Konstrukted

Sutherland Slaughter

2010-10-05T14:53:00.005+08:00

It's not everyday that you hear someone from your office had been decapitated and left in a bathroom in some seedy motel while her alleged boyfriend, who shares the same floor as you, left the place with a sack on his hand, containing, [hopefully not] the head of the victim.

Warning: You will see the word "alleged" a lot in this post.

As I entered the office, it was abuzz with the word "pugot" (beheading). Not so long after, a colleague approached me and informed me of the gruesome incident. Kathrina Gantan had been left headless by her alleged boyfriend, Adonis Carino Reyes in room 518 of Miyabe Court, Angeles, Pampanga.

Speculations flew over the motive of the [killer]. I personally did not know him, but some of my officemates who played basketball with him had sworn that he wasn't the kind to do such an inhumane act. What could have motivated this? I ask.

The day progressed and more stories were told by the people around. They said that Kat, (as she was known to her friends) allegedly has a boyfriend other than the suspect, Adonis. And that the suspect himself was married to another woman. Judging from this context, one might ask, was it a crime of passion? If so, was it done by the suspect himself or the other boyfriend? The inquiring mind will not rest until someone is implicated. I hope justice will be served.

Pacquiao VS. Clottey - A Post-Fight Special

2010-03-14T17:12:00.008+08:00

image courtesy of media.nj.com

With the Pacquiao - Clottey fight just culminating in an almost landslide victory for the Pacman himself, it is inevitable people are going to speculate.

Fight aficionados all over Facebook are already deeming the fight "staged" and "boring" because the fight was lackluster [or to state the obvious... deadbeat]. To some, the fight would be remembered as the day that Clottey held together his arms and covered his face. It's one thing to wish the fight ended in an absolute K.O. but it's another to watch a man merely defend himself during the 12-round bout. Clottey looked nothing more than Pacquiao's sparring partner. Come to think of it, they looked like BFFs in the ring. To quote someone from the web: "Watch out, Clottey might soon come to the Philippines as the next endorser of San Miguel Beer."

Scary how the last statement could easily become true after we saw De La Hoya's famous drink ads. - Carlo Soriano

And Them Haters Can Get Past Now...

2009-10-05T13:39:00.012+08:00

Not long after one-day internet superstar Jacque Bermejo and her tactless comments about the victims of Typhoon Ondoy had spread like wildfire throughout the internet, accumulating a landslide of hate comments from Pinoy twitterbugs and facebook users across the globe, A young Korean woman has posted hate tweets stating that [sic] "I hope it keeps raining and die in floods like those filipino monkeys". What's more is that it's not the worst statement in her Filipino-hating tirade.

I'm not going to go ahead and compare attributes and say that they can't speak English as well as we can, which is why half their population is in Angeles and Baguio City trying to learn the language from what she calls "brown monkeys", but I just did. Just like how that "superior" neuron in her brain prompted her to go ahead and post spontaneous dim-witted comments about our beloved country.

I guess people who subjugate themselves to racism by unleashing ill-tempered and half-witted comments online are people who have less than the mental equivalent of an illiterate.

As my fingers were raring to type her out of this world, Twitter had suspended her account. The worst part of my torture is that I live in Koreatown, where this lowlife's countrymen roam about, ignorant of what she had said. I will until then, have unresolved anger issues. But you knew I was better than that.

Pan de Sal Repartee

2009-08-25T14:51:00.005+08:00

I was chewing the last vestiges of a piece of pan de sal I was having for breakfast when my brother interjected a comment, "bumaba na ung gas di ba? bat di pa nagmumura ung pan de sal?" (Why hasn't the price for pan de sal gone down? the gas prices have lowered). My mother did not hesitate to correct him by stating that the gas prices actually went up Php 2.00/liter.

I couldn't help but think, why commodities raise the prices as soon as the gas prices go up, when in fact, stocks where they will make the bread from have already been purchased beforehand, making it a deliberate sham to jerk their prices a peso higher the next day gas giants finish announcing another hike. This country has got to have a consumer rights group. Maybe I'll start it myself. I'll call it the PBBB. No, not the mindless reality show, the Philippine Better Business Bureau.

Corazon Aquino: Guardian of Democracy

2009-08-12T15:02:00.003+08:00

photo credit to http://secretaryclinton.files.wordpress.com/

Manny Pacquiao KOs Ricky Hatton at 2nd Round

2009-05-03T11:57:00.002+08:00

Manny destroys Ricky Hatton of England in a 2 round fight ending in a knockout.

Nikon Announces the D5000

2009-04-19T06:21:00.003+08:00

From dpreview.com:

The recent boom in DSLR sales has seen all the major manufacturers adding bulked-up or stripped-down entry level models, repositioning their offerings to make sure that anyone willing to put up with the size and weight of a DSLR will look at one of their models. The whole thing has often left existing DSLR owners a little lost - 'why isn't there a direct replacement for my camera?' - but has undoubtedly meant there are many more attractive, accessible cameras on the market just waiting to entice first-time DSLR owners.

And its into this maelstrom of DSLR proliferation that Nikon launches its latest baby DSLR, the D5000. The name will come as no surprise to anyone within earshot of the rumor mill but the camera itself may present some more surprises. Having confused many people but made huge ground with its simplified D40 and D60 range, it appears Nikon has again decided that simply replacing models isn't the best way to address the market. So here we have a camera that genuinely seems to sit above the D60 (rather than continuing in parallel until the stock runs out), and below the D90. Like the baby Nikons, the D5000 doesn't have an autofocus motor built into the body but does gain a tilt-and-swivel LCD, as a series of leaked images that have made their way around the internet would have you expect.

The idea of an upper-entry-level DSLR (for want of a better term), that sits below the 'enthusiast' grade D90 (with its twin control dials, big battery and pentaprism viewfinder), is hardly a radical one - the Canon 500D and Olympus E-620 seem to cater to a similar market. So what does this new Nikon have to offer either the tech-savvy first-time DSLR buyer, or the owner of an older entry-level model wanting newer features but unwilling to slavishly follow the manufacturer's 'upgrade path'?

Nikon D5000 Key Features

12.9 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor (effective pixels: 12.3 million)
2.7" tilt and swivel LCD monitor (230,000 dots)
Movie capture at up to 1280 x 720 (720p) 24 fps with mono sound
Live View with contrast-detect AF, face detection and subject tracking
Image sensor cleaning (sensor shake)
11 AF points (with 3D tracking)
IS0 200-3200 range (100-6400 expanded)
4 frames per second continuous shooting (buffer: 7 RAW, 25 JPEG fine, 100 JPEG Normal)
Expeed image processing engine
Extensive in-camera retouching including raw development and straightening
Connector for optional GPS unit (fits on hot shoe)
New battery with increased capacity
72 thumbnail and calendar view in playback

Nikon D5000 vs D60: Key Differences

The D5000 could easily be seen as a D60 with a tilting screen added, and most of a D90 stuffed into it. As such it offers quite a few feature improvements over its little brother:

12.3 MP CMOS sensor (D60: 10.2 MP CCD)
Tilt/swivel screen
Live View with contrast detect AF
Movie Mode
Wider ISO range
11 point AF system with 3D tracking (D60: 3 point AF)
Control of Active D-Lighting intensity
Automatic correction of lateral chromatic aberration
Choice of JPEG quality in RAW+JPEG shooting
Extra retouching options
More scene modes
Faster continuous shooting
Bracketing

========================

Funny, if you compare it to the D90 all that's different is a .5 decrease in shutter speed. Seriously.

Is the DSLR everybody's new hobby?

2009-04-15T08:03:00.008+08:00

It seems that nowadays, sick of the too rapidly-evolving cellphone (and other gadgets) chain, people are switching to DSLRs. Everytime I go out now I see John and Jane Does (even kids) toting around DSLRs like they were 8210s back in 1999.

