Reflections on the Online Virtual World

I recently posted a blog entry regarding global-village idiots, inter-nitwits and the virtual online world which is their "domain"...

Truth be told, I still come across those kinds of characters every so often... Then again, the virtual world is, in a sense, a reflection of the real world... I think I'm starting to hear Morpheus (The Matrix Movie) somewhere in the background...

In the same above-mentioned blog entry, I also mentioned that I participate from time to time in an online browser-based game in Facebook called "Street Racing". If memory serves me right, I think its also where I chanced upon one of the inter-nitwits...

Lately, my life has taken a rather slow but nonetheless drastic sort of change... Gone were the days that my life revolves around three primary locations: Home - Office - Internet. Nowadays, I've started to hang out with real people more often... Be it with my girlfriend, my buddies/ playmates from Timezone, my buddies from work, or even clients, I always find myself in the presence and company of real and live people instead of going online.

True, I'm starting to go home later that the usual... but somehow, I'm starting to enjoy it... Although its part of my job as a sales agent to "meet and greet" people, I'm really, really starting to enjoy the way things are going right now...

Recently, the only reasons as to why I'm going online nowadays are to either update my blog entries (such as this one) or to just check my e-mail from friends, colleagues and clients. No longer would I go online for the sole purpose of playing games... I recently checked my account in Street Racing and I found a number of challenges left behind by some people. Apparently one of them also happens to be a "friend" of mine who also happens to be a genuine and bonafide INTER-NITWIT. Anyway, that's just a game and has little or no bearing to my status in the real world... Checking through the list of challenges, there was a large portion of me that wants to level-up my character and get even with them... BUT... there is an even larger part of me that wants to leave the "virtual and online game" aspect of my life and focus on what's in store for me in the real world... Simply put, I'm about to delete my account at Street Racing as soon as I can find out how I can delete it...

Come to think of it, the more I get to explore my world, the REAL WORLD, which I didn't really get to do before, the less appealing the virtual world gets; attending to a client's requirements for real estate, having a drink or two with some of my office buddies, having a nice little dinner with my girlfriend, and the list goes on and on...

Pardon me dear reader for the erractic flow of thought and the sub-standard grammar as I am currently writing this blog entry under drowsy conditions: my eyes are slowly closing, my mind is starting to fly around wherever and whenever, and my body is looking for my bed...

In any case, my online gaming days are practically over as I now switch gears towards my life in the real world...

Global Village Idiocy and the Inter-nitwits

I really love the internet... With the power of relatively complete and utter anonymity and irresponsible freedom of speech, it allows a person to do a variety of things... One of these things happens to be being a complete *insert all forms of profane and deregatory adjectives and words* and getaway with it... And recent events have proved me correct with the aforementioned observation.

Case #1: I'm pretty much sure that almost everyone who logs on to the internet have heard of the mushroom network site known as facebook. Now, facebook has a variety of online applications and groups to make sure that things remain interesting. Now there's this game called street racing... yada, yada, yada (you get my drift dear reader)... In the game of street racing, a player can invite other players to be part of their crews/teams. What does that have to do with me? Let's just say that I approached this certain fellow with the words "Hi, can I join your crew? Sorry if I raced against some of your crew members." Bloody nice of me to ask politely, right?

Guess what? The poor bloke replied to me by saying "Don't be such a creep. What do I care who you hit?" and then proceeded to slag the living crap out of my level 15 character by using his level 146 character to further drive his point. I checked his profile and lo and behold... now wonder he's so cocky... he's living in some faraway and obscure european country and he's a genuine ass to everyone or the majority who's not from that country, knowing that they won't be able to harm him... Pretty gutsy for guy who does all of his racing inside a BROWSER-BASED COMPUTER GAME with no real challenge to skill and whatsoever... After reading his message to me, I can't help but wonder why some people are so (pardon the profanity) anal about a computer game... For the love of God ITS JUST A COMPUTER GAME...

