Wasted Wisdom Blogs by Brian de Guzman

A Suggestion

2010-11-15T13:37:00.000-08:00

photo courtesy of deviant BaaltheLordofTerror

I once suggested that I think it would be better if all the citizen will have a chance to win in the lottery even if they don't put a bet on it. In that way it will be real CHARITY work and not GAMBLING.

But they laughed about it. They said I'm dreaming for the impossible. I was challenged but admitted that it is not in my power to realize it so I end up writing this letter.

The poor do not need millions. A thousand or even a hundred given to them FREE will do, and they will thank you with all their heart like they never did before. What is a thousand compared to millions earned by the lottery everyday? I do not ask to replace the lottery system with this one, but to create a part of it, where every poor citizen has the chance to win in exchange for NOTHING but for being a citizen. In this way their little money allotted for food and medicine will not be misused to buy a lottery ticket.

Besides, this could also be used as a consolation to implement voluntarily a national ID system.

I may be dreaming the Impossible but I believe, the Impossible just takes more time. And I will wait till the right leader of the country can make this change and be able to realize the impossible.

How to hide a folder's contents in Windows XP

2009-09-18T02:20:00.000-07:00

image courtesy of deviant stridsberg

Yes I'm back, alive and kicking. Living in a new chapter of my life, getting back from a 3-month hibernation and ready to kick some real ass.
Let me give you some nice tip in Windows XP, so far my favorite OS Microsoft has made. It is how to hide a folder's content from Windows Explorer. This will be useful to hide some nasty content to your friend or to anyone as big as the airport security in a strict country, unless they are reading my blog, which is not likely, but who knows. It's best not to bring those illegal files.
As far as we know, there is a "Show hidden files and folder" in Windows Explorer options. And if you just set the "hidden" property of a folder, then your busted. Thats level 1.
Next level is what they call the "superhidden" which means a folder has a property of "system" attribute, and thus called a system folder. But Windows does not allow us to make a system folder all by its folder properties. The trick is to go to DOS/Command prompt (i.e. running cmd.exe) and go to the folder containing your folder to be made system. Type "attrib +s +h foldername" then Enter and its done. There are 3rd party programs like XYplorer who can set a system attribute by folder properties alone.
To bust this is to set an option not everybody is aware of (at least the average user) "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)" in Windows Explorer options hidden just below the "Hide extensions...". You need to scroll down to see it, that is why not everybody knows there's a superhidden attribute in a folder.
But there's always a catch, and a next level to outwit the catch. There's an option in "gpedit.msc" to hide the "Folder options" menu in Windows Explorer. Its pretty self explanatory when you arrived at the Group Policy(gpedit.msc) interface.

Now if you think I'm finished, I'm not. There is a level 3, which in my humble opinion outwits level 1 and 2 and using 3rd party programs that needs to be installed in the other computer to work.
It is as simple as renaming a folder, appending the ".{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}", of course without the quotation mark. The icon of the folder will automatically be a Control Panel icon. And what is amazing is when you double-click it
to see the contents, alas! your files are gone. Replaced by the real content of the Control Panel.
Similarly, you can make a "desktop.ini" file inside the folder with the contents.

[.ShellClassInfo]
CLSID={21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}

Which does the same effect but there is no need to rename the folder. Yet another but... the effect is not immediate, sometimes or most of the time, it needs a restart. They can search your disk all day but they will never find a file inside that folder, nothing but the regular contents of a control panel which is suspicious. But then it will just show when you search all files (i.e. *.*), usually, to inspect a disk's contents they will search specific file types such as pictures and videos.

Finally, you can combine all the 3 techniques. after making it a "control panel", hide it, superhide and lastly, hide the "Folder options" in the Windows Explorer. Like what I said, there's always a catch. They just need someone you cannot outwit. If still you think you're gonna be busted, you got to swallow your stick! (I mean your USB stick/pen drive...whatever you call it). If you're afraid of the consequences, safest way is not to bring illegal files. Just save it in an FTP server and you can download anytime. This is just for fun, cheers. :D

Quicker than a cup of Coffee!