Is it that people got too bored with the seemingly monthly release of a new cellphone? Or maybe its because of the overwhelming number of cellular phones coming out hoping to be the next iPhone killer. Whatever it is, people have moved on from texting to photography (or T-shirt printing, LOL).

In order to analyze what caused the boom, let's get into the mindset of the average consumer (who prefer to be called prosumers, like I do.). The average technology consumer in 1999 probably owned one cellphone, a PC, and a digital camera. ISOs, shutter speeds and f stops were completely "out of the picture" then. At that time pro cameras were reserved for ACTUAL photographers and editing in Photoshop was reserved for the magazines. Until friendster, the average digital camera only served as your vacation buddy.

These days, the average consumer has at least 2 cellphones (globe and sun), a laptop or UMPC, an iPod or another mp3 player, a dock for that mp3 player, an LCD TV for a monitor, a screaming PC, and a DSLR.

Personally, I first encountered the SLR in 2003 when my brother was supposed to take a photography course but did not want to go, so I took it. Ever since then, I've been a big fan of the art.

Then Friendster and Flickr and Photobucket came along and people wanted nice pictures to post. I'm not entirely sure if this was the trend.

Suddenly, everyone wanted to dump their digicams for the next frontier: DSLRs.

Now people who have absolutely no knowledge about SLR photography are wasting at least $400 for a gadget they think is a better digicam. Some people have shown me shots from their DSLRs and it looked like they were taken off of a Canon Powershot. Not to bash people who I admit have more money to waste than me, but I think that taking at least a small course on photography would help you utilize your new gadget. It's like owning a Blackberry and simply using it for text and calls. Completely pretentious.

So here's a site I found with a crash course on using your new prized possession:
Photography On the Net: A Beginner's Guide to DSLR Photography

It THAT made your head hurt, it's about time you got a new hobby.

Silhouette Photography

2009-04-05T08:20:00.004+08:00

I've started one type of experimental photography using silhouettes.

Atypical to the usual studio setup, the fill light is behind the background and the subject is still in front. The challenge here is to lose all the details in the subject without compromising the sharpness in the texture of the background.

Better Programming for Philippine TV

2009-04-03T13:18:00.008+08:00

Are you sick of watching local TV?

I'm sure everyone will agree that the Big 2 of Philippine Television have shoved enough "Any-seyres" in your boob tube to make you puke. From the heckle-worthy Wowowee to the nth revision of Mari Mar to GMA's newest hyped-up remake stink bomb: Zorro, you must be asking yourself: "where has good TV gone?".

It's good to know that regular programming is slowly creeping its way back to the local airwaves. Here are some new (and not so new) channels who, if not entirely redefining your primetime tv choices, are giving back regular shows to the masses.

TV5

While not a new contender to the TV arena, TV5 (the TAFKAP of Philippine TV, also known as ABC 5) has given way to fresh, new shows (eg. Midnight DJ, et. al.) all the while entirely re-branding itself into a hip new form appealing to younger (and more scrutinizing) audiences. It also houses classic powerhouse spoof show: Wow Mali.

QTV

The sister of the exact Big 2 station making us puke, QTV has paved the way to a truckload of quality new and fresh programs namely, Hired, Day-off, Ang Pinaka, Chef to Go, Quickfire, Camera Cafe, U Women, and more. It's also the local home of my favorite show: American Idol.

CS9

This station is the merging of two channels: RPN9 and C/S. It houses all the hit American shows and movies: namely Heroes, Big Bang Theory (my personal favorite), 30 Rock, Prison Break and so much more. It's also the new home of the PBA.

If these stations have answered your long awaited prayers, just wait. Hopefully more stations will follow suit. Even the stations that make you puke.

Yes? What?

2009-04-01T07:39:00.008+08:00

This is not as timely as it is ever since I've warded off all entertainment when I started work.

Jim Carrey stars in Yes, Man, a comedy about a man named Carl Allen (Carrey) who has been anti-social since his divorce from Stephanie (Molly Sims). Allen lives out his mundane and withdrawn existence until he attends a seminar entitled "Yes!" where he is publicly shamed by the speaker, saying "you don't even have the enthusiasm to masturbate". Allen takes the "Yes!" attitude and meets Allison (Zooey Deschamel) who injects spontaneity to his otherwise dormant life.

Watching this movie made me take a look at my life when I bummed out, which is basically a redundant blur of sex, drugs, alcohol and then some.

After a while it got depressing.

Because of all the drugs I became so paranoid I can't even interact with regular people or go to places I would regularly frequent. When I go to crowded and noisy places I'd have a panic attack and I'd immediately rush to the nearest hospital.

It made me ask myself the heavy questions. Questions like "is this all you're going to do with your life?". "Are you always going to be like this?".

All of it was the same until I went to Vigan. It was then on that beach where when I looked at that perfect sky and felt the ripples of the ocean that I realized that instead of being a pathetic pothead and drunkard, I could try getting a job and having a life, since just then I decided that anything was better than getting smashed night after night with booze and almost ODing with valium. Thanks to that beach in Vigan, I was enlightened. Now I have upgraded myself to being a normal person. Boring, maybe. But alive nonetheless.

Turn off your lights for Earth Hour

2009-03-28T20:13:00.002+08:00

THIS SATURDAY 28 MARCH AT 8.30PM YOU CAN VOTE EARTH BY SWITCHING OFF YOUR LIGHTS FOR ONE HOUR - EARTH HOUR.

One Love: Support Francis M. Clothing Company

2009-03-25T08:25:00.002+08:00

A great tribute to the great rapper, Francis M., the Francis M. Clothing company which has branches (basically) all over the country, has created truly a remarkable way to celebrate being Pinoy: by buying Pinoy.

order online at francismclothing.multiply.com

BBQ Day

2009-03-23T08:05:00.010+08:00

While our team was having their team building at Batangas, I decided to stay home and take a long weekend.

Unfortunately, the power was on and off the whole day so we decided to have a cookout. We found some chicken and TJ hotdogs and grilled them. Here's how to make it:

Chicken Barbecue:

Chicken, of course (pick the cut you like)

Marinade:
5 tbsp. Oyster Sauce
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
2 tsp. Basil Leaves
4 tbsp. Maggi Chilimansi Sauce

Hotdogs:

1/4 kilo TJ hotdogs
Skewers

We played Tong-its, Bluff, and Pusoy the entire afternoon while listening to Ryan Seacrest on Magic 89.9 and was quickly reminded why radio still ain't dead.

Mamiya DL33 - Who Needs 33 Megapixels?

2009-03-20T08:02:00.005+08:00

From Mamiya - The successful introduction of the Mamiya DL28, in addition to requests from professional photographers throughout the U.S., has prompted Mamiya America to announce the next level in high-end digital camera systems – the Mamiya DL33.

OK. Maybe big-time advertisers, sans magazine photographers. Let me rephrase. "I" don't need 33 megapixels.

iPod Shuffle 2009

2009-03-19T10:20:00.006+08:00

Here's the dish according to Apple:

Small gets smaller.

The new iPod shuffle is amazingly small and even easier to use. The controls are now conveniently located on the earbud cord. It’s so easy, you can use it with your eyes closed.

VoiceOver. It speaks for itself.

With the press of a button, VoiceOver tells you what song is playing and who's performing it.² It tells you the names of your playlists, too.

1000 songs. Multiple playlists.

With 4GB of storage, iPod shuffle can now hold up to 1,000 songs.³ So your music library can go with you. And you can now sync multiple playlists for the perfect mix for any mood.

4GBs worth of music in a tiny package... I think something called a flash drive does the same thing except play your songs, or have Microsoft Sam tell you what's on. Well for $60 more than a thumb drive it's a steal. For Apple anyway.

