1st EdgeCom @ SM Southmall

If you can afford to buy a brand new Unit why not! It's not everyday you get to indulge on things that your hard earned money can buy. On the second Level of SM Southmall you can find 1st EdgeCom, Along with almost a dozen Cellphone and gadget shops. Where they sell brand new handsets and accessories. The Difference here is that you'll be surprised that their merchandise are somewhat cheaper than those sold on other stalls. If I remember correctly, Back in college 1st Edgecom opened at SM Manila. I noticed that a P1i only costs around 13,400 when the price range of that unit is still at 15,+++. Their Units are always at least a thousand peso less than the competition. Pretty cool right? It's just recently that I found out why.

My girlfriend bought a handset from this store last June 9th. A Sony Ericsson Handset. We took advantage of the price off course. Since they have all the assurance that their handsets all have NTC stickers and have one year warranty and all. At least it's what it says on the sign on their cashier.

This is B*ll Sh*t!

When we were asking about the unit, testing it and all the clerk gave us the heads up that they only carry a one year service warranty and that's all. For parts they'll be charging extra and there's no warranty card from Sony Ericsson as well. In short if anything happens with the unit from day one, they will not be liable for it anymore. A Disclaimer, Hmmm that's good. We also tried to ask for a new unit but they don't have any. According to the clerk, they only have one unit available. (the ones on display). Since we were already there and our budget is only limited to that particular unit price. We gave it a go. Before heading towards the cashier she was asked to sign a waiver that she understood about the service warranty and all.
It was only 2 days ago that we discovered that the Unit they sold us has no NTC Sticker. We felt like we were scammed. So we tried to reason with them and we only got a shrug. The day we returned everybody was busy or has something to do and the rest who don't ,doesn't have a clue to what our complaint was. It's like they were asked to memorize a line. We were not after the warranty anymore. We're asking about the NTC sticker. It was a total waste of time. If they don't have the NTC stickers on their phones, How are they different from those vendors who's all over the news?

Though we'll still take this issue one step higher. It's just sad that We have to learn it the hard way.So for those of you who're scouting for a brand new gadget or Cellphone. Please be mindful as to where you're going to get your stuff. Cheaper is not always better people!

34 Months and Counting

Here's Ige's letter for Apol on their 34th month together.

Most people never really reach this point of a relationship. The point where we could make one single decision with just staring each other in the eyes. I must say that I'm lucky enough to have experienced love at it's finest. Yuck gayish! (waiting for a giant beer bottle to fall!) No seriously. I can say that it's not always smooth sailing for us but we stood our ground. I remember one time when we went out with some friends from work. They asked if we ever fight. I replied yes but we try not to ,cause its ugly when we fight. And that's a fact, I can say that we've been tested in more than one occasion and yet here we are still wanting more.

For the past 34 months, You've been my greatest source of strength. I'm not perfect and you know that. Farm from being Ideal in almost every way but there you are. Looking back at me with your eyes filled with content.

This is what I was looking for. This is what I want. You're all that I want. Our love story might not be as romantic as the movies, but it's good enough for me. The perfect love story to tell our kids when we're both old.

I love you and happy 34th monthsary beb!
Through Thick or Thin! That's how I can describe what happened today... It was a tiring but wonderful day. Sunburn without the sand. Muscle pains without the workout and most of all Spent the entire day awake, without sleep and together.

LG Kp500 aka Cookie

Photo from Google Image Bank

Just this month I joined the touch generation. Got myself an LG Cookie. I had to know what the fuzz is all about. I know, I know, there are a lot of other touch screen phones out there but I had to see for myself. This was not my first touch screen phone though. I usually prefer the P series of the competitive brand. And I really enjoyed using them. But because the cookie was well advertised and pretty much talked about, I decided to give it a chance.

Lets talk about its beauty first. To start off, it's slim , light weight and with it's full touch screen functionality it can give you the illusion of an iphone with the fraction of it's cost. Which by the way is totally over rated. It even comes with it's own screen guard. That saves you at least 150 bucks.

