Spread Toes And A Flat Nose

The Dilemma of the Times

2011-01-16T03:23:00.001-05:00

Technology has all of us on our feet all the time. Gadgets are coming out in different shapes and form and we are left with so many choices, it is almost appalling.
Do we wonder why we are constantly scrambling to do things as if time is so squeezed we can barely fit any chore in it? Give an honest answer, for once. How much time do we waste each day on distractions like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, e-mails and the eight hundred apps or so residing in our mobile devices? Do we wonder why we have a phone, and we don’t even call people anymore? I do.

I always catch myself updating on the latest happenings and interests around the globe through Twitter. I always catch myself giving inputs and insights on my Facebook wall about the things that I’m currently preoccupied with and interested in. What a life!

Sometimes when my morning alarm rings which is conveniently carried out by my iPhone, I catch myself clicking on the Facebook app even when my eyes are still half-open. Why is that so? It seem as though there is this hunger to connect to the world in real-time every second of the day and these modern-day social networking tools made it a possibility for us to dwell into that need. Woe me!

I have a few laptops and other gadgets that I barely touch because everything is easier with the mobile phones and the apps. I have other gadgets that I don’t even bother to use like Kindle, a Macbook, iREx reader, iPods, DS because it’s almost redundant and much more complicated to jump from one device to another when all we needed is to be connected to the world. In the end all these devices sit in the corner and gather dust while they start getting obsolete by the minute. What a waste!

There is so much information overload, and if we are not careful about limiting the information that we take on a daily basis, we end up wasting our life away on technological distractions. We end up losing sight of the bigger picture. Life in all its simplicity is still the best way to live.

Yet, with new gadgets looming in the horizon and more promise of technological innovation and mobility, there seem to be no end to this growing dilemma. In fact, I’ve been itching to get an iPad and the only thing that is holding me off is the buzz that Apple will soon release its latest, more improved version.

But honestly, I’m at a point where I’m not that crazy anymore about gadgets. All these years, I have learned that these toys are only exciting to hold the first time after unboxing them. After that, the thrill is gone plus, unless you are truly utilizing the gadget to help you out on a daily basis with your career or business, much of these devices don’t actually improve your quality of life.

For now, I will stay away as far as possible from technological distractions; limit my playing time with my gadgets; enjoy life through healthy food, yoga, exercise, friends, nature & outdoors, my family; and continue my pursuit for career advancement. This I promise to myself and I intend to keep it.

Geek Attempt: Data Recovery

2010-08-06T14:29:00.003-05:00

I am very impatient when it comes to computer technology. I figured since we are already in a new era of computing, things should work faster, error-free and reliably all the time. But, computer geeks and enthusiasts are constantly fighting to master something that is too unstable to be confined within the realms of what an ideal computing environment should be.

When I’m in front of the computer, it’s always a great adventure to find out things here and there in the internet superhighway. In the process though, we get caught up with information overload, and our PCs suffer too.

I normally would clean my PC every time I get a hint that it’s struggling, or if I realize that its overall throughput as a high-speed computing device is unsatisfactory within my own perceived standards. I clean everything to the point of tweaking the internal registries not minding the consequence of removing & rewriting endlessly onto my HDD partitions.

In the end, I have to deal with a corrupted disk drive that refuses to boot and instead I get the unforgiving blue screen of death (BSOD) which is Windows' own way of saying ‘Hey you screwed up Windows, and now screw you…na na na na na!’ (just kidding) . In all its fairness this is Windows’ innate way of protecting your basic system files from getting more damage. And there are a few things you can do but it requires a few sleepless nights, a great deal of patience, some technical knowhow, a good chunk of geek mentality, and some cash to dispose of for recovery software and perhaps backup disks or drives. There are a few free resources online but depending on how desperate you are to recover your data, it is essentially an impossible route to take without doling out something in return for recovering your corrupted data.

So now we’re talking. My point is backing up your data on a regular basis is the only way to get stability in this unstable computing world. Data on your PC gets corrupted so easily and it’s not a matter of if but it’s a matter of when.

I have a VAIO that runs on VISTA and for all its grace I just loved the way it performed that I wanted to save it, instead of just dropping the ‘f’ bomb and running to the store to get a new laptop.

So I went through the hassle of going through several attempts of booting & rebooting my laptop, and it didn’t work. Apparently some of my basic Windows .exe files are nowhere to be found. What did I do? Then moving to step 2, I acquired an online utility tool to help in the BSOD dilemma called Spotmau that attempts to fix Windows upon boot by tapping into your BIOS files and re-coding the order in which Windows would boot, plus it’s got its own bit of Windows utility tool that attempts to assist Windows to load and fix any sort of errors provided your wounded OS is still crouching inside your PC. Nah, the BSOD still happened. This solution didn’t work for me.

The next attempt is a little too extreme for one who is not really into the nuts and bolts of how the PC internals work. I mean come on guys, someone already lost sleep over this. Why would I lose sleep too? But anyways, sometimes you don’t really get the satisfaction that you want until you get to the bottom of things so I decided, what the heck, let me open up my laptop, take the HDD, attach it to another laptop as an external disk drive and see what’s going on inside. In order to do this, you need to have of course another working laptop or PC, and a tool that will allow your HDD to be connected through the usb port—an HDD dock(hardware) which you can get online. Didn’t I tell you, you need cash?

Now the juicy part. I got the dock and successfully connected my dismantled HDD to my laptop. Voila my PC recognized it as just another external memory device. Now what? You are going to start with the process of recovering data by again scouring the web for the best resources to help you carry out the process so I again managed to find a potential cash-cruncher but if it helps, why not? No free lunch dearie, let me remind you of that!

For a sneak peek into your HDD you can download Recover My Files. The beauty of this software is that it lets you start the process of recovering the corrupted data before you even decide to pay a few dollars for this utility. This software lets you recover either a few lost files or recover an entire corrupted drive. In my case I decided to do the latter since the BSOD is a definite indication of a serious drive issue. This process takes time, so brace yourself for it. A good way to carry out this process is to temporarily disable your working laptop's other functionalities like standby mode settings, regular updates that results in automatic restart, just so the utility can go on with the process of locating files without interruption. I tell you, this takes days so be patient. And don’t be stupid.

Once the process of locating lost files is done, you need more time for analyzing the recovered files and this takes a longer time. After this process is completed, you get to see a glimpse and even a preview of the files and more. Only when you decide to complete the recovery process that you then need to purchase a license key. I did.

As of this writing, I’m still in my underpants with my less-furrowed eyebrows, waiting to complete the entire process. And I am actually doing eight hundred other things on the side while burying my 'fo-his' into a cold bar of Haagen daaz.

Will this be a success? We’ll wait and see. For now, I can proudly say, ‘I tried’.

Twitterrific: Some Great Finds On Twitter

2010-01-06T06:56:00.003-05:00

These are a few useful links that you can check out.

http://www.teacherclick.com/index.htm
Free Online Computer Tutorials.
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/
English-language lessons and practice exercises
http://freelancefolder.com/35-online-tools-to-make-your-freelance-career-easier/
Freelance Career Tools
http://issuu.com/
Collect, share and publish in a format designed to make your documents look their very best.
http://www.onlinemathlearning.com/
Math help and learning resources
http://basket.kde.org/
Multi-purpose note-taking application
http://www.curriki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Main/WebHome
A website where the community shares and collaborates on free and open curricula
http://www.dumblittleman.com/2006/10/40-ways-to-make-money-on-internet.html
40 Ways To Make Money On the Net
http://lifehacker.com/5266613/six-best-mp3-tagging-tools
6 Best MP3 tagging tools
http://www.ipl.org/index.html
Librarian’s Internet Index--Free reading resources including books for Kids & Teens; and Newspapers
http://pricelesswarehome.org/2009/2009pl.php
A comprehensive list of the best freeware/programs

This Digital Age: How Connected Are We?

2010-01-06T05:56:00.002-05:00

Some famous computer enthusiast said that “The future is now. It’s just not evenly distributed among everyone.”

If you wonder how many bytes of data is being sent across several points on a daily basis, globally, the number is astonishing. Probably aside from food, information is something that we now feed on endlessly every minute of the day.

Have you twittered? Do you facebook? What’s up with myspace? How many RSS feeds do you read day in and day out?

Add to that the new social networking apps like Foursquare and Whrrl and basically information is at the palm of your hands.

For as long as you have your iPhone, your Motorola Cliq, your Blackberry, and lately the HTC Nexus, you are never left out with what’s going on in the world.

The only drawback is that since there is too much information exchange, people tend to set aside the importance of keeping their private life private. That fifth wall that separates our privacy from the public’s eye is basically torn down. Much of the younger users don’t even care.

The evildoers who are lurking in the dirty corners of the web are waiting patiently to take advantage of our recklessness in terms of protecting our data.

Yes we are so connected these days that anything can be organized at such a short amount of time; that everyone can be summoned at once to do something spectacular; that printed media is almost unnecessary; that we spend more time engaging in our digital lives than with our family within our home. Yes we are dangerously connected through the information highway; we might as well be less human now.

Our phones and our laptops, have replaced the human company that we used to cherish. The one thing that never gets out of sight is our priced gadgets for digital networking, gaming, online shopping, and web eavesdropping.

Indeed, we have become more digitally meshed with our digital lives, that we all have become less connected to humanity—its basics, morals, principles and the very core of living life the way it used to be before the advent of the digital age.

The Year That Was...2009: Hello 2010!

2009-12-30T17:37:00.001-05:00

Time flies. I remember how everything just blew down on us like a whirlwind from the recession to the bailouts, from war and still more war, from ponzi schemes to the unbearable market losses, from the enormous unemployment rate to still a staggeringly high number of people still unemployed, 2009, came and stayed like a dark cloud without any silver lining.

A lot of people in the U.S. are still finding answers. A lot of people around the globe are still groping in the dark. Suffering and war have not eased up a bit. Chaos and indifference still loom everywhere. Add to that the ever growing fear of a catastrophic pig flu outbreak, and this world seemed like a sad place to be in.

Horrid as it is, media and the authorities tried their best to project a less daunting future for all of us, as if everything is under control and things will get better soon.

I don’t see anything promising at all for the near future. The war will remain. More war will brew in places unheard of. The global community will still be suffering and none of these scientific breakthroughs can even secure our future and assure us that a global pandemic resulting from new virus strains will always be preventable.

Global warming has supposedly showed it signs, when icebergs melted and were transported to warm waters near the Australian region. A global summit was called to protect the environment and ease the effects of global warming, yet, the people who were there couldn’t even agree on how to fairly distribute the global budget amongst participating nations.

Sometimes, it’s easier to think that this world is without hope. It’s more comforting to think that the end is near. Then you can rest on your laurels and say that the apocalypse is here. Let us just enjoy life, have fun, and not even try to correct what is wrong. We can also redirect all our energies, thinking that the end is near, to salvaging humankind by doing good for a Godly purpose.

It is exasperating to really try to grasp everything that’s happening around us. Will there be hope for our children and our children’s children? Will there be a world for them to enjoy and cherish?

I guess the answer to that is as black as night. None of us know what the future holds. We can only surmise that our best efforts addressed at making this world a better place will hold up and offer some hope for a savable future.

In a sense, we are all a contributor to whatever happens ahead. Every little thing adds up, thus, we should all be aware of the choices we make now.

Let us all look back, assess our course. Have we steered clear on our paths? Were there any major blunders that we could have prevented? Is there still time to correct the wrongs we’ve done?

Whatever this year has marked in our lives, 2009 won’t stay that long. The New Year 2010 is here. Let us embrace the New Year with an enthused spirit, a renewed courage, an enlightened faith and an unwavering resolve that whatever this year offers we will survive it with an unflinching spirit.

Happy 2010!

The Filipino Nation: In the Face of Tragedy

2009-09-27T22:21:00.001-05:00

Typhoon ‘Ondoy’ struck the northern part of the Philippines and flooded most of the Metro Manila areas. Rainfall that didn’t fall for six months poured in just a matter of six hours causing loss of lives and devastation in the hard hit areas.

The initial death toll was at 73, and still rising as more and more bodies are pulled out from flooded regions. There’s countless number of victims who are still missing; and displaced families ran in thousands.

Is the country and its disaster preparedness agency ready enough to tackle the huge task of helping all who are directly affected by the tragedy? It might have been too much but the president promised that ‘it didn’t break’ the resolve of the nation.

It’s too early to tell because as I write this blog there’s a good portion of the region that is still under water and has no electricity and probably has no water resource safe enough for human consumption.

This is not the first time that heavy torrential rains brought about by a typhoon has drenched the countryside and flooded the region. In fact the number of casualties doesn’t even come as a surprise at all. Landslides and flooding have already claimed a many lives in the past.

In all these, the Filipino nation of course is uniting to help out those who are in dire need. Overseas workers are even extending support thru a relief drive. The global community is also helping through the Red Cross.

Was there anything that could have been done to lessen the damage of this recent disaster? Who knows? I’m sure the poorest of the poor who are probably among the casualties would have no choice but to live in uninhabitable areas, building shanties made of cardboard boxes, a makeshift of a floating abode with a luxurious view of the bay, yet was in all sense is and was a tragedy waiting to happen.

It was not uncommon to build a tent on top of a slightly covered sewer system and call it home. And when the downpour ravaged the land, these people had nowhere to run to seek refuge or at least stay out of harm’s way as the threat of the typhoon looms.

That’s the biggest tragedy! These people would have easily awashed with just the rising of the tide because they were in a place where they weren’t supposed to be.

Time and time again, tragedies have occurred in this poverty-stricken country and it’s always the poor who suffered. Did the leaders learn their lesson?

I doubt it. This is not the first time that the nation is bruised and left helpless with a tragic event, and certainly, this will not be the last. The country’s leaders need to be proactive to the obvious need of the poor, if things have to change. Until then, I, being a Filipino feel that I can only watch in horror as tragic events like this unfold.

On the lighter side, I believe that pain and suffering are the common strands that bind all of humanity. We all at some point in our lifetime have to deal with pain and suffering.

Pain and suffering makes us more humane every time, if only we see the silver lining.

For anyone who wishes to help, you can contact the International Red Cross hotline.

A Great Political Icon: Corazon C. Aquino (1933-2009)

2009-07-31T23:42:00.002-05:00

The Filipino nation is mourning today the loss of a great leader and a beloved past Philippine president ‘Cory Aquino’. Cory died at 3:18 a.m. on August 1, 2009 (Philippine time) after she was diagnosed with colon cancer over a year ago.

Cory Aquino is notably remembered for changing the face of Philippine politics after ousting a former dictator-president Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 through a people’s revolt on the streets. She then became the first lady president of the Philippines.

She was an intelligent, courageous and a morally-conscious leader who openly waged a war against the ugliness that hounds the face of Philippine politics. After her reign as president, she continued to be an ambassadress for the masses.

The Filipino nation owe her a lot for all the lessons she has imparted being a true Filipino in spirit, defending and fighting for the cause of democracy and together with her husband, Ninoy Aquino, gave so much to us all--the Filipino nation.

She is a great hero, and she will be remembered as one.

The Monkey and the Turtle

2009-07-08T06:03:00.001-05:00

Pay attention closely to this story. It may reflect something about how you take opportunities in life. The original author of this story is Dr. Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines.

Two friends, a monkey and a turtle decided to go strolling one day. As they were strolling around, they saw a banana tree filled with luscious ripe banana fruits. They were trying to figure out what to do with their find, and since the two were good friends they decided to divide the tree into two parts and each one will go home with his share.

The monkey then suggested to the turtle that they cut the tree into two halves—the top half and the lower half. The monkey opted to take the top half of the tree already sprouting with its harvest of ripe banana fruits. Meanwhile, the more laidback turtle agreed to take the bottom part that has the roots.

The monkey was doubly jovial about the fact that he has fruits that he can eat right away plus he gets a chance of getting more once he planted the tree, not realizing that without the roots the tree won’t grow.

They both went home happy and then planted their respective tree halves on the ground. They were both eager to see their plants grow. After a few days, the monkey’s tree died while the tree that the turtle planted grew and bloomed into a full fruit-bearing tree.

The Lesson:

Every once in a while life presents us with opportunities to make our lives better. Most of us though, choose ‘instant gratification’, thus, blinding us to the real value of the opportunity before our eyes. In the end, all we can do is sigh and wished we chose differently.

In most cases, good things come to those who wait.

I Beg To Differ:

If good things come to those who wait, what about those who die in the process of waiting?

Pacquiao vs. Hatton: KO at 2:59 of Round 2

2009-05-03T01:50:00.001-05:00

Tonight’s boxing match between two great fighters in the boxing arena was sweet and short.

Like he normally does, Pacquiao was brilliant in his boxing techniques that led to a premature end of a match that was slated to go for twelve rounds. For all Hatton fanatics, it was a surprising and disappointing end after Pacquiao brutally pounded Hatton with his left and right hooks, at lightning-fast speed.

I have watched the pre-fight documentary, Pacquiao-Hatton 24/7 which highlighted both fighters’ unique journey to prepare for tonight’s match. It was entertaining to listen to the exchange of words between two camps. It was obvious, that there was intent to psyche out each other. Hatton’s camp in fact claimed a sure win over Pacquiao, made visibly clear by Mayweather Sr.’s remarks. He was very dramatic over the certainty of their victory that he even made poetic rhymes to mock Pacquiao’s camp.

On the other hand, Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer knew better. He casually brushed aside the remarks by saying, “I have the best fighter.”

I couldn’t agree more. Pacquiao is the best pound for pound boxer not only in this era but probably throughout the history of boxing. Pacquiao from six years ago has annihilated boxing’s notable names: Barrera, Marquez, Morales, de la Hoya one by one.

Tonight’s performance by Pacquiao surely shut out doubts about how far Manny Pacquiao can go as a boxer. Pacquiao has evolved from a regular boxer-puncher to one who knows priceless techniques inside the ring, studying his opponent quite artistically as he throws his quick damaging punches.

I could go on and talk about how great Manny Pacquiao is as a boxer, but I wouldn’t even go there. The boxing match tonight said it all.

I am amused though, at hindsight, remembering Hatton’s trainer’s comments.

Talk is cheap. And for some, they can talk the talk, but can’t quite walk the walk.

What matters inside the ring is performance and results. Pacquiao delivered what was expected of him and more.

It couldn’t get any better than that.

Signs That Your Geek Meter Is Dangerously High

2009-03-16T10:01:00.001-05:00

1. You are convinced that Bamboo, Apple & Blackberry don't come with leaves or stems.

2. You know that Iliad and Kindle are synonymous words.

3.You incorporate 'backup and recovery' as part of your daily chore.

4. You are so wired, you'd pass for a terrorist at security check points.

5. You are so unwired, you utilize HSDPA, 3G, UMA, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and wait...what happened to infrared technology?

6. You read e-books on e-paper that uses e-ink. You even shop at e-book mall.

7. You are an advocate for paperless statements and electronic notifications.

8. You have subscribed to at least three of these: ITunes, Napster, Rhapsody, Dada, E-music & Grooveshark.

9. Your media player, weirdly is not the one provided by any of the above; instead you have the best media player there is...MediaMonkey.

10. Your main hobbies include 'coding' and 'troubleshooting'.

11. Your mobile apps include Yahoo Go, Avantgo, Wattpad, Nutsie and every free apps for the iPhone and for the G1 Android system.

12. You know that del.icio.us is delicious, indeed!

13. Your most valued asset is a list of the top 100 free resource online, be it books, music, software, tutorials...and you choose not to share it.

Francis M: Farewell

2009-03-09T04:12:00.001-05:00

I recently learned that Francis Magalona recently passed away on March 6, 2009 due to complications of leukemia at the young age of 44. He is survived by his wife and eight children who surprisingly remained strong amid the great loss.

What can I say? Francis M. was an icon in the Filipino entertainment arena. His one famous rap song “Mga Kababayan Ko” left an indelible imprint in our memories after it has topped the music charts during the rap-song music era.

I really haven’t followed much of his recent music contributions, but I would just like to say that Francis M. was a great talent who carries himself with pizzazz and a sense of class.

Unlike other artists out there, he stands out because he is not only talented but he is also obviously intelligent. His persona always commands some serious respect. Don’t get me wrong though. He was a guy who loves to have fun and have a good laugh. In fact he was a regular at a noontime show “Eat Bulaga” for a long time.

He died at a young age, but from all he’s done, it would be fair to say that he has lived his life’s worth by doing what he enjoyed doing and imparting and sharing his talent to the Filipino nation.

If there’s any consolation in all of this, his life was a life lived with enthusiasm, talent, and enormous zest for life and humanity.

His songs and his legacy will be remembered in our hearts for a long time.

Lie To Me: My New TV Show Fave

2009-03-06T03:43:00.001-05:00

I am recently glued to a new TV series entitled 'Lie To Me' starring Tim Roth as the lead character.

What I like about this show is, it is interesting and it offers the viewers some lessons in reading facial expressions and involuntary triggers from somebody's face to depict emotions of shame, fear, contempt, disgust, anger, pain, disbelief and many more.

Just having Tim Roth on the show is awesome and him being able to play a character who has an amazing skill of reading facial expressions is remarkable.

I am enjoying this show. Definitely.

And even if the show specifically warns the audience that it is a work of fiction, the show for some reason feels so real because of the profound subject--human emotions--as its core theme. Plus, showing clips of famous personalities and even dignitaries depicting the same emotion is really a good selling point to the audience as well.

If you haven't seen it, try watching it. Just be forewarned. You might be glued to this TV show, too.

American Idol: Top 13?

2009-03-06T03:24:00.002-05:00

It is definitely a welcomed move. I would rather be entertained by thirteen great singers than a mere twelve great ones.

On the other hand, not one contestant has really separated himself or herself from the bunch by standing out with his/her performance. It's too early to tell, but just basing on the vocals, it is really not that promising.

Tatiana which could have been a good addition to the show for some drama, didn't make it and it is a little disappointing since she definitely can sing. But I agree with Simon. If she sang the same song three times already, what is she trying to say? I mean if you truly have the talent why not seize the moment and prove to the judges after you are given another opportunity to prove your worth, that indeed you deserve a spot in the top 13.

Tatiana! Girl, what were you thinking?

Yoga And Meditation: Essential Life Tool?

2009-03-06T03:00:00.002-05:00

I am reminded that I just recently enrolled in yoga and meditation, and with which I have no prior experience or exposure to.

What is my goal?

My main goal is to be able to delimit the effects of today's stress using breathing exercises and control of the mind. Accordingly, it is said that if we are able to master this art then we can tap into a vast source of potential energy which could have positive effects on our lives.

I managed to gather some information which I am happy to share to anyone who maybe looking into practicing yoga and meditation.

What is yoga?

Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word "yug" which means "unity" or "oneness" and basically refers to the union of the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness.

The many benefits of Yoga include:

relaxing the mind and body
stretching and toning
improving the body's flexibility
helping breathing disorders
improving heart conditions
strengthening the spine
easing back pain
relieving stress or tiredness

. . . and more

What is meditation?

It is the mastery of controlling the mind. It is the perfect tool for developing positive emotional health and the key to success in life. The way to achieving this is through perfecting the ability to discipline and refine the mind, body and breath using psycho-physiological tools.

The many benefits of meditation include:

calming the mind
giving a sense of purpose
balancing the left and right hemispheres of the brain
giving perspective and clarity
promoting confidence
soothing the nervous system
improving the memory
improving the body's energy levels

This is a very interesting endeavor for me and I am hoping to enjoy the positive effects of this practice in my life.

In this chaotic world, it is essential for us to find a way to channel our negative emotions and mental stress so that we may be able to find a peaceful place within ourselves.

If yoga and meditation will help, then I'm up for it. How about you?