Kikay's Graduation

2009-03-14T08:26:00.002+08:00

PICC Plenary Hall, Manila - The Our Lady of Fatima Commencement Exercises started off with an A/V presentation of how Fatima produced top Nursing graduates. It was followed by the marching of graduates down the stairs while their faces were being projected onto 2 screens. About a thousand graduates after, we held off for a keynote address by the keynote speaker, which started off as a boring self-gratifying curriculum vitae then ended off with a half-inspiring message of how your honest hard work will take you places.

It states on the invitation that cameras were strictly banned on the Plenary Hall however, halfway through the programme, a throze of digital equipment began springing from the audience's bags. Even large handycams and SLRs were popping up all over the place. To think I kept mine in the car. Bollocks.

Pinoy Pride: "Mrs. Intuition" by Passion

2009-03-10T08:39:00.004+08:00

Jeremy "Passion" Manongdo, a Fil-am from SF, has enough talent to blow you away. His remake of Robin Thicke's "Stupid Things" is way better than the original song.

Farewell to a Legend: Francis Magalona

2009-03-07T06:43:00.006+08:00

There are people born to be legends among men. Hence, it is unequivocal that when we have lost one of them, especially when they have touched the core of our existence, we are in grief. Such is the case of the passing of a great rapper and composer: Francis Magalona.

He united the country with his ubiquitous song which goes: "every color, every hue.. is represented by me and you." which until now is being sung by every free-loving citizen of the P.I.. He worked hard to ensure the future of a subculture: the Pinoy Rap community, which gave an opportunity for aspiring Pinoy rappers to perfect their craft and regail us with their talent.

It's humbling that a legend such as himself played along to slapstick humor on a local noontime show for God knows how many years and resigned himself to death, with no intention of a heroic exit. (I was only made aware that he succumbed to a complication of his leukemia via a local radio show, whose station I don't even remember, while playing Kaleidoscope World in the background.)

I am proud to be a Busko, just like he was. I hope his existence has taught us to love one another without condition, to stand for our creed without fail or doubt, and to cherish humanity and to embrace rather than ridicule our differences. But the most important of all, he taught us to believe in ourselves, to be proud of our color, to be proud Filipinos.

On Chris Brown beating Rihanna

2009-03-04T08:35:00.004+08:00

All the world, if not just the call center industry (who admittedly do not know anything about current events but swear to God they are updated regarding entertainment news) is talking about Chris Brown allegedly jabbing (if not punching) R&B superstar Rihanna in the face.

Some people say that Rihanna was a bit too attached to Chris and that the "slapping" happened during one of Rihanna's usual tantrums. Some say that Rihanna had another guy on the side. Whatever the case, Rihanna and Chris Brown are together again. Apparently it's going to take more than a beating to sever this relationship.

For Rihanna's future reference, I'll be giving out the number for Women Against Domestic Violence: 1-800-BREAKITOFF.

Waiting for that Big Hand

2009-03-03T08:03:00.006+08:00

I'm getting addicted to this little app in Facebook called Zynga Texas Hold 'Em Poker. For all of you out there who's not into Facebook, this game is a good reason to create an account.

I however found out that I have no good luck at all. Apparently it's not enough that I'm broke in real life that I have to broke in my virtual life as well.

Just Got Burned Out!

2009-03-02T06:16:00.004+08:00

Five years ago, I started playing Burnout. One of the best car games where you get points from how well you wreck your car. I now have it's sequel: Burnout Paradise City. The map is about twice the size of Need for Speed: Carbon. It's got cool new features like Super Jumps and more than 100 races. I'm sure it will take me lots of Vacation Leaves before I finish this game. Good thing I still have 18 VLs locked down.

Game Review: Sierra's F.E.A.R.

2009-03-02T05:57:00.010+08:00

Today I played one of Sierra's (of Counter Strike fame) offerings: F.E.A.R., which obviously stands for First Encounter Assault Recon. I must admit that the onset of the game was a bit exciting (more like intriguing, as this is not your average first person shooter game, rather, a first person shooter game with the word paranormal jammed in where "enemy" used to be.) but 30 minutes into the game I was ready to throw in the mouse. The graphics were more than disappointing, the gameplay was rather elementary, and the menu looked like a pirated DVD menu. Other than the slow motion feature, nothing else amused me. Compared to Call of Duty, this game would bring new levels to the word "sucky".

In the F.E.A.R. of boredom, I'm going to unload this game out of my computer.

Sucking It Up: Smart Bro Style

2009-02-27T08:20:00.008+08:00

Every drone knows that the way to your boss' heart and mind (and possibly a longer tenure at the company) is to suck it up. In this light, when a drone is given even a minute opportunity to do so, he or she grabs it. In this case: fixing my boss' HP 500 laptop.

My boss was discussing with Paul, a newly promoted supervisor and my office best friend that her laptop was bent out of shape and needed a good formatting. The problem was that she did not have drivers for the laptop and all the wireless connections in our office were secure and needed WPA logins. Also, her Smart Bro Wireless was out of range of any distinguishable signal. So they offered to fix it, and the next thing I knew, me, RJ (another sup and friend), Paul, and my boss were on her way to her house (during the billable hours of our shifts) to pick up her wounded workhorse.

After picking up the laptop, we headed off to Jollibee for her treat (the inconspicious payment for the services we will render) then back to the office to perform the task. And so we did. 30 long minutes later the laptop had Windows XP running smoothly however, still had no audio or a decent resolution to work with. I then drove back home where I had wi-fi to download the drivers for her PC. After downloading all the crap that was necessary to run the thing I decided it was time to try if the Smart Bro thing worked. I first tried it on my PC and it worked like a charm, or probably less as the connection matched only the fastest dial-up around. Now the clincher, trying it on the laptop.

It did not work.

I then mustered all the neurons I could at 6 in the morning to troubleshoot what was going on to no avail. I tried uninstalling then reinstalling it, but still, no go. Finally I went back to the office like a fallen hero, only for her to have it checked at the nearest HP Service Center. I'll probably get terminated in a day or so.

** Smart Bro image from yugatech.

CNPC - Crispy Noodle Pancit Canton

2009-02-23T04:11:00.006+08:00

One unusually boring sunday we were having trouble deciding what to cook. We had two choices, an old standby: Tokwa't Baboy, or the Tsinoy classic the ubiquitous Pancit Canton.

We finally went with the Pancit. Only this time, we would give it a twist: ergo, use crispy noodles.
It turned out to be surprisingly easy to make and such a treat for the eyes as well.

Here is the recipe for y'all:

INGREDIENTS:
(note: we never actually measure what we put in)

8oz flour stick noodles
200g pork belly
4 cloves garlic
1 onion
1/2 carrot (cut lengthwise)
1/4 cabbage
8 string beans
1 red bell pepper
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp. flour
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Canton Base

Saute garlic until brown. Add onions. Stir in pork. Fry until brown. Add all liquid ingredients however using only 1/4 cup of the water. Bring to a boil. Toss vegetables in the mix and let it simmer in medium heat for about 3 minutes. Use the other 1/4 cup of water to mix with the flour. Add the water and flour mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. If preferred, you may add a teaspoon of sugar.

Crispy Noodles

Bring water to a boil then let the noodles barely soften then remove. Blanch the noodles. Remove excess water. On a frying pan, heat enough oil to make sure that all the noodles are coated evenly. Fry the noodles until crispy. Do not overcook. Remove from heat then strain off excess oil.

Makes 3-4 servings. Enjoy!

Just a Hypothesis: Big Bang Theory Rocks!

2009-02-18T08:03:00.011+08:00

Finally, the entertainment gods bowed down to comedy that actually requires neurons.
The show is about two so-called geeks Leonard and Sheldon who live together in an apartment adjacent to Penny, a waitress (who, in an obvious cliche, has a normal, if not lower, IQ, but is every nerd's fantasy). Their irreverent indifference is promulgated throughout the series with witty banter and pseudo-intellectual interactions with so-called "regular folks". The jokes are sometimes so perplexing you'll find yourself confused in all the scientific hoo-ha, without losing the fact that it's still funny. I just hope this review doesn't turn my brain into the size of a pod.

