Post Date Review

You may be wondering what happened on my date with a girl 9 yrs my junior...let's just say she could've been better.

She's OK although there is nothing worth noting. I don't know what was in me but she held most of the conversation. I should have probably told her that I do not impress easily. Oh well, we may setup another date.

After reading Scott's review of a movie claiming disappointment, I asked a friend this afternoon to watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls. This actually reminds me of the old Tin Tin graphic novels. Maybe I should complete my copies of them.

Hmm....

Waste Markets

I found this in one of the mailing lists I subscribe to...

SM Supermalls also has the "Trash to Cash" event every first Saturday
of the month, 8 am to 2 pm.
====
Ayala Foundation has a project called Solid Waste Management. They have a
team which, together with other groups, organizes a waste market every
Friday at different locations. Every first Friday they are at the Goldcrest
parking lot near Landmark and (old) Anson's Makati, second Fridays they are
at Trinoma parking area, and third Fridays they are at Alabang Town Center.
Very successful organized regular events.

You can call up Adel or Tin or Camille at 7521084.

I think I should show up in one of these events and just drop off some stuff for some cash. Help the world and make some money off of it never hurts I guess.

Dating a 21-Year Old

An acquaintance set me up on a semi-blind date & get this...

A 21 Year old!

I know I told myself I won't date anyone over 2 yrs younger than me but she appeals to me. I thought to myself why not give it a try.

Let's see what happens on Saturday when we go out on our first date...

DayS(hift!)

I think I have allergies. I guess I am allergic to waking up so early for work.

Bwahahaha

WaMu Training Day

I broke it off with the girl I've been seeing. I don't think it'll work out for some reason (well, I can think up a few in a snap) I just don't see her happy. Besides she claims to have a lot of what she wants to call "meantime" relationships. I don't want to be a statistic. I want to stand out. Perhaps this is payback for the shit I've pulled off in high school. Going out on multiple dates at the same time. Now maybe fates retribution. Sometimes I hate myself but I know I put myself in that situation so I have to deal with it.

Anyway, I'm on day shift right now & after a day of Siemens history lectures ( which I will call Siemens Appreciation day for comic effect) I am hoping there will be no exams about it. I did learn a few new nuggets of useless information (useless for my line of work or useful if I plan on being the official Siemens tourist guide) It was boring. I can't say much yet by I am kinda stoked to be in a new account & do a lot of tech calls...i mean service desk calls. I can't explain it in detail since I don't feel like posting much today. I feel a fever coming up soon but I still have to go to work no matter what.

I hope tomorrow's lectures will be more informative & be actually interesting for once!

Doubt

I think I have found someone....

It's against my principles but now I am starting to doubt my own integrity.

Let's see what happens....

Deprived

It's been 3 days already. I haven't had much sleep.

The first 2 days of work I felt like I was in a seething 48 hour drunken stupor. Light headed, too warm for comfort, and dead tired.

The girl I asked out for breakfast woke me up.

I'm a very light sleeper, a little noise can wake me up like a fog horn in a port. I'm not exactly complaining though.

I'm glad it's nearing the end of the work week. I can't go for so long without sleep. Not like in my younger years.

*yawn*

I better try getting more sleep while I'm on a bus towards home.

Tuvo Una Fiesta Con Pablo

I partied out last saturday.

Pao's fiesta birthday bash.

I woke up late & hurried over. I didn't feel like wearing jeans that night, it was just too warm. I didn't want to wear the new shirts that I bought because I wanted to have them washed first, it's always a good idea. You never know who wore them and on the plus side, you get to smell like you were freshly laundered. When I arrived in Pasig, the drinks just started flowing. I had the buffalo wings made by Prec.

It was the best i've ever had!!

I just kept on nibbling & nibbling just before I had the vodka that was being passed around. There was a lot of singing & a lot of joking around. I sort of felt overdressed despite wearing shorts. I was comfortable though & didn't care if my shirt was not exactly proportional to my shorts. Then again, I never really cared how I look like. Ha ha

After a few rounds of bad singing & some drinks the toker was passed. It had the effect of sniffing Nitrous Oxide & the munchies, did I mention that the buffalo wings are excellent? Gee, I think I did.

