Obsessed With Technology

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?

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!

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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?