The cookie also has its document browser which is handy and useful for viewing .pdf, .ppt, .doc and .xls files. You can also play around with your pics cause of its great editing software. You can easily manage, edit and delete, as well as inserting an image to your contacts. One thing though, images will only show on a call and not with an incoming SMS. Sad. I kinda liked that feature. Additional applications/games are readily available on the web you just have to know where to look. According to some its memory is expandable upto 16Gig but according to its manual it can only support upto 8Gig.

Here comes the ugly part. If you're a heavy texter, you might wanna reconsider your other options cause this gadget will affect your texting experience for sure. The same is true for those of you who're camera savvy. It has a 3.0 megapixel on the label which is great outdoors but as soon as you take the light out, the camera will disappoint you. I swear. Movie quality and playback also sucks but surprisingly the music player is great. Security is also slacker. The phone auto locks but that's it. You will only be asked to enter a security code if you change the SIM card, if you turn the phone off and if you manually lock it. Not that good for people who value their privacy. Hehehe. The phone is not 3G and wifi capable. Sucks a little but good thing. I got OM installed. It's all I need baby...

Oh and one more thing, Updated firmware is not yet available online but if you got the time to spare. You can go to LG Service Center in pasig. According to some forums you can get an update for free. Just bring your receipt.

Here are some sample pics taken from my cookie. Notice the difference. The first one's taken outdoor while the other indoor.

All in all, it's Not an Iphone nor a 5800 but I could live with it until another one comes along. It's like the 5110 of it's kind. I'm still enjoying it after having it for less than a month. Good for me.

Why Multi-Level Marketing Works

I was a skeptic once, a non-believer in the world of Multi-Level Marketing, on the back of my head it's just a scam. A convenient scheme on which people could make a big and quick buck. A world where lies and promises are abundant and only a select few profit.

I tried this several occasions before, Invested on some reputable company and tried my very best to be one of the big guys saying if they can do it why can't I? Right?

Photo from google image bank

Invitations are normal in this world. I remember once, a college friend texted me and asked me if I could come with him to a party since he practically grew up in manila and the party was being held in the south. He has no clue on how to get there. As a good Samaritan I accepted his invitation and only asked to bring me back before midnight since I have a ton of work to do. So off we went. I was surprised that on our way there, he never really asked for directions. Hmmm! When we arrived there are a lot of peole ofcourse and on the roof deck there it was. Food is everywhere! We grabbed a couple of beers and then 15 minutes after arriving, the host called our attention. Asked us to sit comfortably while he pulled a white board out. Having no idea about it and since I can't find my friend I sat patiently in front of the entire crowd. The host started talking, asking silly questions like what's your dream car? At what age do you think can you afford to buy your own house and a lot more! If I my memory serves me right, I think almost half of the questions were throwned at me. Hey at 5'8" in front of a crowd of 40 or 50. What do you expect? There I realized that that wasn't just a party.

The Night ended where the guy started showing us photo copies of his commission cheques. He even used a guy named Mark as an example. At the age of 23 he's already driving around town with his own Ford Expedition. He said a lot of thing and used a lot of peoples names who already made their millions through the company. In short it was a pretty impressive presentation. I said to myself that if I had ten grand that night, there's no question about it. I'll be part of the group. Good thing my friend kept his promise and we said adieu to the crowd and to the host. On our way back. I was still as rock, contemplating on the figures I carried with me. That night when we got back home and I'm back in front of my unfinished work which by the way is due the following morning and I'm no where near completing it. I felt that somehow I was scammed. Financially no! but I was invited to a party but ended up attending a seminar.

Now, looking back maybe that's one reason why they call it that. A scam. A very bad reputation for a very good business. Then there came the nick names... Pyramiding, Networking, Etc.

I knew a lot of people, friends, acquaintances who really did well in this industry. Maybe one particular trait that I see in them is that they're good with people and they never give up. Oh and one more thing, they all have nothing to lose. What I meant by that is that they all hit rock bottom at one point of their lives. But here they are right now. Driving around with their own set of wheels, living the life at what? 25? 30? Not bad right?

Here comes 3 truths:

1. It's not a crime to earn a little extra on the side right? Times like these, you'll probably need all the cent you can get. Who doesn't want financial freedom ?