I guess a few hits on chronic is showing it's after effects. Everything was just fun!

All this while, this girl back at the office & I were throwing out messages. It's a slow day at the floor. 30 minutes avail is great for an agent. It's just too bad they blocked out internet access so I imagine it could've been boring & relaxing at the same time. I just can't help it. We just so like talking about stuff. I asked her out eventually about bantering on office life & their GA. I don't know why but I felt I was going to be a long way home. It was my off anyway so I had to give myself a chance. Why not take her out for breakfast? So, I did. She said yes. I finished the party & crashed at Cathy's.

I knew we were talking about who & what to date in the office. Just a little romanticizing. He He I don't remember the conversation but we did fall asleep eventually. I woke up after an hour or two of sleep. I bought myself a toothbrush & let her know that I'd be there around 7:30am.

I didn't know what time Heaven & Eggs opened. We were originally deciding Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf or Starbucks. I didn't like starbucks & she doesn't like CBT&L so we opted for that. It was breakfast anyway. She brought along Emmie. I think she was her OIC on her team. It was ok. It's not as if we were going to be romantically involved.

Anyway, we were talking about office work & office life. Emmie had to go home. My date lived not more than 5 mins by can from Eastwood so we spent more time together. I even got a free drink from that conversation after Emmie left.

The Starbucks coffee jelly has these little square jellies inside...It's like nipples in a cup! Ha Ha Ha It was a great 6 hours talking & discoursing on various topics.

Now, that was the best weekend I've had so far. Here's to dating & a very intelligent conversation over free stuff!

Bwahaha

Political Chess (Account Transferring) Part 1

It looks like fate has changed it's tune it ain't what I initially heard. The rank & file employees whisper a different name as shift manager...Derrick.

I've worked with him once when he was still in the SILO team. Oh we've had our conflicts & some good times too! I still have to be wary & cautious though. He has changed & I believe he is tainted by a certain person's influence. He is now a company man, no longer the former D. He's just known as Derrick.

Well, it's better than Chad I guess. Baby steps as Maggi says. Let's wait for the story to unfold.

Political Chess (Account Transferring)

Someone at the office caught a little info in a network resoruce back at the office. They say I'm moving to WaMu as an L2 and guess who the rumored Shift Supervisor is...Chad!

(Let's all hold our breath for a moment)

Now, if this happens to be true I guess my stay in the company will be shorter than expected. I do not have a professional problem with Chad. Hey! If it's worth it he's very good at pushing performance metrics to it's limit. Everyone does have a problem with the way he handles people. I mean seriously, what can he do to improve what I am capable of? His personality is better off in an uptight organization & I do not ever plan on staying with an uptight culture.

I've had enough of that. I am comfortable where I am & I believe I'm better off using my capabilities elsewhere...thank you very much!

We'll see what happens...

LCD TV Mania

I was just inspired by Scott Little's setup. He bought himself a good deal on a Toshiba Regaza 42" that came with a 32" and the latter was used as a computer monitor. The colors were not as impressive as a full LCD but this might be due to the limits on resolution. I'm not much of a gamer but I think it makes sense to have an LCD TV for both computing tasks & TV/Vide viewing. They say that LCD TV's are more energy efficient compare to CRT's of old. Frankly, if it helps save in power, i'd like one.

I've been asking around & Gerry Kaimo recommends checking out Listening In Style. (I think I already mentioned this on a previous post) Someone in the list posted their current offerings & I found a Hitachi that fits my budget. TV's usually last long & it take a while before you get tired of it. At less than Php 30,000, it seems like a good buy.

I have to make sure first that I don't put myself up in financial failure. Hopefully before the year ends I can get a decent LCD TV!

So now begins my LCD TV mania...

Now The Show Starts....

I woke at around 4pm.

I sent an SMS message to the people I'd be watching the concert with. They've been hanging out all this time just to make sure they get the best seats we could. The concert starts at 8pm according to the ticket. I took the MRT, slightly sleepy from a rude awakening from my alarm clock & arrived at around 6:03pm. Just about 12 minutes before the set time we were to meet at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Gateway mall. The trip was quite fast. I expected to hit rush hour once the bus I rode left Alabang.

