Thoughts and Non Thoughts

Update today to iOS 9.0.2 on the iPad Air went smoothly. Good experience so far. Apps such as Flipboard load faster. Overall much smoother, no jerkiness. Worthwhile upgrade.

http://malacanang.gov.ph/8143-the-philippine-revolution-by-apolinario-mabini/ "When it is considered that Mr Aguinaldo was primarily answerable for insubordination against the head of the Katipunan of which he was a member... the motive for the assassination cannot be ascribed except to feelings and judgments which deeply dishonour the former; in any case, such a crime was the first victory of personal ambition over true patriotism... The death of Andres Bonifacio had plainly shown in Mr Aguinaldo a boundless appetite for power, and Luna’s personal enemies exploited this weakness of Aguinaldo with skillful intrigues in order to encompass Luna’s ruin... With Luna.. fell the Revolution, and, the ignominy of that fall bearing wholly on Aguinaldo, brought about in turn his own moral death, a thousand times more bitter than physical death."

Let's grab some breakfast from Dean and Deluca A hearty choco sig You be the newborn I'll be your new dad Way back in '91 Your sweet smile, look at you -- my grown-up girl ... Come to your old dad tell me -- who do you love Who makes the traffic interesting Rescues a dreary Sunday Who makes me feel like a hero again Honey it's you -- my grown up little girl (adapted from lyrics of Steely Dan's "Janie Runaway")

A quick google will show it's a common issue. I upgraded my desktop to Windows 10. Works great! Except for uploading photos to your blog on Blogger (like this one). When you click on the "insert image" icon, a window pops up that makes you choose whether you'd like to upload from your computer or from a URL link. Unfortunately, this window just freezes whatever you do. You will have to close the Blogger tab.  I use Windows Edge but I read this is the same issue regardless of browser. I found a way to do it, not elegant, but it works. Here are the steps: 1. Upload your photo/s to a photo hosting site. I use Photobucket. 2. Start your post on Blogger. When you want to insert an image, DON"T CLICK ON THE ICON! 3. Instead, go to your photo hosting site (Photobucket) and copy the HTML link to your photo. It's the one that starts with the symbol "<" followed by "a href=" 4. Paste the link into your post. 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 f...

This par 71 course is built along the Candaba swamp (a nature preserve) and water comes into play in almost all holes. And bunkers too, with Boracay-like sand! It's like being in the beach! The greens on the back nine are nice and fast (the original 9 holes), but the front nine greens are very slow. It's a nice course nonetheless, with views of Mt Arayat. Wish there were more trees as it can get really hot. White sand in the bunkers. Water, water everywhere. If you play it right, ie, "dartboard golf," you can manage this course. Scored 82.:)

Upgrade went smoothly. The best thing about this upgrade on my iPhone 5 is the longer battery life. It seems like Apple finally fixed a bug in the time remaining (hence charging?) algorithm. In terms of functionality not much difference as the previous iO2 8.4 was quite good already. Excellent upgrade for iPhone 5.

The Nomos catalogue states: "Although an anti-reflective coating will reduce light reflection, it changes the appearance of the watch, making it look duller, and can also change the colour effect of the hands. For these reasons NOMOS does not use anti-reflection coating on glass." In subdued warm lighting the Orion 38 Datum White indeed has that classic vintage dress watch look; the dial looks more beige than white, and the domed crystal is visible. I actually like it if this is what Nomos means in their catalogue. A chameleon of a watch.

The Seiko Presage SARW011 is one heck of an accurate watch. It comes with Seiko's 6r27 movement with 28,800 bph. In my experience it stays within +3/-2 seconds per day. Pretty impressive! It also can be self-regulated like Rolex, ie, To gain a few seconds rest it at night with dial up. To lose a few seconds rest it with winding button down. To lose a few more seconds rest it with winding button up. It really works, but again within the above-mentioned range, typically 1-2 seconds per day. Great watch!

If watches had personalities, then these two JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) watches would represent two opposites. While the SARB065 immediately grabs your attention with its sunburst dial and contrasting second hand, the SARW011 is more subtle in its appeal. Only by looking closely at the enamel dial, the blued hands, and the power reserve and date complications will you begin to appreciate the depth of its character. One is an extrovert and the other one is more introspective. Like girlfriends, it really depends on what you prefer. You can have one that is lots of fun and one that is looking for a more lasting relationship but has a lot to offer. Fortunately for us, with watches we can have both.

Microsoft updated my desktop to Windows 10 from 8.1 today. So far so good. The update was very smooth, took less than 30 minutes, and all my settings were preserved. The new Edge browser seems seamless. Still navigating the new features, like Cortana, and will observe the following days, but if initial indications hold, then this is one great update for sure. Thanks, Microsoft!

http://www.popsci.com/volvo-wants-to-end-traffic-fatalities-2020 "The car compares your behavior to previous drives. So, if you start jerking the wheel, the center console will flash a text warning advising you to take a break. It’s also the first SUV in the world to automatically brake if it’s headed toward an oncoming car, cyclist, or pedestrian. The car does this with windshield-mounted radar that scans more than 600 feet ahead, night or day, rain or shine. If a collision is imminent, it will brake even if the driver is pressing the gas."

Further to  this post on the fear of mortality . The fear of mortality is not so much the fear of a finite life, but rather the fear of a life that passed without significance. But what is significance? Would you rather have a $2 million mansion or win the Nobel prize worth $1.2 million. Is it achieving power and wealth or writing a book that future generations will continue to read? Each one would have a different answer. But what I've seen from most people is that if you ask them which one they preferred - recognition from others such as awards, or the appreciation from their loved ones such as their family - many would choose the latter. The fear of insignificance is not about being insignificant to the world but in being insignificant to the ones we love. We would rather live on in their hearts than on a shelf in a library.

Anatoly Karpov was world chess champion for ten years (1975-1985). Until the arrival of Gary Kasparov, he dominated tournaments and world title matches. His style is described as "solidly positional, taking no risks but reacting mercilessly to any tiny errors made by his opponents." In his own words: "Let us say the game may be continued in two ways: one of them is a beautiful tactical blow that gives rise to variations that don't yield to precise calculation; the other is clear positional pressure that leads to an endgame with microscopic chances of victory... I would choose the latter without thinking twice." (Wikipedia) Sounds familiar? It was only when Gary Kasparov came along that some excitement came back to chess. In the end Kasparov was beaten by a computer and could not stop the deteriorating interest in the game.

... To have a good day."

Beach! Sun! Fun! Less than three hours from Manila. It's more fun in the Philippines!

It's been a week since I upgraded my iPhone 5 to iOS 8.3. I was hesitant at first due to mixed reviews. The consensus seems to have been "wait and see", specially with iOS 8.4 around the corner. But I've been experiencing poor battery life since iOS 7 to iOS 8.2, always having to recharge by midday. So I thought I had little to lose -- most of the issues on iOS 8.3 were related to touchID which the iPhone 5 doesn't have. I'm glad I upgraded. Battery life has been a vast improvement, I'm back to one charge cycle per 24 hours. My guess is the better management of apps in the background. Good job, Apple!