Watch it online and get geeked out.

Welcome Lucky

2009-02-18T06:30:00.002+08:00

A happy new addition to our family.

Valentine's Night Out

2009-02-15T03:09:00.008+08:00

My Memi and I went to Queue Ristorante, a newly-opened resto located at Robinson's Angeles. I'll let the pictures of the food speak of how delicious (and surprisingly cheap) it is.

Besides the food, the service was impeccable. There was also free wireless access to all customers, and just this valentines season, they're giving out chocolate flowers. Although it is only a stone's throw away from the bustling party scene at Diamond Subdivision, it has more than ample parking for its patrons. The only con in the setup are the chairs outside, granted, it is a "designer" restaurant, the chairs should be comfortable. Besides the chairs, I give this place a big thumbs up!

On this day of hearts...

2009-02-14T21:37:00.001+08:00

Adobe Lightroom 2.3

2009-02-14T20:49:00.003+08:00

This is my new Canon 350D's better half.

Konstrukted's Workstation

2009-02-14T06:03:00.002+08:00

I know it may be a modest workstation as I am not one of those techies who also proclaim themselves to be "gamers".

Specs:
AMD X2 System
2GB RAM
GeCube X1650 ATI Radeon 512MB/128-bit
250GB HDD
Samsung Super-SyncMaster DVD-RW

Peripherals:
Samsung LA22A450
Altec Lansing Speakers
Logitech Keyboard
Genius Mouse

Turn your PC into a Mac

2009-02-11T20:37:00.005+08:00

All you people who want the sleek interface but don't want the limited Mac OS, click here.

I've been using this since 2001 when Chris Kite's program took the net by storm and made PC users sport the Mac interface.

The Ugliest Pair of Shoes Valentine Promo

2009-02-11T08:33:00.005+08:00

If there's anything I could do to prevent people from wearing these, I would. I wonder what this atrocious post might do to my blog readership.

Seth McFarlane's Cavalcade of Comedy

2009-02-10T08:30:00.004+08:00

There are certain comedy shows that try to illicit comedy but somehow end up forcing it. This is NOT one of those shows. Get hooked on Seth's brand of comedy by clicking here.

If you're a big fan of the Family Guy, then this here's your new vitamin for that funny bone of yours.

Windows 7: Premature Still

2009-02-09T20:14:00.008+08:00

After a week of trying the beta version of Windows 7, I already found myself rethinking what I'd done. Don't get me wrong: I've always been a beta tester of everything, I've made all my computers since 1995 run new crap (back then it was windows 98, then XP, then Vista). But even with all the bugs and fixes, I've stuck to my decision, somehow owning up to the fact that what's new will eventually work itself out.

For Windows 7, there is no such safeguard.

Yes there were new features added, namely:

Option to have a desktop backgrounds to switch.
Handwriting recognition
Snipper (something similar to alt-print screen)
Truetype (clearer fonts)
A revised Action Center (which will include your firewalls, and AV softwares)

But to me, these are practically useless if you can't run the programs you want.

Somehow from its redundant menus to roundabout control panel items, from the thick taskbar to unstable network connections I finally decided that Windows 7 was still too premature for my taste. Which is why I went back to Vista. Critics may not hail it (as it is my personal opinion that only techies should be allowed to use Vista, even if it is a dumbed-down version of XP), but I am very happy with my experience with Vista.

I'll probably wait until Windows 7 is officially released.

Cannot Build in Sims 2

2009-02-09T19:26:00.004+08:00

I've been playing the Sims 2 since it was released, mostly since I was still an industrial design student back then, however now that I've installed it both in my Vista computer and an XP laptop it doesn't work.

I then scoured forums to see just how many people are having the exact same problem and the numbers were dismal. Most of them are saying that the Sims creators assigned a bug in the executable file so that when a no-cd crack was used, the build mode would not work.

I completely agree that software which was created by people with their blood, sweat and tears should be properly compensated, however, only by the people who can. I am still not paying for a game which I can get for Php 100 on a market stand somewhere. Maybe I'll just download Call of Duty 5.

Sold! Emaxx ATI Radeon X1650 PCI-Express Video Card

2009-02-09T10:42:00.002+08:00

Finally, after 2 resells, I can take this item off of my garbage can.

Acer Aspire One Weekend

2009-02-08T05:41:00.006+08:00

This weekend is both a bane and a blessing. Kuya Kris got his new Acer Aspire One and Kiqs got his Acer Aspire. The bane is that all day we downloaded drivers as the Aspire One did not have one included in the box. Also, we had to format Kiqs new laptop and have XP installed.

Life is what happens when you're formatting a laptop.

I went through hell trying to find drivers for the originally Linux-based Aspire One so for everyone out there having trouble finding drivers, click here.

First I tried running Windows 7 32-bit on the Aspire One however, it had problems detecting the WLAN. Other than that it ran smoothly though. However, since my cousin really needed the wireless connection I reverted it back to XP with Flyakite customization to make it look like a Mac.

On the other hand, Tin went to see her programmer friend who just got home from Dubai and a couple of friends over at The Coffee Academy (who is owned by our neighbor). We also ate famous comfort foods namely sopas and ice cream then drank beer afterwards.

Facebook Turns People into Spammers

2009-02-07T16:18:00.007+08:00

Late in the advent of Web 2.0 came facebook, a social networking site which initially promised to put a big cork on friendster's overloading servers (which are down every other day), is now filled with clutter from everywhere... and everyone.

It's not so bad that you get invited to a party, and get an invitation to a game every so often... but 99 other requests pending? That's insane. It seems like there's either an application or a survey for everything (complete from "were you breast-fed when you were a baby?" to "Do you snore?" LOL). I think the problem is, when everybody's a fan of something, or likes something, or anything in between, there's an application available for you. Let's just keep our interests to ourselves. If not, I bet their servers would be down more than the other Big "F" in the future.

Here are some of facebook's advantages:

Only people you add as your friends can actually view your profile.
Not as much spam as friendster
Online Chat
A personalized wall-to-wall messaging system
Texas Hold Em Poker (an entire feature, well, at least for me...)

Windows 7 Beta Review

2009-02-02T14:40:00.006+08:00

Today I have one of the most anticipated operating systems in Windows history: the Windows 7 Beta. The road coming here wasn't at all easy (sorry, Barack, I had to follow suit) : I first had to suffer an upgrade installation, a power outage in the middle of that installation, then a clean install afterward which effectively reduced all my personal files to a mere figment of my imagination (even after clicking the option NOT to delete my previous files and store them into a "windows.old" folder).

Even before the installation, I had to try downloading the beta thrice (thanks to the faulty Java platform which it came available for download), had it downloaded by a friend who [stupidly] downloaded the 32-bit version instead of the 64-bit one. I finally had to hunt down a torrent of the ISO file and burn it on a DVD.

Microsoft promised that this version will eventually shelf the agony that is Windows Vista. Not that my experience with that operating system was entirely bad. I had my good times with it too :)

In my opinion, my first hour using this operating system was a bit boggling. My first baby step was to change the desktop background, to find that upon clicking "personalize" a whole new interface was in place, asking me to change the theme of the desktop itself. Thanks to the clean install, my beautiful dreamscenes are now nowhere to be found.

Gadgets no longer have it's dock on the right hand side of the screen and does not exist. The taskbar feels a little thick to me too (with no option to make it a teeny bit smaller). I also notice that my system is running a bit slower than it did with Vista Ultimate.

Let me try this beta for a few more days before deciding whether I should get my old and clunky Vista back.

Creative Debt

2009-01-25T23:55:00.005+08:00

I just got my Go! Card a week ago and now I'm planning to change it... or at least what it looks like. Metrobank now has a nifty new feature for their members: Design My Card. Cardholders can now avail of a personalized card either by selecting pre-approved designs or by uploading their own (click here to go to their site).