My Take On American Idol Judges: Does It Matter?

2009-03-04T04:33:00.004-05:00

After about three good weeks of performance by the top thirty-six contestants, American Idol remained to be truly unpredictable, engaging, brilliant and entertaining by far compared to other TV reality shows.

What I like most about the show aside from seeing raw talent is Simon's ever accurate assessment of every performance. For someone who doesn't really sing, Cowell is unbelievably right on the money every time.

His comments are always painfully necessary to provide a dose of reality check to American Idol wannabes. Less of what Simon does now would be unforgivable. In all honesty, Simon is the one who is able to carry the show with his often brutally jaw-dropping comments to the contestants.

Randy is getting better at it, too. He is able now to say more sensible and truly honest weigh-in on every contestant's performance.

Kara? Cara? She is good as well. She is getting there but sometimes her tempo is off-beat with the other judges' comments. What I notice with her comments is her immediate foresight on how commercially viable a contestant is. This sometimes blinds her of how much talent is laid out on the table compared to the X-factor or the 'it' quality.

Was it necessary to have a fourth judge this year? I don't think it is necessary but a change of pace is always refreshing.

As with Paula, she is there for a reason. She is always the strong pillar upon which every badly shaken contestant can lean on after hearing the other three judges' harsh criticisms. She is the emotional, caring and appreciative aura needed to counter all the brutal energies exchanged after a lousy performance.

Always, Paula's presence is needed to soften each hard blow which some contestants aren't totally prepared for at times.

With the vibe and the atmosphere that the four judges provide now, American Idol has become ever more colorful. A great deal of compliments should go to Ryan Seacrest as well for being great at what he does--hosting.

I'm never short of wonderful expectations for this season's American Idol.

It's always a pleasure to watch this show.

For These Desperate Times: A Few Measures You Could Take

2009-03-03T00:43:00.003-05:00

On spending:

1. Use coupons when you shop.

2. Never pay full price for an item.

3. Always prepare a list of things you need to buy before going shopping.

4. Go for what's on sale. Be ready to try other brands.

5. Stay away from mail-in ads and mail-in shopping mags.

On saving:

1. Live below your means.

2. Save at least 20% of your pre-tax earnings.

3. Limit use of credit cards and if you have to, always pay the full amount due each month.

4. Go on a budget and stick to it.

5. Shop less often; shop in bulk.

Earn a little extra on the side:

1. Get a little extra hour of job at snagajob.com.

2. You probably have some stuff you can sell at online sites like amazon.com, ebay.com, etsy.com, half.com.

3. Consider getting a home-based job or business that will cut costs.

4. Ever heard about dropshipping? If you like to do online business without the inventory, this may be a business for you.

5. Are you an authority on a subject? There's a lot of opportunities online, e.g., blogging that may give you a few bucks each month.

Meanwhile the other worthwhile things you can do:

1. Perform CPE (Continuing Professional Education) or get an A+ Certification. There's an ample resource of free study materials online that can help elevate your career.

2. Take care of your health by exercising and dieting. You'll save on medical bills.

3. Support a cause or volunteer for a group. Check out dosomething.org or freerice.org.

4. Spend more time bonding with the family. We could all use a good circle of support in these stressful times.

5. Enjoy the free things in life. Go back to nature and the bounty it offers.

Medical Prognosis...If You're A Pinoy Like Me!

2009-03-02T04:47:00.005-05:00

antibody -- you're definitely against everyone

artery -- it is a structured study of fine paintings

benign -- this is what you become after you be eight

bowel -- includes and is limited to the letters A, E, I, O, U

Caesarean section -- a prominent region in Rome

cardiac arrest -- when you are caught stealing someone else's car

cardiology -- an in-depth study of the game of poker playing

critical but stable condition -- when you run out of allowance but you still have enough load in your cell phone for text messaging

critical mass -- the service that politicians attend prior to election day

CT Scan -- something that you do if your cat goes missing

dialysis -- an automated telemarketing strategy

DOA (dead on arrival) -- the state of your electronic gadget upon receipt when you get it from an online thrift store

dilate -- the ability to live longer

enema -- referring to someone who is not your friend

genes -- usually comes in pairs of blue denim

hemorrhagic pancreatitis -- a more sophisticated way of saying 'bangungot'

hemorrhoid -- nasty being from outer space

impotent -- means that you are distinguished

labor pain -- refers to all your work-related stress

lobotomy -- a very unimpressive way of referring to a medical procedure involving the brain; 'lobot' in my dialect actually means 'ass'

organ transplant -- a strategic relocation of your piano

paralyze -- coincidental lies

pathological -- having to do with the paths you take from home to work and vice versa

protein -- when you are in favor of the younger generation

red blood count -- typical if you are one of the descendants of Count Dracula

secretion -- the art of hiding secrets

terminal illness -- a sickness you acquire in one of these locations: airports, pier, train station

tumor -- when you need an extra pair

vital signs -- critical clues to how much your medical bill is gonna be

Spirited Discussion: Decluttering Your Life

2009-03-02T03:52:00.003-05:00

Creating a space inside your home could be a daunting task especially if you are the incurable collector of anything and everything under the sun.

But if you ponder on these tips, you might be able to de-clutter your home as well as your life.

1. Get a hold of yourself.

Ask yourself, "Why the clutter?" when the obvious is that if you are organized you'll have more time to enjoy the other things in life. Battle it out with the inner packrat inside of you.

2. Now is the time.

Acknowledge that there will be a hundred tomorrows to come but if you keep on procrastinating, you may end up overwhelmed with the magnitude of the task that you are going to do and you'll end up not doing it, at all. Besides, after time has elapsed, you would have collected more clutter overtime.

3. More means less.

I'll give you a very concrete example. I have two iPods, five cell phones and let us just say about eight hundred other stuff and gadgets (computer stuff, wires, connectors, drives, back-up devices, network adapters and about every utility to enhance my computing life.) What's the real score? I spend more time figuring things out--i.e. troubleshooting (guess this is a better terminology), than actually enjoying the functionality of every device.

4. Less is always more.

Imagine a simple room with just the very basic purposeful amenities inside it. You'll see the actual room layout; appreciate the clean lines; see more of the subtle hues. You'll actually find yourself spending more time in that room, with pleasure and relaxation.

5. Make room for new things.

Out with the old! I always tell my siblings the same thing. Get rid of your old stuff so that you will invite new things to come in. I always tell them jokingly, "If you give away your cell phone, I might be tempted to give to you my smartphone."

If this is a little hard to practice, you can do it the other way. When you get something new, get rid of the old so that you don't accumulate unnecessary, out-of-style, outdated stuff that will eventually pile up as junk.

6. Segregate, now!

--Trash

--To-Go

--Treasure

See your stuff with two eyes. Ask yourself, "For here?" or "To go?". If the stuff is not good to keep 'for here' or not good enough 'to go' to other human beings, then it's trash. Yup, trash is not fit for human consumption!

7. Purging is rewarding to the soul.

Nothing is as refreshing and fulfilling as being able to cleanse your life of old unwanted stuff, be it old soiled material stuff or old nasty habits.

We all need a dose of self-cleaning on a periodic basis to loosen up some tight ends and probably overhaul some worn-out parts and oil up some rusty gears in our life. Periodic self-cleaning actually works with computers!

8. You are dust.

And to dust you shall return! If you are already accumulating too much dust now with the stuff that you have, isn't that clue enough that perhaps you are going to return to dust anytime (I hope not soon enough, knock on wood!).

It's your reality. It's my reality. A hundred years from now, we'll all sit side by side--none better than any other. Yup, you'll be dust. I'll be dust.

A single crap you have now, none you'll take. Duh?

9. Help the planet.

And when I say the planet, I mean the people in it. Do you actually know how many people sleep on the streets with no blankets, on mere cardboard boxes on a cold breezy night?

One time, at past 11 p.m. at a bar-b-q stand in Cebu, a mother was begging for food with a totally unclothed 2-year-old in her arms. The sight of it, crushed my inner being.

Meanwhile, here you were on a different corner of the planet in your warm, cozy bed covered with about fifty-two Swarovski crystal-encrusted blankets. Yup, 52 blankets! How could you?

10. Desperate measures for desperate times.

In this economy, help yourself. Love to shop? Shop in your closet, or in your drawer or in your cabinets. I'm sure you have stuff with tags still in it.

You might find something that you can sell to generate extra funds.

You might also find some old stuff that someone you know may still be able to use for free.

Pass on the savings.

11. If all else fails, reconsider tips 1 to 10!

12. You can still use tip # 11...

Safari 4.0 Beta: A New Browsing Experience

2009-02-28T20:32:00.003-05:00

Just a few days ago, Apple launched its most recent contribution to the Internet with Safari 4.0 which is still in Beta and is available for download both for Mac and PC users.

I have to try it of course with my MacBook. I also downloaded the PC version in one of my Windows-based laptops.

This browser promises performance and convenience. I've been a fan of the tabbed browsing now available with Windows IE (the later versions). Of course, this new Internet browser provided by Apple delivers another breakthrough interface which is really appealing and functional.

What it does is it showcases an artistically presented windows that you can see all at once when you open the browser. The graphical presentation of the windows is aesthetically appealing and really convenient. It showcases at least twelve windows of the top web sites that you go to, less the guesswork. It automatically analyzes your browsing history and use that as a reference for all the windows presented for you to browse.

It's great to know that you can look onto your screen and be able right away to click on your favorite sites without opening another window or tab. You can also edit your preferences so that each window is an intelligent representation of the sites you visit often.

It's free, so if I were you, I'd be updating my browser right away and see how the software scores.

Apple really knows what it's doing. In this day and age, where time isn't a luxury anymore, useful tools to make our computing life more productive are really indispensable.

With this browser you'll be able to do more in less time. See for yourself.

Bugs? The browser itself has an easy to use icon for reporting errors.

IE? Chrome? Safari? The choice is yours!

Cool Stuff: Grooveshark Widget

2009-02-28T00:15:00.003-05:00

I love music. Guess, all of us do.

It doesn't matter what kind of music you like, but we all can agree that music is the universal language of the heart.

Music can change your mood.

Music can inspire you.

Music can move you.

Music can connect you to your deepest core.

Music can give you that little push to do something extraordinary.

Music could be the fuel to fire up that passion inside you.

Whatever music is to you, is whatever music is to me. Hmmm...doesn't make sense at all!

Well, enjoy while you read my blogs. I have provided on the side my handpicked all-time favorite songs. Feel free to listen to them to your satisfaction.

If these choices don't really suite your rhythm, feel free to create one at grooveshark.com. Send me a link. Will ya?

Obsessed With Technology

2009-02-25T01:58:00.004-05:00

I have brought this up in my past blogs that I am a total consumer of gadgets that can make my life convenient.

Of course, I installed a home network that allowed total wireless connectivity inside and around the house. I utilize a DSL connection, thus, speed really isn’t a factor to me anymore. Besides, I use Linksys’ Wireless-N router which provides great signal coverage within the network.

How do I use my network? First, wireless printing is really of paramount importance. I want to be able to print from any location within my home network from any attached device. My solution is simple. I got D-link's wireless print server and connected it to a Samsung CLX-3160FN color laser printer. This printer is awesome. Print quality is great. Printing speed is another bonus. And the long-term cost of printing is really very economical. Besides, this printer has multifunctions—it can be set to send fax; copy documents; scan documents in pdf or jpeg format directly to a usb removable drive; or simply print documents from any computer connected to the network. This printer literally sits and waits 24/7 to do printing jobs at my convenience. All I do, is put enough paper on the printer, and printing is done as needed. This convenience is really priceless. In my case, I don’t have to go downstairs every time I want to print something. I can just grab all the printouts at once, less the hassle.

The second most important function for my home network is my cellular phone service. Having no cell phone signal is really frustrating, but, with T-mobile’s hotspot-at-home service, I can easily use a hotspot-at-home enabled cell phone to connect to the network and be able to make calls using UMA technology—for free.

My home phone connection of course uses VOIP (voice over internet protocol) which is a cheaper service compared to regular telephone service. It is even much cheaper if the service is bundled with Internet and cable TV, and that’s what I have. It comes with a disadvantage though. When there is a power outage or let’s just say that there is no Internet signal, this phone doesn’t work at all, so it is still important to have some good communication back-up at hand—probably a push-to-talk-enabled cell phone which is already available in the market today.

To date, I am very satisfied with my service. I haven’t had any down time yet with my Internet service provider. Hopefully, I wouldn’t be calling the technical support department any time soon with regards to service issues.

The third important use for my wireless network is my AppleTV. For those of you who are not familiar with AppleTV, it is one great gadget delivered by Apple’s ingenuity. It connects to the television and is able to connect to your wireless network. It is actually capable of detecting your network’s wireless signal and it has one really cute remote that allows you easy alphanumeric entries for searches, password setup, network setup and screen manipulation. This device allows you to watch YouTube videos on your wide screen TV. This device can also easily access the iTunes store so you can buy or rent the latest movies, or TV series either in regular or HD format provided you have a valid apple store account. Downloading movies or videos is a breeze with this device. A similar gadget that is available in the market is Vudu and it can be set up to connect wirelessly to the network using a wireless kit. AppleTV is even able to connect to your iTunes library from your PC so you can watch them on your big screen TV instead of watching them from your computer’s screen.

The next use for my wireless network is my Wii connection. Checking news by region from around the world and browsing weather updates, or merely browsing the Wii-shop or probably connecting with other Miis can all easily happen in the palm of my hand using the Wii-mote in front of the TV.

The last but definitely not the least use for my wireless network is definitely the ability to connect my wireless enabled phones like the iPhone, Blackberry and the G1 to check some stats or browse the net or download some apps.

Wireless connectivity is really all about convenience in this digital age. If you do employ something that can potentially endanger sensitive or personal information and possibly expose you to the risk of identity theft, then be sure to also apply some security measures for the network. Linksys' wireless N router is not only efficient but it also provides an easy security setup to protect the network either in WEP or WAP sequence coding.

Does my obsession with technology end there? NO.

I am a music lover, too. I could be listening to music from my cellphone, from my laptop or from my iPod. The one thing I make sure of is to get the right mix of audio so that listening to music is always a pleasure. One of the great audio products available out there is Altec Lansing. Altec Lansing audio products have good audio quality reproduction. That I can attest to. What I do is I couple Altec Lansing’s inMotion iPod dock to Altec Lansing’s powered music system VS4121 that uses a sub woofer complete with treble and bass adjustments. The result is amazing music quality. I could easily groove my moves to Kanye West’s ‘Love Lockdown’ when it’s playing.

I told you, right from the start that it’s all about convenience. Exactly.

Well, there are days when I just want to relax on my bed and watch a good suspense-thriller movie on TV. How do I make sure that I am able to enjoy every moment of it? I use Seinheisser’s wireless headsets. I could turn up the volume to my ears without unduly distracting other people in the house who may be already enjoying a deep slumber.

And lastly, if I am not at home I am probably on the road. How do I make my road trips more enjoyable?

You can try these. Have a good supply of water and some munchies. Get Schlemmer Hammacher’s extra wide rear view mirrors for a complete view of your safety zones. Take your iPod. Make sure you don’t forget your iTrip FM transmitter. Play any of these artists’ albums—Robbie Williams, Kanye West, Faithless, or George Michael. Turn up the heated seat adjustment knob in your car’s console to a comfortable level.

And, don’t forget the GPS device. My recent favorite—Sony’s Nav-u NV94T. Features? Touch screen; high brightness; auto dimmer; wide 4.8” display; super suction cup; traffic information; pre-loaded map data; lane assist and clear instructions and best of all, this device allows Bluetooth connectivity to Bluetooth enabled devices for hands-free calling.

If you have the means, enjoy technology and the best it has to offer. Life is hard, why not make it easier? Plus, it maybe a little hard to keep abreast with the changes in technology.

My college professor once clearly illustrated this point to us. He said, “Picture yourself watching a very puzzling advertisement on TV. For a moment, you don’t get it. But as soon as you understand the picture, the picture fades away! That’s how fast-paced technology is evolving in this age.”

How Rich Are You?

2009-02-23T23:29:00.003-05:00

Did you ever ask yourself this question? I did. Perhaps, you also did. I’m sure all of us at some point in our lives have asked the same question to ourselves. What interests me though, is the answer to the question.

Rich? Well, richness could come in many facets. It could be material, spiritual, tangible, intangible, real, imaginary.

For most of us though, richness, is just for the things we could hold in our hands that this world could offer; that is—the material things that surround us.

That’s true and kind of sad that people in this universe are but humane, thus, the sense of materialism in each one of us.

I am materialistic—very, indeed!

Bags? To this date, I probably have at least fifty, pricey ones. Shoes? I could wear a different one every day of the month. Paper stuff & pens? I have a feeling that one day I’d be able to scribble my whole life story with them, in several hues, in different textures. Eye make-up? I have every color for my every mood. Wallets? I could change wallets each week for the rest of the year without reusing one. Cell phones? I have two active numbers, but I have two Blackberrys, one Razor, two HTCs that are just sitting and waiting for their turn to get some air time. Laptops? A MacBook, a Vaio, two Toshiba portege, a Toshiba satellite, a Toshiba tablet PC, a Fujitsu tablet PC, an HP media edition laptop—in several operating systems. Perfumes? I have every scent to match every single person's desire.

Yup, that’s how horribly materialistic I am.

Do I think I am rich? No! And yes!

Materially speaking, I have enough to live comfortably than most people do, but, am I rich? No!

On the other hand, I have so much family and support surrounding me that I can truly say that I am rich…far more richer than most other people who have more material things in life than me.

I came from a family of seven children, born from really poor parents who have to toil the earth on a daily basis for sustenance. We were like chickens scratching the ground for food until the day I graduated from college.

Did I own a toy when I was a kid? No—not a single one that was bought from a store!

Did I have a rich and fulfilled childhood? Absolutely YES!

All the kids that grew up in my neighborhood, if only they were given the right venue and tools in life would have accomplished far greater things than what most of us have achieved today. Why? We were so rich with creativity, passion, imagination, curiosity, discovery and playfulness—we mastered the art of inventing a toy or game for every time of day, for each season of the year. Who would have thought the song “I’m singin’ in the rain!” would be such a fitting song for all of us who happily trekked the flooded sidewalks with our mud-splattering flip-flops as we lift our arms to the sky in praises for the raindrops falling from heaven.

Did we own the sky? No!

Did we own the rain? No!

Did we own the moment? No question about it!

Did we enjoy it? Absolutely! We were the richest kids on earth as far as we knew it. We never doubted it.

We lived in shacks and shanties that almost always let some rain drip through the holes in the roof on stormy nights waking us up from our deep slumber as the ruthless cold water seep through our priceless dwelling that we call home.

But every time it rains on a clear day, we rejoiced because we could feel life and all of its bounty. Nature’s grandeur provided us the richness that none of the money this world could buy.

Yes, we were just kids playing in mud puddles, swimming in dirty swamps, wading our way through the flooded grounds, soaking our worn-out clothes in the rain, singing songs of praises for the immense joy of childhood with innocence and gratefulness for all the beautiful things in life that abound us.

We probably were so poor, it was almost impossible to have three meals in a day.

We were so poor that we have to beg for salt from our neighbors so the corn grits that we ate will at least have some sumptuous flavor on our taste buds.

We were so poor we have to recycle our slippers until they are so worn out, our foot’s sole would kiss the ground through our flip-flops holes.

We were so poor we have to make sure a single pencil could last two school years’ worth of writing.

We were so poor that reusing, recycling, recreating, reinventing was a normal day to day chore for all of us.

Did we feel worried or deprived or short-changed? Never!

If I could paint the beauty of my childhood life the way it was, it would be a picturesque garden of blooming flowers and butterflies, with sunshine and rainbows filled with all kinds of hues and colors, with happy choir filling the air. Yes—it was paradise.

So what happened to that richness that so abound me and my childhood?

Childhood is a bliss. Adulthood is a curse!

Yeah, as you breeze through life you would think that you’d get wiser, thus, things should be much easier. False.

Life is an ever-growing battle. The older you get, the tougher the battle becomes. And everything else follows.

The eye-opener of course is your life itself as it is being recycled. More struggles. More victories. More defeats. More realization. More struggles…and the cycle never ends.

One day, you’ll wake up, surprised and amazed that you made it past through yesterday…after all the horror that happened.

The only thing that gets clearer though is you become more jaded!

Jaded? What a sad thing to say about your existence!

It is one thing to believe it, and another thing to acknowledge it. It is also another thing to acknowledge it and do something about it. (Not really. This is what believing it is all about).

Am I getting jaded? Really?

I am. The older I get, the more I know that life is not all rainbows and butterflies. In fact, there really are no rainbows anymore. And the butterflies, they all have disappeared as well due to global-warming.

Sad as it is, that’s the reality of life.

And with the passing of time, things don’t even come easier. Even with technology, it is still as complicated as it was.

Life is nothing but an opportunity for all of us to progress to a better human being than we probably were in our previous existence. Thus, the test gets harder, the struggle gets harsher.

If you deserve life and all that it has to offer whether in this world or another, you have to earn it. You have to work your way to achieve it.

Some of us gets rich in the process, and by rich I mean life in its totality—happiness, fulfillment, acceptance, wisdom, friends, family, strong spirit.

Some of us gets bruised in the process, and by bruised I mean a temporary feeling of defeat—yes, it’s temporary.

Some of us gets wounded in the process, and by wounded I mean a hopeless feeling of defeat—but yes, it is still temporary. Time heals all wounds. The hopeless feeling will end when the wound heals.

Some of us lose in the process, and by losing I mean acting on our hopeless feeling of defeat—and yes this loss is immense! This could lead us to destroy all that we labored so hard to accomplish in our lives.

So where are we? Tell me.

Some of us probably are taking some sleep aids so we can rest our heads at night.

Some of us probably are taking some anti-depressants or seeing a shrink.

Some of us probably are buried in some kind of vice—gambling, drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, shopping, over-eating, e-gaming, texting—anything that is overly desired.

Some of us probably are in rehab fighting our demons.

Some of us probably are in jail paying our dues.

Some of us probably are no longer with us after deciding that we have lost in the process.

Some of us probably are enjoying life, feeling fulfillment, surrounded by love—wanting nothing more than having more years to enjoy it.

Where am I? I will tell you.

I feel bruised in the process, that’s why I am writing this to pass the time and regain the strength to fight again.

What have I lost? A little hope that things could be better.

Do I still feel rich? You betcha!

I am a little jaded. There are things that I used to enjoy that I no longer enjoy as much like playing around with my electronic gadgets or boggling my mind with new discoveries. But I am a fighter.

Even if everything has collapsed within me, you will still see a strong facade. The spirit inside me molded over the years with richness won’t let me lose in the process.

Really? What’s the secret?

Simple. You win some. You lose some.

We learn to take the good out of every bad and make something out of it.

If life is so effing bad, take a look around you. There’s still sooo muuccchh effin’ good. ‘F’ as in fantastically good.

Waking up every day with a renewed spirit is a gift. Going through the day with a happy disposition, and enthusiasm is priceless. Making it through tough times with an unflinching spirit is empowering. Being able to lay your head at night and get a good night's sleep is a great accomplishment. Managing to paint a smile on your face, and carry your head up high is worth every noble man's dignity.

Looking around you, knowing that the people you love are happy and healthy is enough reason to be grateful. Knowing that the sun still shines, and the tides still turns high and low, and the planets are still aligned is a proof that there is a God watching over you, that really there is no cause for alarm or a reason for you to be immensely worried about tomorrow.

Knowing that the sky is still blue and flowers still bloom in spring and you can breathe the air for free and hear the chirping birds' melody is a magnificent reason to acknowledge how enriched your life is.