2009-05-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

Image courtesy of HBO Boxing

The Pacquiao Hatton match this morning is of course fulfilling for us but at the same time a bit frustrating. It was a good fight but spectators want a better match.
When Michael Buffer introduces the two fighter, I made my coffee quickly so as not to miss anything from the fight. Fight started, enjoying the game as I am enjoying my coffee. Hatton was knocked down twice in the first round, one with a right hook by Pacquiao. For those who are not boxing aficionados, Pacquiao’s right is his jab hand. It was unexpected that a power punch will come from it.
As the second round started, Hatton is a little bit uncomfortable, making a close hug shots that in my opinion annoys Manny. In return, Manny kept a distance taking advantage of his 5cm reach advantage. With 8 seconds remaining in the 2nd round, a hard left hook by Pacquiao lands on Hatton’s face and brought him down. That’s it, the fight is over. Hatton lying on the ring as if wondering what he was doing there. The fight was shorter than we expected. In fact it was quicker than my cup of coffee.
Nevertheless, we enjoyed the fight. We’re proud of you Manny, you made us even prouder being Filipinos. To the Pacquiao Team, congratulations, keep up the good work.

Death of my Hard Disk

2009-04-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

Well, actually this is an old news. I just wasn't able to post it for I need to recover from its depressing effect.
Three weeks ago I bought a new portable hard drive 320GB in capacity. It was a cheap one, with a not so tough casing and set my mind they are all just the same. Because I need to save money for a more important needs, I went for that one. I then transferred my files, cutting from my old dying HD to save the files. I then formatted the old one but that was a big mistake.
To cut the story short, I accidentally dropped my new HD for just a couple of feet or less. It was devastating. I lost my files. The HD is physically damaged and I can't recover from my old one.
Luckily, I was able to reconstruct part of my 3D libraries from my friends but what I lost are my collection of family pictures and personal work files, including the 2 books that I'm working on. The pictures I hope there's a copy back home but the books that I'm working on, there's no other copy but the one I lost.
It was double saddening situation. I lost the files and I lost the whole price of the disk because I can't return it to the shop since dropping it was not covered by the warranty. I'll just charge what happened to experience and learn the lesson from it. Making a mistake once is accident, committing the same mistake all over again is foolishness.

A Christmas not for Christ

2008-12-24T07:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas time is the time for family, love, peace, goodwill to men, joy, happiness, gifts and anything good that you can imagine, everyone agrees to that, except for one thing... That it is the birth of Jesus Christ.

This leads me to thinking, this could be the reason why non-christians does not celebrate christmas. Although christianity is the dominant religion as far as statistics is concerned, yet it is not universal.

I have a dream...that someday, everyone will celebrate christmas, regardless of what we believe in. Not because for its cause, but for its effect. I would like them to ask "How do we celebrate it?" than "Why do we have to celebrate it?" Let us not be stopped of doing great things just because of our faith. Christmas is a holiday named after Christ, but we do not need to believe how a holiday was named after whom, we don't need to believe in Santa Claus & his reindeers... celebrating it doesn't mean we abandoned our faith. We'll just set aside what is not universal for greater good that we will all agree.

Let us celebrate Christmas for its real meaning and not for how it was named. Christians & Non-Christians, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Image courtesy of deviant pd-inc

Free T-shirt!

2008-12-17T08:04:00.000-08:00

I'm giving off 5 wastedwisdom t-shirts (by Giordano) for the first 5 people who will follow this blog! :D The bad news is, you have to claim it here in UAE. Colors and sizes are subject to availability. :D