I'm glad I didn't encounter such.

We were waiting for the others to arrive & got in around 6:24pm. The coliseum hasn't changed much. Old & crickety covered up by new construction did not improve its look. Nevertheless, the climate has at least greatly improved & battled the harsh warm air outside which was a welcome change. We got seated around 7:30. The seats we were on have never changed since the '70s I bet. Thin foam & small chairs were a tad uncomfortable. I had my dinner inside, 2 slices of Pizza Hut's super supreme held my hunger at bay. I forgot to mention when I bought a small bottle of water that they had to take the cap. They must have had bad situations which turned the concert into a cap-flinging war among the audience. Kind of reminds me of the last time I was here. The Metallica concert was really rowdy but being in highschool, it was such a blast! I would have wanted to buy a complete meal, yet this would suffice.

We waited through several reruns of the sponsors. I think they mentioned at least half of the radio stations. I would have given them a piece of my mind by just advertising "almost all radio stations, in almost all frequencies sponsored this event!" Oh god, they even showed the future concerts to be held at the coliseum inf future dates. Now, it would be interesting to note that Burt Bacharach would be here with a certain Steve Tyrell. I tend to think he is a so and so lounge singer from Las Vegas. In another minor interesting note, Frank Sinatra's junior has also subjected himself to singing American contemporaries & should also be here soon. I'm glad I won't be there. It would have been much more profitable to do this in a hotel setting with dinner & all that jazz. I don't know much about music but spending my coin in an old foggies son aint particularly my cup of lattè.

Anyhoo, back to the concert proper. There is apparently a front act. A woman who has huge arms & probably related to political wife-cum-actress-cum-singer Sharon Cuneta. Faith Cuneta is her name. I think I saw her in a hotel Ad once. I'm not impressed with her singing or her performance. She could have opted to whet are appetites by singing something upbeat, saldy she went for singing what she thought was best for her. Promoting her album & all that. It was a gruelling 45mins, in my opinion. It pissed off a lot of people who had been waiting for what seemed like hours now. Faith mentioned that the band was still eating backstage. "Sure..." I thought while rolling the eyes in my head. They probably took the MRT or a cab ride at rush hour traffic from the hotel they were staying at.

30 minutes after the lights dimmed & only an opaque light illuminated the stage. The song from Rocky kicked in & a few people with towel in their heads started walking doing practice punches in the air....then there they were Swing Out Sister! The front man (or woman, for the sake of political correctness) started the concert. They were a 5 piece band, vocalist, backup singer, drums, keyboards, bassist, & guitar. I was disappointed that the brass section (I kept refferring to them as the trumpet but was corrected) is not part of the current line up. They sang a few songs from the new album. You should have seen Adrienne. despite her age, she hasn't change from what I saw. She moved as graceful as ever (Basically waving arms like a marionette) & kept her movements undistracting as she sang songs from Beautiful Mess. In the middle, they sang old songs like Twilight Zone, You On My Mind. The latter which majority knew started standing & waving through the rhythm of the song. A jam session ensued & since they've been together for so long you knew everything was well rehearsed! It was amazing! The band itself even did some solos & my being a fan of bass, the black guy was as impressive. I just wish I could afford a bass guitar & an amplifier of my own. The slaps on the string with a crunchy tone was just absolutely mesmerizing. The person next to me even commented that the bassist ran his fingers on the string like Jaco Pastorius, I politely agreed but of course, Jaco liked smooth bass lines playing part of rhythm than standing out in a song. I was still impressed though. Then after an hour, the band left the stage. As expected, everyone started clamoring for "Breakout". I thought that the concert ended but deep inside I knew that more was still to come. In a few minutes the band came out again & Adrienne changed costume apparently. She was now wearing a long dress shirt made from "barong" material. She says she had it made. She knew how to handle herself well, I imagine! I liked her better in the first costume she wore because she really stood out on that one. They started another song & then the climax of the second set, BREAKOUT!!! Everyone knew the lyrics & started to sing along, it wasn't as intense as the original recording without the brass section but still satisfying for a die hard fan. I can't seem to get over the fact that the backup singer reminded me of Chaka Khan! Then a few more songs & the concert ended in a good way. A thousand bucks for 2 hours weren't too bad. I joked to my colleagues that I felt a bit swinged out after waiting than the concert itself but I can't complain. Watching Swing Out Sister live was the best thousand bucks I've spent this year. Overall, I'd give the concert 3 1/2 stars. It was satisfying but I expected more.