Do I have fears? Of course.

Are there things that are worrying me? Always!

Is life easy for me? No!

Is the day gonna be alright. No doubt about it!

Will I be sad at the day's end? Sometimes.

Does it bother me? Of course!

How do I cope? I try to enjoy the things that I still enjoy. Anything, even the little nonsense stuff that I do like painting my nails, putting on eye make-up, reading, listening to music, blogging, eating, or simply filling my body with at least 32 ounces of clean drinking water each day or coloring the gray hair in my head or driving across a beautiful landscape or chasing my daughters across the room or exchanging funny stories with my husband or something even as silly as blurting out a childish giggle. If I enjoy it, I'll treasure every moment doing it and for once forget about life's worries.

Yup, richness surrounds you. Richness surrounds us. Enriching ourselves is a matter that is totally up to you or up to me.

Just beware though.

Define the kind of rich you want to be.

And, just be sure you don’t get lost along the process.

As for me, anything that can enrich my existence is always a welcomed endeavor.

Getting the Boot!

2009-02-23T15:08:00.004-05:00

For the last few months I've been immersed into a really challenging situation. I started working for a job that entails talking to all kinds of people and making sure that their problem is taken care of.

I will be lying to say that the job didn't suck. Of course it did. One important requirement aside from having a good background in technical knowhow was the need for you to have good acting skills and a thick skin to be able to withstand the torture of talking to unhappy and at times really nasty people whose only goal was to have their issues resolved, be it relevant to their service or not--for free.

When I started, I know that my harder challenge would be being able to cope with the emotional trauma. I consider myself more technically inclined than most people, because technology really fascinates me. But on the other side, I am truly an emotional person who can't ignore nasty remarks from people who are unfortunately trashy.

The only other thing is you are constantly put under the microscope and your performance is weighted against metrics. You are easily converted into a value in digits--and that's all that matters. If you meet the requirement, you'll probably live a longer stint with the company. If not, you are one pure undesirable statistics that needed to be weeded out for a much better graphical performance report, teamwise.

Today, I got a call from my agent saying that she had some news for me, saying that the company has decided to let go of me.

I was elated to hear the news, because I don't see any long term relationship with the company anyway. Customer service in its purest sense--sucks. And I am just not carved for the trade.

Along the way as I was giving myself the opportunity to succumb to the torture, and really see how far I can go. I realize that the job isn't even as rewarding as it promised. If I would have lasted a few more months--I probably would have seen a shrink just to be able to last every passing day.

Why suffer? Life is not about monetary accomplishments, instead life is a much bigger stage for bigger goals like doing what makes you happy and enjoying every moment of it. Life's greater passion is about being able to do the things that gives you a sense of belonging, fulfillment and an overall feeling of good sense.

If there was anything rewarding with going to work, it was the drive to the workplace which gave me a sense of quiet isolation, a feeling of serenity, an opportunity to connect to nature's beautiful landscape as I drive through the country roads. The destination wasn't that exciting. The workplace didn't even promote relationships with other peers. It's almost as if we were robots programmed to perform routines with the clock, almost surgically attached to our biological clock up to the last millisecond.

Was I happy when I got the news? Definitely. I can equate it to being on death row, then all of a sudden, the verdict was reversed--and I was free.

I am a good person and a smart one too, but I'm not good at playing a poker face. What you see is what you get.

Would I have done something differently to stay? No. I'm glad, that today I woke up and the nightmare is over.

For me life is meant to be enjoyed not just endured; savored not just survived; treasured not just tolerated.

In this hard economic times, don't feel helplessly enticed by the money trap. We all need finances to cope with the American life, but at the end of the day, the things that our hearts can hold, and not the things that we can see or touch is all that matters.

Look at you now. In a few years time, you'll save enough to afford a few luxuries in the modern world--like a regular visit to the shrink to treat your psychological disorder; and probably socialize with a bunch of other people in rehab to treat some overblown addiction like--ciggy; alcohol, drugs, food and more.

As for me, I'll keep enjoying raising my three beautiful daughters, making sure that no one will bully me again into thinking that I am nothing more than some red figures on the metrics stats that needed to be erased immediately.

I feel so fabulously frrrreeeeeeeeeeeee! And to all my peers, I wish you all the best!

Good riddance!

Manny Pacquiao: Boxing's Most Beautiful Fighter

2008-12-07T00:37:00.003-05:00

Wow! What a performance by Manny Pacman Pacquiao in tonight’s most criticized boxing match against the ‘Golden Boy’ Oscar de la Hoya.

The dream match turned into a nightmare for de la Hoya when Manny ruled the fight since the opening round until Oscar’s camp could stand no more the sight of the ‘Golden Boy’ being shamelessly shackled in one corner by Pacquiao’s endless quick punches.

Pacquiao’s agility and beautiful footwork was a tango that de la Hoya couldn’t dance up to the 12th round.

It was a fight that indeed, proved once again, that a good training and passion for the sports of boxing almost always rule the game.

Oscar’s height advantage was easily discounted by Manny’s quick elusive movements.

In tonight’s fight, it wasn’t height that mattered. It was speed.

Manny has always pulled all boxing fanatics around the world towards the sport of boxing with his unequaled beauty as a fighter in the ring.

Couple to that his ever humble persona that is always magnificently displayed by how much he praises his opponents even when they deserve none—and I mean that—yeah, none . . . nada.

The better fighter is almost always the one who trained harder.

To Manny, the challenge was bigger because he had to climb up one weight level higher, which is always an uncomfortable upgrade for most boxing fighters.

Despite all the predictions, favoring the former middleweight champion, Oscar de la Hoya, Manny was easily able to unload his guns right from the start of the fight. In the end, the ‘Golden Boy’ wasn’t able to pull the trigger; he was sent packing after the eighth round.

Who would have thought that the fight would end so abruptly, without even giving the Mexican boxing fans, a little something to get excited about?

To Manny, you rule the ring. You rule the sports of boxing. And to say the least, you rule our Pinoy hearts.

Kudos to a great and beautiful fighter!

Manny!

Manny!

Manny!

G1 Update: My Disappointments

2008-12-03T10:31:00.002-05:00

Let me start by saying that G1 is efficient in terms of processing and browsing speed with the Android OS running its inner workings.

I just wished though that T-mobile offered this phone with hot-spot-at-home capability like most Blackberry cell phones that they carry. Without this feature, I really cannot appreciate much the usefulness of the device except probably for browsing the net and playing around with downloadable apps that are constantly enhanced and updated to keep your already complicated life even more complicated.

It’s not that it’s a bad thing but a cell phone in the first place should carry out first and foremost the primary function of a cellular device, which is to initiate and receive calls with utmost mobility.

Unfortunately, like I’ve always mentioned in my previous blogs, I’m in a total dead zone, thus, I have no cellular signal except the ones that I can channel through UMA (unauthorized mobile access) technology. This is made possible by utilizing Internet signals with a T-mobile service.

Without this functionality the G1 just sits in sophisticated uselessness as a cell phone.

My biggest disappointment with the G1 is the battery life. I’ve never seen anything that sucks up too much juice in just a very short time. If you have to activate Wi-Fi then the more you need to lug around the charger because you’ll be dumbfounded with how short the battery can go for.

When left to run in battery mode expect that before the day is over you better be near your battery charger to salvage a few more hours of fiddling around the G1.

For some of us who cannot possibly include charging the cell phone on a daily basis as part of our routine, we will be left with a lifeless gadget filled with promising applications that can only wait to come alive and stay alive if constantly plugged in to a power supply. Come to think of it as a gadget on respirator.

It is a big disappointment because more sophisticated gadgets can literally stay awake for days before needing a recharge.

With all that said, my G1 is currently in a state of unconsciousness, after I failed to recharge it, for the last couple of days.

That’s how easily I turn my back on something that held so much promise for a high-tech gadget yet is short on one important factor—the battery life.

Enhancing My Computing Life With A Mac

2008-11-30T08:51:00.002-05:00

For all I can remember I’ve been using a PC ever since I turned my interest towards computers and the technology that goes with it. It was quite a long relationship full of bumps since PCs can be so slow and painful at times. You actually wonder how they created something so expensive and so stupid.

Anyways, I’ve had enough of it. I’m done with Windows PC for now. Not that I won’t touch my Windows-based PC again but I’ll probably be happy to give it away to one of my worthy recipients anytime soon.

How can you possibly keep on using something that unexpectedly stops in the middle of a challenging multi-tasked undertaking? Plus, your only clue is that the system is not responding. What a waste of time!

As computers evolve, things should get easier, at least with our computer-related tasks. But I don’t know. With Windows PC things only got a little more complicated and painstaking.

I went to an electronic store and for a moment set my eyes on a Mac. In less than ten minutes, I decided that it’s time to shift gears—from PC to Mac.

The result—a happier and more productive computing life with less to worry about.

Don’ t get me wrong though. Since these two creations are totally similar and unique at the same time, there’ll be some getting-used-to period needed in order for you to really appreciate the advantages of one over the other.

One thing that at first I thought was a disappointment with the Mac was the screen or display zoom function. Unlike Windows-based systems wherein you just click on an icon at the corner of the screen and immediately the screen occupies the entire viewing area, the Mac acts differently. It only zooms in to a particular size that will provide you with the maximum best resolution.

I was disappointed at first because of course I don’t want some unused portions of the screen. If my screen size says 13.3”, I would expect to get the same display size. Right?

Everything is made for a reason, and I guess by having Mac to behave that way, it allows any user an easy access to all open applications. But I still want my entire viewing screen, damn it!

No worries. Just drag that little corner on the bottom right part of the display window and feel free to resize it according to your preference. Use up the entire screen if you must. Now, are you happy?

Anyways, working with a Mac makes computing life a breeze. The built-in airport express allows unrivaled speed for Internet surfing.

I was good this year. Don’t I deserve a Mac? Huh? Santa?

Blackberry Flip: Better Than A Blackberry?

2008-11-19T01:30:00.003-05:00

I am a fan of the Blackberry. In fact, I have a black and a red 8320 Blackberry. I simply love the ease and functionality that a Blackberry offers to its users.

Is there anything better than a Blackberry?

Recently Blackberry launched its newest addition—the Blackberry flip. Of course the sucker in me was ecstatic because before becoming a Blackberry fanatic, I also collected a few Motorola flip phones.

For some reason, the flip design is more appealing to me since it perfectly bridges the distance between your ear and your mouth. You might not agree with me because you probably utilize a Bluetooth headset that easily eliminates the need for you to hold the phone against your ear. For some of us though who still like to parade our phones with our ego, it is still a good thing to put our cell phones within the mandibular region.

Besides, the flip design also creates that a-ha snapping sound every time you close and open it. Needless to say, the flip design is simply appealing to some not-so-busy human beings on this planet who still want to waste their precious time, opening and closing their cellular phones.

Of course I have to have one, and I did. The Blackberry flip easily replaced my red Blackberry 8320 in no time. It met the requirements necessary for it to be a contender of my other Blackberry phones: a) it is MyFaves enabled b) it is a hotspot-at-home enabled phone and c) the ringtone is customizable according to my preference which currently is the abridged version of Sting's 'Shape of My Heart'.

The Blackberry flip is also easily mounted on a lanyard that you can wear on your neckline, eliminating the need for you to lug it inside your pocket wherever you are.

Overall, the Blackberry flip is an impressive new phone. After all, it took away some playing-around-time off of my other new cell phone—the G1.

My new get-up? A Blackberry flip phone and some ear buds while I happily listen to my favorite music stored in my phone's micro SD card.

A Very Sticky Situation: The Business of Getting Into Business

2008-11-18T23:41:00.003-05:00

I never knew how tight a spot could be until I was trapped in a corner that was so hard to maneuver, figuratively speaking.

What I'm really saying is, there are difficult situations in life that you come across with and until you're in it, you will have no idea how difficult it is.

On my wall this is what is etched, "You miss 100% of the shots you never take" which is in essence a very inspiring message for each one of us to not be afraid to test the waters and see if we make it or break it.

The same saying prompted me to invest my talent, my skills, my energy and my finances on an entrepreneurial endeavor filled with big dreams and endless hope for a fruitful future ahead. Duh, it's a business venture, nothing more. That's what it is.

After moving and barely being able to adjust my life to my new zip code, I jumped into an opportunity that just presented itself unexpectedly—a chance of owning and running my own business. I didn't even bother to look at the uncertainties that lie ahead. I simply grabbed it and fostered the chance as if adopting a foster child and raising it on my own. Whew!

See, that's the bad thing about being so optimistic in this very uncertain world. You create your own misery when you could have very well happily sit in front of your computer and waste your time away doing all sorts of unmanaged affairs and not minding what time of day it is. Life was much better when you were in your own happy little corner just running your little world and not having so much to worry about. Then you decided to partake in life's race to become a successful and an accomplished human being and your misery begins.

So the agony started way before September 1^st though I formally opened the business on that date.

I had to pour endless days and nights prior to the opening doing all sorts of research and preparations to be ready for the business world. But, what do I know? I wasn't carved for this trade, that's what I know now. Running a business isn't that simple at all. You've got to have the heart and the guts to run it with undying spirit, and must also be equipped with the necessary skills to compete in the business world.

The business was slow right from the start, but for someone who has just started there was too much optimism for a better tomorrow. I had the enthusiasm and the excitement which made me believe that things will pick up after the clientele is built up. Little did I know that in the hidden corners somewhere, an economic storm was brewing. And it did wreck havoc when Wall Street panicked and big companies started losing by huge margins. In turn, the consumers reacted with a sense of restraint, holding off on their expenses, slowing down retail and sending the economy in a deeper downward spiral. What a vicious cycle!

At the moment, not much of my enthusiasm and excitement is left. Things aren't getting any better either not even with the holiday shopping season at hand. Really, there is no sign for the economy to get any better soon. Thus, I am in a very challenging predicament right now.

My only option is to react the same way consumers are reacting. If they hold off on spending, then from a retailer's end I must also hold off on my investment. And for what I've already invested into the business, let's just say that I'll be exceptionally happy to just break even.

Well, that's it. In closing let me rephrase the quote on my wall with a more fitting message, "You miss a 100% of the SHIT you never take."

A Must: Passing My Driving Test

2008-10-22T02:13:00.001-05:00

I did. I passed the driver's road test and got my state driver's license today. It was one heck of an accomplishment worth noting in my blog. It's one task that I completed and fulfilled with jubilation. Road bumps? None. Thank God. I'll share the experience to you in a future blog.

G1: My New Mobile Fave

2008-10-22T02:01:00.004-05:00

I got my new phone by Google--the G1 which is manufactured by HTC. T-mobile invited their subscribers to get this new phone which is supposedly a competitor of the iPhone and was launched just today.

I don't own an iPhone but somebody in my family does. I thought I would love the iPhone but I guess I'm not such a big fan of the touchscreen-keyboard-less-kind-of gadget like the iPhone. I prefer the Blackberry 8320 better than all phones I've ever laid a hand on because I prefer the touch of little keys and the precision that comes with every input.

It was quite a sensation to be the first to experience a new gadget which offers the easiest browsing experience--that's the G1 promise under Google's flagship.

I thought it may be worth to try and see for myself what this phone can offer.

Before I continue, let me tell you that one among the discriminating factors that make me decide whether to have a particular phone over another is my mobile dilemma of being in a dead zone basically when I am at home. This problem was addressed promptly with T-mobile's hotspot at home service and since I've been enjoying the service, I didn't want to part with it. Thus, it would be so hard for me to change to a non-hotspot@home-enabled phone.

So the G1 runs on a breakthrough OS called the Android and with the 3G service made available with it, browsing and downloading stuff from the internet should be a breeze.

I didn't have much time to play around with the G1 but here's what I think.
It's a nice phone. Design-wise, I like it better than the iPhone. It has a 3megapixel camera, but it doesn't have video capture capability just like the Blackberry 8320. I don't know if I can customize the ringtone, but I'm really looking forward to be able to manipulate that part of the equation since it is so boring to stick to the ringtone that comes with the phone. There's always an essence of personality when you are able to set your favorite song or melody as your ring tone. Anyway, for now, I'll say that I haven't figured out how to do that yet but I'll work on that task and let you know later.

Hotspot@home-enabled? I don't think so. Even after I connected the G1 to my home network, it still registered a no service indication with the signal bar and that's really a major disappointment. That implies one thing. I can't make a call or be reached when I am at home if I take G1 as a mobile replacement. My mobile access, in other words, is cut off while I'm on my dead zone at home.

I like the way the G1 phone opens up with a keyboard underneath so you can easily type in your search terms, etc. when you are browsing the net. The keys are too small though for big hands but I like the way G1 feels on mine.

The one thing that sets G1 apart from other phones is the operating system that lets you launch applications so easily at a very efficient speed. There's a bunch of mobile applications that you can download for free that may keep you busy for a while like iSafe, cab4me, compareeverywhere, shopsavvy, picsay, imeem and so much more to enhance your mobile life.

The touchscreen, keyboard and the trackball combination provided on the G1 is basically the best user-interface combination in a single phone. It allows easy manipulation of browsed pages, text entries and paging down or up of the phone's screen. I'm delighted that G1 designers incorporated such capability in the phone.

I'm still playing around the G1 phone. On the sidelines, I'm actually enjoying the barcode scanning capability made possible through combining the G1's camera with two shopping tools (you can have either or both)--compareeverywhere and shopsavvy. It's fun to know that you can actually find out where to buy what at how much by picking out the cheapest price among a comparison that is automatically displayed or generated after an item's barcode is successfully captured and scanned by the phone's camera.

Try this. Take the G1 to your bathroom. Open your cabinet of toiletries. Launch either ShopSavvy or CompareEverywhere. Scan the barcode of the item. Enjoy a new discovery and enjoy it for a while because I know that you will be tempted to scan everything that has a barcode in it. Good luck!

Luckily for me, I have two numbers subscribed to T-mobile so I don't have to be completely incommunicado at home if I have to continue enjoying the G1, at least for now. A hotspot-at-home enabled Blackberry plus G1's new innovation is keeping my mobile life a little exciting these days.

What about you?

Blogworthy E-mail: Read and Learn

2008-10-01T16:10:00.003-05:00

Somebody forwarded to me an e-mail which contains the following stories. Disclaimer: The following messages are not this blog author's original content. However, the author of this blog felt the need to share these amazingly witty stories to the readers out there who are smart enough to appreciate a good laugh and some sensible lessons in life. (To the author of this content: if you happen to read this blog and don't like the fact that your material is on this blog, feel free to send me a complaint and I will gladly delete this material from this blog.) Read on.

A must-read…

>>> > Lesson 1:

>>> >

>>> > A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her

>>> > shower, when the doorbell rings.

>>> >

>>> > The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.

>>> >

>>> > When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor.

>>> >

>>> > Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that

>> towel.'

>>> >

>>> > After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands

>>> > naked

>> in

>>> > front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.

>>> >

>>> > The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs.

>>> >

>>> > When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?'

>>> >

>>> > 'It was Bob the next door neighbor,' she replies.

>>> >

>>> > 'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes

>>> > me?'

>>> >

>>> > Moral of the story:

>>> >

>>> > If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with

>> your

>>> > shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable

>>> > exposure.

>>> >

>>> > Lesson 2:

>>> >

>>> > A priest offered a Nun a lift.

>>> >

>>> > She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg.

>>> >

>>> > The priest nearly had an accident.

>>> >

>>> > After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.

>>> >

>>> > The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'

>>> >

>>> > The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand

>>> > slide

>> up

>>> > her leg again.

>>> > The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'

>>> >

>>> > The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.'

>>> >

>>> > Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.

>>> >

>>> > On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129.

>>> > It

>>> > said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.'

>>> >

>>> > Moral of the story:

>>> > If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great

>>> > opportunity.

>>> >

>>> > Lesson 3:

>>> >

>>> > A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to

>> lunch

>>> > when they find an antique oil lamp.

>>> >

>>> > They rub it and a Genie comes out.

>>> > The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.'

>>> > 'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the

>>> > Bahamas

>> ,

>>> > driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.'

>>> > Puff! She's gone.

>>> >

>>> > 'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii ,

>> relaxing

>>> > on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina

>> Coladas

>>> > and the love of my life.'

>>> >

>>> > Puff! He's gone.

>>> >

>>> > 'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager.

>>> > The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch.'

>>> > Moral of the story:

>>> > Always let your boss have the first say.

>>> >

>>> > Lesson 4

>>> >

>>> > An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing.

>>> >

>>> > A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you

>>> > and

>>> > do nothing?'

>>> > The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.'

>>> >

>>> > So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a

>>> > sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

>>> > Moral of the story:

>>> > To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high

>>> > up.

>>> > Lesson 5

>>> >

>>> > A turkey was chatting with a bull.

>>> >

>>> > 'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the

>>> > turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.'

>>> > 'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the

>>> > bull.

>>> > They're packed with nutrients.'

>>> >

>>> > The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him

>> enough

>>> > strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.

>>> >

>>> > The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second

>>> > branch.

>>> >

>>> > Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the

>>> > top

>> of

>>> > the tree.

>>> >

>>> > He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

>>> >

>>> > Moral of the story:

>>> > Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there…

>>> > Lesson 6

>>> >

>>> > A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird

>>> > froze and fell to the ground into a large field.

>>> >

>>> > While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.

>>> >

>>> > As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to

>> realize

>>> > how warm he was.

>>> >

>>> > The dung was actually thawing him out!

>>> >

>>> > He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.

>>> > A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.

>>> >

>>> > Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow

>>> > dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

>>> >

>>> > Morals of the story:

>>> > (1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.

>>> >

>>> > (2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your

>>> > friend.

>>> >

>>> > (3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep

>>> > your mouth shut!

>>> >

>>> > THUS ENDS THE FIVE MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE

>>> > And send this to five or more bright people who have enough sense of

>> humor

>>> > to take it!

Morbid Thoughts: Zeroing In On Mortality

2008-09-06T17:23:00.003-05:00

This year I came to learn about a new and faster way to die of cancer. No offense to the victims of this dreaded disease, but it definitely sparked a new sense of fear to anyone of us who could be diagnosed with this kind of disease.

About three months ago, I met a Filipina and she narrated to me how quickly she lost her husband in six weeks time to pancreatic cancer. Then about a month ago, I happen to look for a good book to give for Father’s day and bumped into one best seller “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausche who also passed away a month ago to pancreatic cancer. May his soul rest in peace.

On July 25, we celebrated our fiesta for our tiny city somewhere in the western hemisphere of the Mindanao islands, but sadly a good friend and neighbor of ours couldn’t make it after she lost her battle with the dreaded pancreatic cancer two days prior to the city celebration. Nobody knew how it all went but just last March she was full of life and vigor with no sign of an impending fatal ailment.

Death is certain but its timing is uncertain to any one of us. It could be sooner. It could be later. But we all have to face death at some point in our life. Its wrath will remain a mystery to us, until we come to our end.

How long do you want to live? You are probably hoping to say, “Forever.”

If you ask me, my answer will be, “All I want is to be able to live a fruitful life—short or long it doesn’t matter for as long as I’ve lived all of my life’s worth.”

I came from a small community in the western part of Mindanao. I loved growing up in the neighborhood where my home was. I know most of my neighbors because it is such a small community and everyone was always up someone’s nose.

Anyway, one thing that I love to do when I am geographically available which in other words would mean that I am not twenty thousand miles away from home, is to celebrate Christmas and New Year with my neighbors—young and old alike.

It’s one thing that I truly enjoy doing and sharing with the less fortunate people in our area. I am not rich but I am able to afford a few luxuries than most of them. That doesn’t imply though that I have a much better life than them. I still struggle just like any of them or any of you out there but probably in a much different level or dimension. I don’t consider myself any much better than the rest of them or you, thus, when I spend time back home I always reach out to those people like I used to, growing up in the same neighborhood.

