3rd Year Officer @ FFFE ( UPDATE: 08 July 2008 )

It's been three (3) years since I was appointed officer at Final fantasy Experience. Well, I guess, I will always be FFE's biggest supporter.

Filipino-American Friendship Day

Here in the Philippines, July 4 is celebrated as Filipino-American Friendship Day.

Filipino-American Friendship Day, July 4, is a day in the Philippines designated by President Diosdado Macapagal to commemorate the liberation of the country by joint Filipino and American forces from the Japanese occupation at the end of World War II.

The Philippines was a U.S. territory from 1898 to 1942, when it was occupied by Japanese forces, and again for a brief period after the war. The country gained complete independence on July 4, 1946.

Initially, the nation's Independence Day holiday was held on July 4. Former President Diosdado Macapagal moved it to June 12, the date on which the Philippines declared independence from Spain in 1898. Filipino-American Friendship Day was created in its place, and coincides with the United States' July 4 Independence Day.

~Wikipedia

I'm not sure about the first paragraph. The reason I know (based on my History subjects) for celebrating it is stated in the second and third paragraphs. July 4, 1946 was the day when America finally gave the Philippine Governement total control over the country, but President Macapagal (father of our incumbent President), changed it to July 12 reasonnig that it is the Filipino-gained independence, while July 4 can be described as an American-given independence.

Anyway, enough of history. Happy friendship day to all my American friends here at Gamespot! (and also to my other friends).

GAMING LIFE

My gaming life has been quite slow the past several months. Not that I am not playing videogames at all, but the games I've been playing are too time consuming allowing me to only finish few of it in several months:

CivCity Rome (PC)
World in Conflict (PC)
Nobunaga's Ambition: Rise to Power (PS2)

CivCity Rome is a city-builder game joining the ranks of Sim City. Well, it is quite nice, though the outdated graphics has taken a lot of its appeal. It is the frist city-builder where you can zoom in and see the insides of the buildings, plus incorporating the technology tree of another addicting game, Civilization.

World in Conflict on the other hand is a real-time strategy game. It is quite a different from the RTS that I got used to (Command & Conquer, Age of Empires, Empire Earth, Warcraft, etc.) and I think, so far, it is the best one I have played (I still have to try Company of Herores). I haven't beaten it yet 'coz of the game below, but definitely, I am going to finish it.

Nobunaga's Ambition: Rise to Power is my first Nobunaga's Ambition game. I've been seeing this game since the NES and SNES days, but I'm quite young then so I did not have even just a bit of interest over games with lots of menus and submenus. This game is related to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, which I truly love. Both games are called "Historical Simulations" by its developer/publisher, Koei, with Rot3K covering China's three kingdoms period and NA covering the warring states period of Japan. The gameply is a combination of city/state building with all the military, commercial and diplomatic issues to take care of and strategy battles. While Rot3K is a features fully turn-based ary-to-army battles, Nobunaga's Ambition features RTS battles... Still, army-to-army, with the option to engage into a kessen. This game has eaten a lot of my time ( my entire June 2008 ) and I'm just half-way through unifying Japan.

I rate those games: CivCity Rome - 5-6/10, World in Conflict - 8-10/10 and Nobunaga's Ambition - 4-6/10

WHAT LIES AHEAD...

I am planning to replay Suikoden V. The second best Suikoden for me due to its awesome story. I did not get all 108 Stars of Destiny in my first playthrough and being a big fan of the Suiko series, I cannot accept that I will have a game file that do not have complete characters! So, after Nobunaga's Ambition, it will follow.

I also planning to continue my Shadow Hearts: Covenant file. I hope I can do it after Suikoden V.

I feel that I will finally have a Playstation 3 in the enxt two months, so I'm quite excited with that idea.

Finally, I want to do something else aside from private law practice, so I am going to try my chance to look for a job at the Senate of the Philippines or Fil-Am Life Insurance Company.