2. We're all a little scared to make an a big move especially in making a big Investment because? Off course 10 grand is 10 grand right? Why risk it?

3. In the Philippine setting, more than 10 years of education on training ourselves to be a great employee. But never a great boss. You do that on your own, along the way. Didn't you notice that there a lot of F*cked up bosses out there.

These are some of the basic truths that Multi-Level Marketing Companies are trying to Aid.

1. We're all struggling to get out of the rat race to get financial freedom. MLM companies gives you the opportunity to do just that. The freedom to earn more and the good part about this is that if you're employed you don't even have to quit your present job.

2. Taking the risk is the number one consideration. Guts and Getting Involved. It's not just the cash that we're talking about here. It's your commitment and dedication to the product and the company. Questions regarding the legality of the company and the product are always in question but as long as the company is registered with the SEC and the product is BFAD approved, what is there to doubt?

3. It doesn't matter if you're a Masters degree holder or a high school graduate. The company doesn't really give a d*mn if you were able to attend school or not. It doesn't matter what color your skin is. Black, white, brown, yellow, blue or red. Its all good. What matters is that you want number one and you have number two.

There are a lot of MLM companies out there. Both International and Locally owned and operated companies. It's really up to you to choose. No amount of persuation can convince you if you do not believe the product and the marketing plan.

Maybe some of your friends have already invited you to attend a business seminar but you're just to busy with worrying how to budget your next pay check or you're just not interested at all. What ever the reason is, don't think wrongly of that person. Don't misinterpret their intentions. One mentor once told me that in this industry, think first of the person whom you wish to help. Share to them your visions and the companys as well. Cause at the end of the day when all goes well between you two, the two of you are going to be working together towards your goal.

Ask me if this type of marketing plan really works. Hell yeah! If you are to ask me if it's worth it? another Hell yeah! Just got hooked up with a promising company with a very good product. I'm just on my 3rd week now and the traffic just keeps on coming. We're taking the country by storm.

And why am I telling you all these? At one point I just got tired of using my friends name as an example. Telling his success stories all the time. It's about time we make ours!

Another End of the World Movie

Photo from Google image bank

When I saw "Nostradamus-the man who saw tomorrow" on tv when I was a child. It really gave me a hard time sleeping at night... I mean it. You know how I survived and outgrown it? Kept on reminding myself what I learned in catholic school that the end of the world will come unnoticed and no one can predict when and how the world is going to end. That no man alive can pinpoint the exact date of Armageddon. No matter how visible the signs are.

For all of you end-of-the-world-fanatics out there, here comes another film by the director of Independence day (aliens and will smith) and the day after tomorrow( Merging storms and Dennis Quaid). Roland Emmerich has now concocted a new recipe to destroy the world- 2012. Saw both films. Enjoyed Independence day more than the latter though. I think aliens are more entertaining than natural disasters.

Let's See what 2012 has to offer. I saw the trailer and just like the first two films, I saw a lot of graphic images that I think is not really good to be shown to kids without parental guidance. These types of movies could really mess up with what you believe in due to excellent research. There's a fine line that really separates the fact from the fiction. Cause that's what makes these movies sell right?

Missing my sister already

My sister and my brother-in-law again left for Singapore the other day. Though she made it look like they're just going to her in-laws. I know it'll be a long wait before we could see her again. This is her 3rd time leaving but it's always like the first. The only difference is, this time they left behind a part of themselves, An angel! A cute and round one. "Kagwapong bata, bilog na bilog."

The night before the flight. I can feel that everybody's trying to act normal, avoiding long conversations. It was a very awkward dinner. Though the meal was great, you can hear unspoken words across the table. My entire family was there except one. To bad that Mackoy could not make it that night. We tried to cloud our thoughts with happy ones. Tried talking about the things we did during their stay, their plans and so on.

The night was really short. Everybody was up and ready around 6 am. I was planning to just sleep the morning off. But she just couldn't leave me alone. She had to make sure that i understood really well her "BILINS." So I was forced out of bed and there they were. My Family. Trying to keep it together while waiting for the cab to arrive. I just can't stand that kind of atmosphere. My sister insisted to go to the airport alone. Worrying that she might not leave at all. That's exactly the reason why I hate saying goodbyes.