Well, at least you have something nice and personal to look at when you're already living in debt.

Downloading Windows 7 Beta

2009-01-18T13:33:00.005+08:00

Here's hoping it doesn't have a minimum requirement of 100GB of RAM..

The End of Call of Duty 4

2009-01-17T18:18:00.005+08:00

Just finished my fave game as of the moment. The game was so involving that I thought that when I killed Imran Zakhaev I only finished act one.

Well, here's the screenshot of me and my mates at the end credits:

Now I gotta find another game to play.

L'amo Cioccolo

2009-01-06T20:32:00.003+08:00

Tired of the ole Angeles social scene (aka Diamond Subdivision)? Head off to Grand Palazzo Royale to discover a cozy Italian cafe aptly named Cioccolo. Right inside the old world charm of the Palazzo sits this darling coffee shop whose food and drinks are culinary masterpieces befitting it's atmosphere. Iced Coffees start at Php 85 and Local Beverages at Php 35.

The PC Miguel Project

2009-01-05T12:52:00.003+08:00

Usually I decline commissions to build a PC however in this case, where I'm financially bankrupt (thanks to my HDTV) I agreed to build one for our TSRs. It was supposed to be a fairly routine job: reattach my Intel Pentium D 930 Processor to a new motherboard which supported LGA 775, clamp in the video card and DDR 800 RAM, connect jumpers, power, and SATA cords and install an OS, to my dismay. I encountered a lot of problems namely:

1. Mobo wasn't flashed to its latest BIOS version.
2. Blue screen when installing OS using a SATA DVD-RW drive.
3. CMOS battery needed replacement.

So I took the darned machine to Digiworx and it was fixed after lunch. Thank God!

Posted at 1/13:
The pc was DOA after giving it to the client however after 3 replacement mobos it finally worked, and now I'm currently blogging using this PC. Wooot!

Getting Laid... Off.

2009-01-05T11:03:00.004+08:00

The world is in recession, and the Philippines is no exception to that. Auction.ph, the internet company where my cousin worked just closed its Ortigas office recently causing him to apply for his most dreaded career (or lack thereof): the call center industry.

I've always been confident about my standing in my position as a Quality Assurance Specialist at United Online. Not to toot my own horn but I finish day-long reports in an hour. However, last week, due to my being fundamentally lazy, I think I soon might get the boot.

Last week we were allocated 34 audits and by Friday I've only finished 24 of them. My compliance is at 70%. That's just not going to cut it. I might have to look for other options soon.

My Christmas Wishlist

2008-12-20T14:13:00.011+08:00

1. Repaint my room - as everyone who knows me will testify that I've got a notoriously short attention span, the plain white walls of my room will have to go and be replaced by something Burgundy. - DONE

2. Get an HDTV - every technophile and gadget freaks obsession. In specific: Samsung LA22A450. -DONE

3. Mount the HDTV - as this is harder than purchasing an LCD and dragging it to your home, I put it as a separate item. - DONE

4. Nikon D90/Canon 50D - Although I've already owned two digital SLRs, I've bought and sold them so I'll be saving up for these babies this next year.

5. Wacom Graphics Tablet - who needs a mouse with these around?

6. Oakley Juliet w/ Black Iridium Lens - apparently I've been born into a generation who thinks looking like a bug is cool.

7. HP Mini-note 2133 - I know there's an updated version already but silver is my weakness.

8. Play Scrabble - Nothing like a blast from the past to exercise your neurons. - DONE

9. Go out on a date with my Mamu - DONE

I'll be appending this post a lot this christmas as I scrape the malls for new gadgets.

The Underdog: Pac-man Wins

2008-12-07T18:07:00.005+08:00

Congratulations to Manny Pacquiao who has won yet another bout and put the Philippines in the map. I hope you don't run for president though.

Samsung Live Loud Ringtone Making Contest

2008-12-07T17:59:00.004+08:00

Samsung Philippines, upon the introduction of their new music phones are holding a ringtone-making contest to showcase the music created by individuals who are musically inclined, as well as those who aren't. I'm planning to enter however, even though I've got an entire folder dedicated to the music that I create, am having a hard time editing them to fit into the "ideal" ringtone format and choosing what's best to have your phone blare out. Wish me luck.

iVista Anyone?

2008-12-07T13:46:00.005+08:00

The new Averatec 22" All-in-One PC. It's basically a cheap rip-off of the iMac delivered with a Vista OS.

Hold it.. I may have spoken too soon. It may be a rip-off but the specs are not that average:

Specifications:
22" WXGA LCD Widescreen Monitor
Intel E3400 Core 2 Duo 2.4 Ghz
3GB DDR2 667 RAM
320GB HDD
DVD Super Multi Drive
NVidia GeForce 8400 256MB Built-in Video
802.11 b/g WLAN
10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet
6 USB 2.0
Audio Jack x8 D-Sub
Wireless KB and Mouse
1.3MP Webcam

It's not my style, however if you're interested, get it here.

At a Creative Standstill

2008-12-06T13:43:00.001+08:00

Everyday I am bombarded by outstanding designs, both web and product design and I think, when will I ever make mine? A great thinker once said that a great idea is made up of 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. I think I've perspired enough, still no inspiration though. I'm in a rut. Definitely. But I'm still hopeful that it will eventually happen when I least expect it.

Happy Birthday Memi!

2008-11-15T08:00:00.001+08:00

CSAT is at 86%

2008-11-10T20:18:00.005+08:00

Woohoo! After a month and 2 weeks, CSAT is now up from 63% to 86%. That's a 23% jump thanks to me, Annette Chua, Gerger, Mentor Darwin, and the floor!

My Memi's Blog

2008-10-28T21:12:00.004+08:00

click here to view my memi's blog

Just another Bomb Threat Monday

2008-10-27T20:57:00.007+08:00

For call center employees, Monday has always been manic as calls spike at the start of the week. This monday was no different but for an entirely different reason: a bomb threat. SWAT officers had their bomb sniffing dogs all over the floor as all the agents were evacuated. Most of them hung out at ministop next to Sutherland for about an hour and a half until they declared that the threat was just a hoax. Worthless.

Excuse my CSS

2008-10-26T19:20:00.005+08:00

I've only tried scouring the net for tutorials in CSS + Flash a week ago and tried it on my own blog. I was actually going for the I-drank-too-much-last-night-then-puked-on-my-PC look when I made this so please tell me if I was successful. ☺

What Would Rochelle Do?

2008-10-21T15:12:00.007+08:00

"Di ko na mapi-pi-gi-lan, ang ka-li-ga-ya-han na aking nadarama..." went my Visayan neighbor as her loudspeakers blared it throughout the neighborhood on high noon today as I ate spaghetti on the living room. I can't help but get on my holier-than-thou horse and holler back with a mouthy "HOY" at her, but that would be what another denigrate would do to his kin. I then had a realization.

Entertainment being what it is: just entertainment, becomes more than what it is and the more popular it gets makes it a catalyst on how our future society would attach their morals to. A good example would be a teen asking herself (probably in the year 2016, when she's 16) "What would Rochelle do?". If the droves of young hip-breaking Sex Bomb fans only took to real life what they learn from their songs (along with the entire genre of novelty songs), they would become illiterate sluts (if they weren't already illiterate to begin with) who only wanted to marry a rich foreigner in order to sustain her for life. Wait, no. We already have fields avenue. I rest my case.

The Bastards that We Are

2008-10-15T06:13:00.008+08:00

A song by Razorlight goes:

I light a cigarette
'Cause I can't get no sleep
Theres nothing on the TV nothing on the radio
That means that much to me

All my life
Watching America
All my life
There's panic in America
There's trouble in America

It is completely clear that the Philippines is the 54th state, next to Mexico and Colombia but should we be this much US-centric that we're more concerned about the Obama-McCain election than ours, that we're glued to CNN for updates on the latest bailout plan passed by congress than our own ailing economy, that we're exploiting our hospitality by rendering our services for the States (case in point: nurses and the call center industry). There's a thought. Ponder on that before you go on watching the latest episode of Americal Idol.