If by chance you ask these people what they want to do for that time of the year, they would tell you that they look forward to spending the night away on the roadside, cheering , eating, dancing, playing with real people and having just pure clean fun for once. Of course, on top of that, they wish I would come home, because I’m like the honey that brings the ants together.

It is something that I treasure in my heart. The time I get to spend with these people are real special to me. Why?

These people are real and selfless.

Most of the people I know and met on the other part of the planet are of a different breed. Most of them are selfish, money-hungry, vain, and superficial and some of them even probably think that they are immortals.

Death is real and certain to every mortal being and that includes me and you and them.

Sadly, in this day and age, we don’t even get to stop and ponder on our mortality. We breeze through life the same way we zap frozen dinners in our microwave. We are too busy collecting every material stuff as if we would be able to create a hotspot once we are in our dead zone from six feet under. Mind you, it doesn’t even bother us that the only way for us to get a good night sleep is to take some sedatives or some sleeping pills. For some of us wasting away our life is okay for as long as our bank account is growing or for as long as we are able to surround ourselves with tangible things that spell our status symbol.

Listen people. If I have the money to live a comfortable life, I would, but I would stop awhile, and smell the roses, or probably attempt to count the stars in the sky or help a caterpillar morph its way to butterflyhood or just take the time to pick up a pebble and throw it into a pond and enjoy the ripples it creates.

The one thing though, that I would love to do, if I have the means is to help feed and educate the young and get other capable beings to do the same in their own little way. Then I would have lived my worth in life.

Most of the people that I used to know in the community where I grew up are either dead or dying. Some of them are younger than me.

Some of them just wilted quickly almost untimely in my own scheme of what is due and what is not. It’s a sad feeling to realize that the circle of people I used to know is not the same since some of them are no longer with us.

Well to me, life is all about the journey. If it was a wonderful trip all along then you probably will get to your destination, a happy soul.

Some of us though are misled and tried to concentrate on the material pot of gold that is promised at the end of the rainbow. Some people get to it fast, some people don’t get there, but for those who get there and find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, it’s a lonely spot to be. After all, it is far more enjoyable to watch the rainbow from afar than get to its end.

Excuse the lengthy wordy metaphors, but what I am trying to impart in this blog is really about life and mortality. Since I have unnecessarily exhausted you with what I think life is all about now let’s tackle mortality. Yeah, we’re just getting started.

You think you’ll live a long life?

Factor in these things—nations are threatening each other with weapons of mass destruction; global warming is a growing issue; energy crises is a looming problem; the crime rate is growing at an irresolute pace; the ailing economy is bringing about all kinds of restless speculation; pollution is getting worse than ever; the food we eat is genetically modified beyond what is healthy and fit for human beings; new strains of viruses are breaking out which are highly resistant to drugs; your temper meter is constantly challenged; you make enemies on a daily basis and that’s the only thing constant in your social existence; you are over exposed to different electromagnetic fields brought about by all electronic gadgets that you collect; you constantly for no good reason need to miss some sleep just to be at par with your high-tech life; and yes, if you drive a car, factor that in to taking into consideration the fact that when you’re on the road you are surrounded by tons of metal moving at high and oftentimes reckless velocity. Do you smoke? Do you drink? Do you take drugs? Are you constantly surrounded by violence? Are you violent yourself? Do you suffer from any kind of abuse? Do you abuse someone? Are you harboring any ill wills against your neighbor? Does your gene carry some history of family disease? Are you sexually promiscuous? Are you an ego-maniac?

The answer is, some of us wouldn’t be so lucky to make it past today’s sundown.

The reality of life and death is that harsh. Immortal? Think again.

Dead Zones: A Mobile Dilemma

2008-07-26T02:25:00.002-05:00

You probably oftentimes see on TV, one mobile service provider’s ad about dead zones.

I really didn’t pay much attention to dead zones until I was immersed in one. For the last seven days I was basically incommunicado—no internet, no phone lines, no mobile phone signals. You don’t realize how awful it is to be totally disconnected from the outside world. At the same time, there’s this restful feeling of serenity brought about by the absence of all your technology gadgets that most of the time, unbeknownst to you, robs you of your precious time.

The most awful thing about being unable to communicate is when emergency happens and you need immediate help and you’re basically left unaided. The second most awful thing about being unreachable is the feeling of being helplessly unable to vent out your thoughts to your peers and relatives and share some exciting news.

Well, we recently relocated from the west coast to the east and the address where I live now is a total dead zone. Imagine my frustration when I couldn’t make calls even if I have on one hand an iPhone subscribed with AT&T and a Blackberry subscribed to T-Mobile on the other.

Even the most sophisticated phones and the most promising mobile providers in the nation could not be of use where I was at. Both phones show the same thing—No Service.

I was telling myself how useless it was to have subscribed to both services.

I went to RadioShack to look for a high-speed router and happen to bring out my dilemma to one of the store attendants. I was actually thinking of getting a cell phone signal booster antenna. The guy told me that they don’t come cheap. Ballpark figure would be around $400. He suggested that I use Skype phones so I can make calls from computer to computer for free, as if I didn’t know that all along. Actually for those of you who don’t know you can just utilize most internet messaging services like Yahoo messenger to do the same provided your PC is equipped with a microphone and speakers.

He said, what’s the point anyway of using a mobile phone to call from home when you have a regular phone line. True, but the point is, mobility is a sweet little illusion. With cell phones you get this illusion that you have a surgically attached communication device that makes you within reach even when you’re in the deepest corners of this planet and that includes your home.

Well, that’s the bottom line—mobility. It’s always an ego-fattening illusion to think that you are always connected anywhere, anytime.

My point is, mobile phones are just as basic as when you use them outside your home as when you use them indoors, even if you have a regular phone line because there’s a million other things that you want to do with mobile phones that you cannot do with regular phones, thus, it’s a precious thing to have a detectable phone signal in your home.

As of today, I don’t have a landline phone connection yet, but I am less crabby than the last seven days. My stint of being without communication service has ended after some guy installed my internet connection yesterday which changed a lot of things.

The major change was my T-mobile phone was resurrected from the dead. Yup, my Blackberry phone was one of T-mobile’s hotspot@home-enabled phones, thus, it is able to receive and initiate calls using Wi-Fi signals from a home network. The phone went from no service to one that shows ‘UMA’ (unauthorized mobile access) and yes they were in big bold letters, thanks to Linksys Wireless N router that provided a good ‘N’ spot around the house.

So far I’ve made countless calls with T-mobile’s hotspot@home service and none of the calls ever got dropped. I think voice clarity is superb and the signal is probably better than getting a few bars of intermittent cell phone signals from cell sites and or repeaters.

Thanks to T-mobile for introducing the hotspot@home service. It made a huge difference with my connectivity issue.

As to my other phone subscribed to AT&T, I managed to connect it to my home network, watched YouTube with it, browse the net, check the weather and other stats using Yahoo Go but it remained an unusable gadget for mobile phone communications.

Now, let me give you a bird’s eye view on how I take advantage of the convenience of communication technology.

If you use the hotspot@home service to make calls you don’t use up your minutes cause you are basically not utilizing a regular cell site to transmit your signals. It’s almost as if you bypass other cell repeaters and make the internet as your path of communication. You can probably compare it to VOIP (voice over internet protocol) which is a growing trend in phone communications.

But with or without the free calls, you can also take advantage of unlimited calls using services such as myfaves. Just make sure that you register the number that you’d be calling often.

And to add drama, I use a VOIP long distance service to call my home place—the Philippines.

It’s not only much cheaper than calling from regular phones; it is also more personal and less conventional, which I like.

How many people would call other countries from their cell phone using Wi-Fi signals to call an access number to initiate a long distance call that also uses the internet as a signal path? Get it?

Using the hotspot@home service I call Pingo’s access number for free from my cell phone, and since Pingo utilizes VOIP I pay less than regular international long distance rates. Clarity is remarkable and connection time is efficient. And best of all I’m on my cell phone.

You might ask, why don’t I just get services like Skype, Vonage and save myself the hassle of going through several channels.

You’re right, but it’s a matter of preference. I prefer it better this way.

1:45 a.m. And Still No Shut Eye

2008-06-18T16:31:00.002-05:00

I have this room. I call it chaos--my comfort chaos. It's where I spend hours in front of my computer, or just hours spent fidgeting around my electronic gadgets and accessories. I love the sense of disorder in this room. It gives me freedom to mess up and still be able to find my way around things as I channel all my creative energy into pure solitary moment of isolation from the world and relaxation in the deepest chambers of my being.

Well, I was still up past 12:00 a.m., but the truth is, I did spend the whole night being up and about when my room of chaos challenged me to some horrid test.

I love my Sony T7 camera. It's so easy to use and it takes good pictures. Of course I've enjoyed it for years now since it was given recognition for being an exemplary new product when it was launched.

I keep my photos in the pro duo memory stick. The name alone for the media device sounds exclusive and of course, it is pricey.

But I just love to keep my photos in there. It is easier for me to keep an archive of my photos in those neat little media sticks.

I must have collected some ten or more of them already from a size of 32 MB to 4 GB since I first used them.

Then what? I couldn't find my most recent memory stick containing a sizeable amount of good memories that I haven't uploaded to my computer yet or shared to my relatives through Pando.

I just went nuts. You see, I was busy doing a lot of chaos--packing, cleaning, doing artwork, browsing the internet and doing some senseless other stuff. I don't even know which order it all went.

Plus, I gave my Sony T7 a silent treatment, after I got all excited when I got Canon's duo flash memory enabled video camera--the Fixia HF10. That's my karma for being technologically needy and greedy.

Photographs and memories mean so much to me and to lose track of a bunch of them wrapped inside some silly media stick that you cannot even locate with your GPS is a nightmare. I hope one day, they'll make one with some radio detection and ranging.
It's much easier for me to find a phone handset using the intercom locator than rummaging through the chaos for some 2-inch long media stick.

Call it stupid and reckless. I do have a lot of extra GB of storage in my WD My Book external drive but I didn't pay much attention backing up my data until I felt really threatened to lose them.

Anyway, I stayed up all night until my attention was redirected to a fresh bag of trash that luckily I didn't put in the trash bin yet.

What a victorious moment it was for me when somewhere at the bottom of all the debris inside the trash bag, every little bit of the blue-colored media stick slowly emerged still intact in its media stick adaptor.

Yeah, a 4.0 GB pro duo stick is worth more than 24 hours of no shut-eye if indeed, inside it resides days of wonderful and priceless moments that cannot be recaptured in time.

I found the stick after missing a sizeable bag of zs. Stupid!

Happy Father's Day: The Father I've Grown To Respect

2008-06-16T01:35:00.002-05:00

Today we celebrate father’s day. I consider myself lucky to have both a father and a mother while growing up. It is a privilege not shared by all of us. For some, it’s their harsh reality that they ended up with just one parent raising them and for some unlucky beings, to be raised without any parent at all.

I am grateful, indeed, for being lucky knowing that I always have two faithful supporters and cheerleaders on my side—my father and my mother.

I have already previously attempted to paint a picture of what my mother is, so today I’ll take this opportunity to make a colorful description of the father I’ve grown to respect and love as a father over the years.

Physically my father looks like a cross between Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Brown though my father probably has 70% more likeness to the latter. Can you picture a morph of those two images? The flat nose is very prominent and very infectious as well. In fact, of all seven of us, none of my siblings was able to do away without the flat nose. It is almost like a characteristically indelible genetic link that we all have to inherit from our father if we were to be considered his sons and daughters.

My father though has that almost always sympathetic, down-to-earth, no-mean-bone, I’m-here-to-help look and demeanor. Every time he talks he always lets out a silly grin and giggle to finish off a phrase or a statement. It could be annoying and insulting for some people but for those who know him, that gesture always gives the aura of a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.

If you ask me about the one most influential person in my life, that would be my father. He basically taught me life’s most noble and profound lessons. Whenever me and my siblings would argue, I’ve learned to shut up because my father would always say that “shallow waters are noisy”. All the while growing up, I have to come to acknowledge the truth to this simply because most people who are vocal are usually not logical per se. The loud ones are usually the empty ones up there.

My father also taught me to be kind and giving especially to the lowly ones. He always has a heart for the less fortunate ones. He mourns over other people’s sorrows. He easily tears over sad things that happen to other people especially to the real helpless ones. He always feels bad when the already disadvantaged people are exploited by the merciless in our society.

And this is all because my father grew up without a parent or a sibling. He calls himself “the son of a bamboo tree’s crack”, if you know what I mean. It simply connotes that he is the son of nobody—that he just came out of some silly crack from some silly tree and ended up in this world without people he can call and own as a family.

He had probably the hardest life than most of us. Without a parent to take care of him, he learned to tend for himself at a young age. He learn to farm, to fish, to find food, to entertain himself by making toys made out of palm leaves, banana stalk, coconut shell, twigs, seashells, wood trimmings, empty cans, sea debris and probably from the mere mold of his imagination and creativity.

With utmost respect to my dead grandmother—my father’s mother, she died not knowing that she left a son.

Her own story was a tragedy that can only happen in fictional layouts. She was a pretty, fair-skinned, tall and shapely lady at a young age who suffered from occasional epileptic seizures. She regularly goes into the deep woods to pick up twigs for firewood and to gather fruits in the wild for food. On one tragic occasion, she was burning some wood alone while clearing up weeds from a shrubby area and she unfortunately had a seizure attack that helplessly threw one side of her body to the burning ember. Half of her face was burnt and a portion of her cranium was burnt too. I don’t know if there is any medical explanation for this, but she did lose her sanity after the incident.

With the loss of her sanity, she still went on to do the things she used to do and wandered off in the thick forest. Then some heartless bastard (my grandfather that we never came to know) must have stalked her and sexually molested her because her tummy was slowly growing in size and nine months later, my father was born. And there wasn’t any word or any clue that my father’s mother left about who was my father’s father.

My father never felt the warmth of love from a mother, either. It was clearly etched in his memory that every time he was put beside her mother so he can lactate as a baby, his mother always pushed him away. At five years old, all that grew in him was the pain of rejection from a mother and with the innocence and trauma of a young child, he would then one day hit her mother’s forehead with a hammer, the strength would be equal to the might of a rejected five year old kid.

To this day, my father would tell this sad story, and he would acknowledge that if there’s one thing he won’t forgive himself of, it would be that one moment when he hit his mother with a hammer in the forehead, though understandably it didn’t cause any fatal blow but the emotional pain left by the incident is forever haunting my father. But what better does an unloved child know?

My father though used to being on his own and was basically growing up with the knowledge that he was unwanted by the rest of the world, grew up to be a smart, creative, efficient and compassionate person. The pain of rejection didn’t kill his spirit instead it nurtured him to become a better person than what his predicament would have allowed him to be.

I always adore my father and respect him so much, that it is even impossible for me to talk back to him or refute his sometimes twisted views because I know that somewhere deep within his core is a true believer of his convictions and a truly humble and “ego-less” person.

He is a simple man, who is always enriched by new philosophies in life. He has never rendered himself a slave to materialism and the greed for money. For him, being able to eat his regular meals everyday and live a peaceful and harmonious life with his neighbors is richness far more valuable than any material possessions this world could offer.

When I was a little girl, I remember getting wounds from running around with other kids in the neighborhood with my bare feet. One time the sole of my foot got pricked by a rusty nail and my father nursed the wound like any quack doctor would. He would brew some guava leaves and washed the wound with the warm guava leaves concoction. Meanwhile he would squeeze out the juice from a clove of garlic and rub it to the wound as some kind of antibiotic. Whenever the wound would get swollen due to infection, he would take some banana bud leaf and wrap it around the wound. It did work all the time, giving me some cool comfort to a wound that would almost turn to gangrene. I would be able to sleep despite the throbbing pain of the swelling, and by the following morning, as we take off the banana leaf wrapping, the obvious relief is undeniable with the pus being sucked out and the swelling and redness dramatically reduced. Or he would crush some penicillin pill and apply it to the wound. This process, he would continue to do, until my wound would heal. I don’t even remember my mother ever doing any of that for me.

My father is practical and creative. One time, we went to visit his land somewhere in the coastal area off of the city of Dapitan. All we had was a bolo and a match stick to burn weeded-out dry grass. By noontime we were hungry. I thought I would starve, but my father cut off a bunch of ripe bananas from the tree, covered it with wood, grass, and dried twigs and actually cook the bananas on the ground without any kitchen utensil. That memory has taught me to be creative and ingenious. It made me think every time, especially when I am trying to accomplish something, that there is always a solution to every problem and about eight hundred strokes to kill a cat with nine lives.

Now, my father is in his mid 70’s but he is still able to laugh about things and he has not changed a lot. He is still not a slave of this material world. In fact, if you would ask him what he’d want for his birthday, it would be something that he can build, enjoy and share with his much less fortunate friends.

I would probably be less of a person now, if I had a rich, famous dad. If I have to do life over again, I would still choose to be raised by the same father that raised me as a person all these years.

Mothers build the strong pillars of our character being someone we always look up to, but the fathers are always the ones who reinforce those weak corners in our lives—those hidden corners with too much load but with less supportive structures. The fathers always take care of making sure that those uneven corners of our foundation as a person are well bracketed, so we will be nourished with strength and level-headedness as we brace ourselves to partake in the real world.

My father always knew the inner workings of things. He’s a good logical thinker. But he has a bigger heart than most people I know, thus, he often sets the logic aside and let his emotions rule.

I adore him and respect him, not just as a father but as a faithful mentor who molded me into the person that I am now.

A great salute to my father who has always embraced his difficult life—one who sees neither gloomy skies nor the silver lining, but the grandeur of life in every day that comes, rain or shine.

David Cook: Season 7 American Idol

2008-05-22T00:59:00.001-05:00

Awesome! There is justice in this world, after all.

Penzu: Your Free Online Journal/Diary

2008-05-21T02:58:00.007-05:00

Today, I just stumbled upon a free online tool called Penzu which allows any registered user to keep an online diary or journal for free.

In this digital age, anything that resembles writing on paper still makes an impact. To me, it has to do with my undying love for pen and paper and the need to feel the illusion of still keeping records in paper format even with the evolution of e-copies and e-books.

Penzu does a good job of keeping it simple and the look is that of a real journal. You simply type an entry which is already dated by default and you can lock it, save it, print it, share it and you can even insert a picture to your journal entry.

It does give that journal feel as you type in your entry. The only possible improvement is if this application will be able to incorporate inking as a method of data entry. Then we will have the feel of pen and paper in our hands.

If you are not aware, Microsoft OneNote is a much better journal that is available with your Microsoft Office 2007 package and it does give you the illusion of getting the book-and-pen note keeping because it allows inking which you can easily do using tablet and pen computer accessory.

The only advantage of keeping one online is the fact that you can access your journal anywhere for as long as you have an internet connection.

There are issues though that you must carefully consider like the security of your data and how much data integrity is provided with a free service.

As of this writing Penzu is obviously still in the works and still on Beta. You can check it out at Penzu. See for yourself.

Simon Cowell to David Archuleta: “It was a knockout!”

2008-05-21T01:44:00.002-05:00

Tonight’s American Idol Finale between the two phenomenal Davids was a disappointment for me not because the contestants didn’t do well but because the judges were already calling on who won the title.

To Simon Cowell, who’s always been an exceptionally accurate critic to every contestant’s performance, David Archuleta won the night. Randy also hinted after the third round that David Archuleta is the new American Idol.

Paula on the other hand was tight-lipped about her Idol choice because to her obviously it was too close to call and more than anything else, it’s the voting public who picks the season’s winner.

I usually agree with Simon Cowell’s judgment, but tonight I beg to differ. I think David Cook did a better job of showing more talent by choosing to go beyond conventions and showing his versatility as a performer. To me David Archuleta chose to stay on the safe side by singing a song that he already performed and to me it didn’t spark that much excitement. David Cook meanwhile performed a very touching third song which Simon Cowell didn’t like and hoped to have been replaced with either ‘Billie Jean’ or ‘Hello’. On the other hand David Cook humbly accepted the unfavorable comments meanwhile admitting that he believes in progression, thus, his decision to perform a new song.

To me David Cook encompasses the spirit of a true artist and so deserves the title, American Idol.

But with the Idol title or not, one thing is certain, David Cook, you will rock the charts and the airwaves stronger than any Idol contender had ever done.

I am one among countless fans out there who can’t wait to hear a David Cook single.

The excitement has just begun.

Morning Feast: Pump-priming My Day

2008-05-19T04:48:00.005-05:00

I love to eat. I also love to cook. I really don't know which one came first, but I really love the idea of having the right color, texture and taste for anything that I put in my mouth--that is food. Just food, don't get me wrong. Somewhere at the back of my head, I have this prejudice about what a meal should be in order for it to be complete. Just give me the right combination of carbs, protein and veggies and my meal will always be complete. So, needless to say, even for breakfast, I appreciate a complete meal. At times though when I am in a hurry, a bowl of fiber-enriched cereal with soy milk and fresh fruit chunks will do. And still it is as complete as can be. But when I have all the time in the world to fix a sumptuous breakfast, this is what I come up with. I love scrambled eggs(semi-omelet style), slices of multi-grain bread and a handful of fresh fruit on the side.

Unlike most morning scrambled eggs out there, I choose to make mine a little more exciting. How?

Melt half a tablespoon of butter on a non-stick pan.

Whisk three eggs in a bowl.

Cook the eggs in the pan with the heat set to the lowest settings, stirring it occasionally so it doesn't dry up.

While letting the eggs cook, slice some sweet cherry tomatoes, and as soon as the eggs start to get a little thick, put the sliced tomatoes in.

While still a little moist, add some nuts (e.g., slivered blanched almonds or some roasted pine nuts) and mix it up a little.

Heat up the eggs a little bit more and sprinkle some shredded cheese on top always making sure that the eggs don't dry up.

Take the pan off the heat and fold in some crisp fresh green baby spinach leaves into the cooked eggs. The spinach leaves will add a fresh crunchy texture to the eggs.

Immediately transfer the cooked eggs into a dish. Remember, the heat from the pan will dry up the eggs.

Add a few slices of healthy multi-grain bread with your choice of fruit and wallah...you have a kingly breakfast at your fingertips! I usually water it down with a glass of low-sugar fruit-based beverage. My favorite is diet cranberry juice.

Starting the day with a healthy breakfast is always an exciting undertaking. And if there's any one meal that I'd rather fill up on, it's my breakfast because I have the entire day to burn up the extra calories. Oh yeah, I don't eat all three eggs. I only eat half of what the three eggs make.

And if you are worried about your cholesterol levels, do enjoy other breakfast alternatives that you can eat to start the day. Just keep it healthy and delicious. This way, you can never go wrong.

If you want to keep a healthy weight, the one meal you shouldn't miss is your breakfast. It pumps-prime your metabolic engine early on the day.

Ignoramus Tales: Poking Fun At Naiveté…Err…Stupidity

2008-05-18T08:42:00.004-05:00

Big Mall Day.

A mall just opened in a remote municipality. Everyone was so excited to finally get to experience the fun of mall hopping. The entire community supported the grand opening by taking the time to check out the new mall.

Dilemma: At mall closing time, chaos erupted. Everyone who went inside the mall was looking for his/her flip-flops that he/she carefully left behind by the mall entrance when he/she entered the mall.

Lesson: Go to the mall barefoot. You can breeze in and out in your bare toes.

The Key Word.

A guy, who never went to the city before, decided to finally experience a feel of the city life by seeing tall buildings, watching a movie and dining out. It was lunch time when the guy decided to take a meal break in one of the food chains available inside a shopping center.