Case #2: Now this one is much closer to home... In fact, its already happening here in our very own Metro Manila... The story is, in one of the gaming forums that I participate in from time to time, there is this fellow who goes by the username of Azure_kite... Just like the fellow in Case #1, he's a genuine cocky little ass behind the computer... messing up everyone who's just minding their own business... but when going face to face, he'll run faster than a bolt of lightning can strike one of those lightning arresters scattered all over Ayala Greenfield Estates... In of his posts, good old Azure_kite made fun of one of my buddies who goes by the username of "CHIBA"... Naturally, I stood up for my buddy whom he was happily backstabbing online and my latent talent for pure and unadulterated sarcasm came to the fore... unfortunately for him, he realized too late that I was being sarcastic with him the whole time and didn't get to reply to my rich, thick and creamy, sweet and sour sarcasm... Here is an excerpt of the "diplomatic" exchange of words that ensued between me and the "Azure_kite":

Azure_Kite:

i2 pmunta sa north pra maglaro ng tekken6 BR at sa trinoma

couples of batols sa SNL nka lban un c chib@ n tga OSF di msyado mlakas pnagtripan klng wahahahahah!! di kc mgaling sunug lng ang kya di mrunong lmaban ng ptas lkas ng pasikat any ways bka mmya maglaru me.

 

 

RB33:

Talaga? Paano kung nalaman mo na hindi ka nun sineryoso at nagtanggal lang ng stress mula sa TRABAHO si Chiba? Baka naman ghost lang niya ang kinalaban mo. kung sabagay, mukhang bago ka pa lang at nakakalaro mo ang ibang mga veteran na di na sineseryoso ang laro gaya mo ;]

 

 

Azure_Kite:

@RB33

yaw koh mkipag away. bka ikw lng bagu kc dati pku naglalaru nkta kna lhat ng veterano mag laru ksma nku dun sa mga veterano n un mga iba kybigan kpa maximum 1 naabutan kpa un TEAM PNUTS naabutan kpa ksma team OSF pti tofu yan mga top3 dati bka hnd moh alam. tsk3 LOL

 

 

RB33:

Cge, sinabi mo eh, naniniwala ako sa iyo. ;]

 

 

Azure_Kite:

yun nman pla e. kla koh di mko naintindihan e >:)

 

 

RB33:

Aba OO naiintindihan kita ng todo! Klarong-klaro! XD

 

After a while, one of the forum moderators noticed the exchange and the other insults that the good man Azure_Kite threw at the other forum members and promptly banned the blessed sonuvabitch from further participation in the forum with these parting words:

“kaya maraming gusto pumatay sau e... nde ngbabago asal tamo urong tite ka samin pero mga wangan pipz inaastahan mo pa rin... kaya ka rin paslangin ng mga yan tsong mag ingat ingat ka sa mga binibitawan mong salita”

Unfortunately, Azure_Kite (under a different name) showed up in another forum that I frequent to more often and is now poised to bring in more trouble... Sounds like a lot of bloody fun...

Now, I may be a bit too harsh on the examples that I've mentioned in the two cases that I presented... For all we know, they were abused children... XD

Then again, when jerks know that people cannot retaliate to them directly and for as long as they hide behind a computer, they will always strike with the illusion of relative impunity and diety-like cockiness just because they are behind a computer... and from there, they begin their glorious transformation into the global village idiots and the inter-nitwits...

Geez... ==;

Midnight Run: A New Beginning

Seeing the yellow figure up ahead, he began to accelerate and sped past various vehicles. Catching up with her, he matched her speed until he was running side-by-side with her and then flashed his lights as an invitation. Pleasantly surprised at the Red Wind's appearance, the Yellow Damsel flashed her lights in reply as an acceptance of his invitation. Together, they accelerated into the night.

For the Red Wind, it was an entirely different feeling. It was surreal. For the first time after a long while, he was comfortably happy running the streets beside someone whom he has grown to like and admire. For the Yellow Damsel, it seemed to be nothing more than a simple joyride, enjoying the company of people whom she is happy to be with... But for the Red Wind, it was more than that... Maybe it wasn't time yet but he knew what he wants and he also realized that he has grown to need her in his life.

Exchanging lines every so often, they navigated corners and chicanes as if they nothing more than gentle curves. And every so often, the Red Wind willingly puts himself on the outside of a turn as if to protect his companion from hitting the walls. Coming out of a corner, they both saw a fork on the road. Far into the left lane, the Red Wind saw a lone white figure whom he adored so much when he was once a Red Knight. While he knew that they are just friends, there were times that he longed for the days gone by. The right lane was open, filled with gentle curves and sudden turns. It was as if it was inviting  him to take a challenge of sorts. The Yellow Damsel signaled that she would be taking the right lane.