Final Fantasy Experience, a.k.a. FFE (May 25, 2005 - May 25, 2008 - present). It's been three (3) full years since this trusty union first made a way for all enthusiasts, casual and hardcore, of Square Enix' Final Fantasy series here at Gamespot to meet, to discuss, to argue, to play, to be friends and do other things in a place truly dedicated to the series.

I would want to apologize for the lack big celebration for this another milestone of our community due to some uncontrollable circumstances (signal no. 4 storm, power interruptions and disrupted internet connection) on my part. Nevertheless, I would want to let everyone know that FFE will continue to serve our community to the best of our skills.

Thank you for all the people who made Final Fantasy Experience what it is today: our founding leader and officers, all who became part of the FFE Administrative Team, all our competitors, all our critics, and most especially to all our loyal members who sticked with us through thick and thin.

We are not perfect, but we are doing our best to serve this community with all responsibility and loyalty, so I ask for your continued support for all our good works and understanding for our shortcomings.

God bless us all, and long live Final Fantasy Experience, and the rest of the "Experience" unions!

Fantasy Gamer
Leader, Final Fantasy Experience (officially endorsed)
Founder, Square Enix Experience
Founder, Kingdom Hearts Experience

[On a side note, my team in my first SEE Team Battle was second to be eliminated (SymondeZyn said we're first. :S)... I guess the particapant-teams and mercs hate SEE officials. Anyway, I had a great time. Thanks to my teammates, nackopacko and johngebreadman, and to OdinUnlimited and Lady_Bahamut, for doing a great job in administering the 3rd SEE Team Battle.]

Time slips so fast....

May 2003 - took a special late entrance exam in the College of Law in my university and passed it on the same day; I enrolled late that day

June 2003 - started my study of law

March 2007 - graduated Bachelor of Laws

April 2007 - started reviewing in preparation for the 2007 Philippine Bar Examinations

September 2, 9, 16, 23, 2007 (AM and PM) - took the Bar Exam.

March 29, 2008 - results of the Bar Exam released. I made it!

April 29, 2008 - took my oath at the Philippine International Convention Center.

May 02, 2008 - signed in the Roll of Attorneys, given Roll No. 55648.

Now, I'm a full-fledged lawyer... At long last! A dream come true... It's all worth the wait, hardships and sacrifices.

Thanks for all the support!

Tracking and being tracked back (and vice versa) list you (as the person being tracked or tracked back) and the person you are tracking as "Friends" here at GameSpot. Of course, tracking is not needed if you want to be my friend, but it sure helps in maintaining contact and updates between us.

Today, I had my 500th guy in my friends list. Here's the summary of the persons I track/tracks me as of the moment of posting of this entry:

Friends: 500 | People Tracking Me: 549

I wonder why people tracks me. I am quite a busy guy making me unable to actively track all my friends, which is also the reason I cannot post in your profiles regularly. [The tracked blogs list keeps on getting updated]

Wel, I am very generous in always tracking back people who tracks me. As for those 49 guys/gals who are trackin me, but were not listed in my friends list, I'm sorry. Maybe it was in those times where being "friends" is not through tracking that you followed my profile, or maybe I just failed to see the tracking notification.

Anyway, despite a shoopuf saying I'm quite popular around here , I honestly think I am not. A lot of people are not even aware of my user name.

Well, to all those who tracked me, thank you for having interest in knowing me or even just following what's happening with me and the unions I am in. I hope to know more of you better.

If anyone has something to say or as me, feel free to send me a PM. Those who have talked to me know that I always reply in your messages either through PM, Windows Live or in the forums.

That's all for now. Have a nice day!

FG'S NOW A LAWYER!

Guys, remember when I took a leave of absence here at Gamespot almost exactly a year ago? I left to prepare for somehing so important for me that I do not have the luxury of spending hours and hours of surfing the internet (and fixing my unions) as I used to, and as what I am doing now.

As some of you may have known, I entered law school after completing my first degree in college, and graduated last year. Yeah. I wish to be a lawyer. However, graduating in a law school will not, at least, here in the Philippines, make me a lawyer. In order to be one, I have to pass a qualifying exam known as the dreadful Philippine Bar Examinations.

