Not a day goes by when I am constantly reminded of what a big mistake this transport system was. Almost everything about it wrong, ill-designed stations, poorly maintained trains, pathetic management. I remember that from North Edsa to Makati it should only take 15 minutes as the billboard said when the MRT was still under construction. A few months ago they claim that the headway between trains is no more than 5 minutes. So far all I have seen is anguish over broken promises much like what every administration had done in the past with its plans for this godforsaken land. No wonder people think living here isn't getting any better. There is nothing rapid in this supposedly rapid transit system as trains slow down in transit when the train in front is moving slow. The only thing going rapid here is my pulse and my blood pressure shooting up.
So on this particular day I had a disagreement with another passenger who happens to be a bigger person. Since I was first in line which I could guarantee since I make it a point to stand close to the side of the train while it is slowing down to block off anyone who would cut in, I then waited for the people who have to get out. Then as usual I would get in and stay by the door. I counted two people getting out, tough luck slowpokes. I got in but then this guy protest by saying that two people get out. Not that he was consistently saying for the people to move in which no one was paying attention to. He manage to squeeze in for unknown reasons. I for one will not stand this so I ungraciously went out then shoved myself in. Momentum is directly proportional to both mass and velocity and since I am in no way going to win in the massive department, I used my superior speed and some pushing against the closing door as leverage. The door has to reopen twice since it cannot crush my bag in the process but after a final push I got myself in. The man complained about what was the point of getting out and then getting in so I replied I was to get off at Guadalupe station to which he nonchalantly remarked, "So?" To which I quoted his own words and that since he knew two people went out then he MUST get in. Note the keyword "MUST" is to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 (http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc2119.html)
Well it went well after that since he cant throw me out nor make a crossbow and shoot me for lack of apparent work area. He even went further inside the car then more people alighted at Shaw Boulevard station.
What they didn't know was that I was shaking. That was the first time I have experienced it. My left leg was furiously shaking. The involuntary contractions must have annoyed the other guys who were close by. The only option was to lean on the door and shift my weight to the other leg. Curiouser and curiouser. My back also hurts, could there be a connection?
As usual I left profusely sweating, no thanks to the poorly maintained air conditioning which can barely keep all the people cool inside the train. During the time it first ran, the trains were packed as well since some idiot actor slash president wanted it to be free for the first day. But all of the sorry passengers--myself included--was pretty much content since it was cold inside. Imagine what hot and humid conditions inside would do to a persons disposition.
It is really sad to see the trains degrade over the years, silent witnesses to the harsh reality, and how pitiful are the people behind the line who let the system die a little each day. The line may be bad, some of the stations may be too far from the malls or whatnot but that is no excuse to maintain them as such. And when are they going to add more trains? More people are born each minute and more and more would be riding passengers and still no one has the foresight to increase the capacity. No wonder passengers are now segregated. Just like the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program otherwise known as Color Coding Scheme which is no way a more accurate term, this is just delaying the inevitable. What then would the future hold? Well you could bet the farm that there would still be color coding and segregation since there would be more jerks like on the road or on trains. But what would be worse is that there is also the possibility that there would be more people like me. That would be the end of the world as we know it. More annoying people roaming the face of the earth with no people skills that shove themselves in cars. Nooo...
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Yo Momma Grails Jokes
Yo Momma Grails is so FAT, it ate up all your memory, including your homework.
Yo Momma Grails is so STUPID, it thinks PermGen would improve her indescribable ugliness.
Yo Momma Grails is so SLOW, you become old and senile by the time if finishes recompiling.
Yo Momma Grails is so USELESS, you want to invent a time machine, go back in time, and give Graeme Rocher's parents a pamphlet on contraception (and on the way stop over James Gosling's parents as well and slap them silly before giving them a pamphlet).
Yo Momma Grails is so BIG, small plug-ins start to orbit around it. If it were any bigger it would go Java, oops I mean nova.
Yo Momma Grails is so STUPID, it thinks PermGen would improve her indescribable ugliness.
Yo Momma Grails is so SLOW, you become old and senile by the time if finishes recompiling.
Yo Momma Grails is so USELESS, you want to invent a time machine, go back in time, and give Graeme Rocher's parents a pamphlet on contraception (and on the way stop over James Gosling's parents as well and slap them silly before giving them a pamphlet).
Yo Momma Grails is so BIG, small plug-ins start to orbit around it. If it were any bigger it would go Java, oops I mean nova.