Dilemma: It was his first time to see the foot-pedaled water dispenser. He was getting thirsty but he didn't know how the machine works. He was watching closely as everyone paced his way to the water dispenser and bent over slowly as the water poured out from the spout. Somehow, he had a hard time figuring it out so he said to himself that maybe there is some secret word that you say to make the water come out. Slowly he went to the dispenser, bent over and whispered, "Excuse me" basing on the way other people kind of bend over in a slow apologetic fashion. Nothing happened. He said, "Excuse me" again. Still nothing happened. There was a long line of people waiting to drink behind him, then all of a sudden chaos ensued and he was pushed off by somebody and accidentally but unknowingly stepped on the foot pedal while hearing the word, "Sorry" from behind him. Water came out of the spout and what a glorious realization.

Lesson: The key word to the water fountain was, "Sorry" not "Excuse Me". Try again!

How did it know?

A very poor guy, who was so technologically deprived, won the lottery so he decided to buy all the latest technological innovations like HD TV, Wii, computer, refrigerator and a mobile phone. The mobile phone was his favorite because he feels like he had this magical power because somebody can call him everywhere he goes, even when he goes freeballing on top of a tree. Then he decided to call a friend.

Dilemma: He went to his wife with an astonished look on his face and said, "My goodness, this thing really has a special power. It even knows that I just won the lottery. Here listen," while handing the phone to his wife. "It is saying, 'The subscriber cannot be RICH'. And the wife agrees, "Yeah, that's strange!"

Lesson: If you win the lottery, don't buy a cell phone. Get a tutor that can tell you the difference between REACHED and RICH. And maybe some hearing aids, too. Sorry all circuits are busy now. Please try your call later.

Table Etiquette.

T he same guy who won the lottery decided to live the good life. On his wedding anniversary he took his wife and a bunch of family and friends for a dinner in a fancy restaurant. Everyone enjoyed his dinner, while the lottery guy was keenly observing all the guests around the table so he can proceed without embarrassing himself. He wanted to at least be able to show some class. After all, he should know how to handle his higher monetary status. The dinner gladly ended with him being able to use every table accoutrements properly by just imitating the invited guests' every move.

Dilemma: After dinner, all the guests took their toothpick and were playfully picking on their teeth to get rid of any morsel of food caught in between. The sad part was whoever used the toothpick had to cover his mouth as some sort of good table etiquette. The lottery guy attempted to do the same. As soon as he dropped his table napkin, his nose was bleeding.

Lesson: If you don't know what a toothpick is for, use dental floss instead. In that way, even if you push it up your nostrils, while covering your face with a napkin, you won't get a nosebleed, guaranteed. But hopeless stupidity, you will. Who among you here ordered and ate the ambience? The waiter just told me why the bill is too much. He said I paid for the ambience too. How did it taste like? Anyone?

Coded Lingo: Reading Between The Lines

2008-05-18T04:51:00.006-05:00

Click here or click on the box for a readable view.

Read the boxed text. If you can decode the underlined words, then there are only two possibilities.

Either you are smarter than most people I know or you happened to grab hold of the same book I'm reading at the moment.

Either way, you're off to a good start, more so if writing is one of your passions. Being able to speak in metaphors or at least in some strange way of verbal sophistication sets an edge that almost always captures the reader's undivided attention and most certainly creates a thought-provoking process.

Below you will find the simpler version of the phrases contained in the box. After learning the underlying meanings of these words and phrases, imagine yourself just being handed a pocketful of verbose tricks that you can share to your peers to project the brainiac that you are not. Oooppss, sorry . . . I must have hit you right where it hurts. Actually, I mean it. I mean the 'sorry'.

Where to? I ask myself. Somebody just handed me a nix, cancelling on me. Take a look. I'm just a young individual who usually wanders at the mall always looking as if I am up to no good who knows nothing about the fine details of the ruthless competition. I was hoping I could go to rehab and get a cure for my alcoholism. I envy those who are safe and successful whose only dilemma is the battle to lose weight around their mid-section. I don't even have a home. My ex-wife had it on 'for sale by owner' for a while now. Yeah it's hard to even get some sleep. I would do anything to get out of this no-win situation. If only I can "Keep it simple, stupid!" (my life) and not let other people keep on poking me on my vulnerable side. Now I am on the run from the police after I acted prematurely on somebody who threw an "Examine your zip!" at me, like I was on some sacred territory. Am I super sensationalizing my story? I am a mere divorced father who hardly gets to see my children who is losing energy. What do you think? I don't know, either. What you see is what you get. But, yeah, this excessive talk is making me sick.

Geek Style: Pimp Your Desktop

2008-05-16T05:15:00.002-05:00

A picture paints a thousand words and a truly magnificent picture paints a thousand magnificent emotions.

What you see on your home screen or your desktop really matters. Today, the possibility of creating the most stunning graphics molded from pure imagination and creativity with the aid of the most sophisticated graphics tools is within a graphic artist's easy reach.

Besides, with the advent of high-definition graphics that create the illusion of images literally popping out of your screen, there is no limit to the extent of how stunning imagery is produced to satisfy a very discriminating user’s visual appetite. So why settle for the obsolete and the mediocre?

There is an enormous amount of free resources that are available online that are solely at the computer user’s disposal. It's all up to you to avail and make use of these resources to benefit and enhance your computing experience.

To me, what meets the eye influences the thoughts. Thus, an amazing scene that portrays a calm atmosphere can somehow put me in a spot that is peaceful and quiet even when I am physically surrounded by chaos.

It's all in your head, but a good optical illusion created by magical works of art is always indispensable.

This is what sits on my desktop. The stunning scenery takes me to my virtual Zen place. I haven't changed the look of my desktop even after I got a new laptop with a different OS. Good things are always a keeper.

This wallpaper is one among the collection entitled Dreamy World. I love the sense of serenity and the haunting sadness depicted in this artwork.

Check this artist's gallery to see more of his stunning work of art. This artist's work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. If you want to download a free copy of this wallpaper you can visit this site or you can download the collection at blueportal.org if you are a member.

Should you settle for anything less?

Just a word of caution, there is always the risk of sharing malignant files over the internet. Make sure that your computer is well-equipped with a powerful anti-virus software and maybe, a good backup. Free download and share sites are almost always a malicious user's playground. Take extra precaution.

No free lunch, eh. Not that you weren't forewarned.

American Idol: The Better David

2008-05-15T02:25:00.003-05:00

Now that American Idol has finally boiled down to its last two contenders, I am so excited that my favorite contestant, David Cook is going to compete head-to-head with another equally talented David Archuleta.

It is a thrill to see David Cook, being the wonderful and talented performer that he is on stage, battle his one chance to claim the title of Season 7's American Idol. He is always a pleasure to watch week after week. What makes David Cook such a fan-favorite is the fact that he has this amazing vocals that can literally rock a stage and sweep the audience off its feet. And despite his power vocals that amass enormous strength and confidence on stage, David Cook never fails to show through his vulnerable emotions that he so carefully protects behind those well-guarded moments on stage.

It takes one equally keen soul to notice, that David Cook almost always gets teary-eyed during those humbling minutes when the judges throw their honest praises for David's amazing performance on stage. It is because David Cook, gets humbled by the realization that his success on stage has an even deeper meaning because it is dedicated to his brother, Adam Cook who is ill with brain cancer. If only, he could cherish the glory of being the great performer that he is, without the pain of a brother's illness, it would have been all worth opening himself up with joy to the cheering crowd.

But it's all worth it, every time. In fact, you often see the initials AC on David's props in recognition of the brother that he truly cares for. It is truly a bitter-sweet tale of a brotherhood that is intricately webbed in a twist of fate.

David Cook's greatness is even more outlined in the grace that he displays every time by keeping himself mum about the other things that are stressing him behind the stage, when he could have easily grandstand on his misery to gain sympathy and gain momentum as well from the voting American public. David, you are truly exceptional and praiseworthy in the way that you have carried yourself like a true warrior with an unflinching spirit in the midst of life's bitter blows. You have unquestionably moved us, your fans.

In a week's time, I can see America giving you, your due recognition as the better David worthy of the title American Idol, in a battle that has yet to be played out, yet you have already won in our hearts of heart.

Kudos to a great talent and an amazing soul. David Cook, congratulations!

Poetic Justice: That Homesick Feeling

2008-05-14T02:34:00.007-05:00

It is hard to live away from the place you once call home, because there really is no place like home. It is an awful thing to miss the place where you once had your playground as a child and probably spent the first half of your lifetime, whether it was an easy one or a time lived with tough challenges. Simply put, being geographically displaced from your familiar habitat and being separated from familiar faces could be so crippling at times. I thought I could be totally immune from the feeling of being homesick after being away from home for a while now, but, the truth is, that feeling has a life of its own--fading but never dying, just lurking somewhere in the dark corners of my deepest emotions.

I must be really homesick, if I could describe that feeling with such colorful detail. Am I?

Right now, I'm thinking of fish--dried fish, soup made out of fish, raw fish cooked in vinegar, grilled fish, fried fish. Fish...everything! Gosh, I must be going crazy.

I'm picturing myself, sitting by the sea wall, watching the sun set while I happily gobble on some deep-fried sugar-coated plantains on a stick.

I'm immersing myself into that relaxing feeling of being in my room, surrounded by sense-calming scents, while my old lady masseuse skillfully but carefully soothe every aching muscle of my body amid the soft tranquil melody of nature's music.

Else, I'm getting lost into total nothingness, while I lay on the sand by the shore, listening to the waves as they caress the shoreline with such deep, haunting, playful, yearning to molest its every grainy strand while my eyes lazily gaze upon that lonely moon framed in the frail sadness of a star-less sky while a soft breeze tickles my worn and weary toes after a long day of chasing rainbows and butterflies.

My flip-flops, how can I not think of them? They could be so liberating...while they make those silly split-splat sound in harmonious symphony with the falling rain's every drop as it hits the ground on a stormy day while I graze my way through the muddy pathways that lead to the door of the place I call home.

And the noise, that familiar rhyme of chaos--children screaming, giggling and crying; neighbors yelling and fighting; tricycles and old cars roaring; the pigs moaning; the dogs barking; my mother nagging...what a delightful sound of life being lived!

Yes, I'm really homesick. There's a thousand vivid portraits playing in my head that remind me of home, sweet home.

But, nah, I'm not sad.

In the very corner of my eyes, I can see from a distance that perfect silhouette on that strikingly inviting tabletop...a cup of warm Milo, a plateful of steaming white rice, drizzled with my favorite sardines in tomato sauce, sprinkled with a little dash of salt...

...calling, begging, wanting for me to waste no time to savor its every glory in my ever insatiable palate...

...and really, when I'm done with it, the feeling is describably just as good as...

... being HOME AGAIN.

A 'Thank You' To My Mother

2008-05-11T21:08:00.002-05:00

It's mother's day and what better time to tell the world about the mother who is responsible for bringing me to this world.

My mother stands at only 4 feet and 10 inches, but she packs more courage, resilience, enthusiasm and probably more balls than any two-legged able-bodied being that I know in this planet.

She was born and raised in a remotely situated farmland in Bohol. Her father is a farmer who practices quack medicine. Her mother was a pure-bred Spanish senorita who's facial aesthetics remind me that of Sophia Loren's.

My mother inherited more of her father's physical features--short, dark-skinned, flat nose, dark eyes instead of her mother's meztiza looks.

At age 11, my mother was forced to abandon school due to a family crisis. Her mother needed a colon surgery, thus, being the oldest among 6 siblings she had no choice but to pick up slack to make ends meet.

She travelled to a different island in the Philippines with the hope of finding a better means of earning a living, abandoning school and abandoning her childhood.

Unequipped with any working experience, she ended up working as a seamstress in a tailor's shop, learning the tricks and techniques on her own without a mentor, and forcing her way into a newly acquired skill, all out of desperation and necessity.

It would be a tale that she would proudly share to her children years later--a tale of how she supported her family when she was supposed to be only a grade-school kid.

My mother, conceived nine children, all in all in her marriage. One ended up in miscarriage and one died while still an infant. But she managed to raise seven of us, seven totally different beings who managed to pierce her heart with sorrow at some point in her life. I'm sure, I had at some point made her cry. She cried her heart out, when she learned that I was one of the victims in a vehicular accident. She looked up to the heavens on her knees, begging from the Gods to let me be alive.

My mother taught me independence at a young age, by giving me the responsibility of overseeing my younger siblings.

She taught me how to cook at age 5 when she would let me perch on a high chair as she skillfully whip a tasty egg omelet in the skillet or concoct a hearty and filling dish over a wood-burning stove.

She made me experience life's harsh realities at an early age when she would send me to collect payments from nasty bitches who felt that they had every right to yell at a helpless child sent by her mother for an errand.

My mother taught me to look out for myself at a young age because she was busy taking care of the younger ones in the family and as well as working a living to bring food to the table.

My mother is very religious, thus, I grew up paying attention to my faith, religion, and God.

My mother knew when to punish me when I did wrong.

She was my cheering squad when I used to compete in academic contests. She proudly collected all of my medals that I bagged home from different inter school quiz bee contests.

My mother taught me the virtue of humility and the resolve to persevere during hard times. After all being raised in a poor family was constantly a test of perseverance.

My mother is special. She has a hearing problem. When we talk to her she always gives her undivided attention because she wants to understand what we are trying to tell her.

The one most important thing that my mother taught me is the value of education. Poor as we were, she never failed to remind us to do well with our studies and pursue our education with excellence. In fact the fruit of her labor came when she didn't have to pay a dime for us to go to college to obtain a degree. By her constant inspiration, my older sister and I were granted full scholarships to universities of our own choosing.

That's a legacy she chose to inculcate into her children and her children's children--to get a good grip at educating ourselves because education is the one thing we can have that can never be stolen away from us.

Today at past the age of 60, my mother still has a full zest for life; she's still very animated; has a cheerful composure and still has that nurturing spirit towards her children and grandchildren.

One thing I know is that in the wee hours of the morning, my mother would get up, and on bended knees, utter her morning prayers for the blessing of her children who are miles away from her but are constantly treasured inside her heart.

To my wonderful mother, thank you.

Know Me: I Am A Filipino

2008-05-11T05:24:00.002-05:00

My meals always come with a bowl of white rice.

My feet are most comfortable when I'm wearing flip-flops.

If it's raining and I'm looking up to the sky, I could drown through my nose.

I have to wear my underwear when I take showers (indoors).

I love the beach, but I hate the sun.

To say that I love chocolates, is a humongous lie.

I love dried fish, that's one big truth.

My idea of an afternoon siesta is gossiping with my neighbors.

Text messaging is my biggest preoccupation.

To me, a cellphone is as essential as my food, my clothing and my education.

Luminotes: Your Personal Wiki Notebook Online

2008-05-09T15:42:00.002-05:00

Did you wish you could take down notes quickly and edit them just as easily? Luminotes makes that possible.

What is Luminotes? Luminotes is an online wiki notebook that is available to you for free. 'K, the wiki thing? I know, I need to explain that too. You probably hear wiki all the time and you don't really know what it means. Let me explain it briefly.

Wiki is a backronym for 'What I Know Is'--a backronym in the sense that the phrase was suggested to stand for wiki instead of wiki being derived from it. The term wiki in Hawaiian, means 'fast'. But the word wiki as used in a vast number of online references implies web pages that are created using a wiki software. A wiki software is a software that allows pages to be created and edited using a common web browser. It is implemented by running a software engine that utilizes a file system to store content files and a relational database management system to store changes to the files.

So a wiki notebook is simply a notebook that you can create and edit endlessly. Luminotes is one wiki notebook that is available online for free. It lets you take down notes as quickly as ideas pop into your head while you are browsing the net, doing a research or working on a project. You can easily add notes, switch notes, link notes, hide notes, share notes, or upload notes with Luminotes.

With Luminotes wiki, the interface uses a clean and simple layout which is easy for a novice user to understand. After logging in, you can start writing notes and do whatever you want to do with them. Isn't that great?

Using Luminotes allows you the convenience of accessing your notes anytime, anywhere by just accessing the internet. And when you are working on an important project, you can easily consolidate your thoughts and ideas with your peers using Luminotes. What a great way of utilizing global connectivity using the internet for a more productive endeavor!

Grooveshark(Lite): Music To My Ear

2008-05-07T15:01:00.002-05:00

What tracks do you listen to, to bring life to a badly slaughtered day?

Here’s my list.

Dream On by Aerosmith
Evergreen by Faithless
Superman by Five for Fighting
Fix You by Coldplay
Woman in Chains by Tears for Fears
Drops of Jupiter by Train
Ordinary World by Duran Duran
Living On My Own by Freddie Mercury
Something by Jim Sturgess
Feel by Robbie Williams
Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve
A Little Respect by Erasure
Hemorrhage by Fuel
Not For All The Love In The World by The Thrills
Creep by Stone Temple Pilots

Top it off with Firestarter by Prodigy and you’ll surely get some sparks going.

Where do I go for uninterrupted listening pleasure of my favorite songs and more?

Grooveshark – it’s where people meet and share their favorite music online and more.

Find out what you’ve been missing. Try Grooveshark(Lite) for quick access to millions of songs that you can listen to without the guilt--just pleasure.

VeohTV: Internet TV Right On Your PC

2008-05-05T16:16:00.007-05:00

Ever wonder what you can do during those boring times in front of your computer? Why not watch movies,TV shows and your favorite videos?

There is an abundance of online sites that allow you to watch videos for free but most of the time the video quality is crappy and the selection isn't that good as well.

Did you wish you can watch uninterrupted videos that will entertain you for hours?

Watch a full-length concert of Amy Winehouse. Entertain the kids for an hour and more with a child-friendly movie . Watch full episodes of Big Brother or Survivor. Yes you can do all that in the convenience of your PC or laptop, all for free.

All you need to do is to download VeohTV.

What is VeohTV? VeohTV is a revolutionary software that brings internet TV to your PC. It's main objective is to be able to provide a smart solution to watching TV over the internet by scouring the internet for the best videos and bringing them to you through the VeohTV interface that allows TV-like viewing. To learn more visit VeohTV.com

You can also download VeohTV here. You need to register but rest assured that VeohTV is free as of this post. VeohTV is still in its Beta stage but after you download the interface you can start browsing the channels and start watching a movie, a TV show and more videos with stunning clarity. VeohTV even lets you download some videos on your computer's hard disk and watch them at a later time much like recording videos in a dvr.

VeohTV allows you to search videos from VeohTV's database as well as from Yahoo and Google and from other video sources online. It also lets you customize your favorites every time you find an interesting movie or video. As you watch your videos, VeohTV makes recommendations that match your interest. As of this date, VeohTV is already able to provide an alphabetical listing of all TV shows that are available for viewing. For the movies though, there isn't a complete listing yet but you can try searching for it in the search tool provided within the VeohTV player.

If you want to take a different approach, you can go to quicksilverscreen and from there you can browse the online video database in A-Z list or in A-Z thumbnail format. Please note that movies and videos available from this site are not all VeohTV videos. But whatever you find that has a Veoh logo can be played using the VeohTV interface after you login.

The VeohTV interface is remarkable. It's by far the best video interface available online that doesn't require a monthly subscription. Plus VeohTV offers an interactive tool within the VeohTV player itself that allows you to customize your widgets. So what are you waiting for?

Try VeohTV today.

Boggle Your Mind: Test Your Brain Power

2008-05-04T05:58:00.004-05:00

"It is sad that the fools are so self-confident and the clever ones are full of doubts."
-Bertrand Russell-

The Gambler

A gambler enters the casino three times. Each time he comes in he gives $10 to the doorman. Then he bets all of his remaining money. And he wins, doubling his original bet. As he goes out he gives another $10 to the high-roller. He does this three times in a row. By the third time, when he goes out, he has no more money left. How much money did he have originally, when he first entered the casino?

Find a five-letter word in the English language that doesn't change it's pronunciation even when you take out four of its letters.

The shortest word in the English language that contains all the vowels is a seven - letter word. What is it?

>>Read entire article>>

Just For Fun: The One Phrase You Can't Mess With

2008-05-03T22:40:00.008-05:00

Read the following lines with conviction. Enunciate every word. See what happens.

"Oh my darling please don't touch me!"

>>Read entire article>>

Stress Busting Techniques In The Digital Age

2008-05-03T01:23:00.007-05:00

Never dwell on something for hours unless it is life threatening

It is always easy to sink into the couch and watch TV endlessly, or work on the computer for hours, or perhaps get lost in a very exciting video game. Yes, it is very convenient and it is also very unhealthy. You could lose track of time, precious time that could be used in some other beneficial endeavors.

How to avoid it?

Set a goal to take a break every 30-min, 1-hour or 2-hour intervals and be sure to comply.

Here's a trick that will really help--I call it the 'bottomless drink' technique. Drink a full glass of low-calorie beverage (water is highly recommended) before you do a prolonged activity. In an hour or so, your bladder fills up and you can't resist the urge to dispose of, thus, you will be compelled to abandon whatever you are doing at the moment, forcing you a break--your much needed break.

Breathe

Oxygen is important for all bodily functions. Your brain which is a vital organ is the primary consumer of the oxygen that you take in. Take time to breathe. It is as essential as drinking, sleeping and eating. Set a few minutes in a day and devote it primarily for breathing exercises.

Release your inner tension in a creative way

If your body has been subjected to stress for a long while tension builds up inside your body and this could progress to more serious illnesses. Find a way to let it out.

Frustrated? Angry?

>>Read entire article>>

AppleTV: When Computer Screen Size Ain't Enough

2008-04-11T05:36:00.006-05:00

Ever thought of wanting to watch your videos on your 61" TV from your iTunes library?

That used to be a remote possibility but Apple came up with another genius gadget named AppleTV.

What is AppleTV?

AppleTV is a device that allows you to watch your movies from your iTunes library on your TV. It also allows you access to the apple iTunes store so you can rent movies after you browse the different selections. Some movies are even available in HD. The great thing about AppleTV is the fact that it allows you to play your favorite videos from youtube.com directly from your TV screen without the need for a computer.

>>Read entire article>>

Good Friday: How Holy It Used To Be

2008-03-21T20:08:00.005-05:00

Good Friday is a big day. This is the day when we basically, die a bit by really keeping a holy day through prayers, reflections, atonement, fasting and abstinence and stopping all worldly affairs. This is also the day when we get to see a reenactment of the passion of Christ in flesh form—real people trying to relive the passion, the betrayal—Judas’ kiss, the Pontius Pilate act, the carrying of the cross, the crucifixion. We also reflect on the seven last words of Christ on the cross. It was definitely a life-altering tradition. At three in the afternoon on Good Friday, the time when Christ supposedly died on the cross, we go to the beach and wash off ourselves in the sea—with the belief that as we do that we cleanse ourselves of all our sins.

On the other hand, tales of witches and black magicians renewing their powers on Good Friday hover around, creating an aura of eerie, empty, godless, sorrowful, almost black Friday. I remember seeing all crucifixes in the church being covered by a purple or maroon piece of cloth and that makes the day even gloomier.

>>Read entire article>>

Feel Good Sunday: Super Bowl XLII

2008-02-04T02:57:00.001-05:00

The game was the finest sports match we’ve seen in a while bringing moments when we literally have to hold our breath as the almost impossible happens at the most unexpected moment.

The NY Giants really did a good job of rallying up against the opponent by pounding on Tom Brady with their unmatched defense. The offense’s side was a little shaky yet Manning was able to deliver the goods when the opportunity presented itself.

What a remarkable performance by the NY Giants!

>>Read entire article>>

California Dreamin'

2008-01-28T04:25:00.003-05:00

When I first set foot in California, I was kind of shock to see how different it was. I almost felt like I was not on a foreign soil. Yeah, honestly, I felt like I was just somewhere in one of the seven thousand and one islands of the Philippines.