As they approached the fork on the road, the Red Wind briefly reminisced and reflected on his decisions, his actions and their consequences. He then made his decision. It was time for him to move forward with his life. The lane that he chose may be full of uncertainties but he too deserved a fresh start. Taking the Yellow Damsel's cue, they took the right lane and sped together into the night...

And for the Red Wind, a new life...

Imponderables

I got another one from a very good friend. Courtesy of "Mommy" Cris Bayani

Ponder on these imponderables for a minute:

1. If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does he become disoriented?

2. If people from?Poland? are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland?called Holes?

3. Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?

4. If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

5. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

6. Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

7. When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?

8. Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who drives a racing car not called a racist?

9. Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites?

10. Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?

11. Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?

12. "I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?

13. If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

14. What hair colour do they put on the driver's licences of bald men?

15. I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use? Toothpicks?

16. Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the postmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?

17. You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive. (Amen)

18. No one ever says, "It's only a game" when their team is winning.

19. Ever wonder about those people who spend $2.00 apiece on those little bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backwards: NAIVE

20. Isn't making a smoking section in a restaurant like making a peeing section in a swimming pool?

22. OK ... so if the Jacksonville Jaguars are known as the "Jags" and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are known as the "Bucs," what does that make the Tennessee? Titans?

23. If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhoea, does that mean that one enjoys it?

24. Why if you send something by road it is called a shipment, but when you send it by sea it is called cargo?

25. If a convenience store is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the door?

Think about it...

Nightbeat: Reconciliation

He was back on the street again... Lamposts looking like blurrs of light... Weaving unseen and intricate lines in and out in between moving obstacles that, in relation to his pace, are virtually in a standstill... His mount had it final transformation: visually, it now sports a pair of white stripes in contrast to the vibrant shining red. It no longer carries a clean look that it once had. Performance-wise it was now far from what it was as a replacement for his old mount. It was nowhere as grippy and it slides just right. And just as his mount had changed, so had he. No longer the angry and sullen knight, his smooth and gentle maneuvers clearly reflecting his temperament.

Smoothly clearing a corner, he spotted a familiar sight: the former queen. As always, still pretty and still as white as he once saw her. Physically speaking, she still looked the same. But by the way she moved, one can tell that she too has changed. She then flashed her tail lights as a sign of invitation. Seeing that, he knew that the former queen had seen him. Setting his ride beside hers, he gave her a short glance and she signaled him for a short run. He replied in kind and they accelerated together into the night..

Together, they once again did the dance that they used to, making their way past traffic, navigating corners and exchanging and crossing each other's lines in the process. They were both smiling yet somehow knew that they could no longer return to a time gone by. Clearing a corner together, the scarlet wind was on the left side of the road while his former queen on the right. From afar, they saw a fork on the road - the very same fork where they made their respective decisions a long time ago. As they approached the incoming division, the former queen flashed her lights as if to talk. And for a brief period, both of them were transported to a time gone by:

Will you still be my friend even after we part ways?

Of course, I will always be your friend no matter what.

Promise?

Promise.

Returning back to reality, the former red knight smiled and flashed his lights in return. It looks as though he will be able to keep that promise after all. Stealing a glance once more at his former queen, he also saw her smiling. They both knew that they would meet again but no longer as the enemies that they once saw in each other after that fateful night all those days and months ago... Taking his respective lane, he parted ways with his former queen as she took hers. He then sped away down his chosen path into the night and once again smiled as he saw a yellow figure not too far away...

The Wonder Years

"Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder what's to come. But that night, I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be. Other days. New days. Days to come. The thing is, we didn't have to hate each other for getting older. We just had to forgive ourselves... for growing up."
                                                                                                    - The Wonder Years

I came across the above quotation a few days ago. Had it not been for the mentioned source of the quote, I would have definitely discarded it as another statement... Who knew that such a statement from an old TV series could carry that much weight?

