clear cache!

Source: Wikipedia.org

In computer science, a cache (pronounced /kæʃ/ in American and British English[1][2][3][4][5]. /keʃ/ has been reported as an Australian regionalism[6].) is a collection of data duplicating original values stored elsewhere or computed earlier, where the original data is expensive to fetch (owing to longer access time) or to compute, compared to the cost of reading the cache. In other words, a cache is a temporary storage area where frequently accessed data can be stored for rapid access. Once the data is stored in the cache, future use can be made by accessing the cached copy rather than re-fetching or recomputing the original data, so that the average access time is shorter. A cache, therefore, helps expedite data access that the CPU would otherwise need to fetch from main memory.

A cache has proven to be extremely effective in many areas of computing because access patterns in typical computer applications have locality of reference. There are several kinds of locality, but this article primarily deals with data that are accessed close together in time (temporal locality). The data might or might not be located physically close to each other (spatial locality).

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"Clear cache!" is one of the most common things you'll hear in my workplace these days. It's my current "buzz word" and in fact, I've taped it on the wall beside my desk. You see, we're constantly uploading something new for this project we're working on... and the need to "clear cache" is a necessary step.

WELCOME TO MY GEEKY WORLD AS OF LATE :-)

crazy team!

i haven't posted anything in here for quite sometime now... well, mostly 'coz i haven't been doing much else apart from work! :-P

as you can see from the pic, our team has this deadline coming up (that pic was actually taken 21 days ago - and we now have another countdown going on... haha, yes we had to extend!!!). it's been one heck of a roller coaster ride so far with ups, downs, twists and turns! but a lot of things have been accomplished so far, so we're happy about that! and while we look a little deranged here, we're actually still pretty sane inspite of the numerous sleepovers we've had to do in the past month and half or so.

man, i'm just so thankful for the uber hardworking team we have on this project. go HH! :-)

retro gamer.

i'm sooooo happy!!! i can finally play old nintendo and sega games that i grew up with, on my PSP (play station portable)!!! :-)

when i was deciding which portable video game console to get, i was torn between the DSLite and the PSP as there were several old games that i could play only with the DSLite. but the PSP won at the end, as it also had the ability to watch mp4s on it (hehe). besides, i was told that there were emulators available to play other game formats :-)













in particular, i have a bunch of mario brothers games (all-time favorite!) -- including an "enhanced" version of the very same family computer game i spent hours and hours and hours playing when i was a kid! (who didn't?) it has the very same 1-ups, secret coin banks and hidden tunnels in all the right places! :-)

i also now have sega's "aladdin" game, which i never got to finish during my younger years. i remember that my brother only borrowed this game from his friend and when he had to return it, i remember being so upset coz i didn't get to finish it to the end!











ahhh, simple joys!

p.s. - many special thanks to my office teammate, barian, for installing these games in my PSP! :-)

thirty-two.

as of this writing, i am on day four of this seven-day diet called the "cabbage soup diet". this is actually the furthest i've gone in the 2 or 3 attempts i've given this diet a try in the past. it's the most difficult day you see -- bananas and skim milk only (aside from the cabbage soup of course). thank goodness the day is almost over and tomorrow i can have some beef (yay! steak, anyone?) :-)

so why am i on this diet? people who know me know that i'm not really the "vain" type. well, this one-week effort is actually part of a much longer-term plan. you see, in about six months, i will be turning 32. i consider this age an important one for me, as the number 32 has been pretty significant to me (primarily because it was my Youth Encounter Batch # back in highschool). i have several goals for this turning point in my life -- and one of them is to start living a healthier lifestyle. :-)

well, i just thought that cutting down the extra weight seemed like a pretty good place to start. of course, after this "quick-solution diet", i know i should continue to watch the food that i eat. i also intend to play sports regularly again (the way i did most of my teenage years). and finally, i intend to consistently get the right amount of sleep every night (this is the toughest one of all!) :-)

i know it all sounds very ideal and maybe ambitious. but hey, if i can go one day eating only bananas or without eating rice for 100 days (but that's another story)... i'm pretty sure i have the discipline in me to achieve this happy, healthy lifestyle.

i'll be ready for you, thirty-two. ;-)

i just came to say goodbye, love.

RENT has officially closed on broadway :-(

the last show was staged yesterday, september 7, 2008. a sad moment for every Rent-head anywhere in the world.

i'm just glad i got to watch it on broadway -- twice! :-)


i do hope the tours shall continue for a long long time to come... and i hope that someday we can stage it here again in the philippines.

i also super super hope they someday release on DVD the taping of the final performance, which they're screening in theatres around the US & Canada at the end of this month!

it has been a good 6,307,200 minutes on broadway :-) viva la vie boheme!!!

happy evening.

i just got home from ballroom dancing the night away at a charity fundraiser event. masaya na, nakatulong pa! (at good exercise rin!)

happy! happy! joy! joy!

dancing really really makes me happy. :-)

another one of my favorite things ever!

happy morning.

i caught the taho vendor in our village on my way to work today!!! a rare occurence.

happy. happy. joy. joy.

warm, yummy taho makes me smile :-)

one of my favorite things ever!

