Changes to my blog + My new favorite anime

Yeah, I know your eyebrows are raised because of the changes I made to my blog. I decided to upgrade my template because I'm somehow bored with my previous template. It really took me a short time to revamp this blog to a new level, but I'm happy with it. Oh, and I changed the title a bit because somehow, my post does include not only about my life and online games, but also about anime as well. So there, the new title is shown on my brand - new blog.

Well, speaking of anime, I'm now a fan of To Aru Kagaku no Railgun (A Certain Scientific Railgun). I first discovered it in my March issue of GAME! magazine, and it's only a few days ago that I decided to give it a try. Indeed, I was impressed with it.

Well, just in case you haven't heard of it, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun is a side story of another anime entitled To Aru Majutsu no Index. It focuses mostly on Makoto Misaka, one of the Level 5 users in Academy City, the place devoted on training its students to fortify their supernatural abilities. Misaka is reputed to be the ace of Tokiwadai High School (one of the prestigious elite schools in Academy City) due to her powerful talent of controlling electricity to her liking, like launching coins at a fast rate and giving those who cross her a excruciating electric shock, which might even cause massive destruction at the surroundings. No wonder Shirai Kuroko, another Tokiwadai student and a member of Judgement (the police department) always shows affection to her, much to her chagrin.

Aside from Misaka and Kuroko, there are other two interesting characters that I like: Kazari Uiharu and Ruiko Saten (both students from Sakugawa Middle School, another school in Academy City). Uiharu is a shy female teenager with a flower wreath on her hair, who is also adept in using computers for research and surveillance for Judgement, while Saten-san, despite having no abilities, is a cheerful female with a happy-go-lucky attitude (although there's also another side of her, which was painful and depressing). Together with Misaka and Kuroko, they form a group of friends who stay strong despite the obstacles coming their way.

But despite the action, comedy and humor made to lighten the mood, there are also sides of horror and depression. One proof would be the ability users who used their gifts for bad means, with a sad story behind the motives. Another would be a scientist who acted as a cerebral psychologist, but in fact, has even more sinister plans. But the more shocking would be illegal means to upgrade supernatural powers, with a heavy price in exchange.

If you're interested, check out the ff. videos (sorry, I won't put the episodes... You have to discover it for yourself):

First Opening Song (Only My Railgun by fripside)




First Ending Song (Dear My Friend by Elisa)



Second Opening Song (Level 5 - Judgelight by fripside):



Second Ending Song (Real Force by Elisa):




All in all, it's indeed worth checking out. Gotta check out To Aru Majutsu no Index once I'm done watching all 24 episodes of Railgun... ^^


That's all for now... Ciao! ^^

Digsby: communication in one small package

Months ago, back at Pasig, I wanted to chat with my friends using Windows Live Messenger. The last time I used it, there was a message that said that I must upgrade to the latest version in order to continue, for if I clicked no, I could not use it. So there, I upgraded it, but an error messaged popped out saying that there's a problem connecting with the server. Worse, I couldn't even uninstall that damn thing. I tried downloading the latest version from the website, but still the same result. It meant one thing: the system requirements are much more demanding now, more modern than the previous. Because of that, I held off chatting for months.

Thankfully, a solution came to me yesterday while I was busy using Facebook (yes, I have an account there). My friend Rara-chan had posted in my news feed about her using Digsby, an all - in - one social application which allows checking e-mails from multiple e-mail accounts, chatting with friends from various IM applications, such as Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger, and even looking for updates in various social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. See, it's indeed an all-in-one package, allowing anyone to do all of these things in just one application. ^^

It was indeed a good discovery for me, so I decided to download the application and register. I placed all my e-mail accounts (in MSN & GMail), my IM accounts (in MSN & YM), and even my Facebook account there.

So there, I managed to chat with my friends from both IM accounts, and even to check mails from both MSN & Gmail, and even from my news feed in Facebook as well without having to go to the sites just to see what's there. It was indeed worth checking out.