She was the only OFW in my family, that's why we're not used to scenes like this. Now I know how it really feels. Cause every time I watch an OFW film, I can't relate cause I'm totally clueless. And I don't find any consolation on the thought that we're not the only family feeling this. That there are a lot of families just like us out there. It's just sad that while many of those fighting for power in the government are biting each others ears off just to be heard. These little people, the ones who we call the "Modern Day Heroes" are left with no voice, only armed with their passports, dreams and hope that one day they could finally return to the Philippines and enjoy the fruits of their labor, their sacrifices.
Now, again, we try to move on with our lives. Though it will never be the same again. Not for my sister who had made the hardest decision of leaving her son behind, not for my parents who've seen how miserable my sister was making that decision and especially not for my nephew who'll have to wait for her mother's next touch.

Pizza + Movie marathon = ONE GREAT WEEK END

My formula of a great week end. After all the worries and stress the past week has caused me and before it starts over again. Spent the entire night watching old zombie movies with an 18 inch Manhattan meat lover pizza. Two of my favorite, the 2004 remake of the "Dawn of the Dead and 28 days later". I could go on all night watching these two. I've already seen sequel to 28 days later which is 28 weeks later but I found the former much appealing!

Not that I'm fascinated by them As a matter of fact, they really scare me. Since I was little , I keep having bad dreams about zombies. I even dreamt of the it being caused by the Influenza A(N1H1) virus. Scary mann! Hey, don't laugh at me. Some people are afraid of the dark, some by closed spaces and others afraid of dogs. It just so happened that mine are Zombies.

You might be asking why I find them so terrifying as compared to vampires, werewolves and other mystical beings who might not really exist. Well for one they're in my dreams at night. Second, they live by their instincts and is attracted to warm flesh and they don't live by any code like vampires do. They're just dead walking. And the only effective way to kill it is to shoot them in the head. In the early movies, zombies are depicted to drag themselves to you. Slow and sometimes unresponsive. you can even outrun them if you have the guts. But in these movies they run, and in more ways than one you can even assume that they're thinking. that means locking yourself inside the house is probably not the best thing to do. And lastly, The problem with zombies is that they used to be people you know or you used to know. They could be your ex, neighbor, your old high school teacher or worse, your family. Though you know deep inside that as zombies they're already dead. But having to watch someone kill them again doesn't really make it any easier and you can never really kill them all because the virus travels so fast.

Hey, not because I'm afraid of them doesn't mean I can't enjoy them right? Just as long as I'm not the one being chased it's fine by me. hehehe

SEx Tayo!

It was a depressing day for Me and Apol, Some unexpected things came up and we definitely need to be someplace. It did't take us a minute to figure out where. "SEx tayo!" Sinangag Express is in front of Perpetual Las Piñas. For those of you who haven't been there yet. It's right after the Shell Station and beside Shakeys.

It was not our first time here. Yet you'll be surprised that the attendants will still give you the same smile as they take you to your seat. We usually smoke while waiting for our order and it's never a problem in this place since it's an open area. They'll even hand you an ashtray with out you asking for it. The Last time we were here it was a Saturday night I believe. The place was jam packed and it took about 5 minutes for our orders to be ready on our table. But tonight, Man. I haven't even thought of smoking yet and there' s our food. Talk about fast food! It's probably because they're not understaffed.

One thing about this place, it's open yet its, cozy! parking space in front may be a little bit of a problem on a busy night but there's an entire parking lot across the road. Paid Parking off course.

Now let's talk about the food. One thing I noticed is the Consistency on every aspect. If you order Adsilog last week, or even a month ago. Expect the same quality every time you order Adsilog. I mean it in a very positive way. Adobo, Good! Egg, good! and most especially the fried rice. Unlike some established fast food chains. You better hope and pray that the one preparing your food at the back has had enough sleep and is in a good mood.

The price? Spell affordable? Mind you, it's not LBC. A meal cost 52 Pesos. Iced tea is 20 Pesos. The place where you could really eat your heart out! hehehe.

I'm probably the Nth person to write an entry about SEx. but I am certain that I won't be the last.

Just another Philippine Holiday?