I Come in Peace

2008-09-14T12:28:00.008+08:00

pardon d concaten8d text, m currently blogging from my mobile phone (as if blogging on a regular keyboard wasnt nerve-racking enough) well here are life updates:

I got promoted (more like laterally transferred) to a QA-ass. All the agents hate me now (as if they loved me when i was an SmE anyway) thanks to me our C-SAT s reaching extraordinary lows. My boss seems to think we can hit 80% before the end of this month. And were currently at 72% up from 63% last month.

Enough of the call center, real-life wise its all the same except that i bought myself and my girl new phones (and got myself a big dent in my pocket at that) hers a Razr K1 and mine a Nokia e71 so that we both have shiny new things to look at.

Last night Nastassja called. With her are jem, sarah, abby annd kei (collectively known as "Carlo's Angels", which was coined at our alma mater: UP Baguio). God i've missed you guys so much. Hope we could get together sometime.

Carlo does QA

2008-08-27T19:34:00.003+08:00

more of an RA (Reporting Analyst) than a QA (Quality Assurance Specialist), I do more excel work than actually listening to recordings.

i'm moving.

2008-05-21T04:20:00.001+08:00

moved to http://konstrukted.blogspot.com/

Carnapped

2008-05-12T08:54:00.002+08:00

A decade and a year ago, she arrived in her shiny white coat and beamy eyes. She used to be my mom's however since taking her for a spin when I was in high school, I've been driving her since then (without a license). I will never forget when I crashed her at the gate of my cousin's house, therefore welcoming us into the neighborhood; killing a puppy in the process. She accompanied me through college, ridding me the long commute from Pampanga to Taft (where I used to study). She's been our constant companion on those Saturday nights where we went out of town. She was my workhorse, taking me to work and back home. More importantly above others, she was where I fell for the woman I now love more than life.

This morning she was gone. Now nothing would ever be the same again.

My mom summoned one of the Colonels of Angeles to investigate what went wrong. He said that since there was a 5 hour window when it was taken away, they could not file a flash report and that blotter was our only chance of ever finding her again. Everyone in the family felt the anguish of losing her.

Now all that's left is memories.

Thank you USC-813. You will always be in my heart.

My dog: Shappy

2008-05-03T10:55:00.001+08:00

We've scoured Angeles City for pet shops however, she'd already captured our hearts.

The Beast Awakens

2008-04-11T16:16:00.006+08:00

for a loooong time I have been salivating for a mac.

now that COULD be a reality with these great offers from eBay:

1. Apple Powerbook G4

2. Macbook Pro 17" Core Duo 2.16

Time Deposit: Part Three

2008-04-01T14:32:00.005+08:00

I love looking for gadgets online. LOOOVVVEE it to death.

Online shopping is the IN thing nowadays. I'm a bonafide eBayer (member id: onegearshop) and I do buy and sell stuff online. It is the quickest, most consumer friendly buy and sell shop online (better yet, in the P.I.). Until recently.

One of my buyers requested that I post my item: a Nikon D40x (which was originally on eBay.ph) in Auction.ph, another online selling shop. Seeing that their site was ok, I agreed. He asked me to split the item into 3 pieces because in Auction.ph, every Php 10,000 worth transaction entitled you to a discount coupon worth Php 1,000. The transaction was completed March 19th, with confirmed receipts of the deposits from him and two of his friends.

After waiting for the first (of three) transactions, I emailed auction since they never notified me.

Here is the horror that followed.

after I emailed auction why there was a delay, one of their customer service agents, Lysette replied:

Dear onegearshop,

Thanks for the information.

After the confirmation of delivery from the buyer, the completed transaction will be forwarded to the Safe and Trust Department for further checking. This process will verify the validity of the said transaction. Management implemented this process in order for us to ensure that a healthy and safe business environment exists in Auction.ph. In addition, this will help us determine bogus sellers who are involved in creating fake transactions to take advantage the system.Please provide us a copy of the delivery receipt for these transactions. You may send the scanned copy of delivery receipt to helpdesk@auction.ph. Documents are required from the seller to confirm that the transactions are valid. If proof of delivery cannot be presented, the seller should provide an explanation about how the transactions were completed. Please be reminded that this in line with our efforts to make sure that safety and security of transaction is observed in Auction.ph. Should you have any clarification on this matter, feel free to write to us anytime. Sincerely,

Lysette
Customer Service Representative
www.auction.ph
Best buying and selling on the web!

To which I replied:

Hi,

My name is Carlo Soriano, Auction.ph seller id: onegearshop.

I have sold three items on the 19th of March and the 2 buyers deposited online and 1 paid thru bills payment. The bills payment transaction is supposed to be released today however the two online payments are still on hold up to now (3/27) and i've been waiting for a week.

Actually I had these item for sale on eBay since I'm originally an eBayer. (feel free to visit my store @ http://myworld.ebay.ph/onegearshop) However my buyer inquired if I could post them in Auction.ph since he said that he had discount coupons. Since Auction.ph seemed like a credible online auction site, I decided to post them there. The buyer later on paid for the items:

Namely:
1. Online Payment thru BPI (ON HOLD, worth P 20,000)
a. Nikon D40X Extras! – Item Number 11013532
b. 18-55 Lens for D40X – Item Number 11013533

2. Bills Payment thru RCBC (RECEIVED, worth P 10,000)
a. Nikon D40X Body – Item Number 11013534

The buyer then marked the items as payment sent, so I delivered the items to the buyer in person. Later (on March 19th) the buyer confirmed that the item had been sent and since then I had been waiting for the payments to be confirmed, other than the transaction which was paid through Bills Payment in RCBC (Item Number: 11013534)

I've already emailed you yesterday (3/26) and waited the whole day for a reply, to no avail.
Seriously, is this the way you treat people who've been hassled by your so-called "verification process for safety and security of transactions aka Escrow System" whose payments are being delayed (for more than 1 whole week after the item was shipped, then confirmed as received) without even an explanation prior to holding the payments, least, an e-mail? All I saw on the "my account" page was a big "ON HOLD".

I don't care who I need to talk to, I'll even go to your office in Clark (since I only live here in Pampanga) to complain about this lousy customer service you are providing. Does this mean that if I hadn't written a letter to your helpdesk I wouldn't have ever gotten my money?

I've tried to be nice and all however, I need this money NOW and I cannot afford more delays as I've said it's already been a week and cannot wait much longer. Trust me, if this is not resolved ASAP. I'll badmouth you to every online seller I know and possibly make this public.

Please consider this my written explanation and reply ASAP with an actual resolution and not a script. Attached herewith are the pictures for the sale of these items (seller in blue shirt)

a. Nikon D40X Extras! – Item Number 11013532
b. 18-55 Lens for D40X – Item Number 11013533
--

Carlo Soriano
OneGear Shop
eBay Philippines
mobile: +639159693896
mail: onegearshop@gmail.com

this email is in response to this message (dated March 26, 2008) from one of Auction.ph's customer service agents, Lysette.

to which, she then replied:

Thanks for writing.

As part of our efforts to maintain security and fairness of transaction done within Auction.ph, verification for all completed transactions was implemented. As part of the verification process, we follow certain conditions to determine if a transaction is valid or not.

If a transaction is found to be questionable in duration, amount, etc., transactions are put on hold and documents are required to verify the validity of the transaction.

If there was no proof of delivery, an explanation from the seller is required. Other documents to back up the explanation may also be requested.The transaction you had was with 2 different persons. These transactions were done almost at the same time. You mentioned that you met with these people to hand the item personally.