You can check the features in this video:


You can download Digsby through this link: Download

Oh, and don't forget to register, for it's necessary before you can enjoy the benefits. ^^

That's all for now. Jaa - ne! :D

Something to cheer me up for the meantime

Right now, I'm currently in the severe state of depression right now because of my mistakes that made my mom so mad at me that she would hit the roof. Because of that, I held off playing CelestiaLuna because I'm not in the mood to level up my characters there right now... :(

So I decided to start watching Bakugan: New Vestroia through the Internet. I'm starting to like the plot: Peace at new Vestroia at the start, but then alien ships came over and captured all monsters there, enslaving them and treating them like helpless animals just for entertainment. That's where Dan and Marucho come in, meet Mira (leader of the Resistance), together with Ace and Baron, reunite with Shun (who had his hair cut short), and help them free the Bakugan from the Vestials' slavery. Believe me, obstacles also came in the way, including the Vexos (team of the Vestials' best Brawlers), and even the prince who was acting like a spoiled brat (having a collection of the first season's main protagonists' Bakugan turned into statues, excluding Drago, is one proof).

So far, I had just finished watching episodes 1-16. Too bad I couldn't watch episode 4 due to copyright protection... T_T

So, enough ranting for now... Gotta continue watching the rest of the series now. Jaa - ne! ^^

Confused on my next character

Right now, I'm deciding on what my next character in CelestiaLuna should be. I may have my soon - to - be Paladin, Assassin and Treasure Hunter already, but I'm itching to try out another job now... ><

I'm still deciding whether I should go for Rune Knight (because of party buffs), or Bishop (because of healing, buffing, and even the most destructive AOE offensive skills), or maybe even something else. The problem is, the guides through the Internet are somewhat scarce, and they are not that accurate, for I'm still confused whether I should follow them or not... -.-

Please, I need help! Post comments if you have suggestions, but no flaming please! T_T

Almost there...

Yeah, it's been a very long time since the news that CelestiaLuna was offline for some days. It's online now, but the drawback was that players had to register a new account and create new characters. I did the same as them, and there, I had to start from scratch all over again.

Well, that was a very long time ago. Now, my main character, my female Phalanx (yep, I chose my characters to go to the same class as it had been before the wipeout), is almost reaching the point where she can become a Paladin (two levels to go... ^^).

Then, there's my Assassin, which I found it good to use, because of dagger attacks which would put illness to enemies (bleed, paralysis, etc.). Her defense is weak, though... T_T

As for my ranger character, I originally planned to become a Ranger, but I decided to make her a Treasure Hunter because of the AOE skills (Hunter Blast & Hunter Smoke FTW!), as well as Extortion (buff which would increase item drop, but with long cooldown).

My concern right now is hunting for Rune Carving stuff in order to craft lvl 100+ items, crafting lvl 95 light armor sets for both my TH & Assassin, and even hunting lvl 90+ weapons with good stats (I would craft these again if the drops are not good -.-)

Anyways, that's enough ranting... Gotta eat breakfast now. Yum yum... *burp*

It's been a long time, eh?

So I've gone through long another hiatus... AGAIN! I had no time to update this blog due to so many thing to take care of, like real - life situations (I just graduated from high school, by the way). It was indeed very frustrating for me... ><

So in order to make up for this very loooooooong standstill, I'll rant about what I've gone through so far:

I couldn't play the PH version of Luna Online because it's somehow not compatible with my PC, so my older sis and I decided to play the private server, CelestiaLuna (Too bad it's offline right now). My main character is a female Elf Phalanx (tank - type), currently at lvl 100. I'm currently focusing on both my elven Treasure Hunter and human Thief (my soon - to - be Assassin). Let me tell you, it's indeed VERY expensive to craft (especially if you're aiming for lvl 90+ sets). We had to stick to voting in order to get GPs necessary to buy stuff from Item Mall (can't have Premium Points through donating because it's also expensive... ><).

As for Lineage 2, I'll be definitely leaving my avatars there in an indefinite hiatus (I couldn't afford to play the Final Gracia patch because it requires intense graphics, and it will consume a lot of hard drive disk space). I don't know if I'll come back there... :(

About Rohan? Well... I'm fed up with playing it due to lag, because my character is killed due to it.