Kudos to Swing Out Sister & hopefully they get back to their former glory. I wish them luck!

Swing Out Sister

It's been so long and I would like to start with some news!

I got tickets....


I am really excited!

The LCD TV Plan

I took my leave for the SOS concert & a few more extra days for catching up on some personal business. It seems I have left something like a little more than a thousand emails unanswered.

It's like work email!

I asked around for the best bang for the buck LCD TV which I can use both as a TV & a computer monitor. Gerry, referred me to Listeing in Style. I checked another post that mentioned their current offerings, a Hitachi LCD TV for Php 28,000. It looked like a good deal & I'd like to save up on it since the account I am currently working on is about to close down & I have to renew everything that I know about handling tech support calls.

I think around 30k would be more than enoguh without the monitor. It makes good financial sense to buy myself a new TV/Monitor. The LCD TV uses up less power & I plan on getting some broadband as soon as I can afford it. Cable interent seems ideal but I'd hate to leave my current provider since they offer a better channel line up.

I'll figure that out once I get to that point. For now, I have to leave for work.

Ciao!

Treo 680: The Purchase

Early this year I decided to sell my phone. I did not really have any problems with it but I guess it was time to upgrade. I skipped a generation and probably should have upgraded when I got the chance then. I skipped going home for a few days and crashed at a co-workers pad (Thanks Katie and Pao!).

I got the order from the more reputable Longbeard who sells Macs at a low price. The first time I emailed him regarding the Crimson Red Treo 680 he quoted Php 17,000 and Php 16,500 for the Graphite. During our emails and through Gtalk he seemed quite distracted or uninterested in my questions. It didn't really bother me that much since I was a first time buyer and transactions like these are pretty much based on trust, something which is a prime commodity nowadays. Anyway, I re-confirmed with him that I am getting the Crimson Red Treo 680 plus crystal case and screen protector. He okayed the deal, to be picked up on Wednesdays and I thought everything should run smoothly.

The next day, when I came back to work almost everyone knew I was phone-less and I polled around asking if the Crimson Red looked ok. Some thought it looked too red other's says it was ok but the Arctic White looked better. I agreed with them regarding the Arctic White edition but alas, it is not supported in Asia and If I ran into trouble with the phone they may have to replace it with regular Graphite. I decided that the Red should work as it is rarely found here and I checked with Digital Walker, they are commanding the price of Php 24,900.00!!!

I guess I did get a good deal.

I showed up on Wednesday morning at the agreed upon place to pick up the package. I had difficulty going there since the promised sketch to my email never arrived. I met Dave, his brother I think, and told me that the package has not arrived yet. Tsk, Tsk, Very disappointing, indeed. I was given there home phone number so that I can check if the package has arrived. Since I was already packed and miscalculated a missing shirt which Pao offered to compensate by lending one of his. I sauntered home.

I got home and emailed Longbeard about the situation, he claims Customs delayed the package which is fine since we do not have control of such things. I woke up early that night and called the home phone number and looked for Dave. This man with a gruff voice says he wasn't there, I asked if I can drop by before 10:30PM just in case Dave arrives before that since a deal has already been forged, he says ok and just abruptly hangs up on me. Kind of rude really but based on the gruffness on his voice and his dumbfounded manner I can't blame him to know anything about the package.

