STEVE JOBS by WALTER ISAACSON

081912. sunday.

The journey is the reward. – Steve Jobs

it’s my first time to read a biography, and i’m so happy my first is about a man who lived a very interesting life. no regrets.

i was kind of clueless, no not kinda but totally clueless. HAHA. but after reading, i can now somehow tell how fiction is different from biography. with fiction, a character is made out of how the author wanted it to be, the author has the full freedom. with a biography, the author doesn’t have quite enough freedom to make a character. the biographer can only angle the story or make an impression of the subject according to the author’s or the subject’s will, but not create a totally untrue representation. readers would surely know whether or not there is a hidden scheme in making the subject look good. just sayin’ HAHA.

moving on…

Steve Jobs is about Steve Jobs. OBVIOUSLY. HAHA.

People DO judge a book by its cover. – Mike Markkula

this book served as an all access pass to the life of Steve. here, i saw how he was as a child, a son, a prankster (oyea, he used to be a bully before. HAHA.), a student, a believer, a music fanatic (Bob Dylan and The Beatles), a fruitarian (a literal apple man. HAHA.), a vegetarian (carrot man. HAHA.), an employee, a businessman, a business partner, an inventor, an innovator, a boss, a competitor, a lover, a friend, an adviser, a husband, a father, a cancer patient, a CEO (a very intuitive one).

since this is the biography of Steve, we cannot not talk about a few other stuff as these things were what made Steve Steve. consider it a package deal. as i read along, i also had to deal with the history and evolution of computer and technology, the principles of Zen Buddhism, and the failures and successes of Pixar and Apple. as for me, they were bonuses since my only purpose was to just read and learn about the man. HAHA.

it’s great to know that this is a no holds barred account of Steve’s life (makes me wanna believe whatever is written on its pages. HAHA.). this fact made the book more reliable since Steve didn’t wish to control its contents. according to Walter Isaacson, Jobs gave him the full authority to put whatever he thought was necessary and to talk to whoever he wanted to talk to about Steve.

i think this biography is an honest and sincere one. the writer covered Steve’s whole life, not missing any part of it. i appreciated the fact that he didn’t omit anything. even the downside of both Steve’s persona and career were written point-blank. the book didn’t try to portray him as a nice person, it just showed who he really was. the book told the readers that, just like all of us, he also had imperfections and flaws. another good thing about this is that there would always be two sides of the story – Steve’s and the other party’s. sometimes Steve would agree with the ideas and understanding of the others, sometimes he would just refute them completely.

People don’t know what they want until you show it to them. – Steve Jobs

Steve had a very exciting and moving story. with the author’s style of writing, he captured and recounted the scenes in a way that readers would get the perfect picture with the perfect mood. from time to time, i’d have to stop reading and smile because i was either  fascinated, amazed, surprised, or whatever depending on what i just read. i would catch myself doing it many times while i was at it. HAHA.

i enjoyed this book a lot because it is an inspiring story about an inspiring man. i’ve always been fascinated by Steve Jobs. he’s got that sincerity and charisma which made people believe him and his products. 

Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page. – Steve Jobs

i was surprised to find out that he wasn’t what i thought he was. i imagined him as a calm, considerate, sympathetic, and understanding kind of person. i didn’t get anything correctly. HAHA. he turned out to be someone who’s impatient and frank. a perfectionist. a control freak. he would classify things or people as either crap or brilliant, stupid or genius, there’s nothing in between. with all these, i think he was like that only because it’s his own way of bringing out the best in his people, in which he was very good at.

i adore him for knowing how to put a great show. people would always be excited with what he got in store every time he’d do his product launches. his attention to details was also admirable. he wouldn’t settle at something unless he thought it was already the best, may it be in the shape and thinness of the iPad, the perfect shade of a certain color, the right material for the iPhone, and so on. so you Apple users, better love and value your gadgets even more! HAHA!

if i was right at anything, it’s that he really was a very passionate and dedicated man. he wasn’t in the business primarily to make money. he’s always after what’s best for the product and the users. i’d always be a fan, more so now that i’m done with his biography! HAHA. 

Because a lot of people think they’re crazy, but in that craziness we see genius. – Steve Jobs

Rest In Peace, Steve Jobs.

photo sources: digitaltrends.com

               http://www.newlaunches.com        

               http://www.brandengineers.com

               http://www.brandmill.com

               http://articles.businessinsider.com

a child's innocence

082312. thursday.