1898, the year when all the fuzz began. Freedom for the Filipinos. Pardon me but history isn't my forte but I'm pretty sure of the year though. Our heroes valiantly fought for freedom. For Independence. For the Filipinos.

After more than a hundred years of celebrating our indepence, two official people power and after all has been said and done. Where does our Independence really stand? I'm sure that to many, June 12 is merely an official non working holiday and means a whopping double pay for others. Nothing more, nothing less.

No one can ever doubt the Filipino's sense of Nationalism and Patriotism. We've already proven that to the world on more than one occasion and we even see the proof everyday printed on shirts. But is that really enough? Or should I ask. Is that all that we can do? Does covering our body with these symbolism's enough? Does that make us more of a Filipino? I know, I know, it doesn't make us less of a Filipino either. Don't tell me that you buy those heftily priced shirts for fashion. I've seen better designs for less. For status maybe? Since not all could buy a 500 peso shirt. I do believe that we do, because we believe in the ideology it represent. Like the "Ninoy" shirt or Francis M's "Three Stars and a Sun" shirt. But believing is one thing and doing what you think is right for that idea is another.

I heard in the news today that the opposition could no longer convince people from Baseco and Parola, in Tondo to join this coming Wednesdays protest ( Anti- ConAss Rally) because they were already awarded land titles by the present administration. And they're tired of promises. Some also stated that they only get snacks and sometimes take homes for the previous rallies they attended. Ahhh! Agendas, agendas, agendas. Why am I not surprised.

I remember the very first rally I attended, It was done prior Edsa II. Its a collective effort between universities. We were walking along Roxas Blvd. passing the supporters of the current administration. Back then it was Erap seated at Malacañang. They were mocking us at the sidelines asking us how much they(organizers) paid us to be there that day. The funny thing is... We were asking the same question ourselves. That day it dawned me that both sides are being manipulated. No one really knows who's pulling the strings. From that day forward it's choosing the lesser evil for me. Up until today that's how I see Philippine Politics.

It's kinda sad how time, ambition and greed degraded what was once a great republic.

Now that the threat to our country's constitution is eminent. This coming Wednesday people will again walk the streets of Makati to protest on how the congress railroad ConAss, resolution 1109. I just hope that this time it'll be more for the Country, more for the constitution and hopefully a little less for personal ambition.

Photo obtained from google image bank.

UPDATE:


Again, thousands gathered yesterday at the heart of Makati. Officials estimated the crowd at 15,000. And as expected many familiar faces were present. Faces we'll probably see more on Walls, Streamers and Newspapers this coming 2010 elections.

It's just sad that some who are present yesterday haven't got the slightest idea what the Con-Ass is. Yeah I know, I know. Freedom of speech right? But hey its a game of numbers. It always is. Again I'm not taking sides. I just just believe that you can't fight fire with fire. When your enemy steals from you you dont just steal your Item back. you do the right thing. You file a complaint. Cause if you don't it just proves one thing your enemy has outwitted you. And that's probably what's happening in malacañang right now. You dont take the fight out in the streets. You don't convince people to come and join your cause without feeding them information why.

Lets just see how all this turns out. "Nagmumukha nang telenovela ang pulitika dito sa atin." We all just have to wait and see.

Photo obtained from yahoo image bank.

MY LIFE AS A CHESS GAME

I've been playing this game for over 28 years now. It never gets boring though, even if I'm bound by the rules and all the rules are still the same eversince.

I play it myself and the pieces I move is me. If you've seen how wizard's chess was played in Harry Potter. It's kinda like that and even more.The good thing is I'm not limited to moves made by the other chess pieces like the pawn, the knight, the bishop and the rook The move I make is entirely mine, depending on the previous move by my opponent. Trying to stay ahead. I'm not that competitive but I do believe that it's a dog eat dog world out there and you should always be on top of your game if you want to survive. Touch move still applies though. I can not undo a move that's already made but I make sure to do better on the next one. Most of the times I hang by the thread but hey, cut me some slack. It happens to the best of us right? It's always trial and error no matter how good my preparations were. Learning from experience is still the key.