However, you also mentioned in the latter part of your email that you ‘shipped’ the item.

Furthermore, you said that you only registered with Auction.ph to sell these items to your buyers. Record shows otherwise. Based on what we have in our database, you registered two more accounts with Auction.ph on 2006 and 2007.

Therefore, we would like to clarify if you met your buyers at the same time? And did you sell your items separately? In addition, for such high ticket items, we would assume that you have issued official receipts which include the serial numbers of the items you sold. If you have that document, you may also send it to us.

Also, the pictures you've shown could mean a number of things but does not necessarily prove that your transaction is valid.

We would want to resolve this matter (really?) as much as you do and release the money due to you. Your cooperation would be appreciated.

Until today, I haven't seen a cent of my money.
Fuck Auction.ph.

Time Deposit: Part Two

2008-04-01T14:17:00.004+08:00

Our government's branches should have one unified subtitle:

"We'll make you wait, and then rob you."

Car registration occurs every year. Like summer, but is totally the opposite. Anticipating summer is like waiting for a toy: and then you get it and have to get back to school or work again.

After our Team Building in Poracay (a resort in the lahar devastated town of Porac, click here to view the website), a colleague and I headed to the Emissions Testing Center. The first of the grueling line of steps towards car registration. After waiting 15 minutes for my car to get tested, after a long queue of cars, I said to myself: "paitience is a virtue". While testing I asked the attendant what the next step was:

He replied:
"Boss, pagkatapos neto, pipicturan nalang sasakyan mo, tapos bayad ka na lang"
"Boss, after this, they just need to take a picture of your car then you'll just have to pay the bill"

I said OK then parked my car.

After 45 minutes of waiting, smoking, and drinking C2 (my favorite drink btw) I wondered what the long delay was so I eagerly stood up and asked the cashier what the long wait was for. To my surprise (and probably angst), there were more than 5 cars before me. It was only then I had noticed that the cars and their owners who were already there before mine are still there, waiting like I was. So I decided I could not do anything else so I stood there and just waited.

Since there was more than enough time, I observed the emissions testing facilities, the "photo-booth" as they dubbed it (which is composed of a cheap webcam and a stand), and the insurance office (which later on became our chill-out place, since it's air-conditioned, unlike most of the center).

After an hour, they told me to come back tomorrow.

Dipshits.

Time Deposit: Part One

2008-04-01T13:32:00.007+08:00

This entire month was a long wait.

I'm starting to grow less fond of banks. I know that they're institutions and being that as it may, all institutions make people wait (eg, LTO, Schools, need I say more?). And so much so in this case than others.

At about 11:00am I was about to deposit my payments in RCBC and saw that there were less than 20 people in the room. Then I thought to myself, this shouldn't be that long of a wait, seeing that there were two tellers staffed that time. So I grabbed my queue number and a brochure, sat, then intently waited, carefully surveying the teller's desk for people's queue numbers to be called in.

I was number 20.

My seat was at the back, next to one of the manager's desks, being the last one who entered before lunch. In my boredom, I glanced at her monitor and saw that she was filling in the liquidation for expenses used by other people in the bank. There were multitudes upon multitudes of data when suddenly the quirkiest thing caught my eye, the text said:

"Taxi Fair".

Taxi Fair? I would have thought that bank employees would have known better English than most, their being on the forefront of Pinoy customer service (or at least one of the very few places you could get some customer service)

Thirty minutes after, number 11 was called. My eyes grew wide in anticipation. I was finger-counting the minutes per customer and if my calculations were correct, within the next 20 minutes they would be serving me.

About 10 minutes later, (insert horror music here) a delivery guy from Chowking (a popular Filipino fast-food chain) came in and distributed the meals.

Now, one of the tellers were on lunch break and the time I calculated per customer suddenly doubled; I was now 40 minutes away from banking heaven. Everything was copacetic until the guys from the armored van started bringing in the cash. Perhaps they were understaffed, or this was just the Philippines but the teller rocketed off to the back of the bank to escort the guards and the manager inside the safe.

An hour later, I deposited Php 6,000.00 in less than one minute.

I love this system and the good fraction of my time it has made me waste.

Life Updates

2008-03-24T09:47:00.007+08:00

Been working my ass off this holy week (greedy bastard + double pay = maximum overtime). My girlfriend starts her first day of work today so I won't be able to see her 24/7 like I used to (this is NOT a good thing), everyone at the office (mostly supervisors) is thinking of resigning their post since the account is crap in the BPO where I work.

I'm also peeved that I just sold a Columbia unit Nikon D40X to Nino's (my colleague) college best friend Sherwin Malit when I just lost my own camera to an architect in Batangas whom I featured on the main page of my site for customer satisfaction because the transaction was, in fact, perfect. I could only imagine his excitement when he opened the box (he didn't know much about DSLRs, mind you). I wish I could feel that again. Probably by the end of April I'll get myself the camera I've always salivated for: the Nikon D80. I sell them in my shop, yet I don't own one. Haha. the irony! fuck it. I'll get you someday soon, baby...

check out other items @ http://1gearshop.blogspot.com

eBayer

2008-02-13T06:09:00.004+08:00

These past few weeks have been a blur of purchases and sales. I've sold my Canon 400D to an engineer from Pangasinan, sold my Wacom Pen Partner to a supplier of Filigrenasia (who proposed a business deal to my gf, who is a designer btw) and purchased a new Nikon D40X with lens hood and a uv filter for a fraction of the retail price. I couldn't be happier :D

I've also put up a new website for my online shop: Onegear Shop

http://1gearshop.blogspot.com

Dekonstukted: Cafe Seatenta

2007-11-23T17:33:00.002+08:00

8:00 pm - setting the alarm on my phone to wake up at 10:00.

12:20 am - waking up only to find out that Sup Jun's birthday was already at it's peak.

1:00 am - I arrive there to find Paul, RJ, Allan, Sup Romie, Sup Jun, Aezel, Gob, MJ and Allan's new retention crush there, already gobbling up the liquor.

2 beers later - playing the piano alongside the band at the birthday boy's request.

4 beers later - playing the piano again, this time without the house band.

4:00 am - went to Sutherland for my 3-12pm shift.

eventful.

Dekonstrukted: Sexy Time

2007-11-16T23:32:00.003+08:00

a mock ad we did for a faux brand.

Dekonstrukted: Christmas Awaits...

2007-11-16T23:21:00.001+08:00

Dekonstrukted: Happy Birthday

2007-11-15T23:17:00.001+08:00

Dekonstrukted: One Sweet Day

2007-10-29T05:36:00.002+08:00

There are just some things that words cannot describe.

Dekonstrukted: Finally

2007-10-22T20:36:00.002+08:00

8/22/07

Dekonstrukted: Clark

2007-10-20T19:13:00.003+08:00

One fine morning, we decided to take a stroll on good old Clark.

Konstrukted: Vector Crazy

2007-10-17T16:21:00.002+08:00

an alternative to what I chose as a header.

a signature I made for a friend.

Konstrukted: faster than a motorcycle

2007-10-14T20:37:00.003+08:00

taken on the sutherland parking lot, before the guard told me that taking pictures wasn't allowed: even in the parking lot.

the last shot was taken by my good friend, Paul Lao.

Dekonstrukted: a lot like...

2007-10-10T17:33:00.002+08:00

I'm smitten.

I thought I wasn't but I am.

Everything makes perfect sense now.

Konstrukted: in black, in white

2007-10-10T17:09:00.002+08:00

a collection of pictures i took over the weekend.

Dekonstrukted: my baby arrives!

2007-09-30T21:32:00.003+08:00

after months of endless drooling, i finally got her.

Dekonstrukted: Excruciating

2007-09-15T10:53:00.002+08:00

The word itself signifies a great deal of pain. Pain, your body's signal that something is wrong, can sometimes overwhelm you; rendering you to be utterly useless and spontaneously deaf to people who are talking to you. Today I experienced a pain everyone experiences in their life: a massive toothache.