I came back playing Cabal only recently, because I couldn't stand being disconnected everytime I play it in my PC back in Pasig, so I played it before in Netopia in Bacolod. My Force Shielder is now lvl 96. Been through lots of patches, and I still found it weird for normal Battlesuits (before the Reinforced one) to look like dresses... ^^

Right now, I've been thinking of trying out Runes of Magic (published by E-Games). Too bad I couldn't go to the Domination IV event (and even the upcoming Ozine Fest), because I'm currently in Negros right now... :(

Anyway, just finished the latest version of DirectX so that I could play my favorite online games smoothly. Currently installing the latest client of Cabal right now.

That's all for now... Ta - ta... ^^

Planning to try out a new online game + Cabal’s newest patch

Sorry folks, for not updating my blog for a very, very, very, very long time. It’s just that I have so many things to do right now, especially when I was one of the people who had finally recovered from the wrath of the typhoons that struck the Philippines several days ago.

But anyway, to make up for this long hiatus, I will tell you something about the new online game I’m planning to try out. It’s known as Luna Online, published locally by Run Up Games Philippines (it actually has many branches, and Philippines is just one of them) and developed by EYA Interactive. Just like any other MMORPG, it has so many interesting features there, like the ff.:

Amazingly cute graphics – Yeah, almost all MMORPGs have visually – stunning graphics, and Luna is no exception. The avatars indeed look so cute and chibi – like that one can’t help but to go “awww” by just looking at them, especially when they’re dressed to impressed.

Dating & matchmaking system – Luna shows a unique way of choosing who will be your potential mate by having hearts dance around any nearby avatar who is a potential match for your avatar. That way, you’ll make sure that you’ll be paired up only with someone who has the same preferences as you do. And that’s not all, you and your partner can undergo specific quests designed for couples, and get various rewards once you complete them.

Family system – five players can form a family, composed of a father, mother & 3 other members. Having a family will allow you to own a farm (just like in Hello Kitty Online & Nostale), which will allow your family to breed pets, grow various crops and even to cooperate with each other. That way, you can not only mingle with others but also attain high status in – game (and to earn more money as well.)

Talking monsters – Yeah, you heard that right. Monsters do talk, even when you’re busy killing them.

Specialized job classes & races – There are two races available in Luna Online: Humans & Elves, and three classes: Fighter, Rogue & Mage. Each character class has specific roles to perform, depending on the race he or she is in.

If you would ask me what race & class I’ll be by the time I first step into the game, I’ll create a Fighter, either as a Human or Elf, while my older sister would try becoming an Elven Mage. I really can’t wait to try this game out… ^^

Oh, and there’s a new patch for all Cabal Online players out there. Entitled Sienna, the Queen, this latest patch adds a lot of things to look out for, like the new dungeons (Altar of Sienna B2F is one of them), the Essence Runes (allows you to use skills at the cost of Ability Points & even Force Cores), the Linking System, and lots more. Check out this website for more info:

http://www.cabalonline.com/queen/index.html

That’s all for now… Ta – ta… ^^

About Parenting

After a couple gets married in a church or someplace else, parenting is usually the next step. We all know that with bearing children comes the responsibility of taking care of them, to make sure that they grow up with proper behavior and disposition in life. Of course, it would be a privilege for a parent to see that his or her children have a greater future someday, and that they would soon help in taking care of the family’s necessities once they become adults and have jobs.

That is what I’ve experienced during the course of my project in Economics class, wherein I have an “egg baby”, a baby made out of uncooked egg, and make sure I take meticulous care of it. It was indeed very important, because once it gets cracked, my project score would be affected greatly. My egg baby was a daughter, named Joanna Alexandria Darkwind, and she was indeed so cute, for her face was like Pucca. I managed to take care of her for 4 days. But unfortunately, yesterday, the worst had happened – she was already cracked, and I couldn’t help but to cry my heart out. I knew how painful it was for a mother to lose a child, and I couldn’t believe that I’ve experienced it. But still, I have to look towards the light, for some of my classmates had pictures of her when she was still alive, and I just have to replace her just for the sake of taking my own pictures with her. Of course, I couldn’t bring her on Monday, for I knew she’s already dead.