for the first time.

my mom decided to watch the kc concepcion - richard gutierrez movie and i offered to go with her... hoping that it would be a well-written, well-directed and well-acted film. i was already sure that the scenery would be great, as i heard it was partially shot in santorini (greece).

well, i wasn't let down. the movie was actually pretty good. save for a few awkward, weird moments -- most of it was easy to watch. it was a good mix of romance, comedy and drama. i had no idea how the two leads would fare acting-wise, but they turned out to be pretty natural (not "OA" or trying-hard) actors.

thank goodness! i don't think i could stand watching another let down film like the last tagalog movie i saw a few months ago (will not reveal which one it was), which was very poorly directed and acted (except for the male lead).

i would recommend "for the first time" if you're up for a refreshing, feel good and not-so-formula kind of movie.

oh and... i super want to go to santorini, baby!!! (tara, mctravelbuddies!) :-)

four days, three nights.

usually, long weekends allow us to go on a "4D/3N" vacation... that is, four days and three nights. this week, that term just took on a different meaning for me. i'm currently on my consecutive third night here at our office, pulling all-nighters to hit a deadline next week!

wala lang, just a thought. :-P

p.s. - thanks to maddie, ian & miranda for lending me a bathroom on each of these 4D's :-)

creative fun.

this past weekend, my family went for an overnight trip to anvaya cove. it was a very relaxing break for everyone. out of town trips always meant quality time with the folks, my brother and his family.

before dinner saturday night, we discovered a nice cozy spot in the resort to hang out in -- the library! (would you believe?) :-) so after supper, we went back there, not wanting to retire into our respective rooms so soon. also, we discovered that they served free brewed coffee there, so everyone thought it was a good idea. since there were no other guests in the library at that hour, we were free to disregard the "please maintain silence" sign. :-)

i found a book entitled "Top 10 of Everything 2008." in it was a listing of top 10 things under hundreds of categories! naturally, i was drawn to the entertainment section as it was the most interesting to me. i began asking my brother, his wife and kids to guess the items under various top 10 categories (i.e. "Ben Stiller's Top 10 Movies"). When they couldn't guess some of it, an instant game of charades ensued.

i would have to say that this turned out to be one of the funnest ever moments my family have had together! with me, my kuya and niece alternately acting out movie titles, and my dad, mom, sister-in-law and nephew guessing them... it was a total laugh trip! we played and played til the library closed at 10:00 pm and even continued the game back in the room until 1:00 in the morning!

who says you need a lot of money to have fun? it actually doesn't take much... you just have to be creative! :-)

* the best charades moment we had was when my bro and i had to act out the movie "Iris" -- funny how we both thought at the same time that the best way to go about it was to act out the movie "City of Angels" instead! my nephew got it right!

super sulit shoes.

i bought this pair of shoes at cartimar for only P400.00!!! (so affordable, i also bought another green pair)

they're old school tretorns (in case you were born in the 90's or later and are not familiar with them)... and they're just soooooper comfy! its pretty cool when people see me wear it and a spark of recognition lights up their eyes! even cooler when i reveal how much i got them for :-)

i love it when i find great buys like these. goes to show that if you look around enough, you don't need to spend a kaboodle of money for good style and comfort.

pressure vs. stress.

when people ask me if i'm stressed at work, or with any major endeavor that i'm undertaking -- i almost always answer, "no, i'm just pressured."

i believe that there's a big difference between the two.

i think pressure is something that comes from external 'forces' (usually people) around you... stuff you have no control over. for instance, there's pressure from your parents about what course to take in college... or pressure because of an upcoming deadline at work... or pressure from your boyfriend to lose weight (or else)... or pressure from peers to get drunk.

on the other hand, stress is something that comes from within... it's something you should have full control over. to get stressed (or be stressed) is a decision one actually makes. for instance, you can get stressed about the uber kulit parents who are nagging you take up a particular course in college... or get stressed with all the uber rush deadlines at work... or get stressed because your boyfriend wants you to lose weight (or else)... or get stressed because your friends are teasing you when you don't want to drink with them.

you think you don't have a choice about getting stressed. but actually, you do.

i refuse to get stressed out over anything. i try to always keep cool when trials come my way and remind myself that "this too shall pass". i also try to remind myself constantly that God is in charge and He always finds a way. i tell myself that i need to "let go and let God."

definitely, there are a lot of potentially stressful situations that surround me every day. and sometimes, i'll get frustrated, upset, annoyed or harassed. but thank goodness i can still say with a smile, "no, i'm not stressed... i'm just pressured." :-)

sa kambas ng lipunan.

the first reading for this sunday's mass (august 10) --

1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a
At the mountain of God, Horeb,
Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter.
Then the LORD said to him,
“Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;
the LORD will be passing by.”
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains
and crushing rocks before the LORD—
but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake—
but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was fire—
but the LORD was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.