It somehow woke a sense of nostalgia in me... It made me wonder how were the people who I used to study and grow up with are doing now. Questions such as "Where are they?" or "How do they look like now?" came to the fore. Yes, social network sites such as friendster and multiply are sprouting all over the internet like mushrooms, letting a person know how his friends, classmates and acquiantances are doing... But somehow, its different when you get to see them again face to face. Add to that the news of the death of the father of one of my former classmates in college, not to mention the demise of one of my batchmates from high school made me think about my mortality and how short life is. Funny, I'm still in my early twenties and I'm already acknowledging my own mortality and already wondering what am I doing with life right now...

As you can see dear reader, I just uploaded another photo album... this time filled with pictures of good old UST. Some of the places there are still familiar while some of the landmarks that me and many of my college batchmates grew up with are no longer there... Initially, I was one of the many who thought that many of the changes are no longer needed or that there could be a better way. Sadly, the price of moving forward is to let go of some of these landmarks. Places such as the Colayco Park and the UST canteen has given way to the Millenium Park (UST people, please correct me on that) and other such changes. The UST canteen's spiritual successor is the car park building in front of the UST Hospital. When I re-visited UST last Saturday and started my little photography project, I began to realize that some of the changes really are for the better (in a sense). I wouldn't have been able to get a rather good (relatively) shot of either AB Building or the Main Building had it not been for the spanish-era styled lamp posts to add some flavor to the scenery...

Taking those pictures helped me relax from the stress and crap of the "real" world. Yes, I know that its rather odd to visit a school during the summer break when you know that you're not going to chance upon anyone familiar there but something inside me was nudging or begging me to visit the old school again and just reflect. Every shot, every photo of a building or a place in UST reminded me of a lot of pleasant and not so pleasant memories. It was also strangely surreal because while I was taking pictures, I could almost hear the voices of either my college classmates or batchmates... A part of me was half-expecting to see them walking around, chatting, minding their own businesses the second I turn towards the sounds of their voices... At one point, my nostalgia got the better of me and I somehow saw images of me and my UST batchmates... Again, more memories... of cramming for exams... quarreling over projects and petty things... the gimicks... the laughter and chatter... Those were carefree days... In a sense, those were really the wonder years...

Well, time to park my so-called pen for now... Time to face the new day and the days to come... Come to think of it, all that came from just one statement from an old TV show...

Small World (Scene 1)

A detailed (?) recap of the drinking session at Alan's Grill last May 16, 2008... And now, for the characters:

What the Hec (WTH): an office worker and career man but has not yet let go of his interest in animation, television and such... But in a more subtle manner than before...

Smart Alec: A witty and good natured guy...

SWIPE: another office worker and career man...

Little Nicky: the... topic of the night...

Scene 1: WTH, Smart Alec and Little Nicky are having a few drinks at Alan's Grill.

[fade in] Nursery song "Its a Small World" [fade out}

Smart Alec: Ei Nick, where's you're imaginary friend?

Little Nicky: Don't worry, he'll come. He just came from work.

SWIPE arrives.

Smart Alec: So this is your imaginary friend, Nick?

SWIPE: Yep, the imaginary friend has materialized.

Handshakes were exchanged.

Little Nicky: Hey SWIPE, did you know that me, Smart Alec and WTH have a common friend who knows your ex-gf?

[fade in] Nursery song "Its a Small World" [fade out]

Slideshow of several pics showing drinks and food. Little Nick ends his story of seeing a nice BMW.

Smart Alec: Nick, your reaction to that BMW reminds me of how a deer reacts when flashed with a cars headlights: clueless and awestruck in the middle of the road.

Little Nicky: Really?

SWIPE takes a photo of a clueless Little Nicky.

Little Nicky: DAMN YOU SWIPE!

SWIPE: [snickers]  This will look good on friendster and multiply...

Little Nicky: SWIPE...

Smart Alec: Your world just got smaller, Nick.. hehehe....

SWIPE: [looks at Little Nicky] You're screwed man... [flashes evil smile]

WTH: Oh yes...

Little Nicky: What have I done?...

[fade in] Nursery song "Its a Small World" [fade out]

*End of Scene 1*

 

*pics of Little Nicky emulating a dumbfounded deer will be posted later this week...