#a child's innocence

through a child's eyes, innocence is conceived; innocence is exposed. it's a wonder how their candidness becomes the most comforting thing in the world. they mean no harm in whatever they do. their smiles are the cure to anyone’s distress. and with just a kiss, they will forget the reasons for their tears. happy 10 months of existence in the world to this adorable baby. you're the cutest, Chelsea! :)

PARADISO (THE DIVINE COMEDY) by DANTE ALIGHIERI (translated by Allen Mendelbaum)

081712. friday.

hi there! HAHA. if ever you noticed, many of my posts lately are about the recent books i’ve read. spare me the blame ‘coz i haven’t been doing anything else aside from reading. i’m too broke to go out often and squander money! HAHA. well, hope this doesn’t bore you. :)

time for this blogpost’s subject.

i had to make some adjustments since this Paradiso came from a collection(Bantam Classics) different from where the first two(Signet Classics) were taken. unlike the first two books, this doesn’t have a longer and more comprehensive introduction which i found very helpful when i read Inferno and Purgatorio. Paradiso was more challenging to me since i had to depend on the poem and the notes solely. this time i’d really know whether or not i have a mind capable  of understanding poetry. HAHA.

the final ascent of Dante, the culmination of all that he’s been through is found in Paradiso.

what the last part of The Divine Comedy contains is quite different from what i expected. i thought there’d be no more voyage. then again, the whole story revolved on Dante’s journey to the top, but that, according to his narration, there really are no lower or higher points here. this is the case only because this is as far as human-like capacity is able to grasp. everyone is equal in heaven, and that wherever an angel/seraphim/cherubim can be is where that being wished to be. and because the phenomena here are not something human can easily perceive, Dante has had more questions compared with Inferno and Purgatorio. and as a reader, i was even more confused. HAHA.

Paradiso follows the same pattern as the first two - exploration of different stages, accounts of stories from notable beings, Dante’s comprehension of the many puzzles.

for me, the moving parts were  found in the last chapters of the book only, when he’s already in the Empyrean where all the beatified and blessed are truly placed, together with Mary and God.

this is an illustration (provided by the book)  of how Dante  perceived the universe in the epic poem. 

as a whole, i guess the The Divine Comedy has become too complex and too serious that i didn’t find anything astonishing about it. not that it’s not good, it is great actually. it’s just that these books(Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso) are less on emotions, more on details and reasons. the many clarifications took over the whole story. i don’t know with other people, but that’s how i see it. HAHA.

nonetheless, there are still a lot of essential lessons that can be extracted from what i’ve read. here, it was all about contentment and achievement of desire. i also mentioned some lessons in my posts about Inferno and Purgatorio. the learning is what made the reading worth it. :)

again, THANK YOU for the books, ate delee! HAHA.

FIESTA: THE REPEAT

081212. sunday.

food will always find a way to unite us all. :)

yesterday, 081112, our class was once again reunited. we were invited by Tapang for Brgy. Sta. Clara's feast.  fiestas can only mean one thing - FOOD. HAHA.

is this occasion somewhat familiar to you? de javu. well, if you read this blogpost(maghapon sa pyestahan.), you'd know that we were also here last year. yes, this has been an annual gathering for all of us. HAHA.

thank you for this special event as we got to see many of our classmates again! most are now busy with their own lives that we barely hangout together anymore. too bad. HAHA. and this is where our love for food comes in. it's automatic. when we talk about food, if not everybody, most  will show up. that is very true in this case. more than half of the class came over. yvonne, jusz, jerome, sarah, kreng, moning, jonas, vyna, paul, hanawoods and boyfriend, pammy, dervs, bistek, tapang (the host), and me.

 

as always, their buffet was uh-mah-zing. cordon bleu, my all time favorite, is the bomb! there were also the other fiesta staples like lumpiang shanghai, menudo, embutido, and fish fillet among others. happy tummies. HAHA.

our dessert was kind of special. instead of the usual sweet treats, we had a chitchat of the latest gossips in town. HAHA. and as always, there were so many shocking, tantrum-causing news made by shocking people. HAHAHA. well, seems like a lot has already happened since we left school. oh, how much i miss school. we did some catching up. a lot has changed with us. some got better, some got worse. well, it’s their choice, so…

let the story begin. once upon a time...   HAHA.

very intense while listening to the stories/chismis. HAHA.

thanks to my good friends (jonas, bistek, kreng, and dervs) for teaching me how to play the card game “in between.” woof-woof! it’s such a fun game, plus it’s very easy to learn. we didn’t just play, we gambled. HAHA. dervs was the winner, he got away with the most money. i wish it was me. next time, imma beat you all! wait for my sweet revenge! HAHA.

my teachers. haha.

playmates/enemies. HAHA.

thumbs up for a crazy game. :)

that’s onehelluvaday! :) this wouldn’t be the last. surely, we’ll have more of this. i am looking forward to the next. where will it be? we’ll soon find out. HAHA. thanks to Matapang and her family for inviting us over. they never fail to satisfy our bellies. HAHA. 

*thanks to jerome, kreng and jonas for most of the photos.

the ace in between

081112. saturday.

# the ace in between

one of the most refreshing things i did today! it's been a long, long time since i last played cards. :) only now did i learn the card game "in between." thanks to my BI friends (jonas, derbs and bistek) for teaching me and kreng. kidding! HAHA. they are all so nice! i lost money but i had fun! :)

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY by E. L. JAMES

073112. tuesday.

i finally laid my hands on the much talked about trilogy. well, i just finished the first book. :)

Anastasia Steele is a graduating student; Christian Grey is a multi-billionaire CEO. both met by chance. from then on they just couldn’t resist the attraction between them. Anastasia got overwhelmed in the world Grey put her into, a world she didn’t know exists until he met Christian. they have just started to analyze the possibility of making things work out between them, fully aware they both have different perspectives in life. there’s one thing that makes them stick together – their extreme desire for each other.