Monday, May 10, 2010
It's Better Automated
Today I spent four (4) grueling hours in an effort to cast my vote. For posterity let it be known that I voted in Clustered Precint 223 (0478B) and number 77 on the computerized list of registered voters. I went to the precinct at 9 am (and had to head back to get my ID before going back again) and finished after 1pm, totally spent like those discarded cigarettes left by bastards who don't care about the throng of non smokers in the school (inside a school for crying out loud). This would be a new era in voting as the start of the new automated voting. How far the automation was implemented is still a matter of debate.
A few things got me irritated. First was that the implementation was horrible. Nowhere in the countless youtube vids and infomercials was it indicated that you have to pick a number to get in line. Just go in, talk to the Board of Election Inspector (BEI) and get your ballot. Due to consolidating 5-7 precincts into one cluster, one cluster now had more than 5 times the number of voters to manage, resulting in long lines, if any. To avoid people cutting in, they implemented a number system. Second was that not the entire system was automated. You still have to check your name outside the precinct, worse the BEI will go over the same list again once you're inside before you get your ballot, as pointed out by many onlookers outside. In a fully automated scenario, a machine would validate your identity, NOT a human (same species or not, for all I know they must've thawed Neanderthals from the polar ice caps since no human in his right mind would be willing to suffer the godforsaken environment). Yes COMELEC is right in assuming that voting will be fast, but it is in GETTING to vote that was the unknown part of the equation that they should have worried about. Third there was no special lane for senior citizens. Of course they would take longer to vote, but that is NO excuse, if they have a separate line then the rest would still be able to vote. It reminds me of the various lanes in the expressway, but that is another story but the analogy was there to prove a point. What happened is that they have old guys holding up the line. Fourth, only a few could get in at a time. In my case before someone made a scene, only 1-2 got in the room at a time. Finally they let 10 or so come in. If it was me, knowing a classroom can hold about 50 students, they should let in about 50 at first. Not all will finish at the same time and they let a number of people to come in (which should be at the same rate as people going out). Fifth, people still cut in, and probably some of the worst offenders are those running in public office. Although it was a welcome respite to see former actor Jestoni Alarcon who was running for councilor get in the school compound and greet star struck people, it was still insulting to see him being ushered to the precinct ahead of those who waited for hours. There is no reason why he should put himself above everyone else. Sixth, why is still there a need for thumbprints before getting your ballot? The ballot is sensitive to markings and dirty fingers have a tendency to smudge it like I did. Fortunately the area I smudged was a blank area. Seventh, the PCOS machine wasn't as rugged as it was claimed to be. Crashes, paper jams, etc. For 11 billion, it better be good. We are writing a POS that just costs peanuts when compared to the cost of building that and it has a few quirks here and there. If they can't do it right at that price at least it gives us an excuse (snickers). All in all the election wasn't entirely automated. Technically it was a half-baked solution which has a lot of rough edges.
In my disgust I immediately left afterwards, took a shower and went back to my planetary fortress to patch my Starcraft2 game and burn some zerglings or nuke some zealots (in no particular order). But since the patch isn't getting anywhere due to the flaky internet connection I decided getting some news is in order. Looking at the abs-cbn news site, I found that it wasn't just an isolated case. Many precincts also had those problems. Then I found out that in Tarlac, Noynoy waited just like everyone else to get a chance to vote.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/05/10/10/pcos-glitch-delays-noynoys-voting
If I knew then what I knew now, he would have been the one that I would've voted. What he just did may be small and unnecessary to some but it is quite touching to other people like me. It shows that somehow the Aquino's legacy might have rubbed off on him. Maybe not grey matter (i.e., intellect), or experience (you learn that on your own), but perhaps the heart (i.e., his parents devotion to the Filipino people). It's like the story of the King of Thailand that I have read once. When he went trekking, he also had some reporters come along and while taking a break after a long hike they were famished and were about to eat anything they could get their hands on. When they saw a plate of rice with fried egg they proceeded to take it but before they were able to one of the guards stopped them and said it was the King's lunch. Some almost wept to know that even their king did not put himself above anyone. Maybe that explains why the Thai people love their king. And that might explain why people show so much support for Cory. Noynoy may have been under their shadow for too long, but given the chance, he might be able to endear himself to the people.
Getting back to the automated election, they really should think things through. To the commission, the moral story should be the famous line by Benny Hill: "Never assume, for if you do, you make an ASS out of U and ME." They should learn that before making assumptions next time. But then next time a new set of officials would probably be in place and making the same stupid assumptions all over again. Also I'd hate to be the BEI that would be part of the random manual count, imagine how long would counting around one thousand ballots manually would take. In the old system one precinct has to count around 100-250 ballots manually, and that takes a long time. What were they thinking?