"The Philippine Bar Examinations is the national licensure exam for admission to the practice of law. It is conducted during the four Sundays of September of every year. It is arguably the hardest and the most media-covered of all government licensure examinations in the country. It is also reputedly one of the hardest bar examinations in the world." [Quoted from Wikipedia]

I left last year (well, technically i did not leave 'coz I made sure that I check my union at least once a week) due to the Bar Examination (BarEx).

The 2007 Philippine BarEx was held on September 2, 9, 16 and 23. One subject each, in the morning (8AM-12PM) and afternoon (2-5PM). In order to pass, an examinee must get an average of 75%, with no subject below 50%. Otherwise, even if you perfect the rest of the 7 subjects, but you get 49.99% and below in at least one subject, you are disqualified and have to retake all the subjects in the next BarEx (if you still have the guts to undergo such horrifying experience... I won't retake it [now that I have passed it] even if you give me all the next-gen consoles and handhelds for free! I'm not crazy enough to bite that offer.).

Last year's BarEx was quite hard. The Chairman of the 2007 BarEx, Philippine Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolfo S. Azcuna, said earlier, in a press statement, that the Supreme Court (SC) find it necessary to reduce the passing average (for last year's BarEx only) to 70% due to the "unusually strict" checking of the papers. (Btw, the papers are checked manually by only one person assigned as the examiner for a particular subject, not by computer because it is hand-written, thus, it is subject to the biases of the examiner-checker--things like bad penmanship and funny English grammar will most likely cost you the entire exam.)

If the usual 75% passing average will be applied, the 2007 BarEx would easily beat the all-time low national passing percentage of 16.59% in 1999 to the bloody pulp. Applying the passing rate of 75%, 2007 BarEx will result into an unconscionable 5% national passing percentage! Since the SC used 70% as the passing average, the national passing percentage went to 22.91%, which is still far lower than the 2006 BarEx national passing of 32.89%.

Anyway, I am one of the blessed few that passed the exams. You can check the official list of the passers HERE. I am no. 846. in alphabetical order (not sorted by grades).

Btw, I just want to defend our batch for those thinking that we're low quality lawyers just because a 70% average was considered to have "passed". We should realize that no less than the SC recognized that the manner in which the papers were checked was "unusually strict", and the fact that in the entire history of the Philippine BarEx, no national passing percentage has gone down below 16.59%. Getting a national passing percentage of only 5% will clearly denote that something went terribly wrong. There are only two parties who may affect this result, eiither the examinees are just dumb poor, or the examiner, through his questions and checking did something terribly $&!%... And I doubt our batch is that horrible that only 5% of us can hit the normal passing average of 75%, knowing that since 1901, all batches get at least 16.59% national passing percentage.

Now, to be a full-fledged lawyer in the Philippines and be eligible to use the title Attorney, a candidate must graduate from a Philippine law school, take and pass the Philippine Bar Examinations, take the Attorney's Oath, and sign his name in the Rolls of Attorneys of the Supreme Court. I have fulfilled the first two requirements (and the hard parts). In two or three weeks time, I'll be taking my oath and will put my signature in the roll of attorneys... After that, I'm really a lawyer! *plays Final Fantasy Victory Theme*

So, with that, I want to say thank you all of for the undying support that you gave me. Give your "Yay!" for FG!

TAGGED???

Honestly, I do not have any idea about this "tagged" thing and almost decided to subtitle it, "WTH IS TAGGED???!", but I was "threatened" by a certain chickobo eater () that she will sulk at me if I won't do this game stuff [she told me what to do], so, here it is:

5 Things You Do Not Know About FG...

[I think I have introduced myself well-enough to the community--at least, you've read my past posts here in my blog and in the forums--so, I think I have no other choice, but to give more personal info about myself...