Fifty Shades of Grey is a very intriguing and exciting love story. the peculiarity and novelty of the situation provided its readers with things to expect and think about. this ain’t the usual romance we know. this is love and sex, and this is actuality. this is one of those books that get you hooked, but not one to consider as something among the best. it has a riveting story, just a riveting story. HEHE.

i assume this book has no particular climax (ironically. HAHA.) the story did not reach a conclusion. i don’t know. there maybe a climax, but i think it’s not much of a high point, is it? maybe the author chose to break the climax bit by bit instead of putting it in one blow. for me, the only highlights of the story are found every time they realize their “first times” and during that moment when finally everything dawned upon Anastasia. besides, this is just the first book. there’s more to the story that’s yet to be discovered.

what can i say, i’m also dazzled by the idea of Christian Grey. i do think this is also what makes the book appeal more to girls. HAHA. he’s the perfect representation of the modern day Adonis. HAHA. he’s a make-believe character, but heck all girls go crazy by just reading about him. he’s just so manly. his sincerity in trying to do things he’s not used to makes him more romantic and sexier. the only thing i don’t like about him is his need of the concept of domination and submission, and all that BDSM thing. i think it’s too much, though i believe the story won’t be as unique without it. HAHA. i’d giggle when there are cute and sweet scenarios, then i’d lose my interest when he becomes too dominating in everything.

and i don’t think i can escape from talking about sex since this is Fifty Shades of Grey. HAHA. many people describe this book as erotic. i say erotic would be an understatement because sex is just everywhere in this book, plus the sex is no ordinary sex. i didn’t even know such things exist. i also learned a lot on its technical side. yes, i do consider those things as sex’s technicalities. HAHA. the descriptions are all so visual and detailed for such extreme scenarios, and they’ve been illustrated too many times. do we really have to dwell on too much information right there? HAHAHA.

heard this is gonna be a motion picture soon. well, i wonder how they are gonna do that. i mean, that may just stir some more issues, knowing the content. its being a book already made the brows of many to arch, what more if it becomes a film? let’s just see how their creative minds will get the job done. HAHA.

so far, this book has consumed me with its kind of story that i’m excited to start with book two. the story has just begun and it still has a long way to go. can’t wait to figure out Grey! HAHA.

*photo source: http://www.writersrelief.com

TGIF

080312. friday.

this is another day of only happy times with friends. HAHA. sad that yvonne and jot didn’t make it.

whatever happened to 1 p.m.? 1 p.m. turned out to be 4 p.m. with us. WHAT THE? well, it’s just how we are and we’ve learned to live with that. HAHA.

when ago arrived, she was carrying a paperbag. my heart jumped! she had something for each of us! woof-woof! I LOVE GIFTS! no matter what they are. the DIY girl that ago is, she gave roc and jonas handmaid denim bracelets! i got a pouch! woof-woof!

thanks, sugar! appreciated! :)

then, here came jonas saying something. yes, he also had something for ago and me. since he knows we love reading, he brought us old issues of National Geographic. when i say old, i mean really old, like 1997 and 1983! HAHAHA. we have no idea where he dug up those, but yea we still appreciate them. thank you! HAHA.

old school. HAHA. my brother's delighted to see it.

even the pages with cut outs are appreciated. HAHA. i wonder. in which projects did you use them, jonas? HAHAHA. 

too bad roc and i didn't have anything for them. they should’ve told us. we could get them chewing gums or anything worth P2.00. kidding. HAHA.

more surprises…

jonas and ago have already made plans of what we were gonna do today, which left roc and me clueless. after learning that DJ gabby was mad at us for not inviting them during our graduation, jonas and ago wanted and decided to make amends with the DJs of Radyo Natin 106. 3 FM Laguna. aside from visiting the station, this is what they thought of doing…

guess who did this. AGOOO and her inventive hands. HAHA.

turned out to be a great make-up gift for the RN people. they seemed to like it! well, it’s personalized, so what’s not to like? HAHA. we spent an hour chatting with ms. bienaflor and DJ gabby, reminiscing our Radyo Natin days(programming, graveyard co-hosting, the texters, the topics, the most played songs, etc. HAHA.). DJ rich was also there, but he was kinda busy so we didn’t really get to talk to him. good thing they still remember us. HAHA. jeez, it was a nice feeling to go back to the place where we all learned about radio production, the fruits of our hardwork. admit it, radio production had been one of the most enjoyable subjects because we really had the chance to be disc jockeys, and because we were trained at Radyo Natin. :)

then, we were starving for food, as always. HAHA.

we headed out to Yellow Cab to grab a pizza.

we didn't talk about the color of what we'd be wearing, SWEAR! 

New York's Finest indeed! (:

 *thanks to roc, jonas and ago for the photos.