A few things got me irritated. First was that the implementation was horrible. Nowhere in the countless youtube vids and infomercials was it indicated that you have to pick a number to get in line. Just go in, talk to the Board of Election Inspector (BEI) and get your ballot. Due to consolidating 5-7 precincts into one cluster, one cluster now had more than 5 times the number of voters to manage, resulting in long lines, if any. To avoid people cutting in, they implemented a number system. Second was that not the entire system was automated. You still have to check your name outside the precinct, worse the BEI will go over the same list again once you're inside before you get your ballot, as pointed out by many onlookers outside. In a fully automated scenario, a machine would validate your identity, NOT a human (same species or not, for all I know they must've thawed Neanderthals from the polar ice caps since no human in his right mind would be willing to suffer the godforsaken environment). Yes COMELEC is right in assuming that voting will be fast, but it is in GETTING to vote that was the unknown part of the equation that they should have worried about. Third there was no special lane for senior citizens. Of course they would take longer to vote, but that is NO excuse, if they have a separate line then the rest would still be able to vote. It reminds me of the various lanes in the expressway, but that is another story but the analogy was there to prove a point. What happened is that they have old guys holding up the line. Fourth, only a few could get in at a time. In my case before someone made a scene, only 1-2 got in the room at a time. Finally they let 10 or so come in. If it was me, knowing a classroom can hold about 50 students, they should let in about 50 at first. Not all will finish at the same time and they let a number of people to come in (which should be at the same rate as people going out). Fifth, people still cut in, and probably some of the worst offenders are those running in public office. Although it was a welcome respite to see former actor Jestoni Alarcon who was running for councilor get in the school compound and greet star struck people, it was still insulting to see him being ushered to the precinct ahead of those who waited for hours. There is no reason why he should put himself above everyone else. Sixth, why is still there a need for thumbprints before getting your ballot? The ballot is sensitive to markings and dirty fingers have a tendency to smudge it like I did. Fortunately the area I smudged was a blank area. Seventh, the PCOS machine wasn't as rugged as it was claimed to be. Crashes, paper jams, etc. For 11 billion, it better be good. We are writing a POS that just costs peanuts when compared to the cost of building that and it has a few quirks here and there. If they can't do it right at that price at least it gives us an excuse (snickers). All in all the election wasn't entirely automated. Technically it was a half-baked solution which has a lot of rough edges.
In my disgust I immediately left afterwards, took a shower and went back to my planetary fortress to patch my Starcraft2 game and burn some zerglings or nuke some zealots (in no particular order). But since the patch isn't getting anywhere due to the flaky internet connection I decided getting some news is in order. Looking at the abs-cbn news site, I found that it wasn't just an isolated case. Many precincts also had those problems. Then I found out that in Tarlac, Noynoy waited just like everyone else to get a chance to vote.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/05/10/10/pcos-glitch-delays-noynoys-voting
Asked why he did not cut the line like other presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Aquino said: "Ang gustong mamuno, kailangan maging mahusay na tagasunod. Hindi puwede na naglilingkod ka sa taong bayan na sila ang mahihirapan, kayo hindi. Dapat ho damay-damay ito."
If I knew then what I knew now, he would have been the one that I would've voted. What he just did may be small and unnecessary to some but it is quite touching to other people like me. It shows that somehow the Aquino's legacy might have rubbed off on him. Maybe not grey matter (i.e., intellect), or experience (you learn that on your own), but perhaps the heart (i.e., his parents devotion to the Filipino people). It's like the story of the King of Thailand that I have read once. When he went trekking, he also had some reporters come along and while taking a break after a long hike they were famished and were about to eat anything they could get their hands on. When they saw a plate of rice with fried egg they proceeded to take it but before they were able to one of the guards stopped them and said it was the King's lunch. Some almost wept to know that even their king did not put himself above anyone. Maybe that explains why the Thai people love their king. And that might explain why people show so much support for Cory. Noynoy may have been under their shadow for too long, but given the chance, he might be able to endear himself to the people.
Getting back to the automated election, they really should think things through. To the commission, the moral story should be the famous line by Benny Hill: "Never assume, for if you do, you make an ASS out of U and ME." They should learn that before making assumptions next time. But then next time a new set of officials would probably be in place and making the same stupid assumptions all over again. Also I'd hate to be the BEI that would be part of the random manual count, imagine how long would counting around one thousand ballots manually would take. In the old system one precinct has to count around 100-250 ballots manually, and that takes a long time. What were they thinking?
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