All apologies

2008-12-10T09:38:00.000-08:00

Please accept my sincerest apology to all the readers who came back to check out just to be disappointed when there is no new post on my blog.
I have been too busy in other things other than blogging. I have written at least 3 articles but I’m just not satisfied with the outcome and I feel they need more polishing.
Thanks to Katy, Lujee, Eric, irgraphy, tony, gentledove, drjay, empath, Theresa, timethief, a71e, my blog neighborhood, and all the disappointed people I missed who dropped by, commented and came back to this blog.
I’m working in a new blog that I will call “The Theory of Negativity” in which I will feature ideas mostly negative and how to take negative things or situations positively such as how to turn failure to an opportunity and so on.
I know this will be interesting because people used to explore negative ideas infrequently since the common notion about it is unpleasant. But like numbers, all we have to do with a negative number is to simply multiply it with a negative to make the product positive. I hope to see you there in the future.
Once again…my apologies for not updating my blog more often. I hope you don’t regret in dropping by and see you again on my future posts. I promise you’ll see me more often when my burdens are over.

Divided we Stand; United We Fall

2008-10-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

Isn't it the other way around?

“United we stand, divided we fall” is the phrase we probably know as it has been overused in mottos and songs, agreeing in the idea of Divide and conquer (divide et impera) mentioned in Sun Tzu’s Art of War written 2500 years ago.

Together we can move mountains, alone we cannot...as they say.

These statements teach us to be parasites and dependent from others. Isn’t it more amazing if just by ourselves we can move mountains?
Divided we stand, united we fall. I first heard this in a Def Leppard Lyrics, Two Steps behind. I think about it and I realized this might be exactly what I’m doing.

I used to do things by myself, If I can’t do it, you just have to accept you can’t.. Not asking for any help, not because I don’t want to help, In fact I help people a lot. And In the process, I realized I've taught them to be dependent and I regret it. The justification between these statements is that when working individually, there is no influence applied to any of your team mates.
I used to play table tennis when I was in grade school. But a table tennis game is composed of singles and doubles match. Having no other athlete to play with me, they choose a not so good player to be my team mate. Singles match, I won. Singles, second player match, we lost as expected. And the decision game will be a doubles match. I did my best to win but table tennis is an alternating turn in which you cannot take your team mate’s ball, in short we lost. It was unfair to blame it to my team mate but I blame him anyway. I remember I was crying even before the game was finished.
Since then, I believed that working together averages your capabilities, they never add up as others used to expect. And it agrees with the laws of mathematics. If you belong to the above-average individuals, no matter how good you are, your combined output with someone else will likely be below your usual output, It is very obvious that when you're above the average, the average is always a step or more behind you.
As parasites need a stronger organism to live, people tend to climb to a higher state in society. But the Individualists work their way up without using someone to step to. The bottom line is that an independent man builds an independent community, which builds an independent and strong country. Helping others is a great deed. It will be always nice to extend a hand for a weaker individual, what’s bad is when this weaker individual became dependent and will let you carry his weight…leading both of you to your fall.

Only the weak needs help. We can be strong by not needing it. We can learn and be independent, divided we stand...united we fall.

Imagine

2008-06-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I was on my way to the office when a man with his grandchild he’s carrying rode along with me in the elevator. We got out from the elevator then I realized it will be difficult for him to open the door. So, I got the door first and hold it longer for him until they got out. He thanked me, and it feels good. That was just a simple act of kindness but it felt like it was one of the simplest things that could change the world. The man was not a brother in faith, nor a brother in nationality. But for the goodness of humankind, I did not look in our differences to prevent me from doing a simple act of kindness. Now I fully understand John Lennon’s Imagine.

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
…
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
…

Nationality, Religion and possessions are some of the things that divide us -- our differences. These are the ones preventing us from doing our instinct to do well to others. If we could just neglect them and forget forever… If we could just live with;
No politics,
No debate on science and faith,
No war - unholy or not,
No fight for survival
No racial discrimination
No rich and poor
No powerful and helpless
No Religion and Tradition, that taught us to become unfair with women.
They say all we can do is imagine. But I guess not. I think we can do something. You may say I’m a dreamer too. But I believe dreams do come true. The world is not hopeless. The world can change. If I can do a simple thing for a change, I’m sure there’s more you can do. Little by little makes up a big thing. Forget our differences, do good to others, make love and peace.

featured image courtesy of fellow deviant Leggo-my-Meggo

Everything New

2008-05-15T22:10:00.000-07:00

Finally, I'm here, in my new job at an architectural consulting firm in UAE. I waited 5 long months for this, so I thought this is what I want. But I realized it's not, this is not what I want, this is what I need.