Why? My goodness, you cannot turn your head without seeing another spread-toed flat-nosed creation. They are all over the place. I even asked myself, “How did they get here? Why is my family not here?”

I like the weather in California. It hardly rains in California but when it does it sure feels like rain in the tropics. I kind of like the way the sun shines in California. It’s the closest reminder to warm sunny skies back home.

I even wonder that perhaps if I have my close relatives here I would change my opinion about where home is to me.

>>Read entire article>>

Ikobo: The Sensible Way to Send Money to the Philippines

2008-01-20T07:25:00.003-05:00

For most Filipinos abroad it is an undeniable fact that a big part of our earnings overseas is being sent back to our loved ones back home in the Philippines. Even for those who have migrated to places outside of the Philippines, the obligation continues. Yeah it is, in fact, weird as it sounds, an obligation.

Imagine sending $600 to your loved ones and spending $50 bucks for the transfer service? That’s a lot!

You can opt to pay less by doing bank to bank transfers but it takes a while before your recipients get hold of their cash.

In emergency cases, you have no choice but to pay the higher service fee even if it burns your pocket.

I used to do that. For the sake of speed, pay extra fees. That’s an old story.

>>Read entire article>>

DANGEROUS ENCOUNTERS: Surviving the Unexpected

2008-01-19T04:40:00.003-05:00

This is more or less a chronicle of unpleasant events that I’ve experienced in my life that really scared the living daylights out of me.

Sweet Talk

I was just casually walking home and darkness had started to set in, and as soon as I reached a shady part on the sidewalk under a star apple tree in front of the elementary school, somebody stopped me. He was a big guy, probably in his late 20s and he somehow asked me in a kind and seemingly harmless way if I knew where a certain person he was looking for lived. I didn’t know if he was really honest about his inquiry or if he was merely namedropping somebody so he can ask me a question. Without any thought of a looming danger, I politely answered the guy that I didn’t know the person he was asking me about. He nodded his head, somehow resigned to the fact that I really didn’t have the answer to his question. Then he said, “Do you want candy?”

An Idle Mind Is the Devil’s Workshop

Then one tragic night, he started slashing and attacking his family with a sharp bolo (more like a machete). His wife was pinned under the bed with a slashed throat and a ripped stomach, gut and all coming out in a very disturbing sight. She met her tragic end before the night is over. His son was able to jump off the window with a minor cut on his finger, while his two other daughters were head-shaved as the sharp bolo scraped the top portion of the skull, cutting the hair in zigzagged fashion everytime the bolo landed on the top of the head. They were able to jump out of the house too. One of the girls had her nose slit in half as the sharp bolo painfully bore a deep wound across her face.

When All Else Fails… Run!

I ran quickly, still with a pail-full of water on one hand, limping my way to our house. I could hear the footsteps behind me as if I was being pursued by whoever is causing the commotion. In my head, I pictured a deranged guy chasing people with a sharp bolo and just hacking everyone in the way.

>>Read entire article>>

The Pale Blue Dot

2008-01-13T18:55:00.002-05:00

Let's continue our journey of immersing ourselves in an existence that is not bounded by space. Let's zoom into the limitless expanse of the universe. What do you see? Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Pluto, the Milky Way? Is there ever an end to this infinite vastness of space? Zoom further into space even more. What do you see now?

Yeah, you see the cosmos. But something else caught your attention. There's this pale blue dot, that somehow you just can't take your eyes away from.

Why does that pale blue dot look so special to you? Huh?

Hardly visible and almost just a speck of dust in that vast universe, is your place--the one you call home, your planet Earth. That's where all the drama of your mortality takes place. That's your stage. That's where you maltreat people, cheat on others, party all night long, degrade yourself morally, rot your life away. That's where your stakes are--your possessions, your wealth, your wrongdoings. That's where your precious world is all contained in, in that one pale blue dot.

>>Read entire article>>

The Wire: Probably The Best TV Show Ever

2008-01-02T09:55:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year one and all! Whew! It's 2008.

I am a sucker for real TV entertainment, though I don't really spend much time in front of the boob-tube. Nevertheless, when something captures my attention I am eternally glued to the show until it's over.

Over the holidays, I wasn't really able to do much because I caught the bug--the cold virus. I had it all planned that during my vacation I will utilize my time to make up for the tasks that are left unfinished. But what the heck! I was sick, so instead, I opted to fatten my Pinoy ass in front of the TV and what better show to watch than The Wire.

>>Read entire article>>

My Holiday Wish List

2007-12-21T23:29:00.001-05:00

1. Let there be peace on earth.

2. A pink diamond pendant.

3. Panasonic home theater system with wireless rear speakers.

4. POD by Atlantic CD organizer.

5. Cereal dispenser by Zevro.

6. Carlos Falchi handbag.

7. Nohonon desk character.

8. Sennheiser wireless headphones.

9. Kindle digital reading device by Amazon

10. A trip to the banana republic.

Happy Holidays one and all!

Holiday Shopping: In Time for the Holidays (Attn: Procrastinators)

2007-12-19T16:55:00.000-05:00

I must admit that I am a sucker for shoes and bags. Be it online shopping or in-store shopping, you will always find me in the shoes and bags aisle. It’s my way of accessorizing my get-up since basically I am a jeans and casual top kind of person. If I see somebody down the street, the first thing I look at is the kind of bag the person is strutting around. That’s how I judge people, basically. I judge them with their bags.

Why bags? A bag can be anything it can be. The possibility is endless. Somehow I am drawn to the intricate layout, the fine workmanship, the quality of the material used, the color and texture, the size, the shape, the ease of use and the overall impact. How a bag looks defines the taste of the person wearing it. What about people who don’t wear bags? They’re both lucky and unlucky. Lucky because they don’t have to carry a weight on their shoulders. Unlucky because their life is boring. Besides their hands are always full, with no bag to put in their stuff.

I know, you are raising your eyebrows now. That’s alright.

This is my mantra. Life is too short not to be enjoyed. I try to enjoy my life by incorporating variety and just enjoying the little things that give me pleasure. One of them is bags and shoes.

It doesn’t have to be that way for you. Just enjoy whatever little something that you can enjoy that won’t strain your budget. I used to buy pens every week. Any color, any design. It just gives me the pleasure knowing that every time I write, it’s always a different feel.

Anyway, I shop online most of the time. The only other time that I am shopping somewhere else is when I’m at TJMaxx & Marshalls (I should get compensated for promoting them on this blog). I even go to Ross, sometimes. I hardly go to the mall and buy from specialty shops because it’s boring. Getting something that looks like it is mass-produced for an entire generation, just doesn’t appeal to me. I want something that is at least of limited production, that way the chance of me bumping into somebody sporting the same accessory is slim to none.

So where do I go online to shop for the things I like? I go to smartbargains.com, overstock.com, zappos.com, amazon.com and lately to endless.com.

I’m sure you are all familiar with these sites. But let me just tell you why I go to these sites. I like smartbargains.com because it does have a good array of high-end brands at affordable prices. The only thing that I don’t like is the standard shipping which is quite not at par with the other sites in terms of speed. I like overstock.com because it has an even bigger array of products to choose from and shipping is fast and affordable. But sometimes, price-wise they really are not the cheapest you can get online. I like zappos.com because of their wide array of apparel and fashion accessories and they carry the top name brands. Zappos.com also offers fast shipping. I like amazon.com because you basically can find anything under the sun, plus they always inform you on when you should order so it gets to you at a particular time. Amazon.com even offers a subscription to its customers so they can ship certain products for free if it’s eligible for prime shipping (two-day). This is such a good deal if you are a regular amazon.com shopper because you will really save on shipping and the product is delivered to your door faster. Lately, I got into the habit of buying my shoes and bags at endless.com. It’s a remarkable site that offers free overnight shipping. It’s always fun shopping from endless.com because you don’t wait for days for your item to arrive. You order today before cut-off time and immediately, the following day your ordered item is sitting on your doorstep. Isn’t that great? Definitely it is. Plus if you want to return a product, you simply go online and print out the return shipping label, repack the item, seal and label and drop it at the post office at no additional expense on your part and no third party to deal with. Besides the site itself is remarkable. It is for now, dedicated to bags and shoes, for men, women and even children. The site is also designed such that online shopping becomes almost as good as in-store shopping wherein you can scrutinize every aspect of the product before deciding on buying it. Endless.com does that with an advanced web interface wherein you can look at the product in different angles and zoom in to see a closer view of the material, the design, the color, and even the texture. Try it online, and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

And for all of you procrastinators out there, it may not be late yet (as of this writing) to shop for a present that will get to the recipient on time. Give a bag or a shoe from endless.com. You will not be disappointed.

I have to get going. I’ll get myself another bag.

Blackberry 8320 & T-Mobile’s HotSpot@home Service: A Closer Look

2007-12-15T07:03:00.000-05:00

T-mobile recently upgraded its mobile service by providing the so-called HotSpot@home subscription which allows a mobile subscriber to initiate calls utilizing a wi-fi connection at home, and in turn making unlimited calls that doesn’t use up the subscribers monthly minute allowance. This service also allows the subscriber to be connected to hotspots nationwide. With the service your mobile provider automatically connects you to the network in range whether it’s a hotspot or a regular cellular network at home or on the road for uninterrupted mobile service. Indeed, it is an ingenious idea if only it is perfected.

I live in a slightly elevated area and so my cell phone signal is constantly absent. In fact I cannot initiate a call if I’m at home, so with T-mobile’s new offering, a new hope dawned on me that I can have a reliable connection while at home.

With the HotSpot@home service, mobile calls can be made using existing wireless signals from your local network through UMA (unauthorized mobile access). And since the service requires a HotSpot@home enabled cell phone, I decided to say goodbye to my T-mobile Wing phone and upgraded my used-to-be Blackberry-less mobile life to a Blackberry-ful one. It was about time to see what a Blackberry can do compared to my previous mobile phones.

First off, the good things about the Blackberry 8320. It is smaller in size compared to its other Blackberry predecessors and more lightweight. It uses a mini trackball for multidirectional and easy manipulation of programs and files or messages in your message folder. It has a camera with a built-in flash at an adjustable capture range. It has a media player that can play several kinds of media files. It is wi-fi and Bluetooth enabled. It allows data transmission using GPRS/EDGE, edge, GSM, UMA, uma signals. It has voice dialing. And it is designed to work with your wireless network for free unlimited mobile calls at home after subscribing to T-mobile’s Hotspot@home service.

The bad. It has no video capture feature. Another bad thing is the fact that the blackberry is a blackberry, thus, there maybe some mobile tools that you like and have gotten used to with your other mobile phones that run on a windows mobile platform which you cannot run on the Blackberry 8320. A good example is YahooGo, a mobile application that provides maps & navigation, weather, instant messaging, etc. No matter how many times I tried, this application was never able to successfully run on my Blackberry 8320. There was always an error at startup. So I guess there are possibly a few bugs that need to be fixed.

Another application that I love so much that I also was not able to work successfully on the Blackberry 8320 is the Avantgo mobile service. Surprisingly though, I was able to download and successfully run the mobile version of Windows Live Search.

One thing to note is, if you want to make use of the full functionality of this cell phone, you should be ready to pay for the extras like subscribing to the Hotspot@home service as well as the Blackberry unlimited e-mail service provided by T-mobile. This is good if the service is really a necessity for you, but for people who just want to explore the technology, think twice.

The Hotspot@home service is supposed to allow an easy handover from your Unauthorized Mobile Access Network (UMAN) to your cellular network so there is no discernable service interruption. However, the technology probably is still too raw and not yet perfected because on several occasions, I have initiated a call using UMA and was cut in the middle of a conversation because somehow my signal went from UMA to EDGE. Even with a good wireless connection at home, surprisingly the device shifts from UMA to EDGE and even to GSM transmission modes constantly & intermittently. That I find really unappealing because once this occurs, the medium of communication is disrupted which is quite not what this technology is meant to do.

Now what exactly is the difference between these kinds of signal transmission? You can find the answers by visiting T-mobile’s information page. But here’s a quick comparison. UMA signals allow you to make voice calls for free, allowing GSM & GPRS transmissions through your local/at home network which is first authenticated by your mobile service provider’s UMA Network Controller. If you require high-speed data transmission like browsing the internet, you’re better off with an EDGE connection because it is an enhanced form of GPRS and is sometimes referred to as 3G. GPRS is more or less a slight variation of EDGE, which still allows data transmission but at a slower bandwidth. A GSM signal is only good for voice calls or text messaging but not for data transmission that requires a bigger bandwidth like internet browsing or video transmission. uma and edge on the other hand, simply indicate that you have the signal but the signal you’re getting is weak.

As soon as I got my Blackberry, I started doing the necessary tweaks and fixes to customize my phone to my style and preference. Of course, I wanted to have my own distinct ring tone so I just moved ring tones from my old phone, a Motorola v3xx simply by putting in the microSD chip from the old phone to Blackberry’s microSD slot. I then copied the ringtone files from the microSD to the device’s ringtone folder and it worked without causing too much headache on my part. Being able to do that is a plus to the Blackberry because some cell phones are really so hard to configure in terms of customizing ring tones.

Then comes setting up the push e-mail. Of course, like I’ve said, you have to subscribe to T-mobile’s Blackberry unlimited e-mail service. Setting up took a while because for some reason, if you are not able to find your way to the service books, you will not find the option to set-up personal mails using your personal e-mail accounts from yahoo, hotmail, gmail, etc. The device is preset for easy setup to your enterprise e-mail server at work but first you need to know certain information that only your system administrator can provide.

Basically once everything else is in place you can manage your device from your desktop using Blackberry’s device manager software and from there you can sync your contacts, calendar, to do list, files and folders.

Overall, the Blackberry 8320 is an excellent phone. The easy user interface provided by the keypad and the mini trackball is a definite plus (but probably not for people with big fingers). I find it really appealing. In fact, once you get used to the feel of the Blackberry, you find it hard to go back to using your other non-Blackberry phones.

If you want to read e-books using your Blackberry, just download the Mobipocket reader and you’re ready to go.

T-mobile’s HotSpot@home service is a good start, but I think the technology could be better.

Tell Me If This Ain't Funny

2007-12-08T15:00:00.000-05:00

The Filipino Ingenuity…Err…What?

A man who was happily sipping his cup of café mocha as he came out from an infamous coffee shop was distracted by the sight of two men who were working on the road side in a residential area in South Bay in California.

One man was busy digging a hole on the ground, and as soon as he finishes digging about a foot-deep hole, the other man immediately fills the hole up with dirt. The man was really puzzled so he asked the two men what exactly they were up to. It turned out that those two men were just hired to work overseas from the Philippines.

Curious Guy: Can you explain to me what you are trying to do? It doesn’t look like you are having fun.

PINOY1: (Trying so hard to express himself in the English language). Well man, you know man, we just got hired man. This is our first job in the U.S., and you know man, we do well. We do our best.

Curious Guy: (Still confused). But what exactly are you doing boring a hole in the ground and the other one filling it up as soon as it’s done?

PINOY2: We are on a contract. There were three of us, Filipino workers. But today, the one who is assigned to plant the trees is absent because he’s sick, that’s why we just had to do what we can do without him. We just can’t stand here and do nothing. We have a job to finish!

Stranger Than Fiction: The Case of My Missing Jewelry

2007-12-08T00:33:00.000-05:00

Around this time last year, I lost a piece of jewelry, a gold bracelet that is worth more or less $300. The strange thing was, I put it with my other jewelries in an easy access cabinet in my room, and the rest of my jewelries were there and remained untouched. At first I was thinking that perhaps one of my kids played with it and probably misplaced it around the house. So I let the days go by, hoping that somehow the missing jewelry will be recovered somewhere in the house.

Then I started getting suspicious with one of my house helpers because she was acting strange. She was actually the most responsible and most trusted of three nannies that I had, and suddenly she wouldn’t even look me in the eyes when we talked.

In the Philippines, it is commonplace to resort to black magic and witchcraft and things that are considered taboo and superstitious in this modern world. So it is not a surprise to hear stories about skulls and magic oils or cards and beads that has some kind of spell or trick that can help solve a mystery.

I was particularly curious as to the veracity of these things so what perfect opportunity for me to venture into these unchartered waters.

Did you even hear about the saint that has no mercy? They call him, St. “Merciless” Anthony or simply put, St. Anthony—Without Mercy. People believe that he is the helper of people who have been robbed of their material possessions. According to tales if you seek help from this saint whatever things that are stolen from you will be returned or else the thief will lose his sanity. In Cebu, there was this place wherein you just find these believers and they do practice the art of seeking help through this kind of worship. I went to the place, all on my own and knowing that it was in the slums, of course I had to look as rugged as I can, knowing that in that place not only worship and black magic abounds but some gangsters and drugs as well, just to give you a clue to where I went. I met this old lady. She was all relaxed while she spread her deck of cards out in a piece of concrete in an open roadside spot. Her name was Antonia—the female breed for Anthony. She had this strange look about her. She looked like she was left in time. At first her face really looked scary with all the black spots that accented her old wrinkly face. She then asked me, “What are you here for? What did you lose?” I thought well, you’re the witch with the tricks, tell me! But it was easier to just fess up about my lost jewelry. She then told me that I have several options and of course it came with a price. She said that whoever was my suspect, I can just write her name on a piece of her custom-made paper and she’s going to feed it to her treasured skull inside a chest and the thief will---DIE! So I thought, OMG, I don’t want to be a murderer or an accessory to it so I told her NO. Then she told me to just write the name of my suspect as an addendum to a prayer and she was going to say the prayer every night for the next 7 days and it will cause unrest to the thief and possibly drive her insane. She said that her prayer was so effective that as soon as she starts the seven-day ritual the thief will be awaken in the middle of the night and will hear strange murmurs from the skull that she hid in a chest and she worshipped to. So I thought to myself, wow, I can’t believe that in this day of advance technology, these practices are still thriving. Out of curiosity and I was there anyway, I opted to take choice B. Antonia, the witch doctor then spread the deck of cards one more time and asked me to take two cards. Whatever numbers were on the card that I took represented the amount I needed to pay to her for her service. Luckily it was just two figures in Philippines pesos. I left and really had doubts about the truth to the effectiveness of the practice. In fact, I came as a skeptic, and went home even more in doubt, but I had a unique experience.

Then the next few days I was just paying close attention to my aides in the house and see if there was any visible manifestation of black magic spell. Then I noticed that one of my house help who was the suspect was obviously not sleeping well at night with her red tired eyes but I didn’t confront her because I didn’t have proof that she did it.

When I went to see my pedicurist I casually shared the incident. She then told me that she knew of a spiritual psychic who can shed some light on what happened. She said that the woman she is referring to had solved several similar mysteries in the past of missing stuff. So off we went to see her the following night.

As we entered the house and met her, I was able to sense a feeling of lightness around her. I was able to feel that the lady had some honest sense in her unlike other fake psychics or spiritists. So we played and picked the cards, then right away she gave me a very fitting description of the person who took my jewelry. I was amazed because I didn’t even tell her anything about who were the people in my household and how they looked but somehow her description was right up the nose. She said that she will pray for her to feel the guilt and return the stolen item to me. This time, I was sure that indeed my jewelry was intentionally and willfully taken from where it was kept.

Things progressed in the house and indeed, I was able to feel the suspect’s guilt even more. This time, she would no longer talk to me and if I wanted her to do an errand she did it quickly and disappeared right away as if she couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with me.

A week later, I went to Bohol for my Christmas vacation. I confided to my sister about the missing jewelry. She then told me that they knew of someone who can help me recover my missing piece and so we decided to see him but deep within my heart I was resigned to the fact that whatever was gone, was not meant for me. It was gone for good.

Then I met this healer who was probably in his mid 20s. They told me that he had the power to tame people. In fact, his second wife was a tall, fair-skinned, beautiful Filipina that you would not even imagine to have wanted to live a simple life with a quack doctor in the mountains of Bohol. They told me that this guy was exceptionally gifted and he can clearly decode to you in a picturesque outline who took what from you.

As soon as we arrived in this small shanty in a little hilly part in Bohol, we sensed a really different world that was way too domesticated and probably a bit crude fit for a life away from the hustle and bustle of the city. But mind you, these people still have cell phones. I had my cell phone too, just in case I need to call backup. No, my point is, in that place, the contrast of the modern world and the unsophisticated life in the mountains is eye-catching.

Anyways, we sat for a few minutes and waited for the guy to come out. As soon as he came out, immediately he told me what I lost. He even described in full detail what color it was, and how thick it was. I was baffled and surprised because we never said anything—not a word to him. But my sister told me that the guy was really blessed with something that was supernatural. I tell you, I had never been so completely amazed in my whole life. But this guy really brought the house down. This guy had one thing, one thing that you and I would want to have in this high-tech age. And it’s one thing that is probably more sophisticated than any modern gadget that we have these days. I’d compare it to a display screen or a monitor that you can mentally influence to graphically display a vivid image of things that you want to see. You know what he had?

He had this little bottle with oil inside. The oil rises with the rising of the tide, I was told. So if it’s high tide the bottle is filled with oil. If it’s low tide, the bottle is half empty. And that bottle was probably his most effective weapon in doing what he did best--healing and solving mysteries. With just a drip of that oil, sick people from different places who came to be healed were cured. And amazingly without replenishing the oil in the bottle, the bottle never ran dry. According to tell tales, he once preempted a second attempt to burglarize a home by giving the victim a forewarning based on what he visualized in his bottle of oil.

Then the healer went on to tell me that the thief is a short lady, with a stout frame, and she has straight hair at shoulder’s length. And boy, there was only one person in my household that could fit the description that he gave, perfectly. She was my once most trusted aide and now my suspect.

He didn’t stop there. He told me that if I can find that blue overnight bag with a red trim and zip opening, my bracelet is concealed under a layer of folded shirts. As he said this with utter certainty and confidence, he was looking at his bottle as if he had closed-circuit TV that broadcast the information that he just gave me. Right away, I felt blood rushed through my entire being. It was like finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I was glad I had my cell phone at that time, and so I immediately called up my other sister who was in the house in Cebu and told her to find the bag. You could hear me repeating the description that the healer gave. They tried to locate the bag but they couldn’t open one big luggage that had a lock on it and my suspect was nowhere. So I told them to just abandon the pursuit of recovering my missing jewelry. For me, it was enough to know that people that I entrusted with so much confidence are after all, not worthy of it.

I immediately told my sister to send all maids home for a Christmas vacation. My ulterior motive was to finally clear the coast. I didn’t want to go back to Cebu and deal with the issue of confronting the culprit. I just want to let go of the incident. My suspect at that time seemed like she was at her wit’s end. In fact, the other people in the house in Cebu were telling me that while we were in Bohol the maid kept staring on thin air and was obviously overwhelmed with guilt and didn’t know how to atone for the wrong that she had done. To me her being without peace was enough punishment for the wrong that she did.

I was convinced that she did it, but whatever it was, something was stopping her from returning the item to me. It could be the desperate need for money or it could be the big ego that surpasses all form of shame or guilt.

Then my brother knew about the incident and he reacted strongly to it. In fact, without my knowledge, he himself went to another spiritist/healer in Cebu. According to him, once he got to the healer’s house immediately the healer knew what he was there for. The healer held his pulse, then told him that he was asthmatic as well, and amazingly enough, it was true. When my brother directed his attention to the missing jewelry and asked the spiritist who did it, meaning who stole my jewelry, the lady immediately told him that it was someone who is a not-so-distant relative. That really struck a chord with my brother because what he was just told was absolutely true. The maid’s middle name is the same as my last name. (In the Philippines people take their mother’s maiden name as their middle name, so the middle name always bears some kind of relative consanguinity or blood relationship. By the middle name alone, you can tell if a person is somehow an expanded part of your family tree.) The lady told my brother that the one who took it already pawned the item at a local pawnshop and that she (the thief) has no plans of returning it, no matter what.