* * *

" ..there was a tiny whispering sound... "

truly, God's presence isn't always in the gigantic, majestic things that we encounter like big miracles of healing or religious retreats, recollections or seminars that catapult us into a 'spiritual high'. sometimes, He is just there, with no words -- but He speaks right to your heart.

this verse in the reading reminds me of a painting rendered by Joey Velasco, known as "Hapag ng Pag-asa" (Table of Hope). it shows Jesus at the table with not the 12 apostles but rather with 12 poor/street children. just one look at this painting and you can literally feel God reaching out to you, speaking to you, urging you to do something... to take action.














everytime i would see this painting, it never failed to move me. more so after watching the documentary that featured the artist who painted it... and the touching story behind it! i couldn't help but weep at each and every story Mr. Velasco shared. it was a very humbling, touching experience and the painting really came to life the next time i saw it!

if you have around twenty minutes to spare today, please take the time to check out the video (click on link below). i hope it will somehow touch your heart the way it did mine. God bless!

Link: Sa Kambas ng Lipunan

return to young adulthood.

earlier this evening, i took my niece and the daughter of my best friend to powerbooks greenbelt, to attend the pre-launch party of "breaking dawn" -- the 4th book in the "twilight" series, which has become a worldwide phenomenon. (or as we observed, has gathered a cult following among young adults)

along with the 13 to 17 year olds who were present, i was excited about the event, as i too, was a fan of this YOUNG ADULT book! i too, was a fan of the book's hero, edward cullen (to be played by robert pattinson [left] in the movie adaptation). and i too, wanted to take something home that was twlight-related, not just for me of course, but for the girls.

since i knew the powers behind the event (connections, connections) -- namely, my friend Van, the marketing/purchasing manager of powerbooks -- i stuck around after the over eager teen-agers left the venue to twist her arm for twilight goodies! :-) she got me stickers, bookmarks, posters, pins and a twilight bag. of course, when it was time for me to distribute it to my young companions, their jaws dropped and were just sooooo happy! :-)

* * * * * *

"twilight" hasn't been my only young adult interest in the past few years. there are the harry potter books; the sisterhood of the traveling pants books (and movie, one of my favorites!); high school musical movies; among others.

what can i say... i honestly still enjoy reading/watching this stuff! i realize though that aside from the light (no-brainer) entertainment they provide, its pretty cool to be able to talk about these things with my young adult niece! :-)

not to mention, they probably keep me young! hehe :-) you should give it a try, if you think you're too old for this stuff.

seven things.

was thinking what would be a good first blog entry... and i remembered something a friend of mine posted on his own blog -- a list of seven things under various categories. looked like fun -- so thought i'd give it a shot. (uyy, i didn't post the link to my friend's blog just because extra ako dun ha! hehehe!)

SE7EN Things I Like The Most

1. traveling to new places
2. the color purple
3. watching downloads of my favorite shows
4. long talks with my best friend about life and anything under the sun/moon
5. brainstorming. creating. planning.
6. chocolates
7. helping others

SE7EN Things That Scare Me

1. an army of ants
2. a violent death
3. singing where/when others can hear me!
4. what the future holds for the children of today
5. losing my hearing completely
6. hurting people i love
7. numbers/accounting stuff

SE7EN Important Things In My Room

1. my prayer corner/altar
2. my photo albums/pictures
3. my drawer full of stuff from mctravelbuddy trips (see blog)
4. my drawer full of writings from my youth
5. my RENT-inspired painting (painted by maita b)
6. my computer/laptop
7. my white board (that i have yet to ultilize through # 5 of first category)

SE7EN Random Facts About Me

1. when i was a kid, i asked santa for my favorite salted fish food (called "pinakas" in the province) -- and he gave it to me!!!
2. i joined the DLSU varsity chess team in first year college (so i could miss P.E.! haha!)
3. my wardrobe used to be predominantly black
4. i tap dance
5. i can count with my fingers and toes the number of novels i've read in my life
6. i joined the mc donald's kiddie crew when i was a kid and loved it so much i wanted to work there again after college
7. i love roller coasters, pet snakes, broadway musicales and chocnut.

SE7EN Things I Plan To Do Before I Die

1. write/publish a book
2. write a graphic novel
3. go around europe
4. run a well-operated non-profit organization
5. read the entire new testament of the Bible
6. learn to play the drums
7. make our spinach dip business a legacy

SE7EN Things That Attract You To The Opposite Sex

1. his simplicity
2. his candidness
3. his faith in God
4. his bald head & pinoy good looks (just a preference)
5. his outgoing personality
6. his sensitivity
7. an artistic ability (music, drawing/painting, writing, etc)

SE7EN Celeb Crushes (right now)

1. rafa nadal
2. jason taylor
3. zachary levi
4. zac efron
5. brad pitt
6. nathan scott (one tree hill)
7. edward cullen (fictional character!)

okay, that's all for now. :-)

one more try.

here's another attempt at blog writing. hahaha! this is like the 4th blog i've tried to start... at the beginning of 2007, i started one and called it "Purple Journle", but it had something like 6 posts lang and then pfffft!... then i made another one, but i didn't even get to finish the first entry of that one! :-P... the third one however, is more "active", as it is the travel blog of me and my best friend ("Mc Travel Buddies")... so i've been trying to post stuff about our trips in there whenever i get the chance.

anyway, i hope this becomes a regular one, the way blogs are intended to be! haha! :-)