I scooted over as fast as I can and arrived just 15 minutes before the time. Dave was dealing with someone else and asked me to sit while he finished with his guests. He went in and brought out the package. He shows that it's sealed and provided the receipt when it was purchased. I checked the bottom sticker, no indication that it was Red. I checked with Dave he says he is not sure as he only receives the packages and picks up the money. He says he will check with Longbeard. A call was placed and he says that the Red now costs Php 18,000. I was astonished. We agreed on the price and I later found out that the screen protector is missing. Dave placed another call and Longbeard says the protector was delayed but should arrive on Friday afternoon. I could not afford to leave without anything so I just took the Graphite at Php 16,500 plus the crystal case and told Dave I'll get the Screen Protector on Saturday morning. Since I already made a down payment I just shelled out the difference and will pay the screen protector once I picked it up, Dave agreed.

I took a cab to the office and opened up the box. Everything was sealed and the phone was factory charged for approximately 30% or so. I inserted my Sim card and there you have it, I have a new phone!

It was a bit of a disappointing transaction but if I wanted the Graphite, despite the delay everything would have gone smoothly.

I'll post my review on the Treo 680 soon.

Kids Say The Darndest Things

Kids can say the darndest things. Innocence can be funny at times. Here's a couple I've either heard of or read off other people's testimonials....

NUDITY

I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening
when a woman in a convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was
stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old
shout from the back seat, "Mom! That lady isn't wearing a seat belt!"

HONESTY

My son Zachary, 4, came screaming out of the bathroom to tell me he'd
dropped his toothbrush in the toilet. So I fished it out and threw it
in the garbage. Zachary stood there thinking for a moment, then ran
to my bathroom and came out with my toothbrush. He held it up and
said with a charming little smile, "We better throw this one out too,
then 'cause it fell in the toilet a few days ago.

OPINIONS

On the first day of school, a first-grader handed his teacher a note
from his mother. The note read, "The opinions expressed by this child
are not necessarily those of his parents."

KETCHUP

A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup to come out of the bottle.
During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old
daughter to answer the phone. "It's the minister, Mommy," the child
said to her mother. Then she added, "Mommy can't come to the phone to
talk to you right now. She's hitting the bottle."

MORE NUDITY

A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's
locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with
ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched
in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter haven't you ever seen
a little boy before?"

POLICE ASSISTANCE

While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I
was interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old. Looking up and
down at my uniform, she asked, "Are you a cop?" "Yes", I answered and
continued writing the report. "My mother said if I ever needed help I
should ask the police. Is that right?" "Yes, that's right," I told
her. "Well, then, " she said as she extended her foot toward
me, "would you please tie my shoe?"

POLICE AGAINST ANIMALS

It was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the
station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was
barking, and I saw a little boy staring in at me. "Is that a dog you
got back there?" he asked. "It sure is," I replied. Puzzled, the boy
looked at me and then towards the back of the van. Finally he
said, "What'd he do?"

ELDERLY

While working for an organization that delivers lunches to elderly
shut-ins, I used to take my 4-year-old daughter on my afternoon
rounds. She was unfailingly intrigued by the various appliances of
old age, particularly the canes, walkers and wheelchairs. One day I
found her staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As I
braced myself for the inevitable barrage of questions, she merely
turned and whispered, "The tooth fairy will never believe this!"

DRESS-UP

A little girl was watching her parents dress for a party. When she
saw her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, "Daddy, you shouldn't
wear that suit." "And why not darling?" "You know that it always
gives you a headache the next morning."

DEATH

While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister
heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt.
Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead
robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, then had
secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole and made
ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister's son was chosen
to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his
version of what he thought his father always said: "Glory be the
Faaaather, and unto the Sonnnn..... and into the hole he goooes."

SCHOOL

A little girl had just finished her first week of school. "I'm just
wasting my time," she said to her mother. "I can't read, I can't
write and they won't let me talk!"

BIBLE

A little boy opened the big family Bible. He was fascinated as he
fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the
Bible; he picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an
old leaf that had been pressed in-between the pages. "Mama, look what
I found", the boy called out." What have you got there, dear?" With
astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's
Adam's underwear!"

I Miss My Treo

I just sold my Treo 600 a few hours ago. I miss it already.

I keep on touching my side pocket and get a feel of that big bulge on my pants!