1. I'm ambidextrous.

I can write well with both hands, but I use my left most of the time. Usually, I just use my right if my left is already tired. I can also eat with ease using either hands (with spoon & fork... I still have to learn how to use chopsticks). I can also do armwrestling with eaither hands (but I'm not saying I'm strong enugh to beat all opponents). That's the only extent of my ambidexterity.

2. I particularly love romantic-comedy films.

Aside from my animations and Tom Hanks fanboyism, romantic-comedy films are the ones that really got me hooked in watching movies. Yay for Pretty Woman and My Sassy Girl! I also think that Richard Gere & Julia Roberts is the best love-team in Hollywood film industry.

3. I think I'm ugly.

I honestly think that I'm ugly. Well, mabe, not really ugly, but--I'm just an ordinary-looking guy.

4. All my close friends are ladies.

Don't get me wrong. I have a lot of friends, and guys for that matter, but my closest friends are all ladies. I'm not a chick-magnet, but yeah... I'm surrounded with girls.

5. I haven't had an "official" gf.

Yeah. I had some relationships before, but there is nothing official. I only had one serious relationship, but still, we became "on" in an implied sense... At least, that's what our common friends said. We parted ways almost a year and a half ago.

Because I passed the BarEx, I am feeling generous... I'll give a 6th one [hold your breath ladies...]:

6. I'm STILL a virgin.

Oops! Yeah. At age 25, I'm still a virgin... Well, at least, in the carnal (physical) aspect. I haven't done the "F" word. Some of you may find me naughty, but I think, after all, I'm still conservative.

That's it!

To whom it may concern: I hope you're pleased now. No more sulking, okay?

I have no plans in outspacing my last blog entry, but due to unexpected turn of events, I was compelled to make a new entry to explain to whom it may concern, especially the SEE community.

THE PARTIES

crushgoil, michelle_moraes

THE FACTS

The salient facts of the case at bar (both being undisputed by the parties) are as follows:

-Around September, iirc, of last year, michelle_moraes ("mich" hereunder) notified the SEE community that she will be leaving for some reasons, which were welcomed by the rest of SEE.
-With all the best intentions for SEE to function "as usual" even if she is not around, mich decided to have a system of swapping the union leadership to crushgoil and queen_valentine, "temporarily", while she is not around.
-Fast forward to two months ago... mich returned to SEE
-Yesterday, mich notified crushgoil ("Yuna" hereunder), that the leadership should be given back to her by today.
-Yuna was hesitant thinking that it would subject SEE to uncertainties if mich would leave SEE again in the future.

This morning, when I opened my PMs, I got one message each from both parties explaining their side of the coin. Each sharing their sentiments.

THE ISSUE

Who is the rightful leader of Square Enix Experience (SEE)?

THE ANSWER

michelle_moraes

THE RATIONALE

Here are the reasons how I come up with my answer to the issue:

-Just a little background on the circumstances... When I made SEE, I considered it as a subsidiary of Final Fantasy Experience (FFE), and all rules of FFE will apply to it insofar as it is not contrary to the ToS of Gamespot. mich was picked by me to be the permanent administrator of SEE when I decided to give SEE autonomy from its mother union, FFE.

The Constitution of FFE provides that the administrator of the union shall be claimed only by one who has gotten the trust and confidence of the current administrator who is retiring/resigning or if the current administrator becomes AWOL for a long period of time.

mich, as the administrator, of SEE did not retire or resign as such. She merely transfered the leadership "temporarily" during her absece. She also did not went AWOL for a long period of time 'coz her absence was with notice, well, maybe not with regard to some, but we all go absent in our unions and does not notify anyone all the time, right? Granting she went AWOL, the Gamespot rules in changing leaders who are AWOL does not apply 'coz, iirc, it gives leeway to a union administrator to be AWOL for up to 3 months before he/she can be stripped off of his union leadership. We may think 3 months is too long, but the rules of Gamespot take sprecedence in the rules of unions. And, granting further, that she went AWOL for 3 months, GS requires election in the subject union on who will be thier new permanent leader... This, the SEE community failed to do.

-Both parties agree that the leadership transfer made by mich was only "temporary" in nature.