My brother was so furious that as soon as he found out, he immediately wanted to confront the suspect, but I pacified him, telling him that even if all fingers are pointing towards her, still we didn’t have any solid evidence to support our suspicion. So I told him to just forget it, because all material things in this world just come and go anyway. It’s our dignity and honor that stays with us even when we’re gone. Besides, being a thief for a person and being dishonest is truly a curse—and it’s enough punishment.

The experience drew me to acknowledge the existence of unseen forces in human life that were clearly manifested in the strange coincidences. It’s almost as if those three people were looking at the same crystal ball even if they were geographically distanced being located in different parts of the Philippine islands.

I didn’t even think that remnants of black magic or witchcraft still exist in this modern age. But quite frankly, I was proven wrong. Good or bad, the experience really was an eye-opener for me. There are things in this modern day that make you think with reckless abandon that technology is in and old practice is taboo. But guess what? There are things in old practices that are much harder to decode than a well-written programming syntax or a precisely programmed integrated chip designed to perform complex as well as extraordinary functions. Truly, we cannot disregard or deny the fact that technology at its best still co-mingles and breeds with the purest form of supernatural existence in some unheard of corners of this planet.

That healer—I’d probably refer to him as the guy with a crappy cell phone but with a very sophisticated bottle of oil.

Still to this day, I haven’t stopped figuring out the obvious puzzle surrounding the existence of supernatural beings. Hard as I tried, there are no explanations for why some things are, the way they are. There’s only room for acceptance that no matter how advanced technology can get, you can still be taken aback by something so pure, and just SUPERNATURAL.

Heating Up Your Home This Cold Season

2007-12-06T04:06:00.000-05:00

Winter is here and in some parts of the country temperatures have dropped to freezing or even below freezing point. Without adequate heating inside your home it could be uncomfortable to move around the house and do stuff. You probably would just want to stay in one spot where you can comfortably warm yourself up under a nice cozy blanket.

If you look around the stores there are actually several portable heaters that you can get to heat up your home. They come in different shapes and sizes and they are normally selling below $100 or even below $50. The problem with these portable heaters though is the fact that they could be a fire hazard because they suck in too much electricity which can really pose a problem especially if your house wiring is not updated or you still have old non-standardized electrical setup in your home. These portable heaters though small in size can consume as much as 1500 watts per heater. Imagine fifteen 100-watt bulbs all lit up at the same time. Take three heaters and run them at the same time and bam!...your fuse will blow up or your circuit breaker will trip off especially if you are using other appliances at the same time. You could be lucky if you have a circuit breaker in your house. What if you don't and you live in a house wherein the wires used are old and not meant for high-powered appliances? That's where the risk of fire comes in because the amount of electricity pulled out from the source is too much more than what the wires can handle, thus, causing the wiring to overheat and who knows what's going to happen next? Imagine small pipes with a strong surge of water pressure going through it. It can't withstand the pressure, thus, the pipes burst open. Do you get my point?
Don't take the risk especially if you don't have a circuit breaker in your home. Fires triggered by faults in electrical wiring can easily spread throughout the house in seconds.

In our case, we don't use our central heating unit because it's too much to heat up the entire house. Instead, we opted to use several portable heaters for the different rooms. When we had two 1500-watt heaters everything was fine but as soon as we added one more heater of the same power rating the circuit immediately shut off. Power overload--that's what it was. So now I was left with a dilemma as to how I can keep my room warm enough for me to sleep comfortably at night.

After searching the internet I found another form of heating that uses low electric consumption and doesn't dry up the air unlike typical heaters. What I found was Econo-Heat panel heaters. It's basically just a panel made from a heat conductive material that you can mount on your wall and it uses less than 500 watts. I experimented with it and I'm actually happy with the result. I replaced one of my portable heaters with two panel heaters that I installed in two separate rooms. What this heater does is, it dissipates a low but constant heat while it's ON. And that heat really keeps the room at a comfortable temperature. Besides the heat that is emitted from it does not really suck up the moisture of the air because the amount of heat dissipated is at a constant low. You have the option of plugging it through a timer so it automatically turns ON and OFF at certain times of the day or you can also plug it through an automatic temperature sensor so it does the same thing once a desired temperature is set. This panel heater can be easily mounted on the wall but make sure that you put it in a strategic location away from windows or openings with cold draft coming in. It is best to put it on the part of the room which is properly insulated so the heat can bounce off across the room. It is best if you make sure that your room is properly sealed from small openings where cold air can come in. Insulate. Insulate. Insulate your room properly. If you have a bigger room you will most likely need more than one wall panel heater. Keep in mind also that when you install these panel heaters, you don't put them too high because heat rises.

These panel heaters are a little more expensive than the portable ones that you see around the stores but they could be more cost-effective in the long run. And perhaps they maybe the only solution you can get if your household electrical circuit cannot handle too much electrical load.

I also needed another portable heater for my computer room because it can really get so cold at times so I shopped around for a low-power heater. Luckily, I found one at Sharper Image and it only takes 150 watts of power. It's good for its size but you have to keep it really close to you because you cannot expect it to heat up the entire room. They refer to it as the big small heater because it really is able to dissipate enough heat for its small size enough to keep you warm.

There are other heaters in the market and they claim to be safe, economical, efficient and effective but they are way too expensive at more than $400 for a unit.

For now I'm happy and warm with my choice of heating our home during this really cold season. I hope you are warm and happy too.

Geek Switch: Migrating Files from an Old PC to A New One

2007-12-04T04:33:00.000-05:00

You’ve decided that it’s time to upgrade your computing life by getting a new computer to replace your old sluggish machine. Now what?

Most of us cannot detach ourselves from all the files and programs that we have in our old computers and chances are, we will be multi-tasking between the old and the new computers which is actually very unproductive. You want to get rid of the old computer but you do not know how to integrate your old programs, files and settings to the new machine.

There are several things that you can do. You can transfer your files to your new computer using built-in utilities that come with your OS (operating system) or you can download free utility software that will help you migrate your files for free or you can just cut the chase and buy a utility software that will do the job effectively for you.

But first before you even decide on moving your old files to the new computer consider the tools that you need in order to establish a path between the two computers for the transfer of files. You have several options. First you can connect the two computers through your network (assuming you have your existing network), by connecting both computers to your network router’s Ethernet ports. The second method is to connect the two computers using the serial/parallel ports and of course you need a serial/parallel cable, but this connection would provide the slowest data transfer between the two computers. The third and the fastest method is to connect the two computers through the USB ports and of course, you need a dedicated data-transfer USB link which is available at most computer accessory outlets. Another method can be performed by utilizing external storage media that can hold ample amount of data.

To establish a path between the two computers you need to connect them using a data-transfer cable that you can plug into the USB ports of your PC. I got one from Belkin and indeed it makes the file transfer much quicker and easier. The data-transfer cable comes with its own software that will help manage the transfer of files and settings between your old and new machines. I think the software that comes with the Belkin data-transfer cable is provided by Laplink. Laplink also has its own version of the same migration tool. You can buy and download online, PCMover, a PC migration software by Laplink (a trade name) and with it comes an optional data-transfer cable that you may choose to be mailed to you after a few days. Either way, you get the same results. It’s a bit pricey at $45-$50 but it takes the guesswork out of the task of migrating files and settings between your old and new computers. I used PCMover to migrate files from my Windows XP laptop to my new Windows Vista machine. My new laptop that runs on Windows Vista does have its own utility software that can perform the migration of files but I don’t think that it migrates the settings as well. I didn’t try it because I just want to successfully migrate my files and settings in one sweep so I opted to pay for a software to do the task more easily for me. With the tool I was able to migrate 30 GB of data in six hours. The good thing about PCMover is it gives you a clear outline of what programs and files are sitting in your old computer, which ones are already existent in the new computer in a newer version, which files are candidates for transfer, which programs may not work in the new system.

All you need to do is to confirm which programs and files you want to migrate by simply selecting and deselecting. And in the event that there’s an error in the transfer, you can always go back to where you left off even in an aborted migration because whatever files you have migrated already, they will stay in the new machine. Of course, you can always undo the migration process using the same software.

I am a very impulsive person and impatient too. So what happened was when I first grabbed my new computer, I couldn’t wait to transfer my old files to the new computer and finally say “Hasta la vista” to the old one. So I went online and purchased the software that might just do an easy transfer of files. I got PCMover and paid more than $40, but they did send me a laplink (USB data-transfer cable) that arrived in the mail a few days later. One drawback with the purchase was that I wasn’t sent the unlock code right away and customer care wasn’t readily available to assist me. So I had to wait until I got the serial number through an e-mail before I was able to fully utilize the software capabilities. This software does what it promises to do and it’s easy for the average computer user. You can even download a trial version of this software but it doesn’t migrate your settings to the new computer. So what’s the relevance? Sometimes you want to keep the same look of your desktop and all other settings that are carried out at startup. If you use only the trial version, you can only transfer some programs and files and your settings are left out. But if you really don’t need to keep the old settings then just make use of the trial version.

So here are a few points to note if you are thinking about migrating your programs, files and settings from your old PC to a new one. (Or even if you are not.)

1. If you just got a new PC chances are you got the better ones with dual processors and probably with a Windows Vista operating system. If you have a computer that runs on Windows Vista, it comes with a utility that helps you migrate files but not settings from your old computer to a new one.

2. Before you migrate your files, decide on what method of transfer you want to use and make sure you have the necessary accessories (hardware) and the software. It is always good to plan ahead.

3. Before performing the migration process, decide on which files you want to keep and which ones you want to get rid of. In my case, I uninstalled programs that I know I will not be needing anymore. That way, I had a better view of the files and programs that will be moved to my new computer.

4. Make sure that your old system and files are free of malicious programs by first performing a system cleanup that includes running an antivirus software, a registry scanner, and an anti-spy software. You basically have to wash off the dirt from your old computer before you move your files to the new one because you don’t want to pass on the junk that’s been sitting in your old computer to your new machine.

5. Plan a good time to do the migration process knowing that it takes time to complete the process. Depending on the size of the data that need to be transferred it could take from a few hours to at least half a day to complete.

6. It also helps to do a little research before you even decide on which software to use to successfully migrate your files.

7. You always get what you pay for. If you get your software for free, the migration process maybe a little bit more challenging and painstaking. Have a good supply of patience and perseverance.

8. If you want an easy pass with not much mental work on how to do the migration process then be ready to pay with real hard cash for a software than can make the process headache free.

9. If you want to do away with the migration process, hire the geek squad. Stores like BestBuy offer a service wherein they do all the work for you when you purchase your new computer, and of course it’s at an additional cost to you.

10. If you are not even ready to get rid of your old computer yet, well, lucky for you. You’ll save a lot of cash. But you’ll have more wait times in front of your computer that could really be frustrating and probably you’ll speed up only one thing by dealing with your old sluggish computer—your aging process.

So it’s about time for an upgrade. Be a geek. But be a happy geek. Get it?

SAMSUNG SUPPORT: Are You Kidding Me?

2007-12-02T03:53:00.001-05:00

I called up Samsung technical support at 1-800-SAMSUNG because I needed to get additional information after I have exhausted all measures that were provided on their SAMSUNG support site.

I was gladly forwarded to a technical support engineer and the conversation that transpired went a little like this.

TSE: Can I have your first and last name?

Me: Mao ni akong ngan.

TSE: Can I have your phone number starting with the area code first?

Me: Mao ni akong numero sa telepono.

TSE: Can I have your complete home address?

Me: Diri ko aning dapita nagpuyo.

I did provide the information that they needed (though above, I chose to playfully annoy the reader by putting a reply in a different dialect). Excuse my deviousness at times.

Anyway let me continue to the juicy part of the conversation.

TSE: What is the product?

Me: A television.

TSE: Is this your first time to get technical support?

Me: Yes.

TSE: Have you registered the product before?

Me: No.

TSE: Can I have the model number?

Me: (excitedly provided the model number)

TSE: Can you repeat that again. I could not find it. It’s not showing up.

Me: (ran my way to the back of the TV and uttered every digit in the model number as perfectly as I can)

TSE: Still I don’t see it.

Me: It’s probably because this product was purchased in the Philippines.

TSE: Wait a minute. Let me put you on hold for three to five minutes. I have to talk to my supervisor and see what we can do.

Me: (waiting for five minutes)

Then the technical support engineer came back on the line.

TSE: I’m sorry but we cannot help you with this product because we don’t support it.

Me: (I could sense my hair color was turning red). What? But this is a SAMSUNG product!

TSE: I understand Ma’am, but we don’t support your product because it was not purchased in the U.S. It doesn’t even show up in our database.

Me: (My BP just went up 3 point 14 sixteen points higher) You know what, all I want is just to get the name of a SAMSUNG authorized service center around the area where I live so I can have my TV fixed because I have basically read your FAQ and technical support on site and it didn’t help. Can you just give me a name of the closest service center?

TSE: Well, let me put you on hold for another three to five minutes. I will talk to my supervisor and see if there’s anything we can do.

Me: (waiting for another five minutes)

TSE: Ma’am we’re really sorry but we cannot provide you with any information. I suggest that you visit the SAMSUNG Philippines site and from there you can get help on what to do.

Me: (I could sense that my hair color just turned to neon red—if that color exists!) What? Are you trying to tell me to go to the SAMSUNG Philippines link, then what, I’ll have a technician from the Philippines come all the way to the U.S. to fix my 61-inch SAMSUNG DLP TV? Is that what you are suggesting?

TSE: No Ma’am, but we really cannot help you.

Me: (frustrated and furious) This is ridiculous! All I want is for you to give me a name of a service center for SAMSUNG television in California so I can call for an in-home service because as far as I know I have done the necessary steps to fix my ailing TV and has even replaced the lamp myself, and all it needs right now is a technician to come and see what’s wrong with it, and you cannot even provide me with that kind of help?

TSE: You see Ma’am we understand your concern but that’s not the way our system works. We have to input the correct model number so we can do the next step and your model number is not even in our database.

Me: BYE! (ended a totally futile undertaking…)

See? The best products are not necessarily the best buys that you can get these days because no matter how good a product is, if it’s not backed by a good technical support system, it’s useless. I tell you, it’s horrible when you paid thousands of dollars for a product and as soon as it stops working you’re left alone to solve your dilemma. It sucks, big time. Can you imagine a woman servicing a huge TV with kilovolts of fatal stored electricity inside just because the technical support department considers it a mortal sin to namedrop a service center for the product? And I tell you the product that I was seeking support for is not even a region-exclusive product, meaning, it’s not intended for Asian region use only because unlike typical televisions, that TV has a voltage rating that ranges between 100v-240v and it even automatically adapts to the voltage supply of the household. Otherwise it would have been stupid of us to ship that TV from one corner of the globe to another and would have been equally stupid to seek support for the product in the U.S.

Well to the SAMSUNG tech support in the U.S., get this. I will not have my TV repaired. I’ll just get a new one and I’ll make sure it’s not a SAMSUNG.

November Scare: Of Fires & False Alarms Courtesy of ADT

2007-12-01T18:04:00.001-05:00

It's December. Yeah, it's been a while since I posted anything on my blog. It's not that nothing noteworthy transpired but I was still very busy putting my blogging life on track. Anyway, Halloween passed and nothing scary happened. You know it's always fun when something really freaks you out then you realize that it's not really what you think? That's why it's always fun to put on a "Chuckie" mask during trick-or-treat night then watch people jump out of the way as you cruise past them.

Halloween's long been over. I can't see any residue of it now, but I would like to note something that happened after Halloween that really sent me to panic.
In the month of November alone there were countless fires in California Hills that raised thousands of homes to the ground. It was a scary time. It was also a time wherein people were extra cautious about fires or the possibility of a fire igniting anywhere in the dry part of California.

I was myself not at peace with all that fire news and with all the ashes being blown in our direction even several miles away from where the actual fire was. I knew that anything that has to do with fire will send me to panic.

Then one afternoon after I picked up my kids from school, the phone rang three times. I looked at the caller ID and it was a "1-800" number so of course I was not paying much attention because, I thought it was just some telemarketers. Then the phone rang the fourth time, and it was my husband calling from work, telling me that ADT just called him that the fire alarms in the house went off. Honestly, I felt like I just woke up from a bad dream and realized that I wasn't dreaming at all. I was confused, and all I can say was, "What? I was here all along and I didn't hear any alarm go off." I could sense panic in my voice and I was all nervous. What if indeed there's some fire brewing in the house somewhere? I checked every corner of the house. I was sure of one thing. Our installed fire alarms never rang, not once. While I was checking every corner, somebody knocked on my door and well, guess who stood there? Two fire fighters! They brought along this huge lengthy monster fire truck and it was there in front of our house ready to spray its massive hoses filled with gallons of water to put out any fire. My! I was really in panic mode now. All I could spit out was, "What's up?" They told me that ADT Security called them up because my fire alarms went off. So I told them, "First, the fire alarms didn't go off and second, we are not subscribed to ADT!" So they left without any incident, but I can no longer switch off my panic button. My blood was rushing through my head and all I can hear was my heartbeat. So I did continue with my search in the house for any smoke or anything, then the next thing I hear was, "Sheriff here!" I went downstairs and right inside my house by the kitchen was a police officer ready for some crime-busting action. This time I could feel the sensation of tiny needles pinching my face as the blood rushed even more to my head and my face in sheer panic. Now, I wasn't only nervous but I was furious because I was unpleasantly surprised since stupid ADT could not figure out whatever signal they are reading from their monitoring system. The police officer told me that they got a call from ADT about a burglary in progress. Lucky enough, I had all my IDs to prove that I was the woman in the house and there was no incident as reported. Two hours after the police officer left I was still trying to make sense of everything that happened that day.

See, when we moved in the house, there was already a different security system that was installed and since I thought probably since ADT is more infamous than them then perhaps ADT is a better service. So I did call up ADT to activate the security system in the house but I didn't proceed with it because I would have to spend more for the installation because they couldn't figure out how to make the old system work with their system. To make the long story short, ADT never succeeded in installing and activating a functional security system in the house. So where did they get all that signals that sent firemen and a police officer to the house? I don't know! I guess tech doesn't talk to sales or customer service for that matter. And who's the victim? The unsuspecting resident in the house who doesn't even have a clue that someone out there is getting and monitoring signals that is supposed to correspond to what goes in the house. It's a travesty! How can they possibly provide us with a monitoring service? I don't even get a bill from them for their service. And my God! The attempt to make use of their service was yet in July and four months later their monitoring department still doesn't know that we were never successfully subscribed to ADT. They suck!

I'm sure of one thing. If there even was a real fire in the house at that time, they would have no way of detecting it because whatever signal they're getting to respond in that manner was probably just an erroneous signal that they just can't interpret, and if it was a real fire alarm their system would not even decode it because you know why? THEY DID NOT SUCCEED IN INSTALLING AND ACTIVATING THE SECURITY SYSTEM.

Now, just reliving that incident makes me feel angry. I would have thanked them if indeed they have given me a free monitoring service for months and it was a working service. But it's not! I hate to say this but the next time I will be unduly inconvenienced, I'll wage a war against them in BIG BOLD BLACK LETTERS. Yeah, man, WAR!

Pacman: You're The Man!

2007-10-07T03:52:00.000-05:00

Many Filipinos today are rejoicing after Manny Pacquiao claimed another victory against the "baby face assassin", Marco Antonio Barrera. Once again Manny Pacquiao proved that he is the better fighter in the ring compared to Barrera. The fight was much highly anticipated by boxing fans all over the world because of the fact that both fighters are well-respected in this sport. I was expecting of course for more heavy punches from both sides of the ring, and possibly a knockout. But today's fight did not deliver the same depth that Manny Pacquiao's previous fights had. It wasn't really as explosive and exciting as his previous fights. The commentators were saying that it was out of Manny's respect for Barrera that made Manny paced his moves the way he did in today's fight.

Was it worth paying PPV? Yup, it wasn't great, but it was good. Though I should say that Barrera failed to deliver his guns after waiting for a long time to have the opportunity to reclaim the title.

As usual I like Manny's signature "rambunctious" move in the ring wherein he throws a quick punch then quickly moves to the other side, so that as soon as the opponent throws the counter punch it just lands on thin air. Manny is just so quick. He almost always have that lightning speed agility in the ring. That's what really makes every Manny Pacquiao fight a sellout. It's the fact that Manny will always try his best to entertain the crowd by throwing the right punches at the right time. And let's admit it, almost all other boxing bouts are just boring. You usually just see two people slow-dancing their way to the 12th round. But not with Manny.

Anyway, kudos to you Pacman. You're the man!

◊» Filipino What?

Living Large

2007-10-04T00:53:00.000-05:00

Imagine for a minute that you're a king, what would you eat for breakfast?

Some people think that breakfast is not as important as the other meals in the day. In fact, some people skip breakfast and some combine their breakfast with lunch, thus, the term "brunch".

For some of you who don't know breakfast, breakfast is the most essential meal of the day. Breakfast is meant to break your 8-12 hour fast, depending on what time before you go to bed do you stop eating. During your resting hours you deprive yourself of food because you're not using much energy compared to when you are up and about. Besides, you can't eat and sleep at the same time, unless you are a sleepwalker who manage your way to the fridge even while you're in deep slumber.

There are people who are on a diet, who think that by skipping breakfast they are able to increase their chance of losing weight. It's the notion that less meal intake equals less calorie intake too. And this is absolutely wrong. In fact people who are on a diet should start up the day with a full breakfast--a breakfast that is fit for a king. Why? Loading yourself up early in the day curbs your craving for food later on the day. It also helps pump-prime your metabolism early in the day, which is ideal if you want to lose weight. Chances are no matter how big your breakfast is, you'll burn it up as you go through your day.

If you eat breakfast, the next question will be, are you eating a healthy breakfast?

Eggs, butter, pancakes, sausages, cereal, muffins, bread, milk, juice, coffee--these are the popular choice for a typical breakfast. If you eat these, are you eating right?

I don't know with you really but I have a different flavor for breakfast. You see I like variety. I want a bit of everything. It is more filling and enjoyable when you eat something that is not boring.

My typical breakfast would be eggs, some bread(multi-grain), sausages, fruits, cheese, hot chocolate, oj, H2O. Sometimes when I'm really in a hurry, I'd eat fiber-loaded cereal with a banana. And at some other time, don't be shocked to see me munching on some dried fish or sardines and rice for breakfast. I'm a Filipino, remember?

Anyway, my point is eat, and enjoy what you are eating. But keep it healthy. Remember, it is always good to enrich your diet with fiber and antioxidants.

I'm even keeping it a habit to supplement myself with fiber that comes in capsule form. This helps sweep off the gunk inside my gut from eating meat, fat and processed foods.

Lately, I've gotten into the fruits and cheese breakfast. Couple it with a cup of cafe mocha decaf and voila, I'm living large. I first got my eye on it at Starbucks. What comes in it? Two kinds of cheeses--brie(my favorite) and sharp cheddar, some fruits--strawberry, a slice of apple, grapes and lastly, a few slices of raisin bread. Wow, the thought of it is already mouth-watering. All these, you can easily grab at $5.55. Too much? Well, fix your own. I did the same. I found some nice pecan raisin bread, got some fruits and cheese, and now my mornings are never boring with my kingly breakfast.

It doesn't take much to eat a healthy diet. Remember, you are what you eat. If you eat too much junk, your body will eventually show signs of premature degradation, thus, you are speeding up your aging clock.

Slow down, smell the coffee, enjoy a healthy breakfast. It's your passport to a more enriching lifestyle.

