Category Archives: Rants and Raves

1. I’m now on the fourth week of my OJT at the Standards and Testing Division of DOST. It is therapeutic to hold such precious (and expensive) instruments such as FTIR, HPLC, AAS, RID, etc. at the Foods and Feeds Laboratory. Similarly, it is also exuberant to perform tests using classical instruments such as the old colorimeter unit (circa 1947) at the Fuels and Petroleum Laboratory. Except for the dull moments wherein I’m left with nothing to do, I can say that I’ve enjoyed – and still enjoying – my internship.
2. I’m hooked on American idol! Though it felt bad to watch Pia Toscano go…
3. Movie update: I’m 40% done with my goal to watch 50 movies this vacation. Needless to say, I’ve already seen 20 out of that N. Worth mentioning are Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (4.5/5 stars), a flick with a sci-fi twist, Never Let Me Go (4.5/5 stars), a movie that tackles the issue of cloning and morality in general, and of course, The Matrix (5/5 stars), a high-octane action thriller. I also watched Rio in 3D, and I thought it was good.
4. On a separate note, I’m about 73% done with my summer book goal! I’ve already finished 11 books out of 15. So far, Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins (5/5 stars) is the best summer read for me.
5. I became a very active knight of the altar once again last Holy Week. I’d always made it a point to serve once a week, but I did extend my vocation during that period. I only felt better afterward.
6. I’m beginning to love posting like this. Numbering is a good way of saying what I’ve got to say without worrying about coherence – a silent requirement in essay-type posts.
7. BTW, I finally changed my profile picture on Facebook. It looks something like this:

Life of Pi

“Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d.” – Alexander Pope

1. Just like last year, I yearned for summer vacation during the onset of classes. And just like last year, I marveled at my foolishness to seek for something that threatens to end my very existence due to ennui and related stuff. Perhaps I just miss the thrill of having last-minute reviews and cramming and trying to find the sweet spot between school and extra-curricular activities. But since I’m not a big fan of hypocrisy, I’d answer no. Hell, no. I just miss having something meaningful and worthwhile to do.
2. With regard to the aforementioned concern, my OJT is scheduled this summer! However, I still have to make the choice whether to spend my apprenticeship at the Material Science Division or to enhance my analytical skills at the Standard and Testing Division. Either way, I’m still going to DOST – and I won’t have it any other way.
3. I’ve been to the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (otherwise known as Baclaran Church) to attend the novena since I was in the fifth grade every Wednesday. Though I missed novena sessions, I could verify that they receive letters for intention and thanksgiving every week, and they read one in public. I could also say that they receive about 2,500 letters of intention and 500 letters of thanksgivings every week. It does not take advanced lessons in statistics to discern what this implies.
4. With sheer determination, I intend to read 15 books and watch 50 movies this summer. Of these 50 movies, at least two should be in 3D.
5. The The Matrix trilogy is just so cool! No wonder why I’ve always loved black.
6. I couldn’t bear the thought of being a senior college student next school year. I wish I could go back to the good old days of General Chemistry, College Trigonometry, and Fundamentals of Science. The good thing is that this is still two months away.

We all use math every day; to predict weather, to tell time, to handle money. Math is more than formulas or equations; it’s logic, it’s rationality, it’s using your mind to solve the biggest mysteries we know.

First of all, this post is not something that can qualify as a review. It is not well-researched and contains trace amounts of biased opinions. In fact, I haven’t watched the whole season so I’m not in the right position to express a dismissive judgment about anything. OK? Here we go.

The idea of coming up with a crime series incorporating mathematical deductions as primary means of solving irregularities is utterly brilliant. In a tangled web of crime fiction, mathematics undoubtedly provides a revolutionary way to stand out and get attention.

And that’s the underlying premise behind Numb3rs. So basically, it’s about two brothers. One is an FBI agent while the other one is a helluva mathematician. When presented with a problem, the mathematician goes through rigorous calculations to synthesize a plan which will then be executed by the agent. What’s more, the equations presented in the series are not just figments of imaginations. According to the producers, real world mathematicians account for the correctness and validity of every expression that they air.

Of course, this mathematical thingy is enough to excite my electrons. After all, there’s a silent “minor in mathematics” in my BS Chemistry course. I have real high hopes that I’d enjoy the first few episodes.