Sometimes sacrifices need to be made in order to achieve one goal and one goal alone and that is to out think my opponent on the least amount of time. And sometimes these sacrifices cost me more than just chess pieces. In the process, I lost some friends, even loved ones.

Checkmate is not an option. It never is. Not for me.

This may not only be true for me but for all of us. For us who prefer to live a calculated life. I suggest we all deviate from it and start living each day on our own phase. Let not the clock hinder us from taking time to make the next move but cautious enough to realize that every day is a day towards the end. And one more thing, the opponent is merely a reflection of ourselves, besides after every chess game played you earn not only respect but a friend on the opposite side of the board.

In my mind right now...

As much as love the rainy days, and I'm sure a lot of you will disagree but hey, what can I do? I'm a rain person. I just hate getting sick especially now... Cause this means a trip to the doctor and believe me you don't wanna catch the colds nor the flu. Not now that Influenza A(N1H1) is here. For the simple reason that the two (Common Flu and Swine Flu) share similar symptoms. But it's always, always better safe than sorry. Right? Times like this it's always a good thing if you know a good doctor.

I heard the news about what happened to the DLSU campus where classes were suspended because of the said Influenza strain. Scary huh. It's like what's happening in the movies but with out the special effects on how the virus travels from carriers to recipients. (cant find the right word). Man we're living in Manila. The" Spit Capital" of the Philippines. There are a lot of "spitters" out there and I'm pretty sure they don't mind. Call me paranoid but I'm guessing there's no stopping it and there's no turning back now. We have to face the problem head on.

Although according to Sec. Duque III, A(H1N1) is a mild form of influenza with less than a one per cent fatality rate. In an article entitled "Once bustling DLSU campus akin to ghost town", from GMANews.TV but these soothing words can only do so much.

Craving not satisfied...

I woke up this morning craving for stake. This very seldom happens to me (craving for something out of the ordinary) so I gave in. I rushed to the nearest mall and buzzed to the food court. Stake Escape here I come! Not that jam packed though. I was expecting a standing ovation since it's already 5:30PM. Never mind the wet and bed weather. I'm really not feeling well already so I thought what the heck. What difference will it make. Got some pills ready for something like this. (Western Medicine)

Ah Pork chop, Iced tea and extra rice. Though it was not that fulfilling it was enough for me. I was kinda hesitant at first for the reason that their display sometimes differ with the food itself. I know that Pork chops, like bacon shrinks in the process. I was hungry so you better not hate me for being meticulous about this things.

Pol on the other hand had her share of spareribs. Hopefully she enjoyed hers better than I did.

Photoshop-ing

3 generations

The Cuzins and Mitch

My Mom and Gabriel Louie

My Best Friend's Wedding

One of my best friends got married last march and I just didn't have the time to write about it. But now for him I'll take the time. Domicic was my friend since way way back. Considered him as my high school best friend. Just last March he finally tied the knot with Jhen. His College girlfriend whom I only met once. That was the time when we're supposed to have his bachelors party. Never really knew them together but I have faith in my friend. If he can keep a relationship that long he's definitely into the girl. Knowing him, Hes definitely in love. I was shocked about the announcement though but I'm not surprised.

It was also the day that my sister gave birth. A double celebration. He was the first among us. And when we went out during his bachelors celebration. I call it a that because it wasn't actually a party. there were no strippers who comes out of a giant cake. We were placing bets on to who among the rest of us will be next. I'm still sure that Hanzel would be next. Hehehehe. That night ended with us drinking beer on Moon Ville's park. We were kinda joking around and somehow reminiscing on how fast things went. From deciding who will go out with who on our JS prom to whether or not everyone of us will be able to come to the wedding.
On the Wedding itself, Everybody was there! The funny thing is that I didn't sense any tension in the air. I guess it's because both of them (NIcky and Jhen) wanted the same thing. It's the right and smart thing to do. I admire the both of them as well as their parents. That was my first attended wedding. My second Best friend being married. I was not able to attend Carl's and I really regret that.

I guess who ever among us is next the important thing is that there's no repeat performance. Cause in a generation where marriage and wedding's no longer a big deal, making that kind of decision is one brave thing to do. So to you Nicky, Congratulations and Best wishes to you Jhen.