I tell you, you don't have to be rich to live large. You just have to enjoy the little things in life that matters, and one of them is a healthy breakfast fit for a king.

Remembering Special People

2007-10-02T01:28:00.000-05:00

I used to work with a guy, well, not really. He was a bit on the feminine side. He was actually my mentor when I was in college, then surprisingly when I started my job we ended up as colleagues.

Anyway, he was not the nicest of people. He was actually nasty, typical of his gender preference. It's almost as if gay guys are given that privilege to talk nasty to other people. Of course it is well-tolerated in the country where I come from. People think that they're entitled to it because they're different.

I used to hear other people criticize him for being tactless, brutally honest and just plain a**hole sometimes. But that was the way he was, even when I used to attend his Spanish class. He always had his way of awakening your fighting spirit, if you have one.

Anyway, I do remember him because he used to look at me, teased me and pretended to chase me, while I also pretended to run away. He used to say, "I'm gonna eat you" then he would put his fist close to his mouth as if he was about to take a bite on an apple. In a way, he was fond of me for some reason.

But what is clearly etched in my memory, is not how he used to play around me but how he was witty and funny at the same time. He always had the extra pizazz to spice up a boring day. He would come to work neat and fashionable and as soon as you threw compliments his way for the way he looked, his usual reply was, "I thought you never notice" and then he'd give you that raised eyebrow and that look that clearly said, "after all, you're not dumb as you look". That almost always awakens the villain in me, and I would always give back a look that depicted, "you're not as smart as I look, damn it!" with both hands on my hips. And with the exchanged glances we managed to smile with sarcasm at each other. Of course, we loved each other and we only did it for fun.

At some other times, he would be so blunt and almost egotistical after he would openly declare, "Only for those who can afford!" when we gave him a compliment on his nice shoes, nice pen, nice shirt, nice tie. Sometimes he would even finish it off by saying his favorite "I thought you never notice" line. It always drew laughter among us.

Brutal as he was, many people still loved him because he was such a generous guy. He never failed to share his food or gifts to us. He was even willing to pay for food for a village of hungry people like us, every time we strum on his kindness.

He was really fun, except for the few times when he got so explosive, and that happened when something was not done right in his department.

I remember him sharing to us his spiritual side, telling us how he never failed to utter his night time prayers, no matter how tired or drunk he was.

Above all, I remember him for his talent. He has a knack for Broadway shows. In fact he recreates the Broadway hits like Miss Saigon or Les Miserables for students to experience and to be exposed to, to develop their performing arts skills. He can dance really well. He can also project like a pro. He was really exemplary in his art and his creative skills. I'd liken him to Christopher Walken, who's also a Broadway talent, with the he way he walks, talks and stands tall.

He was also a very well-versed speech and communications instructor. I was a fan of him. He was highly intellectual. He was on top of his game. To this day, I'm still a fan of him.

I haven't seen or heard from him since 1998, but I still remember him so fondly especially when I catch myself borrowing his lines and his phrases while I try to look funny and intelligent at the same time.

Intelligent and funny people are diamonds in the rough. They don't come by that often. Supply is dangerously low.

I'm glad that I knew him. If I could put together my own memory wall, he definitely would occupy the center spot on that wall.

To Blog Or Not To Blog

2007-09-29T02:24:00.000-05:00

People who blog often find it hard to post a new weblog on a regular basis, especially those who are particularly meticulous in terms of the kind of information that they post in their blogs like me. If you are blogging just for the sake of posting something even if it does not make sense, you wouldn't feel the same degree of difficulty. You see, blogging needs a good train of thought for you to be able to compose an interesting log about your fields of interests. You need to take time to sit down, ponder on what you want to write about, and finally work your way through the keyboard to input the information that you want to share. Yet there is no specific guidelines as to how you should create and record your blogs. In fact, a blog can go any which way you want it to be.

Let me just say that once you have made it a habit to blog, you kind of feel an itch to write a blog as often as you can. It almost makes you feel like you have this growing need to speak out, be heard or just be able to vent your thoughts through your blog. The question though is, do you really have the time to do it?
In my case, after all the things that I need to accomplish in a day, with my current schedule, it is virtually impossible to blog as often as I used to. But like I told you, once you are into blogging, you're in for that urge to blog. It's just a matter now of creating a balance between the different priorities, so that blogging can proceed without compromising other daily tasks which are more important.

Why should you blog?

Blogging is as good as any hobby. If you enjoy it, keep on doing it.
Blogging frees your mind of hassles and perhaps unpleasant thoughts. It's a good way to ventilate yourself mentally.
Blogging is an excellent way of record-keeping. This is especially useful if your blog covers topics on useful tips, sites, howtos, utilities, tools, practical solutions and just about anything that can come in handy at certain times. I've been basically going back to my blogs to refer to stuff that I can use to solve problems as such as computer-related ones. I tell you, my blog has really been useful to me personally because what I particularly know now, I don't necessarily remember all of it three months later.
Blogging is an art. It's a form of free expression, thus, however you do your blog, you impart a bit of your artistic inclinations.
Blogging is a powerful tool that manages to break through global boundaries and different cultural genres.
Blogging is free media. It's your personal free press. Use it, but use it responsibly and effectively.
Blogging sharpens your mind ( with good practice) and enhances your communication skills.
Blogging helps update your know-how on things that interest you. Why? Because to effectively blog you have to be informed, and to be informed you have to read. Reading allows you to absorb fresh ideas, information and simply updates your basic knowledge on anything under the sun.
Blogging has commercial value. If you know how to do it, blogging can bring financial rewards.
Best of all, blogging allows you to compete with the rest of the world, as everyone tries to bombard everyone with limitless information. It's just a matter of who among us can impart the most useful kind of information to any audience at a given time. Information is power, remember that.

Why shouldn't you blog?

If the last time you had a good night sleep was when someone accidentally hit you in the head and you passed out.
You are too stressed to even spell "BLUG".
Your blog is more of a punishment than a treat.
Your blog is sending all kinds of red flags.
Reading your own blog becomes a painstaking task.
Your blog is a comprehensive array of well-crafted back links from other blogs.
Your blog is turning the rest of the world against you.
Your blog is just a waste of prime internet realty.
Your blog is absent. When? When you write about something and there's really nothing there.
When blogging is really not your thing. Find something else to waste your life on.

No, don't listen to me! Come on guys, you know better than that. Blogging is blogging. To each his own. Live and let live.

Nuvi 680: Cruising In Style

2007-09-28T03:16:00.000-05:00

K. I must admit that I don't drive without my nuvi 680 in hand. It always sits on my dashboard, so I am totally worry-free as I take point A to point B. It is basically my travel guide which of course never runs out of patience if I insist on taking a different route. You see, the funny thing is, try to imagine somebody looking at a map and guiding you as you drive. If it was a real passenger in your car, chances are when directions are not followed, it's going to lead into an argument or an altercation. With the GPS (global positioning system) though, you're the boss. It is typical to hear, "...in 0.3 miles turn left on ..." from your GPS device, but if you miss the turn, you'll hear, "...recalculating..." and if you miss again, and again, your GPS device always will recalculate for you (without yelling at you!)

I'm sure a lot of people don't even know that this technology exists--the capability to be tracked by satellite wherever you are within continental USA, Canada, Europe. And for some who know, perhaps the thought of having a GPS device in their vehicle doesn't entice them. Well, technology is not for everyone, but for the lucky few who appreciate the advances of technology, you're in for a more convenient life, not necessarily simpler, though.

So what does the nuvi 680 do? Basically, it is a more feature-rich device compared to the nuvi 660. Both the nuvi 660 & 680 employ an MP3 player, a hands-free speakerphone which is bluetooth enabled so you can make and receive calls from and to your cellphone using the nuvi, preloaded maps with categorized POIs(points of interest), bigger touch screen, extras like cruising speed and simulator, option to travel using shorter distance or shorter time, loud speakers, voice options for the audio guide (male or female). The nuvi 680 does even better with MSN direct. As the nuvi 680 is mounted on the vehicle dock, MSN direct is activated giving you up to the minute information on traffic, weather and even a comparison on gas prices. Wow,that's really useful!

These GPS models are a bit pricey compared to their other counterparts, but you always get what you pay for. Honestly, the GPS is so useful to me that I actually own both the nuvi 660 and the nuvi 680, so I'm never without it when I'm on the road. Tip: You can always compare prices and get good deals using pricegrabber.com.

I got mine about $300 cheaper compared to retail prices from electronic stores even at sale prices.

The nuvi always gives me a kick everytime I hear, "...recalculating...". I hope one day they'll make one that is more humanely involved, one that says stuff like, "Moron, I told you not to go that way!" or "You're helpless, you cannot even drive your way out of a trash can!" or "That's it! You're on your own genius!" I think that will be more fun. It will be of course, limited edition for the witty few funny people. I'd be the first one to get it as soon as it is available.

Before I forget, the screen of the nuvi is easy on your eyes and the graphics on the monitor adapts to whether it's daytime or nighttime automatically, so you can easily see where you're going whatever time of day it is.

Anyway, the nuvi is a nice little work of genius, that I can never do without. It's as if it is surgically attached to me, indefinitely. Get one now, and live large.

PINGO: The Best & Most Cost-Effective International Calling Service

2007-08-09T14:45:00.000-05:00

It is a fact that when you are away from home, and you want to keep in touch with friends and relatives across the globe you are willing to pay anythings just to hear your loved one's voice.

For most of us, Filipinos, we love to keep in touch with our relatives, thus, we spend a good portion of our overseas earnings for long distance calls.

With the advent of voice over internet protocol, or simply VOIP, international long distance call rates have become less expensive than they used to be. But cheap doesn't mean satisfactory service. Some VOIP long distance providers just don't give you a good two way communication media, thus, you suffer with audio problems which of course is fair because "you always get what you pay for". Right? No. Just like all other services, you can still find a good bargain. So even if you pay cheaper long distance rates, you can still get a good service for your money.

Let me just share to you what services I used to avail of to initiate international long distance calls. First off, YahooVoice Phoneout service. At 19 cents a minute to call a landlline or a mobile phone across the globe from your computer, you already get a good value for your money. Of course with some local phone providers you get cheaper rates at 16 cents a minute (looks like it) but when you add up taxes, subscription fees and a bunch of local and national taxes, it really doesn't come out cheaper at all. Agree?

Then I tried TalkPlus. They charge less than 15 cents a minute for a call to the Philippines from the U.S. The one thing I like about it is you can call from your cellphone. Tip: If you have a MyFaves subscription with T-Mobile, you can just add the access number as one of your MyFaves contacts and you can talk for hours from your mobile phone without eating up your minutes. Another advantage of TalkPlus is you can either call through, meaning, you dial their access number to reach an international number, or you can set it to call back by initiating a call through the internet and as soon as you are connected to the called party your phone rings.

The only drawback is, sometimes, you have to take several tries to get connected to the number you are calling. But the voice clarity is remarkable. It's almost as if you are not using a VOIP service.

Then I found PINGO. And bingo, I'm stuck on it for good. So far it's the best VOIP service out there. Let me point out the good stuff. First, it charges me 13.8 cents to make a call to the Philippines from the U.S., so it's the cheapest I've found, basically. Second, it's fairly easy to use. All you have to do is sign-up online on their website, buy your minutes, perhaps opt for auto-recharge, register your PINPass numbers. PINPass numbers are your regular phone numbers or mobile phone numbers that you register so you can initiate a call from those numbers and the system will validate your call right away without a need to enter a PIN number. So if you register your home phone number, as soon as you call the PINGO access number, you can then proceed with dialing the country code, area code and phone number without much of a hassle. Again if you have a mobile phone, and you are subscribed to unlimited minutes like MyFaves, you can call as well from your mobile phone. You can register up to ten PINPass numbers. Isn't that neat? The voice clarity is superb. Third, there are no connection fees and extra hidden charges. You really get a good run for your money with their service. Bonus: You get $5 of free minutes if you refer a friend and when you first sign-up for the service.

Is there anything bad about the service? Well, the fact that it's cheaper and much more easier to use, you might get used to calling home as often as you want and as long as you want. So be forwarned. I will guarantee you that if you try PINGO, you will love it. PostScript: I don't get any monetary bonus from featuring this service in my blog, except for the satisfaction of course, of sharing something useful to my blog readers. Enjoy!

◊» The Geek In Me

Cool Stuff for the Geek

2007-06-14T02:03:00.000-05:00

Electronic toys are fun to play with especially if it keeps you efficient and entertained. Most gadgets that we do have these days allow us to multitask but with all the bugs and fixes sometimes it becomes a painstaking experience. Nevertheless, technology is evolving faster than it used to be. With the growing number of competitors trying to outdo each other in the technology market, a new idea easily branches into another concept producing even more products with slight enhancement from the original prototype. Thus, we, the consumers are bombarded with an endless array of electronic toys sending us to confusion as we try to decide which ones really stand out in terms of price and functionality.

Let’s take a look at a few gadgets.

The cellphone.

Try visiting gsmarena or mobileburn and you will see the newest cellphones in the market, even those that are still in production and are not yet released for sale. With cellphones, you can have whatever functionalities you like, small or big, with camera or without camera, with mp3 player, with FM, with calendar, with calculator, with wi-fi, with edge technology, with HSDPA(high speed download packet access, with 3G, with keyboard, with stylus, with touch screen, with Bluetooth, with IRDA port, in several dimensions and shapes & shades to choose from. From mere cellphones, to camera phones, to music phones, to internet phones, to smart phones. After a while you really get bored. That’s the bottom line. But when a new technology emerges, it's kind of inspiring to venture on technology again.

HTC Atlas (T-Mobile Wing). Does it give you wings to fly? I was torn between a Blackberry 8800 and T-M Wing. Never had a Blackberry, yet I got the T-M Wing. The screen isn’t as bright as my old QTek S200. A good thing with it though is it has a slide out keyboard which come in handy when you want to check your e-mails or maybe use one of the mobile office tools that come preloaded with the device( mobile word, excel, powerpoint). Another good feature of this device is it runs on Windows Mobile 6. There isn’t really that much of a difference in terms of the processing speed. Sometimes it even comes in as sluggish, but there’s an easy option for you to stop all running programs, or check for running programs that are eating up your system resources. Another notable difference is you can easily customize your settings without having to download a separate tool like the resco file / registry explorer to be able to effect change in your ringtones, alerts, and alarm settings. Say you want to have an mp3 song for a ringtone, all you have to do is upload your ringtones on a microSD (the phone comes with the slot) then just copy and paste the ringtones you want to the corresponding ringtones folder. The device itself is average to me compared to other devices of similar features and functionalities, but if you do subscribe with T-mobile you get a few useful tools like the web service. This device is Wi-fi and Edge/GPRS enabled. If you are in a hotspot you can connect using wireless technology and browse the net like you would using a regular computer. However, if you are subscribed to the web service the Edge/GPRS technology allows you to connect to the net at a slower pace compared to the wi-fi but still it is very useful. A really good tool that comes with the gadget is Windows Live Search powered by NavTeq and Traffic. It gives you the ability to search for POI (point of interest) near your location, get directions, get maps, route your destination, zoom in and zoom out in the map, get traffic data and pretty much do anything that you can do using mapquest or googlemaps. It really is very handy. It’s a good alternative to having your own GPS system while on the road at no cost. Except for the web service of course. Add to it the 2.0 megapixel camera, the expandable memory, the media player, the pdf reader, and all other necessary tools for organizing, and it’s a pretty efficient mobile tool.

iPhone. Well this cellphone has most of the consumers anxiously waiting for its release which is scheduled on June 29th this year through AT&T. And yes, there’s no pre-order option. I wouldn’t talk much about it because I haven’t held one but basing on the commercials that they show on TV or on their website, it seems pretty impressive. It definitely introduces a breakthrough technology using the electronic keypad which is easily manipulated by touching. Is it the only phone that employs such in the market? The answer is NO.

HTC Elf. Even before iPhone could get to the hands of the consumers the Elf is already making a buzz in the market at about the same time, with its rugged form factor and the TouchFLO technology that works pretty much like the iPhone. By touching the screen on a particular direction you can pretty much browse through the menus like flipping the pages of a book. Check out their website.

I-Mate Ultimate. I-mate introduces its Ultimate line of phones which are quite attractive in terms of design and form factor. It managed to break the typical smartphone or pocket PC look and incorporated a sleek and clean design for their cellphones. The good thing is you can choose from five (5) Ultimate designs. The better part is they all employ the latest Windows mobile OS, Windows Mobile 6.

The Mobile reader.

If you love to read e-books you probably are still reading them through your palmtop or pocket PCs or smartphones. It’s time for you to upgrade. E-ink already made its way to the mobile market. E-ink has redefined the way mobile readers read. Unlike reading from a computer e-ink makes your e-books look more like a regular book without the glare, and it pretty much can be read clearly even outdoors.

Sony Portable Reader. You can load your e-books and read just like you would a regular book. This device is basically intended for a mobile reader’s needs but it also employs other media capability like playing audio files, and other documents. It has a slot for SD cards or a memory stick and can hold a library of books. So beware as soon as you start reading through the portable reader you might not be able to stop.

Iliad by iRex. iRexTechnologies is also into the e-ink technology. The Iliad is a few hundred dollars more expensive than the Sony e-reader but it also has more for the money. It is wi-fi enabled so you can easily connect to the internet and browse the net and it allows you to annotate files and store them in your PC or in your Iliad. You can basically read and write using the Iliad. You can also connect it to your PC, so if you are browsing the net and you find something interesting, just download it to the Iliad, unhook from your computer, lay on the couch and read like you are reading a regular paper. It has a slot for Compact Flash and MMC. You can even connect a USB stick into it.

With Sony you get a coupon that is usable towards the purchase of e-books at their own e-book site Connect eBookstore. With Iliad you can download from manybooks.net or from any e-book site that sells e-books in pdf format or mobipocket format. You can go to ebookmall and subscribe to a lifetime service with free downloads. Better yet, scour the net and find the best and free e-books. How about trying blueportal.org? Enhance your mobile reading life now.

UMPC. Ultra Mobile PC. You see them now as the ultimate in mobile computing. Their size is only a little bigger than that of the Pocket PC or PDA but their capability and processing speed is that of a regular PC. I don’t see though that much of an advantage when using this device because the screen is too small and most of the time you use a stylus instead of a keyboard. I mean, I have a Fujitsu tablet with an 8.5” screen and it’s a full-size laptop in terms of functionality and it’s still pretty lightweight. But if you want to explore technology and you can afford it get one. Perhaps it’s a life-changing experience.

Wireless media/Entertainment.

Slingbox. If you haven’t made use of the slingbox get one now and enjoy TV through the net. But why would you want one when you probably have a big HDTV in your living room? If you don’t want to share your viewing experience with anyone then you can just sit in front of your computer and watch your show. Or if you travel a lot and you are too hooked to the boob-tube then you definitely have to sling it.

iPod Video. So you managed to download your favorite TV shows and movies from iTunes but are you going to watch them through that small screen? There’s an alternative. Get an iPod dock with video player and be able to watch your videos on a 7” or 8.5” screen on the go. Get one from Philips, Memorex, or Altec Lansing.

Apple TV. Stream your movies from your iTunes library to your TV using this device through a network. It will be an amazing experience.

Travel Gear.

GPS. A lot of people are still not convinced about the usability of a GPS. Try one and you will not be cruising without it. Getting directions, checking for Points of Interests and getting the feeling of having a companion while you drive is a good experience. Just be able to keep your eyes on the road though. There are lots of them out there. Which one will you pick if you are a beginner? Well, it probably helps if you get one with a touch screen option or perhaps one that gives you spoken turn by turn directions. Try Garmin Nuvi 200. If you want a bigger screen with mp3 player, Bluetooth capability and a better interaction get the Nuvi 660. There are other good GPS products out there like TomTom but based on my research, so far these two made it to the top.

Airport Express. Stuck in a hotel room with wired internet that you share with your family or a companion? How do you get around this dilemma? Get Airport Express by Apple and you can easily create your own wireless network with firewall and security encryption. You will be unwired in no time. You can also get one from LinkSys. The good thing about the Airport Express is it lets you stream your music wirelessly through your network.

Other interesting gadgets.

Sony VAIO LS Series. With duo processors, maximized storage capability, TV tuner, own desktop camera, and a superb space-saving design you will most likely want to have one. Check out the site for more information.

Flybook VM. It’s a laptop that has an intuitive design. Unfold the laptop and you pretty much have something that looks more like a separate flat screen and a keyboard just like modern PCs.

Computer-less e-mail printer. Print e-mails and photos directly without any computer. Just attach the printer to your phone at home and get pre-set spam-free e-mails delivered to you 24/7.

◊» The Geek In Me

TJMaxx: A Woman's Shopping Haven

2007-05-22T02:19:00.000-05:00

Why do women who love shopping love to go to a place called TJMaxx? Why not? There's nothing better than browsing through an endless array of stuff, and if you are a serious shopper who wants to get a good deal, it is always exciting when you find a good bargain somewhere in the stack of discounted stuff. I am not crazy about brand names, but I know that some designer stuff really matters in terms of the quality of their product. They have to take care of their name, thus, you can always count on a good product from the leading designer brands. Right? Call it crazy, but you can just drop me off a TJMaxx outlet, leave me there for a day and I am perfectly happy.

Men just don't get it. Shopping to women is like hunting to men. Call it a sport if you like. And what better way to go hunting than being in a huge maze of discounted designer goodies? There is always that thrill of finding something of good quality and paying less than half of the MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price). (I should get a TJMaxx gift C for writing this, huh?) Do you agree with me? But just don't go overboard. Remember, you are there to hunt for a good bargain and not to splurge, though if you have the money to do it, shop to your heart's content.

I hardly even go to the mall to shop. I don't get the same excitement that I experience when I shop at discount stores. I don't like discount stores in general, but a few of them make it to my list like TJMaxx, Marshalls, Home Goods. The rest of the discount stores, I could care less if they stay in business or not.

What else, aside from getting a good bargain attracts me to go shopping to TJMaxx? Simple. Most of the time, you get stuff that are one-of-a-kind. Getting a bag that doesn't look like it's been mass-produced for seventy-five million people is awesome. It gives you the feeling of exclusivity in terms of ownership, unless of course, you bump into somebody who is sporting the same apparel or accessory. So even if I love shopping, I wouldn't be as excited if I were to shop in mall outlet stores.

I know that the stuff that I get from TJMaxx will not end up an untimely demise inside my forgotten collection of unused stuff. They will of course serve a good deal of wear & tear before I
pass them on to a worthy recipient.

And for as long as TJMaxx is there, my shopping days will always be exciting.

◊» Because I'm Not A Man

Geek Laughter: How A Mouse Works

2007-05-15T03:23:00.000-05:00

If you are a geek, you are most likely fascinated by the inner workings of a particular function, task, machinery and so on. Often than not, though, the simplest of tasks are set aside for the reason that they don't involve much thought-provoking discoveries.

Take for example the case of a mouse click. How many processes do you think are involved to carry out the basic functions of your mouse? Hmmm... like moving your mouse around your screen area. Come on, it's not rocket science, but if you can only see (and you will!) how much work is involved, then you would take the necessary precautions, so as not to eat up your system resources. Do you want to find out what it's like? Click on ' How A Mouse Works ' and I promise you it's more fascinating, than it really appears.

Well if you are reading this paragraph that means that you didn't click on the above link otherwise, you would have been laughing so hard by now that your tear ducts are all stimulated causing your eyes to get tear-filled as you burst in successive laughter.

I salute the genius and the creativity behind this work. It's the work of a real thinker, with a good sense of wit and humor.

Well, I hope you had fun, because I sure did.

◊» The Geek In Me