The lesson I’ve learned from that experience is this: Parenting is a difficult but rewarding obligation. I could still remember about Alcarcalimo’s role as a father to his children, especially towards his youngest daughter. My sweet time with my daughter Joanna until her death was indeed a worthwhile moment, for I now understood what was like to be a parent.

That’s all for now… Ta – ta! ^^

Looking at two sides of a coin…

By the year 2010, we will be experiencing again one of the most important events happening in every country, especially here in the Philippines: election. Election is when a citizen chooses who will be leading the country to the right path. But before the main event, there will be intense competition going on between political parties, with promises, debates and other issues that will be addressed once the members win and are elected as part of the government.

That is the highlight of the play entitled “Magkaibang Mukha ng Isang Bagol” (Two Sides of a Coin). Written by Filipino playwright Amado V. Hernandez in 1960, its main focus are the two opposing parties, “Partido ng Bayan” and “Partido ng Bansa”, led by Pantog and Bantog respectably. Pantog’s main goal is to crush the graft and corruption of the government, while Bantog’s mission to lead the country towards peace and order by the government’s just ways. After the support program and a heated jousting debate going on between two parties, the election ensues and only the result will decide who shall stay and who shall fall.

The play was presented in my school yesterday, and I can say that it was indeed both entertaining and relevant at the same time. The mood there was serious and intense, especially during the climax wherein the aggressive debate culminated in a series of violent squabbles that alarmed the police, and even when the result of voting at the Election Day ended as a draw. I’m indeed impressed on how the play was presented by our group of actors and actresses known as “Dulaang 108”; the way they speak, the actions they perform, and even the sounds and effects used indeed blend together, making the end result worth the hard work. There was also a discussion about the inspiration behind the play, and it turned out that there was that same heated competition, between Carlos Garcia of Liberal Party and Diosdado Macapagal of Nacionalista Party, on the year the play was written.

“Magkaibang Mukang ng Isang Bagol” has indeed shed light on both political and voting issues. The main lesson is this: We must make a wise choice on voting and we must not always base our decisions with just a simple coin toss. Please take my word on this… ^^

Influenza A H1N1 ruins school life, period!!

It’s been weeks since we first heard of the Influenza A H1N1 outbreak in Mexico, and now, even the Philippines became one of the countries affected by the virus, with over 700 cases being tallied by the Department of Health. Despite having most of them healed, and with new vaccine discovered and soon to be tested, the illness was still considered a hazardous threat to us Filipinos.

Believe me if I say that it ruins our lifestyle, especially when it comes to school. Some of our prestigious colleges & universities have their classes suspended for a maximum of 10 days due to confirmed cases of students being affected by the disease, especially those who were foreigners & even Filipinos who went to other countries for their summer vacation. It was a sad thing to say that the number of schools having suspended classes increased as time passes by.

Due to this quirky phenomenon, certain safety measures were sternly observed, like washing of hands using soap & water, using rubbing alcohol to clean our hands before & after our routine, sick students, teachers & employees wearing face masks & even the stationing of quarantine rooms for those found to be sick with flu. Even school clinics were providing flu vaccine for protection, but the price was so expensive that it may lead people to break their piggy banks just for the sake of being immune to the disease. Even schools have to give way to thorough cleaning, fuming & disinfecting, which was certainly another reason why classes have to be suspended.

So now here I go, as a student, going to endure 3 days of no classes, starting tomorrow until Monday, since my school will undergo thorough disinfection stage in order to be protected against swine flu. Because of this, the National Career Assessment Examination review session, which was supposed to start tomorrow, was postponed to next Saturday. Even I was pissed when DepEd announced that there will be no semestral break and that Christmas vacation will be cut short, just for the sake of completing the required school days. Grrrr!!!! I hate it when my school will be affected by these new guidelines, too.

I therefore conclude that all these happened because of that freaking swine flu outbreak. What a sad, tragic chapter that will be included in the pages of every student’s life, including mine… T_T