Ha ha ha ha

I'm looking out for a good deal on a Crimson Red Treo 680 and it seems difficult to find a good deal.

Oh well, I'm just venting out and I feel naked without my smartphone.

A Boring End Of The Year

Gee, it's been a while since I last posted. I can't seem to find the time to post anything interesting. Work has always been eating a lot of my time and I can't seem to enjoy the few times I am free. I always end up sleeping during my off days. Ironically, when it's a work day sleep just seems to vanish. I am not sure why but I always worry about something, it's either the bills, work, traffic, Erin, etc.

I don't even know why I start worrying. I've stopped dating for the moment, I just can't find anyone that is actually interesting. I've stopped replying to SMS messages from my dates. I even told one that although it has been fun, I regret to tell her that I am no longer interested. She asked why and I didn't reply back. I hear she is dating someone new nowadays and I am glad she found someone.

I haven't bought anything for myself last year as I am still considering my options. I don't want to be the idiot that lives from paycheck to paycheck to pay credit cards, luxuries like notebooks, iPod's, and whatever cool accessories are the in thing nowadays.

I tried watching TV but nothing really seems interesting. Their are a few bits on the History Channel my cable provider hooked up with but nothing that really makes me focus that much. I just can't concentrate enough as I have a lot of things in mind that just keep me very distracted.

I tried taking up reading but I cannot find anything interesting to read. I try keeping in touch with the goings on of the technology industry but there isn't enough to keep me interested.

I've ditched the idea of buying the Olympus camera I wanted, I think I should get a desktop first. My sister wants to get a new notebook but I discouraged her to spend on it. We already have a notebook and that should suffice for the meantime. I strongly suggest for the first timers who want to buy a notebook to wait a few years. Flash based storage is nearing and this should greatly increase the battery life and get it at a cheaper price range.

I plan on getting a desktop this year with a budget of Php 30,0000. I'm still considering on purchasing a new LCD TV to act as my monitor so that I won't have to spend on two separate appliances that pretty much do the same thing. It's cheaper in the long run.

Perhaps, I'll start with the LCD TV first. I hear the Samsung's are good from the manufacturing industry. I'll start there and move up to a new desktop with a better chassis.

I saw a good deal for a Treo 680 that's arctic white albeit the warranty already expired. I might get that first since Php 16,500 is a steal for such a rare color.

There's a lot I want to buy but resources are currently limited. I told Erin just a few hours ago that I'll stop sending milk. She's turning 6 yrs old this year and hitting the bottle has to stop some time and I've decided that time is now.

The start of the year was boring. We were asked to work on New Year's eve as it transitioned off to 2008. I'm considering of switching accounts. If they won't let me I just might find a different company who can provide a better offer. I don't want to leave yet but I can't work if I don't enjoy the work they give me.

Ah well, Decision, descisions, decisions. There's a lot to decide this year but I'll get over it.

Hopefully everything turns up well for everyone.

Happy New Year!

Honesty Is Stupid

Taxi driver finds $17,000 left behind by a passenger. Taxi driver can't pay hospital bills for his sick wife. Taxi driver owes rent. Taxi driver returns money. Taxi driver's reward? $32.

An old local news item I happened to chance upon. Irony for the masses!!!

read more digg story

Perfect Scores In An Exam

I just got my end year pay for this year. I tried to assess if I can pay my whole credit card bill so that I can start fresh next year and by something for my self. Of course, Priorities first and that would be Erin and the electric bill. Her mom has been very consistent in letting me know what she needs (thank god!) so I bought her what she asked and little something for her and Erin (Sometimes!). I scooted over there thinking they'd be there since it's a holiday. It's been a while since I last saw Erin. She's put on some weight which I'm happy for but what got me really psyched was that she got perfect scores in all her exams!

My god! That was really something. I knew she was smart and everybody keeps telling me it has to be the genes. Whose genes? I don't know.

I've never aced a whole set of exams ever and it seems that most of everything I hope for came through. It's nice to know that your offspring is doing better than you. I'm so proud of her I just might get her what she wants for christmas!