New friends, new office, new house... away from home, new environment, new unknown things... everything new. But not every new things are good. I would prefer my old friends, my home and everything I used to do. But sometimes we got to do things we don't want...and its because we need to. Sometimes we need to try new things to move on, sometimes we need some adventure, exploration, be exposed, risk ourselves...that's life. If we are doing the same thing in the same place, we would not be any different to a machine. And I guess I'm proud to say I'm a human.

It is hard to learn something new...To leave behind everything you love and you love to do. But we don't have to leave everything behind, we just can't. Every knowledge we gain from our life's journey remains with us and our love ones forever remains in our heart. These are the ones who keep us moving on...Inspiration. Life's a journey...not a destination, and a journey needs moving on. So what are you waiting for? Move on!!!

My Work-Related Blogs

2008-05-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

I have decide to separate my work-related discussions in another blog. I call it Addictedto3D blogs since it will be mostly related but not limited to 3D presentations. It will be composed of my Resources, Tips and tricks, works and work-in-progress in AutoCAD, 3D Studio Max, Vue, Photoshop, Video Compositing applications, and Visual Basic programming. Unique tips and tricks gathered by experience, and the best possible ways to do something.

Infiniti G35

2008-04-22T17:57:00.001-07:00

The Infiniti G35 from the game Need for Speed Carbon. 3D model courtesy of aironeracing.com. Look! The wheels are turning. :P

Great Hall of Arsené Lupin

2008-04-21T23:21:00.000-07:00

Actually its the Great Hall in Buckingham Palace taken from the Game Sherlock Holmes vs Arsené Lupin and rendered in 3ds Max. Due to high resolution maps of this game, I will not be uploading all 3d models collected from this game. Instead, I will upload in a request basis.

God’s Existence

2008-04-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

Square 1 is God’s Existence. If God exists, argument of creation and evolution, the big bang theory, Heaven and Hell, Angels and Demons, Life after Death and every argument unsolved will have an end.
If you would ask me who is my creator, the most practical and don’t think its philosophical answer is, my parents. And if you would ask my parents, they would probably say the same, and if you would ask me who created my parent’s parents, I might say “Ask them.” But thinking who created the first parents disregarding what the elders told us since they were not proven true, leads us back to square one, the argument of God’s Existence.
The theory of God’s existence is simple. A civilized man with the help of modern technology, brought to a primitive land can be mistakenly regarded as god by the primitive people. Applying the concept of similar triangles, the account of God’s existence that we knew today could be some work of an advance civilization and technology during that time.
The argument is not settled until now. God’s existence could not be proved and disproved if they keep on arguing what they believe as true and what their teachers told them. This argument could have settled a lot of dispute about faith.
I wish to write a book regarding all of this. And to conclude it in my life after death, if there is. I wish I could go back on my pen and paper and write the truth about God’s existence.
In my second life, I will talk to God if He really exists, the truth about everything, every argument unsettled. And I will ask Him to let me go back in my first life and let me conclude this book that will prove His existence. After all, if this book remains unfinished, there will be just two things to think about; God exists but he did not let me tell you the truth and finish the book, or God doesn’t really exists at all.

featured image courtesy of fellow deviant Jim "Meats" Meier

Love and Peace

2008-04-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

Why do righteous talks were not always right?
Why can’t we get what we really want?
Why can’t we reach all that we see?
And why can’t we reap all that we sow.
Laugh at me then mock the life’s irony.
You’ll give bread and be stoned to death.
Be kind but the people to you will be cruel.
And you’ll be sad while the others laugh.
You did everything right
And you were never wrong.
You learned something you don’t want to know
You gave everything as well as what you don’t own,
Apologizing with the absence of guilt
Now tell me in return what did you get?
Soon you’ll see me down
Lying on the ground, bathing with my own blood
With my heart I keep on living
By my own I keep on standing,
Still seeking for real love and peace of mind
Let me find what I seek
Let me rest
Let me die in your arms
Let me end in peace.

featured image courtesy of fellow deviant kladek

3ds Max 2009 Demo Videos

2008-04-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

These are direct links for 3ds Max 2009 Demonstration videos.