But I did not.

There are problems. To begin with, Numb3rs is about math, all right. The main character appears to derive complex formulas on his colossal blackboard. However, it ends just that. They don’t intend to show whatever is written on the board – just quick flashes of shots achieved through different angles. This may sound as an exaggeration but when I watched the first episode, I was with my calculator and a piece of scratch paper. I thought I would be able to do the math myself. I thought I could verify the mathematical statements that I was presented with. Of course, those might smell too complex especially to “normal” viewers. But I think that hiding the actual equations from the viewers is sort of unfair.

Next, they got the title wrong. It’s called Numb3rs but only a negligible portion of the show is dedicated to the problem solving part. Roughly 90% of the time, they are out with the criminals. I understand that it’s a crime show, and it’s supposed to be like that. But this show is not your regular crime series, and I guess it’s justifiable to give the problem solving part equal exposure as the action time.

Despite these “first impressions,” I’m still willing to finish the first season of Numb3rs. If it continues to be full of n0th1ngn3ss, then I can choose to cancel my plans of seeing the latest season.

OK, I just realized that the title of my post appears to be jejetyped. NVM.

Dear DOTA,

I miss you. A certain part of me yearns for your presence in every minute of everyday (what a cliche). I wish I could see you soon. But reality dictates that I cannot. Seeing you sooner than planned would certainly destroy one of my New Year’s resolutions – something I would obviate. I guess there’s no known alternative other than to learn to live without you in the meantime. And I’m still in the process of learning.

See you one time next month. Or see you infinitely in December. Au revoir.

P.S. It’s nice meeting you again a little while ago. Kindly keep our “secret meeting” to ourselves.

Your loyal friend slash ardent devotee,
Rob Jeremiah

Random girls have been bugging me on Facebook chat since last week. With only a few weeks to go before the beginning of classes, I cannot quite comprehend why they send links that have something to do with Facebook Apps. By virtue of the way they interrupt the smooth flow of my web browsing, I have a valid reason to neglect their requests.

But, hell. OK. Curiosity got the better part of me. Finally, I decided to see under the mantelpiece, and undercover their motives accounting to their modus operandi. Not surprisingly, I found out that these girls joined an online contest. If I’m not mistaken, this contest has something to do with popularity and (you guessed it) vanity. FB users are given the option to vote for their favorites every 24 hours. And that’s it. Being an internet sensation is just a click away.

Though I have nothing against it, self advertisement is not a good idea. If you really have what it takes to win, people will flock to the Clean and Clear App and resurrect you to the top spot. Identifying “friendship” as the lone reason why you receive votes is like the sound of scraping finger nails down a blackboard: it’s bad. After all, isn’t it more overwhelming to see strangers vote for you than to know your friends support you?

NOYNOY got the sympathy votes, ERAP got the popularity votes, and GIBO/GORDON got the intelligent votes. Unfortunately, there are only few intelligent voters nowadays.

My greatest fear transpired yesterday. Noynoy snatched victory from the jaws of defeat to secure another Aquino slot in the list of Philippine presidents. Not that I’m an advocate of  ”Anti-Noynoy Campaign.” In fact, in the spirit of democratic centralism, I respect the decision of the majority of the Filipinos who voted for him.

I guess “skeptical” is the right term. I’m one of the Filipinos whose trusts have not yet won by Noynoy. It’s hard to hand things over to someone who hasn’t done anything yet. I quote, “Walang OJT sa Malacañang.” True enough, experience elicits trust and destroys qualms.

Sen. Aquino, this is not a discouragement; take this as a challenge. You have six years (or less) to prove us wrong. Good luck.

As much as I want to participate in the upcoming election, I cannot vote because of my age. I’m still a minor, all right. But that doesn’t mean that I cannot voice my opinions out. Though my one vote, supposedly, cannot be counted, I can still ride another vehicle to exercise my right to be heard. So, if I were 18, I would go for the following persons:

President: Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro

Vice President: Jejomar “Jojo” Binay

Senators:

• Adel Tamano
• Pia Cayetano
• Risa Hontiveros

I won’t justify the reasons why I’d go for them because  the reasons are very obvious, anyway.