There could not have been a clearer evidence of the claim of leadership than the uncontested admission of both parties that the nature of the leadership of Yuna is only temporary until mich returns and would want to lead SEE again. It could have been a different story if there had been a negotiation before that if mich would not claim leadership within a specified period of time, Yuna would be the permanent leader.

Yuna raised the "best interest of the union" policy, but I think, it is not applicable in this case 'coz it is clear that mich is serious in leading SEE once again (not just to take it back for the sake of leading a top ranking union), and the track of mich as leader of SEE is good enough to warrant that she can serve for the best interest of the union.

Thus, with the above reasons, I, as founder and adviser of SEE, objectively, am deciding in favor of michelle_moraes. [Note: I decided only on the issue, and not on the person of the parties involved.]

MY AFTERTHOUGHTS

Both mich and Yuna are my friends, and it is hard to be torn between these two pillars of SEE. Their love and dedication for SEE are almost unmatched. They both spent countless hours to ensure that the union would continue to thrive in these days that Gamespot is in a slowdown and most unions are either dying or leaving.

True, I honestly think it is mich who has the legal right (to be understood within the conrext of the ToS and the rules of the union) as leader of SEE, but I am in NO WAY, saying that Yuna was a bad leader, nor is she inferior to mich. I don't think Yuna wanted to claim SEE as "her own". I just honestly think that she loved the union so much, and maybe, got a little emotional in giving back the leadership to someone, who, although she thinks is a superb leader, has gone absent in the union for quite a while. She is sorry for offending mich by his actions, and I sincerely believe that she never meant to offend anyone.

For mich's side, I cannot blame her. She made the leadership swapping thing for all good intentions and purposes, and is confident that when she is ready to be back to lead the union, it will be given back to her. SEE, we all know mich was a god leader. Let us welcome her back with open arms and I know she can prove to us, once again, that she is worthy of our trust and confidence.

I am not looking down at anyone's action or reaction 'coz I know all of those are just results of their passion to ensure that SEE will be a better place for us who support it. Maybe there are differences in ideals, and even in attitude, but at the end of the day, I hope everything will be all right and true reconciliation will start.

CURRENT STATE

Yuna decided to step down as leader of SEE, while mich is still waiting for one last advice. For the meantime, I will be the leader (again) of SEE unless and untill mich decides to step up, or, in the case she decides not to, unless and until a suitable leader is chosen.

Not as a consolation, but as a sign that I value Yuna, not just as a friend, but also as a good union leader, I have chosen her as the new administrator of Kingdom Hearts Experience, a part of the "Experience" brand of unions. Those who will miss her at SEE, you can always see her at KHE.

So, ideally, here is the leadership setup of the "Experiece" unions:

Final Fantasy Experience
[a union dedicated to all things realted to the final fantasy series]
Leader: Fantasy Gamer

Square Enix Experience
[a general square enix union for all things regarding the company and its products/activities]
Leader: michelle_moraes

Kingdom Hearts Experience
[a union dedicated to kh, and all disney and squaresoft coverage]
Leader: crushgoil

There will be officer vacancies at FFE and KHE in the coming days. Those who are interested, please apply at the designated application thread or notify the respective leaders. As for SEE, all current officers remain unless and until mich or a new leader decides.

For FFE, see you all there... as usual.

For SEE, I ask that the officers would step up in these hard times. I know we can get through this.

For KHE, more activities and props are on the way!

FINALE

It is quite a sad thing that all these have happened, but let us all look at the bright side. We can make it through and I hope you keep supporting all our unions.

Long live the "Experience" unions!

Fantasy Gamer
Leader, Final Fantasy Experience (officially endorsed)
Founder, Square Enix Experience
Founder, Kingdom Hearts Experience

UPDATE ( 19 March 2008 ): mich decided not to take back the position to ease the tension amongst everyone involved and is concerned in all these problems. Anyway, for now, I'll take the lead (oh no... two big unions, again) Anyway, I believe things will be all right.

Move on!