my loved ones are relatively in good health. Being in a hospital setting, especially in public hospitals, will expose you to the worst of conditions. Seeing all those contraptions, Bed-ridden patients, Those kept alive only by ambu bags, The neglected Mental cases... I pray I never have to see any of my love ones in any of those conditions.

Rina and I just celebrated our 11 years of married life. That is not counting the 4.5 years of special friendship before that. And we have be blessed with 2 daughters. I tell you, Rina deserves a medal for putting up with me all that time. Hahaha.

Finally, let me end with a quote from William Arthur Ward (I dunno who he is, I just got this off the net, LOL),

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."

Meeting Donna Cruz?

The difficulty in having a showbiz crush that is no longer very active is that you rarely see her anymore. It's a good thing that she now has a billboard for Facial Care Centre along the south expressway. At least now, I get to see everytime I have duty up north.

So here is the story...

I was on duty at a mental health institute and was assigned to this friendly old lady. She had bi-polar disorder with delusions. Of course, I didn't know this at the time. When talking to these patients, you cant be too forward because you might offend or scare them off. So I probed with a joke and it went like this...

Me: Ano pong ginagawa nyo dito madalas?
Px: mahilig ako mag day dream.
Me: (Aha! baka symptoms) Ah, ano pong usual na dine-daydream nyo?
Px: Syempre yung mga crushes ko.
Me: Wow! Artistahin po ba?
Px: Syempre! pero gusto ko foreigner.
Me: Parang si Tom Cruise?
Px: Oo! Sya nga!
Me: Wow! Akalain nyo po magkamag anak pala yung crush natin!
Px: Talaga? Sino bang crush mo?
Me: (Punchline time) Si Donna Cruz!

Hahaha.... Pero wait, the story doesn't end there...

Px: Ako yun e.

Nyak! My idea was

• if she laughed, it would indicate she has good association of ideas
  
• if she doesn't react, it may mean a looseness of association

e paano yan? Anak ng...! So ngayon may crush na ko sa kanya? Hirap pala mag joke sa mental, minsan, nabalik sayo. LOL!

Near Miss Pick Pocket

My friend, Melanie, will be going home to California tomorrow for her Christmas Break. My NCM Group had a little exchange gift and a some eat together session.

On the way home, Chars and Anya, got on a Jeep. I thought I might as well ride with them. A guy was seated beside Chars very closely. I asked to be excused and the guy in black gave way.

When Chars got off, the guy in black sat very close to me despite the size of vacant side on his side. I thought he just had a preference for windows. However, he was frequently and periodically moving so that I have to reposition myself. I started to get suspicious and checked my cell and PDA in case he was the diversion and the guy on my left was in cahoots with him, it's still there. I checked for my wallet and wallah... it was already out of my pocket behind me. I picked it up and started to place in the front pocket of my backpack. The guy immediately asked the jeep to stop and got off.

That was a Close Call. He could have gotten all my receipts and scratch paper. LOL. Well, actually, my Credit Card and other ID was stored there as well. Given how I lost my XDA II to a pickpocket on a jeepney and my Dell laptop at home to the bintana-dukot syndicate, this felt really good.

It wasn't my first successful cross with a pick pocket. And I'm sure it won't be the last, at this point, I hope I can always be that alert.

To my friends, konting ingat. Life is really difficult these days. We can't really blame them but we can't be victims either. Hopefully, to some, this post will keep them alert on their commutes.

Trouble with my Hipster PDA style

How I noticed the problem:

With the intro of my Palm TX, my Hipster PDA has been reduced to a mere ubiquitous capture tool. That is all well and good.

However, lately I have been procrastinating a lot.

Reading the first habit (collect) in the Zen To Done ebook. The mission is simple:

• Collect all your "stuff" (GTD term) into a ubiquitous capture tool
  
• Empty the stuffs you have collected into a To Do List within the day
• Make sure to do this for 30 days to make it a habit

Simple enough. Although, this has already alerted me to one of my GTD problems. I do not empty my inbox daily. Still, it sounds relatively easy to do.

BANG! Why do I feel like procrastinating while simply processing my hPDA-based inbox? Because I included too much information on the item.

The Solution:

At school (which is the source of most of the complex 'stuff'), I should always carry my Circa Notebook. I should stick to its system:

• Tabbed per subject (NCM, Asian Civ, Thesis, GTD)
• Papers with contents at the back part
• Blank Paper up front for easy access.

This is now my capture tool for school stuff. I will add a Legends Page as suggested in Journaling To Done to remind me what all my symbols mean. The nice thing about this:

• I write only once (no need to transfer details on my hPDA to notebook)
• I have a history of the things we were instructed to get done.

What will happen to my hPDA?
Well, it will reduced to a tickler (pocket notebook) and will still be used to capture ideas, just no complicated stuff like school requirements.

I am a Globe Retailer

Due to the terrible signal availability of Smart Telecomms at school, I had to switch to Globe. This time around, I got wise, and went with Prepaid package. I then thought it would be better to load up a Retailer Sim rather than the Standard Sim. For those who maybe confused, Retailer Sim is the Sim Card used by those selling loads.

How do you profit?
Well, it goes this way. You buy load at a discounted price (i.e. Php 880 for a Php 1000 Load Credit). Once you have sold the 1,000 worth of load, you earn yourself the discount (i.e. Php 120 in the last example).

Bonus?
Today, I got my first bonus. Php 300 worth of Free SMS. It is the reward for selling Php 3,500 worth of load within a month. Not bad. Php 300 saved is Php 300 earned. Besides, the 10%+ discount is reason enough to get the Retailer Sim.

Disadvantages?
Well, yeah. You can only load from certain authorized shops. That means you have to keep an eye on your balance. By the way, the eWallet for loading other people is different from your personal eWallet. So, you can have a personal load of Php 1 and be able to load someone a Php 100 if its available in the Retailer eWallet.

Bought Ebook "Zen To Done"

At 4AM today, I bought an ebook entitled "Zen To Done". It can be actually considered a supplement to "Getting Things Done" by David Allen, but more doable. Hope to write a review soon.

Reboot

How many times have I restarted my blog? Lots of times. Well, here is another attempt.