It's like the tooth had a life of its own, with what feels like a vein throbbing along with the entire left side of my head. I tried supressing it with a painkiller but even the pill who advertised itself to be the "angel" of pain seemed like david to this goliath of a toothache. I tried lying on the bed, finding a position where the aching was less felt, but then after a minute it attacks again, more painful than ever.

The irony of the situation is that you have to eat in order to take medication, which, as you may as well have guessed will worsen the pain.

I have to go to the dentist. My teeth have held me hostage.

I'm Baaack!

2007-09-05T13:10:00.002+08:00

after a long yosi break, i'm back.

well, physically, yes.

Well, not really. A LOT has changed since my last login. We moved houses twice (count it, 1... 2.) , I've been literally obsessed about cameras and a certain person (who will remain nameless until further notice), both my brothers already are a year older, and I've composed about 5 new tracks (with lousy lyrics and vocals, which of course, are from yours truly) which will be uploaded to the konstrukt site in Groovenet in due time. Gadget-wise, I bought a new phone, ergo, new debt, i also bought a wireless router (therefore enabling me to create this post), a wireless lan and tons of peripherals.

Here are some photos taken in our new "ghetto" house (with my new phone, of course. pardon the quality)

Konstrukt: Album Launch

2007-06-22T16:21:00.002+08:00

Dekonstrukted: Losing Grip, Winning Balls

2007-06-21T06:02:00.002+08:00

In my work, I've always had to satisfy three kinds of people. The customers, the agents, and my bosses. Yesterday I just snapped. I knew that there were only two people in the escalation team and I didn't go to work. All this because a certain bitch couldn't keep her mouth shut. Thanks to you i got some balls to miss work on purpose.

Dekonstrukted: Escalations Team Building at Villa Antonina

2007-06-18T01:03:00.003+08:00

Villa Antonina, Baliti, San Fernando, Pampanga: the location for the Escalation Team's Team Building.

When we arrived there, Chicken was still tired from work the day before.

When nighttime came, here's what the place looked like.

The escalation team.

Who would've thought our boss had such a great voice? hehe.

Sup Moe, Paul, Chicken, and "the lovers" arrived there lunchtime coming from work so they just stayed in the bed for well most of the afternoon. We arrived at about 2pm. At 3:30, we were so bored, Paul, Annette, and I decided to hang out at the bar and booze up. After which, Chester arrived, Don following him. Moe and Don went out for food then Allan came. Shortly after, we decided it was time for karaoke. Then boss RJ came. the rest was history.

Nighttime came, we had liempo, roast chicken, pancit and chopsuey. everybody was eager to take a swim. Chicken, The Lovers and I played the game of "Scavenger Hunt" wherein we throw a coin in the middle of the pool then look for it. While Don was being coached for "matters of the heart". We drank San Mig Light (as Red Horse is banned in the resort), sang and chatted the night away until it was time to head home at about 1:00 am. We'll all be back at the hellhole Monday (and Tuesday morning for some people) anyway.

Wake up call

2007-06-17T05:30:00.002+08:00

As I woke up at 5:30am, this is what greeted me. Complete with a glass of Red Horse beer.

Photolog: Angel of Death

2007-06-14T17:30:00.001+08:00

Dekonstrukted: Of Short-term Goals and Modeling

2007-06-14T17:12:00.002+08:00

photo credits: dpreview.com

There's no time better to blog than 4 hours before going to work. My life has become this redundant spur of work, home, then work. I try to squeeze in doing something creative every now and then just to refresh myself, if only to forget being a mindless drone. I allocate my savings on things that I love, such as my recent purchase of the synthesizer that I've always wanted and a table tennis table (didn't i just say redundant?) which I have played since I could remember. Now I'm eyeing a digital SLR which would really help me take better pictures, having studied at the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (also known as Kodak).

This just in, my cousin (who I made an online portfolio for in a previous post) just became one of the models for Gallery Casting, one of the Philippine's top agencies. Congrats Anne on another one of your dreams come true! I'll get to sleep now, only to be scolded by my boss later. Wish me luck.

Dekonstrukted: Real Fancy Slippers

2007-06-14T12:33:00.002+08:00

I think the pictures pretty much says it all.

Konstrukted: Anne's Homepage

2007-06-13T15:20:00.001+08:00

I was paid to do this. Do you think i should return the money?

www.geocities.com/yosi_carlo/annepascual

Rekonstrukted: Karma

2007-06-13T09:57:00.002+08:00

This happened as I got home from work. Thanks to mother nature for letting a coconut fall right after I parked the car.

Dekonstrukted: Mixed Messages

2007-06-13T09:54:00.002+08:00

The miseducation of the Filipino. Supersized.

These signages could be found at the hallway of my brother's pad.

Konstrukted: The Bacetti Card Ad

2007-06-11T16:05:00.002+08:00

Being the official family graphics artist (and a cheap solution at that), my cousin, who manages the salon and is photographed here tasked me to edit the poster for her latest marketing campaign: the Bacetti Card.

God knows why i do these things. :)

Teaser

2007-06-02T18:48:00.003+08:00

for a taste of the new album, click here

Studiography

2007-06-01T20:21:00.002+08:00

designing with Illustrator.

Mixing and creating tracks thru FL Studio 7 Producer's Edition

Roland XP-50 Synthesizer

Two weeks ago, I went to Manila, put aside my trust issues and bought a Roland XP-50 Synth thru the net since it was dirt cheap (they retail for about $1,500, got it at $300) and I just had to have it. So I blew my monthly savings for it. The seller was kind enough to tell me it went through the hands of Jay Durias of South Border. Who the f*ck cares if he's lying. I still wanted it.

Since I got my Roland XP-50 and FL Studio 7 Producer Edition I can't stop creating tracks. The genre is mostly electronica/house/hip-hop music. I must admit I can't rap that well, yet. A sanguine album is definitely in the works. I've become a track-tory [track and factory in one, but you knew that...] Watch out for that, if I find the time. I spend almost every after work hours composing/mixing/drilling my brain.

Photomemorial

2007-05-29T21:16:00.002+08:00

In the labyrinth that is my hard drive, I came across an old photo of a view from my unit at Taft.

I miss the good old days of panicking everytime I go to school due to an imaginary sickness, taking photography as a theraputic tool for my lethargy. The stench of the garbage that reaches my window, 16 floors above land. The sound of the train which I rode everytime I went elsewhere other than school, which is quite literally a hop away. The more annoying sound of an 18 wheeler truck's horn at midnight. The Jollibee delivery people, whom I call from 8-7000 even when they're just below my building - same goes for the Kenny Roger, Wendy's, Mc Donald's and Pancake House people - thank you for walking the steps which i should've walked - making me the laziest person in the world.

I would also like to thank Harrison Plaza for my caruso hanky, Rustan's for my Lacoste perfume, and SM department store for my seafood snack. Haha.

Good day to all!

Attenuating the Noise

2007-05-29T20:14:00.001+08:00

Along with the mundane, I'm keeping tabs of every single detail. Only, it destroys the very essence of blogging.

Ah, to hell with it. Only in the net will we experience a notion of real freedom anyway, or anonymity for that matter.

This site is supposedly titled konstrukt, until i lost it to "Teh Konstrukt". Ironically, freedom marred by exclusivity and precedence.

This site will feature most of my "artsy" stuff, which I think is good but not good enough for most. So expect unriveting talent and classless work.

I hope to keep on blogging since my last blog (which I will not mention here) lost it's usually appealing taste.

To the imaginary person who I am speaking to while typing this post, I hope you keep reading.

hmm...

2007-02-01T20:53:00.000+08:00

funny, i still have my brain after working at a call center.

Yet another update

2006-07-30T22:12:00.001+08:00

as bliss is elusive when comfort has weighed out the frantic QC streets, I've gone home.