Modeling and Animation

Iterative Rendering

Materials and Maps

Mapping

Lighting

mental ray

Production Shaders

Navigation Tools

User Interface

Sherlock Holmes vs Arsene Lupin 3D model hacked

2008-04-19T06:37:00.001-07:00

This is a scene hacked from the Game Sherlock Holmes vs. Arsene Lupin. This is the home of famous detective Sherlock Homes. Along with him in the game is his famous friend, confidante and biographer Dr. John H. Watson. The scene is rendered in 3ds Max 2008.

The Game's Web Site
Get the game!!
Collection of ripped 3d models. (soon)

Destiny, Freewill, and Luck

2008-04-19T06:15:00.000-07:00

Neil Gaiman's The Sandman:Destiny

Do you believe that everything is pre-destined? Or that what will happen is supposed to happen anyways…That a supreme-being is behind all of these? But the teachings told us that God gave us freewill to do and think what we want. Do you believe in luck? If you don’t, then you must believe in destiny and if you do, you don’t believe that we can do what we want, and if you don’t believe freewill, you don’t believe in the teachings, and if so, do you believe in God?

I decided long ago that I will not argue with faith, because faith is what we believe as true and not always the truth itself. But at least let me state my belief in these things.

We are organic ‘creatures’ and I feel I can think whatever I want, do whatever I like and I am not controlled by any evident force and electronic/mechanical devices. Therefore, I have freewill.

Do I believe in Destiny? I think I don’t. If we have freewill, then we can make our own destiny, and if we can change it, then it’s not pre-destined. We often associate destiny for things or events that we don’t have control. And not able to control these things don’t mean it’s supposed to happen anyways. It’s just others are the ones controlling it.

Luck is the most difficult thing to prove and disprove. Why? It’s because of a lot of lucky people around us. For some who don’t believe in luck, they will say it’s their ability that brought them success, but how can we explain it to those who are more able persons that were unfortunate and failed? I think I need to disprove luck to coincide in the previous statement that we’re the one who makes our own destiny. Luck made by intervention is fraud. Human intervention is the simplest explanation but it’s no luck, we call it cheating. However, I think it’s not just human intervention that brings luck but also Divine intervention … and this brings me back to square one, the argument of God’s Existence.

God’s existence solves everything. Every argument of faith, every argument today that cannot be resolved due to a never ending debate of almost everything about faith. If God exists, these inquiries about destiny, freewill and luck will never end up into a continuous loop. If God exists, I can freely permit to be called ourselves creatures without reservation. He could be the God who gave us freewill to make our own destiny, and the God who intervenes to give luck for the selected few. But not until God’s existence is proven, this inquiry as well shall never have its conclusion.

Ford Racing Off Road Cars 3d Models

2008-04-13T22:36:00.000-07:00

18 textured 3d models of Ford and Land Rover cars featured in Ford Racing Off-Road Challenge. Plus 12 skins for each car in .dds and .tga format. Use these models wherever you want, as much as possible not commercially. Renders above are done in 3ds Max and Vue 6.0. Use your imagination. Be creative.

Download compressed file here. 22.23 MB. Uncompressed 103.92 MB
If you like it, leave a comment. If you don't, leave it. :D

Time in a Bottle

2008-02-07T19:14:00.001-08:00

The only thing we can’t do anything in this world is TIME. Whatever we do, how we like to stop it, even if we kill all the clocks in this world, time is ticking; your time is ticking, and so is mine.

For them time is gold, but for me, it isn’t, Its LIFE. If we used all our time, we lose our life, but if we lose all our gold, it doesn’t mean we lost our life.

For all these years, scientists have been searching for solutions to prolong life. But to no avail. What we have are the chemicals and substances that makes the opposite – reduces our life.

Time is life. Although we can’t do much about time, at least we can save them and by doing so, we prolong our life in a way. How?

Supposed we have to live 60 years. Every day we sleep 8 hours average but we only need 6, we kill time in the office 2 hours a day, and we’re idle for 2 more hours. Killed time is wasted, and wasted time is wasted life. If we could save 2 hours from sleeping, the wasted time and the idle time together and put it in a bottle, its 6 hours a day; 6 additional hours to your life. Doing the math, its 180 hours per month, about 91.25 days per year, or about 15 more years throughout your lifetime. This is just an illustration of the point; maybe some of us got more life being wasted, and more life to be saved. Just think about it.

Sad thing is we don’t save time in a bottle to spend it later. This will not extend your life further. We just spend our time wisely, by not doing useless things for nothing, by not oversleeping. We use this time to do good to others, to learn something, for ourselves and for others, wisdom and knowledge to be passed on generations to generation.

Work to live, but don’t live to work. Working all your life spends all your available time, and your life with it. It would give you gold, but you can’t use them to buy you more time in the end.

Spend your life wisely. It’s the best thing we had but we don’t always have.

Happy Birthday Releaselog

2008-01-29T22:37:00.000-08:00

Here is a snapshot of my birthday present to Releaselog. Click the image for full effects. Happy 2nd birthday Releaselog. You bring good stuff to people like us. Live forever!!

Final Destination

2008-01-02T06:21:00.000-08:00

I gave them bread.
But they stoned me till I bleed.
I grant them their wishes
But when did they ever get contented?
I’ve devoted my strength
But it’s the power they need.
I gave them wisdom
Till they think they are wiser
I offer them everything
Yet my soul is what they ask for,
Life was cruel
To the point I thought death wasn't.
They said they love me
But just because they need me.
Everybody needs someone
But every ‘someone’ seems to be me.
Wisdom brought me this misery.
You said "Lay your burdens upon me,
And I shall earn my rest".
Even when I sleep,
A peaceful rest is what I wish.
I pray and prayed that they set me free
But they never did,
And so I run and fled
To the wilderness
Until I faint and realized
My own mistakes.
I thought I was guided.
You said I was guarded.
Fate's unfair, faith is a deception.
Freewill resists but now I know
That Everything was meaningless
For Life has only one
But Inevitable destination.

A Day without a Thought of Me

2008-01-02T05:51:00.000-08:00

This day was long,
the time was slow;
the sky's in gloom,
not a plant in bloom.
It was so tiring,
my head is spinning,
the work is endless;
my hands are restless.
Let this day end,
I beg for a rest
I want to sleep
Let me forget
I wish tomorrow,
The same won't be;
A day without,
A thought of me.

I am God

2007-12-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

I weep for the people who uses my name in vain;
For people who were blinded by those men and dictated what to do,
what to think and what to speak.
I hate the preachers, hypocrites and the false prophets of what they called churches;
I have given my sons and daughter the gift of free will
Yet they’ve taken it away from them.
I have been given the power to rule over things
But I was forbidden to change everything.
I am ashamed and tormented of the weeping of my hurt and hungry sons and daughters.
They cry to me “father…”, but Did I’ve really been a real father to them?
I despise war, poverty and killings;
Yet I cannot give peace to them.
They bow to my powers but Why I’m so powerless on these things.
How dare you to call me God!
To reign in all things, dead or living
When I cannot end the sufferings of my children.
What If I am not… What If I am not the God that you want?
What If these powers are nothing but mere deceptions?
If I am the only God, Why I hear of various gods’ name everywhere.
The list are never ending.
Of course they are...a wild imagination of the people’s mind.
Then how could I be so sure that I am who I am?
What If I am just a product of a clever imagination;
A manifestation to differentiate the good from evil.
In order to guide the people of their own.
Me, the creator, who was created by his creations?
An imaginary father of hopeless children...
I should envy you, my sons and daughters
And my gratitudes be with you.
Without you there’s no Me.
Without you who believed I exist,
I will not.